That came so suddenly that Lin Mo almost leapt to his feet.

Thankfully, Diona only crossed the line once. She didn’t go any further, instead turning her attention elsewhere.

“Huff, huff… what a cute XX.”

“Soon, it’ll be completely mine. (This content has been censored by the Black Rabbit God.) (This content has been censored by the Black Rabbit God.) It’s just so (This content has been censored by the Black Rabbit God).”

“!” (Lin Mo)

Well, this was the Matriarchal Apocalypse, after all.

Lin Mo had accepted The World. He wouldn’t be surprised by it, even if he did feel a little violated. He could put up with that.

“(This content has been censored by the Black Rabbit God.)”

After saying a whole lot of things that ruined the heroine’s image, Diona shifted her attention again.

She began to tremble all over, so nervous she could barely control herself.

(T-there’s more under the blanket…)

(Right at the very bottom, completely covered by the quilt—Xiao Mo’s adorable little feet…)

Diona squeezed her eyes shut, her face twisted with resolve.

After hesitating for a long while, she finally made the sensible choice.

If she really pulled back the blanket and admired Lin Mo’s legs, she was certain she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back again!

“Hah… hah… Good thing you didn’t wake up, Xiao Mo. Otherwise, I really don’t know how tonight would’ve ended.”

Muttering softly, Diona kept gazing fondly at Lin Mo’s face, then sat right down on the old wooden floor.

She sat with her legs apart, her gaze a little hazy as she looked at the young man’s face.

“…” Lin Mo was still listening.

Judging by the sound of her voice and breathing, he was certain Diona was sitting right in front of him.

(Would she freak out if I suddenly opened my eyes?)

Thinking this mischievously, Lin Mo kept pretending to be asleep, showing no sign of waking up.

“Sigh…”

“I’m really, really sorry. I don’t want to be like this, either.”

All of a sudden, he heard Diona start talking to herself in front of him.

The girl had been rambling for a while, but until now she’d been making lewd jokes that amounted to sexual harassment. Her tone was much heavier now.

“I’ve always been a sensible, self-controlled girl. I’ve never acted like such a jerk before… Ah, ah. Honestly, even I can’t stand the person I’ve become.”

Diona’s voice was full of frustration.

Lin Mo thought, So you do know! But that was all he did. On the outside, he showed no sign that anything was amiss.

“Maybe I’ve just been under too much pressure lately…”

“Or maybe it’s because you’re so beautiful, Xiao Mo, and so kind, so innocent and adorable. You’re so wonderful, you hardly seem like a man at all…”

“Anyway, even just getting close to you feels like I’m going to get burned by your light.”

“I want to get closer.”

“But I’m also so, so afraid of you—so perfect and incredible that it’s hard to believe.”

“You’re such a strong, pitiful boy…”

“Out there with your friends, you stayed just as strong even after they were all killed.”

“I could tell at a glance.”

“I never get someone’s true nature wrong. You’re kind, innocent, adorable—you’re the kind of kid who gives other people courage and hope. Someone like you could never belong with those bandits. But it’s precisely because you’re like that that you seem so unreal, I can hardly believe you’re real…”

Uh.

That was a lot.

Lin Mo thought, Are you sneaking into my room at night or giving a speech?! You’re whispering to someone who’s supposedly asleep—aren’t you worried you’ll wake me up talking like that?

…Still.

As much as he thought Diona’s words were way too long-winded, he was still pretty happy to hear such a wonderful girl praise him.

“Compared to you, I’m just no good.”

“No good at all.”

Diona was sitting on the floor. From the sound of it, Lin Mo guessed she might be running her hands through her hair in frustration.

“Everyone thinks I can do anything. Everyone thinks I’m good at everything. But when will it ever end?”

“But I have to carry everyone’s hopes.”

“I have to be able to do everything—lead them, protect everyone, even take care of all the things that shouldn’t have been my responsibility in the first place.”

“Mom says that people with ability have to hold themselves to even higher standards.”

“Everyone wants me to shoulder my responsibilities. My responsibility is to protect all of them. My responsibility, my…”

Diona’s voice grew softer and softer.

At last, a faint sob crept into her voice. “I’m sorry, Xiao Mo. I’m sorry.”

“I want to be free so badly… I really want to stop caring about everything, stop having to look after everyone. I want to be a completely selfish, shameless, awful person.”

“What the hell do I care about the camp and its people? They can all go to hell!”

“I don’t want to live like this forever. But I…”

“I’m sorry, Xiao Mo. I’m sorry. I’m a weak woman. I don’t deserve to call myself a woman.”

“I’m trash. Scum. A rotten person. A useless wreck.”

“I don’t want to do anything. I really don’t. I never want to do anything again. I just want to be free and happy, go somewhere far away, meet all kinds of people, drink all kinds of good liquor, eat all kinds of delicious food. I want to be able to trash some place and just walk away. I want…”

By the end, Diona’s voice was so agitated it was almost rising to a shout. But in the end, she managed to rein in her emotions.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Mo. I can’t believe I said so many hopelessly stupid things to you.”

Lin Mo felt Diona gently stroke his forehead, then leave another kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Even if it’s just so you can live a safe life, I have to keep trying.”

“You can do it, Diona. You’ve got this, Diona.”

After quietly giving herself two pep talks, Diona seemed to stand up again.

Lin Mo could clearly smell her.

Even through the nervous scent clinging to her, he could sense how fiercely she was pretending to be happy.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Mo.” Diona apologized again. “I can’t believe I acted so weak in front of a guy. I really am a hopeless woman…”

“I promise I won’t bother you with this kind of stupid thing again. Ah, ah… I was even planning to get one more thrill out of looking at your sleeping face… Anyway, I’m sorry. Sweet dreams.”

With that…

Diona kissed Lin Mo on the cheek once more.

…

She left the room.

Lin Mo didn’t slowly open his eyes again until ten minutes after she’d left. A gentle yet sorrowful light shimmered in his pupils.

“What do you mean, ‘get one more thrill’? You pervert.”

He muttered softly, rolled over in bed, and pulled the blanket over his head. “You don’t have to push yourself so hard, you know.”

“Idiot.”