Chapter 185: Forgetting Is Impossible

Roger’s heart nearly soared out of his chest the instant Amelia’s answer hit his ears.

He had longed endlessly for another chance to learn under his master’s guidance. To stand at her side on a journey of this magnitude was a privilege far more precious than any treasure this world could offer. Even if she granted him nothing more than a few offhand pointers along the way, those scattered drops of wisdom would be worth more to him than mountains of gold.

Yet as his initial surge of excitement gradually ebbed, his sharp mind took over, analyzing the situation with cold rationality.

Something felt off.

Cain did not appear to be watching Amelia at all right now; in fact, he might not even be anywhere near her. Why else would she allow Roger to accompany her so openly?

Roger remained convinced that Cain was holding Amelia against her will—or at the very least, severely restricting her movement. He simply could not fathom why Cain would permit her to establish contact with him like this.

He desperately wanted to expose the truth to her.

He wanted to lay it bare: that Cain was an utterly vile creature using Amelia for her terrifying talent and ancient knowledge, and that he, Roger, had never abandoned his mission to rescue her from his grasp.

Yet Roger hesitated, paralyzed by the fear that pressing the issue might backfire disastrously.

If he voiced his suspicions and Amelia genuinely trusted Cain, she would view his words as an insult. She might cut him off entirely and refuse to ever speak to him again.

He had to exercise absolute patience. He knew better than anyone that Amelia was not a person to be approached impulsively—especially where her family dynamic was concerned.

After a brief, heavy silence, Roger spoke with measured calm:

"Master... when do you wish for us to meet? A multitude of factions continues to track my movements, and I have recently been liquidating the corrupt elements facilitating the sale of the Empire to external forces."

At those words, Amelia recalled what Roger had previously revealed regarding the imperial sale.

A quiet hush fell over her side of the line.

Though she had not granted Roger her complete trust, she knew one truth with absolute, razor-sharp certainty: if the Star Empire was genuinely up for auction, she knew precisely who would be lining up to buy it.

That single realization instantly hardened her features.

She had zero desire to plunge back into the murky depths of her past. She did not want to remember who she had been, nor did she wish to summon the weight of everything she had endured as Empress.

Yet the past refused to leave her in peace.

Every fiber of this Empire served as a bitter reminder. The land, the vast cities, the sky above—and especially those endless, brilliant stars dominating the night sky.

They stirred an uncanny ache of nostalgia deep within her chest: a quiet longing for an era she could no longer categorize. Did she truly miss those days, or did she merely miss the absolute sovereign she used to be?

At times, she would catch herself absentmindedly gazing up at the cosmos, only to realize her mana had automatically begun circulating through her pathways in the exact star-refining patterns she had practiced for centuries.

Initially, she had brushed it off.

Over time, however, she came to understand that her body and subconscious were systematically reclaiming their ancient instincts without her consent.

And then, the truth settled in.

She could never truly forget.

She had tried—tried so hard to exist purely as Amelia, a child granted a fresh start from zero, leaving the ancient Empress buried in the ashes of history. But total erasure was an illusion when everything surrounding her echoed with her past, and when that self-centered, pride-bound Empress still slumbered in the deepest recesses of her soul, defying every attempt at burial.

Yet accepting that reality did not mean she intended to succumb to the past completely.

Nor could she deny another undeniable truth: she refused to sit by and watch the Star Empire be auctioned off like livestock.

And she would certainly never allow it to fall into their hands.

If that came to pass, it would not be a mere shift in political power or the collapse of a ruling dynasty. It would be a slaughter—a catastrophic end for countlessly many innocent lives caught in the crossfire of gods and sovereigns.

Yet Amelia possessed no power to alter that outcome right now.

That was the reality she despised above all else.

Before she could concern herself with the Empire, the vultures circling it, or her own legacy as Empress, she needed to grow stronger. Vastly stronger. At the very least, powerful enough to dictate her own fate rather than stand by, utterly powerless.

Amelia refocused her gaze on the glowing crystal and returned to her exchange with Roger.

"Have they identified you yet? Do they know you are the one eliminating their assets?"

Roger shook his head in the dark cavern. "I cannot say for certain."

His tone turned grave as he continued, "They may already suspect it, or they may still be in the dark. However, I believe they are currently laying a trap for me. They want concrete proof that I am the shadow behind these assassinations."

He paused, letting out a low sigh.

"The political terrain here is treacherous, Master," he added, his voice heavy with tension. "While they won’t easily believe that the ’weak and useless’ Roger could pull off such strikes, they are far from foolish. Sooner or later, they will start connecting the dots."

Silence lingered once more.

Roger was well aware that his longstanding reputation as a weakling remained his greatest shield. Yet with every corpse he left behind, that shield grew thinner by the day.

If this trajectory continued, the question was no longer whether they would uncover his true identity...

It was simply a matter of when.

Therefore, Roger was acutely aware that circumstances could spiral out of control in the blink of an eye, which was precisely why he had prepared this concealed trench in advance. It was not a matter of ungrounded paranoia; at the end of the day, despite the recent explosive surge in his strength, his current level of cultivation remained far from sufficient.

"Lady Amelia... do not worry. Everything will be completely under control. I have learned a few tricks..."

"I truly hope you don’t get caught... because I won’t be able to help you."

At that moment... the communication between the two had officially ended.

Upon ending the communication, Roger did not immediately return to his previous task. Instead, he reached out and picked up a weathered skull, its subtle features blurring the line between human and monstrous origins.

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Author’s Note:

Notice that this novel only has four reviews so far...

It’s incredibly discouraging, and I’m feeling really frustrated about continuing this story. Things are getting harder and harder

I really want to know—is the novel actually good, or not?

, so if you’ve made it this far, please leave a review on the novel or send a gift...

I deeply appreciate anything that comes from my dear readers.

bye bye ..