Although Cecilia had mentioned that etiquette classes wouldn’t start until tomorrow, someone knocked on Lita’s door that very afternoon.
Lita opened the door to find a strange maid standing there. Long bangs covered her face, obscuring most of her features. Lita was certain she had never seen this maid before, but there were countless maids in the Royal Palace, and it was impossible to recognize them all.
The maid revealed emerald-like eyes from beneath her bangs. “Miss Lita, your etiquette teacher is waiting for you.”
“Huh?” Lita blurted out in surprise.
Wasn’t it supposed to start tomorrow?
If everything went smoothly, she would officially become a Holy Knight in a few days. There would even be an Enfeoffment Ceremony prepared just for her. It was reasonable for Cecilia to be in a hurry for her to start. Still, it wasn’t like she was incapable of learning; there was no need to be this rushed!
Then again, waiting around for the next few days was boring and made her restless due to potential obstacles, so finding something to do wasn’t a bad idea.
“Alright, I understand. Take me there.”
Lita regained her usual composure, dressed, and tidied her appearance, striving to leave the best impression on her etiquette teacher. Leaving the room, Lita followed the maid’s lead.
Lita had walked this path countless times; it was the way out of the Royal Palace.
“Excuse me, where are we going?” Lita asked, feeling a bit suspicious. “Isn’t this the way out of the Royal City?”
“To see your etiquette teacher, Miss Lita,” the maid replied. “Indeed, your teacher is not someone who should be entering and exiting the Royal Palace at will.”
That made some sense. It wouldn’t be appropriate to let just anyone into the palace. Strictly speaking, she hadn’t truly become a Personal Knight yet; she only enjoyed the freedom of the palace thanks to Cecilia. In reality, ordinary Holy Knights weren’t even qualified to enter and exit as they pleased.
Lita thought this over while focusing her attention on the maid leading her.
The maid’s conduct was elegant. Her hands were folded over her stomach, arms tucked in tight. As she walked, her upper body remained perfectly still despite the movement of her steps, giving Lita the impression of a floating ghost. Even walking down the street, her poise drew the gazes of many passersby, as if she became the center of attention just by moving. One might not notice without looking closely, but even a plain walk contained so many details.
But more direct than the elegance of her posture was an ominous aura that made Lita feel uneasy. For some reason, Lita felt a growing sense of crisis from the maid.
This maid hadn’t handed her over to anyone else but continued to lead her to see this so-called etiquette teacher herself.
“Are we there yet?”
“It will be a bit longer. Miss Lita, please be patient.”
But they were already far from the Royal Palace. Was it possible someone wanted to harm her? The thought suddenly popped into Lita’s head. Somehow, the maid reminded her of the Death Knight, Ke Xia Er, on the snowfields.
If the other party was an Assassin, she might be stepping right into a trap. Getting rid of her wouldn’t be easy; she was a Crest Knight with the abilities of a Dream Demon. She had to be careful.
After turning through several more streets, the maid finally stopped in front of an unremarkable-looking building. Actually, the building’s decor was quite nice, but most buildings looked plain compared to the Royal Palace.
The maid opened the door for Lita, revealing a corridor. The two continued forward until they reached a room at the very end.
“Miss Lita, please go in. Your etiquette teacher is waiting inside,” the maid said, opening the door once more.
Lita stepped into the room and quickly scanned the area. The room looked like an ordinary guest parlor, furnished with tables, chairs, and tea sets. There was also a large open space, which seemed suitable for an etiquette class.
The problem was that the room was empty. Behind Lita, the door closed with a soft click.
There was no killing intent behind her—no, it was as if no one was standing behind her at all. Yet, in the room’s floor-length mirror, Lita clearly saw the maid approaching her.
Lita spun around suddenly, but the maid’s index finger landed perfectly against Lita’s throat.
So fast.
While it wasn’t impossible to beat Lita in speed, she believed there weren’t many such people in the Royal City. Forget Helage, even Xingxian couldn’t do it; otherwise, Lita wouldn’t have won that duel with such a small price.
