Natasha was slightly taken aback by the girl before her, though only for a fleeting moment. The one behind the door, Lynx, didn't notice anything unusual.
"Hello, please forgive my sudden intrusion. There are some matters I'd like to discuss with Mr. Yun Fan. I was wondering if he's available now. Could you help relay the message?" With her hands clasped in front of her, Natasha wore a gentle smile, exuding warmth and approachability.
"You're looking for Mr. Yun Fan?" Hearing this, Lynx studied Natasha for a few more seconds before shaking her head slightly. "Mr. Yun Fan has gone out on business and isn't in the hotel right now."
"Then, could you tell me… Sorry, that was presumptuous of me." Halfway through her sentence, Natasha swallowed her words. After all, this was her first time meeting Lynx, and her claim of being Yun Fan's friend was entirely one-sided. Pressing further would only cause unnecessary trouble.
"I'll wait for Mr. Yun Fan in the lobby then. Thank you for your help, Miss…" Here, Natasha paused briefly, casting an apologetic glance at Lynx.
Seeing this, Lynx spoke up. "Lynx."
"Thank you for your assistance, Miss Lynx." With that, Natasha waved and turned away from the door, heading toward the staircase at the corner.
Only after watching Natasha leave the second floor did Lynx close the door again.
"Lynx, did something happen outside?" Just as the door shut, a slightly puzzled voice came from behind Lynx. Beneath the confusion, there was a faint trace of exhaustion.
"Ah, Lady Bronya, you're awake." Lynx quickly walked to the bedside, poured some warm water from the thermos, and handed it to Bronya before sitting down beside the bed.
"Thank you, Lynx." Bronya took small sips of the warm water. As the soothing liquid slid down her throat and into her stomach, she gradually felt a little better.
In truth, Bronya's body wasn't in any serious condition. It was just that the immense stress she'd been under lately, compounded by Sampo's antics, had culminated in her current state. A few days of proper rest would restore her to normal. However, right now, Bronya didn't feel she could rest easy.
"Did something happen outside earlier?" Bronya asked again.
"Nothing major. A lady came looking for Mr. Yun Fan, but she didn't seem like a bad person." Lynx briefly recounted what had happened. Her first impression of Natasha was quite favorable—gentle, sunny, and with an ample bosom, she was the very image of a kind older sister next door.
Besides, even though Mr. Dan Heng wasn't here right now, given his strength, the entire hotel was likely under his surveillance. If that woman had made it here, she probably wasn't a threat.
"Is that so?" Bronya nodded, asking no further questions. She trusted Lynx's judgment completely.
——————————————
Meanwhile, at the Robot Settlement…
"Damn it, why is this rope so sturdy? Is this really something from the Underworld…?" Keeping an eye on the Automaton's movements, Seele struggled to saw through the rope binding her hands. This simple yet exhausting task had already consumed over an hour of her time, yet no matter how hard she tried, the rope remained as unyielding as the Golden-Hooped Band of the Supreme Elder.
"This isn't working." Staring at Svarog, who was undergoing self-repair, Seele's anxiety flared up again. This hunk of metal could wake up at any moment. If it finished repairing itself, her chances of escape would be next to nil. No, she had to think of something!
Force her way out? Well, in her current state, she couldn't even break free from the ropes—how could she fight her way out?
Seduction? Hmm, Seele didn't deny that she was attractive, and years of training had given her a great figure. But… would a pile of scrap metal even care about beauty?
Sigh. Was she really at the mercy of fate now?
Gritting her teeth in frustration, Seele shouted at the Automaton guarding her, "Hey! You big hunk of metal, come here!"
Hearing Seele's call, the Automaton "Grizzly" on guard duty flashed a red light in its eyes and lumbered over to her.
Looking up at the "Grizzly," which towered two or three times her height, Seele—still not fully recovered in terms of Path energy—swallowed hard and spoke with feigned embarrassment, "I-I need to use the bathroom."
——————————————
"What's Seele up to?" On the hillside, Yun Fan raised an eyebrow as he watched the distant exchange between a human and an Automaton. At this distance, with only normal human perception, he couldn't make out the details. But his intuition told him something amusing was about to happen.
"Topaz, March, Stelle, we'll need to adjust the plan slightly. Head back to the Goethe Hotel and rest for now. I'll handle the rest."
——————————————
Meanwhile…
"Detected request from captive of Wildfire… Analyzing: This behavior is a normal human physiological need… Permission granted!"
Clank, clank…
After approval, Grizzly took a few steps back, clearing a small space for Seele.
Seele: "…"
Seele was speechless. Judging by Grizzly's stance, it seemed to expect her to do it right here…
Goddammit! Seele felt like her molars were about to shatter from how hard she was clenching her jaw. This Robot Settlement must have a bathroom, right? Otherwise, where would Clara go?
And this guy didn't seem the least bit inclined to untie her. How the hell was she supposed to… like this…
"Listen…" Seele spoke through gritted teeth. "At the very least, you've gotta untie my hands, or how am I supposed to…"
After processing her request, Grizzly's eyes flickered a few more times, as if analyzing the feasibility of her words.
After a while, Grizzly shook its head. "Wildfire high-ranking member Seele… Threat level assessment: High! Verdict: Binding remains in place."
Seele: "I@%#$&*#…!"