Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 80, Section 37: Preparing for "Battle"

In the palatial villa hall.

The smooth wooden floor reflects the crystal chandelier in the dome, and the spiral staircases on both sides are in the style of aristocratic architecture.

"Why haven't I seen you?"

Nitil's words reached He Ye's ears. Among the guests who were talking in hushed tones, they were inconspicuous, and the content of their conversation was also unremarkable.

Seeing this, He Ye thought for a moment and took off his glasses, as if he were wiping them—then he looked at her calmly, and this action quickly made Nitil understand.

"I remember you!" Nitil's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with a hint of surprise as she said this.

She remembered the officer because he had sat near Lorris's seat that day, they had spoken, and he was so good-looking that it was hard not to remember him.

After He Ye realized that she understood who he was, he put his glasses back on, thinking that this would prevent her friends from misunderstanding anything.

But actually——

The conversation did not end there.

The symphony orchestra continued its performance in the hall, and the guests stood there, as aristocratic social etiquette was traditionally divided into several parts, and this was the so-called second part.

The violin began to play softly.

Interspersed with the sounds of continued conversation.

Nitil smiled and moved a little closer to He Ye, her twin ponytails brushing against his shoulders. It seemed her previous answer had actually closed the distance between them. She gently shook her head, as if enjoying the moment, and asked about something trivial:

What did you think of the orchestra's performance?

He Ye, though puzzled, maintained a humble demeanor and praised:

"It sounds good."

However, his true intention was not what he seemed to be.

Nitil wasn't commenting on the music, but rather using it as a springboard to discuss something else—a piece of gossip she'd recently learned from a friend in the band.

"Actually, I have a friend in this band, the violinist smiling in the corner. He's my family's tutor, and he gives my younger sister music lessons every week..."

Nitil paused for a moment and emphasized:
"Well, what I mean is, he's a friend of mine, and not long ago he told me with a laugh that the ladies these days are really not reserved enough—someone's actually having an affair behind a villa!"

When Nitil said the last sentence, "Someone is having an affair behind a villa!" He Ye's expression froze. The relaxed and calm atmosphere disappeared, turning into a kind of ambiguous interrogation.

Damn, it's really hard to guess who that is!
"Uh, what do you mean?" He Ye had no choice but to pretend to listen to gossip and continue asking.

Neytil smiled demurely, her hands clasped behind her long dress:

"Haha, you know, everyone's curious about these kinds of things, so I pressed him to tell me what he saw and what the features were. After all, if a couple doesn't meet in public but chooses to meet behind a deserted, dimly lit villa, there must be some unspeakable secret."

"For example, is there opposition from someone in the family, or some kind of forbidden thought?"

Nitil looked at He Ye with a drawn-out tone:
"What do you think?"

He Ye listened to her teasing tone and realized that he had underestimated her intentions—this was by no means a simple inquiry, but a curiosity to find the answer.

"They probably have something they can't say about it," He Ye said, his voice strained.

Nitil nodded patiently and continued:

"He told me he saw a blonde woman and a guy wearing glasses. Well, with so many couples here, it's hard to guess who the guy with glasses and the blonde woman are, don't you think?"

Heye: "..."

He silently took a sip of his drink, thinking of calling Loris to come and save the day. Damn it, look at the trouble she'd caused! At this rate, it felt like her friend was going to shoot lasers from her eyes and kill He Ye!

"Yes……"

Haha, why do you seem a little awkward?

Nitil felt victory was within her grasp; what had been mere doubt had now become a kind of certainty.

Seeing that He Ye had read her message but hadn't replied, Nitil had no choice but to ask the incredibly effective question, which would be a sure-fire kill in Pokémon battles.

Nitil: "By the way, I was looking for you and Loris at the banquet just now. I didn't see you two after you disappeared near the fountain, and I looked for quite a while but couldn't find you. Where did you go during that time?"

He Ye remained expressionless: "Execute the mission."

"But this is the Earl's private villa. What kind of mission could this be related to the intelligence department?"

"..." He Ye's expression gradually turned helpless. He couldn't very well reveal that he was tasked with sneaking into the villa to steal small things, could he? Would people suspect him of being a traitor? That would bring unnecessary trouble.

