Chapter 102: The Dagger Under the Bed

Phew, it’s finally over.

Returning to her room, Xiluo’er casually shoved the cloak and mask she had retrieved from Ellen under the bed, then collapsed onto her own mattress.

Although Ellen did let her off the hook in the end, the intense tension in Ellen’s room had truly exhausted her.

Now that she was finally back in her own space, all she wanted was a good night’s sleep.

Burying her head in the pillow, Xiluo’er deeply inhaled the unique, comforting scent of her bedding.

Within the quiet room, only the soft sounds of Xiluo’er’s steady breaths could be heard.

Yet, just as Xiluo’er’s entire body began to relax with each breath, another voice suddenly echoed in the dark room, instantly stiffening her.

“What’s over?”

Xiluo’er desperately wanted to bury her head in the pillow and simply fall asleep, pretending she hadn’t heard the voice.

However, her intuition warned her that feigning ignorance might lead to something far more terrifying.

Slowly, Xiluo’er rolled over in bed, her gaze fixed on the pair of bright, gray eyes in the corner, staring intently at her.

****

Xiluo’er felt that Eve’s role was increasingly veering into horror film territory.

It was truly bizarre. She was an assassin, after all, and should have been acutely aware of any abnormalities in the room.

Yet, upon entering, she hadn’t detected a single issue. Eve had been standing in the corner, and Xiluo’er hadn’t noticed her at all!

If this wasn’t a horror film, what was?

Eve stood in the corner, her entire form almost merging with the room’s dark environment. Only her gray eyes flickered with an eerie glow in the darkness.

“Xiluo’er, where were you just now?”

Though Xiluo’er showed nothing on the surface, inwardly, she was on the verge of tears.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered Eve might enter her room. The problem was that the situation with Ellen had been more pressing; she couldn’t not go.

So, Xiluo’er had taken a gamble, betting that Eve wouldn’t be so idle as to monitor her room every night.

As it turned out, she had lost that bet.

Like a ghost, Eve silently glided to Xiluo’er’s bedside and sat down, making not a single sound.

“Xiluo’er, it’s so late. Where did you go earlier?”

“This…”

Xiluo’er’s little brain spun into overdrive.

While lying and saying she went to the bathroom was a good excuse, Xiluo’er wasn’t sure how long Eve had been waiting there.

If Eve had arrived shortly after she left, then the bathroom excuse wouldn’t work. She couldn’t very well add that she’d been constipated, could she?

No, though she hated to admit it, Xiluo’er knew the best approach right now was to lean into her ‘little loli’ persona.

Thus, Xiluo’er lowered her head and stammered.

“Uh, Big Sister Eve…”

“Mm.”

Eve simply hummed in response, her eyes never leaving Xiluo’er.

“I, I just went for a casual stroll…”

“After all, I’d never seen a place like this before, so I was a little curious.”

“But it was already very late, and I was embarrassed, Big Sister Eve, so I secretly went to explore by myself.”

“I’m sorry, Big Sister Eve…”

Sure enough, Xiluo’er’s demeanor softened Eve’s heart somewhat.

She was still just a little loli, after all. It was perfectly normal for her to be curious about such a place.

Seeing Xiluo’er’s cautious expression, Eve found it hard to say anything more. Ultimately, Xiluo’er’s apology instantly quelled any anger she felt.

“It’s alright. Next time, remember to tell me. It’s no trouble at all.”

Eve stroked Xiluo’er’s small head, preparing to return to her own room to sleep.

But just then, being so close to Xiluo’er, Eve detected a subtle anomaly.

She caught a faint, mysterious fragrance on Xiluo’er’s person.

And she had only smelled that particular scent on one other person recently.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Eve’s internal alarm blared.

Thus, Eve, who had been about to stand, immediately abandoned her previous intention.

Xiluo’er, who had just breathed a sigh of relief at having so easily fooled her, looked up to find Eve still there, utterly motionless.

“Big Sister Eve?”

Xiluo’er’s spider-sense tingled, for she saw a deep, swirling vortex slowly forming in Eve’s eyes.

“Xiluo’er, did you *really* just go for a casual stroll?”

“Eh, re-re…”

Xiluo’er instinctively tried to avert her gaze but forcefully controlled herself.

“Then, did you not encounter anyone else?”

“Like… Ellen, for instance?”

Xiluo’er’s heart jolted.

‘Why?’

‘Eve definitely hadn’t followed her, so how did she know she had just met Ellen?’

Eve said nothing more. Instead, she leaned in and sniffed Xiluo’er again. Xiluo’er immediately tensed her body and held her breath.

She didn’t dare move.

‘Damn it, she had indeed stayed in Ellen’s room for a bit too long.’

