Chapter 68
This trial ultimately ended in Mios’ victory.
It wasn’t until daybreak that Wakako was finally able to enter the manor and rescue the unconscious Tsukiyo. She had been struck by a gun, and without timely treatment, her breathing had grown dangerously shallow.
Fortunately, after being carried back to the palace, the doctor examined her and confirmed that her life was not in danger, and she just needed to rest. However, a large portion of her back had been burned, likely leaving unsightly scars.
When Tsukiyo woke up and learned of this, she showed no particular reaction.
“Is my Master okay?” she only asked.
The doctor paused momentarily: “Master Kitagawa? She’s fine.”
“Completely unharmed?”
“Completely unharmed.”
Only then did Tsukiyo relax.
That night, she had collapsed in front of Loren, it was only the Saint’s cold words that made her stand up again, words that she could never forget.
As soon as she could walk, Tsukiyo immediately went to visit many people, such as the mercenary who had lost his left hand, and the families of those who had died…
In truth, the Queen had already taken of comforting the wounded and offering condolences, but Tsukiyo still insisted on doing it personally.
Growing up is always painful for a child. And the opportunity for growth often arrives silently overnight, catching one off guard.
As for Crown Princess Loren, her body was later reclaimed by envoys from the Eagle Kingdom. Though they were aware of the other side’s renewed infiltration, they chose not to intervene, acting with the Queen’s tacit consent.
Winning the first trial was undoubtedly a great cause for celebration. The Queen, who had been frowning for days, finally smiled. To celebrate, she held a banquet in the palace to reward the ministers and generals.
Of course, the mercenaries also deserved credit. However, as the Queen’s private soldiers, they mostly refrained from participating in such events, preferring to celebrate privately.
In Alpha Squad, Wakako took charge of the kitchen, preparing a table full of delicious dishes in their residence.
Hua Yumu assisted her, Lin Lin helped with the fire, and Albert washed the dishes. Liu Siruo was responsible for keeping Carol, who loved to cook, away from the kitchen.
“I want to make a couple of dishes too,” Carol complained.
Everyone’s faces immediately tensed up. To avoid the risk of food poisoning, they involuntarily sped up their tasks.
It didn’t take long for a feast to appear before them.
After the intense battle, being able to return and enjoy such a meal was naturally relaxing. Everyone was in surprisingly high spirits tonight, chatting and laughing merrily.
“Why don’t the masters bring out their treasured wine?” Lin Lin was being greedy again, “Everyone’s craving it.”
Albert glanced at her: “Only you’re craving it.”
“It’s alright to have some at a time like this. Don’t be stingy.” With that, Carol went to fetch the wine.
Wakako didn’t interject, merely setting down her bowl quietly, but all eyes turned to her, even Carol, halfway to the wine, turned back to look at her.
She felt a little uncomfortable: “What’s wrong?”
Everyone fell silent.
Liu Siro’s gaze carried a hint of suspicion: “You’re done eating?”
“…Yes.”
Hua Yumu frowned: “What’s the wrong?”
Carol quickly grabbed the wine and returned: “There’s plenty of wine, drink as much as you like tonight.”
Albert, beside her, patted Wakako’s wrist meaningfully, signaling her not to force herself.
Lin Lin, who was closest to her, showed the most concern: “Senior Sister…”
Wakako: …
“I just don’t have much of an appetite tonight.” She turned away, “It’s nothing.”
No appetite? This was hardly a matter of appetite. Everyone knew that Wakako’s rations were always set for three people. Eating just one bowl of rice was equivalent to a normal person barely sipping a spoonful of soup.
Carol returned with the wine and poured it for everyone.
“You look like you’ve lost weight,” Liu Siruo observed Wakako, “Your chin is sharp.”
Wakako unconsciously touched her chin: “Really?”
Perhaps influenced by generations of Saints, the people of the Eastern Continent, regardless of whether they were Alpha, Beta, or Omega, considered thinness to be beautiful, relentlessly pursuing a bony, slender figure.
But the Saint was born frail and sickly, hence her thinness. Others who wanted to look like her could only starve themselves to imitate her appearance slightly.
Of course, there was never such an unhealthy trend among mercenaries.
Carol, uncharacteristically stern, gave Wakako’s arm a sharp tap. She feared Wakako was considering some strange reason to starve herself thin.
“What’s so good about a sharp chin! Are you going to starve yourself until you have no strength left? Hurry up and eat more.”
Under Carol’s insistence, Wakako had no choice but to pick up her bowl and eat a few more bites.
Back when she lived with the Saionji household, she ate a lot, and as she got older, her appetite only grew.
Not only regular meals, but the leftover snacks from Miki were also given to her. She could finish everything without leaving a crumb, yet she never seemed to gain any weight—only her strength kept increasing.
Sometimes, when Wakako was munching on pastries in the courtyard, Miki would come out of her room, walk from under the eaves to stand behind her, doing nothing but simply sitting with her.
In front of the Saint, Wakako would restrain her eating habits somewhat, but she still couldn’t shake off the bad habits from her childhood of wandering, often gobbling down food ravenously.
