Arabella brought him back to the same house as before.
She had the intention to test him, unusually restraining her murderous intent on such a day.
Julius was completely unaware that he had just walked a fine line with death.
Perhaps he truly had something important to say. This time, he didn't hesitate. After entering the room, he carefully pulled out something wrapped up from his inner pocket.
Arabella was lounging on the sofa, her posture relaxed, a picture of someone with no backbone.
"What's this?" Arabella glanced lazily at what Julius handed over but didn't extend her hand to take it.
"My father at home is ill, and I need to rush back. It happened suddenly, so I only managed to prepare a small gift for you."
Going back? To Pujivang? She was just planning to find a way to keep him here, and yet he's leaving on his own?
Such a coincidence.
Arabella instinctively rubbed her fingers together, a subtle sign of her rising murderous intent.
The more murderous her thoughts became, the less serious her expression seemed to be.
She swiftly moved in front of Julius, causing him to nervously step back.
"Step back and you're out."
Arabella's warning took immediate effect. Julius quickly noticed his ears growing warm. He could feel her breath brushing lightly against him, the sensation so ticklish it made every pore on his body seem to expand.
"What is it? Open it and show me."
Julius hurriedly looked down, trying to redirect his attention with his actions.
Beneath the wrapping was a delicate, intricately carved wooden sculpture, vivid and lifelike. It was a representation of Arabella, standing there with squinted eyes, an expression that seemed to show her longing for something delicious—likely from the day she had stood in front of the cake stall, tempted by the treats.
Miniature and exquisite, with a cute clumsiness, it was clear that a lot of effort had gone into its carving.
Thinking of the cake from that day, the sweet taste filled Arabella's mouth.
It was so sweet it could hurt your teeth—sickening, really.
Julius nervously watched Arabella, fearing that she might show a hint of dislike on her face.
It seemed that everything he gave her wasn't to her liking.
Unexpectedly, Arabella leaned her head slightly, her eyes smiling as she asked, "Were you thinking of me masturbating while carving this?"
Julius's mind froze for a moment. How did the conversation go from a normal topic to something so erotic?
Taking advantage of his dazed state, Arabella closed the distance between them.
So close, she could kiss him if she closed her eyes.
By the time Julius realized, it was too late. Their eyes locked, and he was captivated by the intense, almost too bright gaze of Arabella.
He didn't know that when Arabella desired to kill, her eyes would shine particularly bright, her gaze burning with a ferocity that revealed the predatory nature she displayed when locking onto her prey.
He was enchanted by those eyes, lost in them. Unable to resist, he confessed, "I was definitely thinking of you when I carved it."
"Thinking of me where? Here? Or... here?" Arabella caught Julius's hand and guided it from her chest, down her body, all the way to the inner side of her thigh.
The touch was unusually smooth and delicate, causing Julius's heart to skip a beat. His fingers instinctively brushed over it, prompting Arabella to giggle softly, "How's the feel?"
The sound of her laughter startled Julius, causing him to hastily pull his hand back, but Arabella firmly pressed it down, guiding it from the base of her thigh, across her underwear, to that protruding point.
Julius felt that the woman before him was like a blade, pressed to his throat, its edge sharp and cold. He leaned forward, seeing blood, yet strangely, he felt as if the blood itself could be sweet.
He felt the wonderful sensation from her fingers, a forbidden territory he had never touched before in his life.
He swallowed hard, and as he closed his eyes, their lips met, their tongues entwined.
After the first kiss, Julius learned to respond the second time. Their tongues intertwined, moving like serpents, producing a wet, sensual sound, as his fingers followed a rhythm at the forbidden spot beneath her.
It was too deep. The pressure on his hand felt like a thousand pounds. He made excuses to break free, but it was merely a reason for his own self-destruction.
He followed the rhythm and trajectory of those hands, lifting the invasion from the seam of the underwear, tracing circles around the protruding little nub, each circle bringing out the sticky, and the next circle bringing out the desire.
After a few laps, he was breathing harder and his lower body was visibly swelling.
The strength he was suppressing caused his body to tense, shaping his form into sharp, defined lines.
Arabella's body was unbelievably supple, yet her heart was as calm as ice.
She silently explored Julius's body, strong and full of power, with defined lines in his waist and abdomen—muscles that most men would envy.
Would this be the physique of a bookworm?
Arabella deeply reflected on her carelessness.
Because of Julius's identity, she had assumed from the start that he posed no harm.
Was he truly as harmless as he seemed? The governor's son must have some hidden identity.
A cop? An undercover sent by Pujivang?
Was he trying to use his handsome looks to get close to her?
Arabella was still holding onto Julius's finger, but his malicious thoughts had already turned over many times.
She lowered her head and nipped at the flesh of Julius's Adam's apple, yet inwardly, she sneered.
She wasn't interested in this type of handsome man.
She moved decisively, but when she pulled away, her body was still entangled with his. Yet her expression was cold and composed, with a hint of a smile on her lips, in stark contrast to the lust-filled gaze of Julius's eyes.
"Alright, Mr. Gentleman. If we go any further, you'll lose that gentleman's facade."
Even Julius had a wide Adam's apple, which appeared unusually sexy when it moved. His eyes were bloodshot, still trapped in desire, unable to escape.
