Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

"Hiss... Hmm? Oh... I almost forgot about that..." Xuanze looked like he hadn't woken up yet.

"You're actually sleeping?! Even I didn't get a good night's sleep!?" Saiwei retorted without any politeness.

"What does it matter..." Xuanze even stretched while doing so.

"How can it not be related?! You're just unilaterally pushing the work onto me, okay?!" Saiwei was furious from the bottom of his heart.

Here's what happened: After Li was rescued, they worked day and night for the past two days. The heavy workload left Xuanze and Saiwei with no time to rest. They absolutely couldn't waste the little time they had managed to gain.

Of course, most of the work was done by Saiwei, while Xuanze was mostly just slacking off. Saiwei had been forcing himself to stay vaguely aware of the situation, but Xuanze just fell asleep, which is why Saiwei was so annoyed.

"No... I just think it's better to leave this kind of thing to more professional people to handle..." Sai said weakly.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you," Aye said with a wry smile, apologizing to Sevier.

clap clap.

Ning clapped his hands helplessly, then reminded him, "We've gone off-topic. Don't waste any more time, Demon King."

Thanks to these two, the heavy atmosphere eased a bit, and Shuangyue, who hadn't made a sound until now, meowed twice, making the air less oppressive.

"Huh...? Oh..." The Demon King, in power-saving mode, scratched his messy black hair. "As for how to deal with it, personally, I think it's better to just kill him."

The faces of everyone in the know showed an expression of "I knew it would turn out like this." It was reasonable and expected that Xuanze would say such a thing. They were not particularly surprised, but they felt heavy-hearted.

After hearing Xuanze say something he shouldn't have, Serena quickly shocked him again. Impatient, Xuanze grabbed her, put her in his pocket, and locked her up.

“But that was just my personal opinion.” Xuanze, who had been electrocuted again, seemed to have sobered up a bit. “If we’re thinking about the bigger picture, then we should use him to the fullest extent.”

Ning Wuyan nodded, acknowledging the same thought.

In terms of his usefulness alone, Hale is quite valuable. Although he is blind, he still has considerable combat power and the means to fight against the Holy Sword. In addition, he was once a core member of the kingdom, so he must know a lot.

“Let’s just lock him up like this,” Savi said, expressing his thoughts. “I don’t trust this guy. His motives are unclear, and he used to be a member of the kingdom. His sudden appearance here, wanting to fight alongside us, is honestly hard for me to accept.”

“I share the same thought as Prince Sevi.” Edman also shook his head. “This person cannot be trusted. If he is a spy for the kingdom, we will be completely exposed. So, it’s better to lock him up or get rid of him as soon as possible. No one knows if he is telling the truth.”

Indeed, what they said made sense. No one knew whether Hao Er would tell the truth, and no one could guarantee that he was telling the truth. Rather than listening to him and being suspicious, it was better to just give up on him.

Hao'er remained silent, head bowed. He had nothing more to say; it was pointless now. The tide had turned, and his usefulness was now uncertain—perhaps this was one form of retribution.

East, Seria, and Wu Ke all felt that it was inappropriate for them to speak up in their current position. From other people's perspectives, they might be pleading for old friends or partners, which could potentially do more harm than good to Hale.

They believed that Hao must have some reason. Since he had gone to such lengths to save Xia Que, they wanted to cheer him on. However, he was now in a difficult situation and could only overcome this hurdle on his own; they couldn't intervene.

“I say…why don’t you just have your vampires curse him?” Negi suggested. “You can’t do something like that, can you? Isn’t it simple?”

"Eek...! A curse?" Chu Chu's face was filled with panic. "Um, I think it's best not to do this. Curses are dangerous, and..."

The two Dragon Kings presented their opinions from a relatively objective perspective, while Chu Chu, somewhat out of touch, worried about the well-being of the person she was working with, after all, she was a kind girl who saved lives.

“Constructing a spell to create a specific curse takes a lot of time…” Aye said with a headache. “Is it possible to use a contract directly?”

