Chapter 157 - A Wilted Camellia

"My son has arrived, welcome home."

Aster observed his mother's sweet smile. He was alert the whole time, because there might be another trap already prepared by his mother. He stood in front of the door for a while until Grand Duchess stood from the chair and walked towards his son.

Aster took a step back out of reflex when his mother approached him. Maybe because it was a basic instinct, but his mother aura was really terrifying. He felt like he was facing a blood l.u.s.ted monster.

"Oh my, look at you son, you are taller than me now!" Grand Duchess rejoiced. She tiptoed a bit in a comical way so Aster would relax, but it didn't seem to work.

Grand Duchess noticed the men who followed Aster. Her eyes turned sharp and she couldn't hide her loathing, she glared at each of them and contemptuously said, "So, all of you are the one who had influenced my son."

"They are innocent," Aster replied immediately.

Grand Duchess looked at Aster and smiled again, "Well, it's up to you my son. But if you want to enter, you can only take one person in."

Aster turned his back, Irion, Gaum and Ramuja. They were all staring at him, waiting if Aster would pick them. Without hesitation, Aster held Ramuja's hand and entered the chamber.

Grand Duchess led them to the balcony as always, it was her favourite place because she could always see her son walking around the garden every morning. Aster sat face to face with his mother. His expression was grim after witnessing the deaths of many guards in his garden.

"Is this the way for you to hurt me?" Aster asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You ordered grand duchy guards to attack my men. You know well that grand duchy doesn't have strong troops and they will be decimated, our duchy has never been at war before," Aster's heart sank when he uttered this. Probably, around seventy percent of the grand duchy guards had been killed in this attack.

Grand Duchess sipped her tea calmly and replied, "Oh, I just ordered them to defend the grand duchy, it is their job anyway. But it is also your men who slaughtered them all."

Grand Duchess chuckled, "Just as you said, our grand duchy doesn't have strong guards, you know that. But you used soldiers of Rhea, soldiers from a kingdom specialized in small wars to slaughter them all. You are their death sentence, Aster."

"That's because they have to fight or else they will get killed!" Aster raised his voice. But Grand Duchess seemed nonchalant.

"You can just target the commander, then grand duchy guards will retreat naturally. But you are talking on and on about compensation, let's face it, you don't care about their life. Everything can be solved with money, right?" Grand Duchess grinned maliciously.

"I just don't want their family to suffer after their deaths! You are the one who ordered them to attack me!"

"Like I said, I don't order them to attack you. But logically, what would the commander think when your soldier slaughtered the guards in Dionde city and Lantern Palace gates? He reported to me that Young Lord has become a warmonger that has no pity for them."

Grand Duchess sighed, "He said that our adorable Young Lord has turned evil, but the guards still love him wholeheartedly."

"Oh, don't worry my son, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm impressed. To have the heart to slaughter the guards who had been protecting your life for years, that was impressive!" Grand Duchess's sad expression disappeared and turned into cheery smile. It was frightening how she could change her expression instantly.

Aster's body trembled when he recalled all the dead men outside. His emotion was like a volcano that was about to erupt, but he knew, if he erupted, it wouldn't end up pretty.

"Mother! You forced me into this! You drove me out of the duchy! I'm here to take back my right!"

"I drove you out? Your disgusting slave and your knight took you away, just ask them."

"That is because you have bad intentions towards me!" Aster lost his cool gradually, "Mother just tell me already, why are you doing this? Do I have any wrongdoing?! Do I have sinned before for you to hate me this much?"

'Mother… you are my closest family, I love you so much, why?' Aster uttered in his heart. He held his tears.

"Oh, my dear son. I never hate you, and I will never," Grand Duchess put the knitted sweater on the table and continued, "I love you so much that I learned how to knit, so you can wear what I made. I learned how to run the politics in Golden Camellia, so you will be protected for seventeen years. I love you so much that I make myself infertile, so you won't have any competition. I love you that much."

"M—Mother… stop…" Aster heard those words and it shook him. His mother often said I love you, but this time, it was so deep that it pierced his heart.

"I give everything for you, so you can have the best life. Never question my love for you, Aster. I never loathed you."

"Then… Why are you doing this? Mother… mom… I'm also hurting," Aster beat his c.h.e.s.t with his fist few times, "It's so hurting here, I feel like I'm being skinned alive."

Grand Duchess smiled. She gazed at Aster's face and commented, "You are grown up now, in the next summer, you will be eighteen years old already. You have a face similar to mine, but you are much better."

