The history between the Witch and the statue

Zhao Xun asked with a smile, "Isn't Ruby human?"

The statue froze, her mouth hanging open for a long while without a word.

"The fact that you saved Ruby proves you care about her. Then you should know that not all humans are treacherous villains," Zhao Xun gently reasoned with her.

The statue looked conflicted. After a long pause, she looked at Zhao Xun and asked, "How do I know you're a good person?"

"You don't need to think I'm a good person. You just need to trust that, in this matter, I won't hurt Ruby," Zhao Xun said with certainty.

His main quest wasn't to hand Ruby over to the Public Security Office, nor was it to have her burned to death as a witch. So even if Ruby really was an evil witch, he didn't necessarily have to hurt her.

Besides, judging by all the information he had gathered so far, everyone described Ruby as "a good person, hardworking and warmhearted." Clearly, everyone had liked her before she was discovered to be a witch.

Even if she was a witch, she might not have much to do with "evil."

The statue's desire to protect Ruby, along with her anger toward other humans, made it seem even more likely that Ruby wasn't evil.

In that case, the claim that "Ruby killed Xiao Ai's parents" was open to question.

In short, no matter how he looked at it, he had no reason to hurt Ruby.

After a fierce internal struggle, the statue said somewhat awkwardly, "I can't tell you where Ruby is hiding."

That was an indirect admission that she had indeed hidden Ruby.

Zhao Xun didn't press the issue. Instead, he asked, "Then can you tell me about your past with Ruby? Tell me the story between you and her, in detail."

The statue thought it over carefully. Once she was sure that discussing the past wouldn't reveal anything about Ruby's current situation, she agreed. "I can tell you, but you have to keep it secret. If I find out you've told anyone else, I'll kill you."

With that, she raised her fist threateningly.

Zhao Xun smiled. "All right."

So far, things were progressing just as he had hoped.

The skylight effect, also known as the house-demolition effect.

During a negotiation, first making a demand the other party was unwilling to accept, then lowering the terms and proposing a comparatively more acceptable demand greatly increased the chances of them agreeing.

What Zhao Xun actually wanted to know was the history between the statue and Ruby.

He couldn't be sure the statue would tell him if he asked directly, so he had used a little strategy.

The statue gathered her thoughts and began the story from the beginning.

"Ruby worked as a maid in the Duke's Manor from childhood. She was lively and restless, and she explored every inch of the manor. That's how she found even me, abandoned deep in a corner."

"She loved sculptures. Even though I was tucked away in a corner like this, where no one noticed me or came to admire me, she insisted on coming to wipe me down every day. Whenever she stood before me, she told me about her troubles. Over time, I gradually became conscious."

"Several years passed like that. My consciousness grew clearer and clearer, and I became able to speak. She wasn't afraid of me. Instead, she was delighted that I had come 'alive.' She enjoyed talking to me even more, telling me stories and sharing gossip."

"After that, she occasionally brought little accessories to dress me up. She said all girls liked looking pretty."

"Perhaps because she talked to me every day, I grew more and more intelligent, and gradually gained the ability to move freely. But I could only go out for half an hour each day. Most of the time, I still had to stay here like an ordinary statue."

"It was while I was out moving around that I heard she'd been arrested as a witch and was about to be burned at the stake. They also said Ruby had killed innocent townspeople. I didn't believe it. Ruby would never be that kind of monster!"

"So I went to save her and hid her away. I want to keep her safe."

At that point, the statue stared unblinkingly at Zhao Xun. "No one is allowed to hurt her."

Her words carried an unmistakable warning.

Zhao Xun wasn't intimidated. Instead, his smile softened further. "To you, Ruby is the one who gave you life."

"That's right," the statue readily admitted. "Ruby is both my friend and the mother who gave me life. To me, she is unique, irreplaceable, and precious."

The moment the statue finished speaking, another translucent notification window appeared before Zhao Xun.

[Congratulations to player Zhao Xun for completing stage one of the hidden quest: the history between the Witch and the statue. Through warmth and love, the Witch gave the statue life and intelligence.]

[Hidden quest, stage two: discover the truth behind the girl Ruby being labeled a witch, and clear her name.]

Zhao Xun raised one eyebrow slightly.

The wording of stage two seemed to suggest that Ruby's identity as a witch had been imposed on her by someone else. Did that mean Ruby was just an ordinary person?

Come to think of it, Ruby had been arrested by the Public Security Office and tied to a stake, yet had been unable to escape.

In that respect, she did seem more like an ordinary person with no special abilities.

But could an ordinary person give a statue intelligence simply by talking to her over the years?

That didn't seem very likely.

Either Ruby had some special ability, or the statue herself was special.

Considering that Ruby had spent a long time interacting with all the sculptures in the Duke's Manor, yet only this statue had developed intelligence, Zhao Xun leaned toward the idea that there was something special about this statue, while Ruby herself really was an ordinary person.

At this point, the more he learned about what had happened behind the scenes, the more thoroughly his initial theories were overturned.

"Hey! Why aren't you saying anything?" Seeing Zhao Xun looking lost in thought, the statue couldn't help speaking up. "Are you scared?"

Zhao Xun came back to his senses. "I was thinking."

"About what?" the statue asked.

"You believe Ruby didn't kill the townspeople. Do you have any evidence to prove it?" Zhao Xun asked.

The statue froze. "I... I..."

After stammering several times, she said in irritation, "Even if I don't have evidence, I'm still one hundred percent certain Ruby was framed!"

"Then has Ruby told you anything about how she was framed?" Unbothered by the statue's attitude, Zhao Xun changed his question. "As the person involved, she must know more about what happened than anyone else."

The statue's angry expression slowly faded, and she lowered her head dejectedly. "I've asked her many times, but she refuses to tell me. She says she's afraid knowing would drag me into trouble."

"Have you noticed anything else that seemed wrong?" Zhao Xun prompted patiently. "Anything at all, as long as it struck you as unusual."

The statue spent a long while carefully searching her memory before saying, "A month ago, Ruby mentioned that a married couple had been killed. She hadn't been able to save them, and she was very upset. She was also worried their daughter would end up suffering the same fate as her."

Zhao Xun immediately pressed her. "The same fate? What do you mean?"

Thanks to [macabre] for one monthly vote, and to [It's filled with three delicacies] for one monthly vote~

I went out for a walk tonight and felt wonderful. At this time of year, that slightly cool breeze really feels amazing~

Good night~