The night was like thick ink, splashed across every corner of the Demon King’s Castle.
Ling Xiya was like a silent shadow, weaving through the cold corridors.
Her heart beat rapidly, but not out of fear; it was due to a suppressed excitement and resolve at the prospect of a successful hunt.
Since that day in the garden, after the seed of “murderous intent” in her heart broke through the soil, Ling Xiya had begun her frantic planning.
On the surface, she remained that taciturn, humble, and submissive maid, lowering her eyes as she handled various chores.
She even managed to squeeze out a perfectly timed, slightly timid smile when facing Eve.
But in secret, every nerve was taut like a fully drawn bow, ready at any moment to release a lethal arrow.
She used the opportunity of cleaning Eve’s room to carefully observe the woman’s habits.
Eve liked to spend an hour alone in the Greenhouse Conservatory on the west side of the castle when the afternoon sun was at its warmest.
Many strange flowers and exotic plants from the Demon Realm Abyss grew there; it was quiet and secluded, a perfect location to take action.
She also figured out that Eve disliked being disturbed, so other servants were usually not around the conservatory.
These pieces of information were like pearls that Ling Xiya carefully strung together, ultimately forming a meticulous plan.
The days of waiting were agonizing.
Every time she saw Lord Isayat show even a glimmer of tenderness toward Eve, it felt like a knife gouging her heart, causing the murderous intent within her to boil even more.
Countless times in the dead of night, she would quietly take out the Black Dagger hidden under her bedboard.
The blade was long and sharp, engraved with dark red demonic patterns depicting a lifelike Red Snake.
Two tiny, faintly glowing rubies were set into the snake’s eyes.
This was something her master had given her…
Or was it? Had it originally been hers?
To whom did it belong? …
Ling Xiya did not want to think about it any longer.
But now, this dagger was about to be used by her to carry out a vile murder.
Ling Xiya gently brushed her fingertips over the cold blade and the sinister Red Snake.
Madness and obsession intertwined in her eyes.
This knife would clear the obstacles for her, allowing her to return to Lord’s side and making Lord need her once again!
Finally, the opportunity arrived.
It was a gloomy afternoon; a fine Demonic Mist drifted through the sky, blocking the sunlight and casting an oppressive air over the entire castle.
Ling Xiya’s heart beat like a drum, and her palms were slightly sweaty, but her gaze was exceptionally firm.
As usual, she carried a basin of freshly changed water toward Eve’s room, intending to “happen” to remind her that the flowers in the greenhouse had bloomed.
Just as she expected, Eve accepted Ling Xiya’s “kind” reminder with a lazy smile and headed toward the Greenhouse Conservatory alone.
Ling Xiya watched Eve’s departing back, the corner of her mouth curling into a cold arc.
She quickly returned to her small room, took the Black Dagger from under the bedboard, and gripped it tightly.
The cold sensation spread from her fingertips throughout her body, but strangely, it calmed her down.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions churning in her heart, and like a phantom, she crept silently toward the western greenhouse.
The glass dome of the Greenhouse Conservatory was shrouded in Demonic Mist, and the light filtering through carried an eerie purple hue.
The air was thick with a rich floral fragrance mixed with a faint scent of humus.
Eve was standing with her back to the door in front of a giant plant blooming with Black Mandrake, leaning over slightly as if observing something.
She wore a plain white dress, making her figure look somewhat thin and fragile in the dim environment.
Now!
A cold light flashed in Ling Xiya’s eyes.
Like a leopard that had been waiting for its moment, she suddenly lunged from behind the door, the Black Dagger in her hand piercing toward Eve’s heart with the sound of breaking wind!
Eve seemed to sense something; her body froze, and she tried to turn around, but it was already too late.
The sharp blade pierced through her thin dress and skin without resistance, sinking deep into her heart.
The Red Snake demonic pattern seemed to come alive the moment it touched blood, emitting a strange red light as it greedily sucked the warm blood.
“Ugh…”
Eve let out a short, weak groan, her body slumped forward, crashing into the Black Mandrake and knocking loose several withered petals.
Blood gushed from her chest, staining her white dress and the ground beneath her feet red.
She turned her head with difficulty.
In those clear eyes—which bore a resemblance to a certain blurry figure in Ling Xiya’s memory—there was shock, confusion, and perhaps a fleeting trace of… pity?
Ling Xiya looked into those eyes as they gradually lost their luster, and her hand holding the hilt trembled slightly.
But immediately after, a strong, sickly sense of satisfaction surged into her heart.
The obstacle… was finally gone!
She forcefully pulled the dagger out.
Blood sprayed, splattering half of her cheek and the front of her clothes.
The warm liquid carried a sweet, metallic scent, giving her a burst of inexplicable excitement.
She looked at Eve, who lay breathless on the ground, and a twisted, ruthless smile appeared on her face, identical to the one from that day in the garden.
“You’ve disappeared… Lord is mine now…”
She murmured, her voice hoarse and crazed.
She looked around alertly to ensure no one had discovered her.
Then, she crouched down and used a pre-prepared rag to carefully wipe any fingerprints or bloodstains from the hilt.
After finishing, she cast one last look at the corpse on the ground.
Her gaze was cold, without a hint of lingering attachment, and she turned to leave the greenhouse as silently as she had come.
***
Back in her own room, Ling Xiya locked the door and leaned against the cold panel, gasping for breath.
Her heart was still pounding wildly, the thrill of the adrenaline yet to fully subside.
She looked down at the bloodstains on her chest and then at the Black Dagger in her hand, which had turned cold again.
The blood on the Red Snake demonic pattern had dried into a dark red, adding to its eeriness.
It was a success! She had actually succeeded! Eve was dead! The woman who had stolen Lord’s gaze was gone!
A surge of wild joy flooded her heart; she almost wanted to laugh out loud.
She could finally return to Lord’s side.
Lord would see her loyalty, Lord would need her again, and Lord would be just like before… no, Lord would dote on her even more than before!