“Mommy, if you’re really worried about me, just wake up!”
“Don’t cry, Beryl.” Arron walked up to us and gently wiped his sister’s tears with a handkerchief. “Mommy will be sad if she sees you like this in heaven.”
Flora’s POV
I stood behind Harry, looking at Crystal’s lifeless body silently. Everyone in the mourning hall was crying-that is, everyone except me.
My heart seemed to stop beating. It felt very heavy in my chest, like a stone.
When I first heard about Crystal’s death, I thought it was a prank.
Rufus loved Crystal with all his heart. How could he let her die?
“Flora, you can cry if you feel sad. It’s okay.”
” Warren cupped my cheek and looked at me worriedly.
I shook my head. I opened my mouth and spoke in a voice so hoarse, it was as though I hadn’t spoken in years. “I can’t cry,” I croaked.
Because until now, I still couldn’t believe that Crystal was dead, even though her body was right in front of me.
Five years ago, Crystal had faked her death. This time, maybe she was lying to us again.
I forced a smile and said, “Warren, look! Crystal has just been sleeping for seven days. I think she’s still alive.
Warren held me tightly and said in a low voice, “The forensic expert has already checked on her. She… She’s not here anymore, Flora.”
“No, no, that’s impossible. She wouldn’t die so easily. She has both the werewolf power and black witch power. How would she die so easily?” I refused to accept the facts and shook my head almost hysterically. My eyes and throat began to sting, and uncontrollable sadness enveloped my heart.
I grabbed Warren’s arm and ordered in a trembling voice, “Call the doctor! We need a doctor!”
I knew I was talking stupid, but I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Crystal was dead.
Warren pulled me close and rested my head against his chest. He said sadly, “It’s no use, Flora. We confirmed it again and again when we first arrived at the imperial palace. The reason why her body still looks alive is that Laura put some witchcraft medicine in the coffin to preserve her body, but it can only last for seven days. Her body will begin to rot after today. That’s why we’re in such a hurry to bury her.”
I didn’t say anything for a long time. When I finally calmed myself down, I stood straight and said calmly, “I still don’t believe that she’s dead.” Then I went to the ice coffin, took Crystal’s hand, and said to her, “Crystal, I’ve always believed in miracles, just like five years ago. You’ve always been so strong. You’ve always been able to think of a way out whenever you’re backed into a corner. So you can do it again this time, right? Wake up, Crystal. Areyou really willing to leave Rufus and your kids behind?”
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I spoke. I felt choked with sobs. Crystal was such a great person. Why was God so unfair to her? She had suffered a lot in her short life on this earth.
Harry also came over and squatted beside me, following suit. “Crystal, this isn’t funny. Wake up!”
“Enough. Let her rest in peace.” Laura made me and Harry stand up. “It’s time to cremate her.”
“No, we can’t just do this! We should at least let Rufus see Crystal for the last time!” looked at the others and said, “Rufus loves Crystal with all his heart. If he misses his chance to see her for the last time, he’ll go crazy.”
“Rufus is still unconscious. We can’t wait any longer. We need to let Crystal leave with dignity,” Laura said tiredly.
I wanted to say something more, but Warren pulled me aside and said, “Flora, enough. Everyone’s mourning. Just let Crystal rest in peace.”
I pursed my lips and refused to agree with the fact that Crystal would be cremated so hastily.
But I couldn’t do anything but watch as Laura ordered guards to cover the coffin.
Another group of guards came in, ready to carry the coffin to the royal tomb to have Crystal cremated.
Just then, an ear-piercing roar came from the door. “Who dares to touch her body?!”
I was so excited that my extinguished hope was rekindled.
It was Rufus! He rushed in like a furious beast, frightening everyone. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair and clothes messy, and the back of his hands were stained with blood. His murderous gaze swept across the hall, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
“Who said you could bury her without my permission?”
