After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30.1

Chapter 30.1: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ Kisses, Snuggles, Headpats, Hand-holding, and Sleeping! ◎

After Al stood up, Jiao Qingyin realized her initial assessment of the person’s age was slightly off.

The figure was tall—tall enough that since Jiao Qingyin wasn’t standing fully upright, the stranger was actually slightly taller than her. This was clearly not a demi-human in their juvenile stage.

The person was wrapped entirely in dark fabric, exuding a pressuring aura, yet Jiao Qingyin’s mind kept wandering back to that white-and-pink pointed ear.

“You…” The dark figure spoke.

Jiao Qingyin waited a moment, but no further words followed. She scrutinized the person in front of her with slight confusion and noticed that the hands hanging at their sides were clenched into tight fists. It was as if they were trying to overcome some massive struggle.

It seems they have something very important to tell me, Jiao Qingyin thought. Her expression darkened, her mood turned serious, and she unconsciously sat up a bit straighter.

Maybe it’s something related to the main plot… The stranger’s style was bizarre, but they didn’t seem like a villain. They were likely one of the important characters from the original book. In the original plot, the protagonist encountered certain things alone at this ball and definitely gained something—perhaps it was related to this person.

A world-conquering protagonist always needs followers. This mysterious person’s setting seemed to perfectly fit the mold of a “Protagonist Squad” member.

“You…” the mysterious person spoke again. There was another pause, but they finally managed to get the rest out smoothly. “…As long as it’s an animal, are you okay with anything?”

Jiao Qingyin, who had braced her nerves thinking she was about to hear a world-shattering revelation: “?”

Seeing her reaction, Al’s ears instantly turned hot.

This question sounded like she was criticizing the other’s “interests,” yet it also carried a hint of self-recommendation. No matter how she heard it, it sounded wrong… Al’s head dropped lower and lower; she wished she could travel back a few seconds and take the words back.

The confusion in Jiao Qingyin’s expression was tangible, as if question marks were written all over her face.

However, she had received a mandatory education back at the base. Because she was used to solving practice problems in the gaps between fighting zombies, her reading comprehension skills were quite sharp. She spent a few seconds analyzing the speaker’s intent and speculated:

“Are you talking about the fact that I keep a dog?”

One second, Al was drowning in shame over her outburst; the next, Jiao Qingyin had handed her a way out. She immediately let out a sigh of relief and nodded.

Over the past month, Jiao Qingyin had taken the little wolf cub out several times. Her status as the Prince made every outing high-profile, so she wasn’t surprised that others knew about her pet.

But did this demi-human go to all this trouble to find her and heal a small wound on her palm just to ask about her pet-keeping habits?

Jiao Qingyin’s mind whirred. Once Al nodded, she leaned back against the chair, crossed her legs, and put on a look of arrogance. “What does that have to do with you?”

She scanned the person up and down and let out a huff of laughter. “A demi-human… are you asking because you want to apply to be my pet?”

Al froze completely. Before she could retort, Jiao Qingyin continued, “When buying a dog, one has to check the teeth and claws. You won’t even show your face, and you want the job?”

Jiao Qingyin dragged out her words with that punchable tone Al was so familiar with, making Al clench her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.

Al stood straight as a board. While speaking, Jiao Qingyin had quietly prepared a spell, ready to release it the moment this person got provoked.

But as moments passed, the heavily wrapped mysterious person didn’t get angry. Instead, she slowly relaxed her fists. Then, she raised her hand as if to take off the hood.

Jiao Qingyin grew a bit tense watching her movements—especially when she thought of that ear. Amidst the tension, there was a dash of inexplicable anticipation. To some extent, she really did prefer demi-humans.

Under Jiao Qingyin’s gaze, Al’s already stiff movements became even more fumbled. It even took her two tugs to successfully pull the hood down.

Before Jiao Qingyin could even see Al’s face, her attention was instantly snatched by the pointed ears on top of the girl’s head. The mysterious person’s ears were white and soft; one was drooping obediently, while the other was half-cocked. Just by looking, one knew they would feel amazing to the touch.

And… they looked a lot like her Al’s ears.

Jiao Qingyin was momentarily dazed. Under the pressure of her gaze, a layer of thin red uncontrollably spread across Al’s cheeks, and the tips of her ears trembled.

