Outside, the streets were still filled with roaring celebrations, but inside the carriage, silence reigned, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
"Gaia."
Liu Yu decided to test her hypothesis, to determine whether it was telepathy or something else.
She suddenly grabbed Gaia's hand.
The touch was cool, and the icy breath of snow seemed to fill her nose. Her hand trembled slightly but firmly, then she placed it over her own chest:
"Can you hear me?"
"Idiot!"
Gaia shook his head:
"I can't hear anything."
"Try again." Liu Yu mentally screamed in her mind, "Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot—"
"I still can't hear anything."
Gaia continued to shake his head.
His delicate face was filled with confusion.
"Beiliya, what did you say? And... what is this?"
The young man's cool hand gently squeezed, and the girl let out a soft moan.
She bit her lip and softly said:
"Well, I was saying, 'Gaia, you're very handsome, and I, Beiliya... really like you.'"
"Like?"
Gaia looked up at the sky, murmuring, "What is 'like'?"
Liu Yu ignored him; her attention was still on the previous 'telepathy':
"Gaia, can you only hear people's wishes?"
"It seems so," the boy's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, giving him a fragile beauty, "It's not just wishes, but you... your heart is very quiet."
He said this with certainty.
Liu Yu: ...
Alright, she was sure now.
No matter whose thoughts Gaia could hear, it definitely wasn't hers.
Maybe it was because her soul didn't belong to this world, or perhaps it was because she didn't believe in gods.
Either way, he couldn't hear her.
That was good.
"Let's go, to the medical hall."
The coachman, having snapped out of his fervor, returned to the front of the carriage.
The carriage started moving again.
In the Soren Kingdom, all medical halls, big or small, would hang a red cross on their spires, hence they were often called "Red Cross Buildings."
Rovu Medical Hall was the largest Red Cross Building in the Solro City-State, always bustling with activity and a constant flow of people.
However, even in such a busy place, the attendants still noticed the golden iris emblem of the Fergus Family on the axle of an old, dusty carriage when it arrived.
"Hey Totai, this time it's your turn."
"No, no, Liev, I don't want to get whipped again. Beiliya's whip doesn't go easy on old acquaintances..."
"Poor Beiliya, last time Mobia the Duchess said, '...there's no decent person in this world who would want to marry Miss Fergus! Never!'" One attendant mimicked the duchess's shrill voice, "I think the gentlemen in the city-state, while they might enjoy a bit of romance with Miss Fergus, would never want to bring her home. After all, Miss Fergus has no substantial dowry and has a mother who's... well, not exactly respectable..."
The attendants at the medical hall pushed and shoved, none of them willing to go.
At that moment, the door of the Fergus family's carriage opened from the inside.
First to catch the eye was a hand, so pale that the blue veins could be seen under the sunlight, adorned with a rose-shaped ring. Then, a vibrant rose-purple dress unfolded, followed by a puff-sleeved, puff-skirted figure stepping out.
Beiliya stood by the carriage.
Her golden wavy hair sparkled under the sunlight, her skin was even whiter and smoother than the milk from Anto Mountain, and her lips were more delicate and tender than a rose petal.
When she smiled slightly, her azure eyes began to sparkle, resembling the vast, pure, and sentimental surface of the Cadorna Sea...
The attendants were all stunned.
"Miss Beiliya... seems... different."
"Oh, she's even more enchanting than the last time I saw her. Totai, I'd gladly take a whip, no, three whips..."
At that moment, Beiliya, who had just stepped out, reached back into the carriage.
A long, slender hand rested in hers, its knuckles distinct, like the finest artwork; the two hands gently clasped, and a young man bent down and stepped out.
Standing upright, the sunlight bathed his pale face, and the breeze lifted the lace ribbon over his eyes, with tiny light shadows playfully dancing around him...
He was enveloped in golden sunlight.
Light as his garment, and brightness as his shadow.
The attendants felt as if they were looking at the massive marble statue in the center of the city, gazing down at them.
They instinctively knelt, but halfway down, they came to their senses:
By the God of Light! What were they doing?!
But when they looked around, they saw that both commoners and nobles alike were bowing, the only difference being that some were more crude, and others more elegant—
"For heaven's sake, why are we kneeling to a commoner?!"
This thought echoed in everyone's mind.
Liu Yu, of course, couldn't feel the "magic" of the God of Light's incarnation. She naturally took Gaia's hand:
"Be careful, there are steps."
The two walked past without paying any attention to the others.
Everyone seemed to wake from a dream.
Totai moved very quickly:
"Miss Beiliya, this... gentleman."
He looked at the tall, slender young man beside him with a mixture of curiosity and awe. For some reason, as soon as he got close to him, his knees started to feel unsteady.
"Should I take you to Doctor Xinku, as usual?"
It seemed the original owner always went to this doctor.
Liu Yu nodded:
"Yes, lead the way."
Doctor Xinku was at the corner of the second floor. He was a kindly, bearded man, probably due to overuse of his brain, he had some middle-aged baldness. Upon seeing Liu Yu, he happily revealed a set of white teeth.
"Miss Beiliya!" the doctor called to her, "Are you not feeling well again?"
Liu Yu carefully led Gaia over the threshold and sat by the window.
"It's not me, it's my friend..." Her voice was urgent and helpless, "Gaia has lost a lot of blood, Doctor, please save him..."
Doctor Xinku looked strangely at Beiliya's reddened eyes:
This young lady was never so kind-hearted.
But when his gaze fell on Gaia, his face immediately tightened:
"Injured eyes?"
"Yes. Doctor, can Gaia's eyes... be saved?"
The pure white lace ribbon fell to the ground, stained with blood.
Doctor Xinku lifted the boy's eyelid, revealing two empty holes.