Rufus’ POV
The guards were so scared that they didn’t dare to look me in the eye. “It-It was Queen Mother who gave the order,” one of them stammered.
“He’s right.” My gloomy-looking mother came over. She looked at me sadly and said, “Rufus, you’ve been unconscious for seven days straight. No one could tell when you’d wake up. Would you have wanted us to wait until Crystal’s body starts to rot?”
My throat tightened, rendering me unable to speak. I could do nothing but clench my fists.
“Crystal’s body would start to decay if we waited any longer. I had no choice.” Laura sighed. She had more grey hair on her head than I could remember. “The dead cannot be brought back to life.”
She looked at me tiredly with a sense of understanding in her eyes. After all, she too had lost her beloved husband. After she finished speaking, she nodded at the soldiers to continue.
They picked up the handles on the coffin again and were about to move it Blinded by rage, I pulled out my sword and pointed it at the soldiers, roaring “Did I give you permission to move the coffin? Get out! Now!” Anger boiled in my chest. Rot? So what? Crystal would always be Crystal, rotten or otherwise, I would always love her.
The soldiers didn’t dare to touch the coffin again. Laura had no choice but to ask them to leave first, knowing I’d react violently if she insisted on Crystal’s cremation.
She seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, she didn’t. Instead, she asked everyone in the mourning hall to leave, giving me some time to say goodbye to Crystal.
Crystal was my wife, my other half. Even if I didn’t want to cremate her body, they couldn’t take her away from me.
I knew I was crazy. Hell, I felt my sanity vanish the moment Crystal stopped breathing.
I stood in front of the coffin like a restless patient, gnashing my teeth angrily “Crystal, you’re such’ a terrible person. I remember everything now. You lied to me time and time again. Who gave you the right to seal my memories? Who gave you the right to die and leave me alone? You haven’t made up for the fiveyears you owe me. Now, you want to leave me so abruptly? Oh, you wish! Even if you’re dead, I will still hold you firmly. I won’t let them cremate you. I know that the black witch race has witchcraft medicine that can keep the corpse from rotting for a long time. I’ll make you stay with me forever. Just you wait and see.
You won’t be able to get rid of me so easily.”
I took a step forward and reached out to touch the ice coffin. Just as I was about to open the lid of the coffin, I withdrew my hand as though it was made out of burning hot coal.
Any semblance of courage or strength left me at that moment.
I was too scared to look at Crystal’s lifeless face. Gritting my teeth, I started pounding my head with my fists to make myself forget what Crystal looked like when she died.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected that Crystal would die right in front of me, and that I’d be powerless at the face of her death.
I had always said that I loved her, but in the end, I couldn’t even die for her.
“Rufus, just take one more look at her. Maybe she’s just asleep. If you keep her company, she might wake up soon. You’ll be the first person she sees when she opens her eyes. So we can’t cremate her. Once we burn her body to ashes, she won’t have a chance.” Omar’s voice echoed in my mind. He encouraged me to take action, even going so far as to claim that Crystal was just sleeping. What a stupid wolf!
My legs buckled from underneath me and I fell to my knees in front of the ice coffin. I felt unprecedentedly lonely and sad. My chest seemed to have been hollowed out, making it hard to breathe. I stared blankly ahead and muttered, “No, Omar, we’re just deceiving ourselves…”
Maybe Laura was right. We should let Crystal leave this world decently.
Laura’s POV
Three days had passed, and the gate of the mourning hall had never been opened since Rufus drove everyone away.
During this period, Rufus “didn’t say a word and didn’t ask for something to eat or drink, nor did he allow anyone to enter the hall.
I frequently came back to the other side of the door, but every time my ears came into contact with the door, I couldn’t hear any sound of some sort from the inside. It was hard to guess if Rufus was even moving or if he was still alive.
I understood how painful this loss was for Rufus. The death of a loved one would send anyone at one’s wit’s end. I acted nearly the same as him now when Ethan died then, but now, what I was more afraid of was that Rufus would take his own life for love. Rufus was a person who felt deeply. I could bet that in his heart, Crystal was peerless.
