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"Yes, because we know each other very well, let's not beat around the bush. For what the customer wants to say and what they want to know, we will ask them questions to find out the answers we want to know."
"A question?" Anne frowned slightly upon hearing Leus's sudden suggestion, while Leus continued to nod slightly and explained:
“That’s right. When answering questions, there can be no hidden agendas or deception between the two parties, and after asking a question, the right to ask the other party should be given back to ensure that we can continue to ask and answer questions. Is that alright, Aunt Annie?”
Hearing Lius's earnest and sincere words, Anne didn't hesitate much. After pursing her lips, she nodded slightly to the blond boy in front of her, indicating that she agreed with his idea.
"Alright, since you agree, Aunt Annie, please speak first. If you have any questions for me, please ask now. Ladies first, please speak, Aunt Annie. I promise I will answer them carefully."
"Any questions are fine?" Anne asked.
"That's right, it applies to both you and me, any question is fine."
As Levi spoke, Anne nodded, looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and finally gently opened her lips to speak:
"First question... Xiaoli, do you hate my previous bullying behavior?"
"Oh? Is your first question so casual? I thought you wanted to ask me how I found out your identity or something, but it turns out you're asking about my attitude."
Hearing Anne's words, Leus, after a brief moment of surprise, shifted his gaze slightly, as if realizing something. A relieved smile then appeared on his face as he spoke to the slightly flushed, black-haired woman before him:
"Asking this question means that Aunt Annie, what you care about most right now is my opinion of you. You're worried that I'll dislike you because of this, so you used this as your first question to put your mind at ease. Am I right?"
"Guh... Xiaoli, you're always so perceptive in certain aspects, no matter what."
Instead of directly answering Lius's question, Anne simply adopted a shy demeanor, gazing at Lius's face with slightly wolfish eyes, using her emotions as her response to the blond boy.
Lius seemed to enjoy Anne's shy reaction, and after a gentle smile, he gave his answer without hesitation: "I've said it many times before, no matter what you do, Aunt Anne, in my heart, you will always be my aunt, my favorite Aunt Anne, and that will never change."
"Small profits".
"As for Auntie, it's necessary for you to hide your identity. Otherwise, if your identity is exposed, not only will your own plans be affected, but it might even drag me and Lia into it. Therefore, hiding your identity is, in a sense, protecting Lia and me. So, I naturally won't have any unhappy thoughts. You can rest assured, Auntie."
With a lively smile, and amidst the gusts of wind that swept around him, Lius greeted the dark-haired young woman in front of him. He seemed relaxed and cheerful, not at all like someone conducting a very important meeting, but rather like someone confessing their feelings to Annie in their usual slightly coquettish tone.
As for Anne, having received Lius's answer, she seemed to feel a sense of protection, causing the dark-haired young woman to slowly exhale, and then reveal a look of relief as she gazed at Lius's face.
"Thank you, Xiaoli." Don't rush to thank me, Aunt Annie. This is just a thought I've always had, and I've always maintained this attitude when interacting with you, Aunt Annie. It's not something I did on a whim. If you really want to thank me, Aunt Annie, you should thank me every morning."
"Ha... If that's what you think, Xiaoli, then in the future, Auntie can indeed come every morning to properly thank you, not only with words but also with actions, so that you can truly feel Auntie's gratitude."
As she spoke, Anne stuck out her tongue and gently swirled the tip of it around her fingers, speaking to Lius in a suggestive and seductive tone.
After observing with a smile, Lius nodded slightly and gestured for the black-haired woman in front of him to restrain herself for the time being. After thinking for a moment, he lowered his voice slightly and spoke to Anne in a serious and earnest tone: "Well then, Aunt Anne, your first question has been resolved. Now... it's my turn, isn't it? Let me ask you some questions and find out what I want to know."
"Xiao Li, what do you want to know? Is it about our plan? Or do you want to ask me why I have such a strong desire to resurrect the Supreme God?"
Looking at Lius, Anne straightened her expression, maintaining a calm yet vigilant attitude, ready to answer any questions Lius might ask her.
