Chapter 442

Odalys was speechless, stunned. She hadn't expected Percival's instantaneous reaction. When disaster struck, he’d stepped directly in front of her, shielding her without hesitation.

Her eyes widened in shock. Before she could process the event, the ancestral tablets, which had fallen to the ground, shook violently with a deep boom. Her body still trembled.

The entire room shuddered. Odalys pulled away from Percival’s embrace, scattering dust and debris with a sweep of her hand. The scent of melted wax filled the air as she stepped forward.

Then, a beam of golden light shot from the shadows, like a bridge, crossing Percival and enveloping her. Odalys froze, her hand instinctively clenching, her gaze fixed on the light. Her lips pressed tightly together as she stared at the fallen tablets.

"What's going on?" Percival asked, equally shocked.

He watched in disbelief as the golden light passed through him and seemed to merge with Odalys. He tried to intervene, but the light, mist-like and immaterial, slipped through his fingers.

"This is the primordial spirit of the Stewart ancestors," Odalys explained quietly.

Silence fell, a heavy, unsettling silence. Odalys's heart pounded. She continued to stare at the tablets, her mind racing, but remained silent.

Seconds ticked by. Finally, Percival stepped forward, carefully lifting and arranging the fallen tablets. Although he knew this wasn't the main ancestral hall, but merely a side room, he couldn't disrespect his ancestors' spirits by leaving the sacred tablets scattered.

It wasn't until Percival had placed the last tablet that Odalys snapped out of her trance. She reached into the cracked candleholder, rummaging through the debris. Her fingers brushed against something—a piece of yellowed paper.

She pulled it out. Percival frowned, approaching her.

"What is this?" he asked, his gaze falling to the yellow paper in her hand.

She unfolded it slowly, revealing characters written in shimmering dust—magic dust.

"My astrological signs," Odalys said softly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Percival's brow furrowed as he read the symbols. His instincts sharpened. He scanned the room, unease mounting. "But how would anyone know your astrological signs? And why here, in front of the Stewart family's tablets? This doesn't make sense."

He paused, suspicion deepening. "You and I hadn't even met before the marriage arrangement. The Bennett and Stewart families have never had any real connection. My grandfather briefly mentioned an arranged marriage, but you were abandoned by the Bennett family long ago. No one but them could know your astrological signs. And now this place is riddled with strange energy, Odalys. This isn't right."

His hand instinctively moved to shield her. His gut told him this was no coincidence—whatever was happening was meant for her.

Odalys pondered before speaking. "It seems you and the Stewart family are fated to be involved"

Odalys's mind wandered to their past lives. After her death, Percival had retrieved her body, though she wasn't sure if he'd returned it to her master before he died. In that life, Percival had died carrying her, meaning she owed him a life.

And now, in this lifetime, they were bound by some unknown past thread.

"Are you connected to the Stewart family? You mean, from the beginning, someone set a trap to marry you into the Stewart family, tying you and me together?" Percival steadied himself, regaining his composure. He didn't lose his composure over small matters.

"Yes," Odalys nodded.

She crumpled the yellow paper and stuffed it into her bag.

"This isn't an illusion. It's an energy nexus. Positive energy peaks during the day, but negative energy is strongest at night. They placed the spirit hall and your father's trapped soul here, unaware of his death, causing him to repeatedly return home, seeking you. He's trapped—unable to leave or reincarnate. It's like a Devil's Triangle; he's perpetually stuck. This place weighs on my astrological signs, meaning someone foresaw our marriage and my difficult fate. Over time, the negative energy would have deteriorated my body. But after leaving the Bennetts and returning to Crownridge, I've improved. This method failed."

Percival was surprised. He'd suspected an impact, but not this.

"They wanted to use the negative energy to harm you, binding us. With me poisoned and you deteriorating, the Stewart family would lose hope. The goal was to replace the Stewart family, starting with my father, then me, and finally you. But if my grandfather hadn't insisted on the marriage to 'counteract bad luck,' their plan would have failed, right?" Percival furrowed his brows. Counteracting bad luck wasn't something human effort could control.

Odalys said, "When I looked at your astrological signs, I saw our past life connection. Our fates were intertwined. The golden light passed through you and into me. They sensed my arrival because my astrological signs have been anchored here, protected until I arrived. If I hadn't come tonight, perhaps it would have ended. But now I've reclaimed my signs, protected by the Stewart family's ancestral tablets, and my body hasn't been harmed."

"As long as we take your father away tonight and leave, the person behind this will panic. You came here to find the Simpson villa, and you've come to the right place," Odalys said excitedly, feeling closer to the source.

Percival relaxed, seeing her enthusiasm.

"Why did you suddenly decide to come here?" Odalys asked, curious. Percival wouldn't normally rush from Crownridge, but he seemed determined to find the Simpson villa.