Chapter 183: Lily: Afraid and Alone

Life had been rather bizarre lately for Lily...

As if being taken to the Sky Archon Trial Grounds without her consent wasn’t enough, returning to the real world just reminded her of how fickle it could be.

The first thing she wanted to know after she returned was how Sieg fared. Sue her for being so sentimental and attached, but she’s just unable to help it. Even though the guy sees him as nothing more than a friend, Lily still cared deeply for him.

This was her first shock upon returning—Sieg was gone. Word on the streets is that he left searching for opportunities and hasn’t been seen in a while. Even the bullies who harass him on a daily basis were searching for him because they’ve lost their main source of entertainment.

Lily didn’t have to employ sneaky tactics to discover this. It’s known all over the Desolate City because of one person who made it a big deal—Aria.

She came looking for him as soon as she returned and was worried sick upon discovering that he disappeared. Fearing for his life, she basically used all the manpower available for her use to do a carpet search for Sieg.

This kind of movement was huge and large; even some random drunk on the streets would notice it. That’s how Lily got the news.

She was worried too. But unlike Aria, she doesn’t have the manpower to do the same. Even if she has, there’s no way that her family will allow her to use a valuable resource like that for someone so worthless in their eyes.

This search lasted for a while until one day, Sieg returned as if nothing happened.

And he’s changed. He was stronger, more confident, and more capable. It’s as if he found his lost confidence and returned to his old self. He even embraced Aria out in the open like he used to when they were little.

Sieg hasn’t been that daring since after the initiation ceremony. Hell, he all but avoids meeting Aria, focusing more on his training instead, hell bent on proving something.

It was a touching and romantic moment, one that was burned to Lily’s retinas, reminding her that she never stood a chance at all.

While she was happy that he returned and seemingly found his fighting spirit and confidence back, she was sad because of what she saw.

Of course, somebody has to ruin that moment. The whole Desolate City knows of Aria and Sieg’s closeness, and no matter who you ask in there, everybody would say that Seig does not deserve Aria at all. She could do so much better than him.

So, of course, many people are against their continued closeness. Some even took it personally.

Someone’s lacky stepped up and attempted to remind Sieg of his place. But Sieg shocked everybody when he revealed that, all of a sudden, he was at the Pulse Awakening Stage.

He, a common Grade 5 martial talent—the worst of the worst, known as the city’s clown and a delusional fool—suddenly erupted and revealed a strength that’s equal to most of the common geniuses of the city.

Who wouldn’t be shocked?

This caused a lot of people to call him a cheater. Some even said that he made a deal with the devil to produce this kind of results. Some said that he was a heretic, accusing him of joining the Cult of the Lost Lambs or using forbidden medicine to increase his martial realm.

Anything and everything they could accuse him of to discredit his achievements were told, all in attempts to deprive him of the chance to rise above others.

It’s easy to understand why.

Because it’s unfair. Sieg wasn’t the only common grade 5 talent in the city. There were many others aside from him, ones who worked harder, who bowed their heads, showed humility, worked harder than most—even Sieg—and staked their own lives for a chance to change their fate.

But for some god-awful reason, it was Sieg who received this life-changing opportunity? Who would be happy with that?

But reality doesn’t change based on the whims and wishes of most people. Sieg’s realm and strength were very real. Regardless of what he used to achieve it in such a short time, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s now standing at the same platform as the common geniuses of Desolate City.

He proved his strength by returning all the humiliation he suffered from his bullies and his skeptics.

Even more shocking is that Sieg was also now a potion maker—a qualified and licensed one, at that, too.

He’s registered to the Lifestyle Guild and was personally tested by the branch manager himself. He passed the exams and got his license, granting him the qualification to start making and selling potions.

Suddenly, Sieg was under the spotlight again. And his radiance was shining even stronger the longer it went.

What a bizarre turn of events this all was.

Lily was happy for Sieg; she truly was. She just wished that he’d remember that it wasn’t only Aria who stood by his side when he was at his lowest. She was there, too. Although her presence wasn’t as loud as Aria’s, she was there, too.

Alas, no messages, no replies, not even a decent greeting when they meet on the streets. He just looks at her for a few seconds before walking away. Somehow, that was supposed to be his way of acknowledging her presence.

That sudden cold treatment made Lily’s heart cold. For some reason, she started thinking that she might’ve done something wrong. But she honestly couldn’t remember doing anything like that.

She wanted to clarify herself, but before she could even do anything, the cruelty of reality slapped her in the face again.

Her father, the Clan Head of the Heartveil Family, had fallen ill.

He collapsed and coughed out blood in the middle of an important family meeting. Lily had the front row seat to witness it happen, and she swore she never felt panic like she had when she saw that.

For all the helplessness and pressure bearing down her shoulders, most of which her own father enabled himself, Lily still loves him. She knew that he was doing his best, but he never learned how to be a proper parent.

Her father and her mother were in an arranged marriage. They didn’t hate each other per se but were never so affectionate either, from what Lily learned. Her mother died during childbirth, robbing her of a chance to truly know her.

And her father tries to be a good parent but is bogged down with family matters.

All that work and stress have accumulated. Lily learned that her father practically never slept when he learned of her sudden disappearance.

It wasn’t until they managed to make contact with her in the Sky Archon Trial Grounds that he was able to finally feel some relief.

But that’s the tipping point. Every bit of fatigue that had accumulated since he was placed in the position of family head finally caught up to him.

The doctors said that he had been on medication since then, but he was weak and old. He specifically asked them not to tell her about it because he didn’t want her to worry. He wanted her to focus on her life.

Also, he thinks that he still has some time and that he could still recover.

But reality proved otherwise. He was healing, yes, but the damage had been done, and its results left a deep and lasting effect on him.

Lily cried herself to sleep after learning that, blaming herself for being inattentive and irresponsible.

She resolved to harden her heart, especially since, with this incident, the ones that had been eyeing the position of the family head will surely begin making their plans.

Lily wasn’t stupid. She knows what will happen to her if her father were to be replaced or, god forbid, die. She wasn’t blind to the lustful looks her ’cousins’ were sending her way.

It’s her position as an heiress that’s stopping them from making a move. If she lost that, her life was over. They would turn her into a breeding tool—using the future of the family as an excuse to do unspeakable things to her.

This is not an exaggeration. Lily has seen and heard stories like this unfold before. It’s one of the plights of being a talented and beautiful female martial artist.

Sadly, cases like this happen a lot behind closed doors. The more reputable a clan or a family is, the more skeletons they’re hiding in their closets.

Lily was beside herself in this large family. Aside from her father, she couldn’t trust anybody. Not even the maids or servants.

She felt so utterly alone and scared.

And as much as she wanted to confide to Sieg about her problems, she couldn’t.

Forget about whether he’d even listen or understand; she’s not even allowed to be seen in the same frame as he was.

The cold grip of loneliness and vulnerability tightened their hold on her. Lily was afraid and was starting to feel desperate.