Chapter 53: Hidden Feelings! (3)

Sigh… What was wrong with me back then?!
The next day at noon, in Thors’s residence, Lavia sat at the table with her forehead in her hands. Whenever she thought back to the nightmare-like events of the previous day, she felt a chill of fear.
Was it really because of being drunk? That’s why she blurted out everything she had hidden in her heart all this time…
As if remembering something, Lavia instinctively touched her cheek—it was burning hot.
It was hard to believe she could be that bold…
“Avi.” Suddenly, someone gently tapped Lavia’s shoulder and handed her a cup of hot water. Lavia looked up and saw her good friend Lisa. She smiled bitterly, took the cup, and forced herself to take a sip. The warm tea calmed her restless heart a little.
At that moment, Lelira, standing beside Lisa, seemed to sense Lavia’s self-reproach and comforted her, “Don’t blame yourself, Avi. You didn’t mean to do this. Besides, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing…” She covered her mouth and giggled.
Unfortunately, Lelira’s half-joking words didn’t seem to improve Lavia’s mood much. She raised her head, opened her mouth as if to say something, then sighed softly again. Annoyed, she hit her own forehead and said resentfully, “I don’t know what happened. It felt like I had no control over myself. There was always a voice deep inside telling me: Go ahead, do what you want—don’t worry about anyone…”
Lelira and Lisa exchanged a strange look, feeling a sense of sorrow.
Early that morning, they had received a message from Lavia. At first, they were confused, but when they arrived at Thors’s residence and saw Lavia and Thors sitting head down inside with Dia nowhere in sight, they had a vague sense that something was wrong…
After understanding what had happened last night from Lavia’s vague explanations, from a woman’s perspective, Lisa and Lelira felt some sympathy for Dia. After all, such a thing would be a heavy blow to any woman.
But as good friends and sisters, they clearly stood firmly by Lavia’s side. After all, they had been close friends since their days in the academy, just like Allen and Scott, who also came to inquire about the situation.
“Did… did I do something really stupid?”

Watching the usually confident Ravia question them in a self-doubting tone, Liza and Leryla realized how deeply the events of the previous night had affected her. It made sense—lying naked in a man’s arms only to be caught by that man’s lover would be an unbearable humiliation for anyone. However, Liza and Leryla clearly wouldn’t tell the truth, as they were part of Ravia’s circle of friends and family, not Dia’s.

“What’s the big deal?” Leryla reached out to tidy Ravia’s messy red hair, glancing secretly at the boys on the other side of the room before whispering, “You’re Sos’s real wife, aren’t you? You married him, he married you—what does it matter if something happened between you?”

“It’s not like that…” Ravia bit her lip, her eyes filled with remorse as she murmured, “I had made up my mind. Why… why did this happen?” She sighed sadly, shaking her head. “I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone, but I… I’m sorry to Dia!”

“Avi…”

Under the worried gazes of Liza and Leryla, Ravia smiled self-mockingly, then took a deep breath and said softly, “I’m going back to Altak. If I have time in the future, I hope you’ll…”

“You’re going back to Altak?” Leryla was shocked and interrupted her, asking in surprise, “Why?”

Ravia bit her lip and said with a bitter smile, “After what happened, how can I still stay here?”

Leryla and Liza exchanged glances. Indeed, if others found out about this, it would be an unimaginable blow to the Vomisley family’s reputation. For Ravia, who valued family honor above everything, it would be worse than death.

“When?” Liza sighed slightly, feeling very regretful.

Ravia was married to Sos, but as the lady of Altak, she had to stay there. Liza was married to Allen and lived in Opereios, the empire’s most prosperous merchant city. Although Leryla was only engaged to Scott, she would eventually marry into the Galic family. Ever since the Helireox Academy was destroyed by Argus, the three of them had barely seen each other a few times a year. Now that they were all living in Vando, though temporarily, they could at least spend some time talking. But now, they were about to be separated again…

