Chapter 34: She Didn’t~
Uncle Lin quickly left. Shortly after, Lin Yan returned to the suite with Xiaoya and Xiaona.
However, they found Xu Bai back in her worn linen clothes.
“Why did you…” Lin Yan looked surprised, but Xu Bai just shook her head silently.
“Alright, if that’s what you prefer,” Lin Yan said, resigned. She hadn’t expected Xu Bai’s aversion to the maid uniform to be so strong.
She gestured, and Xiaoya and Xiaona brought a smaller, more ornate box to Xu Bai.
“Banquet dresses can be complicated to put on, and you probably don’t have much experience… Xiaoya and Xiaona will help you!” Lin Yan smiled, pushing the reluctant Xiaoya and the impassive Xiaona towards Xu Bai.
Xu Bai glanced up, nodding slightly. “Okay.”
She wasn’t focused on the dress. Her mind was still reeling from Uncle Lin’s words.
“Vikarn… Demon Hunters…”
“Ice Lily mentioned Vikarn too… but I thought she had just misspoken…”
These cryptic hints from Uncle Lin filled Xu Bai with unease.
They seemed connected to her fragmented, fabricated memories…
And what about the “Weapon of Vikarn”?
Xu Bai had a strong feeling this so-called weapon was somehow deeply connected to her. Sister Neily’s dying words echoed in her mind.
“My mission as the key is over…” Key? A key is for unlocking… did Sister Neily unlock something?
“Could it be…?”
A terrifying possibility crossed Xu Bai’s mind, but she pushed it away.
Lin Yan, seeing Xu Bai lost in thought again, her eyes blank with confusion, frowned slightly, then quickly masked her expression.
It seemed Uncle Lin had said something to upset her.
However, Lin Yan wasn’t concerned about Uncle Lin’s secrecy. She was used to it. A soldier’s duty was to obey, and she always followed her family’s orders without question.
Just like accepting the position of Garrison Commander, continuing to serve in the very Knights that constantly reminded her of her painful past.
Xiaoya and Xiaona fussed over Xu Bai, carefully removing her linen clothes—thankfully, not the maid uniform, which would have been more difficult to remove without her cooperation.
To their surprise, they found Xu Bai’s skin almost entirely covered in bandages, glimpses of pale skin showing through the gaps.
“This…”
Xiaona hesitated, but Xiaoya reached out to remove them.
“Leave the bandages,” Lin Yan’s voice stopped her. “Just put the dress on. The bandages won’t be a problem.”
Lin Yan knew Xu Bai was hiding something, and these bandages were likely part of it. Even if they weren’t, it would be inappropriate to remove them without permission.
“Yes, Miss.” Xiaoya withdrew her hand, opening the box and starting to dress Xu Bai.
Xiaona, meanwhile, picked up a makeup kit and began applying light makeup to Xu Bai’s face.
“Alright, I should get changed as well,” Lin Yan smiled, picking up another box and entering the bedroom.
Although she had joined the Knights at the age of twelve, after her coming-of-age ceremony, she had attended numerous banquets since childhood, as a member of one of the Empire’s most prominent families, and was familiar with the intricacies of formal attire.
…
A while later, as Lin Yan finally managed to put on the troublesome banquet dress, she heard a soft gasp from the main room.
“What’s wrong?” She lifted the long skirt and opened the bedroom door.
She saw Xu Bai staring at her reflection in the mirror, her hands trembling as she tried to wipe off the makeup.
Xiaoya and Xiaona held her arms tightly, preventing her from ruining their hard work.
“Miss, she… she…” Xiaoya’s voice was almost tearful. “She’s so strong…”
“Bai, what’s wrong?” Lin Yan grabbed Xu Bai’s arms, surprised by the unexpected strength, almost losing her grip.
Thankfully, Xu Bai relaxed slightly, her breathing ragged.
But she kept her head down, avoiding Lin Yan’s gaze.
“Did you play a prank on her?” Lin Yan turned to the twins.
“No, no…” They shook their heads vigorously. Xiaoya added, “Not only that, but we made her look very, very pretty. Even prettier than before…”
“Then why—”
Lin Yan looked back at Xu Bai, her words catching in her throat.
As if resigned to the inevitable, Xu Bai raised her head, meeting Lin Yan’s gaze.
Seeing Xu Bai’s face, Lin Yan was speechless.
“See? Isn’t she beautiful!” Xiaoya said proudly.
Indeed, she was beautiful, breathtakingly so…
Xiaona’s makeup skills were exceptional. She had almost perfectly recreated Xu Bai’s appearance before the transformation, except for the silver hair.
Lin Yan, as Garrison Commander, was naturally familiar with this face.
“…Does Uncle Lin know?” Lin Yan sighed, then answered her own question. “No, he must know.”
No wonder…
“Actually, I’m not who you think I am,” Xu Bai said calmly, referring to the demon.
The demon on the wanted posters.
Seeing her reflection in the mirror Xiaoya offered, Xu Bai had reacted instinctively, but she had calmed down now.
“I thought so,” Lin Yan suddenly smiled. “I believe you. We’re friends.”
“Yes, friends,” Xu Bai sighed in relief, looking at her reflection again, resisting the urge to wipe off the makeup.
“Good, Bai, my friend.” Lin Yan’s smile brightened. “You look really beautiful now… especially in this dress, just like mine. It suits you.”
“Really? It suits…” Xu Bai looked up, seeing a different Lin Yan than usual, wearing a light purple, low-cut gown, its long skirt gathered in her hand, a hint of her cleavage visible, just like the noble ladies in Xu Bai’s memories.
But then, Xu Bai looked down at herself, trembling—
The same low-cut gown, except she had nothing to fill it.
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