Chapter 1630: In Their Memory

Almost unconsciously, her hand drifted to her flat stomach. It still felt strange knowing that two tiny lives were growing inside her. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips, softening her expression. Turning her head, she looked at the framed family photograph resting on the bedside table.

In the picture, her father was carrying her in his arms, wearing the dignified smile he always seemed to have. Lucas sat comfortably on their mother’s lap, grinning sheepishly at the camera. Their mother beamed with happiness while one of their father’s arms rested around her shoulders.

Honestly, Lory couldn’t really remember when the picture had been taken. Lucas might not remember either. She had been far too young at the time.

Beside it stood another photograph. This one showed her and Lucas taking a selfie together. The twins shared the same crinkled eyes whenever they smiled. Despite their vastly different personalities, they had inherited the same smile, a foolish, carefree smile that appeared whenever they were truly happy.

Lory drew a deep breath, her smile deepening as she felt grateful that she was carrying twins. Therefore, her children would always have each other, just as she had Lucas.

The burdens carried by the heirs of the Lucient family were not something ordinary people could truly understand. Only another Lucient could fully comprehend the weight resting upon their shoulders; the thought brought comfort to her heart.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Before she could respond, the door swung open. She could guess who was coming; she just prayed it wouldn’t be Fred, bringing another healthy meal.

Thankfully, it was Lucas.

"You look comfortable," he remarked as he loosened his tie.

"Don’t you have work to do, your majesty?" Lory quipped.

"Nah, I’ve done my job and delegated the rest to my capable subordinates," Lucas said shamelessly.

"You threw your job to Fred, huh?" Lory said knowingly.

"Yup." He kicked off his shoes, shrugged out of his suit jacket, and casually sat down on the bed beside her.

"What are you eating?" he asked, eyeing the plate resting on her lap.

"Fruit salad. Want some?" Lory sneered.

Lucas glanced at the bowl. "You got any melon in there?"

"Nope. Just apples, oranges, and avocado." Lory stabbed a piece of fruit with her fork as though personally offended by its existence. "Our capable subordinate said melon was too sugary for me."

"That’s sad," Lucas looked at her with genuine sympathy. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. Then he reached into the pocket of the discarded suit jacket hanging over the nearby chair.

"Here." Suddenly, a rectangular object flew through the air toward her.

Lory caught it reflexively. She blinked, then looked at the object in her hands. Immediately, her eyes widened with delight. It was a fruity chocolate bar.

"Don’t let Fred find out," Lucas warned gravely. "If you get caught, I’m throwing you under the bus."

Lory’s eyes lit up at once. "With this? You can throw me anywhere, Luc!" She eagerly tore open the wrapper and took an enormous bite. The rich sweetness melted across her tongue, and her entire expression softened into bliss.

"Oh my God... it’s so good~."

Lucas looked at her with open disgust. "Stop making that kind of face. You’re making me uncomfortable."

"I can’t." She took another bite, closed her eyes, and savored it as though it were the finest delicacy in the world.

Shaking his head, Lucas then plopped onto the bed and casually turned his attention back to the giant television mounted across the room. Every news channel was still obsessing over Alinna.

He watched in silence for a moment before clicking his tongue. "One mistake, and they immediately tear her down," he muttered.

Lory opened one eye and glanced at the screen while absentmindedly chewing her chocolate. "Actually, it’s the second time she’s failed to heal someone. The first time, she managed to blame it on exhaustion. But the second..." She shrugged.

Lory paused for a second before she spoke again, "You know, I never realized dragging the Saintess off her pedestal could be so simple. We tried all kinds of methods before, but it turns out making her lose her power in public a few times works like a charm."

"Because her losing that power affects people’s lives," Lucas replied without taking his eyes off the television. "They don’t want their free miracles to disappear. In the end, people are selfish."

Lory fell silent. After a long pause, she spoke again. "Funny... it never affected me that way. Even after everyone learned about my healing ability, I heard things in L’Markieth stayed perfectly stable even after I left."

"Because Father never allowed our people to become dependent on miracles like yours," Lucas answered. "Our healthcare system is the most advanced in the world. Medical care is free, and even the most sophisticated treatments are very affordable. That’s why so many foreigners travel to our country seeking treatment."

He paused before continuing. "Over time, our people grew accustomed to relying on medicine, doctors, and technology instead of healers alone. That’s also why healers in our country can live ordinary lives without being worshipped or treated as indispensable."

"All thanks to Father’s foresight." Lory looked at her brother with a grin.

Lucas’s lips curved into a faint smile, pride unmistakable in his voice. "That’s why he’s known more for his wisdom than for his power."

Lory then turned her eyes back to the TV screen at the moment when Alinna’s face was captured as she was being taken away by Salvo De Rova and surrounded by paladins trying to control the chaos.

"How did you make her lose her power right in front of the public anyway?" Lory asked. "Couldn’t it have just been a coincidence that she happened to lose it during her return appearance?"

Lucas let out a chuckle and shook his head. 𝙛𝓇ⅇ

"It wasn’t that hard. Everyone knew she’d show up that day." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "So we simply used it to our advantage. The entire world’s attention was already on the Saintess. The organization practically did the advertising for us—they couldn’t resist making a spectacle of her first public appearance since she went into ’rest’ after failing to heal those patients. They wanted everyone to see that her powers were back to normal. We just made sure everyone saw the exact opposite."

