Chapter 100: It’s your mother… I think they’ve found her
As soon as those words left the newscaster’s lips, the entire stronghold fell deadly silent like they’d all misheard the woman.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after three months of going Ghost... Kaelen Cross is back with a big bang."
Like a bomb had taken off in the middle of the crowd, the silence became chaos as everyone began talking and arguing at once, while some people could be seen breaking out of the crowd and sprinting home to confirm for themselves.
Meanwhile, Black Rose felt her heart skip a beat as soon as she heard that name, and her throat went dry.
This was actually happening.
Kaelen Cross had decided to show himself in another way, and chose her coronation out of all days to make a comeback.
All this time she wasted searching for Kaelen Cross, he’d been watching her too.
This had to be him sending some kind of message to her... right?
At that moment, her eyes fell on someone standing in the crowd, staring at her. He looked familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. Had she seen him somewhere before?
Her mind was consumed with Kaelen Cross, yet she couldn’t shake off the feeling about the strange man.
The man suddenly smiled, almost in amusement, before he simply turned and began walking away. That was when it clicked in her mind.
That smile... she’d seen it before.
She couldn’t recognize him, but there was no doubt about it.
That man was Kaelen Cross.
Before the eyes of the crowds and officials gathered to celebrate her, Black Rose immediately rose from her seat and lifted the hem of her gown as she began running after the man in the crowd, using the mascot hat to keep track of him.
Everyone was instantly confused, and the surrounding guards immediately began running after her. But even with the heavy ceremonial garment, Black Rose was faster than all of them and stormed into the crowd, shoving people aside as she locked her gaze onto the back of the man who was calmly moving through the crowd without a care in the world.
She ran as fast as she could, catching up to the man before he could disappear from sight once more, and grabbed his shirt, pulling him around to face her.
"E-Empress...?" The man with puffy cheeks, who’d been stuffing a donut into his mouth, was as stunned as Black Rose at what was happening.
Black Rose was speechless as she looked at the mascot hat on the man’s head and looked around the crowd staring at her strangely, many wearing the same mascot hat.
That was when she finally realized she’d been catfished.
Though for some reason, she couldn’t remember the face of the man she saw earlier, he was definitely Kaelen Cross.
Back at the officials’ table, the young master was confused at Black Rose’s reaction and beckoned for a servant.
"What’s going on?" He asked.
Over the past few months, he’d come to realize Kaelen Cross was more than just a famous name in Evolution Online. And though the man was wanted, that didn’t explain the Empress’s obsessive behavior.
"Ah, young master Felix—I mean, Governor Grey, you might not know this, but..." the maidservant scouted the area before she moved closer to whisper. "The Empress and Kaelen Cross have not only had some ’history’ together, but he was also a member of her former guild before his identity was exposed. If I were in the Empress’s shoes, my reaction wouldn’t be far off. It’s just like thinking you saw that one toxic ex in the crowd who killed your father for being against your marriage—"
"You sure read a lot of fiction." Felix suddenly interrupted the maidservant, who was running her mouth.
"Er...? I-I’m sorry I got carried away. I’ll return to my post now," the maidservant pressed her lips together and quickly scurried away, while Felix returned his gaze to Black Rose with a complicated expression.
Black Rose was still standing in the middle of the crowd, the embarrassment slowly creeping in as the guards surrounded her and began pushing the crowd away, when her secretary walked up to her in brisk steps.
"Empress, we’ve just received word from Golgotha that your uncle had an unusual visitor... and has been bailed out."
***
A man with messy hair and a full white beard sat in the visitation booth, opposite a man whose appearance was a contrast to his own.
Neat and smooth shoulder-length hair, but with a bare minimum appearance.
Hunter stared at the man for a long while.
"Who are you again?" He asked curiously.
"This mask is really effective..." Kaelen mumbled to himself in satisfaction, before he focused on Hunter. "Would you believe me if I tell you I’m Kaelen Cross?"
Hunter stared at him in silence for another minute, before he suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter.
"You don’t believe me?"
Hunter kept laughing for a moment longer before he waved his hands uncontrollably at him. "I’m sorry, but... what the hell happened to your face?" He said and began laughing once more.
Kaelen’s eyes twitched.
’Is the Mask of Mediocrity that bad?’
He gave the man a minute to catch his breath.
"I was just watching Black Rose on TV and news about you suddenly showed up." The man said and paused for a moment. "It’s good to see you again."
"Yeah. I’m going to go straight to the point. I’ve been caught up with something for the past three months, and just came back and there’s already a lot of changes."
"I’m as surprised as you are too. But I’m not going to lead you on, I really have no idea what’s happening. The capital affairs are airtight, and I’m genuinely worried about what Black Rose might’ve gotten herself into."
"I see." Kaelen mumbled quietly to himself.
It turns out he might not be getting any official information anymore, as the only informant he could trust was in jail.
Even if Kaelen bailed him, that wouldn’t change the fact that things wouldn’t go back to the way they used to be.
"As soon as I walk out of this place, you’re getting out as well. This is for the help you provided me back then, so we’re even now." Kaelen said and stood up.
He wasn’t here for chitchat, and planned to leave immediately. He still had a lot on his plate, and a lot to catch up on.
"You didn’t have to, but I guess it’s never too early to retire."
Kaelen smiled at the man’s dark humor.
"Actually, before you leave, I do have something for you." Hunter suddenly said. "You came all the way here to see me, but it’s only normal for me to treat you to something.
"I might not have any information about the capital affairs, but I do have something you might want to interest yourself with." He said as his expression became serious.
"Is that so?" Kaelen asked plainly.
What could possibly be of interest to him that wasn’t the plans of Black Rose, and new information about Evolution Online?
But before he could think any further, Hunter spoke again.
"It’s your mother... I think they’ve found her."