Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 33: New Testament (3)

Dragon Raja 3

With a sudden flick of his wrist, he withdrew the blade, and Mrs. Chicherina fell onto the desk in a graceful swan-like death pose.

“I’m not particularly interested in the lives of ants, nor do I want to soil my hands with them. But I promised that silly girl I’d help her find her family… and yet you didn’t want her. She would be so sad. There are some things I can’t do in this world, which makes me feel quite inadequate,” the boy said, wiping the dagger with a handkerchief. “Rather than telling her her parents were no better than animals, I’d rather lie and say: ‘Your parents have already passed away. They waited all their lives for you to come home, but unfortunately, they couldn’t survive this winter without heating oil.’”

“So, die.” He pushed over the bookshelf, covering the bodies of the Chicherins, and took a burning ember from the fireplace, tossing it onto the scattered books. As he did this, he hummed a song, his delicate face devoid of any expression.

He kicked the money towards the hand of Mr. Chicherin, which protruded from beneath the fallen shelves, then lowered the shutter of the library and broke the key in the lock. Standing by the window, he watched the roaring flames engulf everything in the reading room, before turning away and disappearing into the wind and snow.

Moscow Railway Station.

The ticket gate was crowded, with passengers sitting on large bags, waiting for the K4 express train to the Far East. This transnational train would travel across the vast icy plains for a week, ultimately arriving in Beijing, the capital of China. For the people of Moscow, China seemed like a good place now, with abundant food supplies and 24-hour heating. However, getting a ticket for the K4 was almost impossible, and those who managed to get one had connections. Even with a ticket, boarding on time wasn’t guaranteed, as the tracks along the way were poorly maintained, leading to frequent delays of several days. Despite this, passengers didn’t go home to wait; instead, they clung to their tickets at the gate, sleeping on the floor at night, their eyes fixed on the entrance.

Amidst these people, a girl stood out. She was only thirteen or fourteen years old—still a “little” girl. But as one looked at her pale, delicate face, there was an undeniable sense of “beauty,” enough to make grown men instinctively look away. She wore a refined camel-colored wool coat, wrapped in a warm plaid scarf, her light golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, reaching her knees. Most of those waiting for the train were with their families, but she was alone, holding a black hard-shell suitcase and hiding part of her body behind a pillar.

A girl like this traveling to China alone?

Renata had no real concept of China and had never thought she’d go somewhere so far away. One day, she and Zero sat on a bench by the street, drinking hot coffee, when the wind blew an old newspaper toward them. There was an article about China, with a picture of a group of Chinese students exercising in formation.

“Let’s go to China! It looks great! It’s decided!” Zero said excitedly after reading the article carefully.

“Oh, okay,” Renata said.

And that was how the decision was made.

“She’ll definitely be a beauty in a few more years!”

“Too bad she’s a little short.”

“But look at her proportions—she’s definitely got the makings of a beauty.”

Bored women whispered amongst themselves. They thought they were being discreet, but didn’t realize that every word reached Renata’s ears without missing a beat. She could hear every conversation in the waiting hall clearly, her hearing far surpassing that of ordinary people by tenfold, even a hundredfold.

Renata kept her head down, listening to the noise of the world around her.

This was what they called awakening. Every night, she could hear the newly awakened blood rushing through her veins, as dragon blood seeped into every cell of her body, waking each one from a long slumber, allowing them to take deep breaths.

It wasn’t just her insides that were changing; her appearance was changing too. A month ago, she was still that skinny little girl with freckles on her face, like a poorly developed kitten. Now, wherever she went, she drew gasps of admiration. She had once secretly envied Khorkina, but now her beauty surpassed Khorkina’s.

After her body healed, she was covered in ugly scars, which made her sad for days. But one morning, when she woke up, she was surprised to find herself shedding skin. Peeling off the dead skin revealed new skin, as flawless as jade, with not even a trace of the freckles that once dotted her face.

“New skin is too delicate, and it cracks easily in the cold wind,” Zero said casually. He seemed to have anticipated this, having bought baby skincare oil in advance.

For a while after that, Zero stayed by her side almost constantly. On their journey from Black Swan Bay to Moscow, every time Renata woke up, she would see Zero sitting by her bed, watching her intently. Every day, she was evolving, all the imperfections of her body disappearing as her bloodline awakened. Sometimes Renata would be mesmerized by her reflection in the mirror, turning from side to side, unable to believe that those perfect curves belonged to her.

Zero seemed very happy about these changes, taking Renata to the black market to buy clothes. It was the first time Renata had seen so many beautiful clothes hanging side by side. Back at Black Swan Bay, children would only receive new clothes during Christmas. She stayed in the fitting room, and Zero would pull clothes from the rack and toss them in. She would try them on, and if Zero liked what he saw, he’d snap his fingers, indicating he wanted it; if he didn’t like it, he’d pull a face of impatience.

He bought Renata Japanese lingerie, and Renata could hardly believe there were such delicate fabrics in the world. The silk panties had pretty lace edges, and the bra came with thin cotton padding.

“Anyway, even when you grow, you won’t have a big chest, so Japanese styles are better,” Zero muttered as he paid.

Before Renata could react, he gave a mischievous laugh and dashed away.

In just one month, Zero had transformed Renata into someone resembling the only daughter of a high-ranking official. When he walked with Renata into upscale establishments in Moscow, they looked completely natural together.

Money was never an issue. Zero always had rolls of dollar bills to pay for things. Renata didn’t know where he got all that money, and she didn’t ask. Zero was just beyond comprehension like that. On their journey from Siberia back to Moscow, Zero could always acquire various luxury items for them to enjoy together. They would walk hand in hand into health resorts reserved for officials, and with a simple gesture from Zero, attendants would rush to carry their luggage and settle them in the most comfortable rooms with hot water available all day.

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