23 – Neko Monarch

My daughter.

The day you were born.

All of Lordaeron’s forests were whispering the same name, Arthas …

Child, it was with pride that I watched you grow, and turn into an incarnation of justice.

You have to always remember, we rule this kingdom with wisdom and power.

I believe that you will use your formidable power with prudence.

My daughter, the real victory lies in inspiring hope in people.

If one day my life reaches its end, then you shall be crowned as Monarch.

The moment the young woman ascended the Throne, her heart was frozen cold, before crumbling.

She who was once a Knight sheltered by the sacred light lost her heart.

Arthas Menethil …

Is my name!

“Hu ah!” She exclaimed, sat up in the bed, and gasped for breath …

In the dankness, in a frozen city covered in ice and snow, her people and her father fallen under her runeblade.

Those are … my memories …

Arthas stared blankly at her hands, the hands which lacked even the slightest trace of blood. Those hands didn’t belong to a human.

Where … am I? While confused, she glanced around. She was lying in a warm bed, but her body didn’t emit any warmth; therefore, Arthas didn’t felt any warmth.

“You’re awake?” A gentle voice sounded next to Arthas. She turned her head, and saw Lu Qiu sitting on a chair. He was reading a book. After he saw that Arthas had awakened, he closed the book, before looking at her attentively.

“Where … is this?”

Arthas’ expression and voice were ice-cold and without any fluctuation, they failed to convey her inner feelings. Only the pair of drooping cat ears above her beautiful silver hair expressed the uneasiness their master was feeling.

“This is a private house in a small town far away from Wenhan City.” Lu Qiu looked at the page introducing the territory of New China Federation: “I arranged for you to stay here, and conveniently had dinner.”

Arthas stared at Lu Qiu, and he was also looking at her.

Dinner. Arthas used her nose, before sensing the b.l.o.o.d.y tang in the air. She glanced towards a corner of the room, and saw what appeared to be a bloodied human arm.

This was the dinner of the one before her, the dinner of a Vampire.

“Say.” Lu Qiu watched the expressionless Arthas with great interest: “Do you know your current plight?”

My current plight …

“I’m already dead.”

Arthas put a hand on her chest and found herself wearing nothing. On her chest … on her immaculate skin, there was a hole.

The heart that had once throbbed in her chest had disappeared.

No … it hadn’t disappeared.

“And you … are my master …” Arthas looked at the scarlet hexagram imprint on the back of Yang Feng’s hand.

Her heart hadn’t vanished, but was rather held by the Vampire in front of her.

“You’re very conscientious.”

Lu Qiu put down the book, and clasped his hands; the pupils behind the black-rimmed gla.s.ses revealed a trace of an unfathomable glint.

“I have thought of many different reactions that you could have after waking up – an agent of G.o.d enslaved by a creature of darkness – I was expecting resistance, or suicide … but it seems like you don’t have any feelings towards the Church.”

“Church …” Arthas lowered her head, contemplated about the word for a moment, and then shook her head. Her eyes didn’t express any feelings, just like a doll’s.

“Or should I say that you don’t have any feelings at all? Just like a puppet …” Lu Qiu pointed at her chest: “Your heart and your soul are in my hand. So, ruler of undead creatures from another world, mighty Dame Lich Monarch, what will You do?”

“In order to uphold Your honor as a Lich Monarch, will you kill this inferior creature of darkness?”

She was the Lich Monarch …

Lu Qiu was sure about that.

As a Monarch, what will she do?

What … should I do?

She suddenly recalled a memory which she was better of not recalling; she had once personally destroyed everything which was hers.

To have a meaning in life, there seemed to be no need for that.

She died so many times, was resurrected so many times …

In her view, nothing mattered.

The so-called Lich Monarch was just a joke, that’s all.

“Master … Please treat me just like a doll.” She was clear that she couldn’t escape from this Vampire. She had no hope to begin with, and had nothing better to do in this world: “You can order me as you wish, right until I break …”

This … is really an unexpected statement.

The radiance of excitement once more appeared deep within Lu Qiu’s eyes.

The System?

System, was it your doing? Not only her body could be changed, but also her spirit …

Nice!

“Really?” Lu Qiu reached out. They were looking each other in the eyes: “No matter if it’s every inch of your skin, every drop in your blood … everything is permissible?”

What … does he want to do?

Arthas had already lived this long, she knew everything she had to know.

She wasn’t wearing any clothes, and even though the other party was a Vampire, but he was still a male …

“Yes …” She lowered her eyes, and waited for her first time.

But, Lu Qiu just put his hand on her head.

Eh?

Its … not that? She raised her head and looked at Lu Qiu.

“Such a good child.” Lu Qiu patted her head: “In this case, you haw to obey my words to the letter, understood? No matter what, you’re prohibited from disobeying!”

“Understood, master.”

Arthas didn’t understand Lu Qiu’s behavior.

Sorry, but I’m a dead person and have no interests in that … no matter how adorable you look.

Also, please stop shaking your shoulders first, then say something awe-inspiring once more – like you submit to me completely and so on.

Lu Qiu only hated humans, that’s all.

“I’m a little curious.”

“About what?”Arthas tilted her head, looked at Lu Qiu, and the cat ears above her silver hair trembled.

“That is …” Lu Qiu caught one of Arthas’ cat ears: “Are they real? Eh? Its really, its so soft. You’re not a human? Why do you have these things …”

Its really soft. Compared with the long silky silver hair of the young woman, the pair of cat ears were extremely soft and comfortable; they were comfortable in many ways …

For a moment, Lu Qiu was actually a bit reluctant to let go.

“Wu …”

All of a sudden, there was a sound akin to a cat’s whimper.

Lu Qiu looked down and found that the owner of the cat ear had her face flushed red and had burst into tears.

Why would an undead blush?

Also … are these cat ears the only way to express your feelings?

“Ma … Master …” Arthas uttered with great difficulty as she panted: “Please … please stop bullying me …”

Are the cat ears a sensitive point of hers?

Arthas felt limply on the bed after Lu Qiu released her ear.

“You’re such an odd Lich Monarch. Rather than calling you Lich Monarch, might as well call you Neko Monarch.”1

After shrugging his shoulders, Lu Qiu threw the several pieces of female clothing that had appeared in his hand at her, then took out a cloak capable of covering one’s entire body and put it aside.

“Hurry up and get dressed, then catch up with me.”

Lu Qiu reached the door.

“I’ll show you my birthplace.”

A Vampire’s … birthplace? Arthas pondered while she was putting on the clothes.

What sort of place might it be? Perhaps a castle?

1 – Neko means cat and is a term from j.a.panese often used in manga and anime