Emperor's Reckoning

The group made a stop by the library where they had heard where Ivy was last seen. The woman was at the height of her anxiety when she saw the rubbles that Lyon had created out of the First Hall. However, she managed to reassure herself— with the aid of the matriarch —that she had no obligation to take on the burden that Lyon was supposed to carry.

"Lyon, you stay here," said Cecile as she left the group and entered the library alone.

"Eh? Why?" asked Lyon as he raised his brows.

"Because it would be best," said Lumina.

"You side with her now? Since when?" asked Lyon.

"I'm not siding with her," said Lumina. "More importantly, we should take a good rest on our side."

Mavis nodded, "I agree, the cave is far from here and we are going there by.... er...."

"Bird?" Lyon casually uttered. "Or will it be Griffi again?"

"We didn't discuss that, did we?" Mavis smiled wryly.

"Welp, we will know once tomorrow comes," said Lyon as he put his hands behind his head. "It's not like the cave is going anywhere anyway."

Meanwhile inside the library.

Ivy was calming herself with a book of her choosing. Sitting alone at the table, she read the content with not a single distraction. Everyone knew she was a part of Lyon's group, messing with her would mess with him, and messing with him would mean messing with one's own life.

It wasn't hard for Cecile to spot her with her icy hair and not wearing the alchemist cloak among others. Cecile smiled before she approached her.

"What are you reading?" asked Cecile.

"Anything," said Ivy before she closed her book and glanced at the smiling auburn-haired woman. "What do you want?"

Cecile smiled before she pulled an empty chair and sat on it. She looked at Ivy with her back against the backrest. After making herself comfortable, she calmly continued, "Have you met your mother yet?"

Ivy frowned. "No, why?"

"Want to meet her?" asked Cecile with a devious glance.

"What? What's this all of the sudden?" asked Ivy. "Wait, is it regarding the hunt?"

"I don't think the hunt is the correct word if we are just going to pluck a wild flower in a cave," uttered Cecile as she shrugged her shoulders. "But yes, we are going to hunt for that flower, are you in?"

Ivy furrowed her brows, "Are you implying, that you are not taking everyone?"

Cecile shook her head, "No, that would be more troublesome than it should."

"Are you inviting the matriarch as well?" asked Ivy.

"No," Cecile answered flatly. "She is not invited to the hunt."

Ivy turned cold, "Why not?"

"Because she is an important figure for her clan, your clan, the Yuki Clan? If something went wrong inside the cave and the two of you are implicated, then what about the rest of your sisters?" asked Cecile.

Ivy sightly turned warmer as she heard her explanation. She indeed had been the most favored and liked by the other sisters in the clan so the one likely to succeed the current matriarch was her. If something were to happen, then they would be in disarray. More importantly, they would lose the precious status of becoming one of the Three Great Families in the Mortal World.

"I mean, I've heard that those sisters of yours are all top-notch beauty," said Cecile with a playful smirk.

Ivy furrowed her brows, "What are you implying here."

"Oh, I don't know," Cecile smiled. "Maybe losing the status that your clan has is the second biggest concern that you have. I mean sure it is bad, but can you imagine..."

"What? Imagine what?"

"What if my husband somehow finds himself in that clan," said Cecile with a smile.

Ivy turned cold as the very words she said had a little blue air coming out of her mouth, "He wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what? Dare?" Cecile was pushing it with a smile even after seeing her gritted teeth. "Tell me in which part of life that he wouldn't dare? He fucked a dragon, you think he would not dare to sleep with your hundreds of sisters?"

Ivy had one of her eyes twitching as she heard Cecile's words. She was slightly in disbelief as she never thought that Cecile of all people would utter a vulgar word. However, after remembering who her husband was, it was no surprise if his antic rubbed off on her.

"Tch!" Ivy clicked her tongue as she looked away. She crossed her legs before she glanced at Cecile once more. She nodded.

Cecile smiled before she stood up, "We will depart tomorrow with your mother, perhaps in the afternoon."

"Tomorrow?" Ivy asked with her brows furrowed.

"That's right, so you better say something to your matriarch first," said Cecile with a smile before she turned. "You might need her advice or two."

Cecile left Ivy without further words and eventually found Lyon and the rest waiting on her.

"Oh, you're back, how did it go?" asked Lyon with a smile.

Cecile nodded, "No problem here, she would depart with us first thing tomorrow."

"That didn't take long at all," commented Lumina, "What did you say to her?"

"Just the words that she needed to hear, Lumina," said Cecile with a smile. "Though, I did use Lyon's name."

"Eh? My name?" Lyon pointed at himself. "What do you mean by using my name?"

"Oh nothing you should worry about," said Cecile with a smile. "Though she might turn a little bit cold if you say anything vulgar to her."

"What?" Lyon raised his brows.

"Your reputation is heavy, young master, hehe~" Kesya grinned.

(Somehow I don't feel that elated) thought Lyon as he squinted his eyes at Cecile. Nevertheless, her wife disregarded his curiosity as they went to tell the others about the hunt.

Lyon was left in the dark as the group— plus Mavis —spent the rest of the day in Alchemy Union.