Chapter 27: A Sweet Interrogation

Xiluo’er blinked at the cake placed before her, momentarily at a loss for words.

She was adorned in the black gown Eve had purchased for her some time ago.

After all, she had brazenly exited the Adventurer’s Guild today, dressed in that very outfit, right under Eve’s watchful eyes.

Irene sat opposite her, and the two of them were in the very restaurant Xiluo’er had visited before.

“This is the ‘suitable place for a talk’ you mentioned?”

Xiluo’er subtly gestured around with the fork in her hand.

“Aren’t you afraid of walls having ears?”

“This is called doing the opposite,” Irene said, spearing a piece of cake and chewing it with a satisfied hum. “Besides, don’t always be so serious, Cat Tail. It’s perfectly fine to just treat this as a fun outing.”

“This restaurant’s food is quite characteristic of Kana City, you know. I’ve gathered quite a lot of miscellaneous information lately.”

Xiluo’er sighed. She had heard Eve say something similar not long ago. It seemed that despite their differing personalities, the two sisters shared remarkably similar tastes.

Although Xiluo’er longed to get straight to the point, Irene seemed intent on prolonging the idle chat and dessert enjoyment.

Seeing Irene’s beaming expression, Xiluo’er could only sigh helplessly and gently picked up a small piece of cake with her fork.

There was no help for it. The intelligence source was currently in the hands of Red Spider, making Xiluo’er the one seeking a favor.

As the strawberry-flavored cake melted in her mouth, the sweet richness of the fruit and cream filled her senses, and Xiluo’er contentedly narrowed her eyes.

However, she quickly regained control of her expression, allowing it to cool once more.

Considering the present circumstances, she certainly didn’t want to show such a character-breaking expression in front of Irene.

Unbeknownst to her, Irene had already taken in Xiluo’er’s series of subtle micro-expressions.

Observing people’s expressions was a mandatory skill for assassins, and Irene believed her own proficiency in this area was quite good.

Watching Xiluo’er, who was clearly trying to restrain herself, Irene’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Irene couldn’t help but recall the assassin who, just moments ago, had appeared like a phantom behind two thugs in a alleyway, daggers poised.

Now, looking at the adorable little loli in front of her, ‘battling wits’ with a cake…

How should she put it? Could this also be considered a form of ‘contrast moe’?

“What are you looking at?”

Noticing Irene’s gaze, Xiluo’er blinked in confusion.

“Cough, cough, nothing.”

Irene subtly averted her eyes.

Xiluo’er frowned, preparing to fork another piece of cake. Yet, her hand paused, and she shifted the fork slightly, opting for a smaller bite.

“Pfft!” Irene, propping her chin in her hand, quickly shifted her gaze to a waiter not far away.

“Excuse me, waiter, could we have… um… two more glasses of juice, please? Thank you.”

“Of course, please wait a moment.”

This time, Xiluo’er finally put down her fork.

‘Why was Irene staring at me so intently for no reason?’

It was truly remarkable how Eve and Irene, sisters though they were, always managed to be so alike in such matters.

Irene’s chin-propped figure overlapped with the image of a certain emotionless hero in Xiluo’er’s mind, performing the exact same gesture.

‘Or, is there something on my face?’

Xiluo’er raised a hand and began to touch her own face.

‘Hmm, no, there isn’t, is there?’

Noticing Xiluo’er’s actions, Irene quickly coughed twice, changing the subject.

“Ahem, let’s get down to business, Cat Tail.”

‘Ah, finally…’

Xiluo’er inwardly sighed with relief, sitting up straighter.

“Although I didn’t get much out of them before, at least now I know where to investigate.”

Irene lowered her voice, the sweet tone gone, replaced by a serious demeanor.

“How do you plan to investigate?”

“Using tracing magic. If the location is correct, I should be able to find some clues.”

‘Magic that can reproduce past scenes… that could work.’

Xiluo’er recalled, however, that tracing magic was typically considered high-tier. As an assassin, Irene shouldn’t be that proficient in magic.

As if sensing Xiluo’er’s doubt, Irene proactively explained, “It’s fine, little Cat Tail, I have my ways.”

“However, I hope you can come along when the time comes.”

“After all, it’s a method that can recreate scenes, so it’s more intuitive to see it directly.”

Xiluo’er nodded.

“Then, when will we act?”

“Well, I originally wanted to act tonight,” Irene said, extending a finger with a smile. “But, let’s wait a couple of days.”

Xiluo’er was taken aback. “Why?”

Irene poked Xiluo’er’s cheek with that finger, then gave it a little pinch.

“Because you look terrible, little Cat Tail.”

“I…”

Only then did Xiluo’er belatedly realize that she still had two massive dark circles under her eyes!

It was all Eve’s fault for treating her like a body pillow last night, leaving her with no proper sleep!

‘But, is it really that obvious?’

“Don’t worry about me. The sooner we act, the better.”

Irene waved her finger from side to side in front of Xiluo’er.

“Oh no, that won’t do. It’s better to act when you’re well-rested.”

“Speaking of which, did you not sleep well last night? Your dark circles are so prominent, little Cat Tail.”

Xiluo’er gritted her teeth.

“I… didn’t!”

‘What should I do? I can’t possibly tell Irene, “I didn’t sleep well because your sister tormented me all night,” can I?’

“Oh, don’t pretend… though you look adorable when you pretend, little Cat Tail.”

Irene finally couldn’t resist reaching out and stroking Xiluo’er’s head.

“I’m not pretending! And don’t call me ado—”

Xiluo’er had originally wanted to correct Irene’s mistaken perception and maintain her persona, but then she thought it might seem odd to earnestly explain that she wasn’t adorable… so she gave up.

Thus, Xiluo’er could only glare fiercely at Irene with her large, violet eyes.

“Aha, anyway, just come find me in the black market three nights from now.”

“That’s all for now. See you then, little Cat Tail~”

Seeing Xiluo’er’s cheeks puff out in an angry pout, Irene quickly decided to quit while she was ahead.

Watching Irene skip a few steps to the restaurant door, smiling and waving goodbye, Xiluo’er sighed.

Indeed, it wasn’t a good thing that Irene had seen her face. At the very least, Irene’s attitude towards her was clearly no longer the ‘Cat Tail’ and ‘Red Spider’ dynamic they once shared.

‘Who knows what it’ll turn into if this continues until Irene’s big scene in the story.’

Xiluo’er popped the last small piece of cake into her mouth, then pushed back her chair and stood up.