Chapter 90 : Sisters
Silence. A silence as though death itself had descended.
That smiling face inspired no comfort whatsoever. The right eye half-concealed beneath her bangs flickered faintly into view from ti to ti. On the surface, she appeared calm and composed; beneath it, killing intent lay hidden beneath a veneer of false gentleness.
Ellie swallowed. The tallic taste of blood in her mouth constantly stabbed at her nerves, forcing her to remain fully alert, not daring to relax even slightly.
“How much… I… I can compensate you…” she stamred.
“Compensate? Heh… hahaha…”
Baifuli laughed as she gently shook her head, her posture still elegant. With every soft laugh, Ellie trembled in response, which pleased her greatly.
She inhaled slowly and spoke in an unhurried tone. “This dress cannot be asured in money. It is a one-of-a-kind work of art. There is only this one in the world — it is the crystallization of a life.”
“The tailor stitched her lifelong passion, her final breath, and her tears into every needle and every thread.”
Her fingertips lovingly caressed the intricate embroidery. “When she completed the final step and presented this perfect creation to , can you guess what she said?”
She paused, then leaned slightly forward, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “With tears in her eyes, yet smiling, she told , [Thank you for granting
this honor]. And then…”
She shrugged lightly and spread her hands, both helpless and regretful. “She departed with supre satisfaction, resting forever. Her soul has rged with this dress. Is that not sacred?”
Ellie’s face turned even paler. Her stomach churned violently. She understood the horrific, blood-soaked truth hidden beneath those gentle words.
“I still rember that tailor thanking
to the very end… ah, forgive . I have spoken too much and wasted our ti.”
She wore an expression of mild annoyance, yet in Ellie’s eyes she looked no different from a demon crawling out of hell.
“So… such a precious dress. Even I must cherish it dearly. What will you use to compensate ?”
Baifuli tapped her cheek thoughtfully, then kindly offered an answer. “Money? But money is the least valuable thing of all. I do not lack it. Using sothing I have in abundance to compensate for sothing precious — do you find that fair?”
“N-no… I am sorry… truly sorry…” Ellie babbled incoherently.
“Saying sorry is not enough.” Baifuli lifted a finger and gently raised Ellie’s chin, forcing her to look up. “What I require is equal compensation. Since the tailor offered her life, then you, who caused the damage, should also offer equivalent sincerity, should you not?”
“For example… why not accompany the dress?”
“What do you think? It sounds wonderful, does it not?” She covered her mouth again, laughing lightly, maintaining the poise of a lady throughout. “Surely you would feel honored. It is a rare opportunity worthy of pride.”
“And as for … I will accept your gratitude. There is no need to say it aloud. I will understand. And do not cry.”
When her words finally ended, Ellie felt utterly tornted. Each syllable intensified the terror in her heart.
Even the tears gathering in her eyes seed frozen by fear, clinging to the corners without falling, trembling with her body.
“You are silent. Are you dissatisfied?”
“N-no… do not… you cannot do this…” Ellie hugged her arms tightly and shook her head frantically.
“Oh? And why not?”
Perhaps truly frightened out of her senses, she blurted without thinking, “I am from the Hatherin Family… you cannot touch
so casually! You cannot!”
“My master is Vivian… I am her personal maid…”
At those words, Baifuli’s smile froze for half a second, then widened even further. Under Ellie’s locked gaze, she rose slowly to her feet.
She remained silent for a long mont, arms folded, fingers touching her chin as if in thought. “Hatherin… Vivian…”
Suddenly she giggled, her shoulders shaking. “What a coincidence. How touching… mm, congratulations. I have changed my mind.”
For an instant, Ellie thought the other woman had beco wary and felt a flicker of relief — only for reality to strike her like a hamr the next second.
Baifuli turned away from her and addressed her inconspicuous pet. “Take her with us. This will be my prepared gift. I am sure my little sister will be very excited. Thinking about it already makes
happy…”
After speaking, she humd a light tune and walked away with graceful steps, never looking back.
Ellie had not even fully processed the last words before the silent maid approached her.
“N-no… what are you doing?! Do not co closer!” She shut her eyes in terror, kicking and flailing uselessly.
Then a sharp blow struck the back of her neck. Darkness consud her vision. She let out a choked sound and lost consciousness.
……
The scene shifted to Vivian, sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, her leg shaking restlessly. She felt as though sitting on thorns. Eve had still not returned.
Did she not understand how anxious this made her?
She had already forgotten she had asked soone else to fetch sothing. Forget it.
It had not even been long — her patience was simply limited, especially when sothing important was not within her grasp. It always felt as though it might slip away at any mont.
The more she thought, the more irritated she beca. Clicking her tongue, she stood, intending to search personally. Before she steadied herself, soone called her na from behind.
“Vivian~”
Soone dared call her na directly, without honorifics. Her first reaction was anger — and more than that, annoyance at being disturbed.
“Who dares address this Young Miss by her—” Her voice stopped abruptly. When she saw the figure, she blankly finished the last word. “…na?”
Her pupils shrank violently.
She saw one of the two most important people from her childhood, aside from her mother.
Perhaps… still important now?
Yet within less than half a second, her expression shifted from confusion, to fleeting astonishnt, and finally snapped into battle mode. Her brows furrowed and her face hardened.
“When did you return? What are you doing here? Get out of my sight. Do not bother . I do not want to see you. Leave!”
“Oh my~ do not be like that.” Baifuli placed a hand over her chest, feigning heartbreak. With her other hand, she even dabbed at nonexistent tears in the corner of her eye.
“I finally return after so long, and my adorable little sister… after rely being apart for so ti… no longer acknowledges her own elder sister…”
Her expression shifted as swiftly as Vivian’s. No wonder they were sisters. Even she could not help laughing softly afterward.
“And you even hiss at . How very hurtful~”
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