The sound rang out crisply.
Amaterasu Kong's palm-sized face flushed bright red, her golden eyes glistening.
It was from anger, and from shame.
She had lived for hundreds of years, rising from a branch of the imperial family to the threshold of the fifth tier, looking down upon all of Blue Star. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
And it had to be now. Now, of all times. Damn it.
"You... how dare you!"
"Yes, that's right. How dare I."
Lu You admitted it readily and slapped down again, the crisp sound echoing through the spacious room at the top of the tower.
Amaterasu Kong clenched her teeth, then shifted from anger to calm.
"You're merely indulging in a moment's satisfaction. What is the point of doing this?"
Lu You stopped, his gaze inscrutable.
"Isn't life just one moment of satisfaction after another? Besides, don't you know why I'm doing this, Lady Prefect?"
"Just because of our previous fight?"
Amaterasu Kong snorted coldly.
"No. Because your reckless attempt left all of Blue Star hanging between life and death, and countless people died because of you."
"They were all willing, just for a chance at that possibility. I was indeed gambling, but they would thank me for being willing to gamble. What did I do wrong?"
Amaterasu Kong's voice was flat. Facing the floor, she showed little emotional reaction to the sacrifice of so many people.
It did not even stir her as much as being bullied by him did.
"You're right. The only thing wrong was that among those your actions put in danger were people I cared about. That's all."
Only after venting his anger did Lu You finally let her go completely.
"All right, no more spanking."
Lu You set her on the bed and pulled a