Following behind the girl and watching her swaying figure, Chu Lian found herself feeling somewhat strange. Just what was Kurumi thinking?
She was clearly being confined here. Even though she had already made a deal with Chu Lian and the contract binding her soul had been dealt with, logically speaking, all she needed to do was wait for Chu Lian to revive the other Spirits. Yet Kurumi's recent behavior had become increasingly difficult for her to understand.
She treated this place like a home just as the other girls did. She did not mind helping Li Mingxue with things, nor did she seem to care what her own status here was.
She laughed and chatted with everyone, showing absolutely no resemblance to the assassin who had once come here to kill Chu Lian. Even harder to understand was her mother's attitude toward Kurumi, which was somehow the same as the way she treated Inori and the others.
If Kurumi alone had been acting strangely, that would have been one thing. But now that Li Mingxue was the same, Chu Lian had no choice but to wonder what exactly was going on beneath the surface.
Perhaps a great many things had happened during the ten days she had been unconscious? But even then, it should not have been this difficult to understand, right?
Although Chu Lian had never truly managed to understand the way her mother did things to begin with, just what was going on here? And yet...
Lost in thought, she failed to notice that Kurumi Tokisaki had already stopped walking and turned around to face her.
Seeing Chu Lian about to walk straight into her, Kurumi did not move aside. She simply stood there and waited.
"Oof..." Chu Lian's head bumped into something incredibly soft. A faint fragrance drifted into her nose, the natural scent of a girl, impossibly enticing.
"Sorry. I got distracted." Chu Lian looked up at her, then took a step back and apologized somewhat awkwardly.
She knew exactly what she had bumped into just now. After all, that sort of sensation was hardly unfamiliar to her. Kurumi Tokisaki's might have felt different from the other girls', but fundamentally, it was still the same.
Knowing she had accidentally taken liberties with someone else, Chu Lian was genuinely worried Kurumi might take offense.
"It's fine. I'm just a little curious about what you were thinking about." Kurumi's words made Chu Lian fall silent for a moment. Turning her head, she looked around. They were at the edge of the back garden, near the perimeter wall.
She was quite familiar with this place. A few days ago, when Mr. President had visited the school, most of the intruders who had come to her home had been thrown in here to feed some strange plants.
Although Chu Lian had always wanted to know exactly what was inside, her mother had guarded against her entering ever since she was little. Every time Chu Lian tried to approach, some kind of barrier would block her.
Over time, she had simply chosen to forget this place existed. It was only after returning from the last school trip that her mother had finally told her a little about what was actually inside.
Not just Chu Lian, but everyone except Li Mingxue and Chu Xiao was unable to approach this place. It was almost as though it existed completely isolated from the rest of the world.
"It's dangerous in there. I know." Kurumi Tokisaki walked beneath the enormous parasol and sat down in a white chair. Picking up the glass of juice that had been prepared on the table, she took a small sip.
"I know too, but with my current abilities, I can't figure out exactly what's inside. Anyway, besides Mom, Dad, and Blackie, who's now been given permission to enter, no one else can get in. There's no need to worry about anything going wrong."
Chu Lian sat across from her and looked at the glass of orange juice in front of her. After hesitating for a moment, she finally bit down on the straw and started drinking.
"Yes. This world is far more mysterious than mine. Back where I came from, Spirits were probably among the strongest beings around. But here, even the strongest combatants from my world couldn't defeat one of your dolls. It's rather sobering, isn't it?"
Resting her pale cheek against one hand, Kurumi's expression showed no particular disappointment. To her, it seemed this mysterious place was simply mysterious and nothing more.
"It's all right, I suppose. This place seems to be some kind of central hub connected to many worlds, so having so many powerful people here is probably normal." Chu Lian had gradually developed a deeper understanding of the world she lived in, though it still was not enough for her to reach any firm conclusion about what kind of existence her world truly was.
Brushing a strand of hair away from her ear, Kurumi Tokisaki's eyes suddenly became deep and unreadable. "A spatial quake is basically impossible here unless Big Sister Mingxue uses her ability."
Big Sister Mingxue... Chu Lian could not tell whether she was more depressed that she had somehow gained another "aunt" or helpless that yet another person who looked the same age as her had a higher seniority. She had no idea how she was supposed to respond to Kurumi's words.
