Chapter 44: Hearty Conversation (1/2)
Another night Seth and Lilian would be passing on the Hilkhell city. Although, it would be an entirely different night for them.
Caizhi left the group and the mood was a bit heavy now, however, after entering the inn room and getting totally alone with Seth, Lilian was taken over by a feeling of embarrassment and anxiety, even though she didn't know what she was expecting to happen.
The bed was a bit larger now with one less person. Lilian made a barricade with a lot of pillows and laid down to sleep. Seth was already on his side, since he was thinking about Caizhi and his life.
As always, sometime after Seth fell asleep, Lilian could finally rest in peace, otherwise her heart wouldn't let her do so.
Early in the morning she drowsily woke up totally glued on Seth. Her grip this night seemed tighter than before.
She hastily tried to distance from him, but Seth prevented her from doing so.
”You can stay like that if you want.” He said mildly.
Lilian, of course still panicking a bit, had the impulse to move away, but somehow, she stopped her resistance and laid there glued on his chest.
”Lilian, is there something bothering you?”
She felt the warmth coming from him, something that deeply tranquilized her.
”How can you tell?” She asked confused.
”Every morning, after I wake up, I can feel the strength of your grip, and it keeps increasing every time. It's feels like you don't want to let it go, afraid of returning to some kind of situation.”
Lilian was touched by his words. She had been trying to reason her bedtime actions all this while, but only now, she finally realized something.
”Sigh... What would it serve to me, to discuss something like this with you, someone that I don't even know the real identity?”
Seth stood silent for a bit of time.
”I could tell you who I really am, it is not a big deal for me.”
”!” Lilian expressed some shock.
”But that knowledge is exclusive to my wife. So, would you abandon that always-on-guard-woman faction and defect to my side?”
Lilian rolled her eyes and smiled after hearing that.
”Don't you already have Caizhi? And if I'm not wrong there is still that young girl from before.”
”Meiyi? Yeah, you're right, I treasure them both.” Seth grinned.
”Are you sure you're not biting more than you can chew?”
”Hahaha, don't worry about that, you should worry more about yourself, on the arms of a man that want to bite everything on sight.”
Lilian laughed lightly and changed the pace of the conversation, turning it into something more serious.
”On the surface, the Blazing Phoenix Sect seems to be going really well and unpreventable, but the real situation is definitely not that bright.” She paused for a bit. After the next sentence there would be no turning back.
”Since we are a rising star between the kingdoms, the other kingdoms and factions were treating us with utmost caution. However, that was just a convenient cover. Behind the scenes, they blocked our trade channels, stopped suppling some of the essential materials we needed and more. All of this orchestrated by the nations at the first and second ranks, StormWind Valley and Wu Martial Kingdom respectively. Actually, the biggest threat against us comes from the Wu Martial Kingdom.”
Lilian adjusted her position, getting a bit more comfortable on Seth's embrace.
”The other Kingdoms are only doing an economical struggle with us, even the StormWind Valley didn't step outside this line. But the Wu Martial Kingdom have been pressuring our Blazing Phoenix Country in a lot of ways. They have instigated some minor fights where they killed a lot of our practitioners, however we couldn't put any fault on them without proof. There have even been some marriage proposals with me and my lil sister as targets.”
”It is still not something that would let me or our sect echelons uneasy, however, my father noticed some changes that were secretly happening withing our territory. Right below our nose, some sects were being supplied with better grade weapons, mercenary groups were forming at some different points and so on. We tried some counter-measures, but all of them were unsuccessful.”
”I fear that a war is approaching. While I'm apt to fight until the end, what is going to happen with Yuyin? We already lost our mother and our father is always overloaded with work. I fear she would not handle it.”
Lilian unconsciously let everything she has been holding, escape. This place was where she felt secure for some reason. Somehow, here, her uncertainties were not able to boost her anxiety. This was what she had just noticed some moments before.
Seth caressed her hair and said: ”If anything ever happens Lilian, you can call me and I will be there to help you.”
Unkown to Lilian, his dark element entered her skin and turned into a mole resting behind her neck.