Leonora could barely make a sound.
She flipped the card onto the piano lid like a frantic gambler.
The card depicted Shiya in an indigo dress with white patterns, her hands folded over her chest, head bowed as she hummed softly.
Translucent, faint golden musical notes shimmered around her.
Shiya and Leonora stared at each other.
Finally, the young lady carefully picked up the card and deciphered the bloodline talent unique to Shiya.
“The Celestial Voice—more plainly, a singing voice.”
Originally, given Shiya’s foundation in singing learned from childhood, combined with a bloodline ability like “Celestial Voice,” it should have been an enviable combination.
But…
The beautiful scene was jarringly incongruous, like a venomous serpent piercing the slender neck of the bard-form Shiya.
Her fingertips traced the dagger on the card, creating a glaring contrast with the card’s overall atmosphere.
Was this also reflecting the truth in reality—
How the original owner had pierced her throat when she committed suicide, completely destroying her vocal cords?
Shiya thought this to herself, but instinctively felt something was off.
However, there were more important things to do now.
She needed to soothe the lady’s mood.
“What’s wrong, Lady? Is the me on the card not pretty?”
Shiya wrapped her arms around Leonora’s neck, leaning sideways against her back, her voice trembling slightly.
Leonora hung her head, her expression unreadable.
“Why? Shiya?”
She asked in a low voice.
“Why were you such an idiot back then, doing something foolish for that princess?”
“Do you know? Even with the Duke’s Estate’s deep resources, a Secret Elixir that forcefully awakens bloodline talent like this isn’t easy to obtain.”
Shiya closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the vermillion-red hair.
“I’m sorry, Leonora…”
Tears instantly soaked the girl’s sleeve.
“The one who harmed that princess couldn’t give you any sense of security at all. You’re sorry for yourself. Now even the only hand you had left to protect yourself is…”
“Shiya, I can’t protect you, and I can’t defeat the person who hurt you…”
Shiya interrupted her, lowering her voice:
“Someone like me… how could someone like me ever deserve…”
“Leonora…”
She leaned close to her ear, her cherry-colored lips almost brushing her earlobe.
“Do you think I like you because you’re strong?”
The piano room fell into a momentary silence.
The wind chime swayed gently in the breeze, producing clear, tinkling sounds.
Leonora’s sobbing gradually stopped, and the room grew still.
“Idiot, why would you say that at a time like this?”
Her voice was muffled but carried an unmistakable tremor.
“There are still many cathedrals to pick, and we have to visit each wedding venue one by one. I’m simply not prepared.”
She muttered in a confused tone:
“And I still have to take you to meet Father… If he finds out I like a girl…”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Shiya’s forehead, and she frantically waved her hands:
“No, no, Lady, when I said ‘like,’ I meant like as friends!”
The moment the words left her mouth, Leonora froze as if her soul had been drained.
She slowly turned her head, her vacant pale red eyes first confused, then suddenly blazing with anger.
“You narcissist!”
She lunged at Shiya in fury.
Shiya turned and ran.
In the chaos, they tumbled and tangled on the bed.
Leonora pinned Shiya’s wrists, her face flushed, breath ragged.
“Stop right there!”
“I was just trying to comfort you!”
In the midst of the confusion, Shiya suddenly lifted her head and gently pressed a kiss to the tip of Leonora’s nose.
Leonora’s body stiffened, and her grip instantly loosened.
Taking the chance to break free, Shiya rolled off the bed and dashed toward the piano room door, only to find it wouldn’t budge.
“It’s… locked?”
The next moment, a slender, pale hand clamped down on her shoulder.
Shiya was so startled she fell to the floor, looking back to see Leonora, her expression dangerous.
“Huff… can we call a truce, Lady?”
She gasped, her voice softening.
Leonora stared at her flushed face, her gaze flickering.
In the end, she just reached out and gently pinched her ear.
“Stay away from me, you sweet-talking little liar.”
With that, she too sat down wearily.
But Shiya leaned over and rested her head on Leonora’s shoulder.
“Stop it.”
“But I’m so tired.”
Leonora was silent for a moment.
In the end, she didn’t push her away, only said softly, “Then don’t move.”
The maple red and snow white intertwined, like a burning sun at the edge of the sky, dyeing the clouds a rosy hue.
“You know, Shiya, when I learned that your bloodline talent was the highest grade—the Glazed Glass level—I was so happy.”
Her voice dropped.
“But then I thought… Will you end up like me someday? A useless person who can’t grow at all.”
Shiya reached up and pinched her cheek.
“Lady, don’t talk about yourself like that.”
Leonora gave a light, self-deprecating laugh.
And at that moment, no one noticed.
The card between Shiya’s fingers was silently changing—
The gray-white faded, revealing a glass-like luster, only to be gradually covered and eroded by thick, dark red.
The bard-girl Shiya on the card gradually transformed into a different image:
A bloodstained wedding dress, a veil slightly lifted, eerie demon horns, and a slender figure surrounded by flames.
She stood sideways, her violet eyes indifferent, as if looking down on all worldly things and fate.
The next second, those eyes gave a faint glance, as if casting a scornful appraisal upon the entire world.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.