Moonlit Vows Of Vengeance-Chapter 70: Sightseeing

"The palace is large. Easy to lose your way."

I swallowed the scream clawing up my throat.

He held me down.

He looked me in the eyes that day.

He let the King open the portal.

And now... nothing?

I couldn’t trust this. Not yet. I needed to understand what this was—why he had no memory, if he was faking, or if something else was happening.

"I’m Athena, once again," I said quietly, offering a hand.

He took it politely. "Lucas once again."

His touch didn’t spark anything for him. But for me, it felt like touching fire and frost all at once. My heart ached.

I nodded and backed away. "It was nice to meet you again."

He returned the nod. "And you."

I walked out of the library on unsteady legs, the moment etched into my mind like a scar.

He didn’t remember me.

Or he was pretending not to.

Either way... I was on my own.

When Lira found me later, I was sitting beneath a glowing tree in the garden, staring at my reflection in the water.

"Hey," she said, sitting beside me. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

I forced a smile. "Maybe I did."

She nudged me. "You’re quiet."

"I’ve just been thinking," I murmured. "About everything. About getting home."

Lira looked out across the garden. "You never really told me what happened to you."

I glanced at her, weighing how much to say.

"My world... it’s broken," I said slowly. "Because someone killed the Moon Goddess. That opened a portal. I fell through. But I need to get back. There are people I care about there. Things I need to fix."

She didn’t question me any further.

Instead, she nodded solemnly. "Then we’ll find a way."

I looked at her, something like hope curling in my chest.

"We?"

"You’re my friend, Athena. I’ve said it like twice before now. Why would I abandon my friends."

I wanted to ask her in that moment why I hadn’t seen her mum or brothers but I ended keeping that question to myself.

Later that night, we stood before her father again.

The king was tall, graceful in a way that felt dangerous. His crown was shaped like wings and flame. His eyes—so much like Lira’s—pierced through me.

He listened in silence as I told him more pieces of my story. I didn’t mention Lucas. I didn’t explain that I’d recognized his trusted advisor.

"I need to get home," I finished. "There has to be a way to open a portal."

He leaned back, hands steepled. "Like I said, there is. But the requirements are... significant."

"What kind?"

I swallowed hard. "I’ll find those things."

He studied me. "Stay here while I find that out, Athena. Rest. We’ll help you prepare."

Lira beamed. "Told you he’d help."

I bowed my head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

His gaze was still on me, sharp. "Lira vouches for you. That’s enough—for now."

As we left the throne room, I didn’t dare look back at Lucas.

The moment Lira and I stepped into my guest quarters, I felt the tension begin to unwind in my shoulders. The room was bright, warm, with glowing lanterns hovering like fireflies above soft silken bedding. The windows overlooked a misty garden with silver trees that shimmered under the moonlight.

"You really like your room right?" Lira asked, flopping onto the nearest couch with a grin.

I smiled, genuinely this time. "It’s beautiful. Thank you, Lira."

She shrugged like it was nothing. "You looked like you were going to faint earlier. I thought you might need some comfort."

I didn’t mention Lucas that I’d seen beside her father.

I didn’t bring up the fact that I recognized him. Not yet. My heart still hurt too much and it didn’t feel wise to at this moment.

Instead, we sat by the large circular window, legs folded beneath us, sipping warm jasmine nectar and talking about anything but the past. Lira told me about her escapades at the academy—the time she turned her alchemy teacher’s hair pink for a week, or how she’d once outrun a dragonling in the royal gardens.

I found myself laughing, the sound foreign but welcome.

"You know," she said, her cheek resting on her palm, "I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you. You’re strong, but you look like you’re always carrying a lot of burdens behind your eyes."

I looked away. "Maybe I am."

"Well," she said, stretching, "for tonight, let’s put that burden to bed. I will be sleeping with you!"

We curled under the silken blankets, and for the first time in what felt like years, I slept without dreams. No visions of blood. No howling wind. Just silence.

And peace.

Morning came with the scent of toasted sugar fruits and cinnamon bark. Lira barged in with a tray of pastries and a wide grin.

"Up! Get up! We’re going out!"

I blinked blearily. "Out where?"

"Into the city! You’ve seen the royal halls, but now it’s time for the streets. The heart of the cultivator realm isn’t locked up in these towers—it lives down there, where the people laugh and the magic breathes."

I got dressed quickly, curiosity piqued. Lira lent me a casual robe—light green with silver embroidery and a hood. She wore a deep plum tunic and pants tucked into worn leather boots. We looked nothing like royalty.

We slipped out through the back gate with only one cloaked guard trailing us at a distance. Lira said he was more for show.

The city was alive.

Street performers painted illusions in the air, spinning images of phoenixes and dancing lotus petals with a flick of their fingers. Children ran through the crowd chasing floating sugar orbs. Vendors called out in melodic voices, selling everything from enchanted trinkets to roasted moon-nuts.

"Come on!" Lira tugged my hand and pulled me toward a stall selling glowing paper birds.

The vendor, an elderly elf with sparkling eyes, smiled at us.free𝑤ebnovel.com