"Young master, her name is Amelia. She's a slave girl from the outskirts of Blade City, and she can easily kill a strong beastkin..." Aiden hastily recounted what had occurred in the small forest outside Blade City.
"Oh? That impressive?" Lucas reached out, and Aiden promptly placed the chain dart into his hand.
Lucas examined the chain dart and quickly grasped its mechanism. It utilized the principle of inertia, with a series of cylindrical impacts creating a powerful momentum. The technique required rhythmic swinging and pulling to operate effectively.
"Your name is Amelia?" Lucas set the chain dart down and looked at the gray-haired girl with a cold expression.
"Yes," Amelia replied coolly.
Lucas nodded silently. No one could discern why he nodded—perhaps he understood something or was confirming a thought known only to himself.
Sitting upright, Lucas fixed his serious black eyes on Amelia's green ones. The two locked gazes—one minute, two minutes... ten minutes passed.
Amelia pursed her lips slightly, stubbornly maintaining eye contact. She didn't know why this man kept staring at her, but she refused to back down.
Yes, she didn't want to lose. It was the first time in years she had felt such a competitive urge. She didn't understand why, but this simple stare-down stirred something in her.
After fifteen minutes, a slight fluctuation appeared in Amelia's otherwise indifferent gaze. She shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though something inside her was being seen through.
Annie and Helen, standing to the side, exchanged glances. They had never seen Lucas behave like this before, as if there was some profound intention behind his actions.
At the twenty-minute mark, Amelia finally averted her gaze slightly. Lucas broke the silence.
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid," Amelia replied immediately, her green eyes regaining their coldness. She turned her head back to see Lucas's gentle smile, which left her momentarily dazed.
"No, I'm not talking about that fear. You know exactly what I mean," Lucas said, the curve of his lips softening further.
"No, I'm talking about exactly that," Amelia retorted, her voice trembling slightly. For the first time, her face showed a trace of panic.
"..." Aiden's eyes widened in shock. This was the first time he had seen Amelia display such an expression during their entire journey.
"You understand," Lucas said, his deep black eyes fixed on Amelia. His voice was calm yet ethereal. "What are you afraid of in your heart? Or... what are you hoping for?"
"No, nothing!" Amelia abruptly stepped back, shouting sharply.
"Alright, nothing," Lucas said, raising his hands slightly in a gesture of peace. He spoke in a soothing tone, "I was just asking casually. No need to be so tense."
"Nothing!" Amelia exclaimed, her green eyes glaring at him, her tone hurried and defensive. "There's nothing."
"Alright, fine. Nothing." Lucas sighed. He realized he had pushed too hard. Amelia's inner world was sealed off too tightly.
Aiden stood there, mouth agape in astonishment. Was this panicked Amelia the same cold, unflinching girl who could kill without batting an eye? All this because of a prolonged gaze?
In truth, maintaining eye contact is a powerful way to apply psychological pressure. For those with weak resolve, it's almost impossible to endure. But for someone like Amelia, who had buried her emotions deep within, it was the gentlest yet most effective method to start breaking through.
Creak!
The study room door was suddenly flung open as Mina burst in, gripping a military dagger tightly in her hand. Her blue eyes blinked in confusion as she took in the scene before her.
"Young Master, what was that scream just now?" Mina asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. She had only gone to the kitchen to grab something to eat, and on her way back, she'd heard the sharp cry.
"It was her," Lucas replied, gesturing toward Amelia. By now, Amelia had returned to her cold, emotionless demeanor.
"Her? And who's this little girl?" Mina raised an eyebrow, casually flicking her wrist to sheath the dagger with a smooth, practiced motion.
That gesture caused Amelia's green eyes to widen slightly—just for a brief moment—but it didn't escape Lucas's sharp gaze. Resting his chin on his hand, he observed the cat-eared Mina and the gray-haired Amelia, his black eyes flickering thoughtfully as he contemplated.
"Her name is Amelia. From now on, she'll be part of the castle's household." Lucas said, folding his hands together.
"Mina, take her to wash up and get her into some warm clothes," He instructed.
Keeping Amelia was the only sensible choice. Based on Aiden's account, this girl was clearly a trained assassin—not fully seasoned, perhaps, but still far more capable than the average person. Her strength lay in her experience with killing techniques and her familiarity with the methods of taking a life.
"Ah? Okay!" Mina was momentarily stunned but immediately agreed. She would never refuse Lucas's instructions or requests.
"Come on, Amelia, let's go." Mina extended a hand towards Amelia, as if coaxing a young deer.
"What do I need to pay?" Amelia remained unmoved, staring coldly at Lucas. Her youthful voice was indifferent as she said, "I only kill people."
This made Mina's eyes narrow. She instantly realized Amelia's identity—she was an assassin. Mina had once researched this line of work. No, to be more precise, she had also been a part-time assassin in the past.
"Pay? Let me think." Lucas pretended to ponder, then spoke softly, "You can owe the price for now. Later, when you think of someone you want to kill, just act then."
"..." Amelia paused for a moment before responding coldly, "Yes!"
Then, in the bewildered gaze of the cat-eared girl, Amelia forcefully placed her hand into Mina's palm and looked at her indifferently, tilting her head.
"Let's go!" Mina's lips twitched as she pulled the unappealing girl out of the study and headed toward the castle's bathroom.
Once they entered the bathroom, Mina reached to remove Amelia's clothes. To her surprise, the girl obediently stood there and allowed her to undress her, with no resistance or refusal as Mina had expected.
"You're so thin, and there's… scars…"
Mina looked at Amelia's body. She was very frail, with some scars on her skin. Mina reached out and gently touched them.
"It's nothing serious. If you rest here in the castle for a while, you'll feel better," Mina said softly.
Amelia simply stood there quietly, even shivering slightly from the cold. This made Mina shake her head helplessly, feeling pity in her heart. She could tell this was a stubborn girl.
"Come, sit here. I'll wash your hair." Mina said as she guided the girl to sit on a wooden chair. Before she sat, Mina poured some warm water on the chair to make it less cold.
Next, Mina took a piece of cloth, soaked it in warm water, and draped it over Amelia to help her stay warm.
"Now, lean forward. I'm going to rinse your hair." Mina gently pressed Amelia's head down, using warm water to wash her hair, then applied some soap to it.
"Huh? What's this…?"
Mina stared in surprise at Amelia's hair, washing off the gray dirt to reveal a surprising sight—her hair was actually silver-white.
"Huh? What's that around your ear?"
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