Chapter 165

“Let go of me!”

The boy was bathed in a cold moonlight, his black hair gently swaying in the breeze, his back appearing lonely and depressed.

In this moment, he stood with arms wide open, as if to embrace the entire night sky, quietly standing on the edge of the balcony railing.

Just one more step forward and he would plummet from this height.

As a Second Stage Transcendent, there was no way he would survive.

Tia had been following this guy the whole time, so she was certain that he had come here alone without knowing.

Not to put on a show for anyone.

Let’s assume for a moment, even if he did notice her, at this moment Tia had undergone layers of disguise. Even comrades from the church wouldn’t be able to identify her without using transcendent items.

Even the closest Xia brother couldn’t recognize her.

Let alone this guy who babbled nonsense at their first meeting?

So he really wanted to die.

But why?

For a moment, all of Tia’s plans got scrambled in her mind.

She was the type whose brain would crash at unexpected situations; she was more suited for following plans than coming up with strategies.

But her body’s instinctive reaction took the lead.

Before her mind could respond, Tia involuntarily pushed open the glass door.

“Wh-what are you going to do?”

She raised her voice slightly, trying to attract his attention.

The next second, when she realized what she had just done, Tia froze in place.

It was because of this damn guy that Xia brother had misunderstood her; she had sworn earlier that she would kill him the next time they met.

So watching him jump down was the correct choice.

But what am I doing right now?

Tia lightly bit her lip, looking up, her heart filled with countless chaotic emotions.

Yet, time was not standing still.

As she was drowning in those messy thoughts, the black-haired youth standing on the edge of the balcony heard the noise and turned slightly.

Seeing only an unremarkable short-haired girl behind him, he immediately lost interest.

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

On one side, Tia hesitated, while on the other, the boy seemed ready to jump off the building at any moment.

She was just afraid that after he died, she would lose the leads to her twelve missing years of memories.

That’s right, just that.

Tia whispered in her heart.

After an unknown length of time, he finally broke the unusual silence.

“I am a loser.”

The boy’s opening line was a bit unexpected, but upon reflection, it seemed reasonable.

“A loser bent on revenge.” He continued without much pause, his voice low, “But in the end, I’ve lost what was most precious to me without even realizing it.”

“Now, I have no reason to continue living.”

“So please, don’t stop me.”

Revenge? Loser?

The first line was something Tia could understand.

Although she hadn’t paid much attention to events in the Imperial Capital over the years, after the incident at the Teleportation Array last time, Tia had secretly gathered information about Lynn Bartleon.

She was somewhat aware of his tragic backstory.

It had to be said that it could stir empathy—if not for the clash that had occurred between them.

Even though Tia always seemed like a doll without feelings, she was not entirely devoid of emotion.

Having compassion was one of the essential criteria to become a saintess.

Being the perfect successor to the Silent Church, a rarity in a hundred years, she had to be impeccable in every aspect.

Plus that night at the Political Discussion Hall.

During his pursuit of revenge, the boy had faced the blame and questioning of everyone in attendance, like a villain targeted by a thousand arrows.

Yet he maintained a calm expression, as if it all were inconsequential.

Only Tia had personally stood up to question him, triggering an unprecedented emotional response from him.

Later on, through the church’s sealed item, he was proven innocent—a boy who was extremely loyal to the Empire, with a heart full of ardor.

Even though Tia always thought that was just his persona.

Yet for situations happening right in front of her, despite her verbal skepticism, how could her subconscious not believe it to some extent?

So ultimately, if that incident at the Teleportation Array hadn’t happened, Tia’s impression of him wouldn’t be so bad—though given her character, all men disgusted her anyway.

However, the second thing the boy said truly confused her.

What kind of precious thing had he lost that made him want to choose death?

Even though the atmosphere felt extremely heavy, a hint of confusion still surfaced in Tia’s heart.

And at this moment, she had distinctly forgotten her initial purpose.

After all, the true protagonist was about to jump off a building, and even if she wanted to ask something, she had no way to.

So with that in mind, Tia hesitated for a moment and then asked in her icy voice, “What do you mean by the precious thing you mentioned?”

“If there’s a need, you can ask the banquet’s host, Princess Cyrilina for help—since you received her invitation, it means you must at least be friends.”

Tia spoke unusually long to a stranger she had barely met before.

Normally, she wouldn’t bother to look at those scheming male humans.

Upon hearing this, the boy smiled lightly.

It was unclear whether he was mocking Tia or himself.