“Tomorrow,” Ravia sighed softly. “There’s no time today because I need some time to pack my bags. How about tomorrow morning?”
“Is that okay, Avi?” Lisa said hesitantly. “Avoiding things isn’t like you at all!”
“That’s right,” Lelira added, encouragingly. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. If it can help you and Thos get together, isn’t that great? You two are already married!”
“Let’s forget it,” Ravia said, taking a deep sigh and shaking her head. “Staying here after what happened isn’t in my nature… Although I can’t change anything, leaving at least makes me feel better…” She looked up at her two worried friends and smiled. “It’s not about avoiding anything. I’ve had this idea for a long time, but I just couldn’t make up my mind. Last night’s incident was the catalyst that finally made me decide. I think I need to return to that cold land to calm down. It’s good for me, for Thos, and… for Dia as well…” She smiled slightly and added softly, “If you miss me, you can come find me in Altak. But don’t expect any beautiful scenery there—just endless snowy fields.”
“Avi…” Seeing Ravia’s forced smile, Lisa sighed inwardly. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly heard loud laughter. There was no need to ask—who among them could make such a noise but her husband, Allen!
Under Lisa’s angry gaze, Allen circled the sofa a few times, holding his stomach and saying mockingly, “Hey, hey, hey! Right here? The two of you? Ha, you’re really crazy! I bet Sister Dia is furious at you!”
“…” Hearing this, Scott glanced at Allen, who was still laughing uncontrollably, then at Thos, Ravia, and Lisa, who all had stern expressions. He couldn’t help but laugh. Coughing lightly, he said oddly, “We don’t know if Sister Dia is furious, but I’m sure at least three people here are driven mad by you…”
“Huh?” Still unaware of the situation, Allen scratched his head. When he turned around, he saw his wife glaring at him angrily. “Allen, you really know how to gloat! Can’t you at least comfort them a little?”

“I can’t say something like that!” Allen shrugged, leaning back in a chair, and pointed at Thors casually. “In short, it’s all Thors’ fault…” He paused, then said in a strange tone, “Hey, man, at least keep track of time! Don’t you know when Senior Dia is coming back?”
Thors shook his head and frowned. “I didn’t know she’d be back so early… The last few times, Senior Lilith took her back after dinner, so I didn’t think much of it…”
“Hey!” Allen grinned exaggeratedly, with a hint of schadenfreude. “I thought you had control over the Force, didn’t you? Some kind of predictive ability?”
Thors rolled his eyes at Allen and said irritably, “I can’t stay in that state all day long, can I? Besides, what’s the use of predicting what’s going to happen a second or two in advance?”
Allen gave a strange smile and teased him with a wink, “At least you can use teleportation magic to get Avi to escape…”
“You!” Thors was so angry he couldn’t speak.
“Enough, Allen, stop talking nonsense. Do you think everyone is like you? ‘Tea Time Mister’?” Realizing that both of them were blushing from Allen’s words, Scott couldn’t help but step in to defuse the situation.
“You…” Allen was speechless for a moment. He glanced secretly at Lisa’s expression, clenched his fist, and threatened Scott, “Hey, man, stop talking nonsense! If you tarnish the reputation of an honest knight, I’ll duel you!”
Scott shook his head helplessly, pushed up his glasses, and said in surprise, “I keep thinking this is way too coincidental… Anyway, since it’s already happened, staying indoors won’t change anything… You guys haven’t eaten since last night, have you? How about we go out for a meal first?”
“I agree!” Allen, still leaning back in the chair, raised his hand. “The food sent to the Theralanders arrived the day before yesterday. I was still chatting with Uncle Wiff yesterday. For your sake, I rode all the way to Vando, leaving Uncle Wiff behind. I still haven’t had a proper meal yet… How about we go out now?”
By “Uncle Wiff,” he meant the leader of the Theralanders and Allen’s current ally, Genevieve Dorby.

