A clear yet viscous fluid flowed steadily from every fissure in Madame Felscher's bones, especially from the crack in her cranium, dripping down like hot wax onto Philomena's body.
Philomena's skin flushed red. Powerless to resist, she could only let it continue.
Meanwhile, the expression on Madame Felscher's face grew increasingly benevolent—benevolent to the point of being sinister.
"Comfortable, isn't it, my good granddaughter? You feel wonderful, don't you?
"This is Grandma's love for you. Do you have any idea how long Grandma has waited for this day, how much torment Grandma has endured?
"All of this is yours, all given to you by Grandma. Take it quickly. Grandma will give you everything she has. Including... Grandma herself.
"You must truly savor every bit of this."
A pained look twisted Philomena's face. The scalding, clear, viscous liquid felt like it was flaying her soul alive.
As the process advanced, the surrounding darkness gradually receded, giving way to bright sunlight and spreading green foliage.
From the unfolding scene, one could sense a shift from dead stillness to vibrant life; everything seemed to be progressing toward something wonderful.
Karen landed on the grass and silently pushed himself up to sit. He was extremely weak now. His soul felt like paper clothing riddled with holes—no need for raging storms; even a gentle breeze in a courtyard threatened to tear it to shreds.
*Clip-clop...*
Horse hooves came to a halt beside Karen. He turned and looked up to see that young woman on horseback.
The woman also looked down at Karen, an enchanting smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Unlike Eunice—who, though dignified, reserved, and introverted, carried a stronger youthful air of a maiden since she was still young—the woman before him was indeed young, yet exuded the alluring charm of a young married woman, likely because she had borne a child early in life.
The woman spoke to Karen: "Thank you. You helped accomplish this. Without you, breaking open her curse shell would have been far more troublesome and would have demanded a much heavier price. So much more would have been squandered."
"I only did what I had to do. I just hope the outcome won't disappoint me."
"How could it disappoint you? She is my granddaughter, my own descendant. Honestly, I had no idea that while I was sealed away all these years, such things were happening outside."
The woman was Madame Felscher in her youth.
What Karen had entered earlier was actually Felscher's own dream, which to a degree also belonged to her mental space.
When Karen had opened the window in the bedroom and looked outside, what he saw was in fact Madame Felscher's other persona.
It was the persona of her youthful self that she had voluntarily excised and sealed away.
In truth, there was no division between them, yet they remained relatively independent.
It was a bit like Neo back then, having several people living in his head, calling "them" out for a meeting whenever he got bored.
Madame Felscher wanted to regain her youth. Refusing to let the curse and the years erode her, she had proactively preserved and sealed away that radiant, youthful version of herself.
Once she finished plundering her granddaughter's life, she would unseal that pristine self.
She was a perfectionist—a true perfectionist. She demanded youth not only for her body and soul, but also for her mind and spirit.
"I truly never imagined that the me of today would become like this. It's simply terrifying," Miss Felscher sighed, patting her chest.
"You should go stop her," Karen reminded her. "Any later, and it will be too late."
"Yes. In any case, thank you for bringing me out. I will honor your conditions. The overflowing blessings will help repair your soul's injuries."
Miss Felscher rode her white horse forward.
On the meadow ahead, the clear wax dripping from Madame Felscher had gradually enveloped Philomena entirely, and now it was seeping deeper.
Hearing the movement, Madame Felscher turned her head and looked at the young woman riding over, asking in confusion:
"Why have you come out already?"
"Should I not have?" Disgust showed on Miss Felscher's face. "I truly never imagined that the me of today would turn into such a state."
Madame Felscher countered:
"What state?"
"Filthy, ugly, twisted, cruel..."
"You may continue; I don't mind," Madame Felscher laughed. "If I hadn't sealed you away decades ago, you would be who I am right now."
"I know, but I loathe you. A person always has the right to loathe herself, doesn't she?"
"Yes, quite right. Do you think I'm fond of myself either?" As Madame Felscher spoke, she reached out and gently caressed Philomena's face, the benevolence in her expression growing thicker. "Look at her. How much she resembles the you of right now."
"Yes, very much alike. She is my granddaughter?"
"Indeed. She is your granddaughter, the heir of my bloodline, the successor of the Felscher family."
"What is her personality like?"
