I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

The sound of raindrops tapping on the umbrella echoed softly as he continued.

"Now, Coleta is the family's only option."

"But until then, the choice is still in her hands. Go to the docks and find her, hand her this gun, and she will understand what it means."

……

……

pier.

Upon receiving Francis's message, Duanmu Yan rushed to the dock without stopping for a moment.

But the dock was deserted at this moment, with only the damp sea breeze carrying a salty and fishy smell.

"Strange, wasn't it said to be at the dock?"

Why can't I see anyone?

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the silent pier and the moored cargo ships, but he couldn't find Koletta anywhere.

"Sniff sniff—" The sound mark on the back of his hand suddenly glowed faintly, and Abu, who had been asleep for a long time, woke up. His voice was alert, "Duanmu, do you feel... a strange energy around us?"

"Strange energy?" Duanmu Yan looked down at the back of his hand, his brows furrowing slightly.

Abu's voice was filled with confusion: "I can't explain it either... I just feel that there seems to be some kind of abnormal energy fluctuation in this space."

Just then, a clear, ethereal voice rang out from behind without warning.

"Are you looking for me?"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Duanmu Yan immediately smiled and turned around: "Second Little One—"

The words stopped abruptly.

Before me stood Colette—or rather, a figure resembling Colette—leaning gracefully in front of a full-length mirror.

She wore a dark-colored gown that she had never seen before, the hem of which flowed like the night, and her unusual attire enveloped her in an atmosphere of mystery.

"Why...did you change your clothes?" Duanmu Yan asked in confusion.

"Want to know?" A mysterious smile curved the corners of "Koleta's" lips as she looked in the mirror. "If you want to know, then come find me."

The moment she finished speaking, she turned around gracefully, her whole being disappearing into the mirror as if she were submerged in water.

Duanmu Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and without thinking, he rushed to the mirror—

Before he could react, a pale hand suddenly reached out from the mirror, grabbed his collar, and pulled him into the mirror!

In just a moment, the surrounding scenery had changed dramatically.

This appears to be a windowless, enclosed room, with the only light source coming from the faintly glowing patterns on the walls.

"Coletta" was straddling him, pinning him firmly to the ground, a familiar yet strange smile on her face.

"Oh dear," she whispered in his ear, her breath cool against his skin, "you really did follow me in."

"Second Miss—no, you are not the Second Miss."

"No, no, no, I am your second young lady."

Volume 1: Chapter 183 Koletta (Has Turned Evil)

Duanmu Yan was speechless for a moment, silently observing Koleta in front of him.

—She did indeed resemble Koleta, both in appearance and tone, but certain indescribable details made her completely different from the Second Miss he knew.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about it.

Perhaps it was the unnatural allure, or perhaps it was the captivating light shimmering deep within her eyes.

In short, it just feels very strange.

"Who exactly are you?" Duanmu Yan asked in a deep voice, his tone wary.

Upon hearing this, "Koleta" pursed her lips and gave a faint but meaningful smile. She stretched out her slender fingers and slowly traced Duanmu Yan's cheek, the icy touch sending chills down one's spine: "As you can see, I am Koleta, the second young lady you have been longing for."

Faced with this blatant flirtation, Duanmu Yan remained unfazed. He suddenly made a move, precisely grabbing her wrist, and with a swift flip, regained control, pinning her firmly beneath him: "Although we look exactly alike, I would never mistake one for another."

He moved closer to her face, his voice low and dangerous: "I'll ask you one last time, who are you?"

Instead of resisting, "Coletta" showed surprising obedience.

She even tilted her head back, letting their breaths mingle, a sly glint in her eyes: "Hmm? Already eager to... take me here?"

“I’m truly sorry, I spent too long ‘fighting’ with the Second Miss yesterday, so I have no interest in that kind of thing right now.” Duanmu Yan stared into her eyes. “More importantly, who exactly are you? A member of the Remnant Star Society?”

The confrontation with that madman from the Remnant Star Society in the Seven Hills was still fresh in Duanmu Yan's mind. Although the other party had sworn that there were Remnant Star Society members lurking around him, Duanmu Yan had not been able to find any conclusive evidence for so long.

"Koleta" maintained that faint smile, looking him over with interest, her tone carrying a subtle allure: "Really? I can give you an experience that 'I' can't. Whatever your request, I can fulfill it."

She whispered softly, her warm breath close to his ear: "Every corner of my body is open to you. Whatever kind of play you like, I'll agree to."

The girl's breath was fragrant, but Duanmu Yan remained unmoved, only slightly frowning: "That me? You really aren't the Second Miss."

The moment the words left his mouth, the girl beneath him vanished like mist. Duanmu Yan immediately lost his balance and nearly fell.

"What about people?"

He quickly regained his balance, looked around warily, and muttered to himself.

Just then, a pair of slender arms gently encircled him from behind, pulling him into a warm embrace: "What's the point of getting caught up in these trivial details? I'm not like that reserved second young lady of the Motari family. I am Koleta Motari, who belongs exclusively to you. Anyway, I really am Koleta, aren't I?"

Duanmu Yan was slightly taken aback, completely unaware of when she had appeared behind him.

He turned around instinctively, but in that instant, her figure vanished again.

"Since they're both Coleta, what difference does it make to you?"

