Chapter 57 : Traveling Over Mountains and Waters to Reach Your Side

Mid-air Interception

The two Nightmare Demons briefly intersected, then separated.

Lita‘s claw was like a sharp knife, tearing a gruesome wound into the other’s shoulder before she could react.

The Nightmare Demon‘s entire arm immediately went limp, and her body sagged, nearly plummeting, but she quickly flapped her wings a few times to stabilize herself.

The sensation of the fingers tearing through the skin was so real, the blood with its strange aroma bloomed in the air, and the Nightmare Demon‘s cry of pain was clearly audible.

Yet, Lita felt no sense of release. The knot in her chest seemed to grow heavier, pressing the breath out of her.

The Nightmare Demon shielded her wound with one hand, turning back with eyes full of shock to look at the kin who had suddenly attacked her.

She only saw a face consumed by rage and felt a confusion that her mind utterly failed to comprehend.

After a glance, the Nightmare Demon gritted her teeth and continued to fly away from the Lord’s Manor, leaving Lita far behind.

The Nightmare Demon‘s shriek caused the soldiers holding torches below to look up.

“What was that sound!”

“Up in the sky! It came from the sky!”

“It’s a Nightmare Demon! A Nightmare Demon is flying towards the Lord’s Manor!”

But the Nightmare Demon had already vanished without a trace while Lita was turning around.

Hearing the shouts from below, Lita‘s mind cleared slightly.

Chasing wouldn’t necessarily catch the opponent and might attract the soldiers’ attention. Now was clearly not the best time for pursuit.

Damn it.

Lita silently cursed, then tucked in her limbs, turning herself into a pink shooting star and plummeting toward the deep, deserted alley she had flown from.

The Garrison

Moments later, soldiers had surrounded the alley.

“Who goes there!” the leading soldier bellowed, raising his spear towards a dark figure emerging from inside.

He was stunned when he saw the figure’s true identity.

“Lita-sama?”

“It’s me.” Lita, who had fully retracted her wings and tail, walked openly toward the soldiers.

“Looking at her casual demeanor, it seems like it really is Lita-sama,” a nearby soldier, unafraid of Lita hearing him, said to the one holding the spear.

“Just to be safe, it might be a Nightmare Demon confusing us.” The man did not lower his spear, keeping it aimed at Lita: “Lita-sama, why were you arrested at the Lord’s Manor?”

“Arrested? When was I arrested?” Lita was momentarily confused: “Are you talking about the time I was suspected of trying to assassinate Her Highness Cecilia, or the time I climbed Her Highness Cecilia‘s window?”

“It is Lita-sama! Only Lita-sama would call the Fourth Imperial Princess by her given name!” Only then did the man lower his spear. Then, by the light of the torches and lamps, he finally saw the bloodstains on Lita: “Lita-sama, are you injured?”

“No, this is a Nightmare Demon‘s blood.” Lita displayed her uninjured arm and the white undershirt stained red with blood.

“Where is the Nightmare Demon?”

“She ran off, heading that way.” Lita pointed in the direction the other Nightmare Demon had fled: “Forget about that, come back to the Lord’s Manor with me. Something has happened there.”

Seeing Lita pointing in the exact opposite direction from the Lord’s Manor, and then looking at the unharmed Lita and the strangely scented blood on her, the soldiers were full of questions, but a battlefield was no place for casual conversation.

“But Her Highness ordered us to stand by here and deal with the rioters.”

Why is it Cecilia‘s order? And what rioters?

Lita was completely unaware of the night’s events.

But at this moment, she had no intention of figuring out the situation. Other than rushing back to Cecilia‘s side, Lita wanted nothing else.

“Never mind, I’ll go back myself. Lend me a sword.” Lita walked past the leading soldier and took the army-issue saber the man handed over without a second thought.

The road back to the Lord’s Manor was extremely familiar to Lita, yet it had never felt so long.

She was using her maximum speed—her full speed as a Nightmare Demon—but the Lord’s Manor still felt impossibly far.

But every road has an end. The outline of the Lord’s Manor grew steadily larger in Lita‘s sight.

The surrounding air smelled more nauseating, mixing the faint, acrid smell of burnt protein with a thick, iron-like stench that made one want to vomit.

