Shades of the New World

Chapter 135: The struggles of the weak, part 2

"I truly believe that Bella was not in the wrong," the mage uttered slowly, but clearly.

For a small moment, Arelyn's mind blanked out. Nona had always said the same thing, so obviously, Arelyn would just ignore it as the Mage being insincere. Arelyn didn't know why this time was so different and why a deep sense of regret was washing over her heart.

"I believe you and your middle sister was wrong in this whole incident. I've heard the full stories from Bella, Olevyn, the guards and the servants. Hearing their stories, I've concluded that this beating, or at least something similar to it was going to happen at one point or another. Oh, and by full story, I really do mean the full story, with your deceased mother and also your late stepmother," Nona said expressionlessly.

"W-what do you mean?" Arelyn asked with a shaky voice. Even without her knowing it, Nona had become somewhat of a pillar of support for her. She didn't even mind that the latter was being paid to praise Bella. But when the mage explicitly sided with her youngest sister, Arelyn felt betrayed.

"I mean exactly what I said," Nona said and said nothing else. 

Confusion filled Arelyn's mind. 

"But I've been beat half to death by that b-by that monster!" Arelyn spat out with difficulty. A teardrop materialized in the corner of her twitching eye. 

"That you have. But three minutes of suffering can't compare to the pressure and loneliness that Bella went through, no? If not, why would she lock you two up and threaten you. It's because you pushed her to this state. And the fact that she was able to do so with the Oath inside he heart means that you two got physical with her at some point as well," Nona spoke.

Arelyn was silent. She tried not so speak. If she did, she was sure her voice would shake and she would start crying. Usually she would be fine with crying her eyes out, but something about Nona's words caused a storm to brew inside her. She refused to cry!

'What do you mean I was the cause of this?! If that woman didn't exist and start messing up our lives, none of this would have happened in the first place' stubbornness appeared in her heart, grudgingly thinking about Isla. 

"I understand that Isla and your mother had a terrible history Perhaps understanding is too presumptuous of a word. I can only say that I sympathize with you. But you know that Bella isn't faulty in that ugly matter of adults," Nona continued.

Arelyn was still silent. Of course she knew it. But knowing and feeling were completely different things. 

Seeing the girl's reactions, Nona's tone of speaking softened. 

"Working with you for this past month or so, I found some matters a bit strange. Whenever your sister is mentioned, your body would feel fear, but sometimes, your eyes would show hints of relief or perhaps even thankfulness"

"What do you mean?" Arelyn asked confusedly. Her voice getting smaller. There was also an unbelieving look to her eyes.

"I mean that you wanted it to happen," Nona said slowly but clearly.

"You mean to say that I wanted to get beaten like a dog!? You mean Hic, You mean to say I wanted to get my face ruined, by bones shattered my arms dislocated!?" Arelyn cried with tears streaming out her eyes. She then shouted out loud crazily: "Out! Out of here! I don't want to see you anymore!" 

Nona sat firmly and stared back with her deep brown eyes. Arelyn saw at the pair of eyes that looked at her without a hint of judgement and wanted to die. 

"What do you want from me?! Why do you torment me so?! Why is me forgiving Bella so important to you?!" she shouted and started pounding at Nona with her clenched fists. Nona took the beating silently, until Arelyn started wailing at the top of her lungs.

The mage silently embraced the girl and let her cry it all out. Nona would usually console the girl gently during these incidents, but this time she stayed silent. Nona knew that this time it was different.

Ten minutes later, Arelyn's sniffs died out and she comfortably laid down on her bed with her pale wrist covering her eyes. 

'I truly cried my heart out,' she thought with some satisfaction. If she could cry like this every week, no, every month, she felt that she would maybe live a happy life. 

Calming down, she started thinking about Nona's words. Even though they sounded extremely implausible when she first heard it, gradually, she was beginning to feel open-minded about this matter.

"Did I truly wanted to be beaten up that badly?" Arelyn muttered softly. She then thought about the day it all happened. She remembered taunting Bella until she burst. Even when the little mage's explosion was imminent, Arelyn was still spouting malicious words like she was crazy. She even brought out the black-haired boy, since she knew that Bella liked, or at least respected the boy.

And it wasn't like she didn't know the little girl's strength, she personally witnessed her fight against the two boys. 

'Why did I want to be beaten up so badly, then?' she found another problem. Did she want punishment for her conducts? 

'Or perhaps I'm just an idiot' Arelyn always felt that her brain did work slower than others. 

Nona, noticing that the girl's fears had disappeared, resumed speaking.

"It seems you've gotten over your sister's fears a bit"

Arelyn's mind blanked. The mage was right. An hour ago, even the slightest thought of her sister would rile up her fears, but now she could even joke about the matter slightly.

"Maybe I did want to get beat up" she uttered with a shaky conviction. Thinking a bit more, she asked Nona: "Why do you spend so much time on this relationship between me and my sister?"

Nona smiled and started explaining. 

"You may think I'm boasting a bit, but I'm quite an accomplished Healer in this World. Obviously, I would have to bow down to the Easterners who are naturally good at it, but I can confidently say that I'm not without achievements... At any rate, after I received this Pink Horn from the Ancestor, my dearest wish was to create a world where no one would suffer" Nona said wistfully.

"Well, after you get older, you start to realize that such convictions are a bit implausible to achieve. But still, I couldn't just give up, so I started to travel the Countries in search of people in need. But after traveling for a bit, I realized that just healing someone's physical wounds aren't enough. Even if they have no more pain, there are still the countless emotional and psychological problems they have to face, which are not less scary than the physical ones"

Arelyn listened silently.

"Honestly, I don't know how those mages and soldiers who constantly get injured on the battlefield can keep on going with their lives like nothing ever happened. Imagine getting beat up like you did every two weeks. I'd rather spend my life as a pit latrine cleaner," Nona said with a small laugh.

"Anyway, cowardly people like us, we need time to forget the trauma and emotions that come after an injury that was caused by others. The weakness, the helplessness, and the hatred. So many times I've seen the men and women I healed break down from the trauma and become unable to live life normally. There were even some who chose death," Nona said weakly and then looked at Arelyn with a deep, penetrating gaze.

"I know you've thought of dying when you first saw your destroyed face. Don't feel weird about it, everyone does. Especially the girls who had their face messed up, or the ones who were raped and beaten. Aside from healing their bodies, I try my best to dissipate these hidden dangers"