—Yes, the future era.
For Elle, everything revealed in this nightmare suggested a possibility of the “future”.
Every part of this nightmare was so detailed and novel. They were all things she had never seen before, so how could it be a fictitious dream?
After all, Elle knew that catching a glimpse of the future in the dream world wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
The legendary curse vessel in the hands of Mr. Ray’s pope — the Man of Silence, St. Peter, offered a glimpse into the future.
However, his silence might be the price of getting a glimpse of the future.
Since the power of the legendary curse vessel could achieve this, why not the deities?
Elle believed that if she lived in this era, she wouldn’t have… at the very least, she wouldn’t have met such a tragic end as she did 60 years ago.
Her mother was gorgeous. She had a talent for singing, with a voice reminiscent of a siren. She could play the piano and a stringed instrument so well that among the mountain folks of the Noah Kingdom, Elle’s love for concerts primarily stemmed from those times when her mom would play and sing cheerfully for her.
Back then, Clara had only heard a handful of songs when she was 13 years old. However, even with just the melodies she picked up from wandering poets and her casual humming, she was utterly enchanting.
People said she was resilient, remarkably beautiful, and endearingly naive — but her biological father, Joseph, wouldn’t just settle for any wife. Being a prodigious wizard who achieved the Silver Rank so young, he was bound to be part of higher-ups if he chose politics and destined for wealth if he ventured into business.
His fate was destined to be different from Clara’s.
He was fascinated by Clara’s voice, which prompted him to take the time to deeply understand her personality, her history, and everything about her. It might’ve been what made him fall for her. As a Silver Rank wizard, he went out of his way to bring a girl, who lacked magical aptitude and couldn’t even read, into the wizard’s tower to be with him.
He taught Clara how to read, taught her about human nature, taught her rituals and spells, took her to concerts, and hired teachers to teach her multiple musical instruments. However, these were merely Clara’s pastimes.
Ever since Elle was young, she knew that her mother’s only wish was to become a big shot and rise to nobility, rather than just living in someone else’s shadow.
Singing and playing the piano wouldn’t achieve her goal.
Even if she became a great artist, she would only become the priestess of the Elegant Elder, at best. Besides, she never really saw singing as an art form… She just looked at it as a way to win people over, a tool to delight them.
Therefore, the Elegant Elder would not acknowledge her.
Even if she was recognized… if she wanted to climb up the society ladder through this path, it would take a longer time than the wizard path.
She’d have been better off marrying some high-ranking noble without an heir and then poisoning him. If she had played it right, she could have secured her status as a noble… And if one murder hadn’t done the trick, there was always the next.
Marrying Amos wasn’t aligned with Clara’s plan either.
As for why did the marriage take place, Clara was impressed by his talent.
Clara gave birth to Elle when she was 17 years old — she was still called Elle at the time. When she remarried Amos, Amos was only 19 years old…and 5 years younger than Clara.
At that time, Amos was a genius.
His talent was even recognized by a bishop of the Elegant Elder — and each year, his skills surpassed those of the previous, advancing rapidly. At the same time, he was also a gentle-mannered, charismatic young man with a magnetic voice, always courteous and graceful in his interactions.
Even though Clara had many sinister plans and schemes in mind, when compared to her love for Amos… she was willing to set them aside for a while. At least, she couldn’t let Amos see her true nature, and for that, she even went as far as threatening her own daughter.
So, from a very young age, Elle realized that her mother never truly loved Joseph.
Perhaps the only person she ever loved was Amos. Amos was indeed in love with her… He was in love with Clara and Elle too.
If they had been in this future era where even singers and pianists could rise to prominence, Elle’s mother might not have plotted such sinister deeds involving taking lives. And if Amos’s endeavors had gone smoothly, he wouldn’t have resorted to forbidden rituals… trading away his own daughter and lover.
So, probably Elle’s family would be like this.
Her eyes stared blankly at the light brown surface of the coffee.
—People in the future are truly fortunate.
So fortunate that she even felt a twinge of envy… almost bordering on jealousy.
It would be great if I could live in this era too.
Just by tapping into the power constructed from the Venerated Skeleton’s bone, a mere glimpse left Elle entranced.
It felt like a fantasy had come true.
Looking at the people who entered the nightmare with her, they still looked calm and rational, which made Elle feel a little ashamed.
…Be more reserved, Elle! Look how calm everyone is!
A lady can’t be so rude…!
…Even though I have already made a fuss of myself.
Elle let out a silent cry in her heart, sitting up straighter out of sheer embarrassment.
She ate another piece of fluffy pastry and showed a happy expression.
With so much sugar added, it’s sweet but not overly so, soft yet holds its shape… This must be a premium pastry only a noble young lady gets to enjoy, right?
Then, there’s the “Alpine Wine” as well. The Roseburg Viscount can’t even afford it, but it has become a common people’s food in the future.
She noticed students in casual clothes coming in with their textbooks, grabbing a bite and coffee, and chatting away happily.
While engrossed in thoughts, Elle raised her coffee cup in front of her mouth, trying to appear more refined as she nibbled on her pastry like a squirrel.
Taking the opportunity, she opened her clear emerald-green eyes wide, looking around with a curiosity like that of a cat. If not for this, she wouldn’t dare gaze at strangers for fear they might notice and look back at her.
This city seemed so new and beautiful to her.
It would be a pity if I could only live here for one day…
She tentatively took a sip of the coffee and frowned at its bitterness.
I have added so much sugar!
Why is it still not sweet enough?
However, this bitterness, when mixed with the sweetness of the pastry, created an unexpectedly balanced taste.
Elle hesitated for a moment. Should I take a few more bites of the pastry or add more sugar to my coffee?
Hmm… let’s add more sugar.
Amos used to say, “It’s normal for girls to love sweets! Eating more sugar makes your smile even sweeter… just watch out for cavities.”
Compared with Alpine Wine, the pastry is so much more delicious.
What if after coming out of the nightmare, I can no longer eat it…
It would be better to eat less so I won’t miss it too much.
Elle pondered and then put down her coffee cup.
It spilled some coffee on Elle’s eye mask.
“Are you okay, Little Elle?”
Celecia, who was sitting diagonally opposite, noticed it immediately.
“Ah, I’m fine…”
With the idea of ??not bothering others as much as possible, Elle took off her blindfold and showed an apologetic smile, “I actually don’t need the blindfold. I’ve just gotten used to wearing it. I can use my hair to cover my eyes.”
As she finished her sentence, she froze momentarily.
At that very moment, she suddenly realized she could open her left eye. In the socket where there should have been nothing, there was now the distinct texture of an eyeball.
[Elle… Open your eyes.]
An ethereal, hallucinatory voice sounded in her heart.
“…No.” An inexplicable fear made her momentarily choose to resist.
On the other side…
Annan sat upright in front of the mirror, closing his eyes.
“Elle… Don’t be afraid. Open your left eye.”
He whispered softly and gently.
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