Perhaps it’s because Ovid had met many saints in recent times, or he just viewed them as creatures who lived a bit longer, he didn’t have any reaction.
“The world is so big, it’s bound to have many formidable people.”
“You’re also quite forbiddable. I don’t think anyone had entered deaconhood in such a short time.”
“I feel that these words apply to you the same way. You even killed a sage.”
“Thank you.”
“...”
“Is there anything on my face?”
“No. It’s just that I feel a bit regretful that your face is so much better looking than mine. That phoenix even felt envious of you.”
Ovid felt a bit surprised and look at his reflection in the lake. He didn’t find it to be that appealing, especially when he compares it to his mother.
Of course, he was a bit silly, since anyone would get tired of looking at their face.
Recalling now she watched Cai Hua display the confrontation between Ovid and Margrethe, Anna felt her mood suddenly improve. Pushing her hand through the water, she laughed happily.
Anna felt a drop in weight by her waist. She realised that the pouch she use to hold dried figs had fallen out when she played in the water. Subconsciously, she moved the snacks closer to Ovid and offered, “They’re very sweet, do you want to eat some?”
Ovid remembered something from the past and laughed, sounding like the spring wind passing through dozen silver bells. He took the silk bag, removed the sweet snack and continued to look at the tranquil surface of the lake while munching on the dried fig.
Anna didn’t notice him taking the pouch. Her hand in the water had stopped. Inside her mind, she was screaming, “A laugh… Ovid just laughed!”
It was the first time Ovid laughed, or more accurately, the first time Anna had seen Ovid laugh. Judging by his expression, Anna was certain it was because of something in the past.
Although she knows that Ovid was by no means a cold-hearted person, he never showed much emotion. At least, she had never seen him in anguish, fear, or sadness.
She had only seen him smile once, but never seen him laugh before.
She had once heard the old woman in Julia say, “Those who rarely smile often has the most beautiful smiles,” and found it to be true.
How would one describe Ovid’s captive expression? It was like a giant ice mountain had suddenly melted and within it was the most beautiful gem that had not been seen in a million years.
That sort of gentleness and beauty knows no doubts.
But Ovid had laughed only for a moment, too short for flowers to bloom or spring to arrive.
But soon, a pearl of laughter sounded beside Ovid. It was sweet and sticky, much like the dried figs in his hands.
They say laughter is contagious, but Anna was laughing because she was sincerely happy, earnestly happy.
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Ovid saw that she was happy so the smile on his face didn’t fade as quickly as it did usually.
How fine it is to sit here, with the lake before them, the little hut behind them, and the warm wind.
But there are no splendorous stars above them, which made Ovid feel regretful.
Nothing in the world is eternal, everything is bound to return in the end.
The minor realm does have any clouds to cast shadows over a vast area.
But a shadow appeared in Ovid’s heart.
“I think it’s a good time I pass these notes to you.”
“Mmm... but I don’t want to receive them.”
“Oh, that’s fine then, I will give you them when we arrive at Julia then.”
“I don’t want it then.”
“Okay.”
Anna didn’t want to receive the notes, Ovid knew why but did not want to think of it.
---
An unknown amount of time passed, Ovid calmly looked at the surface of the river. He asked Anna, “What do you think of Julia?”
Anna replied, “I think she’s a lazy person.”
Ovid did not get the sort of response he wanted, he turned his gaze toward Anna and silently waited.
Ovid had said when he first met Anna that he disliked Julia. Anna asked, “Why? The people’s lives are happy enough.”
Ovid looked at the dried fig in his hand and replied, “I’ve already said, I don’t like her because she is not a good person.”
Ovid was now far more influential than when he first met Anna. As the disciple of Cai Hua, he was worthy of discussing these major figures that existed for countless years. Yet the two had chosen to use words like ‘lazy’ and ‘bad’, their words full of naivety and innocence. It was fortunate that the elves were still recovering from Anna’s abrupt ascension to deaconhood, or else they would be gossiping about this topic for many years to come.
Yet Ovid and Anna spoke with great solemnity.
The lake became quiet, the same sort of quiet as when Ovid was in that room with Glafx, or when Anna was facing the pope.
This was the first time the two of them had discussed a topic relating to the politics of the world. They were both the world’s future, but they never spoke of it… because the two were subconsciously aware that their fundamental worldview is different.
“Julia, to me is really like a sister. Of course, she is a lazy sister, but still a good sister.”
Anna’s voice rose up, but unlike her usual carefree tone, it was dense with emotion.
She never understood why Julia had flavoured her so much, and even less so when she discovered there is a massive gap between the races of ‘human’ and ‘dragon’. From the beginning, she never knew that she was going to inherit that position when Irene could be considered the older sister.
It was only when Martha, who possess no loyal sentiments told Anna this, that she learnt of the fact.
“But she’s is not a good person in my eyes,” Ovid stared into Anna’s eyes and firmly said, “So I will not stay with you after you returned to the capital.”
Anna tilted her head and asked Ovid softly, “What determines good or evil?”
Ovid replied, “I heard from Cai Hua that she had killed many people. Of course, I also know that other saints had killed many people… but Julia has killed too many innocents.”
When she had overthrown Alexander’s empire, all of the male population in the south was either dead or displaced. While many of them were soldiers, corrupt officials and criminals, there were even more innocents, children and the old. From that alone, one can understand how much she had killed, many of which did not deserve to be killed.
“Cai Hua had also killed a lot of people. I’m sure some are innocent.”
“But his numbers are far smaller than Julia. And in the first place, a lot of them are by accident.”
“How are you so sure than Julia had killed those innocent men with intention?”
“Because I know Alexander had done so, he had burnt down every elven city he came across.” Ovid continued, “And to overthrow Alexander’s empire, one must be as brutal, if not more than him. In a way, everyone that sits on a throne is evil.”
After a moment’s silence, Anna asked, “Do you trust in your mother’s words that much?”
Ovid did not answer her question, he continued, “You told me earlier that Martha had no issues with the spectator at the theatre dying in the battle between her and the pope. If Julia dares to use these sort of people, at least she should shoulder half the blame.”
If Julia dares appoint Martha directly under her, it naturally meant that she was familiar with Martha, and is willing to take the loss.
Anna looked into his eyes and said, “You’re willing to defend Cai Hua but bash my sister. Don’t you think it’s unlogical?”
Ovid replied, “But Cai Hua isn’t a sovereign, even if he decides to murder indiscriminately, he will never achieve the same effect as a word from Julia.”
Silence reigned once more. The two did not speak for a long time.
Anna stood up from the lake, her hands placed behind her back. She gazed out at the vivid sky in her word and asked.
“In the future, if the pope attacks the empire, what will you do?”
Ovid replied, “I won’t get involved. I just want to study the universe.”
Anna sighed. After a moment, she asked, “What if the world was destroyed, how will you continue to observe it?”
Ovid very seriously considered this situation but found that he could not imagine such an event happening. Since he didn’t know, he couldn’t make any sort of answer. “I don’t know.”
---
Ovid wasn’t a person to speak many words. If he looked back at this event, he would find that this was one of the few times in his life that he said so many words.
Half of it was because he had a comfortable feeling talking with Anna. The other half was because of the severity of the conversation.