Free Web NovelChapter 1066: Chapter 1066
Zora didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze shifted toward Kael, and the two exchanged a brief look, silent and understanding.
Then Kael turned to the crowd, his expression calm but sincere.
"Zora and I will be parting ways with everyone here," he said, his voice warm and clear.
The group froze.
"Parting ways?" Alaric Von Seraph frowned. "Aren’t you returning to the academy?"
Kael nodded slightly, unhurried. "We are. But first, I’m taking her to a place for cultivation. We will return in a few days. You should go ahead."
Only then did everyone understand.
They were husband and wife, and Kael’s strength and identity were far beyond those of ordinary students. If he wanted to bring Zora somewhere to strengthen her, it was natural.
Sebastian and Miel exchanged glances, then turned toward Gerrad, but Gerrad’s expression remained calm. This was not something unusual. In truth, many students left the academy to gain experience, and with Kael accompanying her, there was no safer arrangement.
Gerrad’s eyes rested on Zora for a long moment, filled with complicated emotion and pride. Then he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of a senior’s care.
"Be careful on your journey," he said. "Zora’s injury hasn’t fully healed yet. You must take care of her properly."
Kael’s lips curved slightly, and his gaze softened when it landed on Zora.
"Vice Principal, rest assured," he replied. "I will not allow anything to happen to my wife."
Everyone heard Kael’s firm vow, and their expressions unconsciously softened.
No one doubted him.
In everyone’s eyes, Zora was not merely someone Kael cared about. She was the person he would protect even at the cost of his own life. With him by her side, even the most dangerous road seemed to lose half its fangs.
Reesa stepped forward and tightly held Zora’s hand. Her delicate face was full of reluctance, as if she were forcing herself not to pout.
"Zora... if you don’t return to the academy with us, I’ll be bored to death."
Ever since she had met Zora, Reesa had grown used to her presence. The calmness, the strength, the way Zora always seemed to have an answer, even in chaos. Without her, it felt like the world would suddenly become emptier.
Zora smiled, then gently patted Reesa’s shoulder.
"Kael and I are only going out to gain experience. I’m not leaving forever." Her voice was warm, bright as sunlight on snow. "When I return, I hope you’ve already broken into the Crimson Realm."
Reesa’s eyes lit up again, as if someone had rekindled a candle inside her chest.
"I definitely will!" she said quickly. "You just wait. When you come back, I’ll shock you!"
Zora nodded, her smile carrying genuine affection.
"Good. Then I’ll come back to the academy and look for you."
Tiffany also walked over, her tone more restrained but her sincerity just as clear. "Zora, be careful. Cultivation isn’t like ordinary travel. Don’t force yourself. We’ll all be waiting for you back at the academy."
"I will," Zora replied.
No one dragged the farewell longer than necessary. They all understood: the more words said, the harder it became to leave.
After a few final nods and exchanged glances, Reesa and the others mounted their horses and headed toward the academy’s direction, their figures gradually shrinking into the distance.
Zora stood still until they disappeared from sight.
Then she turned and stepped back onto the carriage with Kael.
The wheels began rolling again.
The road ahead belonged only to the two of them.
Inside the carriage, Zora leaned slightly against the cushion and asked softly, "Kael, how far is the Crimson Chasm from here?"
There was a faint crease between her brows. The name Crimson Chasm sounded like something carved out of nightmares, and Kael had said it was once called Glacial Hollow. That meant it should be a land buried beneath ice and endless winter.
Kael’s gaze was gentle as he looked at her, his voice calm and patient.
"It’s in Heavenly Snow Mountain. It’s quite far from here," he explained. "But once we reach the next country, we can use a flying beast. The speed will be much faster."
As he spoke, his eyes lingered on her in a way that carried quiet satisfaction.
This journey was different.
Before, they were always surrounded by others. Even when they were together, there were always footsteps nearby, voices outside the door, the Realm-pressure of countless eyes.
