Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1284: Wasn’t you comforted?
When the moon was at its zenith, Lingge arrived late. Alice was the first to notice him. She immediately jumped out, put her hands on her hips, and angrily accused him of being late for such an important occasion and not paying attention to his sister at all. Didn't you see that Metien was so sad that she was about to cry? Metien, who was implicated for no reason, quickly waved her hands to deny it, saying that she was not very sad, and that it was all Sister Alice who was talking nonsense. The golden-haired maid was very angry. She said, "I am doing justice for you, how can you betray me?" As a result, before Metien could say anything, Shemi and Leticia were not happy. One said that Metien didn't need you to do justice, and the other mercilessly exposed Alice's nature of just wanting to join in the fun. The two sides immediately confronted each other, and the atmosphere was tense.

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was drawn, Lorena quietly approached the young man and invited him to set off fireworks together. She also mysteriously said that what I took out were just ordinary stuff, and there were more exciting things in the alchemy workshop. Do you want to go and have a look? However, her wolfish ambition was known to everyone, and before she could implement it, she was exposed by Princess Beman, who angrily said that since there were good things, why did she hide them by herself and not share them with everyone? Princess Haiqi replied meaningfully that some good things can only be treasured and cannot be shared. As for what kind of good things they are, you are too young, and you probably don't understand, right? This immediately made Aovira furious, thinking that I am the young queen who symbolizes wisdom, how could I not understand?

Yieta was still feeling sad for her primroses that had suffered an unexpected disaster. She half-crouched on the ridge of the field, looking at Lingge with tears in her eyes, hoping to get a gentle word or two of comfort from the young man. Gloria walked around Lingge twice, looking him up and down carefully. She felt that the young man seemed different from usual. As for what exactly was different, to be honest, she just had that little feeling and was not sure about the specific situation. Maybe Bai Ye knew?
"I don't know." The inner personality in my mind replied coldly.

"Really don't know? I feel like you know Ling'er very well." Gloria was a little suspicious.

"I don't understand at all!" Bai Ye's reaction became even more excited: "I don't want to understand at all!"

"Really? But you always say that Mr. Lingge is essentially a pervert. If that's true, then aren't you the only one on Yunjingkong Island who has seen through the truth?" Gloria seemed innocent and didn't mean to mention it.

"..." Bai Ye was silent for a moment. She couldn't say that the guy was not a pervert, but if she just accepted it, wouldn't it be equivalent to admitting that she actually knew the guy very well?

Damn it, it's infuriating no matter what.

Lingge didn't pay much attention to the communication between the twin personalities. He quickly blended into the atmosphere of the banquet. This young man was always able to control his emotions well, so his appearance in front of everyone seemed no different from usual. He greeted everyone with a smile, briefly explained the reason for his lateness, gently stroked his sister's head, talked to her for a while, warned Rorona with his eyes not to make any more messy alchemical props, comforted the depressed Ieta, and helped her drive the crowd setting off fireworks to a farther place so as not to disturb everyone who was enjoying the banquet... No matter from which angle you look at it, it couldn't be more normal.

Even Gloria, who had doubted the young man at the beginning, couldn't help but wonder if her judgment just now was wrong. Ling Ge has always been the same Ling Ge as usual, and the previous feeling was just an illusion.

But to Saint Shallia at the other end of the venue, this scene was completely different.

Only she could see - no, it should be said that only she could be sure that such normality was just a disguise, Lingge had been holding on, and his smile was insincere.

Others might be able to see and feel it, such as Gloria, but they were not sure. Once the young man showed his usual attitude in front of them, they would begin to doubt their own judgment and then attribute it to illusion. In the final analysis, it was based on trust. They did not want to believe that Lingge had hidden something from them. However, Saint Chariya was different. Although it was a bit strange to say this, her trust in Lingge was actually based on a kind of suspicion. She believed and speculated at the same time. Sometimes she felt at ease, and sometimes she felt uneasy.

