Chapter 58: The Last Divine Chosen

Raindrops plummeted from the sky, dampening the window ledge.

A bright moon hung in the sky, its silver light streaming through the window to bathe Chloe.

Reclining in the armchair, she picked up her teacup and took a delicate sip.

“How does the black tea taste?” Wuxu inquired.

Wuxu leaned against the bed, using the bedside lamp to peruse an ancient book. Its pages were yellowed, and even the cover was worn beyond recognition.

“The taste is pleasant, but it’s brewed too delicately.”

It lacked the richness of the black tea from Sirena Castle. Chloe knew she was being overly critical; she simply yearned to return home.

“You have such discerning tastes,” Wuxu commented succinctly.

She closed the heavy book, placed it on the bedside table, and then stretched languidly. Her graceful figure was faintly discernible in the lamplight.

Wuxu grasped the lever controlling the lamp and switched it off.

“Are you going to sleep so early?”

Chloe glanced at the pendulum clock; the hands had just reached eight. She had tried diligently to adapt to this world’s schedule, yet she still couldn’t fall asleep before ten.

“Mm.”

Wuxu pulled the blanket up, covering her body, and curled herself into the covers.

The rain pattered softly, and Chloe sank deeper into the armchair, her mind replaying the events she had experienced.

Tonight was a rainy night, and the weather grew increasingly cold. Chloe, at least, was sleeping in a comfortable inn. She hoped Alice and the others were faring well.

Whether from exhaustion or the hypnotic sound of the rain, Chloe’s eyes closed. Her consciousness slowly drifted away.

“Don’t you hate me?”

Wuxu’s voice, as light as a wisp of silk, suddenly emerged from under the covers, startling Chloe awake.

“?”

Chloe looked towards the bed. Wuxu had sat up, her head bowed in remorse. Her faint blue eyes glowed softly in the darkness.

“After all, I sold you to Carloman.”

Did she hate Wuxu? Chloe wasn’t sure. Perhaps she had at first, because Wuxu had treated her like a mere tool, ordering her around. But now, she simply felt a pang of helplessness.

In this world, to gain anything, one had to pay the corresponding price.

Chloe was an ordinary person, just like Xia Ni. Faced with bewildering predicaments, she could only be led by the nose.

There was only one thing she could truly do: fulfill her mission as a Divine Chosen.

“What’s done is done,” Chloe said, sitting up straight. “Besides, I want to go home early too.”

Wuxu remained silent. She lifted her gaze, looking at Chloe with earnest sincerity.

“Thank you for your understanding. We actually had more options, but…”

Chloe immediately swallowed back all her previous feelings of forgiveness for Wuxu. She stood up and asked, “But?”

Wuxu met Chloe’s gaze. She hesitated at first but then chose to reveal the truth. “I am the only Divine Chosen left. I have to tread carefully and stake everything on Carloman.”

What?!

“Why… why are you the only one left?”

“The Conservatives allied with the Original Order, who hunt down Elders, to eradicate the Divine Chosen faction. Any Elder who refused to change their stance would be killed by the Original Order,” Wuxu explained calmly. “As of yesterday, all my comrades have departed from me.”

“The Conservatives allied with the Original Order?!”

Chloe wondered if she had misheard. The Original Order, who took pleasure in killing Elders, had actually partnered with the Conservatives. It was truly surreal.

“Sometimes, reactionaries and conservatives aren’t so different,” Wuxu calmly explained. “Now, I only have you, Divine Chosen one.”

With the Divine Chosen faction annihilated and the Conservatives holding absolute power, it meant the Elder Council was now effectively Chloe’s enemy. Her situation had become exceedingly perilous.

She had already witnessed how powerful Elder magic was; one Elder was enough to give her trouble. If there were a whole group… she glanced at the bracelet Alena had given her.

Wuxu had clearly noticed the bracelet. She murmured, “A Sirena Ring.”

“Sirena?” Chloe exclaimed in surprise.

Wuxu nodded reluctantly. “It was created by William Sirena. We don’t understand its exact principles, only that it can nullify our magic.”

“But, wasn’t this bracelet made by the founding prince…”

Wuxu sighed. “Sirena was the founding prince, while Normanthine was merely the prime minister at the time. He passed the throne to Normanthine and moved to a border territory to live out his days, renaming the territory Avros after Saint Fros.”

No wonder the two names sounded so similar; Chloe had thought it was just a coincidence.

“Then, how did you acquire the Sirena Ring?” Wuxu asked Chloe.

“I’m sorry, I have no reason to tell you.”

Chloe couldn’t possibly expose Alena. Exposing Alena would mean betraying Alice, and she wouldn’t do that. Wuxu was merely a collaborator, while Alice was family.

“Alright.”

Wuxu lay back down, seemingly without any intention of pressing the matter.

“One more question, Divine Chosen.”

“Don’t keep calling me ‘Divine Chosen.’ My name is Chloe.”

“Very well, Chloe.”

Chloe perked up her ears, pondering how to answer Wuxu’s question.

“Why… aren’t you getting into bed?”

Chloe crossed her arms, righteously retorting, “I’m not sleepy yet.”

“But I saw you were almost asleep just now.”

Chloe cleared her throat, awkwardly saying, “Wouldn’t it be improper for us to sleep together?”

“What’s the problem? We are both women now.”

Wuxu pulled back the covers, gently patting the mattress.

“It’s very cold tonight; you’ll catch a cold sleeping in that chair.”

Wuxu’s expression was earnest, and Chloe found it difficult to refuse. She slowly shuffled towards the bed, her head down, hands pressed tightly against her thighs, taking two steps forward and one step back, before timidly settling on the edge of the bed.

This was her first time sleeping with another girl. She tried to turn her back to Wuxu, but Wuxu decisively pulled her closer, bringing Chloe’s face directly opposite hers.

Their azure and crimson eyes met. The faint breaths of the two girls mingled. Chloe clasped her hands together, placing them between her eyebrows, her face flushed crimson. Her eyes were tightly shut; she was utterly speechless.

“Thank you for forgiving me. Goodnight, Chloe.”

The iceberg subtly melted, a faint curve gracing her lips.

Chloe’s taut nerves finally relaxed slightly, and sleep seized the opportunity, pulling her into profound darkness.

****

The next morning, when Chloe opened her eyes, Wuxu was already gone, leaving only the disheveled blankets on the bed.

Dazzling sunlight streamed through the window. She rubbed her eyes and instinctively glanced at the pendulum clock. It was seven in the morning. Tomorrow was Cliff’s wedding… and hers too.

Outside, the sounds of commotion filled the air. Chloe reluctantly climbed out of bed, dragging her weary body to open the window.

Puddles still remained on the road, and the fresh scent of rain cleansed Chloe’s senses.

A few horses pulled a wooden platform, slowly moving down the street. Two crosses were conspicuously planted on the platform, and two pitiful individuals, seemingly at death’s door, were bound to them with ropes.

“Judge the sinners! Burn away their sins with righteous fire!”

A bishop stood on the platform, his arms outstretched.

“Judge the sinners! Burn away their sins with righteous fire!”

Below the platform, the fervent crowd chanted the prayer along with the bishop.

It seemed religions in every world enjoyed executing people by burning them at the stake.

Chloe was about to avert her gaze, but by a twist of fate, she caught sight of the people on the crosses. Her face instantly drained of color.

“Una… and… Alice?”