Chapter 93. Sorry, Wrong One
"Would you like to co with …… to deal with the Perez Family?"
Serela extended her jade-flawless right hand toward him.
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Luo Nan's mind at rapid speed.
'Serela is openly inviting
to go deal with the Perez Family together…… does she not know what kind of stir this would cause in Opalia if I actually agreed?'
'No—she obviously knows. In fact…… that's precisely her intention.'
'The Austrein and dillion lines, joined in full alliance, resolved to act against them.'
'If word of this got out to that faction…… I think the skies over the capital would change very soon.'
At that thought, Luo Nan smiled. "Serela, you know—I only just crawled out of the Listone Mine Shaft today. My body is still nursing injuries."
Luo Nan clutched his chest with calculated fussiness and coughed twice. "Ahem, ahem…… now that the Mole within the manor has been rooted out, I intend to spend these next few days resting and recuperating inside."
He glanced at the Imperial Princess's unreadable expression and continued, "But investigating the Perez matter can't be delayed. If they catch wind of it and use the ti to destroy evidence…… that would be inviting trouble, Serela."
His aning was already perfectly clear.
He wasn't going.
Of course, that was only one of his reasons for not going—but the most important reason was……
Counting the days, the start of term was nearly upon him.
But "she" had not yet co looking for him.
And ever since the Baber Tower Clock struck its twelve chis, that faint, nagging palpitation he had sensed was still there.
Luo Nan rembered—before being hit by the "Nature" Secondary Priest Jeraf's curse back in the Listone Mine Shaft, he had experienced this very sa palpitation.
Had it not been for that black Curse Skull he had seized through his foreknowledge and a stroke of good fortune, his life……
Luo Nan confird: this palpitation was so kind of vague premonition.
Which ant that, in the near future, he would encounter an event that could threaten his life.
He had turned it over from every angle—aside from the "Collusion with Demons" storyline that had yet to occur and whose timing was unknown, he couldn't think of anything else.
That was the true main reason he was refusing Serela.
He planned to stay holed up in the Ducal Manor for these next few days. That was far safer than following Serela across the capital on a vendetta hunt.
After all, the Ducal Manor's defensive standards were the highest in all of Opalia outside the Radiant Palace.
Even "she" would have to put in considerable effort to get inside.
With that in mind, Luo Nan raised his head—his gaze clear and direct, not flinching at all—and t that pair of violet jade eyes.
"I see……"
Serela withdrew her hand. "That's true, I didn't think it through. The Listone Mine Shaft caved in entirely—Luo Nan, you managed to escape, so you must have suffered quite a lot."
"Then rest well here in the manor. As for the Perez Family's assassination attempt against you, I'll give you an answer."
With that, the Imperial Princess rose from the sofa and gave Luo Nan a slight nod. "I won't intrude further, Mr. dillion."
Why had she switched back to calling him Mr. dillion?
That face-change was awfully fast.
Luo Nan felt he had a rather poor grasp on what Serela was truly thinking.
After a brief pause, he decided to first hand over the Plot Item he had brought out of the Listone Mine Shaft.
Can't have the "Benevolent Imperial Princess" going hostile on him, after all.
As for how the plot would develop?
Was anything more important than his own life?
Luo Nan made his decision. He called out to the Imperial Princess, who was already on her way out. "Serela, I have sothing to give you."
The Imperial Princess stopped, turned back, and ca to stand beside Luo Nan with a aningful smile. "Oh? Luo Nan, what are you preparing…… to give ?"
It was back to "Luo Nan" again?
This woman changed faces faster than she turned pages.
After one silent complaint, he fished a mory Crystal out from inside his coat.
"This is a eting recording I found in the Listone Mine Shaft that concerns them. I think…… you'll have great need of this."
With that, Luo Nan placed the item in Serela's hands.
"Oh? Them? The 'them' I'm thinking of?"
"Naturally."
That faction of nobility—and no small fry like the Perez Family, either.
"I don't know how a minor 'Nature' Secondary Priest got hold of it, but information that could be kept on one's person as a lifeline is unlikely to be fabricated."
Serela gave a slight nod and picked up the mory Crystal, about to play it.
