Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 158

“What’s the matter?” Prima asked nervously, twisting her fingers as she watched as Louis suddenly turned his head, as if listening to something. But it was still early, and the surroundings were exceptionally quiet.

“Nothing.” Louis—actually Charlie—couldn’t tell her that he seemed to have heard the sound of the Pluto Owl flying at high speed. He gently placed a cup of tea in front of Prima, urging her to drink a few sips as she seemed very anxious and needed some warmth to calm her down.

Prima held the cup in her hands but didn’t drink. She gazed down at the clear liquid inside. “…So, you have a shop here.”

They were in an old bookstore called Butter King, owned by Louis. The windows and doors were still covered in dust, just as they had been the last time Charlie was here. But the small upstairs space was relatively clean, furnished, and suitable for hosting a young lady.

Prima didn’t know how to start the conversation. Discussing such matters with her friends like Ellie didn’t seem appropriate, and her brothers always followed their father’s lead. She was afraid of discovering that she was the only one who thought her father was acting strangely.

This was the first time she met Louis without getting lost in her thoughts. Fortunately, he seemed to understand her confusion and didn’t rush her, instead quietly waiting.

This was what she liked about Louis. Many people found him somewhat unapproachable, but he was unexpectedly gentle in many surprising ways.

She didn’t know that Charlie was actually struggling, finding it completely against his nature to watch an innocent girl before him being so frightened and having to put on an act. But now he was Louis, and other than keeping a stern silence, Charlie couldn’t think of any other reaction his brother would have. However, he had set a limit for himself: if Prima started crying, he would have to comfort her.

Fortunately, Prima didn’t cry in the end. She hesitated for a long time, then finally, haltingly, told Louis what she had seen last night.

“Is my father…playing with dark magic?” Prima couldn’t help but seek confirmation from Louis after finishing her story. She knew Louis had never shown any interest in magic, but she had no one else to talk to.

Charlie thought for a moment. “You saw his appearance change.”

“He became much younger,” Prima said. “But at first, his skin color was terrifying. He looked like he was in pain and only calmed down after a while.”

“You said he became much younger,” Charlie confirmed. “But when he entered the conference room, under the light, the change was limited. However, he did seem more energetic than a few days ago.”

“No, you don’t understand what I mean,” Prima said urgently. “The change happened in that room. For a moment, I thought I had gone back to my childhood because I saw my father as he was ten years ago.”

Ten years ago marked the end of Prima’s happy childhood. At that time, Khalif was still with her mother. They often took her, almost an adult, to various banquets and concerts. Khalif would sit in the ladies’ boutique with her mother, helping her choose the most fashionable dresses for her coming-of-age ceremony. Although she had no complaints about her current life, as a child, she always hoped her parents would love her together. Therefore, she had a particularly vivid memory of her father from ten years ago, who had a strong voice and no wrinkles around his eyes or mouth.

“So, when he left that magic room, the magic disappeared—but not entirely. At least, it gave him a buffer period, restoring his strength and energy, making him look extraordinarily vibrant,” Charlie said quietly. “If what you saw outside wasn’t an illusion, then unfortunately, he might indeed be experimenting with forbidden magic, and he’s on the verge of success. Can you describe the situation in more detail, starting from when you entered the basement?”

Prima was surprised to see Louis pull out some flyers and a decorative quill from under a small table. He flipped over the flyers and began to scribble on the blank side, asking her various questions. Some details she thought she had forgotten gradually came back to her through his prompts.

“Louis, are you interested in magic?” Prima watched him with some admiration as he filled half a page with scribbles she couldn’t understand, then started listing things that looked like formulas. She had never heard of Louis studying magic or hiring a mage to work for him. Everyone in White Bridge knew Louis preferred to solve problems with strategy and force rather than relying on magic, except for necessary anti-eavesdropping and anti-surveillance measures.

Charlie didn’t respond immediately but quickened his movements. Finally, he turned the draft paper and handed it to Prima. At the bottom of the paper was a roughly drawn symbol.

“Did any of those ‘doors’ or clocks have this symbol?” he asked.

Prima looked carefully, hesitating a bit. “Is this a magic emblem? The doors didn’t seem to have it, and the clocks…” She thought back. Those clocks were various and included some particularly exquisite and cute ones that had caught her eye. “The clocks didn’t have it either,” she said confidently.

“So, the doors had locks? I remember you mentioned keys.”

“Yes, my father had a large bunch of keys, all kinds. They probably corresponded to those doors.”