But, of course, he was also bound by his oath and duty to his people; he was the king of the werewolves and it meant he should lay his personal feelings second to his responsibility as a leader. As a king, he couldn’t act on his own will since lots of people would be affected by how the course of his life would turn out.
When the food sent in was returned untouched again, there went the patience and stability I had been trying to keep together. I asked the guards to open the door to the mourning hall.
However, Flora stopped me. “Laura, let’s give him some more time. I don’t think he wants to see anyone now. Not even you.”
“But do we really have to leave him like this? So many days have passed, and Crystal’s body is going to perish!” The anxiety crept within me and it masked my face. On the one hand, I was afraid that Rufus would indulge in grief, and on the other hand, I was growing worried of the circulating speculations. Rufus had been out of the public’s sight for a long time. The nobles and the alphas of the other packs were now entertaining the possibility that something had happened to Rufus, and they were eager to know if he was still alive.
Flora sighed and took a step back, as if to get out of my way.
The door was locked, so I had to let the soldiers open it forcefully. The moment the door swung open with a loud thud, a raging voice bellowed from the inside.
It was clear that the person inside was unhappy with the sudden invasion. “Get lost if you want to live!”
“I’m your mother. You can’teven tell me apart from the others i w?” With a bang, I shut the door of the mourning hall again.
The hall fell silent. I scanned the inside and wherever I looked, the darkness matched the gloom Rufus was emitting. The air was filled with the smell of wood wax, the residual fragrance of the burnt candles.
I took two steps forward and as my eyes slowly adjusted, it became clear that Rufus was sitting in front of the ice coffin. His beard was long and ragged, his hair was unkempt, and his expression was blank, his eyes lackluster. In general, he looked like a person who was nearing his death.
If it went on like this, there was no doubt he would take his own life sooner, if not later.
The sight of him in that state summoned distress and anger within me. “Look at yourself! Do you really want to die?”
“If possible, I want to.” Rufus hadn’t drunk water for days, so his voice was hoarse and his lips were cracked.
“You can only think about it. You’re not supposed to die right after Crystal!
Think about your empire! Hubson’s gone and vampires began to riot, taking advantage of his absence. Some of them claim to be taking their revenge for Hubson, and some just want to take advantage of the chaos to get benefits.
Several vampire families want to invade the border at the same time.
Fortunately, Blair is holding the fort well. He came back to the imperial capital to attend the funeral and then hurried back to the border to handle the pandemonium that’s happening outside these doors. What remained of Hubson’s subordinates are in the imperial capital now. They’re killing your people.”
Rufus did not budge. He remained unmoving like a wax figure. I didn’t know if he had heard me or not or if my message even got through to him.
I softened my tone and added, “Rufus, one’s death can’t end the pain. Crystal did all these for you and your two kids. What she wants the most is that you and your kids can live a happy life.”
After a pause, I began to feel pensive. “Think about your two kids, Rufus. You haven’t seen them since you woke up. You can’t imagine how worried Beryl and Arron are about you. They often steal small visits to check on you, fearing that you would do something stupid and leave them too. Crystal will be very disappointed in you if she sees you like this.”
Laura’s POV
Rufus’ shoulders trembled. He raised his head and looked at me helplessly; his mouth was open, but no words came out. It was a look that I wasn’t accustomed to seeing.
I knew what he wanted to say. He was afraid that Crystal would be disappointed in him, but even so, he couldn’t extricate himself from the pain. Crystal’s death had absolutely crushed him.
But my dear Rufus, life was about growing through constant loss.
Squatting down in front of Rufus, I said gently, “Rufus, it’s time to move on.
Both the empire and your kids need you. Don’t let Crystal’s death be futile.” Rufus didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered his eyes and looked at his palm. Only then did I realize that he was holding a plain ring. I had seen Crystal wearing it before.
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