"I wish you could come back, Charles," Lilandra's voice began to waver, "The time we spent together in the Palace of Savage Wings was the happiest period of my life."
"You need to calm down, Lilandra. This is not the time for emotions. The Shi'ar Empire is counting on you," Charles took his hand back, looking into Lilandra's eyes, and comforted her.
Disappointment flickered in Lilandra's eyes. She took a small step back, then walked around to sit in the chair opposite Charles.
She took a sip of water from her cup, saying, "Perhaps you already know that the M'Kraan Crystal is not a Shi'ar holy artifact. It originally belonged to a race called M'Kraan and has nothing to do with the Twin Gods of Xiea or the Ferocious Feather Tribe."
"However, generations of brainwashing have led the nobles of the Ferocious Feather Tribe to genuinely believe that this is a holy artifact bestowed upon Shi'ar by the gods, and as such, we should gain great power from it."
"These people are even more foolish than my brother. Madness King Deccan understands, the so-called holy artifact is nothing more than a tool. The craziest thing he did was to use lifeforms for various experiments, but these nobles seem to revere the M'Kraan Crystal as if it were a god, even wanting to offer sacrifices to the M'Kraan Crystal in exchange for the grace of great power."
"Don't the Twin Gods of Xiea interfere?" Charles asked, frowning.
"That's the crux of the matter, the Twin Gods of Xiea also have no solution for the M'Kraan Crystal." Lilandra reached up as if to cover her eyes and said, "Our great gods seem to desire the power of the M'Kraan Crystal even more. Without their indulgence, the nobles could never have come this far."
"The magic that establishes a spiritual link with other objects is my gift. When I was very young, I had spiritually linked with both the Twin Gods of Xiea and the M'Kraan Crystal."
With a reminiscing expression, Lilandra spoke in a serious tone, "So while others were worshipping the gods without knowing the truth, I knew, they are just beings who are a little more powerful in the cosmos."
"When I established a spiritual link with the M'Kraan Crystal, I discovered that it is not a holy relic but the first star formed at the birth of the cosmos, and hidden within the M'Kraan Crystal is a gate to other universes."
"But it is actually a trap." Lilandra shook her head with a mournful look, "Anyone who tries to harness the power within the M'Kraan Crystal is doomed to destruction. That's why I oppose anyone touching it. It's not that I don't want the power, it's that I dare not."
"Lan, I know you fear the M'Kraan Crystal, but to resolve the internal issues of the Shi'ar Empire, I fear we will have to work with this crystal."
Looking up at Charles, Lilandra saw him shaking his head, "I'm not saying that you should research the crystal and then use its power to deal with the nobles. As long as this so-called Shi'ar holy artifact remains in the Shi'ar Empire, those in the know will never cease their greed for it."
"I believe you should destroy the M'Kraan Crystal." Charles said with finality.
Lilandra's mouth dropped open, she stared dumbfounded at Charles as if she couldn't believe his words. But then she seemed a little embarrassed, because she was hesitating.
"But... but..."
"You're reluctant, aren't you?" Charles looked at Lilandra with his usual gentle expression, but his tone became more fervent.
"In your heart, you also regard the M'Kraan Crystal as the possession of the Shi'ar Empire, as part of the Empire's power. You believe it could potentially become a powerful weapon of the Shi'ar Empire, a last resort against other empires."
"Lilandra, this is the biggest reason why you've isolated yourself all these years. You oppose certain things, but not completely. You agree with certain things, but do not dare to fully agree. You avoid taking drastic measures, delaying the imminent matters as long as you can. Once you cannot delay any longer, you then rely on others."
"Maybe, your underprivileged life as a second princess, falling between the cracks, has fostered your habit of taking cautious and non-offensive stances. This might work for a princess, but not for an empress."
Outside the window, Wanda was stunned. She had never seen Professor X being so aggressive. But Shiller simply shook his head, showing no surprise.
Indeed, any good psychologist knows how to hit people where it hurts, knows how to break down their defenses with words. Professor X doesn't often use this technique, his subtlety doesn't mean he's incapable.
"Charles!" Lilandra clenched her teeth, calling out Charles' name in a tone of both anger and panic. She stood up from the table, her eyes red, as she looked at Charles. "I thought you'd understand me!"
Lilandra drew in a deep breath, saying almost irrationally, "Yes, that's right, I'm that unloved second princess, but so what? In the end, didn't I still ascend to the throne?!"
Lilandra was blinking rapidly, her lips trembling unstoppably. She was shaking her head slightly, making the feathers behind her ear also tremble slightly.
"What happened to that famous crown princess in the end?" Lilandra was panting, a sneer appearing on her face. "Did she manage to defeat Odin?! Did she seize the throne?! In the end, didn't she end up imprisoned by Odin in the desolate Land of the Dead, only able to watch her brother ascend to the throne, without even the right to attend the wedding ceremony?!"
Lilandra closed her trembling eyes, scenes from the past continuously replayed in her mind.
Every child born into the royal family harbors dreams of ascending the throne. There was a time when Lilandra was not the overlooked, weak second princess. She was ambitious and even took action.
However, Hela's tragedy gave her a reality check. The legendary Crown Princess of Asgard, the only heir, ultimately met the fate of lifelong imprisonment for revolting.
What about herself? What about her, an ordinary princess who was not a firstborn and less doted on than her younger brother?
Indeed, over the years, Lilandra had been extremely cautious. If not for survival, she wouldn't have openly admonished her brother. Yet, this only act of rebellion brought her the throne.
Maybe the throne came too easily. Without suffering, there would be no growth. It is easier to move mountains than to change a person's nature. Lilandra herself knew that her cautiousness over the years had changed her personality. She was not a despotic tyrant, not even the resolute king she should be.
Being so bluntly exposed by her old lover filled Lilandra's heart with rage. She thought, if Hela hadn't been so dazzling, would she herself have appeared so weak?
She clenched her teeth and looked at Charles. "It would be great if that Crown Princess could show up at the wedding! I want to see, without a kingdom, without an army, what she can rely on to be arrogant?!"
"She dominated the cosmos for many years, so what? In the end, wasn't she still detained by Odin?" Lilandra sneered, "I dare to say that this is the most correct decision made by the Father of All Gods."
"It's over," Shiller declared from outside the window.
Everyone turned to look at him, but Shiller's gaze had landed on a raven that had just taken off from the branch of a pine tree outside Charles's guest room window.