Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 638: Why Are You Hesitating?
Ch'en had never imagined that at such a time, in such a place, she would encounter the girl who had appeared countless times in her dreams—the girl who had all but become her nightmare.
The Talulah she remembered should never have been in Lungmen. The last news she had received was that, after the death of that damned Duke of Ursus, Talulah had vanished without a trace.
Even with Wei Yenwu's influence and connections, he had no way of extending his reach into Ursus. Ch'en had long since resigned herself to the belief that her sister had most likely disappeared into the vast sea of people in Ursus along with the duke's death.
There had even been a warrant issued for Talulah's arrest in Ursus. All the evidence pointed to her as the true cause of the grand duke's death.
So no matter how she looked at it, Talulah should not have been standing in Lungmen like this—appearing before her as though it were all just a dream.
Something that should have been impossible had suddenly become reality before Ch'en's eyes. No matter how unwilling she was to believe it, the pair of iconic Draco horns atop Talulah's head and the unmistakable traits unique to the Draco race made her identity undeniable.
More importantly, this was the girl who had lived with her throughout her childhood—her own sister. How could Ch'en ever forget her presence or the feeling she gave off?
Even after more than ten years, even though Talulah no longer looked exactly as she had in Ch'en's memories, the moment Ch'en laid eyes on her, she knew without a doubt who she was.
"...Big Sister?"
Calling softly in a voice full of disbelief toward Talulah, who was standing behind Steven, Ch'en completely lost the composed, capable demeanor of a Lungmen Special Inspection Unit Chief. Even her voice became gentle and fragile, like a child afraid that speaking too loudly might shatter a beautiful dream, as she timidly greeted the sister she had longed for all these years.
Steven could clearly feel the girl hiding behind him, arms wrapped around his waist, suddenly stiffen.
Her fingers dug nervously into the soft flesh at his waist.
If these two sisters wanted to reunite, then let them reunite. Why did he have to suffer for it? He was getting caught in the crossfire for no reason.
With a helpless smile, Steven turned around and firmly poked Talulah on the head.
"You hear that? Your little sister's calling you."
Talulah swatted his wandering finger away.
Of course she had heard Ch'en's voice, filled with longing as she called out to her. But just as she had said before, she no longer knew how to face her only remaining family.
She opened her mouth, yet no words came out.
"...I'm not the person you're looking for."
Gritting her teeth, Talulah finally raised her head and met the gaze of the draconic girl who had unknowingly walked right up to her.
Seeing the same overwhelming emotion reflected in Ch'en's crimson eyes, Talulah instead forced herself to calm down and decisively shook her head.
"But... you're obviously Talulah..."
"No. The Talulah you remember was left behind in Ursus the day she was taken away. As for who I am now... just think of me as a wandering ghost drifting across the frozen tundra of Ursus."
"Believe me."
"I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again."
As though she had finally made up her mind, Talulah's voice gradually became firm and resolute.
But to Ch'en, those words sounded unbearably cold and heartless.
From Talulah's response alone, she could already conclude that this Draco girl before her was indeed the elder sister from whom she had been separated so many years ago—the one who had remained the deepest knot in her heart all this time.
What she couldn't understand was why Talulah would answer her with such ruthless finality, trying to sever their relationship the very moment they met.
Weren't they supposed to be sisters—each other's closest family?
And what did she mean by "a wandering ghost on the Ursus tundra"?
Such cryptic words only deepened the confusion in Ch'en's heart.
The only thing Ch'en knew for certain was that, from beginning to end, her sister had never intended to acknowledge her.
"But, Big Sister, please let me explain! Back then, it wasn't that Uncle was unwilling to save you. He had his own reasons—his own difficulties. You shouldn't hate him over something like that, should you?"
Thinking it over, Ch'en could only conclude that the incident from years ago must have left a lasting scar on Talulah's heart. Filled with sorrow, she tried to explain herself, hoping to earn at least a little of her sister's forgiveness.
To Ch'en's surprise, however, Talulah merely shook her head silently.
Having already recovered all of her memories and learned the full truth of what had happened back then, Talulah no longer harbored any hatred toward Lungmen—or toward the only two relatives she had left.
The true culprit behind everything had been that despicable old Black Snake and his schemes. Now that he had received the punishment he deserved, Talulah had no intention of taking out her anger on either Ch'en or Wei Yenwu.
And the reason she refused to reconnect with Ch'en had nothing to do with that incident.
"I don't hate any of you. And that's not why I don't want anything to do with you."
"If you truly feel guilty toward me, then let's leave it at this. Pretend we've never met."
Talulah let out a long sigh.
She simply couldn't reveal her current identity or the things she was doing. It would bring Ch'en nothing but unnecessary trouble and heartache. More than anything, she didn't want her younger sister to become entangled in the hopeless struggles surrounding the Infected.
As for Ch'en's Oripathy, that was actually the least of Talulah's worries.
With Steven—the world's greatest healer—right beside her, something as trivial as Oripathy wasn't really much of a problem.
"...Why?"
"Because she's currently the leader of the Infected in Ursus."
"To put it in terms normal people can understand—she's the leader of a rebel organization. The kind of person who's basically an internationally wanted criminal in Lungmen."
"If she acknowledges you as her sister now, then from her perspective, the only thing she'd accomplish is dragging you into her own mess."
"It's really that simple."
Unable to tolerate this melodramatic, 'I'm pushing you away for your own good' plotline that even a cheesy drama would find too cliché, Steven stepped forward.
With one kick, he shoved aside the dragon girl who still wore a melancholy expression, and bluntly explained the real reason behind her actions.
"Seriously, why are you dragging this out? You're being even more indecisive than a stereotypical drama anime heroine."
<+>
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 689: Impossible to Refute[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-169789182?collection=55713