Ch. 1091..1100

Chapter 1091 A Cheap Oath

Anna and Natalie followed the monk into the monastery. The monastery was located in a remote area, and even the building seemed a little dilapidated. There were few people in the monastery—only a few monks sweeping the ground and praying. It was a rather quiet place.

After walking for about ten minutes, the monk came to a stop in front of a meditation room and knocked on the wooden door. “Master.”

“N-Nereus,” came the low and unsteady male voice from inside the room. “Master, your daughter has come to visit you,” reported the young monk as he glanced at Anna.

There was no response after that, and the silence lasted for a long time. If not for the voice earlier, Natalie would have thought that the meditation room was empty.

Hearing no response from Varre, Anna uttered, “Do you not want to see me after so many years?”

Right then, the door opened. An elderly monk in robes appeared in front of Anna and Natalie. His old age was evident on his face, for his wrinkles were deep, and his face was pale and tired. Even his breathing was weak, and it was clear that he was gravely ill.

Benedict, also known as Varre, had been standing by the doorway for a long time; he just did not open the door right away. “Annie…” Varre called out, tears welling up in his eyes.

However, after briefly studying Varre’s face, Anna stiffly said, “I want to have a talk with you. There’s something important I want to ask a favor from you for.”

Varre weakly nodded and gave her a smile. “Come in, and let’s talk.”

The young monk intervened, “Master, but your body—” Before he could even finish his sentence, Varre chided, “Nereus, we have guests, but why are you still standing here instead of making tea for them?”

The young monk was upset by the scolding, but it was his master’s request, so he agreed to it and went to make tea.

In the meantime, Anna and Natalie went into the room with Varre.

The meditation room’s decoration was simple— a mattress, a bed, and a rack filled with books. Nevertheless, it was a sight that matched the rest of the monastery. Old, but clean.

“Annie, I don’t have chairs here…” Varre started, a little flustered.

“It’s fine,” was Anna’s icy reply before she sat on the mattress with Natalie.

Natalie then began studying Varre, who looked far from her expectation of a master craftsman.

The man was in a set of robes with prayer beads—the standard appearance of a monk.

His face was pasty, and his lips were dark. The part beneath his eyes was sunken, too, and it was apparent that he did not have long to live.

“Annie, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you. You’re so tall now.” Varre smiled as he looked at his now-adult daughter. Although it had been twenty years since he last saw her, she was his daughter at the end of the day, and he could recognize her right away.

At that, Anna gritted her teeth and turned away from him, not wanting to see his warm gaze.

“I’m here for a reason. I need you to replicate a piece of work…”

“Of course,” Varre answered without a hint of hesitation.

Hearing that, Anna turned to Varre and frowned. “I haven’t even told you what you need to replicate and what the requirements are, but you’re already agreeing to it?”

“It’s been a long while since I last crafted anything, and I swore to Fyrtia the God that I won’t touch the chisel ever again,” Varre began. “But if it’s a request from you, it’s a request I’ll do.”

Unlike her usual gentle self, Anna snarled, “I knew it. Your oath is cheap. You can revoke it whenever you want to.”

Natalie felt that Anna was crossing the line with those words, and she discreetly tugged her sleeve.

“Anna…”

It was then Anna noticed that she had gotten carried away, but the demon in her heart that formed from her childhood experiences told her Varre deserved those words.

 

Chapter 1092 The Secret

“I wasn’t wrong,” Anna said, glancing at Varre in disdain. “Do you think your mistakes can be fixed if you stay by Fyrtia’s side? This means nothing to the dead; these will only alleviate the guilt and remorse felt by the living.”

At that, Natalie turned to Anna. She felt that everything Anna was saying was particularly harsh as if the latter was trying to agitate Varre. However, Natalie could see that Anna’s words were also hurting Anna herself.

Varre was equally affected. His already pale face turned ashen. In the end, it was a lose-lose situation.

Natalie wanted to say something to lessen the tension of the atmosphere, but she did not know what Anna and Varre were hung up about, so she dared not voice careless words. All she could do was hold Anna’s clenched fist in hopes of making Anna calm down.

Varre could see that his daughter did not wish to forgive him. In a hoarse, quiet voice, he said, “Annie, give me the item that you want to replicate, and I’ll do it as quickly as I can.”

