ã€ŠThe Villainess With A Heroine Haremã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The â€™Villainess Systemâ€™ To The Rescue!

    In his first life, he had no name.

    His duty was to protect and obey the crown prince of the kingdom, and his entire life was dedicated to that singr cause. His mind and body were trained to the point where the crown prince did not even need to speak for his will to be obeyed.

    He did not know who he was, or where he came from. Nor was he allowed to ask such questions.

    Countless people who offended the crown prince died by his hands. Many for absurdly mundane reasons, such as not bowing to the overbearing prince ''properly''.

    The ''shadow'' sometimes wondered if their life was truly so worthless. So worthless that it was decided entirely on someone''s whim¡ªsomeone who probably won''t even remember their existence a few momentster.

    In the end, though, even his own ending wasn''t any different.

    The shadow wondered if this was his ''retribution''.

    He died not because he could no longer obey the will of the prince, nor because he was ipetent.

    No, he died because the princess of a superior kingdom stared at his masked face for a little longer than the insecure crown prince liked.

    As his head rolled off, away from the guillotine, the shadow idly wondered if he would be meeting those people he had killed for the prince. Will they hate him? How does it feel... to be hated? How does it feel... to receive someone''s emotions?

    Curiously enough, though, he did not meet those dead souls. Instead, he lived once more.

    Not in the same body, nor in the same world, even. ''He'' was now a baby girl in a world that waspletely different, yet quite simr to his own.

    The roads, the carriages, the swords and the shields, the nobles and themoners... everything worked just like he remembered. Their names may be different, but their goals remained the same.

    Except ''he'' was no longer a nameless shadow, but a genuine princess of the Osmanthian Kingdom.

    The shadow still did not know the love of a father or mother, but he was happy. No longer was he forbidden from ''feeling'', be it a positive or negative emotion. Nor was there anyone to stop him from being anything but a puppet.

    Freedom... tasted good. It had a vor that he never could have imagined, both intoxicating and addictive.

    Not only did he learn how to talk and feel, he even dared to dream. Not for anyone else, but himself.

    His dreams were small, perhaps many would even call them insignificant. Learning how to dance, paint, or simply gazing at the stars for an entire night, lost in his own thoughts. All ''useless'' things that he never would have even dared dream of doing before, now seemed so ''easy''.

    And so, he slowly adapted to his new identity, and epted himself to no longer be some nameless nobody, but ''Princess Emilia'' of the ''Osmanthian Kingdom''.

    Perhaps it was due to her aloof nature from the first life, or her status that separated the princess from the rest, or even abination of both, but she remained alone and without anypanions, even in this life.

    Princess Emilia did not receive much love from her queen mother, nor did she receive any favor from her father, the king. But she became well known throughout thend for her multitude of skills and stunning beauty. All mere byproducts of her small dreams, but the people did not care for that.

    Emilia did not care for their attention to her ever-growing talents, nor did she desire to attract the gaze of the king and the queen. She simply wished to live a fulfilling life, a life full of happiness and joy. Her endless pursuit of knowledge and skills was simply her way of pursuing this ''happiness''.

    As for the fame brought by her beauty, she did not care for that either. Instead, she feared that one day her father the king might send her away as a bride to another kingdom, and her life of freedom will end as either the pet of some prince once more, or as a runaway princess in hiding. Thetter being far more likely, as she was no longer willing to resign herself to fate.

    So, not only did she not care if her body was beautiful, but sometimes even wished she had been born ugly, just so she would be unfit to be married to a prince.

    That all changed when she met ''her''.

    The baker''s daughter, Maeve.

    Maeve was certainly a pretty girl, even by Emilia''s standards. Hermoner clothes and boyish haircut did little to hide her charm.

    But what hooked Emilia''s heart was not her face, but her smile that was as bright as the sun, and her cuteugh that tinkled like little bells in her ears.

    To Emilia, she personified happiness. And from that moment on, Maeve became the center of her world.

    Emilia revolved around her, like an insignificant would revolve around the shining sun, simply hoping to bask in as much of her brilliant light as she could.

    Even the stubborn heart of the baker''s daughter could not resist the sincere pursuit of the beautiful princess.

    Maeveter revealed that she too fell in love with the princess at first sight, though she did not dare express it at that time. And from that moment on, Emilia became proud of her beauty. If not for her beauty, perhaps she would not have been able to attract Maeve at all.

    At least, it would not have been so easy, and she would have missed so many happy moments together with the love of her life.

    After meeting Maeve, she could longer live in her own world, uncaring of others. Instead, she began to dream once more. But no longer were her dreams small and insignificant. No, they were as grand and regal as her love.

    With the support from her lover, she dared to dream of one day seeding her father as the queen, and marrying Maeve to lead the kingdom to a new era. Only this way would she be able to make her truly happy, after all.

    To that end, the two of them worked hand in hand. Raising her reputation, training her in diplomacy and court matters, and getting her involved with various decision-making cogs of the kingdom.

    And against all odds, the day finally came. It came too quickly, and Emilia almost could not believe it when she heard that her father, the king, had finally passed away in his sleep. They said it was due to a sudden outbreak of his old illness. And the one to inherit the throne would be... his only remaining daughter¡ªEmilia!

    And so, ten years after she met the love of her life¡­ the day came that she would finally be coronated as the ''Queen of the Osmanthian Kingdom''.

    Emilia believed that she¡ªwho was loved by most of her subjects, and was now going to be the queen¡ªhad truly obtained all the luck in the world. She thanked every star in the universe for the favor she had been bestowed with, perhaps a little too soon.

    Her lover''s dream was finally fulfilled. Once Emilia became the queen, no one could stop her from marrying Maeve. And in the future, they would lead the kingdom into an age of boundless prosperity, together.

    That day, the happiness in Emilia''s chest was boundless. So boundless, in fact, that it really couldn''t be contained anymore. It escaped along with her bright red blood, leaving her with only emptiness and despair in her now pierced heart.

    "W-Why¡­?"

    Her anguish came not from the impending death, but from the treachery of the one she trusted the most in her life. She loved Maeve so much¡­ so much!

    She loved her so much, that when Maeve asked her to wait until her coronation to consummate their love, she really waited an entire decade! And whenever Maeve asked her to let her handle all sorts of matters, not once did Emilia wonder if something could go wrong.

    Today, however, she realized how stupid she was. If her first life''s tragedy was at the hands of fate, then this life''s tragedy was truly her own doing!

    Because when their future queen was stabbed through the heart on a balcony facing thousands of citizens, what rang in her ears were not cries of outrage and terror, but condemnations¡­ of herself!

    "Death to the viiness!"

    "Kill the murderer!"

    "Kill her! Kill her!"

    Maeve didn''t even bother to answer her lover''s dying plea, and let Emilia copse helplessly on the marbled floor in a pool of her own blood. The pure white coronation gown of the princess slowly turned the same shade of red as her once vibrant hair as she stared at her lover''s indifferent face in disbelief.

    And as her vision faded away, Emilia''s despair slowly turned to rage. A burning fury that she had never felt before in her two lifetimes seemed to tear through her soul, and the ringing of a thousand bells seemed to echo along her thoughts.

    "Why?!"

    "Why am I always the one to dedicate my entire life to someone, only to be thrown away like trash in the end?!"

    "Why is it always me? What did I do wrong?!"

    Her soul seemed to float through the void as these now pointless questions continuously rang through her otherwise empty mind.

    It reminded her of the first time she died. Then, too, she went through the same process. But at that time, she had felt a strong pull, and her soul was eventually encased in a fetus thatter became Emilia.

    The pull this time was weak, too weak. Emilia wondered if she would just be a wandering soul. Perhaps she would be as hopeless after her death as she was in her life.

    "No! No! If there is a next life, I shall never be the one to fully dedicate myself to anyone ever again! And if I like something, it must be grasped tightly in my palm, never to escape! NEVER!"

    Her soul seemed to be in agony as she burned in resentment. "Even if I be a ghost, I must go back to haunt Maeve!"

    And as if her resentment had manifested into a form, a dark shadow embraced her soul gently, and the agony vanished. Emilia felt relieved for only a moment, before doubt filled her mind at the strange phenomena. This hadn''t happened the first time she died, right?

    After quenching the fires of vengeance that had been burning her soul, the shadow allowed her to float out of its embrace.

    It slowly took the form of a human girl, a petite one with fair skin, long raven ck hair, and emerald green eyes.

    She smiled cheerfully, as if to her Emilia''s disembodied soul was no different from a passerby on the street.

    "Hello!"

    And with a wave of her hand, the formless soul slowly changed shape to look like ''Emilia'' before she had been killed.

    Even the white gown she had been wearing for her coronation was back. Although it looked like it was all immaterial, but it still felt shockingly detailed, no different from the real thing.

    "I''m sure you''re wondering who I am. I am the one who found your wandering soul after your first life, and allowed you to reincarnate. Happy to see me?"

    Emilia was stunned for a good few minutes, having never expected such a thing. She didn''t even know if it was true or not, but it''s not like she had any way of knowing.

    "Why¡­?"

    She felt slightly tired, feeling like she had been asking this way too much today. Would the girl even understand her question?

    "Why did I save you? Because I was just curious, I guess."

    "Even though your life was so unjust, you did not hold any resentment at all. Very strange! So I thought, I shall give you another chance and see how you do."

    "I just wanted to see what will happen. But I never thought you would change so much! This time, your life wasn''t even so bad, was it? Tsk tsk, a princess, huh? Of course, I''ll admit that the ending was in bad taste, but still,pared to your first life¡­ it was nothing much, right?"

    Emilia stared nkly at the mysterious girl before giving her a helpless smile.

    "Were you disappointed to know that I''m not some pure soul without negative emotions? I just... did not have anything to be happy about in my first life. When I died, there was no reason to be resentful. It''s really not like I''m so great that I can''t feel it¡­ But this time, this time I¡ª"

    She took a deep breath to calm herself, feeling the pain deep in her soul rise once more. "This time, I have lost so much! I lost¡­ everything. And I don''t even know why!"

    The dark haired beauty blinked innocently. "Ah, is that so... Hm~ Well, what can we do about it now though? Would you like revenge? Ahaha..."

    Emilia did not hesitate at all before nodding. "Yes! If I can, I want to go back and ask her why she did it! Why! And... no matter the reason, I shall punish her myself for what she did to me! And those people too, how can they call me a viiness! I have done so much for the kingdom! So much!"

    The strange girl answered her with a smile full of mirth. "Ohhhh¡­ that sounds pretty viinous to me, you know~ How could you use those poor people? They probably just don''t know any better, right? And if you truly loved that girl, isn''t it natural to forgive her? Heh... Well, what do you think? Anyway, as for sending you back or anything¡­ why should I?"

    "I don''t care if I''m a viin or a hero! Please¡­ you¡­"

    Her resolved seemed to dete after staring at the younger looking girl, and finally she sighed, feeling helpless. "I thank you for helping me earlier, but please don''t toy with me anymore¡­ I''m¡­ tired¡­ If there is no hope for me, then let me go. And if there is any use for this useless soul of mine to you, I suppose you can do as you please. You did already give me another chance to live. It''s entirely my fault that I wasted it."

    The ck-haired girl tilted her head, looking very curious and somewhat suspicious. "Ehhh? You sure?! You know, I wanted to eat your soul earlier, but it won''t digest well if I don''t have the permission, so I was wondering how to trick you, but are you sure you''ll let me have it just like this?!"

    There was a self-deprecating smile on Emilia''s beautiful face, wondering if all she ever existed for was to be used and discarded.

    In her first life, it was the prince who used her as a disposable bodyguard and then had ''him'' beheaded. In her second life, it was her ''beloved'', though she probably never loved her at all. And now, finally, it was this girl who came to her in the loneliness of the void.

    "Do as you wish¡­ go ahead¡­"

    And so, the two of them stared at each other nkly for what seemed like hours, neither making a move.

    Emilia truly did wish to know why Maeve betrayed her, and she also wished to have her vengeance. She truly yearned to have another chance at life, too. Another chance to be happy, perhaps. But she did not have any right to ask this girl for another favor now, and she had nothing to bargain with anyway.

    The ck-haired girl finally moved towards her, and Emilia closed her eyes as she saw the girl open her mouth and move towards her head.

    She wondered what it would feel like, to be consumed. Would it hurt more than she died? Would it hurt deep inside her soul, more than when she was forsaken by the one she loved so much?

    In the end, nothing happened for too long, and Emilia opened her eyes to see that the girl had moved back a little further away and was looking at her with a bored expression.

    "Took you long enough? Anyway, since you''re such a revenge seeking selfish viiness now, you should be happy to know that I''m also known as ''The Viiness System''! Aren''t we a match made in heaven?!"

    Emilia opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.. In her two lifetimes, she had never once heard something so absurd. "You''re the what¡­?"

 Chapter 2 - Become One

    "You''re the what¡­?"

    The girl squinted her gem like green eyes, looking insulted. "The Viiness System! A perfect match for a viinous youngdy like you! If you be my partner and help me with some missions, who knows, maybe we can even go back to the world you just died in. Weren''t you moring about it just a few moments ago?"

    Did she dare to hope? Turns out she was quite daring indeed, as Emilia felt hope reignite in her heart. "Really? Is that really true?!"

    The dark-haired girl looked nonchnt, as if doing this much was not a big deal to her at all. "Of course."

    Emilia pounced on the emerald eyed girl before she could respond, wrapping their soul bodies together as both sorrow and joy coursed through her being.

    "Thank you¡­ thank you¡­"

    The girl patted her awkwardly. "Well, don''t make me feel weird now. We''re going to be partners, so you can''t act like a damsel in the future, not like this, okay? Be a proper viiness, or you''ll make me look bad! And you can call me Cynthia from now on."

    Emiliaughed, still feeling a little choked with emotion. Just a few moments earlier, she truly thought it was over for her.

    How pathetic it would have been if she couldn''t be really happy even with two lifetimes full of chances, and it ended just like that? Thankfully, ''Cynthia'' had saved her not once, but twice. If she still failed, she really deserved whateveres her way!

    And regardless of her purpose and whatever use she made of her now, at least Cynthia was being somewhat upfront with her. So, her gratitude to this girl that also called herself ''The Viiness System'' was true and deep.

    Cynthia grasped her gently, and after a while their existence seemed to warp and disappear from the empty ne. Before long, the two of them appeared again on what looked like a lush hilltop with a single straw hut surrounded by endless forests.

    Emilia followed the ck-haired girl silently into the hut. It wasn''t as destitute on the inside as it looked from the outside. In fact, it looked quite simr to the room she was used to in her first life as a guard. Not luxurious by any means, but certainly livable.

    Cynthia climbed on top of the bed and looked quite rxed with her legs folded, and the redhead felt a little awkward but imitated her shortly after. After living for so long as a princess, it felt slightly awkward for a few moments before she put it out of her mind.

    The self-proimed viiness system tapped her knee with her forefinger, as if wondering where to begin.

    "Alright, so I''ll be straight with you here. I''m in dire straits, almost out of energy, and close to blinking out of existence myself. Not to worry though, I can still afford to prepare us for the most basic mission! But if you fail, both us are out of luck."

    The redhead nodded solemnly, feeling a little heavier that before. "But what am I even supposed to do?"

    "Wait¡­ I''ll try to exin it¡­"

    She cleared her throat before pointing her finger at Emilia''s chest. "Let''s first start by formal bonding."

    It was sudden and unexpected, and Cynthia did not give her any time to prepare at all. Screams echoed from the hut as Emilia panicked when the other girl''s form vanished from in front of her, seemingly squeezing right into her chest.

    Then, an excruciating pain took over her entire being as she faded in and out of consciousness.

    Ding!

    ¡ªWee to the Viiness System!

    ¡ªPhysical form not found, generating body based on Void Form.

    Warning! Energy Reserve: 3.26% -> 1.26%

    ¡ªImparted ''Void Form'' cultivation method. Current rank is ''Void Initiate''!

    ¡ªLearned Viiness System Special Ability: Shapeshift! (Cooldown: 8 hours)

    ¡ªLearned innate ability ''Follower Summoning'': Summon a follower for up to 8 hours in each world.

    Warning! Energy Reserve: 1.26% -> 1.01%

    It felt like years before it was over, but she was not actually clear of the passing of time. All she knew was that she had a physical body once more. And Cynthia and Emilia were now one. Cynthia could talk to her from her ''inner world'', and she will be apanying her this way to her missions.

    As for this body, although it looked exactly like the one before she died, she knew that it wasn''t the same. Because this body could take the form of anyone¡ªan essential skill of the viiness system.

    ''Shapeshift'' ¡ª The ability to morph parts of her body any way she liked. The total mass could not be too different, but otherwise it had few other limitations. The long cooldown limited some of its uses, but Emilia was sure it could still prove very useful, in more ways than one.

    Cynthia then transferred quite a bit of information rted to the ''Void Form'' directly into her mind, and the redhead took a while to digest it all.

    She just needed to gain a basic understanding of the void form to use ''shapeshift'' and ''follower summoning'', as she didn''t have any energy to cultivate with anyway, so it didn''t take her long.

    After that, Cynthia started briefing her about how the energy they consume will be harvested from various world wills, and how exactly they would go around harvesting it.

    Although it didn''t really matter to Emilia, she still felt the need to ask. "Is this ''world will'' thing really that bad?"

    Cynthia''s annoyance was palpable, and she could feel it flowing out of her inner world in waves. "Very bad! If I could, I would destroy all the world wills! They''re parasites that have leeched off the power that did not belong to them, and use it to y with people in their world like toys! They make stories and manipte the will of the people within for entertainment!"

    That only served to confuse the redhead more. "Oh¡­?"

    Cynthia''s voice was a little ufortable, as if she hoped for Emilia to ept what she was saying without digging into it much deeper. "Don''t you get it? As long as the ''world will'' exists, there is no ''free will'' in that world! Even if they are free one moment, the people can be puppets to the world will at any time!"

    Emilia was of course willing to amodate Cynthia and not dig too deep, because this girl was her benefactor for two lifetimes. However, there were still some things that she needed to know to be able to perform her best.

    In her mind, Cynthia may call herself a ''Viiness System'' and preach all she wants, but this girl was surely dumb in some way. Otherwise, she would not be in such poor condition, depending on the person who had failed two lifetimes!

    However, even if she had failed before, Emilia vowed that she would not let this dumb girl down this time. If she knew a little more, perhaps she could figure out something that this airhead missed?

    "That doesn''t sound good. But how is destroying the so called plot going to do anything at all? Won''t the ''world will'' juste up with another story and y with different people even if we manage to ruin it once?"

    It''s good that Cynthia wouldn''t directly read her mind and vite her privacy, and only the thoughts she projected towards her explicitly went through. She definitely wouldn''t look so smug if she knew she was just thought of as a dumb girl and an airhead.

    "Fufufu¡­ you think so because you don''t understand. The ''world will'' seems mighty but has a very fragile ego. It''s not that difficult topletely shatter it! As long as youplete the missions and destroy the plot, we should be good. And once a world will is destroyed, guess who''s going to be feasting on all that energy?"

    Emilia tilted her head, thinking it was quite obvious. "The two of us?"

    Cynthia''s tone made her seem like she was talking to an idiot. "No¡­ it''s just you! Don''t forget we''re partners now, sharing our fate for all eternity. I''m toozy to cultivate myself, I keep getting weaker with time. So I''ll be depending on you, partner! Use that energy to break through!"

    The redhead was truly dumbfounded this time. "No wait, what? You mean¡­ you''re going to just sit and watch?"

    No wonder! This girl wasn''t just dumb¡­ she was a sloth!

    "Ruuude! I''ll help you and guide you! Humph. Where would you be without me?"

    Well, she can''t refute that. Regardless of anything else, she did save Emilia''s life twice already.

    "Oh, no need to get mad like that. Anyway, what''s with this ''Follower Summoning'' skill? I don''t really have any followers, right? Will I get some after missions?"

    She could feel Cynthia stomping petntly in her inner world.

    "Ohh¡­ I''m too tired of exining already. Can''t you just pop open the panel and look through it yourself first? Ask me only if you don''t understand!"

    Emilia waited for a few moments before calling her again, just to see if she could. "Cynthia?"

    "What?"

    Uh oh, her groggy voice sounds quite annoyed. "Oh nothing, just checking to see if you were sleeping!"

    There was loud bang in her mind, making Emilia flinch. She wondered nervously, did her poor system explode?

    "You¡­! I guess you''re really worthy of the viiness system, destroying my peace of mind like that for no reason! Anyway, I''m trying to focus here, and if you disturb me for no reason this time, I shall proceed to scream directly in your mind until I''m tired!"

    The redhead felt a chill down her spine at the thought. She was just messing around, but seems like Cynthia really got angry. She didn''t know why she felt so much like teasing her, but decided not to do it for a while.

    "Ahem, Status?"

    [ Emilia : Void Initiate ]

    ¡ª Shapeshift (Cooldown: 8 hours).

    ¡ª Follower Summoning (Summoning Duration: 8 hours).

    ''What the hell¡­ there''s literally less information here than there was while I was bonding?''

    She was quite disappointed, but kept looking through various empty tabs. Even after looking around for a while, all she could discover was that her next cultivation rank was ''Void Disciple'', and that each time she climbed ranks she would not only increase her follower summoning duration, but also gain a new ability. But that''s all useless for now, right?

    "Cynthia¡­?"

    Although she couldn''t hear a response, Emilia knew that not only was Cynthia awake, she was fully prepared to start screaming. If she was really messing around again, it wasn''t yet decided who would be more annoyed at the end!

    Thankfully she actually wasn''t messing around, and her dear partner shouldn''t be so mad. "Ahem, so, I wanted to ask, when exactly are we leaving?"

    ''Is she going to explode? No? I guess not.''

    Seems like Cynthia was a bit more reasonable than she thought. Emilia felt a little funny as she thought how perhaps this self-proimed viiness system was actually even less of a viiness than herself. The more she talked with her, the more she felt the urge to tease her.

    Maybe this really was the perfect ce for her.

    Cynthia sounded like she was only half listening to her. "Not yet, wait¡­ It''s not so easy finding the perfect world for a mission. It needs to be weak enough for us, and then I will scour through its timeline to see if the plot looks reasonable enough for us to interfere in. Even after that, I have to convince the viiness in that world too. And if I mess up any of these steps, I have to start over and waste more energy, which by the way we''re very short of!"

    Well¡­ looks like it was a lot moreplicated than she was expecting. It must be excruciating for a cker to have to work so hard, right?

    "That seems like a lot of work¡­ can I help?"

    Cynthia''s voice was noticeably softer this time. "Not yet, but it''ll all depend on you once we start the mission, okay? Just wait."

    Emilia nodded generously. She actually felt a lot morefortable doing as many things by herself as she could, especially after Maeve''s betrayal. "Alright¡­ Don''t worry, I''ll do my best not to let you down."

    A cheerful and loud cackling echoed in her mind in response.

    "Kekeke, that''s my partner, so dependable! Be confident. A viiness can be annoying, despicable or evil, but she definitely can''t be disappointing!"

    And after that she fellpletely silent. The redhead didn''t disturb her either, knowing how important it was to not end up wasting their almost emptied out energy reserves. If she wants to keep teasing Cynthia for a long time, she needs to figure out what the right timing is to not cause explosions!

    Emilia was starting to feel slightly lonely, just sitting on the bed in silence for almost two hours when Cynthia''s voice finally came to her once more.

    "I found something¡­ Next time I''ll let you choose but we''re poor so let''s just go with this one?"

    The redhead felt the need to console her, thinking that this little girl was indeed a little pitiful and poor. "It''s alright, don''t feel bad."

    "Humph, w-who feels bad? I''m a viiness system you know, I don''t feel bad!"

    When she thought about it carefully, Emilia felt slightly dumb. Even if she thought so, she shouldn''t poke at her pride for no reason. "Y-Yeah, I didn''t mean that?"

    Cynthia waved her hand, not minding it anymore. "Of course you didn''t. Anyway, the world we''re going to this time is very small, and the world will is weak.. The ''plot'' it came up with also looks quite dumb, but that''s good for us! Just a bunch of high schoolers and their love drama, fufu. Is my viiness ready to make them cry?"

 Chapter 3 - Danielleâ€™s Misfortune

    Emilia rolled her eyes, feeling that Cynthia was really too obsessed with this whole viiness thing.

    After a brief journey through the void, the two of them appeared in a luxuriously decorated modern room. Emilia briefly gave a sympathetic nod to the distraught looking girl on the bed before she was sent to the ''inner world''.

    This girl was, of course, the ''viiness'' of this world¡ªDanielle White.

    After knowing what the girl was supposed to go through, and that Cynthia had already imparted some fragmented scenes of those events directly into the poor girl''s memory, Emilia really felt sorry her.

    Given that her fate wasn''t exactly good, it could be imagined how much trauma she was going to go through. However, if not for that, it was unlikely that she would so obediently make way for them.

    "Will she be alright in there all alone? It''s gonna take us a while, after all."

    Her question was not just because she was concerned the girl would go crazy. She was actually worried about the girl''s physical needs. Unlike her new body that was formed using the ''Void Form'' and did not need to eat or drink, that poor girl was a human who would surely starve to death if left without sustenance for too long.

    "Don''t you worry, I''m not that much of a viin!"

    "So you did arrange food and drinks in there?"

    "¡­ Of course not! Do I look like a saint?!"

    "¡­"

    Cynthia then exined that the passage of time in this world and the inner world was independent, and no matter how long it took them in this world toplete the mission, only eight hours would have passed in the inner world. Of course, as her cultivation increased, this duration would also increase.

    "She won''t die without food or water in eight hours, okay, so don''t you dare nag at me!"

    Emilia could only roll her eyes. When was she nagging? Didn''t she just ask a question?

    She decided not to worry too much about it and walked in front of the ornately bordered full-length mirror.

    ¡ªSkill ''Shapeshift'' has been activated!

    The tall redheaded beauty in the mirror slowly changed to fit the image of the girl who had just disappeared. Her hair color changed from red like threads of fate woven into a cascading waterfall to a soft chestnut brown.

    Her sharp arctic gaze changed to a mellow pool of liquid gold, and her plush full lips changed shape so the top lip was slightly less full. Even her stature was reduced, and her arms and legs became slightly thinner.

    Finally, her skin tone and texture changed to match Danielle''s. The silkiness of her skin was gone, but there was still a youthful glow. And the slight waviness in her hair was gone as well, the now brown tresses bing perfectly straight.

    ¡ªSkill ''Shapeshift'' is now in cooldown: 8 hours remaining.

    Emilia smiled at the mirror, feeling a little awkward when ''Danielle'' smiled back instead of her own reflection. She made a few more movements, trying to get used to her new appearance, but was interrupted by a snicker.

    "Did I just hear youugh?"

    "¡­ I did not."

    Emilia pretended to nod in understanding, making a thinking pose as she tapped her now slightly rounder chin.

    "Okay¡­ Okay, I see how it is. Hm¡­ let''s see now, how slowly can we aplish the missions? Ah, wouldn''t it be nice to take our time and enjoy a wonderful vacation?"

    "¡­ I''m sorry. I won''tugh at you again."

    "Good."

    Emilia carefully picked out a red dress from Danielle''s wardrobe and nodded to herself in the mirror, her previously worn ck gauze nightdress disappearing as she removed it from her body. Alright, now she really looks almost exactly like the girl before.

    "Well then, will my dear system go through the plot for me again?"

    Cynthia had to admit that Emilia was very thorough with her form, despite having made fun of her before. "Sure, so from my understanding¡­"

    The ck haired girl started dictating the plot once more, and this time Emilia closed her eyes and fully focused on absorbing all details.

    It reminded her of the past, as she had done this many times before, whenever she wanted to focus all her ability on learning. All those times, it was Maeve by her side. It was a pity that those beautiful memories were now tainted with the scent of betrayal and hatred.

    Previously she had only listened to the story of this world roughly, but now many missed details became clear.

    Crystal, the heroine in this world, was born in a single parent household. Her mother ran a restaurant that barely made ends meet, and was constantly on the verge of closing down. Aware of their financial situation, Crystal always tried to perform exceptionally in academics and qualify for schrships whenever possible.

    Before high school, her life wasn''t much different from a normal girl. However, that was until she met Amos. Amos ck, the hero and the ''prince'' of the top high school in their city, and the heir to the ''ck Tiger'' corporation. He set his eyes on the hardworking and charming Crystal from the moment he saw her near a notice board.

    From that moment on, he began to keep tabs on her, intent on finding out everything about her, and ensure a sessful pursuit of his ''true love''.

    Of course, his actions caught the attention of his fervent stalker¡ªthe viiness, and his fianc¨¦¡ªDanielle.

    The viiness loved the hero, so all her envy and hatred were therefore transferred onto the heroine, and thus the poor girl''s life of drama and suffering in high school began.

    Eventually, the heroine''s mother perished amidst this drama, solidifying her hatred for the viiness.

    The heroine''s suffering ended when she qualified for an overseas schrship. The viiness could have ruined it, but she was happy to see her go far away.

    In the end, Crystal became a sessful private detective a few yearster, and just when she was getting ready to go back and prove her mother''s murderer guilty, she heard the news of Danielle''s murder after the ''White'' family went bankrupt.

    Crystal of course hated Danielle, but she was not happy to hear about her murder at all. Because Danielle now became a victim in the eyes of thew, and shall forever remain so! The furious heroine rushed back to the country, and madly began investigating the clues behind Danielle''s murder.

    While searching for these clues, she repeatedly collided with the hero, who had long since been aware of her return. As his vehement pursuit began, the two of them smoothly ended up together. Without the viiness interfering anymore, it was only a matter of time.

    The heroine realized that the hero had probably exacted vengeance on her behalf, and thus gave up her investigation.

    Emilia''s face was twisted into a frown. "What bullshit is this, Cynthia? Just how did that frail looking Danielle end up murdering the heroine''s mother? Can''t you give me more detail?"

    Cynthia''s tone was a little awkward. "Eh¡­ even I only had less than two hours to look through the general situation in the timeline, you know! How can I know every little detail? My focus when searching through the timeline is always on grasping the main plot points and being able to convince the viiness to give herself up!"

    Just as Emilia sighed in disappointment, however, the mischievous voice of her ''system'' echoed again.

    "But you''re in luck because this one I do happen to know!"

    Emilia resisted the urge to squeeze the younger girl''s cheeks. Ah, if only she could touch her right now!

    "You definitely did that intentionally! Alright, never mind that. Tell me, how did she do it?"

    "Well, the thing is, she didn''t mean for it to happen. Danielle had hired some thugs to convince the heroine into giving up her ''chase'' for the hero, and these thugs kept slowly escting things by themselves until the situation turned out of control. Once the murder did happen, however, Danielle''s family helped cover it up to make sure it wouldn''t affect her."

    Emilia closed her eyes as she thought about it. Although she had no intention to be Daniellepletely, understanding her character wouldn''t exactly hurt her chances. That being said, since she was here to destroy the plot, destroying her previously established character was no big deal.

    Emilia will be Emilia, even if she looked like someone else.

    "I see¡­ makes sense. She''s definitely not a good girl, but hm¡­ is this really a viiness? She''s so amateur¡­ If she didn''t have this rich family backing her up, she would just be a petnt and jealous girl throwing a tantrum, right?"

    "Well, this is a low level world, after all. It''s no surprise that the viiness is low level as well, fufu."

    Emilia removed the fresh new books for first year high school from the bed and put them on the table. It seems like the ''official plot'' had yet to begin, and the still innocent viiness was happily preparing for her first day in high school tomorrow.

    She stared at the now empty soft looking bed, and felt the urge to jump on it. And so she did. After jumping a few times, she copsed on her back with a sigh of contentment.

    "What a luxurious bed! It''s so soft, but just firm enough to not be too soft. This is much better than the one in your hut, Cynthia! I wish you could feel it¡­"

    "I can¡­ if you stop just bbering about it and use your summoning skill!"

    Emilia paused, her eyes opened wide. "Ehhh? I can summon even you?!"

    "Obviously?"

    "Oh¡­"

    And so she did!

    ¡ªSkill ''Follower Summoning'' has been activated!

    ¡ªSummoning ''Cynthia''! Cynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 8 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds.

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds.

    Emilia closed the panel as it kept updating her on the remaining duration of the summoning, which was very annoying.

    Also, it''s totally a scam that the timer started before Cynthia''s form even took shape!

    Cynthia''s form slowly materialized in front of her from ck smoke, wearing the same ck gauze that she had discarded not long before.

    And the first thing she did once Cynthia materialized was, of course, squeeze her cheeks!

    Cynthia made a few baffled ''W-Wha wha what'' noises, looking at her partner in disbelief. After fourplete cheek squeeze rotations, Emilia let her go with satisfaction.

    "¡­ What in the world is wrong with you?!"

    Emilia smiled happily, it seems like doing whatever she wanted put her in a good mood. "Well, when we were talking earlier and you kept being a brat, I really wanted to do this, but couldn''t. Now that I got the chance, how could I let it go?"

    She thought Cynthia would be angry, but the girl actually pped with happiness. "I hate that it''s used against me, but that''s a proper mindset for a viiness, good!"

    Anyway, Emilia wasn''t the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. But she was still a little disappointed when the follower summoning didn''t materialize Cynthiapletely naked. Wouldn''t her embarrassed face be incredibly adorable?

    Well, if it doesn''t happen, she can always try to make it happen, right? There''s no harm in making an argument. "You know, partner, it''s such a waste to always make clothes out of energy when we have so little! What''s wrong with being summoned naked? It''s just the two of us here. No need to be so shy, right?"

    Unfortunately, the raven haired beauty did not look convinced at all. "Humph. Not everyone is shameless like you, Emilia! Besides, I still have 0.98% of my energy reserves, which is not low at all!"

    "Isn''t it? Seems pretty low to me!"

    "It''s enough to make these clothes 98 more times!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. If she really used it all up, does this dumb airhead even know what will happen?

    "Do you want to die?! Want me to tear that useless thing and spank your butt?"

    Cynthia rolled her beautiful emerald eyes at her and waved her hand nonchntly. "Psshh! Why do you always fuss over useless stuff! Anyway, scoot, let me jump in. And you better exin to me how you n to go about doing the missions, because I swear if you''re really nning on treating this as a vacation¡­"

    Emilia smiled as she watched the younger looking girl flop on the bed like a fish. Somehow, the action suited her image.

    "I''m not¡­ that was just a joke. Ahem, anyway¡­ what were the missions again?"

    The emerald eyed girl looked at her incredulously, as if unable to believe she could forget something so important. "Are you kidding me?"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully, as if considering the possibility. "It''s possible that this so-called void form isplete trash, and you gave me a faulty body with memory disease, right?"

    Cynthia answered her with a deadpan look. "You know¡­ you could have just said I forgot?"

    Emilia nodded. "I could have."

    Cynthia took a deep breath before grabbing a pillow and burying her face in it to muffle her scream of frustration.

    She let go of the pillow with a gasp a few momentster, rolling her emerald eyes at her partner. "Alright¡­ it seems like you''re bing more and more like a viiness. You''re learning how to make someone hate you with such few words!"

    Emilia looked shy, as if not used to such praise. "Aww¡­ thank you, miss viiness system. It''s a highplimenting from you."

    The ck haired girl smashed her face with the pillow, but it only made Emiliaugh. "Shameless!"

    Despite her pouting, which Emilia thought was very cute, the system did update her panel with her missions.

    Ding!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 56 minutes 32 seconds.

    "Ugh¡­"

    Cynthia''s entire face was red.

    "I-It''s on the other tab!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes.

    ¡ªMission 1: To destroy the plot of ''The White Deer corporation of the viiness goes bankrupt, and ck Tiger corporation rises to the top'', the White Deer corporation must be the number one in the world, and ck Tiger must go bankrupt!

    ¡ªMission 2: To destroy the plot of ''The Hero and Heroine fall in love and live happily ever after'', the hero and heroine must hate each other, and should never end up together!

    ¡ªMission 3: To destroy the plot of ''The viiness Danielle dies a miserable death, losing everything in the end'', ''Danielle'' must be a ''winner'', reaching the top in career, love, and public perception!

    Emilia stared nkly at the list of her missions before turning to look at Cynthia''s innocent looking face.

    "¡­"

    "W-What is it¡­ why are you looking at me like that?"

 Chapter 4 - The First Step Forward

    "W-What is it¡­ why are you looking at me like that?"

    Emilia poked her index finger into the girl''s soft cheeks. "Well, I''m thinking I really want to take a bite out of your face."

    "I would rather you don''t?"

    She smiled. "Then how about a kiss?"

    Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Can you be serious?"

    Emilia copsed back on the bed by her side once again, giving Cynthia a pitiful look. Not only were the missions so deplorable, her partner didn''t want tofort her at all.

    The emerald eyed girl felt a little guilty, but who wants their face to be chewed? Definitely not her!

    Afterying down in slight depression for a while, Emilia suddenly sprang up from the bed and took a seat by the table. She looked eagerly at raven haired girl on the bed with her hands stretched out.

    Cynthia felt exasperated at this point, does this girl really treat her like a toy?

    "What''s that even supposed to mean?"

    Emilia gave her a pout, which looked extra lethal on Danielle''s childlike face. "It meanse over here! I need motivation!"

    "What does that have to do with me?!"

    Cynthia hadn''t grown old in an eternity alone, but being with this girl she felt like she was growing older every minute!

    Emilia put her hands together as if praying, giving her a puppy eyed look. "Pretty please? I feel like I''ll figure something out faster if I was holding you close!"

    "Ugh¡­ you''re so annoying¡­"

    Despite her words, Cynthia did reluctantly move over from the bed and into her arms.

    Pulling over one of the nk notebooks on the table, Emilia started scribbling ideas while burying her face in Cynthia''s neck asionally. The ck haired girl kept rolling her eyes but remained silent as she looked at the notebook eventually fill up.

    She was thinking she really picked a viiness as her partner! Someone has to suffer somehow whenever she does something!

    It looked like Emilia was almost done nning, as she put her pen down and put both her hands around the belly of the girl on herp. "The cushioning on this chair is really good too. Even with your weight on top, it feelsfy and soft!"

    Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Ohe on... I''m not that heavy, am I? And what''s with this absurd technique¡­ does it really help you focus?"

    Emilia''s smile disappeared instantly. "Well, that''s one way to kill the mood."

    "Uh¡­"

    Cynthia was wondering what it was that she had said that came off so wrong, before remembering that Emilia had been betrayed and murdered by her lover in thest life. Other than her, who else would she snuggle with like this?

    ''I feel like there''s something I''m still missing¡­ but, hm¡­ no way. What am I thinking? How can a viiness system apologize willy nilly?!''

    Since apologizing was way out of Cynthia''sfort zone, then¡­ distraction it is.

    Ding!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 43 minutes 17 seconds.

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 43 minutes 16 seconds.

    The constant ding ding ding from the system panel sessfully ticked Emilia off enough to throw Cynthia off from herp and onto the bed, where she bounced and burst into a fit of giggles.

    "Argh! So annoying! How can you do that while I''m trying to earnestlye up with a n?"

    Cynthia thought, ''because I didn''t like seeing you so gloomy'', but she felt that it would be like poking a tiger with a needle. "It just happened? And you don''t have to keep me summoned if you''re getting distracted."

    Emilia tilted her head, wondering if she really wanted to go back to floating in the void of the system space again. "Wouldn''t that be a waste of the remaining summoning time?"

    "Uh¡­ no? You can summon your followers however many times you want, until the timer runs out from their total time out in the world."

    Emilia sighed, still wishing there was no time limit and she could keep this adorable creature by her side forever. ''No¡­ I''m getting too attached¡­ Just like I did with Maeve. Well... Cynthia is nothing like her, but... it''s probably better to just remain friends and partners. I shouldn''t do things that can make it awkward between us.''

    She put all distracting thoughts out of her mind and focused on drafting out her n. "I see¡­ alright then. You tell me when you''re ready to go back, and I''ll cancel it."

    Cynthia was happy that she didn''t end her summoning right away. She still wanted toze around a bit more on the bed, after all. Although she could make an imaginary bed and do the same in the system space, something about the real thing just felt better.

    "Mmm¡­ okay."

    Emilia did not pay her any more attention and remained fully focused on her notebook, making the emerald eyed girl a little depressed.

    ''Ah¡­ maybe I should have just remained quietly on herp. But it was embarrassing!''

    After almost half an hour of just gazing at her scribble on a notebook, Cynthia was already bored to the point where she was ready to ask her partner to cancel the skill, but Emilia snapped the notebook shut just in time.

    "Alright, let''s talk then."

    "Ooohhh, I''m excited¡­ what diabolical n has my dear viiness been brewing?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she walked over to the bed and smacked her partner''s raven head with the notebook.

    "Look¡­ although the three missions look different, they essentially boil down to one thing¡­ which is to achieve an ending that is the pr opposite of what happened in the timeline you saw."

    "That''s right, obviously. That''s the whole point of destroying the plot, is it not?"

    "Mhm¡­ which means that we have to derail everything that''s happening which can potentially push the ''plot'' that the ''world will'' desires forward on its path. And we''ll start with¡­ this family!"

    Cynthia was nodding her head like a little chicken, inplete agreement with her partner. "Good point¡­ the viiness''s family supported the hero for a long time, which was a crucial part in his rise to the top! If the viiness can convince them to give the hero so much help, she should also be able to take it away!"

    Emilia gave her a grim smile, thinking inwardly that this ''viiness system'' really thought too simply. "No¡­ it''s not enough to just take it away. Actually¡­"

    Looking at Cynthia''s beautiful but dumb face again, Emilia swallowed her words. "You just watch when I talk to her family, alright, leave the thinking to me."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?!"

    She couldn''t just say ''I think it''s too tiresome to exin to someone dumb like you'', could she?

    Ignoring her partner''s indignant look, Emilia tore off the papers she had written down her thoughts on, and gave half to Cynthia while crumbling up the remain half for herself.

    "What? What? What am I supposed to do with this?"

    Emilia nonchntly threw a paper ball in her mouth, and started chewing. "Jusht... eat it!"

    Cynthia''s face twisted as she looked at the unappetizing paper ball. "Disgusting! Why would I do that?!"

    "Because it''s the best way to dispose of it without leaving evidence. Anything I eat is broken downpletely in my stomach by the void form, and anything you eat will dissipate into smoke once you''re unsummoned, right?"

    Even if she was reluctant to admit it, she had to agree. But she really didn''t want to eat it!

    "That''s¡­ right? But why can''t you just burn it or something?!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes before bitterly gulping down the paper pulp. ''Eugh, it really is disgusting!''

    "Do you see a firece here?"

    Cynthia looked around the modern room nkly before picking up her share of two paper sheets.

    She crumbled them up and chewed pitifully while giving Emilia a tearful look.

    "Why is my own viiness always the nastiest to myself?!"

    ----------

    Later that night, the family of ''the viiness'' gathered together in the dining hall to have dinner, and Emilia took this opportunity to enact her n.

    She waited until the dinner was over before actually bringing it up though, lest itpletely ruin the appetite of her ''elder sister'' and ''parents''.

    When Danielle''s parents finished listening to their future son-inw''s tant disgusted act to their precious jewel, they almost flipped the three-hundred-pound dining table in rage.

    As for her cold looking elder sister, she actually started bawling openly.

    It was obvious how much they loved ''Danielle'', and Emilia felt a little sad thinking of their total ruin and humiliation in the original plot.

    Although the hero''s disgust for the viiness was obvious to some people within their circle, he wasn''t stupid enough to do anything in public. After all, would the ''White Deer'' corporation keep his interests in mind if he were to really do that? He was not so stupid, as the heir of a top tier business family.

    As for the insiders who did know the situation, well, who would dare actually say it to the White Deer family''s heads that their son-inw thought their precious daughter was disgusting? Isn''t that just asking for trouble?

    The biggest ''helper'' to the hero in his sess, of course, was the viiness Danielle herself. If she didn''t help the hero keep things hidden, he would have had a lot more troubleing his way.

    The viiness''s elder sister looked quite different from Danielle, with a much taller stature, curly brown hair and jet ck eyes. She clearly took after her father more. But this beautypletely looked like an enraged witch at the moment. She kept mming the table heavily, and Emilia felt a little distressed at the blue bruises that quickly formed on her dainty hands. "That bastard! I''ll ruin him! Ruin him!"

    Their ''mother'' looked distressed, wondering how much courage it had taken her poor spoiled daughter to confess this to them. After all, if she had kept it hidden for so long, it meant that she loved Amos ck at some point, to the point of obsession. Perhaps, she loved him even now, but couldn''t bear his disgust anymore and broke down.

    How could she let her daughter keep going like this? Even if her love was to be cut off, she had make sure to do it! No, there was no ''even if''! This obsession must definitely die, if there was any left, or it will ruin her daughter.

    The viiness mother looked frail, docile and innocent just like Danielle, but her expression at this moment was fierce like a tigress. "We will cancel all of our cooperation with the ck Tiger immediately! Let''s see what kind bullshit of exnation they can give!"

    The viiness''s father, who looked like a strict businessman with no emotions, expressed no disagreement to her words despite the multitude of losses it would surely bring.

    Emilia felt a little disappointed. During the ten years she had been trying to be a respectable queen from an unfavored princess, there was nock of sabotages that she had turned into opportunities.

    What she had learned was that if you know someone is trying to hurt you, it''s not enough to just avoid it. You must take the opportunity to hurt them in return, or they will eventually seed anyway.

    "Father, mother, sister¡­ I don''t love him anymore, and I promise to be a different person¡­ someone you can also respect. I have thought a lot about this, father, you must not let him get away scot free!"

    Her father clenched his fist. "Don''t worry¡­ even if the ck Tiger has grown a lot over the past few years, at worst I shall bring us down together!"

    Emilia almost rolled her eyes, but thankfully resisted the urge. It seems like being subtle wasn''t going to work. This family of viins was too straightforward and honest! What bullshit!

    "What I mean is that since we have already invested so much into them, shouldn''t we at least make it worth our investment?"

    Her father still looked clueless, but it was her previously enraged elder sister who seems to have gotten her point. She looked at her excitedly. "That''s right! Dad, mom, if we just pull out of all our deals right now, the ones losing money would just be us! Even if we challenge them in every project in the futureter, who knows who will be losing more money each time! Danny is right! They don''t know we want to cut them off, so why not take this chance to get some benefits first?!"

    "But¡­ no, I suppose you''re right. It''s them who did wrong first. Let''s think this through slowly then."

    Her father and elder sister kept discussing various projects they had a deal with the ck Tiger on, and how to make sure each one would benefit them more while causing ck Tiger losses at the same time.

    Emilia decided that since they were on the right track now, she could leave this to them and focus on the other things that needed to be done. Before that, however¡­

    "There is one more thing I have to say¡­"

    Her mother and sister mmed up immediately, both having the same unpleasant thought. ''Don''t tell me he got her pregnant? Is it because he forced her that she finally came to her senses? No! How could we let that happen?!''

    If the viiness''s poor father knew their thoughts, he would probably cough up blood. He can''t control what kind of feeling the heir of the ''ck Tiger'' has for his daughter, but as long as his White Deer is notpletely dead, no one can think of harming a hair on her head!

    Thankfully, Emilia did not keep them in suspense for long, and dropped the bombshell nonchntly.

    "To really start fresh, I want to change my name from this day forward¡­ to Emilia!"

 Chapter 5 - What Is This Iron-Horse-Thing?

    None of her family members seem to have expected it. After all, most people keep the name they have been given at birth throughout their entire lives. They may be known by a nickname or use a pseudonym for various things, but people''s real names were rarely changed.

    That is not to say it was impossible, or even hard to do. Some people who did not like their names did end up changing them, often before high school. It''s not like Danielle''s parents had never heard of it, after all.

    They just never thought they would have to call their precious jewel anything but ''Danny'' and ''Danielle''. But even if they wanted to object, her earlier words kept echoing in their mind.

    ''I promise to be a different person¡­ someone you can also respect.''

    Together with the fact that she must have gone through a lot of trauma before finding the courage toe to them, neither her parents nor her elder sister found it in themselves to object to her request.

    Her elder sister was the first to voice her support. "Alright then, if you''re sure about it, I''ll call the principal to get the records changed before you go to ss tomorrow. But you have to forgive your sister if I still call you Danny sometimes, okay?"

    Her parents also reluctantly agreed, both of them telling her to not mind if it took them a while to adjust.

    It was fortunate that Emilia did not have any more bombshells to drop on them, because the three of them looked both exhausted and relieved by the time they left the dining hall.

    ----------

    "Good job Emilia! Though there is one thing I don''t understand¡­"

    Emilia could already guess what her system was thinking.

    "You want to know why I had the viiness''s name changed to match my own, right?"

    "That''s right!"

    "Well¡­ I can say that it takes a long while to get used to being called by a different name, and it''s not a big deal to get your name changed while young¡­"

    "Of course, makes sense¡­"

    "But that''s not the real reason."

    "It''s not?"

    "Right. The real reason is¡­ personal. You know I did not have a name in my first life. I was just a disposable guard, only slightly better than a tool. Even if everything in my second life turned out to be an illusion, I have at least earned this name¡ªEmilia!"

    Cynthia did not know what to say in response, so she just remained silent. She, who had never loved anyone, could not know what it felt like in Emilia''s ce.

    ''Should I ping her with system messages to distract her?''

    Thankfully, Cynthia didn''t actually do it, or maybe Emilia really might snap and summon her out just to beat her up.

    ----------

    The next morning, Emilia got ready for her first day in high school far earlier than the family butler expected. Not only was there no lunchbox ready for her, even her driver hadn''t reported in yet.

    The lunchbox wasn''t a big issue. After all, the cafeteria in the city''s best school was at least decent. Even if the food wasn''t as good as the one prepared by their chef, it was certainly ptable in emergencies.

    The absence of a driver was another issue entirely.

    The old butler looked embarrassed and kept apologizing. Normally there would always be a driver avable in the mansion, but one of them had called in sick today, and the other one would only arrive half an hourter.

    "I''m sorry, miss, please allow me to drive you to school personally."

    Emilia felt slightly awkward. She had never used one of these ''cars'' herself, although she was quite proficient with horses. She didn''t know if it would be too stressful for such an old man to control.

    Just as she was wondering whether she should just agree to the butler''s request, her ''sister'' came to the rescue.

    The butler stepped back with a bow. "Miss Samantha!"

    "You go take care of other stuff, uncle, I''ll drop my sister off myself."

    The old butler sighed, as if feeling sorry for someone. "I understand, miss."

    Samantha''s curly brown tresses barely reached her shoulders, and she had a naturally cold face. If Emilia hadn''t seen her bawling openly yesterday, she would have thought the rtionship between the two sisters was lukewarm at best.

    After all, the viiness''s sister was barely mentioned by Cynthia while going through the plot.

    Emilia reached out and held the taller girl''s hand in her own, and was relieved to see that the bruising had mostly faded away from her beating the tablest night.

    "Well, it''s good that you didn''t hurt yourself too much. Sister shouldn''t be so reckless in the future. If you''re angry with someone, take it out on them, not yourself!"

    The taller girl looked at her sadly. "What''s with calling me sister now? If you''re no longer Danny, and you won''t even call me Sam anymore¡­ what, is that bastard so much more important to you?"

    Emilia felt awkward, thinking how nice it would be if she really knew everything beforehand. How was she to know what the viiness called her sister?

    "Ah, no¡­ don''t be like that, Sam¡­ It''s just, I feel like turning a new page in my life now. It doesn''t mean I want to push you away."

    Samantha kept shaking her head, looking a little distressed. "No¡­ Emilia¡­ It''s not your fault. It''s true that we haven''t been so close these past few years¡­ I always thought you were busy with your childhood sweetheart. I never imagined you were suffering alone."

    Emilia thought it was a pity that this cold beauty was a cry baby. She was ready to cry again, and Emilia hated watching people cry.

    Because when a man cried, she felt his hopelessness and despair. And when a woman cried, she felt her distress and agony. Hopelessness, despair, distress, agony¡­ were all emotions that were far from what she sought¡ªhappiness.

    So, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the taller girl. "Sam, I know you feel sorry for what happened to me. Butpared to what could have happened, don''t you think I was lucky?"

    The brown haired girl looked a little lost as she thought about it.

    Although it was a good thing that the viiness''s family cared for her so much, she did not want them to always feel distressed about her. One of her goals in this world included leading this family to the pinnacle, and how could that be done if they weren''t even happy?

    "Let''s just put the past behind us. Like I said, I wish to turn a new leaf, and live my life seeking only happiness from now on."

    Emilia released the girl from her hug and clutched her shoulders, not letting her look away from her eyes.

    "Sam¡­ do you want me to be happy?"

    The taller girl nodded furiously. "Of course!"

    Emilia smiled with some amusement, thinking how although she was so tall, she was still acting like a child in front of a younger girl. Not to mention getting lectured by her younger sister. This was definitely a soft persimmon. She would have to watch out in case she got bullied by others!

    "Then you can''t be sad anymore. If you want to cry, you can cry, but I want you to always seek happiness moving forwards, not wallow in the past miseries all the time. What happened with Amos and the ck Tiger family cannot ruin our mood all the time!"

    There was a light of inspiration in the jet ck eyes of her elder sister. "Y-You''re right¡­ Danny¡ªno, sorry¡ªEmilia has really grown up! From today, your big sister Sam will lead by example."

    A few minutester, a bewildered Emilia was sitting behind her elder sister on a ''motorcycle'' with a strange head armor that she called ''helmet''.

    ''C-Cynthia¡­ what is this iron horse thing? I-Is it safe?''

    Cynthia''s voice didn''t mask her amusement at all. "Well, if you can think of cars as carriages that run without horses, I suppose calling a bike an iron horse is not strangeing from you. Oh, but don''t worry, you won''t die, probably."

    ''P-Probably?!''

    "Oh, don''t be so shocked, don''t people die while riding horses all the time?"

    Cynthia couldn''t make fun of Emilia anymore, as Samantha made full use of the 75 engine to make her little sister squeal in shock while they zoomed through the road.

    By the time they reached her school, Emilia''s face was pale and her legs were shivering.

    Her older sister looked quite embarrassed, feeling that she had gotten too carried away. It was the first time she was letting someone ride her bike, as she rarely even took it out herself. She should have gone a little slower.

    "Uh, Emilia? I''m sorry, it looks like that was a bit too much for a first timer. Are you going to be okay? Shall I take you back?"

    Emilia''s pale face shook at the thought of another ride on that monster. If she ever got the chance to ride a dragon, she imagined that she would not be too scared anymore.

    "N-No! I''m fine. I''ll head in now, you go back."

    "Um, alright."

    Samantha could only leave reluctantly under Emilia''s imploring gaze, hoping her little sister didn''t feel sick at school because of her. Seems like she got a little too motivated by the happiness talk.

    Emilia sighed in relief once Sam left. She really couldn''t bear another ride on the iron horse. Her butt was sore, and her hands were aching from holding Sam''s waist too tightly in fear. Not to mention even her head felt dizzy.

    At first Cynthia kept rolling around inughter in the system space, but after a few minutes, she started to feel bad for her partner.

    "Don''t worry, Emilia, just keep circting the void form in your mind and the dizziness will go away in a few minutes."

    "Thanks."

    Samantha had dropped her off only a few meters away from the school gate, and she was almost two hours early. With some luck, no one should spot the embarrassment today, and the viiness won''t gain more notoriety for her to wash offter.

    Her hopeful thoughts were interrupted by a voice filled with apparent worry.

    "Uhm, are you okay?"

    With short golden hair in a neat bob cut and pure blue eyes, who else could it be but the heroine herself?

 Chapter 6 - Meeting Crystal

    Crystal Miller considered herself a mostly normal girl, but she still believed that her intuition was a little sharper than most. She often discovered that things that looked obvious to her required normal people to pay quite close attention to even begin noticing.

    For example, she could already tell that the girl with a pale face and shivering legs in front of her was from a family that probably spent more on a single pair of shoes than her own household''s expenses for a year.

    This was even without any branding on any of the items the girl was wearing. Normal people wouldn''t think twice, but Crystal was sure that every single thing on her body was probably custom made. It''s strange how the same uniform could look entirely different when made by different people using different materials.

    Normally, Crystal would never approach such a girl herself, but something about her frail and innocent appearance drew her in. Looking at the schoolgirl in the sailor''s outfit with long chestnut brown hair, pale face, and dizzy golden eyes, it was hard not to feel distressed with just a look.

    Given that there was no one else nearby that could help, she couldn''t help but step forward to offer this girl her hand.

    Emilia looked at her in confusion for only a moment before putting her palm in the heroine''s outstretched hand. It would be incredibly rude of her to reject such an offer at this point, and would probably leave a negative impression on the heroine.

    ''What bad luck¡­ howe the heroine is here so early in the morning? Isn''t she someone who spends all her time studying for schrships?''

    Cynthia was also slightly confused. "I don''t know. From what little I saw in the plot, she always barely arrived before the school bell rang. I guess it was different for the first day only?"

    Emilia sighed. Oh well, she could only improvise now, and just hope to leave a good impression. No ns could be sessful without any adjustments, after all.

    She tried to give the heroine a grateful smile, although she wasn''t quite sure how it looked due to her dizziness.

    "Thank you for the help."

    The heroine led her slowly towards the gate by her hand. "No problem, you looked so shaken that I couldn''t just stand by. Would you like me to take you to the infirmary?"

    Emilia shook her head gently in rejection. It''s not like she was sick, and missing ss at this point would just ruin her ns further.

    "No please, I''ll be alright, but thank you. My name is Emilia White."

    Crystal was shocked when she heard her family name. The White family owned the ''White Deer'' corporation, and was one of the most influential and richest families in the city. Even if Emilia was only a distant rtive to them, she must be incredibly rich.

    Even if she was surprised, the other girl did introduce herself so politely. So she squeezed their hands together in a strange form of handshake, feeling a little stupid after having done so. But this girl''s palm was really soft, much softer than her own! She guessed that perhaps such rich girls were just built differently.

    "C-Crystal Miller, nice to meet you."

    Emilia''s smile was slightly teasing. "Likewise. You look so smart and cute, are you in ss A?"

    Cynthia''s thoughts were in disarray. ''E-Eh? What''s going on? Is my viiness flirting? Is she actually flirting with the heroine, of all people?! Is our mission going to fail?!''

    Crystal''s face turned red. How could it feel bad to be called by a beauty like Emilia? Although she hadn''t yet seen what the other girls in the school looked like, she didn''t think there would be many on the same level as this girl.

    "I-I am, and thank you for thepliment, but I don''t think I''m cute at all¡­"

    Emilia smiled, already feeling a little less dizzy after circting the void form in her head for thest few minutes. She allowed Crystal to keep holding her hand though,pletely ignoring her system''s whining.

    ''Cynthia, if you don''t shut up, I''m going to summon you out just to kick your butt once we''re alone.''

    ''S-Sorry!''

    Although in her mind she was slightly annoyed, she continued her conversation with the heroine smoothly. It''s a good thing she was used to having multiple conversations at once with some annoying diplomats, or Cynthia would really be in for a good beating.

    "Kindness and cuteness go hand in hand. And since you have both, it''s even more noticeable. Hope we get along well in the future."

    Crystal''s heart skipped a beat when she felt Emilia squeeze her palm, hurriedly letting go. The other girl giggled before heading towards the school gate by herself, followed by the embarrassed heroine.

    She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed that Emilia seemed to be lost in her own world, not paying her anymore attention. She should have known it was a bad idea to approach her!

    Although it was not unpleasant at all, she had the feeling that whenever she talked to this girl, it would be like ying in the palm of her hand.

    Even if this was her first time speaking with a real rich daughter, she had to say she was both impressed and terrified.

    When she first came to know that aside from the merit based sses A, B and C, the Imperial Academy of Excellence still had a ss S full of rich children that were given a seat just because of very generous donations, she thought they would mostly be arrogant and rich idiots.

    Well, she had to admit that her generous schrship was surely partially funded by those rich idiots, but Emilia alone had made her rethink her premise. Maybe they weren''t all idiots, or even arrogant. Maybe they didn''t excel in academics simply because they didn''t need to?

    In any case, she decided that it was better if she stayed away from them in the future.

    ----------

    Meanwhile, although Emilia was quite surprised by the unexpected meeting with the heroine, she thought it turned out pretty well in the end.

    The heroine must already have a pretty good impression of her, and she must be looking forward to meeting her again with excitement!

    Cynthia wasn''t so sure. "Aren''t you so confident? What if she thinks you''re just a scary viiness?"

    Emilia''s tone was condescending, as if talking to aplete idiot. "Don''t be silly, Cynthia. Just look, Danielle is rich, beautiful and elegant. If she''s kind to someone and evenpliments them, what idiot would actually want to stay away? Also, whenbined with my charm, can that silly little girl even resist?"

    "What charm?"

    Ah, she could feel a vein almost pop!

    "Cynthia! You want me to call you out and beat your ass?!"

    Her system seemed to havepletely gone off topic, no longer even caring about the heroine. "Fufu¡­ it''s really funny how you''re scolding me without changing your outward expression at all. Ahahahaha¡­ please don''t do this again or I might actually get hurt fromughing too much, ahaha¡­"

    Emilia''s neutral expression actually shifted a little as she grit her teeth. "This brat!"

    Although no one else was there in the ssroom yet, Emilia paid close attention to her expression management when talking with Cynthia because she didn''t want to look like a lunatic if someone did identally see her. But this little bastard-bitch of a system actually dared to make fun of her for being so diligent!

    Cynthia stopped rolling around inughter in the system space when she heard Emilia check her status.

    "W-What are you doing, Emilia?"

    ¡ªChecking status of Follower Summoning¡­

    ¡ªCurrent Followers:

    ¡ªCynthia: 7 hours 36 minutes 44 seconds left. (Not Summoned)

    "Hmmm¡­ I wonder what kind of things I can do in seven hours? Ahhh, there''s so many ideas, so little time!"

    After getting her cheeks squeezed out of nowhere the first time she was summoned, Cynthia was actually slightly worried that her partner didn''t respect her at all! She might actually beat her up!

    "E-Emilia, I was just joking, you know. You came to the school so early like an idiot, if I didn''t talk to you to pass time, wouldn''t you be bored to death?"

    Emilia raised her brow, as if considering something. "Like an idiot, you said?"

    Now her system really sounded panicked. "N-No, I mean, I mean you are just so insightful and smart that you knew the heroine woulde early today. B-But of course, we need to pass time now, right? So what''s wrong with a little fun?"

    Emilia decided to let her off for now, well, maybe she''ll be punished a little the next time she''s summoned, but that''s still letting her off in her books. To be a useful and efficient partner, it looks like this system of hers needed a lot of training!

    "Humph, only an airhead like you would think I came here so early just to waste time, right?"

    Even though she felt a little cowed, her system still squeaked out. "W-Who are you calling an airhead?!"

    But Cynthia could only keep the rest of her grievances to herself and shut up as another student entered the ssroom shortly after. Not surprisingly, since there was no one else in the room and the only other person was herself, the student approached her with a smile.

    Although all of the children who would be sharing ''ss S'' with her were from rich families, it''s not like all the rich families in their city were a tightly knit group. Especially in the younger generations, only families that had close ties with each other would have their children y together.

    When it came to ''Danielle'', her only childhood ymate was the hero¡ªAmos ck. As a sheltered rich girl who had been homeschooled all the way till freshman year of high school, no one had even seen her face.

    In fact, if not for Amos, it was impossible for Danielle to have a poor reputation. But even if that was the case, whatever poor reputation he had created was just hearsay that no one would truly believe without seeing for themselves at least once.

    In other words, not only could she easily tear such flimsy bad reputation apart, she could also use it to turn the impression around on its head. Doing things in such a way would not only reverse her own impression, but also plummet the credit people gave to the hero''s words in the future.

    And depending on how obvious he had been in trying to damage her reputation, it might even end up hurting his own.

    Emilia smiled brightly at the approaching short ck haired girl. As the first person she met on the first day of school, a good first impression could easily make a lifelong friend.

    The neatly dressed girl was softened by her weing smile, and introduced herself warmly.

    "Hello¡­ my name is Dixy Brown, and you are?"

 Chapter 7 - The Princess Recruits A â€™Knightâ€™

    "Hello¡­ my name is Dixy Brown, and you are?"

    Emilia epted her friendly handshake.

    "My name is Emilia White, but you can call me Emily."

    At first, the girl didn''t seem to mind, but then her full name registered in her mind.

    "Ohh¡­ E-Emily, don''t tell me you''re the famous White Deer corporation''s youngest daughter?!"

    Emilia pretended to blush. "Aw, you''ll make me shy if you say it like that¡­ have you heard of me before?"

    Dixy stared at her closely, and a slight dissatisfaction was obvious in her eyes, though it didn''t seem to be aimed at her.

    "Don''t worry about it, Emily. I just heard about the White Deer''s precious princess from some idiots here and there. Your family is quite famous, after all."

    Dixy did misremember her name being Danielle or something of that vein, but thankfully she was smart enough to realize that a ''White'' family''s girl who could attend the Imperial Academy''s ''ss S'' could probably only be ''her''.

    Emilia patted her chest, as if relieved. "Oh, alright, that makes me a little relieved. I thought you heard something bad and misunderstood me. I would be sad if the first person I met in school ended up hating me."

    Dixy felt a little guilty for not being able to control her tongue in time. Thankfully, she didn''t end up exposing the nasty rumors to the girl.

    "You''ve never been to a school before?"

    Emilia shook her head. "No, I had private tutorse to my home all the time. You''ve been to a school before?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes, thinking in her heart that her family really overdid it with sheltering and isting the poor girl.

    "Everyone''s been to school before, Emily. Very few people go for homeschooling, like if there''s some personal reason, or if they need specialized education. Ohhh¡­ Emily¡­ don''t tell me you''re super smart?!"

    Emilia tilted her head, as if curious. "I don''t know. Do you think I look smart?"

    Her childlike innocence in that moment almost made Dixy''s heart skip a beat. The short haired girl was suddenly d for being as straight as a steel pipe, or she might have just got a huge crush on her new friend.

    Thinking carefully, she had to admit that it was pretty dumb of her to think Emilia would need special tutoring because she was a genius or something. More than likely, it was just the opposite.

    "Hm, you ''look'' smart, but let''s face it,pared to the geniuses in this school, both of us are probably equally dumb."

    The two of them stared in silence at each other before bursting into giggles at the same time.

    Emilia would never pretend to be a genius at this time. Forget about being a genius, just pretending to be an average person was difficult with the level of her knowledge of this world.

    Just take for example that iron horse thing, or those cars. Emilia knew she had to work hard to quickly catch up with themon education in this world. It was all Cynthia''s fault for not teaching her all of this beforehand, since she clearly knew.

    Her system cried indignantly in her mind. "I-It''s not! And I''ll teach youter...?"

    Ignoring Cynthia, she continued her line of thought. Where was she? Oh yes, it was better to pretend to be an airhead ditzy girl. After all, they had their own charm.

    Most importantly, it was very difficult to guard against someone you believed to be dumb and innocent.

    Dixy already felt like she had made a close friend. She was already firmly stuck on the same three-seater bench, despite her lifelong reluctance to ever be a first bencher.

    She justified it in her mind as this is also the closest seat to the exit, her total time spent in the ssroom will be reduced.

    After almost half an hour of exchanging small talk, the short ck haired girl sighed as she patted Emilia''s head.

    "I have to say, Emily, it''s a good thing your family hid you so well."

    Emilia blinked innocently, feeling a bit strange from her touch. But she didn''t let the difort show on her face, because with this persona, it was better to get used to such things for a while.

    "Why do you say that?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes. "Because you''re so cute, without someone like me to protect you, wouldn''t those nasty bitches in our circle smear dirt all over your pretty face out of jealousy?"

    Emilia smiled, as if not scared at all. "Ohh, they sound scary. But doesn''t that mean you''ll protect me?"

    The short haired girl squeezed her cheeks. "Of course, can I leave a ditz like you alone?"

    Emilia huffed haughtily, making Dixy stare at her in apparent amusement.

    Hmph, although she''ll pretend like this for a while, she didn''t n to stay like this forever! Once she has caught up with the things that she needs to know, she''ll start working on showing her real capabilities.

    Of course, for that change to not look strange at that time, some foundation still had to be established.

    "I''ll have you know, I''m probably way smarter than you! I just need to learn some things."

    Dixyughed uncontrobly, smacking her on the back so hard that she was almost sent reeling forward.

    ''Your cultivation method is such bullshit Cynthia! This normal girl is stronger than me?!''

    Her system cried indignantly in her mind. "I-It''s not! It''s not my fault! You haven''t even started! At least pass the first stage before ming me, okay?! Why do you always bully me? Wuuuu..."

    Thankfully, Dixy didn''t smack her again. Probably she also felt slightly regretful after realizing just how hard her hit hadnded.

    "Ahem¡­ ehehe, anyway, even if Emily is book smart, you don''t know the nasty tricks of those bitches. They would smear even someone they''ve never met with super nasty rumors! And do strange things you''d never even be able to imagine!"

    Emilia felt slightly annoyed. What nasty bitches can she not handle? Even if she just started, she''s a viiness with a system, okay? Those who underestimate her will only taste dirt faster!

    "Dixy has a really dirty mouth herself! I get the feeling you keep bullying me!"

    The short haired girl sneered. "Hmph, my mouth may be dirty but my mind is clean. I may tease you but I''ll take care of you. Just leave the things that need street smarts to me! Since my first friend in highschool turned out to be a pampered princess like you, I guess I''ll just have to bear with it and protect you myself."

    It was Emilia''s turn tough, she tried to smack Dixy just as hard as she done to her earlier. But the other girl didn''t budge at all, and it was her own palm that felt a little sore.

    She pretended that nothing had happened, and continuedughing. "Ahahaha¡­ well, then this princess will thank her knight with a kiss when she''s saved from danger!"

    Dixy seemed to just notice that something had happened, although Emilia was certain that she was pretending just to annoy her. "Wow, did a little kitten just paw my back? I swear I felt a paw pad press me gently?!"

    Looking at Emilia''s increasingly gloomy face, she eventually couldn''t contain her giggles anymore and consoled her halfheartedly. "Alright, alright, don''t sulk. If you''re such a soft persimmon, it''s hard to resist bullying you, ya know! It''s a good thing I''m the one you met first or some boy would really end up taking advantage of you by now!"

    Emilia didn''t look like she cared about it at all. "Ehhh, is that really a problem?"

    Dixy shook her head. "Not with me here now, no. Oh, that reminds me, do you know the heir to the ''ck Tiger'' corporation?"

    Emilia gave her a strange look, as if not understanding why she would mention such a thing out of nowhere. "Amos? Hm.. yeah, I guess. He often came to our house to pester me, very strange boy."

    That pretty much confirmed Dixy''s suspicions, and she vowed to herself that at least in her own circle, she must bring the truth to light. Also, Emilia needed to be warned, too.

    "I guessed as much. Anyway, you better stay away from him."

    Emilia smiled mischievously. "Why¡­ is my knight jealous?"

    Dixy wondered, is this girl trying to bend steel pipes? Well, unfortunately, it was impossible to do so with her soft hands!

    "You wish! But I''m serious. At least be careful around him, okay? I can''t tell you why, but he''s bad news."

    Emilia pretended to be obedient. "Okay~ Since my dearest friend said so, I''ll be careful."

    The short haired girl rolled her eyes. "Psshh, I''m your only friend right now, aren''t I?"

    "Aww¡­ You make me sound so pitiful, Dixy. Won''t my knight help her princess make more friends?"

    Dixyughed, already having some ns of her own. Ahh, why does it feel like she suddenly had a daughter while just starting high school herself?!

    Another dreadful throught crossed Dixy''s mind. ''Don''t tell me... Is this knight and princess thing going to be permanent? How do I get her to stop?''

    "Ahem, Emilia... you''re really stuck to that whole princess and knight thing now, huh? But I guess¡­ somehow you really do feel like a princess?"

    Of course she did. She was a real genuine princess in herst life, after all. "I''ll take that as apliment."

    Dixy gave her bob cut hair a flick, pretending to be scornful. "Princess can be an insult, you know, like someone who can''t take care of themselves, or is full of themselves?"

    Emilia looked like she didn''t understand what was wrong. "Both of them are true to an extent for me, right?"

    "Don''t just admit it!"

    Dixy sighed, wondering if she''d made a mistake getting attached to this strange girl. Oh well, she was pretty stuck now.

    It was like picking up a poor abandoned kitten. Once you have it in your hands, it''s already toote to think about the troubles taking it home might cause.

    After that, a few more students came into the ssroom asionally, and most of them seemed to get along well with each other.

    Obviously, the major goal of these heirs ining to this school was not to get humiliated by the geniuses, but to make allies of simr financial caliber, and scout out potential employees in their early stages.

    Emilia''s attitude towards the students who approached her was generally warm, but not overly friendly. Now that she already had a stable friendship with a reliable girl, it would actually be counter productive to try and get close to others immediately after that.

    If anything, it would make Dixy feel that their friendship wasn''t anything special to Emilia at all. And she can always recruit more knightster.

    Cynthia''s whining voice echoed through her mind once again. "Y-You told her to call you Emily but you didn''t say that to me!"

    Emilia let out a sigh of exasperation, wondering just how strange Cynthia''s thought circuit was to get stuck on the strangest of things.

    ''I said that because I wanted to let her know I am friendly to her, you can just call me whatever you want, right? Although I definitely prefer Emilia over anything else, you can even call me honey if it bothers you so much!''

    "Shameless! Who will call someone spicy like you ''honey''! More like pepper! No, you bitter melon! Dandelion leaf!"

 Chapter 8 - The Young Knight Needs Training

    Emilia almost rolled her eyes at Cynthia''s two faced behavior, and decided to just ignore her or else she''ll really lose control over her expressions.

    Dixy kept bbering in her ear, interceding most people who came to talk to her, and there were only ten minutes left for the sses to begin. During this time, her new friend had already told her about her family and businesses.

    Apparently, Dixy''s family ran a pretty sessful confectionarypany. Their products sold not only on a national level, but were starting to trend overseas as well. Even if their Brown family wasn''t as powerful as the ck Tiger or the White Deer, they were also a prominent rising force.

    What she was quite curious about now was who will be the one sitting next to her on the other side. After all, it was a three-seater bench, and from what she knew there were no empty seats in this school.

    Unless some people squeezed four into a single bench, or someone was absent on the first day, it was impossible for this seat to remain empty.

    Emilia watched curiously as a spectacled boy that looked like he belonged in ''ss A'' stood in front of her bench and stared at her seat for almost three minutes straight.

    There were still around ten seats left empty, but most of them were at the back of the ssroom. She guessed from his appearance and attitude that even though he was from a well off family, he must have rtively good grades, but perhaps not enough to get into ss A.

    ss S had a higher standard of education than the other sses, except for ss A. For him, it made the most sense toe here in this case. And it seemed like he really preferred the front bench close to the gate, but was too shy to sit next to her.

    Even when she scooted over a little to hint that she was fine with him sitting there, the boy just gulped and left. He looked quite depressed as he slumped down on one of the back benches.

    "Uh, Dixy, tell me, do I look very scary?"

    The short haired girl rolled her eyes, thinking that it must be really nice to be so oblivious. If she was like that, she also wouldn''t have a single worry in her life. After all, she would never notice anything wrong.

    "No, you don''t look scary, but would a nerd like him sit next to you by his own initiative? He probably thought he would get ridiculed by everyer if he did that."

    Emilia found it quite strange. Although there was a separation between men and women in her previous two worlds as well, no one would get beaten up over such a minor thing, right?

    It''s not like she was a married woman and he was going to molest her, so who''s honor would be so infringed that they would beat him up?

    "Will that really happen?" she asked with some doubt.

    Dixy nodded. "Most likely, yeah. He might even get bullied if his background isn''t good enough for some of the nastier boys. Even if his family is well off, he may be a soft persimmon that can be squeezed at will. After all, there''s no need to fear his family if he''s too gutless to evenin to them."

    Emilia blinked, a little surprised at the ''education system'' in this world. Although the strong bullied the weak even in her first world, this was the first she was hearing of people of equal or even lower standing bullying someone and simply hoping that nothing bad would happen.

    What if heined to the school? What if heined to his family? When there''s so many things that could backfire, and little to no benefit other than a momentary power rush, are the people in this world really so brainless to still risk it?

    But¡­ it''s not necessarily a bad thing for her.

    Normally, it was very difficult to instill a strong sense of loyalty in people. Setting up ''coincidences'' like she had done with Dixy could only happen in very specific situations, but there was a sure fire method that Emilia knew worked universally.

    ''Saving'' people from distress. Being the ray of light that split open the darkness gripping their heart, how could that not instill some loyalty in people?

    If there were brainless morons going around creating opportunities for her for free, who was she to refuse? Saving people from being bullied seemed like an easy way to earn loyal followers, and Emilia felt excited just thinking about it.

    As for the enmity festered amongst the bullies? Emilia didn''t care about it at all. There could certainly be exceptions amongst them, created by their own circumstances, but most of them should be malicious by nature.

    She would judge the exceptions individually if she came across them, but for most of the bullies Emilia would rather be their enemy. After all, it was better to have disgusting enemies than disgusting allies.

    If she was apanied by pig allies, she didn''t even need enemies for everything to fail and fall apart.

    "Well, if you hear about him getting bullied or anything, you tell me, alright?"

    The short haired girl''s eyes went wide in surprise. "Ehhh? What, why? Do you like him? No way!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "It''s not about him. I just don''t like it, I guess? As long as you hear about anyone getting bullied, you tell me."

    Dixy held her throbbing temples, thinking it was even worse than she thought. It wasn''t love at first sight, it was the heroine syndrome!

    "I guess I get what you''re thinking, but what are you even gonna do about it? Are you going to get in between every conflict between students and have them make up with each other?"

    "Of course not, Dixy. Why would they even listen to my meddling?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes, thanking the heavens that this stupid princess at least knew that much. "Why exactly do you want me to tell you if I hear about someone getting bullied, then?"

    "Well, let''s just say I enjoy bullying too?"

    The short haired girl frowned, feeling a little unsettled. Will she have to give some knightly education on justice to her own ''princess''? So soon after being knighted? She just got used to all these funny titles, and she was already thinking of flipping over the hierarchy!

    But it was also her duty as a friend to prevent her from bing a bad person!

    She felt that to raise such an innocent daughter, Emilia''s parents must be decent people at the very least. They would definitely not hold it against her if she helped their daughter along the right path! But if she bullied her because of a misunderstanding, then she''ll probably find tons of ''White Deer'' chewing on her chocte factories!

    Therefore, it was necessary to confirm her assumptions first before she started doling out some ''discipline''.

    "Tell me, Emilia, do you want to join in with the bullies or something?"

    Emilia blinked, as if surprised. "Of course not. Why should I bully people who are already being bullied? Do you think I''m such a bad person, Dixy?"

    Looking at her pitiful looking face, Dixy couldn''t hold her stern expression at all, and quickly began cating her with a guilty conscience.

    "O-Of course not. Emily is so innocent and sweet, why would I think you''ll be picking on the people being bullied? I''d never think like that. Nope."

    Emilia nodded with satisfaction. "Right! Isn''t it much more fun to bully ''the bullies'' instead?"

    The short haired girl felt like she was going to get mental whish from all this back and forth.

    "Eh? You''re really going to bully? No wait, you¡­ how would someone like you be able to bully anyone? Won''t they just enjoy it? No no no, what am I thinking?! Anyway, get your head straight, Emily! Bullying the bullies won''t make you any better than them, so don''t even think about it!"

    Emilia looked confused, not understanding her argument at all. In her mind, her friend''s words made no sense. As a princess, if she held off on executing a murderer because that would make her a murderer herself, isn''t that just being an aplice to his crimes?

    But there was no need to exin her reasoning to Dixy. The knights did not need to know what the princess thought. They just needed to know what the princess wanted done.

    Of course, she did not have the authority of a ruler now, nor was Dixy her actual loyal knight. It made things a little moreplicated than she would like, but there was little that Emilia could do about that.

    So she just smiled at her ''knight''. "Did I say I am on a quest to show I''m better than everyone else? I just wanna have fun. Won''t you help me?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes, thinking that her mom was right. Getting overexcited over her first day at high school and rushing here so early in the morning to make friends was really a bad idea. Why didn''t she listen when her mom told her to calm down and at least finish her breakfast first?

    Of course, if someone told her to hand Emily over to them, she would punch them in the face.

    Now that she had made such a cute but dumb friend, then it was just right to take care of her. If it caused her worry, well, that was also part of being a good friend, was it not?

    ''But how do I exin to this sheltered, innocent and spoiled youngdy that we''re here to make connections and get good marks, not enforce justice? Isn''t that like hitting my head against a wall?''

    Feeling that it was not a good sign to have symptoms of migraine on her first day at high school¡ªbefore the ss even began, no less¡ªDixy decided to try onest time to reason with her ''Princess''.

    "Okay, okay, let''s just say I did what you said, and we go to a bunch of ''thugs'' bullying someone. What are you gonna do then? Look cute and tell them to please not do it?"

    Emilia gave her a ''are you stupid?'' look.

    "No, why would they listen to me? I''ll beat them up, obviously."

    Dixy almost vomited a mouthful of blood from anger. Look at the frail arms and delicate build of this princess, and look at her daring! She really was going to get into big big trouble if she didn''t keep a close eye on her!

    But arguing with her was also pointless. In that case¡­

    ''I-I''ll ask mom to sign me up for karate training or something¡­'' she thought tearfully.

    "Emily, you''ll make me middle aged from worry by the time I''m done with high school, right?"

 Chapter 9 - The Heroâ€™s Secret?!

    Perhaps luck wasn''t on Emilia''s side today, because just before the ss bell rang, theirst ssmate entered along with the teacher.

    If the short but shiny silver hair and stone cold grey eyes of the boy weren''t enough for Emilia to know who he was, the squeals and whispers from the students at the back made it more than clear.

    Amos ck, the heir to the ck Tiger corporation, and the future ''most sought after boyfriend'' in the Imperial Academy.

    At first, he looked indifferent and cold, not bothered by the fuss in the ssroom at all. But as the teacher organized the materials for the ss and told him to take a seat, Amos''s expression turned disgusted.

    To him, it was clear that this spoiled youngdy had threatened everyone else to make sure that the only empty seat was the one beside herself. All just so she could be the only one by his side.

    "Teacher, is there nowhere else I can sit?"

    The teacher, a middle aged man with deep dark circles under his eyes, looked at him with both confusion and irritation.

    "What the heck is wrong with you? Just go sit on the floor outside if you don''t want to sit in the only empty seat after arrivingte! Fu¡ªahem."

    He muttered a ''stupid spoiled rich brats'', and although Emilia was praising him in her heart for scolding the hero, she was also dreading studying under this obviously ''difficult'' teacher.

    Amos looked gloomy, having never been treated like this in his entire life. But he could only helplessly take his seat beside Emilia.

    He made sure to make it obvious that he was trying to stay as far away from her as possible, and the ssmates behind could already be heard whispering to each other in confusion.

    Of course, there was someone who looked even more disgusted than Amos.

    "Tch. Emily, you switch with me after this ss is over, okay?"

    Who was she to refuse such a generous offer? "Of course, when the angry mobs fling mud at the innocent princess, it is the knight''s duty to protect her with their shield!"

    Dixy was already used to her ''funny titles'' and just rolled her eyes.

    The hero had a bunch of question marks floating on his head.

    What''s going on? Are they fighting over who gets to sit next to him? Did the spoiled princess Danielle actuallypromise? Who the fuck was Emily? And what was the identity of the other girl to make this obnoxious viiness actually bend her knee?

    A bang from the teacher''s desk made everyone in the ssroom sit straight in fright. If the duster was alive, it would be crying from the mistreatment right now.

    "Alright, you little spoiled brats! My name is Teacher Jefferson, you can also call me Mr. Jeff if you want to fail my ss. I''ll be making a futile attempt at teaching you mathematics! Now, for sanity test, who can tell me what two plus two is?"

    As if to mock them, he actually wrote ''2 + 2 = ?'' on the board with the exaggeratedly forced squeaking of chalk. Emilia was worried that it might leave permanent marks on the poor ck board.

    A girl with shoulder length brown hair raised her hand enthusiastically, looking very happy at knowing the answer to the first question in her high school life. "Teacher! I know, I know! It''s four!"

    And he threw the half used chalk at the girl, hitting her squarely on the forehead with a ''Ugyuu?!''.

    "Congrattions, you have failed at detecting even the basic level of sarcasm. If you''re as bad at mathematics as you are in logic andprehension, I suppose I''ll be spending more brain juice here on you rich brats than even the morons in ss C."

    Emilia rolled her eyes, thinking about how such a hostile teacher could survive in this ce at all. Even if the children in ss C had the lowest performancepared to theirpetitors, merely getting into this school meant they must have been exceptional beforehand.

    "Ah, I see some of you rolling your eyes and making funny faces. I shall have you know, this is not an acting ss, and you will be getting no bonus points for that! Well, enough wasting time, let''s start with permutation andbination!"

    ----------

    Emilia had to admit that she really underestimated the level of education in this world. After the whole talk about bullies, she thought a bunch of morons must be in charge here, and what could a bunch of morons possibly know that she already didn''t?

    Unfortunately, she failed toprehend almost the entirety of the first lecture, and she wasn''t sure if the teacher was even being hostile once the lecture began. At the very least, he looked like he was being professional.

    Dixy pressed the back of her palm in reassurance, unable to sit by as tears hung in her friend''s eyes, looking almost ready to fall. "W-Well, don''t cry. You don''t need to know everything to pass in the end. Just memorize the easier topics and clear the exam. The grades don''t matter anyway."

    But how could Emilia say that she wasn''t upset because she might fail, but because her pride as a princess had been hurt? As someone who spent nearly ten years studying and preparing for the throne, she felt that she should have at least been on a much higher level than these children.

    "C-Cynthia¡­ am I stupid?"

    Her system''s voice was panicked. "No no no, don''t cry! How can a viiness cry ah! What a disgrace! This is a different world, and it has apletely different educational foundation than what you had! So what''s wrong with having to learn a few things?! And if you still cry, I''ll save the memory and make fun of you forever!"

    Emilia seemed to have gathered some of her self-confidence back from her words. Right, how could she copse so quickly when she had been so confident just this morning?

    Besides, she could always learn what she didn''t know.

    ''That''s my viiness!'' Cynthia cheered silently.

    Emilia gave her friend a nod, no longer looking like she was about to cry. "Um. Dixy¡­ let''s study together after school?"

    "Eh? But what about the karate?"

    "The what?"

    "Ahem, no nevermind that. Of course we''ll study together!"

    Amos looked condescendingly at the two. Isn''t it obvious you should know all of this before evening to this school?

    ''Tch, if not for the special privileges of ss S, I doubt these morons could even get admitted here at all. As for me, I missed the score for ss A by just two marks. After the next exam, I''ll be free from thepany of these retards.''

    It was a good thing that Emilia couldn''t hear the hero''s thoughts, or a fight would have broken out right in front of the next teacher.

    The gentle looking woman in her early thirties looked much kinder than Mr. Jefferson, and didn''t even raise a brow at the two girls shuffling around to change seats.

    She gave the students a gentle smile. "I''m sure you guys and girls must be quite depressed after meeting Mr. Jefferson. Don''t worry, although he''s got a strict manner of speaking, he can be quite kind once you get to know him more."

    The students looked at each other, thinking that it''s true that some people thought of others as they would think of themselves. Kind people saw kindness where there was none.

    Looking at their unconvinced expressions, the teacher did not argue.

    "Anyway, you can call me Mrs. Macmin, and I''ll be teaching you science. Unlike Mr. Jefferson, who will be with you throughout the FOUR years of high school, we''ll only have this one year together, as next year this subject will be separated into three!"

    There was a mix of despair and disappointment from the crowd of students, causing thedy on the podium to chuckle.

    It''s been only an hour since the school started, and Emilia already felt exhausted.

    "Hey Dixy, between Mr. Jefferson and Mrs. Macmin, which one do you think enjoys seeing us suffer more?"

    "I-I''m not sure¡­"

    ----------

    Thankfully, the science ss wasn''t as bad as the maths ss.

    Perhaps it was because Mr. Jefferson had intentionally started with aplex topic to scare the children, or perhaps the difference between the level of scientific knowledge in her previous world wasn''t as great as the mathematical knowledge, but Emilia was relieved either way.

    Contrary to what she expected, the school actually only hadpulsory sses for two to three hours out of six, varying by the day.

    The rest of the time was left to the students to allot for themselves. They could take optional sses, study by themselves, or go to various clubs. They could even go home if they took permission from a teacher or a doctor.

    The fiercepetition made it so that the children did not dare waste too much time, and the efficiency of this method was already proven by the years of performance records.

    The hero had bolted out of the ssroom the moment the second bell rang, and Emilia was of course relieved to see him go.

    And just as expected, it didn''t take long for their bench to be surrounded by a bunch of curious boys and girls.

    "Emilia, Emilia, do you know that super hot guy from before? Why was he looking at you like that?"

    Some of the girls looked dreamy eyed when they thought of the hero, while others were simply curious. The boys had most of their attention focused on Emilia herself, and Amos was just an excuse.

    "Ugh, disgusting bastard."

    Surprisingly, this came not from Emilia, but Dixy.

    Although many of the boys agreed by instinct, even they were surprised.

    "Ehhh?"

    Dixy made a ''tsk tsk'' sound before motioning them to huddle closer, as if sharing some exciting secret.

    "You guys don''t know, but that guy''s been wooing and pestering poor Emilia for years! She didn''t know any better because she always stayed at home before, but he''s a real piece of work! Not only did he try so hard to make her fall in love, on the outside he pretends to be disgusted!"

    Even the girls were shocked this time. Could someone who looks so good really act like that?

    "Ehhhh?! Is that really true?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes, as if she knew they wouldn''t believe her ''even though she''s telling the truth''.

    "Tch. You can see for yourself. Look at my cute little Emily. Who would act like he did?"

    As dozens of eyes focused on her face, Emilia blinked, suddenly thankful that Danielle''s face was so cute and childlike. No one can think badly of her with just a look.

    Most of them looked half convinced, but one of the girls shook her head, as if saying ''you guys are too na?ve!''.

    "What''s wrong?"

    The girl chuckled, pushing her sses up as if about to share some great knowledge.

    She looked quite cute with tasteful freckles on her otherwise pristine skin, but the chalk mark still on her forehead reminded everyone that this was the same girl who got hit by Mr. Jefferson for being an idiot.

    Nevertheless, her confidence didn''t seem to be shaken at all.

    "It seems to make sense on the surface. But I think you''re misunderstanding something, Dixy!"

    Dixy looked doubtful. "Huh, did I?"

    The freckled girl wagged her finger from side to side. "Fufu, you may not know, but I have a friend in ss A who is super good at figuring things out, and there was once a case very simr to this that had me confused, but she solved it in an instant!"

    Now the curiosity of all the children was piqued, and they all huddled closer to listen carefully. If it was someone from ss A, they must be a genius!

    Looking quite proud at their ''please tell us'' expressions, the girl continued with her chest puffed up.

    "That boy had been bullying and chasing after this girl for years too, and everyone thought they would be sweetheartster. But when they grew a little older, he always ran away in disgust when she got close! Guess what''s his secret?"

    The students all huddled together, their faces almost sticking to each other. It was as if some great mystery of the world was about to be revealed!

    "Oooh, so what''s the secret? Tell us! Tell us!"

    "It''s because¡­ he didn''t like girls at all!"

 Chapter 10 - Two Dumbos

    And so, by the time the first day of school was over, everyone and their grandmother knew about Amos ck being gay.

    Since everyone and their grandmother knew, the hero''s father would also naturally know about it.

    Therefore, when Amos arrived back in his family vi, instead of a bowing team of maids, he was weed by a fist to the face.

    "Bastard! You dare make a mockery of me like this?!"

    The bewildered boy clutched his bleeding nose, unable to believe that his always calm and cold father had actually punched him in the nose. To this day, he had never been hit by anyone, never in his entire life!

    It wasn''t just the first time he had been mocked and scolded, now he had even been hit in the face, and it was by his own father. Amos couldn''t believe it at all, and thought that it must be a nightmare.

    "D-Dad?"

    Amos''s father looked nothing like him. With dark ck hair and ck eyes, he looked like an average man if not for his overly muscr frame that was barely contained by his ck suit. It was clear that the handsome looks of the hero came from histe mother''s side.

    His father''s eyes were cold, but with a burning fury surging within the dark pupils. "So you still know I''m your father¡­ Tell me, which bastard''s cock are you sucking while I''m not there?"

    The hero could hear what his father was saying, but he couldn''t make sense of his words at all.

    "W-What the hell¡­ are you saying?"

    The older man clenched his fist, resisting the urge to punch his son again. This was the heir he had been carefully raising and nurturing for so many years, and the boy had always made him proud.

    Even if he liked boys, it''s not like it was the end of the world. The society was much more open these days, he could slowly prepare for it to not only not harm hispany''s growth, but be beneficial instead.

    What pissed him off was that the little bastard gave him no clue at all, and now even dared to lie to his face.

    "Don''t pretend to be dumb. I have eyes and ears in ces you can never imagine. Everyone at your school seems to know about your interest in boys. You better confess which bastard it is, and I promise not to y him alive in front of you."

    The hero''s confidence was finally shaken. What kind of malicious rumors had been spread in the school without his knowledge? If not for his dad, would he even know? Was everyone mocking him behind his back while he remained oblivious?

    No matter how he thought about it, however, he couldn''t think of anyone who would dare make a move like that against him.

    Amos shook his head frantically. His first priority was to clear this misunderstanding with his father. Because without his father''s support, there was nothing he could do to take revenge on those who tried to harm him.

    "Dad I swear I don''t know anything about this! I don''t like boys, I like girls!"

    The doubt in the man''s eyes was obvious.

    "Do you now?"

    The hero had never imagined where he would have to wrack his brains to prove something that was so obviously true. Suddenly, he remembered the girl who had made his heart beat faster with just one look, and his eyes brightened.

    Isn''t this a small matter once his father sees there''s a girl he likes?

    "Y-Yeah! I even saw the girl I love today!"

    As the head of a corporation like the ck Tiger, the interrogation skills of Amos''s father were not to be underestimated, however. It was not so easy to convince him with just a few words.

    "Oh? If you''re telling the truth, howe all your schoolmates think you like boys?"

    Unfortunately, his son wasn''t as good at providing reason and logic to back up his ims.

    "I don''t know! Dad, believe me, I like this girl in ss A. You''ll like her I swear!"

    The ck haired man sighed, feeling slightly disappointed in his son for the first time. Unfortunately, this was his only heir, and he had no other option but to give him a chance even if he didn''t deserve it.

    "Alright, I''ll believe you for now. Tell her toe here for dinner, let me see if she''s suitable to be your wife."

    Amos looked stunned. "I-I can''t dad, I don''t know her n-number."

    His father frowned. Is the matter over if you can''t call her? Was the ck Tiger''s head someone who can be refused a meeting with just because of a phone''s battery running out, or being out of the coverage area? If there''s someone he wants to meet, they have toe to him one way or the other.

    "¡­ Tell the driver to take you to her house, you can bring her in person."

    There was cold sweat on the hero''s back now. Maybe he shouldn''t have bought that girl in to save his skin.

    "D-Dad, I d-don''t know where she lives¡­"

    "Bastard¡­ are you making fun of me right now?"

    Looking at his father rolling up his sleeves, Amos almost peed his pants.

    "N-No dad, I swear I love her! It''s just the first day we''ve met, so I¡ª"

    "Alright, tell me then, what''s her name?"

    "¡­"

    "You little bitch¡­ don''t tell me you don''t even know her name?! And you dare say there''s a girl you love?! Tell me where the bastard is who''s cock you''re sucking!"

    ----------

    Emilia was shocked to see the bruising on the hero''s face when he came to school the next day. Although she did expect some rumors to spread from the little gossip yesterday, she never expected them to be so effective.

    "I have to say, Emilia, that chalk forehead girl is much more effective at being a viiness than you. Ah, how good would it be if she were my partner instead, you know?"

    "Humph, if you like her so much more than me, just go to her instead."

    Cynthia had wanted to tease her, but didn''t expect her reaction to be so strong. "E-Eh? Are you angry?! I-I was just joking! Emilia, Emilia!~ I''m sorrryyyyyyyy¡­"

    After listening to her system''s pleading voice for a while, Emilia couldn''t hold back her chuckle.

    "Y-You viiness! You were just teasing me?!"

    Emilia smirked, not responding to Cynthia''sints anymore as she focused on cleaning up her math notes fromst ss. Although there was no homework, she had spent considerable time yesterday to make sure everything that she understood and everything she did not was clearly marked out.

    Despite her efforts, the two sses in the morning went just like yesterday, with her barely understanding half of the contents. Of course, Emilia wasn''t too discouraged since no castle was built in a single day.

    "Let''s go to the library?"

    Her friend nodded. "Let''s go."

    ----------

    And so, three hourster, the two of them arrived in front of ss A.

    "C-Crystal! Crystal,e here!"

    The heroine looked bewildered at the newly appointed male monitor''s blushing face.

    "T-There''s a bunch of beauties looking for you!"

    She was slightly annoyed at having been interrupted from her self study, and the reason wasn''t even anything important? What do a bunch of beauties have to do with her, is she here for a beauty pageant?

    "A bunch of what¡­?"

    The boy gulped. "G-Girls from ss S!"

    The heroine gave him a disgusted look, but he didn''t even notice. She could only helplessly put her books back in her bag before heading for the door.

    Crystal almost rolled her eyes at the red faced monitor as he followed behind her. Do you have to make sure that the job assigned to you waspleted perfectly or something?

    And she had a feeling that she knew exactly who it was looking for her. A rich beauty from ss S¡­ where else had she crossed path with one before?

    And as expected, with gentle pools of liquid gold in her eyes and soft chestnut brown hair that reached her waist, it was the beauty she had regretted saving from the moment their hands touched.

    "Crystal~ Here she is¡­ thank you, monitor!"

    "Y-Y-You''re wee!"

    The blushing boy stared at Emilia for a while, seemingly rooted to his spot before realizing that all three girls were looking at him now.

    "O-Oh, I''ll leave you guys to it then, b-bye."

    Emilia giggled once he went back inside the ss and it was only the three of them in the corridor. "Fufu. Your ss monitor is such a shy boy, Crystal."

    The heroine held her head with one hand, as if suffering from a migraine.

    "Why are you here?"

    The smile on Emilia''s face was reced by a pout. "Aw¡­ I thought you''d be happy to see me?"

    Crystal bit her lip. What good coulde from a poor girl like her getting involved with someone who had almost nothing inmon with her?

    Dixy looked at the two of them awkwardly. Emilia had clearly told her that she knew someone from ss A who could teach them, but it didn''t look like the other would be willing to help them at all.

    Seeing as how the heroine didn''t respond at all, Emilia felt slightly disappointed. She thought she had made a pretty good impression already. At the very least, there shouldn''t be any reason for the heroine to not like her, right?

    But now that she was already here, just leaving would undoubtedly form a wedge between them. So, she could only push on even if her previous assumptions were wrong.

    "Well¡­ Crystal, if you''re free, will you please allow me to thank you for helping me in the morning? I wish to buy you a coffee."

    Crystal looked embarrassed when reminded of what happened yesterday morning. "T-There''s no need, I just did what anyone else would."

    Emilia smiled. "If you don''t want coffee, I''ll thank you with a kiss?"

    A furious blush exploded on the heroine''s face. "E-EH?!"

    Looking at the rich girl''s teasing smile and the other girl''s exasperated face, she waved her hands frantically.

    "C-Coffee! L-Let''s go for a c-coffee!"

    "Fufu. Alright."

    ----------

    And so, as the school bell rang an hourter, Crystal was left holding her freshly kissed cheek while staring at the empty coffee cup in a daze.

    The heroine vaguely recalled the two of them confessing that they had tried and failed to study efficiently on their own, and desperately needed help from someone smarter.

    But she didn''t know why exactly she agreed to tutor the two of them every weekend. After all, she had a lot on her te already.

    She didn''t even remember the exact details of thepensations she had been promised in return. All she could recall was the soft feeling of lips on her cheek as Emilia left her with a smile.

    "I''m doomed."

 Chapter 11 - Worse Than The Bullies

    Emilia''s new benchmate after the hero abandoned his seat from the second day onwards turned out to be the very same girl who had taken a chalk to the face from Mr. Jefferson on day one.

    And if Emilia''s conjecture of the hero getting beaten at home due to the nder at school was correct, this same girl was also responsible for an indirect punch to the hero''s face.

    It was unfortunate that the rumors surrounding the hero seemed to be already dying down, but it already did much more damage to him than she expected. After all, her initial expectation had only been to make people believe that the faulty with the hero himself instead of her when it came to his show of open disgust.

    In that sense, her goal was more than achieved. And the credit for that was shared by both Dixy and hertest recruit.

    While Dixy hadn''t yet been cautious against her, the girl managed to take a seat on Emilia''s other side. But although the silly girl was a bit overly friendly and touchy feely with her, Emilia didn''t really care about it too much.

    She was quite cute, so Emilia wasn''t instinctually disgusted. And more importantly, her newly appointed knight seemed to pay very close attention to prevent any touching. A bit too much, perhaps.

    Her name was also quite simple¡ªKoko, with nost name. And the girl''s mother ran a chain of beauty parlors. In terms of background, Emilia estimated that this might be one of the poorest in ss S.

    Most people in her circumstances would be quite cautious and insecure, but Koko was straightforward in both thoughts and actions. Emilia found it quite endearing, however, and very useful as well.

    Dixy showed signs of loyalty to her, but she had her own judgement and would not obey her instructions blindly. For example, she already knew that if Dixy could keep her from knowing of a bullying incident, she just might.

    But after only a couple of hours of getting along with Koko, Emilia now had a much better connected andpletely unfiltered source of information.

    If Dixy was her knight, then Koko would be her informant. And she performed her duty very well, gathering valuable information before even being told to do so!

    "You mean someone''s already being bullied?"

    Koko tried to wrap her arms around Emilia''s waist, but got a painful swat from Dixy instead.

    The freckled girl pouted with tears in her eyes, although they were barely visible through her thick sses. "Yep! I heard that a bunch of boys from ss B shook him up for money yesterday! One of my friends saw it and wanted to go with him to the office to make aint but he refused."

    Emilia smiled and ruffled the girl''s short brown hair. "Good work, Koko. If we can catch them today, I''ll give you your reward!"

    "Ehehehe¡­"

    ----------

    And so, no matter how much Dixy tried to stop her, Emilia arrived at the back of the cafeteria building where the bullying hadst taken ce.

    If Koko''s friend heard correctly, the boy would be here again every day from today at around this time to ''pay protection fees''.

    It seems like they were a littlete though, since the bespectacled boy was already lying on the ground clutching his stomach with a big footprint on his shirt.

    Although she already knew it was a boy from her own ss, she was surprised to see that it was the very same boy who had wanted to sit on the first bench but was too shy to sit next to her.

    The bullies in this case turned out to be only a pair of boys from another ss, presumably ss B ording to Koko''s friend.

    The one with the bulkier build of the two seemed to have seen theming towards their location, and turned to them with irritation clear on his face.

    "Whatchu lookin'' at? Get lost!"

    Dixy was alreadymenting in her heart, wondering if today she would get beaten to a pulp by this big boy while protecting her ''princess''. She regretted not enrolling for the karate sses already, she''ll definitely do it today!

    Emilia seemedpletely unaware of her situation and just smiled at the two mean looking boys. "If you guys don''t want to get your rear ends beaten right into the ground, I rmend removing yourself from my sight. Please."

    "What the fuck did you just say, you fairy looking bitch slut?!"

    The booming voice almost made her heart stop, and Dixy''s mind nked. "It''s over."

    The bulkier boy seemed to want to stomp over to them and start hitting left and right. Dixy moved in front of Emilia with her eyes closed and arms spread wide, and even Koko was clinging onto her arm with wide eyes.

    But fortunately or not, the bigger bully was held back by hispanion.

    "No wait, Don, don''t be impulsive! Just look at her! If you really hit her, think of what will happen!"

    The boy tried to shake his arm free, but hispanion''s grip was quite strong. "The fuck will happen? Just a bunch of girls, I can take them all alone!"

    The other boy was no saint, but he had a better presence of mind than his friend. They were not full time delinquents to whom grades and reputation didn''t matter. It was alright to get a little extra pocket money, but not at the cost of their future.

    "No no, have you really grown dumb or something! Bro, you used to be the smartest guy in our school, tell me what happens if you hit a girl like that?"

    "Ugh¡­"

    Don seemed to have been shaken out of his rage from his friend''s words, but still did not see what had his usually daring buddy so scared.

    The athletic boy shook his head at his bulkier friend. "Bro, look at her! Look at that smug face. She knows she can get away with anything. Do you want to fight an army of simps and white knights that wille after us after we hit her today?"

    Don didn''t seem so determined to beat the girls up after hearing his friend''s words, but he was still not fully convinced. Those boys who chased after skirts all the time only enacted justice on the weak. They''d probably piss their pants at just the sight of him. What''s there to be scared of?

    "Besides, that smug bitch will definitely tattle on us if we do anything, do you want to get us expelled?!"

    The bulkier boy''s expression froze as if cold water had been poured all over him.

    Dixy didn''t know what the two bullies were whispering to each other, but all she saw was Emilia ask them to fuck off and they really did! They even looked scared!

    "Is this¡­ real life? They just left because you told them to?!"

    Even Emilia didn''t expect to not have to fight. But she wasn''tining. After all, although she was fairly confident in her skills, if she could achieve her goals without a fight it was always for the better.

    She could definitely beat them up, but wouldn''t their hard faces leave bruises on her soft skin?

    "I should look for a stick or something next time beforeing, just in case."

    Her system also agreed. "It''s always better to be armed! A viiness must always be elegant and poised, even while beating people up! You can''t have bruised fists from knocking people''s teeth in! Break them with a rod!"

    Thankfully, this conversation was private between Emilia and her system, or Dixy might have had a brain aneurysm.

    Her ''knight'' had already taken support from the nearby wall in relief once the bullies left. She swore to definitely start her karate lessons today!

    The boy on the ground had shakily stood up by now and was looking at her with shame clear on his face.

    "S-Sorry you had to see that."

    Emilia shook her head. "Nevermind that. What''s your name?"

    The boy dusted off his shirt to remove the shoe print and any other traces. It looked like he was quite used to these things.

    "Harry Burns."

    Emilia smiled. "Alright, Harry. If they bully you again, just let me know. I''ll take care of it."

    The bespectacled boy shook his head. "No way, you shouldn''t get involved with this. Nothing good wille out of it. What can they even do to me? Just take some money, maybe hit me a few times. But you¡­"

    Harry looked at Emilia up and down and gulped when he thought of all the things that can go wrong if she got involved with such unscrupulous guys.

    Emilia frowned, feeling a little upset at being looked down upon like this by someone she just saved. "You worry too much. Do you know who I am?"

    Surprisingly, the boy gave her a knowing look.

    "I know more than you think, Emilia White. Your family is better off than mine, and your parents love you very much, unlike mine. But that doesn''t mean they can protect you all the time. So listen to me, stay away from this in the future."

    After making this cool speech, the bespectacled Harry bolted off without letting her get another word in. In his mind, he was very, very cool today.

    Emilia felt a headache as she watched him run away.

    "This guy is even more unreasonable than the bullies, right?"

 Chapter 12 - Strange Hobbies?

    It wasn''t just Emilia who didn''t understand Harry''s decision to keep getting bullied while refusing their help. Even Koko, who would usually take most things at face value, felt confused.

    "Uuh, why did he run?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "Because he''s stupid."

    The freckled girl tugged at her sleeve with some hesitation. Did this even count as saving someone or not? More importantly¡­

    "Do I still get my reward?"

    Emilia smiled. "Of course."

    But as Koko''s face got closer to her own, it was blocked by a palm. Her first thought was that this meddlesome girl Dixy''s hand sure was much softer than she would have thought.

    Even though the bespectacled girl was confident that it must be Dixy ruining her fun again, she found that the ''knight'' was still contemting life by a wall. So it was¡­

    "Emiliaaaa! Why did you block me?"

    Emilia actually felt a little embarrassed, feeling that she should have rified it a little more while offering the ''reward''. Exining itter just felt awkward.

    "Un, I said I''ll give you kiss as a reward. I didn''t say it will be on the lips, right?"

    "Ohhhh, you meanie¡­! That''s cheating! I want a kiss on the lips! Real kiss! Real kiss!"

    Even if she was embarrassed, she still felt that the rewards should always be proportionate to the effort someone put in. This time''s merit from Koko was a little small, especially since she failed to recruit a minion in the end.

    "Nu-huh. No can do. It''s my first kiss. Even if I have to give it out as a reward, it has to be for something much bigger."

    Koko didn''t know what to do at all, so she could only cry and beg. "Aw¡­ pleaaaaaaseee, Emilia! You don''t know, my mama said I''m dumb as a rock, I''ll definitely marry a pig in the future! If you kiss me, I can brag about kissing the prettiest girl in our school!"

    Unfortunately for Koko, Dixy had already recovered, and even managed to hear a few snippets of their ''argument''.

    "Hey! What''s this kissing thing I''ve been hearing about!"

    And Koko demonstrated that her mom called her dumb as a rock for a reason. "I want to kiss Emilia on the lips, but she won''t let me!"

    With those words, it would be a wonder if Dixy didn''t immediately explode.

    "You pervert! I knew I should have kicked your ass earlier!"

    "Kyak! Nooo! You''re misunderstanding! No please, not my hair!"

    ----------

    In the end, Koko barely managed to avoid a colossal beating at Dixy''s hands thanks to Emilia''s help.

    Unfortunately, they both received a round of scolding from the dark haired girl instead.

    "First of all, you two are so reckless! We were so close to all getting beat up today, and even if those boys got punishedter, our faces would still be swollen, okay?"

    Emilia felt wronged. In what world does a princess get scolded by her own knight? "You worry too much, Dixy. You should trust me more."

    A vein ticked on Dixy''s forehead as she tried to keep her temper in check. If it was anyone else, she would have definitely sent a smack flying by now!

    "I trust you, alright! I trust you to get my ass beat!! Listen, both of you are following me to my home today, and then we''re going straight to the dojo with my mom. I''m not taking any ''NO''s!"

    "Dojo?"

    "Eh?"

    ----------

    And so, both Koko and Emilia ended up following Dixy to her home in a luxury car. Emilia felt that the horseless iron carriage was definitely a lot morefortable than the iron horse thing that her sister used.

    ''This world sure has a lot of strange magical things, eh.''

    "Cars and bikes are very basic. You''llter see things like cameras, which can take an image of whatever you see and store it to show forter. And even more magical things. And this is not even a higher ne. You better learn fast!"

    Cynthia''s words made Emilia''s eyes shine with curiosity. Her freshly viinized mind thinking of the various uses of this ''camera'' thing at light speed. Her friends didn''t let her think about it for too long, however, and she was interrupted by Dixy''s worried voice.

    "E-Emilia¡­ was that really your sister? You''re not lying, right?"

    How could Dixy not feel disturbed when she saw a delinquent looking biker girl waiting outside the school gates for Emilia? Isn''t that the typical butch lesbian, wouldn''t someone like that just end up destroying her little princess in bed within a day or two of knowing them?

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "I remember someone said just a few minutes ago that they trust me?"

    "I said I trust you to get my ass kicked! Ugh."

    Thinking back to the obviously hostile look that the biker girl had given herself while leaving, Dixy still felt that something wasn''t right. Also, would the heiress to the ''White Deer'' pick her little sister up from school on a motorcycle? No way.

    "Listen, Emilia. I know you like to joke about kissing and stuff, and you don''t really know how the world works. But you can''t get involved with girls like that, okay?"

    Emilia felt exasperated now. Howe this girl trusted her blindly when she lied, but didn''t believe her at all when she''s telling the truth?

    "Uh, Dixy¡­ that''s seriously my sister, okay. Her name is Samantha White. If you knew of me, you should know of her."

    Even though Dixy still didn''t believe it, but she felt that maybe there was a misunderstanding somewhere. In any case, she shouldn''t use her princess of lying, or she might feel hurt. She might as well say what she wanted in another way.

    "Oh¡­ then sorry, I guess. But you should definitely tone it down with this kissing thing! Don''t go kissing people left and right!"

    Emilia gave her a confused look. "But I don''t?"

    Dixy rolled her eyes. Who promised to reward their knight with a kiss on the first day they met? If she was a boy, wouldn''t her heart go all doki doki from the casual flirting? Also, look at that poor monkey brain Koko, she was already a goner!

    "Oh really? Tell me then, how many boys and girls have you kissed so far?"

    There was a glimmer of self mockery in Emilia''s eyes, but it was too subtle for others to notice.

    "I''ve never kissed anyone before. I suppose my first kiss on the cheek was for Crystal yesterday, you saw it, right?"

    Dixy was dumbfounded. She thought Emilia was just used to being affectionate because of whatever way her family raised her, but turns out this girl just didn''t understand the importance of kissing at all!

    ''T-This monster princess¡­ don''t tell me flirting is just like breathing to her, she does it naturally?!''

    But still, if her first real kiss was with an idiot like Koko then wouldn''t she regret it to deathter, once she understands what it means? How does she, as a good knight, nail this thought in her princess''s mind before it is toote?

    Dixy didn''t get the time toe up with a solution, because Koko just seemed to have remembered something important and jumped up from her seat in shock. Her head made a loud thud on the roof of the car, and Dixy worried if it might leave a dent¡­ in the car''s roof. As for Koko''s head? That thing was quite hard, after all.

    "My reward! I didn''t get it! Kiss! I want a kiss!"

    Dixy rolled her eyes. "Ugh, this again. I''ll definitely beat you up if you harass her anymore, alright?"

    Koko sat back down with tears in her eyes. This mean girl didn''t even let her sit next to the princess, making her sit on her other side. "Uuuh¡­"

    Emilia chuckled, feeling a little less depressed after looking at their antics. "Well, a promise is a promise. Although my first kiss on the lips can''t be for such a reward, I''ll let you take a photo for a kiss on the cheek so you can brag to your mama. How about it?"

    "YES! I want it!"

    "Emilia!"

    ----------

    As Dixy held the camera while Emilia took off Koko''s sses and her lips lightly pressed against Koko''s blushing freckled cheeks, the first thought that came to her mind was¡­ ''Is this how it feels to be cuckolded?''

    And the second thought was¡­ ''Oh crap, how do I exin this?''

    Because her mother had chosen such a great moment toe back home.

    ''Think Dixy, think. You''re holding a camera while photographing the girl you bragged to your mom about befriending just yesterday.. And she is kissing someone else. How do I make it not look like I have strange hobbies?''

 Chapter 13 - Great Warrior Koko?

    Dixy''s mom was shocked when she was glomped by her overly enthusiastic daughter as soon as she entered the mansion.

    "Oh look! If it isn''t my beautiful mom! Emily, Koko! Look, this is the genius behind almost all of the sweets and choctes under the Brown''s name!"

    Thedy in the business suit almost had her brain fried as she tried toprehend her usually tsundere daughter''s sudden shower ofpliments.

    She could only wonder¡­ just how many felonies did her daughtermit to try to tter her like that?

    ----------

    A few minutester, a very embarrassed Dixy was left grumbling next to her mother while her friends talked andughed along on the opposite sofa while munching on the delicious snacks on the coffee table.

    Even as a princess who had eaten all kinds of confectionery from chefs who desperately wanted to please her in herst life, Emilia had to admit that the Brown family''s sweets were of a superior quality.

    Of course, she didn''t know if they were just that good, or if the raw materials in this world were just better.

    Dixy jabbed her mother on the shoulder while pouting.

    "Why would you even think Imitted a murder?!"

    Thedy in the business suit smiled. "Fufu¡­ I just assumed the worst when my tsun-tsun daughter suddenly started acting all dere-dere, but I''m happy it didn''t turn out to be like that after all."

    Dixy''s face twisted at her mother''s words. "Ugh, the way you talk is so disgusting, mom!"

    "Ahh, that''s the daughter I remember. Petnt as always. Very cute."

    And poor Dixy had to not only endure the teasing of her own mother, but also field theints from Koko.

    "Aunty! You don''t know, this meanie really tried to kill me before!"

    Dixy''s mother smiled. "Hoh, did she now?"

    "Yea! When I was trying to ki¡ªmph!"

    Dixy hurriedly lunged across the coffee table and shut Koko''s mouth forcefully while trying to keep a smile on her face.

    "By the way mom, you remember I talked to you about taking me to the dojo yesterday?"

    Her mother blinked in surprise. "Ah yes, I remember. But didn''t you chicken out right away when I told you that your grandfather is back?"

    Thinking that it was a matter of life and death, Dixy grit her teeth. "I didn''t chicken out! I wanna go!"

    "Fufu¡­ betterte than never. I''ll take you there myself. Do you girls also want toe and see?"

    ----------

    And so, waving away the driver who had driven them back from school, Dixy''s mother drove them by herself to a private property not far from the city. The young mother seemed quite familiar with both Koko''s and Emilia''s family backgrounds, and threw offhandpliments with little effort.

    Emilia had to admit she was a little impressed. Perhaps she had already checked on her daughter''s friends in such a short time, or maybe she was just overthinking things.

    "Here we are."

    The wooden dojo looked quite humble and quaintpared to some of the training establishments Emilia had seen in her past life, but the old man who greeted them inside gave off the aura of a master.

    If judging by looks alone, he looked like a harmless elderly man.

    Barelying up to the shoulders of even the three high school girls, and without any buff muscles, whenbined with his wrinkled face and long white beard, it really made people doubt if he could even fight off a child.

    Dixy''s mom left shortly after exchanging greetings with the old man, and the three girls were left staring at him in silence.

    "G-Grandpa."

    "Un."

    "Uhm, I-I wanted to learn how to defend myself, can you teach me?"

    ----------

    In the end, the old man did not speak another word to his granddaughter, and only signalled his disciple to ''teach'' her.

    And Emilia realized why Dixy got scared upon knowing her grandfather was back at the dojo. It was because once someone was inside his dojo, they had to follow the old man''s will.

    Aside from the old man and the three high schoolers, there was only a six year old boy he called ''kiddo'' and a buff looking girl whom he called ''disciple''.

    No matter how much Koko whined about not wanting to learn how to fight at all, the ''kiddo'' came punching and kicking at her, forcing her to defend herself. In contrast, at least Dixy knew her fate when she came here, and willingly went along with the ''disciple'' to ''learn''.

    Despite being almost two feet taller, and her biceps being thicker than Dixy''s thighs, the disciple was quite ''gentle'' with the short haired girl. Even if Dixy''s screams made it sound otherwise, there was no sound of broken bones or dislocated joints yet.

    And as Emilia barely avoided the old man''s lightning fast jabs and kicks, she realized.

    ''No wonder this ce is so empty¡­ this old guy is a maniac!''

    "Fight Emilia! Fight! My viiness can''t lose! Kick his wrinkly ass!"

    ----------

    After almost two hours of not being able to get a single hit in, Emilia copsed on the mat, covered in sweat. Her only constion was that the old man hadn''tnded a hit either.

    "Un. Not bad, not bad. I felt you could fight when you came in. The body is very weak, but your talent is very good."

    Emilia felt a little surprised that he could notice such a thing with just a look.

    In herst life, the number of knights who could perhaps best her in a fight could be counted on one hand. And in her first life the number would be even lower, given that body had been trained with the singr purpose to fight, from birth.

    But the fact remained that this body had not been trained to fight at all. It was created by using the void form, and was just a newborn baby even if its original image was based on ''Emilia'' in her second life.

    Even if she shape-shifted into a ten feet tall buff monster, her actual strength would remain the same, even if having sharper ws and such would increase the lethality of her form.

    So the fact that the old man could feel that she had a talent for fighting meant that he based it off either intuition or the way she carried herself.

    Either way, Emilia felt ttered. It felt very different from when someoneplimented her looks.

    "O-Oh¡­ thank you?"

    The old man chuckled as he saw her cheeks turn red. He was thinking, heh, this old man still had some game. No wonder grandma used to love him so much. His son is stupid to call him a narcissistic old fart.

    Too bad grandma passed away, and he had to move back to the boring dojo all alone. Now he could only hope to train a good disciple to carry on his legacy.

    He gave the pink haired girl a nod, thinking this girl is also worth training alongside the others. Good attitude and good talent are rarely found together, after all.

    "Hoho, don''t be a stranger. I guess my granddaughter finally came here because of you, somehow, so I''m grateful."

    He gazed lovingly at his granddaughter as she got her ass kicked by the buff looking girl left and right.

    "Un, how adorable."

    ''Maniac!''

    Thankfully, the old man couldn''t read her thoughts.

    "I always thought my lineage would really end without inheriting the style we honed for so many generations."

    "My moron son''s talent is abysmal in anything but business, and even my adorable granddaughter refused toe to my side no matter how many times I asked."

    "I even promised her that if she trained with me I could make her as tall as two men, with arms thicker than tree trunks and legs that can crush boulders with a single stomp, but even that wasn''t good enough!"

    "With the few years left in my body, how could I wait for my great grandchild?"

    Emilia felt awkward and didn''t know what to say to that at all. Isn''t it because you promised to make her look like a weirdo that she didn''t go? Thankfully the old man seemedfortable simply talking by himself.

    "My disciple is good at learning, but she cannot teach for the life of her. Even if she spent her entire life training someone, I doubt the next generation would learn anything but how to mend broken bones faster."

    Emilia''s lips twitched. ''Doesn''t that mean Dixy is getting beaten up for no reason at all?''

    At least Koko was having fun, using her long legs to keep the six year old little kid at bay. Her monkey brain seems to have mastered the art of kicking haphazardly to the level of an expert in just two hours.

    The old man was still talking, by the way.

    "So I''m grateful to you, who made her realize the importance of inheriting my art of fighting. Therefore, I shall teach you personally from now on."

    That''s¡­ good, right? That''s good, right?!

    "I just have to make sure not to identally touch you, or something might break!"

    Emilia''s mind nked. So it turns out that when the old man hadn''t managed to touch her either, it was because he thought her body was too weak to take a hit from him?!

    ----------

    The sun was already down by the time the old man called it a day.

    Both Dixy and Emilia looked equally miserable, the only difference being it was Dixy''s body that hurt, while for Emilia it was her ego that was damaged.

    From their group, only Koko managed toe out on top today.

    The freckled girl pushed up her sses smugly, ignoring the crack on the lens from a punch that the ''kiddo'' had managed to get in.

    "Hehe, don''t cry. You came to big sister punching and kicking, but you don''t know big sister is a great fighter, kicking the asses of viins and saving damsels in distress!"

    "Hem hem, I shall let you be my sidekick. How about it? Great warrior Koko and sidekick kiddo, it sounds good!"

    "No, from now on you will be Keke! Great warrior Koko and sidekick Keke! Too cool!"

    The little boy ''kiddo'' wiped the tears in his eyes with his white sleeves, but didn''tin or retort at all. It was like losing to a button masher in a fighting game, it would just look more pathetic if heined about losing to a girl who only knew how to kick randomly!

    When the Brown family''s car finally came to pick them up, the two girls were too exhausted to respond to Koko''s monkey brain antics.

    ''Kiddo'' grit his teeth in anger as he watched the viinous ''button masher'' walk away with a beauty in each hand.

    And as Dixy looked back at the youngest disciple of her grandfather, she had a strange thought.

    ''Huh, he''s probably also thinking if this is how it feels to be cuckolded, right? I''m d to share the feeling with someone so soon.''

 Chapter 14 - Emiliaâ€™s Broken Promise

    Once Emilia got back to the ''White Deer'' mansion, she found the parents and the elder sister of the viiness waiting at the dining table for her.

    It was quite a bit past their usual dinner time, and they must have had the food reheated several times already.

    Emilia had wanted to directly skip dinner and head upstairs to her room once she got back, but couldn''t help it once she saw this scene.

    ''Ugh¡­ I guess if they waited for me for so long then I might as well apany them.''

    She awkwardly took her seat at the table and started piling up food that would just vanish into the void.

    ''Good thing I can still taste it even if it vanishes in my belly. Mhm, let''s see¡­ I''ll take this, and this¡­ some roast pheasant, and¡­ ohh, steamed lobster?! Nice! I haven''t had it in a while! Thankfully I didn''t skip dinner today¡­ Ahh, if they feed me so well, I gotta treat them nicely in the future!''

    Cynthia didn''t understand people''s longing for tasty food, but she was happy to see Emilia munch everything with a smile.

    Her poor viiness looked quite distressed on the way home, as if something heavy was weighing on her mind. It''s good if she can obtain happiness from little things. If it didn''t get in the way of their mission, what''s the harm?

    It''s not wrong to indulge her a little, then.

    "Of course you can treat them nicely. Being a sessful viiness is all about bnce. Be as bad as you want to be to your enemies, and as good as you want to be to your allies! If it''s your own family or friends, it''s not against the code of viiny to be good to them!"

    Emilia paused, with the lobster meat inches away from her lips dripping melted butter and lemon juice. ''There''s a code of viiny?''

    "Ugh¡­ there can be¡­ do you want me to write it for you?"

    ''No no¡­ I think I''m fine. Uh, a viiness wouldn''t be a very rule abiding character anyway, right? Even if it''s the rules of viiny!''

    "Ohhh¡­ that makes sense! By the way, they look worried since you''ve been hanging that piece of meat in the air for almost a minute now."

    ''Fuck! Don''t distract me at the wrong time then!''

    Thankfully, neither Samantha nor her parents questioned her much. Danielle was really quite enviable to have them as family, and Emilia was just grateful to get to enjoy their care as long as she can.

    Once her parents left, however, Samantha stopped her before she could leave.

    Although she hadn''t proactively exined to the family where she had been, once her elder sister did ask, it was a different matter.

    Emilia didn''t think there was anything to hide from her elder sister in this case, so she just came clean.

    "Don''t worry, Sam. I''m just learning some self-defence from Dixy''s grandfather."

    Samantha looked confused. "Dixy who?"

    Emilia smiled, confirming her guess that her family didn''t investigate their daughter much if at all. "The daughter of the Brown''s. You know the ones that run a chain of confectionary stores?"

    "Oh¡­ oh yeah, I remember daddy once told me they used to be a family of renowned fighters back when he was a kid, but they changed professions and became rich after Mr. Brown and Mrs. Brown got together."

    Seeing as how her little sister didn''t look bored, Samantha enthusiastically began narrating the ''love story'' of Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Apparently, it was quite a scandal at that time, and even in the next generation the story was still circting.

    "Can you believe it? Mrs. Brown actually drugged him with aphrodisiac in her choctes, and pretended to get pregnant the next day! But Mr. Brown''s father didn''t agree even when they pled to him, and so she ran away and then pretended to have a miscarriage!"

    The twists and turns in their story were making Emilia''s head spin, and she was already quite tired from both school and then her day at the dojo.

    "Okay¡­ Okay, I think that''s way more than I needed to know. Now I can''t look at Dixy''s mom the same ever again, thanks Sam."

    "Uh¡­ sorry?"

    Seeing how her sister looked so pitiful, Emilia rolled her eyes. "I was joking! Thanks for telling me, it was kinda funny."

    The older girl smiled, but it faded soon after as she seemed to think of something else.

    "Wasn''t it?! Hehe¡­ Oh wait a minute, why do you want to learn self-defence? Did someone bully you?!"

    "Nah, don''t worry."

    Emilia sighed as the older girl even followed her into the bathroom as she washed her hands. She seemed to have just remembered her own hands needed to be washed after dinner, and abashedly moved to the sink after her sister.

    "Ahem¡­ you didn''t answer me! Did someone bully you?"

    "No, Sam. Like I said, don''t worry, I just went along with Dixy since it seemed like it would be good to learn anyway. Not like I''m busy with anything else, right?"

    The older girl didn''t look fully convinced.

    Emilia couldn''t me her since ''she'' did hide the hero''s actions for a long time before ing clean''. So how can Samantha be confident that she wouldn''t fall in love with someone else and do it all over again?

    But fortunately, the older girl couldn''t bear to refute her directly and could only ept her decision.

    "Mhm¡­ makes sense. Okay! But you have to tell me if someone bullies you! Or if a boy hits on you!"

    Emilia smiled. "Why?"

    The older girl rolled her eyes. "So I can talk some sense into them, obviously! Don''t worry, it''s not like I would crack their skull open with a crowbar. Trust me."

    Emilia suddenly felt a little bad for whoever it was that ended up on this girl''s wrong side.

    "¡­ I''ll definitely tell you if it happens."

    ----------

    Emilia felt a mixture of both relief and exhaustion by the time she bid farewell to her elder sister and copsed back onto the bed in her room.

    "It''s good that she''s there to look after thepany, along with Danielle''s parents. I can''t imagine managing all that on top of this."

    "Cheer up, Emilia! As your cultivation rises, so will your stamina!"

    Emilia was too exhausted to even roll her eyes. "Cynthia¡­ isn''t there some way to make my body stronger? Like¡­ right now? Do I really have to wait till I finish a mission and start cultivating?"

    Her system''s voice was a little awkward, but her words were blunt.

    "Uh, even if you train as hard as you can, it won''t change a thing. The only way to make your body stronger is to cultivate using void form! And you will only have the energy to do that once we finish a mission!"

    Emilia''s tired eyes held a trace of confusion as she reminisced about her time in the dojo. Dixy''s grandpa was weird, but unlike his disciple, he knew how to teach very well.

    He seemed to grasp that she was a hands-on learner, and instead of lecturing her on stances and movement, or even telling her the name of thebat technique, he had her learn right from the fight itself.

    Even though she had practiced the sword with her knights in the past life, and even had plenty ofbat experience, she still felt like she was learning something new.

    "But I felt like I was improving a little when I trained today, you know?"

    Cynthia thought back on it some more and nodded. "Uhh, alright. Well, it''s not like you can''t improve your techniques without changing your body? Your memories and thoughts aren''t discarded into the void, after all."

    Emilia closed her eyes as she organized her thoughts. It felt like she was a bit closer to understanding the limits of this body now. If she knew what it could and could not do, then she could work on improving on things she can and avoid things that would just waste time.

    "Hm¡­ so I guess it''s like I can learn how to punch someone in a better way, but can''t improve the maximum strength behind my punch just by training repeatedly, right?"

    A bunch of delighted ps resounded in her mind.

    "You got it! Normal people''s muscles tear down and build up from repeated practice, but a cultivator of the void form is detached from the world."

    "No matter what you eat or how you train, it won''t have any physical effect on your body. Even the injuries you sustain will vanish without a scar after some time, even without using shapeshift."

    "The only thing that can make you grow¡­ is pure energy that can fuel the void form. And one of the only sources of that energy is to chip away at the world will, which requires you toplete your missions!"

    Emilia nodded. "Alright¡­ I understand."

    ¡ªFollower Summoning: Cynthia!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 36 minutes 43 seconds.

    Cynthia looked shell shocked as she plopped down on the bed. "I-I''m out?!"

    She didn''t even have the time to create a gauze clothing from energy, and could only dive into the nket hurriedly to cover herself.

    Just as she was starting to calm down, she felt Emilia''s arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer through the nket. Even with the fabric between their bodies, though, Cynthia felt practically naked.

    It was better than Emilia was outside the nket rather than inside though. That would be even worse!

    And as if to further her embarrassment, Emilia''s face inched closer to her own till their noses were practically touching each other.

    It was only now that Cynthia realized that Emilia had also used her shapeshift skill to revert back to her original form. The beauty with long, flowing red hair, and arctic blue eyes seemed to give her a look that sent shivers up her spine.

    "E-E-Emiliaaa¡­ what are you doing?! Did you forget there''s an eight hour cooldown on your shapeshift skill? What will you do if someone walks in right now?!"

    Emilia didn''t respond at all, and gently moved forward till her soft lips pressed gently against Cynthia''s.

    "Mm?!"

    Even minutes after the redhead had let her go and moved away uncaringly, Cynthia could only stare nkly with her mouth opening and closing.

    "Wa- Wa- Wha- What¡­ What?!"

    It looked like even Emilia couldn''t ignore her flustered bbering anymore, and turned to her with a roll of her eyes.

    "You talked too much, so I felt like shutting you up."

    "Eh?! That''s all it was?!"

    Emilia smiled as she looked at her partner''s disbelieving expression. "Fufu¡­ no, I guess I just wanted to give it away to someone who will stay with me forever."

    Cynthia''s still half fried mind couldn''tprehend her words as well.

    "Give it away?"

    The redhead nodded. "My first kiss."

    Cynthia''s emerald eyes were open wide. It looked like she was even more shocked than when she had been kissed.

    "Is it really?! You weren''t just fooling those girls earlier?"

    Emilia''s expression was neutral, with neither a smile nor a frown, but Cynthia could still sense that there was a self-deprecation hidden deep in her eyes. "Mhm. It doesn''t matter, anyway."

    The raven haired girl scratched her head as she sat up, no longer caring about her embarrassing state. "No wait, Emilia¡­ weren''t you together with that backstabber for like ten years? Don''t tell me you guys did nothing for so long?"

    Emilia felt like her old wounds had been dug up carelessly by others, but she had no one to me but herself. Besides, she had impulsively imposed her will on Cynthia like this, so even if she dug up her old wounds one by one, it was just punishment she was willing to take.

    Emilia''s voice remained neutral, and this time Cynthia couldn''t tell what she was feeling at all.

    "That''s right. I followed her around for ten years, showering her with adoration. Our first kiss would be at our wedding, and our first time together would be on our wedding night.. That was the promise she took from me when she epted my proposal."

 Chapter 15 - Anarchist?

    ''That bitch really yed her thoroughly, huh.''

    Cynthia wanted tofort her partner, but she could only stare awkwardly at the luscious waves of crimson in front. She couldn''t even tell what kind of expression Emilia had on her face at all, because she refused to turn her way.

    And before she coulde up with a way to try and cheer her up, her summoning was cancelled as well.

    Ding!

    ¡ªFollower Summoning has been cancelled!

    ¡ªDuration left for follower Cynthia is 7 hours 16 minutes and 32 seconds.

    The poor system could only pout and keep silent in her mind as Emilia closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

    ----------

    Cynthia felt that maybe things would turn a bit awkward between them after that night, but her partner seemedpletely unaffected when she woke up.

    It was like nothing ever happened, and the raven haired girl wondered if perhaps that was for the best, after all.

    One thing she did notice, however, was that Emilia seemed a lot more rxed now than she did yesterday. It was as if a chain that had been holding her back was finally shattered, and she could move around more freely now.

    She even kissed Samantha on the cheek when she dropped her off, and happily waved goodbye as she drove away.

    Cynthia felt quite curious, since this girl was dreading the ''iron horse thing'' every day until recently. "You don''t mind the motorcycle anymore?"

    Emilia smiled. "No¡­ Once you try to get used to it, it has a feeling of freedom not much different from riding a horse. I like it."

    The system was silent the rest of the way as Emilia walked towards her ss.

    At least, that was until she walked into ss B.

    "Ehhh? Emilia, did you forget the way? This is not your ss!"

    Emilia''s eyes glinted deviously as she grinned.

    "I know. But I''m not here to take any lessons, but teach one."

    Since the victim wasn''t willing to cooperate with her, she would have to reach out to the perpetrators herself, right?

    ----------

    The Imperial Academy of Excellence had been opening and closing on time for decades, and this was the first time that the old principal heard of amotion so great that it ended up disrupting all four of the freshman high school sses.

    As a man with a sessful career who was so close to retirement, the old principal felt angry at the mere thought of the stain this would leave on his impable record.

    "What happened?"

    Even though the principal''s tone was calm, the teachers could all hear the fury suppressed in his voice.

    All nine teachers were standing in front of the principal''s desk like students waiting to be scolded. None of them dared to take a seat. They only kept looking at each other in hopes someone else would volunteer to exin.

    Only Mr. Jefferson was brave enough toe forward and exin.

    "Looks like a female student from ss S barged into ss B before the first lesson, and¡­"

    Mr. Jefferson paused, his mouth opening and closing as if not sure how to continue.

    The principal finally seemed to have run out of patience and bellowed with his face red and breathing uneven. "And what?!"

    The maths teacher sighed. "I don''t know if it''s true, but apparently she beat up two boys and dered that if she heard of anyone being a bully, she would go bully them herself."

    One of the female teachers came forward despite her shaking legs. "I-It''s true, I saw it myself."

    The teacher wanted to add that the girl also dered, ''This princess shall proceed to dole out your due punishment, vermin!'' before beating the boys up, but she felt too ashamed to say such a strange thing as a grown-updy.

    The principal held his head in hands and copsed back on the high back leather chair. "What? What bullying? Do the students in our school even have the time to be bullying?"

    Mr. Jefferson looked hesitant, but finally nodded in affirmation. "Only a few minor cases, perhaps, but we can''t be sure."

    The room was silent once again, to the point where the nervous gulping from their colleagues seemed to echo in the teacher''s ears from time to time.

    Finally, the principal seemed to have gathered his thoughts.

    "Alright¡­ what''s the situation now?"

    Mr. Jefferson stepped back since he really didn''t know much about the incident. As a diligent teacher, he had given the happiest lecture of his life to the empty ssroom and would have been perfectly content if he had never been called for this meeting.

    Mrs. Macmin was the one who ended up handling the aftermath, so she came forward nervously.

    "Well, the boys are in the infirmary, and the girl is in the staff room."

    "Why the hell are they in the infirmary? Did they get their bones broken or something?"

    Mrs. Macmin gulped. "N-No, only some bruising¡­"

    "And who is watching over the girl?"

    "S-She''s very obedient, so we left her alone?"

    "¡­"

    The principal almost fainted.

    ----------

    Thankfully, Emilia hadn''t run away to cause another incident, and Mrs. Macmin found her sitting right where she left her.

    "E-Emilia, good girl."

    "?"

    Even Emilia, who had nned all this, felt confused. ''Is she praising me for causing the ruckus?''

    Cynthia was also scratching her head. "I-I guess there are people who just like to watch the world burn, you know? As long as you do something to disrupt the order, they''ll be happy. I heard they''re usually called anarchists?"

    Mrs. Macmin''s face was red from embarrassment.

    "N-Never mind that, let''s go, the principal is calling you."

    ----------

    And so, almost an hourter, not only Emilia, but also her elder sister and the parents of the ''bullies'' were sitting in front of the elderly principal.

