Chapter 54 - A Cautious Regressor
While Evren was undergoing the trial.
An inconspicuous sedan came to a quiet stop in front of Evren’s temporary beach house.
From the outside, it looked no different from any ordinary local vehicle.
Only after confirming that the street was completely empty did the passenger door slowly open.
A young woman dressed entirely in white stepped out.
She wore a pristine white summer dress that flowed gently around her knees, its simple design accentuating rather than hiding her graceful figure.
A thin white jacket rested loosely over her shoulders, while a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of dark sunglasses concealed most of her face.
The outfit was modest.
The woman wearing it was anything but.
Long golden-blonde hair cascaded down her back like liquid sunlight, swaying softly with the sea breeze.
Her waist was slender enough to be grasped with both hands, while her elegant curves gave her a mature beauty that countless heroes would willingly wage wars over.
Every movement carried an indescribable holiness, as though she stood half a step beyond the mortal world itself.
The next moment, golden divine runes silently emerged beneath her feet.
One after another, blessings descended upon her.
The authority of concealment.
The authority of silence.
The authority of illusion.
Divine powers from several gods intertwined around her body until even her presence seemed to fade from existence.
She casually walked toward the house.
The security barrier didn’t react in the slightest, nor did the camaras.
As she reached the entrance, she paused.
Her delicate nose twitched once.
"...Brother’s scent." Her voice softened unconsciously.
There was no way she could mistake it.
Her brother.
Her savior.
Her master.
Her hero.
Her reason for existence.
Among everyone she had ever met, only one person had never abandoned her.
When she spoke of disasters yet to come, people called her delusional.
When she warned them of future calamities, they doubted her motives.
Some even feared her, believing she manipulated fate itself because she always seemed to know far more than she should.
But he never questioned her.
He never demanded proof.
He simply believed her.
And every single time.
A gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
Then, her expression abruptly darkened.
"That bloody vampire’s scent is here too." She frowned at the familiar.
"I’ll purify Brother’s tainted soul even if I have to sacrifice my body."
With determined steps, she headed straight toward one particular bedroom.
The moment she opened the door, her breathing unconsciously became lighter.
"Ahhh."
There it was.
His scent lingered faintly throughout the room.
Before she realized what she was doing.
Thud!
She threw herself onto the bed.
The pillow landed in her embrace.
"My brother..."
She buried her face into it before taking a long, content breath.
"No one understands you better than I do."
An almost possessive look appearing on her face.
"Mmm."
Then a blissful smile slowly appeared on her face.
She hugged the pillow tightly, rubbing her cheek against it before giving it several quick kisses.
Smooch~ Chu~
"Just as comforting as I remembered."
She remained like that for nearly a full minute before reluctantly sitting up.
’I shall consider this today’s Vitamin E,’ she thought with complete seriousness.
After giving the pillow one final affectionate squeeze, she carefully stored it inside the spacious storage ring on her finger.
Her gaze slowly drifted toward the bed itself.
"..."
She shook her head.
"Brother said I shouldn’t become a pervert."
She took a deep breath.
Then looked at the bed again.
"But replacing it isn’t stealing so just this once."
With a flash of light, an identical bed appeared from inside her storage ring.
After another guilty glance around the room, she quietly adjusted everything to its exact original position.
The replacement looked absolutely identical.
No one would notice, after all, she was a cautious one.
Probably.
"Brother forgive me."
She clasped her hands together in sincere prayer.
"This is for world peace and thought I have sinned, you can punish me later."
Her breathing once again became a bit hard but, she finally regained her composure.
Just as she was about to leave, something caught her attention.
A travel bag.
"So he is still traveling."
She crouched beside it and quietly slipped a beautifully crafted good-luck talisman into one of its pockets.
And as for payment, she took a t-shirt from it.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Hopefully this keeps you safe."
She had always preferred meeting him unexpectedly.
Unlike their very first meeting at Nexus Academy.
The encounters felt much more precious and thrilling.
Her fingers gently brushed against the bag before she sighed.
"So many people lied to me."
Her eyes dimmed slightly as countless memories flashed in her mind.
From the people she trusted to the monsters in the rift, and even influential figures.
After she revealed her secret, most people still hid things from her.
Unfortunately for them, she possessed a blessing that allowed her to distinguish truth from lies.
Only one person had never deceived her.
Never lied to her.
Not even once.
Even when his life was in danger.
And even when he died for her.
"Oh my brother... you really are too kind."
Her expression softened and as her lips curved ever so slightly.
"But I will still save you from that vampire woman."
The warmth vanished from her eyes, replaced by quiet dangerous obsession.
’If only I could return to the point I truly wanted...’
Unfortunately, she couldn’t.
The point to which she could return had been decided jointly by the Gods and the Immortals and she had no choice in it.
Even she carried responsibilities too great to escape.
She looked around the room one final time to ensure everything appeared exactly as before.
Nothing could seem out of place.
’Brother notices the strangest things.’
Everything had to remain perfectly natural, though one lost t-shirt won’t change anything.
Only then did she quietly smile.
"We’ll meet again soon, Brother."
Without another sound, her figure dissolved into shimmering divine light.
Moments later.
The quiet beach house became empty once again, as though no one had ever been there.