Sista was acting strange today. Su Ling had sensed it early on, ever since they went to the dining hall to eat with Moria and the others, Sista’s expression had been off. Even though she tried to hide it, making every effort to remain composed, Su Ling still felt that faint wariness in her. Especially after the conversation with Moria ended, Sista now seemed colder and even harder to approach than usual.
“Unbelievable,” she folded her arms, coldly questioning Su Ling, “Grateful? Did you misunderstand my actions back then?”
“Her Highness…” Su Ling was stunned by these odd words.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I never intended to help you,” Sista nearly ground her teeth as she spat out the words, “You’re just a maid, an insignificant human. Don’t think the Blood Clan would ever do anything for you. That doll that day? It was just on a whim, nothing more!” Su Ling listened in silence, not responding right away.
Looks like my instincts were right. Even though Sista has always been aloof and harsh, she’s never been this cutting before. It’s like she’s desperately holding something back, and this is the only way she can let out all those repressed feelings.
What on earth happened between her and Moria? At that thought, Su Ling recalled what Tii had said earlier, remembered Sista’s past, and the lonely look she had at the dining table.
“Hey, why did you suddenly go quiet?” Sista tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, her words tinged with barely restrained anger.
“A servant must answer the questions of the royal family. Do you not even understand that bit of etiquette? You’re simply—”
“Even so, I still want to thank Her Highness,” Su Ling cut her off, calmly meeting her gaze.
“Ever since I entered the Castle, I’ve never been able to settle down. I’ve made so many mistakes at work, and things never seemed to go smoothly with the other maids. Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold on… No matter what your intentions were, your actions that day gave me so much comfort.”
The silver-haired girl kept her gaze fixed on Sista, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, reflecting only Sista’s figure—bright as the moon above.
“That look again…” Sista muttered in a hoarse voice. The gray-furred puppy at her feet rubbed against her leg, wagging its tail, still innocently begging for a pet.
“I… I hate your eyes the most! Don’t look at me like that!” Suddenly, she clenched her teeth, stepped forward, and grabbed Su Ling’s chin hard.
The rustling of leaves sounded as dappled shadows flickered. The puppy, startled by Sista’s action, let out a couple of “awoo awoo” cries and dashed away without looking back. Su Ling flinched in shock, but didn’t struggle, only stared at Sista in confusion.
“Thank me? Even nonsense has its limits! Say it again while looking at me? I’m of the Blood Clan, a race that feeds on human blood,” her fingers pressed harder, leaving a red mark on Su Ling’s pale skin.
“I could drain all your blood right now and leave you dead in this garden. No human can defy my orders. No human would dare shed a single tear for you. That’s the law of this world!” Su Ling’s lips trembled, her face pale. She reached out and gently placed her hand over Sista’s, which was gripping her chin.
“Her Highness, would you really do that…” That faint voice made Sista’s heart ache.
“Who knows.” As soon as the words fell, Su Ling suddenly felt herself pushed, her body landing softly on the grass. Then, the ribbon at her chest was yanked loose, and Sista’s cold fingers pressed against her.
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to ‘serve’ me?” Sista’s cool voice lingered by her ear. Su Ling instinctively tried to push her away, but her arm, only half-lifted, dropped back down. Her ear was touched by something soft and warm, sending a tingling shiver through her. Sista pinned her down, slowly licking the curve of her ear, as if savoring her prey.
Is she going to bite me again? Su Ling stared blankly at the moon above, then slowly closed her eyes. There was a faint fragrance in the air, not the scent of roses, but the scent from Sista’s hair. Su Ling recognized it. It was the fragrance of the red spider lily, tinged with bitterness. The night breeze was a little chilly.
The maid’s sash had been tossed aside, and the silver-haired girl’s pale skin was exposed to the air, smooth as cream.
Sista’s fingertips slid from her neck down to her chest, slipping through the collar and wrapping her softness in her palm, slowly squeezing, pressing down on the swelling curve. “Mm…” Su Ling couldn’t help but let out a sound.
Sista was more aggressive than ever tonight, as if she really intended to devour her. What surprised her was that the usual faint pain didn’t come. Sista continued to play with her, ruthlessly messing up her clothes. But she didn’t bite her.
“Mm… Her Highness…” Su Ling’s eyes grew moist, her cheeks flushing. “No matter how many times, you can’t refuse me,” Sista pressed her body against Su Ling, whispering in her ear.
“To be ravaged by me, trampled by me, even stripped of all your dignity, you don’t even have the right to cry. Because, you’re nothing but my plaything.”
“Mm… mm…”
For some reason, her body felt more sensitive than ever. Su Ling was already limp all over. The night was too quiet, and she could only try her best to muffle her own sounds.
“Even so, you still want to thank me?” The voice by her ear dropped a notch, turning even colder. It was an interrogative tone, but it seemed, somehow, to be seeking confirmation. Su Ling, panting softly, slowly raised her hand to Sista’s shoulder, meeting her gaze.
“I know all of that. I know being by the Blood Clan means I’m always in danger. I’m just food for the Blood Clan…”
Of course I’m afraid of serving her, and I know full well our relationship is nothing but master and servant. Reason has told me a thousand times that all of this is wrong, and everything I’m saying now is just absurd nonsense.
“But today, seeing you at the dining table, I remembered how I was when I first arrived at the Castle… It’s because of your kindness that I stayed here. Even if I have no status before you, just now… when I saw you alone in this garden, I, I just couldn’t help but come over…”
For some reason, I just can’t let her go. I can’t even explain this strange feeling. There’s always an impulse that makes me lose reason, makes me do things I can hardly believe myself. After she finished speaking, the weight pressing down on Su Ling’s body lightened a little.
“You…” Sista let out a sigh, sat up from Su Ling, straightened the folds of her skirt, and then stood. She seemed to have lost interest in toying with her, but her gaze lingered on Su Ling, staring at her for a long time. Those blood-red eyes seemed a little forlorn. The light was too dim for Su Ling to be sure if that was really the expression on Sista’s face; she could only hear her soft voice.
“Can’t help myself…” she murmured.
“Maybe, I’m the same way…”