The Purpose of the Summons

In the back-and-forth between Charlton II and Luo Wei, the atmosphere in the study seemed to grow increasingly harmonious.

However, Luo Wei was becoming more and more puzzled. He couldn’t quite figure out the purpose behind the old emperor’s summoning.

It was normal for Ophelia to be summoned, but bringing him along was a bit strange. At first, Luo Wei thought it might be because the emperor was displeased with his relationship with his daughter and wanted to interrogate him.

To his surprise, Charlton II didn’t give him a hard time or blame him. Instead, he chatted with him warmly...

Especially when the conversation turned to the incident that had occurred in the lower district two days prior, Charlton II asked with curiosity, “I’ve heard that you possess an ability to suppress the backlash of Abnormal Creatures? And that two of them assisted you in handling that case?”

Luo Wei nodded. With so many people present at the time, it was impossible to keep it a secret. However, he naturally didn’t mention that it was the power of his sanctuary. Instead, he continued to explain it as the result of “family research.”

But what he was more concerned about at the moment was something else.

He glanced at the elderly Charlton II. When the topic was brought up, the old emperor’s gaze sharpened for a moment.

Luo Wei noticed that Charlton II was particularly interested in the “suppression of backlash,” even bringing it up multiple times.

Could this be his true purpose?

Charlton II looked at his daughter and sighed, “You’re close to Ophelia, so you must know about her physical condition... When she was young, she often couldn’t control her powers. After transforming, her appearance terrified her siblings...”

Luo Wei listened silently as Charlton II continued.

“Because of those incidents, the palace was thrown into chaos. The children saw her as a monster, and the people regarded her as an ill omen. Rumors even spread outside the palace. At the time, the church circulated harmful rumors about the empire. That’s why I had no choice but to confine her to a remote chamber.”

Luo Wei nodded quietly. He remembered that the church wasn’t yet fully under the emperor’s control at the time. The grand bishop had even claimed that Ophelia’s birth would bring ominous misfortune.

Charlton II gazed at his daughter, “Perhaps from that moment on, she stopped liking me as her father. I truly didn’t handle that situation well.”

As he spoke of these past events, his eyes were filled with regret. Ophelia, however, remained silent, her lips tightly pressed together.

Charlton sighed and shook his head, then turned to Luo Wei with a solemn expression.

“Since you possess such an ability, you must take good care of Ophelia from now on. The people I’ve assigned to her, whether it’s Caroline or the Shadow Guards, are efficient but not experts in this field.”

Luo Wei immediately nodded in agreement, “Your Majesty, rest assured. This is my duty.”

Charlton II looked at Luo Wei with admiration, “It seems Fred’s assessment of you wasn’t wrong. Truly a promising young man. Your words put me at ease.”

In the study, the old emperor exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two, his words filled with warmth and concern, much like an ordinary, caring father.

It seemed as though his purpose today was simply to express his concern for his daughter.

Until...

As they were about to leave, he handed Ophelia a thick stack of parchment documents.

Along with a task.

“This is...” Ophelia’s usually calm eyes flickered for a moment.

“There’s something I need you to do for me,” Charlton II said with a profound gaze. “Only you can accomplish it.”

On their way back to the banquet hall, Luo Wei dismissed the attendant who had been guiding them and turned to Ophelia, who had been silent and preoccupied the entire time.

He didn’t ask about the task the old emperor had given her, but instead remarked with a smile, “It seems your father isn’t as cold-hearted as you’ve made him out to be.”

Ophelia glanced at the long, dimly lit corridor and suddenly let out a scoff.

“You believe that?”

Luo Wei instinctively looked back, confirming no one was around, and asked with confusion,

“But his attitude toward you has clearly changed...”

It did seem like he was genuinely trying to mend their relationship, something unimaginable four years ago.

Ophelia gave Luo Wei a sidelong glance, “I’ve always thought you were quite the liar. Shouldn’t you be good at spotting lies too?”

Luo Wei chuckled helplessly, “What’s that supposed to mean? Even liars can be fooled! And what do you mean by ‘quite the liar’? Is that how you see me?”

Seeing Luo Wei’s exasperated expression, Ophelia couldn’t help but smile.

She playfully linked her arm with his, leaning against him, “You managed to win me over, so you must be the most skilled liar of all. You should be proud.”

Luo Wei shook his head with a laugh, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Ophelia then returned to the main topic, her tone suddenly serious, “Don’t you think there’s a huge discrepancy between what he said and what actually happened?”

“Hmm...” Luo Wei thought carefully.

The old emperor seemed to be filled with regret for his past actions, but when it came to the reasons, he appeared to be distancing himself, as if he had been forced to act against his will.

Yet Ophelia had once told him that when her identity as an “Abnormal Creature” was exposed, the emperor had been furious, even outraged...

Ophelia’s eyes gleamed with mockery, “If he truly cared for his daughter, why would he ignore her for nearly a decade? Why would he allow her to be ostracized and bullied, leaving her to fend for herself?”

Her voice carried a hint of resentment. Luo Wei gently stroked her trembling shoulders, silently comforting her.

“There’s only one reason he acted that way back then...”

The two slowed their pace as they stepped outside, entering the deserted royal garden.

Under the night sky, everything was silent. They had left the hustle and bustle of the banquet behind. Ophelia nestled quietly in Luo Wei’s arms.

She whispered softly, “Do you remember the bloodline of our family?”

Luo Wei nodded silently, “I do.”

The Weignar royal family had always claimed to be descendants of the “Dragon God,” a sacred dragon lineage with the most noble bloodline in the world.

This was evident from their family crest—a majestic black dragon at the center of a wreath of thorns.

But in truth, their so-called “sacred bloodline” and “golden lineage” were nothing but fabrications, a lie fed to the people...

The sanctuary didn’t lie, and neither did the entry under “race” in Ophelia’s profile.

Luo Wei knew what they were. The entire family was a clan of Abnormal Creatures.

However, most of their descendants didn’t exhibit their true nature. Only a handful over the past century had shown signs of reversion, and Ophelia, for better or worse, had become one of them.

This was the Weignar royal family’s most closely guarded secret.

That was why, when Ophelia accidentally revealed her extraordinary powers and her terrifying form, Charlton II had been so frantic. The lie that upheld the family’s myth was on the verge of being exposed.

The old emperor had immediately moved to suppress the information, executing servants who knew too much and orchestrating the downfall of the grand bishop who had spread rumors, ensuring he would never speak again. As for why he treated Ophelia the way he did afterward, it wasn’t hard to imagine...

“As for why he’s trying to win me over now...” Ophelia murmured, “It’s only because he sees some value in me.”

“Everything he does has one purpose, and he only loves one thing.”

Luo Wei nodded silently.

Power, of course.

In the deep of the night, Ophelia looked at the parchment documents in her hands. As she flipped through them, a cold smile appeared on her lips.

Because written on them were the words: The Antius Dragon Tomb.