It was a voice that was noticeably subdued, unlike just moments ago. Feeling the chill, Eve shivered.
Eve swallowed hard and said.
"...I saw it where I was."
“Where is it?”
"Why are you asking that?"
Aria did not answer. She approached Eve again.
She slowly reached out her hand. It didn't seem like it would end with just reading the memories this time.
Eve flinched and leaned back as far as she could, but she remained bound and tied to the chair. It was nothing but a desperate struggle.
'Are you killing me for the crime of causing a shock?'
No, what's wrong with that! It's such a good thing!
Eve shouted, filled with a sense of injustice.
"Don't you know how to respect tastes? Besides, I only imagined it! You're the one who saw it however you wanted!"
Aria's hand landed on Eve's struggling head.
She looked into minds at will and read thoughts. It seemed as though she possessed magic capable of controlling the mind.
Eve, feeling afraid, squeezed her eyes shut.
'No...!'
I couldn't go crazy like this. I hadn't found out anything yet about the connection between the legend and Noelier, and I had left Zion behind in the West. There was no need to even mention Rachel. And above all...
'I haven't been able to do anything with Noel!'
Does it make sense that you only held hands while sleeping?
Eve snapped open her eyes again. She couldn't just go mad in vain like this. There were so many things she wanted to do.
"Ah...!"
At that moment, Aria reflexively pulled her hand away.
She saw it clearly. That thing inside Eve's head! She couldn't breathe properly. She staggered precariously.
“Lady Aria!”
Charles supported the staggering Aria.
"What on earth is she thinking that is causing Lady Aria such distress? Even Satan would shake his head in disbelief."
Charles snapped hard.
"How dare you do this to Lady Aria...! I won't let you get away with it!"
It was just as Charles was about to lunge at Eve.
"No. Charles, don't do that."
Suddenly, Aria stopped Charles's actions.
Charles's body froze. Eve also looked at Aria with a bewildered expression.
And blinked as if in disbelief.
Aria's surprised face remained the same. But something was different. I mean, this was less than being startled...
'It seems like you like it?'
Eve was just as flustered.
It was a face that gave me a sense of deja vu. The flushed face and the shining eyes were exactly like mine when I first encountered 'female worker, male student.'
She knew it instinctively.
'I see hope.'
Eve looked at Aria with a face full of anticipation. Aria opened her mouth with a flushed face.
"I've looked inside the heads of countless people over the years... but this is the first time I've seen someone with thoughts like yours. This... I mean..."
Aria trailed off, as if unable to find the right words. Eve swiftly seized the opportunity.
“New World?”
“Yes! That’s it!”
Aria nodded.
"I thought I had pretty good taste... but I was a frog in a well—no, a fish in a well."
Aria nodded as if deep in thought, then covered her face with her hands as if embarrassed. Then she mumbled in a shy voice.
"I almost went my whole life without knowing how good this is."
Aria, speaking like that, was like a girl starting her first love.
If she hadn't been captured like this, she might have fallen in love with Aria at first sight and devoted everything to her.
She understood why the believers praised so much.
A smile formed on Eve's lips as well.
If her hands hadn't been tied right now, she would have run over and grabbed her hand immediately.
And she'll shout like this.
'Do you like that too?'
'Hey. Me too!'
When people with niche tastes gather, they are bound to become mainstream. The solidarity of a niche group is camaraderie, but it is more than that.
A small sense of relief spread through Eve's heart. It felt like if she just coaxed her well, she might actually let her go...
"I'm glad I'm a Siren."
"... What?"
Eve's laughter snapped at the shocking words.
“Siren?”
Eve muttered blankly.
You mean that mermaid that lures people to their deaths?
Eve's face turned pale. Aria nodded and spoke with a flushed face.
"That's right. Other mermaids call us that."
"...Are you different from the mermaids who see the truth?"
"They are different. Other mermaids keep their mouths shut and never speak. Even if they see something this interesting, they keep their mouths shut."
Keep your mouth shut and pretend you don't know, because I think you'll be punished if you say it out loud.
She met Eve's eyes. It was still a beautiful smile, but a cold sweat trickled down Eve's back.
