I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

He spoke in a low voice, his voice faintly glowing.

The cracked longsword slowly emerged, and he carefully held it in his palm, his voice tinged with hesitation: "The sword you gave me... was damaged in the battle just now. I wonder if it can be repaired?"

Koleta paused slightly, her gaze falling on the crystal longsword, Sansi, forged from her own resonance ability.

The blade was covered with crisscrossing cracks, which shimmered with tiny reflections under the bonfire in the arena.

“Isn’t it completely broken?” Her fingertips gently traced a deep crack. “How about I have the best blacksmith in Lina Xita forge a weapon for you himself?”

But Duanmu Yan shook his head firmly: "That's different. I want this one."

Koleta was puzzled: "Why?"

Duanmu Yan tilted her head slightly and smiled gently: "This is the first gift you gave me, Second Miss."

His voice was soft, yet it made the girl's heart tremble slightly. A glint of light flashed in his jewel-like pupils, like the sunlight reflecting off scattered cellophane.

—It seems that in this instant, eternity is what we call eternity.

Second Miss.jpg

PS: Third update

Volume 1: Chapter 101 Koleta's Determination [4K]

Tonight's dinner was a bit more lively than usual.

Duanmu Yan gently swirled the drink in his glass, and a soothing melody flowed through the restaurant, like a tune played on some kind of traditional instrument from Qiqiu.

He couldn't recall the name, but he felt the melodious tune seeping into his soul, gradually dissipating the tension he had felt during the gladiatorial arena and the Remnant Star Society not long ago.

On either side, Lupa and Yuno were arguing fiercely about what to eat for dinner that night—not really arguing, but more like an endless debate about taste.

Lupa prefers more traditional flavors, but can also tolerate some strong-flavored foods.

And what about Yuno?

They prefer the light, natural flavor and only dip their fingers in a tiny bit of seasoning.

As for Duanmu Yan? He has never been particularly particular about food, accepting all kinds of flavors, from salty to mild and spicy.

At this moment, he just squinted, listening to the arguments and music around him, and felt that such a lively night was quite rare.

"So, why don't you just order your own dinners?"

Opposite Duanmu Yan, Coleta rested her chin on her hand, her tone tinged with helplessness.

This helplessness is not entirely due to the current taste dispute.

More because...

"So why are Lupa and Yuno able to sit next to the cat's eye so naturally?"

"No matter how you look at it, the spot next to him should belong to me."

A sense of grievance welled up in my heart.

However, as the eldest daughter of the Motari family, her ingrained elegance and reserve would never allow her to voice such thoughts.

"Anyway, the most important person in Cat's Eye's heart is me."

"There's plenty of time in the future. Let's just give in to them for now. It's not a big deal."

Therefore, this is the only way Koleta can deceive herself—no, to comfort herself.

“That makes sense. Let’s each order what we like then.” Lupa handed the menu to Yuno, then looked at Duanmu Yan. She seemed to notice the worry in the young man’s eyes and asked, “Duanmu, you seem… a little distracted? Are you feeling unwell?”

Upon hearing the girl's voice, Duanmu Yan paused slightly, then chuckled and shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm just concerned about something."

"Something?" Koleta leaned closer. "What is it?"

After thinking for a while, Duanmu Yan said, "It was before, after the Governor and I were pulled into the so-called Sonora world by the people of the Remnant Star Society, that person called Scar said a lot of strange things to me, which made me feel very strange."

“Nonsense?” Lupa pondered for a moment, guessing based on his gladiator experience, “Is he trying to distract you? There are often people like that in the arena, using nonsense to distract their opponents and then launching a fierce attack when they are off guard.”

"Although that person acted crazy, his tone... didn't seem right." Duanmu Yan tried hard to recall the scene at the time, "It felt... as if he really knew me."

"Moreover, the key point is not that. The key point is that he told me that he was not the first supervisor of the Remnant Star Society that I had come into contact with. Long before him, there were already people from the Remnant Star Society who had dealt with me, and even... had quite a good relationship with me."

Upon hearing this, both Yuno and Koleta's gazes became much stranger.

"So, you mean... there are members of the Remnant Star Society hidden in your social circle?" Yuno's voice unconsciously lowered, carrying a subtle probing tone. "Who do you think... it could be?"

