Thankfully, she could still go out and have fun for a few days in between. Otherwise, Tan You would have died of frustration. The longest prison sentence under criminal law was no more than twenty years, but in her case, it had nearly doubled.
Now that she could finally let go completely and go out to play, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t excited.
***
With the conflict between light and dark having come to a close, and Adina having made a name for herself in the Imperial City, Dumont and Catherine’s lives were anything but easy. The most direct consequence was that Dumont’s position as Family Head had been taken away, instantly transforming them from the Family Head and Lady of the House of an old, established noble family into an ordinary couple within that same family.
When all the glamour surrounding them faded and there were no longer any sycophants by their side, Dumont and Catherine could finally quiet their hearts and take a good look at themselves.
And once guilt tore open even the smallest of cracks, it would only continue to pour in, relentlessly, until it swallowed them whole.
Every year on Adina’s birthday, Dumont and Catherine would prepare a gift to send over. And every time, Adina would return it, untouched. Yet, the following year, the two would prepare a gift again.
This could be considered their belated attempt to make amends to Adina; perhaps doing so helped them feel more at ease. But Adina would always return the gifts untouched, and every time this happened, Dumont and Catherine’s spirits would remain low for a long time.
This year was different. Upon learning that the gift they had prepared was finally accepted into the Dark Divine Hall, Dumont and Catherine were ecstatic. They both thought this was the beginning of a thaw in their relationship with Adina. Catherine even began planning when she could go see her.
When a guard reported the next day that Adina had come to visit, the two of them grew even more eager.
Lilith happened to be home that day. It had also been her birthday yesterday, but she could clearly feel that the focus of her parents’ attention was not on her at all. All their thoughts were on Adina. She was standing right before them, yet they could only think of Adina.
Now, hearing that Adina had arrived at their doorstep, Lilith lowered her lashes, hiding the myriad thoughts in her eyes. Adina wasn’t even physically present, yet she was the first person everyone thought of.
All of that used to belong to her, but now...
As she was pondering these things, she saw Adina walk in, accompanied by several key figures from the Edmonds family. Walking beside her was the new Family Head, Robert, whose attitude toward Adina was exceptionally deferential.
Adina looked at these unfamiliar family members and just gave a small smile. "I’d like to speak with them alone. If you have any business with me later, Family Head, you can find me at the Divine Hall."
"However, I will be setting out on a journey soon, so I might not be at the Divine Hall much."
Robert nodded repeatedly. "Of course. Your Highness the Saintess, since you’ll be traveling, how about the family assigns a few guards to accompany you?"
Adina smiled. She glanced at the girl beside Robert who resembled a Little Leopard. "There’s no need. I’ll be going with the Second Elder and Davidson, so our safety is more than guaranteed. I heard your daughter tested for a Dark Element talent last month? Congratulations."
Robert laughed. "A happy occasion indeed! In the past, if I had found out Emily had a Dark Element talent, I would have been worried sick about how to keep her safe from others. But now, things are different. She can walk openly in society without having to hide. It’s all thanks to you, Your Highness the Saintess."
"Emily, come and greet Her Highness the Saintess."
Adina patted Emily’s head. "I’ve seen you at the Divine Hall. We’re already quite familiar."
Emily held Adina’s hand. "Mhm, I see Your Highness the Saintess often when I’m at the Divine Hall."
Robert was naturally pleased to see Adina showing favor to Emily. "Thank you for looking after Emily at the Divine Hall. I am truly grateful."
Adina didn’t take the credit. "I only put in a word for her; it was nothing. Besides, the way things are now is due to the efforts of everyone at the Divine Hall, not my work alone. Family Head Robert, shall we talk again later? They have been waiting for a long time."
Robert knew when to quit while he was ahead. "Alright. I will certainly pay a visit to the Divine Hall another day."
Adina usually refused to see Dumont, Catherine, and the others, but she would still meet with other members of the Edmonds family. The Edmonds family was, of course, very satisfied with this outcome. After all, one can’t have their cake and eat it too.
After seeing the family members off, Adina finally stepped into Dumont and Catherine’s residence. After Dumont had been removed from his position as Family Head, his family had moved to a remote part of the family estate, and their living conditions were indeed much worse than before.
The members of the Edmonds family left promptly, their discussion drifting back on the wind. "The Saintess’s power seems to have advanced again."
"It seems she’s already an eight-star Mage. I can feel the fluctuations of Magic Power around her. She must have just advanced not long ago."
"An eight-star Mage at such a young age... is this what it means to be a Divine Favored?"
"Sigh..."
Adina glanced around, her gaze finally settling on the people in the room. Upon seeing Lilith in her white Mage robe, Adina’s lips slowly curled into a smile. "Long time no see. It must have been ten years, by my count."
Lilith, for some reason, looked rather flustered. She avoided Adina’s gaze. "Yes, it has been ten years."
Dumont looked at Adina, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
Adina raised a hand, speaking first. "Let me go first. Here is the gift you sent yesterday. I’m returning it to its owners. Don’t send anything to the Divine Hall anymore. I won’t accept it."
Catherine looked as if she were about to collapse. "Adina, I am your birth mother. Do you... do you hate me this much? I know I did wrong in the past, but can’t we just move past this?"
Adina placed the gifts on the table. "I know you’re indignant and resentful. You resent that your ’little bit of favoritism’ back then has caused me to hold a grudge for so many years."
"Yes, I am indignant," Catherine said, wiping away a tear. "I just favored Lilith a little more. And you’re doing so well for yourself now, while our lives have changed so drastically because of you. Why do you still have to dwell on these things?"
Dennis and Danit hurried over to support Catherine. In just ten years, she had aged a great deal and no longer possessed the graceful and noble bearing of the wealthy matron she once was.
Adina was silent for a long time before she spoke. "In your eyes, I shouldn’t dwell on it, because I’m still alive today—and even living very well. But, Mother, I already died once because of you. How do you expect me to forgive you?"
Everyone frowned. Adina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do you think I started plotting to leave you at such a young age? If you hadn’t hurt me first, what child wouldn’t feel attached to their own parents?"
"It’s because I learned my lesson. My previous life came to a complete stop in the third month after my sixth birthday." Adina looked at them all. "You took Lilith and me to the Divine Hall of Light for a talent assessment, and I tested for the Undead talent."