Chapter 736
Gradual Descent and Sin
Count Dawn said with a smile, “I enjoy playing with you young people. It makes me feel like I’m not old yet.”
“You’re not old at all!” Christina flattered him clumsily.
Count Dawn laughed heartily, “No, no, I’m over a hundred years old.”
Christina was shocked, “You’re already—”
“Oh, you don’t know? I’m an Extraordinary of the Fifth Tier,” Count Dawn chuckled. “But unlike you smart folk… I’m from the Academy. Rosegarde Academy was founded by me.”
“The Academy” was the organization of Demon Scholars.
Realizing that the person she had rejected was actually a Fifth Tier Extraordinary made Christina tremble with fear, yet she also felt an inexplicable sense of pride and regret. Pride that such an important figure had taken an interest in her; regret that she hadn’t agreed back then!
Christina bit her lip, feeling a little wronged. *If you had said so earlier, I wouldn’t have refused…*
“However,” Count Dawn said, affectionately placing a hand on her shoulder, “even though the secretary position is gone… you still have a chance. Your ballet club must have quite a few girls looking for part-time work, right? Coincidentally, I have many important guests visiting. I can ask them to perform here… but it’s inconvenient for me to contact them directly.”
“I’ll contact them!” Christina blurted out. “I have good relationships at school, I should be able to get about twenty people… and more if you need them!”
After that, a sense of shame and guilt surfaced. This was immediately followed by a sense of liberation and recklessness. She naturally understood Count Dawn’s implication and knew what kind of work she would be doing. But that was still a job, wasn’t it? Compared to a future of despair from being unable to repay her debt, at least… she could live a little longer.
“Not bad,” Count Dawn patted her shoulder with satisfaction. “Don’t leave tonight, Christina. Let me appreciate your beautiful dance in private again.”
“…Yes, Count.” Christina replied softly and obediently stood behind Count Dawn.
After all the guests had left, Count Dawn took Christina to the bedroom. The servants discreetly left after preparing tea. Christina suppressed her shame, nervousness, and unease, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was decorated in deep red, black, and dark gold—Christina knew this was the aesthetic style of the late Empire. This color scheme and design were very popular among the old noble families of Star Antinomy.
In the corners of the room were some strange objects. There was an Oriental-style folding screen, an indoor fountain, a fireplace that burned even in summer, and a soft circular bed so large that at least six people could lie down side-by-side—and the strangest, most embarrassing thing was the giant mirror directly facing the bed. The room had many mirror decorations, but most were ordinary full-length mirrors. There were also small round mirrors placed alongside large ancient portraits. However, the mirror facing the foot of the bed looked to be twenty to thirty meters long and two to three meters high. It practically “replicated” the entire room, making Christina dizzy just looking at it.
Just then.
Count Dawn suddenly asked, “Are the doors locked?”
“What?” Christina asked subconsciously.
“They’re all locked.” Suddenly, a deep, mature female voice echoed from nowhere.
On the giant mirror, Count Dawn’s position was replaced by a strange woman—she was the complete opposite of Count Dawn. Count Dawn had black hair, while the woman had white hair; his hair was sparse, while hers flowed to her waist; he was short with a large belly, while the woman had an excellent figure and was as tall and graceful as an elf. Most importantly, her skin was brown, her whites were black, and her irises were gold, contrasting with Count Dawn’s blue eyes. Furthermore, her attire at the moment was almost identical to Count Dawn’s—just symmetrical and in opposite colors.
“Did anything happen outside today?” Count Dawn asked nonchalantly, sitting on the bed while holding Christina. Christina’s eyes widened, her body tensed. She stared at herself in the mirror, also being held by the woman, feeling a strong sense of disorientation.
“Something did,” the woman in the mirror replied. “There was a murder at the White Dove Opera House—Viscount Konalei is the killer. He murdered several blood servants.”
“Oh? What drove him mad… was it that ritual?”
“It should be,” the woman in the mirror replied suddenly. “Viscount Konalei is here to see you. Do you want to see him?”
“Let’s see him. Let him in,” Count Dawn mused for a moment before casually adding, “It’s a gesture of courtesy to his ‘parent’.”
The moment he finished speaking, a mirror in the room turned black—the color of the night outside. A blond man, appearing as if he had just bathed, steam evaporating from his body, his hair not yet fully dry, strode in. He wore a loose, fluffy, brown smoking jacket, reeking of smoke, and rushed in.
At this time, Count Dawn was undressing Christina. She had initially shown no reaction, even hugging Count Dawn back. But upon seeing a stranger suddenly enter the room, she began to resist fiercely, “No, Count, wait…”
*Slap—* Count Dawn casually slapped her hard across the face. In an instant, Christina went limp, as if she had been disconnected from power, ceasing all movement. Viscount Konalei merely glanced at her before completely ignoring her, as if she were just another piece of furniture in the room. He said hurriedly, “Count—My ‘father’ is Count Leipzig!”
“Oh? And so?” Count Dawn said casually. Since the yellow dress was too cumbersome to remove, he impatiently gave a light tug. Instantly, it tore into pieces as if sliced by countless invisible blades. The goose-yellow fabric scattered like butterflies, while Christina remained motionless, as if her soul had been taken.
“Even if you want to perform some grand ritual, you should at least avoid me!” Viscount Konalei’s words were full of aggression. Unflinching anger burned in his eyes, “Although my ‘father’ is temporarily not in Leipzig, that doesn’t give you an excuse to play with his city—”
“Oh, and so?” Count Dawn remained unfazed. He arrogantly looked up at Viscount Konalei, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery and disdain, “Even your ‘father’ wouldn’t dare speak to me like that.”
“I am protecting Leipzig for him, and you are destroying Leipzig.”
“Is your way of protecting Leipzig to kill people in broad daylight? Respect our game rules, young man.”
“That’s not because of you—” Viscount Konalei’s voice grew louder, the anger in his eyes intensifying.
—*Snap*. Count Dawn suddenly snapped his fingers. In an instant, Viscount Konalei’s figure vanished. He was sealed into the mirror he had come through, and then in the mirror, he was bound and hung upside down from the ceiling.
At this point, Count Dawn slowly said, “First, it really wasn’t me. The ritual associated with ‘wrath’ outside is too flamboyant; it’s not my style. I’m busy with my own ritual… See? A fine soul for corruption.” Saying this, Count Dawn pinched Christina’s chin. Her eyes were devoid of light; she was already an automaton—the slap had directly struck her soul out of her body. If one could see with spirit vision, countless female souls were piled up on the bed, their transparent, pale purple spiritual bodies emitting silent screams. Beneath the giant circular bed was a ritual array that sealed souls!
“Second, I’m busy preparing my ritual because your father and his foolish father want to deal with me.”
“Third… who gave you permission to speak to me like that?” In an instant, Viscount Konalei in the mirror was torn apart by countless invisible blades, then reformed from ashes only to be torn apart again.
—At this moment, the woman in the mirror suddenly spoke, “Someone is here. They say they’ve brought a gift from Count Leipzig…”
“…Oh?” Count Dawn paused, somewhat surprised, “So soon? Is it a coincidence? …Never mind, let’s give him some face. No need to fall out completely.” He stopped the continuous killing of Viscount Konalei and carelessly tossed the soulless Christina onto the bed like refuse. “Bring the gift in first, let me see—right, what is the gift?”
“It’s an ice sculpture of a young girl, shimmering with rainbow light. It looks alright. Quite artistic, and I haven’t seen anything like it before.”
“You haven’t seen it? Interesting. Bring it in, let me see.” Count Dawn’s interest was piqued.
(End of Chapter)
