Chapter 544: The Fence Sedge
Chapter 544: The Fence Sedge
So that's how it is...
As Lyon watched Artifex 00, who had taken over the Queen's body, a realization dawned on him.
No wonder he had such good luck; he had just entered the Preservation Hall and stumbled upon this little theater of the past, and it was all meant for him to see.
"It's fine."
Lyon nodded noncommittally, his gaze fixed on the gentle-smiled 'Queen', and asked:
"Did Prince Andre know about what you just showed me?"
"Of course not."
The Queen, or rather, Artifex 00, smiled and replied:
"Although Felicia's computational power is far superior to mine, things like souls and memories can't be handled solely by computational power. As the developer of soul encoding technology, I wanted to keep a little something hidden from my 'creation', which wasn't a difficult task."
"I see... So your relationship with Prince Andre is even worse than I imagined."
Lyon narrowed his eyes slightly and said:
"You hid this past to wait for a moment like this, to use it against him?"
"Don't make it sound so terrible."
Artifex 00 smiled as she replied, "After all, I'm still Andre's aunt. Perhaps I just didn't have the heart to tell him the truth, fearing he might break down?"
"..."
I don't believe you for a second...
Lyon glanced at her speechlessly, but didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he pondered over the truth behind this past event.
If what Artifex 00 showed him was true, and Prince Andre was indeed unaware, then the bloody incident within the Corrok Royal Family was a tragedy caused by a misunderstanding.
The King Father couldn't bear to see his two children in such despair due to their illness, so he decided to sacrifice one to save the other, but he didn't want Andre to bear the guilt of his sister's sacrifice. Thus, he chose to hide the truth from him.
However, in Andre's eyes, the entire Corrok Royal Family had gone mad. To resolve the kingdom's crisis, they demanded the sacrifice of his twelve-year-old sister, something he couldn't comprehend.
Not only did his parents fail to protect Felicia, but they also consented to her sacrifice. On her birthday, they allowed her brain to be removed while she was still alive, turning her into a cold machine.
Honestly, if it were me, I'd probably go insane too.
Lyon, also a sibling with a strong bond, empathized with Andre's situation. He couldn't help but slightly shake his head, understanding the reasons behind Andre's actions.
King Fein and his wife didn't want Andre to live with guilt, but the result was that they took away even more from him.
From Andre's perspective, if his father could sacrifice his sister for the kingdom, he could also sacrifice Andre. Thus, everything from the past became a lie, and the happier his original life was, the deeper the pain he felt.
If Prince Andre had the Sharingan, he might have gone into a frenzy after this, and he'd probably have at least a three-tomoe Sharingan. Who wouldn't go crazy after such a devastating turn of events?
However, understanding was one thing, but given the current situation, if Lyon could use this information against Prince Andre, he would do so without hesitation.
Sympathy and understanding could come later, after they had dealt with Andre. Once they dragged him out of Zone 1 Research Facility and stripped him of his resistance, there would be plenty of time to sympathize.
As for whether this information could be used against Prince Andre...
It could.
If Prince Andre was truly unaware, revealing this 'truth from the past' could indeed cause him distress. However, the outcome might not necessarily be favorable for Lyon's side.
Considering the ancestors of the Corrok Royal Family were powerful Cleaners, if Prince Andre suffered a 'severe mental blow', like the future Joshua, the likelihood of him creating an Aberration was exceptionally high.
If he didn't have a mental breakdown and instead went completely insane, directly revealing his true nature, then exposing the truth to Prince Andre would be like lifting a rock to smash one's own head. Revealing the truth from back then might not be a good idea, as the significance of this piece of intelligence isn't as significant as it seems...
However, this piece of news might not be entirely worthless.
At this thought, Lyon glanced at the "Queen" before him and took the initiative to ask:
"Atifi... I'll just call you Atifi. There's something I'm curious about, and I wonder if you can answer me?"
"Go ahead, but whether I can answer or not depends on what you ask. If you ask about Prince Andre's secrets, I definitely can't tell you."
"Don't worry, I'm not asking about his secrets. I want to know about what happened back then."
Staring at the "Queen" with eyes as green as Felicia's, Lyon asked word for word:
"Did Andre and Felicia really 'fall ill' back then?"
"..."
"What do you mean?"
After a brief silence, the smile on the "Queen's" lips faded slightly, and then it frowned:
"The events from back then, I just showed you everything. Except for Fein, whose actions were simulated by me, all the memories related to these events are from their own minds. I don't have the ability to fabricate things in this regard."
"I'm not doubting your authenticity."
Hearing this, Lyon shook his head and pressed on:
"What I doubt is whether the news King Fein received was true. Can you tell me, were Andre and Felicia truly ill back then? Was it that one of them had to die, or did someone secretly tamper with things to create a superior automaton ten times more powerful than themselves?"
"You suspect I fabricated their illness?"
Upon hearing Lyon's words, the "Queen's" expression turned slightly cold, and it spoke with a hint of malice:
"Don't be so imaginative. Our Corlock Kingdom has conducted extensive research on brains, and there are over three hundred scholars with achievements in this field. If I had tampered with things, wouldn't Fein have sought verification from others?"
"There are many scholars who understand the brain, but back then, there was only one automaton—you. Moreover, the brains of the Corlock Royal Family are already quite different from ordinary people, and these scholars might not have seen through the deception."
Looking at the "Queen" staring at him with anger in its eyes, Lyon summarized:
"So, the possibility of you tampering with things isn't zero, right? Am I correct?"
"..."
"Of course, or I can be even more straightforward."
Lyon slowed down his speech, his eyes fixed on the "Queen" as he continued:
"The important thing isn't what the truth is, but rather what Prince Andre is more willing to believe.
On one hand, he personally slaughtered his own family due to a misunderstanding, and he himself is the biggest mistake. Even if he wanted to take revenge, he wouldn't know whom to target;
On the other hand, someone is plotting a conspiracy, deliberately creating this tragedy through his hands, leaving a mastermind behind the scenes to take revenge on... Which do you think he'd rather believe?"
"..."
It would definitely be the latter... And if Andre were to learn of this "truth," he might immediately take action to destroy himself!
Looking at the confrontational Lyon before him, the "Queen" no longer showed no longer showed the slightest trace of hesitation. It had already regretted taking the initiative to contact Lyon and couldn't help but ask with a furrowed brow:
"What exactly do you want?!"
"Of course, I want to cooperate with you more deeply."
Lyon's expression remained unchanged as he spoke:
"I don't want a fence-sitter who sways with the wind. I want your more thorough and relentless support... Atifi, you wouldn't want your good nephew to find out the truth about that incident, would you?"
(End of Chapter)
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