Chapter 46: Game

“Today’s practice is about done, and it’s getting late. It’s time to go back and rest.”

Tina was so exhausted from dancing that she could barely walk. Without moving, she almost forgot that this body was still sick.

Check.

“Is that so? Very well.”

Leah had wanted to keep her there a bit longer, but seeing the fierce glare from Eileen standing nearby, she held her tongue.

“Miss Tina, could you please sign your name on this paper? We need to submit your signature to the gatekeeper when joining.”

“Oh, okay.”

Tina took the pen and paper from Leah.

Just as she was about to write, she vaguely sensed a burning gaze fixed on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leah holding her breath, intently watching her every move.

Why stare at her now? It’s just signing a name. Is it really necessary to be this attentive?

Smart as she was, Tina immediately realized this might not be a simple signature—it was likely Leah’s way of testing her.

She hadn’t expected suspicion to arise so quickly, but Tina wouldn’t be so easily seen through. To live her remaining days in peace, she had to keep up the act.

The feather quill scratched roughly across the paper, leaving behind extremely crooked handwriting. Anyone unaware would assume Tina was an illiterate who had never been to school.

“Hmm…”

Leah took the paper and stared at the scribbles in silence.

This handwriting was awful. Is this really Tina’s?

No, maybe she’s pretending. Better find another way to probe further—multiple tests would be needed to reach the truth.

So.

Leah pretended to see them off, but deliberately waited until they turned to leave, then threw herself down from the side at a gentle angle that wouldn’t cause much pain.

Thud—

Tina heard the noise behind her and saw the queen in a gown clutching her head with a pained expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’ve just been tidying the room until now without dinner, so my head’s a bit dizzy.”

“Hmm… Although teaching me to dance is probably important to you, it’s not worth pushing yourself to exhaustion. That’ll hurt your health.”

Tina walked back with concern and helped Leah onto the bed. “Did you hurt yourself from the fall?”

“It’s swollen.”

“My foot seems to have been bruised.”

Leah pulled up the hem of her dress to reveal her pale thigh, the ankle reddened from impact.

“This isn’t good. Want me to massage it with some ointment?”

“Sure.”

Leah agreed cheerfully, her beaming expression suddenly making Tina suspicious.

No, this is a trap! Leah had deliberately extended her foot for her to massage.

But.

Hmph, testing the veteran with such an obvious bait? Too naive. There’s no way she’d fall for such a low-level trick—

That’s what Tina thought, but Leah’s foot was just too pleasant to touch. As she massaged, it started to feel addictive, spiraling out of control.

No, she mustn’t smile.

If Leah found out she was actually enjoying the foot massage, her career would probably be over.

“Miss Tina, you’re quite skilled at this. When was the last time you massaged someone else’s feet?” Leah asked, watching Tina struggle to keep a straight face.

“Ah, last time? Should be… no, I’ve never massaged anyone else’s feet.”

Tina caught herself just in time, nearly revealing her past.

Damn it, how does she manage to probe with every move? Too cunning.

Leah’s expression was inscrutable. This familiar technique almost certainly meant she was close to the right answer.

She now had two options.

One was to keep searching for flaws until she found solid evidence to force Tina to give up her disguise.

The other was to expose her outright.

She wanted to choose the second, but that might be too much for Tina to bear, and who knew what rash decisions she might make.

So she decided to gather evidence slowly. She was used to waiting; a little more time wouldn’t hurt.

This game of cat and mouse actually added a bit of fun before the final victory.

She felt confident she had the upper hand.

“Hmm… Miss Tina must be tired too. I won’t keep you any longer—go rest, and I’ll take care of the rest myself.”

Leah’s tone was completely different from before; now she was brimming with delight.

“Eh? So we’re leaving now?”

“Yes, yes. Remember to come for practice tomorrow. Don’t slack off just because you’re improving quickly.”

After seeing them off, Leah soon heard tapping at the window.

She went over and opened it, finding a black Messenger Raven carrying a letter tube. Its red eyes shone brightly in the night.

“What’s this?”

She took down the tube stamped with the Royal Insignia and opened the letter inside, which read:

[To His Majesty the Respected King—

All guests have arrived. Tomorrow afternoon, a small Tea Gathering will be held at the palace. Please spare some time to attend, as important matters will be announced.]

It seemed to be a message from Valencia’s messenger.

The Auction hadn’t even officially started, yet they were already holding a private king’s meeting? What was the intention behind this?

Speaking of which, before entering Valencia, she had encountered the Mist Moon Sect in a border town.

It was hard not to suspect a connection between this mysterious Auction and the resurrected organization.

Whether there was an ambush or not didn’t matter; she was capable of escaping if needed. She only hoped this Tea Gathering wouldn’t interfere with her dance practice with Tina.

***

Meanwhile, at Vanessa’s home, Tina collapsed onto the sofa, utterly drained.

Working during the day and playing this game of wits with Leah at night, she was physically and mentally exhausted.

She wondered if Leah had discovered her true identity. Probably not; otherwise, Leah wouldn’t still carry that smug attitude.

Three days left. Once she wore Leah down and got her apology, the next phase of her plan could begin.

When she finally made her comeback, no matter queen or no queen, no one would be a match. No matter how fast Leah ran, she wouldn’t catch up.

Then, she would enjoy a brand-new life, no longer burdened by the illness that kept her pinned down.

Yes, that day was within reach, but before then—

Tina had to find a way to survive Eileen’s watchful eye.

“I want to dance too! Let’s dance!”

The blonde girl rested her chin on her hand, eyes full of anticipation, though she might not have been able to see it.

Eileen really envied Leah, who got to dance with Tina all night long. It made her itch to join in.

She wanted to learn, then surpass Leah.

Only she could dance with Tina.

“No, I’m about burned out.”

If Tina danced any more, she wouldn’t be able to work tomorrow. Her feet already ached just walking home.

“Please, please!”

Eileen, still in her maid outfit, pouted adorably.

That trick only worked once or twice; after all, she was a Sigma Woman.

“Really not?”

Eileen looked about to break.

“Sigh, fine, just a little while. No more.”

Tina gave in.

An hour later,

Eileen was contentedly resting on the bed.

Tina lay limply at the edge, as if her soul had already left her body.

“That’s enough, no more dancing…”