The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Sam, you owe me one again
“Ah! It’s The Day of Celestial Harmony again, time really flies.”

“Yes, I hope this Day of Celestial Harmony goes well. There was a heavy rainstorm a few days ago that drowned a lot of crops…”

“Hey, I heard that the church has a new priestess this time, maybe she can really bless us.”

“Oh, I know that priestess, Robert’s child.”

“Yes. She’s very beautiful and has a great demeanor. She’ll definitely be a charming beauty when she grows up.”

On the way to the church, you could hear snippets of conversation.

But it seems all the comments were positive, after all, Cedarwood is still a place with simple folk customs.

As for Sam’s parents, they had already donned their festival attire. For everyone in Cedarwood, The Day of Celestial Harmony is a significant communal event. Sam and Angel, not wearing festival clothes, seemed somewhat out of place.

Angel came with not many clothes, and a few were torn during intimate moments with Sam, so she could only wear her usual casual clothes.

As for Sam, he was planning to put on a more formal suit, but the clothes from a few years ago didn’t fit anymore, and his mother didn’t let him wear them, saying they would get a new one tailored later.

Angel looked at Sam thoughtfully and said, “What do you look like in a suit?”

Sam thought about it; he hadn’t really worn one since coming to this world. He preferred more casual attire.

“I guess it’s much the same as now, you are good at draw, just imagine it.”

Angel squinted and smiled, “Not everything can be imagined. Maybe you’d have a completely different aura in a suit. But… Too bad the role of the priestess isn’t yours.”

Sam gave Angel a weird look.

“Tsk… In Cedarwood, only unmarried girls can be priestesses. Isn’t your idea a bit too perverse?”

Angel smiled and said, “Don’t you know that most girls have a bit of an urge to see the guy they like in women’s clothing? Plus, I think it would have a special effect on you.”

Sam immediately shook his head. “Please don’t do anything so strange. I don’t want to be known as a cross-dresser.”

Even though he had completely won Angel over in their sex moments, he still couldn’t let his guard down.

After all, that’s just how she is; the more you don’t want to do something, the more interested she becomes. And for the sake of her curiosity, it seems she would do anything without considering the consequences.

“Hey! Robert! Is your whole family out today?”

Someone warmly greeted Sam’s parents on the road, pausing their steps.

“Heh… We are going to participate in the church activities.”

“Yo, your son’s back too? Looking sharp! I didn’t expect him to grow so tall and handsome after a few years. Nice!”

A burly man with a beard smiled at Sam.

Sam remembered this man, so he politely greeted him.

“Talon, hello.”

Talon laughed and patted Sam’s sturdy shoulder, then noticed Angel behind him.

“Wow, is this your girlfriend? You’ve done well, my boy! Too bad, I was thinking of introducing my daughter to you as a potential girlfriend, but it seems there’s no chance now.”

“Dad… what are you talking about?”

A girl about Sam’s age shyly lowered her head behind him.

Sam’s memories of her were not very vivid. The girl was actually pretty, but next to Angel, she seemed to instantly lose her shine.

And the girl’s lack of confidence was undoubtedly because of Angel; Angel’s beauty and demeanor were overwhelming.

After a brief exchange, they continued on their way.

“You seem quite popular around here,” Angel said calmly as they walked.

Sam chuckled, “Of course, even before I went to study in Kuhang, I was already the most popular guy in Cedarwood.”

Angel snorted, “If being ‘the most popular man’ means having a thick face, being fickle in love, and refusing to admit it, then I think that’s a derogatory term.”

Sam widened his eyes, “When have I ever been fickle? It’s just that my heart has been broken into so many pieces, it’s doomed not to belong to just one person.”

Angel reached out and pinched Sam’s waist tightly, using force suddenly. With a dangerous tone, she said, “You dare to say such things in front of me now, are you really not afraid of dying?”

“Just kidding, just kidding, let go~”

Even though Angel let go, she still left noticeable bruises on Sam’s waist.

Alas, such tests were necessary, and Angel always behaved like this, never holding back once she made her move. Was there special pity for Sam because of their intimate relationship?

It seems such a condition doesn’t exist. Angel is just like that; even becoming her first man can’t change her current personality and convictions. It requires a long process.

Finally, as night fell, a bonfire was lit in the open space outside the church.

It was like a gathering of an ancient tribe, with countless people converging outside the tallest building in Cedarwood.

Although Cedarwood’s church was quite old, it was well-maintained and often repaired, not appearing dilapidated.

By the time Sam and his family arrived, the initial sacrificial ceremony had already begun.

