Monster - Chapter 94
Chapter 94: The Dangerous Child
Tower World: Aztec
Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Tudor was the second-eldest sister of the current King of Great Britain, Edward. She had a head of wavy, golden hair and eyes as green as a morning lake. When she looked at people, those lake-like eyes always appeared innocent and clear, drawing others in completely.
Though not very old, she possessed a noble and elegant beauty, delicate and frail, which was distinct from the spirited wildness Zhao Jinyu sometimes revealed. If the latter was a sparrow flitting through a wild jungle, then Miss Tudor was like a canary kept in an exquisite cage.
Zhao Jinyu, who had yet to develop any thoughts on such matters, simply found her as pretty as a figure from a storybook and didn't think much more of it. Besides, her attention today was entirely captivated by the little white rabbit Miss Tudor was holding.
It was a real, genuine white rabbit.
"Jin, would you like to hold him?" Miss Tudor noticed Zhao Jinyu's gaze. She smiled and asked while stroking the little white rabbit in her arms. The light streaming through the spacious, bright French windows fell upon her, giving her an almost unbelievable beauty.
Zhao Jinyu immediately shook her head and turned her attention back to the book in her hands, though she still glanced over at the little white rabbit, whose mouth was twitching, as if waiting for it to suddenly speak.
"His name is Angie. He was a gift from Lady Seymour." Miss Tudor lowered her head and gently stroked the rabbit a few more times, explaining to Zhao Jinyu why she had a new pet with her today.
Lady Seymour was Catherine, the widow of the previous king, old Henry, and now married to the Lord Protector, Seymour. Before old Henry's death, she had taken Elizabeth Tudor under her care and had always treated her well, even convincing the old king to reinstate Elizabeth as one of the legitimate heirs to the throne.
This became the reason for Seymour's constant harassment of Elizabeth.
"Can it talk?" Zhao Jinyu suddenly asked a very silly question.
Miss Tudor laughed again. When she laughed, the corners of her mouth, which usually turned slightly downward, would curve up, making her look very different from when she wasn't smiling.
"I wish he could."
Zhao Jinyu grunted in acknowledgment, still puzzled. She had clearly sensed Little Rabbit's presence, but after all this time, her voice still hadn't sounded in her ear. She couldn't help but wonder if she was hallucinating from thinking about Little Rabbit too much.
After admiring Miss Tudor's beauty, Lin Sandie had finally decided what to say to Little Fool. Possessing the white rabbit, she manifested her Spirit Separation state, preparing to greet her.
But just as she was about to speak, she saw Little Fool looking at her with a disgusted expression that said, "I knew it." Unlike Miss Tudor's fair complexion, her skin was more delicate, and the healthy, wheat-colored tan she had before coming to Great Britain had lightened considerably. Her lips, which usually wore a bright and lively smile, were pressed into a thin line, and her clear, bright eyes were staring at her resentfully.
"Little Fool…"
Zhao Jinyu stood up, moving a meter away from the white rabbit in Miss Tudor's arms.
"Jin, don't you like rabbits?" The sensitive Miss Tudor noticed that the little eastern princess who had been sitting beside her seemed to dislike the rabbit in her arms. She stood up and handed it to the maidservant standing behind her.
"I don't," Zhao Jinyu said.
Lin Sandie felt a surge of frustration. This little brat used to want to be attached to her hip every day, and now she was this disgusted?
"Take him back to his cage," Miss Tudor told the maidservant.
"Yes." The maidservant acknowledged the order and left with the white rabbit, cutting off the conversation Lin Sandie had wanted to have.
If they were at Litt Manor, Lin Sandie could have directly grabbed a rabbit-related object in her Spirit Separation state and forced a conversation with Little Fool. Unfortunately, this was not their residence, Litt Manor.
Lin Sandie saw Zhao Jinyu make a face at her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Sensing Little Rabbit's exasperation, Zhao Jinyu's mood lifted. She rose onto her tiptoes and spun in a circle.
Having spent some time with her, Miss Tudor knew she had a lively and cheerful personality. Although she sometimes made strange movements, she found them quite adorable, so she just smiled and watched from the side.
"The snow outside is getting heavier. Why don't you stay at Field Manor tonight?"
Zhao Jinyu moved closer to Miss Tudor and sniffed her. She was a bit shorter than the other girl, and when she stood on her toes to smell her, she looked like a little puppy.
"I already bathed this morning," Miss Tudor said with amusement, taking Zhao Jinyu's hand. Zhao Jinyu had told her that in her homeland, people bathed every day. However, the religion previously revered in Great Britain did not encourage bathing, and some people might not wash more than twice in their entire lives, so they naturally didn't smell very pleasant.
But after the previous king's painful religious reformation, the new Protestant faith currently followed in Great Britain had no such restrictions.
