Chapter 156 Past Memories 2 Chapters in 1 (2/2)
”…”
Marlene and Anne exchanged looks. They didn't understand what Rhode had said and felt a weird mixture of emotions.
”Not sure where went wrong or there was a problem with the genetics. In other words, our birth was entirely a special case. And this didn't bring us any benefits either. Maybe we have violated the laws of nature, so my sister was born two times weaker than normal humans. She couldn't even leave her room. Once she contracted a disease, even the smallest of all disease could turn into something serious.”
”It sounds tough…”
Marlene softly mumbled. Although she had never read something similar in books, according to Rhode's explanation, she could imagine how scary things could turn out.
”But, wasn't your sister very pitiful? Why did Leader still hate her?”
Anne frowned and asked. Rhode sighed after hearing her question.
”Indeed. If it's just like this, then I wouldn't have hated her. But… between us, there was an explicit connection.”
”Connection?”
”That's right.”
Rhode nodded.
”To cut the long story short, she and I… can feel each other's physical pain. If I get hurt, she will feel it too, if she gets sick, I will also fall sick…”
Halfway when Rhode was speaking, he pushed the window open with his right hand.
”So at that time, I hated her. Even though she's the bedridden one, but our parents would stop me from going out to play with friends. I would get reprimanded if I sneaked out. And even though it was her who got herself sick, I had to also rest on the bed like a patient. And this face of mine…”
Rhode coldly laughed softly.
”For a female, this face wouldn't be considered inferior. But a pity, I am a man. I don't have any interest in this face. I had enough of being treated as a cute girl or getting laughed at for looking like a woman… To be honest, I had thoughts that ---- if it weren't for her, then I wouldn't be like this. If she's not around, then I wouldn't have to suffer too.”
Rhode's voice sounded calm without emotions. But hearing his explanation, Marlene and Anne could feel the complicated feelings hidden deep within his tone.
”Afterwards… we had a huge quarrel. She could only cry and apologize to me for the hardship she'd caused for me… After all we are still siblings, so in the end, I tried to accept everything and hoped that we could come up with a solution that could be accepted by both of us. I started to take care and spend time with her, but a pity… her body condition was too weak. Our parents knew that she wouldn't live more than 14 years after she was born. And indeed, her body conditions deteriorated. Her organs started to fail, and there was no way to prevent it. Eventually…”
Rhode closed his mouth as he looked out of the window, at the leaves swaying in the wind.
The rustling sound of wind blowing through the trees brought a gentle and calm atmosphere.
Everything seemed so similar, just like that day.
Bright sunlight spilled through the window. The green trees on the outside were so vivid that no one could look at them directly. But alas, just separated by a wall, lay the veil of the shadow of death. He could only lie helplessly on the bed, staring at the busy doctors and crying parents by the side, unable to offer any help. He couldn't be like them, be by his sister's side to accompany her. Yet, he was the one who could truly feel her pain and hopelessness.
What an irony.
Eventually, she left.
And the nightmare that had been troubling Rhode finally ended.
To Rhode, this wasn't the ending he wished.
He got what he wanted, but lost something more important.
”Mr. Rhode, that girl…”
”I know.”
Rhode interrupted Marlene without turning back.
”She isn't my sister even though we look the same. She is herself, and she will never replace that part of my heart. I will not treat her as a substitute. But, I admit. I wish to do something for her…”
Rhode suddenly turned around and looked at both of them.
”Don't you two want to do the same?”
Hearing Rhode's answer, both of them nodded. Indeed, even though they didn't have such complex backstory with the girl, just based on the little girl's life experiences were enough for them to lend her a helping hand. Marlene let out a sigh of relief and at the same time blushed. She was worried that Rhode would treat Christie as a substitute for his sister. Although Rhode said that he hated his own sister, but after the change of attitude, Marlene could sense that Rhode cared dearly for his sister. This made her feel uncertain. If Rhode treated Christie as his sister, Marlene thought that it wouldn't be a good thing. As a noble, Marlene had seen many unimaginable things, and even though this was his personal matters, she felt that it was right to remind him.
But now it seemed that Rhode was more aware than she thought so she didn't say much more.
Of course, to say this didn't impact him at all was a total lie. Rhode was very clear on this. Besides, both of them looked identical and Christie was also as weak as her sister. Not only that, the difference in their age would only lead both of them to have a sibling-like relationship. However, to Rhode, Christie is just Christie and not his sister. In the whole world, there will never be two identical leaves. Even if the exterior looked exactly the same, the inner would never ever be.
If Rhode's heart was a hostel, then his choice now was not to open his sister's room and allow Christie to enter. Instead, he continued to seal this room and opened another door for Christie…
Everyone is unique.
”Alright.”
Rhode kept his thoughts and returned to his original self.
”Both of you can go and rest now. We will prepare our battle tonight. As for Christie, leave it to Lize for now.”
Anne and Marlene nodded and returned to their rooms. Rhode went silent for a moment then slowly walked down the stairs.
”Ah, Sir, you finally arrived.”
Just as Rhode walked down the stairs, an anxious voice sounded. Rhode lifted his head and saw Randolf standing in the middle of the hall, full of anxiousness and uncertainty.
”What happened? Did those villagers decide to find trouble with us?”
As he spoke, his right arm subconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.
”Ah, no, Sir, those villagers didn't do anything to us.”
Noticing Rhode's actions, Randolf quickly denied.
”It's like this; Miss Celia found something. Hope you can take a look.”
”Oh?”
Rhode's brows twitched. A while back, he had ordered Celia to search for any traces on the spawn of undead creatures. After all, it's in the morning now, and the angel's energy was at her peak condition to detect nearby evil beings. No matter if it's the hell chasm, dark ritual or other sources, more or less, there would be some kind of trace. And now that it seemed that Celia had found something?
”Bring me there.”
Rhode didn't hesitate and ordered quickly.
Under Randolf's lead, Rhode reached a big pit located not far from the village. This place seemed to be a quarry. According to the guard captain that tagged along, this place had been abandoned since a long time ago.
”Master.”
From the middle of the quarry, Celia spread her wings and flew to Rhode swiftly after noticing his arrival. She lightly bowed.
Rhode observed the barren stones filled with overgrown fauna and asked softly, ”Are there any findings?”
”Yes, please come with me.”
Celia quickly turned around and led Rhode to where she stood from before. Afterwards, the angel stretched her right arm and pointed downwards.
”Please look.”
”Hmm?”
Looking at the direction of Celia's finger, Rhode was surprised, and his expression turned gloomy all of a sudden.
Deep within the bottom of the pit lay piles of bones and blood stains. All of them had odd shapes, from human bones to animal bones. On the surface, this looked like a non-hygienic qualified slaughterhouse. Pitch black, dried blood painted the ground like a shadow. Scattered around the bones were buzzing flies. The air was mixed with a strange odor, extremely disgusting.
Rhode didn't focus on those, but instead, he turned his attention on a circular ritual site in the middle of the pile of bones.
”Summoning ritual.”
Celia said softly, with hatred and a sense of justice.
”Master, this was an act of the devil.”
The angel maiden spoke, her voice turning cold.