**Chapter 131: Light and Dark (28)**
“Well then… shall we start now, okay?”
As Duke Lex said this, his heart raced with anxiety.
He feared that the young woman might suddenly realize what was happening and change her mind, so he hurriedly added, “I’ll hide, you… just stand here, close your eyes, and count to sixty… no, a hundred and twenty. Count slowly, and when you’re done, come find me… That’s the rule, right?”
Duke Lex couldn’t help but slip into a tone meant for soothing little girls, even though there was still a tremor in his voice.
But the young woman seemed quite happy.
“Mm!”
She nodded earnestly, letting go of his shoulder and clasping her hands behind her back.
Duke Lex gently moved his sore shoulder, sighing in relief quietly.
Ha…
He suppressed the wild joy in his heart, keeping a straight face.
“Okay then, shall we begin?”
Duke Lex struggled to steady his trembling voice as he said to her, “You close your eyes now, okay? I’m about to run… I mean hide.”
“Sure~”
The young woman cheerfully agreed.
What a silly little girl.
Duke Lex looked at her, with her adorable, obedient demeanor and couldn’t resist the urge to ruffle her hair—an unconscious move that he didn’t realize until his hand was already up.
And the young woman clearly noticed his action.
She gazed at her raised hand, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief, sending a chill down Duke Lex’s spine, as if he had plunged into an icy abyss.
Touch her and die…
Realizing this, cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Damn…
Am I going crazy too? What am I even thinking…
Time to scram…
“Well then…”
Duke Lex promptly changed his gesture, casually pointing at the empty street behind him.
“I’m off, then?”
As he spoke, he cautiously took a step back.
He truly wanted to avoid asking such petty questions. If he had his way, Duke Lex wouldn’t want to linger here a second longer, but he had to consider the young woman’s feelings—she was acting a bit strange.
It was an indescribable feeling, as if… the little princess of Shanter Castle he had met at the banquet was completely different from the girl standing in front of him now.
Absurd.
But the young woman continued to look at him with a grin, then slowly closed her eyes.
“One! Two! Three…”
She began to count.
…Run!
Duke Lex didn’t hesitate for a second; he bolted back, running with all his might. After a while, he turned into a narrow alleyway.
The sound of her counting faded behind him.
Duke Lex didn’t dare look back. He just kept running until her voice completely disappeared, and a rush of relief surged through his chest.
“Ha ha…”
He couldn’t help but laugh.
But he knew it wasn’t time to relax just yet.
The young woman was powerful; he had no idea what other unknown abilities she had. If he just kept running, she might find him at once—Duke Lex remembered her fighting the monster earlier; she could soar into the sky like Elizabeth.
Duke Lex darted through the empty streets, weaving in and out until he himself felt a bit lost, not knowing how long he had been running. He finally stopped in front of a half-collapsed house, looking at a pile of rubble, spotting a wooden cupboard trapped under the debris. Catching his breath, he swiftly walked over.
The cupboard door was wedged tightly, and Duke Lex had to exert considerable effort to pull it open. He rummaged through the clothes inside, stuffing them all underneath a large rock, then curled his body up and squeezed inside. When he tried to close the door, he found it broken and couldn’t shut it, leaving a narrow gap.
Never mind, this will have to do…
The dark, cramped space gave Duke Lex some sense of security, and he finally relaxed his tense nerves. It was only then he noticed his hands were shaking violently, and his body trembled continuously.
“After all these years… I’ve really lived in a dog’s belly…”
Even so, Duke Lex still felt quite happy.
That silly girl…
The royal city is so big, and with it in such chaos, how could she possibly find me…no way she knows I’m here—
Thud.
Suddenly, he heard a faint sound from outside. It seemed someone had dropped from above, landing on the wooden beams.
Who is it?!
Duke Lex jumped in fright, his heart racing once again.
He desperately covered his mouth, too frightened to breathe, remaining still in the cupboard, listening carefully to the sounds outside.
Tap, tap, tap…
Those were soft footsteps.
Could it be… those crazy Iron Guards?
Then, Duke Lex heard a soft, tuneful humming.
“Hum, hum, hum~ la la la…”
The singing was sweet, like a nursery rhyme from somewhere. Duke Lex had never heard such a melody before; he didn’t know what the person was humming, but the source of the voice was getting closer and closer.
He certainly recognized who it was.
She’s here…
Damn! Damn!!!
Duke Lex was scared out of his wits.
He had no idea how the young woman had managed to find him so quickly, and he was terrified, his mind blank and unable to think.
Tap, tap, tap…
The girl’s footsteps felt like the countdown to doom, accompanied by the strange melody as they approached the cupboard before stopping.
“Ah, is it here?”
He heard her murmur, still playful like before, as if she was enjoying a fun game.
But for Duke Lex, this wasn’t a game.
“Phew— phew—”
Despite his efforts to control his breathing, every sound he made felt unbearably loud. Duke Lex peered through the gap in the cupboard door, his eyes fixed on the swaying silhouette outside, his trembling hand slowly moving toward the hilt of his sword.
He didn’t know what would happen if the girl found him.
But he absolutely didn’t want to find out.
The shadow outside flickered in the faint light seeping through the crack, like a flickering flame in the wind. Time ticked by, with every second feeling like an agony as Duke Lex’s breathing grew harsher, making him feel like he was being choked, each moment a torturous ordeal.
Just as he was about to break the cupboard door open in a desperate escape, the figure outside suddenly vanished.
What…
She left?
No way—
In the next instant, a pair of pitch-black eyes glared through the gap in the cupboard, a cold gaze piercing inside.
“Found you~”
“Ahhh—!!!”
Duke Lex’s scalp went numb, as if his hair stood on end. He shouted in terror, flinging the cupboard door open, struggling to escape from within.
Then, he heard the dreadful shrieking sound.
“Sorry, I forgot to mention the rules earlier… The loser has to accept a punishment, you know~”
What…
Bang—
With a flash of black light, the cupboard exploded.
Duke Lex felt his body lighten. He was flung into the air and quickly fell back down, his back crashing against the harsh stone wall, his head ringing with a dull thud.
“Cough, ha…”
Duke Lex barely registered the pain in his body, jolting himself up to run again, but his limp legs wouldn’t cooperate. In desperation, he planted his right hand on the ground—uh?
Where’s my right hand…
With confusion, he slowly turned his gaze to his right arm.
Where was his right arm?
In his line of sight, half of his arm was a bloody mess, dark red blood spurting from the wound, pooling on the ground.
His arm is broken…
“Ughhhh—”
Fear and sudden pain made Duke Lex unleash a beast-like roar. Meanwhile, he heard the young woman’s footsteps come to a stop once more.
“Too fast, not fun…”
Her voice grew faint in his ears like an echo.
But Duke Lex knew he couldn’t pass out now.
He bit his tongue fiercely, trying to stay awake: “Wait, wait… don’t kill… me! I know… I know what you’re looking for, I know where it is!”
“…Looking for something?” The young woman sounded puzzled.
“It’s… the Heretics’ thing, Teresa sent it out… you know, you know…”
“Oh…”
After hearing his words, she seemed to contemplate.
But next, Duke Lex heard her scoff lightly, tinged with disdain.
“Why should I care?”
