Before Daisy could respond, the police officer approached with a stern expression. He turned off the communicator at his waist and frowned, "Standing out here in the pouring rain—why aren't you taking shelter? Were you the one who called the police?"
His eyes swept over to Veil with a hint of suspicion.
The scene in front of him looked like your typical lovers' quarrel: a refined young man, and a girl soaked to the bone like a drowned rat. It didn't take a genius to start forming assumptions.
Veil smiled and nodded, then pointed at Daisy. "Yes, I called. This girl's still in high school. Her parents were fighting, she got beaten up, and now she's too scared to go home. I thought you could help take her somewhere safe."
The officer's expression softened slightly as realization set in. He looked away from Veil and focused on Daisy instead, a faint sigh in his heart. Poor kid.
Gently, he asked, "Give me your address. I'll take you home."
"Uh…" Daisy froze. Panic flashed across her face the moment she saw the uniform. "It's fine, Officer. Really, you don't have to trouble yourself."
Veil raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say you were too scared to go back home alone? And wanted me to take you somewhere warm? What's this, you think my place is cozier than your own?"
Daisy glared at him, her heart practically screaming, This guy just won't shut up, will he?!
The officer's frown deepened. He was starting to piece things together. His tone turned colder. "What's going on here? Let me see your ID."
"I… I forgot to bring it," Daisy stammered, seeing no way out.
Her shoulders slumped. "Actually… I'm not a high schooler. I'm an adult. I was just messing around with my friend. It was a joke… Please don't take it seriously."
Veil immediately added fuel to the fire, "A joke? What kind of joke is that? Didn't you just say you were in high school? And we've only just met—how exactly are we friends?"
Ding! Daisy's anger level continues to rise. Congratulations, Host. Villain Points +1000.
The officer's face darkened as he cast a disapproving glance at Daisy. He hated girls like her—those who flirted recklessly in public. His own son had fallen into a similar trap once, and to this day hadn't fully recovered.
Now, hearing Veil's explanation, the officer instantly categorized Daisy as one of those women.
He barked, "Obstructing police work and wasting public resources—is that your idea of a funny joke?!"
Daisy flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"'Sorry' isn't enough!" the officer snapped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim green booklet—The Citizen's Code. He shoved it into Daisy's hands.
"Read this. Out loud. All of it. Then memorize it. You have three days to recite it word for word at the station in front of everyone."
Daisy's face turned ashen. Her head spun. Recite the Citizen's Code?! In public?!
Her plan had been so simple—expose Veil's true face, humiliate him in front of Lisa, let him crash and burn.
But now?
Now she was the one humiliated. The one drowning in shame.
Under the officer's stern gaze, Daisy clutched the green book like it was a cursed object. Her voice trembled as she began, "Love your country. Obey the law…"
Each line she read felt like a dagger stabbing into her pride.
The humiliation was unbearable. But worse, all that bottled-up rage had nowhere to go—and in her heart, she directed it all toward Veil.
Finally, the recital ended. The officer walked away, reminding her again: three days, no excuses.
The moment he left, Daisy exploded.
"Veil! You bastard! How dare you humiliate me like that?! How dare you call the cops?! I'll kill you!"
She lunged at him like a madwoman, fists flying. Two years of taekwondo training came flooding back—all her rage, fury, and frustration manifested in powerful strikes.
Veil backpedaled, his footing suddenly slipping—or maybe not quite so accidentally. Just as Daisy closed in, he stumbled backward and reached out to steady himself.
His hand landed right on her chest.
He used the grip as leverage, swinging himself upright and regaining balance.
Daisy, caught in the momentum, lost hers.
Pain exploded in her body as she tumbled back toward the muddy water.
"Ahh—damn it, that hurts! So much!"
She braced herself for the fall—but it didn't come.
She opened her eyes and realized she was suspended mid-air, tilted at an awkward angle.
Veil's hand was still on her chest, holding her there.
"You bastard! You're groping me!" she shrieked. "Let go! Get your filthy hand off me!"
Veil looked a little sheepish. "Sorry. I slipped. Just trying to stop you from falling. Honestly."
One finger at a time, he let go.
"No—wait!" Daisy suddenly realized her balance depended entirely on that hold. But it was too late.
SPLASH!
She landed right back in the puddle, backside-first, with a wet thud that reverberated through her bones.
Veil scratched his head. "My bad. Just trying to help. But you started yelling, and well… I figured it'd be safer to let go."
Daisy sat there, soaked, humiliated, and seething.
"You liar! Don't give me that crap—you slipped?! You were standing just fine! How the hell do you slip like that?!"
Veil rolled his eyes. "I'm not arguing with someone who's clearly fluent in double standards."
"I—" Daisy opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She had nothing to say.
She was furious, humiliated, and aching all over—but beneath all that, a strange and unfamiliar feeling simmered deep in her chest.
Just as Lin Youchu was trying to calm herself down and prepare for a second counterattack, Lisa finally arrived with her assistant in tow.
The tide had turned, and Daisy's grand plan to expose Veil had completely fallen apart.
Although the assistant was clearly displeased, she had no choice but to let Lisa leave with them.
