Upon Her Lips - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“You have crossed the line. You even dared to intrude into the Mistress’s private domain without permission.”

Aunt Dai looked at the weeping, helpless woman and pronounced her fate.

Fu Ya never expected such an outcome—that her Mistress would banish her over a filthy human child.

“I only wanted to clear out the trash for the Mistress! I was just thinking of her best interests…” Fu Ya sobbed, covering her face in agony as she knelt piteously before Aunt Dai.

Aunt Dai looked down at this narrow-minded and pathetic young maid. Driven by fanatical jealousy and hatred, Fu Ya had committed a catastrophic error that nearly resulted in an irreparable situation.

Truth be told, if she had merely annoyed Mu Fei as others had in the past, banishment would have been the end of it. But this time, the consequences seemed far more severe.

It appeared the human girl was much more important to Mu Fei than any of them had imagined—and that was without considering the other official matters involved.

“Mr. Dao Lei has arrived.”

A servant nearby whispered the report to Aunt Dai.

Dao Lei was the bearer of the Mistress’s absolute command. Aunt Dai stepped back slightly to make way, watching Dao Lei’s calm, unreadable face. It was impossible to guess what the Mistress’s final decision was.

Dao Lei walked up to the weeping woman and addressed her with gentlemanly poise, “Miss Fu Ya, the Mistress asked me to convey a few words to you.”

Fu Ya lifted her tear-stained face to look at him.

“Either enter the Black Mist Forest alone; or face immediate execution—I can carry it out for you. You may choose for yourself.”

These words shocked not only Fu Ya but every servant present.

“Why? Why is it like this? I only wanted to remove an unnecessary burden for the Mistress! I am loyal to her; it shouldn’t be like this…” Fu Ya screamed in disbelief. Her eyes glowed red, and she grabbed Dao Lei’s leg with lethal intent toward the old butler.

“I will give you only one chance to be honest: have you done anything else?” Dao Lei asked, unmoved.

“I am sincere toward the Mistress! I’ve done nothing else! Someone must be framing me, Mr. Dao Lei!” Fu Ya’s eyes were red with desperation as lies poured out of her mouth, even pointing wildly at other servants to drag them down with her.

Dao Lei looked down coldly at the selfish, hypocritical servant. “How can there be sincerity in the words of the cruel? How many years of luxury would the list of names from the Sichao Manor have bought you? Originally, the Mistress intended only to banish you in consideration of your years of service. However, you still refuse to tell the truth.”

Just as Fu Ya’s eyes widened in shock, her head rolled into the corner of the room under the moonlight.

Scarlet blood sprayed across the floor. Her headless body staggered for a few steps like a puppet with cut strings before finally collapsing.

“The Mistress said that if it must be so, blood looks more beautiful under the moonlight.”

Dao Lei picked up the head, which still held a lingering spark of life, and threw it into the burning hearth.

After watching the remains burn to ash, Dao Lei placed his stained white gloves into the palm of a nearby servant. He turned to face Aunt Dai, who had just lost one of her subordinates. “I leave the rest of the cleaning to you.”

“Dao Lei.”

Under the dim yellow lamplight, Aunt Dai called out to the grim man. Dao Lei turned back. When they were alone, Aunt Dai addressed him by name.

“What is it, Aunt Dai?” Dao Lei responded politely.

“I am sorry about Yuran. It was my lack of discipline that allowed Fu Ya to do such a thing. I didn’t realize the Sichao Manor list was connected to her. I always thought she was a good girl.” Aunt Dai spoke with embarrassment. She didn’t know if the Mistress would blame her for these events.

Dao Lei glanced at her, sensing her worry. “I believe you won’t be blamed, because Yuran is safe.”

Aunt Dai looked at him in shock. To her knowledge, no human had ever returned alive from that place, and even low-level vampires couldn’t last an hour.

Dao Lei smiled. It was difficult even for him to explain why Yuran was immune to the lethal miasma of the forest or why she could touch the “Child of the Curse.”

“She is indeed a strange little thing.”

What he found even harder to understand was Mu Fei’s reaction. Only after the Mistress had brought Yuran back to the mansion in silence and confirmed she had only suffered minor scratches did he sense the leak of relief from his Mistress.

The Mistress had been tense about the survival of this human child the entire time.

After exchanging a few more words with Aunt Dai, Dao Lei immediately went to the door of the upstairs room. He had to check on his Mistress; after all, there was a human scent lingering in her chambers.

“Mistress, that matter has been handled. Is there anything you need help with now?” Dao Lei stopped at the door and inquired respectfully.

Mu Fei stared at the pale human girl she had placed on her bed, her brow furrowed deeply. Finally, she picked the girl up and placed her in Dao Lei’s arms.

Dao Lei: “?”

Mu Fei asked back expressionlessly, “Do you think she is entitled to occupy my bed?”

Dao Lei pursed his lips. He really couldn’t grasp the “tsundere” psychology of his Mistress, who was clearly so worried about the little one. He carefully chose his words: “Mistress, Yuran’s room is a storage closet—cold and damp. If we put her back there, the little one’s body might…”

Mu Fei frowned slightly, about to tell Dao Lei to arrange a more comfortable room.

“Lady… Lady Mu Fei…”

The unconscious girl murmured the name of the Lady she held in her heart. The voice was weak, but the sharp-eared vampires heard it clearly.

Dao Lei held Yuran, looking at Mu Fei with quiet curiosity. After a long silence, she spoke.

