Olivina's departure left a dull silence in the room.
But it seemed that neither Eve, who was gently swirling her teacup, nor Aurola, who was still watching the half-open door at an unhurried pace, felt too surprised by this development. Their expressions still looked very calm.
"Your Majesty, you seem to have already known it would turn out like this?"
"Maybe."
Aurola responded to Eve's question indifferently while looking at her.
"Before, Lord Lister had advised me to get rid of my temper that was prone to anger... Now it has finally had some effect."
Aurola crossed her hands, as if holding an invisible scepter, firmly grasped in her hands.
"Besides..."
"Olivina doesn't understand the depth and meaning of the relationship between me and Lord Lister. I'm not surprised by her reaction, nor will I be angry with her. I'm just a bit disappointed."
Eve quietly listened to Aurola's speech, and in her flat tone, Eve heard arrogance... deep arrogance.
Eve could feel that this woman in front of her truly believed that no one in the world could have a deeper relationship with Lister than her.
She was calm and unhurried, but also pressing step by step... as if in this aspect of feelings, she was also always that tyrannical Blood Gold Queen.
It was really incomprehensible...
As an elf, Eve really couldn't understand this fearless attitude.
It was precisely because of their long lifespan that elves knew there was nothing unchanging in the world except time and space.
So, once they had someone they wanted to hold in their hands forever, Eve thought she would definitely worry all the time about whether he would be stolen away when she wasn't looking.
Maybe she would even have to think of a way to hide him...
Eve closed her eyes and took a light sip of tea.
"After all, Olivina is a talented spellcaster, isn't she? If possible, I would prefer to maintain a long-term good relationship with her."
Although she said this, both Aurola's tone and expression were flat.
Then, she turned her gaze to Eve.
"So, Miss Eve, what choice will you make?"
"Phew..."
Eve gently placed the teacup on the table, opened her eyes, stood up, took a book Lister had placed on the bookshelf, and began to flip through it.
"Lister is my benefactor. To put it more broadly, he has done a great service to my entire tribe."
"Your Majesty, as a businesswoman, I naturally understand the principle that more people means more strength."
Eve smiled slightly at Aurola, then placed the book in front of her. On the bottom of that page, the sentence "People are chains to each other" was clearly written.
"So, I don't oppose your proposal, Your Majesty."
"Very good."
Aurola nodded.
"However... as I said, I am a businesswoman. So, slightly different from your political and military means... I want to buy Lister back through a transaction."
Eve still had that faint smile on her face. Only at times like this would Eve show that mysterious side of her as an elf.
"It would naturally be best if it can be done."
"Hehe, that's right."
Eve left an elegant smile at the end, then curtsied and exited.
"Then, I should also take my leave, Your Majesty."
Eve left the room like a butterfly under the moon, leaving only Aurola alone here again.
She looked at the shining oil lamp on the table, the lamplight hitting the side of her face, making her expression obscure.
"Marika."
"Your subordinate is here."
Aurola called out softly, and then Marika pushed open the door and walked in.
"How long until Saint Rinah arrives?"
"The time they last reported was..."
"Sounds like I was mentioned inside?"
Just as Marika was about to speak, a voice that was the complete opposite of Aurola's, giving a feeling of passion, came from outside the door.
Accompanied by the rustling sound of armor rubbing and the dull sound of iron boots stomping, a black figure walked into the room.
"There are quite a lot of guests today..."
The woman who walked into the room was wearing a set of iconic pure black matte armor. Although no eye-catching reflections could be seen on the surface of the armor, it unexpectedly made people feel solid and reliable.
She had red hair that shone like embers and red pupils. She looked about the same age as Aurola, but her features were much softer and more lively.
She was the commander of a strange legion that was stationed in the northern territory of Saint Viliana but not under the jurisdiction of Saint Viliana - the Ebony Legion, and also Aurola and Lister's senior: Saint Rinah.
But at this moment, her bright pupils did not have the resolute and gentle look of the past. She looked at Aurola as if looking at an unfamiliar person.
"You're still as unconventional as before, Senior Saint Rinah."
"Is that so? Many people say that."
No one minded that she walked to Aurola's side and sat down while still wearing armor and carrying weapons. Similarly, no one minded her casual tone.
"But you have changed a lot, Aurola."
Her casual remark made Aurola's eyes become unfathomable. She looked at Saint Rinah, who was examining the layout of Lister's room. It was the gaze of an emperor.
"What do you want to say?"
"Aren't you very clear about what I want to say?"
Saint Rinah answered with a smile. She took off the heavy ebony armor piece by piece and handed it to the attendant beside her, revealing her beautiful and healthy figure.
"You kicked Lister away with a lame excuse, and then came to me because you lost him. In this situation, you can't expect me to respectfully say 'Long live the Queen' to you, my dear junior, right?"
"..."
The Ebony Legion attendants who followed Saint Rinah in were already so scared that they didn't dare to breathe. The number of people who dared to confront Aurola within the territory of Saint Viliana could probably be counted on one hand, right?
"...I don't intend to explain the reason back then to you, but I didn't ask you to come here to argue with you either, Saint Rinah."
"I don't want to argue with you either, but what you did is shameless, isn't it, Aurola?"
The smile on Saint Rinah's face completely disappeared. She looked straight at Aurola, just like countless times before in college.
But this time, the person responsible for pulling them together with a bitter smile was no longer there.
"Think whatever you want."
Aurola still replied indifferently in that tone of 'no one understands Lister better than me'. Saint Rinah no longer appeared aggressive, and the terrifying oppressive feeling from before finally dissipated a bit.
"You've always been so arrogant since the past. Believe me, Aurola, if you continue like this, there will come a day when you lose something important."
"By then, it will be too late to regret."
"I never question myself."
"I guess so."
Saint Rinah shrugged helplessly, then directly sat in the seat beside Aurola.
"If I had known earlier, I should have taken Lister to my Ebony Legion. Make him a vice commander, and the two of us could have a few children. Living like that for a lifetime would be better than being ordered around by you."
"He wouldn't agree, and I wouldn't agree either."
"Yeah, who knows what's so charming about a stingy person like you, making him pour his heart out for you like this... Tsk, the more I talk about it, the more annoyed I get."
Saint Rinah scratched her hair in frustration, then sighed.
"Let's talk business. Where is Lister now, and what's the specific situation?"
"The exact location is unclear, but it should be in the Demon Lord's Castle. He's fine."
"You have no preparations at all, or are you just planning to come sightsee Lister's construction achievements in this town?"
"Since I arrived here, I've only done one thing so far."
"What?"
"Killed a church person."
"That still counts as doing something."
Saint Rinah responded indifferently.
"When do we take action?"
"I will do it as soon as possible."
"Give me a signal when you're ready."
Saint Rinah stood up and walked towards the door.
"Aurola."
"What is it?"
Before Saint Rinah left, she stopped and spoke to Aurola behind her.
"Although I don't know what happened between you two five years ago, for Lister's sake, I won't ask more this time."
"But I hope you still remember that he chose you back then, and we made a vow in college to protect him well."
"I remember."
Of course I remember.
"Very good... I can tentatively believe that you're a person who keeps promises."
The footsteps faded away, and Saint Rinah also left this room.
Today, the visitors here all came and went in a hurry. In the end, only Aurola was left sitting here alone, quietly gazing at everything here.
The unclosed books, the dried ink, the flickering lamplight, and the medicinal fragrance that seemed to always linger around him.
Aurola felt all of this, silent, as if chasing a departed shadow.
...