Nowadays, the Kingdom of the Moon's problems were so deep-seated they were almost impossible to fix, and for Her Highness to try and change this country alone was nothing short of a pipe dream.
However, Lola was an orphan herself, and she understood how hard life was for those at the bottom, so regardless of whether Her Highness's plan succeeded or failed, she would support her without hesitation.
Because only she, and only she, could change the status quo of the Kingdom of the Moon!
"Understood."
The sky outside had gradually darkened, and the trial had finally come to an end.
Luo Li nodded expressionlessly.
A hollow feeling lingered in her heart.
Perhaps she really should sleep and let herself recover.
If she couldn't maintain a healthy state of mind, she would never make it to the end!
"By the way, I am meeting Baker tomorrow. Remember to keep it discreet. Also, find me some ordinary clothes so outsiders won't recognize me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lola nodded in agreement. The Saintess would not mention such matters to Nara or Ella, only to her, which made Lola feel the weight of her deep trust.
Pushing up her glasses, Lola felt the burden on her shoulders grow heavy.
Regardless of whether the things Her Highness wanted to do succeeded or failed, the nobles wouldn't dare do anything to the Saintess.
But Lola was different.
As the Saintess's confidante, she would be the first to die, and her death would be the most gruesome.
Therefore, since that day, a certain object had been hidden in Lola's back molar.
It was a poison pill that she could trigger with just a slight movement.
The burst pill was filled with toxins that would be fatal in an instant.
This was her resolve!!
It was also her way of repaying the Saintess's trust.
Only by being prepared to give her life could she be worthy of that trust.
At least, that was what she thought.
Looking at the silver-haired girl who had closed her eyes and fallen into a deep sleep, her face appeared calm and peaceful.
Without her worries, the girl looked more like a figure from a painting, an angel who had descended from heaven to the mortal world.
Lola gently pulled a nearby blanket over the girl and took a deep breath.
"Please rest well, Your Highness."
"Mmm..."
As if talking in her sleep, the slumbering Luo Li let out a soft murmur.
Lola pushed up her glasses, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
She changed into casual clothes she rarely wore and quietly made her way to the Moonlight Bar.
This was the largest tavern in Brilliant City.
The person Luo Li wanted to see was right here.
The moment she entered the tavern, she could smell the thick aroma of malt. It was exceptionally lively these past few days, as many knights coming off the battlefield needed a place to vent, and a tavern was one of the most suitable locations.
There was another place near the West District.
That was where most of the pleasure districts were located.
Lola glanced toward the bar counter and quickly pulled her hat lower.
At the counter, she saw two familiar figures.
Nar and Yuna.
However, Nar didn't seem to enjoy the noisy environment, showing his disgust without reservation.
Yuna, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, a smile playing on her lips.
"What would the guest like to order?"
A waitress dressed in a revealing bunny girl outfit approached Lola and asked softly.
"Give me a glass of water and have your boss come over. I have business."
The bunny girl raised an eyebrow, the smile on her face remaining unchanged.
"Will you wait here, or would you prefer a private booth?"
"A booth."
"Please follow me."
The bunny girl's face maintained its professional smile.
As Lola followed her into a booth in the back, a man stood up and walked toward the bar, making a hand gesture in a dark corner.
Baker narrowed his eyes, stood up, and opened the back door to go directly to the second floor.
As soon as he reached the top, the bunny girl who had led the way earlier walked out of one of the rooms and whispered a report into his ear.
"Dressed as a nun, green hair and eyes, gold-rimmed glasses. It's likely Lola, the rising star by the Saintess's side."
"Good, I understand. Get back to work."
The waitress in the bunny girl outfit took a step back, bowed slightly to Baker, and then left the second floor with elegant, alluring steps in her high heels.
Baker's thick brows furrowed into a tight knot.
"This Saintess's way of doing things is truly unexpected."
Baker clapped his hands three times fast and once slow.
Then, he strode toward the room while several figures appeared behind him to guard the door.
Standing before the door, Baker rubbed his cheeks and pushed his way in with a smile.
"Well now, isn't this my old friend, the Saintess's right hand, the rising star Miss Lola? What brings you to my place today?"
Baker closed the door behind him and clicked the lock shut.
"Baker, I'm not here to joke with you today. Get ready, you are meeting that person tomorrow."
The moment Lola finished speaking, Baker's expression turned solemn, and he stared directly into Lola's eyes with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Does she... really have that kind of resolve!?"
Baker's voice was completely different from before. In this moment, his voice carried a hint of urgency, a hint of anticipation, a hint of fear, and a hint of excitement.
The complex emotions made his voice tremble.
"I've said it before, the current Saintess is the person most likely to change this world in the history of the Kingdom of the Moon! Do not doubt my judgment."
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's that I don't believe her. With such a massive change in her behavior, I have to be careful. You know how many people I have working under me just to earn their bread. If something happens to me, all of them will become beggars."
Baker sat down beside Lola.
"Are they all doing well?"
"They? Oh, they're doing just fine. They don't have to worry about as much as I do. Do you think just anyone can sit in my position? I don't need to tell you how many children there are like us in this Kingdom of the Moon."
"...You've worked hard."
Lola's tone was gentle, an emotion she almost never showed normally.
"It's not hard. As long as you all live well, none of that matters. But back to the point, are you certain?"
Baker shifted the topic back to the previous question.
"I'm not."
It was true; Lola didn't have the slightest certainty. She even felt that the Saintess might die in some accident tomorrow.
Therefore, it was even more important to bring Baker into Her Highness's camp as soon as possible. Only then could they control more information channels!
Only in this way could they break free from the nobles' constraints and use another power to completely balance the Kingdom of the Moon.
Even Luo Li hadn't suspected this part yet.
Lola received information much faster and more accurately than anyone else because Lola and Baker had actually come from the same orphanage.
When Lola was a child, she had received a great deal of care from Baker.
It seemed that Baker had looked after most of the orphans.
And even now, he continued to look after them, even after they had grown into adults.
But society offered them no sense of belonging.
This was a society that prioritized family lineage. The social status of a person without a family could be easily imagined.
No one looked down on these orphans more than the rest of society, even if they were raised with funds from the Temple.
Even craftsmen refused to take these children in.
Only a few lucky ones were adopted by childless families and gained social recognition.
The vast majority of the remaining orphans were never accepted.
Even for general manual labor, people rarely hired them because there was no way to verify their background and no one to act as their guarantor.
Except for him... Baker!
This orphan who didn't even have a surname had single-handedly saved these people who were struggling to survive.
He had done so, day after day, for decades.
Rate on N.U.
