Chapter 526 Rats Will Always Keep Gnawing

Chapter 526 Rats Will Always Keep Gnawing

As Amelia crouched beside Ash, her heart raced with worry until she saw him slowly stand, brushing off the dust from his clothes. Relief washed over her as she remembered—this wasn't even his real body. A momentary calm settled in, only to be shattered by her own outcry.

"Dad! Are you seriously trying to kill my boyfriend?? What's wrong with you?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.

But at the same time, she was shocked to see that her parents were willing to defend that painting despite knowing what their actions would mean. Were they...

Logan's expression remained impassive, his features set in a mask of resolve as he stepped forward, his voice steady but infused with an icy firmness, "Amelia, I have never stood in your way nor ever refused you anything. But you cannot associate yourself with this man anymore. He is a sly fox who only cares about himself, and I won't let him leave until I erase some of his memories and find out who he truly is. Fortunately, he doesn't have any background we should worry about."

"You should listen to your dad, Amelia. This man reeks of greed and deceit," Isla said with a look of disgust and anger.

Shock widened Amelia's eyes; the father she knew, always warm and supportive, now seemed like a stranger wielding cold authority, while her vivacious mother seemed stern and intimidating.

Asher, brushing off the impact of the mana blast, chuckled darkly as he straightened up, "So let me get this straight. You are willing to compromise me over a traitor of our world? Does that mean you all have been colluding with the corrupted prince all along when he was alive?" His tone was mocking, disbelieving.

Logan's gaze hardened further, his voice low and menacing, "You have no idea what kind of man Cedric was. He dedicated his entire life to protecting a world that included rats like you. The real traitors are you people who find it easy to condemn him just because it's convenient, even if the truth was never clear."

"Hahahaha..." Asher's laughter grew louder, more unsettling, as if he found dark humor in Logan's defense. Amelia, caught between her father's wrath and Asher's provocations, felt a profound unease curling in her stomach, unsure of what to do when the tension in this hall was too much to bear.

"You think I came here without a plan?" Asher's smile turned devious, his eyes gleaming with a calculating edge, "I informed Rachel and even sent a message to the president of the WHA that I found some incriminating evidence in the Von Haughton estate. If, by any chance, anything was to happen to me, including traces of my mind being tampered with, then you can assume what they would be inclined to believe. You guys do know the punishment for siding with a corrupted one, right?"

Yet the way he called him 'Uncle Logan'...it had the same familiarity and warmth to it even if the voice wasn't the same.

Isla's reaction was visceral; her grip on Amelia loosened involuntarily as she stumbled forward, her voice trembling, "What did you just say?"

Asher exhaled deeply, a sigh that seemed to carry years of burden. He glanced at the couple, his eyes reflecting a complex history, "Not even Amelia knew I was the boy in that painting because it only kept reminding me that I failed to avenge my mother. So at some point, I-"

"Started to hate it for not being able to fulfill the promise to your mother," Logan finished for him, the realization dawning slowly as his voice faded into a murmur, his entire demeanor shaking as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Amelia had her lips part, having no idea that Asher was feeling that guilty and regretful even after he became Golden Prince.

"How...How do you know that? Cedric only told us..." Isla's voice trailed off as she continued to advance, her expression one of dawning comprehension mixed with disbelief.

Asher responded with a warm smile, an affectionate look directed at Isla, "Aunty, you already know the answer. How could I possibly know that?"

Logan's face hardened as he recalled the grim past, "We saw his corpse. We saw his body being taken away to be destroyed until they made sure not even a speck of his remains would be left behind in fear of any demonic magic he might have left on his body."

"But if I am an imposter, how would I know about the painting? It's not like I could learn that from anyone else, can I?" Asher's voice softened, a wistful nostalgia creeping into his tone as he looked between Logan and Isla, "I remember coming here as a nervous boy to take my lessons from my first mentors. I was looked down upon by almost everyone for being an orphan and a servant of the Evangelion Family trying to worm his way into the academy by taking advantage of the name I served. But you two made me feel at home even though I was no different than a street urchin to you people. You two stood up for me so many times at the risk of your own reputation and career. You two were the first to make me feel as if I had a family."

The warmth emanating from his golden eyes seemed to melt the icy shield around Logan and Isla's hearts. Their expressions softened, a mixture of past affection and present relief smoothing the creases of worry and conflict that had marred their features.

With a few hesitating steps, Logan approached him and, after a moment's hesitation, enveloped him in a bear hug, his voice choked with emotion, "How...How are you alive...son?" His arms tightened around Cedric, seeking reassurance in the physical reality of his presence—a son they thought lost to them, now miraculously returned.