Chapter 2236: Confession

Chapter 2236: Chapter 2236: Confession

The two walked hand in hand out of the barn, looking at the pasture, fields, and the undulating hills in the distance under the azure sky, their moods seemed much brighter. Shard suddenly wanted to ask a question, but the lady beside him asked it first:

"Do you really like me?"

She asked Shard with a smile, and Shard nodded without hesitation:

"Of course, you didn’t leave that night, and jumped into the sea to pull me up, that’s already enough for me. No, it’s not gratitude and thanks, it’s... you know, the red mark between your brows is really beautiful."

The Blonde Countess blinked with a smile:

"Do you also want to ask me the same question?"

But she didn’t let Shard respond, instead, she covered Shard’s mouth with her hand, the golden hues in her eyes more captivating than the countryside scenery:

"Let me tell you the answer—do I like you? Of course, I like your appearance, I like your soul, because you are the one destined for me."

The pastoral scenery of Moon Bay Region is quite different from the Tobesk Region. Tobesk is located on the central plains of the Old Continent, though its eastern city area is mountainous, the farmlands are all plains. The terrain of Moon Bay is extremely complex, creating diverse countryside landscapes.

This afternoon, the weather was indeed nice. The maids rode horses from afar, and their shy owner proposed sharing a horse with Shard, sitting sideways in front of him as they traveled together.

"Last time when I came back from Whisper Hills, I was asleep the whole way, completely unaware."

She softly explained her reason for doing it, then laughed and asked Shard to ride faster; she wanted to feel the afternoon breeze of this cold summer.

For city dwellers, the scenery outside the city is always fascinating. This afternoon, they galloped together on country paths, visited the orchard near the hills to check on the unripe, green apples, teased donkeys under the windmill by the Howard River tributary of the Taton River, chased a squirrel through the fields, and at sunset, stood on the ridge together watching the glow of the sunset spill over the fields doomed to a poor harvest this autumn.

"Truly beautiful~"

Miss Matilda stood discretely far away with the other maids, while Miss Belindel, holding hands with Shard, had her face entirely blushed by the sunset. She softly sighed, and Shard nodded:

"Indeed beautiful."

The Witch turned to Shard, her flushed side with a smiling expression:

"Do you know the origin of this birthmark?"

She pointed to her forehead, and the Outlander hesitated in the dusk glow:

"Wasn’t it present at birth?"

The Witch smiled:

"Of course, it was present at birth. I mean, my teacher told me when I formally became her follower that it’s not just a birthmark, it’s a special talent. In the ancient era, there was a race with three eyes, legends said they could see through fate and time. But even so, that ancient race has long vanished. According to my teacher, my birthmark is similar and reflects a talent to better see through destiny."

Shard was hearing this for the first time, so he asked:

"May I... may I touch it?"

"Of course."

She leaned forward, and Shard’s fingers brushed over her forehead. Witches usually don’t use too many cosmetics, so the touch didn’t feel greasy or oily.

"A little ticklish."

She laughed and complained, and Shard withdrew his hand:

"Certainly unusual, can I touch it again in another way?"

She nodded gently with consent, her beautiful golden eyes, in the sunset, reflected nothing but the image of Shard:

"This is what I want to do, and please let me touch you, let me... see your fate."

They both extended their hands, embracing each other’s neck, Shard pressed his forehead against hers.

In the glow of sunset, he and she closed their eyes together. Side faces illuminated by the sunset, the handsome Outlander and the beautiful Witch trusted the person they embraced. The picturesque scene moved the distant maids with excitement, knowing their mistress finally attained what she desired.

A warmth between them, a wondrous sensation, made Shard feel for a moment that someone was calling his name. He quickly realized it wasn’t an illusion because, with closed eyes, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder from behind.

It wasn’t Miss Belindel, nor was it any of the maids observing from afar. The answer soon appeared, Adel Isabella softly spoke by Shard’s ear:

"The Council’s power resonates with destiny, I’ve seen you again from the bygone era. Shard, Bella will be a great support by your side, you need a diviner other than Luviya Annette beside you. Remember, absolute justice is not justice, the first condition for drawing a sword is to do so in the face of the strong."

