"Ms. Peerny?"
Rachel turned her attention toward the voice that had called her.
"Yes?"
"It's time for you to go."
"Understood," Rachel replied calmly. "Thank you, Mimi."
Mimi had been one of the assistants assigned to guide her throughout the earlier transitions, and among them. She was the one Rachel had grown slightly familiar with.
It was not a deep attachment, but enough for Rachel to remember her name without effort.
Not many people in places like this bothered to leave an impression. Mimi had, if only slightly.
After getting Rachel's attention, Mimi moved swiftly toward Marcus Fuze, informing him that recording would need to stop, as the next area was not suitable for filming.
Marcus accepted this with surprising ease, turning to his audience and offering a steady farewell, telling them to remain attentive in case the stream resumed later.
Once he ended the recording, Mimi briefly acknowledged Grace and the Proposition group before guiding the two lottery winners away.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at an area on the first floor where recording was permitted once again.
Upon receiving confirmation, Marcus immediately resumed filming, clearly aware that the situation was gaining him attention.
Rachel observed this briefly and understood the intent, as she herself was a business owner, though she ultimately dismissed it as irrelevant to her own situation.
This was her vacation.
His conditions were his own.
And frankly, if he wanted to turn every breath into content, that was his problem to manage.
Her attention drifted instead to the environment around her.
Compared to the previous passageways, which had been composed of plain walls with little to no distinguishing features, this area felt entirely different.
The earlier corridors had been so uniform that without guidance, she was certain she would have become lost within them.
Not just lost. Completely turned around.
If she had been left alone in those halls, she doubted she would have found her way out before exhausting herself.
At that point, it might have been easier to count through the long list of allegations she had seen tied to Marcus during the live comment feed earlier.
At least those had variation.
Now, however, an open glass inner courtyard stretched before her.
"Wow," Rachel said quietly.
It was, without question, beautiful.
She was not alone in that reaction.
Even Marcus paused, staring at the space with enough admiration that, for once, he forgot to speak.
Noticing their interest, Mimi asked, "Would you like to enter the courtyard?"
Rachel had been about to decline, mindful of time and unwilling to cause unnecessary delays—
—but before she could speak, Marcus immediately accepted with visible enthusiasm.
Of course he did.
Seeing no visible displeasure at possibly going inside the inner courtyard from either party, Mimi placed her hand lightly against the glass wall, and within seconds, an entrance opened seamlessly.
"Ms. Rachel, will you be joining as well?"
Rachel hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Yes."
She had initially intended to refrain, but given the circumstances, she chose instead to allow herself this small moment.
The courtyard felt… different.
Despite being enclosed within the building, it carried a stillness that resembled the outside world.
As Rachel walked further in, her attention was drawn toward something near the center.
A glass-like structure reflected light in a way that made it stand out against its surroundings.
Curiosity stirred within her.
Not idle curiosity. The kind that pressed forward, insisting on a closer look.
However—
"Miss Rachel," Mimi called.
Rachel stopped.
Before she could approach, Mimi reminded them that there was still much to see.
Reluctantly, Rachel stepped away.
She didn't like leaving things unexplored.
But she liked delaying people even less.
Marcus, having gathered enough footage, also agreed to move on.
The rest of the tour proceeded swiftly.
They were shown restrooms, changing areas, designated for both men and women.
When they reached the workrooms, Mimi explained that these spaces were highly confidential, and anything conducted within them was not to be disclosed.
She further clarified that, as lottery winners, they did not yet have designated rooms of their own and would temporarily use alternative spaces with lower security levels.
At those words, Marcus's eyes lit up with unmistakable interest.
Rachel immediately recognized that expression.
Her siblings often wore the same look right before causing trouble.
That exact look.
The one that appeared right before something unnecessary happened.
A quiet sense of concern settled within her.
He was planning some bad idea.
She knew it.
…She ignored it anyway.
It was a decision she would later regret.
"So," Marcus began, "since we don't have a room yet, wouldn't it make sense to test one of these to better understand what ours might be like?"
Mimi blinked, clearly uncertain by what he meant.
Rachel's gaze shifted toward Marcus.
Then toward the nearest door.
He was already moving.
