Meeting Madame Pualis again

The exterior of the Administrator's residence, the building converted from Castle.

Lumian walked through the garden to the gate and said to the male servant standing there, "I have something to discuss with Madame Pualis."

The male servant, dressed in a red shirt and white trousers, looked him up and down a few times before cautiously asking, "What is it?"

Is this kid playing a prank, targeting me?

Lumian chuckled.

"That's not something you can know."

Why should a servant like you concern yourself with so much? What's your surname and given name? How many children have you had?

The male servant hesitated for a moment, deciding to report to the madam and let her decide whether or not to see the boy.

Lumian stood at the door and waited for a few minutes. Then he saw the male servant return and say to him, "The lady wants you to go to the small drawing room."

Lumian was quite familiar with that small drawing room; he had been entertained there several times when he came to the Castle with his Older Sister. So, without needing guidance, he walked to the right room on his own, and the manservant became his "follower."

Lumian sat on the Long Sofa in the small living room, sipping black tea and waiting for a while, when he saw Madame Pualis appear at the door.

Today, the lady was wearing an exquisite black belted Long Dress, with a matching shawl draped over her shoulders, a slightly tilted Lady round hat, and a gold and Diamond Necklace around her neck.

Lumian noticed that the outfit looked familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, she realized that it was what Madame Pualis had worn when she visited her home during the last Loop and "seduced" her.

"Was she doing this on purpose?" Lumian muttered to herself, then greeted her with a smile.

Good morning, Madame Pualis.

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly realized that the person beside Madame Pualis was not That One personal Maid, Cassie, but the "midwife" who had died at Ryan's hands the day before.

The "midwife" wore a long, Gray-White Long Dress, her eyes were blank, her face was expressionless, and her skin was slightly bluish. She looked exactly the same as when Lumian saw her in the garden yesterday evening, except that she wasn't carrying any pruning tools.

Instead of a personal Maid, he brought a "midwife"? Was he doing this on purpose? Lumian couldn't help but mutter to herself again.

Madame Pualis smiled faintly and said, "It should be noon now."

She then sat down on the Armchair that represented the hostess, while the "midwife" stood to the side.

"It can't be considered noon if you haven't had lunch," Lumian argued forcefully.

At the same time, his heart was racing, and he suspected that Madame Pualis had brought the "midwife" to question him about yesterday's events.

If things aren't handled properly, and if Lya and the Three Foreigners don't Reboot the Loop in time, Lumian suspects he'll have to be the "dad" for several minutes, or even more than ten minutes.

Madame Pualis glanced at him, her bright Eyes like shimmering lake water, carrying an indescribable smile.

The Lady casually asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Lumian decided to be direct, saying seriously, "Lady, you should have realized that we're trapped in Time Loop."

As he spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on Madame Pualis's face, paying attention to her expression.

If the other party shows surprise, astonishment, or doubt, he will immediately add words like "Haha, just kidding," and then start by observing some unusual behavior to see what the lady's attitude and inclination are before finally considering whether to tell her about the time Loop.

Of course, if Madame Pualis gives him a look that says, "You've found out!" or "My secret has been exposed!", then he'd better try to escape as soon as possible.

Although the chances of escape were slim in that situation, how would you know if there was any hope if you didn't try?

Madame Pualis sized up Lumian for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "Looks like you've found a Boss too."

She wasn't surprised by the idea of a time Loop, nor did she show any confusion or doubt, which was tantamount to acknowledging that she knew the current situation.

"Boss? That's a usage Aurora liked in her books. Now it means That One being who bestows the Gift? "Lumian mentally deciphered Madame Pualis's words.

He believed that the other party was able to retain some memories in the Loop only because they had a "Boss" and received Protection.

Lumian immediately laughed, feigning a sigh of relief:

It seems I don't need to spend a lot of time explaining.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Pualis asked with a smile.

The midwife stood beside her, motionless, like Statues.

Lumian had prepared his speech in advance and began to put his eloquence to use:

"The people outside already know about Cordu's abnormality. If we fail to break the Loop in time, this place will definitely be completely destroyed, and everyone will die."

"We're all in the same boat now. Only by pooling all our strength can we prevent the boat from sinking and have any hope of finding the key to Loop and returning to normal life."

"Lady, we don't have much time left. Let's cooperate."

Madame Pualis listened with a faint smile throughout, without interrupting Lumian's narration.

At this moment, she chuckled softly:

Who told you we're in the same boat?

"Huh? You're the one who wants to sink the ship? "Lumian was startled.

Madame Pualis maintained her smile and continued, "Why should I cooperate with you? I can leave here at a certain time."

This... Lumian was stunned, yet also somewhat overjoyed:

"You mean, you have a way to escape this Time Loop?"

"Do we just need to wait until a specific time to do something?"

Madame Pualis nodded slightly, picked up her white porcelain teacup, took a sip, and offered no further reply.

