Chapter 64: Just Wanted to See Me in a Panic?

“So, you were just toying with me?”

Lilique was furious, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.

Perhaps it was because of the earlier misunderstanding—Luwei actually harbored those kinds of feelings for her…

But just as Lilique had steeled herself and reluctantly agreed…

This girl actually said it was all a joke, that she just wanted to see her flustered look, and then she was going to just pat her backside and walk away!

So…

Lilique’s gaze gradually grew gloomy.

What she wanted was to see her in a panic?

But the contradiction was, Lilique couldn’t bring herself to hate Luwei.

Hearing her say she liked her personality… and that she was… cute.

A feeling Lilique had never experienced before welled up in her heart… a kind of… elation?

It wasn’t that she had never heard such praise before.

Whether at Evia Magic Academy or in the Evernight Kingdom, wherever Lilique was, the sounds of flattery and sycophancy never ceased.

But Lilique knew those were all lies.

Because, right after she was tricked back to the Evernight Kingdom by that forged handwritten letter…

Lilique witnessed with her own eyes how those ministers and nobles who had once greeted her with smiles and sweet words put on incredibly ugly faces.

During her time imprisoned in the dungeon, Lilique heard almost every foul, filthy word in the world.

And the reason for all this…

Was simply that Lilique had lost those lofty, untouchable titles.

Lilique was confused.

She couldn’t distinguish these shifts in human warmth, these complex relationships.

Or rather, she had never understood them in the first place…

But this wasn’t because Lilique was stupid.

It was due to her physical condition.

The doctors of the Evernight Kingdom had examined her.

Affected by the Initial Embrace, Lilique’s physical condition had stagnated for several centuries.

From a physiological perspective, that small area in her brain responsible for emotions and decision-making had never fully developed.

Therefore, no matter how much she experienced, Lilique’s mind could never truly mature.

If she wanted to understand complex adults, she could only rely on herself, summarizing rules one by one.

Such as:

[Those who approach with sweet words always have ulterior motives.]

[Only by making oneself seem unapproachable will one earn others’ respect.]

After escaping from the Vampire dungeon, she memorized another rule:

[Lilique has never been likable. What they like is just my glamorous titles.]

In truth, three hundred years ago, Lilique had already vaguely sensed this rule.

No one had ever said she was likable.

Even children her own age among the Vampires would call her a bat from a cave, a winged rat, with a terrible personality, always wearing a sour face.

Lilique remembered for a long time… until she chopped off those guys’ limbs and planted them in the ground, watering them with blood every day.

For that, her Mother was furious, scolding Lilique, asking if she couldn’t be more mature.

So she noted down another rule:

[Can’t hurt others just because I’m angry. At least, mustn’t let Mother find out.]

By now, as Lilique noted down more and more rules, her emotions also became increasingly numb.

But…

Once she encountered something outside the rules—her emotions would start to spiral out of control.

“Are you really fond of me, or are you just trying to tease me?”

Looking at the silver-haired girl before her, Lilique’s feelings were actually quite tangled.

She wanted to acknowledge that feeling of elation in her heart, to enjoy the sensation of being genuinely liked.

But she was afraid that Luwei’s fondness for her was also just teasing, that it was merely her own wishful thinking.

“Can’t it be… because I think you’re cute, that’s why I want to tease you?”

Hearing Lilique’s words, Luwei just tilted her head in confusion, stating it as if it were obvious.

“Because I’m cute… that’s why you tease me?”

This question made Lilique freeze completely.

“Fondness… shouldn’t it mean being completely obedient, wholeheartedly devoted to the other person?”

Why would such malice be mixed into this kind of emotion?

She retorted without hesitation.

“Teasing the other person like you do… is that even allowed?!”

Lilique’s emotions were somewhat agitated.

In her heart…

Fondness should involve total commitment from both sides, mutual fulfillment, unwavering loyalty forever!

How could it… make the other person feel so uncomfortable?

Lilique touched her own chest.

She felt as if a knot of frustration was stuck there.

“Fondness means being completely obedient…?”

Luwei’s eyes widened slightly.

Little Li Ke’s mindset was dangerous!

Based on her understanding as a planner, with her deep knowledge of character archetypes in various entertainment works…

This kind of view on love, if taken to its extreme, always ends with picking up a knife or something else—and stabbing the beloved.

Hmm, commonly known as a yandere.

Thinking of this, Luwei felt a wave of trepidation.

Were there any beautiful girls in this world with a normal view on love?!

But just as Luwei was racking her brains, thinking about how to correct Li Ke’s distorted views…

Li Ke suddenly took further action.

“Your fondness isn’t sincere at all! You were just pretending, weren’t you?”

Luwei only felt a blur before her eyes.

The next second, Li Ke was right in front of her.

“You’re just like them, only wanting to see me in a sorry state, in a panic… and then laughing at me in your heart!”

Li Ke’s hands rested on Luwei’s shoulders, the force frighteningly strong.

“Saying I’m cute… was that also just to make a fool of me?!”

She questioned, word by word.

“You did it on purpose! In your heart, I must be a grumpy, unsociable three-hundred-year-old crone!”

“You must have wanted to trick me into saying I like you, and then cruelly expose me… and then watch me beg at your feet, trying to win back your affection!”

Her voice grew more and more agitated, finally carrying a low growl like a small beast…

“You think I’d fall for that?”

Listening to Li Ke’s words, Luwei was completely speechless.

She felt she couldn’t handle such a huge emotional burden.

“Wait, wait a second…”

Luwei tried hard to process the information before her.

“Shouldn’t you consider… that we’ve known each other for less than a day?”

Luwei could also tell that Li Ke’s words weren’t entirely directed at her…

They seemed more like a venting of pent-up emotions.

It was just that her own existence had provided an outlet for that venting.

“I don’t care!”

“You said you liked me, so you should take responsibility for those words!”

Where did Li Ke come from?

What kind of past did she have?

Why did she end up in the outskirts of Kares Territory?

Luwei wasn’t in a hurry to find the answers to these questions.

She respected Li Ke’s wish to remain mysterious.

However, as long as Luwei established a connection with Li Ke—whether through a contract or by declaring a romantic relationship—she could spend Gold Coins to Appraise the other’s abilities.

She might even uncover secrets about her background.

But perhaps Appraisal wouldn’t even be necessary…

Luwei had already understood from her words.

Li Ke seemed very lonely…

Even when faced with kindness from others, she reacted with extreme caution and suspicion.

What kind of hurt had she suffered…

To make her view affection as something so incredibly important, to treat every feeling with such sincerity?