Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 332 Are you finally back?

"Why don't you want to leave here, Sister Yieta?" Sitting on the white stone steps, feeling the constant shaking of the earth, in order to ease the vague uneasiness deep in his heart, Medien took the initiative to talk to the girl in the room.

"There's no reason." A hoarse and low voice came from behind the old broken wooden door: "As long as I can stay here quietly, that's enough..."

"But there's no one here." The pink-haired girl looked around and saw tall and lush trees and colorful primroses growing in the valley. It looked lively, but in fact it was deserted and lonely. According to the legend of the wind in Avion, Ieta has been here for at least seven centuries. She has not communicated with outsiders in these seven centuries. Metien thought that if it were me, I would definitely not be able to stand this loneliness and would be tortured to the point of going crazy.

Although, Yieta herself didn't seem to think so. She replied calmly: "That's the best."

There is no one here, and no one comes to disturb me. Letting a person stay quietly in this cold and lonely valley, forever, until loneliness, until forever loneliness, that is the best thing for me.

The decadence and world-weariness revealed in this sentence made Medien not know how to respond. She had always been well protected by the people around her, first by her adoptive father Mr. Janko and later by her brother Linge. Therefore, she always kept her innocent and kind heart, and was always grateful and longing for this cruel but warm world. She was completely different from the angel in the room.

It is naturally difficult to imagine what kind of experience could have transformed her from the lively and romantic statue of a country girl in the square, welcoming the harvest season with a warm smile, to a lonely angel who now locks herself in an empty and monotonous house, turning a deaf ear to the wonders of the outside world.

Was it just because of the betrayal of David, the shepherd whom he treated as a close relative?

But, she was not the only one she treated as a relative, David? There were also other villagers in Avignon, including the village chief, Aunt Fasu, Grandma Maria, Uncle Jack, Little Elaine, and so many other villagers who loved her deeply. Even when they were involved in a despicable conspiracy and had their necks held by the swords of soldiers, they did not betray her like David did. In this case, why did she choose to punish herself for one person's betrayal, and also punish those who had never betrayed her?

After she finished speaking, she seemed to sigh softly, and her mood was very low. It can be seen that the incident with Professor David before had also had a great impact on her. Times have changed, but betrayal and greed have never changed.

Saint Charia walked to the door and whispered through the thin barrier, "Do you mind if I talk to you for a few words, Yieta?"

The pink-haired little girl understood this and hung her head gloomily. Shaymi stood on her shoulder, gently stroking her cheek to comfort her. The lamb was also beside her, nudging her calves with his head, indicating that it was not her fault and if anyone wanted to blame someone, blame Alice.

Although, she was just an outsider and did not have the position or qualifications to judge right or wrong.

Metien felt that this was not right.

In the room, the angel's voice sounded a little tired: "If you still want to persuade me to leave, please give up as soon as possible. I don't want to see you spend so much time on a meaningless thing... Although, many things in this world are meaningless to begin with."

"I'm not going to persuade you to leave. Maybe you have your own ideas. I won't force you." Saint Xia Liya felt that she should learn how to be a good sister, and a good sister would not force her sister to do anything. "I just think that there are some things I should tell you. Do you mind listening?"

Yieta didn't answer, but Saint Xia Liya heard a faint "hmm" coming from the wind.

So she began to tell the story. How the goddess created this world and divided her authority among fourteen pure girls, letting them take over the laws of the world on her behalf; however, in an unknown incident, the royal power of the fourteen girls who were supposed to stay in the Holy Temple of Heaven was lost in the human world. As the eldest sister, Saint Xia Liya felt that she had to find them, not only to fulfill her responsibility as a sister, but also to live up to her mother's expectations. But she lost a lot of memories, so she couldn't find them after searching for a long time, until one day, she met a young man who ate the golden apple in Linweier City. From then on, her fate changed strangely.

"I was found by Lingge." Olvera interrupted at this point, "At that time, I was locked in a castle just like you. Well, that castle was much bigger than your house, but there was no light, no people, and darkness and evil shadow beasts everywhere. They wouldn't let me leave, and I surrendered because I couldn't resist. But Lingge, Alice, and Saint Xia Liya... It was everyone who gave me the courage to bravely cut off the shackles on my body and escape from that dark cage. So, I am very grateful to them and am willing to travel with them to see this new world that I have never imagined. The same goes for you, Yieta. As long as you are willing to muster up the courage, you will be able to break free and regain your freedom like me!"

She looked at the closed door expectantly with her sparkling platinum eyes, trying to convince the stubborn angel with her own personal experience. However, she was disappointed. After a moment of silence in the room, a faint sigh came from the room: "So, all my strength comes from that mother, and all my suffering... also comes from her?"

Saint Shalia was slightly startled: "Suffering?"

"nothing."

Out of sight of everyone, the angel shook her head and slowly buried her head in her knees. Her six holy white wings, which were stained with dust and gloom at the ends, gently folded together to cover her body, making the voice coming through the feathers seem a little distorted: "Please don't, take it to heart."

In the gray and white room, the winter snow in my heart never stopped.

It fell little by little, and finally, it covered the summer and autumn when primrose petals bloomed brilliantly, and buried the spring when the wind blew across the mountains and fields, making the windmills on every hill start to turn slowly. So in the end, only the gloomy and heavy snow season was left.

The illusion of vitality in the valley is as prosperous as the coming together of spring, summer and autumn, but this girl is the only one who always lives in the snow.

……

Persuasion was fruitless, and both Saint Xia Liya and Olvera lost their direction. The former bit her lower lip lightly, still refusing to give up, and was thinking about the tone of the next conversation in her mind; the latter sat on the steps, holding her book, looking up at the raging mist covering the top of the mountain, and the lantern flickered beside the princess' ankles.

She saw the rock walls on both sides trembling slightly, and from time to time, they would shake off pieces of rock and gravel, which would hit the rugged and steep cliffs and finally fall into the bushes with a low muffled sound. The movement above seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. She didn't know how Lingge and Alice were doing, and what news they had heard.

Ah, just thinking about them, I had hallucinations. It seems that I am too tired, because I haven't slept for several days? But I didn't sleep for more than 700 years in the castle before, and I never had hallucinations? Or is it because the atmosphere here is too peaceful and makes people drowsy? So annoying, I want to sleep, but I can't sleep...Hold on, Ovira, you have to use your willpower to hold on, don't let Alice laugh at you.

Well, even if it’s Alice in the hallucination, she’s still so annoying. I can hear her yelling from far away, and it’s just as annoying as if she was giving orders next to me while I was playing games.

Wait, it seems... not an illusion?
Aowei couldn't help but open her drooping eyelids. She opened her eyes wide and blurted out: "Lingge, Alice, you are back!?"

This sentence immediately attracted everyone's attention.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)