Serie's hand, holding the ice cream, paused slightly.
Elena? Billie's aunt?
What kind of operation? Could it be...
As expected, Lynette pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, the target's identity is special; she's an Australian national."
"Even if she's apprehended in Saint Martan, there's a high probability she'll be extradited back to the Australian branch for handling. Elena is familiar with the local rules, and her involvement could provide significant assistance."
She looked at Jared, adding seriously, "However, you must remind her that Saint Martan is a place..."
"...that isn't very friendly to people like us. Safety first."
Serie listened with her ears perked up, but her heart sank.
Saint Martan?
Is that a country or a province?
I've never heard of it!
Serie even had Billie, who was sound asleep, get up at the same time to search for the place name online.
The result... nothing came up.
How could Serie pinpoint the location then?
Only by knowing the precise location, rather than just a place name, could she remotely use Unicorn Rabbit to open a Rabbit Hole.
How was she supposed to let the witch arrive ahead of time?
Serie bit off a large chunk of the melting ice cream as if to vent her frustration.
The cold sweetness slid down her throat, but it couldn't suppress the strong feeling of vexation in her heart, like a thread she had just grasped suddenly snapping.
The clue had once again vanished without a trace.
"Yuki," Lynette, seeing that she was about to continue working, turned and said, "You should take Serie home first."
"Oh, oh! Alright, Doctor!" Yuki nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick, as if receiving a royal decree, her face clearly displaying the words "atone for one's sins." She reached out, wanting to gently take Serie's hand.
But before her hand could touch, Serie was pulled back a step by Claudia.
Serie:?
"It's fine, Doctor Lynette!" Claudia's face instantly bloomed into a radiant, almost dazzling smile, so perfect it could be used in a toothpaste commercial, her voice sweet and obedient, "There's no need to trouble Yuki with such a small matter. I'll take her back myself!"
As she spoke, her arm naturally wrapped around Serie's shoulder. She looked at Lynette with utmost sincerity in her eyes:
"Please rest assured! I have thoroughly reflected and completely changed my ways!" Her gaze was very firm, "Serie and I are getting along so~ well~ now! Right, Modie?"
She even intimately lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against the top of Serie's head.
Her actions were so natural, as if they had been best friends for years.
"..."
The air seemed to freeze.
Yuki's outstretched hand hung stiffly in mid-air.
On Jared's perpetually poker face, his brow uncharacteristically twitched fiercely. Looking at his sister's innocent and harmless appearance, an alarm blared in his mind.
Did this girl eat something wrong?
Or was she possessed by some mentally polluting anomaly?!
Serie, even more bewildered, felt her scalp tingle from Claudia's rubbing.
Hmm, in a double sense.
Is being tall such a big deal?
"Really, Serie?" Lynette's voice remained cool, directly addressing the person concerned.
"Ah... this... is... is that right?" Serie didn't know what Claudia was up to, but... Lynette was right there, so she probably wouldn't dare to do anything too outrageous... Maybe she could even use this opportunity to probe her true intentions?
Perhaps even... find some leverage?
"Hmm... Claudia... she really hasn't harmed me." She deliberately paused, as if recalling, "Although she's a bit... hmm... enthusiastic? But taking me back... should be fine, right?"
It was indeed true that Claudia, despite always targeting her, had never actually caused Serie any substantial harm.
She had just pulled and tugged at her a few times; later, it was Serie herself who fell headfirst, hurting herself.
"Alright." Lynette looked at Claudia, her tone carrying a clear warning, "Claudia, take her home safely and intact, understand?"
"Understood! Mission accomplished, guaranteed!" Claudia immediately straightened her back, her smile even brighter, like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish.
"Goodbye, Doctor," Serie said obediently.
"Goodbye," Lynette nodded.
Watching Claudia happily, almost half-hugging and half-leading Serie as she turned and walked away, Lynette's gaze lingered on Serie for a few more seconds.
...Is there nothing else you want to say to me?
A hint of loss, like a stone dropped into a deep pool, caused only an imperceptible ripple before quickly sinking.
She quickly composed herself, pushed up her glasses, and returned to work mode: "Jared, let's go back to the lab. Yuki, you too..."
Yuki was also very upset, thinking, was Serie not trusting her anymore?
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Yuki, like a puppy abandoned by its owner, with her head drooping, the melting ice cream in her hand dripping onto the clean floor.
She looked in the direction Serie was led away by Claudia, her eyes slightly red, muttering with deep grievance and confusion:
"Serie... doesn't... doesn't trust me anymore, does she?"
On the other side, Serie, completely unaware that she had quietly stirred the emotions of several women, finally returned to her room.
Serie almost collapsed into the soft, large bed, letting out a sigh of relief as if exhausted:
"Phew... I thought you'd kidnap me to some strange place and lock me up halfway."
Her voice carried a hint of post-ordeal teasing, her fingertips unconsciously tugging at the bedsheet beneath her.
Claudia did not leave immediately. Instead, she leaned leisurely against the wall by the door, the warm yellow wall lamp casting ambiguous light and shadow on her delicate profile.
Hearing Serie's words, her red lips curved into an almost demonic arc, her green eyes shimmering with dangerous yet captivating light in the dimness:
"Lock you up?" She chuckled softly, "I actually did think about it."
She paused, took two steps forward, and stopped by the bed, looking down at Serie, who was nestled in the soft bedding. She leaned down, closing the distance, allowing the clear scent of cedar to become intensely oppressive. "But... I have a better way to torment you."
Even without seeing, Serie could clearly feel that aggressive aura from above.
She tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow, "Oh? Such as?"
Claudia's smile deepened. She extended a finger, tracing the outline of Serie's cheek in the air, her voice soft and slow: "For example... making you accustomed to my presence, accustomed to my warmth, so accustomed that it becomes as natural as breathing."
"Making you drop all your defenses, willingly exposing your deepest secrets to me..."
Her fingertip paused at the position of Serie's lips, her tone suddenly tinged with a cruel excitement, "Then, at the moment you rely on me the most, trust me the most, I will leave without hesitation, throwing you and your pathetic secrets into a bone-chilling abyss together."
"How about it? Isn't that much more interesting than being locked in a dark room?"
Serie: "..."
This woman...
Is truly insane!
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