Chapter 188

"Brother?"

After stepping out from the inner room holding a clean small cloth bag, Anna noticed the girl with the doll-like face was gone—only Li Ang still stood by the door, and she couldn't help asking curiously:

"Where's Miss Amy?"

"I don't have much time to stay home, and I still have some things to ask you, so I asked her to go back."

Glancing out the window, Li Ang saw the burly old man nearly crawling in, so he decided to cut to the chase, gripped his sister's shoulders, and said seriously:

"Anna, tell me…"

"When did you and Sister Veronika become… involved?"

"Huh?"

Seeing Li Ang's startled expression, Anna, who had asked first, bit her lower lip, then murmured with a hint of resentment:

"I mean… how did you even meet? How did you decide to get married? Why didn't you tell me anything at all?"

"…."

"Can I say… I'm still confused myself?"

After a brief hesitation, Li Ang explained:

"Anna, you know there are many things in this world that fall outside the 'normal range'—like your photo, with all kinds of unbelievable abilities.

And Miss Veronika… she was affected by something similar, causing everyone in the kingdom to lose their memories of her—including you and me."

What? Everyone forgot her?!

At first hearing about the photo, Anna had instinctively clenched her skirt, but after learning of the Princess's fate, she exclaimed in shock and sympathy:

"So… she's lost everything? Not just her identity, but even friends, family… lovers… all of it?"

"Yes."

After receiving Li Ang's confirmation, Anna fell silent.

If this had happened to her, she would have collapsed outright—but Sister Veronika showed no sign of pain, and even yesterday she'd laughed and chatted with her as if nothing were wrong.

Aside from slightly dark circles under her eyes, hinting at a poor night's sleep, she appeared perfectly normal—truly…

"She's so strong…"

"Yes, she truly is a very 'strong' person."

Understanding what his sister was marveling at, Li Ang—who had seen the Princess's soul—nodded in agreement.

In the Black Goat's soul vision, every soul had its own "base hue"—not actual colors like red or green, but a deeper, more essential feeling.

Anna's hue was longing and warmth; Officer Isa's was compassion and duty; but Princess Veronika's soul hue was unparalleled, supremely resilient—her conviction hardened into something almost terrifying, as if she had never known what despair meant.

And this conviction wasn't the kind of confidence that assumed success was guaranteed—it was the resolve to keep moving forward even when the odds were hopeless, to walk until her legs were worn to stumps, with death as the only endpoint.

Hmm… in a way, her brother's soul felt the same—these two royal family members both had astonishingly hard souls.

But if Veronika's hue was conviction, her brother's was merely arrogance—even after taking a combined beating from me and Senior Emma, even after losing several teeth, he still looked down on me from the bottom of his heart.

Maybe this is just royal bloodline genetics!

…

Shaking off thoughts of the freckled prince's bizarre soul, Li Ang glanced at the burly old man's progress through the window, then turned to his sister, whose expression held both admiration and envy, and asked seriously:

"Anna, can you tell me—what were you thinking when you met Miss Veronika yesterday?"

Huh? What was I thinking?

Startled by Li Ang's question, Anna hesitated before answering:

"I… envied her?"

"Only envy?"

"And… I wanted to be like her…"

Glancing unconsciously at the papaya sitting in the kitchen, Anna murmured with quiet admiration:

"I'm sickly, but Sister Veronika is incredibly healthy, full of energy; I'm too thin and small, while her… figure is perfect; and her personality too.

Unlike me, who's bad at talking, she's talkative, cheerful, and has this natural charm that makes people trust her instinctively—just like Mother's personality in my memories."

Recalling the past, Anna's eyes warmed:

"Since I was little, I've wanted to be like her and Mother—but I just couldn't."

"…."

So… Princess Veronika was Anna's "ideal type," and the envy and desire to become her triggered the repair of 【Warm Home】—turning it into 【If】 that could replace others?

It felt… reasonably plausible, but the scale seemed off.