"How do you plan to explain things to Leah?"
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Lius did not immediately inquire about Anne's own purpose or plan, but suddenly shifted the topic to Leah, asking the question to Leah's adoptive mother.
“Ah, I didn’t expect Leus to suddenly change the subject.” Anne’s eyes narrowed, and she was momentarily at a loss for words. “Lia trusts you completely, Aunt Anne. In her heart, you are her true mother. No one can match her gratitude and respect for you. And now you’re going to do something like this, to destroy the people and the world that Lia wants to protect. Is this really fair to Lia?”
With a questioning tone, Leus continued speaking to the dark-haired woman before him. Anne, gradually coming to her senses, paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head and said to Leus:
"About Leah... I'm very sorry, I don't want to involve her in this, and neither do you, Xiaoli. If possible, I would even like you to stay in the dark and continue living like this, so that you won't be affected by my situation."
"You want to protect Leah?" Lius continued to inquire. "Well... I can't deny it, and I absolutely won't deny it. I want to protect Leah, and the children in the orphanage. That's why I've been keeping my own affairs hidden, hoping they won't be affected because of me..." But once the formation is activated, causing everyone in the main kingdom to be sacrificed, wouldn't all those people you want to protect, Aunt Annie, lose their lives? What kind of protection is that? And if so many people die because of this, Leah will be very sad when she finds out. Haven't you ever considered this, Aunt Annie?"
Levius moved closer to Annie, his tone growing increasingly serious. Annie clenched her fists, as if making a firm decision or encouraging herself, and unusually interrupted him, repeatedly saying, "It won't be like that! Everything I've done... wasn't to destroy this kingdom, but to save it, to save this corrupt world, and... to save all the poor souls trapped in this world, including them and you, little Levius."
“Poor people. Aunt Anne, are you referring to us?”
Hearing the words of the black-haired young woman in front of him, Lius frowned slightly, seemingly surprised by her sudden words.
Unbeknownst to Annie, in another area of the rooftop, in the shadows, a girl with long silver hair and blood-red eyes was also silently hiding in a secluded corner, her gaze fixed on the young man and woman sitting in the pavilion in the distance, listening intently to their conversation with her extremely sensitive hearing.
"The more Gu listened to the words flowing from the two of them, the more agitated the girl became. She let out a series of suppressed groans, and her lips were bitten so hard by her teeth that they almost bled."
“Mother Anne, why did you do this…” With a tear still glistening in the corner of her eye, under the moonlight, Leah gently wiped away the moisture that symbolized her sorrow. This sorrow did not come from Anne’s “betrayal”, but from pessimism about Anne’s actions, mixed with doubt and incomprehension welling up from the depths of her heart. This made the silver-haired girl tremble and prostrate herself in the corner, trying hard to suppress the emotions that were about to overflow in her heart.
"Calm down... My brother said that no matter what happens, Lia should not come out. Lia cannot move right now and must stay here. She must stay calm."
Muttering to herself, Leah bit her lip hard again, forcing herself to calm down amidst the pervasive smell of blood. She took a deep breath and remained in the corner, focusing all her energy on sensing what Anne and Lius were about to say...
Chapter 273: Confession (Part 3)
"Aunt Anne, do you think we are all pitiful people who shouldn't continue living in this world?"
Hearing the words of the dark-haired young woman in front of him, Leus showed a look of surprise, then, with a thoughtful gaze, he studied the expression on Annie's face. After a few seconds of silence, he continued to ask her:
"Aunt Annie, could you explain to me in detail? Why do you have such thoughts? What's wrong with this world? Why do you hate it so much that you take such extreme actions? Could it be... that you have suffered some kind of irreparable trauma?"
Faced with Lius's question, Anne pursed her lips slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but seemed hesitant about her answer and unsure where to begin.
"Could it be about Aunt Anne's time in the Church of the Lord? Is it related to that period of time?"
Looking at Anne again, Leus rolled his eyes slightly and stated his inner deduction. Anne also slowly exhaled and nodded gently at the boy's words.
