"!!"
Fortunately, 8925 managed to suppress that impulse.
He gritted his teeth. Although he was extremely uneasy, he still tried to put on an innocent look and nodded, then forced himself to reply calmly:
"Yes!"
"That's exactly how it was!"
As he spoke, his hands beneath the exquisite tablecloth had already clenched unconsciously, and his knuckles had turned faintly white from the excessive force.
"Hmph!"
Charles snorted coldly, his gaze at 8925 filled with disdain and fury.
"You're lying!"
His voice was not loud, but it struck the hopeful 8925's heart like a heavy hammer.
"I—"
As expected, 8925 was startled into a violent shudder. He had originally wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not dare to make a sound.
At the same time, he lowered his head even further, as if he wanted to bury it in his chest, and stood there stiffly.
"..."
Charles was in no hurry to say anything. He merely rose from his seat with a cold expression and slowly paced around the dining table. Only after reaching 8925 did he fix him with an eagle-like gaze, staring intently at his still-trembling body.
After a long while, when he saw that 8925 was close to breaking, he said coldly:
"I can understand occasionally giving some food to other Dust People."
"But giving away all your good food, even borrowing contribution points from others to exchange for delicious food, and even eating insect cakes yourselves just to send the good food away—if there isn't a sufficiently firm reason for doing something like that, do you think I'd believe you?"
"Or could it be..."
"Do you all take me for a fool?"
As he spoke, his voice grew colder and colder, and 8925's body began to tremble even more violently.
"I..."
8925 did