Chapter 21

The scene of encountering the giant python last time is still vivid in my mind. At that time, I couldn’t escape its pursuit no matter what I did. In the end, I could only lie on the ground in despair, waiting to be eaten. That feeling of being chased by death, my whole body cold, is something I never want to experience again. Unconsciously, I took two steps back and hid behind Lambert.

Sensing my fear, Lambert stepped before me, blocking the giant python’s murky gaze. Was he protecting me, or was it an instinctive reaction?

Thinking about this made my face feel like it was on fire, and my heart pounded twice.

Unfortunately, the giant python seemed to remember us. Its white eyes locked onto us immediately, its snake tongue flicking, and its barbed scales standing up excitedly. With a flick of its tail, it slid rapidly towards us.

The others quickly realized that the giant python’s target was not them, so they crouched down, shook awake those sleeping on the ground, and prepared to run out in one go. They forgot that the giant python had a history of eating people. The first person to run out became a moving feast. The giant python suddenly opened its bloody mouth, spewed out a foul-smelling white mist, and snapped up a person, swallowing them whole in one gulp.

Seeing this, the people outside the castle went weak in the knees, letting out heart-wrenching screams: “Ahhh—”

Those who wanted to escape stopped in their tracks, stood at the door, and looked on in fear and hesitation.

As the giant python’s massive body got closer, someone looked at Lambert and whispered, “It seems like the giant python is coming for it… Let’s just throw it out.”

I was speechless. After thinking for a moment, I patted Lambert’s snake head. Lambert didn’t understand, but he got my hint, coldly sweeping them with his gaze, a threatening growl brewing in his throat. Those people immediately shut their mouths, shrank their necks, and didn’t dare to look at us again.

Intimidation is successful. I scratched Lambert’s chin and neck, thinking he was really useful.

Meanwhile, the sound of the giant python’s barbs crushing the snow became clearer. The people outside the castle huddled together, trembling in despair, some already breaking down in tears. Actually, they weren’t in a hopeless situation.

Lambert could save them, but should he?

The power to decide whether to save them was in my hands because Lambert only listened to my commands. For the first time, I realized that controlling life and death was not something to be happy about. The greater the power, the more things needed to be weighed.

Perhaps some people, after gaining power, could give orders blindly, but I couldn’t close my eyes and decide these people’s fates in the dark. Some might be the pillars of their families, some might be the hope for their elderly parents to live on, and some might need to go home to take care of their children.

The problem was that I didn’t want Lambert to risk his life to save a group of people unrelated to him. I couldn’t let others fulfill my sense of sympathy. The more I thought about it, the more confused and headache-inducing it became. No wonder Lambert could become the crown prince. His extremely rational mind was a treasure for the country. My thinking was more emotional, with too many concerns, unable to make decisive decisions. Compared to him, I was far behind. It was wrong of me to judge his past and direct him on what to do.

At this moment, there were sudden exclamations around me. I looked up and saw a black shadow flash in front of the giant python—it was Lambert. While I was still hesitating, his instincts had already made the choice. The cold wind filled his shirt, and snowflakes swirled around. In no time, his head and shoulders were covered in snow. In front of the giant python, as huge as a mountain, even in his beast form, he seemed somewhat frail. Perhaps after experiencing the difficulty of weighing the value of life and understanding the dilemma of those in power, I recalled the image of him standing on the tower in the illusion. At that time, his cloak and epaulettes were also blown wildly by the wind. Suddenly, I understood why Ophelia saw him as a faith. This man was worthy of being everyone’s faith.

Previously, I saw him as an exceptionally outstanding ordinary man, but now I realize that impression was wrong. An ordinary man can, at most, protect his family, but a hero chooses to protect everyone.

He is a hero.

