Eve Nightburn and the purple-haired girl continued to chat about their thoughts while eating from the pot.
“So, do you know what this world is really like or not? If you know, say yes; if you don’t, say no. Is it that hard?”
Eve Nightburn was a bit frustrated. This girl didn’t say anything useful but instead rambled on about irrelevant things.
“Sigh.”
The purple-haired girl sighed, “Actually, I wanted to tell you earlier, but you wouldn’t let me.”
“Me?”
Eve Nightburn was stunned. She only stopped her from spouting useless nonsense. When did she ever stop her from talking about the state of this messed-up world?
“Right, you kept refusing to let me speak, so I had no choice but to stay silent.”
As she spoke, the purple-haired girl tossed two dice from her hand, which landed on the table showing the numbers 2 and 5.
“Just assume I can’t speak human language.”
After saying this, the purple-haired girl picked up the dice from the table.
“Uh…”
Eve Nightburn was momentarily at a loss for words. After some thought, she finally decided to compromise.
“Fine, say whatever you want. I won’t interrupt you.”
“Alright, Your Highness, where would you like me to start?”
After getting permission, the purple-haired girl teased Eve Nightburn again to see her reaction.
Hearing this strange address, Eve Nightburn felt endless shame.
“What ‘Your Highness’? Are you mocking me again?”
Eve Nightburn’s hands itched with the desire to tear this girl to pieces.
“Pfft.”
The purple-haired girl covered her mouth and chuckled. This silly loli was indeed fun to tease—or rather, teasing her sense of shame was truly amusing.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”
“How many times have you said that already?”
Eve Nightburn had had enough! This person was impossible to communicate with!
“Ahem,” the purple-haired girl coughed tactically, pretending to be serious.
“Let me be direct. This world, or rather, The Nameless Realm, is a projection of your heart.”
As she spoke, the girl pointed her right index finger directly at Eve Nightburn’s heart.
“A projection of my heart? When did I ever think of these strange threads?”
Eve Nightburn said, tugging at the threads on her body.
The purple-haired girl sat up straight, leaning back on the sofa with her arms crossed, adopting a deeply serious expression.
She pressed her forehead and, after a moment, slowly began to speak.
“Telling you directly might be hard to understand, so let’s start with something simple. Do you wish for someone to hurt you?”
“Of course not!”
Eve Nightburn answered without hesitation. Who would beg someone to stab them?
“Then, what do you think is the most efficient, stable, safe, and least harmful way to fulfill this need?”
Eve Nightburn shook her head, looking confused. “Hmm… I don’t know.”
“Of course, it’s to establish absolute control, to forbid others from thinking, because as long as someone thinks, there’s a possibility of harm.”
“Your words are so cruel…”
“It’s just something you’re unwilling to admit. Your heart is too afraid of betrayal,” the purple-haired girl said, pointing to Eve Nightburn’s heart.
“That’s why this world cannot tolerate even the slightest flaw. You want to eliminate all evil thoughts, so you must prevent others from even having the capacity to think. Only then can your heart feel safe.”
“I…”
Eve Nightburn was momentarily at a loss for words. The girl was right. She did have a longing for safety, a desire for something to protect her, for a home where no landlord would bother her.
She just never realized that the safety she sought could be so terrifying.
“Um… what should I call you? You’re not human, are you?”
Eve Nightburn suddenly remembered that she didn’t know the girl’s name.
The purple-haired girl thought for a moment. “A name is just a label. Since we’re in the Divine Empire, you can call me by my name here.”
“Call me Lore.”
“As for whether I’m human, that depends on how you define it. If civilization equals humanity, then I am human. But if you think only those who evolved from apes and built cities are human, then neither you nor I are human.”
“Alright… so you’re not human. Wait, why am I not human either?”
Eve Nightburn protested. If you’re not human, why drag me into it?
“Sigh,” Lore sighed. “I already said it. Whether you’re human depends on how you define it. If you think you are, then you are. But by the standard you provided, you’re not~”
At this point, Eve Nightburn could only give up.
“I don’t understand these profound things. Let’s talk about something simpler. For example, you said the threads on others are to prevent them from thinking. What about the threads on me?”
As she spoke, Eve Nightburn tugged at the threads on her body.
Lore: “Simple. Don’t you not want to be separated from that girl?”
“Isn’t she trapped in the mirror now?”
Lore glanced at the non-existent mirror behind Eve Nightburn.
“She saw me!”
Miri Dreamwell quickly hid in the corner, but she couldn’t find a place far enough from the glass.
Lore looked back at Eve Nightburn and continued with a smile.
“You trapped her in the mirror, and she uses the threads to control you. This is the physical form of never being apart. Neither of you can escape the other’s grasp~”
“This is actually your absolute aversion to betrayal. You’d rather strip away the freedom of others—and even yourself—than allow betrayal to occur.”
“This…”
Eve Nightburn was momentarily speechless. What kind of twisted logic was this?
Lore continued, “As for the palace on Cloudsea Lake, it’s actually your highest aspiration for something that can protect you.”
“And I can tell you that when you unleashed your power earlier, the ice vines spreading beneath you were at absolute zero in the truest sense.”
As she spoke, Lore took a shattered electronic thermometer from her pocket. “So, when are you going to compensate me for this? Hmm~”
“So, you’re here to extort money?”
Eve Nightburn finally realized that this girl had said so much just to prove that she had broken her thermometer!
Eve Nightburn wanted to get away from this weirdo, but just as she was about to leave, Lore suddenly reached out with her right hand and patted her head, playing with the big strand of hair on top.
Lore: “Sorry, this silly loli always makes me want to tease her a bit~”
Eve Nightburn immediately puffed up in anger. “I’m not silly!”
“Alright, alright, you’re not silly. You’re a super smart little loli!”
Lore quickly comforted the little girl. She enjoyed this feeling, the feeling of teasing someone. After money lost its effectiveness, it seemed this silly loli was the only source of joy left in the world for her.
