Chapter 532 - Engagement Ruined

New Chapter for the Highest Tier (June 2021)

The author suffered from overfatigue and my stomach is upset. I will only update once today at 6/28/21 instead of two chapters. I'm sorry. Two chapters will resume tomorrow. Thank you for understanding.

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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"Just hug me and don't look at it." Apollyon interrupted her train of thoughts as he referred to the dead bodies. "I warned you beforehand but you still wanted to help." He scolded her, but his tone was gentle as he stroked her hair with a hand.

"A-Apollyon."  The motion was soothing to the heart, calming her down almost immediately when she became overwhelmed with emotions.

Were all of these feelings hers?

Or was it because she was too sensitive because of the pregnancy? 

Her world seemed to spin that she had to cling to her husband. "I don't know why I am crying so much." She shook her head as she sniffed. "I can't seem to stop it." 

Was it her fault that she couldn't save all of them because she dilly-dallied with Apollyon when he asked her too many questions?

'No. No. No.' Luna paused when a sudden realization kicked in, and her tears stopped streaming down her cheeks. 'If Apollyon found out, she was blaming herself, yet again, when he read her thoughts, he might slap her to next week out of frustration!

She cut off her musings and backtracked, removing herself as a factor or else she might convince herself that she was the Harbinger of Misfortune.

She knew how Apollyon hated her self-sacrificial tendencies, and he made sure she knew it.

From that day onwards, she promised herself that she wouldn't blame herself any longer.

I don't have any regrets helping them, Apollyon." Her chest ached from the effort of speaking while sobbing so hard.

She glanced up at him as she rubbed her eyes to dry them. "I just feel sad."

"I understand." Apollyon murmured, holding her even tighter. "It's alright to be sad. For some reason, I felt…I feel what you feel."Her body was soft and yielding in his arms. Maybe, that made him feel soft, as well. "It made me sad seeing you like this."

For the first time, her husband was sympathetic to her for having empathy for these dead creatures.

Summer Faeries' lives were lost, and their existence was loved by the people who knew them.

To Luna, they mattered whether they were strangers to them or not.

Some of these aristocrats must have contributed something great to Society.

This time, it was way worse from the demonic possessions at Ostara.

At least, the Fae from the Spring Courts who were possessed by demons only felt pain when the sword stabbed them in the gut.

The Summer Faeries have suffered death by burning.

Immolation would be incredibly intense.

It was the worst pain imaginable.

The shrinking and contracting of their muscles made the joints of their elbows and knees flexed while their fists were clenched from the fiery, excruciatingly painful experience.

Apollyon was particular that Luna detached from other people's pain.

He compared 'empathy' to 'crying over spilled milk' because no amount of sobbing and pinning down blame can help her bring them back.

Honestly, Luna expected that he would tell her to stop the waterworks and move on because these creatures had nothing to do with their lives. 

"I don't think I would be able to sleep, Apollyon." Luna said as she regarded her surroundings with a blank, empty stare. "The victims' screams still ring in my ears even if the flames are long gone."

"Don't worry." He reassured her. "I will distract you as much as I can."

"Now that the Great Hall was empty from the rain flood, we should call on the official Royal Healers of the Summer Courts." Queen Titania told the Faerie sentinels who waited for the Monarch's orders.

Luna could sense their slight relief from the way their tensed shoulders relaxed as they scampered to open the doors of the Great Hall as they fetch the royal healers.

Some of them called for the servants to clear the floor from the glass shards scattered everywhere during the explosion.

Guards began to clear out massive debris that they could handle while the others placed the dead black bodies in a sheet of canvas attached between two poles to transport them out of the Great Hall.

Aristocrats who were practitioners of the Healing Arts stepped forward and provided assistance and care to the victims.

Even if it hurt Luna to see them in agony, she decided to help them treat their injuries.

But Apollyon blocked her from the survivors.

He stopped her from doing so because she might be weak from the rescue.

In addition to that, Archdemon Magic used on Fae might have severe consequences.

All the more to add something that might pin her down for being strange.

When the royal healers finally arrived, a few victims were already healed from the burns with the help of their peers, while the rest required special attention because they had it worse.

The aristocrats who took care of them were mostly noblewomen.

They were sent home early after they depleted their Healing Magic while the rest of them remained. 

Nevertheless, Apollyon was determined to go. "We shall go if you desire it, wife."

"You and your wife can't go yet, Your Highness." Princess Ourania spoke sharply as she held Sir Tristan's gauntleted hand.

"Why?" Apollyon's eyes gleamed at his mother like the point of a sharp silver blade glinting in the sun.

Princess Ourania raised her chin. "I begged the Summer King and the Summer Queen to refuse the Vampire King and Queen to escape from the premises until we fully complete the investigation."

"Are you blamin—" Apollyon paused when Luna told him in his thoughts. 'Calm down, husband. Don't be too quick to react or they might think we are too defensive.'

"We aren't running from anything, Princess Ourania." Luna pulled away from Apollyon and smiled at her. "We will stay until the end of  the engagement party with Sir Tristan."

Luna knew that Apollyon's mother hated her smile.

Her posture went stiff as she regarded her with cold eyes full of contempt. "What is there to continue, Empress? My engagement with my beloved is ruined because of you!"

"You did this on purpose because you didn't like how I acted during the Tea Party this morning." Her eyes were bloodshot as she shrieked. "Just tell the truth and admit that this is your revenge!"