The heavy snow was like a bag of salt torn open by dark clouds, sweeping the ground like a white sandstorm. Lambert’s figure became blurry, only vaguely visible as he fought with the giant python. The people outside the castle stood there dumbfounded, forgetting to run. Frustrated, I walked out and shouted, “Get inside quickly—”

Only then did they react, stumbling and pushing each other like frozen ducks, running into the castle. The giant python saw this and roared in fury, its tail sweeping violently, breaking two statues in half, which collapsed in front of those people. Snow mist rose with a “bang,” making the visibility even worse. The giant python took the opportunity to break free from Lambert’s attack and slid rapidly towards those people like a shark smelling blood. Its blood-red mouth emerged from the mist, and even from a distance, the foul stench was palpable.

The scene was like a nightmare: dark clouds loomed, lightning flickered like the eyes of the sky, the wind roared, and the snow fell like fine sand, turning the world black and white. On the snowy ground, a few people crawled towards the castle in panic, with a blood-red mouth full of sharp teeth emerging from the pale snow mist behind them, making their scalps tingle.

Not only were the people outside the castle terrified, but even those inside were scared stiff. Several people collapsed to the ground, emitting a strong stench.

Just as the giant python was about to swallow those people, a deafening roar echoed. The next second, the snow on the ground splashed up, and a lizard claw with immense strength pinned the python’s head down. The python snapped its jaws in vain, hissing in frustration, writhing like a worm nailed to the ground. Lambert clamped down on its vital spot from above, straddling its head like a sturdy iron nail, firmly pinning it to the ground.

At that moment, he seemed like a majestic warrior taming a wild horse. Even with a snake’s head, black scales, and lizard-like limbs, his powerful and heroic aura was undeniable. Some people, even when transformed by a dragon, remain warriors.

I don’t know if the python had any intelligence, but suddenly, I saw its white pupils shift, its head and neck stretch out, and it opened its mouth to bite the legs of the people in front. Although it didn’t need to chew to eat people, its mouth was lined with sharp teeth. One bite would leave those people either dead or crippled. If Lambert wanted to save them, he would have to release its head, allowing it to escape.

However, to my and the python’s surprise, Lambert, unarmed, decisively chose to thrust his hand into the python’s eye. A roar echoed through the snowy night, and thick, filthy liquid sprayed from the python’s eye, drenching the people like foul rain. The injury caused the python to unleash incredible strength, writhing and howling in spasms, mixing blood and mucus with the snow. After several seconds, it finally broke free from Lambert’s grip and fled rapidly into the nearby bushes.

In front of the castle gate, there used to be a medium-sized garden with various flowers and plants. Although they weren’t in bloom, they looked beautiful covered in snow. Now, the python had flattened them, turning them into a wasteland. Its tail had shattered several grand statues. The castle, already in a state of decay, now looked like a cursed, rotten land.

Lambert was originally standing still, but after a few seconds, he suddenly dropped to one knee, his head hanging low. I hurried over, my heart pounding so hard that my eardrums trembled, an indescribable heat spreading through my chest. I didn’t know how to describe this feeling.

His head, shoulders, and arms were covered in foul-smelling slime, and python blood dripped from his chin. Hearing my footsteps, he suddenly looked up, his pupils constricted like needles, but the moment he saw me, his pupils widened into circles, and his cold, vigilant gaze slowly turned gentle and dependent. His nose twitched twice, and a “gurgling” sound came from his throat, as if he was acting spoiled, wanting me to hug him.

How can I hug him when he’s so dirty?

I felt a bit helpless but still patted his chin. He grunted in dissatisfaction, probably knowing he was dirty, and didn’t insist on a hug.

At this moment, I heard rustling footsteps behind me. I turned to see the people from inside and outside the castle trying to sneak away.

“Where are you going?” I helped Lambert up and glanced at them, “Get back here. I have something to say.”

They looked at Lambert timidly, rubbing their hands. Someone bravely spoke up, “It’s very late… If we don’t go back, the people in the village will worry.”

“Why weren’t you worried about the people in the village before you came?” I imitated Lambert’s tone and said coldly, “Get back here.”

The authoritative tone worked. They were intimidated by me, hesitated for a moment, and reluctantly turned back towards the castle.

