Mage Manual

"...Even if I become his angel, it doesn’t mean I’ll have any connection with him. I will continue working for him just like before." Felix glanced at the lanterns hanging on the street: "I have already resolved to pursue power, dedicate my life to magic, and explore the limits of truth. I will suppress those emotions as they rise anyway... He has so many lovers; he wouldn’t notice me."

Though decision is inaudible, one can hear the mixed feelings of frustration and affection... Dedarose pondered and asked, "Can you be without name or status even with his child?"

"Even if without name or status, I would still... What child!?"

Felix realized halfway through and suddenly blushed: "I’ve said I won’t have any relationship with him, and it’s even more impossible to have any child! Besides, high-level mages should find it very hard to reproduce offspring!"

"I don’t doubt the seriousness of your vow now, but losing control in moments of passion is also inevitable." Dedarose glanced at her sideways: "Before when Ash disappeared, you always regretted not following the Sword Maiden and others into the Seven Heavens, right? Even if you repeatedly denied your true feelings, you couldn’t help but crave a chance to burn for love... Only then could you feel the meaning of being alive."

"I initially thought you were different from Irina, but in the end, you are both the type who are drawn to the flame like moths, knowing full well the fire will burn you, yet deeply fascinated by this pain."

"Mother?" Felix was stunned.

"Have you ever considered this problem," Dedarose said: "Beverly and your father were childhood sweethearts; before Irina met him, they were the model couple everyone in Jiale City envied. Irina wasn’t ignorant of your father’s identity, meaning... She clearly knew she was the third party."

"But the fault lies with that man." Felix immediately said: "If he weren’t so fickle—"

"Actually, there was a time when Irina and Beverly were good friends." Dedarose suddenly revealed a bombshell: "The three of them studied together, traveled together, whispered in the library, conversing under the starry sky... Vosloda once made great efforts to keep a distance from Irina, trying hard to view her as a friend with whom he once shared life and death."

Felix was enthralled: "And then?"

Dedarose said: "I don’t know the details, but Irina told me that when she and Vosloda decided to be together, Beverly directly questioned her: ’Can you truly feel joy taking happiness from me?’."

"What did mother... How did she answer?"

"She told this to Vosloda, saying ’Of course, I can’t truly feel happy doing such a thing.’"

"So they separated?"

"If they had separated, then how is it you exist?" Dedarose chuckled: "Vosloda also thought she refused, but Irina continued saying, ’As long as I can be with you, even this doesn’t matter to me.’"

Felix was stunned, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Though she constantly complained about her father, did she not hate her mother at all? How could it be? She always addressed Dedarose as Miss Lena rather than aunt, subtly indicating her rejection of her mother.

Through countless sleepless nights, she pulled the blanket over herself as if lying in her mother’s arms until tears drenched the pillow. Why was I born, why did you leave me, why don’t you love me—all these hoarse cries echoed within the blanket until gradually she stopped making sounds; tears remained ever fresh on the pillow, until she no longer shed them.

She gradually became a silent adult, but her hatred for her father grew deeper, even joining the Four Pillars God Sect just to destroy the Kingdom of Stars, which her father valued greatly. But did she also add her hatred for her mother to her father? Even she couldn’t say for sure.

Yet with Dedarose’s storytelling, Felix seemed to see a bright-eyed, radiant young girl. She was quirky, lively, as passionate and bright as the sun, unable to even disguise herself... She once thought of accepting unfulfilled destiny, but ultimately preferred to fight against everything and cling tightly to her happiness. She was the type that would stubbornly walk the path she chose, even if it meant doing so on her knees.

Her mother was once young just like her.

"Vosloda and Irina once left everything behind to elope," Dedarose continued in a casual tone, revealing more bombshells: "Unfortunately, two small incidents occurred afterward."

"What small incidents?"

"The first incident was the death of an uncle you’ve never met, and the second was the critical illness of a grandfather you’ve never met," Dedarose said: "Originally, even if he ran away, Vosloda would still have your uncle as a successor. However, your uncle met with an accident during an Abyss adventure, and then your grandfather, the old Duke, was severely injured in Void Realm Exploration, his soul nearly extinguished, lying in bed doing almost nothing."

"Vosloda really had no choice but to return; when he got back to Jiale City, the old Duke immediately made him marry Beverly, and yet he insisted on not inheriting the title, delaying until three years later when the old Duke passed away peacefully."