The first thing Marcellus did when he returned was naturally to investigate the cause of death of the two private soldiers who had been guarding Arabella.
After receiving the report from the forensic doctor, Marcellus stared at the photos of the bodies for a long while.
He had considered many scenarios beforehand, such as the two soldiers failing to notice Arabella and giving her an opportunity, or not administering enough anesthesia, which allowed her to escape. However, the actual cause of their deaths turned out to be water droplets piercing their throats. Arabella not only feigned being subdued by sedatives but also concealed her mastery of hidden weapons.
No wonder Faceless Ghost looked so troubled when he mentioned his injury. Faceless Ghost was skilled with hidden weapons, yet he was defeated by Arabella's own hidden weapon, which was a blow to his pride. He had heard rumors about him being a master of hidden weapons, able to kill with anything from flowers to leaves, but he never expected to see it firsthand. Arabella truly opened his eyes.
He was sitting in his office, quietly thinking that Arabella had concealed herself well, when the internal phone rang. He picked it up, and after listening, his expression changed instantly.
"What nonsense is this? How could she suddenly die? Get a car ready—I'm going to the maximum-security prison. Also, hurry and notify the doctor to rush to the prison."
But when the doctor handed him the examination report, Marcellus's eyes filled with disbelief. After a moment, he erupted in anger: "Impossible! She was perfectly fine before!"
The doctor calmly adjusted his glasses and spoke in an almost cruel tone: "I've already made the patient's condition abundantly clear before, yet in less than a month, her injuries have worsened. How can she possibly be saved now?"
Marcellus glared at Taras with resentment, but Taras remained calm and even asked the doctor: "How much longer can the suspect last? If the trial proceeds quickly, will a few months be enough?"
The doctor paused for a moment before saying, "If nothing unexpected happens, lying like this, she might hold on for at most another six months." This sentence was tantamount to sentencing Arabella to death. Marcellus's eyes reddened instantly, and he glared at Taras with gritted teeth, growling, "She's dying, and you're still thinking about holding a trial?"
"Her death by public execution after facing trial is completely different in nature from her dying from illness." Taras remained unmoved and continued to implore the doctor, "Doctor, please do whatever it takes to save her until the judgment is delivered."
The doctor nodded. He was just a doctor, but a doctor with the heart of a parent. Even without Taras's request, he would still do everything in his power to save the patient's life.
"Fxxck you, Blade. This is my territory, and I won't allow you to be so arrogant. Dare to touch her and see what happens?"
Taras remained unusually calm, completely ignoring Marcellus's angry scolding. His sharp brow arched slightly, and with a half-smile, he met Marcellus's gaze: "What a pity, though. Arabella's case has already been submitted to the international court and is under review. With her crimes today, the judgment will come down soon. If you protect her and refuse to hand over the criminal for punishment, Scalien will face international sanctions. Are you willing to pit your own people against the world just to protect a criminal? Do your citizens know about this?"
Marcellus shot a cold glance at Taras, his eyes filled with venom. Blade had clearly misjudged him, thinking he was the good guy. In a fit of rage, he tore off the tie around his neck. What was the point of ruling this country if he didn't have the power to protect Arabella in Scalien? He donned a human skin for power, yet deep down, he was more ruthless than anyone else. Arabella was the obsession he had harbored in his heart for so long. To keep her, he even dared betray his own brother; and for her to return without hesitation, he had spent these years secretly seizing power, sidelining his father.
He knew that one day, Arabella would return for Cyrus. He just hoped that when she came back, it wouldn't be under the same circumstances as before, with armies surrounding her from all sides.
But there were still those who wouldn't even spare her when she was on the verge of death!
Marcellus didn't waste any more words and turned to leave. International sanctions? He remembered that there were two national leaders staying at the state guesthouse. He didn't believe that those two, who were deeply entangled with Arabella, would remain indifferent.
Marcellus studied Julius. After their time together, he understood clearly that the man before him, with his seemingly gentle and refined demeanor, was in fact cruel and cunning, like a poisonous snake lurking in the grass—an utter pervert who reveled in manipulating others' hearts.