Charlie nodded and took back the draft paper, looking at her.

“Prima,” he said softly, “assuming your father is indeed doing something terrible, what do you plan to do?”

Prima froze.

Actually, when she saw everything, she was mentally prepared. Many people had hinted or openly said that Khalif was becoming more and more unpredictable, increasingly unlike his old self. But to Prima, he was still a loving father. Despite the rumors, and her mother’s strong insistence from Demel Island that she leave White Bridge and live with her, she deceived herself by covering her ears.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t give up the privileged life and unique status in White Bridge. Her persistence in staying was partly due to Louis and partly because, as time passed, fewer people dared to oppose Khalif, but more people left him. Even his many children gradually distanced themselves. Prima didn’t want Khalif to open his eyes each day and not find a single person who loved him.

“What…is he doing?” After a long while, Prima asked softly.

Charlie looked at her. “Without seeing it firsthand, I can’t be sure what magic he is using. But if everything you said is true, we can roughly deduce his motive and desire.”

Regaining youth wasn’t an unusual pursuit. Few humans could genuinely accept and welcome death. For some, the process of approaching death was more unbearable than death itself.

In the second half of life, each day was weaker than the last, losing strength, teeth loosening, hair falling out, and skin losing elasticity, forming unsightly wrinkles that couldn’t be stopped no matter what efforts were made.

“Your father held a high position at a young age. He must have told you how brave and resourceful he was back then, how he defeated many enemies and thwarted numerous plots,” Charlie said calmly. “I guess he increasingly reminisces about those days.”

Prima whispered, “He does… But does that mean he’s using forbidden magic?”

“Nostalgia alone doesn’t prove it, but what you saw does.” Charlie pretended not to notice Prima’s resistance and continued, “If I’m not mistaken, the first stone slab on that underground path already contained magic. The clocks and doors were also products of magical visualization. You’re a smart girl, and you understand the symbolic meaning of these two items. You’ve already accepted reality. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have chosen to meet with me now.”

Like a stone falling into water, a frog could see the ripples spreading out. If Khalif were a mage, anyone entering that domain, like Prima, would immediately sense it. But he had no significant magical talent, focusing all his energy on himself, allowing Prima to sneak into the forbidden area.

Only someone as loved as Prima could do this. No one in the mansion dared to challenge Khalif’s temper, not even Xanye. His authority was the lock on that underground passage, and he never expected his supposedly sleeping daughter to follow him.

“If the clocks and doors don’t have magical emblems, then the key to activating the magic lies in that bunch of keys. The number of doors isn’t meaningless. I guess it’s the result of numerous failed attempts. Like painting, a skilled artist can hide the corrections while refining the work, but an amateur can easily make things worse and leave the flaws visible.” Charlie, as if struck by an idea, dipped the quill in ink again and wrote a string of symbols on the paper.

“The purpose of this magic is also easy to guess. He can regain youth inside the room. But forbidden magic is called forbidden for a reason. It’s not only because of its blasphemous power but also because achieving greater goals makes the magic structure more complex and the price higher. Historically, few who researched forbidden magic remained sane. These madmen often harm more than just themselves.”

At this point, Prima’s hands began to tremble. She put down the cup, but her shaking made the cup rattle against the saucer.

“Magic never creates something from nothing. It requires the conversion of energy, and nothing in this world can create life except life itself,” Charlie said. The girl across from him looked ready to collapse.

“Do you want me to stop?” Charlie asked softly. “What I’m about to say may make you feel worse.”

Prima’s body shook violently, but her head was bowed low. Charlie could only see her brown hair tied in a beautiful knot by her ear. Her long hair was smooth and silky. Despite the rush and panic, her appearance was still immaculate, with a light layer of powder and rouge on her face.

She didn’t speak, and Charlie didn’t push her, although he was anxious inside.

He had always thought that Khalif’s ambition devastated the innocent women and children sacrificed for the unattainable Holy Grail, as well as his and Louis’s lives. Prima’s unexpected story made him realize Khalif’s sins were deeper and more extensive.

No matter what Khalif did outside, he remained loving in Prima’s eyes. If this girl couldn’t accept the truth and turned against them…

Charlie sighed inwardly, thinking about how to persuade Louis to clean up the mess if things went wrong. Then Prima looked up.

Her eyes were wide open, determined not to blink, with a strange mix of sadness and regret on her face.

“Please tell me what my father has done,” Prima said, a tear rolling straight down her cheek without stopping.

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