“Wh… why… I’m not… proposing to you…”
After leaving behind this hopeless groan, the bruised and battered Bert, unable to move, was carried off the ring by the house servants.
As they left, these servants—who had previously hurled insults at Lian—looked at her now, wearing an impossibly refreshed smile, their faces filled with terror:
“So we were wrong from the very start… she’s not a wicked girl…”
“She’s a demon in human skin!”
Even the crowd below the stage was dead silent.
No one wanted to recall how this young lady had just pummeled Young Master Bert—because it was simply too cruel, too inhumane.
“The young master of the Walstroom family couldn’t even land a single hit…”
“I couldn’t even see her movements. Is she really human? Maybe she’s a demon in disguise?”
“And she only hit him in the face, too…”
“Uh…” A Staff member, looking troubled, climbed onto the ring and whispered a few words into the Master of Ceremonies’ ear.
After the person stepped down, the Master of Ceremonies forced a wry smile and said to Lian, “Congratulations, Miss Lian. Your next two Challengers have forfeited.”
“So that means I don’t have to fight anymore?”
“Yes. You may participate directly in tomorrow’s second round. The Registration Table will inform you of the location.”
“Alright, then. I’ll take my leave.”
This was exactly what Lian wanted. If it hadn’t been for Vera’s self-assertion and Milin’s request, she wouldn’t have been here at all.
She jumped down from the ring, asked about the location for the next round, and walked away along a path the crowd had spontaneously opened for her.
“Miss, your skills are truly impressive. Might I have the honor of sharing a drink with you—”
“Thank you. I don’t drink.”
On her way out, a distinguished young nobleman tried to invite her, but she refused flatly.
After her bout with Young Master Bert, she realized there was something urgent she had to confirm with Meliya—
She couldn’t really be thinking of marrying her daughter off at this coming coming-of-age ceremony, could she?
No, no, maybe it was just arranging a betrothal with the child of some noble house… But that’s not acceptable either!
It’s still too soon for Milin! But with my current status and position, how could I possibly interfere with her decision…
No, more importantly, does that child even have someone she likes? If she does, as her father, I’d have to respect her decision—
“Ahhh! Whatever, I have to ask Sephy first—!”
With that, Lian ducked into a deserted alley by the street, pulled out the Communication Pearl she always carried with her, and prepared to contact Sephy.
Usually, she kept it under her pillow, but during the Crown Festival, she’d brought it along.
Ding ding ding!
But before she could inject her magic, the Communication Pearl started ringing on its own—meaning Sephy was calling her at that very moment.
Delighted, she answered the call at once, eagerly asking:
“Sephy! There’s something really important I need to ask you—”
“Wait a minute, Lian En. Let me speak first.”
Sephy, who appeared in the Communication Pearl, was lying on her bed with her eyes tightly shut, her voice utterly exhausted as she interrupted.
“…What’s wrong?”
Lian immediately noticed something off about her. Sure, she was usually a bit lazy, but never this bad. She looked almost as if her magic had been drained dry.
“It’s Vera. This morning, the aftereffects of the Frosted Demon Sword suddenly flared up again. I used the same Healing Ritual I performed years ago… at least, I managed to stabilize her condition.”
“Aftereffects?” Lian’s heart suddenly tightened, immediately realizing the gravity of what Sephy was saying and why she now looked like this. “You used that method by yourself…”
“Yes… Back then, it took all our combined strength, plus the help of the Explosive Flame Holy Sword, to pull her back from the brink. I couldn’t think of any other way… so I had no choice but to try it alone… As expected, I could only suppress it.”
In other words, there was a chance it could relapse at any time—
“Where is she now?”
Lian asked at once.
…
……
………
Inside the residence, in Vera’s room. Before the tightly closed door, a Space Rift appeared, and two figures slipped through quietly.
“…Meliya? What’s she doing here?”
Seeing his wife sleeping soundly at Vera’s bedside, Lian lowered his voice and asked the Sephy Doppelganger who’d brought him in.
“I told her to figure something out… but not to just sit here all day and keep watch,” Sephy’s Doppelganger shook her head lightly.
Clearly, this Doppelganger was now being controlled by the original.
She glanced at Meliya and Vera’s tightly clasped hands, “Go and loosen their hands.”
“Me?”
Lian pointed at himself in surprise.
“Obviously… she’s your wife! You want me to do it instead?”
“Oh…” So Lian quietly approached Meliya’s side. She was sleeping deeply; even when Lian placed her hand on top of Meliya’s, she didn’t stir.
“—!”
Their hands were cold. Not icy, but certainly not the temperature of a normal person. Meliya… Was she holding Vera’s hand this tightly to try to pass her own warmth to her?
Lian felt an ache in his heart… Perhaps this was all someone like Meliya, with no magic sensitivity or talent, could do for Vera.
So as gently and quickly as possible, Lian began to pry Meliya’s fingers away from Vera’s hand. During the process, Meliya’s brow furrowed slightly—
“Mm… nngh.”
Lian’s heart leapt to his throat. He stared nervously at Meliya’s face, and after confirming she showed no sign of waking, finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Whew… Why does this feel like I’m a thief?”
“That’s because you are. Otherwise, how do you expect me to explain bringing you—my little maid—here? ‘Lian En’s illegitimate daughter is amazing, so I brought her to help treat Vera’?”
“I honestly wouldn’t mind… As long as Vera can be saved.”
“Yeah, right… Don’t make things more complicated. She’s exhausted, so I’ll take her home to rest.” The Sephy Doppelganger, in no good mood, hefted the sleeping Meliya onto her shoulder, then headed for the Space Rift.
“Still not awake after all this… sigh.” At the threshold of the rift, Sephy heaved a deep sigh.
Then, turning back, she addressed Lian, who had taken Meliya’s place in the chair by Vera’s bedside:
“Vera’s in your hands now. I’ve already set up the spell… you just need to keep channeling magic for it to work. Remember to put your hand on her—anywhere will do… Just don’t put it anywhere weird.”
“As if I’d do that! Go, go… And please take good care of Meliya, she really looks worn out…”
Lian waved her hand in a shooing gesture, while Sephy cast a meaningful glance at the two left in the room, then disappeared into the rift with Meliya.
Once the portal vanished, only Lian and Vera’s breathing remained in the room.
Bathed in moonlight, Vera’s face looked deathly pale, filling Lian’s heart with sorrow and pain.
Why do you keep doing this to yourself? How many more times will it take before you finally stop?
He placed his hand on Vera’s cold wrist, and a radiant gold and red light burst from his entire body.
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