“So, what do you think? Would you rather be a snitch or…my collaborator?”
Elea said, the corners of her mouth slowly curling upward.
She flashed a playful, charming smile.
True to her title as the “Pearl of East County,” even in a situation like this, her smile made Loki feel his heart skip a beat.
In that moment, the second son of Baron Curry seemed to see dazzling gems and piles of gold before his eyes.
“I…I can’t betray Brother Nolan,” Loki said through gritted teeth, holding onto his principles.
“Fine then~ If you’re not willing to cooperate, I’m sure your dear older brother, Loken, would be more than happy to keep you at home and take your place in this event, joining the Blue Raven Mercenary Group as my insider~”
Elea shrugged, speaking with an air of indifference.
Ugh!
Despicable!
Absolutely despicable!!
This woman…!
Loki nearly ground his teeth to dust in that moment!
If he hadn’t been weakened by the earlier shocks, he’d have jumped down and bitten this vile woman to death!
What should he do?
What could he do?
Think, think fast…maybe agree for now and secretly tell Brother Nolan later?
Yes, this was just a temporary compromise!
A strategic move!
Not betrayal…
Once he got out of this situation and found Brother Nolan and Mr. Blue Raven to explain, they’d surely understand!
Just as Loki, thinking this, was about to speak…
“No need to make things so complicated~ Nolan Seredon is my cousin, after all. If I wanted to join this event, a single word would get me the safest spot and the best rewards~”
He suddenly heard the wicked woman say this.
Huh?
Brother Nolan…is the Bloodflower Demon’s cousin?
“Young Master Loki, didn’t you know that our lady’s mother, before marrying the Marquis, was a Seredon?”
Yumina tilted her head, looking puzzled at the stunned Loki on the cross.
Cousin…what kind of joke is this?!
Then why kidnap me?!
Just go talk to him directly!!
The more Loki thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved he felt, but his pride as a man kept him from letting tears fall.
“Ahem, the reason I didn’t go straight to Cousin Nolan is that I don’t trust that Blue Raven, and I want to see…what exactly he’s hiding in his gourd. You’re the same, aren’t you?”
Elea crossed her arms, her eyes glinting with amusement as she looked up at the dangling Loki.
“I…yeah.”
Though he desperately wanted to bite her, Loki ultimately nodded.
He indeed didn’t trust Blue Raven, only Nolan.
It was because of Nolan’s request that he joined this operation in the first place.
Becoming a transcendent was one thing, but more importantly…he didn’t feel at ease letting Nolan take risks alone.
“So~ our goals don’t conflict, do they?”
Elea snapped her fingers with a smile, and Yumina stepped forward to untie Loki from the cross.
“I won’t harm my own cousin, and you want to keep an eye on Mr. Blue Raven. We can totally achieve a win-win situation…right?”
“We can work together—one in the open, one in the shadows. That way, we can better keep Blue Raven from causing trouble~”
Huh?
That…actually makes sense…
“You’ve got a point.”
“Then~ let’s work together~”
Elea extended her hand with a smile, leaving the freshly freed Loki a bit flattered.
“Oh…I should be the one saying that. Let’s work together.”
She’s…actually pretty easy to get along with, huh?
Loki nodded instinctively, but the moment their hands clasped, he felt an overwhelming sense of unease.
Was he forgetting something?
What was it…?
“So…this is our little secret, okay~?”
The white-haired girl placed a slender finger on her soft lips, her eyes twinkling with a smile as sweet as honey.
“I won’t tell your brother about you, and you won’t tell anyone about me…”
“Of course! My lips are sealed!”
Wait…why does that phrase feel so familiar…?
Dazed and disheveled, Loki stumbled out of the building onto the street.
The sudden breeze felt a bit noisy, as if he were in another world.
Was it…getting colder today?
That’s…it?
Jenny stared blankly at the limping figure of Young Master Loki as he walked away, her mouth opening, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Hey!”
Elea turned her head and nudged the still-prone goddess’s backside with her foot.
“Ugh~ Stop it, hehe…I am…the Supreme~”
This girl…had she actually fallen asleep while knocked out from the shock?
What a talent.
Elea instinctively facepalmed, then slowly crouched down, pinching Vail’s nose with one hand and covering her mouth with the other.
“Um…Y-Young Lady…you’re not actually the second daughter of Baron Litang, are you?”
Jenny asked hesitantly, stepping forward, her eyes flickering with unease as she looked at Elea.
Nolan’s cousin, the daughter of the Marquis’s wife—who else in Crystal City could it be?
It could only be the “Pearl of East County,” the “Bloodflower Demon,” Miss Elea Bartios!
As a girl striving to shine in Crystal City’s noble social circles, Jenny was well aware of what the “Pearl of East County” represented.
She was the only daughter of the Marquis, the center of East County’s noble power and entrusted with great responsibilities by His Majesty—the lawless Bloodflower Demon.
Although this young lady never participated in any social events, claiming, in her own words, that she had “no interest and no need,” her presence in the social scene was almost nonexistent as a result.
But whenever she did appear at a banquet, she was undeniably the star of the show.
“Not bad. Follow me from now on~”
Elea tilted her head, her red eyes fixed on Jenny, making her feel a bit flattered.
“Eh?! Is that okay?”
Such a simple, casual sentence was enough to change Jenny’s entire future!
To think I could become Miss Elea’s follower?!
This was…almost too fantastical!
“When the Young Lady asks a question, you only need to answer ‘willing’ or ‘unwilling’~”
Yumina reminded her from the side.
“Of course I’m willing! I’m willing to follow the Young Lady, through fire and water, without hesitation!”
Jenny quickly dropped to one knee, expressing her loyalty.
This wasn’t just a whim on Elea’s part.
The old Elea had been arrogant and domineering, believing that no one, aside from her parents and brother, was worthy of her attention or friendship.
It was a rather childish mindset, an arrogance that dismissed all the heroes of the world as beneath her.
But the current Elea was completely different.
She had realized that she had very few people she could truly rely on.
Yumina was excellent at handling her daily needs, but gathering intelligence was honestly a bit beyond her capabilities.
As for Vail…hah.
So, since she had decided to fully embrace her “Bloodflower Demon” persona…shouldn’t she also have some loyal lackeys and henchmen?
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