Theia crept back to the very last carriage, her footsteps so light they were nearly silent.
In the cramped space, Eve lay quietly inside her sleeping bag.
Her breathing was steady and rhythmic, her chest rising and falling gently.
Theia carefully unbuckled the quiver and dagger from her waist.
She placed them softly in the corner, terrified of making even the slightest noise.
Then, she rummaged through the wooden crates to pull out another sleeping bag.
She gently spread it out next to Eve, meticulously smoothing out the corners.
The carriage felt exceptionally cramped, packed to the brim with Lin Gui's supply crates.
The faint scent of wood and leather lingered in the air.
There was barely enough room for three people to lie side by side, making it difficult to even turn around.
Gazing at the tiny space, Theia couldn't help but recall her original fantasies.
She had secretly hoped for some heart-pounding moments with Lin Gui in this enclosed space.
At such a close, intimate distance, perhaps in the dead of night...
But... that oblivious blockhead of a man.
Right now, his only focus was reaching Shield City as quickly as possible, completely indifferent to anything else.
Besides...
It would have been one thing if they were alone, but now...
It was one man and two women.
At that thought, Theia couldn't help but sigh softly.
Her gaze fell upon Eve's peaceful, sleeping face.
Theia suddenly narrowed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly in the dim light.
She recalled the abrupt words Eve had spoken earlier.
And that slip of the tongue in front of the mine, which hadn't felt accidental at all.
The phrase “demon wife” kept echoing in her mind.
Now that Lin Gui wasn't around, it was the perfect time to ask.
Theia opened her mouth, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
Yet, she felt too guilty to wake the soundly sleeping Eve.
Her outstretched hand hovered in mid-air, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She crouched beside the sleeping bag, biting her lower lip in conflict while absentmindedly twirling a strand of her silver hair around her finger.
With her hand still suspended in the air, she was caught in a dilemma.
She looked just like a little kitten hesitating over whether to steal a treat.
Right then, suddenly.
A beautiful face loomed large in front of her without warning.
Warm breath brushed gently against her cheek.
“Whoa!”
Startled, Theia leapt backward.
Her heel slammed hard against the wooden crate behind her, letting out a dull thud.
She frantically braced herself against the crate.
Clutching her chest in a panic, she felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her throat.
Unbeknownst to her, Eve had already woken up and was now propping herself up on one elbow.
A sly smile played across her face.
Seeing Theia's frightened reaction, she couldn't help but chuckle softly, her shoulders shaking with amusement.
Her laughter was clear and melodious, like the chirping of birds at dawn or the bubbling of a forest spring.
It echoed softly within the cramped carriage.
Her face flushed red, Theia tried to regain her composure by smoothing her collar, attempting to cover up her embarrassment:
“If you're awake, at least squeak!”
“Slinking around like that, you scared the life out of me!”
Eve clapped her hands playfully, tilting her head as her eyes curved into charming crescents.
“Squeak?”
Theia froze completely, her mouth hanging open as she struggled to find words.
Ultimately, she could only shake her head in resignation and sigh softly.
This Holy Saintess was turning out to be quite different from what she had imagined.
“Ahem, well...”
Theia spoke up somewhat awkwardly, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes as her eyes darted around.
Eve sat up gracefully, resting her hands lightly on her knees.
Her posture was as dignified as a true Holy Saintess, but the amusement dancing in her eyes gave away her true feelings:
“Eve Isaiah.”
“You can just call me Eve.”
“Ahem, I'm Theia Windrunner.”
“You can just call me Theia.”
After their brief introductions, Theia noticed that Eve was still staring at her with a beaming smile.
Even though those eyes remained closed, she could feel a focused gaze, as if Eve could see right through her mind.
“Ahem, is... is there something on my face?”
Theia turned her face away uncomfortably.
Feeling as though her inner thoughts had been laid bare, the tips of her ears burned slightly.
Eve tilted her head slightly, her short hair swaying gently with the movement.
“Didn't you have a question you wanted to ask me?”
“Uh—how did you know?”
Theia's eyes widened in surprise.
Eve explained with a soft chuckle.
“Just now, someone kept reaching out her hand and then pulling it back.”
“Hovering beside me looking so hesitant... it was honestly quite obvious.”
Theia was instantly speechless, her embarrassment quickly turning to mock outrage as her cheeks flushed bright red like ripe apples:
“If you were awake the whole time, don't pretend to be asleep!”
“Pretend to be asleep?” Eve wore a puzzled expression.
