Facing Red’s pointed question, Letia, sitting across from him, stared blankly for a moment before openly admitting it.
“Yeah, that’s right. So what?”
This Black Priest remained as frank and direct as ever.
“If I wasn’t there, how could I have sent a message to warn you?”
Red nodded.
Indeed, if Letia hadn’t been there, she couldn’t possibly have noticed the danger right away, much less warned him.
But that wasn’t the real issue.
“Then tell me—why were you there in the first place? With your personality, you’d never appear in such a crowded place.”
As he finished, Red fixed his eyes sharply on Letia, who was still ordering.
“Oh~”
Letia raised her brows.
“Are you suspecting me?”
“No, I just find your motives a bit puzzling.”
Of course, Red didn’t believe Letia was behind the incident.
He just couldn’t figure out why she was there, so he had come to ask her in person.
“I know you’re short on money, but if it’s to protect Litt, someone would have to hire you, right? As far as I know, no one from the White Church would hire a Battle Priest from the Holy Church.”
While Red spoke, Letia merely crossed her legs leisurely, looking utterly relaxed, as if she didn’t care at all.
When her beer arrived, she took a hearty swig before answering Red’s question.
“Before I answer, let me ask you—do you want the truth, or a lie?”
Letia’s question made Red fall silent.
“But whether it’s truth or lie, it’s actually all true. Don’t worry, I never lie to you, you know that well enough.”
After a moment of contemplation, Red seemed to make up his mind. He spoke slowly.
“The truth.”
“Diving right into the heart of it, huh?”
Letia acted as if shy, squirming in her seat and cupping her small face.
“To tell you the truth, I am Litt herself…”
“Pfft!!!”
Letia’s very first sentence made Red nearly spit out his drink.
Watching Letia across the table, still pretending to be embarrassed, he shuddered.
“You and Litt—other than both being female, you don’t even seem to be the same species!”
A gentle and understanding Angel.
A monkey-faced scoundrel always ready to undress someone.
There was just no way to compare the two!
Not to mention Litt’s height and figure—Letia, who’s even flatter than a steel plate, how could she ever imitate that?
“Did I shock you so much you started doubting your own existence?”
Letia mused, rubbing her chin, making Red unable to hold back his retort.
“Shocked, yes, but only by the thickness of your skin.”
After Red composed himself, he no longer held any real expectations for Letia.
Even though he knew she wouldn’t spill the White Church monastery’s intentions, he continued to ask.
“Then what about the lie?”
“As for that…”
Letia pondered for a while, then placed her hand on Red’s shoulder.
“At first, I was lured by someone, that’s why I went there. But in the end, that damned person hasn’t paid me yet.”
“Why does it sound like that’s the truth…”
Red sighed.
“But from what I know about you, there’s no way you’ll tell me who that person is, right?”
“Smart~ As expected of my best friend.”
“…I never acknowledged you as a best friend.”
Red always felt that if he stayed with Letia too long, he’d end up being assimilated by her…
Monkey’s Wisdom Reduction Method.
Letia drained her beer, then, from who knows where, pulled out a bottle of red wine, poured herself a glass, crossed her legs again, and swirled the wine with feigned elegance.
“So, Red, why did you invite me out?”
Halfway through, Letia seemed to realize something.
She stared at her wine glass, her face suddenly flushing red.
“Is it because you want to get me drunk and then… do that?”
Red’s mouth twitched.
He had to admit, his desire to… kill had been provoked.
“Could you please look at the people around us and take back what you just said?”
At Red’s reminder, Letia finally seemed to come to her senses and glanced around.
The bystanders’ gazes were practically shouting two words.
Call police.
Someone had already started reaching quietly for their Communicator Crystal.
Letia shrank her neck, turned back, and met Red’s face—dark as the bottom of a pot, looking like he’d explode with murderous rage any second.
She quickly put on a “Oops, caused trouble by accident” expression, even lightly knocking her own temple with her fist and sticking out her tongue.
“If I say I accidentally did it on purpose, would you believe me… ow!”
Before she could finish acting cute, Red’s knife-hand landed squarely on her forehead.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Letia clutched the spot, protesting at once.
“Don’t hit my head! Any more and I’ll never grow taller! I’ve still got a bit of hope left!”
Red’s knife-hand seemed to finally make Letia behave… a little.
Just a little.
“Can you move your feet off my chair?”
Letia clicked her tongue in disappointment and retracted her legs.
“Why don’t you ever react?”
