Chapter 15: The Sweetness of Deception and the Shadow of Truth

Xiluo’er sorted through her thoughts as she ate her meal. There was the Rona she knew, the Rona she’d overheard from the contact, and the Rona she’d encountered at the Lord’s Mansion that day.

These disparate perceptions, formed from varying angles, created a profound sense of disjointedness in Xiluo’er’s understanding of the woman.

Her intuition whispered that Rona harbored a significant secret, one that felt like a ticking time bomb, poised to detonate at any unforeseen moment.

If she wished to avoid being caught in the blast, it would be wise to take some preventative measures.

“Oh, Xiluo’er.”

Eve’s voice chimed in, abruptly breaking Xiluo’er’s train of thought.

“On my way back just now, I picked up some dessert.”

“Consider it an apology for being so busy these past couple of days.”

Eve rose, placing a small, elegantly packaged cake before Xiluo’er.

‘A cake?’

Xiluo’er tilted her head, examining the box in front of her.

Inside, a triangular chocolate cake rested perfectly still.

‘Honestly, she wasn’t particularly fond of such sweets.’

Xiluo’er pursed her lips, her emotions barely stirring. In her previous life as a shut-in, she’d had absolutely no fondness for sugary foods.

‘What was the point of overly sweet and cloying cake when there were cola and potato chips?’

Nevertheless, Xiluo’er didn’t want to dampen Eve’s spirits.

“Mm, thank you, Eve.”

After murmuring her thanks to Eve, Xiluo’er casually unwrapped the cake.

‘Sigh, she wasn’t in the mood to savor something like this right now, not with so many bothersome things on her mind.’

She speared a small piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth, her thoughts still consumed by Rona.

‘Hmm?’

The moment the cake touched her tongue, Xiluo’er froze.

‘It seemed… considerably better than she had imagined?’

Sweet, cloying cream, and a soft, yielding cake. The taste was precisely as she remembered—or rather, it should have been.

Yet, the delicate cream and chocolate melted on her tongue with a burst of sweetness, while the soft, fluffy cake filled her small mouth.

The unique satisfaction the cake offered sent jubilant signals straight to her taste buds and into her mind.

‘Delicious!’

Though her face remained expressionless, Xiluo’er’s eyes suddenly sparkled. A dazzling gleam shone within their purple depths.

Thoughts of Rona were momentarily banished. Xiluo’er used her fork to spear an even larger piece, guiding it into her small, cherry-like mouth.

“Is it good, Xiluo’er?”

Eve, resting her chin on her hand, watched Xiluo’er from across the table with an expression akin to someone doting on a small pet.

“Mm, it’s… alright.”

Xiluo’er mumbled her reply, her mouth full of cake.

For some reason, perhaps due to her earlier disdain for sweet cakes, or the lingering pride of a former ‘home security guard,’ Xiluo’er felt reluctant to directly admit that this small chocolate cake was delicious.

‘But why was this happening?’

The pleasure of swallowing the cake danced on her taste buds, yet a tiny flicker of doubt stirred within Xiluo’er’s heart.

‘Could it be… because of this body?’

This body, reshaped into a girl by the goddess Freya, seemed to possess its own inherent senses that were now influencing her.

‘It wasn’t ‘her’ who liked the cake, but rather her body…’

Xiluo’er mused with a helpless sigh.

Before she knew it, the cake before her had vanished without a trace. Xiluo’er regretfully set down her fork, gazing at the empty plate.

‘Ugh, not enough.’

Though she yearned for more, Xiluo’er inwardly braced herself.

‘Xiluo’er, oh Xiluo’er, how could you be so depraved? Could a mere slice of cake truly captivate you?’

‘Where was your dignity as a home security guard!’

Just then, another chocolate cake slid into Xiluo’er’s line of sight, pushed across the table.

“Here, Xiluo’er, you can have mine too.”

Xiluo’er, who had just been internally ranting, instantly froze.

“No, there’s no need, Eve. I’ve had enough.”

‘It was a lie.’

Her gaze remained fixed on the cake presented before her.

“It’s fine, I’m not that fond of sweets. I just bought one for myself as an afterthought.”

“Since Xiluo’er enjoys it so much, have another piece.”

With a gentle motion, Eve used a handkerchief to wipe a streak of white cream from the corner of Xiluo’er’s mouth.

Xiluo’er’s small face flushed crimson. Only then did she realize how undignified she must have looked, wolfing down the cake in front of Eve.

‘No, this won’t do. After all that, she absolutely could not eat any more—’

Xiluo’er fiercely declared to herself, as if locked in a struggle of wills.

****

“Then, thank you, Eve.”

‘Mm, it truly smells good.’

The cake indeed had an enticing aroma.

This time, at least, Xiluo’er managed to exercise some restraint, slowly savoring the cake piece by small piece.

‘Oh, well, how to put it? It wasn’t entirely her fault, right?’

‘Whose fault was it that the cake was so delicious? The cake had to bear half the blame, didn’t it?’

‘And whose fault was it that this body Freya had crafted had such a penchant for it? Freya had to bear half the blame, didn’t she?’

Thinking this way, Xiluo’er felt much better, the guilt of going back on her word considerably lessened.

‘Pure, unadulterated mental victory, that was.’

“I-I’m finished, Eve.”

“I’d like to go out for a walk in a bit.”

Xiluo’er, her face still flushed after finishing another piece of cake, spoke in a small voice.

“Mm, alright. Just be sure to come back early.”

Having successfully ‘fed’ her, Eve was clearly in high spirits, a warm smile gracing her face.

“Then I’ll… head back to my room.”

Eve’s smile deepened the flush on Xiluo’er’s cheeks. Leaping from her chair, Xiluo’er fled upstairs as if in a desperate escape.

‘Hmm, her pretending not to like it, yet wanting it so much, is truly adorable.’

If given the chance, Eve would have loved to try other methods to see if Xiluo’er’s resolve was always so firm.

****

Just past noon, under the relentless threat of the scorching sun, the streets were sparsely populated.

Xiluo’er leaped from a wall, landing lightly in a deserted alleyway.

After confirming no one was around, Xiluo’er emerged from the shadows and proceeded towards the deepest part of the alley.

She was clad in a pitch-black cloak, her face obscured by a plain mask.

This attire signified that the person here was not Xiluo’er, but rather the assassin known as “Cat Tail.”

Xiluo’er was out to gather information.

Her current objective was to proactively uncover any leverage she could use against Rona.

If possible, she also hoped to find a way to extricate herself from the Chaos Cult.

As for how to gather it, Xiluo’er had her own methods.

By now, Xiluo’er had reached the deepest recess of the alley, where both sunlight and the sounds of bustling traffic were completely shut out. She lifted her gaze to the dilapidated door before her.