As a result, Fia didn’t go out.
It wasn’t that Anastasia forbade Fia from going out, but rather Fia didn’t want anyone following her.
According to Anastasia, it was very dangerous outside, and if Fia wanted to go out, she had to be accompanied by guards.
However, Fia wanted to go out just to be alone and think about her future plans.
Since she would be disturbed, there was no need to go out.
Anastasia wasn’t wrong about the danger, but Anastasia didn’t know anything about her.
If Anastasia knew her fire magic was powerful enough to blow up the entire city, she wouldn’t worry about her safety.
Of course, Fia did have a reason to go out.
She had obtained three items in the desert cabin: a map, “The Secret History of Witches,” and a silver dagger inlaid with gems. “The Secret History of Witches” mentioned at the beginning that the silver dagger should be returned to its owner.
Fia always respected the wishes of the deceased, so she wanted to find an opportunity to return it and fulfill a wish.
She also needed to go to the pawnshop and the Adventurers’ Guild to gather information—the Adventurers’ Guild was an organization mentioned in “The Secret History of Witches.”
“It’s getting more and more troublesome.” Walking down the corridor, Fia, dressed in a black evening gown, clicked her tongue.
To disguise herself, her black hair was dyed white with special magical dye, and her hairstyle changed from shoulder-length twin tails to a side ponytail.
If the previous Fia was a pitiful, cold-tempered girl, now she was the approachable type that people couldn’t help but want to get close to.
According to Anastasia, after the elf princess was defeated, the elite troops she led also collapsed.
The elves were either missing or captured by the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis, leaving Anastasia with only a dozen people.
These dozen people now all lived in the slave traders’ association, given various titles by the slave traders, and quietly operated in Aurora City.
As for why the slave traders were willing to help Anastasia, it was because the elf princess had once saved the life of a slave trader.
As the sky gradually darkened, standing in the third-floor corridor where Fia was, she could already see the lights of nearby households turning on one by one.
Apart from the magical array covering the sky, the city’s appearance was similar to but not entirely the same as a European medieval street.
Stone houses stretched layer by layer into the distance, the streets were interconnected, and the city was exceptionally clean.
The pedestrians on the street wore very simple clothes, only short linen shirts and shorts, often with patches.
Some people simply used hemp ropes to tie two pieces of cloth together, draping them over their bodies as a vest.
“Before dawn, take advantage of the time when the city guards change shifts and sneak out through the tunnel.” Repeating Anastasia’s words, Fia withdrew her gaze from the distance and continued walking in the empty corridor.
“Without even getting my consent,” Fia couldn’t help but sigh lightly, “after all, the idea of amnesia is very problematic.”
If she didn’t have memories from the Human Alliance, she would certainly think Anastasia was right, that she was just an amnesiac after being seriously injured, and her true self was still the elf princess.
However, if she were truly the elf princess, she wouldn’t have knowledge from the Human Alliance.
Moreover, the memories left by the elf princess had already explained clearly that the elf princess was truly dead.
If she were to explain this to Anastasia—Fia’s mind conjured up Anastasia’s hopeful face upon learning that the elf princess was merely amnesiac.
No… maybe she shouldn’t reveal the truth.
As long as she didn’t tell the truth, she could enjoy the familial and friendly bonds, the trust and loyalty of subordinates, just like a real elf princess.
Amnesia was a convenient excuse, allowing her to get to know this world from scratch, and people around her would be especially forgiving, not questioning why she didn’t even know her parents’ names, because all faults could be attributed to amnesia.
And the idea of “the elf princess being possessed” was further covered up by Anastasia with something called a magic surge crystal.
Indeed, Fia didn’t know the properties of the magic surge, but Anastasia’s genuine emotions couldn’t lie; she was telling the truth.
By playing dumb here, everything of the elf princess would belong to her.
Those feelings and bonds she had never experienced, those things she didn’t have but longed for, would all come to her with the next answer.
Not only parents, but she would also have friends, subordinates, even partners or suitors, a bright future awaited her.
And these were things that her lonely self couldn’t experience, and might find hard to have in the future.
