Chapter 79

At the administrative official's residence, a building transformed from a castle, Lumiyan crossed the garden and arrived at the entrance, where he held the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother.

He said to the male servant standing there, "I have something to discuss with Mrs. Pualis." The male servant, dressed in a red shirt and white trousers, glanced at him a few times and cautiously asked, "What is it? This kid isn't here to play a prank, am I the target?" Lumiyan chuckled, "That's not for you to know. What do you, a mere servant, care about? What's your last name, what's your first name, have you had children?"

The male servant hesitated for a moment, deciding to report to Mrs. Pualis and let her decide whether to meet this young man.

Lumiyan stood at the door and waited for a few minutes. He saw the male servant return and say, "Mrs. Pualis has asked you to go to the small parlor."

Lumiyan was not unfamiliar with the small parlor. He had been there a few times with his sister when they visited the castle, so he walked to the correct room without guidance, and the male servant became his "follower."

Sitting on the long sofa in the small parlor, drinking tea, Lumiyan waited for a while and then saw Mrs. Pualis appear at the door.

She was wearing a delicate black corseted dress, with a matching shawl over her shoulders and a slightly tilted lady's small round hat on her head. A diamond necklace with gold inlays hung around her neck.

Lumiyan found her familiar and, upon recalling, realized this was the outfit Mrs. Pualis wore during her last visit to his home, when she tried to "seduce" him.

"Good morning, Mrs. Pualis."

As soon as he spoke, he noticed that the person accompanying Mrs. Pualis was not her personal maid, Cassie, but the "midwife" he had killed the day before.

The "midwife" was dressed in a grayish-white dress, with a blank expression, slightly greenish skin, and the same appearance as when Lumiyan saw her in the garden the previous evening, except she wasn't holding pruning tools.

Not bringing her personal maid but the "midwife"? Is this intentional? Lumiyan couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Mrs. Pualis smiled faintly, "It's closer to noon now."

She then sat on the single sofa representing the host, while the "midwife" stood to the side.

"You can't call it noon if you haven't had lunch yet," Lumiyan argued.

At the same time, his heart was beating a bit faster, suspecting that Mrs. Pualis had brought the "midwife" to question him about yesterday's events.

If he couldn't handle it well, and Lya and the other two outsiders didn't restart the loop in time, Lumiyan suspected he would have to become a father for a minute.

Mrs. Pualis glanced at him, her bright eyes like rippling water, with an indescribable smile.

The lady then asked, "What is it?"

Lumiyan decided to be direct and said seriously, "Madam, you must have noticed that we are trapped in a time loop."

As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Mrs. Pualis's face, paying attention to her expressions.

If she showed surprise, shock, or confusion, he would immediately add, "Ha ha, just kidding," and then probe for any abnormalities to gauge her attitude and tendencies before deciding whether to tell her about the new developments in the time loop.

Of course, if Mrs. Pualis had a "you've discovered my secret" look, he would have to try to escape quickly.

Although the chances of escape in such a situation were slim, how would he know if there was any hope without trying?

Mrs. Pualis observed Lumiyan for a few seconds and smiled, "It seems you've found a boss."

She was not surprised by the concept of a time loop and did not show any confusion or doubt, effectively acknowledging that she knew the current situation.

Boss? This is a term Aurore likes to use in her books, meaning the entity that grants favors?

Lumiyan interpreted Mrs. Pualis's words in his mind.

Lumiyan then smiled, pretending to relax, "It seems I don't need to spend a lot of time explaining."

"What do you want to say?" Mrs. Pualis asked with a smile.

The "midwife" stood beside her, motionless, like a statue.

Lumiyan, who had prepared his speech, quickly spoke, "People outside already know about the abnormalities in Cole's community. If we can't break the loop in time, this place will be completely destroyed, and everyone will die. We are all in the same boat now. Only by combining all our efforts can we prevent the boat from sinking and find the key to the loop, returning to normal life."

"Madam, we don't have much time left. Let's cooperate."

Mrs. Pualis listened with a faint smile throughout, without interrupting Lumiyan.

Then she chuckled, "Who told you we are in the same boat?"

Ah? Do you want to sink the boat? Lumiyan was startled.

Mrs. Pualis maintained her smile and continued, "Why should I cooperate with you? I can leave here at a specific time."

Lumiyan was stunned but then felt a bit elated, "You mean there's a way to escape this time loop? Just wait for a specific time and do something?"

