“I do.”
“Is that the Maid who is always by Master’s side?”
“Yes, how did you figure that out, You?”
“How did I figure it out? It is just a feeling, really. I can sense that the atmosphere between Master and that Maid is different. It just feels… more intimate.”
“Then, do you think the relationship between us is the same as the one between me and that Maid?”
“It does not seem the same…”
……
As Liuli had thought before, she and You were ultimately Master and servant; at most, they were friends or family.
Taking it any further was impossible, unrealistic, and unacceptable to Liuli.
“So, we cannot do things like that between us. Do you understand?”
To Liuli, pampering was one thing, but that did not mean she wanted You to be led astray by her own hands.
To Liuli, You was not just a pet; she was also like a daughter.
Liuli certainly did not want her daughter to develop some undefined, complicated relationship with her.
“I understand, Master…”
“Then, why don’t you continue reading your book? If there are any other books you would like to read, I can try to help you get a few.”
It was a good thing that a child loved reading.
As a Forest Elemental, she had not caused any trouble and only asked for a few books; she could certainly satisfy such a small request.
“There is nothing else I want to see. Didn’t you say we would be going back soon, Master? It will not be too late to read them when we return. Besides, I have not quite understood this book yet, so I will keep looking at it.”
Well… it seemed You did not plan to let this book go just yet; it appeared she intended to continue studying it.
But the problem was, if she could not understand it, what was the point of continuing to study it here?
However, not understanding was a good thing.
At least Liuli would not need to rack her brain trying to figure out how to satisfy the girl’s curiosity.
Furthermore, although this book Aili wrote was a Liu Bei Wen, it was not entirely filled with inappropriate scenes.
If one skipped the so-called scenery, it was actually quite a decent book.
Not to mention, the reason one often resonates with a Liu Bei Wen is because one has impure thoughts, leading to unrealistic fantasies.
Someone as pure as You should not even realize there was anything wrong with it, right?
……
“Little Fox, why were you gone for so long?”
“Because I was curious if she could understand that book, so I asked a few extra questions.”
“And what was the result?”
“You said she could not understand it, and I think she was telling the truth.”
“Even if she cannot understand it now, there is no guarantee she will not understand it later, so I think you should be a little careful, Little Fox.”
“Rest assured. As long as there is no one around to corrupt her, a person will not turn bad.”
“But can you guarantee that no one else will corrupt the little one, Little Fox? And is the name ‘You’ you mentioned just now the new name for the little one?”
“Yes. It is the name of a literary girl from a work I recall. What do you think? Not bad, is it?”
“If you feel it is appropriate, Little Fox, then that is all that matters.”
“I think it is very appropriate. Serveyia, why do you think someone would corrupt You?”
“One must always be on guard. If you truly intend to raise this Forest Elemental well, you must pay attention to these details. After all, you would not want the pet you worked so hard to raise to be led astray by others, would you?”
“I understand. I will take good care to instruct her.”
No matter how much Liuli wanted to raise You in a relaxed environment, she had to admit at this moment that Serveyia was absolutely right.
As long as she could not keep You tethered to her side at all times to prevent her from meeting anyone, she had to be prepared in advance so that You would not be influenced by the filth of the outside world.
“By the way, Little Fox, while you were going to chat with You, I talked with Mister Seth. We will be heading home in two days.”
“We can finally leave!” Upon saying this, Liuli felt that the phrasing was perhaps a bit inappropriate. After thinking about it, she changed it to a slightly more suitable one. “I mean, I have been missing home…”
“It does not matter if you say that in front of me, Little Fox, but you must never say it in front of others.”
“Yes, I understand…”
Liuli still lacked the intuition of a princess—or, more accurately, the awareness of her duties as a princess.
Having rarely appeared in public, Liuli naturally had little experience in managing her public image and, consequently, lacked the habit of being cautious in her speech.
Of course, knowing this about herself, Liuli often subconsciously avoided speaking in public.
However, as a princess, Liuli could not avoid public speaking entirely, so she usually had to have her speeches prepared in advance.
“Um, once we return, does that mean we will be preparing for our next diplomatic visit?”
“More or less. Do you have any questions, Little Fox?”
“I want to know where our next destination will be…”
“It is not yet determined, but once we return to the Academy, the next destination can basically be set. After all, we must determine your itinerary before deciding whether to invite you, Little Fox.”
“There should at least be a range, right? The races that might invite me should be predictable, shouldn’t they?”
“That there is. In fact, the most likely candidates are the Dragon Race or the Mermaid Race. The Mermaid Race goes without saying; with Fina there, they are quite welcoming of you. As for the Dragon Race, although there are many tribes and branches, the Red Dragon Clan—where Dora is—at least holds a high regard for you.”
“Why does it feel like I am only welcomed because of the people I know?”
“That is quite normal. It is a common social tactic to have the juniors of a household make contact first, as peers can bond more easily. You can discuss serious matters only after everyone is sufficiently familiar.”
“So, is this a good thing?”
“It is not necessarily a ‘good’ thing, but it is certainly not a bad thing either. It is simply a social tactic. You just need to adapt to it, Little Fox.”
“But I know quite a few people now; why are these the only two races that choose to invite me?”
Not to mention the companions she had only met once, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Xinas, seemed like someone with significant authority based on her introduction. Why did she not invite her?
“That also depends on the intentions of the other races. Some still maintain a skeptical attitude toward you, Little Fox. They need to observe you for a longer period to determine if you are someone they can cooperate with.”