Everyone around was very quiet, not speaking loudly or whispering too much, maintaining reverence for the divine.

“They’re so devout. Do they really think praying to intangible deities works?” Angel asked quietly beside Sam.

Sam looked toward the bonfire outside the church and the people performing the ceremony, saying, “It’s pretty normal. This place is mostly populated by farmers, and the success of the crops is heavily dependent on the weather. Holding a sacrificial ceremony to pray for a good harvest provides some psychological comfort.”

The moon gradually peeked out from the clouds, illuminating the bustling crowd.

As the ceremony progressed, it seemed to draw everyone into the same atmosphere.

The ancient and solemn ceremony, along with the devout and reverent expressions on everyone’s faces, seemed to traverse through distant times and spaces.

Angel furrowed her brows.

“What’s meant to happen will happen. Even if there are deities, they can’t really bless a place or so many people. If there are gods, they must be arrogant beings who wouldn’t stoop to fulfill a mortal’s wish.”

Sam smiled in response, “Although I don’t believe there are deities in this world either, I think people always need to have a sense of reverence, whether it’s for nature, the world, or those intangible deities.”

Angel, who had grown up in Kuhang, looked up at Sam with a piercing gaze. “Why do you sound just like my mom?”

“Why not your dad?”

“Oh? You want to be my dad?”

“…That’s not what I meant. Do you think it’s too crowded here, shall we move somewhere else?”

Sam saw a dangerous glint in Angel’s eyes. He immediately became cautious, realizing the joke couldn’t continue.

Angel nodded slightly, “It’s too crowded.”

“Then follow me.”

Sam led Angel through the crowd, concerned that the throng might cause her discomfort, so he took the initiative to hold her soft, delicate hand.

Angel didn’t refuse, allowing him to lead the way.

They made their way through the crowd, getting closer to a stage specially set up outside the church.

Since they arrived a bit late, they could only find a spot on the edge. The upside was that there were fewer people here, offering an unobstructed view.

On the stage, villagers had already begun their performance, playing beautiful music on their instruments, with the audience below immersed in the enchanting sounds.

Angel’s face showed little emotion, but she asked with some curiosity, “Why hasn’t your sister come out yet?”

Indeed, some time had passed, but the ceremony itself was intricate and solemn.

When Sam noticed the ceremony on stage temporarily come to an end and people moving to the back, with some activity starting behind the scenes, he said, “This must be it. The next part is when the priestess makes her appearance. It involves song and dance to express reverence to the deities.”

“Boom!”

At that moment, a loud drum sound drew everyone’s attention, silencing even whispered conversations.

As an elderly man with white hair and beard began to sing in a voice full of years, the backstage door finally opened.

“Wow…”

A gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.

Everyone saw a solitary figure standing in the doorway, radiating light.

Dressed in a white priestess robe and white stockings, her tall figure stood with hands poised in front of her. Although her head was bowed, her presence was undeniable, capturing everyone’s gaze.

Sam and Angel were also drawn to this scene.

The numerous accessories on her body gently swayed, shimmering enchantingly under the reflection of the bonfire light.

And atop her neatly arranged hair was a beautifully crafted crown.

Sam’s pupils slightly constricted.

This was no ordinary priestess; she was more like a goddess… Even he hadn’t anticipated his sister possessing such aura and grace.

As Ava appeared before everyone, gasps of astonishment could be heard across the crowd.

She moved forward slowly, in step with the rhythm of the drums and the music that had begun to play.

Every step she took was steady until she reached the center of the stage, alone.

The musicians playing in the background and the soft chanting of ancient songs became just a backdrop to her presence.

Ava was indeed a bit nervous.

She understood the importance of this ceremony, a tradition that had been passed down for hundreds of years, holding a unique significance for every person in Cedarwood.

Ava held her breath, momentarily pushing aside all distractions.

She reassured herself that she was well-prepared, there would be no mistakes, she was fully ready, and she would not disappoint Sam.

“Clang!”

As the rhythm of the drumbeats quickened, Ava took a deep breath and began her movements.

Under the glow of the bonfire, Ava seemed like a goddess from heaven.

Her already slender figure made the dance even more graceful, with every memorized move clearly displayed.

Everything appeared to go smoothly.

Only Ava knew of her slight nervousness, and she faintly felt the crown on her head wobble.

Was it not secured properly?

She should have checked it again before coming out… But now, there was no chance to adjust it, this performance couldn’t afford a mistake, and certainly, the crown couldn’t fall to the ground.

