Bernadette couldn't help but suppress a smile. It wasn't her first time attending a Roselle memorial exhibition, so the display of a flush toilet didn't surprise her. But perhaps because Roselle himself was standing nearby this time, she felt an odd twinge as she looked at the contraption.
Still… seeing Roselle, visibly embarrassed and irritated by the toilet exhibit, somehow lifted Bernadette's spirits. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Just like before."
"What?" Though her voice was soft, Roselle, ever attentive to his cherished daughter, caught her words and immediately asked, "What's just like before?"
"I mean, Dad, you give me the same feeling as you did a long time ago." Bernadette paused, caught off guard that Roselle had heard her, but she didn't hide her thoughts. With an open and honest tone, she continued:
"Ever since… that time, I haven't seen you show such human emotions on your face."
Roselle fell silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he reached out and gently ruffled Bernadette's hair. "I'm sorry, Bernadette."
"You don't need to apologize to me, or rather…" Bernadette hesitated, but looking at Roselle with earnest eyes, she said, "The ones you should apologize to aren't me."
Roselle had indeed raised Bernadette well. Despite her deep love for her father, she still chose to face the mistakes he had made. Their hard-won reunion didn't blind her to the existence of his wrongs.
Roselle opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes. "Those were indeed my sins."
Roselle wouldn't deny the wrongs he'd committed, nor the despicable things he'd done. Whether or not those actions were influenced by Outer Deities, he had done them, and they were wrong.
Roselle was a scoundrel, but at the very least, he owned up to his actions.
Seeing him like this, Bernadette pursed her lips, growing more certain of a suspicion in her heart. She couldn't hold back her question: "Dad, what really happened back then? Why did you suddenly become like that?"
"…I'm sorry, Bernadette. For your safety, I can't tell you." Roselle shook his head.
Knowledge of the Outer Deities would corrupt anyone below the rank of an angel. Roselle would never risk Bernadette's safety.
"Don't press your father." Alaric interjected at that moment, smiling at Bernadette. "As a Mystery Pryer, you should know there are truths in this world that are dangerous just to know. If you truly want answers, strive to ascend to Sage!"
Bernadette's eyes flickered as a thought struck her. She bit her lower lip and looked at Roselle. "So, the reason you became so depraved and mad in your later years... it was because of some external influence, wasn't it?"
Bernadette was no fool. Even without knowledge of the Outer Deities, the information she had was enough to fuel her guesses.
Or perhaps, deep down, Bernadette wanted to believe this was true. She was human, with her own biases. While she wouldn't deny Roselle's sins, she preferred to believe his later actions were influenced by some external force rather than accept that he was simply a vile man.
That was human nature... self-interest and duty intertwined, endlessly complex.
Roselle's lips moved slightly, but he didn't deny her words.
Deep down, he too hoped his daughter would think better of him.
Even though Roselle knew full well that, even without the influence of the Outer Deities, he was still a scoundrel at heart.
Alaric watched the scene quietly, letting out a soft "tsk" in his mind, finding the moment intriguing.
Bernadette, with her upright principles, still subconsciously sought excuses for her father's evils. And Roselle, who had once treated the world like a game and was a scoundrel in every sense, still wished to maintain a shred of a positive image in his daughter's eyes.
Their good and evil were both real. So were their self-interests.
Human nature, Alaric thought, was truly fascinating.
He felt he'd learned something new, and with it, his human shell seemed to grow a little more stable.
Hmm, it feels like I've stumbled onto something profound, Alaric thought with a chuckle, blinking as he prepared to say something to break the mood. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something.
The person he'd noticed happened to look in his direction at the same moment and froze.
Klein hadn't expected to run into someone he knew just by visiting a Roselle memorial exhibition.
Of course, considering Mr. Lucifer's peculiar interest in "transmigrators." it wasn't entirely surprising to encounter him here.
What gave Klein pause, however, was the person standing beside Mr. Lucifer. They seemed… faintly familiar.
Almost instinctively, Klein recalled the portraits of Emperor Roselle he'd studied, comparing them to the figure next to Mr. Lucifer. He came to a realization... despite the disguise, it was almost certainly Emperor Roselle himself.
Of course, given Mr. Lucifer's unique abilities, this was likely a summoned version of the past Emperor Roselle.
Should he go over and say hello?
Klein hesitated, torn between curiosity and caution. Ever since his own "transmigration." He'd been avidly following Roselle's diaries, intrigued by this remarkable "transmigrator" predecessor.
But he worried Mr. Lucifer might not welcome him, leaving him unsure whether to approach.
While Klein wavered, Lil' Amon, who had come along to the exhibition, had no such reservations. Spotting Lucifer, Amon dashed over without hesitation.
"Uncle Lucifer, good morning!"
"Good morning, Lil' Amon. Are you here with Klein to see the exhibition?" Alaric bent down to catch the enthusiastic Amon, ruffling their fluffy hair before looking up at Klein with a smile. "You're on Amon duty today?"
"Yeah, Medici's tied up with something, so it's my turn to look after Amon." Klein replied, following Amon over. He nodded and added, "I had a few tickets to the Roselle exhibition, and I figured Amon should learn a bit about modern history, so I brought them along."
Alaric wasn't surprised. He knew exactly what Medici was busy with... as a hands-off boss, he'd reviewed the Sanguines' records, found no one of particular interest, and promptly lost most of his enthusiasm for them. He'd handed off the management of Backlund's Sanguines to Medici.
After all, their current task was to serve as field medics. As for the laboratory, they could assign people to it once it was established.
***
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