Sophia instinctively picked up the two pieces of clothing.
Looking at the one black and one white undergarment belonging to Selim in her hands, she scowled and strode up to her.
“Who would want things like these from you?!”
She practically shoved the clothes back into Selim’s hands as if throwing them.
“If it were mine, would you want them?”
At these words, Selim’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Eh? Really? I’d love to.” Before she finished, several translucent Soul Tentacles appeared out of thin air and swiftly climbed up along Sophia’s legs.
The sudden attack caused Sophia’s legs to go weak, as any woman’s might, but as a seasoned Demon Hunter, she was battle-hardened.
Suppressing the bizarre tingling sensation, she instantly gathered her magic at the edge of her palm, forming a knife-hand and slashed down hard just before the tentacles could succeed!
Pulling her undergarments back up, Sophia glared at the innocent-faced Selim, cheeks burning.
“You…shameless.”
Selim pursed her lips, as if deeply wronged, her voice tinged with accusation: “But it was you who…”
“Besides, isn’t exchanging Friendship Gifts between friends a common thing?”
“Friends exchange these kinds of things?” Sophia clenched her teeth, furious. “And you’re clearly stealing!”
“Eh? Don’t they?” Selim covered her mouth in surprise, as if hearing something unimaginable. “I didn’t know that, Miss Sophia, I’m sorry…”
As she spoke, Selim gently lifted her shirt, baring her smooth, flat belly completely to Sophia.
“What are you doing now?!” Sophia exclaimed in shock.
“When apologizing to a friend, you have to properly expose your belly. Isn’t that obvious common sense?”
While speaking, Selim used her Soul Tentacles to lift herself up, displaying her stomach even more clearly to Sophia.
“That’s not common sense at all!” Sophia had reached her limit and forcefully pressed Selim’s shirt back down. “You actually believe such a fake ‘common sense’?!”
“Eh? It’s not?” Selim blinked in confusion. “Then… giving boots and socks worn all day to a friend is fake too?”
Hearing this, Sophia looked at Selim, losing all desire to argue. Instead, her expression grew complicated.
“Which friend of yours taught you all this? This is blatant crime!”
“I never had any friends before…” Selim’s eyes lowered, her voice just right with sorrow.
“I read all these things in books, lots of books say so.”
Sophia pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache. “Throw away all those ridiculous books! In the future, have your mother teach you some proper common sense…”
“She died.” Selim’s voice was eerily calm, as if stating the most ordinary fact. “I’d never even met her before she died.”
Sophia was instantly choked up, her lips opening and closing, but no sound came out. After a long while, she finally managed in a hoarse voice: “Then Duke York Nutrisk…”
“Duke York Nutrisk, my lord father?” Selim lifted her head, recalling, “I haven’t seen him in years, really… I’ve almost forgotten he’s my father.”
“No wonder…” Sophia muttered to herself in a voice only she could hear. Her gaze towards Selim unconsciously softened with sympathy.
In her past life as a member of the Imperial Guard, she had comrades who fought alongside her.
After reincarnating, she was adopted by the chief of the Demon Hall, the old man more or less acted as a father figure as she grew up, and inheriting his legacy, she was already content.
But now, in Sophia’s eyes, Selim’s circumstances seemed even more pitiful than her own.
“Listen,” Sophia’s tone softened, “true friends aren’t like you imagine.” She decided to correct Selim’s absurd ideas.
Catching the shift in Sophia’s tone and the hint of pity in her eyes, Selim knew her little plan had worked.
Happily, she cupped Sophia’s hands and said, “Really? That would be wonderful if you could teach me.”
“After all, you seem like someone with lots of friends.”
Now it was Sophia’s turn to fall silent.
Her relationships with most people were distant at best. She’d just said she’d teach Selim about real friendship, but in reality, she had no friends at all.
But under Selim’s expectant gaze, there was no way she could bring herself to admit it.
You dare to ask, I dare to teach.
“Well…of course,” Sophia forced herself to say, “after all, the more friends…the more paths. True friends help each other…”
“With money!”
Is that right?
They really were two of a kind, a dragon meeting a phoenix.
Selim heard this answer and couldn’t help but roll her eyes inwardly. This little money-grubber was beyond help.
No wonder she couldn’t make any friends; if no Player came to win her over, she’d surely be alone forever.
But somehow, Selim liked her more this way.
“So that’s how it is?” Selim put on a look of sudden enlightenment.
“Yes, that’s right, exactly so!” Sophia answered firmly, as if stating some absolute truth.
“But I don’t have any money at all.” Selim shrugged, showing she simply couldn’t meet Sophia’s needs.
“Aren’t you a noble? Isn’t this whole Estate your Inheritance?” Sophia was skeptical.
“Me?” Selim pointed at herself, then shook her head. “I haven’t completed my Coming-of-Age Ceremony, so I haven’t fully inherited anything, and have no rights to manage any property.”
“Then…what about valuables? Information? You must have those at least?”
“Valuables?” Selim thought for a moment. “Ah! I know something perfect for you. I’ll give it to you as a Friendship Gift.”
“What is it?” Sophia pressed.
“Want to know?” Selim smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see when we get it.”
Now that she’d calmed down and looked back, Sophia realized that although Selim had pressured her at first, she hadn’t actually lost anything.
Based on everything she knew, Selim was just a girl warped by a twisted environment—having a few secrets was only normal. Didn’t she herself have secrets?
“Sigh, whatever,” Sophia finally gave up on interrogating her. “I knew this was a losing deal.”
“Trust me,” Selim vowed confidently, “I never lie to friends. It’ll be a real surprise.”
What Selim had promised Sophia was, in the original timeline, Sophia’s own treasure. Only she could truly unlock the equipment’s potential.
Selim believed Sophia would love that Friendship Gift, and she herself wouldn’t need to pay much.
It was the perfect deal.
“Alright, I’ll trust you just this once,” Sophia said helplessly, pointing to the clothes in Selim’s hands. “But could you at least put those on first?”
“Oh, alright.” Selim took one piece in each hand and grinned, “Which would you like to see me wear, the black or the white?”
“It doesn’t matter at all! Whatever!” Sophia snapped.
A sly, satisfied smile crept onto Selim’s lips. With the aid of her Soul Tentacles, she deftly put on the white one again.
“Well, shall we—”
She had just spoken.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three light taps came from the door, followed by Eric the butler’s steady voice through the wood: “Ladies, Prince Charles invites you both to join him in the dining hall.”
“Mm, understood.” Selim called out in reply.
At the mention of “Prince Charles”, a cold, murderous intent surged up in Selim’s heart, but she didn’t show it at all. She slowly got up and sat quietly in her wheelchair, gesturing to Sophia.
Sophia understood, and pushed her toward a banquet that was impossible to avoid.