Volume 8, Chapter 67 – Feelings Breaking Through the Ground

When Fia brought Ruth and Lucitine back to Blossom, it was already evening.

Although in Anastasia’s opinion, even if Fia had urgent matters, she should wait until after dinner to discuss them. However, Fia considered that since it was a gift for Ruth, it was naturally better to choose a good time. For example, after she finished creating Ruth’s body, everyone could enjoy dinner together. Ruth’s reaction at that time would surely whet everyone’s appetite. So Fia had everyone eat first, while she, Lucitine, and Ruth stayed in the magic testing ground—on the way, Fia had asked Ruth’s thoughts again, and Ruth, with a demeanor of yielding while resisting, indicated she wanted a living body.

Fia was already very proficient at creating bodies; it would take three or four hours. However, since she needed to go to the Hall of Reverent Light in the evening to hear Milan’s work report, Fia divided the body creation into two parts. First, she would create the physical body for Ruth, then go to the Hall of Reverent Light, spend a few minutes listening to the report, and then return to continue with the step of merging Ruth’s soul into the body.

If not for the fact that Milan and his people couldn’t exist separately from Chaos, Fia would really like to place an Eye tribe sage in Blossom. This way, she could communicate with Milan anytime, anywhere. However, maintaining a Ninth-Tier Eye required too much Chaos, which could easily expose them. Currently, the elf populace hadn’t completely accepted an alliance with the undead; jumping directly to Chaos would be too radical.

Thinking about such things, Fia used [Particle Repair] to create Ruth’s smooth, flawless body. The physical creation was now nearing completion. Snow-white skin tightly wrapped every part of Ruth, from the back of her fair hands to her delicate toes, even perfectly replicating her long, upturned eyelashes. Ruth was generally a smaller version of Lucitine, but the two weren’t completely identical. For example, all of Ruth’s body hair was pink, while Lucitine’s eyelashes were a normal person’s black.

All that remained was to restore the fine villi on the skin—saying body hair would be more accurate.

Retracting her upper body from the sarcophagus, Fia, feeling sore from long periods of bending over, put her hands on her hips and stretched her neck. Just then, Fia noticed that Ruth beside her was looking at her with an extremely complex expression. Her beautiful pink eyes were faintly flickering, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. When Ruth noticed Fia looking at her, she quickly turned her head away.

She reminded one of a shy girl in the throes of first love.

Fia teased.

“Do I look that good? You keep staring at me.”

“Hmph,” Ruth snorted unceremoniously. But as if thinking of something, her just-sharp expression quickly softened with the movement of her facial muscles, and she switched to an unwilling tone, explaining quietly, “Shouldn’t you hate me for ruining your plan? Why are you giving me such a big gift instead?”

“Do I look like someone who can’t distinguish right from wrong? It was your responsibility to hand over that problematic recording crystal to Lucitine. We’re not bosom friends who would die for each other. Why would I expect you not to hand over the recording crystal?”

Fia shrugged lightly, her face full of ease.

Ruth looked incredulous.

“Precisely because we’re not close friends, shouldn’t you dislike me? Even if someone knows the other person is just fulfilling their duty, they usually reduce contact with them.”

Accepting something logically and accepting it psychologically are two different things. It’s like being dealt with by a friend who is a law enforcement officer after you’ve done something shameful. Everyone knows the friend is just doing their job, but it’s common to hold a grudge and resent that friend.

Fia rested her slender index finger on her chin and blinked her ruby-like eyes.

“That’s the general rule, but I’m not an ordinary person. Should I call it having high moral character? That description doesn’t quite fit either. It’s just that I can distinguish between what’s reasonable and what’s unreasonable better than most people.”

Saying this, she switched to placing one hand on her hip and looked towards the sarcophagus. The movement was so wide that even the black cloak and skirt behind her fluttered.

“Besides, Nola respects you deeply and regards you as her second mother. If you hadn’t saved Nola, the situation in Cold Night certainly wouldn’t be as easy to handle as it is now. Moreover, emotionally speaking, having such a cute fiancée as Nola is my honor. Rationally and emotionally, I should give you a gift in return. Also, to be honest, I also think you’re quite pitiable. Not just you, but all the undead in the kingdom of the dead are the same. Even though you have clear consciousness, yet you cannot perceive the wonder of the world of the living. You can only bear longing in your hearts while watching the things you crave from afar. I can’t bear to see this. If I can conveniently help, I naturally will.”

Reаⅾ оո КatRеаⅾіոɡСаfе

Because Ruth still seemed to have a hard time accepting it—Fia thought Ruth felt guilty, which was why she had been looking at her with that hesitant expression earlier. To use the same example, even though Ruth was just doing her job, handing over evidence of a friend’s misconduct to a superior—the guilt just thinking about it would make anyone’s limbs go weak.

Fia waved her hand helplessly, her gaze carefully sweeping over Ruth, who lay quietly in the medicinal liquid inside the sarcophagus.

“More importantly, being able to carefully touch this body, full of youthful vitality and a young girl’s freshness, and moreover, it belongs to the princess of the kingdom of the dead—no matter how you look at it, it’s a treasure bestowed by heaven… Why aren’t you getting angry?”

Fia had already prepared to defend herself, but Ruth was just staring blankly at the body in the sarcophagus, as if she couldn’t look enough.

Then, Ruth turned her head and gazed quite seriously at Fia’s profile. Her bright, focused eyes made Fia feel uncomfortable for a moment, even guilty.

“Wh… what is it? Suddenly looking at me like that.”

Ruth let out a long sigh.

“Haa, you’re really a good person. No wonder Nola and Mother both like you. I was wondering before, you are indeed very powerful and have boldness at critical moments, but we’re all women. Even if we liked you, it should have stopped at the stage of being friends who go through life and death together. Why did it develop into love…”

Ruth’s words stopped abruptly. She wanted to say, “Just now you were trying to change the subject to comfort me and stop me from feeling guilty, weren’t you? As the victim, comforting the perpetrator—this kind of gentleness is both frightening and intoxicating.” But Ruth felt these words were too explicit and cheesy, too embarrassed to say them.

However, that left Fia suffering. Stopping halfway through a sentence—especially after stirring someone’s curiosity—makes a person itch with curiosity.

Until Ruth let out a light snort.

“Hmph. If you want to look, then look. Anyway, I can’t interfere with the progress between you and Mother. A mother being in heat for her own daughter—if that got out, you know very well what the result would be.”

“Uh… actually, among elves, that’s not really uncommon.”

“You—!”

This time, Fia finally made Ruth so angry she was speechless and blushing. Ruth angrily raised her not-so-large fist. Fia quickly raised both hands in surrender.

“Striking me would get you cursed as an unfilial daughter, you know.”

“You just wait!”

“Fine, I’ll wait. Once you have a living body, we’ll fight again. Just don’t cry from the pain then.”

After mocking her with a proud expression, Fia restored her seriousness, pretending to be earnest as she re-immersed herself in creating the body—in reality, she was inwardly immensely satisfied with Ruth’s embarrassed anger and helplessness.

While Fia and Ruth were bickering, Lucitine behind them was in a different psychological state.

Rеαⅾ oո KаtRеaԁіոɡСafе

She was agonizing over her relationship with Fia.

When she found Fia to apologize in the morning, Lucitine’s heart was entirely focused on how to win Fia’s forgiveness and her relief that Fia had forgiven her. When they returned to the kingdom of the dead, she was thinking about who the attacker was. Only now, with some leisure time, did she realize, upon noticing that Fia and Ruth actually had a good relationship, that Fia had only accepted her apology but hadn’t responded to her feelings.

Now, watching Fia pat Ruth’s head, Lucitine found an indescribable anxiety arising in her heart. She recalled the embarrassing words she had said to Fia hours ago: “I just don’t want you to leave me. I don’t want to become a person no different from the other Venexes. I have truly fallen in love with you.”

Uh—

As if with a “ bang ,” Lucitine’s face instantly turned red. In the heat of the moment before, she hadn’t felt much when she said it. Now, calm, she suddenly realized this was practically a cheesy confession that made her want to find a crack to crawl into.

Where was the Queen of Death’s dignity now…

Lucitine couldn’t help but cover her face with both hands. If the environment permitted, she would already be on the floor, kicking her legs and rolling around making whimpering sounds, inwardly complaining bitterly why time couldn’t flow backwards so she could do it over.

It took quite a while, until Ruth, as if sensing something, turned back with a strange expression, for Lucitine to suddenly put her hands down and pretend nothing had happened. Then she quietly walked to a shadowy corner against the wall in the distance, pretending to observe the magic testing ground. This way, even if her face was red from her neck to her ears, Fia and Ruth wouldn’t notice.

In the distance, the sound of Ruth and Fia talking resumed. Lucitine, who had been regretting just moments ago, now felt melancholy again. Facing the wall, she let out a long sigh.

Had Fia accepted me or not?

“…Probably not?”

Lucitine asked herself and answered. In the past, when she had expressed her feelings to Fia, Fia had always refused on the grounds that she hadn’t yet seen the outside world. Although she had now profoundly realized that her feelings for Fia were completely different from before—Fia had been absolutely right; she had mistakenly thought she liked Fia simply because Fia was the only living person she knew, combined with her closeness to Fia. However, she had changed. She recognized her past naivety. Her feelings for Fia now could truly be called “love.” She couldn’t do without Fia. She even felt dissatisfied with Ruth for being too intimate with Fia.

But Fia hadn’t understood the change in my feelings…

Probably in Fia’s mind, this morning’s confession was no different from any previous one.

“Haa.”

Lucitine sighed longly again. This time, her expression even became worried.

How could I convey my feelings to Fia? Or rather, how could I make Fia interested in me…

Unconsciously, Lucitine squatted by the wall, counting the magic gems embedded in it while worrying inwardly.