Sigh softly.

He Ye had no choice but to explain to her seriously, drawing a clear line again, saying that it really wasn't what she thought, and that it was all just for the mission—damn it, if Lolis didn't come out soon, he really wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River!

So Neytil nodded knowingly and said:

"So that's how it is, it was just a disguise for the mission."

But is that really the case?
A few seconds later.

☆～
Hey, why are you bumping yourself with your shoulder, you lady? That playful gesture seems to say, 'I've seen through your little scheme!'

Seeing Nitil's somewhat intimate actions, He Ye could only silently endure the interrogation, because he had done all he could, and saying anything more would just be making excuses.

Fortunately, she gradually stopped after a while, and what she said was filled with relief, but also contained some emotions that He Ye could not understand.

Nitil stood beside her and whispered:
"It doesn't matter which one it is, but she is indeed with you, right? During this mission."

He Ye didn't refute, so he responded indifferently.

What do you think of her outfit today?

He Ye casually remarked that it looked great; after all, one should dress up properly for a banquet, as it's basic social etiquette.

Nitil looked at He Ye and sensed that he was indeed drawing a line, and realized that perhaps it wasn't what she imagined, at least not with the apparent reason, the police officer thought it was just that.

However, as Loris's friend for many years...

Nitil understood what kind of person she was. You couldn't judge her by her appearance alone. Sometimes, even she herself wasn't aware of certain things about herself and had to be reminded by others.

Like people who have lost their sense of pain, they cannot feel the pain of a wound. Even if they are injured, they will only realize that they are bleeding when reminded by others.

“I hope I’m overthinking it. If it really is just a misunderstanding, we should make things clear as soon as possible,” Nitil said.

He Ye said helplessly, "I've already made myself very clear."

Nitil shook her head: "That's not what I meant."

He Ye didn't quite understand: "?..."

At this moment, Nitil noticed that her older brother was approaching. She knew that she couldn't talk to He Ye any longer, and she might be dragged over and scolded, because she had indeed caused a lot of trouble tonight.

In short, finish saying your last words, and then make your escape.

“Loris was willing to bring you along, even if it's for a mission, it at least means she… thinks highly of you? I can't say much for her, I can only tell you what I know about her.” Nitil tugged at He Ye's sleeve, pulling him in front of her while she hid behind him, and continued:
"She tends to beat around the bush when it comes to important things. If she likes to target you, it doesn't necessarily mean she dislikes you; she just can't find the right way to deal with you. How should I put it..."

"Her emotional handling is too clumsy, which stems from her past life experiences. I hope you can get along with her, because she doesn't have many friends. You can try asking her what she thinks of you, which would also satisfy my curiosity."

After speaking furtively, Nitil patted He Ye on the shoulder and then disappeared into the crowd behind her, leaving He Ye completely bewildered.

Not long after,

A menacing-looking man walked up to him.

"Hello, you were just talking to a lady in a purple dress, right? Do you know where she went—"

"Behind," He Ye pointed without hesitation, calmly, "the direction in which they last disappeared was near that vase."

As soon as he finished speaking, Nitil's brother was surprised by the other party's friendliness. The other party even told his younger sister where to go before he could finish speaking. He was stunned for a moment and then nodded his thanks repeatedly.

As for He Ye—

Finally, the interrogation ended, and he felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He took another sip of his wine and quietly observed the crowd and the lavish decor before him. Although those words, rather than revealing Loris's true intentions, seemed more like a subtle way of conveying what she wanted him to do.

However, He Ye didn't take it to heart.

Tonight we're attending a birthday party at a suburban villa, solely to investigate Sir Humphrey's alleged treason. If we find out he's a traitor, Lorice, as the team leader, will be promoted; if we don't, it'll just be a waste of our combined efforts.

The relationship between the two girls, as perceived by the girl named Nitil, was merely a coincidence of them bumping into each other.

Although he still had some doubts in his heart, such as why he was brought along—fortunately, He Ye would make up for it, because he was one of the original participants, and this matter should not be publicized, so after much deliberation, only the handsome He Ye could attend.

As for the deeper implications, such as emotional dullness… He Ye thought it was just her best friend egging her on.

If he dares to ask such a question, he could probably take sick leave tomorrow for a broken rib.

