Although they had submitted their pledge, Ashley and Delwei still did not earn the trust of the Boothslot Family.
The two were escorted back to the villa, placed under strict surveillance, and told that they would be dealt with after everything was over.
In the second-floor room, Ashley extended her small hand toward Delwei and demanded,
“Give me the heart.”
Delwei averted her gaze, pouted, and pretended not to hear.
“If we put the brain and heart back in, she can still be saved. Missing parts means she’s incomplete. Where are we going to find matching organs on such short notice?”
Ashley patiently persuaded her,
“Live ones are more fun. Dead ones aren’t interesting at all. You wouldn’t want to play with a toy that doesn’t move, right? Besides, we have to keep promises to others. That’s the rule in human society. Breaking them means no friends.”
“Mm…”
Delwei was slowly convinced. She raised her arm, and her small hand poked out from the dangling sleeve. It reached into her chest along the bloody crack. With a squelching sound, she pulled out a still-beating heart.
Ashley blinked. It seemed the Monster Lolita had some kind of internal preservation tech too.
She carefully took it and placed it inside herself via the Angel’s Kiss Mark. She let out a sigh of relief. It was great that the Monster Lolita could be reasoned with.
“That… does that mean we’re friends now?” Delwei asked softly, her eyes full of expectation.
“Yes, you’re my first Monster friend.”
Ashley stroked her flat, tapered-at-the-front-and-wide-at-the-back hair, which felt like a pot of plants—soft and delicate.
Delwei mimicked her by stroking Ashley’s blue hair.
Ashley stared into Delwei’s big eyes, which resembled those of a wild little female beast, and asked,
“Can I touch your tentacles?”
“Eh?” The Monster Lolita seemed surprised and caught off guard.
“We’re friends. Friends touch each other to deepen their bond.” Ashley made it up on the spot.
“I’ll try hard to be a good friend…”
Delwei hesitated a bit but still lifted her clothes. Her delicate little fingers pulled apart the crack on both sides, shyly revealing the soft, wriggling tentacles. Her face flushed red, her lips pressed tightly together, and her gaze darted around uneasily.
“Ya!”
As Ashley’s fingers touched them, Delwei’s small body jerked back, only to be blocked by the chair. With nowhere to escape, she let out a panicked whimper, hanging her head in embarrassment, her eyes misty.
“Eh, is this some big deal?”
Ashley thought for a moment. A monster’s tentacles might be like a human’s tongue. If someone like Amber pinched and played with hers, she probably wouldn’t feel much better.
At first, the tentacles in Delwei’s belly curled up like sensitive mimosa plants at the slightest touch, tensing rigidly. But as she got used to the stroking, they relaxed, growing delighted. They wrapped around Ashley’s fingers, frolicking between them like a school of slippery little fish.
Delwei’s little face turned so red it seemed about to bleed. She bit down hard on her tongue tip, sweat beading on her milky-white skin.
“It’s so weird… Is this what friends do…?”
“So, how does it feel? Do you like it?”
“Not bad… just weird…”
Satisfied, Ashley withdrew her hand and rubbed her fingers, savoring the soft, slick, moist sensation. She felt pleased inside.
“Touch… touch yours…”
Delwei’s little fingers tugged at her sleeve and muttered.
“Eh… but I don’t have tentacles.”
Hearing this, Delwei fell silent, her expression downcast.
The Monster Lolita wore her emotions on her face. Seeing this, Ashley comforted her,
“Something else then? You can touch my Little Flower if you want.”
“Is it important to you? As important as my tentacles?” Delwei’s eyes lit up again. She opened her mouth, revealing her pearly teeth.
“It’s the most important thing~ I haven’t even let Amber touch it. You’re the first.”
“I wanna touch! I wanna touch!” Delwei exclaimed excitedly.
Ashley moved the Angel’s Kiss Mark to her lower abdomen. With both hands, she pried apart her belly skin on either side. Then, she took Delwei’s small hand, guided it through her organs, and led it to the Little Flower.