Hearing this, Thos glanced at Ravia, only to see her covering her forehead and sighing. She said softly, “Forget it, I have no appetite.” Then she stood up and murmured, “You guys go ahead. I need to go back and pack my things…”
“Pack your things? Why?” Not only Thos but also Allen and Scott found it somewhat confusing.
Before Ravia could speak, Lisa hurriedly said, “I almost forgot! Thos, please try to persuade Avi. She wants to return to Altak!”
Thos was stunned. He opened his mouth to speak but saw Ravia shake her head, seemingly regaining her usual composure. She said firmly, “Don’t say anything, Thos. I don’t want to hear anything now… I’ve made up my mind. I… belong to that land from the very beginning!”
Looking into Ravia’s bright eyes, Thos didn’t know what to say for a moment. Seeing this, Lisa interjected, “That’s too much, Avi! You won’t even let Thos speak a word!”
“Exactly! At least let Thos say a few words!” Lelira added.
Ravia shook her head again, gazing at the man before her with a hint of longing in her eyes. She said bitterly, “You should know best, Thos. Once I make a decision, not even my husband… not even you can change my will! But…” Her eyes grew misty as she bit her lip and continued, “But I’m afraid your voice, your words, might weaken my will, weaken the resolve I’ve worked so hard to build… So, don’t say anything!” After saying that, she stared deeply at the man for a full minute, then turned and left the hall as if without any reluctance.
“Go stop her!” Lisa said anxiously to Thos, watching Ravia’s retreating figure. “I swear, if you chase after her now, Avi will definitely choose to stay!” Next to her, Allen shrugged and agreed, “I swear too!”
Following them, Scott pushed up his glasses and nodded, “I agree, Thos…”
Hearing the advice from his friends, Thos nodded silently and sighed.
“I know… But if I do that, Avi will no longer be Avi…”
Hearing this, Allen and the others were stunned, then fell silent.

Indeed, Ravia is the kind of woman who will never compromise with anyone or anything, always adhering to her own principles. If Thos had chased after her and stopped her today, although she might have chosen to stay, the woman who stayed would definitely not be the queen who once aimed to become the female ruler of Altak and strived to prove women’s worth—she would merely be an ordinary woman who had lost her own moral compass. Perhaps Ravia would end up with Thos, but in that case, her original goals and ideals of fighting for her family would be left behind. In other words, she would become the very person she once wanted to avoid most of all—a man’s servant… She, Ravia Vayer Wilty Vomisley, is a queen, not a queen consort! Early the next morning, Ravia indeed left Vando without even saying goodbye to anyone in person, including Thos. She set off on her journey back to Altak, accompanied by her puppet queen, Queen Qunin, and the werewolf Connel, who was unaware of what had happened. She left in a very decisive manner, as if without any trace of reluctance, which was typical of her. After learning that the female ruler of Altak had left Vando, the nobles of Sassen breathed a sigh of relief. After all, this powerful and difficult-to-deal-with ruler had left a deep impression on them. However, some of the younger nobles felt a bit sorry for her, as aside from her personality and her overwhelming aura, she was a very attractive woman. Over the following week, those who remained in Sassen gradually dispersed. First, Allen finished handling the grain transaction with the Theralanders and returned to Operios with Lisa. Scott, on the other hand, was appointed as the lord of a city in the north near the Galic region and left there with Lelirra. As for the Vando vampire Ulric, he had planned to stay in Vando for a while, as Belia’s power was too great for Thos alone to withstand. But strangely, Belia, who had entered the Land of Death through the portal, seemed to have vanished from this world entirely, with no news of her. So, Ulric decided to take this time to continue his travels. Disguised as a mediocre bard, he set off on his journey. Their departures made Thos even more frustrated. While dealing with the affairs of the Riox Academy, he couldn’t concentrate at all, let alone focus on cultivating his source energy. It was then that Nina returned from Sassen.

It was one evening, and after finishing his daily duties at the academy, Thos had just returned to his home…
“I’m back…”
As he unlocked the door and entered, Thos habitually opened his mouth to speak, but then, glancing at the pitch-black interior, he smiled self-mockingly and shut the door behind him.
In the past, Dia would have said, “You’re back,” but now…
Thos couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly.
Someone was there!
There was someone in the house…
Could it be Dia?
Thos hurried to the living room and scanned the surroundings before suddenly noticing a faint light coming from the kitchen. He rushed over and saw a graceful figure wearing that familiar apron, bent over doing something.
“Dia…” Thos instinctively called out, but when she turned around, he was stunned.
“Nina?”
“Shouldn’t you call me ‘sister,’ my dear brother?” As one of the few high-level female magicians in the empire, Nina took off her magnificent robe adorned with various gemstones and put on Dia’s apron, giving her a somewhat housewife-like appearance.
Seeing Thos’s stunned expression, Nina teased, “Were you about to call Dia just now? No! Don’t mistake your sister for some other woman—she’ll get angry! Hehehe!”
“I…” Thos couldn’t help but smile. He took a deep breath and changed the subject, asking curiously, “Why have you come back? Weren’t you in Sason? Are you a royal magician now? And also the vice president of the Magic Association? Is that okay?”
“What’s not okay about it? JerryBellfort appointed me as the vice president of the Magic Association mainly to leverage Old Weston’s prestige and keep an eye on you… My dear brother, your newly established Vando Magic Association has really given our president a headache!”
“Aren’t you busy with your work?”
“It’s okay. Lately, my main task has been to support the magic associations across the country. You know, more and more monsters have been sneaking into this world lately, some of them quite powerful. That’s the job of our royal magicians in Sason. Otherwise, I just spend my time reviewing documents and killing time…”
“What about your work here in Vando?”

