Chapter 66: Sisters at the Riding Grounds

According to Gloria, if she said she was too alluring, maybe it really just came down to her blood tasting better than Seleste’s.

Vellandelle thought about it for a moment and then stopped.

She looked at the empty corridor.

Right now, aside from her leaving the Teacher’s office, everyone else was in class.

But… did she really have to sit here and wait for an hour?

Uh…

Maybe she should take a walk around the campus and come back when it was almost time.

Having decided, Vellandelle strolled along the Academy’s winding stone path.

Along the way, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows.

Unknowingly, she found herself at the edge of a spacious field.

If she remembered correctly, this was the Academy’s Equestrian Training Field.

The field was neatly enclosed by white fences.

Several sleek horses paced inside.

A few scattered students practiced basic movements under Instructor guidance, or galloped freely, the sound of hooves thudding against the grass.

Her gaze was quickly drawn to a pair of purple-haired sisters in the field.

They were two Ghost Clan Sisters.

The elder, Louise, rode atop a tall black stallion, sitting upright, reins in hand.

Her short, deep-purple hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and her pure black riding attire made her pale skin stand out even more.

Her eyes were focused on her younger sister in the opposite direction.

Not far away, her sister Mena looked much more nervous.

She was riding a gentler chestnut mare, her small hands gripping the saddle tightly, her slender body swaying slightly with the horse’s movement.

Her long hair, the same color as her sister’s, was tied into twin ponytails.

As a member of the Ghost Race, Mena being poor at horseback riding didn’t surprise Vellandelle.

Mena had always been bedridden due to the Bloodline Problem, so she probably hadn’t learned horse riding before.

Now, it seemed Seleste had helped her, temporarily easing the Bloodline Problem.

“Relax, Mena.”

Louise’s voice was cold, but carried a subtle gentleness.

“Remember what I taught you. Use your calves to gently grip the horse’s belly. Don’t pull the reins.”

“But…sister, what if it suddenly starts running?”

Mena’s voice was as soft as a mosquito, her light purple eyes full of anxiety.

“I’m here.”

Louise replied simply, at the same time guiding her black horse closer, forming a protective stance.

At that moment, Louise keenly sensed a gaze from the edge of the field and turned to look.

Seeing Vellandelle, she paused slightly, then nodded in greeting.

Mena followed her sister’s gaze.

When she saw Vellandelle, a hint of surprise appeared on her pale face, then she waved enthusiastically in greeting.

Vellandelle hadn’t seen them much this week.

They had followed Seleste to her Restaurant twice, so they could be considered friends.

Louise had a cold personality, and they hadn’t spoken much, but she and Mena had chatted happily.

She even secretly visited Vellandelle a few times behind her sister’s back.

It was through conversations with Mena that Vellandelle learned her Bloodline Problem wasn’t fully resolved.

Seleste had only temporarily eased it for her.

But to the two of them, Seleste was still an incredibly important benefactor.

After all, Mena had suffered from the Bloodline Problem since childhood.

Because of her, her sister had developed a cold and silent nature.

It could be said that Seleste had given the two of them a second chance at life.

Vellandelle also knew the true method to solve Mena’s problem.

But perhaps, just like Seleste, even if she wanted to help, she currently didn’t have the ability.

Vellandelle smiled, waving at them through the fence.

She didn’t speak to interrupt, but simply stood quietly under the shade, watching Louise patiently guide her sister—sometimes demonstrating herself, sometimes encouraging her.

A breeze swept across the field, bringing the scent of grass and earth, mingled with the unique smell of horses.

Before long, Mena finally learned to ride.

She clumsily rode her pony over to the fence where Vellandelle stood.

“Miss Vellandelle, it’s been so long!”

Mena panted slightly, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

She awkwardly stopped her pony at the fence.

“Long time no see, Mena.”

Vellandelle smiled softly.

“You’re riding very well.”

“Really?”

Mena happily shook her twin ponytails.

“It’s all thanks to my sister’s teaching!”

She said, glancing back at Louise, still sitting upright on her black horse.

Louise nudged her horse’s belly, elegantly riding closer.

She looked down at Vellandelle and nodded slightly.

“Good day.”

For some reason, she always felt a sense of crisis when her sister was with Vellandelle, as if her sister was about to run off with this person.

“Good day, Miss Louise.”

Vellandelle replied, noticing Louise’s gaze lingering briefly on her, as if assessing something.

“Miss Vellandelle, did you just happen to be passing by?”

Mena couldn’t wait to ask, unconsciously leaning forward and startling her pony into stomping its hooves anxiously.

“Careful.”

Louise immediately reminded her, reaching out to gently stroke Mena’s horse’s neck.

The pony instantly calmed down.

Seeing this, Vellandelle couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, I happened to be free, so I took a walk around the Academy. When I saw you practicing, I came over to watch.”

“Then, do you want to try riding too?”

Mena invited eagerly.

“Sister can teach you! She’s amazing at riding!”

Louise frowned slightly at those words, but didn’t object.

She simply watched Vellandelle quietly, waiting for her answer.

Vellandelle glanced at the tall horses and shook her head gently.