“Put her down.”

“Yes.”

Dao Lei suppressed a smile and silently laid little Yuran back on the edge of the bed.

After Dao Lei left, Mu Fei stared intently at the human girl.

Was it mercy?

She could see through the butler’s thoughts, but she didn’t think so. She attributed all this abnormal behavior to the fact that the human child was her property. No one could act on her behalf; only she, Mu Fei, could decide the child’s life and death.

She looked at the curled-up Yuran and realized her room was naturally freezing, as vampires did not feel temperature. Once Yuran was covered with a plush duvet, she slowly stopped shivering.

Yuran lay on her side in a small corner of the bed, her face half-buried under the covers. Mu Fei could still hear her very faintly stuttering her name.

Such an impertinent little thing.

Even Mu Fei didn’t notice the slight curve that appeared on her own lips.

…

Yuran had a long, deep dream. This time, it wasn’t a nightmare, but a sweet and peaceful one. When she woke up, it was already 9:00 AM.

Although no sunlight reached the room, Yuran felt very warm. This was the warmth she craved most, enveloping her whole body. Startled, she felt something was wrong and snapped her eyes open, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings.

Where am I…?

“You’re awake, Yuran.”

As the voice sounded, the dark curtains beside Yuran were pulled back halfway, revealing the winter scenery outside. Yuran reacted instantly, jumping out of bed and standing barefoot on the floor, bowing her head tremulously toward Aunt Dai. “A-Aunt… Aunt Dai… H-Hello, I… I…”

She had slept in! And Aunt Dai had seen her! Was she going to be kicked out? Abandoned?

While she was consumed with anxiety, Aunt Dai walked over to her. Yuran saw Aunt Dai raise her hand and immediately closed her eyes, waiting for a slap. As long as she doesn’t kick me out, getting hit is okay.

“Don’t you feel the cold?” Aunt Dai spoke with a hint of reproach, gesturing for Yuran to put on the shoes nearby.

Yuran opened her eyes. She hadn’t been slapped like she would have been by her mother. She stared blankly at the shoes on the carpet. A pair of brand-new shoes.

“These are from the Mist—no, from Mr. Dao Lei.” Aunt Dai saw the child’s confusion and explained slowly.

Her old shoes had been ruined in the forest. The head of the Mu family had instructed Aunt Dai to prepare new shoes before she left, but if anyone asked, she was to say they were a gift from Dao Lei.

Though Aunt Dai never tried to guess her Mistress’s thoughts, she increasingly felt that Lady Mu Fei was not as icy as before, even if she remained decisive and lethal. Doing a kindness, yet taking the long way around to explain it.

Yuran looked at the bows on the shoes and happily slipped them on; they fit perfectly. She stood beside Aunt Dai, waiting for instructions. Her mind was still a bit foggy—she had thought she was dead when she first woke up, and only seeing Aunt Dai confirmed she was home.

As for how she got back, she couldn’t remember at all. She only remembered finding the purple flowers, falling, and someone catching her tightly when she was terrified…

Yuran patted her face to wake herself up. She saw Aunt Dai tidying the expensive-looking bed. Only a very noble person could sleep in such a bed, yet she had just woken up there. Yuran didn’t dare think about it further, but her eyes caught a small bunch of purple flowers on the pillow.

That’s…! The flowers she had picked in the forest.

“A-Aunt… Aunt… Aunt Dai!” Yuran stepped forward, her voice louder due to her urgency.

“Yes?”

Yuran bit her lip and pointed at the inconspicuous flowers. “I… can I…”

“You want these flowers?” If Yuran hadn’t pointed them out, Aunt Dai wouldn’t even have noticed them.

“I… I picked them. Want…” To give them to Lady Mu Fei.

Yuran struggled with her words. She hadn’t realized she had brought the flowers back, and she was too excited to speak properly. Aunt Dai seemed to understand. Looking closely, if she wasn’t mistaken, these were the legendary “Flowers of No Return.” They were extremely rare, growing only in the Black Mist Forest, possessed an eternal fragrance, and had sedative effects. They looked like small roses, and most people called them “Purple Roses.”

Fu Ya had intentionally lured Yuran to pick these. No one knew what happened in the forest, but one thing was certain—

“Yuran, why did you want to pick these flowers?” Aunt Dai handed the small flowers to Yuran and asked softly.

Yuran took the flowers with a faint smile and answered, “The Lady… L-Lady Mu Fei… likes them.”

As expected.

“The Mistress is in the living room downstairs. If you go now, you can still see her.” After tidying the room, Aunt Dai gave Yuran a kind hint.

Yuran froze. She had expected to stay and wait for Aunt Dai’s orders, or go with “Sister Fu Ya” to the garden. She looked up at Aunt Dai.

“The Mistress will likely head out soon. It’ll be too late to give her the flowers then. I don’t have anything I need help with right now, so you can go, little one.” Aunt Dai spoke casually, feeling somewhat helpless that she was being so kind as to nudge the girl to do what she wanted.

Aunt Dai felt that it had been a long time since anything so interesting had happened in the mansion. She really wanted to see Mu Fei’s expression; Dao Lei was surely thinking the same thing.

Hearing this, Yuran couldn’t contain her joy. She didn’t care about her messy hair and was only wearing thin underclothes, but she felt no cold—only a rush of passion.

She was going to give the flowers to the Lady!

“That child… she’s so excited she ran off without even putting on a coat…”