Chapter 7 (Added settings)
Sinderel stared at her inquiringly, his deep eyes as sharp as a cat's.
Opesa was frightened by his stare, and then she realized that her wording seemed to be wrong. She wanted to make amends, but she saw Sinderel step back and kneel, his upper body bent at her feet.
Opesa was stunned, and it took a few seconds for her to understand his behavior.
This... can really allow her to step on the horse?
Sinderel didn't speak or move. She swallowed, raised her high-heeled boots, and tentatively stepped on his shoulders.
His shoulders were unexpectedly broad and strong, but one could still feel the hard bones in his thin body. Afraid of hurting him, Opesa lifted her heels and stepped on his shoulders to get into the stirrups.
Because she couldn't ride a horse, Opesa deliberately said, "I'm very tired. You have to protect me from behind. If I fall off the horse, I will tear your pretty little hands apart."
Although she wasn't sure if her threats would work, Opesa still got on the horse first. While Opesa sat shakily on the horse's back, Sinderel got on the horse quickly and smoothly, sitting behind her in a few seconds.
His hands reached out from behind and grasped the reins skillfully. Opesa's eyes involuntarily fell on his hands, which were half hidden by his sleeves.
His hands were white and slender, like exquisite works of art, but too pale, revealing a morbid beauty. His arms were wrapped around her like last night, but he kept a distance, his distant posture clearly showing disgust, unwilling to even touch her.
Opesa shrank her shoulders consciously. If she were in his shoes, she would never ride on the same horse with her enemy.
Sinderel urged the horse, and the horse instantly spread out its four hooves, making a loud noise. Opesha was so scared that she immediately grabbed the horse's mane, which made Ace unhappy, and he snorted to express his displeasure.
"You hurt it." Sindriel's indifferent voice came from behind.
Opesa silently let go and stroked Ace's horse mane soothingly.
But where could she grab?
As if he understood her thoughts, Sinderel handed half of the rope to her and said, "Hold it."
His knuckles accidentally touched her palm, and in an instant, Sinderel quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been electrocuted.
Has the annoyance become so severe that it has become a physiological reaction? Opesa just feels frustrated.
The horse galloped at lightning speed. It must be said that this horse was worthy of the heroine's careful training. Because of its speed, the originally long journey was shortened by nearly half.
Finally entering the city, Opesa couldn't wait to get off the horse and looked at the new world in front of her with curiosity.
However, as soon as she entered the city, she experienced firsthand what a "restricted" world was like.
The city was a typical medieval European scene. The street hygiene wasn't good, with a tangled mixture of foul, fishy, and fragrant odors, a stench so nauseating it made her vomit. But she didn't see any elegantly dressed women strolling through the market carrying baskets; nor did she see knights in sturdy armor atop horses; nor did she see any nobles in Baroque gowns with faces covered in magnesium powder. Instead, she saw brothels clustered one after another, where women in revealing attire leaned against railings, flirting and flirting with men outside, while men, embraced by their companions, were escorted into the brothels.
What's more, some of them were so impatient that they French kissed each other on the roadside.
Opesha turned her head away, only to see the same scene on the other side of the street.
She really wanted to dig out her eyes and wash them.
Can this even be called a restricted novel? This is a complete mess. No author of a restricted novel would have the brains to write such a chaotic world, right?
If the people are in such a state, what kind of licentious people are leading this country's ruling class? The situation in the royal family is only worse. No wonder the king is so anxious to have grandchildren. This is a country that worships reproduction.
What about the prince? In the story, he was at least a sane person, but after seeing the scene before her, Opesa couldn't guarantee that the prince wouldn't be infected by such distorted ideas and become a confused person.
The world in the novel is completely fictional. Combining the information I found at home yesterday, this country is called Furland. Legend has it that it is an island nation transformed from an angel's tear. It is located at the westernmost part of the world map and is only the size of a fingernail.
The country implements a territory system, and the territory she is currently in is the smallest in Furlan, called Windsor Territory.
There were no useful clues left. She didn't dare think too much. The unspeakable things she had seen in the study came back to her mind. She frantically suppressed her rampant imagination and looked at Sinderel, trying to find a topic to block out the surrounding environment: "Hmm... Do you know where to handle the house transfer?"
Sinderel glanced at those people indifferently, then looked at her, not affected by the surroundings at all, as if he was not surprised by all this. "Church."
The church belonged to God's domain, sacred and inviolable, so there shouldn't be so many things she couldn't bear to see. Opesa nodded, "Let's go there." She didn't want to stay on this street for a moment.
Sinderel passed her and walked ahead. Opesha, holding up her skirt, walked cautiously down the street. While the streets weren't as filthy as she'd read in history books, littered with excrement and garbage, they weren't exactly pristine either. There were still some foul-smelling water flowing, and rats could be seen scurrying across the streets, burrowing under passersby's clothes. Opesha's hair stood on end at the sight. Fortunately, she had a female protagonist who could communicate with animals by her side, preventing rats from crawling over her feet and onto her body.
She walked behind Sinderel, and after about fifteen minutes they arrived at the church door.
The church was majestic, its towering, pointed roof visible from afar. At the entrance, nuns in black and white robes were distributing alms, while a long line of ragged paupers waited for relief. Opesa glanced as she passed by. They were some hard bread and homemade yogurt. They looked ordinary, not even as good as the bread she ate at home, but they still attracted a large number of people.
Those poor people were almost all pale and thin, and some children were so thin that they looked like unrecognizable people. Comparing them with the people she saw when she first entered the city, Opesa felt extremely complicated.
As expected, there are strict class divisions everywhere, and this world is no exception.
However, this also gave her a new idea: perhaps she could also participate in the charity to quickly obtain information. What is the fastest way to obtain information? It is to collect it from the rumors of people walking around.
The poor people who lack money will struggle to make a living, but as long as she pays them, they can get what they want without any effort, even if it is about the royal family.
Opesa withdrew her gaze, waiting for Sinderel to put the horses down, and then they walked into the church together.
The scene inside the church was quite different from the outside. Clergymen of different duties walked back and forth. As it was a sacred place, the people inside were all dressed neatly and prayed sincerely under the guidance of the priest.
Among the crowd, the most conspicuous person was the priest with a black eye mask who was reading on the stage.
How to describe him? Opesa was at a loss for words for the moment. She just felt that he was very suitable for his position and had a divinity that could not be desecrated.
"...Father Kidd is so beautiful." She heard someone whispering.
"Yes, yes, how beautiful she is. She is simply God's messenger on earth."
"It's a pity the priest is blind, otherwise it would be an incomparable gem."
"Hey, you're not having any blasphemous thoughts, are you?"
"I swear to God! I dare not think anything of the priest!"
So he has a visual impairment? Opesha felt a little regretful.
The priest had black hair, fair skin, and a thin face. His thin lips gently parted as he recited sacred texts. His attire was solemn and serious, and the cross hanging from his neck shone brightly under the rainbow of light cast by the stained glass windows. Even the black veil covering his eyes couldn't conceal his innate beauty.
It was indeed very attractive, but Opesa was not here to be infatuated with him - there was a strong gaze behind her pressing her, silently reminding her the purpose of her visit.
She has to pretend to be comprehensive, so she has to ask about the house transfer.
After walking through the auditorium, Opesha arrived at the office.
There were hardly any poorly dressed people in the office; they looked like they belonged to the middle or upper class. Opesa glanced around and noticed a vacant window. She turned around to say hello to Sinderel, but found he had disappeared.
She was a little confused, blinked, and walked into the office alone.
Xindrel won't go far, he will definitely keep an eye on her until she finishes this matter.
