TGS - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: The Red Gold Bracelet
The Lord of Yilulaila also believed in the River Goddess.
But this belief was more of a habit formed by the combined influence of his upbringing and surroundings, rather than heartfelt piety.
Even so…
“You mean to say you witnessed everything that happened by Jadaar Lake with your own eyes?” Lucreta asked for confirmation.
Standing before him, Taiyi's eyes lit up at the mention of the miracle. “Yes, my lord, it's absolutely true.”
Lucreta took a deep breath. “Very well. You may leave.”
Taiyi bowed and turned to leave.
Today, the Princess and her teacher did not require a guide, so Taiyi could only remain at the lord's manor. The thought brought a touch of regret.
The lord sat alone behind his desk, lost in thought for a long while before lowering his head to review his official documents.
He believed in the existence of gods, but he trusted more in the power of mortals. Even if he might reflexively blurt out “May the Goddess of the Yilu River protect us” in times of trouble, Lucreta would never truly place his hopes in deities.
To say something sacrilegious, gods who did not appear in the mortal realm were merely symbols for worship, pillars of order and etiquette. Whatever their will might be, it would not influence the decisions of men.
Therefore, a miracle could not change the lord's perception.
Besides, even if the Goddess Lotus favored the Princess, it didn't necessarily mean she approved of the Princess becoming the ruler. What if she simply wanted the Princess to leave the mortal world sooner and return to the embrace of the gods?
Placing a newly reviewed document to one side, Lucreta felt there was nothing wrong with his line of thinking; it was perfectly sound.
However, even if he refused to join the Princess's faction, he could not stand against her. Covering his eyes, plugging his ears, and not participating in this game was the best choice.
Sigh.
He hoped his foolish son would be a little smarter.
At that moment, Lotus was wandering through the temple in her spiritual form.
She had just parted from Alyuin, who was quietly and peacefully perusing scrolls in the temple's library. Lotus had come out to search for her red gold bracelet.
Generally, gold ornaments that had been used in divine rituals were considered the property of the god and were carefully stored in the temple's treasury.
But much time had passed. Yilulaila had gone through several cycles of prosperity and decline, and no one knew if that bracelet was still here.
Lotus hadn't held out much hope, but unexpectedly, no sooner had she floated into the treasury than she spotted a familiar jewelry box in the section for gold ornaments.
She materialized her physical form, opened it, and saw that it was indeed her bracelet.
Lotus picked up the bracelet, thought for a moment, then removed her golden armlet, placed it back in the box, and put on the bracelet.
The bracelet fit her wrist perfectly, neither too loose nor too tight. The feel of it as she turned it was exactly as she remembered.
Lotus's heart stirred.
This bracelet held a special meaning for her. She had thought it was lost forever, but now it was found again.
Since arriving in ancient Solancia, aside from pondering the reason for her transmigration and whether she could return, she had rarely thought about modern times. Those were distant pasts to her now, but the bracelet was like a key, capable of opening the path to her memories at any time.
Lotus lowered her eyes, pulling her thoughts back to the present.
When she returned to the Princess's side, Alyuin was still reading, looking very much at ease.
Elsewhere, it would have been difficult for her to be so relaxed. But the temple was Lotus's domain, and Alyuin subconsciously felt safe, as if she were in her own home.
If it weren't against the rules to eat in the library, she would have even been snacking on figs while she read.
Lotus materialized before the Princess.
“Would you like some dried figs?”
Alyuin asked earnestly.
Eating in a god's library was disrespectful, but if the god herself was eating, it was sharing in the god's joy and not a problem.
Lotus said indulgently, “I happen to be a little hungry.”
How could a god's incarnation get hungry? Yet, the two tacitly ignored this point. Alyuin poured a handful of dried figs from the small leather pouch she carried with her.
This snack was one of the specialties of the Sun God's city—sweet and intensely fruity. The Princess had packed a great deal of it before her departure, and it was now almost gone.
Lotus reached for the dried figs.
Alyuin's gaze paused on her wrist, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Did you go out to buy this?” the Princess asked casually, her eyes traveling up to the goddess's bare upper arm, where a golden armlet should have been.
