Chapter 1615: Shocking News II

Afterward, Fargo and the others worked tirelessly to conceal the incident involving Lory and Zhao Li Xin. They approached the rescued victims of human trafficking, offering compensation and even citizenship to those willing to remain within the kingdom.

In exchange, the victims were placed under the Seal of Verity, a spell designed to prevent them from accidentally revealing Lory’s identity to outsiders. It was not only for Lory’s safety, but for theirs as well.

It was afternoon when Zhao Li Xin was finally able to snap back from his shock, and the first thing he said was: "MY WIFE IS PREGNANT!!!" Zhao Li Xin’s voice thundered through the chamber.

Lory gasped, she nearly dropped the teacup in her hands, she patted her chest, then glared at Zhao Li Xin, "Honey, you scared me!" Lory complains.

Zhao Li Xin stared in stunned silence. Lory had already changed into a knitted white sweater and loose beige pants. She sat comfortably in a cushioned chair, wrapped in a plaid blanket while sipping hot tea.

He blinked, confusion was apparent on his face, "Where are we?" Zhao Li Xin looked around the familiar room in confusion.

Lory gave him a quick glance, then said casually, "Our bedroom."

His brows furrowed further. "....How did I get here?"

"You walked here on your own." Lory rolled his eyes. "Though you looked as though you were in a trance."

Zhao Li Xin was silent. He still looked dazed; obviously, he was still not over his shock.

Zhao Li Xin’s silence make her even more aggrieved, tears welling in her eyes, her voice trembling. "Do...do you hate my pregnancy?" Her voice broke at the end of the sentence, fragile and strained with grief.

Zhao Li Xin was shocked. This was the first time Lory had yelled at him; instantly, anxiety and guilt weighed down his heart.

Lory feel even more aggrieved, tears gathering in her eyes, her voice trembles. "Do you...Do you hate me being pregnant?" Her voice faltered at the end, fragile and strained with hurt.

The moment Zhao Li Xin saw her tears, he sprang up from the couch and rushed to her side. Dropping to one knee, he gently clasped her hand.

"I’m sorry, wife, I’m so sorry." His voice softened with panic. "You’re wrong, I don’t hate it, not at all. I’m just... shocked, because I never thought one day I would be... a father." The word ’father’ still feel strange in his mouth.

But then, imagining Lory becoming a mother, a glimmer of happiness lit up his heart.

Zhao Li Xin wiped away the tears that had pooled in the corners of her eyes. "Please don’t cry," she pleaded softly. "I heard crying is bad for pregnant women."

Lory glared at him. "You’re the one who made me cry!" she rebuked angrily.

"Yes, yes—it’s my fault. It’s all my fault." Zhao Li Xin surrendered immediately.

His fingers still held hers carefully, almost reverently.

"Please don’t cry, my dear." He pleaded softly.

"The truth is I’m rather anxious..." He hesitated before asking softly, "Do you think my son will like me?"

It was natural for Zhao Li Xin to feel anxious because he had grown up without a father’s love. His biological father had slaughtered his mother’s family, including his own mother, leaving behind scars that could never truly heal.

Meanwhile, the other father figure in his life, the emperor, had never cared for him either. Because of the illness Zhao Li Xin suffered from, the emperor regarded him as a useless prince and chose to ignore his existence altogether. Thus, Zhao Li Xin was left to survive alone within the palace walls, enduring bullying from servants and the cruelty of other princes.

Thus, when it came to parental affection, especially that of a father, he was woefully inexperienced and utterly lost.

Seeing the faint insecurity flicker across his face, Lory felt a pang of sympathy. She had forgotten that Zhao Li Xin had never experienced familial affection in his life. Wanting to lighten the mood, she quickly corrected herself. ℯⅇ𝙡.

"Not a son," she said with a big grin. "But sons."

"Eh?" Zhao Li Xin’s expression stiffened.

