Kapitel 133: Volume Three: July's Fiery Flow
Prologue: The Wife of the Demon Emperor
As the night deepened,
In the hushed hall, only the gentle cadence of Annie's voice occasionally broke the silence, accompanied by the swift scratching of Trell's pen on his notepad. The feast laid upon the table had been cleared away, replaced by delectable fruits and vegetables, which were soon supplanted by fragrant, steaming tea.
It was not until the tea, exuding wisps of warmth, began to cool that Annie gently paused her narrative.
Rising slowly from her chair, her splendid crimson gown trailing elegantly behind her, Annie walked quietly to the window. Her gaze drifted toward the vast sky, where a magnificent full moon hung, its cool light cascading softly over her, bestowing upon her a gentle, shimmering glow.
In the depths of her profound and ethereal eyes lay a nostalgia stirred by memories; her slightly furrowed brow spoke of the sorrow within her heart.
Time seemed to stand still in that moment.
Trell felt as though he were in the presence of the most beautiful goddess, utterly captivated by the haunting beauty enveloping the girl before him. His hand, stiffened around his notepad and pen, remained frozen in place as he sat, terrified of disturbing a beauty that seemed beyond this world.
Several maids stood silently in the corners of the hall, akin to puppets shrouded in darkness, their presence nearly diminished to nothingness. Their gazes subtly shifted with their mistress's movements, their silent faces betraying souls awaiting her commands.
Annie stood by the window for what felt like an eternity, until she finally snapped back to reality, realizing that her silence had rendered the entire hall a sanctuary of stillness. She gently turned her gaze to Trell, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I... heh heh... got a bit lost in thought."
"No... no problem at all," Trell stammered, taken aback, hastily rising to his feet and flailing his hands in a frantic gesture of reassurance.
"Heh heh..." Annie couldn't help but suppress a smile at Trell's flustered demeanor, her laughter light and kind. "Mr. Trell, you are quite amusing."
"Uh... heh heh..." Trell scratched his head awkwardly, at a loss for words, resorting to a sheepish grin.
Noticing her guest's discomfort, Annie smiled softly and skillfully redirected the conversation. "So... Mr. Trell, do you have any further questions?"
"Questions? Um... well, to be honest, I do have one," Trell replied, scratching his head again. "So, does that mean later on... the Demon Emperor went to De Bang alone?"
"Yes, that's correct," Annie nodded gently. "At that time, the barbarian king, Tadamir, was imprisoned by the De Bang guards for certain reasons. To ascertain the situation, my elder brother ventured to Maple Leaf Snow alone."
"Were you not with him, Dark Lady?" Trell inquired.
"No, I wasn't," Annie smiled wistfully, instinctively touching her cheek. "After all, I had been away from home for so long. As a girl who had never been away for such an extended period, I truly longed for home."
"Whether during my time at the War Academy, my travels in the desert, or my battles within the pyramid, I have always missed my home," Annie reminisced about the adorable persistence of her childhood self, letting out a soft sigh of amusement. "Yet, out of a childish sense of pride, I lacked the courage to return home until I proved my own abilities."
"However, after the events in the Sealed Land, I at least came to understand that my powers were not as formidable as I had imagined. Whether facing the guardians left behind in the Sealed Land or the demigod Rekton, I felt utterly powerless against such overwhelming forces," Annie sighed softly, echoing the sense of helplessness from that time.
"Even those as formidable as Sister Riven and His Majesty Jarvan found themselves nearly powerless against the diminished Rekton," she lamented, her distant gaze fixed on the night sky outside. "In battle, Teemo and I could only watch helplessly as Sister Riven and His Majesty Jarvan were wounded, unable to lend even the slightest assistance. The feeling of powerlessness from that time still lingers in my heart with a sense of regret."
"Thus, although I was reluctant, I had to part ways with my elder brother temporarily, for I realized that true strength requires no validation. Like my elder brother, he never boasted of his might, yet no one could ever underestimate him, for his very existence was a testament to his power," Annie continued. "After our separation, I followed Sister Riven back to Noxus, returning to my home... Upon reflection, I seemed more like a child who had been bullied outside, running home to seek the comforting embrace of my parents."
"Um... actually, Dark Lady, you have been quite brave," Trell remarked, observing Annie's somber mood, unsure of how to console her, only managing to clumsily offer examples. "That was a battle between demigods! If I had been there, I would have likely fled in terror."
"Heh heh..." Annie smiled lightly, amused by Trell's awkward expression. "In truth, Mr. Trell, you are quite brave yourself, daring to traverse the Voodoo Lands alone in search of us. I suspect that our home has been painted as a bloody, terrifying hell by the outside world, hasn't it?"
"You came all this way alone, not afraid that we, the Demon Emperor's minions, might flay you alive as a sacrifice to the demon king?" Annie teased with a playful smile.
"Uh..." Trell felt a shiver run down his spine under the girl's teasing gaze, instinctively retreating a couple of steps before quickly regaining his composure. He felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment for his own cowardice.
"Hee hee... Don't be so tense, I'm just teasing you," Annie said, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she offered him gentle reassurance.
This was the first time Trell had witnessed the usually composed and mature wife of the Demon Emperor display such a youthful, innocent smile. It would also be the last time in his life that he would see that charming expression, blending innocence with maturity and playfulness.
Since the departure of the Gray Order, Trell had garnered considerable fame from writing "The Demon Emperor's Biography." Not long after, he achieved great renown, successfully infiltrating high society with the first authentic biography of the Demon Emperor to grace the continent.
At the lavish balls among the nobility, he encountered many so-called beauties, yet in his memory, none could surpass the ethereal beauty of the legendary wife of the Demon Emperor.
It was only in his later years that he reluctantly acknowledged the truth of the legends: the wife of the Demon Emperor indeed possessed an enchanting allure, a beauty that transcended the earthly realm, which he had witnessed only once in his lifetime.
After all, she was the wife of the Demon Emperor.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein