Return of the Crowned Heiress (Felicia)

hapter 488

Just as Felicia was about to leave the shop, the shop owner shook a bronze bell at his side, and the crisp sound rang out.

She turned back to see the shop owner clicking his tongue and saying, “If none of these match the sound you’re looking for, then you’ll need to find a craftsman to custom–make one for you. Even then, the sound varies depending on the material and size of the clapper. It’s hard to get a perfect match.”

The shop owner gave her a scrutinizing look and added, “Young lady, you’re not here just to mess around, are you?”

“Do I look like it?” Felicia replied.

She felt she had been sincere enough, but sound was a subjective thing. Unless someone had heard the same bell before, it was impossible to give it a description that both parties would understand.

With a sigh, Felicia realized she’d have to try another approach.

Just then, the shop owner chuckled and pointed to the display case behind him. “If you buy something from my shop, I’ll tell you where I’ve heard a bell like the one you described.”

“Really?”

Although Felicia was skeptical, money wasn’t an issue for her right now, so she waved her hand and bought the most expensive violin in the shop.

“Now, tell me. Where did you hear it?”

The shop owner, delighted as he counted his money, cleared his throat and said, “At a chapel on the very top of Sunset Mountain, southwest of the city.”

Walking out of the shop, Stanley was holding onto the violin case and asked, “Ma’am, you’re not seriously planning to go to this so–called Sunset Mountain, are you? What if he was just bluffing?”

“Then I’ll come back and smash his shop,” Felicia replied as she got into the car. Her thoughts, however, were elsewhere.

Southwest of the city, at the top of Sunset Mountain.

She had actually been there before.

Back then, she and Carmen had climbed to the summit, where they saw an old tower and a 700–year–old tree next to it. Carmen had even pulled out two small wooden plaques seemingly out of nowhere, and the two of them wrote down their wishes and hung them on the tree.

Their visit was cut short when they unexpectedly ran into Myra and Kayla. The awkward encounter ended their trip early, and they descended the mountain without visiting the nearby chapel.

After they descended, Felicia was kidnapped by Maurice’s men.

Returning to the place she had once visited with Carmen felt surreal. She also wanted to see if the wooden plaques they had hung on the tree were still there or if they had been blown away by the wind.

“I miss you, my friend,” she lamented inwardly.

Felicia gazed out of the car window in silence.

Stanley carefully placed the expensive violin in the back seat before getting into the driver’s seat. He started the car and headed southwest toward Sunset Mountain. novelbin

When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, it was noon. The blazing heat made her drowsy.

It was Stanley’s first time here. Seeing the bustling crowd and the many food stalls, he clicked his tongue in wonder. “This mountain doesn’t look particularly special. Why is it so crowded?”

Felicia smiled faintly at the comment. She had said the exact same thing on her first visit.

At the time, Carmen told her while eating an ice cream cone, “The view of the sunset on this mountain is stunning, which is why it’s called Sunset Mountain. A lot of photographers and tourists come here to capture it, and that’s how it became so popular.”

Now, Felicia repeated the story to Stanley, word for word, but prefaced it with, “My friend told me this.”

Stanley noticed that when Felicia mentioned the word “friend“, her eyes carried a hint of nostalgia and sorrow.

“Alright, wait for me at the foot of the mountain. I’ll go up alone,” Felicia said.

She bought some food but didn’t linger, heading straight up the mountain trail. Stanley rubbed his face and, with a sigh, followed after her.