The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1605

Hao Xuan held his breath and waited, steeling his heart in preparation for another disappointment but for once his 'prayers' were answered.

After a moment of intense silence the needle sprung into action, rattling back and forth before settling on the left.

Hao Xuan adjusted the compass until he was facing the same direction which left him frowning.

"That way?"

He was facing the abandoned Beast Market once more.

"Why does everything lead back there??" he wearily muttered while marching towards it.

*Sniff*

But just as he exited the street a familiar scent caught Hao Xuan's attention.

"Augh, such a strong smell! Might as well carry a rose garden on your back!" he couldn't help but comment while quickly distancing himself from the place, unaware that there was another scent hiding within it.

Across the street in a small apartment located above a butcher's shop, Lady Yuki sat in front of the fireplace covered in a small blanket, just out of sight of the window from where Hao Xuan could be seen passing by.

She turned her head to peak outside upon hearing a voice but before she could get up and see, the door opened and in walked the owner of the rose garden himself.

It was a neatly dressed scholarly gentleman with spectacles hanging from the nose of his bridge. (CH 1470)

He was holding a small tray with two cups of steaming tea and something that held the rough shape of a yellow jelly pudding.

"My apologies for the wait Miss Yuki, it was a challenge finding another cup haha."

Lady Yuki redirected her attention towards the man to flash a half-hearted smile.

"Sir Ruslan, your help is much appreciated but I must return to the castle before it gets too late. Earlier I was...not in the right state of mind..."

Ruslan's gaze was pulled towards the piece of torn fabric clutched in her hand.

"Does it have anything to do with that?" he asked gesturing towards it.

Lady Yuki only then realized that she was still holding onto that piece of Hao Xuan's robe. (CH 1590)

"This? No, this is...nothing..."

He placed a teacup in front of her before settling down on the other chair with his own cup.

"If it was nothing then you wouldn't be staring at it with such intensity."

"No, I was just...thinking...about life..."

He nodded approvingly, "That's just what I would expect from the great Miss- no should I call you Lady now? You were always so earnest with your emotions, wearing them on your sleeves like your esteemed mother."

Lady Yuki couldn't help but crack a genuine smile at that, "Yes, mother always was honest to a fault..."

But her joy did not last long as she peered at Ruslan with a solemn gaze, "But how are you here? I thought no one else from the Estate survived apart from a handful of us."

Ruslan's smile faltered for a moment but still kept it on.

"I was away with my father during that time. It was his job to procure fresh grains from the nearby tribes and I begged to go with him that week. If I hadn't- well, I would have met the same fate as my mother and sisters."

"Oh...I was unaware of that, please accept my sincerest ap-"

Lady Yuki tried to lower her head but Ruslan quickly stopped her.

"My lady please, how will I ever face my parents in the next life if they find out you did this?"

"O-Oh..." she awkwardly sat back in her chair, "Your father, he too...?"

"Yes," Ruslan nodded gloomily, "Upon our return, he simply could not accept all that we had worked for was destroyed overnight, turned to ashes alongside the people who had built it. He toiled tirelessly in search of survivors for the next four years, looking for any clues that might shed more light on our enemies. But his body could not keep up with his will and...well, you can imagine the rest."

It didn't take much effort for Lady Yuki to see what he was talking about. Nearly fifteen years later she was still on that same journey.

'Maybe 'he' was right...maybe I should move on. This has to be a sign,' she told herself.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It is not easy searching for answers that are so far out of reach-"

Ruslan suddenly sat upright and locked eyes with her.

"Out of reach? Not to us, my lady. We know exactly what happened!" he exclaimed with a burning desire, "I know who was behind the attack on the Estate, that's why I'm here- to warn you!"

With one sentence he managed to destroy any notion Lady Yuki had of 'moving on' from this tragic event.

"W-WHAT?!" she jumped to her feet with clenched fists, "WHO- Who was it??"

"Your mother-in-law, the Matriarch of the Song Clan!"