Ever since that tragedy involving the Grantz took place many years ago, it has become almost taboo to speak of it in the Empire. The Grantz murdering each other dealt a heavy blow to everyone in the Empire.
The death of the empress was the last straw. Without her, the Grantz no longer needed to restrain themselves.
When things were at their best, the empress even uploaded a moving picture of the entire Grantz family.
Yet her sudden death completely tore through what remained of the veil. From that moment onward, the Grantz devolved unabashedly into lunacy. Unrest stirred up both within and outside of Grantz as their neighbours watched like hungry wolves, ready to devour what they thought was a marbled steak.
Alas, the outcome they were hoping for never came.
The Grantz still headed to the battlefield together despite tearing into each other the day before. Those who paid close attention noted that the Empire’s territory actually expanded considerably during that time.
The Grantz were as strong as ever, but even outsiders could tell something was off between them. The Empire could only watch them gradually fall apart, as if everything had spiralled out of control from the moment the empress died.
Everyone had a feeling Norton Grantz would be the last Grantz standing. He has always been the most outstanding of his generation in every aspect. One look at any of the moving pictures the empress uploaded was enough to tell that Norton was the pack’s leader.
He was the only Grantz to never do anything controversial. As his father and younger siblings descended into madness and committed all sorts of horrific deeds that no one could stop due to their absurd power, Norton Grantz was always the one to deal with the aftermath.
The people of the Empire hoped he would take the throne one day and bring an end to the infighting among the Grantz.
Then Norton Grantz stabbed his father to death on the throne and ended the lives of the rest of his siblings. His announcement that the Grantz shall end with him shook the entire nation.
Many countries thought they had a chance now that there was only one Grantz left. Then the Empire continued its expansionism.
Those were all things in the distant past. It’s been so long that everyone truly believed Norton Grantz would be The Last Grantz.
The new Grantz that appeared was like a pebble thrown into a still pond.
If not for the confidentiality agreement they all had to sign, this would be the trending topic on the military academy forums and all the other platforms. Augustus was willing to bet that old geezer’s head that the people he associated with were discussing this in secret. They had ears in many places and might have even met the little Grantz several times already.
Biting his spoon, Augustus said to himself, “The little Grantz still needs psychic soothing, so they shouldn’t have matured yet. I wonder if they need any playmates. I should be suitable since I haven’t graduated yet…”
At this time, Kevin’s eldest daughter, Grace Clinton, happened to come downstairs. Her schedule was very packed as the Clinton heir so she went to bed very late last night. “What playmates? And did I just hear something about the Grantz?
Augustus sat up straight. “Sorry, but I can’t tell you. I signed a confidentiality agreement.”
She turned to Kevin Clinton, who also shrugged. Grace didn’t have any intent to pursue the matter. “Speaking of which, I was once a playmate of the Grantz.”
Augustus immediately looked at her with great enthusiasm and grumbled, “You never told me before. Quick, tell me what it was like? Did you know them well?”
“I was excited at first, but I left halfway through. It was a very frustrating experience that was memorable in a good way.”
“Why did you leave? Because Dad made you focus on your duties as heir?”
Grace Clinton calmly cut the food on her plate. “Of course I wouldn’t give up over some reason like that. It was because none of us could keep up with them, even though they’re a few years younger than us.”
For the first time, these talented geniuses realized what it felt like to be faced with an insurmountable gap in ability.
……
“Ye Muo’s matter will be left to you.”
“Your Majesty.”
Secretary-General Lin got straight to the point, “How do you wish for me to approach this? Lord Ano has already asked me about this many times. Should I add His Little Highness’ name to the family register on the galactic network?”
All members of the royal family were clearly listed on the official website. In other words, Secretary-General Lin was asking whether Ye Muo’s existence should be made public right now. Would the child live his life in the shadows, or be acknowledged as a Grantz and allowed to walk under the sun?
Lin Huixuan couldn’t puzzle out His Majesty’s attitude on this. Sometimes, he even wondered if someone as decisive as His Majesty was also hesitating.
Indeed, Norton Grantz was hesitating. He didn’t know what place he should put that child.
This wasn’t just any relative, but his own child. The relationship between them implied an absolute responsibility. Something that should not have existed in the future he had planned.
He always believed, even now, that the merciful thing to do would be to end Ye Muo’s life before he understood the truth. He also made a promise to his father to end the Grantz bloodline and lay them to rest.
Yet Norton subconsciously ignored this choice. Ano had already used his military merits in exchange for Ye Muo’s life. He has already promised Ano.
Even so, Norton was not optimistic. Ye Muo would eventually walk the path every Grantz before him had. Perhaps even before Ano.
“Prioritize setting up a daily routine for him. As for the announcement…”
“Postpone it for now.”
The implication was that he would not acknowledge Ye Muo and intended for him to live in secrecy.
Secretary-General Lin bowed. He was about to leave when the door to the study opened.
Ano stood outside, holding something in his hand. He’s been in high spirits lately, but his expression was cold now. He was visibly angry.
Secretary-General Lin nodded at him and was about to leave when Ano suddenly said, “Wait a minute.”
Ano strode into the study.
He stood in front of Norton Grantz. “Why can’t you make it public? Are you sending him back to the Ye family?”
At the door, Secretary-General Lin stared dumbfoundedly at Ano. The man didn’t use that synthesized voice of his to speak just now.
Norton flipped the page of the document in front of him, not even sparing Ano a glance. “I won’t allow a Grantz to wander around outside.”
Norton and Ano both knew very well how dangerous and tragic it would be to let a Grantz who had lost all control wander outside. Only a Grantz could kill a Grantz. At that time, if there were no other Grantz around to end them, their suffering would never end.
It was because he knew that Ano was so furious right now. What Norton planned to do was the same as raising a lion in a cage without even letting it see the light of day. He simply could not accept this.
