“The empire and the kids need me… But she doesn’t need me. She never needed me. That’s why she left me every chance she got.”
His voice was so low that it sounded like he was talking to himself.
I sat next to Rufus and wrapped my arms around him, holding him like I did when he was a child. “Rufus, you can’t question Crystal’s love for you. It’d be an insult to her. She hasn’t abandoned you. She’s still here, but in a different way.
Her body might decay and turn to dust, but her soul will always be with you.
Crystal loves you just as much as you love her.”
I was allowed to say this because I had witnessed this love firsthand. Five years ago, Crystal was just a young girl in her early twenties who had a bright future.
But she sacrificed everything for Rufus.
Although I was Rufus’ mother, I had already started to treat Crystal as my own child a long time ago. Sometimes, I would’ve preferred that Crystal be selfish and think more of herself. In her relationship with Rufus, she was always the one who was sacrificing her interests for his.
“Everything Crystal has done-from erasing your memory to fleeing to the border, raising your two kids alone-was for you. If she didn’t love you that much, she wouldn’t have done all those things. Trust me, Rufus. Her love won’t disappear, as long as you remember it. That’s why you can’t let Crystal down.
That’s why you have to live on. If you also leave this world, your love for each other will completely disappear.”
Rufus’ eyelashes quivered. “She’s never coming back, right? No matter how long I wait here?”
I couldn’t bear to say more to such a fragile Rufus, but he needed to face reality.
I had no choice but to be cruel and say, “Yes, she’s not coming back. Rufus, you have to look forward, not back.”
Rufus kept silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a voice so broken that I felt my heart shatter. “But it hurts so much, Mom. What should I do? Crystal is dead. She’s gone, leaving me alone forever.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I was Rufus’ mother, and it was soul-crushing to see him like this. No matter what he went through, Rufus had always been so strong, even as a child. I had never seen him so sad and crushed in my life.
“Rufus, don’t be scared. We’re all here for you. Time can’t make you forget Crystal, but it can heal the pain somewhat. Just live on and be the good father and king that Crystal wanted,you to be.”
Rufus’ POV
Truth be told, over the past few days, I had actually come to recognize the reality of things; I just hadn’t been willing to accept it.
I had deceived myself into believing that Crystal could still be resurrected somehow, but if she could’ve come back to life, she would’ve done so by now.
Now that the magic medicine that preserved her body from decaying had started to wear off, it seemed that my hopes were nothing but a pipe dream.
I didn’t dare to open the lid of the coffin to verify, but I still didn’t want to cremate Crystal. There was this small voice in my heart that kept telling me that as long as her body was there, there was still hope.
But my hope was running thin.
I tightly clenched my fists, the round silver ring deeply embedding in my flesh.
The sharp pain it caused sobered me up somewhat.
Laura and I sat side by side in front of the ice coffin for a long time. Neither of us said a word until the clock in the center of the imperial capital tolled three times, signaling midnight. It was the start of a new day.
I moved my stiff body and slipped a thin chain through the ring, which I then put around my neck. Then I turned to Laura and said, “Mom, let’s prepare for the cremation.”
Laura breathed a sigh of relief. She stood up, patted the dust off her black dress, and said, “I’ll go and make the necessary arrangements.”
Before she left, she turned on all the lights in the mourning hall. The room was finally lit up after several days of darkness. I squinted uncomfortably, not used to the sudden light. From the reflection of the glass window, I could see how emaciated and disgusting I looked with my overgrown stubble. I bitterly smiled, knowing that Crystal would probably be disappointed to see me like this.
Laura was efficient. It didn’t take long before a group of soldiers came in to carry the coffin out.
I made way for them. The soldiers approached with trepidation. “Your Majesty, can we take the ice coffin away?” one of them asked falteringly.
I responded with a nod, swallowing the blood in my mouth. After taking one last look at the ice coffin, I turned around and walked towards the gate of the mourning hall.
The soldiers’ sighs of relief and the sound of the ice coffin being moved came from behind.
I tried my best not to stop them, forcing myself to keep going. I didn’t stop until I had made it to my bedroom on the second floor.
Laura sent someone to bring me food. Since I hadn’t eaten in several days, the smell of grilled meat made me wrinkle my nose in disgust.
But my body was on the verge of collapse, and if I didn’t eat something now, I might not have the strength to do anything.
So I forced myself to eat two mouthfuls of food to sustain myself. Laura had also prepared medicine for my acidic stomach, which I took with some soup. After a while, the burning pain in my stomach subsided.
I then sat quietly on the sofa, closing my eyes until the faint light of dawn began to seep through.
I opened my bloodshot eyes, rubbed the spot between my eyebrows, and stood up to change into a black suit in the dressing room. Then, I made my way to the cremation site.
Over the past few days, Flora, Harry, and the others had taken residence in the palace. Only Blair had left to return to the border. Everyone else who was close to Crystal was already at the cremation site.
Even my two kids were there. I found Beryl and Arron hiding behind Laura, looking at me timidly with Crystal’s clear eyes.
I felt guilty and stretched out my arms to them. Arron immediately ran over, throwing his tiny arms around my thighs, rubbing his cheek against my palm.
