The clerk's expression relaxed slightly. "Oh, so it's him," he said, clearing his throat. "That explains why you suddenly... But I've only heard rumors. I don't know the specifics."
For the first time, Milady showed genuine disappointment.
She stood motionless and didn't respond. The clerk grew a bit awkward. Seeming to want to either ease the tension or make a quick getaway, he said, "Besides, it's probably not a good idea for a young lady like you to work in a place like that..."
An idea sparked in Milady's mind. She tilted her head, adopting the very picture of a curious seventeen-year-old girl, and asked, "Oh?"
"Ahem. After all, it's a place where money flows freely and all sorts of people gather," the clerk said, happy to offer his opinion, as many people are, especially to a young woman. "What kind of people do you think go there to gamble? People who've lost themselves to the game, drunkards, crooks looking to make a quick buck..."
He trailed off, as if only just then realizing that Milady's other option was far worse than a casino. "Of course, if Huai Tuo looks out for you a bit, it might not be impossible..."
Milady could barely contain her excitement and anxiety. 'I need to know where this casino is, what it's called. But how can I find out?'
"By the way, have you ever been there?" she asked casually as the clerk neared the door.
"Oh, no, never."
The look that flashed across his face told Milady that he probably really didn't know the details.
Perhaps thinking Milady had little hope of escaping the cleanup duty, the clerk still left the Anti-Crystallization Medicine behind, reminding her that no matter what, she had to report to the pollution zone tomorrow.
Milady saw him out with a warm and grateful demeanor, but she couldn't bring herself to promise she would go—even after a whole day of acting, she couldn't say the words.
After the door closed, Milady picked up the paper packet, weighed it in her hand a few times, and smiled.
The next second, she violently hurled it against the opposite wall. The purplish-red paste burst open with a SPLAT, the resulting spray of specks resembling a large, decaying flower.
Letting it slowly ooze down the wall to the floor, Milady stood there thinking for a moment, then turned and went into the other room.
On the day of the farewell, she'd forgotten to tell Hailan: she didn't believe in fate.
Yidan's crystal lungs weren't fate; they were the inevitable result of a deliberate arrangement. The Clan Leader's choice wasn't fate; it was a deceitful ploy made after weighing the pros and cons. The fact that not even a doctor showed up that day—that wasn't fate either.
And now, with her own two hands—young, fair, and soft, hands that had never known hardship or jewels—she would tear down the Clan Leader of the Haidu Political Family. She would topple that behemoth of power, influence, and wealth from his high perch.
This wasn't fate, either.
Milady closed her eyes, and the Clan Leader's face appeared in her mind—short and round, well-maintained, with a sharp, shrewd glint in his eyes.
In all the past few days, she had never felt such intense hatred.
She wanted to see that face twist in pain and fear. She wanted him to know what it felt like to lose everything. She wanted him to beg for mercy, only to realize it was too late for regret... She suddenly understood why curses always appeared in stories: when your hatred is so consuming and you feel powerless to act, you desperately wish for a supernatural force to swiftly restore fairness and order to the world.
Now, she didn't need to fantasize about Curse Techniques. She knew what to do.
The Clan Leader had made her mother swallow sand and go to her death, all to protect what he had gained from the Judgement Family. So, for her to strip away everything the Clan Leader possessed and watch him fall into the mud... could there be any better punishment?
She gathered all the money left in the house, packed the Shadow Appearance Mechanism, and took one of Yidan's long overcoats. She used to think this style of coat was old-fashioned, but she knew she looked too young. Unsure of what she might face tonight, she thought the clothes might add a few years to her appearance and help her project an air of confidence.
She had an idea of how to find the casino's location, though she didn't know what its chances of success were.
By the time Milady boarded a small, engine-driven car, the sun had lost its sharp heat, becoming a pale, dusky veil about to sweep over the land and slip below the horizon.
'So "the establishment" was a casino after all,' Milady thought with a hint of satisfaction, watching the people and vehicles hurry past on the street.