So, she tried her best to keep her neck steady, to prevent the crown from shaking too much.

However, as the pace increased, this sensation became more and more pronounced; she even felt like the crown might fall off at any moment.

Panic began to set in Ava’s heart, she hadn’t anticipated such a mishap.

She didn’t know how to handle this situation gracefully, but if it really did fall, it would all be over.

Perhaps the audience would take the falling crown as a bad omen, and it was possible they might blame her for it.

It’s human nature to think of many bad outcomes when faced with a potentially bad omen, thereby increasing one’s anxiety.

But Ava didn’t want to embarrass herself.

She also didn’t want to ruin everything because of her. She tried her best to steady her movements, as if she could gradually overcome it all. But just as she caught sight of Sam and Angel in the audience and then turned around,

Disaster struck!

She felt her hair start to move, the crown was about to fall!

“Thump.”

As her foot once again stepped on the stage floor,

Ava opened her eyes, facing away from everyone.

Unexpectedly, she found that the crown… hadn’t fallen off; it was actually securely fixed on her head, and even more firmly than before.

What happened?

Could it be… the mercy of deities?

—

Sam slightly furrowed his brow.

It wasn’t that he found Ava’s dance lacking; on the contrary, she danced beautifully, her movements graceful and fluid.

It was a perfect ceremonial dance.

But now, with his keen eyesight, Sam could clearly notice the crown on Ava’s head wobbling during some of her more vigorous movements.

“Your expression doesn’t look good, what’s wrong?” Angel asked softly, noticing something.

Sam shook his head. “It seems the headpiece isn’t secured properly… I hope it doesn’t cause any problems.”

When Angel looked, she seemed to notice this detail too.

She frowned, “Indeed, it’s not on right… How could such a basic mistake happen?”

Sam felt uneasy, watching the girl on the stage nervously. He had discerned from Ava’s subtle expressions that his observation was correct; Ava had noticed it too and was starting to get nervous.

“I don’t know, but the whole preparation process must have been somewhat complex. Perhaps there wasn’t enough time, or maybe it was overlooked due to nervousness…But there can’t be any problems now…”

Angel frowned. “What happens if there is a problem?”

Sam took a deep breath, noticing the increasingly troubled expression on Ava’s face.

“It’s hard to say. If the headpiece falls off, it might be considered an ominous sign, suggesting the coming days might not bring a good harvest… People might even blame Ava for being the priestess when this problem occurred.”

Sam dared not imagine the repercussions if such a problem truly arose and if the harvest turned out worse than last year. How much blame would people place on this girl, and what kind of psychological pressure would 16-year-old Ava endure…

Angel looked somewhat displeased. “How can they place the blame on a girl for something like this? What kind of reasoning is that?”

Sam sighed.

“Hasn’t it always been this way? When disaster strikes, people blame the heavens, their neighbors, even their own family, pushing all consequences onto others. That’s human nature…”

“Are you worried?”

“Of course. Although I know the people of Cedarwood wouldn’t do anything excessive, Ava would blame herself… This is such a significant event, with so many people watching, and she’s still so young. She prepared and worked hard for this day for so long, and if an accident happens because of this issue…”

Oh, no!

Sam caught Ava’s glance toward him.

Ava saw the worry in his eyes.

She pursed her lips, and just as she turned away, the crown on her head shook violently, seemingly about to fall to the ground!

Sam felt as if he could predict what was about to happen.

He almost didn’t dare to think about the kind of shocked expressions that would appear on the faces of the audience, currently enraptured by the beautiful dance, and the kind of comments and criticisms that would erupt, and how heavy a blow it would be for the girl on stage.

Sam knew there wasn’t much he could do, nor could he stop what was about to happen.

But he couldn’t accept standing by, doing nothing, as the scene unfolded.

Almost instinctively, without much thought, Sam took a step forward.

This couldn’t happen… Even if it meant drawing the condemnation onto himself, it didn’t matter.

He had to do something, at least… He couldn’t let Ava bear all this alone.

But Sam’s step did not complete.

He clearly saw the burning bonfire take on a shape.

He also clearly felt that he was unable to make any move.

A familiar sensation… happened at this moment.

Then, within his unchanging line of sight, with eyes widened in shock, Sam saw the figure of Angel, who was supposed to be quietly by his side…

She stepped forward, walking into his field of view.

She turned her head, glanced at him.

“Sam, you owe me one again.”

Then she turned around, calmly and gracefully walking towards Ava on the stage…

Sam, of course, understood what had happened.

Angel had activated her time-stopping superpower at this moment.