Chapter 60: Chapter 59

“From today, your food assignment will change.”

“What? But I still have five days… .”

The moment she was about to ask.

‘Do you dare to raise your head without asking permission?’

Aselia looked up at the deputy director as she tried to respond to Ivan’s proclamation, but she stopped talking when the memory of being slapped came back to her.

Then, noticing her reaction, Ivan sighed and continued,

“I have contacted Z-898. It will probably be rearranged again. Until then, just be patient.”

“Ah, yes… . sorry.”

At Aselia’s attitude, Ivan looked at her sadly and tapped her shoulder.

“I want to say goodbye, but… . Would that be too difficult?”

In response to Ivan’s favorable attitude, Aselia asked for a favor in a tiny whisper. He couldn’t bring himself to reply right away because he knew that even that was part of the deputy director’s plan.

“You two have gotten very close.”

“… sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. But… . you, be careful.”

Aselia was grateful and apologetic towards Ivan, who treated her well. Perhaps it was because he was a researcher after being an A-rank like herself. If it had been a conversation with the deputy director, no, if it had been a conversation with other researchers, her cheeks wouldn’t have remained untouched.

“Once, yes. I’ll let you say goodbye.”

“Thank you.”

Ivan didn’t know how far the deputy director’s calculations went, but he was surprised that even Aselia’s reaction she had already anticipated when he notified her that she was reassigned. How much had she predicted about the A-ranker, who could be scrapped at any time?

“You might not be able to meet him in a sane state. Is that alright?”

“… yes.”

Aselia wanted to say farewell even if he was drugged. Unfortunately, when the assignments were changed, they would not be able to see each other again.

Maybe another A-classer would deliver his meals now, and she would probably never see him again.

Still, she had managed to get quite close to him, and since her placement changed, it seemed very different from the original. But, then, even if he went out of his way and destroyed the research institute, wouldn’t he think of their old friendship and not kill her?

Aselia reminded herself there was nothing she could do about it anyway, so she decided to think as positively as possible.

At the same time, she remembered how he wished everything was a dream when he was with her, so she decided to think it was a good thing.

Later that night.

“Come out.”

“Thank you, Researcher Ivan.”

Ivan really did come to pick up Aselia. However, tomorrow morning she will be assigned to another person.

“Z-898 doesn’t want you serving anyone.”

“Ah yes… .”

“Why don’t you ask Z-898 instead? With his position, whatever you ask for will be easy for him to do.”

Aselia remembered how she had insisted to him that she wanted to stay by Kalisten’s side until her assignment was complete and changed. After this, everything would be over, and she wouldn’t need to serve food regardless.

“I can stand five days.”

Aselia said mysteriously with a wry smile; Ivan sighed and patted her on the shoulder again. She didn’t know, but he was weak to her because she resembled a close friend he’d lost in the past.

-Beep.

They arrived in front of Kalisten’s door before she even knew it, and Ivan opened the door and said,

“Do your best, I’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Aselia watched the door close with a ‘beep’, then she looked towards Kalisten.

He seemed to have been subjected to a modest experiment this time. But he looked dazed, like a drunk or drug addict.

“Kal, I’m here to talk to you and tell you something.”

Kalisten was not bound by restraints. But as he approached, she heard the jingling of metal.

Aselia stared at him blankly as he drew near. He looked more tidy than usual, so she thought he was fine.

“Kal.”

“Aselia.”

“I want to tell you I am grateful for the time we’ve spent together.”

She was sorry to part with him but simultaneously relieved, as it seemed that she would be temporarily rid of the threat to her survival.

“What are you talking about?”

But when she saw that his empty eyes became ferocious at her words, she suddenly thought she had made a mistake.

“Ah… that… that is… ”

“Aselia.”

His eyes flashed with an irate ferocity as he closed the distance between them.

“Today is our last day together. We can’t see each other anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

He was injected with hallucinogens, truth-telling serums as usual, and—

“They’ve changed my placement… I am assigned to a different class for meals.”

A powerful aphrodisiac.