Captain: "."
French Fries: "."
Beatrice's heart pounded. She knew this was a risky move, but she could not afford to worry about that now.
What exactly had happened in Castel had become an obsession for her. She had even been distracted by it and failed to save the Empress, making her all the more desperate for information about Castel.
It had started as mere curiosity, but gradually, she realized she had invested too much into Castel. That made it even harder to let go. If she gave up searching, would that not mean all her previous efforts had been wasted?
Besides, though she was unwilling to admit it, she knew she still cared somewhat about that Count Theus.
And revealing some information to show that she knew more and held greater value was itself part of her calculation.
Beatrice was no longer that innocent little girl who knew nothing of the world. The triple crown upon her head would not allow her to remain naïve. That was also why she had named herself Scepter—one who held a scepter would fall into the abyss the day it slipped from their hand. It was an Empire saying.
Trapped in this cage, she had to try to clutch at every straw.
The three fell silent. After a while, a somewhat weak voice broke the silence.
Gwen: "French Fries, Captain, are you still there?"
French Fries: "!"
French Fries: "Gwen! Are you okay?"
Gwen: "Yes, I think I didn't die. I slept for a while, and when I woke up... um, I'm a little hungry."
Gwen touched her stomach in surprise. It had been a long time since she had felt hunger. The wild vegetables she had swallowed yesterday seemed to have awakened that sensation, rekindling a little hope for survival within her.