Eloping Plan

"That..."

Fornia lowered her head, her breath caressing Nelly's neck. A smile played on her lips as she spoke gently.

"Thank you, little Nelly~"

"You..." Nelly's cheeks flushed from her teasing, but she was also happy for Fornia's relief.

Fornia's father had died in battle.

It was a bolt from the blue for both their country's citizens and Fornia's family.

Her father, a Marshal in the British Kingdom's Royal Navy, had unfortunately perished yesterday afternoon while suppressing terrorists.

Despite how Fornia appeared, she was heartbroken. Yet, she still smiled at Nelly, not worried about how she would survive without her father's protection, but only about her inability to protect Nelly.

She didn't want Nelly to get married! It didn't matter if the groom was that scumbag Simon!

Speaking of Simon, he wouldn't make a move against Fornia and Nelly anytime soon. But once people gradually forgot about Fornia's father, he might reveal his true colors.

"What's wrong, Fornia?" Nelly looked up, her eyes filled with concern. She had just felt Fornia's emotions fluctuating.

Is she still sad after all?

"Little Nelly, let's elope," Fornia said softly, completely unaware of how bold her words were.

"Huh? What did you just... say... Hey, when will your cookies be ready? I really want to... taste Fornia's baking!" Nelly froze for a moment, her mind going blank. Flustered, she turned away and looked around, trying to change the subject.

How could she say that so calmly...

"I said, let's—"

"Stop!"

Nelly suddenly interrupted, turning back to face Fornia.

"Why?" Her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She looked up, her small eyes fierce and adorable, which made Fornia laugh.

"Because I don't want you to get married." Fornia's mood suddenly turned somber. Nelly saw... fear? in her eyes.

"Not Simon, not anyone else, I just don't want you to!" She looked at Nelly again as she said this.

"Little Nelly, am I being too selfish?"

Of course not! Nelly wanted to retort, but she realized that neither she nor Fornia seemed able to escape these things, unable to avoid them.

Marriage? A transaction!

Whether it was for affection, power, money, or status, it was all a transaction.

A sense of being bound by threads washed over Nelly. She felt like a puppet controlled by others once more, her every move dictated, unable to escape fate.

The threads tightened, her breathing quickened, as if the recent intimacy with Fornia was merely an illusion. Their relationship had grown close in just ten short days, but it felt so unreal, so unreal it was like a dream, a movie, or a fairy tale.

She felt like she was suffocating. Perhaps when she opened her eyes again, the dream would be over.

Dying in Fornia's arms like this... it doesn't sound so bad...

"I want to leave here with little Nelly, go anywhere in the world, as long as you're with me, as long as we're not separated!"

Nelly couldn't forget those words. Her emotions completely broke down. She curled up in Fornia's arms, tears streaming uncontrollably. I want that too, I really want that!

"Let's go to the rainforests of the South Continent. I want to go boating there with little Nelly. Even though the environment is harsh, with little Nelly by my side, I can do anything!"

"And the beaches of the North Continent, I want to see little Nelly in a swimsuit!"

"Antarctica would be nice too, watching whales and penguins there!"

"And the ancient cities and mountains of the East, I heard the food there..."

Fornia's words were like magic, soothing all of Nelly's anxieties and fears.

Nelly was already weeping, sobbing softly:

"Okay, okay..."

After a few of them searched the explosion site, they returned to their respective countries.

The area had been restored to its original state, showing no signs of the great battle that had occurred. As for the Herrschers, not even their bodies could be found. It was unknown if the remnants of the Insight Gem had sunk to the bottom of the sea or vanished completely.

The journey home wasn't rushed. Gu Yan only crossed the border on the morning of the second day. Nine Ability Users from Huaguo had departed, all S-Class or above. Only five returned. This meant that besides Xu Muchi, Gu Yan, and Xu Ying, only two had survived.

From this point on, the world would likely descend into chaos.

S-Class Ability Users, the pinnacle of human combat power, were slaughtered like ants by the Herrschers, and modern weapons were of little use.

The news might be suppressed, but for anyone who learned the truth, it would undoubtedly be a shattering revelation.

However, Gu Yan didn't care about any of that. He could already guess the general outline of what was bound to happen. It didn't matter how shocked others were, as long as they understood the severity of the situation.

What concerned him now was how to fool his sister and mother.

Upon returning home, Gu Yan headed straight for Haishi, rejecting invitations from a few people to visit headquarters. He was indifferent to most things; his status mattered little, as long as he had a place.

In other words, if you can't stand the Honkai, we're on the same side.

But the two women at home were truly giving him a headache. How was he going to explain things?

The bonds of blood are something humans cannot abandon. Precisely because Gu Yan has family and friends, he will not be controlled by the Honkai. The reason he exists as a human is that he has always seen himself as a human of this world, not as some Honkai or anomaly.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Who is it?"

Gu Yan stood at the door, looking as honest as could be. His sister's voice came from inside, and a moment later, Gu Li opened the door.

"Oh, it's Xiao Yan."

"Sis, where's Mom? You guys didn't issue me a death certificate, did you?" Gu Yan poked his head inside, looking around.

"Stop looking, she's not home." Gu Li pulled him in and pointed to the refrigerator.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, I'm not hungry."

"Mom was so excited when I told her you were taken away by some woman that she couldn't sleep. She called five or six friends to go drinking that night." Gu Li still got a can of cola and a sandwich and handed them to Gu Yan.

"..."

"Do you want to explain it to me?" Gu Li sat on the sofa, lazily propping up her chin, a smile on her lips.

"It's nothing. You don't want to say, and I won't ask." She blinked, her curious expression completely unconcealed.

My sister is so curious, tell me quickly!

Gu Yan's facial muscles twitched twice. His sister, he didn't know when, had been led astray by their mother.

"It's nothing, really. It's just that my support abilities are very strong, and I've caught the eye of some powerful individual."

"You're lying to me, Xiao Yan." Gu Li's tone was tinged with grievance, her eyelashes drooping.

This is totally Mom possessing her!

Gu Yan's mind was in chaos, but he feigned surprise. "Huh? How did you know?"

"I guessed!"

Can't keep this sister around for long!