“Isn’t this good news?”
Moria glanced at the shattered teacup on the floor.
Seeing that Flora’s dress hadn’t been splashed by the tea, she called a servant to clean up, a bit regretfully.
Seeing Flora unmoved by her words, her face showing an unsurprised expression, Moria asked again.
“Did you really try to kill yourself thinking there was a chance they’d still treat you as their own flesh and blood?”
“You!”
Recovering from the shock of her parents so easily and decisively severing ties, Flora opened her eyes wide and looked at Moria, just about to question her.
But the mocking look in Moria’s eyes made her swallow her words.
“The privileges of nobility aren’t enough for a pair of truly loving parents to announce something like this so easily.”
Moria said bluntly.
“……”
Flora had no retort.
She should be more aware than anyone whether her parents truly loved her.
She should have woken up the moment they stabbed her in the back.
But asking Moria to handle this kind of thing for her… something still felt off.
“I grew up with you. Even as an outsider, I could tell they didn’t love you. How are you still not awake? I’m doing this for your own good, you don’t have to thank me for the favor, but at least don’t think I’m being excessive, alright?”
Moria said, and seeing Flora still with a sullen face, her mood a bit low, her voice softened with a hint of petulance.
“Alright, I’m just helping you get something off your mind. Are you tired? You can take a nap if you want. Need me to hold you…”
Without waiting for Flora’s answer, she hugged her, nuzzling Flora’s cheek without hesitation.
As for the Camille couple, who had just declared their severance with Fros as Moria instructed, they were swiftly led out of the banquet hall by order of the duke’s daughter, who didn’t want to see them.
The servants responsible for maintaining order in the venue began rearranging the hall.
When they were done, the ball would officially enter its second half.
…
“There’s probably nothing especially urgent coming up, right?”
Flora didn’t try to push her away, simply letting herself be held, and whispered in Moria’s arms.
“There is.”
Moria lowered her voice as well.
She seemed to like this—talking in whispers with Flora.
As if, only this way could she say things the Duke of Delan’s daughter could never say.
Flora had a vague feeling about this.
“What do you need me to do?”
“I want to invite you to dance with me, so you need to rest up.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s the only thing you’d agree to do with me.”
Moria’s answer was certain, but also a bit forlorn.
“If you want something, you have to say it. How am I supposed to know otherwise?”
Unable to help herself, Flora squeezed Moria back, responding to the embrace, her voice frustrated and reproachful, “Why can’t you just say it clearly, Moria.”
“I have my reasons, and…”
Moria released her, instead gripping her shoulders, and the two drew a little apart.
“If I said it, could you really agree?”
Looking into Moria’s red eyes, Flora couldn’t give her a definite answer.
That hesitation—without more than three seconds of eye contact, Moria’s smile said everything.
“See? You can’t do it. Since you can’t, don’t say things like that.”
“I just hate…”
“Hate what I did?”
Flora shook her head.
“I hate that I realized your madness too late. If I’d known sooner…”
Moria covered Flora’s mouth with her hand, chuckling softly.
There was no deceit or sarcasm in her smile.
It was the same ordinary, beautiful smile from Flora’s memory, the one that once moved her heart.
“Don’t talk to me about ‘ifs.'”
“Do you think my current situation is atoning for hurting you?”
Flora pushed her hand away, looking directly at her.
“Moria, can’t we really lay everything out? What am I to you?A confidante? An outlet? Or…”
“If I wanted you to kiss me of your own will, could you do it?”
Moria didn’t answer her question, but asked in return.
As Flora was about to respond, Moria raised a finger to her lips.
“If your answer is yes, then show me. Right now, right this second.”
“You…”
Flora opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to do.
Moria smiled gently and pressed on: “If I wanted you to take the initiative with me… would you say yes? To do what I couldn’t bring myself to finish that day.”
“……”
“If I wanted today to become our wedding, would you agree?”
“Yar…”
“Flora… Flora, tell me, do you really have that kind of resolve? Do you really understand me, can you really accept me?”
She pulled Flora into a tight embrace again, their hearts pressed together, beating at different rhythms.
“If you can tell me you can do it, and show me, give me all of yourself, then I could throw everything away, and lay my heart bare to you. We could find a place with no one else, or go wherever you want, do whatever you want—I’d go with you, even if it meant dying together. But could you do it?”
“Sorry…”
Flora couldn’t do it.
At least not now—not at all.
Most of her feelings had already been overwhelmed by resentment toward Moria and the others.
“See, neither can I.”
Moria smiled, telling such a lie.
For someone as mad as she, how could she possibly not be able to?
But now that Flora had answered, there was no way Moria could choose to give up.
“No way I’d come this far, only to quit halfway.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
In this moment, she had laid bare the deepest part of her soul for Flora—yet Flora lacked the courage to accept it.
So from now on, she would never do so again.
“If only I’d realized sooner.”
Flora muttered, her words a rejection.
“Sooner or later, it’s the same. You’d better get ready, because I won’t give up. If you want me to give up… heh… I already told you I’m looking forward to the day you kill me.”
Moria closed her eyes, breathing in Flora’s scent, her voice turning cheerful and full of contentment.
“Fros doesn’t belong to me, so I’ll just make Flora mine. If you don’t want to accept it, then resist me, kill me. And what I want is to leave you no choice but to obey me. Isn’t that fair? Just think of it as the game we used to play as kids.”
Faced with this rational madwoman, Flora couldn’t make any promises or give any response.
Everything Moria had just said made her determination perfectly clear.
Flora knew well that after this embrace, she’d never again have such a relatively normal conversation with Moria.
After all, this banquet had truly pronounced the death of Fros Camille.
From today onward, Moria would only see her as Flora emerald.
Their embrace soon ended.
As the host of the ball, Moria still had many people to socialize with.
Flora closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, resting and adjusting her emotions.
None of the guests passing by took the initiative to approach her.
To these people, the miracle of her healing magic was enough to make them worship.
Now, in their eyes, Flora was little different from a statue in a cathedral.
So when someone sat down next to her, Flora didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
“Can you handle it?”
“You want to whisper secrets with me too? Fine, say what you want. Do all you weirdos only talk once you’ve put me in this state?”
Flora opened her eyes and grumbled at the elf popping a dessert into her mouth.
Elka’s hand, holding a biscuit, paused mid-air.
She sighed.
“Why are you taking your frustration with her out on me? I didn’t do anything to you.”
Those words weren’t something Flora expected from this elf.
She folded her arms and stared at Elka blankly.
“Fine, I know you’re in a bad mood. I didn’t come over to talk about her, and I’m not here for a hug either…”
As she finished, Elka saw Flora’s suspicious gaze and blushed.
“Okay, maybe I want a little hug, but that’s not the point. I’m here to remind you of something.”
“Remind me?”
Flora looked around, puzzled, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, so she looked back at Elka.
Just then, the elf reached out and pinched Flora’s cheek.
“Smile! You look awful with that gloomy face.”
Saying so, she began to knead Flora’s face without restraint.
“If that’s all you wanted to remind me of, that’s way too boring, you dumb elf!”
Flora bristled instantly.
Elka, however, was unfazed, looking deadly serious.
“Of course not. I just want to tell you, don’t relax just yet. There’s a special group of people who’ve come to Doron City, and they’re heading toward the hall.”
“A special group?”
Breaking free from Elka’s hand, Flora was about to ask more, when a squad of soldiers clad in silver-white armor barged directly into the banquet hall.
She didn’t even need to see clearly—some of the guests, quick to react, were already shouting: “Why are the Imperial Capital’s Church Guards here?!”
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