Chapter 854: Two Choices (Thanks to the Witch of 0abab5 for Supporting Baiyin Alliance)

Franca froze for a moment, then her face twisted into clear shock.

She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to speak, but her rosy lips moved uncontrollably.

Her complexion gradually turned pale, her gaze flickering between shimmering and vacant.

Lumian watched Franca like this in silence, saying nothing.

After a long while, Franca asked, her voice dry and strained:

"You… accepted?"

Her voice sounded as if squeezed from her throat, her eyes holding a faint glimmer of hope.

Lumian slowly nodded.

The light in Franca's eyes dimmed instantly.

She slowly lowered her head, staring at her legs resting on the armchair.

After a few seconds, she whispered as if in a dream:

"I know Jianna's affection for me, her importance to me, was never love—I was just fantasizing, imagining she couldn't find a suitable partner to digest the 'Pleasure' Elixir, so she reluctantly chose me, and after prolonged physical closeness, perhaps our hearts would draw near…"

"I know Jianna is rushing to digest the Elixir because her brother is returning to Trill soon…"

"I know being a female witch is a dangerous path, and Jianna knows it too…"

"I know her sexual orientation is men…"

"I know she is decisive, skilled at gambling everything…"

"I can accept Jianna choosing someone else, accept her liking someone else—she is free, she is independent, she is not my possession; just because I love her doesn't mean she must love me, can't get close to others—I've been building my mind, preparing myself, even comforting myself by thinking maybe this could help me digest the 'Pain' Elixir…"

"But… but…"

Franca suddenly lifted her head, her glistening eyes blazing with furious fire:

"Why you? Fuck, why you?"

Lumian felt like a beautiful yet dangerous leopard had locked onto him, yet he still said nothing.

The answer didn't need to be spoken.

It had already been spoken.

Franca met Lumian's gaze, her eyes slowly turning sorrowful.

She laughed bitterly at herself, asking with resentment and anger:

"Why did you agree?"

"Two reasons—one surface, one true—which do you want to hear?" Lumian said with a pained smile.

"I want to hear both!" Franca replied without hesitation, firm and decisive.

She stood up, as if trying to appear more imposing.

Lumian sighed and said:

"The surface reason is that Jianna already came to me—whether I refuse or avoid her, it will hurt her, affect her state, leave hidden damage; but if I accept her, it will hurt you. I could only choose the option where the aftermath is easier to mend—you're optimistic, your personality is good, you should be able to let go slowly…"

"Fuck! So having a good personality means you deserve to be mistreated, is that it?" Franca snapped, laughing bitterly and cutting him off.

She walked to the living room window, pressed her hands against the frame, and stared out at the night, as if trying to calm herself.

Lumian joined her side, his gaze also fixed on the deep darkness outside.

After several seconds, Franca didn't turn her head, speaking as if to herself:

"What's the real reason?"

Lumian paused, then said:

"Ever since you refused to lose your dignity in front of someone you truly love, and stopped digesting the 'Pleasure' Elixir as you used to, and ever since Jianna came to you voluntarily, your relationship entered a vortex, spiraling downward, destined to explode—delaying it only increases the damage and severity. Better to end it early."

"For me, the optimal choice was actually to delay—to wait until I finish preparing for the 'Ironblood Knight' Ascension Ritual. If all goes well, that's only three or four weeks away. Then I'll have gained divinity, become a Rank 4 Semi-God. Your emotional issues can explode however they want; even if they shatter the team's harmony, it won't affect me."

"Even if Rank 3 also requires a team, I'll have enough time to reassemble."

Franca listened in silence, then turned her head to look at Lumian's face:

"What about your feelings?"

Lumian stared at the darkness outside, silent, not answering.

Franca fell silent too, then said flatly after a while:

"Go back now. I'm confused. I need to be alone."

Lumian looked at Franca, hesitating, not moving.

Seeing this, Franca said with a complex smile:

"Don't worry—I won't leave. I still have a mission."

"Why aren't you going? Do you want me to beat you up?"

"Listen, when I've figured things out, I might do what Morola the 'Witch' did—cut off your dick! You can grow it back, so I'll cut it off every day!"

"Go now!"

"Get out!"

Seeing Franca grow increasingly agitated, grabbing something nearby to throw at him, Lumian sighed inwardly, walked to the door, opened it, and entered the staircase.

Bang!

Behind him, the door slammed shut with a heavy crash.

Lumian descended the stairs, and soon saw Jianna standing silently in the shadows.

