Hilia gasped in surprise and quickly bowed in apology.
“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you...”
She trailed off, not daring to continue, fearing she would touch upon Xia De's painful past again.
Xia De naturally noticed her consideration. He waved his hand dismissively with a relaxed tone.
“It's fine, don't worry about it. It's just being an orphan; there's nothing I can't talk about. Besides, I've never really felt sad about it because I had the grandpa who adopted me, and the others. They were all good people.”
Seeing that he wasn't downcast at all and remained perfectly calm, Hilia pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.
Then, she reached out to Xia De, opening her arms and saying softly, “I will always be by your side. Now, come into big sister's arms for some comfort.”
Xia De glanced at a certain part of her body, his eyelid twitching. Letting out a couple of awkward laughs, he averted his gaze and said nothing.
Although the elf in front of him was indeed older than him and was the most beautiful woman he had seen in this world so far, her height, which only reached his shoulder, and her tendency to blush at the slightest thing made it impossible for him to view her as an older sister. At most, she was just a young girl.
Hilia felt a sudden warmth in her chest area. She crossed her arms defensively and looked at Xia De suspiciously.
“I feel like you're thinking about something rude.”
For the sake of the elf's pride, Xia De didn't answer her. Instead, he changed the subject.
“So, when are you planning to head back to the elves?”
Hilia walked over to the sofa, smoothed her clothes, and sat down beside Xia De.
“I'll probably stay here for about a week. I need to restock on mana potions, magic tools, and other gear first. I used up almost everything when I was trapped by that giant serpent.”
“Seven days, huh?”
“What's wrong? Don't tell me you can't bear to part with me?”
Hilia leaned slightly toward Xia De, her emerald eyes staring into his with a teasing smile.
As Hilia suddenly drew close, a very pleasant, sweet fragrance wafted into his nose. Having been teased this whole time, Xia De decided to win back a round.
He took Hilia's hand—which was as smooth and white as jade—and looked at her with deep affection.
“Of course. After all, Hilia did say she would stay by my side for the rest of her life.”
“Ah!”
Her heart skipped a beat, and Hilia's lovely face burned hot. She felt her body temperature rising rapidly.
Just then, Xia De quickly pulled back his gaze and laughed out loud.
“Just kidding. There is still an enemy lurking among the elves right now, and as the princess, didn't you say you had to go back and investigate? There's no way I could keep you here forever.”
“Alright, alright. I'll go tidy up the study to use as your room, and then we'll head out for a meal. You can stay here with me for the week.”
Blushing furiously, Hilia lowered her head and let out a soft murmur of agreement.
...
That night, Hilia sat at her desk wearing cute pink pajamas, her pale golden hair cascading down.
On the desk lay a notebook adorned with green leaves, and she kept writing and drawing in it with her head bowed.
If Xia De were present, he would definitely be shocked, because what she was writing was a plan on how to win him over.
Furthermore, none of the actions in the plan would displease him, completely avoiding all his pet peeves. This showed just how well the person who made the plan understood him.
Once she finished writing down the entire plan, Hilia held up the notebook and looked over the contents, swaying her body slightly as she hummed a cheerful tune.
With a smile in her emerald eyes, she muttered to herself, “Hehehe, this is a plan I formulated through constant observation. I'll definitely make you fall head over heels for me.”
Having been neglected since childhood, she had already come to terms with things after experiencing a life-or-death situation. She didn't want to beg for anyone's attention; she wanted to seize her own happiness.
Although she did have a princess's reserve and shyness at first, the moment she saw the look in Xia De's eyes that night, she realized deeply that Xia De carried a painful past. Although he was easy to get along with, his heart had never truly drawn close to anyone.
She knew that when facing someone like Xia De, if she remained hesitant and hid behind her shyness, she would never find a way into his heart, even if they got along wonderfully.
Because of this, she changed her mindset and formulated the Xia De Capture Plan.
She believed that if you liked someone, you should courageously step forward and express your love. She didn't want to be hesitant, only to end up crying when the person she liked was snatched away by someone else.
Hilia lay on the bed, an indestructible determination reflecting in her delicate features.
She made up her mind in silence.
I, Hinaya Kalilaijeno Lia—that is, Hilia—will be an aggressive heroine!
Meanwhile, on an island located an unknown distance away from them.
The island was completely devoid of life, pitch-black, and occupied by countless skeletons. An ominous aura of death and silence permeated the air.
In the center of the island stood an altar, situated in the middle of a massive magic circle. The intricate spell lines on the magic circle were dense and exquisite, emitting a holy aura.
Four figures appeared around the altar, their bodies enveloped in black smoke.
Their faces were obscured; only the glowing red points of light in their eyes could be seen.
“Plutosas is dead.”
One of the figures spoke, their tone so indifferent it was as if they were merely mentioning the death of an ant.
Another black figure nearby spoke up, “What a useless piece of trash. To think we even sent people to rescue it, yet it couldn't even withstand a thousand-year seal.”
A voice drifted from another patch of black smoke, “What exactly happened? With the Demon King's revival imminent, the seal will be broken in just another five years, allowing him to reign over this continent once more. We absolutely cannot afford any complications.”
The last black figure spoke, their voice filled with boundless rage:
“Hmph! Why fear those lowly creatures? If you ask me, we should just launch a war directly and slaughter our way across the entire continent. They'll naturally be too terrified to oppose us then.”
“You brainless fool! Let alone slaughtering everyone, with our current military strength, we would only end up in a mutually destructive war with the human empire. If other races seize that opportunity to strike, what will you do when the Demon King revives?!”
“Who are you calling brainless?! You damn freak! Do you want to fight?!”
“A noble and elegant being like me is different from a barbaric creature like you who only knows how to fight.”
“Enough!”
The black figure who had spoken first barked angrily, putting an end to their bickering. An emotionless voice rang out.
“Taliuno, report on the current situation.”
The second figure spoke, their tone icy and devoid of any emotion.
“Aside from the failure of Plutosas's plan, the plans in all other areas are progressing steadily. The moment the Demon King revives, this world will fall into our hands in an instant.”
Only then did the first majestic voice speak in satisfaction:
“Plutosas's death is of no consequence; it won't affect our plans. However, just to be safe, notify the Seven Sins to stir up some trouble in the Royal Capital to test those humans.”
“Everything for the great Demon King!”
“Everything for the great Demon King!”
The majestic voice swore the oath, and the other three black figures followed suit, their voices filled with boundless fanaticism and excitement.
By the shores of the black island, the surging seawater crashed against the dark reefs, kicking up massive waves. In the center of the island, the four figures shrouded in black smoke fervently swore their oaths as a black sphere of light floated quietly within the altar.
Rate on N.U.
