After Harvey drove off, Veil headed upstairs, muttering to himself with a hint of irritation, "How long do you plan on eavesdropping?"
Just as he stepped into the bedroom, Blood Mandala silently followed behind him.
As one of the top three assassins on the killer rankings, Blood Mandala’s stealth techniques were unparalleled. Even soone as experienced as Harvey, a seasoned police officer, couldn’t detect her presence.
Unfortunately, in front of Veil, her skills were completely useless.
In fact, part of what he had said earlier was deliberately ant for Blood Mandala’s ears.
If Harvey had to sever ties with Caden Voss on her own, why not drag Blood Mandala into it too?
After all, the one being suppressed... was her biological mother.
With practiced ease, Veil had her strung up again.
"My, aren’t you bold? You actually dared to eavesdrop on ?"
Blood Mandala gritted her teeth. "Veil, what you said to my sister... was all of it true? That man... is he still alive?"
She didn’t refer to him as her father. Her mind was clearly in turmoil.
"Do you even understand your position right now? Do you think you’re in any place to question ?"
Blood Mandala couldn’t hold back anymore. "Veil, I will never forgive you. One day, I swear I’ll kill you with my own hands!"
"Oh? Then do it now. Go on—kill !"
"You bastard!"
Her furious curses and wild roars filled the room, the kind of shouting that would make anyone think there was so deep hatred between them.
But Veil knew better.
The sudden surge of rage?
Sothing felt off.
It was like she was trying to provoke him on purpose... trying to get a reaction out of him.
Why?
Veil picked up a set of dical tools, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Judging by her expression, it looked like Blood Mandala had gotten used to these "treatnts."
It seed the recent sessions had been... rather fruitful.
Still, he knew better than to rush things. Push too hard, and she might break. Let up too much, and the tension would fade.
As a divine physician, his treatnt continued.
The needles he used were thick, yet sohow perfectly suited for Blood Mandala. From the stubborn but vaguely satisfied look on her face, it was clear she had beco... accustod.
Seeing that, Veil only increased the pressure. The more she resisted, the faster his hands moved.
Blood Mandala’s eyes slowly grew hazy.
Veil looked at her with a faint smirk. "Such a contradictory woman."
...
Blood Mandala took a deep breath, her eyes locked onto Veil with seething hatred.
"I swear, I want to tear the flesh from your bones!"
Well, that ca out of nowhere.
Veil figured he’d toyed with her long enough. Perhaps it was ti to grant her a small request?
Since she brought it up, he might as well oblige... just this once.
Out of sheer kindness, he let Blood Mandala fulfill her little "wish."
Ding! Host has conquered the female lead: Blood Mandala. Congratulations! You’ve gained 100,000 Villain Points. (Due to Blood Mandala’s special physique, Destiny Villain Points are doubled as a reward.)
Veil turned her around so she was facing him.
At that mont, Blood Mandala was completely dazed. Her beautiful eyes stared blankly ahead, mind emptied, like soone who had suddenly developed amnesia.
"Treatnt should always be gradual. Now that the first phase is over, it’s ti to begin phase two. How are you feeling?"
Veil gently asked about the patient’s condition.
Blood Mandala blinked slowly. After a long pause, she finally ca to her senses. Her eyes narrowed, her voice filled with venom.
"I want to rip you apart... I want to—"
She stopped halfway through, faltering. Fear flickered in her eyes.
"Oh? Looks like your condition still needs work."
Clearly, her resistance suggested deeper ailnts—ones that needed a stronger dose.
Veil released her from the hook with one hand, rubbing his lower back with the other. "Still, treatnt is a process. Can’t rush it. Take tomorrow night off and get so rest."
Blood Mandala left, dragging herself along the wall as she walked.
Before leaving, her eyes lingered on Veil’s hand pressing against his back.
A strange feeling rose within her.
It felt... as if this ti, maybe—just maybe—she had won.
Perhaps this was the first ti, since the mont they t, that she had ever gained the upper hand.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully conquered the female lead, Blood Mandala. Villain Points 100,000.
(Due to Blood Mandala’s unique physique, Villain Points have been doubled as a special reward.)
Veil turned Blood Mandala’s body toward him, making her face him directly.
At this mont, Blood Mandala was dazed and delirious. Her once sharp and alert eyes now stared blankly ahead, her mind completely fogged over like soone who had suddenly slipped into senility.
"Healing requires a gradual, step-by-step process," Veil said softly, his tone gentle like a seasoned doctor. "Now that the first round of treatnt is complete, it’s ti to begin the second. How are you feeling?"
Blood Mandala’s gaze was still vacant. It took a while before she finally regained so clarity, then locked her eyes on Veil with gritted teeth. "I wish I could rip you apart and dev—kill you!"