“Right here. Don’t squeeze too hard, or I’ll pass out.”
“Mm…”
Delwei curled her delicate fingers and carefully felt its shape—slippery and soft. This was her good friend’s most important thing, now held in her hand, conveying a trust worth entrusting and a request for mutual connection.
Suddenly, Ashley’s face paled, and her whole body trembled.
“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Delwei asked.
“Ha… ha… your fingers are so cold… I… I’m getting cramps…” Ashley gasped, gripping Delwei’s shoulders, her body tensing in pain.
The Monster Lolita was cold-blooded, with no body temperature regulation. Her fingers were ice-cold, causing Ashley’s Little Flower to contract excessively and spasm.
“Ahh, sorry, I didn’t know it was so fragile.” Delwei quickly pulled back her hand and hugged her to comfort, a unprecedented feeling of being trusted surging in her heart.
This unintentional trust ritual added a strange bond between them.
With everything done, Ashley calmed down a bit. At this critical moment, winning over Delwei was necessary. If she sided with the Boothslot Family, Ashley would be completely isolated.
She left the room and wandered the villa, secretly observing the personnel movement. Soon, she located where Amber was held.
Ashley approached the door to the basement and saw Gysin and the crocodile-headed man guarding it. The butcher was nowhere to be seen. Servants aimed guns at her from various positions upstairs and down. Any attempt to break in would trigger crossfire.
“What are you doing?” Gysin reached out to stop her.
“I know she’s in there. Maybe I can persuade her to join.” Ashley pointed upward.
Gysin keenly sensed danger and felt it best not to let them meet.
“Get away from here!” he said firmly.
“The Tribunal needs agents to provide solid evidence before deploying heavy hitters or big shots. Aren’t you afraid the Seventh Group will bring back evidence, which is why you’re controlling us? But have you considered that if we’re out of contact too long or suffer too many losses, the Tribunal will get suspicious too…? I ate my teammate; there’s no way I can go back to the Tribunal now. Let me persuade her, and we can all share the pie. Then you’ll fully control the Seventh Group. Why hesitate?”
Ashley’s grasp of the situation was spot-on. Her forceful argument made Gysin waver slightly.
But he still shook his head. “Wait until Lord Promush brings back the ‘Hunger Key.'”
“Don’t you think… it’s taking a bit long?” Ashley said with a smile.
Gysin paused, calculated the time. The Breeding Farm was right outside; fetching an item shouldn’t take over an hour. Had Mr. Goat run into trouble?
“The one who killed Mr. Sidney and stole the ‘Touch of Will’ was obviously after treasures. The other treasure from the ‘Rot Sea’—the ‘Hunger Key’—must be his target too. No need to guess; he’ll go after Wordsworth. Promush has likely clashed with him already. Even if you don’t send superhumans to support, at least inform them of the enemy’s abilities. Going in blind… you know how terrifying that man’s power is.” Ashley analyzed methodically.
Gysin’s face changed. He anxiously rubbed his nose. A tough choice lay before him—if the Tribunal came after them, they could abandon Bull Town and flee to the wilderness. But if support was too late and something happened to Mr. Goat, the McIntosh Family—one of the Blood Nobles—would never let them off. He knew the difference between vigilante justice and formal trials all too well.
Gysin wavered for a moment but quickly steadied himself. He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the blue-haired loli.
“If I go support, won’t that play right into your hands? Maybe Lord Promush will be back in a few minutes.”
Gysin was extremely anxious, sweat dripping down his twisted face. He panted like an ox, desperately fighting some invisible force.
He swallowed dryly and added, “Don’t try to fool me. Your only shot is to lure the tiger away from the mountain—wait for me to leave, then rescue your teammate. She’s strong; even Lord Promush couldn’t handle her. If you team up, you might turn the tables.”
“You might have paranoia. I’m just kindly reminding you. As someone who joined through the ritual, isn’t it normal to want to make contributions?”
Ashley shrugged noncommittally and went back upstairs.
She would have to find another way.
