"Your Highness Guinevere..." Upon hearing these words, Tia felt an involuntary pang of sympathy for her. She extended her hand and clasped Guinevere's firmly.

  "Then, Your Highness, is the decision you wished to discuss with me today truly resolute?" Kenley inquired.

  Guinevere nodded gravely."In truth, I have discovered an alternative means to suppress the curse, yet I lack the requisite strength. Although there are numerous retainers within the Christophon family who possess formidable power, none of them have the ability to undertake this task."

  "What about the royal family? You could solicit their assistance," Kenley suggested.

  Daina promptly interjected,"The royal family cannot be trusted, Kenley."

  "Unreliable?" Kenley was taken aback.

  "Yes, there is a significant faction within the royal family advocating the eradication of the cursed bloodline, Kenley," Daina's voice quivered slightly.

  "Eradication?" Kenley exclaimed in disbelief.

  "Indeed. Among the royal family, two princes stand on the side of eliminating the cursed bloodline. They oppose expending both human and material resources to aid the Christophon family," Daina remarked with a tinge of revulsion in her tone.

  "How could this be... The ancestors of the Christophon family were sworn brothers of the founding king of the Cain Empire and were personally enfeoffed as princes by the founding king. How dare they?" Kenley was filled with incredulity.

  "The royal family today is far removed from what it once was. Even His Majesty the King has chosen to isolate the Christophon family. Due to the curse, I have heard numerous rumors regarding the intention to eliminate the Christophon family. The current prosperity and peace in the Christophon territory are but an illusion. In fact, several retainers have subtly begun to defect to the royal family. Father was dispatched to Silent Fortress, a scheme orchestrated by those within the royal family. They intend to take action against Your Highness Guinevere while Father is absent. This is the genuine reason why Father is eager to form an alliance with the Duchy of Kurze," Daina revealed all these matters to Kenley in Guinevere's presence in one breath.

  After listening to Daina's words, Kenley's face was etched with shock.

  So that's how it is...

  No wonder Guinevere personally bestowed nobility upon him, no wonder she personally vouched for him in the Grain King Competition, and no wonder she had been acting so peculiarly today.

  She could have simply dispatched any noble to confer the title, and she could have ended the Grain King Competition with a mere message conveyed by a servant. Yet, she took care of everything personally, which all attested to the fact that Guinevere still harbored a glimmer of hope.

  From the very beginning, Guinevere had been taking a gamble. She was like a drowning person who had clutched at a straw amidst the tempestuous currents of history and was desperately struggling for survival, and he was that very straw she clung to tenaciously!

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  Beneath her tranquil and composed exterior lay a passionate and indomitable rebellious spirit. She refused to be manipulated by powerful forces and was loath to be the one responsible for the downfall of her family, which was precisely why she had latched onto him.

  In Guinevere's eyes, he might well be her savior.

  However, today's battle with the Sword Saint Roland had completely ignited her hope. It seemed that she believed he might be capable of helping her shatter this prison.

  "By the Mother Goddess! Your Highness Guinevere, you have endured so much suffering..." Listening to Daina's words, although Tia could not fully empathize, she could readily understand Guinevere's current predicament. It was truly a situation of being besieged on all sides...

  Who would be willing to extend a helping hand to a family shunned by the royal family? Even some of the retainers had already shown signs of disloyalty. As a new addition to the Christophon family, Kenley was one of Guinevere's few remaining hopes!

  "But, Your Highness Guinevere, how do you intend to resolve this curse? Without the sacred relic provided by the Kurze family to suppress the curse, won't you be plunged into an even more agonizing outcome in the future?" Kenley posed a crucial question.

  "That is precisely why I said you are my last hope, Mr. Kenley," Guinevere said in an unprecedentedly somber tone.

  "Wait a moment. So, Your Highness, you already have a solution to suppress the curse? If there is no means of resolving the curse, wouldn't all your efforts be in vain? Also, Daina, do you not have the curse?" Kenley fired off several questions in quick succession.

  "Only Your Highness Guinevere harbors the curse within her, while I do not," Daina shook her head.

  "Why is that? Logically speaking, Daina, you and Guinevere are of the same generation. Such an imbalance should not occur," Kenley was clearly perplexed.

  "We have investigated the specific situation with Father. It is likely related to time. The day my sister was born was precisely five hundred and five days after the seal was set. Exactly five hundred years had elapsed, and it is highly probable that the seal began to weaken after five hundred years," Daina glanced at Guinevere and then continued.

  "Hmm..." Kenley pondered deeply. If that were the case, it did make sense. The weakening of the seal was presumably due to the passage of time and the overwhelming power of the curse. Even the Mother Goddess could be sealed by the curse, let alone a curse cast by an evil god upon a mortal. It was no wonder that the forbidden spell cast by the saints of old could not seal it indefinitely. Five hundred years was indeed a remarkable achievement for the saints of the past.

  "Then what is the solution?" Kenley asked.

  "The solution is..." Guinevere opened her mouth, on the verge of saying something.

  Just then, Daina's eyes flashed with a steely glint."Who's there!"

  She then dashed to the window in a flash and began scanning the area outside.

  "?" Everyone immediately realized that someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

  "Could it be someone from the royal family?" Tia asked nervously.

  "We cannot be certain. It could be anyone. Even the servants within the Rose Castle cannot be fully trusted. There might well be spies from other forces among them," Daina turned back and closed the window.

  "Silence Spell Formation!" With a wave of her hand, Guinevere conjured a purple light shield that enveloped them all, ensuring that no sound would escape beyond the formation.

  "Mr. Kenley, the specific situation is as follows..."

  After listening to Guinevere's personal explanation, Kenley immediately rose to his feet.

  "You are indulging in wishful thinking, Your Highness!" Kenley's tone was graver than ever before.

  "But I have no other recourse, Mr. Kenley," Guinevere's eyes glistened with tears.

  "Mr. Kenley, if you are willing to extend your assistance and help me through this ordeal, regardless of the ultimate outcome, I am willing to marry you!" Guinevere's eyes blazed with determination!