I Reincarnated into a Single-celled Organism! - Chapter 256

“Is that so?” Jordan narrowed his eyes, looking down at Tiffany suspiciously.

His gaze flickered between her pale, tear-streaked face with specs of blood she hadn’t wiped away earlier, while the three elders appeared a bit worn, but otherwise didn’t have a scratch on them. When Lord Blanche saw him looking at him, he quickly covered up his look of shock and then pushed out his chest, trying to act like his position.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Lord Blanche declared. “Are you accusing the Blanche house of lying?”

He tried to put on an angry expression, as if the very possibility that he would be out bullying a female junior of another house was an insult to his status. Jordan’s eyes went back to Tiffany, but she kept her head low, not letting him see the expression on her face. When she didn’t say anything to dispute Lord Blanche after a moment, his jaw tightened, and he grabbed Tiffany, pulling her out of the circle and behind the guards.

The patrol leader took a breath and nodded at the three men, “It appears we owe you an apology. Let us escort you back to Arcford. We wouldn’t have you to be accosted by any more sage beasts on our land.”

“Th-that won’t be necessary…” Lord Blanche started to say.

“We insist,” he declared, his hand stroking the hilt of his sword in an unsuspecting way.

Lord Blanche quickly appeared to weigh his options in his head, and then he gave a sharp nod. “Actually, we could use an escort. Thank you.”

It was clear that none of them believed that nothing happened, but without Lady Stride’s word, they couldn’t prove anything. In some ways, paragon families were restrained in countless ways. Even when they knew the truth, they had to act in accordance with decorum or risk sullying the Stride name.

Either way, this group had been out for some time and was eager to return home. They barely allowed Lord Blanche or his people to stand before they surrounded them and began the trek back to the city. Lord Blanche didn’t argue, since this was more or less what he wanted. The journey back was a silent, tense affair. The Stride guards formed a loose perimeter around the Blanche party, their hands never far from their weapons. Jordan fell into step beside Tiffany, and he continued to throw her silent looks. Eventually, he could no longer keep his mouth shut.

“You had us worried,” he spoke softly, his voice low and earnest. “Father has had men searching for you for days. Even… your fiancé is deeply worried about you.”

“I bet he is,” Tiffany responded bitterly.

When she noticed Jordan staring at her, she flinched slightly, a cold knot tightening in her stomach. She was usually better at hiding her scorn. In the past, she had considered it her expected duty to get married off to another family to aid her own family. However, at some point, her mentality had changed. It was probably after she was healed by her benefactor. Yet, thinking about that only caused her more pain.

Jordan seemed to notice the flash or pain on her face. “Tiffany, what happened to you? If I couldn’t tell that blood on your face isn’t yours, I wouldn’t even entertain your excuses.”

“I told you what happened,” she said, her tone leaving no room for further discussion. “I was attacked. They helped me. End of story.”

He fell silent after that, but she could feel his frustrated energy radiating from him. They reached the city gates before the sun set, the imposing stone walls strong enough to keep back any sage beasts, although very few ventured this close to humans. Even suggesting they ran into one in the areas around the lake stretched the believability that a sage beast strong enough to threaten a level two evolved appeared. The city guards immediately made way for the incoming family. They were smart enough to know not to get involved where a group of evolved from the households walked. Unless they were committing treason against the city magistrate, they wouldn’t react.

Lord Blanche stepped forward, a smile of relief on his face. “Well, here we are. I thank House Stride for their… concern. We will take our leave.”

The patrol leader moved to block his path, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Not so fast, my lord. We still have some questions.”

“Are you accusing me of something?” Lord Blanche’s voice turned sharp, his earlier fawning demeanor evaporating. “Will you start a fight with House Blanche right here in the open street? I’m sure your Lord Father would be pleased to hear about that.”

The city guards anxiously stepped back. They didn’t want to get involved in a battle between houses. They would likely flee as soon as any substantial fighting occurred and report it to their superiors.

“The Blanche family saved my life,” Tiffany stepped forward between her people and Lord Blanche. “If you have any other questions, ask them from me.”

“My lady…” he tried to argue.

“My sister has already spoken.” Jordan stepped up beside Tiffany, seemingly supporting her.

The leader’s jaw clenched, but he stepped aside. “Very well, my lady. But we will be making a full report to your father on this matter.”

“If you have any questions for me later,” Lord Blanche said, chuckling dryly. “House Blanche is always open to… visitors. Feel free to inquire at your leisure.”

He gave Tiffany a final look. His expression was complicated, and it was difficult to say what he was thinking about her choice to hide his actions. At least, he was smart enough not to cause trouble for her in the immediate future. He and his two men left the encirclement and headed into the city, quickly heading back to the home they had abandoned the last few days.

The patrol leader turned to Jordan. “My lord, we will escort Lady Tiffany back to the residence.”

Jordan shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. Who would be foolish enough to touch a Stride within the city walls? I will see her home.”

The guards exchanged uncertain glances, but they could not countermand a direct order from the family heir. They nodded and left in a different direction from Tiffany and Jordan, leaving the two alone. Tiffany didn’t say more as she followed her brother toward their estate.