There was a man sitting by the window, fiddling with his hair in front of a mirror. He had a mustache and small eyes, and his solemn clerical attire didn't add any seriousness to him, but only made him look vulgar. Just as Opesa was about to sit down, the man glanced at her and shouted in a strange tone, "Don't sit down!"
Opesa gave him a strange look. The man picked up the glasses on the table and glanced at her exaggeratedly, shouting at the top of his voice: "Oh my God, isn't this the infamous Mrs. Opesa? What brings you here? You know, we had a quarrel last time and you swore you would never see me again."
The man's tone was so contemptuous and loud that everyone around him looked up. Opesa had no idea of the original owner's relationship with him. Although she was annoyed by his tone, it seemed that he could glean some information from his words. So she resisted the urge to slap him and said calmly, "Is that so? Of course, you were not expecting my visit."
The man sneered twice. "Please don't transfer your bad luck that killed two husbands to me. I've dedicated my life to God! Sigh... I guess you're here for that house, right? I advise you not to use it as collateral. You don't have to think about selling it to anyone else. Your reputation is notorious, and no one in the city would oppose the trading house. And let me tell you the truth, that house is not worth much money."
Opesha raised her eyebrows. "Trading OK? Did the original owner offend someone?"
Opesha asked calmly, "I have my own opinions on my own affairs. Just tell me, can we move this house?"
"Madam, are you hearing okay? I've made it very clear—your husband ruined the royal military deal contracted by the trading house. Now, the entire Furlan is unlikely to help you solve this problem, and neither is the church. You should think of a way to quell the anger of those people in the trading house." The man's eyes rolled around. "Oh, right—I can give you a good suggestion. You seem to have three beautiful daughters in your family. Tsk tsk, there aren't many girls in the country who can compare to them. You know, your husband... hehe... made his fortune thanks to his daughters' beauty."
The huge amount of information instantly made Opesa a little confused: "Daughter?"
"You clearly know better than me about that girl called Sinderel. If you need to pay off your debts, why not sell her? There are so many options on the street. Any one of them can offset your entire debt... Or, you can send her back to the trading house." The man seemed to be recalling something, licking his yellow teeth. "You can also sell her to me. I will love her very much and give her a considerable sum..."
Snap——
Opesha slapped him.
The slap was so loud that everyone in the hall stood up and looked at Opesha in shock.
The man's ugly face was slapped sideways. He was obviously stunned. It took him a long time to react. The fat on his face was twisted. He covered his red and swollen face with his hands and was furious: "You...you...you dare to hit me?! Do you know who I am?!"
Opesa shook her hand in disgust and snorted disdainfully, "I'm hitting you. As a clergyman, you have such dirty thoughts. Are you worthy of God? You say you want to dedicate your body to God. It's simply outrageous."
She raised the corners of her lips, crossed her arms, and looked down at the man with a slight scornful look in her eyes. "Listen carefully, that's my daughter. No one is allowed to humiliate her without my permission." Then, she put on her hat and glared at everyone around her. "What are you looking at? God is my witness. I don't think I'm wrong to defend my daughter."
No one dared to speak and watched her leave, only the man was still cursing behind her.
After leaving the building, Opesa regretted her impulsiveness.
Although she had been unhappy with the man for a long time, she didn't go so far as to slap him.
The man looked like a person of high status, and it was not a good idea to provoke him. He had a grudge against the original owner and seemed to know a lot about the original owner's family affairs.
If this man and that trading house team up to deal with her, she will be completely finished.
She wondered why her mood suddenly fluctuated so much.
Soon, she reviewed the reason——
Because of Sindriel.
For some reason, she couldn't accept the fact that Sinderel was being devalued, even if it was just expressed verbally.
Is it because of the fairy tale filter she has had since childhood, and her favorite is Cinderella, or is it because this body and Sinderel are mother and daughter?
Neither.
It was because she felt sorry for Sinderel who had been abused.
She didn't want anyone to bully Sindriel.
Even so, now the person who is causing the pain has become myself.
Opesha frowned.
What a weird possessiveness.
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