Cerys froze for a brief moment when she heard his words.
He had said it aloud.
Not inside his head.
Not hidden.
Spoken clearly.
He thought of her as a bad woman.
Her heart tightened without warning, and for the first time since she began hearing his thoughts, she felt something deeper than fear or curiosity.
It was personal.
It was about her.
It was about who she would become in the one he calls his strange dream.
This is it, she thought, her breathing slowing as her mind steadied itself, this is the moment I found out the truth. I want to know more about what he seemed to know about me.
She lifted her head and looked at him carefully.
"Young Master," she said, her voice controlled, though her fingers were slightly tense, "is Master Cerys… a bad person?"
The question hung in the air.
Clay blinked his eyes.
Oh… shit…
I said it out loud.
Then his expression changed instantly.
"Ahahaha," he laughed, a little too fast, a little too forced, as if he had stepped on something he should not have, "you heard it wrong, you heard it wrong, I did not say she is bad."
He waved his hand casually.
"In fact, she is a good girl."
Cerys listened carefully.
But more importantly, she heard his thoughts that did not match his words.
Well, she was not exactly bad, he thought, maybe not right now, but once she realizes that her childhood friend does not care about her anymore and becomes obsessed with her adopted sister, she would lose control completely.
Cerys felt her chest tighten.
Her breathing slowed.
Her eyes did not move, but inside, everything trembled.
Gonna be betrayed?
Childhood friend?
Could it be…
Yes, what was that guy's name again, Clay continued thinking, his tone casual, like he was recalling something unimportant, Howa…
Cerys felt like her work darkened as Clay spilled the one she was the most scared of to know..
Howard, right, I remember now, his name was Howard the Silent Howl.
The name struck her like a blade.
It really did.
Howard.
Her mind blanked for a second.
He knows… she thought, her heart beating harder now, he knows Howard too?
Her fingers curled slightly.
Could it be… that in his dream too?
Will Howard really betray me?
The weight of that thought pressed down on her.
Howard was not just anyone.
He was the only person who had ever spoken to her kindly without looking at her like she was a failure.
He was the only one who had stayed by her side during those long, silent days.
He was the one she trusted the most.
Her one and only friend.
And now…
Now she was hearing that he would betray her.
Her throat tightened.
No, no, no…
That can't be true!
Cerys tries to deny it at first.
But if that is true… she thought slowly, her mind struggling to hold onto reason, then what would I even do?
She could not answer that.
She did not want to answer that.
Because the answer felt dangerous.
But if Clay was really right…
Then she needed proof.
I need proof, she told herself firmly, something I can see with my own eyes, something that proves whether his thoughts are real or not.
As if responding to her thoughts, Clay's mind continued again.
I remember now, he thought, once that guy betrays that assassin villainess, she comes back here, even knowing how dangerous it is, and because of that anger, she manages to take the inheritance completely.
Cerys felt her breath stop.
Her eyes slowly widened.
Fueled by anger…
Take the inheritance…
Then she would become stronger.
That means…
Her gaze slowly dropped.
That means the inheritance is still here.
Clay suddenly looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as another thought crossed his mind.
She suggested going to the inheritance earlier, he thought, but what if that inheritance is meant for the future assassin villainess, Cerys, and not this girl in front of me?
Cerys heard it.
Every word.
Her body went still.
That thought alone almost made her laugh.
If he only knew.
If he only knew that the girl he was doubting was the same person he was thinking about.
She took a slow breath.
Then she spoke.
"Young Master," she said, her tone steady now, "let's go take the inheritance."
Clay paused.
He did not answer immediately.
His mind ran through possibilities.
He considered the risks.
He considered the meaning behind all of this.
Then after a moment, he nodded.
"Alright then," he said.
But inside his head, his thoughts were clear.
She does not need to take the inheritance, he thought, but if it is really there, then it will confirm that my dream is real, not a hundred percent but at least real.
Cerys also nodded quietly.
If it is really there, she thought, then everything he said… everything he thought… could be real.
And that means…
She did not finish that thought.
She did not want to.
Without another word, the two of them began walking deeper into the dungeon.
…
Far outside the dungeon, where the air was no longer filled with the thick pressure of mana, but instead carried the weight of tension between nations, three groups faced each other.
Each one bore a different insignia.
Each one stood firm.
The troops of the Holy Kingdom.
The troops of the Dark Glave Kingdom.
The troops of the Shadow Saive Kingdom.
They had arrived almost at the same time.
None of them spoke.
None of them moved.
The air between them felt heavy, as if even breathing too loudly might trigger a clash.
Then a figure appeared.
Without warning.
Without sound.
The King of the Holy Kingdom stood before them.
His presence alone caused the air to tremble.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"These two bastards," he muttered, his tone almost amused as he looked at the opposing forces.
Before anyone could react, he moved.
There was no warning.
No signal.
One moment he stood still.
The next moment, light exploded.
It was not a gentle glow.
It was an overwhelming kind of light that left no room for wasting his time.
The troops of the Dark Glave Kingdom and the Shadow Saive Kingdom did not even have time to raise their weapons.
The holy power swept through them.
It was crushing, burning and suffocating.
In an instant, their formation broke apart.
Their defenses meant nothing.
Their strength meant nothing.
They were thrown aside like dry leaves caught in a storm.
The King did not stop.
He did not look back.
He simply pointed forward riding his golden carriage, passing through the broken lines as if they were nothing more than obstacles that had already been removed.
His destination was clear.
The source of that power.
…
Deep within the dungeon, Clay and Cerys continued moving forward.
The path grew quieter.
No… it can be described as too quiet.
The usual sounds of beasts and creatures were gone.
No movement.
No presence.
Only silence.
Easily, they reached the far end.
And then, without warning, the space around them changed.
It felt as if they had crossed an invisible line.
One moment they were in a rough, dark tunnel.
The next moment, they stood inside a cave room.
It was simple.
Almost too simple.
The walls were smooth.
The ground was flat.
There were no traps.
No signs of danger.
Just an empty space.
Clay frowned slightly.
"Is this really a dungeon?" he asked, looking around with a hint of confusion, "there are no more challenges beside the Minotaur?"
Cerys almost choked when she heard that.
If you could feel your mana properly, she thought, you would understand that everything ran away because of you.
But she did not say it out loud.
Instead, she remained silent.
Then they both saw it.
At the center of the room.
A treasure chest.
It was not large.
It was not glowing.
It did not look special.
And yet…
It stood there.
Alone… as it knew them and waiting for them.
Clay and Cerys both stopped.
Their eyes locked onto it.
Their thoughts moved in the same direction.
This is it.
Not because of what was inside.
But because of what it meant.
If the inheritance was real…
Then everything else could be real too.
Clay slowly turned his head.
"Maid," he said calmly.
Then he pointed at the chest.
"Try taking it."