Read Novel Full Chapter 573: Old Memories (2)
Chapter 573: Old Memories (2)
She raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the question. It was not what she had expected; normally, people asked about treasures, techniques, or secrets.
“Why?”
“Curiosity.” He replied immediately, his voice carrying genuine interest.
“A family so powerful, living in a city that travels through the skies… I can’t help but wonder what life is like for someone in that position. What your daily routine is, what you do when you’re not cultivating or managing affairs.”
He looked once more at the illuminated scenery.
“It must be very different from everything I know.”
Gao Ziyue let out a soft laugh, a sound born more of surprise than amusement.
It was a simple question, yet no one ever asked it. No one simply asked… how she lived.
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes returning to the enormous window. For a few seconds, she seemed to organize her thoughts, as though choosing which words to use to describe a reality she rarely put into words.
“It is…” She smiled somewhat bitterly, the smile of someone familiar with the ironies of her own life.
“Quite lonely.”
Kyrian remained silent, neither interrupting nor pressuring her. He simply waited for her to continue when she was ready.
“My father has always been extremely protective of me.” A trace of affection appeared in her eyes as she mentioned Patriarch Sky, a light that brightened her face.
“After my mother’s death, it became even worse. He doesn’t want to lose me too, so he built walls around me, walls made of guards, protocols, and restrictions. All to protect me.”
Her voice grew softer, becoming more intimate.
“There are guards everywhere. Even when I can’t see them, I know they’re watching me. Every movement, every step, every breath is recorded by someone.” She gave a small laugh, but there was no joy in it.
“When my father can’t do it personally, other people write reports for him. He knows where I am, who I’m with, and what I’m doing, almost all the time.”
Kyrian imagined what it must have been like to grow up that way, protected, yes, but also constantly watched, constantly monitored. A golden cage, no matter how comfortable, was still a cage.
“So you never go out?” The question sounded more like a realization than an actual question.
She smiled, and this time there was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, a spark of rebellion that contrasted with her usual image.
“I do.”
Kyrian raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
She brought a finger to her lips, a conspiratorial gesture.
“But don’t tell my father.”
He let out a small laugh, a sound so rare that it seemed to surprise him just as much as it surprised her.
“I don’t intend to.”
She laughed as well, a light, natural laugh, very different from the elegant and impeccable demeanor she usually maintained in front of others. It was laughter that came from the depths of her soul, unconcerned with being graceful or controlled.
“Sometimes I use illusion techniques.” She made a small gesture with her hand, as though sketching a shape in the air.
“I completely changed my appearance. My face, my hair, my voice. Even my spiritual presence. I become unrecognizable, just an ordinary person among many.”
She looked toward the auction once again, but her eyes seemed to be seeing something much farther away.
“Then I walk through the city just like any other cultivator.” Her expression softened, a sense of tranquility settling over her features.
“It’s a…” She searched for the right word, savoring each syllable.
“Liberating.”
Her eyes grew distant as she recalled those few occasions, as though savoring every memory of them.
“I can enter small shops, try food from street vendors, listen to musicians without them stopping out of respect, and talk to merchants without them trembling in fear.” A genuine smile appeared on her lips.
“No one knows who I am. I’m just another person.”
Kyrian nodded slowly, understanding what she meant. He knew freedom; he could travel across the continent without restraints. Freedom was almost always most precious when it could only rarely be enjoyed.
Her smile gradually faded, like a light slowly going out. The cheerful glow gave way to something heavier, deeper, a sadness she had carried for a very long time.
“But it never lasts long.” Her voice became quiet again, filled with a resignation that was painful to hear.
“Because I can never form any bonds.”
She looked at her own reflection in the wine, at the distorted image floating upon its golden surface.
“People worry about things so different from mine. Some complain about the price of food, others talk about marriage, children, or small family disputes.” She paused, her voice becoming even softer.
“Meanwhile…” Her hand tightened slightly around the wine glass, her fingers curling around the crystal.
“I spend every single day thinking about how to defeat a Heart Demon.”
Kyrian remained completely attentive, his presence serving as a silent anchor for her words.
She continued, her voice taking on a more distant tone, as though she were speaking to herself.
“After I learned the truth about Azhura’k, after I witnessed his suffering, his pain, his loneliness… I spent years thinking of nothing else. Cultivating, becoming stronger, finding a solution, finding a way to free him.” Her smile became melancholic, a bitter trace upon her lips.
“Without realizing it, I left everything else behind. The world, friendships, simple moments. Everything.”
She let out a soft sigh, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of decades.
“By the time I realized it… it had already been a very long time since I’d had a normal conversation with someone.” Her eyes returned to Kyrian, and there was a vulnerability within them that she rarely revealed.
“I think… that’s why tonight has been so enjoyable.”
Kyrian remained silent for a few seconds, processing her words, feeling their weight. Then he nodded slowly, a gesture that was not one of agreement but of understanding.
He did not try to say that he understood perfectly, because he didn’t. His life had been different; his burdens were not the same. But he understood enough, enough to know that her words were true.
“Even though you belong to one of the most powerful families in the world…” His voice remained calm, as always.
“You still have problems that no one can solve for you.”
Gao Ziyue smiled, a small but genuine smile, like a flower blooming in barren soil.
“Exactly.”
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