Chapter 18
Inside the Mushroom House.
"Miss Fergus, could it be that your beloved Mr. Leslie has failed to satisfy you, prompting you to summon the noble Louis X from the depths during the day?"
Louis stepped on a ruby.
The sound of the gem shattering mingled with the dripping of blood, and he inhaled deeply, intoxicated.
"A transaction, noble Louis," Liu Yu forced a smile, "I wish to make another deal with you, using blood."
But the fragility and urgency hidden beneath her pale complexion were immediately caught by Louis.
"No, no, no," he shook his head, raising a middle finger. By now, he was so close to her that a slight bow of his head would allow him to kiss her vulnerable crown. "This time, I don’t want your blood. I want…"
"You."
Liu Yu retorted without backing down:
"If you’re not afraid of me killing you in bed."
"Louis X fears no death."
Louis laughed.
"Lord Louis, have you forgotten my dear sister Natasi? If she were to find out that the man she believes belongs solely to her is in bed with her beloved sister, she might die of sorrow."
It was as if Louis had suddenly sobered up from his intoxication.
He recalled the frail girl who had cried in his arms in the darkness, and his voice shifted from a lover’s whisper to an impatient growl:
"A transaction?! What transaction?!"
"A cup of blood, in exchange for you hypnotizing someone for me. Mary Carlo, do you remember her?"
"Oh, little Mary? What about her?"
"Make her forget that she has already given me the medicine, and make her believe that she drugged Gaia during the banquet, under the guise of toasting me."
"Framing someone, huh… Why? Even if you don’t say it, Mary won’t be able to defend herself."
"I don’t like complications," Liu Yu explained briefly, then asked, "Can you do it now?"
"Now? That’s difficult… You must know, this place is filled with the power of the God of Light."
"Is there anything in this world that the noble Louis X cannot accomplish?"
The surprise on the girl’s face, coupled with just the right amount of flattery, made Louis laugh.
"Of course, there is. For example, tearing off the hypocritical mask of the God of Light…"
"Oh, don’t be disheartened, sweetheart. I can help you with this, but… I want ten cups. No, no, don’t try to bargain with the noble Louis."
Louis suddenly glanced toward the door, opened his cloak, and sank into the darkness, disappearing as he had come.
At that moment, the door opened from the outside.
Fragments of morning light streamed in as the dorm supervisor and a silver-haired boy stepped inside.
"Oh! By the God of Light! Who did this?! Damn it, how dare someone cause trouble in the Academy of Light!"
Through the swirling dust, Liu Yu and the silver-haired boy locked eyes.
Neither spoke.
In the next instant, the girl’s low, tearful voice, filled with endless frustration and grievance, rang out:
"My clothes have been cut, and my pillow and blanket are ruined."
"What happened to your hand?"
The boy’s hoarse voice echoed simultaneously.
The dorm supervisor exclaimed "Oh my!" repeatedly as white feathers flew everywhere in the room. Clothes and jewelry were scattered across the floor. The girl in purple stood by the birdcage, one hand holding scissors, the other hanging by her side, dripping blood.
A small pool of red had already formed on the floor.
"The scissors were stuck here…" the girl pointed at the wardrobe, "and when I opened the door, they stabbed my hand."
The bloodstains indeed led from the wardrobe door to the birdcage.
The bird squawked twice:
[That’s right! That’s right!]
But it stopped after Liu Yu shot it a glare.
The dorm supervisor was furious. She surveyed the room.
"No! No! The Academy of Light will never tolerate such vile behavior! I will definitely find out who did this! Let me see, let me see… The lock is intact, and apart from your belongings, everything else is untouched… The person you share the room with…"
She pulled out a booklet from somewhere, "Here! Mary Carlo, from the Carlo royal family, known for her temper… and a strong desire for destruction…"
Liu Yu could only vaguely make out the dense text on the page dedicated to "Mary Carlo."
Did everyone have such a detailed record upon enrollment?
By now, Gaia had walked up to her and silently took her hand to examine it.
Only then did she notice how high his nose bridge was, and how his thin lips were pressed together, with a hint of red from a small cut—the only splash of color on his pale, jade-like face.
"Does it hurt?"
A strand of silver hair fell across his cheek.
"It hurts."
Liu Yu stared at his face, her thoughts wandering:
Mary should be nearing the temple by now. I wonder how a dark disciple can move in a place filled with the power of the God of Light. But since Louis agreed to help, he must have his own methods, or he would have been discovered long ago…
"Beiliya, what are you thinking about?"
"I’m thinking," Liu Yu quickly replied, "that I don’t want to stay in this room anymore."
Originally, she had only intended to borrow Mary’s medicine, but since Mary had acted without restraint, she saw no need to hold back.
Keeping Mary around would allow Leslie to see the "truth"—
And in doing so, clear her own name.
