"Lappland," Texas said suddenly.
"Hm?"
"Back at the estate... who exactly were you talking to?"
Lappland fell silent, as though thinking it over.
Beside her, Su An started wildly waving his hands in the opposite direction of good advice. "Don't tell her, don't tell her! Make her guess! Let it drive her crazy!"
Lappland ignored him.
"If I said I was talking to something you can't see," she asked, "would you believe me?"
Texas was quiet for a few seconds.
"No."
"Then why ask?"
"I just wanted to know how you'd answer."
Lappland tilted her head toward her. "Then who do you think I was talking to?"
Texas thought for a moment. "Maybe the voice in your head."
"...The one with voices in their head is you."
"Normal people all have voices in their heads," Texas said with perfect seriousness. "That's called inner monologue."
At that, Su An laughed so hard he nearly rolled through the air.
"Inner monologue! Hahahaha! Lappland, did you hear that? She's calling you schizophrenic!"
Lappland took a deep breath and decided she was definitely going to make a wish tonight and teach Su An a proper lesson.
"Come on. I'll show you the next place..."
Before long, the two girls and one ghost had toured everything around the Saluzzo estate, and the day slowly slipped by.
That night, at the Saluzzo family estate—
It was dinner time.
Alberto sat at the head of the long table. Lappland sat at his left hand, and Texas had been placed in the guest seat at his right.
Su An floated up near the chandelier, looking down at the long table and the lavish dinner spread across it. He had to admit, he was a little tempted—but merely getting a taste wasn't worth condensing a body just for that.
Alberto raised his wineglass toward Texas.
"Welcome to the Saluzzo family, Cellinia. Is your grandfather in good health?"
"He is. Thank you for asking."
"That's good." Alberto took a sip of wine. "Since you've come to Siracusa this time, if there's anything you need, do speak freely. The Saluzzo family will do its utmost to cooperate."
"Thank you."
From above, Su An snickered, "Cooperate? Cooperate my ass. You're here to make money for them, of course they'll cooperate. As long as the profits are big enough, you could curse him to his face and he'd still smile."
Lappland lifted her glass, hiding the slight upward curve of her mouth.
Texas glanced at her, but said nothing.
Dinner proceeded smoothly.
Alberto asked about conditions in Columbia, about the recent state of the Texas family, about Salvadore's plans—nothing but formal, surface-level questions. Texas answered each one flawlessly.
Su An listened from the chandelier for a while and found it unbearably dull.
He looked down at the three people seated so stiffly below, then at Alberto's severe, respectable face, and suddenly an idea came to him.
He floated down and landed beside Alberto.
Lappland's ears twitched. From the corner of her eye she looked over, and instinct told her that something was about to go wrong.
Sure enough.
Su An cleared his throat and began his performance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this special episode of A Day in the Life of the Head of the Saluzzo Family."
"Now then, let us interview this famous Siracusan family leader and see what he's really like in private."
Alberto, meanwhile, was discussing Originium trade tax rates with Texas, his expression stern, his tone steady.
Su An drifted right up in front of his face and stuck out a hand as though holding a microphone.
"Lord Alberto, what would you say is your greatest strength?"
Of course Alberto couldn't hear him, and kept talking.
Su An leaned in as though listening carefully, then nodded.
"Oh, you say it's your dignity? True enough. With a face like that, even your daughter wouldn't dare talk back."
"And what would you say is your greatest weakness?"
Alberto said, "...Naturally, the resources the Saluzzo family has invested into this route must receive corresponding returns."
Su An nodded again and translated, "Oh, so you say your greatest weakness is being too honest? True enough—no one believes a word that comes out of your mouth, not even you."
Lappland raised her glass again, hiding the lower half of her face.
Texas glanced at her once more.
But Su An was only getting started.
He floated in front of Alberto and began mimicking his expression.
Brows furrowed, lips turned down, face grave and solemn.
"'As for the matter of Originium trade,'" he said in a low voice, imitating Alberto's tone, "'it requires long-term consideration.'"
Then in an instant he snapped back to his own expression and pointed dramatically at Alberto.
"Translation: I haven't decided how I want to screw you over yet."
Lappland's hands trembled from holding back laughter. It was a shame her dignified father couldn't see how ridiculous this looked.
She wanted to stop Su An, but she suspected that if she tried using their signal, he'd only get more enthusiastic.
Sure enough, Su An floated behind Alberto, stretched out a hand, and pantomimed rubbing his head.
"Come on now, let me polish this clever little brain of yours and see what's inside—oh, abacuses. Nothing but abacus beads rattling around in there..."
Clack.
Lappland set down her wineglass and stood up. "I'm finished eating. I'll return to my room."
Alberto's brow twitched slightly, but with Texas present, he ultimately said nothing. He only nodded once.
Lappland turned and walked out of the dining room.
Texas looked at her back, then at Alberto's expression, and suddenly rose as well.
"I'm finished too. Thank you for the meal."
Without waiting for Alberto's reply, she followed Lappland out.
The dining room was left with only Alberto—
and the ghost by the chandelier, who suddenly didn't feel like fooling around anymore.
Su An looked at Alberto's expressionless face.
"Old fox," he said lightly, "your daughter's better than you."
In the corridor—
Lappland walked ahead, Texas following behind.
"What was wrong with you just now?"
"Nothing."
"You said 'nothing' again. How many times have you said 'nothing' today?"
Lappland stopped and turned to face her.
Moonlight poured in through the windows, falling across the two girls.
"Why are you following me?"
"In case something happens to you."
"What could happen to me?"
"I don't know," Texas said seriously. "But your... condition doesn't seem quite right."
What Texas really wanted to ask was whether there was something wrong with Lappland mentally—why she kept talking to empty air.
Lappland looked at her, then suddenly smiled.
"You really are..."
"Really are what?"
"Really interesting."
Su An drifted over and squeezed between them. "Yes, yes, both of you are interesting. One's a gloomy stick-in-the-mud, the other's a masked rider. Perfect match."
Lappland took a deep breath.
"Texas."
"Hm?"
"Do you want to hear a story?"
Texas looked at her, then nodded.
Lappland turned and began walking again.
"Follow me."
Texas followed.
At the side, Su An suddenly felt a little nervous.
This little brat... she wasn't about to—
"Lappland, you're not seriously going to tell her, are you?"
Lappland ignored him.
"Hey! Are you sure?"
Still no answer.
Su An drifted farther behind, completely unable to understand why Lappland had suddenly changed her mind.
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