The group moved to a secluded old mansion in the heart of the Bavarian forests, where the mist veiled the surroundings and the silence provided Lu Ming with the privacy he required. Ari entered the royal suite carrying a silver tray, her heart pounding like a drum.
(Ari Internally: Get it together, Ari! You are now the personal maid to the handsomest T-Rex in history. Don't look at his chest muscles, and don't stare at his messy hair... focus on the mission! My God, how does he look so noble even in a simple robe? This man isn't human; he's a visual crime against my heart!)
Lu Ming was sitting before a massive window, gazing out at the forest with a cold expression. He turned toward her slowly, his sharp, dark eyes piercing her very soul.
"Ari... come closer," he said in his deep, resonant voice.
Ari stepped forward, trying her best not to stumble. At that moment, the assistant, Fang, appeared from behind the curtain like a ghost, making Ari jump out of her skin.
Fang spoke in a mechanical tone: "Master Lu Ming, the medicine is ready. Ari must ensure he takes it regularly; the blood curse grows more turbulent at this time of the month."
(Ari Internally: This Fang is going to give me a heart attack one day! He appears and disappears like a lead in a horror movie... but wait, the blood curse is getting turbulent? Does that mean he'll transform now? Will I get to see the T-Rex muscles up close? What a stroke of luck!)
Fang placed a small dark bottle down and left silently. Lu Ming and Ari were left alone. Lu Ming signaled for her to sit beside him to bandage his hand, which had begun to show small scales due to the irritation.
When her hand touched his cold skin, she felt an electric shock run through her body. Lu Ming looked into her blue eyes and thick lashes, which were trembling.
"Are you afraid of me, Ari?" Lu Ming asked coldly. "Or of the beast that lives within me?"
(Ari Internally: Afraid? I'm dying from the handsomeness! If you were really a monster, I'd want to be your favorite victim!)
"I'm not afraid," Ari whispered, trying to maintain her dignity. "I just... wonder how someone with all this coldness can have a heart that beats with such strength."
Lu Ming gave a faint smile that almost melted her heart, then said: "Don't be fooled by the beats... they are the beats of a hungry beast. Remember, Ari, you work for me, and your life is tied to your actions."
(Ari Internally: The beats of a hungry beast? My God, even the words coming out of his mouth sound like they're quoted from a dark fantasy novel! Does he mean he's hungry now? Because I'm hungry too—not for food, but for this beauty overflowing from him! And my life is tied to my actions? Well, my next actions will all be about how to stay close to you without fainting. If death means staying in this mansion with you, so be it! I'll be the best maid history has ever seen; just don't stop looking at me with those black eyes that make my knees shake!)
Ari stepped back slightly, but stayed close enough to catch the scent of rain lingering on his clothes. She tried to pull herself together, and though her inner voice was screaming hysterically, she answered with fake dignity:
"I understand perfectly, Mr. Lu Ming. My actions will reflect my dedication to my work. And your curse... no matter how hungry it is, it doesn't terrify me as much as it piques my curiosity."
Lu Ming looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to find a single grain of fear in her blue eyes, but he found nothing but the honest reflection of his own overwhelming handsomeness. He slowly released her hand and turned back to gaze at the misty forest through the window, as if closing the door to his heart once again.
(Ari Internally, as she walked away quietly):
(Curiosity? More like madness! Damn your coldness, Lu Ming. How can you just let go of my hand as if you didn't just touch the most beautiful girl in Bavaria? Fang! Where are you, you ghost? Bring me more bandages; my heart needs bandaging more than your master's hand!)