“Me?”
Via felt Stella’s statement was really strange.
What did this mean?
“Actually, from the first time I saw you, I developed a strong interest in you—I wanted to have deeper interactions with you,” Stella laughed. “This should count as budding feelings, right? Have you experienced something similar—where you’re convinced it has to be that person?”
“What a lame reason.”
Via didn’t believe a single word.
She felt Stella’s nonsense was a bit over the top.
“Via, you’re clearly in adolescence too—do you really not understand at all?” Stella was very puzzled.
“I don’t understand one bit.”
“Alright, you really lack a sense of humor~” Stella shrugged. “Half of it is interest.”
“Interest?”
“Yeah—clearly Sylvia’s daughter, yet frequenting the underground black market and selling contraband. Anyone who knows this would feel curious, right? Curiosity drives me to want to learn more about you.”
“And the other half?”
“The other half is that I’ve taken a liking to your potential. I guess you have a high probability of not aspiring to become the next saintess, but instead wanting to achieve something big. Your actions reveal an ambition you can’t hide,” Stella laughed. “My aspiration is to inherit the throne—I also need some extraordinary talents to assist me.”
“You mean you’re going to compete with the other heirs, right?”
“That’s right.” Stella nodded.
“Then you’re really not that great.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Using your own life as a bargaining chip to contact me and try to recruit me—doesn’t that already show you have no one else to choose from? You’ve reached a dead end and have no choice but to gamble on me?”
“You… actually think that?”
Stella smiled—she didn’t directly deny Via’s words.
“But if it succeeds and I inherit the throne, then as my capable assistant, you’d have endless glory and wealth.”
“The big pie you’re painting might work on others, but it’s useless on me. I’ve never cared about wealth.”
Via rejected Stella’s recruitment.
She was theå ‚å ‚ Demon King—how could she subordinate herself to someone else?
“The choice is mutual. I won’t bet on you—forget it. I definitely won’t assist you.”
“You’re not tempted at all?”
“However, I do admire your boldness—daring to coerce me like this. In this world, not many people dare to do that.”
“Via, your tone is so strange—is this borrowed from some novel?”
“What borrowing? This is my speaking style. Anyway, I won’t go to your side—give up.”
“Alright,” Stella sighed. “It was my first time mustering courage, yet rejected like this—it’s really heartbreaking.”
“… Don’t use such strange phrasing.”
“Although Via won’t help me for now, I don’t plan to report you—I’ll keep your secret.”
“Really?”
“Because there’s still room for negotiation. In some time, you might change your mind—who knows?”
“… Then prove it to me. Go right now and retrieve that letter you prepared to send out, then destroy it in front of me.”
“Now should still be in time. Hiring the fastest carriage should reach the city lord’s mansion in Doff City.”
Stella lifted her head, glanced at the clock hanging in the living room, and prepared to leave.
“I’ll go get it back for you to see right now.”
“Wait.” Via called out to Stella.
“What’s wrong?” Stella was somewhat puzzled. “If we wait any longer, the letter might leave Doff City. That’s an urgent express using a spatial teleportation magic array—at the fastest speed to the imperial capital. Then it won’t be something I can stop just by saying so.”
“I know.”
Via walked to the door and changed her slippers into the academy’s leather shoes.
“I’m going with you.”
“Together…?”
“What, do you mind? Being seen acting together with me might affect your reputation?”
“No, I’m just a bit surprised, Via—after all, you seem to always go solo and really hate interacting with others.”
“I really don’t want to get close to you.”
Via gave Stella a sidelong glance.
She didn’t want to go, but without keeping an eye on Stella, she wouldn’t feel at ease.
“But right now, I can’t worry about that much.”
“Mm, alright—then let’s head out together.” Stella agreed to Via’s request.
The carriage departing from Avalon Academy was racing at full speed, galloping quickly toward Doff City.
Along the way, Stella tried chatting with Via.
But Via really didn’t want to engage much with this eccentric imperial princess and always maintained silence.
Thus, the bored Stella chose to take out a book and flip through it.
This was a history book about the Theia Continent.
Such books were quite dry and boring—easy to get sleepy from, and unless for research, ordinary people couldn’t get into them.
“Via, why do humans and demons have to be hostile to each other?” Stella suddenly asked.
“Why would you ask that?”
Via glanced over and noticed that the content Stella was reading seemed to be about the wars that had occurred between demons and humans.
“Theia history only says that the Demon King launched a war against the human race, thus humans and demons became mutually hostile. But the reason the Demon King launched the war isn’t detailed,” Stella was somewhat puzzled. “Could it be that the Demon King really wanted to rule the world?”
“Your thoughts have a big problem—actually doubting these,” Via smiled ambiguously. “You’d better watch your words. Sitting in front of you is a saintess candidate from the Holy Land.”
“Saintess candidate—referring to… the saintess candidate who secretly does bad things?”
Stella used the book to cover her quite beautiful half-face—from her curved eyes, she was clearly amused by Via’s words.
“Cough cough.”
Via coughed twice, somewhat guilty.
“Don’t discuss these irrelevant matters with me—I’m not interested. What I care about is whether we can make it tonight.”
“Don’t worry—at least we’ll have an hour to spare. We’ll make it,” Stella pointed outside the window. “Look—we’ve already arrived in Doff City.”
“…”
The carriage arrived at the city lord’s mansion.
The guarding soldiers surrounded it—approaching the city lord’s mansion without permission could fully land one in prison.
“T-This…?” The coachman was somewhat nervous.
However, as the carriage door opened and Stella appeared before everyone, the tense atmosphere vanished.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess!”
The soldier captain stepped forward and saluted Stella.
“Why have you come late at night? We were truly rude earlier!”
“I’ve come to find the city lord.” Stella replied.
“The city lord, he…” The soldier captain hesitated.
“What’s wrong?”
“The city lord isn’t in the mansion right now!”