“Okay.”

With that, Anna took out the box that contained the jade and the jade key and passed it to Varre.

“The jade key and the jade are in here.”

With that, Anna stood up and left the room.

Natalie did not hurry after Anna. Instead, she turned to Varre and inclined her head. “To be honest, I was the one who asked Anna to ask for this favor. My daughter’s life is on the line for this. Thank you.”

Varre said, “I should be the one thanking you. I didn’t know how I should meet her, but you’ve given me a chance to do that.”

Unable to stop herself, Natalie asked, “Do you know about your health condition?”

Although Natalie did not take the elder man’s pulse, she could see from his pallor that he must have cancer. Late-stage cancer, as a matter of fact. Something that surgery, chemotherapy, and acupuncture could not treat.

“I do.”

“Then, Anna…”

Varre shook his head. “It is fate. I hope you’ll keep this a secret for me. I’m already happy to be able to see her in my last few days in this world. She despises me, but she came to ask for a favor from me for your sake, so you must have done something exceptionally great for her at one point. I’ll definitely replicate this jade key for you.”

A wave of complicated feelings washed over Natalie when she heard that, but in the end, she nodded solemnly at him.

Varre opened the box in front of him. When he saw the jade key inside, a look of shock crossed his face.

“This is…”

Although jade keys were rare, they were not one-of-a-kind.

Yet, Varre was stunned by the beauty and elegance of it. At the same time, a thought popped into his head, and he blurted out, “Where did you get this key from?”

“I don’t know,” Natalie confessed. “I only know that this jade key must mean something special because a hidden force is trying to snatch it from my hands. I don’t know if this is a key for some kind of mechanism or if it’s a symbol of power.”

Varre closed his eyes.

“This is fate. Fate! I’ve suffered so much for this jade key, but who knew I was going to be able to hold it in my hands before I die?”

Natalie’s brows snapped together when she heard him, and she asked, “Mr. Varre, what is this key? Why is it so important?”

“I’ve never seen this key myself before, but I’ve read about its description in the books.” When Varre opened his eyes again, a melancholic look was in his eyes. “Rumors had it, there is a secret room in the royal mausoleum of Loang, and there are plenty of priceless treasures in that secret room. The room was made with ancient meteorites, and they cannot be destroyed unless one uses dynamites. However, if one uses dynamite, the treasures would be destroyed as well. There was only one key to the secret room, and it was a jade key. If my guess is right, this must be the one.”

 

Chapter 1093 Fortune Or Ill Fate

Natalie was shocked. She thought that the jade key was related to the royal family’s secret, but as it turned out, the jade key was related to the treasures of the royal mausoleum instead. “Mr. Varre, why are you sure that this is the key?”

“I was obsessed with gem carving back then. That man had used my wife and Annie’s life as bait to make me loyal to him. He wanted to create this key according to the records in the old books,” Varre said agitatedly, his eyes bloodshot.

“Somehow, that man managed to find countless books with the key’s descriptions, and I tried many to recreate it with multiple jade stones, but none could be used to unlock the royal mausoleum’s secret room.” “Anna and her mother?”

“Annie hates me because I’m the reason her mother died…” Varre uttered in a pained voice. “I could carve all kinds of sculptures beautifully, but I could never carve out the mysterious jade key. The man thought I wasn’t serious about the job, so he fed Wilna a poison he had developed. It made her body puff up like a ball, and in the end, she exploded. Annie had to witness her mother’s death.”

“What?” Natalie’s jaw dropped at the revelation.

No wonder Varre came to a remote monastery that doesn’t even show up on the GPS to be a nameless monk despite having such a luxurious life in the past. No wonder those cruel words could come out of the gentle Anna’s mouth even though it’s obvious that Varre is dying. So this tragedy is related to this jade key…

“Mr. Varre, have you ever… explained this to Anna?” Natalie could not help but ask. “What good would the explanation be to Annie? It’ll only make me feel better, not her.” Varre bitterly shook his head. “Annie loves her mother. If she finds out that the man had a hand in her mother’s death, she will certainly seek revenge. That man is a powerful figure. Only by becoming a hermit did I finally have these twenty years of peace. Annie will only risk her life if she seeks revenge. I don’t want to lose my daughter after losing the woman I love. I’d rather have Annie blame this on me and think of me as the evilest person in the world so that she can live a simple life. As her parent, I don’t wish for her to achieve great things. I just hope that she’ll be safe and sound in her life. That’s all…”

Natalie was stunned to her core to hear their history.

