Chapter 224: Family Gathering

She looks incredibly beautiful, or rather, stunning.

The carriage stopped near the city gate, where Princess Dainya, smiling, led her entourage forward to greet her.

And "Your Majesty" had also abandoned her airs; she slowly stepped down from the carriage and waved to her supporters and well-wishers.

It was an elegant, dignified gown, unadorned yet rendered regal by the sapphire crown; the black veil she once always wore had been removed, revealing a faint, weary smile.

She was beautiful, exceedingly beautiful—but vastly different from Li En's "memory."

The impatience and scholarly naivety of her youth were gone; her sapphire eyes held unwavering will, and beneath it, hidden sorrow. She did not seem to be faring well.

Compared to the baby-faced girl in his memory, she had grown thinner now—though her figure had matured into that of a woman, her icy, glacier-like aura and the worry in her gaze stirred only negative emotions in Li En: "loneliness" and "betrayal."

Of course, those details were invisible to those unfamiliar with her.

All they saw was the queen smiling as she accepted the flowers offered by her daughter, waving cheerfully at the crowd.

"That princess who could never act has grown up—she who never pretended to be anything else is now forcing a smile."

Li En rubbed his head and sighed; the dream's influence still lingered—he needed time to adjust.

Based on his own experience, one day would be enough. After all, these weren't his own memories or experiences—they would soon blur and distinguish themselves from his true recollections.

Then, it would feel like watching a movie, not living through it.

The princess and queen began their slow procession; seeing the welcome ceremony proceed normally, Li En thought of slipping away.

He had only come to verify the princess's identity; once confirmed she wasn't the queen herself, he planned to leave.

"Li En, Princess Dainya has ordered us to wait at the governor's mansion—Your Majesty wishes to receive you."

Well, now there was no escaping.

Given everything that had happened and Li En's unique status, Dainya's introduction of him to the queen seemed inevitable.

He just didn't know whether she'd introduce him as "the emissary of the Heroic Spirit" or "her friend"—either way, Li En felt something terrible was coming.

But some things couldn't be avoided, especially with certain things still watching him from the shadows—he truly needed royal support.

Li En had anticipated a meeting, but never this soon.

"Why so slow!"

Reality, however, was always subtle; after entering the city, the queen spent a long time on trivial ceremonies and meeting higher-priority individuals.

At noon, she dined with several great nobles, grand mages, and high priests. Dainya accompanied her; Li En could only silently gnaw on bread.

He had to wait for possible summons and couldn't leave, so Li En experienced firsthand the treatment of a "subordinate."

Finally, near dinner time, Li En and Salliman saw Queen Maryanna again in a side hall.

No one else was present; Maryanna reclined on her chair, one hand resting on her cane, eyes half-closed, as if listening to her daughter's whispered words—but Li En knew she wasn't hearing anything; this state meant another migraine.

Whenever she drank iced water or overworked, she slipped into this "nervous lion" state. At such times, even slight noise worsened her pain—anyone who annoyed her got bitten, and she was utterly unreasonable.

In the past, Lex had especially loved coming to her with urgent matters during these moments, even stomping loudly around her.

The queen, eyes half-closed, watched the male figure enter, listening to his footsteps.

Slowly, she opened her eyes; in the light, a warm shadow appeared—the man who never knew fatigue or fear.

"Single-celled organism?" Though she could no longer recall his face, Maryanna sat upright abruptly—she felt it: it was him! It was him!

She spoke without thinking, but the figure in the dim light frowned—the familiar twitch of his eyebrow. No mistake! It was him!

"Prince Toothless—sorry!" Even as she instinctively stepped back, it was too late.

The queen leapt to her feet, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

The next moment, two trails of tears marked her cheeks; her taller frame loomed over the man, overwhelming him.

The queen's headache worsened.

That face—the hollows erased from portraits and statues—were slowly being filled in.

The lost fragments of her memory were being restored. How could a perfect memory-erasing spell exist? The moment someone recognized the Thousand-Faced Dragon, all erased memories and impressions would return!

"You… it's you."

That face—though subtly changed, appearing younger—she would never forget, even if burned to ash!

"Lex! Lex Thorne! How dare you show your face to me!"

The queen's roar echoed through the side hall, and its content would send shockwaves across the realm if revealed.

"Your Majesty, this is Li En Sudar—not the Hero." Salliman stepped forward at that moment. He's my man, not yours!

Dainya was stunned.

Her eyes wide, she stared at her mother—who had never shown such emotion—now furious like this.

What had she said? What was she saying?

Lex Thorne? Lex? The Hero? Father?!

Li En is my father?! What nonsense!

In that instant, the princess was utterly dumbfounded; too much information surged through her mind—she couldn't comprehend a thing, completely lost.

"I am not Lex."

Li En was equally stunned—this was entirely beyond his expectations. He'd feared exposure, but never this soon.

Discovered just by meeting her? What kind of nightmare is this!!

He was still trying to formulate a lie, to keep denying it—but someone had waited too long for this moment.

"Is this a family gathering? Why didn't you tell me?"

A sweet voice suddenly sounded from behind the queen.

Maryanna whipped around, her expression one of utter disbelief.

"You… why… aren't you dead?" The elder princess couldn't fathom how those long dead kept appearing in the world.

"Why? I don't know. Why not ask your beloved—why he let me live?" The black-haired younger princess, her gaze like honey, turned to the only man in the room.

Beloved?

As both sisters' eyes fixed on Li En, he himself was stunned.

How should I know? I really don't know!

"By the way, little Hela, this is your father. Say hello."

"Father."

From the shadows emerged another girl, devoid of any beastly traits—she resembled Dainya by at least seventy percent, as if an older version of her.

Reunion? Family gathering? Love triangle? No—this was a hellish gathering!

In an instant, chaos erupted. Li En was still dazed, but the Heroic Spirit Card on his chest had grown searing hot.

"Sister…"

The smiling black-haired princess, the ominous Second Princess, had waited for this day far too long.

To her beloved sister—the one who once loved her most—she smiled as she spoke the cruelest words.

"I originally planned to kill you the moment my beloved saw you."

But the next moment, the "girl" shook her head, sounding regretful.

"But it's a pity—it no longer matters. My beloved no longer remembers you or me. Your death won't hurt him, so…"

The ominous princess smiled again, dissolving into nothingness, as if vanishing.

"I chose to kill her."

A slender finger pierced through the golden-haired girl's chest; blood gushed from her mouth as she stared, utterly bewildered.

"Li En…" Dainya reached out, as if to grasp something, but her hand fell limp, her eyes slowly losing their light.

Behind her, the black-haired princess reappeared, laughing merrily.

"Daughter!" The queen exploded in rage, raising her staff to strike.

But someone was even angrier—far angrier!

"Rosalind!"

A thunderous roar echoed across the world; the entire city, the entire continent trembled.

Those dragon eyes burned with hellfire; the undefeated Hero returned to the mortal realm.

The serpent's pact was fulfilled; this day would be the complete Hero Lex!

He drew his sword.

His hair blazed with fire.

His dragon eyes became stars.

And then, dawn broke.

That day, all witnessed the colossal sword slash splitting the city in two, and the sun blazing upon the land.

The strongest, the most evil, the invincible Hero returned to the mortal realm.

(End of Chapter)