"But if I really wanted to take it, do you think you could stop me?"
Camellya laughed, "Heh heh… so domineering."
"You're the great hero who can handle Threnodians, so I probably couldn't stop you, but it'd come at a cost, wouldn't it?"
Lucian chuckled lightly at her words and slowly leaned closer. Camellya's body tensed, her expression full of wariness.
Lucian moved close to her delicate earlobe and whispered, "You haven't forgotten something, have you? Back at the greenhouse…"
Camellya's breath hitched, and just as she was about to push him away, she heard him utter a single word: "…Freeze."
Lucian looked at the now-immobile Camellya and grinned, "Looks like you and my Paralysis Technique are quite fated. Both times I've used it, it was on you."
Camellya's eyes flashed with frustration, seemingly annoyed at herself for forgetting Lucian's ability.
Lucian gently pried open her slender fingers and took the Lady Flora's remnant from her palm.
He examined the bracelet, noticing a dark red camellia flower tied to it.
Lucian tucked the bracelet away and leaned down again, lightly nipping at Camellya's tender earlobe.
"How about this as the prize for winning the 'cat-and-mouse' game?"
The eight seconds passed, and Camellya, her body softening, said fiercely, "I'm definitely telling Rover everything you did to me!"
Lucian, unfazed, pulled her up, "Since you're Lady Flora, the information in that star chart should be related to you."
"With your help, we should be able to locate and capture it faster."
Camellya smiled, "Are you asking for my help?"
Lucian gave a half-smile, "Are you saying you're unwilling?"
Camellya immediately recalled the earlier moment, her brows furrowing.
After a moment's hesitation, she said, "It's not impossible, but you have to spar with me first!"
Lucian asked, puzzled, "A spar?"
Camellya nodded slightly, "Exactly!"
"Back in Taoyuan Vale, our fight was interrupted by Shorekeeper before we could settle it."
Lucian shook his head slightly, "You can't beat me."
Camellya pouted, dissatisfied, "How do you know without trying?"
Lucian laughed, "If we spar, I could just use my Paralysis Technique to freeze you again, and you'd be at my mercy."
"Or have you already figured out a way to counter it in such a short time?"
Camellya: "…"
She crossed her arms, clearly unhappy, "Can't you just fight me fair and square? Always using these sneaky tricks…"
Lucian laughed, "Sneaky tricks? If it's a useful ability, it's a good ability!"
"Even without it, you still wouldn't beat me."
"But since you're so eager to spar… look over there."
Camellya followed his gaze and saw several Tacet Discord remnants lingering in the distance.
A smile curled on her lips, "A competition to see who can hunt more Tacet Discords? Heh heh heh…"
"It's not as fun as fighting you, but it'll do."
"Let's get started!"
With that, Camellya dashed forward.
Lucian shook his head, pulled out his Comrade's Hammer, and followed.
It had to be said, Camellya's combat style, though dangerous, was a sight to behold.
Like a skilled ballerina, she danced a waltz in the air, weaving gracefully among the Tacet Discords.
But her highly unstable frequency was like walking a tightrope—one misstep could plunge her into an abyss.
Before long, the competition ended, with Lucian's kill count just above Camellya's.
Camellya sheathed her Red Spring and laughed, "Hunting enemies feels so satisfying."
"You didn't disappoint. With you as an Honored Guest, the Black Shores will surely have some exciting days ahead."
Lucian: "So, are you coming with me now?"
Camellya sighed, "A bet's a bet. I'll go with you."
Lucian nodded and asked, "What else do you know about Lady Flora? You mentioned an accident during your investigation?"
Camellya walked to the seaside, a trace of melancholy in her eyes, "Yeah… a little accident… I was in a medical pod at the Black Shores for half a month, nearly dying from severe overclocking. I had to stop, regrettably."
Lucian: "?"
"You call that a little accident?"
"Speaking of which, I've noticed your frequency…"
"If I didn't die, it's fine…" Camellya suddenly leaned close to Lucian, "Are you worried about me?"
Lucian pinched her chin frankly, "Of course. You're my colleague, after all. Wouldn't I seem too cold as an Honored Guest if I didn't care?"
Camellya clicked her tongue and broke free from his grip, "Just for that reason? How boring…"
Lucian laughed, "If you want to hear other reasons, I can come up with some."
Camellya huffed, "No thanks. If you're going to say something, it better come from the heart…"
Looking at the horizon, she said slowly, "My memories were likely sealed by 'Lady Flora' using some special method. Nostalgia doesn't work."
"All I remember is waking up in a cave with no memories."
"I wandered Solaris aimlessly for years before, by chance, I came to the Black Shores."
"And then, I found out I had lived here before. Naturally, I wanted to investigate, right?"
"I did just that. The process… I forgot it all when I woke up in the medical pod, but I must have uncovered the truth behind my memory loss once."
"I succeeded, but nearly died from overclocking, so I had to seal my memories again. That's about it."
"I don't know why 'Lady Flora' did this, but… it doesn't matter. Forgetting the past doesn't stop me from having fun."
Lucian fell into thought. Her words seemed to conflict slightly with the information from the little robot.
The robot said Lady Flora was found in a cave and brought to the Black Shores.
But Camellya said she came here by chance…
Could there have been some other factors at play?
"You're so nonchalant about it? Don't you want to dig deeper into who you used to be? You talk about Lady Flora like she's a stranger."
Camellya laughed, "Of course, I'd love to know what the old me was like."
"But every time, overclocking forces me to seal my memories again. It's such a hassle… so I don't dwell on it anymore."
"Besides, I don't remember anything. To me now, Lady Flora is like a stranger."
"It's like watching a story on a screen. No matter how moving the joys or sorrows, it's just something from a story."