Chapter 44 Sweet as Honey Before leaving, you go find…
Before you leave, go find Xia Die.
Cecilia is helping her family air out their blankets. Ohma is a small town, and she lives near the market, so you often see her and you become quite familiar with her. Occasionally, you'll help her write down what she wants to say in a letter and send it to Wandi together.
"Big sister!"
She waddled over, bobbing her little head, and jumped into your arms. She was so tiny, barely reaching your waist.
"Cessie misses you so much!"
You smiled and hugged her, ruffling her hair. "I miss Cecilia too. How have you been lately?"
You want to ask her if she has been bullied by those unruly children in Ohma recently.
The sensible Cecilia quickly understood what you meant and said proudly, "Things have been great lately! Someone tried to throw stones at Cecilia, and Cecilia used the fighting techniques taught by Master Wan Di—Hmph! Ha!—to chase them all away and even made new friends!"
You feign surprise, "Is it really that amazing?"
Cecilia nodded earnestly, "It's all thanks to Lord Wan Di's excellent teaching! Cecilia still has a lot to learn."
After saying that, she lowered her head again, "...Lord Wan Di has been writing less frequently lately...I wonder if he has encountered some danger..."
Your hand, which was stroking her hair, paused.
Wan Di liked the child very much and knew how much she admired him. If he could reply in time, he certainly wouldn't let her wait so long in vain.
...Then there's only one possibility.
—He has been dying in battle more frequently lately.
You look down and see that Cecilia still has a purely worried expression. Although you know that Wan Di is going to guard Suspended Peak, you don't know exactly how to guard it, and you don't know how to tell her for a moment.
So all you can do is offer a dry, comforting reply, "Perhaps... something's wrong?"
Cecilia nodded like a little adult, "Dad and I both know that Lord Wan Di has a hard time over there... Hmm, was he very close to that older sister named [Xia Die]?"
You ask in surprise, "Why bring up Xia Die all of a sudden?"
Cecilia blinked and said matter-of-factly, "Because Sister Xia Die has been standing behind you watching over you, Big Sister."
You froze for a moment, then looked back.
It was Xia Die. She had been standing there for who knows how long, her hands clasped in front of her, her posture elegant. When she saw you turn around, she softly called your name:
"Your Mightiness."
You were genuinely surprised this time. "...Has Xiaodie been watching the whole time? Why hasn't she said anything?"
"……ah."
Xia Die was a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Your Excellency. I was just thinking about something."
She smiled and stepped forward. "I heard you just finished Teacher Xia's last class? Congratulations on your 'graduation'. During my time studying at Shuting, I longed to have a classmate like you... and a friend. Now we're even from the same school, I wonder if that counts as a dream come true?"
You stare at her without saying a word.
"..." You sighed, "Xiaodie, has anyone ever told you that you don't have to laugh when you don't want to?"
Xia Die's smile immediately faded.
She was avoiding your gaze, and instinctively wanted to apologize, "Sir, I..."
Cecilia stepped out of your embrace, looked at Xia Die, then at you, and innocently said:
"Does Sister Xiadie want a hug too?"
Xia Die's face flushed slightly.
When you ask Cecilia why she thinks that way, she counts on her fingers, "Well... because when Sister Xiadie saw me hugging Big Sister, she was about to come over, but she stopped there and froze. I know that expression because whenever Dad hugs Mom and I stand to the side wanting Dad and Mom to hug me, I also make that expression. Dad says that's called the 'want a hug' expression!"
You turn your head and see Xia Die with her head down, not saying a word. A few strands of light purple hair fall down, obscuring her eyes, while her exposed pointed ears are completely red.
You chuckled.
In fact, you already know that you are no longer a complete "living person".
In her current form of existence, the [death] curse of the Butterfly no longer has any effect, so it is understandable that she longs to contact you.
So you stepped forward and gently embraced her.
...She's too thin.
Pale skin, thin body, slightly protruding shoulder blades. When you hold her, it's like holding a piece of paper, floating in your arms, making you wonder if you should use just a little more force, or she'll fly away like a real butterfly.
“…Ugh.”
Xia Die was taken aback at first, then let out a sob that seemed to be unable to bear it any longer.
Her hands trembled beside her a few times, and she tried to hug you back several times, but then put them down again.
"...Can I do it too?"
She said:
"Even these hands, these hands that only bring [death]... can they embrace someone?"
When a person is about to die, all the pretense they once wore fades away.
She had seen many people die peacefully, their faces serene and serene, their brows relaxed, and after she touched them, they would leave behind a "thank you".
But many more were unwilling to face death. They feared her, loathed her, and poured all their unknown and aversion to death onto Xia Die. To put it another way, this reaction could be understood, but for Xia Die, who did not want to give death in this way, it was like a heavy punch to her heart.
Those fallen bodies and distorted expressions were her long-standing nightmare.