Although her thoughts were busy, Chu Lian did not let any of it show on her face. Instead, she studied Kurumi for a moment and asked, "If there's no way for a spatial quake to happen, then how did you get here? Was it because of your abilities as an assassin, or something else?"
"Before I answer that, I want to know something. Are you a Spacetime Traveling Merchant?" Kurumi Tokisaki's eyes flickered slightly as she wondered whether she should answer.
"Yes."
"Then do you know what a Spacetime Traveling Merchant needs in order to conduct a trade?"
"Items of equivalent value, or Crystal Coins of the same worth."
"Then take a look at this..." As Kurumi spoke, she took out that card and handed it to Chu Lian.
"One point seven million Crystal Coins... Where did you get these?" The number displayed on it stunned Chu Lian. Even now, her own total transaction volume had only barely surpassed 1.8 million Crystal Coins, and that was only because two high-value Heaven Rank items had been involved. Just how had Kurumi gotten so many?
No, that was not even the real question. The real question was how Kurumi could use Crystal Coins in the first place.
"So it really is like that..." Seeing Chu Lian's expression, Kurumi seemed to understand something. She reached out, took the card back, and spun it between her fingers without explaining further.
Chu Lian did not ask. She simply stared at her intensely, waiting for Kurumi to give her the answer on her own.
Unfortunately, Kurumi Tokisaki did not seem interested in dwelling on the matter. She immediately changed the subject. "By the way, what's your merchant number? Maybe someday I can send some people I know over to buy something from you."
Putting the card away, Kurumi propped up her chin and looked curiously at Chu Lian. Although Chu Lian did not know why she wanted to know, it was hardly some secret that could not be revealed, so she casually answered, "5733."
Unexpectedly, the moment Chu Lian gave her that number, Kurumi burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that her slender waist bent backward, pushing the firm fullness beneath her red cheongsam even more prominently into Chu Lian's view. They swayed with every movement, making the sight impossibly alluring.
The scenery before her was certainly wonderful, but Chu Lian was still baffled. It was just a number. Was it really that funny?
Kurumi laughed for quite a while before finally stopping. She reached out and stroked Chu Lian's cheek, staring at her with her exposed right eye for a long moment. Just as Chu Lian was becoming utterly confused, she said, "It seems the two of us really are fated, little girl."
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Even now, Chu Lian still could not understand why a simple number had made Kurumi so happy.
"5733. In your language, what does that sound like?" Kurumi did not answer directly. Instead, she gave Chu Lian a direction to think in and let her work it out herself.
"5733? 5733... 'my wife, Kurumi'? 'My wife, Kurumi'... pfft." After muttering it several times, Chu Lian finally understood why Kurumi had been laughing so happily. Looking at Kurumi, who was now watching her with a peculiar expression, Chu Lian became visibly awkward and had no idea what to say.
"What is it? You don't like that number?" Kurumi Tokisaki watched her for a while, wanting to know how Chu Lian truly felt about it. Did she like it, or did she reject it?
After fumbling for words for a while, Chu Lian shook her head with a bitter smile. "I didn't know the number had that kind of meaning. The number I got when I entered the Origin Land was random. It wasn't something I got to choose, so..."
"That's exactly why I said the two of us are fated." Kurumi extended one finger and brushed it across her own lips, then brought it to Chu Lian's mouth and lightly swept it over her lips.
The gesture was almost as though she had painted a layer of lip gloss over Chu Lian's cherry-red lips. A faint watery sheen glimmered across them, while the flush on Chu Lian's face made her look intoxicatingly lovely.
"You said it yourself, 'my wife, Kurumi.' So if I ever decide I want something in the future, then..." Kurumi stood up and leaned her face close to Chu Lian's, whispering, "Then I want to be the official wife."
"Huh?" Chu Lian stared at her blankly. Where had that come from? How had a random number somehow led to this? She already had an entire harem, and she had not even decided who the official wife would be!
That was what she thought, yet the image of a fiery red figure dancing lightly through her mind refused to disappear no matter what she did.
"It's fine. You've already admitted it. Leave the rest to me to fight for." Chu Lian had no idea how serious Kurumi was being. Perhaps she was simply teasing her?
"Hm? You don't really believe me? Well, I suppose that's understandable..." Seeing the expression on Chu Lian's face, Kurumi knew exactly what she was thinking even though Chu Lian had not said a word.
