The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 439: My Role is Finally Done

After returning to Eleine’s room, he saw that she was already awake. It seemed she had just woken up, as she was still gathering her thoughts. When she saw him enter the room, she smiled.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he approached her.

"I’m good. Thank you, young master, for saving me."

"No worries. We are close family, after all." He smiled and sat on the edge of the bed.

"If you feel even the slightest discomfort, let me know. Your health and comfort should come first," he added.

"Okay," Eleine replied.

She then leaned her head against the headboard of the bed and looked away, as if deep in thought. A moment of silence passed before she turned her gaze back to Aldrian.

"Young master, when you played the guqin that night, what was your intent behind the music? It made me feel the vastness of the sky. Do you have any aspirations to reach beyond it?"

Aldrian was stunned by her unexpected question. He knew his music could be heard by many, but he hadn’t expected his guqin playing to reach this place.

"You heard me play the guqin?"

Eleine tilted her head.

"Of course I heard it. Everyone did. Just ask Sylphia and Jimin," she said, making Aldrian glance at the two ladies. They both nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, as expected of you. You played beautifully that night," Sylphia said. "According to the reports I received from the maids, from that day until just a few hours before the outbreak, your guqin performance was still the talk of the city. Rumors about it have even begun to spread."

"They’re saying that another genius and powerful cultivator has emerged to rival the mysterious swordsman," Baek Jimin added. "It’s also seen as a sign that the era is truly changing and that great events are on the horizon, sparking discussions about the church’s prophecy."

"I wonder how the masses will react when they find out that the guqin player and the mysterious swordsman are the same person," Sylphia mused. "It would cause another uproar, further elevating your reputation as the most talented and gifted cultivator of all time."

Aldrian raised his eyebrows. He truly hadn’t known about this. He hadn’t realized that his guqin playing could be heard from such a great distance and that it had sparked new gossip. Was his guqin playing already at that level? Even he hadn’t been aware that his own ability had become powerful enough to make his guqin music reach as far as Caritas.

At the time, he had simply wanted to play music that resonated with his heart, he hadn’t thought too deeply about it. The most important thing was that he enjoyed playing; no other thoughts had crossed his mind.

Aldrian pondered for a moment before arriving at a realization. It seemed that, without him knowing, his music had resonated with the heavens and the earth, allowing its sound to travel far and wide.

Achieving such a feat was no simple matter. Music that could resonate with the heavens and the earth required a deep level of comprehension.

Moreover, the musician needed to be in a specific state of mind while playing. To think that he had reached such a state without even realizing it—it seemed he truly loved music and had already immersed himself in it completely.

Aldrian sighed at his own ability and said to Eleine,

"I simply enjoy playing it. It resonates with my heart. I like gazing at the night sky and admiring the vastness of the universe. Of course, I have aspirations to reach the sky and beyond—because to me, it’s beautiful. Being closer to it would allow me to appreciate the universe’s beauty even more. That’s the feeling I poured into the music. But beyond that, I didn’t think too much while playing."

Eleine nodded.

"When I heard it, I could feel the concept within the music—its portrayal of the universe’s majesty and the aspiration to reach the sky. It made me realize that the young master holds truly grand ambitions, and that thought filled me with pride. But as I listened, besides thinking about your future, I also thought about myself... that my role is finally done."

Aldrian frowned, confused by Eleine’s words. "What do you mean?"

"I believe there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to the young master’s future. With your talent and strength, I have no doubt that you will be the one to reach the sky and leave this continent behind. Your greatness is too vast to be contained here, and knowing that your aspirations extend beyond this land gives me a sense of relief."

She gazed out the window at the endless blue sky.

"Sometimes, I lament that someone as great as you is confined within this continent, unable to fully showcase your potential to a much larger world. As the descendant of Lady Irene, you deserve a far greater stage to shine."

"When I think about it, I realize that my role here is truly over, and the time for me to return to Lady Irene’s side is near. Well, not that my role ever had much meaning anyway, since I didn’t help much. But now, I have witnessed the young master’s entire journey and seen what you aspire to become. Lady Irene would be happy."

She smiled faintly.

"When the entire continent learns of your origin, that will be the moment I return to Lady Irene’s side, watching your journey from afar. Well... if not for the young master’s plans, I think I could leave even now."

Silence followed Eleine’s words.

Aldrian felt an inexplicable sense of loss as he looked at her face. This woman had been by his side for all sixteen years of his life—even helping his mother during his birth. Now that she spoke of returning to his mother’s side, an unexpected sadness welled up within him.

He had long considered Eleine part of his family, someone irreplaceable. The thought of her departure left an emptiness inside him, a feeling of something missing.

Sylphia and Baek Jimin were also stunned, but they seemed to more or less understand why Eleine brought up her ’role’ here.

As noble ladies, they understood that Eleine’s status within the Rivas family was tied to her duty as the retainer of its young miss—Aldrian’s mother. Even though Aldrian already considered Eleine part of his close family, in her heart, she still saw herself as someone who was by his side only because his mother had ordered it.

When the time came for her to return, she would do so without hesitation, believing that her role had come to an end. Aldrian was fully capable of handling everything on his own, and he had already set his sights on the future. To Eleine, that was enough. She believed her duty was fulfilled because she trusted that her young master no longer needed her.

Baek Jimin broke the silence. "Is that why you took a stroll that night?"

Eleine looked at Baek Jimin and nodded.

"I just wanted to be alone at that time, so I walked across the city to think about my decision for the future. In the end, I decided that I will return to Lady Irene once the young master’s identity spreads across the entire continent."

Aldrian sighed at her.

"Eleine, are you thinking that because you don’t fit in with the group, it’s better for you to return to Mother?"

Aldrian could sense the insecurity in Eleine’s heart, and he knew exactly what it was. Given her status in the Rivas family as his mother’s retainer, she had developed a certain mindset—one that made her unconsciously distance herself from the rest of the group, as they were all nobles.

Sylphia was the princess of a great empire.

Baek Jimin was the daughter of the matriarch of a powerful sect.

Xin Haotian was the young master of a hidden family.

Their names were known far and wide.

Hearing Aldrian’s question, Eleine was slightly stunned, but she still smiled at him.

"That’s part of it, but it’s to be expected. Our statuses are different now, and I was trained from a young age to be Lady Irene’s retainer, so it’s only natural that I think this way."

In her mind, Aldrian already had more suitable companions for his journey—another reason she could return to Lady Irene with peace of mind.

"But if I were leaving just because of that, it wouldn’t be entirely true," she continued. "I simply feel that my role is done, and it just seems right for me to return to Lady Irene’s side. It’s been so long since I last spoke to her, and with Cecile gone, my desire to return has only grown stronger. She doesn’t have many friends aside from Cecile and me."

Aldrian sighed again, his heart felt heavy. If this was what Eleine truly believed, he couldn’t force her to stay. Besides, she was right—his mother would need a companion now that Cecile, her other retainer, had passed away due to the devils’ machinations.

Suppressing the sadness welling inside him, Aldrian asked again, "Are you sure, Eleine?"

"I’m sure, young master. I’ve made my decision with full conviction."

Aldrian sighed once more before nodding.

"Alright, I understand," he said, then stood up and walked toward the door. Right now, he needed fresh air to ease the heaviness in his heart.

Sylphia and Baek Jimin could only sigh as they watched the exchange between Aldrian and Eleine. They knew Aldrian would need time to accept her decision. It wasn’t easy to part with someone who had always been by his side, only for her to return to the place she believed she belonged.