This encounter was sothing Lorelei never forgot.
Even though many years had passed, she still thought about it from ti to ti, sotis reminiscing, sotis furiously sighing:
"I should never have gone to find him."
Without a doubt, their second encounter, their first official eting, was full of surprises.
From the mont she t him, he kept surprising her, disrupting her otherwise calm and uneventful life.
It happened in a shabby apartnt, where two n were shouting at the TV without decorum, completely overturning Lorelei's expectations.
Even so, he continued to be himself, never changing his attitude.
She could have tolerated that, since they had already t once before, and she had developed so immunity.
But what happened next shattered the rational defenses she thought were impregnable.
The mysterious assassin, whom she had held in such high regard, actually used the hand-kiss gesture on her.
I, Lorelei, a girl who isn't even an adult yet, was treated like a married woman!
Are you insulting ? You must be insulting !
Not only are you insulting , but you're also insulting Bartholoi!
Are you holding a grudge over what happened before? You—you bastard!
For the first ti since entering the Clock Tower, she lost her composure.
Yes, another first, and again, it was because of him.
Perhaps he was her destined nesis.
Yet, she had no idea what kind of impact this guy would have on her future life.
Although this eting also began unpleasantly, it led to a favorable outco.
That guy, Matou Shinji, agreed to her employnt and beca useful to her. Although still arrogant and rebellious, once you beco my subordinate, I'll have plenty of ti to train you!
Let's start with the initiation trial! Aren't you confident in your abilities and unwilling to follow orders? I'll assign you the most difficult trial to temper your arrogance.
Heh, even I might not pass this trial smoothly. The mont you fail... hehe.
Unknowingly, a tinge of emotion began to color Lorelei's thought process, which only deepened with Shinji's subsequent actions.
He succeeded, completing the trial perfectly, frustrating her calculations while raising her evaluation of him even further.
Moreover, he gifted her sothing she absolutely could not refuse—a gift that allowed her to ascend from one of the heirs to the next family head.
Her impression of him was overturned once again.
Previously, she thought he was stingy, petty, and lacking in grace. Now, however, he was overly generous, like a fool.
For a mont, she even suspected he had so ulterior motive. But when she looked into those sincere eyes, she dismissed her doubts.
He could be trusted.
How strange, she thought. There was no basis for it, yet this thought was impossible to shake.
Even as she confird her position as the family head and prepared for the Magic Crest implantation process, she still believed in him. She even declined the main family's offer to send soone to take over her duties, instead assigning the task to Matou Shinji.
Consider it a second trial.
For him, and herself—to see if she had misjudged him.
The Queen told herself this.
The result proved she hadn't misjudged him. He did an excellent job.
Though he complained about the hassle and said things like My fee is high, he was genuinely diligent. Even the old-fashioned hermits of the Bartholoi family, who rarely left the house, had nothing but praise for him.
Upon receiving this news, Lorelei felt a sense of joy and began to think that letting herself be emotional once in a while might not be so bad.
Not only did she find such a talent, but it also gave her renewed motivation.
He perford so well, so how could I afford to lose? True nobility is ultimately built on strength. If I fail him, how will I ever make him submit in the future?
With this mindset, Lorelei threw herself into synchronizing with the Magic Crest, making rapid progress.
However, just as she finally fused with the Magic Crest and returned to the Clock Tower with unparalleled power, ready to crush all opposition, she received terrible news—Shinji, the one who had stirred her emotions, had t with disaster.
Not long ago, during a punitive mission, he had fallen into a trap set by Bartholoi's arch-enemy, the White Wing Lord. To ensure the withdrawal of the Battalion, he stayed behind, fighting the oldest Dead Apostle in a battle that lasted all night. After that, he went missing, presud dead.
The mont she heard this, Lorelei nearly blacked out, the Magic Crest she had just tad almost losing control.
At that mont, only one thought echoed in her mind:
He... is missing.
Because of my assignnt.
The one who should have been my right-hand man...
The one who had such a bright future ahead of him...
The only one I couldn't fully control...
Why did it turn out this way?
If not for the faint glimr of hope she clung to, she may have exploded on the spot—though that explosion didn't co much later.
Thanks to Shinji's managent, Lorelei's team hadn't fallen apart in her absence, and soon, she uncovered so hidden truths beneath the surface.
For example, soone had been secretly colluding with the Dead Apostles, and soone had deliberately delayed the reinforcents.
Her already fragile rationality finally collapsed, and for the second ti, the Queen of Bartholoi erupted.
On that day, there was no law in the Departnt of Policies; Lorelei had also abandoned her noble grace.
All that remained was violence, the purest form of violence!
She didn't listen to any explanations or so-called advice. If she didn't like you, she would beat you up!
If you wanted to resist, go ahead—if you couldn't beat her, then just swallow your pride!
No one could stop her! I am Bartholoi!
Even the renowned Lord El-lloi, at the height of his power, could only stand aside and watch, waiting for her to vent her rage before cautiously stepping forward to offer advice.
But soon, El-lloi realized he had been wrong.
Has she had enough? She hasn't!
Fortunately, after her outburst, so rationality returned. At least she wouldn't directly storm into enemy territory. After all, the Departnt of Policies was Bartholoi's domain, where she could do as she pleased. The rival factions didn't have that luxury.
Of course, the newly crowned Queen in her fury didn't let them off easily either, constantly stirring up trouble and causing damage.
Her relentless retaliation, even at the cost of overturning the table, left the entire Clock Tower living in fear for a while, and the title of The Queen beca more fitting than ever.
This was once her goal, the target of her efforts. But now, it felt utterly hollow.
At work or during rest, she constantly thought of him.
What happened to him? Is he alive or dead? Why is there no news?
Could he have been captured by Ortenrosse and turned into a vampire?
If that's the case, how should I face him?
Her heart was in turmoil.
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