Chapter 49: The Mysterious Gift

"Master! Vasha truly had no intention of harming you! Please forgive me, master! I beg you!" As soon as Vasha entered the room, she knelt on the ground.

"What's wrong? … Thank goodness, I thought you had already…" Ivina helped Vasha up, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Master, please forgive me! My negligence, my carelessness… It would be just if the King executed me." 

"Why do you value your life so little?! Even if he holds a high position, he cannot arbitrarily take another's life! You nearly lost your life, yet you still blame yourself." Ivina walked to the side, puzzled. The vampire hierarchy was indeed so strict that it disregarded life.

　　"No, the King sentenced me for a reason..." Vasha wiped away her tears.

"Alright, it's good that you returned safely."

"I will pour you some tea."

"No, I can do it myself..." Ivina said, the tea already at her lips.

"Actually, Vasha's punishment, even if it costs her life, is worthwhile."

　　"Huh?" Ivina nearly choked. She didn't understand why Vasha was still so stubborn.

"The master was unconscious at the time. You don't know how worried the king was when he saw you faint."

"..." Ivina put down the cup and turned to look at Vasha. "Explain yourself."

　　"The King was indeed overly anxious. I wanted to help you out of the pool, but he thought… It's all my fault for being negligent. If I had handled it properly earlier, the master wouldn't have felt dizzy." Vasha said this, her face filled with guilt.

　　In that case, Luo didn't punish Vasha without reason. He misunderstood Vasha, and she misunderstood him.

　　A sense of oppression welled up in her chest. 

　　The distance between them was destined to grow ever wider. 

"This also shows how much the King truly cherishes the master. Look, the King has invited the master to attend tomorrow's 'Dance Banquet,' which will greatly enhance the master's honor!" Vasha spoke with the pride of a child, sharing the good news. 

　　Noticing Ivana's confusion, Vasha continued. "I only just heard the news myself. It's likely because of this connection that someone needs to prepare for the banquet by the master's side, allowing me to leave the prison unscathed. Otherwise, I'd probably have to endure some punishment before being able to continue serving you." Vasha cheerfully walked toward the wardrobe. "You don't know this, but this dance banquet is a major event. It's likely welcoming some regional leader—a powerful figure indeed! Therefore, I must carefully dress my master. Hmm, let me see what clothes we have." 

A few steps away, Vasha began to speak to herself. 

"Wait a moment, help me look at this item." Ivina pointed to the gift box beside the bedside cabinet. 

"Ah! This is..." Vasha's eyes widened in astonishment.

　　"Someone delivered it just now, but I tried and couldn't open it." 

"This is a gift from someone of higher rank than a Spiritist, it's very precious, yet the master..." Vasha realized she had said too much and immediately covered her mouth. 

"I really can't open it. If it's impossible, just throw it away."

　　"But… Master!" 

"Since it can't be opened, just throw it away. Don't take up space." She didn't care what was inside—whether it was gold, silver, jewels, or precious ingredients—she wouldn't accept it. 

'Staying here is just a waste of time. You won't get anything.' She recalled Xia Sang's words. Indeed, she hadn't gotten anything, except for a body covered in wounds. And now, what she longed for was freedom. She could no longer fulfill the contract with Niditara. Was she truly destined to be trapped here for the rest of her life? 

　　There was no light or love here, no one or nothing she cherished, yet she had to waste her years here. Was this God's punishment? Simply because she had once harbored thoughts of betraying Allah.

　　"Master, I know why you can't open it. This box has an opening spell. With a little magic, opening it is no trouble at all." 

"No, it's unnecessary." Magic? She had never heard of such a thing. 

"But throwing it away would be a pity."

　　"Neither of us knows how to open it. Should we just break it open?" Ivina waved her hand. She had no interest in knowing what was inside this beautiful box. 

"Then, please allow me to do it for you. I know a little about spells. As long as you don't laugh at me…" Vasha made a sour face, her brows tightly knotted.

　　"Haha… then go ahead. Give it a try." For the first time in a while, she smiled, but it wasn't directed at that gentle man.

　　Vasha recited the spell with some flair, and slowly, a rose appeared on the box.

"Thankfully, it opened…" Vasha couldn't wait to grasp that vibrant rose.