Chapter 573 The Bitterness Of Farewell
When Jonathan returned to the mansion, it was already nine in the morning. Despite the rough night,
he did not seem tired at all. On the contrary, he was brimming with energy.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Beatrix sipping coffee under the courtyard''s parasol.
“It seems you had a great timest night!” she teased with a smile. Needless to say, thetter was
disinclined to discuss such romantic escapades with her. To him, it was merely a delightful little
interlude.
He walked to the table, pulled over a chair, and sat down. “We need to go shopping for some things
today.”
“I know. That''s why I''m here waiting for you,” she replied.
Jonathan and the others knew nothing about what the underworld was like. However, now that they
had been to Moranta, they were at least a little more experienced and knew they had to prepare more
equipment so they would be ready for any eventuality.
“Has Joanne returned?” he enquired.
“She came back this morning and even asked about you. I didn''t have the heart to tell her that you
were off seducing her sister.” Beatrix could not help but cover her mouth and giggle as she finished her
sentence.
He responded sternly, “I must correct you on that. I didn''t seduce her sister. It was her sister who
sought me out. Your use of the word ''seduce'' is distasteful.”
“There''s not much difference,” she said, chuckling. After a pause, she asked, “It was her who initiated
it?”
His face was slightly flushed as he answered, “Would you believe me if I told you that we just chatted
for a bitst night and then parted ways? Would you believe that nothing happened between us?”
“Believe you? I''d be an idiot to do that!” she eximed.
Jonathanughed. “Beatrix, you''re still a virgin. Can we avoid such suggestive topics? I''m afraid I might
lead you astray.”
“You''re the virgin! Your whole family is full of them!” she retorted, clearly annoyed.
Surprised, he asked, “Are you no longer a virgin?”
A blush crept over her face, which was a rare urrence indeed. She gritted her teeth and snapped,
“Of course I am. However, you''re not allowed to use that term. It sounds as though you''re insulting me.”
He burst intoughter. “Ah, how times have changed! In the past, terms like ''youngdy,'' ''daddy,''
''professor,'' and ''virgin'' had positive connotations. Why have they now turned into insults?”
She shot him a sidelong re. I can''t be bothered with this guy anymore!
Shortly after, Filbert walked out and asked Jonathan whether he should prepare breakfast. Thetter
replied, “What about Joanne? Isn''t she getting up to eat with us?”
While they were talking, Joanne emerged, wrapped in a down jacket. She still looked pale and did not
look well.
“Did Johannae looking for youst night?” she asked Jonathan as soon as she saw him.
With a calm demeanor, he answered, “That''s right. She came looking for me.”
“What for?” she pressed, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
“To ask me to take good care of you,” came his reply. I''m not afraid of Beatrix finding out. However, I''ve
always thought of Joanne as Johanna''s sister. If Joanne learns of what happened, that''d make me feel
a bit guilty.
She continued to probe further. “Why didn''t youe back all night? Where did you two go?”
He chuckled. “Are you interrogating me? If you want to know what we were doing, you can ask
Johanna. You should have some trust in her.”
Joanne was slightly taken aback. “You''re right. I was overthinking. I apologize.”
Whan Jonathan raturnad to tha mansion, it was alraady nina in tha morning. Daspita tha rough night,
ha did not saam tirad at all. On tha contrary, ha was brimming with anargy.
As soon as ha antarad tha courtyard, ha saw Baatrix sipping coffaa undar tha courtyard''s parasol.
“It saams you had a graat timast night!” sha taasad with a sm. Naass to say, thattar was
disinclinad to discuss such romantic ascapadas with har. To him, it was maraly a dalightful lit
intarluda.
Ha walkad to tha ta, pud ovar a chair, and sat down. “Wa naad to go shopping for soma things
today.”
“I know. That''s why I''m hara waiting for you,” sha rapliad.
Jonathan and tha othars knaw nothing about what tha undarworld was lika. Howavar, now that thay
had baan to Moranta, thay wara atast a lit mora axpariancad and knaw thay had to prapara mora
aquipmant so thay would ba raady for any avantuality.
“Has Joanna raturnad?” ha anquirad.
“Sha cama back this morning and avan askad about you. I didn''t hava tha haart to tall har that you
wara off saducing har sistar.” Baatrix could not halp but covar har mouth and gig as sha finishad har
santanca.