“Thank you for your kindness, but I just came to watch today. Besides…”

She paused, giving Mena a meaningful look.

“Seeing you ride so freely already makes me very happy.”

Mena immediately understood, her eyes softening.

“It’s all thanks to Miss Seleste and my sister’s care.”

She said, looking at Louise with gratitude.

Louise didn’t respond to the gratitude, just lifted her head and gave a quiet “Mm,” but Vellandelle noticed her cold face turning red.

Such a sis-con.

“By the way.”

“Do you two come here to ride often?”

“This is the third time.”

Mena answered.

“Sister said being close to nature is good for my health. Actually, she really likes horses, but before, she rarely got the chance to ride because she was looking after me.”

Louise cleared her throat, tugging on the reins as her black horse obediently stepped back half a pace.

“It’s time to continue practicing, Mena.”

“Okay, sister!”

Mena replied sweetly, then turned to Vellandelle.

“Then we’ll go practice now. If you’re free, Miss Vellandelle, you’re always welcome to come watch us ride!”

Vellandelle nodded, watching the sisters ride toward the center of the field.

The breeze brushed by again, bringing the fresh scent of the grass.

She stretched, turning toward the classroom buildings.

It was almost time to pick up her sister and Kelosha.

The sunset’s afterglow dyed the Academy paths a warm gold.

Vellandelle walked slowly along the dappled trail toward the teaching building.

For some reason, she was used to seeing Miss Eniya whenever the sunset was out.

Not meeting her today felt a little strange.

She rounded the final corner.

The teaching building came into view.

“Oh no, the students are already out.”

Vellandelle felt a jolt of alarm.

She saw scattered students leaving the entrance and realized she was probably late.

She entered the hallway and immediately spotted the two waiting in their usual spot.

Rosasys was standing on tiptoe, peering around, her pink eyes lighting up the moment she saw her.

Kelosha leaned lazily against the wall, her wolf tail swishing listlessly on the floor until she spotted Vellandelle—then it shot upright.

“Sis!”

Rosasys ran over and naturally linked arms with her.

“Where did you go? We’ve been waiting for a while.”

“Just went for a walk.”

Vellandelle stroked her sister’s hair and looked at Kelosha.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Of course not!”

Kelosha instantly straightened up, but her tail wagged even harder.

“This lady was just taking a break, that’s all!”

Vellandelle couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to rub Kelosha’s fluffy wolf ears.

“Yes, yes, thank you for waiting, Kelosha.”

“Roommate, don’t randomly touch my ears.”

Kelosha protested, but didn’t move away—instead, her eyes narrowed comfortably.

Rosasys watched their exchange and laughed.

“Sis, what’s for dinner tonight? Kelosha said she’s hungry.”

“I did not!”

Kelosha retorted immediately, but her stomach let out a loud “grrr.”

Her face turned bright red, and her wolf ears drooped in embarrassment.

Vellandelle couldn’t hold back her laughter.

She took her sister’s arm with one hand and naturally grabbed Kelosha with the other.

“Let’s go. I’ll make something tasty for you both.”

“Hehe, roommates are the best! We get to eat your cooking again!”

***

Not long after, the aroma of dinner filled the cozy apartment.

Vellandelle placed the last stew on the table.

Rosasys had already set the utensils, and Kelosha was staring hungrily at the braised pork, her tail swishing restlessly.

“Let’s eat.”

As soon as Vellandelle spoke, Kelosha eagerly grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth, too hot to swallow, but unwilling to spit it out.

“Slow down.”

Vellandelle helplessly handed her a glass of water.

“No one’s stealing it from you.”

Vellandelle had wanted to make a different dish, but this silly wolf insisted on braised pork.

In the end, she just went along with her.

Rosasys nibbled on her vegetable salad and suddenly remembered something.

“Sis, Teacher said there’s only one class per student the day after tomorrow. Do you have any plans?”

Vellandelle paused as she picked up some food, then spoke slowly.

“I was just about to mention it. Teacher Vivilian invited me to be her assistant the day after tomorrow, exploring the Ancient Falen Ruins.”

“Ruins?”

“Is it the same as the ones in the New Student Trial?”

“Probably not.”

Vellandelle shook her head.

Rosasys set down her fork, worry in her pink eyes.

“Will it be dangerous? I heard those Ancient Ruins often have strange magical traps…”

“Don’t worry,”

Vellandelle patted her sister’s hand reassuringly.

“With Academy Teachers around, there won’t be any problems. And don’t forget your sister’s abilities.”

She winked at Rosasys, whose face flushed.

That’s right.

Her sister was so strong—what was there to worry about?

Speaking of danger…

For some reason, she recalled Karlenasha’s warning back then: “You were never meant to appear on this Chessboard.”

A Remnant that only she could open—could it be a variable?

“How many days will you be gone?”

Rosasys’s question pulled her back to the present.

“A day or two, probably.”

Vellandelle didn’t think it would take too long.

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring a Communication Crystal. If you get bored at night, we can chat.”

Kelosha, mouth full, spoke with her cheeks puffed out.

“If you’re in danger, notify me right away! I’ll come save you!”

Vellandelle was amused by her expression.

“Alright, I promise.”