Searching

In short, and to sum up.

After a heart-to-heart conversation with the Dragon God in the Dragon God Sacred Land, Aurelia found clarity.

The Dragon God’s words were like a clear mountain spring washing away her numb, dirty confusion.

Her bewildered consciousness, like a sudden enlightenment, instantly found a clear direction.

Since she loved him, she had to get him, not just his heart, but his body too.

Children made choices; adults wanted it all.

She would become his wife, unite with him, and bear the crystallization of their love.

And not just one, but many, many children.

The dragon race itself was not strict about the number or requirements for male and female dragons choosing mates, but Aurelia had already sworn in her heart that in this life, her body and soul would only be intimately given to him alone.

Although these words would make any maiden blush, Aurelia took them as her goal.

Emerging from the Dragon God Sacred Land, the dragon citizens lining the path cheered the birth of the new Saintess.

A faint smile graced the girl’s pure face; at that moment, she seemed truly an emissary bearing the Dragon God’s will.

But only she herself understood that the title of Saintess was merely a vacant position to her, a means to get close enough to that man.

The identity she truly wished to embody was his wife, the other half of his life.

Since then, Saintess Aurelia of the Great Dragon Divine Dynasty, in her daily life, beyond the duties of worship, communication, and harmony inherent to the Saintess, rarely approached outsiders, always holding herself to the standards of a bride-to-be.

Perhaps in her heart, her most perfect self could only be reserved for her closest family, and her true family would only be that fated person who had not yet returned.

Time returned to the present. Aurelia calmly gazed at the girl before her, the one who fought with such precision.

“I can swear in the name of the Dragon God that I have not lied.”

The white dragon girl picked up her teacup, speaking unhurriedly.

At these words, Lydia’s expression instantly changed.

On the entire Seraphis Continent, swearing in the name of the deity one believed in was the most binding proof. If a swearer violated the content of their oath, they would suffer divine punishment.

The forms of divine punishment varied for each deity.

For example, the Goddess of Destiny, Cecilia’s, divine punishment involved thunder descending from the sky, and those struck by lightning would have their bodies destroyed and souls scattered.

Lydia weighed the significance of the other’s words, slowly putting down her saber. She placed the alchemical blade on the table but did not return it to its sheath.

“How did you know this news?”

Lydia’s voice still trembled slightly, filled with disbelief.

“I am the Saintess of the Great Dragon Divine Dynasty, and this message was personally conveyed by His Majesty the Dragon God.”

Aurelia put down her teacup, looking directly at the chestnut-haired girl, whose expression was extremely abnormal.

“I am telling you this news, firstly because you are Conde’s disciple, and I am Conde’s old acquaintance. It is a fated encounter with Conde that can only be resolved by meeting him. Before meeting Conde again, we share the same interests and goals…”

Emerging from the coffee shop, Lydia’s expression was somewhat dazed.

Iliana, who had been waiting anxiously at the door, rushed to catch up with her senior.

“Senior Lydia, what is this…”

Sensing Lydia’s obviously unwell state, Iliana quickly reached out and put an arm around her senior, supporting half of her body. She took her senior’s hand, but her palm was cold and sweaty.

“Senior, you…”

“Lydia, I apologize, you might not know my senior…”

“Iliana, I apologize, could you please take me somewhere quiet?”

Lydia turned her head, her expression weak but still managing a strained smile.

Supported by Iliana, Lydia slowly made her way back to the dormitory.

The moment she opened the dorm door and entered, her body went limp and she collapsed in the entryway.

“Senior, Senior, what’s wrong?!”

Iliana gasped in alarm, crouching down to ask about her condition.

Lydia, leaning against the wall, slumped on the ground, twitched slightly a few times.

Tears, crystal clear, streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto the floor.

“Just being alive is good, just being alive is good.”

A few short, repeated murmurs, as if they consumed all her strength.

She tightly hugged her knees like a wounded kitten, her tear-soaked face buried deep in her lap. Her suppressed sobs, filled with a young girl’s grievances and relief, poured out.

Five years, five years…

Five years of hardship and grievances surged out with her tears.

The helplessness and sadness she felt when she saw the gemstone symbolizing her master’s heartbeat shatter in her hands, was now matched by the immense relief and gratitude she felt hearing that her master was still alive.

Iliana, squatting beside her, understood her senior’s emotions. With a complex expression, she gently patted Lydia’s back, continuously repeating words of comfort.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, everything will get better.”

The pent-up emotions vented with time. The girl, after crying, crouched halfway on the bench in the entryway, and light gradually returned to her azure eyes.

She reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the skin of her forearm. Although her eyes were somewhat red from crying, Iliana could feel that her senior’s mood was getting better and better.

Her senior, in the past, was gentle with others, but after spending time with her, one could feel a suppressed aura about her. It was like an invisible pressure on the shoulders of this girl, not yet twenty.

The guilt in her heart constantly tormented her, making it difficult to breathe.

But now, although she didn’t know what her senior had discussed with Senior Aurelia in that coffee shop, it was definitely not bad news, at least for now.

“Iliana, thank you.”

Perhaps from crying for so long, the girl’s originally clear voice was now a little hoarse.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Being able to be by Senior’s side at such a critical moment, I’m already very content…”

The purple-haired girl quickly waved her hand, her beautiful face showing no concern.

“Iliana, I have a request…”

“Just say it, Senior. If there’s anything I can help with, I will definitely help.”

The purple-haired girl quickly declared her willingness. Her senior rarely asked her for favors, and now that this opportunity had arisen, she definitely had to seize it tightly.

“I know you come from a prominent family. I hope to use your influence to help me investigate my master.”

“What, Senior’s master, he’s not already… Wait, could it be?!”

The purple-haired girl’s expression changed dramatically. She looked at Lydia’s eyes in disbelief, and Lydia nodded weakly.

“Yes, I now have definite news that he is not dead. But with my personal strength, I cannot find him right now. I know the Arundel family has considerable connections across the entire Seraphis Continent. I hope to use your influence to help me find some useful information…”

Iliana looked at her senior’s pleading eyes, hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

“I will, Senior. Please rest assured.”

“Thank you…”