The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 402: Their Feeling

Love—

A feeling that bonds two people, a force that transcends time and space. For the first time in her life, she felt this way, and the mist that had long shrouded her heart slowly dissipated. What she experienced was a blossoming sensation, one she wished to embrace. It was the feeling of looking at a man in a way she had never looked at anyone before.

As a child, she witnessed the deep bond between her father and mother—how they supported each other, how they remained true to themselves even among demonic cultivators. In a world where betrayal was commonplace and trust was a luxury, her parents stood apart. They were able to rely on each other.

However, once her father went missing, her mother became a different person. She lost her affectionate side and grew cold and indifferent, resembling most demonic cultivators. She didn’t know what had happened to her father, but his disappearance deeply affected both her mother and her own life.

Over time, she, too, became more aloof and indifferent toward others. Added to that, having no true friends after comprehending the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture, her heart hardened, becoming unyielding to anyone. As compassion and affection gradually eroded, her sole focus became growing stronger and escaping the situation that had trapped her.

However, when she looked at Aldrian for the first time back then, she felt something different. She saw something intriguing, something almost mind-boggling. It was the first time in her life that she had witnessed such a thing within someone being’s essence. She knew he was special, and from that moment on, she felt drawn to him. Yet, she convinced herself that it was only because of his unique being’s essence.

When she finally left the demon territory and stepped into the much wider world alongside him, she experienced many new things and even gained friends. Friends she could truly call genuine because she had seen their being’s essences as well.

Sylphia, Eleine, Xin Haotian—everyone around Aldrian had simple, untainted minds, with nothing ominous hidden beneath the surface. They were all good people who either followed Aldrian wherever he went or supported him on his journey.

Along the journey, she watched how Aldrian acted, how he communicated with others, and how he built relationships. As time passed, she became more impressed by him and felt increasingly comfortable by his side. At some point, she began to feel differently toward him—her attraction to him growing stronger with each passing day.

A feeling of envy also started to surface when she saw how effortlessly he interacted with Sylphia. The way they spoke with ease, their natural intimacy, the way they joked around—she found herself wanting to experience the same connection Sylphia had with him.

When the Envy Devil attacked them in the Doria Empire, she was caught within the effects of his domain for some time, and during that moment, her envy spiraled out of control. A dark desire even surfaced, the urge to kill Sylphia so she would never have to see or feel such things again.

Even after the Envy Devil was killed, its lingering effects remained deep within her heart. She could only suppress them as much as possible, refusing to let her envy consume her. She believed she had succeeded—until she saw Aldrian and Sylphia become true lovers.

Something inside her heart felt like it was about to explode, yet she tried to hold it back. The envy began to rebel once more. She had suppressed it for so long, but watching their interactions as lovers made her heart ache with jealousy.

However, Sylphia was her friend, and she genuinely wanted to see her happy. So she kept burying those feelings deep within her. But even then, a part of her still longed for that happiness.

She wanted to experience that feeling. She wanted to talk to Aldrian the way Sylphia did, to interact with him the same way. But then, not long ago, a thought struck her—one that made her question everything.

Why did she feel this way toward Aldrian? Why did she feel this way toward Sylphia? Why did she want to experience what Sylphia felt? Why did she long to be by Aldrian’s side?

That was when she realized she might have already taken a step she hadn’t noticed for a long time—one she was only now becoming aware of. Perhaps her feelings for Aldrian were more than just friendship. That would explain the intense envy she felt toward Sylphia and the deep comfort she found in Aldrian’s presence.

Sylphia often talked about him, but not long ago, they had a conversation that left her feeling strange. Sylphia seemed to be giving her hints—encouraging her to spend more time with Aldrian and talk to him more to strengthen their bond. It felt odd coming from a woman who appeared to love her man so deeply.

Yet, deep in her heart, she was grateful for Sylphia’s words. It reassured her that she wouldn’t have to feel guilty if she spent time with Aldrian in the future.