“Oh…” At the twitch of the ears, Jiao Qingyin couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh that only she could hear. She felt a sincere sense of respect for the Creator of this world: to think of creating a species like demi-humans—they had impeccable taste!

Fortunately, Jiao Qingyin hadn’t entirely forgotten her persona. She cleared her throat and shifted her focus to the person’s face.

Fairly speaking, the mysterious person was very attractive. Red hair, green eyes, a cute face—it just wasn’t the “type” Jiao Qingyin liked. She liked the white-haired, blue-eyed, cold, and dangerous type… Realizing she was thinking of “someone” again, Jiao Qingyin’s expression faltered.

Despite her fluctuating emotions, Al had been observing Jiao Qingyin, catching every detail. She keenly noticed that the other’s gaze lingered on her ears much longer than on her face.

So… First, the Prince didn’t like the “cute” type of looks. Second… she really did love animalistic traits.

Having caught a glimpse of a hobby that perhaps even Jiao Qingyin hadn’t recognized herself, Al’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

Demi-humans had very low social status. Even among the mixed-race groups of humans and other species, they were at the absolute bottom. Besides being ostracized for their non-human appearance, they were often viewed as symbols of sin due to “atavism” events.

Yet Jiao Qingyin had a special spot for them… Could her real identity under the disguise actually be a demi-human? Al imagined Jiao Qingyin with animal ears, wagging a tail while looking at her, and her nose felt a bit hot. She was startled and instinctively touched her nose—luckily, no blood.

Then, Jiao Qingyin’s voice pulled her back from her daze. “What is the beast part of your lineage?” She kept her chin tilted up, looking down on her.

Jiao Qingyin was trying her best to play Odelia Hughes, but the more Al looked at her, the more she felt that if Jiao Qingyin were a demi-human, she’d be a cat. Al hadn’t seen many cats, but every single one was proud and annoying—perfectly matching her impression of Jiao Qingyin.

But Al didn’t know her own species either. She hesitated and squeezed out a vague sentence: “A white dog… probably.”

Jiao Qingyin was stunned for a moment, then convinced herself: Makes sense. This world’s classification of species is very crude. Only magical beasts with elemental power are specifically named. Plus, demi-humans have no cultural heritage, so it’s normal she wouldn’t know her exact lineage.

Jiao Qingyin analyzed it on her own and felt this demi-human was probably like her own dog—similar to the Samoyeds she had only seen in videos before. Except Samoyeds usually have black eyes, which was different from Al.

However, Jiao Qingyin had achieved the purpose of her question. She spoke with disdain, “I don’t keep pets without a pedigree certificate.” She waved her hand. “Get out of my sight, now.”

Al was choked up by her words, but instead of leaving, she took a few steps forward. Jiao Qingyin’s eyes shifted, ready to fight at any moment.

But Al had a perfect sense of distance, stopping just outside her warning line. Then she said, “I can prove it.”

Jiao Qingyin thought, You only know you’re a white dog; what are you going to prove? She didn’t respond, so Al asked, “What kind of pet do you like?”

Jiao Qingyin was already familiar with this sentence structure. Not long ago, this same mysterious person had asked if she liked men or women. She didn’t understand why the stranger was so interested in such topics. Normally, she would have given a perfunctory answer or just left.

But perhaps those pointed ears made her a bit more tolerant of this demi-human. Thinking the person was a member of the Protagonist’s squad—maybe even sent by Al—she answered after a pause:

“I like them obedient—the type that accepts any scolding or beating, obeys my every word, acts only for my sake, and can’t live without me.”

She deliberately described the opposite of Al’s personality, thinking that if the person was indeed sent by the protagonist to test her, this answer should be enough to make Al stay in her place. Jiao Qingyin never once equated the person in front of her with Al. After all, faces could be changed with masks, but legs could not.

However, her words fell into Al’s ears with a completely different meaning.

Al knew very well that when the Prince played “Odelia Hughes,” she often said the opposite of what she felt, using harsh words to achieve kind goals. In this case, if there were ten words in her sentence, at most one could be believed.

So, Al’s internal translator went to work, interpreting Jiao Qingyin’s meaning as: She lacks security, is full of possessiveness, and can only accept wholehearted affection.