Lory looked at him in confusion. "Didn’t you hear what the doctor said?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "We’re having twins."

"..."

"Li Xin?"

Her brows slowly drew together as she stared at the blank expression on his face. There was no joy, no shock, not even the slightest reaction, only a strange stillness, as though his soul had drifted somewhere far away.

Concerned, she lifted her hand and waved it before his eyes. "Husband?" Her voice softened with uncertainty. "Are you still there?"

Yet no answer came. Zhao Li Xin had once again slipped into his frozen state, utterly motionless and unresponsive.

Lory pressed her lips together, equal parts amused and annoyed.

"So you really didn’t hear that part, huh..." she muttered under her breath.

Lory picked up her cellphone and opened a game, quickly becoming absorbed in it, leaving her husband to process the overwhelming reality at his own pace.

While she busied herself with the game, patiently waiting for Zhao Li Xin to recover from his shock, a sudden knock echoed from the bedroom door.

Thankfully, the interruption seemed to pull him back to reality. The distant look in Zhao Li Xin’s eyes gradually faded as awareness returned to his face.

He remained silent for a moment before walking toward the door. Upon opening it, he found Lucas and the others standing outside.

Zhao Li Xin frowned briefly, though the expression vanished as quickly as it appeared. Stepping aside, he silently allowed them to enter.

Normally, such a crowd would have made a bedroom feel cramped, but Lory’s two-story room was spacious enough to rival a small apartment. Even with everyone gathered inside, the space remained comfortable and far from crowded.

Still, it was a rare sight to see them all assembled there at once, filling the usually quiet room with an unusual sense of liveliness.

"Don’t get up!" Lucas immediately raised his hand when Lory pushed her blanket aside.

"How are you feeling, Lory?" Jay asked cheerfully as he approached her, carefully adjusting the blanket over her lap.

Lory shrugged. "Funny, I don’t feel anything different," she said honestly. Her body felt much the same as usual, with no noticeable change.

"Princesss...look what I brought for you~" Fredhardt announced as he entered, carrying a tray covered with a polished silver lid.

Lory’s eyes instantly brightened. "Wooo, what is that?"

With exaggerated flourish, Fredhardt stepped forward and lifted the lid before her as though unveiling a priceless treasure.

"It’s garlic chicken salad," he declared proudly.

Lory’s smile instantly stiffened.

"Oh... yummy," she said, unable to hide the disappointment creeping into her voice. The enthusiasm in her eyes faded as quickly as it had appeared.

Fredhardt, well aware of what she was thinking, remained unmoved. "Eat it. The doctor said you need a balanced diet." He placed the bowl of chicken salad in front of her before kindly handing her a spoon.

"I heard from Zhao Li Xin that you spent the entire trip eating nothing but fried meat, French fries, and sweets." Fredhardt shot her a reprimanding look. "So from now on, I will be responsible for preparing all your meals."

"That means less sugar and fewer snacks. Don’t worry, I’ll prepare everything myself. From now on, all your meals will be clean and healthy," he puffed his chest as he spoke enthusiastically.

Lory listened to his declaration and forced a smile.

"Yeayy..." she replied weakly.

A second later, she threw an accusing glare at Zhao Li Xin.

How could you do this to me? Zhao Li Xin lowered his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

With a resigned sigh, Lory took the bowl and began to eat. Truthfully, it did not taste so bad. It just, for some reason, she found herself craving stronger flavors, spicy chicken, barbecued meat, curry rice, and dishes rich enough to set her tongue ablaze. Unfortunately, it seemed such indulgences would remain nothing more than distant dreams from now on.

Lory lowered her gaze to the bowl in her hands and nearly wanted to cry again.

"How does it taste?" Fargo asked with a teasing grin.

Lory offered a grieving smile. "Bland..." she answered mournfully.

Fredhardt, however, nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I deliberately asked for less salt," he said without the slightest hint of guilt.

