V1: Chapter 41: Is It Really As She Says?

"Haha~"

"Hahaha~"

The laughter gradually subsided, replaced by a call from beside her ear.

"Liang Lin..."

"Liang Lin."

"Liang Lin."

Liang Lin's eyelids twitched a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Red.

It was red hair.

It was that red hair...

"Octaville..." Liang Lin murmured, feeling weak and powerless.

Yes, her memories were still there; Liang Di hadn't erased them.

"You're awake, sister."

Octaville's expression was somewhat ingratiating.

After all, this was her lover's sister, her sister-in-law; she couldn't afford to offend her.

You see, Octaville's sudden departure without saying goodbye back then had caused Hilary eight long years of heartbreak. How much Liang Lin hated her was beyond words.

“Octaville? You’re really Octaville?”

Hearing that familiar voice, Liang Lin snapped back to reality. She struggled to her feet, grabbed Octaville’s collar, and glared at her through gritted teeth.

“Where’s my sister? My sister’s with you! Right?!”

Octaville raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, her body involuntarily leaning back, creating distance between herself and Liang Lin, sweat beading on her forehead.

“Little sister, sit down first. This is a long story…”

“Then cut it short!”

“Uh…”

She really couldn’t argue.

“I just want to know where my sister is? Is that a hard question for you to answer?”

Liang Lin looked Octaville up and down with disdain, then let out a sneer.

“That’s right, a heartless woman wouldn’t care about the feelings of her lover and family.”

“Liang Lin…” Octaville frowned, a faint sadness in her golden eyes.

“Your sister is alright, she… she’s been by my side the whole time.”

Liang Lin slowly released her grip on the other woman’s collar.

“Really?”

“Really, I’m not lying to you.”

“Then, take me to see my sister.”

“This…” Octaville wrung her hands awkwardly, clicking her tongue, “This isn’t really possible.”

“Why?”

Liang Lin became wary, “So you were hiding something after all.”

“No, no, no.”

Octaville waved her hands frantically, “It’s…Hilary doesn’t want to see you right now.”

Doesn’t want to…see me?

Liang Lin froze.

“What, what do you mean by that last sentence?”

Doesn’t want to see me?

Liang Lin instantly turned into a gray-white plaster statue, feeling a heart-wrenching pain of being hated by her only family member, her only sister.

“No, no, no! It’s not what you think!” Octaville waved her hand again, feeling like it was about to break. “Let me explain.”

“After you died, Hilary was in a fire, and now she’s completely disfigured, even her vocal cords are damaged, so she can’t speak, so…” Octaville glanced at Liang Lin, “So, she doesn’t want to see you because she doesn’t want you to see her in this wretched state.”

Liang Lin stared at her.

After a long pause.

"I don't believe you. Don't treat me like a fool."

Damn, why has this child suddenly become so hard to fool?

Octaville raised her right hand and swore, "I swear on my behalf, as a citizen of the Soteland Empire, that everything I've said is true, and I will take you to see your sister in six months. If I can't keep my word, I will stand here, motionless, waiting for your sword to pierce my chest. If I go back on my word, I will have my head devoured by wild beasts."

This was the heaviest oath for the people of Soteland.

But our Magic Tower isn't under Soteland's jurisdiction, and I'm not a citizen of the Soteland Empire.

Octaville chuckled inwardly.

Liang Lin's expression softened.

"Alright... go back and tell my sister that I won't despise her. I'm going to see her tomorrow! Go back and tell her now!"

Liang Lin was still a child who listened to her sister. Although she felt that Octaville might be lying to her, she had no choice but to believe her now.

If Hilary truly didn't want her to see her disfigured face, and she went anyway, Hilary would be very upset and heartbroken.

"Okay, okay, I'll go back and ask her now, see if she's willing. I'll try to persuade her," Octavia said, feigning anger as she walked towards the window, shifting the blame. "Seriously, how can you keep your sister waiting? I'll go back and have a serious talk with her."

Beside her, Liang Di, who hadn't spoken for a while, appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly thought: (Disdain) She's henpecked; she's just putting on an act.

"Wait!"

Liang Lin called out to Octaville.

“Octaville, why do you know I am… wait, why can’t I remember my own name?” Liang Lin managed to utter the last few words, shaking her head violently to clear her mind. “Anyway, why weren’t you surprised at all when you knew I was Hilary’s brother? It was like you already knew.”

“Isn’t it incomprehensible that a soul can be possessed by someone else?” Liang Lin asked.

Octaville stopped, feigning confusion. “Didn’t you call Hilary ‘sister’? You can still accurately call me by my name. There are many things in this world that people can’t understand, like Liang Di’s body. So, even if your soul is in someone else’s body, what’s so surprising?”

That seemed to make sense, and Liang Lin didn’t know how to refute it.

“Where did you come from? What’s your relationship with Liang Di? What’s in that cave that won’t let me in?”

Upon hearing her name, Liang Di instantly sat up straight, like a student called on by the teacher in class.

“I happened to be nearby at the time. Liang Di is my friend. That cave holds the secret of the Langwendi family's curse. The reason I didn't let you in is because it's too dangerous for those without Langwendi blood,” Octaville explained.

“Liang Di, tell her about the secret of the Langwendi family's curse. Since she's already asked, it won't hurt to tell her.”

Octaville wanted to slip away quickly, leaving this mess for her adopted daughter.

Liang Di was already used to this woman's unreliability and silently nodded.

Liang Lin turned away, no longer watching Octaville closely.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the woman immediately bent down, carrying Laura and Gladys in one arm, like two piglets.

To Liang Lin's astonishment, Octaville pushed open the window, carrying the two women, and stepped one foot out.

“Hey—!”

This is the third floor!

The shout startled Octavier, who jumped out of the window without looking back, like a suicidal person who had lost all will to live.

Liang Lin stumbled and scrambled towards the window, leaning half her body out. She looked at the ground, then at the distance, but saw no sign of Octaville.