Chapter 603
The river wind intensified, buffeting Athena until she swayed precariously, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Xander gathered Athena into his embrace, feeling his heart shatter into a million pieces
sell, he has suffered far too much!
Xander thought to himself,
As long as he was by her side, Xander vowed he would never let Athena suffer even the slightest injustice again.
“Wish me try
me by your side, you’ll never suffer again, Xander said to Athena, but they felt more like a solemn you to her late mother
The grass atop the grave swayed gently, as if responding to Xander
Having cried her, Athena gently pulled away from Xander’s embrace,
Athena looked at Xandes, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I lost my composure just now”
“In front of me, you’re allowed to lose your composure and trully be yourself” Xander reached out and gently brushed away the bars from the corner of Athina’s eyes.
At this moment, Ansel stepped forward and respectfully reminded them, “it’s getting late. Shall we proceed with relocating my mother’s remains?
Grave relocation must be completed before noon. Any later was believed to bring ill fortune.
Xander looked to Athena for her decision.
Athena gave a slight nod. “I leave it to your care p>
Ansel nodded, then gestured to his men to begin exhuming the grave.
Athena stood to the side, her face a portrait of utter devastation.
Concerned she might be overwhelmed, Xander gently suggested to Athena, “Perhaps you’d prefer to wait in the carriage. They be done shortly p>
“No, I’ll stay here.” Athena shook her head firmly. “Mother would want me with her p>
Realizing he couldn’t sway her, Xander fell silent.
Before long, the grave was uncovered, revealing the coffin beneath,
It turned out to be a flimsy coffin. Its wood had long since rotted away with age.
Ansel, fully aware of Vania’s importance to Athena, turned to his men and commanded, “Dig with your hands”
The coffin was so incredibly fragile that it threatened to crumble at the slightest touch.
To avoid damaging Vania’s delicate remains, Ansel led his men as they carefully descended into the grave, excavating the soil with the bare hands.
Athena’s eyes brimmed with tears, overwhelmed by gratitude she couldn’t put into words. All she could do was choke out, again and again, “Thank you
so much”
Before long, the coffin finally emerged before their eyes.
A gentle push was all it took for the coffin lid to give way
Just as Ansel reached for Vania’s remains Athena interjected, her voice trembling yet resolute. “Wait do it myself”
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10-12 Mon, 28 Jul WGI
Chapter 603
Inside the coflan lay nothing but tattered garments and skeletal remains
With her eyes red and swollen from crying, Athena stepped forward and gently cradled the urn she had prepared,
Athena stepped forward, knelt down, and carefully placed the urn on the ground.
With trembling hands, Athena reverently gathered Vania’s remains, placing each bone with care into the urn
The scene was so heart–wrenching that everyone was moved to tears.
With each bone she gathered, Athena whispered, “Mother, I am here to bring you home p>
Each whispered word was a cry of anguish, a dagger to the heart.
Even Xander’s eyes
eyes were red rimmed. He tilted his head skyward, desperately trying to blink back the tears, but his throat was so tight that no sound could escape him.
Tears welled up in Ansel’s eyes as well Just as he was about to avert his gaze, something inside the coffin suddenly caught his attention.
He asked, “Your Highness, what’s this p>
Xander stepped forward, following Ansel’s gesture. As his gaze landed where Ansel pointed, a look of astonishment flashed across his face.
Nestled among Eloise’s skeletal remains, they found a shimmering stone roughly half the size of an egg
The stone radiated a golden sheen. Astonishingly, it turned out to be gold ore.
The discovery was nothing short of shocking. Eloise’s death had been ruled an accident. People wondered how this gold ore ended up with her
Xander cast his gaze over Stone Hill, his voice low as he asked Athena, “You said there are only a handful of hunter families living in these woods, right?” Athena, still unsure why Xander was asking, nodded and replied, “I think there were only about five or six families, and they all head quite far apart p>
Xander asked, “About how many miles apart are they p>
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AD
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.