Ronald naturally understood the troubled expression on Nicole’s face, one she had never shown before.
After thinking deeply for a moment and calming down to organize his thoughts,
Ronald maintained the steadiness of his tone and spoke with utmost seriousness,
"Nicole, before you make any decision, I can assure you,"
"The content of the ciphered letter in my hands has absolutely nothing to do with you or your teacher, and if the contents were to be revealed, your situation would become extremely dangerous."
"My intention is that you don’t get involved in this matter, as that is the safest option for you."
"The lie detector spell is still in effect, you know I’m not lying to you."
Ronald’s heartfelt advice only led Nicole to smile with a mix of relief and helplessness.
She could certainly feel the results of the lie detector, and her friend in front of her had indeed not deceived her.
But even so, there was a truth she had to pursue!
Subsequently, the investigator’s gaze was firm as she looked straight at Ronald,
"Ronald, of course, I believe your answer."
"But still... please tell me everything."
"Even if the answer on that ciphered letter is unrelated to me, I urgently wish to grasp any possibility that exists!"
By now, Nicole’s tone was quite agitated.
The investigator could not wait any longer. She stood up from her chair, took two steps towards Ronald, and then pressed her hands onto the back of the chair behind him.
Effectively blocking Ronald’s way out.
At this moment, the investigator was almost face-to-face with Ronald.
Their eyes locked onto each other’s, she began to speak word by word,
"What exactly is on the ciphered letter?"
Sitting in the wicker chair, Ronald grasped the armrests on both sides, his back involuntarily tensing.
At this distance, he could even feel Nicole’s warm breath rhythmically hitting his face.
Faced with the girl’s serious demeanor, Ronald eventually spoke up,
"The message conveyed in my note is simple."
"They say, the warden is a traitor."
Nicole’s face changed in an instant.
Releasing her hands, she stepped back in shock, her face full of astonishment.
She felt the lie detector spell working unimpeded, so her friend in front of her had not deceived her.
But what did his words mean?
The warden... a traitor?!
Recently, apart from that energy burst and the heretical magician’s rebellion, there were no other incidents at Berlingworth.
How could such an important figure suddenly become a traitor...
Suddenly, Nicole’s confused brain pondered the plausibility behind his statement.
There indeed had been an issue of leaked intelligence on the heretical magician’s side.
With a chagrined expression, Nicole immediately shook her head,
"Ronald, that’s not a funny joke."
Ronald countered directly,
"But you know I’m not joking with you."
Of course, she knew Ronald was not joking with her.
But the problem was that the message was so exaggerated, she truly was not prepared to accept it at the moment.
None of the scenarios she had rehearsed today matched the current situation!
Watching Nicole’s reaction, Ronald was not inclined to keep silent any longer.
He stood up from the wicker chair and stepped in front of the investigator, his tone very grave as he spoke:
"Nicole, if you wish,"
"I can tell you all about it right now."
"But, just like the choice you gave me before, after hearing it all, you could pretend nothing ever happened and then we could both continue to enjoy the lavish lunch you prepared for today."
"You could also make your own choice."
"No matter what, I would accept it with open arms."
Gradually, the bewilderment faded from her face.
Standing by the wall, Nicole unconsciously raised her hands and hugged them in front of her chest
She remained silent for a long time, then turned her gaze awkwardly to the side:
"I can’t remember where I put the mark the Investigation Bureau gave me, how..."
The pretense of awkwardness only lasted a few sentences before Nicole, in an act of self-abandonment, shouted out loud and then walked back in front of Ronald.
Pouting with dissatisfaction, she continued:
"I admit it, I’ve become curious now."
"Tell me what’s really going on, I mean everything!"
Under the gaze of the investigator girl, Ronald nodded.
He then began to recount the events that had taken place over time.
This included the existence of the Original Text Controller and Mil’s true identity without missing a single detail.
After everything was said, Nicole grimaced with a wry smile:
"I really didn’t expect that I hadn’t obtained much information about that organization, only to get this kind of news from you instead."
"Do you really enjoy teasing a beautiful young girl like me that much!"
With a complaint, Nicole’s arms opened wide and she fell backward.
And immediately, the vines in the room supported her body, then moved Nicole onto a chair to sit upright.
However, immediately after.
The investigator girl’s body slid down.
She lay half on the chair as if paralyzed.
Yet, even in such a posture, Nicole didn’t say she would act as if nothing had happened and go prepare lunch.
Her choice was obvious.
Watching the investigator girl’s demeanor, Ronald moved his chair next to Nicole, then reached out and poked her body.
"This is what you forced me to tell."
Like a zombie that had lost its target, Nicole slightly tilted her head and then rolled a very uncivilized eye at Ronald.
Then the languid body shifted to a more comfortable position to continue lying down.
—She was playing dead again!
Ronald thought for a moment, then spoke up:
"Tell me your story."
"Even though you didn’t get any useful information from me, we can still share with each other, and who knows, it might come in handy later?"
Hearing what Ronald said, Nicole slowly sat up straight in her chair.
The investigator girl maintained the bitter smile on her face and then gestured with her hand.
Immediately, the room’s vines bound a teapot and teacups in front of them, then twisted and convoluted themselves into a makeshift platform.
Directing the vines to pour tea for both Ronald and herself.
With a look of reminiscence in her eyes,
"It dates back to more than ten years ago..."