Xiao Yuan was a little shocked inside, but on the surface, she only froze slightly before showing a somewhat confused smile.
“Was killed? Is that what Moonlit Liuli told you?”
“Flora was carrying out a top-level confidential mission. Even those of us who are S-rank only know a rough outline. In the end, she was hit by several types of forbidden magic that slowly erode the soul and the origin of life, with no way to resolve it.
As for whether there was a conspiracy behind it…the battle was of such a high level that there were very few participants and people who knew the details. I know a bit, but I wasn’t involved in that mission. What I know is probably about the same as Moonlit Liuli.”
“But with Flora’s strength and status at the time, there were very few people who could plot against her, and the motive remains a mystery. Moonlit Liuli’s version may be her speculation based on Flora’s personality and some old grudges from those years. It may not be the truth.”
She reached out and gently stroked Luo Tianyou’s hair.
“What’s most important for you now is to become familiar with your own power, protect yourself, and live a healthy and happy life. I think that’s what Flora would most want to see, too.”
Luo Tianyou stared intently at Xiao Yuan’s face.
She was hiding something.
About Mother, Moonlit Liuli hadn’t lied.
At the very least, her mother’s death was not a simple accident.
Only Mother had lied to her.
Her heart felt a little sour.
She didn’t understand why Mother would do that.
She had never lied to her before. She believed in her so much, yet for something like this, she refused to tell her the truth.
As for her own age, she didn’t care how old she was. It was only because of this clue that she realized her mother might have lied to her.
“I understand, Xiao Yuan-jie. Thank you for telling me these things.”
Luo Tianyou lowered her head, her long blue eyelashes hiding the turbulence in her eyes.
She decided to investigate on her own.
Among her mother’s belongings, there was an old photograph.
In that photo, a strange magical girl stood next to her mother, both smiling brightly.
She wanted to find the people in that photo and ask them one by one.
She wanted to know the truth about her mother’s death.
Xiao Yuan let out a soft sigh in her heart.
She hadn’t lied.
Flora’s death had indeed never been definitively characterized, but almost everyone who knew about it believed Flora had been murdered.
The reason Flora never told her child the truth must have been out of her own considerations.
Luo Tianyou steadied her emotions and glanced at the time, feeling a sudden unease.
Why hadn’t Li Huayu returned yet?
It had been several hours since she’d left that morning.
Given Li Huayu’s timid nature—someone who would just close her eyes and not even dare to dodge if hit—if she’d only gone out to buy something or get some fresh air, she should’ve returned by now.
She had promised to stay with her.
Even when controlled by Kiriel, she refused to give in unless faced with something truly irresistible.
She would never leave for so long on her own, nor would she disappear without a word, especially since Luo Tianyou had told her to wait in the room.
She needed to go find her.
The Administration Bureau should be able to access nearby surveillance.
“Xiao Yuan-jie, I’m going now. There are things I need to do.”
Luo Tianyou stood up, speaking a bit urgently.
“Do you need my help?”
“Not for now. I need to go to the Administration Bureau.”
“All right, go ahead. Be careful.”
Xiao Yuan handed Luo Tianyou a communicator with a special magical fluctuation.
“This can connect directly to me. Also, wipe the tears off your face.”
“Thank you, Xiao Yuan-jie.”
Luo Tianyou wiped her eyes, thanked her sincerely again, accepted the communicator, picked up her bag, and hurriedly left the suite.
The door closed softly.
The living room fell quiet.
Xiao Yuan walked to the window, gazing in the direction Luo Tianyou had disappeared, a complex worry flickering in her eyes.
She needed to handle her own matters, too…
From the bedroom came the faint rustling of fabric, followed by a light groan.
“Mm…”
Moonlit Liuli’s long eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her dazzling golden eyes were hazy at first, as if still shrouded in sleep.
She stared at the ceiling in confusion, then looked down at herself, naked and covered only by a thin sheet.
Fragments of memory flooded back.
The memory of fainting, of biting down lightly on Luo Tianyou’s chest, of the girl’s tearful crying—all of it returned.
She had lost control.
She rubbed her temples.
She was too weak, and her body instinctively sought to replenish itself.
Luo Tianyou happened to carry the magic she needed, causing her own power to spiral out of control.
She lost all restraint and kept seeking more.
Even her own body was left with many Imprints from Luo Tianyou’s bites.
Great.