It's good to have Hidden Being Protection... Wait, this isn't the first time this Loop has happened, so why is she still here? Could it be that the previous Loop Reboot before reaching the specific time point? Hmm... This explains why she didn't pursue the matter of us infiltrating the Castle and killing the "midwife." She was worried that causing trouble for those three Official Beyonder would cause one of them to forcibly trigger the key and Reboot the Loop... Lumian instantly understood some of her previous doubts.

He suspected that Madame Pualis was also waiting for the Twelfth Night.

Amidst a flurry of thoughts, Lumian smiled:

"I Lady you could also help Aurora and me escape this Loop?"

What official investigator? I don't know them!

Madame Pualis looked him up and down with amusement:

Why should I help you?

"Didn't you say you loved me..." Lumian stopped abruptly before finishing her sentence.

He had wanted to recall the words about Love that Madame Pualis had spoken, hoping she would soften her heart and save Aurora and himself, but since That One lady's target was likely his Older Sister, he simply couldn't bring himself to say them.

If Madame Pualis had fallen for him, a shameless man like Lumian would have already played the Love card, even offering his body and becoming the father of her child.

Well, even if he had to give birth himself, he could grit his teeth and endure it, as long as Madame Pualis could take him and Aurora out of this Loop.

Madame Pualis's expression Change slightly. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Are you trying to say that Love is hard to understand? Even though you wish her dead because she made a mistake, you still can't help but save her?"

Lumian did not answer; he recognized that Madame Pualis had used the pronoun "she."

Madame Pualis didn't expect a response from him, and sighed softly, "But what if we can't save them?"

There was no saving him... Lumian's heart sank slowly, as if he had been thrown directly into Ice Lake in early spring.

Taking a deep breath, he asked as if to confirm, "You mean, at that point in time, you can only leave on your own or take a specific number of people with you, but not me and Aurora?"

Madame Pualis nodded slightly:

That's one way to understand it.

It seems I still have to rely on myself... Lumian sighed inwardly, forcing himself to compose himself.

The experience of hope appearing and then being shattered in an instant is certainly not pleasant.

He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Lady, those Three Foreigners and I are going to explore the Church Underground soon. If something unexpected happens, or something goes wrong, the Loop might Reboot early, and we might not even reach Lent Festival."

Not to mention the Twelfth Night.

Madame Pualis narrowed her eyes slightly and slowly raised her chin:

Are you threatening me?

"No, I'm just reminding you." Lumian smiled sincerely, appearing very relaxed.

On the surface, that was the reality. He was filled with unease, worried that Madame Pualis would be completely enraged, which would force him to stay in the Castle to give birth. And a quarter of an hour later, the three official investigators would not wait for him to come out before Reboot the Loop.

Madame Pualis stared into Lumian's eyes for several seconds, and seeing that he did not flinch or flinch, she suddenly smiled and said, "You are quite an interesting person. It must be quite nice for you and your Older Sister to both be my Lover."

Before Lumian could respond, she glanced sideways at the "midwife":

"You ruined my life as a ' Warlock,' and I haven't even held you accountable—that's already merciful enough. And yet you still expect me to offer you help?"

"Warlock?" Lumian noted the term down and said sincerely, "It's not about helping, it's about doing something that benefits everyone."

Madame Pualis was silent for a few seconds, then smiled again:

"I won't go with you to explore the Church's Underground, but out of respect for Aurora and for your Courage, if anything goes wrong, I'll offer some assistance as needed."

Lumian was quite satisfied that the conversation had progressed to this point. He stood up and, mimicking the gentlemanly gestures described in his Older Sister's book, placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

"Praise be to you, my Lady."

Madame Pualis chuckled and said, "Shouldn't it be 'My Sun '?"

She was referring to Lumian's line, "Lady, you are my Sun," from the previous Loop.

Lumian was a little embarrassed, but luckily he was shameless and pretended not to hear, leaving the small living room directly.

After descending the hill where the Castle was located and entering the Cordou Village, Lumian saw Lya, Ryan, and Valentine coming to greet him.

"How was it?" Lya asked with a smile.

Lumian summarized the key points of his conversation with Madame Pualis, concluding with, "This is already the best possible outcome."

"That's good. At least in the most dangerous times, you can still hope that someone will offer help." Ryan nodded.

Lumian then asked, "Have you received a reply?"

Before he went to the Castle, Ryan had already reported to his superiors that Madame Pualis was not a true member of the Roquefort Family and that there was a photograph of Prit in the room.

Lya sighed and answered for Ryan, "The higher-ups reminded us to consider the possibility that Prit might have transformed into Women through some kind of Potion or power."

"As expected." Lumian hummed in agreement, then asked about the next steps, "When are we going to the Church Underground?"

Ryan had already thought it through and said in a deep voice, "Now."