Oops, I became the witch's substitute

"Time, time is running out..."

As Filin approached a door, he heard a sound coming from inside. He peeked in from outside and saw an alchemist standing next to a huge wreckage. Judging from the smell, it was the severed limb of an ancient star beast. The surrounding area was filled with instruments filled with various liquids. It seemed that the severed limb had been activated through existing technology, giving it new life.

But there were also some devices that suppressed the torn parts of the broken limbs, preventing the star beast from truly being reborn. Some large and small tubes were connected from the star beast's broken limbs to a medical cabin not far away. The elderly alchemist lay down in the cabin with the help of his disciples and started various instruments to conduct experiments.

Philin felt a chill in his heart. This person was truly not afraid of death. Star beasts were still too dangerous for this world. People tried every means to destroy the star beasts, take their flesh, flesh and bones to make weapons to hunt more star beasts. But the alchemists here were different. They were planning to become star beasts at any moment.

Filin looked at these instruments. They extracted blood cells from the wreckage, reorganized and regenerated them, and injected them into the old alchemist's body. This was a desperate attempt.

Filin felt a deep-seated fear about the aura emanating from the experiment, then shook his head and immediately covered the workshop with the Field of Falsehood. Those ordinary alchemists quickly fell unconscious. Just as Filin was about to attack the old alchemist in the medical cabin, the powerful magic barrier blocked his attack and it was difficult to break through for a while.

The alchemist had many decisive means of self-preservation. Since he couldn't attack the real owner, Filin turned around and destroyed the surrounding instruments, smashing many devices and causing the liquid to leak out. He then inserted the dagger into the wall and found many pipes, which he destroyed one by one. He then found the core magic device, pulled out and cut off the wires inside, erased all markings and labels, and quickly escaped.

The investigation ends here for now. Relying on the power of deception, Philin quickly retreats and finds Carol to leave together.

On the way back, Carol noticed that Filin looked embarrassed: "Did you find anything?"

"I found a lot of dangerous things, and I feel a little confused." Feilin thought for a moment, "What is the purpose of alchemy research? I think it should be to bring people a better life, so that ordinary people can also enjoy the benefits of magic. Ordinary villagers can use light tools to make fire and cook smoothly, and make refrigerators to make food easier to store, etc."

In fact, this problem is not difficult to understand. In the past, the science and technology of some countries allowed infrastructure to benefit the country and the people and explore the universe, while some countries spent a lot of money on virus research. Bereda just happened to become the latter.

Carol held Filin's hand and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. You help me complete the golden circuit, and I'll create the wonderful ideas in your mind."

The two of them returned to Xia Duoli's mansion as they talked. Because he was thinking, Filin did not notice that a unique carriage appeared outside the mansion today.

As soon as Feilin walked in, Belinda came towards him from the front.

"Fei..."

The name was not spoken, and Belinda's eyes fell on Carol's hand holding Philin's.

Chapter 235: The Feelings of Belinda, the Girl Who Came from Heaven

Belinda frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy. She and Filin were engaged, and the ceremony had already been held. How could a normal person be happy to see her fiancé holding hands with another woman? Belinda paused for a moment after calling Filin's name, stopped, closed her eyes, and when she opened her eyes again, the magic eye had already opened.

Is this a fighting stance? Feilin and Carol also let go of each other in an instant and communicated through words.

Carol felt inexplicably guilty and tangled. Some things that were supposed to happen finally happened: "Ah, your fiancée?"

Philin said slowly: "Yes."

Carol gave Filin a mental shock: "Do you like her?"

Filin tilted his head, then returned to normal: "Not annoying."

Carol uttered an "ah" and said in a dull tone, "Noble families are really troublesome. Political marriage? If you don't hate it, just accept it."

Feilin said awkwardly: "Yes."

The expected storm did not come. Belinda was a real rich girl. She slowly came to Philin and straightened his collar.

Belinda looked at Carol, then returned her gaze to Filin: "Filin, because the wedding date is approaching, both families are urging us to complete the engagement. I'm here to find you and go back."

Feilin remained calm: "Let's find a place to talk?"

Belinda was understanding and nodded lightly: "Yes."

Philin chose to stay at the Xia Duoli family in his public identity, so it was not surprising that Belinda came to visit. This was just a normal exchange between nobles. However, what happened here was discovered by some onlookers. The gossiping souls of the guards or servants began to burn, and they watched Philin, Carol, and Belinda enter the house.