“Mr. Varre,” she muttered, “you’re telling me these…”

Varre inclined his head and whispered, “Miss, you’ve gotten the real jade key, but this jade key could be your fortune or your ill fate. I’ve withdrawn from society for years, and I’ve gotten used to this life. Unless the matter concerns Annie, I don’t wish to intervene in mortal affairs anymore. I’ve told you everything I know about the story of this jade key, and I’ll fulfill Annie’s request. I hope my words will be able to provide you more insight into your future and less ill fortune.”

A pause after, he continued, “Another thing—a selfish wish of a dying monk. I wish to tell you the secret I’ve kept all these years. It has been tormenting me.”

When Natalie left the meditation room, she could not help but turn to give one last glance at Varre, who was concentrating on engraving the jade.

She thought that she would only be asking Varre to replicate the jade key for this trip of hers.

She never thought that she would learn the rumors behind the jade key and Anna’s tragic past.

Recalling Anna’s hesitance the night before, Natalie suddenly realized she now understood everything.

Still… Varre reminds me of my mother. My mother brought me to a border town in Chanaea after I was born. After she passed away, she left a letter, but she never once mentioned that I wasn’t Thomas’ daughter. She only said she hoped that I would have a peaceful, simple life. What difference is my mother’s wish from Varre’s? Hiding that piece of information from me so that I won’t be caught up in perilous situations.

 

Chapter 1094 Blood On Lips

After Natalie left the meditation room, she went to look for Anna. Natalie had to scour through the entire place before finally finding the other woman in a remote spot of the monastery.

When Natalie found her, Anna was crouched in a corner, curling herself into a ball as she hugged her head with her arms. She was trying to cover her eyes and ears, and at the same time, she was mumbling under her breath, “No, no, no. Don’t do this…”

It was as if Anna was deep in the throes of a nightmare. Natalie bit down on her lower lip and slowly approached Anna. Then, she hugged her. “Anna…”

Instinctively, Anna shoved her away before casting panicking eyes on Natalie. When she finally registered Natalie’s face, she relaxed and panted. “Natalie, it’s… it’s you…”

Even though Natalie did not ask Anna what happened, she could guess that Anna must have returned to her childhood nightmare after what she learned from Varre—Anna must have dreamed about the bloody way her mother had died in front of her.

Anna’s pain was something Natalie could not empathize with. She could not even put herself in Anna’s shoes and began imagining the pain.

How cruel had that moment been? “I’m sorry,” Natalie apologized as she hugged Anna again. “I’m really sorry… I didn’t know my actions would make you suffer this way…”

Tears just kept flowing out of Anna’s hollow eyes. “It was because he was obsessed with gem carving. That’s why he socialized with strange people; that’s why Mom ended up…” Anna began bawling and muttering. “Does he think that his sins will be gone just because he now worships Fyrtia? The guilt in him has gone away, but the dead will never come back.”

No. It was not because he was obsessed. It was definitely not because he had socialized with strange people. Anna’s mother’s death was caused by the greed of powerful people. No one knew whether the treasures in the royal mausoleum truly existed or not, but that man had no qualms about staining his hands red.

Natalie desperately wished that she could tell Anna the truth behind everything. Yet, just as she started speaking—”Anna, actually…”—she recalled what Varre had told her in the room, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

“Natalie, what were you going to say?” Anna hesitantly turned to Natalie. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

In the end, Natalie decided to keep it a secret too. The reason for her to do that was the same as Varre’s. Ignorance was bliss, and knowledge spelled pain and danger.

Natalie only wanted Anna to bring her to Varre to replicate the jade key. What was going to happen next could be even more dangerous, and Natalie did not want Anna to be caught up in it.

Natalie accompanied Anna until the latter recollected herself. Meanwhile, after Natalie left, Varre picked up the jade and began studying it.

Then, he took out the carving tools he had kept in the highest spot on his book rack. It had been twenty years since he had touched them, but when those tools were in his hands, the muscle memory returned.

