Chapter 81. "She"
dillion Duke Manor, first-floor reception hall.
The golden-haired Imperial Princess sat in her usual poised manner upon the sofa at the center of the reception area, a faint smile at the corners of her lips—incomparably beautiful.
Yet those exquisitely violet eyes drifted, seemingly without purpose, toward the quartz clock on the wall, as though quietly marking the ti.
"My Luo Nan, I wonder how much longer it will take before you return…… I am quite looking forward to whatever surprise you might bring back for ."
Before leading Anya to visit dillion Duke Manor, Serela had already arranged for Tanya and the Royal Guard to launch a search of the Listone Mine Shaft ruins, while also coordinating with the Special Intelligence Agency to jointly investigate the leads.
But Serela felt she was unlikely to find anything of value in the mine, which had since turned into a sinkhole.
After all, she had sensed—while standing at the mine's edge—a force that made her very soul tremble. That force was…… indescribable.
Truthfully, Serela had genuinely felt a mont of worry for Luo Nan's safety at the ti, but after hearing Anya's account, as well as Tanya's private report, she found herself not so worried anymore.
'My Luo Nan, as an ordinary person, whatever do you have to rely on……? You truly beco more and more impossible to see through.'
Thinking this, the incomparably beautiful Imperial Princess stretched herself out slightly, and the generous fullness at her chest swayed with the motion, stirring up a lovely ripple.
"Your Highness, it is nearly midnight now—why hasn't Luo Nan returned yet?" Anya turned her head for the thirty-sixth ti to look at the quartz clock on the wall behind her, asking with a hint of unease.
It seed Serela was not the only one worried about Luo Nan's safety.
"Oh? Miss Anya, are you worried about Luo Nan?" Serela gave a light laugh, appearing quite surprised by Anya's question.
"Wh—who's worried about him! I'm just afraid I won't be able to collect the 14 Faras that should rightfully be mine……"
Anya's instinctive response trailed off, her voice growing smaller and smaller until it was nearly inaudible.
Serela naturally saw through this girl's protest of the heart, but the Imperial Princess did not take it to heart. After a brief mont of thought, those beautiful violet eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she smiled:
"If that is what you are worried about…… Miss Anya, I can pay you the 14 Faras that are owed to you on Luo Nan's behalf in advance. It wouldn't be okay to make you wait too long, would it?"
"Ah……?"
The golden-eyed girl doubted her own ears for a mont. Had Her Highness Princess Serela just said she would pay those 14 Faras on Luo Nan's behalf?
What sort of relationship did the two of them have?
For so reason, Anya responded instinctively: "No, no need, Your Highness, I…… I have so other matters to settle with that fellow, so…… it's fine."
"Is that so? Never mind then." The Imperial Princess gave a slight nod and neatly brought the topic to a close.
Clack clack clack—
The hurried sound of high-heeled shoes approached from a distance.
"Aina, have you forgotten your maidservant's etiquette?"
Upon seeing the young maidservant Aina co rushing recklessly into the reception hall, maidservant Pati furrowed her brow slightly and corrected her in a quiet voice.
She then imdiately bowed apologetically to Serela and Anya: "My apologies, Your Highness, Miss Anya—please forgive the disruption."
"S—sorry! But…… Sister Pati, there are two mbers of the Security Patrol Squad at the door, and they are currently waiting outside the manor." Aina stated the reason she had co in.
At present, within dillion Duke Manor, the Duke himself had been away from ho for years, the Lady of the house was also absent, and Qili had left a year ago on her world-circling journey of cultivation—leaving only Luo Nan behind in the manor.
But now, even Luo Nan had yet to return, and such a vast Duke's manor had no one at all who could make decisions.
Upon hearing Aina's report, Pati's brow creased even deeper. "Aina, for matters like this you ought to handle it according to the manor's designated protocols—why co here specifically to disturb our two honored guests?"
"Those two people said—said they have relevant developnts regarding the investigation into the Young Lord's second assassination attempt, and that they need to report to the Young Lord!"
Just then, the mont Aina heard the words "Luo Nan's second assassination attempt," her heart lurched violently, and the corners of her eyes grew faintly warm. Had there not been outsiders present, the golden cracks at the girl's eye corners would likely have spread across her face in an instant.
