Chapter 4: Devil in the Castle
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ye Ling narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. The well-behaved little kitty had suddenly decided to raise its sharp claws, and give him a taste of its razor-edge teeth. How refreshing. Her face became vividly clear in his mind. He no longer had to rely on her scent to remember her.
“Trash, it’s just trash.” Ye Ling repeated coldly. He took one of the sketches and a pen beside him. On her original work, he made some rough lines, altering it within minutes. An eye-catching design appeared on the paper, completely transformed from its previous form.
Although it was just a quick sketch, it was outstanding.
The simple blood-drop necklace she had designed now seemed voluptuous and full of life after Ye Ling’s casual editing. He had used a crescent moon to hold the drop of blood. The simple lines he drew were more skillful, sophisticated, and of an exceptionally higher level than those drawn by Shen Qianshu.
“You…” Shen Qianshu marvelled at her ordinary design which had been casually brought to life by a few strokes of talent. She wouldn’t have believed he was actually so gifted! Completely disregarding any personal integrity and forgetting her earlier outrage, Shen Qianshu clasped her hands together and said brightly, “Senpai, teach me please!”
“No, you’re ugly!” Ye Ling rejected Shen Qianshu heartlessly, cutting her off without a thought.
Shen Qianshu stared at his back and stuck up her middle finger.
You just look good. What’s the big deal!
Since Shen Qianshu discovered that Ye Ling was so talented at jewelry design, she intentionally revealed some of her sketches around him, hoping to receive some constructive feedback. Most of the sketches consisted of rough lines and concepts.
Whenever Ye Ling was in a good mood, he would provide some guidance with a word or two. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would instantly tear her drafts apart without mercy. Shen Qianshu would immediately drag him to lie down and give him a massage to alleviate him. Once when she was massaging him, Ye Ling seemed to be overcome by the pain and his body stiffened up like a piece of brittle rock. Seeing that his rigid body refused to loosen up, Shen Qianshu racked her brain, then softly hummed a gentle melody. The tune was soft and light, and miraculously, Ye Ling relaxed.
Since then, whenever Shen Qianshu massaged him, she was made to sing. Massaging all day long like this, her mouth was dry and her arms were stiff and sore. It was simply agonizing.
I strongly demand for a pay raise!
Nights in Paris always came slowly.
Shen Qianshu experienced her first gloomy day in Paris.
According to the weather forecast, a storm would approach at night.
The moment the clock turned to six in the evening, the sky started to darken to a threatening pitch black—ominous and heavy. Shen Qianshu prepared the meal and brought it upstairs. Ye Ling sat by the window as always, looking like a statue as he stared into the dark sky. These days, conversations between the pair had increased. Although they were sometimes awkward small talk initiated forcefully by Shen Qianshu, the words exchanged were no longer as few and sparse as that of a month ago.
“Master, there will be a thunderstorm tonight. I’m afraid of potential delays, may I leave earlier today?”
Ye Ling gave no response or any indication that he had heard her at all. He continued to stare outside through the window. Shen Qianshu put down the plates gently and sensed that Ye Ling was in a terrible mood and had been holding it in. There was a surge of violence in the air, Shen Qianshu could feel a thick, tangible tension all around that she couldn’t explain, and this made her somewhat fearful.
He was like a great devil that floated in the darkness.
“Master, I’ll take my leave now.”
Shen Qianshu left the castle hurriedly. It had been almost two months since she had started working here, and she had never spent a night in the castle, always leaving before the day broke. She still remembered Butler Luther’s warning clearly: At night, there seems to be a devil in the castle … Recalling those words, Shen Qianshu walked faster towards the public bus stop.
The atmosphere was stiff and cold. Her heart palpitated wildly.
The castle was located was on the far outskirts of the town. Every day, she had to walk a distance of two kilometers by foot before she could reach the bus stop. Usually, she came early and left early. She treated it as a form of exercise.
However, today, when she was halfway to the bus stop, there was a sudden streak of lightning and intense rumblings of thunder. The sky darkened threateningly, as though signalling an unrelenting downpour of heavy rain. Shen Qianshu turned around and took a quick look towards the castle. The lone castle that stood in the middle of the woods was the only house around.
“I’ll just stay for a little longer… What can go wrong?”