62 The Truth 9

After Lia told her stories, she had a hard time peeling Lily off her. Lily's tears and snot dirtied Lia's dress and her incessant sobs asking for forgiveness echoed in everyone's eardrums.

The cold look that was almost naturally embedded on Lia's face after she has escaped the abyss, considerably softened and her previous warm and gentle features slowly came out again.

However, this wasn't just the work of a single conversation between strangers and a heartfelt confession that lifted one's soul.

Noel has long found the key to the shackles confining Lia's heart and the three in front of her were able to put the key in. But who would be the one to turn the key and open the lock to completely remove the shackles?

"I also should apologize for teasing you," Lia raised her hand and then awkwardly patted Lily's head.

"Yes! Yes! I won't forgive you if you hurt young master's ego but I forgive you!" Lily had her arm slung around Lia's waist and refused to let it go.

Now that Lily's head was buried in Lia's chest, Lia gave Xavi a knowing smile and mouthed 'Young Master's ego'.

Xavi instantly turned red. Lia, after all, couldn't help teasing both of them.

"Good, then the alliance's established!" Xavi clapped his hands. Then like a little mischievous boy he walked up to Lily and reached into her pocket to steal the lollipop.

He only smiled satisfied when the lollipop was in his mouth.

"We don't have much time to lose. Lia needs to learn how to control her powers," Maria wiped her tears away.

"I think you need to know what the Ghost King plans," her face showed her seriousness and once Lily heard those words, she let Lia go but remained next to her.

This was something Lia wanted to know since she's talked to Fourth and found out about the facility.

***

Maria left her family's house completely covered. She pulled the hood of the cloak further down as she mingled under the masses of the crowd in the cities.

Not long after she found herself back in the capital. Before she made her way to the palace, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves down. She cursed her father for forcing her to live dangerously close to the edge.

Sooner or later her heart couldn't take facing the Ghost King and feeding him lies while travelling between the capital and hidden families to relay information. It was unbearable and every day she prayed she wouldn't be found out.

She had no idea how much longer she was going to have to do this. Especially now that her knowledge consisted of Lia being alive. Under no circumstance could she let the Ghost King find out.

But after hearing that he confined Lia in the abyss, Maria realised why the Ghost King has planned the downfall of the K family, along with the others.

Maria finally set foot into the throne hall where Min already sat and awaited her. Her furiously beating heart was nothing in face of the displeased expression on Min's face.

The surrounding temperature was dragged down when Min's angry voice roared. This was the first time he showed a frightening display of emotions.

Maria claimed her nerves and hid her trembling hands inside the sleeves of her robe. She just wished to escape here forever.

"Care to explain?"

Every word felt like he was ripping a nail off her fingers and slowly pierced it into her skin.

"Greetings, your highness," Maria bowed and kept her head down. She knelt in front of him, glad that she didn't have to face him directly.

"Speak."

"Unfortunately, it seems someone had details. As observed the hidden family has completely obliterated the G family. No one is left alive.I personally went to confirm," Maria made sure her voice was firm, her tone apologetic and her information useful.

She had a hard time not messing up and faltering under the pressure Min exuded.

"How do you come to this conclusion? Who is the spy then?"

"I'm not sure, your highness. But I can assure you the hidden family has already known about our plan to attack them."

Maria had to be careful. She and Xavi have decided to throw the location of the A family at the Ghost King. They knew he would send the G family, the last family of the pro faction. Thus they were prepared.

So, it was a dangerous gamble to reveal to Min the information has been leaked instead of saying the hidden family was strong enough to overwhelm the G family. There were no witnesses to testify.

However, Maria was aware of her position and aware that in order to fool someone, half of the truth should be revealed to an extent. Therefore, she couldn't lie and had to confide in Min about the existence of a spy.

It was a double-edged sword. It could make Min trust her more, but if suspicion fell on her, she was afraid she might never be able to get rid of it. Once she's suspected, it was game over.

"Then in your observation have you found out if the hidden family has power?"

