Chapter 51.3: Force of Nature

  A bead of sweat rolled down Felix’s temple as he stared at the sores lining the edges of First Lady Meng’s lips. They closed one by one, each sealing in sequence. When the door closed, separating him and Jude from the rest, First Lady Meng spoke her next words with a gravitas that the Poppy Manor commanded with all the knowledge it held.

  “You ought to know better than to kneel before me, Venerated Elder Lee. It is not fitting for one of your status.” First Lady Meng tucked her hands into her sleeves. Felix’s toes twitched against his will.

  Shit! Meng Haoran’s—

  “Arise.”

  Felix’s right leg moved first, knee lifting from the cold floor as his foot planted flat beneath him. For a moment, the weight shift made his left knee dig harder into the ground. His body continued its ascent —left foot joining the right, both knees straightening in one fluid motion. His hands, which had been pressed against his thighs, fell naturally to his sides. His spine straightened until he stood fully upright before her. Felix towered over First Lady Meng; even lowering his gaze in deference was not an option.

  “With the breath you hold in your lungs,” First Lady Meng regarded him with unreadable eyes, “explain the events that occurred in the past hour for three minutes.”

  Felix’s mouth dropped open, and he started rattling off the entire story. Not once could he catch his breath. Every word that came out grew more strangled than the last, his voice thinning as his lungs screamed for air. When he finished, he staggered backwards with his hands clutched around his throat.

  What did I even say? He could not help but hack loudly and gulp for air like a goldfish out of its tank. The words had poured out of him in a breathless torrent—he had not caught a single one.

  But First Lady Meng seemed to have understood everything. She nodded once before she shifted her gaze away from him. She turned to Jude, who flinched slightly. Felix let out a choked cry and shook his head vigorously.

  “Provide your assessment of Higashino, Ms Lee.”

  “Eh?” Jude lowered her gaze. “But I’m not… I’m not a certified physician.”

  Meng Haoran’s words don’t affect Jude… Felix could only stare as he unclenched his fists. Heat crept up his neck and up his face as he recalled Ace being knocked back. First Lady Meng did not even glance his way. Her attention remained fixed on Jude, as if his barely suppressed outrage were beneath her notice.

  “I just need to confirm the treatment Higashino has received to proceed.” First Lady Meng flashed Jude a benign smile.

  “Mr Higashino consumed a vial of Waters of Oblivion. A 10 cc vial’s worth. This was before he performed a Shift,” Jude answered. “CPR was administered as he had lost his pulse, but I detected a fai— I’m not sure. I cannot say that I determined that his pulse had indeed returned.”

  Felix's breath caught. His shoulders lifted slightly, tension coiling into something almost like hope. She felt something. A pulse! His eyes fixed on First Lady Meng, waiting, silently begging her to confirm what Jude had almost said.

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  “Your perceptive attention to the essential details is commendable,” First Lady Meng remarked. “Perhaps your father would be proud that his teachings stuck.”

  “Thank you for your compliments.” Jude bowed her head. She swiped at her injured eye discreetly. “But I insist that Mr Higashino receive prompt—”

  “His pulse did not return.”

  Felix's lungs emptied. Jude inhaled sharply. First Lady Meng knelt and pulled back the sheet to reveal Dante’s face. She touched Dante’s forehead with the tips of her fingers, and a poppy flower started germinating. Once it reached full bloom, she plucked it out and lifted it to her nose.

  “What the f-fuck?” Felix’s voice quavered at first, but rage gripped him tight in its fist as he watched First Lady Meng nestle her nose deeper into the petals. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!”

  First Lady Meng lifted her eyes to meet Felix's. “Be still.”

  Felix's body locked mid-breath. His lungs froze, his muscles seized, even his thumping heart seemed to stutter in his chest. First Lady Meng tucked the poppy into her sleeve and pulled the sheet back further, patting Dante down until she reached his pocket. She slid a hand in and pulled out a dark ring.

  “Hello there, little one.” First Lady Meng spoke to Dante's Regalia, as if it were her child.

  Obscure Scarlet! Felix wanted to burn the manor down as he watched First Lady Meng turn Dante’s Regalia over in her hand. The ring shimmered, then unfurled into a whip that immediately coiled around her wrist. The tip curled and uncurled against her skin, like a child squeezing their parent's fingers.

  “At ease, Venerated Elder Lee,” First Lady Meng said, and the whip retracted, reverting to its base form. “I deeply apologise for my actions. I was merely deciding on how to barter with you.”

  “Barter?”

  “Correct, though your reaction surprises me.” First Lady Meng’s robes swished as she held out 2 rose petals sandwiched between her index and middle fingers, the ones from Dante's rose. When she picked them up, no one knew. “You carved out a part of your Golden Core to save him once. That was our first barter.”

  “You carved out your Golden Core! This goes beyond a Sacrificial Vow!” Jude exclaimed. “That’s impossible!”

  “It was not, but Venerated Elder Lee can fill you in about the details if required,” First Lady Meng replied, still holding out the petals.

  “Then do it. Do it again.” Felix's hand flew to his chest, pressing hard against his sternum as if he could rip his Golden Core out himself and throw it at her feet.

  “No.”

  “What?”

  “Your Golden Core cannot be used for barter this time.”

  “What do you want?” Felix demanded. “The other Elders have laid claim to my life when I swore that Ace would not stray! Do you want your slice of the pie too?”

  “No.” First Lady Meng placed the petals over Dante's chest. “In exchange for revitalising Higashino’s Golden Core, and supposedly bringing him back to life—”

  “Supposedly?”

  First Lady Meng's eyes flicked up. “Higashino’s heart may have stopped, but his Golden Core is sustaining him, albeit weakly. If you keep interrupting me, it will fade.” She paused. “In exchange for saving Higashino once again, I would like you to remember that you cheapened his sacrifice—” she pressed the petals down gently, “—and grant me permission to carve my family's insignia onto your cores.”

  First Lady Meng’s fingers stilled. “No worries. This will not interfere with their functionality. I just quite fond of poppy flowers.”

  “Deal!” Felix agreed without second thought.

  “Jude, you are a witness to this exchange.” First Lady Meng's gaze finally lifted to meet the girl's good eye. “A bargain witnessed is a bargain bound. Do you understand?”

  “I—” Jude's throat bobbed as she swallowed, glancing at her and Felix. “Yes, First Lady Meng. I understand.”

  From her knees, First Lady Meng lowered herself further still, one hand splayed over her heart. “Your will shall be wrought, Venerated Elder Lee.”