CHAPTER 61: SURROUNDED

Kevin was the son of Baron Travis Greystone.

But he never inherited the family title—he was the son of a concubine. After his mother’s death, his place in the household grew even worse, and he stopped trying to fight for what should have been his.

She died when he was only seven.

His mother had been taken by a neighbouring ruler to force the Baron’s hand, and when Travis refused his demand, she was hanged in front of the whole town.

Kevin had never felt such rage in his life. That day, he swore to destroy both his father and the Baron responsible for her death.

Her grave was built in the very town she died, in a Barony two hours away from the academy.

In the past, Kevin used to visit alone—every year without fail. Sometimes, he would come on random days too, whenever loneliness or pain became too heavy to bear.

After joining the Academy, things changed. He began coming with his friends. Their presence eased his loneliness, and he always told his mother proudly about how close they had become.

"What have you prepared for the offering?" Laila asked as the group of four girls and Kevin walked toward the graveyard.

Lizel lifted the basket she carried, filled with fruits, desserts, and flowers.

"So thoughtful," Laila huffed. "I just brought candles."

Lizel smiled gently. "I’ll share some with you."

A few steps behind them, Natalie glanced at Emma. "Did you not have any plans for today?"

Emma blinked, then shook her head. "No... that’s why I came."

Natalie hummed, clasping her hands behind her back. "That’s strange. It’s the first two days of holiday since you and William got together... and you two didn’t plan a date?"

Emma’s steps faltered. Her lips parted slightly.

Wait—was that what William had been trying to ask her yesterday when he asked if she was free?

’You’re such an idiot!’ she scolded herself internally, wanting to smack her own head for missing such an obvious sign.

Natalie smiled teasingly. "Looks like you missed your chance."

Emma groaned. "You’re right... and now, there’s barely a chance he’ll ask me again tomorrow."

"Then why don’t you ask him out instead?" Natalie suggested with a grin.

Emma thought for a moment before nodding. "You’re right. Acting shy won’t get my free day refunded. I should make use of it while I can."

Natalie chuckled and gave her a light pat on the back. "That’s the spirit."

By then, the group had stepped into the graveyard—quiet, still, and empty of any other visitors.

Dozens of gravestones stretched before them, but no one stood near them. The sky above had grown darker, the air heavier.

A wave of sorrow rippled through the group, and it wasn’t just a passing feeling.

The weight in their chests, the quiet ache that made their steps slow—it came from a single grave.

Emma knew why. She knew the reason behind that unbearable heaviness, even though none of them, excluding Kevin, had ever known the woman buried there.

Kevin’s late mother carried a divine connection—she had once been the runaway lover of Lord Michael, the King of the Heavens.

To protect her, Baron Travis Greystone had made a pact: he would shelter her and never reveal the truth about Kevin’s birth. In return, he received a vast fortune—enough to make his house one of the empire’s wealthiest supporters.

But the bargain came with a wound to his pride.

The woman he called his wife and the boy he called his son were never his. He couldn’t touch her, couldn’t truly claim her, and no matter how gifted Kevin grew, the Baron could never see him as his own.

So when Martha was taken by a neighboring ruler, Baron Travis didn’t lift a finger. He sent no soldiers, asked for no help, and ignored her desperate cries.

And because he chose silence, the Empire never intervened.

Her death was the price of his pride.

From that day, Baron Travis’s downfall began—along with the ruin of the ruler who had ordered Martha’s execution.

For the King of the Heavens, maddened by grief, cursed the land where his beloved had drawn her final breath.

’Haah....men and their desire for having multiple partners ...’ Emma shook her head.

Kevin and Laila began quietly cleaning the grave, brushing away the dried leaves that had gathered around it.

Lizel knelt nearby, carefully unpacking the offerings from her basket—fruits, cakes, and fresh flowers—while Natalie went to fetch some water.

Emma stood a little apart, holding a small silver cross between her fingers. She closed her eyes and began to recite a prayer for the peace of the departed soul, her voice soft and steady.

During her years as a student under her father, she had served in the church for two whole years.

Her reason was simple—if she wanted to refine her aether, there was no better place than within those sacred walls.

That church in particular held great value to her. It wasn’t just a place of worship, but a library of divine history, its shelves filled with old records about Angels and Apostles.

And among those quiet halls, surrounded by the whispers of forgotten scriptures, Emma had found herself drawn not only to faith—but to knowledge beyond what the novel ever revealed.

Once Natalie returned and washed the gravestone clean, everyone knelt before it, their hands gently clasped.

Emma took a slow breath, letting the sound of the wind fade before she began praying in a clear, solemn voice—

"May your soul find peace in the embrace of the heavens.

May the light guide you through the endless night,

and may the weight of sorrow that bound you to this world

be lifted by the mercy of the divine.

Your pain is remembered, your love is not forgotten.

Rest now, in grace eternal."

The group stayed silent for a while after her words faded, the only sound being the soft rustling of the trees and the faint hum of the evening wind that carried the warmth of her prayer.

Just then, "Hmm?" Natalie frowned as she turned to look over her shoulder.

Not only her, the others noticed it too...several people approaching them and their intentions didn’t seem friendly.

Kevin slowly rose to his feet and found it was the townspeople advancing towards them, holding things like saws, sickles and other things which could be regarded as a weapon coupled with a hostile demeanor surrounding them.

"Just to be on the safe side," Natalie picked her shield and got prepared for any assault.

From the crowd, a single man stepped forward and with a scornful look, he announced, "Today! We are here to make the judgement! Your sinful mother had cursed our lands and today we are going to burn her grave and liberate our town!"