Chapter 6

Song Yuhuan was only an average Gomoku player.

She knew the first player could force a win, but she’d never studied the game.

After she won twice, she realized the maid was letting her win.

“You’re making it a little obvious.” Song Yuhuan frowned at the maid, who sat across from her.

At first, she’d thought the maid hadn’t noticed. But she’d made the same mistake the second time.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed. It was downright bizarre.

The maid looked up at her, puzzled. “Isn’t winning a good thing?”

“Winning is good. Being allowed to win isn’t as much fun.” Song Yuhuan rested her chin on her hand.

The maid watched Song Yuhuan’s expression and thought for a few seconds. “I’m sorry.”

Song Yuhuan: ?

Song Yuhuan put down her piece. “I don’t want to play anymore. Do you have a book? Read to me.”

“What would you like to hear?” The maid looked up again.

Song Yuhuan thought for three seconds. “A history book? It sounds like it might put me to sleep.”

“All right.” The maid stood and went to find one.

By the time the maid returned, Song Yuhuan was already lying in bed.

She closed her eyes, but her mind was wide awake.

Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe she was incredibly unlucky.

The maid had picked a history book she was actually interested in… It was about the Central War of 1824.

As Song Yuhuan listened, she turned onto her side and opened her eyes. She stared, stunned.

Oh my god. Where have they brought me?

This really was a world of magic!

A world of vampires, beastfolk, and mages.

Thinking of the bloodless body at school that afternoon, Song Yuhuan felt a cold sweat break out across her skin.

No. School wasn’t the main problem right now. It was the maid behind her.

What kind of creature could live this long?

Did the three-year cycle mean she drained her victims of blood and killed them?

Song Yuhuan pulled the covers up around herself. She knew they wouldn’t help, but being wrapped up gave her a little comfort.

“Are you cold?” the maid asked.

“No.” Song Yuhuan yawned. “Keep reading.”

“All right.”

Song Yuhuan had no idea when she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was morning.

She pushed herself upright. Her mind, which had been asleep all night, was finally working again.

She hadn’t dreamed last night, either.

Why can’t I have a peaceful life and a good night’s sleep at the same time?

She wanted to punch this wretched world in the face.

Song Yuhuan got up and washed. She went downstairs before the maid came to get her.

She’d slept well and felt alert, but she was in a foul mood. Especially when she saw the maid’s smile. The woman seemed to have only one expression.

Song Yuhuan paid special attention to how the maid and the other servants interacted. They never spoke to each other, as if they were two production lines that never met.

The maid seemed to handle every part of Song Yuhuan’s life.

After breakfast, Song Yuhuan sighed and got into the car.

School was as peaceful as ever. Yesterday’s death hadn’t made the slightest difference.

Song Yuhuan sat at her desk and looked at the words in her textbook, but she couldn’t take any of them in.

She tapped the desk twice.

She had to do something today.

Three years were almost up.

She didn’t know the exact date. It could be tomorrow or next month.

The threat of a death she could see coming hung over her head.

She didn’t want to die.

Even though her life was miserable.

She still wanted to live. She’d always believed that other than death from old age, only a person had the right to decide what happened to their life. No one else did.

She’d been living through this unpleasant existence since she was little. How could she die here?

At lunchtime, the students headed to the cafeteria in groups of two or three.

Song Yuhuan suddenly realized that she was the only one walking alone. Everyone else was with someone.

She got her food and sat at a random table. After she finished eating, she didn’t leave. She stayed where she was, sitting quietly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone coming up behind her. She stood abruptly. The person couldn’t dodge in time and ran into her. Food splattered all over her, sauce and soup running down her coat and dripping onto her hand.

Though she’d known what might happen when she decided to do it, Song Yuhuan still frowned.

She looked up. The other person looked at her in horror.

The cafeteria had already been quiet, but now it fell completely silent. Everyone looked over. Whenever Song Yuhuan looked back at them, they averted their eyes.

“I-I’m sorry.”

His voice shook.

Perhaps because Song Yuhuan didn’t respond, the boy dropped to his knees with a thud the next second and began banging his head against the floor.

She smelled blood. As soon as she did, Song Yuhuan glanced around.

Everyone looked even more alarmed.

Song Yuhuan looked down at him.

To be honest, when she’d decided to do this, she’d imagined all sorts of possible outcomes… but never this.

Song Yuhuan wanted to say something, but didn’t.

The more she said, the more likely she was to give herself away.

She glanced at the boy on the floor and left.

The sound of him banging his head continued behind her.

Song Yuhuan was annoyed. She took off her coat, tossed it into the trash, and went to wash her hands.

She looked up at herself in the mirror.

They were all terrified of her.

Why?

They weren’t afraid of corpses, but they were afraid of her?

She leaned closer to the mirror.

Normal skin. Normal teeth.

She looked like an ordinary person.

Was it because her family was rich? But not rich enough to make someone kneel and bang his head.

And their expressions had all changed at once. They could walk past a corpse without even looking at it.

What would happen to the boy who’d bumped into her in the cafeteria?

To find out, Song Yuhuan deliberately engineered another collision with a classmate.

The maid soon arrived to take her home. She’d brought juice and dessert for Song Yuhuan to have on the way.

Song Yuhuan drank her juice and watched the scenery outside.

“The person who bumped into me just now…” She paused, then turned to the maid.

She didn’t continue. She was waiting for the maid to fill in the blank.

“How would you like me to deal with him?” the maid asked, looking at Song Yuhuan gently.

Unfortunately, the maid hadn’t understood what she meant.

Deal with him?

Song Yuhuan repeated the words to herself.

She fell silent for a few seconds, wrestling with the decision. Then she made up her mind. “Do what you’ve always done.”

The word “deal” clearly suggested an unpleasant outcome.

But she didn’t have a choice.

The thing that had brought her here was to blame.

“All right,” the maid said.

Song Yuhuan took a sip of juice, then looked into the maid’s eyes. “I want to see.”

“All right.”