She went out and came back with a bracelet, but her armlet was gone.
Alyuin: “…”
Her expression immediately became alert.
Lotus turned the bracelet. “No, it was already mine. I just went to retrieve it.”
The Princess said, “But your armlet is gone, Lotus.”
Surprised that Alyuin had noticed even that, Lotus paused for a moment before saying, “Although it's mine, it was in someone else's possession when I found it. Replacing it with the armlet counts as an equal exchange, doesn't it? Alyuin, you must understand, I don't have any mortal currency, after all.”
The Princess had once used this excuse to enjoy the pleasure of spending money on a goddess, but now she deeply regretted her strategy. She immediately stopped reading, took out a small bag of gold coins, and pressed it into Lotus's hands.
“Now you have some. I wonder if there's anything else you wish to reclaim. Next time this happens, if it's not enough, come to me first.” Alyuin sighed softly and said plaintively, “How can your belongings be left scattered about…”
Not even a single armlet!
Lotus shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Still, she accepted the gold coins. Though she felt a little ashamed, the River Goddess was finally no longer poor, which was not a bad thing.
Alyuin felt she had successfully nipped in the bud any possibility of Lotus giving away gold ornaments in the future. She went back to her book, popping dried figs into her mouth one by one as she read.
Her beauty was of a rich and vibrant sort. Even when she was just eating normally, her movements carried a natural sensuality. Anyone else would have been staring, mesmerized.
Unfortunately, Lotus had watched the Princess grow up and was long accustomed to this beautiful face. She merely sighed inwardly that beautiful people looked good even when eating, then zoned out while turning her bracelet.
The afternoon sun streamed through the library window, bathing the scrolls and the people in its warm light, half in brightness, half in shadow.
As time passed, the light and shadows shifted. When the slivers of light had vanished completely, evening arrived as expected.
Several days later, the caravan completed its business in Yilulaila.
The day before they were to set out again, the caravan master came to confirm with Alyuin.
The merchant, who had acted like a chatty, good-natured fellow in front of the envoy from Akhet, now bowed his head and asked respectfully, “Your Highness, should we delay for a while longer?”
“No need. We'll depart tomorrow,” Alyuin said coolly.
“But hasn't the Lord of Yilulaila responded yet?” the caravan master frowned. “I can still feign a last-minute addition of cargo to delay for a while. It would be more than enough time for Your Highness to continue communicating with the lord, and it won't arouse that fellow's suspicion.”
“That fellow” referred specifically to the envoy from Akhet, who was racking his brains trying to track the Princess's movements.
Alyuin said, “It's pointless. No matter how we communicate, Lucreta will only choose to wait and see until he sees actual results. As long as we ensure he won't side with Horst, that's enough.”
The caravan master bowed. “As Your Highness wishes. We will set out tomorrow.”
The next day, the Lord of Yilulaila, adhering to etiquette, escorted the Princess and her party all the way to the city gates.
The polite farewells need no elaboration. Lucreta spotted Luca mixed in with the main group and said with a headache, “Come back immediately after you've escorted them to Akhet, do you hear me?”
Luca pulled his war helmet down over his ears, demonstrating with his actions that he had not heard.
Lucreta: “…”
This son was hopeless. He might as well let him stay in Akhet and never come back.
However, the lord was, after all, a reliable father. Finding it impossible to communicate with Luca, he turned to the Princess. Their conversation was polite and friendly, giving no hint of how they had coldly analyzed each other in private.
“This is Luca's first time in Akhet. I must ask Your Highness to look after him.”
“Of course. I will not abandon any soldier who follows me.” Alyuin smiled, the curve of her lips seemingly learned from Lotus.
Lucreta fell silent for a moment, then shot a quick glance toward the envoy from Akhet. Confirming that the man was occupied by members of the caravan, he lowered his voice. “Your Highness, what you face is far more difficult than you imagine. I cannot ally with you, but neither can I obstruct Luca's choice…”
He paused, his expression complicated. “He will be of help.”
Alyuin understood and gave a slight nod.
The caravan departed from Yilulaila.
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