“Work?” Nina giggled, untied her apron, loosened her tied-back hair, and shook her waterfall-like black hair. Looking at Thors, she teased, “What work could be more important than my dearest brother?” At that moment, she seemed to realize the frivolous tone in her voice, quickly covered her mouth with her hand, and stared at Thors with wide eyes.

“…” Thors couldn’t help but shake his head and said helplessly, “Let’s get back to serious matters! It can’t be some task, right? I think Vando can take care of himself without the need for an imperial mage to intervene!”

“Of course I know that,” Nina said irritably, glancing at Thors. She folded her apron and turned away, saying, “Vando is now a gathering place for mages. Protected by Vandalta’s shield, there are at least a thousand dark mages living in the city, not to mention a mage of your level as a master mage. If they can’t even protect themselves, not to mention the empire, the whole world would be doomed!” She paused, then poked Thors’ nose with her finger and scolded, “Really, didn’t I say I came here specifically to check on you? No talk of work! Look at this kitchen—it hasn’t been used since Dia left, right? I went through so much trouble to tidy it up!”

Thors awkwardly touched his nose. Though it seemed he had noticed something, he said in surprise, “You… you knew?”

“Knew what? That Dia left?” Turning to look at Thors with a light laugh, Nina handed him the plate with dinner and ordered, “Even though you’re my dearest brother, there are still things an older sister has to say. Constantly bringing up another woman in front of a lady is extremely rude! You really are… sigh! Alright, take these to the living room first!”

Glancing at the plate in his hands and then at Nina, Thors couldn’t help but recall the times he lived in that small chapel in Set Town. Shaking his head slightly, he obediently carried the plate to the living room.

Nina’s dinner was indeed delicious, but Thors didn’t have the mood to savor it. With a question in his mind, after glancing repeatedly at Nina, who was eating gracefully like a lady, he couldn’t help but ask, “Nina, how did you know?”

Nina paused her movements, glanced at Thors helplessly, put down her fork and knife, took the napkin beside her to wipe her mouth, then chuckled lightly and said, “It was your two good friends who sent someone to give me the message; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what was going on… You really are something—such a big thing happened, and you didn’t even tell me?”
“Tell you…” Thors smiled bitterly and said awkwardly, “How should I put it…”
“Really!” Nina sighed affectionately, shook her head helplessly, then seemed to remember something and asked curiously, “When Dia left, you didn’t just let her go without saying a word, did you?”
“I…” Thors opened his mouth slightly but was speechless, recalling once again what Dia had said to him before she left that night.
“Thors, I actually realized it a long time ago… Well, to be precise, we both understood it early on, but we just never said anything…”
“You chose to be with me not because you liked me, nor because you loved me, but because I resemble the person from your memories… It’s Sister Nina…”
“Blame? No, I don’t mean to blame you at all. I don’t have the right to do so either. Because at first, I also just saw you as my lost brother, trying to make up for my past mistakes. But I could tell—you’re not my brother, and you never will be. I swear, when I decided to be with you, you were Thors, and you could only be Thors… Yet you still couldn’t tell the difference…”
“What brought us together wasn’t affection, but loneliness—the loneliness of recognizing each other in our hearts…”
“Do you remember when we first met? You were cheating on an exam by copying materials in the academy’s library. At that time, I was two years ahead of you. In my eyes, you were a very talented junior, and I was your senior… A few years later, you had become the famous great mage of the empire, Volmon Klaest, a well-known figure even to Argus. And I was still just your senior, a former senior… A woman who only knew some ordinary water magic. Apostles, Source Power—your world is beyond my reach. My goal in life was merely to become an ordinary royal mage. To you, that might seem easy, but for me, it might be a goal that requires a lifetime of effort…”

