Chapter 42: The Unspeakable Secret!

“Purpose…?”

Fina’s expression stiffened, yet she still attempted to maintain a smile on her face.

“Luwei… why would you ask such a question?”

Her voice seemed to lack its usual warmth.

At the moment she saw Fina’s attitude change, alarm bells went off in Luwei’s mind.

Sure enough, she has some ulterior motive!

Determined to find the truth, Luwei began to quickly sift through all possible answers in her mind…

The Duke has passed away… what value could she, a vase of a young lady, possibly still have?

After a long time—

A flash of lightning suddenly crossed Luwei’s mind.

The recollection froze on the words she had said to Floxi…

[Actually… an Ancient Heroic Spirit is attached to my body.]

[Through him, I can communicate with a treasure vault from ancient times.]

“Floxi…?”

Luwei muttered, and certain abnormal signs suddenly linked together in her mind.

Fina’s surveillance… the recent abnormal behavior of Floxi… the carriage parked in the Kares Territory…

Then, thinking of the tools Aisha took out from the carriage…

If my own peculiar habits can be monitored… then naturally, my conversation with Floxi could have been leaked as well!

Gradually, a clear logical chain emerged in Luwei’s mind:

Since her personality began to change, Fina had likely already noticed, right?

Following that, the advent of the Life Potion… the abnormal abilities she displayed…

And most importantly, Fina had not even asked how Luwei had managed to provoke the Vampire Princess residing far to the south of the continent.

Luwei’s thoughts raced like lightning, and the conclusion was practically shouting out…

Fina had probably guessed that some great secret was buried within her!

Therefore, Fina’s purpose was not simply house arrest, revenge, or using her as a political tool…

Her goal—

Most likely, was the “treasure vault” on her person, which was her Game Panel!

Thinking of this, Luwei felt a chill run through her hands and feet.

Could everything I’ve experienced lately… be part of her layout?

Looking up again at Fina’s eyes, Luwei felt a sense of horror in her heart.

“When did it start?”

Luwei asked coldly.

She tried to remain calm, secretly and unobtrusively activating the Slave Mark on Shuangsha and Shuangna.

“What?”

Fina seemed not to understand what Luwei meant.

“I said, when did you start targeting me?”

Luwei’s gaze did not waver in the slightest.

She was the only one who knew how to use the panel; therefore, she had the confidence to negotiate!

“Hmph… I thought your target was the Caris Family,” Luwei said in a cold tone, devoid of any emotion.

“So, the one you wanted to obtain… was me…”

Luwei’s words were like a thunderbolt exploding in Fina’s ears.

A phrase of “How did you guess?” nearly escaped her lips…

“W-Wait a minute…”

Fina had never felt so uneasy.

Why would it… suddenly be exposed?

A trace of uncontrollable panic flashed in Fina’s golden eyes.

She had clearly been enjoying… this secret adoration…

She had even intentionally hidden it from Luwei, not letting her find out.

All just to appreciate the beautiful expressions she made.

And the cute, instinctive reactions when encountering different things…

If she truly became a couple with Luwei, forced by that relationship… the angry her, the happy her, the sad her, the troubled her…

All the beauty would vanish!

Wouldn’t that…

Thinking this far, Fina could not stop a wave of panic from rising in her heart.

Wouldn’t my relationship with Luwei… turn into a boring, cliché love story?

“Are you… joking with me?”

Fina fumbled for an explanation.

“Why would I want to obtain you?”

“A vase of a young lady riddled with rumors, who always gives me the cold shoulder and speaks to me with harsh words…”

“I hate you more than enough!”

Her voice carried undisguised aversion.

“My goal is not you, so don’t be narcissistic!!”

But the more Fina vehemently denied it, the more Luwei was convinced of her own conjecture…

Fina… probably wanted to lower her guard and, as a friend or companion, extract the secret of the “treasure vault”!

Therefore, she must be so anxious because her plan had been exposed.

Thinking of this, Luwei spoke with deliberation.

“If you pester me further, I would rather be shattered than let you have me!”

This was meant to emphasize that she was the only one who knew the key to opening the “treasure vault.”

“Let me go, and we might still have a chance to cooperate in the future.”

This was to show a willingness to share the benefits of the “treasure vault.”

And just as Luwei had expected,

The strategy of the carrot and the stick was quite effective…

Hearing Luwei’s words, Fina’s expression had gone completely blank…

“Let you go? Why would you say that…?”

“Did you… realize it?”

Fina had thought her preparations over the last few days were very proper.

She had been setting up that small basement…

On the surface, she even acted like she didn’t like Luwei, neglecting her.

This was to prevent Luwei from thinking in that direction—if she didn’t even want to see her, how could she suddenly drag her to a dark, gloomy basement?

Fina had planned to kidnap Luwei and force a blindfold on her…

While she herself would disguise as a terrifying kidnapper…

Fina had always wanted to see what kind of cute expressions Luwei, who liked to torture other girls, would make when she was being bullied herself!

Thinking of this, a flush of red couldn’t help but rise to Fina’s face…

I’ll use Recording Magic to capture her most bedraggled, most beautiful expressions… and keep them well!

Finally, she would appear suddenly to rescue Luwei from the hands of the bad guys…

By then, poor little Luwei might be surprised by the arrival of Princess Fina.

But before that, she would have been bullied by the villains to the point of disarray…

If she were to be bumped into by someone she knew at such a time—

She would surely beg her in the softest possible tone…

[Wuu… no… don’t look at me like this…]

“Hehe… cough, cough,”

Fina suddenly found herself laughing, but soon, the happiness on her face fell into utter disappointment.

Because now, she couldn’t see that scene anymore.

Where… exactly did things go wrong…?

Could it be, “Did someone tip her off?”

Fina cast her gaze toward Aisha, who stood to the side.

Since just moments ago, she had been silent, standing there like a wooden puppet.

The note Aisha had tried to pass to Luwei just now…

Had mentioned her plan to lock Luwei in the basement.

Fina had thought she had stopped it just in time, but it seems…

“Did little Aisha let the secret slip?”

Fina stared at the blonde maid, asking in a deep voice.

Facing Fina’s questioning, the latter trembled like chaff.

“Third Princess… Luwei is already… quite, quite pitiful…”

Aisha’s voice carried a tone of pleading.

But Fina could not listen to such an explanation at all.

“That is exactly why I wanted to take her in…”

As she spoke, Fina ignored Aisha further.

“Luwei…”

Her voice was so soft it felt as if it could drip water.

“Believe me, okay… I really want to… protect you…”