‘However, Xiluo’er hadn’t expected Eve to be so observant, noticing such a tiny detail. If one didn’t sniff carefully, they wouldn’t detect that faint scent on her at all.’

‘Was Eve this wary of her? To even notice such a small detail.’

Xiluo’er felt a pang of regret. ‘Yes, she should have acted later. Today, Nightmare’s urging had simply made her rush.’

‘Today, she and Eve had just forcefully joined the Destiny Observation Society. At a time like this, Eve would surely heighten her surveillance. She should have acted later.’

“Xiluo’er, lying is what bad children do, you know.”

Eve’s eyes held a vortex that seemed capable of drawing one in, her gray gaze fixed unblinkingly on Xiluo’er… making Xiluo’er even wonder, ‘Don’t her eyes get dry?’

“This…”

Xiluo’er stammered, stalling for time while trying to formulate an answer.

Although Ellen had promised to help her conceal it, it was best that Eve didn’t know about her late-night talk with Ellen. It was too dangerous.

“Uh, I did indeed see Lady Ellen earlier.”

“It’s just that, this place is very large, and I’m unfamiliar with it. And it’s very dark now, so I got lost while wandering around.”

“Then, I happened to run into Lady Ellen on the third floor, and she sent me back. That’s why I was delayed outside for so long.”

Xiluo’er barely managed to make the logic coherent.

“Really? She just sent you back?”

“This…”

Xiluo’er’s eyes darted around before she amended, “Well… not exactly. Lady Ellen also chatted with me for a while.”

After all, Xiluo’er knew that merely being escorted back wouldn’t leave her with that unique, faint fragrance from Ellen’s room.

So, now the question arose: what would Ellen, with nothing better to do, chat about with her, a small ‘bonus gift’ attached to Eve, who had just arrived at the Destiny Observation Society today?

Eve didn’t even voice the question, merely conveying her doubts through her gaze.

Xiluo’er found herself in a difficult predicament.

Because if the questioning continued, the content of their conversation definitely couldn’t be revealed to Eve!

Thus, the conversation, which had barely been manageable, hit a snag. Xiluo’er fell silent in the darkness for two or three seconds.

In short, her brain had crashed.

And those brief two or three seconds of silence, in a tense and stimulating verbal exchange, were fatal.

Seeing Xiluo’er stunned by her ‘skill,’ Eve chose to press her advantage!

Without waiting for Xiluo’er to answer, Eve suddenly reached out, her hand stretching towards the space under the bed.

Xiluo’er, who had been contemplating a countermeasure, was startled by Eve’s sudden movement.

She instinctively grabbed Eve’s wrist, preventing her hand from reaching further under the bed.

The cloak and mask she had retrieved from Ellen were hidden under the bed! If Eve saw those, Xiluo’er would never be able to clear her name.

‘Damn it, she hadn’t known Eve was in the room when she entered, and had casually shoved the items under the bed. Now it seemed, Eve had seen her entire action.’

‘A lapse, a true lapse in judgment this time…’

Mainly, Xiluo’er hadn’t expected Eve to hide in her room like a female ghost. She hadn’t detected her at all!

Xiluo’er usually wasn’t too worried about her equipment being discovered. Just like at the Adventurer’s Guild in Karna City, Xiluo’er would hide such items in an absolutely secure location. As an assassin, hiding things was second nature to her.

However, this was her first time in this room at the Destiny Observation Society, and she hadn’t had time to check where the best hiding spots were. So, these items were only temporarily and simply stashed away.

Moreover, Xiluo’er had been physically and mentally exhausted upon returning from Ellen’s place, and in a moment of oversight, she had casually dealt with her ‘criminal tools.’

Now, she was caught red-handed by ‘justice.’

“Xiluo’er?”

Seeing Xiluo’er frantically grab her wrist, Eve’s suspicion deepened.

Alright, then. Eve had naturally seen Xiluo’er carrying something when she entered the room and casually tucking it under the bed.

However, the room was dark, and Xiluo’er’s movements had been quick, so Eve hadn’t clearly seen what Xiluo’er was holding.

Originally, based on Xiluo’er’s explanation of having gone for a stroll, Eve hadn’t intended to inquire about what Xiluo’er had in her hand.

After all, Xiluo’er had her privacy. If something was hidden under the bed, it was naturally something she didn’t want others to know about.

Eve was happy to maintain some distance in such matters, allowing Xiluo’er some space, which would better bridge the distance between their hearts and ultimately achieve physical zero-distance.

But now the situation was different. Since the original solo night stroll in the mansion had involved Ellen, a rare outsider, Eve reasonably suspected that this item might have been given to Xiluo’er by Ellen.

