Chapter 344

Chapter 130 Light and Darkness Twenty-Seven

He wanted to run, but he dared not. His legs wouldn’t move.

Anxiety and fear mingled in his heart, churning relentlessly. Duke Lexes’ nerves, which had been taut since the moment before, grew even more strained. His body shook uncontrollably—strangely, he couldn’t quite understand what he was afraid of.

Despite the shocking scene before him, where a terrifying monster was killed by a seemingly fragile young girl, its bones crushed and ashes scattered near Duke Lexes. The mysterious black smoke quickly dissipated around the street, and countless pale white mists, as if suddenly losing some guidance, began to flow wildly above the streets, like countless spirits swirling in broad daylight.

The young girl who killed the monster stood quietly amidst all these strange phenomena.

Her doll-like face, though smeared with blood, showed surprise and confusion, which were soon obscured by the ashes and gossamer-like black mist. Her bright eyes peered through the gaps in the mist, looking straight at him.

She recognized him.

In this instant, Duke Lexes’ mind began to race.

Within less than a second, as the girl’s expression gradually revealed itself, he quickly analyzed the situation—remembering her identity, knowing she was a knight of the Pope. Though he wasn’t sure what kind of monster it was, it was dead nonetheless. It was evident now that the girl, as a knight of the Pope, had won.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a good outcome.

So—

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly, the girl nearby emitted a slightly puzzled sound.

Duke Lexes’ heart skipped a beat. He saw her tilt her head slightly, her lips curling into a smile that spread across her small face.

The girl’s smile made Duke Lexes’ throat involuntarily move several times.

There was nothing to be afraid of…

She was just a little girl. Even if she possessed powerful and terrifying strength, she was only sixteen years old, and she was also a knight of the Pope.

A knight of the Pope would not, could not, harm him. Moreover, she even had an obligation to protect him.

Everything was fine now.

It was fine, it was fine, it was fine…

Duke Lexes kept reassuring himself. Meeting a knight of the Pope at such a time was actually a good thing. He was now safe; he could seek protection from her. And girls of this age generally had a strong sense of justice; if he pleaded desperately, told her it wasn’t his doing, and blamed everything on his deranged son, she would likely believe him and agree.

He almost did so.

But for some reason, the bone-chilling emotion in his heart, the fear that made his scalp tingle and his legs weak, continued to fester, preventing him from speaking.

Something…

“Hey…”

At this moment, the girl greeted him.

She waved her little hand, her toes lightly tapping, revealing the innocence and sweetness unique to a young girl. But Duke Lexes, seeing this, felt an inexplicable… unease.

Something was off…

His ominous premonition made his spine go cold and his scalp tingle. He struggled to control his trembling body due to fear, his mouth slightly open, hesitating for a moment, but he didn’t know how to respond.

Clearly, the girl didn’t expect a response.

“Was it you?”

She lowered her raised hand and asked softly, her frail voice as clear as a spring.

Her appearance and tone were clearly friendly… her smile even had a bit of playfulness, similar to many innocent children her age.

But it was precisely this little girl who made Duke Lexes’ heart race uncontrollably, to the point where he couldn’t control his facial expressions.

Then, the girl let out a crisp laugh, like that of a bird.

“Haha!”

There was something mischievous in that laughter.

The dust and black smoke floating in the air gradually dispersed, leaving behind countless floating light mists. The girl’s body, clad in black armor, was fully exposed as she took a step forward.

In the next moment, her petite figure suddenly vanished.

What…

Boom!

Almost simultaneously, the street surface where the girl had stood exploded, sending debris flying three or four meters high, with a fierce wind sweeping over. Duke Lexes was pushed back by the strong wind, feeling pain on his cheek, unable to help closing his eyes. As waves of shock surged through him, he smelled a mix of blood and faint jasmine.

Then he opened his eyes again.

In his sight, was the girl’s face, right in front of him.

In just an instant.

The little girl who had been more than ten meters away was now standing less than half a meter in front of him, her small head tilted up, her lively eyes filled with laughter, staring intently at him.

Then, she gently parted her lips and spoke word by word, “Long… time… no… see~”

Like a friendly greeting from an old friend.

Duke Lexes only froze for half a second, then his brain reacted, and he instinctively cried out.

“Aah!”

Damn, run!

The intense sense of danger and the urge to survive made Duke Lexes make the correct decision instantly. But before his body could act, the girl’s hands had already risen high, striking down hard on his shoulders, her fingers exerting force—suddenly, Duke Lexes felt as if he was being held tightly by a giant pincer, immobilized. The girl’s icy, hard gauntlet, with its sharp fingertips, deeply embedded into his flesh, causing excruciating pain that made him want to scream again.

He gritted his teeth and endured.

“What are you doing here?”

