Francis stared at Lucas who was crying so much and sighed. "Go back to the palace right now. You're the only one missing. Father loved you the most when he was alive. You should go and see him for the last time."
During the entire journey to the palace, Lucas was crying helplessly. Unconcerned about his image and composure, he wiped his tears with his clothes. When Francis noticed this, he looked at his younger brother with a frown. Lucas had always been profligate. Who would have thought that he would be so shattered about the death of the emperor? In fact, he must be the only one who was genuinely disheartened about it!
Lucas blew his nose with a handkerchief and continued crying. He then said, "Francis, how did our father pass away? He was fine yesterday. If I had known that this would happen, I wouldn't have been mad at him and run to the brothel. Even if Father wanted to kill me, I would have shamelessly stayed in the Tranquil Hall."
In an ambiguous tone, Francis responded, "Don't worry; you're not alone in your sentiments. I'm also surprised. Who would have thought that Felix hated our father so much since he was deprived of his title as the crown prince? With deep hatred, he sneaked into the palace to assassinate our father. When I arrived, our father was already dead and Felix was about to flee so I killed him on the spot. I didn't have a choice."
Lucas was so stunned so he asked, "How could that be possible? How could Felix do that?"
"I can't believe it either. Our father had been so merciful to him. He didn't even punish Felix with a death sentence after he tried to murder him. But still, without an ounce of guilt or shame in his body, Felix took our father's life. If I had known that he would do that, I shouldn't have interfered and pleaded our father's forgiveness for him." Tears fell from the corner of Francis' eyes. He wiped them off his face and turned away from Lucas. It was like he didn't want anyone to see him in a sorrowful and regretful state.
Lucas was rendered speechless and silently burst into another set of tears. Inside the palace, the body of the emperor was placed in the Immortal Hall. Princes and princesses were kneeling down in a respectful manner. Lucas changed into a mourning garment and was silently crying in front of the emperor.
When Lilian saw that Lucas had come back, she looked at him with so much worry. She wanted to say something, but in the end, stopped herself from doing so. The entire Immortal Hall was filled with sobs and silent cries.
Meanwhile, Harper was sitting nearby in silence. She was only the sister-in-law of the emperor, so she wasn't obliged to kneel down and mourn for him. Wale, the youngest prince, was also present. He was in the arms of his nanny. He didn't cry or make any noise at all. The emperor had a lot of sons, but after all sorts of political struggle, there were only a few left. At that moment, the royals looked like a small family.
When Francis came in, he knelt down immediately. Even though he looked steady while on his knees, his face was filled with the sorrow of losing a beloved one. Meanwhile, Sherry and Monica were crying so hard that they passed out and were sent to their respective residences.
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