Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1421 Does he really know everything?
Leticia sat with her knees drawn up, bathed in the soft glow emanating from the enormous fungus. She gazed up at the dome, fragmented by the scattered light, the jagged rock walls stretching endlessly like the dried, broken scales of a black dragon, reaching to the very edge of this dark underground world. Hearing footsteps, she turned alertly, her ruby ​​eyes shining brightly in the night, a hint of annoyance at being disturbed. But upon recognizing the newcomer, that annoyance quickly transformed into surprise.

“It’s you, Ovira.” She looked away, rested her chin on her knees again, and idly observed the scattered lights in the sky. These were rare, constant light sources in the underground world, forming a complete day-night system with the periodic light sources such as moss, algae, and bioluminescent plants, ensuring that the creatures of the subterranean never lacked the concept of day and night.

Remarkably, the subterranean beings initially had no understanding of the night sky, stars, or constellations. However, their few encounters with surface dwellers helped them grasp their significance, and they quickly developed and popularized their own astronomical system in the subterranean world. What they called stars were actually just light-scattering minerals or stalactites embedded in the dome and crust, and constellations were simply clusters of these substances. Due to the cyclical changes in ecology and geological structure, stars were born and annihilated every moment. Therefore, the constellations described by the subterranean people changed so rapidly that even the most experienced astronomers on Earth would be astonished.

"Really? Why are you telling me all this..." Leticia seemed uninterested.

"Just some interesting tidbits," Ovira said sheepishly. "I thought you'd enjoy hearing that."

"It's boring." The little bat's assessment was scathing: "It's even more boring than the fairy tales Xia tells."

"It hasn't come to that, has it?" Ovira chuckled dryly. She mimicked Leticia's posture, sitting down on the soft lichen that slowly spread out in the shade. The night dew brought a slight chill, making her shiver involuntarily. She hugged her knees, her shoulders lightly pressed against Leticia's body heat. Leticia instinctively shifted slightly, but not too far, just to keep Ovira from getting too close. Aside from her grandmother, the little bat had never been comfortable with overly close contact with others.

Of course, there was one exception, but Leticia insisted that her close contact with that person was purely accidental. She refused to recall it and did not mention it to anyone, including her grandmother.

Ovira, of course, was unaware of the little bat's inner thoughts. She tilted her head back and carefully observed the starlight in the sky. Unlike real stars, the stars in the underground world seemed closer to the human world, almost within reach. Moreover, their light was regular, with frequencies and wavelengths observable to the naked eye. If the light was emitted by the same object, it would flicker and dim simultaneously, just like human breathing.

After watching for a while, Ovira concluded, "Actually, it's quite interesting. Otherwise, you wouldn't have stayed here alone for so long, would you?"

"No, I just can't sleep!" Leticia retorted.

“I can’t sleep either.” Ovira nodded seriously, as if it were a very important resonance.

Then she asked, "Is it because of that incident before?"

The little bat didn't respond, which can be taken as tacit agreement.

"Speaking of which, this seems to be the first time you've gone against Miss Neville's wishes. How does it feel?" Ovira asked with great interest. "Do you feel like you've finally grown into a proper adult and no longer need to listen to your grandmother's opinions on everything?"

Leticia glanced at her but didn't answer. She just silently moved her hips to the side, further away from her.

"..." Princess Beman's smile froze on her face: "What... what does this mean, Leticia?"

"It's nothing, I just think you're like one of those old witches in fairy tales who like to incite children to do bad things." Leticia's eyes were calm, but a hint of disdain inadvertently showed through.

“Old, old witch!” Ovira was shocked and murmured in disbelief, “How could this be... Shouldn’t she be the kind of sage or prophet who guides the disheartened and reveals the truth to the lost?”

"That's clearly Xia's role. Besides, I don't need any guidance or revelations." Leticia snorted. "From the moment I left until now, I've always felt that I'm right, and that feeling has never wavered. Of course, I don't need your advice."

"Really?" Ovira asked skeptically. "Then why are you sitting here alone in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Isn't it because you're feeling extremely anxious and have no one to talk to after arguing with your grandmother, so you've come out here feeling sad and depressed?"

"That's not true at all!!!"

The little bat blushed at her words and retorted without hesitation. However, perhaps her voice was too loud, waking up the gray fungus people resting in several nearby houses. A series of gurgling sounds followed, the meaning of which was unclear, but they were probably condemnations and complaints. It was clearly unethical to make such a racket outside during rest time, disturbing people's sleep.

If they were discovered, they'd be doomed. Both shut their mouths, shrinking into the shadow of the giant mushroom tree, pretending to be invisible. Only when the complaints from nearby gradually subsided did they both breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's all your fault." Ovira gave Leticia a look.

"It's clearly your fault." Leticia retorted.

“Alright, let’s assume we’re both at fault then,” O’Vera generously offered. “Let’s split the responsibility 50/50 and call it a day?”

Considering that she wouldn't be in the right to continue arguing, Leticia reluctantly agreed.

“So—” Ovira steered the conversation back to the beginning: “If you’re not upset because of the argument, then what are you doing here? Having trouble sleeping?”

Vampires can suffer from insomnia? Princess Beman was somewhat amused by her own lame joke.

Leticia glanced at her, then looked away, replying irritably, "Don't speculate. I just suddenly realized that Grandma isn't always right; sometimes she makes mistakes. Before, I always thought Grandma was the most amazing person in the world, that whatever she said was right, whatever she did was right. I admired her so much and vowed to become someone like her..."

As she spoke, her tone gradually lowered, and she stared wistfully into the void. The glowing mushroom tree scattered countless spores, obscuring the view like a mist.

