"You big jerk!" Mingxite jumped up and kicked me again, then quickly crouched back down.
I was at a loss for words. After another long pause, I sighed and asked, "Are you all right? There's something I'd like to ask you. Can we talk?"
Mingxite glanced at me, stood up, and smoothed her skirt. "Come with me."
She tossed her head and strode off in front, full of herself, though she walked with a slight limp.
I didn't pay any attention to her attitude.
At least she was willing to talk to me, and she seemed easy enough to get along with. That was much better than those reapers and demonic consciousnesses who had ignored me.
Perhaps those consciousnesses hadn't really ignored me. They were just wary and cunning, pretending not to see me while secretly watching me.
I followed Mingxite to the study. Only then did I realize that the house seemed to be a castle manor, with an enormous area of land.
It was already dark outside. The lights in the castle were dim and unsteady, like candles that might be blown out by the wind at any moment.
The study wasn't very brightly lit either.
The bookshelves looked about two stories tall, which was absurd. A ladder rested against them, reaching the edge of a bookshelf that covered an entire wall.
On the other side, a platform jutted out from the second floor. It held a sofa and a small table, and decorations hung on the walls above and below. There were oil paintings, hunting trophies, and even strange patterns painted directly onto the walls.
The desk was huge. Once Mingxite sat behind it, I could only see her head.
She motioned for me to sit, so I had no choice but to take the chair in