His gaze was confused, as if he hadn't heard clearly what Arabella had said.
But Arabella didn't bother with him, nor did she glance at the wooden sculpture, adjusting her clothes as she said, "Coincidentally, I'm also going to Pujivang, let's go together."
Honest Julius hadn't realized her indifference, and was only happy to hear the news that excited him. "Really? When are you leaving?"
"In a few days. Can you wait?"
He nodded eagerly, his voice filled with excitement. "Okay, okay. How will I find you?"
"Three days from now, come here early in the morning. Remember, it's three days from now, here."
Julius was so immersed in joy that after parting with Arabella, he only then realized the wooden sculpture was still in his possession, while she had already left.
He felt a little melancholic, but soon he let it go.
He didn't part with the girl he had been thinking about, and three days later, he would still have the chance to give her the wooden carving he had made with his own hands.
After leaving Julius, Arabella darted through a few narrow alleys before reaching the corner phone booth and calling Taras.
"Why haven't you delivered the person yet?"
"They arrived there this morning. Didn't you see them?" Taras sounded a bit surprised on the other end.
Arabella realized that since she had been absent all day, she indeed hadn't seen anyone.
"The Governor of Pujivang is sick?" Arabella casually inquired.
"You even know about that? That old guy is really something, pretending to be sick to fool his son into coming home."
"How can you be sure he's faking?"
"Pujivang is Abyss's stronghold. That old man was at our nightclub a few days ago, playing with women. Can he really be sick? It's just an excuse, spreading the news to trick his foolish son into coming home."
As night fell, Arabella chose a funeral home, where there were several new coffins. She selected the one in the center to lie down and sleep inside.
In such a war-torn place, the gap between the rich and poor was enormous.
The poor were discarded in unmarked graves outside the wilderness, while the rich would buy land and coffins, hoping for peace in death.
The funeral home was deathly silent in the dead of night, surrounded by an array of coffins. The wind blew, causing them to sway, producing eerie sounds. There were also various black-and-white photos of the deceased, their twisted smiles distorted, staring out from the dark as if they were vengeful spirits.
Arabella, of course, was fearless. If any unidentified creatures were to appear above her, she would have no hesitation in firing a gun to shoot it down if it interfered.
Only when her safety was absolutely guaranteed would Arabella reveal her cold, stone-hard expression.
In fact, she had always had a cold expression since childhood, not fond of speaking or smiling. Moreover, her appearance wasn't sweet or cute, so she naturally didn't attract others.
She didn't like people, nor did she expect anyone to like her.
There was only one person, Cyrus. Perhaps in a past life, he owed her, and in this life, he used a lifetime, a life to repay her.
Cyrus once said that a smile was a beautiful thing that purified the heart.
The truth proved that a disguised smile was indeed a beautiful thing—deceptive and misleading, making it impossible for anyone to discern the malicious thoughts she harbored beneath.
After Cyrus died, she never let slip any smiles in front of others, successfully concealing her nature, as venomous as a scorpion's heart.
Arabella lay in the coffin, pondering the strange events that had happened that day.
The person she met in the unmarked grave looked so similar. If it was intentional, what did AE know, and what was the purpose of sending this person over?
What did him quietly go to the unmarked grave to do? Who did they meet? What were they trying to achieve?
And Julius, every suspicion about him could be easily explained away with some reasonable excuse.
Including his strong physique, she looked into it and learned that as a missionary, one must travel long distances, covering the world in all directions. Therefore, it is required that every missionary strengthens their body through daily physical exercise, which also serves to hone their willpower.
Things seemed too rational, which actually revealed a flaw.
Arabella had risen from being alone to having a vast influence, and it wasn't just her physical abilities that had supported her rise.
She liked to think and was always suspicious, never trusting anyone.
The next morning, as the sky was just brightening, Arabella appeared at the front door, something she rarely did.
Raven, who had stayed up all night, couldn't hide the joy in his brows as soon as he saw Arabella standing at the door.
She was back earlier than usual.
Raven, like a pet waiting anxiously for its owner to return, was now so eager to see her that he almost wanted to leap at her.
Albatross had also stayed up all night, and as soon as he heard the sound, he naturally rushed out to join.
Both of them were overjoyed, but Arabella's reaction remained unchanged. She cheerfully opened her arms, hugging Albatross who had followed behind, her hands slipping into his pockets in an intimate, close manner.
She tilted her head, looking at Raven. "My Raven has worked hard. You've been guarding the door all night."
After taking a bath, Arabella called Raven over alone.
"Has the person from Abyss arrived?"
Raven nodded, thinking for a moment before adding, "I haven't made any special arrangements for that undercover agent, to avoid alerting them."
Arabella smiled in satisfaction, ruffling his hair.
Raven leaned in close, inhaling the warm, soul-stirring scent of her body, unique to Arabella.
Having just finished her bath, she casually draped a robe over her shoulders, revealing her long, fair legs. Raven's gaze subtly slid between the gap of her legs, unable to suppress a swallow.
"Go check if there's any news from Pujivang, and report back to me. Also—don't kill the one AE sent over, not yet."
Raven was startled. He didn't understand why Arabella had suddenly changed her mind, but he had followed her long enough to know that no emotion could be shown in her presence.
He immediately responded respectfully, preparing for the next step, planning to eliminate the person once the situation developed.
