After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ It’s Terrifying When an Untameable Dog Suddenly Becomes Obedient ◎

The junior leaders Jiao Qingyin had summoned for the meeting were all in a daze after learning about their new “specialized jobs”: “simultaneously filling and draining a pool”, “being responsible for locking chickens and rabbits into the same cage every day”, and “observing how many days it takes $N$ cows to finish a patch of grass.”

Just as Jiao Qingyin was getting into the swing of things, the system prompted her to maintain her character persona. However, since the people present had little to do with the main plot, the warning was mild, serving only as a “gentle reminder.”

But the system’s presence reminded Jiao Qingyin of something else.

“That white-haired slave.”

Nameless, who had been slightly dizzy from Jiao Qingyin’s confusing logic puzzles, suddenly froze. The tips of her ears stopped moving, and her tail, wrapped around Jiao Qingyin’s neck, tightened slightly.

The butler responded, already prepared to hear that Jiao Qingyin was sending the girl to herd livestock. Instead, Jiao Qingyin’s voice dropped lower: “She will live in my room from now on. I will take her wherever I go. You are to act as if this person does not exist.”

Nameless: “…”

Then, she added another line, “And she is not to know about the changes happening in the manor.”

Nameless: “…?”

Not only do I already know, but I also know that you don’t want me to know.

Ignoring the butler’s stunned face, Jiao Qingyin finished her instructions and left the meeting with the little wolf cub still on her neck. Having been out all day, she felt covered in grime and desperately needed a hot bath.

Nameless, meanwhile, was plunged into deep thought by Jiao Qingyin’s final two sentences. She tried to analyze why the woman was treating her differently.

Keeping others away was likely to imprison her—a twisted move, but definitely in character. But why keep her from noticing the changes in the castle?

Was it to prevent her from finding a chance to escape? Or was she setting the stage for a new way to humiliate her?

No, none of that was logical. On the surface, she was just a disabled slave with no power to resist. If the woman wanted to do something to her, there was no need for such elaborate schemes…

The more Nameless thought about it, the more suspicious it became. There had to be an important secret behind it—a secret closely tied to the changes in this woman, one that no one could be allowed to know.

Nameless’s heart rate gradually accelerated, reaching a peak when Jiao Qingyin stood by the bath and began to undress.

Through the thick mist, Jiao Qingyin untied the ribbon holding her hair. Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, sliding over her shoulders and reaching her waist.

She was tall and well-proportioned, without a trace of excess. Her body was perfectly contoured, her waist exceptionally slender, and the vertebrae of her back were faintly visible through her skin, like a butterfly about to take flight.

Suddenly seeing this unexpected scene, Nameless’s brain went “buzz.” When she opened her eyes again, she was back on the familiar pile of pillows.

Her face darkened. Instinctively, she tried to sit up, but burdened by her legs, her body pitched forward uncontrollably.

The pain of her forehead hitting the hard floor restored her sanity, but it also brought abrupt images back to her mind.

The blonde maid in a close embrace with Jiao Qingyin, the girl in silver armor helping her onto the horse, the knight laying down a red cloak to pave her path…

Nameless felt a sharp pain in her throat. She thought the fall had caused her to bleed again, but after retching for a while, she couldn’t throw anything up.

Disgusting…

This time, she was cursing herself.

Nameless couldn’t understand what she was thinking, and her chest full of fury had nowhere to go. She couldn’t even make too much noise for fear of attracting attention. She bit her lower lip, forced herself up with her arms, and crawled back to her spot bit by bit, a dark decision forming in her eyes.

After her bath, Jiao Qingyin walked back to her room carrying the little wolf cub, who was as steamy as she was.

Before entering, she cast a Search Spell under the door. After confirming the protagonist was inside and that there were no strange movements, she opened the door with relief.

She then discovered that the protagonist was not only still fast asleep but was in the exact same position as this morning. Had it not been for the fact that the food she left was gone, she would have thought the girl had been unconscious all day.

Jiao Qingyin frowned and asked the system: Is there something wrong with your protagonist? She’s been sleeping non-stop.

The system was also puzzled. It cross-referenced the database while scanning the protagonist’s status.

[Ding! Protagonist (Unnamed) health detected at 57.73%. All data is normal. Please rest assured, Host.]

Jiao Qingyin’s hand, which was drying her hair, stopped. Before leaving this morning, she had specifically checked the health value: it was 39.9%. She remembered clearly.

Under normal circumstances, sleeping for a day would restore at most 2% health. Did someone sneak in to heal her? Or was her constitution special? Or… had she already started the original plot early and “stolen” magic knowledge from Jiao Qingyin?

Jiao Qingyin glanced at her desk. The book Introduction to Basic Elemental Magic she had been reading yesterday was lying right there.

Perhaps because she had been standing by the pillows for too long, Nameless, who had been deep in sleep, showed signs of waking.

Jiao Qingyin’s lips curled slightly. She sat down casually in a nearby soft chair, watching the protagonist’s “performance” with a composed gaze.

The next second, Nameless’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. Perhaps because she had kept them closed for so long, her eyes were watery and bright. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, looking a bit dazed.

“Don’t recognize me?” Jiao Qingyin said teased.

Nameless met her eyes, then curved her own into a smile. “…Your Highness.”

Jiao Qingyin smiled back. She actually quite liked this act of the protagonist’s. The thought that the girl was so obedient on the surface while being obsessive, dark, and insane underneath made her like it even more.

The system, hearing her thoughts, shrank back. It didn’t remind the Host that her current mindset was essentially indistinguishable from a “pervert” in the general sense.

Jiao Qingyin, whom the system privately labeled a pervert, indeed had a bit of a mischievous streak. The more the protagonist acted cute and obedient, the more she wanted to tease her to see her frustrated, “angry-but-daring-not-to-speak” expression.

Call it holding a grudge—she hadn’t forgotten how the protagonist had hit her several times when she tried to heal her yesterday.

“So you’ve learned to be obedient now?” Jiao Qingyin feigned a mocking tone. “You just don’t feel right unless I tie you up once, do you?”

Nameless lowered her head and said softly, “I was wrong.”

The corners of her eyes were naturally upturned, usually looking cold and sharp, but now they looked pitiful, like a puppy begging for food.

Even though Jiao Qingyin knew this was a disguise, she couldn’t help but stare for a few extra moments. When she snapped back to her senses, she immediately coughed to hide the change in her expression.

Surprisingly, the protagonist seemed to have “seen the light.” Seeing Jiao Qingyin cough, she showed an expression of worry, leaned forward, and said: “The weather is cold. Let me help you dry your hair.”

This was her first time being so proactive in showing goodwill. Jiao Qingyin, however, felt a sudden chill, and her previous heart-fluttering moments were tossed to the back of her mind.

What was going on? The smile in the protagonist’s eyes was way too sweet; Jiao Qingyin felt as if ants were crawling all over her skin.