Chapter 117: Of Course, It's Wishing Eilene Eternal Happiness - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

### Chapter 117: Of Course, It's Wishing Eilene Eternal Happiness "No one wants to be joined at the hip with you!" The girl's attempt at fierceness left Lucius momentarily speechless. He chuckled and replied, “...Alright.” The corridor gradually fell silent. After a moment of consideration, Lucius asked, “So, you’re not entirely sure about the changes happening with your body?” Eilene first shook her head and then nodded. With her fingers resting against her lips, her expression was somewhat conflicted. “Probably… it should be a good thing, right?” She sounded a bit uncertain. Intrigued, Lucius raised an eyebrow, “A good thing?” Eilene responded affirmatively. She shifted her posture, moving from a squat to sitting on the ground. As was her habit, she hugged her slightly bent legs. Looking up at the sky, Eilene noticed most of the clouds had dispersed, allowing a touch of moonlight to gently illuminate her feet. “Hmm… it feels like I might have gotten stronger.” A trace of bewilderment crept across Eilene’s face. She extended her hand, making a grasping motion in the air. Instantly, a powerful aura emanated from her. The strange markings on her exposed calves beneath her black dress glowed faintly with a cold light. An overwhelming magical power began to gather slowly in her palm. Lucius was taken aback; he carefully sensed the energy, quite astonished. Judging by Eilene's current display of strength, she was at least on par with the level of the third prince, Lance. Although Lance had been mercilessly overpowered by Lucius during their conflict, he was still a representative figure of high-level combat prowess in the Maya Empire. Eilene quickly withdrew her hand, lowering her head and speaking softly. “If I had this power when we encountered the demon hunters, maybe Selena wouldn’t have been hurt...” As she spoke, she suddenly looked up at Lucius. Gazing into the familiar features of the man, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of gratitude. After all, without being captured by the demon hunters, they wouldn’t have met this man before her. Otherwise, they might still be running and hiding for their lives. Is everything that happened a blessing or a curse? Despite often calling Lucius a pervert, Eilene couldn't deny that over these days, his actions gradually helped her shed her initial prejudices and slowly open her heart. "Let the past be the past; we should look forward." "Isn't that right?" Lucius gently attempted to comfort the sensitive girl. His eyes were clear and encouraging as he said, "You shouldn’t cling to the past; there's a vast world out there waiting for you." Eilene's lips twitched, and she instinctively wanted to retort. However, she swallowed back her words at the last moment. Feigning indifference, she simply responded with an "oh." Internally, she mused sarcastically, What a strange man. I just mentioned something casually, and he’s already acting like a life coach? Despite her inner snark, Eilene still murmured, “What does the distant world have to do with me anyway? I can't just roam freely.” Her complaint was undeniably valid. As she aged, her witch-like traits became increasingly pronounced. Whether it was the intricate markings now traveling up her thighs, or her ever more beautiful and delicate features, they all marked her as different. Appearing in public would quickly draw attention and risk being reported to the demon hunter association. If the association caught them, the consequences wouldn't even bear thinking about. Their methods of dealing with witches were brutally final. If a witch couldn’t be burned at the stake, then she was undoubtedly a witch. Notably, the demon hunter association had never encountered a witch who couldn't be burned. Lucius understood the implications behind Eilene's words. He became earnest, softly reassuring her, “Eilene, trust me, I will grant you true freedom.” His words were strange and unexpected. Yet, upon hearing them, Eilene felt a gentle stir within her heart. It was reminiscent of the morning when Lucius had kindly offered her a piece of cake. Sweet and smooth. Though she loathed admitting it, that was undoubtedly the best cake she had ever tasted… Deep in thought, Eilene suddenly shook her head as if to snap back to reality. She began to question herself. What was happening today... Why was she increasingly seeing this perverse man in a better light… She knew full well he had approached with less than innocent intentions. Determined, Eilene quickly put on a stern face, huffed, and turned away from him. "Men are all the same, always spouting sweet nonsense. Do you think I'll be touched?" She paused, then added in a quieter voice. “Unlike Selena, I'm not so gullible!” Lucius paused, then laughed at her reaction. He mimicked her stance, sitting down as well, placing his hands behind his head and gazing upwards. The night breeze scattered fine dust through the air. The clouds retreated completely, revealing the full moon. Its silvery light bathed the ground, outlining their faint silhouettes. Lucius found himself in good spirits. He gazed at the moon for a while before suddenly speaking, “The moonlight is truly beautiful.” Eilene didn’t quite understand, pursing her lips and ignoring him. Nevertheless, she too lifted her head, joining him in looking at the bright night sky above. After a brief pause, Lucius's voice emerged once more. “Eilene, you should play along with me; otherwise, it feels a bit awkward.” Eilene was puzzled. "Play along with what?" she asked. Lucius laughed, “When I say the moonlight is beautiful, you're supposed to reply with 'and the wind is gentle.'” Eilene arched her eyebrows, exclaiming sarcastically, “Gentle, my foot! The wind is whipping up dust everywhere.” Lucius wasn’t fazed by not achieving his playful banter. He chuckled softly and changed the topic, “Do you have any dreams, Miss Eilene?” Dreams? Surprised by the sudden question, Eilene paused. “I’ve never really thought about dreams, but I did have one during my fainting spell today.” After speaking, she hesitated. Because the dream she had wasn't exactly decent. But Lucius played along, asking with interest. “What kind of dream?” Eilene’s face flushed crimson, showing off her adorable fangs with mock ferocity. “No asking allowed!” “But you’re the one who brought it up…” Despite maintaining her fierce tone, she hoped to cover her embarrassment. “No matter, you’re not allowed to ask!” “…Alright.” Lucius didn’t argue with her. Luckily, he wasn’t overly curious by nature. He continued to chat leisurely with the girl. In the dim corridor, Eilene’s small frame inadvertently moved closer to Lucius. She suddenly inquired, “And what about you? What’s your dream?” “Me?” Without hesitating, Lucius answered, “My dream is, of course, for Miss Eilene to always be happy.” Eilene froze. She scoffed, “Who’d believe that?” But the man merely looked at her quietly, repeating, “By the Saint’s light, I’ll ensure Miss Eilene will never be sad. Always and forever.” (End of Chapter)