chsdbacks Chapter 216 – Request From a False Flower
Chapter 216 – Request From a False Flower
Chapter 216 – Request From a False FlowerMary was spending another day watching people train. It was only Lavender and Max today. Everyone else was guarding Lord Hall as he had a sudden meeting. Ethan and Maca were brought along as a sign that everyone else was still with him and to give them a chance to leave the house for a moment.
While watching the two people train, she noticed that they suddenly stopped, and Mary felt a cold presence behind her.
“Hello, your majesty.” Mary jumped up and turned around to see a woman bowing. She wore clothes that were almost the colour of blood, but with a coat that was too unusually white for any fabric. Dark, bloody-red hair and eyes left a striking gaze, with the few strands of white hair almost calming the monster.
One of the most terrifying aspects of the woman was the mask that covered half of her face. A blood red vestige of the past with a striking horn. However, Mary couldn’t tell if the horn was natural or a part of the mask, as the whole mask seemed stuck to the face.
Lavender raised her weapon, but Mary raised her hand to hold, “No Rush. Are you the one Syrus has spoken of?” The resemblance between Rose and Syrus was minimal at best. The height, atmosphere, age, facial features, everything created such stark differences that even comparing them side by side, it was hard to tell they were the same person.
Rose said, “Likely, but I do not know what words she has spoken.”
Mary asked, her words composed, and her attitude was more in line with what Anlesa remembered when they first met. “Do you know where Syrus is?”
“She is fine. That child should be outside the city walls for the moment, planning her own next actions.”
“She is not working with you?” Mary had hoped that if Syrus was no longer living with them, she would at the very least be interacting with the person she had helped before.
“Not closely.” Rose's response caused Mary's heart to jump, but she had already been told the woman was currently outside the city’s wall, which was likely the safest place by far for her to be.
Mary paused and asked, “Why are you here, and what is your name?”
Rose began her request, “Your majesty–”
Mary interrupted, “Please do not refer to me as such. If you must, Maryelle will do.” It wasn’t a name she used anymore, but the person in front of her, while she didn’t know how, Syrus was right, she seemed likely to be a surviving remnant of the plague. Mary suspected she would’ve been young at the time, but definitely older than herself. The Blood red was certainly a sign of an Attribute… She had heard many times that people with body-based Attributes tended to live longer and healthier lives, with Blood being one of the biggest beneficiaries.
“Understood, Maryelle. I am simply Rose.” Rose placed her hand to her chest. “May I ask for two requests?”
“What are they?” Mary chose to hear the woman out. If it weren’t for her, she wouldn’t have gotten her brother’s final letters.
Rose answered. “There is a boy, I would like him under this manor’s protection. I have placed him in a safe location nearby. He has been treated, but his body has suffered significant damage from extreme poisoning. I’ve tested with my own blood, and there is no chance for cross-infection in his current state.”
“Why would that be important for a person that you have treated?”
Rose replied with the blunt news. “It shares an origin with the plague.”
Everyone in the area froze. It was words that no one expected to hear, and Mary’s arm stiffened from the shock. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, but I would not allow him to be nearby if he could potentially risk you and the young prince’s lives.”
“And you tested with your own blood?” Mary was deeply concerned with what that entailed.
“Yes, I needed to make sure the boy wouldn’t be a danger to anyone,” Rose said without any pause that Mary question this person’s sanity. It almost sounded like they tried to get themselves sick to see if the plague would infect them.
And she wasn’t exactly wrong. With the boy’s permission, Anlesa extracted more blood and mixed it with a small pool of blood, and then she used an additional test on her own body. It was potentially extremely risky, and Anlesa had a very loud internal debate about the matter. However, due to the immense control of their body, there was a degree of confidence and the fact that this poison appeared weaker than the records made it a good source for the body to adapt to. In case they got infected by the poison in a more lethal way later.
