In the executive officer's office,

Crucabena held a cup of tea, the fragrant aroma gradually wafting through the air.

She took a gentle sip, a smile gracing her lips.

A soldier standing beside Crucabena looked somewhat worried.

"Lady 'Knave,' if I may speak candidly, that document should be very important. Sending the three children to retrieve it—what if something goes wrong…"

"It's fine. They are capable of handling it," Crucabena said with a smile. "If I can't trust my own children, then what right do I have to be a mother?"

"You're right, Lady 'Knave!'" the soldier quickly added.

"By the way, who brought this tea? It's quite nice."

"It was sent by a merchant—tea from Liyue."

"Liyue... that's the hometown of that boy, Yu Xie," Crucabena said, gazing out the window, her expression revealing an inscrutable emotion.

.....

Clervie was momentarily stunned.

The words on the document that had fallen to the ground were like bloodstains on a green field—extremely jarring.

Yu Xie quickly picked up the document and held it in his hands.

He glanced around and said to Clervie and Peruere, "Let's talk somewhere else."

The three of them made their way to a small alley by the street.

Outside was the bustling thoroughfare, filled with people coming and going, while the atmosphere in the alley was somewhat tense.

"This document..." Clervie wanted to say something but hesitated.

"We have two choices in front of us. One, we act like nothing happened just now; two, we open it up and take a good look, then pretend nothing happened," Yu Xie said, shaking the document in his hand.

Clervie and Peruere didn't respond immediately.

But in their hearts, both already had a choice; Yu Xie could see it in their eyes.

Without saying anything further, Yu Xie opened the document bag and took out the file.

"Experiment Plan Phase Three—Human Brain Duplication Research. The human brain is the most complex part of the body, and if successful, it will change society..."

The document listed numerous repugnant and insane experiments conducted to achieve "human brain duplication," along with the many benefits that could be gained once the research was complete.

From the words on the page, Yu Xie could sense the madness of the experiment's leader and their hypocritical facade.

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To the experiment's leader, people were no longer human but mere test subjects that could be discarded at any moment.

At the end of the document, there was a personal note:

"The last batch of test subjects has been completely used up, and the experiments have yet to yield decisive progress. However, I assure you, the experiments are proceeding methodically, and soon you will see interim results. The test subjects you sent this time will fulfill their intended roles. For our cause, let's strive together."

Clervie fell completely silent upon seeing this.

"Are you okay, Clervie?" Yu Xie asked with concern.

"...I'm fine," Clervie replied softly.

"It seems this research is being conducted in collaboration between 'the Knave' and 'the Doctor,'" Yu Xie said as he put the document back into the folder.

"If I'm not mistaken, the test subjects mentioned here are likely those among us who were eliminated or made mistakes," Peruere said. "So, none of those who went to atone have come back."

"I...we..." Clervie's lips trembled.

In truth, Clervie had long sensed that her mother's insistence on the children learning, competing, and ultimately selecting the strongest "king" was nothing but a fairy tale-like lie.

To put it bluntly, this was a slaughter.

The children would turn on their friends, killing those they had spent every day with, leaving only one to ascend to the so-called "throne."

Under the rules set by their mother, no one in the Hearth Manor could escape.

But Clervie never expected that those children who had not yet lost their lives in the slaughter, the ones who were eliminated, were actually being sent off to serve as subjects for human experimentation...

Clervie felt torn, her thoughts tangled like a chaotic mess of strings, twisted and knotted.

"This might be a trap set for us by the 'Knave,'" Yuxie said. "If I were her, I wouldn't let the three of us retrieve such an important document, unless..."

"You mean, this is something Mother intentionally let us see?" Clervie's eyes reflected her worry.

"That's possible; she might be testing us," Yuxie said. "Testing how we would react after seeing this."

"Testing..." Clervie repeated the word softly, a veil of mist clouding her eyes.

"Clervie..." Yuxie couldn't help but feel worried; after all, Crucabena was Clervie's biological mother, and the bond of family ultimately existed for her.

For anyone, severing the ties of kinship is not an easy thing to do.

"Don't worry about me; I'm fine," Clervie said with a smile, although it was tinged with bitterness.

"Are you afraid?" Peruere suddenly asked Clervie.

Clervie paused for a moment, then smiled again, but this smile was different—there was no bitterness in it.

"As long as I'm with you guys, I'm not afraid of anything."

What could be more powerful than such trust?

"Let's head back first; we'll talk about the rest later," Yuxie said with a smile. "It'll be fine; everything will get better."

"Everything will get better" was a promise for Yuxie, not just a comforting phrase.

In this brief life of his, he had to do something.

After all, he could be reborn; there would be another life.

But Clervie and Peruere were different.

"Wait, I have a suggestion," Peruere said, looking at Clervie with a serious expression. "Clervie, if you want to change the fate of the Hearth Manor, the solution is actually quite simple."

Clervie's gaze met Peruere's, and she seemed to guess what Peruere was about to say next, but she didn't interrupt.

"Assassinate the 'Knave.' As long as the 'Knave' is gone, the Hearth Manor will be free," Peruere added slowly.

"...I—our strength isn't enough," Clervie stammered. "All our combat skills were taught by Mother. She knows us too well. If we try this... it could very well be like hitting a stone with an egg, at least for now..."

Peruere fell silent.

Although Clervie might still be unable to break free from the bonds of family, Peruere understood that Clervie had a point.

"Let's head back for now; we can talk about this later," Yuxie said.

As dusk settled, they returned to the Hearth Manor, and the document was handed over to Crucabena.

After dinner, Clervie went alone to the pond in the park, gazing at her reflection in the water.

She didn't know what she was really thinking; her thoughts felt chaotic, as if something was blocking her heart.

She felt that she didn't really understand herself anymore.

Would there truly be freedom in her life?

Could she really still see the outside world?