Now she probably hates me even more for making her cry like that…
Huh?
Moonlit Liuli suddenly sat up.
Luo Tianyou’s presence…was gone.
Was she so weak she couldn’t even sense the Imprint?
Or had she absorbed all the magic, including the Imprint, from Luo Tianyou as replenishment?
A wave of frustration washed over her.
“…Tch.”
Moonlit Liuli clicked her tongue in annoyance, wrapping the blanket around herself and staggering toward the bedroom door.
She opened the door.
In the living room, a gentle figure sat quietly on a single sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Pink short hair, red headband, eyes like the warm spring sun.
The agitation on Moonlit Liuli’s face froze, her golden pupils contracting.
“Xiao Yuan…senpai?”
Xiao Yuan’s smile remained as gentle as ever.
“Liuli, you’re awake? Are you feeling better?”
Moonlit Liuli didn’t answer immediately.
She narrowed her eyes, sorting through her thoughts.
“It was you, Xiao Yuan-senpai. You hid the Imprint I left on my Master.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
Xiao Yuan’s smile didn’t waver, and she admitted calmly.
“Yes, it was me. I temporarily concealed it—for two weeks.”
“Why? This is a matter between me and my Master. It’s our agreement. Senpai, you crossed the line.”
“Flora’s so-called joke agreement from back then? Liuli, can you really call that an agreement?”
Moonlit Liuli’s body stiffened for a moment.
Something roiled in the depths of her golden eyes, but she quickly forced it down.
“That’s what Flora said herself. I’m fulfilling the agreement now. Why can’t I?”
“Liuli, I didn’t realize how deeply that agreement had affected you—so deeply that it’s twisted you. The things you did to Xiao Tianyou—were they truly in fulfillment of the agreement, or was it just a way to vent the resentment and frustration you’ve carried for ten years, or something even darker?”
“I didn’t hurt her. I was just fulfilling the agreement. Isn’t it normal for a dog to stick to its Master? That’s also a lesson in magic.”
“Teaching through coercion and mockery, ignoring her wishes and feelings?”
Xiao Yuan could see the marks on Luo Tianyou, and even more clearly, the tear stains on her face.
“Liuli, ask yourself—if another magical girl treated you the way you treated her, would you accept it? Would you consider it a lesson or an agreement?”
Moonlit Liuli fell silent.
She remembered the last memory before she fainted—Luo Tianyou’s face streaked with tears, filled with resistance and fear.
She really had gone too far this time.
She had treated Luo Tianyou like a plaything.
But it was her right.
She belonged to her.
She hadn’t sent Luo Tianyou to the Dog Training Academy immediately, which was already mercy.
If anyone was to blame, it was Flora, who had corrupted her inner dignity.
“Xiao Tianyou told me herself—she wanted to leave you, never see you again. In her heart, your actions were harm and revenge, not a sweet agreement.”
Moonlit Liuli raised her head, her golden eyes burning with emotion.
“Flora humiliated me in front of the entire world’s magical girls! I just wanted…”
“You wanted her to feel what you felt back then? Or did you want to control her to prove something? That Flora was wrong? That Moonlit Liuli was more than a dog?”
Xiao Yuan cut her off, her tone finally taking on a hint of sternness.
“Liuli, have you ever considered that Xiao Tianyou is innocent? Flora’s debts shouldn’t be paid by her child, let alone in this way. What difference is there between what you’re doing now and what Flora did to you by forcing you into an agreement?
It might even be worse, because you’re exploiting her ignorance of magic, her naivety, and her small bit of softness toward you! You should be able to see how kind Luo Tianyou truly is!”
“You used to be a kind magical girl, willing to give your life for your duty. You still are. So why can’t you let go of this twisted notion? Don’t you remember all the good in your past?”
Moonlit Liuli’s lips curled in a cold smile.
“The past? Is that what you mean?”
When Flora humiliated her again and again in public, declaring she was only fit to be a dog, who stood up for her?
When she was mocked by other magical girls, who came to comfort her?
When she bore the nickname ‘Golden Retriever’ alone, who ever spoke for her?
Flora died, she became an S-rank magical girl, and only then did the nightmare end.
“How dare you talk about the past!!?”
“It was your pride that isolated you. You had no friends, so no one helped you. Do you have friends now?” Xiao Yuan said calmly.