Syrus knew of methods to become resistant to certain poisons, and Luna’s cleanse magic was much stronger on herself. There was still a risk, but they felt it was a manageable one, and they had countermeasures in case it was more than what they expected. For the moment, everything was within expectations.
“I will trust you… But will still be kept in a separate location for everyone’s safety.” Mary knew what conditions Lord Hall would state for the boy’s arrival. He had no doubt he would grumble, but at the same time, she knew both him and Havier would be curious and, if possible, get someone to study the disease, or poison in this case.
“That is fine. I expected as much, and I will have your manor’s guards directed to his locations so you won’t be near the child.”
“Before you ask your next request, who is this boy?” Mary wondered who could possibly be infected with poison that shared origins with the plague at this time. It had been decades with not a single resurfacing of that disaster, but suddenly someone had been infected now?
“Alba Esther.”
“Why is he safer here than elsewhere? There could be numerous complications if he is locked away without permission.” It was a name Mary knew of, but she had never seen the boy himself. It was just a name on a list that she was given when she asked to learn about everyone in power and relationships. The only child of the current Prime Minister was a name she was going to remember.
“His father was the one who poisoned him.” Rose kept her reply simple and direct. “And those complications will be resolved soon. I will be handling the matter.
It was only a few simple words, but once again, it sent a mental shockwave through everyone. What did she mean about resolving the situation? Was he poisoned by his own father? Wait, she already mentioned it having a relation to the plague?
The cruel action of a father, along with the potential consequences of such words. It was shocking information that Mary needed to relay to those in charge of this manor.
“I have more I want to ask about that, but I doubt I will get any answers I am looking for, so what is your other request?”
Rose paused. “I do apologise. This is likely something that will happen no matter what, but will you allow your identities to be revealed to the public?” Anlesa hadn’t fully settled on a plan yet, but the royal family’s secrets being revealed was likely going to happen somehow. If it was them or someone else, this request was more of a warning.
“If it has to be done.” Mary closed her eyes. Honestly, she had expected someone to leak the news to the public already, and the fact it hadn’t was just a miracle in her eyes. It did help that the rumour was hard to verify, considering the mother and son duo never left the manor.
“That is all then.” Rose began to recite the boy’s location aloud, and then Mary ordered the guards who were still inside the house but had heard this whole conversation to collect the child. They had been waiting for a signal to attack the intruder, and the only reason they hadn’t jumped out immediately was because of the ‘No Rush’ command she had given earlier. Still, though, they held their weapons tightly as a combination of nerves and worry for Mary’s safety almost made them want to ignore the order, but the conversation appeared to be important from what they understood.
Rose bowed again and looked ready to leave.
Mary suddenly asked, “I have a question for you then, when you found my brother’s letters, did you keep any?”
“I would never. The prince’s final messages deserve to be with his family."
“Then why did you read them?”
Rose's eyes gleamed red. “I needed to verify information, and I was successful.”
“Which was?”
“The nature of events at the time and target for hostility.”
“And you were able to discover it was Abe?” Mary questioned, The only reason they were sure was because of the private information Mary knew.
“He has always been a suspect, and he was the only non-family name mentioned in every letter. But it only added evidence to the pile, but it wasn’t the reason we suspected him.”
“I understand.” Mary completed her questions, and she had no plans on keeping this mysterious person around any longer. She could already tell that this person had no plans on being here any longer.
“May you be blessed, your–Maryelle and young prince.” Rose strikingly bowed.
Before Rose could leave the location, a certain boy spoke up.
“Who are you…” Max was a little scared of the woman in front of him. Eva had completely transformed their body to be completely separate from anything they were before. They were in many ways a demon of blood, but the curiosities of a child couldn’t be underestimated.
“Just a hateful lady,” Rose replied, almost too calmly.
“Then… what are you planning?” Max heard and understood everything that had been said, which made him want to know the exact thoughts going through this woman’s head.
Rose nodded, “I’m going to war.”