"Muhahahaha..."
Empress Selene laughed hysterically after calming her anger. She couldn't believe that she had let a child stir up her emotions so easily.
"Ha... you are a clever little thing, aren't you?" Empress Selene said as she chuckled with an astonished expression.
"Well... your speculations were correct. I do want to see this empire fall, but I think so do you. As we both share the same pain of losing our family to the empire," Empress Selene said.
"What is she talking about?" Helena thought in her mind, confused by Empress Selene's words. She couldn't think of anything they shared in common.
"Oh, no. From your expression, it seems that you don't know," Empress Selene said in vague words as she stared at Helena with a pitiful gaze.
"Just say what you have to say," Helena said in an annoyed tone as she glared at Empress Selene.
"As a mother, it pains me to say this, but... your mother is in a coma, after being pushed down off her balcony by her maid. And the people who ordered the maid to do this were not identified, even after interrogating the captured maid. But I have sent people to secretly find out who ordered the assassination..." Empress Selene explained with a sympathetic expression.
After hearing about her mother's accident, Helena went silent. She had conflicting emotions about the news.
"It's difficult for me to figure out how to feel about this news, even though I know she's my mother. I feel little to nothing for her. Is it because I don't think of her as my actual mother because of my past life memories of my mother on Earth?... Although I may not have the same love for her as I have for my mother on Earth, I cannot use that as an excuse. Because she is the one who gave me life, and anyone who hurts her will get crushed," Helena thought in her mind.
"Heh... I guess even though she's smart for her age, she is still a child governed by her emotions. This will be much easier than I thought," Empress Selene thought in her mind after seeing Helena's sad expression.
[YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING SHE'S SAYING.]
Alpha said in Helena's mind.
[Huh?... Alpha, what do you mean, I should not believe everything she said?]
Helena asked, in a curious tone.
[WELL... IT'S BETTER IF I JUST SHOW YOU.]
[DING]
[SELENE VON MERULA/GOLDEN.]
[FAVOURABILITY: ]
[EMPRESS OF GIGGADON EMPIRE AND FORMER PRINCESS OF THE FALLEN GOLDEN EMPIRE. SHE THINKS YOU ARE USEFUL TO HER PLANS.]
[WOAH!... So, what am I looking at?]
Helena asked, not sure what she was looking at.
[THIS IS ONE OF THE NEW SYSTEM FUNCTIONS, 'THE RELATIONSHIPS TAB.' IT SHOWS YOU SOMEONE'S IMPRESSION OF YOU.]
Alpha explained.
[I see... so the empress has a favorable impression of me, so why did you ask me not to believe everything she says?]
Helena questioned Alpha.
[THE EMPRESS ONLY HAS ONE STAR FAVOURABILITY OF YOU WHICH MEANS SHE ONLY FAVORS YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE USEFUL TO HER. ONCE HER PLANS ARE COMPLETE, THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE SHE MIGHT BETRAY YOU.]
Alpha explained, trying to convince Helena not to trust the empress too soon.
[I understand your concern, but trust me, I don't trust easily, especially when the person is a beautiful woman... And whatever plans the empress has, would be useless against me because, in the face of absolute power, all schemes turn to dust," Helena said in a confident tone, reassuring Alpha.
Helena turned her gaze to Empress Selene, with an expression filled with anger and tears running down her face.
"If you can help me find those that hurt Mother, I would do anything you want. Even if you ask me to destroy the empire, I'll gladly do it," Helena said with a determined gaze.
After hearing Helena's determined words, Empress Selene walked up to Helena and crouched as she wiped Helena's tears with her fingers, before saying.
"Don't worry, my little bird, I'll use every means I have to identify the people who hurt your mother and bring justice to them. But first, we have to prepare you to fight for the throne," Empress Selene said in a kind and motherly tone as she hugged Helena.
"Haha, I got you now, my puppet."
"Bitch... I can't wait to see what you are planning. I hope you don't disappoint me," Helena and Empress Selene thought in their minds simultaneously as they grinned while hugging.
VALKYRIE PALACE.
MISTRESS MITHELYE'S ROOM.
*CREAK DOOR OPENING*
After Helena walked into her mother's room, she noticed several maids in the room. She was curious as to why so many maids were in her mother's room, but she ignored it and walked towards the canopy bed.
"... It would be interesting to see what my mother looks like. Wow... I'm getting nervous now," Helena thought in her mind while moving towards the bed.
