Chapter 236: The Truth About Cecile’s Condition
Inside one of the main bedrooms of the Rivas family mansion, Irene sat on her cultivation mattress, meditating. A frown was visible on her face, and sweat dripped from her brow as she struggled to concentrate. An hour ago, she had suddenly received a letter from an unknown sender, and ever since reading its contents, she had been unable to stop thinking about it.
The letter stated that something significant would happen and that she needed to be strong, as it was related to her retainer within the mansion. Irene wanted to understand what was going on but didn’t know who to ask. Her thoughts turned to her retainer, Cecile, since the letter specifically mentioned her. She wished to speak with Cecile but felt she might refuse to talk about it. Their relationship had grown distant a few days before Irene was trapped in the Everlasting Silent Forest over a decade ago.
Cecile’s gestures and the way she spoke to Irene felt distant, and this remained unchanged even today. She spent most of her time in her room, only coming out when assigned a task by Irene. Cecile rarely spoke to Irene now, and on the rare occasions Irene managed to talk to her, Cecile seemed reluctant to engage in conversation. Irene had already asked a few maids about what had happened with Cecile, but all their answers were the same—they didn’t know.
Irene felt sad, but she couldn’t force Cecile to speak if she didn’t want to share anything. She didn’t know what to do, and now, with the letter warning her about something that might happen to her, she couldn’t calm her mind, no matter how hard she tried.
"This won’t do. This isn’t good for my heart. I’d better try asking her again," Irene decided, resolving to be more assertive with Cecile this time. With that, she ended her cultivation session and walked toward the door of her room. However, before she could step outside, she sensed several presences passing by her room. Confused, she opened the door and was stunned by the attire of the people walking past.
"The Iron Fist Order."
That was a group of cultivators from the Rivas family, who mobilized only when a serious crime occurred within the family, and they were the ones who enacted judgment. Seeing a dozen members of the Iron Fist Order walking purposefully toward an unknown destination, Irene couldn’t help but wonder what had happened.
Then, she remembered the warning in the letter—that something would happen to Cecile. Her heart trembled at the possibility that Cecile might have committed a grave offense, one serious enough to prompt the Iron Fist Order to act.
She ran toward the group and blocked their path. The group was stunned that Irene had stopped them, but they slightly bowed their heads in respect.