He was not going to go back on his words. With that thought in mind, he started replicating the key.

Gem carving was a concentration-heavy task. As time went by, Varre’s body started to tire out. Blood escaped him from the corner of his lips, but he simply wiped away the blood with a handkerchief before throwing himself back into his task.

At the same time, Billy was on the return trip with the hyper-realistic mask-wearing substitute.

Unable to contact Samuel, Billy contacted Kenneth and Steven instead. He then set up tight security and arranged for more manpower to prevent Blaze’s people from intercepting the jade key.

Everyone was on guard, but the return trip was peculiarly quiet without any obstacles. Billy was baffled. Why is there nothing from Blaze?

 

Chapter 1095 Inexplicable

Meanwhile, Varre had locked himself inside the meditation room of the monastery to carve the jade key.

Nereus arranged for Natalie and Anna to occupy a long-uninhabited room inside the monastery.

Nereus was a shy teenager, around seventeen or eighteen years old. He even flushed self-consciously when Natalie and Anna sized him up. However, his eyes drifted toward Anna from time to time.

Natalie perceptively sensed he had something to say to Anna, and she also had a good guess about the message he wanted to convey.

Although Natalie couldn’t tell Anna about the jade key’s secret, she reckoned the latter should still be informed of Varre’s illness.

Hence, Natalie excused herself, leaving Anna and Nereus alone inside the courtyard.

Nereus hesitated for a long while before ultimately bracing himself and speaking, seemingly having figured out what to say. “I shall not address you as a fellow worshipper since you’re not an ordinary follower of our religion who comes here to pay your respect. May I call you Anna as the other lady does?”

Anna nodded.

“Anna, Master’s disease…”

“Nereus, I don’t want to hear this.” Anna knitted her brows and retorted coldly, “I don’t care about him.”

However, Nereus turned a deaf ear to her refusal and stubbornly continued, “Anna, Master mentioned he did something unforgivable to you and your mother, so he deserved your hatred. Still, he doesn’t have much time left and may pass away anytime.”

A monk should make peace with the natural progression of life.

Varre had accepted his fate, but Nereus was still young.

He had yet to attain enlightenment and see through all earthly matters.

Varre had repeatedly reminded Nereus not to reveal his sickness, but Nereus couldn’t stop himself from telling Anna the truth.

“When Master discovered he had contracted liver cancer, the disease had progressed to late-stage. The doctor said treating his condition would require a lot of money, and the treatment wouldn’t cure him. Although the liver cancer brought him a lot of pain, Master had never complained. He did shout your nickname during the few episodes when he passed out after vomiting blood.”

He paused briefly before adding, “Annie… That’s right. He called out your name. Sensing his agony, I wanted to find you so you could meet him one last time. I know he wants to see you too, but he stopped me from trying to locate you. Can you please tell a white lie and say that you’ve already forgiven him?”

Waves of emotions churned within Anna as she listened to Nereus’ account.

She loathed Varre, and her detestation toward him did not decrease even with time.

Having said that, when she heard about Varre’s imminent death, Anna realized she didn’t feel the pleasure of getting her revenge. Instead, hints of sorrow and discomfort rose within her chest.

“Anna, can you please fulfill Master’s final wish?” Nereus asked while boring his reddened eyes into her.

“No.”

Despite the chaos in her heart, her eyes glinted with unusual coldness.

“Nereus, you don’t know what I’ve been through, so you’re still able to utter these words to persuade me. I’m only here because I need him to help my friend.”

Nereus parted his lips but hesitated to speak. He caught himself as he met Anna’s icy gaze.

“I’m tired.”

She spun on her heels and returned to her room.

However, right after she turned around with her back facing Nereus, her indifferent facial expression and harsh look in her eyes melted away.

End-stage liver cancer? So what if he dies? What does that have to do with me?

She could only grit her teeth as pandemonium reigned in her chest.

Late at night, Anna draped outerwear around her shoulders and got up while Natalie was sound asleep.

In fact, Natalie was still awake, but when she sensed Anna’s movement, she pretended to be in a deep sleep.

When Anna saw Natalie’s eyes were shut, she put on her shoes and left the room.

