Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 551 - 504

They must have eavesdropped.

The floating candelabrum flared to life before her eyes, emitting a sweet scent as the pale yellow candles melted. The aroma of the incense turned into a stimulating bitterness in her nostrils as Lyle touched the floor with her toes, the Specter Maid already dressed in her evening gown.

They seemed quite excited, their speed betraying their eagerness as they removed the mirror that had reflected a transformed Lyle. The maids stood silently to the side, forming a corridor that led to the dining room. Nia squeezed herself into Lyle’s pant leg through a gap in the specter, always punctual at dinner time.

Tonight Naslan’s splendor was resplendent with gold, and aside from the guiding candlelight, those splotchy candelabra were all replaced by crystal lamps. The beautiful metal faces of the Alchemical Lamps made the bright light seem very expensive.

Such grandeur was as if Naslan were to host a grand banquet, perhaps at some moment, the bronze doors might open. Guests would step over the green lawns and lakes, sprinkling their mirth among the glimmering gold.

Lyle stopped her wild imaginings, knowing they were quite unrealistic.

The guest for tonight was probably only herself, and these arrangements signified just how much the ladies of Naslan had anticipated this night.

The lights were a bit dazzling.

Lyle pushed open the wooden door to the dining room, and three ladies came into her view.

Beatrice in red, Alianna in black, and Helena... a white marble sculpture.

Strangely, despite the difference in their attire’s color, the styles were similar; they were dressed like the Helena sculpture, and the same hairstyle also emphasized their similarity to each other, even causing Lyle some confusion.

She could only distinguish the two ladies with flesh by the curves of their mouths.

Beatrice’s mouth curled up high, with charming dimples gracing her pale cheeks. Her eyes seemed to be smiling mischievously, occasionally shifting glances toward Alianna.

Alianna’s smile was like a gently unfolding flower. The height of her lips did not surpass her upper lip, and her gaze held only pure joy – the delight of seeing Lyle return.

Helena’s statue was perfect, staring at it for too long would steal all her attention, and Lyle had to endure or she wouldn’t even be able to find her seat.

Finally, she arrived at her seat waveringly, and as usual, exchanged a smiling glance with Alianna through the gap in the candles. Lyle lifted her wine glass, Beatrice’s reflection clear on the red liquid’s surface.

Considering the unknown developments to come, Lyle decided to drink just a bit to calm her nerves.

"Is everything still going smoothly in Degonris? Although I have asked Beatrice, I still want to hear it from you," Alianna picked up her wine glass and lightly clinked it with Beatrice’s; dinner had officially started.

"Quite well. When we encountered Karen, she was safe and sound, although I was surprised that Kevin asked Ralph Uncle for help. Still, we managed to resolve the crisis quite marvelously. In the end, the Legion of Holy Light burnt the place to the ground, leaving nothing behind."

"I’m glad to hear that, but Lyle, what I’m asking about is how you and Benny are doing. Has there been any progress? Benny told me that your response wasn’t very enthusiastic."

Phut! The alcohol that had entered her mouth sprayed out, spilling onto the immaculate tablecloth and the juniper-flavored venison in front of Lyle.

"What?! Alianna?"

Lyle looked at Alianna in horror, the feeling like facing Ralph after her first group fight.

Alianna continued to smile, but her lips curled higher, morphing into the same smile as Beatrice’s.

Her smile radiated a devilish charm, like a sea siren ready to prey.

Alianna had never shown such a smile before – an evil, charming grin, yet this kind of smile was all too familiar on another similar face.

"Helena? Have you possessed Alianna?"

"Not at all, dear," the sculpture spoke in Helena’s gentle voice. The charm radiating from Alianna did indeed resemble Helena’s bewitching presence, but it wasn’t as potent. "However, your unfounded suspicion truly hurts my stony heart."

"Lyle, I am still myself," Alianna returned to her usual calm, "I was just showing you some unique aspects of Naslan."

"Helena, Beatrice and I, our connection transcends any blood relation or even mental link. The three Naslan sisters are a whole."

"I don’t understand."

"You need to know, little Lyle."

"I think his silly look is quite amusing, sister."

"Don’t worry, Lyle, I will tell you about the reason we three sisters became like this."

Alianna’s gaze was in the light’s perspective, her cold voice told the story of the past.

"It happened after our father died, Helena, as the new clan leader, secretly took in a group of refugee witches. Her talent in soulcraft was unearthed, and to maintain the power of the Naslan family, a secret ritual was conducted."

"The ultimate witches’ ritual."

"Helena signed a soul contract with the witches, she would become their Matron, providing shelter to the witches. But the distressed women held back; they concealed a fact that becoming a Matron would skew her heart towards the witches, not the Naslan family. Helena was clever, she uncovered this loophole and used her exceptional talent to alter the content of the ritual."

"Helena changed the protection target from the witch tribe to the Naslans."

"But this blessing turned into a disaster."

"The ritual, in adapting the Naslans to Helena’s power, performed an irreversible transformation on the entire Naslan clan."

"Helena became the Soul Reaver, and the Naslan house servants turned into Specters."

"All the Naslans lost their physical bodies, except for us two sisters, because of a power among the witches called Protection."

"The newly born Soul Reaver was fragile, and the ritual used Helena’s soul to bear the power of those spirits, during those weeks we would always hear Helena’s howls. She needed a vessel to share her agony."

"And Beatrice and I, we were Helena’s best vessels."

"Our father made us three sisters deeply love each other, so we voluntarily became vessels for Helena."

"But being possessed by a Soul Reaver for a long time is not harmless to humans."

"As the older sister, I was possessed for far longer than Benny, so my body collapsed at the age of twenty-five, unable to withstand those powers, and Beatrice’s body grew frail from the prolonged possession."

"Helena was full of guilt. We could all feel it. The long possession made us three sisters...very alike...strikingly alike. We could feel each other’s pain or joy, sometimes a look was enough to communicate."

"Sometimes we couldn’t even tell each other apart, only knowing that we were indivisible from each other."

"Eventually, Helena asked Andrey to turn me into a Lich, Beatrice chose the First Embrace to be with us."

"We will always be together, now even death can’t separate us."

"This is the origin of the three sisters, and also what you need to understand."

"Inside the three of us sisters lies a hidden connection, even reaching the extent of mutual interference, what one person dislikes, we all despise together."

"And what someone loves, we all cherish together."

"Even if it’s the same boy."