“That probably won’t work, after all, he still has that ability, the ability to even negate the power of the Holy Sword.” Xuanze rejected the idea.

All reliance on unnatural coercion is meaningless to this person. He can shatter such coercion by praying for the blessing of something, and ordinary coercion cannot directly guarantee that the other party will actually comply.

The issue has reached a stalemate again, with opinions divided into two camps: one advocating abandoning all its value, and the other deciding to use it to the extreme. Moreover, given the current trend, the final decision is highly likely to point to the worst-case scenario.

Celia was about to speak when Esther reached out to stop her, shaking his head with a serious expression, so she had to withdraw her hand.

Doubt and distrust. That's why the issue can't move forward.

Some people are willing to take such risks, which often come with huge potential rewards; others prefer to be more conservative and proceed steadily.

These two ideas have led to a split within the leadership. Ning helplessly took a sip of the tea Xia Ling brought him, pondering what foolish thing Li might do in the face of such a situation.

"Hey, Xia Ling," Ning suddenly asked, "Can you accept this outcome?"

"Eh……"

When asked this question suddenly, Xia Ling didn't know what to say. To be honest, she herself didn't know why she was there.

"As for me..." In front of so many people, her little habit kicked in again, "Maybe... I'll choose to believe him (falling into a lower tone)..."

“I see…” Ning listened to her opinion, “It’s about the same as what I… no, it’s about the same as what I imagined.”

"Eh? Sister Li too?" Xia Ling was slightly surprised, but then she thought about it and realized something was off.

"So, are you planning to side with the Demon King?" Sevi asked with a stern face. "This is a decision that affects the whole situation."

"Ugh, they're all so annoying, always talking about the big picture and all that..." Ning impatiently put down her teacup. "I'm just stating our family's perspective. If it's reasonable, you know what she'll do, right?"

"Believe me without saying a word?"

Xuanze offered a concise summary, which sounded somewhat sarcastic; hopefully, the person on the second floor didn't hear it. This insightful summary truly served as a standard model for all actions; she would likely trust those who needed help or were willing to help without hesitation, and if those who seemed like good people were included, there should be quite a few.

Thinking back carefully, it seems that she did indeed do that. After leaving the labyrinth, she trusted the adventurer without hesitation, then went to find Olito, who was a merchant, then started causing trouble in Akihabara, and finally even got involved with the demons.

Oh dear... I'll have to keep a closer eye on this girl from now on. She always manages to get into strange trouble without me noticing, and she's constantly expanding her harem.

Li probably didn't realize that more and more people who liked her were gathering around her, which was not good, sister.

While thinking about things unrelated to the topic, Ning glanced at Finoer, who was also drinking tea next to her. Finoer seemed to understand the meaning in her eyes and revealed a mischievous smile, which also contained a bit of pride in her outstanding younger sister.

That smile seemed to say: You have to fight for it yourself.

"Miss Li would actually do something like this?" Edman looked utterly astonished. "This is truly surprising..."

“Although I don’t know what kind of impression she left on you…” Aye said with a wry smile, “Actually, that Dragon King’s style of doing things is very reckless, and she’s capable of anything… It’s all thanks to the companions around her.”

In short, in the eyes of those in the know, Li is probably an omnipotent person... the kind who can do whatever she wants with the group of people who follow her, although her own efforts are undeniable.

“But that won’t solve the current problem, will it?” Saiwei asked rhetorically.

"No, it can be solved." Ning smiled mysteriously.

"Hoo~" For some reason, Xuanze also started to act mysteriously. "I think I know what you're planning to do. So it doesn't seem like there's any problem now, right?"

"Wait, wait, wait? What are you two talking about?" Saiwei, who was not on the same wavelength, expressed his dissatisfaction.

“Ning already made it very clear just now.” Xuanze smiled, still offering no further explanation.

