"As you wish." Lillian bowed her head respectfully.
With that, she swiped a finger, and a host of tools appeared out of thin air, most bearing signs of use.
Then Lillian lay down on the floor and began inscribing the ritual bit by bit.
As though afraid of being misunderstood, Lillian explained in a low voice:
"When I left the Abode directly before, I opened a temporary passage, fabricating a fragment of the past to deceive the present. This time, I need to open a permanent passage, which means inventing a self-consistent history outright. That will take some time."
Vanessa made no comment. She simply sat in Lillian's armchair, seeming to watch Lillian, yet also seeming to gaze into the infinitely distant void.
Lillian grew even more nervous. She worked to calm herself and drew the ritual as quickly as she could.
"You're an Immortal of the Hollow Cathedral," Vanessa said suddenly.
"Yes." Lillian froze for a moment, then her expression changed drastically. "I've already left the [Shell of Regret] and turned my back on the [Old Shell] completely! From now on, I will serve only you!"
"No need. You are still an Immortal of the Hollow Cathedral." Vanessa lightly waved a hand. "Before this... you were hunting Phoenix, weren't you?"
Lillian pressed her lips together.
Her pursuit of Phoenix was not top secret, but only a handful of people, such as the Third Prince, knew about it.
They were either members of the Royal Family or believers of the Seven True Gods, each with their own protection.
And she herself was not part of history to begin with, so she could not be traced directly through it.
She even knew that? Had she taken part in weaving this layer of history?!
*Or had her worldly influence already penetrated the