Seeing his attitude, Tia’s anger flared up instantly, and a hint of unrestrained coldness appeared in her eyes.

In a usual situation, given his status, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to see the Silent Saintess.

What an ungrateful fellow.

Indeed, anyone opposing Xia brother were all bad people.

With that thought, she slightly raised her hand, ready to summon her Moonlight Staff to teach this clueless guy a lesson.

But the next second, under the cold moonlight, Tia vaguely saw tears flowing slowly down from beneath the mask.

Though he wore a bull head mask which looked ridiculous, for some reason, the atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat sorrowful.

H-he’s crying?

The transcendent power that had just gathered in Tia’s palm dissipated in an instant.

She stared in disbelief at the scene before her, unsure whether to laugh or to say something.

Men can cry?

In a usual context, that would be something worth mocking.

After all, generally speaking, only women cry easily, which evokes the notions of weakness and fragility.

Yet for some reason, there was no sense of comic relief in the current atmosphere.

At this moment, the night sky was peaceful, as if the gently flowing moonlight were sorrowful for the boy.

Tia’s pale fists clenched slightly, a kind of indescribable emotion rising in her heart.

Then she suddenly snapped back to reality.

What am I doing?

Am I feeling pity for an enemy I intend to kill?

This is absurd!

Tia gritted her teeth, stepping forward.

She didn’t intend to continue listening to this guy’s nonsense, deciding to secretly approach him and capture him to enact her original interrogation plan.

However, perhaps destiny had its arrangements.

Before Tia could gather her thoughts, the boy on the balcony edge spoke again.

He was answering Tia’s earlier question.

“The precious thing I mentioned is a girl named Viya.” The boy suddenly removed his mask, his expression filled with sadness and despair, “I lost her.”

Tia’s footsteps froze instantly.

She stared blankly at the boy in the distance.

At this moment, his eyes were brimming with tears, his expression heart-wrenching and panicked, like a lost child.

With his striking features and somewhat youthful appearance, it was enough to stir any woman’s maternal instincts, wanting to hug him tightly and comfort him softly.

This was a state that performance could not reach. Every emotion he displayed came from his most genuine feelings.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Tia’s mind.

At the same time, that familiar name echoed once again in her ears.

Viya.

It was somewhat similar to her current name but ultimately different.

And according to what the boy had said during their last meeting, that was the name she had used during her missing twelve years in the Elven Royal Court.

In an instant, Tia felt dizzy, shaking her head in a daze.

Viya?

It feels somewhat familiar yet strange.

No, I am Tia, Xia brother’s future wife, the saintess of the Silent Church, I am myself.

Countless chaotic voices echoed in her ears.

Tia is the woman I love most in this world!

When Lynn arrived on the balcony first, he did not hesitate, directly pulling out a mirror and activating the Liars’ Devourer on himself.

This was a scenario he had anticipated all along, gradually evolving into the present scene.

Gazing at the pale-faced girl swaying unsteadily, Lynn realized that the key node affecting the plot’s deviation had arrived.

So he slowly opened his arms, facing the chilly autumn wind, as if to embrace the entire starry sky.

“Goodbye.”

Lynn softly spoke, unsure if it was directed at this world or at his beloved girl.

In the next second, accompanied by a sharp sense of weightlessness, Lynn fell backward, rapidly plummeting towards the ground of the mansion!

A height of four stories isn’t too high or too low.

For someone with a body enhanced by a Burning Dragon’s Heart, he would definitely not die, and would only sustain minor injuries.

At worst, he could still draw on Endless Threads to play the part of a failed eel.

However, if things really progressed to that stage, then Lynn’s casual plans for tonight would entirely fail.

He didn’t wish to see that scene unfold.

Having read the original text, Lynn knew very well that the seemingly benevolent goddess Cyrilina concealed a manipulative and cunning side.

On the contrary, the Silent Saintess, who expressed no emotions like a doll, had an unparalleled respect for life.

Even with the goddess’s blessing, which made her harbor hatred toward all men, life was like that.

Those who, after seeing the essence, still love it, are the true brave ones.

Amidst a strong sense of weightlessness, suddenly, a faint unfamiliar scent wafted to his nose, as light and tranquil as moonlight.

Lynn’s body suddenly stopped in mid-air, suspended at the balcony’s edge under some external force.

A pair of slightly trembling yet cold small hands wrapped tightly around his palm, preventing him from falling.

Suddenly, Lynn realized this might be the first physical contact between him and the girl.

It was also the first physical contact between a girl and a strange male without any feelings of disgust.

