Chapter 94
With Wakako volunteering as a “test subject,” the team quickly unraveled the mystery of the plant. Upon chewing the dried leaves, one would experience an unusual sensation in their throat, leading to addiction. In larger doses, it could even induce brief hallucinations, similar to consuming wild mushrooms. Remarkably, it appeared to have no toxic effects on the human body.
This discovery sparked an intense discussion among the group.
“It’s not surprising to find such an addictive substance in a gambling den. But why did those two men react with such panic? We should probably interrogate them again.”
However, even when Lin Lin made it clear that they had uncovered the leaf’s effects, the two men remained stubbornly silent, shaking their heads vehemently. Their fear seemed to stem from a deep-seated desire to keep the plant’s existence a secret, rather than the typical concerns of interrogation subjects fearing exposure or silencing.
Lin Lin found herself perplexed. After all, when questioned about “Old Chen,” these same men had quickly given him up. The incongruity was striking.
The group, however, didn’t dwell on this mystery for long. Old Six had sent a message to Old Chen, arranging a meeting for that very evening. They were confident that once they met with Old Chen, many of their questions would be answered.
“Old Chen has been in the smuggling business for years. He must know the city’s weak points better than anyone. If we can get information from him, we can arrange patrols and track the movements of the Eagle Kingdom’s forces before they even arrive.”
With their objective clear, the group dispersed to prepare. Lin Lin watched her senior sister, who had been zoning out ever since tasting the substance, and waved her hand in front of her eyes with concern.
“…”
No response.
“Senior Sister!” Lin Lin called out more forcefully.
Wakako finally responded, “I’m fine.”
“Are you addicted?” Lin Lin moved closer to check her pupils. “We don’t know where this stuff comes from; how could you just eat it like that?”
Wakako shook her head. “Don’t you remember? We’ve undergone drug resistance training.”
Given their line of work, they had all been subjected to resistance training against various substances that enemy Kingdoms might use to force them to reveal the truth if captured. Ordinary doses no longer affected Wakako.
“Then what’s wrong with you?”
Wakako hesitated before answering, “It’s nothing… The hallucinations were just so vivid, I’m having trouble shaking them off.”
Lin Lin watched skeptically as her senior sister meticulously sharpened and polished her short blade, falling into her usual pre-mission routine. Gradually, Lin Lin’s concerns eased, and she turned her attention to inspecting her own arrows and bow.
After a while, Wakako abruptly stood to leave. Lin Lin called out, “Where are you going?”
“To apply disguise. Don’t forget to do yours later.”
To facilitate their operations, since entering Jinxin Port, Muna had applied some disguises to everyone’s faces.
However, her skills weren’t as refined as Liu Siruo’s. The disguises were average at best and couldn’t stay on the face for too long. They needed to be reapplied before setting out.
Lin Lin didn’t question further.
Wakako quietly left the room, stepping on the wooden stairs. But instead of heading to Muna’s room, she went to a room upstairs.
The two men from the gambling den—Old Six and his Big Brother—were being held there. At this hour, the inn was quiet, with no one moving about on any floor.
The mercenaries hadn’t been too harsh in their interrogation of the two men. After all, they needed them to meet Old Chen that night and couldn’t leave obvious external injuries.
Wakako pushed open the door. Old Six and his Big Brother were tied up like dumplings, gagged, sprawled on the bed. Seeing her enter, they shrank back in fear, expecting another interrogation.
She ignored their reaction, searching their pockets until she found several small pouches. They contained miscellaneous items like copper coins, which had been deemed worthless in previous searches and returned.
This time, Wakako emptied everything onto the floor. With a gentle sweep of her hand, she quickly found what she was looking for.
Leaves.
Crushed in the pouches, barely enough to form half a leaf. She carefully collected all the fragments in her palm, her fingers curling around the unremarkable yellow mass, letting its pungent scent fill her nostrils.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand to swallow it all.
The sharp fragments once again slid down her throat.
Before the “drug” could take effect, Wakako stumbled out of the room. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she wanted to get far away.
There was a quiet street behind the inn, rarely visited except by kitchen staff occasionally dumping dirty water there.
Wakako sat at the edge of the street and slowly closed her eyes.
…
“What are you daydreaming about?”
It was another sweltering summer day.
A girl sat by a slightly open window, gazing at the scene outside. She turned back, narrowing her eyes and looking at Wakako with mild annoyance. “I’m talking to you.”
“Ah… um. What did you just say? Could you say it again?”
