Chapter Sixty-Nine: Sudden Enlightenment
Hearing Yifu call out to her, Vivian instinctively thought that Yifu was changing her mind.
A hint of a smile appeared on her originally gloomy face.
Though she felt excited inside, she forced herself to suppress her emotions, wanting to appear more natural.
As she watched Yifu slowly walk in front of her, and the comforting fragrance of Yifu’s presence grew closer, Vivian’s heart was instantly raised to her throat.
She cautiously admired Yifu’s fair, soft hand, thinking how wonderful it would be if that beautiful jade hand could touch her head.
In the past, Vivian had resisted her mother touching her head, but now… she dreamed of her mother gently stroking her hair to comfort her.
“Is there… anything else?”
Vivian quietly asked.
But Yifu didn’t answer; she simply bent down to help Vivian tidy up the slightly messy hem of her skirt.
The puffs of the beautiful white feather dress that belonged to the Holy Maiden were smoothed out perfectly.
“It’s nothing, your skirt is a bit messy, let me help you straighten it. As the Holy Maiden, you should pay attention to your appearance in occasions like this.”
Yifu was very attentive, noticing such tiny details.
Vivian secretly scolded herself for being careless; under normal circumstances, the sacred white feather dress couldn’t have a single wrinkle, let alone in the important presence of the Princess.
“Even when living alone, I must keep my spirits up.”
After Yifu finished tidying up Vivian’s skirt, she straightened up and looked at the girl before her, who was staring intently at her.
Seeing the light in her eyes dim as Yifu’s cool expression turned them from dazzling to muted, Yifu felt a subtle stirring in her heart.
“Then until we meet again, Holy Maiden.”
Yifu reached out to ruffle Vivian’s hair, then walked past her towards Leia and Qianzhi.
Leaving Vivian standing dazed in place, her mind filled with the moments when Yifu showed her care.
It had been two years, two whole years… Although this care seemed trivial, that familiar feeling… that meticulously gentle feeling was something Vivian couldn’t find a replacement for anywhere in the world.
“In the end, am I still alone?”
Vivian lowered her head in disappointment, unwilling to look up at Yifu’s departing figure for fear she would break down and cry out loud.
Because Yifu looked remarkably like her dearly departed mother; aside from their differing appearances, they seemed almost like the same person.
Even the pleasant scent they both carried was identical.
“Hahaha…”
Just as Vivian was lost in her sorrow, she suddenly heard a melodious laughter nearby that rang like silver bells.
She instinctively looked up towards the source of the laughter.
There was Leia snuggling close to Yifu, surrounded by countless admirers, with even the young lady of the Loren family holding her hand affectionately.
Yifu said something that made Leia laugh so joyfully.
Once upon a time, wasn’t she the one who looked at Leia from a distance, filled with envy?
But now… Vivian felt she was even below the dark, shadowy rats in the sewers. After all, even rats have the care and nurturing of family.
Vivian wanted to say she wasn’t envious at all, yet her inexplicably reddened eyes revealed her feelings completely.
Meanwhile, the Princess finished her speech. A thunderous applause erupted around her, and in this noisy environment, Vivian felt everything becoming surreal.
Everyone’s faces were blurred, except for Yifu…
“Mom? I miss you so much, I was wrong, I was really wrong… I’m sorry, Mom…”
Only now did the girl, blinded by interests, suddenly realize how precious what she once had was.
Only now did she understand what her mother’s heartfelt concern before her departure truly contained…
But all of this had been her choice, and there was no turning back.
What remained was the sorrow that she had previously thought was commonplace.
“Holy Maiden! Holy Maiden…”
“Huh?”
The dazed Vivian was suddenly pulled back to reality by a voice urging her.
“Your turn to go on stage; don’t you remember you need to represent the Church and speak? You will also introduce this session’s Outstanding Graduate Representative’s grand entrance.”
“Right, it’s not the same as the previous rehearsal; the Outstanding Graduate Representative has changed. Her name is Leia, and she is no longer the young lady from the Loren family.”
“Don’t get it mixed up.”
Listening to the urging voices around her, Vivian felt a sense of disorientation.
“What? Leia has… become the Outstanding Graduate Representative?”