"Very withdrawn, very closed off. She doesn't know how to socialize. She fears reality and hates sunlight."
"She should live under the sunlight—cheerful, optimistic, confident, radiant, shouldn't she?"
"What do you think?" Madame Felscher asked.
"My granddaughter should be as delicate as a porcelain doll, enjoying the sunshine, white clouds, and every bright thing. That was how I once imagined my granddaughter would be."
"So... what do you mean? You want me to stop?" Madame Felscher glanced toward Karen sitting in the distance. "When he appeared and spoke those words, I knew he had glimpsed the deepest secret in my heart. He knew what I intended to do. You told him, didn't you?"
"Yes, I told him you planned to crack open your curse shell, and that this would be when you are at your weakest."
"My weakest, yes, indeed. I can do nothing right now, while you will take control of this dreamscape." Madame Felscher surveyed her surroundings, taking in the meadow and bright sunlight, before her gaze returned to Miss Felscher on the white horse. "In fact, you already control it."
Miss Felscher raised her hand, and the sunlight instantly grew more brilliant. She smiled. "As you see."
"Are you going to order me to stop?"
Miss Felscher turned her horse around, facing Karen sitting in the distance. As if answering Madame Felscher, yet also addressing Karen, she said:
"No. I want you to continue."
Her voice was not loud, yet it fell clear and sharp on Karen's ears. A look of shock instantly surfaced on Karen's face.
Madame Felscher burst into loud laughter. "Hehe, say that again. I didn't hear you clearly."
Miss Felscher laughed as well, raising her voice: "I said, I want you to continue!"
Madame Felscher turned her head toward Karen and called out, "Why? Didn't you want a cheerful, lively granddaughter?"
Miss Felscher shouted with excitement, "Once I replace her, won't she become cheerful and lively?"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The two women's laughter gradually overlapped. Their eyes both fell on Karen, brimming with utter mockery.
Karen pushed against the ground with both hands with great difficulty and stumbled to his feet, pointing at Miss Felscher on the white horse:
"You lied to me!"
"No, my dear Doctor Karen, my Captain Karen, my Lord Karen—I didn't lie to you at all. I promised you that I wouldn't let her..." Miss Felscher pointed toward Madame Felscher. "...wouldn't let her replace our Philomena. And indeed she won't. She will be sealed away. The one replacing our Philomena will be me.
"Likewise, the blessings I promised you—to help heal your soul, to help strengthen your soul's power—none of that will change.
"You see?
"Where did I deceive you?
"Everything I promised, I have fulfilled, haven't I?"
"You know that's not what I wanted. I want Philomena safe."
"She will be safe. She will live better than ever before. She will be much more like a real person—a person with a complete persona."
"She already has a complete personality," Karen's gaze darkened. "She may be withdrawn, but she is lovely. I don't want her turning into you, into twisted beings like you two."
"Twisted?" Miss Felscher shook her head. "You should consider yourself lucky that I won't kill you. But I still advise you to learn to accept this. The true Felscher family is about to return. Stay by my side, and I will help you attain higher positions."
Karen shook his head.
"Could it be that your head is still filled with hero fairy tales—sacrificing everything for your subordinates, for your companions?
"Don't be so childish.
"It makes me laugh."
...
...
"All right, Doctor, please tell me—what is your name?"
"My name is Karen."
"Mm-hmm, never heard of it."
"Inmeles."
"You... say that again!"
"As expected, you have a distinct reaction to this surname. That investigation wasn't wrong."
"How do you know that surname?"
"I have a new team member named Vic. His teacher is Rasma, the former High Priest of the Church of Order."
"Rasma, is it..."
"Rasma investigated the curse on the Felscher family and left behind an investigation notebook. To resolve Philomena's problem, I read that notebook. At the very end of the findings, only this surname was written—Inmeles.
"I wanted very much to know what the surname Inmeles represents. Unfortunately, with my clearance—and even borrowing others' clearance—I searched for information on this surname, yet found nothing at all.
"It was as if this surname had vanished from the world."
"You couldn't find anything?" Miss Felscher's expression showed a hint of surprise.
"Yes, nothing. But I know that the Felscher family's curse is definitely tied to this surname. Philomena once told me that her grandmother kept chanting a person's name, and that person should have the surname Inmeles."
