Girl Doesn’t Die in Fairytale Town: Chapter 17 – Departure
“Reality” and “truth,” at this moment in this place, were like oil and water, unable to mix, yet clinging to each other.
A faint fragrance drifted around Hua Qiling’s nose, the voices of Luo Yan and little Tini echoing around her.
Before her eyes was Mrs. Natalie, smiling sweetly and looking at her gently.
Hua Qiling could even reach out and touch the exquisite porcelain placed by the doorway. Only the oil painting on the wall was mostly obscured by shadow.
Sight, touch, smell… everything told Hua Qiling that these were “real.”
However, everything in her “Eagle Eye” remained the same. In the cold, “real” room, only Luo Yan was talking to herself.
The charming yet graceful Mrs. Natalie stood before Hua Qiling, seemingly awaiting her answer.
Hua Qiling instinctively reached for the sniper rifle on her back, realizing that “Mrs. Natalie” was unusual and that she might need to use her weapon.
“Sigh…”
A soft sigh sounded. Mrs. Natalie shook her head gently, her expression filled with disappointment.
“What’s wrong, Mrs. Natalie?” Luo Yan popped up from the side, a small golden head beside hers. “Did Miss Hua Qiling offend you?”
Luo Yan looked nervous, seemingly worried that Mrs. Natalie would be angry.
“No, she didn’t,” Mrs. Natalie replied softly. “I just feel that our guest from afar isn’t ready yet. I’m a little disappointed, but it’s alright.”
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and looked apologetically at Hua Qiling.
“Sorry, my tone might have been a bit harsh just now…”
“It’s okay.”
Hua Qiling released her grip on the sniper rifle and said with feigned ease.
An idea was forming in her mind, and she was grateful that she had stayed with Luo Yan.
From the moment she entered Ghost Town, Hua Qiling hadn’t left Luo Yan’s side, which was why she could see the “reality” of Ghost Town.
And when they entered the manor, she had held Luo Yan’s hand until they let go. Only then did “reality” crumble, and she found herself in the “truth” of Ghost Town.
The elegant silver-haired girl looked no different from an ordinary girl, even appearing slightly nervous next to “Mrs. Natalie.”
But Hua Qiling knew that it was this girl who allowed her to stand here safely.
—She was the only one in Ghost Town who, while existing in “reality,” could perceive the “truth.”
Even Hua Qiling herself could feel her form becoming somewhat ethereal, teetering on the edge between “reality” and “truth.”
If it weren’t for this… Hua Qiling wouldn’t be able to see the “truth” of Ghost Town.
Luo Yan stared at the contemplative Hua Qiling, frowning slightly.
“Why has Miss Hua Qiling become so blurry after just a short while…”
In Luo Yan’s vision, Hua Qiling’s body was now covered in scribbled patches of color, gradually replacing her clear form.
Especially her eyes, now that she had removed the blindfold, looked like random splashes of paint, crude and lifeless.
Suddenly, Luo Yan remembered Ling Qi.
She had witnessed Ling Qi gradually become as blurry as the other townspeople, and now Hua Qiling’s situation seemed similar.
“Luo Yan Sister, what’s wrong?” Little Tini asked softly, her innocent blue eyes looking up at Luo Yan. “Did little Tini upset you…?”
“Of course not, how could that be? Little Tini is so well-behaved.”
Luo Yan smiled and gently tapped little Tini’s nose.
Then she stood up and said softly to Mrs. Natalie, “Madam, Miss Hua Qiling doesn’t have a place to stay in town yet. Could we borrow one of the empty cottages outside the manor?”
“Of course, there’s no problem.” Mrs. Natalie smiled, her gaze fixed on Hua Qiling. “Our town is most hospitable. Our guest from afar… I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.”
A sweet yet dignified smile, charming yet composed—Mrs. Natalie’s contradictory yet harmonious demeanor made Hua Qiling feel apprehensive.
She was a “Ruin” level ability user, yes, but that only meant she was qualified to participate in “Ruin” level disaster events, not that she could single-handedly contend with a “Ruin” level disaster.
All investigators knew one thing: when encountering bizarre and incomprehensible events or rules in a disaster phenomenon, obediently complying was always the best option.
“Mm, thank you for your hospitality, Madam.”
Hua Qiling composed herself and bowed slightly.
Mrs. Natalie didn’t speak further. She turned and gracefully walked out the door, the soft sound of her footsteps gradually fading away.
“Miss Hua Qiling, let’s go. I’ll take you to the cottage,” Luo Yan said softly.
Hua Qiling couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but at that moment, she felt Luo Yan’s mood dampen considerably.
But in the blink of an eye, Luo Yan regained her usual liveliness, the slight curve of her lips, different from Mrs. Natalie’s, bringing Hua Qiling a sense of inexplicable comfort.
“Are we just going to leave like this?” Hua Qiling looked down slightly at the blonde, blue-eyed little Tini beside her. “She… is Mrs. Natalie’s daughter, right? Won’t she mind?”
The place where Luo Yan lived was basically an ordinary servant’s cottage, a far cry from the manor’s mansion. Old Era “nobility” would typically avoid such places.
And…
Perhaps because little Tini’s appearance was so similar to Mrs. Natalie’s, especially those blue eyes, Hua Qiling felt a sense of unease.
“Little Tini likes to follow me. She won’t mind.”
Luo Yan replied, and little Tini nodded firmly.
Since that was the case, Hua Qiling didn’t say anything further and followed Luo Yan out of the mansion, towards the edge of the manor.
After exiting the manor’s large iron gates, Hua Qiling glanced back at the mansion.
The desolate and gloomy old castle overlapped with the resplendent and elegant manor. Flickering shadows and elusive gazes seemed to be cast upon her, and the lingering figure in the black dress seemed to be hovering right before her eyes.
Just then, Luo Yan suddenly stopped, turned around, and handed something to Hua Qiling.
“Here, take these back.”
“What?”
Hua Qiling was startled. It was her daggers, with the blindfold she had removed wrapped around them.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
Hua Qiling forced a smile.
“Put it on,” Luo Yan said softly, referring to the blindfold. “And take these knives too. Then, leave the way you came.”
Hua Qiling’s pupils constricted. The innocent look on little Tini’s face vanished, replaced by an expressionless indifference.
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