Chapter 78: An Apology, or a Tribute?
Liu Haoran didn't name names, but everyone in the corridor knew exactly who he was talking about.
The Lady of the Castle's shriek had been sharp enough to pierce the very stones of the fortress, echoing through every hall and chamber. There was no way the three players in the opposite corridor hadn't heard it.
The female college student who had escaped on her own—Tong Yi—was secretly breathing a sigh of relief. If she had hesitated for even a moment longer, if she had chosen the other side, she would be one of the players trembling in terror right now.
She clutched the hem of her shirt, her mind set. At the crack of dawn, she would go to Haruto's group and explain everything. She couldn't let them mistakenly believe she was in league with Zhang Katao and the others.
The next day arrived under a hazy, gray sky.
Yotsuya Miko was startled from her sleep. She opened her eyes, her senses slowly coming online as she registered a soft, persistent knocking at their door.
Beside her, Lin Xuelao had also been roused by the noise.
The voice that followed the knock was somewhat unfamiliar. Miko searched her memory, and the image of the female college student gradually surfaced. She recalled the girl was playing solo and had sided with Zhang Katao's group yesterday.
At that thought, Miko's guard went up.
They had just tried to frame them yesterday, and now one of their associates was knocking on their door first thing in the morning. No matter how she looked at it, the situation was suspicious.
'She can't possibly be here to apologize, can she?' Miko mused.
"Brother Haruto... are you awake?"
A timid voice drifted through the door. It was Wu Wenwen.
Miko's brow relaxed slightly. She glanced back at Lin Xuelao, who seemed composed, before calling out a response.
"Is something the matter?"
"We... we brought some breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Miko was confused. Wasn't that the butler's job?
Deciding it was better than leaving them waiting, she went to open the door. Standing outside were indeed the female college student and Wu Wenwen.
Tong Yi wore a nervous, almost fawning expression, holding two food containers in her hands.
"Um... good morning," she said, her voice a bit dry. "I was thinking about the... dinner the butler prepared yesterday, and I figured today's breakfast probably wouldn't be much better. So, I brought some clean food over. I hope you don't mind."
Her gaze inadvertently swept past Miko, trying to peer into the room. Miko calmly took a half-step to the side, neatly blocking her line of sight.
Inside, Haruto and Kaguya were still sprawled on the bed without a shred of decorum, fast asleep.
Lin Xuelao had also walked slowly to the door, her tone as placid as ever. "I can understand Wenwen coming to deliver breakfast, but you..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was perfectly clear. Your teammates tried to get us killed yesterday, and now you're here this morning trying to curry favor. This change of heart is a little too convenient.
Tong Yi immediately panicked, waving her hands in a fluster. "No! I had absolutely no idea what they were planning yesterday! By the time I found out, it was too late to stop them... I wanted to come find you right away!"
Miko and Lin Xuelao both turned their gazes to Wu Wenwen.
The timid girl nodded, confirming in a low voice, "What she said is true... She really did want to find you yesterday, but she was spotted by the butler in the corridor. Then Brother Xie Lin pulled her away before she could."
Wu Wenwen seemed to remember something else and hastily added, "Actually, we were going to come find you too, but Brother Xie Lin said you were incredibly powerful and couldn't possibly fall for such a simple trap, so we didn't go in the end."
Miko and Lin Xuelao trusted Wu Wenwen. Her earnestness was hard to doubt.
Lin Xuelao's attention returned to Tong Yi. "We did indeed see through their little trick. But where did this food come from? Your own supplies can't be that plentiful, can they?"
Fearing they might suspect her of trying to poison them, Tong Yi quickly took out a piece of bread from one of the containers and took two large bites.
"This food is all clean, I swear! It's not poisoned! I'll eat it for you to see—"
Miko shook her head gently. "I'm not worried about poison. My point is, if the butler is going to be serving his... special cuisine for the next four days, then your own food is precious. You should keep it for yourselves."
Hearing that she wasn't under suspicion of attempted murder, Tong Yi finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"It's okay," she explained. "I got a storage necklace in the last instance. It can only hold items about the size of a fist, but that's perfect for this kind of emergency food. I brought plenty."
"There's really no need," Miko insisted. "As long as you weren't involved, Haruto and the others won't make things difficult for you." They had more than enough food and had no reason to take someone else's.
Tong Yi's body trembled. She bit her lower lip, a look of pained resolve on her face. Then, she unclasped the necklace from around her neck and held it out to Miko with both hands.
"This is my apology. Please, make sure you give it to Haruto."
Though she felt the sting of the loss, she didn't regret it. A spatial item was indeed precious and rare, but it was nothing compared to her own life. Even if the chance was small, she couldn't risk getting caught in the crossfire when Haruto inevitably dealt with Zhang Katao's group.
Besides, this wasn't just an apology. Trading a single spatial item for the protection of a top-tier player wasn't a losing proposition by any means.
Miko wanted to refuse again, but her eyes fell on the offered necklace. She couldn't make this decision on her own. In the end, she and Lin Xuelao turned back toward the bed, intending to wake Haruto and Kaguya.
Miko decisively chose to wake Kaguya.
Lin Xuelao hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and gently shaking Haruto's arm. There was no reaction.
On the other side of the bed, Kaguya was already stirring, half-awake and groggy. Seeing no progress, Lin Xuelao had no choice but to increase her efforts, shaking his arm more firmly while calling his name.
This time, Haruto finally moved. His hands shot out, grabbed the quilt, and abruptly pulled it over his head.
A vein twitched at Lin Xuelao's temple. She tried a new tactic, reaching over to pull away the pillow Haruto was clutching in his arms.
This trick worked.
Haruto's brow furrowed in his sleep, and his hands subconsciously began groping around inside the quilt for his lost pillow. Seeing her chance, Lin Xuelao reached out again to shake him awake, only for her wrist to be suddenly seized. An irresistible force pulled her forward, and the next second, she tumbled into a warm embrace.
Lin Xuelao's cheeks instantly turned crimson, a blush that spread all the way to the tips of her ears.
Though she couldn't see, she could feel with perfect clarity that she was now being used as a human body pillow.
She had thought sleeping in the same bed was her limit, but she had never expected a situation this... stimulating.
She tried to struggle a few times, but Haruto's strength was surprisingly immense. Forgetting about breaking free, she found it difficult to even move an inch.
Sensing the gazes from the doorway, Lin Xuelao simply gave up. She silently buried her face in Haruto's chest, unwilling to let anyone see her burning-red face.
Yotsuya Miko was already long accustomed to these antics. At the door, Wu Wenwen's face flushed with second-hand embarrassment, while Tong Yi politely averted her eyes.
Kaguya sat up, still looking groggy. After listening to Miko's quick summary of the situation, she narrowed her eyes and sized up Tong Yi from head to toe.
"We aren't particularly interested in storage items," Kaguya stated coolly. "Do you have anything else?"
Hearing that they didn't want her precious necklace, a flash of joy crossed Tong Yi's face. She hurriedly began taking items out of it one by one.
A cracked black long saber. A small, vicious-looking dagger. A short blade that glinted with a faint blue light. A small bag filled with unknown seeds. And finally, a pair of shoes that were most definitely not made for a child.
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