Without doing tests, Caitlyn could forever be abandoned by the Miller family as an ordinary person. In his eyes, leading an ordinary life as an ordinary person can also lead to happiness.
He had grown up in such an environment since childhood, undergoing the cruelest training from the family just like. Certain dark memories would stay with him for the rest of his life, unforgettable.
As a father deeply in love with his daughter, Marcel only wished for Caitlyn to grow up safely and healthily.
Talent, at times, could become a deadly burden.
Benson pondered over every word his elder brother had just said and suddenly felt that he made a lot of sense. If possible, he would rather be just an ordinary pianist who loved Cheyenne.
“It’s a pity for Caitlyn. Her talent is the highest I’ve ever seen.”
“I hope she never learns the forbidden arts.”
“Mm.”
The little girl who had just turned three couldn’t understand the profound issues being discussed between the two adults, but she heard her father and uncle talking about her. She raised her head and gave them a sweet smile.
Like a small sun after a summer rain, half bright and warm, “Father, let’s go back.”
“Alright, let’s go back home.”
As they approached the door, Marcel suddenly remembered something and stopped in his tracks, turning to look back. The fine rain fell and became a tranquil background behind him. The father and daughter, one in a dark grey monk’s robe, the other in a white robe, looked like an eternal scene from a cartoon.
“Oh, by the way, I should tell you. Today, Charlotte is going to receive the inheritance in the shrine, and even His Majesty the Emperor is coming to witness the ceremony.”
“I suppose they’re preparing to make Charlotte the crown princess”
The Crown Prince, only thirty-four this year, never remarried after the death of his previous Crown Princess due to difficult childbirth.
If Charlotte becomes the head of the Miller family, it won’t be a problem for her to obtain the title of the Crown Princess. The head of the Miller family was supposed to take over by Benson.
As long as Charlotte obtained the approval of the ancestors and received the inheritance of the divine realm, she could officially become the next head of the Miller family.
Upon hearing this, Benson’s expression remained unchanged, and he gave a faint smile. “Is that so? Father must be very pleased.”
“Yes, he has lived his whole life for power. Darren, you actually have a good affinity with Buddhism. Why don’t you come with me to strike the bell? I’ll pay you a salary,” Marcel joked.
At his words, Benson’s face immediately turned black, and he outright refused, “No, I don’t want to. I still want to continue loving her.”
“Alas, then I won’t push it. When you figure it out and want to come and strike the bell, tell me. Remember, I’ve even prepared the tools for shaving.”
Benson: “…”
The winter sky turned dark early, and bright late. It was already 7:30 in the morning, yet the sky remained a hazy gray overhead.
In contrast, the Miller mansion was ablaze with light, casting a crimson hue over half the sky.
Voices echoed down the empty corridors, breaking the tranquil silence. “Hurry, the ritual will be started soon.”
“Miss Charlotte’s hairpin still needs fixing. I’ll take it to her right away.”
“Why hasn’t it been sent yet? Go now. Riko and I will check on the messengers first.”
“Hey!”
The clattering of clogs on the floor rang out urgently, like the drumbeats urging soldiers onward in battle.
At 7:43, the once serene shrine was now bustling with people. Dapper men and elegantly dressed women stood together, creating a surreal tableau that seemed to transcend time.
They stood solemnly in place, all gazing in one direction-the altar.
The altar was a square structure, roughly 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, constructed from white granite with solid mahogany steps. The surrounding handrails were sculpted from marble into forms of mystical creatures, vivid and lifelike.
In the center of the altar rested a rectangular high table, adorned with golden velvet fabric and a statue standing over 5 feet tall.
From a distance, it appeared as a girl with bangs, long hair cascading down, head bowed, seated with crossed legs. Wrapped in a soiled orange robe, a thick, gold snake-shaped hairpin secured her hair, and a floral wreath adorned her neck.
Her wrists and ankles bore four pure-gold handcuffs and chains. What was even more unsettling was the fact that she was not a lifeless stone or wood-carved deity, but a mummified corpse.
Up close, one would see the emaciated figure, with every rib visible through the skin, and bloodshot eyes peering from hollow sockets. A chillingly eerie aura pervaded the surroundings, instilling a sense of dread akin to being submerged in the coldest depths, evoking fear.
This was the Miller family’s venerated shikigami – Yesenia Miller.
Born over two hundred years ago, she was the eldest daughter of the Miller family. However, she fell in love with a wandering, carefree swordsman. Yet, the Miller family had already arranged for her to marry into the prestigious family. Her elopement with the swordsmanwas strictly forbidden.
Upon being captured, the swordsman betrayed her for the sake of his future. At that time, Yesenia discovered she was already with child, but the baby was forcibly aborted. Covered in blood, she was confined in the endless darkness of the clan shrine.
It remained uncertain how she acquired divine revelation to become the most powerful practitioner of Praying Magic. Upon emerging from the shrine, her first act was to personally slay her beloved. She used his blood to dye a piece of fabric, from which she fashioned a red robe before taking her own life.
In Jostrana, brides often choose white robes for marriage, symbolizing pure love; yet this vivid red seemed to signify Yesenia’s fierce rebellion against the world’s despair.
This touch of crimson encapsulated her final rebellion against the passionate years.