Fallen Guest Empire (VI)
"Heh... From what I've learned, you're not exactly a picky eater."
Unfortunately, Fu Qian's "honesty" didn't seem to satisfy Mariana.
"Every brain was carefully cooked, and no two were prepared the same way. You even only ate the right eyeball."
She clearly didn't mind letting Fu Qian know just how much she understood about the situation.
"And you obviously have very particular standards when it comes to freshness. When the last victim was found, he hadn't even stopped breathing completely."
"So much so that more than one person wondered whether you committed those murders to vent your anger or to indulge your unusual dietary preferences... In fact, that's why you weren't simply hanged. A lot of people were interested in what went on in your head. And now, so am I."
As Mariana spoke, the fleshy vines extending from her body wound nimbly around Fu Qian's head, then pointed both tips at his eyes.
"Can you tell me how you opened your eyes in a place like this... and what you saw?"
What he saw...
The eerie, razor-sharp vines were right before his eyes, their bloodstains still gleaming as if they might drip at any moment, but Fu Qian remained unmoved.
Yet Mariana's last words seemed to finally stir something in him. The next moment, he silently raised his head, as if gazing up at some immeasurable height above.
"Don't tell me you saw the stars? Honestly, that would disappoint me. I might even agree with those people's reviews of your paintings—completely unoriginal."
Mariana froze for a moment, then nearly laughed. She shook her head and sighed.
"How could I? I've never seen stars in here before. As far as I remember, that window has never been open."
Fu Qian finally spoke, gesturing with his