Back in their hotel room, the moment Annan saw Banjie, she walked over and hugged him, nuzzling gently against the blue-haired butler. "Banjie, I'm back."
"Though seven hours have passed for me, Miss, for you it's probably only been a short while since finishing breakfast, hasn't it?" Banjie smiled, stroking Annan's hair. Come to think of it, Annan was actually slightly taller than him. "In any case, thank you for your hard work."
"Mm." Annan turned her head toward Yaxiu. Yaxiu blinked and tried to make a break for it, but in the next second, Annan leapt forward and tackled the cult leader in a hug, giggling, "Yaxiu, I'm so tired today. You have to comfort me properly!"
Watching the two of them frolic and fool around on the bed, Lisi turned and walked away expressionlessly. As she passed Igola, she muttered under her breath, "Aunt Bogin, emergency assembly."
"Mm." The swindler caught hold of the necromancer, who was just about to leave, and the two of them dragged a bewildered Harvey into Igola's room.
"What did you drag me over here for?"
"Because today we have a very important topic to discuss." Lisi dropped into a W-sit on the bed, crossing her arms over her chest with utter seriousness. "Annan is going to steal Daddy away!"
"...While I don't pay much attention to their love lives, Alice told me a long time ago that Annan and Yaxiu ending up together was only a matter of time." Harvey spread his hands. "After all, Funeral's Gospel Blasphemy plan is fraught with danger, anxiety, and gambles. In this kind of mission, it's easy for us to develop the suspension bridge effect and feel immense affection for our companions.
"Among our group, setting aside Banjie and Lisi, you, Igola, were already booked by Anfiel. On top of that, like Annan, you're the kind of person who stops at nothing to achieve your goals. As companions, you can barely cooperate, but taking things a step further is impossible; you could never open up to each other or even become friends. Meanwhile, Annan and I naturally keep our distance from each other.
"Therefore, it's completely natural for Annan to like Yaxiu."
Having his behavioral psychology dissected by a necromancer made Igola's mouth twitch. He snapped irritably, "You talk as if you could ever like anyone."
"I like Yaxiu," Harvey replied calmly. "And you guys, too."
Though it was rare to hear Harvey voice his feelings, Igola and Lisi didn't feel the least bit pleased. Since they couldn't be sure how much of that 'affection' contained a necromantic component, they tacitly chose not to pursue the matter.
"So Annan liking Daddy is just having no choice but to settle? Forced insincerity?" Lisi's eyes lit up.
"Of course not." Harvey shook his head. "Leaving aside the fact that so-called love is merely an alchemical concoction of oxytocin, endorphins, and other hormones, making no distinction between real and fake... even Alice can tell that Annan genuinely likes Yaxiu.
"While seeing Yaxiu at first might make you think he's nothing special, and spending time with him still makes you feel he's nothing special, it's hard to hate him. Plus, he carries an enigmatic aura that clashes completely with his surroundings; sometimes I even wonder if he truly hails from the Blood Moon... If you genuinely try to understand him, it's almost impossible not to fall for him.
"On this point," the necromancer glanced at the two of them, "you should know better than I do."
"We're straying from the topic," Igola said calmly. "The problem right now is how to resolve this situation between Annan and Yaxiu."
Harvey drew a stick of cat grass smoke from his case and held it between his lips. "Why resolve it? They're a handsome, talented pair made for each other. Is it our place to object?"
"Didn't you say before that you'd get revenge on Annan once you regained your freedom?" Igola asked. "If Yaxiu ends up with Annan, don't you find that troublesome?"
"Oh, that? If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten." Harvey pondered for a moment. "I can give it up."
"Where is your pride as a necromancer?!"
"A necromancer's pride lies in obtaining more perfect corpses. Clinging to revenge actually violates my principles." Harvey shrugged. "Once they live out a happy life together, I'll collect their bones, pass through the curtain of death, and let the traces of their happiness become my power—"
"Stop talking, stop talking!" Lisi covered her ears. "Lisi doesn't want to hear this!"
"Besides," Harvey added, "if you want to pry Annan and Yaxiu apart, have you considered Yaxiu's feelings? Having Alice is enough for me. Having himself is enough for Igola. But Yaxiu is an ordinary man still trapped in lowbrow pursuits. In his heart, he surely craves the warmth of the opposite sex. Right now, he's probably more than happy with this outcome.
"If you want to drive away his lover, you at least have to compensate him with another lover, right?"
With that, the necromancer glanced at the two of them, his face practically spelling out: *How are you going to repay what you owe Yaxiu?*
Igola lowered his eyelids in silence, but Lisi's eyes sparkled. "Isn't it just finding Daddy a replacement lover? No problem! Never mind one, even four would be fine!"
Harvey asked, "Did you make friends with other kids near the hotel? Mind you, I'm talking about a lover to comfort each other, not a daughter who needs looking after."
