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Although she rarely used such magic, she was able to unleash its full power through her own will, managing to maintain a similar speed to Leus as they flew away into the distance.
Just then, sensing the direction she was heading, Lia lowered her eyes slightly, as if she had realized something.
"This direction... seems to lead to the town, and... the monastery where Anne's mother used to live. What exactly is my brother planning?" Although she didn't know Lius's specific thoughts, based on her understanding of him, Leah still showed an unusually serious demeanor, diligently driving the magic within her body, following in Lius's footsteps, constantly chasing after the two, to witness what would happen next.
Chapter 289: Reconnecting with the Past (Part 1)
After she regained her senses, Annie landed on the ground, stepping onto a relatively soft patch of earth. Beside her was Leus, who had also landed. As he landed, he took the opportunity to put the young woman in his arms down and cast some magic on Annie's feet to keep her bare feet from getting mud or dust on them. At the same time, after Annie landed, Leus put his arms around the waist of the dark-haired woman and looked up at her face with a gentle smile.
“Then, let’s keep going, Aunt Annie.” “Go? Little Li, where are you taking me?”
Faced with Lius's actions, Annie still appeared quite wolfish, even her previous hostility had disappeared, replaced by a trembling tone as she asked the boy beside her.
"Of course, I'll take you to fight, Auntie. As I just said, if we fight at home or nearby, it might expose and affect many people, which wouldn't be good. Since we're going to fight, we should go to a place where there aren't many people, like... here."
Hearing Lius's words, Anne blinked slightly, seemingly not quite understanding yet. "Hmm?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Anne looked around at her surroundings again and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. She quickly raised her wand and released bursts of light, illuminating the previously dim environment and bringing it into the view of the dark-haired young woman.
Next, after taking in her surroundings, a look of surprise flashed in Annie's eyes. Her gaze, shifting unpredictably, landed on Leus, and her lips trembled as she gently parted to speak to him:
"This...this is a church! The church near the mansion!"
“That’s right, this is also the place where you used to work, Aunt Anne. It’s very familiar, isn’t it? Although it’s been a long time since I’ve prayed here, at least the structure is still the same as when you were in office, Aunt Anne. I remember there’s a training ground behind the monastery. Let’s go there for our next battle in a bit.”
With that, Leus took the hand of the dark-haired young woman beside him and led her into the monastery.
The monastery was very quiet at this time. The usual firelight had completely disappeared, and only the footsteps of Lius and Anne could be heard echoing in the corridor.
The empty corridor, coupled with the silent atmosphere, made Annie, who was standing in the middle of the corridor, feel uneasy with every step she took.
"What's wrong, Aunt Annie? Are you worried that there might be other people here? Don't worry, I've already ordered and investigated. All the people from the monastery have been transferred to other places for combat and defense. There's no one here except us, so no matter how much noise we make, no one will know."
“Little Li, did you… plan this all along? To bring me here?” Anne asked Lius with a slight frown.
"Actually, it wasn't planned from the beginning. Originally, I wanted you to give up the plan, so that everything else would be easier. But you're so determined, so I had to come up with another plan. Since I can't change your mind right away, I can only try to persuade you from other angles."
With that, Leus led Anne into the prayer room.
The roof here is made of openwork glass, and when the moonlight shines down from the sky, it projects a dazzling light into the prayer room, just like starlight.
Especially under the bright moonlight, the light here became even more dazzling, so much so that Annie didn't need to cast any more illumination spells to bring the scenery into their view.
It must be said that even after so many years, Anne was still deeply shocked by the sight before her.
The holy light shone into the prayer room, like a blessing from the goddess, exuding a sense of peace and reverence, and slightly easing Anne's anxious heart.
"How is it, Aunt Anne? Do you remember what happened before? It seems that the first time you and I met was in this prayer room, wasn't it?"
Meanwhile, Lius held Anne's soft and delicate hand tightly. He turned his head slightly and looked at the black-haired young woman beside him with a gentle smile. He slowly told her about the memories in his mind, "At that time, Aunt Anne, you were sitting alone in the corner over there, with your arms wrapped around your knees and your face buried in your arms. I remember these things clearly. And when I approached, I could clearly feel your body trembling, as if you were trapped in a very painful emotion. You were completely immersed in that feeling of grief. You didn't even notice that I was coming to your side."
