851-chapter-93
“Get out.”
Kylian said this and then hugged his wife again and closed his eyes. His wife was sensitive in the mornings, but wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away while she was asleep.
So, he would hold her quietly each morning, hoping she would feel the same reassurance when she saw him upon waking up.
Knock, knock-knock, knock-knock-knock, knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!
“I said get out!”
Knock-knock!
Unable to bear it anymore, Kylian got up and headed towards the door. Flung open, the door revealed two flustered guards who were unable to stop the saint Lilith.
“What do you want? If you wish to die right now, I might consider it.”
“Move aside.”
“What?”
Anais pushed against Kylian, but he didn’t budge easily.
“How can I trust you enough to let you into the room?”
“After all this time you’ve let me in, why act like this now?”
“Leave.”
“I have business here.”
Anais placed a foot in the doorway, preventing him from closing it. Kylian considered kicking her foot away and closing the door, but knew she would just knock again and be a nuisance.
“State your business then.”
“You’ll know when you see it.”
As their eyes met, Kylian inadvertently stepped back, affected by her reassured gaze. Seizing the opportunity, Anais entered the room. She suddenly looked down at her body, that was so pampered that she was dressed in a thick, warm-looking pajama.
“Did you come here to see someone sleeping?”
“Nonsense.”
Anais turned back to Kylian. Their eyes met again, and she consciously smiled. It worsened his mood.
She quickly approached a book. Reaching the spot where she had hidden the two locket necklaces the day before, she took them out and showed them to Kylian.
“How did you…”
Kylian looked at her in surprise. The Empress hadn’t left the room since then, having been sleeping in his arms.
This meant that the Empress really hadn’t spoken to Anais.
“Now, I really… uht…”
“So, you conspired with the High Priest of Life to play this trick.”
“Kylian!”
“Don’t say my name.”
Kylian grabbed her clothes, pulling her towards him. Anais struggled, surprised not by her rising dress but by his immense strength that seemingly intent on dragging her.
“Can’t you believe me even now?”
“I’ve seen enough of your petty tricks. Now, I must forbid even purifications.”
“Kylian!”
“Again!”
Kylian snatched all the locket necklaces from her and threw her outside the door.
“Know that calling my name casually could cost you your head.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Only Anais may call me by my name.”
Bang!
Anais sat down on the floor with a look of disbelief as she was chased out. She stared blankly at the door. A burst of injustice welled up in her chest and escaped her lips.
“Your Majesty! Why can’t you trust me after all this? Your Majesty!”
Knock-knock-knock!
“Stop.”
Anais, banging on the door again, was stopped this time by Captain Lacey.
“Look here, Lac… uhp…”
The captain, holding a newly brought control device, activated the restraint around Anais’ neck. She was now unable to speak.
She had deliberately chosen this moment to come. She couldn’t understand Kylian’s attitude.
It was clear he didn’t share her feelings. If he did, how could he fail to recognize her? Despite her efforts to show him, his disbelief implied that it didn’t matter to him who she really was.
Anais felt overwhelmingly frustrated.
“Hey.”
Tears of injustice streamed down her face. She was so shaken by Kylian that she had to remind herself of her impending death every time she saw him, yet he seemed indifferent to who she really was.
It was clear he was just trying to alleviate his own guilt. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he budge even after she presented evidence repeatedly?
“Ha.”
Captain Lacey, perplexed by her silent crying, hurriedly went to call Phileal.
* * *
After a while, Anais greeted Phileal with swollen eyes.
“Ana… no, Lilith?”
Phileal was taken aback seeing Anais weeping miserably at the door. She had seemed so confident until yesterday, but her current state showed that she had failed.
“We’ll see tomorrow.”
She had said this with a smile just this morning.
Phileal sighed unwittingly. It wasn’t out of frustration. As he sighed, he felt a sense of relief, as if he was letting go of something.
“Let’s go, Lilith.”
Phileal slowly took her hand. Anais’ tear-soaked hand felt damp. She meekly followed him.
* * *
Phileal led Anais to a secluded, abandoned palace. Anais, knowing of such a place only through maps, followed him in confusion, not quite sure of their destination.
Her bitter crying didn’t cease easily. Once they reached a place completely without any human presence, Phileal released the restraint spell from her neck.
“Huwaa…”
Anais, unaware that the silencing spell on her neck had faded, burst into loud crying.
“Puhaha!”
Phileal couldn’t help but laugh at the loudness of her crying.
