Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Huh?"
Hyperion let out a confused murmur.
She felt as though she had just awakened from a very long dream.
In the dream, Lanqi had actually brought her into a Tier 7 Shadow World, where she had become a demon princess, confined inside the Demon King's Palace under the protection of a Tier 9 demon. And just when she had finally managed to see Lanqi again, something went wrong, giving her a sudden fright that jolted her awake.
Yet upon waking, she found herself in the royal capital of Ikerite.
Today was clearly going to be a fine day—one only needed to look out the window to tell.
The scenery of Ikerite remained as quaint and antique as ever. Looking past the glass pane beneath a clear sky, one saw a pure, pristine blue, while the spring sunlight warmed her skin.
She was standing beneath the magnificent dome of the Great Cathedral of Ikerite.
Statues and murals of deities seemed to descend from the heavens, quietly gazing down upon the floor below.
A sacred scent permeated the cathedral's interior air. Every mythical-era adornment bore witness to the passage of time, harmonizing with the pure white and pale gold blossoms adorning the walls and arches to weave a dreamlike scroll along the aisle.
At this moment, she was clad in a gown unlike anything she would normally wear, cradling a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
The gossamer dress was dominated by the purest white, crafted from a light and sumptuous fabric adorned with intricate lace and lustrous pearls; the skirt flared gently, trailing across the carpet like a drifting cloud.
Turning her gaze toward the stained-glass doors at the cathedral entrance, she saw in her faint reflection that her hair had been styled into an elegant chignon, pinned with the most treasured hair accessory of House Aransal.
"You can't go dozing off at a time like this, you know?"
A familiar voice reached her ears.
Dazed, Hyperion looked over to see a man dressed in exceptionally formal attire, his demeanor completely devoid of distance.
"Father?"
Hyperion held Duke Mikhail's arm, gazing at his figure.
With his black hair and dark eyes, he was impossibly handsome.
He seemed to have just escorted her into this cathedral.
Wait—hadn't Duke Mikhail gone missing? And hadn't her close friend Lanqi promised to help her find her father?
Hyperion shook her head in confusion, unable to recall which day she had dreamt that.
Sometimes dreams left such deep impressions that one could hardly tell whether they were memories of real experiences or lingering fragments from a night's slumber.
As Hyperion glanced absentmindedly toward the front rows of the cathedral, she caught sight of a silver-haired woman.
Dressed in formal attire as well, the woman met her gaze and waved at her with a beaming smile.
Hyperion felt her eyes sting with sudden tears.
So it really had been a dream.
In reality, her mother had never abandoned her.
"Hyperion!"
Efatia waved from the cathedral pew, as though cheering her on for this monumental milestone of her life.
Seated beside Efatia, Talia was single-mindedly munching on a small cake, but looked up and gave her a wave too.
Hyperion didn't know why Efatia was acting like this, nor why—despite seeing her father and mother every day at home—it felt as though years had passed since she last saw them.
She suddenly felt afraid to speak to them, terrified that in her confusion between dream and reality, it would turn back into a nightmare and rob her once more of this intense yet tranquil happiness.
More than that, the cathedral was filled with friends from Ikerite whom she had known since childhood, all looking at her with genuine, warm, and affectionate gazes, without the slightest hint of prejudice or estrangement.
It was so wonderful that she was on the verge of losing herself in bliss.
The bouquet in her hands trembled; though light as a feather, she could barely hold it steady, as if afraid to accept such happiness.
Yet right at that moment, Hyperion seemed to finally realize a fundamental question:
Why was she in the Cathedral of Ikerite today?
She turned abruptly, looking toward the end of the aisle.
Over there...
Beneath the central cross and the towering walls lined with kaleidoscopic divine portraits, the stained-glass windows refracted sunlight into countless dappled flecks, gently scattering over the white and gold petals.
A figure stood beneath the cross, the corner of his lips curled into that gentle smile she knew all too well.
Caressed by a gentle breeze, the white-gold blossoms looked all the more vivid and radiant, exuding an elegant, enchanting fragrance, and he stood right at the end of the floral path.
In that instant, Hyperion felt stripped of all ability to think.
Yesterday, she had been silently rehearsing the wedding vows specially prepared for today, worried that at the critical moment she might forget her lines or lose her usual composed demeanor as a duke's daughter.