“Don’t be sad, Daddy. Mommy will always be with us. She will love us forever!” His voice was childish, but his words were mature.
With tears in my eyes, I pulled Arron close and apologized in a hoarse voice. “I’m so sorry…”
Arron hugged me even more tightly and whispered, “Beryl and I will always love you, Daddy. We’ll always be with you.”
Rufus’ POV
I gently touched Arron’s soft head and looked over at Beryl, who seemed hesitant to approach. Her expression showed a mix of longing and fear.
Seeing this, Laura whispered something in her ear and gently nudged her towards me. Beryl shook her head and looked at me with guilty, doe-like eyes.
I scooped up Arron into my arms and went over to squat down in front of Beryl.
Reaching out one hand, I touched the neat little bun on her head and said softly, “It’s not your fault, Beryl.”
My words seemed to have hit the nail on the head. She immediately burst into tears and threw herself into my arms, wailing, “I’m so sorry, Daddy. It’s all my fault. Mommy’s gone because of me… I miss Mommy so much…”
I felt indescribable sorrow as I leaned over to kiss Beryl’s tear-stained face. “My Baby Beryl, it’s not your fault. Don’t cry. Your mommy would be heartbroken to see you like this.”
Beryl hiccupped, her eyes red and swollen from crying. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing quietly.
“Don’t cry, Beryl,” Arron said bravely, though I could tell the little boy was fiercely fighting his tears back. He reached into his pocket and took out Beryl’s favorite candy, offering it to Beryl. His sister kept her head low, and although she stopped crying, she still looked dejected Crystal’s death had a profound impact on our family. Now that I was left alone to comfort the two kids, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to face them.
“Rufus, the ceremony’s about to start.” Laura came over and took the two kids over from me.
I nodded with a heavy sigh, turned around, and walked up the stage.
The ice coffin had been placed on top of a large fire pit. The coffin itself was covered with a white mud-like magical medicine that was meant to dissolve the ice when the time was right. Underneath was a pile of firewood. Once the fire was started, the entire coffin would melt from the high temperature.
The priest was already waiting for me onstage. When he saw me approach, he bowed and began to pray.
This time, Crystal was buried as a queen. Although we hadn’t had a proper wedding, the formalities no longer mattered now. She became my wife five years ago, regardless of whether the others recognized her or not, didn’t care.
She was my other half-my only mate yesterday, today, and tomorrow-andshe would be buried with respect.
And in the future, when I died, I’d be buried alongside her, inseparable in life and in death.
I fixed my eyes on the ice coffin, recalling my beautiful past with Crystal. My memories of her were the only solace I had left, but what about in a few years?
Would those memories fade into nothing?
After a long prayer, everyone fell into silent mourning, accompanied by a few suppressed sobs.
“Your Majesty, do you have anything to say?” The priest looked at me, his expression filled with sympathy.
I shook my head and said hoarsely, “I’ve already said everything I needed to say.
Proceed with the cremation.”
I took a step back, allowing the soldiers to approach the fire pit with torches.
The restrained cries around me erupted at that moment.
All of a sudden, Flora rushed forward, crying and shouting hysterically, “No, don’t! Don’t cremate her! Crystal isn’t dead! She’s just sleeping!”
Warren grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back, trying to calm her down. “Shh, Flora. We’re all grieving Crystal’s death. It’s an inevitable reality that you must face.”
Flora sobbed uncontrollably, regardless of her image. Ever since she married Warren, she had never shown her emotions so openly. The carefree girl from before had become a composed, level-headed Luna. But at this moment, when she was standing before the coffin of her best friend, her facade came crumbling down.
I averted my gaze, feeling suffocated. Everyone was hoping for a miracle to happen. I found myself praying: Crystal, please have mercy on us one last time and give us a miracle.
In the end, Laura had to step forward to order the soldiers to proceed with the cremation.
I stared at them blankly. However, just as the torches were about to touch the ice coffin, I suddenly noticed a familiar symbol painted on the side of the coffin.
“Stop!” I quickly called for a halt.
Rufus’ POV
The soldiers quickly withdrew their hands and looked at me. Confusion was drawn on their countenances. “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
“Rufus, haven’t you agreed to this?” Laura looked at me, her eyes hinting that she was worried I would not keep on my word.
I did not answer her. Instead, I crossed the stage towards the ice coffin and my eyes bored into the clown symbol.
“What’s wrong, Rufus?” Laura walked behind me, seeing that I ignored her, and followed where my gaze landed. I did not need to ask how surprised she was as I heard her gasp. “Clown symbol? When did this mark appear? This wasn’t here before.”
A black liquid was used to draw this symbol on the ice coffin and it was situated in a corner on the side where it was nearly impossible to make out. It was not a wonder how it had never been found before. And there was more than one.
When I walked to the back of the coffin, I saw a bigger one depicted in blood.
I frowned as I tried to recall where I had seen this mark before. While I was racking my brain, Arron called me, confused. It was then that I recalled that Arron had been kidnapped to the clown amusement park. When I had rescued Crystal, I had also seen the mark in Lee’s secret room. It was Lee’s symbol, looking exactly like the mask he wore.
My whole body trembled and my heart was shaken as I thought of a possibility.
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