"At that time, it was the anniversary of my senior's death. After I finished praying, I couldn't help but think of my senior again, and I was overcome with grief. I couldn't help but sit down in a corner and try to quickly compose myself so that others wouldn't notice my strange behavior."
Listening to Lius's story, perhaps moved by the scene, or simply wanting to agree with Lius's words, Anne's eyes showed a thoughtful look as she added to Lius's account of herself:
"At that time... I originally only planned to adjust my emotions a little and then leave the monastery as soon as possible, but I didn't expect... In the end, my emotions not only did not calm down, but became more and more upset in the long process of thinking, which made me unable to control my rationality and I started to sob silently while I was stomping."
"Then I saw you like this, Aunt Annie. Hehe, when I touched your arm, you looked at me with a very shocked expression. Your eyes seemed to be wide open, and your cheeks turned red."
"Ah, when Leus talked about her past self, Annie was momentarily embarrassed, as if she was very ashamed of her past loss of composure, and her eyes were filled with a timid look when she looked at Leus."
"Back then... it was all because Xiaoli, you came to Auntie's side so quietly that Auntie didn't even notice. And Xiaoli, you didn't even say a word before grabbing Auntie's shoulder, which startled Auntie."
At this point, Anne pursed her lips slightly, as if recalling something, and her blush deepened. She continued speaking softly to Leus:
"Speaking of which, thinking about it this way, Xiaoli, you were quite bold back then... You were not afraid of being scolded by your aunt for getting so close and intimate with me. Or did you have a crush on your aunt back then, so you wanted to take the initiative to approach her?"
"On the one hand, I may indeed have a good impression of you, Auntie, but on the other hand... I am also very curious about you, Auntie, and want to know what caused you to fall into such sadness. At the same time, I also want to try to see if I can comfort you."
At that time, Xiaoli and I were completely unfamiliar with each other. When I looked up at Xiaoli, it should have been the first time we met. Even if there was some connection between Xiaoli's family and the church, did Xiaoli really have anything about her that made her want to take care of her?
Anne turned to Leus, as if asking a question she had pondered for a long time, and spoke earnestly to him. Leus nodded slightly, without the slightest hesitation, and directly addressed the black-haired woman before him:
"Of course, because I didn't want you to be so sad, Auntie. Even though we were just strangers at the time, I couldn't ignore you when I saw how upset you were. I only had one thought: to stop you from crying. That was all I wanted to do."
"Just...don't want me to cry?" Anne looked at Lius, her heart pounding. Her face flushed, she asked Lius again, and Lius nodded vigorously, confirming Anne's words.
"That's right. Not just you, Auntie, but for me, I don't want to see anyone fall into that kind of sadness, nor do I want to see any girl be so heartbroken. This is a belief I've held since I was a child."
At this point, Leus paused abruptly, the images of Lilith and Diana flashing through his mind. After a brief silence, he continued speaking to the dark-haired woman before him:
"While I admit that I might sometimes play some... rather excessive" pranks, everything I do has its reasons, and the sole purpose is to prevent anyone from showing that crying expression. I had this feeling when I first met you, Aunt Anne, and it hasn't changed since then."
"Small profits."
Upon hearing Levi's words again, Anne's body began to tremble, just as it had when she had prostrated herself in the prayer room. However, this time, unlike before, she wasn't overwhelmed by grief and resentment. Instead, a warm and fervent feeling welled up within her, gradually giving rise to a calm yet powerful surge of energy. This caused the dark-haired woman to swallow hard, and her gaze towards Levi held a complex mix of concern, gratitude, and admiration.
"Xiaoli, have you always thought this way since you were little? Even now, after learning about your aunt's past, you are still willing to show her this kind of care."
“Of course, this is not only what I feel in my heart, but also because of… the promise I made to you, Auntie.” “The promise” Hearing Lius’s words, Annie’s eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what promise Lius had made to her, but rather that this blond boy had made too many promises to her, causing Annie to not know what promise Lius was talking about for a moment. With a slight tilt of her head, she cast a puzzled look at Lius.
"Xiaoli...which promise are you referring to? I'm a little confused. Is it about you promising to protect me forever? Or is it about what I said last time, that no matter what I do, you'll forgive me?"
