Lucia Lu asked again, "I caused your father, the Emperor, to be missing and possibly dead—so why did you still come to save me?"
"You never actually swallowed the Divine Crimson Pill," Sean Shaw said. "Everything you said was on purpose."
Lucia raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"
Sean produced a book, flipped to a certain page, and held it up in front of her.
It was a medical text, and the page was all about the Divine Crimson Pill.
One line had been marked by him.
It described the reactions after taking the Divine Crimson Pill.
"After you take the Divine Crimson Pill, your heartbeat drops to half or sixty percent of normal," Sean explained. "But your heartbeat never slowed at all."
Heartbeat... Lucia instantly understood, clutching the Heartscale at her chest.
How could she have forgotten that?
"You nailed every reaction after taking the Divine Crimson Pill—the look in your eyes, your tone, your expression. Even your father, the God Emperor, didn’t realize you were faking it," Sean said. "But you can't fool me!"
Lucia snorted with a laugh. "Then why didn’t you say anything at the time?"
"I didn’t believe it then, but I couldn’t figure out why. Only after reading this book did I understand." Sean said. "How did they threaten you? What made you confess to a crime you didn’t commit—and willingly go to your death?"
"They threatened me with my big brother’s life!" Lucia said. "For his sake, I had no choice but to agree."
"Idiot! Under all that pressure, they’d already let your brother go!" Sean said.
"Really? Is my brother safe now?"
"Yep! Relax!" Sean said, looking smug as he pulled out two pouches. "Guess what these are?"
They were Lucia’s Storage Pouch and Life-pouch.
"How did you get them back?" Lucia asked.
"Had the Fish steal them back."
"Having the Fish is so great," Lucia grinned. "But you should use it sparingly. Didn’t you say it only works a hundred times?"
"There’s still plenty of uses left! Quick, check on the Moonlit Flood-Dragon—it got hurt."
Lucia opened the Life-pouch, and the Moonlit Flood-Dragon Cub popped out, bounced into her arms, and started crying: "Mama! Mama! Those bad people bullied me. They hit me! Boo hoo hoo! Thank goodness Fifth Highness saved me!"
Lucia reached out and rubbed its head. "You’ve got a bump right here!"
"Yeah! It hurts so much! Mama, give me medicine." The Moonlit Flood-Dragon Cub’s pitiful act made her heart melt.
Lucia nodded, took out her Storage Pouch, and fished out some medicine to apply.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked.
"It’s cool and comfy! Doesn’t hurt anymore! Thanks, Mama!"
Lucia smiled and said, "There’s lightning everywhere in here. It’s dangerous. You’d better stay inside the pouch and don’t run around."
"Okay!" The Moonlit Flood-Dragon Cub obediently went back inside.
"Let’s get out of here first," Sean said, taking her hand.
"Wait." Lucia tucked her Storage Pouch into her sleeve. "Sean, there’s something I want to tell you first."
"Whatever it is, let’s talk outside."
"No, I want to say it here!" she insisted.
Sean glanced up at the Genesis Bolts overhead; they were all being drawn into the Execution Rack above the Execution Platform and probably wouldn’t strike. He patiently said, "Go ahead, then."
"Actually, that day—I already chose Qilin Divine Lord Soren Lann," Lucia said seriously.
Sean was silent for a full minute. "What?"
"I’ve thought it through. You and I aren’t right for each other."