togophonebook Chapter 251: As Long As I’m By My Lady’s Side
Chapter 251: As Long As I’m By My Lady’s Side
Pandora walked over to the control panel next to the door. The panel displayed a straightforward interface. She expertly punched in a private passcode she’d set up, then configured a four-hour countdown. The indicator light on the panel shifted from a steady green to a slowly blinking red.
This meant that until she manually disengaged the lock, nobody was getting in from the outside without higher clearance or a battering ram.
With that taken care of, Pandora took a few steps toward the center of the room. She stopped. Took a deep breath.
Taking in the feeling of this sealed, absolutely private space that temporarily belonged entirely to her, her mind couldn’t help but zone out for a second.
A year...
A full year of the Sentence of the Void. Even though, looking at the results—whether it was a semi-active choice or an unexpected windfall—she had ultimately profited immensely from it. But that feeling of total isolation, of sensory deprivation, of having her very existence constantly questioned... it had still exceeded her expectations. It had left a certain... indescribable mark on her mind. Like an undercurrent beneath the water; subtle, but undeniably there.
“Still... an experience is an experience, I suppose.”
She let out a long exhale, as if trying to purge the last lingering chill of the void from her lungs. Her gaze sharpened. The daze and sentimentality in her eyes receded like the tide. Replaced by a calm, almost scrutinizing intensity.
Right now, she needed to confirm a few things.
The familiar system interface expanded in her field of vision.
【Alchemical Product: Elsa】
【Nature: Greatsword, Blood, Thorns】
【Effect: Blooddrain (Upon dealing damage, this greatsword can drain blood from the wound to strengthen itself. The drained blood is consumed upon use. If blood cannot be drained from the target during an attack, it will unavoidably drain from the wielder.)】
【Price: While the alchemical product is manifested, the host will be in an “Anemic” state.】
【Form: Humanoid; Greatsword】
【Status: Unmanifested】
The textual system interface didn’t show the whole picture. Beyond it, Pandora could actually feel much more. A much more subtle connection that couldn’t be easily summarized by text. Like Elsa’s current physical condition. Like that fuzzier, harder-to-define power rank. Like that utterly frozen will, no longer changing with the passage of time.
She didn’t dwell on these things. Her gaze seemed to pierce through this empty training ground, through the veil of reality, landing on a space independent within the void.
“Elsa.”
As her voice fell, a ripple-like disturbance surfaced in the air. At first, the disturbance was minute, like a gentle breeze wrinkling the light. Then, wisps of hazy red mist abruptly sprayed forth, rapidly converging.
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Elsa slowly materialized from the red mist. Exquisite features, as if carved by the finest artisan, yet carrying an inhuman perfection. Deep within her eyes, it was as if a dark, inextinguishable flame was burning. Her crimson maid outfit had the texture of the finest silk, yet was far tougher, radiating a soft, eerie sheen under the cold overhead lights of the training ground. The hem of her skirt was dotted with tiny, scarlet granules resembling congealed blood drops.
Sure enough, no changes at all.
Pandora thought to herself. It was different from her own situation, where the Witch bloodline had significantly slowed her aging, but she was still growing. Elsa hadn’t changed a single bit. If one had to name a change... it was that the severe injuries she sustained during the fight with Wilbur had now completely healed. Without leaving a single mark.
“My Lady.”
Elsa curtsied slightly, performing a standard and elegant maid’s bow.
Pandora, who had been keeping a close eye on her, suddenly smiled. There was a kind of... intimacy in that smile. The kind born from a long reunion.
She very naturally extended her right hand. Flipping her wrist, she exposed the inside. The skin there was pale and translucent; under the lights, one could almost see the fine, healthy blue-green veins beneath.
“You don’t need to hide it in front of me, Elsa.” Pandora’s voice was very gentle.
Elsa raised her head slightly. Those eyes burning with a dark flame stared at Pandora’s outstretched wrist. A glint of repressed, instinctual desire flickered in her eyes. That glint vanished in a flash, quickly replaced by docility and obedience.
She lowered her head slightly. “As you wish.”
A sharp pain. Very slight, like accidentally pricking yourself on a fine thorn. Immediately after, it was replaced by a mild numbness and a strange sense of comfort.
The familiar feeling of anemia, which she hadn’t felt in a long time, returned to her body once more. Slight dizziness. A hint of coldness in her extremities. Her heartbeat seemed... to speed up just a fraction. But compared to last time, the impact of this Price was significantly smoothed out by the massive difference in their ranks. If she hadn’t been paying close attention, deliberately feeling for it, it was highly likely... she would have ignored it entirely.
“My Lady’s blood...” Elsa gently raised her head, her tongue darting incredibly fast across the corner of her lips, a glimmer of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. “The taste... has changed.”
Her voice was soft, carrying an aftertaste of connoisseurship. “Has... a lot of time passed now?”
Having drained the “Price,” Elsa looked significantly better. Her skin was even more translucent, seemingly radiating a warm, jade-like luster. Her eyes were brighter, and the flames in their depths seemed to burn a few shades brighter.
“Uh...” A slightly awkward expression appeared on Pandora’s face. She opened her mouth. For a moment, she wasn’t quite sure how to explain.
After all, according to the original plan... she should have manifested Elsa after resting for a few days. At that time, Elsa’s injuries would have mostly healed, and the anemic Price wouldn’t have caused her any severe interference.
However... due to some... hard-to-explain mindset. During her time living at the Rusty Greenhouse Hotel, she hadn’t manifested Elsa. Later on, there were all sorts of “justified” reasons that kept delaying it.
The Disciplinary Court’s summons. The deal with Aldrich. The one-year Sentence of the Void.
And just like that, it was delayed until now. How was she supposed to organize her words to explain all these twists and turns?
Pandora was pondering how to recount her experiences over this period. But before she could sort out her thoughts and organize her words, Elsa smiled gently and took the initiative to speak.
“It seems My Lady has been through quite a lot in my absence.” Elsa’s voice was soft, without a trace of complaint, only pure concern. “But My Lady actually doesn’t need to worry about how to ‘report’ to me.”
She paused, looking at Pandora with clear eyes. “Just talk about whatever you find interesting and want to share. That’s all that matters.”
“Even if...” Her smile deepened, carrying an unreserved acceptance. “You don’t want to say anything at all, that’s fine too.”
“As long as...”
“Elsa can just stay by My Lady’s side.”