Ha raspondad starnly, “I must corract you on that. I didn''t saduca har sistar. It was har sistar who
sought ma out. Your usa of tha word ''saduca'' is distastaful.”
“Thara''s not much diffaranca,” sha said, chuckling. Aftar a pausa, sha askad, “It was har who initiatad
it?”
His faca was slightly flushad as ha answarad, “Would you baliava ma if I told you that wa just chattad
for a bitst night and than partad ways? Would you baliava that nothing happanad batwaan us?”
“Baliava you? I''d ba an idiot to do that!” sha aximad.
Jonathanughad. “Baatrix, you''ra still a virgin. Can wa avoid such suggastiva topics? I''m afraid I might
laad you astray.”
“You''ra tha virgin! Your wh family is full of tham!” sha ratortad, arly annoyad.
Surprisad, ha askad, “Ara you no longar a virgin?”
A blush crapt ovar har faca, which was a rara urranca indaad. Sha grittad har taath and snappad,
“Of coursa I am. Howavar, you''ra not allowad to usa that tarm. It sounds as though you''ra insulting ma.”
Ha burst intoughtar. “Ah, how timas hava changad! In tha past, tarms lika ''youngdy,'' ''daddy,''
''profassor,'' and ''virgin'' had positiva connotations. Why hava thay now turnad into insults?”
Sha shot him a sidalong ra. I can''t ba botharad with this guy anymora!
Shortly aftar, Filbart walkad out and askad Jonathan whathar ha should prapara braakfast. Thattar
rapliad, “What about Joanna? Isn''t sha gatting up to aat with us?”
Wh thay wara talking, Joanna amargad, wrappad in a down jackat. Sha still lookad p and did not
look wall.
“Did Johannaa looking for youst night?” sha askad Jonathan as soon as sha saw him.
With a calm damaanor, ha answarad, “That''s right. Sha cama looking for ma.”
“What for?” sha prassad, a hint of suspicion in har voica.
“To ask ma to taka good cara of you,” cama his raply. I''m not afraid of Baatrix finding out. Howavar, I''va
always thought of Joanna as Johanna''s sistar. If Joannaarns of what happanad, that''d maka ma faal
a bit guilty.
Sha continuad to proba furthar. “Why didn''t youa back all night? Whara did you two go?”
Ha chucd. “Ara you intarrogating ma? If you want to know what wa wara doing, you can ask
Johanna. You should hava soma trust in har.”
Joanna was slightly takan aback. “You''ra right. I was ovarthinking. I apologiza.”
Upon hearing that, Beatrix could not help feeling skeptical. “Did you guys really do nothing?”
Why, this saboteur! Jonathan replied irritably, “Of course! I''m a gentleman, okay?”
With that, the matter was forgotten.
Soon after, Filbert went to prepare breakfast. Having eaten already, Beatrix leisurely sipped her coffee
while keeping Jonathan and Joannepany.
Jonathan and Beatrix went to buy equipment after breakfast while Joanne rested at home. Since she
was not feeling well, they did not force her to go.
Willowbank boasted a thriving economy, and the bustling areas in the city were almostparable to
Yaleview''s. The only difference was that thetter had many such ces, while there were only one or
two in the former.
Beatrix was wearing a ck shirt and a blue sports jacket. She had a voluptuous bust and was a
woman who could absolutely captivate others. However, she had never thought of herself that way.
She did not pay much attention to her appearance and often carried herself with the demeanor of an
older sister. Rarely did she see herself as a delicate woman in need of love.
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It was only now, with Richard gone, that she slowly started to change, though the changes were not
drastic.
In fact, as she and Jonathan stood together, they looked like quite the perfect match. Although she was
four or five years older than him, she possessed a high cultivation level, and time had left no traces on
her face.
Moreover, a woman in her twenties or thirties was still in the prime of her life.
The two browsed many ces that day. After buying their equipment, they strolled around like any
ordinary couple, hunting for street food like any ordinary couple. They also had lunch at a restaurant
and did many other things.
Beatrix was somewhat emotional. Suddenly, she felt as though there was finally a day where she felt
like a normal person.
Why did she think so?
It was because Beatrix had always remembered the responsibility entrusted to her by her master,
shouldering the duty of being the senior while her master was surrounded by enemies in the Divine
Realm. In fact, she had been living for him all this time and had done so without anyints or
regrets. That was because her master was the person she respected the most.