But now... it was just them.
Just the sound of the carriage wheels and the steady rhythm of breathing.
Zora’s lips curved into a knowing smile, her eyes bright.
"By the time we reach the neighboring kingdom, my injury should already be fully healed."
Her voice carried confidence, not arrogance. She understood her own body better than anyone. With the medicine Kael had provided, with the careful rest and the smooth carriage, her recovery had been far faster than normal.
Kael’s expression softened even more. He pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her shoulder with gentle strength, as if she were something fragile and precious.
"As long as you recover completely... I can finally feel at ease."
Zora’s heart warmed. She glanced outside the carriage for a moment, then asked, "This coachman has been traveling with us for some time. How did you arrange things for him?"
Kael’s tone was indifferent toward the coachman, yet still fair.
"I already told him. Once we arrive in the neighboring kingdom, he can return to the Leon Empire. He’s worked hard these days. I won’t treat him badly."
Zora nodded lightly.
"So that’s good."
The carriage continued forward, carrying them farther and farther away from Leon Empire... and closer to the snowy, blood-soaked abyss waiting ahead.
For most people, days spent rushing along the road were nothing but dull repetition, the same scenery passing like a tired dream.
But for Zora and Kael, the journey was anything but boring.
Inside the carriage, the air was always thick with spiritual energy. The two of them rarely spoke for long, yet silence never felt empty. When one cultivated, the other would quietly adjust their breathing, steady their aura, or refine their internal circulation. Sometimes they exchanged only a glance, and that alone was enough.
Cultivation was never a lonely thing when the person beside you moved in the same rhythm.
After what had happened in the Leon Empire, Zora’s desire for strength had grown sharper than ever.
She still remembered it clearly, as if it had been carved into her bones: that moment when Kael had said she was his wife, and the entire room had fallen into stunned silence... followed by envy.
Not the harmless kind.
It was the kind of envy people showed when they believed something was too good to be real.
As if she were a commoner girl who had somehow been chosen by the heavens, while Kael was a god who had stepped down from the clouds.
Their gazes had said everything.
You don’t match him.
You are not worthy.
She could admit it.
At least... she could admit that right now, in the eyes of the world, the gap was real.
But she also knew something else.
One day, she would stand beside Kael, and no one would dare to look at her with disbelief again.
They would not envy.
They would not question.
They would only accept it as natural, as inevitable.
Just like everyone believed Kael and Guinvere were a perfect match... she would make the world believe that she and Kael were the true match made by fate.
That was Zora’s pride.
One evening, as the carriage rolled steadily forward and the lantern light swayed softly with the motion, Zora opened her eyes and looked at Kael. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
"Kael," she asked curiously, "did you come alone this time? Why hasn’t Alder appeared?"
Alder had always been Kael’s shadow, his most loyal dark guard. Back in Fengbo Kingdom, Zora had seen him often enough to almost consider him part of Kael’s presence.
Yet ever since Kael had arrived at the academy, Alder had rarely shown himself.
This time, he was completely absent.
Kael’s lips curved slightly, and there was a foxlike glint in his eyes, faint and lazy.
"I arranged for Alder to handle something," he said calmly. "Right now, it’s better if only the two of us are together." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
His tone was casual, but there was a quiet possessiveness hidden beneath it, the kind that made one’s heart warm and helpless at the same time.
In truth, Kael had no intention of letting anyone interrupt this rare time alone with her.
And besides...
There was something Alder needed to do.
Since learning that Guinvere had sent assassins after Zora, Kael had already made his decision.
Guinvere might have been his junior sister. They might have shared years of companionship, trust, and protection.
But Zora was his wife.
The only woman he had ever chosen.
If Guinvere dared to harm her... then those years of affection would become meaningless.
This time, Alder’s mission was simple: deliver Kael’s warning.
A final line.
If Guinvere stopped now, they could still maintain the appearance of peace. If she continued... then next time they met, Kael would no longer show mercy.
