Chapter 138 : When Did It Start?

“I did something terrible… made someone hate me, so much that they will never forgive me.”

After a moment of shock, Milly silently picked up the flatbread from the ground and put it in her mouth. Following the five-second rule, and ignoring the dirt, she took a large bite, tearing it off as if it were someone’s flesh.

Milly knew perfectly well that the words coming from Lisa’s mouth were not hers, but from the person hiding behind her, using Lisa as a mouthpiece to say what she wanted to say to her.

Milly didn’t stop Lisa from continuing. She just silently chewed on her ration, her gaze fixed on Lisa across the campfire, as if she could see through her body and straight to the puppeteer behind the scenes.

“When I first saw that child, I realized it might be my only chance.”

“So I… no, she was right.”

The flickering firelight danced on Lisa’s face. She stared into the flames, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.

“She said I only think of myself. She wasn’t wrong. I really do only think of myself.”

“The moment I saw her, I realized she might be the only chance. To ensure success, no matter what means I used, I had to make her cooperate. There was no room for error.”

Lisa’s voice was soft, almost drowned out by the crackling of the fire. Milly picked up a stick and threw it into the fire, watching the flames rise. Her gaze swept over Lisa. The firelight illuminated Lisa’s face, and in her green eyes, there was something Milly had never seen in her eyes before.

“To make her cooperate, to make her obedient, I did some terrible things. Things that can’t be forgiven… made that child hate me from the bottom of her heart.”

The night wind blew past them, growing stronger. The fire flickered, threatening to die down. Milly put the last piece of bread in her mouth and stood up, brushing the dirt from her skirt.

Lisa opened her mouth to say something more, but after swallowing the bread and a long silence, Milly finally spoke.

“It’s getting late.”

She picked up the pile of wood beside her and threw it all into the fire. The flames roared up, blocking Lisa’s face from view, and hiding the flash of emotion in Milly’s eyes.

“We have to travel tomorrow.”

She didn’t need to hear the rest. What Stacy hadn’t been able to say before, what Milly had refused to hear, was now being said through Lisa. For Milly now, she had no interest, and no need, to dig into the truth behind this sob story.

Milly simply went back into the tent first, cutting off any chance for Lisa to continue.

Watching Milly’s back as she entered the tent without looking back, just like when she had walked away from her before, refusing to listen, Lisa’s shoulders trembled slightly. The pale moonlight shone on her lips, and the smile there was fragile, as if it would break at a touch. “Yes, we should rest…”

The unspoken words were torn apart by the night wind, carried away into the deep darkness. Lisa stood up, her movements light, as if afraid to disturb something.

She gently opened the tent flap. The small figure was curled up in her sleeping bag. Because her back was turned, Lisa couldn’t see Milly’s face. She could only sigh softly and crawl into the other sleeping bag.

And so, the two of them lay back to back in the small tent, the cramped space forcing their backs together. The campfire outside burned steadily.

Occasionally, the distant roar of a monster could be heard, but it would soon fade into silence.

The gentle night wind seemed to pick up strength. As it blew past, the flames outside danced wildly, and the shadows on the tent wall twisted and turned.

It was late. Lisa’s breathing behind her had become steady. She seemed to be asleep. Her gentle, rhythmic breathing mingled with the wind outside.

Even late into the night, Milly couldn’t sleep. Was it because of what Stacy had said through Lisa? Milly turned halfway, staring at the tree shadows dancing on the tent roof. It wasn’t until much later that she squeezed out a curse from her throat.

“Bastard.”

Her voice was soft, so soft that only she could hear it.

Clearing her mind, Milly slowly closed her eyes, listening to the faint chirping of insects outside, and drifted into sleep.

A dreamless night.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the tent, casting dappled light on Milly’s face. Morning dew dripped from the leaves, making a soft plip-plop sound.

The noise outside the tent woke Milly. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she sat up and found the sleeping bag next to her empty. Lisa wasn’t in the tent.

Had she left? Or… Milly opened the tent flap and looked at the campfire. Lisa wasn’t there, but a pot was hanging over the fire, steaming, a delicious smell wafting from it.

Just then, Lisa emerged from the trees, holding something in her arms. As she got closer, Milly saw she was holding wild fruits, freshly picked and still wet with dew.

She picked the plumpest one and handed it to Milly, then placed the rest on the ground.

“I was going to wake you when breakfast was ready, Milly.”

Lisa’s cheerful voice reached her ears. Seeing Milly take the fruit, Lisa seemed to remember something and rushed to check the pot over the fire.

“It’s almost done, just needs a little seasoning.”

Milly watched her busy figure in silence. Lisa’s movements were natural, her lively demeanor a stark contrast to the Lisa from last night. It was as if the emotional “Lisa” from the night before had never existed.

Milly had thought Lisa would leave this morning. Seeing her return with fruit was a surprise. It seemed someone was determined to follow her, even knowing she wouldn’t accept her words or listen to what she had to say.

What was she thinking?

Milly didn’t understand Stacy anymore. When had her attitude changed so drastically?

From the moment she said Stacy needed her, not the other way around?

She took a bite of the fruit. Sour juice exploded in her mouth. It was so sour she immediately spat out the piece she had bitten off.

“So sour…”

Hearing the noise, Lisa turned around, a mischievous grin on her face, like a prankster who had succeeded.

“I tried so many to find the sourest one, how…”

The next moment, Lisa’s eyes widened as Milly grabbed the sour fruit and shoved it into her mouth.