“Heh… what do you think?”
Looking at Letia’s face, Red thought—who says men don’t have to worry about running into a female scoundrel?
Just look at Letia.
Given the current situation, if he even nodded his head, this monkey would probably drag him to a room.
For her, dignity is just a joke when money’s involved.
Forget about pushing her down; with this monkey’s strength…
It’s not certain who would end up on top.
“Back to business.”
On the way here, Red had reminded himself repeatedly not to get caught up in Letia’s rhythm.
So, once again, he tried to regain control of the conversation.
“You’re aware of Litt’s current situation, right?”
“Ah… yeah.”
Of course she knew her own situation.
Wasn’t it just that a traitor in the White Church had framed her?
Not even worth being afraid of, and for a simple reason.
As she’d said before, as long as things followed the plot, at least the outcome was predictable, even controllable.
But if things strayed from the script, who knew what could happen?
“So, what did you want from me?”
Letia finally put aside most of her playful attitude, a rare seriousness flashing in her eyes.
Red’s expression also turned solemn.
“You’re a Battle Priest from the Holy Tribunal. When it comes to infiltration, investigation, intelligence analysis… those jobs in the shadows, you’re a hundred times more professional than me.”
“I want to ask you to help me investigate just who those rats hiding under the White Church’s robes really are. Who’s behind them? What’s their goal?”
Honestly, Red absolutely trusted Letia’s abilities.
This woman might act wild and lack morals, but her professional skills were first-class.
What’s more, she had a truly “pure” work ethic—do as much work as you get paid for, not a copper less, not a copper more, and her reputation was sterling.
As long as the money was right, she could do anything.
So, Red confidently put out the key offer.
“As for payment… money’s not a problem.”
He deliberately stressed the words, hinting he was prepared for a “major bleed.”
Yet, instead of seeing Letia’s eyes light up and her leaping forward to haggle, the expected scene did not happen.
Instead, Letia suddenly leaned back, as if struck in the heart, her face instantly taking on a look of utter sorrow, even a touch of saintly indignation.
She reached out her long fingers and, with a near “heartbroken” emotion, knocked on the table again and again, shaking her head, looking at Red as if he were a lost lamb.
“Such a pity, so disappointing. Is our relationship, this precious Saintly Tie between us, now reduced to just talking about money?”
Red’s mouth twitched.
What’s called acting?
This is acting.
“Then what do you want?”
“You’ve really broken my heart… After all, we’ve even slept in the same bed—”
“After I made you feel so good for so long, why… why won’t you let me feel good just once?”
Saying this, Letia covered her eyes in heartbreak, but couldn’t help peeking to see Red’s reaction.
That was you giving me a massage, could you stop saying things that cause misunderstandings?
As for a massage, I could give you one back…
Except for a lottery ticket, absolutely not, never!
“But that was worth millions…”
Letia sighed in disappointment.
“If it really can’t be helped, just do a little show for me, and after it’s done, I’ll give you a massage.”
Red gave her the biggest eye roll ever.
“Don’t think I don’t know what Mason tasked you with. He wants you to recruit me into his camp, right? So you say it’s just a rehearsal, but in reality, you want me to keep acting for the rest of my life?”
“Mhm~ You saw right through me.”
She dragged out her voice, as if chatting about the weather.
“But you know, ‘make believe becomes real’—that kind of script doesn’t sound too bad either?”
As she said this, she suddenly leaned forward, closing in on Red, her face blooming with a smile that was both fatally seductive and pure as could be.
“Actually, I don’t mind you at all, Red!”
Then, as if switching topics, her face turned a complex mix of worry and shyness.
Although she lowered her voice, it was still loud enough for nearby tables to hear.
“It’s just… that… fifteen centimeters… for a small girl like me, maybe it’s a bit much.”
“Would you shut up already!!”
The looks from the crowd, as if they were staring at some kind of pervert, made Red almost unable to bear it.
If Letia kept going, his reputation would be completely destroyed here and now.
“Pff… hahahahaha!!!”
A peal of raucous, unrestrained laughter burst out.
Letia laughed so hard she nearly collapsed onto the table, tears streaming down her face as she slapped the tabletop.
When she finally managed to rein it in, she wiped away her imaginary tears, the smile still lingering, but at last a hint of seriousness showed.
“Alright, alright… as for payment…”
Letia held up three fingers, winked, and said playfully,
“Just as usual.”
What s tease. Though so doubt she would play such games with anyone else!