Chapter 52 - 43: Never Seen Someone So Shameless (2)

Given Micah’s status, he naturally valued his life. He immediately agreed to Flora Bloom’s request, having already formulated a plan.

Even if Flora Bloom asked him to kill someone in the future, it would just be a matter of pulling some strings for her. Compared to his own life, it was worth it.

Toby Warren and Micah soaked in the two buckets for several dozen minutes. When they got out, their bodies were almost fully recovered, with only faint scars remaining on their necks.

And this was with the Space Spirit Water diluted by Flora Bloom. Otherwise, the two wouldn’t have even been left with scars. They were acting all respectful and polite now, the very picture of innocence, but who knew if they’d stab her in the back later?

’You can never be too careful.’

"By the way, I expect you to keep the fact that I saved you today to yourselves. I don’t want any trouble. Understood?"

Toby Warren and Micah quickly agreed, swearing a solemn oath that they would never reveal what had happened.

Just as Flora Bloom was about to go upstairs to rest, Micah called out to her again.

"Young lady, I know you’re very capable. I was wondering... could I ask you to find my granddaughter and escort us to Argent?"

Flora Bloom frowned and refused point-blank. "No."

Seeing Flora Bloom’s refusal, Micah quickly added, "I hold a position of some influence at the research institute in Argent. If you agree, I can grant any request you have."

Flora Bloom looked into Micah’s hopeful eyes and poured cold water on his hopes.

"I don’t want to say it again."

Micah felt helpless. This young woman seemed to have no desire for money, fame, or status, which was precisely what gave him the biggest headache.

"I want to know why. There are so many monsters out there. If the whole world has really become like you say, wouldn’t it be safer for you all to come to Argent with me? Once we reach Argent, I can absolutely guarantee your family’s safety. Trust me."

Flora Bloom turned to Micah, her expression unwavering.

By now, Caleb Bloom and Jade had finished their meal and gone out to the yard with Caleb to play with the little white tiger.

This left only Flora Bloom and Micah in the living room.

Flora Bloom paid Micah’s words no mind and simply turned to leave.

She returned to her room and immediately slipped into her space. After a nap there, she awoke to find the sky had already grown dark.

The night air in Oakhaven Village was fresh and clean. The banks of the Perilla River were lined with pear trees which, unlike in other places where they only bloomed in spring, could blossom for three seasons in Oakhaven Village.

Sweet-smelling pear blossoms drifted down onto the Perilla River, their fragrance masking the stench of blood and rot that permeated the village.

During the chaos of the day, many people had been scratched and bitten by Loraine Wallace and the old man. With so much time having passed, and without her help, the injured had virtually no chance of survival.

It was a dark and windy night—a perfect night for killing. She was about to tour the village and put the villagers who had turned into zombies out of their misery when Caleb Bloom’s voice interrupted her.

"Flora, you’re awake? Come on over. Your uncle and his family brought a lot of food for us, and your mom has made a big meal."

Caleb Bloom saw his daughter coming down the stairs and was in the middle of saying something, but he trailed off awkwardly when he saw the dark expression on her face.

For some reason, his daughter seemed like a different person since coming home. She was still his daughter, of course, but there was an intimidating aura about her now, in her expression and her bearing. It was the kind of pressure he had only ever felt from special forces soldiers, men honed by life-and-death struggles.

That, combined with the "pets" that obeyed her every command, made him all the more certain that his daughter must have had some kind of extraordinary encounter to gain her current abilities.

"Dad, you let them in?"

Caleb Bloom was getting a headache. His daughter had only frowned and asked a simple question in a quiet tone, yet he felt immense pressure.

"I... I know you don’t like your uncle’s family after everything that’s happened, but... but he’s my brother. I can’t just turn my back on him."

Flora Bloom sighed. She didn’t say anything more, simply walking into the kitchen to help her mother.

The kitchen floor was covered with vegetables and a few bags of rice. A single jar of Nu’er Hong leaned in the far corner. It seemed Stephen Bloom and his family had returned the food they had taken from the storage room. It was just that of the original six or seven jars of Nu’er Hong, only one remained.

She saw her aunt, Sharon Caldwell, sitting on a small stool and cracking sunflower seeds. Judging by the shells littering the floor around her, her mother had been slaving away this whole time while this woman hadn’t lifted a finger to help.

"Mom, your back isn’t good. Why didn’t you ask Aunt to lend a hand with the cooking?"

As Flora Bloom spoke, she took the kitchen knife from her mother’s hand and began chopping vegetables in her stead.

Jade’s face finally broke into a smile when she saw Flora Bloom. She shot Sharon Caldwell a sideways glance and said sourly, "Oh, I couldn’t possibly afford the help of your dear aunt."

Sharon Caldwell was about to retort, but one look at Flora Bloom’s hostile expression made her hold her tongue.

’If you weren’t still useful, I wouldn’t have bothered coming.’

"Flora, dear, look, your uncle and I brought you all this food, didn’t we? We should at least be treated as guests."

Flora Bloom looked at Sharon Caldwell with an amused expression. She glanced at the food spread across the floor and asked with feigned curiosity, "Aunt, where’s the food you brought? I don’t seem to see it."

Sharon Caldwell pointed to the items on the floor and replied matter-of-factly, "Look around you. Isn’t this what we brought?"

Flora Bloom laughed, her eyes wide with mock innocence.

"This? Mom, isn’t this the food from our storage room? Oh, that’s right, it’s what Aunt and Uncle ’borrowed’ before. Auntie, do you not know the difference between ’returning’ something and ’giving’ a gift?"

Hearing this, Sharon Caldwell’s face flushed crimson, but she still stammered, "Th-that little bit you had? You must have eaten that ages ago. This... this is from our house."

But Flora Bloom continued, "By the way, Mom, that wine Dad brewed when I was born... weren’t there originally a dozen or so jars?"

"Auntie," she said, her voice dropping, "aren’t you going to return my Nu’er Hong?"

Sharon Caldwell was at a loss for words. They were clearly in the wrong, and if they didn’t need something, they never would have come here just to be humiliated like this.

"Since you’re not going to be of any help, Auntie, please leave."

Sharon Caldwell had never been on the receiving end of such cold sarcasm. But one look at Flora Bloom’s face told her that arguing further would be pointless. She had no excuse for the Nu’er Hong, so she scrambled out of the kitchen.