Lanqi's Ultimate Death Wish

Beneath the iron tower, the two stood face-to-face, their gazes meeting. For a moment, neither spoke, and silence settled over them. In the distance, the thin morning mist was just beginning to disperse over the Selena River. The rising sun cast ten thousand golden rays that danced across the sparkling water, while a few white swans glided gracefully across the surface, leaving trailing ripples in their wake. Talia looked at the silent Lanqi and cleared her throat. "Lanqi, I've thought about this carefully. Ever since we first met, you have constantly been helping me. So much has happened between us, and we've slowly become friends. Over time, we've grown more and more familiar with one another—enough that we could even be called unique confidants." Talia spoke with earnest gravity, tinged with a hint of troubled contemplation, carrying the poised demeanor of a cool beauty. "To thank you for all the help you've given me, and because I noticed you seemed a bit down today, I decided it was necessary to take you out for some fun and let you experience my care." When she looked at Lanqi again, her eyes were filled with maternal tenderness, just like the way she usually looked at Hyperion. "Huh?" Lanqi was utterly disappointed, looking as though he were questioning the very meaning of life. Talia's expression stiffened slightly. Nervously, she turned her head aside and pressed her quivering lips together. Immediately afterward, she felt a burst of wild joy in her heart. *As expected, this was the right move!* …… One hour earlier. Palieu's North Bank, District 2, the Count of Asturias Residence. Through five-meter-tall floor-to-ceiling glass windows etched with Posen floral patterns, one could see the sycamore leaves in the courtyard turning from verdant green to golden yellow. Caressed by the breeze, they drifted down from time to time, fluttering through the air like graceful butterflies. Far away, the slopes of the Montmartre Heights loomed indistinctly beneath a veil of mist. "Why didn't you ask Lanqi out today?" Inside the reception hall, three women sat around a uniquely styled sofa set, chatting in a relaxed manner. Dressed in a pure white lace gown, Aetio looked at Talia with a puzzled expression. Her ice-blue eyes were gentle and dignified, seeming to hide a sweet curiosity. Today, Aetio was dressed as light as a dandelion in the wind, the gossamer hem of her dress flowing with her movements. A silver-white necklace adorned her slender, alabaster neck, accentuating her snow-fair skin. After the fierce battle two days ago, she had witnessed Talia's majestic appearance as the descending Demon King in the final moments. Back then, Aetio had already guessed Tata's true identity, and later Tata had made no attempt to conceal it, going directly to her for help in handling the aftermath. To Aetio, it had all felt like a dream. Just when she had felt completely hopeless, Sister Efatia's elder sister had appeared like that—truly, just as Sister Efatia had said, the most remarkable princess of their demon race. Moreover, Aetio had never imagined that Miss Tata was the legendary Sister Talia. The only thing that struck Aetio as somewhat incredible was that in daily life, one could not tell in the slightest that Miss Tata was such a Demon King… In short, it was a bit disappointing…? Or perhaps it just made her feel exceptionally cute and approachable? "Why should I go out with him? That guy always loves to tease me. I can't stand him anymore," Talia said with utter displeasure at the mention of Lanqi. "Besides, you two seem to misunderstand my relationship with Lanqi. There's no reason why he and I should be spending today together." If Lanqi were to actively invite her and give a few compelling reasons why they had to go on a date, she might reluctantly consider whether to go out with him. Listening to Talia speak, "……" Sitting opposite her in a wine-red velvet gown, Countess Rosalinda said nothing. She simply leaned against the back of the sofa, her slender waist, easily circled by a single hand, sculpted into exquisite curves by her corset. Her golden hair was loosely tied and draped over her shoulder, a few stray locks curling casually. Rosalinda cradled her teacup in both hands, her slender fingers, painted with black nail polish, lightly stroking the rim as if lost in thought. In truth, she had seen more than enough of Lanqi and Tata's little antics. She wondered if they acted like this in front of Hyperion as well. "When I saw him today, I felt a little uncomfortable," Talia murmured, still feeling that something was off with her heart. After watching Lanqi finish breakfast this morning, she had returned to her room to check her blood pressure. Sure enough, both her blood pressure and heart rate were slightly higher than usual. Furthermore, ever since the major battle that day, she had repeatedly recalled how Lanqi had forcefully cupped her cheeks, staring intently into her eyes and speaking to her. In the end, she had arrived at a conclusion: she must simply hate Lanqi even more now, having finally run out of patience for him. "But didn't you two place immense trust