After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30.2

Chapter 30.2: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

Hmm? Feels quite good to pet… let me do it again.

Her movements were exactly like stroking a dog’s head, but neither Jiao Qingyin nor Al—who was long accustomed to being petted—felt anything was amiss. Al even proactively rubbed her palm against Jiao Qingyin’s hand.

Since they had lingered for a while, Meg, who had driven to pick them up, came looking for them. As she approached, she saw Jiao Qingyin and Al in an intimate yet strange posture, both wearing similarly gentle expressions. Meg’s entire body stiffened; with a metallic clank, she dropped to one knee and lowered her head as far as it would go, putting on a perfect display of having seen absolutely nothing.

With an outsider present, Jiao Qingyin immediately pulled her hand back. To ease the awkwardness, she ordered Meg to push the wheelchair while she took the lead and strode ahead. She walked even faster than before.

Meg rose and looked at Al. Just then, Al shifted her gaze away from Jiao Qingyin, and the two women locked eyes. The next second, they simultaneously looked away—one began pushing the wheelchair, the other masked her face in coldness, neither having the slightest desire to communicate.

They remained relatively peaceful on the path from the Duke’s manor to the carriage, but once they reached it, a disagreement arose. Al refused to let Meg carry her into the carriage. Meg, though also unwilling, had orders to follow and had to insist. They reached a stalemate by the side of the vehicle.

Inside the carriage, Jiao Qingyin heard the commotion and felt a headache coming on. She had used a communication tool to summon Meg on short notice, so Meg had arrived alone with only one carriage. There were no other servants, and for some reason, the relationship between Al and Meg seemed terrible. Do I really have to go down there and carry her up myself? It wasn’t impossible, but…

Just then, an anxious shout came from the distance: “Your Highness!!”

The ball was technically supposed to end after the next day’s luncheon. However, the moment Jiao Qingyin saw the mission was complete, she hadn’t bothered to notify anyone before rushing to leave. It wasn’t until now that the Duke’s butler, alerted by the guards, came scurrying over.

“Your… Your Highness,” the butler panted, beginning his apologies before he had even caught his breath. After a long, frantic speech, he added fearfully, “The Duke has prepared a special banquet for you. If you would consider…”

Inside the carriage, Jiao Qingyin was busy smoothing out her troublesome skirts. Hearing the butler’s plea, she didn’t even show her face. “No need,” she rejected flatly.

The butler broke into a cold sweat, terrified that the Prince had held a grudge against the Duke’s household due to the previous night’s incident. He launched into another flurry of explanations. His words were so fast and dense that Jiao Qingyin, who had slept less than half an hour all night, grew increasingly irritated. Having finally straightened her dress, she pulled back the curtain and, right in front of the butler’s pale face, called out: “Al.”

Al looked up at the sound.

“Come closer.”

Al obediently turned her wheelchair and moved to the edge of the carriage. The butler, left to the side and shivering, didn’t dare interrupt the conversation between the Prince and this person he didn’t recognize—who was rumored to be a reclusive noble. He could only steal glances, trying to gauge the Prince’s current mood.

Jiao Qingyin estimated the distance. Seeing it was close enough, she reached out, grabbed Al by the back of her collar, and with a seemingly casual upward tug—hoisted Al directly into the carriage.

Everyone: !!! Al: “…”

Before the butler could snap out of his shock, Jiao Qingyin had already retreated into the carriage with Al. Her voice drifted out from behind the curtain: “Meg, let’s go.”

“Your High—”

This time, the butler didn’t even finish his sentence before he was hit with a mouthful of dust kicked up by the carriage wheels.

Upon returning to her palace, the first thing Jiao Qingyin did was take a bath. She soaked in a massive, seemingly endless pool, letting out a sigh of immense relief.

Finally, it’s over…

She rarely had nights as exhausting as the last. Once she relaxed, her muscles ached and her head felt heavy and swollen. Since arriving in this world, she had lacked exercise; her only daily activity was “walking the dog”—where Dog Al ran wildly ahead while she maintained her princely poise walking behind.

After resting for a long time, Jiao Qingyin finally found the energy to check the progress of her side missions. It had been about nine hours since the System left. In other words, in three hours, she would return to a state where her behavior and thoughts were restricted.

She actually had a decent relationship with the System, but a life of unrestricted freedom was always happier than being watched by a guardian. She wondered if the System had found the “virus” on Al… If there was something wrong with the protagonist, would the Time-Space Bureau replace her, just as they had replaced Odelia Hughes?

If that happens, the person would just be the ‘protagonist,’ not ‘Al’.

The thought made her irritable. She shook her head, forcing her attention back to the uncompleted tasks. The original owner was truly a hedonist; most of the tasks, aside from a hunt with other royals, were social events with various nobles. Jiao Qingyin calculated that if the original owner were here, it would take at least a month to attend them all.

