Ed turned, his voice calm but carrying weight. "Co, follow ." He stepped forward alongside another attendant.
Kael and Ramos followed closely. The mont Kael crossed through, his eyes widened. What greeted him was a vast adow bathed in soft golden sunlight. The air was warm yet fresh, carrying the scent of grass and flowers. A gentle breeze brushed past his cheeks, carrying with it the sound of leaves dancing.
Kael slowed his steps, taking it all in. His heart felt lighter, his body strangely refreshed. The air itself seed alive, as if each breath filled him with strength. "This place... it feels magical," Kael said softly. He turned toward Ramos, a small smile forming. "It’s so peaceful and soothing here. Is this why you brought ?"
Ramos avoided his gaze, looking almost uncomfortable. "It’s a graveyard."
Kael froze. For a heartbeat, his smile vanished. His expression cracked, as if soone had thrown a stone into a still pond. The warm feeling from before twisted into sothing tight in his chest. "You could have... started with that," he muttered under his breath, clearly restraining himself from venting.
Ed glanced back. "You are not wrong to call it magical. This is the Royal Mausoleum. The space is crafted so that those who rest here may find peace for eternity."
Kael blinked, his breath catching. "Wait... what did you say?"
"The Royal Mausoleum," Ed repeated.
Kael’s heart began to pound. "Why... are we here?" His voice was quieter now, edged with unease.
Shouldn’t outsiders be banned from entering?
Kael skipped a beat as he looked at Ramos.
"We aren’t going to be executed or punished for entering here,right?
Ramos exhaled slowly. "I brought you here to et your aunt.The Emperor permitted us."
Kael swallowed and kept his composure, though his voice trembled faintly. "I see..."
They walked deeper. The cetery was breathtaking in its arrangent. White marble pathways wound between lush green lawns, each plot adorned with carved stone and flowers that never seed to wilt. Small streams ran through parts of the land, their crystal-clear waters glimring under the sunlight.
The graves were arranged by generations, each row holding the nas and mories of those long gone. In the very center, the largest monunt stood — the resting place of the founding Emperor himself.
Ed and Ramos stopped before a section belonging to the last generation. Thirteen graves rested here, each na etched with care. Kael’s eyes moved over the inscriptions, and he quietly pieced together the truth. The Emperor had nine brothers and two sisters... all of them are gone.
Ramos stepped forward until he stood before one grave in particular. He lowered himself to the ground and sat with his back slightly bent, his gaze fixed on the stone. The na engraved there was clear: Selena De Luther.
A faint smile spread across Ramos’s lips, though his eyes carried the weight of sothing unspoken. "Love... as promised, I’m back again. But this might be the last ti I can co." His hand rested gently against the cold stone, fingers brushing over the na. Then he beckoned Kael forward.
Kael moved closer and went down on one knee.He already got the gist.
His voice was steady. "Kael Veydrin greets Aunt Selena. May your soul rest in peace."
Ramos let out a sudden laugh. "Hahaha... did you hear that, brat? I’m sure you’d be thrilled to hear this."
His tone shifted, softer now, but with a warmth that Kael hadn’t seen before. "We t fifty years ago. She was a brave knight... strong, fierce, and never afraid to stand against anyone. She wanted freedom so badly that she ran away from the palace."
Ramos’s eyes seed to drift far into the past. "I was young then. Hot-blooded. I didn’t want to rot in that hellhole either, so I ran away too."
Kael had heard whispers before that the previous Grand Duke was a cruel man, but Ramos rarely spoke about it. He had once asked Ruth, only to be t with the sa cold dismissal.
Ramos continued, his voice tinged with fondness. "She was faster than with a sword, at least back then. Always teasing about my stance."
"Once, she beat up three royal guards because they tried to drag her back. I had to run with her for two days straight before we lost them."
"She hated formal banquets. Said they slled of fake smiles and rotting pride."
