NOVPUB
Chapter 285: New Morning for the Lovebirds
If Sylphia were to describe the woman standing before her, she would say that this woman was the very manifestation of ultimate beauty. Everything about her exuded elegance and grace. Her face was so stunning that Sylphia had never seen a woman more beautiful—even she felt envy toward the woman’s beauty and could only wish to have a face as captivating.
Her striking blue eyes, delicate nose, and flawless skin made her a vision of perfection—there was nothing unpleasant about the woman. With her well-proportioned body, tall figure, and motherly aura, she seemed like a goddess descended from the heavens.
At this moment, the woman smiled slightly at her—a smile so enchanting that it made Sylphia’s heart flutter, even as a woman herself. It only highlighted how breathtakingly beautiful the woman before her truly was. Though the woman did not answer Sylphia’s question, Sylphia heard her say in a soft voice.
"The karma with him truly never breaks. Even now, you are always with him," her soft voice resounded.
Her calming and soothing voice carried a deep meaning, but Sylphia couldn’t grasp its significance. Who is he? Is it Aldrian? Always with him? Sylphia wanted to ask what it all meant, but suddenly, her vision blurred and turned to darkness. Moments later, she found herself witnessing strange and unfamiliar scenes, their origins completely unknown to her.
She couldn’t understand the visions, yet they felt strangely familiar, as if she were the one experiencing them. She saw a woman with a blurry face, but an inexplicable feeling told her that the woman was herself. It was a surreal experience, but she kept trying to make sense of this unfamiliar situation.
As for Aldrian, he didn’t experience anything unusual like visions or strange sensations. However, without realizing it, his karmic thread connecting him to Sylphia turned a bright red. Alongside it, something more intangible and abstract began to manifest. Gradually, it took shape—a thread so transparent and delicate that it seemed almost imperceptible.
Even if Aldrian were to wake up at this moment and begin cultivating his karma laws, he would not realize that this phenomenon had taken shape right above the red karmic thread. The thread was transparent and colorless, visible only for a few seconds before it once again became intangible.
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In the morning, as the sun rose over the eastern horizon, the princess inside Flamecrest Mansion awoke from her laying position. She touched her temple, feeling a slight headache that soon faded. As she looked around, she realized she was still in her room within the Flamecrest Mansion. However, what confused her was why she had suddenly fallen asleep and why she had just woken up now.
She couldn’t remember how she had fallen asleep or how she ended up in her current position. The last thing she recalled from the previous night was being in the middle of her cultivation, but then everything after that became a blur. The situation felt bizarre, yet she sensed that there was nothing wrong with her.
She then stood up to stretch her body and looked at the window, still covered by curtains. The sunlight had already seeped through the gap in the curtains, so she knew the sun had been up for quite some time.
She then opened the curtains to let the sunlight illuminate her room. Looking outside, she saw that many members of the Flamecrest family were already engaged in their morning activities. Maids and gardeners were tending to their duties, the Flamecrest soldiers were undergoing their morning training, and a few elders were observing them.
She observed all of this without expression before turning and heading toward the shower. However, just as she was about to step into the shower room, a knock echoed from the door of her room. After opening it, she found her guardian knight standing before her.
"Your Highness, my apologies for disturbing you, but I bring news," the knight said with a respectful bow.
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In another place, Aldrian and Sylphia remained in the same position. Sylphia was still snuggled in Aldrian’s embrace, seemingly not intending to wake up. Although Aldrian had woken up earlier, he chose not to move, enjoying the sight of Sylphia’s smiling sleeping face. He relished the serenity of the moment, when he didn’t have to worry about the troublesome problems outside this room and could simply enjoy the peace he had right now.
He liked the fragrance of her that made him feel refreshed as he gently touched her skin and smooth golden hair.
"Well, it looks like I’ve found a new hobby," he thought.
After a few moments, Sylphia’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Aldrian’s smiling face, with sunlight streaming in behind him, illuminating the room through the gap between the curtains.
