“Everyone has a part of them that is hidden. A part that is buried in the depths of their soul. A secret that will only me learnt in time” –Anthanasia

                       ((______________))
The next morning, Anthanasia woke up to Jennette’s decision to take over the management of internal affairs.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Anthanasia asked over breakfast.

“Yes!” Jennette answered enthusiastically. “Let me be of some help”

“Fine” Anthanasia thought of something then spoke up. “But it’ll be best not to allow anyone else get involved with the management of the affairs. Even if it’s your aunt.”

Jennette only smiled meaningfully at the remark and they continued other discussions.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“Hmm”

“How is he?” Anthanasia asked Lucas who sat on the bed examining Claude.

“Hmm” He touched the unconscious Claude’s forehead.

“Well?”

“Hmm”

“Come on! Give me an answer!” Anthanasia yelled smacking him on his back.

He was dazed for a moment then asked with a voice full of wonder “You…hit me?”

“Yes I did! And if you don’t give me an answer I’ll do it again!”

“Did you not know I could destroy Obelia at the flick of my finger?”

“Sure you can” She rolled her eyes sarcastically. “But with the mana you collected from ME by scamming me! And if you’re so powerful, why don’t you know about something simple like bringing a man out of an unconscious state?”

“Well, it’s not that simple. He seems to be affected by black magic” The air in the room became stiff at his words. Anthanasia checked the door to make sure no one was listening, peeped at the windows then came closer to Lucas and spoke in a low tone.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean what I just said. There are traces of dark magic taking effect on him. And it’s the same energy that chimera displays.”

“Chimera? You mean Jennette?”

“Yeah Jennifer or whatever her name is. The floating bubble head with brown hair. She is surrounded by black magical energy”

“W, what?” Anthanasia’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought deeply.

The crime for someone using black magic or associated with it in Obelia, is being stripped of your title then executed. So if Jennette or the Emperor are found to have any association with it…

But. How exactly are they associated with black magic? It seems there’s a lot I don’t know.

“Lucas. Please keep everything you know, a secret to everyone except me.”

“Sure. What are best friends for” He grinned slyly.

“I’ve told you. You’re not my best friend.”

“Yeah, Yeah. Sigh. It’s obvious why you don’t want me to be called your best friend. It’s because you feel I am too superior to you and you can’t get to my level. Don’t worry. Don’t worry. All because I’m the most powerful person in the world, doesn’t mean I’ll be too proud or anything”

“Oh my Obelia. That narcissistic reasoning of yours is so off the mark! I can never get on your level because it’s too low for me. And not ‘too proud or anything’? Your ego has made your head so big that it’s also affected your thinking. Hmph”

Lucas seemed unhurt by her remark but just smirked and said coyly “Then after saying that, it seems you don’t want to know why the two are associated with black magic and how to wake the Emperor up”

“Wait, I want to know! Why is it?”

“I don’t know” Lucas answered with a shrug.

“Yo-

“But I know how you can be able to find out. It’s simple. Enter into the topaz palace of the past and secrets” Lucas said.

“The topaz palace hasn’t been used for generations. And why did you call it to the palace of ‘past and secrets’?”

“It’s a secret only rulers of Obelia know. Each palace has a special magic granted on them. The topaz palace is full of sacred relics each with a special power related to magic”

“If it’s a secret only rulers of Obelia know, how do you know it?”

“I have my ways”

The conversation continued with an explanation about all the palaces and the fact the Emperor could be healed with the sacred relics as he seemed to suffer from an overload of black mana.

Anthanasia became pale when she thought the Emperor and Jennette were black magic users. She also wanted to know something else from the sacred relics. Just as Lucas had said, the topaz palace was the palace of ‘past and secrets’.

There was a past and secret she had always wanted to know of.