Early in the morning, Leaf was tidying her clothes.
She had put on that moonlight-white long dress she hadn’t worn in a long time.
Julia always felt that such an outfit, combined with silver hair and silver eyes, made Leaf look too cold—as if she were an ethereal being who did not belong in the mortal world.
First, Julia hung a pocket watch with the time already set around Leaf’s neck like a necklace. The gorgeous gold cover and the green enamel patterns instantly added a touch of life to the plain, moonlight-like fabric.
Next, Julia tied a string of green crystal tassels around Leaf’s waist.
“There shouldn’t be too many colors on your clothes and accessories. Otherwise, I would have thought amethyst would better highlight your nobility.”
“Well, let’s skip the earrings. After all, I don’t want to pierce your ears. Besides, Tess would definitely come after me with a knife.”
Julia continued to examine Leaf closely.
Leaf kept her head down, not daring to look at Julia.
‘Ugh. Big, really big. Even though I’m not small either, I still feel like I pale in comparison.’
Julia looked at Leaf, whose ears were flushing red as she murmured and avoided eye contact. Suddenly, an impulse struck her.
She leaned down and kissed Leaf’s cheek.
It was like hot cream dripping onto an elf’s most precious silk.
The owner of that silk gradually turned a shade of pink, becoming as hot and restless as the cream. Finally, her small mouth parted slightly, and she began to whine in protest.
“Sister Julia, what—what are you doing!”
Finally, Julia spoke with a hint of regret.
“Sigh, I originally wanted to give you a very beautiful bracelet. Unfortunately, Tess beat me to the punch. The bracelet she gave you is actually quite nice, so I’ll let it go.”
“Right, your pistol. This slim-fitting long dress really isn’t suitable for hiding weapons. Having a weapon exposed is also extremely undignified. How about this: keep the pistol in its case. In very safe situations, you can just leave it in the carriage. In less safe situations, you can have Tess carry it for you.”
“Sigh, the one bullet in a pistol is meant for taking the initiative; if it’s tucked away like that, it loses its meaning.”
Leaf gave a reassuring smile.
“I’ll just tuck the pistol behind my waist. I’d like to see who dares say I’m not following etiquette.”
“That’s right. Now you’re starting to look a bit like a Queen.”
Today’s destination was the Governor’s Mansion. Domenico had pleaded with Livyath, for Julia’s sake, to provide the Elven Country’s guarantee to the Governor. He hoped to set the Governor’s mind at ease and change his mind—or at the very least, convince him not to resign immediately.
The carriage, reinforced with iron plates, carried Leaf and Julia toward the Governor’s Mansion.
Starting from Panshan Street, there were guards all along the way. They were all carrying muskets, and it seemed as though the entire area was under a state of martial law.
Although there were people tending the shops, the doors were only cracked open. Occasionally, a few windows in the apartments were open to dry clothes, but no one dared to stick their head out to look.
The carriage, bearing the insignia of the Governor’s Mansion, continued upward. Every guard they passed stood at attention and saluted.
The carriage stopped boldly right in front of the mansion’s main entrance, blocking the entire doorway to ensure absolute safety. The butler was waiting at the door.
A maid helped Julia and Leaf out of the carriage, and the butler led the way.
Before entering the inner hall, the butler noticed the pistol at the small of Leaf’s back. He started to say something, but when he saw Julia staring him down with a freezing gaze, he remained silent and signaled for them to enter. The Governor and Domenico were already inside.
The butler pushed open the heavy doors. The Governor and Domenico were actually standing as they waited.
Seeing Leaf enter, the Governor stepped forward to greet her with great warmth and perfect etiquette.
“Honorable Livyath, it is an honor to meet you.”
Leaf performed a semi-curtsey.
This way, the Governor would not immediately assume she was the Queen, nor would he think she was just an ordinary noble lady. The latter would usually require a full curtsey or a hem lift. This was all according to what Julia had taught her.
The Governor did not return to sit in his high chair but chose a nearby sofa instead. Leaf and the Governor sat on two small sofas facing each other, with a table between them.
Domenico and Julia sat on the large sofa.
The Governor spoke.
“The relationship between Elindria and Hobrick has always been good. Especially this year, the development of our relationship has taken a qualitative leap. This is a good thing for both our countries.”
Leaf nodded.
“It is an honor for the elves to be friends with the greatest republic of humanity.”
The Governor continued.
“From actively cooperating with our budget proposals, to sending troops to deter the Kingdom, to giving us guarantees, and finally supporting us with food—the elves have helped us a lot. We will never forget it as long as we live. I suppose many friendships don’t need decades of history to build; you can tell who your true friends are in just a few days or months.”
“You have seen the Republic’s current difficulties. Even though the dwarves’ grain has arrived and we have done our best to buy grain from various towns, our stock has still hit rock bottom. Too many residents have sold their status as free citizens; there simply isn’t enough food to go around.”
Leaf showed a look of concern and said, “Yes, Governor, I am also very worried about this. The grain from the Elven Country is already on its way. If there are no issues with the ocean currents and winds, it will arrive very soon.”
The Governor lowered his head in thanks.
“On behalf of the Republic, I thank the elves for their generosity and you for your selflessness.”
“However, I know that Domenico had you condescend to make this trip personally for more than just that matter. This old fellow just wants me to stay in this position.”
Domenico, sitting nearby, tried to speak, but the Governor waved him off.
“Honorable Livyath, I believe in your influence over the Elven Country. But I am old, and I don’t have many days left to live. I have dedicated myself to the Republic for decades, and now, I only want a dignified end. Domenico and the others are still strong; many burdens must be unloaded and handed over to them.”
“Therefore, now that the Kingdom’s grain embargo has taken effect and the warships we sent were prohibited from transporting the strategic reserve grain we already ordered, I will resign and take the blame. I will directly recommend Marino Faliero as the Acting Governor. This is my final contribution. At least this ‘hat’ won’t be placed on Domenico or Marino. That should be enough, shouldn’t it?”
Leaf fell silent. She and Julia had indeed prepared many arguments to persuade Governor Carlos to stay. But now, it seemed those were unnecessary.
An old man who was determined to leave was still willing to shoulder the massive blame for the policy failure that led to the Kingdom’s sanctions, striving to be morally beyond reproach toward the Republic.
At the very least, he was being beyond reproach toward Domenico.
Leaf pondered for a moment and spoke words she had never included in her mental draft.
“Governor, whether or not you resign is your choice. The Elven Country’s choice will be to continue supporting cooperation with the Republic. When both parties deem it appropriate, we will build upon our original non-aggression pact to reach a military assistance agreement, or even a mutual defense treaty. We will continue to support our friendliest partners among humanity.”
The Governor turned his head, showing the most relaxed smile he had worn in days.
“That’s good. Then this old man can rest easy.”
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