Chapter 110
“All ready!”
The staff presented the cookie in a pink box, tied with a ribbon. I gave my thanks, paid, and turned to leave—only to be called back.
“Miss, you need your receipt.”
“Oh, yes.”
The words sounded so natural that I reflexively took the paper. But then I realized something was off.
A receipt? I hadn’t made a bulk order; I had only bought a few cookies. There was no reason for a receipt here.
“What did you just say?”
“Pardon?”
“A moment ago, you said this was a receipt…”
The staff raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled, as if she hadn’t said it at all.
“…….”
I stared down at the paper that had been handed to me as a receipt, utterly bewildered by the irrational response.
On it was the now very familiar handwriting—and another QR code.
[Your memory seems really poor. – From Mockingbird]
“That little—”
It was true, but hearing something like that from someone else—especially someone seemingly connected to this blasted world—made my blood boil.
Before scanning the QR code, I clutched at the staff member again.
“Do you… remember who gave me this?”
“Pardon?”
“Who gave me this?”
But it was pointless. The staff had no recollection of calling it a receipt, nor of handing me the paper at all. It was as if some invisible force had briefly possessed them.
Still flustered, I climbed back into the carriage, unfolded the crumpled sheet, and there it was again—the irritating message and QR code I had seen earlier.
[The code has been recognized!]
[Name: Kim Sae-i
Status: User
Connected World: <Saving the Possessor>
Stage: Chapter 3. Lost, where should I go?]
“…Right… where should I go?”
I laughed bitterly at the chapter title.
[You have received a ‘Special Message’ from Mockingbird.]
“Special message?”
I muttered, puzzled by the vague wording. A chime, like a notification from a device, accompanied a new message.
[Detached Palace, last day of the month]
“…Detached Palace? last day of the month?”
What nonsense is this? I had expected a message with some useful information, but instead, it was just a string of keywords. Only two, yet knowing the sender, who had helped me survive so far, these were likely meant as a clue.
“Probably the main setting for the next event.”
The most likely guess. The next playfield would likely be the Detached Palace.
“Last day of the month…”
But which month? This month? Next month? Without a lunar calendar here, would I even have to convert the date?
“If you’re going to give me hints, be transparent about everything.”
Who scolded me for having a poor memory?
I clenched the paper tightly and exhaled. At least this meant I’d survive until the end of the month; with the month just starting, if my guess was right, I could afford a little breathing room.
* * *
When I got home, the person I encountered was entirely unexpected.
“Sir Ren?”
Why are you here again? Seeing the uniform of the Public Security Bureau at home was infuriating. Why did he always show up unexpectedly?
“Is this mine?”
I froze, seeing him comfortably seated on the familiar sofa. Dahlia, who was sitting beside him, scurried over and grabbed the cookie box from my hands without permission, undoing the ribbon to inspect its contents.
“It’s mine! You don’t even eat sugar cookies.”
“….”
Dahlia hummed cheerfully, as if the previous cold war had never happened. Perhaps my worries had been unnecessary.
“Did you visit Resjul?”
Just then, a tall man approached quickly and spoke. The sudden whiff of male cologne startled me, and I instinctively stepped back.
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