Mr. Death in the Steam World

Wonderland Paradise, deep within the mirror maze.

A rift suddenly opened, and Moen, Phils, and Lily fell out of the portal.

Moen glanced down at the "Alice's Mirror" in his hand, then looked up at the culprit that had sucked them into the fairy realm.

He could clearly sense that the power of that mirror had been completely transferred to the magic mirror in his palm.

With a wave of his hand, the fairyland transformed into starlight, silently dissipating into the air.

An instinct told him that he could summon the Mirror of Immortality anytime he wanted.

"Well……"

A soft murmur came from my arms.

Moen looked down and saw Lily rubbing her eyes, looking around blankly.

Her amber eyes reflected countless images of herself in the maze, and her small face was filled with confusion.

"Where...is this place again?"

For a seven-year-old girl, this period of her life was far too bizarre.

A pink sky, a talking rabbit, a queen sister who treats her incredibly well, and flames and bullets flying around.

She instinctively gripped Moen's clothes tightly.

"Come, come to your sister."

Phils crouched down and waved to Lily with a gentle smile.

Lily glanced at Moen, then at Phils, hesitated for a moment, and then obediently walked over.

Phils reached out and gently placed her hand on Lily's forehead.

"Lily, it's okay. You'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

The light rippled out from Phils's palm, gently enveloping Lily.

The little girl's eyelids began to droop, her body swayed slightly, and finally she softly fell into Phil's arms, breathing evenly.

Moen raised an eyebrow as he watched this scene.

"What is she doing...?"

"Shh, she's asleep." Phils blinked and gently patted Lily's back.

"This child has been in Wonderland for so long, he knows too much."

"Although she is only seven years old, children speak without thinking, and no one can guarantee that no one with ulterior motives will notice her."

"If someone traces this incident through her, it won't be good for you, for me, for her, or for her mother."

Moen immediately understood what she meant.

"So you're taking her back?"

"Mm." Phils nodded.

"The academy has a special procedure for handling this kind of situation, and they won't do anything excessive to her."

"It's just...it makes her feel like everything that's happened these past few days was just a dream."

"Dream?"

"All she remembers is going to Wonderland, getting lost in the park, and then falling asleep in a daze."

"When she wakes up, she won't remember anything, and she won't leave anything behind, except for you and me."

"Of course, it's the version of you and me that she perceives."

Moen was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

He's not a saint; he wouldn't say anything nice like "everyone has the right to know the truth."

For Lily, forgetting all of this and returning to that life, though poor, was at least peaceful, might be the best ending.

but--

He looked at Phils and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Miss Ignis, you really have quite a few skills."

Phils paused for a moment.

"You made the independent headband, you drew the speed spell, you cast the invisibility spell, and now you can put others to sleep."

Moen counted on his fingers.

Are all top students this all-around talented?

Two faint blushes rose on Phils's face. She pulled Lily closer to her and then playfully raised her chin.

"Of course, since they're called top students, they must know everything."

The orange flame flashed briefly at her fingertips, reflecting off her curved eyebrows and eyes.

Moen couldn't help but chuckle at her smug expression.

"Let's go, it's time to get out."

The two walked through the winding passages of the mirror maze, lifted the black curtain at the entrance, and stepped into the night of the park.

The moonlight, like water, spilled over every corner of the fairyland paradise.

In the Mad Hatter's tea area, dozens of round tables stood quietly on the lawn, the teapots and teacups on them gleaming warmly in the moonlight.

In the distance, the spire of the Red Heart Castle rises high, and the flag atop it flutters gently in the night breeze.

Everything was exactly the same as it had been forty-eight hours ago.

Phils stood beside him, holding the sleeping Lily in her arms, her long, silvery-white hair gently tossed by the night breeze.

The moonlight fell on her face, outlining a soft contour. The little girl in her arms slept peacefully, her face resting against her shoulder, a faint smile on her lips.

The scene was unexpectedly harmonious, giving Moen a strange illusion that Phils was radiating a maternal glow.

He quickly looked away.

"Well then, I'll leave Lily to you."

"Hmm." Phils nodded. "It should be sorted out by noon tomorrow, then I—"

"etc."

Moen suddenly remembered something and turned to look at her.

"Give me your contact information."

Phils's expression froze instantly.

"Why...why are you asking this?"

Her voice suddenly rose half an octave, and the two blushes on her cheeks spread at a visible speed, even her ears turned pink.

"Although I'm very grateful that you saved me in Wonderland, but..."

She took a deep breath, as if summoning immense courage.

"That's not how we, the Ignis family, do it! If you want my contact information, you should first—first—"

"Miss Ignis."

Moen interrupted her expressionlessly.

"If you don't give me your contact information, how am I supposed to contact you to bring Lily back?"

The air was silent for one second, two seconds, three seconds.

Phils's face turned completely red.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, looking just like a fish that had been slapped ashore.

Finally, without saying a word, she pulled a butterfly-shaped hair clip from her head, lowered her head, and began chanting a spell.

Moen stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching with amusement the lingering red mark on the tip of her ear.

After reciting the incantation, Phils shoved the hair clip haphazardly into Moen's hand, her words tumbling out like a machine gun.

"Lily's matter should be resolved by tomorrow noon. Put this hair clip in your pocket and come find me here when it gets warm. That's all, I'll be going now, goodbye!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and run away with Lily in her arms, her ponytail swinging in an arc in the night.

Moen watched her figure disappear at the park entrance, then looked down at the butterfly hair clip in his hand.

The silver butterfly wings are engraved with fine patterns, gleaming faintly in the moonlight, as if they were alive and ready to flutter away at any moment.

He put the hair clip into his pocket, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

"I didn't see you run this fast when we were traveling in Wonderland before."

He muttered to himself.