Mrs. Pualis nodded slightly, took a sip from her white porcelain cup, and did not respond further.

It's great to have a secret entity protecting you, but wait, this isn't the first loop. Why is she still here?

Could it be that the previous loops didn't reach the specific time before restarting? Yes, this could explain why she didn't pursue us for infiltrating the castle and killing the "midwife." She was worried that going after the three official Beyonder investigators might cause one of them to trigger the key and restart the loop. Lumiyan instantly understood some of his previous doubts.

He suspected Mrs. Pualis was also waiting for the second night to arrive.

As his thoughts raced, Lumiyan smiled, "Madam, can you take me and Aurore out of the loop? What official investigators? I don't know them!"

Mrs. Pualis looked at him with a slight smile, "Why should I help you?"

"You said—" Lumiyan stopped himself.

He had intended to mention the love-related words Mrs. Pualis had spoken, hoping she would soften and save Aurore and himself, but he couldn't bring himself to say it because her target might be his sister.

If Mrs. Pualis had fallen in love with him, Lumiyan would have shamelessly played the love card, even offering to be a father for her child.

Yes, even if he had to bear the child himself, he could endure it, as long as Mrs. Pualis took him and Aurore out of the loop.

"Do you mean to say that love is hard to understand, that even though she made a mistake and you wish her dead, you can't help but save her?"

Lumiyan did not answer, noticing that Mrs. Pualis used the pronoun "she."

Mrs. Pualis did not expect a response, sighing, "But what if I can't save her?"

Lumiyan's heart sank, as if he had been thrown into an icy lake in early spring.

Adjusting his breathing, he confirmed, "Your point is that when the specific time comes, you can only leave by yourself, and it won't include me and Aurore?"

Mrs. Pualis nodded slightly, "You can understand it that way."

It seems I still have to rely on myself. Lumiyan sighed inwardly, forcing himself to calm down.

The experience of hope rising and then instantly shattering was indeed unpleasant.

He thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "Madam, I and the three outsiders will explore the church's basement later. If something unexpected happens or an event occurs, the loop might restart early, before the forty days even arrive."

Let alone the second night.

Mrs. Pualis's eyes narrowed slightly, and she raised her chin slowly, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just reminding you." Lumiyan smiled sincerely, appearing very relaxed.

On the surface, he was calm, but inside, he was filled with anxiety, worried that Mrs. Pualis would be thoroughly enraged and leave him to bear a child in the castle, and the three official investigators would restart the loop after waiting for him.

Mrs. Pualis gazed into Lumiyan's eyes for several seconds, seeing that he did not back down or flinch.

She suddenly smiled, "You are a bold one. You and your sister would make excellent lovers for me."

Without waiting for Lumiyan's response, she turned to the midwife, "You destroyed one of my 'Sorcerers,' and I didn't hold you accountable, which was already very merciful. Yet you still expect me to help you?"

"Sorcerer"? Lumiyan noted the term and said sincerely, "It's not about help, but about doing something beneficial for everyone."

Mrs. Pualis was silent for a moment, then smiled again, "I won't explore the church's basement with you, but for Aurore's sake and your courage, I will provide some assistance if something unexpected happens."

Lumiyan was very satisfied with this outcome. He stood up, mimicking the gentlemanly posture from his sister's books, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed, "Praise you, my lady."

Mrs. Pualis chuckled, "Shouldn't it be 'my sun'? That's what you said in the last loop, 'Lady, you are my sun.'"

Lumiyan was a bit embarrassed but, being shameless, pretended not to hear and left the small parlor.

Descending the hill where the castle was located and entering Cole's community, Lumiyan saw Lya, Rein, and Valentine approaching.

"How did it go?" Lya asked with a smile.

Lumiyan recounted the key points of his conversation with Mrs. Pualis and concluded, "This is the best outcome we could hope for."

"Not bad. It's reassuring to know we might get some help in the most dangerous moments," Rein nodded.

Lumiyan then asked, "Did you receive a response?" Before he went to the castle, Rein had already reported to their superiors that Mrs. Pualis was not a true member of the Rochefort family and that there was a photo of Prit in her room.

Lya sighed and answered for Rein, "They reminded us to consider the possibility that Prit transformed into a woman through some potion or power."

"Of course." Lumiyan nodded and asked about the next plan, "When are we going to the church's basement?"

Rein was ready and said firmly, "Now."