SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Chapter 369 Thea's Hidden Plan [1]

Thea remained silent, her eyes fixed on the rippling water of the pond. She took the potion without a word, but made no move to drink it. The weight of her troubles pressed heavily upon her, and not even the assurance of her sister could lift it.

Lily, not one to give up easily, tried to engage Thea with different questions, asking about the family, their father's plans, even the state of the garden. But Thea's responses were listless, her voice barely above a whisper. It was as if a part of her had retreated into a place where Lily could not reach.

Finally, Lily gave up trying to cheer her elder sister and let out a resigned sigh. "I'm going away for two months," she said, her voice filled with a mix of reluctance and determination. "I won't be back for a while."

Thea, who had seemed almost oblivious to her surroundings until then, turned to look at Lily. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice laced with a faint trace of concern.

Lily smiled at the response, grateful that she had at least managed to elicit some reaction. "I'm going to train the seven thousand disciples who will be participating in the Immortal Beast Spirit Gathering on the Blue Planet," she explained, her tone light despite the heavy topic.

At the mention of the Blue Planet, Thea's emotions stirred. Her heart raced, a sudden surge of excitement bubbling within her at the thought of Kent, the promised groom she hadn't seen in so long. But she quickly suppressed it, masking her feelings behind a composed facade.

"Why do you seem so unenthusiastic about it?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Lily sighed, her lively demeanor fading as she spoke. "The training is happening to help the son of the Nine Realms' Head, Jason Mama. There's not much benefit for the Seventh Realm in this," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness.

"Besides, the training is taking place at the Lin Family premises. You know how Lin Dan is... he'll harass me about marriage the whole time. He thinks just because I'm his promised bride, he can control my life."

Thea frowned, her sister's predicament stirring a protective instinct within her. "Aren't you his promised bride?" she asked, her tone sharper than she intended.

Seeing silent Thea, Lily sighed and turned around to leave.

But suddenly, she felt a firm grip on her hand. Lily stopped, surprised, and looked back at her sister. Thea's expression, usually so serene, was now intense, her deep gaze locking onto Lily's with a seriousness that made her pause.

"What is it, sister?" Lily asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.

Thea held onto Lily's hand, her grip tightening as if she had suddenly grasped onto an idea too precious to let go. "Lily," she began, her voice steady but laced with a hint of urgency, "do you truly not want to marry Lin Dan?"

Lily's eyes widened at the directness of the question. She hadn't expected Thea to delve into this topic so abruptly. Her initial surprise quickly gave way to a serious expression. She searched Thea's face for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Yes," she admitted, her tone resolute. "I don't want to marry him. But... what are you getting at, Thea?"

Thea's eyes gleamed with a sudden spark of excitement, as if an idea had just taken root in her mind, blossoming into a plan. "Then why don't you take someone as a fake husband and use him as a shield?" she suggested, her voice filled with an almost childlike excitement at the prospect.

Lily shook her head. "You know the rules as well as I do. If I want to break off the marriage proposal, the person I choose must defeat Lin Dan in combat. Lin Dan is a formidable opponent. I don't think that's possible," she replied, her tone tinged with resignation.

-

Thank you all... :-)