"Look at this. If you had just endured it, you would have died without knowing how good this is."
Seeing that smile, she suddenly remembered Shiva's words that mermaids like pure souls.
He said they play with souls as they please.
Fallen mermaids. And sirens.
"..."
A sense of foreboding washed over her. Desperate, Eve began to blurt out whatever came to mind, just as she had when she first entered this place.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything you're curious about!"
Aria's face brightened.
"Really?"
"Yeah, yeah! What are you curious about? You usually have a lot of questions when you first start. I'll tell you everything!"
Eve nodded vigorously.
Hmm... Aria, who had been making a sound of deep thought as if pondering a question, soon squirmed shyly.
Then, she slowly shook her head.
"But seeing it for yourself is better than hearing about it."
"..."
Eve realized what she was saying.
Unlike the pale Eve, Aria spoke as if it were still a beautiful day.
“I’ll see for myself.”
Enter your body.
Aria's hand drew closer.
Watching the approaching black shadow, Eve was reminded once again of something she had forgotten. That this place was the world of a bleak, female-dominant, male-submissive novel.
***
Soon, Eve's scream echoed outside the mansion.
Miya just stomped her feet in frustration.
Although she managed to escape alone when Eve was being dragged away... She simply couldn't bring herself to leave. The number of guards had increased due to the recent commotion. This time, it seemed even her charm, her virtue, wouldn't be enough.
Even so, it was impossible to go back in.
"This..."
Miya let out a sigh and nervously scraped the fine sand of the sea. It was then.
“Ugh!”
A loud scream was heard from afar.
Eve's voice was clear.
'Is she being tortured or something?'
Miya fidgeted and spun around in circles in the same spot.
Eve was a fearless person. Others might say otherwise, but that was how Miya saw it.
To think she would scream loud enough to make the sea sicken. She seemed even more vicious than the mermaids she had encountered.
'I told you we should go out!'
Oh my!
A sound of crying came out of her mouth.
'What should I do, what should I do?'
It was then that Miya was extremely flustered and couldn't decide what to do.
Someone wearing a black cloak approached from afar. Miya quickly hid behind a pillar, but he was faster.
“Who are you?"
The person wearing the cloak snatched Miya.
"There's no way there would be a cat in a place like this."
Sensing danger, Miya quickly curled up. Then, she also curled her cotton paws into a circle.
And the last special move.
Awesome.
Looking up with sparkling eyes.
"...!"
His grip weakened. It was a natural progression. There were not many who could withstand the cat's fatal cuteness.
But that was only for a moment.
"...Why are you wearing an animal mask?"
The one in the cloak shot back sharply. It had overcome Miya's cuteness. Besides, it knew that she wasn't a real cat.
Miya's eyes, which had been shining like stars in the night sky, instantly turned into dead fish eyes.
"Tch. Looks like a mermaid."
Miya clicked her tongue.
This is why she hated mermaids. Because lies didn't work on mermaids with the Eye of Truth.
You might have forgotten, but Miya was a businessman.
Miya recalled the sales statistics from the past. As always, the sales rate in the East was the lowest.
Easterners noticed all the marketing tricks, such as the fact that the snack bags contained more nitrogen and that they reduced the size and named it "Mini Size That Fits in One Bite!"
It was all because of the mermaids.
The Easterners bought the same things that mermaids often bought. Since mermaids have eyes that can see the truth, they buy the things they trust.
Now that it was confirmed he was a mermaid, there was no need to act cute anymore.
Miya let go of the strength in her body. Her body slumped limply like seaweed fluttering beside her.
The cloaked person asked.
“Who are you?”
"You know it all anyway. You can see it."
Miya said curtly.
The man in the cloak looked down at Miya quietly and closed his eyes.
As she concentrated, something began to appear blurry. It was the memory of what Miya had seen and heard.
The man moved the welcome quickly.
Starting with a silver-haired boy, the figure of a man dancing a strange dance with a huge desert and fire potions flashed by.
The end of the memory was in sight. It was the cat in his hand that had just witnessed it. It was...
The eyes of the man in the cloak opened wide.
"You."
He spoke to Miya while drawing closer to her.
"Did you meet our young master?"
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