"No, it's a promise I made to you, Auntie, when I was a child, right here in the prayer room of this monastery. How could you forget something so important, Auntie?"
"Should it be? Here. A promise?"
Hearing Lius's words, Anne looked puzzled again, her expression momentarily blank, as if trying to recall her first meeting with Lius.
Unfortunately, the events of that time were too long ago, so much so that even if Annie tries her best to recall, she still cannot remember the details of her conversation with the boy.
"I'm sorry, Xiaoli... I think I've really forgotten what I told you back then. I'm so sorry, Xiaoli, could you tell me again? What kind of promise did you make to me back then that you've remembered for so long?"
"Really, Auntie, you can't believe you're getting so worked up about such an important memory. You clearly agreed to all the promises I made to you back then, but now you can't remember any of them at all."
Faced with Annie's words, Leus glanced at her, sighed helplessly, and then adopted a serious posture as he slowly spoke to the black-haired young woman before him, "The promise I made to you, Auntie... is actually very simple. Even in my interactions with you afterwards, I always upheld this promise. Originally, seeing your previous attitude and the strong feelings you had for me, I thought you remembered this promise as well, but it turns out you didn't..." So, what exactly did you say back then, Leus? Please tell Auntie, Auntie really wants to know..."
Listening to Lius's words, Anne became increasingly anxious, especially seeing Lius's lingering look. She felt a ticklish sensation in her heart, which made her speak faster as she eagerly sought the answer she wanted from him.
Meanwhile, seeing Anne's earnest and anxious expression, Leus finally nodded slightly and slowly opened his lips to speak to her:
"My promise to you, Aunt Anne... was just a simple sentence: if you're willing, Aunt Anne, after I grow up, I will stay by your side and take care of you for the rest of my life, so that you will never show that sad look again... that's all."
"This... take care of me for the rest of my life after I grow up, and stay by my side forever... Little Li, did you really say that to me back then?" Hearing Lius's words, Annie's eyes narrowed slightly, and after a brief moment of surprise, her eyes were filled with an undisguised shyness.
Along with this shyness, Annie's blush deepened.
Despite having been confessed to by Leus countless times before, and even having shared countless intimate moments with him, at this moment, upon hearing the blond boy's confession, a confession that began in childhood, the dark-haired young woman still acted like a young girl experiencing her first love, her voice filled with a questioning tone as she once again tentatively spoke to Leus:
"So, Xiaoli, you mean... you want to marry your aunt when you grow up... You told me that back then, is that right?"
“Yes, that’s right. That’s what I said back then, and Aunt Anne, you seemed to agree, right? I’ve never forgotten about this.” As he spoke, looking at the dark-haired woman in front of him, Lius’s tone gradually became more serious. He scanned the surroundings with a nostalgic gaze, then turned his gaze to Anne’s face, and slowly opened his lips to tell her what had happened here.
Chapter 290: Reconnecting with the Past (Part Two)
Many years ago, in the church prayer room.
"Hey! Auntie, look at me now. This is a magic spell I learned from a book. Isn't it amazing?" A childish voice, still somewhat innocent, echoed in the empty room. Along with the voice came waves of magical energy that coiled around the child's body, making the boy with short blond hair float in the air, like a bouncy little rabbit, constantly somersaulting in the center of the church.
Directly in front of the blond boy, a dark-haired woman in a nun's habit also covered her lips with her hand, biting her lip hard, staring straight ahead amidst trembling.
Watching the blond boy in front of her tumbling and making faces, the woman showed great patience. She tried to cover her trembling face with her hands and turned her body to the side so that the blond boy would not notice her appearance.
But the boy didn't give him that chance at all. With a mischievous grin, he rushed towards the woman, doing one somersault after another and making one funny face after another. With the combined release of magic and his childlike voice, he tried to amuse the black-haired woman in front of him who had a perpetually blank expression.
"Hehe, we made a deal before, Auntie. If I could make you laugh, you would tell me your name. Now you're almost at your breaking point, aren't you? Don't hold back any longer, just laugh already! Hehe, here comes the trick!"
Finally, unable to bear the blond boy's adorable yet comical actions and expressions any longer, the woman let out a series of light, whistling laughs after a slurred breath.
