CHAPTER 79: Why Must It Be My Family?

Asherton rushed forward and hugged her tight.

"Oh dear child, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I actually really didn't want to speak of this, it's very painful but if I don't then you will see my action of letting that phoenix go as something unbecoming of someone who is leading the fight against the darkness."

She looked up watching the bird that came out from her flying above them while looking at her seriously.

The other six could only stare in shock.

That bird flying above were red.

Redder than the phoenix that flew away.

Asherton cried while hugging her tightly.

"For you... For you to hold on to this secret for so long..." he spoke but didn't know how to continue.

"I hope you understand why I snapped towards Esther. Why I had tortured her that much. Because it only brought nothing but unpleasant memories. Torturous emotions."

She looked at Reginald apologetically because she knew just how much headache he had for her to display such torturous actions in public.

It is unbecoming of the crown princess.

Reginald shook his head towards her.

Even though he did have a lot of trouble because of it.

Knowing this now, how can he blame her for anything?

She was still able to hold herself back and not kill her in a brutal way.

After experiencing such a thing, finding out that another person is trying to create such a move on one of those you hold dear.

Even he couldn't tell if he would be able to hold back at killing that person.

"But how come no one realized it?" he asked instead.

"Vermilion bird hid his presence, that is the only way for him to recuperate faster, your majesty," she replied.

"That also explains the color of my hair and eyes. Because I still hold him, it became redder than red orange but not as red when he was not concealed," she continued.

That's right, the one that came out from her was none other than Vermilion Bird.

The one that was presumed gone after Raynisha died.

Vermilion Bird flew down and landed on her shoulder.

Asherton had already let her go from his tight embrace.

Saphira covered her eyes with her hand and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"I didn't only kill Raynisha, I also drank her blood in order to get Vermilion Bird."

She can feel her heart tightening as she spoke of these words.

"But you-"

"No matter what grandfather, that is the truth of everything. I killed her to get Vermilion Bird because Vermilion Bird is necessary to battle the darkness."

Asherton gritted his teeth and looked away, that was the truth of it.

No matter what had happened, that is what Saphira had done.

"You should probably go and rest," Reginald told her, because this is an overwhelming information, they need time to digest it as well.

Vermilion Bird returned inside her and they stopped feeling its presence.

At the same time, her hair and eye color returned to how it usually is.

"Vermilion Bird will appear when the time comes. But right now, I want him hidden in order to allow him to recover more. The... ceremony, took a toll on him especially since two hosts prior he had to experience it."

Vermilion Bird had actually been passed through a ceremony not long ago.

That is the reason why among the seven mythological beasts, he still has hatred towards humans.

She chuckeld bitterly, "Both of us are just but pitiful beings but I hope I won't have to receive such look after this. I am asking all of you to please spare me the feeling of being pitied."

She bowed at them and all of them felt like they completely lost to her.

After that she left and the seven of them stayed there and was silent for a long time.

Asherton seemed to have lost all of his strength and could only sit by the staircase.

He then laughed bitterly, "No wonder she snapped just like that. Such a torturous memory was brought out because of what Esther was trying to do."

He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists, "Just how painful was it? How painful was it to kill your beloved, drink their blood and be in so much pain while still trying to survive? Why?"

He looked up and tears were falling from his eyes.

"Why must it be her? Why must it be my family?"

Asherton never showed this side to any of them.

Not even once.

Not even when everything turned for the worst in their family.

He never showed it.

Just like Saphira who has a carefree attitude, he was the same.

"Why must it be that child?"

He covered his eyes with his hands as he leaned back on the stairs.

No one answered his questions because how can they?

What will they say at this point?

They were aware from the written history that the pain one receives when taking in a mythological beast would make him or her want to just die instead.

If it was as painful as that, and an eight year old receiving it.

They just couldn't imagine it.

And the one that was feeling worst was Ferdinand.

He looked away and gritted his teeth.

Reginald watched the two of them before closing his eyes, 'If only that didn't happen ten years ago.'

After that he thought of the ceremony to take a mythological beast from its original host.

To get a mythological beast, the direct blood related person must give a fatal wound to the host personally and drink a whole load of their blood.

This time it doesn't matter where the blood was drank as long as the one receiving the mythological beast, drinks the blood of the other.

A ceremony that could only be done by blood related people.

Not simply blood related but both of them must be direct descendants of the last host.

That is the ceremony of snatching away a mythological beast, the ceremony Esther was trying to do.

To have experienced it, they would never expect that she had such a past with her carefree attitude.

'Just what more are you hiding?' Reginald thought.