After she arrived, she noticed two people beside the bed, one seated and the other standing.
"Oh, princess, this is Lady Alianora. She is a medical professional; her majesty asked her to look after Mistress Mithelye, and standing beside her is Magus Guimart, a wizard from the magic tower," the maid sent by the empress to escort Helena to her mother's room introduced.
"Good afternoon, princess; it's a pleasure to be in your presence," Lady Alianora greeted with a curtsy.
"Hmm... interesting. The child of the emperor does not have all the characteristics of the royal family, despite being the emperor's child. The half-elves I have seen all inherit their father's features, so it must have a more special bloodline than the others I have seen. That's why it kept its purple eyes," Magus Guimart said as he reached out his hand to touch Helena. Before his hand could touch her, Grace appeared and grabbed his wrist, breaking it.
*CRACK!*
"AAARRGHHH!"
Magus Guimart yelled in pain as he fell to his knees.
"How dare you try to touch her highness with your filthy hand?" Grace said in a disgusted tone as she stared down at Magus Guimart while holding his broken wrist.
While the Magus was in torturous pain, Helena walked close to Lady Alianora, ignoring the wizard's screams.
"How is my mother doing?" Helena asked Lady Alianora, who was still shocked by Grace's actions.
"Huh?... yes, the mistress's condition is stable, but she is still not waking up. But don't worry, Your Highness, I do my best to look after her," Lady Alianora said with a shaky voice.
"Hmm... I see. Can I see her?" Helena asked.
"Yes—yes, of course, you can," Lady Alianora stuttered as she opened the canopy, revealing Mistress Mithelye.
"Woah...!" It surprised Helena after Lady Alianora opened the bed's canopy. She could not believe how beautiful her mother was. Even though she was in a coma, she had an aura of grace and purity around her.
[Alpha, can you tell why she isn't waking up?] Helena asked in her mind.
[YES, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH HER.] Alpha said.
[OK...] Helena moved closer to the bed and held her mother's hand.
[SCANNING IN PROGRESS...]
[IT SEEMS SOME OF WHAT THE EMPRESS SAID IS TRUE. SHE HAS MULTIPLE SIGNS OF BROKEN BONES FROM A HARD IMPACT, AND SHE ALSO HAS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS SHE IS NOT WAKING UP. THE OTHER REASON IS THAT A MAGIC SPELL WAS CAST ON HER TO PREVENT HER INTERNAL INJURIES FROM HEALING.] Alpha explained.
After hearing Alpha's explanation, Helena turned her gaze to the wizard and noticed that he had the same mana as the spell cast on her mother.
"I can just kill him and heal my mother instantly, but I still want to see what the empress is planning," Helena thought in her mind, turning her gaze back to her mother as she brushed her hand across her cheeks while transferring a little universal QI into Mithelye's body to relieve her pain.
"Mom, I am sorry I did not come to visit you sooner. If I did, you would not be in such a state. But don't worry, I'll make sure that when you wake up, all the people who hurt you will be gone," Helena whispered into Mithelye's ears before she turned around and walked past Lady Alianora.
"Nora... Grace, let's not disturb Mother any longer," Helena said as she walked towards the exit.
Grace released the wizard's hand after hearing her liege's words and walked together with Nora, following behind Princess Helena.
VALKYRIE PALACE THIRD-FLOOR HALLWAY, OUTSIDE OF MISTRESS MITHELYE'S ROOM.
"Sniff...boohoo..." After coming out of the room, Helena noticed Nora crying.
"What's wrong Nora..." Helena asked in a concerned tone.
"It—it's just... sniff, the mistress was such a nice person. How could someone have the heart to do that to her? Princess, you must be really sad to see her like that."
*SWOOSH*
Nora said as she hugged Helena quickly while crying.
"..."
As Nora hugged her, a flood of emotions appeared in Helena, but the dominant emotion she had was rage. She turned her gaze to Grace, who was standing behind Nora.
[FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT MY MOTHER'S ACCIDENT. I WANT THE NAMES OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED, AND I WANT INFORMATION ON THAT WIZARD TOO.] Helena said telepathically to Grace, with rage in her eyes.
[YES... MY LIEGE.] Grace replied quickly.
"Don't worry, princess, I am sure his majesty will find the people who hurt Mistress Mithelye and punish them," Nora said, trying to reassure Helena.
"Yes... they will certainly be punished," Helena said in an angry tone.