The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 35: Him?

In response to his sister's concern, Lumian shook his head.

"No."

He glanced around and said, "Let's talk inside."

Once they were near the stove, he briefly recounted his and Lane's exploration and then advised his sister that if Madame Pualis attacked them later, she shouldn't hesitate to surrender and betray the three outsiders.

Based on his experiences in the castle and the various phenomena he had witnessed, Lumian didn't believe that the two siblings together could defeat Madame Pualis. Even the "midwife" might not be able to handle her.

Aurore quietly listened and couldn't help but laugh.

"Rationally speaking, your strategy is indeed the best, but why does it make me feel strange, like you've turned into a villain from a novel? And not even the main villain, just one with some charm."

"What matters is the outcome," Lumian emphasized to his sister. "As you would say, endure humiliation, shoulder the burden, preserve your useful body, and wait for the future to reveal its value."

"..." Aurore couldn't help but raise her hand to rub her forehead. "Have I been teaching you too many strange things?"

"Yes." Lumian nodded "sincerely."

Aurore rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I understand. I won't fight Madame Pualis unless it's absolutely necessary.

"When Madame Pualis noticed that the alarm was triggered and wanted to leave earlier, I didn't forcibly stop her. I just showed some reluctance and chatted with her for another minute.

"Now, tell me the details of your search."

As she spoke, she sat down at the dining table, assuming a listening posture while remaining vigilant in case Madame Pualis came over in a fit of rage to question them.

Lumian pulled out a chair from the other side of the table and began recounting the findings of their exploration and the battle in full detail.

As she listened, Aurore's expression gradually grew strange, and it became increasingly peculiar.

"What's wrong?" Lumian noticed his sister's unusual reaction.

Aurore pondered for a while before responding with that strange expression, "Madame Pualis' bedroom had a man's photo, and that man looked somewhat like her, possibly her brother?"

"Yes, the three outsiders suggested he might be a missing member of the Rockfort family named Pritt," Lumian relayed what Lane and the others had said, including the references to "Dandyism" and numerous illegitimate children.

He added, "According to their investigation, there's no one named Pualis in the Rockfort family, at least not officially."

Aurore nodded slightly and exhaled.

"Then I'm almost certain my guess is correct."

The strange expression on her face didn't fade but became even more apparent.

"What guess?" Lumian asked, puzzled.

Aurore glanced at him and said, "Perhaps Madame Pualis is the missing Pritt."

"Huh?" Lumian was shocked. "One is a man, the other a woman... And Madame Pualis even gave birth to two children!"

"Who knows if she gave birth to them herself? Maybe it was the administrative officer?" Aurore retorted with a snicker. "Even if Madame Pualis did give birth, it doesn't prove anything. In the world of mysticism, anything is possible. Think about it, Louis Lund, a man, was able to have a child. So, Pritt becoming a woman isn't all that impossible."