The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 512: Vera’s stories

"It happened not long after the second prince of the Atria Empire, Prince Wilmar, started the civil war," Vera said.

"Wait, before you tell your story—Evin, come here," Aldrian said, stopping Vera as he looked at Evin with a warm smile.

The little girl that her eyes full of admiration, obeyed and walked toward him.

When she stood in front of Aldrian, he gently picked her up and set her on his lap. He stroked her head a few times, which made her feel comfortable and close her eyes. Before long, her breathing settled, her body relaxed against his side, and her head leaned on his chest. She seemed to have fallen asleep.

"My lord, what are you—"

"You don’t want your daughter to hear something unpleasant, right? You can tell your story more freely this way," Aldrian said, cutting her off.

She fell silent, then sighed as she looked at her sleeping daughter’s face and nodded.

After a few moments to gather her thoughts, Vera continued.

"My husband, Evin, and I live in a town within the territory of the noble Zurk family—one of the families that support Emperor Raymond. We knew our town would be one of the targets."

"Moreover, my husband, Rachter Vicanton, is important figure. He’s the heir to the Vicanton family, a merchant house with significant influence in the Atria Empire, second only to the Golden Swan Commerce."

Hearing the name of the husband, Sylphia narrowed her eyes.

"Rachter Vicanton? I see, if my guess is right, you escaped from the Valerin family and eloped with Rachter. You lived in that small town so your father couldn’t find you, didn’t you?" she said.

Vera paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, that’s right. With how the Valerin family works, there’s no way they would ever agree to me marrying a human."

She then looked up at the ceiling, as if recalling a beautiful memory.

"I first met him when he visited Balin City on behalf of his family to expand their business. Coincidentally, I was there at the time as a representative of the Valerin family for some business as well."

"It was truly a coincidence that we met, even talked about business. After that day, we often met to discuss work, but as time passed, our conversations shifted to other things. Even after I had to return to the Valerin family, he would sometimes sneak into our territory just to see me," Vera said, smiling at the memory.

"I was raised under the strict conservatism of the Valerin family, so I had always been curious about other races—especially humans. Maybe that’s why I became so interested in him. He was the first human who ever got that close to me." Her smile grew warmer as she remembered those days.

"As time passed, I fell in love with him—and he felt the same. I truly wanted us to be together, but I knew exactly how my family would react if they found out I loved a human. Even when I tried to bring it up subtly with my father, he became furious at the mere suggestion that I might be paired with a human. So I could already imagine what would happen if he knew I had actually fallen in love with one."

"My mother couldn’t do much either, since the one who held all the power was my father."

"After thinking it over for a long time, I finally gathered the courage to run away from my family and follow him to the Atria Empire. The last I heard, my family was searching for me everywhere. At one point, they even tracked me into the Atria Empire."

"Luckily, Rachter and I had already moved to a small town called Gerin, and we managed to erase our traces with the help of the Vicanton family, who fortunately didn’t have any issue with me. At first, my father-in-law disagreed, fearing that our relationship might ruin ties with the elves."

"But Rachter threatened to renounce his position as the family’s heir, which made my father-in-law relent and help us hide. That’s how we were able to stay in Gerin without the Valerin family finding us."

"And there, we were finally able to live a peaceful life—and even have Evin, after decades together." Vera smiled as she gazed at her daughter’s sleeping face.

However, realizing she had gone off-topic for so long, Vera lowered her head to Aldrian.

"My apologies, my lord. I ended up telling my own story, which didn’t have any connection to your question. I just couldn’t help myself when Her Highness touched on our past," she said apologetically.

Aldrian smiled at her.

"No, it’s okay. I was actually curious about it too, and it’s good for you to remember these beautiful memories. This is your past, something you cherish, and by sharing it with us, you’re allowing your heart to find peace and calm. I know you’ve experienced pain before coming to this place, but you still have those memories with him," he said.

Vera was stunned for a moment, but then she smiled and nodded.

"Thank you for understanding, my lord," she said with a sigh. "Alright, to answer your question, not long after the second prince launched the civil war, the Vicanton family was also forced to get involved. We received information that the second prince’s army was heading toward our territory, and our town was near the border closest to their forces, so we had to prepare to evacuate the civilians."

"I also had to evacuate with Evin to another territory. Rachter accompanied us at that time."

But then, her expression shifted to one of fear as she recalled the memories that had traumatized her.

"However, in the middle of the evacuation, a black-robed cultivator suddenly appeared in the sky above the town. From just that sign, we knew this figure was at least at the King stage. I couldn’t see their true appearance, but that figure marked the beginning of my nightmare," Vera’s eyes trembled as she tried to recall the sight that had haunted her.

"He began massacring the people of the town with his sword. Every time his sword swung, it killed many people. The city guards—or anyone, for that matter—who tried to stop him were killed as if they were nothing more than weeds, sliced away with each slash of his sword."

"The situation turned into chaos. We were already near the teleportation portal, but because of the turmoil, many people scrambled to get in. That figure kept getting closer to us at the teleportation station, which only made the situation worse."

"Suddenly, that figure unleashed a sword technique that was truly horrifying. I couldn’t fully comprehend what was happening due to the chaos, but I instantly pulled Evin to the ground to protect her. I was hurt by the sword technique, but at that moment, I didn’t care."

"The moment I looked around, what I saw was blood everywhere and scattered body parts around me. The land was destroyed, and the teleportation portal seemed slightly damaged, though it was still operational." Her eyes suddenly reddened, and tears began to fall as she remembered another scene.

"That was also when I saw Rachter, already... already—" She stopped, unable to continue, as the memory of her husband’s dismembered body overwhelmed her.

"I almost wanted to scream and cry as loudly as possible, but I remembered that the figure was still there and Evin was still in my arms, and I didn’t let her see the horrors around us. I hardened my heart and decided to jump into the teleportation portal, which was still active. But just before I entered, I felt a chill as I sensed that the figure was looking in my direction. I didn’t pay any attention, though, and that was the last time I saw that figure." She stopped, trying to wipe her tears.

Sylphia handed her a napkin to help wipe her tears away.

"Since that time, my body has felt sick, and as you can see, it still affects me to this day," Vera said, wiping away her tears.

After hearing her story, Aldrian narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. A figure wielding a sword, a cultivator at least at the King stage—just as he had predicted, and slaughtering without mercy. A few figures came to his mind, but he wasn’t sure. He had a hunch that he needed to identify this figure to prevent any further trouble.

"I’m sorry, Miss Vera, but may I look into your memories? I only wish to see the part where this figure appeared, nothing else. I just need to confirm something after hearing your story about it," he said.

Vera was stunned for a moment, hesitating, but then she nodded firmly.

"You may, my lord. Please, if it will help with your investigation," she replied.

"Alright, then excuse me." Aldrian moved closer to her with careful movements, not wanting to wake Evin, who was still sleeping in his lap.

Once he was in position, he gently touched Vera’s forehead and began to look into her memories. He sifted through them softly and gently, making sure she felt no discomfort as he delved into the memories she considered a nightmare.

After a minute or so, he released his touch from her forehead and nodded in understanding. He finally knew who the figure was.

"That movement, that sword technique, there’s no mistake."

"One of the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Pride."

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