"They don't have power, your highness. They rely on their physical strength and knowledge of the planned attack."

Maria felt like Min was doubting her, so she had to throw him more bits of truth.

On the other side, Min's mind darkened. Despite having weapons that could kill immortals, his soldiers were too weak. Against people well-versed in combat, beginners with good weapons were useless.

Min had to change the training regime. His soldiers and private army had to be top-notch.

Marica could guess what Min thought. She knew they were running on risks if she revealed the combat abilities and superiority the hidden family had. She also anticipated Min would want to make his soldiers stronger.

"Find the culprit," with Maria being sent out, Min called Timo over, who led his army, to discuss the change.

A new era would begin.

***

After Maria immediately left as to not arouse suspicion in the palace, Lily showed Lia her room. Surprisingly, Lia's room was left to Xavi's while right to his was Lily's.

Lily was the personal bodyguard of Xavi and they clarified, they had a brother-sister relationship, although Lily worshipped Xavi like a master.

Since Xavi has retained all the memories of the past regarding and surrounding the A family, he also had great knowledge. But all of this placed a heavy burden on his body, so Xavi had no physical power nor could attain a mature body.

In other words, the mass of information in his body stopped his growth and he was stuck in an 11 years old body that couldn't grow anymore.

Lia regretted her words and pitied Xavi. It was obviously not his choice to look like a young boy. However, he reassured that he had long come to terms with it and didn't mind.

Despite his occasional childish behaviour, Xavi was already mature for his age. Lia on the other side hadn't even dreamed of growing up and leaving behind her childish stubbornness in the past.

She secretly admired Xavi's strength to carry a world's fate of responsibility with such a frail body at such a young age.

The room they gave Lia was almost the same as Xavi's. A large room with all the necessary furniture. The only difference was that while Xavi's room was packed with personal belongings colouring everything in a vibrant splash, Lia's room was empty.

The small bag she had taken with her from home was lost on her way here.

For the rest of the day, she could rest. The heavy mountain of information waited for her to climb and digest. There was just too much. All of this, she had never known, despite belonging to the families. Yet her parents must've long found out about it.

Lia laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling. Was it possible that Noel had ties with the A family? That Maria was the informant he talked to? In the end, Lia couldn't bring herself to ask. She wanted to hear it from Noel personally.

Lia closed her eyes and Maria's words echoed in her mind.

"The Ghost King is trying to purge both worlds. By purging I don't mean purging ghosts but purging the people, the immortals and mortals. He wants to create a world full of ghosts, normal ones, not vengeful ones. The reason he decided to train exorcists and open the academy is for recruiting potential soldiers of this private army and to lead the public on. The exorcists purge the normal vengeful ghosts."

Maria took a breath before she said, "His intent it to create vengeful ghosts that can kill everyone with their own consciousness. Then after everyone dies, he'll use his army to purge all the vengeful ghosts. It sounds complicated but is logical from his point of view, because he's the Ghost King he needs to maintain his reputation. If he uses vengeful ghosts to kill everyone no one can fault him for the sudden influx of said ghosts. The exorcists won't be able to deal with them."

It was hard for Lia to believe Maria but it indeed made sense. She has never thought the reason why Min agreed to tolerate her was because he knew she could make him the Ghost King. Has he calculated all of this since a young age?

"I don't know his motives. It's clear he's too weak and needs more power. We aided him by killing off the families as this was his goal. The elders of the families have a golden core which is necessary for him to attain the golden power. The other requirement is to sacrifice a Ghost King's confidant to the abyss, you Lia. If both requirements are fulfilled then he would truly become the strongest person to have ever existed."

The golden power, Maria and Xavi said they weren't sure what this golden power was but it was dangerous. Lia has agreed to help the hidden families to stop Min.

This would be her new goal, she didn't live solely for her revenge anymore. She would do a greater deed that hopefully soothed all the sins she's accumulated with that one wrong decision in the past.

And in order to satisfy her hatred, she would become the Immortal King to make Min despair and deny him what he wanted.

The day for it would soon come.