Lane was truly a combat oriented magic user who relied on his reflexes; he was much faster than Aestherin, who was still frozen in place, seemingly unable to process the information.
Aestherin felt a bit awkward, wondering if she should drop to one knee as well.
“Why are you kneeling? Are your legs bothering you?” Li Yue asked, puzzled. A look of confusion crossed her face before she turned her attention back to Melina’s violin performance.
Aestherin suddenly recalled a detail: it seemed only Helen in the Black Epiphyllum family had red eyes. Now, she realized Li Yue also had red eyes. Generally speaking, eye color was one of the traits used to distinguish a direct lineage.
“We were too abrupt before. I apologize for our rudeness.” Aestherin lifted her skirt and performed a slight curtsy.
“You know I don’t care.” Li Yue wanted to say more, but this identity had been forced upon her so suddenly. She wondered if saying it outright would ruin Helen’s “official business.”
Forget it, I’ll just play along for now.
“I am a sinner! To think I actually took you to a place like the Outer Ring for a meal, My Lady...” Lane leaned in. When he reached the part about “My Lady,” Li Yue gave him a speechless roll of her eyes, and he burst into laughter.
“Enough with the jokes,” Li Yue said, somewhat helplessly. Lane also returned to his usual demeanor, standing aside to quietly wait for Melina to finish her performance.
“I’m leaving,” Li Yue said suddenly. she ended the small gathering, feeling that the room was becoming stifling and she needed some fresh air.
She went to the back garden, where the greenery was arranged like a maze. Fortunately, the designer’s original intent wasn't to create a true labyrinth; no matter which way you walked, you would eventually reach a main path leading straight to the building.
However, this design had one advantage. The towering plants acted like walls. If someone wanted to have a small gathering deep within the maze, these plants became an excellent screen to hide any unspeakable secrets.
But to Li Yue, who could perceive heartbeats, all of this was useless.
She looked toward a corner with a puzzled expression, her confusion only growing.
Why was the heartbeat there so fast? It was at the limit of what a normal person could reach, something only possible under extreme fear or nervousness.
Could there be a blood demon or some serial killer hiding on the grounds? After all, she had found it incredibly easy to sneak into a mansion and assassinate a wealthy man last time.
She quickened her pace, weaving through the complex maze, but she still couldn't reach that spot.
What? Why is this route so convoluted?
She simply leaped high into the air, running along the top of the plant walls, and instantly arrived behind a tree at the scene.
Just as she was about to step out, she heard a girl’s shy cry.
Huh?
She turned to stone, not daring to move an inch. Faint conversation reached her ears.
“Dummy, don’t do that... what if someone comes?” The girl pushed weakly, trying to move the man holding her, but her slight effort felt more like a playful invitation than a refusal.
“Mmph.” The two began to kiss, their hands moving restlessly.
“I told you... no... mm...”
“It’s fine, baby. No one will find us here but me. Besides, I’ve set up alarm magic along the path.” The man’s gentle whisper was heard clearly by Li Yue.
No, don’t most magic users know how to fly? Is this guy’s brain broken? This is ridiculous.
“Dummy... be gentle...”
You’re also ridiculous. Li Yue’s face twitched. She felt her body stiffen. The last time she felt like this was when her heart had been carved out.
Maybe I should just dig my heart out now so you two can treat me as a corpse.
Listening to the flirtatious whispers behind her, Li Yue felt an itch in her heart. She couldn't hold back any longer and walked straight out from behind the tree.
“Please, continue.” Li Yue covered her face and fled the scene at top speed.
Immediately following her was a loud cry of “You dummy!” Li Yue felt a tiny bit of guilt. She carefully listened to the distant heartbeats and realized the two had resumed their business without leaving their original spot.
They’re actually continuing... well, whatever. That’s fine.
She walked to another tree and slowly crouched down against the trunk. She touched her cheeks and felt them burning. It seemed she hadn't felt this kind of emotion in a long time.
She felt a restlessness in her heart, a sensation completely different from the urge for blood and slaughter. This feeling was more bashful, even making her want to hug herself tightly.
She thought for a moment, then used the light to take out some letter paper. This time, the paper had gold embossed patterns. She took out a pen, rested the paper on her lap, and felt a bit conflicted about what to write to Clo. Should she write something literary? Perhaps some poetry she had memorized in her past life?
“Bella, is there really no one here?”
“Didn't we agree that this is our secret base?”
Two female voices sounded from behind Li Yue. The former had a sweet, high pitched voice, while the latter sounded cool and somewhat ascetic.
Seriously, sisters?
Li Yue rubbed her burning face. She couldn't remember a single line of poetry she had once known.
She spread out the letter paper, her hands trembling.
It’s like every tree in this little grove is a secret base, and any passerby who wanders in becomes part of their play, whether they want to or not.
She wanted to sigh but held it in. After all, an hour was a long time. She should at least wait until they got into the heat of it before leaving. If she left now, she’d be ending it before they even started. If they couldn't find another chance later, they’d probably resent her for the rest of their lives.
She wrote a line at the beginning of the letter.
Respected Miss Clo:
I don’t know what to say. After thinking it over, I still just miss you. Aside from that, I don’t know what else to write. Everything is well lately, so don’t worry. I look forward to us meeting in the near future.
Lately, memories of being with you keep appearing in my mind. Have I forgotten many things related to you? Or maybe I just think of you a bit before I sleep.
Let’s leave it at that. Actually, I don’t miss you that much, just occasionally.
Li Yue.
She summoned little Clo. The familiar seemed listless, its wings fluttering weakly in the air, though it perked up a bit upon seeing Li Yue.
Li Yue made a “shh” gesture, stuffed the letter into its grasp, and buried her head in her knees as she listened to the voices behind her grow increasingly passionate.
Below the stage, Melina held her violin, her head swaying slightly.
“Did I just see Sister Li Yue?”
“Ah, she went to the back garden.” Aestherin spoke with a strange expression. “Children shouldn't go back there.”
“Why would she go there when she doesn't have a partner?” Lane looked toward the garden, his expression equally odd.
“I don’t know... maybe young people just have a heart that craves excitement.” Aestherin watched as well, her expression playful.
Rate on N.U.
