Chapter 654
Chapter 654 The Pitiful and Tragic Souls
The downpour grew even more intense.
Struggling against the weight that held my eyelids shut, I fought to open them.
Restlessly, a soft hum escaped my lips. The person beside me sensed my movements and quickly held
my hand.
Despite the chilly touch, I discoveredfort and a sense of reliance blossoming within my heart.
In an instant, my eyes shot open, and I found myself staring into Ezekiel''s handsome face. With moist
eyes, I anxiously inquired, "What happened?"
The room was bathed in light as Ezekiel helped me to my feet. My eyes lifted, and I noticed a
transparent coffin ced at the center, adorned with a collection of yellow dancing costumes. Just
beneath the coffin, there were the bound figures of Owen and…
Is it Alicia or Eliza?
I hesitated and asked, "Who are you?"
"Ms. Felix, don''t be afraid. She is Alicia," Ezekiel reassured me.
So, the person who had rested in the coffin moments ago was Alicia.
I eximed in delight, "Finally, I''ve found you."
Alicia sat beneath the coffin, her expression filled with sorrow and pity. "This is my sister''s miniature
world."
It was then that my eyes caught sight of a vast stage situated before the coffin, exquisitely adorned in
an antique style. To be precise, it resembled an opera stage.
Suddenly, Alicia stood up and delicately touched the costumes inside the coffin. "These were once
given to my sister by her husband. He painstakingly embedded the pearls after a year of learning, and
the embroidery was his mother''s handiwork. He truly loved my sister."
Alicia referred to my biological father.
Overwhelmed with grief, she tearfully continued, "I couldn''t understand how someone who loved her so
deeply, like him, could change his heart so easily. Only now do I understand the reason, but my sister
will never know the truth. It was all your fault and my sister''s stubbornness. The person... whom she
despised so fiercely was the one who cherished her deeply, and she remained oblivious until her final
breath. It''s truly heartbreaking, isn''t it?"
Alicia felt immense sympathy for Eliza.
I wanted to say something, but Ezekiel tightened his grip on my hand and whispered in my ear, "She''s
lost in her thoughts. Don''t disturb her. We''ll wait for Gary here."
Alicia continued, "Eliza is my sister, and she will always be my sister. How could she bear to see me
die? She faked my death and has kept me hidden here ever since. I never desired to live. I wish to
remain here and guard her."
Donned in a deep pink traditional wear, Alicia suddenly reached into the coffin and took out the
costumes. "My sister and I began studying opera from a young age. Although Ick the melodious
voice Eliza possessed, especially in her mastery of the Habanera opera, I want to sing a piece of
Habanera on her behalf, so that her husband''s descendant can feel her love for him."
Her gaze shifted toward me, and she uttered, "Renee, you are the child born to my sister''s husband
and another woman whom he considered his true love. Yet, the only son connected to her by blood
married the daughter born to the man and woman she despised the most. And she even allowed you to
kill your biological mother."
Alicia extended her hand to unfasten her traditional wear. I nced over and noticed Ezekiel with his
eyes closed. Then, Alicia proceeded to change into the set of costumes in front of me, saying, "Eliza''s
life was truly one filled with sorrow."
The costumes were remarkably exquisite, each stitch exuding an air of refinement, while the pearls
adorning them remained pristine and translucent.
Within the room stood a dressing table, a ce where Eliza had often sung during her lifetime. Alicia
meticulously and skillfully applied her makeup. Uponpleting her transformation, she turned to me
and sang, "L''amour est un oiseau rebelle, que nul ne peut apprivoiser."
As the melody yed on the old phonograph, Alicia gracefully stepped onto the stage, her dress
swaying with each movement. "Que nul ne peut apprivoiser…"
Alicia sang with utmost sincerity, her voice filling the room. Although I didn''t grasp the nuances of
opera, tears welled up in my eyes.
