Mr. Death in the Steam World

An idea popped into Moen's mind.

Was it because he and Phils shared that magical loop at the ceremony?

"If that's really the case..."

Moen spoke in a low voice, a disturbing conclusion surfacing in his mind.

What exactly is the relationship between the agents?

"I've gotten myself into such a huge mess."

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Emily walked in carrying a large bag, her turquoise eyes scanning the room before settling on Moen's face.

"Detective, I've come to see you again! I brought you some changes of clothes and a few magic books, just in case you're bored lying down."

Moen glanced at them; those magic books were the textbooks he had brought from Kansas. The one on top, "Principles and Applications of Transmutation," had his previous notes tucked between the pages.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome." Emily placed her things on the bedside table, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

"Anyway, I don't have much to do. I've finished talking to Catherine, and there's no new information from Brad."

"Where are the members of the Truth Society?"

"They've completely withdrawn. The archbishop said they had at least three strongholds in Ironcrown, but they'll probably abandon them all after this."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious.

"They won't be back anytime soon, but the archbishop is concerned about what the bespectacled man said before he left."

“Will the truth let you off the hook?” Moen repeated.

"Yes, the archbishop said this was not a threat, but a promise. Truth will always be kept, and the prey they target has never escaped."

Moen remained silent for a moment.

"So we're being watched?"

"It seems so." Emily shrugged. "But don't worry too much. With the Holy Church around, they won't dare to be too blatant."

"And—" She turned her head to look at Moen, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Don't we still have you, the 'first-tier' detective who can go toe-to-toe with a seventh-tier magician?"

Moen felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and looked away.

"That's only temporary, and the cost is too high."

"The cost may be high, but the results are good." Emily stood up, patted her skirt, and said, "Alright, I should go now. I still need to check on Xiao Feifei."

"What's wrong with her?"

Emily gave him a meaningful look: "What do you think?"

Moen wisely did not respond.

Not long after Emily left, Phils returned.

She stood in the doorway, holding a tray with a bowl of soup and a small plate of bread on it. She frowned slightly when she saw Moen sitting and reclining.

"Why are you sitting up again? The doctor said that although you are recovering quickly, you still need to rest more."

"I've been lying in bed for three days already. If I keep lying down, my bones won't break, but my back will." Moen smiled. "What's this?"

"Pumpkin soup, um... I made it myself." Phil paused, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. "I... I tasted it, it's alright."

Moen picked up the bowl and took a sip. It was indeed quite good. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the aroma of the milk blended well, and the temperature was just right.

"Not bad," he commented sincerely.

Phils's ears turned even redder.

"What's wrong?" Moen noticed her reaction.

"It's nothing," Phils said softly. "I just think... your recovery ability is really strong."

"The doctor said that for a fracture of that severity, an average person would need to stay in bed for at least two weeks before being able to get up, but you were able to walk on your own in just three days."

After they managed to finish the conversation, the ward fell silent again.

Phils kept her head down, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands, her face displaying a complex expression.

Nervousness, hesitation, and a sense of having made up my mind.

"Mr. Marcus," she suddenly said.

"Um?"

"That day at the ceremony, I said, 'If it weren't for you, I might have failed.'"

Moen opened his mouth as if to say something, but Phils didn't give him a chance to interrupt.

"When that guardian surrounded me with flames, I really thought I was going to die there." Her voice began to tremble slightly.

"And then you came. You could have walked by yourself; the exit of that secret passage was right in front of you. You could have left directly."

"But you came back, and you used that sword to cleave the flames and pull me out of there."

Moen wanted to say, "That's what I should do," but he swallowed the polite words back.

She looked up and stared straight at Moen.

"Moen, you've been saving me and helping me all along, from Wonderland to the night the demons descended, and now in Ironcrown City... I remember everything you've done."

Moen's Adam's apple bobbed.

He wanted to say, "It's only right for friends to help each other," and "You did help me too."

But these words circled around on my lips, and in the end, they all turned into a somewhat clumsy sentence:

"You're too kind."

Phils shook her head.

"This isn't just politeness." Her voice softened further.

"I just want you to know... no matter what happens in the future, no matter how much I get involved in that matter of the main god, don't think that you're the one who dragged me down with you."

"This is my choice, it's what I wanted to do."

When she said this, her face showed a seriousness that seemed out of place for her age.

Looking at her, Moen suddenly realized that this girl was actually much stronger than he had thought.

The atmosphere changed without us even realizing it.

The light in the ward became soft and ambiguous, and the distance between Moen and Phils suddenly became very close.

He could almost see the curve of her eyelashes and smell the faint scent of lavender on her.

Phils's face turned so red it was almost bleeding.

Her gaze moved from Moen's eyes to his lips, then quickly returned, as if she were engaged in some intense internal struggle.

Detective Moen Marcus's mind went completely blank at that moment.

He knew what might happen next, but—he genuinely didn't know what to do.

Whether before or after his time travel, he was still just Xiao Chunan who had never been in a relationship!

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly enchanting and indescribable—

"Detective, I've given you—"

Emily's voice abruptly stopped outside the opened door.

Three pairs of eyes stared at each other, frozen in place.

Phils retreated with lightning speed, almost pressing herself against the wall.

Her face was completely red, even her neck was tinged with pink. Her lips opened and closed, and after uttering a muffled "I, I, I," she completely became a blushing mute.

Moen's reaction speed was also quite fast.

He instantly adjusted himself into the posture befitting a patient, a perfectly timed smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you, Miss Manluo, you've worked hard."

Emily stood in the doorway, holding a stack of clothes in her arms. Her expression changed from shock to confusion, and then from confusion to a subtle smile that said, "I understand, but I'm pretending I don't."

"Oh well."