Duanmu Yan shrugged helplessly: "How would I know? I have a wide circle of friends, and many people come and go in my life."

Lupa gently bit the straw and pondered, "Then... could it be someone you see often? Like, a colleague or something?"

"Colleagues?" Duanmu Yan chuckled. "I get along well with all my colleagues, it can't be Zanni, can it?"

The image of that overworked office worker, always looking like he was at work, or on his way to work, flashed through his mind.

If she still has to find time to do things for the Remnant Star Association, she might really die suddenly at her workstation.

“How could it be Zanni?” Coleta was the first to deny it. “No one knows her better than me. Right now, in the whole family, besides Grandfather and you, she is the one I trust the most.”

"If that's the case, then who could it be?" Yuno muttered to himself. "I've also heard about the Remnant Star Society. They're ruthless and kill without hesitation. If you really have someone like that around you, you should be careful."

"That's what's bothering me."

Just then, the waiter came over carrying plates of steaming hot dishes.

The enticing aroma instantly captured his attention, dispelling most of his doubts—it wasn't that he was greedy, but rather that he had spent the entire day with Yuno and then fought against the governor and the Remnant Star Society members in the evening, leaving him starving.

"Alright, let's eat first." He waved his hand, as if trying to temporarily chase away his troubles. "Nothing is more important than eating. I'm starving."

When it comes to meals, Abu is naturally never absent.

With a soft "plop," it nimbly leaped out from Duanmu Yan's voice trail, its eyes shining as it stared at a table full of delicious food: "Wow! Is the battle over? So much good food, is this a victory celebration?"

Yuno looked at the little guy who had suddenly appeared with curiosity.

She had heard Duanmu Yan mention Abu before, but this was the first time she had seen him in person.

"This is... the voice residing within the Resonator's body?" She tentatively reached out and gently poked Abu's soft cheek, her eyes lighting up. "Fat and soft, it feels so nice. I feel like it would be really comfortable to sleep with it. Duanmu, can I borrow Abu for a bit?"

"What?! I'm not a body pillow!" Abu said angrily. "I'm the strongest body in Solaris! Do you know the Black Tide? I've eaten it!"

Kuroshio?

Oh, right.

Yuno then remembered that the reason he invited Duanmu Yan to Sanguis Karahara to investigate the anomaly of the Black Tide Cloud was because he valued the little guy's special ability—which might have some kind of suppressive effect on the Black Tide.

“Speaking of which, Augusta sent word that the situation on Kagari’s side is more complicated than expected.” She picked up a bright red fruit, took a small bite, and let the sweet juice spread across her tongue. “Although I would love to stay in Seven Hills City for a few more days… it seems we’ll have to move up our schedule. So, let’s set off tomorrow.”

"Tomorrow?" This decisive decision surprised Duanmu Yan. "I thought you would stay in the city for a few more days."

Yuno immediately pouted and glared at him with dissatisfaction: "What! Do you think I'm such an inconsiderate person?" She raised her chin slightly, her tone carrying a hint of pride, "It's true that I'm playful and willful, but I also know when to be serious, and I'm very clear about the responsibilities I bear."

After saying that, she turned to Koleta and Lupa at the table: "What about you two? Would you like to come along?"

Lupa paused for a moment, then quickly pulled out her terminal and flipped through her schedule. After a quick while, she nodded readily: "Perfect timing! Ms. Yulia is helping me find new teammates, so I'm actually quite free these days."

A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and a triumphant smile curved her lips: "Black Tide? Ha, I've wanted to meet it for a long time. As gladiators of glory, what is the purpose of constantly honing oneself in the arena, if not to pierce those twisted creations with one's lance?"

As for Colette...

She didn't make a decision immediately, but weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

As a Laguna native, she had no reason to interfere in the internal affairs of the Seven Hills—a principle she would normally adhere to.

But this moment is different.

The threat of the Black Tide hangs like a sword of Damocles, tightly binding the fate of the entire Lina Shita.

Whether as the eldest daughter of the Motari family or as a citizen of this land, she felt it was her responsibility to contribute.

not to mention……

Her gaze swept over Duanmu Yan and the two beautiful girls beside him.

Should we allow him to travel alone with them?

She suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into her head.

Who knows what will happen on this journey?

One Phoebe is already difficult to deal with, and she doesn't want to have a few more "enemies".

