"But he's still my father." Illucia's tears spilled despite herself, her lovely face drenched as she cried.
Rowan had meant to discuss the question with Illucia as a hypothetical, but her reaction told him that his assumption had already been confirmed.
Honestly, Rowan had been prepared for this. After so many years of exploitation by the House of Menethil, it was hardly surprising that Alex's outlook had become warped. Besides, in the game's storyline, Lord Alex had been the Cult of the Damned's biggest patron.
Yet now that Lord Alex's role as the cult's patron had been confirmed, Rowan found it strangely hard to accept.
Rowan had never seen Illucia look so heartbroken. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup. Her light eyeshadow mingled with them, leaving faint black trails across her fair cheeks.
Illucia covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from sobbing aloud. But the harder she fought it, the more her helplessness and fear seemed to turn into a tear-inducing potion, relentlessly stimulating her tear ducts.
It truly took courage to turn someone down, especially someone like Illucia.
People were selfish. When their own interests were at stake, the fairness and justice they ordinarily believed in became distorted. Nobody wanted to lose their closest family, so they would find every possible excuse to absolve themselves and their loved ones.
Illucia knew better than anyone that her father had done something wrong. But she could not bear to lose him, to have him leave their entire family behind.
"All right, don't cry." Rowan took Illucia's right hand and gently patted its back with his left.
Illucia clasped his hand in return and asked, unwilling to give up, "Is there really no room for negotiation?"
Rowan shook his head slightly. "No."
Illucia knew what Rowan was like. She