The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 524: Grand Duke Rivas’ Suspicion

Grand Duke Rivas had felt uneasy about the imperial family’s treatment of his household since last year. He didn’t know why, but ever since Aldrian left the empire, the imperial family seemed to be paying unusually special attention to the Rivas family.

For example, the emperor once sent many gifts to his daughter, Irene, without any clear reason. When Grand Duke Rivas asked about it, the emperor merely said that they were rewards for Irene’s great contribution and merit to the empire.

Grand Duke Rivas knew this was bullshit—there was nothing Irene had done that would justify receiving so many lavish gifts from the imperial family.

He wanted to know what kind of contribution or merit the emperor was referring to, but the response remained vague. The emperor only said that she had already done something that would be written in the empire’s history.

He really wanted to pull his hair because the imperial family refused to give him a clear answer, and their behavior was truly suspicious. Even now, the emperor had sent Prince Hector to assist them right after they were attacked by the Sloth Devil.

At first, he thought all those gestures were the imperial family’s attempt to win his daughter’s heart, hoping she would marry Prince Hector. But he set that possibility aside after noticing that the prince didn’t seem interested in marriage, and Irene never cared to discuss any man other than Aldrian.

His intuition told him there was something only the imperial family and Irene knew—something they believed was better kept from him, even though he was the head of the family.

The imperial family’s treatment of Irene, and the Rivas family as a whole, could not be ignored. He truly wondered what Irene and the imperial family were trying to hide.

The only thought that came to mind was that it had something to do with that man, Aldrian. That seemed to be the one subject where both Irene and the imperial family shared the same view. Even the way they spoke about Aldrian was similar.

From his observations, the imperial family seemed to place Aldrian on a pedestal above anyone else. The emperor himself spoke highly of the man whenever they happened to meet, even in front of him and Irene. Prince Hector and Prince Alderia also had nothing but praise whenever the topic of Aldrian came up in conversation.

All of them had good opinions about Aldrian, and they spoke to him as if he should know Aldrian’s qualities directly. He knew that Aldrian was a powerful cultivator and undeniably famous now, but what made them so eager, as if they were trying to shove Aldrian’s virtues down his throat?

It was as if they wanted him to know, or must know—how good Aldrian was as a person, when in fact, he didn’t give a damn about that. Aldrian could be a powerful cultivator, and he still wouldn’t care what kind of person he was, as long as he didn’t harm his family.

Grand Duke Rivas walked through the rubble-strewn town, his thoughts occupied by the matter, as it appeared in his mind.

Aldrian.

What did the imperial family know about Aldrian and Irene?

His steps suddenly stopped, and his eyes narrowed. He tried to recall his past conversation with Aldrian—everything about the man during that first meeting.

What was the first thing that caught his attention about Aldrian? His handsome face? No. His overwhelming strength? No. It was his eyes. Eyes that felt strangely familiar, though he couldn’t quite place why.

But now, as he remembered it again, didn’t Aldrian’s blue eyes—those calm gazes—seem somewhat like Irene’s calm gaze? His expression turned serious as he recalled his conversation with Aldrian.

Aldrian had said that he was much closer to Irene, but not in a romantic way. What did much closer mean if not in a romantic sense? Best friends? No, he couldn’t believe that bullshit. The way Irene spoke about him wasn’t how "best friends" talked; it was far too intimate by his standards.

Closer, if not in a romantic way... Could it be family? But Aldrian wasn’t family—

Suddenly, his thoughts halted, and his eyes flickered with a brief tremor. Something had just flashed into his mind. A possibility that seemed absurd given Aldrian’s power, yet once the thought took root, he couldn’t shake it.

He then remembered Aldrian’s question to him.

"Your Excellency, between your daughter and your pride, which one is more important?"

At the time, he had answered that he would prioritize Irene. He hadn’t thought much about the question, assuming it was just a casual remark about his daughter. But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if the question had a deeper meaning? Aldrian had also said he hoped him would hold onto his answer, his mindset, in the future—but why? Why had Aldrian said that?