Ano slammed the object in his hand down on the document before Norton Grantz. “Tell me then. Why can’t he live openly as a Grantz?”
Said object was a holomind. With the document covered, Norton finally looked up and stared silently at Ano.
The study’s door was wide open. Before Secretary-General Lin’s wide eyes, Ano grabbed Norton by the collar. “You still believe that, don’t you.”
Norton’s soft attitude thus far misled Ano into thinking he had changed his mind.
Norton stood up, his ice cold eyes meeting Ano’s. “This is what we agreed upon, no? Your military merits in exchange for him living to adulthood.”
This was the first time the two of them had discussed the matter without pretense.
Both unleashed their psychic power, but they at least remembered to have some restraint.
At the door, Secretary-General Lin began to sense something had gone dangerously awry. He didn’t know whether he should leave or stay. Fortunately, Adlet soon appeared from who knew where. He politely bowed to Secretary-General Lin. “Please come with me. A hovercar to take you home has been arranged.”
Like he was grabbing onto a lifeline, Secretary General Lin quickly left with Adlet.
In the study.
Ano tightened his hold on Norton’s collar. “This isn’t fair. He’s a Grantz, your own blood-related child! He hasn’t done anything wrong to this day! He hasn’t killed anyone, lost control, or become plagued by ghosts of the past like us!”
Norton just looked at him mockingly. “Are you sure?”
Ano looked at Norton in disbelief. “It’s started for him? Impossible.”
Ye Muo was still a child. His psychic power had yet to mature. Technically speaking, it should only begin after he became an adult. All their siblings and father only gradually became like that as adults, after all.
Norton was as unreadable as ever as he relayed a cold truth, “During resonance, I saw him kill a man and a woman. The woman was the adoptive mother Ye Zhiyuan arranged. A retired officer with Level B psychic power.”
Thus, there were only two possibilities. Either Ye Muo intended to do it or he had already begun to lose control.
If it was the former, matricide was a crime even Ano would find hard to accept.
If it was the latter…
Ano was all too familiar with what fate awaited Ye Muo in the end. He’s personally witnessed his father, siblings and even himself walk down that well-worn path. The simplest, most rational solution would be to end him before it came to that.
Ano’s grip on Norton’s collar loosened significantly. He had eagerly come here to share with Norton how Ye Muo acted coquettishly with his mother today.
He finally understood Norton’s insistence to end Ye Muo back then, as well as why Norton once said Ye Muo was more like a Grantz than he thought.
Ano called out to Norton, “Big Brother.”
Crestfallen, he slouched forward and braced his hands on the table as if shouldering an unbearable burden. “After Father and the rest of our family, we need to send Ye Muo to the grave as well?”
Norton had been prepared for this when he stabbed his father to death on the throne.
Norton stood pencil straight.
“Stand up, Ano. There’s no need to be afraid. You don’t need to think or worry about a thing. When that time comes, you can go to sleep in the Grantz Sanctuary in peace. No one will disturb any of you.”
Like he shouldered his father’s fate, he would shoulder Ano and Ye Muo’s as well.
He would end their suffering at that moment and lay them to rest.
Norton didn’t speak the last part aloud.
But Ano noticeably relaxed. Norton was here. Norton was still here.
……
Ye Muo was already lying down when he suddenly sat up again. He was wearing a set of roomy white silk pajamas that had a simple knot at the collar. The pants were short enough to reveal his slender thighs and highlighted his youthful, androgynous beauty.
He didn’t even have time to put on his shoes. Walking barefoot over the carpet, he knelt and took out a box of soothing agent from the cabinet. At his age, it was something he couldn’t do without. Adlet just filled his cabinet with boxes of it yesterday.
Ye Muo’s hands were already slightly trembling due to the pain as he took out a dose. It was to the point where half the medicine spilled on the way to his mouth. He tilted his head back, a trickle of soothing agent sliding down from his chin to his collarbone.
His head started to hurt again.
“It’ll stop hurting. It’ll stop hurting soon…”
Ye Muo consoled himself as he took a second bottle out. This time he was more careful. Although a tremor still ran through his fingertips, he swallowed the entire dose.
Ye Muo started getting these intermittently headaches at some point. Sometimes the pain was too much to bear. Strangely enough, the soothing agent that used to make things worse actually made him feel a bit better lately.
He hasn’t felt this kind of pain since that resonance session. Its sudden reappearance was almost too much to bear for Ye Muo.
He continued to kneel before the open cabinet by the opened box of soothing agent, waiting for it to take effect. Soon the pain eased. Ye Muo slumped to a more comfortable seating position and began to put the box away. Just as he closed the box with one hand, it began to tremble again.
After a brief pause, that familiar pain returned with a vengeance.
Ye Muo quickly reopened the box and opened another bottle. This was his third dose of soothing agent. Soon the empty bottle fell from his hand onto the carpet and rolled away.
Ye Muo took out a fourth dose from the box, opened it, and brought it tremblingly to his mouth.
Faint bloody lines had already appeared on his pajamas.
……
In the study, Norton and Ano both suddenly turned around.
A formidable psychic power was sweeping across the palace.
Ano straightened and exchanged a glance with Norton beside him. “It’s Ye Muo.”
The two of them immediately rushed upstairs.
It wasn’t bedtime yet so there were many staff members still at the palace, including Adlet. Being so close to a psychic meltdown of this magnitude would have serious consequences.
Ye Muo was different from Ano because he was still in his development period. He couldn’t wear the collar that Ano did, because the cause of his psychic meltdowns was different. Ye Muo was unable to control his psychic power while Ano could control his psychic power, but not himself.
Norton unleashed his psychic power at once, isolating the floor Ye Muo was on from the rest of the palace.
