115 - The Butler Dismissed by the Saintess Couldn’t Possibly Be the Demon Dragon Princess

Chapter 115: Accepting a Disciple After hearing Silver-haired Lilian's explanation, Aelia frowned slightly. She had long been prepared for what Silver-haired Lilian had mentioned, knowing that the aura she absorbed wouldn't be minimal. "That aura will continuously erode your consciousness until you become just like her," Aelia said gently. "Stop with the fear-mongering. I can completely suppress that power. See, I'm perfectly fine right now, am I not?" Silver-haired Lilian retorted, knowing that Aelia was referring to Blonde-haired Lilian. In her view, the reason Blonde-haired Lilian couldn't suppress the aura of the special entity was due to her lack of strength, whereas she could entirely suppress its invasion. Hearing Silver-haired Lilian's words, Aelia slowly walked over to the statue of the goddess. She gazed at the divine and pristine figure and sighed slightly. "You really have no understanding of that special entity. Or perhaps, after hundreds of years, you've forgotten just how terrifying it is." "What do you mean? Can you speak more plainly? I most despise people like you who speak in riddles." "You'll find out eventually. Its terror isn't something I can make clear with a few words. We must expel it, drive it beyond the world." A determination was evident in Aelia’s expression, as if she were speaking of her own mission. From her words, it was clear she lacked the confidence to kill that special entity, only hoping to expel it outside the world. "I think you're overthinking it. If I step in, it won't have a good outcome," Silver-haired Lilian chuckled, forming a dark energy sphere in her palm with an air of arrogance. "This power can numb the nerves of the infected, leading them to fall into its grasp without realizing it." "I can delay this erosion. I originally thought that as long as she continuously received my treatment, Lilian could live a normal lifespan without the risk of being fully infected." "But your appearance made me abandon this unrealistic idea," Aelia spoke heavily, almost as if she were disclosing a burdensome truth. "You come from the future, don't you?" Silver-haired Lilian was taken aback, ultimately nodding to confirm Aelia’s observation. She knew that once she appeared before Aelia, her identity as someone from the future could no longer be concealed. After all, if she could sense Aelia’s integral aura, Aelia could undoubtedly sense hers as well. "Let me make it clear, I’m not you, nor am I your future self. If you want me to stay and help you, that's out of the question," Silver-haired Lilian stated. "Yes, I understand. You've developed your own consciousness now. I won’t force you to do anything, as long as you don't cause harm." "Alright, so what’s the real reason you brought us here? Surely, it's not to lecture us." "To undermine my confidence in suppressing that aura and try to manipulate both me and Lilian?" "Of course not. Since you asked, I won't hide it any longer." "I want to take Lilian as my disciple—essentially, to take you both as disciples—so that you can gain better control over this power." "What?!" Upon hearing Aelia's words, Silver-haired Lilian bristled, glaring furiously at Aelia. "Don't even think about it! There’s no way I’ll let her learn any nonsense from you, old woman!" "And I’m even less inclined to learn any nonsense from you. Why should I learn from you when everything you know, I know too?" Aelia smiled softly, unfazed by her attitude. "That's not for you to decide. Lilian’s body ultimately belongs to her, not you." "So in the end, the choice must be hers alone. You have no right to interfere." Silver-haired Lilian gritted her teeth, dark energy swirling around her once more, but the holy atmosphere of the chapel suppressed her power. She could only glare at Aelia with malice. Just as the atmosphere between the two reached an impasse, a weak voice suddenly interjected. "I, I am willing." Blonde-haired Lilian's voice resonated in the chapel. She had never truly been unconscious; her awareness had been present since the moment Ian was burned. However, until now, she hadn’t found a chance to interject—until Aelia proposed taking her as a disciple, and Silver-haired Lilian objected. "Why agree to her?" Silver-haired Lilian asked incredulously. "I can teach you everything she can. Every bit of knowledge she has, I possess too." "If you want to learn, I can teach you as well. So please, don’t agree with her, okay?" she pleaded, like a newlywed bride being abandoned by her groom. "Hey, hey, hey." Blonde-haired Lilian hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her silver-haired counterpart upon accepting Aelia's offer to become a disciple. "I, I just want to better protect Ian and you," she replied, her voice laden with vulnerability. "And you're already suppressing the aura within me. I don’t want to trouble you further." "Troubling me? It's no trouble at all. If you ever need my help, I would never refuse," Silver-haired Lilian said, her expression hardening, and a hint of unease flickering in her blue eyes. "I… I've made my decision," Blonde-haired Lilian's voice echoed through the chapel. "I hope you can support my choice." "If you want to learn, I can teach you. No need to seek her out." Silver-haired Lilian shot Aelia a resentful glance, looking at her as though she were someone luring a child away. "But you're already very tired. I don't want to burden you anymore," Blonde-haired Lilian said. "I’m not tired at all." "Enough." Aelia interjected, halting Silver-haired Lilian's persuasion. "If you truly care for Lilian, you should respect her decision." "Hmph." Silver-haired Lilian huffed, shaking a small fist at Aelia. "Don’t let me catch her crying in the future, or I’ll come for you." As she finished speaking, a beam of golden light surged over Lilian, transforming her hair from silver to gold. Blonde-haired Lilian clenched her small fists, as if reacquainting herself with her own body. In these past days, she'd mostly resided in a mental realm, with little chance to emerge and breathe freely. Although she had ventured out before, the aura had influenced her to the point where she had no self-awareness.