Chapter 160: Florence

“Florence?”

Holding the wine glass with both hands, Roman tilted his head slightly in curiosity.

“That’s right.”

Maria held her wine glass in one hand, her other hand twirling the slightly curled red hair beside her.

Accustomed to disguising herself, she suppressed the restlessness in her heart, doing her best to ignore Roman—who, to her, was as tempting as a cake—and maintained a polite distance.

“Florence is the capital of our Kingdom of Lensa. Though its security can’t compare to Saint City Osiris, in terms of prosperity, it’s on par—each city has its own unique charm.”

When Maria said this, her beautiful legs beneath her black evening dress shifted, the elegant high heels changing positions in Roman’s line of sight.

The aesthetic refined over years was now far more evident than that of the noble ladies around them.

As she crossed her legs, the fair, toned flesh of her thighs was faintly visible—firm and healthy, with none of the laxness of a soft couch.

Maria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, noticing Roman’s downward glance, and the curve of her lips deepened.

Especially when she saw the absentminded look on his face, she thought, as expected, he’s still just a child.

Their so-called composure is more shyness than real self-control.

Compared to that ‘Dawnfrost’—the White Knight Rosetta—her own ‘Scarlet Rose’ was far less straightforward.

To be able to attend such a banquet in her usual armor, perhaps there was no one else like Rosetta across the entire Continent.

Maria herself, with her own small ambitions, had made many preparations, putting much thought into it.

In the end, when she looked in the mirror, she even felt a bit embarrassed.

After all, at her age, to resort to such unprecedented means to seduce an underage boy—even for someone like her, who cared little for the virtues and boldness of knights—it was a little shameful.

After putting on her delicate black evening dress, she looked like a blooming black rose, the fabric wrapping tightly around her body and making her naturally pale skin appear even more so.

Mm… It especially emphasized her full, maternal bosom—the white, creamy skin and deep cleavage dazzling together.

This was a decision she made only after much consideration, as she didn’t understand children, but instinctively felt that their nature would make them fascinated by such things.

Elegant, mysterious, sensual, graceful—any number of adjectives could be applied to her tonight.

Although she didn’t know why Rosalind was willing to help cover for her and hold back that possessive Saintess Highness, as long as the outcome was good, that was enough for Maria.

She was confident she could leave a deep impression on this Saint Son tonight.

Holding her wine glass elegantly, savoring the rich flavor, Maria hid her expression and thought.

For now, the results were satisfactory.

Just as she felt a faint sense of pride, Roman was also quietly observing her.

There was no denying that Maria’s efforts had been effective—for instance, when she revealed her thigh, it reminded Roman of the firm body of Roshiya, honed by training.

As for other aspects… to be honest, Roman’s impression was not particularly strong.

After experiencing Lady Catherine’s creamy skin, his immunity to mature women had greatly increased.

But Maria still left him with a powerful impression.

That was, when she stood beside him, it felt as if a bottomless black hole—endless and unfathomable—stood at his side.

Danger.

That was his strongest impression of this Maria knight.

Yet within that danger, there also seemed to be opportunities he needed, making Roman hesitant.

“Is that so? Could you tell me what kind of city Florence is?”

Holding his glass of juice, Roman took a sip and asked softly.

His expression was composed, his gaze focused, as if deeply interested in Maria’s words. Maria set her wine glass down and began to explain.

“Simply put, Florence is the artistic heart of the Continent. It is the city of romance, the city of fashion—home to the most beautiful women, the most handsome men, the most renowned artists, opera singers, dancers, and more. Every night, gatherings even livelier than the daytime take place, and the brilliance of lights has long been a daily sight.”

“For those with artistic souls who love to indulge, Florence is nothing short of paradise in this world.”

Maria spoke with heartfelt emotion.

In truth, she was only describing the beautiful side of Florence.

It was indeed the city of romance, but at the same time, it was a city overflowing with material desires—glittering on the outside but rotten within.

The more dazzling its appearance, the more filthy and corrupt its insides.

The so-called artists there could be so perverse that even a battlefield Valkyrie like her would shake her head.

Of course, family shame should not be aired in public—Maria would never share such things with Roman now.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know much about art.”

Roman first showed a look of longing, then smiled.

“I don’t understand art either, but I love the opera performances and art exhibitions that run day and night there. If I have the chance, I’d truly like to take you to see them.”

“Perhaps you simply haven’t been exposed to these things. Who knows? Maybe dormant artistic talent runs through your blood, just waiting for the right moment to awaken.”

Maria finished with a smile, raising her glass for a toast.

Roman clinked his glass with hers lightly, only then realizing his juice was nearly gone.

“Let me refill it for you.”

Maria picked up a nearby wine bottle, wiping the cap with her thumb, and it popped off with a soft sound.

“You’re still a child—I’ll mix in some juice for you to drink.”

She also thoughtfully picked up a jug of juice from the side.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Roman replied with a polite smile, though he still felt a bit uneasy inside.

If he remembered correctly, his constitution was such that even a sip of alcohol could knock him out. Maria’s gesture didn’t mean much to him in that sense.

But now, as an extraordinary being, he could use magic to neutralize the alcohol if necessary, so he simply watched as Maria poured a little alcohol into his glass, most of it still juice.

However, he didn’t notice that as Maria poured the wine, her hand on the glass silently infused a faint red light into the liquid.

They devoured the juice that reduced the purity of the alcohol, turning it into the purest liquid, while silently preserving the flavor of juice—it was a painstaking effort.

“Here you go.”

Maria smiled as she handed over the glass.

Roman took it, but didn’t drink right away, placing it aside instead.

“What’s wrong? Does it not suit your taste?”

Maria asked calmly.

Roman shook his head.