Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

Only Charlotte, her classmate, raised her lips, breathed lightly on the cold car window, causing the glass to fog up, and drew a smiling arc with her fingertip.

Yes, she was proud of herself.

Chapter 218 Meeting the Goddess

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the unique, industrial-dust-laden cold wind of Florence swept in, and Zelena instinctively pulled her trench coat tighter. Her gaze passed through the crowd and landed on that familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

Bella.

She stood in a slightly empty corner of the platform, her posture still upright like a pine tree. She was wearing a meticulously starched white-edged medical robe and was talking quietly with a well-dressed gentleman who looked grateful. Several young men carrying medicine boxes, who were obviously apprentices, were waiting respectfully beside her.

Her profile was soft, her expression focused and serene, carrying the calming presence unique to doctors that soothes anxiety.

Was it a simple coincidence, or was it a deliberate arrangement?

No, how could I think of Bella like that? Even though she is dead, her spirit, residing in that body, still carries on that gentleness and kindness, and the memories of being with me day and night—a sorrow she can never forget.

Even now, she still clings to some unrealistic fantasy, imagining that such an understanding person would respond to her better than before.

"Dr. Bella, it's such a bother, thank you so much for saving that child last week!" The man, who looked like a worker and was carrying a wicker suitcase, was very enthusiastic, which drew respectful glances from the onlookers.

In this vast and cold metropolis, a doctor with superb medical skills and a kind heart is a real beacon in the hearts of the people at the bottom of society.

Hearing this, Bella ended her conversation with the gentleman and nodded in response to the worker's greeting. Her gaze swept across the parked train carriages, taking in the faces of the travelers, some weary, some excited, and finally, inevitably, met those of Nerizelena.

Time seemed to stretch out and freeze at this moment.

The doctor seemed stunned for a moment. She saw her old friend's pale and haggard face, her frail figure barely concealed beneath her trench coat, and the complex emotions welling up in her eyes—confusion, sadness, and a hint of unspeakable longing.

She paused slightly, seemingly instinctively wanting to walk towards the carriage; it was a kind of instinctive concern that Zelena could clearly sense.

However, just as her toes touched the ground, hesitation and guilt clouded her face, causing her to abruptly stop in her tracks. Her worry, like embers thrown into ice water, quickly cooled and subsided, leaving only an almost deliberate sense of detachment.

"Zelena..." The voice was still gentle, but it sounded like it was coming through a thick pane of glass. "You must be tired from your journey. You look unwell... You need to rest properly."

The awkward opening remarks, with their forced reluctance to leave, were followed by a completely different scene. The surrounding noise remained, but Zelena felt the sounds around her fade away, leaving only the heavy thumping of her heart in her chest.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Pedeline glanced out the window and caught sight of the doctor. She instinctively reached for her feet, and the familiar name slipped out of her mouth.

But before that, a cold hand gripped her wrist tightly, the force so strong that she trembled slightly.

Zelena didn't look at her; only the fatigue on her face became more and more obvious.

“Pedeline, we are not here to reminisce. Our meeting today was unexpected. Dr. Bella, she is ultimately different from us; she is not on the same path.”

"...It's best not to disturb them."

When she lowered her head and spoke these words, her voice was extremely strained, and she barely noticed the wide-eyed Conch Girl.

how come?

In the past, Ms. Z and Bella were inseparable best friends. They had shared the same blanket in front of the warm fireplace in the arbitration court, whispering all night long; they had also nestled wearily on the sofa in Bella's clinic after returning from a mission, letting her treat their wounds and gently comfort them; they had even often slept together and talked intimately, even about extraordinary and secret knowledge, using obscure words to express it.

But now, Ms. Z is adopting such a deliberately distant attitude?

Seeing his gloomy expression, Pedeline instinctively concluded that there must be some deep-seated conflict between the two that she was unaware of.

“Ms. Z, Dr. Bella, she…”

"Keep quiet."

The abrupt silence shattered the emotions building within the carriage. Silva had already approached from a distance, her gaze sweeping indifferently over Zelena and Pederina before finally settling on Bella, who was about to turn and leave on the platform.

Isabella's ascension from an ordinary person to a Sequence Seven Extraordinary, and even to becoming an advisor to the Church of Steam Supremacy, was a process that, while logical, was too smooth, almost like destiny itself.

He helped the poor, defied authority, single-handedly stopped the spread of the plague, and saved countless people. Knowing his merits and seeing his consistent virtue, even if he had doubts, the goddess's swordsman would not judge good and evil based on mere suspicion.

However, this name, along with his overly easy path to promotion and the immense prestige he has accumulated among the people of Florence, has already appeared on the watch list of certain departments within the church.

Perhaps the gaze was too sharp, for the doctor stopped and turned to look at the beautiful woman. He did not lower his eyes, but simply nodded slightly. Rather than flattery, this was more of a respectful greeting based on his status, neither humble nor arrogant.

She moved her lips without making a sound, but conveyed her message to someone who could understand it through her mouth movements.

"The duty lies."

Then, this gentle yet unfamiliar figure was quickly swallowed up by the gray umbrellas and hurried pedestrians, disappearing from sight.

Zelena stared in the direction her friend had disappeared, her lips pressed together until they were white. Beneath that feigned calm lay a turbulent sea of ​​loss and pain. She had just rejected the comfort she craved most after experiencing loss, simply because of the lingering resentment in her heart and her unwillingness to acknowledge the truth.

“Ms. Zelena, Ms. Pederina, please maintain order. Headquarters is waiting. No contact with unauthorized personnel.”

Silva made no comment on the incident that had just occurred, but simply reiterated the necessity of discipline.

The wheels started moving again and drove away from the platform, and with a slight jolt, the noise and commotion faded away completely.

At the far end of the horizon, a towering building stands majestically and solemnly in the center.

Pederina picked up the violin case, instinctively shrugging her shoulders as if she were struggling to breathe. Zelena straightened her back, forcibly locking her physical and mental exhaustion beneath her crisp trench coat, resuming the cool composure befitting an arbitrator.

They were placed in the 'Meditation Corridor' on the side of headquarters—an area reserved for important witnesses, those awaiting investigation, or those recovering from serious injuries. The room was spacious and clean, but the cold-colored walls made it feel devoid of any warmth or human touch, with only the dazzling stained-glass windows depicting scenes of goddesses holding scales of justice in judgment.

Charlotte sat quietly by the window, watching the primordial deity who had been sanctified and revered.

She was certainly not a devout believer; the reason she lingered was simply because the so-called goddess's appearance and features, even with the blurring effect of paint, were still so familiar that it surprised her.

Yes, that was my face in my past life, a beautiful but world-weary and indifferent exterior.

No one will back out halfway.

I've been feeling really bad lately, and I apologize to everyone.

I won't skip updates; I'll be back after a few days of rest. Sorry for keeping you all waiting.

Well, you only realize how difficult it is when you actually write it down. There were definitely pauses and hesitations when I put pen to paper, and I didn't have much confidence in myself.

However, it will end normally.

At least, I guarantee that.

..............