The Unveiling of Fate

[A year has passed, and the wind is slowly flowing along with the years]

[Every time Chris comes to see you, she always has some small scars]

She smiled, claiming it was nothing, merely an accidental fall.Yet, you knew it was proof of her desperate struggle, having evaded Noyu’s pursuers and exerted every ounce of her strength just to reach your side.

As a level 99 master, Chris was virtually untouchable in single combat.

Even as the tree longed for stillness, the wind refused to subside.

Time flew swiftly.

Tomorrow marked Aile’s fifteenth birthday.

Over the past year, the young girl’s figure had become more pronounced, signaling her transformation from a mere child into a true maiden.

Since that fateful night, she had harbored no defenses against you, regarding you as an inseparable part of herself.

She had begun to gradually shed her hatred, striving to embrace tomorrow alongside you.

She was on the verge of succeeding.

She redoubled her efforts, whether in mastering skills or pursuing other endeavors, striving for absolute perfection with the sole aim of assisting you and earning a word of your praise.

Whenever you commended her, she would bestow a captivating smile, one that could eclipse the very beauty of the world.

This filled you with a sense of unease, as you could not fathom the devastating blow the day of parting would inflict upon the young girl.

Nevertheless, you had wagered everything on the innate talent of ‘Strong Luck,’ for despite numerous entrapments over the years, you had always managed to escape.

You believed this instance would be no different.

Mingqian, the farmer, had dedicated the first half of his life to raising Aile into adulthood, and you had, indeed, done exceptionally well.

You were confident that even without you, she would thrive.

As night descended, the day’s routine drew to a close.

Mingqian gently lifted Aile, who had fallen asleep, diligently slumped over her desk, and tenderly placed her onto the bed.

Watching her adorable sleeping face, Mingqian drew the covers over her.

Then, he softly pushed open the creaking door, revealing the moon hanging high in the night sky.

In this world, the years he had spent living here had allowed him to truly appreciate the preciousness of the scenery for the very first time.

“Have you finalized your plans regarding the child?”

“Before long, Lord Noyu will likely arrive here in person.”

A clear, crisp voice emanated from the side.

Even in the darkness, Chris’s golden hair was striking, and she emerged ethereally from the shadows beneath a tree.

“Yes, I’ve decided. Where are the items?”

The ‘decision,’ as it were, invariably referred to the act of faking one’s death.

And the ‘items’ were, of course…

Chris retrieved two items from her ring.

“This is the puppet, and this is the mask.”

“The puppet is simple to use: inject your magic, and it will perform your pre-set actions; as for the voice, you can record it beforehand.”

“That child is surprisingly perceptive, so opportunities will be scarce; you must find a moment to escape.”

Mingqian nodded slightly, for Chris was not only his most formidable guard but also his most intelligent strategist.

Most of the time, following her counsel proved infallible.

“As for the mask…”

She paused, her gaze at Mingqian tinged with a hint of resentment.

“You’ve already sacrificed seven years for her; will you now forfeit the rest of your life as well?”

Her voice quivered with emotion.

“What about my sister and me? What will become of us? You picked us up too!”

She looked at Mingqian, then lowered her head in vexation.

“Had I known it would come to this, I never should have let her escape back then…”

Mingqian raised a hand, interrupting Chris.

“Chris,” he stated, “she has done nothing wrong.”

Mingqian took the mask, a small item capable of altering one’s appearance; by covering the puppet’s face with it, a perfect Mingqian (puppet) was assembled.

As for his own face… he was confident that once this mask was removed, Aile would never recognize him.

Chris let out a mocking laugh, turning her head to gaze at the moonlight.

“What a beautiful moonlit night,” she murmured, “yet a certain man remains unappreciative.”

She continuously darted glances at Mingqian.

Mingqian offered a wry smile, then gently patted her head.

“You claim it’s not favoritism, merely responsibility.”

“But couldn’t you occasionally take responsibility for me too?”

She pressed his hand, unwilling to let his warmth slip away.

Even for such a fleeting warmth, she still broke into a joyful smile.

“So, can you truly bear to abandon her? For my part, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“I genuinely wish to raise her properly until she’s grown, but Lord Noyu’s side…”

“She is currently in a sensitive period, and I fear overly intense scenes would leave too deep an impression on her.”

“Before, I always feared her awakening, but now, I believe it would be better for her to awaken.”

“Master.”

Chris lifted her gaze to Mingqian.

“You need not worry.”

“If this is your will, Master, Chris will keep Lord Noyu at bay, even if it costs her life.”

“With my strength, should I fight with my life on the line, no one in the entire empire could stop me.”

“Should I unfortunately perish, please, Master, weep for me for five minutes, and then forget me.”

The young woman drew a sword from her cuff, swinging it a few times through the air; her silhouette, bathed in the cool moonlight, appeared strikingly beautiful.

“Chris, I won’t let you die.”

“Both your life and Aile’s are profoundly important to me.”

“…”

A blush spread across Chris’s face, and she turned away, preventing Mingqian from witnessing her embarrassment.

“Th-that’s precisely it!” she stammered. “It’s this very gentleness that warped Lord Noyu! Are you reflecting on this at all?!”

“Then I won’t touch you anymore?”

“…Perhaps you should reflect on that later.”

Chris cleared her throat lightly:

“Please ensure it’s done before noon tomorrow.”

Mingqian nodded, then turned and entered the house.

****

Early the next morning, Mingqian rose and promptly began baking a cake.

If asked what skill Mingqian had mastered most over the years, he would likely have answered farming and baking cakes.