She smiled brightly in response, also aware that Aldrian’s hand was still resting on her waist, stroking it gently as if she were the most precious porcelain.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Aldrian asked.
Sylphia snuggled her head against his chest, inhaling his scent before answering.
"This is the best sleep of my life. What else could I expect? I get to sleep, embraced by the person I love."
Aldrian lovingly stroked Sylphia’s hair.
"What are you doing today? Do you want to continue investigating the devil case?" she asked.
"No, there’s nothing specific for today. I’ll wait for information from the Flamecrest family, and once that comes, I’ll move. At the moment, the imperial family—no, Princess Loraine—she’s the pawn I can use to solve this problem. I want to see what kind of trick she’ll pull before I strike against the devils’ plan," he replied. As if he knew what was on her mind with that question, he smiled and asked her,
"Do you want to go for a walk with me? It would be a shame not to spend my free time enjoying it," Aldrian said.
Sylphia’s expression brightened, and she instantly nodded. They both got up from the bed. Sylphia went to the shower to prepare while Aldrian walked to the balcony and looked outside. The morning seemed different to him; it felt more colorful and beautiful.
"Is this how it feels when someone is in love?" He thought.
Not long after, Aldrian and Sylphia finished their preparations and walked out of the inn. Just like they had in the Doria Empire, they explored every interesting place in the city, enjoying the sights. However, the difference this time was that they walked hand in hand, like a couple in love experiencing their springtime together.
Aldrian was enjoying his time with Sylphia, and whenever she wanted something, he made sure to fulfill it. However, amidst their free time together, he also heard some news about the Flamecrest family. It seemed the imperial family had found something inside the mansion, and Princess Loraine would announce the results of the investigation later that afternoon.
Aldrian narrowed his eyes. "They’re moving that fast? The princess is really in a rush to do her job, huh."
He looked at his lover, who seemed to be enjoying her beverage. They were in a luxurious tavern located beside one of the main roads in the city. Not wanting to disturb her, he closed his eyes and focused on his domain at the Flamecrest family’s mansion. He saw that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The atmosphere was the same as yesterday, and there was no unusual movement coming from the dungeon.
He looked at his father and Grand Duke Flamecrest, who were in the middle of a conversation with the princess inside the Grand Duke’s workroom—the same room he had watched them in last night. He then used his technique to eavesdrop on their conversation, using the same technique he had used to listen in on the devils inside the Golden Swan Commerce branch in Balin city a few years ago.
"Your Highness, I believe I have already made my decision clear to you regarding the proposal. Furthermore, I trust that Your Highness can judge for yourself that there is nothing that proves our connection with the devils, and I am confident you will clear my family’s name," Aldrey said to Princess Loraine.
"This decision was also agreed upon by my father after much consideration, so we hope that Your Highness can understand," Aldrey said.
Princess Loraine looked at Aldrey and Grand Duke Flamecrest for a moment before replying, "Is that so? Then I will deliver this to His Majesty after I announce the results of our investigation this afternoon. We don’t want the masses to remain in the dark, and we certainly don’t want false rumors to spread." She said this with a smile.
Although Princess Loraine said as much, Aldrey and Grand Duke Flamecrest couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with the entire situation. Suddenly, the princess had completed her investigation here, even though she had only just arrived a few days ago. It felt too fast, and they doubted that the envoys had discovered anything in just these two or three days.
The princess also brought up the imperial family’s proposal again, which they had decided to turn down after much consideration. In the end, they still believed they could solve this problem without the imperial family’s help. This conviction was strengthened by new information they had obtained: something had been wrong with Commander Marcus that night.
They learned this after the interrogation with one of the witnesses earlier this morning. This new clue gave their family renewed hope, and they believed it was a good sign.
However, Aldrian, that also heard the princess and knew the truth about her, felt that today would be the day that could change the fate of the Flamecrest family if he did nothing. He knew that the announcement by the princess would bring bad news for the Flamecrest family!