"Eat up."

Lory’s face immediately fell, yet she obediently shoved another spoonful into her mouth.

The others watched her with sympathetic expressions, but no one dared to say a word. Not when Fredhardt looked so enthusiastically devoted to his new role. Even Lucas, the King himself, wisely held his tongue and remained silent.

Zhao Li Xin shook his head helplessly as he watched her eat the large bowl of healthy chicken salad with the expression of a condemned prisoner facing her final meal. Amusement and sympathy stirred within him alike, yet he allowed Fredhardt to continue his half-forceful supervision, knowing the meal was good for both Lory and the babies.

"Okay," Lory asked while munching on her food, eager to distract herself from the lingering blandness in her mouth. "Why are you all here? Don’t tell me you came all this way just to feed me."

"Yes!" Fredhardt answered readily.

"No!" Lucas cut in at once. "No, we came to talk about what you found on that island."

Lucas leaned back in the chair across from Lory while Fargo placed a file on the table before them.

Fredhardt merely shrugged and wandered toward the pantry to prepare coffee, seemingly unbothered by having his answer rejected.

Zhao Li Xin picked up the file and handed it to Lory. She accepted it, opened it, and tilted it slightly so they could read together.

A minute later, her eyes widened in shock.

Lory looked at Lucas in disbelief. "Alina is Maya Summer’s granddaughter?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. We had our suspicions, but because of the war, we had no way to confirm them," Lucas explained. "We knew Sweetville was part of Dolza, so they stood a better chance than we did of uncovering the truth. Moreover, the S.A.I.N.T. organization operates within Dolza, so we left the investigation regarding Alinna to them."

"Yes, Enzo told me about this." Lory’s expression turned solemn. "He said they only managed to uncover it through sheer luck."

"More like fate, I think," Lucas murmured thoughtfully.

Just then, Fredhardt returned carrying a tray of freshly brewed coffee and set the cups before Lucas and the others.

"As for the strange symbol you saw inside the cellar," he said as he straightened, his tone turning serious, "it was dark magic used as a portal to transfer power from one person to another."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"That symbol is called Ferrux Sanguina. I have told you before, do you remember it?"

Lory’s expression grew heavy. "This spell... how does it work?"

"First of all," Fredhardt said, raising a hand, "this discovery confirms that Saintess Alina’s power is not healing magic. No—far from it. What she does is transfer illness from one person to another."

Jay and Clift, hearing this for the first time, froze in shock.

"W-What do you mean?" Jay gasped.

"It means," Fargo explained grimly, "she never healed them. She merely transferred their illnesses to other people."

"...So when she regrew people’s limbs..." Lory’s face slowly drained of color, horror settling over her features like a shadow.

Fargo’s expression darkened.

"Yes," he said heavily. "She took limbs from others to restore them."

"This is nuts!" Jay cursed angrily.

"So, the people on the island..." Zhao Li Xin’s voice lowered. "They were the sacrifices."

"Yes, but I’m afraid that island is only one of many locations where they conduct these dark magic practices." Fargo lifted his coffee cup and took a slow sip, his expression remaining grim over the rim.

"That explains the appearance of those strange corpses we encountered before." Fredhardt’s expression grew equally heavy.

"Our investigation suggests this has been happening for a very long time. My prediction is that it began when Alina was first hailed as the Saintess."

Lory leaned weakly against her chair, tension tightening her features with worry and dread. She looked toward Lucas.

"So... all those people who believed they had been healed by the Saintess..."

Lucas sighed heavily. "They merely transferred their suffering onto others, possibly innocent people... perhaps even children. You saw it yourselves, didn’t you? There were children and teenagers among the trafficking victims."

The aroma of coffee mingled strangely with the grim atmosphere filling the room. For a moment, no one spoke as they quietly sipped their drinks, each lost in the unsettling weight of the revelation. The warmth of the coffee did little to ease the chill that had settled over them.