The Shackles of Nihility

Inside the House of Iris Trading Company, Alice sat quietly in her seat amid the smoke of expensive incense from the lower reaches of the Skarlesin River in the western Lenofica Kingdom. She took a sip of unsweetened black tea.

Degas, head of the House of Iris Trading Company's Leyden City branch, was speaking softly with Ed nearby.

He had been born with a face that seemed made for making money through friendliness. His eyes were nearly narrowed into slits, and with the smile that was forever plastered across his face, he always inspired a certain amount of goodwill in people before they even realized it.

Because of Leyden City's geographical location, he had made a fortune as the branch manager. Even his silk robe was a few shades brighter than Alice's.

"It's good that Aili made it back," Degas said with a beaming smile, idly fiddling with the bone ring on his finger. "But you don't look so good?"

Alice cast Degas a silent glance and shook her head without answering.

Aili was her nickname. Not many people in this world knew it, but her biological uncle Degas naturally did.

"Miss Alice may have had dealings with Heretical Cultists?" Ed picked up the conversation.

"Haha, the one thing Leyden City never lacks is Heretical Cultists. Little Aili, I told you before—when you're in Leyden City, you need to have a few guards around you. Otherwise, you're bound to run into some sort of accident."

Degas apparently did not take the matter to heart. Instead, he burst out laughing.

His laughter was extraordinarily infectious. It even drew a faint smile from the dispirited Alice, though she quickly wiped it away. "I don't want anyone following me."

"Why?" Degas casually pulled a long-stemmed pipe from a nearby table. He was just about to light it when he realized Alice was sitting in front of him, and naturally put it away again.

The tobacco came from the finest fields along the lower reaches of the Skarlesin River. Some unscrupulous alchemists had improved the strain and added hallucinogenic ingredients to it, making every puff enough to make a person forget all their troubles.

But he still did not want little Aili getting hooked on it. Or rather, according to noble etiquette, a proper gentleman should not take out these barely respectable little toys of a bad habit in front of a lady.

"Ed, Uncle Degas, you should know why." Her voice was calm, but her tone was resolute. "As a member of the House of Iris, I know my mission and purpose. I know my responsibilities and rights. I won't do anything foolish, so there's no need for you to send people to watch me."

As the two people closest to Alice, Ed and Degas exchanged a silent glance, carefully hiding the sighs and regret in their eyes. Neither of them spoke.

They knew Alice still had more to say.

"The family tried to send people to protect me, but I refused because I knew they weren't here to protect me. They were here to monitor me." Alice paused, the corners of her mouth curling into a strange smile. It was impossible to tell whether it was mockery or sorrow. "When all is said and done, they're just afraid I'll run away."

Only in third-rate knight novels did noble ladies elope with down-and-out knights.

In the real world, a fallen knight could not support a noble lady who had run away with him, and the noble lady would soon grow disappointed with the knight's nighttime snoring and stinky feet.

But to the House of Iris, this contract was simply too important—so important that it had to be carried out.

Alice still remembered how the family head, the current Grand Duke of Iris, Kalayan, had warmly summoned her to his study and earnestly explained the consequences and stakes to her.

She could understand all of that. She could empathize with it, and she could accept it as well.

If she truly refused to accept it, or refused to shoulder the family's honor and prestige, she could have run away halfway through, just like her fiancé, and lived a short-lived or eternal life as a wanderer.

After all, it was only in third-rate knight novels that noble ladies were helpless flowers, waiting for righteous and valiant knights to rescue them.

In reality, Alice was a youthful, energetic beauty who could send a burly man flying with a single sword strike.

"We're just worried about you, little Aili." Degas cleared his throat and forced a bitter smile. "You should know that if we really wanted to monitor you, we could simply send more people to watch you in secret. But you've seen it yourself—I truly haven't sent anyone."

Alice took another sip of black tea and drew a deep breath.

She knew Degas was telling the truth. She just did not know why her heart felt so heavy.

She said she did not want anyone following her, but when she faced a Silver Tier Heretical Cultist—or even that "being" whose identity she still did not know—she could not help wavering a little.

Perhaps having someone stand in front of her would actually be a good thing?

Of course, that lazy good-for-nothing was an exception!

She thought of him stuffing his face at the banquet in the City Lord's Manor and glared fiercely at the memory.

Yet for no reason, she began to worry. Even with that so-called "Blazing Sun Potion," could he really be saved?

If he died at the hands of the Heretical Cultists, would that mean she could...

For a moment, she became lost in thought.

"Miss Alice?" Ed asked softly as he watched Alice's unfocused eyes.

"Huh? What is it?" Alice came back to herself and quickly took another sip of black tea, hiding the embarrassment of having drifted off.

"I just thought you might need some rest. After all, because of this matter, you've gone almost a full day and night without sleep. If you're relying solely on black tea to stay awake..." Ed carefully chose his words.

"Uncle Ed, I'm fine." Alice forced a smile, but she was clearly distracted.

I wonder if that guy is dead yet.

This concerns the rest of my life...

As a Sword Affinity supernatural being, her constitution was naturally far stronger than an ordinary person's. Staying up all night now and then was nothing.

Besides, she had just fought Heretical Cultists and even encountered that indescribable being. Her body was saturated with a thick Heretical Cult Aura. If she went to sleep, she would probably have a nightmare anyway.

Compared with experiencing a nightmare in her sleep, Alice would rather force herself to stay awake and wait until some of the Heretical Cult Aura dispersed.

Seeing the expression on Alice's face, Degas's eyes filled with a teasing smile. "Oh, my dear little Aili, don't tell me you've fallen for that person?"

Although Alice was distracted, she still leaped to her feet like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Degas, stop talking nonsense!"

In her agitation, she even disregarded etiquette and addressed her uncle by his name.

"I was only thinking about whether this marriage could go through. After all, his injuries are severe. If he dies..." Alice unconsciously voiced her thoughts, then forcibly swallowed the rest of the sentence. Her expression turned unnatural, followed by a hint of vexation.

Fortunately, she was facing the people closest to her. If anyone else had been present, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Because she had lost her composure, she naturally failed to notice the bitter smiles in Degas's and Ed's eyes.

Aili, if only you could cast aside that heavy family honor...

Ahem, thank you all for your support~

I suppose this trial recommendation push means we won't be eliminated in the first round~

La la la la la~

However, a new problem has appeared: my workload has skyrocketed, and I can only maintain two updates a day...

I might pad things out a little more from now on, emmmm...

QAQ, the Pit God is already doing her best. Working 996, getting home after ten, typing until after one, then getting up after seven...

orz.jpg

I can only shamelessly ask for a few more recommendation votes and collection votes...

Let's charge ahead next week!