“I wasn't pretending.”
“Liar! I saw your eyes were closed!”
“Hmm...” Eve tapped her rosy lips with a slender finger, looking thoughtful.
“Is it possible that my eyes are always closed?”
Theia froze.
She carefully recalled her experiences with the Holy Saintess over the past few days.
Indeed, Eve rarely opened her eyes.
Even when moving about freely, her eyes were always gently closed, as if she were in perpetual meditation.
“Why do you do that?” Theia couldn't help but ask, tilting her head in confusion. “Can you even see where you're going?”
“It is to maintain the mystique of the Holy Saintess.”
Eve answered calmly, a trace of subtle helplessness in her voice as her fingers lightly brushed over the creases of her sleeping bag.
“Every generation of Holy Saintesses does this.”
“If we don't, we will be punished by the Disciplinary Officers.”
Theia blinked, suddenly realizing something, and leaned in closer to whisper:
“But right now, there's no one from the church following you.”
Eve froze, her body stiffening slightly.
She seemed stumped by this simple question, her breath catching for a fraction of a second.
It was as if she had only just realized this fact.
She sat in a daze for a moment, tilting her head in wonder.
Then, under Theia's astonished gaze.
She slowly opened her eyes, her movement so gentle it felt like a sacred ritual.
Those eyes were clear and bright, shimmering in the dim carriage.
Even though the potion had altered her eye color, starlight still seemed to dance within them.
She blinked, a look of novel curiosity appearing on her face.
As if seeing the world for the very first time, her eyelashes fluttered gently.
“It seems... that is indeed the case.”
“Well then, The... Theia, is there something you wanted to ask?”
Eve kept her eyes open, a soft smile playing within them as she gazed warmly at Theia.
Theia hesitated for a moment, her fingers twisting together anxiously before she finally plucked up the courage:
“Well, do you remember back in the mine, when Lin Gui wanted to bash you with a brick?”
Eve nodded, her lips curving into a playful arc.
“Oh, you mean that little game? I remember.”
“Was that really a game...”
Suppressing the odd feeling in her chest, Theia's cheeks flushed slightly as she continued:
“At... at that time, I remember when you mentioned me to Lin Gui, you said 'demon wife'...”
“That person... you were referring to me, right?”
Eve smiled softly. Under Theia's expectant gaze, she gave a gentle nod, mischief gleaming in her eyes.
Theia leaned in excitedly, her hands instinctively grabbing Eve's sleeves.
“Which means... in the end, Lin Gui and I...”
“They say the Holy Saintess possesses the power of Prophecy. You must have seen a future where Lin Gui and I are together!”
Eve didn't answer directly, the smile in her eyes deepening.
She stared at Theia's hopeful face and gently shook her head.
“Theia, do you know why the prophets of old never spoke aloud prophecies that involved individuals?”
She paused, her voice growing ethereal and distant, as if echoing from another dimension:
“Let me tell you a story.”
“Thirty years ago, there was an exceptionally gifted young Hero.”
“He reached the Transcendent Rank at the age of sixteen and was hailed as a once-in-a-century genius.”
“A prophet happened to foresee his future by chance.”
“'You will turn the tide in an epic battle and become the hero who saves the kingdom.'”
Eve's voice grew lower, carrying a hint of lament:
“Upon hearing the prophecy, the Hero was ecstatic.”
“He stopped training diligently and began spending his days wallowing in taverns.”
“Whenever someone questioned him, he would boast, 'I am destined to become a hero anyway, so why bother working hard?'”
“Three years later, demons besieged the city.”
“That former genius couldn't even withstand a single blow from a Hero Rank demon.”
“Under the watchful eyes of the masses, he fled in disgrace, never to be heard from again.”
Eve gently took Theia's hand, her palm warm:
“What a prophet observes is merely one out of tens of thousands of possibilities.”
“The moment a prophecy is spoken aloud, the future can shift.”
“That is why nine times out of ten, a spoken prophecy never comes to pass.”
Theia's face slowly paled, and her fingers instinctively tightened.
Eve flashed a sly grin.
She leaned close to Theia's ear, her warm breath brushing against her earlobe:
“In other words, if I were to tell you the details of the prophecy...”
“Then you and Mr. Lin Gui might actually end up never falling in love.”
Staring at Theia's pale face, Eve continued with a wicked grin, mischief dancing in her eyes:
“Perhaps Mr. Lin Gui will end up with me instead.”
