By the time Li Yue woke up, it was already close to dawn. For some unknown reason, the weather today seemed exceptionally good. Having grown used to the gloomy, dark clouds here, it was rare to see such a clean sky.
After the small gathering last night, Li Yue had not said much. Ein had taken Aestherin away, saying they needed to catch up. Both Li Yue and Lane had remained silent, seemingly harboring their own concerns.
Melina had been thinking, and her thoughts were very simple.
She was afraid that if Li Yue suddenly left one day, what would happen if her music score wasn't finished? If that happened, Miss Li Yue would still leave with nothing. That would be a true shame.
Li Yue had drunk a few small glasses, deliberately choosing not to resist the alcohol's effects. Though she felt tipsy, she also felt the pain and loneliness in her heart diminish significantly.
She stretched, feeling the softness of the bed she had slept in. She didn't want to think about how much the bedding cost; it was surely an absurd price.
She let out a yawn by the window. The beautiful weather gave her the fleeting illusion of being back in Parvati. But now, she was truly alone—no imaginary little girl, and no seniors to look after her.
Here, there was only the endless persecution and exploitation of the people in the Outer Ring, and the inescapable, cursed cold. During the days of the cold wave, even the wealthy in the Inner Ring had to limit their outings.
Those most affected by the cold wave were the workers who had to travel between the factories and their homes. Most of them simply froze to death, waiting for their families to claim their bodies once the cold wave passed.
With all communication cut off, a loved one might suddenly die on the way home. Their family might still foolishly think they were just staying at the factory, working hard every day to bring home a month's wages after the cold wave so the family could enjoy a nice dinner together.
It was like walking hand-in-hand into a vast darkness. You never knew if you would be able to find each other again if you accidentally let go. Perhaps that brief moment of being lost was the threshold of eternal separation.
"Knock, knock." There was a gentle tap on Li Yue's door. She softly told them to enter.
"My Lady, do you require assistance with dressing or your makeup?" Two attendants, or rather family members, stood at the door with a very respectful attitude.
"No need, thank you." Li Yue randomly picked a lightweight outfit from the closet filled with various clothes. It was supposedly the attire of nobles for long periods of physical activity.
Li Yue didn't know where these clothes that fit her perfectly had come from, nor why they were so similar to her previous style of dress. She guessed it was Helen's doing.
And she was right. From noon yesterday until the banquet, hundreds of tailors across the Outer and Inner Rings had been working desperately on their orders. They pursued speed while remaining as meticulous and careful as possible.
She casually brushed her hair, performed a simple but thorough wash, adjusted the Scepter Ring on her ring finger, and put on the prepared clothes. She flipped her collar, and with that, she had finished her preparations for the day.
When she opened the door, several attendants had already been waiting for her for a long time.
"My Lady, your attire is slightly improper. Would you like us to tidy it up for you?"
During their interactions yesterday, the attendants seemed to have realized Li Yue's resistance. Out of the highest level of respect, they did not dare to serve her today without first obtaining her permission.
"Fine."
Li Yue felt the uncoordinated areas of her clothing being slowly adjusted without hindering her movement. They re-brushed her hair and applied light makeup to her face.
It seemed it wasn't just "slightly" improper. She had completely mixed up her coat and her base layer, and she hadn't even turned out her sleeves. One couldn't blame Li Yue for being messy; she was truly listless today, save for the brief moment of excitement when she saw the sun.
Helen was sitting on the sofa as usual, eating breakfast. It was white porridge mixed with expensive ground herbal powders. Beside her was a large glass of water with just a drop of whiskey in it.
"What would you like to eat?" Helen clapped her hands, and a chef pushed a cart forward. It was filled with various breakfast items, including some morning snacks from Parvati.
Li Yue's attitude was casual. She took two hard-boiled eggs and a glass of fresh orange juice—a seemingly healthy breakfast.
"What are your thoughts on last night's 'business'?"
"Using the most profitable means of self-preservation in the face of disaster is a necessity, but it is also extremely selfish." Li Yue's fingers tightened slightly, and the eggshell instantly became covered in cracks. She peeled it away in one piece along with the membrane.
"What do you plan to do?" Helen took a sip of her porridge, looking very relaxed.
"I don't know." Li Yue shook her head. She looked out the window. Under the clean sky, a storm seemed to be brewing in the far distance. Everything had yet to begin, yet everything seemed about to happen.
"I have a method." Helen looked at Li Yue and poked the blood crystal on Li Yue's chest. "This is one too, isn't it? A God's legacy. None of us noticed it."
"This is a God's legacy sealed by the previous Ms. Q. That forest still holds the monsters she once raised, though most of them should be dead by now." Her finger slid upward gently, tracing Li Yue's neck up to the corner of her mouth, where she wiped away a tiny bit of egg yolk.
"What do you mean?"
"You truly are a girl chosen by God..." She smiled. "The extreme cold here should be caused by that God's legacy, the Death Abyss... Just like the previous Ms. Q, seal it. If you're not afraid of death, you can absorb it."
"I have the magic for building a tower."
"Why didn't you do this earlier?" Li Yue frowned.
"There have always been extremely strong blizzards nearby. Without guidance or visibility, it's impossible to enter." Helen paused. "And now, the environment there is getting worse. Even getting close to the storm has become an extremely difficult task."
"You have its legacy. With the strong connection between them, you will definitely feel a link when you get close to the general location."
"We suspect that the Death Abyss has never truly appeared, but this time, it is really going to see the light of day again." Helen's expression grew solemn. "Before rebuilding the Royal Court, every legacy should be sealed or absorbed."
"So now, how do I find this Death Abyss?"
"There is one person who should know the general location of the Death Abyss within that storm, but he is also unable to go there." Helen's face was grave.
"Who?"
............
"Reinhardt!"
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