Al: “…” After the translation, she suddenly realized that this interpretation perfectly matched her own thoughts.

Lacking security, possessive, craving unconditional affection… even if Al was very unwilling to admit it, that was exactly who she was.

…But the “likes them obedient” part was likely the truth.

Al selectively ignored the fact that she was currently faking being obedient and righteously decided she fit the requirements perfectly. Her entire mood brightened. The anxiety she felt before the ball vanished. Now, the more she looked at Jiao Qingyin, the more she liked what she saw.

She quickly drafted a dozen plans in her head, eager to put them into practice to make the Prince fall for her—and then make her regret mocking her today. Meanwhile, Al added a disclaimer in her heart: I don’t like her; I just can’t stand the fact that she doesn’t like me.

She didn’t realize at all that trying to make someone like you is essentially “courtship.”

Al got the answer she wanted, and Jiao Qingyin watched the other’s expression soften, vaguely sensing something was wrong. But before she could add a few more words, Al moved.

She took a step right to the edge of the sofa, propped one hand above Jiao Qingyin’s head, and looked down into her eyes. The latter was stunned, actually suppressed by Al’s current aura.

It wasn’t that Jiao Qingyin couldn’t dodge, but she was sensitive in judging friend from foe. Since the person didn’t feel like a threat, she decided to wait and see.

Al stared into Jiao Qingyin’s eyes, slowly lowering her head, getting closer and closer. It looked like she was going to kiss her.

Although she didn’t sense danger, Jiao Qingyin’s fist was already charged with power. If Al really dared to kiss her, she could guarantee the girl’s face would stay swollen for at least half a month.

Luckily, Al stopped at the last second. Her lips were only a few centimeters away from Jiao Qingyin’s. They were close enough to hear each other’s breath. Jiao Qingyin could even see the bluish tint behind the disguised green eyes.

They both stayed in that position until the clock outside chimed. Then Al came back to life like a clockwork doll. She whispered, “We will meet again.”

With that, she moved with lightning speed and kissed Jiao Qingyin’s lips—but she missed, only brushing the corner of her mouth, and got a punch to the stomach in return.

Al’s cough could no longer be suppressed. Seeing another spell forming in Jiao Qingyin’s hand, she didn’t care to investigate the other’s magic level; she leaped through the window and jumped out. Countless glass shards flew past her, reflecting the bright light. To Jiao Qingyin, it looked like a glamorous silent film in slow motion.

“You—!”

By the time Jiao Qingyin avoided the glass and leaned over the windowsill to look down, the figure in the black robe had merged into the darkness. She only caught a flash of a silvery-white shadow.

It’s a tail…!

Seeing that beautiful, smooth tail, Jiao Qingyin was dazed for a moment. By the time she snapped out of it to look for Al, it was too late.

On the other side, Al flipped in mid-air with incredible flexibility, grabbed a thick tree branch like a beast, used the momentum to swing her body, and leaped up. She looked as pathetic now as she had looked cool during her escape.

Clutching her stomach, she jumped down from the tree back into the corridor and found her hidden wheelchair. Once she sat down, she didn’t even have the strength to turn the wheels. But the pain and fatigue didn’t affect her mood at all.

Rounding it off, I kissed her!

She said she didn’t like me; now she’s been kissed by someone she doesn’t like—she’ll be fuming!

Al couldn’t help but smile, but the movement tugged at her injured abdomen. The stinging pain of magical burning made her expression contort.

She really didn’t hold back… Al complained while healing herself, yet a silly grin remained on her face.

The ball came to an end in the early morning. The once-bustling ballroom now held only a few people. Most had found places for trysts or private gatherings; only a few unconscious people were sprawled on the floor, looking like corpses.

Jiao Qingyin stepped over the bodies, feeling a bit irritable. She had received an automatic notification that the mission was nearly complete, and she wanted to find Al. But half an hour had passed, and she still hadn’t seen her.

On one hand, she was worried Al had met with an accident; on the other, she wanted to drag her out and beat her up—because of the kiss from the demi-human who was likely her subordinate. That mysterious demi-human had a strong anti-investigation sense and left no clues, leaving Jiao Qingyin with no way to retaliate, so she took her anger out on Al.

But now Al was missing too—

“Your Highness.”

