Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

He thought that the sound might be coming from the prison warden ordering workers to repair the cell next door.

To confirm this, Edmund stared in disbelief at the broth and white bread the jailer brought him.

Hunger prevented him from concentrating, and with that thought in mind, he staggered over, drank the broth with an indescribable sense of comfort, and then restrained himself from eating too much.

Edmund had heard that people rescued from misfortune at sea often died because they swallowed too much food in their haste.

So he put the bread he was about to put in his mouth back on the table, and after returning to bed, Edmund no longer wanted to die.

“If it were a worker, I could just tap on the wall and he would stop working and come over to find out who was tapping on the wall and why. Since he was sent by the warden to do the work, he would soon get back to work. But if, on the other hand, it were a prisoner, the sound I made would frighten him, and he would stop working until he thought everyone was asleep before he would start again.”

After thinking it over, Edmund, no longer feeling dizzy, got up and went to a corner of the dungeon. He dug out a loose stone slab from the dampness and used it to tap the spot on the wall where the sound was clearest.

He knocked three times, and then the sound seemed to respond by knocking three more times, and even continued for a few more times before stopping.

Edmund panicked again, because he thought it really was a worker, not a prisoner...

But after a long time, no one came to check, which made him a little strange.

Nevertheless, Edmund listened carefully. Time passed, and still no sound came from the walls; all was silent.

"He must be... a criminal."

He was so happy that he didn't close his eyes all night.

In the morning, when the jailer brought Edmund's meal again, this time he began to eat.

Then, anxiously wanting to hear that sound again, he paced around the dungeon, shook the iron bars on the windows, and stretched his limbs, preparing for any possible impending events.

But after a while, Edmund didn't hear the sound again. Although he knew it was necessary to be careful, he couldn't help but feel irritated.

That evening, after the jailer made one last check, Edmund pressed his ear against the wall once more, and he seemed to hear a barely perceptible rustling between the stones.

He then paced back and forth in the dungeon to concentrate, and finally, unable to bear the thought any longer, he pressed his ear to the same spot again—

There's no need to doubt anymore. I'm going to help him, and we'll do it together!

Inspired by this idea, Edmund decided to dig together.

Edmund first moved his bed, because he thought the work would be done behind it, and he looked around for something he could use to penetrate the wall, dig through the cement, and move the stones—

Suddenly, he discovered a sharp piece of iron.

Edmund then remembered that one day when he first entered prison, this thing had suddenly appeared at his door, but at the time, full of hope, he had only hidden it and hadn't used it to commit suicide. Now, thinking about it, how could he have forgotten...?

But it didn't matter anymore. Edmund no longer wanted to commit suicide; he was just using this to dig himself out with the prisoner he didn't know yet.

And so Edmund began his 'work,' working tirelessly, pretending nothing had happened when the jailers came. After four or five days of this, he encountered an obstacle.

The iron object had no effect whatsoever; it merely slid across a flat surface.

Edmund reached out and touched it, discovering that it was a beam that blocked, or more accurately, completely blocked, the hole that Dantès had dug, so that they had to start digging again from above or below it.

“How could this be…” Edmund hadn’t expected to encounter such an obstacle. He said softly, “Could it really just be my imagination…?”

"You scoundrel, why did you only start digging now? My brother had to dig for so many years..."

A voice, seemingly from underground, arose. To Edmund, this eerie voice sounded like it was coming from a grave, filled with resentment.

But there was no one around him. In an instant, Edmund felt his hair stand on end, his body shrank back, and he fainted.

218: The 'Evil' Brother Favia (4k)

“…Abby, it seems you scared him.”

After Edmund was terrified and fainted, Favia climbed up from the hole he had dug within seconds, and then carried the unconscious gray-haired youth back to his prison.

Although she was puzzled as to why Edmund was acting this way, when Favia saw the blonde girl glaring disapprovingly at the gray-haired youth on the bed, she guessed why.

"But no one but you, brother, can see me or hear my voice."

"Perhaps Edmund was an accident..."

"...Huh, that's strange. You didn't know him before, so why were you able to call out his name? That's really weird."

"Would you believe me if I said Moriarty told me?"

“Of course I believe him, but to remember him for so long, even though we’ve never spoken, and he even asked Abigail to help him…” Abigail raised an eyebrow, twitched her temple, and turned to stare intently at Favia, who was watching Edmund, with sharp eyes. She continued, “Could it be that this guy named Edmund is very important to you, brother? Very, very important?”

Then, the girl suddenly whispered.

“…Abby, I shouldn’t have asked that question. I’m sorry.”

In fact, the moment she saw Favia carry Edmund on her back, the girl, who had been with Favia for ten years, suddenly had an idea:

If this random guy intrudes into my brother's and my world, can I kill him?

This idea kept popping into my mind.

Since the girl became conscious, she had never thought about anything so consistently.

The reason for asking this question so suddenly was simply that I suddenly wanted to make things difficult for Favia.

Moreover, she felt that what Favia said would align with her thoughts no matter what, after all, Favia had been there for her through all her troubles, pains, and injuries over the years... But then she realized that what she said was not something a good child should say, so she immediately apologized.

"...Abby, I'm having a hard time answering that question."

Favia's expression didn't change much as she looked at the girl's worries.

"But speaking of which, maybe Abby, you are my angel, and you will always be by my side to protect me until my last moment."

"A guardian angel? But I don't have wings."

Abigail tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled.

"Maybe my eyesight is failing me."

Favia laughed.

"I'm not old at all."

Perhaps it was because he laughed that Abigail unconsciously smiled too.

