Reborn After Betrayal: The Frail True Princess Decides to Give Up

Chapter 207 : Standing Up Against Injustice

Monica cursed loudly while bending down to grab an apple from her basket.She raised the apple and glared at Ariel, as if she would bash Ariel's head open with it if she dared to say even one word in response.

"Granny Monica, I mean no harm and am definitely not here to mock you. Please don't misunderstand."

Facing the furious Monica, Ariel neither dodged nor retreated, only sighing with her expression remaining calm.

"I know your life hasn't been easy lately. If you need anything, you can come find me at Cassia Cathedral. We failed to watch over Yurian and let him meet with an accident. This was our negligence, and we're very sorry. If you're willing to accept compensation..."

"What compensation? Can compensation bring my son back?" Monica was emotionally agitated, shouting loudly. "And you want me to go to the church - wasn't forcing Yurian to death enough? Do you want to force me to death too?"

At this point, Monica completely broke down. Waving the apple in her hand, she was about to rush forward and hit Ariel with it.

The nearest onlooker pulled her back, but Monica frantically shook him off, her body staggering and nearly falling onto others.

The crowd erupted in chaos. Watching the excitement was one thing, but getting hurt by this crazy woman would be terrible, so everyone immediately scattered backward.

"Granny Monica!"

Ariel's brow furrowed deeper.

Forget it. Monica was too emotionally agitated right now; she wouldn't listen to anything.

She could only let her vent for a while...

Thinking this, Ariel didn't dodge and watched as Monica charged at her with the apple raised.

"Please stop."

Suddenly, a girl's voice rang out, clear and cold as the winter wind.

Celitia pushed through the crowd and blocked Ariel's path.

Benita emerged from behind and grabbed Monica's arm, while Celitia reached out and deftly took the apple from her hand.

"I've heard about the cause and effect of these matters. You must know in your heart that this isn't her fault."

Celitia spoke calmly.

"If so, why are you taking your anger out on someone else?"

Ariel had been prepared to be hit by the old woman's apple.

But she never expected someone would suddenly intervene.

Seeing that fluffy light ash-blond curly hair swaying gently in the wind, Ariel couldn't help but freeze.

Celitia?

How could she be here?

"Let go of me! And who are you people?!"

Monica forcefully broke free from Benita's grip, her cloudy eyes glaring at Celitia as she shrieked.

After sizing up Celitia's attire, Monica became even more furious.

"Looking at how you're dressed, aren't you another fraud pretending to be nobility? It was someone like you, dressed up all proper, who deceived Yurian away back then!"

"Is that so? I'm very sorry to hear that." Celitia said indifferently. "However, even becoming a victim doesn't give one the right to harm others. Your son was like this, and so are you."

"Shut up!!" Monica simply couldn't listen.

This time Monica didn't rush forward to hit anyone, but picked up another apple from her basket, aimed it at Celitia's head, and was about to throw it at her face.

"What I hate most in my life are people like you! Get lost, get lost now! Don't appear before me!!"

Seeing Monica's emotional agitation and the situation developing beyond control, Ariel's golden pupils contracted as she shouted sternly:

"Enough!"

When the Saintess didn't lose her temper, it was fine, but once she did, her aura suddenly spread out, pressuring everyone around into silence.

Monica trembled all over in fright, couldn't hold the apple steady, and it rolled from her hand, falling to the ground and splattering juice everywhere.

"Granny Monica!"

Shanie hurried over and hugged Monica from behind.

"Granny, granny! Please listen to me and don't get angry anymore, okay? Getting this angry isn't good for your health either!"

Monica struggled desperately: "Let go, this old woman doesn't have many days left to live anyway—do you think I'm afraid of these people?!"

"Don't say that—"

Shanie forcibly dragged Monica backward while giving Celitia a meaningful look.

Celitia understood, grabbed Ariel's hand, and led her through the crowd of onlookers to the outside.

Being held by that cool, soft hand, Ariel momentarily lost focus and unconsciously let herself be led away by Celitia.

"When did you become so good-tempered?"

After leading Ariel away from the crowd, Celitia finally released her hand and looked at her teasingly.

"Shouldn't you have given that unreasonable old woman a taste of her own medicine?"

Feeling the hand that had been holding hers let go, Ariel inexplicably felt somewhat disappointed.

Then, hearing Celitia's question, even stranger feelings arose in Ariel's heart.

"What kind of image," she couldn't help asking, "do I have in your mind?"

Ariel knew she probably wasn't some pure and noble saintess image, and usually didn't care much about others' opinions.

But for some reason, she didn't want to see those strange stereotypes in Celitia's mind either.

"Nothing, just a little joke."

Celitia stuck out her tongue. "Didn't they recognize you? If they knew you were the Saintess, no one would dare to be disrespectful to you."

Ariel shook her head.

"There's no need for that. I'm just an ordinary devotee, no different from any other clergy member in the church. Why should I use so-called reputation and status to pressure people? Besides, Granny Monica isn't having it easy either. She only had this one son, yet he died because of the church. It's natural for her to resent us."

Ariel sighed deeply.

"If venting at me can make her feel a little better, then let her vent. After all, she can't hurt me."

Celitia looked at her with some surprise: "I never knew you were actually..."

She paused slightly, searching for the right words.

"Actually, so much like a saintess?"

"What do you mean 'like' a saintess?" Ariel's expression became strange again. "So what kind of image do I have in your mind?"

Celitia thought to herself: The image of a lioness who would tear me to shreds...

But there was no need to say that out loud.

"Nothing," Celitia blinked with an innocent expression. "It's just that you're so gentle I'm a bit unaccustomed to it."

"..."

Was she really that fierce normally?

She couldn't help but start reflecting.

"Although I know you mean well," Celitia continued, "don't waste your kindness on such stubborn people."

Ariel didn't respond to her words, but gave Celitia a slightly reproachful glare with a serious tone:

"You're talking about me, but what about yourself running over to meddle in others' business? Monica can't hurt me, but what if she had gone crazy and hurt you?"