The fear of death, besides the unknown, is essentially a longing for life. There are still many things left undone, or regrets left unresolved... Having experienced warmth, one can no longer bear the cold.
But Xiaodie had never experienced this kind of warmth before, so she could barely bear the cold.
“Of course you can,” you said. “...Even death has a temperature. Although it looks cold, Xiaodie’s hands are warm enough...so it’s okay.”
After hesitating for a few moments, Xia Die hugged you back.
"I've heard the word 'warmth' from someone before."
Her voice was almost choked with emotion.
"...It's been such a long, long time since I've heard this. Thank you, Your Excellency."
*
Star Core Hunter Base.
After reading the script, Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow and sighed:
"Wow, this is quite a spectacle. The Masked Fool, Memory Court, the Genius Club... and us and the Starry Sky Train. Anyone who didn't know better would think we were about to have the grand finale and a boss battle ahead of schedule."
Kafka and Firefly rushed back from outside, looking travel-worn, and hung their coats on the rack by the door.
The purple-haired beauty chuckled upon hearing this.
"She's made so many good friends without us even knowing..."
"Kafka, you're really worrying like a mother hen." Silver Wolf crossed his arms. "Seeing you so busy these past few days, are you preparing to take down the mastermind behind it all?"
Kafka didn't look her best; she'd been running around for weeks on this matter. Her usually impeccable makeup was less dramatic, but she still maintained her elegance and composure, nodding slightly.
"Although I said last time that she should rely on herself... I really don't feel comfortable letting her face these challenges alone."
Liu Ying nodded in agreement, "I'm worried too. I know she's very strong... but I also want to do something for her."
“And…” she pursed her lips, “she deserves it. She’s a good enough person.”
Kafka patted her shoulder reassuringly, “We all know, that’s what everyone thinks. That guy is hard to deal with, so it’s safer if we make more preparations. By the way, Silver Wolf, why were you being hunted by the company again? And the bounty has doubled again.”
Silver Wolf, recalling his two breaches of the company's firewall and this time even colluding with the Fool to unleash the version's chosen one, touched the tip of his nose, feeling guilty.
"Uh...it might be, it might be related to a game. Their company executives are jealous that I took the top spot on the leaderboard...yeah, that's it."
...Oh no. If Elio finds out she acted on her own, she'll get scolded again.
Before Kafka could say anything, Blade, who was standing nearby, overheard their conversation and opened his eyes:
"Leave the fighting to me."
Kafka, Silver Wolf, and Firefly all looked at him with surprise.
When did Ren learn to strike up a conversation?
They thought he would remain silent as usual, only picking up his black sword and walking in front without a word when the time came to depart.
But then they realized what was going on.
Liu Ying gave him some face and didn't point it out, but chuckled.
Silver Wolf, always eager for excitement, teased him in surprise:
"Hey, you usually seem so aloof, like you don't care about her at all. I didn't expect you to be so worried about her just because you don't talk much."
"Alright, Silver Wolf." Kafka chimed in, adding fuel to the fire with a slight upturn of her lips. "Stop teasing A-Ren, he'll be shy again soon."
Ren remained silent for a moment, then, as if he hadn't heard their teasing, he stopped staying with them and turned to leave.
"Oh, are you shy? Let me see, let me see—"
"Sigh, seeing you two getting along so well puts my mind at ease. Ah Ren, did you eat the cake she asked Liu Ying to bring you last time? If you don't like sweets, don't force yourself."
"Yes, if you don't like it, you can give it to me. I love eating it!"
"Hmm... If you really can't accept it, I can help Blade share the burden. After all, I brought him back with me."
"...I didn't say I didn't like it."
Blade couldn't take it anymore and gritted his teeth.
The three malicious guys behind him immediately burst out laughing.
A black cat nimbly jumped onto the table, stroked its whiskers, and said helplessly, "Stop teasing him."
It glanced at the silver wolf and saw her nervously lick her lips, pretending not to care as she looked outside, avoiding eye contact. Finally, it sighed and said nothing.
What else can we do? As long as nothing unsolvable happens, that's good.
So in the end, it didn't stop everyone's rare moments of joyful reunion—albeit at the cost of sacrificing its own pride, it merely narrowed its eyes and held its tail high behind it—
"...Kafka, Firefly, remember to do what you can. Don't take your bodies for granted."
It paused.
"I've always wanted to ask... there are some things that weren't written in the script, yet you're willing to do so much for her, is it really voluntary?"
"Is it as sweet as honey?"
Firefly, Kafka, and Silver Wolf exchanged a glance, their expressions softening.
Kafka's red lips curled up again.
Silver Wolf held the back of his head with both hands, looking nonchalant but with a very serious expression.
Blade paused in his steps, stopped in place, and turned his head, revealing a red eye.
A resolute expression returned to Liu Ying's beautiful face; though she wasn't wearing armor, she was as if she were.
Is there even a question?
They said:
"It tastes sweet as honey."
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