Chapter 24. Tortured reality

"For now, we will take Hera in our realm and convince her to surrender her fidelity, and whoever intervened will have to deal with me!"




ANGER penetrated Hera's auntie after explicating her situation as to what had happened to her father. Her auntie knew very well that Gab would never initiate something that would cause trouble to his family, especially his daughter. She also included the possible reason behind the accusation: Cayden's involvement.

She couldn't help but be brimmed with tears but quickly wiped them off. "They have no mercy. And everyone here knows that, Hera. I remembered my relatives, who have also died at the hands of the Emperor."

"What makes them evil? They have everything, so what makes them do such cruelty?"

"They are greedy, Hera, especially the Emperor. And they won't let anyone ruin their name because Emperor Han will surely penalize whoever opposes him, his son or his wife," Vera elucidated as she tried to recall the scenario of her past life. "The emperor's avarice led him to oppose humanity."

"So, what should I do now?"

"Convince your father to apologize."

"No, no, auntie… but he did nothing wrong. His son… I rejected his son, and after that, this is the outcome."

Auntie Vera's expression darkened as she heard her words. It was evident how heartbreaking it was, knowing that her father's life was in peril; however, to fight back will never be enough reason to acquire the rights she deserves.

Hera wanted to speak with the Emperor to discuss this matter; she planned to persuade him to release her father because she was infallible, and her father was innocent and would never break the law. But she could no longer afford to do that, and she feared her plan had waned with her fortune.

Feeling perturbed, utmost hopeless gradually fetched her into the bottomless pit as the last-time scenario kept swirling in her mind, but she kept thinking of ways to address it.

"They may be considered affluent, educated, and well-organized, but their intention will never be enough to achieve victory," Auntie Vera whispered. "Success with cruelty is a hollow one. And just because they have the power doesn't mean they can manipulate everyone. You have to be strong for your family and trust the process."

Eagerness washed over Hera as she felt the urge to save her father from being accused without even the slightest evidence. Due to her silent outburst, she didn't notice she was brimming with tears, not until Auntie Vera held her hand tightly. "Equality must be given freely to anyone because everybody has liberty. The key to injustice is to have the courage to fight the truth, letting you free yourself from oppression by giving fate in yourself. So please, Hera? Don't let them drag you down to their level. Do the right thing even if it seems impossible."

With a heavy heart, she agreed with her. But what choice did she have now? There's no way she can take action without being entangled in trouble. But she can't just give up without trying anything.




MORNING is Hera's favorite part of the day. No matter what time it is or how early in the morning she gets up, it will still be the most beautiful if she can eat breakfast with her family. But today is different, absolutely unusual, because she woke up without them this morning.

Watching the view outside, Hera marveled at the beauty of the sky's clearness, with not a single cloud to disturb its perfection. But when reality hit, she realized that she was currently struggling with the abomination trap of an Emperor, and everything became so bleak and hard for her as she started pondering all the possibilities to solve her predicament.

"Coffee makes everyone feel better."

The realization sunk into her consciousness when a sudden presence appeared next to her. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I thought you were one of them."

Grabbing the cup of coffee, Hera took a sip and offered him a sideways glance while he explained himself. "I am worried that someone will wreck our land again, just like the Emperor ruined our lives."

Looking at her, she didn't see any fury in his eyes, unlike yesterday when he almost hurt her. If there's one thing she could glimpse in his eyes, it's pure sorrow.

"That's understandable. I don't judge you for it," she clarified; she sipped the coffee slowly and let him talk without interruption.

"I know you're struggling with so much pain now, and no words could ever heal you. I just want to let you know that when you need my help, I will help you. I will help you release your father. If that's the only way to prove my sincerity and ask forgiveness for my unethical behavior, then I will."

The sincerity was written in every word on his lips.

"I appreciate that. But I don't need anything in return. I forgave you."

"I insist."

"Why? Why do you care that much? You know the consequence if you ever stand against the Emperor, right?" she queried, trying to reason with him with some kind of rationality, even though there's no denying how he looked like a rebel who never learned a lesson from what happened to his ancestors.

"My parents died. They killed my parents. They took my treasure; the only people who cared for me since I was young had died because of the Emperor." his face contorted with hate toward the people as he gritted his teeth. "I don't want anyone else to die, not even my young brother, so I sent him outside our village."

"For what? And where?"

"To the house of Young Master. He dreamed of becoming a warrior. I mean… our dream."

"Then why don't you go with him?"

"Young Master only accepted one scholar. Besides, my young brother was intelligent and adept. His determination is honestly prodigious."

Hera's ears perked up, and curiosity got the best of her. "Your brother is a scholar? What's his name? And, who's the Young Master you were talking about?"

She waited for him to say something, and soon as Fajardo spoke about the person he had mentioned, her mind began racing as she processed the disclosure.