The Conquerors Path
chapter-472

Authors Note(Please read):

First of all, I'm sorry.....

I never meant to take such a long break but things ended up like this, I hate nothing more than doing this, as I myself curse the authors when the new chapters won't be uploaded the next day.

All I say is that I had a bad couple of days, the main reason that I didn't write was because I injured my arms due to some personal reason, making it hard for me to type, that being only the tip of the iceberg as bad luck followed me from then on, the only good thing that arose from that is me gaining some new perspectives.

First I would like to say that I would try my best to never repeat this, I have decided to be more active in this, as in the past I didn't take this seriously, hence, all I can promise is I will try to make sure this never happens again, well taking in that I don't break my arms.

Second is the fact that I will be remaking the Heavenly Opposers, it's a story that I have great plans for but had to put in stop to, so I will be deleting all the chapters and posting again, filling in the plot holes that became very much apparent to me.

Third, I had long ago teased by the third novel, all I can say is that it's still in progress, and since I have decided to focus more on this I will be taking time on that too.

Fourth, while I say all this it would take time for me to implement them all, for I am still a college student and have several life shits to deal with, until my college finishes my tests will take precedence.

Last, thank you for all your support and love! it sustains me and keeps me up and I can promise you I will try my best to live up to them.

"Looks like you went through a lot..." I muttered with a sympathetic voice, which made Marlene chuckle lightly. Her face appeared a bit more lively, and it seemed that she had taken me into her heart deeper than I had imagined.

Well, things are as I thought them to be. It started with the death of her brother the moment he entered the waters. The scene was especially effective for Marlene, as she had to watch her brother die. Despite her hatred for him, witnessing her brother's death so close to her without being able to do anything was the start of her problems.

The death of her brother threw the entire situation into chaos within the royal family. Marlene had to deal with the questions of how and why, while also trying to pacify their heartbroken mother. Things weren't going well at all, and the royal family felt helpless, not knowing who was responsible for their member's demise.

During this time, a connection was formed with some group, but for some reason, the Emperor, Marlene's father, refused to take action against them for now. This completely frustrated Marlene and the rest of the family, leading to another situation of unrest. Several nobles started to make moves, driven by their desire for power.

By now, there was complete unrest within the sea. The death of Marlene's brother acted as a catalyst, activating a silent movement that had been brewing for a long time. This added a significant amount of work to Marlene's plate, but the most annoying part was the seal placed on her, causing small bursts of pain that made it difficult for her to work.

'Though that's just the tip of the iceberg,' I thought as I looked at Marlene, who was giving me sidelong glances discreetly. As mentioned before, the seal also had the added function of pushing her to get closer to me, slowly influencing her consciousness to desire me. It was surprising that she had resisted for this long; I expected her to give in earlier.

'Well, that just proves how strong-willed she is...' Marlene is no idiot; she understands the attraction and desire Catherine has for me. Therefore, she was keeping her cool. Right now, she doesn't love me yet; there is only an attraction and good feelings between us. If I were to stretch it, I could say that she has come to like me, but she won't act on it due to her best friend, who is in love with me.

'I wonder how long that will last?' I mused in my thoughts. My hand slowly reached out and held Marlene's. She flinched a bit, but she didn't retreat. Her eyes met mine as I spoke in a gentle voice.

"It must have been hard. Good job, you did well."

My words made Marlene's eyes tremble, and a smile appeared on her face. She leaned against the chair and muttered slowly, "You really know what to say..."

"Well, I kinda understand the situation," I replied awkwardly as I let go of Marlene's hand. It was quite easy for me to understand her need for someone to lean on. Despite being strong, kind, and a true warrior, she desired a small pillar of support, one that she had in the past and lost. In this situation, she was doing her best to hold everything together, and she was doing it well. But in the eyes of the people, isn't that supposed to be normal for the next Empress of the Sea?

Hence, she never received any small sort of congratulations or support from anyone. Not even Catherine could provide that, as there still existed the layer of Empress and subject between them. Catherine could never truly give the support that Marlene needed, as it might undermine Marlene's power.

'Politics are stupid as ever...' A silence lingered between us until suddenly Marlene spoke, her voice soft and a bit hesitant.

"Did you lose someone precious before?"

As she asked, her eyes opened up, focusing on me with a hesitant look, filled with worry about how I might react. I acted surprised for a moment upon hearing her question, after which my expression turned somber.

"You don't have to tell me about it if it's hard..."

Marlene spoke, now holding my hand in support. Hearing her words, I looked at her, several complex emotions passing through my mind. In reality, I was just happy that she had finally asked the question I had been leading her towards.

Back in the realm, I had displayed signs of sadness and loss in certain specific situations to Marlene, emotions that she herself was very familiar with. Before Marlene had her first love, she had experienced loss. The situation was quite tragic. The person she lost was a member of the army who fought alongside her, an older brother figure who taught Marlene many virtues. He died protecting her on the very day she understood her feelings. It was a tragic and shocking event for Marlene, who soon focused solely on strength and growth.

In the game, it takes a lot of work and action to finally establish a connection with Marlene. The main step on the love route was to get Marlene to talk about her lost love. However, I had no time or interest in that. While that part was important, I planned on taking a much deeper route.

"I can tell you. After all, it seems you went through this same heartache," I finally replied after some time. My hand held Marlene's tighter as I leaned back into the comfortable sofa. A sense of understanding enveloped us, aided by the curse in Marlene's body, which heightened her feelings for me temporarily.

"How about this? I will tell you my story first, then you can tell me yours," she suggested. A light smile formed on my face as I nodded. The atmosphere was perfect, and Marlene's mind, burdened by work, became completely relaxed. The curse did its work, intensifying Marlene's emotions and reactions. She was in a state of happiness and contentment, with her mind weakened and her feelings for me amplified.

"You see, he was like a big brother to me, someone different from the rest that I came to know..." Thus began another chapter of Marlene's story, one that I already knew but still listened to attentively, reacting with the perfect amount of emotion. This further relaxed Marlene's mind. Soon, her story came to an end, and no more words needed to be said as I started my own story. This time, Marlene's focus was entirely on me, and I spoke with deep emotions.

Of course, the curse played its part, heightening Marlene's feelings and reactions that were appropriate for the situation. Fifteen minutes later, the story was over. Marlene's eyes trembled heavily, shock and dread evident on her face. She tightened her grip on my hand and spoke in a broken voice.

"How can someone live through this...?"

Her question was filled with pure incredulity. I weakly smiled in response, as this was the final push. Marlene pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly. I hugged her back.

'Let's begin part 3.'