How did he get along with Grandfather...?
In the corridor of the front hall, Carlotta stood quietly, her gaze drifting aimlessly over the rain outside the window, yet her mood was as unsettled and unclear as the gloomy weather.
She wasn't worried about Ray's inability to handle the meeting with Grandfather.
Quite the opposite; after spending time together these past days, she had already developed almost complete trust in him. A simple meeting like this should be well within his capabilities.
Besides, it wasn't his first time meeting a family head.
Didn't he handle things pretty smoothly with Cantarella before?
'why is he so good at it?!'
At this thought, she unconsciously bit her fingertip lightly. The scene from that day resurfaced in her mind, and a hint of indescribable resentment and unwillingness quietly spread.
'What if Ray really gets lured away by that woman?
Should I do something, strike first?
But... what exactly should I do?'
"Second Young Miss."
His voice came from behind, further unsettling the already tumultuous thoughts of the young lady.
But as the second daughter of the Montelli family, Carlotta was long accustomed to swiftly concealing her emotions.
Therefore, when she turned around to face him, her face bore only a faint, composed smile, calm and unruffled, with no other trace.
She was very skilled at wearing different masks to present herself.
This was a necessary means of interaction in high society.
Never let the other party know what you're thinking.
This was one of the most important principles Grandfather had taught her long ago.
"Hmm? You've already met Grandfather?" Carlotta's voice was soft, almost brushing against Ray's ear.
Ray nodded. "Yes, I just met him."
"What was your impression?"
"This... how should I put it?" He raised a hand to scratch his head, carefully choosing his words. "He's a... rather elusive person."
"Is that so?" Carlotta's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she turned away. "Let's go."
"Go? Where to?"
She looked back, a trace of confusion in her eyes. "To see that painting, of course. Aren't you curious about the secret the Order has been hiding for centuries?"
Only after she mentioned it did Ray suddenly remember, the painting indeed concealed a story of no small significance.
To say he wasn't curious would naturally be a lie.
He followed Carlotta through the corridor until they reached a door. She pushed it open, and the painting acquired at the auction rested quietly on an easel ahead.
Ray walked up to the painting, slightly narrowing his eyes to examine it closely.
Although he had observed this painting repeatedly during the auction, he still hadn't managed to grasp its underlying mystery.
As its name suggested, it depicted nothing more than a group of people sharing a supper, the composition vaguely reminiscent of a famous painting from his previous life, The Last Supper.
"Regarding this painting, I've already had it thoroughly examined by professionals," Carlotta said while walking to the front of the painting, carefully removing it from its frame. "Its secret isn't in the image itself; it's hidden on the back."
Only when Carlotta completely removed the painting did Ray, focusing intently, discover to his astonishment that a stone slab was concealed on the reverse side.
A steed soaring high in the sky was meticulously carved onto the slab.
Ray froze on the spot.
The steed on that slab,
It was exactly the same as the heavenly horse he had seen in the sonoro vision!
Carlotta gently rubbed her fair chin, studying the slab, her tone full of bewilderment. "As you can see, this is the secret the Order has hidden for centuries, a steed carved on a stone slab. But the question is, what does this have to do with the Order?"
Ray pondered for a moment before tentatively speaking. "Second Young Miss, you mentioned earlier that in Rinascita's history, there were two deities, and only one was the true Sentinel. Do you think... this heavenly horse might be the true Sentinel?"
"Very likely. Otherwise, the Order wouldn't go to such lengths." Carlotta said thoughtfully. "Long ago, Ragunna was once divided into two factions over the faith in the Sentinel, even leading to war. It was only later that the two sides reconciled and jointly founded the Order of the Deep."
"If this heavenly horse is the true Sentinel, the Order naturally has every reason to destroy all evidence. For millennia, the image of the Sentinel has been deeply ingrained in the faith of Ragunna's people. If they were told now that the deity they worship isn't the true one... I'm afraid the entire order of Ragunna, no, of all Rinascita, would collapse as a result."
The Montelli family had always pursued freedom and truth, but now, with the thousand-year truth literally before her eyes, Carlotta felt hesitation for the first time, she wasn't sure if she truly had the courage to unveil this long-hidden secret.
Once revealed, it would mean Rinascita would undergo a complete reshuffling, and Ragunna would likely be unable to avoid plunging back into the abyss of civil war from a century ago.
Moreover, she possessed no absolute evidence whatsoever to prove that the heavenly horse was the true Sentinel.
Even if she had the courage to make it public, who would believe her?
"It seems the situation is more complicated than we imagined," Ray said seriously. "So, what do we do now?"
Carlotta shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "I don't know either. Grandfather told me to hide this painting. Perhaps one day, this thousand-year-hidden truth will finally be revealed to the world."
Ray had just nodded when he suddenly saw a flash of light from the slab. Immediately, a violent headache assaulted him.
He instinctively pressed his fingers to his temples, waiting for the dizziness to gradually recede before opening his eyes again.
"Second Young Miss, I—"
His words cut off abruptly.
He stared ahead in disbelief—
A colossal tower hung inverted in the sky above.
He frantically looked around. The once-familiar room had completely vanished, replaced by a scene of ruin and desolation, as if he were in some once-majestic castle.
And beneath the castle wasn't solid ground, but...
A heart-stopping, bottomless height.
Where am I?
Could it be...
Did I enter a sonorovision again?
"Um, you... who are you?"
Suddenly, a soft, slightly timid girl's voice came from behind.
Ray abruptly turned around to look at the unfamiliar girl who had somehow appeared behind him.
She seemed completely unprepared for his presence, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. Her lips parted slightly, but she was momentarily at a loss for words.
She can see me?
Despite the confusion filling his mind, Ray steadied himself and gave her a friendly wave, gently probing.
"Hello?"
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