Chapter 42 Reaching the Limit
Another week passed by.
Things seemed calm lately, with no unusual occurrences.
Night Lan had stayed at Hughes’ mansion for a week, untouched by any bizarre events.
Every day was just peaceful routine.
But the calmer it got, the more on edge Night Lan felt.
After all, the Ballad Conductor seemed to have been involved in Ulysses’ incident last time, and who knew what he was scheming now?
The pressure on Night Lan mounted tremendously.
She had to admit, the Ballad Conductor was her trickiest foe yet—more terrifying than even the trio of First Generation Star Eclipses attacking her previously.
Even if she used all her strength, Night Lan figured she couldn’t do much against the Ballad Conductor.
Unless she turned into a Star Eclipses state again, which meant certain doom.
Night Lan wasn’t about to lose her marbles completely.
Inside the office.
Hughes sat at his desk sorting out all sorts of family documents.
Night Lan sat nearby, lost in thought as if musing over something.
A while later.
Hughes put down the files and looked over at Night Lan.
“Nigt Lan, you’re definitely not looking good lately. Why don’t you take a break?”
Hughes’ keen observation skills could clearly tell Night Lan was off-kilter.
She had been under tremendous stress recently, barely relaxing at all. It’s just that she feels insecure, or maybe…
worried about his safety?
Night Lan must have sensed some threat similar to what happened to Ulysses before, causing her to be so on-edge.
Hughes felt rather guilty.
As a gentleman, he shouldn’t let a girl worry. Not to mention that she was dealing with immense emotional pressure.
Thoughts about how Night Lan had been stressed due to him made Hughes feel bitter.
What use were good manners when it came to facing a stronger enemy?
They were useless to make the stubborn Night Lan relax enough to get some rest.
To think that this tiny little girl was worrying herself sick—it’s just bad form for a gentleman like Hughes.
And then there’s the enemy…
The Ballad Conductor.
He seems to be the source of all this mess.
But faced with such an overwhelming adversary, Hughes had no means to stop him.
His network amounted to nothing against this guy, whose next move he didn’t know.
Perhaps his only option was to wait for a tragic fate.
Maybe a fate like that of an ant casually squished…
But this was the future.
Hughes was more focused on the present moment.
He realized Night Lan shouldn’t shoulder all this pressure alone.
A true gentleman wouldn’t burden a small, adorable girl with everything.
Not long ago, Night Lan was still a carefree happy-go-lucky gal.
Why should she end up so weighed down and nearly broken now?
So…
“Take a break, Night Lan. I’m really worried about you.”
Night Lan snapped back to reality.
Seeing Hughes’ concerned gaze, she quickly shook her head.
“I’m fine, Hughes. Just a bit distracted.”
Hughes wasn’t going to accept this flimsy excuse anymore.
She had used this “I’m just distracted” reasoning over ten times already.
“Night Lan, please, you haven’t been resting properly. You need to take some time to relax here. How about taking a peaceful nap?”
“No! If I relax, the Ballad Conductor will probably attack. Only I can stand up to him…” Night Lan vehemently resisted the suggestion.
But before she finished her sentence, Hughes interrupted, even breaking his own rules of politeness.
“Night Lan, this is my request.”
“No…”
Night Lan deflated like an empty balloon, eyes brimming with pleading moisture.
“Really… am I allowed to?”
“Yes, forget about the Ballad Conductor. If my plan fails because of him, I’ll try again. So please, you’re at your limit.”
Hughes moved close to Night Lan and gently patted her head with a mix of affection and pity.
Night Lan wanted to say more, but she could see Hughes’ resolve.
If she pushed herself any further, Hughes would undoubtedly feel major emotional pressure. Her recklessness might cause unnecessary burdens too.
Night Lan felt her eyelids grow heavier. If she closed her eyes, she feared she wouldn’t open them again anytime soon.
Yeah, it’s been almost a week since Night Star Lan has lived in constant tension.
Ulysses’ incident had affected her greatly.
This prolonged tight-rope walking could drive even a Star Holder insane.
If she kept up this stubborn stance, Night Star Lan might fall back into the Star Eclipses phase due to emotional strain.
Hughes wasn’t wrong at all.
Night Lan was pretty much maxed out.
Summoning the last scraps of her willpower, she uttered pleading words:
“Don’t end up like Ulysses…”
“Mmmh, I’ll keep myself safe during this time.”
With that, Night Lan let her eyes shut and drifted off to sleep.
Night Star, in sync with her, also laid down in her little hut.
If Night Lan was meant to rest while Night Star patrolled, it would be lying to Hughes.
Now Hughes asked her to rest, and deceiving him would upset him.
Besides, she felt she was truly nearing her limit.
She couldn’t bear this stress any longer.
…
When Night Lan opened her eyes again, she had no idea how much time had passed.
But one thing was certain: She wasn’t gazing at Hughes’ office ceiling or his guest room ceiling.
Looking around carefully:
This seemed to be the guest room environment in Sharon’s mansion.
Night Lan had stayed here for many days, so she was very familiar with it.
The catch was, though, why was she back here if she was supposed to be with Hughes?
And…
How long was she asleep?
Just as Night Lan began feeling dazed, a huge explosion startled her awake.
Boom!
“What’s happening?”
Night Lan sprang up and raced to the window, eyes widening in shock as she took in the sight outside.
It was night-time, and flames were erupting from multiple areas, lighting up half the sky. The sight was unsettling.
Her counterpart, Night Star, quickly left the hut and went out to check the situation.
From passersby, it sounded like the army had come to sanction the local nobility. The nobles resisted, leading to the chaos that ensued.
Why did such a big upheaval happen in such a short timeframe?
Back to Sharon’s mansion.
Night Lan stepped out of her room and found Sharon, of all people, staring blankly in the living room.
“Sharon!”
Sharon snapped out of her daze and gave a weak smile, seeing Night Lan.
“Night Lan, you’re awake.”
“What’s going on outside?”
“Something… quite bizarre…”
Sharon seemed drained, speaking with little energy, apparently struck by a significant blow.
“News came from the King. The nobles, including Hughes, allegedly conspired in secret against the monarchy, providing dubious evidence. Most nobles are now accused, with no way to turn the tide.”
“This?”
Night Lan was in complete shock.
