"Are you… trying to weasel out of this…?"
March 7th's voice trembled, each word dissolving into a sob, barely a whisper by the end.
"I…"
Daziel started to speak, but his throat constricted, words failing him. He was utterly lost; no explanation seemed adequate, no excuse remotely plausible.
"Oh! I get it!"
Suddenly, a light seemed to dawn in March 7th's eyes, a sudden understanding lifting her head.
"You get what now?" Daziel's unease twisted into a knot in his stomach. This girl's insights were rarely predictable, often heralding… chaos.
March 7th fixed him with a serious gaze. "You're saying all this… because you don't want the others on the Astral Express to find out, right?"
Daziel froze, every muscle locking.
Sure enough…
What on earth is she even talking about now?
"Please, please, keep it a secret…" Her plea was a fragile thing, laced with sadness and a shy blush creeping up her cheeks. "I really don't want anyone else to know… what happened between us."
"Otherwise, I don't know what everyone will think of me. They might… they might even kick me off the Express! But I love everyone in the Express Crew – Himeko, Mr. Welt, Dan Heng… and you." Her voice cracked on his name.
"I don't want to leave." Her lower lip trembled. "So… if you just don't tell anyone… I… I'll do anything!"
The last word barely escaped her lips when the familiar ding! of the system chimed in Daziel's mind.
"Ding!"
[Target character March 7th's Depravity Value increased by 5%]
[Current Depravity Value: 10%]
[Trigger Keyword: I also don't want anyone else to know about what happened between us]
[Please continue to work hard, Host, you are about to take the first step on the Path of Propagation]
Daziel: ???
Good heavens, is this really happening?
He hadn't even considered threatening her! If March 7th weren't so charmingly naive sometimes, Daziel might suspect the system itself was twisting her common sense.
From another woman, these words would be… scandalous. But from Little March? It was entirely within the realm of possibility that she genuinely perceived it this way.
The mere thought sent a fresh wave of throbbing pain through Daziel's head.
Seeing Daziel's continued silence, March 7th's heart plummeted like a stone. Tears welled again, shattering and spilling like glass beads down her cheeks as her sobs intensified. In his silence, she saw confirmation of her worst fears – he would disavow any responsibility, and their secret was already forfeit.
The image of being cast out from the Express, losing the only home she truly knew, wrung her heart with inconsolable grief.
"Waaah… waaaah… You… you're not saying anything… does that mean… you won't agree…?" March 7th choked out, her voice thick with despair and utter helplessness.
Daziel watched March 7th unravel before him, dissolving into a torrent of tears, and found himself utterly, painfully speechless. His own inner turmoil was beyond words. He didn't even know what had happened last night! How could he possibly shoulder responsibility for something he couldn't recall?
And how could he even begin to investigate? Any inquiry, any test, would irrevocably stain March 7th's reputation among the crew. The mere suggestion of drunkenness and private time with a man would be enough.
Worse still, if a test did confirm… it, their Trailblazing journey, as they knew it, would shatter. Affection might be tolerated on the Express, but drunken lapses in judgment? Pompom would never permit it.
He was cornered, utterly trapped.
But looking at March 7th in this raw, broken state, Daziel's resolve crumbled. He simply couldn't bear it.
"I…"
Daziel began again, still groping for the right words, the impossible explanation. He couldn't fob her off with a fabricated tale of amnesia, could he? Wouldn't that simply deepen her despair?
"I promise you, I won't tell anyone. I guarantee it!" Daziel finally conceded, biting down the rising tide of panic. Even if he still clung to the belief that nothing untoward had occurred, stabilizing March 7th's emotional storm was paramount – for now.
Daziel's vow was a balm to March 7th's raw nerves. Her crying softened, though tears still traced silver paths down her face.
She sobbed, voice fractured, "Re… really? You… you really won't tell anyone?"
"Really, I guarantee it!" Daziel repeated, his voice firm, resolute. He would have to navigate this treacherous terrain one step at a time, praying the fallout wouldn't be as catastrophic as he now envisioned.
"Then… then in the future… will you… will you…" March 7th hesitated, grappling with words too fragile to voice.