The situation was urgent. When Marcellus arrived, he saw Julius pretending to sip his drink casually. He decided to get straight to the point. "Arabella is severely injured and being held in prison. If the international court proceeds with the trial, she'll be sentenced to death within half a month. I don't want to hand her over."
When Julius heard Marcellus's words, he lazily looked at him with his deep eyes, a hint of mockery in his gaze. "Haven't you always claimed you wanted to kill Arabella? What's the sudden change of heart? And what does it have to do with me?"
"Julius, there's no one else here. We both know who you are, no need for any pretenses. You once dedicated yourself to saving her, so why, now, are you standing by and doing nothing?"
At these words, Julius's expression darkened, and he muttered with hatred, "Arabella didn't even care about me when she was about to die. Why should I bother with a ruthless woman like her?"
Marcellus didn't catch the hidden meaning in Julius's words. He thought that Julius was just having difficulty accepting that Arabella was going to die, so he attempted to form an alliance. "Leaving the other war-torn countries aside, if you, I, and Jasper join forces to challenge the international court's decision, we might be able to buy some time."
Unexpectedly, Julius suppressed the hatred in his expression and looked at Marcellus with disdain. "General Ackerley, you're quite amusing. If you hadn't kept holding onto Cyrus's corpse all these years, Arabella wouldn't have been forced into such a desperate situation. Now, for you to say something like this, it's rather laughable. Besides, I've told you, I have nothing to do with Arabella. Why should I help her?"
Marcellus's face turned ashen. Julius, being as ruthless as he was, naturally knew where to strike to hit the most vulnerable spot. He had intentionally kept Cyrus's body as leverage, putting Marcellus in an eternal dilemma—without Cyrus, Arabella could never return, but with Arabella's return, she would have to face the life-or-death situation.
Julius hit a dead end, so he turned to seek out Jasper. To his surprise, Jasper's attitude was rather good upon hearing his intention, though his face showed an expression of disbelief.
"General Ackerley, I had heard about you before I came. In just a few years, you've consolidated both military and political power into your hands, quite an extraordinary person. I thought someone like you wouldn't be swayed by emotions. But I didn't expect that today's conversation would catch me off guard. Arabella and I are simply partners of mutual benefit; I've worked with her once and we have no further connection. Why would I use the power I've worked so hard to acquire for a stranger?"
Jasper's subtle rebuke raised Marcellus's anger a few notches. He then spoke with a cold, hard tone: "You truly value your power, General. I'm just curious—what kind of deal did Arabella strike with you that could have outweighed her helping you seize control of a nation?"
Jasper smiled, maintaining his composure, but gave Marcellus a deep, knowing look before replying, "It's nothing major. She just asked to borrow a way into the Mountains range. To her, I think retrieving what she wanted from Scalien is far more important than power."
Marcellus said no more and turned to leave. He had no choice but to go. It turned out that everyone knew Arabella was willing to risk everything for Cyrus, and Marcellus himself knew this, which was why he had been pressuring her all these years to return to Scalien and face everything from the past.
Meanwhile, at the prison, Taras, the Faceless Ghost, and Bramwell decided to stay at the prison temporarily to prevent any further incidents. The warden didn't dare to slack off and cleared out three offices, converting them for their use. Arabella's case proceeded smoothly, partly because, on one hand, it was the result of years of meticulous planning and the gathering of abundant evidence; on the other, it was because Arabella had committed an heinous crime under the watchful eyes of all, provoking public outrage. From the trial to the final verdict, within just over half a month, Arabella was sentenced to death, and the execution by firing squad was scheduled for five days later.
With everything settled, Taras and the Faceless Ghost finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, it was at this moment that Bramwell proposed to leave.
"Why leave at a time like this?" Faceless Ghost, feeling guilty for having wronged Bramwell, now looked at him with a sense of mutual understanding. After spending time with him, he had come to realize that Bramwell was solid, low-key, and an exceptional policeman, a rare find.
