"After all, he is Livia's father. We should cooperate with him first."
Marcellus's voice was low, measured, yet carried an unshakable certainty that seemed to settle the room like a weight.
For a moment, the hospital room fell into silence. Everyone exchanged glances without thinking. Cooperating with Edgar—that choice alone implied walking straight into danger, threading a path where missteps could cost dearly.
Marcellus continued, his tone sharp and deliberate, every word precise:
"We hold more shards. We have the advantage. If we can assemble the Grail at the critical moment, we can make the wish first… and once we discover a method to destroy the Grail completely, we will be able to destroy it before anyone else even realizes what's happening."
His eyes were cold, calculating, as if he had already run through every risk and every possibility in his mind. Every nuance, every gamble, had been measured.
Then, a calm, resolute voice cut through the tension.
"I'll go and negotiate with Edgar."
It was Livia. The certainty in her words left no room for argument, and the tone carried a firmness that made the room hold its breath.
"You?" Elias's head snapped up, his brows knitting tightly. His mind immediately went back to the last negotiation. That had been Livia's victory, undeniable—but this was a completely different scenario.
"Even though last time you succeeded in taking command of the expansion plans, this situation is different. From the diary, it's clear that Edgar's obsession with the Grail has reached the point of madness. He will not compromise easily. And…"
He paused mid-sentence, hesitation flickering across his expression, as if worried about the implications of what he was about to say.
Livia met his gaze steadily, taking over the thread of the conversation, her eyes darkening with a shadow of bitterness.
"You mean last time, it was only because I could sense the Grail that I was able to force those secrets out of him? That's correct. Perhaps that's why my father later distanced himself from me. But it's also my only leverage now."
Her eyes hardened, carrying the weight of all her past pain compressed into that single statement.
"I need him to know that I've remembered everything—including Mother's death. I bear guilt and suffering, yes, but I also wish to help, to resurrect her. That is a reasonable and heartfelt motive. Father will understand that."
The air in the room seemed to solidify around her words. Everyone fell silent, compelled to look at her with a mixture of awe and hesitation. Her calm confidence was so absolute, so unshakable, that no one dared doubt it.
Marcellus broke the silence suddenly, his voice carrying quiet affirmation, almost encouragement. The light in his eyes had shifted, reflecting something new, something rare.
"Do you feel confident you can persuade him? Cooperation alone is not difficult—the real challenge is making him accept our terms."
Elias's chest tightened. He knew all too well that in the past, whenever Livia was involved in dangerous missions, Marcellus had nearly always opposed it firmly. And yet now… he not only allowed it, he supported it without hesitation.
Could it be… that he knows something Elias doesn't?
Elias's gaze flickered between them, unease settling deeper in his chest.
"I'll do my best."
Livia's voice was steady, unwavering, as she met Marcellus's gaze directly.
"And if necessary, I won't hesitate to make small concessions—as long as the objective is clear. In the end, the Grail must be destroyed."
Her eyes were calm as still water, yet beneath that surface, a flicker of complicated emotion shimmered—subtle, elusive, visible only to someone truly attentive. In that instant, it seemed that only Marcellus noticed the layers beneath her composed exterior.