"It's all just a misunderstanding! Veil, don't be mad. She's actually my best friend, Daisy—the legitimate daughter of the Falkner family in Luxhaven City." Lisa looked embarrassed as she stood in front of Veil, her voice lacking confidence. "She only did all this for my sake. Please don't be angry at her."
Veil cast a skeptical look her way, glancing between Lisa and Daisy as if putting two and two together. "You two are best friends? What, are you putting on a little show for me?"
Supported by the assistant, Daisy stood up and snapped, "Drop the act, Veil. You knew from the start, didn't you? Don't think I can't see through your dirty little schemes. You might be able to fool Lisa, but not me—I see you for what you are!"
"Heh…" Veil gave a dry laugh, shooting a glance at Lisa. "Looks like your bestie has quite the opinion of me. Anyway, I've got things to do. I'll leave you two to it."
He turned to leave without another word.
"Don't!" Lisa panicked, instinctively grabbing his arm, then turned and glared at Daisy with frustration. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? What do you want from me? What kind of mess are you trying to push me into?"
She was exhausted. Emotionally drained.
Things between her and Veil had already been tense, and now Daisy's antics were pushing her to the brink—like shoving her straight into a fire pit.
Daisy pouted, still itching to lash out at Veil, but under Lisa's clearly furious gaze, she swallowed her words and turned her head away with a huff.
Lisa sighed internally, then looked back at Veil, trying to soften the situation. "Actually, it's good timing. The report on the Beauty Pills just came out, and I brought it with me. Since you're the one who developed the formula, you really should take a look and give some input. Didn't you say you wanted to start your own company? This could be your first big hit, so we need to take it seriously. Let's book a private room at the hotel and go over it while we eat?"
After a moment of thought, Veil nodded. "Business comes first."
…
Back at Falkner International Hotel, the group booked a high-end private dining room.
Daisy had freshened up and changed into a more mature outfit—white camisole top paired with a pink skirt. It was less youthful than the JK uniform from earlier, but she still looked quirky and playful.
She took a seat next to Lisa, determined to "rescue" her best friend from Veil's clutches.
But Lisa paid her no attention, fully focused on discussing the Beauty Pill report with Veil.
Veil skimmed through the report carefully, his finger trailing along the lines as he read. Occasionally, he would nod in approval.
"The report isn't bad, but there are still some flaws," he remarked. "The introduction is a bit bland, which is fine, but the body does a decent job listing the benefits of the Beauty Pill. However… the conclusion feels rushed, don't you think?"
He looked up. "Let's find a time to sit down and go over this together, polish it up a bit."
"Sure!" Lisa nodded seriously, though she hadn't quite caught the deeper implication behind his words.
Veil casually picked up a cola chicken wing and dropped it into Lisa's bowl. "Let's eat first. We waited so long for someone to finish showering, the food's going cold."
Lisa's eyes lit up with joy. Cola chicken wings were one of her favorites—her mother had even fought Veil over them the last time she visited Veyport City.
The fact that Veil still remembered her favorite dish… Did that mean she still held a place in his heart?
She took a small bite and smiled. "So good. Tastes amazing."
Watching the two of them get along so well, looking every bit like a couple, Daisy felt her chest tighten. She had to put a stop to this.
If she didn't, her silly best friend might fall even deeper into Veil's trap—and never find her way out again!
She quickly picked up a piece of dark garlic and dropped it into Lisa's bowl. "Lisa, if you're hungry, eat more."
Lisa looked down, frowning slightly, and made no move to pick up her chopsticks.
Daisy added another piece. "Don't underestimate this black garlic—it was specially made by the head chef at my hotel. It's really good. Sweet and flavorful."
But as she brought the garlic close to her nose, an awful stench hit her hard. Her face twisted, and she instinctively stuck out her tongue. "Ugh—"
Lisa's frown deepened.
Realizing she had to commit, Daisy held her breath and popped the garlic into her mouth. Forcing a smile, she praised, "Wow! This black garlic is amazing. It just melts in your mouth! Smells weird, but tastes like heaven! Mmm—ugh!"
Her sparkling eyes glistened with faux excitement, but halfway through her sentence, she couldn't hold it anymore and gagged, eyes watering, nose stinging.
Under Lisa's suspicious gaze, Daisy tried her best to act composed. "Maybe it's just the rain earlier. I think I caught a little cold. It's not the garlic, really. Just a little nausea. Ugh—"
Bang!
She couldn't keep up the act any longer. Slamming the table, Daisy spat the black garlic into a napkin and pointed accusingly at a waiter who had just entered. "Who the hell cooked this garbage? Get them to the front desk and tell them to pack up and leave! This is disgraceful!"
"Yes, ma'am." The waiter quickly bowed and left the room.
Silence fell over the table once more.
Daisy sat stiffly in her seat, arms crossed, seething in silence. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as if someone had just slapped her in front of everyone.
Lisa raised her glass. "Daisy, don't be mad. If you don't like it, just don't eat it. Let's have a toast and put all this behind us."
Daisy felt like the universe had been conspiring against her all day. Everything had gone wrong.
She shot another glare at Veil, her resentment growing stronger.
Still, unable to defy Lisa's peace offering, she reluctantly raised her glass and forced a smile.
Their glasses clinked.
The dinner… continued.