Chapter 151: Patches of Light
The sixteen-year-old girl was slender, frail, and walked without a sound. Even her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing something.
Yu Mo had evaluated the “female protagonist” from the original story—Charli, the adopted daughter of the Cecil family.
There was no doubt she was beautiful, with silver curls and purple eyes, easily reminding one of a gorgeous long-haired cat.
She had been adopted by Baron Cecil at the age of six and usually lived with the Baron and his wife in the capital, only occasionally coming to the estate.
The reason Baron Cecil adopted her was undoubtedly due to her beauty from a young age, and her hair and eye color also played a role.
Silver was the color of the moon, and purple represented mystery, symbolizing the layer of violet mist that cloaks the moon.
Furthermore, as a beautiful and pure girl, she was perfectly suited to be an important sacrifice.
That’s right, Baron Cecil had raised her all these years just to use her as a sacrifice.
Baron Cecil had worked hard for years, but his only son, Eloren, suffered from a strange illness that prevented him from even being exposed to sunlight. How could he inherit the title and restore the glory of the Cecil family in such a state?
For this reason, Baron Cecil decided to offer the perfect sacrifice to the Moon Goddess, praying for the cure of his son’s strange illness.
According to the original story, Charli was about to face a great upheaval, being offered as a sacrifice on the altar.
Of course, her fate wouldn’t end there—Eloren would die suddenly during the ritual, and Charli would narrowly escape.
She would be recognized and saved by her childhood friend, the male protagonist Makin, and thus began their adventurous and eventful life.
At this moment, the delicate and timid girl was unaware of her future. She merely looked at Yu Mo with curiosity and a hint of flattery, carefully noticing his hand.
Unable to resist, she softly reminded him, “Brother, the sun is too strong. Should I close the curtains?”
Sunlight was streaming through the window onto the dining table. Although most of Yu Mo’s body was in the shade, his hand, extended to pick up a cup of tea, was bathed in the light, causing a faint red mark to quickly appear on the back of his hand.
Yu Mo had been deliberately observing the symptoms of this strange illness in his current body. Hearing her words, he glanced at the back of his hand and nodded, “Alright.”
Charli immediately lit up with joy and rushed to close all the curtains. She then carefully lifted her skirt and sat down opposite Yu Mo.
Charli could only visit the estate once or twice a year, and not every time did she get to see this brother of hers, let alone exchange many words with him.
On such a rare morning, seeing him at the dining table, Charli couldn’t help but let her curious gaze drift toward him again and again.
Her brother, several years older than her and much taller, though not particularly burly, had a pale complexion but didn’t seem frail in the least.
His posture as he sat in the shadows, sipping tea with lowered eyes, was very elegant. Charli stole glances at his overly fair face and thought he resembled a white narcissus blooming quietly in the night.
He didn’t seem as withdrawn and gloomy as the maids described him. On the contrary, he evoked a sense of longing, making one want to get closer.
“Brother…” Charli hesitated for a long time before finally summoning the courage to speak. But just then, Baron Cecil appeared, and she immediately grew tense, shutting her mouth and lowering her head.
Baron Cecil, looking irritable, waddled in with his large belly, “In broad daylight, why are all the curtains drawn, making the room so gloomy?”
Only after speaking did he notice his son sitting there, which startled him. He said nothing more, but his face softened when he saw Charli with her head down. Smiling, he waved her over, “Charli, come here.”
Charli hesitated, called him “Father” in a low voice, and walked toward him.
Baron Cecil wrapped his arm around her shoulders, affectionately stroking her soft cheek. “My Charli is as beautiful as ever today.”
Charli instinctively flinched away from his hand, tightly gripping her skirt.
“Father has some business back in the capital. Charli, prepare yourself. We’ll be heading back shortly.”
Charli pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to return to the capital with Baron Cecil, but she didn’t dare to speak up.
As she grew older, she had begun to fear Baron Cecil more and more. His gaze always made her feel uncomfortable.
Every time he affectionately called her, his hands would wander over different parts of her body, and he would kiss her cheek. Each time, Charli would feel an indescribable discomfort.
Yu Mo, watching Baron Cecil’s back, suddenly spoke, “Charli will stay at the estate for a while.”
Baron Cecil turned and glanced at his son sitting at the dining table. Hearing his calm tone, he said, “Charli is already sixteen; it’s time to start preparing.”
Baron Cecil assumed his son was referring to keeping Charli at the estate to get ready for the upcoming sacrifice to the Moon Goddess.
He looked regretfully at his beautiful adopted daughter. If the sacrifice didn’t require the purity of a maiden, he would have long since lost his self-restraint.
What a pity—after so many years of raising her, that lovely body would soon be withered and ruined after the ritual.
“Well, fine. Charli, you’ll stay at the estate for a while and keep your brother company,” Baron Cecil said, pretending to be considerate.
Charli’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Yes, Father! I’ll listen to my brother!”
Baron Cecil wanted to remind his son to prepare more of the special magical potions, but with Charli present, he couldn’t expose his son’s identity as a mage. So, he signaled with his eyes, straightened his collar, and left the estate.
As soon as Baron Cecil left, Charli’s tense body finally relaxed.
“Brother, what did you mean by ‘preparing’ just now?” Charli asked softly.