But Jiao Qingyin didn’t want to waste time on meaningless things. She dipped her finger in the water and began sketching on the edge of the pool. These tasks didn’t require her to bring Al along, which made them much easier than the ball. She could use her status to summon all the mentioned nobles to one massive banquet and settle it all at once.

As she focused on mapping out the relationships between the nobles, her body protested again. Her head throbbed. With a twitch of her hand, she accidentally wiped away the characters she had just written. Staring at the blurred plan for a moment, she slowly submerged herself in the water.

Forget it, why bother mapping them out? Who cares if they like each other or not? I’ll call them all at once. With the Prince’s power, they’ll have to swallow any grievances.

She slid down further until only her nose was above the surface. Glub, glub. She blew a string of bubbles. Since the guardian is away, it’s okay to be a little lazy occasionally, right?

Watching this scene, a shadow hidden in the darkness shifted. Before Jiao Qingyin could notice, it turned into a pool of black liquid and slipped silently through the gap under the door.

The physical and mental comfort of the bath ended the moment Jiao Qingyin returned to her room and pulled back the covers. She looked silently at Al lying on her bed, her expression unreadable.

Al had clearly just bathed as well. She wore a loose nightgown, her skin rosier than usual, and her silver hair was spread out casually, emitting a faint fragrance. She seemed to be asleep; feeling the cold as the blanket was lifted, she curled up. Her defenseless appearance was the kind that would strike the softest part of someone’s heart, making it impossible to wake her.

—Except for Jiao Qingyin.

“Al.”

Jiao Qingyin’s cold voice was piercing. Al opened her eyes dizzily, wearing a blank expression. She looked toward Jiao Qingyin, her beautiful eyes misty, only focusing after a long while. “Your Highness?”

Seeing her awake, Jiao Qingyin gave a heavy huff to show her displeasure. Al’s gaze cleared, and she propped herself up with her hands, trying to sit. This was actually the first time Jiao Qingyin had seen Al move independently. For a normal person, sitting up was simple, but Al moved with agonizing slowness, and within seconds, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“Don’t move,” Jiao Qingyin interrupted.

Half-leaning against the pillows, Al looked up, her expression a mix of dejection and guilt.

“You…” Jiao Qingyin started to speak but went silent as her gaze landed on the scarred lower half of Al’s face. Al was sensitive to the change in her gaze; her eyes flickered as she raised her arm to hide her face.

“…”

Both went quiet. After a moment, Jiao Qingyin spoke first: “…Why are you here?”

Al relaxed her arm slightly, covering her face in a seemingly natural pose. “The Head Maid heard that I usually sleep in the same room as you, so she sent me here…”

Jiao Qingyin: “…”

It was true. Al had been confined to her bedroom previously, never stepping foot outside; publicly, she was a favored plaything. Since she hadn’t brought other slaves and had refused the service of other servants, it was perfectly logical for the Head Maid to send Al in.

Al paused, her voice getting smaller. “I wanted to explain, but no one in the palace listens to me…”

Though Al was just stating the facts, Jiao Qingyin felt an odd sense of “her person” being bullied outside and coming home to complain. But Jiao Qingyin knew Al wasn’t the type to be pushed around; she was likely only in this bed because she wanted to be.

When Al finished, she waited for a response that didn’t come. She lowered her head dejectedly, clutching her hands. “Your Highness, I… I’ll leave now. I’ll just have to trouble you to call someone…” She looked wilted, like a gloomy little mushroom.

…Fine. She’s already here. It’s too much trouble to kick her out now.

“Your Highness, I—”

“No need.”

Al’s entire being brightened. If she had a tail, it would be wagging. Her overt emotional shift left Jiao Qingyin speechless.

“You sleep over—” Jiao Qingyin pointed to a soft sofa across the room but caught sight of the brass clock on the wall.

…Two hours until the System finishes its self-check.

Once the System returned, the person in front of her might be replaced by a host or an AI. The soul belonging to “Al” might be taken to the headquarters because of an “error,” where she would be judged for her life so far. Jiao Qingyin didn’t know the exact process, but she knew the headquarters was notoriously strict. If Al’s issue was serious enough to be escalated, she wouldn’t be coming back, regardless of the verdict.

Two hours… If she disappeared, no one would ever pretend to be obedient while pushing boundaries to get close to her. No one would tug her sleeve and call her “Your Highness.” There would be… no more Al.

The thought flashed by. Jiao Qingyin opened her mouth and finally said what was in her heart: “Sleep wherever you want.”

The moment she said it, she felt a pang of regret, but seeing the sudden light in Al’s eyes, that regret turned into helplessness.

This is the last time… if Al is fine, I’ll ask the System to strip my personal emotions and finish the tasks as fast as possible. If Al is really infected with a virus…

Jiao Qingyin refused to think further. She climbed into the bed. Al was stiff; she hadn’t expected Jiao Qingyin to let her stay, let alone sleep on the bed… or under the same blanket. She could feel that any movement would lead to touching Jiao Qingyin’s body.

