Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 502 - 503: Slumber [1/4]

Hearing Yuan’er’s delighted call, the black-robed figure holding Yuan’er slowly raised her hand, taking off the black hood that obscured his true appearance.

As the hood fell,

The hidden waterfall-like silky long hair spilled out, cascading over the woman’s shoulders. The honey-colored hair slightly curled, appearing somewhat lazy and rebellious.

On the woman’s fair face was an indifferent expression, exuding an aura that seemed to keep people at bay.

She had thin eyebrows and under the dark makeup, her blue eyes seemed cold but also looked a bit sad. Her nose was pointed, and her face looked a bit pale without any blush.

The first impression she gave was that of an ice queen, an enchantingly morbid beauty of ice.

The aura she emitted made one’s skin crawl. The surrounding flowers and green grass seemed to wither after being affected by her presence, losing their usual luster. Birds in the garden, sensing the dangerous aura, scattered in fear.

However,

Faced with a woman exuding a lethal threat, Yuan’er’s face lit up with joy. She was not deterred by the woman’s fearsome aura; instead, she excitedly and affectionately embraced the woman’s waist. Looking at the familiar face she hadn’t seen for a long time, feeling that terrifying yet comforting presence, Yuan’er couldn’t help but exclaim:

"Sister Youlan!"

Even though her mother had repeatedly advised her to stay away from Youlan, Yuan’er, having been taken care of by Youlan for a long time, found it hard to harbor any animosity or caution towards her. In the little one’s mind, the reason her mother disliked her sister Youlan must be some kind of misunderstanding.

Hearing Yuan’er’s voice, Youlan’s cold face warmed up a bit, showing a tiny smile.

At the same time,

The honey-haired woman raised her hand, gently caressing Yuan’er’s little head. The young girl closed her eyes in sheer enjoyment.

"It’s been a while, little one"

"Mmm!"

Feeling the warmth in her sister’s palm, Yuan’er’s face was full of joyful smiles.

After embracing Youlan for a long time, Yuan’er looked up with her tearful mismatched red and blue eyes, gazing pitifully into Youlan’s. Soon after, the little girl’s tears uncontrollably fell from her eyes again.

She cried even more than before, like she had a lot to be upset about.

Before, Yuan’er always remembered not to "disgrace her mom" and even though she cried, she tried hard to control her emotions. But now, after seeing Youlan, she couldn’t hold back her feelings anymore.

Without holding back, tears poured out freely.

Like a little sister who was bullied outside, when she saw her reliable elder sister, she couldn’t help but share her grievances.

"Wah... Sister Youlan... Someone... Someone bullied me... sob*... That mean maid earlier ruined my candy, hit my head, and even made fun of me... I was just walking minding my own business and she suddenly..."

While complaining, Yuan’er nestled her head into Youlan’s embrace.

Once a powerful demon king, she seemed now like a crying kitten seeking comfort in her sister’s arms.

Because she was crying so much, her face almost always buried in Youlan’s chest, her tears and runny nose inevitably got on Youlan’s clothes.

However,

Youlan didn’t show any signs of annoyance. She let the little pink-haired girl vent in her arms. Ignoring the wet spots on her clothes, she even took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears from Yuan’er’s face, all while listening to her words.

...

A few minutes later,

After venting out her feelings and crying for a bit, Yuan’er slowly stopped sobbing. She looked up at Youlan with pleading eyes:

"Sister Youlan, can you and mom teach that mean maid a lesson? She bullied me and kept mocking me..."

Yuan’er instinctively said this, momentarily forgetting the tense relationship between her mom and Sister Youlan.

Hearing this, Youlan gave a small smile that looked a bit sad. Instead of saying yes or no, she gently asked:

"Yuan’er, were you going to tell Mom about this?"

"Yes, that mean woman seems kinda strong... I feel like I can’t handle her. And mom said, if someone bullies me, I should come and tell her."

Yuan’er answered honestly.

In front of her elder sister, the little one always spoke her mind.

"Sister Youlan, that mean woman is over there!"

Saying this, the little one even pointed in the direction of the student dormitory area.

"That... mean lady..."

When she said "mean lady", Youlan’s tone seemed a bit strange. But any weird feeling quickly disappeared. The woman with the honey-colored hair shook her head slightly:

"Yuan’er, I’ll deal with the lady who bullied you later. You don’t have to worry."

"Will you really avange me, Sister Youlan?"

"Yes."

"Yay!!"

Hearing Youlan’s promise made the little girl very happy. Her eyes sparkled with joy. The sad mood from earlier vanished with Youlan’s gentle touches and her promise.

As she calmed down, Yuan’er looked at Youlan with curiosity and asked the question she should’ve asked from the start:

"Sister Youlan, why are you here? Did you come to see Mommy? Are you trying to make up with her?"

"Make up?"

There was a fleeting shadow of sadness in Youlan’s eyes.

She shook her head decisively,

"No, Yuan’er. I’m not here for her. I came to see you."

"To see me?"

Pointing at herself, Yuan’er blinked her cute mismatched red and blue eyes. A wave of happiness filled her heart. After all, for a little girl who adores Her Big sister, having the usually cold big sister come to visit was the best thing.

But,

’It was a bit of a shame that Sister Youlan didn’t come to make up with mom’

However,

’No problem!’

’With me around, I can surely get Mommy and Sister Youlan to talk and clear up any misunderstandings!’

Yuan’er silently cheered herself on.

Then, with curiosity, she asked:

"Sister Youlan, you came to see me specially, is there something up?"

"Yes. Remember you always wanted to go on an adventure with me? I’m here to take you to an interesting place in the middle of the continent."

"To play?! Yes, let’s go!"

Yuan’er excitedly nodded her head. But as she nodded, she remembered Yumo’s advice and her little face showed hesitation,

"Go to the central continent? But... Mommy said I shouldn’t wander around. If I leave the academy, I should tell her. If I go without telling her, she’ll be angry. But... but..."

’If it’s about hanging out with Sister Youlan, will Mom agree?’

Yuan’er was torn about what to do.

As Yuan’er was feeling conflicted, Youlan slowly crouched down in front of her, gently caressing her face, "Don’t worry about it. Even if you leave the academy, she won’t be angry at you."

Youlan’s soft voice drifted into Yuan’er’s ears.

However, there was a strange vibe in her voice this time, making Yuan’er feel a bit uneasy,

"Sister Youlan? Why... why say that?"

Youlan didn’t answer.

Instead, she pulled her hand away from Yuan’er’s face, took off her black glove, revealing her pristine right hand. Her nails glowed a soft blue, looking both delicate and lustrous.

"Because it’s not your choice."

"Huh?"

The next moment,

Under Yuan’er’s puzzled gaze, a blue flower with a strange aura slowly grew from Youlan’s palm. It bloomed suddenly in the breeze, dancing gracefully with the wind, showing off its beauty.

"This... what’s this?"

Witnessing this magical event of a flower growing from the palm, Yuan’er looked amazed.

But what she didn’t notice was that some glowing powder, released by the dancing flower, was slowly dispersing into the air.

Then,

As Yuan’er was about to ask more questions, a sudden wave of drowsiness overwhelmed her. Her vision began to blur.

"You... Sister Youlan? What’s... happening? I’m... so sleepy..."

Though Yuan’er tried to resist, she was powerless against the overwhelming urge to sleep.

Finally,

After a few weak struggles, the pink-haired girl’s eyelids slowly closed, and her small body fell into Youlan’s embrace.

...

"Come with me, little one."

Looking at the unconscious girl in her arms, a chilling and creepy smile slowly appeared on her face.