Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

It's quite rare to see Bronya, who is usually emotionless, showing such a rare expression of feeling.

Although it looks pretty much the same as usual.

"Headmaster, it's about time you got up."

Leaving the warm embrace, Bronya looked to the side and said.

Following her gaze, one could see a white furry ball lying on the ground, in a standard dogeza pose.

"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault for causing you so much trouble..."

With its forehead pressed against the cold ceramic tile, its three thousand silver hairs scattered on the ground, the white fluffy ball apologized repeatedly.

She was Theresa, whose mind had gone blank for half a minute.

Realizing that Ziyao was truly still alive, she immediately expressed her guilt and apology through her actions.

She thought it was a hallucination that they could meet again.

After Mei explained the current situation, and recalling how she had been targeting Ziyao these past two days, causing her distress, and even mistaking her for a villain from World Serpent...

It's over.

Can't think about it anymore.

My head is buzzing.

How to do? ?

Guilt, joy, happiness, nervousness... a myriad of thoughts surged through my mind.

With a thud, Theresa knelt down, placing her hands folded in front of her—the highest form of apology in the Far East.

It wasn't a showy bow, but a truly earnest and sincere apology.

If you take off your clothes, neatly fold them, and then say, "Please accept my xx!", the situation might get out of control.

"Headmaster, let's forget about it, get up first."

Bronya tried to help Theresa up, but Theresa persisted, hoping to get blamed or punished by Ziyao to make up for all her mistakes, otherwise she would never get up.

"Sister Ziyao, please try to persuade the headmistress..."

"Punishment? Let me think about it."

Sitting on the stool with her legs crossed, Ziyao's pretty face still had a slight blush.

She had little interest in money or power; as for women... she always felt she would be killed by Mei's machete.

Theresa wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted, leaving Theresa momentarily unsure who should apologize.

"How about being my maid for a whole year?"

The punishment was neither too severe nor too lenient.

A whole year is not just two weeks.

But Ziyao doesn't actually need anyone's help; she's most likely just a figurehead.

"Please punish me severely!"

Theresa had obviously guessed Ziyao's purpose; this was clearly just a perfunctory response.

This is punishment for her incompetence; her carelessness nearly killed her friend, and her hesitation caused Kiana to flee, even though she had promised Cecilia...

"In that case, I'll grant your wish."

Ziyao said helplessly, then leaned down to Theresa's ear and gently blew hot air into it.

After hearing her request, the white fluffy ball's face turned red instantly.

"Everyone, let's rest for now. I'm going to find Kiana."

"I want to go too."

Mei roughly guessed the reason for Kiana's disappearance.

That outcome was not what she wanted, and thinking about it made her feel complicated, after all, the girl was her best friend.

"You're the only one who can't be."

Ziyao sighed, "You can't blame Mei for this. Sooner or later, similar conflicts were bound to happen between the two of them."

“Theresa, you go look on the right, I’ll look in the left-hand area. Kiana isn’t a capricious person, she won’t just leave like that.”

It's getting dark.

Ziyao took out the Plague Gem from the system space and put it in her clothes to keep warm.

Unexpectedly, the snowflakes melted into water, wetting her clothes and making her feel even more uncomfortable.

The gloomy sky was filled with endless falling snow. The cold wind had stopped, and everything was so quiet, like a lull before a storm.

Volume 1: Chapter 159 Bloodshed (Part 4)

"Ziyao, is there any news?"

"I've sent a stargazer to the south; he'll contact you if he gets any leads."

An hour and a half passed, and Kiana was nowhere to be found; she seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Neither Ziyao nor Theresa showed any intention of giving up.

For Theresa, compared to searching for a needle in a haystack across several cities, Moonsea City, which is only a few small towns in size, was not nearly as difficult.

"It's so cold."

Compared to warm Australia, Moonsea City is a land of ice and snow.

No wonder migratory birds migrate; if they didn't leave, they'd just stand here and become ice sculptures.

Compared to Theresa's comprehensive search, Ziyao's route was very simple, and she even kept going around in circles on a fixed route.

Perhaps it was the first time she had gone in circles, but she finally stopped.

A little while later, she changed her route and headed back towards the hotel.

"Sister, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

"Hey, you're hugging me too tight. I'm still carrying shopping bags."

"Because my sister is so sweet. I heard it's going to snow heavily for the next few days, and the roads will probably be closed again."

"Isn't it better to stay at home?"

"Of course it's great! I love my older sister the most, and I'm so happy to be with her!"

The lamplight flickered, and two close sisters walked past Kiana, chatting and laughing.

It's lunchtime now, and everyone is with their loved ones, chatting and laughing in the warm lighting.

Only myself...

I looked up and felt the cool white fluff fall on my face.

The dark sky was empty except for a layer of dull clouds.

Kiana sat alone on a street bench, clutching the necklace that had fallen to the floor earlier.

She hoped that Ziyao could find her, but she also didn't want to, because she didn't know how to face it.

She did something outrageous, said those things, and then impulsively ran away...

And because of a fit of pique, she's now in a place no one can find.

Even Mei, who knows her best, might not be able to find this place.

Wanting to be found, yet hiding in a place where no one can find you—what a contradiction!

Dim lighting, a snowy night alone.

All was quiet, and he was all alone.

Kiana sat on the bench, lost in thought, letting the falling snow stain her shoulders white.

After some time, a steaming cup of black tea was placed in front of her.

"Want some? It's getting cold."

The voice was familiar; I knew who it was without even looking up.

"Ziyao, what happened to you...?"

How did you know you were here?

Ziyao added the last sentence for her.

He reached out and patted the snow off the girl's shoulder; her hair was also icy cold.

"No, I can do it myself. I'm not a child anymore."

Kiana reached out and refused Ziyao's help, her gaze constantly shifting, avoiding eye contact with her.

This is a small park behind the hotel, less than fifty meters away.

Even in this short distance, Theresa searched for a long time but couldn't find it, proving the old saying "the darkest place is under the lamp."

"Want to play some games?"

Ziyao took Kiana's hand, claiming it was to ask for her opinion, but she didn't give Kiana a chance to refuse.

After leaving the small park, they went to an internet cafe on another street.

The arcade closed a long time ago, but the internet cafes are still there.

Inviting girls out usually involves going to the movies or a park; going to an internet cafe is a rather odd choice.

Well, I'm a girl too, so I don't need to worry about so much.

"Ziyao, how about we play Kirby the Moon?"

Kiana chose a game that Ziyao might like, and her worries lessened considerably in front of the electronic screen.

"That's a bit childish... Just kidding, how about this instead?"

Aside from Kallen Fantasy, Kiana generally doesn't play games that are too cute, so choosing Kirby the Moon was probably to cater to her.