Why Mother Was So Unlucky

Hill was surprised. "Grandfather already resigned from his position at court?"

"I beat up both Edward and his son." Falan said with a smile. "Then I angrily withdrew from the Mage Tower."

Hill glanced at Adrian, who explained, "I came back so quickly because of this. Teacher found the person who had conspired with Perast back then: Helen, the sister of Edward's wife, Sarna."

"Why?" Melanie had nothing to do with those people!

"Edward had absolutely no talent for becoming a professional," Adrian said. "Back then, he could only marry the youngest daughter of Marquis Feyn. Their eldest daughter was famously beautiful, known as the Pearl of Salar, with countless admirers. Later, she married the eldest son of Kral Duke."

Hill suddenly looked up at him. "Kral? The one who died young?"

Adrian said with a cold laugh, "That's right. The one who insisted on attempting to break through to Sky Knight while still young, failed, and died from the backlash. The Kral Family all believed that marrying that Pearl was what led to his early death, since people kept challenging him to duels because of her. They were very harsh toward Helen. For Helen, it was also painful to finally become the future Duchess, only for it all to come to nothing. Fortunately, her younger sister married Prince Edward. No matter how useless he was, he could still protect her in the capital."

"But for Helen, who was proud and had worked so hard to climb up to a Grand Duke, having to depend on the younger sister she had always looked down on was unbearable." He spread his hands. "For a woman like that, who in the capital was more powerful than Edward? Charles certainly couldn't want her."

Hill said softly, "The King!"

"Exactly!" Adrian said disdainfully. "For our King, who loved nothing but beauty, how could he refuse a former Pearl who delivered herself to his door? She was quite capable herself, and also a Knight. She remained favored for decades."

"It's just that we never paid attention to court affairs." Falan suddenly said. "I didn't know Helen was the King's mistress. I only knew she was the sister of Edward's wife. A few times, she came to speak with me, and I ignored her."

"After she grew older, the King began hunting for new beauties again," Adrian said. "By then, she and Edward had already reached an understanding: they would procure women for the King. After all, if Edward ascended the throne, her sister would be Queen, her nephew would be the future King, and her future would be secure. Besides, for Helen, who had been entrenched in the court for decades, she did not want to experience the pain of completely losing power again."

Hill lowered his head and thought for a moment. "If she was merely offended, it shouldn't have been that serious. Was it the old King?"

Adrian said furiously, "No one knows when that bastard first saw Melanie. Melanie had already become a Mage then, but she had only just come of age! Once Helen learned that he had set his sights on Melanie, she went to test Teacher. When she saw Teacher had no intention of getting involved, they decided they couldn't let a female Mage remain at the King's side."

Falan suddenly said, "A Mage devoted to magic should either have no descendants or keep them far away from such people if he does. No amount of benefits can withstand the malice of human hearts."

"They were too vicious! Plenty of people didn't want to get involved!" Adrian said angrily. "And no matter how innocent Melanie was, she couldn't possibly have liked some old man over two hundred years old!"

Hill rubbed his forehead. "And Perast had just lost his wife and gone to the royal capital looking for another match. Was that how they hit it off?"

"Kral Duke hoped Perast would wait until Manton was older before considering remarriage," Adrian said in a low voice. "Helen not only drove the thorn in her side out of the court, but also took the chance to disgust the Kral Family."

"The Kral Family couldn't afford to offend Helen, so they poured all their resentment onto my mother?"

Falan said, "At most, they bullied her verbally. If her will had been strong enough, how could a Mage fail to withstand such tactics? If her heart was filled with nothing but love, even the greatest talent was useless!"

"It was still Perast's fault!" Adrian said. "He was overcome by lust, maliciously seduced Melanie, and used her as a chess piece to form an alliance with Edward. Who knew that less than two years later, Kral Duke's youngest son would become a Sky Knight? So he deliberately hurt Melanie and told the Kral Family that Melanie had seduced him!"

Falan continued, "Her mother and I were both strong-willed people. How did we give birth to a daughter who thought life was worse than death without love?"

Adrian turned to Falan. "Teacher, please stop talking!" Completely unaware of what he had done, he continued excitedly, "Although Melanie didn't know the truth, she carried out the best revenge! She completely fell out with Perast, shut herself away, and ignored worldly affairs. After that, no one believed Perast when he claimed outside that Melanie had seduced him! He was mocked for more than a decade. If Melanie hadn't blown herself away during an experiment, she would have ruined that bastard!"

Falan raised his hand and heavily slapped the back of Adrian's head.

Adrian immediately stood up obediently. "Teacher, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!"

Hill quickly said, "No wonder the Count could only marry the daughter of a minor Baron in the end."

