“I… I should probably pass… I’m not very good at dancing.”
Liuli instinctively wanted to refuse.
She didn’t know if the other person would understand.
Generally speaking, when facing such a domineering person, a simple “I don’t want to” was usually meaningless.
After all, this woman looked like the type who would say, ‘I don’t care about what you want, I care about what I want.’
You couldn’t really expect someone like that to be understanding, could you?
“But Princess, your dancing earlier was so elegant. Now you’re saying you can’t dance? Even if you want to brush me off, you shouldn’t do it so poorly.”
‘Oh no, it seems my dance with Serveyia earlier gave this diplomat lady some unnecessary expectations. But the problem is, I really don’t know how to dance. Serveyia was the one leading me the whole time. Just looking at this lady, there’s no way she looks like the type who could lead me in a dance.’
“But I really don’t know how to dance.”
To be honest, even if she did know how, she probably wouldn’t have accepted the invitation.
The issue was: how could she make the other person realize she was telling the truth?
“I was only able to do it earlier because I had Serveyia’s guidance…”
“Princess, you really need to find a better excuse. If you truly can’t dance, where did those elegant movements come from? I’m quite the expert at social dancing myself. No matter how skilled one is, it’s impossible to lead a novice into a performance like that.”
‘What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing just now,’ Liuli grumbled internally while glancing toward Serveyia.
She found her friend chatting with someone else, her attention temporarily away.
It looked like she would have to find a solution on her own.
‘Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve had to solve a problem independently. Before, Serveyia’s help meant I didn’t have to use my brain at all. But without her now, how do I handle this prickly situation?’
‘Wait, if I bring up my Princess Identity, could I suppress her? Would that bring trouble to Saint Laia?’
“I — “
“Anya, are you teasing the little sister again?”
Just as Liuli was about to voice her refusal, Xinas’s voice drifted from behind.
“Does our Lady Diplomat not know that such shameless pursuit is quite classless?”
Xinas’s voice still carried its usual seductive edge, but Liuli could sense that her tone wasn’t very friendly.
And judging by the way she addressed her, it seemed the two had a history.
“Oh? Where did this lowly little Succubus come from? Can’t you see I’m busy with official business?”
“If the ‘official business’ you’re referring to is harassing our Princess, I don’t mind calling Serveyia over to have a proper chat with you.”
Liuli could see it now.
Not only did these two have a history, but their relationship was also quite poor.
Xinas’s tone had shifted from unfriendly to outright confrontational.
“Even if Serveyia comes over, she can’t interfere with the Princess’s decision. She’s just a Maid, isn’t she?”
‘Uh, this Lady Anya seems quite bold.’
Most people Liuli had met would give Serveyia some face, but Anya didn’t seem to show any respect at all.
This made Liuli a bit curious about the woman’s influence.
“Do you really need to hear her answer before you give up?”
Xinas suddenly laughed as if she had heard something hilarious.
She looked down at Liuli.
“Princess, do you want to dance with this Lady Anya? Forget about status or social niceties — just say whether you’re willing or not.”
“I really don’t know how to dance…”
Liuli thought for a moment and added, “And I’m a bit tired today. I don’t want to dance anymore.”
In the end, Liuli settled on those words.
Since she didn’t know the other woman’s background, she wanted to leave herself an out if possible.
“You heard her. The Princess doesn’t want to dance with you. Lady Anya, please stop being so persistent.”
Xinas stepped in front of Liuli and then gestured for her to leave.
“Princess, you should go find Serveyia. There’s no need to waste your time with someone like this.”
‘Well, although Xinas always gave me the impression of being a bit of a slacker, I didn’t expect her to step up and help me when I was in trouble. It’s quite a surprise.’
***
“Little Fox, does it really take this long to get a slice of cake?”
“No, I ran into someone who wanted to invite me to dance…”
Once she was back at Serveyia’s side, the Maid seemed curious about what had taken her so long.
“Oh? And how did my Little Fox answer her?”
“I told her I couldn’t dance, but she didn’t believe me… She kept pestering me until Xinas finally helped me out.”
“Is that so? Do you know who she was?”