Of course, she couldn’t stay near a ticking time bomb: Fortunately, Mary had handed her the perfect leverage, along with the "scissor attack" she had pinned on her…
Gaia took out an ointment from his pocket, squeezed out a bit, and applied it to her "reopened" wound.
The dripping blood mixed with the green ointment, staining his clean, slender fingers.
Liu Yu let out a soft hiss, inexplicably blushing:
"Gaia, this ointment… isn’t for this kind of wound."
"It’s still a wound."
After applying the ointment, Gaia handed the tube to Liu Yu, "Keep it. Apply it again tonight…"
He pursed his lips, "One more time."
The dorm supervisor, still holding the booklet, paced around the room once more before returning to Liu Yu. She fixed her sharp, fish-like eyes on her:
"This incident must have been Mary Carlo’s doing."
"The lock is intact, so no one could have broken in. There’s no trace of magic, and her belongings are untouched… It must have been an inside job. Did you offend her?"
"I… I…" The girl looked utterly shocked, fumbling for words, "We had some disagreements before, but she made peace with me yesterday."
She recounted the toast at the banquet.
"Wait," the dorm supervisor caught on to something, "Does Mary Carlo also like Mr. Leslie?"
"Yes, I think so."
The girl glanced uneasily at Gaia.
But he had already walked over to the birdcage and was staring at the bird through the bars.
Liu Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t sure if the God of Light’s power attached to the bird would resonate with Gaia.
"So, Mary Carlo lashed your horse yesterday, and after you didn’t return last night, she destroyed your belongings… It’s a reasonable assumption, and it aligns with her usual behavior…"
"You knew I didn’t come back last night?"
The girl’s face turned as red as a ripe apple on a branch.
"Of course!" The dorm supervisor tucked the booklet back into her pants pocket and declared proudly, "Ah, youth, what a wonderful time!"
"But before that… Miss Fergus, Mr. Leslie, you must go to class!"
"But I have no clothes to change into—"
"That’s no problem." The dorm supervisor, like a magician, pulled out a… sack dress? From the same place she had retrieved the booklet.
"Here, take it. And…" she winked, "you’re welcome."
Liu Yu took the dress and headed to the bathroom.
Before entering, she glanced back and saw Gaia already reaching out to play with the bird.
Suppressing the urge to separate the two, she quickly changed into the dress.
Apart from looking like a sack, the dress was fine—
It even discreetly covered the "strawberry marks" on her legs and neck.
"Oh! Perfect!" The dorm supervisor exclaimed as she emerged, "This was my design when I was young. Sadly, everyone said it looked like a sack, but Miss Fergus, you look stunning in it!"
Liu Yu: …It does look like a sack.
She instinctively searched for Gaia and found him already standing by the door.
"Now, go to class! I heard that Bishop Bruce is teaching today... You absolutely can't miss it..."
The dorm supervisor urged Liu Yu to leave.
She asked:
"Can I change rooms... I'm afraid my bird will be next..."
"Of course, of course! The Academy of Light cannot tolerate such behavior! They must be confined! I’ll arrange a new room for you..."
"I want to stay in that one—" Liu Yu pointed to the mushroom house farthest to the east, next to a grapevine, "Is that okay?"
She remembered clearly from the book, "The mushroom house in front of the grapevine had been vacant for a long time. The heavy purple grapes occasionally crossed the wall to the boys' dormitory side. On the other side were Gaia and Prince Carlo's mushroom houses."
"That one? No, no, that one hasn’t been occupied for a long time... It’s very dirty... I’ll find you a more suitable roommate..."
"Just that one, please?"
Liu Yu clasped her hands together and looked at the dorm supervisor with pleading eyes.
"Go to class!"
The dorm supervisor responded by gently pushing her out the door, "Click—" the lock turned.
Gaia caught her again.
She took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck: "My foot still hurts, Gaia, carry me there."
Her soft voice carried a hint of shyness, as though she had mustered up the courage to rest her head on the boy’s chest.
As long as he didn’t reject her...
Gaia bent down and silently picked her up.
"Gaia, actually... you do like me a little, don’t you?"
Liu Yu asked.
Gaia adjusted his hold on her, carefully avoiding her hips:
"Beiliya, I’m not sure what liking someone means."
She noticed him glancing back for a moment, his gaze fixed on the mushroom house where she lived.
"Gaia, what are you looking at?"
Liu Yu asked curiously.
"Dark Force..."
He murmured softly, shook his head, and then tightened his grip on her as he strode forward.
Meanwhile, Louis waved his hand, letting the dazed Mary Carlo leave.
Just as he disappeared as usual, Natasi stepped out from around the corner. She gazed at the spot where Louis had vanished for a moment before turning and walking away.
Nickname:
