[Lifespan Remaining: 30 days, 8 hours, 59 minutes.]
Faust went quiet for a while, and Noct already knew that he was trying to process what the hell was even happening right now.
He could tell countless excuses and explanations passed through his mind in just the blink of an eye.
But after a moment, it seemed like Faust had abandoned trying to explain how Noct was alive, but the fact that he was at all.
In other words…
He doubled down.
“Hah…” A quiet laugh escaped him.
“Now I understand.”
He turned to face everyone, who had pretty much left him standing alone on an island, waiting to see what the middle child of Arcadia was going to say.
“That’s why you were so adamant on getting your hands on the Ambrosia. You knew about its hidden properties and deliberately hid them from us.”
Faust pointed accusingly at Noct.
“Like how you entered the Spiral Pool without consent.”
“Ambrosia?” Noct repeated.
“Doesn’t everyone know what it does?”
“Don’t play ignorant now!” Faust snapped.
“Whatever magic trick you pulled is useless. Everybody! Do you think the diagnosis of the Holy Pope of Aion is wrong?! Is everyone here a blasphemer?!”
The crowd went silent, as frankly, there was too much going on.
First of Edward being an assassin, then of Noct’s survival, and now of this accusation.
But Noct didn’t particularly mind this accusation, even deciding to come clean.
“Yes, I did figure something out about the Ambrosia.”
“You see everyone! He clearly admitted to—”
“For years, House Arcadia assured the world that every possible treatment had been exhausted.” Noct interrupted, addressing the gathering nobles.
“So if someone on his deathbed was able to study and research a way to save myself,” he continued.
“Why wasn’t anyone in the house—my own siblings, our own vassal houses and alliances…doing the same for me?”
Faust froze up, offering no response in return.
“Seems to be quite the oversight,” Noct added with a shrug.
“Don’t you think?”
Over his shoulder, Noct watched the guards drag Edward from the hall.
The moment they disappeared through the side doors, the remaining guards straightened and formed two lines leading toward the grand entrance.
Noct grinned.
“As for your second accusation against me. Well, more like an accusation against everyone…why don’t we see what a certain someone has to say?”
Both Faust and Vivienne tilted her head in confusion, but before either could respond, one of the guards announnced loudly.
“Lady Aurora de Rosenthal and her company have arrived!”
Fanfare of trumpets erupted as the grand doors to the hall were opened.
Even nobles, who were haughty before, had no choice but to step aside as a figure entered.
A figure with pinkish-red hair slowly walked across the hall elegantly.
Her eyes were narrowed—sharp, as though she was judging each and every person’s worth here.
Her red dress cascaded to the ground elegantly, matching the color of the red carpet leading forward.
Various glittering gemstones were embroidered into her dress, causing her to stand out amongst the crowd.
Yet it was the large mantle that she wore on the outside, adorned with fur so thick it looked like the mane of a lion, that caused people to stare in awe.
At some point during the uproar, Amon had descended from the private reception room.
He now stood near the foot of the staircase, watching everything in silence.
Aurora stopped before the patriarch and lowered herself into a formal curtsy.
“Your Highness Duke.”
Just behind her, two other figures walked into the room.
They were the two people who helped Noct pull off his most successful rug pull—Noelle and Stella.
“Young Lady Aurora.”
Amon returned her curtsy with a small nod, but did not linger around the spectacle.
He looked at the situation and asked simply.
“You declined our invitation because you had no intention of watching your fiancé die.” His expression remained unreadable.
“What changed?”
“The information available to me, Your Grace.”
Her gaze shifted toward Noct, still seated upon his coffin.
“I was told my fiancé would die tonight. The moment I learned that was no longer true, I came as quickly as I could.”
Noct, feeling the stares of everyone, felt that it was a bit too awkward to remain in the coffin.
He climbed down quickly, standing next to Noelle.
“You did well,” he murmured, nudging her lightly with his elbow.
“Thank you, Young Master,” Noelle replied quietly.
Amon watched the entire exchange with no comment before turning back to Aurora, his expression still calm like before.
“And who provided you with this new information?”
“It came from Johanne Licht , Your Highness.”
As soon as she said the words, Aurora reached her hand out.
Immediately, her servant placed a scroll into her palm.
She unfurled it, clearing her throat to read the contents aloud.
“By my authority as the Pope of the Church of Aion. I, Johanne Licht, hereby announce that by the will of the Goddess Aion, Noct de Arcadia’s destiny has been shifted, and he will no longer die.”
Murmurs spread throughout the hall.
Aurora continued reading.
“I’ve received the prophecy myself, the only one that I’ve received personally in my decades of serving the faithful church.”
She paused once before reading the final line.
“Young Lord Noct de Arcadia will survive beyond his eighteenth birthday. That is now a fact.”
Gasps went up in the air as everyone processed the information.
Now that everyone realized what Noct said was true, the tables were starting to turn.
Until now, Noct’s survival could’ve been dismissed as a temporary miracle brought upon him by the Spiral Pool as well as Ambrosia.
Yet, Johanne Licht’s declaration had made it official.
Noct de Arcadia was no longer a dying man.