Yu Mo replied, “Preparing for your coming-of-age ceremony.”
After saying that, he got up and returned to his room.
Walking down the dimly lit hallway, Yu Mo’s already dark eyes seemed even blacker, with a cold glint reflecting in them from the flickering lights.
That scene just now had brought back some unpleasant memories for Yu Mo.
He too had once had a foster father.
In those dark, cold, and endless days, he had once thought his future was as bleak as that pitch-black room.
Maybe one day, he would kill his foster father and then… become just like him.
But then, Yu Guang had suddenly appeared.
The guy he would later call “Big Brother” for so many years had, the first time he showed up, been just a student in a school uniform, carrying a backpack.
He even had a red armband pinned to his sleeve, marking him as a disciplinary officer.
He had burst in like a hero from the sky, kicking open a window that had been locked many times over. Squatting on the windowsill, he scratched his head and asked:
“I’m here to get you out of here, but… can you promise me you’ll be a good person from now on?”
Yu Mo hadn’t believed anyone could save him, but he still tried to grasp at any thread of hope, reaching out his hand. “Save me. I’ll promise you anything.”
And just like that, Yu Guang had pulled him out of that cold, terrifying black room.
The plane trees outside cast patches of light on the ground, and Yu Guang, stepping on those light patches, had carried him on his back, running as fast as he could.
Yu Mo’s heart had pounded wildly with both fear and anxiety. He had asked, “Are you running so fast because you’re afraid my foster father will find us and chase after us?”
“No, I’m not afraid of him. I’m really strong! I’m running fast because we have an exam today, and we can’t be late!”
At the time, Yu Mo didn’t know why, but under the blinding sun, he couldn’t help bursting into wild laughter.
That day, Yu Guang never made it to school to take the exam, because Yu Mo, laughing and crying, passed out on his back. Yu Guang had no choice but to take him to the hospital and stayed with him the whole day.
Just like that, Yu Mo easily escaped his terrifying foster father and moved into Yu Guang’s home.
“I used to live alone, but now there are two of us!”
Yu Guang had proudly announced, hands on his hips. “From now on, I’m your big brother. Call me big brother, and no matter what happens, I’ll always protect you!”
In reality, Yu Mo was a month older than him, but he still called him “big brother,” willingly doing so for all those years.
Studying law, teaching, helping people with their cases, standing up for justice… Yu Mo truly became the person his big brother had hoped he would be.
The darkness that couldn’t see the light was firmly locked away in the corners of his mind.
The house soon filled with more younger brothers—noisy, lively, and full of warmth. Over time, Yu Mo nearly forgot that he had ever experienced such terrible memories.
Yu Mo stepped into the basement.
Here, there was a place dedicated to Moon Goddess rituals, as well as Eloren’s laboratory, where he studied magic and crafted potions.
Yu Mo scanned the vast array of magical materials, his fingers flipping through the shelves of magical books. Relying on his memory, he selected some materials to make a potion.
…
Meanwhile, Charli spent a few carefree days at the estate.
She played in the nearby forest, picked flowers in the garden, and watched the cook prepare delicious steaks in the kitchen.
Most importantly, Baron Cecil was absent, so she didn’t feel afraid.
She still rarely saw her brother during the day, but each night, she would spot him sitting quietly in the garden or walking with a lantern.
On rainy days, when there was no sun, she even saw him sitting by the window in the lounge, reading a book.
He was reading an imperial law book, a thick volume.
Charli still didn’t dare disturb her brother much, but they began eating together more often.
She noticed that the flower-shaped red marks on the back of his hand had faded, but she also noticed that his appetite seemed poor.
He only ate a little at each meal, and even with the best steak, he just took a couple more bites before putting it down.
“Brother, don’t you like this food?” Charli couldn’t help but ask.
Yu Mo wiped his mouth. “I just don’t have much of an appetite.”
The food here all had a strange taste to him—the meat carried a gamey flavor, the vegetables were bitter, and the desserts were far too sweet. None of it appealed to him.
Charli, poking at her steak thoughtfully, finished her meal and then disappeared into the kitchen.
That evening, Yu Mo noticed something different about the food served to him. Across the table, Charli was anxiously watching his reaction.
For once, Yu Mo ate half of what was on his plate.
It was probably the best meal he had tasted since coming here.
After finishing, he looked at the girl across from him. “Thank you.”
Charli, smiling shyly, responded, “No need to thank me, Brother!”
Her purple eyes sparkled like gems when she was happy.
She had observed him for a long time, carefully figuring out her brother’s preferences. Now that he had accepted her efforts and even thanked her, she was so delighted that even her steps seemed lighter.
From then on, Yu Mo received desserts that weren’t overly sweet and berries Charli had picked from the forest.
One night, while he was in the garden, basking in the moonlight and lost in thought, Charli ran up and hesitantly asked if she could join him on his walk.
Like a shy little puppy, she followed closely behind him.
Charli couldn’t quite explain why she enjoyed being around her brother so much.
It was probably because, when her brother looked at her, his eyes didn’t have the things that made her feel uncomfortable, allowing her to feel relaxed.
Despite his cold and distant appearance, her brother noticed her concern and would thank her for it.
That night, as Charli lay in bed, she thought to herself that it would be nice if she could stay at the estate forever.
But the next day, Baron Cecil returned.