“I… I don’t have the outstanding talent like Sister Nina, nor do I have a prestigious family background like Ravia. I’m just an ordinary, plain girl…”
“Weren’t you asking me why I never go to Rexus Academy to see you? It’s because I don’t dare… I don’t want people to know that the woman favored by the Great Mage Volmon Klaest is someone who hasn’t even passed the intermediate magic exam. I don’t want to embarrass you…”
“Do you remember the night you invited me to the ball? I asked you if you needed me. You said yes. Then I chose to be with you. And now, do you still need me? You no longer need me… Because Sister Nina has returned to your side, so you no longer need me…”
“Sos, even a stupid woman like me really, really doesn’t want to be a replacement for anyone…”
“…The world you live in is beyond my reach, no matter how hard I try…”
“I’m sorry, Sos…”
Nina listened quietly. After hearing that, she sighed softly and said earnestly, “Idiot! No one wants to be a replacement for anyone. Your overwhelming power has clouded your judgment. If you keep looking only at higher goals and ignore the feelings of those around you, you’ll eventually become like Belial… Is being a Great Mage that great? Don’t forget what you said as a child. Back then, Old Visson thought you had no talent, but you told me that one day you would become a Holy Mage respected by everyone… Don’t forget those feelings, Sos. Old Visson only overlooked you once, but you’ve ignored that child, Dia, for too long…”
“Nina…”
“She chose to be with you not because you’ll become powerful someday, but because she likes being with you. As for everything else—no matter what titles as a Great Mage or as the head of Heliorex Academy—what does it matter to a woman who simply wants to live a quiet life with the person she loves? No matter how many honors you have, they’re just a burden to her. And you don’t even realize any of this…”
“I…”

Looking at her silent brother, Nina let out a soft sigh. She walked over to the seat beside Thos, sat down, gently wrapped her arms around his head, patted his back, and said in a low voice, “Some women need gorgeous clothes, dazzling jewels, endless wealth, and servants at their disposal. But for some women, none of that is necessary. All they need is a man who is always by their side, who cares for them, and loves them deeply… Actually, I didn’t really like Dia before either. I felt she was always gloomy. Now I realize it’s because of you. What you did went beyond what she could tolerate. As for Ravia, she was just an opportunity… She’s a good woman! I really envy her…”

“Nina?” Thos raised his head in confusion.

“Nothing,” Nina shook her head slightly, gazing at her brother affectionately before laughing softly. “Do you like her? Or do you really just see her as the me from your memories? Hehehe, that really makes me very happy…” For some reason, her smile seemed a bit bitter.

Thos hesitated for a moment, recalling the moments he had spent with Dia and the warmth of her presence by his side. He nodded and said solemnly, “I… like her!”

“Then go!” Gently stroking her brother’s black hair, Nina said softly, “Go, my brother. Tell her again that you need her—not as a replacement for anyone, but as herself, as Dia… As you, not as some great mage like Volmon Klaest or the head of the Heliorex Academy, but just as you are… Remember, no matter how powerful magic may be, it can’t bring happiness. What brings happiness is the heart!”

“Nina…” Thos hesitated for a moment, a glimmer in his eyes, before nodding. “I understand!”

“Then…” With a complex look in her eyes, Nina raised her hands, gently cupped his cheeks, and said softly, “Consider it encouragement from your willful sister. My dearest brother!” As she spoke, she slowly closed her eyes, and under Thos’s astonished gaze, her slightly moist red lips gently touched his mouth.

“No matter what happens, no matter where you are, no matter between good and evil, your sister will always be on your side… Because you are everything in my life!”

—Meanwhile, Vandelta—

Bernie Giffes, the Grand Elder of Vandal Delta, was meditating alone on the top floor of the tower. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and gazed at the stars in the sky with a piercing stare, tinged with anger and disbelief.
“How dare he… Does that kid really want to destroy the entire world, Belial?!”