Anya pressed her hand to her temple, looking helplessly at the Cloaked Girl who was sneaking around, clearly plotting to slip away unnoticed.
This little one, still so weak, and already thinking about escaping.
The girl had her back to her and hadn’t realized anyone was standing behind her. She pulled her hood lower, her steps as light as the wind.
“Your body hasn’t recovered yet, so where do you think you’re running off to?” Anya reached out and firmly grabbed the girl’s wrist.
The familiar, soft feeling was warm and tender, making Anya oddly reluctant to let go.
The Cloaked Girl was clearly startled. She jolted, trembling all over, and let out a soft whimper.
“I…I…” The Cloaked Girl stammered, unable to get a full sentence out for a long time.
“You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?” Anya, a bit unwilling, finally released the Cloaked Girl’s wrist.
The girl instantly pulled her hand back, glaring at her warily like a bristling kitten. “You said yesterday that if you saw me again, you wouldn’t let me go so easily…so why did you save me?”
“Actually, not long after you left last night, another group came looking for trouble.” Anya suppressed her own suspicions, her tone gentle. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t get anything out of them. I just happened to run into you by the lake, so I wanted to ask you myself.”
This girl in front of her looked exactly like Iris. But with that timid expression, she was probably truly terrified of Anya.
Now wasn’t the time to ask directly about her relationship with Iris.
“You’re here for that thing, too?!” The girl took two steps back, her wariness intensifying.
“You found out about me from those people, so you want to turn me in to The Lord for a reward, right?”
Seeing her trying to act fierce despite being so obviously scared, like a kitten spitting defensively, Anya couldn’t help but find it funny and exasperating.
Her personality really was nothing like Iris.
Anya shook her head, her tone helpless with a hint of teasing. “If I really wanted to turn you in for money, would I bother talking this much? Wouldn’t it be easier to just knock you out and haul you away?”
“What if…what if you’re trying to get close to me first, then take me back to the Northlands once I let my guard down?” The girl stubbornly argued back, but her voice had grown weaker.
“Did you even look at the road beneath our feet? Which one of these leads to the Northlands?” Anya spread her hands.
The girl glanced around instinctively, falling silent for a long moment, but the caution in her eyes didn’t fade much.
“So, this is how you treat your lifesaver?” Anya shrugged helplessly. “If I really meant you harm, I would’ve tied you up long ago. Would I give you a chance to bargain here?”
The girl still didn’t answer, only staring intently at Anya, as if weighing whether or not she could trust her.
Anya suddenly remembered the first time she’d met Iris. She’d treated Iris in exactly the same way.
But it was understandable. Anyone being hunted would be wary of everyone around them.
“I understand your worries.” Anya softened her tone, trying to open up. “But at least, can I know your name? I’ll introduce myself first. I’m Anya Auckland.”
The girl looked up at her, hesitated a moment, then replied in a small voice, “I…I lost my memory. I don’t have a name.”
Anya paused in surprise, instinctively leaning in to study the girl’s face more closely. She tried to find any difference from Iris, but the more she looked, the more she felt they were carved from the same mold.
“Then how should I address you?” Anya asked.
“Just call me Xiaobai. That’s what Master always called me.” The girl’s voice was softer now. After their little tug of war, her guard had eased a bit.
“Xiaobai, huh…” Anya murmured, “Honestly, I’m not looking for a reward, nor am I after whatever it is you’re carrying. It’s just…you look so much like someone I know.”
Xiaobai was startled, instinctively asking, “How much alike?”
“Exactly the same.” Anya sighed lightly. “But I know you’re not her.”
Xiaobai was about to say something else, but her pupils suddenly shrank, and her face changed instantly. “Look out!”
She yanked Anya aside just as an arrow whistled past Anya’s shoulder, thudding into a nearby tree.
Anya, lost in her thoughts just a moment ago, hadn’t even noticed the danger approaching.
She steadied herself and looked at Xiaobai. “Thank you.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than she glanced toward the direction the arrow had come from.
More than a dozen Priests in white robes were approaching slowly, each one looking solemn, with an air of mystique.
Anya already detested these so-called followers of the gods. Seeing them now, her eyes couldn’t help but flash with open disgust.
“Praise be to our Lord.” The leading Priest stepped forward and offered the two of them a Sacred Rite, his tone slow and unhurried. “Ladies, please wait. We have urgent matters to ask you both.”
Anya snorted coldly. “If you have urgent business, you start with hidden weapons? Your customs are certainly unique.”
She’d never forgotten how, after her mother died, these people had come feigning sympathy—
Only to spread rumors behind her back, claiming she was a curse that killed her own mother, turning her into someone even the servants avoided.
The Priest maintained his fake smile. “Miss, you must be joking. I didn’t see any hidden weapons. Perhaps…you were mistaken?”
Anya turned to look at the tree where the arrow had struck, only to find it had vanished without a trace. She cursed inwardly.
These guys sure are quick.
“So, what do you want?” Anya’s tone grew cold as she noticed from the corner of her eye that the Priests had silently surrounded them.
She instinctively shielded Xiaobai behind her, sweeping a sharp gaze across the crowd.
They were clearly mages, and with her bare-handed and outnumbered, fighting back would be difficult.
“I’ve already said,” the leading Priest replied with his benevolent smile still fixed in place, though his eyes were cold, “The Lord notified us that a young lady stole a Treasure meant for The Church. Please cooperate with our investigation.”
“We haven’t seen any Treasure. You’ve got the wrong people.” Anya’s reply was icy.
“Is that so?” The Priest adjusted his glasses, the threat in his voice unmistakable. “Miss, if you don’t interfere, nothing will happen. But if you insist on protecting the one behind you, don’t blame us for being ruthless.”
“So you’re finally showing your true colors?” Anya sneered. “I don’t care what this so-called Treasure is. Just seeing your hypocritical faces is enough to make me sick.”
The Priest’s expression darkened, his tone growing sinister. “Are you slandering The Church? I have the right to punish you and let you taste Divine Punishment!”
Xiaobai tugged at Anya’s sleeve, her eyes filled with worry, as if begging her not to make things worse.
Anya was about to retort when a figure suddenly burst out from behind the Priests, waving tiny fists, charging this way with ferocity.
“Waaaah! Anya, I’m here to save you!” A clear and imperious voice cut through the air. “You bullies! How dare you pick on my people while this Princess isn’t watching—prepare to meet your doom!”