He was stunned:
"I'm sorry, this is beyond my expertise."
"But—"
"Beiliya." Gaia interrupted her, "This is my fate."
When speaking about his eyes, the young man's expression remained calm, as if losing his sight was of no great consequence.
Liu Yu stared at him for a while, then turned her head:
She was glad she came from a world that had not been tamed by gods.
Doctor Xinku, with his plump body, jumped around Gaia, examining and dressing his wounds, finally prescribing a potion:
"Miss Beiliya, he's fine, very fine. Apart from some weakness due to blood loss, he's in perfect condition. I've never seen such a flawless body."
"Oh, that's wonderful." The girl clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking like she was on the verge of tears with joy, "Thanks to the God of Light's blessing."
"Ninety-six Luso." Doctor Xinku cheerfully handed over the bill, "You know, we don't do credit here."
Liu Yu: ...
She had no money on her.
She took out the golden iris emblem and rubbed it for a while before reluctantly handing it over:
"I'll leave the Fergus family emblem as collateral, don't worry, I won't default."
By the end, the girl's voice was already tinged with a sob.
"Go to the first floor to get the medicine."
Doctor Xinku quickly took the emblem.
The girl stood up, her high heels clicking as she walked out, and before leaving, she turned back to remind: "Doctor Xinku, this is... very important to me, please take good care of it, I'll definitely redeem it tomorrow!"
"Don't worry, Miss Beiliya."
The girl's figure disappeared down the corridor.
Doctor Xinku looked out the door and sighed:
"I've never seen Miss Beiliya like this before. She treasures the Fergus family emblem as much as her life, yet she was willing to use it as collateral for you..."
"She must really love you."
Liu Yu waited for this sentence, then smiled slightly, not waiting for Gaia's reaction, she went downstairs to get the medicine.
As soon as she reached the first floor, she found that everyone was gone.
The previously crowded hall was now empty, and even the pharmacist on duty in the pharmacy was missing. Turning her head, she saw that everyone was standing at the door, stretching their necks like giraffes to look outside.
She walked over curiously and found a long, wide street filled with a grand procession.
They wore wide, flowing white ceremonial robes, embroidered with golden suns and silver moons at the hems, and marched in formation on foot. The wind swept through their long hair and lifted the edges of their robes.
Following the white ceremonial robes came the golden armor.
Warriors wielding long swords and mounted on large horses passed by in formation.
Wherever the procession went, holy light rose into the air, and gentle songs drifted on the wind.
Everyone held their breath, standing in solemn silence.
Liu Yu felt as though her heart was floating in a warm, joyful ocean, where there was only light, no darkness; only happiness, no sorrow.
"I heard that a divine miracle appeared on the statue of the God of Light in Solro City-State today. No wonder the White-Robed Divine Envoys and Golden Knights had to mobilize together."
"To serve the gods... what an honor... If only I could become a Divine Envoy or a Knight."
"Dream on! Only those whose crystal balls light up, becoming the chosen of the gods, are eligible to become Divine Envoys or Knights. Speaking of which, the selection for the chosen ones should be starting soon..."
Selection of the chosen ones?
Liu Yu thought of the plot in the book.
If Beiliya's life-changing moment was when she gouged out the God of Light's eyes and was thrown into prison, then Natasi's turning point was becoming a chosen one.
In this world, the divide between nobility and commoners was as vast as a chasm, but the only way to cross this divide was through divine power.
This power was even more overbearing and unpredictable.
The so-called chosen ones were those favored by the gods—
They were born with the ability to practice divine arts, to serve the gods, and to be granted divine power.
Chosen ones were above nobility; nobility was above commoners.
Natasi passed the test to become a chosen one, elevating herself above nobility, able to stand shoulder to shoulder with royalty, and thus flourished; while the original Beiliya, having missed the test, fell further into the depths of her life.
But what if... the original Beiliya was never a chosen one to begin with?
Liu Yu clenched the prescription in her hand, telling herself it was fine.
Patience, just a little more patience.
The first priority was to survive this deadly predicament, then consider the matter of being a chosen one.
Being a chosen one would be best, but it wasn't necessary.
This world, perhaps governed by rules, but all rules were made by the gods—
The gods could mold bones to create humans, could create and destroy worlds.
So, everything ultimately boiled down to one point:
Winning Gaia's favor.
Liu Yu sorted out the priorities in her mind, finished preparing the medicine, and went upstairs, then led Gaia downstairs amidst Xinku the physician's incessant nagging.
The boy descended the stairs quietly, while the girl chattered on, describing the scene they had just witnessed.
"If only I could pass the test... then I could serve the gods forever."
She said excitedly, yet with a hint of hope, "Gaia? Will you go to the test in three days?"
"I don't know." The boy shook his head, "Beiliya, I... I can't remember anything."
"Then you should come with me." She tugged at his hand, "Anyway, you don't know what to do now, right? They all say being a chosen one is great... maybe there's a divine art that can heal your eyes."
The big shot should be kept by her side.
Liu Yu admitted, she was very greedy.
She wanted to survive, and she wanted to live well, to live as someone above others.
"Alright."
The light, melodious voice rang out once more.
Then, with a hint of hesitation:
"Beiliya, is your foot... not hurting anymore?"
"It wasn't hurting before."
The girl seemed to falter, stumbling slightly, "But after fetching the medicine, it started to hurt a bit."
"The iris flower was left with Xinku the physician... I hope Mother won't scold too loudly when we get home..."
"...Sorry."
After a long while, Gaia spoke softly.
The girl leaned on the boy, smiling like a fox:
"It's okay, you're friends, aren't you?"
"Gaia, friends should help each other."
"I'll help you too."
