“You appeared at just the right time…”
Vesperian spoke to Glyn as she lay on the ground, her slight expression hovering somewhere between sarcasm and genuine gratitude.
Dolores had not expected an ambush at this moment, especially one so clearly targeting her, which had resulted in Vesperian being severely wounded. It was because Vesperian was too worried about Dolores’s safety; after all, the latter possessed almost no special abilities and was merely a mortal.
Vesperian’s combat style involved constructing countless intricate rituals to control various brilliant and lethal magic spells, combined with some martial arts. However, the attackers were well-trained and numbered no fewer than fifty. Burdened by the need to protect Dolores, Vesperian found it difficult to utilize her full strength.
At the most critical moment, Glyn appeared and helped clear the remaining enemies. It was a scene similar to the one outside the Royal Capital, but this time, Vesperian’s condition was genuinely dire.
She had a puncture wound in her abdomen, and there were scratches and stab wounds all over her arms. Blood stained half of her clothes, and her hidden pointed ears were now exposed. Had Glyn not appeared, she might have lost her life here.
“I was nearby about seven or eight minutes ago, but I saw something rather concerning…”
As Glyn spoke, he gestured toward a bound, masked man. Beside the man lay a family crest that had not been fully burned and several magical items that had been prevented from being used.
“The attackers are the retainers of Count Kanke. They planned to kidnap you while the Royal Capital was in chaos. Their main goal was to use the confusion to steal the treasures stored by the Rand Royal Family in the Old Church Ruins.”
“This sole survivor can be interrogated as evidence.”
The fact that Count Kanke harbored ill intentions was something Glyn had confirmed in his previous life. The man was known as Count Kanke in Rand, but he was also Count Poco of the Vas Kingdom. After committing crimes in Rand, he had fled to the Vas Kingdom.
Glyn was simply unclear about matters involving miracles at this stage. If it involved the power struggles within Rand, he not only knew who was loyal and who was a traitor, but he also had other means to gain the **Trust** of many.
However, Glyn had indeed timed his appearance perfectly.
The fact that Vesperian belonged to the Elf race was something even Glyn had not known.
Vesperian ground her teeth, forcing herself to stand up while swaying unsteadily. She placed her hand on Dolores’s, who was supporting her.
“Your Highness, we must return to the palace quickly… *cough*… Mr. Glyn, I must trouble you to protect the Princess.”
“My own safety is of no consequence.”
Vesperian picked up her longbow with a shaky hand. Instead of putting it into her spatial tool as she usually did, she slung it across her back. Dolores stepped forward, wanting to support her, but was stopped.
“Your Highness, the injuries I sustained were only so that you could return to the palace safely. If you do not make it back, then my wounds will have been in vain…”
“It was my mistake. I only considered the monsters and didn’t expect that someone would take advantage of the chaos to attack… even though you warned me, Your Highness.”
“You were so badly injured for my sake, I… you have done enough!” Dolores spoke in a panic.
The person protecting her was covered in blood yet still worried about her safety, standing in front of her and leading the way. But Dolores did not even know her name.
What Dolores originally wanted to say—what she should have said—was:
‘Vesperian, you have done enough for me!’
Words like those.
But because she didn’t even know the other woman’s name, the desire to speak felt like a stone lodged in her throat.
Vesperian bit her lip, her face filled with frustration despite her heavy injuries. She forced herself to stand before Glyn.
“Do not let me down.”
Though her tone wasn’t particularly friendly, coming from Vesperian, it sounded like a compromise made after enduring immense grievance.
It was strange. It made Glyn feel as though he had snatched something very important away from her. Seeing her petite, blood-stained figure, Glyn even began to wonder if he was somehow bullying her.
“Leave it to me. Even if we encounter another attack, I will ensure neither of you gets hurt,” Glyn promised.
But it seemed that after hearing this, Vesperian looked even more aggrieved.
Dolores had been quiet since Glyn appeared. Her attention had been captured by Vesperian for a while, but when her focus shifted back to Glyn, her entire demeanor changed.
It wasn’t love.
Dolores already knew that this stage was **Trust**, in the literal sense. For a normal romanceable character, it would be more like reliance. From acquaintance to **Familiarity**, and then from **Trust** to love.
However, for Dolores, this was awkward. To her, reliance was, to some extent, more like the brotherly bond she shared with Little Flower Fish. It was absolute **Trust**, built over a long time and tested by trials.
During the **Familiarity** stage, Dolores had been the same. She did not view Glyn as a lover or as being in a pre-romantic stage. Instead, she saw him as a friend.
In a romantic context, **Familiarity** meant wanting to get closer, wanting to continue understanding the person until falling in love. In a platonic context, moving forward from **Familiarity** would only lead to becoming best friends or soulmates; it did not include the option of romantic liking.
She felt that Glyn was reliable and good; she could trust him.
Since Dolores had transmigrated, she had already exhausted herself mentally and physically because of Glyn’s matters and the ongoing disaster. She hadn’t had time to sleep or rest, and she had just experienced a life-and-death crisis, watching Vesperian get seriously injured to protect her.
Even though Glyn was one of the primary reasons for her exhaustion—perhaps even the source—she cautioned and warned herself in the depths of her heart.
Even if they couldn’t be friends, he shouldn’t be viewed as someone she could approach casually. Because his existence itself was a poison for which Dolores had no antidote. She held no cure; she could only look forward to Alberto’s vague promise and that **Princess Pendant**.
However, Dolores no longer had as strong a reaction as she did back in the palace garden.
What Glyn hoped to see on Dolores’s face was an expression of love, submissive like a cat.
Dolores’s gaze had indeed changed. She looked up at Glyn, but not with the eyes of a lover. It was the gaze of someone looking at a companion worthy of being entrusted and relied upon.
It was not the gaze or the emotion Glyn expected. But it carried the same, if not heavier, weight.
He had gained **Trust** from Dolores, and for Dolores, that was an extremely heavy thing.
Dolores’s social circle was very narrow and small; otherwise, her funeral would not have been hastily organized by Little Flower Fish, though she was unaware of that fact. The only person she could trust completely was Little Flower Fish.
Because they had gone through so much together, she valued this emotion immensely in her heart. It was precious, carryed with memories. Because of that “cause,” there was this “effect” in how she treated people.
Yet this incredibly heavy sentiment had been cheaply granted by the system to Glyn, who stood before her.
This time, it was Glyn who instinctively took a step back.
Without hesitation, Dolores grabbed his hand and said, “Glyn, let’s go.”
Dolores spoke briefly, even omitting any titles. It was natural, as if nothing had changed at all.