“Where is this place?”
Sitting in the carriage, Roman curiously gazed out the window.
Luo Xiya had pulled him into the carriage without giving him a chance to refuse, leading him all the way to a remote Village.
For some reason, though, Roman felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity here.
As she looked around, the people here also turned to look at her.
But when they saw the sturdy horses pulling the carriage and that conspicuous Coat of Arms, they were so startled that they immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look again.
“Whoa.”
The Knight driving the carriage skillfully pulled the reins, bringing the horses to a stop.
“Lady, we’ve arrived,” the Knight Irene said respectfully from outside the curtain.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Luo Xiya replied, then stepped out of the carriage.
Her dark, form-fitting uniform perfectly outlined her graceful figure.
Draped over her shoulder was a single-shoulder cape, black on the outside with gold embroidery along the edges.
As she stepped down from the carriage, the cape was caught by the wind, occasionally revealing the blood-red lining within.
The sight made the hearts of the onlookers skip a beat.
Luo Xiya turned elegantly, placing a gloved hand over her chest and bowing slightly, offering her hand clad in white silk gloves.
Only then did Roman slowly step out, shooting Luo Xiya a reproachful glare, blaming her for being so ostentatious.
Still, he obediently placed his hand in hers, letting Luo Xiya clasp his fingers and hold his hand.
Then, to Roman’s surprise, Luo Xiya lowered her head and planted a gentle kiss on his fingers before pulling him to her side.
“Do you really have to be so flashy in a place like this?”
Roman leaned on her shoulder and complained.
“A place like this? You really haven’t recognized where we are?”
Luo Xiya looked at him in surprise.
Huh?
Roman looked around again.
Suddenly, everything here seemed strangely familiar.
When he glanced at a house in the distance, he abruptly froze.
This is…
Noticing Roman’s dazed expression, Luo Xiya found it adorable and gave his cheek a little pinch before saying, “This is where you used to live, remember now?”
Roman’s dazed look slowly faded. He shook his head and pulled his hand free from Luo Xiya’s grasp, puzzled.
“Did you bring me back here for something?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
Luo Xiya smiled mysteriously, not answering Roman’s question.
Walking down the rural street, Luo Xiya and Roman stood out completely, whether by appearance, attire, or bearing.
They seemed like people from another world intruding here.
From every corner, people peeked out to size them up, their expressions odd and uncertain.
Roman even recognized a few familiar faces among them, and his body instinctively shrank back in fear.
“By the way.”
Luo Xiya suddenly asked, “Do you remember anyone here who bullied you?”
Her tone was as calm as ever, but as Roman, now her pillow companion, listened, he could clearly detect a barely noticeable hint of killing intent in her voice.
He quickly shook his head and grabbed Luo Xiya’s hand.
“No such person. Don’t do anything rash.”
“Really? Someone as pretty as you, and none of these wild girls ever had any bad thoughts?”
Luo Xiya clearly didn’t believe Roman.
Her sea-blue eyes swept over the faces around them, among which were some bold enough to try their luck.
Roman quickly came up with an excuse: “It’s not as exaggerated as you say. Besides, I used to be really ugly. They didn’t have those kinds of thoughts about me.”
The old Roman had been smart, always making himself look dirty so no one ever saw his real face.
Even so, there were still wild girls drawn to his invisible charm, sometimes pinning Roman to the ground and playing with him.
Among the crowd, Roman spotted a ‘familiar face’.
She was unusually bold. Unlike the others who couldn’t recognize Roman, she seemed to realize he was the boy she used to pin down and tease.
Even though Roman had now soared above the mud and was no longer the ugly duckling, she not only wasn’t scared, but when she saw his true face and soft figure, she even licked her lips and winked at him silently.
“Ugly?”
Luo Xiya acted as if she’d heard a joke, lifting Roman’s face closer to examine it.
Even though she had already claimed him completely, seeing Roman up close still made her heart race, desire stirring inside her.
That stunning feeling was just as strong as the first time she saw him.
“So my Roman turned from the ugly duckling into a swan, huh?”
Luo Xiya couldn’t help but tease.
Seeing that her attention had shifted, Roman simply ignored her teasing and just gave a little snort, saying nothing more.
“But…”
Luo Xiya suddenly turned to look behind her, and at some point, her sea-blue eyes had turned a brilliant blue.
She stared at that unruly girl.
The moment their eyes met, the girl felt a stabbing pain in her heart and collapsed without a sound.
It all happened in a flash—before Roman could even react, it was over.
“Hmph…”
Luo Xiya’s expression grew much darker as she pulled Roman along in silence.
Roman thought she was angry. He stared at her for a few seconds before Luo Xiya suddenly turned to him.
“I’m not angry.”
Luo Xiya seemed to realize that wasn’t quite right, and added, “I’m not angry with you. I’m mad at myself—for meeting you so late, for letting you suffer so much.”
Roman felt a strange complexity hearing her words.
He didn’t reply, just gave a soft “Mm.”
Luo Xiya had wanted to say that Roman was too kind, but she stopped herself.
There was no need for Roman to change.
Wouldn’t it be better if she just protected him—and his kindness—from now on?
After a while, Luo Xiya finally brought Roman to their destination: a slightly remote, desolate Chapel.
“Let’s go in.”
Luo Xiya squeezed Roman’s small hand and said softly.
“Okay.”
Even though he still didn’t know Luo Xiya’s intentions, he nodded obediently.
As they entered the Chapel, Roman was surprised to find that although it was remote, it wasn’t abandoned.
It was obvious that someone had cared for this place.
Every corner of the Chapel was spotless.
The tiles, though showing their age, were not dilapidated, but seemed to hold a sense of accumulated bonds.
On the wall hung a mural of Goddess Fara’s Creation Partition, praising her great deeds.
Sunlight streamed through stained glass, filling the Chapel with a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.
Roman followed Luo Xiya deeper into the Chapel—and then he froze.
In the center of the Chapel lay a coffin, its lid not yet closed, surrounded by white flowers.
As he approached, he saw the person inside.
It was a woman whose face bore a nine-tenths resemblance to his own.
Even with her eyes closed and her face deathly pale, she was heartbreakingly beautiful.
Luo Xiya put away all her usual playfulness and stood beside Roman with utmost respect, placing her hands over her chest in prayer.
Then, together with Roman, she stood there in silence.