Emperor's Reckoning

"It's good then that you knew," said Lumina before she resumed eating.

"So, what now, young master?" asked Kesya. "We both lost."

Lyon calmly crossed his arms as he watched the matriarch, "I swear that one of us would get it right, but, c'mon really?"

Kesya chuckled as she saw him still in complete denial. "However, with her aid, I managed to do cleanly."

"Hmm?" Lumina raised her brows, "To do what?"

"To do what young master told me to do," Kesya grinned. "I don't know what did she write on that paper, but his attention was greatly altered."

"Heh," Lyon grinned before he said, "Go back to your seat, Kesya."

"Aye, aye!" Kesya responded with a grin on her face.

Lumina frowned as she looked at Lyon. Her eyebrows furrowed and her forehead creased with piling questions inside her head. However, she refrained to say anything through her lips.

"Hm?" Lyon raised his brow, "What's wrong? Is the food bitter?"

"No, forget it," said Lumina before she resumed eating.

She knew that the situation was not ideal. With too many prying eyes and opened ears, it would be better to not say anything at all for the time being. Besides, it was Lyon. She knew he was up to no good with that smile of his, the smirk of troubles.

Meanwhile, Cecile who was accompanying the lone ice cube in a corner chuckled seeing her husband from afar. She might not be able to hear what they were saying due to the festive atmosphere of the Third Hall, but the expressions that Lyon gave were much more than enough for a story for its own.

"I wonder what he is up to," Cecile muttered. However, Ivy's glance was elsewhere. She knew the time was nigh. The pivot of which her life will go will depend on what she would do after revealing herself to her.

Ivy was looking at the red wine that reflected the sorrow in her eyes.

"Ivy," Cecile called out.

"Huh?" Ivy looked at the taller auburn beauty in front of her.

"You're spacing out," Cecile chuckled. "Why are you so gloom, I thought that the way you cultivate will make you emotionless? It seems like it's not the case."

Ivy frowned. "Don't pretend that you don't know Cecile. You are probably the next person after matriarch that knew what's going on."

"Heh," Cecile smirked. "You think too highly of me, do you think I have the time to check on your background, but I can make speculations."

"Let's hear it then," said Ivy.

"I usually don't do this, but, why not, let's entertain the gloomy ice," Cecile chuckled. "Though she might wear glasses and her hair is different than yours, yours are due to your cultivation right? Blue ice, but she, she didn't have that, she is just an alchemist with standard cultivation method."

Ivy didn't seem to be so surprised that Cecile could come up with that. An ordinary observation would definitely be fooled then, but not Cecile. They had a resemblance that was uncanny if one looked closely.

"Hehehe," Cecile chuckled, "I can bet that Lyon would say that Anna is your long-lost older sister."

Ivy made no comment.

Cecile didn't know how accurate she was hence, she continued, "However, she might not be that, obviously she won't be your twin sister, perhaps something more attached, like a mother."

"You monster," said Ivy before she drank her wine.

"Heh," Cecile smirked. "Thank you for your praise."

Ivy made a loud gulp before she looked at Cecile.

"What? Do you want some advice or something?" jested Cecile. "I'm just kidding."

Ivy rolled her eyes but Cecile was not offended, instead, the latter was smiling before saying.

"You should just be yourself, you already know the consequences right? You are a data pivot in which you must choose, otherwise, your mind will forever be clouded and your cultivation level will be directly affected."

"I know," said Ivy with a gloom.

"Let go or let loose," muttered Cecile before she snorted. "You're a strong woman, but there are times when it's okay to tear up, even if you are made of ice."

"What if she didn't acknowledge me?" asked Vivi.

"Then your life will be whole," said Cecile before she calmly grabbed a hold of her shoulder. "Whether you want to kill her after or whether you want to let her life knowing that the daughter she had forsaken live on, that's on you. Is it the right thing to do? Nobody in this world knows what is right or wrong in the truest sense. They never existed in the first place."

Ivy went unblinking as she looked at Cecile.

"But then again, it's up to you, Ivy. Who knows, she might welcome you with open arms," said Cecile with a smile.

Ivy let out a sigh, "You know, it's funny, in the Mortal World I was eager to see her, I made her the goal of my life ever since I knew, no, I'm not even sure that she was my mother at the time but there is this bond that compelled me to meet her."

"I'm not even sure that I would even manage to win in that foolish tournament."

"Ah, I see, I was wondering why did you insist on joining that tournament even after I told you it's nothing but a waste of time and energy, your goal was always Alchemy Union," said Cecile with a smile. "That's right, going to the Fourth Hall or even Five Hall is really forbidden for outsiders, but in this tour, you can get to see all five halls. Not to mention for a week, the inn in the Second Hall is quite expensive."

"But you certainly can afford it," said Ivy as she squinted her eyes.

Cecile merely smiled. "When are you planning to meet her?"

Ivy shook her head, "I heard that she is looking for us instead, particularly."

She averted her glance toward the young man that was sitting beside Lumina. "Him..."