Chapter 62: Why Did I Marry Livia?

Elias furrowed his brow, his voice low and tinged with helplessness. "I'm not entirely sure. Something happened back then, and the Grail vanished from everyone's sight. I tried to investigate, but the trail went cold completely. What I do know is that Marcellus and Edgar haven't given up looking for it. This city's expansion project is just another of their tests. They're hoping it will prompt you to sense the Grail's presence again or lead to the discovery of a similar artifact."

"Sense it?" Alia's eyes widened as she stared at Elias in disbelief. "If the Grail is so dangerous and ominous, why are they so obsessed with finding it? What are they planning to do?"

Elias shook his head, his expression darkening with a trace of complexity. "I don't know their exact motives. But there's no doubt the Grail has some purpose we don't yet understand. And you"—his gaze locked onto Alia's—"are the key to their plans. Because you've sensed its presence before, they believe only you can find it again."

Alia's mind was thrown into chaos by this revelation. She could hardly believe her ears. "They want me to find the Grail? But Marcellus said he hoped I'd never find anything… Could that have been another strategy? A reverse psychological ploy?"

The events of that night replayed in her mind—Marcellus's tenderness, even his seemingly genuine affection. Could it all have been a façade? Was this elaborate scheme designed to make her willingly stay by his side and help him achieve his plans?

Elias, seeing the shock on her face, continued, "Before you lost your memory, you'd already started to notice these things. You suspected that the Grail's power was the cause of your mother's death. And because you once sensed the Grail, you felt guilty, believing that you were responsible for her demise."

Alia's heart clenched tightly, as though an invisible needle had pierced her deepest wound. Memories of Livia still lingered in the corners of her mind. She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling slightly. "So, this is all just Marcellus's manipulation. He knew the truth yet continued to use me."

"I can't prove everything," Elias said solemnly, his calm voice weighted with gravity. "But based on what I've uncovered, I'm almost certain. Marcellus's behavior towards you might have been a carefully constructed act from the start. He's not loving you—he's controlling you."

Alia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady the torrent of emotions surging within her. She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze firm with determination. "Whatever his schemes are, and no matter the truth, I have to confirm it myself. I need to see the truth with my own eyes."

Elias met her resolute gaze and nodded. "Once you read the diary, you'll understand that everything I said is true."

Alia turned and left Elias, her steps steady and forceful, as though she had prepared herself for the worst.

Night fell, shrouding the world in darkness. Alia slipped back into the castle unnoticed. The silence around her was oppressive, broken only by the occasional whisper of the wind and the distant call of a night bird.

Avoiding the patrolling guards and servants, she moved deftly through the corridors, heading straight for the study. The castle felt eerily desolate at night. Places that once brought her a sense of familiarity were now cloaked in an inexplicable weight.

When she pushed open the heavy door of the study, her heart skipped a beat as she instinctively held her breath, scanning the room to ensure she was alone. Marcellus was absent, and she exhaled softly in relief.

The study was as orderly as ever, every detail meticulously arranged. But that very perfection only deepened her unease. Her eyes fell on a spot beneath the desk, where Elias had mentioned a hidden mechanism.

She hesitated, her fingers brushing against the wood. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought it might echo through the room. Several times she wanted to pull her hand back but forced herself to press on.

"There's no turning back now," she whispered to herself, as if drawing strength from the words.

She pressed the hidden mechanism, and a faint click sounded. A concealed compartment slid open, revealing a small locked box. Entering the code Elias had given her, she heard a soft snap. The box opened, releasing a faint, musty scent. Inside was a bundle of diaries tied with a satin ribbon.

Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the diary. The cover was worn and yellowed with age, a testament to the years it had endured. Taking a deep breath, she opened it to the first page.

As the words unfolded before her, time seemed to stand still. The diary entries are brief. Rather than calling them a diary, they are more like scattered words. Yet, despite the sparse words, every single one feels like a heavy blow, each word striking her like a hammer.

"Why did I marry Livia? Why? I don't love her."