Chapter 94: A Glimmer of Hope in Despair

After two hours of relentless travel, Rodd and I finally returned to Coldwind Town.

“There are signs of ransacking in the bedroom. Clearly, those people were here, but they’ve already fled.”

Rodd shook his head at me, a look of regret etched on his face. “We were still a step too late.”

I stubbornly peered out the window, attempting to find even the slightest clue from the outside.

Yet, beyond the inky blackness of the night, I could discern nothing.

“Can we still catch them?”

I asked Rodd, a tremor of panic in my voice, hoping to find a glimmer of possibility in his expression.

However, he shook his head once more.

“It’s too late. We have no idea which direction they left from; there’s no way to track them.”

In that instant, the strength supporting my body felt utterly drained.

All my hopes and dreams seemed to shatter, and everything beautiful was about to slip away from me.

Lulona, the hope of transforming back, even my freedom…

All gone.

A bitter ache surged through my heart like successive waves. I had no idea how to release this overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

If this were a movie, perhaps I would now be screaming out the window at the heavens, something like, ‘Go to hell, you damn sky, why don’t you just kill me already!’

If it were an American TV show, I’d undoubtedly be stripping naked and throwing myself onto the man before me, making him ravage me all night, using extreme measures to escape everything.

But I was nothing. I could do nothing.

After a moment of silence, a desperate weariness settled over me, and I finally spoke.

“Rodd, what are your plans now?”

“What do you mean?” he countered.

“Isn’t my meaning obvious? Your plan to help me failed, didn’t it? There’s no need for you to keep doing anything for me.”

“Besides, your own situation isn’t great, is it? Being discovered by Governor Sherlock and the Lord of Coldwind while impersonating someone — they won’t help you. Who knows when that fat bastard Sherlock will arrive with his own troops, accompanied by a man named Deming, to wipe you out under the pretense of eradicating bandits.”

“The best course of action for you guys now is to leave quickly. Get back to your ships before their army arrives here.”

I offered a self-deprecating laugh, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from my heart. “To be honest, I feel a little like dying, but thinking of the immense favor I owe you, it feels like a lump of flesh is stuck in my chest, making me incredibly uncomfortable. Dying like this probably wouldn’t even bring peace.”

“So, I want to repay this favor as much as I can before I die. As for you, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. If you want to do me, fine. If you want me to be done by others, that’s fine too. In short, I want to repay this favor as much as possible before I die.”

My voice grew hoarse, my eyes began to sting, and my lips trembled.

“Of course, if… if you think I’m this neither-male-nor-female… this disgusting monster, if you think I’m just an ugly wretch in a woman’s skin… you, you, you just…”

I couldn’t continue. It was too painful, truly too painful.

The anguish and self-loathing in my heart threatened to drown me.

I felt utterly vile, lowly, shamelessly base…

So base that even I disgusted myself.

“I already told you, I don’t see you that way.”

A large hand settled on the top of my head. Though slightly cool, it felt incredibly safe.

Rodd slowly knelt down, bringing his gaze level with mine. His brown eyes looked at me with earnest sincerity.

They were gentle, resolute.

“You are kind. You are willing to care for a child who is completely unrelated to you, like your own daughter, with all your heart and soul.”

“You are brave. When you heard your adopted daughter might be in danger, you rushed forward without hesitation, even knowing how insignificant your own strength was.”

“You’re also a bit of a busybody. When you saw those beggars, you didn’t need to get involved, but to protect their humble dignity, you were still willing to do more, to do unnecessary things.”

“You call yourself disgusting, ugly. These things, whether external or internal, I cannot see for now. What I see now is simply an ordinary, yet brave, person who is willing to do anything to protect what they cherish.”

The large hand slid from my hair, slowly tracing down my strands to rest against my soft cheek.

The cold palm gradually warmed.

“I’ve seen such a person once before. Now, this is the second time.”

Rodd gazed at me quietly, his eyes as clear as water.

*Thump…*

My chest felt as if it had been filled with scalding warm soup, making my heart suddenly leap.

Looking into those eyes, I felt a stifling heat in my chest, my eyelids trembled, and even my breathing became strained and tense.

‘What… what is happening?’

‘Why are you suddenly giving me such a cheesy compliment for no reason?’

‘Disgusting… utterly disgusting!’

‘Why get so mushy when there’s no need?’

‘I’m not someone important to you. I’m not your wife. Why are you saying such things?’

‘Could it be that you actually…’

Ugh—

‘Oh, god!’

The mere thought of that outcome sent goosebumps prickling all over my arms!

My back must have them too, and my face!

It must be, otherwise, why would I feel my forehead—

“Thump…”

‘—so light-headed?’

“Wait…”

Rodd cupped my cheeks, as if something had just occurred to him, and spoke with a hint of excitement.

“You said you killed Mankha, right?”

“Mm.” I nodded.

“And after you killed her, did you leave anything behind?”

“Uh… yes, it was a dark, ink-colored, heart-shaped crystal.”

“There’s a chance!”

A gleam flashed in Rodd’s eyes. “If we use that item, there’s a chance!”

He helped me to my feet, cupped my face again, and stated solemnly,

“Though my knowledge of witch mysteries is limited, I recall an ancient proverb passed down in the witch world: ‘Extraordinary powers will always be drawn to each other.'”

My delicate brows furrowed, and I pursed my pink lips, asking in confusion, “So, what does that mean?”

“So you need to use that item quickly…”

He placed his hands under my armpits, lifting me like a child.

“To advance!”

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