Chapter 81
Chapter 81
“Mother didn’t seem to understand magical engineering very well. But sometimes, she did things that seemed like magic.”
“There are magic users up above.”
“Then maybe Mother was a witch, like they called her.”
“Perhaps she was….”
Benjamin was curious why Arietta’s mother had left the abundant sky city for Downstream. Arietta couldn’t answer his question; coincidentally, she didn’t know either.
“I didn’t even know Mother was from the sky city at first.” Arietta sighed deeply.
Their conversation, flowing freely, drifted to other topics. They could talk for ages about precious artwork. Arietta’s artistic knowledge was deeper and more specialized than Benjamin expected, sometimes even startling him. She possessed an astonishingly rich understanding of art, a level he couldn’t believe she’d acquired through self-study, alone in the annex of a glass dome mansion, isolated like an island. It wasn’t just knowledge; her sharp intuition for the complex and delicate value of art left Benjamin in awe. He learned that all the artifacts brought down by the Remains Retrieval team had been displayed in the annex where Arietta lived.
“The entire annex must be like a museum.”
Arietta chuckled and nodded.
“I wish I could see it….” Benjamin said, trying to sound casual, downplaying his genuine interest.
“That will never happen.” Arietta’s gaze drifted to the distance, her voice firm. “It’s a sight even I will never see again.”
The more Benjamin spoke with Arietta, the harder it became to let her go. Leaving her on the surface felt terribly wrong, a great loss not only for Arietta but for the sky city as well. He was certain she belonged up above; she was more suited to the sky city than anyone he’d ever met. But he couldn’t ignore the practical barriers.
“Even if her mother was from high society, nobody knows who the father is.” One of the Remains Retrieval team members, someone Benjamin was close to and often conversed with, spoke bluntly. “There’s a high probability that she’s half Downstream, tainted with their common blood. We can’t just let that filth into the sky city.”
Benjamin couldn’t argue; fundamentally, it was true.
“We can’t have that unpleasant Downstream bloodline spreading through the sky city.” Another team member chimed in. Sky city residents took immense pride in their pure bloodlines, untainted by surface dwellers. Arietta’s entry would be a blow to that pride.
“Besides, she’s the Marquess of Tygra’s plaything. Young Lord Lenota, it’s better to let her go quickly. Do you think the Big Cat will stay docile forever? If things go south…”
Hearing this, Benjamin felt a chill, as though reality was urging him to face the facts. But he couldn’t give up. He longed to return with Arietta. Lately, he’d seen a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and he cared deeply for her. He didn’t want to replace that hope with disappointment. And, he had to admit, his own desires ran deep. He didn’t want to be parted from her. He wanted to ascend to the sky city with her. Benjamin had thought about what would come after, too.
‘But that, too, will be met with opposition.’
Bringing a woman from Downstream to the sky city wasn’t something achievable with mere wishful thinking and determination. Benjamin’s mind began to work rationally. After much deliberation, he reached a conclusion: ‘No matter what, I have to produce results on this Remains Retrieval mission.’
For her, and for himself, this had to happen. With undeniable results in hand, no one could stand in his way. If he could achieve that, Arietta would be his.
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