“Why are you laughing? You, you jerk!”
“Why were you crying?”
Anais didn’t want to speak as he continued to laugh. He held her hand again and led her as they moved towards the inside of the abandoned palace.
She was reluctant to enter the palace, but Anais still followed, remembering that Phileal was one of the few in the palace who showed her kindness. He had helped her several times before.
“Because I’m heartbroken.”
“What has broken your heart?”
Anais found herself unable to explain. She couldn’t say it was because she had acknowledged her feelings for Kylian and had hoped he felt the same.
Only to realize he didn’t.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Alright. I won’t ask anymore.”
Phileal was still smiling. They reached the highest part of the abandoned palace.
“Why have we come here all of a sudden?”
“I come here when I’m sad.”
“You get sad?”
“Lately, yes.”
Phileal said this and gently guided her to a specific spot, as if there was a precise place where she needed to stand.
“What’s this?”
“Just wait and see.”
He grabbed her shoulders and adjusted her position once more. Anais, following his directions, sniffled.
“Wahaha!”
“Stop laughing. You’re awful.”
“You’re really funny. Your nose is all red.”
“Be quiet.”
As Phileal moved her, their eyes met, and he laughed heartily. He seemed to enjoy her telling him to be quiet because she stopped crying for a while.
“You look like you’re drunk.”
“Tease me all you want, you jerk.”
She retorted, a smirk breaking through her tears that seemed to finally stop.
Then, it happened.
“Huh…?”
Transparent fish began to appear around Anais and swam in various directions.
“This is…”
“Yes, it’s magic.”
It was like an illusion spell had been activated and created an underwater scene around her. The translucent fish looked visible yet ethereal. They shimmered beautifully with various colors on their scales.
“It seems this place used to belong to the wizards.”
“Yes, it did.”
Anais realized that before this palace became abandoned, it might have been a storage for inventions from the magic tower. Even when she was born, this place was already in ruins, so this magic must be quite old.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful.”
Phileal said, looking into Anais’ eyes, which were fixated on the fish swimming around her.
She curiously poked a fish with her finger. The fish reacted as if alive and wriggled at her touch. She opened her eyes wider in wonder.
“It’s amazing.”
Seeing Anais’ mood improve, Phileal felt oddly detached from the emotions he had felt yesterday. When she had fainted in his arms, she had seemed insignificant, but now she appeared valuable again.
“I think I could become a high priest if I sacrifice you.”
“Do you want to sacrifice me?”
“I’m not sure.”
He said this and gazed blankly at her.
“Then why did you say that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I wanted you to think differently, so I said it.”
“You don’t know why you say what you say?”
“Ung.”
Phileal’s straightforward response reassured Anais. Even if he had ulterior motives, it seemed he would always speak the truth to her.
“Hey, Anais.”
“Yes?”
“Cry for me.”
“What?”
“Cry because of me this time.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I guess so. I’ve realized I want to see you cry because of me.”
“Do you want to get hit by me then?”
“Sure.”
“Ha.”
Anais looked at him as if he was genuinely odd, then laughed.
“No, it would be better if you smile.”
“You brought me here to comfort me, didn’t you?”
“No, I brought you here so you could think differently.”
“That’s comforting, though.”
Phileal accepted his actions after hearing her words, as if he had just realized that was his intention.
“Anyway, thank you.”
Anais looked into his eyes and smiled.
Phileal suddenly became afraid, Anais was causing discomfort in his chest.
He feared that if they grew closer, Anais would become too important to him. He wouldn’t be able to sacrifice her as originally planned. Yet, he didn’t want to stop what he was doing.
The emotions he was experiencing for the first time in his life were too fascinating, and he didn’t want to avoid them just because they scared him.
* * *
After being driven away by Kylian and crying her heart out, Anais deliberately acted nonchalant the next time she saw him. Kylian’s face was as cold as usual upon seeing her, but he seemed to have something on his mind too.
“What are all these flowers?”
“Who released your restraint?”
Anais found it absurd that Kylian would single her out for tasks. Such work should have been assigned to the maids, not her, even though she was technically a lady-in-waiting named Lilith.
“Keep quiet and just hold those flowers properly.”
“Yes.”
Anais tightly held the bouquet Kylian had given her. His face looked pleased yet uneasy. Therefore, she tightly embraced the bouquet of hydrangeas.
“These are beautiful.”
She said it, feeling the cool touch of the plants against her chest.
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