“Or maybe he will choose that princess...”
“Or maybe someone else entirely...”
Theia suddenly pushed Eve away, her voice tinged with panic:
“That's impossible!”
“If nothing else!”
“Elvia would never abandon her status and power in the Royal Capital for Lin Gui!”
“And Lin Gui would never give up his travels for her!”
Eve gave a mysterious smile, tapping her chin with a fingertip. “Let us hope... that is the case.”
Eve's words carried a deeper meaning, but she quickly changed the subject.
“So now, Theia, do you still want to know the details of the prophecy?”
The hairs on the back of Theia's neck stood on end. She waved her hands frantically, her voice trembling:
“No, no, absolutely not!”
Suddenly, she realized something and her eyes went wide:
“Wait a minute! You already let it slip!”
“You told me that Lin Gui and I would end up as husband and wife!”
Wailing, Theia grabbed Eve's shoulders and began shaking her, her voice thick with tears:
“What if it doesn't come true because of that?! You have to make it up to me! Waaah!”
Eve burst into delighted laughter, gently patting Theia's back as she spoke in a soothing tone:
“That's why you have to work hard~”
“Now that you know of this possibility, you must seize the opportunity.”
Theia looked up, her eyes watery and her lower lip pouting slightly:
“You... you're just teasing me, aren't you?”
Eve winked, offering only a silent, knowing smile, mischief glinting in her eyes.
Sunlight streamed in through the carriage window, illuminating the two girls as they played.
It cast warm, dappled patches of light across the cramped carriage.
After messing around for a bit, Theia shrugged.
“Fine, I'll just stick to my original plan.”
As she spoke, she rummaged through a wooden crate and pulled out a beautifully bound book.
The edges of the pages were slightly dog-eared, a clear sign that it had been read many times.
The title was 《The Elven Prince's Moonlight Love Song》.
The cover depicted an elegant elf and a handsome human prince embracing under the moonlight.
Theia snuggled back into her sleeping bag, finding a comfortable position as she plotted silently.
I heard human girls learn dating tips from these kinds of novels...
Maybe I can find some useful tricks to get that passive blockhead to make a move.
With these thoughts in mind, she used the thin shafts of sunlight filtering through the window.
She began to read intently, nodding thoughtfully from time to time.
Just then, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted over.
Eve quietly sidled over, snuggling up close to Theia.
She softly chanted a brief incantation.
A soft orb of light materialized between them, illuminating the pages of the book.
It was a Holy Light spell—Glimmer.
Side by side, Eve and Theia read the novel together.
Theia deliberately slowed down her page-turning, mentally cataloging the romantic scenarios described in the book.
I see... giving flowers, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings... preparing surprises for festivals.
Hmm... I wonder what kind of gifts Lin Gui would like?
A grimoire? A diamond ring? Roses?
“The reason you're so forward with Lin Gui...”
Theia asked casually, her eyes still glued to the pages as she flipped to the next one.
She kept scanning the text, trying to extract more dating tips.
“Is it also because you saw a future where you end up with him?”
Eve's movements suddenly came to a halt.
Her fingers curled instinctively, lightly clutching the fabric of her dress.
After a brief pause, she turned her head, a complex light flashing deep within her eyes.
“Yes.”
She described it, her voice carrying an intentional, lighthearted tone.
“I saw a very beautiful scene.”
“On a hillside covered in tiny white flowers.”
“Mr. Lin Gui places a white flower crown on my head.”
“The sunlight catches the side of his face, making him look incredibly gentle.”
“We hold hands and stroll under the setting sun.”
“And finally, we return together to a cozy, two-story treehouse in the countryside.”
She spoke with growing enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling as if she were truly visualizing the scene.
Theia couldn't help but call her out, completely forgetting to turn the page:
“Didn't you just say that speaking a prophecy aloud makes it not come true?”
“You described it in such detail. What if it doesn't happen now?”
Eve smiled softly, offering no reply.
It won't.
Because... I made all of that up.
In truth, there is only one future I saw that involves him...
And that is...
To be killed by him.
Her fingers gently stroked the pages of the book. Under the soft glow of the Glimmer spell, her smile remained warm and gentle.
Yet, deep within her eyes, there was neither hatred nor sorrow—only a thrill of almost manic liberation.
Entirely oblivious to Eve's internal shift, Theia remained immersed in the novel.
She let out occasional soft gasps of sudden realization, continuing her intense study of the "dating guide."
Rate on N.U.