"She once gave away all her jewelry to feed a village that was starving in winter. Didn’t tell a soul about it."
"She never cared for titles. To her, honor was what you earned, not what you inherited."
"Once, when I got injured by a pursuer, she carried on her back for miles while fending off against the assassions... in the rain. Complained the whole way but didn’t put down once."
"She loved the open fields. Said she wanted to be buried sowhere where she could feel the wind forever."
"And she always said... if she had to die, she’d rather fall with a sword in her hand than in a silk bed."
Ramos’s smile faltered for a mont, his voice trailing into silence. He rested his palm on the stone again, as if grounding himself.
Kael wanted to ask how she had died, but seeing Ramos’s face, he held his tongue. So wounds were best left unopened.
The breeze moved softly through the grass. Sunlight shifted, casting long shadows across the marble. In that quiet mont, Kael felt the weight of history pressing in — not from the grandeur of the mausoleum, but from the simple love and loss carried in Ramos’s voice.
Ed stood to the side, his gaze distant and heavy as he looked at the tombstone, then at the others. He sighed softly, noticing Ramos
speaking in a tone that was unusual for him. Beneath his sleeve, his wrinkled hands tightened. After a mont, Ramos wiped away his tears, composed himself, and rose to his feet.
"We should leave," Ramos said quietly.
Kael had many questions, but he knew this wasn’t the right place to ask them. Ramos looked at Ed and spoke again. "Let’s go."
"Are you sure you want to leave now? This might be the last ti," Ed replied.
Ramos glanced at the tombstone and smiled faintly. "She might be buried there, but she still lives in my heart."
Ed gave a slow nod, and they began to walk away. Kael lingered for a mont, taking in the view and committing the landscape to mory before looking back at the grand, beautifully crafted gallery dedicated to the founder of the Heinzen Empire.
He recalled hearing about the founder’s fears from the ruins of the old Veydrin Castle, and it made him wonder what kind of blessing the royal family possessed to maintain their dominance for centuries.
Ed lifted his hand, opening a shimring portal. One by one, everyone stepped through. Ed lingered, looking back one last ti. "My ti has co. Wait for to et you in the afterlife," he murmured with a gentle smile before stepping inside.
........
A carriage escorted by knights pulled up to the Veydrin estate in the capital. From it, Adele stepped out alongside Mariana, the sudden sight causing an uproar among the servants.
"The miss has finally arrived."
"The family has reunited after such a long ti."
Hearing the word ’family,’ Adele let out a sharp cough of disgust. "There is nothing like family here."
She turned and saw Rami approaching. He greeted her respectfully, and she imdiately asked, "Where is my brother, and when did he arrive?"
"Young Master returned recently," Rami explained. "He went sowhere with Sir Ramos."
Adele stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock. "Wait... what did you say?"
Thinking she was only surprised, Rami repeated, "Sir Ramos took Master Kael."
"Do they have a good relationship?" she asked, her tone calm but her eyes sharp.
"They have an excellent relationship," Rami replied without hesitation.
The words sank heavily in her chest. She clenched her fists tightly. ’How did this happen? That grumpy old man... has he taken a liking to him?’
Mariana, standing beside her, also looked puzzled. She rembered eting that cynical old man who had always treated her coldly. She had even tried to win him over to their side, but he had always turned them away.
Adele took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and walked into the room prepared for her. "I don’t understand. What does he see in him that I don’t have?" she said angrily.
"Sir Ramos has always been away," Mariana replied, trying to ease her frustration. "But this year, he stayed back, almost as if he’s retired from his old ways. Maybe he’ll see things differently after eting you."
Adele didn’t answer. She walked toward the window, her face heavy with thought. But the mont her eyes fell outside, her entire body stiffened.
"What... how..." The words slipped from her in disbelief.
Her gasp made Mariana rush forward. When she looked outside, her own eyes widened.
In the garden below, Ruth was walking slowly, holding a woman in his arms.
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