Chapter 651 Chapter 109 The Arrival of the Kasha Cult
“So, Shiel, are you showing yourself to Azer in your current appearance hoping he will see you?” Verafia said subtly, slightly opening her long eyelashes.
“Mhmm…”
Shiel’s fair jade wrist trembled noticeably, but she still nodded firmly, “In Brother Azer’s eyes, I have always been his ‘little brother’. However, I don’t want to be like that. Like Miss Verafia said, I want to be a true girl in front of him.”
The young girl suddenly raised her face, as if gathering courage, her light gold pupils looking towards them:
“Actually, when I discovered you in the arena, and when Brother Azer saw me, my heart felt a very conflicted emotion, anxious… and yearning.”
She bit her lip, her cheeks slowly lifting, “I’m afraid of my identity being discovered, being accused, being mocked. But I also hope that you can discover that Shiel is a girl.”
Shiel gently bit her lip, her clear and pleasant voice echoing in the hall, filled with contradiction, yet appearing exceptionally stubborn.
Verafia looked at Ophi, who walked closer, and blinked her slender eyelashes, concealing her gold eyes. She then looked back at Shiel.
From her words, she knew Shiel needed to face the world as Sirius. If her identity as a young girl were discovered, it would cause instability in the rule, and her rationality was also avoiding such a situation… but subconsciously, she wanted Azer, and them, to discover this fact.
Verafia tugged Ig’s hand again. She remembered a novel they had read together when he was a young man, about a nobleman who wanted to become a girl.
In it, the young man who wanted to be a girl changed into exquisite dresses and dressed meticulously. However, it was no longer just admiring and enjoying her appearance as a girl alone in her room; after many struggles, she pushed open the room door and walked down the street dressed as a young girl.
On the snow-white pages, in beautiful words, like melancholic poems written in Elvish, the young man’s emotions at that time were delicately depicted.
Just as Shiel had just expressed, it was a conflicted emotion, mixed with trepidation and worry, like stealing, with fear in her heart, yet filled with a joy as sweet as honey…
At that time, in Verafia and Ig’s discussion, perhaps it was the first time this young man identified himself as female, but Verafia felt more that in her timidity and fear, choosing to pretend to be a girl was a choice outside of her rationality.
Wouldn’t that young man understand that if his identity were discovered, he would face ridicule and his father’s anger? It was precisely because of this that he feared and trembled… Yet, wasn’t he also hoping that someone would discover him, passively cutting off his retreat, forcing him to truly face his inner self?
Just like Shiel. Even if such irrational choices brought terrible consequences.
She quietly raised her face. Not far away, Shiel lowered her head, her fair, delicate cheeks showing a look of self-reproach: “Just because of things like this… do you think I am willful and foolish…”
Shiel said hesitantly, the moist tears once again wetting her slender eyelashes and falling from her eyes.
Tears, even for a young man, are a symbol of weakness. It seemed that as a girl, she no longer needed to pretend to be strong like a male, but could display her delicateness and softness.
Irene gently stroked her cherry-pink hair. The cool and indifferent face of the Moon Elf now revealed an unprecedented gentle expression. She cupped the young girl’s cheeks and said softly,
“How could that be, my lady. You should blame me for not truly understanding your feelings. I just thought… No, if I had known that the Count’s position was just a burden to Shiel, even if it was your father’s will, I should never have agreed.”
Shiel shook her head, then nodded her butterfly head. Crystal tears, like shattered crystals from a broken string, wet her pale face, and were then gently wiped away by the Silver Moon Elf.
Verafia and Ig exchanged a glance, gently holding her fair little hand in his palm, revealing a delicate smile.
For Shiel, at least, she had someone who trusted and cherished her without needing any reason.
However, dealing with a young girl’s delicate emotions was truly troublesome, making her nervous and even tired… Even though Shiel was already sensible and understanding, and she herself hadn’t exerted much effort.
She raised her fair jade hand and rubbed her face.
But, the remaining matters…
“But, Irene, because of me, Brother Azer…” Shiel suddenly raised her face, her wrists trembling, her voice full of self-reproach.
“Mmm, Shiel, Azer’s matters have nothing to do with you…” Ophi, who had been watching nervously for a while, quickly interjected.
Shiel gently turned her tear-filled gaze towards her.
