She quickly wiped her eyes with her fingers, turned around, and her eyes were already red and puffy.
"I didn't expect… you'd still remember someone as insignificant as me."
Mo Chen was stunned.
That's what this was about?
At that moment, a Nikke unit was already on its way. Mo Chen contacted Shifty through the communicator and told her to handle the cleanup, then turned to Maiden and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."
Compared to the gloomy prison, the Ark city interior was far better. Even though it was night, the streets were still brightly lit. But behind that false prosperity, in the dark corners, who knew how many hidden secrets lurked.
Mo Chen walked ahead while Maiden followed quietly behind, not saying a word. The silence made things a bit awkward, so Mo Chen tried to find something to talk about.
"You work with the external forces?"
"Mm."
"What does the external unit do?"
"Handles rogue Nikkes."
"Rogue Nikkes, meaning…"
"Nikkes that have gone rogue."
"I see. Then your job has a lot to do with Nikkes—you must know many of them?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then you must have a lot of friends?"
"Do the dead count?"
"No."
"Then none."
"..."
And so the awkward conversation continued as they arrived at a high-end drink shop. Mo Chen noticed Maiden's gaze lingering and walked in with her.
The first thing that caught the eye was the store's elegant decor. The walls were a soft grayish beige, lined with delicate gold trim, creating a classical yet modern atmosphere. The lighting was warm and gentle, spilling down from ornate glass chandeliers, giving the space a touch of romance.
Behind the bar, professional bartenders and tea artisans worked in orderly fashion. Dressed in pristine uniforms and wearing white gloves, every drink they prepared felt like a crafted piece of art.
The bar was stocked with high-end ingredients: from imported tea leaves and coffee beans to rare fruits and juices.
As they entered the shop, Mo Chen didn't receive any system notifications, meaning these drinks weren't made with Splendamin.
He casually ordered two orange juices, one for himself and one for Maiden.
The seating was uniquely designed too: cozy sofas, refined coffee tables, and soft cushions all added to the cozy, relaxing ambiance.
They sat down.
Soon, a Nikke server brought over the drinks and some delicate pastries.
Mo Chen took a sip of his orange juice and found it decent. A light bitterness hid within the freshness, with a well-balanced sweetness. Clearly made from freshly squeezed oranges—no wonder it was so pricey.
Then he noticed Maiden staring at her drink for quite a while without touching it, and asked curiously:
"Not drinking?"
"I am."
Maiden held the orange juice in both hands and carefully tried to insert the straw into her mask.
With a soft shoo, the juice rose through the straw—
And then poured right back out, streaming down her chin.
The straw was blocked by the mask.
"Knew it wouldn't work."
Still holding the cup, Maiden frowned, her delicate eyebrows drawing together. She looked just like a little girl—pouty, flustered, and honestly… a little funny.
Mo Chen set his orange juice down on the table and said, "Just take the mask off."
"No," Maiden shook her head, rejecting the suggestion. "I'm not allowed to take off my mask without permission."
Mo Chen asked curiously, "Why not? It's just to drink something—it's only for a moment, doesn't seem like a big deal?"
"No," Maiden shook her head again, refusing what seemed like a very tempting idea. She muttered softly, "Because the CEO is scary…"
CEO?
Mo Chen suddenly remembered—Maiden was from Elysion. Their CEO should be Ingrid.
A calm and composed woman, very easy to get along with. Hard to imagine her being described as scary.
"You don't get uncomfortable wearing the mask all day?"
Mo Chen was genuinely curious.
Her mask wasn't just for show, it was a thick rubber mask that wrapped around her entire lower face. Just talking through it was already a struggle, let alone wearing it constantly.
If she were human instead of a Nikke, she'd probably suffocate.
"It's uncomfortable," Maiden admitted honestly, her lashes lowering.
Her crimson eyes shimmered with melancholy, and even her posture seemed to slump, as if her ears would droop too if they could. "I don't have the courage to take off the mask, and I can't resist wanting to drink something. I'm stuck in between, and it makes me feel so pathetic… haha…"
She let out a self-deprecating laugh, but it only made the atmosphere heavier.
Even Mo Chen was starting to feel affected.
"Anyway, about what happened on the Admire… thank you," Mo Chen quickly changed the subject. "If it weren't for you, if those terrorists had set off the explosives, the Admire would probably be back in the dock for full repairs."
"It's nothing, just doing my job."
Talking about work seemed to lift Maiden's spirits a little. "I only said a few words, that's all."
But as soon as she said that, something in her tone shifted again. Her expression visibly dimmed, and she muttered in a self-mocking voice,
"Right? That's all I ever do: just flap my mouth. Haha… hahahaha…"
The atmosphere turned even gloomier than before. A cloud of melancholy seemed to drape over the whole café.
It was like a literal raincloud was hovering above Maiden's head, ready to pour at any moment.
Such intense negative energy!
Even just sitting across from her, Mo Chen felt a chill, as if he weren't facing a Nikke, but a block of cold, oppressive gloom.
Way too emotionally crushing.
"But, Commander, you're kind of weird."
Maiden finally spoke again, glancing at Mo Chen.
Mo Chen raised an eyebrow. "Weird?"
"Yeah," Maiden said, gently running her long, slender fingers along the rim of her glass. "Most people are afraid when they see me use my ability, but you… you thanked me and even bought me a drink… even though I can't actually drink it."
"Afraid? What's there to be afraid of?" Mo Chen was genuinely puzzled. "You're protecting others, aren't you? It's normal to be thanked."
In the original story, Maiden had the ability to control others' actions with her voice—a bit similar to Mihara and Yuni. It worked on humans, too.
But that kind of ability had its limits. The stronger the target, the harder it was to control. For someone like Mo Chen, it was basically ineffective.
Maiden stared at him blankly for a few seconds. Just as Mo Chen was about to wave his hand in front of her face, tears suddenly began to fall—plip plip.