Luo En, hidden beneath the tree shade, slightly coughed and flashed a knowing look to his accomplice.
dusa imdiately caught on and, with her body concealing the action, quickly stashed the stolen goods away.
What a teachable child!
Luo En nodded silently, caressed dusa's clever little head for a while, then turned and flashed a reserved smile at the person across from him,
"Just now, it was nothing but light-hearted teasing with my little sister, just a joke."
"Every joke has a grain of seriousness in it."
The silver-haired girl at the stand spoke indifferently, her piercing gaze as if she could see the color of one's soul beneath the skin.
Under those scrutinizing purple eyes, Luo En resignedly raised his arms, and with a face of feigned misery, struck the posture of soone ready to be arrested.
"It seems you intend to pursue this to the end? If I'm taken to the temple for punishnt over a slip of the tongue, I have nothing to say, but my sister is innocent; she is still a child who doesn't know anything!"
At that mont, as Luo En shifted slightly, Little dusa, who was pushed to the front, looked up confusedly.
"Hmph, I just dislike so people's pretentious cleverness and their tendency to twist right and wrong in their favor."
The silver-haired girl huffed lightly, and her stern expression gradually thawed.
Luo En detected the significant softening in her tone and the corners of his mouth imperceptibly curved upward.
This step back as a ans to move forward worked!
He promptly tugged at Little dusa beside him, who was responsible for diverting the heat, preparing to smoothly capture the opportunity and escape.
"Thank you for your guidance, next ti I will definitely be more careful with my words and actions!"
As Luo En earnestly made his guarantees, he stealthily began to retreat.
The silver-haired girl had heard the conversation from tens of ters away earlier, even though he and Little dusa had whispered very quietly.
Clearly, she was not so ordinary character.
Add to that her finely-made noble-patterned dress and the appearance of being well-cared-for, just like the little maid behind her; her status in Knossos City likely wasn't simple.
There was no need to stir up such a great trouble over a minor verbal dispute.
"Wait a mont..."
However, before Luo En could make a clean getaway, the silver-haired girl stepped forward, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"It seems like it's not just a slip of the tongue, right? Stealing offerings is a grave cri..."
Luo En's body stiffened, and he turned his head awkwardly.
In the end, he couldn't just avoid the important and dwell on the trivial.
As the atmosphere grew a bit delicate, Little dusa erged from behind Luo En, head held high, ready to take the bla.
"I was hungry!"
Luo En quickly pushed the unruly head back and maintained a warm smile on his face.
"So, what do you intend to do? Hand us over to the temple for punishnt?"
"It doesn't have to co to that..."
The silver-haired girl's gaze swept passed the little head peeking out from behind Luo En, her eyes softening, then with a profound cold hum, she turned to face another.
"After all, that Goddess is known for her 'rciful and generous' nature, I'm not in a position to reproach her followers..."
"Um, if there's nothing else..."
"What's the rush?"
The silver-haired girl stopped the one who seed ready to flee at any mont again, the trace of a smile visible on her smooth, cool lips.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Seeing the smile that erged on her face, Luo En instinctively sensed danger and was about to speak when the silver-haired girl spoke up first.
"How about this, the Harvest Festival is just around the corner, and there are so riddles prepared at a stall up ahead; if you can solve at least three riddles, I'll treat you to this al."
"But just now..."
"I didn't hear or see anything."
The silver-haired girl said leisurely, offering rather generous terms.
"That's not fair!"
An unexpected response caused the silver-haired girl's expression to stiffen for a mont.
Seeing this, Luo En shook his head and explained earnestly.
"I an, this seems a bit unfair to you."
"How so?"
"I was the one who behaved inappropriately, offending the Deities revered by the Minosians. Your willingness to overlook that is already uncommon generosity; how could I possibly let you foot the bill alone? This condition truly isn't reasonable."
Luo En spoke seriously, then turned to look at the distant stalls and smiled with a suggestion.
"How about this instead, we both participate, and see who can answer more riddles correctly, with the loser paying for the al?"
"So, you want to compete with ?"
The silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.
Luo En smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
"It's a rare festival, participating together, enjoying this process together, makes it all the more interesting."
"Makes sense."
The silver-haired girl glanced at the lively and festive crowd in the market, couldn't help but slightly nod in agreent, and then gestured with a wave of her hand.
"Then let's go, foreigner."
Luo En gladly accepted, took dusa by the hand, and with a smile, followed behind, secretly relieved that he had once again managed to bluff his way through.
In gas, there are winners and losers, rewards and punishnts; this was an obvious truth.
According to the silver-haired girl, if he won, he'd certainly enjoy a full al to everyone's delight.
But what if he lost?
Intuition told Luo En that the price could be dangerous!
Therefore, he decisively kept the outco of the ga within a range he could afford.
If he won, it was a al; if he lost, it was just a al too.
To swap such a small stake for that unknown and dangerous possibility was most certainly worth it.
"We're here, when do we start?"
The thoughtful murmur beside his ear interrupted Luo En's deep thoughts; he looked up following the direction indicated by the silver-haired girl and saw two redwood tables.
One table had a large dark brown pottery jar, the mouth only wide enough for one hand to slip through, and dozens of discarded pottery shards with riddles on them were placed inside, awaiting selection.
The other table was laid out with prizes like brews, sweets, clay figurines, and so on.
Seeing the array of treats and toys, the two little ones following behind them had their eyes sparkling irresistibly.
With his concerns about the risks now reduced, Luo En smiled and nodded, threw a few pieces of Athena's Bronze into the basket on the table, and then made a "please" gesture.
The silver-haired girl didn't refuse, reached out and took out a shard, and the first riddle appeared before everyone.
"When you have , you want to share , but once you do, I no longer exist. What is my na?"
"It's a secret."
Without waiting for everyone to think it over, a calm murmur ca, and the silver-haired girl, who had just read it once, casually tossed the shard onto the table and explained with a smile.
"Because a secret is sothing that only one person knows, once it is shared, it's no longer a secret."
"You're right! Correct!"
The aged vendor let out a hearty laugh, picked up a small clay bird from the other table, and handed it over.
Behind the silver-haired girl, the little girl with golden hair and blue eyes, who had been eagerly eyeing the prize, imdiately accepted it with satisfaction.
With slender, fair fingers, she patted her little companion on the head, the silver-haired girl turned her head with a smile and looked toward Luo En.
"Your turn."
Tsk, such an unwarranted competitive spirit.
Luo En muttered to himself and randomly picked out the second question from the pot.
"I am as strong as stone, yet a single word can destroy . What am I?"
Soon after, he smiled and calmly gave his answer.
"Silence!"
Silence is golden as stone, but can be broken with but a word.
Just as the pottery shard fell, dusa received the butter cake she had longed for, and began to bury her head in contented feasting.
Not bad at all...
The silver-haired girl's eyes sparkled with intense interest, and she pointed to the pottery jar with a serious tone.
"Together?"
Luo En smiled and nodded; promptly, the third and fourth riddles were pulled out by him and the silver-haired girl.
"I can bring tears to your eyes, revive the dead, manifest in an instant, last a lifeti. What am I?"
"I often take you away at night and return you in the day. No one suffers because they have , but they do suffer from my lack. What am I?"
Two puzzles caught their eyes and almost simultaneously, both their gazes flashed and they spoke out together.
"——mory!"
"——Sleep!"
Their answers were precise and correct; however, each had answered the riddle held by the other person.
Clearly, both had planned to preempt the other's question, leaving their opponent with no moves to make.
The unexpected clash left Luo En and the silver-haired girl montarily stunned, looking at each other in a silent exchange, as a peculiar atmosphere began to spread.
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