    The two bullies were allowed to remain in the infirmary, in light of their injuries.

    "So like I said, even if they were bothering her, she should have juste to me or one of the teachers, and we definitely would have handled it much better. This kind of thing can leave a permanent stain in a student''s record, you know?"

    Samantha looked unconcerned and leisurely, sitting with her legs crossed next to her little sister. Combined with her dark blue business suit, pristine white shirt and naturally cold face, even the principal felt a little nervous when he thought of who he was talking to.

    "Will you write it down in her record?"

    "O-Of course, since this is the first time she''s doing such a thing, there''s no need to make a big deal out of it, right? But I can''t be so partial, or other parents won''t feel safe sending their children here, will they?"

    Samantha gazed at the four formally dressed adults, two men and two women, all decades older than her.

    "D-Don''t joke around, principal. Since it''s our children who were wrong, we''re even grateful that they have been taught a lesson."

    "Right? It''s not like they were really hurt. It''s good if they can learn to be better people."

    "White family''s girl helped us out by teaching them in our ce, how can we be unhappy?"

    "I-If it''s okay, would you mind if we came over in the evening to show our gratitude?"

    Samantha smiled as she watched them almost talk over each other with nervousness. Except for government employees, no one in this city could confidently say they were free from the White Deer family''s influence.

    "Please, you''ll embarrass my sister. It''s good enough that you guys don''t mind her being a little naughty. No need toe over."

    "Of course, of course!"

    "Ehehe."

    Looking at the four of them fall over each other while trying to tter the young girl, the principal felt as if the world was spinning in front of his eyes.

    He should have known something would go wrong the moment Mr. White said he was sending his elder daughter over! Did shee here to bully people too? Right in front of him?!

    But as he opened his mouth to reprimand her, cold sweat soaked his back at the thought. This was the heiress to the White Deer family. The family that was one of their biggest sponsors.

    If he lost over a half of the donations the school received every year, wouldn''t the board have him drawn and quartered?!

    And if he really called Mr. White again toin about his eldest daughter right afterining about his youngest daughter¡­

    Well, his father had always said, if there is a mountain you can''t climb anymore, just roll down and hope you don''t die.

    ----------

    And so, the next day, a new announcement was served on the school''s notice board.

    The children excitedly climbed over each other to catch a glimpse.

    "Wow! She really didn''t get suspended!"

    "No no, are you blind? Why would she be suspended if she was doing as she was told?"

    "Are you dumb? Why didn''t I hear of this disciplinarymittee thing until yesterday? Obviously they made it up to cater to the whims of the princess."

    "Idiot, do you think the school needs to report everything to you immediately? Didn''t they post the notice today?"

    "You''re the idiot!"

    "Moron!"

    "Retard!"

    But no matter how the children argued with each other, it was clear to them that from now on the school would have a ''disciplinarymittee'' with a student ''Emilia White'' as its head.

 Chapter 16 - â€™Royal Knightsâ€™?

    Perhaps the principal had already lectured the teachers to make sure things didn''t go in an ''unwanted'' direction, because despite themotion on the day before, the teachers'' attitude towards Emilia remained the same as before. It was as if nothing happened.

    The students, on the other hand, were an entirely different story.

    Dorothy, a chubby girl from ss C looked at her friend skeptically. "You mean she calls herself ''the princess''?"

    Her friend Penny was the shortest girl in ss C, and also perhaps the most easily recognizable person in the entire school, at least in her opinion.

    She barely reached four feet in height, but her ponytail was just as long. If not for her tying it up a little higher, she would literally be sweeping the ground whenever she walked.

    Even if someone could forget Amos ck''s striking silver hair and eyes, they could not forget Penny after meeting her once.

    Penny flicked her signature ponytail haughtily, hitting her friend''s chubby cheeks with a ''thwack''.

    The other girl was already used to this, of course. This is why she was Penny''s only friend.

    "Isn''t it quite fitting, though? The youngest daughter of the richest family in the city, and she''s so pretty!"

    Looking at her starry eyes and blushing cheeks, Dorothy had an awful premonition.

    "Don''t tell me¡­ you''re not just saying that because you have a huge crush on her, right?"

    The blonde huffed. "That''s right! So what?"

    Dorothy sighed. It was also worth mentioning that Penny was the most arrogant and whimsical girl she had ever met.

    All of her ''crushes'' were extreme for a few minutes, and then she forgot about them. But at least they had all been boys until now.

    And wouldn''t Penny''s mom have a heart attack if she heard about this? She hadn''t even managed to get a boyfriend yet, and she was already so jaded that she started going after girls?

    "Ugh, aren''t there so many boys in our school? Isn''t that silver-haired boy so cool? Why not go for him instead?"

    Penny looked at her friend in disgust. "E¡­ did you not find anyone else to ship me with?!"

    The chubby girl blinked. Why was she acting like it was not a handsome boy but a filthy pig?

    "What''s wrong with him?"

    The blonde looked at her friend as if looking at an idiot who didn''t even know the most basic stuff.

    "Ahem, to be honest, I forgot. But that''s not important! I think I heard some nasty rumors about him. So he probably has some sick fetish or something!"

    Dorothy of course knew Penny was an idiot, but she also knew her friend wasn''t a liar. If she said she had heard some nasty rumors, it can''t be nothing. Even if she doesn''t remember now, it must have left a negative impression at least.

    "Ugh¡­ you really can''t judge people by their looks, I guess. But that''s all the more reason not to believe that girl either!"

    In the chubby girl''s mind, both Amos and Emilia were from a different world from herself, and belonged in the same category.

    "That girl? You mean my princess?"

    Dorothy felt a headacheing. The school hadn''t even started yet, right? And wasn''t Mr. Jefferson''s period first today? How will she survive? Also...

    "¡­ Since when did you start calling her that?"

    The blonde girl folded her hands over her puffed out chest. "Since I became the chairwoman of ''Princess Emilia''s Royal Guards'' club!"

    "T-There''s a club for that, already? Didn''t you not know who she was until yesterday?"

    Penny nodded. "There is one now. Well, there will be if my application passes. I submitted it beforeing to ss!"

    "Wow¡­ you''re fast."

    Penny smiled, like a little devil. "Wanna join?"

    "¡­ Sign me up."

    ----------

    Since the Imperial Academy did not have a middle school, the freshmen high schoolers were mostly unfamiliar with each other. They were all newly admitted, and most of them met each other for the first time only once school started a few days ago.

    So in the first week of school, there was no one that could confidently say who was the best among them at any particr thing, be it study, sports or even appearance.

    Emilia understood that this was the most efficient period to establish a reputation, which was why she had started working on it from day one.

    After all, a positive reputation in school was important for the next steps of her n.

    Her first target on the day school started was making sure that any notoriety that could be leaked into the school due to Danielle''s past behavior would be dismissed as baseless. In addition, she had to make sure that the hero couldn''t easily ruin her reputation with just a few words.

    To that end, she had pulled Dixy to her side first. And then in a series of happy coincidences, not only did she mange to neutralize the weight of the hero''s words, she even managed to injure his infallible image. This was despite his formidable background and outstanding appearance.

    Cynthia''s voice couldn''t hide her excitement.

    "It''s quite amazing how far the hero is from his past life. He should have already been the undisputed heartthrob for most girls, and a charming prince who could do no wrong."

    "But your monkey-brain sidekick somehow managed to make him the closet boy-lover who trash talks his childhood sweetheart because he''s insecure about his sexuality¡­ Won''t the hero kill your monkey if he finds out she did it?"

    Emilia shook her head. Also... why is it that even Cynthia insists on ridiculing her poor informant as a monkey? Well, unlike Dixy, at least Cynthia''s words wouldn''t be heard by Koko, and wouldn''t end up making her throw a tantrum.

    Besides, there was no need to be scared of retaliation from her enemies while taking action against them. Because they would harm her anyway when they got the chance, regardless of whether she had previously spared them or not. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been her enemies to begin with.

    ''Don''t worry. Since she''s sworn allegiance to me, I shall protect her.''

    "Well, I suppose there''s no need to worry too much about your monkey. The hero seems to only obsess over the heroine and the viiness anyway. Even if some things change because of you, I doubt his core personality will change much."

    ''Mhm¡­ that''s good. It will be easier to make them hate each other this way.''

    The hero''s hatred for the viiness really was quite obsessive and unreasonable. No matter how Emilia thought about it, even if a rich beauty like Danielle fawning over him failed to obtain the hero''s favor, she hadn''t yet done anything to attract his hatred either.

    Moreover, this was a girl whom he had known since childhood. And at least in the beginning they must have got along well enough for the viiness to fall in love.

    For the hero to absolutely hate the childhood friend that loved him, to the extent ofpletely ruining her and her family, there had to be a reason that went far deeper than that.

    Cynthia thought so too. Although a part of his hatred definitely got amplified by the viiness''s harassment of the heroine, the root was surely somewhere else.

    "I think it''s because of ambition. The hero doesn''t want to live in the shadow of the ''White Deer'' family. If he married Danielle, then even if he ended up owning everything in the end, he would forever have the shadow of the viiness''s charity in his heart. So I think he just wants to snatch everything forcibly instead."

    Emilia smiled. ''It doesn''t matter what he thinks.''

    "Uh¡­"

    ''All I need to know is that he hates ''me'', and that is good enough to make sure our mission goes well.''

    And this was why, on the second day itself, she had made sure that she had a good reason to interact with the heroine regrly. Of course, the fact that she could learn things much faster with her help was just a bonus.

    And her image among the students was already pretty solid now. Which should also influence the heroine''s impression of herself somewhat, right?

    Although she would probably have been fine with just making sure there were no negative rumors about her and slowly proving herself through performance and behavior, Emilia knew that was too risky.

    Not only was it not enough to cement a good image of ''Emilia'' in the minds of the students as firmly, she could not wait for something to go wrong, especially not with the hero stillying in the dark.

    With his reputation in tatters, wouldn''t he strike back at her as long as he found the opportunity?

    Which was why she had taken such drastic measures.

    So as soon as she got the clue for a bullying incident from Koko, she rushed right in to be the ''righteous heroine''. Unfortunately, not only did the bullies not cooperate with her and ended up running away without a fight, even the victim ended up not wanting her help and ran away!

    If not for Dixy and Koko being there, Emilia would have chased after them and beat all three of them up till even their mothers wouldn''t recognize them.

    Of course, just because they ran away didn''t mean they were safe forever. She would just have to catch them in ss.

    And that''s what led to the incident yesterday. In some ways, things went even better for Emilia than she hoped.

    If she had managed to end the bullying incidentpletely in private earlier, then there was a chance that it would take much longer for her reputation to spread. But doing things this way caused everyone to not only immediately know of it, but also diverted their full attention to her.

    This would solidify her image in one fell swoop, with almost no opportunity for anyone to twist the facts or cover it up.

    This was also why she had made sure to loudly announce her motives and reasons for beating the two of them up, and then even proimed to go after anyone who dared to bully her ssmates.

    And now, on thest day of school this week, all she had to do was make sure all her ns were still on track.

    With all these preparations, what could possibly go wrong?

 Chapter 20 - A â€™Gentlemanâ€™sâ€™ Revenge

    It could be said that after the whole bullying fiasco in ss B, the life of Amos ck had returned to ''normalcy'', more or less.

    But that doesn''t mean he forgot about the humiliation he had suffered.

    In his entire life, no one had ever dared to talk back to him, let alone look down on him. But from the day he had entered the Imperial Academy, it was one humiliation after another.

    Whether it was the careless reprimand from the asshole maths teacher, or the callous attitude of that bimbo Danielle and her sidekick, or even the alienation from his moronic ssmates. It all struck at his ego one after another like hammers, filling his head with impotent fury.

    He could barely endure this much, just barely, given he would not want to lower himself to their level¡­ but then they even dared to nder him!

    And to make matters worse, his idiotic father believed their nder, and even dared to hit him! HIM!

    But it''s never toote for a gentleman''s revenge.

    Amos knew when the odds were against him, and when he had toy low, even putting the matter of his first love in the back burner.

    He knew there wille a time when he could strike back and make up for all these losses tenfold.

    And as expected, those morons forgot all about him with just a few days of silence.

    Of course, he didn''t just sit idle in the meantime. He had to know who was behind all these atrocities, because if he remained unaware, they will just continue to strike from the dark.

    And much to his surprise, it turned out to be none other than Danielle White, his most obsessive stalker.

    In his eyes, this girl was aplete and utter disgrace to the high society. Someone with zero dignity, zero grace, and zero intelligence.

    People around him often praised her for being ''gorgeous'', but Amos knew it was only because she was the youngest daughter of the family that owned ''White Deer'' corporation.

    To him, her appearance wasn''t any different from those bar girls. He could gather dozens of them with a single word. And she probably couldn''t even dance, nor would she have any idea on how to service a man.

    The only thing good about her was that she at least picked a decent target to obsess over, but even that didn''t make him happy.

    He couldn''t believe how they had been close to each other in their childhood. Because whenever he thought of her, all he could feel now was disgust.

    It was as if a greater power had taken pity on him, and allowed him to open his eyes to see for himself how disgusting her existence was.

    "Well, I suppose she calls herself ''Emilia'' now. Wonder what that bitch is nning."

    Of course, the person who supposedly spread the rumors wasn''t ''Emilia'', but another girl called Koko. But he would have to be as dumb as that stalker bitch to believe that.

    Anyone could see how that little tail wagged around the spoiled ''princess''. It was utterly disgusting how money made these peoplepletely lose their dignity.

    This is why upstarts like that shouldn''t be allowed in their circle just because they made some cash.

    After figuring out it was ''Emilia'' making things hard for him, the hero decided that even that bitch had to be taught a lesson, a real one that she could never ''forget''.

    Although he was sure she would bend over backwards as long as he graced her with a few words, he wouldn''t demean himself so. No, instead, he came up with a n that would kill two birds with one stone.

    If things worked out as he thought, not only would that bitch no longer have the courage toe after him, but would also probably stop showing up in front of him altogether.

    As for if the n failed, well, that had nothing to do with him. Just a bunch of thugs being unruly and a retarded rich girl being in the wrong ce at the wrong time.

    "I heard you were snooping around with some unsavory types?"

    Amos almost stumbled over his own feet as his father''s words suddenly echoed in the supposed to be empty hall.

    It was only now that he realized his father was reclining on the sofa without even turning the lights on! Granted it was day time, but the hall was still a bit dark with all the windows closed.

    And he''s really making it a habit to harass him right as he came back home!

    Fortunately, he was much better prepared this time. Despite being slightly unsettled, his tone remainedpletely calm as he nodded towards his father.

    "Hello, Dad¡­ I''m tired from school, so can we put off the whole ''rifying baseless rumors you have heard from who knows where'' thing till dinner?"

    The ck haired man grinned, although there was no warmth on his face.

    "Hoh, my son has really grown up. He thinks I don''t know that he leaves school every day right after the first two sses¡­ Or what he''s doing for those three hours before hees back pretending he''s back straight from school?"

    The silver haired boy could feel cold sweat cover his back, but he somehow managed to not show any panic.

    Since his father believed the baseless and false rumors on the first day, it meant that whatever information source he had wasn''t quite ''thorough''.

    And as long as that was the case¡­ would his father blindly trust something he couldn''t be sure of?

    "What are you talking about, dad? I may not be in ss, but that doesn''t mean I left the school. I can''t bear being surrounded by those morons for any longer than necessary, so I find somece quiet to study by myself."

    "Is that so¡­?"

    His father leaned back with his eyes closed, and just as the hero breathed a sigh of relief thinking that the matter was dealt with, the ck haired man started ''talking to himself''.

    "It would be such a shame if my son were to disappoint me again¡­ What a scandal it would be if I had to adopt a child at this age, and train him from scratch as my new heir? How tiring."

    Amos could feel the blood in his veins turning cold.

    ''This bastard¡­ he dares to say he''ll let some adopted rat take over thepany? It''s not even his to begin with! This bastard! Mom left it to me! ME!''

    But he could only pretend not to hear anything and continue climbing up the stairs.

    ''If he thinks he''s invincible just because I''m rted to him by blood¡­ he''s got another thinging!''

    ----------

    Emilia felt embarrassed when faced with the startled stares from the heroine and her strangepanion, especially after their exaggerated reactions to her presence.

    ''Only Dixy and Koko know how long I''ve been standing here, right? Okay, it''s not too shameful yet!''

    "Hohoho¡­ My viiness is embarrassed! Look at this blushing face, oh, are her eyes slightly wet?! How humiliating!"

    Emilia was already determined to ignore Cynthia at this point, since the entire situation was her fault to begin with, so her lips didn''t even twitch as she greeted the heroine with a gentle smile.

    "Hello, Crystal."

    The heroine''s facepletely red, and the young girl next to her kept staring at her in fixation with eyes shining as if looking at a deity.

    And to make matters worse, there were a few more students behind the two of them, all of them giving her a strange look.

    It looks like they were just about to leave, all together for some absurd reason? She certainly hoped that the reason wasn''t to embarrass her further!

    Even Emilia found it hard to maintain her expression. Thankfully, the heroine didn''t ignore her greeting, and gave her a slightly shy nod.

    "H-Hi¡­"

    The ''middle schooler'' next to the heroine couldn''t contain herself anymore either.

    "Princess! Can I touch your hand?!"

    Dixy found it hard to contain herughter at the confused swirls in Emilia''s eyes, but her friend was also quite pitiful. It looked like this was her first time encountering a genuine ''fangirl''.

    The ck haired girl''s smile stiffened when she heard Emilia''s words, however.

    "Uh, okay?"

    The pint sized girl with absurdly long golden hair seemingly teleported in front of Emilia, and knelt down in front of her piously as she held her hand with both of her own.

    It was as if a devout priest had finally been granted a favor by the deity they had spent their entire life worshipping.

    There were bursts ofughter from the students behind the heroine, who was also shaking her head with a smile.

    "Penny is really too much."

    "I guess it makes sense, given that she is the leader of the ''Royal Knights'', haha."

    "True, true. Maybe I would join if I didn''t already have my schedule packed."

    "Haha."

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion, wondering when she had established a ''Royal Knight'' division in the school, and appointed such a mascot looking thing as the leader?

    Even Koko looked confused.

    Meanwhile, Dixy''s brain circuit was running in apletely different direction.

    "''Royal Knights''? Wouldn''t that be better than normal ''Knights''? And she''s their leader? Doesn''t that ce her way above me?!"

 Chapter 29 - Think Before You Speak

    "Emilia, why didn''t you talk to her about taking care of those bullies?"

    Emilia sighed.

    "Because there''s no need."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be confused. Didn''t Emilia say earlier that the bullies might have some help for them to be so courageous so soon? Wouldn''t it make sense to take precautions then?

    Emilia knew that her poor airhead system couldn''t figure it out, so she could only helplessly exin.

    "Didn''t you think it was strange that she kept asking me about ''trouble'' and ''school''? Besides, her reactions to my responses made it pretty clear that there was something going on around me that she didn''t want me to know of. She thinks of me as a little child to coddle, so it''s very easy to read her like an open book."

    "So then¡­"

    Emilia smiled. "Since she wants to take care of it herself, might as well let her. It''s less trouble for me."

    Cynthia hummed, curiously watching her partner enter the walk-in wardrobe. Is she going to pick out clothes for the party? But isn''t that supposed to be tomorrow night?

    "Emilia~ Are you good with fashion?"

    "Hmm, if I know what people like to see and the general trend, it''s not very difficult to make myself look good, is it?"

    "Oh, but your body right now isn''t that jaw dropping beauty you''re used to, you know. I mean, Danielle''s form is cute, but not everything will work for her, you know?"

    "And ''you know'', I can see what I look like in the mirror, and adjust things till I look good, can''t I?"

    "Oh¡­"

    Of course, Cynthia was skeptical, but decided to just wait and watch first.

    Anyone can tell what looks good and what doesn''t, but not everyone has a good sense of what to wear themselves to bring out the best of their charm.

    How could Emilia, who had a body that would look good even in a torn newspaper, know how to make someone else look good?

    Unlike her system, Emilia was confident.

    There were many things about her that Cynthia didn''t know. And there were many things that she would rather forget.

    Maeve had zero sense of how to dress and how to style her hair. How could Emilia have just let it be? When she had just met her, the girl was in a traditionaldy baker''s clothing and an irregr boyish haircut.

    By the time she had stabbed Emilia on the terrace that day, she dared to say there was not a single person in the kingdom who could say she looked anything less than a princess.

    So all Emilia needed to know now was the basic aesthetic sense of the people, and she could customize her own style from there. As for the clothing itself, there was more than enough in the walk-in closet.

    Cynthia couldn''t help herself after she saw Emilia walk back and forth in the closet for the third time.

    "I think you should just take your sister up on her shopping offer. My viiness must look dazzling and fabulous on her debut! How could you humiliate me so by wearing old clothes? Uneptable!"

    "Calm down, Cynthia. If I really need to, I can just shape shift into whatever I want, clothing and all."

    It would certainly feel weird, since she would just look clothed but be technically naked, but those were small details.

    "Kyaa! Emilia is really shameless! You''re even thinking about going to a party naked!"

    Emilia''s smile twitched.

    "Oh my, I almost forgot about someone who was due an ass beating!"

    Cynthia had already long forgotten about her past transgressions, or she would never dare poke her partner at this time. Now that she remembered, it was like cold water had been poured on her head.

    ''I-I''m screwed! No, damage control, quick!''

    "I-I meant to say, ahem, m-my viiness is so smart and diabolical, she can even humiliate other party goers without them even knowing!"

    Emilia nodded, looking ''pleased''.

    "I see, I see. What you''re saying is that gazing upon my ugly form couldn''t possibly be ttering huh, it could only be humiliating. Hm¡­ so that''s how my partner thinks?"

    Cynthia almost fainted from fright. Just how is it that she''s making it worse with each word?

    "Aiyaah! Emilia~ Forgive me okay, I''m dumb, I''m an idiot! I don''t know what to say, so¡­ uh, stop picking on me, pretty please?"

    There was a long pause from her partner, and the poor system waited anxiously for her mercy.

    "Oh, so I''m being a bully, huh?"

    "Uwaaah!"

    Emilia smiled at the sorrowful wail from her partner, then she picked out a long green shawl from one of the racks before heading to the empty space in the center.

    Ding!

    ¡ªFollower Summoning: Cynthia!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 16 minutes 31 seconds.

    ''Oh no! Punishment time?!''

    Cynthia closed her eyes tight, expecting to be bullied. The poor airhead did not even realize she was summoned ''unprepared'' once again.

    The raven-haired girl blinked her eyes open in disbelief as she felt a cloth wrap around herself and a soft palm rest atop her head.

    Emilia''s gaze on her was gentle. She had not shifted back to her original form, but somehow Cynthia could see the illusion of her arctic blue eyes contradictorily projecting warmth. It was a strange, iprehensible feeling.

    "Why are you so silly, Cynthia? C''mon, help me pick some things out?"

    The emerald eyed girl blinked. "Y-You''re not angry?"

    Emilia smiled. "Should I be?"

    Cynthia bit her lip as she looked away. She was used to doing things at her own pace, simply following her whim. It''s not like she had to care for anyone else before.

    "I-I mean, I did make you slip up in front of the heroine earlier, and I tease you all the time, but I''m really sorry, okay! I''ll try not to do it so much from now. So¡­ forgive me, Emilia?"

    Emilia sighed as she squeezed the ''younger'' girl''s cheeks. She wished they were a little chubbier, but hey, she''ll make do with what she had.

    "You silly goose, why are you being all serious now? Do I look like I mind?"

    "Wuu¡­ stahp¡­"

    Cynthia rubbed her now reddened face aggrievedly. Howe she was always the one being bullied by her viiness?! Why can''t she bully others too? Worst of all, she still had to apologize!

    But who told her to get attached to her viiness?

    "Just so you know, I do get irritated when you keep piling it up, but that doesn''t mean I want you to change. So if I get angry, don''t mind that much."

    "That''s great! I''ll definitely keep annoying you, don''t worry! I won''t change!"

    Emilia''s lips twitched. Her system really was talented at ticking her off, huh.

    "Sure, sure. Keep being yourself. Oh, but if I really get angry, I''ll just spank you a few times, and we''ll be even. No harm done."

    Cynthia''s jubnt mood immediately disappeared as she stomped her feet in anger.

    "What ''no harm'' done?! What about me getting beaten up, that''s definitely harm done!"

    Emilia chuckled. "It''s not like you''ll get a swollen butt after being unsummoned, right?"

    How could the system ept that, however? It''s bad enough to bully her like this, but she definitely can''t let her partner deliver corporeal punishment. That''s humiliation on a whole new level! Complete disgrace!

    "But I''ve never ever been spanked, it would be such a disgrace, absolutely shameful! I refuse to allow it!"

    Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully, her smile turning mischievous.

    "Hoh. That''s all the more reason for me to do it, isn''t it?"

    And Cynthia finally exploded, stomping her feet in anger as she whined.

    "Y-You viiness!"

    Emilia smiled. Truth be told, she really did feel slightly hurt when Cynthia kept being mean earlier, or she wouldn''t have slipped up like that. But after she calmed down and thought about it, wasn''t it for the best to just let her be?

    If Cynthia stopped calling her ''my viiness'' so endearingly because of a spanking, wouldn''t it be sad?

    So it was better to just get used to it. Besides, it was definitely better to be viinous partners in crime with Cynthia than to be a heroine of justice all alone.

    Perhaps this way she could finally attain that ever elusive lifelong happiness she had always sought.

    ----------

    The next day, Samantha gazed at the apartmentplex in front of her with a crowbar in her right hand and a silencer equipped gun on the left.

    "Miss Samantha, I highly rmend you let us clean them up first. Even we cannot guarantee where a stray bullet can go, and your life is too precious to take such a risk needlessly."

    The one imploring her so earnestly was a gray-haired female bodyguard who normally also worked as her secretary.

    "Have you forgotten who I am, Noelle?"

    "Young miss, don''t tell me you think you''re some superhero who is immune to bullets and bombs? I thought you got over that in fourth grade."

    Samantha''s cheeks immediately turned red.

    "Y-You idiot! Didn''t I tell you to never mention that again?!"

    "Oh, I''m sorry."

    Of course, she did not look sorry at all.

    "Ahem, anyway, have you made sure none of them can escape?"

    "Of course, for just thirty four unruly thugs, we have over three hundred high level professionals on site, all fully armed. Nothing can go wrong, except..."

    Samantha''s brows furrowed. "Except?"

    "There''s a destabilizing factor in the mission. Someone who can end up causing the whole thing to turn on its head."

    "What?! What the hell, Noelle, I told you to take care of everything, how can you make a mistake like that? C''mon, get rid of them, I don''t care who they are!"

    "Oh, good."

    And so, Noelle dragged Samantha away, kicking and screaming.

 Chapter 36 - Half Eaten Prey

    "That should be enough. Let''s move on from mathematics now. Emilia is already pretty good, and Dixie''s also doing fine. Make sure to practice the questions I marked out for the two of you separately, okay? Don''t do it together."

    Emilia hesitated a little as she looked at the heroine putting away the mathematics textbook, but decided it would be better to just voice out her thoughts.

    After all, one of her purposes in approaching Crystal was to learn things faster. It was pointless to keep it to herself and slow her progress down.

    "Um, that''s fine. But, Crystal¡­ I''m okay with this kind of basic stuff, but you know, that¡­ ''permutation andbination'' and stuff, I really need help with that!"

    The heroine blinked, as if confused. "Oh¡­ that''s not in the semester''s course, right?"

    Emilia and Dixie both looked at each other in surprise. That was the topic that both of them had been struggling with the most, after all.

    "Uh, didn''t Mr. Jefferson¡ª"

    Crystal waved her hand, cutting off her argument as if she had heard it a thousand times.

    "It doesn''t matter what the teachers teach. Only what''s the in the sybus wille in the exams, and our goal is maximize our scores there, is it not?"

    Emilia nodded. Although learning more was always good, it was better to understand what was necessary first before spending her spare time on other things.

    "So where do I get this sybus from?"

    Crystal smiled, not realizing how smug she looked.

    "Normally it''s posted a month before the exams on the notice boards, but you can get it in advance by going to the principal''s office."

    Dixie blinked. "There''s such a thing?"

    The heroine''s smug look was reced by embarrassment. "To be honest, I didn''t know about it. But I''ve always prepared ording to the sybus, and when I couldn''t find one for our exams I just went to ask. Thedy there just gave it to me."

    Emilia''s eyes were shining, as if deeply impressed by Crystal''s ''ingenuity''. "That''s super smart, Crystal! Howe no one else thought of it?"

    Dixie scratched her head and spoke up before the heroine could puff out her chest with pride.

    "Uh, more like thedy there just made an exception for her since she''s the topper in the entrance, you know."

    Emilia blinked. "Oh¡­"

    Crystal rolled her eyes. Why does it feel like Dixie''s been getting a little hostile to her from time to time? How strange. Well, it''s not like she was clueless, but she would rather not believe her conclusions till they were concrete.

    After all, it was too absurd. She didn''t want to believe it.

    "Anyway, doesn''t matter. She didn''t tell me it was a secret or anything. Here¡­"

    She took out a sheet of paper densely packed with tiny words.

    "Take a photo with your phone. I would rmend against sharing it around, though."

    There were many reasons for her saying so, but the heroine didn''t want them to know her true thoughts.

    The students can be incredibly malicious and selfish, after all, and if Emilia shared the sybus and something in the exam didn''t match, they might attack her for sharing a fake sybus. There was simply no benefit in doing so.

    Dixie quickly took a picture using her phone, while Emilia carefully went through the process ''step by step'' as the other two girls looked at her weirdly.

    "What is she doing?"

    Dixie looked a little conflicted, as if unsure if she should reveal the ''secret''.

    "I think¡­ she''s making sure that the image is perfectly centered, and the photoes out borderless, and the focus is at its sharpest point."

    The heroine blinked in surprise. "What? Is she going to submit that for a photographypetition???"

    The dark haired girl smiled, but there was a hint of ''showing off'' in her expression.

    "No, that''s just how she is. Maybe you''ll understand more, when you''re closer to her. But of course, that takes time, you know."

    ----------

    "Is it done?"

    "All ording to your instructions, young miss. They''re on their way to the mines now."

    The curly haired brte leaned back into the leather chair with a sigh of both exhaustion and relief.

    Although the small office by their warehouse was far from being asfortable as the one in the city, the chair felt far morefortable due to the sheer exhaustion she felt at this time.

    "Samantha¡­ are you okay?"

    The gray haireddy''s worried voice, and the direct use of her name made it clear that she was asking the question in a personal capacity, not as a subordinate.

    "I''m fine, Noelle. Just woke up too early, I guess."

    Noelle couldn''t help but frown in disapproval. She was sure that one of the reasons her hair had grayed out so prematurely, even before she hit her mid-thirties, was because she had to constantly worry about this impulsive, reckless boss of hers.

    "I don''t understand why you have to overwork yourself like that, and do everything by yourself. A good businessdy should know how to prioritize the right things, and most importantly, how to delegate tasks to their subordinates!"

    What she didn''t say was that if not for her disobeying Samantha directly to drag her away, she would probably even be injured at this point due to her recklessness.

    Samantha let out a tired sigh as she closed her eyes. "What are you trying to say, Noelle? I''m too exhausted to figure it out. Just be direct."

    The secretary couldn''t help but grit her teeth.

    "I''m saying that you should have locked up your little sister at home, and then left the handling of those morons to me. It would take a little longer, but I wouldn''t be leaving loopholes everywhere like this. After that, when it''s safe, you can let her out."

    The younger girl shook her head. "No. There is no point to any of it if my little sister has to go through such trouble. It''s bad enough that I can''t deal with those dastardly ck family wolves, now you want me to turn a blind eye to even these small fries?"

    Noelle felt frustrated, but she didn''t know what to say.

    "I didn''t say that¡­ Oh fine, whatever. What''s done is done. But you know, this will definitely cause us more trouble."

    Samantha nodded. "I know."

    Noelle took a seat on the opposite end of the office table. "Moving three hundred special forces like that in the center of the city, a whole gang going missing¡­ and disappearance of two children who had a conflict with your little sister, all on the same day¡­"

    Samantha groaned. "Just suppress it."

    Noelle sighed. "I''ll try, but given that the cks were involved in this thing, they''ll definitely not allow that to happen. We have to be ready to face whatever ising, so¡­ be ready."

    Samantha felt as if her exhaustion was slowly wiped away during their conversation as the topic of the ck Tiger came up. She could feel cold fury coursing through her veins already, all her sleepiness gone.

    "Those fucking garbage bags! I just don''t understand¡­ even though we had the initiative, howe those bastards keep being able to make trouble? Why aren''t they on the streets already?!"

    Noelle sighed. Although Samantha was brilliant for a girl her age, most things still had to be managed by Mr. White and herself. Samantha''s natural business talent was just ''good'', which was far from enough to deal with the ck Tiger.

    "Young miss, I think you''re misunderstanding something. Although your father tried his best to take the initiative, it was never in his hands to begin with. The ck family probably nned to cannibalize all their partners from the start."

    Samantha wished there was a punching bag in her sight right now, because her knuckles were itching to send something flying.

    Unfortunately, only Noelle was in her sight right now, and although she wished to punch, um, forget it. It would only be more frustrating to get her ass handed to her.

    Thankfully, Noelle seemed to think her frustration was directed towards the ck Tiger. If she knew Samantha was considering the pros and cons of punching herself, well¡­ Mr. White had given her the liberty to teach his daughter a lesson when needed.

    The gray haireddy continued to console Samantha, oblivious to the younger girl''s true thoughts.

    "Even if the prey wakes up halfway through being swallowed, it''s still quite helpless in the snake''s belly.. Until we can figure out a way to w our way through and tear it apart, we can only helplessly watch ourselves melt, little by little."

 Chapter 40 - Set Up

    The next day, Emilia did not go to the dojo for her training, nor did she head for Crystal''s ce for her tuitions.

    Dixie thought her grandfather would surely be angry, but the old man was very nonchnt to the whole thing when she informed him of the news.

    Truly, the masters treated their favored children differently. But Dixie could onlyin in her heart and continue her own training with a pout.

    Princess even told her not toe by today, ahh! Now she even had to go to that Crystal Miller and suffer through those long, grueling hours of lessons all alone.

    But of course, she could not skip, as she had to convey what was taught to her princesster. Or else that Miller girl will surely take this excuse to give Emilia a private lesson, which obviously cannot be allowed.

    Whether the Miller girl realized it herself or not, Dixie was sure that her intentions for her princess were impure! Truly, no one else could be trusted.

    On the other hand, the heroine nced at the neat little text message informing her of Emilia''s absence in today''s session, along with a sincere note of apology.

    Had it been before, she would have scoffed, thinking that it was only expected of someone like her to ck off. But now, she could no longer entertain such thoughts about Emilia. She could only sigh and hope whatever was keeping her busy went well.

    When the sun reached its peak that day, the two police officers finally arrived at the White family mansion. Although it was a Sunday, it was not a day off for them.

    Mark had initially wanted to put the questioning off for Monday, but Morgan insisted that the case was on a top priority basis, and they weren''t getting paid to care for Mr. White''s convenience.

    After thinking about it, Mark could only agree, considering that it might actually be better to not disturb the man at work.

    Their cruiser was allowed entry on sight. Even when they alighted, none of the security personnel nor servants came up to them to inquire about their purpose.

    The staff did not even seem surprised by their appearance, as if knowing the officers woulde. The whole situation made the both of them ufortable, as if heading into a criminalir for an undercover mission, but feeling like everyone could already see through their bluff.

    An old man in a ck and white tuxedo suit greeted them with a bow, and turned around to lead them as the two officers followed after him in aplicated mood.

    They were eventually led to arge, marbled hall where two young girls seemed to be leisurely waiting for them on a sofa.

    Samantha''s face was already familiar to many who cared to know, as she often appeared in press meetings rted to the White Deer corporation. Her younger sister was less well known, but her picture was also included in the case folder, so the two officers knew at a nce who they were dealing with.

    The two of them calmly took a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table before Mark nodded towards Samantha.

    "Hello, Miss Samantha, Miss Emilia. I''m officer Mark, and this is officer Morgan. We''re here to talk with Mr. White. It would be great if you could please let him know we''re here, so we can arrange a meeting."

    Samantha did not even turn her eyes to nce at them, treating them as empty space. It was not that the girl was naturally rude, she was simply acting ording to their n.

    Emilia smiled. "And what would the two officers need to ask Daddy?"

    Before Mark could open his mouth, Morgan snorted. She had already been dissatisfied with their behaviour until now, and Samantha''s tant disregard only made her impression worse.

    "Stop wasting our time and tell him toe out, or we''ll treat it as obstruction of justice."

    Emilia blinked. "Daddy is a very busy person, you know. If anyone''s time will be wasted by meeting you, it would be his. So could you not ask those questions to us? After all, it''s our day off today, we have plenty of time for entertaining clowns."

    Samantha''s lips twitched, but she managed to reign her smile in as she watched the female officer''s face turn purple from anger. As for the man, she couldn''t tell what he was thinking at all.

    Mark knew that Morgan was about to blow her top, so he coughed and interceded first in an effort to calm the situation down. Although the displeasure in his voice could not bepletely hidden. Who liked being called a clown?

    "I''m afraid we do have to meet him in person, it is not something avoidable. But now that you mention it, I do have a few questions for you as well, miss Emilia. Would you like to answer them first?"

    Thankfully, the female officer had more than enough self-control to not immediately fly into a rage, and allowed Mark to question the ''suspects''.

    The young girl tilted her head, as if confused. "Oh? That''s strange. I''ll have you know, I''m a veryw abiding girl. What could you have to ask from me?"

    The dark-skinned officer cleared his throat. "Are you familiar with the names Don and Braxy?"

    Emilia nodded, not even hesitating. The two officers could not see any hint of nervousness or avoidance from her.

    Either the young girl did not know what happened to them, or she simply saw their existence as no different from insects. Mark thought it was the former, but Morgan felt it must be thetter.

    "Of course, those were the bullies wreaking havoc in our school before I set them in line."

    "Set them in line?"

    Emilia nodded. "Mhm. I gave them some of their own medicine, a little scolding, and warned them so they never bully people again."

    "Miss, we''ll have you know, using violence against fellow citizens is a crime, no matter how noble your motivations may be."

    "Oh, is that so? But when did I say I was being violent? I just taught them a lesson. Don''t teachers teach students all the time?"

    The two officers looked at each other, perplexed. This girl may look innocent, but her wording was quite clever.

    On the surface, she admitted to beating the bullies up. But if her statement was put in words, there were plenty of openings to argue otherwise. It wouldn''t stand a chance in court as long as she had a cleverwyer who knew how to make his point.

    Emilia huffed. "What''s with that face? Don''t believe me? Then you shouldn''t be asking me questions anyway."

    Mark could only clear his throat again, reminding himself that this was just a young teenage girl, after all. He had to be a little delicate.

    "It''s not that, miss, it''s just that we were shocked to hear about exemry students from the Imperial Academy being involved in such things."

    Morgan wasn''t quite as polite, and snorted derisively at Emilia. "Little girl, don''t try to make them look bad to justify your actions. ording to the records, both Don and Braxy had excellent academics, with zero character or delinquency strikes so far. How could such excellent children be bullies? If anything, you would fit the category far better. Rich, homeschooled, no previous records."

    Emilia did not throw a fit, contrary to their expectations.

    Instead, she simply blinked in surprise. "Is that what miss officer thinks?"

    Not to mention Morgan, even Mark was beginning to lose his patience. Although he may respect Mr. White, he felt nothing for these rich, spoiled daughters of the man. Not to mention their behavior so far did not do them any favors, either.

    "Anyway, we''re here to investigate their disappearance. Please cooperate, or we''ll treat it as obstruction of justice."

    The dark-skinned man''s voice this time was firm, making his partner nod in satisfaction.

    And as ifpletely disregarding their authority, Emilia just smiled. Although it was still better than Samantha, whopletely ignored their entire existence in favor of whatever she was doing on her smartphone.

    "Wait, you two, before you proceed, I have a few questions of my own."

    Morgan''s smile was derisive as she took out her badge and mmed it down on the coffee table. Mark''s heart almost leaped to his mouth, but thankfully, the precious ss did not crack. Their sries were probably not enough to cover the cost if it came down to it, after all.

    "I''m afraid our time is precious, and we''re here only to ask questions, not answer them. Mr. White has two minutes to appear in front of us, or we shall call for backup. I''m sure the media will have a field day recording your mansion being swarmed by the force."

    Emilia still did not seem to take them seriously, but Mark knew his partner very well. Within a hundred and twenty seconds, she was definitely going to have this ce thoroughly stormed.

    He almost felt some pity for Mr. White. However, considering the behavior of his two daughters, he thought perhaps a little respect for thew still had to be instilled in them.

    At this moment, ady in a maid dress walked in carrying drinks, and the officers unconsciously perked up. They were feeling a little thirsty, after all, and the crystal clear sses full of orange juice looked very tempting right now, especially with cold dewdrops dripping from the surface.

    At least the servants had some decency.

    But just as they were thinking so, thedy went straight to the young girls and ced the sses directly in front of them before leaving. It was as if she could not see that there were two more people here.

    Samantha downed hers in one go before setting it back down with a gasp,pletelycking any grace or elegance that should be expected from her.

    On the other hand, Emilia took only a short sip before putting the ss back on the table.

    "Well, I just wanted to know, when did those two bullies go missing?"

    At this point, the officers would have to beplete idiots to not realize they were intentionally goading them.

    Even Mark''s anger was ignited, not to mention Morgan.

    ''Alright, since that is so, let''s see how you handle the falloutter.''

 Chapter 41 - Looked It Up Online

    Officer Mark had already leaned back on the sofa, refusing tomunicate with Emilia anymore.

    Meanwhile, officer Morgan seemed to be in quite a jovial mood now, as if already picturing the crashing of the White Deer''s stock price when the market opened on Monday.

    "Your two minutes are almost over, you know. As for your question, the poor boys haven''t been found since yesterday. But rest assured, we''ll find them... and we''ll make sure the culprits suffer very, very much for their crimes."

    Emilia did not seem to realize that the threat was meant for her. In fact, her focus seemed to be on something else entirely.

    "So it''s not even been twenty-four hours since they were reported missing, and you''ve alreadyunched a full-blown investigation, right?"

    The two officers did not look too perplexed at her usation. Although pointing it out did make their actions look a bit out of the norm, the legality of the matter was not in question. The police could decide to register a missing person case in their country even if it had only been a few minutes, if they deemed the situation required such urgency.

    Of course, Emilia knew that this could at most help her make the police look a little biased, and nothing more. But that wasn''t what she was going for. Instead of defending herself against the usations, she would rather turn the tables around entirely.

    "Who is to say those twowless morons did not just run away or something? And why exactly are you bothering us here, anyway? Because I dared to stop their bullying?"

    Morgan''s smile was full of sarcasm. At this point, even if the girl wasn''t involved, she had to make sure this arrogant little brat suffered for her conceit.

    "Rest assured, miss, our investigation is fair and proper. Whether or not they were involved in such incidents remains to be seen, and they are citizens of this country regardless, so it''s our duty to ensure their safety."

    Of course, there were many ways to carry out a ''fair'' and ''proper'' investigation. Sometimes it is so thorough that it may end up causing some inconvenience. And of course, the conclusions they came to were subjective.

    This was not the first time Morgan was dealing with such a case. No matter how rich and powerful Mr. White was, since themissioner was backing them up, what did they have to fear? No one was above thew, anyway. In front of them, both the rich and the poor were equally helpless citizens.

    Emilia didn''t seem to understand the apparent sarcasm in officer Morgan''s words, and looked delighted instead.

    "It''s very reassuring that the police is so dutiful in our city! Tell me, did you already solve miss Michelle Reeve''s case? I heard the poor girl was bullied by her ssmates and forced to jump off the third floor building, and now lies fully paralyzed and unable to speak in a hospital."

    The young girl sighed in ''admiration'', her shining eyes locked onto the officers on the other side of the table.

    "I thought I was the only one looking into it, but after hearing about your efficiency and discipline, you guys probably handled it already without me knowing, right?"

    Mark couldn''t help but frown. This had been one of the cases the two of them had handled recently, but how did Mr. White''s daughter know?

    "Oh, was I wrong? Forget about solving it, you guys can''t even bother to care enough to remember it, right?"

    The sudden shift in her tone from admiration to ridicule was almost jarring.

    "Good thing I know a little about it. Apparently, the case was closed due to inconclusive and insufficient evidence after just one round of questioning her ssmates."

    The dark-skinned man kept his face neutral, but he couldn''t help but sigh in his heart. This wasn''t the first time he couldn''t pursue justice for a victim. As enforcers of thew, they also had to abide by it themselves.

    In the case of this young girl in question, they did try their best to dig for clues and witnesses for a whole two weeks, but came up empty-handed each time. Of course, it was only ''one round'' ording to Emilia, since none of the students had been questioned more than once.

    No one was willing to confide in them the name of the perpetrators, and as for ''evidence'', well, what could they possibly even get from a crime scene that hundreds of students tampered with on a daily basis?

    When the school authorities requested the police not to interfere with the students'' psyche during such a critical exam time, the pressure on them got even worse.

    And the sole witness that could probably move the case forward, the victim in question herself, had already been dered hopeless by the doctors. So instead of continuing to waste public funds on a hopeless case like this, it indeed made sense to close it and move on to something that they could solve.

    It all made sense objectively, but it would be wrong to say that it didn''t leave behind a little guilt in their hearts. Emilia''s words happened to poke at precisely that guilt, which filled both the officers with shame and anger.

    Emilia smiled. Even though the two of them didn''t ''bother'' responding to her, she knew they were a little rattled just from their eyes.

    "Well, never mind her, she''s just a poor nobody, after all. What happened to the case of that six-year-old boy that''s been missing for two weeks from near Wellington primary school?"

    This time Mark really couldn''t take it anymore, and mmed his fist on the table. He was even beginning toin in his heart about how his partner hadn''t already called for backup. The more he listened to the prattling for this little bitch, the more his blood pressure rose.

    Were they here to justify themselves, or were they here to question Mr. White?

    The loud boom along with the resounding crack was followed by a stunned silence in the hall. Even Samantha had put down her phone and sat up straight.

    The officers realized that the atmosphere wasn''t right. Nearly two dozen armed bodyguards had already entered their proximity, and Mark knew he shouldn''t have lost his cool.

    Even if it ended up increasing the charges on Mr. Whiteter, what good would it do for them to be humiliated here by getting ''supressed'' by these bodyguards? It will probably end with just some additional mary penalty. So it was better to diffuse the tension.

    Mark cleared his throat. "Uh, we¡­ we''re looking into it, the culprit will be found soon. But that doesn''t have to do with why we''re here¡­ does it?"

    Officer Morgan had decided that since things had already escted to this point, there was no need to seek cooperation anymore. She had already discreetly requested for backup during their conversation.

    ''Wouldn''t it be hrious to see the look on their face when these conceited little bitches are shocked by the raid? Ah, perhaps my rusty little taser will also find a use today.''

    As for the consequences? The most they could ever face was a short suspension. And given that their superiors were clearly backing them up here, even that was questionable.

    Emilia smiled, although there was a glint in her eyes that Mark found very disturbing. It was as if he had caught the gaze of a predator, but that couldn''t be right, could it? This was just a young teenage girl, after all.

    "Is that so¡­ Hm, well, you know, I was just curious, so I looked around and found him being sold for very cheap online."

    Both Morgan and Mark looked at each other, perplexed. Was a missing young boy some cup or a pencil that you can find being sold online just because you looked?

 Chapter 43 - The Greatest Trade Deal

    The efficiency with which Mrs. Brown operated had to bemended. Before her daughter had even reached the Miller''s restaurant for her ''tuitions'', she already had her staff negotiating a contract with Mrs. Miller.

    And these generally cold-hearted negotiators who would squeeze out every single percentage of profit that they could from their opponents, were currently ''begging'' to throw money away.

    Why? Because Mrs. Brown had said, the worse the deal was for them, the greater their bonus.

    Was there an easier task in this world than to throw away money?

    Unfortunately, the woman in front of them was shockingly unreasonable.

    If it wasn''t for his colleagues being nearby, the middle-aged ''negotiator'' would have already started kowtowing to Mrs. Miller.

    ''Lady, are you a saint or something? Why do you reject money being thrown your way?''

    "Rest assured, Mrs. Miller. Like I said, all the staffing, upkeep as well as production needs will be fulfilled by us for you. You will have a managerial role, making sure the quality of the products is up to your standards. And even if there are any issues down the road, you can reach out to us to handle it."

    The heroine''s mother hesitated a little before shaking her head nervously.

    "B-But, isn''t thepensation a little¡ª"

    Crystal''s mother had wanted to say ''too much'', but the negotiator cut her off hurriedly.

    "Please don''t worry. How about two hundred and fifty thousand, then? As for the split percentage, how about we increase to 85%?"

    The heroine''s mother couldn''t help but almost faint. How is that sry low? That''s two hundred thousand dors per month! Not even five-star hotel managers get that much.

    And to give her 80% profits when her only ''investment'' would be the building?

    And he was bending over backwards to make it worse???

    "N-No, please, it''s not that I''m dissatisfied with the conditions. Just¡­ Ugh, just give me a minute."

    It was all too absurd! She couldn''t help but feel like it was all a scam. Worried, she could only hand the contract over to her daughter to take a look.

    Maybe her genius daughter can figure out the catch.

    But no matter how many times Crystal helped her mother looked through the contract, she couldn''t find any fault at all.

    At this moment, Dixie finally arrived for her ''sses'', and the heroine breathed a sigh of relief. It was better to just clear her doubts directly before getting into something like this.

    "Hold on, mom, I''ll be right back."

    "U-Uhm, okay."

    Mrs. Miller tried to avoid the negotiator''s creepily pitiful ''puppy dog'' eyes.

    How can there be such a good deal in this world?

    She''s not signing anything until she''s sure she''s not giving this ce up! It was all they had, after all. She had even risked everything to keep it away from those thugs, so how could she just stupidly sign it over by being careless?

    Dixie sneered as the blonde girl dragged her to a corner of the restaurant.

    "T-These are yourpany''s people, right?"

    Dixie shook her head. "Not mine. My mom''s."

    Crystal took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Calm, she had to be calm!

    To be honest, the deal was good. Too good, in fact. And that was the problem.

    In business terms, it made absolutely no sense. If they agreed to these terms, the ones putting in the most investment would barely be taking a thin slice of the profits, while her mother enjoyed most of it without putting in any effort at all.

    In the corporate world, no one would be stupid enough to offer them a deal like this. Perhaps the heroine would have understood what was going on if it came from Emilia''s family. After all, the girl was reckless and followed her heart, and her family treasured her like a pearl.

    Throwing a few million dors away to help out a friend in need? It certainly made sense if Emilia was the one doing it.

    However, thepany they were signing it with happened to belong to Dixie''s family. And topare the White Deer corporation to Brown''s confectioneries would be likeparing a boulder to a mountain. She highly doubted a few million dors were peanuts to someone like Dixie.

    More importantly, if there was one thing Crystal could absolutely be sure of, then it was that Dixie did not have any ''affection'' for herself. At best, she treated her like a colleague, and at worst, she showed some minor aversion.

    In either case, there''s no way she would show her so much ''favor'' out of nowhere.

    So her next thought had been, of course, that Emilia had put her up to the task. That was the only way for this thing to make sense.

    "Did Emilia put you up to this?"

    Dixie snorted. "Are you living in some fantasy world? Do you think my princess would have me suffer a loss for someone like you?"

    The dark haired girl felt some satisfaction as she took in the heroine''s dumbfounded expression.

    It''s not like she was lying. Emilia had made it clear to her that she was not allowed to make this investment if it would turn out to be a loss. In that case, she would figure out another way to help Crystal out.

    "Emily did ask me to help, but that was only if my mother determined this business would bring us profit. So you don''t need to be ''grateful'' to me or anything. We''re not making a loss, just offering you more favorable terms."

    Crystal sighed.

    ''I knew it. Who else could it be? But for Emilia to do things in such a roundabout way, she must think I have a really fragile ego¡­''

    And the heroine had to admit that perhaps Emilia actually had the right idea. Although this was still very much a ''charity'' from Emilia, she didn''t directly throw money at her, she just rmended her to a friend.

    Although the difference was subtle on the surface, it helped her preserve a lot of dignity. To her, it was like the difference between someone offering to give her money versus someone offering to give her a job.

    Dixie rolled her eyes at the heroine''s reluctant expression.

    "Aren''t ss A students supposed to be really smart? Why''re you being so hypocritical about it, then? Just ept it. In the future, when you''ve made it big, offer me a favorable deal in return, and we''ll call it even."

    The heroine''s expression cleared up as she smiled. Her impression of Dixie went up a notch as she realized how straightforward and direct this girl was. Just like Emilia.

    Truly, birds of a feather flock together.

    "You''re right."

    And so, Crystal convinced her mother to sign the contract, making the formidable-looking negotiator shed tears of emotion.

    Although he didn''t know all the behind-the-scenes details, Mrs. Brown had let it slip that the White Deer corporation''s youngest daughter was involved in this somehow. The worse the deal was for them, the more ''indebted'' the other side must feel!

    Not to mention he would be getting a big fat 80 thousand dors of bonus just by getting them to agree on an 80 percent split! That''s four months of his sry for barely any effort!

    ''This has been the greatest trade deal in the history of trade deals, ever!''

 Chapter 49 - Be Good, Or Else...

    A strange, oppressive feeling seemed to descend upon her along with Emilia''s dark gaze, causing Dixie''s heart to thump in terror. It was an inexplicable thought, considering how innocent and sweet her princess was in the knight''s heart.

    "Who do you like?"

    Dixie gulped. ''Is this how daddy feels when mom''s angry?''

    "N-No one right now, but¡ª"

    Emilia smiled, the arc of her lips gentle and amodating, but the dangerous glint in her eyes sent shivers of excitement and fear down Dixie''s spine.

    "Good. Then, you''re not allowed to like anyone other than me in the future. You''re my knight, and only mine. Mine. Understand?"

    Dixie nodded furiously, almost whimpering as she felt Emilia press down upon her. Was she still testing her willpower? If she was, she better stop, because there was barely any left.

    ''Plus, after doing all that I have, how can I dare not to take responsibility? I''ll do it, even if she doesn''t want me to!''

    Noticing her knight didn''t hesitate to agree to her demands, Emilia felt some of her fury dissipate.

    Cynthia had already moved out of her self-istion as she felt Emilia''s amorous emotions change to fury. She was excited to see a fight break out, but was disappointed to discover nothing of the sort.

    "What''s going on, you two not fighting?"

    ''No, I''m just clearing her misunderstanding of being able to get together with someone else after being with me.''

    "Eh? Oh, you''re just being a yandere. Got it. Did you tell her you''ll kill her or something? What a fucking pervert this girl is¡ª"

    ''Why would I do that? If she serves me faithfully, I can''t kill her just because she sought her own happiness.''

    Cynthia was stunned. "What¡­? You''re being way too reasonable right now, right? That''s super suspicious. Also, this kind of wimpy attitude is way too generous for a viiness. Disgraceful!"

    Emilia didn''t seem to care for her partner''s scorn, her thoughts turning dark as she considered how to punish her knight in case she too ended up betraying her. ''I''ll just find the guy she fell for, make him fall for me, and fuck him as he confesses his love for me right in front of her. And then I''ll kill him, slowly and painfully.''

    Cynthia''s face twisted as she tried to wrap her head around Emilia''s ''logic''. "¡­ Wow, okay. That''s very viinous, but I don''t feel like pping right now, like, at all."

    She was silent for a while before sighing. ''Wouldn''t it be great if Emilia had never met that fucking bitch Maeve?''

    "Listen to me, Emilia, just tell her clearly what you don''t want her to do, alright? I''m sure she''ll do a hundred consecutive backflips with her eyes closed as long as you gave the word."

    The only good thing about this situation was that Cynthia knew this stupid short haired bimbo was obsessed with her partner, and would never even dream of betraying her. As such, there was nothing to worry about, for now.

    Thankfully, Emilia seemed to seriously consider Cynthia''s advice instead of immediately deciding on a more ''extreme'' route.

    And while Emilia was talking with her partner, Dixie''s hands had once again started climbing up her thighs, remaining just below her self-imposed ''demarcation line'' marked by the gold band.

    Dixie was thrilled to discover that not only did Emilia not get angry as she came out of her ''dazed'' state, she even allowed her to keep touching her.

    "I''ll forgive you for thinking of someone else while being with me... this time. But remember, this is the only time I''ll do so. If you do it again in the future¡­"

    The dark-haired girl hurriedly shook her head, as if the mere thought was sacrilegious.

    Emilia smiled. "Also, you will always remain my first, most precious knight, okay? This is my promise to you. And¡­ whatever it is you need from a boy, I don''t believe I can''t bestow you with more!"

    If Dixie had been a real straight girl, she would surely have scoffed in her heart. No matter how good-looking and charming someone was, it simply wouldn''t matter if they couldn''t fit the basic preferences of the person they were courting.

    But fortunately, Dixie''s ''straight steel rod'' was already bent into a springy coil by Emilia, and such a rebellious thought never even crossed her mind.

    "Of course, of course! How can anyone elsepare to my princess?"

    Emilia looked satisfied with her knight''s response, leaning over Dixie to pick up the phone and stop the video. She would have to cut out some of thest few parts before sending it over, just in case.

    She didn''t want Dixie''s mother to know everything between the two of them. Of course, it was fine to leave things as they were until the part where Dixie mentioned her supposedly straight orientation.

    Once she was done, she gave her knight onest warning.

    "Don''t forget, from now and forever, you belong to me. A knight cannot serve another monarch. That''s treason! Would you like to know how I punish traitors?"

    Dixie only heard thetter half of her words, because she was still lost in the sensation of Emilia''s soft, budding breasts being so close to her face. When her princess had leaned over to get the phone, she was so close that Dixie could even catch the extremely faint fragrance of her body wash.

    And to make matters worse, Dixie''s hands had ''unknowingly'' slipped from her thighs to her hips when her princess leaned forward. It took almost all her willpower to make sure she didn''t end up ''squeezing'', but the soft, luxurious sensation under palm still sent a bolt of sinful pleasure up her spine.

    ''T-Thank you, mom, for letting me be born! I''ll never say anything bad about you again!''

    It was only almost a minuteter that Emilia''s question finally registered in her mind. ''What? Why would I ever betray her? Am I a moron?''

    "I understand. I don''t wanna know! I''ll never do it, princess, trust me!"

    Emilia smiled, the darkness in her eyes dissipating as it was reced by a gentle gaze that seemed to caress the soul.

    "Then serve me faithfully, Dixie, and I''ll make all your dreamse true."

    There was an unmistakable temptation shining in Emilia''s eyes, and at that moment, Dixie felt that even if she was told to jump into the pits of hell, she would readily do so without a second thought.

 Chapter 50 - Fickle

    The hero''s mind couldn''t be at ease ever since Emilia turned even his father''s move on its head. He was filled with anger and anxiety as he thought about how ineffective everything seemed when it came to harming her.

    Feeling perturbed, he had broken his usual habit and arrived at the party earlier than most. And shortly after, dozens of young boys and girls came to greet him, as was expected.

    He assumed that this would be a party like many others he had attended before. Even if that little bitch got a TV interview and had the entire school side with her, so what?

    The high society was what really mattered to them in the end, and he already knew that he was the star here. So long as he gave the word, wouldn''t that bitch be drowned out in insults and mockery the moment she arrived?

    Amos had been attending parties like these almost ever since he had learned how to walk and talk presentably. And over the years, the number of loyal followers he had gathered were simply too many to count.

    It was his confidence in their loyalty that led him to lose some of his restraint. So heined about the White family''s youngest daughter, as he usually did to let off some steam, but their reactions left him stunned.

    Those very same girls who would swoon and blush when he mentioned how that bitch didn''t have a fraction of their grace and elegance looked offended instead, as if the ones being mocked were themselves.

    It was not far from the truth, as those girls really did always assume he was praising them, but how could they think so after they saw Emilia on TV? All his words now only made it seem like he was bragging about his outstanding fianc¨¦e while indirectly calling them arrogant and conceited little hussies who didn''t know their ce.

    Still, they didn''t want to fester animosity with the ck Tiger''s heir, and could only silently leave without a rebuttal.

    And as the girls left, the boys followed. At their age and with their status, few of them were interested in actually socializing with Amos at this point. Simply considering things from the benefits perspective, it was not worth it.

    Associating with him when he so openly denounced the White family''s dearest daughter would mean being enemies with the wealthiest family in the city, and in exchange for what? Gratitude from Amos? Since his father controlled all the ck Tiger''s decisions, did it even matter if Amos was pleased with them or not?

    Thankfully for him, there were still some who arrivedter who didn''t know what had happened, or Amos might really be left standing alone and isted.

    "Aahhh, you''re as amazing as ever, Amos! Did you really y a hand in securing that deal for the ck Tiger?"

    "As expected of our Amos, he''s different from those other idiots in our generation who only know how to spend money."

    ==========

    As Emilia leaned against her shoulder on their way to the party, Dixie could tell that there had been a ''subtle'' change in their dynamic.

    No longer was she just a faithful, loyal knight who protected her princess. No, now she was promoted to a real scumbag knight who could and would molest their princess whenever they were in private.

    As her quota of ''benefits'' had suddenly skyrocketed, the number of liberties she was allowed to take seemed to no longer have any limits.

    Even when she had hesitantly wrapped her hand around Emilia''s waist, the girl didn''t show any signs of rejection at all.

    Not all things changed for the better, though, because the very foundation of her character had beenpletely bent out of shape. Moreover, all these benefits came at a cost.

    Dixie didn''t think she was now ''girlfriends'' with Emilia. At the same time, she was also not allowed to have any rtionships. Just what did this mean for her future? Would she remain single forever?

    Also¡­ how far would Emilia even allow her to go? And what happens when she crosses the line she shouldn''t? Would Emilia leave her, then?

    Moreover, even if the knight could molest the princess in private, it was impossible to actually, truly possess her in the end, right?

    ''No no no, I''m overthinking this way too much! To begin with, Emilia is a princess in my heart, but not an actual princess! She doesn''t have to marry for her kingdom or anything stupid like that.''

    Dixie snuck a nce at her princess, the girl''s eyes were half-lidded, and her gaze was foggy as if she was lost in thought.

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but worry. From the moment they had met, Dixie knew that no matter how mature and confident Emilia tried to look, she was a na?ve, idealistic little girl in her heart.

    To take advantage of her innocence and ckmail her like this, Dixie couldn''t deny her crimes even in her own mind. Moreover, forget about taking care of her, wasn''t she just molesting her princess every chance she got?

    And not to mention regret, Dixie knew that, deep down, all she could feel was sinful pleasure and contentment. Even if she knew she was corrupting her princess, she couldn''t stop. The temptation was too great, and her steel pipe was too weak.

    ''I shouldn''t have done this¡­ Mom and her stupid ideas! But now that I''ve taken so much from her, I can''t just back out either. Just what should I do? I guess I can only take responsibility and continue ''amodating'' her, ehehehe¡­''

    Of course, this didn''t mean Dixie would stop protecting her princess. If anything, she would watch over her more fiercely than ever. Because if anyone discovered how easy it was to take advantage of her princess, wouldn''t she get cucked to high heavens?

    ''My princess still has a pure, virgin body. I can''t let anyone else taint her!''

    --

    Such thoughts continued to gue the dark-haired girl even as they arrived at the venue, a luxurious five-star hotel that had been fully reserved for the night.

    If it had been before, Emilia''s arrival at the party would not cause too muchmotion. Even if she was the daughter of the wealthiest family in the city, she was still too young. Not to mention she had a more well-known elder sister as well, further decreasing her poprity among the profit seekers.

    ''But after the news today, I guess it''s impossible to keep her low profile, right? I just hope no one bothers her too much.''

    The good thing was that Emilia had ended up shattering most of the negative conceptions among the wealthy daughters with her interview. And Dixie''s worries from before had also almostpletely evaporated.

    ''At the very least, no one should dare mock or point their fingers at her now, unless they want to be the butt of a joke.''

    Although some might still adamantly side against her out of their own agendas, at least those who were neutral should no longer be biased against her.

    Dixie exited the limo first before holding out her hand to Emilia with a smile.

    "Princess, make sure to stick close to me, alright?"

 Chapter 51 - Who Needs Filters?

    Even as the two blonde girls continued to shower him with praise and admiration, the silver-haired hero couldn''t feel a single bit of happiness. He wouldn''t even bother entertaining them if not for his luck being so down today.

    He didn''t even know their names. All he could recall was that they were from the Gregory family.

    But aside from these two girls, most of the people who always followed him around like loyal little dogs all seemed adamant to keep their distance now. Amos didn''t think he had done anything wrong, though he knew perhaps he should have been more subtle with his words.

    Still, to think not only did he have to watch his mouth while at school, now he also had to do so in high society¡­ Just how did things turn out like this?

    He would be an idiot if he didn''t realize it. "It''s all because of that bitch!"

    "Eh? Did something happen?"

    "Is someone harassing you?"

    It was only after the two sisters of the Gregory family expressed their concern did Amos realize he had slipped up and spoken his mind out loud.

    "No, nothing."

    If it had been before, he would really have openly expressed his hate without concern, and he knew he would have got affirmation as everyone denounced that little bitch.

    ''But today is that whore''s day of glory, even these two airheaded bitches that have pestered me for so long might just change their faceter.''

    Since even his most loyal toadies could abandon him, how could he trust these fickle little bitches?

    ''Hmph. Let''s see how long she can keep this farce up. Looking at her pretend to be kind and caring on the TV almost made me puke. That fucking vicious little bitch! Just wait till everyone sees your true colors!''

    Of course, there were still many who believed in Amos, and still admired him. However, the current trend was heavily in favor of the White family, and they simply couldn''t afford to stand by his side while he was so openly hostile to Emilia.

    The seeds he had been sowing for so many years couldn''t be uprooted so easily, after all. Even though Emilia had been put under the spotlight in a very positive way, not all eyes looked at her kindly.

    One such group of four young boys and two girls was currently debating this very issue.

    "Do you think they applied some beauty filters while showing her interview, or was that just makeup? I couldn''t believe it when I saw it. Whenever Amos mentioned her, it always made me imagine her as a pretentious, ugly bitch."

    "It''s not much of a surprise, to be honest. Do you think all celebreties look so good in person? I''ve seen some stars, and they look nothing like they do when on the screen."

    Theo hesitated for a while as his friends continued to badmouth the girl, but in the end he decided he might as well speak his mind.

    "I know you guys like to follow him around, but I wouldn''t be so sure about everything Amos said about her."

    "Hey, don''t me it on us, we''re just basing it off everything we heard. If you know something more, tell us."

    Theo pushed his sses up as he gave Amos a sidelong nce. ''That guy''s fucking suspicious¡­ I don''t know why everyone trusts him so much. Anyway, it''s good if this topic can open their eyes a little and make them trust him less.''

    "As you know, my little sister got into the Imperial Academy this year, so she''s is in her ss. Guess what she told me?"

    "Oh, let me guess, was it ''Big brother is a disgusting pervert''? Ahahahaha¡ª"

    His friend elbowed him on the side as he saw the bespectacled Theo''s face rapidly turning dark.

    "No, she told me that the girl looks like a fucking fairy or something. And I swear, just because I look like a nerd, doesn''t mean I can''t kick your fucking ass, okay?"

    "Chill man, chill! Still, that''s a good joke, right?"

    "Ahahaha, I know¡­ what''s that, Bro? Even if the image on the TV wasn''t filtered, she still just looks like a slightly prettier girl, nothing more. Your little sister should get her eyes checked."

    "Hey! Don''t badmouth my angel! I''ll fucking rip out your tongue!"

    "Shut up, you siscon."

    Seeing how the situation was about to escte, the others also started to intercede at that moment.

    "Don''t fight, guys."

    "Right? If she actually looks that good, I doubt Amos canin like that, unless he''s an idiot. What''s wrong? Why do you look so shocked?"

    "T-Turn around¡­"

    And as the rest of them turned around to face the hall''s entrance, it was like they had been pped across the face.

    Because the girl in purple was unmistakably the very same one they had been badmouthing earlier, and just one look at her face was enough to make them look like morons.

    It looked like the matter of the TV stations applying filters was confirmed, because if they didn''t apply some uglifying filters to make her seem more realistic, just how could they justify what they were seeing right now?

    With her purple halter-top dress perfectlyplimenting her creamy, youthful skin, and her tasteful assortment of essories, even if she had been average they would have found her pleasing to the eyes. But whenbined with Emilia''s face, the effect was almost lethal.

    "Like I said, you overdid it way too much! Especially with the face. Look at those drooling little pigs, ah! You''re not here to be recognized as the world''s number one beauty, Emilia, you''re here to destroy the plot!"

    ''Psh, small details. Anyway, I just made myself look slightly more like the real me. It''s still within the range being passable as light makeup. How is that overdoing it?''

    Cynthia was left speechless. Is her partner digging for praise? Because as the viiness system, there''s no way she''s gonna do it!

    But looking at it again, she really couldn''t argue with Emilia too much. Because if she looked at each of the details individually, her partner really didn''t overdo it at all.

    Her dress wasn''t the most expensive in the hall. In fact, which of the rich missies in this ce could be spotted wearing anything but a brand new,test design? Even Dixie, who had been styled into a casual, boyish look, was donning a meticulously put-together outfit. And none of her clothing was probably ever going to be worn again.

    As for her essories, although they looked good, they were barely eptable when considering her status, and definitely nothing worth boasting about. And her purple espadrille ts would definitely have be a joke on anyone else.

    Even her face appeared to have only light makeup, although only Emilia and Cynthia knew that she wasn''t wearing any at all. Why would she need to, when she had such a convenient shapeshift skill?

    But the way Emilia put it all together was what made it all work. Especially the way she carried herself and the graceful and noble aura she projected made it so that the entire getup was elevated to another level.

    Perhaps if she had been older, it wouldn''t be too much of a surprise. Many movie queens and businessdies knew how to carry themselves well, and had dedicated teams of stylists intimately familiar with every one of their mannerisms and charms.

    However, which one of these rich young men and women could boast about being able to do the same? Even the staunchest of Amos''s admirers felt that they couldn''t bepared to her at all. At least in terms of looks and aura, there was absolutely nothing toin about.

    ''Amos is a fucking moron.''

    That''s what most of them were thinking.

    And going by the hero''s increasingly ugly face, he knew it very well.

 Chapter 52 - Is That His Fetish?

    Amos watched Emilia seamlessly mingle with the young boys and girls of the upper ss. It didn''t look like she was attending this kind of party for the first time at all, making all his efforts through the years look likeplete jokes.

    Of course, with Emilia''s previous experience, handling this kind of social event really wasn''t much at all.

    Not to mention Dixie, even the other partygoers thought that Emilia treated the party quite casually. But only she knew how much thought she had put into today''s appearance.

    Emilia was well aware of the importance of first impressions. If a person''s thoughts of her could be described as an object, Emilia considered the first impression to define the overall shape of the object in one go, while herter interactions with them could only cause minor deformations at best.

    It was like carving a statue. If the initial stone cutout didn''t match the final product in general shape, it would take the sculptor far longer to get it all done. And in some cases, it might not even be possible.

    If someone''s first impression of her was overwhelmingly negative, it might take a verypelling event and quite a bit of time just to change it to neutral. As for turning it into a positive impression, that would be an even more arduous task.

    Of course, nothing was set in stone. Some people were just more objective than the rest, while some were inherently biased. But Emilia considered this the most effective way to win people over, and it had served her well so far.

    Even if Maeve''s betrayal had shattered a lot of her pride, Emilia didn''t believe her approach was ineffective.

    Not everyone in the high society attended all the events, although there would certainly be some who did so. Of the students in Emilia''s ss, only three were attending the party today, so most of the people here would see her with their own eyes for the first time.

    This was when their ''real'' image of herself would be formed. It didn''t matter what they had heard from others or what they saw on the TV or the inte. It could all be instantly warped, because except for the most gullible, people only really believed what they witnessed with their own eyes.

    Once so many people in the high society had a ''solid'' first impression of herself, the foundation for building her reputation could beid down. And as more of her ssmates started integrating with the high society, this foundation would continue to be firmer.

    This was why she had put so much thought into both her appearance as well as her entrance.

    Not to mention her looks, even her choice of partner mattered a lot. If she had entered alone while seeming so eye-catching, it would make her appear either aloof or arrogant. So the most obvious choice whening to this kind of party was to be escorted by someone of the opposite gender.

    This also provided many people who originally didn''t belong here toe to the party as ''partners''. The more conservative people would choose to go with their family members instead.

    This was an easy way out since most youngsters were just ''extras'' in the party most of the time anyway. Their guardians would also certainly be here, negotiating business deals or simply building connections with others of equal or higher status.

    Hence many young daughters entered by hanging on to their father''s arms, while others chose their brothers or uncles. It wasn''t umon, and this was what Samantha had nned for her as well.

    However, Emilia''s choice for her escort ended up being Dixie, who was supposed to be her petition''. Of course, this notion was absurd for anyone who knew of their rtionship. But Emilia knew this was how most people here considered it.

    Here, even the best friends who seemed to get along wellpeted with each other secretly. Sometimes, they would chase after the same goals even if none of them would have been really interested in them otherwise. It was all just a means to an end, to establish ''dominance'' over their ''buddies''.

    This was the case for most boys, and it was the same for the girls. Although they seemed to get along so well, there were very few true, genuine friendships to be seen. Every little thing from their clothing, essories, and even their choice of boyfriends was one big petition''.

    Since that was so, and all of them were well aware of it, choosing toe in this way would have typically only earned her scorn and ridicule. After all, either she was using Dixie as a foil to make herself look good, which would make her despicable. Or she was just pretentiously acting like ''good sisters'' with the girl, which would make her ''lowly''.

    As for Dixie? She was probably just pleasing her to get more benefits from her family, making her a conniving little weasel.

    But that''s where Dixie''s attitude and mannerisms came in and turned the whole mess in her favour. With just a single nce, even an idiot could feel her deep, undying obsession with the girl in her arms. Moreover, although her choice of outfit was a coincidence, that wasn''t how it appeared to everyone else.

    To them, Dixie intentionally tried to appear more like a boy, despite her obviously feminine body and face, in a futile effort to enter Emilia''s eyes as a suitor.

    Dixie wasn''t an unknown face in the circle. Although she wasn''t very regr, she had made a fair number of appearances over the years, and was quite familiar with many people even at this party.

    To bend this girl over so far, Emilia''s charm must be terrifying, and her attitude towards her friends must be extremely good.

    And thus Emilia, who was clinging on to her friend innocently, boosted her perceived charisma exponentially.

    Of course, a rtionship between two girls was ''impossible'', or so most people here thought. At most, Dixie was just obsessed with her friend.

    But that didn''t stop some boys from wanting to go over to Amos to poke fun at this normally invincible opponent.

    After all, his supposed fianc¨¦e and childhood sweetheart was clinging to someone who was clearly obsessed with her. Isn''t that an extreme loss of face for a boy who is usually so self-important and overbearing?

    Only a few people had the guts to directly say this to the hero''s face, of course, but they could still discuss it ''in private''. It''s not like they were making sure he could overhear it, okay?

    "Tsk tsk, just how bad of a boyfriend do you have to be for your girlfriend to prefer other girls over you?"

    "Ahahaha¡­ I guess you would have to be pretty shit. Badmouthing her everywhere you go, never paying her any attention, all that stuff. You know, just tick all the checkboxes of being a petty douche."

    This time, not only did Theo not stop his friends, he even encouraged them instead. Any conversation that could infuriate that suspicious bastard was a good one in his books.

    "Yo, are there really such scumbags in this world?"

    "There are plenty, man, even I know of one. Oh, of course, he''s a distant cousin of mine, lives in Africa. You don''t know him. Ah, Amos, my man, I didn''t see you there."

    The hero''s face turned green as he clenched his fists furiously.

    ''These fucking morons who aren''t even man enough topare to my toenails dare to spout shit like this?!''

    But of course, even if he wanted to tear their face off and kick their teeth in, he couldn''t really admit that they were talking about himself, could he? That would be just admitting that he was being insulted like that, and it was too much for his ego to handle.

    The Gregory sisters didn''t seem to be quite as tactful, however.

    "Sister Mia, who is that girl''s fianc¨¦?"

    "I don''t know, Tia. I only heard about Emilia White today. It''s actually quite surprising, considering she''s that White family''s daughter..."

    The boys seemed delighted that two cute young blondes had been ''brought'' into their group by the furious Amos.

    This guy couldn''t have a cuckolding fetish, could he?

 Chapter 53 - A Sisconâ€™s Revenge

    How could the boys not ''enlighten'' them when given such an opportunity to speak out without taking the me?

    "Eh? You girls don''t know? Emilia White is the childhood sweetheart of ''young master'' Amos! Doesn''t he always ''talk'' about her?"

    Tia and Mia looked at each other, perplexed.

    "Huh? Wasn''t that Danielle?"

    "And¡­ wasn''t she supposed to be like, as ugly as a piglet or something? And wasn''t her personality so totally disgusting that no one else couldpare?"

    The two sisters stared at each other in confusion before turning to Amos. The other boys watched with a feeling of schadenfreude as the silver-haired hero gritted his teeth and remained silent.

    Although the two Gregory sisters were usually a little dull, after witnessing his obviously aggravated expression along with hisck of response, even they realized that something wasn''t right.

    Theo smirked as he remembered another ''interesting'' tidbit his little sister had told him. Although he knew it was bull crap, wouldn''t it be hrious to watch this snake''s reaction?

    "You know, there''s another interesting thing my sister told me."

    Amos didn''t know who Theo''s sister was, nor did he care. Now that he had been humiliated to this extent, how could he continue to stick around and listen to their ''interesting stories''?

    But as usual, Theo''s friends weren''t very cooperative with his cause.

    "Oh? Do tell, it couldn''t be ''big brother is not only a huge pervert, he''s also a disgusting otaku'', right?"

    "¡­ I''ll fucking obliterate your ass if you keep that up."

    "Hey, man, I know you''re a pervert and all, being a siscon, but don''t target me for your bi-curious tendencies!"

    "¡­"

    Theo took a deep breath. ''Focus, Theo. You can''t fly into a rage right now, just think of how ugly Amos would look, how can you miss this opportunity? Don''t forget, this bastard once called your precious sister a snotty little brat! This is your duty, Theo! You can do it!''

    At this point, Amos was already gloomily leaning against a pir all by himself. Even the Gregory sisters chose to stick around with the group that they had been ''brought into'', making him look like even more of a joke.

    But that wasn''t enough for Theo. After motivating himself using his siscon powers, the spectacled boy instantly calmed down, causing the ''friend'' who had been provoking him to be struck dumb with terror.

    "Y-You''re not really gonna hit me, right?"

    Theo pushed up his sses, making them shine ''menacingly''.

    "Of course not, though you do deserve it. Anyway, wanna know what she told me?"

    His friends gulped. Right, this pervert wasn''t just an otaku and a siscon, he also happened to be a total lunatic who would go ripping and tearing at the opponent''s clothes if someone managed to make him fly into a rage.

    Wouldn''t it be humiliating for them if it happened at the party? Since it looked like he had already reached his limit of tolerance for today, it was best not to push him any further.

    "Y-Yeah, man, go ahead and tell us, I''m very curious. Totally."

    Theo felt his eyebrow twitch, but managed to keep his calm. "Apparently¡­"

    ==========

    "AMOS LOVES BOYS?!"

    The shriek that stunned the entire party into silence came not from anyone else, but from the short-haired blonde who could often be seen gushing about Amos.

    The hero''s face turned purple from anger as he heard the cry, and then immediately went pale as he saw it came from one of his ''staunchest'' admirers.

    "That''s awesome! Sister Mia, doesn''t this mean that all those BL fanfics you''ve been writing about him could be true?!"

    "T-Tia, shut up! I don''t write such t-things!"

    "Oh. Oh yeah, oops."

    The shorter haired blonde sister gave her sibling a pitiful look, regretting her slip up, but Mia was more concerned about the ck Tiger''s heir than her sister''s folly. She knew she couldn''t stay here with him.

    Although Mia hurriedly excused herself along with her sister and swiftly left the party, the damage had already been done.

    Had it been some random person brought in as a partner, or one of his ''enemies'', the matter wouldn''t be so serious. After all, it could always be a besmirching stunt meant to frame him.

    But not only was the girl one of his own followers, she was also well known to not have an ounce of scheming, and couldn''t possibly have been plotting against him.

    The hushed whispers among the partygoers made the hero''s blood run cold. This was on apletely different level than the rumors in the school. Not only were there many heirs and heiresses around, but also some of the genuine leaders of conglomerates and corporations who could directly influence the market with their attitude.

    ''N-No¡­ when that bastard father of mine hears of this, he''ll definitely me me!''

    As hundreds of eyes focused on his body, Amos felt as if he was standing on pins and needles.

    ''What should I do? If I vehemently deny it, it''ll just make them believe otherwise, but if I don''t say anything, isn''t that the same as epting it as the truth?''

    Of course, if he had been calmer, he could have simply ignored itpletely. But his reaction had been far from unperturbed, and that was no longer a viable option. At this point, he could only scoff and treat it as an absurd statement.

    However, his luck finally seemed to shine as the star of the party chose this exact moment to arrive,pletely shifting everyone''s attention away. In their eyes, it wasn''t really a ''major issue'' to begin with, after all. Perhaps only Mr. ck and the girls crushing on the silver-haired boy would care about such things. Most people were curious, but they didn''t really care about it.

    Amos couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    But this was followed by a wave of rage as he realized just how absurdly shitty the day had been for him today. And to make matters worse, the party girl ignored everyone else to go straight into Emilia''s arms before kissing her on the cheek.

    Although her birthday was only an excuse to host the event, this preteen girl was still a major politician''s only daughter.

    Not to mention anyone else, even Emilia herself looked stunned.

    "It''s my birthday today, so that''s my gift!"

    Emilia blushed as she clung to one of Dixie''s arms, ''shyly'' looking away as her knight possessively wrapped an arm around her waist. But the short-haired girl didn''t show any adverse reaction to the affectionate behavior of the birthday girl.

    In any case, she was only nine or ten years old. Was she supposed to pick a fight with a kid? That would just make her look bad. She wouldn''t do something so absurd, unless it was what her princess wished.

    Of course, she had to be more careful not to let this kind of thing happen again. If it hadn''t been for her moment of hesitation considering the young girl''s identity, she wouldn''t have seeded in kissing Emilia so smoothly.

    "Wow, Emilia, you''re really good at this acting thing!"

    ''Of course. How could I even hope to dream of being a Queen if I couldn''t even do this much? Anyway, I just have to make myself believe it, and it should look somewhat believable.''

    Emilia''s goal in clinging to Dixie was, of course, to avoid any more unwanted advances. Although she could definitely do it herself, it would also affect the public image she was trying to establish. If Dixie interfered on her behalf, however, wasn''t it just right?

    As for the little girl''s kiss, well, to her, it was no different from the affectionatepping of a dog.

    Her obviously embarrassed reaction formed a charming contrast with her morous looks, making her seem even more endearing to the onlookers. It would not have worked if she had been older, but as a girl in the first year of high school, it suited her just right.

    The number of fans she was making kept increasing at a terrifying rate, and Amos watched it all in real-time.

 Chapter 54 - Bianca

    The birthday girl, Bianca, had seen Emilia''s interview on the TV, and was under the impression that she had ''beaten up tons of bad guys'' and ''rescued children''.

    To her, Emilia was like a real-life superhero.

    Even after Emilia rified that this wasn''t exactly what happened, and that most of the credit should go to the employees who worked so hard to actually make it possible, the little girl only thought that her hero was being humble.

    Emilia had already done some homework on the girl, also known as asking Dixie on the way to the party. Anyway, the girl was young and already had a good impression of her, so it wasn''t too difficult to win her over even if she had been disappointed. It was even easier now, since that wasn''t the case.

    Bianca was shocked to learn that her ''superhero'' knew her name, and became even more enthusiastic.

    "Emilia! Emilia! Do you also go to school?"

    With the little girl''s white frock and tinum blonde hair, she looked like a little fairy when she jumped up and down excitedly. Emilia couldn''t help but smile.

    "That''s right, big sister is still in year one of high school. What about Bianca?"

    "Bianca is going to middle school next year!"

    Bianca looked proud, her chest puffed up as if she had aplished a great deed.

    ''Ah¡­ she''s still in elementary school¡­''

    But of course, the way the little girl said it, she clearly wanted to appear older. Emilia decided not to burst her bubble. Anyway, she first had to make this little fairy call her big sister¡ª

    "I want to go to the same school as Emilia! Daddy! Daddy!!! I decided on my birthday gift!"

    Emilia sighed. ''Another time, then.''

    As the little girl bolted off towards her father, a chubby middle-aged man who couldn''t hide his potbelly no matter what he wore, Emilia wondered how he would cate her.

    After all, the Imperial Academy didn''t have an elementary or middle school in ce, and only started taking admissions from high school.

    As Emilia was wondering how someone so exceedingly ugly like that politician could have such a cute daughter like Bianca, Cynthia ended up interrupting her with a hum.

    ''Have something to say, Cynthia?''

    "No, I was just thinking why you wanted her to call you big sis. And I figured it out!"

    Emilia smirked in her mind, wondering what tangent Cynthia would go to this time. ''Did you, really?''

    Cynthia''s tone was so cocky that Emilia could feel her smugness even without seeing her face.

    "I did! If you need any favor from that politician in the future, can''t you just send this little girl crying to her dad to get it done? A genius, nefarious n that does not spare even the little children from your scheming! As expected of my viiness."

    Emilia buried her face in Dixie''s shoulder to hide herugh, because she really couldn''t help it.

    The short-haired girl gave her a concerned look.

    "You sleepy, princess? There''s seating arrangements over there, if¡ª"

    "N-No, I''m okay, Dixie, don''t worry."

    Her knight could only nod in confusion. "Mhm¡­ alright."

    Emilia made sure to fortify her mind a little before speaking to her ''system'' again.

    ''Ahem, anyway, you think too lightly of them, Cynthia. Politicians, ministers, court officials, whatever you call them, the more harmless and kind they appear, the more ruthless they really are.

    ''He shows a lot of love for the little girl, and dotes on her all the time, but if the time reallyes that he has to choose between advancing his own goals and his ''precious'' daughter¡­ she''s just as disposable to him as anyone else.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be stunned. She always thought these mortals attached a lot of importance to their offspring. For most of them, their life''s primary purpose was procreation, which was why the ''disgusting'' act of mating was so important to them.

    That meant that their offspring were even more valuable to them than themselves. Even if there were some exceptions, Cynthia believed that the vast majority of mortals should work like that.

    But she didn''t pay too much attention to their interpersonal rtionships. So maybe Emilia really did know more than her when it came to understanding the ''inner workings'' of the mortal mindset.

    "Is that really so?"

    Emilia hummed in her mind, slowly getting used to ''projecting'' her emotions and expressions along with her words without outwardly showing them.

    ''Not for all of them, he might be one of the exceptions, sure. But I can''t go relying on something like that. What I said earlier is much more likely to be the case.''

    Cynthia sighed, disappointed. "Hm¡­ guess she''s kinda useless then."

    Emilia smiled. ''On the contrary, I think she''s already served plenty of purpose.''

    "What do you mean?"

    ''Think about it. As the star of the party, she showed such unequivocal attention to me, solidifying my status as the ''most important person'' here. As this is my first party, this will have a considerable impact on my image.''

    "Huh? It works like that?"

    Emilia nodded. ''It can, if I y my cards right. I just have to make sure the next few times the events follow the same pattern, and then anyone who tries to ''change'' things will have to ept that they''ll appear as offending me in public.''

    Cynthia made a ''hoh'' sound, as if enlightened. But then another thought came to her, and she couldn''t help but ask. "And what if they decide to do it anyway? Not everyone will be on your side, and those in the hero''s camp won''t care for offending you, I think."

    ''Heh¡­ Isn''t that all the better? I can use them as stepping stones without mercy at that point, and no one will think it was out of line.''

    Cynthia nodded as she thought about it for a while, but then she couldn''t help but cry out in frustration.

    "Ahh, Emilia¡­ I don''t really get it though. What''s the point of doing all that? Aside from looking cool, I mean. On one hand you get to be this ''key figure'' thing as you call it, and on the other you get to humiliate your opponents. But what do we really get out of it, in the end?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but internally roll her eyes. ''The point is that it will make me a key figure in the younger generation of the upper circle in this country. As these children grow up under my heel and take over theirpanies, I will always have the upper hand in negotiations with them in the future.

    ''More importantly, they will instinctually not want to go against me, which will make it much harder for Amos to recruit allies once he needs them.''

    "Ohhh¡­ I think I get it."

    Cynthia''s curiosity was finally satisfied, and Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. From time to time, some young boys and girls would approach her to introduce themselves, and Emilia politely nodded to each of them, pretending to be ''shy'' as she clung onto Dixie.

    The short-haired girl ended up ''taking care'' of their small talk before politely sending them away. Despite her general rudeness to Koko, Dixie was actually quite sharp and tactful with her words. Despite being effectively told ''go away'', none of the ''children'' seemed to realize it.

    ''Ahh¡­ how nice it is to have such a reliable knight. No wonder she felt confident in turning my reputation around on her own. If I had someone like her in myst life, I wouldn''t have¡ª''

    Emilia sighed, cutting off that thought as she didn''t want to dwell on it anymore.

    Soon enough, it was time for the main event, and most people gathered in a circle to watch the little girl cut the birthday cake.

    Of course, not everyone needed to do so, and many decided to not bother. Such as the gloomy-looking hero, who was still leaning against a pir with his head down.

    It didn''t take long for the waiters toe in with a catering cart. Emilia''s view was blocked by the crowd, so she couldn''t see it herself, but she heard people gasp as they supposedly caught sight of the cake.

    ''Uhh, based on Bianca''s enthusiasm, don''t tell me she had the horrifying idea of having the cake look like my face or something?!''

 Chapter 55 - Donâ€™t Ask What You Shouldnâ€™t

    Thankfully, it was just a normal strawberry cake, although still quite fancy and borately decorated.

    The horrifying thought of something created in her image being carved up and eaten had already sent shivers down Emilia''s spine, though. She made a mental note to try staying away from the celebrations hosted by anyone who could possibly do so.

    The pot-bellied man smiled widely as he lifted the little party star over his shoulders, making her squeal in delight.

    "Happy Birthday to my one and only dearest daughter, Bianca!"

    And as the cheerful greetings and apuse rang around, the girl was finally let down to pick up the knife.

    Although Emilia didn''t know what tricks Bianca''s dad used to cate her, the little girl seemed quite happy and satisfied as she cut her birthday cake and received everyone''s well wishes.

    "Happy Birthday Bianca!"

    "Happy Birthday!"

    Shortly after the girl carved out and smashed a huge piece on her amused father''s face, the waiters took over and divided it into smaller portions for the guests. As one of them brought a tray over to her, Emilia also decided to have some.

    Although she wasn''t expecting too much in the first ce, Emilia still felt a little disappointed.

    <i>''Meh¡­ nothing impressive. I can''t tell where it falls short, but this just feelscklusterpared to what was served by Mrs. Brown or Crystal''s mom.''</i>

    Of course, Emilia wouldn''t say that out loud. That would be incredibly rude.

    But a certain confectionary heiress didn''t seem to think so.

    "Tsk, barely average."

    Even if she was saying that to herself, the waiter still felt embarrassed hearing it. After all, just one piece of this thing was probably worth more than what he earns from a whole day of work, yet here this rich girl was despising it so.

    But he was used to silently carrying such grievances, and remained silent.

    Thankfully, no one else heard it.

    Emilia nudged her friend, and Dixie seemed to realize her slip up.

    "S-Sorry, Princess! I''ve just been used to critiquing food these days, so¡ª"

    Emilia smiled, waving the waiter away. "It''s fine, but be more careful in the future, okay?"

    The short haired girl nodded furiously.

    Shortly afterwards, the pot bellied politician carried his daughter out of the venue, much to everyone''s confusion. What are they supposed to do if the host just leaves? Fortunately, there were still a few people assisting the politician in cating and entertaining the guests, who assured them that he''d be back shortly.

    Emilia expected that he had just dyed the time bomb of Bianca''s demands to make sure it didn''t explode in public, and the real ''diffusion'' would have to take ce away from the public eye.

    As both the hosts were currently absent, Emilia of course became the biggest'' center of attention''. Not to mention her own generation, even some adults approached her to ''praise her'' for doing a ''good deed'' for the society.

    Although Dixie could divert most of them, she still had to face the remaining herself.

    "Ah, Emilia, you''re even more beautiful up close than what I saw from afar! Have you met my son, Theo? He came to greet you earlier."

    Emilia nodded, remembering the spectacled boy. Among all the boys who came to greet her so far, he seemed to care the least about her.

    The reason became obvious, as he was clearly a siscon. In the two short sentences he squeezed out during their conversation, he mentioned his little sister four times. Surprisingly, she was in her own ss, though Emilia didn''t have any impression. Dixie seemed to realize who it was, and promised to introduce herter.

    In any case, this family should already be quite inclined towards her ''side'' instead of the hero''s. It was always good to have more allies.

    "Yes I have, auntie."

    Flowers seemed to bloom on thedy''s face as she realized Emilia actually remembered her good for nothing son.<i> ''Is it really true that the prettier the face, the dumber the brain?! Well, it''s good for me!''</i>

    "Well, what do you think of him, then? He''s of the same age as you, only<i> a few</i> years older. Very affectionate kid, dotes on his little sister all the time. Hoho. I hope you two can get along well. How about you visit us sometime? Or I could send him over to your mansion instead¡ª"

    Emilia felt Dixie''s arm twitch, and for a moment, she worried that the middle-ageddy might get punched straight in her nose. Thankfully, her knight had very good self control. After all, it would ruin a lot of her ns if Dixie ended up causing such a scene.

    <i>''I''ll have to reward herter...''</i>

    The situation was still slightly awkward for her, though. In her previous life, no one would actually dare make such remarks openly, so she never had to face this kind of ''good intention''.

    "Auntie is too kind. I''m sure Theo is very good, so we''ll be good friends if our paths cross in the future."

    At this moment, Theo finally realized that his obnoxious mother had started ''picking out a wife'' for him again, and this time she really ascended to the sky in one go!

    <i>''Can''t she at least pick more wisely?!''</i>

    He rushed over hurriedly as he grabbed his mother''s arm, trying his best to drag her away without appearing too rude.

    "M-Mom, why don''t youe over there with me? I have something really important we need to talk about!"

    His mother didn''t seem to get his hint, however. "Hush, child! Can''t you see I''m having an important talk with this lovely girl?"

    <i>''I can see! That''s why I''m stopping you!''</i>

    But even if he was screaming in his heart, he could only pretend to be calm and forcefully drag her away. "It won''t take long, mom, promise!"

    The middle ageddy reluctantly allowed herself to be dragged away, assuring Emilia that she''d be back to ''resume their conversation'' soon enough.

    As they finally got away from the crowd, Theo couldn''t help but whine.

    "Why are you always trying to set me up, mom?!"

    If not for taking care of her image, Theo''s mom would have spit on the floor. "You disgrace! If I don''t do this, won''t you remain single forever? And what are you evenining about? It''s our luck if she''s stupid enough to agree to your courtship!"

    "HEY! I''ll have you know, I have absolutely zero interest in anyone other than my little angel!"

    Thedy sighed, rubbing her slightly wrinkled temples tiredly. "That''s your sister, Theo. If you''re really serious, how would you like your father to carry out your murder? I can put in a good word for you, if you like, to match your preferences."

    Theo''s body seemed to turn stiff upon hearing the word ''father''. "Uhhh, m-mom, actually, you know I only mean it tonically! tonically!"

    "Of course."

    "B-But anyway, if you''re gonna find me a wife, she has to be cuter than my angel!"

    The middle-ageddy sighed as she grabbed Theo''s face before yanking it in Emilia''s direction.

    "Look, you moron, and think for a moment! Think! Are you a Greek God? Do you think you look like Adonis? Or are you a genius standing at the top of the world? NO! If a girl prettier than her even looks in your direction, she''ll probably die from sheer disgust!

    "And that is if you can find one! I think she''s at least one of the ten prettiest girls I''ve ever seen, and I''ve seen a lot! Just how ridiculous are your expectations, you useless son of mine?!"

    Theo knew it was true, because his mother managed a pretty big modeling agency. He had no way to refute it, except¡­

    "S-She may be beautiful, but not cute! There''s a difference! And my angel is the cutest in the world! How can anyone else evenpare?!"

    His mother sighed as she released his face and dusted off her hands. She finally couldn''t help but ask a doubt that had been guing her all this while.

    "Theo¡­ don''t tell me you''re actually impotent or something, and this is just an excuse? Should I get a doctor to have a look? We may not beparable to the White Deer or ck Tiger, but we can surely afford your treatment¡ª"

    "MOM! I''m not impotent, okay?! I masturbate three times a day, every day!"

    Theo''s mom immediately regretted her decision.

 Chapter 56 - Rothschild

    Not far from them, Emilia watched Theo and his mother''s almostical reactions to each other, bemused. Although she couldn''t hear what they were talking about, she never imagined seeing such a scene here. And for no one else to look surprised¡­ they must do it quite frequently.

    <i>''Well, he seems kinda funny. Maybe he''s not as bad as his mother made him seem. ssic example of good intentions but poor execution. But still, it doesn''t matter anyway, since he''s too manly for my taste.''</i>

    Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Your ''taste'' is clearly ''girls'', Emilia. All boys are probably ''too manly'' for you."

    Emilia chuckled. She liked what she liked, and she wasn''t embarrassed to admit it. <i>''Ehehe¡­ I guess that''s true.''</i>

    Cynthia also wanted to take a dig at Dixie by saying she should probably be too manly for Emilia too, but looking at the bimbo''s cute little face¡­ it probably won''t work. She really wished Dixie''s face was as t as her personality. Other than panting like a dog in heat and wagging her tail around Emilia, what other thoughts were there in her puny mortal mind?

    But Emilia will probably scold her for stating such a simple truth, so Cynthia could only pout in silence.

    Unfortunately, Theo''s mom was far from thest one to approach Emilia, and the ones who came afterwards were even more of a headache. It was as if every word out of their mouth just had to be a subtle taunt or probe, or they would suffer some divine retribution.

    The worst of the bunch were those who took a dig at her ''mental stability'' for changing her name, and some of them even refused to acknowledge it.

    "I heard you had an ''arrangement'' of sorts with Mr. ck''s only son, Danielle? But I don''t see the two of you being very close today?"

    "Amos? No, we never really talked much. Uncle must have heard wrong."

    This man had been one of the easier annoyances to handle, but the nextdy proved herself to be on ''another level''.

    From the condescending look in her eyes alone, Emilia felt a little nauseous. She could tell this was someone who enjoyed looking down on people, and toying with those she thought couldn''t hurt her back.

    Not the type of person she hated the most, but still extremely annoying to deal with.

    Dixie tried not to let her talk to her princess, perhaps feeling the same, but thedy waved her off.

    "Am I talking to you? No, right? So, stand aside."

    Dixie''s face was dark, and if not for Emilia holding her hand, she might have already snapped. Thedy didn''t seem to notice the strange atmosphere, however, and continued as if nothing had happened.

    "I''m worried for my little daughter, so I wanted to ask, what caused you to spiral into depression, ''Emilia''? I want to make sure I prevent any chance of it happening to my own child, after all."

    Her name was uttered with such obvious sarcasm that it disgusted Emilia to her core.

    <i>''I''ll make sure to remember this bitch!''</i>

    Emilia knew that Dixie really was about to fly into a rage this time, and knowing her strength and ability, thisdy might just get her spine snapped in two. It wouldn''t be good to cause such a scene in public, so she squeezed her knight''s hand to calm her down.

    Dixie took a deep breath and barely managed to rein herself in, but her eyes were dark and gloomy.

    <i>''To dare speak to my princess like that¡­ Isn''t she in the cosmetics business? What can I do¡­ If only those unreliable friends of mine weren''t sote, this could all be avoided!''</i>

    Dixie''s mind turned rapidly as she thought of a way to take revenge, although she would definitely have to vent on her friendster, too, the real problem was still this bitch in front of her.

    <i>''That''s right! Koko''s mother runs that famous beauty parlor chain! Her own words don''t matter, but if she can influence most of her customers to think Rothschild''s cosmetics are bogus¡­'' </i>

    The more she thought about it, the more viable her idea seemed.

    <i>''Heh, even if it won''t bring her down, it should still hurt a lot! I have no idea if it''s possible, though, but it can''t hurt to try, right?''</i>

    But Koko won''t listen to her, of course. She would have to convince Emilia to do this, somehow.<i> ''I hope princess won''t be too kind for her own good, and that monkey brain won''t try to demand another ''favor'' in exchange, or I''ll really have to break Koko''s legs!''</i>

    Meanwhile, although Emilia wasn''t as enraged by the woman''s taunts as her knight, she was still considerably ticked off. For Emilia, poking fun at her appearance or intelligence was bad enough, but poking fun at her name was offensive on another level entirely.

    "What''s your name, ''auntie''?"

    Although she was almost four decades older than the girl in front of her, thedy could still feel a sense of oppressioning from the little doll. She decided to shake off the strange feeling, turning her head up haughtily at the girl.

    "You can call me Mrs. Rothschild,<i> ''Emilia''</i> dear."

    Her confidence wasn''tpletely unfounded. Her husband led a conglomerate that wasn''t much worse off than the likes of ck Tiger and White Deer.

    However, a conglomerate was inherently different from what they had. Although it seemed like he had a lot under his hand, what he really had was nothing much whenpared to the true leaders like the hero''s father and Mr. White.

    Emilia smiled, as sweet as honey, and her voice turned fainter to the point where even Mrs. Rothschild could barely hear her, let alone anyone else.

    "Well, Mrs. ''Rots''child, my ''depression'' stemmed from knowing people like you exist in this world. So if you just stay away from your daughter, I''m sure she''ll grow up just fine!"

    Even though she said that, Emilia looked quite ''shy'' as she clung on to her friend, as if she was responding to some teasing words from the olderdy.

    Thedy''s face turned green and purple as she tried her best to control her anger, never expecting this little girl to actually dare speak out against her.

    She knew this little bitch did it deliberately. Her appearance and her words were so contrasting that no one would believe her to be anything but a victim if the olderdy started openly scolding her.

    Mrs. Rothschild knew that her next reaction would be to probably look shocked and confused, as if not understanding why she ''suddenly changed''. It''ll definitely make her look like a viin.

    She couldn''t believe she had been cornered by a child!

    Some concerned waiter stepped forward at this moment.

    "Madam, are you alright? Would you like us to call a doctor?"

    She hurriedly waved him away, not wanting to attract any more attention to her situation. "N-No need, I''m fine."

    But she didn''t dare to stay near this girl any longer. In stark contrast to the harmless little rabbit she thought of ying around with, this was clearly a wolf in sheep''s clothing!

 Chapter 57 - Sullivanâ€™s Scheme

    Unfortunately, although handling this matter covertly was necessary, it also meant Emilia''s actions didn''t really deter anyone else from approaching her.

    Both Dixie and Emilia handled them as gracefully as they could, while trying to appear neither overbearing nor subservient.

    The ones who dide were the minority, however. Most adults remained separated from the younger generation, mingling between themselves instead.

    Emilia could tell that none of them attached any real importance to her. Not to mention the ones who didn''t even bother, this also included the ones who dide over to greet her.

    Mrs. Rotschchild was not an exception in her attitude, she was just too blunt and forward with expressing it.

    And indeed, although she was still the ''center of attention'' among the adults, their remarks were anything but pleasant.

    "Hoho, Mrs. Sullivan, are you not going over to greet our shining little star over there?"

    The one speaking was the wife of arge-scale transportationpany''s head, Mrs. Porter. And thedy she was facing was the wife of a major political figure who had once even taken the seat of ''Minister of Finance''.

    It was no joke to say that even top figures like Mr. ck would have to treat her with respect.

    Compared to her husband, who was eloquent and careful with his words, Mrs. Sullivan was known for being brash and caustic, speaking her mind openly without a care for the repercussions.

    It had to be said that Mr. Sullivan knew how to turn the public opinion in his favor, because even his wife''s brash behavior ended up casting him in a positive light. The public image he had built was of a good husband who let his wife do as she pleases, even when it might cost him his career.

    "Tsk, don''t be ridiculous. It''s just the second daughter, not even worthy of being a mistress for my son."

    Mrs. Porterughed, though there was some envy deep within her as she thought of how even what thisdy considered unworthy was already unattainable for her. Because even a one percent share in the White Deer Corporation was worth more than her husband''s entire fleet of trucks.

    No matter how little Mr. White cared for this second daughter of his, he wouldn''t let her gopletely empty handed, right?

    "Ahahahaha¡­ you''re as ruthless as ever, Mrs. Sullivan. If that little doll heard you, she''ll probably go bawling about it straight to her Daddy. Wouldn''t that be bad?"

    Mrs. Sullivan scoffed, not even bothering to mask her disdain. "Will Mr. White even care? If he cared about her, he wouldn''t expose her to public scrutiny like that, would he?"

    And it was clear from her tone that even if he did hear about it and held it against her, she wouldn''t really care. After all, anyone not in the ruling party was as good as a peasant to her.

    Mrs. Porter chuckled nervously. "True, which one of us cannot make our children a public figure if we want? But it brings more harm than good."

    Mrs. Sullivan nodded. "The top of the top in the business world are there for a reason, after all. Mr. White is so ruthless, even to his daughter. My husband would never do such a thing to his family. Really, you people are far too ''cutthroat'', there''s no bottom line at all."

    Although the barb was aimed at Mr. White, as part of the business circle herself, Mrs. Porter still felt a little miffed. Even so, her rebuttal had to be carefully worded so as not to offend this mightydy, otherwise, all her bootlicking for the past few months wouldpletely go down the drain.

    "Well, you can''t me him. She''s just a spare, second daughter. When will she even be of use? He treats his real daughter very well, and that''s all that matters."

    Mrs. Sullivan smirked. "Speaking of her, I heard your son''s been trying quite hard to get an executive position at the White Deer''s? Could it be... you n to win her over? Tsk tsk, aiming quite high, aren''t you?"

    Mrs. Porter felt her back break out in a cold sweat. ''How does she know that?!''

    "D-Don''t joke around, Mrs. Sullivan. That rebellious son of mine is just seeking his own path, and wants to build his career by himself. It has nothing to do with us."

    "Ah, since Mrs. Porter says so, it must be true. Let him do as he pleases then, I guess I don''t need to help him, after all."

    "H-Help? You can help?"

    Mrs. Sullivan smiled confidently. "Who do you think I am?"

    ==========

    Even if Emilia heard them, however, she wouldn''t find their words so strange.

    After all, it was true that she was only the second daughter. Even if the control of the White Deer family didn''t fall into the hands of the eldest ''son-inw'' in the future, it would still not be hers. Just based on this alone, her true ''value'' among the elites dropped by a significant margin.

    To these people, she was at most a pretty little doll who could be handed out a small chunk of shares, and it wasn''t even guaranteed if it would be 0.1% or 5%. Either way, White Deer''s decisions had nothing to do with her.

    Even this little publicity stunt of rescuing trafficked children was probably just the White Deer using her as a puppet. How could attracting so much attention be a good thing for such a young girl?

    Just like Mrs. Sullivan, most of the top echelon thought that Mr. White''s decision to use his second daughter in this publicity stunt just goes to show how little he cared for her well-being. Instead, Samantha was clearly the one being nurtured as the one who will take over his business in the future.

    There was no need to cater too much to this disposable little doll.

    Of course, the younger generation was free to form their own opinions and n out their own moves.. After all, this could also be considered a learning experience for them.

 Chapter 58 - Done Being A Gentleman

    After constantly talking to the persistent idiots who kept approaching them, Dixie felt her throat was slightly parched. Only then did she remember that Emilia also hadn''t had any water or juice for a while, either.

    "Wait here, Princess, I''ll get you something real quick!"

    Emilia shook her head. "No need, look¡­"

    And as she pointed out, a waiter approached them with a tray full of an assortment of drinks. Of course, before Emilia could even think of what she wanted to have, Dixie had already snatched two sses of orange juice and shooed the perplexed waiter away.

    ''Does she think I''ll pick the wine if she didn''t do that?''

    While Emilia was amused, Dixie felt slightly embarrassed.

    "H-He was looking at you weird, okay, that''s why I did that!"

    Of course, Emilia didn''t believe it. The poor waiter was doing his job diligently, with his eyes constantly trained on the guests to meet their needs. He probably deserved a tip, not nder.

    "That''s not very nice of you, Dixie. You shouldn''t me innocent people for things they haven''t done. Unless it''s an enemy, then go ham."

    Cynthia cheered. "That''s right! Spoken like a true viiness, Emilia! No mercy to enemies! All is fair!"

    Dixie felt her jaw drop. ''What? Does that mean I can me innocent people if they''re my enemy? Oh, but, isn''t every human being my enemy when ites to fighting for my princess? I guess it''s all fine then? Ehehehe¡­''

    Of course, she couldn''t tell Emilia about the loophole she had just found, so Dixie pretended to nod obediently. "Of course, Emily. I''m sorry, and I''ll give that waiter a big tip to apologizeter?"

    Emilia smiled. "If you want to, sure. But don''t overdo it either."

    ==========

    Despite many being underage, there didn''t seem to be any restrictions on drinking at the party, and many young men and women could be seen sipping their favorite alcoholic drinks.

    Of course, the waiters made sure to gently shoo away any curious preteens, but that was it.

    Consider that the party was hosted by a politician, this might seem like a disaster waiting to happen, but it was actually quite well thought out.

    The entry of any kind of recording instrument was, of course, prohibited in the venue. Even mobile phones weren''t allowed.

    Of course, most people still had their assistants and secretaries attend to their calls while they were busy, and those people would certainly let them know if anything requiring their attention came up.

    No matter what the identity of the person was, protesting against this rule was absolutely out of the question. This was a basic etiquette in these types of parties, and not following it generally meant you wouldn''t be getting any more invitations in the future.

    If your status was low, you could even be directly escorted away.

    And that was why the hero had the luxury to down ss after ss of wine as he watched Emilia mingle andugh with people, one after another.

    Ever since the day his high school life started, it was as if anything that could go wrong, would go wrong.

    And it was always this bitch at fault.

    The fact that she was constantly being showered in praise while he received nothing but scorn filled Amos with a burning fury.

    ''Just what kind of blindness do these morons have? Compared to me, what talent does she have? What can she ever achieve in her life? Nothing!''

    Didn''t everyone hate her just recently? So all it takes to reverse their opinion is just one fake news report? How cheap.

    Even if the rescue operation was not a lie, Amos did not believe one bit that ''Danielle'' had anything to do with it.

    As for why that bitch had changed her name, the hero didn''t care at all. He simply couldn''t be bothered to remember another name for that vile whore.

    ''Anyone with half a brain should be able to see that this spoiled little daddy''s girl just got glory handed to her on a silver tter, but these morons actually believe all that bullshit in the news! Worst of all, some even dare question me! ME!''

    Why would he ever lie about the vile deeds of that bitch? Anything he could imagine, she had probably done worse. Just because she was pretending to look innocent now didn''t mean she stopped being a vile snake on the inside.

    ''Just wait, I will ruin not only her, but all of you as well! Bastards! Anyone who dared to look down on me today, just wait for your turn toe!''

    But these insignificant worms weren''t that important, no, he would deal with them sooner orter, just like he would deal with Danielle.

    What really infuriated him, however, was how even the love of his life was being ensnared in the deceptive clutches of this evil witch.

    But of course, the hero would never let that happen. Regardless of whether his father supported him or not, if he gave up on true love, he would not be Amos ck.

    He already had a n to take his angel out of this viiness''s ws. But that was for tomorrow.

    Today''s grievances still had to be repaid today itself. Although he generally followed the policy of how it was never toote for a gentleman''s revenge, Amos decided that enough was enough. He was done being a gentleman.

    As he sauntered over in her direction, a few people turned to look at him curiously. After all, he had stayed in a gloomy corner all by himself most of the party.

    They thought he would surely just leave without a word sooner orter, but seems like the rich heir had something else in his mind.

    Those who had noticed watched him with great interest. After all, most were already familiar with the ''history'' between Emilia and Amos. Regardless of which side they stood on, it was guaranteed to be an interesting show to watch.

    Contrary to the people waiting with bated breath for the hero to startle Emilia and start a dramatic argument, Amos had apletely different n.

    He had no intention of exchanging words with her. That was beneath him.

    The red wine swirled in his ss, and as he got closer, the boy started swaying from side to side, as if intoxicated.

 Chapter 59 - â€™Flawlessâ€™ Execution

    The hero''s acting wasn''t quite good enough to fool most people, and his inebriated behavior was so fake that if this had been a movie, the director would have already kicked him out of the set.

    Of course, this was not a movie, and there was no one to stop Amos from doing as he pleased. Even if there had been a few ''well-wishers'' who didn''t want to see Emilia humiliated, they still had to think twice before offending someone like Amos so directly.

    And this short hesitation was more than enough for Amos to wlessly execute his n. Of course, even if someone had managed to squeeze out a warning, he would still have seeded.

    As he finally ''stumbled'' on his own feet and the ss was sent flying towards that viiness he hated so much, Amos felt a feeling of tion and relief in his heart that he hadn''t felt for a long time now.

    ''This is it¡­ this is the feeling! Only when she''s suffering is the world right¡­''

    Of course, Dixie had been paying close attention to the safety of her princess, and noticed something was wrong. She barely managed to step forward in an attempt to shield her, but felt her waist being grabbed as Emilia spun her around.

    The people who had seen Amos clearly throw the wine ss towards Emilia had already turned excited as they wondered how Emilia will react. When Dixie tried to stop it, that was still fine, but what happened next made their eyes almost bug out in shock.

    Emilia didn''t step aside to avoid it, nor did she try to grab it mid-air. Oh no. Of all the absurd things she could have done, she just had to do a fucking backflip and kick the ss up and away, sending it flying high in the air.

    Their shock was justified, because first of all¡­ who in the world would react like that?

    Secondly, even if someone did that, the fragile wine ss should have been shattered by their heel, making the situation even worse. Because now there aren''t just wine stains on their body, but ss shards too.

    And if they go flying in other people''s eyes, that makes it all infinitely worse!

    But somehow, Emilia''s flip was executed in such a smooth, slow arc that not only did the ss not shatter, even most of the liquid was retained in the ss by the centrifugal force.

    Some of it did spill on Emilia''s bare ankle and thigh, but it didn''t reach her dress.

    Of course, whatever goes up, must alsoe down.

    Amos had been so gobsmacked by what happened that he couldn''t move a muscle even as some people shrieked subconsciously as they saw the ss fall towards his head. He stood stock-still until it shattered less than half a foot away from his position, forcibly startling him out of his daze.

    ''Fortunately'', he wasn''t injured, because the ss only shattered after hitting the floor, and its sharp shards could only futilely brush against shoe leather.

    But the remaining contents of the ss had all ended up raining down on the hero himself. His pristine white three-piece suit waspletely ruined, and the stinking look on his face was like that of a demon from hell as he stared at the girl in rage.

    As some of the red liquid flowed down the silver-haired boy''s brow,bined with his furious expression, many shuddered at his almost fiendish appearance.

    Was Emilia the type to let this chance go? Of course she would milk it for all it''s worth.

    "AH! I''m sorry, I panicked! Are you alright?"

    Looking at her fake concern, the hero almost popped a vein. He could feel the murmurs and res from the audience as theypared Emilia''s innocent and sincere reaction to his obvious unreasonable fury.

    "Y-You¡ª"

    He knew he couldn''t get angry. He had known how he should react the moment the ssnded on the girl. Apologize gently and sincerely, and it would make whatever furious response she was making look infinitely worse.

    But somehow, their roles had beenpletely reversed, and he couldn''t adapt to the sudden change at all.

    Amos hadn''t lost his mindpletely to anger, though, so he just gnashed his teeth and stormed away, identally knocking away one of the waiters who had been collecting the broken ss on the ground.

    In his fury, the hero didn''t even notice, and left without looking back.

    The waiter''s hands ended up being pierced by a few of the ss shards, but he could only grimace and bear with it as he got back up.

    In sharp contrast to the hero, Emilia''s mood was ecstatic. Earlier, she had even been a little down, thinking that despite that interview and aplishment, it seemed like the people''s impression of her wasn''t quite deep enough.

    Too many here believed it all to be her father''s doing, while using her as a mere figurehead. But even if they were blind, they couldn''t hold on to that ''ipetent'' image of Emilia now, could they?

    At the very least, they now had to see her as someone not so easy to mess with. Even though she had a loyal friend who tried to defend her, she still managed to not only fend off that kind of direct social attack, but also retaliated at the same time without making herself look bad.

    Anyone else might have been already humiliated. Once the wine had been spilled on them, and the ck Tiger''s heir apologized, who here would be able to hold on to their face? Their only choice would be to retreat in disgrace while plotting for revenge on another day.

    Even as her outward expression remained elegant, Emilia was actually so excited that she couldn''t help but scream out gleefully in her mind.

    <i>''Holy shit! Cynthia... you weren''t kidding when you said this was an easy-difficulty world! It''s as if that guy is worried I won''t do well enough, and gives me such wonderful opportunities left and right!''</i>

    Cynthia chuckled. "I¡­ don''t think that''s what he meant to do, but good job still, ehehehe¡­"

    <i>''I know that much. Imagine being on that guy''s side, though. If I had such a pig teammate, I would probably go crazy! All his moves have been such great ''assists'', and he just rushes to give me ''free wins'' one after another, ahahaha¡­''</i>

    Cynthia wanted to say Emilia shouldn''t take the hero too lightly, but thinking about it again¡­ Not to mention her viiness was too meticulous to do something like that, at this point the hero really wasn''t bright enough to be taken seriously.

    Perhaps he would grow up a few years down the line, but her viiness should probably have him firmly under her heel by then.

    "Emily! You''re not hurt, are you?"

    Dixie couldn''t believe that she had been careless enough to allow Emilia to still get in harm''s way. Although it was her own move, it still exposed a w in her defense.

    Being alone, she could only deal with one threat at a time, and if that guy had someone assisting him from the side, he would have managed to get to Emilia anyway.

    Although Emilia was far from being a defenseless doll, Dixie thought that her ability to defend herself should be ast resort for emergencies, and not something to factor in while nning how to protect her.

    <i>''Those dunderhead friends of mine better have a good fucking excuse for not being here today, or I''m gonna fucking y them alive...''</i>

    Of course, since Emilia hadn''t been injured at all, she tried her best to reassure her knight.

    "I''m fine, Dixie. Don''t worry."

    She would even have gone forward to help out the poor waiter who had been kicked aside by Amos to score ''additional points'', but since another staff member had already rushed ahead with a first aid kit, that would just make her look stupid now.

    Her knight ignored her cating words, and was still fussing over her as she knelt down and started wiping off the wine that had spilled on her leg with a wet cloth handed to her by a waiter.

    Of course, only Dixie knew her true thoughts at this point. <i>''Ahhh! What a waste! I wish I could lick it off of her¡­ Oh no, don''t tell me that bastard sipped it before?! How could I let it taint her body! I must wipe it clean!''</i>

    Emilia''s smile faded a little as Dixie''s wiping got rough.<i> ''I-Is she trying to rub my skin off?!''</i>

 Chapter 60 - Someone Picked The Wrong Side

    "Wow¡­ did you see that?!"

    "Is she a gymnast?"

    "Cheerleaders can also do that kind of thing, right?"

    Among the younger generation, most had already been quite impressed by Emilia, and their impression of her only got deeper with her ''counterattack''.

    "I-I''m pretty sure that was a fluke, right?"

    "Most likely, yeah. No, it definitely was a fluke. She just acted on instinct, it seems."

    "What kind of ''instinct'' is that?"

    "Who knows? She was homeschooled by her family, right? Who knows what they taught her."

    "She doesn''t have any muscles to speak of, though, I doubt she knows any martial arts."

    "Probably just basic training of gymnastics, or ballet, maybe?"

    "Hmm¡­ you might be right. Though I still think her leg muscles should be more prominent in that case. Her thighs are defined enough, though. Hm¡­ maybe¡ª"

    "Sister¡­ you''re too obsessed with that girl''s legs. Are you secretly a lesbian?"

    "I-I''m not! I''m straight as a rod!"

    Such discussions were not unique to just them.

    Even if she may have only done it ''identally'', it was still a sight to see a girl backflip a ss of wine into the air.

    Among the older generation, many of them who had previously looked down on Emilia had to at least reconsider their opinion. Perhaps she may not just be a useless doll. Perhaps Mr. White was training her as a weapon for his older daughter to use. Although Emilia looked a bit too weak, looks can often be deceptive.

    Meanwhile, in the corner of the lobby, Theo''s mom was fussing over the boy as he clutched his nose while looking pained.

    "W-What happened to you?"

    "I-I saw it¡­"

    "¡­ Saw what?"

    Theo gulped as he realized what he had almost blurted out, and refused to speak another word.

    He could only curse at his teenage hormones for weakening his will to the point where anyone other than his little angel could ever enter his eyes. Only pure, tonic sibling love was worthy of his heart!

    His mother finally seemed to recall that in themotion earlier, the girl had executed a backflip with a very, very short skirt. For her son to be having a nosebleed from the sight alone though¡ªand at this distance, no less, where he couldn''t possibly have caught anything but a brief glimpse¡ªmade the middle-aged woman very worried.

    ''Does that mean he''s not impotent, at least? But to have a nosebleed from something like this¡­ he''s hopeless.''

    ==========

    Bianca''s father only returned to the venue once the party was almost about to end, and only bothered entertaining and seeing off the most important guests.

    In sharp contrast to his daughter''s attitude, he actually seemed to intentionally ignore Emilia''s existence.

    Going by convention, Emilia''s status as Mr. White''s daughter made her position important enough to warrant at least a personal greeting by the host. To fail to do so, he can be seen as intentionally snubbing not just Emilia, but the entire White Deer corporation. After all... that was what she represented at this party.

    His attitude clearly made many onlookers ufortable, while many others gloated in their hearts. Regardless, none of them were stupid enough to get in between these ''giants'' and risk being targeted themselves.

    Of course, some loose mouths would definitely let it ''slip'' to Mr. Whiteter. Whether their intentions were to help him or not was anyone''s guess.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sneer. "You can''t let him go unpunished for looking down on us, Emilia! Go kick his ass!"

    Of course, she couldn''t just listen to Cynthia, or it would be another spectacle.

    Emilia scoffed in her heart. ''Tch. He probably wouldn''t dare to do this if Sam or Danielle''s father were here instead.''

    Perhaps he had already judged the tides to be in favor of Mr. ck earlier, and having already picked a side, he was now bound to that boat. Maybe he even believed that Mr. ck would stille out on top in the ongoing struggle between the two megacorps, but Emilia was sure that anyone who deluded themselves so¡­ was in for a nasty surprise soon enough.

    Perhaps tomorrow''s sunrise would finally open their eyes.

    Emilia did not need to take his snubbing seriously, because she was already quite familiar with these kinds of turncoats. Once the tides really turned against Mr. ck, he wouldn''t think twice before switching sides. Maybe he''ll even use his daughter''s affection towards Emilia as an excuse.

    After all, these types of people did not have any true loyalty to anyone. Although Emilia preferred dealing with staunch and straightforward people like Dixie, she knew that making use of those like Bianca''s father was also critical to ensure sess at arger scale.

    "HUH? Instead of kicking his ass, you want him to turn to your side? Are these types of people even reliable, Emilia?"

    Emilia sighed. ''No¡­ of course not. Even while making use of them, we have to be careful not to be stabbed in the back. Unless we have no other alternatives, it''s best to use more reliable options.''

    Of course, if she had a better, more loyal ally avable to get things done, why would she hand a task over to a possible traitor?

    "Wouldn''t it just ruin all your ns if someone like that betrays you, though? It''s best to not use them at all. It''s better to let your ns go than to have them backfire on you."

    Emilia smiled in her mind. Cynthia was quite sharp, but she was too straightforward and honest. Of course, that''s how she preferred it to be.

    ''You''re right, Cynthia. I''ll never use them for anything crucial, but there are times when even these types of people can be of use.

    ''For example, consider an enemy kingdom with a treacherous duchy who wants to betray them and defect to my side, but I know they''re the worst kind of scum that cannot be trusted, in that case, what do I have to lose if I tell them to get over to my side while creating a path of blood?''

    "Huh? I don''t think I get it¡­ you''ll tell them to do as much damage as possible to the enemy whileing over to your side, right?"

    Emilia nodded. ''Right. It will damage them both, and even if they manage toe to me in the end, they''ll be a much smaller threat to contain, and that is only if I decide it is safe enough to spare them. Moreover, I managed to split a part of the enemy forces as well.''

    "Ohhhh¡­ going back on your word like that! As expected of my viiness."

    ''I mean, I only told them they cane over, not that I won''t kill them once they do, right? Fufu.''

    It didn''t take long after the ''host'' returned for the party to end.

    And although Bianca''s father saw the guests off with a smile, Emilia could tell he was dissatisfied with how things really went. Perhaps he had already heard about what happened to Amos, and worried what kind of impact it will have on his cooperation with Mr. ck.

    Emilia was of course happy to see it. Anything that made things difficult for her enemies was a wee change in her book.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Amos finally arrived back at his ''home'', having long since left the party in advance.

    However, instead of feeling relief, the hero felt his blood freeze as he felt a malevolent gaze he was far too familiar with.

 Chapter 61 - â€™Inâ€™Justice

    "Ah, my son is finally back. I have heard of all kinds of glorious deeds of yours, all earning me great pride, no doubt, ahahaha¡­"

    With the number of contacts Mr. ck had at the party, how could no one have informed him of the absolute disaster of a performance of his son? Forget about making any new contacts or gaining prestige, if he had just stayed as he was, that would also have been fine.

    But no, he just HAD to fuck things up no matter what task was given to him.

    Mr. ck was generally a patient man. He always silently waited for the perfect opportunity to strike, and when he did, he made sure his prey couldn''t escape.

    And the reason for that was obvious. If he had been able to do things as he always did, the White Deer corporation wouldn''t even know what hit them before it was toote. Unfortunately, the prey had somehow been startled, and Mr. ck was still investigating where he slipped up.

    But when it came to Amos, his only son, Mr. ck found that his patience was being tested again and again. It was like every time they faced each other, his son would find another matter to disgrace him with.

    If he wasn''t off having a fling with some boy, he was off causing a public disaster instead. Of course, Mr. ck was well aware that someone must haveid a trap, and Amos fell right into it, but that only made him me the boy more.

    The hero''s anxiety only grew the longer his father remained silent.

    "D-Dad, I can exin¡ª"

    "Save it. Let''s talk in the study."

    Amos could feel his heart beat rapidly in fear as he hesitantly followed his father to the study. For him to be led there could only mean that whatever his father was about to say, he didn''t want to risk the servants overhearing.

    Mr. ck signaled for Amos to get in first before following him inside, and then locked the door after him.

    Just as Amos was about to take a seat, however, something fiercelytched onto his hair, and flung him into a bookshelf.

    A miserable scream tore out of his throat involuntarily, but his father ignored all his pleas as he rained down kicks on the fallen hero. He didn''t even care for some of his precious book collection being stomped as well.

    "D-Dad! Stop! It hurts! STOP IT!"

    "You piece of shit! Motherfucker! I should have known that whore couldn''t give birth to a good son! Fuck! To think I wasted so many years of my life teaching garbage like you, only for you to fuck up every single thing!"

    Thebination of mental and physical abuse caused the hero to break out into sobs even though he tried his best to control himself.

    But even as he sobbed, all his grievancesbined with his hatred, and he swore to one day tear out the throat of this vile monster with his own hands.

    Mr. ck only seemed to calm down once he felt that he had doled out an ''appropriate'' amount of punishment.

    "Get up."

    It took almost a minute for Amos to realize he was being spoken to, and he shakily got up while supporting himself against the bookshelf he had been flung against.

    He hid his hatred as best as he could before looking up, but what greeted him was not his father''s stern face, but a sturdy fist.

    Even as the back of his skull rang with pain after crashing into the bookshelf, and his vision momentarily went dark, Amos had a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    <i>''T-These motherfuckers¡­ dare look down¡­ on me!''</i>

    He didn''t know where it came from, but Amos felt a huge rush of both courage and patience fill his body.

    Even with his left eye swelling shut, he looked up into his father''s startled gaze.

    Mr. ck couldn''t help but be a little impressed. If nothing else, this bastard son of his was quite tenacious at least.

    "Take a seat, now we can talk."

    ==========

    Emilia and Dixie were startled to spot their driver heading into the venue right as they were exiting.

    "Ah, young miss, your friends called earlier¡ª"

    Dixie gnashed her teeth in anger as she took the phone from his hand. If they''d been here earlier, surrounding her princess along with her, wouldn''t the adults find it too awkward to approach them?

    That alone could have greatly reduced the annoyances tonight and made her princess morefortable. But these idiots didn''t even show up! If they didn''t have a really, really good excuse¡­

    "Which one of the three idiots am I talking to?"

    "I-It''s me, Jenna¡­"

    "Jenna¡­ why the hell are you only calling me just now? I expect this kind of idiotic behavior from that idiot Lara, but you¡ª"

    The person on the other hand hastily interrupted her. "A-Ah, Dixie, don''t go on a tirade yet, y''see¡­ we might need your help first."

    Dixie could feel a headacheing. ''Oh no no no¡­ don''t tell me they''re going to disgrace myself even further in front of Emily now, right?''

    "¡­ What did you do?"

    "Um, well, y''know what Lara is like. She spotted this hunk of a man on our way to the party, and since we were a little early, she decided to, you know, do the usual."

    Dixie gritted her teeth in anger. "If you mean she was wasting time seducing the guy only to reject him as soon as he showed interest, I''m gonna have to ask you to smack her across the face for me first!"

    After a momentary silence, her friend cleared her throat, as if slightly embarrassed.

    "I don''t think I need to. Her face is already pretty swollen now, after all."

    Dixie blinked.

    "Excuse me, what? Did she fall down face first while flirting?"

    Jenna rolled her eyes, though Dixie couldn''t see it from the other side of the phone.

    "I wish! Y''see, the guy she was trying to seduce had a girlfriend who came back just in time to spot her, while the guy looked ufortable. Long story short, the two of them got into a fight. The hair pulling, nail scratching, heel kicking kind."

    Dixie suddenly had a bad feeling. "Jenna¡­ where the hell are you talking from?"

    "Uh¡­ the police station?"

    "Fuck!"

 Chapter 62 - Troublemakers Downtown

    Dixie couldn''t believe that her friends had fucked up so bad on the first day they were supposed to meet with her princess.

    Just what kind of impression did they intend to leave?!

    She couldn''t help but grit her teeth in anger. "You couldn''t have just¡­ pulled them apart or something?"

    Jenna chuckled sheepishly from the other side of the phone, knowing she was in for a scolding once Dixie got there. "I thought they looked funny¡­ I didn''t think it would turn out like this, I swear!"

    Dixie sighed. <i>''Well, what''s done is done. I can only hope that Emily doesn''t believe my friends are a bunch of gangsters because of this.''</i>

    "¡­Which station are you at?"

    "Um, Downtown."

    Of course, she couldn''t bring her princess along to such a ce, so her friends would have to wait first.

    "Alright, wait, I''ll drop Emily off at her home and get there in an hour or so."

    Jenna clearly didn''t seem to mind, her voice turning cheerful. All she really cared about was that her parents didn''t get to know of their ''adventure'', or she''ll be in BIG trouble.

    "Awesome! I can never thank your mom enough for always getting us out of misfortune! Can''t imagine how our parents would react if they found out."

    Dixie rolled her eyes as she cut the call. ''Maybe I should tell their parents, it would be a just punishment for making me look bad in front of Emily!''

    Just as she was about to tell the driver to start heading to Emilia''s ce, however, her princess interrupted her with a smile. "Let''s go to your friends first. It''s not like I have a curfew, right?"

    "Ahhh, but Emily¡­ they''re not in a good ce, I can handle this myself, you don''t need to¡ª"

    Emilia pouted. "Are you embarrassed to introduce me to your friends, Dixie?"

    "O-Of course not! How can that be?! Let''s go. Driver uncle, drive to the Downtown police station!"

    Emilia chuckled. Her knight was really too easy. She was quite curious to see what these ''friends'' of hers were like.

    While they were on the way to the station, Dixie decided to call her mother in advance to inform her of her friends'' situation. After all, the less Emilia had to wait at the station, the better.

    "Ah? Those three brats got arrested again?"

    "Y-Yeah¡­"

    "I''m thinking I should hire a separatewyer just for them. It''ll be a good investment, since there will be a lot of paperwork once they''re no longer underage."

    "J-Jeez mom! I''ll get them in line soon, you don''t have to do that!"

    "And I''m assuming you''re making me do this for free, again?"

    "Um¡­"

    The line was silent for a few seconds before her mother spoke again.

    "Well, alright, but you better keep your promise for that restaurant thing!"

    Dixie''s entire face bloomed into a deep shade of red, suddenly very d that she hadn''t put the phone on speaker. How mortifying would it be if Emilia could hear everything?

    "I-I already did that!"

    "You did?! Wow¡­ no wait, I won''t believe it until I see it myself!"

    Dixie hesitated before shyly ncing at Emilia, who didn''t seem to be paying her much attention. "I-I''ll show you,ter¡­"

    "You better! I won''t wait for long."

    Her mother didn''t talk much after that, and Dixie breathed a sigh of relief after dropping her call with a brief goodbye.

    Emilia kept ying around with her phone, and just as Dixie was about to curiously peek over to see what her princess was doing, she heard a ''ding!'' from her own phone.

    Looking down at her screen, she discovered that Emilia had sent her a ''media'' in her mailbox. And a brief look at the thumbnail was enough to turn her entire face red in shame.

    "T-Thank you, princess."

    Emilia just smirked, her eyes shining mischievously, and Dixie could feel things in her body that she definitely shouldn''t be feeling while on the way to the police station.

    ''Thankfully'', the car stopped in front of the station before Dixie could really lose control, and the girl got out feeling both disappointment and relief.

    As they entered the building, Dixie was greeted by a man in a ck suit right by the entrance, who informed her that the matter had already been handled, and she was free to take her friends back. This was, of course, thewyer her mother had sent over.

    Since it was just a minor scuffle, along with all of them being underage, there actually wasn''t any need to make too much fuss, let alone for Mrs. Brown toe in person.

    So by the time Emilia and Dixie arrived at the station, the girls were already ''released'', although technically they were never even arrested in the first ce, only detained.

    But even though they were ''released'', their eyes were still red as they clutched their ears in pain, because a youngdy officer was currently giving them a very ''passionate'' lecture about youth, responsibilities, and social expectations.

    "You''re still so young, how can you get into fights like this?"

    "And to do it on the street! Disturbing other people as well!"

    "What if one of you stumbled onto the road during the fight, and got hit by a truck?! Do you think you''ll get isekai''d like those stupid anime? NO. You''ll be fucking dead!"

    "If I ever see you here again¡ª"

    Dixie had a headache just looking at the policedy.<i> ''Oh shit¡­ it''s Justine!''</i>

    Regardless of their ''sins'', no one deserved to suffer under Justine''s lectures more than once in their life.

    She hastily interrupted them with a greeting, and Justine turned to her in surprise.

    "Ah, Dixie, you''re here to pick them up again? I remember you promised mest time that they''ll never make trouble again, but¡ª"

    She was already quite familiar with this policedy, and hurriedly hushed her as she got close. "Uh, Justine! Not in front of my friend, okay?"

    Justine nced curiously at the fancily dressed girl following behind Dixie. "Your new friend?"

    "Um."

    "Not a troublemaker, though?"

    "Of course not! My princess is as sweet and innocent as anyone can possibly be! Nothing like those three idiots!"

    "Ahh, that''s a relief¡­ wait a minute, isn''t that¡­ the girl on TV?!"

    Emilia smiled. "Hello. Nice to meet you, I''m Emilia White."

    "S-Stay back! I''m not a bad officer, spare me!"

 Chapter 63 - What The Hell Did You Just Say?!

    Emilia smiled. "Hello. Nice to meet you, I''m Emilia White."

    "S-Stay back! I''m not a bad officer, spare me!"

    Emilia couldn''t hold back her giggles at the officer''s reaction at all. After all, she seemed like a fun person.

    And she really thought she was joking, but couldn''t help but doubt everything when the officer really ran away.

    "¡­"

    Dixie cleared her throat. "D-Don''t mind her. She just likes to y around sometimes. You''ll know once you meet her a few more times."

    Emilia couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.<i> ''So we''re gonna be here often, then?''</i>

    Her knight also seemed to realize her implication, but couldn''t lie to her princess otherwise either. If she said this will never happen again and it did, wouldn''t it make her look like a liar in Emilia''s eyes?

    So she could only hurriedly switch the topic by turning to her friends.

    Emilia''s first impression of Dixie''s friends was¡­ strange, to say the least. Why did they all have the same hairstyle as Dixie? Did they all have naturally ck hair, or was it colored to match? Were any of them wearing contacts, or were all their eyes naturally ck?

    And the question that rang the loudest in Emilia''s mind was¡­

    <i>''What the hell is up with this walking trio of contradictions?! If you want to look the same, you should at least dress alike! And if you don''t¡­ why the hell would you do this?!''</i>

    Her shock wasn''t unwarranted, because not only did the three girls all have different heights and dissimr faces, the way they dressed was as far apart as it could possibly be.

    Dixie cleared her throat. "These are my friends from middle school¡­ Lara, Jenna, and Emma. And you three already know, this is my princess, Emilia."

    She had been intending to show off a little, but her friends were really far too much into making trouble andpletely ruined her ns.

    Anyone could tell that Dixie wasn''t satisfied from just her tone, and her friends appeared slightly embarrassed, knowing they had messed up, and there was sure to be a huge argument once Emilia wasn''t there.

    Although they hadn''t known Dixie since childhood, they had still been friends for years. The girl had never put so much emphasis on anything before, and it really was quite a poor show from their side to embarrass her like this anyway.

    They could only put the matter aside first and apologize to herter.

