Akashic Records of the Bastard Child Engaged to a Goddess Chapter 197 The tsundere elf has returned?

Chapter 197 The tsundere elf has returned?

(POV: Lumiere)

The two already introduced themselves to .

The elegant, blond-haired aristocrat was Lucilia Delia, while the adventurer was Gro.

"Ah, I see. Lucilia Delia, Gro, it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance," I said. "I'm Lumiere Del Silva... leader of Silva Citadel."

Lucilia and Gro nodded strangely.

Pointing a hand towards the Sangria, I told them, "This is Sangria, the vigilant guardian responsible for surveilling our domain's surroundings."

Sangria bowed her head humbly, her eyes cast down as she softly confird her identity.

"My na is Sangria."

There was an awkward pause as Lucilia and Gro exchanged a glance before uttering in unison, "Ehhh, yeah, we got that."

I raised an eyebrow at the redundancy.

"Sorry," Sangria apologized.

Lucilia smiled and replied, "No need to do that."

"Yeah, what she said." Gro grinned.

Sangria calmly nodded.

"Well, now that that's outta the way. Is there sothing you'd like to discuss?"

Gro shifted his weight, resheathing his gleaming spear into the protective clasps on his back.

Lucilia stepped forward. She rubbed her chin skeptically.

"Lumiere, is it truly you? The renowned leader of the Silva Citadel?"

No.

There was no way I was renowned.

I scratched my head in mild confusion.

"Uh, yeah, I just said that... is there an issue?"

Lucilia waved her hands dismissively, a delicate smile tugging at her lips.

"No, no problem at all. It's just... we ca here specifically to et you."

Raising an eyebrow, I inquired further. "You ca here... for ?"

Before Lucilia or Gro could respond, a voice echoed from the depths of the small forest nearby.

"It's been a long ti, Lord Lumiere."

There was a slightly sexy edge to this voice.

I'd heard it sowhere, I just couldn't place my finger on it.

How was soone able to bypass my [Magic Detect] ?

If she didn't talk, I doubt I'd have known soone was there... well, unless I focused hard enough.

Still, I should've sensed their presence long before now.

"Who's there?"

My eyes instinctively shifted towards the source of the sound.

"I'll take care of this."

Reacting swiftly, Sangria conjured a small dagger made of shadows and launched it towards the forest where the voice had originated. Surprisingly, the dagger was just as swiftly deflected, producing a tallic clang that resonated in the air.

If they could easily repel Sangria?s assault so easily, they were definitely trouble.

"My, my... I almost lost my head," said the voice.

I observed the figure erging from the dense forest.

Her striking appearance.

She had golden hair cascading down her back, accentuating her erald green eyes. Her confident smile bordered on being dangerously tempting. She wore a beautiful blue dress adorned with intricate golden armor pieces, an ensemble that accentuated her elegant yet adventurous spirit.

With a poised gait, she approached .

"Hello, Lumiere," she greeted. "It's been quite a while since we last t."

Recognition flashed across my face as I locked eyes with her.

"Ophelia... long ti no see," I replied, unable to suppress a small smile.

Without hesitation, she extended her hand towards , and I took it gently. But no sooner had our skin touched, than Ophelia's confident facade crumbled. Her cheeks turned a rosy hue, and her ears twitched with embarrassnt.

In a soft, bashful voice, she scolded , "I-I-Idiot! I didn't say you could hold my hand."

Caught off guard, I scratched my head sheepishly. "Eh?"

"Have you forgotten already...!"

"Forgotten what?" I asked, confused.

She turned to face . "The kerchief! I want the kerchief I gave you back at the dungeon!"

"Ohhh," I chuckled. "That."

Gro and Lucilia exchanged puzzled glances.

"Dungeon?" they chid in simultaneously.

Ophelia swiftly turned to them, a proud smile on her face.

"As I ntioned earlier, I know Lumiere quite well," she retorted confidently, before directing her attention back to .

Rubbing my chin in thought, I let out a contemplative hum.

"Well, I wouldn't say pretty well," I pondered aloud.

As if struck by lightning, Ophelia's deanor abruptly changed.

She stood up straight, leaning in closer towards .

"Just shut it! We know each other incredibly well," she asserted with a hint of frustration. "So just accept it!"

I rubbed the back of my head and conceded with a chuckle, "Sure, sure, no problem."

Observing the interaction, the calm Sangria bowed her head.

"It's nice to et you."

Ophelia gently waved away her greetings. "No need to do that, if anyone should then it's this idiot over here," she pointed at .

What did I ever do to this lady? If she wasn't shattering my eardrums with her voice, then she was reminding just frustrating my presence was to her.

Honestly, I need a break.

Ophelia scanned my attire, her erald eyes narrowed in confusion.

She pointed at , her mouth agape, but no words escaped her lips.

I glanced down at my simple overalls and straw hat, realizing what threw her off.

"Oh no, I uh, wore this for so field work with my subordinates."

I chuckled softly.

Ophelia placed both hands on her waist, a stern look etched on her delicate face.

"Well, that certainly explains your outfit," she replied with understanding.

Lucilia, always quick to divert the conversation, chid in, "Woah, Woah, Woah, we're way off topic."

"Actually," I cleared my throat, "You guys are the ones who showed up out of nowhere."

Ophelia's eyes widened, and she shot an indignant glare.

"That's not the point!" she retorted, frustrated. "We have good reason to co here."

Jeez, this woman... let be happy.

But then, a mont of realization fueled a curiosity within , I held her gaze and asked, "So, you ca here to see ?"

Ophelia's cheeks puffed out, and she averted her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Shut up, Lumiere. No one cares about you," she muttered, feigning indifference.

A gentle smile spread across my face as I reassured her, "Trust , I know that feeling all too well."

Before the conversation could continue, Gro interjected, his deep voice. "But I thought," he began, his voice trailing off hesitantly, "that maybe you wanted to take this job just to see Lumiere again."

"SHUT UP!!"

Embarrassnt washed over Ophelia like a tidal wave, her pride wounded. Without warning, she shot her hand forward, releasing a powerful gust of wind that sent Gro hurtling into a nearby tree.

"Ouch," said Lucilia and I.

We winced simultaneously, our faces twisting in discomfort.

Sangria, always a step behind, uttered a dull "ouch" several seconds later, as if she'd just realized the pain.

"Ehhh, I'll go help him!"

Lucilia swiftly made her way towards Gro. The armored adventurer twitching on the ground.

Ophelia, on the other hand, hmph'ed in annoyance and turned her gaze away from the scene unfolding before us.

I sighed softly, my hand instinctively reaching out to lightly touch her arm.

Thankfully, she didn't punch .

She was taller than before and now, but I felt like my height added a bit since the last ti we t.

"You're the sa as ever," I murmured warmly.

Ophelia's erald eyes narrowed, her curiosity piqued. "What'd you an?" she asked.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I looked at her attractive features.

"Charming," I stated simply.

The air crackled with anticipation as I waited for Ophelia's response.

She remained silent, her lips pressed into a thin line as she processed my words.