“Just as Little Fei said. Miss Shiel, for Azer, Trist, and the followers of the Frost Calamity, there were probably already plans in place. Even if you weren’t present then, nothing would have changed.”
Ig quickly chimed in, echoing Ophi.
Moreover, what he said was the truth. Regarding Azer, Trist knew about the North Wind Witch’s mark on him, but it only erupted today when the Frost Calamity cultists caused unrest. If it wasn’t a long-planned scheme, Ig would never believe it.
Furthermore, the fact that the Frost Calamity cultists chose to attack during the arena hosted by Cardinal Bro himself, in Ig’s speculation, Azer was at least a reason.
“My lady, please sit down first.”
As Shiel was somewhat dazed, Irene took her hand and gently led her to a sofa, inviting her to sit, while she stood behind her.
Meanwhile, Verafia also quickly sat down, comfortably leaning her delicate body against the soft sofa. Having stood in front of Shiel the whole time, she wasn’t tired, but her calves ached a bit.
With slender fingers, she picked up the delicate porcelain cup with a gorgeous silver rim, took a small sip of warm black tea, then raised her delicate face and looked at Shiel, who was sitting beside her:
“In any case, whether it’s Azer or you, Shiel, the targets of these Frost Calamity cultists are undoubtedly you… But what do they want to do?”
“The Knight Convention held by Cardinal Bro, if I may tell you, my lady, is to select God’s Chosen Knights. But, as Mr. Ig said, at that time, the unrest caused by the Frost Calamity cultists, who had already infiltrated Vinash, was a long-planned event.”
Irene, standing behind the young girl, spoke.
She didn’t say the latter half of the sentence, but everyone present saw it very clearly.
— Even now, the aftershocks of the Frost Calamity’s unrest have not ended, and on the city streets, countless elite soldiers are continuously entering Vinash City under the guise of suppressing cultists.
Most of them are nominally supported by Shiel, but in reality, they are loyal to Trist.
These troops have undoubtedly taken control of the entire city.
“But, their objective was not fully achieved. At least, Miss Shiel was not captured by Trist.”
Ig’s voice broke the heavy atmosphere in the space.
Trist had personally intervened, and even without any reason, he had disregard for consequences and insisted on escorting them and Azer back to the Inquisition.
Fortunately, Irene appeared in time, deterring and repelling Trist.
Ig suddenly questioned again: “But, Miss Irene, why did you suddenly appear at that time?”
“I…”
The Moon Elf hesitated slightly, but after a moment’s pause, she said, “At that time, I was tidying up my lady’s room. On the book on my lady’s desk that she had opened last night and hadn’t closed, I saw a note.”
She took out a light blue note from her maid’s dress. On it was a line of graceful, beautiful handwriting, well-written, but slightly hurried, with misspellings and several words crossed out.
“…Please be careful. The Frost Calamity is coming, and their target is the Count’s daughter.”
Verafia read softly. She suddenly frowned, her fingers gently gliding over the paper… She clearly hadn’t seen this handwriting before, yet there was a sense of familiarity.
“Could it be that this is…”
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from deep within the castle. Irene turned around in surprise.
“Miss Elf, I apologize. I could only let you see my message a few minutes before the Frost Calamity descended.”
A clear, beautiful, and melodious girlish voice came from the depths. Two figures in heavy robes walked into their line of sight, one tall, like a valiant warrior, the other petite, resembling a young girl.
“Wait, it’s you!” Verafia exclaimed in disbelief, her delicate face showing surprise.
The girl’s voice drew the gazes of Shiel and Irene towards her.
“As expected, you still remember me…”
From behind the robe, the slender female figure spoke. Her voice was like clear ice and snow, but her tone rose slightly at the end, as if with a hint of joy and relief.
She bowed lightly to Verafia: “Miss Verafia, it is an honor to meet you.”
“Miss Verafia… you know her?” Shiel turned her head, asking with some confusion.
“No, Count. Miss Verafia, actually, this is my first time meeting her. As for my identity…”
The female voice from within the robe answered for Verafia. Then, her fair, slender palm pulled down the cloak that concealed her face, and silver hair flowed down like the cold moonlight on a winter night.
The young girl raised her light blue, moon-like eyes: “You can consider me an envoy sent by the Kasha Cult to meet you.”