As the owner of the mansion, Xia Duoli considered herself a student of Fili and Filin. As the head of the house, she originally wanted to entertain everyone with a small banquet, but when she saw these three people coming in at the same time, she was numb, and her voice of welcome became a little smaller. She hurriedly prepared a tea party according to Filin's wishes. After watching the three people go to the garden, she hurried back to find someone to contact Xiao Qian.

"I thought I didn't understand what atmosphere was... But the house feels a little cold today. Go find Sister Xiao Qian and ask Lady Fili to come back..."

Why did I invite Fili? Because I felt insecure, and also because I felt that if Fili was around, any conflicts could be resolved.

At the tea party of the three, Belinda introduced herself as if nothing had happened, and she and Carol got to know each other and introduced themselves to each other.

The Stral Empire has been passed down for nearly a thousand years, and the royal authority is still prominent. There are only a few powerful nobles left in the empire. The Morganna family has a high status and is really good at fighting. The Camillia family, to which Belinda belongs, was chosen for marriage, which naturally has its advantages. They have a high status and are well matched.

Carol did not hide or evade. Carol Dinheim was from a prominent family in ancient times. She and her father left the family to travel and had not returned for a long time, but her bloodline was pure and her strength was not weak. The strength of the hero was clear on the surface, and she thought she was not inferior to a weak young lady like Belinda.

Belinda didn't mean to interrogate him, she was just curious: "You two have a good relationship."

The magic eye made the world in her eyes like a fairy tale. In her eyes, Filin was like a black cat wrapped in bandages, a little cold, while Carol was a lazy golden shaded cat, with no bad intentions and was very cute. When Belinda saw the cute creature, she did not feel much hostility. After the most basic entanglement, she wanted to know how far the two of them had come.

Philin understood what Belinda meant, added some hot water to Carol and Belinda's teacups, and whispered, "I met Carol on the battlefield when I was adventuring outside. We experienced dangerous battles together and depended on each other. In the Kalan Human-Demon War, I was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and it was Carol who saved my life."

Carol held the teacup quietly, thinking and remaining silent, without joining the conversation.

Belinda frowned slightly, but at the same time she smiled politely: "I'm a little, I don't know what to say, a little embarrassed. Um, um, hahaha... Feilin, what do you think of our engagement?"

Feilin was a little silent: "Such a direct question... I can't say whether I want both. How about calming down for a while?"

Belinda stood up by holding onto the table. "I'm sorry, this question seems to embarrass you, but we are in a marriage alliance, so we have to consider the connection between the families anyway, right?"

Feilin stood up: "I'll take you there."

Belida shook her head gently: "It's okay, I'm going to rest at the nun's place. On the way here, my guard was injured, and now it's really embarrassing. My mind is a little confused. Ahaha~ Let me sort it out. I don't know how to deal with such a situation."

Belinda walked out of the garden. Philin was a little dazed, but Carol pushed him and asked him to chase Belinda. However, Philin shook his head slightly and patted Carol on the shoulder.

"Even if it's you, are you asking me to chase my fiancée in front of you?" Feilin shook his head gently. "When it comes to relationships, being responsible is a very troublesome excuse. I sincerely recognize you as a companion and partner, and I hope that in the future, we can be a ray of light in each other's lives."

Carol was numb. This was entering an unknown territory for her: "But you..."

Feilin looked at Belinda's back and said, "I don't know what to do, but I think love is a kind of investment. I haven't invested my love in Belinda yet. Am I going to chase her and try to hold her hand to seek her love in return? I can't do such a shameless thing, let alone put on a sympathetic gesture. Regardless of whether this is a political marriage or not, I said that I also like girls like Belinda. Before I love her, I shouldn't take it for granted that she will love me."

Carol grabbed her hair on the side closest to Filin and whispered, "So... you really love me?"

Philin didn't answer, but gently touched Carol's head.

The fiancée traveled a long way to see her fiancé, only to see Filin and Carol holding hands. This was really too much.

Then, time passed, and it was night. The orphanage run by Sister Hermis had recently bought an adjacent building for renovation. The clergy of the Arius delegation planned to transform it into a chapel, one to facilitate the protection of the orphanage, and the other to facilitate ordinary missionary work.

Belinda chose to live here mainly for safety. It was not an easy task to travel from the Stral Empire to the Alchemy City. Many dangers occurred along the way and her guards were injured.

Fortunately, the female swordsman's injuries were not serious. Now she has bandages on her head and wrists and can move freely.

The female guard was not a carefree person. Seeing Belinda's absent-minded look, she asked, "Miss? Have you seen your fiancé?"

Belinda was indeed in a bad mood: "Ah, I saw ..."

