Chapter 169: I Am Ada (Part 1)

Hearing Ada’s words, Rod wasn’t surprised. Only if she claimed she came to him out of loneliness in the dead of night would he truly doubt her motives.
“What’s the matter?” Rod asked directly after sitting down across from her. This time, he finally got a clear look at her stunning face—truly worthy of being called one of the Five Golden Flowers of the Dark Source. If his sister was pure and Lucy was innocent and cute, then Ada was elegant and charming, each with her own distinct qualities.
Yet on that delicate face, Rod saw a hint of familiarity, reminding him of his former teammate who fought alongside him—that effeminate Ada. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. It must have been many years since he last saw her.
“What? What are you thinking about?” Her slightly cold voice pulled Rod back from his thoughts.
Turning his head, he saw Ada looking at him with confusion. Rod smiled slightly and said without any hesitation, “You resemble a friend of mine!”
“Really? Is it coincidence or fate?”
“Coincidence, I guess. Not fate!” With a wry smile, how could he dare speak of fate? At this moment, Rod felt like a prisoner awaiting judgment. He understood the girl’s temper and mindset—Princess Ada surely wouldn’t let those past events go so easily. She probably came here tonight for that reason as well.
“What if I say it’s fate?” Intriguingly, the princess seemed unwilling to get straight to the point. She asked teasingly, with a half-smile on her face.
After hearing this, Rod was speechless, feeling a bit stunned. His heart was in turmoil—such torment was worse than anything else.
“Alright, just tell me. What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you really came here to talk about romance and life goals with me!” With a sigh, Rod decided it was better to face it sooner rather than later. Whether it brought good or bad fortune, what was inevitable would come eventually. So he asked directly.

“How long have you been at the Source of Darkness?” She paused slightly, then lowered her head to fiddle with her sleeve, acting like a little girl. Aida seemed to be talking to herself, her voice so soft that Rod would have had trouble hearing it if it weren’t for the quiet of the late night.
“Some time!” Rod replied briefly. He certainly couldn’t tell her that the last time he sneaked a peek at her bathing was when he arrived at the Source of Darkness. If he did, Aida would probably try to kill him on the spot.
“Isn’t the outside world better? Why come to this place full of troubles? The Source of Darkness isn’t as good as you think. But you’re lucky—upon arriving here, you managed to connect with the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan, and even earned the title of Purple Star VIP, which gives you a solid foundation. Otherwise, with what you’ve done, you’d deserve to die ten times!” She continued to talk to herself without looking up at Rod, so he couldn’t see her expression.
“That was the first time you came to the Source of Darkness, right?” After a moment, she looked up at Rod and asked.
“Ahem… well, more or less!” Rod was surprised that she brought it up instead of him. His confusion grew—he didn’t know what she was up to or what she was thinking.
“As I thought! I wasn’t wrong!” With a sigh, she murmured to herself before continuing, “You shouldn’t be here. Really, this place isn’t suitable for you. The outer continents are vast, with more opportunities for growth. Why did you come here?”
“Do you know my background?” Rod frowned. It seemed like everyone knew his identity. Why did everyone he met know he came from the outer continents? Was he that obvious? This was a big problem—any place had its own exclusivity, and it was difficult for an outsider to fit in!
“I do. And I know your true identity. I even knew years ago that you’d come here someday, because you’re the son of that person. You bear a heavy burden—you must fulfill it. I just didn’t expect you to progress so quickly in just a few years. In the blink of an eye, you’ve arrived here! Your speed of improvement is astonishing; it’s already disrupted many original plans!” She spoke softly, as if to herself, yet also as if telling Rod something, causing his brows to furrow tightly.