The monastery wasn’t expansive, so Anna arrived at Varre’s meditation room in no time.

She could see him working on the carving with complete focus under the orange-yellow lights through the wooden window.

He was indeed living up to his promise to her of trying his best to replicate the jade key.

Anna convinced herself that she went there in the middle of the night to check on Varre’s progress, but after making sure he was working on the piece of jade, she showed no inclination to leave.

Anna didn’t know how to describe her current feelings or what her purpose was, standing there like a fool.

Suddenly, a series of violent coughs sounded from inside the meditation room.

Khaff! Khaff! Khaff!

 

Chapter 1096 Relapse

Anna slowed down and walked to the bedside. Then, she saw him coughing up fresh blood. The glaring red blood stained his monk robes.

It was apparent he was in a terrible condition. His brows were tightly furrowed because of the pain in his body. Nevertheless, he grasped the file in his hands while continuously smoothing and shaping the jade.

He was concentrated on carving the piece of jade and paid no attention to the blood he coughed up.

Only until a few drops of blood dripped onto the phoenix engraving on the jade key’s bow did he think of wiping off the blood with a piece of brownish-yellow handkerchief.

Anna did not make a sound and merely took in the scene in silence as heart-wrenching pain filled her heart.

He deserves this after all the sins he committed. So what if he’s coughing up blood? His agony is nothing compared to my mother’s torment during her death.

Intense hatred washed over her, but Anna wasn’t delighted. On the contrary, she could only feel a suffocating sensation as if she was losing something significant to her.

She bit her lip forcefully until it bled. Nonetheless, she didn’t utter a word before she left.

Father?

The term merely sounded distant to her and, at the same time, reminded her of too much anguish.

After returning to her room, Anna became caught up in the throes of a nightmare.

“No. Don’t treat my mom like that! Don’t die, Mom. Don’t die, please? Mom, it hurts so bad…”

She thrashed and clawed at her blanket while muttering in her sleep. Her eyes were tightly shut, and beads of sweat covered her face and body and almost drenched her hair.

Awakened by Anna’s hysterical wails, Natalie hurriedly ran to the latter’s side.

“Anna, Anna. Wake up…”

Natalie grasped Anna’s hand and attempted to rouse her up. Unfortunately, Anna seemed deeply immersed in the nightmare and couldn’t come around from the bad dream.

“Mom. Mom, don’t leave me.”

Natalie sensed something was off about Anna. She hastily applied pressure on the latter’s wrist to check her pulse.

Sh*t! I think this trip has provoked Anna to be reminded of her tormenting experience. The trauma stimulated her to recollect the incident she resisted the most in her mind. Her body should be fine, but the mental impact is causing her body to react in a similarly aggressive manner. If this drags on, Anna may bite off her tongue and end her life because she can’t endure this devastating suffering.

Natalie swiftly opened her needle pouch, took out the crystal needle, and immediately pricked an acupoint on Anna’s head.

Anna turned a little calmer after she was jabbed.

At that sight, Natalie quickly manipulated the needle, inserting the crystal needle into the nerves connecting to Anna’s brain, and tried to ease the latter’s pain via medical treatment.

Natalie was drained after getting all of that done.

Still, she didn’t dare to let her guard down and remained by Anna’s side.

This is the most I can do to help her alleviate her physical pain. She’ll have to overcome her mental torment on her own.

“Anna, it’s fine now. All those things happened in the past.” Eyes gleaming with an agonized look, Natalie clasped Anna’s petite hand. “Anna, you have Kyle and me now. You’re not alone. Even if you’re suffering, someone will always keep you company. I promise you! I’ll help you locate the person who caused your mother’s death and seek revenge for all the torture you’ve been through.”

Anna stopped struggling as much. Natalie didn’t know how much Anna had heard about the things she said.

And just like that, Natalie kept watch on Anna for the whole night.

Only at the break of dawn was Natalie finally overwhelmed by drowsiness. Sitting beside Anna in exhaustion, she yawned, and her eyelids drooped.

When Anna woke up, she saw Natalie nod off beside her and noticed the dark circles under the latter’s eyes.

Instantaneously, she fathomed she must’ve had an episode of relapse. Natalie pulled an all-nighter and stayed by my side the whole time.

