Miss Shepherd does not die in the Mysterious World

Chapter 2: The Fragrance of Blood

“The moon has always been red, hasn't it?”

A short sentence, and Mel was instantly as if struck by lightning, frozen on the spot.

Her hands gripped the edge of the washbasin tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Through the mirror, Mel saw her own face.

Slightly pale skin, slender eyebrows slightly furrowed, a drop of water still hanging from the corner of her mouth, as if she were desperately trying to understand this sudden news.

Even her long gray hair, which had been combed incredibly smooth by Veronica, seemed to become dull and lackluster at this moment, swaying gently with her slightly trembling lips.

Reflected in her amber eyes was Veronica's face in the mirror, slightly puzzled yet full of gentleness.

“What... did you say?”

“Is there a problem?”

Veronica's expression became even more puzzled.

She turned Mel around, then gently pressed her forehead against hers, as if checking her temperature.

“No fever....”

Veronica frowned, her voice full of concern.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere, Mel?”

“N-no....”

Mel shook her head, “It's just what you said about the moon.... how could the moon possibly be red?”

“The moon has always been red.”

Veronica's voice carried an unquestionable firmness.

“Isn't that common knowledge?”

“Common.... knowledge?”

Mel felt a wave of dizziness, her vision starting to blur.

The walls of the washroom seemed to spin.

She held onto the edge of the washbasin, trying hard to steady herself.

Mel staggered out of the washroom and looked up to see a decorative painting hanging on the wall.

It was a night scene.

In the painting, a huge red moon hung high in the night sky, dyeing the entire world blood-red.

Mel stared intently at the painting and instantly felt a wave of nausea and discomfort.

“This.... this is impossible....”

The young girl muttered to herself, her hands and feet beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

“The moon... the moon is supposed to be white, this is impossible... impossible....”

Hearing this, Veronica, who had come out of the washroom, immediately showed a terrified expression.

She quickly walked over and hugged Mel, who had slumped into a chair, gently stroking her back.

“Mel, such words are blasphemy against the Red Moon, you must not say them carelessly!”

Veronica said sternly, then raised her head and clasped her hands together towards the sky.

“Oh, Red Moon above, please forgive my sister's unintentional remarks.... she's just been too tired lately.”

As she spoke, her fingers gently stroked Mel's hair, the motion soft and soothing.

“You must be too tired, Mel. Is the pressure from school too much?”

Mel leaned against her sister, feeling the warmth from her body.

The familiar temperature and faint scent should have reassured her, but at this moment, they couldn't dispel the chill in her heart.

Her gaze fell once again on the small painting of the night scene.

The red moon in it seemed to be mocking her confusion.

That red moon was so vivid, so unnatural.

Like a giant, malevolent eye, looking down on the world with indifference.

“I don't know, big sister,” Mel's voice was filled with helplessness, “I don't know what's wrong with me....”

“It's okay, I'll stay with you, don't worry....”

At noon, Veronica went out.

She was a librarian.

To take care of Mel, Veronica didn't work until the evening as usual, but chose to get off work and return home in the evening.

At the same time, she also asked the head librarian for a day off, planning to take Mel to the church tomorrow.

Veronica pushed the door open, greeting Mel while placing something on the table.

Seeing this, Mel walked curiously to the table and looked at the box Veronica had brought back.

It was a piece of cake.

“Why did you buy cake?”

Mel went to Veronica's side, helping her out, and asked by the way.

“Hmm.... because I thought you might want to eat some, so I bought it.”

Veronica smiled, “Did I guess wrong?”

Hearing this, Mel was slightly taken aback.

She was silent for a moment, then shook her head with a smile.

“You found me out.”

“Hmph hmph, of course.”

Veronica smiled smugly, then continued to focus on the work at hand.

Mel, meanwhile, was washing vegetables at the side.

The cold water flowed over her fingers, but it couldn't wash away the confusion in her heart.

Recalling the figure completely enveloped in filth in that alley, Mel's fingers couldn't help but tremble slightly.

That feeling of being watched from the soul was like a beast peeking at its prey in the darkness.

“Gurgle gurgle—”

The water in the pot began to boil, steam filling the air.

“Mel, can you help me chop the carrots?”

Veronica's voice pulled Mel back to reality.

She nodded, then picked up a kitchen knife and started chopping, the sound of the blade cutting through carrots echoing in the kitchen.

“Oh my, Mel's skills are getting better and better.”

Veronica glanced over from the corner of her eye and then praised her.

“You already know how to use a knife properly.”

“Really?”

Mel looked down at the cutting board in front of her.

After Veronica said that, she realized it seemed to be true.

“I told you our Mel is a smart child.”

Veronica smiled and patted Mel's head, “Thanks for your hard work, you can leave the rest to me.”

Mel nodded, then picked up the dinner plates and walked to the dining table, placing them one by one.

Out of curiosity, she opened the cake box and saw a raspberry mousse inside.

“So, food has no soul....”

Mel muttered to herself.

After a while, Veronica placed the steaming cream stew on the table, then ladled a spoonful into Mel's bowl.

