However, it didn't happen.
Cattleya couldn't find any words to comfort the person she cared about, the princess who was like a mother to her.
Because she knew that what Gehrman Sparrow accused her of was exactly what Bernadette Gustave did on a daily basis.
However, she was still unwilling to compromise emotionally.
"You claim...you know a lot about Emperor Roselle?"
Before she was even three years old, and before she had a complete and clear memory, the princess had already come to her side, like an angel, giving selfless love and care to this lonely orphan who didn't even know who her parents were.
In her teenage years, a time when feelings should be stirring and she should be most sensitive and melancholic, the princess coldly and ruthlessly told her that her destiny lay elsewhere.
Although there was no word of expulsion, her pitiful, distorted inferiority complex still prevented her from shamelessly staying by the princess's side.
She has troubled the princess too much, so she should leave.
Although the elders on the ship tried to persuade her to stay and later often "secretly" tried to help her, she was ultimately all alone.
From that moment on, she became increasingly aware that she had never truly understood the princess, nor had she ever truly grasped her essence. This was why, on sleepless nights, whenever she tried to relive her childhood in her dreams and imagine the princess's tenderness, she would fall into a state of helpless bewilderment.
At this moment, this Terensusian man of unknown origin and shrouded in mystery claims to know about Emperor Roselle, and his tone and manner seem to place himself in a position of greater intimacy with the princess.
On what grounds?
Cattleya was unconvinced, but she unusually restrained herself, because she was more interested in knowing the source of Gehrman Sparrow's confidence.
"You know, we were Roselle's original allies, and the Secret Order is the best proof of that."
Unfortunately, Gehrman's amused gaze and vague, perfunctory answers proved that he was unwilling to mention the truth, let alone explain what his so-called "understanding" was.
"If what you say is true, then everyone in the Secret Order can claim to be intimately connected with the Emperor!"
Cattleya pursued relentlessly, her impulsive behavior leaving Klein feeling helpless.
"Ms. Cattleya, we all have secrets. Are you determined to pry and force me to reveal things you can't understand or believe before you're satisfied?"
Klein temporarily removed his mask.
He understands Cattleya, just as he and Cattleya are trying to reconcile with the "past".
Both of them were people who had lost their origins and could not find their way home. Their familiar yet strange hometown, or rather their true selves, were so close yet untouchable.
That is why he felt compassion and took the initiative to communicate with the two pirate generals, temporarily acting as a buffer between the two sides in the name of fulfilling his duties as a divine messenger, and sat down in the office.
"If Bernadette herself were standing in front of me now, I could certainly tell her everything, explaining to her bit by bit the secrets her father took to the grave."
"Go and answer her questions, give her hope, and tell her that her father may not really be dead and that the cause she has persisted in for nearly two hundred years is worthwhile."
"But I can't communicate these things with you."
"It's not because you're not qualified to communicate with me and share those secrets, but because the person involved has the right to be the first."
"What I want to discuss with you now is how to avoid a tragedy. We don't want to see Russell Gustave's daughter go down the wrong path and ruin everything before she can succeed."
Heartfelt words wouldn't be accepted by the equally stubborn Cattleya, but she was, after all, a pirate general who had roamed the seas for many years. Her long-term independent life and the hardships of wandering had worn down her patience. She forced herself to calm down quickly, suppress her restless emotions, and get back to business.
"Please speak."
Klein nodded, his stiff lips attempting to curve into a smile again, but then froze halfway, the mask-like, fake smile suddenly transforming into a strange expression.
As expected, the "Trentost style" is still not suitable for me... Klein gave up on continuing to pretend and could only say with an awkward, expressionless face.
"Simply put, both the Empire and I hope that Bernadette can temporarily put aside her suspicions and cooperate with the Empire."
"We both know very well that the Empire is facing a war against the gods of the Northern Continent, those traitors who betrayed the Creator in the past."
"On this point, the Empire and Bernadette share the same enemy, and we are natural allies."