    Still, they had been looking forward toying their eyes on this ''Emilia'' girl their friend seemed to focus on so much. They were very curious about just how ''powerful'' Emilia had to be, for her to bend that straight steel pipe Dixie into this unrecognizable spring coil.

    At the very least, she had to be an angel, or a subus. The only doubt they had was whether her wings would be made of feathers or leather.

    Their disappointment was inevitable when they actually saw the girl in person. After all, they had been expecting an otherworldly creature who could hook their hearts with a single look.

    Because Dixie made her sound like a goddess descending from heaven, even if Emilia was one of the prettiest girls they had seen, how could they be satisfied with just that? At the very least, there should be wingsing out her back.

    They had even made bets on which ones among them would be staunch enough to not fall for her at first sight. But looks like no one was going to win that particr bet. She was pretty, but not enough to move their hearts with just a look.

    Of course, none of them were stupid enough to say that out loud in front of Dixie.

    Except for Lara.

    "Eh? She looks human? Kinda disappointing then¡ª"

    Before Lara could get one more word out of her mouth, Dixie had her up in the air by her shoulder strap, feet dangling helplessly.

    "What did you just say?!"

    They had never seen Dixie look so fierce, and the other two girls froze in shock.

    Of course, Dixie had never even had a loud argument with her friends. At most, she would scold them yfully, and if she was annoyed, she would just roll her eyes and leave.

    She may have be a little distant with them after meeting Emilia, but they were still in the same group chat, and still had enough history to have each other''s back in times of need.

    But if they dared to nder her princess¡­ forget about maintaining any friendship, what else could they be except sworn enemies?

    Before the other two girls could panic too much or the girl who was up in the air could evenprehend what was going on, Emilia patted Dixie''s shoulder.

    "Let her down, okay?"

    Dixie could only begrudgingly lower her friend to the ground, letting go of her now stretched out strap. But the resentment in her eyes was still clear. It was one thing to make trouble for her again and again, but to even dare to speak against the person she had repeatedly told them was so precious to her... Clearly, she had been too lenient.

    "You better have a good exnation, Lara, or I''m never talking to you again!"

    Lara could feel the tears pooling in her eyes.

    "D-Dixie, I-I''m an idiot! I''m sorry!"

    The other two girls also came forward to mediate.

    Emma''s face was red as she tugged at Dixie''s sleeve with distress. "S-She didn''t mean it, Dixie, forgive her."

    The tallest of the bunch, Jenna, cleared her throat, knowing that Dixie wasn''t looking for an apology, but an exnation. "Don''t take it wrong, Dixie, she didn''t mean that. Actually, we had a really silly bet between us, so that idiot slipped up and said such an absurd thing! It makes more sense if you know the whole story."

    Dixie frowned. "Tell me the ''whole story'', then."

    Jenna was about to speak, but she suddenly realized something appalling.

    Going by Dixie''s attitude so far, wouldn''t telling her that they made a bet that Emilia would look like an actual angel, and that ''clearly wasn''t the case''¡­ make everything worse?!

 Chapter 64 - A Trio Of Idiots

    Just as Jenna was wracking her brain trying to figure out a solution, Emilia stepped forward to intercede once again.

    Although she didn''t want to interfere too much in matters between Dixie and her friends, she couldn''t just stand there and watch, could she? Not when she was the reason they were fighting in the first ce.

    "How about you let them off this time, for me?"

    Dixie red at her friends darkly, as if giving them a final warning before giving Emilia a nod. "If you say so, Emily, but only this time!"

    Lara bobbed her head up and down frantically in agreement. "There will be no next time, promise!"

    The tension diffused remarkably fast, and Emilia''s worries of Dixie''s rtionship with her friends bing strained because of her also evaporated. Soon enough they started joking around once more, and their group dynamic also became clearer to Emilia.

    Dixie was clearly the leader, though that much was already obvious to Emilia from the start. The other three girls all seemed to follow each other randomly, and all it took was one of them to decide on something for the remaining two to follow.

    No wonder they got into trouble all the time! Even now, they were busy digging their own grave.

    "Dixie has gotten crazy strong!"

    "Gori strong!"

    "Just what kind of training are you doing at that dojo?"

    "I-I couldn''t believe it when she lifted Lara up by one hand!"

    Dixie rolled her eyes. "You cane join us if you want, every morning¡ª"

    "I''m not really interested in these things¡­"

    "I-I don''t think it suits me¡­"

    "Are there any boys?"

    Dixie smirked. "Yes, Lara, there is a very cute boy at the dojo, though he''s usually fighting with another girl."

    Lara''s eyes immediately lit up. "I wanna go!"

    Dixie clearly knew how her mind worked. Anyway, what she said wasn''t a lie, since ''kiddo'' really was quite cute, and wasn''t he always getting beat up by Koko? It was Lara''s own fault for not asking for rification.

    Once Lara agreed, it was like a chain reaction had gone off.

    "C-Can Ie just to watch?"

    "Sure, why not?"

    "Ehh, since everyone else is going, I can''t just stay out, can I?"

    Although their responses to Dixie''s invitation were as she expected, Emilia still thought it was a little weird. She couldn''t quite put her finger on what was wrong, though, so Emilia decided to put it out of her mind for now.

    The impression that Dixie''s friends had of Emilia had drastically improved after she had ''saved'' them from the ''devil'' twice.

    Although they still couldn''t see any angel wings behind her back, she did seem to have grown an illusory halo in their eyes.

    Lara stepped forward in an attempt to pull Emilia into a hug, but was blocked by Dixie halfway. She pretended that nothing had happened, and continued her ''introduction''. "Nice to meet you, Emilia, I''m Lara Lawrence. If you ever need advice on boys, I''m your girl!"

    Emilia just smiled and nodded, deciding to ignore thest part. "Nice to meet you too, Lara."

    The tallest girl of the group stepped forward next, shaking her hand with a frank smile. "Hi, Emilia, I''m Jenna Jenkins, you can call me Jenna."

    Emilia could feel how firm her grip was, though obviously she was being careful not to squeeze or hurt her hand. Jenna''s personality seemingly matched her boyish look quite well. "Emily."

    The shortest girl also gave her the shortest introduction, blushing in embarrassment as she looked away. "E-Emma Evans."

    Even though she pretended to be polite and calm on the surface as she returned her greeting, in her mind, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle.

    It hadn''t seemed so weird when Dixie only mentioned their first names, but wasn''t this too much of a coincidence? Did her knight go around making friends based on their name? And did she then turn them into clones of herself?

    Thankfully, she had taken the lead from the start and reigned her in, or maybe Emilia too would cut her hair short and dye it ck, and then change her name to Whitney White or something. Just what kind of brainwashing method was this?

    But at the very least, their dressing sense still retained their ''former'' personalities.

    Lara''s clothing was quite skimpy and borderline dangerous, and made Emilia ufortable just looking at it, or perhaps that was because of her slightly swollen face. Forget about seducing people, she would be lucky enough not to scare off anyone but the worst of perverts.

    Jenna was wearing an extreme version of a tomboy getup. While Dixie''s tomboyish look made her even cuter, Jenna didn''t go for that appeal at all. Not only was her jeans not form-fitting but loose, her leather jacket also covered most of her curves. Emilia wouldn''t even know she was a girl from a distance.

    And Emma was the exact opposite of Jenna. Compared to her friend''s outgoing, tanned look, she appeared to be a carefully raised wallflower with worryingly pale skin. And her sickly pale look only made her timid personality appear more prominent. She was wearing a typical party dress with a slightly longer skirt than was usual.

    As the five of them finally stepped out of the station, Justine, who had been peeking at them from afar, breathed a sigh of relief. "I''m alive!"

    Although her colleagues had mostly stayed away from the group of girls since they had more important things to do, they had still been observing this young female officer''s behavior with some amusement. "Don''t exaggerate so much, Justine, they''re just little girls."

    Justine scoffed, flinging her long ck ponytail back as she gave her colleague an ''are you an idiot'' look. "That''s probably what Mark and Morgan thought too, but you know what happened to them?"

    "What¡ª"

    Justine made a tearing motion with her hand, her face ferocious. "Torn to pieces! Limb from limb! Not even ashes remain!"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­I''m pretty sure they''re still alive¡­"

 Chapter 65 - Proud Or Ashamed?

    After dropping off her friends as well as Emilia, Dixie finally returned home, a feeling of aplishment and pride swelling in her chest. She couldn''t wait to see her always disdainful mother''s shocked face!

    And as she expected, her mother was eagerly waiting for her supposed ''proof'' of having done the ''deed'' with Emilia.

    Despite at her pride, however, Dixie actually felt a little reluctant to show this kind of video of her princess to anyone else.

    But considering how it all only happened with this as an excuse, she couldn''t really say no at this point, could she? Not to mention her mother would never believe her without ''proof''.

    When her daughter really did pass her mobile phone over to her, Mrs. Brown found herself a little dumbfounded. "You really weren''t lying?"

    Dixie scoffed. "Of course not!"

    Mrs. Brown squinted her eyes, still a little suspicious. "Wait a minute, let me check first."

    The video didn''t contain Dixie''s earlier fumbling and stammering about how she wanted a reward, and how it was her mom''s idea, otherwise Mrs. Brown would have surely smacked her daughter across the face.

    Who the fuck mentions their mother while trying to get it on with a girl?!

    Fortunately, it started off with Dixie already lying on the bed, with Emilia straddling her with very obvious signs of temptation in both her expression and bodynguage.

    With her experience, Mrs. Brown could tell that somehow, impossible though it seemed, Dixie had managed to seduce her ''princess'' despite being a hopeless simp.

    No, perhaps there was hope for her, after all. ''Hmph. In the end, she IS my daughter, ahahaha¡­''

    Mrs. Brown suddenly had a bad premonition. ''Wait a minute¡­ She couldn''t possibly mess this up, right?''

    Dixie was too embarrassed to watch such a thing with her mother, so she had long since turned her head away and couldn''t see how her mother''s expression turned darker as she continued watching the video.

    ''Why the hell is Dixie acting like a submissive bitch? Daughter-inw is taking all the initiative, and this stupid daughter of mine isn''t even reciprocating?!''

    If she didn''t know how unhealthily obsessive Dixie was when it came to Emilia, going by just her attitude in the video alone, she almost looked reluctant! It was as if Emilia was forcing her?!

    ''This stupid moron!''

    But her eyes shone brightly as she realized her daughter''s ''strategy'', because while subtly giving Emilia ''Ah, I don''t think we should do this?'' attitude, Dixie''s hand was stealthily creeping up her thigh.

    ''Ahhh, I underestimated her. Truly, the young surpass the old. She acts reluctant at the start, makes daughter-inw take initiative, and then wham, suddenly she''s got her pinned on the bed! ''Girl, I told you we should stop, but now that you''ve got me worked up, you better take responsibility!'' strategy, right? Genius, absolutely genius! The opportunity that was fundamentally limited to just make-out at first is turned into¡ª''

    And her praise for her daughter evaporated along with her theories, because as soon as Dixie got a little closer to her goal, shepletely destroyed the atmosphere and effectively killed all her ''chances''.

    ''N-NO! You idiot! Do you WANT to turn her off?!''

    In her eyes, even Emilia looked a little offended at being rejected so bluntly, boldly questioning Dixie''s intentions.

    At the very least, her daughter-inw was very straightforward, though thankfully not straight. And much to her relief, even Dixie wasn''t stupid enough to say that she did, in fact, hate Emilia.

    There was a difference between being a tsundere and being a moron, after all, and sometimes Mrs. Brown felt like her daughter was really testing those limits.

    And then she did it.

    This stupid, idiotic simp. No, even simps wouldn''t miss such an opportunity! She wasn''t a simple simp, she was a wimpy simp!

    "Who the fuck tells the GIRL they just made out with¡­ that they like BOYS?!"

    Dixie jumped, startled, as she watched her mother screech in shock.

    Only then did she remember the conversation she had with Emilia at the end of their session, and cleared her throat with some embarrassment. "W-Well, mom¡­"

    Mrs. Brown could still feel her a vein about to burst from rage, but she managed to barely control herself. "Save your exnation, first you tell me how it ended. Did you part on bad terms? The video cuts off here, ah! I feel like my heart is hanging on the line!"

    Dixie shyly turned her head away. "Um, no, princess, she, um, she seemed a little mad at me at first, but she forgave me soon enough. She''s¡­ very kind."

    Mrs. Brown was stunned. "What the heck¡­ is she an angel? She forgave you just like that? You deserved the cold shoulder for at least a day, no, a week!"

    Dixie nodded, smiling like an idiot, and her mother suddenly had the urge to smack her across the face. "I don''t understand¡­ She was clearly straddling you while giving you bedroom eyes, right? What more do you need to bend her over and fuck her up?!"

    The short haired girl felt her face turn red. How can her mother be so shameless? "I-It wasn''t like that! Princess was just showing her affection to me, s-she''s a pure girl, you can''t be so disrespectful!"

    The olderdy sighed. "¡­ I swear, you''ve got to be the luckiest simp in existence. But even your luck has its limits!"

    Dixie nodded. Of course, if not for her good fortune on that first day of school, would she have be the favored knight of her princess? "Um, I know. I''m very lucky."

    Mrs. Brown wanted to say that her daughter-inw was only a pure girl for now, and she was definitely going to get fucked sooner orter. What Dixie should realize is if she wants to be the one doing it, or if she wants to stand aside and watch someone else do it.

    But in the end, Mrs. Brown decided that perhaps it was better to give her daughter more ''positive'' advice instead. "Since she clearly doesn''t hate you, but you destroyed all your chances together now, what do you n to do?"

    Dixie blinked. "What do you mean I destroyed all our chances together?"

    The olderdy rolled her eyes. Was she also this oblivious in her youth? Of course not. "Oh please, you don''t truly believe she''ll ever let you get this far ever again after this, do you? You can''t hurt a girl''s pride like that. Not unless you''re already fucking her into submission."

    "Uh¡ªwait, what?"

    Mrs. Brown groaned. Did she have to spell every single thing out for this dumb daughter to understand? "Idiot! I''m saying you clearly rejected her when she was obviouslying on to you, begging to be fucked!"

    Dixie''s expression immediately turned a little angry. "D-Don''t talk about princess like that!"

    The olderdy clutched her head in exasperation as she threw herself back on the sofa. "GAH! You''re impossible to talk to! Goddang¡­ Fine, I''ll tell you what. She clearly doesn''t hate you yet, for whatever impossible toprehend reason, so before that changes¡­ you should use that opportunity to bring her under you."

    The younger girl frowned. "Bring her under me?"

 Chapter 66 - The Way Ahead

    The younger girl frowned, as if not quite understanding her mother''s intention. "Bring her under me?"

    Mrs. Brown nodded. "Right. Listen, Dixie, although mom is now together with your dad, I''ve fucked my fair share of girls in college. Even in a girl on girl rtionship, there''s almost always one person who''s more dominant. And I''m not talking about just ''in bed''."

    Dixie''s face was nk.

    Her mother couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "What''s with that dumb face? All I''m saying is you gotta fuck her before she fucks you! Is that so hard to understand?"

    The young girl''s face turned red with both shame and anger. "Firstly¡­ don''t talk about her like that! And second¡­ I-Isn''t that¡­ the same thing?"

    Mrs. Brown sighed. Maybe her own daughter was the only moron who didn''t know such basic things in this day and age. What was she even doing on the inte?

    Anyway, as her mother, it was still her duty to ''teach'' Dixie what she didn''t know. "No it''s not¡­ Daughter-inw doesn''t seem to have much experience, but she''s clearly already sexually frustrated! She probably didn''t know what to do, and you could have easily fucked her into submission then and there. But that look in her eyes¡­ Her sex drive is insane, and you''ll definitely get cucked if you keep going like this."

    Dixie''s response was of course, exactly as she expected.

    "D-Don''t say that about¡ª"

    Mrs. Brown rolled her eyes. "Your princess? Yeah yeah, I get it. I swear, if I wasn''t totally disinterested in a girl almost two decades younger than me, I would have fucked her just to show you how it''s done! And going by how¡ª"

    "MOM!"

    Mrs. Brown sighed as she watched her daughter storm off in a fury. ''Hah¡­ she''s hopeless¡­''

    ==========

    Meanwhile, in a different part of the city, a middle aged man was currently flinging all the files and folders in his office to the ground in a fit of rage.

    ''SHIT, fucking son of a BITCH! How could this happen?!''

    Wasn''t it supposed to be just a small favor for Mr. ck? Howe even he was under an audit now? And most importantly¡­

    ''Why the fuck is this guy not picking up?!''

    Just as he wasining in his heart, however, the call was finally answered. "Mr. ck, thank god, I¡ª"

    But the voice that rang out from the other end was clearly not that of Mr. ck. "My apologies,missioner. This is Mr. ck''s secretary speaking. Since he''s very busy at the moment, he''s unable to take your call for a while."

    The man suppressed all the curses that seemed to burst forth in his heart, and tried his best to remain calm. "O-Oh, is that so, I understand. No problem. J-Just, could you get him to call me back as soon as he can? Tell him it''s urgent."

    The secretary seemed to hesitate for a few moments before he responded. "I''m afraid he''ll remain quite busy tonight,missioner. But I will certainly convey your request to him tomorrow morning."

    Remain busy for tonight? Didn''t that just mean he was fucking some whore? Was that more important than his career?!

    If Mr. ck kept dying like this¡­ wouldn''t he have already lost everything before long?!

    "Y-You¡ª"

    However, before he could get another word in, the call disconnected, and any further attempts were only met with an unavable tone.

    "Fuck! This two headed snake! I should have known he''ll turn his back on me!"

    After kicking and screaming for almost half an hour, the despondent man copsed on the ground with his back against the wall, all his energypletely exhausted. "If I ever figure out which bastard dared to file thatint, I''m gonna fucking skin him alive!"

    But his situation was too desperate right now. He couldn''t just bide his time and wait for a chance to get revenge, because he''ll be ruined long before that ever happens.

    He knew he had picked the wrong side.

    Themissioner knew there was only one way out, and it involved a certain rival of his dear ''friend'' Mr. ck.

    "Well, he can''t me me for being ruthless, who told him to push me this far!"

    ==========

    If Mr. ck knew that dealing with Amos had pushed one of his staunchest allies in the department of justice to the other side, he would definitely pummel his son into the ground once again.

    Unfortunately, he had already told his secretary to push any non-emergencies to the next day, because he considered setting the future direction for his heir''s growth far more important than anything else.

    "You''ve been disgraced and humiliated again and again¡­ do you not feel ashamed?"

    Amos gritted his teeth, but remained silent.

    "Well, putting that aside for now, how could you allow yourself to be singled out from almost everyone in your generation, Amos? Do you not understand the importance of having allies willing to be your hands and eyes? Do you n to do every little thing by yourself in the future?"

    "N-No, dad, I know all of it. I''ll definitely¡ª"

    "There''s no point, now. It takes time to gain people''s loyalty voluntarily, but you need some helping hands immediately, or you''ll continue to be suppressed just like this every time you show your face in front of the White family''s daughter."

    Although the hero''s face turned dark, he also realized what this bastard father of his was saying wasn''t far from the truth. "What should I do, then?"

    "Nothing. What can you even do? Just sit and wait, I''ll make some arrangements."

    Mr. ck spent the next two hours making calls to his ''friends'', and one by one, ten portfolios were faxed over to him in the middle of the night.

    Amos stared nkly at the stack of documents his father had handed him.

    "These will be your most loyal assistants in the future. Don''t worry, I have all their lifelines in my hand. If they dare disobey or disappoint you in the future, simply let my secretary know, and they''ll be made an example of to show what the ''ck Tiger'' means."

    Amos flipped through the pages, and realized that each of them contained the ''profile'' of a different student, all from his own school.

    "This should have been your own responsibility, because you need to start honing your skill of gathering allies while you''re still young, otherwise you will never be able to lead ck Tiger to glory in the future."

    Amos clenched his fist.

    "Unfortunately, you have already shown your ipetence to the world, and I don''t feel like leaving you to your own devices is wise at this point. So take this boost I gave you."

    The tall, buff man clutched his son''s shoulder, making the boy look up, some fear unconsciously creeping into his eyes, making Mr. ck smile. "Know when to lower your pride to preserve thest of your dignity, and know when to give up your dignity to preserve your life. Haven''t I always taught you¡­ it''s never toote for a gentleman''s revenge?"

    How could Amos forget? Of course he remembered.. And one day, he''ll ''demonstrate'' that to this bastard father of his, first hand.

 Chapter 67 - A Favor?

    Mr. ck let go of his son''s shoulder before dusting off his hands and going back to his chair. "You can leave now, I''ve wasted enough time on you."

    Amos turned around and left the study without a word.

    Once he was gone, the hero''s father sighed as he leaned back in his chair, exhaustion clear on his face. "Ahaha¡­ looks like in the end my rtionship with my son also be just like the one I had with her¡­"

    He hated his wife, even though she was the only one he loved in his entire life. He hated her for not loving him enough. He hated her for always looking down on him. And most of all¡­ he hated her for forsaking him.

    Who allowed her to die while leaving him behind? What about their vows as husband and wife?

    But this love-hate rtionship was still quite tamepared to the one he now had with his son.

    At least, even if they argued and fought on the surface, the couple had always been clear that deep down in their hearts they didn''t harbor any true resentment for each other.

    But Amos was clearly starting to hate him. He could tell. Even though everything he did was for him. All the sacrifices he made, all those lies, schemes, deceit, betrayals¡­ wasn''t it all for him?

    Mr. ck''s threat of adopting another heir was just that¡­ an empty threat. If he really wanted, he could have long since remarried and had children of his own.

    "But although his luck has been quite bad recently, these failures can also serve as a good foil for his growth. That girl, Crystal, doesn''t seem so bad either. He doesn''t have bad taste, at least."

    Instead of his son''s social standing, what worried him most now was the situation with the White Deer corporation.

    "Although that Crystal girl isn''t so bad, I wish he''d just gone along with Danielle instead. If that girl had been on our side, bringing in the White Deer under our g would have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, now I have to strangle them slowly and counter their moves one by one."

    And the worst part of it was that the White Deer''s ''desperate struggle'' was really starting to hurt his own ck Tiger corporation. In almost all of their recent dealings, both of them had ended up losing more than they gained as they tried their best to cause each other damage.

    This was exactly the kind of scenario Mr. ck had always tried to avoid. What was the point of acquiring apany if it cost more to do so than it was actually worth?

    "I really don''t understand what the boy is thinking¡­ The girl looks good, has good manners, and had already fallen for him while growing up. Even if he didn''t love her, she would probably have even let him keep mistresses as long as he promised to marry her under that condition¡­"

    But in the end, his own future partner was a decision he was willing to let Amos make for himself.

    Unless it was a boy.

    "I hope this is enough for Amos to grow up¡­ Don''t disappoint me anymore¡­"

    ==========

    Despite it being almost midnight by the time Dixie dropped Emilia off at her home, the first thing on her agenda was not to rest after the exhausting day, but to check if her ''older sister'' was still awake.

    Emilia breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that Samantha was still working on some documents in her study, with her door wide open to seemingly invite her in.

    The older girl was startled as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind, realizing with some amusement that her little sister had returned from the party in quite a yful mood. "I take it you had fun?"

    Emilia smirked mischievously, though Samantha couldn''t see it from the back of her head. "Ehehe¡­ not at all, Sammy, I was missing you the whole time, you know!"

    She swiveled around with her arms still around Samantha''s neck until she was seated firmly on herp. Emilia rubbed her cheek against her older sister''s coquettishly. "Sammy~ You''re not angry with me for ckmailing you earlier, right?"

    Samantha knew her little sister was talking about when she forcibly took charge of the situation by threatening her to never talk to her again if she didn''t let her do as she pleased.

    Maybe if the situation really turned bad and ended up hurting them, she really would be a little angry. But now that Emilia had even turned it all in their favor against all odds, forget about being angry, Samantha was already blowing up with pride!

    But look at how cute and coquettish she''s being! How often does she get to see this side of Emilia? Can she let her go just like this?

    So of course, Samantha pretended to look gloomy as she pouted. "I cannot believe you would even think of cutting me off just like that, Emilia. Am I that worthless to you?"

    Although it was part of her ''n'', the older girl couldn''t help but feel a little distressed after she really let those words out, wondering if this would be too much for her little sister''s fragile heart.

    Emilia sighed in her heart, thinking that Samantha was quite upset, as expected. And to make things worse, she even had a favor to ask from her, and the more it got dyed, the less likely it was to be of any use.

    When she failed toe up with a good ''excuse'' for her unreasonable confidence and demands despite wracking her brain repeatedly, she could only helplessly turn to her partner. ''Any ideas, Cynthia?''

    Cynthia ''tsked'', as if the solution was obvious. "Do you even need to ''reason'' with this siscon? Just melt her brain with your charms, and she''ll just give in to whatever you demand!"

    Overly doting family members were the easiest to bend to a viin''s will, after all.

    Emilia felt like a light bulb had gone off in her head. ''That''s right! I almost forgot that although she looks so cold-faced and reasonable, she''s actually an over-emotional crybaby!''

 Chapter 68 - Lethal Little Sister

    Samantha felt like her brain had ground to a halt. Just a moment ago she was still trying to tease her little sister so she could continue acting cute, and a momentter, she was being showered with kisses on her cheek while sweet, poisonous whispers brushed against her ears.

    "Sam is the coolest sister in the world~ How could I really bear not talking to you? Won''t you forgive me, Sam? Even though I love you so much?"

    Almost every murmur from Emilia''s lips was separated with a tender kiss on her earlobe, cheek, or nape.

    Sam''s face had long since bloomed into a bright shade of red. Even when she had been just a toddler, her little sister had never shown her this much affection.

    Samantha couldn''t help but feel a little overwhelmed. "S-Stop, Emilia, wait, I-I think I need to pee!"

    And Emilia really did stop, more in shock than anything else, as she stared at her sister in confusion momentarily before she finally seemed to realize it. ''Right! I almost forgot about such things!''

    She could only allow her sister to get up and rush towards the bathroom as Cynthia scoffed in her mind.

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. ''What''s wrong?''

    Her partner''s voice was full of both derision and teasing. "That was obviously an excuse! How could you fall for it, Emilia? Disappointing~!"

    Emilia blinked. ''An excuse? She didn''t need to pee?''

    Cynthia nodded. "To me, it looked like she panicked because you came on too strong."

    Emilia''s expression went dark. ''Huh¡­ she dared to lie to me¡­''

    Her partner suddenly had a bad premonition. ''Maybe I should have just kept quiet¡­''

    Like an arrow that had already been shot from a bow, she couldn''t just take her words back, could she? So Cynthia could only try to appeal to Emilia''s ''reasonable'' side in an effort to ''lower the damage''. "D-Don''t do anything silly, Emilia, don''t you still have a favor to ask from her?"

    Emilia smiled. ''Don''t worry, I''ll just give her a little ''shock therapy''ter. Once I''ve already got that favor, of course.''

    Her partner couldn''t help but give her a thumbs up in her mind, looking forward to her ''shock therapy''. As long as it didn''t affect her ns, it should be fine. After all, can that siscon even hold a grudge? "As expected of my viiness!"

    Samantha seemed to have calmed herself down considerably by the time she returned a few minutester, and even when Emilia greeted her with a tight hug, she just smiled and patted her back calmly.

    Emilia didn''t seem to care about it too much, and just gave her sister a doe-eyed look. "Sam~ Can you ask your secretary to do something for me again?"

    The older girl smiled. "Don''t you have her number?"

    The shorter girl looked adorably precious in Samantha''s eyes as she red at her with her bottom lip jutting out petntly. "So? Won''t you do it for me?"

    Samantha shook her head in amusement. "Can I really say ''no'' when my adorable sister asks for something? Just tell me what you need."

    Emilia''s eyes shone as she grinned widely. "I want Noelle to help me get video proof that Amos met those two bullies! We''re also one of the shareholders for that hospital, right? It shouldn''t be hard!"

    Samantha couldn''t help but give her a strange look, wondering just what her little sister was nning. "Why? You know it won''t mean anything, really, he could just say he was concerned for their health so he came to visit?"

    Emilia obviously didn''t care to reason with her, and just fluttered her eyshes, moving her face closer. "You won''t do it?"

    Samantha turned her head away, her heart hammering wildly in her chest as all her earlier self-motivation seemed futile in the face of her sister''s cuteness. "I-I''ll do it, b-but, let me go now, okay, I-I think I need to pee again!"

    Thankfully, her innocent little sister didn''t seem to find it suspicious, and indeed let her go with a smile.

    Cynthia''s mind was running wild with expectations as it became apparent that the ''moment'' hade. ''Ohhh¡­ What will it be? A p to the face? A twisting of the ears? Another threat?! Ahhh, this excitement is too much!''

    "Then, goodnight, Sam¡­"

    Before she could really feel any relief though, Samantha felt like something had exploded in her mind. Before leaving, Emilia had gently but firmly pressed her soft lips against the her own.

    ''T-That did NOT just happen!''

    While the older girl was still reeling in shock, Emilia had long since skipped away, giggling from time to time.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Seriously, Emilia, you should stop doing that kind of thing too much."

    Emilia smiled, not taking her words seriously at all as she returned to her room and crashed on the bed. "And why should I?"

    Her partner sighed. "Because what is she going to do once her real sisteres back? You''re gonna leave her broken hearted, because Danielle definitely doesn''t like her sister so much. She''ll probably remain aloof, and I don''t know if that girl can take it."

    Although Emilia was still smiling, there was something about it that didn''t seem quite right. "You care about her so much now?"

    Cynthia hesitated for a moment, wondering if it will touch one of Emilia''s nerves, but figured that it should be fine. "Not me, no, but you clearly do."

    Emilia was silent for a while as she mulled it over before nodding. "Alright, I understand what you''re thinking, but you don''t need to worry, I have it under control."

    Her partner frowned as she seemed to realize something. "What''s this, do you have something nned that you haven''t told me about?"

    Emilia smiled. "Don''t we talk all the time? I think you can figure out most of my ns without me needing to tell you."

    Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Huh? That''s not a good excuse at all! I can''t read your mind anymore after you got this body, you know. Tell me!"

    Emilia smirked. "Are you asking for a favor?"

    Her system seemed stunned, not realizing what she was talking about at all. "What?"

    Emilia waved her hand, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Ahem, well, I''m just saying¡­ didn''t you see what your attitude should be like when asking for a favor?"

    Cynthia rolled her eyes as she recalled how her partner had acted while trying to get things her way. Did Emilia think she was that brazen as well? She can keep dreaming. "You want me to act so coquettishly? I''m not that shameless!"

    Emilia stuck out her tongue, still not intending to give up. "How about just a kiss then, and I''ll tell you? Of course, it has to be a proper one."

    The emerald eyed girl couldn''t help but be exasperated. Why can''t her viiness be a little more serious? "I thought you said you won''t waste the summoning time anymore?"

    Emilia nodded. "True, but this is not a waste, it''s to soothe my soul."

    Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Hmph, forget about it! I don''t care anyway."

    Emilia could only let her be as she shrugged, muttering ''your loss'' under her breath, but didn''t receive any response.

    As she closed her eyes, seemingly unaffected, only she knew how lonely she was in her heart.

 Chapter 69 - No Longer A Prey

    When Emilia arrived in school on Monday morning along with Dixie, she couldn''t help but marvel at the speed and efficiency with which Samantha''s secretary got things done.

    Not only had she already received the ''incriminating evidence'' she had been looking for, even the ''shower arrangement'' she had requested for at school was already in ce.

    Not to mention that this was only the early morning of the first working day after Emilia had requested the shower facility at school from Samantha, it had already been past midnight when she told her she wanted the evidence!

    That is to say, between twelve at midnight on Sunday and six in the morning on Monday, Noelle had to have already taken the relevant surveince devices under her control and already gone through the data recovery.

    She couldn''t help but be a little curious. "Didn''t you say it takes a while to recover lost data?"

    Cynthia nodded. "Not only that, it''s also almost impossible to recover if it''s been properly overwritten. But from how quickly you got the video, I''m guessing they either didn''t bother deleting it in the first ce, or simply deleted the record recently without overwriting anything, making the recovery simple and quick."

    "I guess we got lucky, then. But still, maybe I should give this Noelle girl a reward."

    "I think you shouldn''t. The girl''s doing good work, what if you melt her brain?"

    "Good point."

    When they finally reached the fourth floor of the recreational clubs building, where Emilia was told their ''showering amodation'' was supposed to be, she gained a whole new understanding of the power of money.

    Dixie couldn''t help but look around in wonder. Was this five-star hotel suite like room really a part of their ''school'' now? "Wow, Emily¡­ I asked you for a shower room, but you got us a whole suite!"

    Emilia chuckled, slightly embarrassed as she jumped on the fluffy king-sized bed. She hadn''t seen what the attached bathroom looked like, but going by the size of the kitchen¡­ it would probably be on the same level as the one in her own room. And that was already luxurious enough.

    Emilia didn''t think this kind of ce had been a part of their school from the beginning. This was clearly all remodeled to fit her needs.

    Of course,pared to rescuing nearly four hundred trafficked children from overseas within a day, this was nothing much to be surprised about.

    Although she had long since learned it, only when she witnessed its effectiveness did Emilia realize just how impressive this world was in terms of ''speed'' at which things could get done.

    Transport andmunication, the two most determining factors and the biggest issues in getting almost anything done in the world, were both multiple orders of magnitude faster in this world than in her previous ones.

    If she was careless and didn''t keep that in mind, her previous ''experience'' might have ended up harming her instead as she got blindsided by her opponents. Of course, having already witnessed such things, Emilia would have to be an idiot to not keep this in mind.

    What she was curious about, however, was what kind of excuse would be used to give her such privileges. After all, not many would question it if she was allowed to use some showers, but how could the other students not be jealous of such tant ''favoritism''?

    While Dixie was still bathing in the bathroom, Emilia examined the fluffiness of the bed as well as thefort level of the sofas. "There''s no way I''m ever going to the library or cafeteria again¡­"

    After all, wouldn''t it be much more fun to just bring whatever she needed here in her ''secret base'' while at school? Of course, this also included her friends.

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully as she gazed at the still closed bathroom door. "I wonder if Crystal will mind if I drag her here too?"

    Cynthia of course didn''t think that was a good idea. "That will probably leave a bad impression on the heroine. After all, she is a serious, studious girl who dislikes elitism from the rich. And not only will this disturb her study time, it''s also just a tant show of your privilege over the girl."

    Emilia clicked her tongue, but didn''t argue with her partner. After making out with Dixie that day, she noticed that her strategic thinking had been somewhat affected by her desire for ''intimacy''.

    So until she could get herself back to ''normal'', Emilia decided it was better to run anything that involved Crystal or Dixie by Cynthia first. After all, though sometimes petnt, her partner was still a very objective judge.

    ==========

    While Emilia was still marveling at her newly acquired ''secret base'' in school, Mr. ck was staring nkly at hisputer screen, wondering if his eyes had already gone bad from staying up toote at night.

    When he first found out about the White Deer corporation using almost three billion dors to counter his ''move'' against their precious little girl, he had almostughed out loud.

    Although the difference between their two corporations wasn''t that big on the surface, the strength of the ''White Deer'' came from the fact that Mr. White''s control over it was far greater than his own, and both the power and money he wielded exceeded those of Mr. ck considerably.

    This was because although they were both ''publicly traded'' corporations, Mr. ck had a fifty-five percent stake in the ''ck Tiger'', which was significantly dominantpared to what the ''owners'' of publicly traded corporations usually had.

    That is, until someonepared it to the ''White'' family''s stake. With a mind-bogglingly huge eighty-five percent stake, sometimes Mr. ck wondered if the only reason they went public was to show off their wealth.

    Of course, this had been a good thing until recently, when he still believed that one day the ''White Deer'' corporation would fall into his own hands. But as he watched the results on his screen, he found all his ''wishful dreams'' dissolving in the blink of an eye.

    White Deer was no longer a ''prey'' he could hunt and possess¡­ It was a predator he must get rid of!

 Chapter 70 - White Deerâ€™s Momentum

    With a deficit of three billion dors in liquid assets, it should normally have put hispetitor one step behind in all future bids.

    As someone who knew perfectly well how to take advantage of such a situation, Mr. ck had been looking forward to watching his long-term rival''s face crumble as he watched more and more ''opportunities'' being snagged by him right under his eyelids.

    Even if they bought themselves some fame in return, what exactly was the point of that? At their level, they didn''t have to rely on the news media to solidify their images in the public''s mind. All they had to do was pour some money into ad campaigns.

    And whatever ''positive image'' they managed to get using this event, wouldn''t it just fade away a few dayster, as people moved on to some other exciting piece of news?

    But that turned out to be just a wishful dream.

    When the stock market opened this morning, his secretary had already rung him up in a panic. Forget about reminding him of trivial things such as themissioner''s missed call, he didn''t even wait for Mr. ck to get out of his mansion.

    White Deer''s stock rocketed up by twenty percent.

    For a small corporation, although this would be worth celebrating, it wasn''t something world-changing. Market valuation did matter a lot, but it could fall just as much tomorrow as it had gone up today.

    But for the ones on the scale of the ''White Deer'' or ''ck Tiger'' corporation? A twenty percent rise in their stock price tranted to literally trillions of dors!

    Compared to the ''measly'' sum they had invested, the returns were a thousandfold!

    Even if Mr. ck regretted making his move until his intestines turned green, at this point it was already toote.

    He had severely underestimated the impact of public image on the market price. Mr. ck had never been too concerned about such things, because his own corporation already had a ''poor'' public image, and thus their valuation was always based on objective facts and cold hard reports.

    But the people who were buying White Deer''s stocks right now and contributing to their rise were those who simply saw their future growth potential and wanted a slice of the pie.

    With reports of the station overseeing the two missing boys'' case being put under audit,bined with their timely rescue of the trafficked children, many believed that the White Deer corporation had not just public but also government support.

    Moreover, they had always been steadily growing stronger over the past years, and have already proven themselves to be capable, dependable, and able to adapt to the changing trends.

    Under such circumstances, wasn''t it wise to invest in them while they still could?

    It was all market hype, and seemed quite pointless in Mr. ck''s eyes, but as long as the White Deer corporation didn''t mess things up massively in the future, they really would get twenty percent richer in a single day!

    The panic within the upper echelons of the ''ck Tiger'', that is to say, everyone who was aware of their moves against the ''White Deer'', was so great that Mr. ck had to turn off his phone and iste himself in his study while issuing them a notice to remain calm.

    But even though he told them he was working on the ''issue'' in the notice, Mr. ck could feel that the world had grown dark and gloomy in his eyes. The only thing he could see was the report of the White Deer''s steady rise, and regret his own ''contribution''.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Amos had gathered up all of his new ''followers'' in one of their properties that were the closest to the school.

    Of course, he had also heard about the White Deer corporation''s great luck today, but that was none of his concern right now. He knew his father must be suffering from the fallout, but that was fine by him.

    After all, the weaker his grasp was on the ''ck Tiger'' corporation, the easier it would be for him to pry it off of his hands. Some minor coteral damage was eptable.

    What he needed to focus on now was to make sure he didn''t make a mess of his own. He had already been humiliated enough for a lifetime, and from this point onwards he nned to slowly make them all pay it all back, one by one.

    And the ones who would help him make it possible were these ''pawns'' that his father had so ''generously'' thrown his way.

    Eight of the boys in his father''s documents were ss S students, while two were from ss A, and Amos knew just how effective a weapon he had been handed. If he yed his cards right¡­

    So after digging into their past from the report he had been handed and making sure they could be more or less ''trusted'', he decided to go all-in and turn thempletely into his minions.

    After all, though they couldn''t betray him, if he didn''t change anything they would remain extremely inefficient and unreliable to get things done with. His guess was confirmed once they reached his ce exactly on the time he demanded, not even a minute early.

    Forget about showing sincerity, wasn''t this tantly disying their reluctance to follow him?

    Of course, the external pressure on them was too great to even consider refusing his orders. And Amos intended to take full advantage of that.

    He let them remain standing as he sat on the sofa, one leg on top of another, leisurely sipping a cup of coffee. Amos made no secret of their ''standing'' in his eyes, and his position as their ''boss''.

    The hero would have looked quite elegant and charismatic, if not for his swollen left eye.

    Amos put down his coffee mug on the table, giving the group a nonchnt nod. "Introduce yourselves one by one, starting from the left.. And tell me why you deserve to be here, what your talents are, and what you can do for me."

 Chapter 71 - Acquired â€™Subordinatesâ€™

    Although they did introduce themselves under his orders, even Amos could tell how reluctant they were in their hearts.

    It was no wonder, since eight of the ten were from ss S, and had a much better impression of Emilia than they did of Amos. In fact, to say that they put Emilia on a pedestal wouldn''t be far from the truth.

    As for what they thought of Amos¡­ their image of him would have been somewhat neutral or slightly negative before today. But now that he had forcibly put them under his thumb so arrogantly, that slight aversion might already have shifted to hatred and disgust.

    Of course, just because they hated him didn''t mean they could consider going against his will. None of them these eight were an only child. They knew very well the consequences of being too stubborn would be to be shipped off overseas, forever having nothing to do with their family inheritance, except for a pittance of pocket money.

    What were they supposed to do with just a few thousand dors a month? In their opinion, they were far more likely to starve to death than ever make aeback.

    As for the two from ss A, they only hated their circumstances, and not Amos himself.

    The hero knew his reputation was already far too poor to make any use of it to earn their loyalty, so hepletely gave up any ''pretense'' of being kind, gentle, or polite.

    He smiled coldly at his subordinates. "I know you guys all like that bitch, and don''t want to see me at all. And I don''t give a flying fuck. You have no choice but to follow me¡­ But I''m not unkind to my own dogs. One day, I''ll have that little bitch crying under my heels. Of course, I have no interest in her, personally."

    It felt good to not care how he acted in front of others. And going by their perplexed reaction, his newly acquired subordinates hadn''t expected such a ''bountiful reward'' at all.

    Amos could only shake his head, thinking that it''s true how one man''s trash can be considered another man''s treasure.

    What he didn''t know was that his ''subordinates'' were all thinking about the ''rumors'' that had been spreading about him when the school had first started.

    His frank admission to hisck of interest in his supposed childhood sweetheart and future fianc¨¦e was as good as stamping a seal of approval on his expected sexual orientation.

    ''So it was true, after all!''

    Had Amos realized that they had misunderstood his disgust for Emilia as his revtion of his orientation, he would surely have a stroke.

    Ignorance was bliss, however, and the hero continued his tirade unperturbed. "Not only her, but any substandard bitch whore that follows her around¡­ I''ll naturally feed them to my dogs. Understand?"

    His intention behind this offer was, of course, to reward them in a way that they couldn''t even imagine otherwise.

    Although he could only feel a sense of disgust when looking at her, the hero was still well aware that most boys his age thought of that bitch as a dream they would be more than happy to hold on to if they could.

    And her retinue was full of equally ''desirable'' and dumb bitches. Their existence may disgust Amos to his core, but he still knew how to make use of them. Handing them over to his subordinates would not only serve as a ''just punishment'' for those uppity whores, but would also double as a great reward for the boys.

    The hero may have been a little off with his judgement, but the core of his proposal still managed to tempt them.

    Although some of the boys felt disgusted in their hearts at his offer, they couldn''t help but be a little tempted.

    After all, normally they truly would not have any chance at all to stand side by side with a girl of Emilia''s level. If she was really ruined by Amos and ended up in their arms, wouldn''t it be easy to win over a distraught girl in despair?

    It was not a ''bad reward'' at all, as long as this boss of theirs didn''t go overboard to make their lives difficult afterwards.

    And going by his uncaring attitude, this ''boss'' of theirs shouldn''t care if they kept her as a wife at home, right?

    Just imagining the scene where they coulde home to such a beautiful and loving wife was enough to send them into beautiful daydreams about their future. Not to mention that such a girl would also forever feel indebted to them for saving her from the depths of despair, and would love them with her whole heart.

    How could it not get their blood pumping? Not to mention those who had a good impression of Emilia already, even the ones who had been slightly neutral felt moved.

    They realized that it was all wishful thinking, of course. Who was Emilia White? Are any of them unfamiliar with the might of her family corporation? Of course not. How could such a girl ever fall into thisme guy''s hands, let alone be passed on to them?

    Unaware of their wildly wandering thoughts, Amos tapped his knuckles on the table, brimming with confidence. "The eight of you in ss S should start slowly influencing that whore''s image, but don''t make it too tant. As for the two of you in ss A¡­ you keep an eye on Crystal Miller for me."

    The boys looked at each other, feeling some pity for the brightest girl in their ss.

    Just how had she managed to be a target of this beast?

    Truly, luck was such an impossible to predict thing. Blessed with such a good brain and outstanding looks, but it would all go to waste now because she had attracted the attention of this bastard.

    At this point, was her luck considered good, or bad?

    The hero''s eyes turned darker the longer they failed to respond. "Did you not hear me?"

    The two boys snapped out of their thoughts as they nodded furiously. "Y-Yes, boss¡­ can we know what you n to do with her?"

    Amos sneered. "No. Just know that you''re only allowed to keep an eye on where she goes and who she''s with. You''re not allowed to make any further moves, and definitely not allowed to bring her any harm!"

    "W-We understand, boss."

    Inwardly, these two boys had the lowest ''loyalty'' among the bunch. If their families hadn''t been in tremendous debt, they wouldn''t be forced to do all this. And the worst thing was that it wasn''t this guy or his father to whom they owed money, but they still came knocking to make their life hell.

    When they had been admitted to the Imperial Academy, the lenders had already agreed to let them off until they got proper jobs in the future, at the cost of spiking the interest rates. After all, they were guaranteed to rake in a lot of cash in the future, why kill a golden hen while it was still a chick?

    But of course, if the big boss wants them to do otherwise, their own small calctions became pointless. In the grand scheme of things, whatever these two could earn in their lifetime wouldn''tpare with a single deal from Mr. ck.

 Chapter 72 - Sudden Rise

    The atmosphere in the Imperial Academy that day was far from studious that day, as almost everyone was either discussing the suddenly missing Don and Braxy, or Emilia''s interview.

    In ss C, the main topic was of course the TV interview of their already famous bully exterminator.

    The voices of the students were filled with giddiness and excitement.

    "Did you watch it too?"

    "Yeah, I couldn''t believe it when I first saw it. She handled it all so calmly, like a real celebrity!"

    Although there were all types of students in the Imperial Academy, over half of them were actually somewhat introverted. Just imagining being on a stage in front of hundreds of people was enough to send them shaking at their knees, not to mention being live on TV.

    Knowing that thousands, if not millions, would be watching her, and still being able to act so calm and collected, they couldn''t help but feel both envy and admiration for Emilia''s level of confidence.

    But that was only the thought process of some. For the rest, their ''admiration'' stemmed from somethingpletely different.

    "I mean, yeah, but did you see her older sister? She was so HOT!"

    "E¡­ trust you boys to focus on something like that when discussing something so important!"

    "I mean, can you me me? I was almost about to hump my screen, but my family was there, so¡­"

    This was of course meant as a ''joke'', but unfortunately some of the girls seemed to take it literally.

    "Disgusting!"

    "Ahahaha¡­"

    Of course, most of it was just an exaggeration. Just because they said Emilia or Samantha looked good enough to make them lick their TV screen didn''t mean any of them was stupid enough to actually do it, right?

    Besides, everyone looked good on TV. Just look at those news reporters, or celebrities. The only reason they felt so hyped was because Emilia was someone they could see in person on a daily basis.

    For the regr, unrted people, her fame was still far from reaching the level of even a small show host, since most attributed ''her achievements'' to the White Deer corporation.

    If there was one person who was the happiest in their school right now, that would be Penny.

    Forget about going around to beg people to join her ''Princess Emilia''s Royal Knights'' club, she now had far too many people begging her to ept their applications. Far more than the actual upper limit her club could handle!

    Thinking about the hardships she had gone through, the hoops she had jumped, just to rope in a single member in a day, Penny felt as if she might burst into tears.

    The growth of the club couldn''t be solely attributed to Emilia''s interview, though, because her poprity in school was already good. It also had to do with Penny''s change of approach.

    Penny had a small ''heart to heart'' talk with her mother after watching Emilia''s interview, and ended up confiding all the little details of her recent activities to her mother. And after listening to her advice, Penny realized a very important thing.

    Why would anyone join her club?

    There was simply no benefit in doing so. They could still admire Emilia the same even without joining her club. In fact, for any normal girl, being a member of such a stalker-like organization would only make her more averse to letting you approach her.

    Of course, how could her glorious Princess Emilia be measured on the same scale as a normal girl? Penny may have only started following her because of her beauty, but her heart had only been won over after meeting her in person.

    Her goddess not only did not disdain her presence, she even allowed her to linger around, answering some small tidbits of her curiosity, and letting her bask in her glow.

    ording to her mother, this should provide Penny with plenty of ''exclusive merch'', such as ''Princess Emilia''s forgotten hairclip'', or even¡­ ''Princess Emilia''s lip balm that I never returned''!

    As soon as she made this ''possibility'' known, it instantly led to an explosion of perv¡ªahem, cultured students, joining her club.

    Even though Penny was not good with terminology, she decided that titles were still necessary to indicate hierarchy. After all, how could devout worshippers such as herself be in the same category as those perverts who only wanted Emilia''s candid photos or forgotten wearables?

    That would have to wait forter though, because currently she had more pressing concerns, such as the limited member slots. She had already taken over fifty ''applications'' after arriving at school, and this was still before the first ss.

    By the end of the day, Penny was sure she would have over ten times the number of applicants as she was allowed to have members.

    Penny clenched her fists tightly. ''How can the cul¡ªI mean, club, dedicated to our glorious princess have only twenty people? Uneptable!''

    It wasn''t possible to get in touch with her mother right away to seek advice, nor was it possible to dy the matter by even a single moment. Penny couldn''t bear losing even a single cultist because of her dyed response, after all!

    So she could only rely on her trusty little sidekick, Dorothy.

    After brainstorming over the issue with her reliable chubby friend and fellow cultist, Penny decided to form an unofficial ''honorary'' membership for the students who couldn''t be epted into the ''official'' core of their ''club''.

    These ''honorary'' members would also be kept up to date on their activities and included in their ''cult'', but they would mostly have to depend on an online group chat since they couldn''te to their in-person official meetings.

    Of course, Penny nned to hold somerger meetings including all the members from time to time, as well. Just to keep them from feeling too excluded.

    "But Penny, which ones are you going to ept as the main twenty?"

    Penny had already thought about it, of course, since this was pretty much all she thought about the entire day, anyway. "One position is already taken by one of Princess Emilia''s close followers who agreed to join earlier, and I think I''ll reserve a position for the other two as well. So that leaves only fifteen slots after counting the two of us, actually."

    "Huh¡­ then how about we do a random lottery¡ª"

    Just as she was about to continue, however, they heard a slightmotion from ss B, and Penny suddenly had a bad feeling.

 Chapter 73 - Riled Up

    In sharp contrast to the merry and joyful atmosphere everywhere else, the air in ss B was as gloomy as it could be.

    It was no wonder, since unlike almost everyone else who only saw the positive part of the news where the trafficked children were rescued, the students in ss B were of course more concerned about the news of their missing ssmates.

    Their first thoughts were of course full of disbelief and doubt.

    "Is it really true?"

    One of the boys nodded, it was impossible for them to just keep denying it when faced with facts. "It''s true. Didn''t they say the police were investigating the missing case of Don and Braxy when they arrived at that girl''s house? That can''t be a joke, right?"

    The others all looked at each other, feeling intensely ufortable. The question in their mind was, of course¡­ "So where are they right now?"

    But obviously, none of them had an answer to that pressing question at all.

    The boy who had taken the lead earlier shrugged. "Who knows? My dad works at the station, but even doesn''t know anything about it."

    There was a moment of stunned and oppressive silence among the students.

    One of the boys finally couldn''t help it. "Do you guys think it was HER doing?"

    Of course they knew who he was talking about, who else could it be but that spoiled little princess? Although most of them already hated Emilia when she barged into their ss to beat up their friends, they still subconsciously denied her going to such extreme lengths.

    But when some pointed it out and they thought about it, it started to make more and more sense.

    "That¡­ might actually be the case?"

    "I mean, who else could it be?"

    "Right? And the police won''t suspect her for no reason. The fact that they went to her home despite her identity must mean they have some pretty solid evidence against her."

    The more they talked about it, the more it changed from a ''conjecture'' to a ''fact'' that Emilia had both Don and Braxy ''dealt with''.

    A hatred that was many times stronger than the one they had for her before began festering within the students. How can she do that to her fellow schoolmates, just because of some ego issue?!

    "Why exactly is that bitch being touted as a hero right now?!"

    "Because¡­ money?"

    "But what about that evidence?!"

    "Evidence can go missing if you''re rich enough, the case can be buried, and all that."

    "That''s depressing as fuck, man. So what about Don and Braxy? Are they getting tortured or something?"

    The boy who had previously confirmed that his father worked at the station sighed sadly. "If they''re not already dead, you mean. My dad often says that finding people who go missing for more than a day without a call for ransom is generally a lost cause. At that point, they''re just looking for a murderer."

    Another wave of shock went through the students as they realized that their ''friends'' might not just be missing and suffering, but actually dead. It was a horrifying, unbelievable thought.

    "Holy shit, no way?!"

    "T-That can''t be true, right?"

    "Even that pretentious bitch can''t be that vicious?"

    Seeing the disbelief on his ssmate''s faces, the boy shrugged helplessly. Unlike him, who had already heard about what the real world was like from his father, his ssmates were still quite ''na?ve'' and couldn''t see the truth.

    Unfortunately, this was a matter that had to be brought to light. He smiled grimly. "Why not? Killing usmoners is probably like cutting weeds to those elitists anyway. As long as that little princess went crying to her daddy about being bullied at school, isn''t it just a small, insignificant matter? After all, as the richest man in the country, it''s not wrong to say that he can cover the sky with one hand."

    His words seemed to rile up the students to a boiling point as they stomped their feet and mmed their tables in a rage.

    "Shit, this is making my blood boil!"

    "We can''t let her get away with this, right? Don and Braxy were our ssmates, if we don''t speak up, who will?"

    "She''s right! Let''s all go to a police station to file aint!"

    The boy was suddenly startled. Although he had wanted to ''bring the truth to light'', he never expected them to actually do anything about it.

    If they went to a police station and made amotion, wouldn''t it be bad if his father got involved in this matter? If his father''s job became unstable because of his actions, that would be a disaster!

    He gulped nervously, trying his best to keep his voice calm. "A-Are you fucking stupid? Going to the police station won''t do jack shit! E-Even the two officers who were in the news for going to her house got publicly suspended, from what I heard."

    ''Thankfully'', his ssmates didn''t seem to think his words were strange, and only focused on the matter at hand.

    "What?!"

    "She got them fired just for doing their jobs?!"

    "Fuck, this tyrannical little rich brat is too much!"

    As their anger simmered to its peak, one of them kicked the table to the ground in a rage, instantly silencing the rest of the ss. "Let''s go to a news station! If we can get their attention and make this matter public, I don''t believe she can keep getting away with it scot-free!"

    His words seemed to echo through their hearts, and the boy who had been worried about his father''s job also chimed in joyfully. "He''s right! If she and her family didn''t care about public opinion, why would they twist the truth around and make themselves into heroes by using a so-called child trafficking instead to cover this up?"

    As long as they didn''t make more trouble for him, it was fine to redirect their rage elsewhere! "It''s probably their own trafficking racket, anyway. Is it any wonder they could ''rescue'' those children so seamlessly?"

    Since his father ''worked at the station'', the students immediately believed his ''insider info'', and their eyes turned even redder in rage.

 Chapter 74 - The Inevitable Clash

    "Fucking corrupted, evil bastards! They deserve to die horrible deaths!"

    "Let''s go to a news station after ss then, all of us together!"

    "Why after ss? Can''t we ditch one day of ss for our friends?"

    "Let''s go right fucking now, then!"

    "Yeah, I don''t believe they''ll just ignore a testimony from dozens of students at once!"

    "Fuck Emilia White!"

    "Screw her!"

    They never realized, however, that their impassioned speech was a bit too loud, and managed to attract the attention of Penny and her new ''friends'' next door.

    ==========

    Penny already had a pretty good idea of what was going on when she realized themotion wasing from ss B. Unlikest time, when she could only grit her teeth and swear to one day make them regret besmirching her princess, she was no longer helpless and alone.

    Although the ground floor only had their B and C sses, it wasn''t difficult for her to ry her call for arms to all the ''applicants''. Most had left their phone numbers behind when expressing their interest to join, and calling them here was as simple as sending a group message.

    The turnout rate was even better than she expected, with almost 80% of all the applicants showing up for the ''battle'' in front of ss B. Of course, those who failed to show up were directly struck off her list of potential ''candidates'' for the club. Their faith in her princess was too low and unworthy.

    "The top ten who score the most hits on those morons will get a guaranteed spot in the club! And the top three will get one piece each of merch touched by the princess herself! Those who are too queasy to fight can stay back to shout insults, and our judge will pick the one who can hurl the most vicious ones and bestow a position to them as well!"

    Some of the frailer girls as well as the more bookish boys who had been dreading the thought of a physical confrontation were immediately reinvigorated.

    And the judge was, of course, Penny''s best friend Dorothy. With a ''score sheet'' already prepared, her sole job this time was to scout out all the ''good seedlings''.

    "Whoo!"

    "Let''s go!"

    The reason Penny was so confident was obvious. ss B was only one part of their freshmen year, while the students who came to apply to her club came from all four years of high school, and almost all sses.

    Even with an average of only ten to twelve students per ss, minus freshman ss B, that still made them almost four times as many in number whenpared to their enemies.

    Penny smirked. "Let''s give those bastards what they deserve."

    ==========

    The ss B students were still in a hateful and angry state when Penny mmed their ssroom door open with a kick.

    "For the princess!"

    "Attack!"

    Although the situation was far beyond what anyone ever expected in their wildest dreams, they still tried their best to defend themselves. With their agitated hearts, many evenpletely lost their reasoning and started brawling viciously.

    But their opponents were just as, if not more unreasonable. They didn''t seem to fear getting hurt at all, like fanatics who cared only for their cause and not themselves.

    The worst part was that not only did they get attacked unprovoked by this bunch of lunatics, a few of them even stayed back with the express purpose of hurling insults their way.

    "Stupid idiot!"

    "Moron!"

    "Look at that blind retard swing!"

    "A cerebral palsy could have hit that shot!"

    "Ohhh, the fat guy manages to bounce back his opponent with his blubber defense! It''s super effective!"

    "Hey, you! Why are you so ugly that no one even wants to punch you in the face?!"

    "My god, look at this bitch trying to run away in circles, she''s weapons-grade stupid!"

    "His ability is¡­ impossible to underestimate!"

    ==========

    Now that they had such afortable base at school, Dixie and Emilia would of course only leave when it was only half an hour till ss started.

    When they arrived at the academic building, they were attracted by amotioning from ss B. Emilia was curious, so she decided to check it out, and Dixie followed.

    What she never expected, however, was toe across a student ''riot''. Not to mention her, Dixie was also equally dumbfounded.

    This was not some backward school where students formed gangs and often fought with each other. This was the Imperial Academy of Excellence! The so-called most reputable school in the country, where only the best of the best were epted as students!

    Perhaps in the past hundreds of years of the school''s history, this kind of event wouldn''t even be imaginable.

    But the scene in front of them was definitely not an illusion, and now that they had seen it, Emilia couldn''t ignore it either.

    Emilia noticed that there was a group of students who were simply standing around in a circle, staring at her nkly since she opened the door, as if shocked.

    Most of them looked like good kids who liked to keep to themselves, and Emilia felt a little pity that their learning environment was disturbed like this by these ''gangsters''. ''Poor babies, hope they''re not too traumatized¡­ Let''s see which bunch of delinquents dare to start a fight even after knowing I''m now the ''disciplinarymittee'' head¡­''

    Emilia''s gaze swept through the roughhousing students who were too lost in their fighting to realize that the insults had gone silent, and an ''intruder'' had entered their territory.

    Even after she looked around for a while, she didn''t recognize most of the students who were kicking and punching each other haphazardly, but she did recognize Penny.

    The petite girl had somehow managed to climb onto the shoulders of a tall, strong-looking female student, and was currently in the process of pulling at her hair as the girl screeched and ran around in terror.

    "Let go of my hair you little bitch!"

    "Not until I turn you into a baldy! How dare you badmouth my princess?!"

    Dixie and Emilia stared at each other, both realizing that although they had done nothing this time, the me for the matter might actually still somehow fall on Emilia''s head.

    Dixie felt intensely ufortable as she watched Emilia get closer to the brawling students. "P-Princess, stop! You go back to get a teacher, I''ll separate them one by one in the meantime, okay?"

    Emilia shook her head. "No way, as the head of the ''disciplinarymittee'', isn''t it my job to take care of things like this? They''re just untrained children, don''t worry so much."

    And Emilia walked right into the conflict, almost causing Dixie to have a heart attack as she tried her best to stick close to her to fend off any stray ''attacks''.

    Of course, as most of them didn''t even realize she was there, Emilia was never in any actual danger, and could avoid all the stray attacks herself. She reached Penny''s position far more easily than she expected. "Penny!"

    "Princess?!"

    Penny was so shocked that she immediately stopped pulling out the girl''s hair, and her victim let out a sigh of relief.

    Emilia''s expression was dark as she red at the now quivering blonde. "Come down, now, and exin to me what the hell is going on!"

 Chapter 75 - Punishment Or Reward?

    Penny never imagined that she would be caught ''red handed'' like this by Emilia. Just what kind of impression would her princess now have of their club, and even Penny herself?

    Although she could mention that they were fighting for Emilia, and that these heathens had been caught besmirching her, Penny didn''t want to mention such a thing in front of her princess.

    Sure, it would probably make her more sympathetic towards them, but wasn''t the whole point of their club to protect and cherish her? How could they let her know she was being insulted like this, just to save their own hide?

    Seeing her remain silent, Emilia instructed Dixie to lock the door shut while she questioned some of the other students.

    Despite Penny''s reluctance to mention the matter herself, Emilia had already gotten the gist of it within a few minutes. After all, it was impossible to actually keep it a secret when so many of them knew about it.

    Emilia felt like she was having a migraine as she leaned against the teacher''s desk, wondering how she should handle this whole thing.

    Since most teachers arrived only a few minutes before ss, or even right on the clock, she had about twenty to twenty five minutes to deal with things before it got out of her hands.

    There was no doubt that she would be considered ''involved'' in this matter, or even the one who ''caused'' it in the first ce. And although this could be handled as a small matter in the school, it also had the potential to blow up in her face if exposed to the public.

    As Emilia was still thinking of a solution, the rest of the students stared at each other in silence.

    ''Head of the Disciplinary Committee'' was a title that they had thought was just given to Emilia for show, but apparently, the girl intended to make use of it here. And they would be getting a ''demonstration'' of her work first hand.

    The ss B students felt like they had been locked in a cage with a tiger. This girl not only held a position of power over them, she was already set to be hostile when dealing with this matter, since they had been insulting her, after all. How could she remain neutral?

    They knew they would be getting treated ''unfairly''. But that was to be expected, since her unreasonable behavior was one of the reasons they hated her in the first ce.

    If she had really walked in alone before the whole brawling fiasco, they might have even considered beating her up, consequences be damned. But these bunch of lunatics were already too much for them to handle, not to mention anything else.

    At this moment, Emilia seemed to have finally made up her mind, and pped her hands lightly with a smile. "Alright, you guys form a line, ande to me one by one."

    Looking at her being so calmly seated on their teacher''s desk, tapping her pen against a notebook, the ss B students looked at each other, perplexed. Just what was she nning to do?

    Their questions were answered when a reluctant Penny arrived in front of Emilia, and had her ID card confiscated, and received a thorough scolding till both her ears and eyes were red.

    "I understand that you''re passionate about certain things, and wish to do your best, but you must also keep in mind that your intentions do not always justify all actions! I''ll exin this to you in more detailter, so you''re not allowed to leave school before me today, understand?"

    Penny''s eyes went wide. "Eh?"

    Emilia tapped the table with her pen, smiling gently at the petite blonde. "I''m telling you to wait for me after ss, do you understand?"

    The girl nodded frantically. "I understand!"

    And just like that, all her grievances had vanished. She was being rewarded with a personal meeting with her princess, in private!

    As Emilia hadn''t mentioned any particr order the students muste to her in, her ''fan club'' of course made up most of those who went first, with ss B students lingering behind in fear.

    Even as they all had their student IDs taken away, however, they all came back feeling rewarded, having received an allotted time slot to meet her over the next few days.

    "Alright, since you guys are done, everyone who is not a part of ss B please go back to your own ss!"

    Some of them couldn''t help but give her a reluctant look. "Um, I don''t think it''s safe to leave you with these¡ª"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "Would you like your punishment increased?"

    ''Is ''Yes please'' the wrong thing to say here?''

    Thankfully, they still had enough sense remaining to know what not to say at what time, and reluctantly made their way out of the ss.

    Of course, forget about going to their own rooms, most remained close by the door along with Penny, just in case something went wrong inside.

    "I saw Princess up close for the first time! She''s so much cuter than on TV!"

    "Kyaa! A personal meeting, ahh~ I wonder what we''ll talk about!"

    "Idiot, it''s not a date, don''t get too hopeful. She''ll probably scold you more, but one on one. Fufu¡­"

    "Why do you look so happy?"

    "Well, it''s true that good deeds don''t go unrewarded!"

    Meanwhile, back in the ssroom, the remaining students stared at each other in silence, none of them daring to be the one to go forward first.

    Although they clearly had a numbers advantage now, their head had already long since cooled down enough to realize they couldn''t afford to touch this girl.

    Not to mention that Dixie was guarding her so vigntly, and they had already seen her strength when she had pulled some of them apart when stopping the fight, so even if they tried to get a hit in, they might be the ones to suffer instead.

    "I don''t have all day to waste, who''s roll number one?"

 Chapter 76 - The Heroâ€™s Longing

    Adele had always hated her name, and she hated it even more right now. Why is it always her! Who goes first in PE test? Adele. Who goes first on an oral pop quiz? Adele. And this time, she didn''t even participate in their hate discussion, but now the first one to punish is going to be her?!

    Looking at the reluctant looking girl dragging her feet to her, Emilia felt her lips twitch. "Put your ID card on the table, and meet me at¡ª"

    The girl couldn''t help but stomp her feet, her eyes red. "I didn''t do anything!"

    Emilia tilted stared at the slightly buck-toothed girl curiously. "Excuse me?"

    Although Adele lost most of her courage, she still managed to speak most of what was on her mind. "I-I didn''t badmouth you, and I didn''t want to fight! I was just defending myself, so why am I... being punished?"

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "Who says you''re being punished?"

    The girl blinked in surprise. "Eh?"

    Not to mention Adele, even the rest of the students who had been eagerly listening in were stunned. Clearly, none of them believed what Emilia said. ''If we''re not going to be punished, why the hell is she collecting our student IDs?''

    Emilia seemed to have guessed what they were thinking, and shrugged nonchntly. "I''m keeping your IDs and telling you to meet meter so I can properly understand the matter before handing out any punishments. In any case, for those of you who weren''t involved, don''t worry about being punished."

    Adele gulped, full of hope despite her slight disbelief. "S-So I can go?"

    Emilia had wanted to just deny it, but seeing how meek the girl seemed, decided to take a more gentle approach. "I''ll confirm first whether you really weren''t involved, but until then you''ll be treated the same as everyone else. Don''t worry, just hand over your ID card and follow my instructions, nothing will happen."

    Adele still felt a little reluctant, thinking that it was impossible to investigate this matter anyway, so she was sure to get med. But there was little she could do other than pleading to the teachers or principalter, which was probably equally hopeless.

    Surprisingly, the time slot she was allotted was also on the same day, which had only been given to Penny earlier. ''Hey, my alwayses first buff is a bit too strong, right?!''

    After Adele, the rest of the students also handed in their ID cards one by one. But Emilia knew that though they looked obedient right now, they were sure toin about her to the principalter in hopes of escaping punishment.

    "I''m sure there''s no need to tell you what kind of disciplinary action will be taken against you if your intentional besmirching of a fellow student''s reputation, as well as attempts to misinformation that could have serious consequences, was all brought in front of the principal."

    The students stared at each other in silence. Compared to the ''riot'', these matters had looked quite insignificant, but if Emilia decided to dig into them, the school was sure to back her up in punishing them one-sidedly.

    Emilia smiled coldly as she stood up and collected all the IDs into her bag, along with her notebook. "To preserve the learning environment, I advise you to focus on your studies first, and let me handle this matter over the next week. If you''re still dissatisfied with the results, you can go andin to whoever you like."

    Most of their expressions wereplex as they watched her leave, not sure if she was trying her best to be impartial in their favor, trying to keep the matter hidden as long as possible, or just being vengeful and dole out all the punishment personally.

    But Emilia didn''t care about that right now, and left the room with almost two kilograms of ID cards stuffed in her bag.

    She gave a weird look to the bunch of students still waiting outside the ss, but decided not to say anything, since they were free to do as they pleased, as long as they didn''t create anothermotion.

    By the time the teachers arrived, it was as if nothing had happened at all. As for some bruising that could be noticed with a careful look¡­ if they had cared about such things, could school bullying ever happen?

    ==========

    Emilia sighed tiredly as she stared at Mr. Jefferson giving another one of his incredibly sarcastic lectures. She didn''t even listen to what he was saying, having already learned to filter out the non-lesson parts just by looking at his expression.

    Basically, if he''s not frowning, it''s not a part of the sybus.

    There were so many things she had been nning to do in these next few days, there wasn''t even enough time for them, and yet now she had to deal with all this hassle on top of that.

    But she couldn''t help but be a little ttered when she thought about it.

    Someone fought to defend her reputation. No, not just someone, but many people!

    And they didn''t expect any credit. In fact, they wanted it to remain a secret from her!

    If Penny and her fellow cultists knew how happy and shy Emilia felt about their actions, they might just go beat the ss B students all over again. Thankfully, no one but Cynthia would know.

    "I''m sure your ever-loyal and empty-headed knight here would do the same, if not more, so what exactly are you so shocked about?"

    "It''s different for her."

    "How is it different?"

    "It''s like¡­ Dixie is the pet I raised myself. She''s expected to wag her tail and lick my palm¡­"

    Cynthia nodded frantically at the description. "How urate!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "Let me finish. Anyway, on the other hand, Penny and those students are like little stray puppies who suddenlye up to me. Their loyalty and adoration of me are unexpected and a pleasant surprise, so I can''t help but be a little ttered."

    Cynthia hummed in thought as she nodded, more or less understanding her thought process.

    At this moment, Mr. Jefferson suddenly frowned, and Emilia knew that he was actually going to start teaching now, so she focused back on the lecture.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Amos had directly skipped today''s school once more, though he had sent his ''subordinates'' to do their ''job''. He had far more important things to do.

    If there was one positive thing that came out of the whole thug situation with Don and Braxy, it was that he finally came to know both his dream girl''s name and her address.

    Under normal circumstances, he fully intended to wait until the first exam''s scores to properly move to ss A and introduce himself to her openly and with confidence.

    But with all these disturbances, Amos wasn''t so sure about his results anymore. And Crystal, the na?ve, adorable creature that she was, seemed to be getting closer to that abominable witch the more time he left her alone.

    So today Amos had made up his mind to introduce himself to her, having already arrived in front of her restaurant despite knowing she won''t be back for a few more hours. Such was his dedication.

    "Crystal, my love, I won''t let you suffer in her hands anymore, don''t worry¡­"

 Chapter 77 - Pennyâ€™s Happiness

    By the time the regr ss hours ended for the day, there still wasn''t any ''explosive'' announcement or news, much to Emilia''s relief.

    ording to Koko, some students already knew of Emilia''s new ''base'' in the club building, and had inquired about it from the office. And the justification provided seemed to be that it was the new ''disciplinarymittee office'', which was what Emilia intended to use it as for now anyway, so that suited her just fine.

    Currently, she was ''sorting out'' the two students she had scheduled to ''judge'' today for the riot, though she didn''t expect them toe together. Her initial n had been to confront them one by one, after all.

    Emilia tapped the study table with her pen thoughtfully, wondering how great it would be to have a proper,rge office table here instead.

    But Sam had clearly intended to make this a cozy base for her, and not a half office half living quarter. ''Well, it''s fine either way, I just need to work with this for a few days, and don''t really need to make it look too official.''

    After thinking about it for a while, she decided it was still better to just go with her previous n and handle them all separately. It would have a ''better impact'' on them this way. "Penny, you go y with Dixie while I talk to Adele, alright?"

    The girl nodded frantically as she left the room with a salute, and Emilia could only smile wryly, wondering how she seemed to get weirder and weirder every time she appeared before her.

    She shook her head and focused on the buck-toothed, dark haired girl in front of her. "Ahem, so¡­ Miss Adele Abercrombie, you said you weren''t involved in the fight in any way, right?"

    The girl seemed to shrink in on herself under Emilia''s gaze, feeling deeply self-conscious. "I-I only defended myself."

    Emilia nodded as she wrote something down on a notepad. After questioning the girl a little more on what she had been doing before, she tore off the page and handed it to Adele, along with a bar of chocte. "Well, since you weren''t involved but got dragged into this matter by the others, let me know if you encounter any troubles because of it in the future, alright?"

    The girl gaped at her, as if unable to believe her words. "Eh?"

    Emilia remained calm as she gave her a gentle smile. "Like I said, if you have any issues, you cane here after ss or just go to ss S if I''m not here. Oh, and send Penny in when you go out."

    The girl nodded dumbly as she walked away with the premium chocte bar grasped tightly in her hand. Of course, since it hade from the fridge that had been stocked up on Samantha''s orders, it only contained things that were ''fit for her little angel'', perfect for winning over children of all ages.

    Shortly after, Penny walked in bashfully, one ear red from apparently being ''schooled'' by Dixie.

    Emilia smiled internally, thinking that her loyal little knight understood her the best, after all.

    Unlike before when Adele had still been there, Penny didn''t stay across the table, but came to stand right in front of her till she was only two feet away. Since Emilia was on the chair, she had to slightly look up even with Penny''s short height.

    The girl gave her another salute, and Emilia almost rolled her eyes, wondering if she intended to make this a habit, or if changing her form of greeting was just a daily thing for her.

    Emilia had thought long and hard about how to make Penny learn a lesson on keeping herself in line so as not to cause her trouble, but in the end, it all seemed like punishing her own loyal pets for the insolence of her opponents.

    Anyway, since she felt good about their actions, no matter how absurd they were, wasn''t it up to her to cover it up?

    Of course, she couldn''t endorse them too openly, or they might really reach for the sky next time!

    Emilia pretended to look grim. "Penny, did you know that I''ve recently been on the news, and a lot of people are talking about me?"

    Penny nodded frantically, her eyes shining as if recalling a glorious moment. "I know, Princess! I''ve li¡ªWATCHED your interview very thoroughly."

    The girl gave two short, satisfied nods, and Emilia felt an inexplicable chill run up her spine.

    She shook off the strange feeling without much thought. "Ahem, so¡­ anything rted to me is bound to attract a lot more attention for a while, and I can''t have bad rumors floating around me at this time. Although I''m very happy that you stepped up to defend me like that, you should try to talk to me first before taking such big steps in the future, alright?"

    Penny had of course not heard anything after ''I''m very happy'' and ''you'', her mind already overwhelmed with the fact that Emilia was ''very pleased'' with her.

    With her head muddled, she really ''lost control'' of her actions and knelt in front of her idol as she rubbed her face against her belly frantically, giggling with glee. Well, she tried to do that fully expecting herself to fail, but shockingly enough, no one stopped her!

    ''I can die without regrets!''

    Emilia watched nkly as the girl acted like a dog, with her absurdly long ponytail swiveling from side to side with her frantic head movements, just like a dog would wag its tail.

    If Dixie had been here, she might have already pulled her up by her ponytail and mmed her onto the ground a couple of times, just to make sure she ''broke out of her daze''.

    Fortunately for Penny, Emilia had asked Dixie to stay outside whenever she had ''meetings'' with a student.

    Emilia could only helplessly pat Penny''s head, wondering if this is how big sisters or mothers felt when their children showed affection.

    Penny''s face slowly turned red as she ''froze'' when she realized how ''insolent'' she had been to rub her face against Emilia''s midriff like that. Unfortunately, Emilia''s shirt was tucked too firmly into her skirt, or she might have ''identally'' kissed her belly!

    ''Mother was right! Good things only happen to those who try! The daring deserve the reward!''

    Her hands had also been wrapped around Emilia''s waist, but they were way too high up! She didn''t get a good feel at all!

    Seeing her regretful expression, Emilia nodded, thinking that at least the girl had enough decency to realize she shouldn''t glomp people like that without permission.

    "Well, I''ll forgive you this time since you''re so distressed, but talk to me first before doing things like this in the future, alright?"

    Penny had no idea if her princess was talking about the riot or the molestation, but she didn''t care either way. She just had to agree with whatever the princess said, right? "O-Of course!"

    ''And now I have been rewarded with the permission to call the princess at any time! This day can''t get any better!''

    Unaware of her true thoughts, Emilia gave her the best piece of chocte she found in the fridge, which happened to have a pink wrapper with a heart shape. After all, her most devout follower among the punished students should get the best candy, right?

    Penny fainted.

 Chapter 78 - The Heroâ€™s First â€™Strikeâ€™

    Dixie furrowed her brows deeply when Emilia called her in, because the scene inside waspletely out of her expectations. "Princess¡­ why is she sleeping in your bed?"

    Emilia shrugged. "I don''t know why she fainted, but she''s probably just too stressed from the day. I could only carry her to the bed. Don''t worry, she''ll wake up soon."

    Dixie almost rolled her eyes. Worry for who, that insolent little brat?!

    Why was her princess so innocent? The short haired girl could only sigh. "You carried her yourself? Don''t dirty your hands like that, Emily¡­ You could have just called me in, and I would take care of her."

    Emilia smirked. "By dunking her head in a bucket of water, right?"

    "Uh¡­"

    Dixie couldn''t deny having had that thought.

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "She''s such an adorable little girl, Dixie, how can you be so harsh on her?"

    The short haired girl could only raise her hands in exasperation. "She''s a beast in sheep''s clothing, Princess!"

    Emilia blinked. "Eh, why do you say that?"

    Of course, Dixie really didn''t have any logical arguments in her favor. Anything she managed to point out, she knew Emilia would be able to justify it for Penny. Truly, her princess was too weak to cute things. "I-It''s just an instinct¡­"

    Emilia nodded. Although she did coddle Penny more than the others, maybe because she was perhaps the cutest, most childish girl in their group, she''d have to make sure to not let her knight think she was just ignoring her advice.

    It''s not like she really trusted anyone but herself fully, anyway, so making this promise was easy. "Alright, I''ll be more careful then."

    Dixie breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that was probably the best reassurance she was going to get. "That''s good."

    Emilia nced at her watch, and it''s already been half an hour since Penny and Adele came to her, and more than forty minutes since Koko left. "Anyway, where''s Koko now?"

    Dixie shrugged. "Probably still talking with her mother to arrange our meeting. She said she''ll be back as soon as she''s done."

    Emilia nodded. "Well, let''s see how it goes. Although I do kind of understand why you want me to convince her to put in a bad word for that cosmeticpany, I don''t know if she''ll really listen to me, you know?"

    Dixie smiled. "Don''t worry about that, Emily, as long as you talk to her, that''s fine."

    It wasn''t that she was overconfident in Emilia''s ability to convince Koko''s mother, it was just that she felt good about things going either way.

    If the woman helped them out, it would let them deal a blow to one of their ''enemies'', and if she refused¡­ well, that just proves that Koko isn''t good enough to be around her princess, right?

    And in case that really happened, she could always work together with Emilia to figure out another way, most likely using the White Deer''s own resources. With how much that elder sister of hers seemed to favor her princess, Dixie was sure it wouldn''t be too difficult.

    ==

    Meanwhile, Crystal found herself in a very ufortable position when she got back home from school.

    Not only was there an injured boy covered in sweat in front of her door, he also seemed to be intent on ''introducing himself'' right then and there despite her insisting that he go inside first.

    Amos gave the girl a dashing smile, waving away her concern once again. "Please don''t worry, I''m perfectly fine, just a minor scratch!"

    Crystal''s lips twitched slightly as she unconsciously stared at his swollen shut left eye.

    The hero seemed to think she was startled by his dauntlessness, and smirked. "Don''t mind the small things, I was just passing by this ce earlier, and thought it looked quite good. But when I saw youing here, I realized why it was so!"

    Crystal had no idea where he nned to go with this at all, and could only give him a nk look.

    "With the most intelligent girl in our school helping them out, how can they not be good? Anyway, I''m deeply impressed. Name''s Amos ck, by the way."

    "Uh, yeah, I''ll just¡ª"

    "What''s yours?"

    "What?"

    "Your name?"

    "Um, Crystal Miller¡­"

    Amos nodded with a flirtatious smile. "Crystal, ah, as beautiful and pure a name as yourself, truly a good fit!"

    If it had been someone else who said it, Crystal would surely take that as apliment. But somehow she felt like this boy already knew her name, and this whole thing seemed such a strange, set-up situation.

    It all made her deeply ufortable, and she gave the guard at the gate a look, making him furrow his brow as he moved towards the boy.

    He hadn''t told the boy to go away earlier since he got out of a pretty expensive looking car, and didn''t seem to be just some delinquent. But now that he was bothering the owner''s daughter, the bossdy would probably fire him after just a day of work if he stayed put.

    "Hey you, I see you''ve been standing there a while, and now you''re even bothering this young miss now? If you have no business here, please leave."

    Amos shrugged off the guard''s hand from his shoulder with disgust. "Don''t touch me. Can''t you see we''re just talking? How is that bothering anyone?"

    Crystal remained silent, making it clear that she didn''t agree with his statement at all.

    "See? You''re making her ufortable, so please leave, or I''ll have to make you leave."

    Amos could only sigh. ''Why does she have to be so shy? Ah, but that is also a part of her charm, I suppose. I don''t wish to expose my ungentlemanly side to her either, so I can only leave.''

    The hero gave her onest smile as he walked away to his car. "Let''s keep in touch, Crystal. I have a feeling we''re fated."

    ''That should at least have got her heart thumping, right?'' Amos thought with some glee as his car drove away.

    Meanwhile, Crystal watched him leave in the luxury car nkly. "What the hell is wrong with him? If he had a luxury, air conditioned car right there, why was he waiting out in the sun, sweating buckets?"

    The guard shook his head nervously. "I-I don''t know, miss¡­ he''s been there for quite a while. I did ask him if he was alright before, and he said he was fine, just waiting for someone. I didn''t know he was a troublemaker, sorry."

    Crystal sighed. "It''s not your fault, uncle. But if you do see him doing this kind of thing again, tell him to either go in to eat or leave."

    The man gave her a nod. "I understand, miss."

    Crystal frowned as she thought about before shaking her head, she couldn''t let the guard keep being so ''easygoing'', or it might attract more troubleter. "Not just him, make sure we don''t have this kind of people loitering around in general, it destroys the atmosphere, okay?"

    The guard widened his eyes in shock. "Ah! I didn''t think of that!"

    The blonde girl gave him an encouraging smile. "It''s alright, but be careful from now on. People will feel hesitant toe here if they saw him at the gate. Uncle, is this your first job at a restaurant?"

    The guard gave her a deeply impressed look, wondering how she managed to guess. "Yes, young miss, I worked as a guard at a government office before. I''m sorry, I didn''t know!"

    "It''s alright, just keep it in mind in the future."

    The man nodded vigorously, determined to beat the living snot out of any troublemakers from now on.

 Chapter 79 - Official Beginning Of The Royal Knights

    Once Penny made sure that Emilia had left in Dixie''s car along with Koko, she immediately alerted the ''Royal Knights'' through the group chat to gather in the basketball court.

    The rest of her ''club'' had been waiting for her instructions, and crowded the ce within minutes.

    The two boys who had been practicing hurriedly scampered away in fear when they saw dozens of determined looking students enter the court at once.

    The taller boy panted as they finally stopped some distance away from the court. "Holy shit, were they going to fight?"

    His friend also looked confounded. "Does our school have like¡­ gangs?"

    "Maybe there are two groups of delinquents among the freshmen?"

    "Bruh¡­ I think I saw a few of them from my ss!"

    That only made the tall boy fall deeper into confusion. "Eh? Then¡­ is it an event? Should we go back to ask?"

    His friend frantically shook his head. "Hell no, man! I''m not going back there. Though I can wait for you here if you¡ª"

    The taller boy coughed. "I-I have a hoop at home, let''s go practice there instead."

    His friend nodded. "Good idea."

    Penny was unaware that her ''Royal Knights'' had been mistaken for a bunch of thugs, or she would have surely attacked the two students for daring to besmirch the reputation of her princess''s honorable knights.

    She cleared her throat before proudly facing the crowd of over a hundred students who had gathered in front of her. "Alright, so as this is our first meeting, I have called over all of you today. But in the future, the honorary members shouldn''te in person, and can keep in touch using the group chat."

    Penny had already learned from her mother that she should always provide her subordinates with the reasoning behind her decisions as much as possible, especially since none of them could be considered dumb. "This way, we won''t create any trouble for the princess by always going around as onerge group!"

    This was to make sure that when she did need to make a decision without a proper reason, they would assume that she must have a good one that she just could not tell them.

    Moreover, it also allowed room for retrospection, making their club''s actions more thorough and their decisions robust.

    Dorothy then handed over her notepad to Penny, and she announced the names of all the ''core members''. A total of fifteen students who had performed the ''best'' in the earlier sh.

    As the selected students cheered while the rest sulked, Penny made sure to keep them inspired and enthusiastic to best serve her princess. "Congrattions to all fifteen of you, for graduating from squires who had been on probation, to official members, henceforth with the rank of ''Knights''!"

    Of course, she couldn''t make the remaining members feel too left out either. "And the rest of you shall have the honorary membership, with an equally important role of ''Honorary Knight''! Keep in mind that Knights who are injured or unable to continue their service for some time will be honorary knights, and the most meritorious honorary knights will then be knights as their recements."

    The students who hadn''t been selected immediately cheered up, while the previously celebrating boys and girls in the group of fifteen turned grim, thinking that as expected, being a devoted Emilia simp wasn''t an easy job.

    Penny smiled as she saw that they were quite receptive to her ''leadership'', not knowing that most of it was only because of how close she appeared to Emilia. "Those of you who perform great meritorious services, or receive personal favor from the princess, shall be promoted to the permanent position of a Knight Captain or Commander."

    Of course, Penny was well aware of the importance Emilia ced on her loyal knight, Dixie, and she assumed the same must go for the other girl who was always hanging around her princess. It was important to remain in their good graces as well. "Also, we shall refer to the personal ves of the princess, such as Dixie and Koko, as ''Royal Commanders'' from now on. We don''t want them to put in a bad word for us with the princess, after all."

    One of the girls raised her hand curiously, and the mander'' gave her a nod to speak her mind. "Penny! Are you going to be ourmander?"

    The four-foot-tall girl puffed out her chest arrogantly. "Hmph, of course, do you have any problem with it, Knight?!"

    The girl shook her head hesitantly. "N-No, I just thought, having such a cutemander¡­ we won''t look very intimidating, right?"

    Penny snorted. "What nonsense! Our purpose is not to just look intimidating! Don''t forget that our duties include public rtions, espionage, sabotage as well as protection! Have you seen the atmosphere in our school? Can we protect the princess by just fighting?!"

    The knights looked at each other, realizing that Penny was actually right. They didn''t know if someone was manipting things, but the unsavory rumors surrounding Emilia had sprung up rapidly today, and they were sure to escte even further tomorrow.

    With just brute force, not only would they not be able to suppress such things, they might end up actually making things worse.

    Penny smiled. "You guys get it now, right?"

    Some of the knights looked a little regretful as they thought it over. "I-I think we shouldn''t have fought today, either¡­"

    Since it was her own idea to attack ss B, how could Penny allow them to think so? Wouldn''t that mean her leadership was bad?!

    "Hmph! Do you even know the rewards I¡ªahem, WE received from the princess for our show of loyalty today? This fight was necessary to prove our determination to her. But we can work more efficiently from now on."

    Of course, Penny couldn''t let them know that she had actually managed to molest her princess shamelessly while all her knights remained blissfully unaware. Commander or not, she knew she''d be torn to shreds. The only one she could ever brag about this to would be her mother.

    Seeing how they didn''t have any more ''rebellious'' thoughts, Penny continued with the rest of the day''s agenda.

    After informing them of the positions of the core members, which was just herself as the Commander and Dorothy and Koko as the Knight Captains, Penny started allotting ''work'' to her club members.

    All these untrained newbies needed proper training to be of use to her princess, after all. She knew Koko was already learning how to fight, and should be able to serve as a part timebat instructor for their club. As for the other things¡­ well, they can probably arrange somethingter.

    To make sure they feel properly rewarded for all this effort, Penny even sacrificed half of the heart shaped chocte she got from Emilia, cutting it into small pieces and distributing it among the knights.

    Thankfully, it was big enough, but every time someone chewed on a piece, Penny felt like they were chewing on a piece of her own heart.

    ''It''s okay, Penny¡­ only you got to molest the princess, and you still have half of the chocte left too. It''s okay!''

 Chapter 81 - The Traitor Of Class B

    Adele Abercrombie, a regr student of ss B in the ''Imperial Academy of Excellence''. This was the identity she had started to both love and hate very quickly.

    The buck-toothed girl knew that she wasn''t pretty. Even if she got her teeth fixed after making money in the future, perhaps she would look average at best. But she had never let that bother her.

    Because her pride had always been her excellence in academics. When she was younger, Adele had always thought she must be the smartest girl in the world. Her father''s praise didn''t help, though her mother did try to ''keep her feet on the ground'' by reminding her that she was really just average, and shouldn''t get conceited.

    But Adele always convinced herself otherwise. So what if some of those girls looked prettier than her? In the end, as they got older, they would all look ugly.

    And she would still be smart, while they would no longer have anything to boast about. Her mother was just jealous that her father loved her more.

    After her father passed away and her mother''s attitude became worse, Adele became even more certain in her heart. It wasn''t she who was wrong, but her mother!

    When she had applied for the imperial academy, it was only expected that she would be approved. It was her first major victory over her mother, who had kept telling her to not even bother applying, that she wasn''t as special as she thought.

    Unfortunately, that''s where her dreams shattered.

    Adele discovered soon enough that she didn''t make the cut for ss A, and that too by a significant margin. In this school, she was just ''average''.

    Though she never dared to tell her mother, who now no longer bothered her, but a seed of doubt sprouted within her.

    If she was neither smart nor cute, what exactly was the purpose of her existence? Was it really as her mother said, pointless? Just another average girl, who would be forgotten almost as soon as she got out of someone''s sight?

    Would sheter be just another corporate ve, just another mother? Earning money, making children, passing everything on to the next generation as her only legacy¡­ Who would remember who Adele was, a hundred years after she died?

    Would she never be smart enough to make something of her own, something they could remember her by? Something¡­ she can be proud of?

    It was not that Adele wanted to be immortalized in history books, though. What she wanted was for people to recognize her. For someone, anyone, to look at her the way her father looked at her.

    But even if she had such depressing thoughts, Adele continued to study hard. She couldn''t change how she looked, but she could work harder to try moving to ss A, at least.

    At first, things seemed to be going well. Most of her ss had been focused on the same objective, and it provided her with a good learning environment that gave her the drive to keep moving forward.

    As she experienced such ''growth'', Adele realized why the Imperial Academy was considered one of the best ces to nurture a ''genius''.

    It shattered the useless pride that had prevented their growth, and fueled theirpetitive spirits to push them forward! Although it had almost broken her heart to pieces, Adele was determined to use it to turn herself into the girl her father saw in her. The smartest girl in the world.

    Of course, such a form did not work for everyone, and those students simply be ''weeds'' that would be trampled on by the others. Adele had no intention of bing one of those. Wouldn''t her father be ashamed if that happened?

    At least, this had all been so before Emilia barged into their ss to beat up Don and Braxy that day.

    Ever since then, Adele felt that the atmosphere in the ss had changed drastically. Instead of focusing on studies, her ssmates seemed to care more for gossip! Not only that, it wasn''t like they were having fun, either! Their entire life seemed to revolve around hating this one girl.

    As someone who had never cared for such things, Adele didn''t share their thoughts. She couldn''t understand what caused them to fester such deep hatred for someone, so quickly. After all, they all seemed like reasonable, passionate students just before.

    The situation kept getting worse, and in the end, even she was dragged into it when a fight broke out.

    At that moment, Adele felt like she might hate this Emilia girl too. If not for her, wouldn''t her life still be on track to bing that ideal girl her father always saw?

    As soon as such a thought entered her mind, Adele was terrified to discover a horrifying, zealous malice grow in her heart, like nothing she had ever felt before in her life. And it seemed to target itself towards Emilia from her heart.

    It was as if she had only identally made a spark, but it fell into a tank of gasoline!

    Horrified, Adele hurriedly stamped out the fire in her heart before it could get out of control, doing her best to ignore the lingering disgust. She was so unsettled, that in contrast to her usual meek self, she even dared to question Emilia in front of everyone!

    Shockingly enough, the girl was far more polite than she had expected her to be, and their second meeting was even more unexpected.

    When she went to receive her ''punishment''ter, she never expected Emilia would really believe her and let her go! Moreover, she even gave her such an expensive looking chocte! What a nice girl, right?

    As soon as she felt so, the previous hatred she had felt lingering in the back of her mind seemed to wither away instantly, and Adele shuddered. ''What the hell is wrong with me?! I¡­ I might need to go to a psychiatrist.''

    Of course, someone as meek as her would never actually dare confess her ''mental instability'' to anyone, let alone seek help.

    She convinced herself everything was fine as she chewed on the premium bar of chocte, her heart swelling with a faint feeling of glee.

    Emilia had only called herself and Penny today. Penny, who was so adorable, and a known devout fangirl of Emilia. And who was she, inparison?

    It was as if someone other than her father finally looked at her and treated her special. ''S-She must think I''m a good girl, right?''

    After all, to believe her like that, Emilia must trust her. She must be thinking ''Adele is so cute, how can she lie'', or ''Adele is so smart, how can those idiots disturb her study time'', right?!

    Going by Emilia''s previous behavior, she definitely wouldn''t do something she didn''t want to. She even dared to beat people up in broad daylight, uncaring of the consequences! So her feelings must be genuine.

    And for such a beautiful girl to look at her kindly, when all she had ever seen before from such people was disdain, pity, or indifference, it filled Adele with both apprehension and joy.

    Looking at the ''invitation'' message from the sender ''Penny'' on her phone, Adele stopped hesitating anymore as she made up her mind.

    And so the first traitor of ss B was born.

 Chapter 84 - Explosive Video

    Emilia could of course not involve herself directly in the matter, given that she was still the ''primary suspect'' in Don and Braxy''s disappearance. If she ''tried to divert attention'', it would only make her look worse.

    So not only did she have to be careful with how the ''proof'' was distributed, but also whose hands it was distributed from.

    Thankfully, she had some very reliable ''subordinates'' now.

    Her only direct link to the situation would be Koko, whom she believed the most in the school after Dixie, inclusive even of the taciturn heroine. The girl was devoted, simple, and would obey her instructions to a T.

    The title of the video was ''A Shocking Love Triangle Leads to Tragedy?! Amos ck''s Secret Lovers Exposed?!''. After seeing such a title, when the video started with Amos looking around suspiciously with a bruised face to make sure no one saw him, it would immediately make most people think of fighting between lovers.

    And then after their secret rendezvous, he leaves again in a hurry, as if afraid of being seen. Where even was the ''concerned schoolmate checking on his peers''? Such an excuse would definitely not fly after this video came out, and Amos couldn''t very well expose his own conspiracy as a justification.

    Emilia instructed Koko to forward the video to Penny, who then had to find someonepletely unrted to Emilia who couldn''t resist gossip, and share the video with them ''nonchntly''.

    Although this step wasn''t strictly necessary, Emilia still preferred precaution over carelessness.

    What she didn''t know was that there was a freshly born traitor from ss B who had recently pledged her allegiance, and was quite eager to prove herself.

    With the source of the video being a student from the same ss as Don and Braxy, a ss that was known to have open hostility against Emilia, the credibility of the video suddenly shot through the roof, and the impact was almost instantaneous!

    ==========

    When they had first heard of Don and Braxy missing, most students either thought that they must have been at the wrong ce at the wrong time, or that it was Emilia''s family ''taking care'' of things for their princess.

    Such sentiments had been mixed when the school started on the first day, but by the time the bell rang, it had somehow already changed to ''Emilia must have done it!'', though no one could tell how that happened.

    And now, on the second day, that sentiment seemed to rapidly change once more.

    The curiosity over Amos ck''s lover had always been quite high. After all, he was the most handsome boy in the school without a doubt, with the richest family, and the most beautiful fianc¨¦e.

    The number of people who envied and coveted him was not small.

    Most boys gloated over the fact that such apetition would no longer bother snatching girls from them, and even gave up his own ''prized possession'' for the sake of humanity.

    And the number of boys who inquired about his preferences in hopes of taking up ''that'' position was also not small, though definitely a minority. As long as they were bi-curious or more, Amos was a prime candidate for an exciting high school romance, despite all the bad rumors.

    As for the girls, well, there was no need to say much. Aside from those who were fervent believers in the cult of the princess, most still crushed on this dreamy, silver-haired prince. The rumors of him being gay only fueled their fujoshi fantasies, and made him even dreamier.

    But all of that was because the position of Amos''s lover was ''unknown''.

    He would certainly have been hundreds of times more popr if it hadn''t been for his mishandling of Emilia''s ''attacks''. In fact, had he been allowed to grow freely to that state, he would have easily been able to crush Emiliapletely in terms of poprity at school.

    As soon as the rumor of his ''love triangle'' came out, however, with a ''video proof'' no less, it was as if a bomb had gone off in the school rumor mill,pletely decimating everything else.

    His lover was Don! And if the rumors were to be believed, the boy cheated on him with his best friend, Braxy!

    It had to be known that Amos had never met up with Don and Braxy while at school. Even if his poprity was at its lowest possible point, just his looks alone ensured that at least some people would always be staring at him.

    Why would he go meet them in secret?!

    Combined with the bruising seen on his face from time to time, it further became proof of him having some form of a toxic rtionship with the missing boys. After all, who else could dare hit him except his ''lovers''? His status alone was far too daunting for anyone else.

    Without the need for a bard or a storyteller, a grand tale of Amos''s toxic rtionship with the missing students started circting among the students. With more and more ''details'' being added in as it went from one link in the chain to another.

    Of course, Amos ck was once again absent, two days in a row now. Which only made the rumors turn worse as it ''confirmed'' the truth.

    The ''subordinates'' that Mr. ck had painstakingly arranged for Amos nced at each other uneasily as they left the school that day, wondering what reaction their ''boss'' would have when he knew.

    They didn''t dare to refute any rumors in the school. It wasn''t that they intentionally wanted to sabotage Amos, after all, they didn''t have the balls to actually do so.

    But they also dared not deny Amos''s love affair and attract his fury. As his subordinates, they knew better than anyone else what the ''truth'' was, as the ''boss'' had ''confessed'' it himself, after all.

    If they refuted his ''love'' and ended up enraging him, wouldn''t that be counterproductive? All they had to do was follow his orders, anyway.

    They only hoped that his next ''love target'' wasn''t themselves, given the fate of his previous ''lovers''.

 Chapter 86 - No Chance For Revenge

    The incident of Amos''s injury couldn''t be made public without exposing to even more scrutiny. In the end, Mr. ck had no choice but to try to forcibly suppress everything to the best of his ability.

    Although the ck Tiger corporation was quite formidable, with Emilia''s father and sister doing their best to counter his moves at any cost, it was impossible for him to keep suppressing this matter.

    In the end,bined with the hero''s unexinable absence, the issue of the two boys missing went from a kidnapping or murder incident to a heavily abusive love triangle gone wrong in people''s minds.

    This not only had the effect of cutting Emilia off from any negative impact of their disappearance, it also managed to damage the hero''s reputation even further.

    And this time, it was no longer some surface level damage that could be easily repaired. Not only was the reach of the ''nder'' on another scale entirely, with several news channels covering the ''incident'', this time there was also some incriminating evidence against the hero!

    Emilia didn''t know what the hero was doing, but she couldn''t help but be in a good mood as she returned home for the night.

    Although there was still a long way to go, she now had a firm and unshakeable advantage over the hero.

    In the future, he would have a much lower chance of being able to even the ying field, and Emilia fully intended to press her advantage topletely dominate him.

    Even Cynthia couldn''t help but apud her. "I have to say, Emilia, this time you really managed to surprise me!"

    Emilia chuckled proudly. "Fufu¡­ this is the power of a good story, Cynthia. The hero''s love triangle is a tantalizing and exciting story, and along with some ''evidence'' sprinkled in, the people who want to believe it will just refuse to listen to whatever exnation is thrown their way."

    Her system raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Hoh?"

    Emilia nodded. "Of course, if they canpletely prove it otherwise, the effect can be reduced greatly, but the best counter would be to use another ''exciting news'' to suppress it at the same time. Unfortunately for Mr. ck, I already grasped that this is his weakest point."

    Cynthia always wondered just how dumb this so called ''love'' can make people. For her viiness, who was such a smug smartass bitch, to be so utterly crushed in that world by that ugly hag Maeve, Cynthia almost couldn''t believe it.

    Emilia didn''t seem to be aware of her partner''s thoughts, and continued on with her ''exnation''. "Look at the ck Tiger''s reputation, it stinks, right?"

    Cynthia nodded absently. "Uh,pared to the White Deer, yeah, I guess."

    Emilia smirked. "Everyone knows that they''re a ruthless corporation that cares for nothing but profit, which is fine, more or less. But always sabotaging their opponents, using any means necessary to achieve their goals¡­ although it brings a lot of short term benefits, it can backfire precisely at times like this!"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but shake her head. "But if you think about it, they still managed to grow to this point, right? You should be careful."

    Emilia nodded. "Of course, being openly underhanded allows them to be fearless when doing things that we would never dare let the public know ourselves, such as kidnapping their opponent''s family members to win a bid, and so on."

    The emerald eyed girl nodded. "Mhm. You never know what he might do."

    Emilia shrugged. "But at least in this way, I''ve managed to push the hero firmly into his father''s ''underhanded'' camp, right? I think in the previous world, the hero must have managed to maintain a good reputation while still using his father''s methods, which let him reap the most rewards either way."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but shake her head in disapproval. "The hero always has a good reputation in the end, Emilia. Although the world will is weak, as long as you give him a chance to recover, I''m sure he''ll spring back in no time at all!"

    Emilia nodded grimly. This was one point that shepletely agreed with. "Don''t worry, I know. My advantage right now is that he''s still an immature brat who is prone to making mistakes. I have to make as much use of it as I can while this advantage is still there."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be curious. "Ohh? And what does my viiness n to do next?"

    Emilia smirked. "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Randy, the boy who had hit Amos on the back of his head, was huddling in terror in a corner of his room. His parents had already tied up his mouth, hands, and feet, and stuffed him in a closet to keep him hidden as they made call after call in a panic.

    It was as if the sky had fallen down on them, which wasn''t far from the truth as far as they were concerned. They knew they were doomed, but they couldn''t help but struggle. At the very least, their son must survive! How could they allow both their children to die before them?

    "P-Please, you know what our son went through that day, please put in a good word in¡ª"

    "Just this once! Do something just this once!"

    "It will never happen ever again!"

    "We''ll devote our entire life, please!"

    Unfortunately, no matter who they called or how they pled, the response was always the same. A firm rejection that was filled with lingering fear.

    Many didn''t even bother responding at all, cutting off the call as soon as they realized who they were talking to.

    Randy, who had lost his brother in a mugging a few years ago, and had lost his mind to hit Amos a few minutes ago, couldn''t believe how unfortunate he was.

    Not only had he dragged his brother to doom that day, today, he had even dragged his own parents down as well.

    All because he couldn''t just stay still and watch it happen.

    ''Why do I always have to try to y the hero? Why couldn''t I just ignore it? Why?! Why am I such a moron?!''

    But no matter how much he cried or how hard he begged for all of this to be just a nightmare, the door to their home still smashed open as men in ck suits stormed in to drag his kicking and screaming father and mother out.

    Randy could do nothing but struggle helplessly against the restraints, not even being able to see what was happening to his parents. He could only guess from the noise that they had already been ''escorted away'' by the ck Tiger''s men.

    He could do nothing as they were taken away.

    Randy swore to himself that he would no longer be a hero. No. He swore he would take revenge, for both his parents and his brother. He swore¡­ to be a viin.

    Unfortunately, before his vow could even be properlypleted, the closet he had been locked into was mmed open as he was dragged out by the men in ck.

    Randy could only reel in boundless despair as he felt the buff man easily lift up his scrawny body over his shoulder to carry him out of the house.

    Perhaps¡­ he would never have a chance for revenge.

 Chapter 87 - The Unnecessary Second Male Lead

    Randy did not know when he got knocked out, but when he came to, he was already seated across arge, luxurious office desk, facing a middle-aged businessman.

    Going by the manner in which he had been brought here, as well as the apparent status of the man in front him, Randy would have assumed that he was the ck Tiger Corporation''s head, had he not already known who he actually was.

    Compared to Mr. ck, who did not bother with many interviews and public rtion events, the leader of the White Deer corporation was more or less well known amongst the public. Even Randy could recognize the man''s face at a nce.

    "I saved your life, boy. Do you realize what would have happened if I didn''t immediately take you away?"

    His previously panicked heart finally calmed down as he realized that things may not be hopeless, after all. Because not only was this man in front of him capable of resisting Mr. ck, they could also be considered opponents.

    The boy got up from his chair and bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving me, Mr. White. I know both my parents and I would have surely suffered a fate worse than death had you been a littlete, I¡ª"

    The man shook his head. "Save your gratitude. Instead, what I want from you is¡­ cooperation."

    Randy couldn''t help but be stunned. "Huh?"

    Just how could he, an insignificant little student, cooperate with this giant? Randy didn''t understand at all. "W-What do you mean?"

    "Since you are from the same school and year, you must know of my daughter, Emilia?"

    The boy immediately felt ufortable in his heart. Just why was it that whenever these giants made a move, they always liked to use children as their chess pieces? He almost felt sorry for the girl. "Of course I know her."

    Mr. White motioned for Randy to sit back down before continuing. "To be honest, at first I had just wanted to take out from that bastard''s ws just to spite him a little, but after hearing about your deeds, I had another thought."

    Randy clutched the armrests of the chair tightly. "A-As long as I can do it, I will of course do anything to repay this debt."

    He knew that as soon as this man stopped protecting him and his family, the fate that awaited them would probably remain the same.

    The older man smiled. "No need to look so scared. Just with you being my daughter''s peer, I''m willing to arrange a new identity for you and your parents overseas, where you can stay away from his influence for the rest of your life."

    Mr. White suddenly seemed to realize something, and nodded. "Of course, you have to make sure to either change your getup substantially, or never appear in a ce that can spread your image around too much."

    Randy trembled as tears gathered in his eyes. "T-Thank you, uncle White¡­ but if I can, I would¡ª"

    The older man smiled, not minding his change of attitude at all. "Of course, I knew you would think like that, which is why I came up with such an idea in the first ce. After all, only with such attitude would you be deserving of marrying my little girl."

    Randy was sure that he heard it wrong, but he had been paying such close attention that he couldn''t help but get confused. "I-I''m sorry, what?"

    Mr. White chuckled. "Rx, I don''t mean immediately, of course. It''s all in the future."

    The boy still found it hard to believe. "M-Me? You''ll marry Emilia¡­ to me?"

    The older man nodded, his face grim. "I would rather have someone whose attitude and loyalty have already withstood great stress be the one to take her hand. Of course, if you prove yourself to be unworthyter¡­"

    Unlike his wife, Mr. White did not believe his little girl would be able to find someone worthy of her after her previous experience, or even stay single for life if she wanted.

    She was most likely to get duped once again, and he knew that he was powerless to resist her as long as some scumbag managed to hook her heart. After all, he treasured her too much.

    In that case, it was better to impose his will on her to give her this ''fianc¨¦''. The boy had already shown himself to have an incredibly strong sense of justice, and he was a schoolmate of hers from the same year to boot.

    Moreover,bined with the ck''s previous control over their lives as well as their ruthless attitude towards those who went against them in any way, there was no chance of this boy ever going over to their side.

    Randy couldn''t believe it at all. Emilia, the most beautiful and untamable girl in school, was going to be his wife? But even if he found it hard to believe, he still had to agree with Mr. White, because he simply didn''t think he had any right to refuse. "I-I''ll do my best!"

    The older man nodded. "If you agree, I can have your parents move to another ce with a new set of identities, and you will only be able to keep in touch with them remotely, do you understand?"

    Randy was both relieved and disappointed in his heart. "Of course, I don''t want to put them in danger."

    He would rather be the only one to be the target of that bastard Amos and his father. The fact that his parents had ended up almost losing their lives if not for this man getting involved still sent chills down his spine.

    But even if Mr. White was capable of protecting someone from the ck Tiger''s ws, it was still safer for his parents to be hidden away from dangerpletely instead. Because Randy didn''t think his parents would be too high in the priority of people to be protected.

    Mr. White''s own family will alwayse first, after all. His parents would always be a second thought, and there was always the chance of something going wrong.

    The older man seemed to be satisfied by his response, and smiled. "Of course, to marry my daughter, you still have to be a better man than you are now to be worthy."

    Randy couldn''t help but nod. If he really ended up marrying her as he was now, he would probably always feel insecure in his heart. "What do I have to do?"

    "Although she''s learning to defend herself, I don''t know how capable she''ll be in the end. Moreover, as a man, it is your duty to protect her, understand?"

    Randy nodded. "I''ll do my best to be able to defend her."

    "Good, I''ll arrange the best instructors for you, who will teach you every morning before ss. And after school, you shall go to my eldest daughter to learn from her, I don''t want you to be just a deadweight to themter."

    "I-I understand."

    Even after the man had his secretary lead Randy away to his new ''amodations'', the boy still couldn''t believe what had happened.

    Just earlier today, he had been feeling like he was drowning in the depths of despair, but now he was going to be groomed as the son-inw of one of the richest men in the country? He already had a beautiful wife and life secured in the future? Was it all really just for him?

    He had been working so hard all his life, studying day and night, and finally managed to get into ss A of the Imperial Academy. Despite that, he only ever dared dream of such a future in his wildest fantasies, and never expected it all to one day be true.

    "Emilia¡­"

    The name rolled off his tongue easily, and Randy found himself smiling. Although the girl always seemed to be the center of these two giant''s ''moves'', now that she was ''his responsibility'', he couldn''t help but find her endearing.

    He even felt ashamed for looking down on her for being ''dumb'' in the past. After all, what was wrong with a cute girl being slightly slower than her husband? Even if she acted like a princess, all he needed to do was be deserving of being called her ''prince''.

    "I''ll treat you right, I promise."

    Randy vowed to himself, never realizing how far he truly was from ever being able to achieve this ''guaranteed future'', because this ''princess'' never sought a ''prince''.

 Chapter 89 - NTR? What Is That?

    Emilia didn''t know what the viiness''s father was thinking, arranging a so-called fianc¨¦ for her and needlessly making trouble when he should be focusing on keeping the hero''s father in check.

    With the way he was doing things now, was it any wonder that the White Deer had ended up going bankrupt under the ck Tiger''s machinations in the original timeline, despite at one point having been stronger?

    Regardless, even if he had been a capable businessman, she would still not have any intentions of going along with his wishes to marry someone she didn''t like.

    Even when her father had been the king, whose words werew, she never had any intention of letting this kind of thing happen to herself. Emilia had fully intended to run away and hide if he really passed that kind of ''decree'' while she was still powerless to resist.

    Thankfully, that man had never seemed to care for her.

    That being said, teaching a lesson to the viiness''s father was easier said than done.

    First of all, she couldn''t cause him any ''damage'' in terms of business prospects or public image. Not only would that be the same as hurting herself, it would also be quite pointless. Even if he suffered like that, it wouldn''t prevent him from interfering in her life in the future.

    She had to make it so that hepletely gave up ''meddling'' with her personal life, and Emilia knew just the perfect way to do so.

    Since she needed Sam''s cooperation, Emilia of course used her most effective coercion tactic on the sis-con: acting cute.

    Unfortunately, Samantha was too shocked by her words, and she didn''t short-circuit like thest time Emilia was so close. She couldn''t believe her little sister''s n at all. "Y-You''re serious?!"

    Emilia nodded with a smile. Although Samantha''s cooperation would give her n the greatest ''impact'', she could understand if the girl didn''t want to go along with it. "If you''re too disgusted, I can always find someone else and change my n a little¡ª"

    "NO! I''ll do it! I''m willing!"

    Perhaps realizing that her response had been too enthusiastic, Samantha coughed, embarrassed. "Ahem, I-I mean, how can I not do this little favor for you? O-Of course I''m willing."

    ==========

    With the hero still being hospitalized, Emilia was able to carry out most of her ns quite smoothly over the next few days.

    Although she found his situation hrious when she heard about it from Noelle, Emilia didn''t allow herself to getcent. Her father''s ''actions'' had made her well aware that Amos and his father weren''t the only sources of trouble she had to face.

    After all, her mission goals included being the richest, most famous, and most sessful person in the world. A winner of life, so to speak. How can she be a winner without defeating countless others? At this point, Amos ck was just one of her opponents.

    Emilia''s reputation in the Imperial Academy was already quite good, except for ss B. While the riot caused by her ''knights'' was unexpected, it was still an opportunity she could exploit, and she did.

    As she handled the students from ss B one by one, she was able to manipte their impression of herself considerably whenbined with the rapidly circting rumors about Amos and the bully duo already softening their ''resolve'' of hating her.

    Although she didn''t expect them to begin admiring her anytime soon, Emilia didn''t particrly care enough to go that far. All she needed from them was to not cause undue hindrance to her ns in the future.

    Unlike the students in ss S and ss A, once she was done with the academy, the ss B students were of little actual use.

    ==========

    The atmosphere in ss B, which had turned strange ever since Don and Braxy were ''assaulted'' by Emilia that day, had finally returned to ''normal''.

    Adele, the ''traitor'', was quite delighted to see many of her ssmates regretting being prejudiced against her princess.

    "We simply didn''t know all the details, and made hasty judgments."

    This seemed to be the general consensus.

    Of course, Adele didn''t think this was enough for them to be ''forgiven''. Simply put, no one else from ss B deserved the kindness that her princess showed them. Only she, who had never badmouthed her from the start, actually deserved her praise.

    Therefore, even if they had ''changed their mind'', Adele had no intention of inviting them to join Emilia''s knight order. But they were free to make their case to Penny if they so wished.

    "To think Braxy and Don were like that though, huh¡­"

    "I know, right? I never got that kind of feeling from them, you know?"

    "Idiot! As if you can just tell that kind of thing from some feeling? What kind of feeling would an abusive threesome rtionship even give?"

    The boy rolled his eyes. He obviously meant that his gaydar hadn''t been triggered, and not that he couldn''t point out the exact kind of rtionship they had. "Bah, you know what I mean."

    Just like the two of them, many others had also put their hatred of Emilia behind them as they focused more on the gossip about Amos and his affair with their missing ssmates.

    Not everyone was like them though, and some focused on an entirely different aspect of their ''affair''.

    The three boys behind Adele''s bench were having that very discussion at the moment.

    The first boy sighed in regret. "If you think about it, Emilia was in the right to beat them up, wasn''t she?"

    His friend nodded. "Well yeah, I would do the same if someone snatched away my fianc¨¦, whether I had feelings for her or not!"

    The third boy snorted. "True. I hate NTR!"

    The first boy couldn''t help but tilt his head in confusion, having never heard that term before. "What''s that?"

    The boy who had previously eximed his hatred for NTR shuddered as he stood up to leave for the restroom. "You don''t wanna know¡­"

    Of course, not everyone had ''good intentions''. Once the third boy had left, the first boy''s friend grinned. "It''s a category of interesting stories, but not everyone likes them.. You should definitely check it out at least once, though. Here, I''ll rmend you some¡­"

 Chapter 91 - Downgrades All Around

    "You mean he''s supposed to be the ''Second Male Lead'' in the original plot?"

    Cynthia nodded. "Mhm, he followed Cecilia around while she was overseas. I didn''t recall his name, but seeing his face reminded me."

    She always tried to take all the timeline based information from Cynthia with a healthy dose of skepticism, since it had changed after her arrival, after all. But it was still far from being useless, and could prove invaluable if used right.

    Emilia really didn''t think Randy was important enough to be noticed by Cynthia when she first heard of him. "Hoh, I thought he was just a useless guy that Danielle''s father picked up from somewhere, but to think he actually had relevance¡­"

    Cynthia shrugged. "Well, it doesn''t really matter, he didn''t do anything much, after all. You can think of him as the heroine''s back-up guy if she never got the hero, ahahaha¡­"

    Emilia never liked how her partner always downyed Crystal like that, especially after knowing the girl. She was sure that even her ''final eptance'' of the hero that Cynthia saw must have a deeper reason.

    After all, Cynthia only watched the timeline to a certain point, who knew what happened after that?

    Even in the case of judging the importance of this ''Randy'' character, Cynthia was most likely wrong. "How can it not matter? Don''t you realize it?"

    Her partner couldn''t help but blink in confusion. "Realize what?"

    Emilia sighed. Cynthia really was too ''objective'' in judging situations. Sometimes, she took things too much at face value, and rarely tried to delve into the reasoning behind people''s actions. "Well, don''t you remember what Sam told me earlier? That ''dad'' of mine apparently freed him from the ck Tiger''s clutches, do you not know what that means?"

    Cynthia didn''t understand how that mattered at all. "Eh? Am I missing something?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. If not for Cynthia sometimes showing startlingly sharp intuition in certain situations, when even she remained oblivious, Emilia wouldn''t try so hard at ''educating'' her at all. "Gosh, Cynthia¡­ Isn''t it obvious? He was definitely a pawn that the hero ced by Crystal''s side in the original timeline!"

    Her partner thought about it for a while before smacking her forehead in realization. "That''s actually quite possible!"

    Emilia nodded. The more capable her partner became, the better. She couldn''t let her keep ''waving off'' most things she saw, and had to teach her how to look closer at things that didn''t seem quite right. "Not just possible, that''s exactly how it must be. I''m sure of it! What I wonder now is if his loyalty has truly ''switched'', or if he''s still¡­ a mole!"

    Although it was possible that it wasn''t the case, since Mr. White did ''rescue'' him, if they fell for it even while knowing the timeline, it would simply be too shameful.

    Cynthia shuddered as she realized she hadn''t even considered that possibility. "Dang¡­ if that''s really the case, isn''t Danielle''s father too much of a moron?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she thought about the viiness''s stupid father. "Is that even a question? Anyway, I can''t tell with just a simple meeting. Thankfully, he''ll probably try to pester me on his own, and I can probe some things out without much effort. And it ys into my master n as well."

    And as Emilia expected, her partner groaned as soon as her ''n'' was mentioned. "Uh, that disgustingly dramatic n of yours is really unnecessary, you know? If you just straight up give your ''dad'' the middle finger, I''m pretty sure he''ll give up just the same."

    Emilia won''t deny that her partner was somewhat correct in saying it was overdramatic, but she still thought it was better to be thorough. "Nah, I want to drive even the remotest thought of ever interfering with me out of his mind. I need to grow uninhibited over the next few years to be able toplete those dumbass missions of yours."

    She would rather be overdramatic than slip up and regretter.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but quiet down in embarrassment. After all, the missions really were a bit over the top.

    If it really was in her hands, she would have been satisfied with just ''defeat the hero'', and that''s it. But the deviation from the original timeline was key to damaging the ''world will'' to a point where they could absorb its energy, and if they couldn''t do that, there was no point ining to this world at all.

    While her partner was still lost in thought, Emilia sighed as she finished sending a message to Crystal, and put aside her phone to wait for a response.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Randy, who had just unknowingly had his status downgraded from ''useless guy'' to ''potential rat'', was staring at the doctor in disbelief. "I-Is it really broken?!"

    Since the pain in his hand kept persisting, he decided to ask for a doctor from Mr. White''s secretary, just in case, but he never expected that Emilia''s friend really broke his bones with just a flick.

    The doctor gave him a curt nod. "Just a hairline fracture, but yeah, I''ll have to put it in a cast to let it heal for around four to five weeks."

    Randy still couldn''t believe it. "How can a girl break my fingers with just a p?!"

    The doctor rolled his eyes. ''Maybe you shouldn''t be a scumbag, then?''

    Because what other reason would a girl have to hit his hand so hard, probably with a hard object, as well?

    The older man cleared his throat, he still had to remain ''professional'' after all. "I clearly told you it''s not a phngeal fracture, but a metacarpal one. Do you not understand? It''s your wrist that needs to heal, not your fingers!"

    Randy couldn''t help but look at his slightly swollen palm gloomily. "Uh¡­ I still won''t be able to use my hand, right?"

    The doctor nodded. "Obviously."

    The boy almost rolled his eyes. Finger or palm, isn''t it just the same, then?

    Still, since there was no other choice, he could only get his hand put in a cast and wait for it to heal.

    When the doctor finally finished putting on, however, Randy started at the heavy, cumbersome thing in disbelief. "Why is it so big?! Didn''t you say it was just a hairline fracture on my metacorporal bone or something?"

    The doctor sneered. "Metacarpal! And do you not know how many bones there are in a person''s hand? You need this cast to make sure the bones stay properly aligned and heal quickly! Geez, children these days¡­"

    Once upon a time, he was also in the Imperial Academy''s ss A, and was now one of the best doctors in the most expensive city in the country.

    Needless to say, he wasn''tcking in pride, and thought that the standards had really fallen since his graduation, for someone like this kid to be able to stay in the then-coveted ''ss A''.

    In those years, he would have been lucky to barely scrape into ss C, if that.

    Randy didn''t know he was once again downgraded from just being a ''scumbag who harassed girls'' to ''a scumbag AND a dumbass'' in the doctor''s mind.. The boy just gloomily wondered how he was going to keep up with his notes and studies with his right hand broken.

 Chapter 92 - The Hero And The Heroine

    Regardless of his ''ident'', however, Randy didn''t skip out on his ''corporate training'' with Samantha, though Mr. White did postpone his morningbat training for next month, once he was fully healed.

    Of course, Randy didn''t dare tell him how his hand was really broken. What would the man think? Were his bones made out of tofu? Thankfully, Mr. White trusted him very much, and didn''t question him or look too deeply at his excuses.

    Samantha, on the other hand, seemed to be smiling quite suspiciously, as if she knew something he didn''t. "So you''re the pipsqueak that dad wants to train?"

    Randy smiled at her with some embarrassment. When a cold faced beauty like Samantha smiled, even if it was in derision, the impact was really something else. "H-Hello, sister-inw¡ª"

    The older girl''s brow twitched. "Whoa, easy there, tiger. You can save those for when you actually get married to Emilia, IF that happens, alright? Just call me ''bossdy'' for now."

    Randy nodded, feeling a little awkward. Why did he get the feeling that this girl secretly hated him? That couldn''t be right. "B-Boss. I hope to learn a lot from you in the future. Please guide me!"

    The girl on the high back leather chair smiled. "Of course, of course. Our White Deer Corporation delves into many fields, and has all kinds of people working for us. So, to start with, you''ll be taking on some ''easier'' jobs, alright?"

    Randy nodded, still not understanding where she was going.

    Samantha smiled as she motioned her secretary to make the necessary arrangements. "The ''easiest'' job at this location is, of course, the janitor''s, and since you''re so outstanding, you''ll be taking on four people''s task on your own. Noelle will guide you to the cleaning room, and our team of cleaners will of course evaluate your ''performance'' at the end of the week."

    The boy''s eyes almost bugged out of his head as he gaped at her in shock. Didn''t she see one of his hands was in a cast?!

    ==========

    Meanwhile, the hero was sitting inside Crystal''s restaurant, staring nkly ahead as he stirred his cup of coffee.

    His father no longer paid him any attention as he focused fully on multiple direct, crucial confrontations with Mr. White, who seemed to have also rescued the bastard who hit him that day.

    His eye had mostly healed already, only being slightly darker than usual, but now his head was in a cast.

    It had been almost two hours since he came here and informed a staff member to let the owner''s daughter know her friend was here, but no one came to meet him.

    He knew that the girl must be shy, and couldn''t help but smile in his heart.

    Amos would never becking patience when it came to the love of his life. So if she wanted him to wait, he would wait.

    And as expected, almost four hours after he arrived, Crystal finally dide down the stairs. When she saw him still sitting there, the girl stared at him in shock, and Amos couldn''t help but smile at the short haired blonde girl''s incredibly cute expression.

    The hero thought she must be distressed at his ''injury'', but he didn''t know what the heroine was actually thinking at all.

    Crystal had thought that even if the bastard downstairs was shameless, he wouldn''t stay downstairs for so long, right? She fully expected him to have left in embarrassment by now.

    She knew by now who he was, of course. She had already heard enough of Amos ck, and frankly, she was getting quite sick of it. ''To think he was once Emilia''s fianc¨¦, huh¡­ So what does he want from me, now?''

    To reject Emilia, Crystal definitely wouldn''t think he was now interested in her ''genuinely'', regardless of what feelings he showed her on the surface.

    If anything, it made her even warier.

    Crystal considered herself to be quite mature whenpared to her peers, and knew that the world wasn''t just ck and white. Just because Amos discarded Emilia did not mean he was fine with someone else taking her.

    There were many boys like that, who would consider even their ex-girlfriends getting together with someone else as cheating.

    For him to now openly ''show interest'' in her, it was definitely rted to Emilia. Either he wanted to ''conquer her'' to drive her off of his ex-fianc¨¦e, or he wanted to simply warn her off by showing what ''unwanted advances'' felt like, and how disgusting she must be in Emilia''s eyes.

    But Crystal wasn''t quite willing to just ept that. ''How can I give up on Emilia just because of this scumbag''s jealousy? Even if he''s all-powerful, so what?! Fine, I don''t deserve her, maybe, but do you?! I''m definitely not worse!''

    If someone is going to have their own exciting threesome scandals airing on news every day, they should at least have the decency to let their ex-girlfriend have her own love life, right?

    Unfortunately, she couldn''t quite confront him today, because there was a reason she hade down the stairs, and it definitely wasn''t for Amos.

    ==========

    Emilia generally preferred to keep to her schedule, but she decided to meet with Crystal today to confirm her thoughts after that conversation with Cynthia.

    In her mind, the heroine was a diligent, studious girl who preferred to keep to herself, and her number one priority was always her performance. To disturb such a girl too much would just have a negative impact on their rtionship, and would make her target of making the girl hate the hero much harder.

    Thankfully, the girl didn''t seem to mind too much, and readily agreed to meet her that evening.

    This was the first time Emilia hade to Crystal''s ce without Dixie, and she couldn''t help but feel that not having her loyal knight by her side was slightly inconvenient. After all, there were many things she didn''t need to worry about when with her.

    For example, that disgustingly annoying gaze that the hero was aiming at her when she talked to Crystal would definitely have been blocked by Dixie¡­ if she didn''t punch the hero''s eyes in first.

    Crystal, on the other hand, felt that her thoughts had been confirmed as she saw the stinky look that the hero was throwing in her direction as soon as he saw Emiliae close to her. ''I knew it¡­ He doesn''t want her, but he doesn''t want anyone else to have her either, huh? This fucking sicko¡­''

    Amos didn''t want his ''image'' to be damaged in front of the love of his life, so even if he hated seeing her together with that whore of the White family, he could only remain silent for now and watch with gritted teeth as the two of them went upstairs, hand in hand.

    The hero''s eyes were red as he cursed Emilia''s ''insidious'' nature in his heart. ''This fucking whore definitely knows! She did that on purpose, didn''t she? Shit! Just because I don''t love her, she wants to take everything away from me, so I have no choice but to love her? Dream on!''

 Chapter 93 - Your Princess Is In Another Castle

    Ever since Mr. White directly interfered with the hero''s father to rescue the boy he had already sentenced to death, the two of them had been going at it head to head at almost every opportunity they got.

    Be it a project bid, an auction, or even a risky new venture, neither seemed to care of potential losses as they sought to deny any opportunity that they could to their opponent.

    Their resources stretched, facilities overworked, meetings constantly scheduled and canceled. Anyone in the top echelons of the two corporations could count on one hand the number of days they had managed to sleep more than four hours in a day since this ''war'' started.

    Meanwhile, the media ended up opening an entirely new can of worms. Something that neither of the two ''giants'' had expected at all. And those who saw it felt their visions turning dark, wondering how much more ferocious their leaders would be now, if that was even possible.

    "Breaking News! The harassment of Emilia White for missing students has a shocking turn! Amos ck''s abusive love triangle leads to tragedy?!"

    "Miss Emilia White is spotted entering the Downtown Police Station! ck Tiger Corporation continues to abuse thew to harass underage girls?"

    Emilia was still in Crystal''s home when the girl''s mom screamed. "Crystal! Your friend''s on TV again!"

    The middle-ageddy looked a little embarrassed when she realized that Emilia was also there with them, having never noticed the girl entering, but quickly got over it as the three of them focused once more on the news.

    Emilia soon realized that it was just old footage, one from the night of the party when she went to bail out Dixie''s friends.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be worried. "What do you think they''re nning?"

    Emilia felt a little disturbed as well, but no matter how she thought about it, the hero''s father had more to lose by bringing up such a topic at this time than anyone else. "I have absolutely no idea, if it''s really the hero or his father''s doing at all. At least Amos didn''t seem to know about it either, right?"

    Her partner could only shrug. "I guess that''s true."

    Meanwhile, Crystal couldn''t help but squeeze Emilia''s palm worriedly. "W-Why were you at the station, are you okay? Why didn''t you tell me?"

    Emilia suppressed her smile as she blinked at the heroine. "Will you help me out?"

    The heroine nodded without a second thought. "Of course! What do you need? Just tell me!"

    Emilia tapped her cheek with a smile. "Um, I think I''m not feeling so good, how about you give me a kiss here?"

    Crystal''s serious expression copsed instantly as a furious blush lit up her face. "And I was so worried about you too. Can''t you be serious?!"

    Emilia chuckled. Unfortunately, she couldn''t really do much more to tease the girl with the heroine''s mother still being there. "Don''t worry. I just went there to bail out some friends."

    Not to mention Crystal, even her mother looked concerned almost immediately after hearing Emilia''s words. "You shouldn''t associate with these types, Emilia! Just look, because of them, you''re also in this mess. In the future, you should keep your distance."

    Crystal also nodded at her mother''s words, though she didn''t want to say anything when considering she wasn''t really familiar with the situation herself. After all, just being called at the station didn''t mean anything. It could even be for a witness testimony, who knew?

    Regardless, she would rather not have Emilia associate with anyone who tended to get on the wrong side of thew.

    Emilia didn''t feel like exining things to the heroine''s mother and convincing her otherwise when there was no point, so she just nodded obediently. "Don''t worry, aunty. I''ll be careful."

    Both Crystal and her mother let out a sigh of relief. At this time, however, their expressions couldn''t help but turn weird as the news report shifted from the footage to a live feed, with the camera shakily chasing after a youngdy officer.

    "I knew this was going to happen! I knew it!"

    "Officer Justine! We heard that you¡ª"

    Even as she jumped past another table, the girl didn''t forget to scream back. "Who?! You got the wrong person! Look for someone else!"

    The cameraman finally got stopped by another couple of officers as they could only watch the youngdy run away.

    All of this stemmed from an officer unknowingly responding "Ah, wasn''t Justine the one handling that?" when the reporters questioned him about the case involving Emilia White.

    Unfortunately, Justine''s almostedic escape only made the news far more sensational than it should have been.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, the three girls who had been responsible for the entire thing that day were currently receiving a very severe scolding from an enraged Dixie.

    For Emma, Jenna, and Lara, it was their greatest misfortune to have arrived just in time for the news report to air, and it was already toote to escape.

    Their ears were already red and swollen just from listening to Dixie''sints. The words ''Princess'', ''Image'' and ''Unforgiveable'' were already deeply rooted in their head.

    "You have to apologize to her today, and rify this matter!"

    Jenna nodded hurriedly, as long as Dixie stopped nagging, she was almost ready to do anything at this point. "O-Of course, Dixie, we''ll do it right away!"

    Before they could really do anything, however, Dixie received Emilia''s call to not be hasty and wait for her instructions, perhaps already knowing how sensitive her knight was to such matters.

    "I understand, princess."

    Unfortunately, Emilia failed to realize a very important thing when she made the call.

    With Dixie''s fully focused sharp ears, how could she fail to notice that the ambient noise from Emilia''s side wasn''t quite what her quiet and cozy room should be like?

    Something definitely wasn''t right! Dixie had clearly dropped her princess off at the White family''s mansion, and she had happily waved her goodbye with a smile, right? So what was going on?!

    "Princess¡­ where are you right now?"

 Chapter 99 - The Heroineâ€™s Nature

    Even though the heroine''s mother had been quite worried about possible retaliation from a giant such as the ck Tiger Corporation if she dared to file aint against Amos, she had alreadye to care greatly for her daughter''s friends. And this man had not only broken into her home, but also threatened them with clear hostility.

    But unlike her uncertain mother, Crystal was already burning with fury.

    She had no idea what kind of drama this guy was trying to brew with Emilia, but she had a feeling that it couldn''t be any good for her either way. What really infuriated her, however, was the fact that he insisted on pretending that he cared for her!

    It almost made her want to puke from sheer disgust.

    To be able to convince even her sharp eyesight that he was beingpletely genuine with his feelings, and that he truly did ''love'' her, Crystal could feel chills down her spine at what the others must think about his nonsense.

    But Emilia never questioned her. She didn''t even seem to care for what the boy said, only focusing on dealing with the situation.

    Crystal couldn''t believe there was someone who could put so much faith in her, and to not even suspect her under such circumstances.

    After all, this was Emilia''s ex-fianc¨¦, and he kept implying that the one he loved was her, Crystal, and not Emilia. Even if they had already separated, any other girl would have been furious and hateful. Most importantly, wasn''t it only reasonable to suspect that Crystal herself had at least some involvement in the matter?

    But Emilia only assured them that everything was going to be alright, that she would be able to handle everything for them, and that they didn''t need to fear any retaliation from the ck Tiger Corporation''s side.

    Crystal did not have the courage to ask her why. Why did she not suspect her? Why did she trust her so much? How could she be so na?ve? And most importantly¡­ just how deep did she want to make her fall?

    ==========

    In Emilia''s eyes, although the heroine didn''t express it too much, her worry and concern couldn''t bepletely hidden either.

    She had no way of knowing exactly what the girl was thinking, of course, but from what she could see, the girl seemed to be deeply concerned about how the situation may impact Emilia, which was good. It showed that her efforts were not in vain, and the attachment of the heroine was growing stronger as they interacted more.

    What she paid the most attention to, however, was how the heroine treated her mother.

    Although she acted natural on the surface, Emilia became even more certain of her spections for the heroine''s actions in the original timeline. ''See, Cynthia, do you think that this girl, who cares so deeply about that woman, would be satisfied with one of the culprits behind her mother''s death going unpunished?''

    Cynthia shrugged, having never paid much attention to the heroine. Anyway, even if her partner insisted on making her fall in love, she didn''t see how this matter was important. "I don''t think I saw her ever being suspicious of the hero in that timeline, you know. I don''t see why you insist on whitewashing her like this."

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''With how smart she is, do you think she never managed to figure out the hero''s involvement in everything? The fact that she didn''t question the hero at all, not even once, just shows that she wasn''t just suspicious of him, but wary.''

    The raven haired girl scoffed. Howe her partner always seemed to think so highly of this simple minded, love-struck fool of a girl? She had given up all her ambitions so easily when faced with the hero''s ''proposal'', and Cynthia couldn''t help but look down on her. "Oh yes, very smart she is, very brilliant. Amazing. I know. Well, whatever. What you''re talking about was still in the past timeline, right? It has nothing to do with us."

    Emilia could tell that Cynthia didn''t like the heroine at all, but the girl was already quite close to her, and she felt that Crystal was also quite important forpleting the missions. ''No, knowing how she thinks matters more than you think. She is the same person, after all, even if the timeline changed. How can I guess what she''ll do if I don''t even know who she really is?''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Don''t you ''trust'' her?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. ''That has nothing to do with it.''

    Her partner couldn''t help but sigh in defeat. "Alright, I''ll bite. Then, what do you think she was doing after getting together with the hero?"

    Emilia thought about it for a while before nodding. Even if she wasn''tpletely certain, she felt like the possibility of her conjecture being true should be quite high. ''I''m almost certain that she had him figured out, and wanted to seek revenge on him for his involvement in her mother''s death, as well as taking away her chance for revenge from Danielle.''

    Cynthia groaned. She felt like Emilia operated on conjectures and spections too much, to the point that even the ''obvious'' truth she had dictated from viewing the timeline came into question. "Sounds a bit far-fetched from what I told you, don''t you think? Moreover, the more recognition the chosen one of the ''world will'' gets, the more it grows. With the hero''s growth in the previous timeline, I don''t think Crystal would have made much waves even if what you said was true."

    Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise, though there was still some doubt in her heart. ''Oh?''

    Cynthia nodded. "Yep. Even if she ended up rebelling against him, the hero would probably just have imprisoned her for being disobedient. The ''story'' would just shift to a little abusive love drama, but still remain about the same."

    Emilia couldn''t help but feel a chill down her spine at the thought. This was the part about the ''world will'' that she dreaded the most.

    As long as the hero was on a downward spiral and being constantly suppressed, everything was fine, there was little that the world will could do as it could only ''intensify'' the impressions of people. But if he managed to make aeback, every step that he took forward would be followed by a push from behind by the ''world will''.

    And this was only the weakest, dumbest of them that she was going to face.

    Emilia shook her head to clear off such thoughts. It was better to focus on the present than to dread the future. Anyway, she had to try her best to be stronger and more capable when that time really came, so that she didn''t need to feel so helpless.

    Even in this ''easy'' situation, it was better not to miss a single opportunity.

 Chapter 100 - Hero Of Justice

    Themotion at the restaurant was handled quite efficiently under Emilia''s directions, so Crystal and her mother found their ce back to normal within minutes, everyone else having already left for the day.