The female guard seemed to realize something: "You look a little absent-minded, what happened?"

After going through danger, the relationship between the two became closer than that of an ordinary master and servant.

Belinda patted her face gently. "I am indeed a little depressed. In fact, when we just met, I knew that Filin was a very hard-working person. He was not favored in Morgana's family. The missing Count Abils was a very strict person. Filin was sent to a remote country and participated in Kalan's war between humans and demons. He also had a near-death experience. During this process, there was actually an excellent woman by his side."

The female guard slowly sat down next to Belinda: "Do they have feelings?"

Belinda didn't say anything about seeing them holding hands. She just sat on the bed and buried her face in her knees. "I'm a little jealous, right? I just noticed today that Filin exudes the aura of a hero... Miss Carol is also a hero, isn't she amazing? That's why they can take risks together and share those risks that I can't touch. Even in desperate situations, they can trust each other with their backs. So when Filin needed help the most, only Miss Carol was with him. When Filin's spiritual trauma was healing, it was Carol who stayed by his side, not me. As his fiancée, I'm a little annoyed."

The female guard was surprised and said: "Ah, this..."

If we simplify the matter, the fiancé abandons his fiancée and hangs out with other women. When we see such news, we should directly call him a scumbag. This is what the female guard thought at the beginning. On the surface, it is just a play of a noble young master being promiscuous, but what is the reality? The environment of this world is different. As a swordsman, she understands that feeling very well.

She had a similar experience. When she was a mercenary, she encountered danger and overcame the difficulties with a young and handsome companion. She was also very lucky. When she was seriously injured, it was the other party who dragged her out from the pile of corpses. She also saved him. The relationship between comrades-in-arms was upgraded to more than friendship because of the relationship between the opposite sex. When she went home to confess her love, she saw the other party hugging his wife and daughter. What could she do at that time? Just watch from a distance, and she will let it go after a long time.

Belinda was a little discouraged, so she had to cheer herself up: "Aha, don't show that expression, I'm not that depressed. When I heard about the political marriage a long time ago, I ran away from home, but after meeting Filin, I was attracted to him. In many political marriages in the country, we are a good match. Filin is humble and polite to me and respects me very much, so I want to like him and try to form a real family with him. What I am confused about now is whether I can really do well."

The female guard gently patted Belinda on the back and said, "Miss, don't let your imagination run wild and put too much pressure on yourself."

Belinda said, "I actually wanted to be on an equal footing with Philin. I thought I wouldn't care about the second or third wife, but I found out that I'm not that magnanimous. Hahaha~ It's really weird. My brain is a mess."

The female guard sighed: "So don't think too much, you are the eldest lady anyway."

Belinda waved her hands. "I don't think that I should act like a lady just because I got married through an alliance. I will then go to Miss Carol and haughtily declare my sovereignty. There are many such stupid daughters in the empire. If equality is the goal, then I must bear the hardships and pains that Filin has endured. I already have the status of a legal wife based on the marriage, and in the future I will enjoy the status and glory that Filin brings as a hero and a strong man. I don't want to be a shallow person like a superficial vase or a canary... I want... I want a life where one day Filin can take time out every day to go for a walk with me, and travel at least twice a year!"

The female guard didn't know what to say, she just found that her eldest daughter was much more mature than other girls of the same age, and was also a very charming person.

"I went to sit outside, on a bench in front of the orphanage, and it felt quite alive to watch those kids running on the street."

The female guard nodded slightly. What the young lady meant was that after complaining, she wanted to be alone.

Belinda sat on a bench outside. It was actually getting late, and the nuns called the children back. The street was relatively quiet because the Arian clergy were guarding nearby, so the street was very safe.

Belinda was sitting on the bench in a daze, when she suddenly felt a chill on her face. She turned around and first saw a bottle of drink, then the calm and composed figure of Philin.

Belinda forced herself to cheer up, her face full of surprise and laughter: "What kind of drink is this? Is it a specialty of the Alchemy City?"

Feilin sat next to Belinda, with Qingyue on top. He was in disguise now: "Well, a kind of pomegranate wine soda."

Belinda took the drink: "Wine? Soda? Are you sure these two things can be combined together~."

Feilin opened the drink and took a sip. "It tastes good. It's quite popular. I think you will like it."

Belinda also opened the drink and took a sip. It was indeed delicious. And because it was handed to her by Feilin, she suddenly felt better.

There was silence for thirty seconds as the two drank their drinks in tacit understanding, and suddenly Belinda broke the silence.

