269:
It was Shelley who cleared his throat first and then said, biting the bullet, “Klara, are you… alright?”
Klara did not speak, but silently lowered her gaze to their still-intertwined hands…
“Cough, haha…”
As if nothing had happened, he pulled his hand out. Shelley looked at Klara again.
[Hahahaha!]
[This is so much fun.]
The awkwardness between the two of them only lasted for a while, because Klara’s gaze turned to Salier in the crystal coffin beside her.
“My fa… Salier, how is his condition?”
The memory fragments that the system had shown Klara had naturally avoided its own existence, so Klara did not know Salier’s current condition.
Shelley hesitated for a moment, and then explained, “Mentor’s condition is very complicated. I’m not completely sure right now, so I can only store his soul elsewhere for now.”
“When the time is right, I will put Mentor’s soul back into his body.”
Silently nodding, Klara did not press, just silently looking at Klara Salier’s aged face.
“You’re not going to ask for details?”
You trust me that much?
Klara turned her head to look at Shelley’s inquiring gaze. She shook her head and said, “You have never lied to the people around you in matters of right and wrong.”
Her gaze swept over Shelley’s somewhat embarrassed face, and then she looked straight at her azure eyes and said softly, “Not even once.”
Alright. It’s nice to have someone who understands you. You don’t have to explain a second time. The awkward thing is that this tacit understanding was not cultivated over time, but was achieved by a forced exchange of information.
Shelley didn’t want to continue to be entangled in this awkward atmosphere, so he simply asked, “Then what are your plans now?”
Klara thought for a moment and then said flatly, “I can come forward for the matter between you and the Witches’ Coven. I’ve had some dealings with them before.”
Shelley could only silently nod. He was not at all surprised that she knew his next plan.
“As for after…”
Klara’s words paused. She frowned and said, a little uncertainly, “I don’t know what you’re afraid of…”
“It’s as if you’re running away from an extremely terrifying disaster.”
Shelley’s gaze sharpened and then quickly relaxed. He looked away to Salier and said flatly, “You guessed it?”
Nodding, Klara said without hesitation, “Because you’re in too much of a hurry.”
“Some things would be better if you took them slowly, but you chose the most radical way.”
With a silent sigh, Shelley turned his head back and said, “Maybe I’m a reckless person who only looks at the immediate benefits…”
Shelley’s words stopped under Klara’s calm gaze. He could only helplessly wave his hand and signal for Klara to continue.
I can’t hide it… I’m showing my cards.
[Hahaha.]
Klara looked at Shelley’s helpless expression, a hint of a smile in her eyes. She said firmly, “If that time comes… and you need my help.”
“I will fight for justice.”
Shelley sighed and said, powerlessly, “Don’t worry… then you will definitely be fighting for me.”
Revealing the demonic smile that Shelley had seen when they first met, Klara said, “Is that so? Then I’ll wait and see.”
She’s even starting to doubt my alignment… It seems Klara has seen a lot of the sneaky things I’ve done (crossed out) the sacrifices I’ve made for justice.
“Then thank you for your help then.”
Shelley stood up, extended his right hand to Klara, who was sitting in the crystal coffin, and said, “Esteemed Avenger, Lady Klara.”
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Shelley.”
Looking at Shelley’s outstretched right hand, Klara chuckled softly, held it, and then stood up with its help. She nodded at Shelley and said, “I’m also very happy to meet you…”
“Esteemed High Priest, Godslayer, Dreamwalker…”
“Stop, stop, stop, stop.”
Shelley looked at Klara with some discomfort, saying cruel words with a smiling expression.
This kind of thing, I have to say it depending on the occasion. If you say it directly like this, it makes me look like a chuunibyou.
“…Mr. Dragon Slayer Shelley.”
Smiling and stepping out of the crystal coffin, Klara shrugged at Shelley’s resentful gaze.
“Until that matter is resolved, I will stay in Ir.”
Shelley sighed, decided to skip this topic for now, thought for a moment, and said, “Then you should go and meet everyone with me now.”
“They’ve also been very curious about when this Sleeping Beauty will wake up.”
Klara’s eyebrows shot up. She asked, confused, “They?”
She counted on her ten fingers and said, “Oh, you mean Nadia, Lydia, Elena, Catherine, Erica, Morgan, Rui…”
“These people, right?”
Shelley felt his facial muscles wanting to twitch wildly. He squeezed out a sentence from his mouth, “You… really think you don’t have any leverage on me?”
“Miss Klara, who cries at the sight of a bug?”
Shelley gritted his teeth and looked at Klara, who was showing an innocent and confused expression. Then they both chuckled softly.
Because of this, the relationship between the two of them had clearly eased and improved. Perhaps having someone who understood your past was not a bad thing. At least someone could share some of your pressure and pain.
The two of them both looked back at Salier in the crystal coffin before the door and then walked out without hesitation.
“You damned old man…”
“Wait for me.”
“It won’t be long.”
Shelley glanced at the sky outside the corridor. It was about dinner time now, so he led Klara toward the small dining room where they were eating.
Neither of them spoke on the way. It wasn’t that they were not in the mood to chat, but that the other person knew a lot of things. If they wanted to chat again, it would have to be some very personal questions, which were not suitable to be talked about while walking.
As they were about to reach the small dining room, Klara, who had been silent all the way, suddenly spoke, “I was originally envious of you.”
“I thought that even with the status of an illegitimate son, with Salier’s company, you would be happy.”
“But I never thought…”
Shelley stopped at his words, turned to look at Klara’s purple eyes, and said softly, “You’re not wrong. I am indeed happy…”
Klara almost bumped into Shelley, who had suddenly stopped. She frowned and took a small step back. Looking up at Shelley’s deep eyes, Klara pressed her lips together and then said, “If you think so…”
Shelley nodded, and then turned his head and continued to walk forward.
And looking at that broad back, Klara added in her heart, “If you think that those days of being kept as a canary, constantly maneuvering to survive.”
“Hating the wrong person, watching your own loving father turn to ash in the sun…”
“If all of this can be called happiness…”
“Then that’s fine too.”
