Chapter 14: [World 1] Castle Stories 14 : Tenderness

Outside the Castle.

The Black Cat’s deep, dual-colored eyes coldly stared at Fu Ruxue, making her shiver with unease.

Cradling the head in her arms, she dared not move forward recklessly.

The Housekeeper stood up, and Fu Ruxue, who was completely unguarded behind her, startled and staggered.

The Housekeeper turned around and steadied her with precise accuracy. The moment her fingers touched the bundle, they froze in place.

“What… is this?!”

A faint, small voice came from her abdomen, her knuckles clenched tightly around the bundle, a trace of excitement faintly audible in her tone.

“…Your head.”

No sooner had the words fallen than the bundle trembled violently, frightening Fu Ruxue into releasing her grip.

The head rolled out and was caught by a pair of pale hands roughened with calluses.

The head opened its eyes, a pair of jet-black pupils staring directly at Fu Ruxue, while the headless body faced her as well—a grotesque scene that sent chills down her spine.

“Thank you.”

Two voices spoke simultaneously, overlapping.

Immediately after, the Housekeeper raised both hands and, amid Fu Ruxue’s panicked gaze, placed the head back onto its neck.

The broken neck was still tirelessly oozing blood. The Housekeeper, newly fitted with her head, seemed somewhat unaccustomed, her eyelids fluttering incessantly, producing eerie sounds:

“Ka ka ka…”

Her head wobbled precariously, as if it might fall off at the slightest misstep.

Finally, the Housekeeper stopped fluttering her eyelids, her mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.

“I remember now…”

Her head tilted, then fell off again, the blood from her neck spraying onto Fu Ruxue.

The blood trickled down her delicate face, dampening a few stray bangs stuck to her scalp, highlighting Fu Ruxue’s nearly shattered expression.

She numbly raised her hand to wipe her face. “You say it.”

The Housekeeper’s head rolled several times on the ground, stopped by the railing.

“I forgot again…”

“You forgot? Fine, then tell me tomorrow. I’m leaving now!”

With that, Fu Ruxue fled faster than a rabbit, rushing toward the Castle like the wind.

On the ground, the Housekeeper’s head bore two streaks of blood, eyes curiously following Fu Ruxue’s fleeing direction.

She hadn’t finished speaking—why was she leaving?

……

Exhausted, Fu Ruxue leaned against the Castle gate, gasping heavily. Her face was covered in blood, and her clothes were stained with sticky crimson.

This was by far the most terrifying ghost story experience she had ever had.

Too terrifying. She was about to lose it.

For now, she needed to rescue Xunian first.

Her heartbeat gradually slowed, and with lingering fear, Fu Ruxue glanced around but saw no sign of the Housekeeper, letting out a sigh of relief.

Following the direction etched in her memory, Fu Ruxue found the entrance to the basement and tried to lift the wooden door.

The wooden door wouldn’t budge.

Couldn’t open it?

She knocked on the door, “Xunian?”

No response.

No matter what she did, the door wouldn’t open. Growing more anxious, she pressed her ear against the wood and called again, “Xunian, are you there?”

“Mmm… Someone’s here, okay… Let go… mmm…”

Faint, fragmented, and pleasantly soft moans came from inside, causing a blush to rise on her face and a flush of heat to spread across it.

The voice sounded increasingly familiar, and for a moment, she couldn’t believe it was Xunian’s.

Fu Ruxue awkwardly moved her ear away, her face burning red.

Something flashed through her mind, and suddenly, she seemed to piece something together.

Fragments of memories she hadn’t paid attention to before appeared—the fact that Xunian never denied liking girls, the considerate and possessive Duke’s Daughter carrying the sulking Xunian in a Princess Carry to the dining table, the Duke’s Daughter glaring with jealousy as she held Xunian’s arm…

A chilling yet thought-provoking realization.

So…

Was Xunian and the Duke’s Daughter in that kind of relationship?!

Could the truth really be this?

Oh, heavens…

Fu Ruxue’s pupils dilated, silently retreating from the basement entrance and stepping aside, struggling to digest the world-shattering revelation.

About ten minutes later, Fu Ruxue finally forced herself to accept the truth about Xunian and the Duke’s Daughter. She glanced at the wooden door.

Given the circumstances, she shouldn’t disturb them any longer.

The figure lingering by the entrance hesitated repeatedly before leaving.

……

Inside the Basement.

The bed trembled, shaking and creaking with “creak, creak” sounds.

“Mm…”

Xunian leaned against the headboard, her face flushed, teeth clenched tightly to avoid moaning accidentally.

Beside the bed, the blonde woman knelt on one knee, carefully applying something with skillful hands.

“Mm… ha… it hurts…”

Xunian closed her eyes and furrowed her brows slightly, enduring the Duke’s Daughter’s strength as her hands unconsciously gripped the bed railing.

“Now you know it hurts?”

The Duke’s Daughter applied medicine to Xunian’s foot, her touch gentler now, her tone tinged with indulgent reproach.

Xunian kept silent, her tightly knit brows and the occasional moan betraying her.

Her ankle had been injured twice, badly swollen with fluid pooling into a large lump. Even a slight touch caused intense pain to shoot through her whole body.

The Duke’s Daughter’s technique was gentle, carefully applying the medicine, but the pain was unbearable.