Not only that, but Anna also perceived the red scratch marks on Natalie’s arms. I suppose that’s my doing too.

 

Chapter 1097 The Truth Behind The Secret 1

Last night was a blur to Anna, but she had a vague recollection of what had happened.

She remembered it could have been Natalie gripping her hand the entire time, radiating comfort in a haze of pain.

Thank you, Anna said silently to Natalie as she draped a jacket over her sleeping body. She let Natalie sleep in a little longer, knowing she must have stayed up all night.

It was almost lunchtime in the monastery when Natalie woke up.

Nereus brought vegetarian meals for her and Anna, and a while after they were finished, he led them to the meditation room where Varre was.

Anna entered the room and glanced at the small table, realizing the pool of blood that Varre vomited had been cleaned of its traces.

Her eyes strayed to Varre, who appeared more gaunt and pale to the naked eye than the day before. His dull gaze was instantly drawn to her as they stepped into the room.

The look was brimming with layers of emotions, so much so that they were about to spill over, but he forcefully caught himself in time.

Natalie knew about the secret, and needless to say, she understood the significance of the glance.

Anna did, too, but she feigned ignorance and deliberately trained her gaze elsewhere.

“I finished carving the jade key you wanted.” Varre presented his creation with quivering hands. “I am afraid my replication is only 99% accurate. Alas, I can’t make something totally identical to the original. I can only hope that this jade key will be of help to you both.”

Natalie took a step forward and accepted the jade key with both hands, taking in the lifelike phoenix carving on the ridges and the head.

She could not have been able to tell the difference between the original and copy if she did not study the genuine jade key in detail beforehand.

Varre had not lifted a burin in twenty years, yet he still possessed such artistic talent and skill as was expected from the craftsman once held in high regard by the royal family in Loang.

“Thank you,” Natalie said solemnly to him.

“It’s destiny.” He clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow. “Please take your leave now that this situation has been addressed.”

“Let’s go, Natalie.” Anna scowled and tugged on Natalie’s hand to leave the meditation room.

But Natalie dug her heels in. “He’s running out of time, Anna.”

“How long more?”

“Huh?” Natalie was startled.

Natalie was only stating her observation aloud, which was the truth as well, but she was not expecting an answer from Anna.

“How much time does he have left, Natalie?” Anna reiterated her question, her eyes widening.

“Three to five days, at most.” Natalie hesitated before adding, “These days are your last chance to see him in this life. You will not have another opportunity if you miss it.”

“Oh,” Anna replied unfeelingly, but drops of tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Good riddance!

Her heart wrenched at the thought of the old man focused on carving under the bright light last night while trying to keep blood from sputtering out of his mouth.

Yes, she hated him, but the compassion beneath the resentment filled her with hesitation.

Natalie turned and looked at her.

She promised Varre to keep it a secret, but some secrets were not meant to be kept hidden. How could Anna live with her decision if she left now, and the secret was out?

“I have something to tell you, Anna…”

“What is it?”

“Your mother’s death is connected to the jade key.”

Tears pooled in Anna’s eyes, and her pupils constricted, incredulity flashing in her eyes.

 

Chapter 1098 The Truth Behind The Secret 2

Anna seized Natalie’s wrist and demanded, “What do you know about that? My mother died because he was obsessed with carving and messed with the wrong people.” My earliest memories are of him burying himself in carving, never caring about how Mom and I felt. Everyone else had a loving father, but not me. Mom was the only one by my side when I was burning up with a forty-degree fever. All that man did was turn his back on us!

“It is not like that.” Natalie shook her head, resolution hardening her eyes.

“He enjoys carving, but he loves you and your mother more. His time is almost up, yet he bore the agony in his liver and ceaselessly worked for more than ten hours to replicate the jade key at your request.”

Anna blinked back tears and looked up with a derisive smile. “He owes me that, Natalie! He only did it to assuage his guilt.”

“Anna, what if Mr. Varre’s so-called ‘obsession’ is because he was forced to do it?” Natalie finally blurted it out after giving it a thought.

“T-That’s not possible…” Anna released her arm and staggered a few steps back. “I wanted to beg him to take me to the amusement park when I was younger, so I went into his workspace and touched the jade in curiosity. He caned me until I was bruised all over. Never in my life will I forget the hatred in his eyes.”

