A biting flash of blade light swept from the roof of the sleeping quarters; the speed of the attacker was so great that everyone was caught off guard.
But there was one exception—the imperial princess targeted by the attack.
"Clang—"
An elven straight-edged sword glowed with a piercing light, but the blade did not result in the expected carnage of flying flesh.
The short sword Charlotte drew from her waist parried the lethal strike just in time. She even had the leisure to tilt her head during the clash, seeing eyes like molten gold and pointed ears that were not human.
"Ho... An elf. I didn't know an elven hero would appear in your palace. Is this some kind of welcoming ceremony for the Qingxi Kingdom?"
The imperial princess looked at Faust and smiled. "If it is, then I must look upon your kingdom with more respect. This greeting etiquette is truly unconventional."
Flames seemed to flow within her glazed pupils: "And if it's not, do you mind if I help dispose of this riffraff?"
Faust was shielded behind Viviana. In that split second, Viviana had layered barrier after barrier around him.
Though the spells weren't particularly sophisticated or complex, under the enhancement of 【one night's dream】, Faust didn't feel the slightest aftershock from the full-power strike of the two powerhouses.
The prince of Qingxi frowned, his gaze shifting between the princess and the elf, unable to understand the cause of the conflict.
Charlotte and Mystoria shouldn't even know each other!
This princess had only appeared during the imperial civil war, and though Mystoria had been famous for a long time and had traveled through the empire, she had already returned to the Zhexuan Kingdom long before the civil war broke out.
Precisely because he knew the two had no intersection, Faust had openly brought Charlotte here. Yet the elf martial saint had hissed the moment she saw the princess and immediately drawn her blade.
This brief, instantaneous attack held nothing back, fully demonstrating the strength of a legendary hero. Had the imperial family's 【Radiant King】 power not been so abnormal, Charlotte's head would have been taken.
Faust: "Teacher Mystoria, what is the meaning of this?"
The elven lady glanced at the prince of Qingxi, then looked again and blinked. Her sharp gaze immediately became clear: "Are you not being held hostage?"
So she thought I was being threatened?
Faust didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Of course not. How does it even look like that?"
Mystoria withdrew her blade and glanced at Charlotte, apologizing flatly: "Sorry, I was a bit impulsive. I slashed out instinctively. My intuition told me... you are dangerous."
The princess elegantly sheathed her short sword, maintaining her usual smile: "Forget it. I'm used to sudden attacks. After all... who told me to enjoy such blessings?"
The imperial princess magnanimously let the matter drop, not even intending to demand an explanation.
When Faust looked over, he saw Charlotte pinch a strand of her sky-blue hair and give him a wink.
The hint was clear enough; it was the 'dragon scent' on Charlotte that had provoked Mystoria. Seeing how practiced she was, she must have been used to it.
With the misunderstanding resolved, the elven lady left with her sword. The empire's diplomatic mission was also led to the sleeping quarters to rest by the maids.
Even though Mystoria had aimed for Charlotte's head with lethal intent, neither side took it to heart, as if it were just a trivial interlude.
This attitude left Faust completely baffled. They were far too temperamental; if he hadn't known them beforehand, he would have thought they were acting together to prank him.
Something was wrong, very wrong.
Faust returned to his bedroom, lost in thought.
"Your Highness, tonight with that imperial princess... did you really only discuss the alliance?"
Before leaving, Viviana finally couldn't help but speak up.
In her state as a royal guard knight, the blonde girl was usually silent and reserved, especially when Faust was handling business. Unless she was asked directly, Viviana would not speak.
But today was truly different. Faust had unexpectedly sent her away to have a secret discussion for a long time.
She didn't care about the classified information; she simply instinctively sensed that the prince was preoccupied, and his brow hadn't relaxed once.
Faust, who was deep in thought, looked up at his childhood friend.
The girl's soft and delicate face bore a heavier melancholy and doubt than usual.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
There was no doubt that Viviana loved him; Faust was completely sure of that. But even though they had shared more than one intimate moment, he still used words like 'like' and 'love' with great restraint.
Because Faust didn't know if he loved Viviana. To be sure, when he searched his heart, he had an undeniable fondness for the girl.
But was this fondness real?
One had to remember that the 【Cinderella】 script had never ended.
Was he falling in love with Viviana under the influence of 'fate,' or was it out of his own free will?
It was precisely because of these concerns that Faust always felt like he was walking on thin ice when dealing with Viviana.
But was this really right? Previously, under the influence of 【Cinderella】, he had viewed Viviana as a tool; now, also because of 【Cinderella】, he was desperately trying to please her while being filled with anxiety over gain and loss.
Damn it! When did I, Faust, become such a fussy, indecisive person?!
A quiet night wind blew past, and the bright moonlight fell upon the bridge of the girl's nose. Faust watched this beautiful and moving scene, took a deep breath, and said seriously:
"Vivian, I like you."
"Um, yes... eh?!"
The blonde girl, who had expected to hear bad news from the prince so she could share his burdens, nodded first and then widened her purple eyes in shock.
"Your Highness?!"
"I don't mean anything else, I just wanted to say you're cute."
Before Viviana could react, Faust quickly shut the door.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Outside the door, Viviana knocked repeatedly. Getting no answer, she paced around and around before finally leaning gently against the crack of the door, whispering lingeringly:
"Goodnight, Your Highness."
Only then did she leave, turning back to look at the door every few steps.
"Hahaha..."
Observing his childhood friend's cute reaction from behind the door, Faust couldn't help but laugh heartily.
This was the first time since their initial meeting that he had teased Viviana like this.
It should have been like this long ago!
At the same time, Mephistopheles' voice of praise came through:
【As expected of you, Faust.】
Faust stretched lazily. "Oh? You’re actually not calling me mean-spirited?"
【Why would I say that? You did well! Wonderful! I thought it would take you much longer to break through this barrier.】
"Stop talking in riddles."
Faust curled his lip and asked, "What did you mean before, saying you didn't make up your mind until you met me?"
【Exactly what I said. I have been waiting for a son of man with enough chance of victory.】
Even without any ornamentation, Mephistopheles' tone was enough to convey its joy:
【A person who is determined to resist fate, but does not care about fate.】
【Whether one loves fate or hates it, whether one blindly defies it or blindly follows it, one will only sink deeper into it.】
【Just as you saw earlier, that elf, under the pull of fate, obediently swung her sword at the princess. And the awakened princess, knowing this, deliberately dissolved the conflict that was meant to happen.】
【But regardless of the choice, it is all within the wheel of destiny... within the great wheel of life. How can you know that your act of resisting fate isn't itself part of the script?】
Faust: "Stop with the nesting dolls!"
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