Chapter 48: A Revealing Conversation

Luna suddenly lowered her head during the conversation, her voice filled with uncontrollable longing and trembling.

“I want…blood—!”

The words were like a thunderclap, leaving Dai Lina stunned.

She couldn’t see Luna’s face at that moment, but she could feel her intense emotional turmoil.

“You…!?”

Dai Lina stared at Luna in shock.

At first, she thought Luna was just testing her, so she quickly adjusted her mindset, trying to stay calm.

“What are you talking about, little Lu? How could I possibly have…”

However, Luna’s next words left her completely speechless.

“Selina…”

Luna called out the name in a low voice, filled with urgency and longing.

Dai Lina’s eyes widened in horror!

Why does she know that name!?

Her gaze began to waver, not understanding why Luna would suddenly mention that long-hidden identity.

“Selina…I need blood—!”

Luna could no longer endure the torment inside.

She suddenly raised her head, revealing a face twisted in extreme pain.

Only then did Dai Lina see clearly.

Luna’s once delicate features were now distorted and terrifying, clearly suffering from a powerful backlash.

Even the fangs she usually tried to hide were exposed, unable to withstand the pain.

“This is—!”

Dai Lina stood up in shock, her eyes locked on Luna.

She saw Luna’s revealed fangs and her pain-twisted face.

Combining this with Luna’s earlier words, Dai Lina instantly understood everything.

“Hey! Hold on! I’ll get it for you right now!”

Dai Lina spoke as she quickly walked toward the fridge.

She knew that at this moment, Luna urgently needed blood to relieve her pain.

She hurried to the fridge, opened it, and took out the stored blood.

***

***

“Ha~ It feels like I’ve come back to life again.”

After drinking two bags of blood in a row, Luna finally returned to normal, her face gradually regaining color.

However, this time, she actually drank three whole bags before she felt normal again, which even surprised herself.

As Luna recovered, Dai Lina sat on the sofa beside her, swirling a wine glass filled with dark red liquid.

She sipped it slowly, a look of indescribable satisfaction in her eyes.

At the same time, her gaze often fell on Luna, full of curiosity and inquiry.

For all the sudden changes before her, Dai Lina clearly hadn’t caught up yet.

She looked at Luna, filled with questions, but didn’t know where to begin.

“…Cough, cough.”

Dai Lina coughed politely to get Luna’s attention.

Her eyes were filled with doubt and curiosity, clearly confused by the situation.

“So…what on earth is going on?”

“Could it be, Luna, are you also a Demon?”

Dai Lina finally spoke.

She hoped Luna could clear up this mystery for her.

Upon hearing this, Luna lowered her head slightly, as if thinking about how to reply.

Then she spoke slowly.

“No…I’m not a Demon.”

Her tone was firm, as if defending herself.

“I only discovered it during the Midterm Exam.”

Luna continued, “After the Combat Test, I became unusually weak. That night, I was starving.”

“At first, I thought it was just normal hunger, but when the symptoms got worse, I realized what I wanted was blood.”

“And then? How did you deal with it?”

Dai Lina pressed, clearly concerned about how she handled it.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Luna’s face.

“I just…went to the school’s Medical Office and stole some stored blood to drink.”

She lowered her head, her voice growing smaller, as if ashamed of her actions.

“I don’t know why this happened either.”

There was a hint of helplessness in Luna’s voice.

“But I’m really not a Demon. I’m human! I even have human family members!”

Luna insisted she was human, refusing to accept the possibility that she could be a Demon.

Her parents and her older sister were the best proof.

“Hmm…”

After hearing her words, Dai Lina fell into thought, her gaze lingering on Luna.

She had heard of such a possibility, but never seen it with her own eyes.

Yet, the scene before her forced her to believe it might be true.

Dai Lina spoke softly, drawing Luna’s attention.

“There is a possibility…”

“It might be a sign of ‘Ancestor Regression.'”

Her words were uncertain, but her gaze was unwavering.

“Ancestor Regression?”

Luna was clearly unfamiliar with the term and repeated it in confusion.

“Yes, it means that among your ancestors, there might have been Demons.”

Dai Lina explained gently and clearly.

“Their genes gradually faded in your family, but when they reached you, they reactivated. That’s called ‘Ancestor Regression.'”

“I read about this theory in a Demon Realm biology book, but it’s extremely rare. I’ve never seen it before.”

As Luna listened to Dai Lina’s explanation, complex emotions welled up inside her.

She had never imagined that her family might have Demon blood, nor that such blood would awaken in her.

“So…these fangs are probably…”

Luna’s voice was uncertain, her eyes shining with curiosity and inquiry about the unknown.

“Yes, most likely because of ‘Ancestor Regression.'”

Dai Lina confirmed Luna’s guess.

“That’s why some Demon traits appeared in you, and your desire for blood was triggered.”

Luna listened to Dai Lina’s explanation, her expression finally one of realization.

She finally understood why she had suddenly become so different—it was all due to the mysterious power of ‘Ancestor Regression.’

Yet, even as she accepted this, a lingering doubt remained.

Why…doesn’t my sister have it?

Like me.

…It just doesn’t feel right.

Looks like I need to check the family tree…

After taking another sip of blood, Dai Lina seemed to let go of some inner restraint.

She sighed, her expression much more relaxed.

“Next…we should talk about something else.”

Her tone was lighter, as if she could finally face her identity honestly.

In front of Luna, Dai Lina slowly removed the ring she used to conceal her identity.

In that moment, her Demon side was revealed to Luna without reservation.

“Hiding myself all the time is exhausting. It’s better to just take it off.”

Dai Lina’s tone held a touch of helplessness, but even more of relief.

Luna stared at Dai Lina in shock, speechless.

