After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ She was so beautiful, it took one’s breath away ◎

“Good morning, Al.”

The morning light was faint. As soon as Nameless opened her eyes, she heard a weary greeting. She stared blankly for a moment before recalling the events of the previous night and where she was.

And… what did Otillia Hughes just say?

Al? Is she calling me?

Nameless arched her back, instinctively baring her teeth in a defensive posture, refusing to acknowledge the name. Names were meaningless to her; she had never needed such a thing, especially not one given by the person in front of her.

Jiao Qingyin saw that after one night, the puppy that had submissively allowed pets had reverted to its wild state. She wasn’t discouraged. Yawning, she rose from the pile of pillows, intending to call the butler for another serving of milk.

[Detected Protagonist’s health has reached 35%. Main Quest 1: “Heal the Puppy” is marked as complete.]

Jiao Qingyin’s half-finished yawn was cut short. “?”

The system explained timely: [Detected that the Host named the protagonist “Puppy” yesterday; therefore, the system has replaced the corresponding character strings in the database.]

Jiao Qingyin remembered. Yesterday, to spite the protagonist, she had indeed called her “Puppy.” But… she rubbed her temples and spoke to the system: [That wasn’t a formal naming. Change the settings back.]

[System Prompt: Name settings can only be manually modified once. Does the Host wish to restore “Puppy” to the initial setting?]

Once is enough, Jiao Qingyin thought. She didn’t plan on giving the protagonist a real name anyway, so she said “Yes.”

[Replacing characters… Replacement successful… Now issuing Main Quest 2: “Place a collar on the Protagonist (Unnamed).”]

Hearing the task, Jiao Qingyin—who had wanted to play with the little dog a bit longer—sighed internally. She felt like a corporate slave facing a Monday morning 8:00 AM shift.

The collar was a key item the original owner used to humiliate the protagonist. It proved the slave’s status and ownership and was tied to many subsequent plot points.

Accepting her fate, Jiao Qingyin noticed the puppy still watching her warily. She said softly, “I’m going next door. I’ll be back soon. Play in the room for a bit, okay?”

She didn’t expect the dog to understand. After straightening her underclothes, she rang the bell for the maids.

Hearing her words, the fur on Nameless’s back puffed up slightly. She remembered her human body had been placed in the room next to this bedroom. She didn’t know the current situation and couldn’t let anyone else discover the anomaly first.

After three light knocks, a line of maids entered. They wore uniform black-and-white maid outfits; their faces were exquisite, and their posture was exceptional.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

The head maid stepped forward to help Jiao Qingyin dress, while the others bowed respectfully, holding up clothing or jewelry for her selection. Jiao Qingyin glanced over, her eyes stinging from the glare of the radiant gems. She looked away, only to have her vision occupied by a maid with brilliant golden hair.

At first glance, this maid’s clothes were no different from the others, but Jiao Qingyin noticed that her neckline seemed lower, her hem shorter, and her stockings more transparent…

Unsure if it was because she had been staring too long, the head maid who had just put on her shirt stepped back, ushering the blonde maid to the front.

The head maid spoke: “Your Highness, she is the slave you were particularly fond of the day before yesterday. Why not let her dress you?”

“Hmm?” Jiao Qingyin was confused.

The blonde maid looked up timidly. Seeing her face, Jiao Qingyin remembered—this was the first person she saw after crossing over, the slave girl she had scared into tears. Since the girl had been essentially unclothed before, Jiao Qingyin hadn’t recognized her in a proper uniform.

It seemed her act of mercy had been misinterpreted as favoritism. Jiao Qingyin asked casually, “What is your name?”

The blonde maid trembled, her mind going blank. It took a while to realize what was asked. Realizing her lapse, her face turned pale, and her knees buckled into a kneel. Before she could beg for forgiveness, an impatient command came from above: “Get up. Put my coat on.”

Not only the blonde maid but everyone else breathed a sigh of relief as if granted a divine reprieve.

The maid’s hands shook as she helped Jiao Qingyin into her coat. Jiao Qingyin kept a stern face. As the last button was fastened, a voice thin as a mosquito’s buzz broke the silence: “I… my name is Froda.”

Jiao Qingyin looked down at the maid adjusting her collar. The girl didn’t dare look back; fine beads of sweat hung on her face as if she might faint any second.

I should probably communicate with these people less in the future, Jiao Qingyin thought.

