“Lia, is it?” Aphrodite repeated, her tone calm, betraying no particular emotion.
She had actually known this answer for some time.
After all, when Lia had twice lost her sense of self, she had unconsciously called out this name. But it was clearly not a full name—more like a nickname or a shortened form.
The reason Aphrodite wanted to ask seriously again was to convey a sense of respect and formality, hoping it might close the distance a little and help the other girl let down her guard.
But this answer, as expected… she still wasn’t willing to reveal her full name.
Well, that was understandable. A demon-blooded hybrid wandering alone had surely suffered plenty of discrimination and hardship because of her identity.
Staying vigilant against outsiders was almost a survival instinct.
Even to the very person who had saved her life, it was normal to be reserved. After all, wasn’t Bella like this too, when she was a child? Carefully hiding her true self…
Thinking of this, Aphrodite’s wariness toward Lia lessened a bit, replaced by a touch of understanding and pity.
She instinctively placed Lia into the category of “poor child who needs protection, suffering because of her mixed blood,” just like Bella once was.
She decided not to press about the name anymore, so as not to add pressure, and instead shifted the topic to another matter she was just as concerned about, but hadn’t brought up in detail before out of caution.
“Lia,” Aphrodite’s voice softened even further, “about that black sphere… I didn’t go into detail before, worried you’d be upset just after waking up. Now that you’re feeling better, may I ask… why were you… trapped inside it?”
Hearing this question, Lia’s heart immediately tightened.
So she couldn’t avoid this question after all?
Lia’s mind raced, thinking about how to answer. She absolutely couldn’t tell the truth! She couldn’t let her know that she became like this because she was affected by the power unleashed when that demon cadre, Bachros, self-destructed!
She rapidly analyzed the situation in her mind: Aphrodite was a candidate saint, part of the church system. The disappearance of Chief Administrator Tilia Stuart was surely no secret within the church.
If she mentioned Bachros’s self-destruction, even indirectly, Aphrodite could easily connect the dots and realize her true identity!
Then all her previous efforts to conceal herself would be wasted!
Lia lowered her gaze, her long lashes hiding the fleeting complexity in her eyes. She took a light breath, then began weaving a half-truth, half-lie in a voice tinged with lingering fear and weakness:
“I… accidentally came into contact with an incredibly powerful Corrosion Energy that wasn’t my own.” Her voice was low, purposely faking just the right tremor, as if recalling something terrifying.
“That power was too strong. It stirred up the power inside me, which was already unstable, causing me to lose control.”
That part was true—Bachros’s self-destruction did unleash Corrosion Energy that was powerful and not hers, and it did trigger her demon blood, causing her to lose control.
“I was scared… scared I’d completely lose my mind and hurt innocent people. So, I fled deep into the forest.”
“I’d hoped to use my own strength to slowly dissolve the foreign Corrosion… but I underestimated it.”
Lia’s voice grew even lower: “In the end, not only couldn’t I get rid of it, I was… completely consumed by it. I spent the last of my strength trying to protect myself, but… ended up like that, my consciousness sinking into darkness. If it hadn’t been for you… I probably would have…”
She didn’t finish, but the unspoken meaning and the sense of having survived a disaster was already convincing enough.
But these few words landed like a heavy blow on a nerve in Aphrodite’s memory.
She suddenly recalled what she did before her own “fall.”
That scene—tsk tsk, at the time she thought it was rather impressive…
Wait a minute!
Aphrodite’s face froze instantly.
A ridiculous and hair-raising thought popped up uncontrollably:
Wasn’t the explosion range back then… quite large?
Could the girl before her be the one who got unlucky and was caught in the aftermath of my “finale fireworks”?
Did I cause her to lose control, turn into the black sphere, and almost get killed?!
Aphrodite felt a twinge of guilt in her conscience.
She looked at the pitiful girl in front of her, harmed by a “calamity from above,” and then recalled that she herself might actually be that very “calamity”…
I’m sorry!
She silently apologized in her heart, and mentally tallied up another mark for that self-indulgent “Bachros” of the past.
“I see… so that’s what happened…” She tried her best to make her voice sound normal. “It’s alright now, it’s all over.”
She took a deep breath and, in a tone that was almost a vow, said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you! I promise to root out all the excess Corrosion Energy in your body, clean it up completely.”
However, hearing this, Lia felt something completely different.
At first, she was touched that Aphrodite took the initiative to help purify the Corrosion. As expected of a candidate saint—even knowing she was a demon-blooded hybrid, even after what she’d done, Aphrodite was still willing to help…
But immediately, Lia felt a stronger sense of panic and rejection!
She had already helped and saved her twice. She owed her enough already.
How could she trouble her further? Her problems should be solved by herself!
“No! That’s not necessary!” Lia blurted out almost instantly, her tone somewhat anxious.
Seeing the hint of surprise in Aphrodite’s eyes, she quickly softened her voice to explain, “I mean… thank you very much for your kindness, Aphrodite. But really, you don’t have to trouble yourself again.”
She did her best to look sincere.
“This whole thing has already caused you so much trouble. You spent so much energy to help me, I… I really feel bad about it. Besides, I feel much better now. I believe I can handle the rest myself.”
To be more convincing, she even gently moved her arm, demonstrating her “good recovery,” then took the chance to bring up the idea of leaving.
“So… I think it’s time I took my leave. I can’t keep disturbing your rest.”
With that, Lia gave Aphrodite a slight nod, then turned and hurried toward the door.
Watching Lia’s retreating figure, Aphrodite suddenly remembered something and was about to remind her.
However, Lia refused so quickly and left so decisively that she didn’t even give her a chance to speak.
Just as Aphrodite’s “Wait, the door…” was about to leave her lips—
Bang!
A muffled sound echoed.
They saw Lia, who had hurried to the door, collide with something invisible yet highly elastic.
She was bounced back solidly, stumbling several steps before losing her balance, and with an “Ow!” landed on the floor.
Lia sat on the ground, holding her head, her violet eyes brimming with tears from the pain.
She was completely bewildered—why did the door, which looked empty, feel like a wall was there?
Aphrodite watched the scene and swallowed the words she’d been about to say, left only with helpless sympathy and a hint of…
Alright, it was honestly a little funny.
Doing her best to hold back her laughter, Aphrodite spoke as seriously as she could.
“Um… what I was just about to say was… there’s a barrier on the door, set by Bella.”
She looked at the dazed Lia sitting on the floor, and explained gently,
“It was mainly for your protection while your condition was unstable, to keep you from accidentally leaving the room and running into danger… so, for now… you probably can’t get out.”