Chapter 417 Just Sign the Papers
Zara put on her most wounded expression. "But... before I came here, your family on Earth thought you were dead. They're already busy dividing up your estate, and I'm the only one who gets nothing..."
Lucian's voice turned cold. "I'll sign the papers after the ceremony next week."
He seemed angry. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked away, leaving Zara alone in his chambers.
The moment he was gone, Zara lowered her hands.
Aurelion immediately said, "Zara, your eyes were way too dramatic. I wouldn't have believed you either."
"What else was I supposed to do?"
Pyrelion sprang out of the backpack. "Does he really have to sign it himself? Why not forge the documents?"
"I can't do that. The notary's office on Earth verifies fingerprints too. Their technology is ridiculously advanced, and I don't know how to fake one. His memories may have changed, but his fingerprints haven't."
Pyrelion said bluntly, "By his logic, once he conquers Earth, the planet will belong to him, which means it will belong to you too. Why bother fighting over these assets?"
"That's complete bullshit," Zara snapped. "He'd be invading Earth with my power. Wouldn't that make me responsible for betraying my own people? I made Allen a promise."
She continued, "And what about my younger siblings and Soraya? How would I ever face them afterward?"
"How do you know they wouldn't support you?" Pyrelion asked. "Your siblings and Soraya don't exactly seem like the type to concern themselves with world politics. It probably makes no difference to them who rules Earth."
Zara fell silent.
"I know this one!" Aurelion cut in. "Pyrelion, you talk too much! Why would you say the quiet part out loud?"
Pyrelion said nothing.
After a long silence, Zara finally sighed. "I still wouldn't be able to accept it. Earth is a good place. The two worlds have completely different societies. Why should I let people from the Divine World take it over?"
She added, "Do you know what Earth would become if they invaded? I can't just stand by and watch millions of innocent people be thrown into chaos."
"So you're sacrificing Lucian to save the world?" Aurelion said. "And you still want his money afterward. Zara, killing him apparently isn't enough. You have to twist the knife too."
"I know this one as well," Pyrelion said. "You talk too much. Shut up."
Aurelion fell silent.
Zara sank into thought.
She looked so troubled that she almost wished she had a cigarette. "Well, everyone dies eventually. Besides, I now have another reason why I absolutely have to kill him."
Anyone who could hear her thoughts could not be allowed to live!
"Killing him should only be the last resort," Pyrelion said. "We can find another solution, restore his memories, take back the power, and keep him alive."
"Have you seen her seriously trying to think of one?" Aurelion asked. "All she cares about is his money. And do you honestly think she'd let Lucian stay alive while he can hear every thought in her head?"
Pyrelion looked down at him. "This is why your brain is so small.
The problem is obviously the power. The power inside Lucian belongs to Zara, and that's probably why he can hear her thoughts.
If he becomes an ordinary human again, do you think he'll still be able to hear them?
Once the power is gone, every problem solves itself. "
"And Zara loses the inheritance," Aurelion added.
Zara glared at him. "...Shut up, you little trouble-maker."
Aurelion fell silent.
He had merely said exactly what she was thinking, and now she was lashing out because he had exposed her.
What a hypocrite.
Zara rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Lucian is acting really strange, though. Why does he want me to become his Holy Consort?"
She and Lucian did not have some dramatic romantic past together.
His sudden insistence that she become his Holy Consort made absolutely no sense.
******
Whether Lucian's proposal made sense was no longer the issue. The situation had already reached this point.
Since Lucian refused to sign the papers, Zara could not make her move just yet.
However, she had come up with a way to stop him from hearing her thoughts.
She put on sunglasses.
If Lucian could not see her eyes, he probably could not hear what she was thinking. Otherwise, he would not have lost the ability the moment she covered her face.
With the Holy Sovereign's enthronement ceremony scheduled for the following week, the entire Upper Realm was bustling with preparations.
When Lunelle learned that the position of Holy Consort had slipped through her fingers, she nearly lost her mind.
Why?
Losing the position of Holy Sovereign was bad enough. How had that woman somehow managed to become the Holy Consort instead?
There was nothing Lunelle could do about it, though. The High Priest immediately warned her not to cause trouble.
By now, they understood the difference between Zara and Lucian.
Zara might still smile and talk things through with you.
Lucian did not negotiate.
If Lunelle caused any trouble, he would show her no mercy.
Naturally, the High Priest was not going to stand by and let her get herself killed.
Since Lucian had promised to sign the papers after they were married, Zara decided to play along until then.
As for whether she was actually marrying Lucian...
The laws of the Divine World had no authority on Earth. Who back home would even know they had gotten married here?
Zara did not see it as a problem.
It was no different from when she had pretended to be Lucian's fiancée.
Especially after she saw the Holy Consort's crown, which was set with hundreds of gemstones.
Well...
Someone had to wear it.
She and Lucian already had a fake romantic history. Adding a fake marriage to it seemed perfectly reasonable.
Everyone was busy preparing for the ceremony over the next few days, including Lucian.
Zara, on the other hand, had nothing to do. To prevent any unexpected complications, she decided to stay close to him.
The High Priest was meeting with Lucian to arrange the details of the enthronement ceremony. Outsiders were normally forbidden from participating in such discussions.
Zara did not consider herself an outsider, so she announced that she would be listening in as well.
Wearing her sunglasses, she barged straight into the meeting.
The High Priest's eyelid twitched when he saw her.
He had no idea what kind of agreement Zara and Lucian had reached. The fact that she had actually agreed to become the Holy Consort was unbelievable enough.
When she entered without the slightest regard for protocol, the High Priest simply looked the other way.
Lucian had not objected, and if the High Priest did, it would probably end badly for him.
Lucian merely glanced at Zara. "Why aren't you trying on your ceremonial gown? What are you doing here?"
Zara pushed her sunglasses up with her middle finger and spoke like an emotionless machine. "I missed you, so I came to see you."
Lucian paused. "...Take off the sunglasses, and I might believe you."
"Not happening."
Lucian let out an incredulous laugh. "Are you planning to wear them during our wedding too?"
"We'll see."
[The moment you sign those papers will be the moment I end you!]
[No one is ever hearing my thoughts again!]
The High Priest cleared his throat. "Holy Consort, you still need to observe proper etiquette. You are speaking to the Holy Sovereign."
"It's already the year 90XX on Earth, and you're still obsessed with rigid protocol," Zara said. "Feudal systems have no future!"
"Let her do as she likes," Lucian said indifferently.
The High Priest could not help glancing at him.
Sometimes, he truly had no idea what Lucian was thinking.
Even after his memories had been altered, Lucian remained ruthless toward everyone else. Yet with Zara, he was strangely tolerant.
Hadn't they been told that Lucian and Zara never shared any genuine feelings?
Could that information have been wrong?
The more the High Priest thought about it, the more likely it seemed.