“That’s right… Xiao Li, you guessed correctly. It can be said that it was because of that incident that I left the church and became one of the servants of the Supreme God to find a way to change the world. All of this was because of that incident. Hmm, that incident… Aunt Annie, you don’t mean the incident about your predecessor being chosen to become a saint, do you? That’s the only thing I can think of.”
Faced with the boy's reasoning, Annie sighed softly, nodded again, and looked up at the night sky, where stars twinkled, with a melancholy gaze, as if she were pondering something.
“Aunt Anne, could you tell me everything that happened to you before? I am very eager to know about your past and how deep the wounds in your heart are.”
"Are you trying to find out my weaknesses from me, Auntie?" Annie asked, pursing her lips.
"Of course, only by knowing your weaknesses, Auntie, can I find a way to heal the wounds in your heart. Otherwise, no matter how I try to persuade you, I won't be able to change your mind. I've always been aware of this, so I'd like to ask you to tell me about those painful things. Is that alright?"
"No matter how you try to persuade me, Xiaoli, I won't change my mind."
Looking at Levi again, Anne bit her lip and said, her tone still filled with unwavering determination, while Levi shook his head and continued to speak to her:
“I know that you are very determined, Auntie, but I will not back down either, because I want to save you. So whatever decision you make next, whether you continue with the plan or give up the original action after my persuasion, it doesn’t matter to me now.”
Approaching Anne, Leus gently bent down, and under Anne's slightly surprised gaze, reached out and softly embraced her. At the same time, he spoke tenderly to the dark-haired beauty in his arms:
"I am no longer the commander of the kingdom, nor the head of the Furen family, but belong to you, Aunt Annie." Xiao Li, for me now, I can put everything else aside. The only thing I need to care about is the feelings in your heart, Aunt.
"Xiaoli," I don't want you, Auntie, to continue being in grief. It's unbearable for me too. So right now, I just hope you can be honest with me about your sorrow. I may not be able to help you heal, but at least sharing your feelings will make you feel a little better, won't it?
With a serious and caring gaze, Lius met the eyes of the dark-haired young woman before him, his gaze revealing genuine affection. Annie, her body tense from his gentle words, gradually relaxed, nestled in the arms of the boy who was a head shorter than her, her face flushing with a shy blush.
A series of swallowing sounds came from the young woman's throat, causing her lips to gradually relax. She was no longer as stubborn as before, and under the boy's gaze, she nodded slightly to Lius, speaking softly in the same gentle tone:
"Xiao Li... Haha, Auntie can never resist your coquettishness, Xiao Li. Alright, since I already told you that you must answer the questions properly, then I can't hide anything anymore... I'll tell you everything that happened before."
"Yes, please speak, Auntie."
Levi nodded slightly, giving Annie these instructions. Annie paused slightly before speaking, as if suddenly remembering something, and added to Levi:
"What I'm about to say... can only be known to you, Xiaoli. You must not tell anyone else about this, especially Liya. I don't want her to know what's going to happen next."
With a slight flick of his eyes, Leus revealed a wicked smile as he turned his gaze to the corner where Leah was hiding, while continuing to speak cryptically to Anne, making a promise to her:
"Don't worry, Aunt Annie, I promise I won't tell anyone else about these things. Don't worry that Leah will get any information from me. I won't say a word to her."
"Hmm... that's good. So... let's start from when I joined the Kingdom Church. Little Li, do you remember the story I told you back then? About what happened after I joined the church."
“I know, Auntie, you said you had a senior who took good care of you and helped you a lot. Is there a problem? Are you saying that all of these things were lies?” Lius glanced at her and asked in return.
"No, in the church, she did take good care of me, and we have a deep friendship. But there is one thing I have kept from you, Xiaoli: I didn't become acquainted with that senior after joining the church. I have actually been in contact with her frequently since I was a very young age."
"Oh?"
Listening to Anne's words, Lius tilted his head curiously, while Anne continued her story:
“When I was a child, when I was only four or five years old, I met that senior. We had lived in the same village since we were little. She was three years older than me. Because we were from the same village, the children were very familiar with each other. Not only me, but many of my companions were also very familiar with this senior.”
