The following day, Jason Eagle woke up and informed his niece that an influential figure wished to meet her. He asked her to remain at home while they would send a car to pick her up later. Beyond this information, no further details were disclosed. Angel felt perplexed by her uncle's message, but recalling his excitement the day before, she assumed this individual must be of significant importance. Recognizing that refusing might cause problems for her uncle, she decided to follow his advice and quietly wait at home for the special car sent by this enigmatic figure.
As lunchtime approached, a luxurious maglev car pulled up in front of the Eagle family's old residence. Jason, who had been awaiting its arrival, had already called Angel to stand by the entrance. After the car came to a halt, the driver opened the door for Angel. Silvan, her younger brother, also wished to accompany her, but their uncle intervened. "Silvan, do not get into the car. Your sister has an important matter to attend to. This vehicle was arranged specifically for her. When she returns later in the evening, I'll take everyone into the city." Angel echoed her uncle's words, saying to her brother, "Stay with Uncle, and wait for me to return. Remember to listen to your uncle." Having heard this, Sylvan relented and did not insist on joining her. Once the door was closed, the driver initiated the vehicle.
The luxury car transported Angel to a magnificent palace. Following the car's arrival, a waiter dressed in regal attire opened the door for her. After alighting from the vehicle, the waiter led Angel to a dining room featuring a long table adorned with two ornate three-pronged candleholders, each with lit candles. After guiding Angel to the room, the waiter retreated and closed the door behind them.
Angel did not have to wait long in the empty dining room. A side door on the opposite side swung open, clearly connected directly to the master's chamber. A middle-aged man, adorned in opulent robes, entered the room. Angel was taken aback upon seeing the person approaching her. She realized that the mysterious figure who wished to meet her was the same man she had encountered at Mu 3-Star Airport that day.
"Miss Angel, it's a pleasure to see you again," the middle-aged man extended his hand, offering a handshake. Angel reciprocated, though she briefly touched his hand before retracting hers. The man appeared unperturbed by her action as he walked to one end of the dining table, pulling out a chair for Angel. "Miss Angel, please take a seat here."
Once Angel was seated, the middle-aged man occupied the chair at the opposite end of the table. "I apologize, Miss Angel, but I have not introduced myself. You need not worry about my name for now; you can address me simply as you wish," he remarked. Raising his hands, he clapped them three times and said, "It's lunchtime already. I assume you haven't eaten. We'll have a meal and chat."
As his applause faded, a side door swung open, and several palace attendants entered, pushing a dining cart laden with food. The attendants swiftly, yet gracefully, arranged the dishes on the table. One of them approached the candleholders and lit six candles. Once the food was placed, the attendants exited the room. Angel noticed that they all walked backward as they left, with the final attendant extinguishing the room's lights before departing. In an instant, the room was illuminated only by the glow of the six candles on the table.
Rudolf gazed at Angel in the candlelight, feeling as though he were in a dream, and it was simply perfect.
The emperor raised his glass, gesturing for Angel to do the same. "To our acquaintance," he proposed, before downing his entire glass of wine. Angel merely touched her cup's rim in response.
"Miss Angel, I've prepared these dishes especially for you. I hope you find them to your liking," Rudolf said, pointing to the exquisite spread on the table.
"Thank you for your warmth and consideration. These dishes are truly exquisite, but I'm not inclined to eat at the moment," Angel replied. She sensed that the atmosphere had become increasingly peculiar, and she could hardly bear it. "With all due respect, could you please explain why you requested to meet with me?"
Rudolf appeared to anticipate this question. He rose from his seat and approached Angel, coming to a stop beside her. From his pocket, he withdrew a small box and handed it to her. "Open it and take a look; everything will become clear."
Angel seemed to grasp the situation, but hesitated to confirm it. She reached for the box and revealed its contents—a diamond ring. The sizable gemstones sparkled with vibrant colors in the dim room. No woman could resist the allure of such beautiful diamonds, and Angel was no exception. She gazed at the ring in her hand for nearly a minute, then abruptly closed the box and pushed it back toward Rudolph. "I cannot accept this," she muttered, seemingly at a loss for words.
"No, you must accept it. At the same time, please agree to be my bride," Rudolf declared to the woman before him.
"Are you joking?" Angel suddenly felt as though she was the butt of an enormous prank. "You seem old enough to be my father," she retorted, somewhat irritated by the absurdity of it all.
Rudolf paid no heed to Angel's irritation. He was determined to have her as his wife. He did not respond to her question and, instead, plucked the ring from the box, grasped Angel's hand, and placed the ring on her ring finger.
"No!" Angel attempted to remove the ring, but Rudolph's grip was firm, preventing her from succeeding. "No one can reject my gift!" The man's words carried a commanding tone, rendering Angel almost powerless.
"Who are you?" Angel was on the brink of tears.