"After a burst of laughter, the sound gradually grew louder, and together with the voice of the blond boy in front of him, they intertwined in the empty prayer room, adding a unique human touch to the originally quiet and solemn environment, and sweeping away the originally rather oppressive atmosphere."
"Haha, Auntie, you finally laughed out loud! I knew I could make you happy, and now it really is just like I said, isn't it?"
Looking at the black-haired woman laughing in front of him, Lius felt very pleased. He reached out and grasped her fingers, stood on tiptoe in front of her, and looked up at the black-haired woman who was still laughing softly, showing her a lovely and clever smile.
"Ha, on the woman's side, after feeling the boy's smile directed at her, her smiling lips suddenly paused, and her voice stopped for a moment. Her gaze was fixed on the child's innocent smile in front of her, as if the thoughts in her mind were directly attracted by this smile, and she was briefly immersed in the cuteness of Lius, even forgetting what she originally wanted to say.
"Auntie, auntie, you still need to tell me your own name. Now that I've made you laugh, shouldn't you say it together?"
Looking at the woman in front of him, Lius tugged at her fingers again, reminding her of this. The woman, now snapping out of her daze, glanced at him, blushed slightly, coughed lightly, and spoke to the blond boy before her:
“Ahem. Of course… as I said before, since it was me who issued the challenge, I will not go back on my word… My name is… Annie.”
“Anne… that must be Aunt Anne. Hello, Aunt Anne. My name is Lius. It’s nice to meet you.”
Looking at Anne, and upon learning her name, Lius revealed a bright smile, seemingly very happy and proud of his "victory".
As for Annie, after stating her name, the dark-haired young woman couldn't help but sigh inwardly, seemingly somewhat helpless about her current situation.
Mingming initially felt a bit annoyed, so she casually proposed a challenge, hoping to get rid of the blond boy who suddenly appeared in front of her and kept trying to chat with her.
To Annie's surprise, he actually made her laugh in the end. Despite being a young master from a noble family, he had no airs at all! He kept making those funny and cute gestures at her, which really surprised Annie.
Now that she was indeed amused, she could only accept her defeat. Looking at Leus again, and seeing his handsome and charming face, Annie couldn't help but linger her gaze on his face for a few more moments.
The child was still young, but he already looked very handsome. Just by looking at him, you could tell what he would look like when he grew up. He was holding his own hand and looked very clever. His hair was fluffy to the touch. He was more cute than imposing.
These descriptions are Anne's first impression of the blond boy after she looked directly at Lius.
After the first impression, Anne couldn't help but feel a surge of affection. After hesitating for a moment, she took the initiative to gently reach out and stroke Lius's golden hair.
"Oh, hehe, it tickles! Aunt Annie's hands are so warm and comfortable."
After being initially surprised by Anne's caresses, Leus smiled and became immersed in the experience, even taking Anne's arm in his arms to further enjoy the touch from the young woman.
Meanwhile, Annie watched Lius's absorbed and obedient appearance, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up again. She watched the boy's slightly slouching and lazy appearance with great interest, and for some reason, she felt a sense of envy.
"This child... is really clingy, and the expression on his face is very enjoyable. Is being stroked like this a very comfortable thing?" Thinking this, Annie slowly closed her eyes, as if she wanted to imagine this feeling carefully.
Before she could even think of anything, a small and gentle touch appeared on Annie's head, causing the dark-haired young woman to open her eyes in surprise. She saw Lius standing up beside her, standing on tiptoe, raising his arm high, and stroking her head with his small hand.
"Aunt Annie touched me like that... I want to touch Aunt Annie too, so that Aunt Annie can feel the same way I do, and that Aunt Annie will be happy."
Gently stroking Annie's soft, delicate hair, Lius's eyes shone with an innocent yet earnest light as he spoke to the dark-haired young woman before him. Annie, after a moment of surprise, blushed slightly and sat there, pursing her lips. Should she refuse...? But this was something the child had done specifically to comfort her, and refusing would surely hurt the child's feelings. Yet, not refusing... being touched by a four or five-year-old child... was indeed a bit too shameful.
Upon further reflection, Annie was somewhat surprised to find that being touched by Lius was incredibly comfortable. Lius's small hands were already quite delicate, and coupled with his gentle words and actions, it was truly difficult to escape from this tender care.
Annie even had a feeling that if she didn't refuse now, she might become addicted to this kind of touching and never be able to break free from the blond boy's side.
