Chapter 17. True Beauty (1)

Ami crossed her arms, tapping a finger against her forehead thoughtfully.

“I’ve been way too relaxed lately. (I'm on vacation, you know.) If it wasn't for you all, I could've gotten a little more rest.”

She shrugged, sighed, then snapped her fingers, her smile returning, though her eyes were ice-cold.

“For a second there, I really believed your whole story about the snowy egret… But the ones personally chosen by her to serve me, how could you be so naive? You had to have been told who I was, right? (At least, that much—she added.)”

Ami paused, her arms still crossed, and tilted her head, a provocative challenge shining in her eyes.

“So… why the act? Why pretend to ask who I was?”

Lena was silent, her eyes fixed on Ami. Her expression darkened, her lips twisting into a smirk.

She signaled to the others, her shoulders tensing as if preparing for action.

“My lady, what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice growing colder, her smile distorted.

Ami sighed and shrugged.

“Right, right, I forgot. I’m the only human here.”

Her eyes narrowed, the corners of her lips pulling up in a defiant smirk.

“My bad. What was I thinking, expecting a pack of animals to act like people.”

“You—” Lena snarled, her eyes blazing like fire.

The other beastfolk began to growl, the low rumbles echoing through the room as fangs and claws glinted in the candlelight.

“Whew~” Ami let out a long, drawn-out, mocking whistle.

“Not bad. But who exactly are you showing those fangs t—”

Swish!

The sound of air being torn apart sliced past Ami’s ear. A blade flashed for a split second, aimed for her throat with terrifying speed. Ami threw her head back, dodging by a hair's breadth as the cold metal skimmed past her skin. A frigid draft from the blade sent a shiver down her spine.

Lena froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What…?”

“Heh…” Ami bared her teeth, a provocative grin flashing like lightning.

In the next instant, another shadow lunged from behind her, a dagger stabbing straight for her back.

“Again!” Leva cried out, her voice trembling, though her eyes remained focused.

Ami leaned away at the last second, her movement so fluid it was almost a taunt. The dagger’s tip grazed past her waist, leaving nothing but a cold whisper of air.

“Lena!”

At the call, Lena lunged from the front, redirecting her blade to aim for Ami’s neck once more, her movements so fast and precise there was no room for error.

“Ack!”

Ami folded at the waist, planting her hands on the floor and spinning like a living scythe. A powerful kick slammed into Lena’s abdomen, sending her flying into the wall. The dry thud of impact echoed along with a pained grunt.

But before Ami could straighten up, two more beast-kin rushed in from either side, their claws slashing in a crisscross pattern, intending to trap her between them.

She threw herself backward, sliding across the floor as if on ice. Both sets of claws swiped through the air in front of her face, sending sparks flying as they scraped against each other.

“Clap, clap, clap…” Ami applauded, her gesture oozing with provocation. “Come on now~, you almost touched me. Ha ha ha!”

One of the beastfolk roared and charged, slashing down from above. Ami pivoted, using her own momentum to swing her leg around and kick her in the hip. She was thrown sideways, crashing into her comrade, and both of them tumbled to the floor.

“Don’t you look down on us, you bitch!” Lena shrieked, staggering to her feet and grabbing the hem of Ami’s dress.

Rip! A large piece of fabric tore away, fluttering to the ground.

“Hey, this dress was expensive… I think,” Ami chided, her tone playful, but her eyes were like daggers.

Wham!

She lunged. A single punch landed squarely in Lena’s stomach, so powerful it sent her tumbling across the stone floor. Her skin tore from the friction, leaving bloody streaks in her wake.

“Calling people a bitch isn't very nice, you know. Oh, and that one was for snitching to Lior and making me get back to work early, hehe,” Ami said with a serene smile, her voice calm.

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The room filled with a chorus of growls, a mix of outrage and dawning horror. Ami stood in the center of them, her breathing even, a cocky smirk on her lips.

“Who… are you?” Leva stammered, her voice shaking, her fists clenched as if to steady herself.

“Hmm?” Ami turned slowly, her eyes narrowing, her smirk as sharp as a razor’s edge.

The beastfolk recoiled, trembling as if they were facing a ghost.

“R-red?”

Leon, huddled in the corner, muttered, her eyes wild with confusion as her trembling hands braced against the wall.

“R-red eyes?… No way… They were gray… I’ve been sketching her face all week…” She looked up.

The golden candlelight cast flickering shadows on Ami’s face, illuminating her crimson eyes and twisted smile, creating a chilling visage, like a demon bathed in the dim light.

“Scared already?” Ami muttered, her voice flat, her lips curled in a contemptuous smile.

Clang!

The sound of a weapon dropping onto the stone floor echoed sharply, jolting the beastfolk from their stupor.

“Wait!”

They prepared to charge again, claws raised, but stopped when Lena staggered to her feet, blood dripping from her arm.

“She’s here,” she said, a distorted smile on her face, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

“Whew~…” Ami glanced toward the door, letting out a long, drawn-out whistle. Her eyes narrowed, the challenging smile never leaving her lips.

The rhythmic, heavy sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, each one feeling like it was stomping on everyone’s heart.

The air grew thick, and even the beastfolk’s breathing became ragged, laced with anxiety.

The wooden door creaked open slowly, its hinges screaming a cold, drawn-out note.

“Wha—” Ami froze, her eyes widening as she tried to dodge on instinct. Tch! Too late—!

Thump!

The wet sound was cold and brutal. A long spear had pierced through her abdomen, tearing clean through fabric and flesh, embedding itself in her like an icy stake.

Heat from her own blood spread out, soaking her dress in crimson, trickling down in small streams.

