Veylin stopped writing and looked at the girl curled up on the animal hide before him.
He rubbed his brow. He had encountered similar situations before.
He had become too absorbed in his experiments and neglected his fellow disciples' feelings, or met with their resistance, whether intentional or otherwise.
But this time, he could not do what he had done before. Xiao Lan was the only person with a mithril-tier bloodline Veylin had found. He reminded himself to show her more concern in the future, rather than focus on the big picture and neglect the details.
He could not leave his experimental subject disheartened.
So this time, Veylin composed himself and looked at Xiao Lan with what he considered a gentle expression.
"Was the training too intense? Are you tired? If you're hungry, I'll get you some bread."
This uncharacteristic concern made Xiao Lan's sobbing falter.
She wanted to shout, No! It's not because I'm tired at all!
It's because these poses you make me do remind me of those obscene illustrations in the Ruby Service Guidebook! It's because I feel like a plaything being manipulated!
But how could she say any of that?
How could she admit that she had read something like that, and even knew its contents by heart?
Overwhelming shame choked her.
All she could do was shake her head desperately, scattering tears everywhere.
"N-no, my lord..."
"I... I don't want to do these movements anymore... Please..."
Xiao Lan's voice was thick and nasal, her words incoherent.
"I'll do anything you ask... Repair the walls, haul timber out of the swamp, clean the animal pens... I can do any dirty, exhausting job! Just... just don't make me do this anymore!"
She was practically begging, pressing her palms together and pleading over and over.
Veylin watched Xiao Lan awkwardly. Her resistance was far more intense than he had expected. His attempt to win her over had failed.
Apparently, he really had no knack for comforting girls.
He needed to try another approach.
"Xiao Lan, this training isn't meant to punish you."
"A very powerful force lies dormant within your body. But another force is also rejecting it. That is the root of all your past misfortunes."
"Every movement I teach you eases the conflict between the bloodlines inside you. This is a form of exercise, Xiao Lan. One that will let you take control of your own destiny."
Veylin took half a step forward and looked down at her.
"Think about it. Haven't you had fewer bouts of bad luck lately?"
Xiao Lan froze.
She raised her tear-streaked face and stared blankly at Veylin.
Those burgundy eyes held none of the desire or infatuation she had imagined, only concern.
Only then did she recall each of their recent "training sessions."
Lord Veylin had indeed never said anything indecent. Every time he touched her, it had been to correct her posture, and his touch was brief and restrained.
His gaze always rested on her straining muscles or her curved back.
It was exactly the same look Uncle Maoli, who trained the village militia, wore when instructing new recruits.
He... was he really just helping me exercise?
Then all those images in my head these past few days... all those shameful feelings...
A scalding rush surged from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head. Xiao Lan felt her face burn, and her head grew dizzy.
Could it be... could I be the only pervert in this room???
If "shame" described her feelings before, what Xiao Lan felt now was an even worse case of utter social humiliation.
She found it even harder to explain. All she could do was stubbornly lower her head, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
"I... I still don't want to train..."
Her voice was almost inaudible.
Veylin watched her and sighed softly.
Apparently, pure logical persuasion and goal-based motivation had limited effectiveness in regulating his experimental subject's emotions.
He needed to introduce a new variable. Originally, he had not wanted to do this. After all, it amounted to emotional blackmail.
Veylin turned and went to his office, pulling a letter with an already-broken wax seal from a stack of files.
"A messenger from Greenvein City delivered this at noon today."
He held the letter out to Xiao Lan.
"I had intended to tell you the news after you finished today's training."
Xiao Lan took the letter in a daze. The envelope was made of fine parchment and bore the crest of the comital Klein family.
But that was all she could make out. She could not read.
Once Veylin had let her inspect the letter, he opened it and read it aloud, pointing to each word and sentence for her.
The letter was from Miss Lilia, and her handwriting was beautiful.
It began with a report to Veylin on the arrangements for the families of the Grey Wolf Mercenary Company. Lilia had given them all work in an herb garden under the baron's estate. Their food and lodging were assured, and their children were being cared for as well.
Veylin continued reading.
The latter half of the letter mentioned her.
Lilia wrote that after handling the mercenaries' families, she had followed Veylin's instructions and sent people back to Xiao Lan's hometown-the village that had been burned to the ground-to investigate once more.
They had discovered something unbelievable.
On the day the village was massacred, Xiao Lan's seven-year-old sister had happened to accompany a neighboring family to a nearby town for market day, escaping the disaster.
Lilia had already found them and brought the neighboring family to the baron's estate. They had become servants on the estate, while Xiao Lan's sister...
"...Little Dali is a very sweet, well-behaved child. I'm quite fond of her and have already taken her on as my little personal maid. Please don't worry. I will care for her as though she were my own younger sister."
The moment she heard "little Dali," she fell into a daze.
My sister... is still alive?
That little girl who always followed her around, tugging at the hem of her clothes and calling her "big sister" in that sweet voice.
She's still alive?
An immense wave of shock and bewilderment struck her soul.
Then years of accumulated longing, fear, despair, and lingering terror burst forth like floodwaters breaking through a dam.
"Waaah-"
She could no longer hold it in and burst into loud sobs.
This time, there was no hurt or humiliated anger in her crying, only the joy of regaining what she had lost and boundless gratitude.
All her thoughts, all her misunderstandings, all her shame were washed away in that moment.
She looked at Veylin, the man who had given her a new life and now saved her only remaining loved one.
He was a god.
He was the light in her life.
Veylin waited quietly until her emotions had settled a little before speaking again. He did not act superior, and his voice remained calm.
"A maid's wages aren't enough to cover your family's expenses, Xiao Lan. The Klein family won't feed anyone who does nothing in return."
He spoke slowly, patiently guiding her.
"For now, I can pay for your sister's food, lodging, and other expenses in advance. But you will need to repay that money."
Xiao Lan raised her head. Tears still clung to her lashes, but the look in her eyes had changed completely.
"Train your body as I instruct and become my guard. Your pay will far exceed a maid's. With your own two hands, you'll be able to earn a secure, comfortable future for yourself and your sister."
Veylin walked up to her and held out his hand.
"The choice is yours: become someone strong enough to protect her family, or carry on as you are now, surviving only on other people's kindness and pity."
Xiao Lan looked at his outstretched hand, broad and strong, its knuckles clearly defined.
She took it without hesitation.
"I... I understand, my lord."
She wiped the tears from her face, got up from the floor, and returned to the animal-hide mat.
This time, she showed no awkwardness or hesitation.
She raised her head and looked through the haze of tears at the man who was rapidly writing in his notebook.
"My lord..."
"Please... please continue teaching me."