BXBX NOVEL Chapter 44: Is this what it feels like to be kept by a rich woman? Not bad at all
"He's not my man!" Emily's pretty face flushed with a hint of red and panic.
Shaking her head to clear the chaotic emotions, she glared at the waiter and said, "And you, daring to joke about Goddess Sylvia, you deserved that beating. Do it again, and I won't think twice about cutting out your tongue myself!"
"Miss, aren't you worried your man will be swept away by Goddess Sylvia!" the waiter tried to stir up trouble again.
"I've told you a thousand times he's not my man! And... that's absolutely impossible." Emily swirled the wine in her glass, her gaze pausing slightly defiantly.
She was quite confident about that.
How unreachable was Goddess Sylvia?
Even if Timothy was chosen by Goddess Sylvia as a disciple, there was no chance at all.
"Why should I care if he falls for someone else!"
Realizing Timothy's image was echoing in her mind again, Emily quickly shook her head, trying to forget those ridiculous thoughts.
"Miss, you're too generous with your man!"
Realizing revenge was hopeless, the waiter sulked back to the kitchen.
Soon, the table was laden with food.
Even Emily, who had fasted for a long time, was drawn to the array of exquisite dishes.
She had seen plenty of delicacies in the palace, but the dishes on this table, most of which she had never seen before, emitted an aroma that was truly mouthwatering.
"Hmph, seeing as you've put some serious effort into it, I'll deign to eat a bit," Emily snorted haughtily, seemingly disdainful as she picked up a fork and started eating.
But the flavor exploded on her palate, far exceeding her expectations.
"This!" Emily looked almost incredulous.
What delicacy hadn't she eaten in the palace?
But these... were truly new to her.
"Hmph, then I'll just force myself to eat a little more." But once she started, Emily couldn't stop.
She devoured the food like a whirlwind, and after who knows how long, with a satisfied murmur, she put down her fork, her lips glossy with the remnants of her feast.
This meal was the most delicious she had ever had.
Even the palace couldn't match this heavenly taste!
But when she inadvertently looked up and caught Timothy's long gaze and a subtle smile, she froze.
She had completely forgotten to maintain her image.
She had almost single-handedly devoured the entire table of delicacies!
"Stop laughing! Even looking at me is off-limits!" Emily felt utterly embarrassed, as if she had nowhere to hide, more humiliated than she had ever been in her life.
And, of course, it had to be in front of him...
Timothy just smiled slightly, not saying a word.
But that subtle and implicit smile made Emily feel even more embarrassed, wishing she could just disappear.
"Waiter! The bill!"
Emily bit her lip and slapped a large gold coin on the table.
The waiter hurried over but looked a bit troubled as he took the coin.
"Miss, we can't break such a large amount here, do you have anything smaller?"
"No! Keep the change," Emily responded crisply.
This left Timothy, who had just realized he hadn't brought any money, feeling suddenly relieved.
Is this what it feels like to be kept by a rich woman? Not bad at all.
Out of the tavern, they reached a fork in the road.
"Miss Emily, are you heading towards the Phoenix Kingdom?" Timothy asked.
"Uh-huh." Emily nodded, her cheeks still flushed.
"I need to return to Sky Sanctuary, so it seems we're not going the same way. We should part here, and thanks for the 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners.' Could you tell me where you live? I'll return the book to you once I'm done with it." For a moment, Timothy seemed quite serious.
"No need! I'll be heading to Sky Sanctuary sooner or later. I'm not like you, forgetting people's names. I'll come and get it myself," Emily said with a huff, turning away and striding down the other path without looking back.
After walking a bit, Emily, seemingly indifferent about Timothy's direction, stealthily glanced back.
But behind her, Timothy was already gone.
"..."
For some reason, at that moment, Emily felt a hollow sensation in her heart.
[Ding, a temporary mission has been issued: Eliminate three Mystic Core masters. Reward: +3 skill points]
Just as Timothy left the fork in the road, he heard a voice in his mind.
Three Mystic Core masters? In this remote area?
Could it be because of... her?
Timothy quickly turned around, using Shadow Veil to conceal his presence, and hurried towards the path Emily had taken.
...
On a small path by the woods, Emily occasionally stomped her foot in frustration, muttering to herself, "Feeling lost?"
"Hmph! Not at all. It's just the bad weather today making me feel off!" she declared, then glanced at the clear, cloudless blue sky, slightly embarrassed.
Regardless, Emily firmly resolved herself.
She didn't want that book 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners' anymore, and from now on, she never wanted to see Timothy again!
Not even once!
If she saw him again, she'd be a dog!
From now on, she would be like Goddess Sylvia, steadfast in her heart, never interacting with any man.