Ami looked down, her eyes wide, her trembling hands gripping the spear’s shaft—it was cold and slick. The slightest movement sent agony tearing through her, a fire erupting through her body.

She gritted her teeth, her breathing ragged, each gasp feeling like it was tearing her lungs apart. Her proud smile had faded, but her eyes still held an unyielding flame, one that refused to be extinguished by the wind.

“Get up.”

The deep, gravelly voice was as cold as stone, devoid of emotion.

Lena immediately scrambled to her feet, her eyes shining with an almost instinctual subservience. The other beastfolk stood frozen, the air so thick it felt like even their breath was caught in their throats.

“Ha… 'bout… time… you showed up… Lin?” Ami whispered, her voice faint, but her lips still curled into that fearless, provocative smile. Blood dripped onto the floor, each drop a chilling, quiet tap in the silence.

Smack!

Lin’s hand shot out, grabbing Ami’s face in a crushing grip, her sharp claws digging deep into the skin like five daggers. Her eyes were half-closed as she stared down, her gaze as deep and dark as an abyss.

“Ugh!!”

Ami groaned softly, squeezing her eyes shut. But she immediately forced them open again, staring right back at Lin, the crimson light in her eyes still burning with defiance.

Slowly, Lin began to twist the spear inside her. Every millimeter of movement felt like it was carving her from the inside out, tearing the skin around the wound wider.

Hot blood streamed down her side. The pain was blinding, but Ami only clenched her jaw, her breath hitching, refusing to make another sound.

“Tch… You Li..on… kin… really enjoy… t..orturing people… don’t you…” Ami hissed the words through her teeth, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth where Lin’s grip pressed hard against her face.

Lin’s expression didn’t change, but something unreadable flickered in her eyes—admiration, or perhaps desire?

“Still so beautiful it’s maddening… even when you’re grimacing like this,” she murmured, as if speaking only to herself.

Ami managed a weak but arrogant smile, her voice trembling with pain.

“Ha..ha… th..anks. But… if you're gonna kill me… then hurry up… and stop dragging it out…”

Lin tilted her head, her gaze slowly sweeping over Ami's face as if considering something.

“…Such a shame. If you had just been a little more obedient… I wouldn’t have had to do this.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the air like a blade against stone.

Ami started to form another taunt, but—

Schlick!

Lin suddenly twisted the spear shaft hard. Pain exploded through her, a white-hot blade tearing through her insides and up every nerve.

Ami choked, her eyes flying open, but that defiant red glint remained.

“Is that so—”

Yank!

Lin ripped the spear out in one savage motion. Blood sprayed in an arc, splattering across the stone floor and pooling beneath her.

Ami let out a strangled cry as her body crumpled, collapsing onto the cold ground.

She took one last, shuddering breath, her eyes glazing over, but the provocative smile remained on her lips—a final challenge before the darkness swallowed her whole.

Lin glanced down at the body, her eyes so cold they held not a flicker of emotion.

“Leon, begin.” Her voice was as dry as metal striking stone.

The beastfolk let out low, satisfied growls, as if savoring a well-earned victory.

“Yes… Master,” Leon replied, her voice shaking. She pulled a small mirror and a long-bristled brush from her pouch, her hands trembling slightly.

“She should be easy… her face has no difficult features…”

Leon whispered, then trailed off. Her eyes fell, her breathing grew short, and her fingers trembled as they touched the mirror.

“What is it?” Lin asked without turning. Her voice was as cold and sharp as a newly honed blade, enough to send a chill down Leon’s spine.

“N-nothing, Master.” Leon bowed her head lower and began to paint, tracing lines and shades onto Lin’s face.

In just a few minutes, another face emerged—Ami’s face. Delicate. Radiant. So lifelike it seemed to silence the cold room.

“…Is… is that me?” Lin whispered, barely recognizing her own voice. Her fingers trembled as she lightly touched her new face, her eyes wide with a light that was half desire, half ecstasy.

“Congratulations on the successful transformation, Master,” Lena said, her smile strained. A hint of fear—and something like horror—flickered in her eyes.

Lin wrapped her arms around herself, her fingers tracing her new features with an unnatural reverence. A laugh escaped her—quiet at first, then growing into a long, high-pitched, and manic peal that echoed through the narrow room.

“Look at me…” Lin whispered between laughs, her eyes shining with a crazed light.

“II’m… beautiful. Too beautiful. It’s… unreal.”

She turned her head slowly, her smile twisting as she looked at Lena.

“Don’t you think so, Lena?”

Lena flinched, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“Y-you look truly beautiful, Master,” she stammered, the words catching in her throat. Beside her, Leva’s hands were clenched tight, her fearful gaze darting from Lin to the still body of Ami, lying in a growing pool of crimson.

Lin didn’t seem to hear. Her eyes were glued to the small mirror, where Ami’s exquisite face was now her own. But when those perfect lips moved, the sound that came out was deep and chilling—nothing like Ami at all.

“Ha… ha… Ha ha ha…”

The laughter rang out, yet it seemed to come from another body entirely, a monstrous mismatch for the gentle face, making Lena’s and Leva’s skin crawl.

She sat up straight, her fingers caressing her cheek as if afraid to damage the “precious” skin. Her eyes glinted with madness.

“From now on... there is no one else. Only me... only me, Orson.” Lin whispered, her deep voice echoing as if from a dark cave.

The smile on Ami’s face stretched until it was distorted, like a mask cracking under the weight of obsession.

Lena and Leva exchanged a look of pure terror, their bodies shaking as if they were in the presence of something no longer human.

The flickering candlelight danced across Ami’s beautiful features… but that beauty was now twisted, warped into something grotesque and unsettling.