Dark-colored Fairy Tale: Seven Magicians - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The 800-Meter Test

Eight hundred meters really isn’t that long. Even with all her dawdling, Chloe finished the run in six minutes. Although the teacher deemed her effort “unqualified,” Chloe didn’t care. As a magical being, she didn’t put much stock in P.E. tests; she was only here for Liu Menglu. If it weren’t for the need to maintain a decent transcript, she wouldn’t even care about her academic grades.

The P.E. teacher lectured her earnestly, urging her to practice more and build her stamina. But Chloe simply stared at him with her dark golden eyes until he sighed in resignation. He couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh on a girl who looked so “frail,” “cute,” and a little “shy.”

“Go on. Just try to work harder,” he said with a helpless sigh.

Chloe nodded with a serious expression, and as the teacher sighed, she put on an act of being completely exhausted. She trudged over to Liu Menglu.

“Come, hug me.”

Liu Menglu, used to this routine, opened her arms and embraced Chloe, her bright eyes filled with a helpless affection. Ever since she’d convinced Chloe to “experience laziness,” Chloe would act exhausted during every P.E. class, making the easily-run 800-meter test look like a monumental effort. Though she felt a bit helpless, Liu Menglu never pushed her away, even when Chloe showed no signs of breaking a sweat.

Bathed in the knowing glances of the other students, Liu Menglu simply wrapped her arms around Chloe’s waist, making her feel more comfortable.

While Liu Menglu and the other students were used to Chloe’s clinginess, it was completely out of place in Li Qiuyu’s eyes. She had seen many magical beings, and every one of them had a tenacious spirit and an unyielding will. Even if they were truly exhausted, a magical being would never wear their fatigue so openly.

Looking at Chloe’s completely listless posture, Li Qiuyu began to have her doubts. Was Chloe truly the host of one of the seven ancient sacrifices? Could a person so lazy and greedy truly be a magical being?

Li Qiuyu stared intensely, but Chloe, feeling the gaze, simply ignored it. Taking advantage of her small stature, she snuggled into Liu Menglu’s arms. She inhaled Liu Menglu’s faint scent and felt a cozy sense of ease. The warm sunlight on her body made her feel drowsy and sleepy.

Chloe brazenly displayed her small acts of rebellion, basking in the care and affection of the person holding her. Meanwhile, Li Qiuyu was lost in thought, trying to figure out the reason for all of Chloe’s strange behaviors.

A Horrifying Realization

Suddenly, a horrifying theory surfaced in Li Qiuyu’s mind, causing a cold sweat to break out on her forehead. The world knew that magical beings could exorcise and kill demons, but very few people knew that some magical beings could also fall and become demons themselves. These fallen magical beings were often far more powerful and dangerous. Before they fell, they would gradually succumb to the seven deadly sins. The way Chloe was acting now was eerily similar to magical beings on the verge of becoming demons.

This horrifying thought, even for the unflappable Li Qiuyu, was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat. She had once dealt with a magical being who had fallen and become a demon. She had just become the host of an ancient sacrifice at the time and had only been an observer. That demon was cunning and powerful; it took fourteen of their strongest magical beings in China to slay it. That event had a profound impact on the young Li Qiuyu, and she never wanted to see such a demon appear again.

Moreover, when a magical being falls, the person they are closest to is often the first to suffer. Looking at Liu Menglu, who was so close to Chloe, Li Qiuyu’s expression grew grim. If her theory was correct, once Chloe became a demon, Liu Menglu would have no chance of survival.

She had to find a way to pull Liu Menglu away from Chloe. She would consider it a thank you for the bento from earlier. With this thought, Li Qiuyu started walking towards Liu Menglu.

It was a short distance, but Li Qiuyu found the journey incredibly difficult. She couldn’t think of a good reason to make Liu Menglu distance herself from Chloe. If she simply said Chloe might fall and her life was in danger, Liu Menglu would likely do what she did this morning—argue with her, disbelieve her, and cling even tighter to Chloe. Her rescue plan would be over before it even began. This made Li Qiuyu’s brow furrow in frustration.

Her steps were steady, but because they weren’t far apart, she quickly stood in front of Liu Menglu.

Liu Menglu thought Li Qiuyu was unhappy about seeing her holding Chloe. She quickly pushed Chloe away, pulling her out of her embrace. Chloe, who had been perfectly content, was suddenly taken out of her comfort zone and became upset. She slowly opened her dark golden eyes and saw Li Qiuyu standing there with a scowl. This only made Chloe’s mood darken even further.

Li Qiuyu stood in front of Liu Menglu but still couldn’t find a good way to convince her to stay away from Chloe. Before she could speak, Chloe beat her to it.

“Why are you haunting us?”

Li Qiuyu directly refused to back down. “Unless you leave this place, I won’t go.”

Li Qiuyu believed there was nothing wrong with her words. As the host of a Fayalon ancient sacrifice, Chloe was not suited to stay in China. She was completely serious about wanting Chloe to return to her country. However, her words triggered a chain reaction. Liu Menglu, who had just pushed Chloe away, suddenly pulled her back into a fierce hug.

She looked at Li Qiuyu with a look of suspicion. “What are you trying to do?”

Li Qiuyu watched the two of them embrace again. She still wanted to convince Liu Menglu to let go, but seeing the faint hostility in Liu Menglu’s eyes, she decided against it. Maybe now wasn’t the right time to talk about this.

In contrast to Li Qiuyu’s frustration, Chloe was now very comfortable. She snuggled back into Liu Menglu’s arms, listening to her slow and steady heartbeat. A faint smile appeared on her lips, and she felt an immense sense of joy.

Peeking over Liu Menglu’s shoulder, she gave Li Qiuyu a look that was almost like a taunt.

Although Mengmeng gave you a bento this morning, I’m still the most important person in her heart!

That was what Chloe wanted to convey, but to Li Qiuyu, it was a different message entirely. Her expression turned ugly. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then turned and walked away, vowing that one day, she would expose Chloe’s mask.

Watching the angry Li Qiuyu leave, Liu Menglu frowned, still not fully understanding. Meanwhile, the classmates standing near them shared knowing smiles. Their smiles and the pink bubbles that suddenly appeared around them looked exactly like Liu Menglu’s when she was shipping Chloe and Li Qiuyu.