Chapter 181: She Wanted to Live
The early winter night, with its cold, howling wind, was quiet and peaceful.
Sitting by the warm fireplace, a cup of hot tea in hand, a glass of wine, enjoying the cozy atmosphere… Lena loved this feeling.
Knock, knock, knock—
The wind rattled the windowpane like a giant hand.
Lena looked up, a flash of crimson in the dark night, a sign of a visitor. She got up and opened the window.
“It’s been too long!”
A golden shadow entered the study, bringing with it a chill and the scent of iron.
The haughty bloodkin occupied the only comfortable armchair in the study, addressing Lena with a commanding tone. “Where’s my goods?”
She sounded like a mob boss, her voice demanding.
“In the drawer.”
Lena gestured towards the drawer, a faint smile on her lips.
“Oh…” Molly had intended to feign indifference, but her dry throat and rumbling stomach betrayed her, and she quickly retrieved a blood bag, tearing it open and gulping down its contents…
“Haa—”
She drank without any grace, her small, white feet propped up on the desk, her toes, like garlic cloves, exuding a creamy scent, curling and uncurling.
“Still as exquisite as ever, no matter how many times I drink it.”
She looked at Lena, her expression satisfied. “Did you dilute it? I can tell with a single sip. Good quality, human, you’ve kept your promise, I’ll be back for more…”
She tossed a sack onto the floor, letting Lena choose whatever she wanted.
The sack contained paintings, jewels, and various magic tools Lena had never seen before.
But these weren’t what Lena wanted. “I heard that when your kind is nearing extinction, you capture humans and turn them into bloodkin, can you give me a demonstration?”
“Huh?”
Molly scoffed.
“Is your brain damaged? Or did I mishear? Turning into a bloodkin?”
A joke.
Although she still had her Embrace, she wouldn’t turn Lena into a bloodkin.
Angel would kill her…
“Just kidding, don’t mind me,” Lena dropped the disturbing topic. “Back to business, can I take a dip in the bloodkin’s forbidden pool?”
“…I think an Embrace would be more practical.”
Molly’s expression remained calm, but her mind was in turmoil.
How did Lena know about the forbidden pool?
The Crimson Pool, hidden deep within the bloodkin’s territory, a place even she wasn’t allowed to enter, and Lena wanted her to take her there, a place where a single dip could greatly enhance one’s power, granting an understanding of Blood Magic?!
“I understand you’re not qualified yet, you can owe me this favor, repay it when you have the power.”
Lena wasn’t in a hurry, she knew Molly was.
Molly, true to her word, a proud bloodkin who never broke a promise, wouldn’t do anything to shame her clan.
So Lena confidently extended her offer.
“I can’t agree.”
Molly had her reasons.
“Only the Bloodkin Duke and the True Ancestor are allowed near the Crimson Pool, or those who have made significant contributions to the clan, I can’t fulfill this promise.”
“That’s why I said you can owe me, you won’t lose anything, and you can still enjoy my blood every day, it’s a win-win situation.”
Lena’s words made Molly hesitate.
“But what if I can never fulfill it…?”
“Then it’s just my bad luck~”
Lena shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“In other words, I’ll only get my reward when you become the Bloodkin Duke, but bloodkin have long lifespans, I might die of old age before then…”
A risk-free investment.
Molly seemed to have seen through Lena’s scheme!
Her eyes lit up. “Fine, I agree, I’ll take you to the Crimson Pool! But you have to provide me with three meals a day… well, not that much, one meal is enough for me.”
“It’s a deal.”
They shook hands, both believing they had gotten the better end of the bargain.
“And I don’t want you to suffer too much…” Molly rummaged through her bag, then took out a dusty piece of human skin, handing it to Lena.
“What’s this?”
“A treasure map.” Molly dusted off her hands, leaving two black smudges on the white wall. “A map to a Divine Artifact, an ancient relic, although it’s just a fragment, consider it a meeting gift.”
“A Divine Artifact!”
Lena looked at her right hand.
Speaking of Divine Artifacts, her demonic power could also be considered one, any gift from the gods was called a “Divine Artifact.”
“See? I knew you would be interested, but Divine Artifacts are not so easily obtained, and this fragment, I acquired it from an explorer after much effort, honestly, I can’t guarantee it will lead to anything, so proceed with caution.”
She had absolved herself of any responsibility.
The map was yours now, whether you found anything or not, don’t come looking for her, no refunds.
Lena, helpless, could only accept it for now.
“Hmph, not bad, I’m leaving now, see you next week.”
Molly, pleased with her gains, said goodbye at the window.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, the hero will arrive in the Imperial City tomorrow morning. If you want to do something, it’s best to act first. You know, humans are always driven by profit, countless eyes are on this big fish, everyone thinks they’ll be the winner, earning the hero’s favor…”
Molly spread her wings, the cold wind ruffling her golden hair, her expression cold and arrogant.
“Thank you for the information.”
Lena was grateful for the news.
“You’re welcome, I enjoy our current partnership, Lena.” Molly wiped her lips, her smile widening. “If only you were my kin…”
“So, considering an Embrace?”
Lena ended with a joke.
“Forget it, I don’t have the habit of dragging others down, eternity isn’t always a blessing, you have to understand, bloodkin also have their troubles.”
With those words, Molly disappeared into the night.
Lena watched her leave, closing the window and sitting back down, her hands on her forehead, lost in thought.
She had to think about how to approach the hero…
That high and mighty flower, blooming on a cold cliff, would she bring surprise or terror? Lena had to find out before anyone else, she couldn’t afford to be betrayed and hunted down like in her past life…
Her initial goal had changed—
She wanted to live.
