"Well, well, what a handsome young man. His aura is quite unique too. And look at the three girls with him—each one looks like she stepped right out of a painting. I wonder which families raised such exquisite young ladies."
The noblewoman who had been speaking with Yelena—now known as Wendy—gently covered the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. Her gaze followed Greg's group with great interest as they headed toward the inner section, and she sighed in admiration to Wendy in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Wendy snapped out of her brief daze.
She immediately adjusted her expression, putting on that same gentle and poised smile, and replied softly:
"You're quite right, Countess. That young master and those three ladies certainly possess an extraordinary bearing. They must come from a very prominent family, or perhaps they are distinguished guests from afar."
How careless of me to lose focus just now, Wendy scolded herself inwardly.
She had gone to great lengths to establish a connection with the woman before her, Countess Margaret, who held considerable influence among the noble circles of the City of Glory.
The Countess was quite interested in the somewhat mysterious faith of the Goddess of Night.
Wendy hoped to use her as a springboard to quietly sow the seeds of the Goddess of Night's faith into the social circles of the city's noblewomen.
This was her most important mission at the moment; she couldn't afford to be distracted by any accidents.
However, the four people who had just entered the restaurant were simply too striking.
Their appearance, temperament, and attire all spoke of an extraordinary background.
Especially that blonde youth—though he looked young, he possessed an indescribable presence that made him the absolute center of attention, even when surrounded by three peerless beauties.
"If... if I could have the chance to meet them and establish an initial connection... perhaps I could use their power to spread the faith of Night to even broader places."
The thought made her heart race with excitement.
But reason quickly threw a bucket of cold water on her.
She glanced at Countess Margaret, who was still watching Greg's table with interest.
She had only just begun to make progress with the Countess; she couldn't afford to neglect her. Leaving her now to strike up a conversation with strangers would not only be rude but might also undo all her hard work... and yet, the opportunity was rare.
If she missed this chance, who knew when she would encounter them again?
"While I cannot go myself... perhaps..."
Wendy's gaze drifted inconspicuously to her companion beside her, who was still buried in the roast ribs, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
"It's a bit of a risk... but for the sake of the order, it seems it's time to rely on the power of the Vice Bishop again!"
Wendy took a deep breath. While Countess Margaret was still gazing toward Greg's table, seemingly immersed in admiration, Wendy leaned in slightly and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Lady Allie."
"Hmm?"
Allie, with her dark gold hair, finally looked up from her food.
Although there was a bit of grease on the corner of her mouth, her features alone were enough to rival anyone else's.
Allie licked her fingertip and asked vaguely, "What is it? Are you done talking? Can we stay longer? I'm not full yet."
She thought Wendy's conversation with the noblewoman was over and was worried her work meal might end prematurely.
"No, Lady Allie."
Wendy maintained a respectful tone but spoke a bit faster. "Actually, there's another small matter I might need to trouble you with."
Hearing this, Allie didn't even think before saying, "I'll fight, but anything else is off the table."
After saying that, she immediately lowered her head, intending to continue dealing with the remaining food on her plate as if she were afraid Wendy would ask for something that would delay her eating.
"..."
Wendy was silent for a moment, feeling a wave of helplessness at the Vice Bishop's simple and direct way of thinking, though she had expected it.
She steadied herself and decided to play her trump card.
Lowering her voice even further, she spoke with a hint of temptation: "Lady Allie, didn't you often say... that you wanted the Bishop to look at you in a new light?"
Clink.
The silver knife in Allie's hand lightly brushed against the edge of the plate, making a soft sound.
Her chewing stopped.
Wendy nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
As expected, this trick never failed.
Although she had never met the mysterious Bishop and knew nothing of their identity, appearance, or even gender.
According to her deductions, the Bishop had to be a peerless expert with unfathomable strength.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain why every time she mentioned "making the Bishop look at her in a new light," the Vice Bishop—who usually wouldn't sit if she could lie down or work if she could eat—would suddenly become exceptionally proactive and willing to complete troublesome tasks she would normally never touch.
"........."
After a brief silence, Allie looked up again.
She casually wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Her eyes, which always seemed a bit lazy, now held a faint sharp light as she looked at Wendy.
"What do you need me to do?"
Wendy's spirits rose, and she immediately gave her instructions in the most concise way possible.
"It's actually not anything complicated or difficult. I just need you, Lady Allie... to go over there."
She inconspicuously signaled toward Greg's group with her eyes.
"Go and make your face known, and then... it would be best if you could get a general idea of their identities and backgrounds. Nothing too deep, just a touch will do."
Allie looked in the direction Wendy indicated. Her gaze crossed several tables and landed on the four people who had just sat down.
The first things to enter her view were the three beautiful girls with their distinct temperaments; they were indeed very prominent.
But Allie's gaze didn't linger on them for long. Instead, it quickly settled on the blonde youth whose back was toward her, though the profile of his face remained clearly visible.
The moment her eyes touched that figure, Allie froze.
In the span of a second or two, the expression on her face went from confusion to recognition, and finally to a dark, somber look.
Wendy, who was waiting for Allie to give a reluctant nod of agreement before returning to her conversation with Countess Margaret, soon noticed the abnormality in her companion.
She turned her head in confusion, looking at Allie, who was now radiating a terrifying aura.
"Huh? Why is Lady Allie... making that face? Do they have some kind of grudge?"
For the first time, the gentle smile on Wendy's face began to falter, and her heart started to race.
She suddenly began to wonder if her idea just now had accidentally poked a hornet's nest.
Rate on N.U.