Although entrusted by Xino, Saint Xia Liya did not immediately disturb Lingge, but stood there, quietly watching the young man's communication with others. Everything seemed normal, but no one noticed that Lingge was gradually fading himself from the center of the topic. Perhaps it was a turn, or perhaps a look back. In these imperceptible details, he suddenly disappeared. This is a unique ability, as if he can control his presence. In the last second, he was the focus of everyone's attention and chatted with everyone naturally; in the next second, he disappeared from everyone's sight, and no one raised any objections.

Only Saint Shallia, who was standing aside, noticed the young man's departure. He didn't want to alarm anyone, just like an audience member who always stood at the edge of the stage, he turned around quietly and disappeared behind a shade of trees, but he didn't notice that a pair of bright golden eyes were always following his steps, never wavering. Unlike those girls who were easily attracted by fireworks, food and primroses, Saint Shallia was most proud of her concentration and persistence.

This seemed like a good opportunity to be alone and to talk.

The shepherdess made up her mind and turned to leave as well. Soon, her figure disappeared at the end of the banquet venue. Neither the colorful lights nor the brilliant fireworks could illuminate her shadow.

……

The laughter and noise at the party were left behind, diluted and far away. The needles absorbed the sound of footsteps, making the girl's steps seem light and silent. Occasionally, when the sleeves or skirts brushed against the leaves on the branches, a rustling sound would be made, but not even a squirrel or owl was alarmed. Perhaps they were also attracted by the party and were looking up, stopping and watching from afar, with no time to pay attention to the movement around them.

When Saint Charity found Lingge, he was sitting by a familiar river, holding in his hand an object no bigger than half the size of his palm. He examined it carefully in the moonlight that shone through the woods and the river. He looked so serious, like the most demanding jeweler who was nitpicking, trying to find the slightest flaw in every cut and every edge.

Saint Shallia couldn't help but slow down her pace. She wanted to see clearly what Ling Ge was taking seriously, but she accidentally stepped on a branch on the ground, which made a crisp sound and interrupted the young man's thoughts. His first reaction was to put away the thing in his hand, and then he looked up and cast his eyes at Saint Shallia.

Although his movements were quick, Saint Sharia had better eyesight and she had seen clearly that the item that Linger had hastily stuffed into the lining pocket for fear of being seen by others was actually not a big deal, but a silver-white cassette.

That’s right, it was the cassette that he took from Alice, and it seemed that he had never returned it.

Could it be that he was worried that the person coming was Alice, who was looking for him to return the cassette, so he was acting so sensitive?
But what is the significance of this cassette to Lingge that he should take it so seriously? After all, the game console and the cassette are both derived from the power of the fantasy kingship. Unlike the fourteen kinds of kingship power of chaos and order that have left a sequence of inheritance in the human world, the kingship power of fantasy and reality is only in the hands of the two young girls in the old world. Even if Lingge wants to use it, he is probably powerless, right?
Saint Xia Liya didn't quite understand, but she didn't ask. Instead, she quietly walked to Ling Ge and sat down. Her long green hair spread along her shoulders and legs, and some of her hair even fell on the water, creating ripples. The sparse moonlight fell, reflecting the shining green strings in the clear and transparent river. They kept moving with the ripples, playing a silent and quiet tune, until the girl reached out and gently pressed them, and then she regained her calm.

Ling Ge turned around as if nothing had happened and asked, "Aren't you going to the party, Xiao Xia?"

"Everyone is having a great time, and it won't matter if I'm missing."

Saint Xia Liya replied, her eyes fixed on Lingge's face, undoubtedly conveying the following meaning: But if you don't have me, there will be problems.

