Chapter 243: Dialogue and Resolving Hatred

Alice curled up under the blanket, fear and unease from the unfamiliar environment constantly gnawing at her mind. She did not even dare to hope that someone would come to save her. The lord she had once been bound to by contract was already dead, and her connection to the territory no longer existed.

Worse still, Adrian’s horrifying actions kept replaying in her mind. He took pleasure in killing, and the dungeon had been filled with corpses.

“How did it come to this? What has happened to this world?”

She pulled the blanket higher, trying to cover her nose with its warmth, yet even so, she could not feel the slightest bit of comfort.

“It’s warm now. I don’t think you need to wrap yourself up so tightly.”

Rosalia stepped gracefully out of the shadows, lifting her elegant skirt slightly as she performed a noble curtsy.

“It’s you. You killed so many people!” Alice trembled violently, her pupils contracting as memories of that day surged back. “You’re not human. You’re a demon!”

“I am a corrupted being.”

Rosalia tilted her head, completely unconcerned by the accusation. She glanced at Alice with a cool expression, then elegantly sat on a chair beside the bed, crossing her legs as she sipped her tea. “I am not a demon. I can control my desire to kill. If you hadn’t opposed my lord, I wouldn’t have acted against you.”

“You know very well that if we hadn’t struck first, the ones dead now would have been me and my lord.”

“You’re not about to claim that if you had won, you would have spared Phield, are you?”

Alice opened her mouth, but no words came out.

She knew that if Adrian had won, things would have been even more brutal.

“Good. It seems your reason is still intact. If you had started spouting nonsense, I wouldn’t have minded cutting you down as dessert.” Rosalia smiled faintly, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Alice. Resting her chin on her hand, she said lazily, “This is the Starnight Grand Estate in the Nightfall Domain.”

Alice silently drank the tea, her thoughts in chaos. In the end, she only asked a few trivial questions.

“The Starnight Grand Estate was destroyed ten years ago.”

“It has been rebuilt. We rebuilt it piece by piece.”

Rosalia’s voice carried a deep sense of pride. Though she could not draw power from the territory, the Starnight Grand Estate was her home, and she was deeply attached to it.

“Really…”

Instinctively doubtful, Alice looked out the window, but saw only faint light filtering through the curtains.

She thought to herself that it must be a lie. Even the Church and the Empire had failed to reclaim it. How could a baron with no foundation accomplish such a thing, even with the help of Divine Chosen?

Instead, she became more vigilant.

“That pitiful baron has probably had his soul taken by corrupted beings and turned into a puppet. That’s the only way he could survive in the gray mist.”

“No matter what, I’ll take it one step at a time.”

A deep sense of despair settled over Alice.

Knock knock knock.

The door was gently tapped.

After receiving the news, Phield had rushed back to Starnight Castle without stopping.

He knocked on Alice’s bedroom door. Hearing Rosalia’s “Come in,” he pushed the door open gently.

“You’re awake? You’ve already become a girl… ahem, I mean, you were already a girl.”

Scratching his head awkwardly, Phield did not know what to say for a moment. Being stared at by a beautiful former enemy made the atmosphere suffocating.

Fortunately, he steadied himself and spoke gently, “I took the risk to save you because I believed you weren’t a cruel person. As you can see, everything I’ve done was for self-defense and revenge.”

Alice held the empty teacup, remaining silent for a long time before finally asking, “What happened to the territory afterward?”

“The dolls in your storage room awakened and destroyed Wind Orchid City.”

“It was done by your other brother.”

To Phield’s surprise, Alice immediately revealed an important piece of information. She sneered. “If it’s about self-defense or revenge, then you’ll have to kill your own brother as well.”

“I think you’ve misunderstood something. From beginning to end, I never intended to kill Adrian. I only wanted to teach him a lesson. It was the doll monsters that killed my dear brother and tried to frame me. Have you forgotten? I even gave him a mana awakening potion. And the title of the Ross family’s greatest philanthropist is known throughout the Empire.”

Phield looked completely innocent, waving his fist indignantly as he spoke.

Rosalia rolled her eyes elegantly, covering her mouth as she muttered, “Only a fool would believe that.”

Yet after hearing this, Alice’s brows actually relaxed slightly, though her gaze remained lowered.

“But are you saying those doll monsters were sent by my elder brother, Owen Ross?”

Phield feigned disbelief, though he already believed it for the most part.

The Ross family seemed to be hiding some secret. His siblings all appeared to take great pleasure in internal conflict.

“Yes. The dolls were all sent by him. He might send some to you as well.”

Phield shrugged indifferently. “I can refuse delivery.”

“It’s not that simple. I tried several times to burn those dolls… never mind.” Alice did not wish to elaborate further.

“It’s fine. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Phield personally brought over a bowl of milk, a fried egg, and a stack of white bread, placing them in front of Alice.

“I admire your ability and your sense of loyalty. You should stay in the Nightfall Domain and work for me, instead of being trapped in your failure.”

Phield spoke gently, trying to persuade her.

“Huh?”

Alice was stunned. She looked at Phield deeply and thought to herself that he really was an unfortunate man who had not contracted a Divine Chosen and had instead been controlled by corrupted beings.

After all, neither wolf-kin nor corrupted creatures were things a human could contract.

Glancing cautiously at Rosalia, Alice shook her head weakly.

Just as Phield was about to feel disappointed, Alice sighed. “I’m sorry. I need time to think. Adrian had many flaws, but he was still my lord. I can’t move on so quickly.”

Widow setting? Should he prepare a black dress for her and maybe even a grave for Adrian?

Phield’s thoughts wandered, but since Alice had not outright refused, there was still hope.

After patiently waiting for her to finish eating, Phield extended an invitation. “Would you like to take a walk around the territory?”

“Alright. I’ll trouble you then.”

Alice agreed immediately. She wanted to see what was really going on here. Only by understanding the corruption could she find a chance to escape.

“Recovering that quickly? Don’t tell me she actually believes Phield’s ridiculous excuse.”

Rosalia muttered in confusion. She had expected resistance, but Alice appeared surprisingly calm. She stood up, stamped her foot lightly to smooth out her dress, then slipped into the Greatsword of Gluttony, with chains wrapping around Phield.

This way of carrying her greatly ensured the lord’s safety.

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