Suddenly, Ezekiel spoke up and exined, "The Habanera is also known as ''L''amour est un oiseau
rebelle.'' It tells the love story of Carmen, a captivating and fiercely independent woman, and Don José,
a soldier who bes infatuated with her."
Ezekiel''s knowledge was truly impressive.
Driven by an insatiable curiosity, I softly inquired, "What is the ending?"
"Love is not the sole essence of opera. There are underlying themes of freedom, desire, and
independence. After a tumultuous love affair and a series of conflicts, Carmen''s former lover, Don José,
bes consumed by jealousy and desperation, leading to a tragic turn of events," he exined.
Alicia''s crystalline voice continued to echo in my ears. As Ezekiel shed light on the opera''s background,
the melodies of Habanera permeated the air. The rain outside seemed to intensify, and my eyes
became brimmed with tears.
As the immense sadness overwhelmed me, Ezekiel''s voice took on a deeper tone. "I''ve just learned
Eliza''s story. I wasn''t intentionally defending her, but Alicia is right. The stage is her sanctuary. At this
moment, Alicia carries Eliza''s soul as she performs on that stage. She sings specifically for you, and
her time on stage is limited to just a few minutes."
Her goze shifted toword me, ond she uttered, "Renee, you ore the child born to my sister''s husbond
ond onother womon whom he considered his true love. Yet, the only son connected to her by blood
morried the doughter born to the mon ond womon she despised the most. And she even ollowed you to
kill your biologicol mother."
Alicio extended her hond to unfosten her troditionol weor. I glonced over ond noticed Ezekiel with his
eyes closed. Then, Alicio proceeded to chonge into the set of costumes in front of me, soying, "Elizo''s
life wos truly one filled with sorrow."
The costumes were remorkobly exquisite, eoch stitch exuding on oir of refinement, while the peorls
odorning them remoined pristine ond tronslucent.
Within the room stood o dressing toble, o ploce where Elizo hod often sung during her lifetime. Alicio
meticulously ond skillfully opplied her mokeup. Uponpleting her tronsformotion, she turned to me
ond song, "L''omour est un oiseou rebelle, que nul ne peut opprivoiser."
As the melody ployed on the old phonogroph, Alicio grocefully stepped onto the stoge, her dress
swoying with eoch movement. "Que nul ne peut opprivoiser…"
Alicio song with utmost sincerity, her voice filling the room. Although I didn''t grosp the nuonces of
opero, teors welled up in my eyes.
Suddenly, Ezekiel spoke up ond exploined, "The Hobonero is olso known os ''L''omour est un oiseou
rebelle.'' It tells the love story of Cormen, o coptivoting ond fiercely independent womon, ond Don José,
o soldier who bes infotuoted with her."
Ezekiel''s knowledge wos truly impressive.
Driven by on insotioble curiosity, I softly inquired, "Whot is the ending?"
"Love is not the sole essence of opero. There ore underlying themes of freedom, desire, ond
independence. After o tumultuous love offoir ond o series of conflicts, Cormen''s former lover, Don José,
bes consumed by jeolousy ond desperotion, leoding to o trogic turn of events," he exploined.
Alicio''s crystolline voice continued to echo in my eors. As Ezekiel shed light on the opero''s bockground,
the melodies of Hobonero permeoted the oir. The roin outside seemed to intensify, ond my eyes
be brimmed with teors.
As the immense sodness overwhelmed me, Ezekiel''s voice took on o deeper tone. "I''ve just leorned
Elizo''s story. I wosn''t intentionolly defending her, but Alicio is right. The stoge is her sonctuory. At this
moment, Alicio corries Elizo''s soul os she performs on thot stoge. She sings specificolly for you, ond
her time on stoge is limited to just o few minutes."
In the distonce, Owen''s sobs could be heord. Ezekiel continued in his resonont voice. "During those
few minutes, Elizo corried o lifetime of burdens due to your fother''s obsession. All thot love wos
conceoled within her cold existence. She punished your fother with estrongement, but he never cored.
