That was because he had seen Lappland's eyes.
They were fixed on him, utterly calm.
At once, Su An cursed inwardly.
Damn this place. Siracusa turns people into ghosts.
Lappland lowered her head and walked out of the arena.
When she passed the ripper-beast's corpse, she stopped for a moment.
It lay there with its eyes still open, though the pupils had already gone vacant.
Blood flowed from its ear and throat, seeping into the sand.
In what way was this beast any different from her?
Lappland withdrew her gaze and kept walking.
Su An floated beside her, silent for a long while before finally asking, "Does it hurt?"
Lappland's steps faltered.
"...It doesn't."
Su An looked at the cut above her right eye. Blood was still running down, sliding over her cheek and dripping onto her white shirt.
"Bullshit. When I was using your body, it hurt so bad I nearly pissed myself."
Lappland stopped walking altogether, and that same expression appeared on her face again—that strange mix of speechlessness and helplessness.
"This is my body..."
"Yeah, right, yours."
Su An scratched his head.
"But I really did feel it. That beast bit down hard. You've still got the teeth marks on your arm."
Lappland lowered her head and looked at her left arm.
The sleeve had been torn open, exposing four bloody puncture wounds that were still oozing.
"It really does hurt."
"Good. As long as you know it hurts."
Su An nodded.
"Go get your wounds treated first. If you keep bleeding like this, you're going to pass out."
"Or you could make a wish and let me heal you."
Lappland said nothing. Healing too quickly would only bring unnecessary trouble, so she simply turned and walked back toward the estate.
The banquet lasted until late into the night. Near the end, Salvadore rose to his feet and exchanged a few words with Alberto.
"It's getting late. The Texas family still has business to handle, so we'll have to set out for Columbia tonight."
Alberto nodded and offered the appropriate courtesies.
"So soon? Won't you stay a few more days?"
"Next time. Once the Texas family has settled down, we'll come visit again."
He turned and beckoned to Texas in the corner.
"Cellinia, we're leaving."
Texas stood up obediently, followed behind Salvadore, and boarded the vehicle that had long since been waiting outside.
The convoy started up and slowly pulled away from the brightly lit estate.
Inside the vehicle, Salvadore sat with his eyes closed, resting.
Across from him, Texas sat in silence, watching the rainy night recede beyond the window.
"What are you thinking about?"
Salvadore's voice broke the quiet.
Texas drew back her gaze and looked at her grandfather.
"That girl."
"Lappland Saluzzo?"
Texas nodded.
"What about her?"
Texas was silent for a while before answering.
"When she was in the arena... it was like she became a different person."
"A different person?"
"Yes. At first she was struggling. She almost got bitten to death by that beast. But then... all of a sudden, she changed."
She paused, as if replaying the scene in her mind.
"Her movements became fast. Precise. Ruthless."
Salvadore fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Children in Siracusa grow up early."
"Grandpa, will we come back here again?"
Salvadore did not answer immediately. Only after a long pause did he say, "We will."
Texas asked nothing more.
Lappland's injuries were treated quickly.
The Saluzzo family physician was clearly well practiced in handling wounds like these. Once he finished putting away his tools and giving a few instructions, he withdrew.
Lappland jumped down from the chair, lowered her head to examine her left arm wrapped tightly in bandages, then raised a hand to touch the wound above her right eye.
"Don't touch it," Su An said. "If you keep messing with it, it'll scar."
Lappland lowered her hand without a word.
Outside the window came the sounds of the banquet winding down—carriages, engines, muffled voices.
Lappland walked over to the window and glanced outside.
The Texas family convoy had just departed. She watched the vehicles vanish into the far end of the rainy night.
Su An floated over and followed her gaze outside.
"Can't bear to part with her?"
"No."
"Then what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Su An clicked his tongue.
"You child, isn't it just that you're reluctant to say goodbye to the first friend you made today?"
"Don't worry. She'll come back again. Earlier I heard your so-called biological father talking business with them. And she's the heir to her family, so there'll be plenty of chances for you two to meet."
"Lappland."
Alberto's voice came from behind her.
Lappland turned around.
Her father stood at the far end of the corridor, a lamp in his hand. The firelight cast across his face, leaving his expression unreadable.
"Come with me."
Lappland followed.
Su An floated at her side, glancing back and forth between father and daughter, muttering quietly, "What now? It's the middle of the night. Another lesson?"
Lappland's ears twitched, but she ignored him.
They passed through the corridor, through the courtyard, through corners of the estate she would never approach in daylight. At last Alberto stopped in front of an iron door.
Su An frowned. He drifted forward, slipped through the door, and took a look inside.
"Holy shit! An adult ripper-beast!"
Alberto opened the door.
Inside was a beast three times taller than little Lappland. A thick iron chain was fastened around its neck, with the other end anchored to a stone pillar at the back of the chamber.
"How about we kill your father instead? All you have to do is make a wish."
Lappland said nothing.
She simply walked inside on her own.
The heavy door closed behind her with a metallic click.
Locked.
"The chain on its neck isn't long enough. You should go find a spot where—"
Before Su An could finish, Lappland had already moved with practiced ease to a certain place and sat down there, hugging her knees.
Su An immediately understood.
This was not the first time she had been brought here.
What was this, exactly? A trial? A punishment? Some way of making her get used to fear?
The adult ripper-beast lay sprawled at the far end of the room. Hearing movement, one ear twitched, but it did not open its eyes.
It was asleep.
Or rather, it could not be bothered with her.
After all, it could not reach her anyway.
Lappland curled herself into a small ball and watched the rise and fall of the beast's breathing.
"What exactly are you?"
After a while, she finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.
Was he really a god born from her wish? Did he truly need her to make a wish before he could act...?
But Su An gave her an answer she had not expected.
"Me?"
He pointed at his transparent chest.
"I don't know. I'm not even sure whether I'm still alive."
"...Then can you stay with me forever?"
Su An froze.
Stay with her forever?
That was impossible.
He had other clients. He wanted to fulfill more wishes and save up more wish-power. And then there was the matter of lifespan...
Su An looked into Lappland's eyes.
They shone in the dark, holding neither expectation nor pleading. She was simply looking at him, as if she only wanted an answer—
or perhaps as though any answer at all would do.
"I'll stay with you until the day you no longer need me," he said at last. "Until you grow into a real wolf."
"Oh..."
Lappland buried her head in the crook of her arms around her knees.
"I'm going to sleep."
But unlike her calm voice, her ears were twitching again and again, and her tail was swaying ever so slightly.
Clearly, she was very happy.
Su An fell silent.
This child...
She never said a thing out loud, but her body was honest enough.
"Lappland, happy birthday. Good night."
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