Author's note: Updating schedule is back to 4 chapters per week! This story is growing exponentially fast, and the support is overwhelming, I'm shook! Thank you so much everyone ❤❤!

***

[ Mission #7 : The Ugly Truth
Objective : Solve the mystery behind the death of the prince.
Reward : 6000 points
Remaining points : 6730 points
Failure will result in losing the same amount of points. ]

[ Warning : Completing this mission is compulsory, and if you fail to do so, points will be deducted according to the points rewarded. If you fail another mission after that, your points will be negative, and a punishment will be issued for negative points. ]

Cecil tightened her hold on the lunchboxes, feeling annoyed.

"You AI500...again! You only tell me when the deed is done!"

[ This time, I warned you when the mission is issued~ ]

"A mission that is impossible for me to do! How do you want me to convince the protagonist and the heroine, as well as the academy to stay here? And also to solve the murder of the prince?!"

[ You are on your own.
Good luck, Cecil Lan :) ]

Cecil was so angry with the system, she couldn't maintain her indifferent facade anymore, her face becoming dark.

Seeing the raven-haired woman approach him with an angry look, Zasiok raised an eyebrow.

She's angry now? Did my mother really tell her to do such a thing?

Cecil paid no heed to the group of people standing outside the jail cell, approaching Zasiok who was sitting with one knee upright, leaning against the wall.

Two guards stood beside him, and with Cecil and Zasiok in the jail cell as well, it was rather cramped. The king clicked his tongue in annoyance, flipping his clothes.

"You, guards, stand outside the cell and watch the prisoner as he eats," the king commanded and the two guards instantly complied, moving out. "I will come back later to continue our conversation, Zasiok."

Cecil could see, within the dim light, Zasiok's gaze had turned a shade darker.

They left hastily, the king was clearly unhappy at the turn of events. Cecil didn't turn to look, instead she settled on the dirty, stone floor, taking out the pair of utensils that was provided by Zasiok's mother, picking the food and bringing it to Zasiok's lips.

She didn't mind how dirty the floor was, which was a contrast to her noble image.

He blinked, taken aback, "my mother really told you to feed me? By hand? Every single piece of food?"

Cecil shook her head, putting on her usual mien. "I lied, but you..." she glanced down, observing his injuries with disapproval, she even had to move her eyes away. "You are clearly not in a good state to move."

"Well..." he followed her eyes, sounding morose. "I've been through worse, even if you don't believe me."

"I believe you," Cecil answered immediately. "Unless you are telling me scars can be faked as well."

Zasiok let out a breathless chuckle.

"No, they are actual--"

She shoved the food in his mouth at the same time, and Zasiok almost choked.

"My hand is tired."

That was true, her hand was already trembling slightly and she was afraid of dropping the food. Hence, she just shoved it without any warning.

Zasiok coughed, chewing and swallowing the food. He wanted to open his mouth to retort, but he was overwhelmed by the authentic taste of food, especially homemade food.

His mother's cooking.

He became melancholic.

He had been stuck in here for two torturous weeks, and somehow, they have been abusing him the entire time, coercing him to admit his guilt. Zasiok kept his mouth shut, not wanting to admit something he will never ever do.

The taste of his mother's familiar cooking warmed his cadaverous and battered body, and he felt something stinging at his eyes.

"Give it to me," Zasiok demanded, his voice hoarse and shaky. "All the lunchboxes, I'll eat them on my own."

Zasiok could somehow find the strength to move now, feeling a surge of newfound energy.

Cecil smiled softly, nodding as she removed the covers for the lunchboxes. "You should eat slowly, eating a huge amount at once will only make you sick."

He snatched the lunchboxes from her hands. "You are awfully caring towards a murderer."

"You are a murderer?" Cecil asked, her voice light.

"No, I am not a murderer," he spat out, his violet eyes dreary. "Definitely not."

"Then you aren't one."

Zasiok glanced up, frowning at her words. "You believe me? Just because I said so?"

Cecil tapped her chin, wondering how she should answer him. From reading the novel, Xue was a murderer, but she knew he wasn't a bad person.

The original Xue was altruistic, deep down to his core, but the world swallowed him up completely.

He tried to survive, until that very last remnant, but he couldn't.

He changed.

He became bad, because the world was inherently bad. The good was eaten up too easily. He couldn't see past the abyss.

Now, it didn't matter to Xue how this world viewed him, as long as those he treasured believed him, it was enough.

This alter, Zasiok, I don't know him and neither does he know me...it shouldn't matter to him. Though, since he is Xue, I instinctively believe him, but it's not right to say that either.

Cecil decided to answer truthfully.

"I don't believe you, Zasiok."

"Then why did you..."

"Since you claimed you are not, then you should believe you are not," Cecil gazed at Zasiok with her pellucid, onyx eyes. "I do not know you, thus, my opinion shouldn't matter as I am worthless to you. Those you treasure believing in you, isn't that what matters?"

Zasiok found himself drowning in her clear, sincere eyes, and her words eventually made him recall his parents.

His beloved parents.