“Yeah, you see, in these ten years, when I couldn’t straighten my back and legs, Abby, you were like my crutch supporting me. And then, when I couldn’t stand up and could only move my hands, at that time, I could only hold your hand.”

"You can rely on me alone..." Although that's what she thought, the girl held back from saying it aloud and reorganized her thoughts:

"Isn't that the same as now? Abby, I'll always stay by your side and listen carefully to what you say, brother. Don't say anything about the last moment. Brother, you will definitely live for a very, very long time. Abby, I will always be with you. As long as it's your brother, it doesn't matter how long it takes."

"Hopefully."

"Don't say such discouraging things, okay? I'm your brother's guardian angel, so as long as I'm here, he'll definitely live a long time."

For some reason, ten years later, Abigail still looks the same as before.

As for Favia, she hadn't changed much. She was still able to use magic, but otherwise, she was fine. However, this was only on the surface. In reality, her body had weakened considerably due to the prison. Furthermore, Favia had discovered that she couldn't go above the dungeon; otherwise, she would immediately fall ill.

That is a neurological disorder suspected to be 'wax flexion syndrome'.

In modern terms, it is called generalized rigidity syndrome, which can cause tonic-clonic syncope. The symptoms are generally that the whole body is stiff and unable to move, and the person is in a state of unconsciousness. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. The reason why it was called "wax-curved syndrome" in the past may be because the symptoms when it occurs are like the body is wrapped in wax, making the body stiff and unable to bend or stretch.

The reason Favia discovered this was because he had found out about it once when the warden allowed him to go out for a walk.

To be honest, Favia is certain that he never had this disease before, but he doesn't know why he has it now.

However, he didn't care about that. What he cared about was whether he and Abigail could return to the 16th century. After all, he was very concerned about what had happened to familiar people like Bavan Shi and Paracelsus after that.

Of course, I was also mentally prepared that I couldn't go back.

"Yes, you're right, I'm sure I'll live a long time."

"Yes, that's how it should be said."

Although ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, what has actually remained on the two people, who seem to have remained unchanged, is a kind of change that is invisible to the naked eye.

Suddenly, the blonde girl tried asking the question again.

"—Isn't he called Number Thirty-Four by the warden? Why not use that more convenient name?"

“I’m number 27 in prison, but you didn’t just call me number 27, did you, Abby?”

"Because you have a name, brother."

"Yes, that's exactly right."

Favia turned her gaze to Edmund, who was still unconscious, and spoke slowly.

“One day, he and I will both be freed from ‘Number Twenty-Seven’ and ‘Number Thirty-Four’. The Château d’If is a death row that can imprison people who have committed unforgivable crimes. People say that all the suffering in the world is gathered here. There are sounds of anger, lamentation and sorrow everywhere… In such a place, wouldn’t it be very lonely if we didn’t call out our real names?”

Favia spoke with utmost seriousness, causing Abigail to blink, press her hand to her excited heart, and take a deep breath.

She was getting a little upset. Even though they had been together for ten years, her brother would still do these kinds of things unconsciously.

Couldn't they have given us a heads-up beforehand if it was a surprise attack?

Even so, when she saw her brother like that, even a girl surrounded by fear and trembling would try her best to straighten her chest.

Because whenever the blonde girl was by his side, she felt like she could become a little better.

The man spoke with the meticulous care of someone instructing a student.

"When a kind and simple person learns that his suffering is only due to the selfish desires of others, how can he not be filled with despair and hatred for the world? This is why I noticed him."

Because of jealousy, the weak goodness was trampled by the cunning evil, and all happiness came to an end, and the beautiful life turned into a gray shadow.

"However, in any case, the previous nineteen years have been an important time for Edmund, and he shouldn't have stayed here all this time, at least that's what I think. That's enough, isn't it?"

Favia gazed at Edmund with a gentle expression.

After hearing this, Abigail fell into a brief moment of silent contemplation, then said:

"That's so unfair! We gave him something to dig up six years ago, but he never used it, making you work so hard for so long, Favia. It's awful! He won't even eat the food we give him, it's infuriating..."

Despite this, the girl's voice was bright and cheerful, and the darkness in her pupils had disappeared.

"There will be opportunities sooner or later, don't worry."

"It would be good to get out sooner..."

"Ugh, what was that sound just now...?"

As the two were talking, a simple and honest voice suddenly rang out.

That sound came from Edmund in bed. He had just woken up and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Favia by the bedside.

Are you the one who dug the hole?

The gray-haired youth's voice was filled with joy, and he could see 'Faria' clearly in the dim light filtering through the iron bars.

The old man was rather thin, but his eyes were extremely bright, and he looked to be between sixty and sixty-five years old.

"Hmm, are you able to get up now?"

Favia nodded.

"It's nothing serious, I was probably just too tired, so I fainted for no reason. I was wondering why there was that noise all of a sudden..."

Edmund straightened his upper body and said with a smile.

"Indeed, it gave me quite a fright."

"I'm very sorry, but I may have been hallucinating, which is why I heard strange noises."

Favia couldn't help but smile as he looked at the earnestly bowing young man.

"Knew it."

In Favia's view, if Edmund could hear Abigail's voice, then he should also be able to see her.

"really?"

Can you see anyone here?

"...I think I'm hallucinating again. There's a dark shadow there. I might be sick..."

Seeing Edmund's confused expression, Favia gestured to Abigail to repeat the first few words.

Although Abigail was reluctant, she still went along with Favia's idea.

Therefore, she shouted in a somewhat self-destructive manner.

"Hello."

"Hey, that's your voice—"