"Have you ever had sex with Miss Carol?"

"puff--!"

"Ah, well... I mean, you guys have been through so many dangers, and when you're safe, you cuddle up with each other, hug each other, kiss each other, and then..."

"Stop, stop, stop. No." Probably.

"Oh..." Belinda breathed a sigh of relief, "Why not yet?"

Feilin's mentality inexplicably collapsed: "No, that's all. It just hasn't developed to this point yet. No, why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

Belinda held the drink and blew bubbles, staring at Filin for a long time before speaking: "Curious, isn't it okay?"

Feilin lowered his head and wiped the drink off his body. The red color of the pomegranate soda stained his clothes. "This is such an unexpected question. It's really unlike you to ask. I don't know how to answer it."

Belinda turned her head away. "I'm just a little jealous. Women are all jealous. It's a normal emotion. But I also envy Miss Carol. She was always there for you when you needed her the most, right? I wish I could be there for you, too."

Feilin was somewhat helpless: "Did you get disappointed?"

Belinda shook her head. "Don't think I'm so petty. I believe what you said. You were almost dead, and it was Miss Carol who saved you. Normally, everyone would fall in love with such an outstanding woman, right? I just care a little bit. What I care about is that you needed help the most, not the help I provided you. That's all. We don't owe each other anything, and the marriage is just in name only. On the contrary, if you have experienced something like that but still say you love me deeply, I would doubt whether you are a person with normal emotions."

Feilin looked away: "Even so, when your fiancée came to you, I failed to greet you and accompany you. I was indeed negligent in this regard."

Belinda chuckled. "But you're sitting next to me now. You're holding hands with Miss Carol, and now you're thinking about your fiancée? You're really a playboy, Philin. I'll complain to Miss Carol if you do this."

Feilin made a gesture of begging for mercy: "Don't complain, a fiancé has to fulfill his duties too."

Belinda snorted, "So it's just like work. You still need to fill out a schedule? I'm angry, the kind that can't be appeased. I'm going to go back and rest."

With that, Belinda stood up and returned to the orphanage. Philin followed her but was stopped outside the door.

Belinda made a face through the crack in the door: "Remember what I said? If you go out to have an affair, don't even think about coming into my room."

Feilin took out two tickets and said, "There's a nice casino in the night market of Alchemy City. Do you want to go and play?"

Belinda was stunned for more than three seconds, and finally answered firmly: "Yes!"

Chapter 236: Belinda

The casino that Filin came to play in today was the casino they had cooperated with not long ago. As partners, Filin and Belinda were treated very well. The entertainment projects in Alchemy City were rich and colorful, including all kinds of small games such as marbles.

Belinda is the type who will try everything. She is not keen on gambling, but prefers to experience new game rules and new things. She is carefree when playing.

Then Filin's idea was correct. When pursuing someone, one should start with similar hobbies. In the laughter and joy, Belinda forgot the unpleasantness of the day, and walked home hand in hand with Filin in the laughter and joy.

After a round of fun, both of them were in a great mood. Filin held his fiancée's hand and walked slowly down the street: "So you see, my adventurous life is not all about dangerous things. It's not difficult to enjoy life while taking risks."

Belinda was in a good mood, even a little excited: "I also figured out what I should do, Philin."

Feilin looked at her: "Hmm?"

Belinda trotted to the front, put her hands behind her back and looked at Filin: "I also have my own strengths. I can support you in other ways and be with you in heart."

Feilin spread his hands: "You guy, stop thinking about me and take care of your own life."

Belinda clenched her fists and cheered herself up: "Of course, I am happy and have good food and drink, but isn't it better to have a fairy-tale like life with my husband and support each other?"

Feilin bowed slightly, pretending to be reserved: "I will love you seriously, dear Miss Belinda."

It seems that he was coaxed this time.

Philin breathed a sigh of relief. When accompanying Belinda home, he couldn't help but stop and turn around. Although he was very happy to see his fiancée, he couldn't let her stay here for too long. As time went by, he felt vaguely uneasy.

In the destroyed workshop in the high tower of the Alchemy Academy, the old alchemist passed away peacefully.

The investigators checked the damaged circuits with grim faces, and the final conclusion was that the transfer research failed because the alchemists were unable to quickly repair the equipment.

"Could it be that those people infiltrated and caused the sabotage? Seal off the scene and interrogate everyone present. No information can be missed."

"Yes."

The Alchemy Academy is said to be a place for learning, but at its core it is an organization that operates for a grand plan. The dean took it very seriously when he heard that the tower was damaged.