    Of course, not everyone went ''home'', nor was the matter ''over'' for them.

    When the reporters saw Justine drag in Amos ck along with his bodyguard, the media of course exploded once again.

    "Amos ck ''arrested''?!"

    "The main protagonist of the abusive love triangle with missing students spotted at the police station!"

    "Just who is ''Officer Justine''?!"

    The name of Amos ck was already on fire, with the love triangle scandal having just started. Of course, without a satisfactory official statement from the ck Tiger Corporation, the media could only ''specte'' on what was going on.

    It was unfortunate that even when Emilia insisted on applying greater pressure, Samantha couldn''t convince any of the media houses to air the footage of the hero''s outrage in front of the station, or it would have surely had a far greater impact.

    Of course, it could still be spread around privately. A task that she had already handed out to her trusty ''subordinates''.

    However, the name of Officer Justine suddenly seemed to have be synonymous with a ferocious, fearless policedy who didn''t care about the ''background'' or ''identity'' of the people she was dealing with at all, and enforced thew truly without a bias!

    "From Emilia White to Amos ck, no one is safe from Officer Justine!"

    Even heredic escape from before was somehow twisted in her favor. ''She simply doesn''t care to cater to anyone, not even the media!''

    Of course, the hero''s and Emilia''s names only served to sensationalize the news, and Justine found herself bing the shining image ofw enforcement in the city overnight¡­ just as Emilia promised.

    ==========

    For those who knew about how things worked behind the scenes, the rapid change in how Justine was portrayed would be quite jarring.

    After all, the media seemed to have been out for her blood not that long ago, and now she was already being touted as a hero. Neither of the reports were very objective, though it was not quite obvious to the general public.

    Of course, if they knew about who was the one manipting things from behind, it would all make sense. Who else could be so unreasonable as to go after Justine, but Samantha? She was simply carrying out a witch hunt against anyone who dared to go against her little sister.

    But since Emilia had already informed Sam and Noelle of the matter at hand, as well as the way she would prefer them to handle things, the ''narrative'' was of course changed to match her will.

    This was nothing more than a little pensation'' to Justine from Emilia, of course.

    Justine, as a full time police officer had very limited use for her. But Justine as a person was different, and Emilia felt like she fit a lot of the requirements she had been looking for. And even if she ended up never needing Justine''s help, it wasn''t like she ended up wasting much effort.

    The primary reason for her handling things this way was to not allow the hero to get away with anything, after all. If she allowed both Justine and Crystal''s mother to continue as they were without any interference, she knew that Amos would be getting off with just a warning and no repercussions.

    It was only natural when considering that the hero was underage, and his backing was really too strong. If not for the maniptions by the White Deer Corporation, his ''dirtyundry'' would never have been exposed to the public, even if he did things that were hundreds of times outrageous than what he had done so far.

    And Emilia knew that, even now, the main damage she had caused was more to hero''s psyche than to his reputation.

    However, the incident did awaken Emilia to the fact that even with all the precautions and care she had put into everything, the hero''s side couldn''t be taken lightly.

    The first order of business was to let Noelle arrange a few decent bodyguards for herself. She didn''t know why Mr. White insisted on only providing her protection in a way that she couldn''t see it, but Emilia decided that it was better to be a little ''rude'' to her father than to end up eating a loss from the hero.

    And then came the matter of Dixie''s three friends.

    At first, Emilia had no intention of interfering with them directly. After all, they seemed more trouble than they were worth, and whatever use she could get out of them she would be able to do so through other means, anyway.

    But since they were willing to be so unreasonable and fierce even in the face of the hero for her friend''s sake, Emilia decided that they might be worth ''nurturing'' into her private forces.

    If the three girls'' parents knew that their dearest jewels had barely managed to qualify as Emilia''s grunts, who knew what their reaction would be?

    Of course, this wouldn''t bear fruit too soon, but it was something that might bring her greater rewards in the future.

    ==========

    Although she had followed her ''instructions'' and brought them along, Dixie couldn''t understand what her princess was thinking at all. "Why would you want these three idiots to join us for training in the dojo? No wait, more importantly¡­ why the heck is Justine here?"

    The three groggy looking girls who had been dragged out of their beds at almost three in the morning by Dixie gazed at Emilia pitifully, as if hoping she would let them go back to sleep.

    Of course, Emilia had never been a particrly merciful monarch. "The way they fought yesterday was disgraceful. How can they be the assistants of my dearest personal knight with that level ofbat prowess?"

    Dixie happily epted her excuse, but the girliest of the trio, Emma, couldn''t help but object. "I-I can''t even fight?"

    Emilia nodded. "That''s even worse.. We''ll fix that."

 Chapter 101 - Perseverance â€™Pays Offâ€™?

    Emilia already understood how Dixie''s grandfather worked, and the man didn''t refuse them as expected. Despite his attitude, this guy clearly doted on his granddaughter a lot, so how could he refuse three of her look-alikes?

    As for ex-officer Justine, she was already quite proficient inbat, though nowhere near the old man''s level.

    "I can''t believe you made me quit my job!"

    Even as she whined, Emilia thought that Justine looked quite cute for a youngdy in her mid-twenties, with her one-sided ck ponytail and dark blue eyes.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Don''t tell me you picked her up because she looked cute¡­"

    Whether or not that was the case, Emilia would never admit it to her partner. ''Don''t be stupid, didn''t I only notice it just now?''

    Even as she argued with her system in her mind, Emilia was already consoling her newly acquired subordinate. "Aren''t we paying you much better now? Plus, you only have to take care of a couple of little things, right? And if you do well, of course, you''ll be rewarded appropriately."

    If Dixie hadn''t already moved away to practice with the burly disciple, she would have surely flipped out on hearing about Emilia rewarding anyone else. After all, ''rewards'' to her were already synonymous with some very tantalizing ''favors'' that should only be given to those who really deserve them.

    Of course, Justine would never think this way. Emilia was a big boss whom she couldn''t afford to offend, the bane of all police-kind. Even when she had tried her best to avoid her, she had only escaped with her life after losing her job!

    But now that she was on the same side, she should be safe, right?

    Thinking so, Justine nodded to herself. ''Right, I''m not even a policedy now, so big boss Emilia should let me off, right?''

    As for the ''small tasks'' that this big boss mentioned, Justine could feel a headache just thinking about it.

    ==========

    Emilia''s routine of training with her friends at the dojo every morning had slowly turned from something she did to increase herbat proficiency to something else entirely. It was almost as if her mind was most at peace when she was there. And it wasn''t because Dixie''s grandfather had stopped being such an unreasonable brat of an old man, oh no, but because the rest of her day had gotten a lot more hectic instead.

    And the culprit was, of course, none other than Danielle''s father.

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes internally. ''Truly, one pig teammate is worse than a hundred clever enemies!''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Well, whose idea was it toe up with such a convoluted scheme to teach him a lesson, anyway?"

    And Emilia had no answer to that, because she truly wouldn''t have to bear with Randy''s ramblings and the micromanagement of the school rumor mill if not for her intention to teach Danielle''s father an ''unforgettable lesson''.

    Despite having his right hand in a cast, Randy''s ''enthusiasm'' in waving his hands around wasn''t reduced at all as he continued recounting his tale of bravery to Emilia. "Of course, I couldn''t just stand and watch as the girl was mugged, so I rushed in without a single thought¡ª"

    Even though she didn''t say it out loud, Emilia couldn''t help but think that ''without a single thought'' seemed to be a verymon theme in most of Randy''s ''decisions''.

    No wonder Danielle''s father chose him as a ''son-inw'' candidate, because they certainly had a ''lot'' inmon.

    Dixie, who had been sourly listening from the side, couldn''t help but take a jab at the boy. "I wonder who it was that managed to break the hand of such a mighty hero."

    Randy couldn''t help but cough in some embarrassment. He truly didn''t believe that his bones broke with a slight p from a girl. Most likely, it was a leftover injury from either hitting Amos or while hiding that he hadn''t noticed earlier. But he couldn''t really say that either in front of these girls, could he? But he didn''t want to lie, either¡­

    The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I think I might have hurt myself while fighting a few thugs earlier, I''m not invincible, you know, ehehe¡­"

    The dark-haired girl gritted her teeth in fury. ''It was clearly me! Is he calling me a thug? This bastard!''

    But seeing how her princess epted his pany'', the knight could only keep the grievances in her heart. She truly didn''t understand why Emilia didn''t just tell this annoying little bastard to screw off. After all, if she wanted to listen to make-believe stories, Dixie was sure she could recite hundreds that were far lessme than this guy''s.

    Had Randy heard her thoughts, he would have surely taken a critical hit to his ego. What make-believe stories?! These were all his life experiences, okay!

    ==========

    Meanwhile, Crystal was gloomily staring at the ever-persistent boy who didn''t seem to have learned his ''lesson'' at all after his ''visit'' to the police station.

    Even with his reputation stinking to high heavens, Amos ck seemed to have regained almost all the confidence that he had lost before. Because at the very least, he knew there was someone who believed in him, someone who wanted to see him seed, and someone who desperately relied on his support to be able to get out of the sp of that evil whore ex-fianc¨¦e of his.

    The hero truly did cherish his face greatly, and had always been quick to anger and fly into a rage when things didn''t go his way. But he discovered that for the sake of the love of his life, he was willing to bear any humiliation.

    Even if he had to temporarily turn away from the gloating eyes of that viiness, Amos was willing to bear it if it was for Crystal.

    Because when the love of his life stared at him with such passion, as if imploring him to hurry up and save her, how could he spare any thoughts for something as insignificant as his ego?

 Chapter 102 - A â€™Greatâ€™ Deal

    Crystal knew that this guy was surely entertaining some wild fantasies again, with that crazy look in his eyes.

    She didn''t know what really went on in his imagination, and she had no intention of ever digging into it either. Because it was surely some sort of disgusting scene involving Emilia. As for whether it was a scene full of passion or gore, Crystal truly had no idea.

    Looking at him still blocking her way out of the ss, the heroine couldn''t help but lose her patience. "Just what do you want from me?"

    Didn''t he already abandon Emilia, of his own free will? What was he doing going against her just because she had a crush on his ex-fianc¨¦e? She hadn''t even acted on it yet! Just how crazy can someone be?

    Amos knew that she must be struggling to cope with whatever tortures that bitch put her through every day. "Don''t worry, Crystal, I''ll take care of her for you."

    The heroine almost popped a vein as she gritted her teeth. "Y-You! Get out of my way!"

    Thankfully, Amos really did allow her to go, watching her leave with a mncholic expression. "Even though she''s suffering so much, she would rather I stay away and not get into trouble for her. Truly¡­ such an angel."

    The reason he hade today was just to make sure that there weren''t any ''annoyances'' in Crystal''s ss that were bothering her in this crucial period before their first exams, and he was relieved to see there were none.

    This was supposed to be the job of the subordinates that his father had arranged for him, however, one of them had ended up betraying them to go under the g of that evil viiness, while the other was already lying half-dead in the Green Leaf Hospital.

    Now, all eight of his remaining subordinates were in ss S, and all of them were equally useless. All they did was quiver in their boots while agreeing with him on everything. Couldn''t that bastard father of his get him some better people?

    Of course, Amos knew that the bastard couldn''t be relied upon. ''Even that zombie-like bodyguard he had been so proud of proved to be useless! Tch. Even I can probably beat up that scaredy-cat limp dick moron. God, why am I surrounded by so many ipetent fools? No wonder I keep suffering under that whore''s hands. But just you wait, once the exam resultse out, everyone will know who I am, and how useless you truly are.''

    ==========

    Even while Emilia was ''busy'' carrying out her ''master n'', she had, of course, not forgotten about the uing exams.

    As the first-ever publicly announced assessment of ''her'' life, Emilia was well aware of the importance of these results, so she didn''t dare to ck off at all.

    Aside from putting in her own efforts to the maximum extent possible, she also made full use of the ''resources'' avable to her, whether it be Cynthia, Crystal, or Randy.

    Cynthia was, of course, her ever-reliable partner. Even if she came across a problem that she couldn''t solve herself, it was possible that her almighty system would haughtily dictate the solution to her.

    Of course, that was ast resort.

    The heroine had proven herself to be a much better teacher than Emilia initially expected, especially considering how she had been pretty much ''forced'' into tutoring her.

    She had even stopped flirting with her recently, seriously focusing on her studies, and their efficiency during the study sessions had shot through the roof.

    Of course, it might also have something to do with the fact that Emilia had let her know that she was also having Randy tutor her at her home, which struck a nerve with the heroine.

    She truly had a much fiercerpetitive streak than she thought, and seemed intent on proving herself to be a superior teacher.

    As for how Randy became her ''tutor'', even Emilia found it a bit of a wee surprise.

    Regardless of anything else, the boy was a peer from ss A, and when it came to his ability to do well in exams, there was little doubt of his excellence. If Crystal was the best at teaching her how a concept worked, then Randy was able to best describe how to present it in a way to her the maximum marks.

    It wasn''t a glorious matter, but it was effective, and Emilia was more than willing to use such ''scummy tactics'' to secure the spot that she wanted.

    Of course, Randy had to work very hard to get where he was.

    Emilia made no effort at all to approach him, despite many of her ns to punish Danielle''s father relying on him, because she knew he woulde to her instead. And it would be more effective this way, anyway.

    Plus, her knight looked almost ready to explode already. If she really took the initiative to approach the boy¡­ he might just be found dead in a ditch the next day, even with all the security her father arranged for him.

    And then there were her ''knights''¡­

    The poor boy truly had to go through tribtion after tribtion, just to have the luxury of teaching her how to score more marks in her exams.

    Of course, it was not without benefit for him, because despite all the nder and thrashing her knights had meted out to the boy, he was still rumored to be Emilia''s ''most sessful suitor''.

    The students still believed that he was trying to convince her to date him, and hadn''t yet seeded, but many were starting to believe that it was only a matter of time before she agreed.

    The number of boys who regretted not being more persistent was not small.

    But Randy had also be somewhat of a ''hero'' for being able to take an ass-kicking from Penny and her gang on such a regr basis, and still remain alive.

    Emilia could tell that her four-foot-tall admirer was starting to get depressed.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "If you''re so worried, why not ask her toe along with your group to the dojo? It''s not like the ce is crowded. And maybe yourckey can stop bullying that poor kid after he has a more appropriately sized sparring partner around."

    Although she had to admit that her partner had a point, Emilia still shook her head.. "You might be right, but I''ll think about it after the exam."

 Chapter 103 - Whatâ€™s So Great About Him?

    Each of Randy''s interactions with Emilia were, of course, reported back to Mr. White''s secretary, who in turn conveyed them word for word to the man in charge.

    Of course, the level of detail in these reports wasn''t that great. For example, having a conversation with Emilia was just reported as such, and the actual contents of the conversation were generally skipped by the boy entirely.

    This wasn''t just out ofziness, but as a basic courtesy to Emilia. After all, did his future wife not even deserve this level of privacy? Whatever she talked about with him was best kept between the two of them only.

    Or so the boy thought.

    But to Mr. White, this just made all his reports look ''suspicious''.

    ''Had a talk with Emilia today for twenty minutes'', and ''took a walk with her'' were still fine and dandy, but what was with ''studied in her room, one hour''?!

    Mr. White couldn''t help but m his fist on the table. "Who allowed the little brat to enter my daughter''s room?!"

    ==========

    Although Samantha was well aware of Emilia''s ns, she couldn''t help but feel a little disgusted with the boy in her heart.

    He might only be a ''victim'' in this case, but his position really was too enviable!

    Of course, Samantha was the one who will be getting the most envious position of all in the end, and she couldn''t help but look forward to it.

    This was why she had even agreed, after all.

    A groan of pain came from the boy who was following her to her office while barely managing to drag the heavy trolley full of documents with one hand. "Ugh, Miss Samantha, is this really necessary?"

    All thoughts of calling her ''sister-inw'' had long since left his mind after their first meeting that day, because this was clearly a devil incarnate! Attracting her fury was even worse than getting into the sight of Mr. Jefferson!

    She didn''t even have any mercy on him despite his broken arm!

    The boy couldn''t help but feel aggrieved. ''Did I do something to offend her?''

    Of course, Samantha just ignored him as she entered her office and took a seat before pointing at the spare desk she already had Noelle set up. "Get all those documents up there, and feed them into theputer over there."

    Randy stared at her nkly for a while before pointing at the huge pile of thick folders in his trolley. "Eh? These?"

    Samantha nodded, looking as serious as she could be. "Yep."

    Randy couldn''t help but gulp. There''s no way it was what he was thinking it was, right? "I have to feed them into theputer? What part?"

    But all his hopes were shattered as the ''bossdy'' smiled at him ''gently''. "All parts, of course. I''m sure you can do it, right? Don''t tell me my sister''s ''future husband'' can''t even do this much?"

    The boy almost felt his vision darken at the thought of going through the brain-dead task of just typing in the hundreds of thousands of lines that were surely in there. "B-But¡­"

    Samantha pretended to ''get busy'' as she waved him off. "Don''t worry, you don''t have to do it all today, take your time. But don''t bother me before you''re done."

    Randy wanted to scream how this would be so much easier if they just used an OCR. But thinking about how none of these files were handwritten, they surely had digital records anyway. This was surely another ''test'' from this unreasonable sister-inw of his!

    ==========

    Meanwhile, as the ''interaction'' between Emilia and Randy increased while the exams drew closer, Crystal found herself unable to focus on the ''important matters'' more and more.

    Even the ever persistent scumbag ex-fianc¨¦ of Emilia''s didn''t bother her so much now. Instead, she had started to find herself hating this ''Randy'' guy more and more. This hatred had already settled down to the bottom of her heart, and came from deep in her bones.

    She knew that it was unreasonable and absurd, after all, the boy hadn''t done anything bad. He was just doing what she was too cowardly to do herself. Chasing after his dreams.

    Crystal just couldn''t believe that he was so sessful. But when she really thought about it, it made sense.

    No matter how otherworldly and unobtainable a crush may seem to someone, it was unlikely for them to forever remain single, right?

    It was far more likely that this over-idolization would just lead to the one who had been crushing on them to actually have the least chance of ''sess''.

    Crystal realized thus, that it was no wonder that she had failed so miserably.

    After all, Randy''s current condition wasn''t much better than her own. They both came from middle ss families, and they were both directly or indirectly under Emilia''s protection.

    The heroine sighed once again as she focused on the subject at hand. "Do you really understand?"

    As this was one of the mostplex concepts in this exam, Crystal couldn''t help but question her ''friend'' again.

    Emilia nodded happily. "Yep, Randy already went through this one to me earlier, and your earlier exnation of the passage was perfect, too. It''s pretty clear already."

    Of course, even without either of the two, Emilia was more than confident enough to understand this on her own. After all, except for science and maths, she had actually been far more proficient in most things than these ''children''.

    Not to mention her social andmunication skills, her ability to learn things quickly was one of her strongest points, and was one of the main reasons she had gained so much fame so quickly in her past life. Though her being a princess certainly helped, it would have been the same even if she hadn''t been one.

    But Crystal''s mind was still stuck on the fact that ''Randy'' had been the one to teach Emilia, once again, before her. ''What''s so great about that pig, anyway?!''

 Chapter 104 - The Heroineâ€™s Conundrum

    Emilia was of course well aware of the ''effects'' that mentioning Randy would have on Crystal, which was why she had done so in the first ce.

    After all, the heroine had a very heavypetitive streak when it came to academics, and couldn''t take being anything but the very best.

    Emilia''s intentions were good, because she had noticed that Crystal seemed to have be distracted recently, perhaps due to the hero''s continuous harassment, but good intention didn''t always have positive effects.

    Instead of making Crystal focus on her studies, Emilia''s words only ended up distracting her further after she left.

    The heroine''s gaze seemed to focus more and more on the growing eyesore ''Randy'', and the more she looked, the uglier he became.

    As a girl who was almost always so aloof and uncaring of others, Crystal''s ''attention'' of course did not go unnoticed.

    Some girls couldn''t help but approach her after ss as they stood in front of her desk. "Crystal, actually, we know that you don''t pay much attention to gossip, so you probably don''t know, but¡­"

    As her friend hesitated, the other girl cleared her throat. "Randy may look dashing and have good grades, but he''s actually pretty much ''off the market'', so you shouldn''t pin your hopes on him."

    Seeing how blunt her friend was, the first girl hurriedly rified, as if afraid of a misunderstanding. "Of course, with how outstanding Crystal is, anyone who is avable would be considered lucky, right? It''s just that Randy is already together with Emilia¡ª"

    Crystal, who had so far looked uninterested and dull as she continued scribbling on her notebook, suddenly gazed at the girl sharply, making her breath hitch in fear at the ferocious look in the heroine''s eyes. "What did you just say?"

    But of course, the girl''s mind had already gone nk, having never expected such an intense response from this ''exemry'' student. "I-I¡­?"

    The other girl seemed to realize something as she tried to diffuse the situation. "We don''t mean anything bad. We know you two are good friends, that''s why it''s better to not cause a misunderstanding, right?"

    Of course, Crystal had already turned her dark gaze away from the two girls, and having been snubbed like that, they could only leave and go back to their seats in embarrassment, pretending to self-study.

    No one knew how vengeful the heroine was, however, for she had already messaged Penny about the two girls ndering her princess and spreading malicious rumors.

    Within minutes, the students of ss A heard a ''stampede'' heading towards their door before it was mmed open by a petite blonde girl with an absurdly long ponytail. Someone who used to look harmless and adorable, but had recently be the face of terror in the Imperial Academy.

    Penny, the Royal Knight''s Commander.

    "Who the hell dared to nder my princess?!"

    ==========

    The misfortune of the two girls wasn''t anything unique, as they pitifully pulled at their ears and apologized in front of the camera, swearing to never spread false rumors about Emilia ever again.

    It wasn''t wrong to say that Penny had single-handedly curbed most of the rumors about Emilia and Randy thanks to the efficient usage of her royal knights. Of course, a few incidents such as these were unavoidable, but the swift punishment and rification meant that few would believe that Randy was truly together with Emilia.

    After all, if Emilia had truly agreed to his pursuit, would her loyal knights be going after everyone who talked about it like this?

    In the students'' minds, Emilia was someone who dared to wear her heart on her sleeves, doing whatever she wanted without fear or shame. And if she truly let Randy be with her, she would surely not bother having Penny go around like this, ande out to rify the matter herself.

    That she did not do so meant that she must not want to p Randy''s face, but it was still clear that they weren''t ''together''.

    This conclusion from the students was the same as what Crystal repeated in her mind. However, she couldn''t help but have seeds of doubt sprout in her heart.

    What if Emilia didn''t even know about it, or simply didn''t care?

    After all, it wasn''t necessary for her to react in an expected manner in every situation.

    Did that mean¡­ they were truly together?

    Eventually, as the days passed by, Crystal finally realized something.

    The hints were always there, she just refused to admit it.

    How the boy''s approach to her wasn''t rejected. How the two of them gradually got closer and closer. How he even started ''teaching'' Emilia at her home.

    How could she still keep denying it?

    Even Crystal had never been to Emilia''s home! Never!

    And could a boy and a girl stay in the same room for hours at a time, day after day, and not sprout feelings for each other?

    The sharp stings at her heart made Crystal feel as if the world was a dark and dreary ce,cking any hope for the future. Everything looked dull.

    What even was the point of it all, if she never got the happiness that she truly sought?

    Moreover, as the days rolled over, Crystal noticed something far more insidious. Something she couldn''t believe at all.

    Insincerity from Randy.

    Crystal didn''t think he was going to betray her or anything, but with her sharp intuition, she felt like his gaze didn''t contain enough lust for a boyfriend to be looking at his girlfriend.

    How could he not want to fuck her?

    In his ce, Crystal would absolutely not be like that. That only goes to show that he mustn''t truly love her.

    His love was fake! Fake! He was only after her money!

    She had to let Emilia know, somehow.

    But as the exams approached, Crystal found herself more and more unable to bring it up.

    Not only did Emilia seem to focus more and more on her studies, Crystal worried whether she could even bear to hear her response.

 Chapter 105 - A Reason To Change

    There was, of course, a reason why Crystal had ended up making such an ''observation''. And the ''cause'' stemmed from the effects of Emilia''s n.

    If she had simply allowed Randy to continue thinking of her as his ''future wife'' while they kept interacting with each other more and more each day, it would have been inevitable for the boy to develop certain ''feelings'' for her. More importantly, he would surely start ''expressing'' those feelings to her in some ways that she would find most unwee.

    That was why, just as the seeds of love had begun sprouting from Randy''s youthful heart, Emilia confessed her ''darkest secret'' to the boy.

    Randy pointed at the beautiful girl in front of him in disbelief, his eyes bulging in shock. "You like girls?!"

    Emilia bit her lip in ''shame'' as she turned her gaze away, ignoring the roaringughter from Cynthia in her mind. "T-That''s right, I know daddy wants me to marry you, so I thought you at least had the right to know¡­"

    The boy''s gaze couldn''t help but turnplicated. He''ll admit that he had been dreaming about marrying this beautiful girl in the future, but the thought of forcing her do so when it was clearly against her true nature didn''t sit well with him at all.

    Of course, Emilia was well aware of his heroplex by now, which was why she dared to make such a confession.

    And as expected, not only did Randy confess all of her father''s n to her, he also promised to help her in any way he could to make the man ''ept'' his daughter''s true sexuality.

    "Thank you, brother Randy!"

    Randy patted his chest with pride. "Don''t mention it. What''s such a minor thing between us?"

    Within moments, not only did he swear to ''protect her'' in the future, but he also agreed to do everything he could to ensure her ''independence'' from her father''s arrangements!

    After all, ording to Emilia, even if Randy himself backed down from Mr. White''s ''arrangements'', the man would just arrange someone else for her. And who could tell what the next boy will be like? Randy certainly didn''t believe anyone else had a heart as staunch as himself.

    Therefore, in order to prevent such a ''future'', he of course ''helped'' Emiliae up with a n. Or so he thought.

    "Are you sure about this, Randy?"

    The boy patted his chest with pride. "Call me big bro! And like I said, with how handsome and charming your big bro is, would he have any trouble finding a wife?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. At the very least, the boy didn''tck confidence. "I don''t mean that, uh¡­ big bro, I mean¡­ this will make you seem like a pervert in daddy''s eyes, wouldn''t it? He''ll definitely hate you."

    Randy rolled his eyes. "Who cares about that? As long as he doesn''t do anything against my parents or myself, I don''t care how he feels for me."

    Anyway, Mr. White only wanted her to be happy in the end, right? He wasn''t being ungrateful at all. He was doing him a favor by carrying out his true intentions despite the risk of looking ungrateful and losing everything. If the man misunderstood his good intentions, the faulty with him.

    With his cooperation, it be many times easier for Emilia to carry out her n to shock Danielle''s father to the point where he would never dare interfere with her again. Of course, she didn''t tell the boy everything, and only let him know what he needed to do, which was to simply continue hinting to her father that they were getting ''closer and closer''.

    Since he had already been converted to her side, however, Emilia would also have to ensure that he didn''t meet misfortune at the hands of her father due to her n''s effects, so some minor details had to be modified, but that wasn''t too difficult.

    With him tutoring her almost every evening, it was almost impossible for Danielle''s father to not make certain ''conclusions''.

    ==========

    Meanwhile, the heroine found herself suffering from insomnia as she struggled with all kinds of thoughts.

    Her ability to ''judge'' certain things had always been reliant on a kind of instinct, and Crystal knew that there was no way such a thing could be considered ''reliable''. However, against her generally ''logical'' thinking, she often chose to just ''trust'' in this feeling, because in the end, it almost always turned out to be true.

    But in this case, if her feeling was really ''true''¡­

    On one hand, she was ecstatic that Randy was ''unfaithful'' to Emilia and wouldn''t do anything ''like that'' to her. But on the other hand, if such a boy really ended up bing Emilia''s boyfriend, Crystal couldn''t ept it at all.

    Even if the exams were approaching, to say that it was impossible for her to let Emilia know of these things was just wrong. After all, the girl had provided her with more than enough means to get in touch. Even if she found it difficult to confess the matter face to face during their lessons, wasn''t it easy enough to just send her a message?

    Crystal knew that she could even do it anonymously, if she wished. But she didn''t, because the greatest barrier that prevented her from doing so¡­ was herself.

    The heroine chuckled as she stared at the dark circles around her eyes in the mirror. "The real reason I have a problem with that bastard isn''t because of him, but myself, isn''t it?"

    After all, Crystal understood herself best, and she knew that what she was jealous of was not that Randy was getting closer to Emilia, but that she herself wasn''t ''close enough'' to the girl.

    And the awareness of her ''selfish'' thoughts also made her realize that her goal in ''revealing the truth'' to Emilia was not to ensure her well-being at all.

    After all, so what if Randy didn''t lust after Emilia so much, yet? Couldn''t that change in the future? They were still ''developing'' their feelings for each other. And with her attitude, she was destined to always remain just a ''friend'' to Emilia.

    As such thoughts crossed her mind, the self-hatred and pain in her eyes were all too clear in her mirror image, and Crystal couldn''t help but flinch back in surprise.

    After a while, the heroine couldn''t help but sigh. ''I can''t go on like this¡­ I¡­ have to change¡­''

 Chapter 106 - â€™Schemingâ€™ Sis-Con

    While bncing thebat training in the morning, preparations for her exams, as well as her ns to ''destroy'' her father''s arrangements, Emilia truly had too much on her te to be able to notice the minute changes in the heroine''s psyche.

    What she did notice, however, was that the girl was starting to learn how to use make-up.

    As someone who had learned how to arrange herself into multiple types of ''appeals'' quite immactely, Emilia was intimately familiar with the intricacies of the art. Of course, with her ability to shapeshift into whatever appearance she wanted with but a thought, this expertise of hers was now only useful for others.

    She couldn''t help but give the heroine a smile. "Crystal is always so cute, but looks like today she tried extra hard? I don''t know if I can handle it."

    The heroine was well familiar with the flirtatious nature of her ''friend'' by now, and normally would have just rolled her eyes, but today she couldn''t help but feel a little lost.

    Of course, the reason she had to start learning how to apply make-up was to conceal her haggard appearance from theck of sleep. But how could she let Emilia know that, when she dared not reveal the reason for her insomnia?

    She could only shrug it off, pretending not to understand. "D-Do I look different, how?"

    Emilia blinked. ''Hey, is she being shy?''

    Of course, Cynthia didn''t care about the heroine''s ''feelings'' at all, and just rolled her eyes as she ignored her partner.

    Unlike her system, Emilia certainly cared about Crystal''s ''feelings'', and it wasn''t just because of her missions, either.

    After all, these little girls who followed her around were more or less her ''friends''. They could even be considered her ''daughters'', in a way. Whether it was Dixie, Crystal, Koko, Sam, or even Penny, Emilia would rather see them ''happy''.

    On the condition that it wasn''t with someone else, of course.

    Assuming that Crystal felt ''insecure'' with her ''skills'', Emilia decided to console her. "Well, how about this, I''ll let you practice on me after we''re done with the exams, alright?"

    The heroine couldn''t help but splutter. "E-Eh, p-practice wh-what on you?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Your make-up skills?"

    "O-Oh¡­"

    Crystal didn''t know whether she was happy or disappointed, but the rapid beating of her heart was definite proof that she wasn''t calm. And it only drove her guilt deeper.

    She had the feeling that her insomnia was going to get worse.

    ==========

    Contrary to the heroine, a certain sis-con older sister was having the time of her life as she rode along with Emilia''s n.

    Not only did she get to make the excuse to be busy with Emilia to Noelle to offload almost all of her tasks to the poor secretary, she had also managed to ''move in'' with her little sister!

    What was heaven, if not this?!

    Of course, this was a ''secret'' between the three of them.

    As for who could be this ''third'' person who knew of this secret between her sister and herself? Of course, it was that bastard pervert ''son-inw'' chosen by her stupid father in his ''infinite wisdom''.

    But knowing that he had ended up paving the way for her instead, Samantha couldn''t hold a grudge against him either.

    And the reason she had ''moved in'' with Emilia into herfy little room when she had her own so close by was, of course, because it involved Emilia''s ''n''.

    She didn''t have all the time in the world to wait for her father to ''realize'' certain things, so she had to make it so obvious that no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn''t deny what was ''surely happening'' at all.

    So she had to have Randy ''stay over'' after they had be ''close enough''.

    Of course, Samantha would never be able to calmly ept such a thing, but Emilia was well aware of the sis-con''s true nature, and had already nned with this in mind.

    "Just move everything important from your room to your study, or to my room. When ''big bro'' is staying over, he''ll sleep in your room, and you cane to mine. With all the doors closed, no one will really know who is where, right?"

    With such a great ''proposal'', of course Samantha waspletely on board.

    Of course, she had no intention of ever going back to her own room after the fiasco was over, because how could she sleep in the same bed that the pervert had used? At least, that''s the excuse she intended to make if Emilia wanted to kick her out.

    Samantha sighed in contentment as she hugged her cute little sister to sleep,pletely ignoring the girl''s pitifully awkward look.

    Since she had such a wonderful opportunity, of course she had to take ''full advantage''. When Emilia had been trying to convince her to go along with her ns, not knowing how Samantha was jumping with joy on the inside, she had, of course, taken the chance to put forth some conditions.

    One of which was to make sure that her sleeping conditions were to her liking.

    Her poor, innocent little sister had never suspected this big bad wolf at all, and ended up agreeing without much thought.

    This was why Emilia found herself in a very ''cute'' nighty that Samantha liked as the older girl stuck to her like glue.

    Of course, Emilia hadn''t ever ''slept'' with anyone but Maeve on the same bed before, and couldn''t fall asleep at all. nning for it and actually going through with it turned out to be quite different. "U-Um, Sam, I really can''t fall asleep if you keep holding me so tight, you know¡­"

    Samantha was too lost in taking deep breaths as she ''kneaded'' the poor girl closer. "Ah~ How blissful!"

    "Ahahaha¡­ that''s what you get for making such absurd, stupid ns!"

    Emilia could only helplessly give up convincing Samantha as she started scolding Cynthia instead. ''Hmph, you think I''m suffering or something? I''ll have you know, although I feel a little awkward right now, this is not a big deal at all. In fact, I can go much further! Just give me some time to adjust, and I will¡ª''

    Meanwhile, Samantha''s thoughts were running in apletely different direction. ''Too bad the milky feeling from when she was just a little bun is gone, all I get from her now a faint smell of shampoo, and nothing else¡­ Hm¡­ I wonder, will she let me bathe her if I ask?''

 Chapter 107 - Shocking Results

    When the results of the first semester exams came out in the Imperial Academy of Excellence, there was perhaps not a single individual who wasn''t shocked.

    Amos ck, the heir to the ck Tiger Corporation, managed to secure the fifth ce in the freshman high school grade, and obtained the qualifications to transfer to ss A!

    Although it was actually quite normal for people to enter and exit the topmost ss, especially from ss B, the number of times a ss S student had managed to do so was perhaps only once every several years.

    This in itself was already big news, but no one cared about that.

    Not even Amos.

    Because even more shockingly, Crystal Miller, the undisputed star of the freshmen year, the girl who had achieved the highest score in the entrance exam in the past hundred years¡­ was third.

    Even if she had been second, it would have already been shocking enough. But the girl was actually in third ce, which was absolutely mind boggling to not just the students, but the staff as well.

    So much so that when they had beenpiling the results, even Mr. Jefferson, the man who hated working even a single nanosecond more than he absolutely had to, went through all three of the top student''s maths answer sheets twice.

    But the results remained the same, and so it was confirmed that indeed, it is what it is.

    Perhaps the only one who wasn''t in shock from this result was Crystal herself, who was well aware of what kind of state her mind had been in at the time of giving the exams.

    In fact, she didn''t even care what kind of ce she got before the results came out.

    But that wasn''t the case now, because the heroine deeply regretted not focusing more, and not obtaining just a single extra mark.

    Because the one sitting right above her position, in second ce, was Randy Bourne, that bastard. With just one fucking mark.

    And the reason Crystal cared about losing the ''second ce'' so much, and what everyone was most shocked about, was because¡­ Emilia White ranked first.

    First in the freshman year, in the same batch as the girl who held the record of achieving the highest score in the academy''s entrance exam! This was an achievement in itself, not to mention that the girl wasn''t from ss B, or even ss C, but from the ''special'' ss S, meaning that she didn''t even ''need'' to study so hard at all.

    With Emilia''s already prominent fame, it was as if the whole school was set on fire, and the discussions about her on the result announcement day were even moremon than love gossip.

    Especially since love gossip was also a part of these discussions anyway.

    "To think that the golden couple actually got both the top positions, aahhh, I''m so jealous of them!"

    "Shh! Not so loud, do you want those ''Knights'' on your ass?"

    "Eek!"

    Of course, such discussions only made Crystal''s day worse, to the point where she decided, for the first time in her life, to skip the rest of the day to take a sick leave.

    Even when she got home, she ignored her concerned mother''s inquiries and buried her head in a pillow to let out a scream of frustration.

    ==

    If Crystal was going through shock and regret, then the feelings of the hero could be summed up with only a single word, rage.

    No one knew just how hard Amos had worked to get that fifth position.

    Long before the Imperial Academy had conducted its entrance exams, Amos had prepared for and attempted it with very thorough preparation, only to barely miss the cut for ss A by one mark.

    It was a great moment of regret for him, and he wished he had worked just a little harder, or gotten just a little luckier.

    Even with all the misfortunes he was going through, he had never stopped studying for this exam. Because he knew that not only was it a requirement to turn the situation around, it would also allow him to get closer to the love of his life.

    After all, being together with her in ss A, he would not only be able to protect her from the ws of that witch, they would also be able to enjoy more time together, and their love could blossom even more beautifully.

    But all of that was now ruined. Because what beautiful love can blossom under the disgusting sight of that vile woman who was sure to follow him around wherever he went? No matter how she pretended otherwise, he knew she would follow him to ss A.

    After all, there had to be a reason for her to manipte the results like that.

    "That fucking bitch! How can that fucking bitch be first?!"

    It was impossible for her to have gained such a position fair and square. Even with the Imperial Academy''s previous stubborn attitude, it was possible that they might have bent the knee in front of the White Deer Corporation when put under enough pressure.

    That was the only way this could have happened, after all.

    Amos knew better than anyone just how dumb that bimbo was. Always wagging her tail around with that retarded looking smile on her face, just obediently doing whatever she was told.

    Even if she had started following someone else''s instructions now, probably that father of hers, she was still just a pretentious bimbo. Whatever image she projected now was clearly all just fake. Whether it was being intelligent or kind, it was nothing but a farce in the eyes of the hero.

    For her to be above him in any way, much less actually take the first ce that belonged to the love of his life, was simply a joke. It didn''t make any sense at all.

    Amos screamed as he kicked another chair down to the ground in his mansion. "Even if you want to do this kind of thing, can''t you have some decency, at least? To even strip away poor Crystal''s position¡­ truly, the depths you can sink to¡­ there''s no limit, is there?"

 Chapter 108 - Even More Shocking

    "Even if you want to do this kind of thing, can''t you have some decency, at least? To even strip away poor Crystal''s position¡­ truly, the depths you can sink to¡­ there''s no limit, is there?"

    Being in a position below that viiness was already a great ''loss of face'' for him, even knowing that the exam results were surely rigged. But when he thought about the sheer injustice faced by Crystal, it wasn''t worth mentioning at all.

    "Oh, my poor Crystal¡­ What if she starts to think she''ll never be treated fairly in this world because of this vile bitch? To attempt to taint my angel over and over again, I''ll definitely not forgive you!"

    ==========

    While the hero was still lost in his delusions, Emilia didn''t know what kind of trouble Crystal was facing. However, just knowing that the girl had slipped directly from the expected first all the way to the third position was enough for her to know that something wasn''t right.

    After all, even she hadn''t expected such a thing.

    Emilia had only wanted to try her best in the exams, making the best possible use of her time as she could and focusing to the best of her ability. As for what position she ended up getting, she didn''t particrly care, except the higher, the better.

    To get the first ce was, of course, for the best. However, she had been studying from Crystal for all this time, and knew all too well what her level was.

    To put it simply, beating that girl in academics was impossible.

    Such a feeling had never entered her mind when studying with Randy, whom she could easily conceive surpassing in any field with enough time and effort, so it was no shock at all that she exceeded his score.

    As for Randy besting Crystal, that was just a joke.

    "Something must be wrong¡­"

    ==========

    Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the headquarters of the White Deer Corporation was cheery as both of Danielle''s parents received the news of their daughter''s exemry performance in the semester exams.

    Mr. White couldn''t help but grin widely. "As expected of my daughter. I knew her intelligence would shine one day, especially with all the studying she had been doing with Randy recently. See, I made a good choice, didn''t I, dear?"

    Recently, he had been somewhat regretting his decision to set Randy up as a potential match for Emilia.

    After all, the boy seemed to be making quite a lot of questionable moves recently, spending more and more private time with Emilia. Although there was always the excuse of ''studying'', the man couldn''t help but wonder sometimes if that was what they were really doing in there.

    Especially when he heard the news of the boy directly starting to stay overnight, he almost blew his top.

    Unfortunately, his own eldest daughter seemed to have been converted to the ''enemy'' side, and had convinced him not only to not remove the boy from the mansion, but also not ''interfere'' with Emilia and her now ''boyfriend''.

    But all those regrets seemed to have been instantly washed out now, because if they hadn''t been studying day and night, how could these results havee out now?

    Not to mention that Emilia, his pride and joy, was first. Even that boy was second!

    This was not some local small time school where such positions could be casually obtained. It was the ce where all the extraordinary students who aimed high in their lives gathered from all over the country. To say that thepetition was ''fierce'' would be an understatement.

    The hint of gloating in his voice wasn''t hidden at all, and Mrs. White rolled her eyes in scorn. "Oh yeah? Are you very proud?"

    Mr. White nodded. "Of course, if not for me sending Randy over, our Emilia would still be performing poorly. Even if she tried her best, her results may be average, perhaps, if that. Isn''t it better this way?"

    Mrs. White snorted. "Do we need our daughter to have excellent results? It''s just the same either way, more importantly, I had a talk with her over the phone a few days ago, and¡ª"

    Mr. White knew that his wife was a sore loser, and would never ''admit defeat'' when she lost an argument. He didn''t think whatever topic she had ''discussed'' was serious, or even real at all, and just waved his hand. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I can''t wait till this dreaded deal is over, and we can go back to meet our daughter and congratte her personally."

    Mrs. White sneered. "Congratte her for what, exactly?"

    "Her excellent performance, of course?"

    "Oh, since you waved me off so confidently, I thought you knew."

    Suddenly, Mr. White had a bad feeling. "K-Knew what?"

    Mrs. White chuckled. "I talked to our daughter today."

    Her husband gulped nervously, wondering what it could be. "O-Oh?"

    Mrs. White decided that being direct was the ''best approach'' in this situation, especially with her husband''s attitude, so she just smiled. "That boy has been spending so much time in her room, so I asked her if she was using protection."

    Mr. White almost choked. Although he had sometimes suspected such activities, he had always denied them from the depths of his heart. How could his pure, innocent daughter really engage in such acts? Absurd!

    But Mrs. White didn''t care for his disbelief at all. "She got so shy and embarrassed¡­ do you know what that means?"

    The man couldn''t help but sweat. "Uh, I would rather not¡­"

    His wife couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Don''t act like a virgin, dear. Not even your daughter is pure anymore, no thanks to you pushing her into a wolf''s hands. Also, they''re clearly not using any, so I''m expecting grandchildren very soon."

    "Urk¡­"

    "Well, I suppose this is also a part of your ''n'', huh?"

    "O-Of course not!" Mr. White sputtered indignantly, his eyes open wide in shock.

    He even felt like strangling that bastard right away. Didn''t he make it clear that he was only her fianc¨¦ now, and the marriage part would onlye like¡­ ten yearster?

 Chapter 109 - Samanthaâ€™s New Task

    Obviously, all of Mrs. White''s assumptions about what was going on between Emilia and Randy were as far from the truth as they could possibly get.

    After all, the poor boy was standing so stably in the bro-zone that he even insisted for Emilia to call him big brother!

    But just like his wife, poor Mr. White was also kept in the dark about the real truth of the matter by all the involved parties, be it Randy or the two sisters.

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    Compared to Crystal, dealing with Danielle''s father of course was at a far lower priority in Emilia''s mind. Therefore, Cynthia wasn''t surprised at all when her viiness made abrupt changes to her earlier n at its most crucial moments as she prepared to head for Crystal''s home.

    Emilia''s ''elder sister'' couldn''t help but stare at her in shock as the girl packed a few ''necessities'' into a bag, though it was just for show. "A-Are you serious?"

    Of course, at this crucial moment when she was uncertain of what was going on with the heroine, Emilia was in no mood to joke around at all. "That''s right. Why, is there any problem?"

    Samantha couldn''t help but gulp nervously. "Y-You know, Emilia, if we went by your previous n, Dad would be furious with Randy, but we''ll still be able to protect him, and our family dynamics wouldn''t change much either¡­ But if we do it like this¡­"

    Emilia knew that there was no reasonable way to exin her withdrawal from the previous n, so she decided to just ''brute force'' it. "Please, Sam, I need you to do this for me¡­ alright?"

    "B-But¡ª"

    "Don''t worry, I''llpensate you very properly."

    "This isn''t aboutpensation or anything, Emilia¡ª"

    Emilia really didn''t wish to waste time arguing with her anymore, so after finishing ''packing up'', she made her way over to Samantha, who was still standing next to the door, and gave her an offer that she couldn''t refuse.

    Samantha''s eyes were opened wide in shock as she stared at her little sister in disbelief. "Y-You''re joking?"

    Emilia shook her head. "No."

    "Y-You''ll really let me¡­?"

    Emilia nodded, lookingpletely serious.

    Samantha dared not say a single word more either. She couldn''t believe the ''offer'' that her sister had made. In fact, logically, she knew that she should deny it.

    After all, this offer was already far worse than her earlier proposal.

    "No wait¡­ since Dad is going to believe it anyway, is there even any harm in making it real?"

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    Meanwhile, Mr. White really couldn''t contain himself after hearing about his wife''s findings of Randy and Emilia''s supposed rtionship, and had directly flown over in his private jet, leaving all the important business matters in the capital to a disbelieving Mrs. White alone.

    As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he gave the housekeeper a pointed look. "Where''s the boy?"

    The housekeeper guessed that he must be talking about the boy who had been frequenting the ce quite openly recently, even somehow obtaining both of the young missies'' favor.

    The old man couldn''t help butment how absurd some people''s luck was. Not to mention anything else, he even managed to coincidentally make himself scarce just as ''judgement'' arrived today. "Um, I think he left the mansion shortly after returning from school?"

    Mr. White couldn''t help but frown. Wasn''t the boy supposed to report to him about everything? Aside from learning and taking care of his daughter, there really wasn''t much he was supposed to be doing, and to be out at this hour made no sense at all.

    But of course, the housekeeper wouldn''t know of such things, so Mr. White waved him away before making a call to his personal assistant.

    As soon as the call was picked up, he couldn''t help but question the man angrily. "Who allowed him to leave at this time?"

    The assistant was stunned for a moment, having been busy coordinating with Mrs. White to handle their suddenly increased responsibilities in the impromptu absence of the man himself. "Uh, I-I''m not sure? Let me check."

    After a few seconds, Mr. White was put on a conference call with the security personnel in charge of watching over Randy, and the man informed him that the ''orders'' came from his own daughter.

    "Emilia?"

    "No, Miss Samantha."

    Mr. White sighed, a little relieved. "Un, I understand."

    Of course, Samantha had already received news of her fathering back home unannounced, and came down to greet him just as he entered the hall.

    Even though she already knew what was happening, Samantha still pretended to look confused. "Wee back home, Dad! I thought you weren''ting back for a few days yet?"

    The older man cleared his throat. "R-Right, well, let''s talk about thatter. Where''s Emilia?"

    "She went to a friend''s house."

    "Oh¡­ when is sheing back?"

    "Um, probably not tonight¡­."

    "¡­"

    "Dad?"

    Randy missing¡­ Emilia noting back tonight¡­ It all linked together in Mr. White''s mind to form a horrible image.

    "Why would you allow them to do that, Sam? Don''t you care about your little sister anymore?!"

    Samantha couldn''t help but get confused. Although she had expected her father to blow his top, she never thought it would be so soon, before she had even told him anything. "Eh? What''s going on?"

    "What else?! Tell me, where are the two of them?! I''m going to rip that bastard in two!"

    Samantha finally understood a little of what was going on in her father''s mind, and couldn''t help but chuckle. "Are you talking about Randy? He''s just running a few errands for me, and Emilia is at her friend Crystal''s house, not with him."

    Mr.. White deted like a balloon, and copsed back on the sofa with a sigh of relief. "Thank god¡­ Hey Sam, tell me, there''s really nothing going on between the two of them, right? Children shouldn''t rush to do things so quickly, there''s a time and ce for everything, and Emilia is still so young¡ª"

 Chapter 110 - The Hidden Meaning

    Facing her father''s outburst, Samantha tried her best to remain calm.

    "Uh, Dad, about that¡­ I actually wanted to talk to you, heart to heart, will you listen?"

    Mr. White suddenly had a bad feeling. What his wife told him wouldn''t happen to really be true, right?

    Even if he could still deny it when it came from Mrs. White, Samantha''s words would really be undeniable, because unlike the two of them, she was close enough to Emilia to be able to know these things for sure.

    Unfortunately, when he listened to his eldest daughter''s words, the truth of the matter turned out to be much, much worse than he could have ever imagined.

    "What?! Is this a joke?! I''ll kill that bastard!"

    Samantha looked a little embarrassed. "Don''t be so angry, Dad, Randy and Emilia just wanted to experiment a little¡ª"

    "What experiment?! I can''t believe you could be so gullible, Samantha! Not to mention preventing your little sister from making a mistake, you even allowed yourself to get involved too? Ridiculous!"

    Having never been scolded like this by her father, Samantha''s eyes couldn''t help but get a little red.

    Although she knew it was all an act, when she thought about how her father had more or less set the whole situation up, and the story Emilia had made up actually wasn''t ''impossible'', though a little absurd, she couldn''t help but feel a little angry.

    But thinking about her next ''confession'', she didn''t dare to express any anger at all. In fact, she would be happy enough if her father didn''t start administering corporal punishment on the spot, once he heard about it.

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    Emilia had of course bolted from her mansion right after making sure that Samantha agreed. As for the ''price'', well, she didn''t care at all. Even if Cynthia kept throwing a tantrum in her mind about how absolutely absurd it was, she felt that it wasn''t such a big deal.

    Compared to the day when Amos had been ''arrested'', the security of the ce was of course much tighter. This wasn''t just because Emilia worried about simr situations happening again, but she also feared the possibility of retaliation from the hero''s side.

    These people were all personally hand-picked by Noelle, and were on apletely different levelpared to anything Mrs. Brown could have arranged. Although Emilia still felt they were a littlecking whenpared to the ash skinned man who had been with Amos that day, her enemies shouldn''t have too many people like him either.

    She was a little disappointed to see that this was the ''best'' manpower that the White Deer could spare. Unfortunately, the only ''reliable'' fighter capable of beating that man would be Dixie''s grandfather, and she couldn''t really order the man around, could she?

    Even if Amos himself didn''t do anything, the ck Tiger Corporation wasn''tpletely his to control. Without taking proper measures, Emilia definitely wouldn''t be able to rest well.

    "This will have to do, for now."

    When she got out of her car in front of Crystal''s restaurant, the guards of course recognized her and let her in, though she still had to knock on the second floor door to Crystal''s ''home''.

    As a shocked Crystal stared at her nkly after opening the door, Emilia smiled as she let herself in, unabashed.

    Now that she was here in person, she actually felt a lot more rxed. Compared to relying on ''hired hands'', having the heroine within her line of sight was definitely a much better reassurance of her ''safety''.

    She had been a little worried about making the heroine ufortable, or disturbing her grades by being ''too close'', but given that the girl was already so disturbed and clearly messing up, she couldn''t possibly make things worse. In that case, wasn''t it alright to just do whatever she wanted?

    The blonde girl finally regained her wits as she pointed at Emilia in shock. "W-Why are you here, Emilia?"

    Ever since her ''make over'' during Bianca''s party that day, Emilia had slightly changed her shapeshift further away from Danielle, and a little closer to her real self. Her previously straight, chestnut brown hair was currently slightly curly, and had been ''dyed'' reddish brown since that day.

    Crystal thought that,pared to the first day when she thought she had seen an innocent angel, Emilia looked incredibly simr to what a subus should look like in the heroine''s mind.

    Emilia''s smile was slightly teasing as she observed all of Crystal''s expressions and reactions closely. "Why, am I not wee?"

    The blonde couldn''t help but sputter. "I-It''s not that, it''s just¡­ why sote at night?"

    "Because I want to stay over?"

    "Huh, why?"

    Emilia had of course made up a ''valid'' excuse on the way over, and decided to put this pot on Randy''s head as well. Anyway, she was sure that ''big brother'' would cooperate with her and be a good wingman.

    She pretended to look slightly awkward as she cleared her throat. "W-Well, my father is back home today, and, you know, he thinks it''s not right that my fianc¨¦ and I are sleeping separately, so¡ª"

    With her observation skills, how could Crystal miss the ''fakeness'' of her ''awkward'' look? However, when she heard what Emilia said, Crystal''s mind couldn''t help but be overwhelmed with rage.

    Even Emilia''s awkwardness was exined in her mind, as she thought about it. This girl was just shy, and pretending to be awkward! If she truly turned her down today, she was probably going to go right back to that boy and really do it!

    How could Crystal allow that?

    Even if Emilia wanted to sleep with that bastard, she couldn''t be the one to ''push her'' into it, right?

    Moreover, for Emilia toe to her ce at night, with a bag, asking her if she could stay over¡­

    "Y-You realize that there are only two beds at my house¡­?"

    Given that the girl could have gone to any of her other friends'' houses, such as Dixie, Koko, or anyone else, really, Crystal couldn''t help but entertain a few wild thoughts.

    The fact that the first person she ran to subconsciously was none other than herself¡­ that had to mean something, right?

 Chapter 111 - Itâ€™s Not True, Right?

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    "Y-You realize that there are only two beds at my house¡­?"

    Emilia had already been at Crystal''s house quite a few times by now, and was certainly well aware, but it didn''t bother her at all. After all, she had already be quite used to sleeping with Samantha in the past few days, what''s so different about sleeping with Crystal?

    Crystal seemed to have realized that her earlier words might have been a little too ''unweing'' so she hurriedly waved her hands before Emilia could even respond. "O-Of course I don''t mean that you can''t stay over! You totally can, I''ll just sleep with mom, and you can take the bed in my room¡ª"

    "Um, Crystal, I would rather if my impromptu visit didn''t inconvenience aunty, you know?"

    The heroine stared at her nkly,pletely unlike her usually logical self. "Huh?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. "I mean, if it''s alright with you, can''t the two of us just share a bed? I promise I won''t be naughty."

    Crystal gulped. "N-Naughty?"

    Emilia blinked ''innocently'', as if she never meant to imply anything else. "I mean I won''t push you out of the bed in your sleep or anything?"

    As for whether she really meant it, who knows?

    The heroine seemed to sigh in both relief and disappointment. "O-Oh."

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    Meanwhile, back at Emilia''s ''home'', Mr. White couldn''t help but m his fist on the coffee table in rage. "T-That bastard¡­ how dare he¡­!"

    Samantha cleared her throat as she tried to shift some me away from Randy. After all, the boy was just a ''chess piece'' in their ns, and Emilia had asked her to make sure nothing went wrong to the best of her ability.

    If her father got mad at him to the point of abandoning him to the ck Tiger or something simr, there was no telling if Emilia''s earlier promise would still count, and there''s no way Samantha could allow that.

    "D-Don''t me him, dad, he¡ª"

    But Mr. White didn''t have any intentions of listening to her ''excuses'' at all, and red at his eldest daughter in disappointment. "You''re defending him now?! Do you even realize what he has done? To sleep with not just Emilia, but you as well¡­ no, it''s shameful to think you allowed it! Is that not the worst kind of betrayal to your own sister?!"

    Although his rage confirmed the fact that he had believed all of her lies, Samantha still couldn''t help but cringe slightly at the wordsing out of her father''s mouth. "Uh, it¡ªit''s not cheating¡­"

    "How the hell not?! Does Emilia even know?"

    Suddenly, a vicious gleam entered the man''s eyes. "That''s right! She has to know. I have to let her know right away, so she can be disillusioned with this bastard who would go even for his own girlfriend''s older sister¡ª"

    Samantha couldn''t help but be slightly exasperated. She had wanted to get it all over with in one go, but her father just kept on making things more difficult for himself. "DAD! Listen to me first before you go on a rant, okay? Not only does Emilia know, she was also there!"

    "Huh?"

    "I mean, the three of us, uh, did it together."

    Mr. White stared at Samantha nkly for a while, and the girl waited nervously for the ''explosion'' that was sure toe.

    It was only a few minutester that she realized that her father had fainted with his eyes still open, and in a sitting position.

    She couldn''t be med for not realizing it sooner, since Samantha had never thought such a thing was even possible.

    The girl couldn''t help but sigh as she picked up a ss of water before pouring some into her hand. "Sorry dad, but it''s better for you to go through it all at once, I guess."

    Mr. White sputtered indignantly as he woke up from his daze, only then realizing that it was not a nightmare, and what he heard was certainly true.

    He had always known that Emilia was a little na?ve, and could easily be deceived. That was why he had been trying to arrange someone suitable for her, after all.

    But he never thought that his eldest daughter was even worse. To think that she would do something like this¡­ his disappointment was immeasurable.

    However, regardless of what happened, he still had to protect his daughters from that beast!

    The manpletely ignored the water on his face as he gave Samantha a stony stare. "Randy definitely has to die! And you, you have to support your sister in making sure she forgets him without too much trauma. I believe you can do at least that much to repent, right?"

    Samantha coughed. "B-Before you make such hasty decisions, listen to the full story first, alright?"

    Mr. White''s enraged face instantly turned pale from fright. "T-Th-There''s more?"

    Samantha almost giggled, but managed to hold herself back. Hopefully, her father won''t be too traumatized. But well, thinking that he still tried to do this after how horribly Emilia''s previous fianc¨¦ had treated her, he had iting.

    Since there was no ''subtle'' way to make him realize it, Samantha knew that her next statement would have to be straightforward and blunt. But she couldn''t be ''too direct'' either, or it would seem too unnatural for her.

    Thinking about it, she decided it was best to ''tell him'' how it happened, rather than just ''what happened'', though it would surely disgust him more.

    And so, Samantha spent the next few minutes describing a few fake ''details'' from their supposed threesome, despite Mr. White''s numerous protests.

    By the time she was done, her father had stopped trying to even interrupt her, because he also realized that her ''focus'' in the story hadpletely shifted in an even worse direction, if that was possible.

    But he couldn''t even mention it, for fear of making her realize it if she hadn''t.

    Unfortunately, his fears came true, because Samantha seemed to have already realized ''it''. "You understand, right?"

    "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about?"

 Chapter 112 - The â€™Truthâ€™

    "Well, I don''t think we can hide it from you anyway, so I''ll just say it. After that day, I realized that I love Emilia."

    Even though he had that hunch, Mr. White had of course subconsciously been trying his best to deny it. After all, how could he ept it?

    Unfortunately, this was still not the worst news that his eldest was nning to give him today.

    "Emilia too¡­"

    Mr. White was very d that he wasn''t a heart patient, because he was sure that Samantha was determined to try her best to give him a heart attack today.

    "We like each other."

    Or maybe he wasn''t so d. Maybe it would have been better if he really was a heart patient, so he could hide in a hospital after a heart attack, and no one would dare scold himter.

    Because otherwise, his wife was surely going to kill him.

    And much to Samantha''s exasperation, Mr. White fainted once more.

    Of course, another ssh to his face brought him back just likest time, and his ''nightmare'' continued.

    Thankfully, Samantha didn''t send any more ''shocking news'' his way, and allowed him some time to digest what just happened.

    The more Mr. White thought about it, the more he was filled with regret.

    Not only had both his daughters been fucked by the same pervert that he had sent himself, they also realized their ''love for each other'' after being intimate together.

    If he hadn''t sent that pervert over, wouldn''t this never have happened?

    He remained silent for nearly half an hour, and Samantha continued to stare at him in apprehension.

    Although she had already made some preparations in case things went south, both Emilia and herself were really banking on their father''s usual attitude to tide them through this ''crisis''. If he really reacted in a way they didn''t expect, things were sure to get tough.

    Eventually, the man couldn''t help but let out an exhausted sigh, and Samantha finally let out a breath of relief as well. As long as her father remained ''rational'', things were still going their way.

    And indeed, Mr. White had really thought about many things. He wanted to punish Randy, teaching him a lesson he could never forget. He wanted to punish Samantha, for ruining not just Emilia''s life, but her own as well. And he even wanted to punish Emilia, for being a brainless little idiot who just went with the flow.

    Would she fall in love with any Tom, Dick, and Harry who was sent her way? Did she not have a brain to think with?

    To think he had been so proud of her results just earlier, those were clearly just from rote memorization! If she had any actual intelligence, would she fall for Amos, Randy, and Samantha, all one after another, as soon as they confessed?

    It was more like she just thought whatever was proposed to her was always a good idea. A true example of idiocy.

    Unfortunately, no matter how stupid she was, she was still his dearest daughter. How could he not protect her? How could he not forgive her?

    When it really came down to it, he didn''t even have the courage to go and scold her, because in a way, all of these pits his poor Emilia had fallen into, were all dug by him.

    He couldn''t confess to Emilia, but he couldn''t bear to keep it in his heart anymore, either.

    Mr. White sighed. "You know, Samantha¡­ I know that although you confessed to me so frankly, you must be feeling a heavy burden in your heart. After all, that is your sister¡­"

    Samantha gulped.

    Her father held his forehead in exhaustion. "Actually, I have a confession to make as well. To be honest, my actions have hurt her much more than you have, and much more than you ever will¡­"

    Samantha couldn''t help but feel a little guilty. After all, it was all just lies meant to dissuade her father. "D-Dad¡­"

    "Quiet! Let me speak."

    Seeing how his daughter was shocked into silence by his stern attitude, he nodded. "When I think about it, I was actually afraid of the ck Tiger''s rise to the top, and feared that when the day came that it grew to berger than even the merged ''White Deer'', our future will only turn darker and darker¡­"

    "Heh, it''s foolish, isn''t it? After all, even if we remain the second for an eternity while ck Tiger bes the one on top, that doesn''t mean we''ll just die¡­ And I was in such a rush to give away my youngest child into that wolf''s den, just to avoid being the ''leader'' who couldn''t even keep a behemoth like White Deer at the topmost position¡­ absolutely foolish."

    "After all, why does it even matter¡­ Ahahaha¡­"

    Samantha didn''t interrupt him, but inwardly, she couldn''t help but agree. It didn''t matter to her whether they were in the first or second position in the corporate rankings of the country. Wasn''t her little sister''s happiness more important?

    However, she also didn''t think that the ck Tiger would just let them be once they actually became even stronger.

    After all, weren''t they giving them so much trouble already? It was bound to only get worse and worse as ck Tiger''s strength grew.

    Once they were in an inferior position, who knew what those bastards will really do?

    Can they be trusted to allow them a way out when the time came? Samantha didn''t think so at all.

    However, that was a matter for another time, because she still had to get a ''positive response'' from her father with regards to Randy and Emilia''s matter.

    In the end, no matter how against it he felt in his heart, Mr. White really couldn''t bear to hurt either of his daughters.

    Moreover, he felt that it was all his fault, to begin with.

    So after ranting about it for a while, Mr.. White finally gave Samantha a nod.

 Chapter 113 - Crystalâ€™s Heart

    Meanwhile, back in Crystal''s bedroom, Emilia was already lying on the bed as if it was her own, while an embarrassed Crystal had rushed off to shower shortly after letting her in.

    Although Emilia had often visited her home to study, the girl had never entered Crystal''s bedroom before. Looking around, it wasn''t quite like what a normal girl''s bedroom would be like.

    Rather than having any dolls, toys, or decorations of any kind, Crystal''s room seemed to bepletely devoid of anything without ''practical use''.

    If theyout of one''s room reflected their personality, then Crystal''s room would make one think that she was a cold and practical person who didn''t care much aboutfort and appearances. However, Emilia knew that this was not the case.

    The girl was somewhat simr to Samantha in this case, though the ''configuration'' was different.

    Samantha appeared to be a ruthless and cold beauty, but was actually a crybaby that was easy to bully, especially for her. On the other hand, Crystal appeared to be a diligent and practical person who cared little for others, and even less for herself, but Emilia thought that she actually soughtpanionship more than even the super clingy Koko.

    This was not just Emilia making assumptions on her own. She had arrived at this conclusion after carefully observing the heroine for a long time.

    And even if Cynthia disagreed with her on the heroine''s innate character, even she agreed on this point.

    The first hint she had gotten from the girl was that, despite her clear aversion at that time, she had epted Emilia''s request to tutor her.

    And from that point on, the girl had weed her with open arms, and regardless of whether her responses were petnt or shy, she never denied any of Emilia''s requests.

    Of course, it''s not like Emilia had any issues with this trait. If anything, she thought it was adorable. In her mind, Crystal was like a lonely little child, and she was very willing to pamper the girl.

    When the heroine finally returned, Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise at how red her skin had gotten. "Whoa¡­ you really rubbed it all raw! If you''re so rough with your skin all the time, it''s not gonna be so smooth and soft much longer, you know?"

    For any normal person her age, having their crush in their home would already cause their heartbeat to speed up, much less having her in their bedroom.

    And currently, the girl she had been crushing on for so long was actually in her own bed, wearing nothing but a flimsy nighty. For a moment, Crystal wondered if Emilia had any idea what she was doing at all.

    And upon hearing what Emilia said, the blonde girl''s face turned red. "I-It''s not smooth and soft to begin with! Notpared to you, at least¡­"

    "Hm¡­"

    Before the heroine even realized it, Emilia had already gotten up from the bed and was staring at her so close that their lips were just an inch apart, almost giving Crystal a heart attack. "Wh-Wh-Wha¡ª"

    Emilia smiled as she turned back, not teasing the poor girl anymore. "It looks pretty good to me. Anyway, let''s go to bed, alright? Or you''ll be tired in school tomorrow."

    Crystal, who had been imagining all sorts of things, couldn''t help but be slightly disappointed. Though she didn''t even know what she had been expecting to begin with. "O-Oh¡­"

    The blonde girl didn''t dare to stand there too long, afraid of giving away any ''hints'' that her thoughts were anything but normal.

    As it was slightly chilly already, Crystal was used to covering herself with a thick nket during the night, and getting under it with her crush so close by, the blonde''s hands were already shivering with excitement.

    Emilia thought that the girl must be quite cold, as she was shivering, and pulled her closer to herself till they were practically glued to each other. And as expected, the heroine''s limbs really were a bit colder than they should be. "Did you take a cold shower?"

    Crystal nodded absently. "Mhm."

    With the type of thoughts she was having, she had obviously taken an ice-cold shower to ''cleanse'' them. Of course, it didn''t help at all.

    If anything, it seemed to have made the situation ''worse''.

    With the soft, warm body of her crush pressing against herself like this, even if Crystal had been a saint, she would still be tempted.

    And Crystal was far from a saint at the moment, because after Emilia took the ''initiative'' to pull her close, she had already wrapped her right arm around the girl''s waist. The thin fabric of her nighty might as well not have been there, because she could feel even the texture of her skin clearly.

    Emilia didn''t think much about the heroine''s actions, because she was too focused on how to bring up the topic of her slipping up during exams.

    After all, regardless of anything else, this must still be a delicate subject for Crystal, who was always used to being on top. Moreover, the one to exceed her this time was Emilia herself, who was not only the one asking her such a thing, but also someone she had personally taught.

    In her ce, Emilia could imagine howplicated she would feel. ''I wonder what she''s thinking right now¡­''

    Meanwhile, the heroine''s thoughts had already gone on aplete tangent.

    The closer she was to Emilia right now, the farther she felt from the girl in her heart.

    She could keep convincing herself that since Randy didn''t have those kinds of feelings for her yet, they may not eventually develop into an ''item'', but was that really true?

    Emilia hadn''t expressed any disgust when she mentioned that her father had wanted to arrange for her to sleep with that so-called fianc¨¦ of hers. Her reaction was that of embarrassment and awkwardness than anything else.

    Although she didn''t seem to ''secretly look forward to it'' at least, Crystal still couldn''t help but slightly despair in her heart. ''I have to do something soon, or it''ll be toote!''

 Chapter 114 - The Heroâ€™s Reward

    After all, even if Randy wasn''t interested in Emilia that way yet, maybe it was because the boy was just too dumb to realize that it was even a possibility.

    In Crystal''s mind, given that this was what Emilia''s father wanted, the possibility of Emilia ''sleeping'' with Randy next time must be quite high.

    Even though she hadn''t met the man yet, Crystal couldn''t help but hate him in her heart. ''Just why does he always have to stick these bastards to her? Can''t he just leave her alone?''

    Of course, Crystal knew that the reason she thought so was because she selfishly wanted to keep her crush single for herself, even though she would never dare to pursue her own happiness even if she had been avable.

    Thinking about how easily Emilia had slipped into her bed like this, if she did the same thing with Randy, was there even any need to specte about what would happen next?

    Unless Randy was impotent, there was no way he could keep it in his pants under such a situation.

    The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt.

    Crystal knew that she was no longer the same girl as before she met Emilia. Whether it was the loneliness of her life or the destitute state of her home, they were both irrevocably changed by the girl in her bed.

    Most importantly, even the safe of her closed-off heart had been unknowingly pried open, and it was stolen long before she realized it.

    The blonde knew that this ''crush'' of hers had grown far out of her control. But what bothered Crystal even more was the fact that she didn''t want to ''control'' it at all, even if she could.

    After all, why should she? Didn''t she also deserve some happiness in her life?

    However, even if she made up her mind to chase after her, Crystal knew that perhaps her realization came toote. ''Even if gather up my courage now, would it matter?''

    If it had been someone like Dixie, or some other girl, Crystal would have fought against them in a heartbeat. However, if Emilia didn''t ''like'' girls at all, it would put her at a significant disadvantage.

    But unfortunately, Emilia seemed to quite favor this guy chosen by her father to be her future ''husband'', with their marriage pretty much already set in stone. And Crystal had no idea how to go about destroying it at all.

    With such turbulent thoughts still in her mind, Crystal somehow unknowingly fell asleep in the arms of her crush.

    Emilia, who still hadn''t figured out how to broach the subject, thought that it was better to not bring up such things and disturb Crystal''s sleeping schedule anyway. Without any makeup, the effects of her recent bouts of insomnia were clear on Crystal''s face, even if Emilia didn''t point them out.

    She couldn''t help but furrow her brows. "I wonder what I overlooked¡­"

    Emilia didn''t think Crystal''s financial situation, which had been her greatest weakness in the original timeline, would be the source of her troubles at this time. She had already made sure of that through Dixie.

    As for the results of the exam, that was even more unlikely. If it hadn''t been something already bothering the girl, her exam results wouldn''t have suffered in the first ce.

    At first, she didn''t think that her recent fiasco with Randy would cause her such distress, either. Although the heroine was certainly attached to her, Emilia didn''t think that the girl was far enough along her path to love for it to disturb her mind so much.

    However, since everything else was ruled out, Emilia couldn''t help but reconsider it.

    If it wasn''t something the hero had done that she didn''t know, then it was actually quite likely that the distress Crystal was going through right now was directly caused by being jealous of Randy.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. Although it was certainly cute, she couldn''t let the poor girl remain distressed, could she?

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    Meanwhile, at the hero''s mansion, the silver-haired boy was once again facing his father, though this time their tone of conversation was different from what he had usually been faced with.

    Amos didn''t know why, but his father''s attitude had drastically improved after he had been hospitalized.

    However, it didn''t bring any relief or happiness to him at all. If anything, it made him far more anxious. ''This bastard always tries to be so unpredictable! It''s okay to do it with your corporate buddies, but do you have to be like this all the time?!''

    Just thinking about how he had been fooled for almost all his life, thinking that his father was a calm and cold-blooded man who thought things through ten times before doing them, Amos felt like aplete idiot.

    Fortunately, the bastard had exposed himself to be a lunatic before it was toote, and now the hero knew that he was not to be trusted.

    But not knowing what sort of trick he was trying to pull still put him in a bad mood, and his expression couldn''t help but turn slightly gloomy despite trying his best to appear neutral and unaffected.

    Contrary to his son''s thoughts, Mr. ck appeared quite pleased as he patted the boy''s shoulder. "I knew you had it in you, Amos. Fifth ce in the Imperial Academy of Excellence, huh, not bad at all!"

    Amos couldn''t help but roll his eyes. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Is that all you called me here for?"

    The buff man couldn''t help butugh. "Ahaha¡­ well, a good performance deserves a reward, I think. How about it, tell me what you want?"

    The hero''s expression couldn''t help but turn a little interested. Regardless of anything else, this bastard still controlled everything he could possibly get, after all. If he could get something decent out of him, it might actually be worth his while. "What kind of reward are you talking about?"

    Mr. ck chuckled.. "Anything you want, of course, as long as it''s not unreasonable for me to get."

 Chapter 115 - A â€™Rescueâ€™ Operation

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    When Mr. ck first heard his son''s ''request'', he couldn''t help but burst into boisterousughter. "Control over the Imperial Academy? Ahahaha¡­ Are you still a kid?"

    Seeing how his son didn''t smile at all, and appeared to bepletely serious, the buff man sighed in disappointment, thinking that he really shouldn''t have expected much. "You can''t just buy your school and be done with it all. Moreover, this isn''t just some private school we can mess around with, understand?"

    Amos frowned. How could he not tell that his father was once again regarding him as a stupid idiot who couldn''t understand how the world worked? Would he have bothered asking for it if it was impossible?

    "Just say so if you don''t want to do it, don''t say it''s ''impossible''. If the White Deer can do it, why can''t we?"

    The taunt in his son''s voice was far too obvious for the buff man to just overlook, and his good mood from earlierpletely evaporated. "What the hell are you talking about? Even if the White Deer donates more money to the Imperial Academy than anyone else, they''re also just ''donors'' in the end. The board may listen to their requests, but they won''t just follow their orders. It''s nothing like ''owning'' the ce."

    Amos sneered. "Then how do you exin that stupid idiot getting the first ce?"

    If the family of that viiness didn''t haveplete control over the school, how did any of what was happening make any sense? Not to mention the recent results, they even overlooked her delinquency, and he heard that the bitch even had her own apartment inside the school!

    Mr. ck sighed, wondering where it all went wrong. He didn''t expect his son to be humble, but knowing the limits of oneself and the capabilities of one''s enemies were the very basics of a good businessman. Although his son still had room to grow, the future wasn''t looking bright. "Is this what it''s all about? Consider how she''s tripped you up almost every time the two of you sh, isn''t it obvious how she got the first ce if you can get the fifth?"

    The silver haired boy''s face immediately turned ugly. "Are you saying she''s better than me?!"

    His father shrugged. "All I''m saying is you have to acknowledge your opponent first for you to be able to beat them. If you never take anyone seriously, forget about crushing them, you might be the one who ends up biting the dust."

    Amos looked disgusted at the thought of actuallyparing himself with Emilia in any way. ''Not only does this bastard father of mine fail to stop that whore''s father from plotting against me, now he''s even ming me for losing to that puppet? As if that bitch is actually capable of anything at all!''

    He knew that arguing with his father was pointless, however. "So you won''t do it, right?"

    The ck haired man sighed. After his son had been hospitalized that day, he had seriously reconsidered his ''approach'' in grooming the boy. After all, what he had been doing till that point was clearly not working out very well.

    After a little self-reflection, he decided that it was best to take an approach simr to that of his rival, Mr. White. The man''s daughters had clearly turned out quite well, with Samantha showing negotiation and management skills superior to her father, and Emilia triumphing over his son in every way.

    Neither of these could be considered high praise, though, because Mr. ck considered his rival''s skills to be hot garbage, and so far, his son''s actions were self-defeating enough to not require much skill from Emilia''s side.

    But even if he wanted to switch over from pure intimidation and discipline to ''the carrot and the stick'' method, it wouldn''t work if his son didn''t stop being so unreasonable.

    The man tapped the table impatiently, wondering if he should just give up the idea of rewarding his son for his ''good performance'' in the exam. "I told you, it''s impossible without making some major and dangerous political moves. It''s just too much hassle with a ton of risk and almost no reward. If that''s the only thing you want, then forget it."

    Amos seemed to realize that his father was about to change his mind, and he would end up getting nothing at all if he kept being stubborn. "No, it''s fine. Can I ask for something else, then?"

    Mr. ck nodded.

    The silver haired boy scratched his cheek, looking a little nervous. "Ugh, there''s this girl I like, Crystal. She''s being¡­ held captive by that bitch who still can''t get over me. Do you have any way to let me free her?"

    Mr. ck had of course investigated the girl Amos had shown repeated interest in, but he wasn''t aware of any such ''hostage'' situations. He couldn''t help but blink in surprise. "She''s been kidnapped?"

    Amos flinched. "No, but¡­ um, she''s being threatened."

    "Hmmm¡­" Mr. ck tapped his chin in thought. It''s possible that his people couldn''t get the full idea of the situation, especially since the protection around the girl had been quite tight recently.

    He was, of course, well aware of the fiasco that his son had caused on the day he had been ''arrested''. The boy''s fault in the matter, however, was quite minimal as far as he was concerned. If anything, he just failed to control himself and was led around the nose by those plotting against him.

    After all, how was it possible for the police and the media to respond so quickly to the incident if it hadn''t been plotted in advance? The ws of his rival really extended too far this time.

    Maybe this ''reward'' to his son will also double as a lesson to his old rival. Though his people still hadn''t figured out all the ins and outs of the matter, it shouldn''t take too long.

    "Alright, then. I''ll look into it and get her out of there."

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    Meanwhile, Samantha and her father had finally finished their ''heart to heart'' talk, and the man leaned back on the sofa, feeling exhausted.

    Even if his eldest daughter had managed to assure him that she will be able to take care of Emilia in every way possible, there was one thing that still caused his heart to shrink with dread.

    What would happen if his wife found out what had happened due to his needless meddling? The sheer terror that coursed through his veins at the thought made him realize that it wasn''t something he ever wanted to find out.

    "Uh, by the way, make sure you don''t tell your mother, okay? She''ll kill me."

    And like a shark that had smelled blood in the water, Samantha''s attitude immediately changed from sincere and pleading to proud and demanding.

    After all, wouldn''t it be a disgrace to all her training if she didn''t even know when to take full advantage when an opponent showed weakness in a negotiation?

    Even if she had to be shameless, this was the best chance to get the best ''concessions'' in her favor, and Samantha intended to make full use of it.

 Chapter 116 - Do You Like Cakes?

    When she had been reborn as a princess in her second life, Emilia had spent most of her time before meeting Crystal honing various odd skills, such as painting, archery, horseriding, and so on.

    Cooking, however, was not one of them.

    Unlike in this world, where it was more or less an art form, cooking in her previous world was considered a job that nobility would never even consider partaking in.

    After all, the environment in the kitchen would damage both their health and appearance, and thebor required to carry out some of the more intense tasks was nothing to scoff at.

    Cooking for the nobility was a job reserved for the hardworking middle ss, and mostly males, at that. Younger girls such as Maeve may help out their father with some menial tasks, but they would certainly be kept away for the most part.

    Emilia hadn''t really been interested in it before, but cooking in this world was really too different.

    Not only were there all kinds of machines to make the most difficult parts of the job almost trivially easy, there were also many types of ''ready made'' ingredients, and even the fire was clean!

    Learning new things was something that Emilia always found joyful, and since she was going to be staying over with Crystal for a while anyways, she decided to take this chance to learn a few things from the heroine''s mother.

    The woman was, of course, overjoyed. And so, while her daughter was still blissfully catching up on many days of missed sleep, Emilia went through three batches of failed cakes before she finally had what she considered as an ''eptable'' result.

    When Crystal finally woke up, she was a bit disappointed to see that Emilia was no longer in bed. It wouldn''t be too long till it was time for school, so the heroine decided to get ready before looking for her friend.

    Even after she got out of the bath and changed into her uniform, Emilia was nowhere to be seen, and the heroine couldn''t help but feel a little strange. ''She didn''t leave already, did she?''

    When she finally left her room and entered the living area, however, Crystal couldn''t help but stare dumbly towards the kitchen space.

    Emilia, who was wearing one of her mother''s cooking aprons, gave her a cheerful smile and a wave. "Oh, Crystal is up already? Good morning!"

    Crystal nodded dumbly, wondering why the same mittens that she always saw her mom wear would look so cute when on this girl''s hands. "W-What are you baking?"

    Emilia pushed the tray containing thest batch of her ''experiments'' towards the heroine. "Here. I loved your mother''s strawberry cakes the most, so I decided to start learning those first. You can try these, though they''re not as good as what you''re used to, they should be edible, at least."

    Mrs. Miller chuckled. "You''re being too humble, dear, even the first batch wasn''t that bad. These are more than just edible. I even feel it''s a pity that you threw it away."

    Emilia blushed as she lightly punched the older woman''s shoulder. "Stop making fun of me, auntie. You know the first batch was burnt!"

    Since her crush had baked her cake, how could Crystal not eat it? Not to mention being burnt, even if they had been poisoned, she might still give it a try.

    When she actually took a bite, however, her expression couldn''t help but change.

    "H-How is it?"

    Crystal swallowed loudly before giving Emilia a strange look. "I thought you said you were learning?"

    Emilia tilted her head. "Yes?"

    The blonde girl sighed, thinking it was a pity that she hadn''t woken up sooner to take the first bite. "Have you really never baked a cake before? This is really good!"

    Emilia wondered what her expression would be like if the girl knew that not to mention baking a cake, she hadn''t even ever entered a kitchen before today. It would probably be unimaginable for someone from this world. "I''m d you liked it. I''ll make an even better one for you tomorrow."

    For the duration of her stay at Crystal''s ce, Emilia had decided to take a break from the dojo, and thus had plenty of time to spare in the mornings. So she might as well take over preparing breakfast for the heroine.

    Of course, since Emilia was focusing on learning cakes, Crystal might gain a few pounds if she wasn''t careful.

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    The atmosphere in the Imperial Academy had changed greatly after the first semester''s results came out, especially for the freshmen.

    Although they had heard about it and prepared for it, actually experiencing the petition'' in this ce was another thing entirely, especially for those who had been admitted into ss A.

    After all, most of these students had been at the top of their peers almost all their lives, and even when they came to the Imperial Academy of Excellence, they were taken straight into the best ss.

    The first results brought them a harsh awakening, as over half of the previous ss A students in the freshmen year dropped to ss B, with three directly entering ss C.

    This was not because these students had been cking, as they still studied just as hard as they always had. However, that just wasn''t enough, because the students in the lower grades, who were also simrly outstanding, had been trying a hundred times harder to move up.

    With the constituents of the topmost ss being shuffled so much, Crystal found herself feeling a little ufortable, especially with the venomous re of Emilia''s ex-fianc¨¦ aimed her way.

    And to make matters worse, Emilia was sticking right next to her, not even an inch away. How was she supposed to concentrate on ss like this?

    But not to mention that bastard ex-fianc¨¦ of her crush, who would never listen to her, she couldn''t even ask Emilia to move to another bench.

    After all, the girl was probably separated from her trusty ''sidekicks'' for the first time, and Crystal couldn''t bear to leave her alone.

 Chapter 117 - Someone Needs You

    Dixie never considered herself as a ''high maintenance'' girl.

    Even though her father had never paid much attention to her, she didn''t feel as if she had been treated unfairly, nor did she do anything to seek his attention. As for her mother, well, although Dixie often called the woman annoying, she still loved her dearly.

    When she first entered the Imperial Academy of Excellence, her requirement for a ''happy school life'' had been simrly low. Just one good friend, maybe two, and she''d be satisfied.

    Even this requirement had to be med on her three friends ''pampering'' her too much, making it so she''d feel extremely bored at school if she was truly alone.

    On the very first day at school, however, Dixie got a lot more than she ever asked for. That was the day she met her princess, and was what she considered a turning point in her life.

    Ever since then, her days had been revolving around the girl. From early in the morning tote into the night, she could never go too long without thinking of her princess.

    Dixie knew that perhaps this level of obsession was unhealthy, but she couldn''t care less about it. Even when her mother constantly mocked her for it, no one knew better than herself what would bring her the greatest happiness in life.

    Today, however, was different.

    After the semester results came out, the first year students seemed to have gone through a huge shock, and many of the previous hot topics werepletely forgotten.

    Even the topic of her princess and her supposed ''prince'', that had previously seemed too big to be swept under the rug, was nowpletely forgotten. Dixie didn''t know if Penny''s strategies were finally bearing fruit, or if the idiots really realized that her princess could never fall for that stupid pig.

    But Dixie couldn''t feel happy at all, because now she was all alone in ss S, while Emilia went to ss A.

    Well, she wasn''t exactly alone, because there was still the continuously bbering Koko by her side, and another girl that had moved in on the other side of the three-seater bench.

    "And so, before Mrs. Macmin realized it, I''d already¡ª"

    Dixie had no idea what Koko was talking about, but for a moment she really wished she had been truly alone.

    After being deprived of being able to meet with her princess early in the morning, with Emilia directly skipping the dojo, now she even had to bear this mental torture from Koko!

    And to make matters worse, she was apparently staying over at that hussy Crystal''s ce! Staying over! What did that mean?

    Dixie could be more or less calm when it came to that pig Randy, because she understood a little of what her princess liked, and that was definitely not it.

    Her princess liked cute things. And Crystal was cute, for a hussy.

    Even though Emilia had messaged her to rify her arrangements for the next few days, Dixie couldn''t help but be a little gloomy.

    Dixie couldn''t help snort. ''Curing her depression? Hmph! Why does princess have to be the one to take care of that girl''s depression! What a burden.''

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    Crystal''s daily ''schedule'' had changed considerably now that she had Emilia by her side, and one of the greatest changes she found herself making was topletely abandon the ''self-study'' session after the first two sses.

    She could try making the excuse that she didn''t want Emilia to be bored in ss, but she knew that the real reason was that she couldn''t handle the disgusting re from that bastard ex-fianc¨¦.

    Thankfully, he didn''t follow them around anymore after they left, and Crystal could finally breathe a sigh of relief once she arrived at Emilia''s ''disciplinarymittee office''.

    Apparently, themittee now had quite a few members, all of whom ''coincidentally'' shared the same club, the ''Royal Knights''. But Crystal knew that the only ones who coulde into this so-called ''office'' were just those that Emilia brought in herself.

    Even she hadn''t been here before, despite thinking of herself as Emilia''s ''close friend''. Aside from those who came in to get a scolding, perhaps only her ''personal knight'' enjoyed such treatment.

    The same girl had burst into the room moments after they arrived and crashed into Emilia''s arms with a cry of distress as the girl consoled her.

    Crystal felt like she was watching some drama as she stared nkly at the dark haired girl on Emilia''sp.

    "Princess! I missed you so much!"

    Emilia smiled as she squeezed her knight''s cheeks. "Didn''t you drop me off at home just yesterday, Dixie? It''s not even been a full day. What''s got you so worked up?"

    Dixie couldn''t help but let out some of her grievances. "B-But, you didn''te to the dojo, and you told me not to pick you up!"

    Crystal had previously considered Dixie as a snob who looked down on people whom she considered worthless. That was the conclusion she drew after witnessing her treatment of Penny at the time that the girl had kissed Emilia''s hand.

    Looking at her current ''cutesy'' appearance, however, Crystal couldn''t help but think it was a little endearing.

    Emilia thought that she looked adorable, with her eyes slightly wet and her lips in a pout, so she pecked Dixie''s lips lightly. "Didn''t I message you? I''m at Crystal''s ce for a few days now, so it''s not as convenient."

    Crystal seemed to have turned to stone as her mind rebooted at the scene, all her good feelings for Dixie turning to smoke. ''Did Emilia really just kiss her? Do they often kiss as friends? It didn''t seem like a lover''s kiss, right? No wait¡ª''

    The dark haired girl''s face had already turnedpletely red as she shyly looked away. "H-How did you get to school then?"

    Emilia smiled. "Her ce is not that far, so we just walked. Don''t worry so much, Dixie. I''m just taking a few days off the dojo to rx. Even your grandpa agreed."

    Dixie could only nod reluctantly. Her grandfather had already mentioned that Emilia''s techniques were already quite refined, and what she really needed to work on was her physical strength. If it was Dixie asking for a ''leave'', she would be ''leaving'' in a very different way.

    What she was worried about now, however, was how risky it was for her princess to be going to school like this. Even though Emilia had assured her that she had people watching her at all times, Dixie couldn''t rest well knowing that she wasn''t there herself.

    "H-How about you at least let me pick you up for school? Both of you, of course."

    Looking at the dark haired girl''s pleading eyes, Emilia couldn''t bring herself to say no. She turned her gaze to Crystal, and since the heroine didn''t seem to be against it, decided to agree. "Alright then, but make sure you don''t skip out on the dojo, or your grandpa will scold me instead!"

    It was only then that Crystal realized her stunned silence at witnessing their kiss had been taken as consenting to allow Dixie to pick them up every morning.

    Even though she had already convinced herself that their pecking was just a friendly gesture from Emilia, she would rather not have Dixie disturb their peaceful walk to school!

    But it was toote to object now, as the two of them had already moved on from the topic. ''Fuck!''

    "How are things going with Rothschild Cosmetics and Koko''s mom?"

    Dixie sighed. "Not as well as I''d hoped, unfortunately."

    Although Emilia hadn''t been very interested in it at first, she couldn''t help but be a little curious. "Did something go wrong?"

    The short haired girl shook her head. "Not yet, but the Rothschild''s definitely have a lot heavier backing than we thought, previously. Even though most of the upper ss in our country don''t think that well of them now, she managed to suddenly strike several big deals. With a little rebranding and several endorsements, I''m not sure how we should proceed."

    Given that Dixie''s preliminary investigation hadn''t managed to dig up anything that would exin what was happening, there was probably more going on than it seemed. Emilia thought about it for a while before nodding. "In that case, tell Koko''s mom to stop for now. I''ll have Noelle look into it first, and we can see where to go from there."

    Dixie nodded. Considering that the Brown family really didn''t have much of an intelligencework to boast of, she knew that Emilia would definitely be able to get better results if she asked someone on her side.

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed. "Uh, are you sure I should be hearing this?"

    These were clearly things that shouldn''t be known to the public, and she didn''t think Emilia was tactless enough to just mention these things to anyone but those who should know.

    Emilia just smiled nonchntly. "It''s fine, I trust you."

    Crystal''s heart skipped a beat, but she tried her best to appear serious. "W-Well, you should be more careful when dealing with things like this!"

    Emilia nodded as she motioned for Dixie to get off, and the girl could only reluctantly do so. "Speaking of which, I did have a favor to ask of you, Crystal."

    "E-Eh, what favor?"

    The blonde girl stared in confusion as Dixie rummaged through her bag before taking out a green folder that she then handed over to her.

    Flipping it open, on the first page she found the face of a girl about the same age as herself, though not one she had ever seen before.

    "That, is Michelle, someone who needs your help."

 Chapter 118 - Heroine Of Justice

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    Back when the hero and his father had tried to use thew enforcement to throw mud her way, one of the ''counterattacks'' Emilia had managed toe up with included the case of a young college girl named Michelle who had been bullied to the point of almostmitting suicide.

    Although she had briefly mentioned it at that time in the news report, it hadn''t been a pivotal point in turning the situation around, and neither the media nor herself paid it much attention.

    However, it remained a fact that this case had been pretty much ''ignored'' by thew enforcement, and the girl was certainly suffering injustice even at this very moment.

    Of course, such a thing wasn''t too much of a concern to Emilia, and she had thought that simply handing the thing off to Noelle as a side project would be enough to have it ''handled'' appropriately.

    Much to her surprise, however, Noellepletely failed to make any progress in the case within the restraints of her ''assignment'', and ended up calling her back to inquire about whether she should start digging deeper or just drop it.

    Some of the things she mentioned caught Emilia''s interest, because the case apparently involved one of her father''s fiercest opponents and Mr. ck''s political ally.

    At that time, Cynthia had been quite smug. "Isn''t she just so eager to avoid that dinner date with you?"

    Emilia wasn''t one to rush things, however, and decided that their ''bet'' could be put off forter.

    She intended to have Noelle work on it fully under her supervision after the exams, but Crystal''s condition had taken a higher priority, and that''s when she suddenly had an idea.

    Wasn''t Crystal supposed to be an amazing detective with a ''natural gift'' in the original timeline?

    Not only would this give her a great opportunity to observe the heroine''s ''skill'' in action, it should also help her distract the girl from whatever was bothering her.

    Although at this point Emilia was quite certain that it was rted to herself, which is why just ''asking'' might even backfire, and she had to tread with caution.

    As for Noelle, well, she should cherish her normal life while itsts.

    Crystal couldn''t help but furrow her brows as she flipped through the file while trying her best to ignore Emilia petting Dixie''s head while the girl took a nap on the girl''sp. "How did youe to know about her, Emilia?"

    Since the girl was going to be the one doing most of the ''investigation'', Emilia of course intended to hand her all the facts. "You remember the time when I went on TV for a while? For the trafficking case?"

    "Ah, yes? I watched it all, of course, but I don''t recall her name being mentioned?"

    Emilia sighed. "Actually, I talked about it in a lot of detail during the interview, but the broadcasters cut that part out."

    Crystal frowned. "Why?"

    "At that time, I thought that maybe it was because it didn''t fit well with the ''theme'' they were going for, and there was already a lot of stuff going on with the trafficking and rescue case, so I didn''t really dwell on it¡­"

    How could Crystal not realize what was happening? Emilia clearly meant that the ''case'' was being suppressed. Looking at the file again, however, she couldn''t find any clue as to why.

    It looked like a ''standard'' bullying case, at the end of which the girl had jumped off a three-story building and ended up paralyzed in a hospital, unable to move or even speak. Her brain function remained normal, however, and the doctors believed that she could eventually recover.

    "Why are you showing this to me, though?"

    Emilia shrugged. "Because you''re the smartest person I know? Since I can''t figure it out, I can only ask for your help."

    Crystal scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Although it felt good to be ''looked up to'' by her crush, this responsibility was a bit too heavy for her to take on casually. After all, it involved a girl''s life. "I-I don''t know what you think, but I''m not a detective or anything. How can I figure out anything that the police can''t?"

    Emilia gently set Dixie aside till she was peacefully lying on the bed beforeing right beside the heroine. "Well, I believe it''s not that others ''can''t'' figure it out, they just don''t want to. But¡­ Crystal wants to bring her to justice, right?"

    Thest few words were whispered directly into her ears, and Crystal''s eyes went wide in shock. "W-Why would you think that?"

    Emilia smiled. "Because Crystal is a heroine of justice."

    This was something that Cynthia disagreed with, but Emilia believed in firmly. Even when Danielle had lost everything in the original timeline, including her life, Crystal had been the only one who returned to seek out the ''culprit'' on her behalf when no one else would care to.

    Of course, this was based on Emilia''s belief that the heroine really didn''t just ''give up'' on everything for ''true love'' at the end, like Cynthia thought, and had a greater n at work to be acting the way she did.

    Knowing Crystal now, only this way would Emilia be convinced that her actions made sense.

    In response to Emilia''s unabashed deration,pared to Cynthia once again rolling her eyes in her mind, the heroine''s shock was clear on her face.

    "H-Heroine of justice? M-Me?"

    Emilia nodded, as if it was something obvious. "Right."

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel a sense of panic in her heart. It was true that she had always had a lofty idea of justice in her heart, however, she had never dared to express it to others. After all, it would seem like such a joke,ing from her incapable self.

    Forget about enforcing justice, she couldn''t even take care of any injustice that she herself would be facing.

    This was one of the reasons why she had first started to admire Emilia, who dared to speak and dared to do, striking against the bullies who many knew existed but knowingly ignored.

    Her expression was a bit sad. "Doesn''t that title fit you more?"

    Emilia thought it was quite funny, however, considering everything she had already gone through, and everything that was now willing to go through.. "Me? Ahaha¡­ I''m just a willful girl, doing whatever I want. How can I be considered a ''Heroine of Justice''? I''ll only help out those I feel like helping out, understand?"

 Chapter 119 - Leave It To Me!

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    Of course, Crystal didn''t agree with what Emilia said at all. She felt like Emilia was someone who would keep insisting that she wasn''t ''good'' at all even as she was saving the world from an alien invasion.

    Compared to her attitude at the start of the school year, it felt like Emilia had gotten more and more unruly with every passing day. It was really a wonder how she maintained a good image in the school with her attitude.

    Crystal sighed. ''Then again, it''s really no wonder if her image is good, with Penny and her knights working so hard.''

    Of course, she was also an ''honorary'' member of the ''club'', so what could she say?

    Emilia''s request to her was actually not that hard for her to fulfill. She just wanted her to go with her to take a look around and see if she could find anything worth looking into. The actual ''heavy lifting'' would still be left to some ''Noelle'' girl she kept mentioning.

    Crystal couldn''t help but sigh. "If this ''Noelle'' is so capable, why not just let her handle it? You don''t even have to ask me, right?"

    Emilia smiled. "Noelle is, after all, one of my employees. I cannot be too unreasonable with her. Anyway, I already owe her a dinner date, how can I make her work overtime?"

    The blonde girl had absolutely no idea what kind ofpensation packages the White Deer family offered, but if it included dinner dates with the owner''s daughter, the treatment the employees received was really too good.

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    Michelle Reeves was a bright young girl, full of hopes and dreams when she first started her sses at the ''Sullivan''s School of Fine Arts''.

    Of course, it was not the ''best'', but it was still one of the better colleges in the country, and the reputation it had acquired despite being newly established was nothing to scoff at.

    However, her dreams quickly turned to nightmares, and she found herself wishing more and more that she could just stay at home and never have to go to college again.

    But one look at the sky high debt she had acquired from her loans made her realize that it was impossible, and she could only bear with it and hope the boys who were bothering her would soon forget about it.

    Unfortunately, things only seemed to escte from there, as abination of bad rumors and mockery slowly filled her mind with nothing but negativity, suffocating her every day from dawn to dusk until she eventually broke apart and decided to end it all.

    To think that all of it had started just because she rejected a boy, Michelle still couldn''t believe it.

    In the past, she had seen many boys being rejected, and many girls being turned down, but it had never developed like this. So why was it that when it was her turn, things had turned out this way? Was it really all her fault?

    Even the gods seemed to want to see her suffer, however, because she failed at even ending her own life, and ended up being tied to a hospital bed instead.

    And now, every day would start with staring at a white ceiling, and end with a nurse checking her status before calling it a night.

    Of course, she had been visited by some officers after her ''ident'', a man and a woman, but she knew better than anyone who much they didn''t care about her just from their faces. They were all too happy to leave ''regretfully'' after discovering that she couldn''t respond to their questions at all.

    Today, however, months after she had been hospitalized, Michelle received some ''unexpected'' visitors.

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    With how stubborn Emilia was, there was no way for Crystal to deny her despite herck of confidence in herself being able to help in this case at all.

    What she worried about most was not that she would mess up and embarrass herself, but that she would end up making a mistake that would prevent Michelle from getting the justice that she deserved.

    However, when she finally saw the girl with her own eyes, her previous doubts seemed to vanish as she felt a determination in her heart.

    How could she just give up without even trying?

    She believed that Emilia wouldn''t lie to her, and if the difference between this girl getting the justice she deserved or not was to be determined by her attitude, Crystal would of course have to give it her all.

    Emilia watched with interest as the heroine approached the girl lying on the hospital bed, first introducing herself before asking some general questions.

    Of course, since the girl had never managed to utter out a single word since her ident, how could she possibly respond?

    Emilia believed in Crystal''s ability, however, and continued to listen patiently as the girl dictated a few ''events'' going on outside, mixing some questions in between. She didn''t seem too bothered by the fact that the girl on the bed couldn''t talk back.

    After a while, she stood up and bid farewell to the girl before leaving the room with Emilia in tow.

    "Well, what do you think?"

    Crystal sighed. "I don''t know what to do, Emilia. I think¡­ I''ll end up disappointing you¡­"

    Emilia couldn''t help but raise her brows in interest. "Why do you say that? We''ve just started, right? Anyway, I just brought you here to take a look, there''s not much ''proof'' we can get from her anyway."

    The blonde girl shook her head. "No, I mean, that girl¡­ It''s not that she ''can''t talk'', but that she doesn''t ''want to''. I couldn''t even make her talk when I knew that, so¡ª"

    Emilia''s eyes went wide as she grabbed the heroine''s hands. "Really?!"

    The heroine looked at their intertwined fingers, having already forgotten what she was going to say next. "U-Uh, right?"

    Emilia chuckled.. "Well, just being able to figure that out is great enough! You haven''t disappointed me at all. As for how to make her talk¡­ leave that to me!"

 Chapter 120 - A Deal With The Devil

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    After Amos had made the request to rescue the girl he loved, Mr. ck had of course made his subordinates escte the investigation on the issue, though what they could discover was still quite limited thanks to the strengthened security of the Miller Restaurant.

    Mr. ck''s assistant pushed up his sses. "Crystal Miller''s freedom does not seem to be restricted in any way. Although there seem to be certain people protecting her, and recently even the White family''s youngest daughter apanies her personally, which is strange."

    The buff man hummed in thought, indicating him to continue.

    The assistant had wanted to mention that perhaps the information his boss got was wrong, but considering how he had fucked up with the matter of themissionerst time, he didn''t dare to do any more or less than he was told. "The girl''s mother, from our investigation, does not seem to leave the house at all. Her movements are mostly limited to just the third floor of the restaurant, which is the residential area, though she does sometimese down to the ground floor."

    Mr. ck looked a little interested. "So she never leaves the ce?"

    The assistant shook his head. "From what we observed, no. Either she is a true homebody, or her movements are heavily restricted."

    "Any regr visitors?"

    "Aside from the guests, there seem to be only three."

    The secretary ced pushed forward three files, containing the profiles of Dixie, her mother, and Emilia.

    The hero''s father could tell who they were with just a nce at the picture on top, having already investigated Emilia before, and tapped his finger on the desk for a while before nodding. "Alright, what about the security around the ce? How does it look?"

    The assistant looked a little awkward. "W-We couldn''t confirm it fully, but before the White family''s daughter moved in, there were already around a hundred armed personnel, many armed with automatic weapons."

    "And now?"

    "N-Now there seem to be at least twice as many."

    Mr. ck sighed. With this kind of lineup, it was already impossible to just march in and grab anyone.

    It was not that he couldn''t muster up a simr force, it was just that if they fought like that, they would very quickly be facing the military instead. Neither he nor his rival would benefit from that, and Mr. ck didn''t want to shoot himself in the foot just to me his rival.

    As for capturing her on the way to school, that was even more impossible.

    Although there would be fewer people protecting her at that time, they would be on a much higher level of alert. And the risk of identally killing the girl would also be much higher.

    Not to mention the absolute mayhem that would be caused by doing such a thing in public. Mr. ck was simply not willing to bear such repercussions just to fulfill a single promise to his son.

    However, making a business deal was, of course, very much within reason.

    Mr. ck didn''t know for what reason the owner of the Brown''s confectioneries stuck so close to the Miller woman, perhaps they got along quite well, but that didn''t matter to him.

    In any case, he had no intention of harming the woman, so even if Mrs. Brown got along with her, there was no reason for her to be against cooperating with him.

    Of course, this was based upon the reports he received on Mrs. Brown herself, supposedly a free spirit who often made ruthless business decisions. Under her leadership, the Brown family''s confectionerypany had grown from almost nothing to now being able topete with several international brands.

    It was no small feat, but of course, she was still no more than an ant in front of the ck Tiger Corporation. If he truly wanted to, he could easily crush both her and herpany.

    Interestingly enough, the woman seemed to have set her daughter to get into the good graces of the White family''s little girl.

    Of course, Mr. ck thought that it was a good strategy to take a big leap forward, as long as it could clear the way for a major deal in the future. It showed how the woman wouldn''t hesitate to use her own daughter to further her goals.

    Mr. ck didn''t take long to make a decision. Wasting time wasn''t his style, so he immediately instructed his secretary to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Brown.

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    One of the primary reasons Emilia had decided to investigate the case of Michelle along with Crystal was to let the girl discover her own ''hidden talent'', and as she did so, Emilia could work on getting rid of whatever mental abnormality she was going through as well.

    Of course, Emilia was well aware that there was a limit to how much the heroine would be willing to just believe in her words. If she truly wanted to make her shine, she would have to show Crystal how capable she was.

    This was why she had just been looking for an opportunity, and this was exactly it.

    After telling the heroine to wait outside the room, Emilia locked the door and moved in front of the seemingly paralyzed Michelle.

    Given that the girl had refused to speak or move until now, even when Crystal had repeatedly made it clear that she was here to help, Emilia knew that if she tried to do the same thing, nothing would change.

    However, she was not Crystal, the pure-hearted heroine who only believed in doing good.

    There were things she could do that Crystal couldn''t even think of doing.

    With her extremely short brown hair and dull ck eyes, the girl on the bed looked quite simr to a skinny boy, which was quite a sharp contrast to the bob cut and vibrant face with chubby cheeks in her picture on the file.

    Emilia simply stared back at the girl''s uninterested face for a few minutes, and then she smiled. "How about¡­ we make a deal?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream: This is the regr chapter. A bonus chapter should be up within an hour or so, once I''m done editing it.

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 121 - Champions Of Mental Gymnastics

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    Mrs. Brown found herself staring nkly at the buff man in front of her, having never expected a visit from such an ''illustrious'' person in the office of her tiny confectionerypany.

    Well, that was a lie.

    As someone who considered herself an inw of the richest family in the country, she of course didn''t need to give way to these so-called ''big shots'', but that was still in the future.

    After all, her simp of a daughter was quite slow.

    Mrs. Brown was, of course, an expert in mental gymnastics, and had already jumped through several hoops to ''realize'' why Mr. ck was here. ''Tch, just because my daughter managed to cuck his son by getting together with his ex-fianc¨¦e? Fuck off, man, do you expect the girl to remain single for the rest of her life?''

    Mr. ck of course didn''t expect the woman to be ecstatic or even grateful for his impromptu visit. After all, as someone who had recently been trying to cozy up to his rival, she should be feeling more terrified now than anything else.

    If he knew her true thoughts, however, he would probably strangle her to death.

    As true ''professionals'', however, both of them maintained a neutral smile as Mr. ck started discussing a few ''unimportant'' projects he was considering developing in the future.

    Of course, Mrs. Brown would have to be blind as a bat to not see that this was a clear bait. How could Mr. ck ''suddenly'' take such a deep interest in the confectionery industry? Not to mention anything else, right now it wasn''t even in a ''booming'' phase. He already had multiple far more significant industries he could sink money into if truly he wanted to do so.

    Mr. ck smiled. "Of course, although I have all these ns, I''ll need someone already experienced in the field to take the lead. I believe you would suit the role quite well."

    Mrs. Brown was already tired of him beating around the bush, and gave him a skeptical look. "Really? With all due respect, Mr. ck, I have absolutely no idea what you''re trying to do here. No offense, but if you don''t tell me what you really want, I''ll just think you want to screw me over somehow."

    The buff manughed. "Alright then, I''ll be direct. I really just want to ''help you out a little'', as long as you''re willing to do me a little favor in exchange."

    The woman gave him a nk look, as if wondering what sort of drugs he was on.

    Mr. ck cleared his throat. "Let me rify. Actually, there''s someone I want you to help me meet. As for these deals, I really do wish to carry through with them, and would be more than happy to send them your way, as long as you can arrange that meeting for me."

    Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but be startled. Was there anyone she knew who wouldn''t ept meeting him? Perhaps only that daughter-inw of hers would qualify.

    After all, although many others had the ''qualifications'' to refuse the man, they didn''t really have any reason to do so. This included the likes of Emilia''s parents. Even as rivals, they would often meet, especially when it came to making deals with the state.

    As for why he wanted to meet Emilia, a professional mental gymnast like Mrs. Brown could instantlye up with a thousand and one reasons. And over half of them involved cucking her simp of a daughter.

    Mrs. Brown could feel a wave of surging anger rising from deep within her heart. ''To dare to set your sights on my daughter-inw, and even asking me to help, is there no limit to his shamelessness? Ahh, what a pity that his wife is already dead, I heard she was quite a beauty. But if he thinks I can''t screw him over just because of that, he''s got another thinging!''

    As someone who had yed all sorts of schemes and dramas in her youth, including running away with a fake baby in her belly, threatening to jump off a bridge, drugging her boyfriend, arranging fake double dates, threatening to cuck her boyfriend, pretending to have already done so, and even faking a miscarriage, there only existed dramas that hadn''t yet had the opportunity to create, and none that she couldn''t.

    "The person I want you to help me meet¡ª"

    Mrs. Brown interrupted him, having no intention of even hearing about his surely disgusting n. "I know, I know. To be honest, I don''t care about these love affairs at all! Whatever happens, happens. So yeah, I can arrange it, but Mr. ck, I''m really nothingpared to you, so how do I know you''ll hold up your end of the deal once you get what you want?"

    Since she was going to screw him over, Mrs. Brown of course intended to do so ''thoroughly''. If there was a benefit she could get from him, she would take it. If there was a loss she could cause him, she would do it. If there was a wife she could fuck, she would have already done so.

    Anyway, since he was going for her daughter-inw, the White family would surely back her up anyway, right?

    Mr. ck was a decisive man, and he directly handed over several already prepared contracts for her to take a look,cking only his final signature. "Rest assured, as ruthless as I am to my enemies, I''m generous to my allies."

    He had to admit that he underestimated this woman slightly. To think that she already figured out what he wanted, and even seemed quite prepared for it!

    Since she knew about this, and was also trying to get that daughter of hers close to the White family''s daughter, it was likely that she was even more familiar with their interpersonal rtionships than himself!

    If this was so, it was even possible that she had gotten close to Mrs. Miller intentionally, in an effort to make a bridge with Amos, who was interested in the woman''s daughter. As long as one of these schemes of hers worked, she would have caught onto the very core of one of the biggest corporates in the country!

    Perhaps it was no surprise that a schemer of this caliber was able to wrestle the control of that renowned fighter family and then even raise them to such a level all by herself.

    Against such a woman, even though she was much weaker than him, Mr. ck decided to tread with caution. Thankfully, all the contracts had been prepared by his own people, and the woman didn''t ask for any revisions.

    Of course, Mr. ck didn''t put her side of the deal on paper. To put it simply, even if it could be enforced, the best way to do so was through the sheer threat of the ck Tiger Corporation.

    Mrs. Brown never rified whom the man wanted to meet, so sure was she of her guess of Emilia being the onlymon link between the two of them, and Mr. ck vastly overestimated the woman''s scheming, thinking that she already had it all figured out.

    As soon as the buff man left, Mrs. Brown immediately called one of the numbers on her speed dial. "Sammy! It''s your mother-inw!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream: This is the bonus chapter for 500 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 122 - A Convenient Target

    Samantha''s recent life had been full of constant ups and downs, with her mood repeatedly going from delighted to depressed and then back again, over and over!

    On one hand, she had received her father''s ''blessings'' for her rtionship with Emilia. However reluctant he may have been, she now had his ''go ahead, since it already happened anyway, just don''t tell your mom''. As long as Emilia cooperated a little¡­

    However, Emilia left at such a time!

    Well, maybe that was the reason she got such an ''opportunity'' in the first ce, so she could still barely ept that. All she had to do was wait a little anyway, right?

    And just when she had managed to settle her mood, her mother called in to ask if Noelle was ''avable'', and if she would be alright with having her secretary reced.

    What a joke! Half the calls that her sister made these days were for Noelle! If she really gave the girl up, wouldn''t that cut her time talking to Emilia by at least half?!

    No matter how much her mother needed Noelle''s help, there was no way Samantha would let her go willingly. Unfortunately, her mother was quite determined, and she could only dy the matter for a few days by throwing a tantrum.

    Samantha couldn''t help but stomp her feet in anger. "Who the fuck is this Jeoffery Porter? Some TV show protagonist?! Noelle, you agree that he''s a piece of trash, right?"

    Noelle rolled her eyes. "I''ll admit that he''s unlikely to be as good as me, but you should probably refrain frombeling your employees as trash in the future. Anyway, you should start learning how to control yourself better now, since it seems like I won''t be around to babysit you much longer."

    The tall girl frowned. "Hmph, dream on, Noelle. The only way you''re getting out of my clutches is if Emilia calls you over. I''ll figure something out with mom!"

    Of course, both of them knew that, unlike her husband, Mrs. White was very unlikely to budge on something once she had made a decision.

    Noelle shrugged. Although she''ll admit she had gotten a little attached to Samantha, having served by her side for so many years, ultimately she would still have to follow what her actual employers said.

    Perhaps this was even a good thing, since she had the feeling that Samantha''s mischievous little sister was starting to pay way too much attention to her. Thankfully, she was easily distracted and had ended up postponing that ''dinner date'', hopefully forever.

    Once she was transferred away from these two, she could perhaps switch back to a more professional and less personal working environment.

    In the meantime, it was fine to work a little harder for them. She was only doing it out of pity, since they would be helpless without her. There was definitely no other reason.

    "I''ll go take care of a few things Emilia had mentioned before, call me if you need help, alright?"

    Samantha sighed as she waved the grey-haireddy away, feeling mncholic. ''I-I''ll have to talk to Emilia and tell her Noelle may no longer be avable so easily¡­''

    Just thinking about the disappointed ''oh'' that was sure toe from her little sister, Samantha could already feel the butterflies fluttering in her belly.

    Apanion who had been by her side for so many years was going to be reced by some bumbling idiot, and she would be facing her little sister''s disappointment as well¡­ It couldn''t possibly get worse!

    And at this time, she received a phone call from a very, very annoying person. Nheless, Samantha was a professional, and she wouldn''t let her emotions¡ª

    "Sammy! It''s your mother-inw!"

    With Mrs. Brown''s sharp ears, she could tell that there was a faint ''crack'' from the other side, and whether it was Samantha''s phone cracking from being clutched too hard or something else, she couldn''t help but giggle. The girl still didn''t dare drop her call, after all.

    Of course, Samantha loathed having to talk to her, but recalling that thest time she had called was to report the ''hit'' on Emilia, though it was something she had already been aware of, there was a chance that the woman might have something to say that concerned her little sister.

    "You sure love to joke, Mrs. Brown. I''m a bit busy at the moment, did you have anything urgent to discuss?"

    The older woman cleared her throat, her jovial voice now filled with righteous fury. "Of course, of course! Sammy, you won''t believe it, but some bastard just came in to ask me for help in getting my own daughter-inw kidnapped!"

    It took Samantha almost a full minute to process what the woman had said. Assuming that ''daughter-inw'' referred to her little sister¡­

    "WHICH PIECE OF¡ª"

    Mrs. Brown was of course delighted to hear her rage, and proceeded to fan the mes till the call abruptly disconnected.

    Of course, Samantha called her from another number shortly afterward.

    "S-Sorry, I broke that phone."

    Samantha''s mood had significantly cooled down after she realized that the phone that the brand new imported phone that Noelle treated like her own baby had been shattered to pieces by her. Her secretary was going to be pissed! And that wasn''t even the worst part of her day. She was like a boiling kettle that had been blocked off, ready to explode.

    Mrs. Brown obviously didn''t mind. "It''s fine, I totally understand. AH, but although I love my dearest daughter-inw so much, I can''t help but feel powerless in this situation. Whatever shall I do, ha?"

    Samantha''s response didn''t disappoint her at all, and the more she talked, the more she realized that there had been no real need for her to goad the girl in the first ce.

    The reason she had been so ''provocative'' wasn''t just because Mrs. Brown wanted to entertain herself with Samantha''s reactions. Though that was definitely fun. No, the real reason had been that she actually was quite helpless against Mr. ck, and she''d need all the help she could get from Samantha''s side if she was to sessfully strike back against the ck Tiger.

    Mrs. Brown had seen many sibling rtionships in her life, and they ranged from ''hate each other to the bones'' to ''love each other obsessively'', with a wide and interesting variety in between. The mostmon were those that cared for each other a little, but didn''t care enough to show it.

    Samantha''s case was clearly in one of those ''extremes'', however, as the girl not only agreed to even the most ridiculous of her retaliation proposals, she even felt that it wasn''t enough!

    "No, how can we let him get away with just this small loss?! To dare to scheme against my baby, hmph!"

    Mrs. Brown''s eyes shone, like a kid who had just been given control of something that they definitely shouldn''t have got their hands on. With this big bad weapon in her hand, she wouldn''t be a real gigachad if she didn''t even dare to point it at her enemies!

    "Well, if you really want to, if possible¡ª"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream: Regr chapter of the day. A bonus chapter should be out within an hour or two, once I''m done editing it. >_<

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 123 - A Vampire? Seriously?

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    Meanwhile, back at the Green Leaf hospital, Michelle still stared back at Emilia nkly, as if her words didn''t even register in her mind.

    Of course, with the girlying ''paralyzed'' on the hospital bed, there had been nock of people who tried to do something simr. Why would she respond to Emilia any differently?

    And Emilia knew this very well, having already seen herpletely ignore Crystal''s passionate attempts atforting and assuring her that she was there to help.

    She didn''t know exactly what happened with the girl, and only had a rough idea that she had been more or less bullied to the point of attempting suicide, based on Noelle''s investigation.

    Emilia had never gone through such circumstances herself, and could not rte to the girlpletely. What she knew, however, was that the girl had certainly lost all hope, and didn''t believe in anyone who proposed to help her.

    However, Emilia wouldn''t let something like this get in her way. After all, she had to make Crystal shine and believe in her own talent. Now that the girl had done her part in finding out a way ahead, it was her job to ''take care'' of any obstacles that blocked their path.

    ''What do you think, Cynthia?''

    Her partner wasn''t too optimistic about her n, but felt like it could go either way. "It depends on the individual, I think. Some people won''t be convinced in any case, and will continue to wallow in their despair, while others can get motivated if you give them some way to exact vengeance. If it fails though, wouldn''t it be too humiliating? Are you sure you want to do something so cringe?"

    Emilia hummed in thought as she grabbed the girl''s hand, making sure that the girl''s gaze was focused on her. "Watch carefully, little girl. If you dare to blink, I''ll kill you."

    Michelle thought this had to be the weirdest thing anyone ever said to her so far while attempting to check whether she could move anything but her eyes, or talk, but it wasn''t enough for her to even chuckle. All joy had long since left her life, after all.

    Ding!

    ¡ªAbility Shapeshift Activated!

    After making sure that the girl''s eyes were focused on her face, Emilia opened her mouth and pulled the girl''s palm till her fingers were touching her left canine, while the right one remained clear in her line of sight.

    Michelle''s eyes couldn''t help but shrink as she watched, and felt, the girl''s teeth elongate like those of a vampire from a horror show. For a moment, she even wondered if she was dreaming, but the pain in her now pierced finger made it clear that this was no dream.

    As this was a world where the supernatural did not exist out of TV shows and movies, Emilia decided that doing such a thing would not shock the girl enough to make her pay attention, but also be able to convince her that she could perhaps do ''something'' about her situation.

    After all, her existence itself was supposed to be impossible, so what could she possibly not do?

    Emilia didn''t give the girl the time to think through things too much, and let go of her hand nonchntly, not caring of the tiny amount of blood. "I''m offering you a deal, mortal, do you dare to refuse?"

    A few momentster, the girl finally opened her mouth, her voice hoarse from a long time of inactivity. "A-Are you really a vampire?"

    Emilia chuckled. Since she was going to bamboozle her, she would of course give her the full course. "I am what you can neverprehend, mortal. Do you believe I can make all your dreamse true?"

    The girl sighed. "My dreams¡­ I don''t have any¡­ not anymore¡­."

    Emilia smiled. "Perhaps you don''t want to achieve anything great anymore, little one, but are you alright with letting those who hurt you go, just like that?"

    Michelle jolted as her eyes finally regained a little bit of light, but her expression quickly filled with hate. "No, of course not! I hate them, I want them to suffer! Suffer as much as me, no more than me, even! B-But¡­ can you really do it?"

    Emilia smiled mysteriously. "I can do so much more than you think, but only if you''re willing to pay the price."

    The girl nodded. If it had been someone from the staff, the police, or even some detective, she would never believe them. After all, the most they could ever do was to ''punish'' the culprits underw, which wouldn''t really be punishing them much at all.

    Not enough to quench the fires of hatred and injustice in her heart, at least.

    However, if it was an unscientific existence like a vampire¡­

    Michelle knew she was being absurd.

    How could she believe such a thing?

    Such a thought did ur to her, but she immediately dismissed it. In her depths of despair, she would rather believe this than keep believing that there was no hope at all to get back at those bastards.

    As long as she could grind their bones to dust, there was no price she was unwilling to pay.

    Emilia smiled. Of course, there was no real need for her to make the girl pay any price, but this was a necessary step in convincing her. She would be far more skeptical if Emilia simply wanted to help her at no cost at all. Even if she exined that it was for Crystal''s sake, it would still be ''suspicious''.

    And since she was a ''vampire'' now, she of course had to y the part. "What if¡­ the price was your soul?"

    Michelle had expected just as much from a dark creature, though she didn''t know if those ''stories'' really fit the ''girl'' in front of her at all, or to what extent. "Then¡­ I will dly offer it to you."

    As she watched Emilia''s absurd n actually work out, Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh wistfully. ''Why does this remind me of the time I scammed Emilia? Oh shit, d she didn''t hear that.''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream: Bonus chapter for 750 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 124 - A Clumsy Vampire

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    Emilia''s experience with ''vampire'' lore was limited to a few tidbits she had heard here and there, mostly from Cynthia. Had there been any actual vampires in this world, they would surely have been offended at how casually Emilia made up a couple of ''sacred rituals'' just to convince Michelle.

    "Our sacred promise, once enforced, cannot be vited by any means. And whoever dares to so will have their own blood burn them from inside out. Do you understand?"

    Although Michelle didn''t have any intention of going back on her promise, she couldn''t help but shudder a little before nodding.

    Emilia smiled. "Then, I shall proceed with the ritual. When I sink my teeth into your flesh, you shall make a solemn oath dering your fealty to me. Understand?"

    Michelle nodded as she was pushed back onto the hospital bed before Emilia pulled her hospital gown down to expose her shoulder. Of course, since she was going to leave a mark, it couldn''t be in a ce that Crystal would easily spotter, right?

    Emilia''s teeth were still extended, allowing her to easily sink them into the girl''s shoulder. Of course, she couldn''t retract them even if she wanted to, since her shapeshift skill was still in ''cooldown''.

    ''Isn''t it possible to bypass these ''cooldowns'' in an emergency?''

    Cynthia scoffed. "I''ll have you know, the cooldowns are based on what your body can currently handle. Even if I forced the skill to work again, it would just fail, and you''d be in a world of pain. Wanna try?"

    Emilia sighed, having guessed as much.

    Meanwhile, Michelle was trying her best to deliver a ''solemn'' speech of fealty to Emilia, which she thought was quite cute. How can someone bear to hurt such a sincere, awkward little girl?

    "I-Is that enough, um, miss?"

    Emilia removed her teeth from the girl''s shoulder, making sure to kiss the spot toplete her act. "I have already healed the wound on your shoulder, it shouldn''t bleed anymore."

    Of course, she had never ''pierced'' it in the first ce, but Michelle didn''t know that. As expected, the girl nced at her shoulder and noticed that only a few dainty little marks were left there.

    Who would have guessed that a vampire''s kiss could heal? Reality really was quite different from fiction, the girl thought.

    "Now that our promise is sealed with blood, I will first take care of my side of the deal, and I expect you to cooperate fully, understand?"

    "I understand, uh, may I¡­ may I know what to call you?"

    Emilia smiled. "You can call me ''Princess'' in private, and Emilia in public."

    Of course, she would rather just be called Emilia all the time, but considering her act so far, maybe it would be a little strange if she didn''t have a superior title.

    Michelle never expected that the vampire she had somehow managed to get herself bound with would even be a royalty among the creatures, and didn''t even know if that was a good thing for her or not.

    She couldn''t help but sigh in her heart. ''Do I even have anything to be worried about? I was as good as dead before, and now I''ve even sold my soul. Maybe making any kind of deal with a worthless person like me is apse of judgment anyway.''

    Trying to end her own life because she was too scared to face those taunting faces anymore was pathetic enough, and now she had even sold her soul just to get back at them. She was neither brave nor a good person. In the end, a truly worthless being.

    "You''re not worthless."

    Michelle''s dark eyes couldn''t help but widen as she met Emilia''s sharp gaze. "H-How did you¡ª"

    Emilia flicked her hair. "It''s written all over your face. Anyway, since you belong to me now, I won''t allow anyone to call what''s mine ''worthless'', understand?"

    Michelle still couldn''t see what ''value'' she possibly had in the eyes of this vampire princess, but she couldn''t help but feel a little moved and embarrassed at the same time. "U-Un. I-I understand, princess."

    Emilia chuckled. "Good. Now that you''re mine, let me make a few things clear so you don''t misunderstand."

    Michelle nodded along as Emilia told her about her ''mortal identity'', as well what she was and wasn''t allowed to reveal to the others, along with the ''duties'' she expected her to perform as a ''servant'' once their deal was done.

    "Um, princess, is that really it?"

    "Hm?"

    "I-I mean¡­ Isn''t this treatment¡­ too good?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "Why, do I look like a stingy vampire to you?"

    "B-But princess, shouldn''t there be something you get out of me, too? Like, maybe a pint of blood every day?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown. She didn''t like the taste of blood at all, and if she had to drink so much every day just to convince Michelle¡­

    "N-No, ahem, a-as an ancient royal vampire, there is no need need for me drink blood so often. In fact, it''s considered a sign of weakness to drink blood, understand?!"

    Michelle nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. Right, perhaps it was like sexual desires in humans, and ''losing control'' would definitely be an unpleasant thing. ''Oh no¡­ don''t tell me I just sexually harassed her?!''

    Not knowing how vampires worked at all, she felt like she really should have kept her mouth shut.

    Emilia didn''t know what Michelle was thinking, so she just leaned in closer and pointed at the door. "Alright, I''ll call my friend in. She''s, eh¡­"

    Emilia paused, wondering how to make sure her ''disguise'' didn''t fall apart in front of either of them. After a while, she figured it out. Weren''t the vampires in those stories Cynthia mentioned generally the type to obsess over some girl because their blood was special? This would be easy enough, then.

    "She''s a human, um, my ''chosen mate'', kind of, the one whose blood appeals to me the most. Understand?"

    Michelle, who had already equated blood to sexual characteristics for vampires, thought that this royal vampire princess was really too vulgar when it came to courting her lover. Isn''t saying ''her blood appeals to me the most'' the same as saying ''I really like her boobs''?

    Unexpectedly, this royal vampire was quite na?ve!

    Michelle didn''t dare to ask this ''princess'' her age in terms of vampire lifespans, but she expected that the girl should be roughly in the ''early teens'', if not worse.

    But of course, that had nothing to do with their ''promise'', though Michelle hoped that the girl wasn''t in over her head and wouldn''t end up hurting herself while seeking to impress her crush. After all,pared to her already ruined life, this vampire princess should have a bright future ahead, right?

    Not knowing that her ''standing'' had already fallen from a mighty creature of the night to a na?ve little vampire princess, Emilia continued. "I''m trying to court her, and it''d be great if I could impress her with solving your case. Of course, our deal still stands. You''ll help me out, right?"

    Michelle couldn''t help but feel a little funny in her heart. "Of course, princess."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all the gifts yesterday! I feel so loved. >_<

    A bonus chapter should be out soon, once I''m done editing it.

    Thank you, again, for all your support! :>

 Chapter 125 - Tit For Tat

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    To say that Crystal was shocked when Emilia called her in to talk with Michelle would be an understatement.

    Emilia had really managed to make the girl talk in just a short few minutes, and she even lookedpletely calm!

    To think she had still been worried about how to console her once she failed¡­

    But although Crystal was extremely curious, perhaps asking Emilia how she managed to do it in front of the patient wouldn''t be a bright idea. She could always do thatter, after all.

    The blonde girl watched curiously as Emilia whispered something in Michelle''s ear, and the girl gave her a nod. Of course she would introduce herself to her ''master''s'' crush. "I''m sorry for my earlier rudeness. My name is Michelle, I''ll tell you what happened to me, and you can ask me any questions after that, alright?"

    Crystal could only nod, dumbfounded, as the girl started retelling what happened to her that led her to make such drastic decisions.

    Michelle''s story wasn''t thatplicated, however, there were some parts that the heroine couldn''t make sense of.

    When she had first started attending the ''Sullivan''s School of Fine Arts'', a boy who went by the name of George Porter took a keen interest in her, and started approaching her more and more often.

    At first, things didn''t seem that bad, and Michelle even considered going out with him. But when she caught wind of rumors that he was involved with drugs and substance abuse, she decided to steer clear of him out of caution.

    Her sudden ''snubbing'' of his courtship seemed to enrage the boy, however, and after he confronted her, Michelle could only confess about the rumors she had heard and hope that the boy would then stay away from her.

    Recalling it in detail again, Michelle couldn''t help but sigh as she thought about how easily she could have avoided all her misfortunes. "I was so stupid¡­ I should have just said that I wasn''t attracted to him, or that I wanted to focus on my studies¡­"

    Crystal shook her head. "It''s not your fault, he was the crazy one."

    Michelle groaned. If it had been someone else, she would have already started screaming about how she didn''t understand how she felt at all, but considering that this was her master''s crush¡­

    Who knew how this na?ve little royal vampire would react if her ''good blood girl'', equivalent to ''big booby waifu'', was offended? It would surely not bode well for her when she had just started to regain some hope in her life.

    After all, she already had a royal vampire''s promise to solve all her problems. She could lead a normal life after that, right?

    Crystal and Emilia listened carefully to the rest of Michelle''s story, though the girl didn''t go into grotesque detail every time, they could already imagine most of what had happened.

    From the point that she offended George, her life had turned from bad to worse day by day, and Michelle found herself rapidly spiraling down into a deep depression as more and more nasty rumors about herself began to spread.

    These weren''t just empty rumors she could refute or ignore, either. Doctored pictures of her sleeping with old men, some of her close ''friends'' suddenly ''revealing'' her ''true nature'', and even rumors of the very same thing she had used George of, were now all over her head.

    And even while she was barely holding onto herself, the straw that broke the camel''s back was when she was called to the admin office because she was ''suspected to have cheated'' on her entrance exam.

    At that point, her mind wentpletely nk as negative thoughts overwhelmed her.

    "A-At that time, all I was thinking was how if I was expelled, with all the debts I already have, wouldn''t all the things that have been spreading about me eventuallye true? Was there any point in going on, then?"

    It wasn''t that she didn''t dare to fight back, it was just that she saw no hope of winning.

    Crystal furrowed her brows as she patted the girl''s hand in constion, and Michelle shuddered. ''H-Hey princess, I didn''t touch your wife, okay? S-She took the initiative!''

    Thankfully, a sidelong nce told her that the royal vampire didn''t seem to care much about it, perhaps too focused on the smell of her future lover''s blood. ''S-She''s really too pervy! But I guess that''s good for me, or she would never make such a deal just to court her, right?''

    Michelle cleared her throat, trying to reduce some ''sympathy'' from the blonde girl. It wouldn''t bode well for her if they got too close, after all. "Actually, I always had the feeling that George was rich. Maybe that was one of the reasons I didn''t reject him at first¡­"

    She chuckled self-deprecatingly. "But to think he was influential enough to make the college throw me away just like that¡­"

    Crystal sighed as she assured the girl that it wasn''t her fault, while subtly hinting Emilia that they should take their leave to discuss the matter. After all, she was the one who handled Michelle, and should know how to ''depart'' without causing the ''turtle to go back into its shell'', so to speak.

    Emilia nodded before getting up and patting Michelle''s head. "We''ll take care of this for you, don''t worry. If you need anything, I''m leaving this phone here for you, my number is saved on the first speed dial."

    Of course, all the staff and security around Michelle''s room was part of the White Deer''s forces as well, but there was no need for her to specifically point that out.

    Michelle watched the two of them leave, her gaze full ofplex emotions.

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    Crystal and Emilia remained silent until they reached Emilia''s car, and only once they were in a private space did the blonde start speaking. "There is no mention of any such thing in the official documents, right?"

    Emilia nodded as she motioned the driver to head to their next destination. "Of course not. They either wiped it clean after the incident, or never went through with it in the first ce."

    The blonde couldn''t help but furrow her brows in thought. "W-What do we do now, then? You wanted me to help out, but I don''t think I can do anything at all!"

    Emilia grinned as she wrapped one arm around Crystal''s neck to pull her close before nting a kiss on her cheek, making the girl''s face go red. "What is my champion saying? Didn''t you figure out that the girl was pretending to be paralyzed with just a look? Do you think I would have been able to do anything if not for that?"

    "R-Really?"

    Emilia nodded. "Mhm. Not to mention, if you hadn''t spent so much time softening her up with your words earlier, I may not have been able to do anything either. Speaking of contributions for today''s matter, mine is only about a third, and the rest is all yours!"

    The blonde looked away shyly. "Y-You praise me too much. I only told you what I noticed, nothing special."

    Emilia giggled and pulled her closer again, rubbing their cheeks together as the heroine squeaked. "My heroine is really too humble and shy, ah. But you have to be confident if we''re going to figure things out from now on, okay? We haven''t won the ''fight'' yet, after all."

    Although Crystal felt like her heart was going to explode right out of her chest, she barely managed to nod. "W-What do we do next, then?"

    Emilia grinned. "Since they almost toyed with Michelle to her death, why not toy with them using her ''death''?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Golden ticket bonus chapter! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 126 - â€™Brilliantâ€™ Plan

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    After Emilia exined her ''n'' using a few crude drawings on a tablet, Crystal had to admit that absurd though it may seem, it might just be the best option avable to them.

    Whoever was protecting ''George'' from behind the scenes had clearly done a very ''thorough'' job, and it would probably take them a hundred times more effort if they were to try rushing head-on into the case.

    Doing things this way, however, allowed them to simply ''generate'' new evidence as they wished, and they could even make the perpetrators dance to their whims without the foes ever realizing it!

    Of course, Emilia''s n required a lot of fine-tuning before it could be set into motion, and Crystal enthusiastically set forth to strike out and add new points on Emilia''s tablet.

    While the heroine was enthusiastically prattling on, Cynthia couldn''t help but scratch her head in confusion. "Eh, I thought you were a really good painter, Emilia? Howe you made those chicken scrawls? No, more importantly, I''m pretty sure you had a more well thought out version of this n already, right?"

    Emilia chuckled internally as she kept nodding to the heroine''s proposed revisions to her n. ''Yeah, but let me remind you, why exactly am I doing this again?''

    "To get justice for that Michelle girl?"

    ''Wrong! That''s just something that will happen on the way. My goal here is to make Crystal shine! And she can''t do that as well if I give her an already impable draft to work with, right?''

    Cynthia nodded, ''enlightened''. "I see. You think she''s ipetent too, right?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. ''Don''t twist my words! You know I don''t mean that. She''s so young, and she hasn''t realized her full potential yet. Just because you think a kid is smart, do you give them questions on a concept they don''t know of, and then dere them dumb if they can''t solve it?''

    The raven-haired girl kept giggling in her mind,pletely ignoring all her ''excuses'', and Emilia made a mental note to ''school'' her soon enough, or she would just keep getting more and more arrogant!

    It was no wonder, because ever since Emilia had ''dyed'' their bet about Noelle, Cynthia had pretty much assumed her victory, and had been lording it over Emilia ever since. And now that Emilia had indirectly ''admitted'' to Cynthia being correct about Crystal all along, her smugness had reached a whole new level.

    Emilia smiled. ''I''m happy you''re having so much fun, Cynthia.''

    The poor, na?ve system failed to detect the threat in her partner''s words, and grinned smugly, unaware of the disaster she had invited.

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    By the time Emilia reached Samantha''s office, she''d already had Crystal draft out a more or lesspleted and polished version of their n.

    It was Crystal''s first time entering such a ''high-level'' office building, and she kept looking around in both nervousness and curiosity as they walked up to the reception desk.

    The cool look on the receptionist girl''s face immediately evaporated as soon as she looked up. ''F-Fuck, it''s her!''

    Although Emilia had nevere to Samantha''s office, her identity was already something of a legend in the ce.

    The obsession that their ''boss'', Samantha White, had for her little sister was already a well-established fact among the staff. No matter how Noelle scolded them whenever they gossiped about it, with the boss herself being so careless, it was impossible for anyone to not notice such a thing.

    That being the case, actually meeting Emilia meant that they could neither get on her bad side nor good side, or their careers at the White Deer Corporation were effectively over.

    The consequences of getting on her bad side were obvious, since a singleint to their boss, if that was even needed, would be the end of it for them. However, if they actually managed to somehow get on her ''good side'', that wasn''t necessarily a good thing either!

    Who knew how that sis-con would react when it came to her little sister? If she got jealous and decided to take it out on them, they wouldn''t even know whether tough or cry.

    That''s why it was best to just stay away.

    But the receptionist couldn''t just run away now that Emilia was standing right in front of her either, could she?

    Wracking her brains with all her might, the short-haired receptionist finally came up with a genius n. If she could pretend to not recognize Emilia and treat her as just another visitor without offending her¡­

    What a dumb n!

    What if Emilia got offended that she failed to recognize her?!

    Crystal stared at the receptionist nkly as she watched the girl''s expression switch between horror, glee, and despair in a strange cycle. She couldn''t help but tug at Emilia''s skirt. "I-Is she alright?"

    The receptionist snapped out of her daze just as Emilia was about to respond to the heroine, btedly realizing that by taking too long and effectively ''ignoring'' her, she might already be in the ''bad impression'' camp!

    She could only grit her teeth. ''Let''s go all-in on good impression, then! The good and bad mix together to make it neutral, basic chemistry, or math¡­ argh whatever! I can do this!''

