What was she supposed to do?!
A-anyway… she had to find the time machine first!
Realizing she had messed up big time, Ashley panicked, but she quickly calmed down. She understood that whatever she did now would only backfire. The best thing was to give Amber some time alone and wait until her emotions settled.
No matter what the Touch of Will had changed, the wonderful times they had spent together wouldn’t vanish from her memories.
The influence of the Touch of Will was more like psychological hypnosis—it could alter perceptions but not memories. It worked strongly on simple-minded low-level animals, but intelligent beings could self-adjust their cognition. After receiving psychological treatment, Roy and the others had corrected their perceptions and quickly shaken off the effects.
Ashley suddenly remembered that she had never really pursued Amber seriously. Thanks to her pretty little face and cute appearance, Amber had stuck to her like a fool after just a bit of flirting. Reciting some third-rate romance novel lines had left the silly loli melting, completely at her mercy.
As expected, not pursuing someone seriously meant she wouldn’t cherish them, huh?
This time, she had to go all out to win back the silly loli.
–
Had she left?
Amber cracked open the door and peeked outside. Seeing that the Blue-Haired Loli was gone, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Though her heart felt empty, shedding the long-held burden felt like being freed from grueling work and lounging on a sunny coconut beach at a resort. The sunlight was so bright, the breeze so gentle—her mind completely relaxed.
She washed her sweat-soaked hair, applied ointment to the whip marks in front of the mirror, bandaged them, and changed into loose clothes.
She bought a small bag of cheese bread on the street, came back to brew a cup of hot milk, dipped the bread in it, and savored small bites of the melting cheese blended with the milk-soaked bread.
In the afternoon, Amber accompanied her mother to the flower and bird market. She spotted someone selling an adorable curly-haired puppy, and her heart stirred. Unable to resist, she begged her mother and, with permission, bought it. Holding it in her arms, she felt the puppy’s obedient demeanor and couldn’t help but smile—it trusted her completely without reservation. Maybe that’s why they were drawn to each other; they shared some similarity.
Back home, she made a bed for the puppy from old clothes and kept it in a partitioned area by the window on the second floor. She named it Little Bei.
After dinner, Amber stood by her bedroom window, basking in the evening breeze. She held her hands out as if cradling a book, and a school of tiny silver fish, shining like molten silver, swirled around her fingers and wrists, playfully darting about…
She familiarized herself a bit more with this Silver Mask Swimming Fish Type metal lifeform, and the synchronization rate improved slightly.
Before bed, she gave herself a light rinse in the bathroom. The Tribunal’s secret medicine was miraculous—the wounds had healed. She peeled off the bandages, and her fair skin showed no trace at all.
She fell asleep the moment she hit the bed, her sleep quality enviable. She woke in the morning feeling utterly refreshed.
Her soft little body slipped out of the covers like water. The loli stood by the bed, stretching her dainty limbs in the morning light.
After washing up, she went to the kitchen, stood on tiptoe with her long Achilles tendons, took a large jar of candied plums from the cabinet, scooped a spoonful into a cup, dissolved it with hot water, grabbed some cookies, and carried her breakfast back to her room.
Amber liked to eat breakfast while reading. She strolled to the bookshelf, her fingertip gliding over the spines, then paused, about to pull out this poetry collection…
Wait, poetry?
That word felt off.
Don’t look at it.
Her finger shifted to the one beside it: Crossing the Horizon, a travelogue by the famous explorer Polpo Chinatori.
She took the book to her desk, flipping through it while sipping her plum hot drink in small mouthfuls.
‘The earth rose before me, its layered and shattered rocky shell forming towering peaks that pierced the heavens like giant fingers reaching for the dome above. Waterfalls of true starlight cascaded through the crevices, while below, a long chasm yawned like a massive maw, gulping down the sea like a whale…’
She was engrossed when a banging sound came from the window. Turning her head, she saw a loli plastered to the glass, half her face visible, eyes shifty.
“Who’s knocking on my window~”
The Blue-Haired Loli sang in a melodious, bird-like trill.
