Chapter 272: Then, Please Redeem a Knife for Me

As a priest, he should have known better than to become emotionally attached to anyone in the minor worlds.

Gods were high and mighty; they were also supposed to be cold and unfeeling.

Silence stretched on.

The Black-Haired Oracle deliberated for a moment, about to say something.

"If you can, please redeem a knife for me," came a cheerful yet calm voice.

The Black-Haired Oracle froze, not quite processing her words. [What?]

Jane Lancaster patiently explained, "I’ve already zeroed out Pauline Shaw’s and Julian Lanscaster’s affection levels, which means I’ve earned the right to redeem two items, right? So please, redeem a knife for me."

The request was so peculiar that The Black-Haired Oracle quickly got to the heart of the matter. [What kind of knife do you want?]

If she just wanted an ordinary knife, she could buy as many as she pleased. Why waste a precious chance to redeem an item?

Jane Lancaster said, "You’re the system, right? Don’t you have a place like The Prime Dominion? I want a knife from where you’re from. And make sure it’s from there, okay?"

It was an almost absurdly simple request.

[Why?] he couldn’t help but ask, not wanting her to waste the opportunity.

Jane Lancaster’s tone was breezy. "No particular reason. I just want to see if your knives are anything special—if they can slay ghosts and kill gods."

[You could ask for something much more significant.] The request was still too simple; it didn’t compensate for what she had lost.

A glint appeared in Jane Lancaster’s eyes. "This is what I want. If you think it’s too small a request, how about you throw in another session of ’Bronze Wall, Iron Arm’? You know, the discounted, half-strength knock-off version you guys have."

The Black-Haired Oracle: [...]

Perhaps out of guilt, he agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

[Alright.]

"Sys, you’re the best. Thank you," Jane Lancaster said, a smile blooming on her face.

She was undeniably beautiful. Her smile wasn’t wide, but it made her features breathtakingly radiant.

It was as if all the starlight in the universe had gathered in her eyes, an infectious joy that lifted the spirits of anyone who saw it.

The corners of The Black-Haired Oracle’s lips lifted into a slight smile, and his gaze softened.

[It’s cold outside. You should get back to your room.] He paused, then added warmly, [And don’t worry, you don’t have to be afraid. There are no ghosts in the house.]

He was making a little joke.

Jane Lancaster couldn’t help but grin. She did as he suggested, returning to her room, pulling back the covers, and lying down on the bed.

She yawned in the darkness, her voice muffled. "I’m going to sleep now. You can log off. Bye."

The Black-Haired Oracle shut down the control console.

Aethelgard knew neither day nor night, its skies forever resplendent with starlight, but its people still followed a schedule, resting at their appointed times.

At this hour, all of Aethelgard was deep in slumber.

He left the console, a faint smile still gracing his lips.

The moment she sensed the system had logged off, Jane Lancaster’s eyes snapped open in the darkness.

She had deliberately left the curtains open when she returned to her room, allowing the dim, yellow light from the courtyard to filter in.

On every night haunted by nightmares, she would lie awake, staring at the dim yellow streetlights all night long.

’Maybe it’s some kind of self-preservation instinct. As long as I don’t close my eyes, the nightmares can’t catch me.’

’This is destined to be a sleepless night. All I can do is wait patiently for the dawn.’

In the pitch-black room, the phone on her nightstand suddenly lit up with a faint glow.

Jane Lancaster froze for a second. ’Who would be texting me at this hour?’

She grabbed her phone to look. It was a message from Jasper Sterling, asking if she was asleep.

’Who asks someone if they’re asleep at a time like this? Is he still working overtime? It’s so late... past four in the morning.’

She texted back, "You’re not asleep yet?" Then she sat in the darkness, waiting for his reply.

Her phone rang. It wasn’t a text message, but a phone call.

She answered almost instantly.

She didn’t speak, and neither did he.

The only sounds coming through the phone were their breathing and... the whistling of wind from some unknown place.

"Jasper Sterling, are you outside?" she guessed.

Jasper Sterling replied, "Mm, I had a nightmare. Couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk."

After a pause, he asked softly, "What about you? A nightmare keeping you awake, too?"

Jane Lancaster’s breath caught, and her heart began to pound. She remembered hearing the sound of car tires on the pavement just a few minutes ago.

The sound of a car was rare in the villa complex this late at night, but not unheard of. There were always people coming home late; it wasn’t that strange.

"You’re outside my house?"

"Mm," came the low, nasal affirmation.

Jane Lancaster closed her eyes for a moment, then said softly, "Give me five minutes."

She got out of bed, threw on an overcoat, and moved swiftly and silently down from the second floor, heading out the door and across the courtyard.

The guard on duty in the security booth was dozing off. She quietly opened the small iron side gate, trying not to make a single sound.

In the darkness, a tall figure stood silently under the camphor tree just outside the courtyard wall.

Their eyes met, and she gestured for him to follow her quickly; they would talk once they were farther away.

But she had only taken a few steps when a low voice sounded from behind her. "Sorry."

The next second, her back met a warm, solid chest.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his warm breath ghosting over her skin.

"Jasper Sterling?" she murmured.

"I’m sorry. Just let me hold you for a second longer," Jasper Sterling said, his voice hoarse as he slowly tightened his arms around her.

The heart-pounding terror from his nightmare hadn’t yet subsided. Only holding her could dispel that fear.

Jane Lancaster stood perfectly still, letting him hold her.

She thought it would take him longer, but Jasper Sterling quickly regained his composure.

"Why are your hands so icy?" he asked, taking her hand. He then felt her arm and cheek, and the color drained from his face.

He quickly shrugged off his overcoat, wrapped it tightly around her, and then swept her up into his arms.

Jane Lancaster panicked. "Wait a second..."

’How did I end up in his arms again? It’s got to be awkward to hold someone bundled up in this many clothes...’

Jasper Sterling supported her slender back and said calmly, "Your clothes are thick, makes it a bit slippery. You’d better hold on tight, or you might fall."

Startled, Jane Lancaster quickly threw her arms around his neck.

Jasper Sterling chuckled softly, his eyes half-lidded.

’This is the third time I’ve held her like this,’ he thought. ’The first was at Aethelan Hospital, and the second was when she fainted.’

’She really doesn’t need to worry about me not being able to carry her. The last time she fainted, I was the one who carried her everywhere.’

’She’s so light; how could I possibly lack the strength to hold her?’

Jasper Sterling’s car was parked a few hundred meters away. He quickened his pace, carrying her safely back to the vehicle.

The car’s heater was on, but he still held Jane Lancaster’s hands against his chest to warm them, even trying to tuck her cold feet into his lap.

At first, Jane Lancaster was in disbelief, trying to refuse in a fluster, but gradually, her tense body relaxed.

His embrace was firm and powerful, but also incredibly warm.

’This is actually... really comfortable. It’s making it hard for me to refuse,’ she thought, turning her head away as a blush crept up to the tips of her ears.

Jasper Sterling gazed at her profile. ’She always acts so bold, but she’s actually very shy.’

"What nightmare did you have?" he asked.

Jane Lancaster snapped back to reality and remembered her own question. "What about you? What kind of nightmare did you have that made you run to my house in the middle of the night?"