The girl asked playfully, her face smiling brightly like a blooming flower. Duke Lexes stared at her smile, momentarily stunned.

Feeling a chill all over his body and his breath stopped, as if his heart had skipped a beat.

“I… You… You are…”

Damn it…

His tongue was so stiff that he couldn’t even speak.

The clever strategies that always worked, the calculations that manipulated others, were now long gone. Fear numbed him, making him unable to judge what the girl in front of him intended to do. But when he looked into her sparkling eyes, he suddenly felt an urge to kneel and beg for mercy.

Immediately after, he saw the girl quickly change her expression, her eyes emitting a cold murderous intent.

Duke Lex’s heart sank abruptly.

She wants me dead…

But then, the girl tilted her head, her brows furrowed. Her icy little face gradually turned confused, her mouth opening and closing, making some meaningless movements. Then… she opened her mouth, her lips curling up in an exaggerated arc, revealing her pearly white teeth with two slightly protruding fangs, and a strange cold light flashed on them.

Buzz—

Duke Lex felt as though his scalp was about to explode.

In the girl’s smile, there was a coldness colder than the winter snow of the empire, and a madness darker than any soldier.

“Shall we play a game? Okay?”

The girl’s question sounded distant in Duke Lex’s ears.

He suddenly remembered the first time he saw the girl, at that banquet where people were drinking and toasting. She wore a beautiful mermaid dress, and her black, beautiful eyes sparkled with a clarity that was dazzling.

Back then, Duke Lex even thought that this simple yet powerful little girl, the princess held in the palm of Scargill, might be someone his family’s outstanding son could get to know better, slowly cultivating feelings. If she could fall in love with one of them, it would be a great thing.

Now, the girl’s eyes were still black, bright like gems. But that clarity had vanished, replaced only by endless darkness… and death.

He saw death in the girl’s eyes.

Damn it…

What has she been through…

“Hey~ I’m talking to you!”

Hearing the girl’s slightly emotional words, Duke Lex suddenly snapped back to reality.

The girl’s expression was somewhat displeased, pouting at him.

“Oh, okay… okay…” Duke Lex hurriedly responded, trying hard to make his smile look less rigid, “Paye… Miss Payelo, you see, I am a friend of your father’s, we have drunk snow wine together…”

Damn it.

When did he become so bad at speaking…

“Mm!”

The girl nodded with a soft nasal tone, looking serious.

Duke Lex stared at her exquisite little face, which seemed like a work of art, momentarily lost in thought.

Surely, if they were in a normal situation, without monsters that could destroy everything or those floating lights in the sky, and if the girl wasn’t gripping his shoulders tightly, Duke Lex would surely use the most touching praises to lavish her with compliments.

Of course, he wanted to praise the little girl now too; perhaps she would let him go if she was happy. But facing such a scene, no matter how much he wanted to say something, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Then he saw the girl smile again.

“So, shall we play?”

…Play?

Play what… what nonsense…

Duke Lex’s lips trembled involuntarily; he didn’t understand what the girl was planning.

Unaware, ignorant, unclear about her intentions. Everything before him was unknown.

The unknown was the most terrifying thing.

But he dared not remain silent, so he followed her words: “Play… what?”

“Mm…”

The girl tilted her head in thought, then said, “Hide and seek.”

“…What?” Duke Lex found it unbelievable, thinking he must have misheard.

“Hide and seek.”

But the girl repeated it seriously, and he heard clearly this time.

…Hide and seek?

At a time like this?

The girl’s nonsensical words made him feel extremely absurd.

What’s going on… what’s wrong with this girl… foolish and childish… why play this… it’s sick… insane…

Of course, he didn’t dare to show his thoughts, forcing a smile that was becoming increasingly rigid: “Uh… that… you see, I’m kind of busy right now, can you…”

Can what?

Ah ah ah, damn it! Get me away from this crazy girl…

“Look… it’s such a mess here, we can’t play, right… shall we leave first?”

Why are those crazy iron-clad guards nowhere to be seen at a time like this…

Anyone, please come soon…

“No.”

The girl shook her head firmly. She released her grip on his right shoulder, but before Duke Lex could breathe a sigh of relief, the other shoulder was grabbed even tighter.

“Sss—”

He gasped in pain, feeling as if his bones were being crushed, then saw the girl extend her index finger and wave it in front of him.

She smiled happily: “I know you want to run away, right? But if you win, I promise to safely escort you out of the city.”

“…”

Duke Lex wanted to curse.

This little girl thinks he doesn’t know what hide and seek is?

If he really wins, it means you can’t find anyone, and if you can’t find anyone, how can you escort them out… wait a moment.

Hide and seek…

Duke Lex’s eyes lit up.

“Okay, I’ll play this with you.”

Hide and seek, this game is perfect!

This stupid game that only a childish brat would play is just perfect for him to escape and hide.