Chapter 125: Intertwined Figures

“Linda, did you cause trouble again?”

Lijie deftly broke free from the other’s grasp, asking expressionlessly.

Linda looked at the harmless-looking girl before her and couldn’t help but feel irritated.

This fellow looked like a refined cat on the surface, but the slight curve of her lips and the angle of her eyes hinted that she wasn’t as innocent as she appeared.

“Let me tell you…”

Still, they were comrades-in-arms, and Linda’s gossipy curiosity quickly overshadowed her earlier annoyance at being sold out.

She started sharing the Captain’s ‘little secret’ with Lijie, pulling her by the shoulder.

“There’s a Little Goblin in the Captain’s room.”

Lijie raised an elegant brow at this, looking at Linda with suspicion, wondering what nonsense she was up to today.

“How can you say such nonsense? Aren’t you afraid the Captain will hear you?”

“What’s the big deal? You don’t know—when I saw that Fairy, I was so scared. When it greeted me, I thought it was my imagination. After all, how could someone like that be in the Captain’s office?”

“But then I turned around and saw the Captain walking over with a tray. That’s when I realized—since when did the Captain start eating meals in the office?”

“And then?”

“And then, I secretly hid in the corner—”

From Lijie’s perspective, she suddenly saw a familiar figure behind Linda and paused slightly.

Linda thought Lijie was intimidated by her story and immediately became more smug.

“Guess what I saw in the corner just now?”

Linda hooked her arm around Lijie’s shoulder proudly.

Lijie’s previously calm gaze suddenly sharpened, as if she sensed something, and she didn’t reply.

“I saw the Captain feeding that Little Goblin breakfast—those gentle movements, that tender gaze—tsk tsk tsk…”

Linda looked even more like a professional scout than a scout, every word dripping with mystery.

“And I think that Little Goblin is from the Holy See. Do you think the Holy Throne didn’t trust the Captain, so they specially sent a Little Goblin to keep her wrapped around their finger? And then—”

“Ahem.”

Seeing Linda’s words getting more reckless, Lijie finally couldn’t help but cough awkwardly, signaling this brainless fool to stop talking.

“You’re a little vixen yourself. The Captain’s not here, so why act like a cute kitten…”

Linda suddenly felt a chilling sensation, as if she were being watched by a wild beast, and instantly lost the courage to continue.

This feeling clearly wasn’t from Lijie, but from behind her—

“Knight Linda…”

Rosetta’s hand, encased in a steel gauntlet, landed heavily on Linda’s shoulder.

Linda’s body trembled, and she didn’t dare say another word.

“C-Captain.”

She turned around shakily.

Rosetta’s golden eyes stared down at her, making Linda feel like she was being glared at by an adult dragon.

***

Inside the room.

Roman finished his breakfast, and, as was his habit, gracefully picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

At that moment, Rosetta finally returned, her expression far from pleasant.

“What happened?”

Roman asked curiously.

Under Roman’s curious gaze, Rosetta felt a sense of shame at exposing her own unit’s problems, coughed lightly, and explained in a soft voice.

“An unruly girl. I gave her a proper lesson.”

Roman more or less understood who it was, and smiled.

“Immaturity is normal. That’s why they need your guidance…”

Thinking of what Linda had said about him behind his back, Rosetta still felt a bit strange and didn’t respond to Roman’s words.

“Thank you for the meal. I was very satisfied.”

Roman held the tray, hesitating where to place it.

Rosetta immediately took it from his hands.

“Leave things like this to me.”

At the same time, her eyes glanced at the newspaper on the table, which just happened to be open to the page with Luo Xiya on the cover.

“Are you interested in the Final too?”

“Huh?”

Roman didn’t react at first.

“This Exchange Conference is very interesting.”

Rosetta said.

“It’s not a chaotic free-for-all like previous years, but an exaggerated battle of two extremes.”

“A battle of two extremes?”

“That’s right.”

Rosetta continued.

“Princess Milis participated in this Exchange Conference, so theoretically, there shouldn’t have been any suspense.”

That was only natural.

Most high-ranking transcendents, even at awakening, were only a bit stronger than ordinary people.

But Milis was someone who, upon awakening, could incinerate an army of demons.

The difference was unimaginable.

However, the undefeated competitor from beginning to end wasn’t just Milis—there was also a sword dancer capable of shattering any spell and mental power.

At least from what could be seen, it was hard to say who would win and who would lose.

“This Countess.”

Rosetta, apparently unaware of Roman’s connection to Luo Xiya, casually pointed at the newspaper cover.

Roman stared at Luo Xiya’s photo, unable to hide his admiration and longing, along with a faint sense of anticipation.

Rosetta, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed this.

Though she didn’t understand, she also felt a slight displeasure.

She didn’t know where that discomfort came from—perhaps because Roman, as the Holy Child and the supreme existence of the Holy See, would show such an expression toward a mere Count.

“Do you know this Countess?”

Rosetta was just asking casually, but after a moment of hesitation, Roman’s face reddened slightly, and he gave a barely perceptible nod.

“She’s very important to me.”

Rosetta’s cold, proud face froze for a moment.

***

“Hmm?”

Luo Xiya was walking down the road when she suddenly turned her head toward a certain direction.

“Daughter, did you see something?”

Grand Duke Veronica beside her inquired.

“Nothing…”

Luo Xiya reluctantly withdrew her gaze.

She’d been feeling uneasy lately, especially after communicating with her aunt last night.

Grand Duke Veronica simply assumed she was pining for someone again, and reminded her helplessly,

“Once today’s match ends, we can set off for home.”

“Oh…”

Luo Xiya pressed the sword at her waist, finally turning away to head to the battlefield with Grand Duke Veronica.

Little did they know, above the spot where the two had just left, Rosetta happened to be carrying Roman away.

Landing in the open courtyard of the Papal Palace, Rosetta noticed that Roman had seemed distracted since earlier, and expressed concern.

“Your Highness, is something on your mind?”

“No…”

Roman shook his head.

“What time is it now?”

“It will start soon…”

Rosetta carefully shielded Roman, leading him to a rooftop of the Papal Palace, where everything below could be seen clearly.