"Will I what?" Daziel asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Will you… despise me…?" Her voice faded to a breath, barely audible, stripped of its usual cheerful lilt.
Daziel paused, surprised by the unexpected vulnerability. He shook his head gently. "Why would I? What earthly reason would I have to despise you?"
"But… I… I…" March 7th remained unconvinced, her eyes still clouded with doubt.
"No 'buts', Little March. If you keep crying, your eyes will swell up like overripe peaches," Daziel said, a thread of helpless affection lacing his voice. He reached out, his thumb gently wiping away the lingering trails of tears on her soft cheek. "I truly won't despise you, and I won't breathe a word of last night to anyone. You can relax." His tone was soft, deeply reassuring.
Slowly, under the gentle weight of his words, March 7th's storm of emotions began to subside. She sniffled, lifting her head to meet Daziel's gaze, searching his eyes for any flicker of deceit.
"Re… really?" A whisper of doubt still clung to her voice.
"Really!" Daziel affirmed with a decisive nod, his gaze unwavering and earnest.
"Then… then in the future… could you… could you… be a little nicer to me…?" A fragile hope, a tentative expectation, threaded through her voice.
"Okay, Little March, I'll be nicer to you," Daziel agreed, a weary resignation settling over him. He would play along with her fragile wishes for now, bracing himself for the unknown future that loomed.
"Mmm…" March 7th nodded faintly, a tentative, watery smile finally gracing her lips. And just like that, with gentle words and soft persuasion, March 7th's tears finally receded.
"Not crying anymore?" Daziel asked softly, a quiet tenderness in his voice.
"Mmm… not crying anymore," she mumbled, her voice still thick with the remnants of her sobs.
Daziel gazed at her tear-streaked face, and a wave of unexpected pity washed over him. This girl, usually radiating such boundless, silly joy… he hadn't anticipated such profound distress. Could this drastic shift be a consequence of the escalating depravity value? A subtle, insidious alteration of her very personality? He couldn't be certain, and the uncertainty gnawed at him.
Daziel sighed inwardly, a heavy, silent breath, then gestured subtly towards March 7th's slipping shoulder strap. Her clothes were disheveled, rumpled from her emotional storm, and the strap had slid down, revealing a pale curve of skin, even a glimpse of the delicate pink lace of her undergarment…
"Ahhh! Don't… don't look!"
March 7th flinched violently, frantically yanking her strap back into place, shrinking away from Daziel as fresh tears pricked at her eyes.
"You just said you'd stopped crying! Why are you starting again? I only pointed out your strap was slipping. I didn't even glance there, you can relax!" Daziel's tone was carefully constructed to be upright, utterly innocent, bordering on exasperated.
But his attempt at reassurance backfired spectacularly.
March 7th simply felt…
Ahhhhhhhhh!
Why did she always have to embarrass herself in front of Daziel like this?
The thought hit her like a tidal wave, and for a split second, she even wished the ground would swallow her whole. Couldn't she just disappear?
"Ding!"
A crisp notification chimed in Daziel's mind, pulling him from his thoughts.
[Target character March 7th's Depravity Value increased by 2%]
[Current Depravity Value: 12%]
[Trigger Keyword: Shame]
[Keep up the good work, Host! Once the target grows accustomed to this shame, her defenses will crumble before you.]
…
Daziel stared at the system message, utterly dumbfounded.
Seriously? The more effort he put into being decent, the faster this so-called "depravity value" shot up? Couldn't it just… go down for once?
The last thing he wanted was to see the sweet, innocent Little March fall into some twisted state.
Regret washed over him like a cold wave. If only he hadn't opened his big mouth and pointed out her slipping shoulder strap…
Why did he have to be so helpful?
_______
Hey there! I'm Walnut-chan! 🌸 I'm translating this fanfic and restoring some +18 scenes that were cut from the original work—since explicit content isn't allowed in China. I went through everything carefully and reinserted the scenes while staying true to the story! Hope you enjoy it!
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I put a lot of love into these translations and plan to add even more over time! Let's aim for the top of the site! Who knows... maybe I'll go crazy and drop even more chapters! 🚀🔥