"I... where is this?"
When Subaru opened her eyes again, she found that she was not in the familiar Consciousness Space. All around her was an endless expanse of pitch black, the dense darkness thick like a swamp, making it difficult to even distinguish the path beneath her feet.
"Tsukasa? Is this a new training exercise?"
She called out into the void, but received no response. This abnormal silence caused her vigilance to spike.
When she attempted to mobilize the Mana within her body to cloak herself, she was shocked to find that her connection to her Mana seemed to have been completely severed.
Just as she was at a loss—
"Actually, Rem really hates you, doesn't she?" A familiar voice rang out.
Subaru turned her head sharply and saw another "her" standing not far away. But compared to that mirror image, what concerned her more was what the other party had said.
She asked, "What... are you talking about?"
"Subaru" chuckled softly, her voice carrying a seductive tone. "Actually Rem was disgusted with you just now, right? Disgusted by your concerned reaction, disgusted by... you as a person."
The atmosphere around them gradually became turbid.
Subaru narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm. "I don't care who you are. Let me go back immediately."
Although her heart trembled because of those words, she still stared intently at that figure.
"At this point, are you still deceiving yourself? Try recalling it carefully, from childhood to now... who hasn't hated you? And who has truly been willing to be friends with you?"
"I..."
"If it weren't for Tsukasa, what would you even amount to?"
Following "Subaru's" words, Subaru's body trembled slightly.
The voice continued, "And Tsukasa? He is only helping you for his own benefit. If he weren't inside your body, would he even pay attention to you?"
"And Lia, saying she doesn't want to get you involved... in reality, she's just dying for you to be her pawn, right?"
"Because you are the perfect cannon fodder. Because there is no one in this world who needs Subaru. I am the one who truly cares about you... Subaru."
These words were like a sharp blade, not only tearing open the deepest wounds in Subaru's heart but also evoking the fear she had always suppressed—that no one had ever truly needed her.
No matter how hard she tried, she would always be the Subaru who was hated and alienated by others.
As her thoughts wavered, thick black energy surged from all around, coiling around her body like tentacles.
Just then, "Subaru" revealed a satisfied smile, interrupting the coiling of the black energy.
"It's time to rest. Because you're already very tired, right? Sleep. Forget all of this, bury all the pain deep down."
Subaru opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her consciousness began to blur. Those seductive whispers had already taken root and sprouted in her heart.
Just as Subaru was conversing with that dark "self," Tsukasa, who was inside the Consciousness Space, suddenly felt a violent tremor. This level of fluctuation would only directly affect the Consciousness Space when Subaru's mind was extremely unsettled.
"What on earth is happening?"
Tsukasa, who could not perceive any abnormal energy at all, was confused and could only attribute it to Subaru having a nightmare.
"But this is the second day in a row."
He pondered to himself, deciding to ask Subaru about her situation properly after dawn.
In stark contrast to the violent turmoil inside Subaru, the mansion was currently enveloped in the stillness of deep night.
The bright moon hung high, casting its cold radiance onto Roswaal's office—a secret conversation was taking place here.
"So then, regarding Subaru... what do you think?"
Inside the spacious room, a sofa and coffee table for receiving guests were placed in the center, and on the inner side was an ebony desk. Documents and a quill were scattered on the desk, and next to them sat a cup of steaming black tea. This was Roswaal L. Mathers' office.
The one who had asked the question was Roswaal himself. Although his voice was as soft as a whisper, it clearly reached the ears of the maid across the desk—standing there was Ram.
"Since that brilliant negotiation, you should have seen some clues by now, right?"
Ram bowed slightly and responded, "Subaru-sama has performed very well in cooking and other matters. Furthermore, she does not have the scent of the Witch Cult on her, so we can rule out suspicion."
Only Ram was in the room, Rem was not present.
Upon hearing this report, Roswaal tapped his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "To receive such an evaluation from Ram... it seems this half-knight is indeed not simple."
But his next words made Ram's heart tighten. "However... is she truly not a spy? Is there truly no need to take care of her?"
Roswaal's gaze suddenly became profound, even though his tone remained light.
Ram took a deep breath and answered cautiously, "It cannot be completely ruled out but Ram believes this possibility is very low."
Roswaal nodded.
He trusted Ram's judgment, and since she had said so...
"Then let us continue to observe. By the way, Ram, remember to go to Beatrice's Forbidden Library to replenish Mana."
As Ram replied and bowed to take her leave, this deep-night secret conversation quietly concluded.
(End of Chapter)
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