novelraw Chapter 219: Why did you lie?
Chapter 219: Why did you lie?
"I..." Setan clenched his fists. "I can take you away from here. I can bring you to Blazing Flame City and let you live there, but..."
He looked at Zena, guilt filling his eyes. "What happened that night... I’m truly sorry. But I can’t bond with you. I... already have someone I care about. I can’t take another female as a mate. It wouldn’t be fair to you."
If he were to choose, it should be with his whole heart. If he carried Nina in his heart yet bonded with someone else, what would that be but betrayal?
He continued, "But don’t worry. I will still support you. Within my means, I’ll give you a comfortable life and ensure you live without worry. But... that’s all I can offer."
That was the extent of the responsibility he could take. Anything beyond that, he could not give.
Only now, faced with a real choice, did he understand that bonding was not something one could do with just anyone. It had to be the one who truly lived in his heart.
And only now did he dare admit that the one he truly liked... was Nina.
Perhaps what he felt for the female in the cave had been more about responsibility. He had believed that since they had been together, he ought to take responsibility and bond with her. And so he had unconsciously embellished her in his mind, convincing himself he cared.
That was why, standing before Zena now, he felt nothing. Even resistance.
Yet for reasons he could not explain, the feeling he once had for that unknown female now appeared in Nina instead.
And so he could only watch himself sink deeper, unable to pull free.
Sometimes, he could not help but wonder... if only that female had been Nina.
But her mates were so powerful. How could she possibly have ended up in a place like that?
Setan let out a quiet, self-mocking breath and forced his thoughts to settle.
Zena was momentarily stunned. "You’re saying... you want to take me away?"
So he had not come here for her after all. Then who?
Nina? Of course.
Who else would a male go this far for?
So the female he liked... was Nina.
And the one who just left... he probably liked her too.
A faint, ironic smile touched her lips. Nina really did draw others in. But she deserved it.
"Yes. I’ll find a way to take you out of these barbaric lands," Setan said.
Zena let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. This male wanted to take her away.
If this had been before, she might have shamelessly agreed.
But now... she could no longer leave.
Still, this male was upright, responsible. She almost felt reluctant to deceive him.
"I can’t leave Barbarian City. If you truly mean it... then stay instead," Zena said.
"I’m sorry. I can’t stay. If you don’t want to leave, I can compensate you materially," Setan replied.
He was a city lord. There was no way he could remain here.
"It’s not that I don’t want to," Zena said quietly. "I simply can’t."
She looked at him, curious to see just how far he would go.
Setan fell silent, and the air between them grew tense.
***
Meanwhile, Nina and the others had not gone far when Yanai caught up.
Sal let out a cold scoff at the sight of him. "Weren’t you staying behind with that female? What are you doing back here?"
Deliberately lagging behind... there was definitely something going on between him and that Zena.
Yanai tightened his fists. "Sal, don’t speak nonsense. I have nothing to do with her."
He looked at Nina, tension flickering in his eyes, afraid she might misunderstand.
Seeing no change in her expression, he felt a small measure of relief... and an unexpected sting.
He feared that she might care, yet he also feared that she did not.
Nina glanced at him thoughtfully. He had indeed stayed behind on purpose. Did he really have some connection with Zena?
"What female?" Aron could not help but ask.
Wasn’t this brat supposed to like Nina? Why was there suddenly another female?
Was he giving up on Nina?
Aron studied him again. But judging from how tense he looked around Nina... it didn’t seem that way.
This brat, who spent all his time training, could barely manage to know Nina, where would he even meet another female?
"A female named Zena. She seems to have quite a close connection with him. As for the details, you’d better ask him yourself. I’m only guessing," Sal replied.
Yanai’s behavior just now had indeed been suspicious.
"Zena?"
Aron frowned, puzzled. He cast a questioning look at Yanai, but the latter turned his head away and said nothing.
Aron’s brows furrowed deeper as something suddenly occurred to him.
Could it be that female?
He let out a quiet sigh. What a coincidence.
"Zena?" Taru was startled. "You said her name is Zena?"
Could it be the Zena he knew?
Lorin’s pupils trembled, a flicker of anticipation rising in his heart. Could it really be her?
When he learned they would be coming to Barbarian City, he wanted to search for Zena. But at the time, they had to find Nina, and he did not dare delay the group.
"Yes. Nina just saved a female named Zena. But we suspect she may have ulterior motives, deliberately getting close to Nina," Sal said.
"Some of the things she said were clearly problematic," Aviel added.
"What did she say?" Taru asked.
Aviel briefly recounted Zena’s earlier words.
After hearing it, Taru grew suspicious. He turned to Nina. "Nina, can we go back and find her again? I might know her. If she really is the Zena I’m thinking of, then she was definitely lying just now."
Nina nodded. "Alright. Let’s go back."
Perhaps they would learn more by returning.
So they retraced their steps.
The male who had opened the door earlier looked surprised to see Nina again. "Why are you back?"
"We have something else to ask Zena. Could you help call her out?" Nina said.
"Please wait a moment."
The male quickly went inside to find her.
Zena was also surprised. "You said Nina came back?"
She glanced around. Had they left something behind?
"Yes. Should I let them in?" the male asked.
"Let them in," Zena said.
Setan felt a flicker of unease. At this moment, he found himself reluctant to face Nina.
Nina entered with Taru and the others.
When Taru saw Zena, his expression turned complicated. He stepped forward. "Zena."
She froze for a moment upon seeing him, then dismissed all the males in her residence.
She forced a faint smile. "City Lord."
"Are you... doing well here?" Taru asked.
"Do you think a lone female can live well in a place like this?" Zena replied bitterly.
A trace of pity appeared in Lorin’s eyes.
Taru sighed. "I’m sorry. But the mistake you made was too grave. I had no choice but to punish you."
"I know. I don’t blame you," Zena said softly, though a shadow of sorrow flickered in her eyes.
Taru turned to Nina. "Nina, she is the female I know."
Then he looked back at Zena. "Zena, why did you lie to them just now? Half a year ago, you were still in Jade Fox City. There’s no way you could have been in Sin Beast City."
Zena gave a bitter smile. So she had been exposed this quickly.
Yanai and Setan both stiffened.
So she had lied.
That meant... she was not the one.
She had deceived them.