After everyone had been killed... Lu Ming sat on that rusty metal seat after returning to his human form. Yet, with his majestic posture, he made that seat look like a diamond throne. His black shirt was slightly unbuttoned at the top, and his black hair, falling over his forehead, added a fatal aura of mystery and attraction.
Ari stood a short distance away, trying to keep her features cold and calm. But inside... there was an earthquake!
(Ari's internal scream: Oh my God! How can a human being be this beautiful? Is he really a T-Rex? Or an angel fallen from heaven with sharp Chinese features? Look at that jawline.. it could cut ice with its sharpness! My little heart can't take this.. stay calm Ari, don't drool in front of him!)
His assistant, Mr. Fang, broke her train of thought as he placed a white towel and a set of luxury grooming tools before her. He spoke in a mechanical tone: "Since you've decided to stay, you must serve the Master and remain silent. Otherwise... you must know that Master Lu Ming bears an ancestral curse. Do you understand?"
Ari (Internally): (An ancestral curse? Oh lord! Does that mean handsomeness is also inherited in his family? If the "beast" inside him looks like this, I'm ready to open a dinosaur park just for him! A blood curse, a terrifying transformation, and a weird assistant.. Fine, Fang, I'll be silent—not because of the curse, but for fear of screaming "marry me" in your master's face and ruining my mysterious vibe!)
Ari approached with steady steps and knelt before him to begin cleaning the minor wound left by the partial transformation. His cold breath brushed her face, and his scent... the scent of a forest damp with rain... made her head spin.
Ari (Internally): (He smells amazing too? This is cheating! It's illegal! I want to bury my face in his shirt and cry from the sheer handsomeness.. Get a grip Ari, you're a mysterious girl, not a teenage fan!)
Suddenly, he placed his other hand under her chin, lifting her face so her blue eyes met his deep black ones. A terrifying silence fell; Ari felt her heart would leap out of her chest.
He spoke in his resonant voice that made her body tremble: "I haven't asked you yet.. what is your name?"
Ari swallowed hard, trying not to stutter, while her inner voice screamed: (Call me whatever you want! Call me "wife" and I won't object!)
She said with forced calmness: "My name is.. Ari."
He released her chin slowly and said with a cold calm: "Ari.. it seems you've decided to stay. Fine. You must perform your duty well. If I see anything suspicious about you.. your life will be the price."
Ari took a step back after he released her chin, trying to regain the balance that had been scattered by the touch of his cold fingers. His words about "the price" and "life" rang in her ears like an alarm bell, but her mind was in another world entirely!
(Ari Internally: The price is my life? What a tempting offer! Does he mean he'll be watching me all the time to make sure I'm not suspicious? Thank you, fate! Threaten me more, Lu Ming; terrify me with this handsomeness until my heart stops beating completely!)
She looked at Fang, who was watching her with his mechanical gaze, then turned her eyes back to Lu Ming, who began slowly buttoning his shirt—a movement that nearly made her lose consciousness.
(Ari Internally: Look at him.. threatening to kill while buttoning his shirt with such elegance. Is this even legal in Germany? He should be prosecuted for "excessive attractiveness while threatening"! Yes, Mr. President, I will perform my duty. I'll be the best maid, and I'll watch myself carefully so I don't commit the crime of "throwing myself into your arms" in front of Fang!)
Ari said in a seemingly steady voice: "I understand perfectly, Mr. Lu Ming. I'm not stupid enough to sacrifice my life for something suspicious. I will perform my duty as I should."
An uninterpretable look crossed Lu Ming's face, as if he were trying to read what lay behind her blue eyes. He then walked away with confident strides, leaving behind the scent of the rain-dampened forest that continued to intoxicate Ari's senses.
(Ari Internally, looking at his back: Alright then.. Official mission: Maid. Secret mission: Stay alive without fainting from his handsomeness. Fang, bring me lots of coffee; the coming nights with this T-Rex are going to be very long!)