CHAPTER 460: REY’S REASON

Coco approached the gazebo, her eyes falling upon the figure seated within the dark, his form was distinctively recognizable from where Coco stood.

Coco paused for a moment, taking in the sight of Rey sitting in the chair inside the gazebo.

Her heart started pounding faster with anticipation as she wondered what he wanted to discuss— nevertheless, she continued forward and entered the gazebo to greet him.

Rey quickly stood up as Coco drew nearer, a look of relief on his face.

"Coco!" He exclaimed, a hint of nerves in his voice as he gestured towards the seat next to him, motioning for her to sit. "Please, take a seat."

Coco offered a warm smile in response, her eyes flickering with curiosity as she gracefully took the seat Rey had offered her.

"Thank you." She replied, her voice soft and gentle.

Coco settled herself into the seat, her gaze lifting to gaze at the night sky that spread above them as a soft sigh escaped her lips, acknowledging the chilliness of the evening.

"It is rather cold out here." Coco hummed. "We shouldn’t linger too long."

She turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting Rey’s, silently encouraging him to begin speaking which caused Rey to with his hands, his nerves apparent as he began to address the topic at hand.

"About Kairo..." He began, his voice tinged with hesitance, pausing for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before continuing. "It’s completely fine if you don’t want to marry him anymore, but I was hoping you would allow him to remain here until I return."

Rey fidgeted anxiously as Coco’s eyes fixated on him, her gaze showing her surprise.

He took a moment to gather himself, his heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety so with a hint of urgency in his voice, he stated the reason why.

"I.. Received information from the mercenary I hired." He explained, his words coming out in a rush. "They have found her... And him. I intended to depart tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun began to rise."

"What—"

"I thought that time would be ideal." Rey’s words fell heavy between them and cut Coco off, his eyebrows, each sentence making Coco surprised.

Coco’s lips softly parted in response, but Rey didn’t let her say something and continued speaking, his voice breaking lightly, dripping with pain.

"Baroness Hughes isn’t someone of great importance in the kingdom.." He explained, a lodge forming in his throat. "But she wields both wealth and influence, commanding people to do her bidding."

"Rey.." Coco murmured, unable to form a proper response.

"Being sent to Yogusho Village meant that I was no longer important to my father." He continued, his words tinged with a bitter tone. "I was thrown away, discarded like an old toy that had outlived its usefulness."

Rey’s fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily as he spoke, his emotions evident in his tense movements.

"I was told to keep a watchful eye on you." He revealed, letting out a sigh. "I understood the reason for this shortly after we met and it became clear how much of a threat you posed to her."

Coco’s eyes widened in shock, her eyebrows furrowing in a mixture of confusion and concern.

However, as she listened to Rey’s revelations and situation, a question escaped her lips, filled with curiosity with a slight edge of disbelief.

"A threat?" she echoed, her voice tinged with surprise. "But the Baroness has already disowned me. How could I pose a threat?"

This time, it was Rey who furrowed his eyebrows as he met Coco’s gaze, his expression was both of concern and determination, but there was puzzlement and astonishment.

"Coco.. You bear her blood, making you a Hughes." He explained, his gaze holding Coco’s intently. "And it is the Hughes’ most powerful asset, for the blessings of mana they command run through your veins."

Coco’s eyes widened as the realization slowly dawned upon her, her mouth falling open in a silent gasp.

The pieces of the puzzle began falling into place and a wave of understanding washed over her face— the reason behind her extraordinary ability to recharge magical objects suddenly made sense!

It was all because of her predecessor’s lineage; her Hughes bloodline!

"The Hughes family has always been known for the abundant mana flowing through their veins." The mediator stated gravely. "With you as the sole child, you are the rightful heiress, even if your mother, the Baroness, refuses to acknowledge it."

Coco’s head bobbed up and down in understanding as she absorbed the information provided, but as her mind processed the situation, a question formed in her mind, prompting her to ask for clarification.

"I understand everything." Coco responded, her voice tinged with finality. "But I have an important question... Why is it important for me to protect Kairo? What does the Baroness intend to do to him and how come only I can be the one to protect him?"

"Because even if you have been disowned." He said, his gaze unwavering, "The law remains which states that no one can kill an heir or heiress of a particular noble house."

"Wait, what?" Coco blinked owlishly.

Coco Hughes was already when she took over her body! Someone must have killed her, right? She was in the middle of the forest and seemed like she was beaten to death.

"They can only be exiled or cast aside, but they are protected from being intentionally killed unless they fall victim to unfortunate circumstances or accidents, Coco." Rey informed her, frowning.

Rey’s voice was solemn and serious as he responded to Coco’s question, his words carrying the gravity of the situation.

He explained the law that governed the treatment of heirs and heiresses within noble houses so that should be enough, right? Coco was a noble before she was disowned.. She at least had an education regarding this kind of thing, no?

"I’ll leave you the money you may need while I’m gone, just protect please.. Protect Kairo."