“You seem sad,” Jordan said suddenly, his voice softer.

Tiffany missed a step, stumbling slightly on the uneven cobblestones. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “You just… seem like you’ve lost something.”

She said nothing, pulling her cloak tighter around herself as if to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the evening air.

“We have detection arrays on the lake, you know,” he continued, his tone casual, but Tiffany could hear the underlying probe. “We know someone activated the teleportation to the hidden realm. That’s why we were there. It was you four, correct? Did they chase you into the hidden realm?”

Tiffany hid her shock and spoke dumbly. “What hidden realm?”

Jordan’s expression hardened. “Don’t play dumb with me, Tiffany. I heard there was a disturbance at the Blanche estate the same day you disappeared. Lord Blanche and his elders were seen leaving their compound in a hurry. Then they vanish for days, only to reappear with you. You expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”

“What do you want from me?” she burst out, her voice cracking with frustration.

“I want to know what happened to my sister!” he shot back, his own frustration boiling over. “I want you to trust me! I want you to talk to me!”

“And what’s the point?” she scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “So, you can run to Father with it? So, the two of you can decide what’s best for me without ever once asking what I want?”

He looked genuinely hurt by that. “You should give me more credit than that. I’m not Father. One day, I’ll be the head of this house.”

“And that just means you’ll one day be in the same situation as him, putting the family’s name before my happiness!” she responded defiantly.

He stared at her, stunned into silence. They ended up walking the rest of the way to the Stride residence in silence. The grand, iron gates swung open as they approached, and a servant hurried to meet them. The pair reached the front doors of the sprawling manor. Jordan stopped and turned back to Tiffany. He had a less confident expression than from earlier.

“Father is waiting for you in his study. He wants to wait to see you as soon as you return.”

Tiffany nodded, her heart sinking. She knew this was coming. She braced herself as she entered the familiar, oppressive hallway, her footsteps echoing on the polished marble floors. She pushed open the heavy oak door to her father’s study.

He was standing by the large window, his back to her, looking out over the meticulously manicured gardens. He was a large, imposing man with broad shoulders and a stern face that rarely showed emotion. He didn’t turn as she entered.

“I entered the hidden realm,” she admitted immediately. “I went through the teleportation array on the lake.”

She expected him to turn around, his face a mask of fury. She expected a lecture, a punishment. Instead, he just sighed, a sound heavy with a weariness that went beyond his years.

“The guards already reported as much,” he said, his voice quiet. “I am glad you returned safely.”

Tiffany blinked, taken aback. He finally turned, and his eyes held the same sternness that they always held, but there was something else. Was it concern?

“I suppose a congratulations is in order?” He blinked.

“For what?” I frowned.

“Your bottleneck,” he spoke quietly. “It’s loosened. Your little adventure seems to have provided you with an opportunity. You are ready to evolve to the third tier.”

Tiffany’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t even noticed. He was right. She could feel it now, a new pathway open to her, a wellspring of power waiting to be claimed. It must have been her benefactor. The healing he had performed on her, the way he had restructured her energy circuits, must have given her this opportunity to advance.

It should be said that evolving wasn’t just a matter of obtaining energy. A person needed to advance not just their body, but their mind and spirit as well. Some people would never evolve again simply because they lacked the proper opportunity.

A desperate hope flared in her chest at this revelation. “Father… if I can evolve, if I can become stronger for the family… perhaps we can rediscuss this agreement with the Boran family.

“The marriage?” he asked, his voice regaining its customary sternness. “Yes, perhaps it’s time we set a date.”

“A-a date?”

“The wedding season is upon us. Lady Capala has announced her engagement. Lord Blanche has announced his. You were engaged to Lord Boran long before them. People will be expecting us to take the next step. We shall go ahead and set the date. Perhaps… in two months?”

“No,” she whispered, her heart feeling like it was just stabbed. “Father, please. I don’t want this. I can’t.”

“You will,” he responded, frowning. “You will do what is necessary for this family. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes.” She lowered her head.

After answering a few more of her father’s questions, she turned to leave. She was too shocked to react much more than that. Her life was over. The cage she had always feared was closing around her, and there was no escape. Her heart, the part of her that had dared to hope for something more, had died down in that dark, forgotten prison. Her benefactors’ actions had given her hope for a new future, but in a single instant, her father had destroyed it.

As soon as she collapsed in her bed, she began to cry. She didn’t cry just for her own situation, but for the man whose name she didn’t know as well. They had hung out for a few days, a handful of conversations, but in that short time, he had shown her a world beyond duty and obligation. She didn’t know this, but when he healed her, he left a part of himself inside her. It was like an energy signal, an unrelenting aura. If someone was evolved enough and was made aware of it, they could shed themselves of this aura within a few days.

However, this was the risk of using the immortal’s technique that Spirit hadn’t understood. His aura was left inside her body, a constant reminder of his existence. After saving her life and experiencing such trauma, for her to then keep being constantly reminded of him and unable to put him out of her head, how would any girl react to such an onslaught? It was truly a dangerous technique to use, but Spirit would only discover much later.