Apart from them and a few others who could understand, almost everyone was completely baffled by the conversation between Ning and Xuanze. After recalling what Ning had said earlier, Saiwei showed a look of sudden realization followed by a "Are you kidding me?" expression.

"Could it be..." Xia Ling finally understood their conversation.

“That’s right,” Ning smiled, “I’m only speaking on behalf of my family to express our views, so we’ll take over this war criminal now. I think no one will have any objections, right?”

Chapter 2 The Girl Who Was Afraid

Finally, Ning firmly decided on the punishment of that war criminal, accepting no objections or rebuttals.

Apart from Saiwei, who was still fussy and worried, everyone else understood the meaning of the decision and stopped expressing their opinions.

In other words, Ning, representing their relatively independent small force, accepted the war criminal Hao'er, and the impact of Hao'er would only affect them.

The Li family, acting independently, can do whatever they want to this person without affecting other forces. Whether they believe it or not, they will bear the consequences of their decision, thus minimizing the impact.

After deciding on the priests' fate, the group exchanged information. Ning concluded that they probably didn't have much time left. The kingdom was still ridiculously strong, while the duchy had only just reached the starting line. Judging from their current strength, they only had enough for one last battle.

The kingdom cannot afford to give the duchy much time to struggle and engage in a protracted war. It will commit all its forces to this battle. In this world, or rather, this continent, there will probably only be the kingdom and the duchy left.

After the meeting, everyone left through the teleportation portal in the workshop and returned to their posts, striving to accumulate more strength before the final battle.

Now, besides the master and servants of this house, the people remaining here are the three adventurers and the three dragon kings.

After the meeting ended, Fino quickly picked up Xiao and hurriedly asked her if she was alright. She checked every corner of Xiao's body and called Chu Chu over for a more thorough examination.

Xiao was like a bewildered kitten being manipulated at will by the two of them. Shuangyue, who was carried away by Nieqi, meowed twice, as if she was gloating.

Seria and the others stood nervously to one side, glancing back and forth between Ning and Hao'er, their hesitant expressions clearly revealing their unspoken thoughts. Ning sighed helplessly, then removed all the restraints from Hao'er's body.

"……Thanks."

Once freed from his restraints, Hao'er immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Ning Shen, his gratitude beyond words. A simple "thank you" was simply not enough to express his thanks.

Ning's reaction was quite indifferent. After taking a small sip of tea, she said lightly, "Let's skip the pleasantries. I'm not a big fan of these kinds of words. I'm a more practical person. Besides, the person you really want to thank is up there."

The person who caused this situation is still locked in their room, which is giving Ning a real headache. If it weren't for Li's influence, Ning wouldn't have made this decision; she's not willing to take such a risk.

However, let's just believe in her this time. I really don't know why she always manages to make the right choice amidst all the mess and trouble. Maybe it's because of the "Goddess's Favor" skill?

“Let those three tell you the rest,” Ning stood up. “I’m not in the mood to talk to you right now.”

Seria and the other two showed expressions of joy for a moment, but then, remembering their own identities, they looked at Ning with their eyes, asking if it was permissible to do so.

She already knew that the three people standing nearby had been watching Hao'er, so she said those words and left the matter to them to handle. But to be honest, she really wasn't in the mood to deal with it right now.

Ning nodded, left the sofa, and walked towards Finoer and the others. The three of them eagerly surrounded Hao'er. They had a lot to say about their reunion with Hao'er, and Hao'er probably had a lot to say to them as well, so they decided to leave the rest of the day for them.

“Sister,” Ning called out affectionately, “there’s no need to put Xiao through this… I’ve checked carefully, and with Relfa’s Reverse Scale protecting her, she’ll be perfectly fine.”

"Ah, even though I knew that, I still can't help but worry." Finoer sighed helplessly. "So, are you going to see her now?"

“Well, we can’t just leave it like this…” Ning looked at her room door. “Depending on the situation, I might have to use magic to break down the door.”

