Chapter 815: Memory Control Switch! The Old Lynx Meows
"Healing Miss Nightingale isn't difficult. In fact, it will be incredibly quick."
Ren didn't make a move toward the frail blonde girl resting on the bed. Instead, he leaned back, his gaze shifting to the two imposing women standing before him. "However, have you truly thought this through? The price you're about to pay is your entire future. You'll be selling yourselves to me—body and soul. Just like my little cat here."
Nearl and Shining widened their eyes. Ren's hand was casually buried in Dr. Kaltsit's soft, feline ears, scratching the sensitive base with the practiced ease of an owner petting a housecat. A visible tremor ran through Kaltsit's slender frame. Her jaw locked tight, her breathing hitched, yet her face remained a mask of absolute stoicism. She was enduring it.
But the visual alone was staggering. The aloof, calculating leader of Rhodes Island had already sold herself to this man?
Kaltsit didn't particularly care that her secret was out. Compared to the overwhelming, electric sensations shooting through her nervous system as Ren ruthlessly stimulated her highly sensitive ears—leaving her flushed and fighting back a damp heat—a little public exposure was trivial. Centuries of accumulated discipline were the only things keeping her upright.
"I have indeed paid the price," Kaltsit stated, her voice remarkably level despite the slight quiver in her shoulders. "I did so to obtain the truth about him." She paused, her sharp green eyes locking onto the two stunned warriors. "I can only tell you this much. There is only one existence capable of transcending gods, overpowering ancient behemoths, and forcing even Demon Kings to bow in submission. He... is all-powerful."
It wasn't an exaggeration. A Demon King had already bent the knee to Ren—Theresa herself.
Nearl's golden eyes narrowed, while Shining's grip tightened on her staff. They hadn't expected the stoic doctor to surrender her freedom for mere information, nor did they anticipate the sheer scale of the entity standing before them. A heavy silence stretched across the room. Then, the two elite operators exchanged a single, resolute glance. The decision was made.
"We have thought it through," Nearl declared, her voice ringing with the unyielding conviction of a Radiant Knight.
"Nightingale is a companion worth giving our lives for," Shining added softly, her tone carrying the weight of an unbreakable vow. Their determination burned bright, completely unshaken.
"Shining... Nearl..."
A fragile, melodic voice shattered the heavy atmosphere.
Shining and Nearl froze. Their eyes widened to impossible proportions as they slowly, almost mechanically, turned around.
Standing by the edge of the bed was Nightingale. Her usually vacant, pain-filled eyes were now bright, brimming with unshed tears. The Originium-induced lethargy that normally bound her to a wheelchair was completely gone. She stood on her own two feet, trembling but entirely unsupported.
"Nightingale... you..." Nearl breathed out, utterly stunned.
Nightingale raised a pale hand, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Actually..." she choked out, a watery smile breaking across her lips. "A little while ago, I felt my mind suddenly clear. My body felt so light. It's just... Mr. Ren told me not to speak."
She shifted her gaze toward Ren, her expression a swirling mix of deep gratitude and overwhelming emotion. She had been silent, but she had heard every single word. She knew exactly what Shining and Nearl were willing to sacrifice for her sake.
"Lord Ren... this..." Nearl stammered, her usual eloquence failing her. She couldn't comprehend when the man had actually cast a healing spell, nor could she fathom why he had orchestrated this dramatic reveal.
"Heh. I told you, healing her only requires a single thought." Ren chuckled, completely unbothered by their shock. Without an ounce of shame, he slid his arm around Kaltsit's slender waist. His hand slipped beneath the fabric of her uniform, his fingers brazenly caressing the smooth, warm skin of her flat stomach.
He offered a faint, lazy smile. "The reason I let her listen in on your little sacrifice is simple. I don't believe in hiding these kinds of things. If she found out years down the line that you sold yourselves for her sake, the guilt would crush her. It would be a massive psychological blow." His smile widened into a knowing smirk. "You wouldn't want Miss Nightingale's condition to relapse from the stress, would you?"
His logic sounded suspiciously like the plot of a cheap, melodramatic soap opera, but his words struck a vital nerve. He was absolutely right.
However, this presented a brand-new dilemma. Nearl and Shining exchanged a helpless look. How were they supposed to face Nightingale now that all their secrets were laid bare? They scrambled for words, desperately trying to formulate an explanation.
Before they could speak, Nightingale took the initiative. Her bare feet padded softly against the floor as she walked forward, stopping directly in front of Ren. She pressed both hands over her heart, her posture radiating pure, unadulterated gratitude.
"Mr. Ren," she said softly, bowing her head. "Thank you for giving me the right to choose."
"The right to choose?" Kaltsit arched a delicate brow, her medical curiosity overriding her current predicament. She looked directly at Ren. "What exactly did you do to her? Did you erase her memories? No... that doesn't fit."
