Chapter 45: No Choice

The sun had yet to rise on the second day.

Red pulled open the curtains and looked out at the world beyond, a complicated mix of emotions swirling in his heart.

Thinking back on what Litt said last night, in truth, he did catch a bit of it.

He just didn’t dare to be sure.

When a girl says something like that to you, it’s impossible not to feel at least a little moved.

Red considered himself a normal man, with the usual worldly desires.

Just like that photo on his bedside table…

Oh, shoot!

I really need to put this thing away.

After hiding away the photo Letia gave him, Red gathered his thoughts once more.

Facing Litt’s words, he didn’t deny that he’d been a little tempted.

But…he wouldn’t take action.

The difference in status between him and Litt meant that they would never end up together.

Rather than clinging to a fantasy, it was better to let go from the very beginning.

At this thought, Red let out a sigh.

“What’s the point of thinking so much? Don’t fall victim to the Three Great Illusions of Life.”

With his spirits roused, Red went downstairs, ready to prepare today’s breakfast.

Litt still had to work at the convent, and this was about all he could do to help her.

“You’re up?”

But just as Red got downstairs, he saw Litt in an apron already busy in the kitchen.

Even though he’d gotten up so early, he still couldn’t beat Litt to it?

Red let out a wry smile and sighed.

But looking at Litt not far away, he couldn’t help but recall the past.

Back in Dawn’s Edge, he could only work like a machine, always relying solely on himself.

There was no porridge simmering for him in the morning, no brightly lit home waiting for him…

Looking back now, he really should take responsibility for his own life.

“Litt, you don’t have to get up so early. I can handle these things.”

“Is that so?”

Litt tasted the lean meat porridge to check its seasoning, then replied with a smile, “But I like cooking.”

It wasn’t that she liked it.

She’d simply been startled awake by nightmares and couldn’t sleep anymore.

If she could, Litt would rather be a carefree salted fish.

Her ideal day would be spent doing nothing but sleeping and eating.

“It’s still early, Red. You could go back to bed for a while.”

“I’m not really sleepy. Let me give you a hand.”

Two people working together was always more effective than just one, not to mention Red could hardly just stand by and watch Litt busy herself alone.

With a clear division of labor, breakfast for the two of them was finished in no time.

As always, Litt sat opposite Red.

“Eat up first. There’s still a lot of work to do at the convent today.”

“Yeah.”

Red nodded.

He had some things to take care of today, too.

Otto had given him a portion of the profits in advance, so he was planning to find a shop and open a weapon store.

He was an Artificer; making machines and maintaining weapons were his strengths, so running a weapon shop to make a living seemed like a practical choice.

As for who to rent the shop from, he’d rather not trouble Litt.

Even though he knew this White Sister’s status was no simple thing, going to her for everything just wasn’t right.

“I’m full.”

Litt put down her bowl and said to Red, “You can take care of the dishes afterward.”

“Be careful on the road.”

Litt bade Red farewell and walked out the door.

But she wasn’t heading to the convent—instead, she was going to find that guy Otto for some answers.

What exactly was his aim with what he did last night?

Although Litt already had a vague guess at his intentions, some things had to be confirmed face-to-face.

Litt arrived at Otto’s place and, after knocking heavily on the door, footsteps sounded inside the room.

Soon, Otto, the blond man, appeared in front of Litt.

“Sister Litt, what brings you here this early?”

Otto stepped aside.

“Want to come in and sit for a while?”

Staring at this man whose smile never reached his eyes, Litt took a deep breath and spoke directly.

“Wasn’t last night’s Drama of Last Night directed by you?”

Otto raised an eyebrow, an expression of just the right amount of confusion on his face.

“Sister Litt, I…don’t quite understand what you mean. What are you referring to?”

“I saw it from below—it was you controlling the lighting. And I suspect you deliberately didn’t tell Lauren about the resignation, so that Dawn’s Edge would embarrass themselves at the banquet, right?”

“Oh? So Miss Litt, you’re here to demand justice for your teammate?”

“No, I just want to know—why did you do it?”

Litt disliked the feeling of being manipulated, and, unfortunately, Otto was the kind of fox who excelled at scheming.

She herself just liked pranks, playing little tricks on Red when she was bored.

But Otto was different…

When necessary, he would really push someone into the abyss for the sake of profit.

That was why Litt had never wanted to cooperate with Otto from the start.

“Sister Litt,” Otto’s voice dropped, carrying a knowing tone as if he saw through everything.

“Before you came, you already guessed the answer in your heart, didn’t you?”

“…You want to stir up hatred between Red and Liz?”

“So you already know, don’t you?”

Otto spread his hands.

“Then why bother coming here to ask me?”

As expected…

Seeing Litt stay silent, Otto grinned, almost mockingly.

“Red’s skills and talents shouldn’t be buried in Dawn’s Edge. He deserves a better future,”

“Rather than keeping that messy tie to Dawn’s Edge, it’s better to be more straightforward and cut things off cleanly.”

“Friends can become enemies, but it’s hard for enemies to become friends again.”

“Only by completely severing the past can one fully focus on the future…”

At that, Litt clicked her tongue.

“When it comes to being heartless, you really take the prize. Too bad for you, Red’s reaction foiled your plan.”

There was no denying it—at that time, Red’s decision not to get angry or retaliate was very wise.

Even Litt had to admit as much.

“A bit of a shame, I suppose.”

Otto said this, but his face betrayed not the slightest regret.

“But…”

Otto’s tone shifted, his eyes fixed on the girl in front of him.

“I do have a little question for you, Sister Litt…”

“Then don’t ask.”

Litt cut him off decisively and turned to leave.

“I don’t want to hear it, and I certainly don’t want to answer.”

Otto, as if he hadn’t heard her rejection, followed up immediately.

“You could have approached Red openly as ‘Letia’—so why take the roundabout way and wear the disguise of ‘Litt’ the nun?”

Confronted with Otto’s question, Litt froze in place.

Scenes of what might happen in the future flashed through her mind over and over.

If she didn’t do it this way, what else could she do?

Because of Liz, Red would never get close to Letia.

Without getting close, there was no way to influence the script.

And even if she ran away, no matter how far she went, the script would probably correct things and force her back to her death.

No…

Maybe it would be even worse than death.

After all, this world was nowhere near as peaceful as her previous life—people getting eaten was common, even in the church.

So, did she really have a choice?

Since she had no choice, why not stick with Red, the protagonist, where it was safer?

“Just think of it as me being shy.”

And, truth be told, she couldn’t deny that life was pretty comfortable like this.