For a while, neither spoke.
The breeze stirred the flowering branches overhead, sending petals drifting onto the pond like scattered tears.
Then Saint Riyal Mendez quietly spoke, "Within jade halls the phoenix cries unheard, her wings restrained by chains of silent gold. Though spring arrives with fragrant blooming words, her winter heart remains forever cold."
The black-robed woman's eyes widened slightly.
A moment later, she responded almost instinctively, "Beneath the moon the lonely waters sigh, reflecting stars that cannot ease their pain. If one kind soul would reach beyond the sky, perhaps the withered lotus blooms again."
Saint Riyal Mendez looked at her with gentle admiration.
"Madam possesses extraordinary talent."
The black-robed woman smiled faintly before looking away, her cheeks blushing.
"Saint praises me too much."
"No. I believe your abilities are unearthed."
His gaze softened deeply, "Besides, I believe Madam has simply never met someone willing to truly cherish her."
Their eyes met again, and her heartbeat quietly accelerated.
Saint Riyal Mendez reached out gently before taking her hand into his own.
Warmth spread through her body, causing her to tremble. She knew she should have pulled away. She knew she should, yet her fingers instead tightened around his hand as though desperately clinging to the comfort she had sought for so long.
Saint Riyal Mendez spoke softly, "You deserve freedom."
The black-robed woman's lips trembled slightly, tears flooding her eyes, "You do not understand how difficult that is…"
"Then allow me to bear that burden with you."
His thumb gently brushed against her delicate fingers before his voice turned solemn, "I will save you from this household."
"…"
Her breathing became uneven.
For the first time in years, her heart raced as it had never before.
Saint Riyal Mendez slowly leaned closer and whispered, "One day, I will give you a life where you no longer need to hide your smiles."
His voice became softer still.
"A child will appear from a sacred union, so you may finally have a family built upon love instead of duty."
The black-robed woman's eyes turned moist.
Her head slowly rested against his shoulder as tears quietly slid down her cheeks.
Above the pavilion, Steward Belmont's expression grew uglier.
Meanwhile, the City Lord remained motionless, though the coldness around him intensified. But inwardly, he had the urge to roll on the floor and laugh out loud.
Davis had long already controlled the maids responsible for contact between Steward Belmont and City Lord Kain's first wife. Hence, he was able to make this meeting happen instead of getting the fourth wife here as it was originally planned.
Now, this so-called first wife ditched the Steward for this Saint. It was truly a fitting end for a home wrecker.
However, he still wasn't satisfied as he wanted to see a fitting end for this so-called first wife. He could feel Evelynn fuming inside him for some obvious reason. Evidently, she was pissed by someone daring to cheat twice while having the title of the first wife.
Steward Belmont was also livid, but he could in no way lash out and had to restrain himself because he had hidden his affair from City Lord Kain himself.
Little did he know that his machinations were already uncovered by the Divine Emperor of Death, who impersonated the City Lord.
'Oh? The roach has been found?'
At this moment, as the first lady of the City Lord's mansion left quickly so as to not be discovered, Davis discovered someone had intruded into the Treasury.
It wasn't he who found this intruder, but Davis's karmic identity that delved into City Lord Kain's body and soul. This body had gone ahead to look around the Treasury but had instead found the intruder that secretly slipped out during the banquet when people went to the restroom one after another after having too much to drink.