Chapter 257: Ophelia, Ready to Awaken

In the next moment, the thinnest black stockings that lightly hugged the flesh appeared before him, soft and delicate with a faint sheen. Her slender ankles were perfectly shaped, her toes curled like a crescent moon, elegant and refined, displaying their beauty without restraint.

"Damn... this is perfect. This should be preserved in a glass display case."

Phield was overjoyed. He stared for a long time and reached out to touch, only for Rosalia to dodge gracefully. He chuckled. "Are you sure you don’t want some fried rice? I can make it right now."

"Fried rice?" Rosalia didn’t understand and waved her hand politely. "I’m not hungry, but thank you."

"Also, don’t even think about putting my clothes on display. If they’re separated from me for too long, they’ll dissipate. They’re woven from divine power and blood threads."

Rosalia raised her slender finger and shook it, refusing firmly.

"What a pity. There’s probably only one pair like this in the entire Empire. It’s a masterpiece."

"Is it really that exaggerated? Still, it does look interesting. It adds quite a bit of charm." Rosalia nodded in approval. "As expected of the perverse lord I acknowledge."

"When did I become perverse? Be careful or I’ll sue you for slander." Phield sighed dramatically, then crouched down and patted his shoulder in a coaxing tone. "Come on. I always keep my promises."

"Actually... well... fine." Rosalia had only been joking at first, but after thinking it through, she gathered her skirt and laughed softly. "Don’t drop me, or I won’t talk to you again."

"Hold on tight." Once he felt her weight settle on his shoulders, Phield patted her tense legs and slowly stood up. "Just don’t hit your head on the ceiling."

Rosalia didn’t respond.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Sensing her silence, Phield instinctively looked up, only to have his face covered by her hand.

"You little troublemaker. Trying something funny by looking up?"

"I just noticed you weren’t talking. It’s awkward."

Rosalia suppressed the complicated emotions in her heart. Her expression turned subtle as she spoke softly. "No one in my family ever treated me this well. My father was cruel. I once had a sister, only two or three years old, who was beaten to death by him when he was drunk."

"Later, my father died in the Elven War. My mother held the family together alone, but her gentleness was worn away by reality. In the end, she abandoned the family and ran away with the money."

"You’re the first person to treat me this well." There was a hint of warmth in her voice.

"Yeah..."

Phield let out a quiet sigh. There were tragedies everywhere in the Empire.

Rosalia had lived in comfort, yet always under the shadow of abandonment. Even so, she was already among the fortunate ones.

He was about to comfort her when a knock came at the door.

"Phield, I’m here. Let’s go hunting."

Charlotte pushed the door open casually, then froze at the strange scene in front of her.

Her mind blanked and her eyes lost focus. "What are you doing?"

Rosalia covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Take a guess. It’s definitely something proper."

Phield’s face reddened. There was no way he could admit he was acting like a mount.

Gritting his teeth, he forced out two words. "Acrobatics. I’m practicing acrobatics."

Rosalia burst out laughing, nearly losing control as she sat on his shoulders.

"Oh, I think I’ve seen that before. The kind where you can spit fire and juggle. I want to try too." Charlotte’s eyes lit up with excitement as she rushed over eagerly. "Let me join. I want to play too."

"...What?"

Phield was stunned. She actually believed it.

"Come on." Rosalia reached out generously. "Phield can handle it. As a Second Tier knight, he can support both of us."

"Wait, wait, you’re not getting down?" Phield was dumbfounded.

Once Charlotte climbed up as well, the weight pressed down heavily. Even worse was the pressure on his heart. He felt so embarrassed he wanted to jump out the window. "Alright, alright, spare me."

"Oh? When you were staring at my legs earlier, you didn’t look so troubled. Now that there’s another pair, you’re not happy?"

"That’s not the point..." Phield wanted to refuse, but the thought of Charlotte’s pitiful expression made him swallow his words.

Then something even worse happened.

Knock knock knock.

"My lord, are you alright? I heard some strange noises."

The voices of Tisiana and Ashina came from outside.

"This is bad..."

A quarter of an hour later, after everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the "acrobatics," they finally let Phield go. They chatted and laughed nearby.

Phield looked utterly defeated, his spirit crushed. "This is the darkest day of my life."

Seeing her lord looking dazed, Ashina tugged gently at his sleeve. "My lord, let’s go to Starnight City and wait for Ophelia to awaken. If she breaks out of her defensive state here and goes berserk, the damage will be severe."

"You’re right. Let’s go now."

Phield regained his composure and brushed off his clothes. The mixed scents lingering on him made him sneeze several times.

They quickly arrived at the lord’s palace in Starnight City and waited for a long time.

"This is so boring. Why isn’t she awake yet? Well, since we have time..."

Rosalia complained lazily, then took out the Source of Corruption. Chains extended from the Greatsword of Gluttony and pierced into it. The gray-white energy within flowed along the chains into the blade, and Rosalia’s aura began to rise steadily.

Cracking sounds echoed like popping kernels as her life force surged, compressing and strengthening continuously.

In less than half an hour, the Source of Corruption was completely absorbed and turned to ash.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was clearer than before. She exhaled slowly, her sharp presence unmistakable. "Just one step away from the Third Tier."

"She’s grown much stronger. Her aura is dense and explosive." Ashina could clearly feel the change.

"She’s... dangerous." Tisiana’s expression was complicated. Even as allies, Rosalia’s nature as a powerful corrupted being instinctively made her wary.

"Of course. She just absorbed a divine artifact."

As they were talking, the sapphire barrier around Ophelia shattered like a broken mirror, dissolving into countless blue fragments that faded into the air.