“Xinas said her name is Anya. She claimed to be the Diplomat from the Human Empire stationed at Saint Laia. By the way, what kind of position is a Diplomat?”
“Since Saint Laia Academy receives investments from various Nations, there are naturally corresponding Diplomats stationed here to ensure those funds are used properly. However, these Diplomats are essentially still Students; they just hold a certain amount of power.”
“But she acted so arrogant. I thought she was someone very powerful.”
“It’s not that she’s powerful, but rather that Diplomats exist in a subtle gray area. Generally, no one goes out of their way to control or monitor them, and both sides usually grant each other a reasonable amount of respect. I’m afraid that’s what makes someone like Anya feel so special.”
“Hmm… Do you have a conflict with her too, Serveyia?”
“I wouldn’t call it a conflict. I just despise her ways. Among all the Diplomats, Anya’s style of conduct is the most unpleasant. However, she is exceptionally diligent in her duties, which makes it difficult to have her removed. It seems this very reason has made her behavior even more reckless.”
“I noticed Xinas seemed to have a problem with her too. Is it because she also dislikes Anya’s behavior?”
“Not exactly. As a Human, Anya has always looked down on other Races, especially the Succubus. I imagine in her eyes, the Succubus race is nothing more than a group of people who spend their days seeking pleasure, rotten to the core.”
“She has such a strong prejudice? But she was just hitting on me?”
“Little Fox, she wasn’t hitting on you for your beauty, but for the power behind you. To her, power is far more alluring than physical beauty.”
“So, we don’t need to worry about her, right?”
“Of course. You don’t need to be so cautious, Little Fox. Your Princess Identity is actually very useful. For the vast majority of common people, you only need to bring up that title to scare them away. Even when facing some Nobles, they would have no choice but to obey you.”
Serveyia paused, looking at Liuli with a serious expression.
“Of course, I’m not saying this so you can go around bullying people. However, you shouldn’t let others bully you either.”
“Mm, I understand.”
Liuli looked toward Xinas and noticed Anya was gone.
The two must have parted ways after a brief exchange.
The thought of potentially running into that greasy Diplomat again at the Academy gave Liuli a headache.
She wondered if Anya would come looking for more trouble after being rebuffed today.
But with Serveyia’s help, she probably didn’t need to worry so much.
Besides, the next time she saw the woman, she might even be able to use her royal authority to give her a good scare.
“Little Fox, you’ve worked hard today. Let’s go back.”
“Oh, right. Serveyia, I saw you chatting with someone earlier. Were they trying to get close to you?”
“Oh? Does my Little Fox feel like I ignored her or failed to help her because I was talking to someone else?”
“No, I was just curious. In my impression, your personality seems like it would keep people at a distance. But whether at the Maid Café or just now, there always seem to be people coming to talk to you. Aren’t they afraid of you?”
“I don’t know if they’re afraid, but I know that those who come to me always want something. Since they’ve sought me out, they are bound to overcome their fear. After all, fear often exists only because one doesn’t carry enough responsibility. Once you carry enough on your shoulders, there is nothing left to fear.”
“Then… how do you respond to them?”
Liuli actually wanted to ask if Serveyia would agree to their requests, but on second thought, it seemed a bit intrusive.
She rephrased the question, hoping she wouldn’t come across as too prying.
“That depends on what their requests are. Some are easy to satisfy, so I might grant them. But some people treat me entirely like a wishing well. In those cases, how could I possibly fulfill their demands?”
“Uh, can I hear what kind of requests they make?”
“All sorts of things. Some ask for a promotion for their parents, some ask for pardons for Royal Family members who committed crimes, and some are just trying to get close to me to gain favor. I can only say there’s every kind of person imaginable.”
“That sounds really exhausting.”
“It’s not that bad. It’s what a Princess should do. Otherwise, Little Fox, did you think those princes and princesses could just take over national affairs without any prior training?”
“I just feel like such trivial matters shouldn’t be handled by the person at the top. If you really spent all your time on these things, could you ever truly finish them?”
“Hehe, it seems my Little Fox doesn’t understand politics. Do you really think those ministers can offer any decent advice? While I can’t rule out the occasional wise man who provides constructive suggestions, the vast majority only propose ideas as ridiculous as children playing house.”