For a moment, Fia couldn’t help but feel that the flickering candle flames on both sides of the corridor were cheering her on, as if she saw those glowing presences beckoning to her.
She couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, the night was eerily quiet.
“No.” Biting her red lips lightly, as if bidding farewell to something, Fia took a deep breath, “That’s wrong.” A bitter taste lingered in her mouth, but Fia felt a lot lighter, as if she had finally shed a heavy burden from her shoulders.
This was wrong, Fia understood this deeply.
Could she really accept everything of the elf princess so easily? She certainly hoped for, even craved, the care of friends and family, but only if those things truly belonged to her.
She couldn’t rightfully accept everything of the elf princess.
In other words, even if she hid the fact that she came from another world and agreed to Anastasia, when Anastasia and the people around the elf princess cared for her, she might be happy at the time, but when it was late at night and no one was around, she would definitely feel a deep emptiness and guilt.
Because she always knew in her heart that the people around the elf princess were actually caring for the existence known as the elf princess, not her, the impostor.
Bearing someone else’s title would ultimately only hurt herself.
Fia was too smart to deceive herself.
She had her principles.
Deception was something she couldn’t agree with.
Moreover, feelings should be sincere and unmasked; gaining attention under someone else’s identity was not the bond she sought.
Rather than living in constant fear, it was better to clarify things early.
This was what Fia wanted to say.
Unknowingly, Fia had already walked to the first-floor hall of the mansion.
This slave traders’ association was quite large, with a huge courtyard enclosed by walls in front, and “display platforms” with rain shelters around it.
As for what was being displayed, it was self-evident.
They were slaves locked in iron cages, waiting to be sold.
This was a world that retained slavery; if people broke the law, they would be reduced to slaves.
Slaves were not treated as humans, and most of the time, their treatment was even worse than livestock.
For example, the slaves in the courtyard now could only curl up in small iron cages, waiting for buyers to arrive.
It was not a pleasant scene.
The worse her mood, the more she saw distressing sights.
She should find an opportunity to talk to Anastasia tonight.
Just as Fia was about to turn back, something shining with a silver light appeared in her vision, and almost instinctively, she stopped and looked up at the courtyard.
Standing in the courtyard was a girl.
Seemingly concerned about the slaves in the cages, the girl’s face was full of worry, and her half-squatting posture added to this concern.
Just this scene alone was enough to show that she was a very gentle girl.
Although Fia could only see the girl’s profile, it didn’t affect the radiant beauty she exuded.
Her skin was as white as the moon, her pure eyes without any impurities, and her silver hair cascading like a waterfall.
Her dark dress was covered by a snow-colored shawl, and her calves were outlined by white stockings, creating an alluring curve.
The girl was bathed in the moonlight, emitting a transparent and sacred glow, like a goddess who had descended to the mortal world, making the originally bleak and desolate courtyard become soft and bright, becoming the center of this night.
Upon closer inspection, one could even see countless tiny light clusters floating around the girl, with elements dancing around her.
Standing in the courtyard, the princess from the moon.
If the black-haired elf princess was a fairy of the night, then this silver-haired girl was the moon spirit accompanying the night.
The dreamlike scene made Fia momentarily forget what she should be doing, as if something intangible was closely connecting her to this girl, causing her to completely ignore the fact that she had been staring at the girl for a long time.
“Hmm?” As if disturbed by something, the silver light clusters floating around the girl quickly disappeared, and the girl seemed to sense something, turning around with a puzzled expression.
Their eyes met.
Emerald green, as deep and pure as the starry sky, were her eyes.
What a beautiful girl.
—No, this isn’t the time to be staring at her.
Even though they were about ten meters apart, Fia still felt embarrassed for staring at her in a daze.
She quickly shifted her gaze away from this moon princess, instinctively wanting to leave this embarrassing place.
However, the girl took the initiative to call out to Fia.
“Wait.”
Being addressed like this, Fia couldn’t continue pretending to just pass by, and after being stopped by the girl, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.
This was the first time someone had called out to her proactively.
Not because she was the elf princess, but as herself.
Fia turned back, and by then, the girl had already come up to her.
“You—don’t find me terrifying? Like seeing a curse or something.”
