Chapter 15

The more she became absorbed in her old memories, the more pain she felt especially where he had stabbed her. She slowly removed his hand but patted it, so that it does not seem as if she had a problem with it. She thought about the next words she wanted to say, she was still looking at him. She had put on that distant look, that had a meaningless smile the moment he sat right next to her, this is something she learnt to muster because she figured he enjoyed seeing her pain.

You could say she had a good level of physical and mental endurance but since she came to this world, she had allowed herself to feel it all. She believed that was how she could let go of her past, by allowing herself to feel it all. At this time though she did not wish to show any weakness so this shall do for now. "Killian." Renata paused slightly to get herself together, it had been a while since she has been in this sort of mode, Killian was confused in her change of mood and the look in her eyes.

Usually, she looked like a lost puppy, seeking for a place to belong. It was not necessary love that she seemed to search for but rather a place to belong, he knew though she loved him. He on the other hand did not feel the same way because he was in love with someone else and did not understand why his family insisted in him marrying her and not Julie. Renata was nothing more than an untalented waste, that repulsed him every time he touched her.

There was no value in her except being the eldest daughter of Silver Ranking family, even that did not amount to much once she stepped outside this bubble.

Her being the daughter Raanan was both an advantage and disadvantage, she had physical protection and some privileges but if you placed her beside her sister people would choose Julie. Most people also tolerated her because she looked like the perfect model of a goddess, she was visually more beautiful than Julie, but he begs to differ, Julie had this beautiful innocent look, and she was a very kind and tolerant girl. She was currently seated at the Nasir family table looking lonesome and he wanted nothing more than to go to her and reassure her that she was the only thing that mattered to him.

"Do you love me?" that question startled him, he was not excepting her to ask that. Words that came out automatically but were meaningless to say the least flowed out of his mouth "Of course, I love you." Renata turned her head to the front and sighed before facing him again, "Even so, don't you think it is a bit to soon for us to get married?" Again, Killian was confused, what had gotten into her for her to ask him such an odd question. Previously she could not stop talking about how excited she was to be part of his family tree and share the Rhode name with him but now. "Are you having cold feet?" She smiled at him, once again it was that meaningless smile. "During the three months you have been in seclusion, I have been thinking about how unfair this marriage is to you. Your cultivation in the younger generation is among the best and I believe you in 9th qi refining. I cannot really tell since my cultivation is almost non-existent."

These words pissed him off a little, firstly he was still 8th layer of qi refining, he only managed to upgrade some of techniques during his seclusion but that was not a problem since there are elders in one of the top 4 academies looking to take him as a direct disciple, he still weigh the pros and cons after all Red Rank families were not like Silver Ranked or upwards families when it came to cultivating their descendants or disciples, their resources were just not the same. Secondly who was she to reject him as it was, he was doing her a favour by marrying her, let alone sit next to her and she dared ask her such a question. He was pissed to say the least, "Don't you love me?" Seriously what was wrong with her, he wondered. "Is love enough reason to hurry something serious as marriage? I simply don't want to ruin your life, you have years ahead of you, I cannot keep up with you. At most I can live up to 100, by that time I will be old a winkingly while you stay youthful looking." Killian thought, well that is the point even if I must put up with this charade; I can simply let you die young after all you were not going to make to immortality anyway.

"I will love you no matter what, we will find a way to prolong your life and keep you youthful. I heard of a Red Ranking in the lower tier, that was slowly rising in the ranks are good at alchemy. They produce the best grade pills; they also produce new pills and liquids that seem to do wonders." Of course, he did not mean any of this, he would not waste spirit stones are a waste like her, but he had to put up with this. Wait till they get married see what he will do to her.

Renata knew her words would not go anywhere, both the Nasir and Rhode family had their reasons for pursuing such a loveless marriage, but I guess it was not completely loveless after all I did love him once upon a time, she thought to herself. She let out a deep sigh once again and listened to her Killian father speaking in front of them. The usual flattery that had no meaning, today was more restrained. It seemed like the Rhode family could not swallow it anymore, Renata wanted to laugh because even if her family was in declining that family ranking was not some meaningless ornamentation. How did a Red Ranking 22nd family think they can topple a Silver Ranking 11th family, even in the previous life where rankings were not a thing, they could not completely topple them but maybe the vultures might have manged to sink their teeth in while they were wounded. After all she died before she could truly see the end.

She wondered if her then bedridden father, was able to make it out alive or he followed her immediately.