His smile widened ever so slightly. "So we simply made sure the curtain fell at the perfect moment."

"Let me guess," she said, a knowing smile creeping onto her face. "Fred’s idea?"

"Pretty much." Lucas grinned mischievously, "Anyway, the Saintess’s power wasn’t her own to begin with," Lucas continued. "It was being supplied through the ceremonial network. As long as the ceremonies were running smoothly, the flow of power remained stable. The moment the network failed, that power disappeared."

He leaned back against the headboard. "The way the ceremonial sites operate is actually far more fragile than people realize," Lucas explained. "Each site is dependent on constant communication with the others. If a ceremony cannot be completed at one location, they immediately redirect the process to another site. If that site lacks enough sacrifices or resources, the request is passed along again to the next available location."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "They designed the network for efficiency, not resilience. Every site assumes the others are functioning properly. The moment that chain of communication breaks, the entire system starts making mistakes."

Lucas chuckled. "So all we had to do was jam their signals for a few minutes at a critical moment. No sabotage, no direct attack, no need to destroy anything. We simply prevented the sites from coordinating with one another. The ceremonies began failing, backup procedures couldn’t be activated in time, and the power transfer sequence collapsed on its own."

Lucas shook his head. "It’s hard to believe they built such a simple and fragile system for something this important. Perhaps they were confident that no one would ever figure it out."

Lory grinned, "Unfortunately for them, once we identified the flaw, bringing the entire operation down was almost embarrassingly easy."

"Yeah, it’s quite embarrassing," Lucas let out a light laugh.

Lory sighed. "Well, based on their original plan, you were supposed to be in a coma right now, and the Archknight would be too busy trying to keep you alive, but you woke up, and they didn’t have time to change a system that had already been built."

Lucas wink. "Thankfully, you returned and woke me up, right on time." He raised his fist lazily. "Good job for coming back home, sister."

Lory smiled and raised her own fist in the same carefree manner. "Good job holding on until I came back, brother."

Their fists bumped together gently. Neither of them looked at the other, but small smiles lingered on their faces.

A sharp knock suddenly echoed through the room. Lory and Lucas exchanged alarmed glances. Without a word, Lory hastily wrapped the half-eaten chocolate and tucked it beneath her blanket. At the same time, Lucas thrust a glass of water into her hands.

"Quick. Rinse your mouth," he whispered urgently. "Don’t let him smell it."

No one knew Fredhardt’s keen senses better than the twins. Lory immediately obeyed, taking a mouthful of water to gargle before swallowing another to wash away every trace of chocolate.

Satisfied, Lucas slipped off the bed and crossed the room. As soon as he opened the door, he found Stephan standing outside, his usually composed features lit with barely restrained excitement.

"Uncle Stevie? When did you arrive?" Lucas blinked in surprise.

The moment their eyes met, Stephan instinctively straightened his posture and smoothed back his hair before offering a perfectly courteous bow.

"Good evening, Your Majesty. Forgive the intrusion, but..." His gaze drifted past Lucas’s shoulder, unable to hide his impatience. "...is the Princess inside?"

Lucas stared for a moment.

Stephan was the picture of composure under ordinary circumstances. If Fredhardt was dignified and intimidating, Stephan possessed that same elegance with even greater restraint.

Watching him struggle to contain his excitement was startling enough that Lucas almost laughed.

Then realization struck.

"So... you finally heard." A grin spread across his face as he stepped aside. "Come in."

Stephan’s eyes widened. "So it’s true?" he breathed. "Lory is pregnant?"

Lucas chuckled. "She is. And she’s carrying twins, no less."

"Luc? Who is it?" Lory called from inside the room.

Without another word, Stephan strode past Lucas.

"It’s Uncle Stevie," Lucas answered as he quietly shut the door behind him.

"Lory!" The moment Stephan reached her bedside, he swept her into a heartfelt embrace. "They said you’re pregnant!"

Almost immediately, his expression changed. His arms loosened at once, and he took a hurried step back, panic replacing his joy.

"Oh, dear... Forgive me." His eyes darted anxiously over her. "Did I hold you too tightly? Are you hurt? Are the babies alright?"

Lory couldn’t help but laugh. Her eyes curved into gentle crescents as a warm smile spread across her face. "I’m fine, Uncle." She gave his arm a reassuring pat. "I’m not that fragile... and neither are my babies. They’re Lucient’s heirs, after all. We don’t break that easily."

A soft chuckle escaped Stephan. "Well... that’s true."

He reached out and affectionately stroked her head. It was still difficult to believe that the little girl he had once carried on his shoulders was now about to become a mother herself. If only Marcus and his other brothers were here. They would have been overjoyed to see this day.

A wistful shadow passed over Stephan’s face. "Your father and mother would be so proud of you."

Stephan then murmured softly. "Zargan... and the others would also be..." The rest of his words never came. They caught in his throat, smothered by emotions too heavy to voice. Grief lingered in his eyes, raw and unmistakable, betraying the sorrow he had tried so hard to hide all this time.

Lory’s smile softened. Though her eyes shimmered with emotion, "I know..."

She gently rested a hand over her stomach, then chuckled softly. "They would..."