Whenever she ate too quickly, Miki would gently pat her back and chuckle, saying, “Little Piggy.”
“Piggy” refers to a pig—a round little creature that snorts while eating.
Wakako’s face would flush red when she heard this, and she would sheepishly put down the unfinished food in her hand. She wasn’t a little piggy, she was just…
She was just someone who had once fought with others for a single bite of food. The feeling of not knowing where her next meal would come from had accompanied her for over a decade, deeply ingrained in her bones.
However, most of the time Wakako wasn’t actually hungry. She just hadn’t been full for so long that when she saw food, she couldn’t help stuffing it into her mouth until there wasn’t a bit of space left. Over time, even her stomach lost the sense of pain.
“Little piggy,” Miki called again, seeming to have grown fond of the nickname.
Wakako was so embarrassed that she covered her ears, grumbling, “That word sounds awful!”
If others heard it, who knows what they would think!
Miki’s expression didn’t change, still that innocent look, but Wakako knew that Miki was secretly amused.
Memories of past playful banter flooded her mind. Even though the dishes she had personally prepared were delicious, Wakako found herself losing her appetite.
She simply raised her glass and toasted the others: “Masters, Senior Sisters, Junior Sisters, to the… victory of the trial.”
Wakako wasn’t good with fancy words, but with just this one sentence, she downed the wine in her cup in one gulp. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if it tasted the same as the pot of wine she and Lin Lin had secretly drunk last time.
“Good!” Carol slammed the table, “I’ll drink to that. To Wakako!”
“To Senior Sister! We were all trapped in that forest, and it was thanks to you that we helped the Crown Princess escape danger. Without you, this time would have been much worse.”
Wakako shook her head and said sincerely, “It wasn’t just my effort, everyone worked hard.”
It was true that her actions had been effective, but her teammates had also been working tirelessly. Several masters had crossed the continent in a short time to track the enemy; senior and junior sisters had been rushing around for days, supporting other teams. Not to mention Beta Squad and Omega Squad…
This was the result of everyone’s joint effort.
Liu Siruo squinted and smiled: “Then let’s toast to all of us.”
The porcelain cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.
“Cheers!”
Delicious food paired with fine wine—the night wouldn’t end until they were thoroughly drunk.
The first to succumb was the wine-loving junior sister, Lin Lin. Seeing that everyone else was still in high spirits, Wakako decided to carry her back to rest.
She had just put Lin Lin down and stepped out of the room when she saw Senior Sister Liu Siruo leaning against the wall outside.
The three masters were still drinking outside, and their laughter could be faintly heard.
Wakako had a feeling that Liu Siruo’s sudden appearance here meant she had something to say to her. “Senior Sister?”
Liu Siruo casually tossed something over: “This is a letter from the Jin clan, I accepted it on your behalf while you were away.”
It was a thin letter, the seal with its intact wax imprint still unbroken.
Before Wakako could read it, Liu Siruo continued, “I shouldn’t pry into your personal affairs, but there’s a question that’s been bothering me, and I can’t hold it in any longer. I might as well take advantage of the alcohol and ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you really going to marry Miki?”
Wakako was silent for a moment: “Yes.”
Liu Siruo frowned: “After we returned from the Eagle Kingdom, you deliberately avoided the Saint. Not only did you skip the welcoming banquet, but you also went to the Queen’s study less often. Then, I heard that you and Miki had set a wedding date. Why?”
Wakako quietly lowered her head, unsure how to explain. She knew that to her senior sister, her actions must seem incomprehensible.
Perhaps the alcohol had gone to her head, but she paused and spoke what had been buried in her heart, “This is the best outcome.”
Liu Siruo also knew that the Saint’s blood could be used as medicine: “What do you mean, the best outcome? Don’t forget you’re poisoned! With your relationship with the Saint, why not ask her to save you? You have only a few months left to live, yet you’re forcing yourself to marry someone you don’t love?”
Wakako remained silent.
Liu Siruo understood in an instant. This matter had nothing to do with her, so naturally, she had no right to be angry, only disappointed.
“That day I asked you where your courage came from, and you told me that you just wanted to pursue the Saint without regrets. How could you change your mind overnight…” She sighed, “Forget it.”
Perhaps nothing in this world was truly constant.
Liu Siruo added, “The masters have just returned and don’t know about your poisoning yet.”
“Please keep it a secret for now, Senior Sister,” Wakako said softly, “I will choose a suitable time to tell them myself.”
Liu Siruo didn’t say anything more and went back to drinking, leaving Wakako alone at the entrance of the room.
After a while, she opened the letter from the Jin clan, that is, from Miki.
Miki would never bother her with other matters. Every time she sent a letter, it was only to discuss the details of the wedding ceremony, and this time was no different.
Now, the carriage, the banquet, the guest list for the wedding day, and even the gifts to be exchanged between the two sides had all been arranged, and there was nothing more to worry about.
For Wakako, the only thing left to do in the coming days was to wait for the wedding and wait for death.
But after living for over twenty years, everyone has some unfulfilled wishes. Now that the first trial had ended and the second had yet to begin, with nothing pressing to attend to, it was the perfect time for her to fulfill her heart’s desires.
She wanted to…
