Only Three Remain

This time it wasn't just Iver and Lily.

The Grand Guardian, along with his wife and even David, changed their clothes and went to the Silver and Tin Palace.

According to the letter, Prince Andrew reportedly died suddenly at lunchtime yesterday. After resuscitation efforts and an autopsy, it was confirmed that his death was caused by a ruptured heart due to a curse.

Now that most of the day has passed, it is clear that the follow-up matters have been dealt with and investigated to a large extent.

A message will be sent to the Grand Guardian, inviting them to bid farewell to the deceased.

—For some reason, the royal family of Avalon never holds funerals for ordinary royal descendants. They either have state funerals and are buried directly in the St. Genevieve Chapel, or they handle the matter quietly on their own.

No ordinary people will die... for example, the kind of funeral ceremony that Sherlock enjoyed when he faked his death.

That's why they changed into all-black clothes when they went to visit. Out of respect, they didn't ride griffins but walked there. After all, most of the people who received the invitation lived in the White Queen District, and a few in the Red Queen District; the island within an island between the Red White Queen District wasn't far.

This was the first time Iver had entered the Silver and Tin Palace through the main entrance—when Isabel invited him to dinner before, he had gone directly to the side hall. Entering through the side hall's main door, he turned two corners and arrived at the dining room. He didn't see anything else.

Crossing the Griffin Bridge and walking through the mournful flock of griffins into the main gate, you'll find a vast plaza. Arranged in the order of a clock face, there are twelve enormous statues of knights, each four or five meters tall, resembling giants.

At the very center of the statue is a three-tiered fountain. In the very center of the fountain is a White Griffin statue with its head held high and wings outstretched.

Passing through a long corridor, one arrives at a silver-white arched building. Inscribed upon it is the Knight's Declaration, personally written by Lancelot I when Avalon was founded. The handwriting is fluid and beautiful, a readily recognizable cursive script.

Passing through the archway leads to the garden. Only by passing through the garden can one enter the Silver and Tin Palace.

The Silver and Tin Palace is not a palace in the traditional sense. Its interior is more like a university campus, a serious academic museum, or a solemn church—its decorations are primarily based on gold, gray, and white. The carpets and tablecloths, however, are a mix of green and gold.

Inside the palace, the most abundant items were various kinds of portrait paintings.

In addition to monarchs throughout history, there are also outstanding members of the royal family and famous figures and great people from each era. Their names and biographies are displayed below the portraits.

But soon, Iver found a painting that was somewhat unfamiliar, yet one that he couldn't help but pay attention to—

She was a young woman who looked to be around twenty or thirty years old.

She had long, smooth, dark gold hair, as smooth as a piece of metal, with the ends neatly trimmed as if by a knife. Her ears were slightly pointed, suggesting she had some elven blood. Her pupils were also dark gold, giving her a cold and ruthless appearance. The frameless glasses she wore added to her aloof and intellectual air.

Below her portrait, her name is written:

Freya Molly Moriarty

From 1868 to the present, the section on achievements contains only a few lines.

"It has recreated the panacea formula that was lost Round Table Era."

"An Unstable Resurrection Potion has been invented."

"Completed the first liver transplant in Avalon."

Iver was stunned.

... Moriarty? But... who is she?

Noticing Iver's gaze, the Grand Guardian casually remarked, "Your sister..."

"... I have an older sister?"

"Don't you remember? You were the one who arrived first, and she left after that."

Hearing George's words, Iver was startled.

He was certain that there was no such sister named "Freya" in his memory.

He has a good memory; he doesn't forget things like this so easily.

And it wasn't just Iver was unaware of this. Edward also said that Old Moriarty had no other adopted children, Yulia had no recollection of them either. By now, the Moriarty Family should only consist of the three siblings.

However, this "Freya" was born in 1868, meaning she would be thirty years old now, or thirty-one by the Lunar New Year. She must be much younger than Edward, meaning she should be Edward's sister.

Did Saint George make a mistake?

But besides the Grand Guardian, it seems that Master Agnes also knows of her existence—

[After all, he's a "Moriarty" too. Everyone knows that James Sr. has a notoriously sharp eye for choosing adopted children. Iver, like his older siblings, was born to be noticed and loved.]

When he first met Yanis, the words she spoke suddenly echoed in Iver's mind.

