Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Realizing she’d said too much, Maria abruptly fell silent.

She looked at Tu Nan with a faint, unreadable smile, her voice soft. “I seem to have said a little too much. Do you know what happens to people who know too much?”

Tu Nan’s heart skipped.

From what Maria was implying, she wanted Tu Nan to keep this secret forever.

As for how that would be ensured, both of them understood without needing it spelled out.

But if Maria really had that kind of ambition, how could she have “accidentally” revealed her intentions?

Unless she was deliberately testing her.

“If the King is useless, why not replace him?” Tu Nan said with a smile.

Maria’s expression flickered. She narrowed her eyes and sized her up.

“If someone else heard that, you’d be in for a world of trouble,” she said lightly.

That only made Tu Nan more certain.

Snow White intended to topple her father’s throne and take it for herself. But trapped in the hospital, she was probably willing yet powerless.

She needed an accomplice.

“I can help you. And I’d like Miss Maria to help me as well,” Tu Nan said bluntly.

“I’m trapped in this hospital. How am I supposed to help you?” Maria didn’t take the bait. She only sighed. “My father still has two Princes, and the throne has always passed to men, never women. It’s a shame about my two brothers: one spends all day doing nothing, lost in drink and women, and the other is cruel and cold-hardly a decent man. If either of them takes the throne, my kingdom will truly be destroyed.”

Tu Nan stayed calm. “As long as they both disappear, the kingdom will have only one heir left: you.”

Maria let out a little “Ah!” Her eyes went wide as she stared at Tu Nan in feigned horror.

“How can you say that? I’m such a kind person. How could I bear to lay a hand on my own brothers?”

Tu Nan frowned at her.

When she got no reaction, Maria shrugged, bored.

Her smile was gentle, but her words were ice-cold. “Just imprison them. As long as everyone else believes they’re dead, that’s enough. They’re my brothers, after all. I’ll take good care of them for the rest of their lives.”

Tu Nan: “…”

“I can help you pass your internship,” Maria said, looking at her. “But you have to help me too. Help me obtain the throne.”

Tu Nan had no reason to refuse, but she still found it strange. “Why choose me?”

“There are too many lunatics in this hospital. I don’t have many options.” Maria sighed and gave her a picky once-over. “You’re barely passable.”

Tu Nan realized Maria had a talent for leaving people speechless.

“Most importantly…” Maria paused. “People like you always seem to have some kind of… miraculous ability.”

Tu Nan snapped her head up to look at Maria.

That tone-she sounded like she knew Tu Nan wasn’t from this world.

“As long as you can help me reach my goal, I don’t care who I work with,” Maria said casually. “But if we’re going to cooperate happily, I think we both need a way to put each other at ease.”

“Agreed.” Tu Nan nodded. “So what would make you feel at ease?”

Maria drew a vivid Red Apple from her clothing.

Tu Nan stared at the fruit in her hand.

Just like in every fairy tale, it was red as blood, steeped in ill omen.

“A Witch gave this to me.” Maria held it in her palm. “As long as two people eat the flesh of this apple together, they must be loyal to each other.”

“You’ll prove it to me, won’t you?” Maria held the apple out to her.
“How do I know if what you’re saying is true?”

Maria’s pale palm made the apple look even more crimson.

Tu Nan didn’t have the courage to gamble on whether she was telling the truth or not.

Maria took the first bite, then handed the bitten apple to her.

“Is this enough?” she said with a smile. “Without a guarantee like this, I would never trust you.”

Tu Nan hesitated as she took the apple.

Even though Maria had already taken a bite and had no apparent reason to harm her, the act still felt too risky.

To her surprise, as soon as she took the apple, a notification from the System appeared.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Witch’s Red Apple:

As a masterpiece developed by the Forest Witch, it possesses magical power. Two people who consume the apple together will be loyal to each other; if one party attempts to harm the other, they will pay a terrible price.

This effect disappears after one party dies.

Friendly reminder: Please do not consume the Witch’s Red Apple lightly~]

Maria hadn’t lied to her.

Tu Nan looked at the apple in her hand, leaned down, and took a bite.

It was sweet and crisp, surprisingly tasty.

The moment she ate the apple, she felt an indescribable connection form between herself and Maria.

To be honest, she didn’t know if this choice was right or wrong. In the Weird world, many things were unpredictable; one could only rely on intuition.

She hoped her intuition wasn’t wrong.

She sighed inwardly.

“Welcome,” Maria stood up and gave her a brief hug. “My ally.”

“Tell me what you plan to do,” Tu Nan said, getting straight to the point.

“I am definitely leaving this hospital.” Maria seemed satisfied with her directness. “But before I leave, I will do my best to help you pass your internship. In exchange, after that, you must come to my country and help me seize that seat.”

This would likely be her task in the next Instance.

Tu Nan nodded. “Tell me what you know.”

“On the surface, this is a hospital, but during my time here, I’ve discovered it’s quite unusual. It seems no commoner has ever left this place,” Maria said with a smile. “Every so often, many people like you come to the hospital, but very few can pass the internship assessment. As for those who don’t pass…”

She trailed off, seemingly trying to make Tu Nan anxious on purpose.

Seeing that Tu Nan remained perfectly calm, she threw up her hands. “They all become nourishment for this hospital, of course.”

“Nourishment?” Tu Nan asked, puzzled. “What does that mean?”

“Literally.” Maria winked. “Look at the flowers and plants in the garden here. Don’t they look exceptionally lush?”

Tu Nan felt the temperature around her drop.

“My father has some history with the Dean here,” Maria said, resting her chin on her hand. “That’s why I was able to be placed here. Even so, he warned me before leaving not to act rashly. It’s clear this place is anything but simple.”

That was an obvious fact.

“Every night after lights out, I can hear the sounds of other ward doors being opened, and then…”

“And then what?” Tu Nan pressed.

“Then I don’t know.” Maria shrugged. “It’s not like I can open my door to go look.”

“Many commoners are taken away every few days, and then they’re gone forever…” Maria’s voice was airy. “Who knows where they went.”