Reborn After Betrayal: The Frail True Princess Decides to Give Up

Chapter 210 : The Mysterious Village Ruins

Celitia's question was too sudden, startling Benita:"Why are you asking this?"

"Nothing," Celitia lowered her eyes, her expression calm. "Just asking casually."

Looking at the girl's silent profile, Benita remembered that there had once been rumors saying Celitia wasn't Viscount Herbert's biological daughter.

With Celitia suddenly bringing this up, had she already completely confirmed her own origins?

Benita's feelings became indescribably complex.

"I think it depends on the situation." Benita said carefully, "If my adoptive parents treated me well, I would still regard them as my parents.

"As for biological parents, it would depend on their thoughts—whether it was originally a mistake or if they deliberately abandoned me. If it wasn't intentional and they were willing to acknowledge me, I think I would probably consider it..."

Benita spoke hesitantly while observing Celitia's expression.

Her focus was all on the parents' reactions.

Celitia listened quietly for a while before slowly asking:

"What if your adoptive parents treated you well, but the biological daughter they took back would steal everything from you..."

The girl's voice was slightly low, like a ghost.

"For instance, your parents' love, your status and position, even inheritance rights—everything would be taken by her?"

Hearing such a sharp question, Benita was completely stunned.

After a long moment, Benita smiled bitterly:

"You're asking me? Unfortunately, I'm just an illegitimate daughter. I can't speak of being loved by my mother, nor do I have any status or position, much less inheritance rights. So I can't answer you. If such a situation really existed, perhaps for me it would be a kind of relief instead."

Celitia fell silent.

That's right.

Everyone's situation was different. Asking Benita this question was probably making things difficult for her.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this." Celitia sighed and let Benita off the hook. "I just suddenly thought of this question and asked casually. You don't need to take it to heart."

What use was asking others about something she had to resolve herself?

It was nothing more than self-deception.

Both harboring their own thoughts, they fell into silence simultaneously.

Gradually, following the road, they walked near another exit of the village.

This road was blocked off with fencing, with weeds growing wild around it, apparently untended for a long time.

A somewhat familiar figure stood swaying at the end of the road, staring ahead in a daze.

Celitia recognized the person: "That's Granny Monica from this morning, isn't it?"

"Seems like it."

Benita came back to her senses and looked in the direction of Celitia's gaze.

"What is she doing? Could she have gone completely mad from missing her son?"

"Something seems off."

Ignoring Benita's sharp commentary, Celitia's gaze was fixed on Monica.

"She seems to be muttering something."

Quickening her pace slightly, Celitia approached Monica from behind.

Monica didn't notice her, still looking dazed as she stared at the weed-covered road ahead.

"...place where dreams come true... place where dreams come true..."

Monica kept repeating this, stepping over the fence at the end and continuing along the road, swaying as she walked outward.

"Is she really crazy?" Benita whispered. "Let's not bother with her. If we go further that way we'll be leaving the village, and we're not familiar with this area..."

"But I can't help feeling concerned," Celitia pondered. "In that direction, there seems to be something..."

It was as if some inexplicable attraction was drawing Celitia to investigate.

This feeling was very strange, making Celitia more vigilant.

"Hey, you two aren't locals, are you?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

A woman wearing a floral headscarf and carrying a basket of apples looked at Celitia and Benita with curiosity.

"Did you also come here specially after hearing the rumors?"

Celitia asked: "What rumors?"

"That area is the old village site, abandoned for many years."

The village woman approached mysteriously and lowered her voice.

"Recently there's been a rumor that if you go to the old site, you can fulfill your deepest wishes. Lately, people keep coming because of this rumor. They go there and stay for several days. When they return, they're all dazed, like they've lost their souls. I don't think they fulfilled any wishes—instead they look like their vitality has been sucked dry. So that place must be haunted, right?"

The village woman chattered on, both fearful and curious.

"You two young ladies should probably not go over there."

"Exactly, let's not bother with her." Benita thought the village woman made sense. "All this talk about wishes sounds rather creepy..."

Celitia fell into thought.

A place that could fulfill people's wishes—this kind of claim was probably just to trick people into going there.

Although she knew it was purely meddling in others' affairs, once the thought of investigating arose in her heart, she couldn't suppress it anymore.

"How about I follow and take a look?" Celitia considered. "You don't need to go—just go back and tell Shanie."

"No way!" Benita shook her head repeatedly. "I can't let you go alone. If we're going, we'll go together."

Not understanding why Celitia insisted on investigating, Benita felt uneasy but was unwilling to leave her alone.

"Of course, if you want to go, I won't stop you." The village woman advised with curiosity, "Just be careful, and when you come back, remember to tell me what exactly happened over there?"

"Alright, thank you for the advice." Celitia nodded to her.

During their brief conversation, Monica had already walked quite a distance.

The two hurried to catch up, quietly following behind Monica.

The road outside the village gradually became narrow and dilapidated, overgrown with weeds everywhere, obviously untended for a long time.

The weeds by the roadside were trampled and scattered, showing that quite a few people had indeed come recently.

Monica didn't notice them, remaining dazed as she continued walking outward along the road.

After walking for a while, the temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. Celitia saw the dilapidated houses in the distance.

"That should be the old site the villager mentioned."

Celitia said this, waited a moment, but didn't get a response from Benita.

"Benita?"

She called out curiously and turned her head, immediately freezing in place.

Benita, who had been walking beside her, had somehow disappeared.

"Benita? Benita?"

Celitia looked back along the path they'd come, but the road was empty with no sign of Benita.