But what was with this maid?
Regardless of the reason, one of the most important things Lita had learned in the Northlands was not to hold back. Right now, the maid only had to move her hand to pierce her neck. Life and death hung in a single moment. It wasn’t unheard of for someone to be taken out in an instant. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to use the Crest’s healing power to recover by then.
She had to go all out!
A pink Charm Aura erupted. Using the Charm Aura as a distraction, the Spirit Spear that had nearly pierced Ke Xia Er’s head shot out. At such a close range, a mental attack was the safest bet.
But the maid made only one movement.
She slowly withdrew the hand pressed against Lita’s throat, then lightly flicked the Spirit Spear hidden in the mist. Lita’s hidden trump card was shattered just like that. Then, that same hand landed on Lita’s forehead and gave it a sharp flick.
“Ouch!”
Lita clutched her forehead in pain. Looking at the maid’s smiling face, she puffed out her cheeks. “What was that for!”
There was only one reason she could relax now. She had seen a flicker of emerald light on the maid’s fingertip when she shattered the Spirit Spear. That was something she couldn’t possibly be unfamiliar with.
“It’s a Test, sister. Seeing you living such a comfortable life in the Royal City, I couldn’t help but come see you.”
Waerfeisi giggled. She took two steps to the side, pulled out a chair, and sat down cross-legged with her usual casualness. It was Charm Magic used for disguise; Lita had learned this. Leaving aside whether she could pull off a disguise in the Royal City, she didn’t even have the guts to try.
“Not bad. You noticed my strangeness early on, stayed on guard the whole way, reacted fast enough, and your hidden attack was well-executed. The strength and aim were both quite good.”
Waerfeisi began her critique as seriously as if she were in an online class.
“But didn’t you still neutralize it easily?” Lita pouted.
“Of course, sister. If I couldn’t even defend against a Dream Demon’s attack, I might as well dig a hole and bury myself to save myself the embarrassment.” Waerfeisi waved her hand with a smile.
It was true. Almost all of Lita’s Dream Demon abilities were taught by her. Using those abilities against her was the worst possible choice. Thinking this, Lita felt somewhat better. If a random maid had blocked her power so easily, she would have questioned her life for a long time.
“By the way, why did you come to the Royal Capital?” Lita pulled up a chair and sat opposite Waerfeisi.
“I told you, I came to see you. I care about you a lot.” Waerfeisi crossed her legs. “But I can’t believe you went this far for that little Princess. Do you really plan to be her bodyguard forever?”
“Is that not okay?” Lita retorted, a rare occurrence.
Even though she knew the other’s identity and had been scared out of her wits, that was under special circumstances. Seeing Waerfeisi now, Lita felt she was still that same slacker who sat with her in the exam hall chatting about nothing. It was impossible to be serious.
Waerfeisi also maintained her casual attitude, spreading her hands toward Lita. “Of course it’s okay. You can do whatever you want. I’m not some stubborn old fossil.”
“Then did you come to the Royal Capital this time specifically to see me?”
Lita felt the question was a bit foolish. Even if Waerfeisi had other motives, she probably wouldn’t tell her easily.
The Royal Capital was not a safe place. With Aierteer and many Crest Knights present, along with the army and countless hidden experts, the Human race wouldn’t have survived if they were that weak. If Waerfeisi really caused a scene, she likely wouldn’t come out ahead.
“Not just that. Seeing you is only one part,” Waerfeisi replied.
As expected, it wasn’t that simple.
“More importantly, I came to give you a warning.”
“A warning? About what?” Lita straightened her posture. It wasn’t a good sign if Waerfeisi came specifically to warn her.
“Before long, a great upheaval will occur in the Kingdom. If you think you can just drift along in the Royal City, you are dead wrong.” Waerfeisi’s expression turned slightly serious. “For your own safety, you should leave soon. You don’t have much time left.”