Ning wasn't joking. She could sense that Rin had become increasingly adept at controlling space and time since being kidnapped this time. If Rin had used her powers to separate the room, then breaking down the door with magic would be necessary.

“Go ahead,” Finoer said, seemingly unconcerned. “She’s in your care now. She’s had quite a shock this time…”

Fino also stared at the closed door, her icy eyes filled with worry. She hadn't seen Li since he came back, only knowing that Li had locked himself in his room ever since. As his older sister, she was also very worried about Li's mental state.

"Well then, I'll leave this to you, sister." Ning glanced at Hao'er.

Fino glanced at her indifferently, patted Ning's shoulder lightly, and urged her to hurry upstairs. Ning smiled wryly as she walked up the stairs. Fino must have agreed to take care of the house for her.

After going up to the second floor, Ning took one step, two steps, and approached the room at the deepest part of the second floor. She reached into her clothes to examine herself, smoothed out the wrinkles, tidied her hair, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the doorknob.

Ning turned the doorknob, but there was no reaction from her inside. Ning also didn't sense any resistance. She gently pushed the door open, entered the room, and closed the door.

Li sat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The room wasn't very messy, and she looked no different from usual. Compared to last time, she was in much better condition this time, but it made Ning, who was watching this scene, very distressed.

Yes, it was no different from usual, as if time had stopped, as still as a painting, without any sense of breath or life. It was a completely closed world, a world that refused to move forward.

She remained in that state, and her injuries showed no signs of healing. With the Dragon King's regenerative abilities, those minor injuries should have healed long ago, but they hadn't...

"reason……"

He called her name, but received no response. She remained staring at the ceiling. Ning approached her silently and then roughly pushed her down onto the bed. Li then reacted, a reaction that pained Ning deeply and made her feel utterly pathetic.

"—!?!"

Her incoherent cries echoed in his mind. The girl in his arms struggled, but gradually even that gave up. Large tears streamed from her dull, lifeless eyes. She was afraid.

What is she afraid of?

That was something she didn't know, and she couldn't do it perfectly yet, but at least she knew she had to do something.

A deep kiss.

He gently bit her lips, pried open her teeth, and lightly touched her frightened tongue, bringing her back to her senses.

Right there, Ning stole Li's kiss for the second time. She tried her best to convey her warmth to Li, embracing the wounded little guy. She used a deep kiss to let Li feel her presence.

The answer in Chapter 3 was already clear to me.

...That's too much...

A faint sound entered my mind.

unacceptable……

The voice trembled, its breath ragged and intermittent, sometimes audible, sometimes not. Her presence gradually returned; the woman in her arms was no longer the wooden doll she had been moments before.

"That's too much..." Li pushed Ning away in a flustered manner. "Waking me up like this is too much! That was my first kiss..."

She was preoccupied with other things, but her body was still trembling uncontrollably. She didn't use much force when she pushed, only managing to push Ning away slightly so that their eyes met.

"Are you... scared?" Ning asked, as if she were a wild beast eyeing its prey.

"...!!"

Her body jolted slightly, her beautiful face contorting in pain as she was cornered by a wild beast. The frightened rabbit took a step forward in terror, but the beast had already blocked all escape routes.

"...What makes you so afraid?" Ning pressed on.

Unable to speak.

She couldn't speak; fear overwhelmed her. Her lungs pounded incessantly, desperately seeking oxygen. Coldness crept up her fingertips, and an invisible hand gripped her throat.

Just like back then.

She didn't answer, nor did her body react; only tears streamed down her face. She couldn't pretend to be strong; she wasn't that tough, and she knew that perfectly well.

She dared not look Ning in the eyes, dared not resist Ning; her consciousness began to cloud again, and darkness gradually filled her vision. But then, someone embraced her.

Unlike the previous one, there was no roughness, no malice whatsoever. A soft body pressed against me, a reassuring warmth enveloping me, and a calming fragrance filled my nostrils. What exactly was that thing holding me?