Froda was shorter than Jiao Qingyin, so she had to stand on her tiptoes. From the side, it looked as if she were wrapping her arms around Jiao Qingyin’s neck, leaning into her chest.

Nameless, having just devised several counter-strategies, looked up and saw this scene. Her claws instinctively dug into the luxurious velvet of the pillow, leaving a visible scratch.

After changing, Jiao Qingyin dismissed the maids who wanted to follow. Carrying the puppy—who had suddenly become very clingy for some reason—she stopped before the room where the protagonist was placed.

The moment Jiao Qingyin opened the door, the puppy, which hadn’t made a sound before, let out a whimper and tried to scramble out of her arms.

Nameless smelled the scent of her human body. Instinct told her that as long as she touched the original body, her consciousness could return.

“What is it?” Seeing the dog’s urgency, Jiao Qingyin set her on the floor. Nameless dashed out, reaching the bedside first.

Sure enough, the moment she jumped up and extended a paw, the human Nameless lying on the bed opened her eyes, while the puppy Nameless slumped down, limp.

Seeing the puppy suddenly lose all vitality, Jiao Qingyin’s pupils contracted. She cried out, “Al!”

[Warning: Host failed to strictly play the role in front of the protagonist. Role-play points -1. Current balance: 8…]

Jiao Qingyin instantly fell silent. In the next second, her facial expression adjusted to the most accurate, “Otillia Hughes” sneer. She stepped forward and picked up the unmoving puppy.

…Breathing is normal. Looks like she just fell asleep.

Jiao Qingyin’s expression remained unchanged, but her heart settled. When she turned to look at Nameless, her eyes were filled with an unsettling arrogance.

“—Filthy.”

“…” Nameless slowly raised her eyelids, meeting Jiao Qingyin’s gaze.

Though treated, her wounds weren’t fully healed. The scabs and bloodstains made her look like she had just crawled out of a swamp. She was enduring an intense pain that felt like being crushed, but something else bothered her more—she still couldn’t feel her legs.

There was sensation in her waist—a dense, needle-like pain when she moved—but from the thighs down, it was as if she had been severed. There was no life in them.

Yet at this moment, the person by the bed poked at her with a mocking tone: “Half-dead and pathetic. How unlucky.”

Nameless’s hand at her side clenched into a fist. Her beautiful, glass-bead eyes were stained with suppressed malice.

Jiao Qingyin deliberately ignored the hostility. She frowned and took a disgusted step back. “The more I look, the dirtier you get… Do you want to wash yourself, or should I have someone do it for you?”

The wounds were too numerous and the surrounding areas were filthy; the risk of infection was high. Washing was a necessity.

Nameless twitched the corner of her mouth. The movement pulled at the wounds on her face, making her look even more terrifying. “I’ll do it myself,” she rasped, her voice hoarse and unpleasant.

Hearing her speak, Jiao Qingyin realized she hadn’t had a drop of water in a long time. The fingers resting on the puppy’s back tightened slightly. Jiao Qingyin wanted to look away from those eyes.

After an eerie two seconds of silence, she tilted her head and flashed a wicked smile. “Fine. Wash thoroughly—otherwise, if I have to call people to scrub you, it won’t just be a layer of skin you’re losing.”

She turned gracefully and left the room. Closing the door, Jiao Qingyin casually instructed the butler waiting nearby: “Send in some liquid food and several buckets of hot water.”

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the sleeping puppy, and she added: “And take Al for a bath. Be gentle… don’t let water get in her ears.”

Hearing the name Jiao Qingyin used for the dog, the butler’s heart raced. She took the pet carefully, realizing how much the Princess favored this creature.

While Jiao Qingyin was absentmindedly flipping through Introduction to Basic Elemental Magic, the butler pushed a cart of exquisite tea and snacks into the study. She poured black tea for Jiao Qingyin and bowed to report: “Your Highness, the slave and Excellency Al have both finished their baths and are waiting outside. Do you have further instructions?”

Hearing the butler call the dog “Excellency,” Jiao Qingyin’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t correct it. She simply nodded.

The study doors opened again. As the sound of a rolling wheelchair approached, Jiao Qingyin put down her book and looked up.

The girl in the wheelchair had exchanged her tattered gauze for a simple long dress. Her silver hair cascaded down like silk woven with stardust. A veil covered the lower half of her face, leaving only those shimmering eyes visible. One glance was enough to make a person forget to breathe.

Jiao Qingyin was stunned.