“That jade was so important to him because it was related to you and your mother’s lives.” Natalie continued with a frown, “Someone threatened Mr. Varre with your and your mother’s lives to carve this jade key, but they had a different request. I gave Mr. Varre the real jade key to replicate, but he wanted to follow the old fragmentary records and completely duplicate the jade key. He had never seen it before, and the records only chronicled eyewitness accounts, so determining its authenticity was difficult. When Mr. Varre didn’t finish the carving in time, the person who had been threatening him for several years burned your mother alive in front of you.”

Anna did not think there was more to what had happened, and the tears she tried to hold back came spilling out.

“Is that true? If it was, why didn’t he tell me?”

“He wanted to protect you.” Natalie approached Anna and stopped in front of her, wiping her tears. “That man wanted your mother’s life, and Mr. Varre knew all of you were not his match, so he shouldered your hate and went along with it.”

Anna was sobbing uncontrollably.

He was the person she hated the most, but now she realized she had made a mistake.

Her heart ached as the image of him enduring the pain during the night as he concentrated on carving kept replaying in her head.

She snapped out of it and pleaded with Natalie, “I know your medical skills are excellent, Natalie, so would you please help him? Can you think of a way to save him?”

“It is too late.” Natalie sighed. “I could have extended his life by three to five years if it had been sooner, but his cancer had spread all over his body by the time we arrived, and he is living on borrowed time.”

I would have tried every method if I had any, despite knowing the truth and the fact that you hated him.

“How… How could this happen?”

“Anna, you have helped me enough.” Natalie pulled her into a hug. “Stay here by his side since time is running out. To Mr. Varre, nothing compares to your forgiveness and company.”

Anna bawled her heart out as she nodded fervently.

I will! Yes, I will! I will cherish every last moment I have with my father.

 

Chapter 1099 Their Concern

Anna’s eyes turned red when she let Natalie go. “Natalie, now that the jade key is in your hand, you might one day have to square up to the mysterious man who killed my mother. Let me know if you need any help. I will assist you in any way I can…”

Natalie nodded steadily. “I will. You better get going.” Anna hummed in response. After fixing her eyes on the room Varre was staying, she quickened her pace and ran toward it.

Natalie clenched her fists as she watched Anna leave in haste. Mom kept me in the dark for my own good, but this has become one of my biggest regrets.

She used to long for Thomas’ love, but in the end, she realized she was merely building castles in the air. Never in his life had he thought of Yara and me as his daughters. I was too foolish to believe that he, our father, might shower us with love.

Had she known the outcome, she would have tried to make things right. Had we known this from the start, I’m sure Yara and I wouldn’t have put ourselves through this misery. But we can’t turn the clock back and undo the regrets. The damage is done.

At that point, Natalie could only pin her hope on Anna to minimize the damage, preventing it from spiraling out of control. She did not want the regret to turn into a nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Natalie took the bus and returned to Yaleview in the company of Nereus.

In the last two days, Zophie kept her promise by sending videos about Yumi once every six hours.

While watching Yumi’s video, Natalie tightened her grip on the box in her bag and went deep in thought while traveling on the bus. How come Yumi has the key to Loang’s national treasure? Where did it come from? She might be living in an orphanage in Chanaea, but I don’t think her parents had died of sickness. She didn’t seem like she was abandoned by her parents either. I supposed there’s more to her background than meets the eye!

Regardless of her parents’ identity, Natalie decided to protect her at all costs since she and Samuel had adopted her as their daughter.

Upon arriving at Yaleview, Natalie gave Yandel a video call. After speaking to him for a while, she told him to pass the phone to the four children.

“Mommy, are you still trying to rescue Yumi?” Franklin asked.

Natalie hummed calmly in response. “If everything goes as planned, we should be able to get her back.”

The four little ones did not seem happy upon hearing her reply. Worry was written all over their faces instead.

Natalie’s lips curled into a smile. She asked, “What’s wrong with those sad faces? Did Yandel bully you?”

“Hey, excuse me.” Yandel stepped in. “Boss, I took great care of the kids. I wouldn’t dare bully them!”