The girl said, “I said—the weather is nice today. I want to bask in the sunshine.”
“Then go ahead,” Wakako replied.
The girl was momentarily speechless, taking a deep breath to control her temper. Forget it, she knew this fool could never guess her thoughts.
“What I meant was, I want you to accompany me for a walk around the house, in the sunshine,” she emphasized the word “you” heavily.
Wakako finally understood, standing up abruptly. “Okay.”
The Saint’s skin was delicate, and despite her desire for sunshine, in reality, she couldn’t stay in the sun for long before it became painful. So she took a paper umbrella, just in case.
The summer sun had heated the ground to scorching temperatures, but this wasn’t a concern in the Saionji household. Soft mats were laid everywhere to protect the Saint’s feet from the heat.
The figure in white moved slowly, very slowly. Wakako followed on her left, slightly behind. Suddenly, she looked up and noticed figures playing in a courtyard to the side.
She tried to recall— wasn’t that one of Miki’s cousins? Probably the third young lady?
This fleeting glance was immediately caught by the girl. Her small finger hooked onto Wakako’s sleeve, asking bluntly, “What are you looking at?”
“I…”
Before Wakako could answer, the girl had already drawn her conclusion, “That’s the Third lady’ courtyard. Are you looking at her?”
Wakako truthfully answered with a “Mm,” though for some reason, she suddenly felt a bit guilty.
The girl’s expression didn’t change; she turned away, gradually releasing the little finger that had been hooking onto Wakako’s sleeve, and walked on silently.
Wakako, feeling uneasy, tentatively asked, “Are you angry?”
After a long while, the girl finally said, “No.”
Really? Wakako was confused. Should she trust her own feelings or Miki’s words.
Laughter and cheerful voices continued to come from the Third lady’s courtyard. It sounded like they were having fun. Wakako couldn’t help but glance again. When she looked back, she saw the girl’s lips pressed tightly together.
“What, do you want to go play in her courtyard?”
“No, not really…”
“Then why do you keep looking at them?”
“I was just glancing casually…”
The girl let out a cold snort and was about to walk away angrily. Wakako was startled, quickly stepping forward to catch up. “If you’re angry, I won’t look anymore.”
Who knew that saying this only added fuel to the fire.
The girl’s eyes welled up with tears, looking as if she might cry at any moment. Suddenly, she lowered her head and began coughing violently, her cheeks flushing a deep red.
Wakako, panicked, patted her back to help her breathe, not forgetting to hold the umbrella with her other hand. “Miki, please don’t be angry…”
When she finally calmed down, Wakako half-supported her body. The girl’s voice carried a hint of hurt as she spoke.
“You’re here to keep me company in the sun.”
“Yes.”
“When you’re with me, you’re not allowed to look at the Third lady.”
“Okay.”
“Even when you’re not with me, you’re not allowed to look at her.”
“Okay.”
“Not just the Third lady, but everyone else too. Do you understand?”
“I understand. I’m sorry.”
The girl shook her head lightly. “Don’t apologize… I’m the one being strange.”
What kind of master in this world would forbid a servant from even glancing at others? Even she knew she was being unreasonably possessive.
Wakako sensed a subtle change in the other’s emotions. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but she honestly said, “It’s not strange. Whatever you tell me, I’ll do it.”
That night, the girl told her many things.
She lay atop Wakako, their noses nearly touching, her sweet scent enveloping them both. “Will you do whatever I say?”
“…Yes.”
“Once you promise, you can’t regret it.”
Actually, Wakako regretted it soon after, even feeling an urge to cover her face and cry in embarrassment. But remembering her promise, she didn’t make a sound, only holding back her tears.
Why did she have to watch herself do that…
She wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground.
But afterward, seeing the girl’s satisfied smile, she felt that the earlier shame and awkwardness didn’t seem to matter anymore.
As long as she could hear that person softly call her name, everything was enough.
“Wakako…”
…
“Wakako.”
The tightly closed back door of the inn creaked open, and a figure stood beside her, calmly staring at Wakako.
It was the Saint, draped in a black veil.
Wakako abruptly stood up, using her body to block the view of the cook across the street.
Miki’s gaze fell upon her, and her eyes met Miki’s in return.
For a moment, the faces of the sixteen-year-old and the twenty-two-year-old overlapped slightly, making it hard for her to tell whether this was reality or a dream.
Suddenly, a flower branch struck Wakako’s face, leaving a red mark across her cheek.
“You took that drug?”
Miki’s voice was cold as ice.