Yuno does not seem to have shown any particular feelings for Duanmu Yan yet.

Although Lupa's relationship is mostly based on pure friendship, who can guarantee that this friendship won't change?

Thinking of this, she raised her eyes, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips: "Yes, I'll go too. The family's affairs in Qiqiu have just been settled. If... I can be of any help."

"Great!" Yuno leaned back comfortably in his chair, enjoying the sweet taste of the fruit on his lips. "Karihara is always so quiet. With you guys joining the hunt, this operation will definitely be much more interesting."

"Hunting?" This familiar yet unfamiliar word puzzled Duanmu Yan. "What does that mean?"

“You didn’t know?” Lupa put down her drink and turned to him to explain patiently, “For the people of Seven Hills, hunting and gladiatorial combat have always been two sides of the same coin. Since the founding of Seven Hills, countless gladiators have ultimately chosen to end their glorious careers with a grand hunt.”

"Sanguisgari is our front line against the Black Tide. And the target we hunt is the remnant born from the Black Tide."

Hunting elephant remains? That's quite in line with Seven Hills' style.

However, rather than calling it hunting, it is perhaps more like a confrontational stance that the Seven Hills people have adopted, a courage forged in dire circumstances.

Once a person is ignited by a certain belief, they can indeed unleash a power that disregards everything.

“However, it’s not high tide yet, so the Kuroshio creations on Kagari aren’t as fierce or numerous,” Yuno added. “But I heard from Augusta that there seems to be unusual echo energy in the Kuroshio clouds over Kagari. Although there’s no high tide yet, no one can say for sure whether the Kuroshio will erupt next.”

Duanmu Yan picked up a slice of pizza—Hot Sea Pear Pizza—and placed it in front of Coleta, but she ignored it, even...her eyes were filled with disgust.

They truly live up to the traditions of the Laguna people.

"So, our mission is to investigate that unusual echo energy?"

Yuno nodded: "Yes, we need to figure out if this frequency will trigger a black tide eruption. If..."

At this point, the girl seemed to become somewhat downcast.

"If what?" Duanmu Yan then asked.

The latter shook his head and smiled again: "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some other things."

……

……

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Lupa took the lead in saying goodbye, went back to pack her things, and agreed to meet again the next morning.

Meanwhile, Duanmu Yan, Yuno, and Coleta embarked on their journey back to the Leonidas Hotel side by side.

“Looks like we’ll have to squeeze in for the night…” Duanmu Yan had barely finished speaking when he realized his mistake and quickly coughed to make amends, “Ahem, I mean, Miss Second and Yuno, you two can share a room. I remember the bed in that room is big enough that it should be fine for two people.”

Upon hearing this, Yuno narrowed her eyes slyly and leaned closer to him like a kitten that had discovered a clue: "Huh? If you hadn't added that, I wouldn't have thought of anything strange. Confess—were you thinking about something naughty just now?"

"How could that be?" Duanmu Yan immediately straightened his back, putting on a righteous and awe-inspiring look. "I'm not that kind of person. I was just afraid you would misunderstand, so I explained."

"Really?" Yuno pressed closer, "You really didn't have any other thoughts about being in a room with two beautiful girls?"

Duanmu Yan was silent for a moment, then turned his face away somewhat awkwardly: "I reserve the right to refuse to answer this question!"

"Look! You hesitated!" Yuno, as if he had caught something red-handed, turned smugly to the other side. "Koleta, look at this guy!"

Koleta simply smiled faintly and did not reply.

Deep down, she secretly hoped that Duanmu Yan might indeed harbor some ill intentions towards her.

If that's the case, it would save her a lot of careful planning.

Once the raw rice is cooked into cooked rice, all problems will naturally be solved.

But the question is, does he really have it?

Koleta couldn't help but have doubts...

Indeed, Cat's Eye Stone always treated her with meticulous care, with unconditional accommodation and respect. He seemed never to refuse any of her requests.

But where does this goodwill come from?

Was it out of polite respect for the eldest daughter of the Motari family, or was it special treatment of "Koleta"?

What place does he hold in his heart?

If he only sees himself as an ordinary friend...

A night breeze gently brushed against her hair, and the girl unconsciously tightened her fingers, a faint, indescribable tremor passing through her heart.