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nSteel clashed with steel and Rita saw sparks fly in front of her eyes from the action. Her blade had met something solid in its path.

nIt was lucky that Rita could control her strength after the first clash or the black-cladding assassin would have been sent flying.

n“An ally?”

nRita quickly backed down once she assessed the situation in front of her. The assassin was quick on the uptake and threw his weapon down to show his surrender.

n“He’s an ally for sure. Both I and Aurora can vouch for him. He is safe to follow.”

nAlexander’s words caused Rita to drop her vigilant posture as well. Even if she did not like Alexnader, she was beginning to trust his words.

nEven Natasha seemed to be in on the secret and her meaningful glances caused Rita to sigh and drop the topic.

n“Fine, fine. He shall live for today. But why has he come after us now?”

n“I am here to lead your group to the weapons room. The room will be the only place you can exit from once the attack begins. Once the real attack begins, this place will no longer be safe for you all.” The man looked nervous when he conveyed his thoughts.

n“Attack? I was not aware that there was so much disharmony in the Northern Republic. Will it be a terrorist attack from the republican’s side?”

nThe timing would make sense. Now that there were intruders in the palace, most of the forces were focused on catching them.

nThis new split attention would prove to be the best time for one to attack the palace in secret and get away successfully.

n“Terrorists? No, not quite. But we should not linger around so much. Lady Aurora will meet us once we make our way outside.”

nSo it was Aurora’s orders? Why the man would not come out and say all this was beyond Rita’s problem. The only complaint she had was that Aurora had not contacted her directly to explain the situation.

n“If this is something Aurora is in control of, then we should hurry and get out. We cannot be the ones holding her back.”

nAlthough it did not seem like Aurora’s style to face the problem head-on, Rita was not one to judge. Aurora might just have had a change of heart.

n“Are you sure these are Aurora’s words? To get us out of here and allow her to deal with the problem? She did not say anything about it.”

nIt seemed like Rita was not the only one finding this information hard to swallow. Alexander had a pinched expression on his face.

n“Of course not. These are not Lady Aurora’s words but Lord Karan’s. Our lord was convinced that Lady Aurora will take care of things on her own once she knew the truth of the crystal room. My only job now is to ensure your safety.”

nBlain quickly assessed the change in mood and made his words clear. His panicked tone was genuine and Rita was sure it was not his intention to get misunderstood.

nHis words seemed to make Alexander pause for a second before he cooled off.

n“If things are like that then we should leave. Rita, don’t argue over this now. Aurora will be able to take care of herself.”

nRita knew that. Of course, Aurora could take care of herself but that did not mean Rita was not worried about her.

nEspecially recently because….

n“Aurora is under a curse. She can’t even use her powers properly. How can I allow her to remain here and take care of things on her own?”

n“Rita, we have to believe in her. Besides, there is nothing we can do for her in this palace. The most we can do is to divide attention and lead the guards away from her.”

nAlexander’s calmness was a contrast to Rita’s anger. His brown eyes were cold with confidence and Rita felt her heart harden.

n“Fine. Natasha, let’s get out of here. Your safety is of the utmost importance here. Natasha?”

nRita called out to the youngest who had been silent this far. She expected to get a reply but the black-haired beauty had a vacant look on her face.

nHer soft face was controlled by a horrified expression but her chest was moving at a constant rate.

n“It’s leaking. The corruption, it’s been leaking all this time. I-I don’t feel so good here. We should get out of here and fast.”

nFor the first time, the blank face of the goddess had some sort of expression. But it was not one Rita would have liked to see on the young child’s face.

n“What’s leaking Rita? What’s this about corruption? Are you sure you are not feeling sick? Maybe all this cold is finally getting to you and…”

n“Don’t touch me or it’ll stick to you too. Y-You should leave this place without me and go.”

nThe black-haired girl had a feverish face. The redness she was displaying convinced Rita that she was sick and she needed a doctor.

n“Natasha, don’t be stubborn and come with us. Let’s look for a doctor in the city who can cure you. You look like you have a fever.”

n“You don’t believe me? Can’t you feel the corruption? It’s so cold but it burns in my heart. It feels suffocating. I-I need to absorb it all because it’s my fault. I need to contain it or it’ll find another host to torment.”

nNatasha was shaking in her place. The pale face of the princess was even paler due to the pain and the fright. Rita felt afraid to even touch her but she reached out nonetheless.

nBut the princess dodged her touch and took a few steps back.

nThe more Natasha stepped ahead, the more Natasha backed off until she even took a turn while walking backward.

nNatasha disappeared behind the corner before her unconscious body fell forward toward Rita. Rita’s reflex kicked in as she caught the small princess.

nShe was about to tear the person who dared to treat Natasha like this but then her face fell onto an even paler face with sunken eyes.

nHair full of blue and white streaks reached Rita’s vision as a familiar face made itself known.

n“I knocked her out for now. Keep her asleep when you get out of here until I return. I will take care of her once I’ve dealt with this place.”

nIt was Aurora but she was not looking so good either. Her pale complexion and her red face matched Natasha’s. The symptoms she displayed were similar to the princess but they were the only ones who seemed to be affected by this phenomenon.

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