Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 505: You’re pained

She stopped directly in front of them, her gaze first passing over Lira, then Selene, and finally Nyx, as though assessing them with renewed familiarity. Then, without warning, a faint smile formed on her lips, one that carried a teasing edge rather than hostility. "So," she began casually, tilting her head slightly, "you all look the same as I remember, still acting like I am something to be managed." Her tone was light, but there was unmistakable confidence beneath it, the kind that suggested she no longer saw herself as something delicate or dependent, but rather as something that had outgrown how she was previously perceived.

Lira opened her mouth slightly but said nothing, still processing the shift in the girl before her, while Nyx narrowed her eyes, studying her carefully as if trying to determine whether this was truly the same being they had known. Selene, however, recovered her composure faster than the others, her expression firming as she crossed her arms and stepped forward just a fraction. "You may look different now," Selene said calmly, her voice steady and unshaken, "but that does not change what you are. Having the form of a matured girl does not mean you are one."

The Ice Belle blinked once, as if genuinely unimpressed by the statement, before leaning back slightly and blowing a small raspberry in Selene’s direction, the gesture completely out of place yet delivered with surprising confidence. "Pained," she said immediately afterward, pointing lightly at Selene as if declaring a conclusion, "you are pained."

The bluntness of the remark caused a ripple of stunned reactions across the group. Selene’s eye twitched faintly, though she maintained her composure, while Lira looked between them in confusion, unsure whether she should intervene or simply accept that reality had shifted into something far less predictable than before. Nyx, on the other hand, exhaled slowly through her nose, her expression unreadable but clearly registering the absurdity of the moment.

Beside them, Lucas remained silent, and even the Empress, though still composed, watched the exchange with a faint narrowing of her eyes, as though beginning to understand that the Ice Belle’s awakening had not only changed her power, but also amplified a personality that refused to fit neatly into any expectation.

The tension that had filled the encampment earlier gradually dissolved as the Ice Belle’s mood shifted once more, her sharp confidence softening into something far more playful as she turned away from Selene’s protest without lingering on the argument. In the next moment she was already moving, circling Lira, Selene, and Nyx with effortless lightness, tugging them into motion as though the heaviness of everything that had just transpired no longer applied to her at all. Lira, still stunned but unable to resist the sudden change in atmosphere, found herself moving along hesitantly, while Nyx followed with cautious curiosity, and Selene, though still visibly displeased, allowed herself to be pulled into the strange rhythm of the moment as well. What began as walking quickly shifted into a playful rush, the Ice Belle darting ahead with a burst of energy that made it clear she had no intention of standing still for long, her laughter carrying behind her as she led them away from the center of the crowd.

For a brief while they moved like that, weaving through the open space near the camp, the earlier awe of the onlookers slowly giving way to confusion and then reluctant amusement as they watched the scene unfold. The Ice Belle moved with a kind of unrestrained freedom, occasionally glancing back to ensure the others were following before darting forward again as if challenging them to keep up. Even Selene’s stern expression began to soften slightly at the absurdity of it all, though she still tried to maintain a sense of control over the situation, clearly unimpressed by how quickly the girl shifted from an awakened being of overwhelming presence into something resembling an overexcited child.

Then, just as suddenly as she had started running, the Ice Belle stopped mid-motion.

The abrupt halt caused Lira to nearly stumble, while Nyx slowed her pace with a raised brow, and Selene came to a more controlled stop a few steps behind. The Ice Belle turned halfway back toward the direction of the main camp, her expression bright and expectant as if she had only just remembered something extremely important. Without hesitation, she raised her voice and called out clearly toward the Empress, who still stood near the tent, observing the entire scene with composed detachment.

"Hey," she shouted, completely unbothered by the attention she drew, "remember to tell the cooks to prepare me something delicious and very meaty."

A faint pause followed her words.

The Empress did not react immediately, only letting her gaze rest on the girl for a long moment as the playful energy lingered in the air. Then, almost imperceptibly, she exhaled and shook her head slightly, her expression remaining composed but clearly resigned to what she was witnessing. There was no irritation in her demeanor, only a quiet recognition that despite everything the Ice Belle had become physically, there were aspects of her nature that had not changed in the slightest.

Lucas, standing nearby, watched the exchange in silence, while the Empress finally spoke in a calm, measured tone, already turning slightly as if issuing the necessary instructions. The thought lingered in her mind that, even now, the Ice Belle remained fundamentally unchanged in the ways that mattered most in daily conduct, still driven by impulse, still playful, still incapable of treating the world with the gravity others were forced to carry. Yet there was no denying the simplicity of her existence either, a being who did not rely on complex cultivation paths or rigid discipline to grow stronger, but instead something far more innate, something tied directly to her nature.

The Empress’s gaze returned briefly to her before she gave a small, almost indifferent acknowledgment, as though accepting a fact rather than offering praise or criticism. The Ice Belle, in contrast, had already turned back toward the others, her earlier demand forgotten as quickly as it was made, slipping once again into lighthearted movement as though nothing in the world weighed heavily enough to hold her still for long.

The Empress did not waste time on further observation. With a slight turn of her head, she called out calmly, "Tom."

The squire stepped forward immediately, attentive and ready.

"Go to the kitchens," she instructed, her tone even but firm. "Tell them to prepare a proper meat-heavy meal, exactly as she requested. Do not delay it."

Tom bowed once. "At once, Your Highness."

Without another word, he hurried off toward the cooking quarters, already aware that this was not a request that could be postponed or handled casually.

The Empress watched him go for a moment longer, then shifted her attention away from the lively scene unfolding near the girls. The Ice Belle’s laughter still carried faintly through the camp, mixed with the voices of Lira and the others, but the Empress no longer focused on it. Her expression settled into something more composed, more distant, as she turned slightly toward Lucas.

"Come," she said simply.

Lucas glanced once more toward the direction where the Ice Belle had already returned to her playful chaos, then followed without protest.

Together, they began walking away from the central encampment, moving toward the king’s command tent. The atmosphere around them gradually shifted as they left the area of noise and curiosity behind, replaced by the more controlled, guarded stillness of military order.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The Empress walked with steady confidence, her thoughts clearly elsewhere, while Lucas remained quiet beside her, still processing what he had just witnessed. The expectation they had both carried earlier, that the Ice Belle would require guidance, restraint, or even assistance after her awakening, had quietly dissolved in the face of reality.

She had not needed help.

Not in the way they had assumed.

If anything, she had needed nothing more than food and amusement, moving through the situation with an ease that defied the gravity of everything surrounding them.

Finally, Lucas broke the silence, his voice low and thoughtful.

"She didn’t even ask about the war," he said.

The Empress did not immediately respond, her gaze fixed ahead as they walked.

Lucas continued, more quietly now. "No questions about strategy, no concern about what is happening outside this camp. Nothing."

A brief pause followed, the weight of that observation settling between them.

The Empress exhaled softly through her nose, not quite amused, not quite disappointed, but something in between.

"No," she said at last. "She did not."

Her tone carried no surprise.

Only confirmation.

They walked a few more steps before she added, almost as an afterthought, "She is not like us."

Lucas glanced at her.

The Empress’s expression remained composed, but her words were precise.

"Whatever she is," she continued, "she does not move by the same priorities. The war, the politics, the kingdoms... none of it anchors her attention."

A faint pause.

"Only what she wants in the moment."

Lucas looked ahead again, silent.