“So this is what you look like as a Succubus…”

“How is it? This is my real self.”

Dai Lina smiled slightly, seemingly unsurprised by Luna’s reaction.

“I thought I could keep hiding my identity, but I didn’t expect you to find out first.”

“Eh heh…because some things happened, that’s why I found out.”

Luna scratched her head awkwardly.

If Eliza hadn’t told her, she would never have known.

“…So, do you have anything you want to say? How did you know I was Selina?”

Dai Lina looked at Luna, curiosity and inquiry in her eyes.

If it was because of what happened at the festival last time, she wouldn’t believe it.

After all, she had insisted it was a case of mistaken identity.

“Well…actually, just now…”

Luna then told Dai Lina everything about her recent encounter with the Demons.

After listening, Dai Lina’s expression instantly turned serious, her brows furrowing and a trace of worry flickering in her eyes.

“…They’ve chased me all the way here…”

Dai Lina muttered softly, her voice filled with disbelief and resignation.

She knew that if the Empire Secret Guard could infiltrate here, then this hideout was no longer safe.

This is the worst situation…

Dai Lina thought silently.

She had believed this place was safe enough to hide from the Empire’s pursuit, but now she realized her thinking was too optimistic.

If even here could be infiltrated, then where was truly safe?

“Now…I have to move again…”

Dai Lina muttered to herself, filled with unwillingness and helplessness.

She knew that moving meant abandoning everything here and searching for a new, safe hiding place—a daunting task.

Besides, she was tired.

She didn’t want to keep running.

“Don’t worry…”

“Eh!?”

Luna’s voice suddenly took on an unprecedented firmness and confidence, surprising Dai Lina.

She looked at Luna in confusion, not understanding why Luna had suddenly changed so much.

“At least for now, we’re on the same side. I don’t want those guys ruining my life either.”

Luna continued, her eyes flashing with a fierce light, as if ready to face any challenge.

Dai Lina looked at Luna, a strange sense of reassurance rising in her heart.

She felt as if Luna was someone else.

“Why…do you feel like a completely different person all of a sudden…”

Dai Lina couldn’t help but voice her doubt.

She truly felt that Luna’s aura and attitude had changed dramatically, becoming more mature and strong in an instant.

What Dai Lina didn’t know was that as she spoke with Luna, Eliza was standing beside Luna, silently observing everything.

Because of Eliza’s unique existence, Dai Lina couldn’t sense her presence, and didn’t realize she was speaking to two people.

Eliza watched Luna’s nervous and uncertain expression, shaking her head inwardly.

In her eyes, Luna’s timid demeanor was hardly reassuring for handling such an important conversation.

So, Eliza decided to step in herself.

After speaking briefly with Luna, she took control of Luna’s body and began talking to Dai Lina.

“I already know your identity, your background, and why they’re after you.”

“I…”

“[Viviana Bessa Selina].”

“Judging by your name…you must be the Princess of Bessa City, belonging to the Succubus race, right?”

“You…!”

“But now, that’s probably not what you should be called. It should be the Royal Rebellion Leader’s Daughter, Selina.”

Selina abruptly stood up from the table, looking at Luna in shock.

“You’re not Luna! Who are you really!”

As Dai Lina slammed the table and stood, Luna, in Spirit Form, was startled too.

But Eliza remained unfazed.

“Is this the only way to calm your shock? If I’m not Luna, then who am I?”

“You…”

“I have no hostility toward you. I won’t tell anyone your secret. Likewise, don’t mention mine to others. Can we agree on that?”

Luna made a shushing gesture, signaling Dai Lina to keep everything a secret.

“You’re not Luna…who are you really!”

“…If you truly want to know, the only thing I can tell you is that I’m a ‘substitute’ for Luna. That’s all you need to know.”

Eliza’s words left Dai Lina completely lost.

She couldn’t understand what that meant.

Seeing this, Eliza sighed helplessly.

“…I’m Luna’s other personality. Will that do?”

“…Oh.”

Though she still didn’t fully grasp it, Dai Lina replied anyway.

At least she accepted that Luna was on her side.

“In short, you don’t need to be overly anxious around us. As long as you keep the secret, that’s enough.”

“Others can’t know about ‘me.’ Do you understand?”

“Mm…”

“Alright, I won’t say any more. You two talk.”

With that, Eliza returned control of the body to Luna.

“That’s how it is, Dai Lina. You can trust us completely.”

After hearing this, Dai Lina felt more at ease.

Having someone to share secrets with brought her comfort.

“Thank you…”

“And remember, keep it a secret. Especially from my sister. She can’t know about this.”

“Alright. Then come by my place more often. I’ll welcome you with blood.”

Though the words sounded a bit chilling, they were true.

“Thank you, Li Na.”

“It’s nothing. We’re teammates on the same side, after all.”

Thus, the secret between the two remained locked in their hearts.

“By the way, when you saved us…was that also another you inside your body?”

Dai Lina asked.

After this conversation, she was certain that the Luna from before was the same one who had saved her.

“That’s right. Pretty amazing, right?”

Eliza had told her that as long as her name wasn’t revealed, anything else was fine.

After all, no one could see her form, nor did anyone know her appearance.

“So strong…”

Dai Lina spoke from the heart.

It had been a long time since she’d seen anyone who could so easily suppress attacks from several S-Class Espers.

And she was that person.

“By the way, why don’t you want your sister to know about this?”

Dai Lina couldn’t understand why she didn’t want Xiao Xi to find out, or why she kept it hidden.

“Because I want to experience the fun of pretending to be weak and then surprising everyone.”

Luna’s reason was simple.

And the deeper reason was that Eliza didn’t want her to know.

“……”

“My turn to ask, Dai Lina.”

Luna had her own questions.

“What is it?”

“Who are you, really?”