“What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to bolt right now.”

Tina seemed to see straight through Roland’s thoughts.

Her voice was slightly different from before—

still gentle, yet now carrying a hint of playful amusement,

as if she were sizing him up.

Hunter.

And whether he was worthy prey.

Something like that.

Roland froze, unable to take another step.

Tina settled onto the sofa and patted the empty space beside her.

“Come here.”

“…”

Roland fell silent for a moment, then chose to sit across from her.

Another quiet stretched between them.

Until Tina spoke up:

“Only half an hour left before we leave. Are you still planning to back out?”

“You could threaten my life to force surrender. Polite excuses won’t change my mind.”

Roland’s words—equal parts brave and cowardly—made Tina pause, then cover her mouth with a soft laugh.

“Why are all of Gudao’s disciples so interesting?”

“You know my master?”

“We’ve crossed paths. Though I know his disciples far better.”

Tina offered no concealment.

“Jamie of the Blackstream Kingdom included—they’re all Gudao’s students, aren’t they?”

“So you’ve researched us thoroughly. Were we part of your plan from the start?”

That explained the odd coincidences.

Tina shook her head.

“I had no plan. After reviewing your files, I simply… imagined, ‘How nice if this happened.’”

“…What does that mean?”

“Complicated to explain. Simply put—”

Tina crossed her left arm, raised her right index finger to her temple.

“My fantasies… tend to come true.”

“?”

Roland had expected clarity. Instead, confusion deepened.

Did she mean her fantasies *become* reality?

Was she joking? Lying again?

“If that’s true, why not fantasize me staying—joining Clear Sky?”

“I already am.”

“Hm?”

“By the way, Sasha’s recovery speed is impressive.”

Tina shifted topics abruptly. Sasha was still resting with the others in another lounge—

and quietly verifying whether anyone was truly asleep.

“What are you implying?”

“No need to tense up, Roland.”

Arms crossed, eyes narrowed, Tina’s voice softened.

“I’ve known she’s an Elf all along. No need to fear exposure.”

“…”

Roland’s face stayed calm, but his resolve wavered.

*She’s bluffing.* If they truly knew Sasha was an Elf, Tina and Agnes wouldn’t act so warmly.

Elves were feared for brutality. Roland *knew* Sasha wouldn’t harm innocents—but they couldn’t know that.

Yet through Sasha, he’d genuinely felt their kindness.

Conclusion: Tina suspected, but had no proof.

“If you aim to smear us, spare the effort.”

Roland kept his tone steady.

“Miss Tina, if you want us to join, then—”

“A Yellow Tier High Martial cultivator, no matter how tempered, couldn’t survive a Grade-A magical beast’s strike unscathed. Thuke and Autumnwater were gravely injured by a mere tail swipe. We barely dared approach the Lionbite Shark—relying solely on magic.”

Tina cut in smoothly.

“When the magic crocodile clamped down, she briefly unleashed Elf power. I saw it.”

“…”

Roland stayed silent.

Then Tina’s smile faded. Voice level, calm:

“Agnes is half-Elf, half-human. She understands Elves better than you. And Sasha’s blood… confirms everything.”

“Miss Agnes is… an Elf?”

Roland’s composure cracked—not from dropping pretense, but sheer disbelief.

Agnes showed zero Elf traits. Sasha even shared a bed with her… and noticed nothing.

No wonder she wielded that massive scythe.

Perhaps Elf-born strength played a part.

“Blood doesn’t lie. However well Sasha hides, one test reveals all.”

That sentence broke Roland.

He heard the unspoken threat: *Refuse, and we go to the lab.*

Exposure meant disaster.

“I… understand.”

Roland raised his hands.

“I surrender. Please, Miss Tina… show mercy.”

“Then answer: who is Sasha to you?”

“Not blood-related. But since losing our memories, we’ve relied on each other to survive.”

Roland answered evenly.

“Your intel surely has this record.”

“Indeed. This is merely verification. Lie, and little Sasha’s identity might… slip out.”

Seventy percent bluff.

But Roland had no stomach for gambling with lives.

In this world, Elves meant one thing:

Discovery → execution.

Value? Imprisonment. Interrogation. Torture.

Once drained—death.

“Are you keeping Sasha close… like you did Miss Agnes?”

*(Agnes likely stays for safety.)*

Tina’s eyebrows lifted slightly. A flicker of surprise.

“You really are sharp.”

“So I’m the expendable part, then?”

Roland braced for dismissal.

Tina stood.

“No. Quite the opposite.”

She leaned forward, left hand braced on the glass table, closing the distance.

Her right palm pressed gently against his cheek.

Ice-cold.

*(Some women just have naturally cold hands.)*

Voice dropping to a whisper, intimate and deliberate:

“What I want… is *you*.”