Elizabeth was snapped out of her thoughts by Paul's voice.
"It stopped. Th-the pain stopped," he muttered.
A dark shadow appeared on Clara's face.
Neo died and 'curse' on Paul lifted.
It meant….
'He didn't use curses. It was something else,' she thought. 'He got us good.'
She was enraged.
However, she reined her thoughts and focused.
Elizabeth's curse was lifted only a few moments ago.
If it was now, Clara might be able to finish her.
The weapons floating in the room transformed.
They aimed at Elizabeth when suddenly they exploded.
Clara felt as if a truck rammed into her.
Her body flew backwards and she broke through several walls.
"Did Neo stop you two alone?" Elizabeth asked Paul.
"A-ah..."
He was still feeling the lingering pain and unable to answer.
"I asked you a question."
Suddenly, an intense pressure smashed Paul into the ground.
The weight slowly increased.
Paul could feel his body crying in pain, however, unlike before, where Elizabeth stopped in the audience hall, she continued mercilessly.
Elizabeth hated it.
She did not want to see her children in pain.
But.
She understood.
They had crossed the line.
It was either them or her.
"Krk…"
The floor cracked as the pressure doubled.
"H-he told us… he would kill us… if we d-didn't save you," Paul answered.
"How could Neo, an Awakened Demigod, threaten you and Clara. You two are far stronger than him?"
The Tyrant Queen added in a cold voice,
"Tell me everything without leaving anything out."
Just as she finished her words, Clara returned with a strong vigor.
Her body was covered in a silver armor and she held a spear.
She was smashed into the ground, just like Paul, as soon as she entered the room.
Paul was horrified when he saw his sister unable to do anything.
He explained everything.
From how they killed Neo, to how they lied to her about the purge, how Neo suddenly revived, and tricked them into thinking he could use curses.
Elizabeth's gaze softened.
She caressed Neo's hair.
He wasn't as strong as made himself look, in fact, he was extremely weak .
Elizabeth saw, and Amelia told her, just how moving from one place to another was enough to tire him out.
Still, he put himself on line to save her.
Not once, but twice.
He laid his life for her.
Elizabeth knew he must've a reason to go to this extent to help her.
However, it didn't change anything.
He was the only one who helped her when everyone tried to stab her in the back.
If it wasn't for him, she would've died, and blamed herself for everything that transpired.
She was in his debt.
A debt she wouldn't be able to repay, even if she gave him her life; after all, she could do it once but he gave her his own life twice.
"Leave," Elizabeth commanded. "I don't want to meet you two ever again."
A beat later, she blasted Clara and Paul out of the palace.
They wouldn't die from the attack.
However, their injuries would take months to heal.
It was weird.
Despite everything, she couldn't kill them.
A drop of tear slipped out of her eyes.
"W-what is this? I'm crying too much today," she wiped her eyes and looked at Neo's corpse.
He was abnormal.
Even if he was immortal, which Elizabeth doubted, he did not seem to care for his own life.
True immortality did not exist.
Elizabeth, after reaching Exalted Demigod rank, knew this for a fact.
Some artifacts and abilities allowed one to circumvent around death.
But all of them demanded a huge price.
Death was impartial.
If you wanted to cheat death, you must pay something of immeasurable value.
What price did Neo pay?
What kind of life did he live to die twice as if it was nothing?
She was curious.
It was the first time was interested in a person's life other than her family.
She didn't understand why she felt like this.
"Mom!"
Amelia appeared. She was visible through the broken wall. Several of the Queen's personal guards followed her.
"What happened? I saw sis and Paul were hurt…"
Before she could complete her words, the guards exploded into gory mist.
Amelia froze.
"Why did you return? You should've evacuated already," Elizabeth asked as she beckoned Amelia to come to her.
"I… I couldn't leave you alone."
Despite saying so, Amelia couldn't approach Elizabeth.
The Queen killed the guards brutally.
Had she really gone berserk?
Suddenly, Amelia noticed the purple veins on Elizabeth's body had disappeared.
"The curse…?"
"It's cured."
Amelia's eyes widened and she rushed at her mom.
She hugged Elizabeth with a jump.
Tears fell from her eyes.
"H-how?"
"Neo forced the curse's caster to transfer the curse to him. He died in my place."
Amelia felt shocked.
Hearing her mother's words, she felt she might've thought wrong about Neo.
"Will he r-revive? He said he was immortal."
"Yes, I think he will. But it seems there is some sort of cool down in his ability."
If Neo was here, he would've been shocked to know Elizabeth deduced his unique skill after hearing about it once and said 'As expected of an Exalted Demigod'.
A small smile appeared on Amelia's face.
"I need to thank Brother Paul and Sister Clara. If they hadn't found Neo you would've…. Hic! Hic!"
As Elizabeth patted Amelia's back.
"They didn't bring Neo to me. Neo brought them."
"…?"
Amelia felt there was something weird about her mother's words.
"Neo… brought them?"
"He needed the curse caster to transfer the curse."
Amelia blinked.
What was her mother trying to say?
She understood her words, but the implications behind them made them impossible to be true.
"Clara could use curses."
The words turned Amelia's world upside down.
Her mind froze.
She stared blankly into the air while Elizabeth explained everything to her.
"N-no… That's not possible. This guy. Yes, Neo, must've tricked you!"
"Amelia…"
"There is no way Paul and Clara will try to kill you…"
"Amelia."
"T-there is no way… Hic! Hic!"
Elizabeth hugged Amelia as she cried her heart out.
No matter how much Amelia tried to deny it, the truth was before her eyes.