"Then my mother became ill, very ill. She was desperate to see me again, even though I had been unfaithful, so she sent Barrow to find me, and… and…"
Helena's eyes showed pain and regret, and she could not continue, but Ivan knew what would happen next.
Unable to bring back Helena, who was a rebellious girl at the time, and jealous of her freedom, the Bloody Baron stabbed her to death.
Realizing his mistake, Barrow killed himself in frustration.
In a sense, it was her own fault that Helena ended up like this, and caused Ravenclaw founder Rowena to die of depression…
However, Ivan would not say these things out loud, or Helena would turn on him.
"Actually, Madam Rowena has always regretted being so focused on her research and neglecting your feelings," Ivan assured her after a moment's hesitation.
The pained expression on Helena's face suddenly softened, and she turned slightly to look at Ivan in confusion.
"I went to the lab and saw a stone tablet at the door that said…" Ivan began to explain, but Helena spoke up for him before he could finish.
"Superhuman intelligence is the greatest treasure of mankind."
"That's what my mother always used to say. She was always fond of clever people. It's a pity that I've been such a disappointment to her…" Helena's voice dripped with resentment.
"Do you really think so? The stone tablet was destroyed when I went to the lab, presumably by Madam Rowena!" Ivan said calmly.
Helena was taken aback.
Ivan's speech continued, his eyes fixed on Helena as he enunciated each word. "I think your departure made her realise she once had something more important than wisdom… family!"
Helena's body shook violently, and her eyes filled with tears. She gently covered her mouth with her hand, as if to stop the sobs from escaping. Drops of tears rolled down her cheeks, but before they could fall to the ground, they dissipated into specks of fluorescent light.
Ivan tactfully turned away, pretending to look out of the window, allowing Helena to vent her pent-up emotions.
After what seemed like an eternity, the muffled cries died down.
Helena wiped the tears from her eyes and muttered to herself, "If only we had all figured this out earlier, maybe…maybe things wouldn't have gone so badly…"
"You never know what's important until you lose it," Ivan said.
Helena sighed and nodded, then took a deep look at the diadem and said reluctantly, "Take it with you!"
"You're not going to keep it?" Ivan asked, surprised. He could see that Helena was obsessed with the diadem, and was prepared to return it to its rightful owner when he offered it to her.
"No, it's pointless for me to hold it," Helena said with a wry smile. She was now a ghost, unable to lift a diadem.
Ivan didn't argue any further, afraid that Helena would change her mind if he declined.
"So what should I do with it, just put it on?" Ivan asked, fidgeting with the ornate diadem. He had tried all kinds of things, but had received no feedback.
"You're missing an incantation to activate it." Helena laughed and floated over to Ivan, placing her palm gently on top of the diadem and murmuring something.
Ivan clearly saw the famous quote engraved on the inner side of the diadem light up, and then the whole diadem glowed pale blue.
It lasted only an instant before it disappeared, but Ivan could feel that the diadem in his hand was different from before.
He had even guessed that the incantation to activate the diadem was the phrase "A man's greatest treasure is his superior intellect", although he had to use an ancient English phrase from a thousand years ago.
Fortunately, from another perspective, since he had not discovered this, the young Lord Voldemort probably did not have the ability to do so. Otherwise, he would not have recklessly used the diadem as a high-level material for creating a Horcrux.
"Now you can try it on," Helena said encouragingly, withdrawing her hand.
After receiving Helena's confirmation, Ivan eagerly placed the diadem on his head. He was curious if it was as magical as the rumours claimed.
However, the moment he put on the diadem, Ivan's face froze in shock and disbelief.
Helena was surprised by Ivan's reaction, but didn't think too much of it. She asked him with a smile, "So, are you surprised? Do you feel smarter?"
"Yes, very surprised…" Ivan murmured, regaining his composure. He gently removed the diadem and gazed at it, his eyes thoughtful.
Ravenclaw's diadem did indeed augment his intellect, though Ivan found the surge in speed of thought and comprehension incredibly familiar.
This was very similar to the increase he received when he opened the Academic Genius Experience Card, but the effect was not as obvious.
This discovery greatly surprised Ivan. Could it be that every time he used the experience card, the system somehow enhanced his mental capacity?
'Like this diadem?'
What about the so-called protective mode? Could it also be some kind of magical effect?
Various thoughts flashed through Ivan's mind, and he felt that he was very close to the truth, although he was not certain of his suspicions.
"Hars…Hars, what's wrong?" When Helena saw Ivan standing there holding the diadem as if possessed, she waved her hand in front of his eyes.
"No, nothing, I'm just a little surprised," Ivan said, clutching the diadem in his hand. "No wonder Lady Ravenclaw was called the wisest person in the wizarding world."
From what he had been told, Rowena Ravenclaw was a highly intelligent witch, and the fact that she was able to create this magical diadem allowed her to constantly enjoy the enhancement of her mind.