When Simon heard Belinda’s words, his brows furrowed even more.
Since Pandas intended to raise Belinda as an ignorant, delicate princess, why did he reveal Lothern’s secret to her?
This seemed contradictory to the arrival of Lothern.
When facing Lothern, an uninformed Belinda would obviously be at a disadvantage, making it easier for Lothern to win.
Simon had already changed this outcome by letting Belinda read .
He began to suspect that Pandas had done it on purpose.
But the problem was, according to the normal game storyline, Pandas had never had any contact with Lothern.
Even in the mid-stage, when Pandas was dealt with by Alexia, he exited completely and had no connection to the subsequent story.
However, the incident with the Malicious Witch had already sounded an alarm for Simon.
It reminded him that the plot was developing in a direction he hadn’t anticipated.
He could no longer fully trust the story in his memory.
“Father also told me many things about Lothern and warned me not to mention her to others carelessly,” Belinda said.
During her time with Simon, she had unconsciously come to trust him, so she was willing to share this matter with him.
Especially since Simon had appeared more than once in her times of crisis.
And he seemed to have never deceived her.
In Belinda’s heart, he had already reached a level worthy of trust.
“Count Pandas was right. Lothern is indeed an undisclosed secret within the Empire.”
Simon agreed.
“The reason is simple. The things she did were so unbelievable that people today would rather believe it was a legend than admit it actually happened.”
To mortals, slaying a god was undoubtedly an act against the heavens.
“Then what about everything I saw in my dream?”
Belinda asked in confusion.
“First, Belinda, I must correct you. That wasn’t a dream, but a real existence. You can think of it as another, different world.”
“The place you just entered was Lothern’s ruled world—ten thousand years ago in the imperial capital. Those people were the Royal Guards loyal to Lothern.”
“After accomplishing the god-slaying feat with Lothern, they were also cursed by the gods. When the Empress died, her loyal guards vanished as well.”
“The original ending should have been like this. But since Lothern survived the curse, the guards connected to her fate also lived on and served her again.”
“But they were no longer human, transformed into undead burning with the fire of souls. However, their combat memories didn’t disappear—they remained overwhelmingly strong.”
Belinda couldn’t help but interrupt.
“Then why did they seem completely powerless against you?”
Simon paused, then explained.
“After all, I’m the Knight Commander of the Empire. Ordinary Royal Guards naturally can’t stop me.
But next time you’re captured inside, I might not be able to enter.”
That final, deep look between them had already marked each other as prey.
“That last big guy?!”
Belinda glanced back hastily before leaving.
He really did look terrifying.
She saw the Imperial Palace Guards Captain, taller than the rest.
Simon nodded.
“I might have already been marked by him. If I go in again, he’ll definitely come straight for me.”
He didn’t dare linger there too long; if the candlestick he brought went out, he wouldn’t be able to return.
“But you don’t have to be too afraid of Lothern. She’s actually fairly easy to get along with, as long as you can grasp a bit of Her Majesty the Empress’s essence.”
“Huh?”
Belinda listened to Simon, feeling as if he knew Lothern well.
“Simon, are you saying that when I enter that place, I should imitate Her Majesty the Empress?”
Her reaction was quick, picking up on the meaning in Simon’s words.
In her mind flashed Alexia’s deranged, twisted smile and vicious face.
She shivered.
“No way! No way! I can’t possibly do it! How could I ever smile so wickedly!”
“And her bearing…I probably couldn’t master it in a lifetime!”
Someone like Alexia was forever beyond her reach, let alone imitating her essence.
Simon looked at Belinda, a bit helpless.
“What are you thinking? I never told you to imitate her mannerisms, but her art of governance.”
“The…art of governance? Me? What? “
Belinda froze, shaking her head repeatedly.
“No, no, no! Simon, look at what I’m wearing—I know exactly who I am.”
She had always worn the black-and-white maid outfit Simon gave her.
“You… you…”
Belinda hesitated, then finally blushed, pounding Simon’s back with a hint of petulance.
“I warn you, you’re not allowed to tease me!”
The home she depended on for survival had already fallen apart.
Her mother dead, her father branded a traitor, exiled to the imperial capital streets, whereabouts unknown.
Everything had happened so fast that she couldn’t adapt at all.
Instinct told her she should hate the man in front of her.
He was the one who destroyed her home and left her in this state.
So she needed to endure, wait for a chance, and kill him someday.
But reason told her the true culprit was that exalted Empress.
If she wanted true comfort for her soul, she had to seek revenge against Alexia.
Yet, she simply couldn’t bring herself to hate Simon.
Especially that day, when her mother’s death was told to her by his own mouth, and he not only swore by the God of Light but also calmly accepted her vengeance.
It made her wonder…why was Simon so tolerant toward her?
On her first day at The Manor of Simon, he had made it clear that she was nothing more than a traitor’s daughter.
Belinda couldn’t understand Simon’s actions, but now she was sure of one thing: if she didn’t hold tightly to Simon’s hand, she might truly die.
In the Empire, aside from her own father, perhaps only Simon cared for her most.
And his attitude toward her was nothing like that of a prisoner.
If anything, he was more like… her father, Pandas.
This confused Belinda even more.
“I’m not teasing you. I’m seriously teaching you how to survive.”
As soon as Simon said this, a look of resigned understanding flashed in Belinda’s eyes.
That phrase again.
As if he would never deceive her, always honest, always hoping she could live on.
But she really couldn’t understand why Simon was so kind to her…she couldn’t find any reason.
Was she really that important to him?
“Belinda, I can’t help you with this. You have to muster your own courage to save yourself.”
Simon spoke to Belinda with utmost seriousness.