in each other at the critical moment that day?" Aetio sat up straighter, perplexed. In the battle she had witnessed, if Talia and Lanqi had not entrusted their lives to one another, they could never have achieved such seamless tacit understanding. "That was an exceptional circumstance. You have no idea how infuriating he usually is. Whenever I look at him with utter disgust, he gets a little excited, and the moment I prepare to hit him, his heart races." Talia grew angrier the more she spoke, popping two caramel cream puffs into her mouth in succession. "Even if I punish him, he only doubles down and tries even harder to make me mad!" Mid-conversation, she picked up a piece of mochi and took a delicate bite. A look of delight returned to her eyes and brows, prompting the other two to sample the treats as well. Watching Tata eat was truly appetizing. Curling steam rose from the black tea on the coffee table. Beside it, on a three-tiered dessert stand, lay rows of golden, crispy butter cookies, sweet-and-sour fresh citrus caramel puffs, and silky-smooth matcha cheese mochi. On another small dish, strawberries were cut into bite-sized pieces, their translucent flesh glistening with morning dew and giving off a natural fragrance. After swallowing, she looked back at the two of them. "Do you know what I should do? I honestly don't know how to deal with him anymore. And the people around him, like Hyperion, only spoil him further." Talia turned to her two friends for help. "……" Rosalinda and Aetio exchanged a glance. *Aren't you two practically joined at the hip?* Besides, even if you ask us this kind of question, we can't give you an answer. Aetio had never been in love. And Rosalinda was nothing more than a defeated dog in romance. Still. Since Tata had come to them for help, they would naturally do everything they could to assist her. "So Tata, whose advice would you rather hear?" Aetio asked. She was quite worried about accidentally acting as an inept advisor today. "……" Talia looked toward Rosalinda, seemingly regarding her as a mature, intellectual elder sister. Rosalinda looked toward Aetio, feeling that Aetio was actually the more experienced, elder demon woman. Aetio felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Talia was the elder sister of Lady Efatia, which certainly made Aetio the younger sister. With zero romantic experience of her own, how was she supposed to instruct her senior? The reception hall fell into dozens of seconds of silence. "Right, didn't the little cat mention to you before? Lanqi is only obsessed with the version of you that might kill him. If you treat him gently instead, he'll lose interest in provoking you…" Aetio suddenly recalled. "I tried, but it's really hard to pull off," Talia said, shaking her head, the cookie she was about to put into her mouth pausing midair. She had actually tried a few days ago, but when the moment came to strike, she still couldn't hold back. "I think Boss Cat made a lot of sense. You just need to steel your resolve," Aetio urged Talia with firm conviction. "Just for today—just one full day. Act like a girl even gentler than Hyperion, accompany him on a date, and make him realize completely that provoking you is pointless." "But… but something like that…" Talia averted her gaze, her voice growing smaller. Just imagining treating Lanqi like that made her feel thoroughly uncomfortable all over, to the point where she wished she could crawl under the sofa. "Tata, how many chances does one get in life to take a leap? If not now, then when!" Aetio encouraged. Based on her understanding of romantic comedies, this approach would actually bring the two together. When the time came, it might lead both people on the date to gradually become aware of each other's feelings, or at least draw them closer. "Yes, Tata! Give it everything so you have no regrets!" Rosalinda also pumped her fist, offering enthusiastic encouragement to Talia. Instantly, the other two fell silent again, both turning to stare at Rosalinda. "……" "Why are you two looking at me like that?" Rosalinda felt as though their gazes were interrogating her, asking: *Do you really have the right to say something like that?* As everyone knew, every defeated romantic rival had a reason for losing. The silence made Rosalinda feel even more tormented. "Someone took him from right under my nose…" Rosalinda began tearing up again. She had always thought her victory was assured. Although many women fancied Mikhail, she was the only one who could be his true confidante. Who could have foreseen that Efatia would drop out of the blue? Setting down her teacup, she hurried over to the liquor cabinet, pulled out a bottle, and began chugging it down. Aetio sighed. Fortunately, the aura around Sister Talia was far from that of a defeated dog; it was an aura of single-minded focus entirely centered on eating. After all, Tata possessed absolute confidence. In her eyes, her only rival was Little Hubao, and she might not even view Hubao as a rival, so there was no chance of anyone stealing him from under her nose. "Tata, go ask him out. Today is an ambiguous day he wouldn't expect. You must tolerate