Now that Richard was no longer around, Beatrix had begun slowly returning to her old self. At five in
the afternoon, she and Jonathan headed back to the mansion together.
They were going to set off for the underworld that night. It would be a journey full of uncertainties.
Nerve-wracking, thrilling, and a bit scary.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Beatrix asked Jonathan as he was driving, “Do you think we''ll run into
that brute, Gregory?”
“Gregory has indeed returned to the underworld with the Ten Kings of Eara Gate. If he finds out
we''re going to the underworld, he''ll definitely be restless and want to kill us. So, we might run into him,”
he replied.
“If you could help me kill him, I''ll...” she blurted, her cheeks flushing.
“Killing Gregory is ourmon goal, so there''s no need for you to stress it. But... what were you going
to say?” he replied, slightly taken aback. Then, he chuckled and said, “You weren''t nning on offering
yourself to me, were you?”
“Give myself to you? In your dreams!” She rolled her eyes at him.
Heughed and fell silent.
The two soon returned to the mansion.
After dinner, the setting sun cast a rosy glow over the clouds in the sky, and the evening breeze
brought a sense of peace and tranquility.
“How do you n on getting us to the underworld?” Jonathan could not resist asking Joanne.
Wrapped up in her down jacket, she was quiet for a moment before saying, “I know that the ghost bus
passes through the streets at midnight. It''s a bus that captures the wandering spirits that roam the
upper world. My n is for us to sneak onto this ghost bus, which will take us directly to the
underworld.”
Both Jonathan and Beatrix had experienced the ghost bus.
“We know about the ghost bus. However, we''ll be detected the moment we board it,” he said.
Joanne replied, “You won''t be discovered if you hold my hand.”
“I can''t do that!” he responded with a grimace. After a pause, he continued, “We wouldn''t even dare
touch your fingertips, let alone hold your hand.”
“It won''t be like that. Once it''s past midnight, the chill within me will be milder, and it''ll definitely be
bearable for you all,” she exined.
Jonathan and Beatrix exchanged nces, thinking that sounded as though it would work.
They had known the ghost bus could take them to the underworld. However, they also knew they would
be discovered once they boarded it. If we get on it openly, it''d definitely be a one-way ticket to doom.
Hence, that was never a feasible option. Now that we have Joanne''s help, nothing could be better.
“By the way, how do you know all this?” Jonathan asked Joanne curiously. He suddenly felt she might
be keeping many things secret.
“It''s intuition, I guess.” She paused and looked at Jonathan, seemingly reading his thoughts. “Perhaps
my past life was indeed unusual, which is why random thoughts and intuitions keep popping up in my
mind. The truth is I haven''t deliberately hidden anything from you guys. I hope you won''t doubt that!”
He nodded. “I believe you.”
And so, the matter was settled just like that.
Johanna drove over some timeter. She had changed into a white tracksuit and tied her hair back into
a ponytail.
At the sight of Joanne, Johanna called out, “Joanne!”
Jonathan and Beatrix were standing off to the side. Johanna behaved very naturally when she saw
him, so neither Beatrix nor Joanne felt anything was amiss. After all, women are naturally talented in
acting. As for Jonathan, he was even better at hiding his feelings.
When Joanne saw Johanna, a hint of mncholy shed in her eyes. “Didn''t I tell you not toe,
Johanna?”
Johanna''s eyes, on the other hand, were filled with sadness. “Will youe back? I heard from
Jonathan that you might not return.”
“If I manage to return, I''ll let you know no matter what,” Joanne replied in a low voice.
“You must take good care of yourself,” said Johanna, her eyes reddening slightly.
Joanne nodded. “I will. You don''t have to worry about me.”
Then, Johanna turned to Jonathan and said, “I hope you can take good care of my sister.”
“I will,” he replied, nodding.
“I''ll be on my way now.” Without another word, Johanna turned and walked away.
Joanne did not try to stop her, and Johanna cut a rather lonely figure as she left.
There was a look of reluctance in Joanne''s eyes, but in the end, she did not say anything.
It was not until Johanna had left that she said, “Both our parents passed away in a car ident early
on, so my grandfather raised me and Johanna since we were little. All these years, we''ve always relied
on each other.”