Chapter 47: Master’s Teaching
“Are you still in need of asking me, when your love for him has become so profound that you are willing to forsake ethics, laws, and even life itself?”
An spoke softly.
“All you need to do is follow your own heart, isn’t it?”
“Follow… my heart?”
Eluka murmured in confusion. “Miss An means… she wants me to give up? Just as I said earlier?”
“Oh? Is that what your heart is telling you?”
“Uh, y-yes,” Eluka stuttered.
“Is it really?” An suddenly bent down, coming close.
Her gaze was like a spotlight, piercing through Eluka’s clear eyes, into the depths of her heart. It seemed as if she wanted to capture all of her secrets, storing them in her gaze.
Eluka suddenly felt flustered, as if a bug hiding in the darkness was exposed to the sunlight, and the defenses in her heart were being gradually breached.
Without the shelter of darkness, what would be revealed under the sunlight? How filthy and foul would it be?
“Wait, Miss An, I…” Eluka began, but An interrupted.
“Answer my question.” An leaned in closer.
Eluka could feel An’s breath, the brush of their eyelashes, and those eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything, ruthlessly pulling out the unbearable thoughts from the depths of her heart.
“Do you really… want to give up, Eluka?” An’s voice was insistent.
“Do I…” Eluka pondered. “Do I truly want to give up? Am I truly willing to sacrifice them?”
I really…
…
That’s a lie.
I don’t want to at all.
If Rode is with someone other than me, I’ll be insanely jealous.
Especially that bitch. It would be better if she were dead.
…
“It seems you understand,” An said, releasing Eluka.
Seeing the completely different look in Eluka’s eyes, An smiled satisfactorily.
“The so-called love is about pursuing it by yourself; how could you possibly give up?”
“But… I still don’t know what to do.”
Eluka, like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, held An’s hands tightly and asked sincerely, “Miss An, no, Master, from now on, you are my master. Can you teach me what to do? How can I win Rode’s heart?”
“Isn’t that simple? A person’s heart, in fact, is inseparable from their body.” An extended her finger and pointed at Eluka’s chest.
“So, if you want to win the heart of the one you love, naturally, you have to gain their body, although this may not happen overnight; it requires a long time.”
“Gaining… their body…” Eluka’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. This thought might have occurred to her long ago, but unfortunately…
“But… Rode is so powerful, and I…” Eluka hesitated.
“The magic you just performed was quite impressive,” An interjected.
“What?” Eluka asked.
“Charm magic,” An replied, supporting her cheek. “It’s a pity I’m not good at magic; otherwise, I would definitely learn it.” An sounded somewhat regretful.
“If I had that magic, I wouldn’t need to bother with using drugs.”
“Charm magic…” Eluka’s breathing became heavy.
Yes, since the charm magic just now worked on the Lake Lord, then on people…
Or rather, on Rode…
“But…” Eluka struggled to swallow.
“Indeed, it’s not quite right. But did you forget what you just said?” An chuckled softly.
“For love, aren’t you willing to disregard even life, ethics, and laws? Would you still care about these?”
“Ah…” Eluka realized.
Yes.
Disregarding even life, ethics, and laws for love, do I still care about these? Isn’t it just… using a bit of charm on Rode? Perhaps, I will inadvertently learn this magic for this day. Maybe, my heart has long been rotten.
“I understand, I got it!” Although knowing the rotten nature of her heart, Eluka’s eyes sparkled with brightness. “Master, thank you. I know what to do now.”
“Mm, that’s good,” An nodded in relief.
“But there’s one last question, I’m not sure about,” Eluka asked earnestly. “What if Rode remains stubborn and refuses to acknowledge my love?”
“What should I do then? After all, charm magic has a limited duration, and I’m only proficient in auxiliary magic. If he really wants to escape, I might not be able to stop him.”
“Hehe, since you’ve called me Master, I’ll tell you a secret,” An leaned in close to Eluka’s ear, speaking softly.
“Even the most formidable man, once his limbs are broken and a sturdy collar is placed around his neck, will become nothing but a domestic dog that only knows how to bark.”
…
…
An left. The rain stopped too.
Eluka stood alone by the lake, bowing her head, gazing at the water’s surface. Her reflection was clear in the lake, vividly visible.
She wore a sweet smile, her appearance adorable. The troubled expression from before had vanished from her lovely face. Her eyes, like the current state of the lake, were clear and transparent, revealing everything.
“Truly worthy of being a master, opening up one’s mind,” Eluka mused.
“Why didn’t I discover this true self of mine all this time?” Eluka touched her cheek, feeling like something had changed, yet nothing had changed at all.
But overall, her mind was clearer, and she felt much lighter.
She knew what she needed to do now.
“I wonder what kind of person could capture the heart of my master,” Eluka pondered. “But it’s not the time to think about that now.”
Eluka withdrew her gaze.
“Let’s go back. Ade is still waiting for me.”
…
Tonight, she would confess her love to the one she loved in a romantic place just for the two of them. If she failed…
Heh, she wouldn’t fail.
…
…
Creak.
The heavy metal gate opened and closed, emitting an unpleasant grating sound.
An entered the cage with a misty sigh.
“Young Master, I’m back,” An said.
“Finally,” Muen opened his eyes, hiding the fatigue beneath them, and pretended to complain, “I would’ve died if I didn’t see you again.”
“Oh my, has the young master finally been moved by me, willing to give all of himself to me?” An looked touched, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“Then please, give me a kiss of love first, Young Master.”
“I’ll starve to death!” Muen exclaimed dramatically. “Starve to death!”
“Tsk,” An clicked her tongue.
An’s expression returned to calm in an instant, leaving Muen to marvel at her ability to change faces faster than a Sichuan opera performer.
“Here, Young Master, the fish you wanted,” An opened the food box, and a delightful aroma instantly filled the small cage.
Perhaps due to hunger after so long, even Muen, who was accustomed to gourmet food, couldn’t help but salivate at the scent.
“It’s steamed and charcoal-grilled. Which one would you like to have first?” An asked.
“Steamed, please,” Muen replied.
“In that case, ahh—”
“Ahh—”
As the fish entered his mouth, its tender texture instantly stimulated his taste buds. Despite having ulterior motives, Muen couldn’t help but exclaim how delicious the fish was.
“Young Master, be careful of the fish bones,” An cautioned.
“I know, I’m not a child, how could I possibly—ah.”
“What’s wrong?” An asked.
“…I think I actually got a fish bone stuck.”
“Is that so? Well, there’s nothing we can do about it,” An suddenly approached Muen like a little cat.
“Huh? An, what are you trying to do?” Muen’s eyes widened.
“I want to kiss you, Young Master,” An replied.
“Now?” Muen blinked.
“Young Master said he got a fishbone stuck, right? I thought maybe if I pinched your nose and gave a strong suck while kissing, with my lung capacity, I might be able to suck the fishbone out.”
“Huh? Wait, that wouldn’t work.”
“…”
“Um… Actually, I was just joking.”
“…”
“You’re serious? An, no, don’t! That could be fatal, sniff… sniff…”
“Even the most formidable man, once his limbs are broken and a sturdy collar is placed around his neck, will become nothing but a domestic dog that only knows how to bark.”