Chapter 33: Malice Perception

“Nia… my lady…”

“Can… you… see…?”

“…instructions…”

A fragmented voice sounded in Dounia’s ears.

In the quiet room, there was only the somewhat dim yellow light.
On the bed, a silver-haired, red-eyed beautiful girl was like a sleeping fairy.

Her long, silvery hair was scattered softly on the pillow, as if it were congealed moonlight, each strand shining with a mysterious and charming luster.

Her exquisitely delicate face was as warm and smooth as suet jade, appearing even more translucent under the dim, hazy light.
Her long eyelashes trembled like a butterfly’s wings, as if she were in a dream.

“Mmm…”

Dounia unconsciously let out a mumble in her sleep and turned over, hugging the quilt.

She hugged the quilt tightly, as if it were her only reliance in the world.
Her arms wrapped around it, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of the quilt, seemingly seeking a sense of security in her subconscious.

“Lady Dounia…”

The voice lingering by Dounia’s ear made her body tremble.
She curled up into a ball as if having a nightmare, shivering slightly.

The scene in the dream suddenly changed.
The magnificent hall turned into a dim, lightless room.

A figure in a dark red, crudely made hooded cloak appeared beside some junk in the darkness.
It tiptoed from the connection between the train cars and slipped into another car, leaving only a dark red shadow that flashed by in an instant.

Long, silky silver hair floated gently in the night sky.
Her red pupils were like burning flames, filled with determination and resolve.

The young girl looked at herself in the glass of the compartment.

“Is this… me?”

Dounia’s groggy, hazy consciousness awoke a little.

She followed her body’s instincts, or rather, she didn’t need to control her body; it would walk automatically.

Dounia carefully arrived at the door of the train’s control room.
After listening with her ear to the door for a moment, she took out a small and exquisite set of tools from her clothes and skillfully began to pick the lock.

With a soft click, the young girl quickly slipped into the control room.
Looking at the precise instrument panel, she took out a lantern she carried from under her cloak and smashed it with a crack.

Boom—

The entire train control room was instantly engulfed in a sea of fire.

“Is this the inside of the Snow Country Express’s control room? It looks quite impressive.” Dounia, following the “camera” of the dream, curiously observed her surroundings as she slowly turned around.

But this turn was like bumping into a mountain peak.

She fell to the ground in a sorry state, the flames slowly closing in on her.

Dounia slowly raised her head, only to see a blood-red vertical pupil in the darkness!

Long, dark red hair was like extending fiery serpents.
The tall, thin figure, also clad in a cloak, seemed to have its face shrouded in a gloomy thundercloud, its heart full of roaring rage pouring out.

She seized Dounia’s neck with one hand and lifted her up.

“Ugh—”

“Dorothea?” a female voice devoid of emotional fluctuation sounded.

“Let go… of me…” Dounia kicked her little feet desperately and futilely.

Her pupils widened slightly.

‘This is Alicia Alvarez?’

“Pleasure’s scum, go to hell!”

Alicia swung the longsword in her hand, easily severing her head.
The scene plunged into a deep red, like an abyss of blood and fire.

Whoosh—

The quilt was thrown off.
Dounia sat up from the bed, still shaken as she touched her neck.

“Phew—phew—I’m okay… I almost became a flying head demon.” Dounia could still hear her own heart pounding.

Her mouth dry, she reached for the cold mineral water on the table, twisted open the cap, and drank deeply.

The cold liquid slid down her esophagus.
Dounia drank a full half bottle of water before she managed to calm down a little.

“Was this just a pure dream… or a spiritual warning from me, or perhaps…”

Dounia thought of that thundercloud-like shadow, and she had tested that feeling of being able to sniff out malice on the guard Julie before.

‘Could it be “Malice Perception”?’

‘Is it a passive skill? Even from such a great distance, I can feel Alicia’s malice?’

Dounia gradually frowned.

“That’s not right.”

“Does Alicia even know who I am? Why would she have malice toward me?”

“Even if it’s because I stole her white moonlight, she wouldn’t be so yandere as to knife me on sight, right?” Dounia narrowed her eyes, analyzing carefully.

“At this point in the timeline, she should be the type who harbors hatred, but not to the extent of killing people casually.”

A little demon popped out from Dounia’s shoulder, spinning in the air.

“Little Dounia is so troubled~ Let Lilith give you some advice~”

Dounia’s face fell at once.

“Full of rhyming couplets, are you studying for the postgraduate entrance exam?”

“What is ‘roasting salt’?” Lilith asked with a curious look. “Will that make it taste better?”

Dounia stared strangely at this unreliable Goddess of Pleasure.
Sometimes she even suspected if this fellow, devoid of divine authority and integrity, was an imposter.

‘But… since she could create a system for me to use, she should be the real deal.’

“The answer is simple.”

“Ta-da~” Lilith raised her two matchstick-sized little arms high. “It’s the effect of Malice Perception!~”

Dounia’s eyebrow twitched.
She completely ignored the goddess who was trying to be cute. “How do you know?”

“Because it’s a little gift I bestowed upon Dounia.”

‘She can grant me abilities through forbidden knowledge?’ Dounia frowned.

‘She didn’t remember Lilith being on the psychology path.’

“It’s the Deeper Consciousness. The Deeper Consciousness Society granted you the ability,” Lilith emphasized, wagging her finger.

“Then?”

“Don’t be in a hurry. Your act of loyal pleasure offering has deeply touched my heart. My heart is greatly pleased!

“My most beloved little Apostle, accept my reward!”

The bat wings on Lilith’s back suddenly lit up with a bright pinkish-purple.
She tossed it upward, and a golden chalice filled with a pinkish-purple liquid traced a beautiful parabola, rapidly growing in size and landing in Dounia’s hands, turning into a palm-sized cup.

Gurgle, gurgle.

The unstable pinkish-purple liquid sloshed gently in the chalice, its intoxicating fragrance making Dounia’s whole body tingle.

“What… what the hell is this?” Dounia subconsciously wanted to throw the cup away, but she was even more afraid that the liquid inside would leak out and cause even more uncontrollable effects.

“Hehe.” Lilith gave a mysterious smile, which made her cute face look even more evil. “This is called the Chalice of Malice~ It’s a matching set with your ability.”

‘Chalice of Malice…? The name sounds familiar.’

“Aren’t you curious what the liquid inside is?” Lilith asked.

“I don’t want to know…” Dounia tried to control herself not to look at the pinkish-purple liquid in the chalice, but she couldn’t stop her curiosity and looked into it.

The viscous pinkish-purple liquid roiled and steamed, pulling out sticky, long white threads, like a woven spider’s web.

“What this holds is the source of corruption born because of you,” Lilith said with a smile. “In other words, ‘original sin’.”

“Now, concentrate and twist it into a single rope,” Lilith persuaded. “Then shake the chalice and immerse your spiritual power in it.”

Dounia hesitated, but still cautiously controlled her spiritual power to slide down along the fine and complex carved patterns on the golden cup’s wall.

Like falling into a dream, the scene before her eyes gradually peeled away and dissipated, as if covered by countless rising feathers.

Beneath the steaming mist, a flushed, hot profile came into her view.

Dounia’s eyes widened.

“M-Miss Adelle?”

“Lilith, let me out of here, ahhhhh!!!”