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Once again, a radiant dawn welcomed my awakening. I rose from the divan, a subtle ache sparking across my back. Nevertheless, this makeshift bed was, at the very least, their final recourse to grant me a decent slumber.

Glancing forward, my gaze found Ayako standing behind me, peering through the window. She cradled a cup of warm coffee, sipping time after time as thoughts danced through her mind. With a resonant yawn escaping my lips, her focus shifted toward me. There, her face became quite an ugly morning for her. Faint, dusky swellings lurked beneath her eyes, a testament to the profound weariness that clung to her.

“Morning,” she said, sharing back her yawn.

“... Blessed morning,” I replied, raising my brow. “Was your sleep not enough?”

“Nah,” she shook her head and sipped another round of coffee, then paused as she suddenly gazed away and continued sipping—gathering her thoughts. Few seconds later, she returned her eyes to me and continued. “... Or maybe yeah. Just that I don’t feel like working right now.”

“But you still have a job to do, nonetheless.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed, “Thanks for ruining my small peace of mind, but yes… this bloody Raiser guy.”

“So how about it? What is your next approach?”

“Goodness, I don’t like treating my coffee time into a business meeting, but sure,” she shrugged, then put her mug down on the table and sat beside me, murmuring. “If we assume pointing a blame at Ana is the wrong move, then only Liu Sheng could’ve been the one who had informed Mason about our incomings.”

“So he is our… man of interest, right?”

“That’s right,” she stood up and swilled a mug of coffee until it was empty, then stretched her arms up and cried, “And I ain’t got no time to waste over beating a dead horse here. Job’s a pain in the arse, and I gotta fuck them off me.”

“Good, so I may take that as my… quest?”

“Yes,” she tapped both of my shoulders, coming closer before my eyes. “And you know the deal, right?”

“Right.”

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“Now you’re totally worth a saviour to my arse,” she chuckled.

“So how are we going to find him?”

She pulled out an elegant card adorned in black-gold outline and handed it to me, reading:

Himel Forum: State of the Federation

You are cordially invited to the Himel Forum @ Solheim Palace

Date: 04/12/2235

Time: 7:30 P.M

Venue: Court of Heart, Solheim Palace

Guest of Honor: Ms. Janie Stockton

Your presence is requested at this assembly to discuss the current state of the federation.

Please send this card back to the gatekeeper to confirm your attendance.

Signed by,

Adel Blesceap,

Secretary of State - UAF

“I’ve received that card just recently,” said Ayako. “Just as it happens that she… has arrived home. Besides, I’m sure Liu Sheng will be there as one of the IL observers since it was their part of policy.”

“Janie Stockton?” I read and asked. “Is that my new name?”

“Yup,” she nodded. “As a ‘political-minded’ daughter of the UAF’s head of high-rank security, rather.”

“Who?”

“Tyler Beortcild-Stockton, one of your descendants.”

“How old is he?”

“Fifty-one. Apparently, I’ve contacted Tyler about it, and he seems quite surprised and excited,” she giggled. “Would be more lovely to spend… a night with him, neh?”

“Shut up!” I cried. “I never dare myself to flirt with a man of old age… nor even commit such an incestuous act.”

“Your cheeks’ flushing.”

“Out of my bloody spite.”

“Spite for… hearing the truth?”

I clenched my fist, “For hearing such preposterous fantasy of a filth.”

As her eyes caught sight of my fist, she sighed and shook her head, “That’s enough for brief larping.”

“Larping?”

“Live Action Role Play… ing,” she patted my shoulder, then walked past me. “But Janie… your name’s Janie Stockton now.”

“But I am Emilia von Beortcild.”

“And you can be Janie Stockton,” she turned her head behind and drew a faint smirk. “Do refrain from making me repeat it myself.”