Chapter 150: Red and Black (Dreamy Thoughts)
Ice mist quietly spreads ahead.
Chilly frost blankets the streets, shrouding houses, soaring up to ten meters high, coating everything within a hundred meters in a thin layer of frost.
Whoosh—
A sharp breeze suddenly sweeps by, lifting my silver hair at the temples, gently brushing against my lips.
I retract my fist, glowing with scarlet Infernal Fire, staring blankly at the headless ice figure kneeling before me, watching it turn to ash in the cold wind. Several wisps of black mist rise from the ashes, swirling with a hint of bluish-white light, quickly vanishing into my chest.
Then my body starts to tremble.
“Uh… mmm…”
I close my eyes, unable to help but let out an excitable yet stifled groan from my throat.
“Pepé—”
Someone calls out to me from above, a voice as cold as frost, laced with a hint of urgency. I can tell it’s Victoria.
She’s awake…
But she can’t see what’s happening in the ice mist, nor can she rashly charge into this low-temperature zone… She’s probably quite anxious.
“Hey, Little Shay! How are you?”
It’s Carlos…
I open my mouth, but I don’t have time to respond. My head is spinning from the rush of sensations, I squeeze my legs tightly, my face flushed oddly, my consciousness gradually becoming hazy.
“Little Black Charcoal… Little Black Charcoal!”
Angel’s hazy shouts come closer, accompanied by the buzzing of a Divine Miracle, suddenly ringing beside me.
Without thinking, I open my eyes slightly and throw a punch in the direction of the sound.
“Whoa~ It’s me, it’s me!”
Angel hurriedly sidesteps to avoid me, raising his hands in surrender and shouting, “Are you trying to m*rder me? I’m the Pope, you know! Calm down, calm down—”
He pretends to be flustered, but his eyes are as calm as a still lake. He glances at the dispersing ashes, a smirk forming on his lips, “Wow, you took him out just like that… Tsk, I might have trouble now.”
“Not my…”
The pleasure in my body begins to fade. I take a deep breath; before I can utter “piece of cake,” a wave of drowsiness washes over me.
Huh…?
Angel… why isn’t he frozen…
My head starts to drift, my thoughts becoming sluggish. My feet begin to wobble, and the foggy figure of Angel in front of me starts to double.
In the next moment, a storm suddenly blows away the ice mist.
Victoria swoops down from the sky, rushing towards me, and despite my dirty armor, she wraps me tightly in her arms.
“How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?” she asks.
Even though the icy mist has dispersed, the extremely cold temperature still hasn’t lifted much. I look up to see her breathtaking face adorned with delicate frost, noticing the subtle tension in her brows, and my heart gradually begins to calm.
“Victoria…”
“I’m here.”
“The heretics… want to k*ll you…”
“Yeah, I know,” she replies calmly, as if discussing something trivial, “They’re all dead.”
“… Couldn’t you at least leave a couple for me…?”
“What?”
In an instant, a flicker of surprise flashes in her eyes.
“I’m sleepy…”
I bury my head against Victoria’s chest, leaning my full weight on her, inhaling the refreshing scent that soothes my senses. The drowsiness becomes irresistible, and my eyes flutter closed once more.
Consciousness starts to sink away.
“Sleep, sleep… Little Black Charcoal…”
Vaguely, I hear Angel’s indistinct words reach my ears.
“You’ll be fine, just leave the rest to me…”
That is the last thing I hear.
…………
“How’s it going… any clues?”
“… None.”
“Strange, the Chaotic Fire and Sin Fire have calmed down… Not to mention how astonishing that is, why isn’t she waking up…”
“Is it because she absorbed too much?”
“I can’t figure it out…”
Who’s talking…
In my hazy state, I feel my body burning with pain.
There’s light in front of me… I feel like I’m lying somewhere. Nearby, a man and woman converse, their voices sounding like a distant echo. I want to confirm my surroundings, but my body feels heavy as lead, no matter how I struggle, I can’t open my eyes…
My head is foggy.
Is that Angel beside me… and… Margaret?
I think so…
“Wow, she really can sleep… like a little pig.”
“Eating the medium and able to digest it, what was she thinking… It’s nothing short of a miracle… Hey, little Margaret, you shouldn’t use… Hermes…”
… Use what?
Can’t hear clearly…
My body is so heavy…
Forget it, let’s sleep a bit longer.
…………
I seem to have had a very long dream.
In the dream, flowers blossom and wither, snowflakes dance. I remember the little girl who grew up in a dark castle, always wearing a naive and carefree smile, playing songs for her father and admiring the moon with her mother. Yet, whenever they weren’t around, she would incite her two brothers to cause chaos in the castle, steadfastly refusing to admit any wrongdoing.
But the little girl was actually very shy.
Only in the castle where everyone doted on her, facing the familiar and closest crowd, could she be so unapologetically herself.
The little girl possessed a kind heart.
She would sneak out of the castle to the street vendors for snacks and help those in need… Though at her young age, her capabilities were indeed limited. Yet, knowing that, she still did it day after day, relishing every moment.
Because she enjoyed helping others.
She was a cherished member of the illustrious Valen Empire, yet she never acted spoiled because of it. The townsfolk adored her, calling her “the Little Princess of Shanter Castle.”
Gradually, the Little Princess grew up.
She fell in love.
With that always-smiling Brother Edward, who brought her different flavors of candy every time they met. The little girl loved the way he smiled; he always brought her an unusual sense of comfort. That feeling, the little princess couldn’t quite understand; she just liked being around him, sneakily watching his profile, her heart racing each time.
Then her father told her that he was the Grand Prince of the Valen Empire, the first in line to the imperial throne. Like her, he bore the proud surname “Winter Moon.” So according to family tradition, Brother Edward would eventually select a queen for himself from the “Winter Moon” to continue the bloodline.
The little girl didn’t understand why she felt so happy upon hearing this news.
From that day on, she became more mindful of her attire, no longer causing trouble and diligently learning various noble etiquettes from her mother. Every year, she would pester her father to take her to Chielis City’s royal palace so she could chat with Brother Edward for ages.
She became very obedient to Brother Edward.
Sometimes this would lead to disagreements with her full-blooded brother, Lafael. But he had a soft heart and would apologize and make amends before long.
The little girl felt very happy.
She thought this blissful life would last forever.
Until that snowstormy night when Brother Edward deceived her, causing her to plummet into an endless abyss from which she could never escape.
The little girl did not d*e.
Instead, she was saved by a group of demons even more terrifying than Edward.
