Ella blinked innocently.
“Actually, I didn’t….”
She wanted to say she was also a proud citizen of the Human Kingdom, with no intentions of being a rebel, but Glengo had already turned away.
He didn’t want to listen to any explanations, nor did he need to.
After a while, Celes came out of another tent, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
When she looked up, she saw the pink-haired Darei standing not far away and immediately ran over happily.
“Ella, you’re up too. How did you sleep last night?”
“Pretty well. It’s just… what did you say to your dad last night? He agreed.”
“I slept with my mom last night. I haven’t had a chance to talk to my dad yet.”
Celes was a bit slow to react.
“Wait, what did you say? My dad agreed?”
Nod.
“So, does that mean we’ve completed our mission here?”
Nod again.
“The plan succeeded?”
Continued nodding.
In her excitement, Celes finally noticed that Ella’s expression wasn’t quite right. Not unhappy, but not exactly happy either.
“What’s wrong? Did he have any conditions?”
“No, no conditions.”
Ella forced a smile.
“It’s just that it went too smoothly. I haven’t processed it yet.”
Mainly, the good girl persona hadn’t held up, which was a bit uncomfortable.
She had tried so hard to act the part.
“Since we’ve succeeded, what should we do next?”
Celes asked her.
“Should we take a flight back when we get the chance, or just wait here?”
“Let’s wait. The vanguard probably won’t take more than a few days to arrive.”
***
On the other side, Glengo crawled back into his family’s tent and said to his wife,
“I agreed to their request.”
Selina hadn’t slept well last night, so she had just woken up and hadn’t even gotten out of bed.
“What do you mean, you agreed?”
Hearing this, she immediately became alert.
Glengo was a bit puzzled.
“The thing little Seli mentioned. The plan she and her companions came up with. Did I… should I not have agreed?”
Selina questioned as she got dressed.
“Why did you agree?”
“I think Ella is a good kid. Didn’t we discuss this? She fits the requirements.”
Glengo sat down next to her and started counting on his fingers.
“Look, her deeds in the Royal City are well-known. She’s brave and wise, born for big events, and most importantly, she isn’t afraid of authority and would never betray her companions.”
Sitting there, he looked just like his daughter had the night before, though he couldn’t list the details as fluently.
“And most importantly, do you know, I glared at her outside just now… the way I used to train those young officers, to test their ability to withstand pressure. I didn’t expect this child to be completely unaffected.”
What does it mean to be a natural big-stage player?
Glengo was getting carried away, but when he turned his head and saw his wife’s sharp gaze, he shrank back a little.
“Did I do something wrong?”
He felt his logic was sound.
Selina sighed.
“Let me ask you a question. You think Miss Ayla has good qualities, but here’s the problem—what do you think is the relationship between our daughter and her?”
“I know, companions.”
Glengo said as if it were obvious.
“A Special Squad formed under the leadership of the great hero Rolls, bringing together several of the Kingdom’s most renowned geniuses—companions who adventure together through thick and thin.”
When the squad was first formed, it was quite a scene.
The Magic Court and Church of Light both sent people to make contact, as if everyone was marrying into the same family.
Why, aren’t they companions?
“Of course they’re companions, but I always feel like they’re more than that.”
Selina stood up, glanced outside the tent for their daughter, saw no sign, and closed the flap before continuing.
“Last night, I asked her a few questions. When I brought up other topics, she hesitated and couldn’t answer, but the moment I mentioned Miss Ayla, she changed completely.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means… it doesn’t mean anything. I just find it strange. It seems our little Seli’s feelings for Miss Ayla are more than just companionship.”
Selina said anxiously.
Maybe because she was too subtle, Glengo still didn’t get it.
“If not companions, then what?”
He couldn’t imagine.
At this point, there was no point in being subtle.
Selina decided to be direct.
“I think little Seli might like Miss Ayla—the kind of liking that goes beyond gender!”
This time, he really heard it, with no room to play dumb.
General Glengo’s face went from surprise to shock, and finally to regret and remorse.
His reaction startled Selina.
“Don’t get so worked up. I’m just guessing. Even if you are, don’t get so…”
Why so agitated?
“This is bad! You should have told me sooner about something like this!”
General Glengo said in regret.
“This morning, I treated her with the strictness meant for outsiders. How terrible will that be from now on?”
Selina nearly fainted from anger.
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned about little Seli’s psychological state than your own attitude and image right now?”
Now she understood the troubles of other parents.
Thinking back a few years, when her child entered adolescence, other people’s children showed a hint of budding romance, while her own daughter spent her days swinging a sword at people, with no excess energy to misplace—there was no danger of puppy love.
Back then, Selina worried, thinking that if her child had no interest in romance, would she remain single into her thirties?
She never expected that little Seli wasn’t uninterested—she was just hiding a big secret.
“You said yourself, it’s just a guess.”
Glengo tried to comfort her.
“Even if we worry, shouldn’t we wait until it’s confirmed?”
“Confirmed? How?”
Yes, how do you confirm something like that?
You can’t just ask directly and expect an honest answer.
Glengo stood up, looked around, and hatched a plan.
“I have an idea. Since they’re staying here for a few days, let’s arrange for them to share a tent at night, with two beds inside.”
Selina felt something was off.
“Even if something happens between them at night, we can’t just barge in to check, can we?”
If the two girls slept peacefully on their own beds, it would be rude to intrude.
If they didn’t, and did something else, then it would be even more inappropriate to go in—not to mention basic manners, it might scar the children for life.
“No need to go in or check at night.”
Glengo said.
“If they sleep well, they’ll get up early the next morning for sure.”
In other words, if they can’t get up in the morning, something probably happened the night before.
“Is that so…”
***
Meanwhile, Ella and Celes were touring the defensive line, feeling relaxed because they’d been here before and, in a sense, had already ‘conquered’ this place.
“See that shack over there?”
Celes pointed in a direction.
“That night, we had you hide in there….”
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