“Who the hell are you!” Rod demanded in a deep voice, his face close to Aida’s.
There were many things that outsiders could never know—even Sognar and Lilith didn’t know why this princess knew so much and seemed to understand him so well, as if she had known him for years and had witnessed all his actions. He was shocked, wondering what was going on.
“Who I am? Have you really forgotten?” With a blink, Aida gave Rod a playful look as she asked teasingly.
“Do we know each other?” Aida’s words forced Rod to consider that possibility. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall ever meeting such a beautiful woman before. Not to mention that a beauty like her would surely cause a sensation wherever she went; if he had known her, he would surely remember. The women he knew were just a few—Nightingale, Lilith, Alice—countable on one hand. He was certain he had never seen her before.
“Can’t remember?” Aida said, looking at Rod with disappointment, her pitiful expression arousing some sympathy.
“Stop beating around the bush. I’ve never seen you. I’m sure of it. Who are you and what’s your purpose? Just tell me!” Filled with frustration, Rod lost his composure, slammed the table, and acted as if he wanted her to leave, making it clear that if she refused to speak, she should leave immediately.
“Rod, have you really forgotten me? It’s so heartbreaking. Don’t you know how much I’ve done for you behind your back? Don’t you know that I’ve become like this because of you? Now you’ve forgotten me—Is it because of Lucy, or because of that imperial marshal’s precious granddaughter, Miss Lucia? Or someone else? Don’t you know I’ve been waiting for you here all this time? You heartless man!” Hearing Rod’s words, Aida’s eyes reddened as she spoke pitifully, then turned to leave in a dazed state.
“Since you’ve forgotten me, I won’t bother you anymore. Don’t worry, I won’t interfere with your life anymore. Wish you happiness!” She glanced back at Rod deeply before softly speaking and then hurriedly walked out.
“Wait!” Rod urgently grabbed Aida as she reached the door. But he didn’t notice the faint, almost imperceptible smile that appeared on her face the moment he pulled her back.

“What, you still won’t let me go? What do you want? Are you trying to do something romantic just because you find someone beautiful? Have you forgotten that person already, and still think such things?” Shaking off Rod’s hand, Ada pretended to be angry as she said.

“Cough, cough… Um, I really don’t remember knowing a beauty like you. Um… if it’s convenient, could you tell me?” With a pained expression, Rod looked at Ada and spoke in a low voice, his face unusually serious.

This Ada was no ordinary person—definitely not. She could mention Alice, Lucia who was far away in the capital, and even some of his past experiences. Although he couldn’t remember who she was, he was sure they must have had some connection before, otherwise she wouldn’t know so much. Immediately, he became wary and regarded this princess as someone extraordinary.

“Don’t you recognize me? Then why did you spy on me while I was bathing last time? Everyone knows about it now. What do you plan to do?” Turning to look at Rod indifferently, Ada pressed further, not giving him any time to think.

Staring at Ada’s face, Rod hoped to find some clue this time. Seeing that familiar face, a flash of insight struck him—he remembered those past events, and with such a similar appearance, he couldn’t help but feel a shiver. Vaguely, he guessed something.

The face in his mind slowly overlapped with this stunning face before him. Suddenly, Rod felt cold sweat cover his back.

“Who is Ada to you? Do you know him?” His expression changed as he grabbed the princess by the collar and asked sternly, “How is he now? Why haven’t I seen him? What have you done?”

“Cough, cough… Let go, you jerk! Let me go!” With her collar pulled, the princess’s face turned red as she shouted, waving her hands to strike Rod’s arms.

“Talk!” Realizing his impulsiveness, Rod released her and stepped back, then looked at Ada and asked.

“Ada, do you still remember this person? Hehe, it’s rare. I thought you had forgotten such a comrade! Don’t you know my name is Ada? What, you don’t recognize me now that I’m standing in front of you?” With a mocking smile, the princess spoke slowly.

Hearing these words, Rod’s expression changed drastically. He had to admit that the princess did bear some resemblance to the Ada he knew! But it could definitely not be Ada—there was the obvious difference between a man and a woman. His eyes reddened as he stepped forward forcefully, “Tell me the truth! I don’t want to beat around the bush. Tell me where Ada is right now, or don’t blame me if I become ruthless!”
His combat energy slowly circulated, a faint layer of it covering his palms—Rod was already angry.