Igola let out a sigh, reaching out with uncharacteristic gentleness to pat Lisi's head. "Lisi, you'll get Yaxiu arrested under criminal law... Wait. If he breaks the law and the Red Hats haul him away, that really would physically separate the two of them..."
"Argh, I didn't mean myself! Well... I guess that's not entirely wrong either... In any case, I can definitely introduce Daddy to pretty big sisters who are gentle, mature, two-faced, and adorably silly!"
Igola grew thoughtful. Knowing Lisi had hidden personas, he could vaguely guess what she was thinking. Still...
"If you have to wait ten years, Annan and Yaxiu's child will probably be as big as you are now. Calling Annan 'Mommy' will have rolled off your tongue naturally long before then."
"Hmph!" Lisi lifted her chin. "Just you wait and see!"
Despite the discussion, they failed to establish an 'Anti-Annan United Front.' Harvey sided with Annan, Igola wavered in the middle, and only Lisi remained staunchly opposed to a stepmother.
However, once dinner arrived, everyone's mindset underwent a shift.
"Ah—nom!"
In the hotel dining hall, the trio watched as Annan accepted Yaxiu's spoonfuls bite by bite while feeding him bite by bite in return. Catching sight of a grain of rice clinging to the corner of Yaxiu's mouth, she reached out, wiped it off, popped it directly into her own mouth, and cast a provocative glance toward Lisi and the others.
Not even trying to hide it anymore, are you?!
Just pressing your claim right out in the open, huh?!
Lisi and her inner sisters were beside themselves with fury. "Daddy, I want you to feed me that!"
Due to the contract, Lisi actually held a certain territorial sovereignty over Yaxiu as well. Just as Yaxiu was about to turn around, Annan spoke up, "Children must learn to eat on their own without relying on adults. Yaxiu, don't feed her."
"Then Aunt Annan, you're so big, why do you still need someone waiting on you? Feed me!"
"This is called lovers' play. You'll understand when you grow up, Lisi. Don't feed her."
"Feed me!"
"Don't feed her!"
Igola watched the trembling Yaxiu, feeling as though the man was on the verge of suffering a logic error from the conflicting cross-commands of the two contracts. But just then, the swindler suddenly noticed something. When Yaxiu looked out the window at the false starry sky disguised by fluorescent grass, tenderness welled in his shifting gaze, his eyes shimmering as they caught the reflected luminescence.
Igola recognized that look.
People with that look could smile even while doing mundane chores. When meeting a stray dog on the street, they would feel it was greeting them. While walking, the breeze felt exceptionally gentle, the sunlight seemed to hug them softly, and everyone around them became far more endearing. Even the foulest buffet turned delicious, their favorite drinks grew sweeter, and it seemed as though the entire world knew that someone's heart had been stirred.
Igola closed his eyes, shook his head faintly, and opened them with a subtle smile. He was just about to put an end to this farce when Harvey spoke up first.
"Banjie, take out the coffin."
Banjie had been watching happily as his young mistress was swept off her feet. Though puzzled as to why Harvey would produce a coffin at dinnertime, Harvey was bizarre in so many ways that Banjie simply complied, retrieving the coffin from the suitcase.
As Harvey activated his sorcery spirit, Alice pushed the coffin lid open herself, climbed out, dragged a chair over, and sat down beside him.
Harvey shoved a spoon into Alice's hand and said, "Feed me."
"...I'm sorry, Harvey, I was wrong."
"...I apologize, Uncle Harvey, I was being too arrogant."
Seeing Annan and Lisi offer sincere, contrite apologies, Harvey finally waved his hand to let Alice return to her coffin. Yaxiu let out a sigh of relief; at last, he could eat his meal in peace—
Suddenly, everyone's Book of Gospel in the dining hall hopped out on its own, the bookmarks tucked inside glowing brightly.
"An update after just one day? Has it completely evolved into daily updates?"
"Gospel is being way too hardworking. I almost want to tip it!"
"This weaving speed is downright terrifying..."
Chatter erupted in waves across the dining hall, though Funeral's group remained calm. Any list would just end up nullified by Yaxiu anyway; as long as the Echoers on the list weren't people they knew, they could essentially ignore it.
Yet when Annan flipped open her Book of Gospel, her brows instantly twitched upward. "This list... might be a little different."
"How different could it be? Won't it just end with Yaxiu wiping them all out?" Harvey motioned for Alice to sit beside him and look at the Book of Gospel together. "Could it be that Yaxiu won't have the heart to strike—"
The moment Harvey saw the name of the list, his voice trailed off.
*The Culprit List.*
"Yaxiu," Igola frowned slightly, a trace of worry gathering between his brows. "You might finally make an official appearance on the rankings."
Chapter 472