"Yes, exactly."
"I want to protect Philomena. She is your granddaughter. Right now, she is about to be replaced by the present you."
"The present me is going to replace my granddaughter?"
"It is currently underway. I came here to help, and then I found you here. If you are willing to help me, I can help you leave this place and undo your seal."
"Do you have any other conditions?"
"Yes. My soul is injured—very severely injured. I can roughly guess what she intends to do. While you stop her, I want you to share some of the blessings with me. I want to use them to repair the wounds to my soul, and of course, they can help me increase my strength."
"Is that your objective in getting involved in this?"
"My objective is to bring back my companion, my subordinate. Of course, I don't mind reaping a bit of the benefits I deserve in the process. After all, this is very dangerous, isn't it?"
"Of course. Who wouldn't be tempted by the concentrated blessings distilled from an entire great family?
"Telling me so bluntly shows me your sincerity. I feel proud that my granddaughter, whom I've never met, has a companion like you."
"So you agree?"
"Rest assured, I will stop her. I could never watch the present me commit such an abominable act. To me, it is simply inconceivable, intolerable.
"However, I have no strength right now. Even if you break the seal here and bring me out, I have no way to stop her—unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Her curse shell is very hard. To bring an end to the curse, that shell must first be cracked open, like... peeling an egg.
"From the moment the shell breaks and the egg fluid flows out, she will become very weak, and I will take control of this dream.
"If you want that fluid to repair your injuries, you had better get her to break through that shell as quickly as possible. Otherwise, she will waste a great deal on the pointless process of cracking the shell, and by the end, even if she wanted to give you some, there might hardly be anything left."
"You promise me?"
"I promise you. I will share the remaining blessings between you and my granddaughter."
"Will you deceive me, Miss?"
"Then... will you deceive me, sir?"
"No."
"Of course I won't either."
...
The confrontation continued.
Madame Felscher remarked, "I have to admit, he is a good superior."
Miss Felscher nodded. "He wanted a share of the harvest as well. I promised him I would give him a portion."
"As it should be. Once you leave here, you will still need to develop within the Church of Order, to raise the Felscher family once more inside the church."
"And then, find him."
"I told you, I cannot find him anymore."
"I know, but I am young. Being young means having plenty of time to keep searching for him, doesn't it?"
"Yes, quite right. He despised the people of the Felscher family, but in his heart, he still cared for me. This curse was deliberately designed by him to free me from the family. I know his intentions."
Miss Felscher shook her head and said, "None of that has anything to do with you anymore."
"I know. And I would never let him see me looking like this.
"So you must find him. I don't believe he would vanish without reason."
"I will. This time, I will not be burdened by family or children. I will go before him unblemished. He will embrace me and be with me—of this I am certain."
The dripping of wax was gradually slowing. By now, Philomena's body was completely enveloped in a beeswax-like substance, and her soul had turned translucent and crystalline.
Miss Felscher pointed at the remaining "beeswax" on Madame Felscher's skeletal frame and waved toward Karen, who still stood in the distance:
"These are what's left for you. Don't look down on the small amount—after all, you know just how precious it is."
Karen stood there without moving.
Miss Felscher said with amusement, "Come now, no one will ever know what you chose today. When I leave this house with you and return to headquarters, you will still be that glorious, stalwart captain, and I will still be the taciturn me—at least for now."
Hearing this, Karen said, "So you shared equal memories with her all along."
Miss Felscher shook her head. "Not really. My only job was to live freely over there. But whenever I needed, I could access the corresponding information from outside.
"I only just learned that the present me was doing such a thing—no, had been preparing for it for so many years.
"Truly, when I accessed those memories, I felt such pleasant surprise, such profound delight, because I knew everything she did was prepared for me.
"Just a granddaughter... Even if we share blood, I've never met her. Who would truly care about her?
"You don't care either, do you?
"Come quickly and lap up the blessings you desire. They are more than enough to heal your injuries and elevate your talent even further."
"Sigh..." Karen sighed. "To be honest, I don't think much of these. Besides, I can guess that if I swallow them, won't I be controlled by you from now on?"
"You actually knew?"
Miss Felscher frowned. If Karen knew that, then the reason he had given her for intervening made little sense.