Should I go to Fia again and confess my feelings? Sincerely say that I was different now, that I truly liked Fia. Thinking carefully, maybe Fia’s attention had been entirely on forgiving me at the time, and she hadn’t clearly heard my confession, which was why she hadn’t responded.

No, what if Fia had actually heard but deliberately didn’t answer, or thought that giving that answer would hurt me? In that situation, if I asked again, wouldn’t I be asking for trouble and also be seen as someone who couldn’t read the room?

Reαⅾ oո ΚαtRеаdіոɡСаfе

“Guuh.”

A depressed sound escaped Lucitine’s throat.

This kind of ambiguity made Lucitine extremely hesitant. She really wanted to ask Fia if she had heard, but was afraid of getting rejected. That would be too embarrassing. If she were rejected by Fia again, she would definitely be so depressed she’d be listless for days.

“Hmm…”

Her fingers unconsciously traced the sand grains on the floor tiles. Lucitine let out a discontented, meaningless sound.

She remembered Fia’s statement that love should be mutual. Thinking carefully, it had always been her receiving Fia’s kindness unilaterally. She had never given Fia anything. Probably from Fia’s perspective, she was just someone who needed help, a somewhat special person. Under these circumstances, Fia naturally wouldn’t be interested in her. Who would like a fool who holds them back? Not to mention she had even driven Fia away. Who would feel favorable towards such an existence?

Aaaaahhh! What have I done!!

Remembering that she had expelled Fia, Lucitine, squatting there, wished she could slap herself. In fact, her hand was already raised; it was only the fear that the slap would be too loud that stopped her.

She groaned regretfully, both angry at her own stupidity and distractedly thinking about what she could do to change her image in Fia’s mind from “someone receiving help” to “someone charming.”

Wait.

Following this line of thought, Lucitine’s eyes suddenly brightened. She understood what she needed to do.

She just needed to change her position from needing help. That is, to make herself appear stronger in Fia’s eyes. This, of course, didn’t mean stubbornly refusing all help, but rather no longer needing Fia to guide her before knowing what to do, as in the past. She had to become independent, to the point where Fia would see her in a new light.

Based on this, help Fia as much as possible, offer suggestions at the right times. Fia would certainly change her opinion of her and no longer see her as a poor wretch who knew nothing. At that time, if she confessed her feelings to Fia, she would surely gain Fia’s recognition.

Not to mention anything else, at the very least she had to make Fia recognize her as the Queen of Death, not just an ordinary girl seen everywhere.

Yes, a good plan!

The more she thought, the more Lucitine felt this was the way. She mustered her enthusiasm, stood up, and confidently returned to her previous spot. Fia had just finished the last step and was slowly closing the sarcophagus.

“Hmm? It’s already over?”

“Ah, now we just need to merge Ruth’s soul with the body. But it’s almost eight o’clock, so I need to go underground first as agreed.”

Saying this, Fia turned her head and paused, quietly observing Lucitine’s expression.

“It’s to see Milan and the others, the leaders of the Chaos that have been fighting Lucitine all along. Those dark red beast-shaped Chaos from before were Chaos from under the abyss. I ordered Milan to search for their traces.”

Rеαⅾ οn КаtReαⅾiոɡCаfе

Was this encountering trouble?

The opportunity was presented before her. Lucitine’s mind became active. Now was the time to help Fia. She straightened her back and asked, feigning reserve.

“Can I come too?”

“Lucitine wants to come too?”

Fia’s pitch suddenly rose. Lucitine’s reaction to Chaos now was indeed not as strong as before, but hearing the name and seeing Chaos with her own eyes were two different things. She was worried Lucitine might have another stress reaction.

She said tactfully.

“It might be better for Lucitine to figure out why the first Venex loathed Chaos before meeting Milan.”

“No, I want to go. What if the first Venex is unwilling to tell us the answer? Would I then never be able to see Chaos for my whole life? This is an obstacle that must be overcome. If I lose control at that time, Fia should find a way to knock me unconscious. I promise I won’t blame Fia. I can’t be shackled by my former self. I must adapt to this outcome.”

“Is that so…”

Although Lucitine spoke earnestly, as if confronting her past self, Fia always felt Lucitine’s righteous aura was so strong it made her uncomfortable, as if she had ulterior motives.

But what Lucitine said was also true. She would trust her this once. With her present, Lucitine couldn’t do anything out of line—most importantly, Lucitine couldn’t hear Milan’s voice.

After a moment’s thought, Fia nodded.

“Alright, I’ll take you to the Hall of Reverent Light. Ruth, wait here for me and Lucitine for a while. We’ll be back soon.”

Saying this, Fia extended her palm towards Lucitine. The latter quite ceremoniously raised her left hand and placed it exceptionally gently on Fia’s palm, making Fia freeze for a moment.

Lucitine seemed like a different person, more elegant.

Who knew what Lucitine was thinking. For now, serious matters were more important.

Not thinking too much about it, Fia activated the teleportation magic, and the two disappeared together into the azure teleportation gate.