He tore through the Holy Grail War, and you still call him a dragon?

"The conflict among Shenzhou's noble families... what exactly is going on?"

Elder Alpha asked this with a calm, unreadable expression.

"Well…" Frost replied, hesitating. "According to recent rumors circulating in Shenzhou, it seems that the Chen and Zhou families have had an undisclosed falling out. The Zhou family's attitude toward the Chens has cooled significantly, and they've been reaching out to other clans... The Chen family probably feels threatened by this shift."

Elder Alpha slowly set down the document in his hands. He didn't appear even slightly concerned about some impending family feud in the distant East.

"Arrange an online interview with Chen Motong," he said casually.

Seeing Frost still staring blankly, Alpha explained:

"Bloodline inheritance is the foremost priority for our family. If Chen Motong meets our expectations, assigning additional personnel for her protection is not out of the question—but only to protect her, not the Chen family. Avoid entanglement with the other noble houses. Make that very clear to your subordinates."

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away!"

—

Chen Family Estate.

In a typical noble girl's bedroom: pink-themed wallpaper, a soft bed of natural silk, solid wood writing desk, vanity table—everything neat and perfectly arranged.

Rose-colored curtains had been pulled tight in high alert, blocking any trace of outside light. What should have been a warm and cozy space now felt trapped in cold and suffocating darkness.

"…"

Nono quietly wiped away the tears that had silently streamed down her cheeks. She rushed to the vanity, applying foundation, concealer, and setting powder with practiced precision. With gentle strokes of an eyeliner pen, she drew soft lines to hide the sorrow and swollen redness left behind by her recent breakdown.

To be fair, the Chen family's memory-erasure treatments for experimental subjects were quite successful. They had once again made her forget the brutal interrogations she had endured.

But… Joutou Mai had immediately passed along the entire experience—recorded from a first-person perspective during her previous infiltration—right back to the girl.

Just like before, the footage of "Freya No. 3" triggered another emotional overload from Nono's sidewriting ability.

Nono was cast into the abyss of despair once again. She grieved, she raged, she was utterly devastated—and then came the boiling hatred for the twisted fate imposed upon her by the enormous shadow of the Chen family…

But she couldn't let the estate's monitoring security teams notice anything. So, she pretended to be unwell in bed, all while doing her best to suppress her storm of emotions.

Today, after barely regaining her composure, Nono once again slipped out of her room like an expert and contacted Joutou Mai through her comms device.

On the other end, Joutou immediately spoke:

"…So, you've accepted the truth now? You understand, right? You're essentially a clone. You're not their child. The family ties and grudges belong to the original Chen Motong."

Nono's voice was thick and raspy from crying. "I know."

"And your thoughts now?"

"I still hate this family! Even if the original and the Freya prototypes are all gone… 'Chen Motong' hasn't died yet. If I give up this hatred now, that means she'll be truly dead and forgotten!"

Nono clenched her lips. Her nose stung. Her eyes reddened again, but she resisted crying. If not for Joutou's interference, she might've remained blissfully unaware, continuing as a wild, defiant little priestess without responsibilities…

But now that she knew, how could she possibly bury her head in the sand like an ostrich? After everything she had seen in those memories—those agonizing executions she'd read through sidewriting—there was no turning back. She had to join the fight for vengeance against the Chen family.

Joutou Mai recognized the iron resolve in her voice. This wasn't childish defiance anymore. It was real, seething hatred. Her tone turned bittersweet.

"Actually… this is probably the last time we'll talk."

"What?" Nono's eyes widened. "You're making your move?"

"Whether we are or not, contact will become impossible either way."

Joutou's phrasing remained water-tight, refusing to confirm anything.

"I'm saying this because the Gattuso people are arriving soon. Your surveillance will double."

"Your father has been schmoozing with foreign guests nonstop lately. Looks like he's trying to pressure their homeland into acting fast. Seems like he's given up interrogating you and might've already sold you off at a decent price."

"..."

"Well then, let's put it this way—you've escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's jaws."

"I'm either the Chen family's puppet experiment… or the Gattuso family's puppet bride."

Nono muttered softly. In her mind, she saw a bottomless, black chasm ahead, waiting for her to fall.

"It's all about how you look at it. If the Gattuso clan really fancies you, you could have a peaceful and wealthy life…"

"…Ah, never mind. A pure rebel like you would never tie yourself down just to run away. You'd never become a coward, right?"

Nono gave a tragic smile and whispered:

"…Yeah. Do you know Saiyuki? There's this silly monkey who just waits and waits inside Water Curtain Cave, and the monk Tang Sanzang who shows up is a super-handsome guy."

"If I had stayed ignorant of everything—dumb and naïve, like that monkey stuck in the cave—and then let the Gattuso clan's Tang Sanzang gently lure me away… while forgetting I was once the clever Great Sage Equal to Heaven… wouldn't that be a scene full of regret, injustice, and despair?"

Silence.

On the other end, Joutou let out a soft sigh.

"…Then let me ask you one last time: are you sure you want to personally join this fight? You could die, you know."

Nono remembered the countless execution scenes in her sidewriting. Her eyes darkened with fury, swallowing the last traces of hesitation.

"I'm sure."

"Alright. Come by tonight. I'll give you something as a parting gift to help with your plan. That's all. This call is over. We'll never speak again."

"…Thank you. Farewell."

Nono tossed the communicator down and crushed it underfoot. She walked away, face clearing up with newfound lightness. Her steps danced as though a burden had finally been lifted. Her long dark-red hair fluttered in the cold wind.

Like a sprite from a fairytale—fragile, ephemeral, and yet still dancing joyously despite knowing her fate—she softly recited a line of poetry:

If I could die in the bud, I would never have to wither after blooming.

—

Joutou Mai hung up and looked down at the vial of crimson dragon-blood serum in her hand.

"Tch. I admire that girl's resolve and all, but… boss is really willing to give this away?"

She clicked her tongue again. She still couldn't tell if the boss hated or admired this girl.

(End of Chapter)

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