Chapter 243: A Deal

Adeline’s tears had long since dried, but the ache in her heart remained. Despite her grief, a single thought burned in her mind- she had to confirm something. Benedict, Cassian, and Dimitri had all changed, their actions aligning with the original plot as if everything she had done to alter their fates had meant nothing. But what about Edward?

Her fists clenched tightly as determination replaced her sorrow. If Edward was affected too, then this wasn’t just a coincidence. She needed to know the extent of this strange shift- was it just the protagonists, or had the entire world begun reverting to the way it was supposed to be?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She had no time to waste. Without hesitation, she made her way back to the teleportation circle. The magic pulsed beneath her feet as she activated it once again, her body growing heavier from overuse. A sharp wave of fatigue washed over her, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. She would not let exhaustion stop her.

The moment she arrived at the Holy Temple, she took a deep breath and steadied herself. The grand white marble walls, the golden domes gleaming under the sun... It all looked the same.

It took her back to the day she exposed her lightning powers and was successfully able to prevent whatever Edward had planned. She could not forget the look on his face when that happened either.

Anger? No. Frustration? She did not think so. She did not know what exactly it was but she knew that it carried a hint of amusement. As if she was not even someone worth considering an enemy.

Adeline approached the temple guards standing at the entrance. They knew very well who she was.

"Lady Adeline," one of them said, his voice polite but firm. "What brings you to the temple today?" Who does not know about her? The only lightning user, the only daughter of the Western Marquess, the one with pink hair.

"I need to speak with High Priest Edward," she stated. Her voice was steady, betraying none of the turmoil in her heart. "It’s urgent."

The guards exchanged glances before nodding. "Please wait here. We will inform His Holiness of your arrival."

She nodded and clasped her hands together, trying to push down the nerves bubbling in her chest. She did not keep tabs on him personally, she knew her father would do that. But her guess turned out to be true.

Just like in the original story, Edward had become the Head Priest. Was this an ominous symbol? It certainly felt like it, she hated being here but she had to finish what she had started.

Minutes passed, and soon, the massive temple doors creaked open. A priest stepped forward and gestured for her to enter. "His Holiness will see you now."

Adeline followed him through the grand halls of the temple. The scent of burning incense filled the air, and the faint echoes of prayers murmured by the priests drifted through the corridors. It was peaceful, almost suffocatingly so.

It was clear that they were staring at her with malice. They did not want her there. I don’t want to be here either!

Then, she saw him.

Edward stood near one of the large stained-glass windows, his back partially turned to her. The light streaming through the glass bathed him in soft hues of blue and gold, giving him an almost ethereal glow.

His silver hair, as pristine as ever, fell neatly over his shoulders, framing his sharp, elegant features. When he turned to face her, those stormy grey eyes locked onto hers, unreadable as always.

Adeline forced herself to stay calm. He did not strike fear exactly... But his presence was unnerving, it made her feel overwhelmed with emotions and none of them were good.

"Lady Adeline," he greeted, his voice as smooth as she remembered. "It has been some time, hasn’t it?" He smiled.

"It certainly has." Adeline found it hard to muster those words but she managed.

He waved his hand and dismissed the person who brought her there. The heavy doors shut behind her, leaving them alone in the vast chamber. How could she even bring up the topic? She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts, but before she could speak, Edward interrupted.

"To what do I owe the honour of your visit? I’ve spent a lot of time and power to bring you to the Temple and here you are, standing in front of me, completely unguarded..." He smirked.

"Hah. Do you really think I am unguarded?" Asked Adeline. Sparks of blue electricity flew around her hand should she blast something to make an example of? Forget it. She waved away the lightning that circled her hand.

If he thinks she is still that naive little girl, she would not mind giving him a physical demonstration to show how wrong he was, why blast something else? Why not hit him directly? It would be far more satisfying.

"Ah yes. Your powers. If you are here just to threaten me, you can leave. There are too many wishing to do it and you have not moved up the list yet." He swished his white and gold robes around and took a seat. He held up his chin with his hand and looked at her, amused.

Adeline had enough of this. She did not waste any more time. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly."

"Honesty? And you think I owe you that?" His eyes narrowed. Adeline was ready to admit that this was a waste of time before he spoke again. "How about this, let me cut you a deal. You can get my honesty..."

Adeline crossed her arms and asked, "And what do you get in this deal?"

"You." He got up suddenly which made Adeline step back.

"Hah, no need to be afraid. I only need you to become the Saintess." He smirked.

Edward took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "I need you to become the Saintess," he repeated, his voice softer this time, yet firm.

Adeline scoffed, crossing her arms. "You already have a Saintess. You appointed Annora yourself."

Edward rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "You and I both know that I did not appoint her... willingly." His smirk returned, sharp and knowing. "And by now, you must have realised that she has someone behind her. Isn’t that why you came to me?"

He chuckled, watching her carefully, as if enjoying her helplessness. Adeline hated that look.

This was his true colours, well he never really hid it now, did he?

He wanted to bring Annora down. Ever since she found a new backer, she had grown bolder, acting as if she was untouchable.

Edward was not going to let her forget who had power over her. But more than that, he wanted Adeline. She was the vessel he had been after from the beginning. Making her the Saintess would keep her within his reach.

Adeline took a step forward, pressing a single finger against his chest, right over his heart. Her voice was steady, her eyes filled with warning. "I do not accept."

Edward let out a low chuckle, the sound filled with amusement. "Oh, Adeline, do you really think I would play a game I had no chance of winning?" His stormy grey eyes gleamed with confidence.

What other choice did she have? What other leads did she have?! In any case, he confirmed that it was the male leads that were targeted but for some reason, he was not. And he would not reveal any information unless she agreed to the deal.

Adeline clenched her fists. His words made her uneasy, but she refused to show it. He had the answers she needed. He knew what Annora had done, and he probably knew who was backing her too. If she accepted his deal, she could find out everything.

Could she go back on her word? She never saw herself as some righteous, promise-keeping person. If it was for her benefit, she could just pretend to agree and betray him later. But Edward was one step ahead.

"Swear by the Sun Goddess."

Adeline’s eyes widened in shock. Then, she felt rage. "You—"

The laws of this world were absolute. Just like Dimitri’s knightly oath bound him, swearing by the Goddess would bind her too. If she accepted, she would be forced to uphold her promise.

Her heart clenched. Dimitri... He swore his loyalty to her. And yet, today, he left.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and glared at Edward. "Fine. I take an oath."

Edward smirked in victory. "Good girl."

She wanted to kick him hard.

Because of the oath, he could sense when she was in danger. He said that to her, and now she wishes that she could get herself in danger so that he would come back.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report
Follow our Telegram channel at https://t.me/novelfire to receive the latest notifications about daily updated chapters.