"Is she from Aunt Annie's hometown? Aunt, you took me back to your hometown once before. I remember that the area was quite large. It was more like a small town than a village. You said that you lived in a place similar to a slum when you were a child. If that's the case, then this lady's family must have been very poor as well?"
“Poverty, ha… not at all. On the contrary, this senior is not only not poor, but in our town, and even in the whole kingdom, her family can be considered wealthy. She lives in the most prosperous area of the town, which is a long distance away from the area where we poor people live, and they are very separate from each other.”
"Huh? He's actually a rich person? I really didn't expect that."
Faced with Anne's statement, Lius nodded in surprise, while Anne continued to tell Lius what happened next:
"Back then, we didn't really understand the difference between the rich and the poor. After all, we were young and didn't think much about the world. We only learned from our parents that she was a rich girl from our village who often came to the village to play with us ordinary children. That was all."
"Since she comes from a wealthy family, she must be very approachable. Although I personally do not discriminate against the poor, I cannot deny that many nobles are actually quite disgusted with commoners. Yet this senior lady is willing to play with children from ordinary families. She must be a very good person. She has had such a good personality since childhood. No wonder so many people gather around her."
"Yes, that's how she's been since she was a child, just like you, Xiaoli. She's never cared too much about her own status. She treats both nobles and commoners with equality, which is completely different from other nobles. In a sense, this can be considered rebellious in the main country."
"Rebellious? I think it's quite good, but judging from your tone, Auntie, you seem to feel sorry for this senior lady. What? Did something bad happen next?"
Looking at Anne, Lius keenly caught the subtle shift in her words. Anne, too, slowly suppressed the smile on her lips, revealing a melancholy radiance once more, and nodded gently to the blond boy before her.
"Do you remember me saying that she is the most aristocratic family in our town? To you, Xiaoli, her family may just be an ordinary noble family in a territory, but to the people in our town, her family has the greatest power in the town. At the same time, the family's family style and rules are all modeled after the most respected clans."
"Oh? Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Lius narrowed his eyes slightly, and a series of guesses began to form in his mind. He also had some general ideas about what Annie was about to tell him.
"Let me guess... This senior lady comes from a strict family, and her constant contact with ordinary people has resulted in some punishment from her family, right?"
"That's right. We only learned about these things later. The senior's family was very strict, and her education was maintained at the highest aristocratic standards, which put her life under immense pressure. The senior only had the opportunity to sneak out of the house to play with us children who were about her age when the tutor assigned homework each week and she had to complete it alone."
As she spoke, a glint of light flashed in Anne's eyes, as if she were pondering something poignant. She paused for a moment, then clenched her fist and continued speaking to Leus:
"My senior was very knowledgeable and experienced. Sometimes she would tell us about many aspects of aristocratic families, sometimes she would complain about how strict her mother and tutors were, and sometimes she would bring candy or toys from home to share with us."
"He sounds like a really nice person," Lius remarked.
"Yes... For us children, although she was only a year or two older than us, in our hearts, she was very mature in both speech and personality. We unconsciously regarded her as our leader, like an older sister. However... it was precisely because of her kindness and her will to pursue freedom that she suffered a punishment from her family..."
"Oh? A punishment? What kind of punishment is it? For Aunt Annie to show such an expression, it must be something very serious, right?"
Looking at Anne, feeling the grief and pity in her eyes, Lius paused for a moment, then leaned closer and asked her earnestly.
As for Anne, in response to Lius's question, she shook her head and sighed softly.
"This punishment was extremely severe, not physical, but spiritual... It completely imprisoned her heart, like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to escape..." A caged bird... I've heard many people use this metaphor to describe themselves, and most of them are actually just feeling sorry for themselves. But hearing it from you, Aunt Annie, makes me believe it's not an exaggeration. This lady must have experienced something very significant, right?
In response to Anne's statement, Lius offered his assessment, to which Anne nodded slightly. Under the boy's inquisitive gaze, she gave her final answer: "Senior, her family was very displeased with her private interactions with commoners, so they later sent her to the church to become a candidate for sainthood."