Am I such a fragile person in her mind?
Ling Ge couldn't help but think about it, but he couldn't deny it. Recently - to be more precise, since he left the Heavenly Cathedral, he always easily fell into a negative and confused state, and needed someone to comfort him. Sometimes that person was Ovira, sometimes it was Yieta, sometimes even Bai Ye or Alice, but the most frequent and most impressive one was the girl in front of him. Because her way of comforting him was always so different.
Lingge once again recalled the night two weeks ago. When he was feeling depressed over the departure of his sister, the departure of Kyle and others, and his own failure to fulfill his duties as a teacher, Saint Charity woke him up with a warm and loving hug. At that time, he felt a surge of emotional power from the girl's heartbeat, and unconsciously felt at ease. When he woke up the next day, he had become his original self again.

Coincidentally, Saint Xia Liya also thought of this incident at this time, and her impression of it might even be more profound than Ling Ge's. She felt that she was so close to Ling Ge that the distance between their hearts seemed to be able to melt away at any time, and there was no falsehood in both hearts...

But in the end, she failed to do it. Fate stopped just within reach. She felt regretful about it, but somehow she was also a little relieved.

If at this moment, my hug can still bring him strength...

Saint Charity gazed deeply into a calm abyss, imagining herself falling into it, like a ripe apple falling from a branch, with the weight of the world on her, yet she felt light and fluttery, as if she were about to fly. She suddenly changed her posture, half-kneeling and straightening up, using her thin knees to support the weight of her upper body, while stretching out her hands to the young man, and before he could react, she embraced him for the second time, or for who knows how many times.

"It's okay." She comforted him softly, "I'm always with you, Lingge."

The girl was sure that this was the best way. She could always call the young man back from the abyss of falling every time, and this time was no exception. He would feel the love in this hug, and her expectations and warmth, just like a traveler who had walked in the darkness countless times and saw a lamp hanging in the distance. He would find his direction and become everyone's pillar again.

Just as she expected and just as she wished.

Feeling her breath so close to him and her palms gently caressing his back, silently conveying a power of trust, the young man was silent for a moment, and then a smile slowly emerged on his face. He smiled so peacefully and relaxedly, as if all the things that had made him sad had dissipated with this hug and no longer existed.

"Thank you, Saint Shallia," he said softly, "I do feel... much better."

After saying that, he gently broke away from the girl's embrace, stood up, patted the dust off his pants, and said, "Then let's go back to the party. It would be bad if we make everyone too worried."

The young man lowered his head and smiled at her again, gently and calmly. Saint Xia Liya stared at her empty hands in a daze, and nodded stupidly, as if it was not her own consciousness.

So Linger turned and left the forest, heading in the direction where the laughter and noise were still coming from. He probably thought Saint Shallia would catch up soon, so he didn't look back. But the latter just stood there, staring blankly at the young man's back as he walked away, until he disappeared from the end of his sight, still motionless.

The wind blew through the trees, a sad rustling sound, and she began to feel...helpless.

Because the girl knew, she could feel, and even saw with a fateful revelation the abyss in the young man's heart, which was still so empty, so void, and so tempting to fall. So she knew that he was not actually comforted by her embrace, and this method that she believed in had failed for the first time.

What made her even more sad was that Lingge was deceiving herself.

He was obviously still very depressed, so why did he pretend to be comforted by me?

Maybe he was comforting himself.

But false things will always be false and will never become true. His comfort is like this for me, and will my hug be like this for him too?

The shepherdess stood there for a long time until a bleating sound awakened her thoughts. Saint Xia Liya lowered her head and saw the lamb looking at her with a puzzled and worried look. It gently arched its owner's ankle, as if asking: What happened?
"Nothing, Lamb."

Saint Xia Liya leaned over and gently held it in her arms. This hug was so familiar to the lamb, as if it had never been away since it was born, so it closed its eyes habitually and let its master's hands gently stroke its soft fur, so gentle, warm, and full of happiness.

Perhaps, only for such a simple life as this one, happiness and comfort are unchanging. How it felt happy in the past is the same now; how happy it was in the past is the same now; whoever it liked in the past is of course the same now.

However, it is different for humans, because humans are the most complex life forms in the world. They are always changing, always changing, and people cannot always see through their changes.

"lamb……"

The murmur echoed in the quiet wind: "What should I... do..."

Give me some meow