Thinking of this, Anne glanced back and, disregarding her own immersive thoughts, forcefully grabbed Lius's wrist, removing his hand that was constantly stroking her hair from her head. At the same time, she took several deep breaths to pull herself out of the enjoyable atmosphere and return to reality.
"Ok?"
Meanwhile, Leus, seeing Annie's panting face and the lingering look of unfinished business, tilted his head slightly, appearing somewhat puzzled, and continued speaking to the dark-haired woman before him:
“Aunt Anne, are you still in a bad mood? Or do you feel… very unhappy?” “Ah?” Hearing Lius’s voice, Anne gradually came back to her senses, turned her head to look at the blond boy beside her whose eyes revealed concern, pursed her lips, and gently shook her head at him, “No… I’m fine, don’t worry, this isn’t something a child like you needs to worry about, Mr. Lius, you don’t need to take it to heart.” “No need to be so formal, just call me…” Lius suddenly said. “Hmm? But this…”
"Call me Xiaoli, otherwise I won't continue talking to you, Auntie."
Looking at Annie, Leus's eyes gleamed with seriousness, and Annie nodded slightly after a few seconds of silence.
“Okay… Xiaoli, you don’t need to worry so much about me. I was just thinking about some things from the past; but those things are all in the past. Right now, I’m just a little sad, nothing serious.”
Anne began her story slowly, and for some reason, after addressing the boy as "Little Li," she felt a sense of trust, which warmed her heart. Her gaze towards Lius also held a concern that she herself was unaware of.
Meanwhile, Leus, sensing Annie's gaze, looked directly at her face, his brows furrowing slightly, revealing a serious yet endearing expression of focus, as if he were trying to observe Annie's expression and read the thoughts in the mind of this dark-haired young woman.
"Aunt Anne, do you... not have any friends around you?" After observing for a while, Lius asked Anne.
“Read? Why are you suddenly saying that?” Annie blinked, asking the blond boy in front of her.
“Because if you had friends, Aunt Annie, you could confide in others. Then, no matter what kind of troubles you have in your heart, they can eventually be resolved, instead of like you are now, saying that you are fine, but in fact you are still immersed in pain. It's like a wound that has been numbed. Once the numbness wears off, the pain will surface and continue to hurt your heart.”
Upon hearing the boy's words, Anne's face showed surprise again. She seemed not to have expected that this five or six-year-old child would suddenly say such things, nor did she expect that he would have such a detailed and profound understanding of her heart. Anne was stunned for a moment and did not reply to Lius immediately.
While Annie was still in a daze, Leus pressed his advantage, pursed his lips, and boldly spoke:
"Although I don't know what's making you sad, Aunt Annie, but... if possible, I'd like to become your friend so you can release your inner pain. Is that alright?"
"Xiaoli, you...want to be my friend?"
Hearing the boy's words, Annie looked surprised again. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to agree to this unexpected request. However, after thinking for a while, she gritted her teeth and forced her rationality back into her mind.
The things I have to face... cannot be dealt with by a few words of comfort. I have embarked on a lonely and thorny road. On this road, even friends cannot be confided in. I can only bear it silently by myself. This is my... fate.
Such thoughts echoed in Annie's mind, plunging her previously vibrant spirit into a chilling stillness. Looking at the enthusiastic blond boy before her, she clenched her fists, forcing herself to shake her head and utter words of refusal:
“No…no. Even friends can’t confide in each other. Please forgive me, Auntie, but I cannot accept your suggestion, Xiaoli.” Is it that she doesn’t want to be my friend, or is it simply that she can’t tell her friends about her inner troubles? Looking at Annie, Lius asked her sharply.
"Anne pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and seemed to have made a decision. She spoke to the blond boy in front of her, "That's all... That's my answer. Please don't say anything more, or I'll have to forcefully avoid this topic later. Please." Hearing Anne's words, Lius nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Anne's face again with a serious gaze, as if he was still thinking about something. "So... Aunt Anne, you don't want to be friends with me now, and you don't want to tell me about your troubles?" "That's right. Lius, you seem to be a very smart child. You should understand what I mean..." Anne nodded, as if she wanted to end the conversation, and slowly stood up from her seat, walking towards the door of the prayer room.