Rudolf was perplexed by his own rudeness, but felt an indomitable compulsion to make her his. The emperor remained silent in the face of the girl's question, yet it was clear to him that he would attain his goal.
"My name is Rodolfo von Gonzalez, though others typically address me as 'Your Majesty,'" he disclosed.
Upon hearing the name "Gonzalez," Angel recalled it as a surname of the royal family. When Rudolf uttered the words "Your Majesty," she became even more spellbound. She momentarily forgot to remove the ring, stumbled backward, and toppled a dining chair. Yet none of this seemed to register with her.
"Your Majesty," she repeated these two words. It was as though she had suddenly remembered something. She promptly knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty! I had no idea it was you, and I deeply offended you earlier. Please forgive me."
Observing the trembling girl kneeling before him, Rudolph felt a surge of sympathy. He swiftly helped her to her feet and said, "I spoke too harshly and frightened you. There is no need for this."
"No, Your Majesty. Please take back this diamond ring. A commoner's daughter should not possess such a treasure," Angel stated, having already removed the ring and clutched it in her hand.
"I have already given it, and no one may return my gifts, not even you," Rud
olf stated with an edge of frustration. "Why can't she understand my intentions?" he pondered. For a moment, he lost interest in continuing the conversation. He turned and departed through the same side door he had entered. Just before exiting the dining room, he said one last thing, "Return home for now and contemplate this. I will make arrangements for your return." Angel could not recall how she had been transported back to the old house, but she was on the verge of fainting. It all felt so surreal, yet it was the undeniable reality.
Jason Eagle sighed silently upon seeing his niece's pallid face. He approached her, rubbing her shoulders as he said, "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
"Uncle!" Angel suddenly embraced her uncle tightly and wept openly.
"Sister, what happened to you? Who hurt you?" Little Sylvan, witnessing his sister's profound distress, also teared up and clung to her, tugging at her clothing.
Angel, amidst her tears, heard her brother's voice. She turned from her uncle's embrace, knelt down, and wiped her brother's tears with her hands. "It's nothing, dear. I'm fine," she reassured him. Yet, her tears continued to flow.
That evening, the entire family refrained from eating. Sylvan had lost his appetite due to his sister's misery, and Jason couldn't eat because of his niece's ordeal. Angel sought solitude to collect herself and locked herself in her bedroom.
The following morning, Jason observed his niece emerging from her room and hastened to greet her.
"Uncle, I'm fine. I understand what I must do. Please look after Sylvan in the future, and I will strive to create a better life for him," Angel spoke first, her tone, however, icy.
Jason recognized that his niece had made her decision. He didn't want her to marry the emperor, but he understood that they had no alternative.
Angel did not accompany Jason and Sylvan back to Planet Mu 3. Instead, she traveled directly to the Imperial Capital with Rudolph. The emperor promised her the grandest wedding imaginable.
After Sylvan returned to the Eagle Manor, his laughter had vanished. He had matured suddenly and gained a deeper understanding than most of his peers. In those initial days upon returning to the manor, he frequently recalled what his uncle had said on the way back: "Silvan, your sister made this choice for your sake! You must not disappoint her!"
That night, Sylvan ventured out into an open area alone, gazing at the starry sky. He raised his voice and declared, "Sister, wait for me! I will rescue you from that man!" As Sylvan shouted, a meteor streaked across the starry sky above, leaving behind a brilliant trail in the heavens.
The day after Sylvan's return to the farm, he visited Brother Green's residence. He communicated only three words to him: "I'm sorry." He offered no further explanation.
On that day, Green dashed out of his home in a frenzy and didn't return until late at night, bearing a haggard countenance. The following day, he packed his belongings and left. His destination remained unknown, yet he left behind a note with a single message: "Don't look for me! I'll search for her!"
In an obscure galaxy on the fringes of the Milky Way, two planets dominated the space. One of them perpetually cast a shadow over the other. Nevertheless, a colossal fortress lay in perpetual darkness on the eclipsed planet. Deep within this fortress, a figure cloaked in black robes stood before an altar. A blue flame abruptly ignited on the altar, radiating no heat or warmth. When the flames extinguished, a murky shadow materialized on the altar. "The dark side of power has awakened, and it's time for the ignorant to face the consequences of their ignorance," the shadow declared. Then, it vanished, and the individual in the black robe crossed their hands over their chest, fading from view as well.
At Longyuan Pavilion, within the Astrology Room, Yoda observed a falling star. He shook his head in resignation, recognizing that fate was inexorable, and nothing could alter the course of events. What would unfold was destined to occur.
An unannounced visit from King Rudolf XIX had completely disrupted the lives of three young individuals. This seemingly accidental event was, in fact, foretold by the Wheel of Fortune. In its wake, new chaos would arise, giving rise to new heroes. After nearly 9,000 years of dormancy, the Milky Way was once again alive with activity.