Today was the day, and she felt something she had never experienced before. Butterflies fluttered inside her heart and stomach, filling her with happiness. The envy that had once clouded her heart had finally dissipated, replaced by the warmth of being by his side. He truly cared for her, accommodating her every wish.

This was the most beautiful day of her life—a moment so precious that she wished time would stop so she could savor it forever. And in that moment, she finally understood.

Her feelings for Aldrian went beyond ordinary friendship. The envy, the jealousy—she now knew the reason behind it all.

She had fallen in love with him.

Unknowingly, the karma thread that connected her to Aldrian, once blue with many tainted red, slowly turned completely red. The transformation was rapid, visible to the naked eye if Aldrian were to activate his karma laws.

She lifted her head after her brief moment of shyness and stole another glance at Aldrian. Her eyes shimmered as she admired his side profile.

"Do you like looking at my face that much?"

His voice suddenly broke her daze, making her snap back to reality. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she quickly looked straight ahead.

"Who... who likes looking at your face? No, I—" Her voice trailed off, growing smaller until she finally buried her face in her knees.

Aldrian smiled at her reaction as he glanced at the beautiful girl beside him. Although he hadn’t yet developed romantic feelings for her, he already felt comfortable in her presence, without any awkwardness when it was just the two of them. Thanks to today’s time together, he felt even closer to her.

This was only the beginning—they still had plenty of time in the future to find the conclusion of their relationship.

The sun had almost fully sunk below the horizon, and the sky on the opposite side had already darkened, scattered with countless shimmering stars.

Aldrian stood up from his seat, dusted off his butt, and looked at Baek Jimin.

"Let’s go back," he said with a smile, extending his hand toward her.

She looked at Aldrian’s smiling face, then at his outstretched hand. A soft smile formed on her lips before she took his hand and stood up beside him.

Not long after, they disappeared from that place, leaving behind the memory of their first sunset together.

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Back at Caritas, Sylphia stood on the balcony of Aldrian’s bedroom. His room was on the second floor, and ever since they had become lovers, they had shared the same room. She gazed at the sunken sunset, a faint smile on her lips.

"What are they doing right now? Is she enjoying today’s chance?"

She truly wondered if today had helped bring them closer.

Truthfully, this kind of thinking was far from common—especially for an elf. As a race with immense pride, elves, particularly female elves, were highly protective of their partners and would never consider encouraging them to grow closer to another woman. That was why, throughout elven history, only a very small number of elves had ever been part of a harem.

The elves who accepted being part of a harem did so only because they were able to set aside their pride and truly loved their partners enough to allow them to have another woman. No man could ever force an elven partner into such an arrangement—if pressured, an elf would rather oppose him, even at the cost of their own life.

For Sylphia, it was even more difficult. As a noble and more importantly, a princess of a great empire, she had been raised with an unshakable sense of pride. Her upbringing dictated that if she were to have a partner in the future, it would have to be only one man, of the same race, who would have her as his only woman.

However, with the appearance of Aldrian, all of that changed. Her heart belonged entirely to him, and if he were to ask her to sacrifice herself, she would do so without hesitation.

She knew that her parents supported her, this was something she realized after reflecting on it following her confession of love for Aldrian. After all, her parents never have allowed her to journey alongside him in the first place if they hadn’t held some hope for her future with him.

She believed that their decision to let her go was a silent approval of her romantic relationship with Aldrian.

The prophesized figure of the elven race and a powerful cultivator, who wouldn’t want such a person? Her parents must have thought the same. Even if it meant breaking the long-standing tradition of marrying only within their race, they had already accepted Aldrian as part of their family.

Sylphia then looked up at the sky, now dark and adorned with countless shimmering stars, making it even more breathtaking. Her gaze lingered on the vast expanse, her eyes reflecting the starlight.

"The brightest star is always the most captivating,"

All she needed to do was stay by that star’s side and continue accompanying it—forever.