“Your Highness!”
Elka had already pulled out a chair and sat down, pouring tea into her mouth, just as Roka Le and Liz appeared with their weapons in hand.
The stark contrast made them sweat with embarrassment.
If it weren’t for Moria’s actions, they wouldn’t have sensed Elka’s presence at all.
Even if they had noticed, it would have been too late to stop her from approaching Lisette.
At this moment, what they felt most was the panic of dereliction of duty.
“Stop making such a fuss, put your weapons away.”
Lisette glanced at them; no matter how uneasy they were, the two quickly stood at attention.
But instead of continuing to conceal themselves, they rested their hands on the hilts of their swords and staffs, standing guard behind her, their gazes fixed unwaveringly on Elka.
“I suggest you two focus your attention elsewhere, not on me. Could it be that, as Moria’s companions, I would dare to make a move against the princess?”
Elka put down her teacup, her tone calm and casual.
She turned her head slightly, scrutinizing Lisette a bit.
“I hope they haven’t disturbed your mood, Miss Elka.”
The princess adopted a respectful attitude, unbothered by the scrutiny.
The four core members of the Emerald Heart Adventure Group were well known; Moria required no extensive investigation.
Tatasimi, as a student sponsored by the Duran family, was Moria’s companion at the academy, a fact known throughout the nobility.
The former healer Fros was a commoner with a very simple background, yet had countless connections to the current Flora; knowing these was enough.
But Elka’s identity remained a mystery.
The relationship between Flora and Fros was likely that Flora had inherited his memories or soul, thus acquiring the talents of the missing man and becoming a crucial piece in Moria’s secret plan.
For such a thing to be realized, there must be an incredibly powerful and secret-keeping mage involved, and clearly only this elf named “Elka Mūzan” fit the criteria.
The strength of elves inevitably linked to their ancient lineage.
Even if Elka claimed to be in her twenties, anyone who had studied racial history and witnessed her power would believe she was at least a thousand years old.
Yet neither the elder elves nor the records in the imperial library could answer who she truly was.
Because of this, Lisette paid close attention to her.
Before she could ask, Elka narrowed her eyes.
Lisette sensed something was amiss and immediately tightened her mental defenses.
The next moment, the elf lady reached out, lightly tapping her nose and forehead with her fingertips.
Golden radiance instantly spread from the points of contact, the surging magic forming a thin membrane enveloping Lisette’s entire body.
The princess felt a bit dazed but quickly regained her composure and scolded:“If you two disturb me again, don’t expect to come out with me next time.”
“But that pointed-eared brat is just too rude!”
Roka Le and Liz said in unison, just as they were about to take action.
Yet the princess’s icy glare successfully stopped them, forcing them to only protest with discontented looks aimed at the elf.
Seeing them quiet down, Lisette returned her gaze to Elka.
The elf, lifting her teacup again, regained her elegance, took a delicate sip, and then slowly explained what she had done.
“I heard Your Highness has a talent for mind control and seemed curious about me. If I hadn’t placed a mental barrier on you, it would’ve been a big problem if you got hurt.”
She spoke lightly.
In truth, it didn’t matter if the princess got hurt; Elka just didn’t want the party prepared for Flora to be ruined because of the princess’s injury.
Sitting where she could overlook the entire hall, she was already rapidly searching for the star of that party.
Her demeanor, to the two attendants, appeared as pure indifference and arrogance typical of an immortal, as if she didn’t regard the princess at all.
Fortunately, Lisette was composed and experienced dealing with many willful types like Elka.
She maintained her earlier respect, smiling as she said: “A mage as powerful as you is rare indeed. You can effortlessly cast protective barriers that even court mages might not manage.But the reason for protecting me isn’t exactly as you said.”
She didn’t believe Elka would apply arrogance to such a matter.
The pride of immortals only showed in their fields of expertise.
The elves’ magic, dwarves’ forging skills, the Dragonfolk’s physical strength, and so forth.
There was a hint of mockery and provocation in Elka’s words.
Her earlier tea drinking also showed she had just finished intense activity, which meant only one thing.
“If I’m not mistaken, you just fought an enemy capable of affecting the mind?”
Lisette’s words made Elka look at her in surprise.
To hear such words from such a young princess was unexpected.
“That’s right.”
Elka grinned.
She hadn’t expected to encounter someone as interesting after Flora.
It was a pity she was a bit late, and the girl wasn’t quite to her taste.
Still, it gave her reason to show more respect.
She straightened up, adjusted her posture, and said solemnly: “It’s out of concern for you that I gave you this protection while you were caught off guard.”
“Just as I thought, your telling those two to watch others meant the same.”
Lisette felt confirmed by Elka’s words and brightened noticeably.
The two attendants glanced at each other.
Even without understanding the nuances, they could read the meaning in the elf’s words and immediately became more alert.
“I know you’re curious about me, but I’ll leave the explanations to Moria.
After all, I lost track of someone and have no clue what the next move is.”
Elka said this, glancing toward someone leisurely sipping tea nearby, pouting slightly, then leaning back in her chair with eyes closed.
She seemed quite exhausted.
“From the way you say it, this sounds like it’s going to be troublesome.”
Moria frowned, rubbing her brow, then forced a smile toward Lisette.
“Not long ago, the carriage Flora was in met with an accident.Your Highness should be aware that Elka went looking for the culprit behind that.To be frank, what I want to warn you about is a dangerous demon causing trouble within the city.”
Moria’s smile carried a natural sharpness.
If Lisette didn’t know she had no other intentions, she might have taken it as a threat.
She frowned and started to soothe with typical public reassurance.
“What are you saying, Lady Yaya? The current state of the Empire’s relations with the Demon Realm is clear.
How could there be a demon powerful enough to stir up trouble like that?”
At that, Elka, who had intended to rest a bit, couldn’t help but chuckle.
She slapped the table, nearly bursting out laughing.
“Your Highness, now is not the time to say such things.The Demon Realm’s disasters happen frequently; your royal family should know that.A war to shift contradictions only needs an excuse. This isn’t unusual—don’t tell me you don’t want a war.”
Roka Le and Liz’s faces immediately darkened.
This statement—essentially implying the Empire uses demons to create chaos and orchestrate a war with the Demon Realm—was unbearable to them.
But Lisette remained unshaken, forcing them to stay silent.
“I don’t know what Father and my brothers think, but I will do my best to avoid it.”
Her words left Elka speechless, though displeased, she clenched her fists and said bitterly:“It doesn’t matter. But if I find that succubus who nearly harmed Flora, I don’t care who she answers to—the only outcome will be being swallowed by a giant beast…”
“All right, for now, there’s no trouble worth worrying about. Once Tatasimi and the bishop arrive, we’ll go down to confer Flora’s medal.”
Seeing Elka getting more enthusiastic, Moria immediately cut her off.
The dissatisfied elf huffed and pushed back her chair.
“I’m not like you all, hiding behind the scenes. If some trash sneaks into the party—tch.Anyway, I’m going in first.”
The golden figure disappeared without a trace.
Moria didn’t stop her but smiled even more deeply.
Because she saw a purple-haired woman appear in the hall.
Looking at her, she parted her lips silently: “Will you have a beautiful encounter with her?”