For an anomaly's power to change, that "If only I were her" thought must be extremely intense—could mere envy really generate such a powerful impulse?

Frowning in thought, fearing that returning the photo might let Anna truly replace the Princess, Li Ang didn't pull it out. Instead, gripping her shoulders, he said sternly:

"Anything else? Is that really all? Think harder! Is there anything else?"

Something else…

The frail girl bit her lip, a tearful man's face flashing in her mind, then looked at Li Ang with complex emotion.

If I gained the family photo, and that man got it, he'd restore everything—yourself, William, Melanie—everyone would reclaim their real lives, and I'd no longer be your family.

If that happened, I'd be alone again, and your family would only be Sister Veronika—I truly envy her so much…

But because I used that photo six years ago, I stole your original lives, tore you away from your true family—do I even have the right to stop that man from restoring everything to how it was?

I don't…

Her lips trembled twice, then Anna, her expression dimmed, shook her head and whispered:

"I… didn't…"

"You did! Anna! You're hiding something from me!"

Even without using soul vision, Li Ang sensed his sister's hesitation.

If it were any other matter, fine—everyone has secrets. But whatever Anna was hiding, it likely involved the anomaly created by the Water Bearer Director—this couldn't be taken lightly.

"I don't know why you're hiding it from me, but it's connected to that photo, isn't it?"

Channeling the Holy Pendant's power, Li Ang flung the burly old man who'd just crawled in back outside, then gripped Anna's shoulders and stared into her eyes with absolute seriousness:

"Anna! Listen to me!

Whether you're trying to escape past mistakes, think hiding it might be better for me, or whatever other reason—never do this!"

After a brief pause, seeing his sister didn't deny it, Li Ang continued, thinking as he spoke:

"I'm your brother. If you made a mistake, tell me directly—I'll help you fix it, however I can!

If you think you're protecting me, then you're even more wrong! My choices are mine to make—you can try to convince me, but you don't get to decide for me!"

"I… I just…"

"No more excuses. You now have only two choices: tell me, or keep hiding it."

After secretly touching the Black Goat's horn to check Anna's soul state, Li Ang's expression softened slightly, and he said gently:

"Like I just said—this is your choice. I can't choose for you. But I still hope you'll tell me.

Anna, prepare yourself—if you keep hiding it from me, I'll be furious. Extremely furious.

But you can rest easy—I'm your brother. No matter how angry I get, I'll forgive you eventually. Now, make your choice."

Though the choice is yours—if I've said all this and you still choose to hide it, I'll go straight to the Director and borrow a mind-reading anomaly.

But even though you chose, if after I've said all this you still decide to hide it from me, I'll go find the Director right now and figure out how to borrow an anomaly that can read minds!

Unaware of Li's hypocritical scheme, Anna saw that even now, Li Ang still trusted her enough to return the choice—and her eyes welled up. She whispered, voice trembling:

"I choose to tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

"I choose to tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

"What? The Water Bearer Director already came to the capital? And went to your house?"

Even the usually composed Red-haired Director was startled by Li Ang's selectively relayed news.

"Yes, and it was very recent—just the night before the Bureau's investigators arrived."

After recounting Anna's experience and her conversation with the Water Bearer Director, Li Ang gritted his teeth, visibly shaken:

"Director, this man is far too dangerous—he's likely planning something extremely perilous. Can't we move up his internal inquiry?"

"Director, this person is far too dangerous, and he's likely plotting something extremely perilous—can't we move up his internal interrogation?"

The Red-haired Director shook her head helplessly:

"The end-of-year review in six days is the earliest I can arrange. There's simply no way to move it up further…

Hmm… if you're worried about your family's safety, have your brother and sisters take a temporary leave from school and stay at the Bureau—I'll protect them until after the review."

"That's exactly what I was thinking… Thank you, Director!"

Gratefully thanking the Red-haired Director, Li Ang exhaled deeply as the pressure on his chest eased, then pulled out the photo and handed it over.

