Upon hearing the call, Charlotte, Stella, and Iris quickly loosened their embrace around Fiona.
"Go on," Charlotte said gently.
Fiona gave a small nod before stepping toward the middle-aged man, curiosity shining in her eyes.
The middle-aged man crouched down on one knee and gazed deeply at Fiona.
"Fiona, can I ask you something? How are you feeling right now? Do you sense anything unusual or uncomfortable?" He asked calmly.
Fiona glanced down at her arms, then examined the rest of her body before looking back at him with innocent eyes.
"I don’t feel anything strange, Uncle," she replied honestly.
"Good..." The man exhaled in relief.
Raising his left hand, he gently placed his index finger against Fiona’s forehead.
*Buzz!*
Under the stunned gazes of Charlotte, Iris, Stella, and Liliana, a gray light flickered at the tip of his finger.
At the same time, five golden-black chains materialized in the air and coiled around Fiona’s body.
"Fiona!" Stella cried out in panic, instinctively stepping forward, but Liliana quickly held her back.
"Wait, Stella! Don’t act recklessly!"
Stella turned to Liliana, her eyes filled with worry. "But Aunt Liliana, Fiona—!"
Liliana gave a reassuring smile and gently caressed Stella’s face. "Don’t worry, Stella. Fiona is fine. I’m certain he won’t harm her. Trust me."
At this, Stella’s anxiety gradually faded. Charlotte and Iris, though just as worried, remained silent, yet the concern on their faces was unmistakable.
Meanwhile, Fiona curiously examined the chains wrapped around her body.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear on her face, as the chains didn’t feel threatening at all.
Instead, she sensed something unusual—like a gentle warmth surrounding her.
Moments later, the chains glowed brilliantly in black and gold before dissolving into shimmering fragments of light.
The middle-aged man withdrew his finger from Fiona’s forehead and playfully pinched her cheek.
"All done," he said with a chuckle.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Fiona beamed.
Though she had no idea what the man had done, she instinctively felt the need to thank him.
Furthermore, upon recalling the anxious and worried expressions on her sisters and mother’s faces earlier, she guessed that something significant had happened to her.
And she was certain—it was this blind uncle who had helped her.
The middle-aged man smiled warmly, gently patting Fiona’s head before finally rising to his feet.
He then turned to Liliana beside him and said casually, "My duty here is done, so I must take my leave. By the way, take better care of your daughters and don’t let them end up in a situation like this again."
Liliana felt a pang of embarrassment at his remark but chose not to argue.
After all, the truth was undeniable—everything that had happened was due to her negligence. Had she been more prepared and cautious, the assassins would never have made it into the inner palace.
After cautioning Liliana, the middle-aged man shifted his gaze to Charlotte, Iris, and Stella, his tone turning serious. "Little girls, didn’t I warn you to always wear the necklaces I gave you? Why aren’t you wearing them?"
Hearing this, the three instinctively reached for their necks, only to realize they were bare.
Iris let out an awkward laugh, scratching her cheek. "I’m sorry, Uncle... I left mine in my room."
"Me too," Charlotte, Stella, and even Fiona admitted with guilty expressions.
The middle-aged man sighed and spoke solemnly, "Don’t forget again. Those necklaces are meant to protect you. If you had been wearing them, this incident could have been avoided."
"Yes, Uncle," the four of them replied remorsefully.
Seeing their expressions, the middle-aged man sighed once more, though a small smile returned to his lips.
"Well then, I’ll be going."
Just as he was about to step away, Liliana swiftly intervened.
"Wait a minute! Before you go, can you tell me why Fiona possesses holy power?"
The moment those words reached their ears, Charlotte, Iris, and Stella froze, their eyes widening in shock.
Stella, in particular, felt her heart pounding uncontrollably.
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As a demon who had lived alone in the capital, she possessed a wealth of knowledge.
Holy power belonged to the heroes of mankind—the sworn enemies of the demon race.
"Holy power? Does that mean the overwhelming power Fiona released earlier was holy power?" Stella swallowed hard, a sense of dread creeping over her.
She turned to Fiona, who simply met her gaze with innocent confusion.
Although Charlotte and Iris didn’t possess as much knowledge as Stella, they still understood the basics of holy power and the heroes.
They exchanged glances before turning their gaze intently toward Fiona.
The middle-aged man fell silent at Liliana’s question, his gaze shifting meaningfully between Fiona, Charlotte, Iris, and Stella before looking away.
"I can’t tell you that. But in time, you’ll understand," he replied calmly.
Without giving Liliana a chance to respond, the middle-aged man’s body dissolved into fragments of light before vanishing from sight.
Liliana felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction, but there was nothing she could do. He was too mysterious and powerful—forcing an answer out of him was impossible.
Besides, he had just saved Fiona. Pressuring him for more would have been ungrateful.
Sighing as she massaged her temples, Liliana muttered in frustration, "For some reason, his attitude reminds me of Leon from the past. They’re both so irritating." Enjoy exclusive content from freewebnovel
However, there was no anger when she mentioned Leon’s name—only a sense of longing.
"Hmm?" She suddenly felt a gentle tug on her gown. Looking down, she saw Charlotte gazing up at her.
"Mommy, is it true that the power Fiona released was holy power?" Charlotte asked without hesitation.
Liliana fell silent, realizing she had carelessly spoken in front of them.
Still, it wasn’t a big issue. Sooner or later, they would learn the truth about Leon’s identity as a Sword Hero.
With a soft, reassuring smile, she gently ruffled Charlotte’s hair and said, "I’ll explain later."
...
Ten kilometers from the inner palace, the middle-aged man floated in the sky, his gaze fixed on the palace in the distance.
"Master, there’s something that puzzles me."
A woman’s voice echoed in his mind, bringing a faint smile to his lips.
"Go ahead," he replied casually.
Silence lingered for a moment before she finally asked, "With your power, wouldn’t it have been easy to stop Fiona from awakening so soon?"
The middle-aged man let out a small chuckle, his eyes drifting toward the sky.
"You’re right, but the risk would have been far greater. My actions have already begun altering this world’s timeline. If I interfere any further, it could spiral into chaos."
He paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Fiona in the distance.
"No matter how much I try to prevent it, her awakening is inevitable. After all, that little girl is..."
With a quiet sigh, he turned toward the distant Desert of Chaos.
"The true Fated One…"
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A/N: Ahem! Don’t forget for your support! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