Su Nian hesitated.
In her mind, it was as if two little voices were fiercely arguing.
One said, “Just hand it over willingly. Those things don’t look valuable anyway. It’ll please the Horned Demon Bastard and make him trust you more. Why not?”
The other voice retorted, “No! Those are spoils you worked hard for. Why give them away for free? What if these items hold important clues or play a crucial role?”
Su Nian waved her hands, dispersing the bickering voices in her head.
She took a deep breath and made her decision.
After all, the Necromancer’s relics didn’t look worth much.
The only thing that seemed valuable was the Chieftain’s Medal inlaid with gemstones.
The rest—diaries and boxes—were tattered and broken!
Instead of hiding the spoils and risking an even worse fate if the Horned Demon Bastard found out, it was better to hand them over willingly and win his trust.
After all, there were still many days ahead.
Su Nian comforted herself silently.
She slowly raised her hand, releasing water magic.
The ice-blue mana traced an elegant arc through the air, and as the magic swirled, three items appeared out of thin air.
A worn-out diary.
An ancient medal.
A black box.
The three objects quietly rested beside Chu Tian, waiting for his “inspection.”
“Master~, these… are all things left behind by that Necromancer. They’re all for you.” Su Nian spoke softly, her voice tinged with a hint of coaxing.
Like a well-behaved little maid seeking favor from her master.
Chu Tian stared at the scene before him, momentarily dazed.
Was this still the wild little cat who had always been rebellious and trying to escape his control?
She actually… was this “obedient”?
Not only had she refrained from attacking him when he was injured, but she had repeatedly called him “Master” while healing him—and now she was voluntarily handing over the spoils.
The change was too drastic!
Could it be that Su Nian, after his confrontation with the Terrifying Knight that left him “unconscious,” had come to understand her true feelings on the brink of life and death?
As Chu Tian pondered, he picked up the worn diary and began flipping through it.
The pages were yellowed and fragile, as if a gentle touch might tear them apart.
The writing was dense.
Some parts had faded over time, worn away by the years, barely legible.
Su Nian leaned closer.
She stood so close to Chu Tian that the space between them was almost intimate enough to feel each other’s breath.
A faint, subtle fragrance drifted from the girl, filling Chu Tian’s nose and stirring his heart.
While continuing to apply medicine to the Horned Demon Bastard’s wounds, Su Nian pretended to see the diary for the first time and voiced surprise.
“Ah, this is…”
She widened her eyes, putting on a curious expression, as if deeply interested in the diary’s contents.
“Mossenburg… three hundred thousand soldiers… one and a half million civilians…”
Her brows furrowed slightly, her delicate features contorted with anger, making her expression all the more vivid.
“My goodness, this Mal Morsen is utterly insane! I really want to kill him!”
“Huh? Seems like he’s already been killed.”
***
After finishing the diary, Chu Tian casually picked up the sparkling Chieftain’s Medal embedded with gemstones and handed it to Su Nian.
Sunlight filtered through the broken dome of the ruined church, casting a golden beam that landed perfectly on the medal.
The gemstones refracted dazzling light, brilliantly radiant like the brightest star in the night sky.
The medal’s edges were engraved with ancient, intricate patterns, telling the story of the Morsen Family’s past glory and splendor.
Chu Tian’s expression was calm, as if dealing with a trivial matter.
“You contributed to defeating the Necromancer too. This is for you.”
Though his heart churned, he nonchalantly passed the item over.
Su Nian was stunned, barely daring to believe her ears.
‘What… what was going on?’
She stared wide-eyed at the shining medal before her, filled with doubt and confusion.
Had the Horned Demon Bastard taken the wrong medicine today?
He was actually giving her the spoils?
Although she comforted herself that these items weren’t worth much, she had endured a lot for the fight against the Necromancer—learning S-Rank Magic affinity for Light and the Divine Retribution S-Class spell out of desperation.
Before this, the Horned Demon Bastard hadn’t killed the Necromancer, the spoils had been stolen, and on top of that, she had been bullied by him…
And now, he was actively giving her this medal?
Could it be… that the Horned Demon Bastard had a sudden conscience?
A ridiculous thought flashed through Su Nian’s mind, ‘The Horned Demon Bastard with a conscience? Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could the Horned Demon Bastard have such a thing as a conscience?’
‘Forget it. Just keep playing the part.’
“No… no, Master.” Su Nian quickly waved her hand, feigning being overwhelmed with gratitude.
She lowered her head, not daring to look into Chu Tian’s eyes, her voice small.
“Su Nian… Su Nian belongs entirely to Master. How… how could I take something from Master?”
She sneakily lifted her eyelids to glance at the shimmering medal.
She had to admit, the medal was quite beautiful.
Golden and sparkling, embedded with gems—it obviously held value.
But…
No matter how pretty or valuable, she couldn’t accept it!
She was now a “loyal slave,” so how could she covet her Master’s possessions?
This act had to be performed perfectly!
Su Nian silently cheered herself on.
“It’s for you, just take it.” Chu Tian’s voice rang out again, firm and unyielding.
He looked at the meek and obedient Su Nian before him, his emotions complicated.
Today, she was especially obedient.
Could it be… that she had truly submitted to him?
A flicker of doubt, a spark of joy, and a glimmer of anticipation crossed Chu Tian’s face.
“In the future, stay by my side. As long as you work hard, you won’t be without reward.” Chu Tian continued, his tone carrying a subtle tenderness.
He reached out and gently placed the medal in Su Nian’s hand.
Su Nian froze.
Was this really happening?
She’d opposed the Horned Demon Bastard many times before and never fared well.
Now, just by trying to gain his trust, hoping to find a chance to turn against him later, she was already gaining something.
“Th-thank you, Master. Master… Master is truly the best!” Su Nian lifted her head, smiling brightly at Chu Tian.
She decided to add fuel to the fire and lavish more praise on her “Master” to see if she could get even more out of him…
“Master… is the best Master under the heavens! Generous, handsome, and powerful!”
She rattled off three adjectives in one breath, perfectly hitting Chu Tian’s pleasure points.
Blinking her big, watery eyes, she put on a look of adoration as she gazed at the man before her.
While speaking, she secretly observed the Horned Demon Bastard’s reaction.
Seeing that he seemed quite pleased, Su Nian smirked inwardly.
‘Hah, men really are all the same.’
“Master is so good to Su Nian, I don’t even know how to repay him…” Su Nian said, pretending to sigh with distress, as if truly troubled.
She lowered her head slightly, revealing a patch of snow-white neck, delicate, slender, and fragile—making one want to protect her.