Chapter 86: 4.20

The news struck the Great Arctyr like a thunder in clear skies. It happened the day after Crown Prince Lyon departed to Golden Camellia. Late at night, the guards who patrolled around Princess Layla's corridor were attacked by an assailant, the assailant broke her door and attacked her, there was a clear struggle between them, but it seemed that the assailant won and Princess Layla was now in critical condition.

The guards who came to rescue her after they heard a loud scream from Princess Layla's room found Princess Layla and the dying assailant on the floor, however, the identity of the assailant was still concealed.

Because of the shocking news, Great King Tuskan got extremely worried about his daughter's safety, thus, the talk about marriage was postponed and he asked his son, Lyon Hessel Signe to return back to Great Arctyr.

And Javier naturally followed him to the Great Arctyr.

[System, tell me what happened to Layla, is she really in critical condition?]

[Pupa: I don't have the exact information about Layla's wellbeing right now. But based on Layla's current data I have, it seems that she is indeed in critical condition, she is not dead at least, if that is your worry.]

[Then, about the baby?]

[Pupa:…]

Yunyu felt his heart tightened when Pupa didn't want to answer that question. Truthfully, what was keeping him on doing the world mission, even went as far as following unconscious Javier to Golden Camellia, because part of his compassion wanted that baby to survive.

Even though the baby was conceived through an illicit affair, the baby was innocent.

Yunyu started remembering his real life living condition, he remembered his little sister who died in childbirth when he was only seven years old. He was bawling and cried on the hospital floor when the doctor said to his father that the baby died during labor, and his mother was in critical condition. It was also the start of his mother's deteriorating health.

He didn't approve Layla's cheating, but he wanted the baby to survive.

Pupa noticed the emotional fluctuation coming from its host. Bai Yunyu never showed significant blue emotion or depression for the four worlds he had been into, Pupa thought that Yunyu was just as unfeeling as he was shameless. But it seemed that he had more in his heart than what he showed.

Although Pupa was still invisible, it tried to wiggle between Yunyu's hand and rested on Yunyu's belly. Pupa had a cold, hard shell, so it emitted warmth by raising its temperature for Yunyu. It was acting like a comfort pillow.

Yunyu sat in his room while hugging Pupa. He didn't want to remember about his life in the real world, since he was doing this quick transmigration as a means to move on from his past. But sometimes, the emotion just came and swept him like a tsunami.

[Pupa, after I finished all the worlds and returned back to my real world, I hope I will have a great life waiting for me.]

[Pupa:… you will.]

Yunyu felt stupid for wishing something that he didn't know the result. But it felt somewhat comforting when Pupa said that.

"Big brother Lyon…" Lyon heard someone called him from behind. Javier was standing behind him, he saw his Big brother Lyon crying alone in his bed. Javier instinctively sat on the bed and hugged Big bro Lyon from behind. He rested his cheek on Lyon's shoulder and said, "Please don't cry, Javi also feels sad…"

Javier realized that Lyon must've been crying over Layla's condition. He didn't know what to say, so all he could do was just trying to share his warmth with Lyon, "I will always keep you warm, Big bro Lyon. I will never let you be sad…"

Yunyu said nothing, but he felt ridiculous when Javier said that. Whenever he finished a world, that meant, he must forget all the memories he had with the previous master of the worlds, just like with Saint Michael, Junze & Ronghui, and also Ling Kai. He would eventually need to forget about Javier.

"I hope that you have a good life, Javi…"

"We will have a good life," Javier said as he rubbed his cheek on Lyon's shoulder.

***

They spent three days on the sea before they arrived in Great Arctyr. Great King Tuskan and his families rushed back to the palace to check on his daughter. The corridor was heavily guarded and when they entered the room, there were few servants ready whenever Princess Layla needed help.

Layla smiled when she saw her family come to her. She ordered the servants to leave the room. She was pale, and looked significantly thinner in only a few days. Aside from a few bruises on her neck and wrist, she didn't have any critical wound, but Aunt Mariette said that Layla was in terrible condition for a few days.

"No, Layla!" King Tuskan sat on the chair beside the bed. He held Layla's hand and asked her anxiously, "Who attacked you? Who made you like this?! Father will execute him immediately!"

"I'm alright, father. The assailant… is dead," Layla said.

"What?! Who is the assailant?!"

"It's Young Duke of Bertin…" Layla smiled bitterly, "Father, I want to confess about my illicit affair."

"Illicit affair?!"

Layla told all her sin to her parents, which shocked them. However, she kept her pregnancy a secret, which Aunt Mariette decided not to confront Tuskan about it.

"This…" Great King Tuskan was shocked, "If you really don't want to marry Javier, you can always tell us…"

"All we want is for you and your brother to be happy," the Great Queen added, "Then about the Duke of Bertin?"

Aunt Mariette stepped in and reported, "There was a struggle between Layla and Lucas Bertin. Layla was knocked out, but she was able to stab Duke of Bertin's throat; he died due to blood loss."

"What caused him to attack you?" The Great King asked again.

Layla smiled thin, her eyes looked up to the ceiling and replied, "Jealousy."

Layla asked all of them to leave except for Lyon, because she said that she wanted to tell something to Lyon. Although Great King Tuskan still wanted to stay with his daughter, she insisted on them leaving her alone with her twin brother.

There was only Lyon and Layla in the room. Lyon held his sister's hand and asked, "Layla, tell me the truth."

Layla's smile cracked as she gazed upon Lyon's eyes, "Lyon, my baby… my baby…"

Layla started sobbing as she recounted the incident, "It was a day after you departed to Golden Camellia, Lucas attacked and killed the guards in my corridor late at night, then he asked me to let him in. I… stupidly agreed and unlocked the door."

"Lucas came in and locked the door. Then, out of the blue, he told me that he had impregnated another woman, and after some consideration, he felt that he loved that woman more. So he wanted me to drink something that would kill my baby… so he will have no worry in the future."

"He took out the potion and forced me to drink it. I struggled so much because I don't want anyone to know, but he choked me and force-fed me. I struggled while I was forced to drink the potion, so I grabbed a knife on the table and stabbed his neck…"

At this point, Layla's tears were already wetting Lyon's hand, she exposed all her pain in front of her twin brother, "But it was too late… I already drank the potion and for days, I kept having a stomach ache. I puked, and blood kept gushing out of that part of my body."

"I lost my baby, Lyon. I… I lost the baby… I lost my baby…" Layla said. She covered her face with her palms while sobbing, desperately blaming herself for her miscarriage.

Lyon hugged Layla and patted her back. He didn't know what to say, both as Lyon and as Yunyu. However, he could feel the pain that Layla had. He was thinking about avenging Layla, but she did it herself and now the Duke was dead.

[Pupa: Your emotion is severely fluctuating right now.]

[I can't handle it, system. I… I remembered about my mom. She also cried like Layla when she lost her baby during childbirth. It reminds me of my past…]

Lyon's hand trembled. He tried hard to be tough, so he could comfort Layla. With the pain in his heart, he could only pacify Layla by saying, "You did nothing wrong Layla, you tried your best. I… I'm sorry for not being able to protect your baby."

Layla shook her head, she held her twin brother's arms and then pushed him to separate their hug. She wiped her tears and said, "It's all my fault. Maybe god punished me for my lecherous sin."

"Layla, don't say that…"

"Lyon, I've sinned too much to Javier. He is a good man, yet, I bring him so much pain. So, I want to compromise him for the pain that I had inflicted. I am not a good candidate for him to marry, that's why…"

"Please give me peace. Lyon, I beg you, please marry Javier and bring him happiness and give him the babies that he wished for."