The bed was warm—not the warmth of a magic array, but the warmth Al had generated with her own body. Enjoying the luxury of a “bed warmer” for the first time, Jiao Qingyin stopped her movement to lie down. She got back up, pulled another blanket from the cabinet, returned to the bed, and patted Al. “Move over.”

Al: “…” I was actually nervous and expectant for a second.

Al dawdled, refusing to cooperate; she wanted to sleep with Jiao Qingyin.

“Hurry up,” Jiao Qingyin urged as her legs grew cold. “Or go sleep outside.”

The next second, Al moved with a speed impossible for a disabled person, sliding to the far left of the large bed. Jiao Qingyin went silent. Realizing her mistake, Al’s eyes wandered, as if she had suddenly found the ceiling patterns fascinating. Jiao Qingyin glared at her but didn’t press the issue. She bundled her blanket into a comfortable shape, climbed in, and extinguished the elemental lamp.

Al felt a hollow sense of emptiness because Jiao Qingyin didn’t scold her. Meanwhile, Jiao Qingyin shivered because her new blanket was too cold.

Seeing a chance for redemption, Al spoke up immediately: “Your Highness, how about I swap blankets with you?” She secretly scooted closer. Even through the blankets, Jiao Qingyin could feel her warmth.

Jiao Qingyin missed her dog. When she was cold, she only had to hug Dog Al to get warm from head to toe. Now, though the one lying next to her was also Al, she wasn’t one she could just hug…

“Your Highness, are you asleep?”

“Your Highness?”

“Your Highness, do you need me to warm your hands?”

“Your Highness…”

Jiao Qingyin’s late-night brooding was interrupted by Al’s persistence. A vein throbbed in her forehead. “Shut up.”

Al was quiet—for exactly one minute. Then she stealthily reached out, trying to slide her hand into Jiao Qingyin’s blanket. Jiao Qingyin pressed down to stop her, but Al seemed to have anticipated it. Her fingers climbed up and interlocked with Jiao Qingyin’s, turning the restraint into hand-holding.

Jiao Qingyin struggled but couldn’t shake her off. Since Al’s hand was quite comfortable, she hesitated for a moment and then let her be. Just this once… she told herself again.

Warmth flowed from the palm of Al’s hand. Jiao Qingyin remembered that Al’s hands were ice-cold when she touched them earlier that day. Are they warm now because she just bathed? She whispered the question in the darkness.

“Probably,” Al whispered back. After a pause, she added, “I washed myself very clean.”

Jiao Qingyin opened her eyes, sensing something was wrong. Sure enough, Al spoke in a soft, light voice: “Would you like to check?”

Check…?

The warmth of Al’s breath brushed Jiao Qingyin’s ear. Before she could reprimand her for being too close, she heard the rest. The voice was gentle and melodic, but it sounded like a thunderclap in Jiao Qingyin’s head.

She tried to snatch her hand back, but Al stopped pretending. She held on tightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to prevent escape. The strength was far beyond what a sickly slave should possess.

“Your Highness,” Al’s voice whispered right against her ear, “you can check however you like…”

Her intent was so clear that Jiao Qingyin couldn’t even feign ignorance. What is wrong with Al? Not long ago, she was the type to turn red with rage when teased. Even when she tried to “seduce” her yesterday, it wasn’t this blunt. Suddenly, Al’s hand didn’t feel warm anymore; it felt like a branding iron.

Unable to shake her off, Jiao Qingyin’s face darkened. “I have no interest in checking. Stay away from me.”

In the dark, Al couldn’t see her expression—and even if she could, she wouldn’t have let go. She even protested: “Your Highness, your hands are too cold. Let me warm them for a bit longer.”

Jiao Qingyin heard the ticking of the clock, sounding like a countdown. She finally reached her limit, turned toward Al, and spoke plainly: “Are you throwing yourself at me?”

“If I remember correctly, the person who called me a piece of trash, a beast, and scum…” she listed the insults Al had used previously, “…was also you?” After a pause, she added, “I also remember you saying you’d rather be beaten to death than submit to me.”

Al stiffened. She had indeed said those things. But she had been cursing Odelia Hughes—the person she wanted to hack into a thousand pieces—not the person currently in front of her. She didn’t believe Jiao Qingyin was unaware of that.

Seeing Al’s silence, Jiao Qingyin sneered. “Or was that ‘backbone’ just an act? Have you actually wanted to climb into my bed this whole time?”

Jiao Qingyin seemed to be provoking her, but she was actually asking the question she desperately wanted the answer to: Why is Al’s attitude so different from the original book?

Even though the System would return soon with the answer, Jiao Qingyin wanted to hear it from Al herself.

Al stopped all movement. In the pitch-black room, she stared silently at the person before her. In her sapphire blue eyes, a quiet fire seemed to burn.

Is she testing me? Al thought. Testing… to see if I already know that she isn’t the real ‘Odelia Hughes’.