him wholeheartedly and let him feel your gentleness. That is the best way to tease him, and you absolutely must not let him see through your intentions," Aetio said to Talia with great seriousness. Aetio and Rosalinda exchanged a glance. When Tata went on her date today, the two of them would hide behind and watch. Perhaps they would get to see quite an entertaining comedy. Rosalinda also nodded. "Tata, contact him. You can do it." She handed a communication magic card to Talia. "……" Seeing both Aetio and Rosalinda encouraging her so earnestly, "I understand." Talia's expression was exceptionally pained, but after a fierce internal struggle, she decided she would not lose to Lanqi! …… Returning to the present. Talia gazed at Lanqi. She felt that Lanqi had seemed somewhat distracted all day today. It was as though he had woken up without truly being awake. When she had teased him this morning by telling him it was Wednesday, he had actually gone to work, completely failing to realize it was a holiday. After a long pause, Lanqi slowly recovered from his brief mental freeze. "So that's how it is…" Lanqi blinked, seemingly finally grasping the situation, and murmured to himself. "So, what is your answer?" Talia gave him a patient and warm smile. "Of course I'd love to. I'm delighted by your invitation." Lanqi took a step forward, took Talia's four gloved fingers in hand, and gave her a slight bow. "Besides, I'm truly curious to experience what it's like to date a demon princess steeped in eight hundred years of aged charm." With a hint of suspicious scrutiny in his eyes, he accepted. "……Then you'd better brace yourself." A vein twitched on Talia's forehead, but she did her best to maintain her unwavering smile and nodded with satisfaction. Excellent. Lanqi had taken the bait. Today, she would run Lanqi in circles! "Still, Tata, I didn't expect you to specifically change into such lovely clothes…" Lanqi murmured as he looked over Talia's figure. "Pretty, isn't it? This is court attire from the Kingdom of Posen. Rosalinda gave me this new outfit to celebrate my passing the Platinum-rank card maker exam." Her interest instantly piqued, Talia took hold of the pleats on both sides of her dress and twirled around, letting Lanqi admire her new outfit for the day. In the City of Flowers, Palieu, the unique style of noblewomen's formal dresses had abandoned complicated colors over the past century, gradually shifting toward simple, delicate refinement. The colors were soft and muted, and on a foundation of luxury, the decorative details had been altered—incorporating lace, beadwork, and layered frills to evoke a more dreamy, youthful maidenly feel. "Heh heh." Lanqi raised a fist to cover his mouth, letting out a polite chuckle. "……" Talia maintained her smile on the surface. Internally, however, she began chanting repeatedly— *Must hold back. No matter what happens today, I cannot hit him.* She felt that with that one laugh from Lanqi, she understood everything without him needing to utter a single word. That damn, infuriating nuance. Previously, their minds had been linked, allowing her to read Lanqi's thoughts at all times. In order to keep her from perceiving too much of his inner voice, Lanqi had probably been suffocating for the past month. Now that he was liberated, the fellow had visibly doubled down. "Do you think this outfit doesn't suit me? I can go change into another one," Talia took a step closer, mimicking Hyperion's usual gentle demeanor and asking him with an air of casual indifference. *Heh heh heh heh.* *Right now, what Lanqi wants most is definitely for me to fly into a rage.* *By doing the exact opposite, Lanqi will be left feeling completely off-balance.* "No, you misunderstand me," Lanqi shook his head. "You look beautiful in anything, Tata. This outfit only looks good because it's on you." He shifted his gaze from Talia's figure to her peerless countenance, staring into her eyes as he stepped half a pace closer to her. "Eh?" For a moment, Talia was completely thrown off. Watching Lanqi approach, her heart began to race again until it thudded in her ears, and she finally closed her eyes. She didn't understand what this feeling was; this was the very thing that had been troubling her for the past two days! Could it be… Could it be…?! "Such depth, such vintage charm… truly, no woman can compare to you. I'm beginning to understand Hyperion a little." Lanqi murmured in admiration beside Talia's ear, even leaning in to lightly inhale, as though savoring her scent like a connoisseur. Talia: "……" Instantly, the temperature of the surrounding air began to plummet. Its fur standing on end, Boss Cat leaped out from Lanqi's shadow and bolted in a flash. Running far away, it looked back and saw Tata still standing motionless, seemingly holding back from erupting, letting Lanqi continue to savor her without restraint. "Meow…" Boss Cat wore a completely speechless expression, tinged with a few hints of terror. It felt as though Lanqi was courting ultimate death today. And Tata had received expert guidance, adhering to a brilliant stratagem. It could only hope Tata truly managed to hold back today.