That's right, this world has never been good to me except my parents.

It...doesn't matter what the world thinks. My parents will believe in me, and they always will.

He smiled, glancing down and eating at his food slowly.

For the first time in two weeks, he was comforted by the words of a strange, beautiful woman.

***

"Two guards are guarding the jail cell, what do we do?" Hana bit on her lower lip, looking at Xue.

They had already grown accustomed to the musty and metallic smell throughout the whole dungeon.

Xue proceeded to step out from the empty jail cell they were hiding in, and somehow, unease welled up within Hana as she saw his inscrutable expression. She grabbed onto his sleeve, tugging it and Xue stopped instantly.

"Xue...are you going to...ki-kill them?"

"..."

"...if that is my only choice, yes."

Hana widened her eyes in terror, and she shook her head vehemently as she stuttered. "You ca-can't! If you killed the guards, wo-won't you be labelled as--as a criminal?!"

Xue furrowed his eyebrows. "Doesn't matter, I'll protect you, Hana."

Hana pursed her lips, wanting to stomp her feet but stopped herself. "No, Xue, killing people isn't good! And--and if we really have to run, it isn't only me that needs to run with you!"

Xue tilted his head, puzzled at what Hana was trying to say.

"Cecil will need to run too!"

That made Xue pause, and after a long moment, he took a step back.

"Even if you can protect me, wh-what about Cecil? You can't protect both of us at the same time! I-I won't allow Cecil to get hurt because of you, Xue!" Hana huffed angrily and she blinked, realising she was raising her voice at Xue.

She had never done that before.

She was surprised by this new side of her.

"...Xue? Sorry...I didn't mean to shout at you like that, I was just..."

Xue quietly raised his head, patting her head and he smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Hana."

He took another step back.

"I won't do it, like you said."

Hana brightened up, nodding her head. "Mhmm! Good!"

"We'll wait, until an opportunity comes so we can sneak away."

"Okay!"

Xue turned his face away, and his smile dropped, revealing the complex look on his face.

***

Zasiok was still munching on his food, savouring it, sneaking glances at Cecil. His mother had prepared food that were easy to digest, and that made Zasiok even more touched.

Cecil sat beside him, tranquil, not making a noise and neither did she react to his inquisitive glances.

Earlier, she noticed that his lips were actually cracked and cut pretty badly, but he didn't seem to care as he ate heartily.

I wonder if this man has a high pain tolerance...and it seems so.

To be able to eat this well, and move this well with such a pitiable body, it is commendable.

Cecil thought to herself quietly.

"...you aren't leaving?" Zasiok mumbled out, the food still in his mouth. "Though, I doubt the king allowed them to let you go."

He swallowed his food, the sound audible in the quiet cell.

"Yes, leaving is pointless," Cecil nodded her head, her eyes glancing down at the stone, cold floor splattered with blood stains. "And the two of them are still here too, waiting in one of those empty cells. I can't run off on my own."

Zasiok finally remembered about Hana and Xue, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't recall seeing Hana with another woman like her..." Zasiok murmured to himself, and Cecil heard him clearly.

"I wasn't with Hana in her past life." Cecil answered nonchalantly.

"...oh..."

"...?!"

Zasiok coughed, causing a piece of rice to fly out from his mouth. "Yo-you heard me? And y-you know what I'm talking about?"

Cecil looked at him, nodding.

"How?!"

Cecil decided to use the same lie, her clear onyx eyes remaining cool. "I have...visions about people, and Hana is one of them. Just think of me as a seer."

Zasiok wiped his mouth with his thumb, "I see, that explains it, even though I have never heard of seers...wait, do you know that man too?"

"The man that looks like you?"

Zasiok nodded.

"You'll figure it out soon." Cecil smiled mysteriously.

Seeing that smile, Zasiok suddenly realised how beautiful this woman was...and how out of place she was in such a jail cell.

Zasiok reached for the food, dazed, until his chopstick touched something hard.

He frowned, looking down.

There was a small tube, like those meant to hold scrolls or papers in them, in his lunchbox. He picked it up, the tube was drenched in gravy.

Cecil looked at the object in his fingers, and she widened her eyes.

The elderly woman...! I-I thought she really just wanted to feed her son, to think that she was actually planning something!

I hid this message by accident! Damn!

Cecil was speechless, the lunchbox was really hiding something for Zasiok!

***

Pt. 1

《 start 》

For the first time in two weeks, seeing someone, especially a beautiful woman, not condemning me or regarding me with fear...

...and with those eyes, eyes so clear that one can truly drown in it.

It is wonderful.

Her words and her presence...I have never been so comforted by someone.

Even when Hana appeared in front of me, this feeling doesn't compare to it.

《 stop 》

***

Pt. 2

《 start 》

Hana is right. Now, there's another person at my side.

Hana is right again. I can't protect them both.

I...do not want that woman getting hurt again, in any manner.

It just doesn't sit well with me, if she is hurt.

...

When was it...?

When exactly was it? That she had gotten so involved with me, and I had not even noticed it?

《 stop 》