He flipped his hand, and a delicate, jet-black card appeared out of thin air between his nimble fingers, so fast that even the two pirate generals standing in front of him could not see it.
"This is the 'Black Emperor' card."
"Even among all the 'blasphemous cards,' this one is of great significance to Roselle."
"There are now three candidates vying for the throne of 'Emperor,' and two of them are competing for the same one."
"The people of Rune, the Augustus dynasty has its own agenda, and it has indeed received support from the Lord of Storms and the Goddess of Night. You can tell this information to Bernadette, and she will understand which one I am referring to."
"Emperors of the Empire also have motives to contend for power. After all, His Majesty Orsono suffered even more pain than Bernadette. They had similar experiences, and time had greatly aggravated the torment of hatred on His Majesty Orsono."
"As for the other throne, that is also related to Bernadette."
At this point, Klein couldn't help but glance at "Disease General" Tracy Pelle, who was huddled in the corner of the room, shivering.
The offspring of the witch's high-ranking members realized that the divine messenger was consciously sharing secrets with her, which was a form of trust, but more so a threat and a form of kidnapping.
Secrets are priceless, and sometimes even overhearing them can come at an unimaginable cost.
Klein's unspoken message was effectively conveyed to Tracy, and seeing her panic, Klein felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
"My teacher—Azik Eggers, I believe you already know his true identity."
"Is it 'He,' the 'Death Ruler' of the Spiritual Order?"
This message was confirmed by both the "Elemental Dawn" and the "Morse Penitentiary." The chemical reaction between the angelic identity and the "Emperor's Throne" caused Cattleya to miss the strange pronouns used by Gehrman Sparrow.
The unremarkable pronoun "he" is hardly worthy of referring to an angel.
"Yes, my teacher was the 'Death Consul' of the Fourth Age Byron Empire, and he was also the offspring of the god of death, Salinger. He was the son of the god of death." Klein said with some bitterness, "He was more qualified to inherit the Byron crown than the Byron people who call themselves 'Royalists' today. Moreover, he saw the situation clearly, unlike his descendants who were clinging to the illusion of reviving the Byron Empire and welcoming back the god of death."
"The conflict between Emperor Orsono and him was one-sided, stemming from the natural fear of threats inherent in political beings."
"How to dispel the emperor's suspicion is already an almost impossible miracle, so all I can do is help my teacher as much as possible, just as you have always hoped to help Bernadette."
To dispel Orsono I's apprehension... Cattleya pondered in silence for a moment, vaguely realizing a possibility.
"You mean... you suspect that Emperor Roselle discovered something in the ruins of the Byron Empire?"
She didn't understand.
Why would Gehrman Sparrow portray such a dangerous scheme as a way to bridge the gap between the Second Terensus Empire and Bernadette?
She roughly understood that Gehrman Sparrow, or rather the "Death Consul," suspected that the "Mysterious Queen" possessed the "Death" pathway sequence one, which originally belonged to the Byron Emperor, and wanted to obtain it to advance her career against Orsono I, who was hostile to the Byrons.
But this is far too risky. Leaving aside whether Gehrman Sparrow can come up with an equivalent amount of goods, even if they could, wouldn't it be easy for a child to decide which to support: an emperor or an exiled "death ruler"?
"There is no need to worry about the emperor's retaliation. The Lord dislikes His shortsightedness and is not satisfied with His unbridled suspicion."
Klein provided the answer, an irrefutable answer that can be considered the truth in a theocratic world.
The truth came to light. Since the true Creator had given his opinion, and it was conveyed through the mouth of a divine messenger—presumably His divine messenger would not dare to forge divine will, and His followers have always been known for their fanaticism—that last bit of worry was also eliminated.
Cattleya lowered her head, carefully considering Gehrman Sparrow's proposal.
To be honest, she was somewhat persuaded.
Gehrman pulled out the "Black Emperor" card as a hint to her.
This messenger of the true creator must have already seen all the contents recorded on the "Blasphemy Card," and his wearing of spirit armor is enough to confirm Cattleya's conjecture.
Then there's only one possibility he's referring to.