Having rarely been injured before, Xunian couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

“No, it hurts.”

Xunian frowned deeply, stubbornly meeting the blonde woman’s gaze with clenched teeth.

After finishing the medicine on her foot, the Duke’s Daughter reached for her hand next.

Xunian brusquely shrugged her hand away.

It was just applying medicine—she wasn’t about to let her hold her hand.

Her hand was pushed aside, golden strands fell down, and a pair of glistening eyes looked at Xunian with a sticky, pitiful voice close by.

“I just… wanted to put medicine on your hand.”

Hearing her voice, Xunian’s heart softened, melting like water. She turned her head and extended her hand.

Like receiving a precious gift, the Duke’s Daughter gently cupped Xunian’s hand, her eyes brimming with uncontrollable joy.

Watching her diligently apply the medicine from the side, a warm current swept through Xunian’s chest, her heartbeat skipping unexpectedly. A strange thought appeared in her mind.

What if she just gave in to her?

Xunian began to contemplate using the Duke’s Daughter to find the “Key,” to take advantage of the situation.

After all, the Duke’s Daughter was quite attractive, with an exotic face and deep, soulful eyes that stirred emotions.

Utilizing her to obtain what she wanted—and gain more—seemed like a good deal for Xunian.

“Come here.”

The Duke’s Daughter obediently leaned closer, eyes unblinking as they watched her.

Xunian’s gaze slowly traced every feature on her face. In her mind surfaced the person she longed for day and night, her heart involuntarily speeding up.

She hooked her index finger onto the intricate white collar, leaning in to press a gentle kiss on the corner of the Duke’s Daughter’s mouth.

Breathing quickened, both their hearts fluttered wildly like startled deer.

The Duke’s Daughter rested her forehead against hers, not forgetting to place the medicine on the bedside.

The woman cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her, the pleasant fragrance lingering at her nose, soft lips inching closer.

At the moment just before their lips met, the woman closed her eyes, as if resolutely deciding against it, and turned away from Xunian’s nearly pursed mouth.

A golden, fluffy mass rested on her shoulder, skillfully curling there, murmuring in a muffled voice,

“If it’s something you don’t like, I won’t do it.”

Xunian raised an eyebrow in displeasure.

They had kissed countless times already, and now she was trying to brush her off with that excuse?

But she didn’t want to seem too eager, lest the Duke’s Daughter take advantage again.

Wanting to tease her, Xunian deliberately said, “If you don’t want to, I can find someone else…”

Before she finished, a tingling pain spread across her collarbone.

The golden fluff buried itself deeper into her, a voice brimming with possessiveness and jealousy almost ready to erupt:

“No, you’re mine.”

……

A fair hand stretched out from the bed, grasped the edge, then was pulled back.

Xunian’s eyes were hazy, broken whispers escaping her lips, faint but intimate marks lingering on her shoulder.

Outside the window, the Blood Moon hung red in the sky, casting an eerie crimson light on the ground.

A Ship drifted on the sea, rocking with the waves, almost tipping over.

Having weathered the storm, just as it was about to reach shore, another wave surged, engulfing the Ship into the vast, endless ocean, battling the waves again, swaying on the water.

The person on the bed was thoroughly marked with the Duke’s Daughter’s scent from head to toe.

Half the night had passed without sleep.

Finally, in the latter half of the night, she fell into a deep slumber, faintly hearing the tormentor whispering something in her ear.

Too tired to care, Xunian just hummed softly in response.

……

The next day.

The person on the bed slowly opened her eyes, still somewhat unreal, instinctively moving her body.

Sore all over.

The person beside her felt the movement, drowsily wrapping her arms around Xunian, murmuring something.

Xunian tilted her ear, vaguely hearing, “Don’t… go…”

After listening for a while without catching more, and unable to escape the embrace, Xunian gave up and tried to fall back asleep.

At this moment, the beautiful red eyes opened, long lashes fluttering, tiny stars sparkling within as she silently watched Xunian, harboring the desire to hide her away and consume her entirely.

Noticing the gaze, Xunian reached out and pushed the woman’s face to the other side.

“Don’t look at me.”

The Duke’s Daughter moved her head back. Her voice, still a little hoarse from just waking, was pleasant, adding a hint of allure.

“You don’t like it?”

“…It’s okay.”

A blush crept up to Xunian’s ear as she stubbornly turned her head away.

She had to admit, the Duke’s Daughter was really good at this.

“Then tonight…”

“Go away.”

Xunian mercilessly kicked the Duke’s Daughter off the bed with her good foot.

The Duke’s Daughter got up good-naturedly and tucked the blanket around her.

“Be careful, don’t catch a cold.”

Hearing that concern, Xunian’s heart ached.

How long had it been since she last heard such words directed at her?

She showed no expression, but the atmosphere around her darkened noticeably.

The Duke’s Daughter sensed her unhappiness and cautiously crouched by the bed, asking, “What do you want to eat?”

“I don’t want to eat. Please go out.”

Xunian replied coldly and indifferently.

Hesitating, the Duke’s Daughter took a few steps toward the door, looking back every few steps, still worried about Xunian’s injuries.

Though puzzled, she obediently left.

After the Duke’s Daughter left, Xunian immediately got out of bed.