"Birthday"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Seeing Dania pouting behind him, Mo Bai teased her.

"Tch. Now that I'm here, I feel like a third wheel..."

After grumbling, Dania leaned to one side to peer down from Nue's back.

"Ugh... I guess I'm still not used to this. We're so high up..."

She looked at the green plains below, a little unnerved.

"Anyway, you two kidnapped me without a word. You could at least tell me why. A personal grudge? Some noble cause?"

As Dania spoke, Mo Bai distinctly felt her glance his way.

Clearly, "personal grudge" had been aimed at him.

It seemed the fear he had left her with would not disappear overnight.

Fortunately, Mo Hei stepped in to smooth things over.

"No. We came because we were worried about your state of mind."

"Your physical condition too, to be precise..."

Mo Bai had barely begun to add to Mo Hei's explanation when she pinched his waist, signaling him to stop.

He fell silent and let Mo Hei talk to Dania.

"Worried? That's the first time I've seen someone show concern by abducting a person from her dorm."

Mo Hei knew Dania meant no harm. She was only teasing them.

"Well, we could tell that keeping you locked up would only make your state of mind worse. That's why we brought you out, even if we had to force it."

"But you know I was put in there because I'm a spy for the Remnant Star Society."

"..."

Dania's answer left Mo Hei speechless.

Because she was right.

Keeping Dania under observation as a member of the Remnant Star Society was hardly unreasonable.

But...

She was also Losera's student, and...

"You're not just a member of the Remnant Star Society. You're my friend too," Mo Hei insisted.

Dania looked