Watching as that silver-haired girl fell into the arms of another and drifted further away until she finally disappeared, Sista Anderson was so furious she nearly fainted. She stared fixedly at the spot where the two had vanished, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her wheelchair.
“Su Ling… why…”
It felt as though a string had been cut. The object of her daily and nightly longing had been suddenly snatched away, leaving behind only a hollow sense of loss.
A series of hurried footsteps rang out. Sista Anderson lowered her head as the Guards, clad in silver chainmail, finally reached her. Their sharp-edged armor shimmered with a cold light under the sun.
“Her Highness, are you alright!”
Tom, the Guard Corps Leader at the head of the group, lifted his visor, revealing a pair of aged eyes filled with unease.
This man, with his grizzled beard, now looked pale and visibly aged.
The third Princess had disappeared, and the culprit had fled. He knew the Guard Corps had caused a disaster. If Sista Anderson or Marentia were to lay blame, he feared he would not escape this catastrophe.
Sista Anderson merely swept her gaze coldly over these Guards, the corners of her mouth curling into a dissatisfied arc.
“Still not pursuing?”
“Yes, Her Highness!”
The Guards moved upon her command, immediately beginning preparations for the pursuit.
Tom also turned around, intending to go prepare the horses, but at that moment, Sista Anderson called out to him.
“Tom, come here,” her voice was as cold as frost, “I have some matters to entrust to you.”
Tom didn’t dare hesitate and walked forward, carefully leaning down.
“The girl has been taken. You’ve caused a major blunder this time; you should know what kind of end awaits you, right?”
“I…”
The veteran of a hundred battles stiffened, unable to make a sound. However, Sista Anderson did not let his worry last for too long.
“I will protect you, but in exchange, you must do things for me,” a gaze of unquestionable determination leaked from Sista Anderson’s eyes.
“You need to do two things for me. First, organize the Guards to pursue the assassin…”
“I will go immediately—”
“Second, do not actually hurt her,” before he could finish his sentence, Sista Anderson interrupted him sharply, “Instead, you must bring my personal Maid back to me.”
“Her Highness, why do you wish to do this?” Tom asked with some surprise.
“You do not need to ask more. Just remember whose side you are on,” Sista Anderson pointed to her hand, seemingly urging him.
“I will say it once more: you cannot let Tii fall into Marentia’s hands. You must ensure this. Otherwise, your end will be more miserable than death.”
Hearing these words, Tom’s expression turned grave. He nodded quickly and turned to begin commanding his subordinates.
The sound of hoofbeats rang out. Amidst the flying dust that looked like dark clouds, a squad of Guards on horseback charged out of the City gate, galloping in the direction where Tom and Tii had disappeared.
Walking up the stairs, Sista Anderson stood atop the gate, her gaze fixed on the distance. The cavalry were pouring out from the City gates. Below the mountain was a shimmering, long river, and on the opposite bank was a lush, verdant forest. In this vast world, the only thing missing was the voice of that silver-haired girl.
“Don’t think you can escape, Su Ling,”
Sista Anderson’s voice was low as she muttered to herself.
“What is mine, can only stay in my hands.”
—
Among the overlapping trees, Tii protected Su Ling with both arms, riding through the dense, lush forest. The horse’s hooves left a series of deep and shallow tracks on the damp soil.
Not far behind, two burly men in black followed closely—these two extraordinary Witch Tribe mercenaries had just bought valuable time for Tii and Su Ling at the critical moment, successfully delaying the Guards’ progress.
“My Lord, we are almost there,” a Man’s voice said hoarsely.
“Is everything prepared?”
“It is ready.”
“Good,” Tii’s brows sank, “Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”
As she spoke, she tilted her chin slightly, looking as far as the eye could see.
As they continued forward, the intertwined leaves retreated rapidly in their vision. At the other end of the forest, a wide lake gradually appeared.
The scene by the lake also became clear. On the calm surface of the water, a small boat with low gunwales and an open top was moored quietly by the shore.
An elderly Witch Tribe man was crouched there. While checking the green vine markers on the shore, he waved his hand toward Tii.
“Su Ling, let’s go,” Tii said softly to Su Ling, her voice carrying a trace of relief that was hard to detect. Su Ling gripped her hand tightly, letting Tii carefully help her down from the horse.
The two men in black reined in their horses, making them stop. They looked around vigilantly to ensure there were no traces of pursuers.
“Old man, we don’t have time,” one of the men in black urged.
“Lord, everything is ready. We can depart at any time,” the old man said.
Tii held Su Ling’s small hand with one hand as she stepped onto the deck. Suddenly remembering something, she turned back to instruct the two men.
“Once we leave, you two take the horses toward the southern mountain valley, the further the better. They will track the hoofprints left behind; don’t let them catch up.”
“Understood.”
Tii smiled slightly and led Su Ling onto the small boat. The old Witch Tribe man untied the rope fastened to the shore, picked up a long pole, and gave a light push. The small boat slowly left the shore, drifting toward the depths of the lake.
Ripples spread out in circles, and the boat drifted further and further from the shore. Su Ling looked up and saw the tall Gothic spires of the Castle.
She was still wearing the wide-brimmed hat, and her body was still clad in the Maid Uniform.
However, as the shore grew more distant, Su Ling felt as if her fate was drifting away from its original track, heading in an unpredictable direction.
“Little Su Ling, what are you thinking about?” Tii held her hand and leaned her body over.
“Are you thinking about your life as a Maid in the Castle?” Tii giggled, “I also think little Su Ling looks super cute in a Maid Uniform~”
“That’s not it.”
Su Ling turned to look at the Red Hair girl before her, her expression somewhat complex.
Too many secrets were entwined around this riddle of a girl, making it impossible for her to distinguish which one was the real Tii.
“Then could it be,” Tii blinked, “you’re thinking about Her Highness Sista Anderson~”
“I care about your matters,” Su Ling looked her in the eye seriously, “Tii, are you really an assassin for the Witch Tribe?”
“Eh~~ it seems there is such a setting.”
“Eh, you’re joking with me again,” Su Ling smiled bitterly, “Actually, from the night you talked with Marentia, I vaguely sensed it. But I didn’t expect… Tii would be a power from the Witch Tribe side.”
“It seems my disguise Ability is still very strong~”
“How many lies have you told me, exactly?” With a sigh, Su Ling shifted her gaze to the distance, “When you received the letter before, Tii said your family was killed by the Witch Tribe of Valivadan…”
“That is true,” Tii interrupted her softly, her hand hidden at her side gripping Su Ling’s hand a bit tighter.
“I am an orphan whose entire tribe was killed by the Witch Tribe, and I am also an assassin who sells her life to the Witch Tribe.”
“But… why?” Su Ling’s eyes widened in shock.
“Because, that is the rule of the Witch Tribe,” when she said this, Tii’s smile became somewhat cynical.
“Su Ling, let me tell you everything about my hometown… everything about Valivadan.”