Oh, no, that's not right either.

Today is the last day of his brief undercover police career, so there's no need for him to take leave.

……

The camera turned.

ten minutes later.

It was still inside the villa's lobby.

Next to He Ye appeared Nyil, this time carrying a plate of hot salad. She had probably escaped a disaster; as the saying goes, those who survive a great calamity are bound to have good fortune later.

He Ye couldn't help but ask her curiously where she got the salad, since it wasn't mealtime over.
Nitil playfully wagged her finger and then quickly told everyone that there were delicious dishes in the restaurant next door, including hot vegetables, salads, fruits, cheeses, and desserts; it was just that the food served outside had been removed.

So, after a short while, the two of them sat together at a dining table on the edge of the hall, enjoying their meal.

He Ye now felt that this guy wasn't so annoying after all, since he would tell He Ye which food tasted good and that she could take more of it.

Of course, the focus has shifted at this point.

—Villa Lobby. Central Area—

The symphony orchestra of more than thirty people, dressed in tuxedos, was no longer performing in the center, but swayed like a record player in the corner—a group of real 'record players' playing music elegantly.

The main character is the birthday person at tonight's birthday party.

Sir Humphrey.

He stood on the second floor, a platform overlooking the entire area, like an emperor in olden times reviewing his troops—a hallmark of palatial villa architecture.

The gray-haired butler walked among the crowd, gently shaking a small silver bell—the clear sound gradually calmed the laughter and chatter in the hall, and all the guests stopped talking and looked up at the protagonist of the evening.

Sir Humphrey, sitting on the second floor, held a glass of champagne, his face warm, his gaze sweeping over every guest present.

Then he gently raised his wine glass.

They toasted each other virtually.

Since He Ye and Nitilten didn't make a move, they could only clink glasses with him with their eyes and glance around at each other—He Ye was a little puzzled, he didn't know where Loris had gone, he hadn't seen her for so long since they came in.

Although before they parted, she had said she would pass on the news about Miss Damia and talk to her about it.

But this trip is going to take far too long.

"Dear friends, colleagues, and my beloved family."

At this point, Sir Humphrey gave a speech.

"First of all, please allow me to set aside my usual status and, simply as your friend, express my deepest and sincerest gratitude for your presence. It is truly an honor to see so many distinguished faces gathered here to celebrate for an old man like me with thinning hair..."

To be honest, it's not a pleasant thing to say, but such formalities cannot be omitted.

Fortunately, after speaking for a few minutes...

He Ye saw Loris appear around him.

The girl walked alone through the crowd, her long, light golden hair catching He Ye's eye at first glance.

Then their eyes met.

She indicated that she had taken care of Mia's matter, although it was just a trivial gesture—the two of them were more than ten meters apart when they communicated, like underground party members meeting in a crowd.

After talking with her, He Ye kindly pointed to the empty seat next to her.

He and Nydia were sitting here enjoying their meal. It seemed that Loris hadn't eaten tonight either. With one more person, the three of them would be perfect, and they wouldn't have to worry about any gossip.

Loris had initially seemed to be planning to come over, but upon seeing the hay-like slurred speech Nitil was chewing, her expression changed, and she retreated, silently turning away and disappearing once more.

Why does this best friend seem to get along even worse than He Ye?

A little while later, as Sir Humphrey finished his speech, applause and some whispers rang out in the hall.

"It is said that Mr. Humphrey has recently found true love."

"What do you mean?"

Do you know Miss Elisa?

"Isn't that a ghost?"

Their hushed conversation was drowned out by the changing music, and a sudden variation of the symphony propelled the event to its next climax—music reserved for courtly dances.

Mr. Humphrey slowly descended the stairs on the left, while someone else was also slowly descending on the right—a blue-haired girl in a long dress.

　I apologize for padding the end of yesterday's chapter to get full attendance credits. I originally planned to add a free chapter, but free chapters don't count towards the full attendance credits, so I'll have to wait until the weekend when I have more time to write more and make up for it.

　　If you've already subscribed and are reading this far, you can enter the red envelope code on Alipay to receive a red envelope containing 600 points (20 in total).

　　The password is Heye20250827. I am truly, truly sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)