The intelligence agency of Trensust, or rather the Secret Order that had cooperated with both "Black Emperors," discovered clues in Rune that were enough to make them uneasy.
The Runes, the Augustan royal family, are very likely seeking the sole throne through the "Black Emperor" route, and their original "Arbitrator" route has given them ample motivation.
Legend has it that the "Black Emperor" can return. In the final moments of his life, Emperor Roselle chose to forcibly become emperor by leaping over obstacles, which was also the spiritual pillar that Bernadette had been striving for for many years in pursuit of a miracle.
He may very well have a chance to return.
But what if a new "Black Emperor" is born?
If the original emperor was dethroned by his successor, was there any possibility that Emperor Roselle could return?
The answer is no, and Cattleya knows it very well.
The reason presented to her was even more compelling than the previously alarming claim that Bernadette had offended the Second Empire of Trensault.
Cooperation seems to have become the only option.
"Mr. V, please understand that I am not authorized to make any promises on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen."
"Of course." Klein nodded slightly. "The Empire has not been able to muster the energy to fight against the offspring of an old friend recently. You and she still have time to consider, but you need to be quick."
As he spoke, Klein pulled out another file from Taylor's neat and tidy desk, a file that Taylor had placed in a prominent position beforehand.
In addition to the standard paper stamped with the imperial emblem, there was also a small slip of paper with random handwriting on it.
"We are very grateful for your help during the difficult time in the Rothschild Islands, and you deserve our thanks and gratitude."
Klein released his fingers, and a gentle breeze carried the file, delivering the real reward into Cattleya's hands.
"The above records the Archipelago Branch's investigation summary of the recent actions of various countries in the Northern Continent. Of course, it has been selected, and only some key points can be used for reference."
"There is also a personal gift from me."
Following Klein's pointing finger, Gadriya looked down, her pale purple pupils dilating uncontrollably.
"This is?"
A ritual, a rather complex and tedious ritual, and a priceless name written in hasty handwriting, existing only in legends.
"Duke of Entropy," "Lawyer" pathway sequence two... This is the angel's ascension ceremony... Cattleya tried her best to regain her composure, carefully and cautiously putting away the note and hiding it in a hidden pocket of her robe. After some hesitation, she took it out and stuffed it along with the file under her robe, next to her underwear.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. V... I think I have no reason to continue to doubt your and the Empire's sincerity."
Klein seemed indifferent to Cattleya's sincere gratitude.
It's more accurate to say that most of the "Star General's" reactions were things he had already anticipated.
He made a gesture, and Cattleya, who had completed the transaction and reaped a considerable reward, immediately understood, turned away in silence, and quietly left the office.
As the heavy solid wood door slammed shut, Tracy Pelle, the last remaining pirate general in the room, felt her heart tighten.
"Alright, now it's your turn, Tracy..."
The tenderness vanished from Klein's face, which lacked soft lines, and was replaced by an aloof indifference.
The divine messenger behind the desk slowly leaned back in his chair. This simple movement inexplicably caused Tracy to hallucinate, recalling a gesture she had once witnessed in the gray fog, from that unspeakable being.
Thick, icy fog billowed from the corners and shadows of the room, filling almost every inch except for the two people. The not-so-small office was cut off from the outside world. The silence was broken by a roar whose source was hard to discern, and it seemed as if a dark, ferocious silhouette flashed through the grayish-white fog.
Klein was pleased with the support of the "Hounds of Fugen" and realized that he might be able to build good relations with these enthusiastic spirit beings, in an identity independent of the "God of Mysteries".
After all, these powerful, divine beings were genuinely friendly and willing to help him.
But that's a story for another time. Right now, he has more important things to do.
So he allowed his divinity to erode his reason in order to better play the next, yet somewhat unfamiliar, role.
Looking at the tall figure, which appeared somewhat thin and pitiful due to the mist, Klein gently pressed his fingers down.
"I think, according to the Lord's custom, I can call you 'Chariot'."
"I don't know if you like this nickname?"