Although she wasn’t sure what Ellen and Xiluo’er, who had only known each other for a short time, could possibly have had to ‘exchange,’ Eve’s alarm bells were ringing nonetheless.

*Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep!*

Now Xiluo’er was so resistant to her reaching under the bed…

Eve could only conclude, ‘Something’s fishy!’

“Xiluo’er, is there something under the bed that I shouldn’t see?”

“Uh, this…”

Xiluo’er forced a smile.

“Ahaha, it really isn’t something you should see.”

“Is it something Ellen gave you?”

Eve directly launched a critical hit, throwing out the core question she cared about most.

Xiluo’er immediately shook her head in denial. “No, Lady Ellen didn’t give me anything.”

“Then, why can’t I see what it is?”

Eve’s expressionless face appeared incredibly eerie in the current darkness.

“Because… this…”

Xiluo’er was at a loss for words.

The item, indeed, wasn’t given to her by Ellen; she hadn’t lied.

However, it truly couldn’t be shown to Eve; that was also the honest truth.

The problem was, how could she explain it to Eve now?

The more Xiluo’er failed to answer, the deeper the vortex in Eve’s eyes became.

Before Xiluo’er could respond, Eve exerted force again, trying to reach under the bed, but was immediately met with resistance in the opposite direction.

It was Xiluo’er’s hand, gripping Eve’s wrist.

Eve then fell silent, simply watching Xiluo’er.

At this, Xiluo’er knew she was not far from trouble.

In this situation, any defense would be pale and powerless. In fact, the more she resisted Eve’s actions, the more it proved she had something to hide.

But if she didn’t stop Eve’s actions? The outcome was self-evident.

‘Heh, it’s a dead end now.’

Eve’s silence, on the contrary, put immense pressure on Xiluo’er. It was strange; while she was trying to avoid her identity from being completely exposed, a situation that would typically fall into the ‘spy thriller’ category in film, Xiluo’er somehow felt a sense of a ‘family drama about catching a mistress’ from the current atmosphere.

‘How utterly bizarre. Was the pressure so great that she was hallucinating?’

Xiluo’er continued to block Eve’s hand with her own, all while rapidly brainstorming solutions.

‘If she couldn’t come up with a plan now, she wouldn’t need to think of one later.’

‘Earlier… earlier the room was very dark, Eve might not have clearly seen what she was holding.’

‘If all else failed, she would have to gamble.’

So, Xiluo’er broke the silence.

“Big Sister Eve, that, this really isn’t something Lady Ellen gave me.”

“If, if you want to see it, I’ll get it for you.”

Then, Xiluo’er voluntarily released Eve’s wrist.

Seeing this, Eve smiled, though the smile on her current face was somewhat unsettling.

“Alright, then Xiluo’er, you get it yourself.”

So Xiluo’er moved very slowly, very slowly reaching her hand under the bed.

As she reached, Xiluo’er timidly watched Eve. Eve, at this moment, was also intently watching Xiluo’er’s movements.

In reality, Xiluo’er wasn’t staring at Eve out of fear.

She was searching for an angle, an angle where Eve wouldn’t be able to see her hand once it was fully under the bed.

Xiluo’er’s hand lingered under the bed for two or three seconds, seemingly feeling for the item’s position. Then, Xiluo’er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Eve had been watching her hand as it went under the bed, and apparently hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

So, bringing her hand out from under the bed was relatively easier.

“Here, Big Sister Eve, for you.”

Xiluo’er cautiously handed over the item in her hand.

“This is?”

Eve looked closely. What Xiluo’er held in her small hand was a dagger.

Eve had seen this very dagger when they first met in Karna City.

Xiluo’er said nothing, simply allowing Eve to take the dagger and examine it thoroughly.

“Xiluo’er, what is this about?”

Eve handed the dagger back, asking with some confusion.

Upon hearing Eve’s question, Xiluo’er completely relaxed.

Eve hadn’t discovered the problem. It seemed her gamble had paid off.

In that situation, she couldn’t possibly have stopped Eve from checking what was under the bed.

But the cloak and other items absolutely couldn’t be seen by Eve, so she had to find a way to take out another item from under the bed right under Eve’s nose to fool her.

Now, the problem was, this bed wasn’t Doraemon’s four-dimensional pocket. No matter how much Eve searched, she would only pull out the ‘instrument of crime.’

So, Xiluo’er could only find a way to act herself, to perform a ‘switcheroo.’

And she also had to gamble that Eve had only seen something in her hand earlier, without clearly seeing its size or shape.

Under the bed, Xiluo’er had seemed to be looking for something, but she was actually secretly sliding the dagger from her sleeve into her hand.