“So what if I don’t? I don’t need friends. Having my Master is enough! If I’m meant to be a dog, then I’ll be one to the end! I want to be a dog!!”
Moonlit Liuli glared at Xiao Yuan.
“You’re here as backup, aren’t you? Go do your job! I want to rest!”
“….”
This time, it was Xiao Yuan’s turn to be silent.
She knew Moonlit Liuli was proud.
As one of the former supernovas and the only magical girl who couldn’t fit in, she had no friends.
Because of that pride, Flora’s actions back then had been devastating for her.
Yet, from Xiao Yuan’s perspective, Flora may have gone too far, but it wasn’t unforgivable.
It was simply Moonlit Liuli’s pride that wouldn’t allow her to move on.
She’d trapped herself in a swamp of her own making.
“These two weeks are for you to calm down, and for Xiao Tianyou to recover. She’s in C City. She might leave, but not far.”
“I’ll keep handling Kiriel’s case, and the matter of the two missing magical girls. Only one has been found so far, and she’s still unconscious. I’m going now.”
Xiao Yuan didn’t linger.
The room was left to Moonlit Liuli.
Aside from the traces Xiao Yuan left, Moonlit Liuli saw that Luo Tianyou’s bag was gone.
A few of her clothes were missing from the room as well.
She’d run away.
Was it because of her own rough actions while unconscious?
Or did she truly hate being touched and approached so much?
Maybe it was because her body had become that of a child, and most of her power was lost.
At this moment, Moonlit Liuli was barely stronger than a bottom-tier magical girl.
Even her emotions felt more fragile.
Her legs gave out, and she sat on the carpet.
She had no friends, and she understood why she could never forgive Flora, why she couldn’t let go of those dirty thoughts inside.
But she couldn’t let go.
She wanted revenge.
She wanted to break Luo Tianyou, to turn her into a girl who could only feel for other girls.
This was the darkest, most twisted obsession she’d chewed on and fermented through countless bitter nights over the past ten years.
It gave her a warped kind of strength, helping her climb from a humiliated supernova to her current S-rank.
She thought she’d long accepted this filth, even delighted in carrying it out.
But now, with Luo Tianyou’s escape and Xiao Yuan’s words, all she felt inside was emptiness and frustration.
“Xiao Tianyou is innocent.”
“What difference is there between what you’re doing now and what Flora did to you back then?”
“You should be able to see how kind Luo Tianyou truly is!”
Yes, Luo Tianyou was very kind.
Kind enough to stand up for a thief girl she’d just met.
Kind enough to put herself in danger to research ways to fight monsters.
Kind enough to let someone use her body and magic even after being treated like that, even if it meant risking her own life.
On the Sealed Land, when she looked at her, there was fear in her eyes—but also a hint of worry.
Why was there worry?
Shouldn’t she hate her?
Moonlit Liuli recalled certain details.
At the hotel, when she’d acted spoiled after shrinking, Luo Tianyou always picked her up, even though she looked so unwilling.
On the car, when she fell asleep leaning on her, Luo Tianyou’s body was stiff, but she never pushed her away.
Even after she shrank again, Luo Tianyou was willing to hold her, even while naked.
In those moments, Luo Tianyou’s feelings toward her didn’t seem to be only disgust or rejection.
Moonlit Liuli closed her eyes.
Her resentment toward Flora was real.
The dark urge for revenge, to destroy what Flora cherished, was also real.
But when it came to Luo Tianyou herself…
“Damn it…”
Moonlit Liuli cursed softly, burying her face in her knees.
Break Luo Tianyou?
Turn her into a waste?
If Luo Tianyou really became that way—if those beautiful violet eyes lost their shine, her straight back broke, a collar on her neck, her clumsy sincerity wiped out—
Would that still be the Luo Tianyou she wanted?
She wanted to toy with Luo Tianyou.
But if Luo Tianyou never gave in, always looked at her with disdain, that was what she truly wanted.
Yes, that’s how she felt now.
She didn’t want to break her, just to keep her under her control.
At the very least, as long as she stayed by her side, Luo Tianyou would only ever feel for girls.
Flora’s legacy would end.
She needed to find Luo Tianyou and bring her back.
At least, to confirm her safety.
And then…see what came next.
She stood up, pulled the blanket tighter, and walked toward the bathroom.
“Master, abandoning a dog is illegal—especially a large, dangerous breed. If I hurt someone, you’ll have to pay damages….”
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