“That forgotten segment of time~”
As she sang soulfully, her red lips parted slightly, revealing pearly white teeth.
Amber’s expression turned odd. This… was the second floor…
“Did you climb up the wall?”
“Yep!” Ashley nodded vigorously, clinging to the window ledge with all her might to avoid falling, and explained, “Your uncle wouldn’t let me in, but I wanted to play with you, so I climbed up.”
“You’re lying again. Dad went to the clinic early this morning—how could he be in two places at once?”
“Heh heh.”
Ashley tried to play dumb.
“I don’t want to play with you. I hate kids who lie the most.” Amber lowered her head to read.
“Nooo! Amber! Waaah! We used to be good friends! Did you forget? All those happy times together, so wonderful, so cozy…” Ashley wailed pitifully.
“Happy times… Hmph, you mean when you kept deceiving me? It must’ve been pleasant for the liar—deceiving nonstop, endless fun. But for the one being deceived? Just heartbreak after heartbreak.” Amber said flatly, her thick lashes lowered, veiling her hazy gaze.
“Amber…”
Ashley’s little face scrunched up, her voice choked with sobs. Suddenly, her hand slipped, and her body tilted sharply! She nearly fell, hanging by one hand on the window ledge, dangling in midair in dire peril!
Without thinking, Amber rushed to the window and grabbed her arm firmly!
“I’ve got you! Don’t panic—can you step on the brick seams? I’ll pull you up…”
Then, Amber leaned out, seized her collar with her other hand, gripped tight, and helped her climb through the window.
Once inside, Ashley hung her head, pretending to gasp in terror, but her eyes darted around slyly. Hee hee, using the silly loli’s kindness to get in! Knew she wouldn’t let me fall.
If the roles were reversed, she definitely would’ve teased her at the window for a while before pulling her up.
Though she had “saved” Ashley, Amber had no intention of engaging with her. She averted her gaze and stayed silent.
“Do you still go to the Seventh Group for duty?”
Ashley unceremoniously grabbed a cookie, stuffed it in her mouth, chewed with her little mouth working, took a sip of the plum hot drink, exhaled contentedly, and said:
“I’m the captain now! I performed outstandingly in the Bull Town incident—newly promoted officer, Inspector Ashley! Old Captain Roy was demoted to vice captain, Linden sacrificed himself, Claire’s on sick leave, and the rest are still under review. If you don’t go, the Seventh Group will disband!”
“Mm…”
Amber thought it over and reluctantly agreed.
“The weather’s great today, huh? Looks like rain coming. There’s a new treasure shop that just opened—let’s check it out.” Ashley urged.
“No.” Amber stared at a nonexistent speck in the air.
One loli chattered away to herself while the other stared blankly— the atmosphere was excruciatingly awkward.
“That shop is a giant cat—not a real kitty, but a house-sized costume. Its open mouth is the entrance, lined with flocking inside, and cat paws wave to beckon customers… Oh, right, do you know how it got here? It flew in!”
Seeing Amber’s eyes flicker with interest, Ashley quickly embellished:
“Do you know how the flying cat works? It’s not wings—the fur on the back of the Cat House is braided into pigtails, tied to a huge cluster of colorful balloons. Every string is taut; snap one, and it’d jolt wildly, losing balance! The onlookers watched with bated breath until it landed lightly, and the crowd erupted in cheers.”
“You’re not tricking me, are you? Cats, balloons, shops… Once we get there, you’ll just say, ‘Heh heh, only a silly loli would believe fairy tales~ Too bad, I’m not your silly loli anymore. I won’t play these games—go find another silly loli who loves getting duped endlessly.'” Amber hugged her arms, burying her little face in the crook of her elbow, and murmured gloomily.
Ashley mimicked her, crossing her arms to cradle her face, and muttered softly:
“But my dummy little brain can only fool you. Other lolis are way too sharp—they never fall for it.”
Amber’s lip twitched upward for an instant, then melted away like snowflakes in her palm.
“So, is there really a Cat House shop or not?”
“It’s real! And I know the shopkeeper—she’s Delwei, a cute little monster. She might even give us a discount.”