It turns out it wasn't a rebellious phase, but rather adolescence.

Ovira said thoughtfully, "Doesn't this mean you're growing up?"

The little bat was skeptical, suspecting she was lying to him: "What kind of growth is this?"

“Of course it does,” Ovira said confidently. She felt she had more authority to speak on the topic of growth than Leticia: “Growth isn’t just about becoming stronger or understanding certain principles. Sometimes, discovering the shortcomings and strengths of others is also a form of growth, isn’t it?” She gave examples: “For instance, someone you used to think was amazing, you later discover they also have flaws, aren’t as perfect as they seem, and that they also make mistakes and have weaknesses; or someone you used to look down on, you suddenly discover one day they actually have many strengths, aren’t as bad as you imagined, and have always taken care of you and accommodated you… This shift in perception is itself a form of growth. Because you begin to look at others with a more objective and comprehensive perspective, no longer just blindly admiring or disliking them.”

Leticia listened quietly, a glimmer in her ruby ​​eyes, as if touched by Ovira's words. She paused for a moment before whispering, "So, you're saying my feelings for Grandma were the former, and for you, the latter?"

"Yes, that's it!"

Ovira initially nodded in agreement, but then realized something was amiss: "What do you mean? Why am I the latter? Does that mean you've always looked down on me, Leticia!?"

“I didn’t mean to look down on you…” The little bat subconsciously looked away, avoiding eye contact with Ovira. “It’s just, how should I put it, I think you’re a little… silly…”

“You mean—” Princess Beman pointed at herself incredulously, “You think I, as the King of Mysteries, am a fool?”

Leticia felt a little guilty at her exaggerated reaction and whispered in defense, "It's not that I'm particularly stupid. If you don't like it, let me put it another way. It's just that sometimes I'm a bit... weird? I always say things that are hard to understand, lock myself in my room to write novels, but I won't let us read them. Also, I stay up late at night, sneaking around in my room, I don't know what I'm up to..."

She paused, stole a glance at Ovira, and seeing that she was just puffing out her cheeks and not really angry, she continued to mutter softly, "However, things seem a little different lately."

"Oh?" Ovira immediately became interested, leaning closer with sparkling eyes. "What's different?"

Leticia wasn't used to her sudden closeness. She leaned back slightly, her ruby-like eyes shimmering in the fluorescent light. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly, "It's just... I feel like you're a little more reliable than before. The way you speak, and that way you always seem to know something but are considerate of others' feelings, so you deliberately hint at things indirectly," her voice lowered, "is a lot like Xia."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Leticia froze. She hadn't expected to say that name so carelessly. Was it premeditated, or an unintentional slip? She pursed her lips slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in her ruby-like eyes. She didn't even dare to look at Ovira's reaction. Her long eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow of unease under her eyelids.

A brief silence fell, and even the glow emanating from the moss and spores seemed to dim. Leticia was uneasy about the words she had blurted out unintentionally, but she didn't hear any sighs or lamentations from those around her. Only after a long while did a faint murmur come: "...If only that were really the case."

Leticia didn't hear clearly, but as a vampire, the most perceptive race in the night, how could she not hear a whisper so close to her? So it was more likely that she was resisting the words. A strange premonition made her unwilling to explore what Ovira was trying to say, and she simply asked instinctively, "What did you just say, Ovira?"

"nothing."

Ovira waved her hand, her voice now calm and even slightly joking: "I say, if you really consider me to be on par with Sister Xia, shouldn't you call me 'sister' too?"

Leticia didn't quite understand the logic, so she answered with Alice's favorite line: "Why should I?"

“My status in your heart is the same as Xia-jie’s,” Ovira said matter-of-factly. “Doesn’t that deserve to be called ‘sister’?”

"I've never even called Xia Xia 'sister,' so why should I?" Leticia said dismissively. "You're just a mere Ovira. You've gotten carried away just because I said a few nice words to you. Don't be so arrogant."

“You’re not being honest, Leticia.” Ovira poked her cheek with her finger. “Although you’ve never called Xia ‘sister,’ you’ve always treated her like one, haven’t you? I know it all too well.”

"Who, who said that to you?! Was it Lin Ge?! That idiot—"

"Nobody told me, but I just know, because I know everything."

"I don't believe you're that smart, you smug fool. And I'm warning you, don't poke my face again, or I'll bite you!"

"Hey, I just praised you for growing up, how come you've turned back into a wild beast? This won't do, a lady should be gentle and elegant..."

"You bastard...you're despicable!"

The little bat seemed to have lost its mind after being provoked by Ovira. Enraged, it actually opened its mouth, revealing two sharp fangs, and viciously bit down on the girl's finger: "I'll bite!"

"I'll take it."

Ovira should have withdrawn her finger in time. Leticia bit the air, her two rows of silver teeth clashing together with a crisp sound, showing that she was definitely serious just now. If she had been bitten, her finger might have already bled.

But in the end, it didn't bite.

The little bat stared blankly at Ovira, incredulous. How could a sneak attack from such close range be dodged? However, Ovira didn't seem to have dodged his attack; rather, it was as if... she had already seen through his mind, always knowing what he was thinking, so the moment the thought of a sneak attack arose, she had already caught it.

If someone guesses your thoughts, then you won't be able to succeed in anything you want to do, right?

The only question is... was it really a guess?

“I told you, didn’t I, Leticia?” Princess Beman smiled mysteriously at the little bat’s incredulous gaze, a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, but the emotion represented by that curve was not smugness, but a faint melancholy. “I know everything.”

Give me some cats