Of course, he would continue to prioritize his daughter, but for Aldrian to ask that question, it felt as though something in the future would test his resolve, something that would force him to choose between his daughter and his pride.

Such a situation could arise if something significant happened to his daughter. And that thought made him think if Irene had already done something that would force him to choose between those two options.

Something that might require him to sacrifice his pride.

The grand duke’s mind was shaken as the possibility began to feel like reality, making him want to rush to Irene, ask her, and have her tell him the truth. His chest felt cold and tight.

The imperial family and Irene’s opinions of Aldrian.

The familiar eyes and gaze.

Aldrian’s question.

His own answer.

He felt as though he might collapse once the possibility fully sank in. His body went limp to the side, as if he might fall into the rubble.

"My lord!" Some of the people nearby rushed to help Grand Duke Rivas, who seemed on the verge of fainting. The grand duke silently signaled them that he was fine, which stopped them in their tracks. They could only watch as their lord continued walking away, his steps slow and heavy.

They couldn’t help but worry for their lord, as he suddenly appeared exhausted and on the verge of fainting. They thought the devastation caused by the devils was weighing heavily on his mind, leaving him fatigued.

They felt compelled to urge him to rest, but the grand duke seemed as though he wouldn’t hear any of their concerns. They could only hope that nothing was seriously wrong with their lord and continued with their duties.

Grand Duke Rivas walked for some time before finally arriving at the tent amidst the cleared rubble—a place where he would stay as long as he was in this town. After entering, he was greeted by his personal retainer, a man who had served him for many years. The retainer had a black mustache, neat hair, and wore a butler’s attire.

"Welcome back, my lord—" The man stopped mid-sentence when he saw Grand Duke Rivas, who seemed like a lost person with a blank expression and a slightly pale face. No, it was more accurate to say that it was as if the grand duke had just received the shock of his life and didn’t know how to express it, except through the signs of his body.

"My lord, are you okay?" he asked, stepping forward and attempting to support the grand duke, but Rivas didn’t respond. Instead, he signaled for him to stop, which caused the retainer to halt in his tracks.

The grand duke then sat in the chair behind his desk, slumping his body against the backrest. His expression remained blank, as if he were still lost, which made his retainer even more concerned.

What had happened to make him like this? Wasn’t he fine when he stepped out of the tent two hours ago? Did something happen outside that caused this change? Was the situation worse than expected, perhaps leaving his lord stressed or exhausted?

Before he could ask anything further, Grand Duke Rivas’ voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Louis, ask the Alchemist Association for the highest-grade Ice’s Maiden pill."

Hearing the order, Louis was stunned. This was not the request he had expected, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. Of course, he knew about the Ice’s Maiden pill—it was a pill designed to help ice-element cultivators, especially women, by smoothing their comprehension of ice laws and enhancing their power.

However, the pill was only effective for women who were still virgins.

Yes, the unique thing about this pill is that it is only effective for virgin women who are ice-element cultivators. Louis didn’t understand why the pill worked this way.

But if this pill was consumed too often, it could damage the cultivator’s foundation, ultimately affecting their power. Lady Irene had consumed it once in the past, as she was an ice maiden cultivator. However, she had never taken it again, as she didn’t want to rely on the pill and preferred to keep her cultivation foundation strong.

Had Grand Duke Rivas requested the pill for his daughter? It was possible—she could consume it again to aid her cultivation. But looking at his lord like this, something still seemed wrong. The request, combined with his expression, suggested there was more to it.

"Just don’t ask anything and do it. I’ll explain in the future," Grand Duke Rivas said, as if he knew exactly what was on his retainer’s mind.

Louis could only inwardly sigh before stepping out of the tent to carry out the order, leaving the Grand Duke alone inside.

Alone, Grand Duke Rivas stared at the tent’s ceiling and let out a deep sigh.

"Irene, my child... Did you actually do it?" he murmured.

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