“Can’t get out?” Leah pressed a hand to her slightly reddened forehead.
“Bella isn’t around these days, so no one can undo this thing—even I can’t.” Aphrodite leaned against the edge of the bed, waving her hand helplessly.
“So for now, you’d better stay here with me. Once I’ve treated you enough, or after Bella returns, you can think about leaving.”
As Aphrodite was speaking, Leah had already made her way back to the door.
This time, instead of trying to barge through, she reached out and carefully pressed her palm against the invisible “wall.”
A cool, elastic sensation met her fingertips, like pressing against a taut water membrane—she could distinctly feel its presence, but no matter what, she couldn’t pass through.
Leah closed her eyes. Her long, thick eyelashes trembled lightly as she gathered all her focus.
A minuscule, nearly undetectable sense of perception, as nimble as the finest probe, seeped from her fingertips, cautiously infiltrating the surface structure of the barrier’s energy.
She needed to analyze, to understand the cage that had trapped her.
“The energy circuits are exceptionally precise… The nodes are connected almost flawlessly, with hardly any redundancy or waste… The solidification technique is skilled too, perfectly blending defense and resilience…”
The deeper she probed, the more astonished Leah felt.
This barrier was at Saint-level standards, and a top-notch one at that.
However, as a King-level, it wasn’t truly difficult for Leah to break through.
Slowly, Leah began to muster her strength, searching for a weak point in the energy flow of the barrier, planning to dismantle it with finesse rather than force.
But when she actually tried to mobilize the remnants of her strength to strike at what should have been the weakest node, the expected breakthrough failed to appear.
Her gathered power vanished like a clay ox in the sea, barely creating the faintest ripple on the barrier’s surface. Instantly, a gentle yet undeniable recoil washed over her, dissolving her attempt with ease.
She had failed.
It wasn’t a problem of method, but simply that her current strength was far from enough to execute such a delicate break.
The onset of her Soul-Erosion Syndrome, and the backlash from her earlier loss of control, had drained and damaged her body severely. At this moment, not even a tenth of her strength remained.
“Don’t waste your energy,” Aphrodite’s voice came from behind, carrying a hint of knowing teasing. “The barrier Bella set up isn’t so easily broken. She’s an expert in this field, you know.”
“Bella?” Leah repeated the name as she slowly opened her eyes and turned around.
She remembered Aphrodite’s personal maid—at public events, she often served as Aphrodite’s spokesperson, always composed and graceful.
Little was known about her background; only that she appeared alongside Aphrodite. The general consensus was: “Not weak, at least Saint-level, and extremely skilled at diplomacy and management.”
Now, experiencing the strength of this barrier firsthand, Leah had a far more direct understanding of the “not weak” reputation.
Leah gave her own assessment silently. “…This barrier’s construction is indeed exquisite.”
Upon hearing this, Aphrodite’s face immediately lit up with an unrestrained, proud smile, as if she herself had been complimented.
“Right? Amazing, isn’t it!” Her tone was light and carried a hint of the smug satisfaction of someone boasting about their own child.
“This was set up personally by my Bella! She’s got an exceptional talent for this—keen attention to detail, steady hands, even I have to admit she puts me to shame.”
Leah nodded slightly, acknowledging the evaluation, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
“Don’t bother trying to force your way through. In your current state, attempting to break the barrier by force will only hurt you.” She paused, watching Leah’s expression, and continued to offer reasons.
“Besides, think about it—there’s still that chaotic energy hazard inside you, isn’t there? If you ignore it, the next time your Soul-Erosion Syndrome flares up, it’ll be even worse. The outside is dangerous. Nowhere’s safer or quieter than here with me. At least I can keep an eye on you, help treat you, and when you’re stable, then you can leave.”
However, Leah’s attention seemed to be elsewhere entirely. She completely ignored Aphrodite’s string of “for your own good” reasoning, fixing her gaze on Aphrodite and asking a crucial question:
“Then where is she now?”
Aphrodite was caught off guard by the sudden shift, a bit exasperated. “Didn’t I just say she’s not around these days? Were you even listening to me?”
“I heard.” Leah’s expression was calm, her logic unshaken as she repeated, “That’s why I’m asking, where is she now?”
Aphrodite was at a loss for words, now feeling a bit guilty and awkward—she realized she truly didn’t know Bella’s exact itinerary.
Bella had simply said she had things to handle, but as to where she was going, who she’d meet, what she’d do, or when she’d return, there had been no details.
Aphrodite glanced away, her tone vague. “Well, anyway, she’s just not home these few days.”
This evasive, clearly unconvincing answer obviously didn’t satisfy the rigorously logical Leah.
Her slender eyebrows knitted slightly as she pressed on, “Then can you have her come back now?”
“No.” Aphrodite’s reply was crisp this time, though her eyes flickered.
“Why not?” Leah’s gaze was probing. “Isn’t she your personal maid? Responding to your call should be her primary duty.”
“Well… there are all kinds of reasons,” Aphrodite replied awkwardly, trying to brush it off. “The situation is just complicated. She really can’t come back right now.”
Could Aphrodite really not summon Bella back?
The answer was no.
Although Aphrodite didn’t know Bella’s exact whereabouts, if she asked Bella to return, Bella would unhesitatingly drop everything and rush back at once.
But Aphrodite didn’t want to do that.
The reason was mostly out of worry for Leah.
Looking at the girl in front of her—innocently caught up in her “Retreat Firework”—Aphrodite’s guilt only deepened.
She felt that since she had planted the “cause,” she should also bear the “effect” to the end.
She feared something might happen if the now-unstable Leah left. In Aphrodite’s eyes, what Leah needed most was a safe environment and professional guidance—and right now, she herself was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
Yet, from Aphrodite’s flustered and evasive avoidance, Leah interpreted a different “implication.”
She cast a rather pitiful glance at Aphrodite and softly asked, “You… couldn’t possibly be unable to get your own maid to come back, could you?”
“Nonsense!”
“How could I possibly be unable to call her back? It’s just… just that the matter she’s handling right now is extremely important. It’s simply not convenient for her to return at the moment!”