"Of course! Even the wife he pursued and married was sacrificed just to please the Kral Family." Adrian glanced at Falan. "What noble would give away a dowry for nothing? In the end, he could only marry the daughter of some small family in his own territory."

Falan ignored him. "I didn't suspect Edward at first because he was somewhat hostile toward the Kral Family. That Sky Knight from the Kral Family had pledged himself to Charles. Charles was the sort of person who acted arrogantly even when he wanted others to serve him. No one in the Mage Tower liked dealing with him."

He sighed. "I never thought I had offended Edward. Who would have expected Helen to be in the middle of it?"

Hill comforted him. "It had nothing to do with Grandfather. When these people want to scheme against someone, it doesn't matter whether that person offended them. As long as there is profit to be made, they don't care who gets hurt."

Falan had long passed the stage of grief and anger, but remembering it still left him somewhat sad and regretful. He was stern and taciturn by nature, and Melanie had never liked being close to him since childhood. He also had no idea when she had read so many romance novels, nor could he get rid of those few ungrateful disciples. Who could have expected Melanie's talent to be so high? Before she had fully devoted her mind to magic, she had already become a Mage while still underage. Once those ungrateful disciples learned that he intended to train Melanie as his successor, they lured her to the court for a visit. After drawing Helen out, they worked from within and without to lead Melanie astray.

Falan closed his eyes and said quietly, "Back then, they lured Melanie down the wrong path. Melanie was weak-willed enough to fall for it, so I could not simply kill them. This time, I used that reason to beat up Edward's entire family, along with Helen, and throw them into the lake. I even gave up the Mage Tower. Charles will not miss the chance to attack Edward after a Magus capable of presiding over the Grand Mage Tower was driven away in anger."

He turned to look at the sky beyond the study. "Several of the King's recently favored mistresses were sent to him by Helen. Edward was already thrown into confusion because William became a Sky Knight blessed by a god. If Charles attacks him again, then only the King's death will put his mind at ease."

Adrian said, "If Edward makes a move, neither Charles nor William will spare him. He will definitely go for the kill."

Hill suddenly said, "The Undead will arrive in force, fifty thousand strong, in one month. If Edward receives the news, will he make his move?"

"He definitely will!" Adrian said firmly. "They have spent decades stopping at nothing for that throne. How many people have they offended? If they fail, their entire family will die. The winner will never allow his son to advance to Sky Knight!"

Before dawn, Hill sensed someone watching him. He smiled and said, "Miss Alice, good morning. Long time no see. I missed you."

"Good morning, Hill." A gentle female voice said, "I missed you too. A frightening person has arrived in your territory."

Hill sat bolt upright with a puff. "That is my grandfather, Magus Falan."

"The way he looked at me was like he wanted to skin me."

Hill nearly burst out laughing. "Mages find it difficult to attract Nature Spirits. They are also curious about everything. Don't worry, he merely wanted to take a look."

Almost all Mages who had harmed Nature Spirits had been rejected by nature. Mages had long used bloody lessons to warn their successors.

Unless they were like Undead Spirit Mages, who had completely abandoned nature, there were no Mages left who would harm Nature Spirits.

"Adrian is a good person, but if this were his territory, I would not stay. They all carry a strange smell that nature dislikes. Hill is still the cutest, and your scent is especially sweet." Alice licked her left forepaw and elegantly began washing her face.

"Of course, dear Alice. You will always be welcome here."

"Miss Alice, do you know the high-level Magical Beast in the mountains behind us?" Hill got up to wash and dress as well.

"That black panther? He is very fierce."

"Miss Alice knows him?" Hill said in surprise. "If he is your friend, it would be best if he came with us today."

"Did something happen?" Alice said. "He is so far from you and never comes down the mountain. There is no need to drive him away, is there?"

"Magus Falan is going to build a Mage Tower nearby," Hill said sincerely. "Their tower must be built on spirit land. I can choose freely because I have a tribe of Earth Elementals. Besides, my Mage level is low. By the time I need high-level crystals, the ones produced by summoned elementals will be enough. They are different. There is only one suitable place nearby to build a Mage Tower."

"But he was there first."

"Dear Alice, this world does not work on a first-come, first-served basis."

"If he refuses to leave, will he die?"

"That is why I want you to come with us. Can you try to persuade him?" Hill crouched before the dejected Alice. "I hope he can sign a residence contract with Magus Falan."

"What is that?"

"A contract created by friendly Mages. High-level Magical Beasts do not need much spirit land. If he promises not to harm people and helps defend the territory when it is attacked, the Mages will allow him to stay."

"What if he still refuses?"

"I can only guarantee that Magus Falan will let him go." Hill stroked Alice's flattened ears. "Alice, if he leaves and comes back to attack us, I cannot promise that Magus Falan will spare him more than once."

Alice raised her head and looked at him. "Although Merkel is fierce, I do not want him to die."