Entering the castle, I first let Lambert sit on the sofa, then patted the cabinet to wake up the pretending-to-sleep furniture. The feather duster woke up slowly, saw the messy hall, and complained, “I told you, those villagers didn’t look like good people, but you didn’t believe me. You insisted they were travelers seeking shelter and even prepared food for them. If they were travelers, how could they come with weapons? Don’t you think so, Miss Rosa—ah! They’re still here!”

The feather duster shyly covered its face and shrank back into the cabinet. The others stared at it with their mouths agape. After a while, the young man was the first to speak, “…Did I see that right? The feather duster is talking?”

“The food we ate earlier… was prepared by this castle?”

“This castle is alive!” someone exclaimed in fear.

This statement caused quite a bit of panic. People whispered among themselves, looking at Lambert and me as if we were monsters. Some took a couple of steps back, patting their heads, trying to wake up from what seemed like a dream. Others looked utterly despairing as if the castle might swallow them up at any moment.

I left them to their own devices, took the hot towel handed to me by Mrs. Teapot, and walked over to Lambert, gently wiping the drying blood from his head. After Lambert transformed, it was hard for him to focus, and his head kept moving up and down with my motions. What amused me was that those people, like him, stared at me with wide eyes, frozen in place as I cleaned Lambert’s face, hands, and feet.

Half an hour passed, and after using three towels and five buckets of clean water, the dirt on his body was finally wiped clean. Seeing some minor wounds on his hands caused by the python’s barbs, I took a bandage and bent down to help him wrap them.

After all this was done, someone couldn’t help but ask, “Rosalind… what is your relationship with this, this creature?”

“Is it a beast you tamed?”

“Why can this castle talk?”

“Why is there a giant python outside? Could it be that the python that was eating people around the village earlier was that one, and not…” The speaker glanced cautiously at Lambert.

I considered my words and answered the last question, “That’s right, it wasn’t him.”

“You still haven’t told us what that creature by your side is…”

A middle-aged man hesitated and said, “Rosa, I used to have dealings with your father for a while. Your father was a good man, just a bit eccentric. I hope you don’t become like him, always doing strange things. This creature might not be bad now and can follow your orders, but you must know that beasts lack humanity. One day, it will break free from your control and bite you back. Listen to your uncles, go back, and don’t get too close to the beast.”

Now, they claimed to be my uncles, but earlier, when I was humiliated by so many people, they turned a blind eye. I didn’t want to argue with them. I called them into the castle just to shut their mouths so they wouldn’t spread rumors when they returned, and they still owed Lambert a thank you.

“I just want to tell you that there is indeed a python outside the village that hurts people, but it’s not him.” I gently scratched Lambert’s chin. He squinted his eyes and obediently placed his snake head in my palm. The people around gasped when they saw this. “He is not a beast, nor do I tame him. Saving you was not my order but his own choice. I hope you can thank him and then go back to the town and village to tell people not to disturb him anymore and to minimize going out. As you can see, the python is only injured, not dead. Going out recklessly could be fatal.”

There was dead silence. Some people nodded repeatedly, promising never to come here again; some whispered to their companions, looking at me half-believingly; and some rudely questioned, “How can you guarantee that this creature won’t hurt people like that python?”

“Without him, you would already be dead,” I said calmly.

“Maybe it’s a conspiracy of the pythons to eat more people…” someone said. As he spoke, his voice grew weaker, clearly unable to convince even himself.

“Alright, Rosa, we believe what you said, that this creature won’t harm people,” the middle-aged man said. “But you should listen to your uncles’ advice: don’t associate with beasts. You can’t control them. Not even the bravest man in town would dare to guarantee he could tame a beast. And you’re so close to it, it’s like playing with fire.”

I thought for a moment and said, “Are you in a hurry to leave? If not, wait until dawn. Everything will be revealed then.”

When I was a child, my father told me several fairy tales. The protagonists were all princes cursed into different forms—some became birds, some frogs, and some mute trees. But in the end, the curse was always lifted; people immediately changed their views of the prince, and the girl married him, living happily ever after, even if they never truly understood each other.

Reality certainly wouldn’t instantly change people’s minds like a fairy tale. But still, I didn’t want to think too badly of people. Lambert saved their lives, and they feared him now only because of his terrifying appearance. If morning came and Lambert returned to his human form, they should be able to see him in a better light. He became a hero and shouldn’t still be feared as a monster.