The lady speaking softly kissed Shard’s cheek, then disappeared.

Shard suddenly opened his eyes, feeling as if he had just been in a daze. He removed his forehead from contact with the witch, and turned to look to the right rear, but there was nothing there; no footprints on the ground, no trace of her perfume in the air.

[She did not come here, but what you heard was definitely not an illusion.]

"She" gently reminded, and just as Shard was about to speak, he heard the sharp blast of a steam whistle.

Looking once again at Miss Belindel, the Great Witch of Destiny had vacant eyes, and from the depths of the steam mist behind her, her Ring of Fate had begun to appear. The Ring spun rapidly, being dyed a dazzling gold by the miracle aura of the golden hue, the sunset’s light casting a brilliant glow, ultimately engraving a new Spirit Rune on the witch’s eleven rings:

Miracle - [Accident]

The aura receded, and the Ring returned to its normal rotation speed. Consciousness returned to her vacant eyes as she and Shard both looked at her Ring, then she quietly said:

"Miracle - Dark Moon, Miracle - Accident. Since meeting you, I’ve acquired two Spirit Runes in just half a month."

"To reach the Twelve Rings, you need just one more Desecration Spirit Rune, right?"

Shard asked, as Miss Belindel’s Ring of Fate faded away. She did not discuss what she had just seen, nor did she pay attention to her newfound power:

"Can you kiss me?"

Her red lips moved, and she softly said to Shard:

"Here and now. Not because I’m taking the initiative, but because it’s what you want to do. Before they arrive, I want to know your intentions."

"Of course."

The two gazed at each other, as the blonde witch’s pursed lips slowly approached Shard, until she fell into that gentle embrace.

That afternoon’s outing in the countryside was evidently enjoyed by the Countess, as even the maids could see. She wore a smile all the way back to the estate and even upon return, she announced an extra meal allowance for every maid and servant in the manor.

Emilia did not understand why her "landlady" was in such a good mood, and asking Shard provided no answers. As Mia was there too, Shard did not go home but stayed for dinner. It was clear Mia had enjoyed the afternoon as well, being good friends with the little unicorn.

After dinner, even the Elf Girl could see the Countess "entangling" Shard, not wanting him to leave. Seeing there was still time, Shard planned an extra activity for the evening:

"Would you like to accompany me for a walk around the city?"

He extended an invitation to the Countess:

"Coincidentally, I have a small task to do in the city that isn’t very urgent, so why not come with me."

Miss Belindel certainly did not refuse.

The "Crazy Earth" scene on Baker Street was located in the eastern part of the city, specifically at houses 8 and 9 on the west end of the east-west Baker Street. All of Baker Street consists of three-story apartment buildings, and the people turned to petrified trees in numbers 8 and 9 have already been removed; there were no survivors in this incident.

Even if Shard used the "Holy Grail of the Earth" to concoct spiritual medicine, it would not save them. The medicine’s effect is to reverse petrification but cannot turn trees back into humans.

However, Shard’s destination that evening was not houses 8 and 9 on Baker Street, but number 27 on the opposite side. This house had no milk box outside, nor a newspaper or mail slot on the door. It looked unoccupied, though someone must come regularly to clean, as the windows were spotless, and the door handle was free of rust.

"Here it is."

After getting off the carriage at the street corner, Shard told the veiled Countess behind him. He climbed the steps and knocked on the door handle, and with a soft click from inside, the door opened.

The two entered together, finding the interior indeed uninhabited. The ground floor had all the necessary furniture, but everything was covered with dust cloths to prevent dirt accumulation.

The floor was relatively clean, and the house still had gas service, although they did not turn on any lights.

"Please follow me, upstairs."

Shard said, stepping towards the staircase. Miss Belindel looked around curiously, then softly said:

"Don’t tell me the secret of this house yet, this time I’ll divine it myself."

"You should divine that this has little connection to me."

Shard chuckled.

As they climbed the stairs, Miss Belindel kept drawing cards, and by the time they reached the second-floor corridor, Shard was confirming the secret room’s location from data he obtained from Grey Glove; the witch exclaimed in surprise:

"This is related to Grey Glove? To a murder case from years ago? To a dead person?"