四人在長餐桌就座，艾力克旁邊是瑪麗蘇，正對面是克莉絲，兩對眼睛都盯住他。瑪赫在最遠端，下巴趴在桌上，百無聊賴地玩頭髮。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vt2Yw4gXb
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWBWzoB61G
一道奇妙的低氣壓圍繞三人，說劍拔弩張又太誇張；說不揪不採又不符合。懂了，這就是所謂的『冷戰』吧。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSLKyCOXFl
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HuNRMweps
動彈不得的艾力像一隻嚇傻了的角兔。側旁的瑪麗蘇右手托腮，含情脈脈的眨著電眼。對面的克莉絲十指緊扣放桌面，手臂築起了城牆。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTqSJvYba3
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroMSbez0n4
艾力克連眼睛都不敢動，被瑪麗蘇灼熱的視線燙傷臉頰。為甚麼要盯著我？難道不怕暴露嗎？93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN9FfCLY1V
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwH9xAV9rD
利用眼角的餘光偷瞄側旁……！他立刻把視線收回！絕對不是含情脈脈！原來她的眼睛可以射出刀刃！？93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVIZPTqu0m
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpn09RBBzS
看來她沒有打算收手，唯有把破冰的希望寄託於克莉絲。大女孩臉色難看，唇型像横倒的蛾眉月。焰髮倒豎，如同烈火燃燒，『怒髮衝冠』。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6ltbPUhuF
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eDLcmBgJp
忽然，好像有甚麼東西斷掉了，艾力克内心釋然：93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhIHjXmzKO
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvQmw1aLPw
「這兒就是我的葬身之地。」他小聲嘀咕，軟癱的身軀漸漸慘白退色。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKd2YnRKoZ
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5NAhS9hty
接下來便沒有記憶，當意識接續回來時，他們正在用餐。連吃過甚麼都沒有印象，只是機械式地把淡而無味的食物送入口中。餐桌上籠罩著一片陰霾，在座唯有兩人理所當然地享用美食，就是瑪麗蘇和瑪赫。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz0104JvHe
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUf4Gq8OmY
安娜優雅地擦乾嘴巴，放下餐巾，「艾力克，多年未見，別來無恙嘛？」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTChCHLMcX
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavxFzFHUzP
看到橄欖枝，艾力克馬上抓住，「托你鴻福，親愛的安娜瑪莉雅女士。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YnSjIiEqy
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJj7afMOes
嘴角上繞，安娜臉上有光，「還在讀書嗎？」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJE46CI6hs
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2VzPi8eYh
「很久以前離開學院了。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHf2vvYEEEs
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8U01acFKY
「我真糊塗，忘記你跟克莉絲是同級生，呵呵。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54IeGhwVgC
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDLUFhrxBT
艾力克報以輕笑。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmjHEFHTmr
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFnzyY6NNQ
「現在做甚麼工作呢？收入穩定嗎？」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpNqeJ3FnF
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1Ef150ytx
「現在從事自由研究，雖然收入不好，但能夠做自己喜歡的工作，我已經十分滿足。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHPXMZCKGH
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3DLUJv3vm
安娜向阿爾法使眼色，老人接話：93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWQAoWlt9L
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1dF8Mzos5
「不會把克莉絲交給你。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcOQS4ewOK
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfWlDpsLOU
整張餐桌也抖了一下，瑪麗蘇假裝被果汁嗆到，實則是掩嘴偷笑，克莉絲五官皺成一團，瑪赫只顧著吃，安娜用手肘頂撞阿爾法。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIC2h7ovuMD
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSQOPAGGMC
「請怪我多事，是怎樣的研究讓你要到訪黑靴鎮呢？」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TH30gxBLa
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURHmlwCTaU
瑪麗蘇瞄了一眼，艾力克嚥了口水才說，「有點難以開口，希望女士明白事理。我是為了在黑市搜購禁書，用作研究用途。一些被千人議會列為禁術，連學院的藏書也沒有記載的禁忌法術。請原諒我求知若渴，才會流連於那種不法之地。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZYYPKKVFo
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdVh2t3Hk6
「你無須在意，是說我們也沒有批判你的立足點。由你來保管這些禁忌智識，比落入別有用心之人更加安全。我們就互相保守秘密吧。」安娜轉向克莉絲，「你們是同級生，一定有不少共同回憶。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHks6vk9QF
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdHKCClyqE
「也不是那麼值得回味。」克莉絲抬高頭，嘴巴斜到一邊。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspyebTNdm0
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyi3q3wscV
艾力克喝水濕潤乾燥的喉嚨，腦袋思索找話題，「聽說有事需要協助，我可以怎樣幫忙？」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmNZz0DUcw
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFTFB36pjA
「那個已經沒事了，不用勞煩你。」克莉絲不以為然地撥空氣。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr6Gw5fuqB
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBV7mFLHlc
氣流變得更重，壓得肩膀發痛。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NaSTO1tLe
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKDbboqEUB
瑪麗蘇舉杯將果汁一飲而盡，舔乾淨櫻桃小嘴，攙扶艾力克的胳膊站起來，「老師差不多要準備下一個行程，我們要走了。」
她望向阿爾法，意味深長的微笑，「多謝款待，很久沒嘗過家常菜。」93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAvf5Mt0M8
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ39uNI2HD3
艾力克失魂落魄地離席，連禮貌的感謝也忘了說，被瑪麗蘇拉著走到玄關。克莉絲竟然動身跟了上來，默默地穿上大衣拿起雨傘。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhkLmacFg5
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqst8OOnm5
面對艾力克訝異的目光，她說，「只是剛好有預定要出門，才不是要陪你。」
克莉絲戴上冷帽，焰髮縮短至齊耳。眼角閃過一點光，與二人一同出門。93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS0pmTPFwu
