The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 96: [Volume 1] - 96- mysterious .

Chapter 96: [Volume 1] Chapter 96- mysterious .

Back to reality, Esme’s voice carried an intensity that held Helga’s full attention. "You see, my ring connects me to the beyond, allowing us to hide these ornaments whenever we choose. But there’s a catch: when we’re possessed by a divine beast, these ornaments can’t be removed. They become part of us—like organs. Even if we cut them off, they remain, surfacing only when we die, and they reappear when they find a new owner."

Helga felt the weight of Esme’s words, a chill creeping up her spine. "And what happens if you encounter one of these beasts?"

Esme’s expression darkened. "I’ve searched through every family known to possess divine beasts. In that process, I encountered one that attacked me—the white python. Or was it a cobra? I don’t quite remember." She opened her laptop and turned it toward Helga.

What Helga saw sent shockwaves through her. On the screen was a pendant, emblazoned with a strange symbol, accompanied by a detailed description. "You see it, right?" Esme urged, her eyes gleaming with urgency.

Helga’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. "But... it doesn’t shine. It doesn’t look like any beast resides in it."

Esme stood, her energy shifting as she paced the room. "Yes, but look closer. This belonged to a once-powerful family, a lineage now nearly vanished. They’ve almost gone bankrupt—disappeared, really. This pendant, like everything else in their house, has been auctioned off. It’s supposed to symbolize their divine beast, but clearly, it holds no power anymore. The divine beast is dead inside."

Helga swallowed hard, processing the implications. "So, if there’s no divine beast, what does that mean?"

Esme paused, her gaze steady and serious. "There are two possibilities: either the divine beast is completely dead, or it never existed in the first place. Or..." She hesitated, "this pendant could be a fake."

The air thickened with tension as Helga contemplated Esme’s words. "If it’s fake, then what’s the point? Who would go to such lengths to create something so convincing?"

"Even if this pendant is fake," Helga continued, her brows furrowed in thought, "if the truth is that the Divine Beast is dead, then who attacked you?"

Esme’s expression grew contemplative. " That’s the crucial part of this puzzle. If a Divine Beast is dead, how could it possibly attack me, there shouldn’t be any manifestation of its power. But if it’s not dead, then how could it escape from its sealed ornament?"

Helga leaned closer, urgency lacing her voice. "And if the beast behind this pendant has been realsed then it has no reason to follow its owner, then we’re left with more questions than answers. The pendant doesn’t connect to a living Divine Beast, yet you experienced an attack. That’s a significant gap in logic."

Esme nodded, her fingers tapping on the laptop as she reviewed her notes. "I searched extensively. All the family members associated with this pendant are dead. It’s like they vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but this relic behind. But if that’s the case, who or what attacked me?"

"Could it be a remnant of the beast’s power?" Helga suggested, her mind racing. "Perhaps something residual lingered, enough to manifest an attack but not enough to be considered alive."

Esme shook her head. "Residual power should have dissipated over time. It’s not typical for a beast’s essence to linger after death. We’re dealing with something more mysterious here."

"Then we need to investigate further," Helga insisted. "We have to dig into the history of this family and the Divine Beast they once possessed. There may be clues about what really happened, whether it’s in their records, journals, or even the location of their former home."

Esme rubbed her forehead, exhaustion evident in her eyes. "But there’s a problem," she said, her voice low.

Helga leaned in, sensing the weight of Esme’s words. "What is it?"

"I searched through the entire family record—everything, both on paper and off," Esme continued, a hint of frustration creeping into her tone. "And I found that there hasn’t been a mer born into this family for three generations. So how could a mer possibly possess this beast?"

Helga’s expression shifted to one of concern. "That complicates things significantly. If there’s no lineage of mer, then who or what sealed the Divine Beast within that pendant? It doesn’t make sense."

Esme nodded, her brows furrowing deeper. "Exactly. It raises more questions than it answers. The absence of a mer in the family’s bloodline so how could the one possed the beats be a mer"

Hearing Esme’s conviction, Helga furrowed her brow in thought. "Do you really see that person was truly a mer?" she asked, curiosity tinged with skepticism.

Esme met her gaze, a mixture of certainty and frustration in her expression. "Of course! How could I confuse a mer with just a woman? ."

Helga nodded slowly, contemplating Esme’s words. "But what’s strange is that when I searched for this family, I found they were bankrupt. They’re just scraping by, even if one or two daughters survived. But the person I encountered—he was loaded with luxury. Everything about him, from his watch to his clothes, screamed wealth."

Esme leaned in, her interest piqued. "That raises serious questions. If the family was struggling, how could he afford such extravagant things? It’s as if he’s living a lie, masking the truth of his family’s decline with this facade of opulence."

Helga’s eyes narrowed, considering the implications. "Could it be that he’s using some kind of hidden wealth? Or maybe he’s exploiting remnants of whatever power this family once had?"

Esme rubbed her temples, trying to make sense of the contradictions swirling in her mind. "No, Helga, if they had hidden wealth, they wouldn’t be scraping by just to survive. It doesn’t add up. After everything that happened, I still remember snippets of what I overheard. He asked the Valhale family for something specific—not money, not resources—just a part of land, and it was only one acre. Nothing more."

Helga’s brow furrowed in confusion. "One acre? That hardly seems like enough to sustain any kind of lifestyle, let alone one filled with luxuries. What could possibly be significant about it?"