“Mommy, it’s not him. He took good care of us,” Franklin explained, “we’re just worried about you. That woman is evil, and she’ll not let Yumi off so easily. She might even take the opportunity to harm you!”

That explained the troubled expression on their faces.

Though they were concerned about Yumi, they were also worried about Natalie’s safety.

Upon noticing the deep frown on their foreheads, Natalie could not help but grin. These kids really do care about me, don’t they?

They might be young, but they meant every word they said. That had given her the courage and motivation she needed to endure the uncertainties ahead.

“Now it’s not the right time to smile, Mommy,” Clayton said while pursing his lips.

“I smile because you guys are adorable,” Natalie said, “I promise I’ll bring Yumi back and return in one piece. How can I die at this age when I still want to see you grow up and get married, right?”

Yandel, too, was worried about Natalie, but he knew Natalie was doing that to pacify the children. He echoed, “Exactly. What’s with those sulky faces? Don’t you have faith in your mommy?”

 

Chapter 1100 Smart And Observant

Upon hearing what Yandel said, the four children answered in one voice, “We do!” “We do!”

“We do!” “We do!” Natalie fixed her eyes on the screen. There was something heartwarming about the four adorable children—not forgetting their chubby cheeks.

“I can tell all of you have faith in me now.” Natalie gave them a crescent moon-like shape Duchenne smile. “All of you better obey Yandel since you’re staying at his place. Don’t gang up on him, okay? Perhaps, by the time you wake up tomorrow, Yumi and I might have returned. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll be able to take you home!”

Natalie’s words of comfort had allayed the children’s worry. Their faces were finally wreathed in smiles. After waving Natalie goodbye, they reluctantly ended the video call.

Meanwhile, Billy and impostor Natalie, who had departed from Chanaea, were still flying in the plane heading to Loang.

At that point, Natalie was drinking coffee on the street while wearing her hyper-realistic mask. She went deep in thought as she was busy devising a plan.

All of a sudden, someone placed a slice of strawberries and cream cake next to her coffee. “Hi, this is not mine. I only ordered a cup of coffee, so…” Natalie explained as she thought the waiter had made a mistake.

When she lifted her head and noticed the man in front of her, she was at a loss for words. She did not know what else to say.

The man sitting opposite her was wearing an exquisite white suit. He had delicate and handsome facial features with a soft gaze. As he stood against the evening sun, his smiley eyes curved like a pair of crescent moons, making him look innocent yet charming.

“I-It’s you…” Natalie looked at him in disbelief. “How did you recognize me?”

“I’ve seen you wearing this mask in Chanaea. You don’t remember, do you?” the man answered.

Realization dawned on Natalie. I see.

She responded calmly, “This is not mine. Please take it away.”

In other words, she was subtly asking Bastien to leave.

Bastien did not take offense in her reaction. He gazed into her eyes steadily and said, “You’ve suffered enough in the last two days. Drinking coffee is just going to give you more anxiety. Perhaps, eating a dessert can make you feel better.”

Natalie’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She blurted out, “You’re stalking me?”

“I was trying to let you know I was worried about you. You can think of it that way.” Bastien leaned forward. “A mysterious figure abducted your kid, and you were trying everything you could to rescue her. You might be able to come up with a great plan, but don’t think you can execute it better with my help?”

“You want to help me? What do you want in return?” Natalie asked while staring right into the man’s eyes. Love? People who grow up in the royal family will never sacrifice everything for love. Even if they do, it’ll always be conditional. They will never love someone at the expense of their ambition and immeasurable desire.

“What if I just want you to stay by my side?” Bastien asked a question to test the waters.

“What if I expect you to give up your inheritance rights and the privileges as a royal member in Loang and live as a commoner?” Natalie responded with another question.

Bastien was startled for a moment as he did not expect Natalie to hurl the question at him.

A corner of Natalie’s lips quirked up. I knew he couldn’t answer me.

Anyway, Natalie was merely poking fun at Bastien. She had no intention of finding out how sincere he was.

“You—”

“You don’t have to answer me. It was just a hypothetical question.” Natalie tilted her head and looked at him once again. “You said you wanted to help me. So what exactly do you want from me in return?”

Bastien clenched his fists as his expression turned grim. Not only is she smart, but she’s also very observant.