That night, the heavy snow outside the castle didn’t stop. Maybe it was my imagination, but the sky seemed less gloomy. Snowflakes pattered against the glass windows.

At first, the villagers were like startled birds, huddling together, tensing up at any sound, and looking around nervously. But seeing that Lambert and the furniture showed no signs of harming them, they gradually relaxed.

Mrs. Teapot, bearing no grudges, poured them hot tea. The clock jumped down with a “bang,” put its thin arms on its hips, and lectured them at length about how stealing was wrong.

Most of these people were uneducated, and the clock’s words were long and convoluted, making them drowsy. Seeing this, the clock was extremely displeased, its minute and hour hands furrowing tightly. It hopped over to the flat-nosed old man and ordered him to sit and play the accordion to wake everyone up.

The old man was startled, trembling as he played the accordion. Though the melody was cheerful, he played it as if he were weeping.

It’s worth mentioning that the music did help relax people’s nerves. They held their hot tea, listening to the clock’s ramblings, accompanied by the music. One person, perhaps too relaxed, couldn’t help but retort to the clock. The next second, his face turned pale, and he shrank into his blanket, trembling, probably thinking the clock would go mad and eat him. The others also looked at the clock in fear, wary of a sudden attack. But the clock just snorted coldly, “You’re the one who talks too much.”

Actions speak louder than words. No matter how much I say, it can’t compare to their personal experiences. These people aren’t inherently bad; they’ve just been led astray by greed and their instinctive fear of beasts, so it’s normal for them to show hostility towards Lambert.

After realizing that the furniture in the castle posed no threat to them, they gradually relaxed. Someone curiously picked up the clock to examine its structure, making it angrily kick its arms and legs. Another person walked over to the feather duster and complimented its beautiful voice, causing the feather duster to shyly sweep the floor. Its lover, the spoon, clattered over and quickly chased the person away. Someone else started discussing cooking techniques with the kitchen knife. The kitchen knife, which had been the chef of the castle and hadn’t seen a living person in a long time, was so excited that its blade was drooling.

Knowing that rational Lambert would appear at dawn, his beastly form was particularly dependent on me, clinging to me to feed him. I had to pick up a roast chicken, and the people around watched in cold sweat as he swallowed it whole, bones and all. After eating his fill, he squinted his eyes in enjoyment and let out a small burp. His large paw pointed to the basket of yarn balls. I glanced at the noisy villagers and whispered, “Will this have a bad impact?”

Hearing this, although he didn’t show obvious displeasure, his pupils gradually contracted, his Adam’s apple vibrated, and he let out a low growl that only I could hear.

I had no choice but to play with him. So, a group of men of various heights and builds, who were chatting loudly, suddenly fell silent, turned their heads, and stared at me, throwing yarn balls. That night, it was just Lambert and me playing catch, which was fine. But now, with so many people watching, it was truly embarrassing.

Covering my face, I stood by the fireplace and violently threw the ball. Almost simultaneously, a shadow darted out. Lambert, moving swiftly, caught the yarn ball before it hit the ground. Thankfully, he didn’t bring it back like a puppy; he still had some princely dignity. He picked up the ball, instantly teleported in front of me, handed it to me, and raised his chin, indicating I should throw it farther.

I had no choice but to comply. Taking a deep breath, I threw it to the second floor. Back and forth, back and forth. We played for a long time while the others watched us with expressionless faces. I didn’t want to do this either, but I was forced to serve.

I don’t know how long we played until my arm was too sore to lift. He finally let me go, lying on my leg, ready to sleep. Looking at his relaxed round pupils, I suddenly remembered the illusion where he, only six or seven years old, nonchalantly watched the children playing on the lawn. Had he suppressed all those instincts and imposed them on the beast?

The longer I spent with the beastly him, the more I felt he was more than Lambert’s instincts. He seemed to embody Lambert’s forbidden impulses and emotions—the childhood desire to play with peers, the heroic dream of saving everyone, and a passionate, straightforward affection.