It was the smell of blood and fire, dried and fresh blood mingled, forming a unique reek under the heat of the flames.

Lita had never seen Hell, but if Hell truly existed, it must smell like this.

Lita‘s heart began to pound uncontrollably. Even when Klaus had pushed her onto the bed, her heart had never beaten this fast.

Walking the last stretch, the majestic gate of the Lord’s Manor appeared before Lita. The normally old and tidy front yard was now a complete mess.

Marks from weapons, traces of fire, stains of blood—these signs were splattered like irregular paint on the ground, the walls, and everywhere Lita could see.

A few dirty, hideous corpses were still lying there, seemingly narrating the complex events that had taken place.

In sharp contrast to this scene were the soldiers lined up at the gate, tired but with joy of victory written on their faces.

One of them saw Lita and quickly waved: “Lita-sama! You’re safe! That’s wonderful!”

Another saw the sword Lita carried, which was identical to the ones they held, and his heart tightened, thinking a comrade might have died: “That sword is…”

“I didn’t bring my own saber today. My Mistress lent it to me.” Lita had no time to explain: “Her Highness the Imperial Princess?”

“Her Highness is commanding the whole situation in the Lord’s Manor! If it weren’t for her, we might really have… Sigh!”

Phew. Good. Things are not as bad as I thought.

The breath Lita had been holding finally let out.

“Did you guys chase away that Nightmare Demon too?”

But the soldiers’ next words sent Lita‘s spirits plummeting.

“What Nightmare Demon? Where is there a Nightmare Demon?”

Lita‘s head buzzed again. The breath she hadn’t fully exhaled was forcefully sucked back in.

Countless thoughts bubbled up in Lita‘s mind like carbonated beverage bubbles. The loud pop of one bursting instantly dragged her back to reality.

Lita glanced at the tightly closed gate, then instinctively climbed the city wall with one hand.

A guard’s voice immediately rang out from inside the wall.

“Someone’s climbing! Defense!”

The soldiers outside were also startled by Lita‘s action and quickly shouted: “Don’t panic! It’s Lita-sama!”

The spears aimed at Lita were lowered. Other soldiers questioned Lita about her rush, but Lita ignored them all, focusing only on charging into the Lord’s Manor building.

The Final Confrontation

The interior of the Lord’s Manor looked the same as before, as if nothing had happened. But the more peaceful it seemed, the more Lita‘s ominous premonition swelled to an undeniable level.

Lita didn’t dare imagine what scene she was about to witness. Behind this facade of peace, could it be the sight she least wanted to see?

Closer now. It was within reach.

Lita burst through Cecilia‘s bedroom door, but the room was pitch black. The bed Cecilia should have been sleeping on was empty.

A maid, drawn out by the commotion Lita made during her frantic run, saw Lita, and the worry on her face vanished.

“Lita-sama! You’re safe!”

“Where is Her Highness?” Lita asked, turning her head. She didn’t even realize she was shouting.

The maid was stunned by Lita‘s abnormal behavior. Seeing her reaction, Lita‘s voice rose a few more degrees.

“Where is Cecilia?”

“Her Highness… she… she’s commanding in the conference room,” the maid replied tremblingly.

“I’m sorry!” Lita apologized through gritted teeth, leaving the terrified maid behind and running toward the conference room.

Moments later, Lita stopped in front of the conference room and saw the slightly ajar door.

Lita uncontrollably recalled the day she went to the brothel a few days ago; that door had also been slightly ajar.

“No, it won’t be,” Lita muttered to herself, her voice carrying a tremor she hadn’t noticed.

Then, she reached out her hand and pushed the door open.

She saw the guards lying haphazardly on the floor.

And she saw Cecilia sitting in the spacious chair behind the enormous desk, looking at her with her golden eyes.

“Lita.” Cecilia spoke with the light, bird-like voice of a robin.

She rose from the chair and slowly walked up to Lita.

She raised her hand and gently brushed aside the silver hair hanging by Lita‘s cheek, incidentally wiping away the bloodstains on Lita‘s face: “You look exhausted.”

Seeing Cecilia safe and sound, Lita did not feel relieved.

There was only one thought in her mind right now.

Is this person in front of me truly Cecilia?