"Isolde, why don't you come to my side? Not only will I protect you, but I have the strength to give you anything you wish for," Lucian proposed, his voice smooth as silk.
"Even revenge?" Isolde asked cautiously, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
A dark smirk played over Lucian's lips as his pupils transformed, resembling those of a dragon. "That's my girl. I will help you ruin this empire if you want."
"But that is what you desire." Isolde frowned, sensing a deeper motive behind Lucian's offer.
"Then what do you wish for?" Lucian sighed, his gaze intense as he studied her.
"Tell me everything. I am growing to hate this cat and mouse game. I want to know the reality," Isolde declared, her voice filled with determination.
"Are you sure you are able to handle this?" Lucian asked, a note of caution in his tone.
"Yes. Tell me," Isolde replied firmly, her resolve unwavering.
"What if I told you that the Sable family never needed to kill each other to gain powers? Would you believe me?" Lucian's gaze bore into hers, his words heavy with significance. "Or that every trial you are going through is a meaningless struggle, carefully crafted to weaken the Sable family?"
Isolde's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind reeling at the implications of his words. "No… you're lying… how can that be true?" she stammered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Even if you deny it, deep down you know the reality," Lucian said somberly, his expression grave.
"Then what about me? What about my reality? What about my sufferings?" Isolde screamed, the weight of her turmoil threatening to consume her.
Lucian paused, a flicker of pity crossing his features as he regarded Isolde's tear-streaked face. "Why do you think that major pages were missing from that ancient book I gave you? Did none of you ever stop to consider why only the Sable family had to endure such cruel trials to gain their powers, while other ducal lords naturally possessed theirs? How thoroughly brainwashed have you been since childhood?" He laughed bitterly at her misery.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Isolde's voice choked with emotion as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"You wanted to know the truth behind the mysteries," Lucian replied, his tone softer now as he sat beside her and pulled her into a warm hug, offering her solace in her distress. "When I was the emperor, I manipulated a few low-ranking mythical creatures and arranged for them to breed with humans. The Sable family traces its lineage back to demon blood, while the Cedric family descends from fire dragons, and the Aurelius family from archmages. As for the emperor's lineage…" Lucian trailed off, furrowing his brow in thought. "I don't remember how the ancestor of the current emperor came to be."
Lucian's voice wavered with emotion as he recounted the betrayal that had unfolded centuries ago. Isolde listened intently, her heart heavy with the weight of the truth that was being revealed to her.
"His name was Leostratus," Lucian continued, his tone tinged with bitterness. "I treated each of them as my own child and raised them. But that damn Leo! His greed for power! He was like a sin of gluttony, hungry to become powerful and immortal at any cost. He started searching and hunting mythical creatures, conducting experiments on his own body in a mad quest for immortality. But he failed miserably."
Lucian paused, his eyes clouded with memories of betrayal and deceit. "Then, somewhere along the way, he heard about a forbidden ritual—a ritual where dragons were hunted, their hearts consumed by mortals seeking unimaginable power. Leostratus began to scheme and manipulate, deceiving the Duke of Cedric and sowing seeds of discord among the other ducal families."
He looked at Isolde, his gaze searching her face for any sign of understanding. "The Cedric family, always hungry for power and talent, was easily swayed by Leostratus's promises of dragonhood. And Aurelius, trusting in Leostratus's words, believed the rumors spread about me being dangerous for mankind."
Lucian's voice grew heavy with sorrow as he spoke of the Sable family's betrayal. "The Sable family was always loyal to me. The first Duke of Sable was a man of honor, wishing for his beloved daughter to inherit the dukedom after him. He was the only one who didn't listen to Leostratus's lies. But alas, he met a mysterious end, and one by one, all his children perished, save for the son he despised the most."
He paused, the weight of centuries-old regret hanging heavy in the air. "The Sable family turned their back on me, and I, blinded by my own arrogance and ignorance, failed to see the treachery unfolding right under my nose."
As the echoes of Lucian's words faded, Isolde was left grappling with the enormity of the revelation. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place, painting a picture of betrayal and deception that spanned generations. And amidst it all, she couldn't help but wonder what role she was destined to play in this tangled web of destiny and deceit
To be continued....