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

Perhaps because the memories of the past were too vivid, Koleta had never liked rainy days in Laguna. On nights like these, her mood would inexplicably become somewhat melancholy.

But for some reason, that feeling was stronger than usual today.

"Strange, is it just my imagination?"

She gazed quietly out the window.

The lights of Laguna city spread out in the puddles, reflecting rainbow-like halos, swaying gently like ripples in the eyes of a beautiful woman in her drunken state.

"Colette".

A deep voice gently roused her from her thoughts.

Koleta paused slightly, turned her head, and met her grandfather's gaze.

"Why do you seem a little distracted? Are you too tired lately?"

The silver-haired girl gently shook her head, revealing a reassuring smile: "No, it's just because... I was thinking about something else."

"Something else?" Francis took a cigar from the drawer, instinctively about to light it, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, gently placed it back. "Ah, I guessed it. You're thinking about that young man, aren't you?"

Koleta's cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure: "Grandfather is overthinking it. I didn't think that much about it."

Francis let out a hearty laugh: "What's there to be shy about? I was your grandfather once, how could I not understand what you're thinking? I know you've been very busy at Seven Hills lately and haven't had much of a chance to see him. How about... I give you the day off tomorrow?"

"Really? Is that okay?" The girl's eyes lit up instantly, but then she coughed lightly and said in a serious tone, "No, the family still needs me. I can't let personal matters interfere with everyone's work."

As soon as she finished speaking, Koleta regretted it.

"Wait, why should I refuse?"

"I've never actually gone on a date with Cat's Eye Stone!"

"This was clearly an opportunity my grandfather deliberately gave me!"

Francis was slightly surprised by Koleta's straightforward refusal: "Alright then, the work is almost finished anyway. Since you want to finish it in one go, I naturally won't stop you."

Koleta's smile remained unchanged, but the muscles at the corners of her mouth twitched noticeably a few times.

"I have finished reporting on today's work, Grandfather. I will take my leave now."

Koleta maintained a faint smile as she turned and walked out of the room. Only when the door closed gently behind her did her forced composure crumble, and a hint of gloom and helplessness crept onto her brow.

She walked to the shadowy corner of the corridor, finally stopped, took a deep breath, and covered her face with her hands.

"What am I doing...?"

“My grandfather even offered to give me a day off…”

"But I actually—"

She looked up and gazed out the window. The city of Laguna was still shrouded in a continuous drizzle, much like her own troubled mood.

Perhaps it's that lingering sense of responsibility in my heart that's quietly causing trouble.

In short, my date with the cat's eye stone has to be postponed again.

"Speaking of which, what's that Cat's Eye guy doing now?"

Koleta unconsciously leaned forward, her fingertips lightly touching the cold glass. The chill seeped into her heart through her veins.

Are you thinking about me?

Or……

Was he flirting with other girls?

For example, that blond guy in the religious order!

Looking at the whole of Laguna, at present, only Phoebe can be considered a threat.

As for Yuno and Lupa...

They are still in Qiqiu, and their reach cannot extend that far yet.

Also, regarding Floro...

Koleta bit her fingertip, the scene of her confrontation with Floro that day reappearing before her eyes.

"What exactly did she mean by those words?"

Could it be that Duanmu Yan really has a hidden past?

If that's true, why has he never mentioned it to me?

Or is it that even he himself has long forgotten?

Upon closer examination, cat's eye stones are indeed shrouded in many unsolved mysteries.

An untraceable past, an extraordinary capacity for resonance, and...

Abu.

That mysterious little guy not only formed a symbiotic relationship with Duanmu Yan, but could even devour the Black Tide—something that ordinary voice-residues could not achieve.

Whether it's Cat's Eye Stone or Abu, their very existence seems to conceal secrets that even they themselves are unaware of.

However, it may be too early to delve into these matters now.

"I have a feeling... a bit uneasy," Koleta murmured to herself. "Maybe I should contact Cat's Eye and see what he's up to now."

She took out her terminal and dialed Duanmu Yan's number.

After a brief pause, that familiar and reassuring voice came through the receiver:

"Second Miss, is there anything I can help you with?"

The moment she heard his voice, Koleta felt as if all the fatigue she had accumulated throughout the day was gently swept away.

She leaned softly against the wall, her tone unconsciously softening: "Nothing important... I just finished work for the day and wanted to ask what you were doing."

"Uh... As for me, I didn't do anything, I just rested at home."

Resting at home?

It is true.

After all, he doesn't need to work at the bank anymore.

