Chapter Seventeen
As Liu Yu stared at the bottle in her hand, countless thoughts raced through her mind, eventually splitting into two opposing factions.
One voice whispered to her, “Admit it. Confess everything. Perhaps he won’t hold your schemes and deceptions against you. But your connection with him, your future—it will all end here.”
The other voice, however, relentlessly tempted her: “Don’t you want to rise to the top? Don’t you want to live a long, unshackled life, free from the grip of fate? Seize him. This is your only chance to change your destiny.”
One hundred percent, or zero.
Once again, Liu Yu easily convinced herself.
She exclaimed in feigned surprise, “Oh, Gaia, how did you get that? My mother gave it to me before I left, saying it would keep me safe!”
Deny it?
Of course not.
Gaia wasn’t like Louis; he wasn’t skilled in rhetoric. If he said it was hers, he must have confirmed it.
She had no choice but to accept it honestly.
“It was with your dress, on the ground,” Gaia replied, seemingly understanding and not pressing further.
But Liu Yu knew this wasn’t a good sign.
If he suspected her but didn’t voice it, she would lose the chance to explain. Over-explaining would only deepen his doubts.
If he didn’t suspect her, it meant his interest in her was minimal—he had no intention of uncovering the truth.
“Enough, enough! Mr. Leslie, if you’re going to flirt, please do it elsewhere!” the dorm supervisor interrupted. “And Miss Fergus, you’d better hurry. Divine Arts class is at the Temple of Light, and it’ll take some time to get there!”
“Alright, I’m going,” Liu Yu replied.
As she followed the supervisor inside, she couldn’t help but glance back. Gaia stood quietly, his brow slightly furrowed as if troubled by something. Sensing her gaze, he looked up and met her eyes—
Liu Yu quickly turned away.
The mushroom-shaped dormitory was just ahead.
The supervisor, remembering Gaia’s instructions, waited outside.
Liu Yu pushed the door open. After a night away, the room looked as if it had been ransacked. Her belongings were scattered everywhere, her trunks tossed about haphazardly. Only the birdcage by the window remained untouched.
The wardrobe’s lock had been forcibly broken, and the contents were torn apart with scissors. Jewelry was strewn across the floor, and she even found a vampire’s fang among the mess. Even her pillow and blanket had been shredded.
It was obvious—Mary had done this.
Liu Yu’s absence had fueled Mary’s jealousy, and she had taken it out on her belongings—a behavior entirely in line with her character.
“Banban! Banban! Banban!”
The gray sparrow in the cage flapped its wings frantically, its beady eyes welling up with tears as it saw her.
[Waaah! That woman’s gone mad! She tried to cut Banban’s beautiful wings with scissors! Mad, mad, it’s terrifying!]
Liu Yu froze, thinking she must be hallucinating.
Banban continued to chirp, its head held high.
[What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen such a beautiful bird? Even if you stare at Banban for a thousand years, you’ll never grow feathers as lovely as mine! Ugly! Monster!]
“I… ugly monster?!”
“Say that again.”
Liu Yu hated two things above all else: being manipulated and being called ugly.
[Yes! Ugly monster! Feather-plucker! Black-hearted!] Banban blurted out, then froze mid-insult, its eyes bulging.
[Oh no, by the Light, what’s the ugly monster saying? Can she understand Banban? No way, no way, that’s impossible! She’s bluffing, can’t believe it, can’t believe it!]
Liu Yu picked up the scissors Mary had left behind and clicked them menacingly.
“Say it again.”
[Eek! Ugly—no, no, beautiful one, can you really hear me? Wow, Banban was so scared! You’re finally back! Yesterday, that princess who’s uglier than you by ten thousand times tried to cut Banban’s wings! Luckily, Banban was clever, or you’d never see your adorable bird again… Waaah…]
Banban’s hoarse cries were like nails on a chalkboard, tears dripping down its face.
[Waaah~ Banban’s starving, Banban’s had it so tough, Banban hasn’t eaten for a whole day and night, Banban desperately wants cocoa biscuits, water, and to touch some shiny beads…]
Liu Yu, her head pounding, hissed, “Shut up, or you’ll go another day without food.”
Banban immediately covered its beak with its wings.
[Mmm, Banban won’t say a word!]
Liu Yu bent down, found a small bag of buckwheat in the corner, added fresh water to the cage, and replaced the birdseed. She tapped the cage.
“Eat.”
Banban pecked at the buckwheat like a chicken, still muttering between bites.
[Move! Move! Banban can’t live like this anymore… It’s too scary… Too scary…]
Liu Yu dragged her heavy legs to the bathroom to wash up.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face.
The girl in the mirror looked pale, but her eyes held something different, something indescribable, like a hook that made hearts race. Beneath the calm surface, turbulent undercurrents churned.
Her lips were bitten, and there were red marks around her neck. Liu Yu wiped them with a towel, wincing as she touched her lips. Who would have thought that four drops of blood-mixed potion could drive a pure-hearted boy to such extremes?
He had kissed her everywhere—sensual, forceful, passionate. The heat of his hands and lips still lingered in her memory.
Liu Yu finished washing up quickly and left the bathroom.
Banban had finished its meal and chirped at her.
“Banban, Banban!”
[Why can you understand Banban?]
Liu Yu didn’t answer. The reason was obvious.
The only difference between yesterday and today was that she had slept with Gaia—repeatedly.
And now, she could understand Banban’s speech.
In the original story, this “fairy godmother” bird, with its minor magical abilities, had never been understood by anyone. When Natasi went to the divine palace, she hadn’t taken Banban, leaving the bird alone on the Elven Continent.
So the question was: could she understand all bird speech, or just this one bird that had accidentally gained divine power?
Recalling her observations, Liu Yu concluded it was only Banban.
“Do you often talk bad about me—”
Liu Yu suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
No, no, Gaia could hear others’ thoughts, which meant…
Mary, Mary, her vulnerability lay with Mary!
And now, in Divine Arts class, Gaia and Mary would be in the same space. If he hadn’t heard anything last night, it could be blamed on the alcohol, but today…
She covered her face in horror.
“Banban! Banban!”
[What’s wrong, beautiful one?]
“I’ve done something stupid.”
And it was only after hearing the bird speak that she realized it.
No matter how cleverly she spun her words, if Gaia encountered Mary, everything she’d done would be exposed.
No, they couldn’t meet.
Or…
Liu Yu thought of one person—no, one vampire.
Louis’s hypnotic abilities could easily sway someone with a weak will. Otherwise, how could those girls have willingly offered their necks? If only she could make Mary forget…
Liu Yu rushed over, picked up the fang from the floor, and called out, “Louis! Louis!”
There was no response.
He wasn’t here. Of course, it was daytime. Unless necessary, creatures of darkness didn’t appear during the day.
Unless…
She grabbed the scissors and stabbed the wound the healer had just bandaged. “Ugh—”
Blood dripped onto the fang.
Deep in the underground kingdom, Louis opened his eyes.
The spot where his new fang was growing began to ache. He caught the scent of that intoxicating aroma…
In an instant, Louis appeared before the disheveled girl.
When he saw her crumpled dress, stained with unknown fluids, his black pupils dilated, and his fangs protruded uncontrollably. It was the scent of desire mixed with virgin blood—utterly intoxicating…
Outside the dormitory, Gaia suddenly turned toward the mushroom-shaped house and strode inside. His pace quickened, his silver hair flowing behind him.
Inside, Liu Yu remained oblivious.
