The moment the Mystic Bloodline Cist's lid was closed, all the rune symbols on it started to shimmer darkly. The next moment, black glowing veins suddenly grew from the rune symbols, and they started to connect with each other until the entire Cist appeared like it was wrapped in tree veins. It was the end of the sealing process.
When the sealing process was complete, the black veins suddenly started to pulse in a crimson hue, and except that there was nothing but silence.
Lillian looked at the sealed Cist with an ashen expression as she couldn't sense anything, as if Alina had vanished from this world. Furthermore, when she tried to probe the sealed Cist, her martial sense bounced back!
Ace's solemn voice sounded, "Don't worry, if someone goes wrong, I'll pull her out. There's no need for you to worry. I'll leave this Cist with you so she'll be close to you. You should cheer for her and hope she'll succeed!"
Lillian felt some relief when she heard Ace's, but her expression became uncertain with pain as she asked softly, "Was that really necessary? Don't you love her as she was? Do you have to make her give up her identity? Are only strong women qualified to be with you? What if she failed? Even if you have good intentions, she will never recover from this kind of blow! Do you have to be so cruel?"
Ace was startled by Lillian's bombarding of questions. He felt silent as those questions appeared somewhat piercing.
'Why indeed?' Ace thought as he himself didn't know why he thought of Alina first when he got that bloodline and why he wanted to make her strong when he could just let her live in peace under his care.
Furthermore, deep down, he knew there was over ninety percent chance that she would agree to the bloodline sweep. This was akin to putting her life in jeopardy by giving her such an ambiguous bloodline with an unknown background.
Yet he didn't hesitate to make that choice for her, and she trusted him completely. Now, upon hearing Lillian's question, he felt like he was being selfish and didn't care about Alina's personal feelings at all.
Because he was still having qualms about accepting her as a love interest, and he was avoiding this topic unknowingly.
"Heh, I never thought the silly girl's maid would be even sillier than her master." A charming yet jeering voice suddenly rang, startling both Lillian and Ace.
The devilish Eva in a crimson has appeared right in front of the Cist at this moment, and on her shoulder was sitting Cyrus, looking very depressed for some reason.
"Y-YOU!" Lillian was alarmed as she didn't even sense this woman's presence, as if she didn't exist at all, yet she was right in front of her eyes while exposing her pale white back hidden under his long, pitch-black hair.
She didn't need to guess hard who she was since there was only a single person who was unrestrained beside Cyrus in this place, and she was also Alina's rival.
Eva smiled with a cold glint in her eyes as she looked at the pulsing Cist, but there was a hint of nostalgia as if she was looking at her own past self.
"So, my dearest also bestowed her with a bloodline to level the playing field, huh?" Eva snorted with a hint of jealousy.
"It seemed I'd disturb you." Ace's wry voice sounded. That was the reason he didn't want to speak openly in the thief's space since Eva would be disturbed.
But he never thought her meditation was so shallow that she would awake so easily. So, the only reason he could think was she wasn't cultivating too deeply, and she might be eavesdropping all this time. Her timely entry was proof of it.
Eva pursed her lips as she replied, "Hmph, you're so busy paying attention to your new lover that you forget about your old one. You even brought her a gift. If you don't give me an explanation, then we will have a serious problem!"
Ace sweated a little. He could tell Eva was not joking and felt like he was too naïve to think he could keep this under wrap.
"You! How could you flirt after the princess is sealed?" Lillian fumed as she was in utter disbelief at Eva's easy-going yet disdainful attitude.
Eva's expression went cold. Her aura suddenly locked Lillian, and the huntress trembled when she felt like an abysmal beast suddenly stared at her.
"I have enough of your insolence. A servant should know better when to speak and when to keep her mouth shut. You have no place for getting between a husband and wife, nor can you question their love for each other.
"It was her own choice to become strong, and no one forced her. What's the problem with courting power? Weak is weak, and strong is strong. Just like right now, I'm strong, and you're weak, so I can easily crush you like an ant.
"But if this situation switch, you would've done the same. Being weak is not a sin, but having a weak mentality is! If she had chosen to keep her meager bloodline just because of some silly beliefs, I would've always looked down on her.
"However, she didn't, and this means she knew her own weakness and accepted it. But instead of encouraging her, you want to blame others for your own narrow-minded mentality. I hate people like you the most who are slaves of their own beliefs.
"If you're not under his protection, I could've killed you the moment you questioned his affection for us. But this is also your first and final warning: never speak between us nor question his love for us, or I'll make sure you don't have your life to regret it, you weak bug!"
Eva retracted her pressure, leaving trembling Lillian with a pale and suffocating expression as she panted heavily.
Cyrus, on the other hand, was covering his face with his little wings.
"You went too far." Ace's dissatisfied voice sounded in her head.
Eva smiled nonchalantly, "I just drew a picture for her of what being weak means and also made it clear for you never to doubt your decision made upon your care and consideration for us.
If we don't like it, we'll disobey them, so stop listening to other people's opinions!"