Feeling the delicate touch in his palm, Lynn knew tonight, he had placed the right bet.

However, at this moment, Tia, who was pulling him with all her might, seemed not to realize this.

What am I doing?

Tia was stunned.

She was still immersed in the question that had been echoing in her heart, yet her actions didn’t stop.

As a Fourth Stage Transcendent, while she wasn’t as adept at physical ability as Xia, she had undergone four enhancements of transcendent power, her strength was absolutely not something ordinary people could compare to.

While she looked delicate and frail, her strength was definitely not small.

At least while dragging Lynn, she didn’t feel too much strain.

After a moment, she softly panted, gazing at the black-haired youth on the ground instinctively wanting to withdraw her hand.

But an undeniable force suddenly came, gripping her small hand tightly in his warm palm.

Coming back to her senses, Tia finally realized something.

Her emerald-green pupils slightly contracted, she looked on in disbelief at the scene before her, as if witnessing an absurdity.

I-I…

The intense shock from the scene before her even temporarily robbed her of the ability to speak, her pink lips slightly parted but unable to say a word.

I actually held hands with a man I’ve barely seen?

And I didn’t feel any disgust at all?

How is that possible?!

In an instant, the chaos and shock of something spiraling out of control swept over her mind.

Tia subconsciously wanted to yank her hand back and yell, as if her worldview had shattered because of this.

Yet that undeniable force still held her delicate hand firmly in place.

“Let go of me!”

Tia gritted her teeth, a chilling killing intent reflected in her eyes.

Her palm morphed into the Moonlight Staff, and with the anger that welled up from within, the surrounding moonlight, which should have been calm and serene, seemed to tremble slightly like boiling liquid.

Under the full fury of a Fourth Stage Transcendent, how could a Second Stage be expected to survive?

In an instant, Lynn let out a dull grunt, his face turning profoundly pale.

“Viya, you are Viya, my Viya…”

Lynn held her hand tightly, as if a drowning person clinging to the last straw, murmuring.

With azure tears gradually welling up in his eyes, he revealed a joy akin to finding something lost, as if in a dream.

But Tia had no time to care about such things.

At this moment, her mind was in a frenzy, wanting nothing more than to leave, to sort out her thoughts.

“Get away! I don’t even know you.”

“It’s useless to deny it.” At that moment, the pale-faced boy smiled widely, showing a happy grin, “Do you know, Viya, since you left me, I don’t know whether it’s a divine punishment or something else, but I’ve come down with a rare curse.”

“Any woman except the one I truly like makes me feel an unprecedented disgust.”

“Viya, are you still going to deny it now?”

The boy’s pitiful look, akin to a small dog abandoned by its owner, softened her heart.

Upon hearing this, Tia froze again.

A curse?

But why does it sound so similar to the goddess’s blessing she bore?

One would feel disgust towards any man, while the other would feel disgust towards all women except for the favored one.

The only difference between the two was that one was a ‘no’, but was it truly a difference?

In an instant, a terrifying and frantic suspicion rose in Tia’s mind.

Since all the men she had seen made her feel an unbearable disgust, which included Xia brother, Tia subconsciously thought this was the characteristic of the goddess’s blessing.

But what if…there was an additional condition?

What if it was that only those men she liked wouldn’t be affected by this disgust?

Do I…like him?

Had she ever had feelings for this guy amidst the twelve lost years of memories?

Other than that possibility, Tia couldn’t think of anything else.

But even so, for someone who had long decided to remain faithful to Xia brother, this was absolutely intolerable.

What a joke?!

In an instant, like a tide, the moonlight surged from within Tia’s body.

She didn’t know why she was doing this.

She knew that for this guy who had repeatedly affected her mindset, she couldn’t win against him with words, and thus had to resort to the most despicable means.

Kill him.

Tia slowly raised her Moonlight Staff.

However, as fate would have it.

Sometimes, the more one wishes to do something, the more unexpected resistance appears.

Just as Tia was about to kill this guy who disrupted her mindset, clear footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the glass door.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, and were vaguely blended with the boy’s soft sigh: “How strange…where did Tia go?”

The tone and timbre made both people present feel incredibly familiar.

Xia Asolante!

(P.S.: I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had time to manage the group; it blew up while I wasn’t looking. Anyway, I’m going to try appealing to see if I can unlock it, after all, I spent three hundred to upgrade to a three-thousand-person group, and it was gone so quickly. If it can’t be appealed, maybe I’ll just create a new one in a few days.)

Send some monthly tickets, family, wuwuwu.