"Maybe because I love you too much, my son. I've become an egoist and want you to survive no matter what, because your fate without my interruption is death. I want you to survive and strive no matter the circ.u.mstances."

"Mom.. what are you talking about?" Aster could feel the warmth of his mother emanating from his mother's body, her pupils had turned golden and it shone bright.

"You will understand that your status in Golden Camellia is important, but it's dangerous. Too dangerous, and I don't want you to die just because of your bloodline."

"I don't understand…"

Grand Duchess chuckled, "Of course you don't, because I hide it from you."

She took a big book on the floor and gave it to Aster, "Read this after my death, it's my note, my life in Golden Camellia since I was a kid. I was a dreamy little girl wanting to be an author back then, ahahaha…"

Aster observed the book in front of him, but what caught his attention most was his mother's word, "Death? What do you mean your death?!"

"Well, I've lost to you in this war. You've successfully slaughtered your grand duchy, your guards, and your mother as well," Grand Duchess said lightly.

"But I don't want your death! I—I just want you to accept me and my servants back, and be honest with me. I… I just want everything to go back to normal," Aster said, his voice almost sounded like a plea.

"Aster, it's never normal. Your life, your birth, my life and even my birth. We have never been normal. We are cursed," Grand Duchess gazed pityingly at her son. There was a trace of sympathy, because this good boy was born from her and was forced into this world full of monsters.

"Aster, I'm also the one who framed you and sent you to Golden Palace. I'm the one who ordered my emperor brother and I'm the one who framed your aunt empress," Grand Duchess glanced at Ramuja, "I'm also the one who tortured your slave repeatedly, do you think it all make sense?"

"No…"

"You don't think it makes sense because you don't understand our fate as a golden blood. I am evil, Aster. But I did it to survive, so you can survive as well."

"Mom… I just want to be accepted back to grand duchy with my servant."

"And I will not accept you back until you kill me," Grand Duchess smiled, "Especially with your slave, it seems you forget something, but I will let it slide."

Grand Duchess glanced at Ramuja again, she sneered, "I will let it run like a time bomb and when the bomb explodes, something will be ruined."

"Mom, I beg you, please don't do this," Aster walked towards his mom and kneeled in front of her. He held his mother's hand and looked up to her with pleading eyes, "I would never want you to die, mom."

Grand Duchess c.a.r.e.s.sed Aster's head gently. This obedient son of hers, the one and only. The son she treasured so much finally kneeled in front of her again, just like when he was a toddler.

"According to the rule of Golden Camellia, you can take over a region after you kill the ruler or the ruler surrenders, and I will never surrender," Grand Duchess wiped the tears in Aster's eyes. "You can just order your slave to kill me now, or kill me with your own hand."

"Mom, please stop this. It hurts so much!" Aster couldn't contain his tears any longer. He knew that his mother had been cruel to him and many people, but when faced with the fact that his mother would die in his own hand. It devastated him so much.

Grand Duchess talked no more, she took out a pill from her sleeve and swallowed it instantly. Aster was stunned, he gripped his mother's hand, "W—What did you just swallow?"

"A poison, I will die in a few minutes," Grand Duchess said lightly.

"Aster, look at your garden below, there are bodies everywhere fighting for you. You've killed them, you destroyed our grand duchy, and you killed me too here."

Aster was speechless, trying to process everything his mother just said.

Grand Duchess took a flower she had preserved and placed it in Aster's forehead and kissed Aster's forehead gently, "It is such an impressive feat, Grand Duke Aster di Arlingdon, my dear son, congratulations."

Grand Duchess Camille gave her sincere smile for the last time and fell to the floor. Her body convulsed and she coughed blood repeatedly.

"Mom! Mom! You servants, help her!" Aster put his mother's head in his t.h.i.g.h. He called the servants around them repeatedly, but no one replied. They were standing in their position and silently cried.

"Ramuja! Come here and help me!" Ramuja moved immediately, but he knew that Grand Duchess was already dead. Her skin turned brown gradually, probably from the effect of the poison. Like a wilted flower, Grand Duchess Camille died in her son's embrace.

BAM!

The door was slammed and a familiar voice cried, "CAMILLE!"

Aster turned his head and saw his father, Grand Duke Harion rushed to him. He hugged Grand Duchess' lifeless body and wailed, "Why did you do this?! Camille, Wake up! I promised you that it shouldn't end like this! CAMILLE!"

Aster witnessed his cold and mighty father wailed and cried for his dead wife. He finally realized that the family he treasured had been ruined.

In that moment, Aster could feel his heart plunged into an unknown abyss. He felt numb, and slowly but sure… his eyes turned pure black for the first time.