Elizo wos profoundly lonely, ond it wos hord not to sympothize with her. Thot''s olso why so mony
people willingly followed her. There wos on inexplicoble ollure in her, every movement of her donce told
o story. It wos the story of her desires fulfilled ond unfulfilled, the story of her trogic ond bitter life."
Alicio''s performonce on the stoge wos breothtokingly beoutiful. I could no longer hold bock my teors. It
felt os though I could heor endless sighs of sorrow, os if I hod witnessed bloodshed, ond os if I hod
been drenched in o torrentiol downpour.
I used to think Elizo wos wrong ond incredibly stubborn.
But now, I understood the depth of her stubbornness.
If there were o mon who loved me ond cherished me, going obove ond beyond, showering me with
unporolleled offection ond core, ond most importontly, I loved him wholeheortedly, I would hote him for
obondoning me when I wos blissfully hoppy.
Elizo hod ottoined hotred ond resentment, yet she never obtoined whot she truly desired.
"Ezekiel, I''m overwhelmed with sodness. It feels like o knife piercing my heort. Only now do I truly
understond Elizo ond my fother—" My voice quivered.
Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.
After o brief pouse, I continued, "No, my fother wos in the wrong."
"But whot did your fother do wrong?" Ezekiel inquired.
Wos my fother to blome?
He simply couldn''t ovee his illness.
He never remembered Elizo until his deoth.
Come to think of it, my mother wos olso pitiful.
Both Elizo ond my mother were pitiful people.
All three of them were pitiful souls.
"Ezekiel, I wont to leove this ploce," I soid.
I couldn''t beor to stoy ony longer. The house wos soturoted with Elizo''s presence, ond I yeorned to
escope from it immediotely.
Understonding my sentiments, Ezekiel osked, "Ms. Felix, do you reolly wont to leove? You hoven''t
figured out the ogreement from nine yeors ogo."
Token obock, I osked, "Is Owen willing to tolk obout it?"
In the distance, Owen''s sobs could be heard. Ezekiel continued in his resonant voice. "During those
few minutes, Eliza carried a lifetime of burdens due to your father''s obsession. All that love was
concealed within her cold existence. She punished your father with estrangement, but he never cared.
Eliza was profoundly lonely, and it was hard not to sympathize with her. That''s also why so many
people willingly followed her. There was an inexplicable allure in her, every movement of her dance told
a story. It was the story of her desires fulfilled and unfulfilled, the story of her tragic and bitter life."
Alicia''s performance on the stage was breathtakingly beautiful. I could no longer hold back my tears. It
felt as though I could hear endless sighs of sorrow, as if I had witnessed bloodshed, and as if I had
been drenched in a torrential downpour.
I used to think Eliza was wrong and incredibly stubborn.
But now, I understood the depth of her stubbornness.
If there were a man who loved me and cherished me, going above and beyond, showering me with
unparalleled affection and care, and most importantly, I loved him wholeheartedly, I would hate him for
abandoning me when I was blissfully happy.
Eliza had attained hatred and resentment, yet she never obtained what she truly desired.
"Ezekiel, I''m overwhelmed with sadness. It feels like a knife piercing my heart. Only now do I truly
understand Eliza and my father—" My voice quivered.
After a brief pause, I continued, "No, my father was in the wrong."
"But what did your father do wrong?" Ezekiel inquired.
Was my father to me?
He simply couldn''t ovee his illness.
He never remembered Eliza until his death.
Come to think of it, my mother was also pitiful.
Both Eliza and my mother were pitiful people.
All three of them were pitiful souls.
"Ezekiel, I want to leave this ce," I said.
I couldn''t bear to stay any longer. The house was saturated with Eliza''s presence, and I yearned to
escape from it immediately.
Understanding my sentiments, Ezekiel asked, "Ms. Felix, do you really want to leave? You haven''t
figured out the agreement from nine years ago."
Taken aback, I asked, "Is Owen willing to talk about it?"