As Aile was still young, sweets held a powerful allure for the girl.

He would bake a cake once a month, and each time, Aile would savor every tiny bite, finishing it all.

Aile was a sensible child; she knew their household was poor, so she never asked for anything proactively.

This maturity tugged at Mingqian’s heart.

She once had a home too… but no, he decided not to dwell on those thoughts.

“Mmm…”

“What’s that delicious smell? What are you making, Teacher?”

Waking early that morning, Aile found herself enveloped by a scent of pure happiness.

Following the aroma, she came to the kitchen and saw Mingqian busily at work.

Her eyes widened.

“T-Teacher, what day is it today?”

“Nothing special, Aile. Go set the table.”

Typically, Mingqian only baked cakes for festivals or significant occasions.

Aile had forgotten that today was her birthday.

However, she distinctly remembered Mingqian’s birthday; one night before bed, she had accidentally glimpsed him writing in his diary.

While Mingqian went to add firewood, she had seen a sentence written there.

“May 25th. Today, it seems, is my birthday…”

Before she could read any further, Mingqian had picked her up by the scruff of her neck and tossed her onto the bed.

And tomorrow would be May 25th… she had already thoughtfully prepared a birthday gift for Mingqian.

She wanted to express her gratitude to Mingqian, who had raised her for so long.

‘Perhaps Teacher was celebrating his own birthday?’

She didn’t ponder it further, simply obediently carrying out Mingqian’s command.

She swiftly tidied the table, then sat primly on a stool, awaiting Mingqian.

Shortly after, Mingqian approached her, carrying the cake.

Under the young girl’s bewildered gaze, he opened the cake box.

Inside, a large inscription read, ‘Happy Birthday, Aile.’

Aile was speechless, the corners of her eyes tingling; she couldn’t understand why she felt this way.

It was as if the happiness she had already received was more than enough, yet it kept piling up, making her feel as though she were about to lose it all.

“This is a gift, Aile.”

Mingqian took a necklace from a box and presented it before her.

It was a very ordinary necklace, yet Mingqian had purchased it with money earned from farming.

One could say it was extraordinarily meaningful, or utterly worthless.

“Shall I help you put it on?”

Aile nodded, an overwhelming surge of happiness having already pierced her heart; finally, her tears streamed down uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry, Aile.”

He gently fastened the necklace around Aile’s neck, and she offered a soft smile.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, but these were, ultimately, tears of joy.

“Thank you, Teacher. I… I don’t know how to describe this feeling…”

“But, I think, I’m very happy… truly. I’m starting to believe that everything I’ve experienced has been leading me to meet you.”

“Meeting you is the greatest happiness of Aile’s life.”

The young girl spoke, her face tear-streaked like pear blossoms after rain.

“Eat quickly.”

Aile nodded, taking small, delicate bites of the cake.

A blissful smile bloomed across her face.

“It’s so sweet.”

“Aile… these past years, have you been happy? Have you been joyful?”

Mingqian decided this sentence would serve as the conclusion to his ‘first half of life.’

“Mm! Aile is very happy!”

“Is that so… then you must live well, alright?”

“Mm, of course?”

A knock sounded at the door.

[Seizing the moment while the young girl was enjoying her cake, you opened the door.]

[In the blind spot of the young girl’s vision, you swiftly swapped places with the puppet.]

[You tore off the mask you had worn for seven long years, tossing it carelessly onto the ground.]

[Outside the door, Chris awaited your instructions.]

“Y-you, who are you?!”

The puppet Mingqian faithfully replicated his voice.

Mingqian kicked the puppet away, then slowly walked into the room.

“Teacher!”

Aile instinctively caught the flying puppet, then stared blankly at Mingqian before her eyes widened in shock.

“You… you are…!”

The face before her belonged to the man she could never forget, even if it killed her; the master who haunted her nightmares countless times; the one who had murdered her mother.

She had once hated him intensely.

But now, just as she had finally managed to let go of her hatred, he reappeared before her.

It was as if destiny were playing a cruel, elaborate joke on her.

Mingqian produced a dagger from his hand, slowly advancing towards Aile.

The puppet continued to speak, performing its pre-set actions:

“Aile, run…”

Aile let out a choked sob, stepping in front of him.

“Please… please let us go. I don’t want revenge anymore; I just want to live with him, please!”

The young girl lowered her body, fiercely shielding Mingqian.

“Chris.”

“Yes.”

Chris instantly appeared behind Aile, restraining her firmly.

“St-stop…”

“Stop! Stop!”

What a farcical drama.

“Stop it… please… stop it!”

Yet, no matter how frantically she screamed, Mingqian did not halt his advance.

She could only watch the scene unfold helplessly.

Her voice gradually morphed into a torrent of hatred.

“If you kill him, I swear I will kill you, kill your family, kill everyone you care about… Even as a ghost, I will never let you go!”

Thwack.

Mingqian’s dagger pierced the puppet’s body, and pre-prepared blood instantly gushed forth, leaving the puppet lifeless.

“Ah… ah… ah…”

Her throat constricted, and something within her heart began to shatter, piece by piece.

The one who had given her warmth, the one who loved her most, was gone.

Aile let out a desolate scream, desperately trying to break free from Chris’s hold, but the overwhelming disparity in strength rendered her unable to escape.

She could only watch helplessly as the person most important to her was killed.

[You utilized the props to stage a perfect double act.]

[You disregarded the young girl’s frantic cries and overwhelming hatred, burned down the house, and took her away as a maid.]

[That day, Mingqian died.]