Chapter 63: Severed Finger

“So that’s how it is. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.” Su Ling politely dipped into a slight bow, stealing a cautious glance at her.

“Humph, you’d better remember my name well from now on, newbie,” Laura smirked, a hint of disdain and self-satisfaction hidden in her smile.

“I understand. May I ask, Miss Laura, why did you call me just now?” Su Ling asked.

“Why, it’s something extremely important!” She raised her voice, as if she wanted her words to ECHO throughout the room. “I heard you’ve been clumsy at work and caused Her Highness Sista quite a bit of trouble. Seeing as you’re just a little slip of a girl, I actually felt a bit sorry for you, so I took time out of my busy schedule to come and instruct you personally. You should be grateful to me.”

What a troublesome person. Fortunately, it’s still early. If she dragged me along and made me late in preparing breakfast for Her Highness Sista, that would really be a disaster. Whatever, let’s just hear what she has to say first.

Su Ling secretly sensed that Laura’s intentions were not friendly, but under everyone’s gaze, she had no other choice. So she simply went along with Laura, nodding her head.

Laura waved her hand lightly, her movement casual, yet it carried an air of superiority:

“Listen well. Her Highness is extremely picky, and only someone of my caliber can meet her standards! Every time I organize her clothes, they’re perfectly suited to her tastes, and I always serve her with extra care. She often praises me in front of others—her words are so flattering, I almost feel embarrassed to hear them…”

She began to boast endlessly about herself. Su Ling found it a bit boring and wanted to stifle a yawn, but worried it would offend Laura, she forced herself to stay alert and keep listening.

“And that’s not all—there’s something even more important!”

At this, a glint of pride flashed in Laura’s eyes. “I’ve always thought that Her Highness might… just maybe… have special feelings for me.”

It was as if she had triggered a mechanism—everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Laura.

Seeing that her words had successfully drawn the attention of all the maids, especially their astonished gazes, Laura grew even more pleased with herself. She deliberately slowed her speech, making each word clear and distinct, trying to amplify the weight of her supposed uniqueness.

“Look at this.” She deliberately drew out her words.

As she spoke, Laura slowly lifted her left hand, her fingers gently splaying as if she were displaying a rare treasure.

The maids around her instinctively leaned in, eager to get a better look. At that moment, Su Ling’s sharp eyes caught an unusual detail—Laura’s left hand was missing a pinky finger.

Where her little finger should have been, there was nothing from the root, leaving the other four fingers swaying in the air.

Su Ling couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt, but she didn’t show it on her face. She noticed a fleeting tension in Laura’s expression, quickly masked by an even more flamboyant smile.

“Laura, your finger… what happened to it?” Duli, always outspoken, stared wide-eyed. While everyone else was still in shock, she was the first to blurt out the question.

“This scar, it’s a special memento from Her Highness,” Laura replied, curling her lips into a proud grin and purposely stretching her fingerless hand toward Duli. “I’m a busy person, but if Miss Duli wants to hear about it, I suppose I could tell you a bit.”

“Tell us! Tell us!” Duli was completely hooked by curiosity.

“Don’t be so hasty,” Laura deliberately lowered her voice, filling her words with a sense of mystery. “Princess Moria—you all know her—she’s a most extraordinary member of the Blood Clan. Her love for blood is nothing short of extraordinary.

“Ordinary members of the Blood Clan might need fresh blood just once a week, but Princess Moria—she wants it nearly every day. That thirst for blood, it’s like the ultimate pursuit of life itself. Truly the paragon of the Blood Clan! And as the one closest to her, it’s only natural that I must always satisfy her needs.”

“One day, while preparing lunch, I was careless and forgot to replace Her Highness’s blood with a fresh supply. Can you imagine how I felt? I was scared out of my wits!”

But then, Laura’s tone shifted, her expression growing fervent: “But guess what? Princess Moria didn’t scold me at all. Instead, she comforted me gently, saying I’d only made such a mistake because I was overworked. In that moment, I was so moved I nearly burst into tears. Her Highness is truly as gentle as a goddess…”

At this point, Laura seemed completely lost in her own world, pride and self-satisfaction radiating from her. The other maids were thoroughly captivated by her story, casting her looks of admiration and envy.

“After comforting me, Her Highness… she hinted that I could use my own blood to satisfy her needs.” Laura’s voice trembled, barely able to contain her excitement.

“She said, Laura, you’re the most outstanding maid I’ve ever seen. Please don’t blame yourself so much for your mistake. I immediately knelt and begged to fetch her the sweetest blood, but Her Highness said, ‘No need for all that trouble. Isn’t the sweetest blood right here in front of me?’

“Can you imagine? What an honor, what a deep favor that is! I—I was actually held in such high regard by Princess Moria!”

Laura’s excitement reached a fever pitch. She suddenly climbed onto a chair, sweeping her gaze over everyone. “I was so grateful, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a sharp little knife, and watched its cold gleam in my hand. There was only one thought in my mind—for Princess Moria, I was willing to give anything!”

Then Laura slowly looked at her left hand, her gaze settling on the missing pinky. “In that moment, without hesitation, I aimed right at my little finger!”

“Wow—” Duli couldn’t help but exclaim. “Didn’t that hurt?”

“Of course it hurt! It was excruciating! That knife went down, and the pain almost made me faint. But isn’t pain the best proof of my loyalty to Her Highness? Blood was everywhere, my whole body went limp, and I was about to collapse. Just then, Her Highness appeared before me, smiling as she lifted my hand and poured my blood into her favorite wine glass…”

The maids around her were stunned, beginning to whisper among themselves, while Laura seemed utterly unconcerned by their stares and murmurs, lost in her own world.

“My filthy, lowly blood was able to touch Her Highness’s noble lips. That was the happiest moment of my life… I… I…” She was so ecstatic she could barely speak, clutching her fingerless hand to her chest, her whole body trembling. “I realized then just how deeply I love Her Highness…”

The kitchen fell into silence.

Su Ling stood quietly to the side, her gaze complicated as she watched Laura. She couldn’t understand how someone could go to such extremes, all for so-called ‘loyalty’ and ‘honor.’ Especially when Laura so casually mentioned severing her own finger—Su Ling felt a chill run down her back, as if a cold wind had pierced straight through her.