Lucian and Crownslayer… somehow ended up getting completely misunderstood by Misha.
Not that it was her fault.
It really did look bad: Lucian and Crownslayer pressed together from head to toe, hiding in an Alley like two guilty conspirators. Anyone who saw that would jump to the wrong conclusion.
And just because the situation made sense didn't make the consequences any less disastrous.
Misha beamed. "It's the first time Lucian came to my house! I've been telling Mom all about you! She said she really wants to meet you too!" she beamed adorably.
Her round ears perked up in excitement as she held Lucian's hand with one little paw and Crownslayer's with the other, happily bouncing down the street.
Lucian wasn't the only one giving an awkward smile—Crownslayer was also forcing herself to act like a perfectly normal big sister.
But the moment Misha wasn't looking, she shot Lucian a death glare filled with killing intent.
"You'd better explain! This kid got the completely wrong idea!"
Lucian shrugged. "And that's my fault? If you wanna explain, do it yourself."
He wasn't fazed in the slightest—in fact, he seemed perfectly calm.
Because really, being thick-skinned was a survival skill.
Lucian had already been misunderstood as Ch'en's boyfriend by Xiaoling and the others ages ago.
That sharp-tongued, secretly soft-hearted officer—strict on the surface, harsh with her words—but just like Lucian, she would drop by the Slums from time to time to check on the kids and bring them toys and snacks.
Naturally, two people doing the same charitable thing got to know each other well.
Then at some point, Xiaoling had simply decided they were a couple.
Of course, that misunderstanding had been cleared up long ago. These days, the precocious Xiaoling even helped Lucian tease Ch'en.
So for Lucian, being shoved into another romantic misunderstanding at this point barely even registered.
But Crownslayer—Lyudmila—was dying inside.
If it were just some kid being confused, fine. But her own subordinates believed it too!
And with Misha around, the Reunion Movement couldn't exactly explain the truth. So all they could do was stare the two of them down with knowing, teasing looks.
Lyudmila's face had gone completely flushed dark red, and it wouldn't fade.
Lucian, of course, found the whole thing delightful. But he was surprised about one thing.
As the two of them leaned in toward Misha's ears, still holding her hands, Lucian whispered, "Didn't expect you to pretend to be a normal big sister just to get close to an Infected kid. You're not gonna just tell her you're planning to start a Riot in Chernobog?"
Crownslayer—Lyudmila—glared hard at him. "Adults are one thing. How could I possibly tell a kid the truth? I'd get exposed instantly."
"Fair." Lucian nodded.
Misha, being Infected, had gone through rough things—painfully rough. But she was still too young to understand hatred or politics.
If she learned about the Reunion Movement's plans, she'd definitely tell Xiaoling and the others she trusted. That would be the end.
So Lyudmila only told Misha her real name and acted like a kind older sister. If you called it a disguise, well—it really was.
Lucian gave her a rare look of approval. "Didn't expect you to be this good with kids. So you can be a decent woman."
"…Huh?"
Crownslayer made an exaggerated face like she was about to throw up.
But Crownslayer was still far too naïve.
Misha dragged both of them straight into her home, sat them down, and made them eat with the family.
Crownslayer had been planning to slip away the moment she got a chance. And worst case, Lucian was usually shameless enough to bolt on his own.
But this man's face was thicker than a Catastrophe meteorite.
Not only did he stay—he went into the kitchen and started cooking.
Crownslayer stared in disbelief as Lucian calmly cooked in the middle of a crowd of Infected and Reunion Movement members—moving with practiced ease like he did it every day.
"I must be losing my mind…"
Crownslayer looked like a hollow shell. Even the chopsticks in her hand didn't feel real anymore.
The gathered Reunion Movement members only knew Lucian as Crownslayer's boyfriend. They treated him super warmly—calling him "big bro," even.
And Lucian lapped it up.
He had just been dueling Crownslayer minutes earlier, and now he was chatting with the Reunion Movement like old friends. His acting skills were absurd.
If Lyudmila didn't know he wasn't Infected, she might've believed he was one of her own comrades.
Please let this end already… Crownslayer's stomach twisted in knots. She couldn't even taste the food Lucian had cooked.
And right then, one of the chattier members let his mouth run wild:
Gossip Member A: "Lucian-bro's cooking is amazing! We all get the same ingredients, but the stuff our Mess Unit makes tastes like pig feed that rotted for an entire season in the warehouse!"
Gossip Member B: "What kinda comparison is that? Gross! You sound like you've actually eaten it!"
Gossip Member A: "I have. Last winter, before our Mines got liberated, all our food was taken away. Anyone who tried Resistance got killed. Only a few of us hid in the Feed Warehouse… Ah—sorry. Probably not the right topic for the dinner table."
...The whole room fell painfully silent.
Among the Reunion Movement, this kind of story was normal. Every Infected there had suffered. Some had been through much worse.
People didn't share these tragedies seeking sympathy.
If anything, hearing someone else's misery was casual small talk—no different from a normal person recalling an embarrassing childhood memory.
Crownslayer bit down on her chopsticks and stared at Lucian.
She was curious how he would respond.
If he showed cheap pity, then he was her enemy. She'd kill him the moment she got the chance.
In that heavy, awkward air, Lucian… nodded with genuine empathy.
"Being hungry is terrifying. When I first escaped from home, I wandered in the Wilderness for almost a month. Didn't know where the nearest village was or when the next Catastrophe would hit. Everything was just Wasteland and Gobi Desert, with huge tracks where passing Mobile Cities had scraped the ground. I had to dig up cactus to survive, and the pot I found had holes in it. It was absolute despair."
Gossip Member A: "Ooooh! Lucian-bro's been through that too!"
The moment he shared something familiar, the Infected lit up—swarming around him with warmth and excitement.
Crownslayer was so shocked she dropped her braised pork onto the table.
What the hell? You're not even Infected—why are you making your past sound even worse? Escaped from home? What were you running from?
The others pressed in:
"In this area we're mostly Ursus people. Hardly ever meet an Angel like you, Lucian-bro. Your country's called Laterano, right? Is it really that bad for the Infected there too?"
Lucian nodded seriously. "Yeah. Laterano doesn't accept Infected. Once found, you must be Exiled. It's even stricter for Angels—no matter your rank, once you're infected, your citizenship rights get stripped. If you're lucky, you can move to another country. If you try Resistance, the Notarial Hall deals with you… Well, it's still way better than Ursus, though. You've all been through a lot."
Even Misha chimed in. "Yeah yeah! The Mines in Ursus were so cold! Nobody had clothes, and Papa and Mama had to dig rocks… But in Lungmen it's fun! I get to eat Lucian's Char Siu Bao every day!"
Hearing that, Lucian lit up and pulled Misha onto his lap, ruffling her hair like they were real siblings.
Crownslayer: "…"
Lyudmila stared at him, her expression complicated.
She just couldn't figure this man out.