"M—"
Too late.
Before Mimi could respond, Marcus had already approached a door labeled "Opposition Room" and opened it without hesitation.
The door swung open.
The room beyond was immaculate, refined, and carefully designed.
But it was empty.
No one was inside.
Mimi exhaled.
Not relief. Not entirely. Something closer to narrowly avoided disaster.
Marcus's expression shifted slightly, though his smile remained.
"This is impressive," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what our room will be like."
"Don't you agree, Ms. Rachel?"
"Yes," Rachel replied.
After Marcus closed the door, Mimi spoke with him privately, her tone low and controlled.
Rachel did not hear the full conversation, but she didn't need to.
From that point onward, Marcus stopped touching anything he hadn't been explicitly told he could.
As they continued, they passed a section with vending machines.
Marcus quickly purchased several items.
Snacks. Drinks.
Then… nothing.
He didn't open them. Didn't touch them again.
Rachel's eyes lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
Impulse buy?
Prop?
Or habit?
She didn't ask.
Eventually, they reached another restricted area where recording was no longer allowed.
Marcus stopped filming without resistance this time, setting his camera aside.
That, more than anything else, caught Rachel's attention.
Once the recording had fully ceased, he turned toward her.
Then, without warning, he bowed deeply.
"I'm very sorry."
Rachel froze slightly at the sudden gesture.
…Now? What is… this?
Marcus straightened and continued, explaining that his earlier behavior, particularly his insistence and assumptions, may have made her uncomfortable.
He acknowledged that continuing while recording had likely made it worse.
He had waited until now, when the camera was off, to apologize properly.
Rachel considered his words.
Being mistaken for a member of the Piao family was not typically an insult.
If anything, it was often seen as a compliment.
However—
That wasn't the point.
Marcus was not apologizing for the assumption itself.
He was apologizing for how he handled it.
"…It's fine," Rachel replied after a moment.
Internally, she found him somewhat earnest.
Still…
The timing…. abrupt? No, that doesn't quite cover it.
Before the moment could linger too long, Marcus shifted back to his usual tone and handed something to Mimi, thanking her for her guidance.
Mimi gave a small, shy nod before leading them toward the second floor.
At the reception desk, they were assigned rooms.
Rachel received Room 14.
Marcus received Room 13.
Mimi explained that the rooms were located near the staircase, positioned on opposite sides.
She described them as standardized, each containing a bedroom, wardrobe, washroom, and balcony.
"Are you familiar with switch panels?" she asked.
Both Rachel and Marcus nodded.
Mimi then guided them to a demonstration room.
As she activated the panel, the room transformed repeatedly, shifting from a gaming space to a resting area, then into a spa environment, and finally into a wardrobe-filled space.
She explained that additional configurations could be requested and installed as needed.
From there, she showed them shared resting areas located at the corners of the building.
These spaces felt warmer and more inviting than the bedrooms, clearly designed for comfort rather than utility.
She briefly introduced service areas before clarifying that certain sections remained restricted to staff only.
Finally, she led them into a large open dining lounge.
A premium bar surrounded the central courtyard, and the entire space carried a quiet elegance enhanced by soft music and carefully arranged seating.
Rachel sank into a nearby sofa, her body relaxing almost immediately.
For the first time, the idea of this being a vacation felt real.
Nearby, Marcus had already made his way to the bar, speaking with the staff about available drinks.
Rachel watched briefly, a small, practical thought crossing her mind about reimbursement policies.
If everything purchased was fully covered…
Then anything acquired here could, in theory, be turned over later.
If resold, that would be a pure profit margin with no loss to me at all.
Her eyes shifted slightly toward the bar.
Then away.
There must be conditions.
There are always conditions.
Limits.
Tracking.
Clauses buried where most wouldn't bother to look.
Still…
Her gaze drifted back again.
Not lingering. Not obvious.
Just enough.
The possibility settled quietly in the back of her mind.
Not dismissed.
Stored.
"…This is where I'll leave you for now," Mimi said.
"If you require food, you may either speak to the staff or use the provided system to place your request."
"Thank you, Mimi," Rachel replied.
Mimi bowed lightly, acknowledged Marcus as well, and then took her leave.