Kaltsit's brilliant mind raced through the possibilities. In her clinical calculations, cleanly severing Nightingale's traumatic experiences would be the most efficient way to cure her psychological collapse. However, the segment of memories requiring deletion spanned nearly her entire life. She had lived in agonizing captivity since childhood. If all that suffering was simply wiped away, the resulting person would, by every ethical and psychological metric, no longer be 'Nightingale'.
Yet, the girl standing before them showed zero signs of amnesia or personality death. She was entirely herself. That was the contradiction. Nightingale's memories were the direct source of her crippling pain. If she retained those memories, it should be impossible for her to stand here so peacefully.
A sudden, sharp gasp escaped Kaltsit's lips. Her train of thought derailed violently as Ren's fingers suddenly pinched the soft flesh of her stomach.
"Kaltsit, my precious big cat," Ren murmured, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Do you honestly think that just because you've accepted your role as my pet, you have the right to speak out of turn?"
He had seen right through her. Kaltsit had dared to question him precisely because she had already surrendered her pride. She was his property now. What was the worst he could do? Demote her to a lesser pet? With the absolute worst-case scenario already a reality, she had grown unexpectedly bold.
She stared up at him, her green eyes defiant yet curious, waiting to see exactly how he intended to discipline her.
Naturally, Ren wasn't going to actually harm his favorite feline. But thoroughly teasing her? That was practically mandatory.
He withdrew his hand from her waist and raised it to her face. Under the wide-eyed stares of Nearl, Shining, and Nightingale, Ren hooked a finger under Kaltsit's smooth, delicate chin. He scratched the sensitive spot with rhythmic, deliberate strokes—exactly how one would pamper a spoiled housecat.
"I'll allow you to speak freely," Ren said, his voice dropping to a low, amused purr. "Provided you learn how to act your part. Let me hear you meow."
The muscles in Kaltsit's face completely froze.
A meow?
Her brilliant, centuries-old mind short-circuited. Why was this all-powerful being so utterly obsessed with treating her like a literal feline? And to demand it here, right in front of her elite operators?
For the first time in recent memory, the legendary Dr. Kaltsit's flawless composure cracked. A faint dusting of pink crept up her neck.
But she needed answers. If surrendering her remaining dignity was the toll required to ask questions freely in the future, she would pay it.
A long, agonizing silence stretched across the room. Finally, Kaltsit's lips parted.
"Meow..."
The sound was incredibly soft, barely a whisper escaping her throat.
"Kaltsit, I'm going to need you to speak up," Ren chided playfully, his thumb brushing over her lower lip. "You aren't that weak, are you? If you don't have enough stamina to project your voice, how am I supposed to enjoy myself with you later?"
Nearl and Nightingale blinked, the innuendo flying right over their heads. But Kaltsit understood the underlying threat perfectly.
Her breath hitched. Her feline ears flattened against her head in pure embarrassment. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Meow~!"
This time, the sound was crisp, clear, and undeniably cute. It echoed through the quiet room, leaving zero room for misinterpretation.
Ren nodded, a grin splitting his face. "Good girl. Very spirited."
He gave her chin one last affectionate scratch before turning his attention back to the group. "Since my big cat asked so nicely, I'll explain. Healing Nightingale's physical deterioration, repairing her mental damage, and purging the Originium from her cells? That was child's play. The real challenge was her memories."
Ren casually rested his hand on top of Kaltsit's head, stroking her soft hair as he spoke. "I preserved her darkest, most nightmarish memories. However, I applied a conceptual filter over them. I virtualized the trauma, fading the emotional impact so it no longer actively tortures her psyche or clouds her judgment."
He looked at the blonde girl. "At the same time, I granted Nightingale administrative authority over her own mind. She has a 'switch'. Whenever she feels ready, she can gradually clarify small fragments of her past, processing the trauma at her own pace. She controls the flow. She can accept her history little by little, entirely on her own terms."
"To think such a method even exists..." Kaltsit murmured, genuine awe bleeding into her voice. "In all of Terra, perhaps in all of existence, only you could accomplish such a miracle."
Shining and Nearl's eyes lit up with deep joy. The heavy burden that had crushed their hearts for so long finally lifted. They finally understood what Nightingale meant by having the 'right to choose'.
"This is truly wonderful," Shining whispered, a rare, stunning smile gracing her features.
But the heartwarming atmosphere didn't last long.
Without warning, Nightingale stepped closer, her delicate hands reaching out to firmly grasp Ren's. Her bright eyes stared up at him, burning with absolute sincerity.
"Mr. Ren," she declared, her voice steady and resolute. "I will also pay my own price. Please, allow me to share this burden with Shining and Nearl. I want to sell myself to you as well!"
The room went dead silent.
Nearl's jaw dropped. "Huh?"
Shining blinked, completely bewildered. "Hmm?!"
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