Red’s reply was so flat and bland that it left Liz’s expression looking utterly stunned.
She had expected Red to mock her coldly, or perhaps fly into a rage.
But this calm reaction—it felt like punching cotton, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
Had he… really forgotten the dream Dawn’s Edge once had?
Why do people change so quickly?
Did he really not care anymore?
Liz’s face gradually grew pale; for once, she didn’t flare up.
Instead, she slowly raised her head and looked at Red.
“So… what are you really here for?”
“To look for someone.”
Red repeated once more.
“So, have you seen a little devil about this tall?”
After he gestured Tessaia’s height, Liz didn’t answer, but Jessica at the side spoke up first.
“Seen her. But I think she’s already headed back.”
She really couldn’t stand this suffocating atmosphere.
If Letia were here, it’d be fine.
But Letia wasn’t around now, or else the situation wouldn’t be this awkward.
“She’s already gone back?”
Ever since he entered the sixth floor, he’d been feeling an uneasy premonition.
Red trusted his instincts—they’d saved him more than once.
So upon hearing this answer, he naturally let out a breath of relief.
“In that case, I’ll be heading back too.”
Red waved to the three, turned, and was about to leave.
Looking at his departing back, Liz bit her lip, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t speak.
“Eh? Red?”
But before Red could get far, a voice called out to him.
Yet this time, it wasn’t Liz.
Instead, it came from behind her—a group of about twenty heroes.
This was none other than the triumphant Winter Guardians who had just conquered the twentieth floor, and the one who’d called out was, of course, the hero team’s captain—Eliane.
At first glance, seeing Red’s back, this armored knight with a spear in hand thought she’d mistaken him for someone else.
After all, Red had said before he’d never be an adventurer again.
But upon a closer look, she realized it wasn’t just her imagination.
It really was Red.
So Eliane immediately called out, jogging over to him.
Yet as she got closer, she realized—Red wasn’t alone.
There were also the three from Dawn’s Edge.
What was going on?
Eliane was a bit confused.
Had Red reconciled with Liz?
But… looking at the atmosphere between them, that didn’t seem likely.
“Eliane?”
Red hadn’t expected such a coincidence either.
“You took the twentieth floor?”
“Thanks to you, it was a breeze!”
Eliane replied with a big, frank smile, walking up to Red and clicking her tongue in amazement.
“To be honest, I was a bit worried at first, but following your guide, it was almost like skipping class—no pressure at all!”
As she spoke, Eliane glanced at the three from Dawn’s Edge, making Liz’s face instantly darken.
“What are you looking at?”
Seeing Liz getting worked up, Jessica sighed again.
She’s not even looking at you.
Why take it so personally?
Eliane wasn’t afraid of an argument.
She’d been fed up with this overbearing, noble-born Liz for a long time.
“What do you think?”
Eliane raised her brow, not saying it outright.
“If you have something to say, say it to my face. Captain of the Winter Guardians—don’t be the kind to whisper and gossip behind someone’s back.”
Liz’s voice was icy, but Eliane obviously wasn’t buying it, just pretending not to know anything.
“I wasn’t planning to talk behind your back anyway.”
“Then what were you looking at just now?”
“Hmm…”
Eliane answered without hesitation, “I was looking at you, so what?”
Hearing this, Liz’s pale face almost turned red with anger.
“You want to fight, Eliane?”
“Calm down, calm down!”
Jessica and Bethany quickly held Liz back, while on the other side, Red sighed and stopped Eliane.
“By the way, Red, how’d you run into them?”
“Just a coincidence.”
At that moment, Red’s communication crystal rang, and Brian’s voice came from the other end.
After saying a couple of words, Red didn’t hesitate and turned to leave.
Liz overheard what Brian said, and her face darkened.
“Red, are you really planning to spend your life with that white nun no one knows anything about?”
Red paused mid-turn, stopping.
For some reason, Red was clearly smiling, but his words came out sounding like a retort to Liz.
“But she really is beautiful, and… she’ll have a steaming hot meal waiting for me when I come home. What’s wrong with that?”
After saying that, Red left without looking back.
Leaving only Liz, fists clenched, and Eliane cracking a joke.
“Liz, you look just like a losing… Wang-chan right now.”
“You!”
Competition between women has always been this way.
Eliane already knew full well that she probably couldn’t beat that nun named Litt for Red, but riling up the defeated-dog Liz was still no problem.
And if she couldn’t be the main wife, being the second, or even just a lover, wasn’t something she couldn’t accept.
With Red’s worth, he was worth gambling everything for.
It was pathetic that a noble-born young lady couldn’t even see that.
But then again, who didn’t have status?
Even if her own country wasn’t a major power, she was still a princess—so who’d be afraid of who?
“To be honest, when I just saw Red with you all, I was really shocked.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Eliane didn’t hold back at all.
“Do you know Red’s Talent? Have you ever seen the Creations Red has painstakingly developed?”
“No, you haven’t. So you don’t understand Red’s value at all. You just get lost in your own feelings.”
“Now Red’s Creations have already reached the Capital of your Sunmoon Empire. Do you know what they’ll do when they’re facing a genius youth who can build such innovative and streamlined arrays?”
Eliane’s gaze was full of mockery and pity.
“They’ll stop at nothing to keep Red in the Empire. They’ll even get rid of you completely to secure Red’s loyalty.”
“You’re destined to be a pawn discarded at any time.”
“And you, my friend, do you still not realize it?”
At this, Eliane suddenly burst out laughing.
“…Let me tell you one last thing.”
Eliane leaned in a little, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Actually, you can’t let go of Red, can you? But girls like you—so tsundere—eight or nine out of ten end up as losing dogs… When Red’s rolling in bed with someone else, I hope you don’t end up biting your handkerchief in frustration.”