Chapter 986: A Storm Of Emotions
The moment Michael recognized the face, a terrifying aura erupted from his body.
BOOM.
The desk beneath him exploded instantly into splinters. The entire office trembled violently.
No.
It was not only the office. The entire manor shook.
Walls cracked. Windows shattered. An invisible pressure descended like the wrath of a monstrous beast awakening from slumber.
Outside the office, several maids suddenly collapsed to the floor with screams. Guards standing patrol felt their knees buckle violently beneath them. Workers throughout the manor froze in terror.
It felt as though the air itself had become solid. Breathing became difficult.
Some weaker servants rolled their eyes backward and fainted on the spot, foam gathering at the corners of their mouths. Others remained barely conscious, desperately clutching at their throats while gasping for air.
The knight captain directly facing Michael suffered the worst.
The man crashed heavily onto one knee.
Crack.
The floor beneath him shattered. His eyes widened with horror as blood slowly leaked from the corner of his mouth.
He could not breathe. Could not move. It felt like an ancient mountain had descended onto his soul.
Cold sweat poured down his face uncontrollably.
At that moment, the Michael before him no longer resembled a young noble. He felt more like some terrifying monster wearing human skin.
Inside the office, black mana surged wildly around Michael’s body. The shadows in the room twisted violently. Even space itself seemed unstable.
The severed head inside the box remained completely intact.
Slowly, it floated upward from the bloodstained interior. Long strands of crimson-stained hair drifted through the air as the pale face rose before Michael.
Arianne.
Her eyes remained slightly open. The life within them had already vanished completely.
For a brief moment, Michael’s thoughts became chaotic.
Why? How? When? Who killed her?
Several scattered thoughts flashed wildly through his mind one after another. Three days ago they had still been speaking together. Three days ago she had still been alive.
Yet now, only her severed head remained.
Michael’s hand trembled faintly. Confusion filled his mind.
Why was Arianne’s head here? What exactly happened after she left Thornvale? Was this the empire’s doing? Or someone else’s?
And if it truly was the empire, why?
The room remained deathly silent. Only black mana continued flickering violently around Michael’s body like unstable flames.
Outside the manor, faint screams and sounds of collapse still echoed from every direction.
Michael only came out of his thoughts when he heard a strained voice nearby.
"M-My Lord..."
The knight captain’s voice trembled heavily. The man still knelt on the shattered floor, barely able to remain conscious.
Immediately, Michael forcefully withdrew his aura.
The horrifying pressure suffocating the manor vanished almost instantly. Outside, countless people collapsed weakly while coughing violently and greedily inhaling air.
Inside the office, the knight captain nearly fell flat onto the ground entirely. His entire body was soaked with sweat. His face looked deathly pale.
He opened his mouth shakily as though wanting to say something.
However, "Get out."
The knight captain immediately reacted. He did not dare hesitate even slightly.
At this moment, the man no longer cared about dignity, appearance, or composure. He practically crawled away from the office, as though remaining even one second longer would cost him his life.
The office door slammed shut behind him.
Silence returned once more.
Michael remained standing motionlessly within the ruined office while Arianne’s severed head floated quietly before him. He slowly raised his hand, and the head drifted closer toward him.
His senses scanned every detail.
Eventually, Michael confirmed it. "It’s real..."
This was a real human head. More importantly, there were no traces of magic on it, which meant this most likely truly belonged to Arianne.
Michael’s fingers trembled faintly again. He forcefully calmed himself.
Right now, panic was useless. All he knew currently was simple.
Arianne was dead. And most likely, the empire was involved.
The moment that thought settled clearly in his mind, Michael’s eyes gradually became colder. The confusion inside him still remained, but his thoughts finally started becoming clearer.
If the empire truly did this, then Arianne’s death was most likely related to him. But why?
Even if they suspected him of killing their prince, why kill Arianne specifically? Was this some form of repayment? An eye for an eye? Or was there another reason entirely?
Michael’s brows furrowed deeply.
And then another thought surfaced. Princess Priscilla.
The moment he remembered her, rage flashed briefly through his eyes. "Useless..." Michael muttered coldly.
How had she allowed something like this to happen? Arianne had literally left Thornvale beside her. A Rank 3 existence. One of the strongest beings in the kingdom. Yet somehow Arianne still ended up dead.
What exactly had happened during those three days?
The more Michael thought about it, the uglier his expression became. Still, no matter how much he guessed here, it was meaningless. He needed answers, and currently the only people capable of giving him those answers were the empire.
Michael slowly lowered his gaze toward Arianne’s face again. A complicated expression finally appeared in his eyes.
Truthfully speaking, even Michael himself did not fully understand what he was feeling right now.
It was strange. Very strange.
There was anger. Confusion. A faint sense of guilt. And something else, something painful. A heavy feeling pressing against his chest.
Michael genuinely did not understand it. If Ace had died instead, Michael knew his reaction would not have been like this. He would still be angry and would still seek revenge. But this feeling, this strange ache in his chest, would not exist.
Michael stared silently at Arianne’s pale face for several more seconds as the expression of guilt deepened on his face.
"Arianne...... I’m..."
Saying sorry somehow made him feel even more guilt and pain.
Then slowly, his gaze turned toward a distant direction outside Thornvale, toward where the imperial flying ship waited. Coldness gradually filled his eyes completely.
What he wanted now was an explanation.
With a thought, spatial ripples spread outward. In the next instant, Michael along with Arianne’s severed head disappeared from the ruined office.
