Chapter 23 - Lies Wrapped in Hints of Truth
Alice soon returned accompanied by a maid carrying food—a tray with a ceramic bowl full of meat soup (what kind of meat it was, Noah didn't ask). Even if she had wished to do it herself, she couldn't, for even the slightest effort might have caused her body to react adversely.
They watched Noah eat, with Sophia feeding him—much to his discomfort and shame and to Arthur's displeasure, though both kept these feelings hidden—until Mrs. Radiance stepped forward and asked:
— And what's your name, boy? It would be odd to have to call you that every time we address you.
"Ah, that's..." Sophia cut him off, giving him another spoonful with a smile. Swallowing the soup, Noah cleared his throat and said, "My name is... Noah... Noah Evil."
They found it strange that he had hesitated so much in finding his words—after all, who would forget their own name?
However, it wasn't a matter of lying. Noah truly wanted to tell the truth; the real problem was that he initially thought he had become accustomed to that name because the system called him that. But no—no matter how much he wished to deny it—the marks attached to the name *Xiao Yang* still haunted him, and he nearly uttered that name when introducing himself.
"That's an... interesting name. Different, I think. But you're not from around here, are you, Noah?"
Startled, Arthur became intrigued by the subject—something he wanted to question, though he feared she would object—and to his surprise, it was Alice herself who took the first step.
Noah paused for a moment before replying:
— No... I'm new around here. This is actually the first city I've ever set foot in. And look at how I've ended up—I suppose it would have been better to remain in the forest rather than leave...
It was an improvised excuse—a basic one—combining a grain of truth with a measure of small deceit.