Bramwell stopped packing his things, smiled at the Faceless Ghost, and then turned to explain to Taras, "Arabella's case is finally settled. Now I need to go take care of my own matters."
"You mean you're going back to expose the corrupt cop in your country's upper ranks?"
Bramwell smiled at Faceless Ghost and affirmed, "Yes, the corrupt cop. I'll find him myself."
"Do you not need help? I originally planned to investigate the leaking of secrets and any public officials involved in illegal activities after everything is done. Also, we can use this opportunity to start targeting AE's criminal forces."
"Exactly because of that, I need to go back and prepare. We've already shown our faces with AE, and because of Arabella's case, we've stirred up the hornet's nest. AE is always cautious in its actions, so it will be hard to catch them off guard in the short term."
Faceless Ghost smiled and pointed to himself, "No worries, I'm here. I'll make sure that guy can't defend himself."
"That's why I need to return first, to resolve any lingering concerns."
Taras nodded in agreement, "Indeed, we can't rush it. AE is different from Arabella; he's much better at hiding his true nature. It's very difficult to gather evidence of his crimes, and we need to be extra careful of the high-ranking officials who may be colluding with him. Be sure to stay safe when you go back. The people above aren't easy to deal with."
Bramwell's actions were swift. As soon as he proposed the plan, he disguised himself and left that very day. After Faceless Ghost finished inspecting Arabella's cell that night, he went to Taras, pulling him along for a drink.
"You can't drink. It's easy to make mistakes when drinking. We still need to take turns watching over Arabella."
Faceless Ghost sat down directly, opened the bottle of wine for himself, and poured a full glass. Shaking his head, he said, "I ran into the doctor during my rounds just now. the doctor said that Arabella's condition is critical, and recently, she's been waking up less and less. Who could possibly save her now? Even Raven has betrayed her. I heard that Marcellus previously sought out Julius and Jasper, but they hit a dead end. After the judgment came down today, Marcellus hasn't left his mansion for a whole day."
Taras sighed silently, perhaps reminded of many past events with Arabella. His expression grew somewhat melancholic as he decisively poured himself a glass of wine and drank it in one go.
"You and Arabella have been through thick and thin these years. Could it be that you've really never been moved by her?" Faceless Ghost followed suit, finishing his glass and asking with curiosity.
Taras remained silent for a moment before pouring himself another glass. "You know, as police officers, we're born enemies of criminals. An enemy isn't someone you like, because an enemy is an enemy. It's a matter of life and death between us. You can only defeat the other. It doesn't matter if the enemy is interesting or attractive. If you have such a clear understanding, how could you ever love your enemy?"
Faceless Ghost listened with deep respect. Blade had long been one of the most trusted and supported police officers internationally, and his unwavering belief was an indispensable factor in that.
"However—tomorrow I plan to ask Arabella if she has any last words. A person nearing death... might as well send her on her way." Taras let out a bitter laugh and silently took another drink. In his heart, he knew all too well—reason and emotion would always be an insurmountable divide.
When the judgment was handed down, Marcellus couldn't sleep a wink that night. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he held the document, and then a heart-wrenching cry escaped him. He had never screamed with such anguish in his life—not when his brother Cyrus died, not when Arabella escaped with a slim chance of survival. Now, as Arabella returned, just as he had wished, he was forced to watch her face the firing squad. It was as though he were vomiting blood from his heart, the pain so unbearable that he bent over, holding the judgment in his hands, silently sobbing in anguish.
But what could he do? He had exhausted every method, yet he couldn't stop Arabella's death.
The next day, Taras found Arabella already waiting for him in bed. He frowned and softly asked, "Could you repeat the request you made earlier?"
Arabella, pale-faced, said clearly and slowly, "I have only one last wish. After my death, I want my body to be buried alongside Cyrus, somewhere away from Scalien."
"You want to be buried with Cyrus? Who will take your bodies?"
Arabella looked at Taras with determination in her eyes and answered firmly, "Ferdinand!"