... What's going on? Is there something wrong with my memory? Iver remained silent, then casually asked, "Does Your Excellency the Grand Guardian also know her?"

"Many people should know Freya. She was quite famous back in the day... the most talented doctor in Avalon, after all," the Grand Guardian said.

"Where is Freya now?" Iver asked.

"She went to Theocracy abroad. You might be able to see her this time."

"The Grand Guardian spoke."

So Iver kept quiet and secretly noted it down.

"Where are we going, Your Excellency the Grand Guardian?"

"You can just call me Uncle George or Uncle Barton, Iver."

The Grand Guardian first corrected Iver's overly polite and somewhat distant words before explaining, "I must first pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen. Would you like to come with us?"

"... May I?" Iver hesitated.

He wasn't sure if Her Majesty the Queen was going mad with grief.

Meeting him for the first time at this time might leave a bad first impression. It's possible that when the Queen thinks of him later, she will immediately recall the sadness of that time—this is also a possibility.

Just like someone listening to a song when they are happy or sad, when they hear the song again years later, they may have forgotten what happened and their thoughts at the time, but the feelings from that time will still remain in their heart.

"Of course, no problem."

The Grand Guardian answered decisively, "Since you don't mind, then let's go together."

To Iver's surprise, not many people accepted the invitation to the funeral. There were even fewer people than at Sherlock's funeral, and few showed any signs of grief; they simply sat with solemn and silent expressions.

Lily pushed Iver's wheelchair, following the Grand Guardian' family as they walked. Some people saw Iver along the way, but at most they just nodded slightly; no one came up to greet him or stared at him.

Soon, they arrived at Her Majesty the Queen's bedroom.

Iver had assumed they would meet in a very formal place—perhaps the throne room or the Round Table Hall. Her Majesty the Queen would be sitting on her throne, wearing a crown and robes, while they would have to kneel and pay their respects.

—In principle, this is indeed the proper procedure for meeting the Queen. That's what Iver had learned from books.

But they simply knocked and entered, then stood at the head of the bed and nodded slightly to the old woman on the bed. "The Silver Crowned Dragon watches over you, Your Her Majesty the Queen."

Iver followed suit, placing his right hand on his chest and saying, "The Silver Crowned Dragon watches over you, Your Her Majesty the Queen."

To Iver's surprise, the Her Majesty the Queen, whose grandson had just passed away and who was known for her unconventional behavior, showed no signs of grief or impatience. Instead, she appeared unexpectedly gentle and kind.

That's normal.

The recurring curses have been going on for over a decade. The earliest one began shortly after Sherlock's father was appointed Minister of Royal Affairs for his military achievements, while the most recent one occurred yesterday.

If Her Majesty the Queen had not yet adapted, she would probably have died of grief long ago.

Now that Prince Andrew has passed away, Queen Sophia's direct descendants are reduced to only three.

Her fifth child, Albert, and Albert's daughter Isabel. Also, there John Du Lac, the posthumous son of another of Sofia's daughters, who was only two years old.

Perhaps due to her age, this once beautiful Her Majesty the Queen no longer appears as stunning, even slightly overweight. She is strikingly different from the portraits of her younger self that Iver had previously seen.

Her Majesty the Queen's chin, tucked under the covers, was round and prominent like a persimmon. Her hair was gray, and she wore a small hat for warmth even in bed.

Queen Sophia was wearing a thick green sweater, a sewing needle in her hand. Like an ordinary Tai Yi, she was knitting something on the bed— Iver could immediately tell it was a pair of gloves. She was using beige wool yarn. Her skill wasn't great, nor was it particularly refined; it felt like she had only recently learned, with many mistakes that had been forcibly corrected.

"Ah, hello everyone..."

Queen Sophia said gently, "Thank you for coming to see Andrew off."

Her Majesty the Queen looked tired and sleepy. Her voice was soft and somewhat muffled.

It was as if she had fallen asleep while knitting and was woken up by them in the middle of a nap. She had difficulty opening her eyes, but there was still no trace of impatience or annoyance in her voice.

The first thing she said to Iver caused Iver heart to stop:

"You must be Iver? The Crown Prince mentioned you to me not long ago."

—The Crowned Lord is another name for the Silver Crowned Dragon.

Chapter Two will be a little later, but not too late! Within an hour!