    Crystal watched in wonder as the girl jumped over the reception desk and knelt down in front of them, holding Emilia''s hand piously. "P-Please forgive me, I was just dazed by your beauty, and lost my mind! How can I serve you today, miss Emilia?"

    However, it was at this moment that the executive lift opened with an ominous ''ding!'', and Samantha''s cold gazended on the poor receptionist kneeling in front of her little sister.

    The receptionist girl felt a shiver run down her spine as she fearfully turned her head towards the cold gaze, and felt her life sh before her eyes when she saw her boss exiting the lift.

    ''I''m fucked¡­''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    A bonus chapter should be out within an hour or two.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 127 - A Deeper Plot

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    Although Emilia didn''t know the ''dynamics'' of the employees at Samantha''s office, she could more or less feel that the receptionist girl was terrified of her older sister.

    She patted the receptionist''s hand that was still holding onto her own, causing the girl to freeze in shock. "No need to be so nervous. Since my sister is here already, just head back to work."

    The receptionist still felt that she was doomed, but her boss hadn''t exploded immediately, and Emilia did give her a temporary way out, so she could only stiffly stand up and move back to her desk, trying her best to hide the shivering of her legs.

    Emilia didn''t pay her any more attention, and instead pulled the shy heroine in front of her sister. "Sam, meet Crystal, the most brilliant, most intelligent, and kindest girl in our school! Crystal, you can call her big sister. You don''t mind, right, Sam?"

    Crystal''s entire face went red at Emilia''s over-the-top introduction, even though in her heart she was also extremely ttered that her crush would think of her like that.

    Samantha smiled, though Crystal felt like there was something weird about her expression. "Of course not. Nice to meet you, Crystal. I hope you always remain Emilia''s good friend."

    The blonde ducked her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "U-Un, nice to meet you too, b-big sister."

    Emilia had already informed Samantha about the reason for her impromptu arrival, and the three of them entered the lift to head back to Samantha''s office for a more private ce to talk.

    Samantha gave the two younger girls a sideways nce, staring pointedly at their still entwined hands, making the blonde girl flush in embarrassment as she hurriedly broke their hold in a panic.

    Emilia gave her a curious look, but the heroine turned her head away, not daring to look at her in the eyes.

    ''Cute¡­''

    Cynthia scoffed. "More like childish, or immature."

    Emilia internally rolled her eyes. ''Not any more than you, right? And she''s actually quite young, while you are¡­''

    "I dare you to finish that sentence."

    Emilia clicked her tongue, deciding to ignore her partner.

    Anyway, even if she was sure that a cannon was empty, she wasn''t stupid enough to put her head in there.

    Once they finally reached Samantha''s office, the older girl took the ''boss chair'' while motioning the two girls to sit across the table.

    Crystal had thought that Emilia''s sister would have an office that covered an entire floor, with full-length ss windows on all sides, and perhaps even be full of antiques that each would cost more than her entire house.

    However, the actual ce looked quite normal, though definitely a very ''high-end'' and luxurious office, it contained no antiques, and was of a much more reasonable size.

    While the heroine was still looking around curiously, Emilia was focused almost entirely on Samantha. She thought her ''sister'' looked awfully serious today whenpared to her usual self, and even seemed to be in a bad mood. Emilia couldn''t help but be a little concerned. "Is something the matter, Sam?"

    Samantha squirmed, feeling a little ufortable under Emilia''s inquisitive gaze. Should she really mention such things in front of a stranger? But she couldn''t lie to her little sister, could she?

    Helpless, she could only shrug and admit it. "I-I don''t feel so good today. A lot of bad news came in, um, I''ve been trying my best to deal with it, but it''s a little overwhelming."

    Emilia frowned. "What bad news?"

    Her older sister briefly flicked her eyes towards the confused-looking younger blonde girl next to Emilia before clearing her throat. Even if Emilia trusted Crystal, Samantha didn''t feel that it was okay to discuss matters involving ck Tiger Corporation so loosely. But the other matters should be fine. "Mom wanted to withdraw Noelle from under me and rece her with some schmuck named Jeoffery Porter. And there''s also a rather big deal I''m taking care of that worries me, but I can discuss that in detail with youter."

    Emilia blinked. "Jeoffery Porter, huh¡­ why does it sound familiar?"

    Samantha mmed her fist on the desk. "You know him?!"

    Her little sister quickly shook her head, making the older girl calm down.

    Although Crystal felt embarrassed, she couldn''t help but speak up. "U-Um, I think it might be because he has the samest name as the guy Michelle told us about earlier, Emilia."

    At first, they thought it was just a coincidence, but at that moment Noelle finally walked in with a few files they had been waiting for, and they realized it was no coincidence at all.

    Samantha held her head in her hands, wondering just what the hell was going on. "I-I don''t understand, how could a bastard like this get in here, and even mom rmended him to me?!"

    Emilia shook her head. "You can''t me her, before knowing the full truth of the matter. I''ll talk to her and we can discuss it. Anyway, don''t worry Sam, I''ll never let this Porter guy rece Noelle."

    Noelle didn''t know whether she was d to hear it or disappointed that she wouldn''t be ''free'' soon, and maybe her expression gave away some of her thoughts, because she soon found both Emilia and Samantha ring at her.

    "I just remember I was in the middle of making coffee, please excuse me."

    Noelle was quite lucky that both Emilia and Samantha had their hands full at the moment, or she would never have been able to escape so easily without some form of ''punishment''.

    Of course, unlike Samantha, Emilia was a girl who could hold her grudges for a long time, and decided to add one more point to her task list for when she finally got around to Noelle''s ''dinner date''. But that was forter.

    Samantha also knew what the two of them were there for, and nodded. "So what''s your n?"

    Emilia smiled. "Actually, Crystal was the one who helped mee up with this, so I think it''s best if she''s the one who exins it!"

    And so the task of exining how they nned to ''frame'' George and his backer using Michelle''s fake death fell on the poor, innocent heroine. Crystal didn''t know why, but she almost felt like she was the one being framed.

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 1000 powerstones! :>

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 Chapter 128 - Greedy, Much?

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    Samantha''s first impression of Crystal was quite ''weak'', to put it gently. She thought that this blonde girlcked a backbone, and even if her little sister favored her, she couldn''t amount to much in the end.

    And the heroine''s meekness in interacting with her only served to reinforce this image in Samantha''s mind.

    Of course, anyone with a good pair of eyes could see that the blonde girl had a crush on her little sister, or at the very least admired her. But when it came to people whocked the courage to take initiative, they would never be able to get anywhere with her little sister.

    After all, if just showing dedication and following her around was enough, wouldn''t that Dixie girl be the biggest threat?

    Against these types of girls who would always remain passive, Samantha didn''t think there was anything to worry about at all.

    Thinking so, her aversion to Crystal came to an end, and she even felt that the girl was a little pitiful.

    Of course, certain matters still couldn''t be discussed in front of her, so after the girl finished with her exnation, Samantha had Noelle lead her out to give her a ''tour of the office''.

    Emilia gave the nervous heroine a reassuring smile. "Don''t be so scared, just go. I''ll catch up with you shortly."

    How could Crystal not know that the two sisters wanted to talk privately? Even if she was reluctant to separate from Emilia, she could only follow Noelle out.

    As soon as the two of them were alone in the office, Emilia of course abandoned her own seat to move over into thep of her ''big sister'', giving her a coquettish smile. "Sam is not mad at me, right?"

    Samantha was of course very happy that her little sister would act cute like this for her, and immediately hugged her close. "Fufu¡­ how can I get mad at my adorable little sister? But Emilia, how exactly do you n to take care of that first step you talked about?"

    Emilia twirled a few of Samantha''s curly brown locks around her fingers as she nted a light kiss on the girl''s cheek. "Don''t worry about that, okay? I promise I have it figured out. Won''t you trust me?"

    "U-Uh, I trust you, of course I do!"

    The younger girl smiled, brushing her lips against Samantha''s briefly as the girl shuddered in shock. "Good. Once I''m done dealing with Michelle''s matter, I''lle back home and fulfill that promise, okay? You won''t think I''m abandoning you, right?"

    "I-I won''t! I''ll wait patiently, un. T-Take your time."

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    While Emilia was reprogramming her older sister''s brain, Crystal followed the grey-haireddy called ''Noelle'' curiously around the office as she introduced her to various staff and facilities.

    With how courteous everyone was being to her, she almost felt like she was the new boss who had been just transferred in to lead this ce.

    Crystal couldn''t help but give Noelle a curious nce. "Are they so polite all the time?"

    Noelle smirked. "Not at all. But do they dare to show anything but their good side in front of you?"

    "Me? But I don''t even work here, right? No wait, do they even know who I am? You only introduced me to them by name."

    Noelle of course had most of the events in the officepletely under her control, and she knew most events before or as they happened. This included the cirction of pictures with Emilia and Crystal entering the building.

    "You can never underestimate the flow of information in schools and offices, little girl."

    The blonde girl nodded thoughtfully. Assuming that they really knew everything, their behavior made sense. After all, with her close rtionship with their ''owner'', she could pretty much ruin their career if she wanted.

    As they reached the executive lift, Crystal looked at Noelle hesitantly. "Actually, there''s something I''ve been quite curious about. I wonder if you mind?"

    Noelle''s hand paused over the elevator button as she gave the heroine a curious look. "What is it?"

    "W-What''s yourpensation package?"

    The grey-haireddy furrowed her brows, as the question was quite insensitive in her opinion. But thinking that the little girl was just curious about what she''ll get if she ever started working here and got to her position, Noelle decided to let it slide. "No one in the White Deer gets any stock options, and most of ourpensation is in the form of our regr sry and bonus. For me, it''s around forty million dors a month, including bonus."

    Crystal could almost feel her jaw drop to the floor, and knew that she must look like an idiot. But who could me her? Noelle''s monthly sry was more than what many earn in a decade! She could probably buy her whole house and restaurant on a whim!

    ''I-Is this really a secretary''s sry? Who pays their employees like this?! Moreover¡­''

    Of course, the main reason Crystal asked such a question wasn''t because she was interested in knowing her sry, but another important detail that Emilia had inadvertently mentioned. "Um, I know this is gonna sound weird, but like, uh, did Emilia ask you for a ''dinner date'' sometime?"

    Noelle sighed, as if feeling tired. "She told you about that? Goodness. You know what, since you mentioned this, I have to ask you for a favor. Tell her that there''s no need to ''reward me for my hard work'' this way, okay?"

    The blonde girl couldn''t believe it. It was true! The most valued employees here really got close to fifty million dors a month and dates with the owner''s daughter! What kind of insane corporation was this?!

    Noelle continued toment, unaware of how disgustingly greedy she appeared in Crystal''s eyes. "Having dinner with my bosses has never been a chill time for me. The best reward for me is more money, so just ask her to increase my sry if she really feels like it! Ah, of course, don''t quote my words exactly. Be more subtle."

    Crystal almost coughed out blood.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 129 - â€™Pleasantâ€™ Surprise

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    Noelle didn''t realize that she had be a ''scrooge'' in Crystal''s eyes, and obliviously led her back to Samantha''s office.

    Emilia had of course heard the sound of the lift, and had already ended Samantha''s ''treatment'' as she waved her goodbye.

    Before Crystal could even fully get out of the lift, her friend had already dragged her back in as she hurriedly bowed to the girl''s older sister as the lift slid shut.

    "G-Geez, what''s the hurry?"

    Emilia giggled. "Ehehe, you don''t know my sister, but she''s very needy when ites to me. I just finished cating her to let me stay over with you for longer, you know? Staying any longer might undo all the effects of my treatment!"

    Crystal blinked, having never got that kind of impression from the cold-looking older girl. "Eh? T-There''s such a thing?"

    Emilia nodded. "Her facade is very good. Anyway, keep this a secret, alright?"

    "O-Of course."

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    Noelle''s efficiency had to bemended, because not even a day passed before the news of Michelle''s death seamlessly ''leaked'' to just the right people.

    Of course, as a girl who had been all but forgotten and buried in obscurity, it was a delicate matter that needed to be handled carefully. Thankfully, the perpetrators were quite ''capable'', which helped Noelle make sure her own work didn''t appear too sloppy and suspicious.

    And as the news of Michelle''s ''unfortunate demise'' reached their ears, a wave of relief flooded those who had been on the edge ever since her ''failed suicide''.

    This was especially the case for a certain bleached blond boy who was now clinking sses with his brother as heughed jovially. "Goddamn, I finally feel light after weeks!"

    Jeoffery shook his head with a smile. "That''s why you shouldn''t be so impulsive, little bro. You should have just let that girl go. She was worthless anyway, not even worth chasing."

    George sighed. It was just like his brother to always be a stick in the mud. "Hey, big bro, don''t think everyone is like you. If I set my sights up so high, everyone would think of me as a joke."

    The taller blond boy frowned. "It doesn''t matter what everyone thinks, as long as you aplish your goals."

    The two of them remained silent for a while. Now that his own burden had been lifted, the younger boy couldn''t help but think about his older brother''s matters.

    George coughed. "Big bro, are you seriously going after that White family''s daughter? You know, she''s¡ª"

    Jeoffery scoffed. "Of course, she''s at least worthy of being chased, unlike that girl you picked."

    The younger boy mmed his fist on the table indignantly. "Hey! I''ll have you know, Michelle looked much better with her makeup on, unlike those record pics. My sight isn''t bad! You gotta believe me!"

    The older brother only wanted George to pick more wisely in the future. After all, their family was still on a steady path to the top, and had plenty of room to grow. Each one of their decisions mattered.

    Jeoffery rolled his eyes as he filled his brother''s ss full, making him calm down. "I''m not talking about looks. She''s just a pauper, a worthless cunt, no better than a sex doll that can talk. Samantha, on the other hand, will bring me much more than just sex. Just by getting her alone I''ll be at least the top ten of the richest men in the country!"

    George grimaced as he downed another pint, already feeling a little woozy. "Don''t bite off more than you can chew, big bro. I almost pissed myself when I heard that Emilia White mentioned Michelle''s name in her interview from mom. We should just stay away from those big shots."

    Of course, even their mother had been in disbelief. After all, she had never ever offended those big shots, and never expected to enter their cross-hairs. At most, she had failed to go greet Emilia at that party, but could that even be counted as an offense? Almost none of the older generation had gone to greet her, after all.

    They could only me their luck for getting involved in this girl''s whimsical schemes, and hope that her father didn''t let her mess around too much. Thankfully, the matter didn''t turn any worse, and now it was well and truly over.

    The older brother sighed. Although it was over now, the matter still taught them a valuable lesson. "You''re an idiot, George. So easily satisfied, indulging in drugs, always looking for the next greaty, pathetic. But don''t worry, as your big bro, I''ll make sure you can keep indulging without worry."

    The younger brotherughed, already feeling a little drunk. "Alright, I''m pathetic. And how great is it going on your side, then? Is that Samantha girl already giving you the goo-goo eyes? Oh wait, I forgot you haven''t even met her yet, have you?"

    Jeoffery didn''t seem to care of his younger brother''s sarcasm, and shrugged. "It''s going quite well so far. I already have a mid-level position in the White Deer''s branch here, and Samantha works from the same building. It''s only a matter of time. No need to rush."

    The younger boy couldn''t help but whistle. His previous anger was already forgotten as he realized that his brother might just stand a chance of getting together with a girl of that level. "Never thought that Mrs. Sullivan could really do it."

    After all, if Jeoffery managed to climb to the top, he would also share some glory. There was nothing to be angry about, then.

    Jeoffery chuckled, not minding his brother''s short-sightedness. "Heh. Businessmen and politicians are often interconnected. It''s not that surprising."

    George couldn''t help but grin. "How long till you fuck her, then? From what I saw on TV, she''s damn hot, that girl."

    The older brother sighed. "Vulgar as always, George. I won''t be fucking her prematurely, there''s plenty of whores to do that, like that worthless cunt you were chasing after. What I need from her isplete trust, and I''ll start working on that once Mrs. Sullivan pulls a few more strings to get me to be her personal assistant."

    The younger boy''s eyes almost bugged out in shock. "Holy, can she even do that?"

    After all, Mrs. Sullivan was just a politician''s wife. No matter how great their standing was, they weren''t really in direct control of the White Deer Corporation, right? How was it that she was able to make such moves? George couldn''t figure it out at all.

    Jeoffery smirked mysteriously. Unlike his little brother, he of course knew much more. "Wait and watch, little bro. Wait and watch."

    Unfortunately, they didn''t get to ''wait'' at all, because at this moment, Jeoffery suddenly found his face nted into the ss table as his vision went dark, not even realizing what had happened.

    "Y-Y-You¡ª?!"

    George couldn''t believe what was in front of him at all, and felt his blood freeze in horror as he pointed a shaky finger at the figure that had mmed his brother''s head on the table.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 1250 powerstones! :>

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 Chapter 130 - A Monster?!

    The creature in front of him seemed to have crawled out straight from his worst nightmares, with strangely elongated arms and legs and a hideous smile on its face, it was enough to make George scream in terror with a single look.

    And when the thing was only a foot away from him, with his brother''s head grasped in its elongated fingers as if it wondered whether or not it should crush the thing, the horror was magnified by a hundred times.

    What made him really piss his pants, however, was the unmistakable face on the thing. Even if it was far more hideous now than he ever remembered, it was still unmistakably that of the dead girl Michelle.

    "I¡ª"

    The thing didn''t give him a chance to talk at all, as it jumped across the table and clutched his neck in its grasp, strangling him as he struggled futilely. The thing seemed to have infinite strength, however, and he could only powerlessly plead with his gaze his vision went dark.

    After both the boys had fainted on the floor, the ''monster'' moved away in disgust.

    "Yuck, the bastard actually pissed himself! What a wimp¡­ I didn''t piss myself even when I was killed! Um¡­ Right? Did I?"

    Cynthia shuddered as she tried not to pay attention to the horrific form her partner had taken. "I-I don''t¡­ Um, no, I guess you didn''t."

    Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh¡­ good. Well, the easy part is over, nowes the hard part¡­ hiding for eight hours till the shapeshift cooldown runs out."

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    Noelle had absolutely no idea what Emilia was nning when the girl asked her to drop her near the Porter brothers'' location.

    Their address wasn''t any mystery, of course. Even the secret hideout of the two brothers was no ''secret'' to her, as often as the younger brother revealed it to the young girls he brought over.

    However, she couldn''t leave the safety of this precious jewel to the girl''s whims, could she? If something really happened to her, it didn''t take a genius to guess whose head would be on the chopping block.

    Unfortunately, Noelle had no idea what witchcraft the girl used, but she disappeared in just thirty seconds after Noelle pretended to drop her off and returned to check.

    "Fuck!"

    Noelle''s hair wasn''t naturally grey in color. She dyed it like that to make herself look more mature, as her face otherwise looked quite childish in her opinion.

    But after almost eight hours of relentlessly searching for Emilia, she was sure that she wouldn''t need the next coloring session anymore.

    And as if to infuriate her further, the girl appeared right on time at the location she had told Noelle to pick her up from, as if it was all ording to her n.

    But no matter how Noelle felt, she could only keep these grievances to herself and drive the girl to her friend''s home.

    Emilia waved at her cheerfully. "Well, goodnight Noelle, byebye~"

    Noelle barely managed to croak out a ''you too'', internally screaming.

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    Emilia groaned in exhaustion as she jumped onto Crystal''s bed, which wasn''t even remotely as fluffy and soft as the one in her home. "Cynthia, add recing Crystal''s bed to my to-do list, please."

    "¡­ When did I be your personal assistant?"

    Emilia ignored her partner''s sarcasm as she sighed into the pillow.

    Crystal, the considerate angel that she was, had left to make her a cup of coffee as soon as she saw here back looking tired.

    "Ah¡­ the heroine is so cute~ Even though she was so curious, she prioritized taking care of me first, ehehe¡­"

    Cynthia scoffed. "Don''t pretend, Emilia. With your body, no matter how exhausted you are, it shouldn''t take more than half an hour to fully recover with the void form!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "You don''t understand, Cynthia! This is mental exhaustion! I''m tired of the day, ah~ I wonder if Crystal will agree to give me a massage?"

    Cynthia rolled her eyes and kept silent as the heroine finally came back with two cups of coffee.

    Emilia was instantly reinvigorated as she sat up on the bed and gave Crystal a grateful smile. "Thank you, angel!"

    "U-Uh, y-you''re wee¡­?"

    Emilia didn''t pay much attention to the heroine''s embarrassment as she closed her eyes with a sigh after taking a sip from the cup.

    Although it would disappear soon enough, the taste was still rxing.

    The art of tea-making had been quite refined even in her previous world, though she never got to personally experience it in her first life. However, coffee was something new to her, and she quite enjoyed the novel taste and pleasure it bought.

    Cynthia was actuallypletely correct when she said that Emilia had already recovered. Actually, today''s task was extremely easy for her, to the point of almost being trivial.

    The most challenging part, technically, was escaping Noelle.

    Not to mention sneaking into the two boy''s apartment, even if they had been at the main Porter''s home, the security there was nowhere close to what the White Deer or even the Brown''s family had.

    With Emilia''s skills from her first life, it was really not a big deal to sneak in and out. She didn''t even need to use her shapeshift skill for anything except to drive fear into George''s soul.

    What she found really exhausting, however, was hiding in her ''transformed'' form.

    It was the first time she had taken such an inhuman shape, and she vastly underestimated how much such drastic changes to her body would affect her skills.

    There had been a few mishaps in which she was almost caught, especially since she had to continuously avoid Noelle.

    After all, if Noelle caught her in such a monstrous form, not only would she not recognize her as Emilia, she would definitely shoot her in the face.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    A bonus chapter should be out in an hour, once I''m done editing it.

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 Chapter 131 - Coffee Is Banned!

    Thinking about the possibility of Noelle shooting her in the face, Emilia couldn''t help but be curious. "Can I survive a bullet to the face, Cynthia?"

    The raven-haired girl sighed, wondering just how her partner''s mind worked for it toe with such strange ideas. First, it was that nightmare fuel creature, and now she wanted her own head blown off?

    "Well?"

    Knowing she wasn''t going to take silence as an answer, Cynthia could only shrug helplessly. "¡­ Kind of."

    That only made Emilia more curious, however. "What does that mean? Could it be really possible?!"

    Cynthia groaned. "I mean, you can kinda live, but, um, you can also die. Depends on how the bullet travels, what kind of bullet it is, how much damage is actually done instantly, you know. It''s not that simple. Please don''t take bullets to the face."

    Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to intentionally get shot in the face. She just wanted to know what would happen, just in case. After all, avoiding an arrow wasn''t so hard for her, most of the time. But bullets? She was nowhere near fast enough, yet. "I''m not very enthusiastic about it either, but they don''t seem like easy things to avoid, you know?"

    Cynthia actually gave it some thought this time, and nodded. "It will get better once youplete some missions and be stronger. Meanwhile, well, if you''re gonna get hit, use other body parts? Everything except the head isn''t important. It just consumes some energy to regenerate naturally."

    Emilia nodded enthusiastically. "Oh¡­ the head is so important because it contains the brain, right? Wait¡­ Do I even have a brain?"

    "I highly doubt it."

    Emilia''s smile stiffened. "¡­ hey, you¡­!"

    Cynthia giggled. "Ehehe, I mean, yeah you do. Anyway, being serious here, your head is actually very delicate, and also houses your soul in the void body. Most importantly, I also stay here!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. Of course her partner stayed there! And now she couldn''t get the image of a tiny Cynthia lounging around in her head out of her head. "¡­ I see why you were so concerned now."

    That being the case, she had definitely ended up scaring a few more people than she originally wanted to. Maybe more than a few.

    It was mostly Noelle''s fault. Definitely. Who told her to stick around when Emilia had told her to leave?

    In any case, even if there were some reports of a hideous monster being sighted around town, it had nothing to do with her.

    Although Michelle might get a little more famous.

    Emilia spent the next half an hour just chatting with Crystal, who was very enthusiastic about how Emilia nned to scare the wits out of George using Michelle''s ghost, but of course, Emilia couldn''t tell her that.

    "It''s a family secret, Crystal. I can only tell you if you promise to marry me!"

    The heroine''s mind short-circuited, and it took her almost a full minute to realize that Emilia must be joking.

    She couldn''t help but get a little angry. "You''re so¡­!"

    Emilia didn''t mind being mmed across the face with a pillow at all, and reciprocated in kind.

    The viiness proved her superiority in pillow fighting skills shortly after, as the defeated heroiney panting under her, giggling in exhaustion. "I-I give up!"

    Emilia straddled the heroine firmly, not letting her go as she gave her a ''disappointed'' look. "Hmph. Seeking a fight when your defeat is assured, peak of foolishness, Crystal. I expected better from a master strategist."

    Crystal rolled her eyes, trying her best to not let the heat rise to her face as she realized what a strange position they had gotten into unknowingly. "I-I already gave up, let me go, please?"

    Emilia scoffed. "When someone picks a fight with me and loses, I never just let them go. How will you learn your lesson if there is no punishment?"

    Crystal couldn''t help but give her a doe-eyed look, pleading for mercy. "Y-You already hit me more times than I did?"

    "That''s why I won, no?"

    "W-What do you want, then?"

    Emilia pretended to think for a while, tapping her chin as she looked at the heroine with a smile. "Hmm¡­ When I think about it, seeing you call Samantha big sister was super cute. How about it, wanna call me big sister?"

    The heroine sputtered in shock, having never expected such a thing from Emilia. "O-Of course not!"

    Emilia nodded, as if satisfied with her response. "Good. It wouldn''t be much of a punishment if you enjoyed it. Alright, from now on, you shall call me big sister when we''re alone."

    Cynthia was scoffing in her mind. "Howe you don''t remember that rule when you''re punishing that knight of yours? Oh wait, that masochist would probably enjoy anything, so there''s no way to avoid it, is there? Never mind."

    Crystal of course tried her best to plead her way out of Emilia''s demands, but when the only other option given was to call Emilia ''mommy'', the heroine quickly agreed to be the little sister.

    And a few minutester, the heroine found out just how bad of an idea it was to have coffee right before bed under such circumstances.

    Not only was she unable to sleep herself, but her crush was quite ''hyper'' tonight as well as she hugged her close and kept nuzzling her neck, repeatedly calling her a ''cute'' and ''adorable'' little sister whom she would pamper plenty in the future.

    The worst part was that Crystal found herself looking forward to it, which just filled her with shame. ''N-No coffee for Emilia, ever again!''

    Emilia was of course not doing anything because of coffee, because with her alien body it had already turned to nothing a long time ago. She just thought that the heroine was adorable, and felt like ying around. The blushing heroine was even cuter than usual, after all!

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for 50 golden tickets! :>

    Thank you for all your support! >_<

 Chapter 132 - Canâ€™t Get Worse?

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    Ever since Emilia had started to stay over at her ce, Crystal had all but forgotten about her gloominess from before.

    In fact, she felt like her days couldn''t get much better, and she would be perfectly fine if this was how things stayed forever.

    Today, too, started with Emilia serving her breakfast in the bed. A hot cup of perfectly brewed tea that she was sure had needed her mother''s help, and a delicious piece of lemon cake that she knew Emilia had baked herself. It still had a little room for improvement, but the fact that this spoiled little rich daughter who had everyone dancing at her whims made it on her own initiative was enough to boost its vor by at least ten times.

    Even when she had to greet one of her fiercest rivals, the ever-loyal ''best friend''/''knight'' of her crush, Crystal didn''t feel a dip in her mood at all. It was fine if Emilia spoiled the girl a little. What was important was whose bed she slept in at the end of the day.

    Crystal''s face turned red as she realized how ''lewd'' that thought was. Of course, it only made her mood better. Her crush was sleeping in her bed every night. Andst night, they even kissed!

    Well, it was mostly a few pecks from on her cheek, but that still counts, right?

    The blonde heroine kept smiling all the way till she reached her ss, hand in hand with her crush.

    Nothing could ruin her mood today.

    Or so she thought until they were blocked by a certain silver-haired ex-fianc¨¦ right before they could reach their seat.

    The hero gave the blonde girl a dashing smile,pletely ignoring the sharp gaze from his ''ex''. "Hello, Crystal. How have you been? It''s been a while since we talked."

    Crystal clutched Emilia''s hand tightly. Just what did this scourge want?! Why couldn''t he just give up on Emilia and leave her alone?! Screw being polite, there''s no way she was letting him cause a misunderstanding between herself and Emilia.

    The blonde girl gritted her teeth as she gave the boy a death re. "W-We have nothing to talk about. Please move away."

    Amos chuckled. The love of his life really was as shy as ever. And petnt like a child. Thinking about how soon she would be out of the clutches of the viiness and in his arms, he couldn''t help but feel giddy.

    Unfortunately, that viiness refused to leave the poor girl alone for even a moment, and he could only wait till his father''s arrangements werepleted.

    "She told you to move, Amos. Are you deaf?"

    The hero pointedly ignored Emilia''s words, though unfortunately, it failed to infuriate her or make her lose herposure as he had hoped, and the irritating viiness only flicked her hair.

    Crystal hurriedly rushed to her seat as soon as the hero moved away with a bow, but Emilia''s normally soft grip was suddenly so tight and painful that she couldn''t help but stop.

    Turning her head, Crystal had a bad premonition as she realized that the silver haired boy had his face only an inch from Emilia''s ear, whispering something that caused the girl to furrow her brows and give him a re.

    The ''hero'' left immediately after, ignoring the strange and curious looks from the other students at the trio''s interactions.

    "Hey, do you think it''s true?"

    "I-I heard that Amos was gay, though, right?"

    "Then why does he keep looking their way?"

    "B-But, if it''s like that, which one is he going for? Emilia? Or Crystal?"

    Meanwhile, the tension between the two girls on the first bench was almost palpable. "So you two have talked before? Howe I didn''t hear of this?"

    Crystal felt her heart skip a beat. If the bastard''s intention had been to cause a misunderstanding, he might really seed! She didn''t know how to exin herself at all. "A-Ah? H-He¡­ I-I¡­"

    The longer she couldn''t give her an excuse, the more dread Crystal felt well up in her belly.

    The only good news was that Emilia still hadn''t pulled away from her hand in disgust, but knowing how kind the girl was, it wasn''t much of a surprise.

    Thinking about how that boy could still cause Emilia to make such an expression, Crystal could only grit her teeth in hate. "I-I promise you, Emilia, there''s nothing going on between the two of us!"

    Emilia raised an eyebrow. "Between me and you?"

    The blonde girl hurriedly shook her head. "N-No! I mean between me and that boy!"

    Emilia hummed as she gave her a sideways nce, her lips curving up as if she was a little amused.

    It was only a littleter that Crystal seemed to realize something. Didn''t she just indirectly say something was going on between Emilia and herself? But denying it at this point was already toote.

    Well, it was fine if Emilia thought it was funny.

    As for what the boy had whispered in her ear, Crystal didn''t dare to ask at all.

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    One of the things Emilia hated most was being kept in the dark. Especially by those who were supposed to be on her side. It gave her the feeling of loss of control, and made her feel anxious in a decidedly unpleasant way.

    When Amos had smugly dered that it wouldn''t be long till Crystal was back in his arms, Emilia knew that there must be something wrong.

    Although the hero was a bastard and a moron, he would never be this overconfident for no reason at all. If he felt like he could get his hands on Crystal when she was right by the girl''s side, at the very least there must be a n already in y.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but scratch her head in confusion. "Hey Emilia, I think the hero must have gotten a lot smarter, because he''s gonna make you waste your time by digging around for clues for nothing."

    After all, Cynthia didn''t believe even Amos could get so dumb that he would reveal such a n to Emilia just like that, right?

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 133 - Bullying Emilia?

    "I would rather waste some of my time looking into it than be blindsided even after knowing about it, alright?"

    Emilia had already ditched both the heroine and Dixie, leaving the task of sending Crystal safely to her home in her knight''s reliable hands, much to the girl''s dissatisfaction.

    Of course, since Emilia looked so serious, neither of them dared to object much, and only told her to call immediately if needed to.

    It didn''t take Emilia long to ditch any curious sights following her around, and she arrived at a deserted alley before calling Samantha.

    And not longter, Cynthia realized just how impossible it was to underestimate the hero of this world, because this guy really did it, he exceeded all her expectations of being dumb, and reached a whole new level.

    Samantha''s meek voice continued to confess how she had forgotten about telling Emilia about the matter involving Mr. ck and Mrs. Brown. "I-I really would havee to your friend''s ce today to exin in person, you know. A-After your sses, I mean."

    Emilia sighed. She knew getting angry with Sam would be pointless now, and the first priority was to get everything back on track without derailing her current ns. "Alright, Sam, you wait for me at home tonight, I''lle to you. Oh, and I might be a littlete, okay? If you want you can just sleep, and I''ll wake you up when I get there."

    "Un, I''ll be in your room then."

    "¡­ Have you been sleeping in my bed while I''m not there?"

    "Obviously?"

    Emilia''s lips twitched. Since Randy wasn''t upying her room anymore afterpleting their n to deter Mr. White, and she wasn''t even at home, she had assumed that this elder sister of hers would move back to her own bed. That''s why Emilia even had the housekeeper rece the girl''s bedpletely, just so she''s not ufortable. Wasn''t that a waste of effort?

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    After getting the basic gist of the matter with the ck Tiger Family from Samantha, Emilia knew that the situation wasn''t as urgent right now as she had expected in the worst case.

    Of course, how they dealt with it would make the difference between just avoiding trouble and dealing another heavy blow to the hero''s camp.

    She had already told Crystal that she wouldn''t be back tillter tonight even before knowing of the matter with Samantha and the ck Tiger Family. After all, there were certain arrangements that needed to be made at their earliest for them to be most effective.

    Although scaring the wits out of George using her transformed self was most effective, Emilia wasn''t quite free enough to do it all by herself, and she didn''t need to, either.

    But as this was a crucial part of her n, she couldn''t give such an important task to just anyone either, and it had to be someone she could trust to get things done perfectly.

    And who else could it be but a certain grey-haireddy?

    Although there were certainly quite a few people that worked for the White Deer who could probably do the same, none of them were as capable as Noelle, who she believed was the best candidate if she didn''t want to take any chances.

    Noelle almost mmed her head on the wheel as she looked at the innocent looking face of the young girl next to her. "I cannot believe it¡­ you called me all the way out here just to make such an absurd request?"

    She couldn''t help but furrow her brows as she suddenly realized Emilia wasn''t even supposed to be there right now. "¡­ What the hell were you even doing here all alone, by the way?"

    Emilia waved her hand with a smile. "Don''t worry about that. So, you can do it, right?"

    "Why should I? You realize that my actual duty only includes ensuring that the two of you stay safe and don''t mess anything up at thepany? I don''t need to do this at all."

    Emilia pouted as she gave Noelle her best doe-eyed look. "You''re the only one I can trust to do this perfectly, Noelle. Pretty please? Won''t you do it for me?"

    Noelle could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "Why are you so silly? Our rtionship is that of an employee and employer. You don''t have to plead, but you can''t ask me to do things that are not part of my job. And this is definitely¡ª"

    Emilia bit her lip. If Noelle really refused to do this, it would mean she would have to take care of it all herself, and that would definitely make things a lot harder, especially with everything else she had on her te.

    No way, Noelle definitely had to agree. Definitely!

    "What would it take for you to do this for me?"

    She had thought Emilia would definitely throw a tantrum next after her pleading failed, but she unexpectedly wanted to ''negotiate''. Noelle gave the girl a curious look, wondering if she was being serious. "Hm, I''ll do it if you give up on the idea of that dinner date."

    Of course, if Emilia really threw a tantrum, she would have agreed. It wasn''t a big deal anyway.

    "Fine. I''ll dy our dinner date for one more week."

    Unexpectedly, she really made some concessions, despite the ''bullheaded'' impression Noelle always got from her.

    Of course, since she got an inch, she had to try taking a mile. "Not dy, give up! No dinner dates!"

    Emilia gritted her teeth, as if she couldn''t ''bear it'' before giving Noelle a ''you bullied me'' look. "O-Okay, I can change it to a lunch date, and dy it by two weeks¡­ that''s it."

    Noelle had just opened her mouth when Emilia huffed. "If you want to dy it further, I''ll do this myself, and our date will be this week. And I''ll make it extra special!"

    "I''ll take two weeks, thank you very much."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 250 powerstones! :>

 Chapter 134 - A Unique Palate

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    While Emilia was dealing with Noelle, Crystal and Dixie found themselves in a very awkward situation.

    This wasn''t the first time that the two of them were ''alone'', as Dixie had previously studied from her even while Emilia had skipped out. Of course, the situation had changed greatly since then.

    At that time, Dixie considered Crystal to just be a minor annoyance. But now, not to mention that she had moved to ss A, Emilia was even staying over at this girl''s ce!

    The first change she could barely ept as not wanting the result of Emilia''s efforts to go to waste, but the second one didn''t make sense at all!

    Of course, if Dixie had wanted to protest, she would do so directly to her princess, and not to Crystal.

    She didn''t really have a problem with Emilia staying over at Crystal''s ce for a few days to cheer her up. After all, her princess could do whatever she wanted, and their own rtionship wouldn''t really be affected by something like this anyway.

    But she couldn''t help but be curious about how exactly Emilia was cheering her up.

    And that was why, after arriving at the restaurant, Dixie decided to follow Crystal inside instead of leaving immediately.

    The heroine had already felt a little weird when Dixie had just silently stared at her throughout the entire ride, and couldn''t help but frown when she saw the ck-haired girl follow her into the restaurant. "W-What is it?"

    Dixie smiled. "Nothing, I just wanted to talk with you a little, can''t I?"

    Crystal couldn''t really bring herself to say no, and decided they might as well. Not like she had anything better to do. "Let''s go upstairs, then."

    Dixie felt a little nostalgic as they took their seats on the same table they used to study at not that long ago. Ever since the semester exam results came out, their ''tutoring'' sessions had been on indefinite hold, though perhaps Emilia was still studying together with Crystal.

    The ck-haired girl didn''t know how to start, and Crystal couldn''t handle her silent stare anymore as she awkwardly cleared her throat and got up. "I-I''ll go bring us some tea, hold on."

    And a few minutester, they were back to staring at each other, but now with a cup of tea in their hands and a tray of lemon cake slices on the table.

    Dixie took a sip of her tea, feeling a little embarrassed. "Actually, I didn''t really have anything to ask, I just¡­ I was just wondering what you and Emilia did while alone. Do you just study all the time? That can''t be it, right?"

    Crystal had expected as much, which was why she was feeling so awkward under Dixie''s stare.

    Recalling how Emilia had made her call her ''big sister'' while cuddling her to sleep, the heroine couldn''t help but blush. "W-Well, we do study a lot, but we also y board games. Emilia likes chess. And¡­ she''s also learning how to cook. Oh, these were what she made earlier, by the way."

    Dixie immediately snatched the tray to her side, and stuffed all three of the remaining slices into her mouth, one after the other.

    Of course, she was unable to talk for a while as she slowly chewed through and swallowed them.

    Dixie would have happily swallowed molten rock if Crystal told her it was what Emilia cooked, but the lemon cake was actually refreshing. The smell, the vor, the sweetness¡­ the, um, the zing¡­ even the icing was perfect! Everything was perfect! No, perfection didn''t even begin to describe it!

    If there was a world record for the most delicious lemon cake in the world, it would definitely have been won by the one made by her princess!

    On a scale of one to ten, Dixie would rate it a hundred¡­ no, a million out of ten!

    ''P-Princess is so good at baking cakes?! No, howe she never made anything for me yet? She must have just started learning, un, un.''

    If she had known that Crystal, who had been the first to taste test the cake, had ''praised'' Emilia by saying they were only slightly worse than her mom''s, the knight would probably strangle the girl to death.

    Dixie licked her lips after she was finally done, making sure that not a single particle went to waste. "A-Ahem. I-I suddenly felt extremely hungry, sorry. They were delicious, by the way."

    Crystal nodded with a smile, seemingly not minding that she hadn''t gotten any. "It''s okay, I already had some for breakfast earlier, after all."

    If Dixie had been paying close enough attention to her words, she might have responded in kind, but the girl was too focused on the few crumbs she had spotted on the te.

    But wouldn''t Emilia be shamed if her knight licked a te like that?

    Faced with such a dilemma, suddenly Dixie had a bright idea.

    "Crystal! I haven''t been here for so long, I can''t be such a rude guest after you served me so well. Un, wait here, I''ll go wash the te for you!"

    And she didn''t give Crystal any chance to refute her at all as she rushed towards the kitchen area with the te.

    The heroine could only sigh wistfully. ''Does she not realize I can see her from over here? No, maybe it''s better if she doesn''t. Also¡­ she could have at least finished the tea I brewed¡­''

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    Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the hero had just realized that maybe it wasn''t such a bright idea to gloat about being able to snag Crystal from Emilia''s clutches to the girl herself. "Oh... shit..."

    "Goddamnit! That bitch won''t tighten up the security around my precious darling, will she? No, she definitely will, that whore! That evil, conniving little cunt! I have to tell that bastard father of mine so he doesn''t mess up, ah, but he''ll definitely me me if he knows¡­"

    The hero clutched his head painfully, but suddenly, a bright idea came to his mind as his eyes instantly lit up.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    A bonus chapter should be up in an hour or so.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 135 - Royal Knights VS... ?!

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    Meanwhile, Emilia had already waved goodbye to an exasperated Noelle, and started making her way to the ce she had agreed to meet at, speedily flitting through the shadowy alleys.

    Cynthia giggled. "You know, the more you do these kinds of things, the more it looks like you''re a hired goon instead of an actual viiness. Doing things yourself all the time isn''t ssy at all."

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she kept her pace. "How ssy would it be if my n failed instead? I would rather get my hands dirty and look ssy in the end instead of looking ssy all the way and thennding on my face."

    The raven-haired girl scoffed. "Weren''t you a princess before? Howe you do all these thief-like things now? Un, even in your first life, you were an upright guard, weren''t you? Although you did get screwed over, but... Hm, this makes no sense."

    Emilia groaned. "There was nothing upright about being that guy''s guard, okay? If I hadn''t been trained to not feel any emotions at that time, I would have probably killed him myself."

    Cynthia knew that her partner didn''t like talking about her first life¡­ or her second... she really shouldn''t have brought it up. She could only sigh and change the topic. "W-Well, you don''t think my void form is useless now, do you?"

    And Emilia had to admit that this body was actually quite good for this kind of thing. As long as she rotated the void form, she could rapidly restore her stamina to the point where she could dash like this for every ten out of fifteen minutes, continuously.

    Even traveling for hundreds of kilometers wouldn''t be an issue, though in this world it would be far more practical to use a jet instead, it coulde in handy if she was ever in a pinch.

    "It''s good."

    Cynthia puffed out her chest, smug. "I know. But some idiot kept calling it trash before, just because you haven''t started cultivating yet, and can''t see the results¡ª"

    And she continued to prattle on, never realizing that behind her smile, Emilia was diligently keeping a tally of each of her partner''s smug remarks. She would be paying for them with interest, after all.

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    Penny was generally one of thest to leave school, as aside from being a student, she also had a lot of additional duties, mostly involving the ''Royal Knights''.

    Watching over her princess and making sure she stayed safe was also one of her core duties, though currently her zone of protection was limited to the boundaries of the Imperial Academy, due to the impracticality of being able to follow Emilia.

    Today seemed to be an exception, however, as her princess hadn''t left with Dixie, and had instead left on foot. Worried, the royal knights of course tried their best to follow her, but she seemingly disappeared in the crowd in one of the streets even though they tried their best to keep up.

    After not finding her for a while, Penny had been nning to spread out and search with ten of her core knights, but at this time, one of the boys in her group was almost run over by a motorbike!

    "Yikes! Watch where you''re going, you¡ª!"

    His words were cut off as the ''guy'' he was scolding actually stopped not far from them and took off the helmet, revealing a cold beauty with shoulder-length curly brown hair and sharp, jet-ck eyes.

    When she had told Emilia she would havee to exin things to her in person, she wasn''t just making excuses. After all, how could she lie to her precious little baby? She really was on her way there!

    Unfortunately, aftering all this way, her sister had ended up telling her to wait untilte at night instead. Even if she was ted that her sister didn''t seem to be angry, Samantha still felt some frustration in her heart, and decided to run a few rounds around the block to blow off some steam.

    Who knew, however, that a few runts the size of mini soda cans would actually dare scream at her, when they were clearly the ones not following the traffic rules properly!

    Well, she was a little over the speed limit, but you can''t just cross the road like that!

    "Which little pipsqueak was that?! Dare to scold me, huh? Come out, let big sister teach you some traffic rules¡­"

    Penny, as the leader, was of course the first one to jump forward and face her, not looking scared at all. "Hmph,dy, you''ve got some nerve! Speeding, almost running over us, and then you dare to talk?!"

    Samantha kicked off the stand, and her long leg whooshed over Penny''s head as she got off, making the tiny blonde stare nkly at the six feet tall brte.

    "You were saying?"

    Penny gulped. From her height of four feet and two inches, Samantha might as well be considered a giant. "J-Just because you''re a little taller than me¡ª"

    The brte smirked, patting the tiny blonde girl''s head. "A little, huh¡­ Which elementary school are you from, little girl? And what are you doing with this delinquent-looking bunch?"

    Samantha would naturally think so, since the clearly older boys and girls behind Penny didn''t match her at all. They seemed more likete middle school or even high school students, while this girl¡­ was she even an elementary school student? Shouldn''t she still be in her crib?

    The group of ten behind Penny made a collective ''oof'' from the mental damage, though the blonde girl herself huffed while arrogantly flicking her ultra-long ponytail. "I-I shall have you know, I am the ''Royal Commander'' of ''Princess Emilia''s Royal Knights'', the most prestigious organization in the Imperial Academy of Excellence! Forget about elementary school, even college students don''t dare to be so arrogant in front of me! Let me show you the might of¡ª! Hey, you guys! Why are you backing off?!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 500 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 136 - The Royal Knights, Now Sponsored By...?!

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    Although Samantha loved her little sister dearly, she knew that there were many aspects of her life that werepletely out of her control.

    In fact, she wasn''t the type who felt the need to know and control absolutely everything, but there were moments where Samantha wondered if she was, perhaps, too uninvolved in Emilia''s life.

    Whenever she thought about how that bastard Amos had almost managed to dupe her little sister into a truly hellish nightmare of a future, and the only thing that stopped it from happening was the boy''s own stupidity, Samantha couldn''t help but me herself.

    If she had taken a few more steps to make sure her sister was truly safe and happy, that kind of thing would never have happened.

    However, even though she realized this, Samantha found herself hesitating whenever the matter of monitoring and protecting Emilia was brought up, either by her parents or Noelle.

    ''What if she hates me for making her life inconvenient?'', ''What if she doesn''t like that we''re ''snooping around''?'', Those were the thoughts that stopped her in her tracks, and caused her to spend ten times the effort to protect Emilia from a distance instead, with minimal disruption to the girl''s life.

    For Samantha, meeting Penny today was like a revtion from the heavens as she realized that there was another path ahead of her that she''d never even considered!

    "You''re Emilia''s fangirl? And this¡­ ''Princess Emilia''s Royal Knights''¡­ is it a fan club?"

    A few moments of stunned silence followed as the ''children'' tried toprehend Samantha''s words.

    Penny''s previous haughty attitude was nowhere to be seen as she pointed at the taller girl in disbelief. "Y-You''re HER sister?!"

    It was only then that they realized that even though her personality and dressing sense was so absurd, this tall biker girl''s face actually matched quite well with the businessdy they had seen on TV before.

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    Back in her office, Samantha called in the ''newly promoted'' girl, who had previously been a receptionist, to bring two cups of coffee as Penny nervously took a seat on the other side.

    After realizing Samantha''s identity as Emilia''s sister, the blonde girl''s attitude had of course changedpletely. "U-Um, rest assured that my intentions for our Princess arepletely pure, and I have never ever done anything lewd or taken any advantage of our Princess while she wasn''t aware, and definitely do not intend to do a lot more in the future¡ª"

    Had she not been interrupted by the ''ex-receptionist'' barging in with their ''order'', Penny might have gone on to describe a very ''fulfilling'' future she had often dreamed about. Thankfully for her, luck was on her side, and now that the girl realized her slip up, she mmed her mouth shut.

    Samantha gave the tiny blonde girl a weird look, feeling that even for a fangirl, she was definitely a little more fanatical than she expected. "You sure like her a lot, huh? Tell me, what does this fan club of yours usually do?"

    And like a firecracker that had been lit up, Penny immediately exploded with enthusiasm. Only after she had ranted about their ''great undertakings'' when it came to protecting Emilia and her reputation for almost thirty minutes did she pause, realizing that the older girl was grinning at her in amusement.

    Penny''s existence had given Samantha the idea of simply sponsoring these ''children'' who were already quite enthusiastic about protecting her sister so that they can do it properly in her stead.

    This would mean not only would she not be interfering with Emilia''s life directly¡ªas these fangirls were going to do it anyway and she just made it more efficient¡ªit would also be more than enough to let her rest easy, since external threats would be handled by Noelle''s people anyway.

    The only thing she had been worried about was if she wouldn''t end up nurturing a ''threat'' instead, but seeing how overflowing and boundless Penny''s affection for her little sister was, Samantha couldn''t help but be relieved.

    Since this girl worshiped Emilia like an idol, Samantha thought that there was no way she could ever think of her in any inappropriate way, let alone try to harm her. To Penny, Emilia probably wasn''t even human, because she was far too perfect in her eyes.

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    Penny couldn''t believe her ''luck'' at all. Not only was the sister of her princess ''epting'' her, she was also openly endorsing their group! Although it wasn''t as great a moment as when Emilia herself had acknowledged their existence, this was still a great leap forward!

    What made her feel a littleplicated, however, was that this endorsement came together with a very, very fat cheque!

    Looking at the number of zeros on the piece of paper, Penny couldn''t help but feel a little dizzy. "I-Is this really just ''sponsorship money'' for making sure our princess remains safe?"

    Samantha nodded. "Right. Actually, this was what I had wanted to do for a long time, and you don''t really have to do much. Just make sure to handle any troublesome situations for my little sister if you can, and let me know if there''s something that you can''t handle, and I''ll take care of it."

    Penny grinned as she felt a feeling of tion in her chest from having her efforts acknowledged by a blood rtive of her princess, but in the end, she still pushed the cheque away. "Un, well, there''s no need to pay me. Like you said, I protect the princess because that is what I wish to do."

    If she epted this money, wouldn''t it taint the pure rtionship she had with her princess? Penny didn''t want to be just another employee who worked for Emilia''s elder sister, after all.

    Samantha blinked in surprise. She thought about it for a while, and shortly realized what problem the girl might be facing. "Ah, don''t misunderstand, I''m not ''paying you'', I''m simply contributing to our cause. This money is there to help with any costs that are incurred in the process, understand?"

    After all, Penny was just a child in front of her, and a little twist of words was enough topletely throw her off.

    And as expected, when Samantha put it that way, Penny really thought about it again and felt that maybe it wasn''t such a bad idea.

    Not counting Koko, most of the students in their club were from middle-ss families, and the fund they could pool together was only a fraction of what Samantha had casually tossed out. And even Koko couldn''t really bring forth much cash, limited as she was by her overly strict mother.

    Moreover, this was the blood-rted elder sister of her princess! With her having put no restrictions on how she should use the money, Penny thought there could be nothing wrong with taking her contribution.

    Penny would just have to make sure that not a single penny was used for anything that wasn''t for the sake of her princess.

    And so, aside from the fat cheque, the Royal Knights suddenly found themselves with a much more ''professional'' base only a few hundred meters away from their school, equipped with all the facilities that money could buy, and specialized trainers who would be teaching them bothbat and espionage.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter should be out in an hour or so.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 137 - Justineâ€™s New Task

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    As her older sister was converting her innocent, crazed little fans into an actual organization using the infinite power of money, Emilia finally spotted Justine, who was looking bored as she waited while leaning against an armored SUV near the woods.

    Of course, since the ex-policewoman hadn''t spotted her, Emilia couldn''t just approach her openly.

    And a few minutester, Justine let out an undignified squeak as she almost had a heart attack, because not only had someone pinched her butt, they had also managed to disarm her at the same time so she could not even retaliate.

    "Well well well, miss officer thought she could arrest me? Now that I''ve got my grubby little hands on you, I''ll have to make sure you pay the ''price'' for your folly, ehehehe¡­"

    Justine rolled her eyes as she pushed away the gun that had been pointing at her back and turned around to re at Emilia. "Not funny."

    Emilia stuck out her tongue. "Not even a little?"

    Justine had to admit that the perverted and ''threatening''ugh had made her chuckle a little when it was made with Emilia''s obviously silky voice. Instead of making the situation feel threatening, Justine almost felt like she was shooting an erotic movie. "Well, just a little bit, maybe."

    Emilia giggled. "Alright. So, how are things with those three going? Last I heard from you, they were still giving you a headache?"

    Justine groaned. "Don''t remind me, Emilia. I thought I could finally use the excuse of meeting you to take some time off from thinking about them. Those three are like, totally hopeless!"

    Emilia frowned. "Hm, they seemed to have decent potential when it came tobat, from what I observed thest time I was in the dojo, you know?"

    The blue-eyed girl couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s not theirbat ability I''m worried about, Emilia, it''s just¡­ what you want me to make of them and what they can actually be just don''t match. I don''t think they have that kind of potential, and I feel like I''m just wasting my time... and your money."

    Emilia nodded. Although she''d always been good at picking out talents, she wasn''t wless.

    As a princess, she had sponsored hundreds ofmoners she had personally seen potential in, and out of those, almost half had managed to truly shine and prove their potential, while the rest could be considered good enough, but not exceptional.

    Sometimes she wondered what happened to those children. How did they react after her death in that world? If they really tried to go against Maeve¡­ perhaps their ending wasn''t going to be much different from her own.

    After all, no matter how talented they were, most of them were still children. A few had gone up the ranks to be knights, but they were also easily disposable by the truly mighty in the kingdom.

    And the fact that Maeve could do what she did, already meant that she had the support of the kingdom''s finest.

    Cynthia sighed. "Well, don''t worry too much. If you''re diligent with your missions, I will one day be able to take you back. Maybe we can even enter the timeline at a point where you hadn''t yet been killed, who knows?"

    Emilia nodded, though she had never taken this part of Cynthia''s promise to her heart.

    After all, she wasn''t sure how much of it she could truly believe.

    The reason she followed Cynthia and did as she was told wasn''t because she was just looking for revenge, but because that was what she believed she owed to the one who had saved her twice from ''death''.

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    Justine stared nkly at the photographs Emilia had handed her and tried her best to wrap her head around the absurdity of the task she had been given. "Y-You want me to have those three idiots don masks that look like this, and go scare those morons?"

    Emilia nodded. "All those are just regr people, and they don''t have any extra security around them at all. This doesn''t require too much skill. I believe in you, Justine!"

    Justine couldn''t help but hesitate a little as she thought about it again.

    Sneaking into regr people''s homes wearing a weird costume¡­ well, it really wasn''t that difficult. The hardest part was ensuring that the girls didn''t fail in their execution of the scare.

    This was especially so since the ''scare mask'' they were supposed to wear wouldn''t look that scary to her at all. It was just a regr girl''s face made to look a little more ''dead''.

    Unless¡­

    "Hey, is this girl really dead already? Ah, don''t tell me¡­"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "Don''t overthink it. Just do what I tell you, and you''ll find out the truth when the time is right."

    The ponytailed girl sighed as she tapped the steering wheel of her beloved ''baby''. "Fine. I''ll take care of it. Just gotta make sure that the girls are impactful and quick with their execution and exit, right? No big deal."

    Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. Although it wouldn''t matter much if Justine failed, it would surely make things go a lot faster if she could get this right.

    "Ah, to think that I, who used to be an enforcer of thew, would now be doing such uwful things¡­" Justine groaned wistfully.

    Emilia giggled. "Well, I''ll make sure you''repensated fairly, don''t worry. The money I gave you earlier hasn''t run out, right?"

    Justine quickly shook her head, actually feeling a little scared. She already felt like she had changed too much, having got her hands on so much cash, she didn''t know what kind of debauched existence she would be if she had any more. "N-Not at all! I even bought this sweet ride I''d always dreamed of owning, you know, and I''ve barely made a dent in the bnce on that card! I don''t need more at all!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 750 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 138 - Too Silly

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    As the clock struck ten, Crystal couldn''t help but sigh wistfully as she looked at Dixie dozing off on the sofa while the children''s show continued to run on the TV.

    After she finished ''cleaning'' the te, the girl had insisted on saying goodbye to Emilia before she left, and for that, she of course had to wait for her princess toe back first.

    Thankfully, the girl wasn''t too bothersome and demanding, and just watched cartoons while she waited¡­ that is, until she fell asleep.

    Crystal discovered very soon that Dixie had the problem of talking in her sleep, and what she talked about was of course what was on her mind most of the time.

    It was one thing if she was the only one listening, but to have her mother give her the weird look when she returned from downstairs only to hear about ''how sexy are the thighs of my princess'' and ''how lovely are her lips'' was really too mortifying.

    "S-She''s having some weird dreams, and she''s definitely not talking about me! We don''t do strange things!"

    Mrs. Miller raised her hands, giving her daughter an awkward smile. Although she was a little conservative herself, she wouldn''t prohibit her daughter from trying new things. After all, her happiness mattered the most in the end.

    The only thing she worried about was how Emilia, who seemed to favor her daughter so much, would react if she knew that her girl had such a rtionship with someone else.

    Mrs. Miller decided that it was best not to think about it too much, lest she get a headache. Her daughter will figure things out on her own, probably. "I-It''s okay, I believe you. I didn''t mean to snoop, anyway, I-I''ll just go to bed. Un, don''t sleep toote."

    As she closed the door to her room, Mrs. Miller btedly realized that there was only one other bed in her house, and Mrs. Brown''s daughter didn''t look like she nned to leave. Going by what her daughter had informed her earlier, and assuming that Emilia would be returning pretty soon¡­

    "Will they all sleep in the same bed? Huh¡­?"

    Mrs. Miller shook her head quickly. "N-No, if I keep thinking such strange things before going to sleep, I''ll definitely have weird dreams!"

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    Crystal red gloomily at the still mumbling Dixie, who had since moved on from her lewd talk, and moved on to ''better'' things.

    "My princess is the smartest, of course I''ll pet you¡­ c''mere, fufu¡­"

    "Oh, what I think of lemon cakes? Ah, you practiced just for me? Of course I''ll take them¡ª"

    The heroine felt like tearing her hair out in frustration. ''Why did she have to blurt out the worst things right when mom walked in, and then she moves on right afterwards?! Mom definitely misunderstood!''

    Unfortunately, there was no way to me the sleeping girl. At most, she could whine about it to Emiliater. ''Hm, but that''ll be like snitching on her, won''t it? Will Emilia think I''m a bad girl if I did that? Ah, forget it¡­''

    "Ah, princess, why don''t youe snuggle up a little? I feel so cold¡­"

    Crystal''s lips twitched, feeling like smacking the girl awake, but seeing how Dixie seemed to be actually shivering a little, the blonde could only sigh and go to her room to fetch a spare nket.

    Unfortunately for the heroine, Emilia''s sense of timing was about as impable as Mrs. Miller''s, and she came just in time to see Crystal draping a nket over the peacefully mumbling Dixie.

    Emilia giggled as she skipped her way over to the girl who was now frozen in shock. "How cute~ I was worried that the two of you wouldn''t get along so well because of me, but looks like I was worried for nothing, after all."

    "D-Don''t misunderstand! I just saw she was a little cold, and I¡ª"

    Emilia blinked." What would I misunderstand?"

    Crystal realized just then how she was pretty much digging her own grave. Emilia wasn''t there when Dixie was making those lewd remarks in her sleep, and more importantly, she would never misunderstand who the ''princess'' in Dixie''s mind could be.

    "Well, I hope I didn''t make you wait too long. Mhm, it''s a little over ten already, huh. Did you have dinner yet?"

    Of course, Crystal had been waiting for her just like Dixie, and neither of them had anything but snacks since lunch. "Mom had three servings set aside for us, un, hold on, I''ll go heat them up¡ª"

    "No no, I can''t have that! Just give me thirty minutes, alright?"

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    Crystal knew how stubborn Emilia could be when it came to the strangest and most mundane things, and could only helplessly watch as the girl ran around the kitchen, chopping up ingredients and firing up the stove.

    Emilia of course didn''t waste time cooking up anythingplex, since she didn''t want Crystal to wait too long. Besides, even if she thought that she was already quite decent,plex dishes were still best saved forter when she had time to be more thorough.

    She was already quite familiar with Crystal''s kitchen, perhaps even more so than the girl herself, and quickly found the rigatoni pasta she was looking for. Once the main ingredient was secured, Emilia happily roasted up some red peppers while the salted water was set aside to boil.

    Once it was at the right temperature, Emilia quickly poured in the pasta and rushed out of the kitchen and into the restaurant downstairs while the heroine stared nkly. Since Mrs. Brown had set the closing time to midnight, they should still have some kind of stock for her to use, right?

    Cynthia couldn''t help but scoff. "Are you seriously worrying so much about such a little thing? Just feed them the leftovers. As for you, humph, you don''t even need to eat, do you?"

    As she thanked the waitress for the bowl of chicken stock, Emilia couldn''t help but blush. "I-It''s the first time Dixie is going to taste my cooking, you know? I don''t want her to think I suck."

    "Silly."

    Emilia huffed and decided to ignore her as she returned to the kitchen and started blending all her ingredients together with heavy cream. Of course, the peppers had to be drained and peeled first, and she added in some basil and seasonings as well.

    As an amateur, Emilia made sure to keep a close eye on the pasta to make sure it didn''t go too soft, and drained it when she felt that it was just right.

    Looking at the clock, only about ten minutes had passed at this point, Emilia breathed a sigh of relief.

    After pouring out the smooth mixture and bringing it to a simmer, all that was left to do was add in her pasta and some parmesan cheese and she was done after a little stir.

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    When Dixie woke up from her decidedly pleasant dreams, she couldn''t believe that she still wasn''t dreaming, because not only was her princess the one to gently stir her awake, she was even dressed up like a proper wife, apron and all!

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter should be up within, um, 30 minutes or so? I just need to edit it.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 139 - Decidedly (Un)Pleasant

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    While the heroine and Dixie were enjoying Emilia''s cooking, elsewhere in the city several people were having a very bad time dealing with the ''supernatural''.

    The number of students who had been indirectly involved with harassing and bullying Michelle was far toorge for Emilia to bother with on such short notice, and for them, she had simply told Noelle to arrange a few incidents here and there.

    However, there were a few students who were decidedly more ''involved'' and had made significant efforts to ensure that the girl''s life became truly hell. Whether it was out of sadistic tendencies or because of some actually justifiable reason, Emilia didn''t really care.

    It was for these ''special'' cases other than George that Emilia had instructed Justine to gear up with her three new recruits and drive fear of Michelle''s ghost into their hearts.

    At first, the ex-policewoman didn''t believe that it would have much of an effect. After all, these were all educated students, and they shouldn''t believe in ghosts, right? Justine believed that they would likely discover the truth soon enough, that someone had donned masks and yed a ''prank'' on them.

    Of course, her instructions went a bit too far for a ''prank'', and had she not been briefed about what they had done, Justine might even feel a little ufortable doing it.

    After all, a prankster wouldn''t actually beat the shit out of you, nor would they dare to actually push someone down the stairs, put actual worms in their food, and even ''supply'' them with body parts they had obtained from an affiliated medical college¡­ and these were some of the more ''mundane'' ones.

    If Emilia had reallye up with all of these¡­ Justine shivered a little in fear as she thought about what kind of things ran through the girl''s mind. ''To think that this innocent little princess is actually so twisted on the inside¡­ No, someone else must havee up with this! Un, she definitely didn''t even look at what was inside the file. Definitely.''

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    While Dixie had still been a little in disbelief, Emilia mistook it as her being ''too sleepy'' and ''in a daze'', and decided to just carry her princess style to the dinner table, dumbfounding both the heroine and the knight.

    "P-Princess¡ª?!"

    "Y-You''re unexpectedly strong?!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes at Crystal as she gently set the blushing Dixie down on the chair. "First, she''s actually quite light. Second, howe you think I''m weak?! Come here, I''ll show you!"

    And before the heroine could respond, Emilia had already lifted her up by the waist and spun her around, though her face turned a little red as she did so. "W-Whoa, you are¡ª"

    The heroine''s blush was many times worse than Emilia''s, and she sputtered in shame as she punched the girl on the shoulder. "I-I''m w-what?"

    Emilia had been about to say ''unexpectedly heavy'', but cleared her throat. "Very soft in certain ces. Um, it suits you, very cute."

    Crystal first breathed a sigh of relief, since she had also thought that Emilia would think she was heavy. After all, Crystal had never been ''light'' in any of the physical examinations whenpared to her peers, though she didn''t seem to have any excess fat on her at all.

    There had been many days when she had been teased by girls of her age when they looked at her results, calling her a fatty.

    Well, she had been a little chubby when she was younger, Crystal won''t deny that.

    But as she had entered her teenage years, Crystal didn''t think she had been far from what she would consider the ideal weight for her. At least, she didn''t think she was unhealthy, though she wasn''t perfectly thin like Emilia.

    If someone were to call her a fatty now, Crystal didn''t think anyone wouldugh.

    Of course, she had never cared much about it before, and she didn''t think anyone else should, either. So what if her bone density was better? Wasn''t that a good thing? But when she thought about Emilia thinking that she wasn''t as womanly as expected, Crystal couldn''t help but be worried.

    But momentster, she realized another thing. Emilia had only picked her up from the waist, so the only ce she could find soft was¡ª!

    Giving the grinning girl a re, the heroine huffed as she took her seat while Emilia just chuckled and squeezed her cheek.

    "Cute."

    Meanwhile, Dixie was busy taking in the scent of the dish her princess had personally cooked, and if not for Emilia stopping her in time, she would have ended up burning her tongue already.

    Of course, this was also great fortune for the knight, because Emilia thought that she must still be half-asleep, and decided to feed her just to be safe.

    Crystal couldn''t help but sigh as she watched Emilia blow on the fork before carefully feeding it to the obviously gleeful Dixie. ''They sure are close, like actual sisters¡­ How can Dixie not be mad at that bastard when she''s even closer to Emilia? Am I the only weird one? I can''t bear it at all.''

    Even if they had been together day and night, and Emilia had taken care of her so much, Crystal had never been able to put this thing out of her mind. After all, the reason Emilia was staying over was because she wanted to avoid sleeping in the same room with Randy, right?

    As Crystal finished up her pasta, a sense of determination filled her. ''No, I can''t continue like this. I can''t keep thinking Dixie will do it, or Penny will, I have to take care of that Randy guy myself. That bastard better be ready!''

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    In another part of the city, Randy sneezed, wondering why his electronic nket wasn''t working as well as advertised. ''Fucking scammers! I shouldn''t have bought it online¡­''

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 1000 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 140 - The Bed Is Too Small

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    Crystal had never felt that her bed was ''too small'' before tonight. Even when Emilia had decided to sleepover, the two of them hadfortably fit in just right, especially since they stuck pretty close to each other.

    However, when two became three, it suddenly became a problem.

    Although Dixie had briefly woken up while Emilia was brushing her teeth and cleaning her face, the girl blissfully drifted off to sleep shortly afterward, and Emilia insisted on not waking her up as she would need to go to the dojo early in the morning.

    That meant that the option of Dixie herself offering to sleep on the sofa was out, and as Crystal expected, Emilia would never ''wrong'' her dearest knight, and confidently carried her to bed.

    Crystal knew that now was the time for her to be a good host, and tell Emilia that she would be the one taking the sofa instead, but there was no way she was gonna do that.

    Emilia, on the other hand, never considered the size of the bed to be an issue. ording to her calctions, it was just big enough, though she would still rather have it reced with something of better qualityter.

    As for who went where, Emilia had climbed in after putting Dixie down, so that left Crystal with two choices, and there was no need for her to think about where she should go.

    Unfortunately, that made the situation ''worse'' as Emilia had left a little spare space on the bed on the other side, so as to make sure Dixie didn''t fall offter.

    Emilia smirked as she saw Crystal try her best to huddle closer without making too much body contact, and wrapped an arm around the girl''s waist to pull her closer. "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you don''t fall off at night."

    Crystal nodded, acutely aware of what the soft bumps pressing against her chest were, as well as her thigh which had somehow ended up wedged between Emilia''s legs, and she was very thankful to the darkness of the night for hiding her blush. "T-Thank you."

    Emilia giggled. "By the way, just because Dixie was here today doesn''t mean you''re allowed to forget our deal, okay? I still haven''t heard you call me big sister today."

    The heroine blinked in surprise. "H-Huh? B-But wasn''t that only when we were alone?"

    Emilia nodded. "Well, only the two of us are awake right now¡­ so, we''re alone, aren''t we?"

    Crystal bit her lip tightly as she thought about how stubborn Emilia could be when it came to silly things like this, and decided that arguing was useless. She could only helplessly mumble it out. "B-Big sister¡­"

    "Good girl¡ª ?!"

    Emilia''s words were abruptly cut off as she was pulled away from Crystal, and then felt something hot and wet press against the back of her neck. Apparently, Dixie had started dreaming about something strange again, and was now nibbling on her nape while holding her tight.

    "Princess¡­ t-taste good¡­"

    Even if Crystal had been blind and deaf, she would still have figured out what was going on. As it was, though, even in the dim night light she could clearly see that Dixie had pulled Emilia closer to herself, and was definitely leaving ''love bites'' on the girl''s neck.

    As for whether she was dreaming about food or something else, neither of them could tell.

    Crystal really couldn''t bear it anymore and turned on themp by the bedside, but Emilia made a shushing motion to stop her just as she was about to yell at Dixie to snap out of it.

    Even though Emilia''s face was slightly red, she patted the blonde girl''s hand to calm her down. "Don''t worry, she''s just a little naughty, she won''t really bite me."

    Crystal frowned. "T-That''s not what I''m worried about! You''re not gonna let her keep doing that, right? She''s gonna leave love bites all over your neck, how will you exin that?"

    Emilia giggled. With her body, the marks left by Dixie''s gentle nibbling wouldn''t evenst a few minutes, let alone be there the next morning. "Don''t worry about it, I don''t think she''ll leave a mark, but if she does, I can always cover it up. Anyway,e back, you also have toe with me to school tomorrow. I won''t let your grades slip again, alright? So no skipping!"

    The blonde girl bit her lip as she got back on the bed, wondering why this girl''s priorities were so messed up. And even though there was now more space on the bed for her since Dixie had practically pulled Emilia into her body, Crystal wasn''t happy about it at all. "I-I¡­ I don''t think you should let her keep doing that."

    Emilia''s breathing was already slightly heavy as Dixie continued her ''treatment''. "W-Why? It doesn''t hurt, you know. In fact, it feels really good. I''ve rarely felt this good before, mhm¡­"

    The closest she could remember being in this much pleasure was when she had made out with Dixie that night. "You wanna try? Come on, bring your face closer to big sister?"

    The heroine couldn''t help but grit her teeth. "J-Just because it feels good doesn''t mean you should let her do that! Y-You know, t-the purity of a girl is very important! Y-You can''t let her taint you!"

    As if cowed a little by the blonde''s ''scolding'', the dreaming Dixie actually calmed down and went back to sleeping peacefully.

    Emilia sighed, feeling regretful for both Crystal not taking her offer and Dixie stopping her free ''massage''. "Look, isn''t it fine now? What purity? You won''t think I''m dirty now and stop talking to me, would you?"

    The blonde girl shook her head. "O-Of course not!"

    Emilia smiled. "So why does it matter?"

    Although Crystal hated the guy, in her embarrassment, she couldn''t help but bring him up as a shield. "I-It matters because your future lover might mind. Um, that''s it. I-I''m sure Randy will be very angry if he saw you covered in love bites!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she patted the blonde girl''s cheek. She was almost sure that Crystal already liked her, but she was still saying things like that. "You''re so silly, little sister. Tell me, should I go back tomorrow and sleep with him?"

    Crystal shook her head furiously. She could barely tolerate Dixie touching Emilia, but just thinking about a boy doing the same made her blood boil. "N-No! I don''t think he''s suitable for you at all! You have to break up with him, definitely!"

    Emilia giggled. "Okay, since you said so, I''ll figure something out. And then? Who do you think is suitable for me? I trust Crystal''s judgment a lot, so I''ll definitely get together with the person you rmend. So¡­ who is it?"

    The blonde gulped. Is Emilia seriously asking for rmendations for her future lover? Is it alright to rmend herself? That probably won''t fly, right?

    As for rmending someone else? Crystal wasn''t stupid enough to do that. "T-These kinds of things can''t be rushed."

    Emilia of course had no intention of just letting the heroine off the hook. "What do you think about Dixie, she''s pretty good, right?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chaptering soon.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 141 - Crystalâ€™s Shock

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    Crystal couldn''t believe that even after Dixie had clearly molested her to such an extent, Emilia still had no negative impression of the girl at all. ''Isn''t she a bit too pure?!''

    Of course, Emilia''s intention behind putting forth such a question was to make the heroine acknowledge her own feelings. After all, that was the only thing really standing in the way of her happiness.

    Unfortunately for her, Crystal preferred to tackle problems step by step, and even though her eventual goal was to get together with Emilia, her sights were firmly locked on to separating her from Randy first.

    Until she had finished that step, Crystal refused to mess up by admitting anything that would probably just prove to be fruitless.

    The heroine wasn''t blind, and could clearly see that Emilia was both ''aroused'' and ''curious'', though to what extent the girl was aware of her own state was up for debate. If all she had wanted to do was to be the first one to fuck her, Crystal knew she could easily do so right now.

    However, what Crystal sought was not Emilia''s virginity, but her heart. Of course, both would be the best, but she would rather not lose her chances of obtaining thetter just because she rushed to obtain the former.

    Crystal tried her best to think of a solution. ''T-Think Crystal, think! Emilia is obviously hot and bothered right now, and is probably very susceptible to suggestions. I-I have to weigh my words carefully!''

    "Well?"

    The heroine cleared her throat, trying her best to sound calm. "T-There are many factors that go into choosing a partner. Like I said, you can''t rush these things, but I know you won''t be satisfied with such an answer. So let me give you an easy solution!"

    Crystal bashfully avoided Emilia''s curious gaze, her voice trembling slightly. "Um, i-in the future, there will be s-someone who will always take care of you, always l-love you, and always put your needs, wants, and even thoughts over their own well-being. At that time, you will know without me telling you!"

    Emilia smiled as the heroine gazed at her apprehensively, and leaned forward a little to gently peck her on the lips. "To think that my heroine of justice is so smart and wise, I don''t know about my own future partner, but I know who your future will be!"

    "H-Huh? Who?!"

    "Me, of course! I''ll never let anyone else marry you! Un, if you don''t want to marry me, little sister, you can only stay single forever!"

    Crystal couldn''t help but get embarrassed. "I-If you keep saying things like that all the time, people will misunderstand that you like girls!"

    Emilia grinned. Was she finally catching on? Well, betterte than never. "I do think girls are very cute. I like them very much! Is it wrong?"

    Crystal would have to be weapons-grade stupid to say something like ''it''s disgusting'' at this point in time, so she nodded furiously. "Y-Y-You can, of course you can!"

    After a while, though, she couldn''t help but doubt it a little. "D-Do you even know what ''like'' means? Do you really prefer them over boys?"

    Emilia nodded. "Mhm. I do."

    Crystal knew she should wait. She knew this wasn''t the right time, and it might even ruin everything for herter, but in the end, she couldn''t help it. "W-Well, w-which girl do you like the most, then?"

    Emilia pretended to think for a while, making Crystal''s heart beat like a drum for almost a minute straight.

    If Emilia had to answer it seriously from the bottom of the heart, perhaps it had to be Cynthia, despite all her ws. After all, there would be no more her if not for her, so how could she not like her more than anyone else?

    Cynthia, who had previously isted herself when Emilia kept focusing too much on boring cooking, came back as soon as she sensed her partner think of herself. Hearing her thoughts, she chuckled smugly. "Fufu, of course it''s me! Who can you like more than me? The best looking, smartest, and I have supported you the most. Who asked you such a stupid question? This dumbo?"

    There was no way she could admit that to Crystal, even if she knew about Cynthia, which she did not. Poor Cynthia might explode from her overflowing smugness, and Emilia didn''t want to kill her, after all. Moreover, this silly little partner of hers was too fun to tease, so how could she just admit it?

    Just as the heroine felt like her heart was ready to explode, being in bed together with her crush, almost glued together, as she waited for her ''judgement'', Emilia finally opened her lips. "It''s probably Dixie, right? She''s very cute, and always takes care of me. I like her a lot."

    Crystal felt as if her heart was being crushed by a rock, though she still managed to maintain her smile. "I-Is that so¡­"

    Although she knew it somewhere in her heart, the heroine couldn''t help but sigh. ''As expected. When ites to boys, I won''t even be in the race. But even if prefers girls¡­ It''ll always be Dixie first.''

    She couldn''t help but feel a little gloomy. ''If she really likes her so much more, why tease me all the time?!''

    Emilia chuckled, as if she could read her like an open book. "Are you jealous, Crystal? Did it hurt you to hear that I like someone else?"

    Of course, Crystal immediately panicked. "N-NO! I didn''t even say anything?!"

    Emilia sighed. "Then why did you get so sad?"

    "I-I¡­"

    Although she thought the heroine was adorable, Emilia still pulled her closer till their noses were touching each other. "Fufu¡­ well, Crystal is so cute when she''s jealous, and so cute even when she''s gloomy! Ah, but looking at you being all sad, I can''t really bear it too much, no matter how cute it is, you know?"

    Crystal stared at her, dumbfounded.

    Emilia pouted. "Aw, don''t look like I bullied you. Okay, it''s my fault. Then, how about we do something so that you don''t feel like you''re losing out to Dixie?"

    "E-Eh?"

    "Why do you look so surprised? You''re jealous, right?"

    And then, Emilia gently pressed her soft lips against Crystal''s, and the heroine''s mind exploded.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for 1,250 powerstones.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 142 - Acceptance

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    When Crystal had first met Emilia, she had wanted nothing more than to keep away from this na?ve, beautiful, and spoiled rich girl who seemed to have taken an inexplicable liking to herself.

    However, as she got to know Emilia more, that aversion slowly changed into attraction, and before she realized what was happening, the blonde girl found herself far too deep in the quagmire of love to ever have any hope of extricating herself.

    Once she realized that there was no way out, Crystal had already been determined to one day, somehow, prove herself good enough for Emilia. Only then would she boldly approach her and dere her love, and no matter what the girl''s response was, Crystal would have the peace of heart knowing that she tried her best.

    But Emilia''s constant teasing and flirting always threw her off, and the heroine often found herself feeling lost and scared.

    While she was experiencing it for herself, it felt good, she won''t deny that. After all, who wouldn''t want to be showered with affection from their crush? But when she thought about how it could mean that Emilia never really took her seriously, it filled her with dread instead.

    Even if she thought so, however, there was no way she could push away Emilia''s soft lips that were already pressing against her own, and no way she could deny the blossoming happiness in her heart either.

    The only thing she could do now was to indulge herself in this sweet, sweet poison that Crystal knew would only cause her to sink deeper and deeper.

    Emilia''s gentle kiss slowly turned passionate, and even the passive heroine couldn''t help but respond feverishly as she found her crush climb on top of her to deepen it further and further. Even when Emilia licked her lips, the blonde girl found herself unable to muster any resistance.

    Emilia had actually never intended to be as ''presumptuous'' with the heroine as she was with her knight. She didn''t press their bodies together while kissing, still remembering how Dixie had snubbed her thest time. Emilia had learned that she had to be slow and steady.

    A sweet, delighted moan escaped Emilia''s throat as the heroine parted her lips. Crystal wished she was brave enough to take the initiative to turn Emilia over, nibble on her lips, maybe even bite her tongue.

    Emilia had been extremely happy when, unlike Dixie and Cynthia, Crystal allowed her to have a deeper kiss. Her new form was indeed better, she thought. But Emilia never expected that as soon as put her tongue in, she would receive a sharp bite from the ''shocked'' heroine.

    Both of them froze as Emilia whimpered, and Crystal found herself mortified. ''O-Oh no¡­''

    Emilia didn''t separate from her immediately, thankfully, and gave her a confused, pitiful look instead. "Y-You bit me?"

    The blonde girl felt incredibly embarrassed as she turned her head away. Her mind was still filled with how incredible the feeling had been just before. "S-Sorry, it just¡­ happened."

    Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. She had been a little worried that maybe she grossly misjudged the heroine in some way, and her advances weren''t wee at all. "Oh¡­ It''s okay. Mhm, you must have been surprised. Let''s try again!"

    And so, before Crystal could reconsider it, Emilia had once more leaned forward.

    This time, Emilia was even gentler than before, treating her like a treasure, and only briefly brushed her lips against Crystal''s, making sure she wasfortable and used to it before she went any further.

    Of course, now that she was more certain of Crystal''s eptance, she didn''t hesitate to let her body restpletely on top of the girl, squishing their breasts together as their thighs pressed against each other.

    Crystal was determined to not repeat the same mistake again, and even took the initiative to deepen the kiss herself. With Emilia''s soft body pressing against her, the kiss really had another ''dimension'', and within minutes, her brain already felt a little foggy as the heroine let go of all herplicated thoughts and simply indulged herself in the pleasure of the moment.

    Although Crystal didn''t have any extra experience herself, she could tell that Emilia''s kisses had been somehow ''better'' than when she was the one taking the initiative. Clearly, her crush was more ''talented'' than herself, but Crystal was determined to make up for it with passion.

    Much to Crystal''s frustration, however, just when things were about to get steamy, Dixie''s phone started ringing.

    Emilia sighed as she gave Crystal onest affectionate peck before she let her go. "Go to sleep, I''ll take the call. It''s probably her mom."

    The blonde girl stared wistfully as her crush quickly left the room along with Dixie''s phone while the girl in question continued to sleep peacefully. ''Well, it''s alright¡­ W-We shouldn''t be going this fast anyway. Uhm, this is for the best! I''ll handle that Randy bastard first, and then pursue her honestly.''

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    It only took Emilia a few seconds to go all the way downstairs before epting the call, and before she could even greet her, Mrs. Brown''s exasperated voice started scolding her.

    "Didn''t I tell you to not stay out toote for a few days? Seriously, Dixie, unless you''re out there banging that princess of yours¡ª"

    Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed. "A-Aunty, uhm, it''s me, Emilia¡­"

    "Ah¡­"

    Even with just one word, the ''I just fucked up'' feeling was clearly conveyed across the line.

    "¡­"

    After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but sigh regretfully. "D-Don''t tell me I havemitted the great sin of interrupting the two of you?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but blush in shame. After all, this was her friend''s mother. "N-No, uhm¡­ Dixie is sleeping. She got too tired and went to sleep before she realized it. I should have informed you earlier, sorry!"

    Mrs. Brown didn''t know whether she was happy or sad. On one hand, it was a good thing that she hadn''t been the one to interrupt her daughter right when she was about to screw the haughty little princess she always worshiped. On the other hand¡­ that stupid simp was sleeping over with her prospective lover, and she really was just honestly sleeping over! How shameful!

    The middle-ageddy shook her head. Plotting against Mr. ck had really distracted her too much, to the point where she made such a blunder. "No no no, it''s fine! In fact, I overreacted. The driver just told me she was with a friend, not you. That ipetent moron! Oh nevermind. The two of you, uhm, enjoy, I''ll just¡ª"

    Emilia sighed after she bade goodnight to Dixie''s mother, and when she returned to Crystal''s room, she found that both of her friends were peacefully sleeping on either side of the bed, leaving plenty of space in the center.

    Maybe the emotional ups and downs were really too much for the heroine tonight. Unfortunately, Emilia couldn''t just indulge herself in sleep quite yet, since she still had to meet Samantha tonight.

    She gave Crystal a kiss on the cheek before leaving again. ''Now let''s see what that stupid ''hero'' is nning.''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter should be up in an hour or so.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 143 - Wrong Move

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    There were many advantages to Emilia''s new body when shepared it to the one she had in her previous life. Aside from the obvious fact that she could greatly strengthen itter by cultivating using the energy obtained from missions, she was also able to restore stamina extremely fast, and fully recover from wounds and scars in a short period of time.

    Not all these ''advantages'' were always strictly in her favor, however, since things like being unable to ever feel her belly being full of food again, and never being able to sweat could be considered as ''disadvantages'' depending on the situation.

    One of the things Emilia enjoyed the most, however, was the fact that she could still enjoy the air and temperature, both hot and cold, without it ever bothering her due to physical difort. If she couldn''t she would definitely travel all the way to the White Family mansion in just her nightie, to fully enjoy the cold temperature of the night.

    Unfortunately, her home was quite secure, and it was too much trouble to avoid it all when she had no need to do so. Thus, Emilia could only change into a short dress before visiting Samantha.

    She had tried to consult her partner multiple times about what she thought the hero could be nning, but Cynthia seemed quite mad about being dismissed in favor of Dixie when Emilia responded to Crystal''s ''most liked girl'' question.

    As they reached her mansion, however, Emilia decided that she had allowed Cynthia enough time to sulk. It was time to coax this little kitty out, since they would be discussing matters concerning the hero next, and Emilia didn''t wish for these silly things to decrease her efficiency in any way.

    As for how to go about doing that? Compared to Cynthia, who had nearly zero experience talking to and understanding others, Emilia had spent most of thetter half of her second life learning how to spot what made people tick, and how to use it to her advantage.

    Such skills were the basic requirement when conversing in higher society in her previous life, and provided almost no real advantage to anyone at all, since everyone was doing the same thing. However, against someone like Cynthia, they would be extremely effective.

    To say that Emilia had one thousand and one ways to convince her partner wouldn''t be an exaggeration at all, and all she had to do was pick one she thought was the most suitable.

    "Cynthia~? Are you still mad at me? Why? I don''t understand at all!"

    The raven-haired girl scoffed. "Hmph. Are you pretending to be stupid now? I don''t believe it."

    Emilia blinked ''innocently''. "Is it about that question that Crystal asked?"

    Cynthia sneered. "Oh, your memoryes back quite quick?"

    Emilia made a surprised look, as if she had never considered such a thing would be the reason behind Cynthia''s anger. "Ahaha¡­ So that''s what it was? I just never thought you would take it like this. Mhm¡­ I think you misunderstood me."

    The emerald-eyed girl couldn''t help but blink in confusion, starting to doubt herself. "Oh?"

    Emilia nodded. "Right. Do you remember what Crystal asked me? Her question was ''which girl do you like the most'', and I just told her the truth. After all, you have done so much for me. My feelings for you are more akin to worship than ''like'', you know?"

    Cynthia blushed. "R-Really? W-Why do I feel like I''m being scammed¡­"

    Emilia stuck out her tongue, her tone mirthful yet serious at the same time. "Really! Cynthia, you saved me twice, remember? If there is anyone I worship, it would be you!"

    Her partner couldn''t help butugh smugly. "Hoho¡­ well, when you put it like that, it makes sense. Hm¡­ Okay, since you have never lied to me before, I will believe you!"

    Emilia smiled. "Good girl."

    "That''s awfully condescending for someone you''re supposed to worship?!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Why do you keep misunderstanding me, Cynthia? I just think you''re so good, un, really kind and understanding, you know? How is that condescending?"

    Cynthia thought about it again, and although she still felt that something was definitely wrong somewhere, they had already reached Emilia''s room, and a grinning brte opened the door before Emilia could even knock.

    "Finally you''re here! Come on in, I had the chef make lots of snacks! All your favorites, of course."

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile as gave her older sister an appreciative kiss on the cheek, making the older girl blush in delight as she led her into the room by hand. The room itself hadn''t changed much in her absence, though Samantha seemed to have added a few things in to make her now permanent residency morefortable.

    The table and chair, which had previously been just sufficient for herself, were now reced with a much more luxurious, modern set of furniture that could meet Samantha''s needs at the same time.

    Emilia thought it was quite funny how Samantha felt the need to get a pink version of such a professional-looking furniture set, which made it look like it came straight out of a cartoon.

    Unfortunately, the topic of discussion today was anything but cozy, and even the plentiful deserts couldn''t keep the atmosphere sweet when discussing traitors in theirpany.

    Samantha couldn''t help but sigh after telling Emilia everything she knew. "I don''t understand¡­ even if mom wanted to take Noelle away, it makes no sense to insist on recing her with a newbie, right? Much less someone who is clearly so suspicious, even if she knows nothing about the fiasco with Michelle."

    Emilia nodded as she thought about it. "There''s probably more to it. The fact that she''s so stubborn about it and refuses to tell you the reason is also quite strange¡­"

    Samantha bit her lower lip tightly. "T-Then, what do you think I should do? I can ask Dad to¡ª"

    Emilia shook her head. "No, wait, let me think."

    ''What do you think, Cynthia?''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Isn''t it obvious? The mother of the viiness can''t be too good of a person herself, right? She''s probably involved in some kind of shady deal with that politician, and is now cornered to make this sort of decision."

    Emilia considered Cynthia''s perspective, but she didn''t think that was the case. ''Although what you said isn''t impossible, I think it''s far more likely that this is a trap.''

    "A trap? For who?"

    Emilia smiled. ''For that guy, obviously. Look, he''s got zero experience, and once he''s shot up to such a prominent position, any kind of action he takes will be under a great amount of scrutiny. There''s no way he can hide messing up then, and once he does mess up, it will open up the window to frame him for a lot more.''

    Cynthia scratched her head, slightly confused. "Eh? Sounds far-fetched, honestly. Don''t forget that this is Danielle''s mother we''re talking about. She may be a little more rational than this sis-con and her dad, but she''s definitely not a genius who can make great master ns and execute them wlessly."

    Emilia chuckled. ''True, and although this n looks decent on the surface, there are too many things that can go wrong. What if the ''mess up'' that guy creates is too big for us to take? What if it directly hurts our core? And not to mention, putting him in such a position might just end up fulfilling whatever goals the enemy had anyway, rendering any further repercussions moot.''

    "Hoh? You mean to say¡­"

    ''Right. I mean exactly that. Mrs. White is aiming to frame and disable a pawn, which is the wrong move from the start. Even if shees up with an amazing n, she would just be ying into the opponent''s hands. After all, the pawns are already meant to be sacrificed. All they need to do¡­ was get to the right position first!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chapter for 75 golden tickets! :>

    My writing speed has been quite good recently, thanks to all yourments and encouragement.

    I think it should be possible to clear the bonus queue soon, and maybe even release extra privilege chapters!

    I hope that once that happens, the site will finally start giving our poor Emilia a little more limelight.

    Thank you, for all your support!

 Chapter 144 - Plotting Against The Mom

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    Samantha hadn''t considered that her mother might have nned the whole thing out, and just thought that she was being duped by someone. But after thinking about it some more, what Emilia said made sense.

    However, she also agreed that her mother''s move had a very high likelihood of backfiring. As for the reason? Well, her little sister told her so, and as far as Samantha was concerned, Emilia could never be wrong.

    The taller girl couldn''t help but sigh as she hugged her little sister closer. "What do we do, then?"

    Emilia didn''t think Mrs. White would change her mind on this matter, irrespective of how they negotiated, and no matter how eloquently she tried to put forth her perspective.

    After all, as an experienced businesswoman, she wouldn''t suddenly find her ns unfeasible after she had already thought them through multiple times.

    However, just because they couldn''t stop the flow of a river, didn''t mean they couldn''t divert it.

    Most of Samantha''s attention was focused on how cute Emilia was when she squirmed in herp. Was her little sister getting shy now? It was a little strange whenpared to her usual naughty self, but adorable nheless.

    Of course, her little sister''s words were very precious to her, and Samantha would never ignore them even in her dreams. After listening to Emilia''s n, she thought it was quite feasible. "So I just have to tell her about the deal between Mr. ck and Mrs. Brown, right?"

    Emilia nodded, inwardly cursing Dixie and Crystal for turning her on so much that she couldn''t even imagine teasing Sam without going crazy herself. "Instead of trying to convince her that she shouldn''t do it, just telling her that there is this ''emergency'' due to which we really can''t help it would be much more effective."

    Samantha couldn''t help but grin as she squeezed Emilia tighter in delight, making the girl whimper. "E-Eh? Did I hurt you?!"

    Emilia blushed. "N-Not at all, Sam, instead¡­ it felt really good."

    The older girl took a moment to realize what she meant, and her eyes went wide. "Oh¡­ Ohh!"

    Although Emilia had been on herp, and they were on her bed, Samantha wasn''t touching any ''erogenous'' zone, as far as she was aware. She truly never expected such a thing.

    However, looking at her sister''s reddened ears, she couldn''t help but take a bite.

    Emilia couldn''t help but whimper. "S-Sam! We''re discussing serious things!"

    In her mind, Cynthia scoffed, clearly disgusted. "Maybe you shouldn''t have given her such convenient ess, then? Why even sit on herp?"

    Emilia was already a little frustrated, and had no intention of arguing with her partner. ''She''s been good, and I haven''t treated her as well recently. Besides, you never used to mind me getting closer to Samantha?''

    Cynthia rolled her eyes, but refused to respond. She had felt that Samantha was the ''safest'' option for Emilia to be affectionate, but she knew she had been wrong.

    However, Cynthia couldn''t let Emilia know that this older girl was clearly a freak who would even go for her little sister, not while she was in such an aroused state. After all, who knew what would happen?

    Samantha finally snapped out of her daze, her face going red. "Ahem, right! Un, I doubt even mom would be able to take Mr. ck lightly. She won''t be so stubborn when he''s involved unexpectedly, and should agree to dy her ns a little. We might even be able to get more help from her."

    Of course, no matter how embarrassed she was, letting Emilia go was out of the question.

    In fact, now that Samantha was a little more aware, she could clearly see that her little sister had been in a little ''strange'' state from the moment she entered. The thought made her a little giddy. ''W-Was she so excited to meet me?''

    Emilia smiled when she felt the taller girl loosen her hold a little, d that Samantha so obedient. "Mhm, and by the time we''re done dealing with Mr. ck''s scheme, the porter brothers would already be ''done for''. Of course, you realize that this wouldn''t be enough, right?"

    But even if Samantha had been listening carefully, most of her thoughts were elsewhere. She could understand what Emilia meant, but she wasn''t quite sure how to respond.

    Feeling that the older girl was confused, Emilia decided to borate. "See, doing this just means we''ll get rid of Sullivan''s pawn, which is exactly what our mother was aiming for too. The source of the trouble still remains."

    "Ohh."

    Emilia smiled. "The only difference we would end up making would be avoiding damage temporarily. They''ll just send in a new pawn."

    Samantha bit her lip, most of her naughty thoughts having already evaporated. "W-What do we do then?"

    Emilia patted the older girl''s hand to assure her that there wasn''t much to be worried about. "I think you should ask dad to look into the matter, and send me the list of everyone involved in getting this Jeoffery Porter where he is in ourpany. Don''t worry, I''ll handle it."

    Of course, Samantha couldn''t just push all her problems on to Emilia and rx. "Uh, but what if they were just operating on mom''s orders? Emilia¡­"

    Emilia sighed. "Like I said, don''t worry, I''ll look into that as well. Just give me aplete list. As for mom¡­ well, didn''t you say you had dadpletely on our side?"

    Recalling how her father had ''epted'' her as the future ''head of the family'', Samantha couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed and guilty. "Y-Yeah?"

    "Then why can''t he convince her?"

    Samantha coughed. "W-Well¡­ you know dad, he''s kinda¡­ whipped?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Yeah, but I recall he managed to go against her to arrange me a fianc¨¦, so he''s perfectly ''capable'' of doing that, right? You just need to make sure he understands how ''important'' it is for him to do so. If you need any ''help'' in doing that¡­ you can always ask me."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 145 - Mrs. Brownâ€™s â€™Retributionâ€™

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    Samantha knew that it wouldn''t be difficult to convince her father. What she had really been worried about was his capability to get anything out of their mother.

    But of course, when she thought about it, her father really was quite capable. He had even decided on Emilia''s future marriage without consulting anyone! For such a mighty man, it would be easy to make his wife cough up which ones she had instructed and which ones acted on their own.

    This way, weeding out traitors should be much easier for them.

    Thinking so, Samantha nodded. "He did say I would have full autonomy in the future, uhm, let''s see¡­ alright, I''ll figure it out with him. Leave it to me!"

    Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. That was one less thing she had to make Noelle look into. "Right¡­ and about the things you agreed to with Mrs. Brown¡­"

    Samantha froze, recalling how she had just agreed to every single thing Mrs. Brown asked while raging against Mr. ck''s daring to directly attempt kidnapping Emilia. Of course, she hadn''t mentioned this fine detail to her sister. "U-Uh, sorry, I was a bit too overworked, and ended up just¡­"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "No no, it''s fine. Dixie''s mother does get a lot more out of this deal than anyone else, but let''s just consider it a goodwill gesture from us. It''s not like we''re losing much."

    Her tone turned serious. "What I''m more concerned about is the fact that Mr. ck doesn''t seem to have any way to prevent this kind of betrayal at all, which makes no sense."

    Samantha blinked in surprise. "Eh? But considering Mrs. Brown is just an ant in front of him, and he doesn''t know we''re going to be backing her up, he should think she''s easy enough to crush, right? She would never dare to go against him without us, would she?"

    Emilia nodded. "True, but don''t forget that mine and Dixie''s rtionship is no secret. Even if Mr. ck doesn''t know we''ll back her up, he might have prepared just in case."

    Not to mention the hero''s father, Emilia wouldn''t even underestimate the hero. Although he was somewhat impossible to underestimate, but that was beside the point.

    Feeling Samantha''s arms getting tight around herself again, Emilia patted her sister''s hands in constion, her lips twitching. "D-Don''t worry. I might just be overthinking it, after all. But I think it''s better than being caught off guard."

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    Emilia didn''t hesitate to call Mrs. Brown, even sote into the night. After all, not only was the matter urgent, she knew for sure that the woman was still awake.

    What she didn''t know was that she managed to do exactly what Mrs. Brown had been afraid to have done earlier.

    "F-Fuck! Who the hell dares to disturb my¡ª"

    One look at the caller ID, however, cleared off all her anger as she stared at her screen in confusion. "D-Daughter-inw?"

    The frustrateddy could only count it as her own retribution, but then another thought struck her, filling her with dread. ''W-Wait a minute, don''t tell me that she felt so frustrated that my simp of a daughter is just sleeping that she called me to vent out her feelings?!''

    When she thought about it, Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but have mixed feelings. ''Ah, I am to me for being too charming. Not only is my daughter still so attractive despite being a simp, even when she''s frustrated, daughter-inw can only call me for help. Truly, it''s a sin to be such a gigachad!''

    "Um, Aunty, are you there?"

    Mrs. Brown ran a hand through her hair, sighing wistfully. "Ah yes yes, I''m here... Oh no, you didn''t disturb me at all¡­"

    And as the reason Emilia called her became clear, however, she could only put the previous matter out of her mind to focus on more important tasks. She didn''t even put on her clothes before rushing to her study to take a look at the documents again.

    As Emilia had expected, a deeper look at the agreements did reveal something that both Mrs. Brown and Samantha had previously overlooked.

    Mr. ck truly didn''t shy away from giving tremendous benefits to Mrs. Brown. In fact, he gave way too much, and that was the problem.

    In addition to funding and facilities, the deal also allowed guaranteed most of the ''talents'' required to make sure the branches would run smoothly¡­ which meant that Mr. ck might be ''supplying'' the Brown''s confectioneries with more than half of the employees required in each of the newly invested locations.

    Focusing on making sure that the investment itself wasn''t illegitimate, and whether or not the properties or the deal itself had any problems, they hadn''t paid much attention to this point.

    This alone was a huge red g, since even a single malicious employee, given the right ess, could wreak havoc in any such facility. This was especially true for the food industry, where a single mishap could lead to a huge, irreversible PR disaster.

    And what made it much worse, was the fact that the sheer number of these new employees would allow Mr. ck to put in a lot of moles in Mrs. Brown''spany, making the process of weeding them outter almost impossible.

    The only truly reliable way she could do so, would be to fire them all en masse. But that would also be a disaster of its own, both legally and from a public rtions perspective.

    Of course, the difficulty of handling the situation now, before it had even happened,pared to dealing with itter¡­ couldn''t bepared at all.

    Mrs. Brown''s voice clearly conveyed her admiration. "Thank you. En, En. I understand. Now that I know, I''ll definitely handle it properly. Don''t worry."

    She couldn''t help but sigh. "To think that my daughter-inw is so smart, ah, Dixie sure is a lucky girl!"

    After all, even before marrying into their home, she was already bringing in so many benefits!

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chapter for 100 golden tickets! :>

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 Chapter 146 - Samanthaâ€™s Lullaby

    After ending the call with Dixie''s mother, Emilia and Samantha spent the next half an hour discussing both the finer details as well as some everyday matters.

    Of course, as she was still positioned on Samantha''sp, talking wasn''t the only thing they ended up doing.

    Compared to Dixie and Crystal, who mostly relied on Emilia initiating everything, Samantha was clearly a ''greedy'' girl who constantly tried to test her boundaries.

    But since Samantha''s naughty behavior was limited to just touching her belly and thighs, and kissing her nape, Emilia didn''t mind it at all. In fact, it brought her some much-needed relief from the feeling of frustration she''d had ever since she left Crystal.

    However, it was already quitete at night, and Samantha was tired from her long day. After a while, even her naughty behavior ceased, and the girl looked ready to drift off to sleep.

    Emilia didn''t object when Samantha pulled her into the nket to snuggle, but Samantha could feel that the girl had no intention of falling asleep alongside herself. "I-It''s already sote¡­ do you still have to go back?"

    Emilia tucked the older girl''s hair behind her ear. "I haven''t told Crystal or Dixie I would be leaving, after all. It''s best to get back before they realize. But don''t worry, I''ll put you to sleep first."

    Samantha sighed, feeling a little disappointed that she couldn''t keep the girl for herself tonight. "You haven''t forgotten about our promise, right?"

    Although her little sister did scold her when she had bitten her ear, she had still been allowed to get away with a lot tonight, and Samantha worried if that would end up affecting the pensation'' she had been promised before.

    Emilia smiled as she briefly brushed her lips against the older girl''s. "Of course not, Sam. Don''t you believe me?"

    The exhration and excitement she felt whenever Emilia''s lips touched her own never failed to send a buzz through Samantha''s mind. The soft, pliable feeling on her lips, along with Emilia''s gorgeous face being so close to her own always made her feel like her heart was going to explode.

    And in her slightly drowsy state, it felt even more amazing.

    Samantha nodded furiously. "I-I do!"

    Although now she was even more reluctant to part with her, Samantha knew that some sacrifices had to be made if she wanted to keep her little sister happy.

    Emilia smiled as she gave the girl another peck on her lips.

    Back when Crystal had dropped down the rankings unexpectedly, Emilia had left the burden of carrying out a lot of things to Samantha alone, including finishing off the matter with Randy and Mr. White.

    And just as Emilia would never let any slight go unpunished, she wouldn''t let Samantha go without a reward either. Before she had left, she already promised her a sweet date, and Samantha was still looking forward to it.

    "Don''t worry, Sam, let''s just get these few things over with first. Un, once the matter with the ck Tiger is over, we can have our date in peace. Wouldn''t that be better?"

    Although Samantha felt a little impatient now that Emilia had all but confirmed she would be fulfilling her wish, she could somewhat see the appeal of waiting till they could rx and be worry-free.

    After all, it was unlikely that she would ever get such a golden opportunity too often, how could she let anything else be on her sister''s mind that day?

    Emilia smiled, as expected, Samantha was still as cute and obedient as ever. She moved over to the headboard and patted her thighs, and her older sister looked both happy and confused as shey her head on Emilia''s soft thighs.

    "I''ll sing you a song, okay?"

    In her previous life, before she had met Maeve, Emilia had spent a lot of her time either singing or painting, and although the songs she had written couldn''t be ssified as masterpieces, she considered them a part of herself, and they were very precious to her.

    Even Maeve had only ever heard her sing once, when Emilia had first confessed to her. She''d had grand ns to sing a love song on their wedding day, but unfortunately, that song would now forever remain in her heart as nothing more than a humiliating reminder of all her failures.

    The one she was going to sing for Samantha was one of the first ones she had written, when she had just started ''feeling'' what was in her heart. At that time, she had wished that in her second life, she could have someone who cared for her, and would put her to sleep.

    Not surprisingly, it was already quite simr to a luby, and Emilia modified it to suit herself on the spot.

    "? Dreams and nights go on and on ?

    ? Keep listening to my frozen song ?

    ? For some time I''ll still go on ?

    ? My dearest, my sister, for you I long ?

    ? Whether the dreamse to you tonight ?

    ? Whether the stars glow dim or bright¡ª"

    Samantha had never heard of the song that Emilia was singing. Unexpectedly, her sister was so talented! Not only was her voice soft, soothing, and sweet, even the song itself seemed to be her originalposition.

    Of course, such thoughts slowly fled her mind as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the promised sweet date with her little sister.

    Emilia stopped singing when she noticed that the older girl had fallen asleep, and got out of the bed with a sigh.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but pout. "Why don''t you sing for me too? It would be good entertainment for me, if nothing else."

    Emilia thought about it for a while before nodding. "If you do something worthy of a reward, I shall bestow you a song."

    There was a moment of stunned silence before Cynthia exploded. "H-Huh?! Howe I have to work for rewards now?!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chaptering in an hour or so.

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 Chapter 147 - Whoâ€™s Getting Lucky?

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    "There''s no way I''m doing that!"

    Not to mention that Cynthia was toozy to work hard to earn rewards, she had always considered herself above all of Emilia''s little ves. If she reallyplied with Emilia''s demands on this, wouldn''t she be just like them?!

    Emilia chuckled as she felt her partner''s frustration. "Well, you''re right. It''s not right for me to make you work hard for rewards."

    Her partner scoffed. "Hmph. It''s good that you understand!"

    Emilia smiled. "In fact, it''s the opposite. It''s my honor to be serving you, Cynthia."

    Cynthia puffed out her chest with pride. "Isn''t it? Fufu¡­ well, don''t worry, we''re partners, I won''t treat you poorly!"

    Emilia giggled. "So, since I''m so grateful, I will work hard toplete the missions first, only then do I deserve to serve you properly with a song."

    The emerald-eyed girl nodded. "Un, un¡­ wait a minute, I''ve been scammed?!"

    Seeing her partner''s appalled look, Emilia tried her best to not let her amusement show. "What are you talking about? Doesn''t it make perfect sense?"

    Cynthia scoffed. "Don''t try to fool me, Emilia! Even if you think of serving me with a song as an honor, isn''t it alright to do it now if I ask?"

    Emilia shook her head, still lookingpletely serious. "Not at all! Rewards lose meaning if they are given without reason. For example, even if I think Sam is adorable, I always find a reason to reward her first. If I start doing it without reason, she won''t feel as motivated, and she won''t be as happy with the rewards either. After all, they''re the sweetest when she''s earned them, right?"

    Cynthia thought about it for a while, but couldn''t figure out what was wrong with Emilia''s words at all. "Hmmm¡­ This is making my head hurt¡­ I''ll go sleep. Bye."

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    After putting Samantha to sleep and ''cating'' her partner, Emilia decided it was time to take a shower to clean herself up before anything else. Just like saliva, her body could also secrete sexual fluids, and she had been feeling a little strange ever since Dixie''s ''massage''.

    ying around with Crystal and Samantha had only made it worse, and Emilia realized that she needed to cleanse both her body and mind before she truly went crazy and had to look for someone to vent her feelings.

    Just because she was frustrated, Emilia didn''t wish to inadvertently enter a rtionship with someone she didn''t like, after all. And if she sought someone out just out of lust, that would put her in a very bad position.

    Emilia had a very strong sense of responsibility, to the point where many in her kingdom had med her for being too uptight in the past. Even when some of her selected ''talents'' had proven themselves to be incapable, she refused to discard them after picking them up.

    After all, she was the one who had brought hope into their life when there was none, so how could she be the one to snuff it out? Since she made a decision, it was her responsibility to bear its consequences.

    Emilia knew herself best, and she knew that she would never be able to ''give up'' on someone she had slept with. If she really ended up with someone like Maeve all over again, she just knew she would be devastated.

    After all, even if she managed to get rid of them physically, they would forever continue to haunt her heart, and it wasn''t something Emilia was willing to endure again if she could help it.

    Of course, cleaning herself only reduced her frustration a little, and she gave the sleeping form of Samantha a wistful look before leaving.

    These days, she had been feeling like she had far too many options, and none at all, at the same time.

    Samantha, for example, seemed to desire her greatly, but Emilia didn''t know the true extent of her desires. After all, the older girl didn''t know that Emilia was an alien, and they weren''t rted to each other at all.

    After all, no matter how much she doted on ''her'', as long as Samantha thought of herself as a ''blood-rted sister'', there was a limit to how far she would be willing to go. And if it wasn''t far enough, Emilia would never be satisfied anyway.

    Plus, even if she had been incredibly turned on by Dixie and Crystal, and Samantha was fully willing, Emilia knew that it was impossible to ''do anything'' with the girl for real unless she revealed her real identity due to her own reasons as well.

    And revealing her true self to Samantha was still a risk that Emilia felt wasn''t worth taking. There was no way to know how much of Samantha''s affection was for herself, and how much of it was for Danielle instead.

    Emilia would never mess up her priorities due to sexual frustration. Since there was no way to know, she would rather tread with caution.

    Of course, Emilia also knew that she couldn''t keep enduring forever. "But Cynthia wouldn''t let me do anything, Dixie already rejected going further, and Crystal is¡­ well, she already unconsciously bit me just for a deeper kiss, I doubt she''ll feelfortable going further. It''s not right to force her, mhm. Samantha¡­ is impossible too. Ahhh! I''ll go crazy!"

    Cynthia, who had been roused from her ''slumber'' when she heard Emilia mention her name, couldn''t help but groan. She didn''t know what Emilia mentioned before, but she heard thetter part, and understood that her partner was just having those disgusting ''mating issues'' again. "Why are you thinking like a horny monkey? There''s no need to¡ª"

    Emilia suddenly had a revtion. "Monkey¡­ monkey¡­ that''s right! Isn''t there still Koko?! Mhm, and not to mention there''s Noelle as well! Probably not her, unless I can really make that date work¡­ Ah, it''s not hopeless, after all!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for 250 powerstones! :>

    Thank you for all your support!

 Chapter 148 - Misunderstanding?

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    By the time Emilia got back to Crystal''s house, the restaurant had long since closed.

    Of course, the people responsible for security would monitor the ce throughout the night as well.

    The man in charge of the security breathed a sigh of relief when Emilia returned safe and sound. "Young miss, you''re back!"

    Emilia just gave him a nod as she headed for the restaurant. "Please focus on your work, don''t mind me."

    The man could only watch nkly as the rich young missy easily climbed the side of the building and entered through the second-floor window. "I-I get that she doesn''t want to disturb them¡­ but there''s gotta be a less dangerous way to do this, right?"

    Not to mention that the young miss could have waited for him to fetch her a spare key to the apartment on the second floor, she could have just left it open when she went out.

    After all, with so many of them keeping watch, what could go wrong by just leaving a door open?

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    When Emilia nimblynded directly inside Crystal''s room, it took her a moment toprehend the scene in front of her before she burst into giggles.

    Some time in her sleep, Crystal had kicked poor Dixie right off the bed, and the girl was now lying huddled into a ball on the ground, shivering from the cold asionally.

    It took Emilia a while to slowly shift the previously spread eagle heroine into a more manageable position. Thankfully, Crystal wasn''t as strong as Dixie, or when she had clutched onto Emilia while she was trying to move her, things could have gotten a little awkward. After all, she couldn''t just leave Dixie on the ground, could she?

    Once the heroine had vacated half of the bed, Emilia scooped up her poor knight, and was just about to put her down when Crystal once again shifted to her previous diagonal spread eagle position.

    Emilia''s eyebrows twitched. ''I guess she''s really possessive of her bed at night. Howe this never happened before? I''ve been sleeping with her so many days, and she never kicked me off¡­''

    So sure was she of the heroine''s innocence, that Emilia even began to doubt her knight. ''Hmm¡­ it can''t be that Dixie tried to molest her, so she unconsciously kicked her off?''

    Although it was just a conjecture, the more Emilia thought about it, the more it made sense. After all, Dixie had done the same to her before. And she couldn''t possibly differentiate people in her sleep, could she?

    Possessive as she was, Emilia of course felt a little upset when she thought about it. ''In this case, it''s just right for her to sleep on the sofa! Hmph.''

    If Dixie had been awake, she would have surely cried at the injustice of it all. When had she molested anyone but her princess?!

    Of course, since it was a little colder in the living room, Emilia covered Dixie with a duvet.

    But once she saw how lonely her knight looked, Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little guilty. ''I-I can''t be sure about what happened. It''s wrong to me her like this¡­ Ah well, screw it. I''ll cook her some good breakfast.''

    Cynthia rolled her eyes at Emilia''s back and forth. "See, this is why you shouldn''t get too attached to others. If you kept them at a distance, you wouldn''t have to worry so much."

    Emilia hummed as she picked out a few oranges from the fridge. ''I can''t help it, alright? They''re so cute, they wormed their way to my heart before I knew it, ah! Would orange juice taste better if squeezed by hand, or should I just use the juicer?''

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    Meanwhile, George had just woken up, and the first thing that came to his mind was the horrific, dead face of Michelle, along with her elongated arms and legs as they dangled over the ''corpse'' of his brother.

    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

    Even if Jeoffery had really been dead, it was expected that he would still wake up from his brother''s unholy screech. Not to mention now, when he had just been knocked out.

    "Holy fuck! W-What happened?"

    Unfortunately, instead of calming his younger brother down, the reanimation of Jeoffery''s corpse only sent George into further panic.

    The boy retreated rapidly as he rushed away and out of the apartment, not even caring as he mmed into multiple walls and even fall down twice in the staircase.

    Jeoffery tried his best to catch the obviously crazed younger brother of his, but to no avail. Even if it hadn''t been for all the alcohol in his system, he was still the less athletic of the two.

    George''s screeching did not stop throughout his escape, as his panicked mind subconsciously sought help. It was no surprise that even at this ungodly hour, a few of the neighboring apartments lit up as people got out, both out of annoyance and curiosity.

    Jeoffery didn''t know whether he should be enraged or relieved when a buff-looking boy cut off his brother''s escape just before he left the apartmentplex and knocked him out with a punch.

    "Screaming about ghosts at three in the morning?! Fuck, you disturbed this daddy''s sleep! I''ll turn you into a fucking ghost!''"

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    When Crystal finally woke up, she subconsciously felt that something wasn''t right. These days, whenever her eyes opened, if she wasn''t greeted with Emilia''s gorgeous smile, she would be greeted with a sumptuous breakfast instead.

    Today, however, her bed had neither a sleeping beauty nor a full breakfast tray, and Crystal couldn''t help but panic for a moment before recalling the previous night. "O-Oh right, Dixie stayed over¡­ I guess they must be out in the living room?"

    One look at the clock, and it was still five in the morning, which was quite a bit earlier than she expected.

    Unfortunately, when she entered the living room, there was still no sight of Emilia, and she only found her mother sipping a cup of coffee. "Good morning, mom."

    "Ah, morning, Crystal. Uhm, Emilia left you a note on the table."

    The blonde girl nodded, but before she could take a look at what was written, her mother sighed wistfully. "What''s wrong, mom, sighing so early in the morning?"

    Mrs. Miller shook her head with a smile. "N-Nothing, dear, you go on. I-I just didn''t get proper sleep, I guess."

    "Oh¡­"

    As her daughter took the breakfast tray and Emilia''s note back into her room, Mrs. Miller couldn''t help but sigh again. Her daughter''s two lovers had left on their own, without even letting the girl know other than a note. How could she not be concerned? "I should probably consult Mrs. Brown about this¡­ she seems like someone who would know what to do in such a situation."

    After all, Crystal was all that she had left, and if she didn''t do everything she could to ensure the girl''s future was happy, how could she call herself a good mother?

    But this matter really was a little tooplicated for someone like her to give advice on her own. If she wasn''t careful, she might even end up hurting her daughter instead of helping her!

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 149 - Fall Of A â€™Mighty Warriorâ€™

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    To say that Mrs. Brown was surprised when she first received a call from Crystal''s mother would be an understatement.

    After all, this woman was a true introvert and a homebody. She would never leave her home even in an apocalypse, and would never talk to anyone who didn''t talk to her first.

    Even though they had be ''friends'' now, it had all been purely on her own initiative, and Mrs. Miller still only ''responded'' to her, and made no efforts to ever call her or talk to her.

    "She must be in some trouble, interesting¡­"

    It only got more interesting when the woman insisted that they couldn''t talk about it on call, and that she should visit the restaurant today if she was free.

    Of course, Mrs. Brown was anything but free these days, since she was still dealing with digesting the huge amount of resources she had recently obtained from both the White Deer and ck Tiger.

    But Mrs. Brown was a woman who would never mess up her priorities. Between entertaining herself and managing her business, she knew what mattered more.

    That was why, before the clock struck six, Mrs. Brown was already shaking hands with her friend. "Why, dear, I never thought you would be the one calling me on your own. Did you finally stop being so shy?"

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    Mrs. Miller, being an introvert with almost non-existent social skills, was of course unable to muster up the courage to clearly describe her daughter''s threesome rtionship with Dixie and Emilia.

    After all, not to mention the topic itself was incredibly embarrassing, one of the girls involved was Mrs. Brown''s daughter as well, making her feel even more awkward.

    That was why, with her level zero conversation skills, what Mrs. Miller wanted to convey and what Mrs. Brown understood were two very different things.

    After she was done listening to her friend''s problems, Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but sigh. Deep down in her heart, there was both pride and disappointment. ''Truly¡­ my Dixie has inherited my gigachad genes well, but she''s still a simp. Before she has managed to bang her wife, she''s already trying to grab a concubine!''

    It needn''t be said that these kinds of things should be done step by step. Well, even if her simp daughter had to jump through a few more hoops due to her rush, the fact that Emilia didn''t seem mad in her call yesterday meant that Dixie pretty much already had them in the bag.

    Not one, but two excellent daughter-inws to worship her in the future! She almost felt like she was making a proxy harem of her own.

    Mrs. Brown patted the distressed woman''s shoulder, her smile a littlecent. "Don''t worry, dear. The younger generation now is far more advanced than us, ya know. These kinds of things are quitemon. Once they start going to college, it will get even worse. You can''t let this bother you, ya know?"

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    Meanwhile, her gigachad daughter was trying her best to beat the stuffing out of her grandfather''s buff apprentice, but to no avail.

    Even with Dixie''s ridiculous strength, the kicks and punches that managed tond on the other girl seemed to have hit a solid wall, and had little to no effect. It wasn''t much of a surprise, considering she trained with her grandfather for a long time before Dixie and Emilia came to the dojo.

    Of course, the source of her frustrations was obvious.

    Dixie had been a little baffled when she woke up on a sofa she didn''t recognize, and it only took her a moment to recall that she had ended up never leaving Crystal''s home the previous day.

    Shortly afterward, she felt mortified when recalling how spoiled she had acted in front of her princess. Having her feed her pasta, and then even making her brush her teeth when she was clearly awake!

    ''AHHH! What came over mest night?! Why did I keep thinking it was a dream?!''

    Of course, the mortification was soon reced by glee, because her princess had not only indulged her so, but she did it all happily, and even in front of that stupid Crystal!

    When she was served with orange juice that Emilia had squeezed by hand, Dixie was so happy that she almost cried.

    And her princess even told her she would be going to the dojo together! Could it get any better?!

    The answer was no.

    It could only get worse from that point, becausepared to her, a certain monkey girl knew how to act wronged on a whole another level, and managed to guilt-trip Emilia into ying with her throughout the entire session.

    The favoritism that her grandfather showed to Emilia knew no bounds, it seemed, because even after her long absence, he really agreed to it when Emilia asked!

    Dixie couldn''t get mad at her princess, so she could only continue throwing punches and kicks at her opponent as not far from her, Koko whined more and practiced less.

    "Emilia~ You don''t know, these guys all bullied me while you weren''t there! My supreme technique was picked apart by some nefarious forces, and that stupid kid Keke even dared to betray me! He can now dodge my moves! AHHH!"

    Emilia continued to smile as she listened to her friend''sints. She could still recall how Dixie''s grandfather had been dissatisfied with Koko interrupting him mid-conversation one day. It was no wonder if he was the one who decided to teach that kid a few more tricks.

    The freckled girl sighed in dismay, throwing another formality punch to Emilia, who easily deflected it with the back of her palm. "To think even Great Warrior Koko would have to go through such tribtions!"

    The six-year-old kid sat on the benches alone, giving Koko a disdainful re as if she was no longer worthy of being considered an opponent.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for 500 powerstones!

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 Chapter 150 - Now Youâ€™ve Done It

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    When Mrs. Porter first received her eldest son''s call so early in the morning, she had expected the worst. After all, a small family like theirs getting involved with major politicians dide with some risks, and it had always been on the back of her mind that perhaps she should have just stayed away. And Jeoffery''s panicked tone certainly didn''t help.

    She couldn''t even bear listening to his words, and only heard George''s name being mentioned before she cut off the call and drove all the way over to their not-so-secret apartment.

    However, instead of facing any kind of emergency, what she found herself handling was just the aftermath of their drunk incident.

    To say that she was pissed would be an understatement.

    And to make matters worse, not only did her youngest son not apologize for wasting her time and emotion, he even insisted that it was all the fault of some ghost!

    Mrs. Porter, who already felt disgusted by her son''s behavior, felt even more disgusted when the scared boy kept trying to cling to her. "What the fuck are you talking about, George?! I swear if you keep spouting nonsense, I''ll make you regret the day you were born!"

    Although the boy had changed his soiled clothes, the terror in his heart hadn''t been washed out at all. In fact, he couldn''t even bear to be alone since that moment, and refused to leave his mother''s side ever since she had arrived. "I swear I''m telling the truth, mom, big bro! Michelle came back as a ghost, and she even knocked big bro out! Tell her, bro! She almost killed me!"

    Mrs. Porter frowned as she gave her older son a look, and as expected, he shook his head.

    The spectacled boy sighed. "Don''t be ridiculous, George. I just passed out from drinking too much, didn''t I? You should probably sleep and let the alcohol flush out from your system so you can calm down too. This farce has gone on long enough. Stop talking crazy."

    The boy clutched his head so hard that he actually managed to pull dozens of strands of bleached blond hair out. "I-I''m not drunk! I''m NOT! I''m not crazy either! You''re crazy for not believing me!"

    Mrs. Porter stomped her foot on the floor. "That''s it, I''ve heard enough. From now on, no more alcohol for either of you, ever. To think that I almost thought someone was trying to kill you with how panicked you were¡­ maybe it would have been better if I really found a murderer here!"

    George couldn''t help but cry as both of his family members kept ming him when he was telling the truth. Why did no one believe him? "I really almost died!"

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    Meanwhile, the White family was having a discussion of their own.

    Of course, it had been Samantha who initiated the video call, as neither of the parents would ever reach out to the kids so early in the morning unless there was an emergency.

    Having fully recharged her ''Emilium'' reserves the night before, Samantha was certainly quite full of energy, and it didn''t take her long to convince both the parents of the severity of the situation with Mr. ck and Mrs. Brown.

    However, contrary to her and Emilia''s expectations, Mrs. White didn''t immediately agree to dy Noelle''s transfer. Instead, she actually started exining the truth behind the matter to convince them that what she was doing was, in fact, still the best solution.

    Samantha didn''t know that her family also owed so many ''political favors'', especially to people like the Sullivans, who just seemed like shady characters in general.

    Mrs. White sighed. "Honestly, I still don''t know why you two insist on not being obedient for once. Just let the guy take the secretary position for a while, and I''ll be able to spot out all his connections at once."

    Samantha bit her lip. "B-But¡ª"

    Her mother didn''t seem to hear her at all, however, and just continued. "Anyway, my side of the deal with Mrs. Sullivan is only to get him to that spot, not to let him stay there forever. And this way, I can also see what kind of movements they''re trying to make. You understand, right?"

    Although Samantha understood what her mother was thinking, she still felt that Emilia''s words previously made more sense. "Mom, please, don''t be so stubborn, we¡ª"

    Mrs. White rolled her eyes as she interrupted her daughter once again. "I''m the one being stubborn? Alright. Let me see which one of you has been very reasonable instead, then. Husband dear? Let''s start with you first."

    Mr. White made a pitiful-looking face on the screen. Hadn''t he been obediently quiet throughout the conversation? Why were they bullying him again?

    "You decided on my daughter''s marriage even though I told you it was a bad idea, and now changed his mind just when I had decided to ept it? Are we still living in some primitive era where you have to go decide your daughter''s marriage all by yourself? Please. Even if you don''t consult me, have the decency to consult the girl you''re nning to marry off!"

    Samantha nodded. On this point, she very much agreed with her mother. Even though her father was now supporting her rtionship with Emilia, it was true that he made a mistake trying to arrange her little sister''s marriage before.

    Mr. White kept his head down, not even daring to squeak.

    Unfortunately, Mrs. White''s next target was her daughter. "And you, Sam, how many of our resources have you been using to run personal errands? If I were to check, at least half of all our personnel in the city wouldn''t be found doing anything productive at all, right?"

    "Gyuck¡ª?!"

    Mrs. White chuckled. "What''s that? Don''t choke on your own tongue, dear. So, now do you believe either of you should be lecturing me about being unreasonable?"

    Samantha looked a little abashed, but recalling Emilia''s soft thighs and sweet luby, her motivation once again shot through the roof, startling her mother at how quickly she managed to fire herself back up. "We might have our own faults, but that doesn''t mean we''re also wrong on this matter. Mom, Emilia said¡ª"

    Mrs. White groaned. "Emilia? She''s just a little girl, how could you¡ª"

    This time, it was Samantha who ended up interrupting her mother, filled with righteous indignation. "How can you say that about my sweet angel, mom?! It''s not right. Do you know how sweet her voice is when she sings? Or how soft her lips are¡ª"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chaptering soon.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 151 - Cornered?

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    Even though Samantha spent the next five minutes continuously exining how amazing her little sister was, Mrs. White could barely keep up with less than half of what she was saying.

    ''E-Eh? W-Why would she know that? No no, w-why would I think weird things?! Emilia probably kissed her cheek, and this silly goose got so happy, un un. That''s definitely it.''

    Mr. White prayed to all the deities that did or did not exist that his wife wouldn''t be able to figure anything out, as tant as Samantha was being while praising her little sister to high heavens. ''And Samantha, for the love of god, don''t you dare mention something like the taste of her tongue next¡ª''

    In the end, maybe even the gods pitied the poor man, because not only did Samantha not mention such a thing, even his wife really did somehow miss all the signs in front of her. "A-Alright, alright, Sam, stop. I''ll admit it!"

    Samantha finally stopped, startled as she just realized she had gone on a long tirade, carried away by her passion. "U-Uh¡­"

    Mrs. White sighed. "I''ll admit that Emilia is the cutest, most talented, and most intelligent ''little sister'' in the world. Alright?"

    The brown-haired girl cleared her throat, her face red in embarrassment. "Y-You''re not wrong, but¡ª"

    Mrs. White sighed. "Alright. I''ll let you guys do as you please this time. I have too much to deal with, anyway. But remember, Sam, even if your dad and Emilia can continue to be like this, you can''t."

    Samantha pursed her lips, and her mother seemed to know what she was thinking.

    "Don''t give me that look. No matter how much you adore her, never forget that Emilia is just a child!"

    "M-Mom, she¡ª"

    Mrs. White sighed. "Don''t argue. Listen, I know that she just ys around all day, every day. Even nowadays, where is she? I heard she doesn''te back to the mansion every day. From morning to night, she''s always ying around with her friends. Is that wrong?"

    Just as Samantha was about to open her mouth, the older woman shook her head. "And you know, she doesn''t just y normal games. That would be fine. But oh, that girl doesn''t care about the consequences of her actions at all! Did you know that she recently started ying a detective game with her friend?"

    Of course, she knew all about it. What she wondered now was how much her mother had figured out, and how.

    After all, the person Emilia had put in charge of the whole thing was Noelle. And if there was one thing she knew about that girl, it was that she would never tattle on them to even their parents unless they specifically asked about this matter, and at that point, they would have to already know.

    Samantha gave her mother an awkward nod. "H-How did you¡ª"

    Mrs. White scoffed. "How did I know? Well, themissioner had asked me to see if I can get her to stop, you know?"

    Of course, she''ll admit that Emilia had her own merits. After all, themissioner hade to their side only thanks to Emilia managing to reverse the plotting from the ck Tiger Corporation.

    However, Mrs. White wouldn''t start to blindly believe in the girl''s ''wisdom'' just because she seeded once. If she made a mistake, the price would be too terrible, and Mrs. White did not want her family to suffer because of that.

    "Although this will sound horrible of me, it was fortunate that the hospitalized girl died, so I didn''t have to waste my time convincing either of them. I was told that this case might involve someone pretty high up, and is best not touched."

    Samantha wondered if her mother would have a stroke if she told her that not only had Emilia not stopped looking into the case, she was practically toying with the whole situation, and even the girl''s death was staged by her!

    In the end, Samantha decided that since she had barely managed to convince the woman, it was better not to poke the snake''s nest too much. The matter will be known when the time was right, anyway. ''I-I managed to aplish what my precious baby asked of me, and that''s all that matters!''

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    After the video call was cut off, Mrs. White couldn''t help but give her husband a thoughtful look. "You know¡­ you''ve been acting a little strange recently. If it wasn''t obvious before, today you were just¡­ Why do I feel like you''re hiding something from me?"

    Mr. White immediately turned pale. "W-What? H-How could I dare hide anything from my dearest?! B-sphemy!"

    Mrs. White narrowed her eyes in thought. "You haven''t started keeping a ''side chick'' again, have you?"

    Her husband gave her a scandalized look. If someone overheard them, wouldn''t they think he had already cheated on her in the past? He was obviously being framed! "O-Of course I would never¡ª"

    Mrs. White nodded. "Of course you shouldn''t dare. Don''t forget that thest time you tried, what you got was a trap¡ª"

    Mr. White groaned. "DO NOT ever mention that, please! I wasn''t even trying to pick her¡ª uh, him, up! I was honest to god just helping her¡­ I mean, him, leave the party!"

    His wife sighed. "Sure sure¡­ I believe you. Anyway, about Emilia and Sam¡ª"

    Mr. White immediately stoop up straight. "There is NOTHING going on between them!"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    For a few minutes, neither of them spoke a word.

    In the end, Mrs. White sighed. "I-I was about to ask if we should maybe go check up on them to make sure they can handle the situation with ck Tiger better, but what you said is kinda¡­ suspicious."

    Her husband could feel cold sweat soak his back. "I¡­ did I say anything?"

    Mrs. White nodded. "That''s even worse."

    As ast, desperate resort, Mr. White gave his wife a pleading look, begging for her to just drop this topic for now, but it only made her more suspicious.

    "So¡­ mind telling me what''s going on between them?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 750 powerstones!

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 152 - Crystalâ€™s Expectations

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    For as long as Crystal had known Emilia, the girl had never failed to overturn her expectations. This was true on the first day they met, when they barely knew each other, and it was even more true now, when they could already be considered close friends. Something that Crystal couldn''t have imagined in her wildest dreams.

    Today wasn''t any different, because despite leaving so early in the morning with her friends, Emilia still returned all the way to her home just to pick her up. Crystal had no idea what the girl was thinking. After all, she had been able to get to school on her own two feet for years before she came along, hadn''t she?

    If it had been anyone other than her, Crystal knew that the person would have been exhrated to have their crush pay them so much attention.

    However, the problem was¡­ the more Emilia gave, the greedier Crystal found herself bing.

    As someone who considered herself as a reasonable and practical person, this was a hard pill for her to swallow. Of course, acknowledging her own behavior was the first step to self-improvement, and Crystal knew she had to be the best she could be to really deserve what she desired.

    As the two of them settled into the backseat of Emilia''s car, Crystal couldn''t help but wonder why it was a little emptier than she expected. "Did your friends head straight to school?"

    Of course, by ''friends'' she was mainly inquiring about Dixie, though she was aware that Koko was there as well. After all, with how diligent the ''knight'' usually was, for her to not follow Emilia back was quite a surprise.

    "They wanted to take a shower first, and there''s not much time left till sses start, so yeah¡­" Emilia chuckled as she tucked a few stray golden strands behind Crystal''s ear. ''Mhm, I should get her a cute headbandter. She''ll look adorable, I''m sure.''

    Crystal nodded, turning her face away from the girl to hide her blush.

    Inwardly, she couldn''t help but wonder if Emilia really did any practice in the dojo, or if she just went there to watch. After all, there was not a single drop of sweat or any sign that she had even attempted any kind of workout earlier.

    Before she could think about it further, however, they finally arrived at school.

    With their sses now being different, Emilia didn''t expect to meet her friends again till noon. However, Koko seemed to have been already waiting for her, ran towards her moments after she got out of the car.

    Emilia smiled as she watched the freckled girl dash, her hair still wet from her shower. She could already guess that Dixie must have forced her to do it first, never realizing that it would just give the girl freedom to run around while Dixie had her turn. Her knight was really too innocent.

    The freckled girl mmed into her arms with a giggle, and Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s so cold out, Koko, how could you be so careless? Couldn''t you have taken a few more minutes to dry your hair properly?"

    Koko''s hair was neither long nor short, with her brown tresses barely touching her shoulders. Emilia didn''t think it would take long for them to dry using one of those ''hairy dryer'' magic doodads.

    Compared to how long it used to take for her waist-length hair to dry in the previous world, it was practically instant. ''To think that she doesn''t even have that much patience¡­ truly, Koko is such a baby.''

    "Don''t worry, Emilia! Even if I get sick, it''s all good news! Hmph, you don''t know, let the Great Warrior Koko teach you a trick. When you''re sick, even the people who always bully you will treat you super nice!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Really? Well, let me tell you a little something too. If I find out you intentionally got sick, I''ll get you the meanest doctor who will give you the most bitter medicine and lots of injections!"

    Koko jumped back from her arms, pointing towards her in shock. "Uwaah! Emilia is a devil! Ahh, but how can a devil be so cute? Emilia is clearly a suc¡ª"

    Unfortunately, before their ''fun'' could continue, the knight finally arrived, and immediately started pulling Koko''s ear angrily. "You''re the devil! Who told you to run around and bother Emily right before ss?! You''re even bothering Crystal."

    Dixie''s hair was even shorter than Koko''s, and should have taken even less time to dry, but it appeared even wetter.

    Emilia was almost certain that the girl must have had a bad premonition before she even finished her shower, and dashed out in a panic.

    Dixie was very conscious about what kind of image she projected to ''outsiders'', and she tried to apply the same to the other people who associated with Emilia as well.

    After all, in her mind, one of her primary duties as Emilia''s friend was to create a good image for her in the upper circles.

    Although that goal seemed to have been already achieved, more or less, maintaining that image was also important. In the upper circle, no one could be sure when someone would manage to take a misleading photograph from the wrong angle, and spread it around to create malicious rumors.

    Even if those rumors couldn''t cause much harm to Emilia, Dixie felt it was better to not give anyone the opportunity in the first ce.

    That was why, even though she wished to stick to Emilia when she decided to go back to pick Crystal from her home, she would rather take Koko separately first. After all, the two of them weren''t in a very presentable condition while covered in sweat, and sticking to Emilia in such a state would just leave anyone, even Crystal, with a poor impression.

    After apologizing to both Emilia and Crystal, the dark-haired girl wasted no time at all in dragging the crying Koko away.

    Crystal used to find Dixie''s dedication to Emilia quite ''cute'', however, that was no longer the case afterst night. After all, there was clearly something wrong with the type of obsession this girl had with Emilia! It wasn''t cute at all!

    Thankfully, with the two of them gone, Crystal could finally have a normal ss with Emilia by her side.

    The blonde found herself getting a little distracted by how adorable Emilia looked as she stuck out her tongue while rubbing out the ''wrong'' diagram on her notebook. ''Huh? That was already perfect¡­ is she trying to make a diagram good enough for an art auction or something?!''

    Well, she didn''t mind. A frustrated Emilia was much cuter than a bored Emilia. Bored Emilia was more ''cool'', however. Crystal of course liked both of them.

    As Mr. Jefferson droned on, however, Crystal suddenly had a bad feeling. ''Wait a minute¡­ something doesn''t feel right¡­''

    It didn''t take her long to realize what was wrong. ''That''s right! How can my day be so good?! Even that annoying guy didn''te to bother us today, and he''s not ring at me either, what the heck is going on?!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter in an hour or so.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 153 - Wrong Priorities?

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    After the thought struck her, Crystal couldn''t help but subtly look around, trying to see what Emilia''s bastard ex was up to. However, even when she started swiveling her head around, she couldn''t find the boy at all.

    Had it been anyone else, Mr. Jefferson would have already mmed a piece of chalk into their foreheads.

    Who knows, maybe if he did it enough times, some of the rust on their unused brains might fall off, and it might finally start working.

    But this was their previous ''star student'', and even if she had fallen off a few spots now, the teachers still thought of her quite favorably.

    Generally quiet and diligent, Crystal rarely gave them a reason toin.

    Even now, when she was looking around and causing a ''great disturbance'', it was mostly because everyone was used to paying so much attention to her every move.

    Mr. Jefferson tried to ignore it for a while, but in the end, he couldn''t help but stop his lecture. The number of students whose names he could remember could be counted on one finger, and that was because she had previously given him a very peaceful empty ss to teach. ''What was the name of our previous freshmen topper again? Amethyst? Guava?''

    In the end, he couldn''t be sure. He had wanted to scold her, but couldn''t remember her name, and he didn''t want to hit her with a piece of chalk either. ''If I were to hit her on the head, it is possible that some of the rust might get shaken loose, and fall on her still functioning brain, which would impair its function. She already lost her top spot, it''s too pitiful for it to get worse.''

    It had to be noted that Mr. Jefferson taught mathematics, not biology.

    Emilia, who had already memorized a lot of this particr teacher''s ''tells'', felt that he was about to hit Crystal if she kept disturbing his ss like this. Although she was confident that she could stop his chalk attack, she had already seen a clip of what happened when that was done. What would she do when Mr. Jefferson threw ten chalk pieces at once, or even a hundred? Moreover, if he increased the velocity of the chalk¡ª

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Emilia, for fuck''s sake¡­ This guy is just a normal person, how can he throw chalk at bullet-like speed? That video Koko sent you was clearly edited!"

