Volume 1 Chapter 150.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 150.1: It’s All Self-Inflicted

“Such matters are no joking matter.”

Vivian’s tone was grave. Her expression revealed depth and anxiety, clearly showing her unease about the current situation.

Especially since someone from the Church had uttered such words. If such talk accidentally reached the ears of the Imperial Royal Family, the consequences could be unthinkable. Contemplating that possibility, her heart couldn’t help but tighten with worry about the potential risks.

“This is absolutely no joke, Your Holiness,” the words of that Cardinal Deacon were filled with confidence, even carrying a tone of excitement. “This is a great opportunity for our Holy Church Association, we must seize it!”

Although her words were full of passion, they did not infect Vivian, instead, they plunged her into deep thought.

Whether the Emperor had passed away or not, she did not plan to delve into it for the time being. After all, even if this news were ultimately confirmed, she would find it difficult to exert much influence in the short term.

What Vivian was more concerned about was how the current situation affected the Pope’s plans, and that even more important matter deep within her own heart—the one that always tugged at her thoughts, never fading from her mind.

Vivian looked down at the half-empty silver coin pouch in her hand, a complex emotion welling up inside her. She took a deep breath, slightly gathered her thoughts, then looked up and addressed the Cardinal Deacons before her: “I understand. I will personally go and discuss this with His Holiness the Pope.” Her voice, though calm, carried a trace of undeniable firmness.

After a brief pause, she continued, “However, there are some matters I must attend to first right now. After all… I need to make some preparations.” Vivian’s tone held no fluctuation, but the unspoken meaning was evident through her words. She knew that the decision at this moment was crucial for her.

She gave a light smile and added, “These preparations are very important. After all, the future victory of our Church might depend on this very point. I hope that on that day, the Church can prevail over the Imperial Royal Family and truly achieve our goals.”

Though the words were concise, the power they contained excited the Cardinal Deacons present.

But Vivian didn’t care about this at all. When she spoke these words, it was almost no different from reading them aloud.

The Cardinal Deacons’ eyes shone with anticipation. That gaze, as if they had already seen the glow of victory, made Vivian realize that all their hopes were pinned on the arrival of this day. They were no longer lost and helpless as before but filled with confidence in the future. Once upon a time, their goal seemed distant, aimlessly drifting on a vast ocean, unsure when they might reach the shore. But now, they finally saw the first light of hope, success seemed much closer. This change filled each of them with immense joy and excitement.

“Alright, then we won’t disturb you any further, Your Holiness,” one of the Cardinal Deacons said respectfully, her tone filled with reverence and expectation.

“We take our leave. Take good care of yourself,” another followed, appearing especially deferential.

“Remember to see His Holiness the Pope, Your Holiness,” the last Cardinal Deacon added, her tone carrying a slight reminder.

Vivian smiled slightly, nodded, and replied in a flat tone, “Understood.”

Although her mouth responded, her mind was already wandering far away. Clearly, these words were nothing more than the sound of wind in her ears, entering one ear and exiting the other.

Vivian smiled and nodded gracefully. Her elegant demeanor and gentle temperament displayed the dignity and nobility befitting a Saintess.

Her every movement exuded a composure and self-assurance, as if all the world’s disturbances and pressures could not touch her inner being. She was that gentle and graceful Saintess…

However, after these few Cardinal Deacons left excitedly, chatting and laughing, Vivian’s smile vanished quickly, replaced by a clear weariness and impatience. She sighed deeply, her expression relaxing as if relieved of some burden.

At this moment, she only wanted to quickly check if the house she intended to buy was still available. This morning, she had a foreboding feeling, a vague sense that her luck today wouldn’t be good.

Sure enough, it seemed all the misfortune had arrived one after another.

She encountered that disgusting Long Aotian. Although everything seemed coincidental, that unpleasant encounter left her fuming, her stomach aching with anger.

And worse, she had also lost a significant sum of money because of it, undoubtedly making today’s mood even heavier.

Vivian forcefully suppressed the irritation in her heart, knowing clearly that her encounter with Long Aotian wasn’t a complete loss, especially since she had completely recognized Long Aotian’s annoying demeanor. If he could really stay in prison for over a month, she felt it would be somewhat worth it.

But her intuition told her that all this misfortune was far from over, more trouble still awaited her ahead.

Instinctively, she quickened her pace. Her small feet lightly stepped in round-toed leather shoes, each step emitting crisp, hurried sounds like a series of small drumbeats, beating in rhythm with her anxious heart.

Finally, breathless, she ran to that real estate agency’s shop. The bell at the door jingled, announcing her arrival to those inside.

She pushed the door open but saw the agent inside counting gleaming gold coins. Those gold coins were arranged on the table, piled up like a small mountain, shimmering with a dazzling light, seemingly carrying endless temptation. For a moment, Vivian was actually stunned.

The real estate agent’s smile could be described as radiant, the corners of his mouth almost stretching to his ears, his eyes gleaming with a hint of smugness and satisfaction, as if this pile of gleaming gold coins was the source of all his happiness.

His expression formed a sharp contrast with Vivian’s currently gloomy, anger-emanating appearance, like a black-and-white picture, utterly incompatible.

Sadness and joy always seem difficult to balance, at least between people, sorrows and joys are rarely shared…

“The house has been sold.”

