Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 314: Furious Ice Belle

After taking their leave from the throne room, Lucas and the others stepped into one of the palace corridors. The tension and excitement of the audience with the king still lingered, but Lucas wasted no time before turning to the group with a calm and steady tone.

"We cannot afford to relax just because we broke through," he said, folding his arms thoughtfully. "The foundations of these realms are fragile in the first few days. If we leave them unstable, it could cause internal injuries or backlash in battle. Go back to cultivation and stabilize everything thoroughly. The war is far too close for us to take risks."

Lira nodded immediately, still feeling the remnants of the powerful energy swirling through her core. "You’re right. My Qi is flowing so quickly that it almost feels unreal. If I don’t take time to settle it, I might damage my meridians instead of strengthening them."

Nyx stretched her arms a little, exhaling in amazement. "I still can’t believe I crossed those stages in one sitting. It feels like I have a completely different body. Honestly, I’m a little nervous to even test my strength."

Selene gave a small, tired smile. "I can barely feel my limbs. The energy is so dense I’m scared that if I move wrong, I might explode. Cultivating together was intense, but the aftermath might be even harder."

Henrietta remained quiet for a moment before speaking in a low, reflective voice. "Becoming a Sage... I thought it would take me decades. I don’t think I’ve even accepted it fully in my mind. Stabilizing this realm may take longer than I expected."

Lucas glanced at each of them, his expression gentle but firm. "It doesn’t matter how miraculous the breakthrough was. What matters now is that you all survive long enough to use your strength. So rest, cultivate and don’t push recklessly. The battlefield will demand everything you have."

They all murmured in agreement, fatigue finally catching up to them after the intense seventy-two hours of seclusion. Just as they were about to part ways, a sharp voice echoed through the hallway, cutting through the air like a child’s indignant cry.

"There you all are!"

All five of them turned at once.

Marching toward them with tiny but determined steps was the ice belle. Her snowy hair fluttered behind her, her cheeks puffed with irritation, and in her small hands she clutched a massive roasted chicken leg almost the size of her torso. Grease glistened around her lips, and crumbs dotted her dress as though she had been in a battle far more personal than any war outside the palace walls.

She stomped to a stop right in front of Lucas, pointed her greasy chicken leg at him like it was a weapon and glared with fierce betrayal.

"You left me!" she declared, her voice ringing with outrage. "All of you disappeared for days and days, and nobody came back, and nobody said anything. I was alone. Completely alone!"

Nyx blinked, stunned. "We weren’t gone that long... were we?"

The ice belle jabbed the air with her chicken again. "You were gone forever. I waited and waited and waited, and none of you showed up. Do you know how boring it was?"

Lira cleared her throat, trying and failing not to stare at the grease smeared across the girl’s face. "Where have you been all this time?"

The ice belle lifted her chin proudly, though her voice was still full of complaint. "In the kitchens. Obviously. I had to feed myself since all of you abandoned me. The cooks were terrified but they kept bringing food. I ate everything I wanted. And now you come back like nothing happened!"

Selene whispered under her breath, "She’s... louder than before."

The ice belle spun toward the girls and huffed loudly. "And you three! You left me too."

Henrietta pressed her fingers to her forehead as though she had just been struck by a realization. "She can talk this much now?"

The ice belle puffed her cheeks even more, her expression a mix of fury and pride. "I can talk plenty!"

She took a huge bite out of the chicken leg, chewing aggressively while still glaring at them, grease dripping down her chin as she mumbled through a mouthful of meat.

"So...Very...Displeased."

Lucas let out a quiet sigh, stepped forward and gently reached out to the little ball of frost and fury. His hand settled atop her head, fingers brushing through her cool silvery hair as he spoke in a low, sincere voice.

"I’m sorry," he said, meeting her pouty glare without flinching. "We shouldn’t have left without saying anything. We weren’t ignoring you, and we never meant to make you feel abandoned. We were cultivating for the war ahead, but that’s not an excuse. You’re part of us. You deserved to know, and I should’ve told you."

The ice belle’s tiny brows remained furrowed, her cheeks still puffed in indignation. She looked away dramatically as if trying to hold onto her anger just a little longer.

"Hmph. You think just saying sorry fixes everything?" she muttered, taking another stubborn bite of her chicken leg. "I was very, very lonely. And very bored. And nobody cared."

Lucas didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he continued stroking her head gently, his voice softening even more.

"I care," he said calmly. "And I won’t leave without telling you again. You have my word."

For a moment, she stayed silent. Her little shoulders trembled, not from cold, but from the struggle between stubborn pride and the comfort of being acknowledged. Slowly, her expression shifted. The scowl faded into a reluctant pout, then into something almost sheepish.

"...Fine," she grumbled, eyes darting away. "I accept your apology. But only because you said it properly. And because you rubbed my head. And because I was really lonely."

Lira covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Nyx failed entirely, letting out a quiet snort. Selene turned aside, her lips twitching. Henrietta shook her head with a faint smile.

The ice belle pretended not to notice any of it.

Instead, she took one step closer, grabbed onto Lucas’s sleeve with her free hand, and, with surprising agility, hopped upward. In one swift motion she climbed him like a tiny, determined squirrel, her cold fingers gripping his shoulders as she hoisted herself up and settled neatly behind his neck.

She looped her small arms around him, legs dangling on either side of his collarbones, and nestled there like it was her rightful throne.

"This is better," she declared, voice smug and satisfied. "If I stay here, you can’t run away again."

Lucas let out a helpless exhale. "I wasn’t planning to run in the first place."

She tapped the top of his head with the bone of her chicken leg, as if issuing a decree.

"Good. Because I’m staying here. And you’re taking me with you wherever you go."

The grease around her mouth gleamed, her tiny face firm with resolve, her frosty aura flickering faintly in pride.

Lucas could only nod.

"Alright," he said softly. "You stay."