"Are you bored? Do you need me to keep you company?" Koleta's lips curled up slightly, her tone carrying a hint of meaning. "Tonight... I have plenty of time."

"No need, Miss. You've been busy all day and should get some rest."

This sudden, serious response surprised Coleta slightly.

He asked me yesterday if I could go and keep him company…

Why did things change today?

Could it be that……

She unconsciously frowned, and her face gradually darkened.

—It felt as if the top of my head was slightly heavy, as if I was being pressed down by some invisible weight.

"You...you're not with another woman right now, are you?"

The girl's voice gradually took on a chill.

"How could that be? It's so late, who else could I be with?"

—Who are you with?

That question really stumped her.

At present, the only possible candidate is Phoebe.

However, the religious order has always maintained strict discipline over its clergy, and Phoebe was such a simple and obedient person that it was impossible for her to violate the precepts and spend the night with Duanmu Yan.

As for Floro, given her indifferent attitude towards everyone, she's even less likely to do such a thing.

"See, you can't explain it either, can you? That's why, Miss, you should trust your partner more!"

Koleta pursed her lips, feeling that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Okay, maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Then, Miss, it's so late, you should go and rest. I won't disturb you any longer."

"Ah."

Just as Koleta was about to hang up, she suddenly heard a woman cough.

Her jewel-like eyes lost their luster in that instant, as if something had dimmed forever: "Who was that voice just now?"

"Uh... TV, I'm watching TV. You know, Abu is curious about everything. He always has to watch weird things."

"Strange things?"

"You know, things like dating. Abu is interested in that."

"Abu would still be interested in this?"

"Yes." His voice was noticeably less confident. "Anyway, if you don't believe me, go ask Abu later!"

Hearing him mention Abu, Koleta's expression softened slightly, and she asked softly, half-believingly, "Really?"

"It's absolutely true, Second Miss! My loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and the moon!"

"...Alright, I'll trust you this time." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

After hanging up the call, Koleta let out a long sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders relaxed.

Yes, we should definitely trust our partners more.

Although the suspicions were not unfounded, upon closer examination, apart from that little blond boy from the Xiu Hui sect, there really wasn't anyone else worth being wary of right now.

Now that this possibility has been ruled out, the problem is naturally solved.

Could it be that Cat's Eye Stone is dating Cantrell?

This absurd idea almost made Koleta burst out laughing.

It's better to guess that he and Zanni are on a date.

After all, the two had no connection whatsoever, and Cat's Eye Stone had previously had several clashes with the Fesari family, so how could it possibly be related to Cantrela?

"Ugh—really..." The girl stretched her stiff body, banishing all those chaotic guesses from her mind. "Looks like I'm really overworked; my mind is starting to wander. Okay, I should go wash up and rest."

Volume 1: Chapter 125 Her tongue is so nimble

"Miss Cantrella, you did this on purpose, didn't you..."

Portivino Castle.

Duanmu Yan hung up the call with a trembling heart, then looked helplessly at Cantrella sitting opposite him.

The noble patriarch was holding a silk handkerchief and gently wiping his chest, which had been accidentally dampened by tea.

“I didn’t mean to,” Cantrell said softly. A slight smile appeared on her lips. “I was just startled by that sudden sound and lost my composure for a moment.”

Duanmu Yan didn't understand what she was saying: "A sudden sound?"

“It’s nothing.” Cantrela put the handkerchief aside. “It’s just the whisper that every head of the Fesalie family hears every day, bewitching your ego and your will until you are willing to sacrifice everything to it.”

Duanmu Yan looked puzzled. She felt that when she spoke, she was just like Floro, incomprehensible. Although she could understand each word individually, she couldn't understand them when they were put together.

"Little guest, don't be confused, you will soon know the answer."

Cantrela gently closed her eyes, her pink tongue lightly brushing against the corner of her lips, as if savoring something.

The purple teardrop pattern under her left eye looked even more alluring in the dim light.

"Before we formally discuss the work, may I ask if you are absolutely sure that after absorbing the Black Tide, the little guest did not experience any discomfort?"

Duanmu Yan nodded: "Mm."

Although Abu devoured the Black Tide, since he coexists with Abu, he can naturally sense its state—at least for now, the Black Tide has not had any effect on him.

"Do such people really exist in the world?"

Cantrella's lips curled into a smile, her purple eyes gleaming with a dangerous yet alluring light.

"The Black Tide is the sharpest blade of the Leviathan. Any creature that is tainted by it will be immediately corrupted by its chaotic tide."

"But you are able to... devour it?"

She gracefully crossed her legs, leaned forward slightly, rested her chin on her hand, and gazed at him with great interest.