Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 504: There is nothing to eat.

The Ice Belle’s expression shifted first, not into alarm or confusion, but into something almost childlike as her awareness fully settled into the present. Then, quite suddenly, she let out a soft, musical giggle that contrasted sharply with the overwhelming presence she had just been moments ago. The sound was light, clear, and strangely disarming, as though the oppressive cold that had filled the tent earlier had never existed at all.

"Hi," she said simply, her voice carrying a natural beauty that made even a single word feel unusually pleasant to hear, as if it resonated rather than merely sounded. Her gaze moved slowly across the space, taking in Lucas first, then the Empress, then the remnants of frost still clinging to the edges of the tent, as though she were reacquainting herself with existence itself. She tilted her head slightly, blinking once before continuing in the same calm tone, "How long was I sleeping."

Lucas exhaled lightly, still recovering from the intensity of what he had just witnessed, before answering her directly. "Almost two months," he said.

She nodded once as if processing the information with quiet seriousness, then immediately brought a hand to her stomach, rubbing it in a slow, almost absentminded motion. Only then did she glance around the tent properly, her eyes sweeping over the frozen surroundings, the remnants of ice that had once sealed her, and the empty space that now offered nothing of sustenance. It seemed the realization settled in all at once, because her expression shifted slightly into one of mild dissatisfaction.

"There is nothing to eat," she said plainly, her tone not accusatory at first, but then she turned her gaze back toward Lucas and the Empress with a faint narrowing of her eyes. "You should have known I would be famished after hibernation."

Lucas blinked at the sudden complaint, clearly not expecting the situation to shift in that direction so quickly, while the Empress remained composed, her expression unreadable for a moment longer before she responded with calm authority. "Your condition was not yet understood at the time," she said evenly, stepping slightly forward. "But that can be remedied immediately."

The Ice Belle looked at her for a brief moment, then seemed to accept the explanation without much resistance, her attention already drifting away from the complaint as quickly as it had come. The Empress continued without hesitation, her tone shifting into something more practical as she addressed the situation as if it were already under control. "I will have the cooks prepare you a proper meal," she stated. "Something suitable for your recovery."

At that, the Ice Belle’s expression softened slightly, the tension of hunger giving way to a calmer curiosity as she glanced around once more, now more interested in her surroundings than her complaint. The atmosphere in the tent, though still marked by remnants of her awakening, had begun to settle into something far more stable, as though the world itself was adjusting to her presence rather than resisting it.

For a brief moment after the Empress spoke, the Ice Belle simply stood still, testing the new state of her existence, then with a soft, almost curious breath she lifted both hands slightly and the golden aura around her responded as if it had been waiting for her will. From that radiant glow, fine crystalline particles began to gather, not forming ice in the crude, broken way of frost or winter, but something far more refined and deliberate, as though nature itself had been rewritten under her touch, and slowly those shimmering fragments wove together across her form, shaping themselves into a flowing, flexible dress that clung naturally to her silhouette without restriction, adapting to every subtle curve with an elegance that looked less like fabric and more like living crystal given softness and intent. The material reflected faint traces of the remaining light, shifting between pale gold and translucent silver depending on how she moved, and it settled upon her like something both protective and ornamental at the same time, enhancing rather than concealing the graceful balance of her matured form. Once it was complete, she lifted her hands again, and her long crystalline hair responded in kind, gathering itself smoothly as if guided by an unseen hand until it was neatly tied into a high ponytail, the strands still retaining their faint glow but now arranged in a style that emphasized her neck and shoulders with striking clarity.

She turned slightly afterward, as if newly curious about herself, and stepped closer to a faint reflective surface formed from a smooth sheet of ice along the tent’s edge, she saw her reflection clearly. For a brief silence she simply observed, her head tilting slightly from one side to the other as she took in every detail of her transformed appearance, the softness of her features, the refinement of her posture, the way the light still seemed to respond subtly to her presence even when she was still.

Then, without any arrogance or hesitation, she smiled faintly, almost to herself, as though quietly acknowledging something only she could fully appreciate, and she continued to study her reflection with a calm, unguarded fascination, completely absorbed in the simple, almost human act of admiring what she had become.

Lucas’s voice broke the lingering stillness in the tent, steady but cautious as he spoke to her. "There is a crowd outside," he said, glancing toward the entrance where distant murmurs and shifting footsteps could still be heard, evidence that the entire encampment had remained gathered, waiting despite the overwhelming display they had just witnessed. "They have been waiting for you to emerge."

The Ice Belle paused for a moment, as if processing not the information itself but the weight of attention that came with it, then she simply nodded once, her expression lightening into something more open and almost playful. Without hesitation or hesitation, she turned toward the entrance and began to walk forward, the crystalline dress she had formed earlier moving fluidly with her steps, catching faint traces of remaining light and scattering them softly as she moved. Lucas followed a short distance behind, while the Empress remained composed, observing silently as the moment unfolded.

The instant she stepped out of the tent, the atmosphere outside shifted again.

Dozens upon dozens of eyes locked onto her at once.

The crowd, which had previously been held in a tense mixture of awe and uncertainty, collectively fell into stunned silence. The cold that had once dominated the area had already begun to recede, but the memory of it lingered in the air, making the contrast with her radiant presence even more striking. Standing there at the center of it all, she no longer appeared as something distant or incomprehensible, but instead as something undeniably real, captivating in a way that drew every gaze without effort.

Then she smiled.

It was not a distant or formal smile, but something bright and genuine, carrying an ease that seemed almost unfair given the magnitude of what they had just witnessed. Her eyes moved across the crowd with natural curiosity before landing on familiar faces, and when she spotted Lira, Selene, Nyx, Henrietta, Lady Isabelle, Lady Cecilia, Gwen, and the others, her expression brightened further.

Without warning, she lifted one hand and gave a playful wink in their direction.

The reaction was immediate.

Lira froze for a second, caught completely off guard, her earlier tension dissolving into sheer disbelief. Selene’s usually composed expression cracked into stunned silence, as if she could not reconcile what she was seeing with what she had expected. Nyx narrowed her eyes slightly, but even she could not hide the faint shift of surprise. Henrietta blinked once, then again, as though confirming to herself that the figure before them was indeed real. They had expected this, as they had seen her in a matured form before, but this one was more beautiful and pretty and adorable.

Lady Isabelle and Lady Cecilia exchanged a glance, both visibly shaken by the sheer presence of the girl now standing before them. Gwen simply stood motionless, her usual confidence subdued by quiet astonishment.

Across the entire encampment, a single feeling spread without need for words.

Awe, not fear and not confusion either.

Just pure, silent awe at the being who had stepped out of ice and light as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The moment the initial shock began to settle across the crowd, the Ice Belle did not linger where she stood in passive admiration, instead she moved forward with light, confident steps that drew attention without effort, her crystalline dress catching faint traces of remaining light as she crossed the distance toward the group of girls. There was an ease in her posture now, a kind of playful authority that did not match the overwhelming presence she had displayed earlier, yet somehow felt natural on her newly matured form. Lucas watched from a short distance, while the Empress remained still, observing everything with quiet scrutiny, as if measuring not only the girl’s power but also her temperament as it unfolded in real time.