Once her hand was fully under the bed, Eve couldn’t see Xiluo’er’s hand. Moreover, Xiluo’er had tried her best to ensure her entire arm made no extra movements during the process of presenting the dagger.

Ultimately, from Eve’s perspective, Xiluo’er had simply pulled a dagger from under the bed.

This dagger was one Xiluo’er always kept close. As an assassin, how could she not carry a weapon for emergencies?

This dagger had indeed saved her life today, though in a rather peculiar way.

“It’s like this, Big Sister Eve.”

Xiluo’er paused for a moment before beginning the next stage of her deception.

She still needed to make the presence of this dagger under the bed seem logical.

“This is actually a small habit of mine. When I was fleeing, I always used to put my dagger in an accessible yet hidden place when I slept, so that if any sudden crisis occurred, I would have something to defend myself with.”

“Although, although I don’t need to do that now, I’ve never broken the habit.”

Xiluo’er spoke, lowering her small head in conjunction.

“Then, Xiluo’er, why weren’t you willing to let Big Sister see it?”

“Uh, because, because I was afraid Big Sister Eve would be angry if she knew about it…”

And just like that, Eve’s guilt instantly surged.

‘I’m such an idiot!’

‘The war and fleeing had already caused Xiluo’er great trauma, yet today she had still suspected her…’

“I’m sorry, Xiluo’er. Big Sister didn’t know it was like that.”

Eve immediately softened her tone, gently stroking Xiluo’er’s small head.

“Don’t worry, Big Sister won’t be angry. Xiluo’er didn’t do anything wrong, did you?”

“And, I will protect Xiluo’er from now on. Xiluo’er doesn’t need to worry so much.”

Eve returned the dagger to Xiluo’er.

Having successfully muddled through today’s ordeal, Xiluo’er relaxed after taking the dagger.

“By the way, Xiluo’er.”

Unexpectedly, Eve suddenly added another question at that moment. Xiluo’er’s relaxed body tensed up again.

“So, what exactly did you and Lady Ellen talk about?”

Although she had indeed misunderstood Xiluo’er today, Eve still couldn’t let go of this question.

Her alarm hadn’t been disarmed yet.

What could Ellen possibly have had to chat about with Xiluo’er, with nothing better to do?

“Just, we just chatted casually.”

“Nothing particularly important, and I’m a bit sleepy. It’s so late, after all, and I can’t quite remember what we talked about…”

At this point, Xiluo’er symbolically let out a big yawn.

There was no other way. Since Eve was still pressing the issue, she could only try to gloss over it like this.

She definitely couldn’t elaborate on her conversation with Ellen to Eve, nor could she make something up to fool her. What if Eve went directly to Ellen to cross-check their stories one day? That would be the end of her.

So, she could only try to be vague and get past it.

“Then, what did you mean when you said ‘it’s finally over’ after you entered the room?”

Ah, this…

The atmosphere, which had just eased, seemed to turn awkward again.

Xiluo’er was on the verge of tears.

‘Big Sister, can’t you be less suspicious?’

“It’s just that, we finally finished talking, and I could come back to my room to sleep, so I said ‘it’s finally over.'”

“I just said it casually, Big Sister Eve, it didn’t mean anything else.”

Xiluo’er said, looking up at Eve with her small head tilted, trying to appear as obedient as possible.

But Eve remained silent.

Xiluo’er’s answer indeed had no apparent flaws; Eve couldn’t pick out any logical inconsistencies.

However, she still felt that Xiluo’er’s answer was slightly off.

If she had to say why, it was probably a woman’s intuition.

She just had a feeling that this child was hiding something from her.

But having just wrongly accused Xiluo’er once, Eve now found it difficult to press further.

However, not asking didn’t mean Eve didn’t care.

‘My child has grown up and is hiding things from me. How sad!’

Since she couldn’t ask, Eve decided to solve the problem in another way.

And so, Eve reached out and placed her hand on Xiluo’er’s leg.

“Xiluo’er, I think you might need a magic replenishment today?”

Xiluo’er: “…”

‘Ah, this, why did it suddenly jump to this question?’

‘But I don’t think so…’

‘I don’t care what you think, I care what I think!’

“But, Big Sister Eve, I think my body is fine right now?”

Xiluo’er observed Eve’s expression, cautiously speaking.

“I don’t think so.”

Eve shook her head.

“Look, Xiluo’er. Earlier in the carriage, because conditions didn’t allow it, the magic replenishment wasn’t completed.”

“I think we need to make up for the part that wasn’t completed before.”

“…I am a mage. Trust me.”

In the end, Eve was too lazy to reason with Xiluo’er and chose to speak directly with the authority of her identity.

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