If Goddess Sylvia could do it, so could she!
With her resolve firm, Emily quickened her pace.
But just outside a dense grove ahead, she suddenly stopped.
The grove was silent, yet it seemed to hide a faint, lurking threat.
Though barely perceptible, she caught it in her gaze.
Emily's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression quickly turning cold: "Come out, I know you're hiding in there."
"Ha ha, worthy of being called the most talented in the Phoenix Kingdom after Prince Nolan. Our little tricks really can't fool the Third Princess," three figures emerged from the woods, their voices sharp and unnerving.
"Oliver, it's you. What are you doing here?" Emily's gaze was icy.
The leader of the three figures was the Deputy Chamberlain Oliver from the palace.
Oliver's laugh was sinister: "There's no need for pretense, Third Princess. You know why I'm here."
"It's a rare opportunity for me that the Third Princess is in such a remote place."
"For my master, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stay here forever."
"As expected." Emily clenched her teeth secretly.
Oliver was loyal to her sister, the Grand Princess Sophia.
And her sister had been wanting to take her life for too long.
Previously, Emily had always been under the protection of the Themyscira Sect, which made it difficult for her sister to act.
But she hadn't expected that after all this time, her sister would still find an opportunity.
The three men before her were all Mystic Core masters, far surpassing her own strength.
Facing them head-on, she had no chance of winning unless she used that one method.
Emily stepped back swiftly.
"Princess, Deputy Chamberlain Oliver said you should stay here, so don't think about leaving."
One of the Mystic Core monks moved faster than Emily, blocking her path. He threw a punch, filled with tremendous force.
Emily couldn't dodge in time and had to block with her arms in front of her.
"Boom."
The massive impact sent her flying into the air.
Emily quickly tried to control her spiritual energy to stabilize herself.
But suddenly, she felt her body bound, completely immobilized in mid-air.
Under the sunlight, it turned out that golden threads had been laid out in the air, just waiting for her to fall into the trap.
Emily struggled fiercely, but the golden threads were clearly no ordinary material. Though thin and nearly invisible, they were exceptionally tough and difficult to cut. Moreover, the more Emily struggled, the tighter the threads bound her.
Suddenly, a small dagger flew out from Emily's bosom at high speed. Instead of slashing at the threads, it sharply cut across the palm of her hand. Blood flowed out, quickly gathering in the air as if to form a shape. Within the forming blood, a phoenix's cry faintly echoed, majestic and awe-inspiring.
Just as the blood almost formed half a phoenix, a golden Crest suddenly shot towards Emily. It stamped onto the blood, instantly freezing the forming phoenix in place. No matter how Emily tried to control it, it was to no avail.
Oliver smirked mockingly, "Third Princess, your plan has failed this time. You carry the phoenix bloodline of the Phoenix Kingdom, capable of summoning the multicolored phoenix with your blood, even without rain to weaken you."
"Had you managed to summon it, perhaps there might have been a slim chance for you."
"Unfortunately, the Grand Princess had anticipated this."
"Today, you must die here."
Emily gasped in shock, "She really went to such extremes."
This time, Emily had exhausted all her tricks.
Unable to summon the multicolored phoenix and bound by these strange golden threads, she truly had no means to survive against these three.
The threads grazed her cheek, slicing through the mask she wore.
As the mask fell away, it revealed her true face—beautiful as the blossoms of spring, pure as the chrysanthemums of autumn, her unblemished visage far surpassing the facade she wore.
Yet, Emily's eyes carried a hint of desolation.
She had wanted to follow in the footsteps of Goddess Sylvia and join the Themyscira Sect, yet her heart was entangled and her thoughts chaotic.
She had never imagined that before finding her path forward, she would meet her end here.
Was she lost? Regretful?
Emily felt an emptiness inside, as if there was something important she still needed to do.
But now, there was no chance left.
"Truly a princess, with such a beautiful face, I doubt there's a man in the world who could resist you. But, please do us the favor of dying here. Don't go back and cause more trouble," Oliver's voice was sinister and sleazy as he drew a blood-red dagger from his belt, slowly approaching.
Under the sunlight, the dagger was covered in blood-red tumors, revolting to behold.
The blade drew nearer to Emily.
"Clang!" Suddenly, a flash of sword light fell.
Oliver reacted quickly, retreating immediately.
Though he barely escaped, the spot where he had stood was obliterated by the sword strike, leaving a huge crater!
"Who is it?!"
Oliver was shocked, knowing what would have happened if the sword had hit him.
Why would such a powerful figure appear in this remote village?
The next second, as if the sky was covered, an endless, raging fire swept across the heavens.
Within those surging flames, a figure drifted.