She hadn't truly left—she had remained inside the building, head slightly lowered, waiting quietly.

"How did it go?" Jianna looked up and asked Lumian.

Lumian recounted the key points of his conversation with Franca and her reactions.

Jianna pressed her lips together and said to Lumian:

"Go back first. I'll wait outside, on guard for any surprises."

Lumian glanced back at the dark staircase:

"I'll wait here too."

Jianna shook her head:

"I'm enough. If she calms down, she might want to talk to me. Your presence here will only agitate her further."

Lumian thought for a moment:

"Alright."

He looked into Jianna's deep eyes, tinged with pain, and sighed:

"Most people, most of the time, are selfish."

"Like you…"

Lumian paused, then pointed at himself:

"And like me."

Jianna's gaze softened slightly; she gave a self-deprecating smile:

"Sometimes, I really want to drag you down into the abyss with me."

…………

Back in his rented apartment, Lumian lay on his bed, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep.

He didn't even want to use meditation to calm himself.

After a long while, he suddenly sensed something, sat up sharply, and turned his gaze to the bedroom window.

The window creaked open, and Franca jumped in—wearing a woman's shirt and fitted trousers, but with a pair of fluffy slippers.

Under the crimson moonlight, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she held a dagger in her hand.

"Thanks to you, I've digested a lot of my 'Pain' Elixir!" Franca glared at Lumian on the bed, teeth clenched. "Fuck, the more I think about it, the angrier I get!"

Lumian stared at Franca's face for several seconds, then his gaze slowly dropped to the dagger in her hand.

He waited for her to speak further.

Franca ground her teeth:

"I can accept Jianna's choice! Even if I'll be sad, heartbroken, in pain—I'm willing to accept it, even encourage her."

"But you—you hurt a brother! You deserve to be stabbed six times and cut three ways!"

"Do you know how much this hurts me? We were so close, so in sync, always thinking of each other—why, why did you shatter this beautiful state?"

"You're making me feel abandoned—you two are growing intimate, drawing close, while I'm left behind, pulled farther away, becoming the extra one…"

"I feel betrayed…"

As she spoke, the bitterness in her voice faded, replaced by a hint of confusion.

She paused, then hurled the dagger—it landed precisely on Lumian's bed.

Franca stepped forward two paces, glaring at Lumian:

"You only have two choices now!"

"One: I told you before—if you ever touched Jianna, I'd make you drink the 'Witch' Elixir and turn you into a woman. Now, your first choice is to switch paths and ascend as the 'Despair Witch'!"

"Two: I fuck you, or you fuck me!"

Lumian had anticipated many outcomes, but never this one.

Seeing his expression of shock, disbelief, and confusion, Franca added bitterly:

"I'm joining you two!"

"This…" Lumian finally spoke his first word, carefully observing Franca's state.

After speaking those words, Franca exhaled deeply and returned to her usual smile.

"I ask you, do you, uh, value me?"

"I do." Lu Mi answered with absolute certainty.

Franca nodded in satisfaction:

"Do you value Jenna?"

"I do," Lumián answered without hesitation.

Franca pursed her lips and asked further:

"Does Jenna value you?"

"She does," Lumián replied without doubt.

Franca shifted her question:

"Do I value you?"

"You do," Lumián nodded solemnly.

"And do I value Jenna?" Franca pressed on.

"Deeply," Lumián added an modifier.

Franca hesitated before asking again:

"And does Jenna value me?"

"Deeply. You're her family now, and her best friend," Lumián answered seriously.

Franca waved her hand dismissively:

"So there you go—we all value each other. Who knows if we'll die tomorrow? Then let's just stay together, none of us abandons the others. It's just sex; love is such a hassle! Screw love!"

Lumián was left speechless. Gazing at Franca, he sincerely remarked:

"Your current mental state is kind of beautiful…"

Franca laughed:

"What else should it be?"

Here, she suddenly turned her head slightly to the side, her voice rising:

"Do I really have to give up? Do I have to leave?"

A few slow, glistening tears, long held back, traced down beside her eyes.

Lumián fell silent.

After a few seconds, Franca turned her head back, gazing deeply at Lumián with a hoarse voice:

"Because, in this world, you two are the two people I value most.

"The only two…"

Under the crimson moonlight, her face was streaked with tears.

PS: Thanks to the Witch of 0abab5 for supporting the Silver Alliance~ Last day of June, begging for monthly votes~

(End of Chapter)