Steaming white mist rose, forming a veil-like curtain in the air.

“I added extra cream today.”

Veronica sliced the bread.

The freshly baked white bread gave off the fragrance of wheat, its golden crust hiding a soft interior.

“How about we go to the market tomorrow? A new fabric store opened in the market recently. I heard they have many beautiful patterns, and the prices are very cheap. We can take this opportunity to make a couple more dresses.”

Veronica continued talking.

Mel looked at the gentle smile on her sister's face, and the black threads entwined around her soul seemed to soften a little.

After dinner, Veronica cleared the dishes, and Mel subconsciously picked up the packed garbage bag and left the house to throw it out.

This had been the sisters' habit for many years: one was responsible for washing the dishes, and the other for taking out the trash.

Night fell, and the gas lamps on the street lit up one by one, casting dim yellow halos on the ground.

Carrying the garbage bag, Mel walked along the familiar path towards the garbage disposal area.

After throwing out the garbage, Mel dusted off her hands and turned to leave.

“Da da—”

The sound of leather shoes on the stone-paved road was particularly clear in the quiet street.

Mel walked at a leisurely pace, but her footsteps suddenly halted.

She seemed to have smelled a scent of blood.

The young girl froze on the spot, sniffing the fragrance of blood drifting in the air.

“Save me....”

A weak cry for help came from the small alley behind her, sounding full of despair and helplessness.

“Can anyone... save me”

Mel stopped in her tracks, hesitated for a moment, and the foot she was about to step forward with was pulled back, as if she was hesitating whether to just ignore it, or go back and see.

“Save... save me....”

Another faint cry for help, with a hint of a sob in the voice, pounded on Mel's conscience like a hammer.

In the end, Mel took a deep breath, then slowly turned around and walked towards the direction the voice came from.

Just a glance, if something's not right, I'll leave immediately.

The young girl warned herself so, but her pace couldn't help but quicken.

Deep in the alley, a plainly dressed woman was leaning against the wall, covered in bruises, looking extremely miserable.

There was a hideous wound on the woman's abdomen, and blood was continuously pouring out, pooling on the ground into a dark red puddle.

“Thank goodness, by the Red Moon.... someone is finally here...”

Seeing Mel's figure, a glimmer of hope flashed in the woman's eyes.

She struggled to get up but fell back down due to the intense pain.

So she raised her head and pleaded to Mel:

“Beautiful young lady, please help me.... I need to go to the hospital....”

Mel stood on the spot, watching the woman.

Just as she was thinking about whether to go forward, she suddenly noticed a wallet and a blood-stained knife scattered beside the woman.

It seemed like she had been robbed by a mugger, who, after injuring her, had fled in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to take their weapon.

Mel thought for a moment, then walked forward.

“Are you alright?”

“I.... I feel so cold.... thank you for stopping....”

The woman said weakly, her voice trembling slightly.

“Do you have anything to stop the bleeding... I.... I'm afraid I'll die from blood loss...”

“I'm sorry.... I don't have anything.”

Mel shook her head.

Hearing this, the light in the woman's eyes dimmed a little.

“It's.. it's okay, then can you please help me up and take me to the hospital.... I don't want to die yet, I'm begging you.”

The woman stretched out her hand towards Mel.

Mel looked at the blood-stained arm, hesitated for a moment, but still took a small step forward to let the woman support herself to stand up.

“Thank you....”

The woman leaned weakly against Mel, her other hand painfully clutching her wound.

“If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done.... Can you help me out of the alley? The chances of hailing a carriage on the main street are higher....”

“Mhm.”

Mel nodded lightly, then supported the woman as they moved slowly towards the alley entrance, her movements very gentle, afraid of aggravating her injuries.

The alley was very quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps and the occasional gust of wind from a distance intertwining.

“You're truly a kind angel,” the woman said intermittently, each sentence accompanied by a gasp for breath, “What's your name?”

“Mel, Mel Rossetti.”

Mel answered briefly, “You'd better talk less right now.”

“Sorry....”

The woman smiled weakly.

“But if I don't talk, I feel like I could fall asleep at any moment. So.... please talk with me.”

She took a deep breath, “Mel... that's a nice name. My name is Jessica. Ah, are you a local? Do you have any family?”

“Mhm, I grew up in Dunke City, and I have an older sister at home.”

Mel nodded lightly, “My sister and I live together.”

“Then she must love you very much,” Jessica said.

“Mhm.”

Mel nodded gently.

“That's so nice.... I also had a younger sister. If she were still alive, she would be about your age.”

Jessica's words carried a trace of nostalgia, but it quickly turned to sadness.

“Unfortunately, she passed away from an illness, leaving me all alone in this world. Sometimes, I wonder, what's the meaning of me living all alone?”

As Mel listened, a trace of sympathy arose in her heart, but it was immediately followed by a slight frown and a feeling of discomfort.

She felt her body gradually becoming stiff and heavy, as if bound by invisible ropes.

Such a strange feeling.

“If it's possible, I would also want a younger sister like you.”

Jessica suddenly spoke.

“Can you be my younger sister, Mel?”