The air in the dimly lit corridor was heavy with anticipation as Velian, Akiyo, and Delviny made their way towards the place where Julie was imprisoned.
Velian's mind was plagued by questions, doubts, and an insatiable curiosity. He was determined to confront Julie and unravel the truth behind her perplexing lies about her brother.
'Is he going to do something stupid? I hope not'
Akiyo, who walked closely by Velian's side, couldn't help but plead Julie's case. "Brother, please, you must listen to me. Julie is innocent. I've known her for years, and I swear she would never lie about something like this."
Velian turned his gaze towards Akiyo, his eyes filled with determination.
"I understand your loyalty, Akiyo, but I need to hear Julie's side of the story directly from her own lips. Only then will I be able to make sense of all this?"
As they reached the heavy iron door that separated Julie from the outside world, Velian's hand hesitated for a moment before gripping the cold handle.
He exchanged a knowing glance with Delviny, the trusted sister, who had been by his side through countless trials and tribulations.
The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit room. Velian's eyes scanned the space, searching for Julie's presence. However, to his surprise, all he saw was a young girl peacefully sleeping on a simple bed.
Velian's brows furrowed in confusion, and he turned to Delviny, his voice laced with bewilderment. "What is the meaning of this, Delviny? Why isn't she restrained? I thought you arrested her?"
Delviny, her expression calm yet tinged with a hint of mischief, stepped forward. "I took the liberty of placing Julie under house arrest instead, Velian. She's confined to her quarters for now."
"After all, she is not confirmed about being guilty for now at least,"
Devliny said and looked at the girl, who was peacefully sleeping, but her eyes looked exhausted with how much they were crying.
Velian's confusion turned into realization, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh. He had misunderstood the situation entirely. His mind raced, considering the implications of Delviny's actions. Was this even a punishment at all, given Julie's comfortable surroundings?
Contemplating the situation, Velian spoke softly, his voice tinged with both relief and amusement.
"Delviny, you always find ways to keep us on our toes. I suppose this can hardly be called a punishment. Nonetheless, we must address Julie's actions and her questionable claims. We cannot let this go unanswered."
Delviny's lips curved into a mischievous smile as she nodded in agreement. "Of course, Velian. We'll find the truth, no matter where it leads us."
As she said that, she slowly reached the sleeping girl.
Delviny gently shook Julie, coaxing her from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes, Julie slowly came to her senses, but as soon as her gaze fell upon Velian, a mix of emotions flickered across her face—conflict, fear, and perhaps even a trace of guilt.
"Hmm~ interesting reaction, looks like Delviny's guts were correct, she is hiding something,"
Velian keenly observed her reaction, his sharp eyes not missing a beat. He understood the significance of her conflicted expression, but he chose to leave it aside for the time being.
There were pressing matters to address, foremost among them being the truth about Julie's brother.
"Julie," Velian began, his voice calm yet resolute. "We have travelled this far to uncover the truth about your brother. The lies you've spun, the deceit you've woven—it's time for answers."
He didn't hold back instead he directly too her that she is a list and she should tell the truth.
Julie swallowed nervously, her gaze darting between Velian, Akiyo, and Delviny.
She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words escaped her lips. It was as if a weighty secret held her tongue hostage, preventing her from sharing the truth.
Velian's patience wore thin, his determination unwavering. "Julie, I beg you to break free from the chains of deceit. We are here to help, to uncover the truth and bring justice to your brother's name. But you must be honest with us. Tell us everything you know."
And Akiyo also added some words, so he could convince Julie to tell him the truth.
Julie's conflicted gaze met Velian's steady stare, and for a moment, it seemed as if the weight of her secret threatened to consume her. Finally, she let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I... I've been protecting him," Julie confessed, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and remorse. "My brother, he... he is in danger. He is facing something that could ruin everything we've fought for."
Velian's brow furrowed with concern as he listened intently. "What did he do, Julie? Tell me the truth."
Julie hesitated, the words catching in her throat. With a shaky breath, she decided to tell whom she knew.
"Recently, brother started getting letters from the former minister, our uncle," Julie's words caught Delviny by surprise because she didn't even know about this in the first place.
"Impossible! I made sure they don't contact anyone," Delviny quickly said, but Velian knew this wasn't just about a single letter.
"So it was-"
"Yes! Brother told me, every time he woke up, there were no sounds or anything but beside him, there was the letter,"
Julie felt creepy just by imagining something like that happening to her.
"So it must be a power then? But for what purpose? Even if he wanted your brother, I don't understand for what purpose," Velian honestly had no idea, but then Julie said what she thought.
"I don't know if my guess is correct, but he wants our blood, after all, our mother was chosen as the queen for a reason because she had a lot of mana in her blood," Julie said something strange.
Velian already saw records about her and he knew she wasn't an ordinary woman.
"Blood for what? What can your blood achieve?" Velian asked but Julie hesitated.
"Our mother's family was ancestors to the first saintess that supported the hero in the demon lord battle, I don't know a lot about that, as she didn't want to teach us about the history but I know this much,"