    Emilia also felt that it was unlikely to be true, however, if her informant had already given her some information, and she still made such a mistake because she didn''t believe it, it would be her fault! It was better to take precautions, just in case. "Mr. Jefferson! Sir, I think Crystal isn''t feeling well, can I take her to the infirmary?"

    As for the reason why Koko wouldunch such a ''besmirching'' campaign against the mathematics teacher¡­ well, let''s just say that she was lucky that there wasn''t already a dent on her forehead from all the times the man had hit her with a piece of chalk.

    Crystal was mortified, having just discovered that, not only all the students, even Mr. Jefferson had been focused on her.

    Mr. Jefferson nodded, d to have one less thing to bother him. ''Oh, it''s the riot girl. I actually remember her name!''

    "She can take the rest of the day off, you too, Empoleon!"

    Emilia felt her lips twitch. ''I-If you don''t know my name, you don''t have to say it!''

    Of course, she didn''t bother arguing with Mr. Jefferson, and just picked Crystal up in a princess carry before taking her out of the ss as the rest of the students gaped in shock.

    "Wow!"

    "I have seen the princess carrying someone princess style, my life is fulfilled!"

    "C-Crystal must be light as a feather!"

    Mr. Jefferson took out eight pieces of chalk, holding them between his fingers as he locked in on the neers, calcted the required trajectories, and sent them all flying.

    It had to be said that Mr. Jefferson although was a mathematics teacher, had such a sport existed, he would have surely been the champion of chalk throw.

    "SILENCE! You know what else is light? Your head! Because it''s empty!"

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    Crystal couldn''t help but cover up her face in embarrassment as Emilia carried her out of the ss. "Y-You can put me down now!"

    Emilia chuckled, but decided to let her go. Although she could definitely continue carrying her, she actually felt a little uncertain if she would be able to safely carry her downstairs, it was better not to risk it.

    "So embarrassing! Ahhh! What must everyone think of me now?!"

    Knowing that the heroine was starting to panic, Emilia pulled her into a hug and patted her back. "Hey, it''s okay. No one''s thinking anything right now, except how terrible Mr. Jefferson is, probably."

    Crystal was stunned for a while before bursting into giggles, her heart slowly settling down. "Y-You''re right¡­ thank you, Emilia."

    Emilia nodded. "So¡­ what were you doing back then? Usually, you would bepletely lost in the lecture, or focused on your book."

    Crystal bit her lip, suddenly nervous. Even if she knew it was all over between them, mentioning Emilia''s ex-fianc¨¦ just didn''t feel right to her. "Ah¡­ I¡ªI¡­"

    Emilia sighed. "Don''t tell me you were looking for Randy?"

    The blonde girl blinked. "Eh? Him?"

    Now that she thought about it, she hadn''t caught a single glimpse of the boy. It was definitely a good thing, but wasn''t that equally strange?

    Emilia smiled as she squeezed the girl''s cheek. "Since he was bothering you, I had him move to ss S. Anyway, the education quality there is the same, and he might even finally make some friends. I can''t have him bothering my angel!"

    Crystal blinked in shock. ''S-She had him moved to a different ss¡­ for me?''

    What did that mean?

    Did that mean that she was ''higher priority'' to Emilia than even her future husband?!

    But when she thought about it, Emilia didn''t like Randy at all. Of course, her close female friend would be more important to her than her arranged partner.

    And with her father having ''wronged'' her like this, he would definitely follow a few of her whims now, even if it meant ''wronging'' Randy.

    The heroine smiled bitterly. "Thank you, Emilia."

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "I have a feeling you''re thinking something strange again. C''mon, don''t be shy, tell me! I hate misunderstandings. Unless they''re in my favor, ehehe¡­"

    Crystal couldn''t help but roll her eyes as she punched her crush on the shoulder, her gloominess all but gone. In the end, she decided to confide in Emilia. "Why are you so silly, Emilia! I was just wondering where that¡­ uh, Amos guy was¡­"

    Emilia''s smile instantly disappeared. ''Crystal is thinking about Amos, is she? Hmph. The only one she should be thinking about, is me!''

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 1,000 powerstones! Oh, and I might be able to surprise you in a day or two, who knows. Ehehehe.

    Well, it''s not much of a surprise. Just a few extra chapters. But, you know. I''ll get it done before Monday!

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 154 - Crystalâ€™s Happy Time?

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    "W-Where are we going?!"

    Crystal had no idea what she had said that ticked Emilia off, but the girl was clearly angry as she dragged her off towards the ''Disciplinary Committee Office''.

    It didn''t take them long to get there, and Emilia locked the door as soon as the two of them were inside.

    She squeezed the girl''s cheek, making her blink in surprise. "Hmph. Crystal, I feel like I''ve been treating you too well, so you''re getting naughty!"

    The blonde couldn''t help but gape in both shock and shame. "Huh, w-what, what are you saying? N-Naughty? Me?"

    Emilia didn''t borate any further, and picked the girl up by the waist before throwing her onto the fluffy, soft bed.

    And the next thing Crystal knew, Emilia was already on top of her.

    She grabbed both of the heroine''s hands and pinned them on top of her head before slowly lowering herself till the heroine could feel her breath mingle with Emilia''s.

    Crystal knew what wasing, and closed her eyes in anticipation, breathing in Emilia''s minty breath puckering her lips, almost begging for it before she felt that touch.

    The soft, gentle touch contrasted sharply with Emilia''s rough hold, and sent bolts of pleasant shock down Crystal''s spine.

    Emilia''s lips were still just as soft and delicious as she remembered, and even though she was now acting so aggressive, her kiss was just as caring asst night.

    The heroine didn''t even realize she had let out a moan of relief, sending Emilia into further frenzy.

    Crystal''s heart couldn''t help but beat rapidly as Emilia continued to kiss her. "My little sister is so naughty, big sis will definitely punish you."

    "A-AH Emilia you, n-no¡ª"

    The heroine whimpered as she felt the girl pinch her wrists harder while Emilia nibbled on her lower lip.

    "E-Emilia, d-don''t say such things while doing something pervy!"

    Emilia pushed their lips together, this time far rougher than before, and then sat back up as they both let out a gasp. "P-Pervy, huh¡­ I can''t have you calling me that without doing anything, so let''s do something more!"

    Crystal wondered if a rabbit had managed to sneak into her ribcage, and was currently jumping around wildly, because there was no way her heart could run like this just by watching Emilia unbutton her shirt.

    It didn''t take long for the girl to expose her pure white bra, and Emilia carelessly threw away her unbuttoned shirt to the nearby chair.

    The heroine didn''t dare to move at all.

    She was very thankful that Emilia was on top of her belly and not her waist, because Crystal didn''t think she had the willpower to resist thrusting and grinding against her otherwise.

    Emilia had already let go of the heroine''s hands when she started unbuttoning her shirt, and expected her to do something, but when she didn''t, she could only grasp Crystal''s palms herself before cing them at either side of her waist, partially on her skirt, and partially on her naked skin.

    She gave the blonde girl below her a pointed look. "Do you like it, or not?"

    Without her shirt, Crystal''s hands were only obstructed a little by Emilia''s skirt, while the satiny and soft skin of her waist could be felt directly. "L-Like¡­"

    Crystal''s heart felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest.

    Emilia ced her hands on top of the heroine''s with a smile, and slowly slid them up, up until they were pushing up against her bra, and then¡­ slid them in as the heroine jolted in shock.

    Crystal had no idea what fabric it was made from, or what brand it was, but the ridiculously soft bra didn''t obstruct her hands'' entry at all.

    And even softer were Emilia''s breasts, now one in each of her palms.

    They were a little smaller than she expected, and too big at the same time. Perhaps once Emilia finished growing, they would fit perfectly in her palms.

    The heroine couldn''t believe that this was really happening, and subconsciously squeezed down to ''confirm reality'', eliciting a moan from the girl above her.

    Moreover¡­ under her fingers were two ''buttons'', and even if Crystal had been an idiot, she would still know what they were, and what their current state meant.

    Crystal had no idea how long Emilia had let her just squeeze her breasts in wonder. Maybe it was a few seconds, or it could have been hours. She couldn''t tell at all.

    All she knew was that she was so happy she could fly.

    This time when Emilia leaned down for a kiss, neither of them felt it was innocent, and Crystal could clearly feel Emilia''s ''need'' through her gasps.

    Crystal had absolutely no idea what she was doing, or how she had even found herself in this situation, but there was no way she wouldn''t kiss Emilia back, or not squeeze her breasts when they were in her palm.

    She would squeeze what she could to her heart''s content, thank you very much!

    "C-Crystal¡­ I want you¡­"

    The words were like lightning shing in her brain, and the heroine still felt a little disbelief even though she knew it was real.

    She didn''t even realize how hard she was biting and nibbling on Emilia''s lips, or how hard she was pinching her, until she felt the taste on her tongue change a little.

    Realizing that she must have made the girl bleed, for some reason Crystal felt even more excited, though her nibbling turned gentler.

    Emilia didn''t care how rough Crystal was being at all, in fact, she very much preferred such a thing to the girl shying away and hiding in her turtle shell.

    She had long since let Crystal''s palms roam free, though they remained firmly stuck on her breasts, and Emilia had just put hers on Crystal''s waist, ready to slip into her shirt.

    Unfortunately, they were interrupted by a knock right at this moment, and Crystal almost instinctively yelled out ''not now, mom, fuck!'' before realizing they were still at school.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    DustyDream:

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 155 - Looks Can Be Deceiving

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    Even though their budget and facilities had now improved drastically, it hadn''t yet been long enough for Penny to be truly able to transform the ''Royal Knights'' into the image she truly wanted.

    Of course, Penny had still known right away when her princess had left ss earlier, and came to Emilia, worried if something went wrong or if she needed help. She just didn''t know the exact in and outs of the matter, and could only ask her princess directly before deciding what to do.

    Just as she was getting worried about why there was still no response after so many knocks, the door swung open, and Penny found herself staring at a very annoyed Emilia. ''Oh no¡­ I didn''t make everything worse, right?''

    "P-Princess! I-I¡­ Did I bother you?"

    Emilia was, of course, quite angry at being interrupted like that just as she was starting to have fun with Crystal.

    Had it been anyone else, she would have surely punished them properly, but looking at the little munchkin who was only worried for her and wanted to help, Emilia found that her anger just faded away, like fire without oxygen.

    She ruffled the girl''s hair with a smile. "Nothing''s wrong, Penny. But... shouldn''t you still be in ss?"

    Penny gulped, her gaze having long since wandered to Emilia''s bra, as the girl hadn''t bothered fully buttoning her shirt up before opening the door. The sight was so sinful that it immediately reduced Penny''s IQ by at least fifty points, or so she felt.

    ''A-Ah, Ah! Princess, s-she''s so sexy! NO! Focus, Penny, princess needs help first! Only when she is happy, can I help myself!''

    The blonde girl straightened up, standing at her full height of four feet. "I-I heard that princess had left early because of medical reasons, so I rushed out right away! Princess, tell me, how can I help?!"

    Inwardly, she slurped, her eyes flicking to the ''offending'' white cloth, as if wishing to burn right through it to look within. ''Also, after that, please give me the reward likest time!''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but squint her eyes. "There''s something wrong about this little girl, but I can''t quite put my finger on it¡­"

    Emilia chuckled as she pulled the shorter girl into a hug, thinking that her partner was really too suspicious of everyone. She closed the door behind them as she led Penny to the fridge. "Why are you such a cutie pie, huh? Don''t me me for getting cavitiester, because I can''t resist giving you candies if you''re like this!"

    Penny hadn''t thought that she would ever feel something better than when she had managed to rub her face against Emilia''s belly, but today, having buried her face in the girl''s cleavage, she knew she was wrong.

    Of course, she couldn''t wait to tear off that white cloth, but her princess was too precious, and Penny couldn''t bear the thought of hurting her. She could only make do with what was given. Oh, but whatever she was given, she would happily take. And beg for more.

    "P-Princess is too kind! I''m overwhelmed, c-can you please hug me again?"

    Emilia sighed, wondering how someone could be so adorable as she pulled the blonde girl in for another hug. "Oh you, so cute!"

    This time, Penny was fully prepared, andy a pious kiss on Emilia''s breast, cherishing the short moment and imprinting it on her mind for life before Emilia pulled her away to take out the candies she had promised from the fridge.

    Samantha had been pleasantly surprised to ''discover'' that her little sister had liked the things so much that she was already running out, and had of course stocked the fridge full again with even better stuff. This time, Emilia took out a big box full of truffles.

    Theck of branding on the wrapping would normally mean they were cheap, but Penny knew they must be terrifyingly expensive. Well, if her princess touched them, they would already be precious enough for her, regardless of their actual cost.

    "C-Can I take a few more?"

    Emilia rubbed the short girl''s head endearingly. "Take whatever you like."

    Of course, she had felt what Penny did, but thinking it was just an ident, Emilia didn''t dwell on it. After all, she was the one who pulled Penny into her cleavage, it wasn''t the little girl''s fault if her lips brushed her, right?

    Meanwhile, Crystal hadn''t really needed to rearrange her clothing like Emilia when Penny interrupted them. Butpared to Emilia''s free nature, she was feeling incredibly embarrassed right now, to the point that she didn''t even dare to look anyone in the eye.

    Even when Emilia handed her the truffle, she took it without looking, and would have almost put it into her mouth along with the paper Emilia had handed it with if not for the girl''s hand stopping her just in time.

    "Silly, you have to look at what you eat, you know?"

    Crystal''s face burned even worse, and she sneaked a nce at Penny, wondering what the girl must be thinking, only to end up staring nkly. As the girl hurriedly stuffed as many candies and choctes as she could into her bag, pockets, and even shirt, Crystal wondered what in the world she nned to do with themter.

    Emilia unwrapped Crystal''s candy for her before popping it into her mouth. "Here you go."

    ''S-So good!'' The heroine couldn''t help but be shocked after a while. "W-Where are these from?!"

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "I''m not sure where these are from specifically, Sam just told me they were from some artisan candy makers that have worked for us often. Do you like it?"

    Crystal nodded. "These are amazing! It''s filled with this chewy thing¡­ some kind of fruit? I can''t tell."

    Emilia smirked. "Is it tastier than what you had earlier?"

    Crystal choked.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    DustyDream:

    Bonus chapter for 1,250 powerstones!

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 156 - What Amos Really Needs Is...

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    Seeing the heroine choke due to her shock and embarrassment, Emilia couldn''t help but smile in amusement. "Don''t rush, I can feed you moreter¡­ And I don''t mean the truffle."

    "E-Emilia!"

    Emilia smiled as she kissed the short-haired blonde on the cheek, embarrassing her even further. "Aw¡­ so cute!"

    While Emilia was teasing Crystal till the poor girl''s face burned, Penny was finally done ''picking'' what she liked from the fridge. She approached Emilia bashfully. "P-Princess, I might have taken too much. Can I really have all this?"

    Emilia felt her lips twitch as she saw how much she had stuffed in her clothes and bag, and sighed as she squeezed the girl''s cheek. "What are you going to do with so much? If you get sick because of me, won''t I feel bad?"

    Although her cheek was being squeezed, Penny grinned shyly instead. "Ehehe¡­ I s-share it with your other servants, princess!"

    Emilia blinked. It didn''t take her long to realize which group of people Penny could be talking about. After all, she did create her club with Emilia''s permission. "By ''servants''¡­ you mean the ''knights''?"

    Penny nodded, looking proud. If it could, her ponytail would also stand up straight with pride, increasing her height from four to nine feet. Unfortunately, she didn''t have such abilities yet.

    Emilia couldn''t help but grin. ''So that''s their ''sry'' huh¡­ so cute! Ah, if there are any more of such adorable knights like Penny, wouldn''t it be a pity to not meet them? I must keep it in mind once I get some extra time.''

    In the end, Penny got an extra bag to keep all her extra loot in, andter on, the knights had a major celebration.

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    Of course, although Penny was adorable, and she ended up forgiving her for the interruption, Emilia was still left frustrated and unsatisfied in the end.

    "Whoever ends up interrupting me next¡­ I will definitely screw them instead."

    But with the moment gone, and the heroine already being so embarrassed and shy, Emilia decided to let her be for now. She had a feeling that Crystal wasn''t quite ready to go farther anyway.

    Cynthia sighed. ''I feel like she''ll go however far Emilia takes her, andin about not being far enough while pretending to be shy. This hypocrite heroine!''

    Thankfully, her viiness was both na?ve and unlucky, or with her overly hormonal brain, she would be getting screwed left and right!

    Cynthia had a feeling that such luck couldn''t go on forever, however, and she dreaded the day she would have to watch their disgusting mating ritual. ''Even though she''s now a higher lifeform, ahh! Why is she so stupid!''

    Emilia felt like someone was badmouthing her, and she couldn''t help but get a little suspicious. ''Who could it be? It''s definitely that bastard hero, right?!''

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Amos had been in quite a conundrum about what to do when he realized that he might have made a mistake by letting Emilia know of his father''s ns in advance.

    Of course, he knew it was unlikely that the vile bitch could even understand half of what he said, much less the underlying implications, but it was still possible that she would end up bbering about the whole thing in front of someone who could.

    And if that happened, wouldn''t his chances of rescuing his sunlight, the love of his life, slip right out of his hands?

    Amos didn''t believe his father waspetent enough that his n could survive intervention from people who already knew about it, so he knew he must be the one to make sure this thing didn''t end up affecting Crystal''s rescue.

    With his capability, it wasn''t difficult toe up with a n that none could have dared dream of in but a few moments.

    The first step to making sure his idiot father''s n didn''t fail, was to realize what it actually was. Of course, that bastard would probably never tell him if he asked, but such a simple thing wasn''t hard to figure out for Amos.

    Since he had asked the bastard to nab Crystal, he would surely be nning to kidnap her. And since his bastard father waszy, he would do so in a way that required the least effort, which means he would probably do it when she was on her way to or from the school.

    And now that the vile ex-fianc¨¦e of his knew about it, she was sure to be around when it happened. In the worst case, they might even have enough help to prevent his bastard father''s n from seeding.

    The hero thought, even if that bitch manages to get enough forces to counter his father''s, she would surely take Crystal and escape. ''At that time, I can simply swoop in to save my precious sunlight, earning double the rewards with almost no effort! Genius!''

    After all, in a one against one situation, could that conniving little bitch use those twisty words of hers to ovee his fists? Of course not. He could easily pummel her to the ground before leaving with his sunlight.

    However, to make sure this happened, he couldn''t just sit and wait, nor could he let his father know. He would just take his anger out on him, and nothing would change.

    Instead, he had to make sure that he was there when it happened, and he also had to make sure he was able to take Crystal from Emilia. That honorless bitch might also have some help, so he needed a weapon just in case.

    Getting a weapon wasn''t difficult for Amos. However, doing so without his father suspecting anything was another thing. It was unlikely that anyone would just ignore if their gun went missing, after all.

    As for a knife, well, Amos didn''t think it would be sufficient. If that bitch had a guard with her at that time, a knife wouldn''t help, and if she didn''t have a guard, he wouldn''t need a knife anyway. What he needed¡­ was a gun.

    Fortunately, he knew just where to get one without letting his father suspect a thing.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Regr chapter. :>

 Chapter 157 - The Dubious Source Of Emiliaâ€™s Candies

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    Even if Mr. White had been born with two backbones instead of one, he would never have the courage to admit that he had unknowingly ''pushed'' his two daughters into a rtionship with each other.

    However, when his wife had him cornered like this, he couldn''t escape without spitting anything out either. So, in his desperation, Mr. White could only admit half truth and make up half lie to cover his ass.

    "W-Wifey, you know I would never hide anything from you unless it was really shameful¡­"

    His wife frowned. "Well, maybe you shouldn''t do shameful things in the first ce?"

    Mr. White felt his lips twitch. "A-Ahem, anyway, I didn''t do it! Well, I mean, no wait¡ª"

    After all, although the ones doing ''shameful things'' were his two daughters, the me of ''making it happen'' did actually lie on his shoulders. He couldn''t deny that. But he couldn''t bear to ept it either.

    Mrs. White sighed. "What the hell are you even saying? I don''t understand at all. Just stop hiding and spit it out, that''s all I want."

    Having been together for so many years, they already knew each other well enough. And Mrs. White also knew that, despite their individual ws, the one thing they most definitely had inmon was their love for their daughters.

    At this point in their life, even if her husband really made a major mistake, Mrs. White wouldn''t divorce him simply to avoid harming her daughters emotionally. Of course, he would have to suffer a little still, to make up for his mistakes.

    Mr. White flinched, feeling a little cold all of a sudden. "O-Okay, so b-basically¡­ y-you know how our youngest daughter has recently changed h-herself a l-lot?"

    Seeing his wife nod, Mr. White felt his confidence increase slightly. "A-And, with all her changes, she seems to have d-discovered a new part of herself, which happens to really like her sister¡­"

    Mrs. White tilted her head in confusion, wondering what kind of convoluted loop her husband was taking this conversation in.

    "A-And, so, basically Emilia really likes Sam now, a-and you know Sam, she thinks Emilia is cute. S-So¡­"

    "So?"

    Mr. White gulped. "S-So basically¡­ they y kissy-kissy games with each other sometimes, and I happened to know. T-That''s it. Un, that''s the secret."

    After a short moment of awkward silence, the man nodded, as if convincing himself instead of his wife. "T-There''s definitely nothing more."

    Unfortunately, it ended up backfiring instead.

    Having been married for so long, how could Mrs. White not have known the telltale signs of her husband trying to lie? Well, even if they hadn''t been married, she wouldn''t have to be a genius to know when this guy was telling a lie.

    The only feature he reallycked was a red light over his head blinking whenever he lied.

    Mrs. White shook her head at that thought. ''It would be a redundant feature anyway, since it''s already so easy to tell.''

    This was why she handled most of their negotiations, after all. And the rest were carried out by either Noelle or Sam.

    But Mrs. White didn''t reveal it right away, and nodded instead, looking a little surprised and intrigued. "Interesting¡­ so you''re telling me that Emilia has a huge crush on our dear Sam, and they often like to kiss each other, right? Is that it? Is that what you were trying to hide so hard?"

    Mr. White gulped. "Y-Yea¡ª"

    His wife sneered. "Do you think I''m so easy to fool?! Hah, I knew right away that you were lying! Hmph, now tell me the truth, before I assume the worst."

    Mr. White didn''t even dare to imagine what the ''worst'' his wife could imagine would be. After all, in his mind, she was practically devil incarnate. So, with his legs shaking in fright, he finally admitted the truth. "A-Actually, Emilia and Sam¡­ t-they¡ª er, well, they do m-more than just k-kiss¡ª"

    Of course, he didn''t tell her that it was all his fault. Just the end result. That should be enough, right?

    Mrs. White sighed. "To think it''s like this¡­"

    Just as her husband was about to breathe a sigh of relief¡­

    "To think you''ve learned to lie to me so well now!!!"

    ''GODDAMN!''

    And so, Mr. White, who had been so adamant in trying to hide it from his wife earlier, tried to convince her of the very same thing for almost half an hour before Mrs. White finally ''relented''.

    "Alright, I''ll believe you for now. I''ll trust that you''re not keeping a side chick, even though I should definitely know better¡­ And our daughters definitely didn''t discover it, even though this would exin their strange behavior¡­"

    If the sarcasm in her voice could drip any further, it would be all over the floor.

    Mr. White felt his vision going dark. ''I regret¡­ everything¡­''

    Mrs. White flicked her hair with a sneer. "To think you''ve somehow managed to convince even Sam to not tell on you¡­ wait a minute! I see now¡­ no wonder you kept favoring her so much recently! This is how you bribe her, huh? But what about Emilia¡­ Did you give her some toy?"

    Her husband almost cried. "T-They''re not little kids! I''m really not cheating on you!"

    Much to his mortification, once she was convinced of his guilt, Mrs. White immediately started dialing up a few ''acquaintances'' to check whom he was cheating on her with.

    At first, it seemed to go well. It almost made him believe that maybe this would finally convince his wife of his innocence.

    "Oh, he really didn''t call or meet with you recently? Ah no, that''s fine¡­"

    But to his horror¡­ the third number she dialed, was exactly that of an artisan choctier Sam had recently asked him to contact¡­

    "Oh, he asked you for some ''candies'', did he?"

    ''FUCK!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chapter for 1,500 power stones!

    Thank you for all your support! :>

    If you would like to keep track of bonus releases, get instant chapter release pings etc. feel free to join my discord.

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 Chapter 158 - Surprise Inspection?

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    Having been able to establish ''ck Tiger Small Arms Production & Research Facility'' was one of Mr. ck''s proudest aplishments in this life.

    In their country, the production of weapons was a heavily regted industry that was mostly upied by state-owned enterprises, and only a select few privatepanies were able to venture into it.

    White Deer also had something simr, as they were involved in manufacturing fighter jets, but when taking into ount the scale at which his small arms factories were sanctioned, it was more or less the same, if only slightly inferior in terms of the prestige it brought them.

    Of course, the two couldn''t bepared at all, and what he had done was far superior to the White Deer''s, in his opinion.

    The way the country had them manufacture the various parts didn''t allow them even a single inch of opportunity to take anything for themselves. Thework activity was also heavily isted and monitored.

    In contrast, Mr. ck had almost full control over his own arms factory, with only a few contractual obligations to fulfill. Technically, he also wasn''t allowed to sell or keep the weapons for himself, but unlike the White Deer''s jet production units, there were very few audits from the government when it came to him.

    This was in no small part thanks to his powerful political connections, who also served to benefit greatly from having an unregted supply of firearms at their disposal whenever needed.

    Even if the regtions and restrictions in this ce were incredibly strict for others, that wasn''t so for Mr. ck himself. And with Amos''s impable appearance and identity, the employees didn''t stop him either.

    "Ah, if it isn''t master Amos! How may we be of service?"

    The ash skinned bodyguard kept frowning as he watched Amos talk andugh with the supervisor.

    Aside from protecting the boy, he was also responsible for reporting anything strange to his boss. However, when he had mentioned the boy''s strangeness recently, his boss had just told him to let it be.

    Given the boy''s earlier actions, the bodyguard couldn''t help but have a bad feeling. ''As soon as my contract is over next year, I''m moving the fuck out of this country, and nevering back.''

    The silver haired boy gave the ttering supervisor a dashing smile. "Actually, I''ve been quite interested in knowing how these things work from the inside, and how they are made, and I thought¡­ instead of relying on some videos, a practical lesson would be the best!"

    The supervisor wholeheartedly agreed, and exined every step of the process briefly as he personally led Amos on a tour.

    Of course, this was allpletely pointless for the hero, who wasn''t even paying any attention to the supervisor''s words. ''Fuck! This bastard thinks he can exin all this shit to me? Moron! Just go do your job already!''

    After a while, he couldn''t help but get impatient. "Is there no research and development division here, or something simr?"

    The supervisor paused, giving the boy a confused look. "T-There is, but¡­"

    "But what? I want to see it, take me there."

    The supervisor hesitated for a while before gritting his teeth. "Well, master Amos, that area is restricted to people who work there, and there are strict protocols¡ª"

    The hero''s eyes turned dark, he even wanted to shout ''Did you forget who I am?!'', but when he thought about it, he didn''t want the man to end up calling his father in a panic. "Don''t worry, I only want to see it."

    The supervisor only hesitated for a while before deciding there was no harm in satisfying this little bit of curiosity from the owner''s son. It wasn''t like he could spot or leak any sensitive information unknowingly from just looking at the door, right?

    And so, shortly afterward, they arrived in front of the metal double doors of the research and development division.

    Suddenly, there was a notification sound from the hero''s phone, and his eyes lit up as he quickly took a seat on a nearby bench,pletely ignoring the awkward looking supervisor.

    Obviously, bringing in phones was also prohibited inside the facility, but who was going to tell the owner''s son to give up his phone?

    After just standing there for almost twenty minutes while Amos was lost in ''texting his friends'', the supervisor couldn''t help but start fidgeting. ''I really should have just given him a tour guide!''

    Another ten minutes, and he finally couldn''t help it anymore. Instructing one of his subordinates to ''look after master Amos well'', he finally rushed off to take care of his duties, hoping the teenage boy wouldn''t take it as an offense.

    Amos smirked internally once he saw that the supervisor was gone, and only an intern lookingdy was left to ''keep an eye'' on him, along with his bodyguard. The brain dead muscle man wasn''t an issue, but thedy had to be sent away.

    For the hero, the task couldn''t get any easier.

    He waited until he saw someone who looked like a researcher heading their way, and started his n when the man was just far enough.

    Giving the girl a disarming smile, Amos put away his phone. "A-Ah. I feel a little parched. Beautiful miss, can you tell me where I can get some water?"

    "I-I''ll bring you some, please wait!"

    As the girl rushed off hurriedly, Amos put on a cold, dignified look on his face as the researcher got close enough. "Hey you, what''s your name?"

    The man stared at him nkly for a while before recognizing his face. Of course, as the employees of the ''ck Tiger Corporation'', they all knew Amos ck. Well, he was pretty much a public figure now, with all his scandals, even many non-employees knew who he was, though they may not have seen his face.

    "E-Eh? M-Master Amos?! I-I''m R-Roger Rodriguez."

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Golden ticket bonus chapter.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 159 - Uncle Roger

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    Of course, the excitement in his voice couldn''t be masked at all. This was the owner''s son! The promotion that he had been waiting almost five years for coulde in an instant with just a word from this boy! Not to mention, if he managed to get close enough, he might even have a high-level contact he could call in case of real emergencies!

    A billionaire friend!

    Of course, he realized that these were just fantasies, and Amos would probably never even remember who he was¡­

    The hero smiled. "Ah, Uncle Roger. I was looking around earlier with the supervisor, but he suddenly had something to do and left. Do you mind showing me around your workce?"

    Roger grinned. ''Heh, I guess this is my chance!''

    The thought of breaking protocols didn''t even enter his mind. After all, even the supervisor had left the boy to roam on his own. This was the owner''s son!

    Amos gave his bodyguard a nod. "You stay here."

    The ash-skinned man gritted his teeth. ''This brat!''

    Recalling thest time he had left the boy alone and the humiliation it brought, he almost felt like squashing his grinning face himself, but the boss had already told him to let the boy do what he wants. ''In that case, fuck them both. If he fucks up inside, that''s on him and his father. I''m just doing my job.''

    Roger swiped his card to open the door, and after a biometric scan, the two of them finally entered inside.

    As this was still lunchtime, and Roger was the first to return, the two of them were the only ones in.

    Amos pretended to listen carefully as Roger prattled on and on about all the great things they had aplished, and especially his ''personal contributions''. "Whoa, Uncle Roger is really too amazing. I never thought I could meet such a brilliant scientist when I came here!"

    The man rubbed the back of his head,ughing sheepishly. "Ahaha, you tter me too much. Actually, I''m nothing special among the people who work here. Even after five years, I can''t get that promotion¡ª"

    The silver-haired boy pretended to look shocked. "No way? That''s no good. Good people who make such great contributions deserve to get recognition! I''ll be sure to have this fixedter."

    Roger was ecstatic in his heart, having never thought that it would be so easy to get the boy to favor him.

    Wasn''t that promotion already in his bag?

    They continued to chat for a while, and Amos even saved Roger''s number on his phone. Of course, it was no surprise he could bring the phone inside to Roger, this was the owner''s son, after all.

    "Do you have a sample of your work?"

    "O-Oh, of course!"

    After panicking for a while, Roger finally found the work sample that would best show what he was capable of.

    Looking at the modified barrel in a box, Amos stared at it nkly for a while before shaking his head. "What''s this for? I wasn''t looking for something to show others. Give me something I can keep in my collection, and show off to my friends. A working sample, understand?"

    Roger immediately panicked before forcefully calming himself down. ''N-No wait, it''s not like I have to necessarily hand him my own work! He just wants to show off, right? In that case¡­''

    Before long, Amos stared at the box in his hands with satisfaction. The man really knew what he wanted, and provided him with not just a gun, but also bullets.

    Even if he already got what he wanted, Amos knew he still had to keep up his act to avoid messing up. "This looks good. But how is it better than what''s already out there?"

    Although his contribution to this particr product wasn''t that great, Roger patted his chest in pride, as if he had made the whole thing himself. "This is sample X430-97 v5. It''s twenty percent smaller than the current version of the service pistol in the same series, and does not require a suppressor to be used even during covert missions. Compared to the previous version with a dedicated suppressor, it produces only fifteen percent more noise, and requires almost no maintenance!"

    But the weapon also had its drawbacks, as the design of the gun was going to be incredibly hard to mass-produce, and very expensive. Even worse, integrating the suppressor into the barrel itself had made it so that the barrel was much more likely to need recements.

    Although it was already pretty much a finished product, they weren''t even sure if it would be considered a ''sess'', or if it would require further development to lower the costs and improve reliability. Of course, Roger wouldn''t reduce his own credit by telling Amos about these things.

    The hero nodded, looking pleased. "Good. Uncle Roger is really too talented!"

    The man rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ehehe, you tter me too much."

    "Hm, carrying it in a box is some, though¡­"

    Handing the box back to Roger, Amos loaded up the bullets into the magazine, and put the extra ones in his pocket before tucking the gun in his belt. "Much better. Heh, I feel so cool now."

    Roger also chuckled. "Ahaha¡­ you look like one of those heroes in the TV shows!"

    It was only after Amos left that Roger finally calmed down, and cold sweat covered his back. ''W-Wait a minute¡­ I-I just gave a firearm to Mr. ck''s son¡­ he won''t go and shoot his dad or something crazy, right? Fuck!''

    But after thinking about it, Roger realized that there was no use panicking now.

    Anyway, even if something happened, it couldn''t be traced back to him, right? Unless Amos himself ratted him out, who would know which one of them leaked that unmarked sample?

    Moreover, Amos looked like such a calm, collected, and intelligent boy. He definitely didn''t make a mistake.

    "Haiyaa! What am I even worried about? Nothing will go wrong, and I''ll definitely get that promotion!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    GT Bonus. :p

    Thank you for all your support! >_<

 Chapter 160 - All Your Fault

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    Not long after Penny left, Dixie and Koko arrived at the ''Disciplinary Committee Office'' as well, and the freckled girl jumped into Emilia''s arms as soon as the door opened. Or at least, she tried.

    Feeling her cor being clutched from behind just as she was inches from her target, Koko didn''t need to look back to know which ever-annoying knight was responsible. "O-Ow! Let me go, hey you!"

    Emilia sighed as she opened the door fully, motioning them to enter first. After all, there were many other clubrooms in the building, and she could see a few curious heads peeking over to watch Koko and Dixie''s antics already.

    Dixie pursed her lips as she pulled Koko further back by her cor before letting her go. Once the door closed behind them, she gave her princess a pitiful look. "Y-You can''t always defend her like that, princess. Or she''ll keep getting more and more rude, and what will people think when they see her acting so uncultured?"

    Koko stomped her foot indignantly with a pout. "You''re always picking on me! Emilia, you tell her not to be so mean! She promised to treat me with ''due respect'' after that deal with mom, but look! Dixie, you''re such a liar!"

    Dixie blinked in confusion. "I''m sorry, but I just don''t think you''re due any respect if you keep acting so stupid?"

    As the two of them continued to argue, Emilia moved over to Crystal with a sigh. The blonde girl was watching their fight with amusement, and Emilia couldn''t help but squeeze her cheek. "Are enjoying it?"

    Crystal blushed. "A-Ah, no no, it''s just¡­ a little funny to see Dixie not look serious."

    Emilia nodded. "It doesn''t suit her face, right?"

    The heroine giggled. "Right? It''s just like what you said."

    Emilia sighed as she wrapped an arm around Crystal''s neck to pull her closer to whisper in her ear. "But does trouble me that they always keep fighting. After all, Koko may be naughty, but her antics aren''t really troublesome. But I can''t scold Dixie either, she''s just trying her best for me. Won''t my angel help me solve it?"

    Crystal''s face had already turned red as she felt Emilia''s hot breath brush against her ear. "M-Me? S-Solve it? I¡­ Let me think¡­"

    After a while, Crystal nodded. "H-How about this¡­ teach them how to keep the peace for shorter periods of time first, and eventually they will start tolerating each other? You can motivate them using small rewards, like, um, those super good choctes! Oh, and I think Dixie really loves your baking!"

    "Good girl."

    Emilia grinned as she kissed Crystal''s cheek, making the girl turn away shyly.

    Shaking her head with an exasperated smile, she got up from the bed and ruffled both of the still arguing girls'' hair. "Don''t fight like kids! How about this? For each day the two of you swear not to fight, I can do you one ''small'' favor. It cannot be greater than a kiss, and if you take the favor and vite the ruleter that day, you''re banned from getting the favor for one week!"

    Crystal nked. ''H-How did chocte and cakes change to kiss?!''

    The two of them stared back at her, stunned, before Koko jumped for joy. "So I just don''t have to fight with this stupid knight, and I get a favor every day?!"

    Emilia nodded as she patted her head. "Yep."

    The freckled girl grinned, looking smug. "That has got to be the easiest deal in the world! I always get bullied by this bullheaded knight anyway, I just don''t have to respond. Hmph, piece of cake."

    Dixie rolled her eyes. "I wouldn''t ''bully'' you if you just stop acting stupid."

    Koko, who had already started practicing for daily rewards, decisively ignored her.

    Dixie, on the other hand, wasn''t worried about losing her ''favor'', since they had already fought today after all. It was all Koko''s fault that she lost it!

    Emilia giggled. "Alright. Well, I won''t count what happened earlier, the deal starts from now."

    The freckled girl jumped. "EH?! I want to exchange mine right away, please!"

    For once, Dixie''s thoughts matched with Koko''s. "Me too!"

    Emilia smiled. "Okay okay, no rush, one by one."

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    Meanwhile, George Porter found that, ever since he met that ghost, every moment of his life seemed to have transformed into a living nightmare.

    No matter how he tried to convince them, neither his mother nor his older brother believed any of his words. They called him a liar, a drunk, an idiot.

    In the end, his mother even forced him toe to college and pretend that everything was normal!

    Of course, if there was one thing he feared more than that long-armed, long-legged abomination, it was his mother.

    After all, she was both uglier and stronger than the ghost, and even had ess to his bank ount!

    When he thought about it like that, the boy with bleached blond hair couldn''t help but calm down a little. ''T-That''s right, s-so what if s-she''s got that freakish form as a g-gh-ghost now, my mom is definitely worse than that Michelle in every way! A-And, maybe I really was just drunk?''

    His calmness didn''tst long, however, as he soon saw how scared all of his college friends were.

    "Y-You too?"

    "You saw h-h-her too?"

    Their fearpounded with each other, sending a new wave of terror through their hearts. Even if one or two of them could convince themselves that it was just a nightmare, all of them being haunted the night after the girl''s death became known to them¡­ was too much of a coincidence.

    The worst of them by far was George, who was not only the victim of the most vicious ghost form, having seen the shapeshifted Emilia, he was also the primary culprit in the eyes of everyone else, making them me him for their own misfortune.

    A brown-haired boy mmed his fist on the desk, ring at George. "I told you not to go too far, George! Look what happened now! What do we do?!"

    He had been one of the first to start making fun of Michelle. After all, she was a bit too proud, and her arrogance rubbed him the wrong way.

    However, when things started to get out of hand, he couldn''t help but get a little ufortable, and had once mentioned it to George. Of course, neither of them really cared at that point.

    Even he had just turned a blind eye from that point on, but never expected the ghost to haunt even him! After all, aside from a few incidents in the beginning, he was innocent!

    "Y-You should go and apologize to her grave! Tell her it was just you, we were just ying along!"

    George couldn''t help but step back, pointing a shaky finger at the suddenly aggressive group of boys and girls. "D-Don''t lie! Weren''t you all having so much fun mocking her too?! Don''t me it all on me now! We were all in it together!"

    Of course, individually, none of them thought they were the main bully, or responsible for Michelle''s death. They just had a little fun, while the only real criminal was George, who started it all!

    "You sick fuck! Do you think we''re all like you? If not for your goading and misleading, why would we ever do anything?"

    "It''s like the butcher ming the knife for being too sharp! It was clearly all your doing, and you''re not even going to ept now?"

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 Chapter 161 - Get What You Deserve

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    Dixie didn''t know what exactly Koko had asked from her princess, as the girl had whispered her ''request'' directly in Emilia''s ear, but she knew what she wanted for herself, and she was very d when she finally got it.

    For a few days now, she had been feeling bouts of loneliness whenever she recalled the days when she had been much closer to her princess. Of course, they still spent many hours together every day, but there was something different about being on the same bench in the same ss, and Dixie knew she could never get that feeling back.

    She didn''t want to wallow in such a nostalgic mood forever. After all, Emilia already pampered her so much, even though she was supposed to be her mature, protective knight. So she long since thought of a way to ''cure'' any such bouts of depression.

    Dixie had of course never deleted the video of ''that night'', and at first, she thought watching it whenever she missed her princess would be a good idea.

    She was wrong.

    The video made her feel all the wrong things at the wrong time, and after trying it just once, Dixie knew that she should only do so again when she was seeking ''relief'' instead.

    But that brought her progress back to zero, and only after scouring throughout the web for advice did Dixie finally find an eptable solution.

    She had been a little embarrassed when she thought of asking her princess for such a favor, but once the opportunity came, Dixie couldn''t resist at all.

    Emilia had promised her she would record it in a quieter ceter, and as expected, her princess never broke her promises.

    As Dixie pressed the ''y'' button on her phone''s screen, Emilia''s silky voice rang out. "Dixie, my sweetest knight, do you miss me? Don''t worry, we will meet soon, and I will kiss all your loneliness away!"

    Dixie shook her head as she felt the tingling between her legs. "T-This might be no good either."

    As a bonus, Emilia had also recorded a short clip to set as her exclusive ringtone, though this one in a clearly naughty tone.

    "Oh, my valiant knight! Your princess is in distress! Won''t you help me?"

    Dixie giggled. "Alright, this one is good enough to cheer me up. I''ll use the other one for m¡ª ahem, I mean, I will save it forter."

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    George didn''t know how he managed to survive that day with all the students pointing fingers and flinging curses his way. All he remembered was people yelling, and him running away all the way back to his apartment.

    He didn''t even recall how long it took him, only that a wave of relief flooded him the moment he closed the door.

    His relief didn''tst long, as the lights went out moments after he closed the door, and a peal of creepyughter echoed through the darkness, sending the boy reeling in horror as he ran and crashed into various things until he finally found the door and managed to escape.

    George wandered the streets, clutching his bleached blond hair, pulling at it like a lunatic as people pointed fingers at the crazed-looking boy.

    It wasn''t until his older brother found him and forcefully took him back that George realized what had happened.

    "I-I haven''t gone crazy! I-I''m fine¡­!"

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    Unfortunately, things only got worse from that point on, as not only did their ''ghost encounters'' not cease, the matter was even on the news!

    Not to mention George, even the other students who had been involved in Michelle''s case felt like they were about to go crazy.

    It was as if the ghost really had no intention of letting them rest for even a single night for the rest of their lives. And they weren''t even sure how long they wouldst, given that many were starting to suffer injuries already.

    And even if they could somehow delude themselves into thinking it was all just their imagination borne from guilt, and all the ''idents'' stemmed from their own psych, could the random people in the news be lying? There hadn''t been anything simr for so long, and this was far too much of a coincidence.

    "Isn''t she already dead? Why bother haunting us now?!"

    "Should we look for an exorcist?"

    "S-She probably wants vindication from her death."

    "B-But I didn''t kill her! Why bother me?!"

    Of course, they couldn''t fight back against a ghost, and the more misfortunes they suffered at ''its'' hands, the more their hatred for George grew as helplessness turned to rage.

    "It''s all your fault, bastard!"

    "Why don''t you just confess your crimes so we can have peace?!"

    "No, just die already! Maybe only then will she stop!"

    The bleached-blond boy was already having a mental breakdown on his own, and when his ssmates started really bullying him for bringing this ''cmity'' to them, it was the straw that broke the camel''s back.

    From pointing fingers to yelling expletives, getting cornered and sneered at, taking all the me for things he did and didn''t do¡­ things slowly escted.

    Before long, he was being dunked with dirty water, called all sorts of names, and then came the actual physical abuse.

    The whole thing seemed methodical, as if the others believed that making the ghost ''see'' that they had taken ''revenge'' on her behalf would somehow make her forgive them.

    Just like they had with Michelle, the boys didn''t touch her. All the punches and kicks came from the girls. And just like with Michelle, they had no mercy at all, targeting the softest bits of his body, both to make sure that the injury remained ''invisible'', and to make sure that it hurt.

    It was as if everything that Michelle had gone through, he would be facing as well.

    And when George thought that his ending might be the same too¡­ thest thread of his sanity snapped.

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Bonus chapter for 250 power stones!

    Whew, finally done. Four chapters in one day! I feel like I''ve made a breakthrough! >_<

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 162 - What Can Possibly Go Wrong?

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    Mr. ck was well aware of the fact that his son was going around following his men asionally, even skipping school to visit various sites.

    Of course, recently he hadn''t had the time to listen to all the reports in detail, but he knew the gist of it.

    Instead of being angry at his son''s truancy, however, Mr. ck felt a little mncholic instead. "I guess he''s finally growing up, and realizing how insignificant grades are for people like us, and how much being familiar with the ground-level situation matters instead."

    At this moment, his personal phone rang, and Mr. ck took a look to find that it was none other than his close friend, Mr. Sullivan.

    He grinned as he picked the phone up. "Yo, Sully. How are things?"

    The voice from the other side chuckled. "Good. My wife is still working on that thing, though. That woman is such a pain, one step forward, two steps back."

    Mr. ck sighed. He knew what the man was talking about, of course. It was the reason he had been going a little easy on the White Deer recently, despite their deep animosity. "No worries. As long as you can take care of it, you''ll take a wolf out of my farm, and get some meat as well."

    Mr. Sullivanughed. "True. Too bad our previous n couldn''t work out, or we wouldn''t need to do this in the first ce. Your son is really¡­ hah, never mind. I heard he was doing quite well recently, though?"

    Had it been anyone else, they would never dare point fingers at Amos to his father, even if they both knew the truth. After all, Mr. ck wasn''t known for his good temper.

    The buff man chuckled. "Hoh, I''m ttered you would keep in touch with news about my son. Rest assured, he''s doing pretty well nowpared to before. He even seems to have taken some interest in my recent projects."

    The voice on the other side chuckled. "Guess he''s finally growing up. Indeed, the tiger father won''t have a dog son, after all. Even if it appears the same as a helpless kitten as a cub, eventually it will still grow into a ferocious predator!"

    Mr. ck sighed. "I see you still haven''t dropped using animal references, even after bing the minister of finance¡­"

    "Hey now, can you me me, when the tworgest corporations in the country are ''ck Tiger'' and ''White Deer''? me your own ancestors instead!"

    Mr. ck couldn''t help butugh.

    After some more small talk, a forlorn sigh came from the other side of the phone. "Man, say what you will about Amos, but at least he''s willing to follow your will in the end. Your legacy won''t go to waste. Inparison, my son¡­ Hah¡­"

    The hero''s father chuckled. "Well, an actor isn''t that bad. I guess at least his fans will all vote for you in an election, ahaha. Poprity is what youck the most, after all."

    "That''s the plus side of things, but he also attracts too many controversies. Well, never mind him. I heard something funny recently. Apparently, you made a bad deal, and gave away a lot of resources to some ant-sizedpany for no reason? Sounds like bull to me. What tricks are you nning?"

    Mr. ck could hear the skepticism practically drip from his friend''s voice, and chuckled. "No tricks really, just that the other side''s deal can''t be put on paper. No worries, I have it all covered."

    Instead of making him more rxed, that only seemed to rm Mr. Sullivan more. "Ah, but you can''t enforce it legally, so does that mean you''re gonna strongarm it again?! Damn, don''t tell me¡­"

    Mr. ck smiled. "Of course, you have to cover for me if needed. That IS your part of the deal, remember?"

    There was a moment of silence before a helpless sigh came from the other side. "Yeah yeah, I got it, but I just hope you stop giving me so much work. I still have to prepare for the elections, you know? If everything works out¡­ heh, even you will have to be respectful of me then, you know?"

    Mr. ck chuckled. The two had been friends for a long time, which was why he had put so much trust in this man, despite his scheming nature. "Don''t forget who got you there when it happens, alright?"

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    Mrs. Porter''s deal with the Sullivan family wasn''t something that she hade across with a stroke of luck. It was a favor she had been ving away for decades to obtain, and when it finally came, she knew that the destiny of not just herself, but her entire family would forever change.

    She may not have known Mrs. Sullivan''s exact ns, given how careful and scheming that woman was, but she did know one thing¡­

    The Sullivan family wasn''t satisfied with the ''Minister of Finance'' position at all, and what they aimed for¡­ was the country itself. Of course, winning the presidential election was easier said than done, but Mr. Sullivan already had what it took to contest for it, be it in terms of status, experience or, backing.

    The only thing he was slightlycking in, was poprity.

    As for how exactly they nned to use the White Deer corporation, Mrs. Sullivan had no idea, and neither did she care.

    After all, it would be Jeoffery Porter marrying the White family''s eldest daughter in the end, and that was all she cared about. Because regardless of whose orders he had to follow behind the scenes, her son would still be one of the richest men in the world!

    However, before their n had even entered its initial phase, they had ended up facing a roadblock from someone they never expected. After all, George was usually off in his own world, and didn''t bother his family much aside from asking for small funds here and there. He had neither the drive to seed nor the talent to shine, which had always made Mrs. Porter subconsciously ignore him in favor of her elder son, Jeoffery.

    The fact that their target''s younger sister, who appeared to be quite close to her heart, was investigating the case of the girl her younger son had bullied was enough to immediately set off rm bells in their hearts.

    After all, things would get much harder if that Emilia girl found out the involvement of her younger son in the matter. It would still be fine if she never talked about it in front of her sister, but that was unlikely.

    However, while they were still considering the best course of action, the news of Michelle''s death came like rain in a drought, setting all their hearts at ease.

    Since they had already gotten rid of most of the evidence, and the primary witness and victim was now dead as well, the chance of anything else going wrong wasughably low.

    At that time, Mrs. Porter recalled letting out a huge sigh of relief, thinking. ''Thank god the fucking cunt is dead. Heh, now nothing can go wrong, perfect!''

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 163 - Hawk-Owl-Eagle?

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    Reality was a harsh teacher, and Mrs. Porter quickly learned that ''whatever could go wrong, would go wrong'', no matter how impossible it may have seemed.

    She couldn''t believe it at all when she was first told about her son''s mental breakdown, and how he had loudly proimed he was sorry for bullying Michelle to her death. "What do you mean he just went crazy?!"

    Thankfully, he had been with his ''friends'' when it happened, and they managed to quickly inform her of the matter before it got out of hand.

    With her younger son''s condition being so bad, it was no wonder that Mrs. Porter was worried. And what really infuriated her was when she learned that the irresponsible media chose to air reports of a ''monster sighting'' that resembled her son''s nightmares, which she believed was what really made the situation so bad.

    Mrs. Sullivan''s face was gloomy as she stared at the worried woman. "If you keep pacing around like that, you''re gonna give me a headache."

    Mrs. Porter took in deep breaths to calm herself down before taking a seat on the sofa. "I-I''m sorry, Mrs. Sullivan. I just¡­ can''t you do something about it? I believe if they stop airing that crap about¡ª"

    The gloomy-looking woman mmed her fist on the table, not hiding her annoyance at all. "I don''t give a fuck about that. I already covered up his fuck up once because I didn''t want it to affect my ns with Samantha and Jeoffery, but at this point, I''m really wondering if I should just pick someone else! If I knew you were going to give me so much trouble¡ª"

    In fact, Mrs. Sullivan knew that she had made a grave mistake in picking the right pawn this time. This woman had always been licking her boots for so many years, and she had somehow gotten soft enough to the point of not picking the best candidate for such a crucial n, and going with this toady''s son instead.

    Now that it hade back to bite her in the ass, Mrs. Sullivan couldn''t help but regret. ''Fortunately, it''s not toote yet! It''s not impossible to discard them, and then go for¡ª''

    Mrs. Porter immediately panicked, knowing how ruthless the woman could be to ''useless'' pawns. "N-No! Mrs. Sullivan please, I assure you my Jeoffery is perfect¡ª!"

    At this moment, Mrs. Porter really regretted forcing her son to go to college. ''I should have locked him up instead!''

    Unfortunately, it was now toote to regret.

    The Sullivandy scoffed. "Then get that younger son of yours in line before it''s toote, if the matter slips out of my hand because of¡ª"

    Of course, she had no intention of forgiving them, Mrs. Sullivan just wanted to control and cool the matter down first, and then¡­

    It was at this moment that a young woman burst into the room with her face covered in sweat. "B-Boss! I-It''s bad!"

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    As the video of a young George Porter ''confessing'' to all his crimes soon became a major topic of discussion. Even when Mrs. Sullivan tried her best to suppress it, the results wereckluster at best¡­ it was already toote.

    The clip had already gone viral before anyone could stop it, and both of them knew that there must be a ck hand behind the whole thing.

    And what really shocked everyone was that he confessed not just his own crimes, but also those of his family, friends, and even dared to name a major political figure!

    Mrs. Porter hadn''t known about the full extent of what her son had said when she came to her for help, but Mrs. Sullivan instead believed that she intentionally hid the most incriminating facts, leading her to such a pitfall.

    ''She must have done it as revenge for not immediately cleaning up after her son''s mess again!''

    Mrs. Sullivan squeezed the ss in her hand till it shattered, piercing her palm with ss shards. ''Did she think she could get away with this?! I''ll kill her AND her spawns!''

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The Sullivans'' influence couldn''t be underestimated, and within a single day, George Porter was dered mentally unstable and admitted to a mental hospital.

    All his confessions were concluded to be the result of his mental illness.

    Unfortunately for some people, however, George''s mad ramblings were like a tiny spark in a pile of hay. Even if the spark itself died out, the fire it ignited was uncontroble.

    Especially as a very enthusiastic girl was fanning the mes from the side.

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    Emilia already knew that anyone who could have suppressed the release of Michelle''s news before... could do the same with George''s case now. Obviously, she had long since expected this result.

    However, her goals had already been achieved the moment George''s will had cracked.

    With the boy''s mad ramblings, and all his confessions, the Porter family was no longer just a ''useless pawn'' to the Sullivans, but an actual ''thorn'' that had to be picked out.

    Of course, having been her toady for so long, Mrs. Porter was well aware of the nature of her ''friend''.

    But even at this point, the woman wasn''t resigned to bing a sitting duck, and had of course tried her best to seek out a way of survival.

    Unfortunately, thatnded her right in the trap that Emilia had alreadyid out, and the girl smiled gleefully as she finally received the expected call from Michelle.

    "Okay, all set to go here, just waiting for you!"

    Emilia smiled. "You made sure everything looks perfect, right? Remember, there''s no room for ws! My little angel''s eyes are as sharp as those of a hawk that''s been raised by eagles and taught by an owl!"

    Michelle couldn''t help but pause. "¡­ Is this really a real person you''re talking about?"

    "Yes?"

    "I-It should still be okay, I''ll look through everything again, just to be extra sure."

    Emilia chuckled. "Okay, don''t be nervous. Oh, and make yourself scarce after setting things up, she''s seen your face before, after all."

    Michelle didn''t recall ever meeting a girl with eyes the size of tennis balls, which was what she expected from Emilia''s descriptions, but she agreed nheless.

    Of course, there was also a determination in her eyes as she put down the phone. ''I''ve got to take a look at this owl-eagle-hawk thing myself if that''s thest thing I do!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for 500 powerstones.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 164 - Fooling Crystal?

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    That day when Michelle had been staring down at the ground from the rooftop, she never once dared to imagine that a day woulde when she finally gets justice.

    After all, the one who had been responsible for everything was a rich man''s son, and she was just a poor girl with average looks. Maybe if she had been a ''country toppling beauty'', Michelle would have had the extravagant dreams of a dashing hero seeking justice on her behalf someday, but she knew her own reality.

    No one would ever care, even if Michelle died.

    Michelle Reeves, whose only good quality was being able to paint slightly better than average. What a joke her life was, and her death was even funnier.

    Maybe even George would forget that she existed within a few days.

    At least, she used to think so. But today, thanks to her princess, the one suffering now was that very same George who once looked down on her, and not only him. Even his mother and brother were there with them, being dragged into the ''police van''.

    Apparently, they had been trying to escape and go into hiding until the matter was ready to be swept under the rug, however, they had been caught halfway through.

    Of course, this was a lie. The ones they had been trying to escape were the Sullivan family''s people, and the ones they had been caught by were from the White Deer.

    As for where they had been trying to escape to¡­ it was precisely the police.

    Their biggest mistake¡­ was calling themissioner to have them arrested, just to be sure nothing went wrong.

    "Look, Crystal, thanks to you¡­ they finally got what they deserved."

    Crystal squeezed Emilia''s hand as she watched the ''policemen'' push the trio into the van. She had already been to the station earlier with Emilia, where she had seen them slowly consolidate evidence from the various ''witnesses''.

    Although most of them only confessed because they themselves were involved in the bullying, and hoped to get out of it by cooperating with thew, Crystal was sure that their testimonies should be enough to at least prove that what happened to Michelle was real.

    As long as Emilia could ensure that George''s medical report proved him not to be deranged, his punishment was unavoidable.

    There was a feeling of fulfillment and tion in her eyes that the girl never had before, something that no one would realize was missing until it was found.

    A newfound confidence and pride in her talent awakened inside Crystal, and along with it came a wave of admiration and trust for the girl who had believed in her before she even believed in herself.

    "Thank you, Emilia."

    Michelle watched the blonde girl kiss the cheek of her princess, and wondered how someone could be so lucky. Just because of the smell of her blood, this girl had such a beautiful vampire princess practically begging to lick her feet with every step.

    It was like having a particr size and shape of breasts automatically spawned a fairytale suitor, along with an entire kingdom, just to worship someone as their future queen.

    Thinking about it¡­ that was not far from the truth.

    She couldn''t help but sigh. ''No¡­ to be the cherished servant of the princess¡­ I''m already happy.''

    Meanwhile, Justine squinted her eyes as she tried to spot which one among Emilia''s entourage was the Hawk Owl Eagle thing that she had to be so careful of. Of course, the term was quite a mouthful, and in her mind, Justine had already shortened it to HOE.

    "Hm¡­ the HOE should be either the boyish girl or the blondie, right?"

    But no matter how she tried to look, neither of them seemed the type to pay much attention to their surroundings, much less be someone who''d warrant the level of attention to detail that Emilia had her keep for this ''mission''.

    Justine couldn''t help but sigh as she was about to put away her binocrs after one final look, but at that moment, the blonde girl looked straight at her¡­ and smiled.

    "Fuck!"

    Justine almost jumped back in shock as she dropped the binocrs before hurriedly picking them back up to look again. Of course, the blonde was once again engrossed in talking and giggling with her friends, and didn''t seem to know of her existence at all.

    "S-Shit, that''s definitely her! Even from so far away, she spotted me? The HOE is a terrifying creature as expected!"

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    Of course, there was no way for Crystal to spot Justine from so far away, it was just Emilia''s way of scaring her for being so naughty.

    She had clearly told the woman to not make any suspicious movements, and she still did this kind of thing.

    Granted, she did it in a way that wouldn''t allow Crystal to notice anything wrong, but she was still disobedient.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Hmm¡­ And to think she used to be so scared of me when we first met¡­ I guess I''ll have to punish her a little, or she''ll keep getting more and more disobedient.''

    As for how she knew about Justine''s actions¡­ well, that was because Emilia never put all her eggs in one basket if she could avoid it. For a matter that involved such a major political opponent, of course she had Noelle monitoring the overall situation as well.

    Justine''s ''suspicious'' activity would of course be reported to her right away. Though her real punishment would have to wait tillter, after Emilia was done dealing with the current matter.

    As for how she did it¡­ well, all she had to do was make Crystal look in the direction she knew Justine was in, and make her smile. For Emilia, it was too easy.

    "Look, Crystal, what''s that, flying towards the watchtower? Is it a bird? Is it a ne?"

    Crystal, who was in a good mood thanks to ''justice being served'', looked over with a smile, but it quickly turned to confusion. "H-Huh? I don''t see anything?"

    ''Well, hopefully, that did the trick. As long as she was paying attention, it should be enough to scare someone like Justine.''

    Of course, she couldn''t leave her poor heroine confused. "Oh¡­ I was making a ne joke. But you know what happens to bad ne jokes¡­? They nevernd."

    Crystal couldn''t help but burst into giggles.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 165 - Get What You Deserve

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    At first, Crystal had been quite worried that Michelle wouldn''t be satisfied with just the punishment of George and his family. But thankfully, the girl hadn''t expressed any anger over the issue, and it seemed like the grudge in her heart had more or less been settled.

    Of course, even if she had held a grudge, it was impossible to punish the other students too severely under the currentws. Even if Crystal also believed that they got off too lightly, there was no other way but to ept it.

    Crystal knew that Emilia would handle the matter well, as she had so far, and those who truly deserved to be punished would be brought to court, and definitely wouldn''t get off scot-free.

    She knew that Emilia''s style of justice was a bit more ''unruly'', and the fact that she had been so wful'' this time, ignoring whatever methods she used to scare the bullies, had to be because of her.

    Crystal couldn''t help but be happy. After all, who wouldn''t like having their crush deviate from her own way of doing things just to make themfortable? It was like putting on clothes that she didn''t like because it suited her lover''s preferences.

    The blonde girl smiled. ''She''s so sweet!''

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    What Crystal didn''t know, was that Emilia was a big, fat liar.

    The policemen she had seen were all ''ex-policemen'', because Emilia was thorough like that, and had put up the show just to convince Crystal that she had nothing more to worry about, and should put the case out of her mind.

    After all, the Porter family would be disappearing very soon, except for Mr. Porter himself, who was all too ''happy'' to enter a permanent cooperation with the White Deer, and would never be appearing in front of a camera ever again.

    Emilia still remembered her promise to Michelle, and as the girl had sworn to be her servant, giving away everything she had, how could Emilia fail to fulfill her side of the deal?

    Thewful punishment was too light to make Emilia feel that she had fulfilled her promise.

    After dropping Crystal off at her home, she took Michelle to an ''abandoned'' warehouse twenty miles away from the city border.

    As they got out of the car and walked towards the warehouse, Emilia squeezed Michelle''s palm. "I had to spread the news of your death for all of this drama, but it was never made ''official'', would you like to go back to that identity, or should I get you a new one?"

    Michelle shook her head. "I don''t care, really."

    After all, she could now be considered a royal vampire''s servant, so having a mortal identity really didn''t matter much to her.

    As the shutters closed, Michelle spotted the police van parked inside, along with the three ''culprits'' bound and gagged on metal poles.

    The brown-haired girl felt a little regretful when the soft, tender palm of her princess left her own to pat her back.

    "You can do whatever you want. Call in the people outside to take care of it once you''re done, alright? They''ll take you back to my ceter."

    Emilia smiled when she saw the girl nod. "I still have a few things to do, so I''ll leave first."

    Michelle''s eyes stuck to Emilia''s back until her sight was blocked by the closing of the door.

    With her princess gone, Michelle set her sights on the youngest of the trio with a sigh. The boy who had been the main culprit behind making her life a living hell¡­ now seemed like such an insignificant little thing.

    Although the trio had all seen Michelle''s photos before at one point or another, they couldn''t recognize who she was at a nce, except for George, who struggled against his bonds fiercely since the moment he saw her.

    Compared to when she had been in the hospital, Michelle had already recovered a lot. No longer were her cheeks as sunken, and her hair didn''t look as bad either, despite its short length.

    Emilia had of course given her new servant a proper fitness trainer, and instructed them to keep her on a strict diet to restore her chubby cheeks. It was expected that she would recover fully within a few weeks.

    But even if ''her'' limbs were no longer elongated, nor her face so pale, George still thought she looked like a ghost.

    After all, with such a dark, horrifying look in her eyes, how could she possibly be human?

    He tried to scream to his family - ''I told you! I told you it was real! It came for me now! It''sing to kill me, look!'', but of course, no one could understand his muffled screeching through the gag.

    Michelle didn''t pay him any more attention either, and moved to the ''toolbox'' set on a table in the corner. Inside, she found all kinds of brand new ''goodies'', such as pliers, scissors, syringes, a variety of des, a small saw¡­ there was even a handgun.

    ''Hehe¡­ princess is still so na?ve¡­ did she never suspect that I could just kill myself after getting my revenge? Wouldn''t that mean all her efforts go to waste? Ah, but such a cute, innocent princess¡­ how can I bear to leave her alone?''

    Of course, before going back to her princess, she had to take care of some vermin first.

    Michelle bowed towards the trio, her voice full of ''regret''. "Please forgive me for not knowing any good techniques, but rest assured, I''ll do my best to learn quickly!"

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    After leaving the fate of the Porters to Michelle, Emilia''s next stop was of course to ''thank'' Justine, who had made the wless execution of such a n possible in the first ce.

    Her naughtiness at the end aside, her contribution really wasn''t any less than that of themissioner.

    The only thing Emilia didn''t understand about the whole situation was why her mother had asked her if she had ''something to tell her'' after giving her themissioner''s number, but she decided to not dwell on it too much.

    After all, family matters were mostly Samantha''s responsibility now, as far as she was concerned. Only when her sister felt it was unmanageable for her would she inform Emilia. Until then, Emilia felt that she had enough on her te already.

    It didn''t take her too long to reach Justine''s new ce, which was also not far from the city border. Since Emilia had already dropped off both Crystal and Michelle, Justine should already be back at her ''base'' by now.

    Just like before, she nned to sneak up on the girl again to pinch her butt, which she nned to make her formal greeting to Justine, but the girl had learned fromst time, and was already too alert to be caught off guard.

    "Hah! I caught you!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout as she red at the hand clutching her wrist. "You''re no fun at all. Anyway, I''m here to thank you for doing a good job, so I''ll let it be for now."

    Of course, ruining Emilia''s fun had its consequences, though they may note immediately. Emilia added a +1 to Justine''s punishments, even as she was ''thanking'' her.

    By the way, Cynthia already had a +5. It was at a point where Emilia wasn''t even sure if she couldplete the punishment in one session, but¡­ that would also depend on Cynthia''s endurance.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Golden ticket bonus chapter.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 166 - Justineâ€™s Naughty Boss

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    Just like some hunters like to toy with their prey, Emilia found it much more amusing to keep her ''prey'' guessing what woulde next. "Let''s go for a walk?"

    The ex-policewoman looked around suspiciously. "Eh, here? There''s nothing but trees¡ª"

    Emilia shrugged. "So? The air is good, and I feel like walking. I''ve been stuffed into cars for too long today, anyway."

    Justine sighed, knowing that this rich young missie was about as whimsical as she was cute, and there was no convincing her once she had her mind set on something.

    The ex-officer locked her SUV first, then checked to make sure it was properly secured. And then checked once again, just to make double sure.

    After all, she had bought it with thepany funds, and if it got stolen, not only could she never pay it back, she would never be able to get her hands on such a sweet ride again!

    Emilia chuckled. "You really like that thing, huh?"

    Thest time she had been here, she already had the feeling, but Justine''s antics really drove the point home this time.

    The blue-eyed girl patted the hood of her ''darling'' proudly. "Fufu¡­ it''s my baby, after all. I love her so much."

    "Does she have a name?"

    Justine nodded as she puffed out her chest, proudly introducing her baby. "Of course she has a name, Little Darling Shy Brakes! I have dreamed of riding her for the past seventeen years, ever since I saw her in a magazine, and since then¡ª"

    Emilia nked, still trying to process the name.

    First of all, this was an SUV that was about asrge in build as one could get without making it a truck, at least in Emilia''s opinion. There was nothing ''little'' about it.

    Secondly, what part of it looked ''shy''? How did that word even fit in there? No wait, for it to be used along with brakes¡­ "Is there a problem with the brakes?! That''s not a joke, we should get that fixed right away¡ª"

    Justine didn''t want any mechanic touching her ''little baby''. Even if the brakes really broke, she would rather fix them on her own.

    But considering that they had already been walking away for a few minutes, it was likely that if Emilia really wanted, she could get someone to take her ''baby'' away before she could run back to get her.

    After all, this was the big boss Emilia, maybe there were a few dozen ninjas around to take care of her right now. Even a terrifying creature like that Hawk-Owl-Eagle girl was under her control! ''D-Don''t tell me, isn''t it possible that HOE is watching us even now?!''

    If Emilia knew Justine kept referring to Crystal as a ''HOE'' in her mind, considering how much she doted on her ''angel'', the ex-officer would surely be in for a whole other type of punishment.

    Justine shook her head hurriedly. "No no, of course not! T-That''s just her name, ahem."

    Emilia scratched her head, not quite understanding Justine''s naming sense.

    ''Well, whatever¡­'' Emilia cleared her throat as she took out a ck card from her pocket. "Never mind that, then. Thank you for taking care of everything so perfectly Justine. I''m guessing that the money I gave you earlier must be running low, right?"

    Justine had been barely a few inches away from her, but immediately jumped three feet away when she saw the card in Emilia''s hand. "A-Actually, I''ve barely made a dent¡ª"

    Emilia didn''t give her a chance to refuse, and a tree behind Justine blocked her just long enough for the girl to get close and stuff the card in her hand. "The password is 3658, by the way."

    In the end, Justine could only sigh helplessly and ept it. After all, she couldn''t just throw the card away now that she had it, and she knew Emilia wouldn''t take it back either. ''I''ll try to make good use of it. I''ll definitely not be spending it on another car! Even if a better modeles out next year, I won''t be tempted! Eh, wait a minute¡­ why is she looking at me like that?''

    Of course, now that her rewards had been distributed, Emilia was wondering whether she should punish Justine right away, or give her some time. But since she already had the girl backed up against a tree, she felt that it would be a pity not to do anything.

    nting a kiss on the stunned officer''s cheek, Emilia smiled. "From now on, you''ll get a decent amount topped up in this one every week. Of course, separate from your regr sry that was promised earlier."

    ''S-So soft¡­ n-no wait, focus!'' Justine nodded, her cheeks slightly red as she squirmed under Emilia''s gaze. Both her gaze and her mind were starting to wander to ces she definitely didn''t like. "W-What is it? You keep giving me a strange look, it''s making me feel weird."

    Emilia sighed as she backed off a little before holding her hand out to the girl, when she took it, she continued their leisurely walk, though now with a decidedly more confusedpanion. "I just feel like when you''re dressed up like this, you really have a different charm. Or maybe I''ve been too frustrated recently, and everywhere I look, there are lilies and roses."

    Justine''s face nked. "M-Me, c-charm? A-And what''s with those flowers?"

    Also¡­ Emilia didn''t mean ''frustrated'' in the same way she thought she did, right? It was just her strange mind ying tricks on her again, right? That kiss on the cheek was definitely the issue, making her think weird things!

    Emilia nodded. "By charm, I of course mean you''re very cute? Oh, I''m not harassing you, am I? Don''t feel like you need to bear it because I''m your boss, if you feel ufortable¡ª"

    Justine hurriedly shook her head. If all bosses were as attractive as Emilia, maybe workce harassment really wouldn''t be an issue at all. "Ah, no no no! No harassment, like, at all! If anything, I feel ttered."

    Emilia smiled. This girl was surprisingly honest at times. "Then, in that case, do you think I''m cute?"

    The blue-eyed girl nodded. "O-Of course, anyone who disagrees would need to get their eyes checked!"

    "Then¡­ would you kiss me?"

    ''H-Holy fuck! Is she serious?!'' Justine gulped, swiveling her head around to check if anyone was looking.

    She really felt likepared to framing the Porter family, what she was doing now was more of a crime. But hey, the girl asked for it! And it was her own fault for making Justine curious how soft her lips would feel directly on her own, instead of on the cheek.

    For once, the always teasing, mischievous girl had her eyes closed as she obediently waited for Justine''s lips to meet her own. Well, it was no wonder since she had already carried out her mischief, and was now just waiting for its results. The thought gave the ex-policewoman an even more sinful feeling as she lowered her face to press her lips against Emilia''s.

    Feeling those rose petals directly against her lips, they were even softer and more luxurious than she had ever imagined, and Justine felt a jolt of pleasure and excitement shoot up her spine as she felt the girl''s arms wrap around her neck.

    ''T-This naughty little minx! She''s definitely kissed girls before!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 167 - Justineâ€™s Dilemma

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    With how good of a kisser Emilia was, Justine became sure that the girl had definitely kissed before, and knowing that, she couldn''t help but let go of some of her inhibitions.

    Pressing her lips against Emilia''s more roughly, she felt the girl tighten her grasp around her neck, and within moments, Emilia''s naughty little tongue started brushing across her lips, demanding entry.

    Justine was happy to oblige, and when the nimble and excited invader unsuspectingly entered her ''trap'', she immediately captured it while simultaneously grasping Emilia by the waist.

    The girl moaned into her mouth, and before Justine realized it, they were already fiercely struggling against each other for dominance.

    Justine wasn''t aplete newbie to kissing. As a twenty-five-year-old, she had practiced with her friends plenty of times before, and had also done a lot of research to ''hone'' her techniques. Still, she had tomend Emilia for her enthusiasm and incredible speed of learning.

    ''Ohhh¡­ I never expected that a girl her age would be so good¡ª FUCK!''

    As if jolted by lightning, Justine immediately separated from Emilia with a gasp, though the thin thread of saliva connecting their lips didn''t allow her to deny what happened at all.

    Emilia let her go with onest lingering peck on the lips, both to ''clear the evidence'' and to snap the girl out of her daze. "Thank you, Justine. I feel so much better now!"

    Of course, she wouldn''t be letting Justine off so easily. After all, she''d had enough of being denied and getting frustrated, and tonight she intended to get things done, one way or another.

    Given how much frustration and eagerness she had felt from Justine''s kiss earlier, Emilia was sure that nothing would be able to stand in her way.

    It was only now that Justine was starting toprehend the situation, having been swept along in Emilia''s pace before.

    To summarize, her sweet, gorgeous little boss, Emilia, had asked her for a kiss, and Justine couldn''t resist.

    Then, they ended up making out¡­

    And now she was leaving?

    The girl didn''t even seem to care for her response, and walked away with a spring in her step that hadn''t been there before.

    Recalling the girl''s earlier words, Justine wondered if Emilia had carried out some ritual to transfer the frustration she felt to herself instead. However, jogging her memories also had the unfortunate effect of making her recall her previous thoughts.

    ''W-Wait a minute¡­ how old was she again?!''

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    Not knowing that Emilia was obviously an adult, and technically even older than herself, Justine wallowed in self-loathing all the way back to her truck, remembering how she had ''molested'' the poor girl.

    ''I-I didn''t take advantage of her while she was in some vulnerable state, r-right?''

    Perhaps it was the fact that Emilia''s image had been so formidable and scary, so deeply set in her mind, that she hadn''t even realized the girl''s actual age until it was toote.

    Thankfully, they hadn''t gone any farther.

    "Actually, if I think about it, that was also mostly because she never asked. I''m sure if she had, I would have totally fucked her, and be a goddamn sexual predator!"

    "Who would have be a sexual predator?"

    Justine jumped like a startled rabbit, her heart beating wildly as she turned around to stare at Emilia in disbelief while bracing her back against the truck''s door. ''Hadn''t she already left?!''

    Emilia''s lips were clearly freshly kissed, being redder than usual, reminding Justine of exactly who the culprit was. The ex-officer gulped. "A-Ah, Emilia! N-Nothing! I was just talking to myself!"

    Of course, Emilia had followed Justine all the way back to her truck while hiding, and had clearly seen all her expressions while giggling to herself. Still, she didn''t expect Justine to feel so guilty just for kissing her, and felt that the punishment was already enough.

    She had even consulted with Cynthia, but her partner had been disgusted with her thoughts recently, and had long since isted herself, so she got no response at all.

    It only made Emilia more certain that she had to get rid of her frustrations, as herself being so horny all the time was even starting to affect Cynthia''s mood.

    Seeing how conflicted the ex-officer looked, Emilia walked over to her with a smile and flicked her nose gently, both startling and confusing the girl. "Why do you look so guilty? Did you have a lover that you felt like you cheated on?"

    "N-No, of course not!"

    "Then?"

    Justine bit her lip, wondering how to exin herself. In the end, she could only grit her teeth. "Y-You''re too young, I should have been¡ª"

    Emilia sighed. Although in her previous world, girls that were much younger than Danielle would have been married off without a single thought, she understood how Justine should be feeling.

    Still, she wasn''t really Danielle, after all.

    Not to mention her first life, which had alsosted almost two decades, she had already been fourteen when she met Maeve, and it was only after over ten years of meeting her that she was murdered.

    Even if she had been emotionally dead in the first life, and only counted her second, Emilia considered herself an adult.

    "I know what you''re thinking, Justine, but trust me¡­ I''m old enough."

    Of course, Emilia''s words didn''t really reassure the ex-officer much, but Emilia knew that there was no need to argue with her.

    After all, Justine had already proved to her how she worked from her previous passionate kiss. In fact, even earlier, the way she had given in to her curiosity to check out who the ''Hawk-Owl-Eagle'' thing was, despite Emilia''s warnings, was proof enough that Justine gave in to her ''evil side'' way too easily.

    Emilia knew, all she had to do¡­ was tempt her.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Author''s Notes:

    I hope everyone is having a lot of fun with their holidays!

    Merry Christmas, and thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 168 - The Answer Is Yes

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    Dixie''s three friends had gone through a lot in the past few weeks.

    Ever since their ''leader'' had handed her over to her ''princess'', who had, in turn, put them under a strict ''training regimen'', their previous lives of being unruly and living luxuriously had be a thing of the past.

    Their days started early in the morning, and like soldiers, the whole day they focused on either strengthening their bodies or honing their skills.

    Of course, Justine wasn''t as ''strict'' as a drill sergeant would be, but to the three of them, this was already a tribtion that they could barely endure.

    However, it was not without its own ''pros''.

    Despite all the pain, the three of them found that they had be much, much closer to each other than they had ever been before.

    In fact, once they had the basics down, the whole thing became almost like an extremely exciting, albeit difficult, game.

    Especially once they received their first task, which was to scare a bunch of people without getting caught.

    It was like¡­ they were the heroines of a spy movie!

    Moreover, their newfound skills both in and out ofbat made them feel a sense of pride that they never had before, and a newfound respect for their trainer, Justine, rose from their hearts.

    However, this respect that Justine had painstakingly gained after such a long time, all evaporated in an instant when the three girls saw Justine m into her room, a young girl in her embrace, before the door closed with a bang.

    They didn''t see who exactly their trainer dragged into her room, but the intent to fuck the girl viciously was obvious from how furiously they had been making out.

    Not only was Justine''s orientation a ''surprise'', but what shocked them even more was something else entirely.

    "Hey, that girl looked pretty young¡­ probably even younger than us, you know?"

    "Trainer Justine is such a criminal, I had no idea!"

    "S-She won''t aim for us, right?"

    "Probably not?"

    The three of them had the same thought cross their mind, and thought that there would be no better opportunity to ''probe'' the answer. But in the end, they didn''t have the courage.

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    Of course, Justine had long since stopped giving a fuck if anyone saw her carrying the girl into her room.

    Her mind was fully focused on giving an entirely different kind of fuck, after all.

    She didn''t even know how she managed to drive the two of them over in one piece, especially with Emilia making out with her throughout the ride.

    Thankfully, the jungle road waspletely deserted. But by the time they got to her room, both Justine and Emilia had already torn most of their clothing apart.

    Justine vaguely recalled kicking the door shut, but couldn''t be bothered to lock it before she threw Emilia on the bed before climbing in herself.

    Their lips had barely parted for a few moments before they locked again, and the two of them moaned into each other''s mouth, tongues intertwining against each other as they shed for dominance.

    Justine had no idea when the girl''s hands had sneaked up her sweater, but her pinching and prodding wasn''t helping her frenzied state at all. With an enraged growl, she finally managed to tear off the girl''s skirt, revealing her milky white thighs andvender panties.

    Of course, Emilia more than weed Justine''s enthusiasm, and wouldn''t even mind if the girl tore off the rest of her clothes. Of course, having been ''burned'' by rejection so many times, Emilia wouldn''t break the girl''s spell so soon. It was better to let her dive into the trap fully, until it was toote for her to regret.

    Surprisingly, Justine still had some sanity left though, and a little bit of rity returned to her previously zed eyes as she gave her a searing stare.

    Justine had always thought of herself as a mostly straight girl. Maybe notpletely straight, but Justine believed she definitely preferred men more than women.

    Sure, she could appreciate a beauty when she saw one, but the sexual attraction she felt was mostly for the men with overwhelming charisma, such as those pop idols and celebrities.

    Unfortunately, this led to her always feeling that the men around her weren''t quite good enough, and even with her high sex drive, she was left a desperate and frustrated ''virgin'' even now. Whether it was her peers from college, or men from work, she never found them up to her standards, be it in looks or charisma.

    Emilia, on the other hand¡­ The girl was everything Justine had ever wanted in a partner. Overwhelming charisma, outstanding looks, a witty and mischievous personality, and as hard to believe as it had been for her at first¡­ she cared for her.

    Even if it wasn''t for the huge amount of cash she threw her way, the way the girl would alwayse to visit her personally, using one excuse or another, had always tickled something deep within Justine''s heart.

    But she never dared to hope.

    After all, Emilia probably had many, many boys and girls chasing after her, with most of them being younger than her, richer than her, and with excellent backgrounds.

    How could she even begin topete?

    The only aspect Justine felt confident in, was sex.

    She may not have any experience with a real partner, but the number of toys she had in her collection was enough to satisfy an entire female dorm if needed!

    Thankfully, Emilia was a girl, and those toys would surelye in handyter. If she had been a boy, Justine doubted her toy collection would be as well appreciated.

    But although her mind was in a frenzy, Justine hadn''tpletely lost it yet.

    Just as she realized Emilia cared for her, she also began to care deeply for this charismatic, naughty little boss of hers.

    She couldn''t hurt the girl, no matter what.

    "A-Are you sure¡­ you wanna do it with me?"

    Emilia, who was still panting a little after Justine broke their frantic kiss, almost rolled her eyes. "Hah¡­ If shoving my tongue down your throat didn''t make it clear enough, my answer is ''yes''!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter~

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 169 - A Knight Raid

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    Since her princess was going to be busy handling Michelle''s case, and she was pretty much free, Dixie decided that she might as well go see what her three friends were up to these days.

    After all, they couldn''t just be training all day, right? Those three were about as undisciplined as the worst of hooligans and thugs, they''d definitely be up to some mischief, one way or another.

    To say that the three of them were expecting Dixie would be a lie.

    "E-Eh, Dixie?!"

    Not to mention now, when 99% of the girl''s mind seemed to focus on taking care of her princess, and 1% on pleasing her princess, even when Dixie had been a normal girl, it had always been them who initiated any meetups, and never Dixie herself.

    "Today really is full of surprises, huh?"

    First, they caught their trainer carrying off a probably underage girl to bed. And now, their ever-reclusive friend was finallying out of her shell?

    Dixie narrowed her eyes. "Hmm? What does that mean? Have you girls been causing trouble?"

    "Ah, no no, of course not!"

    Although this ''training camp'' was kept exclusively for Justine to use to train these three, there were still a few people taking care of misceneous things. It wasn''t inconceivable for them to find a man, though he''d probably be an already-married, middle-aged one.

    With her friend''s ''standards''¡­ Dixie didn''t dare say they wouldn''t chase after him.

    "Don''t tell me Lara is chasing after some boy here as well, and the two of you are ''assisting'' her as always?"

    Obviously, the knight didn''t believe them at all, and continued her interrogation until they finally admitted what they were referring to earlier.

    "S-So, trainer Justine¡­"

    "Brought back a girl¡­"

    "It looked like the two of them were making out¡­"

    "And she took the girl to her bedroom¡­"

    "To fuck viciously!"

    "Language, Lara!"

    "Sheesh, alright. Well, it''s none of our concern anyway, right?"

    Understanding what the three of them were talking about wasn''t difficult for Dixie, even when they mishmash it like this. The filters that needed to be applied were always the same, after all.

    Emma would always downy everything, so anything she told would be worse by at least half. And Lara would always exaggerate it instead, so whatever she mentioned could be toned down by at least fifty percent.

    Jenna was the easiest, no filters needed.

    After applying all three filters, an urate ount of what the three went through could be obtained.

    This was the trick that Dixie had always used whenever the three of them managed to confuse her, and this time was the same.

    Dixie''s mind nked for a moment as she processed their words. "Hm¡­ a young-looking girl, probably around our age¡­ wait a minute¡­ it couldn''t be?!"

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    Meanwhile, back in Justine''s bedroom, Emilia was just about to dive back into their furious make-out session, but was stopped by Justine''s palm once again, causing her to almost scream in frustration. "I swear if you still dare to deny me¡ª!"

    Justine shook her head nervously. "N-No, I mean, I-I will never deny you. I''m d you gave me your consent, and I''ll happily do it, don''t misunderstand! But, just asking¡­ wouldn''t you rather do it with someone your age?"

    ''This policedy¡­ is really looking for a beating!''

    Emilia sighed. She knew that the anger and frustration she was feeling was, for the most part, not Justine''s fault. "Listen, I''ll only say this once, but the girls ''my age'' have already denied me so many times that I''m starting to feel insecure! Right now I''m so fucking horny that if even you say ''no''... I''ll go make love to a tree or a pole! Understand?"

    Justine hurriedly nodded. Although she was sure that, if Emilia wanted, she could have a line stretching for miles waiting to audition to be her lover, that didn''t mean there didn''t exist people who won''t find her appealing as a lover.

    After all, if her actions made it clear that she was a very ''passionate'' bisexual at least, hertter words confirmed that she definitely preferred girls. And if these girls were truly straight as steel rods, it was possible that even Emilia wouldn''t be enough to sway their will.

    As for herself¡­ Justine knew very well that even if she met someone like Emilia in a club, and the girl asked her out¡­ she would say ''yes'' in a heartbeat.

    Emilia''s young appearance might pose a bit of an issue, but the girl already told her she was old enough. Maybe she just had a few facts wrong about her employer.

    After all, Justine''s memory wasn''t perfect. Recalling that the White family parents should be in their fifties, and their eldest daughter in herte twenties, Emilia should be around eighteen, right?

    Since the girl had been homeschooled for most of her life¡­ it made sense.

    Convincing herself so, Justine let go of all her inhibitions, and dived in to taste Emilia''s tantalizingly inviting tongue once again.

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    The moment her friends confirmed that they weren''t quite sure who the girl was, Dixie had a bad feeling, and rushed towards Justine''s room immediately.

    Hadn''t Justine done a lot of ''meritorious'' deeds recently?

    And where was her princess?!

    Assuming that she was done handling Michelle''s case, it was very likely that she would go to praise or reward Justine next, and if it was her princess who had been dragged to bed by that idiot¡­

    Dixie didn''t dare imagine it at all.

    Justine may not be as dumb and horny as Koko, but in her opinion, she was only marginally better. In fact, once Koko grew up, Dixie could imagine that it would be hard to tell which one of them was worse.

    When she finally reached the ''trainer''s bedroom'', with her heart beating like a drum and forehead covered in sweat, Dixie kicked the door open without a second thought.

    It mmed all the way to the other side with a sonorous bang. Even if it had been locked, which it wasn''t, it was likely that the lock would have been broken.

    "EMILY!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    BEFORE YOU MURDER ME, ahem, please wait for the next chapter,ing within two hours or so! :>

    But feel free to scream in thements, I''ll enjoy them while editing the next chapter. >_<

 Chapter 170 - Dixieâ€™s Obsessive Love

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    Both Justine and Emilia were shocked when the door mmed open, and when Emilia turned to look at who had the guts to interrupt her this time, she found Dixie staring at the two of them in distress.

    Instantly, all her anger dissipated as she sighed.

    Justine, meanwhile, went stiff as a board, still frozen on top of Emilia as she stared at Dixie dumbfounded. ''I-I should have locked the door¡­''

    Dixie had expected a lot of things when she burst into the room.

    The best result would have been that the girl in the room wasn''t her princess, and Justine was having fun with someone else. And the worst¡­ she didn''t dare imagine.

    What she saw, however, still managed to shock the dark-haired girl.

    Her princess had her skirt ripped right off her thighs, and ity on the floor as evidence of her partner''s aggressiveness, and her lips looked like they had been chewed upon hundreds of times. And although the two of them had separated a little now, Dixie wasn''t stupid enough to not realize what they had been doing just moments before.

    Only Emilia''s still intactvender panties gave her some assurance that she had arrived before it was really toote.

    Justine stiffened further as she watched Dixie walk towards her with a dark, murderous re. She knew she was in for a beating, but she didn''t really know if she even had the right to resist.

    Of course, Emilia couldn''t have her knight really beat Justine up. With how furious Dixie was right now, and her ridiculous strength, Justine was sure to suffer a disaster if she took even a single kick from the girl. Trained or not.

    "Don''t me her, Dixie, she was just doing what I told her."

    As her knight''s momentum came to a screeching halt and she gave her princess a distressed look, Emilia sighed as she motioned Justine to get up. "Justine¡­ I''m sorry about today. I''ll definitelypensate you properly some other time. For now¡­ please give the two of us some privacy."

    Justine nodded stiffly, still not sure what exactly was going on as she haphazardly got off the bed, her clothes still in disarray. Even after she had walked out of the room, leaving only Emilia and Dixie inside, her head was still nk.

    Only after she had entered a guest room and copsed on a fresh bed did her thoughts start circting again. "I-I got caught¡­ fuck! S-She''s not going to get me killedter, right?!"

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    Meanwhile, back in the ''trainer''s bedroom'', Dixie had already copsed into Emilia''s arms, wailing uncontrobly.

    Emilia patted her knight''s hair, her brows furrowed as the girl''s distress started affecting herself as well. "W-Why are you crying, Dixie?"

    "I-I¡­ hic¡­ I don''t know¡­"

    The dark-haired girl had always tried to project the image of a strong, reliable shoulder to lean on whenever needed, but right now, she didn''t feel like keeping up any appearances at all as she cried her heart out in Emilia''s arms.

    Emilia bit her lower lip, though Dixie didn''t see it with her head buried in the girl''s breasts. "I-Is it because you feel disillusioned? Did you think I was a pure princess, but now hate me because I''m actually a slut? Do you¡­ feel deceived?"

    Dixie immediately parted from her breasts as she clutched Emilia''s shoulders desperately. Even if her princess favored those she liked, what was wrong with that?! As far as Dixie was concerned, Emilia can do whatever makes her happy, matter what it was. "NO! You¡ª! How can you say that, princess?! If anyone else dared to speak of you like that, I''ll tear out their tongue!"

    Emilia smirked as she stuck out her tongue, as if inviting the girl to do it.

    Dixie nked out for a moment before bursting into tears once again, hugging her princess in distress. "Princess¡­ Emily¡­"

    Emilia didn''t stop her from crying, and let the girl pour her heart out as she pulled her up so they could befortable on the bed.

    With the knight firmly on herp, Emilia kissed her tears away one by one as soon as they dropped. ''Mhm¡­ salty¡­ It''s a lot different from saliva, not as slick, but much better than blood¡­''

    Before long, Dixie couldn''t help but get embarrassed. As her tears stopped flowing, Emilia still kept kissing her cheeks.

    "My silly little knight¡­ You really ruined my fun tonight, you know? But looking at you crying, I can''t get angry at all. But¡­ there''s one thing I still need you to answer."

    Dixie nodded, still feeling incredibly embarrassed.

    "Why, exactly, were you so angry?"

    Emilia had never hidden this part of herself from anyone, and Dixie should know very well by now given how she showed favor to Koko and Crystal right in front of her.

    Dixie bit her lower lip tightly. She had always known that the way Emilia interacted with people was abnormal.

    It was like she was separate from this world, and cared little of what others thought unless she liked them. Like a real princess, she wasn''t afraid of ordering those she favored around, and the way she showed ''favor''¡­ was something else too.

    Despite all of that, however, Dixie was undeniably, deeply in love with this abnormal existence. Her strangeness did not make her think that Emilia was weird, instead, Dixie only found it more and more endearing.

    That didn''t mean, however, that she had no expectations. No matter what Emilia said, or did, Dixie had always assumed that the first person she would favor¡­ would be her.

    The first kiss of her princess belonged to Dixie, and her first time belonged to her too! Her closest confidant, her most precious knight, and the one who would always love her the most in the world, no matter what!

    That was the image she had of their rtionship, and she couldn''t ept anyone or anything challenging it. Whoever dared¡­ was looking for death.

    But if it was Emilia herself, her precious, beloved little princess¡­ there was nothing Dixie could do. If her princess wanted, she could trample on her hopes and dreams, crush her heart, andugh at her face. And Dixie¡­ would still love her.

    Even if she felt wronged, even if she cried and bawled, it was the strength of this obsessive love that never wavered¡­ that gave her the courage to question her princess.

    "I-I¡­ I know you like girls, Emily. And¡­ I always knew you would show favor to those you like. I will never stop you, you can take them all. If you want this whole world to be yours, I will even help you, or die trying! But¡­ why am I not the first?!"

    Emilia blinked as Dixie continued, her voice turning feverish as her eyes turned red.

    "I cannot say that I am the most beautiful, but I''m definitely the strongest¡­ right?! Aside from your sister, I have also known you the longest among the girls you favor! And I most definitely, definitely love you the most! The most in the world! If you tell me to dig my heart out, I''ll do it right now! I-I thought I was the closest! Please, princess¡­ tell me¡­ why am I not the first?! I¡ª"

    Emilia smiled as she pulled Dixie closer to kiss the surprised girl on the lips, bringing her furious rant to an abrupt halt. "That''s what you were distressed about? Well, luckily, I still haven''t done it with anyone, and if my precious Dixie wants it... why not?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter.

    NSFW/R18 chapter tomorrow? :>

 Chapter 171 - [NSFW] Baring The Knight

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    Dixie had been fully prepared to argue with her princess for the first time. After all, this was not a debate she could afford to lose! But unexpectedly, she won the argument before it even started.

    Her princess¡­ agreed to it right away?!

    "Really?! I-I¡­"

    Emilia nodded, her eyes shining in mirth. "To be honest¡­ the purity of my body doesn''t matter to me anymore, and I¡­ felt so hot and desperate sometimes, but there was no way to relieve myself¡­"

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t wrap her mind around that at all. As long as Emilia gave the word, wouldn''t she havee crawling over right away? Even if there was a sea of magma separating them, Dixie knew she would still take a dive, even if it led to certain doom.

    Seeing Dixie''s confused and distressed look, Emilia flicked her forehead with a smile.

    "Silly, don''t think I don''t care about myself enough, alright? I can see it on your face."

    "B-But princess¡­"

    ''That''s not what I was thinking at all¡­'' was what Dixie wanted to say, but Emilia cleared her throat, interrupting her. "A-Anyway, what I''m saying is¡­ since you had already denied me before, and Crystal did as well, I decided that it was better to seek relief elsewhere instead of forcing you to do something you may not like. After all¡­ you''re far more precious to me than that, and we can always have our funter."

    Dixie''s eyes almost bugged out as she was unable to believe what she heard. What kind of stupid moron would deny her princess? She really overestimated that Crystal girl!

    But¡­ why was she on the list too?! Not to mention being intimate with her princess, which she had desperately dreamed of but never dared imagine she could one day have, Dixie wouldn''t even say ''no'' to Emilia''s most unreasonable requests. How could her princess misunderstand her like this?!

    "I-I¡­ denied you? WHEN?! Howe I don''t know about this?!"

    Emilia gave the dark-haired girl a skeptical look. "That night before the party¡­ didn''t you push me away?"

    Dixie''s mind ground to a screeching halt as she recalled the night. With her princess looking so scious and provocative, and with her tantalizing hips grinding against hers, Dixie had feared that she would lose control and hurt her princess, and had pushed her away using all her self-control. ''I-I''m a moron! I was so afraid of hurting her¡­ that I never realized what she wanted!''

    "Princess! Please allow me to apologize for my previous transgressions with my body! L-Let''s do it right away!"

    Emilia blinked in surprise before nodding, still a little unsure how far Dixie would really go before backing out once again. "Why don''t you take off your clothes first?"

    The knight jumped off of Emilia''sp right away, and almost fell over in her hurry to take off her jeans if not for Emilia hurriedly supporting her.

    Although she was a little embarrassed, Dixie still hurriedly removed her outer clothes, climbing out of her tight jeans awkwardly before moving back to the bed.

    Now in only a white bra and panties, and her entire face red, Dixie didn''t even dare to look at her smirking princess in the eyes.

    Although Emilia''s state of dress wasn''t any better, with her skirt long gone and even her top half torn, in contrast to Dixie, she lookedpletely unabashed.

    "These clothes are ruined already¡­ why don''t you tear them off for me?"

    Dixie gulped as her trembling hand reached out towards Emilia''s blue top. ''I-Is this something she likes? So that''s why Justine tore off her skirt?''

    Of course, if that was what her princess wanted, she would oblige.

    With Dixie''s strength, the fabric or quality of the clothing didn''t matter, unless it was something ridiculous like ker. Of course, although she did as she was told and ripped the top apart, she took care to make sure it didn''t leave a mark on the girl''s skin, unlike Justine, who had torn off the skirt in a frenzy.

    As more of her skin was exposed, Dixie couldn''t help but start breathing heavily. ''I-I''m going to finally see my princess naked¡­ I''m going to fuck her!''

    The thought sent her mind into a frenzy, and she couldn''t contain herself at all as she lunged at Emilia, piously holding the girl''s gorgeous face in her hands as she pressed their lips together.

    She felt Emilia wrap an arm around her waist to pull them closer, and feeling their bare bellies rubbing against each other caused another wave of heat to flow through Dixie''s brain.

    But despite her overheated state, Dixie was still very gentle when kissing Emilia''s lips. She couldn''t help but feel distressed when she thought of how that wild animal Justine had gnawed at her Emily''s soft lips so carelessly. ''Look how red and swollen they are! Ahhh! I have to worship them properly¡­''

    If Emilia noticed her careful thoughts, she didn''t show it. Instead, while they were still kissing, she took off Dixie''s bra, and even hooked her thumb on either side of her panties.

    Dixie couldn''t help but break the kiss as she covered her face in embarrassment, but she didn''t stop her princess. Instead, her heart galloped like a wild horse as she anticipated what was toe next.

    Emilia smiled as she kissed the girl''s cheek once before slowly sliding her panties down.

    It was a good thing that Dixie was covering her face, because if she saw the huge patch of clear, sticky fluid on her underwear that Emilia was now examining curiously, she might just die from embarrassment.

    Emilia understood what it was, and after sniffing it curiously for a while, she couldn''t help but give the ''source'' a curious look. ''It''s such a mild, musky scent, but it makes me feel so¡­ hot¡­ I wonder what it tastes like¡­''

    Of course, she couldn''t keep the girl in that position forever, and she could taste her as much as she wantedter, so Emilia pulled the offending garment down all the way before making the embarrassed Dixie step out of it.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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 Chapter 172 - [NSFW] The Knight Who Loves Her Most

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    Looking at the girl''s bare form, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh appreciatively.

    With this world''s beauty standards, Dixie was still a few points short of being called a bombshell. But Emilia didn''t think that detracted from the girl''s charm at all.

    After all, with her short hair and bright smile, Dixie was far more cute than sexy. And when she actually got embarrassed and shy¡­ the allure she possessed was more than enough to cause Emilia to lose her mind.

    By the time Dixie got over her embarrassment, she found her princess staring at her ravenously, as if she wished to eat her whole.

    "E-Emily¡­"

    Emilia pressed a finger against Dixie''s lips, her smile gentle, but eyes predatory. "Isn''t it embarrassing for you to be naked alone? Why don''t you take these off of me first?"

    The dark-haired girl gulped as she reached out towards Emilia''svender bra with trembling hands. She had no idea how her princess had managed to do the same with her so smoothly, because she fumbled around for almost a minute before she managed to unhook the darned thing.

    Of course, the rewards were worth the effort, as she feasted her eyes upon Emilia''s cute, sexy little pink nipples for the first time. They were already stiff, as if to tell her exactly how ''happy'' her princess was, and Dixie could feel a wave of heat flowing down her body as she thought of wrapping her lips around the erotic nubs.

    But the orders of her princess had to bepleted first, and she could only force her eyes away.

    The next hurdle was both a test of courage and patience for the knight, as she carefully inserted her thumbs on either side of Emilia''s panties before slowly pulling them down.

    Dixie had never, even in her wildest dreams, dared imagine a day woulde when she would have her face inches from the naked, defenseless, cute little kitty of her princess.

    She couldn''t help but gulp when she saw how wet her princess was already, but before she could examine her prize any further, Emilia had already stepped out of them and moved away with a giggle.

    Now that she waspletely bare, Emilia didn''t speak anymore and simply crawled over to the center of the bed and curled her finger towards Dixie with a smile.

    Having already seen what awaited her, Dixie''s mind was already in a frenzied state as she threw her naked body on top of Emilia''s, their nipples pressing together as she pressed her weight down on the smaller girl while capturing her lips.

    Aside from Emilia''s moans, only the sound of Dixie gasping her name between her overenthusiastic smooching echoed through the room. "Emily¡­ Emily¡­"

    For the first time, they were naked together. It was like all the distance between them had vanished, and there was a scorching heat in her core that she had never felt before.

    Emilia was also breathing heavily. The sensation of having a naked girl embracing her alone was far more intense than she had ever imagined, and it almost evaporated all her reasoning as she wished to meld Dixie into her body, never separating from her ever again.

    Although it was unnecessary, with Dixie''s entire weight pressing onto her from above, Emilia still pushed back into the girl to get closer, desperately seeking more and more of the tingling feeling that had started coursing through her body.

    Emilia had no idea it would be like this. Experiencing such overwhelming intimacy for the first time¡­ she was d that her knight hade to her rescue even when she didn''t know she needed it.

    She was sure that if she had been doing it with Justine, there would have been a lingering regret in her mind, that she should have shared such an amazing thing with Dixie first. And that wouldn''t be fair to either of them.

    As Dixie''s amateurish, frenzied movements on top of her continued to fuel Emilia''s lust, the girl unknowingly pressed her thigh right against Emilia''s core, causing her mind to gopletely nk as her knight brutally pushed into her almost painfully with each of her passionate throes. "F-Fuck!"

    But although Dixie''s passion was overwhelming, Emilia soon didn''t think it was ''enough'' to just let the girl rub their bodies together while kissing her. Her movements were unpredictable and intermittent, and served to torment Emilia with sporadic bouts of pleasure instead of leading her to the relief she so desperately sought.

    Emilia finally couldn''t endure it anymore, and bit Dixie''s lower lip tightly. As the girl froze and whimpered, Emilia flipped them over.

    The dark-haired knight was staring at her in both surprise and confusion, as if wondering if she had gone too far.

    With her short, dark hair, cute little face, and warm brown eyes that showed so much love for her, Dixie looked like a tantalizing feast that Emilia wished to devour whole.

    And whatever Emilia wished for, she snatched.

    Emilia pinned both of Dixie''s hands over her head as she leaned down on top of the girl, making sure that their breasts lined up just right, and their cores pressed together.

    As their lips melded together once more, she felt Dixie moan into her mouth, and she consumed the girl''s moan just like she did with her saliva, and proceeded to shove her tongue as deep down as she could, fully intent on dominating her knight''s mouth.

    Unlike her knight, who remained gentle and caring even when she was being rough, Emilia had no intention of pulling her punches at all. Shoving her tongue down deep, nibbling on her lips, and pushing them together wasn''t enough.

    Soon, she let go of Dixie''s hands and stopped rubbing her body against the girl''s, but that was only to make room for her hands to capture the girl''s budding breasts, kneading and pinching them as they both moaned in pleasure.

    Emilia had no idea that she had also been rubbing against Dixie''s clit while moving on top of her, and almost brought her to an orgasm before she separated with a gasp, much to the knight''s frustration. "P-Princess!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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 Chapter 173 - [NSFW] Making The Kitty Cry

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    Of course, Emilia was already too focused on her task, and didn''t respond to Dixie at all as she moved downwards whileying down gentle kisses along the way. "So cute¡­ and sweet."

    Dixie gasped as she felt Emilia''s soft lips press first against her neck, then once on both of her nipples, then the valley of her breasts.

    As she moved downwards, Emilia kissed her belly as well, and since it was a very ticklish zone for her, Dixie involuntarily burst into giggles.

    "Hmm? Are you making fun of me?"

    As if to punish her, Emilia actually bit her gently on the belly, which only made her giggle more. But her breath was caught in her throat as she saw her princess move further down, till her head was right between Dixie''s milky white thighs.

    Emilia grinned. "Dixie, your little kitty is cute too!"

    The dark-haired girl instinctively tried to close her legs at the girl''s words, which made her thighs p against Emilia''s face, making her princess stare at her, stunned.

    "D-Don''t say such embarrassing things, Emily! A-And, I''m sorry?"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "Sheesh¡­ well, at least you didn''t do it with your full strength. Well, never mind that. Let me y with this cute kitty first."

    Although her words were embarrassing and weird, Dixie still felt her princess looked incredibly sexy right now. In fact, the dark-haired girl still couldn''t believe that Emilia''s gorgeous face was right between her legs, and her princess was looking at her most embarrassing bits so closely, her eyes full of both curiosity and lust.

    Dixie had no idea whether Emilia really liked ying around, or was simply curious, but she kept kissing and pinching her thighs and hips. "E-Emily¡­ stop that, hey! That tickles¡­ Ah¡­!"

    After a thorough analysis, Emilia concluded that her knight was definitely a very healthy girl. She knew now that the girl''s thick, milky white thighs contained enough strength and muscles to easily crush her head in such a vulnerable position, which provided another element of thrill to her future exploration. Of course, she knew that Dixie would never do that.

    In sharp contrast to her muscr thighs, Dixie''s core looked fragile and vulnerable, devoid of hair and with only a thin slit that was ''crying'', as if waiting for someone to console her.

    Emilia felt that the ''little kitty'' looked pitiful and lonely, so she couldn''t help but move closer with a smile. "Cute kitty¡­ don''t cry¡­ Well, actually, cry more, let me drink your tears!"

    If Dixie had known that her princess was such an expert at saying the most embarrassing things during sex, she would have surely bought earbuds. As it was, she could only endure the shame with a red face.

    Thankfully, Emilia couldn''t continue teasing her forever, and soon became fully focused on the ''kitty''. The musky, heady scent from earlier was now much more intense, and although Emilia intended to tease her knight more to pay back for making her wait so long, she couldn''t control herself at all anymore. The drop of hot, sticky liquid on Dixie''s core looked far too inviting, and Emilia couldn''t resist tasting it at all.

    Dixie whimpered when she felt Emilia actually kiss her lower lips, and as the girl''s tongue flicked over her slit, it was as if someone had shocked her with a live electric wire, sending a current right up her spine as she jolted.

    Maybe Emilia thought she was going to run away, because she firmly held her legs, one in each hand, and red at the girl fiercely. "If you want to run away now¡­"

    Dixie hurriedly shook her head, making herself even dizzier than she already was. "Nonono, um, I was just, shocked by how good it felt."

    "Oh¡­" Emilia breathed a sigh of relief, not knowing that the hot breath that brushed directly against Dixie''s wet privates sent another jolt of pleasure through the girl.

    As she went back to licking her prize, Emilia realized that Dixie''s love nectar didn''t taste like anything she ever had before. She thought that it would be simr to the girl''s saliva, which was very mildly simr to dewberries, and otherwise tasteless, but it was actually a little sour and slightly tart. And the moment she moved close enough, the musky scent seemed to have seeped right into her brain, rocketing her arousal to another level.

    While Dixie had been rubbing their bodies together, a lot of her love juice had leaked out and stuck to the inside of her thighs. And Emilia thought that for such a unique vor that could arouse her like this¡­ it was a shame to waste it!

    As Emilia started licking and biting at her inner thighs, Dixie could only moan helplessly while wrapping her smooth legs around the girl''s head. "P-Princess! Y-You don''t¡ª"

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t listening at all, as her eyes had almost zed over, and once her supply of love nectar ran dry from Dixie''s milky white thighs, she gave them a punishing bite before moving directly to devour the source.

    "Ohhh¡­ E-Emily!"

    With her nose buried directly in Dixie''s crotch while her tongue pierced into the girl''s core, Emilia felt like thest of her sanity was about to snap.

    Her knight''s little kitty was as obedient to Emilia''s tongue as Dixie was to herself, and every time the domineering tongue bullied it, the little kitty cried to feed more and more of her precious love nectar to the greedy intruder.

    Watching her beautiful princess bury her head in her crotch as she greedilypped up her love juices, it wasn''t any surprise that Dixie''s first orgasm came within minutes. In fact, she thought that even if Emilia stayed still in that position, she might still cum from the sight alone.

    Of course, Emilia was a greedy viiness, and would never be satisfied, even when the poor kitty flooded her with plenty of love juices.

    It didn''t take her long to find a little bean hiding under a hood, and to her delight, bullying this little bean made the kitty cry even more! It seemed like the kitty cared a lot for the little bean, and Emilia decided to bully them both together.

    "Ohhh¡­ Oh!"

    The fact that the next three ''floods'' came within minutes of each other proved that her strategy was right!

    "E-Emily! Emily¡­"

    Dixie''s mind had long since be a sea of white, and after a while, even Emilia noticed that the fifth flood wasn''t as intense, and her poor knight only twitched helplessly as she moaned under her.

    "Good girl." Emilia gave the poor kitty onest kiss before moving back up to look at her knight''s zed-over eyes. "Dixie? Are you okay?"

    It took her knight a while to register the words from her princess, but once she heard them, the ze in her eyes faded slightly as she grinned. "I¡­ have never felt better. You''re amazing, Emily."

    To think that her princess had never done it before, and this was her first time¡­ And to top it off, she seemed to have done it all with instinct alone¡­ Dixie had to admit, Emilia''s bedroom skills were top-notch.

    Emilia smiled. "Well, it''s good that you think so, because I''m about to show you some magic."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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 Chapter 174 - [NSFW] Emilia [0], Dixie [1]

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    "Huh?"

    Was her princess seriously going to y ''games'' now, after making her orgasm five times?! Didn''t she say she was really frustrated? ''Nonono, I can''t let this go on. Even if she''s bored now, she might get hotter and give it to someone else. I definitely have to fuck her first, just to be sure!''

    "First¡ª"

    Dixie didn''t let her finish as she grasped Emilia''s waist. "Princess! I can''t just let you go after you''ve pleasured me. Please, I, uh¡­ I also want to¡­ taste you."

    Emilia blinked in surprise as she felt the knight''s possessive hold. ''I never said we were stopping, did she misunderstand?''

    But there was no harm in indulging her precious little knight for a while, so she just gave her a nod, and only then did Dixie release her hold, allowing her to move back before spreading her legs to invite the girl in.

    Although Dixie still felt slightly numb from all her orgasms, she still managed to sit up and move over to Emilia.

    She kissed the girl on the lips first before moving down,ying pious kisses along the way. "I¡­ probably won''t be as good, princess, but please allow me to learn. I promise to give it my all!"

    Emilia thought Dixie''s enthusiasm was adorable, but all such thoughts fled her the moment the girl dived into her core.

    Unlike Emilia, the dark-haired girl was very methodical, and had clearly done her ''research''.

    Emilia had only used her hands to pinch and massage Dixie''s thighs while using her lips and tongue to pleasure her, but Dixie directly parted the outer lips of Emilia''s pussy for better, deeper ess. She took note of the little clit peeking from under the hood, but didn''t attack it directly yet.

    Emilia''s opening was small, and if not for her fingers, it would close back to a slit right away, and Dixie could see that her hymen was still fully intact, though she nned to rectify it very soon. Unlike her princess, who had only used her tongue to make her orgasm, Dixie was determined to give her the full course for total satisfaction.

    She started off gently, using her fingers to keep Emilia''s lips parted as she licked and sucked around the area,pping up any rewards she could find.

    "Ohh¡­ Dixie, s-so eager, huh¡­ ah!"

    The taste of her princess was still the same, even down here. The uneducated and unenlightened wouldn''t be able to tell, but Dixie knew that her princess tasted like the stars in the sky should. Too good for mortal minds toprehend or describe.

    Dixie had already done her research, and understood that one of the tricks to giving good head was to remain unpredictable. She alternated between a rxed, soft tonguing and a firmer, pointed one, never settling into a rhythm.

    Sometimes she licked, sometimes she sucked, up and down, side to side, asionally she mixed up with a circr motion, and a very rough pin down that never failed to make her princess whimper in shock.

    "F-Fuck! Ahn¡­ Dixie¡­ b-be more gentle¡­"

    Emilia was never able to tell what woulde next, and she wasn''t able to keep track either, because she was too busy writhing on the bed.

    Emilia had no idea where Dixie learned all these tricks, but she knew that her knight was about to drive her crazy.

    "S-Slow down, you¡­!"

    But the moans and whimpers from her princess only served to fuel the knight''s enthusiasm, which only made her intensify her assault.

    It didn''t even take her a minute to send Emilia into throes of pleasure, and before the girl could evene down from her orgasm, Dixie had already moved on to the next step of her ''treatment''.

    This time, she was no longer as ''gentle'', and before Emilia realized what was happening, Dixie had already started inserting a finger inside her princess.

    Emilia of course realized what the girl was about to do.

    When she had been seeking relief, Emilia actually had no intention of ''getting fucked''. Instead, what she sought was to fuck other girls. But when she thought about stopping her knight, she realized that if it was her¡­ maybe it was fine.

    Dixie was of course happy when she felt Emilia''s momentarily stiff body rx. For a moment, her heart had almost stopped, thinking that her princess really wouldn''t let her do it.

    "T-Thank you, Emily. I will fuck you good!"

    "You rude little knight! Do you¡ª!"

    Emilia''s words were cut short as Dixie dove back into eating her out while simultaneously pushing into her princess resolutely. The vice-like grip on her finger didn''t bother the knight at all, and with her strength, she easily tore through Emilia''s hymen.

    "Ow¡­ uhm¡­"

    She had dreaded Emilia''s pained whimper when she took her virginity in her dreams, but when it actually came, Dixie felt nothing but excitement and a thrill that sent her frenzied mind into overdrive. She didn''t give Emilia any time to adjust at all. Her princess deserved a top-ss treatment without interruptions, after all.

    "Ahh¡­!"

    The way Emilia arched her back in both pain and pleasure was like a work of art, and Dixie made sure to permanently imprint it in her mind.

    Of course, to her, the bright red blood was like a blessing from the goddess, and Dixiepped it up before it could even stain the girl''s thighs.

    Much to her surprise, unlike her saliva, the blood of her princess didn''t taste like stars in the sky or the endless universe, but had an actual taste. It was¡­ sweet. Granted, the taste was still very mild, but it was undeniably there, and caused Dixie to pause in surprise.

    It wasn''t that she was shocked that Emilia''s blood wasn''t metallic tasting as it should be. Her princess was no mere mortal, after all, and she knew it very well.

    What shocked her¡­ was that she could feel drinking Emilia''s blood filled her with energy. It was as if¡­ something that she should never have been able to obtain was now hers.

    Dixie knew she should stop, and ask Emilia what was going on. But as she gulped down the ambrosia, only one thought remained in her mind. ''Fuck her¡­ fuck her¡­''

    The brief moment of pain was expected and easily ignored by Emilia, and as her mind kept getting overwhelmed with pleasure, the second wave of relief came, making her arched back copse on the bed in exhaustion.

    "O-Okay, that''s enough¡ª"

    But, for the first time, Dixie didn''t listen to her at all, and even inserted another finger inside her, forcefully stretching her as her stimtion got rougher.

    Emilia weed the burst of pleasure, despite her earlier words, and allowed Dixie to bring her to another peak before the waves of pleasure came crashing down.

    This time, she was truly, fully happy.

    However, her knight seemed intent on ''evening the score'' and became even rougher, causing Emilia to instinctively jump back in shock.

    Feeling her princess move away slightly, Dixie immediately pressed down on the girl''s belly strongly, pinning her to the bed as she continued her mission.

    Despite her fogged-out brain after drinking Emilia''s blood, Dixie never exceeded the threshold of tolerance that Emilia had before she really flipped out and put an end to her quest, and managed to bring her princess to two more helpless orgasms before the girl finally couldn''t take it anymore.

    "Stop¡­ stop¡­ please!"

    Dixie could obviously tell that this wasn''t a yful ''ahh, you, stop~'' anymore, and her princess really meant it this time.

    Feeling a little guilty, she moved back up from between Emilia''s legs, and as she came face to face with the girl, Dixie knew that she did a good job.

    Her princess was obviously pleased by her service, and as soon as Dixie got up, Emilia''s lips greeted her own with a hot, lingering kiss.

    Emilia had never thought Dixie would be like this. After all, back when she had first made out with the girl on the night of the party, she had seemed so hesitant and shy. Merely putting her hands on Emilia''s butt had caused Dixie''s face to blush furiously, and she had even ended up pushing her away in the end, not even allowing a tongue kiss!

    And look at her now¡­ not even allowing her to calm down between multiple orgasms!

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "You''re real macho and controlling in bed, huh?"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Super long chapters today because I didn''t want to be killed for leaving everyone on another cliffhanger.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 175 - Let Me Show You Some Magic

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    "You''re real macho and controlling in bed, huh?"

    Dixie blushed fiercely at Emilia''s words, but couldn''t refute them at all. Whenever she had pictured the scene in her dreams, the dark-haired girl always thought she wouldmunicate with her princess properly, and please her perfectly ording to Emilia''s own directions.

    To that end, Dixie had dedicated a lot of time looking up techniques for both dominant and subservient partners in bed.

    Be it pleasing azy little pillow princess or bearing the sadistic tendencies of an extreme dominatrix, Dixie thought she was prepared for anything. After all, just the thought of Emilia in any of those roles made the dutiful knight''s naughty bits tingle in delight. Whatever game her precious princess wanted to y, she would happily be her toy.

    However, when the time really came¡­ Dixie found that she couldn''t control herself at all. The most she could do was make sure she didn''t use her full strength, but other than that, Emilia was right to say that she did as she pleased.

    The knight couldn''t help but lower her head in shame. "S-Sorry, Emily, I don''t know what came over me. N-Next time, I''ll definitely be more¡ª"

    Emilia rolled her eyes, interrupting the dark-haired girl with a finger flick to the forehead. "Next time you''ll be what? Next time, you''ll be the one getting fucked! Hmph!"

    The dark-haired girl could only nod meekly. ''S-She should really dress up first before scolding me, because right now it''s only turning me on¡­''

    Emilia couldn''t help but squeeze her knight''s cheeks. It''s her own fault for looking so cute. "Ahh, you''re usually so obedient, I almost can''t believe the beast earlier was my cute Dixie!"

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment. ''B-But thinking about it, Emily is right. No matter what, even if I fainted from frustration, I would never have lost control like that if not for¡­''

    But she couldn''t say that she lost control after drinking her blood, could she? Well, given what had happened, maybe she really should. Especially since she didn''t know if consuming that energy would affect her princess in any way.

    After all, Dixie didn''t know much about the fairies, angels, or whatever her princess was.

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but be nervous. ''H-Her virgin blood¡­ it''s definitely precious!''

    Just as she was about to mention it, however, Emilia hugged her close, sighing into her neck. "Well, ignoring that you went a little overboard¡­ you really made me happy today, Dixie. I don''t know what to say. My dearest knight¡­ is really talented. It''s like a lifetime of frustration is gone! I can finally think freely, without naughty thoughts rearing their head every five seconds, ehehe¡­"

    Dixie gritted her teeth. She knew she had to confess what she had on her mind before her princess made her forget it with her charms. "P-Princess¡­ when I¡­"

    Emilia startedying down kisses on Dixie''s neck as she arched her eyebrows curiously. "Hm?"

    The dark-haired girl could feel the heat rapidly rising in her body every time Emilia''s lips touched the skin on her neck. "When I¡­ uh¡­s-stop¡­ let me think!"

    ''F-Fuck¡­ is she testing me?! She totally is! B-But, I have to¡­ I have to¡­! Fuck! Her lips are so soft¡­ I wanna fuck her¡­'' Dixie took a deep breath, channeling all her protective feelings for her dearest friend, and smashing all the lewd thoughts away. Thus, for just a moment, she managed to regain rity. "Emily! W-When I took your virginity, I¡­ uh, I¡­ felt something strange flow inside me. It''s like¡­ I got suddenly full of energy. It''s like¡­ I absorbed something precious! I¡­ didn''t take anything important from you, did I?"

    When the dark-haired girl thought about it again, although her princess had definitely agreed to do it with her, she hadn''t broken her knight''s hymen, and the dark-haired girl couldn''t help but wonder if she wasn''t supposed to do what she had done.

    Emilia sighed as she pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "Well, don''t overthink it. I allowed it because it was you, you only took what I let you, understand?"

    Although she wasn''t sure herself, she could only confirm such things with Cynthiater. Of course, calling her out of istion right now would be a bad idea, since she would be disgusted to see her in this state, covered in Dixie''s saliva and bite marks as she was. At the very least, she would need to take a shower first, and wait for the marks to vanish.

    Emilia smiled as she ruffled the girl''s dark hair. "Such a good girl you are, Dixie. I''m sure you''re burning with questions inside, why don''t you ask?"

    She had already dropped a few hints to the girl here and there, and although Dixie pretended to be ignorant, Emilia didn''t think that the girl would miss any fact about her with how much of her attention was on focused ''her princess''.

    Dixie bit her lip. In fact, contrary to what she thought, confirming what Emilia really was had never been on Dixie''s agenda. As long as it didn''t put her princess at risk, she was fine with Emilia keeping it a secret. "I¡­ I think you will let me know when you need to, princess."

    Emilia chuckled she squeezed the girl''s cheek again, wondering how her knight could look so adorable after being so rough just moments before. "To be honest, even if I had my first time with someone else, like I said before, I would never have let them fuck me. Only I would be doing the fucking. But since it was you, I allowed it. And since it''s you¡­ let me show you some magic."

    Dixie''s eyes couldn''t help but shine in anticipation.

    Emilia moved slightly away from her on her knees until she was almost four feet apart, and then smiled. "Watch carefully, Dixie."

    The knight''s heart was beating like a drum as she stared at her princess, fixated, not even daring to blink. ''N-Naked Emily¡­ I¡­ I might end up having another go at her if she keeps tempting me like this¡­ no wait, focus!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 176 - Emiliaâ€™s True Form

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    Within moments, Emilia''s auburn hair turnedpletely crimson, gaining an otherworldly luster that would put even the threads of fate to shame. Her skin, which had already been perfect, seemed to almost glow under the light, as even the pores disappeared. From just a look alone, Dixie knew it would feel amazing to touch.

    Emilia''s face also changed subtly, and although she could tell that it was still her princess, the minor changes rocketed her beauty from breathtaking to a level that could capture her soul with a single look.

    Dixie didn''t know if it was her illusion, as it was hard to tell with Emilia being on her knees, but even her height seemed to have increased.

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but gulp. ''I-If she looked like this when we first met, I would have probably confessed to her right away¡­ No, impossible. I¡­ would never have dared approach her.''

    It wasn''t that Dixie considered herself cowardly or not outgoing enough. Facing a stranger she was attracted to, before she had fallen in love with Emilia, she would have readily asked them out on a date.

    However, Emilia''s true form was different. Her silky skin and flowing red hair may be enough to tempt any mortal, but something in her arctic blue eyes took her charm from ''tempting'' to ''dreadful''. If not for her already being in love with Emilia, Dixie''s first thought would be that this is a goddess without a heart, and would never care for anything or anyone.

    But Dixie knew, that beneath those frosty, otherworldly blue eyes, was the innocent and warm princess that she had sworn to protect.

    Prideful, smug, and selfish as her princess was, Dixie had never seen anyone more endearing and soft to those she cared for. And this¡­ was her greatest worry.

    Dixie knew that Emilia, who was usually so intelligent and clever against her enemies, becamepletely oblivious to the threat of her ''friends''. For those she liked, her princess only focused on bringing them closer and closer, never realizing how selfish and greedy some of them could be.

    Oblivious to her knight''s thoughts, Emilia smiled. "This¡­ is my true self."

    Her princess hadn''t told her exactly what she was, but just showing her this much felt surreal to Dixie. ''T-This is what she really looks like¡­ huh. It''s good that she toned it down a little, or there would definitely be many, many more annoying little flies around her.''

    Dixie obviously noticed how smug Emilia looked, her chin tilted up and eyes closed, as if waiting to be praised.

    Of course, when her adorable little princess fished forpliments, Dixie would never fail to oblige. "Amazing, Emily! I didn''t think it was possible, but you look even prettier than before! The prettiest girl in the world, no, the universe! I¡­ have never seen a prettier thing in my life."

    Emilia''s smug look immediately turned into a pout. "Thing?! My knight¡ª"

    Dixie nodded. "Yes, whether it be a boy, girl, building, treasure¡­ none canpare to your beauty."

    The praise came from her heart, and Dixie even felt that it fell short.

    Emilia couldn''t help but blush. Although she had wanted Dixie to praise her a little, her knight really went over the top. Now even she felt a little embarrassed, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "A-Anyway, don''t focus on how I look¡­ I can, un, do other things. As in, change things as I like with my body! Amazing, right? Wait, let me show you my n¡­"

    Dixie gulped as the gorgeous redhead turned around to search for something, and soon found her phone on the floor. ''S-She''s so careless! How can I¡ª''

    Emilia had just bent over to pick up the phone from the floor, but before she could turn around, Dixie had already jumped on her from behind, clutching her by the waist while breathing heavily against her neck. "P-Princess!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she tapped her knight''s cheek. "What''s with you? I almost lost my bnce!"

    The dark-haired girl bit her lip tightly. She knew she shouldn''t, but¡­ "O-Once more, please! Let me¡ª"

    Although Emilia could easily go another round, she shook her head. Letting her knight gopletely out of control wouldn''t do either of them any good. "No, Dixie. We did enough for today, understand?"

    Dixie whimpered. ''I can''t be unreasonable! That''s right¡­ a reward! I''ll deserve it if I earn it as a reward! I just need to make sure I get one¡­ q-quickly¡­''

    Emilia thought that her knight was only ying around, having had too much fun earlier, and had already moved on to proudly showing off the image on her phone. "Anyway, look at this¡­ see, I drew this earlier as a concept. This time, I wanted to show you my pure, original form, so I didn''t include it, but next time I will. And I''ll use it to fuck you, understand?"

    Dixie''s mind kept getting stuck on the ''fuck'' wording from Emilia''s sexy lips, and almost missed everything else she said. "N-Next time? L-Let''s do it! Fuck!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes. "I mean some other day. I can''t change again for a while."

    The dark-haired girl was stunned. "O-Oh¡­ Eh? What?"

    What does changing have to do with fucking? Aren''t they both already naked? There''s no better state to fuck!

    Emilia turned her head to give her knight a strange look. "You wanted to try it with this new addition, right? Don''t worry, next time¡ª"

    It was only then that Dixie finally recalled the drawing Emilia had shown on her phone, and her brain rebooted topile it with the redhead''s earlier words, excluding all the ''fucks'' to prevent errors and meltdowns. ''O-Oohh! She wants to make a dick?!''

    The redhead gave her knight a weird look. "Anyway, what do you think? It suits me, right? It won''t look out of ce?"

    Dixie took a closer look at the phallic drawing, and noticed that Emilia had drawn it on a female figure simr to her own.

    Since the girl''s proportions were based on her princess, this thing should be around seven inches or so in length, a little slimmer than her wrist, and with a shiny, cute mushroom top.

    Dixie couldn''t help but burst into giggles when she thought about such a thing on her princess.

    Of course, Emilia, who had been proud of her creation, immediately burst into rage. "W-What''s with that! Don''tugh!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 177 - Impudent Knight

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    Looking at how smug her princess had been before, and how petnt and adorable she looked now, Dixie couldn''t help but tease her with a smirk. "But¡­ that''s not what a dick looks like, you know?"

    Emilia turned her attention back to observe the picture of her concept ''dingdong'' in confusion, but no matter how she looked, she couldn''t find what she did wrong at all.

    Having lived as a machine-like, emotionless existence in her first life, and as a princess in her second, Emilia had never had the chance to look at a real, erect dick, and only made hers using references from the inte.

    Of course, the easiest way to make a perfect one would have been to simply copy any one of those in the images, but Emilia wanted to have ''her own'', and only studied the structure.

    Since she couldn''t figure out what was wrong, she could only look for more ''samples'' topare and check. As soon as she entered the search query, though, Dixie immediately snatched her phone.

    "Hey!"

    The dark-haired girl coughed. "I-I was only teasing you, princess. It looks perfect."

    Emilia, who had genuinely been looking for ws in her ''creation'', couldn''t help but feel like a fool. "Y-You! Even my knight dares lie to me?! I have to fuck you good! I''ll fuck you till you can''t even walk!"

    Although Dixie blushed, she also knew that if she didn''t exin herself well, her credibility with her princess will definitely fall. "U-Uhm, although I was teasing you, it was not a lie! There''s still room for improvement. Like, you can also¡­ make ''balls'' down there, so it can¡­ you know, make sperm?"

    The thought of her princess making a baby with her¡­ was enough to send her mind reeling. Of course, it would be much better if she could pump a baby into her princess instead, but unfortunately she didn''t have the same ability as Emilia, so she could only make do with what was possible. ''Maybe if Emily has some way to make it happen¡­ but with how prideful she is, it''s going to be tough convincing her¡­ I have to earn it as a reward!''

    Unaware of her knight''s impudent thoughts, Emilia frowned, her attention once again sessfully diverted from Dixie''s impudence to her concept dingdong. "Huh¡­ I can make them, but wouldn''t they be unnecessary and get in the way? The internal structure I designed works well enough. As for sperm¡­ I''m not sure if my fluids will work?"

    After all, Cynthia told her she could never have children.

    Even though Emilia didn''t see where exactly such limitation stemmed from, she only understood how to use the void form to direct the restructuring of her body. The internal details of how everything functioned, however, fell into ce automatically using the form''s profundity.

    Unfortunately, the only one who could help her in this matter was Cynthia. And that girl cringed at the mere mention of anything rted to mating, and isted herself at the drop of a hat. The moment Emilia had mentioned the idea of seducing Justine, the girl had isted herself for the next twelve hours.

    And recalling her reaction to this same topic all the way back when Dixie''s grandfather had brought it up¡­ Getting her to teach her how to create functioning sperm was just impossible.

    Emilia could only shake her head helplessly. "You can think about it some more and suggest to me any changester, okay? This is what you''ll be getting fucked with, after all."

    Dixie nodded. As long as it kept her princess from looking up pictures of dicks on the inte, or worse, seek out an actual male for ''help'', she would happily give her a few ''ideas''.

    In the meantime, it was more important than ever to keep an eye on her, to make sure no one ended up taking advantage of this curiosity.

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    Although Emilia had set the entire evening and night aside for sex, now that she was already sated, Emilia had no intention of staying in Justine''s room. But she couldn''t leave covered in Dixie''s saliva and bite marks either.

    And while Dixie was in a much better shape, Emilia thought she would also like to take a shower, or it''d feel sticky and gross, right?

    Luckily, Justine''s room also had an attached bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub.

    Dixie had taken her up on the offer to let her take a shower first, and by the time the dark-haired girl was done, Emilia was already a little impatient.

    When the knight proposed to wash her clean, Emilia didn''t mind at all. In her mind, it was a justpensation from her knight for making her wait so long.

    Of course, Emilia never realized how much Dixie was enjoying herself as shethered up Emilia''s long, crimson locks while the girl had her eyes closed, a content smile on her face.

    "Ahh, Emily, your hair is so smooth and silky¡­ and your skin is so clear¡­ I really wanna¡ª"

    The redhead couldn''t help but furrow her brows when she felt the girl''s hot, heavy breath hitting her neck. "Don''t get turned on now, I''m done for the day. We''re only here to help me get clean, understand?"

    Dixie couldn''t help but whimper as she forced the thought pushing Emilia down in the bathtub out of her mind. "O-Okay¡­"

    Without the permission to go any further, running her hands over her own already fading bite marks on Emilia''s otherwise wless skin soon became a test of patience for the knight. ''F-Fuck¡­ I wanna¡­ No! Bad Dixie! No wait, she never said I couldn''t molest her a little, right? I used to do that even before¡­ I-It should be fine.''

    Of course, her princess didn''t restrict her from being a little naughty, and groping here and there, but licking and biting her was forbidden.

    Once she realized that molesting Emilia was only making her hotter and making the situation worse, the knight quickly ceased her unnecessary movements, and focused on serving her princess before herst thread of sanity snapped.

    Somehow, Dixie finally made it to the point where she could wash the foam off of Emilia''s body, and as the warm water rained down on her from above, Emilia smiled contentedly with her eyes closed, making Dixie feel as if it was worth it to endure so long.

    Compared to her usual innocent smiles that brightened up her day, when Emilia smiled in her original body, Dixie felt like all was right in the world, and even if she died in the next moment, she would be content.

    Unfortunately, after washing her off and drying her hair, another problem presented itself.

    Emilia was naked, and she had no clothes.

    Dixie could still use the ones she had taken off earlier, and changeter, but Emilia only had her underwear intact, which she also refused to wear. The knight even resorted to offering her own clothes, but didn''t work either.

    "Bring me fresh clothes. Un, ask Justine, I''m sure she has some."

    Just as Dixie was about to leave, however, Emilia suddenly seemed to remember something. "Wait! Un, bring her here, I''ll talk with her. No scolding or beating her up, understand?"

    The knight could only pout and leave.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 178 - Blindfold Play?!

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    If someone asked Justine if she regretted ''it'', she would admit that yes, indeed, she was already full of regret.

    Had she known that they would be interrupted so soon, she would never have dilly-dallied like that!

    The back of her precious darling truck was wide andfortable, and would serve just as well as any bed! There was no real need to even bring Emilia back to her room, was there? She''d been too stupid and muddled!

    If she was going to be caught in the end anyway, wouldn''t it better to reap the rewards first?

    Unfortunately, it was now toote for regret. Not only did she not get to fuck Emilia, but she also got caught by that overprotective knight of hers. Right now, she had absolutely no idea what would happen next.

    Execution? Threesome? Who knows.

    Of course, having worked under her directmand for so long, Justine understood Emilia more than enough to know that she would never let any harm befall her due to her own ''tempting''. In that sense, she was safe.

    But that was of little constion to Justine, who could only wallow in self-loathing in the guest room, while the gorgeous girl she had brought back to screw was probably getting fucked by someone else.

    And in her own bed, too! How infuriating was that?!

    Emilia had assured her that she would be gettingpensatedter, of course, but Justine wasn''t sure what couldpensate for a chance of taking the virginity of her little boss. Whatever the trade was, it was definitely a loss!

    And what made the situation infinitely worse, was that she couldn''t even get herself off!

    With all her precious toys safely hidden in her bedroom, Justine was left with just her fingers and imagination, which had long since stopped being sufficient years ago.

    ''T-That bedpost is starting to look oddly tempting¡­''

    Just as she was starting to lose her mind, however, a knock on the door startled her out of her daze.

    The ex-officer almost jumped in shock. Hadn''t she already sent those three curious little dummies away? If they were back to direct their curious questions at her again, her day was bound to get worse. "Who is it?!"

    There was a moment of silence, and Justine gulped when she heard the terrifyingly loud sound of gritting teeth.

    "Open the fucking door, princess called for you!"

    Despair immediately turned to joy at those words, and Justine bolted from the bed and flung the door open without a second thought. "Don''t tell me it''s my turn?! Hell yeah!"

    Dixie''s eyes immediately turned dark. "Your fucking mo¡ª!"

    Recalling that Emilia had forbidden her from scolding and harming the girl, however, the knight could only take a deep breath to calm down. "¡­ Just follow me."

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    Under Dixie''s dark, ominous re, by the time Justine arrived at the gate to her own bedroom, her legs were already shaking in fright. And to make matters much, much worse, the girl had made her wear a blindfold.

    A blindfold!

    This was her own base, okay? It''s not like she wouldn''t recognize the way if she was blindfolded! It served absolutely no purpose, at all. Dixie was just being petty now, she was sure!

    Dixie knocked on the door. "Princess, I brought her. Can wee in?"

    Hearing her hum, the knight immediately pushed Justine inside before getting in herself and closing the door. The hinges were clearly not what they used to be, and they made a horrible squeaking sound with each movement of the door.

    Justine made a mental note to get them changedter. With her luck, maybe the squeaking hinges would scare off the next person she brought back to fuck.

    Unaware of the girl''s wandering thoughts, Emilia couldn''t help but smile when she saw Justine''s blindfolded and confused face. She pulled her by the hand till she was sitting on the bed, and patted her palm gently. "Sorry for blindfolding you. Actually, I look quite embarrassed right now, and I didn''t want anyone to see. So¡­"

    Of course, it wasn''t that she would mind Justine looking at her naked so much as it was the fact that she was in her original form.

    But she was sure that Dixie wouldn''t be able to have a civil conversation with Justine for now, given how tense the situation had been earlier, so she could only talk to her in person.

    As a bonus, her knight wouldn''t stew in jealousy from Justine gazing at her naked original form thanks to the blindfold. And, for now, she could continue enjoying the privilege of being the only one who had seen her true form and knew who she was.

    Other than Dixie, Crystal, and Samantha, Emilia didn''t believe anyone else should be allowed to know of such a thing. And even for them, she would only reveal it if it was needed. That is to say, either the situation demanded it, or they became her lovers.

    Justine didn''t really understand, but although she was pouting in her heart, she could only ept Emilia''s words. "I-I don''t mind at all."

    Emilia was relieved that the older girl could adjust for now, and made a note topensate her properlyter. "Un, actually, Justine¡­ can you lend me some clothes? I need a pair of undergarments, and also outer clothing. I''d prefer something like a sundress for now, if possible."

    Since she nned to go out, a dress that wouldn''t look too out of ce on a body that was taller than Justine gave her the clothes for would of course be the best.