Reason and emotion, restraint and impulse, coldness and fervor, ruthlessness when sacrificing his mother, and selflessness when saving those who slandered him. Which one was the real him?

For the first time, I realized that a person’s character could be so complex and fascinating.

Unconsciously, the sky began to lighten, and the distant mountains were tinged with an orange-red glow. The earth gradually became engulfed in fiery red, while the sky above the castle remained ominously overcast. Light snores echoed in the hall; someone had already fallen asleep. I was also feeling drowsy, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed in shock, staring at my leg. I looked down to see a strand of golden light spiraling around Lambert. The triangular snake head slowly retracted, transforming into a slender, angular face. The jawline sharpened, the nose bridge rose high, the snake mouth narrowed, and the lips absorbed a petal-like color, turning a pale pink. Witnessing him turn back into a human was like witnessing a miracle. If not for the black scales still lingering on his neck, collarbone, and the back of his hands, I would have thought the curse had been lifted. The others reacted similarly, looking at each other in disbelief.

“I told you, everything would be revealed at dawn,” I said softly. “He saved you, not as part of some giant snake’s plot, but because he is human, just like you. Listen to me. Go back and tell the townspeople not to come out for a while. The giant snake is still roaming outside. He saved you this time, but it might not be the same next time.”

After a long silence, someone put down their blanket and teacup, tugged at their companion, and turned to leave. To my surprise, more people chose to stay, rubbing their hands, unsure of what to do.

I asked them, “Aren’t you leaving?”

A middle-aged man said awkwardly, “You said we still owe him an apology.”

“We’re not unreasonable people; we know right from wrong. That clock, that pot, and that feather duster. They were all good to us. It wouldn’t be right not to say thank you.”

After saying this, they looked at each other, pushing and shoving, “Who goes first?”

A minute later, a skinny, freckled boy with straw-like hair stepped forward. “I’ll go first.” He scratched his head, walked over to me, and bowed formally to Lambert. “The giant snake ate my uncle. I came because the leader incited us. That clock was right. Stealing is wrong. I won’t do it again. Thank you for saving me. I’m not good with words, but I really thank him.”

One after another, people came forward. A middle-aged man said quietly, “If it weren’t for the giant snake causing trouble, the poor harvest, and four mouths to feed at home, I wouldn’t have done such a thing. Thank you for saving us. I’ll definitely persuade the villagers when I get back.”

Another person came over, “Whether he’s human or beast, he saved my life and deserves thanks.” He laughed heartily, “I’m not as miserable as the others. I came out of boredom, wanting to see what was special about this castle! Almost died here, and the giant snake scared me so much I wet my pants. It’s really embarrassing.”

I didn’t expect them to actually thank him. I was stunned but also a bit relieved. Thankfully, I stuck to my principles and didn’t think too badly of people, or this scene probably wouldn’t have happened.

At that moment, a deep voice sounded from my lap, “No need to be polite.” I was startled and looked down to see Lambert waking up.

Despite lying on my lap, he exuded a regal aura, speaking steadily, “Go back and tell the townspeople that the giant snake’s origin is unknown and it is likely created by dark magic. They should stay indoors to avoid danger.”

Hearing the same words from him felt completely different. The villagers didn’t dare to question him, nodding repeatedly, almost ready to write a guarantee.

After the villagers left, the castle remained silent for a long time. Finally, Lambert broke the silence, “Help me up.”

His rational demeanor was so imposing that, for a moment, I didn’t know how to interact with him normally. I helped him sit up, dazed. He frowned, patted his thigh, and said in a low, reproachful voice, “Stop playing those silly games with ‘it.’”

Realizing he was referring to the ball game, my face heated up, and I nodded silently.

Suddenly, my chin was lifted. He looked at me coldly, his voice icy, “Why are you so gentle when you interact with ‘it’?”

His face came closer, his breath nearing. My heart raced. Why? Of course, because I care more about you.

Just as I was about to speak, he suddenly let go, frowning as he tore off the bandage on his hand. The minor wounds from the barbs emitted a foul, rotting black gas.