Chapter 56 An Unexpected Answer

Finished

“Headquarters assigned me to protect you, and that’s when I first heard your name,” Ludwig said, voice calm and steady. “I don’t know when you joined Abyssal Choir, or how. There’s a lot about you I actually don’t know”

His face was unreadable, his tone emotionless.

Jean btilted /bher head. Then how did you end up joining Abyssal Choir?”

She was genuinely curious. The infamous Demon Kid, willingly following orders from a mysterious organization? That didn’t line up

Especially now–Abyssal Choir was still small. Barely known. Ludwig, on the other hand, bwas /bpractically a legend. A rogue genius. The type who’d never bow to anyone. Why would someone like him sign up for something like this?

Didn’t make bany /bsense.

She asked on ba /bwhim, not expecting a real answer.

But then, Ludwig nced at her out of the corner of his eye and said. “Because of someone.”

That caught her attention.

Jean blinked. “Someone?”

A faint shift passed through his eyes–something almost gentle.

-Lowe her.”

“Oh,” bJean /bnodded slowly. “I get it.”

He owed her a debt.

Whoever this woman was, she had to be pretty remarkable. It was the first time Jean had ever seen such softness in Ludwig’s face

But the book had bnever /bsaid anything babout /bLudwig joining Abyssal Choir. In fact, ording to the plot, he was supposed to bend /bup under Sarah’smand, totally captivated by her, one of her most loyal followers.

bSo /bwhat the hell was this?

The timeline had gonepletely off the rails.

Something was definitely wrong.

And then a terrifying possibility crept into her mind-

This world… something was messing with the story.

And not just a little. Not in ways she understood.

Because while some things were still matching up, other things hadpletely bchanged/b.

This wasn’t random. There had to be a reason. Something–or someone–had started the ripple effect.

“Ludwig”

bJean /blooked up at himb. /b

“bYou /bsaid your bmission /bbis /bto protect me. Then tell me she paused for a second, “you know I was getting bullied at school, right? Did it never cross your mind to help me out?”

425 PM & d

Chapter 56 An Unexpected Anser

Ludwig gave her a strange look. Cold and curious. He stared at her for a moment, then gave a shortugh

“You really did forget everything, huh, Jean

Jean blinked and shrugged innocently.

“You asked me not to.”

Ludwig said it simply, like it was obvious.

Iran’s eyes widened

Another one of the host’s decisions…

Finished

“You didn’t care what your ssmates thought of you. Actually, you preferred it that way. You didn’t want to get close to them. bNo /bdrama. No ties. You just wanted to stay invisible and left alone.”

His

is voice was cool and even “You told me bthat/b. Yourself,

Jean was quiet for a long moment

This host is seriously weird

So weird it was starting to feel familiar.

“That’s why I stayed out of it.” Ludwig continuedb. /b“Except for two people you said bwere /bover the line.”

Jean’s eyes lit up. “Who?”

“Deon and Laceyb,/bb” /b

He said their names casually, like he was reciting trivia

Of course Jean’s bbrain /bkicked into overdriveb. /b

Deon and Lacey–the same two who had that… incident at the art building over the summer

“You took bcare /bof them for me?” Jean asked, btesting /bhim. “That night at bthe /bbart /bbbuilding/b–bthat /bwas you?”

Ludwig didn’t answer immediately.

He just stared at her with a strange look, then raised an eyebrow

“It wasn’t me, Jean

bHis /bvoice dropped a note, bsmooth /bblike /bvelvet but carrying weight.

“Are you really saying you don’t remember? You were the one who did it.”

Jean’s breath caught

“You handled them yourself. Those two–whatever they did to you, you didn’t let it slide”

He paused. Something dark flickered in his gaze. “You btold /bme to stay out of it. So I did. I don’t know what exactly happened

in that building. I just know you walked in–band /bthey never came back the same.”

Jean felt like her whole brain bhad /bglitched

Her palm bwas /bdamp with cold bsweat/b. Her heart was racing, thudding in her chest loud enough she could hear it.

The bour

Chac

Burane joined mul Chot

If she was penily for capable, why the sheep wan

Ladwa odided

“Bar I disada be r the the who learned you

Thes

Then twice dispel upan

Jean we don’t pay all Face su face

per. But the r

The got a bad relox of people engine motor

That would exnt the ways doing the sung Whis best showed up when the lights were out

ice do we made a deal I’d want you from the

me you war the token Emerymon only. That was our arrangemen

je nodded owery waking it all in

ade

“Tse noticed something been die about you by Lubing added “Today, when you hold me out your memory JAL

He traded o

rad deep and dark like the boron of the

7 coup make you were really jean anymore”

weren’t

sh of cold wat