Beyond that, Aina could not help feeling that, of the two Security Patrol Squad mbers, the tall one who had not said a single word seed sohow familiar and…… close?
But she was certain she had never t that tall person before?
"This……" Upon hearing that there was a developnt in Luo Nan's second assassination attempt, maidservant Pati's pupils contracted slightly, but she very quickly returned to normal. She composed herself and addressed Serela on the sofa:
"Your Highness…… as all the masters of the manor who are capable of making decisions are absent, important information regarding the Young Lord's assassination cannot be delayed. Please forgive my rudeness—I shall act temporarily in the Young Lord's stead to handle this matter."
As a senior maidservant of considerable seniority and standing within the manor, it was entirely reasonable for Pati to say such a thing in these circumstances.
Having said her piece, Pati turned to Aina: "Aina, attend to Her Highness and Miss Anya properly. I will go handle this matter."
"Yes, Sister Pati!"
Aina curtsied in acknowledgnt, then straightened the maidservant's uniform that had beco slightly rumpled from her running, put her smile back on, and prepared to take over Pati's duties.
"Oh? There is a developnt regarding Luo Nan's assassination?"
Just as Pati was about to leave, Serela's voice rang out unhurriedly.
"Yes, Your Highness—that is what Aina said, but as for the specific details…… those will only beco clear after speaking with them directly." Pati halted her steps and turned back, offering a respectful explanation to Serela.
The Imperial Princess swept her gaze over the respectfully standing maidservant before her, the corners of her lips curving slightly upward as she said softly: "I wonder whether I might be allowed to learn of it as well? After all, Luo Nan's first assassination attempt took place at my return banquet, and it was I who took over the related investigation."
Upon hearing Serela say this, the hands Pati had clasped before her trembled ever so slightly, but she very quickly returned to normal. She replied calmly: "Since Your Highness is interested, of course—please follow ."
"I'm coming too!" Anya thudded up from the sofa and raised her hand to call out.
"……Please co along as well, Miss Anya."
***
The stars filled the sky from horizon to horizon, and the Twin Moon Deities had already reached the highest point at the zenith of heaven.
"Fellow investigators of the Special Intelligence Agency, the specific situation is as follows……"
Tanya was at this mont giving a detailed account to three mysterious individuals dressed in black garnts and black robes, their faces concealed behind white masks, of her own, Luo Nan's, and Anya's experiences within the Listone Mine Shaft—
Including the full process of the three of them doing battle with that vile Abyssal creature.
By the ti she finished her account, the three of them remained silent without a word.
"The three of you?" Tanya was sowhat uncertain about what these senior investigators were thinking.
Just then, the lead investigator spoke in a low voice: "We have taken note of the situation. It is consistent with the 'Nature' residue we just detected."
He produced a slender crystal test tube, inside which was sealed a thread of surging, pitch-black darkness.
"Please inform Her Highness the Fourth Imperial Princess—we will intervene in the investigation."
"Thank you for your trouble." Tanya gave a nod.
"Oh? This is…… the aura of 'Nature'?"
Beneath the sa twin moons, at the center of the Listone Mine Shaft that had since beco a sinkhole, a crimson-red figure clad in black gauze, a black skirt, and black silk was murmuring with great interest.
Vivid crimson-green hair cascaded down nearly to the ankles; a bewitching shadow played upon a pair of magnificent spiraling black demon horns. She extended her jade-pale fingers, gathered upon them a wisp of an illusory, translucent color that seed to be there and yet not, and brought it before her eyes to examine it carefully.
"Apart from 'Nature,' there is also one more…… unknown great existence?"
After a brief mont of hesitation, the crimson-red figure extended her pink tongue and lightly licked away that faint trace of iridescent color from her fingertip.
"Th—this is……"
The instant her little tongue made contact with that wisp of iridescent color, those naturally alluring rose-red eyes were in that very mont tinged with a thread of astonishnt and mystery.
"Interesting……"
Having said that, the crimson-red figure slowly walked out of the sinkhole, past Tanya who was directing the Royal Guard's operation, and past the three Special Intelligence Agency investigators engaged in covert reconnaissance.
Yet strangely, not a single person cast so much as a glance at her—this figure with such unmistakably apparent Demon Race features.
It was as though…… she did not exist.
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