Luca quickly looped his arm around Freya's waist and teleported to his father's castle. Looking at the multiple palaces, his brows knitted tightly together. He wasn't sure in which concubine's palace was his father at.
Freya saw through the adversity in his eyes and said, "Cast a barrier and contact my dad."
Luca heard her calm voice and looked at his precious sister. She no longer trembled like a few seconds ago, through her eyes have drooped slightly.
Freya sorted out her feelings in a short period. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
With no expectation, there would not be any disappointment. If she suppressed her feelings, it won't hurt as much.
Freya waved her hand and summoned out hoards of crystal butterflies, using them as her eyes. The butterflies swept through the vicinity as though a hurricane, startling all the servants.
Two pairs of wings grew on her back, sending her up into the air. She grunted from the electrifying pain caused by her shattered soul, the blood gushing out her chest increased due to her movement.
Freya blinked her tears from the pain away. Her eyes narrowed, like a hawk hunting for its prey. Nothing. She couldn't find the perpetrator.
But...news arrived from her butterflies. She flew in the direction where Andrew was with lightning speed, holding her breath.
Despite convincing herself to stay calm, her tense body betrayed her resolution. Her eyes scanned for the nearest entrance.
"Uncle?" She pulled and pushed the window to no avail.
Freya gritted her teeth and broke through the window with her wings. She ignored the glass shards piercing through her wings and rushed to the bed.
Andrew was laying there, his face void of any colour of blood. Freya's blood ran cold, almost blacking out.
It wasn't the first time but having someone you love leave, just wasn't something that one could get used to.
Freya's hand quivered as she reached out. She checked his pulse and breathe, her eyes brightened.
Weak, very weak but it was there. She gathered all the butterflies, hoping to heal her uncle.
Her aquamarine eyes glowed as her pupils turned into pink flowers. Tears flowed out of her eyes like waterfalls, it hurts, it hurts so bad.
She clenched her teeth, "Arg! Freya, you can do this, you have...to!"
Her whole body was coated with cold sweat, and her whole body was shaking. She wanted to rest before continuing.
However, that faint sign of life was getting weaker as time goes by. As if it would be gone the moment she halt her healing.
This shouldn't be, it shouldn't have taken that long. She could heal anyone...as long as there were signs of life, even a little would be fine.
"Please wake up."
Freya's hand checking his breath jolted, nothing. It was gone. She placed her fingers on his wrist and under his neck. Her pupils shrunk but she never stopped healing Andrew.
A small helpless whimper came from the girl, like a small animal seeking comfort, "Uncle?"
"This...shouldn't be."
Though she felt her soul cracking, though she knew her mana was running out, she summoned more butterflies. She wanted to save her family so desperately that nothing else mattered.
Her veins protruded from her forehead, bloodshot eyes were on the brink of closing from exhaustion. She didn't notice the blood spilling from her lips nor the two standing behind her.
"Freya, stop." Luca embraced her from behind. "We can't lose you too."
The sudden interception caused her to pause. And in that second, her butterflies all shattered, reaching their limits.
"Huh?" She blankly looked back before turning back to Andrew, "...I have to continue!"
She felt the arms around her tightened.
"Freya, you tried your best." Luca's voice was hoarse. "I beg you to stop, I don't want to lose you too."
Freya became silent, her whole body slumped into the embrace. Tears silently rolled down her face as she rested her eyes. She was tired.
How many times has she tried? Why can't she protect those she loved the most?... How can she be so useless?
Her weak voice showed her fatigue, "...I'm sorry, Brother Luca."
"What are you sorry for, you did your best." Luca tried smiling but he wasn't able to. He burrowed his face into the crook of her neck as he sobbed.
"Daddy, Freya tried her best." She didn't look at Arche, she didn't dare to.
Her father rubbed her head, "En, I know. It's fine, he had lived a long life, a happy one at that."
She tilted her head up, looking at Arche. He didn't shed any tears but the pain swirling in his eyes was evident.
Freya hugged Luca and rubbed circles on his back. The pain that she experienced so many times...maybe made her a little numb.
But just this little was enough for Freya to break her from this depressed state.
The killer, she already knew who it was. In her second lifetime, Andrew was killed similar to today but it happened at a different place, and much later.
And her uncle, might not necessarily be completely dead, after all, Fate never arranged the same type of 'plot' for each of her lifetime, as if wanting her to go mad.
Though this little hope was just something she hoped to be true.
She bit her lips, "I will arrange the funeral. But I won't be attending the funeral after the first day. I have to go somewhere."
Freya used her butterflies to quickly clean Andrew's corpse, his serene countenance made her heart throb in pain.
She turned away and walked out of the room. She glanced at her half-transparent hand and frowned. She sighed, she could only wait for it to turn back.
She only had ⅕ of her soul left in this life, but she split it among those she wanted to protect, leaving only a small portion for herself.
This time, she could disappear with everyone if the worst-case scenario can't be prevented...
"Freya baby."
Freya jolted up before pulling her sleeves and smiled gently, "Dad."
"What is going on with your hand?" Arche grabbed her hand before she could hide.
She didn't sense his presence at all. Arche did it on purpose. She didn't know how to explain, only looking at Arche with a troubled expression, "Daddy..."
"You've been hiding things from me long enough. Do you not trust me so?" Arche's voice was filled with pain.
After Freya left the room, he took Andrew's hand into his. The cold sent shivers down his spine, the same type of chillness when Freya left him.
He was already anxious about Freya leaving him, now that a loved one passed right in front of him, he was awoken. He felt scared, dread filled his heart.
Will Freya suddenly leave him again? His precious little princess was like water, slipping away through his fingers whenever he didn't pay attention.
"I know the butterfly is your soul, it hurts, doesn't it? ...You're bleeding," Arche's eyes widened.
He was in a trance earlier. In addition, he couldn't see it earlier from where he stood, but the patch of crimson on her chest made his pupils tremble.
"We're going back, you need treatment immediately. Your wings are also- "
Freya grabbed his sleeve, "Dad, it's fine. Don't leave...Brother Luca alone."
"Freya Antinea Laphinia!"
His voice echoed in the hallway, making Freya flinch.
"How long are you going to disregard yourself? I know you love us very much but please...take care of yourself." He brought his daughter into his embrace, "How much longer are you going to endure this yourself?"
Freya pursed her lips into a thin line, she was just used to doing things alone...everyone left her one by one. She was always alone in the end with no one to rely on.
A helpless smile dawned on her lips, she averted her gaze, "...Dad, what if I'm not your daughter?"
Arche didn't hesitate, "You are my daughter, I am your father, no matter who you are."
His words were like a switch, something in her heart clicked. Maybe, just a little, she wants to act like a child.
The rose retracted her thorns for once.
Tears fell out of her eyes as she burrowed into her father's chest, "...daddy, I don't want to be alone. It hurts, loneliness is painful."
"En, I'll always be here." Arche rubbed her hair.
"Liar! All of you are liars. You guys always say that but in the end, I was the only one...I was the only one!" She pounded Arche's chest, not using any strength.
Arche stilled. Freya's cheeks puffed out in anger, she felt wronged.
"I'm sorry."
Freya looked up and nuzzled into his chest like a kitten. She sighed.
A wicked smile appeared on the girl's beautiful countenance, a hidden dagger appeared in her hand as she stabbed it through her father's chest.
Arche pushed her away as he staggered, "Freya, you-urk"
She closed their distance and pulled out the dagger with no expression on her face before aiming at the man's neck again.
Freya's eyes curved in delight as she slit his throat, "It's been a long time since I wanted you dead~"