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"Alright, now let's have a good chat about the past!"
Seeing that Bernadette Gustav had calmed down, Lin Ruo took a sip of red tea and smiled, "Little Bernadette, first, I want to confirm, do you understand what really happened to your father back then?"
Because he had confirmed his position as an elder, Lin Ruo's tone was very natural when he asked this.
"I know." Bernadette Gustav nodded, a hint of complexity appearing in her eyes again as her birth father was discussed.
She seemed to be recalling something, lowering her gaze and saying, "I know father was corrupted by an Outer Deity…"
As she spoke, she touched her wrist, where a sapphire bracelet rested.
Lin Ruo's gaze also fell on the bracelet. He looked at the familiar design style and immediately understood, "This bracelet…"
"This was the gift you gave me on my eighteenth birthday. It can help me resist some of the corruption from the outside world… It's also because of it that I didn't become the next corrupted person after learning the truth." Bernadette Gustav explained.
The sapphire bracelet was Lin Ruo's coming-of-age gift to her. Its only purpose was to resist corruption, which included, but was not limited to, the Hidden Sage's nagging, inexplicable ravings, and so on. Although its effect wasn't good enough to truly resist an Outer Deity's corruption, as long as one wasn't directly facing an Outer Deity, and merely heard knowledge related to an Outer Deity, this secondary Outer Deity corruption could still be resisted.
"Indeed, but if that's the case…" Lin Ruo recalled the original novel's content, then looked at Bernadette in front of him and said, "Since you know your father went mad because he was corrupted, then I presume you don't hate anything he did afterward, right?"
"Of course I don't hate father." Bernadette Gustav answered almost without thinking, but then, as if she thought of something, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, "I only hate the Outer Deity who corrupted father, and I hate… that mad Roselle."
"I know he isn't Dad."
Lin Ruo wasn't surprised by this result. He merely continued to ask, "And why did you take your anger out on me?"
"I…" Bernadette Gustav paused before saying, "I once thought that you were responsible for father being corrupted."
Oh, this!
Lin Ruo was stunned, a thought flashing through his mind almost immediately—again?
One Bethel, who was possibly corrupted by me, isn't enough; now you're telling me Roselle's corruption is also related to me?
However, in the next second, Lin Ruo overturned this guess. He asked without changing his expression, "Can you tell me why you had such a thought?"
"Did someone tell you something?"
Bernadette Gustav seemed unsurprised that Lin Ruo could hear her. She nodded and said:
"At that time, father was corrupted, went mad, and was no longer himself… I didn't know what to do, nor did I understand matters related to Outer Deities. I truly thought father had gone crazy and wanted to seek your help, but I couldn't find you at all."
"Then I met Mr. Zaratul. He told me about corruption, and then he told me that Mr. Door of the Abraham Family was also corrupted, and he was with you before the corruption… He said you were a special existence, that you were the Creator's Incarnation, and might possess contaminative properties like those Outer Deities."
"You believed him?"
Lin Ruo raised an eyebrow, instantly making a mental note about Zaratul.
Very well, he actually tried to sow discord between Huang Beibei and him.
If Lin Ruo's impression of Zaratul was originally based solely on the original novel, where he had issues with Zaratul's actions like killing dogs and chasing Klein with Amon, and held a spectator's attitude towards the so-called "Zaratul Family Enemy Theory," now that he knew about this incident, Lin Ruo had basically condemned Zaratul to death in his heart, with his specific internal monologue being:
Little Zaratul, just you wait. When Klein's Sequence is high, I'll take him to kill you, and we'll turn your Beyonder Characteristic into a potion.
"…" Bernadette Gustav fell silent. After several seconds, she said:
"I'm sorry."
Of course, she didn't directly believe him. After all, although that Zaratul was also a friend of her father's, he was ultimately not as close as Lin Ruo was to them.
If Zaratul was merely a friend of her father's to Bernadette, then Lin Ruo was like half a father, half a teacher to her.
But she wavered.
So she went to find some people, asked some questions, checked some information… and then perhaps she became obsessed. She really blamed Lin Ruo for her father's corruption.
Bernadette Gustav knew that her mental state was problematic at that time, due to her father's madness, Lin Ruo's unknown whereabouts, the possible fact that her godfather had corrupted her father, and the instigation and misleading by others… That's why later events occurred.
She knew she could explain, and she knew that with Lin Ruo's tolerance, he would most likely forgive her.
But she didn't intend to defend herself.
Because Bernadette Gustav knew she was indeed wrong.
Since she was wrong, why bother to explain anything?
"No need to apologize." How could Lin Ruo not guess Bernadette's thoughts, or the situation back then? He sighed and said:
"Although you were indeed wrong in this matter, ultimately it was that bastard Zaratul who sowed discord, and you were merely misled by him."
Given the old slyness of the Cowardly Trio, it was perfectly normal for him to intentionally mislead Huang Beibei, and for the latter to fall for it.
"And this isn't taking your anger out… This should be called you misjudging people and misunderstanding me." Lin Ruo added.
"Zaratul might have intentionally misled me… But it's also true that I didn't trust you, and it was indeed taking my anger out. I… because you weren't there when Dad had an accident, I took my anger out on you and wavered in my trust in you." Bernadette Gustav shook her head, very firm on this point.
"You… sigh, never mind." Lin Ruo sighed, a little helpless.
He actually had the most trouble with such good children. For naughty children, a beating would suffice, but for good children, Lin Ruo was always soft-hearted and had no solution.
He took a sip of red tea and said, "If you're truly remorseful, then later, come with me to find little Zaratul and get back at him. Sowing discord, and sowing discord between you and me, should come at a price."
Bernadette Gustav did not refute upon hearing this. She had no good feelings towards Zaratul now, but then she thought of something and said, "I don't know Zaratul's current situation, but he was already an angel over 100 years ago… Godfather, your current state seems not so good."
"My state is indeed not good." Lin Ruo nodded, his attitude frank, "But this is only temporary, and… Little Bernadette, if I'm not mistaken, you are still a Sequence 3, and for The Hermit pathway to advance to Sequence 2, you need to prevent a major disaster in advance, right?"
"Yes." Bernadette Gustav nodded.
"Then I might know some opportunities that can help you advance." Lin Ruo's smile was gentle and radiant, "This matter is also related to your father. I'm certain your father isn't truly dead, but if this matter isn't resolved, he might truly lose the possibility of returning."
"What exactly is it?" Bernadette Gustav's expression instantly became serious.
Medici, who was listening in, took another sip of wine.
Of course, he could guess what it was. It was nothing more than matters concerning Augustus, concerning the Black Emperor.
However… not only did he get people to help, but he also made them owe him a favor.
Tsk!
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