Dao?
“Hehe~” Darlian let out a soft laugh, her slightly parted cherry lips tinged with an enchanting hue. “Why would Finihiya think I wouldn’t know—”
At this, Darlian tilted her head, gazing out the window.
“Finihiya, you really are so gentle. This is something I ought to handle myself.”
“Gentle…” A confused, hazy murmur slipped from Finihiya’s rosy lips. “It’s only self-indulgence, really.”
She had said the same thing in the past.
The only reason she cared about those children was that she saw her former self reflected in their frail bodies.
So what she was doing was more like making up for her past self.
Finihiya’s whispered words were very soft, but even so, Darlian heard them clearly.
Darlian shifted her gaze to the petite girl beside her, her expression showing a trace of helpless yet tender smile at Finihiya’s words.
The carriage, moving straight ahead, gradually slowed to a stop.
Only then did Finihiya come back to her senses.
Through the carriage window, she saw a large building standing beside the wide, straight road.
Colorful flags of various hues hung on the building’s walls.
This was the central district of the city, and the bustling crowd passed by in droves.
As she surveyed her surroundings and was about to stand up and get off, Darlian bent over and suddenly moved past her.
As if recalling something important, Finihiya abruptly reached out her small hand and tugged at Darlian’s sleeve.
“Hm?” Darlian turned her head, sounding puzzled. “What is it?”
“Are you coming in with me too?”
“Is that not allowed?”
She had thought that having someone accompany her would be enough, but she’d overlooked something crucial.
To avoid the trouble caused by her identity as the “Saintess,” Danila had disguised her as a noblewoman.
But if Darlian went in with her, the disguise would be easily exposed.
After all, Darlian was the Demon King of the Demon Race and the Emperor of the Mihor Empire. If the person they were meeting was the guild president, he’d immediately recognize Darlian’s identity.
With this in mind, Finihiya’s voice turned soft and sticky.
“If you come with me, the other party will definitely recognize you right away.”
“Will they now? And what of it?”
“If that happens, Danila’s effort to disguise my identity will be in vain.”
“Sigh.”
Darlian seemed to sigh helplessly, then sat slowly across from her. “Miss Saintess, isn’t it even more advantageous if they recognize me?”
“…Eh?”
Darlian’s sudden remark stunned Finihiya for a moment.
“I am the Demon King. Once they know who I am, it’s clear that any negotiation with you would be extremely favorable to you.”
“Not only will they try to yield you more profit, they might even spend an exorbitant sum for your potion recipe just to curry favor with me, even if the recipe is worthless.”
“Hmm—”
“Or do you think these people would try to take advantage of me? If they dared, I’d simply take over their guild and turn it into my personal property.”
Hearing Darlian’s explanation, Finihiya slowly understood.
Thinking about it carefully, if the other party knew Darlian’s true identity, it would indeed work greatly in their favor during the negotiation.
Besides, any so-called trouble wouldn’t arise in front of Darlian’s status; no one would be foolish enough to create it.
With that thought, Finihiya’s furrowed brows relaxed.
And regarding what Darlian had just said, she couldn’t help but feel a bit lighter as she teased:
“Turning it into your personal property? Isn’t it supposed to be confiscated according to the rules?”
“I wouldn’t agree to that.”
At Darlian’s obviously selfish remark, Finihiya could only smile helplessly and shake her head, then gracefully stepped down from the carriage.
At the entrance to the guild, two burly guards stood on duty.
When the accompanying coachman handed the guards a certificate of identification, the guards immediately smiled and quickly entered the guild building.
Soon after, one of the returning guards brought over a scrawny, scholar-like man who appeared quite knowledgeable.
The man’s appearance aroused a trace of curiosity in Finihiya’s eyes.
He seemed to be from the Demon Race, though he had no horns, and his long, pointed ears were strangely reminiscent of a mouse’s.
Perhaps it was impolite to think so, but those ears really did look like a mouse’s.
“You must be Lady Kleia. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
The man placed a hand over his chest and offered a courteous bow.
Seeing this, Finihiya returned the greeting politely, then smiled and said, “Not at all.”
“And may I ask, this person is…?”
Noticing the man’s gaze shift to Darlian—and that he clearly hadn’t recognized her—Finihiya quickly answered before Darlian could speak, in order to avoid trouble.
“She is my friend.”
“Very well.” The man obviously had no intention of prying. “Both of you, please come in. Our guild president is already waiting in the reception room with some fine tea prepared.”
Under the man’s guidance, she and Darlian ascended to the second floor of the guild.
The interior of the guild was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Numerous guests filled the grand hall, and from the high ceiling hung a gorgeous Crystal Chandelier.
“Who is this Kleia, I wonder?”
Darlian’s calm, slightly teasing whisper suddenly sounded at her ear, and Finihiya shot her a subtle sidelong glance.
Kleia was, of course, the identity Lady Danila had hastily fabricated for her.
Stepping on the bright red carpet laid down the corridor, it wasn’t long before she and Darlian stopped in front of a high-grade teakwood door.
The man opened the door with a wide smile. “Please have a seat, both of you. Our president will be here shortly.”
The reception room was understated but elegant, with a square oak table in the center.
“How come there’s not even a servant here to receive us before the host arrives? The etiquette of this Belgrade Association is rather lacking.”
Finihiya and Darlian sat on the long bench before the oak table.
She didn’t respond to Darlian’s remark, which sounded more like a complaint, but instead began seriously considering how to steer the negotiation toward her expectations.
After a short wait, the sound of the door opening came from behind.
Several steady, masculine footsteps entered Finihiya’s ears.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting, Lady Kleia.”
The man who sat directly across from her had graying hair, a sturdy build, and looked to be in his early fifties.
However…
In this world, one could not judge someone’s true age by appearance alone, based on human lifespans.
It was possible that the man before her had already lived for several centuries.