A cry of surprise tinged with a bit of grievance rang in Jiao Qingyin’s ear. She turned her head and saw Al, whom she had been searching for, huddled behind a pillar. Al took off her mask and looked at her with sparkling eyes. She looked like a big dog that had been abandoned by its owner, waiting piteously in the same spot for days until the owner finally returned.

Jiao Qingyin felt a sudden wave of guilt. She walked over quickly, but before she could speak, Al grabbed the hem of her clothes.

“Where did you go?” Al tilted her head and asked in a tiny voice, as if afraid of making Jiao Qingyin angry. The scarred lower half of her face looked a bit frightening, but to Jiao Qingyin, it only made her guilt stir further.

The prepared script was useless. Facing Al’s insecure look—whether she was faking it or not—Jiao Qingyin couldn’t say those harsh words.

“Have you been here the whole time?” Jiao Qingyin cleared her throat and looked around. The density of “corpses” nearby seemed higher than elsewhere, and there was a trend of them being clustered around Al… as if they had all tried to approach her but were beaten to the ground.

Jiao Qingyin imagined for a second Al spinning her wheelchair fast enough to spark, grabbing someone’s leg and throwing them. But Al’s arms and legs looked so thin and weak; she looked completely helpless. The image was too jarring.

“Yes,” Al nodded seriously while Jiao Qingyin was lost in thought. “After I got separated from you, I hid here. I didn’t drink alcohol, I didn’t drink juice, and I didn’t touch anything others gave me…”

After saying that, she looked expectantly at Jiao Qingyin, clearly waiting for praise.

“Um,” Jiao Qingyin responded. It was impossible for her to praise Al, but after a pause, she just said, “Let’s go. Back.”

“Home?”

Even though she had never considered the Prince’s manor “home,” when she heard Al say the word, the first things that came to mind were the warm fireplace, the desk with magic books, the pile of soft cushions, and Al, who was always there whenever she turned around. She had never been this close to any other mission target’s life.

After a moment of daze, Jiao Qingyin shook her head. “Back to the Imperial Palace. I have to see the Emperor this afternoon. You stay in the hall and don’t cause trouble for me.”

With that, she strode toward the Duke’s manor exit, no longer paying attention to Al.

Because there were too many court mages, Al was a bit resistant to the palace. But fortunately, her abilities had improved significantly after the full moon; she could now freely control her ears and tail. Otherwise, she might have been exposed. Also, she had beaten up quite a few ill-intentioned nobles since last night; they would surely look for the culprit once they woke up, so she needed to stay low…

Al turned her wheelchair to follow Jiao Qingyin, but the latter walked too fast, and she was gradually left behind. Seeing the back of Jiao Qingyin getting further away, Al’s fingers gripped the armrests tighter.

Initially, she only wanted to become strong enough to take revenge on those who bullied her. Now she could do that, but it wasn’t enough. She always seemed to be looking at Jiao Qingyin’s back, unable to walk beside her. She was trapped in a narrow wheelchair; without the support of the full moon’s elemental power, she couldn’t even stand, let alone walk side-by-side.

Al, who had slowed her pace for a few days, was once again filled with an urgent craving. There was only a narrow path ahead of her, and the boulder of desire behind her rolled faster and faster, urging her to run, to keep moving forward, and never to stop.

“What are you doing? So slow. You want to live here?”

An annoyed voice rang in her ear. Al looked up blankly and met Jiao Qingyin’s eyes, which were full of irritation. Jiao Qingyin had stopped at some point and was now standing with her arms crossed. “Are you waiting for me to push you?”

“Your Highness,” Al’s heart stirred, and she called out.

Jiao Qingyin didn’t react. Al called her again.

After being called twice without a follow-up, Jiao Qingyin frowned. “What is it?”

“Your Highness…”

Fed up with the harassment, Jiao Qingyin’s eyes turned fierce. “Say it if you have something to say.”

“Your…”

Jiao Qingyin raised her hand, threatening to hit her. Al shut up obediently, but the look in her eyes made Jiao Qingyin’s scalp tingle. She instinctively pressed down on Al’s head, pushing her down.

The suppressed Al finally behaved, but it took Jiao Qingyin several seconds before she could pull her hand away from the girl’s hair.