    Meanwhile, Justine''s mind was already on the smell of her own shower gel and shampoo, and knew that not only was Emilia naked, she was had also just showered. Still, she somehow managed to listen and nod to the girl''s words. "A-A pair of undies and sundress¡­ un, I can arrange it shortly. But¡­ w-will you leave?"

    Emilia could hear her hesitation, and knew that she had been quite unfair to the girl.

    First, she had seduced and tempted her till she went out of control, and then, before she could be satisfied, she had been kicked out of her own bedroom to wait inconclusively.

    Knowing how infuriating it was to be interrupted and left to her own frustrations, Emilia couldn''t help but sympathize with Justine.

    That being said, however, her way of thinking had subtly changed after doing it with Dixie, and she no longer intended to do it with Justine just yet.

    Emilia squeezed the girl''s palm with a sigh. "I''m sorry about misleading you before, Justine. And, I know this will sound bad after I even gave you my consent earlier, but I won''t be sleeping with you for a while."

    Justine had already expected as much, given Dixie''s attitude earlier, but it was still disappointing to hear it directly from Emilia.

    After all, given the willful and mischievous nature of her little boss, there had always been a little hope in her heart that it would all still work out. ''D-Don''t tell me I''ll hit my thirties without gettingid, will I?!''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Powerstone bonus chapter.

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 179 - Shopping Date

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    No matter how much Justine despaired about her fate internally, she could only helplessly leave to fulfill the demands of her little boss.

    Thankfully, Dixie wasn''tpletely petty, and left her alone after pushing her out of the room with another additional instruction.

    Of course, as soon as she was alone, Justine removed her blindfold and scoffed. "A matching scarf? Is she so possessive now that she doesn''t even want others to see Emilia''s face? Hmph."

    Justine couldn''t help but shake her head. ''To think that girl pretended to be so obedient before, but turned so controlling as soon as she got what she wanted¡­''

    Although she could begrudgingly admit that the two of them looked good together, that didn''t mean that Dixie was perfect! In fact, Justine thought that if she had been born a few years earlier, she would definitely have done a much better job in the knight''s ce. At the very least, she wouldn''t be so uptight, or try to restrain Emilia''s freedom.

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    Of course, the reason Dixie had asked Justine to fetch a scarf wasn''t because she wanted to hide Emilia, but because she thought that exposing the real face of her princess to the world might be a bad idea.

    Emilia may not have told her the exact details of why she didn''t remain in her original form and reduced her own beauty like this most of the time, but Dixie could pretty much guess on her own.

    Since her princess was so gorgeous, her face alone would surely cause her trouble wherever she went. Maybe it was only to bless her eyes that Emilia had exposed herself today, and it was now her duty to prevent such a thing from troubling her while they went out.

    Emilia had no idea what kind of misunderstandings her knight was forming, and happily examined the soft scarf wrapped around her neck and face as she settled into the backseat of Dixie''s car.

    Dixie shook her head with a smile as she slid in next to her and closed the door. "Where would you like to go, princess? Your home?"

    Although the knight had no idea how many people would recognize Emilia in this state, her family should definitely be able to so, right?

    Emilia leaned her head against Dixie''s shoulder, closing her eyes with a grin. "Nope. Let''s go on a shopping date today!"

    The dark-haired girl could feel her heart skip a beat as her face flushed red at the word. ''D-Date! Hey wait a minute¡­ isn''t the order reversed? We''re going on a date after having sex?!''

    Of course, the will of her princess was paramount, and Dixie instructed the driver to head for the most luxurious shoppingplex in the city, unaware of her pummeling image in his eyes.

    As someone who also acted as her bodyguard when needed, the man was, of course, quite observant. He had already be quite fond of the girl whom Dixie doted on so much, often calling her ''princess'', and thought that their friendship was quite precious. In fact, he even thought that they were very likely to be lovers in the future, given how much the young miss obsessed over the White family''s youngest daughter, and the girl didn''t seem to mind herpany either.

    However, today, his young miss had be besotted with another beauty, and bestowed that very same title of ''princess'' to her as well. Wouldn''t that little girl be heartbroken when she found out?

    Unfortunately, whatever his young miss did, he could only keep it secret, regardless of right or wrong. But hopefully, that little girl would never find out. After all, being heartbroken aside, the wrath of the White Deer family was not something they could handle.

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    Of course, even though this was the most luxurious shopping mall in the city, the richest of the rich rarely came here. Even Dixie wasn''t very familiar with the ce, though that was for an entirely different reason. Being a bonafide tomboy, if not for her mother''s nagging, she wouldn''t even bother with the appearances at all.

    Her attitude may have changed a little after meeting Emilia, but it was only to the extent of not bringing her shame by standing together. For her own appearance, Dixie still cared very little.

    As for the mall, the ce itself looked decent, with a wide open center from which one could stare at the trademarked snow globe that hung almost three stories up. Some people often joked about that thing killing off hundreds of people once it crashed, but their team had repeatedly assured everyone that such a thing was impossible.

    The shops here were mostly catered to those who were rtively well off in the upper-middle ss and above. So most goods here would be considered ''cheap'', or even uneptable, to someone at the level of her princess. But looking at the things being sold, Dixie thought the quality being offered wasn''t actually that different from those of specialized shops. In some cases, it might even be better.

    Of course, Emilia looked a little surprised, her eyes shining as they flicked from one shop to another.

    It wasn''t the grandest sight she had seen, obviously, but Emilia had never imagined that the grandeur of a pce could ever bebined with the liveliness and chaos of a marketce so seamlessly. Her wonder didn''tst long, however, and she soon moved on to browsing through the various offerings.

    The first ce Emilia ''raided'' had numerous gorgeous dresses on disy, and had immediately caught her attention even though it was on the first floor.

    Emilia had already been attracted to the dress on disy from afar, and the closer she looked, the more she liked it. With only a few minor modifications, it should be able to serve her well for the next party. "Ohhh¡­ this one looks quite simr to what I had in mind when I was looking for something to wear to the party, ah!"

    Dixie could only shake her head as an enthusiastic young saledy in a short ponytail approached Emilia immediately after they entered, as if knowing the rich prey by some sort of instinct, and started firing praises for both the girl and the dress to high heavens.

    Within three minutes t, the girl had ttered every part of Emilia''s body, and if her words were to be believed, the most expensive dress in the shop was a match made in heaven just for her.

    Emilia would certainly not let the girl''s words sway her, but she had already made up her mind to buy this dress, and more, so she gave her a generous nod. "I''ll buy it! Un un, show me more! Oh, do you have anything like¡ª"

    As the crimson-haired girl described what sort of clothing she was looking for, the ponytailed girl nodded enthusiastically.

    "Of course, I think we have exactly what you''re looking for! Please follow me." The salesgirl knew that today was the day she hit the jackpot, and immediately led Emilia deeper into the store.

    Dixie couldn''t help but chuckle as she followed them. ''Why does this feel like I''ve brought my newly wed wife for shopping?''

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    ~ To be continued ~

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 Chapter 180 - Measurements

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    Thinking of the two of them as a couple, she couldn''t help but feel a little giddy. ''S-Should I buy the entire shop for her?''

    The idea of course stemmed from a few dramas and stories she had witnessed, in which the female lead would feel her heart being moved by the domineering male lead decisively purchasing the whole clothing store for her in this type of scenario.

    But thinking about it, Dixie knew it was a bad idea.

    With her financial situation, buying out an entire shop like this wasn''t really too big of a deal, but impressing someone like her princess with money was impossible. Who knows, it might even backfire.

    After all, if Emilia wanted, she could probably buy a whole mall like this every day, and it would still be a minor expense that her family could easily bear.

    Plus, her princess didn''t resemble those typically bullied female leads in the dramas at all. Although Emilia was sometimes childish and innocent, she was also extremely vengeful and strong willed when someone decided to cross her.

    Shaking away the useless thoughts, Dixie soon realized that something was very wrong.

    Aside from the fact that there was already a stack of clothing set aside, the shark-like gaze of the young saledy had settled on her now.

    "For her?"

    Emilia smiled. "Right, un, aside from what I told you, if you have anything else that makes her look extra adorable, bring it out too. I want to see her try it on."

    The ponytailed girl nodded enthusiastically. "As you wish, mdy! I''ll do it right away!"

    There was an audible whoosh as the saledy rushed away, and before Dixie even realized what was going on, she was back again, handing over what was apparently... dungarees?

    Emilia grinned as she waved her over. "Dixie,e here! Change into this for me, alright?"

    This kind of clothing hadn''t existed in her previous two worlds, and Emilia felt it was a pity that Dixie always went around in tight jeans.

    Although it certainly looked amazing on her, she felt that showing off her bare thighs while still emphasizing her cuteness would make Dixie look really amazing. And short overalls like this should be able to do just that.

    Dixie pointed a finger at herself in confusion. "E-Eh? Me?"

    The crimson-haired princess blinked, and then realized that maybe her knight thought it was unfair that only she would be changing and putting on a fashion show, while Emilia herself directly bought the clothes she wanted. "Ahh¡­ Well, if that''s what you want, I will also do the same once you''re done?"

    Dixie''s confusion immediately cleared up as she realized Emilia would be showing herself off in various outfits, giving her a single person fashion show. Thanking the heavens, she immediately took the short overalls from the saledy and dashed into the changing room.

    She often wore simr clothing before, and it didn''t look too weird on her. With her bob-cut ck hair and fair skin, the dark-blue dungarees and white t-shirtbo gave her a ssic tomboy look.

    The only problem was that they exposed a bit too much of her legs, but if that''s what Emilia liked, it was fine.

    Overall, Dixie was quite satisfied as she stared at herself in the mirror, and felt that her princess would be pleased.

    When she exited the changing room expecting a round of praise, though, Dixie''s mood immediately plummeted.

    That overexcited salesgirl was apparently taking Emilia''s measurements, but not doing her job professionally at all.

    With her shivering hands wrapped around Emilia''s breasts, the young girl''s eyes were firmly stuck to the crimson-haired girl''s gorgeous face.

    Dixie almost felt like pulling her hair out in exasperation. ''Ahhhh, why did she take off the scarf?!''

    Of course, Emilia thought it would be annoying and just get in the way, so she had put it aside until they were done buying clothes.

    Dixie had never exined her purpose while giving her the scarf, after all, and Emilia had never considered her appearance an issue. It would only be a problem if someone also realized her identity as well, but for strangers, there was no way to figure it out unless she dered it herself.

    Emilia thought that seamstresses in this world sure weren''t aspetent, as it would never take them this long in her previous world just to get basic measurements. Not to mention, this girl even kept spacing out. But she guessed it was alright, since the quality of clothes they made was of a superior level.

    But even though she was patient, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but nudge the saledy after a while. "Are you alright? You¡ª"

    The young girl jumped, startled as she realized that she had been spacing out. "AHH! S-Sorry, sorry, I will¡ª"

    Not giving the ponytailed girl a chance to exin herself and continue her ''harassment'', Dixie immediately stormed over, her eyes dark as she snapped the tape measure from her hands. "I''ll take her measurements. You just tell me what to do."

    The saledy was, of course, quite embarrassed. Although it hadn''t been that long since she started this job, she''d never had this issue before.

    Not only was she shocked by how gorgeous the girl was, she also vaguely felt like she''d seen her somewhere before. Maybe on TV? But she couldn''t really remember at all.

    Which was quite absurd, given that as a proud bisexual, she would never forget this kind of beauty, ever. Lost while trying to recall, she had now been caught by the girl''s friend, and now wasbeled as a pervert.

    Regret!

    But she could only direct the girl to take the measurements.

    Contrary to what Emilia assumed, she wasn''t a seamstress, and long as she noted it down and handed it over to the staff at the back, they would do the adjustments to the dresses.

    "I''ve already done all the measurements for arms, legs and neck, so¡­"

    Dixie followed her instructions, wrapping the tape around Emilia, also burning the measurements in her mind for future reference.

    "Twenty-eight!" At first, the anger from the sight earlier still kept her mind clear, but once she felt Emilia shiver slightly as her fingers brushed against her, Dixie knew she was in trouble.

    "A little over t-thirty-three¡­?" The dark-haired girl gulped. Her princess was a little smaller than she expected, but she was still quite a ''handful''.

    Maybe Emilia could tell that Dixie''s train of thought was going slightly astray, because there was now a mischievous smile on her face, though thankfully she didn''t say anything.

    Now more aware of the fact that her princess knew what she was thinking, a bright red blush was starting to spread over her face, and Dixie couldn''t control it at all. "T-Twenty-nine¡­"

    ''34, C, hm, okay...'' The salesgirl dutifully noted down the measurements. "Please measure the waist next. Make sure the tape is neither too tight nor ck."

    "T-Twenty-five¡­"

    The voice that had answered was a bit squeaky, but the saledy didn''t say anything about it if she noticed. "Okay, move downwards, wrap it around her hips."

    "¡­"

    "Hey?"

    "T-Thirty-f-four¡­?"

    "Okay, done!"

    Dixie regretted that the saledy didn''t ask for a measurement of the thigh gap.

    The young saledy gave her a derisive look as the dark-haired girl reluctantly handed over the measuring tape. ''She treated me like a pervert, but look at her breathing heavily and perving over her friend! I didn''t even do anything, right?!''

    Of course, she only cried about the injustice in her heart, and didn''t dare say it out loud.

    Commission money was worth more than ogling a hot girl for a few minutes, after all.

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Thank you for always supporting me so far. I know I say this often, but writing what I like and having people who actually enjoy reading it has always been my dream, and as the ones who made it possible for me to do so, I can never stress this enough!

    May the new year bring you lots of happiness and joy! As much joy as you have brought for me! >_<

 Chapter 181 - Wild Saleslady

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    Once her measurements were taken, Emilia of course took her time to appraise Dixie''s new look.

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but blush under Emilia''s scrutinizing gaze, wondering if she had figured out what kind of thoughts she was having while ''measuring'' her.

    Emilia nodded appreciatively. "As expected, you look amazing with your thighs exposed like that. The way the denim squeezes your muscles just a little gives it a soft yet firm look. It really makes me wanna take a bite!"

    The knight''s face felt like it was on fire, and one nce at the salesgirl told her that she was barely suppressing a smile. ''How embarrassing!''

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t seem to notice, and just smiled. "From now on, you should consider changing your wardrobe so there at least a few skirts or shot-overalls, alright?"

    In the end, Dixie could only helplessly agree. As someone who couldn''t even stomach the uniform''s medium length skirt if not for the stockings, she had no idea how she''ll adjust to Emilia''s demands. "I-I understand, Emily."

    Of course, it wasn''t the only thing she had picked out for her knight, and after fully taking in Dixie''s cute, blushing appearance, Emilia sent her off to change into the next outfit.

    Unlike when wearing the short-overalls, this time Dixie was really out of her element in a ck mini-skirt and glittering green tube top.

    Not to mention her thighs, even her midriff was fully exposed. What kind of scandalous clothing was this?!

    But looking at Emilia''s amazed face, Dixie felt that maybe, just maybe, it was worth it.

    "Wow¡­" Emilia had to admit, Dixie looked very awkward and embarrassed while wearing a mini-skirt, and maybe it really would be a bad idea to take her like this to a party or event. However, for a date¡­ her embarrassed face was incredibly cute!

    Dixie felt that if she got any more embarrassed than she already was, maybe she really would faint. Unfortunately, her princess was far from done, and there were still a dozen different things waiting for her to try on.

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    Dozens of dresses and almost an hourter, once Dixie was finally done being her dress-up doll, it was Emilia''s turn to pay her back.

    Unlike the dark-haired girl, however, Emilia didn''t feel embarrassed putting on any kind of clothing, and happily showed it off.

    This was the thing she liked the most about this world. No matter someone''s status, the amount of personal freedom they had was really enviable! As a princess, no matter how whimsical she could be, it was impossible to wear what was essentially just glorified underwear in public.

    If she really insisted on doing so, it would probably be a topic discussed in history books for centuries toe. And that was not even considering the reaction of her father, the king.

    Even after bing a monarch, the amount of freedom she would have obtained would still remain within the confines of the societal rules, unless she wanted to sow the seeds of a rebellion. There was never ack of vultures looking for excuses, after all, and she''d have to be stupid to so readily hand them an effective one.

    Of course, there were still rules to maintain in this world, though different from her own, it was no utopia, and Emilia didn''t let that fact slip from her mind as she teased her poor knight.

    Dixie could only gulp and sit on the stool stiffly as Emilia came to her in a far too short dark purple strapless dress. Her princess wasn''t shy at all, and after a full twirl, she even struck a sexy pose, bending down all the way until Dixie could see right down the valley between her soft breasts, her eyes containing a hint of both teasing and mischief.

    A loud gulping sound from behind her alerted Dixie to the fact that the ponytailed salesgirl had returned, and had personally confirmed that the breast size she reported was indeed correct. But even when the ponytailed girl started ogling her as well, Emilia didn''t seem to care at all. Instead, it was Dixie who gritted her teeth in jealousy, with her only reprieve being that there weren''t any other customers to watch Emilia''s show.

    After changing from the purple strapless dress into an orange mermaid gown, Emilia flicked her long crimson hair in slight exasperation. "It''s such a hassle going into the changing room every time. Why don''t I change right here? You don''t mind, right?"

    "No!"

    "YES!"

    Although the area before the dressing rooms was deeper into the shop, and didn''t have the usual mirrors that would allow anyone to see inside, Dixie still felt disturbed at the thought of anyone just walking in on her princess while she was only in her underwear, changing.

    As for where the ''YES'' came from¡­ there was only one other person here aside from the two of them, after all, not counting the girl staying at the counter. Who else could it have been but the ponytailed pervert?

    The two of them stared at each other, and the salesgirl immediately felt the goosebumps on her arms, realizing her gaffe. "I-I mean, as there are no other customers, it will be fine if that is what you want to do. I-I''ll give you some privacy."

    Though it was regretful that she would be missing out on such a wonderful show, she knew that the dark-haired girl was pissed. It would be unwise to stay here any longer, even if she kept her eyes to herself.

    Once the outsider was gone, the knight immediately lunged forward to wrap her arms around Emilia''s slim waist, pulling the girl towards her till her face was pressed against her belly as she whined. "Emily! You were intentionally teasing me, weren''t you?"

    Emilia giggled as she ran her fingers through Dixie''s short hair fondly. "You''re just too fun to tease, so I couldn''t help it."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 182 - Who Do You Think You Are?

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    The girl at the counter gave her colleague a confused look when she returned. "Hm? Weren''t you going to assist those customers?"

    As the ''senior'' of the two, the ponytailed girl couldn''t bear the cashier girl knowing of her disgraceful behavior, and coughed awkwardly. "Ah, they''ve already made their purchase, they''ll be back shortly."

    "Oh¡­ I''ve never seen Giana so excited. Did they buy a lot?"

    The ponytailed girl felt her face heat up. Those girls seemed to be quite rich, and were probably a couple, right? They''ll definitely buy a lot, definitely! "O-Of course."

    ''Please, please don''t let my reputation in front of Kaylen be ruined today, oh goddess of lust and desire! You didn''t give me a bombastic body or a gorgeous face, but filled my brain with all this garbage! You can''t be so unfair, alright?!''

    A few minutester, the two rich girls finally came back, and the ponytailed saledy felt her heart skip a beat.

    Not from how beautiful Emilia was, oh no, but because they didn''t carry a single dress back with them to check out.

    Just as she was about to cry out in despair, however, Dixie domineeringly mmed her card down on the counter. "Everything that touched the precious skin of my princess, and everything she looked at¡­ pack it all up."

    Giana, the saledy, was almost beside herself with joy as her despair turned into ecstasy. Money seemed to have fallen from the sky!

    ''Ahhh! Domineering richdy tomboy! I also touched your darling''s skin while measuring her! Can I also pack myself up for you?! I don''t mind sharing with her at all! In fact, I''ll share her too!'' Was what she was thinking, but thankfully didn''t say out loud.

    Looking at her arrogance, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. Though if she knew the saledy''s impudent thoughts about her knight, maybe she wouldn''t have been so calm.

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    With the amount of clothing they had ended up buying, it wouldn''t have been a good idea to carry it back themselves, and Dixie had instructed the girls in the shop to have it delivered to her hometer. Of course, Emilia didn''t mind, as it gave her more freedom to go around looking for other things.

    Of course, she had swapped the far too short white sundress that Justine provided in favor of a red halter dress she liked, and gave Dixie the choice to pick one from today''s haul.

    Emilia obviously favored the miniskirt on her knight, but giving her a choice regretfully led to the girl picking the dark-blue short overalls and a white t-shirt.

    But since it was still quite adorable, Emilia decided to ept it for now.

    After exiting the shop, Emilia of course had Dixie offer up an arm to properly escort her. Usually, even when the two of them walked together, they rarely held hands, so to say that the knight hadn''t expected it would be an understatement.

    Dixie felt it was both extremely ttering and embarrassing to have Emilia being so intimate with her in public. Obviously, it wasn''t all good, since having some of her softer bits pressing against herself like that didn''t do any favors to her already wavering alertness, but she couldn''t push away her princess, could she?

    "W-Where to next?"

    Emilia looked around, and although a few shops looked interesting, nothing really caught her eye like that dress earlier. "Umm, let''s look for a jewelry store? There was something I had in mind, though I don''t know if they''ll have it."

    Dixie nodded as she led them towards the closest relevant shops she could see. In fact, despite that massively annoying saledy earlier, the dark-haired girl was quite grateful that her first ''date'' with her princess was going so well.

    Even without bringing along any intimidating bodyguards, they hadn''t been harassed by any annoying guys, and even without exposing their identities, they hadn''t met any fake richdies looking down on them. There hadn''t been any unexpected terrorist situations, and not even an armed robbery!

    Yes, Dixie liked to watch cheap dramas.

    But as if she had jinxed it just by thinking about it, a buff-looking blond boy cut off their path right before they could enter the jewelry store they''d been heading for.

    "Knock Knock."

    His words sent Dixie''s mind into such a spiral of confusion that she couldn''t even understand what was going on at all. It was definitely because of Emilia pressing herself into her arm, reducing her IQ! Not because she was stupid!

    Aside from random interesting facts, Emilia also loved reading jokes on the inte. Unfortunately, it had stopped being so interesting after a while, as it got too repetitive, but she did recognize thismon pattern.

    ''Usually, it goes like¡­

    Knock-knock!

    Who''s there?

    Voodoo.

    Voodoo who?

    Voodoo you think you are, asking all these questions?!

    ¡­ I got it!''

    Despite his buff appearance, Emilia felt that the boy was quite dorky and awkward, surely he must spend a lot of time looking up jokes, and whatever he says must be more interesting than what she found, so she decided she might as well cooperate.

    "Who''s there?"

    Instantly, his eyes lit up. It seemed like the guide he had read was right! As long as someone worked out eight hours a day, every day for six months to get buff, it was enough to get a hot girl to talk to them. Now for step two, he had to make herugh, and she''ll be his girlfriend! ''Come on Johnny, you can do it!''

    After cheering himself up, he restored some of his confidence and puffed out his chest. "When where?"

    And immediately, Emilia was lost, tilting her head in confusion before looking to Dixie for help. Was this still the same pattern of jokes? Did she misunderstand? But the knight was too busy ring daggers at the oblivious boy who had dared to approach her princess like that, right under her nose!

    Can''t he see that the girl is wrapped around her arm?!

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Thank you for always supporting me so far. I know I say this often, but writing what I like and having people who actually enjoy reading it has always been my dream, and as the ones who made it possible for me to do so, I can never stress this enough!

    May the new year bring you lots of happiness and joy! As much joy as you have brought for me! >_<

 Chapter 183 - Boiling Pot Of Jealousy

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    Emilia could tell that Dixie''s pot of jealousy was about to boil over, and feeling like it was best to send the boy away before her knight ended up murdering him on the spot, she cleared her throat. "Sorry, I don''t really get it?"

    The boy immediately deted.

    Step two failed¡­ That means the route of this crimson-haired goddess was now blocked, right?

    Today, Johnny had already decided that he would stop dying it, and would just get out there and get a girlfriend, no matter what. Even if he got rejected a hundred times, he would go approach a hundred more! Someone somewhere out there had to find him attractive, right?

    The ce where he had seen the most abundance of beautiful girls had been this mall, and since Johnny expected he would need at least a hundred or so to seed, this was where he came to try his luck.

    But all thoughts of fearlessly approaching girls and not caring about rejection fled him when he really stood near the mall''s entrance.

    None of them walked around alone, and they all formed groups that seemed ready to absolutely demolish him with mockery the moment he tried to hit on them. His already wavering confidence almost teetered on the brink of copse, and this before he had even tried.

    But that is when he saw her. The moment she had walked in, Johnny''s eyes had been glued to her. And he could tell he wasn''t the only one.

    This girl also wasn''t alone, but she only had one friend with her.

    For her to appear right when he had been out looking to change his life, it was like a revtion from the heavens.

    But before he could approach them, the two had headed for a women''s clothing store, and Johnny was too embarrassed to follow. After waiting for them toe out, however, he had already gathered enough courage to approach her.

    Unfortunately, he still failed. How could he have messed it up? He should have looked for a better line!

    Now, the question was¡­ should he try on the tomboy, or just skedaddle out of here in shame?

    At that moment, Emilia finally seemed to realize something. "Ah¡­ could it be¡­ I was supposed to say ''when where who''?"

    Johnny immediately felt reinvigorated. It can''t be that it would still work?! Awesome. This girl really was too different from what he expected. Not only did she not mock him, she even helped him! "Tomorrow evening, downtown theater, me and you?"

    While Emilia was left scratching her head in confusion, wondering if this was a failed pick up line or a bad joke, Dixie finally blew her top. "How about I fix that! Today, the cemetery, just you alone?!"

    The boy shivered in fear, almost forgetting that the way he looked now, most people would expect he could hang girls like Dixie off of his biceps with ease. "S-Sorry, I was just¡ª"

    Emilia giggled as she squeezed Dixie''s arm closer to herself to calm her down. The boy wasn''t too rude, after all, aside from approaching them like that. "Alright. Well, nice try. But unfortunately, my girlfriend seems to be getting very, very jealous now, so no more joking around."

    The boy''s face turned red as he suddenly realized something. Even if he could misunderstand the girlfriends part, the jealousy part clearly meant ''that'', right? He really kicked an iron board! He should have known that a girl like this wouldn''t be single. "O-Ohh, sorry."

    Dixie had already stopped being furious, and even felt happy. Hey, if this boy made her princess say those words, he wasn''t so annoying, after all. As long as he disappeared from their sight within the next sixty seconds, she didn''t mind not breaking his bones.

    Emilia chuckled. "Well¡­ My girlfriend looks very cute when jealous, so it''s all good. How about this, since you amused me so, I will let you give your pick up line another try as practice. I''ll even rate it."

    Although there was no longer any chance for him to get a girlfriend, Johnny was still very d to talk to a beauty, and he was even getting free pick-up advice! "R-Really?!"

    The crimson-haired girl nodded. "Yep."

    "O-Okay, here I go." Johnny took a deep breath, but just as he was about to speak, one look at Dixie''s dark eyes made him change his mind. "Y-You know what, I think I rather not end up at the cemetery."

    But even as Johnny left, he felt like he was a changed boy. No longer was he so afraid of confessing to a girl, and even felt determined to fulfill his goal of a hundred confessions today!

    After all, what''s the worst that could happen? She turns out to be a lesbian? Well, he''s already been through that. In fact, maybe if her lover didn''t look so dangerous, he could even seek advice on pickup lines, and increase his chances of sess in the next try!

    Emilia tried her best to contain herugh as she waved him away, but even after the boy rushed away, Dixie was still pouting, her eyes gloomy and dark.

    The dark-haired girl stomped her feet in frustration. "He deserved to at least get punched in the face, but you didn''t let me do anything at all!"

    Emilia pulled Dixie closer to peck her on the cheek, not hiding her mirthful smile at all. "Don''t be angry. We''re on a date, and there''s no need to cause amotion like that. Didn''t he go away on his own? Plus, it takes a lot of courage to confess out of the blue like that, and he didn''t seem like the thug type who would harass anyone."

    She bit Dixie''s earlobe yfully, causing her knight to blush. "Who knows, if you traumatize him, it might stick with him for life. And what if he then bes a stalker or something, and brings us a lot more trouble?"

    Hearing her reasoning, Dixie couldn''t help but pout again while rubbing her bitten earlobe shyly. "Why care so much?"

    Emilia rolled her eyes with a smile. "It''s not that I really care, honestly, I''m just in a good mood. Let''s continue our date, okay?"

    "Ahh¡­ Okay." Dixie''s red face lit up with a delighted grin. If Emilia was in a good mood after ''that''¡­ wasn''t thatplimenting her? It totally was, right?!

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 Chapter 184 - Rothschildâ€™s Loss

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    At first, Emilia had wanted to buy some decent couples jewelry for Dixie and herself, but the selection in the store ended up disappointing her.

    How could she give her lover anything she considered sub-par? Thememoration of their first night together definitely had to be worthy of being cherished for life!

    So in the end, since Emilia didn''t really like anything in the jewelry store, she decided to just order a few custom ones made using her own design. And if even that didn''t work out well, she would have to make one herself. It was to be expected, given that nothing in that store couldpare to what she was used to as a princess.

    That being said, she did end up buying a few misceneous things for her friends, and also confirmed a few ongoing matters while at it.

    "Ehh? Is it really true that ''Rothschild'' hires childborers to make their products?"

    Emilia had been browsing through the vast selection of colored lip gloss, though she mostly just intended to pick it up for reference, but the hushed discussions did grab her attention, and it was the same for her knight as well.

    "Not only that, but they also use harmful substances, many of which are even illegally obtained!"

    The discussion seemed to have started from a discussion over which foundation would be the least damaging to their skin in the long run, and while one of them swore by the one from the Rothschild brand that she had always used, the few women nearby seemed intent on ''enlightening'' her of how atrocious the products of thatpany were.

    "Well, I read an old interview from their founder in a magazine, and from her conceited words, it''s no wonder this is the type of crap herpany pulls¡­"

    "Plus, their products aren''t even that good, and not much cheaper than thepetition."

    "Yeah, even if all of these issues turn out to be false, they''re just objectively worse than¡ª"

    Dixie had almost put it out of her mind after their moves had little effect, but for the Rothschild''s cosmetics business to have had such a sharp decline in reputation recently, it had to be said that all those efforts weren''t wasted.

    She had been quite disheartened when, despite all the efforts Koko''s mom had put into making things hard for them, it didn''t seem to have had much effect. But now that their reputation stank to the point where it was the most fervently discussed gossip in even these small shops selling beauty products, Dixie felt like all was right in the world.

    All of theirpetitors were using them as a stepping stone!

    It was as if a dam that was holding it all back finally gave way, and the dirty flood that followed just became that much worse because of being held back.

    Emilia thought it made sense, since it must have been the Sullivandy protecting them using her clout, but currently, she had far more serious things to worry about.

    After all, when her own husband''s political career was at stake, whether or not one of her toadies''pany did well was the least of her concern.

    Dixie smirked. ''Hmph, dare to badmouth my princess huh? I bet it feels really good to be badmouthed by most of your customers now! Ehehehe¡­ Don''t worry, one day I''ll end your misery, once and for all.''

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    As the Sullivan family seemed to have had a firm grasp on much of the upper ss here, the weakening of both the leader and a few key members at the same time suited Emilia very well.

    She clearly recalled that, despite all her efforts, the older generation at Bianca''s birthday party had eitherpletely ignored her or tantly dared to look down on her.

    Emilia knew that the Sullivan''s faction had as much to do with it as the ck Tiger.

    In fact, if not for her being in the limelight due to the situation with the police and media, she might have beenpletely snubbed at that event. Even Bianca might not have noticed her if not for her being the center of attention, making her debut aplete failure that would have forced her to start over with an even bigger bang.

    The older generation was too sensible to approach her when she was in the opposite camp of both the strongest faction and one of the most powerful corporations, even if she was the second daughter one of the richest men in the country and had an impable reputation.

    Of course, even if they didn''t ept her, grasping the hearts of the younger generation would eventually allow her to seed in her missions anyway, it''ll just take longer.

    But now that the scales kept getting tipped in her favor like this, all these people would have to either reconsider their position¡­ or prepare to suffer.

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    The sun was already about to set by the time her princess was done roaming around the mall randomly, and Dixie breathed a sigh of relief.

    Having looked through most of the shops, Emilia''s curiosity was eventually sated, and after one final stop at the pizzeria, the two of them finally made it out of the mall and went back to Dixie''s car.

    Even though they stayed in the mall for so long, there still hadn''t been any terrorist attacks or armed robbery. Dixie couldn''t help but think that their luck was really good. "Back home, princess?"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "Let''s go stay at a hotel tonight."

    After all, there were still a few hours left till she could change back from her original form. She may not mind if Samantha or Crystal knew, but she absolutely couldn''t expose herself so tantly in front of everyone else. Not at this point in time.

    Maybe once she had the whole world under her thumb, she could truly be that fearless.

    "A-A hotel?! Okay¡­" Dixie''s face lit up with a furious blush as she instructed the driver to head for a decent hotel, trying her best not to look him in the eyes.

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    ~ To be continued ~

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Thank you for all your support :>

 Chapter 185 - The Power Of Genetics?!

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    After reaching their destination, Dixie opened the door for Emilia, and once they were both out, she gave her driver a nod. "You can go back, uncle. I''ll call you if needed."

    The man could tell when he was dismissed, and reversed the car with a sigh. He probably wouldn''t even be able to look at the first ''princess'' of his young miss after knowing the existence of the second one.

    Having seen the two girls go into a hotel together for the night, and also having witnessed his young miss molest the youngdy of the White family, the driver knew it was a messy situation.

    He almost wished that he didn''t know, but they really were too careless with the privacy screen! Why can''t they remember to keep it up while being naughty?!

    The only constion was that at least his young miss had some top-notch taste. The new ''concubine'' also appeared to be from an extremely well-off family, and even though he didn''t dare to look too closely, he could tell that her beauty may not necessarily be lower than the ''main wife'' of her young miss.

    Well, with how her mother had been in her youth, it really was no wonder that his young miss turned out like this, was it?

    But the driver certainly hoped that his young miss would lose interest after sleeping with her tonight. It would help avoid a lot of mess in the future.

    After all, the main wife''s backing was too strong.¡­ they really couldn''t afford to face the White Deer''s wrath. Even as a lowly driver and bodyguard, he may not be spared if this thing blew up!

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    The receptionist gave the two girls a weird look as Dixie handed in her bank card. "Are you sure you want the most expensive room in our hotel?"

    It wasn''t really too rare of an event to get a customer like this once in a while.

    They woulde swaggering in, demanding the most luxurious room they had, but as soon as they heard the rent, most would humbly ept the cheapest option¡­ if they didn''t hightail it out of the lobby first.

    However, since these were such cute, pretty-looking girls, the receptionist still had some pity, and didn''t want to scare them off too much.

    The short-haired girl probably just wanted to impress her friend while they were on a trip, but she didn''t know that no matter how much pocket money she had saved up, it wasn''t worth mentioning here.

    Their education system really failed too much! These girls looked like they were either college freshmen, or in high school. At such an age¡­ shouldn''t they have more sense?

    Having no idea of the drama that the receptionist was cooking in her head, Dixie nodded curtly. "Yes, I''m sure. Your best room for two days, please."

    Since her princess couldn''t use her identity as Emilia White while in this form, she had to be the one to take care of everything like this.

    Emilia tried her best not tough out loud, but couldn''t contain her smile. ''S-She''s really on a ''domineering rich young master'' streak today, isn''t she?''

    Helpless due to professional ethics, the receptionist could only ept Dixie''s bank card. It looked a little weirder than normal, and she assumed that it was probably a special edition issued to students.

    She swiped it with a sigh, already knowing it would be rejected. After all, a single day''s rent in the penthouse was already over the monthly limit of these cards, how could it pass?

    The receptionist''s eyes almost bugged out of her head when it did, and even when the girls hopped away with their key, she was still blinking stupidly at ''Transaction Sessful''.

    "Her mom''s going to kill herter¡­"

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    The poor receptionist had no idea that the girl''s mom couldn''t be any more proud.

    "You''re staying the night with your princess in a hotel, you say?"

    Dixie gulped, her eyes flickering over to Emilia, who was currently letting Crystal know that she would pick her up tomorrow morning. "Y-Yes¡­"

    "Just the two of you?!" The mixture of joy and doubt was clear in Mrs. Brown''s voice, even from the other side of the line.

    The dark-haired girl already knew her mom was definitely going to be like this even before she called, but she still couldn''t help but blush. "R-Right¡­"

    Mrs. Brown almost shed tears of joy. No, she really did! "Good¡­ You haven''t disappointed me, Dixie! I was almost starting to suspect that your father had cheated on me, but you have proven yourself to be my daughter!"

    She hadmented the fact that her daughter was a simp even more than Grandpa Brownmented his son being a moron. Today, however, her daughter had proven to her that even if she acted like a simp, the blood of a true gigachad still ran in her veins!

    Knowing her mom, Dixie knew that it was futile to argue with her, and could only drop the call before the woman ruined her mood further.

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    "Be sure NOT to use pro¡ª eh?! The call dropped?"

    Mrs. Brown frowned as she stared at her phone for almost a minute before shaking her head. "No way, I can''t call back now. Dixie is probably busy ripping off daughter-inw''s undies. It would be a great sin to interrupt them at this moment!"

    That being said, she really had to tear herwork provider a new one. Howe her calls dropped so frequently?!

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    Meanwhile, Michelle had already reached the home of her princess, and was anxiously sipping orange juice that had been served shortly after her arrival.

    These royal vampires sure liked to keep up appearances. With such a big mansion, there was no need to make any excuses for having so many walking blood bags.

    And given the taste of her vampire princess, she wasn''t surprised at all that most of the maids here were beautiful and had huge jugs, and she wasn''t talking about the kind filled with orange juice.

    The only weird one was the old housekeeper, but Michelle assumed that someone in Emilia''s family probably had ''exotic'' tastes.

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 Chapter 186 - Na?ve

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    After leading her to the sofa, the maid who led her in had told her that someone would be here to meet her soon, and Michelle couldn''t wait to see her princess again.

    Unfortunately, the one who came to greet her wasn''t the vampire princess, but another girl who appeared to be a little older.

    As expected of a royal vampire family, the older sister was also gorgeous, though she was more of a cold beauty than a seductress, with shoulder-length curly brown hair. Of course, Michelle served only one vampire, and her heart wasn''t swayed at all.

    Samantha was already quite familiar with the girl''s circumstances, having assisted Emilia throughout the case alongside Noelle, but Michelle didn''t know that. The tall girl leisurely took a seat on the opposite sofa before nodding. "Emilia won''t be back tonight, so she should only be able to meet you either tomorrow or the day after, depending on her whims."

    Michelle had already prepared for it the moment she saw the taller girl, but it was still a little disheartening. As expected, there was some rivalry between the two vampire princesses. This girl didn''t seem too happy that her little sister had gained another servant.

    While she had been kept hidden away after her fake death, Michelle had spent most of her free time looking up facts about vampires. Of course, she understood that most of them may not apply to her princess, but this was all she could do in an attempt to know more about her.

    From what she understood, most vampire ''families'' weren''t very intimate with each other, and sisters and brothers were even synonymous withpetitors and enemies.

    She smiled, though even Samantha could tell how reluctant that smile was. "I-It''s okay. I''m only here following Emilia''s will. She told me someone will help me settle in, even if she''s not there."

    In her mind, Michelle couldn''t help but sigh. ''Today, all dark the clouds covering my life in gloom were finally scattered, but the sunlight that made it happen refuses to stay with me¡­ I wish I had the same blood as that blonde girl¡­''

    Since breast augmentation was possible, why couldn''t there be something that allowed her to change the vor of her blood? Michelle couldn''t help butment in her heart.

    Contrary to what she thought, however, Samantha obviously wasn''t unhappy with her little sister gaining another follower. After all, there was no one in the world who loved her little sister more than her.

    But it was true that she actually didn''t want the girl to stay with her sister now that the case was over. Although she could sympathize with what happened to her, it didn''t sit well with her when she thought about the unpredictable influence someone with such a past could have on Emilia.

    If Emilia needed friends or followers, couldn''t she get as many as she wanted from school?

    Now that she had a list of all the ''knights'' in her little sister''s fan club, Samantha didn''t think Emilia wasckingpanionship, at all. Even if she wanted to y checkers with human chess pieces, there would still be a fight among the volunteers to decide who goes first.

    Plus, Michelle may have a right to live her life as she saw fit, but Samantha didn''t like the fact that Emilia favored her so much.

    Ignoring the fact that she had sought her out and saved her, her little sister also insisted on creating such a massive sham that involved faking an arrest and making very prominent members of the society ''go missing''.

    Sure, it was likely that most would assume that the Porter mother and sons had gone into long-term hiding, and eventually even forget about thempletely, but that didn''t eliminate the risk they had taken. Especially since the other side had no ''reward''.

    All for this one girl?

    Emilia''s other friends were all far more beautiful, and had far better backgrounds. If Michelle had some unique talent, she could still understand, but she didn''t. Samantha thought Michelle would just be a burden for her little sister at best, and in the worst case, she could even be a negative influence.

    All that being said, since her little sister had sent the girl here expecting them to take care of her, she couldn''t really mistreat her, could she? As long as she stayed out of Emilia''s way, Samantha didn''t mind at all if they had to pay for one more resident.

    Samantha grinned as she motioned for the housekeeper. "Of course, I''ll have someone lead you to a guest room. Be sure to let the housekeeper know if you need anything from now on."

    The housekeeper, who had been silently standing behind Samantha''s sofa, gave Michelle a bow. The boyish girl stood up to follow him without a word.

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    Of course, it didn''t matter to Michelle whether the older vampire liked her or not. She may not have any intention of bullying her, and only wished for her to stay away from her princess, but that was impossible.

    Regardless of what kind of struggles this vampire royal family was going through, Michelle intended to fully support her princess.

    It wasn''t that one day she wanted to be the follower of a vampire queen, though that didn''t sound too bad, she simply wished to dedicate her life to her savior. Be it using her blood or servitude, either way was fine.

    As they reached the end of the corridor, the housekeeper opened the door to thest room and handed her the keys. "This is your room from now on, miss. There is an inte inside, which you can use to call for a maid at any time. In case you need anything else, I am always either on the housekeeping office on the ground floor, or in the green building by the side of the mansion."

    Michelle nodded, and after the old man left with another bow, she closed the door and locked it. "Heh¡­ you think giving me thest room will make me stay away from my princess? Na?ve! I was the second runner-up back in the middle-school hundred-meter race, and this corridor isn''t even that long!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support :>

 Chapter 187 - [NSFW] Mysterious Flavor

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    Contrary to Dixie''s expectations, Emilia didn''t really intend to use the hotel room for another lovemaking session. She only wanted a private ce where she could safely rest without worry of someone familiaring across her original appearance.

    After all, though strangers may not be able to tell, people like Crystal, Samantha, Koko, or even Penny would easily be able to join two and two together and realize who she was. The faulty not only with the way Dixie treated her, but also in the fact that Emilia had slowly been changing Danielle''s appearance to her original self.

    At the pace she was doing it, though, it would still take a few years for the girl to fully ''develop'' into Emilia. While she could speed up the process considerably by using stic surgery as an excuse, Emilia just couldn''t be bothered going through the headache of convincing Samantha and the White parents to let their adorable little baby change her face.

    It was better if she just ''developed'' like this, as no one couldin. Didn''t plenty of awkward, gangly teens be bombshellster? She was sure it''d be fine.

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    The ''room'' that Dixie had ended up booking was surely an overkill, as it was a suite with a separate dining room, entertainment room, two bedrooms, a hall, and a luxurious bathroom.

    The only things she really needed were the bathroom and bedroom, but Emilia didn''t really mind. If anything, maybe the bathroom in the other suites wouldn''t be as good, and she was already used to the modern features in the bathrooms of this world, such as instant hot water, multiple settings in the shower, and floor heating.

    Obviously, after wandering around for so long today, a shower was a must before heading to bed. Especially since she would be cuddling with her dear knight to sleep.

    Of course, her knight followed her in. "L-Let me wash you, princess!"

    Emilia only smiled and let her in.

    She had to admit, Dixie''s hands were quite dextrous, and she knew just how much pressure needed to be applied using her fingertips and palms at which part of her body. Even when she had multiple maids to serve her in the baths, they had never been able to please her so.

    Of course, they didn''t dare to offend her, so perhaps that was one of the factors.

    As for Dixie, whether it was a firm press on her scalp or the soft rubbing of her breasts, it was all done perfectly! Until she started perving and really groping her, at least. But even that was quite pleasurable, so Emilia couldn''tin much.

    The bathtub here was more like a pool, and even a dozen people could easily fit in if needed. The two of them could even use it to swim, not minding the height. The only problem was that it had already been prepared and filled with all kinds of scented stuff, and then topped off with ayer of rose petals.

    Dixie was quite enthusiastic in stripping both her own clothes and those of her princess, and had them both naked in no time at all before she pulled Emilia into the tub.

    Emilia was quite surprised that Dixie didn''t molest her after stripping her, but it became clear to her that her knight had actually been crafty and wanted them both in the pool first before starting anything.

    After all, once she was already soaked, Emilia was much less likely to kick her out. As soon as the two of them were in, Dixie had her pressed back against the smooth surface of the pool as their lips smacked together, a lithe tongue excitedly parting her lips to enter her mouth, wantonly exploring as it willed.

    Emilia didn''t mind at all, and pulled Dixie closer till their bodies were firmly pressed against each other, and their breaths mingled together as their tongues wrapped around and fought for dominance.

    There was still a faint hint of mulberry ice cream vor on Dixie''s tongue from when she had it in the mall, though Emilia made sure to clean it very thoroughly with her own, and bit her knight''s lower lip when she moaned.

    "You naughty little beast, didn''t you say you were gonna help me bathe?"

    Dixie whimpered as Emilia chewed on her lip before affectionately kissing her, and once her princess had let her go, she reluctantly parted with a forlorn sigh. "I-I''ll do that first, then, princess. But¡­ aren''t you always squeaky clean?"

    Emilia giggled. "Why do you think so?"

    She may not know the exact race of her princess, but Dixie had always noticed how impably clean Emilia always was. "I''ve never seen you sweat even after the longer sessions at the dojo. And also¡­ umm, your taste is always the same, never contaminated by anything you eat!"

    Emilia had always thought that anything produced by the void body would be vorless, but now that Dixie mentioned it, she couldn''t help but be curious about her own vor. "Huh¡­ and what taste is that?"

    Dixie blushed. "Princess tastes like the stars in the sky! A-And¡­"

    Emilia immediately burst into giggles. Stars in the sky and endless universe? Isn''t that an over-glorified way of saying she tastes like nothing? This knight of hers is really too much. "Really now, has my dearest Dixie ever tasted a star before?"

    Dixie didn''t know if Emilia thought she was making it up, or if she was deluding herself, but what she said was really true! If Emilia really tasted like nothing, it would be like drinking distilled water, but that''s not how she felt at all!

    Every time they kissed, Dixie felt as if she was experiencing something greater than herself, something profound, and even the tastebuds on her tongue told her the same. That something was there, and it was amazing, but they just had no idea how to ssify it.

    But as the time they spent together increased, and especially after she had consumed the blood of her princess, Dixie could tell that the feeling kept getting stronger.

    The dark-haired girl felt her face turn red in embarrassment. "N-No, but! Princess, believe me, I¡­ There''s definitely a taste, but that''s the only way I know to express it. And every time I taste you, it gets better!"

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 188 - [NSFW] Shameless Knight

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    Emilia smiled at her knight''s words. "You really have a way of putting things into words, huh? That''s like saying ''every time I kiss you, I love you more and more''. Very sweet, I''ll admit it. It makes me happy."

    The dark-haired girl blinked, both ttered and embarrassed. "I¡­ Thank you, Emily. I was just¡­ saying what came from my heart."

    The crimson-haired girl shook her head with a grin. "I didn''t know you had such skills, Dixie. Good thing I captured your heart so quickly, or it might have been hard to fight with an army of girls you would have conquered. You heartthrob!"

    "Eh? EH?" Dixie''s mouth opened and closed in shock as she found herself unable to form words.

    With how thoroughly her princess had conquered her heart, did she really have the right to say these kinds of words to her? Dixie couldn''t believe how shameless Emilia could be sometimes.

    It was like a huge empire conquering a small vige after their immediate surrender, and then the emperor pats the vige chief on the shoulder,mending him for the valiant defense.

    Of course, if the emperor was Emilia and the vige chief was her, Dixie would blush and say. "Thank you very much, princess! Please plunder my vige thoroughly!"

    When it came from her precious Emily, humiliation was also a source of pleasure! Of course, she''ll never admit that, especially in front of her mother, who might die from a stroke if such a thing was ever said in front of her.

    Emilia shook her head with a smile, unaware of Dixie''s wandering thoughts, but very aware of her wandering hands. "Anyway, although your point about my taste is up for debate, your observation itself isn''t wrong. Except for one thing. I may not sweat, and I don''t need to brush my teeth or anything, since anything inside vanishes soon enough, but I still need to bathe to get rid of any dust and dirt from going out. Plus, it feels good. So I''ll need your services quite often in the future, understand? Hey¡­ stop that!"

    "Yes, yes! I understand! Eh? What do you mean, I''m just cleaning you? You just said it was necessary."

    The crimson-haired girl rolled her eyes. Hadn''t Dixie''s hands started wandering long before her exnation? This shameless knight!

    Sometimes she really wondered what happened to her once innocent and protective Dixie. Why was she now even hornier than herself when she had been at the peak of her frustration? Maybe Dixie''s inner self really was a super pervert!

    Emilia decided that enough was enough, and she was done being passively molested. It was time to pay Dixie back!

    Catching one of Dixie''s wandering hands by the wrist and wrapping the other around her waist, Emilia pulled the dark-haired girl towards herself till their naked, wet bodies connected with a wet smack, and captured her knight''s lips in a passionate, searing kiss.

    She ignored the uncultured, guttural moan that erupted from her knight''s throat, and squeezed the girl''s slim waist closer to herself, till their breasts were almost squished together as their t bellies made contact.

    Of course, Dixie immediately started thrusting in an attempt to connect with her core, but Emilia made sure to keep her in a position to never allow that, leaving the girl whimpering into her throat with frustration.

    With their bodies floating together in the ''pool'' while her nipples rubbed against Emilia''s, Dixie soon found her pupils dting as she caressed the soft tongue invading her mouth, even without the stimtion of her core.

    But as her body got hotter and hotter while her princess seemed intent on just smooching her, and her princess seemed far too skilled at avoiding her thrusting, Dixie soon tried to wrestle free and push her down. She had to fuck Emilia before she went crazy!

    With the gap in their strength, it wasn''t difficult for Dixie topletely dominate her princess, but just as she was about to seed, the crimson-haired girl immediately pushed her back with a gasp.

    "You¡­! Do as I say, Dixie, or we''ll stop. Understand?!"

    The dark-haired girl whimpered.

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    Of course, Emilia wasn''t without mercy, and after teasing her knight for a few minutes with just kisses and forey, she pulled her out of the tub to clean themselves off the rose petals with a shower before drying.

    The whole time, Dixie felt like her mind was going to explode, but somehow she managed to control herself. That is, until Emilia knelt down to wipe her legs, with her face only inches away from Dixie''s crotch.

    Dixie was a mortal, after all. After the goddess in her heart had teased her so much, it was impossible for her to be able to keep her sanity when her princess got into such a position.

    Emilia of course had no intention of leaving Dixie high and dry after teasing her. She just wanted to get them both cleaned up and in the bed before continuing, and after sex, then could rx and sleep.

    Of course, this time, she wanted to be more in control, but other than that, she wouldn''t deny her knight''s wishes.

    Never had she imagined that, while she was drying Dixie''s legs, the girl would grab her by the hair and shove her face into her crotch, and start thrusting away like a madwoman!

    Her indignant yelp only came out as a muffled whimper while trapped between Dixie''s legs, and Emilia could only helplessly cooperate.

    Anyway, even while retreating in a war, shooting down a few enemy soldiers was never a bad strategy!

    That''s why, while her knight was still mindlessly thrusting away, Emilia happilypped up the copious amount of sweet, musky love nectar leaking from her core.

    It was only when her knight spasmed and flooded her with juices that Emilia schooled her expression. Regardless of if she enjoyed it, she couldn''t let her knight think this was okay, after all! That would be disgraceful.

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 Chapter 189 - [NSFW] Punishment

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    As a wave of incredible pleasure and relief flowed through her, Dixie finally regained some of her sanity as her foggy vision cleared.

    At first, she had no idea what happened, but by the time she realized it, she knew she had fucked up. Her hands were tightly gripping the back of Emilia''s head while the girl red up at her with her face buried in her crotch.

    The dark-haired girl felt her blood run cold. "S-Sorry, princess!"

    "Mph!" Emilia almost rolled her eyes as she patted the girl''s thick thighs. Couldn''t she at least let her go before talking?!

    Dixie jolted, and immediately released her iron grip from Emilia''s beautiful crimson locks, feeling pained in her heart for her own rough treatment. "A-Ah¡­ I¡­"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes this time. Why, oh why, was she so ridiculously strong?! Well, regardless, she had to be punished!

    The crimson-haired girl shook her head. "I''m done drying you, and you''re definitely paying for that! Even when I told you to do as I say¡­"

    Dixie clutched Emilia''s palm in her hand, her lower lip trembling. "E-Emily! I-I didn''t mean to¡ª"

    Emilia used her other hand to p the girl''s butt as she rolled her eyes. "Don''t cry! Get on the bed, quick, and receive your punishment!"

    "Oh? Ohhh!" As if finally realizing what was going on, Dixie immediately dashed towards the bed and jumped in. Emilia chuckled as she followed her in, pulling the girl onto herp as she rubbed Dixie''s butt.

    Looking at her eager and excited expression, if Emilia hadn''t known better, she would have thought that Dixie''s impudence was all intentional, just so she could get ''punished''.

    The soft, fleshy feeling in her hand really felt good to squeeze, and Emilia pulled her knight closer and onto herp, her eyes gleaming in excitement. "You''ve been such a bad girl, Dixie. First, you fucked me so hard even though it was my first time, and now, you dare to disobey even such small, minormands?"

    Dixie whimpered, both from her words and the stimtion from her breasts rubbing on Emilia''sp. She didn''t know if she was allowed to wrap her arms around Emilia''s slim waist while getting punished, but it ended up happening naturally, and Emilia didn''t say no, so it should be okay?

    Just as she was about to ask, however, Emilia pushed the dark-haired girl''s face forward into her bare belly, muffling her words.

    "Shush! You don''t need to speak now to justify yourself. As long as you receive your due punishment, all your ''sins'' can be considered repented for." Emilia gently pped Dixie''s butt. "Understand?"

    The dark-haired girl could only nod as she felt Emilia''s soft palm rubbing against her butt, feeling a mixture of both shame and excitement. The tantalizing hips of her princess were also within her reach, but Dixie knew that if she really tried to grope her like that, at this moment, Emilia would get upset at her loss of control.

    Of course, Emilia''s next p wasn''t as ''gentle'', creating a loud ''thwack'' as itnded on Dixie''s smooth, round butt. And the subsequent ones didn''tck in strength either, alternating between her left and right butt cheek.

    But even as her left hand delivered punishment, her right hand caressed Dixie''s scalp,bing through the girl''s hair gently. "What a naughty knight you are, Dixie¡­ Always molesting your princess¡­ But you love me, so I''ll forgive you. You love me, right?"

    Dixie tightened her arms around Emilia''s sexy, slim waist as she clenched her eyes shut. "Yes! YES! I love you, Emily!"

    Of course, her words didn''t interrupt her punishment, and in just a few rounds, Emilia could feel Dixie start to breathe heavily against her belly, and the girl''s face was inching closer and closer to her core.

    "Princess¡­! I love you, so much!"

    And her knight was so drenched that her juices were already starting to trickle down her thighs and onto the bed.

    Emilia could feel the dark-haired girl trembling against herself now, though she definitely knew it wasn''t from pain, she still squeezed her cheek affectionately. "Good girl."

    But with Dixie''s physique, Emilia knew that this punishment was far from enough. After all, her knight hadn''t even cum yet!

    However, letting all the musky nectar that made her so hot go to waste was impossible as well, so Emilia could only end her knight''s ''punishment'', much to the girl''s regret.

    Pushing Dixie until she was lying on her back in the center of the bed, Emilia moved on her knees till she was between the girl''s spread legs.

    Emilia couldn''t help but gulp as her head got closer to her knight''s core, her thoughts already a little unclear from the heady scent of her knight mixed with the smell of roses in the tub. But she still didn''t forget to make an excuse for the sudden reversal of her punishment. "Y-You took your punishment like a good girl, so I''ll reward you!"

    "T-Thank you¡ª?!" Dixie groaned as she felt her princess greedilyp up all the juices on her things before moving on to her core, directly sliding her tongue in while breathing heavily, as if addicted.

    Looking down, the sight of Emilia''s cold, arctic blue pupils being dted with lust and desire was like the most beautiful thing in the world to Dixie. She still found it hard to believe how vulgar and sultry her beautiful princess could look every time she went down on her, but the sight would never fail to make her lose control.

    Of course, as Emilia was already in the zone, she didn''t care at all how hard Dixie''s legs clenched around her head, or how high her back arched. She was busy checking which one of those techniques that Dixie had driven her insane with would also work on her knight.

    The amount of love nectar she got in exchange would form the basis of her judgment!

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 Chapter 190 - [NSFW] Sleep, Seriously

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    Obviously,st time she had only happilypped up her knight''s juices while bullying the little kitty as she wished, but having learned from Dixie''s tricks, Emilia also started focusing on giving pleasure instead of just seeking rewards from ''bullying'' her.

    Flicking her tongue inside Dixie, Emilia carefully observed her reactions.

    "Ahhn¡­ Emily¡­ Emily¡­!"

    Shoving her tongue against her core repeatedly, she realized that both sides were equally sensitive, while the roof elicited a greater reactionpared to the bottom. The little bean was also very useful, but worked better when she teased it gently and in moderation. Overdoing it seemed to cause her knight to flinch in pain.

    "Fuckkkk! Let me fuck you! Emily, please!"

    Emilia had no idea if her tricks were too effective, or if Dixie was really too easy. She was sure that it had only been half an hour, but Dixie had already cum six times. Emilia was sure that, had it not been for the special properties of her body, her belly would already be full with just Dixie''s cum.

    While she weed the extra supply of nectar, she was worried that her poor knight would end up dehydrated before their session ended, so Emilia could only leave the girl whimpering on the bed helplessly while she poured her a ss of water.

    "Hm? Don''t tell me you want me to feed you the water mouth to mouth? Why are you lying down?"

    Dixie bit her lip as she got up. "P-Princess, you didn''t tell me to get up, so I didn''t."

    Emilia rolled her eyes as she handed pressed the ss against the girl''s lips, slowly tilting it up as she gulped it down. "How obedient. But I also hadn''t told you to shove my face into your crotch, right?"

    And Dixie immediately sprayed the water in her mouth, straight onto the now very annoyed Emilia.

    Well, she had to admit it was her own fault this time.

    Emilia sighed. "Let''s go bath again, and this time actually sleep, for real."

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    In the end, they ended up doing it once more in the shower, and Emilia thought it was fine to give her knight ''closure'' before she went to sleep, and she was also able to get off to Dixie''s wonderfully dexterous fingers, so that was a plus. But that was it! No more!

    Although Dixie did obey her and kept her hands innocently wrapped around Emilia''s belly while on the bed, that obedience onlysted until she fell asleep.

    Emilia soon realized that sleeping Dixie really was something else. She was even worse than horny Dixie!

    As they had both already been naked under the sheets, the girl had quick ess to all parts of Emilia''s body, and during her sleep, she was also immune to receiving orders or getting scolded.

    It was this deadlybination that had Emilia breathing heavily while she shivered in her knight''s arms even almost two hours into the night. Thankfully, Dixie did eventually stop, or Emilia really might have gone crazy. Of course, although she had stopped shoving fingers inside her or biting her neck, the girl still held onto her quite tightly while breathing directly into her nape.

    Emilia swore to never let Dixie sleep with her ever again.

    Unless she really earned it!

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    Waking up with a beautiful girl in her arms wasn''t an unfamiliar sight for Emilia. Whether it was Crystal or Samantha, none could argue that they weren''t beauties in their own right.

    Her Crystal looked like an angel, with her golden hair shining in the sunlight almost giving her a natural halo, while the kindness that radiated from her heart intensified the impact of her aura. From the moment they had met, Emilia had already thrown out any misconceptions about the girl from the previous timeline right out of the window.

    As for Samantha, the tall girl was a heavily impactful and cold beauty, the type that could cause even a straight girl''s heart to throb¡­ until she was bullied and revealed her true self, that is. But that was also one of her charm points, in Emilia''s heart.

    These two girls would beplimented for their looks the moment they set foot in the venue, and there would never be ack of jealousy and ttery being thrown their way. Neither of the two was unaware of what they possessed.

    On the other hand, Dixie often said that she wasn''t the most good-looking, especially whenpared to someone like Crystal, but Emilia didn''t think she wascking at all.

    Of course, beauty was subjective, and Emilia could appreciate more than one kind. Still, she didn''t think Dixie would lose out to anyone ifpared.

    Emilia thought that making sure her partner was proud of themselves and believed in their strong points was an integral part of a lover''s primary duties. And with Dixie, she discovered that although the girl believed in her strength, she didn''t believe in her beauty.

    In the future, she had to make sure she drove that point home in Dixie''s stubborn little head, one way or another.

    Emilia booped the girl''s cute nose, and giggled as she slowly stirred awake, with her dark ck hair and twinkling eyes shining with loyalty and love, Dixie really was the cutest girl in Emilia''s eyes, and forever her most precious knight.

    "Sleep. It''s still three in the morning¡­"

    The dark-haired girl nodded subconsciously, and slipped back into sleep, making Emilia giggle again. "How cute."

    When she had first met this girl, Emilia never expected her to worm so deep into her heart. Her intention had only been to get an ally who could help her put in a good word in the high society, after all. Emilia had never sought anything further from Dixie at that time, but as she had readily given more and more, Emilia found herself epting it all with open arms.

    She was the first ''friend'' she made in this world, and the first girl to show her what absolute loyalty and devotion meant. This was why, no matter how impudent or naughty she was, Emilia could only give her a light punishment. Even when she had gone against her will, Emilia had forgiven and tolerated it. For anyone else¡­ she would never be so lenient.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support :>

 Chapter 191 - Cynthia Breaking Through?

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    As her understanding of the void form had increased, Emilia had long since been able to tell when Cynthia entered and exited her isted state. To her, it was now like a soft click directly inside her head, and since she had been waiting for just that, it was enough to stir her awake.

    At this point, both due to Dixie''s naughtiness and her own distraction, she had barely managed to get a few hours of sleep, but Emilia didn''t mind. Aside from calming herself down and feeling pleasant, she didn''t actually need to sleep, after all.

    Cynthia yawned as she synced herself back with Emilia''s senses. She vaguely felt that something wasn''t right, but couldn''t quite figure it out right away. "What have you been up to, Emilia? Aside from the disgusting mating stuff, leave that out, please. I don''t think I can take it."

    From what she remembered, Emilia had already taken care of the Porter family, sent Crystal back to her home, and dropped Michelle off at the warehouse in the outskirts to exact her vengeance as the girl saw fit. And then, she had headed off to finally take care of frustrations before she ended up doing something stupid because of it.

    "After taking care of the porters? Not much. I did go shopping and bought a few things, but that''s it." Emilia sighed as she ran her finger through Dixie''s short hair, and the dark-haired girl unconsciously tried to nuzzle against her palm. Of course, since Cynthia had repeatedly demanded that she not mention the mating stuff, she left all that out.

    It took her a moment, but Cynthia finally realized what was wrong. "W-Wait a minute¡­ T-That''s¡­ Dixie?! Weren''t you supposed to be with Justine? Why is it Dixie, this brainless bimbo?!"

    Emilia frowned, even though it was Cynthia, she couldn''t help but feel somewhat annoyed. "She came to me in time, and I realized that I would rather my first time be with her than Justine, so¡ª"

    The emerald-eyed girl felt like pulling out the hair off her scalp in rage. "Fuck! You monkey brain! Justine would have been better! In fact, anyone would have been better than this bimbo!"

    If Emilia took in a few concubines to satisfy her primitive mating tendencies till she got over it, which she definitely would in the future, Cynthia could barely ept it. Whether it was a friend or acquaintance, she could ignore whom her partner decided to favor in bed.

    However, if it was someone who already managed to worm deep into Emilia''s heart despite Cynthia''s numerous warnings¡­ she couldn''t help but be afraid.

    She had bet everything on Emilia.

    Her entire future, her cultivation, her world¡­ everything.

    Emilia was, in many ways, a perfect being. Molding her into the ultimate partner to save her from her dire straits was as easy as sleeping, and in that sense, Cynthia couldn''t be happier.

    When she had first noticed Emilia''s soul, it had been far more perfect than it was now, though not as fully formed. She could have molded it as she liked, creating whatever being she wanted, and her pure, beautiful Emilia, would have always followed her will, as she had done with Maeveter.

    Unfortunately, in herziness, she had decided to just let her go through another life so she could take shape on her own.

    As the perfect being took shape, she unfortunately couldn''t grow without ws as Cynthia had desired. A minor issue, she thought, it can easily be ironed outter.

    One of her worst ws was her softhearted nature towards her ''lovers''. This lonely soul soughtpanionship too greedily, and willingly offered her everything in return, never suspecting a betrayal. To an extent, this had been ''fixed'' by Maeve, but the root of the w was still there.

    And to make matters worse, the ''fix'' also created another w in the form of a damaged psyche, and Emilia could no longer even imagine being betrayed by her lover without entering a crazed, irrational state.

    Cynthia knew this fact very well, and she also knew the solution to this problem. Since her partner couldn''t take betrayal from a lover again¡­ it was best to never have a lover! Unfortunately, Emilia sought it too often and too passionately, and it soon became apparent that it would be impossible to prevent her from getting together with someone.

    Cynthia had no idea what to do at all, and if not for that stupid heroine Crystal and the bimbo Dixie destroying their own opportunities themselves, Emilia would already have fallen in their hands.

    No one could be closer to her partner''s heart than herself!

    Realizing the threat, she had actively encouraged Emilia to pursue Justine and ''reward'' her properly, even going into istion to assure herplete privacy. Plus, she really didn''t think she could stomach the sight.

    But what did she find when she came out? It was exactly that bimbo Dixie in bed with her partner!

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes, not understanding her system''s thoughts at all. "What do you have against her? I really don''t understand. The two of you have never talked. In fact¡­ she doesn''t even know you exist."

    No matter how much she hated it, Cynthia could only grit her teeth. "What I hate is how simple your mind is! Mate mate mate, where are you with your missions, huh? Aside from the heroine hating the hero, you have aplished nothing at all! You disgrace of a viiness! Absolutely shameful!"

    Emilia flinched. "T-That''s not true, and you know it! I-I''m well on the way topleting them all, it''ll just take some time."

    Cynthia scoffed. "I''m starting to think you really meant it when you said you will take your sweet time. Making friends and mating, enjoying your life. Meanwhile, all I can do is remain locked inside your head. Have you forgotten who saved your life?!"

    Although Emilia''s eyes got wet with unshed tears, she only gritted her teeth in rage. "It''s six now¡­ no, seven!"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be confused, even forgetting about her rant. "Eh, w-what''s that? What''s with those numbers? Are you trying to change the topic? How viinous!"

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 Chapter 192 - Attitude

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    Emilia quickly wiped her tears and sniffled, somehow still appearing haughty and proud. "That''s your score."

    From her partner''s attitude, Cynthia could easily tell that not only was the girl unrepentant, perhaps she even intended to make herself repent instead! The emerald-eyed girl gulped nervously. "M-My score for what?"

    Emilia smiled. "For pissing me off!"

    "W-What¡­ w-what are you gonna do with it?" Cynthia couldn''t help but whimper. She really should have kept her mouth shut! Anyway, what had happened had happened, there was no need to rage, was there? She''d been stupid! Why couldn''t she turn back the timeline when it was most needed?!

    Emilia didn''t answer, and only opened her panel to check the remaining summoning time.

    Ding!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 11 minutes 24 seconds.

    Of course, Cynthia quickly changed the prompt.

    Ding!

    ¡ªError, for some reason, follower summoning is disabled.

    Of course, Emilia was no longer as na?ve about the void form as she had been back when they first met. She knew that even if Cynthia changed the interface to say something else¡­ she could still summon her out.

    Knowing that her strategy had failed, Cynthia¡ªwho had always hated Dixie¡ªcouldn''t help but be grateful for the girl''s presence at the moment. Because she knew, with how pissed off Emilia was, she would have already summoned her out if not for her.

    Hopefully, by the time they were alone, any one of those coquettish bitches would manage to calm her partner down using their honeyed words.

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    What Cynthia forgot, was that she had been nurturing Emilia as a viiness, and they tend to be both vengeful and unreasonable.

    Of course, even if someone told her, she wouldn''t be happy at all. If her teachings bore fruit in the form of getting her ass beat, what use was that?!

    Emilia may have changed back from her original form once the cooldown was over, but that wasn''t to hide anything from her partner. It was just to make sure the skill became avable to use again earlier just in case she needed it.

    In fact, from the beginning, she had fully intended to let her know that she had revealed herself to Dixie.

    Not to mention, she also had to ask her about the effects on mortals after consuming her blood, as what Dixie had told her did cause her some concern.

    But all that would have to wait until she was done teaching Cynthia who she was dealing with first. Emilia could bear many things from those she cared about, but being looked down upon was not one of them.

    She only left her loyal knight a note saying that she had something to do today and would be busy till the evening, and that she would be responsible for exining the matter to Crystal while picking her up.

    And then, after annoying Noelle with a call so early in the morning just to get a driver to pick her up, Emilia arrived directly at her home.

    Of course, no matter what mood she was in, Emilia didn''t lose her rationality. Only when she was fully rational would she be able to administer just punishment, after all.

    Emilia understood that while giving out extra rewards in joy was still okay, punishments must always be meted out with a clear mind, to not causeter regret.

    The housekeeper bowed when he saw hering. As the driver had to be dispatched from the mansion, he had of course been informed of her arrival, and came out to receive her. "Young miss, your friend arrived yesterday night, anddy Samantha had her settle in the fifteenth guest room."

    Emilia blinked. She may not have been here too frequently recently, but she never thought Samantha would allow so many people to stay in the White Deer mansion as to fill up all their guest rooms. Even if it was only one person per room, that was still fourteen strangers living under their roof!

    Wouldn''t it be too crowded and weird?

    Thinking so, Emilia couldn''t help but frown. "How many other guests are we housing, currently?"

    "None, young miss." The housekeeper coughed, trying his best to keep his face straight. Due to professional ethics, he couldn''t just tell Emilia thatdy Samantha was being a jealous baby and trying to keep her new friend away, could he?

    Emilia paused, then blinked. "Then why the heck¡­ you know what, never mind. Where''s my sister?"

    The white-haired man felt his lips twitch. "In your room, young miss."

    Emilia rolled her eyes. She should have known. Anyway, she would need to kick Sam out before beating Cynthia up anyway, so might as well set her straight at the same time.

    Before that, though, she might as well see how Michelle is doing first. After all, the longer Cynthia''s teeth ttered in fear, the better she felt.

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    Emilia had already expected that Michelle''s attitude would change drastically after getting her revenge. However, there was no way for her to be sure what kind of change it will bring.

    She could give in to self-me and despair. Maybe she would think that now that she had no goal to work towards, her life was meaningless.

    It was even possible that she would me Emilia for misleading her andmitting such crimes.

    Looking at her now, though, Emilia thought this must be one of the better possibilities.

    The boyish girl had knelt on the ground right after letting her in, and kissed the back of her palm piously. Her eyes glittered in both adoration and reverence, and Emilia couldn''t help but blush under her feverish gaze.

    "Princess¡­"

    "How are you feeling?" Emilia didn''t ask her what she did with the Porters. She had already instructed Noelle to take care of whatever was left, and that there was no need to make a report to her. They were her ''return gift'' for Michelle''s lifetime of servitude, after all, and what the girl did with them was her business.

    "I¡­" The girl paused for a moment before taking a deep breath, and then looked straight into Emilia''s eyes. "Princess, first of all, let me just say this¡­ You look absolutely ravishing today! And also, I, Michelle, have never felt better in my life!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Finally done for today! Just editing this much took me so long, hopefully there aren''t many errors left.

    Also, there will be more bonus chaptersing this month! My bonus debt can''t survive!

    However, I, your poor author-chan, have almost broken my fingers these past few days, and will now need to slow down slightly. >_<

    Thank you for all your support :>

 Chapter 193 - Donâ€™t Forget Who You Are

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    Emilia nked for a moment as she tried to process her ''servant''s'' words. Does sessfully getting revenge really change people so much? Wasn''t Michelle so hesitant and careful before? What''s with this girl?!

    In the end, Emilia could only clear her throat awkwardly. "T-That''s good. But don''t stay in that position, your knees will hurtter. You''re not fully recovered yet, are you? We can talk on the sofa."

    Only then did Michelle seem to realize her gaffe, and immediately shot up to bow in apology. "Forgive me for not offering you a seat, princess!"

    If she could, she would have knelt down and asked her princess to befortable on her thigh as a seat, but with her current condition, Michelle didn''t believe she would be reliable enough. What if she caused Emilia to fall?

    A vampire princess falling to the ground because of a broken chair! Her venomous family would probably joke about it for centuries! No matter how clumsily cute it would make her look, it was uneptable!

    Emilia just rolled her eyes before dragging the girl to the sofa, blissfully unaware of the true depth of the girl''s ridiculous thoughts, and pushed her down till she wasfortably seated. "Forego with the formalities. Now tell me, what are your ns for the future?"

    Michelle blinked, as if such a thought had never even urred to her. "My ns?"

    Emilia nodded. "Right. Since the matter with the Porters is dealt with, you don''t need to hide anymore. If you wish, I can even have a new identity forged for you, and you can continue your education in another college."

    The boyish girl fervently shook her head. "No, princess, I don''t want to go to college anymore. In this life and the next, I now have only one goal!"

    Emilia blinked in surprise. She already got her revenge, didn''t she? What is she obsessed with now?

    Michelle bit her lip tightly, her gaze both feverish and pleading as she looked at Emilia. "My only wish from now on is to serve you faithfully, princess! You came to me in my darkest hours, when I had nothing left. And you didn''t just get rid of those bastard porters, you let me do it myself! If I can one day die while serving you, it''d be my life''s greatest happiness!"

    Although the depth of Michelle''s gratitude was moving, it also put Emilia in a bit of a dilemma. After all, her primary goal with saving Michelle had always been to polish Crystal''s talent and confidence. Taking the Sullivans down a peg and obtaining Michelle''s loyalty were just unexpected byproducts.

    Of course, Emilia was never one to shirk her responsibility. Since Michelle was now hers, she had to make sure the girl reached her full potential, one way or another. "You don''t have to think about it like that. As you''re already in my service, I''ll let you know when I need you to do something for me. As such, you can think of it as you''re already fulfilling all my wishes, just by existing."

    Michelle''s eyes shone as she nodded, and Emilia smiled. "But¡­ I also want you to be able to fulfill your own dreams, so that there won''te a day in the future when you think back on it and me me for caging you."

    The boyish girl''s bright yellow eyes shot open wide. "Princess, I¡ª!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes and put a finger on the girl''s lips, instantly shushing the girl. "Yes yes, I know, as you are now, you''d never me me. But that''s because your gratitude to me is overflowing right now."

    She ruffled the girl''s boyishly short brown hair affectionately. "You have to understand that I won''t be happy if my servant is serving me while secretly cursing me in my mind. Isn''t it better to be happy, from deep within your heart? And now that your revenge is over, my question to you is¡­ what makes you happy?"

    Even after she had removed the finger from the girl''s lips, the blush still remained on Michelle''s now only slightly sunken cheeks. "What makes me¡­ happy?"

    Emilia nodded. "Right. Whatever it is, I''ll think of a way to make it so you can do that, while being of service to me at the same time. Of course, if I really need it, I will have you drop everything to serve me absolutely, for that is my right as your princess."

    Michelle looked slightly lost, but still nodded in understanding. It wasn''t that she didn''t know what Emilia meant, it was just that she had no idea how to convince her that serving her princess really was what would make her truly happy. "Y-Yes, I understand. I''ll¡­ think about it, princess."

    Emilia smiled in satisfaction. "Mhm, good. Take as much time as you need, don''t rush. Once you have it figured out, call me, and I''ll arrange whatever is needed. Obviously, your fitness training will still continue, until I''m satisfied."

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    Meanwhile, Dixie had already arrived at Crystal''s ce to pick the girl up.

    Of course, when she first saw it, she could only stare nkly at the note that had been left for her by her princess. But after thinking about it, it made sense that her princess would be a little busy, and sometimes be unable to attend school.

    It was also her duty as Emilia''s knight to make sure nothing went awry while she was away from her domain.

    Obviously, picking Crystal up from her home wasn''t a big deal. The only problem was that the girl seemed to have gotten a lot more stubborn since thest time they met.

    The blonde girl frowned. "Why is she skipping ss? Is she gettingcent because she got the top spot in the first exam?"

    Dixie raised a brow in surprise. She may not know the exact reason for Emilia''s absence, but since when was it Crystal''s turn to receive reports on that?

    The dark-haired girl flicked her hair, looking far more haughty than Crystal had ever expected from her. "Do you think my princess needs to report to you before doing something? Have you started dreaming just because she cherishes you?"

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 Chapter 194 - Crystalâ€™s Target

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    Crystal was no longer as meek and uncertain in her own insights as she had been before. It was easy to see that Dixie wasn''t just being condescending, but was actually a little gloomy.

    She couldn''t tell whether the girl knew what Emilia was up to, but it was obvious that the girl wouldn''t have told her even if she knew.

    Dixie rolled her eyes before tapping the roof of the car, still holding the door open for Crystal. "Get in already, I don''t have the time to wait around for you all day, do I? We still need to get to school."

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but frown as she reluctantly took a seat in the back of Dixie''s car, and the dark-haired girl followed before shutting the door close and motioning for the driver to start.

    It didn''t take long for the silence between them to get awkward, and in the end, it was Dixie who broke it with a sigh. "Actually, I''m sorry about what I said earlier."

    Crystal blinked, slightly surprised. She had just been wondering what it could be that could make Emilia leave so suddenly, and also cause Dixie to be so gloomy, but never expected the girl to recover so swiftly. "Hm?"

    The dark-haired girl scratched her cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I know you''re only worried about her, which is why you asked. But to be honest, I also have no idea what she''s doing, so I got a little irritated."

    The blonde girl nodded, her eyes shining in enlightenment. "Ah, no wonder. If you have no idea where she went, your attitude makes sense. Of course, the most loyal knight would be gloomy that the princess left without her. Surely, you also wanted to ditch school and follow her in whatever exciting scheme she''s cooking up next, right?"

    Dixie opened and closed her mouth for a while, not knowing how to retort to the mixture of teasing and jabs. In the end, she could only sigh. "Well, you''re not wrong, but the way you said it rubs me the wrong way."

    Crystal chuckled. "Well, don''t mind my attitude today. There is something I need to aplish, after all. A mission, if you will."

    "Eh? Mission?" The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but blink in surprise. Weren''t they going to school? Even if this girl wanted to run away, her princess had clearly asked her to escort her there. Even if she had to drag her by the hair to get there, it would have to be done.

    The blonde girl smirked, and looking at her devilish smile, Dixie wondered how Emilia could ever call her an ''angel'' with a straight face. "Un. Since you''re Emilia''s best friend, I don''t really mind telling you, but you''re not allowed to interfere."

    Dixie frowned. "If it''s something that puts you at risk, I would have to. After all, princess would be upset with me if I allowed anything to happen to you."

    Although Crystal had always found Dixie''s loyalty quite cute, she couldn''t help but be concerned about how obsessed the girl was with Emilia.

    Recalling the night that the girl had slept over, and Dixie had clearly molested her heavily in her sleep, Crystal decided that it wasn''t something she could just leave alone.

    Perhaps she should start working on establishing certain boundaries between these two in the future. But that would have to wait until she got rid of the major pest first.

    Speaking of ''him'', wasn''t Dixie also in ss S? With her cooperation, things would be much easier. "Actually, now that I think about it, why don''t you help me out?"

    The dark-haired girl looked at the heroine suspiciously. "Didn''t you say just a moment ago that I wasn''t allowed to interfere?"

    Crystal smirked. "Well, as the angel of your princess, can''t you do me even this little favor?"

    Dixie couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "¡­That makes me want to help you even less."

    Crystal sighed, a little disappointed, but it wouldn''t affect her ns much. "Fine, don''t, then. I can deal with that Randy guy by myself."

    Dixie''s ears twitched. "Randy?"

    Seeing Crystal nod, the dark-haired girl grinned. She had of course never liked the guy who always dared to pester her princess right in front of her, despite all her warnings. "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"

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    Randy had to admit, as a student of ss A, he had been a little prejudiced against ss S in his heart.

    When he had first been transferred in, he had expected the quality of his education to fall a little, but he thought it was eptable since the White family had done a lot for him, and he could always make up for it with hard work.

    The reasoning behind this thought was simple. Even if the instructors were of the same level, the peers would be far worse, as thepany of genius-level students would be reced by rich scions who could barely bring themselves to care about studies, to say nothing of their intelligence.

    However, the truth was that the students in ss S weren''t just a little better than he imagined, but were also far more friendly.

    Without the pressure and worry about their grades, they studied what they liked, and had fun while doing so. Moreover, as they didn''t care about academicpetition, they were mostly friendly with each other.

    This was not counting the enmities that some business families had against each other, but that was none of his concern anyway. After all, very few knew that he was now affiliated with the White Deer.

    The only unfortunate thing was that Dixie, Emilia''s best friend, still didn''t like him at all, and avoided him like the gue. And under her influence, all the girls who used to follow Emilia seemed to do the same.

    Today, however, that very same Dixie approached him after ss. It was weird enough that she wasn''t the first one out of the door, but to actually take the initiative to approach him?

    Unless it was to forward a message from Emilia, Randy didn''t believe in such miracles.

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 195 - The Heroâ€™s Magnificent Mental Gymnastics Show

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    There used to be a time when Crystal would never approach another student on her own, be it someone from her own ss or even the one sharing the same bench.

    In the rare case that she did happen to do so, it would only be to ry instructions from the teacher, and that too only if they were insensitive enough to disturb their top student to do such a mundane thing.

    Even though this fact didn''t hold true anymore due to the changes brought forth by Emilia''s influence in her life, Crystal still preferred to keep to herself, and rarely interacted with her peers.

    For her to do so today for Randy, an ex-ssmate who had already moved to a different ss, she clearly had an objective. And that, of course, was to make it crystal clear to the boy that he would never, ever, be able to get together with Emilia.

    She had already been gathering her courage to do so for the past few days, ever since she had kissed Emilia that night, and now that Emilia wasn''t with her, this was as good an opportunity as any to get this out of the way.

    After all, her image in Emilia''s mind was that of a pure, kind girl. She even called Crystal her ''Heroine of Justice''. It was impossible to do such a thing in front of her.

    Of course, it was possible that she would still hear about it from others, especially since Dixie also knew about it now, but Crystal knew Emilia well enough. The girl would surely be able toe up with some benevolent reason for her doing so on her behalf, and even if someone tried to put in a bad word for Crystal in her ears, it would only backfire on them instead.

    With Dixie agreeing to arrange a meeting between the now otherwise unrted students, Crystal thought that everything would go without a hitch.

    Unfortunately, a certain annoying silver-haired boy seemed intent on making things difficult for her.

    It was bad enough that he existed, and spent most of the time in ss ring daggers at her back, but Crystal could still barely tolerate that. What made it infinitely worse, however, was that he even dared to get in her way!

    The blonde girl could only grit her teeth as she stared at the bastard''s smug face as he blocked the door. "Get out of my way, please. I have things to do, unlike some people."

    Amos had already missed the love of his life dearly these past few days that he hadn''t been able to gaze upon her wonderful form. And he could tell that she had not only missed him, but was also upset that he would go missing like that without even letting her know.

    The silver-haired boy couldn''t help but sigh. ''She must have been worried that the wretched viiness did something to me, or if I was sick. Unfortunately, she didn''t have any way to contact me. Ah, but of course, even if I give her my number, that horrid whore will just snatch it away and use it as an excuse to bully my precious! What a bitch!''

    He gave the girl his best reassuring smile. "Don''t worry, Crystal. Whether I am here or not, rest assured that someone like that bitch can never be a threat to me."

    The girl''s face immediately turned pale, and Amos could tell that the viiness must have left a deep trauma in her heart. Although she wanted to believe in his words, her worry for his well-beingbined with her terror of that bitch must be driving Crystal crazy.

    Contrary to what he thought, though, the heroine obviously took his words as both a threat and a challenge. Wasn''t what he said the same as dering he could have Emilia back whenever he wanted, and she would never be able to resist? It was like he didn''t think Crystal''s existence mattered at all, and whether or not he let her know was inconsequential.

    In her entire life, the blonde girl had never felt so despised, and despised someone at the same time. She didn''t even know it was possible.

    If not for the fact that Crystal knew she couldn''t beat him in a fight, and it would only create a bigger mess for Emiliater, the heroine would have already started swinging.

    Crystal''s re this time was chilling, and even the hero unconsciously stepped aside to give way. It was only after she had stormed away that he realized what he had done, and shook his head in mirth.

    Amos sighed as he followed the furious girl from a distance. The intuition of the love of his life was terrifyingly sharp, and even in a crowd, she would spot him if he got within a few dozen meters. Of course, he''d already figured out how far away he''d have to stay to remain unnoticed.

    The silver-haired boy couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. "Honestly, I never knew she could show such passion and intensity without ever saying a word. Don''t worry, Crystal, I understand how deeply you love me¡­ I won''t let that bitch force you to keep your distance like this for much longer. Then, you will openly be able to show your love for me!"

    Although he had been slightly confused when he noticed that the venomous bitch wasn''t present today, he soon realized that thinking about it was pointless.

    After all, whatever nefarious ns she was making would end up being foiled by his father''s scheme, and when he swooped in to save Crystal, she would finally be free from the clutches of that vile witch forever.

    Just thinking about it made him giddy.

    For so long, he had been suppressing himself, for fear that his triumph over that wretched whore would end up causing pain for the love of his life when that bitch inevitably took her frustrations out on the helpless girl.

    Obviously, he knew that if he used his full capability, crushing that moronic viiness who could barely rub her two brain cells together was simply far too easy. But while he didn''t mind trading blows with that wretched whore, how could he let the love of his life suffer for it?

    Once both Crystal and her mother were safe and sound¡­ Amos fully intended to show the world his true skill, dazzling them all with a single move.

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 Chapter 196 - Randyâ€™s New Research

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    Harry couldn''t help but blink in shock, pointing a finger at his new friend in disbelief. "What?! Dixie told you to meet her behind the cafeteria building?!"

    His shock wasn''t unjustified at all, because anyone with half a brain cell could tell how much Dixie disdained simply looking at his friend''s face.

    And for her to call the boy to a private ce like that, it definitely wasn''t for a date or confession.

    In fact, if Dixie didn''t n to scold him, she probably nned to beat his friend''s ass.

    Actually, now that he thought about it, wasn''t that exactly the ce where he had first gotten his ass handed to him by those bullies?

    It had almost slipped Harry''s mind, since the situation had been taken care of by Emilia the very next day, and the bullies even seemed to entirely disappear from his life.

    For a while, Harry couldn''t really tell what to feel about the whole thing. He had been so certain of his fate, having suffered simrly since his primary school days, that he had thought of it all as inevitable.

    But for some people, it was such a simple problem to solve. And to think that he had even been bravely willing to shoulder the burden in an attempt to keep the ''kind-hearted but misguided'' girl out of it. It really was quiteughable.

    If he could, he would forever go hide in a hole, and never see Emilia''s face ever again.

    Thankfully, she had transferred to another ss, and Harry couldn''t help but feel both guilty and relieved.

    Randy nodded. "That''s right. You two don''t have toe along, you know? I can go by myself."

    This boy, Harry Burns, was his new best friend, and one of the reasons he was enjoying his time here so much more than he did in ss A.

    It wasn''t that Randy had never had a friend before, though he was somewhat of a loner this past year, it was just that he had never hit it off with someone as well as he did with this boy.

    And it was no surprise, as the two of them shared the same moral code, and also suffered from the same heroplex. In Harry''s case, it hadn''tnded him in as much trouble yet, but he still recognized the issue after multiple humiliations.

    After a heart-to-heart talk, the two of them became the best of chums. Of course, Randy could tell that Harry was a little jealous of him for some reason, but that didn''t bother him too much. The boy was good at heart, and that was all that mattered. As long as he never acted on that jealousy, there was nothing wrong with how he felt.

    Harry pushed his sses up as he smirked. "No need to follow you? Aren''t you just saying that so no one knows you got your ass beat by a girl? That''s the only reason she''s called you over, you know. If you''re expecting a confession or something¡­"

    Randy rolled his eyes in exasperation, swinging his bag over his shoulders as he walked to the door nonchntly while his two new buddies followed him while giving him strange looks. "Bruh, it''s probably my little sister calling me to get something done. Dixie is just her mail girl. I swear, that brat¡­"

    Not to mention Harry, even the girl in their group felt a chill up her spine as they rapidly looked around. Heaving a huge sigh of relief when they confirmed no one had heard him, the girl ran in front of Randy with a huff, and stomped on his feet in rage.

    "Anti-bro! You BETA, do you want to get us all killed?! Didn''t that little devil hang you upside down for three hoursst time someone told her you were going around calling her princess your little sister?!"

    "Yeowch! That fucking hurt!" Randy jumped around in pain, almost falling back on his ass as he red at the impudent, self-proimed ''disciple'' of his.

    The girl looked like a normal highschooler, with her ck hair in twintails and a small button nose. Her entire persona screamed ''little sister'', and that was also her greatest cmity.

    Randy almost flipped a bird at her, but managed to restrain himself at thest moment. "One of these days, I''m gonna forget you''re a girl and kick your ass, Thea!"

    "Anti-Bro sure likes to joke around, right, Hairy Bum?" The girl only scoffed, all too familiar with the ''manly principles'' of both Randy and Harry. Even if she was stomping on their balls, the most they could do was try to dodge, block, or run away.

    Harry''s face immediately went red in both shame and rage. Although it was funny when the girl made names for Randy, he hated the name she gave him with a passion. At least Randy''s were still somewhat creative and cool! Why was his so disgusting?!

    Apparently, although Thea''s family was quite rich ¡ª as was the case with everyone but him in ss S ¡ª her older brother was a huge siscon, and never failed to annoy her at every waking moment that she wasn''t at school.

    Harry thought it was just right, and even the divine retribution for the girl, given how she never missed the chance to make names for others and annoy them. Heroplex or not, helping this girl had never been on his agenda.

    Randy, on the other hand, hadn''t been as familiar with her at that time, and offered to help her out.

    Although he hadn''t been an expert on the topic of sis-cons before, but after meeting Samantha ¡ª Emilia''s older sister ¡ª he had already started treating the existence of sis-cons as an extremely dangerous disease that had to be cured.

    The siscon disease didn''t harm the ones it infested within, though, and instead brought harm upon those who approached the sisters of those afflicted with this deadly virus.

    At first, it had just started as a means to save himself. After all, the all-powerful big boss and the big sister of his future was a legendary sis-con ¡ª he had to find a cure if he didn''t want to die!

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 197 - Crystalâ€™s Confrontation

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    Randy didn''t know whether he should consider it fortunate or unfortunate, but Samantha''s target had already shifted away from him after he stopped being Emilia''s fianc¨¦, and all that knowledge became more or less useless.

    Letting all go to waste didn''t sit right with Randy, and he decided to put it to good use, and make this the main focus of further research that he would be dedicating himself to in the future, aside from helping the White Deer with whatever they required him to do.

    And as an uing researcher on the topic, he had of course approached the girl when he heard hermenting about her big bro being an incorrigible siscon.

    Much to the girl''s shock, the advice from this seemingly unreliable guy actually worked!

    Granted, her big brother was still a sis-con, but the mere fact that she now knew how to make him go away for a few hours was a hundred times better than she could have ever imagined!

    Since then, impressed by his legendary insight into the mind of a sis-con, the girl started following in hopes of learning more of his ''art''.

    Of course, Harry believed that the girl simply had a crush on Randy, thanks to his somewhat dashing looks and impable grades, but neither of the two ever suspected such a thing, leading the boy to feel left out and jealous for absolutely no reason.

    Had Randy known his friend''s thoughts, he would have started researching overthinking and mental gymnastics instead of the siscon disease.

    Unfortunately, helping the girl out came at a great cost to Randy, as she had since started not just following him around, but also giving him weird titles.

    Whether it was the ''Anti-Bro'', which made him sound like some kind of viin, or the ''Bro-Repent'', which made him sound like some sort of bug spray, none of her titles were ttering. And the worst of them all, was the short form of ''Big Bro Begone Technique Angel''¡­ B3TA.

    Needless to say, a girl following him around and calling him a BETA of all things was good for neither his heart nor his reputation.

    Some of the other students had already started believing strange things, and even thought that the two of them had some sort of strange rtionship!

    Randy could onlyment it all in his heart though, because this girl was stubborn as a mule, and if it wasn''t advice on how to get rid of her brother, she wouldn''t be willing to listen to his words at all.

    As for sharing his anti-siscon advice with Emilia? Randy didn''t have a death wish, after all. If Samantha ever figured out he tried to influence her little sister ''negatively'' in any way¡­ he shuddered at the thought.

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    Despite all of his friend''s protests and mockery, Randy still arrived at the back of the cafeteria, confident that it must be Emilia who asked for him, though the location did seem a little strange.

    After all, who else could make that obsessive ''knight'' Dixie make a move that went against her nature?

    But much to his shock, there really was no Emilia waiting for him at the back of the cafeteria. Thankfully though, neither was there an ambush to beat his ass, and there was only a familiar blonde girl tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

    "Crystal Miller?!"

    The thick disbelief in the boy''s voice didn''t mask his shock at all. Why would the previous number one genius of their school, someone who never once cared to approach anyone, have had him called here in such a roundabout way?

    Moreover, why would she use Dixie to do it? No wait, did she even call him here, or was this all just a coincidence, and he was just misunderstanding?

    Not to mention Randy, even hispanions were shocked. They had expected that Randy would be getting the beatdown of his life here, but wasn''t this the shy confession setup from a beautiful girl?

    Before Emilia''s name spread as it did, the most famous girl among the freshmen was, without a doubt, Crystal Miller. Obviously, neither of them was unfamiliar with who she was.

    As Randy had moved from ss A, and the blonde girl had sought him out like this, didn''t it just mean that she had started realizing her feelings after he moved away?

    Such a conclusion made Thea''s heart beat in excitement as she wondered how an overachieving, beautiful girl like Crystal would make her confession.

    Maybe she could learn some tricks and use them to nab herself a boyfriend good enough to resist the bullying from her siscon older brother, finally achieving the ultimate salvation.

    Harry, on the other hand, could only grit his teeth in fury. ''Thea is obviously chasing after him in her own way, and now even Crystal came to make a confession?! What the fuck?''

    This guy really was a chick ma!

    Even if a boy had good fortune with girls, shouldn''t it still be limited to getting his confessions epted by those that would otherwise be considered out of his league?

    Why in the world were they confessing to him instead?!

    Harry couldn''t help butment it in his heart. ''Fuck! If I knew that being associated with Emilia had such effects, I''d never have tried to get away from her like that! In fact, that day I really fucked up!''

    That day, when she had chased away his bullies, if he had epted Emilia''s hand¡­

    Maybe if he also had some rumors flying around simr to Randy, he would also be basking in simr glory. The difference in looks between Randy and himself was only minor, after all.

    But while he was somewhat jealous, Harry also couldn''t help but look down on his friend in his heart. After all, to be so smugly looking forward to another confession, while still making a girl like Thea hang on in uncertainty¡­ this guy was too much of a scumbag!

    Had it been Harry in his ce, he would have resolutely epted Thea''s pursuit, and the two of them would have had a wonderful life together from then on.

    Harry could already imagine it. He would take her out on dates, and the two would marry within two years or so. They would have four kids, two boys and two girls. Of course, he would name the boys, and she could name the girls.

    Unaware of the trio''s varying thoughts, Crystal scowled when she noticed that the boy hadn''te alone, and had brought two others along.

    Of course, she wasn''t worried. Since she nned to get things done, Crystal would certainly not be so shortsighted as to not prepare for a physical confrontation.

    She was also well aware of her own strengths and weaknesses, and hadn''t hesitated to call Penny to remain on standby.

    Crystal knew that, sweet as she was, Penny would never refuse one of the earliest supporters of her ''Royal Knights'' initiative, as well as the one who had first introduced her to Emilia face to face.

    As long as she gave the signal, the three of them wouldn''t even know what hit them.

    Crystal smirked derisively. "You don''t dare toe alone, Randy? Given how you were chasing after Emilia so fearlessly, I''d have thought that you had more guts."

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Third andst chapter for today. I''ll try to get the same done tomorrow. >_<

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 198 - Crystalâ€™s â€˜Confessionâ€™

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    Hearing Crystal''s provocative words and looking at her clearly condescending attitude, not to mention Randy, even his two friends almost fell over in confusion.

    What kind of a confession was this?

    Randy could obviously tell that Crystal''s attitude towards him was anything but friendly. But although he didn''t know how he had offended this girl, he was sure that it must be because of a misunderstanding.

    And since she was a close friend of his ''little sister'', it was best to clear it up before it caused bigger issues. Nodding to himself, Randy resolutely raised his hands in surrender. "I think there must be some misunderstanding? My friends just followed me on their own, but if you want to talk in private, I can¡ª"

    Crystal had obviously never done this kind of thing before, and it truly was nerve-wracking for her to confront someone like this. If she had not made ample mental preparations, maybe she already would have started having thoughts of backing out.

    Still, Crystal didn''t dare give herself the chance to skirt around the issue. She had to be blunt and direct, and hammer her point home in the boy''s head before leaving.

    The blonde girl frowned. "Never mind that. I only called you here today to make one thing clear, and if you don''t mind them listening, I won''t care either."

    Randy couldn''t help but gulp. "W-What is it?"

    All kinds of bad thoughts swirled around his head. Did Crystal feel dissatisfied that he was above her in the rankings this time? Did she think that he had cheated in some way to get that score? But he truly had learned a lot while teaching Emilia! And it wasn''t his score that went unreasonably high, but Crystal''s that dropped. How could she me him?

    Crystal walked towards the trio domineeringly, and pushed her index finger to Randy''s chest, making the boy flinch while the other two blinked in shock. "Listen, regardless of what anyone else has told you, you can forget about ever getting together with Emilia, understand?"

    It took them a moment to process her words, having never expected her purpose being that, of all things.

    Hadn''t it been a while since the rumors surrounding Randy and Emilia stopped? Was Crystal reading the old newspaper?

    Randy was also confused, just like his friends, especially since he had long since stopped considering Emilia a potential love interest. "Eh? But I¡ª"

    ''Already gave up on that a long time ago'' was what he was going to say, but Crystal didn''t allow him to speak.

    The blonde girl sneered, the expression lookingpletely uncharacteristic on her face. "I think you should know better than anyone else how much sincerity you hold in your heart when ites to treating Emilia as a fianc¨¦e, no? Since you''re not sincere enough, and there are others¡ªlike myself¡ªwho are willing to treat her right, please don''t bother her anymore, understand?"

    While Randy was stunned into silence, it was Thea, the sister of Theo, who pointed a finger at the girl in shock. "Eh? Y-You are¡ª"

    The dark-haired twintailed girl vaguely recalled that her brother mentioned how embarrassed their mom had made him in a party while trying to set him up with Emilia, who was clearly into girls, andbined with what Crystal said, she couldn''t help but make some conjectures.

    Hadn''t these two been incredibly close recently? And maybe Emilia also changed her ss just so they could sit on the same bench!

    All of Thea''s rapidly forming ''conspiracy theories'' came to a grinding halt, however, when Crystal stepped back and puffed out her chest. "That''s right, I love Emilia."

    There was a moment of shocked silence after the blonde girl''s proud deration.

    While the others still couldn''t form a response due to their shock, Crystal red at Randy. "I know that I am not in a unique position, and frankly, had you been sincere enough, I might have barely been able to ept it. But I will never allow someone like you ¡ª who does not even look at her the way a lover should ¡ª to taint her heart, or worse, hurt her. Understand?"

    Seeing how the boy remained silent even after she waited for a while, the blonde girl shook her head. "If you''re dissatisfiedter after you''ve finally mustered enough courage, I will take you on in any non-physical challenge any time. As someone who used to be in ss A, and having even exceeded my rank in this exam, I''m sure that won''t be an unfair match, right?"

    Randy finally snapped out of his shock, and almost cried out loud. ''Miss genius, just because you cked off for one exam and I barely squeezed past you due to some circumstances, would I start having delusions now?!''

    Even if he was given twice as much time to prepare, and even had the time limit to solve the exam removed¡­ he still wouldn''t be able to do what this girl had done.

    Even if he was overconfident, Crystal was still the girl who had broken the highest score record of the entrance in the academy''s history. To put it simply, she was on a different levelpared to every other student in the Imperial Academy, and Randy knew that very well.

    Maybe if she messed up in the next exam as well, some would really start having doubts. As it was right now, though, no one dared to mock her.

    Fortunately, Randy never intended topete with Crystal in the first ce. After all, Emilia was now his ''little sister'', and even if he didn''t help her hook up with a cute girl, how could he start bing a roadblock instead? Impossible.

    But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Crystal, one of the most beautiful and indisputably the most intelligent girls in the Imperial Academy, would be the one chasing after his little sister. "I-Is it really true that you love Emilia? You''re not saying that just because you think I''m not good enough for her, right?"

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 Chapter 199 - The Knight Order

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    Crystal scoffed. "Of course it''s true!"

    Although hearing her confirmation did put his mind slightly at ease, Randy still found it hard to believe it. After all, Emilia may have a lot of fangirls, and plenty of cute friends, but when it came to really settling down and spending the rest of their life together, how many would be willing?

    Having spent quite some time since their ''heart-to-heart'' talk worrying about the future of his ''little sister'', Randy still felt a little skeptical that Crystal would really love her like that. It was like before he could seek a solution to the problem, it came flying to him on its own. "H-How do you know you love her? Are you really really sure?"

    Crystal gave him a condescending look, as if she had known that he would doubt her love for Emilia. After all, as someone who failed to fall in love with the girl, he was clearly unable to see her true worth. "I love the way she walks, I love the way she talks. I love the way her eyes shine when she''s being naughty. I love the way she smiles when she''s happy. I love how she believes in me far more than myself. I love how much she cares for me, and doesn''t just say it. She has done so much for me already, and even if she rejects me in the future, I will still dedicate my life to her! So don''t you dare think that, just because you can''t see it, she doesn''t have others who would love her like this!"

    If not for Emilia, Crystal knew that both she and her mother would still be getting harassed by those thugs, struggling to get by from day to day with whatever little scraps they managed to earn from that loss-making business.

    No¡­ maybe they would already have snapped under the pressure, and given it all up. After all, it only seemed to have been getting worse with time, so who is to say how long they could have endured?

    Her mother, who had raised her with great difficulties for so many years, had already looked like she was going to fold under thebination of threats and financial pressure in the past few years. Only the thought of ruining Crystal''s future made the woman force herself to keep it all together, no matter what. But for how long could she have kept it up?

    However, from the first day that Emilia entered her life, she already set off great waves of change. The immense burden that seemed to have been ready to shatter her mother''s back and crush both of them mercilessly was taken off and thrown away, just like that.

    Of course, Emilia never mentioned it to her directly, and if Crystal had been dense, maybe she really would have missed it. And maybe she would have truly believed that it was Dixie''s mother who saw potential in their restaurant''s location and decided to invest in it.

    But the fact that Emilia didn''t care whether she even received gratitude in return for changing her life¡­ only made her love the girl more.

    Hearing her passionate confession, Randy couldn''t help but feel something awaken within him.

    It was also a type of love, but not for a person¡­ but a rtionship.

    Thinking about these two beautiful girls together, one so selfless and one so passionate, both loving each other so deeply, the boy felt as if all was right in the world. And since his little sister was obtaining happiness at the same time, even better.

    The heroine had already flicked her hair and left after she was done making her point. After all, she only wanted to make a point today, and didn''t care for Randy''s approval.

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    Not far from the scene, a petite girl with an extremely long blonde ponytail jumped excitedly as she turned back to her ''assistant''. "Did you record it properly, Adele?"

    The spectacled girl nodded. "Yes,mander. Aside from my own recording, we also have reconnaissance from five different spots, and also have separate arrangements for a clear audio signal."

    Needless to say, such a thing would be impossible without fairly expensive cameras capable of taking long-distance shots. Of course, the one thing that Knight''s Order no longercked¡­ was money.

    Penny giggled gleefully. "Good, this would make an excellent training clip for the new knights. This level of passion is the least you should have in your heart to be qualified as a knight! Ah, Crystal¡­ as expected of a personal ve of the princess."

    Adele nodded, though she was more concerned about something else. "What do we do with the pest?"

    The petite blonde frowned. "The one following Crystal around?"

    Adele nodded. For her to have reached the point of being able to follow the Commander around when she had started off as no more than an honorary member, her obsession and contribution had been nothing but exceptional, to say the least. She had a keen eye for spotting opportunities to make contributions, and the bucktoothed girl made full use of it. "Yes. His actions seem strange. Although he stayed away, he kept gritting his teeth, and red his eyes seemed almost ready to bug out of his head at any time. And with the way he clenched his fist, we were almost sure he was ready to start punching the wall or something. That is what the girl observing him ryed to us, and it seems a little concerning, to say the least."

    Penny couldn''t help but frown.

    Truth be told, she never really cared about the identity of Emilia''s ex-fianc¨¦. After all, whatever rich boy he was, if he dared to bother her princess, he deserved a very thorough beating at the very least.

    However, she was also worried about attracting trouble for her princess before.

    Now that she had the ability to get in touch with Emilia''s sister, however, things had be much easier.

    "Leave him be for now. I''ll ask the ''Elder'' and let her decide what to do next."

    The ''Elder'' was, of course, Samantha''s title in their Knight Order. Both as the elder sister of their princess, and as the one who supplied them with so much support, Penny had decided in her capacity as the Commander that she was deserving of such a position.

    Adele nodded reluctantly at first, then bit her lip. "Commander¡­ I don''t know if I should say this, but¡­"

    Penny raised a brow curiously. "Hm?"

    Although she wasn''t quite sure if she would be stepping out of line, having only recently been allowed to directly assist themander in missions, Adele still decided to take the plunge. "That silver-haired guy seems quite obsessed with Crystal, right? And although our princess is often together with Crystal, that is not the case all the time, like right now. Wouldn''t it be wise to have someone follow them around?"

    As long as she could keep increasing her contributions, it was all worth the risk! Adele knew that one day, her dreams would definitelye true, as long as she kept working hard!

    Penny''s eyes immediately lit up as she pped. "Good suggestion! No, excellent! If we had missed it, and something untoward happened, the princess would have been distressed by the injury of one of her personal ves! Uneptable! As a reward, I shall give you another half a bar of chocte!"

    "Thank you, Commander! You''re too generous!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    I could only do this much today, sorry. >_<

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 200 - The Heroâ€™s Determination

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    Meanwhile, the hero had no idea that he had now be the target of the infamous ''Knight Order'' in their school, and continued to brood about what he had seen before.

    Having followed Crystal from afar, Amos obviously wasn''t able to hear her conversation with Randy, but he was still able to tell from their expressions that something wasn''t right.

    First of all, why would Crystal even meet a boy in such a secluded spot? It made no sense. How could his pure, innocent Crystal approach a boy on her own? Amos couldn''t help feeling betrayed.

    The love of his life was a pure girl untainted by the filth of this world. Let alone interacting with the opposite sex, she didn''t even have same-sex friends! Except for that venomous viiness bothering her, Amos knew that the blonde girl would never talk to others without reason.

    And worse, with the way the two followers of the boy looked so shocked¡­ Amos couldn''t help but have a bad feeling.

    The fact that there could be others getting in the way of his love even if that ''wretched bitch'' wasn''t there anymore entered his mind, and he couldn''t help but feel queasy. ''N-No, my Crystal is not that kind of girl!''

    The more he thought about it, the more certain he became. ''All of this must have been nned out by that vapid whore! She knew I must be keeping an eye on her, so that bitch forced my poor Crystal to do this kind of thing, so that I misunderstand her! Vile whore!''

    It was only after he realized the ''truth'' of the matter, that the hero was finally able to notice a detail he had previously missed.

    The boy''s face¡­ was quite familiar.

    With his impable memory, it took Amos only a few minutes to recall exactly who the boy was. "It''s that treacherous bastard! How can he still be alive?!"

    The muscles in his arms twitched as rage clouded his mind, and Amos almost punched the wall, only managing to restrain himself at thest moment. "F-Fuck!"

    Fortunately, just as he was too far from Crystal to hear their conversation, they also couldn''t hear him slipping up. But his realization had already made the hero''s blood run cold.

    The bastard who betrayed him and put in him in the hospital was still alive! And not only that, he was even cooperating with that vile whore!

    Amos couldn''t be bothered remembering the names of all hisckeys, inconsequential as they were, and only vaguely recognized their faces.

    Being a genius, however, he still managed to remember that the traitor who put him in the hospital was one of the boys from ss A.

    Now that he was in that very same ss along with Crystal, he had seen neither of the twockeys there. The first, he assumed was either hospitalized or dead from the injuries of that day, and the second¡­ was exactly this traitor.

    Having not seen the boy there, he had assumed that even that bastard father of his wasn''t useless enough to not be able to get rid of one treacherousmoner.

    Amos couldn''t help but grit his teeth in rage. "I really overestimated that bastard father of mine! Fucking useless!"

    Because of that man''s ipetence, now his poor Crystal was getting roped into some convoluted scheme to harm him in some way.

    He may not fear whatever those bastards nned, but he feared for the love of his life. The thought of any harm befalling the poor girl made his heart itch. "How can that venomous bitch keep targeting her like this? Heartless bitch!"

    But although the fury rushed through his veins, Amos still managed to retain a clear head. "Heh, cook up all the schemes you want, you whore. This time, even if that bastard father of mine messes up¡­ I''ll be taking the matter into my own hands."

    The thought of holding that vile whore''s fragile neck in his palm, being able to snap it with a single thought, finally alleviated some of his fury, and his lips twitched in excitement when he thought of that scene.

    What would Crystal''s face look like when he finally triumphed over that little bitch? He was sure that she would finally be able to give him her true, genuine smile, no longer restricted by the chains that the venomous whore was using to bind her.

    Getting rid of that bitch came second. His first priority would always be the love of his life. After all¡­ it was never toote for a gentleman''s revenge.*(even I cringed while writing this)

    Amos vowed to himself that he would never let his damsel be in any more distress, his eyes steely and firm with determination. "Don''t worry Crystal, my love, I will save you!"

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    Meanwhile, back at the White Deer mansion, Emilia was already headed towards her room to meet with her ''big sister''.

    Truth be told, she wasn''t really angry with Sam. After all, her ''big sister'' had only settled Michelle into a more remote room, and hadn''t really done anything to really go against Emilia''s will.

    Plus, Sam''s performance had been quite good, and her rewards were still pending. Punishing her at this time would just be bullying her too much, and Emilia believed in treating all her ''subjects'' fairly. Especially the cute ones.

    But it was still necessary to make sure that Sam didn''t get any ideas of mistreating Michelle. That girl didn''t need any more of that in her life, after all.

    In fact, Emilia had to make sure that even teasing Michelle wasn''t allowed! Until her cheeks were chubby, her hair shiny, and she could face her future with a smile, the girl needed to be nurtured carefully.

    Emilia made sure to furrow her brows and set her face into a scowl, intent on scaring Sam a little ¡ª admittedly mostly for fun. ''Ehehe¡­ Sam oh Sam, as the old saying goes, one has to look at the master''s face before kicking the dog, and bullying my servant is the same as bullying me!''

    With both her expression and mind set, Emilia had barely knocked on the door once before it swung open, and the taller girl immediately lunged to wrap her up in a tight hug.

    "My cutest little sister is finally here, ah!"

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 Chapter 201 - Biancaâ€™s Father

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    Although all her preparations of setting her expression into a scowl and trying to scare Sam went to waste due to the taller girl''s enthusiasm, Emilia couldn''t find it in herself to get angry at all. Why was this girl such a big, adorable puppy?

    Emilia even giggled as she was swung around twice before her toes were finally allowed to touch the ground. "Sheesh, if I didn''t know any better, I''d think we were meeting after years!"

    Samantha kissed Emilia''s cheek fondly as she sighed against the girl''s nape. "Every moment without you feels like years to me!"

    Of course, Sam didn''t let her go immediately, and held her tight while looking straight down into her eyes. "By the way, my genius little sister''s n really worked as expected! Even that conceited politician is probably panicking right now, you know?"

    Emilia blinked in surprise. "Eh? You mean Mr. Sullivan?"

    The brown-haired girl nodded. "Yep. Mom and Dad told me that, lucky or not, our move this time might really help them make a huge breakthrough! Mr. Sullivan''s biggest political opponent is willing to switch over to our side, as long as we promise to support him fully from now on."

    "Oh? I didn''t expect that just a simple, baseless confession from a mentally ill boy would be able to hurt them much, let alone this."

    Her goal with this move had always been to boost Crystal''s confidence, after all. The fact that she had gained another dedicated servant, though she still needed a lot of polishing, was already a huge bonus.

    The most Emilia had expected other than that, was to sow seeds of doubt and distrust in the political and social allies of the Sullivan family. After all, the less coherent the ''teammates'' of the ck Tiger were, the better.

    The taller girl couldn''t help but sigh. "You would think so, and you wouldn''t be wrong. What happened yesterday was only the straw that broke the camel''s back."

    While dealing with someone like Mr. Sullivan, even if it only directly involved just one of his wife''sckeys, it was essential for her to familiarize herself with the politicalndscape to some extent. And now that Samantha had already dropped so many hints, Emilia could already more or less guess who she was talking about. "Is this ''political opponent'' Mr. Fionn?"

    Samantha''s gaze was both impressed and surprised. "Right! You actually managed to guess? As expected of my genius little sister!"

    Emilia chuckled as the taller girl picked her up and jumped onto the bed. ''That fat dad of Bianca''s actually turns out to be of some use for us in the end, huh? I never would have guessed.''

    Had she not been so afraid of the punishment that awaited her, Cynthia would surely have scoffed. Wasn''t that guy looking down on them so much that even when he was the ''second favorite'' in the ck Tiger, he would rather still stay there.

    It was only after they had ''proven themselves'' due to Emilia''s influence that he felt like they could be of ''some use''. Could such a person ever be relied upon? Cynthia didn''t think so.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle and pat Samantha''s head as the taller girl nuzzled into her neck while holding her close on the bed. "You''re such a kid, Sam. Did you miss me so much?"

    The brown-haired girl nodded as she kissed Emilia''s earlobe affectionately. As long as Emilia allowed her to be so close, she didn''t mind whatever name she was called. "Mhm, I missed you a lot!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle as shebed her hand through the girl''s hair. "Fine, then¡­ y as you like, but I still have things to doter. How about ten minutes?"

    "I-I can kiss?"

    Emilia thought about it a little, but in the end, she shook her head. "You can continue what you were doing, but no kissing on the lips for now. I still need you to think clearly, after all! But before you leave, I''ll let you kiss."

    "Great! Thank you, Emilia!"

    Of course, even though she was passionate, Emilia knew Sam very well. The girl didn''t dare to go too far, and onlyy on top of her docilely while fluttering kisses on her ears, nape, and cheeks.

    Samantha''s hands roamed only over Emilia''s palms, squeezing them from time to time, before wandering over to her waist, her sides, and grazing past her butt. But never did she dare to directly y with her erogenous zones, leaving Emilia free to enjoy her light caresses as she considered the situation in her mind while running her hand through Samantha''s curly locks affectionately.

    Although she wasn''t very familiar with the politicalndscape of the country yet, she still knew much more than the general public, thanks to Noelle''s informationwork.

    Although Mr. Fionn and Mr. Sullivan were both from the same political party, and also were ''friends'' with Mr. ck, there had recently been some controversy alluding to the fact that they were both starting to sh against each other due to both of them aiming for the same position.

    Of course, Mr. Sullivan had a clear advantage. Whether it was his wife''s grasp on the high society, his personal rtionship with the top corporations such as the ck Tiger, or even his personality, he had Mr. Fionn beat on all levels.

    Even his son was a superstar, while Bianca ¡ª Mr. Fionn''s only daughter ¡ª was only an elementary schooler.

    Moreover, Mr. ck had already made his stance clear. He was going to support Mr. Sullivan through thick and thin. If he insisted on sticking together with the man, Mr. Fionn knew very well that he was destined to never be able to obtain that coveted position.

    The most he would get was plentiful funding when contesting for other offices, but just like Mr. Sullivan, there was only one chair that Mr. Fionn truly desired.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! >_<

 Chapter 202 - Summoning Cynthia

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    Emilia knew that, under normal circumstances, even if Mr. Fionn switched sides and tried his best, he would probably only manage to look like a clown. His futile struggle against the inevitable would just end up boosting Mr. Sullivan''s prestige further. This was the greatest reason that prevented him from switching sides, although it wasn''t wrong that he must have looked down on the White Deer to some extent.

    But when he saw that not only were they moving against Mr. Sullivan and the ck Tiger, they were even seeding¡­ was it possible for him to not be tempted?

    From that point on, all the other factors automatically fell into ce, hastening his decision to turn against the ck Tiger. After all, his only daughter Bianca seemed to have hit it off quite well with Emilia, andbined with the fact that they were making a move against his opponent right now¡­ what better time was there to switch sides?

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh in her heart. In terms of finances, they were already leading, and if they managed to get their hands on this chess piece, things could finally start moving forward. ''As long as Iplete even one of the three missions¡­ heh¡­''

    "What else did they tell you?"

    Sam had been busy rubbing her cheek against Emilia''s as she held her beloved little baby close, wondering why she felt a little different from usual. It took her a moment to snap out of her thoughts and process Emilia''s question. "W-Well¡­ our influence inside the ruling party has always been very limitedpared to what the ck Tiger has, but if Mr. Fionn trulyes over to our side¡­ I can see why our parents were willing to temporarily put aside their cold war for something like this."

    Emilia blinked. "Eh? Cold War?"

    From what she could recall, although the old couple hadn''t been what one would consider ''lovey-dovey'', they were still on good terms with each other, weren''t they?

    The taller girl shrugged as she snuggled closer to her little sister. "No idea, neither of them will tell me, I only know that they''re fighting."

    "Hmm¡­"

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    Emilia didn''t bother digging too deep into the matter of Bianca''s father, and they soon moved on to discussing more ''mundane'' matters while cuddling on the bed.

    "So, although I''m not sure if the list isplete, most of those who were involved in supporting the Porter boy to get where he was are already there."

    Emilia smiled. "Good. Make sure they''re all investigated thoroughly for any shady or suspicious moves."

    The older girl couldn''t help but be a little confused. She had thought that Emilia had only been waiting for them to catch all these vipers in one before casting them out. She never expected that her little sister still nned to nurture these snakes. "Why not just fire them altogether?"

    Of course, Emilia''s thinking wasn''t as straightforward. "That won''t work. Not all of them are traitors, and it''s not so easy to get proper recements for them, right?"

    Although it was easy for them to judge the situation from up top, most of these people had no idea of the overall picture, and many of them had believed that they were making decisions that were profitable for both the corporation and themselves.

    To find truly selfless employees was difficult, and while firing a few of the most culpable ones among those in the list was fine, firing them all together would create more problems than they would solve.

    After all, those people were where they were for a reason, and their jobs would still need to be done by someone. Who is to say that the next person wouldn''t be worse?

    Samantha also seemed to grasp the point after thinking about it, and nodded in understanding.

    Emilia grinned. "Plus, this way, there''s a chance that we''ll be able to catch our opponent''s moves."

    The older girl nodded. "Oh, alright, I''ll pass your instruction on to Noelle, then."

    "Good. By the way, Sam, keep the next weekend free for me, I''ll take you out."

    "Okay!" Samantha couldn''t help but turn excited. Her reward was finallying soon!

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    Emilia had already known that Sam must be quite busy already, and was only waiting for her after hearing about it from Noelle the moment that she had told her about the situation with Mr. Fionn.

    Of course, if Samantha could, she would ignore all her duties in favor of cuddling with her little sister. But at the same time, she was afraid that Noelle would snitch on her and let Emilia know she had been cking off, and would lower her big sister prestige in Emilia''s eyes.

    Gritting her teeth, the older girl apologized before leaving with regret. Even the promised kiss had to be dyed, because Samantha couldn''t bear the thought of not making the most out of it in her hurry.

    After the car door closed, she couldn''t help but scream in regret. "AHHH! I really want to cuddle more with my little sister!"

    The driver cringed and pretended to have heard nothing.

    Meanwhile, after waving goodbye to her older sister and watching her car leave, Emilia had already returned to her room with a smile.

    Ding!

    ¡ªUnfortunately, there has been an error, and the skill ''Follower Summoning'' is temporarily unavable.

    Cynthia''s ''shocked'' voice echoed in her mind. "H-Huh? W-What is going on? S-Seems like there must be an error with the void form! A-AH, m-maybe it was because of the whole mating thing?! I-I will check and¡ª!"

    ''Heh¡­ She underestimates me too much¡­ '' Emilia ignored the strange status message, and activated the skill anyway.

    Ding!

    ¡ªFollower Summoning: Cynthia!

    ¡ªError???

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 11 minutes 24 seconds.

    ¡ª???

    And of course, a flustered Cynthia appeared in front of her shortly after. "Y-You meanie!"

    But although she immediately tried to dash away, Emilia had already grasped her arm and pulled the girl back into a tight hug. "Ehehe¡­ you smug little brat¡­ why don''t you continue what you were saying earlier?"

    "W-What do you mean? I-I didn''t say anything at all?"

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 Chapter 203 - Interrogation?

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    Cynthia had already dreaded this moment since Emilia changed her ns to and came back home.

    She knew, simply making her viiness change her ns was already a grave offense, and Cynthia had even scolded her on top of that!

    She regretted, she regretted till her non-functional intestines turned as green as her emerald eyes, and wished a billion times on the way for something, anything, to distract her viiness enough to forget about it.

    Unfortunately, her viiness knew how to hold grudges very well, and looked down at her with a smirk. "Hoh¡­ I remember you called me a failure of a viiness?"

    "N-Never?!" Cynthia gulped as she tried to back away, but her partner grasped her even more firmly.

    Emilia grinned. ''Heh, she looks so flustered and cute, but this scheming partner of mine still had enough alertness to summon this flimsy little dark veil to cover herself, huh? Who is she trying to fool?''

    Of course, Cynthia didn''t dare to lie at the moment, but twisting words was still within her rights, wasn''t it? She had called Emilia a disgrace, not a failure.

    When she felt Emilia''s hand trail down to her butt, Cynthia couldn''t help but squeak. "W-Where are you touching?! You pervert!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Don''t worry, I''m not molesting you. Just checking how much beating this cute butt of yours can take without breaking, you know?"

    She gave a firm squeeze, and giggled when she felt her partner jump indignantly.

    "S-Shameless! Y-You¡ª!"

    Emilia grinned as she bit the girl''s soft earlobe, making her entire face go red in both embarrassment and anger. "As expected of a viiness, right? I''m not a disgrace anymore, am I? Well, let me show you something even more viinous, then."

    Not giving the raven haired girl the time to form a protest, she pushed her to the bed while still in her embrace, and turned them over twice till the girl was firmly pinned underneath her, looking at her with a disbelieving expression.

    "E-Emilia! You know, l-let''s not be hasty, w-we can talk about it¡ª!"

    Of course, her partner didn''t listen at all, and pinned both of Cynthia''s hands above her head before leaning down to kiss her neck.

    "Don''t worry, Cynthia. I won''t punish you too much. I am a fair and just princess, after all."

    The emerald eyed girl couldn''t help but whimper. ''If only I still had my old strength, someone like Emilia would never be able to subdue me like this!''

    But the situation being as it was already, expecting mercy from the girl she had been goading into bing a viiness for so long was simply foolish.

    As Emilia turned her over, Cynthia gritted her teeth, knowing exactly what she had to do to prevent her ass getting beat today.

    "H-Hold on, let''s negotiate!"

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    While Cynthia was still trying her best to prevent her ass-beating from happening, in another part of the city, Dixie was facing a grand weing that she had never expected in her life.

    "Wee back, young madam!"

    Facing the rows upon rows of servants ¡ª more than she knew they even had ¡ª and her proudly crying mother at the end of it, the dark-haired girl had no idea whether she should cry orugh.

    "What is all this about, mom?"

    Mrs. Brown grinned proudly as she hugged her daughter, patting her back while signaling the servants to leave with her eyes. "I''m just showing how proud I am of you today, is that not allowed?"

    Dixie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Proud of what, exactly?"

    The middle-aged woman scoffed. "What is there not to be proud of? Does my daughter lose out to anyone in anything?"

    The dark-haired girl knew better than to dig too deep into her borderline deranged mother''s psyche, and decided it was better not to ask any further questions. "Let''s just have lunch, then."

    "Not so fast! Although I''m quite proud, I''m also brimming with questions and curiosity! If I don''t get some answers, I might just explode!"

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but gulp. "W-What kind of questions?"

    Mrs. Brown grinned widely. "Hehe¡­ first of all, tell me, how did my daughter-inw taste?"

    Dixie''s eyes almost bugged out of her head in shock. She should have known that her mother''s head was full of garbage, what kind of good question could she possibly ask?

    Thankfully, all the servants had already moved away, or she might have even ended up disgracing Emilia in front of them as well, which would be just unforgivable!

    "Mom, what kind of nonsense question is that?!"

    The olderdy hadn''t had much expectations of her daughter answering, anyway, and just chuckled before moving on to the next one.

    She didn''t believe she couldn''t get anything out of an amateur at all!

    Mrs. Brown smirked. "Well, you were the one who fucked her in the end, right?"

    This had been the thing she was most concerned about. After all, whether she ended up with a man or woman, the daughter of a gigachad must always be on top!

    Listening to her mom''s question, Dixie couldn''t help but recall the scene of their first time together, when she still had Emilia under her, and had done as she pleased with her princess. "H-Huh?! I-I''m not telling you that!"

    Of course, just going by her daughter''s reaction, Mrs. Brown could more or less conclude that what she had expected was really true.

    Fortunately for her, she didn''t notice when her daughter started recalling her punishmentter on, and how her princess had ''taught her a lesson''.

    Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but be proud. ''As expected, my daughter didn''t disappoint!''

    She couldn''t help but chuckle in delight. "Hehehe¡­ alright, don''t tell me that. What about this, then¡­ was my daughter-inw a virgin?"

    This time, the ck-haired girl really couldn''t take the shame anymore. "MOM!!!"

    But even as Dixie stormed away in rage, stomping all the way up the stairs, Mrs. Brown cackled in delight. "Hehe¡­ going by her red face and shy expression, I got it all correct! Ah, to be able to fuck Emilia White, that haughty little princess of the White family, and take her virginity! As expected of my daughter! Ahhh, I can die in peace now!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 204 - Inexplicable Loss

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    With both her dignity and ass being on the line, Cynthia of course tried her best to get out of the situation, even if it meant making a fewpromises.

    The emerald-eyed girl knew that Emilia wasn''tpletely unreasonable. In fact, her viiness had a special soft spot for her ''savior'', and had it not been for her umted offenses, she might have already gotten out of trouble simply by fluttering her eyshes.

    After all, back when Emilia had first visited the heroine''s restaurant, Cynthia had even made the girl cry in public, but hadn''t she still gotten off scot-free?

    Unfortunately, her overconfidence in Emilia''s indulgence really seemed to have backfired now.

    Emilia nibbled on Cynthia''s soft earlobe, still keeping the girl pinned beneath her. "You want to negotiate, huh?"

    If her partner was willing topensate her fairly for her previous transgressions, then Emilia could consider forgiving the girl¡­ partially.

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but shudder as she felt Emilia continue fluttering kisses on her cheek, ear, and neck. Most of Cynthia''s thoughts couldn''t help but shift to how soft the lips of her viiness were, and how good they felt against her skin.

    No wonder those monkey brains lost their puny minds to such sensations! Her viiness was really too sinful!

    In a brief moment of respite when her partner moved to the other side of her face, Cynthia finally managed to squeak out a stuttering affirmation. ''F-Fortunately, as a superior being, my resistances to such mundane temptations are very high! Hmph!''

    Emilia grinned against her partner''s nape, gently biting her soft skin before sitting back up to stare into the girl''s slightly zed-over eyes. "Cynthia, oh Cynthia¡­ underneath this thin, flimsy little veil lies only your naked skin. What can you possibly trade with me, other than your body to get out of your punishment? AH, but of course, such a beautiful, pure maiden¡­ I''ll take the deal!"

    When Emilia''s hands left her own to slide down her shoulders, Cynthia immediately panicked. "N-NO! I-I can answer your questions, you know!"

    The reason for her sudden panic may not be clear to Emilia, who would probably assume it to be either out of disgust or embarrassment, but how could it possibly elude Cynthia herself? But although she knew, the raven-haired girl didn''t dare to ept it, even in her own mind.

    Emilia paused, and then pulled the girl up till they were sitting face to face on the bed, though Cynthia was still firmly secured on herp, unable to escape her tightly wrapped arms around her waist. "You mean those things you weren''t willing to answer before?"

    "Y-Yes." Cynthia gulped. Somehow, this position felt even more intimate than when she had been pinned firmly beneath the girl. ''This viiness¡­ her every movement is evil!''

    Emilia narrowed her eyes, as if she was still a little suspicious. "You won''t lie this time, right?"

    Cynthia felt her heart stop for a moment, though she wasn''t sure if it was from the fact that Emilia seemed to have noticed when she lied to her before, or from the girl tightening her grasp around her waist. "I-I don''t dare?"

    Emilia grinned as she bit her partner''s earlobe again, even though the soft little thing was already red from her earlier ''abuse''. "Okay¡­ then¡­ my question¡ª"

    "B-Before that, can''t you stop doing this already?" The emerald-eyed girl squirmed as she tried to get out of her partner''s grip, but that only made everything feel ''worse''. And her partner even dared to squeeze her butt with a giggle. Just how much more insolent could one get?!

    Next time, she really had to invest more energy into making better clothes! Extra thick, extra durable ones!

    ''A-Ah, but¡­ there''s only 0.71% left¡­ HUH?! How did it be 0.51%?!''

    Unaware of her partner''s thoughts, Emilia smirked mischievously and kissed Cynthia''s cheek again. "This is just interest, you know? I''ll stop taking it once you''ve paid off your debt. Of course, if you want to pay your debt off this way, I can also consider it¡­ you just need to kiss me. A good, proper kiss!"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but forget about her earlier thoughts for a moment as she rolled her eyes and punched her partner''s shoulder. "S-Shameless! No, wait! Emilia! Emergency!"

    "Are you trying to distract me?" Emilia rolled her eyes as she held the girl tighter, and the emerald-eyed girl couldn''t help but groan. ''T-This goody-two-shoes princess really became such a deplorable viiness! I''m really too good at my job, aren''t I?!''

    But when she tried to push her partner back forcefully and exin the situation, Emilia suddenly turned silent.

    It was only a momentter that Cynthia realized how soft and squishy the feeling in her palms was. And even if she couldn''t tell from Emilia''s red face and naughty smile, she could still see that her hands were squeezing the girl''s soft mounds.

    Cynthia immediately retracted her hands as if she had been struck by lightning. "S-Sorry! I didn''t mean that!"

    Emilia smiled. "It''s fine. You can do this anytime, you know?"

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes at how cheeky her viiness was. "No thanks! WAIT, stop! I really meant it earlier, we''re in deep trouble!"

    Emilia had still been indulging herself in teasing her partner earlier, but this time she could clearly see Cynthia''s disturbed look, and immediately sobered. "What''s wrong?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but bite her lip tightly, looking at her partner in distress. "The energy consumption is wrong! ording to our usage so far, I should still have 0.71%, but it''s lower!"

    Emilia blinked at her in surprise. It had been a while since shest called Cynthia out using follower summoning, which was one of their ''major'' sources of energy consumption thanks to the girl''s insistence of making her clothes. "Could it be because of the shapeshift skill? I did use it quite frequently, but you told me it doesn''t consume energy, right?"

    Cynthia nodded, looking even more confused than before. "It does not! That''s definitely not why it went down. There must be something else. L-Let me think¡­"

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown. Being inside her mind all the time, how could Cynthia figure anything out? It was most likely due to something she herself did, and only she could help them figure it out. "When was thest time you checked how much was left?"

    Cynthia thought about it for a while. "I-I think it should have been around the time you went to the ce where the fake arrest was taking ce?"

    Emilia thought about it for a while before a thought urred to her, and her expression couldn''t help but turn weird. "Does it consume energy to heal me?"

    If she considered the time period between that fake arrest and now, there were only three things that came to her mind.

    First, Crystal''s ''awakening'' to her real potential, which Emilia didn''t think should affect herself too much, though she wasn''tpletely sure.

    Second, the trip to the supermarket, and everything she did there. It was possible that something somewhere could have influenced her and consumed her energy, though this was also highly unlikely.

    Andst but not the least¡­ was sex with Dixie.

    Cynthia gave her a confused look. "A-A little? Did you get hurt?"

    Emilia hesitated a little before nodding. Anyway, with how rough Dixie had been, it would be a lie to say she didn''t get hurt. Plus, the main issue was that the girl had consumed her blood after taking her virginity, which Emilia suspected might be the cause behind the sudden loss.

    Cynthia gave her a look mixed with both relief and exasperation. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?! I panicked for no reason, you know!"

    Seeing how her partner just blinked at her stupidly, Cynthia couldn''t help but pout. "This has to be worth some points, right?"

    Emilia chuckled as she squeezed her partner''s cute little nose, much to the girl''s annoyance. "Because you''re so adorable, I''ll drop your score all the way down to four."

    Knowing her viiness, Cynthia thought this wasn''t too bad of a deal, and nodded in satisfaction. "Still, don''t hurt yourself so severely next time, okay? Not only is it a waste of energy, it''s also suspicious if you can just regrow body parts!"

    Emilia just smiled and kept silent. ''Interesting¡­ so what Dixie did¡­''

    Cynthia didn''t seem to notice Emilia''s thoughts, and continued lecturing her. "Actually, not just body parts, you should treat every part of you with care! Even your saliva and hair strands, it''s all a precious treasure! Even when you''re kissing someone, be careful not to let them have it!"

    "Why not?"

    "Idiot! Although the amount of energy in saliva is very small, we still lose something! In the long term, it''s not good to deplete our energy like this¡ª! AH! My heart, you''re giving me a heartburn!"

    "¡­"

    "¡­ T-That has to be worth a point, right?"

    Emilia sighed. "Fine, you have three points left now. Oh, but if we lose something¡­ what do they gain?"

    Cynthia was ecstatic. ''As expected! Even my training cannot turn this dumb little princess into a true viiness! I just have to pry open her tough shell a little, and then it''s easy to y around with her soft core! Easy points! Hah!''

    She didn''t even mind answering her partner''s question. "Not much. Just a little saliva from kissing? Heh, maybe an extra day in their life? But for us, even if it''s a fraction of a fraction, that''s still lost energy! That''ll be one point, by the way."

    Looking at her partner''s smug appearance, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Alright then, let me try something."

    And before Cynthia''s grin could even fade away, Emilia''s soft lips connected with her own.

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Only one chapter today, sorry! >_<

 Chapter 205 - Whoâ€™s Your Baby?!

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    This wasn''t the first time that Cynthia was tasting Emilia''s lips. After all, her partner''s first kiss was with none other than her, but the sensation this time waspletely different.

    Her partner''s kiss that night had been full of desperation and insecurity, and had made her feel a mixture of both pity and panic, though the exact source of those feelings was unclear, even to Cynthia herself. This time, however, Emilia''s kiss was hot, teasing, and full of confidence.

    The way she alternated between kissing Cynthia''s upper and lower lip, from a gentle brush to passionate oppression, the emerald-eyed girl could already feel her mind turning fuzzy. She couldn''t help but think that her partner''s lips were truly soft and luxurious, and mere mortals were simply unworthy of being served such a delicacy.

    With her hands still bound tightly against her back as she was firmly held in Emilia''sp, Cynthia could only close her eyes helplessly.

    Peeking through her hooded eyes, Emilia could tell that Cynthia had already given up resisting her kiss, though there was sure to be a tantrum once she let the girl off.

    Brushing her tongue against Cynthia''s delicate lips, Emilia chuckled when the girl jolted in shock. Of course, inexperienced as she was, Cynthia made the mistake of opening her lips to protest, allowing Emilia to freely invade her mouth.

    Now that she could thoroughly taste her partner, Emilia finally realized what Dixie meant by the taste of stars in the sky. Assuming that the two of them were the same¡­ it really made sense.

    Cynthia''s mind turnedpletely nk as she felt Emilia''s soft, flexible tongue enter deep into her mouth, quickly entangling with her own as if attempting to capture and take it back.

    She couldn''t help but instinctively fight back in an attempt to free her tongue, but that only made Emilia groan into her throat as she kissed her deeper, the grasp on her slim waist getting desperately tight.

    "Mmph!"

    Of course, with both her lips sealed and tongue conquered, even scolding her insolent viiness was impossible!

    Emilia didn''t bully her partner''s little tongue too much, and after thoroughly teaching it a lesson, she went back to kissing her gently in constion. Even her restraining grasp rxed significantly, almost making Cynthia believe that she would be let off soon.

    That thought changed abruptly, however, when Emilia started chewing on her bottom lip, making Cynthia freeze in shock.

    Having her delicate, soft lip nibbled between her partner''s sharp teeth without them ever breaking her skin felt like a show of both great care and provocation. Of course, the moment Emilia let her go to kiss her gently again, Cynthia immediately bit her back in anger.