The voice of "Koleta" echoed in every corner of the room, and her figure flickered constantly in the space, making her elusive.

"The same face, the same touch, I know everything about her, and I know everything about you."

"In that case, what's wrong with staying here and keeping me company?"

Duanmu Yan scoffed at this: "Save your boring rhetoric. Tell me, where exactly is this place, and where is the Second Miss?"

"Koleta" had somehow ended up sitting casually on the edge of a nearby table, her slender legs swinging gently in the air.

She rested her chin on her hand, a playful glint in her eyes: "You really want to know? Fine, I'll tell you—this is a realm born from Koleta's memories, and I am the master of this realm."

Before the words were even finished, her figure suddenly blurred, and the next moment she was right in front of him.

She reached out and grabbed Duanmu Yan's collar, pulling him closer and forcing him to look her in the eye: "So, I really am Koleta. But compared to her, who was always running away, I am better at facing my inner desires."

“So,” her voice suddenly became light and sweet, with a seductive quality, “now is our time alone. Let’s do something… that will make us both happy, okay? Things that Koleta wouldn’t agree to, I will agree to, you know.”

"..."

Just as she said, this Koleta is better at facing her own heart.

Such straightforward words...

That elegant and self-possessed second young lady would never say it out loud.

Although the straightforward and bold second young lady is indeed captivating, Duanmu Yan has never been a person who acts on impulse.

However, if I agree, would that be considered cheating?

—Although it has already been released.

She looks like Koleta, speaks like Koleta, has a voice like Koleta, and behaves like Koleta—then she is Koleta.

In that case, it wouldn't be considered cheating.

"Koleta" moved even closer, her warm breath almost melting away the last bit of distance between them.

Just as her lips were about to touch his—

click-

A very faint, crisp sound came from behind, so light it was almost like a hallucination.

At first, there were just spiderweb-like cracks, faintly visible in the air.

The next second, the entire space shattered with a deafening roar.

Countless shimmering fragments rained down, refracting countless lights and shadows in the void. And from behind that shattered void, a voice as cold as ice echoed.

"What are you doing?"

The real Colette stood there, her eyes like knives.

"Koleta" abruptly stopped, her gaze passing over Duanmu Yan's shoulder to the figure behind him that looked exactly like her: "Oh dear, you've been found out. I never thought you could actually overcome your past?"

Koleta stared coldly at her mirror-like reflection: "The past and the present are completely unrelated. Don't try to use the shadows of the past to destroy me now. The past couldn't, and the present certainly can't!"

The moment the last word fell, Koleta pulled the trigger without hesitation. The scorching bullet drew a crimson trail through the air, heading straight for her reflection in the mirror.

"Coletta" calmly raised her gun and returned fire.

The two bullets collided precisely in mid-air, producing a crisp sound, and then turned into countless glittering gem fragments, shimmering with dreamlike light in the dim space.

Amidst this dazzling shower of light, Koleta strode forward.

The "she" in the mirror floated back lightly, her figure gradually dissolving into the distorted air: "Ah, what a brief meeting. I hope that one day in the future, we can really accomplish that happy thing."

"Damn it, she got away."

Koleta gave a reluctant snort, then turned to Duanmu Yan.

The moment she looked at him, her gaze and tone softened unconsciously: "But what are you doing here?"

Duanmu Yan paused for a moment, then handed her the gun that Francis had given him.

“I learned the truth from the old man. I came because I was worried about you, and... the old man asked me to give this to you.”

Volume 1: Chapter 184 Little-known Facts: Feet are not X organs

"Is this the 'Shulong Lusi Liu Qiba'?"

When the pistol came into view, Coleta's pupils trembled slightly.

She recognized it—ever since the day her grandfather led her into the Motari family, she had seen this gun quietly resting in his holster countless times.

This is not just a weapon, but also a token of authority for the head of the family.

In her memory, this gun was always with her grandfather.

At this moment, however, the grandfather asked Duanmu Yan to bring it to him.

This also means——

Koleta fell into a brief silence, her fingertips pausing slightly in the air before slowly reaching for the gun in Duanmu Yan's hand.

"The old man talked to me a lot."

Duanmu Yan's voice rang in her ears.

He said he didn't want you to be burdened by ideals imposed on you by others, nor did he want your life to be confined to a predetermined framework.

His gaze calmly fell on her, and he moved the gun in his hand forward a little further.

"So, he has returned the right to choose to you."

"The gun is here, and so is the choice."

Koleta pursed her lips, her eyes flashing with some obscure emotions.

She wasn't sure if she was truly qualified to take this gun—this symbol that carried the fate of her family.

This hesitation does not stem from fear, nor from a lack of confidence, but rather from a deep-seated inferiority complex.

Perhaps.

As a collateral descendant of the Motari family, if it weren't for her grandfather's appreciation and cultivation, she might still be struggling in the streets of Laguna, barely making ends meet for the next day.

The ideal she pursued over the years was indeed initially a mission she was given—to repay her grandfather's kindness, she honed herself day after day, only hoping to be worthy of the title of the second young lady of the Motari family.

She never asked for more; everything she did was for the sake of her family.

In the past, it was she who needed Motari.

Now, it is Motari who needs her.

and so--

“…Hoo.” Koleta let out a soft breath, smiled slightly, and picked up the gun. “It seems I have no other choice, do I?”