193. Lemuel, This is Your Brother-in-Law
"Doctor, you still have many things to handle; you can't rest now." A pair of eyes suddenly opened in the room.
Looking at the pitch-black room, the man silently covered his face.
"...Amiya, even when I'm asleep, you don't let me rest."
Looking at the alarm clock beside him, 7:30 AM.
Going back to sleep is probably a bit difficult. Oh well, I'll get up early and go to the cafeteria for some food.
"It shouldn't be Hibiscus's nutritional meal today, right?"
With this thought in mind, the Doctor put on his usual gear, pushed open the door, and went out.
Even in the morning, Rhodes Island was still bustling with people.
"From the beginning, I've always wondered if we really aren't some kind of heartless company."
"We have shifts that are reversed 24 hours a day. I'm really afraid I'll end up hanging from a street lamp one day."
"No, that's not right either. I'm one of the ones being exploited, too. Then I'll just push Kal'tsit, that perpetually hissing cat, out, and Amiya and I will have a grand escape."
"But Amiya will probably be carrying me, hahaha."
The Doctor amused himself with these thoughts.
Soon, he found himself at a certain place, looking at a closed gate to a well.
"...Talulah."
The former leader of the Reunion Movement is now being held captive on Rhodes Island.
"Rebels, huh..."
The Doctor recalled their initial encounter, those who died protecting him, and silently walked away.
This world... is terrible. This was the Doctor's view of the world. Rhodes Island's ideals were noble, but ideals are ultimately just ideals. Without power, who will listen to your theories? Your ideals?
Rhodes Island, among various organizations around the world, exists solely because it can bring them benefits.
This isn't because those people know and understand any of Rhodes Island's noble ideals.
They might even be laughing at the Rhodes Island people behind their backs for being arrogant.
If there were power in Rhodes Island powerful enough to convince them, those people could be made to sit obediently and listen to him.
The world wouldn't be this messed up.
"Why am I being so sentimental?" The Doctor pressed his hand to his head and shook it gently.
Standing on the deck, hands in his pockets, the Doctor gazed up at the horizon through the camera lens.
"...This shitty world."
"Hey, Doctor, what are you cursing?" A woman's voice rang out overhead.
The Doctor looked up at the person bound above and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"What did you do this time? You got hung up here by Kal'tsit."
"...I told you I'm used to sleeping here, would you believe me?" Warfarin awkwardly looked away. She wouldn't tell anyone that she planned to ambush the leader of the Reunion Movement to try and get her blood.
It's for nothing more; she just wanted to try out the red dragon's blood.
"Guess if I believe you? Fine, you can enjoy your sunbathing here." The Doctor waved his hand, ignoring the woman's call, and walked into the cafeteria.
Upon arriving at the cafeteria, the Doctor glanced around and prepared to leave.
"Damn, what a sight! Hibiscus again today! Quick, get out of here!"
Before the Doctor could even take a few steps back, a cheerful voice rang out behind him as he hurriedly tried to escape.
"Yo, boss, so early!"
"My fate is sealed!"
The Doctor gritted his teeth and turned around to see Exusiai waving brightly at him, while Texas nodded indifferently beside her.
Just then, a cheerful voice, which to the Doctor sounded like a death knell, sounded behind him.
"Ah, Doctor!"
Hibiscus's eyes lit up when she saw the Doctor.
The Doctor stiffly turned around, a forced smile on his face.
"Hibiscus, good morning. What brings you here today?"
"Hehe, surprised, aren't you?" Hibiscus laughed happily.
"Yes, surprised, I'm almost dying of surprise."
Once you're being watched, escape becomes difficult.
Exusiai and Texas subtly took a step back, and the two who were about to flee saw Hibiscus waving happily at them.
Exusiai, who had been beaming, and Texas, who had maintained a calm demeanor, were now sweating profusely.
This time, it was Exusiai who had gotten herself into this mess.
They sat at a table in the cafeteria.
The three of them stared silently at the food in front of them.
"Doctor, it's almost time for work, isn't it? You'll be late if you don't finish your food quickly," Exusiai kindly reminded him.
Texas gave her an approving look.
I admire the first person to eat grass; they might get poisoned.
The Doctor gritted his teeth:
"Cheers, brothers!"
With that, the Doctor took a bite, putting the unidentified mixture into his mouth.
The Doctor's previously death-defying expression relaxed after a couple of bites.
"Seems pretty good?"
"Hibiscus has improved, too."
The Doctor looked at Hibiscus, who was still waiting for her food, with satisfaction, seemingly happy with her progress.
Exusiai and Texas exchanged a relieved glance and began eating their portions. However, the moment they took a bite, Texas bristled as if her hair had stood on end, Exusiai wore a mask of agony, and the Doctor, at that moment, revealed a smug grin, as if a cunning schemer had succeeded.
Did these two think he didn't know they were using him as a guinea pig?
Just one bite completely shattered Exusiai and Texas's will to continue eating.
The terrifying taste lingered deep within their taste buds; every breath was a replay of the catastrophe.
However, the expectant gaze of Hibiscus behind them, like an invisible sword hanging over their heads, made it incredibly difficult for them to put down their utensils.
Sweat dripped down.
Knuckles turned white.
"I have a suggestion..." The Doctor broke the silence, his voice low and eerie.
Exusiai, grasping at a straw, abruptly turned to look at Doctor, her eyes gleaming with a desperate glimmer of hope:
"As expected of the Doctor! Your mind works perfectly!"
Texas struggled to look away, her gaze filled with suspicion and expectation.
Doctor took a deep breath, as if announcing a major strategic decision:
"Theoretical analysis," he held up a finger, "Hibiscus's nutritional meal is perfectly normal in composition and nutritional value. Its only characteristic is its physical unpalatability! Not a biological weapon, not a curse, just unpalatable!"
He stared at his suffering audience:
"There's only one solution: swallow all the food before your tongue can react! Even if the subsequent taste buds react violently, it'll just be an aftershock! How about it?"
Exusiai's eyes were filled with despair:
"Really... doing it like that? Here? Now?"
Texas swallowed hard, her wolf tail twitching nervously.
Just as the Doctor was about to launch this tragic attack on his throat—
But then, a spoon scooped a spoonful of food from Exusiai's portion and put it in her mouth.
Under the incredulous gazes of the others.
"Hmm..." The person chewed a few times, their delicate brows furrowing slightly before relaxing into a gentle, accepting smile.
"Actually, it's alright, at least the nutrition is balanced, isn't it?"
"Holy crap!" The Doctor stared in disbelief, his voice trembling.
"A miracle! How did she do that?!" He was utterly awestruck by this warrior who could swallow Hibiscus's masterpiece without batting an eye and even offer a nutritional evaluation.
Exusiai, however, was completely petrified. Two words escaped her lips, trembling with disbelief:
"Sister... Sister?!"
"It's me." Lemuen smiled, her eyes crinkling, and affectionately ruffled Exusiai's signature red hair.
"Surprised?"
Surprised? This was downright shocking! Exusiai's mind went blank.
Just then, Xiling walked over with the nutritional meal he had just gotten from Hibiscus. He chewed with difficulty, muttering, "It's amazing...it's all just ordinary ingredients, how can it be made so...unique?"
Xiling was about to find a small table to sit down when Lemuen took his arm, then turned to Exusiai, introducing him in a light and natural tone, "By the way, Lemuel, this is your brother-in-law."
Exusiai: "Eh...Eh?!!"