Chapter 629
Listening to Aobode's words, Aivina turned her gaze to the side at Charles.
She had no idea where Charles was headed; in fact, Aivina herself was just as confused, unsure of what Charles intended to do.
“Zhongta Alley... No. 44, Nanbei Stone Street,” Charles slowly spoke, naming the location.
This was the place where she had once lived with her sister, Lichi. There, she had spent three difficult yet somewhat warm years. Although she had said her goodbyes before leaving, she still bought the place as a keepsake.
Aobode took a deep breath, shifting his gaze from Charles's face to Aivina's. After receiving a confirming nod from her, he turned back to the front of the group.
If it weren't for following orders on this mission, he would never want to return to Zhongta Alley for the rest of his life... It was there that he had lost all his pride and dignity, forced to do the same work as the commoners.
The convoy slowed down. Inside the city, they couldn't afford to gallop recklessly; they had to split up, with some pushing the crowd and carriages aside to clear a path while others hurried as fast as possible toward their destination.
By the time they reached Nanbei Stone Street, Charles had already spotted countless familiar buildings and even some familiar faces, until the entire convoy came to a gradual stop in front of a shabby two-story row house.
The commotion drew many curious eyes peeking from windows, while people on the street hurriedly stepped aside, seemingly afraid of provoking the nobles and attracting trouble.
At the alley's entrance, numerous gang spies were observing the scene, puzzled as to why members of the royal army were here, and they seemed to hold a high rank.
“Whose house is that?”
“Not sure... Oh wait... isn’t that Lichi’s?”
“Oh my... what kind of trouble has she gotten into?”
The whispers of ordinary people didn’t escape Charles's ears. She took a deep breath, slowly opened the car door, and stepped out.
Thud—
Charles's leather boots landed on the damp, foul-smelling black gravel road, but she paid it no mind—she had walked this path countless times before.
Aivina, who had sensed something was off with Charles, followed her, standing behind her while also surveying the small, dilapidated building in front of them.
Charles approached the door, slowly raising her right hand, gloved in black leather, and gently knocked.
Knock, knock—
Charles's keen senses picked up on the countless gazes directed at her, but at that moment, she couldn’t care less about what others were thinking.
“Coming...”
Inside, the sound of light footsteps approached, and the wooden door was slowly pulled open, revealing a familiar figure.
“Gasp...” The blonde woman seemed startled by the scene before her, instinctively taking two steps back, and then she saw the beautiful red-haired girl standing at the front.
What an elegant and beautiful noble lady...
“Um... hello?” Lichi nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and asked, “Are you... here to ask for directions?”
Charles stood frozen, staring at Lichi.
Her face and hands bore no terrifying scars, and half of her hair hadn’t been burned away by corrosive substances. Her azure eyes, filled with tension and curiosity, were looking at her... as if she were a stranger.
A slight pain pierced Charles's heart. She could no longer keep staring at Lichi's face and instead glanced behind her.
In the living room, she saw a delicate wooden table adorned with various sewing supplies... Lichi, now devoid of her horrific facial scars, seemed to have become a seamstress. On the wall behind her hung her creations—some cheap yet beautiful dresses.
“Charles...” Aivina gently touched Charles's back, reminding her that she had kept Lichi waiting too long.
“Are you okay, Lichi?” Charles's gaze refocused on Lichi as she slowly asked.
“Uh...” Lichi paused, seemingly caught off guard by the question and unsure why the other person knew her name.
As she racked her brain trying to remember if she had seen Charles somewhere before, she replied, “I... I’ve been doing well lately. I bought my own sewing machine and saved up a bit of money. I plan to save more to donate to the church’s orphanage... May the goddess bless.”
Lichi was a believer of the Goddess of Salvation; at least that hadn’t changed.
“The goddess will bless you,” Charles said, managing a faint smile.
“Thank you...” Lichi placed her hands in front of her, unsure of what to say. Feeling awkward, she nervously rubbed her hands together and blurted out, “Would you like to come in for a bit... ah, no!”
As soon as she said it, Lichi realized the blunder she had made. She quickly waved her hands, her cheeks nearly burning with embarrassment.
After all, she was addressing a high-ranking noble! And there was a royal knight order protecting her! How could she dare invite them into her home!
“No, thank you,” Charles replied with a gentle smile. She removed her gloves and extended her right hand toward Lichi, saying, “Sorry for the intrusion; we’ll be leaving now.”
“Ah... no, no.” Seeing Charles's outstretched hand, Lichi nervously wiped her hands on her clothes and cautiously shook it.
Buzz—
A terrifying spiritual alarm blared in Charles's mind, and her right hand, which had been touched by Lichi, suddenly lost all sensation.
Instinctively, she raised her right hand, noticing that the bracelet Aivina had chosen for her had fallen to the ground.
Charles's right hand felt as if it had been erased by an eraser, completely vanishing.
And the trace of that erasure continued to spread throughout her body. In the next moment, her heart was directly wiped away.
A trap...
“Charles!!!”
Aivina's scream echoed, followed by Aobode rushing in and Lichi's scream as she fell to the ground.
Lichi's face seemed to be corroded by acid, rapidly burning away, and the intense pain made her convulse and cry out. In the next second, the body that Aivina had been holding was simply erased.
In Aivina's arms, only a head remained.
At that moment, Lichi seemed to regain all her memories. She looked at Charles's head in despair and crawled toward her.
A trap...
What kind of ability is this...
That path...?
The one that erases the traces of past existence, constantly recreating the same world...
That hidden path?
It... turned Lichi into a trap, triggered by mere contact...
When did it all begin...
In the next moment, Charles's head was wiped away, leaving only a pile of clothes and accessories behind.
A silver light enveloped everything before Charles.
**Chapter 322: The Deity Born of the Future (8175 words)**
“Reality”
“Year 741 of the Holy Calendar, July 28, 6:07 AM”
“Evaluation: It has seen you.”
“But there’s no need to worry too much.”
“You possess the ability to flip the table.”
“But it dares not—”
“Reward: Destiny Points *3”
“Destiny Points: 272”
“Phew...”
Charles suddenly opened her eyes, instinctively raising her right hand to press against her left shoulder.
Only when she felt the sensation in her palm and the touch on her shoulder did the seemingly endless emptiness in her chest gradually fade away.
The events that had transpired in the simulation were still vivid in her mind, as if she had personally experienced a scene of being completely erased from existence.
Even in the final moment, she could see Aivina holding her, the panic and worry in her eyes slowly transforming into confusion.
Charles had nearly been wiped away.
“Lady Charles, what’s wrong?” Tara, who had been waiting by Charles's side in the study, stepped forward, offering a beautifully crafted teapot that was kept warm by her body heat.
Charles reached out to take the teapot, but her hand ultimately rested lightly on the teacup on the table, tapping it twice. Only after Tara poured the tea into the cup did Charles pick it up and take a sip of the warm black tea.
“Nothing.” After quenching her dry throat, Charles turned her gaze to the system panel before her, lost in thought.
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