Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 243: That was beer, right?

Ryan followed Alice back to the villa. As he watched the front gate slowly close, his thoughts gradually returned to the present.

Alice’s words earlier didn’t seem like a joke. In that tense moment, if Ryan had dared to get involved with Mia again, Alice might have actually killed him.

Getting killed by Alice was Ryan’s main objective, and he had put in quite a bit of effort toward that goal.

Whether it was his early attempts at reckless behavior or his later decision to betray her, none of it had worked as planned. Alice’s tolerance for him seemed endless—she wouldn’t kill him over those things.

But now, Ryan finally understood how to make Alice kill him.

Alice seemed to have a particular hatred for him getting close to other women. Whether it was her warning before he left the house this morning or her reaction just now, her possessiveness was clear.

So, all he had to do was go against her wishes—get involved with other women, act like a player, and that would be enough to get himself killed.

Still, who would’ve thought of dying this way? Even now that he knew, it was too late.

It’s like playing a game and reaching the late stages, only to suddenly remember how you were supposed to beat the first ghoul in the starter village. This strategy came way too late.

Did Ryan want Alice to kill him? Absolutely. Even though he didn’t know how much time he had left to complete his main mission, he was sure it wasn’t unlimited. Otherwise, he could just exploit a bug and never finish it.

Besides, he had only recently made the tough decision to accept Alice’s Crucial Mission.

“Even if you wanted to kill me now, I can’t die yet…”

The Crucial Mission required Ryan to stay by Alice’s side through three Dangerous Events. Only then would he truly be safe, and Alice would get her happy ending.

Not to mention, the Crucial Mission took priority over the main mission. Even if he completed the main mission, if the Crucial Mission wasn’t done, he’d still have to stick with Alice until the end.

And even if he were killed now, Ryan couldn’t just leave Alice behind. He couldn’t bear the thought of her facing the harsh reality alone.

Alice might seem like she had a lot of people around her, but in truth, Ryan was the only one who could really help her. If he died, Alice’s situation would only get worse. She might even completely fall apart.

“Ryan, what are you thinking about?”

The villa’s door had closed, signaling that Ryan had no chance of leaving again today.

Alice noticed Ryan staring at the door and gave a slight smirk, though her eyes darkened with a hint of coldness.

She was starting to regret giving Ryan so much freedom. If she hadn’t let him go out, he wouldn’t have had the chance to see Mia, and she wouldn’t have had to deal with Mia’s disgusting presence.

Mia calling him “Ryan-bro” every other sentence—how could she even say that with a straight face?

Was Ryan still thinking about going out? What for? To see Mia again?

But Alice suppressed those strange thoughts, trying her best to separate Mia from Ryan in her mind.

After all, Ryan hadn’t done anything wrong. Alice forced herself to calm down and asked him what was on his mind.

“Nothing…”

Ryan snapped out of it, realizing Alice had stepped into his personal space. Her cool scent filled his nose, and her eyes, as blue as sapphires, locked onto his.

He leaned back slightly, but Alice only moved closer.

She frowned a little, and before she could say anything, Ryan understood.

That vague answer was clearly not what Alice wanted to hear. She wanted a clear response, not some half-hearted excuse.

“I was just thinking about how to deal with what happened earlier.”

Ryan took an almost imperceptible step back and sighed. The whole situation was giving him a headache.

He still didn’t know what kind of relationship Marco had with the group stirring up trouble, but with enemies on both sides, Alice’s position was anything but secure.

And then there was his relationship with Alice, which was far too complicated for him to want to think about right now.

From what Alice had said earlier, it was clear that what she cared about wasn’t the fight with Marco or any external threats. The only thing she seemed to care about was Ryan himself.

Ryan carefully adjusted his tone, trying to gloss over the awkwardness of Alice’s earlier threat.

Alice, as if reading his mind, didn’t bring it up again during their conversation.

She didn’t do much else either. She just walked over to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and started rummaging through it.

Ryan had been living with Alice for a while now, and he’d come to understand her quite well.

Alice seemed to have a natural aversion to anything related to death. Even at a young age, she had already started focusing on her health. At home, she usually drank green tea or kombucha, and sometimes just plain water with a slice of lemon. It was her way of maintaining balance and well-being, something she took seriously despite her age.

So when Ryan saw her heading toward the fridge, he was a little surprised.

But when Alice actually pulled something out, it was more than just surprise.

Ryan heard the clink of a can hitting the fridge door, followed by the sharp hiss of carbonation as the tab was pulled. His expression immediately changed.

That was beer, right? Was Alice about to drink?

Before he could process it further, a can of beer came flying his way. Ryan fumbled to catch it, barely managing to hold on.

“Come over here. Let’s talk.”

Alice didn’t say much, her tone as cold and direct as ever. She didn’t give Ryan any choice in the matter, already seated on the couch.

The leather sofa dipped slightly under her weight, her black slacks pressed against the cushions. Alice seemed a bit warm, rolling up her pant legs just a little, revealing her pale calves.

She sat there like a large feline, poised and elegant, exuding an air of quiet authority.

“Miss Alice, what’s going on?”

Ryan was momentarily stunned by her demeanor. He mimicked her, sitting down on the couch, and as he looked at her slightly troubled expression, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Alice gave a faint smile, then waved her hand, signaling for the other people in the villa to leave.

She still maintained her usual cold and proud demeanor, but Ryan could now see a hint of weariness in the corners of her eyes.

One by one, the servants left, and soon the room felt empty. The large living room was now just Ryan and Alice.

“Are they all gone?”

Alice’s fingers traced the rim of the beer can, studying it intently. Then, as if it didn’t matter, she asked Ryan.

“Yeah.”

Ryan glanced back. The villa’s doors were securely shut. No one would know what he and Alice were doing in the room.

“Good.”

“Don’t be nervous. I just have a few things I want to ask you.”

Alice took a sip of her beer, then kicked off her shoes, curling her legs up on the couch. Her eyes narrowed like a fox’s, sharp and calculating.

Her voice wasn’t particularly threatening, but Ryan’s face still paled. A voice echoed in his mind, and alarms were going off in his head.

[Side Mission: Eliminate Alice’s Suspicion of You]

[Success Reward: +1 Skill Point, +1 Bonus Event]

[Failure Penalty: Darkening Level +20]