But Kurumi did not explain, nor did she tell Chu Lian whether this was something that would truly happen or merely a joke. She simply looked toward the sliver of sky visible beyond the edge of the parasol and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing her fall into a daze, Chu Lian did not speak either. She merely watched the beautiful girl as though admiring a flawless work of art.
"Do you know? After my world was destroyed and I became a Time Assassin, carrying out missions across different worlds, I was always wondering why it had to be my world that was destroyed. Why did everyone I knew have to disappear?"
"Later, as I gradually met more people, I learned that quite a few of them had become Time Assassins for the same reason I did. Their worlds had also been destroyed by Judgement."
"At that point, a thought began to grow in my mind. I wanted to live permanently in a world where my wish could be fulfilled, without caring about missions anymore and without constantly running around trying to revive anyone."
"Fighting can be very interesting, you know. But after long enough, even that becomes exhausting."
"Originally, once I completed this mission, there was a very good chance I would be able to realize that dream. I just never expected to fail here."
"But there were bad things and good things. I failed and was captured, but I wasn't killed. Instead, I unexpectedly made a deal with you. You would help me revive the other Spirits, and I would serve you for three years."
"Even though you've temporarily lost your strength because of all sorts of reasons—though fundamentally, it was because of what happened with me—and reviving them will have to be delayed for a while, I'm actually quite happy."
Kurumi Tokisaki's voice seemed faint and distant, perhaps because her emotions were drifting just like the white clouds in the sky.
Chu Lian heard every word clearly and now had a rough understanding of what Kurumi was thinking. She really was an incredibly beautiful and captivating girl.
Picking up her juice, Chu Lian bit down on the straw and drained the remaining half glass in one go. Kurumi set down her own glass and stretched lazily, her voice filled with emotion. "This world is far better than I imagined. Even though I'm technically being imprisoned by you, it still feels much more comfortable and much safer than when I was at the Ninth Tavern."
"Are you tired?" For some reason, that was the thought that suddenly flashed through Chu Lian's mind.
"Tired? Perhaps. After living alone for such a long time, anyone would eventually grow weary. It's like being a traveler wandering from place to place. One day, you'll inevitably start wanting somewhere peaceful where you can settle down." Hearing Chu Lian's question, Kurumi tilted her head and thought for a moment before smiling softly.
"Then stay here. Once my strength recovers, I'll help you revive the other Spirits. After that, you can go wherever you want. As long as you remain in this world during those three years, that's enough. My request isn't unreasonable, is it?" Looking at her, Chu Lian suddenly made a decision even she herself had not expected.
Perhaps it was pity. Perhaps she had thought of Inori. Or perhaps she had seen a shadow of her former self in Kurumi. Whatever the reason, that was what Chu Lian genuinely wanted at this moment.
"You're not afraid I might leave and never come back?" A trace of curiosity flashed through Kurumi's eyes. She did not doubt Chu Lian's words. She was simply puzzled as to why Chu Lian would suddenly think this way.
"Then don't come back. People are supposed to be free. If someone is bound, they lose their independence. A Kurumi Tokisaki like that isn't the one I want." Chu Lian waved one hand, her eyes curving into crescents. Her smile was faint, but extraordinarily gentle.
Kurumi stared at her in a daze for a while before rising gracefully to her feet. She walked behind Chu Lian, and while the girl was still wondering what she was doing, Kurumi opened both arms and wrapped them around Chu Lian's neck.
The fullness of her chest pressed against Chu Lian's back, and her voice carried a faint, seductive allure. "I never expected Chu Lian to have such a generous heart. How should I repay you?"
Threads of fragrance mingled with Kurumi's warm breath against Chu Lian's ear, making it itch slightly. But when it came to her question, Chu Lian genuinely had no idea how to answer.
"Since you don't know either, then I'll decide on a reward for you myself." A strange smile curved Kurumi Tokisaki's lips. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on Chu Lian's cheek.
Then, while Chu Lian was still frozen in shock, Kurumi released her, stepped away from behind her, and headed off somewhere else.
That left Chu Lian to deal with Yaya, who had seen the entire scene and immediately began pestering her. All Chu Lian could do was try to coax her.
"The world is so vast. I want to go see it. By the time I come back, everything should be all right, shouldn't it?"