Chapter 274 Confession (Part 4)
"A candidate for sainthood? What do you mean? Does this mean that sainthood isn't chosen by the church on a specific day through divine will? Why would there be a candidate?"
Hearing Anne's words, Leus narrowed his eyes slightly. Before Anne could answer, he had already reached his own conclusion:
"Could it be that... the so-called saintess was not chosen by God as the official church claims, but was purely chosen from within the church itself?"
"That's right, Xiaoli, you probably expected this too, right? How the saints within the church are chosen and how they are controlled by the church are not things that are difficult for you to predict, are they?"
"That's true... but I didn't expect it to be so simple and crude. I thought there would be some kind of divine revelation or something, but it turned out to be a decision made by the church itself. Is it because they want to use the name of God to enhance the church's status and legitimacy?"
Looking at Anne again, Lius asked her this question, and Anne nodded slightly, sighed, and continued, "The reasons within the Church are complicated. Choosing a saint can not only improve its own status, but also give the Church more say in important discussions with the presence of a saint who is a messenger of God in the royal family. Although it is unclear when this tradition started, such deception has become a tradition within the Church until now."
"Do many people know about this? About your method of selecting the Holy Maiden?"
Lius continued to ask, and Anne shook her head slightly, then continued:
"That's not the case. Even within the church, only a few people know about the saintess. Outside the church, there are also some people closely connected with the church who know about this matter. They are usually involved in the selection of the next saintess and can therefore be considered core members of the church, such as the family of the predecessor I just mentioned."
As Anne spoke, another sigh escaped her lips, as if recalling some past experiences, adding a touch of melancholy to her words:
"Let's go back to what happened before. For some reason, perhaps the senior's secret outing was discovered, perhaps some servants in her family informed on her, or perhaps the senior's demeanor was a bit off for a few days. In any case, her elders noticed something amiss with her and investigated, eventually discovering her series of secret outings and interactions with us commoners."
At this point, Anne paused slightly, as if sorting out her thoughts and recalling what had happened that day. Lius stood silently beside her, watching the dark-haired young woman lost in her memories, saying nothing but keeping her company as she sorted out her thoughts.
The cold wind beside them howled even more fiercely, giving the impression that the pavilion might be overturned. After a few seconds of silence, Annie finally came to her senses, looked at Lius, and slowly spoke to him:
“That day… I remember it very clearly. My friends and I were waiting under a big tree by the mountain path. It was the place where we had always met with our seniors. Few people passed by, and the tree was so big that it could hold all of us. Apart from us children, the other adults didn’t know about this place, so it was like a small secret base for us.”
"That was the day this senior lady was discovered, right? If that's the case, then she can't meet with you. After all, if she's discovered at home, she'll be locked up and strictly guarded. If that's the case, then you must be quite disappointed about this wait, right?"
"Disappointed...maybe, but there's one thing you didn't understand: she wasn't kept at home the whole time, but was sent directly to the church without any waiting. And for us children...it's not like we didn't get to meet her again."
"Hmm? So you've met this senior lady?"
Upon hearing this, Lius glanced at her with some surprise and looked at the black-haired woman in front of him again to confirm her identity.
Meanwhile, Anne looked at Leus, her eyes growing increasingly dejected. She gently rubbed her fingers together on her thighs, nodded slightly to Leus, and continued speaking:
"At that time, after she was discovered, although we didn't know what her family had said to her, her final fate had already been decided - she was sent to the church for training to become a candidate for sainthood, in order to get rid of the negative influence that we, the lowly people, had given her."
“Thieves…is that what these nobles call commoners?” Lius muttered.
"That's right. They treat us the same way, both inside and outside the family. So they were furious about your interaction with the common people. They didn't even give you a chance to explain. They put you in the carriage and followed this little road that we rarely traveled, which we had always met, all the way towards the Royal City Church. It was here that we saw the carriage coming towards us, and the senior with a desperate look on her face who was sitting in the carriage."