Whoosh—
The image expanded.
The first thing to appear was Luo Nan's face.
"?" Serela looked at Luo Nan, sowhat puzzled.
"?" Luo Nan also stared at the mory Crystal, sowhat puzzled.
Wait!
This scene—this setting!
It looked like the Anlute Family Manor!
He had grabbed the wrong mory Crystal!
This was the one he had used to photograph Rose Anlute!
At that realization, Luo Nan instantly erupted with a strength wholly unbefitting a body this severely injured—a blur flashed through the air and snatched the mory Crystal right out of Serela's hand.
If he had been even 0.1 seconds slower, the image in the mory Crystal would have shifted to Rose's figure, clad in nothing but a set of pink lace undergarnts.
"That was close—I almost died of embarrassnt!"
A still-shaken Luo Nan wiped the cold sweat from his brow and imdiately stuffed that crystal back into his coat.
He knew full well that Serela was a Tier Two Warrior—with her physical constitution, there was no chance of her being genuinely unable to react in ti.
'It seems Serela is still quite considerate after all.' Luo Nan thought privately.
"Luo Nan, what happened?"
He fished out another mory Crystal from his coat and placed it in Serela's hands. "My apologies, Serela—I grabbed the wrong one just now. This is the right one."
"Oh? The wrong one?" The Imperial Princess's beautiful eyes narrowed to a half-squint, and she asked with a hint of playful curiosity. "Judging by how flustered you were—could there be sothing rather unspeakable in there? The kind of recording a boy going through a certain phase of life would enjoy?"
"……"
"Not at all—you've misunderstood. What's in it is so important information."
Important information it certainly was—that set of 'Miss Rose's photographs' was his leverage over Rose.
"Is that so~"
Serela clearly wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't dwell on it. She slotted the mory Crystal into her own Spatial Storage Magic Device and said to Luo Nan:
"I'll take this crystal and the eting recording with
for now."
"Of course."
"Anything else?" Serela asked once more.
"Nothing."
"Then…… rest well, Luo Nan. As for the Perez Family matter—I promise you, they will pay a sufficient price."
Only after seeing Serela off and out of the Ducal Manor did Luo Nan finally let out a long exhale.
"Still have to keep my distance from Serela—the pressure is far too great."
"Truly, it's like walking alongside a tiger!"
"First, I'll pay Mr. Tree a visit and see how to use the Divine Primal Essence seized from 'Nature's' Projection."
[World Variance Rate: 2.2%→4.5%]
[Luo Nan von dillion, on August 21st, 1795, delivered "eting Record-65535" ahead of schedule to Serela Austrein—Worldline shifted.]
[Repair chanism activated; subsequent Worldline re-evolving……]
[Repair complete. Good luck, Luo Nan.]
"As expected…… handing over a key Plot Item like this to Serela ahead of schedule—the degree of Worldline shift far exceeded what I had imagined."
"But there's no helping it. Compared to changes further down the line that I can't control, keeping my relationship with Serela at this level—friendly but not too close—is what matters most."
"You'd agree, wouldn't you, Cheat Device Miss?"
[……]
***
dillion Ducal Manor, third basent level, Interrogation Room.
Maidservant Pati Beckett was seated upright on the single bed of the holding cell, her back straight, eyes tightly shut.
Creak—
The iron door of the holding cell was pushed open.
A petite figure glanced left and right, confirming no one else was present, then slipped inside with secretive little steps.
"Aina? How did you get in?"
"Shh, Sister Pati—I brought you a al. I specially asked the kitchen to make it—all your favorites!"
The little maidservant Aina set the food box on the table, arranged the dishes neatly by category, then turned to look at Pati:
"Co eat, Sister Pati—you must be hungry after all this ti, right?"
A fragrance of braised river fish with bamboo shoots drifted through the holding cell.
"……"
Pati's eyes flickered. "Sorry, Aina, I……"
Halfway through her words, Pati's lips were gently stopped by a slender finger.
"Don't say that, Sister Pati—co eat first."
Pati looked at Aina's smiling face, gave a faint smile of her own, and said softly, "Mm."
Reviews
All reviews (0)