"Director, I don't know why the Water Bearer wants it, but whatever he intends, we must stop it—keep it with you. I'm afraid I can't protect it."

"Director, I don't know why the Water Bearer wants it, but whatever he intends to do is exactly what we must stop—keep it with you; I'm afraid I can't protect it."

Looking at Princess Veronika's face on the photo, the Red-haired Director paused, then didn't take it. Instead, she pulled a dirty little mirror from her drawer and held it up to the photo.

Watching the photo flicker slightly, then split into two identical copies, Li Ang's eyes widened in surprise.

This? A duplication anomaly? Is the Director planning to…

"This is called 【Duplicated Pair】—one of my privately held anomalies, a numbered-level item, roughly strength level thirty.

Its ability, as the name suggests, can duplicate anything into an exact copy—including anomalies. But the copied ability weakens slightly, and only one copy can exist at a time.

Also, as long as the copy remains intact, it drains my power continuously—the longer it lasts, the more energy it consumes. A troublesome anomaly with many restrictions… but very useful, especially for baiting."

Pushing one of the photos toward him, seeing the flicker of understanding in Li Ang's eyes, the Red-haired Director smiled faintly:

After pushing one of the photos over, the Red-haired Woman watched Leon's eyes flicker with sudden understanding, as if he had grasped something, and she couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile.

It seems you've already figured it out—I never reported the 【Copy Double】 to the Bureau; Water Bearer probably doesn't know. Perfect for setting him a trap.

And to prevent him from having any ability to sense the location of anomalous objects, I've placed some odd and strange anomalies to

steal the item. As a precaution, I've only given you a fake photo; the real one is stored inside the small mirror you carry.

As for safety, don't worry— for any being outside the Mirror World, everything inside a mirror is merely an illusory reflection, with no actual form. Unless you take it out, he'll never detect it.

Damn, this is fishing with double insurance—so reliable, the Director when sober!

"Got it!"

After glancing at the Red-haired Director with a touch of admiration, Li Ang was about to put away the photo when he saw the Director pull out a small box and slide it over beside the real photo.

"What's this?"

"The heart of that sheep… hmm… it's called the 【Heart of Wild Ambition】, right?"

Watching Li Ang's eyes suddenly brighten, the Red-haired Director smiled sweetly:

"Though the rating was shockingly low, you did pass the Bureau's investigation. Around the time you and Emma slapped Prince Joshua, headquarters sent this over."

"Uh…"

"You led the beating, didn't you?"

Seeing Li Ang's awkward expression, the Red-haired Director's smile vanished. He narrowed his eyes:

"Emma claims she did it, and you were just defending her—but you know the truth doesn't need me to spell it out. Do you have any idea how long that idiot prince's complaint letter to headquarters was, delivered through the King?"

"..."

"He accused our Bureau of negligence, violating the agreement between the Cleanup Bureau and the Kingdom, neglecting royal security, failing to apprehend illegal anomalous object holders, recklessly assaulting the heir to the throne, collateral damage during cleanup operations, nearly causing the extinction of a noble family… thirty-odd charges in total!

It's really… lucky you hit him today—his complaint arrived before the year-end review. Otherwise, with the force of this complaint, we'd likely be last again next year!

"..."

After muttering a few complaints, the Red-haired Director automatically reached for the bottle, intending to drink and ease his frustration—but he thought better of it, set it down, and picked up a cup of hot tea instead. With a warm smile, he said to Li Ang, who looked embarrassed:

"Little Li Ang~ You've given me so much trouble today. Shouldn't you take on a slightly harder mission to make it up to me?"

"..."

Seeing the Red-haired Director's fox-like narrowed eyes, Li Ang instinctively felt something terrible was coming—but since he'd just been caught off guard, he could only resign himself and nod.

"Fine…"

"Good!"

The Red-haired Director tapped the photo on the table and smiled:

"Once I lure Water Bearer away during the review and confirm there's no danger, how about you use this to infiltrate the rebels?"