Her tone faltered halfway through, clearly shaken. The fury in her voice wavered, laced with an odd sense of fear.
"Oh? Looks like you still need more treatnt," Veil comnted with a faint smile.
Her resistance only confird that her ’illness’ still lingered—there were deeper problems yet to be resolved. And that ant it was ti to increase the dosage.
He gently unhooked Blood Mandala and let her down. Stretching his back with one hand while massaging his waist with the other, he offered her a rare bit of leniency. "Healing is a process—you can’t rush it. Take the night off tomorrow. Don’t co."
Blood Mandala left without another word, walking along the wall for support. But just before stepping out, she paused and glanced back at the hand Veil had used to massage his lower back.
A strange feeling welled up in her chest.
Sohow... in so inexplicable way... it felt like she had just scored a win over Veil.
This was probably the first ti she’d ever gained the upper hand since eting him.
...
The next day, to give Lyra so proper face, Veil made a rare visit to Veyport University.
There were no classes scheduled for the afternoon, so when Julia called, he didn’t hesitate to head over.
As soon as he stepped through the front door, Julia ca running—wearing a frilly Lolita dress, her long legs wrapped in soft white thigh-high stockings. She launched herself into his arms like a homing pigeon, throwing both arms around his neck and snuggling her cheek lovingly against it.
"Brother! Brother!" she pouted softly, her voice milky and tender. Her lips kept forming words as if she wanted to pour out everything she’d been holding in—but all she managed was "brother."
Nothing else would co out.
Veil chuckled and patted her head affectionately. He almost considered handing out a yellow card for charging while dribbling—but then again, this kind of full-body tackle was fine. He was sturdy enough to take it.
"What’s wrong?" he asked gently. "Did soone at school pick on you again? Or is it sothing to do with your father?"
He tried to set her down, but his hand slipped—accidentally pressing into her soft, springy thigh.
"Whoops," he said awkwardly. "My hand slipped. You’ve got ridiculously smooth skin."
"Mhm..." Julia lowered her head, blushing like a student caught sneaking snacks in class, eyes fixed firmly on his shoes.
Why wasn’t she looking at her own little white shoes?
Because she couldn’t see them anymore, obviously.
Despite her young age, Julia had remarkable emotional intelligence.
Take now for example. She had a nagging suspicion: Why had her brother’s hand slipped inside her skirt?
She couldn’t figure it out—so she chose not to think about it. She wasn’t about to ask either. What if next ti... his hand didn’t "slip"?
"It’s not that," she said finally. "No one at school dares to ss with . And that bad man—he hasn’t co looking for or sister either. He even told us to move back in with him, but we refused!"
Hmph!
Thinking of that despicable father made Julia puff up in anger.
Calling them when he needed sothing and discarding them when he didn’t? Did he think they were puppies or sothing?
She didn’t need a dad. She had her brother.
Veil didn’t say a word—he just smiled faintly.
People were like that. The older they got, the more they clung to their children.
Especially soone like Kosdy, a stubborn old fool.
He’d once placed all his hopes in his son, cherishing that boy above all else. But the son was gone now—along with the grandchildren that son had fathered, lost in that heartless chaos.
So with nowhere else to direct his affections, of course he turned to his daughters.
Just then, Jodie ca out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup, her warm smile lighting up the room. "Haven’t eaten yet, right? Co over, yours is all ready."
She wore a crisp white t-shirt under a fitted blazer, paired with an ultra-short skirt that stopped just two inches above her knees. The outfit clung to her curves and emphasized her stunning figure.
Her long, black-stockinged legs were sleek and toned—smooth, firm, and perfectly proportioned.
Not an ounce too much. Not a fraction too little.
Veil gave her a long, thoughtful look, the corners of his mouth quirking up in amusent.
Julia dressing up for him he could understand—she was a little flower girl, after all, always wanting to look good in front of her favorite person.
But Jodie?
She had taken the day off work. Why was she dressed like that—especially to cook?
Who the hell wore sothing like that just to make soup in the kitchen?
What on earth was she plotting?
"Brother," Julia chirped, hugging Veil’s arm tightly. "Will you take and sister out this afternoon? We’ve got two days off!"
She looked giddy with excitent, but when she noticed her sister’s sharp, warning glance, she just smiled mischievously.
"I love studying, really!" she added quickly. "But the school said we couldn’t stay—our classroom was taken by the older students for their exams. So an, right? They didn’t even leave a place to learn!"
Veil smirked and patted her head again. "Your love for learning has truly moved . But I never expected soone your age to face hardship with such optimism. It’s... admirable."
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