"I only know one truth: there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
"What's the point of saying all this now? I, she, and that girl are all people of the Church of Order. I believe those old friends in the church would much prefer to see my return.
"The shackles of the curse have been completely broken, and the transfer of blessings is complete. Whether you consume them or not is up to you. But your time for hesitation and reservations is running out, because I..."
Miss Felscher placed her hand onto Philomena, who was wrapped in beeswax.
"...can hardly wait to bathe in this world's sunlight as my fully youthful self."
"Wait. There is something you're bound to find interesting. Earlier, you asked for my name, right?"
"The moment I first saw you, information surfaced in my mind. You are Karen Silva. As for Rasma, I know him; I saw him not long ago—oh no, speaking from the present, it must have been a very long time ago.
"I know about Vic too. Whatever she knows, I know. He is Rasma's student. It was only natural for Rasma to investigate the Felscher family's curse.
"From that time on, every time Rasma saw him, fire practically blazed in his eyes. But Rasma could never compare to him."
"I think so too. Lord Rasma could never compare to Diss."
"Yes, never compare..."
Miss Felscher froze. Her expression turned solemn as she looked at Karen:
"Philomena only knew his surname. It seems Rasma left his full name at the end of his investigation notebook after all."
"In fact, Rasma didn't even leave a surname. That's what Vic told me. I think once he investigated and found out who laid the curse, he simply stopped investigating."
Miss Felscher's gaze grew even graver. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"You asked me: Who am I?"
"Hmm?"
"My answer is... Karen Inmeles."
"You..."
"I didn't lie to you. You were the one who split my given name and surname apart.
"Isn't it hilarious? You and she dreamed of seeing my grandfather again, yet when his grandson appeared before you and even spoke that surname, neither of you recognized it at all."
"You are his... grandson?"
"Yes."
"He and she have a grandson...
"Of course. I have a granddaughter too.
"Fine. I am all the more eager to awaken now. You—take me to see your grandfather."
"I'm curious about something. My grandfather laid the curse on your family, so why don't you hate him?"
"Because you don't understand. Your grandfather loved me; his love was simply exceptionally deep. And now, I have broken free of all shackles. I will appear before him completely unblemished.
"You see, this is destiny's arrangement. The God of Order was moved by our love.
"Otherwise, there is no explaining why on the very day I broke the curse's shackles, I would meet you. It is God who sent you here to guide me, to fulfill our love. All of this is God's will."
Karen smiled faintly. "Then let me show you what God's will truly means."
With that,
Karen pressed a fingertip against the center of his brow.
Immediately, a phantom of Diss materialized behind him—imposing, towering, clad in the sacred robes of a Temple Elder, looking holy and inviolable.
Miss Felscher and Madame Felscher cried out at the same time:
"Diss!"
"Diss!"
Shock filled both women's faces, and tears even welled in their eyes.
Madame Felscher wept, "He really is Diss's grandson... My Diss, he has grown old."
Miss Felscher laughed through her tears, "No wonder there was no news of him. He became a Temple Elder! Karen, did your grandfather send you to receive me?"
"I've grown up. I haven't read fairy tales in many years, and I don't consider myself childish. I never once believed in such clichéd tropes as finding the Demon King's good side to defeat the evil Demon King.
"To be precise,
"I knew from the start that the young you and the present you wouldn't be any different. Either way, you're equally wicked.
"Oh, and by the way, I really was a doctor. I didn't lie to you about that. So your innocent expressions and thoughtful frowns were as fake as could be in my eyes. You never fooled me for a second."
Miss Felscher asked with a sullen glare, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Actually,
"the moment I learned my grandfather laid your family's curse, I had a faint suspicion;
"when I entered this house, I started getting a strange sensation;
"when I entered the dream, that sensation grew clearer and clearer;
"when I used the scythe to help crack open the curse's shackles, that sensation became increasingly tangible;
"yes, the curse has been broken. But since my grandfather was the one who cast it, could it be that I can...
"after all, my grandfather is standing behind me anyway."
Karen lowered the finger from his brow and pointed it forward at Madame Felscher once more. At the same time, the phantom of Diss behind him raised an arm, pointing at Madame Felscher ahead.
"What I mean is, since the blessings have already been poured out...
"Could I...
"curse you both all over again?"
Chapter 540