"I can smell it. You used the floral water I gave you."
"Yes, I like it very much."
"Do you want to sleep together tonight?"
"I heard a very scary story earlier. I want to share it with you," Miss Tudor whispered into Zhao Jinyu's ear.
There were some things she couldn't tell anyone else, but Zhao Jinyu had always been a very kind listener.
Most of the "scary stories" she heard from the noble ladies were sources of points, so even if Zhao Jinyu didn't find them very frightening, she was happy to listen.
Little Rabbit couldn't always be by her side, so she had learned to complete missions and earn points on her own a long time ago.
A maidservant removed Miss Tudor's corset, revealing the white linen chemise underneath. She turned to look at Zhao Jinyu, who was already lying on the bed reading a book. Under the dim lamplight, her still-cherubic profile looked focused and warm.
In Miss Tudor's eyes, Zhao Jinyu was a girl so intelligent, diligent, and brave that she found it incredible.
"Jin, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?" Miss Tudor asked as she climbed into bed.
The maidservant helped her with the covers, and Zhao Jinyu obediently closed her book and handed it to the maid.
"I've already decided," Zhao Jinyu said, lying down beside Miss Tudor, her tone firm as she spoke of her future plans. "When I turn fifteen, I'll set off from Great Britain and travel east from France, taking the land route to Cathay. I want to record all the interesting things and scenery I see along the way… I'll write to you then, too."
"But that would be very dangerous," Miss Tudor said, turning on her side and propping her head on her arm. She looked at Zhao Jinyu with a hint of envy. She was younger than her, yet she was always so decisive, never subject to anyone's will. "Perhaps you should hire an army to protect you along the way."
"I can protect myself." Zhao Jinyu also turned onto her side, facing Miss Tudor. "I can shoot a bow, ride a horse, and I used to hunt often. I'm not afraid of people bigger than me…"
She trailed off as she spoke. Her eyesight was excellent, and with the stove burning in the room, she could see in the faint firelight that Miss Tudor's eyes were now wet, as if she were about to cry.
"Did he touch you again?"
"I wish I could go traveling with you," Miss Tudor said, hugging Zhao Jinyu and avoiding her question. Her voice was muffled. "Father said my mother committed adultery and had her head cut off. I became a bastard. Everyone knows it's not true, but no one dares to say it. I'm so scared that one day I'll be beheaded for something else."
"Lady Seymour is very good to me, but I… I don't know what the right thing to do is. Do you understand, Jin?"
As Miss Tudor spoke, her voice began to choke with sobs.
"Mm." Held tightly, Zhao Jinyu could only manage a muffled response, not knowing what to say to comfort her. After Miss Tudor had cried for a while, she looked up at her.
"You said you had a scary story. Can you tell me now?"
"Jin, you really are a child." Seeing Zhao Jinyu's bright eyes watching her in the darkness, Miss Tudor suddenly smiled a little. She raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face, and the two of them lay back down properly.
"Do you know about that large forest east of Durham?"
"Yes, George mentioned it. It's near his family's manor."
"They say there are witches there. They…" Miss Tudor began to tell Zhao Jinyu the "scary story" she had heard, continuing until she gradually fell asleep.
When Zhao Jinyu heard her breathing deepen, she gently removed Miss Tudor's hand from her stomach and wiggled her toes uncomfortably. She carefully climbed out from under the covers.
She liked Miss Tudor as a friend, which was why listening to her cry all the time was so annoying. To prevent herself from growing to dislike her because of future crying fits, Zhao Jinyu decided, right here and now, to go and chop up Lord Protector Seymour, the man who liked to sneak into Miss Tudor's room at night.
The light from the still-burning stove cast half a shadow on her delicate, gentle little face. Without lighting a lamp or putting on shoes, wearing only a white linen chemise, Zhao Jinyu silently opened the door. With the unique acuity of a Sentinel, she avoided waking the maid sleeping in the antechamber. Her bare feet padded across the magnificent carpet as she entered the corridor outside Miss Tudor's room.
Unlike the fire-warmed room, the corridor was as cold as an ice cellar and pitch-black, filled with an unpleasant smell. The only light was a sliver of moonlight shining through a window at the far end. Zhao Jinyu looked left and right, then headed toward Seymour's room, following the route from memory.
As she moved through the ancient manor, which had stood for over a century, Zhao Jinyu considered how to chop up the old man who liked to harass young girls.
As she turned into another corridor, an idea came to her: she would use her White Bear in its spirit form and have its paws tear Seymour to shreds.
But before she could reach Seymour's room, two hands appeared out of thin air. One covered her mouth, the other wrapped around her waist, and her entire body was pulled away.
"You need to calm down," Little Rabbit's voice sounded in her ear.
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