It was clear that Belinda was resolved this time, and she was very unwilling to let Lei Lin interfere.
After settling Lei Lin in at the White River Beach valley, Belinda left early and returned late every day, moving about in a rush, as if she were making some sort of preparations.
Seven days later, she brought a girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen to Lei Lin.
"This is my younger sister — Sophia! Well? Do you like her?"
Belinda pulled Sophia directly in front of Lei Lin.
"Lord Nick! G-Good day!" The girl named Sophia nervously lifted the hem of her skirt and gave Lei Lin a slight curtsy.
"Sister Sophia!" Lei Lin smiled and looked Sophia over a few times.
The girl had features similar to Belinda's, long hair like platinum, and a pair of eyes like rubies — only at the moment there was still some awkwardness on her face, making her look very uneasy.
"You... what... exactly do you mean?" Lei Lin looked at Belinda, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Nothing much. I have some things to take care of, and I'm hoping you can help look after Sophia for a while..." Belinda stroked Sophia's head, her gaze filled with affection.
"When Sophia was young, an experimental leak caused her injury. Not only does her appearance remain frozen at the age of fifteen, but her mental capacity is the same. This time I secretly brought her out from the family..."
"Sophia, while your big sister is away, you must be good and listen to Brother Nick, understand?"
Belinda held Sophia's hand and instructed her carefully.
"Okay! Big sister, and also... Nick... Brother Nick!" Sophia lowered her head with a blush on her cheeks.
Lei Lin watched the two of them like this and was completely at a loss for words.
...
The Purgatory World's daylight lasted only about four hours each day, and the sunlight, far from being scorching, was all the more precious for its warmth.
Brilliant sunlight fell upon the lawn, and Sophia had already shed the fear of arriving in an unfamiliar place. She happily fluttered about among the grass, watching a few luminous butterflies, her face filled with a childlike smile.
Not far away, Belinda and Lei Lin stood side by side.
"Leaving Sophia in your hands puts my mind at ease!" Belinda said with a palpable sense of relief.
"I hope you'll take good care of her from now on. With her bloodline, your offspring will undoubtedly be of very pure White Devil nobility as well..."
Belinda spoke in a calm, measured tone, and Lei Lin could only roll his eyes.
"You're acting like you're entrusting your last child before going off to die, aren't you?" Lei Lin asked bluntly.
"Going to die? No! This is simply about settling things!" A look of deep resentment crossed Belinda's face. "With the preparations I've made over so many years, it should be enough to deal with them..."
Seeming to catch her own slip of the tongue, Belinda quickly stopped. "Of course, I'm only asking you to look after Sophia for a while. Once I've finished my business here, I'll come to meet up with you right away. Let's make the Sacred City the rendezvous point..."
"So this was your plan from the very beginning!" Lei Lin said with certainty. "And by 'preparations,' you mean the petals of the Intoxicating Snake Flower and the stealth artifact you're wearing? Forgive my bluntness, but while the Intoxicating Snake Flower is remarkably effective against high-energy serpents, it's still somewhat lacking when it comes to dealing with a fifth-tier pureblood Devil White Phosphorus Serpent. As for that artifact on you — even though it has some ability to conceal your presence, I still don't hold much hope for your chances. After all, that's an entire fifth-tier clan we're talking about..."
"How do you know that?!" Belinda's expression changed drastically, and she instinctively took several steps back.
"I have some knowledge of alchemy, and I happened to pick up the scent of the Intoxicating Snake Flower on you," Lei Lin said with a smile, rubbing his nose.
"Even with these preparations — even if you have inside help or something similar — I'm afraid it won't be enough..."
"No! It will be more than enough! And you don't need to know the details. As long as I still have a single breath left in my body, I will absolutely go to the Sacred City to meet up with you!"
Belinda shook her head stubbornly, seeming to revert to the cold, commanding leader she once was.
It appeared she had further preparations in place at that location as well.
"In that case, let me go with you..." Lei Lin said thoughtfully. After all, he ultimately needed to harvest the bloodline of the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent anyway — might as well join her and make his move directly.
"No! All you need to do is protect my sister properly. Everything else is none of your concern. And if anything happens to Sophia, I will not let you off..."
Belinda shot Lei Lin a fierce glare, then turned and vanished into the shadows without so much as saying goodbye to Sophia.
"What resolute willpower!"
A hint of amusement flickered in Lei Lin's eyes as he stepped out into the sunlight and walked over to Sophia's side.
"Big brother Nick!" Sophia called out sweetly.