Chapter 116: The Price of Freedom

Luluti slowly raised her arm, her fingertips reaching towards the night sky.

It was as if, by simply rising onto her tiptoes, she could grasp the brilliant constellations in her hand.

Yalin watched her eyelashes, trembling faintly in the starlight, and suddenly understood.

He understood why she had gone to such great lengths, even disregarding the danger, to escape from the villa.

In less than half a year, she would officially become the heir to the Astria family.

From that moment onward, she would be burdened with the family’s future, subjected to rigorous education, complex social relations, and inescapable responsibilities.

But at least, that time had not yet come.

That was why she chose to indulge herself in these final moments.

She had insisted on escaping to fulfill a small, personal wish, to briefly be a true child once more.

‘Ah… that’s why they say young ladies are such trouble,’ Yalin thought.

Yalin chuckled helplessly. “So, Young Lady, are you satisfied today?”

“Hmph—it wasn’t bad, I suppose. As a memory, it was fairly decent.”

Luluti slowly lowered her arm, lifting her chin with an expression of proud disdain.

However, the next moment, something else occurred to her. She abruptly turned her head, baring her teeth at Yalin with a fierce pout.

“Remember, you can’t tell anyone what I just said! And, even though I mentioned ‘someone special,’ don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s only because I have no other friends; I had no choice but to use the process of elimination to pick you, understood?”

“Understood, Young Lady.”

Despite being inexplicably scolded, Yalin felt no anger whatsoever. His tone remained gentle. “Even if it was by elimination that I get to be by your side, Young Lady, I’m still very happy.”

“Hmph… What’s this, you’re quite eloquent, aren’t you?”

Though the surroundings were dim, one could still faintly discern Luluti’s two cat ears, now tinged a delicate pink.

She shyly tossed her small head to the side.

“Speaking of which, your tutor contract is almost up, isn’t it? It’s about time I said goodbye to you… But looking at how poor you are, if you ever truly fall so low you can’t even afford food, remember to come find me. For old times’ sake, I might even let you be my maid.”

“Ahaha, thank you for your kindness, Young Lady, but I’m a man.”

The night breeze swept gently past, rustling Luluti’s hair. Their shadows stretched long and elongated across the ground.

An atmosphere of quiet serenity settled between them.

But then, without any warning, Luluti halted.

Her two ears pricked up, twitching a few times, before she instinctively took two steps back.

“What’s wrong?”

Yalin asked, looking down, and saw her expression of alarm.

The next moment, he too sensed a dangerous presence.

It was the sound of footsteps, unhurried, drifting languidly from a distant alley.

‘Who could be wandering around here so late?’

‘If it’s just someone passing by, that’s fine, but what if…’

Before he could ponder further, a figure emerged from the opposite corner, now facing both of them.

The person’s stance was exceedingly bizarre, their legs bent at odd angles, as if they had been broken and then crudely reattached.

His body was filthy, his clothes tattered, even worse than a beggar’s. In his hand, he clutched a sharp knife, glinting with a faint, cold light under the stars.

From any angle, he did not appear to be a normal person.

“Well, well… Young Lady, what a coincidence…”

The man spoke slowly, his deep, hoarse voice indistinct, yet the murderous intent hidden within was glaringly obvious.

‘He… he knows me!?’

Luluti’s small face instantly turned ashen with terror. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and she shrank behind Yalin.

“Wh-who are you…?”

Her voice was dry, almost desperately squeezed from her throat.

“Heh heh, my name is Fav. No use telling you, though; you probably don’t remember it anymore, do you?”

Fav chuckled sinisterly, his shoulders beginning to tremble wildly.

“But I remember you! I’ll never forget you as long as I live! My whole damn life was ruined by you!”

His chest heaved violently, the long-accumulated resentment gushing out like a broken dam.

“My legs were crippled by you people! My wife died too! Haha… I have nothing left… I have nothing! It’s all because of you, you damn brat!!!”

He roared like a wounded beast, his cries laced with profound hatred.

Luluti felt a ringing in her ears, her chest seized by an icy grip, freezing her in place for a moment.

‘Fav. How could she not remember that name?’

‘He was the man who, to gather money for his wife’s treatment, had betrayed the merchant guild and leaked crucial information.’

‘When the matter came to light, he should have, by rights, been executed by the guild or beaten half to death as a warning to others.’

‘Yet, when he had cried on the ground, begging for mercy, pleading for his wife until his entire body trembled, she had softened.’

‘That was why Raymond had merely crippled Fav’s legs and then driven him away.’

‘She had thought the matter was settled then, but Luluti never imagined he would suddenly appear before her now.’

“Y-you were the one who made the mistake first! And it was I who begged Raymond not to kill you!”

Luluti stammered frantically, but Fav cut her off without mercy.

“Stop spouting nonsense! You, kind-hearted? Hahaha! I’ve already lost everything anyway. Before I die, I might as well drag you down with me! I’ll make sure you suffer the same pain!”

Fav’s mind seemed clouded now. His throat worked as he tightened his grip on the sharp knife, advancing step by step towards Luluti.

The overwhelming, surging killing intent that met her made Luluti’s legs give way, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Although she had received relevant education and guidance, knowing that in such moments one should remain calm, placate the other party, and offer incentives to protect one’s life.

Yet, she was ultimately just a young girl. The immense fear and pressure easily shattered the last defenses of her heart.

Luluti’s lips parted slightly, but her throat felt constricted, unable to utter a single word.

She could only cast a pleading gaze towards Yalin.

As things stood, Yalin was her only hope.

“You there, if you don’t want to die, get the hell out of my way!”

“Of course.”

Yalin didn’t hesitate for a moment. He immediately raised his hands and stepped aside, clearing the path.

“I have no grudge against you, I’m just a lowly worker. As long as you don’t kill me, you can do whatever you want.”