The real estate agent said nonchalantly, his gaze sweeping briefly over Vivian. His tone was flat, even carrying a hint of indifference. For him, Vivian’s emotions were unimportant, the only thing that mattered was the tangible wealth brought by each transaction.

He didn’t care why both Leah and Vivian were eyeing this house covetously, nor did he care about their motives or emotional entanglements. As long as the transaction was completed and the money was in hand, that was enough.

After all, with the Imperial Chamber of Commerce present, he naturally dared not inflate the price too much, nor dared to hold an auction for the two buyers to bid against each other. Fifty gold coins was the limit. Since that was the case, getting the money sooner was what truly mattered.

Vivian’s mood at this moment had almost hit rock bottom. Anger and frustration intertwined, making her face appear exceptionally gloomy.

Deep inside, her hatred for Long Aotian grew even heavier. If it weren’t for Long Aotian’s unreasonable delay, everything today should have proceeded smoothly.

She had even gotten up early specifically to withdraw gold coins from the bank, full of hope to smoothly purchase that house. Who would have thought that Long Aotian’s interference would cause a delay? As a result, despite having arranged everything in advance, she was still a step too late.

Rage nearly made her unable to resist overturning this real estate agency shop from top to bottom. However, she knew deep down that if she made such an impulsive move now, not only would she not get the desired outcome, she might also face even greater trouble.

Considering this, she finally suppressed the anger in her heart and silently turned to leave. Each step felt like treading on her heart, her pace heavy.

Seeing Vivian’s dejected figure, the real estate agent only felt a wave of inexplicable confusion. He touched his chin with his hand, frowned slightly, shook his head, and muttered, “These young girls are really hard to figure out, tsk tsk.”

But this bewilderment was soon dispelled by the gold coins in his hand.

Vivian emerged from the real estate agency with her head down, her steps appearing especially heavy, aimlessly walking along the street.

Her gaze fell on her round-toed leather shoes, already covered in dust. The tips of her shoes lightly dragged, stirring up a trace of dust.

And her originally pristine white stockings had now, at some point, been stained with deep black spots, particularly conspicuous, as if each step silently added to the burden in her heart.

At this moment, her mood had sunk to its lowest point. Everything from the past seemed tainted by these dirty stains, difficult to cleanse.

This was her favorite outfit. Once, Eve would always say with a gentle expression, “This outfit suits you very well, it looks both cute and fresh.”

Whenever she said this, Vivian would always frown slightly, feeling Eve was a bit long-winded.

However, after trying a few other outfits, she truly realized that this ensemble—a white dress paired with white stockings and leather shoes—was the one that best complemented her demeanor and aura. After Eve left, Vivian gradually came to understand that the advice she once disdained was actually the most suitable for her.

Eve always seemed to be right, whether it was advice on outfits or guidance on magic.

Every time, Vivian felt Eve’s insight was almost impossibly precise, even her seemingly overly wordy explanations, upon later reflection, always managed to have unexpected effects at critical moments.

Compared to those rigid teachers, Eve’s teachings were more like guidance, her every word seemed filled with wisdom and foresight. If she hadn’t relied on betraying Eve to attain her current status, perhaps under Eve’s guidance, she could have easily ascended to the position of Saintess, even far exceeding everything she had now.

“Woo…”

A sob of grievance escaped silently from her mouth, and suddenly, uncontrollable emotions welled up in her eyes.

She slowly raised her head and, as if seeing nothing, walked into that small courtyard where she and Eve had once lived together. The surroundings were still familiar yet felt so unfamiliar, as if separated by a thin haze, out of reach and distant.

She stopped and stood quietly in the center of the courtyard. All the memories and emotions seemed to converge at this moment, carrying a hint of inexpressible loss, spreading out.

Vivian noticed the courtyard gate was actually open, feeling a wave of confusion.

She instinctively walked forward, pushed the door open, and was instantly shocked by the scene before her.

Outside the door was piled a disorderly heap of items, seemingly cleared out recently, ready to be discarded as waste.

She saw several bundles of withered, yellow weeds, rotting food emitting a pungent smell. Next to them were a few broken items, various kinds of rubbish piled up haphazardly. Several pieces of flaking wall plaster lay on the ground, faintly revealing moss growing on the wall, adding a gloomy aura to this courtyard that should have been warm.

However, her gaze was soon drawn to a particular item.

It was an old box, its surface somewhat mottled, seemingly having also experienced the ravages of time. Vivian approached and looked closely—her heart tightened. She was very familiar with this box.

It was a lockable box. The lock was made of special ore, with additional magical protection, and extremely sturdy. Even with her most familiar magic, she might not be able to open it easily. This box once seemed to carry many unspoken secrets.

Vivian stood beside the box, her heart filled with complex emotions. She couldn’t understand why this item that once belonged to her and Eve would be discarded here, placed together with rubbish waiting to be disposed of…

Probably the current owner simply couldn’t open the box. Seeing it old and shabby, casually discarding it wouldn’t attract attention.

But for Vivian, this box was all too familiar.

It was once a secret she and Eve guarded together, and also an important legacy Eve left for her.

When she was little, Eve often hid small snacks, treats, and candies that Vivian liked inside this box. Almost every time Vivian opened it, she would be overjoyed.

But as she grew older, she became increasingly disdainful of Eve, and the number of times she opened the box almost dropped to zero.

But now every password, every input, seemed to still retain that intimacy and dependence.

She squatted down, her fingertips lightly touching the surface of the box, tracing the familiar patterns.