Yet when she held her father's arm and walked into the cathedral just now, she had been so nervous that she almost forgot where she was, what she was supposed to say, and what kind of day today even was.
Hyperion tried to steady the tumultuous waves in her heart with deep breaths, but to no avail—her body felt entirely beyond her control.
Only by gazing at that radiant figure a short distance away could she truly calm down.
The tension in Hyperion's heart began to ease.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to embrace that most important moment.
She followed Duke Mikhail forward until she stopped before Lanqi.
"May your future life be filled with happiness. God has guided you together, and the destiny that belongs to you both will never be parted."
Mikhail gently placed his daughter's hand into Lanqi's, offering his blessings in a voice rich with deep trust, dignity, and gentleness.
Hyperion's fingers trembled slightly. Amid the solemn majesty of the Great Cathedral of Ikerite, her fingertips brushed against Lanqi's, as if conveying a silent vow.
She looked at Lanqi, unable to tell whether this was an illusion born of her imagination or truly him.
Amid the harp's soft melody, their eyes met, and time itself seemed to freeze.
Sunlight in the cathedral cascaded over them, like golden wings carrying the blessing of the Goddess of Fate.
Lanqi leaned down gently. Hyperion felt him drawing closer and closer, until she could almost feel his heartbeat.
Just as she closed her eyes, ready to receive this kiss of vows, her heart racing uncontrollably—
She jolted awake from the bed.
"...?"
On this midsummer night bathed in July moonlight, Hyperion sat up inside a spacious and luxuriously appointed room on the top floor of the seaside mansion, taking in the starry sky and the bay outside the window.
Though the night was late, the moonbeams and a warm desk lamp lent the bedroom a tranquil, cozy air.
A faint sound broke the quiet—the gentle rustle of a page turning beside a tall wooden desk.
Hyperion stared blankly at the figure seated in a chair not far away.
He was dressed in a gray suit, profound as the night sky, exuding a quiet and refined elegance.
Under the dim light, his posture appeared all the more straight and poised, his deep eyes carrying the wisdom and vicissitudes of age.
So it really was a dream. How could Lanqi ever put on a white tailcoat and marry her? He only ever wore dark suits, just like a headmaster.
Hyperion thought with a sense of relief, letting out the breath pent up in her chest.
Noticing Hyperion had awakened, Lanqi soon turned his gaze toward her.
"What's wrong?"
Lanqi looked at her, asking softly with his usual gentleness and concern.
"Nothing!"
Recalling the lingering memories of that dream, Hyperion immediately felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Her eyes widened, and she waved her hands frantically.
Though it had been a long time since she had seen Lanqi and they were finally reunited alone together with surely so much to talk about, recalling what had happened in the palace this morning, her shouted response, and the dream she had just experienced, she had no idea how to talk to him.
They used to chat so easily and naturally every single day—why did she suddenly feel like she couldn't even be alone with him?
"Y-You didn't see my dream just now, did you?"
Hyperion spent quite a while composing herself, calming her rapid breathing and rising chest, before finally looking back at him to ask tentatively.
"I brought you out of the Fallen Land of Gentle Slumber's barrier quite a while ago, but seeing that you haven't been resting well these past few days, I didn't wake you."
Lanqi set down the book he was holding by its spine, walked over to a chair beside Hyperion's bed, sat down, and said to her.
He and Fall Lord had already dealt with the incident that occurred this morning. Once things had temporarily settled, he brought Hyperion back to the mansion across the bay. Fall Lord had personally helped escort the princess over, entrusting him to take good care of her.
Unless it was an emergency, Lanqi would not interfere in someone else's dreams.
Last time, on the fourth basement level of the prison, if he hadn't awakened Hyperion, she would have remained trapped in the dream until her soul dissolved. This time, Caliera had already terminated the spell, so it was no longer harmful to Hyperion.
He simply let Hyperion get a good sleep while keeping watch over her in the room.
"By the way, what did you dream about?"
Lanqi asked curiously.
Logically, Hyperion's dream this time should have been the same as the last one.
Yet judging by her reaction just now, there seemed to be something she desperately wanted to hide from him.
"Ugh!"
Looking at Lanqi's face from such close range, Hyperion's eyes instinctively drifted to his lips. Her cheeks flared bright red all over again, and she pulled the blanket up to cover her face, hiding from Lanqi like an ostrich.
Chapter 587