    Unlike Emilia''s teasing little love bites, Cynthia wasn''t gentle at all. Her teeth immediately broke through Emilia''s delicate lip, making the girl whimper, though the sound was disturbingly erotic in Cynthia''s ears.

    Although she could tell that her partner was both angry at being kissed and terrified of her reaction from being bitten, Emilia just smiled as she licked her bleeding lip. "My baby''s so rough."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but huff. "W-Who''s your baby?!"

    Emilia smiled. Although she had been wondering just how long Cynthia would let her go on before putting her ''mischief'' to an end, she never expected her to retaliate in such a way. "The one who dared to bite my lip, of course."

    The raven-haired girl jutted her lip out in a pout. "Y-You¡ª! Don''t do such things with me!"

    While it was true that Emilia was different from mortals, and her void body allowed her to always remain pure and without impurities and imperfections, Cynthia still didn''t believe in doing such mundane things. ''A-Although it did feel good, so it could be considered entertainment¡ª No! What am I thinking?!''

    "Don''t tell me you hate it?" Emilia chuckled. With her partner pouting like that, wasn''t she just temping her again?

    Looking at her partner''s gloomy appearance, she squeezed the girl closer to herself with a smile before burying her face in her nape. "Well, I didn''t do it without reason, if that''s what you''re angry about."

    Cynthia didn''t want to dwell too much on her strange thoughts, but Emilia wasn''t making it easier for her at all. Feeling her warm breath on her neck, even though the girl wasn''t doing anything naughty, Cynthia couldn''t help but feel strange. "W-What reason could you possibly have?"

    Emilia breathed gently into Cynthia''s ear, and grinned as the girl jumped from the strange tickling sensation almost directly inside her head. "Other than tasting your delicious lips and seeing your cute reaction, I also wanted to know how much energy would be lost in an exchange like this."

    "You pervert!" Cynthia felt like she was going to explode from both anger and humiliation if her partner continued toying with her like this.

    Having known her for so long, Cynthia knew that the best way to distract Emilia while she was being naughty was to make her focus on something important, so she cleared her throat. "A-Anyway, you don''t lose energy doing anything with a summoned follower, technically. It all flows back inside you once the summoning is canceled."

    Emilia nodded against Cynthia''s neck as she gently made small circles halfway up her spine with her index finger, enjoying the girl squirm with a smile. "But let''s say if it had been someone else, how much would the loss have been?"

    Cynthia hesitated for a while as she thought about it, trying her best to ignore the strange ticklish sensation. "I-I really can''t tell¡­"

    Emilia slowly trailed her finger downwards, millimeter by millimeter. "How about this then¡­ you said earlier that consuming my bodily fluids increases a mortal''s lifespan, while I lose energy. How much is one percent of energy worth, theoretically?"

    Cynthia''s mind buzzed as she felt the strange sensation intensify slowly. "U-Uhm¡­ w-wait¡­ l-let me think¡ª!"

    Of course, Emilia only continued to trail her finger down slowly, all the way until it almost reached the end of Cynthia''s spine, almost about to¡ª

    "Y-You viiness!"

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 206 - Secret To Immortality

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    Cynthia had finally had enough of the humiliation, and pushed Emilia off with all her strength, making her crash on her back on the bed in a burst of giggles.

    Looking at her partner''s burning red face, Emilia really couldn''t contain her smile. "You''re so cute, Cynthia."

    The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes as she saw how her partner turned around toy her head on herp, as if she hadn''t just been pushed away. Looking at Emilia contently breathing directly against her belly as she wrapped her hands around her slim waist, she couldn''t help but shout. "Shameless!"

    "Ehehe¡­"

    Cynthia groaned. "I hate to admit it, but you''ve really surpassed all my expectations when ites to being a viiness."

    Emilia smiled, looking proud. "High praise from my baby¡­ I''m happy."

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Stop that!"

    "Ehehe¡­ okay. What about my question, though?"

    The emerald-eyed girl nked. "What?"

    Emilia giggled. "I feel so peaceful and soothed here on yourp. Let me snuggle against your belly until you remember¡­"

    Cynthia could feel her face burning in shame, and tried her best to recall Emilia''s question as fast as she could. ''W-What was it? Ohhh, right, one percent of energy in terms of mortal lifespan, was it?''

    Emilia looked like she was about to snooze, her eyes closed as she breathed gently against her belly as shey on herp, so Cynthia couldn''t help gently nudge her. "D-Don''t sleep! A-Anyway, about your question¡­ it depends on the mortal''s longevity. For a short-lived species that lives for around a thousand years, maybe only around half a century or so? If they normally live for around a million years, it would be extended by fifty thousand. Un, something like that."

    Emilia grasped the hand that Cynthia had nudged her with, and rubbed it against her cheek as she thought about it. ''So for humans, it should be around five years for every one percent, meaning that having sex with me increased Dixie''s lifespan by almost a year, right? Not bad.''

    From her understanding of how the inner world worked, any followers she took in would already have been able to apany her for a very long time, in theory. However, this method would allow her to actually boost their lifespan¡­ as long as she had sufficient energy, that is.

    Meanwhile, Cynthia was lost on apletely different tangent. "Of course, even if someone captures you and manages to drain some of your blood or stores it away, you don''t have to worry so much about it. It only takes a few minutes for all the energy to flow back to your body."

    Although Cynthia had a remote understanding of human mating, it was all very theoretical knowledge. The volume of sexual fluids exchanged should never exceed a few milliliters in most humans, as far as she was concerned, so it was impossible for her to think of ''sex'' as the reason Emilia lost so much energy.

    Besides, her partner had already admitted that she was ''injured'', and while Emilia could be very naughty, she would never lie to her partner.

    So it was no wonder that Cynthia believed that Emilia had been injured, which is what caused her to lose so much energy, and also led to such questions. "Don''t worry. All the spilled blood, all the torn tissues¡­ it will all try to get back to their source if possible. The only way to really make you lose energy is by moving you too far away too quickly, or by immediately consuming it. I''m guessing you were moving quite fast when you got injured, right? That''s why the energy was lost?"

    Emilia looked confused for a moment before she realized that Cynthia must have misunderstood. Well, she hadn''t exactly rified the matter yet, so it was her own fault. She couldn''t help but bury her face in Cynthia''s t belly, feeling a little embarrassed. "Actually¡­ the loss of energy was from Dixie drinking my blood."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but smack her partner''s head in annoyance. "Idiot!"

    When she thought about it¡­ it really wasn''t impossible. Since she could bite Emilia''s lip and make her bleed, wouldn''t that mortal barbarian bimbo be able to do the same?!

    ''That stupid bimbo actually dared to bite my viiness and drink her blood!'' The mere thought infuriated Cynthia, and she smacked Emilia again, making the girl giggle into her belly. "In the future, you must definitely not allow such a thing!"

    Emilia nodded. "I-I get it. Don''t worry, Cynthia. I understand how precious our energy is. We only have half a percent, I definitely won''t waste it."

    Although her partner remained in such an embarrassing position, Cynthia felt that Emilia''s words were sincere enough. "Un. Until the missions arepleted, this energy is only there to heal you in emergencies. You''re not allowed to waste it!"

    Obviously, Emilia wouldn''t be herself if she stopped teasing her partner. "Of course¡­ Also, since it''s so precious, next time I summon you, you''re not allowed to make that veil, understand?"

    Cynthia''s face immediately burned red, though with the girl on herp, and already holding one of her palms against her soft cheek, there was little room for her to strike. She could only smack her head again, which was just as ineffective as before, only making the girl giggle.

    "Idiot! You dare molest me like this, and now even dare order me around?! Stop giggling!"

    Emilia giggled again, as if determined to infuriate her partner to the maximum extent possible. "Don''t get so angry, baby. I''ll definitely cover you properly, and close my eyes before doing so. Promise."

    Cynthia frowned as she thought about it, but Emilia really hadn''t broken any of her promises, so she could only nod. "Fine, and you better stop it with that annoying nickname¡ª"

    Emilia finally turned her head up and away from Cynthia''s belly as she stared at her partner with a grin. "About your punishment¡­"

    "Eek!" Cynthia jumped, almost managing to throw Emilia off, but thankfully she had a firm grip on the girl''s waist.

    She couldn''t help but chuckle. "Don''t worry. I really liked the taste of your lips, and my baby is so adorable, I''ll clear it off for now."

    "Argh! Who''s your baby?!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Bonus chapter for powerstones!

    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 207 - The Right Entrance

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    Crystal had often heard that when you truly love someone, you''re willing to give them up if that''s what it takes for them to be happy.

    She''d felt that although it was a bit of an overgeneralized statement, it was still somewhat true. Of course, she hadn''t been too interested in love herself at that time, and hadn''t looked at it from a personal perspective.

    But after meeting Emilia, the blonde girl realized that love came in many different vors, and what she felt¡­ was definitely not the selfless kind.

    Crystal realized how vast the gap was between Emilia and herself, which was why she had tried to deny her feelings at first. However, now that things had changed ¡ª even if the credit for that again went to the very same girl ¡ª how could she let her go?

    The only way she could convince herself to give up¡­ was if Emilia herself turned her down. And even then, Crystal wasn''t so sure if she would be able to remain resolute.

    Maybe she would even be the type of person she looked at with scorn ¡ª those like Emilia''s ex-fianc¨¦ Amos. A perverted stalker.

    The mere thought caused Crystal to shudder in disgust, and she suddenly felt very thankful for Emilia''s mischievous nature. Even if there were dozens of girls chasing after her at once, she was unlikely to turn any of them down¡­ as long as they were cute.

    Crystal shook her head with a chuckle. ''Emilia will probably try to flirt with all of them, and cause total mayhem. And her standards of ''cute'' are really too low!''

    Fortunately, Emilia was already surrounded by people like herself, Dixie, and her older sister. With them keeping an eye, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to take advantage of the girl.

    Crystal sighed. "Where is she anyway? It''s already been like two hours since Dixie dropped me off, and Emilia is still not home. Ahh, I can''t wait to tell her about what happened today!"

    After dering her love for Emilia in front of Randy and his friends, Crystal felt as if she was filled with power and motivation, her chest full of pride.

    Her intuition about the boy had really been right. Even when she went so far, he didn''t even dare to fight for his fianc¨¦e! How can someone like him deserve to be Emilia''s husband?

    Even if it was against her father''s will, Emilia was definitely not allowed to marry such a person!

    When she had first set out to im Emilia as hers in front of her ''second fianc¨¦'', Crystal had already been full of confidence, and now that she had already staked her im while facing barely any resistance, her self-esteem shot through the roof.

    The blonde even felt that if Emilia was here right now, she might just directly take her to bed! Crystal couldn''t wait to meet her again.

    After looking at the clock for the umpteenth time since returning from school, Crystal finally couldn''t bear it anymore. "Ahhh, I''m done waiting! Where''s my phone?"

    It didn''t take her long to find the bag she had carelessly thrown onto the study table in her room, and the blonde girl immediately made the call before she could start second-guessing herself.

    The thing barely rang before the call connected, almost startling the blonde girl.

    "Crystal?"

    Crystal cleared her throat in embarrassment. "H-Hi! Um, w-where are you? You said you won''te to ss, but will be there after school. B-But I don''t see you at all!"

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    The White Deer Corporation''s security personnel around the heroine''s home were usually quite bored.

    Even with three teams, passing eight hours while remaining fully alert wasn''t an easy task.

    Of course, this was their job, and they couldn''t very well start watching inte videos to pass time. That was a sure way to get fired within a day. No matter how bored they got, they would never do such a thing.

    That being said, there were many ways to entertain themselves withoutpromising their duties, and one of those was betting.

    Most of their bets were quite mundane, and only a few of them would bet at a time on things like if a particr person would try to cause a scene, or how likely an innocent passerby goon was to piss himself if they ''scared him a little''.

    Harmless stuff, really.

    Of course, their biggest bets were always on the little sister of their sis-con boss.

    "Heh, I told you she was gonna use the door to get in this time. Idiots, during the daytime, there''s a 53% percent chance of her acting like a regr human, as I told you. Now, pay up!"

    Just as his friends were reluctantly going to ept their defeat, however, there was a sudden reversal! Not only did the girl back out of the door, but she also started climbing up the building like a nimble cat, jumping silently onto the second-floor balcony as the previous winner stared at her in despair.

    "Alright, guys! Cat climb to the second floor wins this time! Pay up!"

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    Emilia could hear the petnce in the heroine''s voice, making her chuckle in amusement. "Are you sure? Have you looked around carefully?"

    She had almost been through the restaurant door when Crystal''s call came, so of course she decided to y around a little.

    Landing silently on the balcony, she slipped into Crystal''s room just as the girl left to check if Emilia had returned.

    The heroine stared at the closed door in confusion, and the living area seemed empty as well. Realizing that Emilia had fooled her, she couldn''t help but huff. "Funny! You made me look around like an idiot. I thought you were back, you¡ª"

    Emilia grinned as she put away the phone on the bed before sneaking right behind the heroine, and then¡­

    "MOMMY!"

    Her mother''s confused voice from downstairs didn''t help her embarrassment at all. "Crystal? What''s wrong? Do you need something?"

    "N-Nothing, mom! I''m fine!"

    Mrs. Miller felt a little confused, but in the end she shrugged and went back to taste-testing the brand new recipe one of the cooks hade up with.

    Looking at Emilia giggling to herself, the heroine couldn''t help stomp her feet. "Y-You almost made me pee myself! Do you have any idea how scared I was?!"

    Emilia stuck out her tongue with a naughty smile. "Sorry, sorry. Your waist looked so tickle-worthy that I just had to do it."

    "Y-You¡ª!"

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    While Emilia was ''consoling'' the heroine, Dixie''s mom was having her own fair share of troubles.

    Despite her rxed and proud appearance in front of her daughter, Mrs. Brown''s recent days hadn''t really been what she could call ''peaceful''.

    Even with her golden goose of a daughter-inw letting her know of Mr. ck''s sabotage strategy in advance, countering it turned it out to be far more tricky than she could ever have imagined.

    The middle-ageddy couldn''t help but shake her head. Even with decades of high-level management experience under her belt, the scale of the operation was simply on another level. "Can''t that idiot just trust me? I mean, it''s true I was gonna betray him, but he should still trust someone he''s nning to cooperate with more, right?"

    Although keeping the workers sent over by Mr. ck separated from those recruited by herself wasn''t difficult in itself, it was only a temporary patch at best. Moreover, simply firing them wouldn''t work at all.

    After all, she would still need people to work in those locations, and these were all qualified professionals. Even if she fired them using some excuse, it was very likely that they could juste back using her own recruitment process, this time being even more difficult to remove.

    cklisting them all would work, but it was also a risky move. With the ck Tiger Corporation''s backing, as long as she slipped up even a little, it was possible for them to drown her in various discriminationwsuits.

    Of course, since she had assured her daughter-inw that she would get things done, Mrs. Brown had no intentions of giving up or seeking help at all. Not unless the situation really started getting out of hand.

    After a lot of brainstorming, they had finallye to the conclusion that it was best to simply keep these people hired, but transfer them to a useless, non-functioning subsidiary. Since this subsidiary will perpetually be in a ''nning'' phase, the workers can only wait.

    Although theirpany might lose some money paying these workers without getting any work in return, it was still far better than allowing sabotage.

    "Hah¡­ Dixie, the things I do for you. You don''t know how lucky you are to have me as your mom. The wonderful gigachad genes, the sexy mother-inw charm. What else could a girl want?"

    Of course, implementing such a thing wasn''t as easy as it seemed either, and Mrs. Brown had been through multiple migraines getting it all on track.

    Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but sigh. "If only they at least went with my n for revenge, hah¡­ it would have been so satisfying!"

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    ~ To be continued ~

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    Thank you for all your support! :>

 Chapter 208 - Poor Timing

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    As far as Emilia was concerned, Crystal''s anger had about the same impact as a pouting little kitten. Instead of apologizing, she only felt tempted to tease the heroine more.

    Crystal had been so busy stomping her foot angrily, that she never even noticed her move until the girl was already pulled into her embrace, their cheeks pressing together as she felt one of Emilia''s hands wrap around her waist tightly.

    As expected, the heroine immediately turned silent, making Emilia grin. "Although I did tell you to call me ''big sis'' while we''re alone, I never expected you to really call me ''mommy'', you know?"

    Immediately, Crystal''s doused shame and anger returned tenfold, and recalling how she had clumsily squeaked out for her mother when startled, her face couldn''t help but turn red like a boiled tomato. "AHHH! That obviously only happened because you startled me! And I clearly wasn''t referring to you, Emilia!"

    Emilia pretended to look hurt. "Huh? Is there another sugar mommy you have on the side, Crystal? Am I not enough of a mommy to you?"

    Mrs. Miller, who had just finished her taste-testing and was returning to check why her daughter had called for her, silently turned back, mumbling to herself on her way down. "My girl grew up¡­ though not in a way I expected."

    Combined with the ''indecent'' mumblings of Dixie during herst visit, and their presumed ''threesome'' that night, Mrs. Miller already had an extremely dramatic story running in her head.

    Mrs. Miller could already feel her head throb in pain. "I really might need to talk to Mrs. Brown about this, embarrassing as it may be."

    Back upstairs, Emilia had of course noticed the heroine''s mother, but had pretended not to see her.

    Anyway, wouldn''t it just make things awkward? Thankfully, Crystal had her back turned towards the door, or she might have directly fainted from the shame.

    "S-Stop teasing me, Emilia! You know what I meant¡­"

    Brushing Crystal''s short, beautiful golden strands behind her reddened ear, Emilia gave the adorable little thing a gentle bite. "Bad girl. You dare to raise your voice against me, right after denying our ''rtionship''?"

    Crystal tried to turn her head away so she could stop the girl from biting her earlobe, but the grip around her waist only seemed to get tighter. "E-Emilia¡ªahn!"

    A loud thwack echoed to the heroine''s shock as she felt Emilia''s other palm p her butt, making her freeze in shock.

    Emilia smiled teasingly as she felt the heroine go silent and still. "Good daughter, so obedient."

    Of course, Crystal immediately exploded in shame. "Stop it with the mommy-daughter y, okay?! I really hate it!"

    "Ahaha¡­ okay, okay¡­" Emilia grinned as she ruffled the heroine''s blonde hair and gently pressed her lips against the girl''s slightly wet eyelids. "My angel looks so cute, I just couldn''t resist, you know?"

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but squirm as Emilia started fluttering kisses all over her face with her soft, delicate lips. "Y-You¡­ ahhn¡­ s-still teasing me¡ª!"

    Even Emilia could tell how perfunctory her ''protests'' were, as the girl was clearly enjoying being pampered.

    Crystal could feel her heart beating like a drum as Emilia rained kisses all over her face, from the top of her eyelids, her cheeks, her chin, and then she moved downwards.

    As Emilia was kissing and nibbling on her neck, Crystal felt like her brain was about to explode from the erotic sensations shooting up her spine and directly into her brain. "E-Emilia¡­"

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    Meanwhile, Mrs. Brown was stillmenting about the fact that the White family sisters hadn''t epted her n. "Now that I think about it, it''s possible that they didn''t properly listen to what I said, right? Ahh, with little Sammy''s bias against me, it''s entirely possible that she''s learned to automatically filter out my words!"

    Just thinking about the possibility of her genius n noting to fruition just because she couldn''t get her point across made Mrs. Brown feel like if she kept this bottled up, she wouldn''t get a wink of sleep for the next few nights.

    In the end, the middle-ageddy couldn''t help but grit her teeth. "Fuck it! Since I''m not sure, I''ll just confirm it with my dear daughter-inw instead."

    Nodding to herself, she pulled out one of her phones, and immediately made the call.

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    Having had enough of teasing the heroine, Emilia was just about to press their lips together, being only a millimeter apart, when her cellphone rang obnoxiously from Crystal''s room.

    Crystal''s heart had already been thumping wildly as she waited for their lips to connect after Emilia''s long and painful teasing, and she almost had a heart attack when the bell rang.

    Before she could even feel any disappointment or relief, however, she felt Emilia firmly press their lips together, far rougher than she expected, making her groan in both surprise and delight.

    Unfortunately, it didn''tst long as Emilia parted with a sigh. "Someone always seems to disturb us, huh? Heh, maybe I should keep ying with you, just so their ns are unsessful?"

    "E-Emilia! Don''t be so naughty, j-just finish the call first¡ª"

    Of course, Emilia just grinned and picked the blonde girl up in a bridal carry, making her squeak indignantly as she was carried off to her room.

    Taking a seat on the side of the bed as she held the embarrassed heroine on herp, Emilia finally picked the phone to see who dared to interrupt her this time.

    Last time, it had been Mrs. Brown, and this time, it was apparently¡­ still Mrs. Brown?

    Emilia couldn''t help but be a little confused. ''C-Could it be intentional? No way, right?''

    But then, how can one person have such impable timing? She had only ever been so intimate with Crystal twice, and both times she had been interrupted by Dixie''s mom! And it wasn''t like she frequently received her calls, either, because the woman had only ever called her these two times.

    ''Is there really such a coincidence in this world?''

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 Chapter 209 - Mrs. Brownâ€™s â€™Geniusâ€™

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    Shaking her head, Emilia decided to let it go as a coincidence this time. If it did repeat another time, though, she might need to investigate this ''supernatural'' ability of Dixie''s mom quite thoroughly, one way or another.

    On the other side, Mrs. Brown was already frowning, wondering if her daughter-inw had left the phone on silent and moved away, or if she was unable to take calls at the moment. But just as the phone was about to disconnect automatically, the call finally connected.

    "Hello, Auntie!"

    The older woman breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she could talk to the girl, she would no longer have to wait anxiously while wondering if her guess was right or not. "Emilia dear, I didn''t disturb you, did I?"

    Looking at the heroine squirming in herp as she tried to get away, Emilia grinned as she tightened her grip on the girl''s waist while kissing the back of her neck, making the girl stiffen instantly. "Not at all, Auntie. How could you interrupt me? Just tell me what you need."

    Mrs. Brown didn''t understand her implication that she would continue whatever she was doing regardless of her interruptions in the future, and thought that her daughter-inw was just ttering her by saying that ''mother-inw is always my top priority''.

    Dixie''s mom couldn''t help but wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. ''Ah, my daughter really is quite lucky. Daughter-inw loves me so much, and she''s so beautiful and charming as well, andespletely loaded in money!''

    But thinking about her almost discarded ''genius n'' her mood couldn''t help but dip. "Actually, I was calling to confirm something with you."

    "Yes?"

    Mrs. Brown thought for a moment about how to put it gently so as not to make it seem like she was doubting the girl''s older sister, but after considering how much Emilia admired her, she decided to just be direct. "Did little Sammy tell you about my n for taking care of Mr. ck?"

    Emilia blinked in surprise after hearing the woman''s question, while Crystal immediately became ufortable.

    Since Emilia had been teasing her so openly, she had of course put the phone on hands-free, making it impossible for her not to overhear what seemed like extremely secretive information.

    But although she tried her best to get away, Emilia wouldn''t let her go at all! Instead, she twisted her waist to force her to turn around. Before the heroine could figure out what was going on, she found her face buried in Emilia''s soft, budding breasts, making her turnpletely stiff as her mind nked of distracting thoughts.

    Emilia smiled as she kissed the top of the girl''s head, whispering ''Good girl, be quiet now!'', and for once, Crystal really remained still and silent, still lost in the valley of heaven.

    Mrs. Brown wasn''t quite sure, but she felt like she heard a faint moan.

    With her experience, she could easily differentiate between a pained moan and one filled with ecstasy and longing, and the sound seemed distinctly like thetter, making even her loins stir.

    ''I-Is daughter-inw getting hot just from talking to me?! Goddamn my charm is just too great!''

    Mrs. Brown couldn''t help butment it in her heart.

    Truly, her existence itself was a sin! A defiance of heaven''s will!

    But although finding out about her daughter-inw''s forbidden desires, while ttering, was also a big problem in itself. If that little girl kept getting hot and bothered like this simply by talking to her, wouldn''t things get really messy after she married Dixie?

    Shaking her head furiously, Mrs. Brown frowned. "Emilia, are you alright?"

    On the other side, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh as shebed one hand through Crystal''s short blonde hair. "Ah, Auntie, sorry, yeah. Sam did tell me about it, and we just didn''t feel it was worth it."

    Dixie''s mother nked for a moment, because she truly hadn''t expected that Emilia would know about it and still reject it.

    As for the possibility of it being Sam''s decision ¡ª that was only possible if that sis-con hid it from her little sister, which, when she thought about it, was also unlikely. In terms of being a simp, perhaps even her own daughter wouldn''t be a match for little Sammy, of that, Mrs. Brown was sure.

    Feeling a little unreconciled, the middle-ageddy frowned. "I think maybe she didn''t understand it fully, or couldn''t convey it properly. Let me reiterate it to you, okay? Ah, is it alright, over the phone?"

    Emilia grinned. "Of course, only me and my heart are listening."

    Crystal was very thankful that her face had been buried in Emilia''s breasts so she couldn''t see how red her face had turned¡­ if she hadn''t already been thankful enough. It was better than being in denial, after all.

    Of course, she forgot that her ears and neck were just as red, and clearly visible from the top, making Emilia''s eyes shine in mirth.

    On the other side of the phone, Mrs. Brown breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, well, can you first tell me what she told you, and I can fix it?"

    ''Ah¡­ she wants to check how much Sam hid from me? Hm¡­'' Emilia was in a good mood from her angel being so adorably shy, and considering that Mrs. Brown had a little bit of contribution, on top of being Dixie''s mom, she decided to forgive her for this slight. ''Alright, but next time, I''ll have to punish Dixie in her stead, ehehe¡­''

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    After listening to Emilia recount almost her entire n word for word, Mrs. Brown felt like her eyes might bug out of her head.

    Little Sammy hadn''t hidden or misunderstood anything at all!

    So what does that mean?

    Emilia rejected it anyway? But it was so amazing!

    "E-Emilia, dear, have you really thought about it clearly? Like really really?!"

    "Auntie¡ª"

    "Nonono, just think about it! Mr. ck being gangbanged by a bunch of gigolos! How glorious would that be?! Will we ever get such a chance again? How can you let it go?!"

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 Chapter 210 - Argument

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    Listening to Dixie''s mom trying her best to convince her of the absolute genius of her n, Emilia could already feel a headache forming.

    Thankfully, she had a very cute little angel in her arms, and resting her chin on the girl''s golden blonde hair and breathing in her faint strawberry scent greatly helped soothe Emilia''s nerves.

    Looking at the docile little heroine snuggling against her chest, Emilia smiled. "Auntie, you do realize how difficult it would be to sneak in a bunch of gigolos in a hotel owned by the ck Tiger, when he would already be monitoring the room the meeting is arranged in? Not to mention, they would also have their own guards."

    Emilia may look down on the hero to an extent, but she would never be stupid enough to just assume everything he did would be sloppy. Wasn''t the fact that Mr. ck insisted that the meeting be in his own hotel already a big red sign?

    Recing Emilia with a bunch of gigolos wasn''t a big deal, but doing it in that sort of ce without Mr. ck ever knowing? And then to trap him in his hotel''s room? She could only shake her head at Mrs. Brown''s audacity.

    Of course, Mrs. Brown had already taken all of that into consideration. "W-Why yes, but I already shared my n for that¡ª"

    Recalling all the details of Mr. ck''s staff and what Dixie''s mom had nned to do to get them reced, Emilia could only smile wryly. "Yes, but isn''t there a good chance we''ll get discovered?"

    Mrs. Brown cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, I won''t deny that, we do need some luck¡­ and a lot of firepower."

    Emilia sighed. "So the downsides are too many, and even the slim chance of sess gives us little result."

    Mrs. Brown couldn''t help but feel a little aggravated. ''What little result? How can dealing the humiliation of the century to Mr. ck as revenge be measured in terms of money?''

    Suddenly, she realized another possibility, and the woman''s eyes lit up in enlightenment. ''Ah, I see it now. My daughter-inw is ying hard to get. I''m sure that if I promise her a kiss or something, she''ll agree right away. But although I hate to pass such an opportunity, I can''t handle being the mother of a cuck, even if I''m the one doing the cucking!''

    Dixie''s mom couldn''t help but shake her head with a grin. "Emilia, baby, you don''t know, but that Mr. ck is likely the most homophobic man I''ve ever met! The way I had it nned, he would be doing all the cover-up himself! There''s absolutely no risk for us, none at all! Well, except for when we''re handling the guards, but I trust the strength of White Deer''s men!"

    With their means, it really wasn''t impossible to do as Mrs. Brown said. In that sense, she had a terrifying grasp of both the behemoth corporations'' capabilities.

    But the risks they would be taking would be too great, and Emilia wasn''t willing to ept that.

    Not to mention anything else, to ensure that whatever security personnel were personally protecting Mr. ck or his son were taken care of, they would have to send in their own top level experts, including Noelle.

    In case something went wrong, they wouldn''t be getting off with a light wound.

    It was unfortunate that the woman was Dixie''s mother, or Emilia would have already scolded her for not valuing her subordinates enough. To Emilia, people like Noelle weren''t disposable pawns, but precious limbs. Very useful, yes, but definitely not something she would be willing to dispose of for some ''profit''.

    Even Crystal could tell that although her tone remained cordial, Emilia was well and truly starting to get angry. Feeling the grasp around her waist tighten, the blonde couldn''t help but gulp. ''Dixie''s mom, don''t be stupid¡­ stop arguing with her, or I might be the one suffering.''

    "Auntie¡­ I''m thrilled that you got so angry for my sake, and that you wish to take revenge. But isn''t it better to just take as many benefits as we can? Spending all this extra effort and taking all these chances, just to hurt Mr. ck''s ego? It doesn''t help us at all."

    Emilia waited a moment for the woman toprehend her words before smiling coldly. "If things go wrong, we''ll just end up getting sshed with mud, while Mr. ck moves to a favorable position both publicly and under thew. Do you understand?"

    Emilia''s meaning was clear to anyone willing to hear it, even if the woman was Dixie''s mother, would she be able to bear that responsibility?

    Mrs. Brown, who thought that Emilia had a huge crush on herself, never considered her words as a threat, though.

    Considering Amos would definitely have done all sorts of things with Emilia if she was the one falling into their trap, Mrs. Brown felt that this was the least they should do. Sadly, her daughter-inw was unwilling to cooperate.

    "AHHH! Emilia, dear¡­ are you a saint?! I hate to say it, but do you even realize what he nned to do? If I wasn''t on your side and his n seeded, your fate would have been far, far worse. And whatever your family managed to doter¡­ would never be able to undo what had already been done."

    Had her goal been to get revenge on the hero''s father or even the hero himself, maybe she could have weighed the pros and cons a little more. But that had never been her goal from the start.

    To her, the hero was just an annoying bug, and not worth the time to torture specifically for any ''revenge''.

    Emilia could only roll her eyes. "Auntie is right. Don''t worry, I¡­ have my own way of taking revenge. But since auntie thought about me so much, I''m so happy, I really have to express my gratitude in personter."

    "A-Ahhh¡­"

    Emilia had thought that the woman would be relieved andugh out loud, or even joke, but her awkward silence confused her. "Auntie?"

    Mrs. Brown gulped. Her daughter-inw really didn''t like beating around the bush, did she? But meeting her in person after knowing her true nature¡­ it was best to avoid it. "Emilia dear, you focus on your own things for now. You know how hectic things have been with taking over all the trouble Mr. ck''s deal caused, so... yeah. Don''t worry, we can always arrange a dinner or lunchter."

    Emilia blinked. "O-Okay?"

    Even after the call disconnected and she put the phone aside, she still felt a little confused. In the end, she could only shake her head, giving up on trying to understand what went on in Mrs. Brown''s head.

    With the distraction finally gone, however, Emilia couldpletely focus on ''more important'' things.

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    Although she had remained silent throughout their conversation, despite all of Emilia''s teasing, the heroine had been attentively listening.

    Since Emilia had decided to trust her with such information, wasn''t it best to pay attention and maybe help give her some insight if needed?

    Of course, she hadn''t been prepared to hear what she did, at all.

    To know that Amos actually nned to have Emilia kidnapped¡­

    She had never liked the boy. Deep down, he had always disgusted her with his constant obsession over Emilia. But she never would have expected that he''d have the guts to directly try to have Emilia kidnapped.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but grit her teeth in rage. ''That bastard!''

    Of course, all her rage evaporated like smoke the moment that Emilia dragged her further into the bed with a giggle.

    "E-Emilia!"

    Emilia''s intention had been to y around with Crystal for a while, but the girl wasn''t exactly being cooperative as she kept turning her head this way and that, making most of her kissesnd on her cheeks.

    "E-Emilia, w-wait! There''s something I have to tell you!"

    In the end, Emilia could only sigh and stop, but she didn''t let Crystal go as she grinned. "Alright, I''ll listen."

    "Uh¡­"

    Looking at the blonde girl''s hesitation, Emilia couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously.

    After wavering for a while, in the end, the heroine could only grit her teeth and reiterate her encounter with Randy before, admitting how she had scared him off for her.

    Emilia blinked, feeling a mixture of surprise, pride, and amusement. She had no idea if she should start teasing Crystal... or praise her.

    In the end, she could only giggle as she patted the embarrassed heroine''s head. "Alright, Crystal, don''t be so shy. I just wanna ask one thing... why?"

    Crystal''s face turned red as she tried to hide it behind her hands, refusing to look at Emilia. "B-Because... h-he doesn''t deserve you!"

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 Chapter 243 - A Reliable Good Girl

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    Noelle coughed. "S-So you did know about it. Anyway, yes. Although they overdid it with editing, the footage isn''t fake. And they''re¡­ surprisingly reliable? It hasn''t been long since they''ve started receiving professional training, after all."

    Ignoring the unnecessary editing and special effects to ''enhance'' the videos, just this level of analysis and observation wasn''t something that could be expected from a bunch of ''amateurs''.

    Not to mention Noelle, even Emilia couldn''t help but be impressed by Penny and her friends. "Big sis is supporting them, right? Whatever their budget is¡­ double it."

    Noelle sighed. Just how much money did these two sisters want to throw at that crazy cult? In her opinion, it was already too much. But as a subordinate, she could only agree. "A-Alright."

    She just hoped that one day this bunch of lunatics wouldn''t start delving into nuclear research or something with all this support.

    Meanwhile, Michelle was already done with her task, and handed the cup of coffee to her princess with a nervous grin. "I-It may not be good, since it''s been a while since thest time I used an espresso machine. Un, be careful though, it''s hot."

    Emilia just smiled as she took the cup. "Don''t worry."

    Noelle led them to another room with better lounging arrangements, and Emilia could finally rx and lean back on the luxurious sofa with a sigh.

    Michelle waited nervously for her first sip, and only after not seeing any negative reaction from her gorgeous ''owner'' did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

    Of course, while her eyes were closed as she ''rxed'', Emilia was actually discussing the matter of the hero with her partner.

    It hadn''t actually been that long since Cynthia had removed her istion, and after meekly getting scolded by her viiness, she had been sulking and pouting by herself while waiting for Emilia to be in a better mood before she could startining.

    But the matter of the hero was enough to make her put her grievances aside for a while, and the raven-haired girl hesitated before shaking her head. "W-Well¡­ it looks like he''s expecting something, but why is he uncertain? Maybe¡­ his dad is nning something, and he knows?"

    Emilia nodded. This much was obvious enough, even from an outsider''s perspective. ''Of course. But don''t we already know what Mr. ck is nning? If you think about it¡ª''

    Cynthia blinked as she tried to make sense of her partner''s words. "No, Emilia, are you talking about that thing with Mrs. Brown? But then, why would he be stalking you and Crystal? It doesn''t make much sense."

    As far as she knew, Mr. ck''s n involved getting Mrs. Brown to lure Emilia into a private meeting, from where he would presumably trap her for whatever he nned to do.

    They had no interest in finding out his ultimate goal with that n, though, since it was bound to fail before it even started, having been exposed to them long ago.

    What, then, was the point of stalking her while she was on the road? Cynthia couldn''t make any sense of it at all.

    Emilia smiled internally. ''It does make sense if you think about it, you know? That is¡­ if Amos had no idea what was going on.''

    Cynthia was stunned. "Eh?"

    The redhead chuckled in her mind. ''Think about it¡­ On his side, probably only Mr. ck and those he trusts know what he''s really nning. And Amos¡­ is obviously not on that list. But suppose he had somehow got wind of his father nning ''something''¡­ do his actions make sense now?''

    Cynthia blinked as she realized that, if what Emilia said was on point¡­ this might really be the case!

    She couldn''t help but chuckle. "That''s kinda sad, isn''t it? Ehehe¡­ hrious. I can''t imagine how humiliated he would look when he realizes it."

    Emilia smiled. ''Well, his father has the right idea, at least. Given how ipetent the hero is, it''s better to keep him in the dark to avoid him messing things up. Unfortunately for him¡­ Amos is just too talented.''

    Cynthia snickered. "I guess you can say that the hero is a ''gem'' that cannot be hidden so easily, right? So, what do you n to do?"

    The redhead chuckled. ''Heh¡­''

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    Noelle nodded as she finished noting down Emilia''s instructions on her tablet. "So about Braxy¡ª"

    Emilia shook her head with a sigh. "Just do as I said for now. Prove to him that his son is alive, and take his wife into custody. No need to ''deal'' with them¡­ yet."

    Although she had at first intended to immediately take care of these ''threats'', now that there was a ''much better use'' for them, how could Emilia let it go?

    Not only would it be a more satisfactory form of revenge, it would also strike her opponents where it hurt.

    Emilia''s expression was grim as she stared straight into Noelle''s eyes. "You have to make sure things work out ording to my n. I''m trusting you to handle all theplications, or talk to me if you''re having trouble. Understand?"

    Of course, although her n was somewhat risky, Emilia wouldn''t go through with it in the first ce if she didn''t believe they could pull it off.

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel a littleplicated under the younger girl''s trusting gaze. After all, she had technically ''messed up'' just before, but Emilia still trusted her so much.

    Straightening up her spine, Noelle nodded sincerely. "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it to the best of my ability."

    Although she didn''t say it out loud, the gray-haired girl added in her heart that she definitely won''t disappoint her again.

    They may be unreasonable and naughty from time to time, but Noelle knew she could never have what she had here anywhere else.

    Not to mention the mary benefits ¡ª which she definitely appreciated ¡ª just the respect, trust and care that these two sisters showed her¡­ it was enough to move her heart.

    Emilia smiled. "Good girl. Nowe here, give me a hug."

    Noelle sighed. ''There go all my positive thoughts.''

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 Chapter 252 - Not Your Sister

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    Obviously, Samantha had always considered her little darling to be the most beautiful girl in the world. If anyone thought otherwise, they would have to be both dumb and blind.

    That being said, her beauty was definitely not so exaggerated that one wouldn''t be able to look her straight in the eye, as it was now. It was as if they weren''t even of the same species!

    Even if that hadn''t been so, however, considering that she could transform like that¡­ she really wasn''t human, was she?

    The older girl couldn''t help but gulp. "E-Emilia¡­"

    Emilia smiled as she grabbed Sam''s palm and ced it over her heart. "Don''t worry. You''re not hallucinating. But¡­ do you like it?"

    Sam squeezed the soft little bunny in her palm firmly, making the younger girl give her a weird look. She coughed, but couldn''t bear to let go. "I-I know I''m not dreaming, but¡­ baby¡­ were you always able to do this?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked in surprise before it dawned on her that Samantha still believed her to be Danielle. She just thought that her ''little sister'' had somehow ''changed'' and obtained some strange powers.

    Emilia couldn''t help but shake her head with a rueful smile. ''Oh Sam, you silly little goose. Seems like I have to exin things very, very clearly for her to realize it.''

    Samantha''s eyes had already lost focus as she breathed heavily while staring at the bare form of the goddess in front of her, and it took Emilia a while to shake her out of her daze.

    "Listen carefully, will you?"

    The older girl blinked as her eyes slowly regained focus, but she still refused to let go of her palm on the other girl''s breast, and even dragged the crimson-haired girl into herp. "I-I''m listening!"

    Emilia sighed as she felt the girl''s other hand domineeringly clutch her waist. "We can always do thister, okay? If you care about me, you''ll listen."

    Samantha stiffened, the haze in her mind immediately clearing up as she nodded seriously. "I-I''m really listening, baby, believe me!"

    Emilia almost rolled her eyes at the fact that the older girl hadn''t stopped groping her, but decided she would just question Samter to make sure she heard everything, and then punish her if she didn''t.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed as she rested her chin on Samantha''s shoulder. "You remember that guy, Amos?"

    Feeling the older girl nod, Emilia hummed. "Maybe this will sound a little absurd, but in the future, he was going to be a great hero that rose up above everyone else, and in the process, everything we have now would have been razed to the ground."

    Samantha''s mind turned nk.

    It wasn''t that she was once again lost in groping the goddess in herp, though. She just couldn''t believe that ipetent buffoon would one day be anything other than the useless heir to a decliningpany.

    Even if he didn''t ruin it by the end of it all, it definitely wouldn''t be better off than before.

    "Don''t believe me?"

    The older girl couldn''t help but tighten her grip on Emilia''s waist nervously. "B-Baby, it''s not that I don''t believe you¡­ b-but¡­ are you sure?"

    Now that her darling had turned into a goddess, she wouldn''t be able to just disappear if she was upset, right?

    Emilia sighed. "Well, anyway, that''s not important, it''s okay if you''re skeptical. You just need to know that the White Deer Corporation would definitely have suffered a disaster in the future, and at the center of it all were your little sister and Amos."

    Samantha gasped. "E-Eh? W-Was he¡­ going to hurt you even more?!"

    Hadn''t he already done enough by snubbing her little sister like that, and trampling on all her feelings? He even dared to try to ruin her reputation!

    But her little sister said¡­ that little donkey wanted to destroy their family?

    What a joke! Who gave him such courage?!

    Of course, her goddess couldn''t be lying. But Samantha knew that even if she saw such a future, there must be someone else behind that ipetent buffoon, guiding the tides in his favor.

    Emilia groaned. "Not me, Sam. Your sister. Can''t you see that I''m not her? I just came here to save her, and this family. Well, I also have other motives, but that''s one of my ''objectives'' in this world."

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t speak anymore. Even if Samantha had been subconsciously rejecting the possibility, there was no way she could still avoid it, right?

    And indeed, it finally dawned on the older girl that the half bare goddess she was holding in herp was, in fact, not her little sister.

    She was just¡­ her little sister''s savior?

    The gears in Samantha''s mind turned slowly as her breathing turned heavier. ''Doesn''t that mean¡­ I can fuck her without being a total scumbag who preys on her own little sister?!''

    Obviously, she would be a total scumbag if that''s what it took, but this meant that she could now be proud of what she was doing!

    Emilia had been ready to face whatever came next, as she truly wasn''tpletely sure how the older girl would react to the revtion.

    Samantha could start bawling, crying, or raging. It was even possible for her to try to beat her up!

    Whatever her immediate reaction may be, Emilia was prepared to face it calmly and douse the older girl''s emotions before showing her why what she did was what made it possible for both Danielle and the White Deer Corporation to avoid their doom.

    But never did Emilia expect the older girl to immediately push her down on the bed and almost overwhelm her with a domineering, soul-searing kiss.

    "Mhm!!"

    Her surprised protest only gave way to the invading tongue to easily enter her mouth and start rampaging, and the helpless redhead could only cooperate with the older girl as she rubbed the back of her head to calm her down.

    Even as Sam gasped and smooched her over and over again without even giving her the time to breathe, Emilia couldn''t help but wonder. ''Just what is wrong with her brain-circuit? Shouldn''t she at least ask me what happened to Danielle?!''

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 Chapter 270 - Braxyâ€™s Dad, The Actor

    <h4>Chapter 270 ¨C Braxy¡¯s Dad, The Actor</h4>

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    And so, the heroine who had never lied to Emilia before and had certainly never had a puppy¡­ decided to try both at the same time.

    "I-I like how adorable they are, especially when they make that begging expression, um, a-and also, h-how obedient¡ª" It was only then that Crystal noticed the dark expression on Dixie''s face, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat.

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion, her eyes a little ssier than usual, and Crystal felt an arrow shoot through her heart from how lovable and charming her expression was. "I-I mean, h-how can anything elsepare to how adorable you already are?!"

    The more she thought about it, the more confident the heroine felt in her own words. She hadn''t lied to Emilia, after all.

    The redhead nodded with satisfaction. "Well, let''s go home first. I have something I must show to Crystal."

    She seemed to have already forgotten about the silver-haired boy on the ground, despite the fact that he had approached her so maliciously before.

    Clutching the gun that the boy had been carrying before, Dixie couldn''t help but bite her lip nervously. "Um, Princess, a-are we really leaving him here?"

    Crystal nodded grimly. "Dixie is right, we can''t let him go like this, or he''ll be more and more fearless. We should at least call the police. Even if he''s not punished heavily, it''s better than letting him go scot-free."

    Emilia gazed at the unconscious boy with a frown, then she shook her head and turned around to leave. "I don''t want to bother with him anymore. Let''s go."

    Crystal and Dixie could only share a reluctant look, but they could only begrudgingly agree and follow.

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    Noelle sighed out in relief once she saw that nothing went wrong, and her little boss was able to walk away unharmed after knocking the silver-haired boy out. "One of these days, I won''t need to dye my hair anymore."

    She had first considered that the hardest part of their n, after luring the opponent into the alley, would be to silently take care of the bodyguard and the driver.

    With enough tranquilizer to down a dozen elephants and enough bullets to turn them into sieves, she was more than just well prepared.

    Who knew, however, that such a thing would be the least of her worries.

    Thinking about the fact that the girl insisted on carrying on with previous the n even after she had reported that the boy was carrying a gun, she couldn''t help but grit her teeth in anger.

    Even if the boy hadn''t even disabled the safety, there was still a chance of something going wrong. With her whole team on standby, wouldn''t it be easier to just shoot him with the tranquilizer and take him away?

    Unfortunately, trying to convince Emilia in such a situation would have been foolish, and she could only either disobey the girl and prioritize her safety¡­ or believe in her.

    Noelle thought she must be crazy to choose thetter option.

    This was a silly, naughty, and disobedient girl who loved to make trouble everywhere.

    Even though she was sincere to the ones she cared for, it didn''t negate her inherently mischievous nature.

    The embarrassment she felt as she witnessed the steamy scenes after the fight was beyond mortifying. Even though only a select few trusted subordinates were here today, she could still see the strange thoughts turning in their heads.

    Her little boss really did whatever she pleased, not paying attention to the time and ce at all, didn''t she?

    Thankfully, everything worked out in the end, and Noelle continued to observe the next stage of Emilia''s n with a sigh.

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    Shortly after the three girls disappeared around the corner, a gruff-looking man ''stumbled'' into the alley where the hero was still lying unconscious on the ground.

    His roughened-up appearance along with the deep dark circles under his eyes made it seem like he hadn''t had a proper sleep or shower in weeks, and just the rancid smell would have sent Amos retching had he not been unconscious.

    The man stared at the unconscious boy in extreme shock and confusion before he finally seemed to realize his identity. "Amos ck?!"

    Immediately, hatred clouded his eyes as he frantically checked his surroundings. Gritting his teeth, he slung the unconscious boy over his shoulder and rushed away through the alleyway. "For my son''s life¡­ I''ll make you pay the price!"

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    Shortly after the three of them had left the unconscious Amos behind, a ck luxury car came to pick them up.

    Crystal and Dixie looked at the gray-haired woman and Emilia in surprise, but they didn''t interrupt their conversation. If Emilia hadn''t already given them so many hints, though, they would surely be exhausted from the emotional ups and downs.

    As there was no one here aside from the three of them in the backseat, and Noelle was already familiar with their rtionship with Emilia, she didn''t hesitate in giving out her report. "Yes, he''s already being taken there. Mhm, none of our people were spotted by the boy after you left."

    Emilia nodded. "Did that man act like he was instructed?"

    Noelle still didn''t understand why her little boss insisted that Braxy''s father must put up the act right from the start, even while the boy was clearly knocked out, but her instructions were clear, and Noelle could only do as she was told.

    The gray-haireddy rubbed her cheek awkwardly. "W-Well, his acting was a bit exaggerated, but still much better than I expected."

    Emilia sighed in relief. "Good."

    Given that Amos had never shown any hints of being able tomunicate directly with another entity, Emilia felt that whatever form ofmunication they shared must be more subtle.

    But as far as she was concerned, even if the world will and the hero didn''tmunicate at all, it was still better to y the show to the end.

    After all, she didn''t lose anything doing things this way, and it was always better to be cautious.

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 Chapter 271 - Something Wrong With The Younger Generation

    <h4>Chapter 271 ¨C Something Wrong With The Younger Generation</h4>

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    Emilia soon settled into her ''usual'' position in the backseat, with her head on Crystal''sp and legs on Dixie''s, sighing contently. "Ahh, by the way, how many others were with him?"

    Noelle felt her lips twitch as she tried her best not tough at how childish and spoiled her little boss looked right now. "Two, a driver and a bodyguard."

    Emilia already had her eyes closed contently as Crystal ran her fingers through her hair. "Mhm, that bodyguard¡­ was it that guy I mentioned earlier? The one caught at Crystal''s house?"

    Noelle nodded, her eyes flickering to the rearview mirror from time to time, recalling how the redhead had advised her to be extra careful of that guy. "Yeah, he took three more shots, but went down just the same."

    Perhaps this was the limitation of the human body. No matter how one trained and how skilled they got, a few shots of a strong tranquilizer or a bullet to the head would still affect them just the same.

    Emilia chuckled. "He must feel quite wronged, huh? Unfortunately, there is a price just for picking the wrong camp."

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes as she thought about what the redhead had nned for those two. ''Wouldn''t they feel more wrongedter? Ah, but at least they won''t die or suffer like that. At most, it can be considered a change of careers, right? Thinking about it this way, Emilia is unexpectedly soft-hearted.''

    Unaware of her thoughts, the redhead nuzzled her face into Crystal''s palm before she suddenly seemed to realize something.

    While Crystal was busy feeling up her face, and Dixie was leisurely running a finger on her calf, Emilia''s right leg immediately reached for the gun the dark-haired girl had been carefully keeping away, as if she wanted to use her dainty little toes to snatch it over.

    Dixie immediately jumped in shock and fear as she moved the thing away and clutched at the fair calf hard enough to immediately leave a mark.

    Emilia flinched. "H-Hey!"

    The knight''s tone was uncharacteristically stern. "Don''t y around, Emily! That''s not a toy."

    The redhead could only pout. "I know there''s a safety on it, I''ve studied about guns!"

    Dixie bit her lip in distress as she let go of Emilia''s calf and stared at the bright red mark of her fingers on the fair skin, but refused to relent. "Just tell me what you need to do, or use your hands."

    Emilia sighed. "Then¡­ give it to Noelle to take care of properly. Just in case. Put it on the passenger seat."

    It wouldn''t be funny if such a meticulously crafted n failed because of a simple oversight, after all.

    The dark-haired girl did as she was told, leaning forward to put the gun on the empty seat at the front. And Emilia took this opportunity to gently kick Dixie''s butt, making her roll her eyes in exasperation.

    Noelle was mostly focused on the road ahead, but her eyes still wandered to the gun when Dixie ced it on the next seat, and her brows immediately furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

    Emilia, who had just been about to bully Dixie some more as revenge, was instantly distracted, making the other girl sigh. "Hm? Something wrong?"

    Noelle frowned as she hesitated, but in the end, she could only shake her head. "No, I didn''t notice it before, but¡­ this looks quite simr to that modelst year, ah, no¡ª"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "What st year''s model''? I don''t get it?"

    Looking at the redhead''s pouting face in the rearview mirror, Noelle could only stiffly focus on the road and turn her face expressionless. ''Look at that adorable little face¡­ no wonder she has so many people wrapped around her little finger¡­''

    "Noelle?"

    The gray-haireddy coughed. "W-Well, let me look into it and give you a reportter, how about it?"

    Emilia could only begrudgingly agree as she leaned back on Crystal''sp with a sigh. "Alright, don''t make me wait too long, okay?"

    Hearing her grunt in acknowledgment, Emilia sighed. "Mhm. Strengthen the security around Crystal''s home by the way, and keep an eye on Dixie''s mom as well."

    While Noelle nodded, Dixie immediately furrowed her brows. "My mom?"

    Meanwhile, Crystal''s expression remained unchanged as she continued running her fingers through Emilia''s red locks.

    For that boy to be sowless and unafraid of provoking trouble, his backing couldn''t be any less unscrupulous, so she knew Emilia was right to be cautious.

    In fact, had she not said anything, Crystal would have had to remind her.

    Obviously, since Emilia couldn''t be sure in which direction Mr. ck mightsh out if he lost his rationality, she also felt that it was better to be prepared.

    The redhead sighed as she curled her finger, motioning Dixie to move closer.

    Once the dark-haired girl was almost lying right over herself, Emilia pulled her into a hug. "Of course, I have to make sure nothing goes wrong with my knight''s family, after all. But it''s just a precaution, so don''t worry too much."

    No matter how obnoxious she usually was, Mrs. Brown was still her mother. Dixie couldn''t help but tense a little before she forced herself to calm down with a sigh. ''Princess is right, of course. It''s better to send a few more people to keep an eye on her, and I can stay by Emily''s side and protect¡ª''

    "For the next few days, you can stay beside your mother more."

    Dixie almost immediately jumped, forgetting her position. "E-Eh? N-No I¡ª"

    If not for Emilia''s arms around her neck holding her down, the dark-haired girl would have certainly bruised Crystal''s chin with her head.

    Dixie''s mind turned nk as she was pulled down, her lips pressing against soft, delectable little petals that she was now all too familiar with.

    Unfortunately, it ended all too soon, and the dark-haired girl could only allow her princess to push her away with lingering regret.

    Emilia fluttered her eyshes with a smile. "Well? Won''t my knight listen to me?"

    Dixie, whose vision and mind was still focused on Emilia''s soft lips, obviously failed to respond as she tried her best to control the ravenous hunger that was almost about to burst forth. ''N-No, I must not! O-Only when she asks for it¡ª!''

    Looking at the dark-haired girl remain silent, Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "Have you forgotten what you promised me¡ª?!"

    Dixie immediately leaned down to capture that pouting bottom lip, immediately muffling the rest of her words. "I-I''ll listen!"

    The dark-haired girl quickly tried to move away, but Emilia kept her arms wrapped around her neck, so she could only separate partially.

    Emilia didn''t hold her anymore, but a palm on her head made Dixie reluctant to immediately move away. "Good girl. I''ll call you if I need, okay? Don''t worry."

    Feeling her princess pat her head as if she was a child, Dixie couldn''t help but lean back down and bury her face in the redhead''s embrace shyly.

    Noelle ¡ª who observed Crystal looking at the two cuddling on herp with a slight smile, as if watching her own children y ¡ª could only try her best to stay focused on the road. ''There''s definitely something wrong with the younger generation''s brains. Instead of feeling jealous, they react like this¡­?''

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 Chapter 272 - Adorable Or Perverted?

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    By the time their conversation was over, they had already arrived at the White Deer mansion.

    Noelle coughed as she saw Michelle ''help'' Emilia out of the car while Crystal gave her a weird look. "Well, I''ll go take care of the other things first. Let me know if anythinges up, alright?"

    Emilia just smiled and waved at her. "Please drop Dixie off on your way back, then."

    Since Dixie had already agreed with her orders, she could only sulk in her mind and reluctantly wave goodbye. "See you tomorrow?"

    Emilia leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Be careful over the next few days, just in case."

    Dixie nodded seriously. "Don''t worry. You take care as well, Emily. And call me as soon as you need anything, alright?"

    The redhead grinned, her eyes a little hazy. "Of course, byebye, then."

    Crystal could tell that Emilia''s mind was ''elsewhere'', though she couldn''t really tell what the girl was thinking.

    Michelle too felt like her princess was a little absentminded the whole time as she followed them in. Just as she was debating whether she should move closer in case she stumbled in her daze, the blonde girl seemed to have the same idea, and directly pulled the redhead into a sideways hug.

    Emilia didn''t reject her approach, though, and even snuggled directly into her arms as she let the girl carefully lead her the rest of the way upstairs. "Comfy~"

    Looking at her princess clinging to Crystal like that, Michelle had the thought that the girl was sure to get lucky. ''No, was it the other way around? Since princess is the one chasing after her? Ahh, but isn''t it great fortune for this girl, anyway?''

    Michelle shook her head quickly to clear the thought. Either way, it looked like her princess would finally get what she wanted, and that was all that mattered.

    Besides, looking at Crystal, Michelle felt that she wasn''t so bad, after all.

    At least, she didn''t put on airs and pretend to be too good for her princess. If she did¡­ well, even if she did, as a mere servant, she couldn''t really do anything to someone her princess cherished.

    But if Crystal really dared to wrong her, and her princess stopped caring about the blonde some day, Michelle couldn''t guarantee that she wouldn''t chop the girl up into a million little pieces.

    Crystal coughed as they reached the door to Emilia''s room. "I''ll take it from here, and will call you if needed, thank you."

    Michelle could tell that she was being dismissed, but looking at her princess having no objection, she could only nod reluctantly.

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    Emilia''s ssy and distracted behavior of course stemmed from the absorption of energy that had been previously released by the world will.

    As this was the first time she was experiencing such a rapid inflow of foreign energy in suchrge quantities, she was understandably a little heady and overwhelmed.

    Cynthia had obviously warned her about it already. "While absorbing the chaos energy, you may not be able to think clearly and may feel strange. The process will also take some time, since it has already spread quite far."

    Emilia nodded. ''Mhm¡­ about how long will it take?''

    The raven-haired girl didn''t let herself be distracted from channeling the energy, and absently waved her hand. "Depending on how much energy was dispersed, it can vary. Who knows, if it is enough, we may not even need toplete all three missions, and just two could be enough. But I really want to destroy that world will, though, so hold tight anyway, ehehe¡­"

    Emilia smiled in her mind. ''Okay. Let''s do it like that, then.''

    At this time, Crystal had already pulled her into the bathroom and started stripping her clothes. Emilia absent-mindedly ''cooperated'' by fiddling with the heroine''s shirt buttons.

    "Emilia, are you okay?"

    The redhead nodded. "Mhm."

    Crystal sighed. "Howe you seem to have gotten drunk by yourself?"

    In fact, had she not been with her the entire time, she might have suspected that Emilia snuck off to really get drunk.

    But thinking about it¡­ Could it be that Dixie did something during that kiss?

    Crystal quickly shook her head in denial. ''Well, it could be that she just got unreasonably turned on, but¡­ looking at her slightly vacant expression, it doesn''t look like it''s just lust, though it is definitely there¡­''

    The blonde couldn''t help but gulp as she tried her best to restrain herself. ''I-I have to shower her first! How dare that bastard touch her knee with his dirty neck, ahhh!''

    As Emilia obediently stepped out of her skirt, the heroine had already switched to a more ''professional'' mode,pletely putting the reasoning behind her strange behavior out of her mind to professionally stare at her purple panties.

    Anyway, this wouldn''t be the strangest thing about Emilia that she knew. It was fine.

    Emilia smiled as she saw the blonde take care of her so meticulously. "Crystal is so cute and caring¡­ I really want a kiss¡­"

    The blonde heroine coughed as she broke out of her thoughts. "W-Who is the one being cute?"

    But even as a blush lit up her face, she couldn''t help but have some stray thoughts. ''Well, no matter why she''s so distracted¡­ Um, l-looking at her now, even if I act like a pervert, she probably won''t notice?''

    She knew it was a stupid thought, but Crystal couldn''t resist the temptation at all. Anyway, even if Emilia remembered and made fun of herter, she would just grit her teeth and bear it.

    The most important thing was to achieve the current goal first, consequences be damned!

    Obviously, Emilia wasn''tpletely out of her mind, and when she saw the blonde heroine shyly press her face between her legs, making a few muffled grunts against her panties¡­

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile in amusement. ''Is that¡­ adorable¡­ or perverted?''

    Looking at Crystal''s blushing face and tightly closed eyes, the redhead quickly decided that her act was adorably perverted.

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 Chapter 273 - [NSFW] Crystalâ€™s Shower Service

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    Since Emilia found it cute, she obviously wouldn''t tell Crystal that while she was a bit ''drunk'', she could still think and remember just fine.

    Anyway, seeing the normally angelic and innocent Crystal smothering her face against her crotch was fun in its own way. And with her sensations elevated from the inflow of foreign energy into her body, it was double the fun.

    Meanwhile, the blonde girl was lost in her own thoughts. She''d always found it a little strange how her lover didn''t seem to have any aroma or taste of her own, at first. But the more they came into contact, the more she realized that she was wrong.

    In a way, Emilia was like fine wine - an acquired taste. The more one indulged in her, the closer they felt like they were getting to really feel her and taste her for themselves.

    Crystal felt like she was quite close, and perhaps she would even be the first person to know Emilia''s real taste. Vaguely, she could already tell that it was somewhat floral, yet otherworldly, but it was still too early to tell.

    She didn''t know if it was just her illusion, but Crystal felt like Emilia was almost exuding that aura today. A seductive yet faint fragrance that can barely be sensed by even those who sought it, both extremelyforting yet strangely humbling.

    Crystal wasn''t sure how long she had been rubbing her face against Emilia''s panties, but by the time she realized it, the girl seemed to have taken her bra off on her own and thrown it away.

    The blonde couldn''t help but sniff regretfully. "There''s no rush, I could have done that, ahh!"

    Emilia tilted her head, appearing especially confused when the effect wasbined with her slightly glossy-eyed look.

    While the redhead was wondering if she should exin she just got bored, Crystal assumed she was probably still in that strangely drunk state and didn''t understand anything.

    The blonde girl gulped. "W-Well, don''t worry, let big sister take care of you¡­"

    Emilia frowned as she rapped the kneeling girl''s head with her knuckles. "Little sister."

    Crystal could only groan regretfully. "Alright fine, this little sister will take care of you!"

    Just why was it that even in this state, Emilia didn''t forget that strange promise from so long ago? It wasn''t even a serious thing!

    Hooking her fingers under the redhead''s panties, Crystal decided she might as well make the most out of the situation, and slid them down all the way to her ankles. "Well, big sister, step out."

    As Emilia did as she was told, Crystal gulped at the beautiful little kitty inches from her face. ''I-It''s just begging to be bullied!''

    In the end, the heroine really couldn''t resist nting a kiss, earning her a giggle and a pat on the head. Unfortunately, losing restraint was a downhill slope, and Crystal soon found herself in a deep kiss with her ''little lover''.

    Her enthusiasm proved to be too much, however, as Emilia was just standing there without any support, and a nudge from the heroine''s overly eager head almost caused her to tumble back and fall on her butt, though she managed to bnce herself in time.

    Crystal immediately jolted in shock. "A-Ah, I-I wasn''t¡ª!"

    But no matter how she thought about it, there really was no excuse anywhere. The previously pristine little kitty was already covered in her saliva, too, as if to show proof of her evil deeds.

    Emilia smiled as she ced her palm against the blonde girl''s cheek. "It''s fine, should I lean against the wall?"

    Although her eyes were slightly unclear, the meaning in her words was as clear as could be.

    Crystal''s face immediately turned red in embarrassment. "N-No! W-We''re here to shower, y-yeah!"

    Ignoring Emilia''s perplexed expression, the heroine quickly stood up and dragged the nowpletely bare girl under the showerhead. "Stay still, okay?"

    The redhead nodded hesitantly as she watched Crystal take off all her clothing at an astonishing speed and throw it all away carelessly. Anyway, they had enough spares to wear each piece of clothing only once, in both their sizes, so it was fine.

    Emilia closed her eyes in contentment as the warm water droplets started sliding down her body. The energy continuously flowing in her body and the magnified sensitivity made it so that even if she just held someone she liked for long enough, Emilia felt like she would probably be able to orgasm on her own. After all, it felt so... good.

    Of course, Crystal''s stimtions were very, very wee.

    In the meantime, Emilia made sure to memorize the pattern in which the energy flowed for herself, both to assist Cynthia better as well as to understand how it worked. After all, the more familiar she was with this energy, the more she could do.

    The redhead didn''t notice that herpanion''s breath had hitched in her throat as she stared at the water droplets sliding across the girl''s smooth, vibrant skin. From her gorgeous face to her slender nape, down to the valley between her curvy breasts, it kept sliding down her t belly¡­

    "E-Emilia!"

    Crystal really couldn''t resist anymore and plunged her face into Emilia''s chest, rubbing it against the little bunnies, kissing each of them with tender love before engulfing one of the perky little red nubs in her mouth.

    Emilia immediately grasped Crystal''s head to prevent losing bnce again, and bit her lip as the heroine suckled on her left nipple under the hot water while holding her close.

    With her right hand at Emilia''s waist while the left kneaded her other breast, Crystal didn''t even notice when Emilia started shuddering in both pleasure and relief.

    "Ahhn! C-Crystal¡ª!"

    The blonde girl gulped down the water that had entered her mouth while suckling on the little nub under the shower, but as Emilia''s moan registered in her mind, Crystal quickly let go of the thoroughly teased little nub with a gasp.

    "D-Don''t misunderstand! I-I was only making sure it was clean!"

    Had Emilia not been busy shuddering in pleasure, she would surely have demanded whose hand it was that was still squeezing her butt.

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 Chapter 274 - Not Like This

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    Considering their rtionship, Emilia didn''t really feel like there was any need for the blonde girl to be so shy, but she understood that Crystal was quite innocent at heart and easily got embarrassed.

    Although she could only see a blurry figure of the heroine through the steam, Emilia knew she must be blushing furiously.

    Crystal remained oddly silent for the next few minutes as she gently treated Emilia''s hair with shampoo and conditioner before moving on to spreading the shower gel over the girl''s smooth skin.

    The heroine couldn''t help butment in her heart. ''I-I dragged her in here with the excuse to shower, but all I''ve done is molest her, ahh! Won''t I be a pervert in her mind?!''

    Emilia''s thoughts weren''t soplicated, however, as most of her focus remained on absorbing the chaos energy that was being continuously filtered by Cynthia. At this point, their energy was already at ten percent, and was continuously rising!

    She couldn''t help but smile at Cynthia''s excited squealing. "A big haul! It''s really a big haul, ahh! I''d thought that this thing would only have enough energy to barely tide us through the first level, and we would even have to be stingy, but that''s not the case at all!"

    Seeing her so happy, Emilia''s mood was even better.

    The feeling of hot water raining down on her as Crystal rubbed her soapy hands all over her body was also soothing, and Emilia couldn''t help but lean her head against the heroine''s shoulder.

    Feeling the girl carefully rub her back, Emilia couldn''t help but smile. "Crystal is good at taking care of people."

    The blonde girl turned her face away in embarrassment. "T-Thank you. I-I''ve never helped anyone else shower¡­ um, sorry if I''m no good."

    Emilia just hummed. Although she had given it upter, she had already received the service of many maids, but that was only for bathing, not showers. Such luxury wasn''t avable in her previous world. Regardless, she felt that Crystal was good. "Mhm, let''s go to bed soon. I''m¡­ hot¡­"

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but turn stiff as she felt the warm breath brush the side of her face with such a tantalizing message.

    With how clear and smooth Emilia''s skin already was, had Crystal not had an ulterior motive, she would have already started rinsing her down and dragged her to bed.

    The blonde girl pursed her lips with determination. "S-Sorry, we''ll be done soon."

    Emilia didn''t suspect anything, and nodded hazily as the blonde girl pushed her back and knelt down to scrub her lower body. Anyway, she was fine with Crystal ying around.

    Rubbing her hands over Emilia''s soft thighs, Crystal tried her best to retain her rationality, and slowly moved lower to her goal.

    As soon as she reached the girl''s right knee, the heroine started furiously scrubbing the redhead''s fair skin with scrubber, not even caring that it was already red under the foam. It was as if she wouldn''t be satisfied until shepletely took ayer of skin off.

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown in pain. ''W-What is she doing?''

    Although she had plenty of energy now and minor skin trauma really wouldn''t matter, Emilia didn''t like the feeling at all, and had no interest in letting the heroine continue. "Crystal? You''re hurting me¡­"

    The heroine jolted in shock as she looked up at the wronged look on Emilia''s face. "A-Ah, s-sorry, I''ll be gentle now!"

    Feeling ashamed, Crystal''s movements immediately became gentler as she went back to just using her hands and set the scrubber aside. After she turned on the faucet again and finished rinsing her, the blonde couldn''t help but feel distressed.

    She didn''t know why, whenever she thought of Emilia touching that guy, she felt such a great sense of disgust.

    Even if she only beat him up, she felt like whatever part of her body touched him would have to be scrubbed clean carefully, lest his filth stick to her pure darling.

    Crystal had never hated someone like that in her life. Even she herself was slightly confused.

    Emilia had already made it clear that she didn''t like him at all. But there was something about the boy that just made her feel a deep loathing. Maybe it was the fact that he always targeted her lover, or his disgusting behavior in general, but Crystal couldn''t tell.

    Emilia would normally be able to see such thoughts over her innocent face at a nce, but she wasn''t paying too much attention at the moment, and only felt that Crystal had been a bad girl who needed to be punished.

    Kissing the fair, wet skin in constion, Crystal peeked up at Emilia''s face, only to realize that the somewhat drunk girl seemed to have already forgotten all about it, and was giving her a ''longing'' look.

    Although she knew that Emilia wasn''tpletely in her right mind, how could Crystal still be able to restrain herself?

    Of course, Emilia didn''tin at all when the heroine just turned the faucet off and dragged her to the bed, their bodies still dripping with water.

    As soon as she pushed the redhead onto the bed and climbed in herself, Crystal''s thoughts of domineeringly ''taking care'' of the girl werepletely flipped over, along with her body, as Emilia held her hands over her head with a smile.

    Seeing her mischievous smile, the blonde girl felt her heart thump in both excitement and apprehension. "E-Emilia?"

    The redhead leaned down to gently press her wet lips against the heroine''s, but before the girl could fully immerse herself in the luxurious sensation, Emilia had already moved back with a smile.

    "Crystal is so astute¡­ you must have noticed something strange about me, right?"

    Looking at Emilia''s twinkling eyes and slightly drunk expression, the heroine felt her heart thump in terror. ''N-No¡­ I wanted her to tell me when she''s sober, not like this!''

    Of course, she had long since felt this way, but if Emilia divulged whatever her secret was in this state, what happens if she held a grudge for ''probing it out'' while she was so vulnerable?

    Crystal couldn''t bear it at all!

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 Chapter 275 - Crystalâ€™s Acceptance

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    Since she didn''t want Emilia to say it, Crystal decided it was best to simply shut the girl up before she could do so. As for how to do it, well, even if her wrists were being held like that¡­ her lips could still be used to attack.

    So before Emilia could say another word, the heroine had already leaned up and sealed her mouth with a firm kiss. Of course, the redhead didn''t resist it at all, and happily started sucking on the freely offered treat of sweet lips.

    "Mmph!"

    As she swallowed her moan, Crystal was overjoyed to discover that she had so easily managed to distract the girl. The blonde was even able to free her hands with a little more effort and wrap them around Emilia''s waist beforepletely turning the situation over.

    Now on top, the heroine could really rest assured and kiss the girl to her heart''s content. The moisture from the shower made it so that their hair was still damp, and Crystal could feel some stray droplets of water dripping from her body to the girl below her from time to time.

    Thankfully, the girl beneath her didn''t seem to care much for it, and Crystal couldn''t bring herself to mind the slight dampness of the gorgeous body she was pressing down beneath her, either.

    Crystal didn''t know if it was her illusion, but Emilia''s lips seemed to get even more tender and delectable the longer she kissed them, and her nimble little tongue grew more and more disobedient as it refused to let her bully her as before.

    The daring little thing even tried to invade her in return, but a gentle bite easily scared it away back to its home.

    Crystal couldn''t help but smirk as she thoroughly smooched the beauty''s lips, freely enjoying the suckling of her nimble tongue after invading the girl''s mouth.

    The bullied little tongue still didn''t seem to have learned its lesson as it hugged and greeted her warmly, as if she had already forgotten about the previous grievances as the two of them yed around.

    Emilia''s hands roamed all the way from the top of her neck to the bottom of her waist, her touch both gentle and teasing as the blonde shuddered above her and groaned into her mouth.

    Halfway through the kiss, Emilia had already started pushing back against herself as she gasped and mumbled, and the two of them had unknowingly shifted over to their sides. By now, the searing heat from the heroine''s body had already evaporated most of the water.

    Slowly, Crystal forgot all about the matter as she found herself indulging in her lover''s embrace, pinching her nipples and squeezing her breasts as the girl gasped and moaned into her mouth.

    Crystal could only dazedly follow Emilia''s rhythm as the girl shuddered in pleasure, the mesmerizing look in her eyes making it harder and harder for the blonde to think straight.

    The blonde had no idea when their positions had switched, and the redhead was now back to straddling her waist as she suckled and bit Crystal''s lips, their fingers intertwined intimately.

    When Emilia separated from her with a gasp, Crystal could only stare at her in wonder.

    The girl looked¡­ different.

    It was impossible for the person she had been kissing to have changed. After all, she was still firmly in Crystal''s embrace from the beginning to the end, and the blonde didn''t believe that she had lost her mind to the extent that she wouldn''t even be able to recognize her own lover.

    However, Emilia''s eyes were now a far more mesmerizing shade of blue than she had ever known existed, her height wasn''t right, and even the color and length of her hair weren''t quite what they used to be.

    Looking closer, her skin was now far more exquisite than before, like exquisite silk that one could only dream of running their fingers across in their dreams, and even her temperament seemed to havepletely changed to something far more ethereal and fleeting than she was used to.

    Crystal had expected Emilia''s secret to be big and shocking, but she always thought it would be a ''revtion'' more than anything.

    To put it simply, what she had been expecting was an exnation that would make everything make sense, not a transformation that would only boggle her mind further!

    Crystal couldn''t help but wonder if she was dreaming.

    The smile on Emilia''s face slowly faded as she found Crystal just staring at her nkly, with neither a positive nor negative reaction.

    The gentle, breathtaking goddess straddling her waist slowly turned into a cold and oppressive beauty as she stared down at the blonde girl''s nk face. The fingers that were intimately intertwined with her own clenched, quivering only for a moment before they froze and slipped out of her grasp.

    "Do you hate me now?"

    There was something terrifyingly attractive about the way Emilia looked at her at that moment, but Crystal''s heart was severely prickled as she broke out of her daze and hurriedly shook her head. "D-Don''t dare! I would never hate you!"

    Regardless of whether Emilia was in her right mind or not, since the cat was already out of her bag, Crystal knew that she couldn''t bear to carry this misunderstanding!

    Instantly, it was as if the ciers in those gorgeous eyes were molten by the sun, and the warm embrace of a goddess enveloped Crystal. "Thank you."

    The warm sigh of relief that brushed the side of her face as the girl trembled made the heroine''s heart clench painfully as she wrapped her arms around Emilia''s slim waist. "Why would I ever hate you? I will love you forever, so don''t even think like that!"

    Crystal could feel that her emotions weren''t right. But even if she didn''t dare to ask what would have happened had she not denied her in time, she still wanted to make sure Emilia knew she would always love her.

    She even wanted to add that even if Emilia kicked her away, she woulde crawling back, but the heroine felt that would be a bit too shameful.

    The gorgeous girl in her arms trembled for a moment before Crystal jerked from her soft earlobe being bitten gently. She could tell that Emilia was already smiling, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

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 Chapter 276 - What Exactly Are You?

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    After listening to her confession, Emilia was much more docile as shey beside her on the bed while Crystal embraced her, seemingly lost in thought.

    Of course, the redhead knew that the girl was likely disturbed from her earlier deration, and was more than willing to give her the time to adjust.

    In the meantime, Emilia freely admired her little angel''s body as she ran a finger up and down her side, ignoring the girl''s intermittent quivers.

    The blonde girl didn''t let her actions distract her, however, and her mind remained focused.

    After all, while she didn''t want to hurt Emilia, she also wanted to know everything she could about her. Loving Emilia regardless of what she was, and not even knowing what she was while being her lover were two very different concepts, as far as Crystal was concerned.

    While she was waiting for Emilia to confide in her, it was still alright for her to be unaware. But since the girl had already taken the initiative to share it with her, how could Crystal not want to know more?

    Curious as she was, the heroine really couldn''t contain herself anymore, even though she knew that perhaps it would be better to wait until Emilia wasn''t in such a ''drunk'' state.

    Facing the heroine''s numerous questions, though, Emilia still answered them one by one with a smile. She found it a little funny how the blonde girl started with some minor things to ''ease her'' before moving on to what she really wanted to ask.

    The blonde girl bit her lip nervously as she moved her face closer to her lover''s, as if trying to convey her intimacy and eptance directly. "S-So, we''re of different species, then... right? These are not just powers you''ve acquired by the way?"

    Emilia understood that the girl was still worried of being misunderstood, and she couldn''t help but smile and kiss the heroine''s lovably chubby cheek. "That''s right, I''m definitely not human. Why¡­? Are you scared?"

    From her understanding, only the people born on this could really be considered ''human'' to Crystal, as they would be of the same species. Regardless of if their appearance was simr or not, someone who came from another was most likely to be an entirely different species.

    But even if she could still im to be a ''human'' in her first and second world, she would definitely be unable to do so after meeting Cynthia. That would simply be deluding both herself and the heroine.

    Crystal shook her head quickly as she tightened her grip on Emilia''s waist, pulling her even closer to herself. "N-No, but then¡­ what are you, really?"

    The question was immediately followed by a kiss, and Emilia gently reciprocated and nibbled on the heroine''s soft lower lip before pressing her back with a peck. "I''m not sure how to exin it, really¡­ an alien?"

    Crystal''s breath stuttered as she tried her best to keep her brain focused. Even though they were having such a serious discussion¡­ why did Emilia insist on running her fingers here and there?!

    Emilia blinked as she saw the heroine''s face full of grievances. "What''s wrong? Do you think I''m joking?"

    The blonde girl shook her head hesitantly. "N-No, but¡­ an alien?"

    Emilia chuckled. "Well, what did you think I was, then? Maybe my cute little darling managed toe up with some interesting ideas?"

    Crystal''s face immediately turned red as she looked away. "I-I don''t have such hobbies! I was simply waiting for you to tell me."

    The redhead smirked as she pulled the heroine closer before brushing her lips against the startled girl. "Don''t I know you well enough by now? Don''t be shy, say it."

    Crystal''s face turned red as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I-I¡­ I thought you must be a fairy¡ª"

    As her lover immediately burst into giggles, the heroine couldn''t help but pout. "D-Don''t ask if you''re just going tough!"

    Emilia stopped giggling before pecking the girl with a smile. "Sorry, it''s just¡­ I thought Crystal woulde up with a more scientific exnation."

    The heroine gave her a wounded look. "You think I''m a nerd, don''t you?"

    Emilia gave her a smile full of affection, leaving the heroine dazzled by its brilliance. "Yes. My Crystal is the most adorable, cutest, and loveliest nerd in the universe."

    Crystal felt her breath hitch in her throat, and as the crimson-haired girl pressed her lips against hers, as if to seal a vow, she could onlyment at the extreme lethality of this girl.

    Maybe if Emilia''s race of aliens wanted to invade their world, as long as they were even a hundredth of what she was, they could probably conquer them all in a day. Just a few sweet words and a smile, and most would be jumping the line to surrender.

    The heroine couldn''t help but sigh emotionally as she enjoyed the kiss. ''Perhaps Emilia also knew how lethal her real appearance could be, so she disguised like that?''

    Crystal still remembered that the first time she had seen this girl, she had already been terrified of how cute and innocent she looked.

    Even though she knew the difference in their status and how much trouble she couldnd herself in, and even though she tried her best to avoid such an oue¡­ there was no way to resist this little princess at all.

    Thinking back on it, though, the heroine couldn''t help but be d. Crystal had the feeling that even if Emilia didn''t chase her as she did, and had lost interest, she would still end up falling for the girl.

    And if that happened¡­ Crystal knew how tragic her life would have been.

    After all, without Emilia''s help, she really wouldn''t be asfortable as she was. Whether it was her personal growth or the situation of her family, the girl had helped her far too much for her to ever be able to repay her.

    Thankfully, with their rtionship, there was no longer any need to think too much about such things.

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 Chapter 277 - The Most Important Question

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    Crystal had thought that regardless of Emilia''s secret, she would simply ept it and support her to the best of her ability, but the moment she knew the girl wasn''t from their¡­ there was one thing that kept bothering her.

    Since Emilia wasn''t from this, she must havee here with a purpose, right? And once that purpose was achieved¡­ wouldn''t she leave?

    But Crystal was already very happy that Emilia was willing to share such a great secret with her, and she didn''t want to go digging around for more. Wasn''t it good enough that the crimson-haired girl even revealed her true form?

    Emilia smiled as she tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind Crystal''s ear. "What are you thinking about so furiously? Curious how ''aliens'' mate? I can show you¡ª"

    The heroine''s face immediately turned red as she sputtered indignantly. "I-I wasn''t! I wasn''t thinking naughty stuff!"

    Emilia chuckled. "What was it, then? Just ask."

    Crystal hadn''t nned to ask, but now that Emilia already made such a demand, she didn''t want to lie to her either, so she could only confess her thoughts honestly. "T-That¡­ um, your alien race must havee here for a reason, right? Once it''s done¡­ w-will you leave?"

    The hazy and drunken look in Emilia''s eyes faded for a moment as she saw the sorrowful look on the blonde girl''s face.

    Crystal blushed as she was pulled tight into Emilia''s embrace as the crimson-haired girl caressed her hair gently. "Of course I''ll leave, but not without you."

    The tight grip around her heart faded as Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes twinkled with tears as she snuggled into the crimson-haired girl''s embrace, sniffling happily. "I-I knew you wouldn''t abandon me!"

    Emilia chuckled as she patted the blonde girl''s head affectionately. "Abandon you? Heh¡­ even if you wanted to run away, I wouldn''t let you go."

    Crystal couldn''t help but giggle as she thought of such a scene. Just looking at this ssy-eyed goddess of a girl, it was good enough if one wasn''t trying to eat her alive. Who would run away?

    Even if it would be incredibly adorable to see Emilia pout and try to hold her back, Crystal couldn''t bring herself to wrong the girl, after all.

    Emilia''s smile turned a little teasing as she nudged the blonde back. "By the way, aren''t you curious why an alien came to your world?"

    Crystal didn''t dare to look her in the eyes as she looked away with a blush. "A-A little, but you don''t have to tell me if it would put you in danger. If you need help, just tell me what I must do directly, un. After all, the others¡ª"

    Emilia grinned as she flicked the heroine on the forehead, making her pout. "There are only two people in my race, me and my friend. As for why I came to this world¡­ of course, to conquer!"

    Crystal hadn''t beenpletely unprepared for such a deration, but she could still only gape in disbelief. "Y-You want to conquer this world¡­ alone?!"

    The crimson-haired ''alien'' goddess gave her a smug nod. "What, Crystal thinks I can''t do it?"

    The blonde girl quickly shook her head, feeling a little exasperated in her heart. "Emilia¡­ do you even know how many countries there are in this world? How many are bigger than ours?"

    Emilia nodded. "I know. There are fifty-three countries on this, and thirteen that are more prosperous and powerful than this one. But even on a global scale, isn''t my White Deer still in the top three?"

    Crystal blinked as she finally realized something. ''Ahh¡­ all those alien movies have corrupted me.''

    Coughing in embarrassment, the blonde girl gave her a nod. "I-I see you didn''t mean it like a military conquest. It''s fine if you just want to be the richest in the world. That''s¡­ doable."

    Emilia grinned. "Just the richest in the world? No, I want to be the most famous, the most powerful, the richest¡­ well, everything. I want everyone in this world to adore me."

    Looking at the heroine''s strange look, she couldn''t help but pout. "You dare think I''m narcissistic?! This is how my race thrives!"

    Crystal cleared her throat in embarrassment. "W-Well, if that''s how it works¡ª"

    Looking at the crimson-haired girl sulk, the blonde quickly changed her words. "O-Of course, it''s only a matter of time before everyone admires Emilia, okay? It''s not narcissistic at all!"

    Seeing how the heroine nodded as if to convince herself, Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles. "Thank you. Is there anything else you wanted to know? Because I''ve been getting really horny since you started teasing me, and there''s a really cute girl that¡ª"

    Crystal had been too focused on their discussion before, but after Emilia said something like that, she couldn''t help but be intimately aware of just how incredibly sexy her lover looked, and how close they were right now.

    The heroine couldn''t help but squirm, bing well aware of how slick the area between her thighs was getting. "I-Is this your real form, Emilia? Does everyone in your race look so¡­ h-hot?!"

    Emilia''s eyes already looked quite drunk and hazy with desire, and Crystal''s words only made it worse. She couldn''t help but push the girl back and straddle her thighs, staring hungrily at the girl''s dripping wet crotch. "This is my real form, though I can change it at will. Since you''re hot, then¡ª!"

    The heroine hadn''t even realized when she had blocked Emilia from diving down with a palm to her face, but now that she had, she could only cover her embarrassment with a cough. "I-I just wanted to ask onest question."

    "After that, we will¡ª"

    The wronged and pitiful look on her lover''s gorgeous face was really too much for Crystal to bear, and she couldn''t help but feel guilty. Obviously, she was the one who wanted to do it the most, but she was still making Emilia beg.

    And to make everything worse¡­ she really didn''t have a question at all.

    But smart as she was, after rapidly wracking her brains, Crystal soon came up with a solution. "T-That''s right, um, m-my question is¡­ c-can I be on top?!"

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 Chapter 278 - [NSFW] Crystalâ€™s Painting Skills

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    Emilia didn''t have any particr preference of position, so she obviously wouldn''t mind whether her lover wanted to be on top, bottom, or sideways. As long as they were both having fun, wasn''t it all the same?

    "Sure, if that is what Crystal wants."

    Although she had made the statement in a panic, once she got Emilia''s consent, Crystal couldn''t help but feel excited.

    Now that she was going to be on top, who dares to call her the ''little sister''?!

    The heroine couldn''t help but lean forward to kiss Emilia''s lips ''domineeringly''. "T-Then, here Ie. Don''t cry if it feels too good!"

    Emilia, who only thought it was adorable, tried her best not to smile as shey on her back and watched the heroine spread her legs ''forcefully''. ''Does that cute little peck even count? Oh, she already lost her courage?''

    Only Crystal knew what was going on in her own mind, however. Recalling thest time Emilia had just toyed with her till she fell asleep, the heroine realized that this was a golden opportunity that she had to make the most out of, and not something to casually waste.

    ''I-I really want to dive in, b-but I can''t skip forey! Who knows when she''ll let me do it like this next? No, wait!'' Crystal''s eyes suddenly lit up as she saw Emilia''s slightly hazy and curious but expectant expression. ''As long as I do this right, won''t I be able to make her addicted?!''

    With her determination and excitement boosted a hundred times over, the heroine immediately jumped on her somewhat startled lover like an overly hyper dog, pressing Emilia down to slobber and bite all over her lips and neck, nibbling on both of her ears before moving down to nt hickeys all over her shoulders and corbone.

    Emilia found it a little funny, but it still felt good when Crystal started caressing and ying with her breasts, suckling on the little nubs with great enthusiasm as she red at her ''domineeringly''.

    The crimson-haired girl was both pleased and amused, so she decided to y along, biting her lip while giving the heroine a shy look.

    Normally, Crystal would be able to see through it right away, but with her mind overwhelmed with the thoughts of fucking Emilia to submission, she only felt even more intoxicated at her lover''s reaction.

    The moment she had seen Emilia''s real form, the greatest change that stood out to Crystal had been how incredibly delectable her skin looked, and now that she was able to nibble on it to her heart''s content, she had to admit that it was everything she expected and more.

    The softness that made her doubt if it was all a dream, the silky texture that she could never tire rubbing against, and the vague vor of otherworldly sweetness when she bit just hard enough that overwhelmed her mind, allbined topletely send Crystal into a frenzy.

    Emilia''s blush had already turned from teasing to genuine, and the drunken look in her eyes only seemed to drive the heroine more and more crazy.

    Before she realized it, Crystal had already covered her lover in hickeys from the tip of her ears all the way down to her waistline. But when she reached Emilia''s thighs, she paused and awakened from her dream-like state.

    Looking at her lover''s precious body covered in purple and red marks, she couldn''t help but feel a throbbing in her heart. ''F-Fuck! Am I an animal?!''

    Emilia seemed to know what she was thinking, and gave her a carefree smile. "Don''t worry."

    Crystal blinked as she saw her ''painting'' fade away into nothing, leaving only the beautiful canvas that was the gorgeous goddess of a girl she had been nibbling on.

    Instead of feeling better, she couldn''t help but furrow her brows in frustration. "All my hard work is gone just like that?!"

    The drunken look in her eyes made Emilia appear incredibly confused when she tilted her head, which quenched some of Crystal''s frustration, but also renewed her determination to do things ''right''. "You''re not allowed to do that again until I say so, understand?!"

    Emilia could only nod nkly as the heroine diligently got back to painting every hickey that had vanished all over again. With the energy flooding into her body, though, even if she tried not to let herself get healed, it was impossible.

    Not to mention her passive healing ability, even her shapeshift skill waspletely off cooldown in this state. In fact, Emilia understood that while she was absorbing energy, she could be considered to be in ''God Mode'', with all her abilities boosted to the limit.

    Had this been a world that required her to fight, this would be the perfect opportunity for her to strike!

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel frustrated whenever she saw one of her ''painstakingly carved'' hickeys vanish from Emilia''s gorgeous skin, and her only constion was that she got to do it again.

    Although she couldn''t get mad after looking at the drunk look in Emilia''s eyes, Crystal couldn''t help butin in her heart. ''Is it wrong to want to mark her for a few hours? I just want her to look thoroughly fucked by me!''

    Just thinking about it, Crystal could feel her core throb in pleasure, and her enthusiasm shot through the roof.

    Emilia could only gasp and moan helplessly as her body was thoroughly ''treated'' by the heroine, her hands clutching the bedsheet and her eyes shut tight. It would be wrong to say that she wasn''t moved. ''S-She''s learning so fast?!''

    Despite Crystal''s frenzied appearance, her bites were only enough to leave a mark, and not enough to really hurt her, let alone make her bleed. And the more time she spent nibbling on her body, the better she got.

    By the time Crystal was satisfied with her ''painting'', Emilia''s body was already covered in faint hickeys from the tip of her ears all the way down to her toes, faintly glistening with the heroine''s saliva.

    The heroine separated from the shuddering goddess beneath her with a gasp ¡ª a string of saliva still connecting thetest love bite on Emilia''s outer thigh and Crystal''s mouth ¡ª and gave a satisfied nod after looking at her painting. "Gorgeous!"

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 Chapter 279 - [NSFW] Deflowering Emilia

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    It was no wonder that Crystal was so satisfied, as the only ce that was left untouched was the area between Emilia''s legs and her inner thighs, and it, too, was glistening with her love nectar.

    If the crimson-haired girl''s intermittent shudders weren''t proof enough of Crystal''s ''effectiveness'', the state of her core made it more than obvious how much Emilia had enjoyed being treated as the most beautiful canvas in the world - one that was painted with Crystal''s tongue as the brush and her lips and teeth as the paint.

    And now, looking at the ravenous heroine staring at the area between her legs hungrily, Emilia couldn''t help but gulp. Though, even she didn''t know whether she was excited or nervous.

    "D-Don''t worry, I''ll be gentle!" Crystal tried her best to give her lover a gentle, reassuring look, but it wasn''t very effective since her pupils were already dted from excitement. Thankfully, Emilia wasn''t scared of her to begin with, and only gave her an indulgent smile.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but let out a shuddering breath in exhration as shey down between her lover''s silky thighs, her face inches from the girl''s tightly closed slit. ''I-I''m finally here!''

    How long had she looked forward to this moment? Even Crystal didn''t know. What she did know, however, was that all her regrets from never being able to pleasure or touch Emilia in this way could finally be washed away!

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel moved in her heart. "Thank you, Emilia."

    The crimson-haired girl only nodded at her in confusion, but the heroine had already closed her eyes as she started nibbling on the root of Emilia''s right thigh.

    As Crystal expected, although it wasn''t quite as soft as Emilia''s breasts, there was a charm to nting a mark here that just wasn''t there anywhere else, and she could clearly feel the quivers of her lover while holding that gorgeous leg in her embrace.

    Once she was done thoroughly marking her territory, the heroine gave the same treatment to the left side, making sure the entirety of Emilia''s inner thigh was properly ''treated'' before she moved on to her prize.

    This was now the only ce the Crystal could still faintly breathe that faint, otherworldly floral fragrance from, since the rest of Emilia''s body was already more or less covered with her saliva.

    Even if there was a ce that she hadn''t already taken a bite from, she had definitely at least licked it. Not even Emilia''s eyelids were spared, having been kissed dozens of times each. Though they still managed to prevent Crystal from directly kissing those gorgeous pools of blue that shone like prized gemstones, even while they were hazy with a drunken fog.

    She had wanted to tease Emilia a little more to wind her up. After all, Crystal understood that the tighter a spring waspressed, the more force it would have when released. Simrly, the more she managed to excite Emilia before making her cum, the more intense her orgasm would be.

    Wasn''t it the greatest pleasure in life to be able to look at the exhrated expression of her lover?

    But there was a limit to her endurance, and Crystal discovered that she really couldn''t hold it anymore as she gave a long lick to the slit from the bottom to the top, thoroughly enjoying the fruits of herbor so far.

    The amount of love nectar was less than she thought there would be after torturing Emilia for so long, but the quality was top-notch as expected. Although it was all gone with just one gulp, Crystal still felt like her life was fulfilled.

    But human greed knew no bounds, and Crystal was of course determined to plunder the source of the precious love nectar directly.

    Emilia couldn''t help but bite her lip as the heroine''s fingers stretched out her outer lips and a firm kiss was pressed against her core, sending a shudder of pleasure up her spine.

    Crystal''s lips and tongue explored the newly discovered treasure wantonly, and before long, the blonde couldn''t help but shove her tongue in as deep as she could, directly pressing against the flexible membrane inside Emilia''s core.

    The heroine didn''t know if this part of her lover got healed as well, but all she wanted to do now was to tear it down and enter the girl deeper, as deep as she could, the closest she could reach to Emilia''s heart. As long as the gorgeous beauty beneath her allowed it, Crystal would never hesitate.

    With the crimson-haired girl only shuddering under her ministration, showing no sign of protest or reluctance, Crystal knew she wouldn''t be rejected, and the realization filled her with unbridled joy.

    Separating from Emilia''s core with a kiss, Crystal slowly worked her index finger inside Emilia''s tight core, making sure it was well lubricated with both her saliva and the girl''s juices before she started moving it around. She wanted to make sure her lover was prepared before she took the next step.

    A minuteter, her middle finger joined the fray, and while Emilia''s core remained incredibly tight around her fingers, Crystal felt that the girl had still rxed considerably. Looking at it up close, she couldn''t help but be a little fascinated.

    Since the day she had discovered her affection for Emilia, Crystal had already started taking good care of her hands, especially her fingers. Although they weren''t quite as beautiful as her girlfriend''s yet, the blonde was satisfied with how they looked as she watched them stretch her girlfriend''s tight core to the limit.

    Crystal couldn''t help but nod to herself. All that time spent not studying was worth it, after all. Since they were to be used for such a sacred task, they of course had to be taken care of.

    After making sure that Emilia was feeling at ease, Crystal decided it was time. Leaning down to press her tongue against the girl''s already sensitive clit, she calmed down her rapidly beating heart and shoved her fingers as deep as she could,pletely disregarding the resistance on the way.

    The membrane that had felt so firm against her tongue before was torn so easily by her fingers, and the heroine was finally able to feel the warmth at the deepest parts of her lover''s core.

    Crystal''s heart skipped a beat in excitement as she felt Emilia arch her back with a whimper right as she tore through the fragile membrane. The girl''s expression wasn''t just painful, but excited instead. But as much as she wanted to, the blonde didn''t continue fucking her girlfriend, and withdrew instead, much to Emilia''s dissatisfaction.

    "D-Don''t stop!"

    Crystal couldn''t help but grin in satisfaction as she kissed Emilia''s thigh with love. Of course she wouldn''t make her lover wait, but it was also impossible for her to rush and not cherish every moment with her. "Just a moment, darling!"

    With an ted look on her face, Crystal took a moment to observe the virgin blood before she started licking it off, both from her fingers and Emilia''s body. ''I love her... so much!''

    As she was thoroughlypping Emilia''s inner thighs and core, however, the exuberant expression on the heroine''s face froze as she vaguely felt something inside her change. ''W-What''s going on?!''

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 Chapter 280 - [NSFW] Keeping Priorities Straight

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    Just as the good fishermen ignored the small fish and waited for the real catch, at such a critical moment, Crystal still knew how to keep her priorities straight.

    Between making sure that her gorgeous girlfriend had a good time and observing whatever life-changing transformation was going on in her body, the heroine firmly decided not to let minor matters distract her from what was truly important.

    Listening to the melodious symphony of her beautiful lover''s moans and gasps under her enthusiastic tongue, Crystal knew she had made the right choice.

    Crystal didn''t know if it was because of Emilia''s blood, but she felt like the fragrance was far more distinct now than it had ever been.

    Unlike before, she could now tell that it was simr to the most exquisite of roses, only slightly different. Though the taste still remained extremely faint, and maybe it would take her a while to figure it out.

    Crystal wasn''t really experienced when it came to pleasuring girls, nor had she really done much homework, so it was a given that her technique wasn''t very good, at first.

    But she was a quick learner, and even randomly shoving her tongue around, Crystal was able to quickly figure out what worked and what did not when it came to pleasuring Emilia.

    Her gorgeous goddess didn''t seem too fond of pration except when her pleasure was already at its peak, and enjoyed being gently treated by her tongue a lot more.

    Direct simtion was easy to overwhelm her, and intermittently teasing her little clit while pleasuring her with the tongue worked best, though repeating the same motions would also quickly stop getting reactions from her lover.

    The need for variety in stimtion made it clear to her that Emilia was a very demanding lover, but Crystal was happy to oblige. She quickly came up with a solution - keeping an eye on Emilia''s expression while pleasuring her.

    The girl''s responses were very transparent, and maybe it was because she was slightly drunk, but she didn''t hide anything from her face. If it hurt, she would frown, and if she felt great, her cheeks would blush and her eyes would twinkle in delight, like the gorgeous little blue stars in the night sky.

    As Emilia reached her peak, gasping and moaning under her, Crystal diligently continued pleasuring her till thest moment with her lips and tongue, and as the first shudder of orgasm was about to run through her, immediately shoved two fingers into her core, all the way in.

    Emilia''s back arched as she gasped, and Crystal was delighted by the plentiful supply of love nectar that flowed into her mouth. It was almost a full minuteter that Emilia finally copsed back on the bed, looking exhausted.

    Crystal climbed back up to her face and kissed her on the lips, and Emilia was surprised to discover the difference in tastepared to her usual, but didn''t pay much attention. Perhaps something had changed due to her being flooded with energy while she was having an orgasm.

    "Was I good?"

    Emilia, who had juste down from an intense orgasm, could only sigh wistfully. "You were amazing, Crystal."

    The heroine couldn''t help but smile, feeling fulfilled.

    It was only then that she recalled the feeling earlier.

    Since she hadn''t wanted to ruin what could be her gorgeous girlfriend''s first time making love, she had put it aside, but now that she already made Emilia cum after losing her virginity, she decided to bring it up right away.

    "Um, Emilia¡­ when I took your virginity, I¡ª"

    Emilia seemed to realize something as she interrupted her with a finger to her lips. "Right, I should have told you, huh¡­ Well, you can think of it as a benefit of being my lover."

    The blonde girl blinked. "What¡­ benefit?"

    Emilia coughed. "W-Well, you can think of it as taking a tonic that increases your lifespan slightly. Anyway, it''s good. I don''t n to die, I don''t age, and I want you to be by my side forever. Isn''t it great?"

    Crystal frowned, feeling like that couldn''t be all there was to it. Vaguely, she felt like something else had changed too, but before she could voice her doubts, Emilia had already interrupted her with a kiss.

    "Why do you look upset? You hooligan, don''t tell me you''re not happy?"

    Crystal quickly shook her head in denial. "How can I not be happy? If I im to be the second happiest girl in the world, no one would dare to im to be the first!"

    Emilia seemed pleased with her response. "Good girl!"

    The heroine could only blush as she was flipped over and pushed back onto the bed as Emilia captured her lips in a heated kiss. First suckling and then nibbling on each of her lips in turn before the crimson-haired girl entered her mouth with her tongue, intently exploring every nook and cranny while wrestling with the resident inside.

    Crystal could only gasp and groan into Emilia''s throat as she tried desperately to rub her core against the gorgeous girl''s thigh, but was firmly pressed down and immobilized, only able to passively enjoy herself from the pressure while enjoying her kiss.

    Thankfully, Emilia didn''t tease her for long, and soon broke their kiss with a gasp as she leaned back to stare down at the heroine with a heated gaze, gently running a palm over her soft thigh. "Crystal¡­"

    Crystal could see that the crimson-haired girl was struggling with whatever she wanted to ask, and she couldn''t help but feel a little confused, since as far as she knew, her lover was the leastcking in confidence.

    In the end, Crystal could only give her an encouraging look. "What is it?"

    The crimson-haired girl blushed and looked away, as if ashamed. "W-Well¡­ Crystal, there''s something I wanted to try, but¡­ um¡­"

    If Crystal''s mind hadn''t been upied with how incredibly adorable Emilia looked when she was shy, maybe she would have assured her lover that there was no need for her to hesitate so much.

    As it was, however, the blonde was barely able to admire Emilia''s ashamed look before the girl grit her teeth and decided to take an alternate approach. "Y-You know I can change forms, s-so¡ª! U-Uh, so¡­ is there anything you wanted to try?!"

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 Chapter 281 - Ordered A Puppy, And Received A...?!

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    Crystal blinked in shock. Was Emilia asking her if she wanted this goddess of a creature to change to someone else? No way. She had never seen someone more beautiful in her life, and who would want their lover to be less beautiful than they already were?

    The heroine couldn''t help but frown. "You look amazing enough in your real form, Emilia. Why would I want you to change to someone else?"

    Although it was true that Emilia''s appearance had changed from before, the differences weren''t that prominent, and Crystal could still tell that she was the same person. It was just that when all the minor differences were put together, the effect was rather incredible.

    Emilia blushed as she looked away. "Y-You know how to speak, huh?"

    Crystal''s heart beat faster as she looked at her charming appearance, but before she could say more, Emilia turned to her with a teasing smile. "I didn''t mean to transform into another person, anyway. If you had asked for that, I would really have to punish you."

    Crystal didn''t know if she should be happy or sad for having avoided it, and could only hesitantly nod. "T-Then?"

    Emilia turned her eyes away in embarrassment. "W-What I meant was if you wanted to try a different look on me, such as short pixie-cut hair, or maybe if I were to turn super buff, or super skinny? I don''t really mind. Oh, you could even ask for wings, or other stuff! You know, things that humans don''t have?"

    Crystal blinked in confusion. ''Something that I wanted to¡­ try? Not human¡­?''

    When the heroine really thought about Emilia being able to change forms, and what she could do with it, and put it together with those words... Crystal''s mind immediately jumped back to when they had been about to leave after beating Amos up.

    The moment Emilia had looked up at her with those puppy dog eyes, even if she pretended it didn''t affect her, only Crystal knew how many beats her heart had skipped. Had it been any worse, she would have directly gone into cardiac arrest!

    But saying such a shameful thing out loud would¡ª

    "F-Fluffy ears and tail!"

    Crystal''s face immediately burst into a furious blush as she realized that her mouth had somehow worked faster than her brain, and ended uppletely betraying her thoughts.

    "Alright?"

    Crystal covered her face with her hands in shame. ''My dignity as a human being¡ª!''

    Suddenly, she realized something. Wasn''t that thing already gone when she had tried to convince Emilia to act like a puppy for her, hours ago?

    Now that she had asked her for even worse, Crystal felt like she had nothing to lose at all, and her heart was suddenly emboldened.

    Since she could already be considered a weirdo, isn''t it just right to enjoy being one?

    Emilia didn''t know what kind of mental hoops her lover was jumping through, and was busy envisioning a good pair of fluffy ears and tail for herself.

    The heroine''s breath hitched in her throat when what looked like a cute pair of orangish-red fluffy fox ears sprang up from Emilia''s head, twitching adorably as the girl tried to feel them out. And then, a majestic-looking fox tail, long and extremely fluffy, waved out from behind the crimson-haired girl and started tickling the blonde girl''s ear.

    As Emilia had only been thinking about Crystal''s request as ''fluffy ears and tail'', she had obviously made them match her aesthetics.

    Of course, far from being upset at the ''tampering'' with her request, Crystal was already about to jump in joy. ''I-I ordered an adorable little puppy and got a smoking hot vixen?!''

    Emilia smiled as she watched the blonde girl catch her tail in her hands before she started rubbing it against her face. "Well, do you like it?"

    Lost in the fluffy paradise, the heroine could only absently hum in satisfaction as she enjoyed the feeling of the soft, luxurious fur. Even though she knew it would look weird, she couldn''t help but bury her face into it and scream in delight.

    Crystal didn''t know how long she indulged herself in that heavenly tail, but by the time she opened her eyes, the sight in front of her almost caused her to shoot back and faint with a nosebleed.

    It had to be said that Emilia''s beauty was slightly reduced in this form, but the fact that she looked less like a goddess and more like a vixen only made her feel more approachable and arousing. So although she was slightly less gorgeous with the fluffy add-ons, she was also far more charming.

    It was only then that Crystal realized that this tail wasn''t some cosy, but a part of Emilia''s body, and whatever she had been doing was clearly stimting the girl, causing her to look away with a blush, her fluffy little ears twitching adorably.

    The heroine immediately shot up straight, not even requiring the support from her arms ¡ª something that her unathletic self had always struggled with doing ¡ª and pinched those adorable little fluffy ears in her hands.

    "Ahn~!"

    Crystal couldn''t help but nt a kiss against those soft, delicious lips in front of her, all the while still rubbing those velvety ears between her fingers. Feeling the long, fluffy tail wrap around her waist, the heroine almost went crazy.

    No wonder vixens were considered seductresses that could tempt anyone! If they were to be anything close to the person she was kissing, Crystal could guarantee that they would be able to cause chaos wherever they went without effort.

    Thankfully, Emilia didn''t seem to mind her slightly crazed behavior, and happily indulged her while biting and suckling on Crystal''s lips.

    After indulging herself in this paradise to her heart''s content, the heroine finally snapped back to her senses as she realized something, and quickly separated from the crimson-haired girl''s lips with a gasp. "Wait a minute! D-Don''t tell me there was something you wanted to try yourself, and that''s why you asked me such a thing?"

    Emilia nodded shyly. "I-I did want to try something, b-but only if you like. A-And you can always say no after looking at it, but¡­"

    Crystal couldn''t believe that this was her Emilia, the bold little goddess of a girl, who was being so shy. "But?"

    The crimson-haired girl gave her an imploring look. "B-But no matter what, you''re not allowed tough!"

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 Chapter 282 - [NSFW] Deflowering Crystal

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    When Emilia looked at her like that, how could Crystal possibly say no?

    With all the clues so far, the blonde girl assumed that Emilia probably had something she wanted to transform into, but was afraid of being ridiculed or made fun of.

    Regardless of whatever it was that the crimson-haired girl wanted to show her, the heroine nodded generously. "Don''t worry, I won''tugh."

    After all, with such a gorgeous little girlfriend, Crystal felt like even if this girl did the stupidest thing possible, she could still encourage her darling with a smile while trying to figure out how to fix it.

    Emilia seemed to regain her confidence at Crystal''s serious and encouraging look. "T-Then, look. I watched some videos on the inte of girls being naughty, a-and they were using toys, soo... S-So I thought, I can make the toy myself¡­ a-and then I came up with... t-this...."

    Crystal''s eyes trailed down from Emilia''spletely red face, past her sexy little t belly and towards the area between her legs where she was pointing. The girl''s tiny little clit that had been shyly hidden beneath its hood seemed to suddenly glow and expand, instantly shooting up to being almost six inches long.

    Even though it was ''hard'', with Emilia''s smooth and delicate skin, it still looked slightly pink and soft. But despite that, Crystal couldn''t help but think that it was strangely out of ce on the crimson-haired beauty.

    At that moment, Crystal made the mistake of flicking her gaze to Emilia''s face, and couldn''t help butugh. ''S-So cute!''

    Emilia''s face immediately turned even more red with both anger and shame. "Y-You said you wouldn''tugh!"

    Crystal felt a little wronged, since she felt like if Emilia hadn''t said anything like ''don''tugh'' or looked at her like that, then she really wouldn''t have! But she knew that if she said this, then this little beauty might really cry!

    How could she bear such a thing? Even if it would be a beautiful sight, Crystal couldn''t let her darling be in distress. It was better to just console her instead.

    Luckily, as they were both almost hugging each other, it was easy for her to pull Emilia into an embrace and pat her back soothingly. "I''m sorry, Emilia. I just thought it was so adorable, you know? I didn''t mean to make fun of you!"

    Crystal couldn''t see the crimson-haired girl''s expression, as she was now leaning on her shoulders, but the fluffy fox tail that had previously be stiff was now swaying gently, tickling the heroine''s heart. ''H-How cute! No, more importantly, this means she doesn''t mind much, right?''

    The blonde girl couldn''t resist the temptation to fluff the tail with her left hand, still using the right one to rub Emilia''s back soothingly. "D-Don''t be mad at me, please?"

    Her thoughts turned out to be right as Emilia started humming against her shoulder. "I''m not mad."

    Emilia pushed her back far too soon, and Crystal could only let her go. "S-So, do you want to let me try it? Or should I put it away?"

    Looking at the adorable little fox ears twitching on the gorgeous girl''s head, Crystal felt an arrow shoot through her heart. ''Cute!''

    Seeing her remain silent, Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Crystal?"

    The heroine coughed as she looked away with a furious blush on her cheeks. "T-Try it, of course, let''s try it!"

    Emilia grinned and pressed her lips against the blonde girl''s happily. "Thank you! Let me know if I do something wrong or it hurts, though."

    Pushing her down on her back, Emilia showered her in affectionate kisses all over her face as shey on top of the blonde girl, gently kneading her ears in her fingers.

    She never knew just rubbing them could feel so good, but when Crystal had been teasing her little fox ears before, she really felt incredibly good!

    Emilia didn''t know if it was because the overflowing energy increased her sensitivity, but she had really felt her brain getting fuzzy, and wished it could just go on forever.

    The blonde understood what Emilia was trying to do, and could only feel funny at the fact that her girlfriend was trying to imitate her. Obviously, her ears wouldn''t feel so good, but it wasn''t an unpleasant feeling, andbined with the crimson-haired girl''s passionate tongue massage, it really felt quite good.

    Emilia broke their kiss with a gasp, and moved back till she was kneeling between the heroine''s legs. "I-I''ll try to put it in, okay?"

    Crystal nodded, staring intently at the hot and hard little thing that had been pressing against her belly, and was now poised right at her entrance. "Go ahead."

    Emilia seemed to be far more nervous than her as she pressed it against Crystal''s entrance, her eyes dting from the strange sensations. It was so warm, wet, and incredibly tight! She felt like if she moved even a little, she might just cum right away.

    Crystal didn''t flinch as she observed her girlfriend''s fascinated expression, and when the girl bit her lip while staying in the same position, she couldn''t help but buck her hips, wondering if she needed encouragement.

    Emilia jolted as if shocked. She almost came just then!

    The sensation was so strong that she really couldn''t help but thrust forward a little, pressing against the blonde girl''s hymen and stretching it almost to the limit. "D-Does it hurt?"

    Crystal''s breathing was already heavy as she stared at Emilia''s hazy eyes and swaying fox tail. The heat that throbbed inside her,bined with the concerned look in her girlfriend''s eyes, made her mind feel hazy and hot. "I-It doesn''t hurt."

    Emilia sighed in relief. "T-Then I''ll go in."

    For her, it had really hurt a lot the first time she did it with Dixie, but not so much afterwards. Maybe it would be better for her girlfriend, or at least she hoped so. Since Crystal was already very well lubricated from their earlier activities, it should be even easier.

    Pressing her right hand against Crystal''s belly, Emilia firmly thrust inside her, tearing through the fragile membrane and sliding in deep within the girl until she was warmly nestled against the final barrier at her very depths.

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 Chapter 283 - [NSFW] No Maintenance Required

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    Crystal had already been quite pent up from ying around with Emilia for so long, and while she had made the girl cum dozens of times, her turn was onlying just now.

    The moment Emilia had torn into her depths, not only did it not hurt, it immediately set her off into an intense orgasm thatpletely made her vision go dark as she let out an uncultured, guttural moan, sharply arching her back as she tried to drag her lover even deeper.

    Of course, Emilia was already pressing back against Crystal''s womb, and the action only stimted her to press against it harder, making her pupils dte as she copsed over her lover and captured her gasping lips in a searing kiss.

    As Crystal shuddered against her and rode through her orgasm, Emilia finally couldn''t hold it anymore as the intense squeezing sensation from her lover proved to be too much for her to endure.

    "C-Crystal!"

    The blonde vaguely felt a warm, sticky liquid shoot deep into her belly, the sensation only prolonging her orgasm as she clutched desperately at Emilia''s slim waist. Had her nails not been trimmed so well, she might have already taken off ayer of delicate skin.

    Emilia couldn''t help but make a few sharp thrusts inside Crystal as she came, and let out a relieved groan as she twitched inside her over and over.

    Since she hadn''t modified too many of her internal details, what she shot inside Crystal was just her own sexual fluid, and not any form of ''sperm'', though Emilia assumed that even if she did so, the girl wouldn''t get pregnant. At least, that is what Cynthia had told her.

    By the time Crystal came back to her senses, Emilia was already snuggling into her neck while gently thrusting inside her, the fox tail swaying happily from side to side as her ears twitched in delight. Clearly, she wasn''t quite satisfied with just one round, and wanted to go at it again.

    The blonde girl could only enjoy the feeling of being stretched with each thrust while her lover nibbled on her neck. Each time she hit the entrance of her womb, Crystal felt her heart skip a beat with a shudder.

    Slowly, Emilia''s thrusts became faster and harder, getting more and more intense, and Crystal felt as if her breath was being knocked out with each stroke as she gasped and moaned desperately, her eyes dting from pleasure. "Ahh¡ª! Ahn! E-Emilia!"

    The crimson-haired girl stopped chewing on her lover''s neck as she leaned back up, supporting herself on her hands as she looked down at the beautiful blonde girl she was screwing into the bed.

    The tight squeezing sensation around herself was really proving to be too much for Emilia, and she had barely been holding off from cumming in hopes of doing it together with Crystal, but it almost felt like it would be impossible this time too.

    Looking at Crystal''s flushed face and watery eyes, Emilia couldn''t help but bite her lip as she started mming into her even harder as the girl shuddered in pleasure. "F-Fuck! I-I can''t¡ª!"

    Crystal groaned as she felt Emilia thrust into her as deep as she could before shuddering. The twitching sensation against her womb, followed by the hot, sticky explosion directly sent her reeling into an orgasm alongside her lover.

    Emilia once again copsed onto her lover, twitching helplessly as she came inside the blonde girl while being held in her arms.

    By the time Crystal came back to her senses, the two of them were still quivering against each other, their breasts smashed together as Emilia twitched inside intermittently.

    Crystal couldn''t help but shudder. Given how gentle Emilia usually was, especially when they made love before, she really hadn''t been ready for what happened. ''T-That was intense!''

    Feeling her lover''s shallow breathing against her neck, she wondered for a moment if Emilia had fallen asleep, but the crimson-haired girl soon got up and moved back, giving her an apologetic look as she gently pulled out of her depths.

    Emilia obviously felt a little guilty for rushing towards the end in an attempt to cum together with her lover, even if it had seeded. "Sorry, Crystal¡­ was I too rough?"

    Now that she was more clearheaded, Emilia realized that they could have always gone for another round instead.

    Crystal quickly shook her head in denial as she sat back up, and the two of them stared at the mess on the bed, feeling equally embarrassed.

    After Emilia had pulled out, a gush of transparent fluid had burst out of Crystal and covered not just her thighs and butt, but also the bed. The blonde could feel her core throb in regret, as if wishing she could just keep it all inside.

    Crystal knew it all came from Emilia, but as it was flowing out from her, she couldn''t help but rub her cheek in embarrassment. "U-Uh, we might have to go to one of the guest rooms to sleep after a shower."

    Even if a change of bedsheets would have been enough before, with this amount, Crystal was sure that even the mattress must be soaked.

    Emilia had already changed back to remove the extra appendage as she pursed her lips in shame. "I-It will all vanish in a few minutes. E-Except for whatever remains inside you. So... let''s just go take a shower?"

    She didn''t know if it was just in her mind, but Crystal''s belly looked slightly more red now than before, and Emilia felt like she had been too rough.

    Emilia rubbed the girl''s lower abdomen lovingly, her expression full of both apology and regret, practically screaming ''I''ll definitely have to be more gentle next time!'', and the blonde girl couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile.

    Although Crystal was a little surprised at first, considering all of Emilia''s other abilities, she felt like self-cleaning cumshots weren''t so shocking.

    Suddenly, the heroine couldn''t help but pause in thought. ''Wait a minute¡­ she just said whatever isn''t inside me will vanish, so that means it won''t work for the stuff that''s in my body, right? Then, that should be the same for when I drank her blood, too¡ª!''

    Just as she was forming the conjecture, a tingling feeling came from her core, as if to confirm that her theory was, indeed, correct!

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 Chapter 284 - Fountain Of Youth?

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    Looking at the heroine''s strange expression, Emilia understood that she must have already figured something out. But since she had never intended to conceal it, Emilia wasn''t too worried.

    She caressed the blonde girl''s thigh gently before moving her finger to the girl''s lower abdomen, pressing it into the soft flesh with a smile. "Do you feel strange¡­ here?"

    Even though they had done so much already, the heroine couldn''t help but blush at Emilia''s teasing. But despite her embarrassment, her reluctant nod was all the answer her lover needed.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to say it, but that she had no idea what to say.

    Emilia hummed in thought. ''In that case, since she''s already aware of my origins, it''s better to clear any misunderstandings before they have the chance to take root¡­ Mhm, but I''m curious what she came up with, after all¡­''

    The crimson-haired girl smiled, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Well, does my clever little heroine of justice, the super detective, have any idea what''s going on? Of course, if you get it right, you''ll get bountiful rewards."

    It would be wrong to say that Crystal''s heart wasn''t shaken, but she recovered soon enough, biting her lip thoughtfully. "W-Well¡­ I''m not sure, there are too many possibilities, after all."

    Emilia hummed, looking a little dissatisfied with her response. Did Crystal not care so much about her rewards now that she got what she wanted? If that was the case¡­ forget about rewards, some punishment would be in order.

    But Emilia wasn''t an unjust princess, and would give her subjects the chance to defend themselves, most of the time. "Then tell me the ones you think are most likely? I''m curious. Just two will do."

    The heroine frowned,pletely unaware of the proverbial guillotine hanging over her head. "I-I¡­ I think it''s likely that there is some reaction between your alien cells and my own, it could be due to our two species having either too highpatibility or aversion?"

    Seeing Emilia motion for her to continue, Crystal gulped. "A-Another possibility is that since your species is gically superior and has some special properties, it might be able to slowly rece the human parts of me to convert me into one of your own?"

    Of course, while anyone else would be rmed when they thought of such a thing, Crystal felt like if the second possibility was true, she would be quite happy. After all, bing the same as Emilia, even if it was far off in the future, would be like a dreame true.

    The heroine didn''t mention the third, and most likely possibility in her mind - that she was simply being given a part of Emilia''s power every time they did something like this. Subconsciously, Crystal didn''t want to believe in such a thing, since it would mean slowly depriving Emilia of her strength.

    Just like Dixie wished to be Emilia''s protector and knight, Crystal wished to be herpanion and pir of support. How could she ept such a thing as depriving the one she loved the most of their own strength? What kind of support was that?

    Emilia tapped her chin in thought, looking down at the blonde heroine with a smile. "Interesting¡­ as expected of my Crystal, both of them make sense. However, in this case, that''s not exactly how it is."

    She caressed the blonde girl''s thigh endearingly. "It''s nothing to worry about, really. Crystal can think of it as every part of my body containing some energy, and when you take some for yourself, that energy is then transferred to you. Understand?"

    Crystal''s expression twisted involuntarily as she realized that her worst guess indeed turned out to be the correct one, but she tried her best not to let it show on her face. "S-So you lose some every time?"

    Emilia''s expression was a little subtle as she stared at the blonde girl. Although she was a little dazed from the energy overflow, she could still focus if she wanted to. Since this wasn''t a trivial matter for Crystal, she was of course paying attention to her lover''s emotions.

    The crimson-haired girl could see that her lover was burdened, and while she felt warmth in her heart from Crystal''s care for herself, she also couldn''t help but be distressed.

    Emilia pursed her lips, deciding she would have to cleanse this thought from Crystal''s mind, one way or the other. "I only lose a very, very small amount. Negligible, really. Plus, even if I could control it, I won''t since it increases your lifespan, and I wish to keep you by my side forever."

    Crystal seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but she still looked a little reluctant. Before she could speak, however, a fluffy fox tail brushed across her face.

    Emilia red at her with a stern expression. "If you reject this¡­ doesn''t that mean you wish to leave me behind?"

    The blonde girl was immediately stunned. Although Emilia didn''t say it, her expression clearly screamed ''You dare to have such thoughts right after fucking this princess?'', and Crystal knew she would be in for a long, long period of suffering ¡ª and not the good kind ¡ª if she didn''t clear it up immediately.

    Immediately grabbing the fluffy tail in her hands, Crystal stared into Emilia''s eyes, trying to convey her sincerity directly to the girl''s soul. "I-I would never leave you! Didn''t I already say this before? In fact, even if you keep kicking me away, I''ll still keep clinging stubbornly! I-I was just¡­ I was worried that I would drag you down¡­"

    The ice in Emilia''s eyes melted as she smiled. "You don''t have to worry about such things. I will never chase you away."

    Right after the heroine breathed a sigh of relief at her narrow escape, another thought emerged in her mind. "W-Wait a minute¡­ doesn''t that mean that having sex with you is like drinking from the fountain of youth?!"

    Looking at the blonde girl''s disbelieving expression, Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles.

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 Chapter 285 - The Shackled Hero

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    Looking at Emilia acting like she was the one ''overreacting'' to something trivial, Crystal couldn''t help but pout. "Do you even know how dangerous it would be if word of this ability was to get out?"

    Emilia chuckled as she saw the sulking heroine ''bully'' her furry tail vengefully as theyy side by side. "Don''t worry, I know. There have been many emperors and kings who have brought their people to ruin in their lust for a longer lifespan."

    The heroine was about to nod when she was suddenly struck with a thought. ''Emilia often refers to herself as a princess, doesn''t she? I always thought she was just being cute, but could it be that she really is one?''

    But thinking about it again¡­ it didn''t really matter, since Emilia was already a princess in her heart.

    Crystal couldn''t help but sigh. "Since you know, then don''t mention it to anyone when there is no need for it, okay? Even I didn''t need to know such a thing."

    In the heroine''s mind,pared to Emilia being an alien, her blood being a tonic that directly increased one''s lifespan was far more dangerous. No matter which power it was, if it could get her, it would do everything it can to take her for itself.

    Emilia''s eyes twinkled as she gave her a mischievous smirk. "I just thought that my Crystal is so smart, even if I don''t tell her, she''ll soon figure it out. After all¡­ you already knew I wasn''t a human long ago, right?"

    Crystal couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment. "D-Don''t try to sweet talk me. You still have to promise me you won''t tell anyone else!"

    "Cannot~"

    Crystal couldn''t help but clutch the furry tail in anger. "Emilia!"

    The crimson-haired girl groaned. "Anyway, it''s not like I will go around spreading it, you know? I''ll only tell those I trust, and if they betray me¡­ it doesn''t matter anyway, right?"

    The blonde girl felt chills up her spine as she listened to her lover''s nonchnt words in shock. ''D-Doesn''t matter? What does she mean by that?''

    Of course, since she already had a hunch¡­ Crystal didn''t dare to ask at all.

    Emilia didn''t want her to sulk like that, so she sped the hands that were clutching at her fluffy fox tail with a smile. "Although I won''t listen to you this time, since I know Crystal just wants to protect me and is a good girl¡­ why don''t I reward you by returning your favor of servicing me in the shower?"

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    Meanwhile, a bucket of cold water sshed over the groggy hero''s head, instantly jolting him awake as he swiveled his head around in a panic. "W-Wha¡ªhuh?!"

    The anxiety in his heart only got worse after realizing that not only were his hands and feet bound, but he was even blindfolded!

    "Who is it?!"

    "Who dares do this to me?!"

    "Do you know who I am?!"

    "Bitches, dare not let me see your face?! Come out!"

    The hero''s hysterical demands continued echoing through the room, but to no avail.

    Amos felt his heart clench in terror as he realized that perhaps the person responsible for drenching him in cold water intended to enjoy his confusion and panic, because after turning over the bucket over his head from behind, they didn''t show themselves at all.

    Only the sound of a door mming shut alerted the hero of their departure, and some of his nerves finally rxed.

    After realizing that he was now alone in the room, Amos forced himself to take a few deep breaths and calm down. "L-Let me think¡­ where was Ist¡ª?!"

    The silver-haired boy gritted his teeth as his memory returned to the humiliation he had suffered just before. "That fucking whore! I swear if I don''t one day have her gang-raped by pigs, my name isn''t Amos, ah¡ª! No! I''ll skin her alive and then feed her to pigs!"

    The more he thought about it, the more hysterically he screamed. Not only was he humiliated like this, but it was even in front of the love of his life!

    No, she didn''t deserve to be called that.

    Amos felt his veins throb painfully as his blood boiled from rage when he recalled Crystal''s betrayal. "All my good thoughts were wasted on that useless woman! Just you wait, Crystal, once I get my hands on you, I swear you''ll never see the light of day again!"

    That ungrateful girl will probably only realize her mistakes once she was tied up and abandoned in one of his mansions, left to reflect on what she did wrong.

    Maybe once she begged him to take her back on her hands and knees, no, even if she did so, he would never forgive her.

    For the sake of being his first love, he would let her stay by his side, but Amos would never forgive a woman who could give in to temptation in drugs and betray him like that!

    But although Crystal was also unforgivable, the main target of his hatred still remained the source of all his troubles, the girl he hated more than anything or anyone else.

    Amos felt his brain buzz as he thought about the redhead''sst words. "How dare that bitch actually leave me alone in an alley?! That fucking spawn of evil! Just because she said so, some pervert actually kidnapped me?!"

    Thinking of such a possibility, the hero felt a shiver run up his spine. "N-No! Impossible, t-they must have taken me captive themselves, so they could demand a ransom from that bastard father of mine! Right, that must be it!"

    In that case, it would only be a matter of time before he was released, and these bastards wouldn''t dare to hurt him anyway. As for trying to scare him¡­ heh, they can dream.

    Would a valiant hero like him ever be scared of such puny scum''s little tricks? Impossible.

    Convincing himself so, Amos was just about to breathe out a sigh of relief when he heard the door m open as the presumableckey of the White Deer Corporation returned.

    "Heh, you think I won''t know who you are just because¡ª?!"

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 Chapter 286 - The Heroâ€™s Crisis

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    Amos felt the words get stuck in his throat when the blindfold on his face was abruptly ripped off.

    He thought they would never let him see where he was, or whom he was dealing with. After all, if his guess was right, the White Deer Corporation''s employees certainly wouldn''t want him to remember any of their faces.

    In case he was able to identify themter, even if the White Deer itself wouldn''t suffer, the same couldn''t be said for that employee. As long as they were determined to take revenge regardless of the cost, that person was sure to suffer a disaster.

    It only took a few moments for the hero''s vision to adjust, and the man''s profile in front of him became clear at a nce.

    Middle-aged, unkempt, and with a slightly unhinged look in his eyes, the man didn''t look like an employee of one of the big corporations at all. In fact, he resembled an escapee from an asylum instead, and the thought sent shivers down the hero''s spine.

    He couldn''t help but gulp. ''D-Don''t tell me¡­ I really got picked up by some lunatic?!''

    The ''lunatic'' sneered at the silver-haired boy''s terrified expression, and it was only then that Amos noticed the metal rod in his hand.

    Instantly, it was as if someone had doused him with cold water all over again. "W-Who are you? Don''t you know who I am?! I''m Amos ck, the only heir to the ck Tiger Corporation! If you let me go now, it is still¡ª!"

    The unkempt man didn''t seem to have any intention of listening to him at all, and his only response to the hero''s words was a heavy swing of the rod to the boy''s right leg.

    Amos felt his world turn white from pain, and his eyes almost rolled to the back of his head.

    As soon as he regained his senses, the silver-haired boy couldn''t help but curse. "Bastard! How dare you¡ª?!"

    With a dull thump, another heavy blownded on the same leg, and the silver-haired boy''s forehead was immediately drenched in a cold sweat. He was sure that something broke just then.

    "I''ll make sure you suffer a hundred times worse than my son before you die."

    And then, as abruptly as he had arrived, the man left Amos shivering in pain and terror.

    He couldn''t believe that a day woulde when someone would dare treat him like this.

    How was this possible? Even if it was the White Deer Corporation, Amos knew they didn''t have the guts to pull this kind of stunt. Harming the only heir to the ck Tiger like this, did they want to burn down together?

    His eyes red in rage, the hero couldn''t help but grit his teeth and look around. Now that he knew that he wasn''t taken by the White Deer, there was no way he was going to wait to be beaten to death.

    What if the pervert never tried to contact his bastard father, and really intended to beat him to death?

    There was no way he could rely on that ipetent fool to find and save him, it would be better to just bite his tongue off and die in that case.

    Amos knew he had to get out of here quickly, and the only one he could rely on to do so was himself.

    Thankfully, the pervert was foolish enough to take off his blindfold, and he could finally observe where he was.

    Although the walls were a little mottled, and the only window in the room was closed shut, the hero felt like this must be some sort of a basement.

    It wasn''t too big, and there were many tools and household items lying around that made Amos believe that it must be the psycho''s own home. In one corner, he even saw a study desk with newspaper clippings, an oldputer, and a photo frame.

    The photo in the frame didn''t catch his attention at first, since it was clearly a family photo of the pervert and his family, but Amos quickly did a double-take as he realized something.

    Wasn''t the face of that teenage boy a little familiar?

    His first thought was that he must have seen the boy in one of the corporate parties, and quickly figured out that the man''s identity must be one of the losers who got ruined under his ck Tiger''s momentum.

    However, a face that he had seen only a few months ago shed through his mind, and the hero''s pupils shrank in astonishment.

    "B-Braxy?!"

    How could it be him?!

    Didn''t this mean that the pervert who was intent on beating him to death was Braxy''s father?

    The silver-haired boy felt his brain buzz in disbelief. ''B-But Braxy and I didn''t have any grudges at all! I only gave them some money to deal with that bitch!''

    Even when those two morons had failed, Amos had just cut his losses andpletely put them out of his mind. After all, he had more important things to deal with.

    Even if the boy had disappeared in the end, it had nothing to do with¡­!

    Suddenly, something seemed to click in the hero''s mind, and the whole nonsensical situation became clearer. "SHIT! Don''t tell me this moron thinks I''m the one who dealt with that moron son of his?! That must clearly be the doing of that bitch!"

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    Meanwhile, the hero''s father frowned as he received a report from his assistant. "Amos hasn''t returned yet?"

    Seeing the man nod in affirmation, the buff man couldn''t help but take a look at his watch.

    It was almost one in the morning.

    Although he had never been strict with when his son returned, when he went out, or what he did, that was all on the premise that his performance was satisfactory.

    Once the boy had shown his ability to mess up over and over again, he had clearly stipted a strict curfew time by which he must return home.

    Given that the boy performed well in his exam, however, Mr. ck thought of giving his son another chance, and had done away with the curfew.

    The ck-haired man couldn''t help but shake his head. "He really likes disappointing me, doesn''t he?"

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 Chapter 287 - Bad Influence?

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    Mr. ck''s mood was already irritable from his day at work, and he was no longer in any mood to listen to whatever nonsense his son was up to now. "In that case, contact his bodyguard and have him dragged back immediately. No need to report such matters to me in the future."

    Although he had given the boy some freedom, he still hoped that Amos would be more disciplined until he was able to prove himself as someone who deserved real independence. As it was now, he was gravely disappointed.

    The assistant loosened his cor nervously. "T-That is¡­ uh, Mr. ck¡­ I-I tried to contact them, b-but¡­ none of their devices connected."

    Mr. ck''s gloomy mood was immediately ovee with rm as he shot up from his chair in shock. How could one of the best bodyguards in the world fail to respond for no reason? Something was definitely wrong!

    "Investigate immediately! Immediately!"

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    Samantha usually wasn''t one to stay in the office till two in the morning, and the tall girl couldn''t help but rub her brows tiredly as she listened to Noelle''s report. "So, to summarize¡­ it''s all going as we want, right?"

    Noelle nodded as she pushed her non-prescription thin-framed sses up with her left pinkie. "Mostly. There''s no guarantee that Braxy''s father won''t leak things that he shouldn''t in a way we don''t expect, which is why I have¡ª"

    Sam waved her hand with a smile. "Yes yes, I already know about all the nifty little tools you put into his body to track, monitor, and terminate. Honestly¡­ just rx, Noelle, the guy clearly cares for his son and wife, he won''t dare do anything."

    The gray-haired girl frowned. Even if the likelihood was small, she''d always believed that prevention was better than cure. "It doesn''t hurt to take precautions. No, in fact, we should always do so when we can."

    Most importantly, Noelle had a sneaking suspicion that the next time she messed up even the tiniest bit, Emilia would definitely be using that as an excuse to deliver ''righteous punishment'' onto her, and the gray-haired girl had no intention of discovering exactly what it was.

    Samantha had no way to refute her since she was right, so she could only bow her head helplessly. "Thank you for your teachings, little ancestor. Now¡­ can you please let me know if everything is over so I can go home to embrace my lovely little wife?"

    The gray-haired girl paused hesitantly. "A-Are you referring to your sister?"

    Samantha coughed, looking away shyly.

    Noelle had never seen a more brazen pervert in her life, and to think that she had never realized it for so many years until recent events made her rethink everything in her life. Had she not been worried that the girl would be disowned, she would surely report this matter to Mrs. White!

    Samantha cleared her throat in embarrassment. "A-Anyway, Noelle, can you not just¡­ hurry up? My little Emilia¡ª"

    Noelle''s face lit up with a very ''professional'' smile, one that contained just the right amount of ''what is your preferred method of death'' to shut Sam up. "I have been working tirelessly on this for weeks, and you''re too horny to listen to me for a few minutes?"

    Sam froze in shock for almost a whole minute before she managed to calm herself down. ''W-Whoa, Noelle''s mad! I haven''t seen her being emotional since¡­ hmm, when was thest time she kicked my butt? Three years ago?''

    For her to be so stimted that she came out of her monk-like state¡­ was this the legendary jealousy of single people when stuffed with ''dog food''? How strong must it be to even affect this cold ice-block of a woman? Samantha couldn''t help but feel a little fresh.

    Still, since she had no intention of getting her workload tripled for no reason, Sam quickly raised her hands in surrender. "H-Hey now, don''t get angry. I''m just a little tired and wanted to sleep, but I''ll definitely finish listening to you first!"

    Noelle deeply felt the vestiges of life at this moment. Once she got some free time, she would definitely have to get her hair checked. At this point, she felt like the need to keep dying it gray was almost gone. If anything, she was starting to worry if these two sisters will make her bald.

    "N-Noelle?"

    The gray-haired girl could only sigh. "Fine¡­ I''ll make it short, then. There are only two decisions I need you to make. First, the bodyguard and driver in our custody cannot be kept indefinitely. And second¡­ take a look at this."

    Sam stared nkly at the handgun on her desk before turning to Noelle in confusion. "What''s this supposed to be? The bodyguard''s gun? Just dispose of it as you see fit¡ª"

    Noelle shook her head in denial. "No, this was being carried by the target today. I''m not showing it to you for no reason. I believe this is an improved version of thetest service pistol¡­ a prototype."

    Of course, it needn''t be said that she had already looked up andpared the two carefully, or she would never dare make such a statement.

    But although she knew it was impossible for Noelle to make an irresponsible mistake like that, Samantha couldn''t help but tilt her head in doubt. "¡­Why would that kid be carrying this around?"

    Noelle shrugged. "I don''t know, but does it matter? What matters is¡­ I believe we can use this to our advantage and really make ck Tiger suffer this time!"

    Samantha stared at the piece of metal on her table nervously. "W-What if it''s a trap? And how are we going to use this, anyway? We can''t show this to the government without risking our own neck either¡ª"

    Noelle smiled, but it was as cold as ice. "Not our government, no. Sam¡­ I don''t believe there is any need to say it inly, right? Don''t pretend to be stupid."

    Samantha flinched. "N-Noelle, you¡­"

    The brown-haired girl paused and hesitated, but in the end, she could only grit her teeth and speak her mind. "¡­ have you been hanging out with Emilia a lot recently?"

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 Chapter 288 - The Fox Tail Has Many Uses

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    Of course, the reason Samantha would ask such a thing wasn''t because she believed Noelle was incapable ofing up with such an idea, but because she knew that the gray-haireddy generally didn''t like doing these types of things.

    Having spent so many years together, Sam knew very well that Noelle would rather spend time improving herself than sabotaging her opponents.

    Noelle''s expression immediately turned worse as she red at the taller girl. "¡­This idea is mine. Why¡­? You believe I can''t think of it myself?"

    She hadn''t even told Emilia about the origins of this gun yet. Although she understood that Emilia was sure to do this kind of thing ording to her troublemaking nature, Noelle still didn''t like how Sam seemingly looked down on her.

    The taller girl just seemed to realize she had sleepily stumbled upon andmine, and hurriedly backtracked on her words while waving her hands in surrender. "N-No no, i-it''s not as if I''m doubting your ability! I-I just¡­"

    Sam coughed. "¡­ well, n-never expected a suggestion like this from you? You know, since you usually advise me against things that cause chaos."

    Noelle''s expression had just started easing when Sam seemingly decided it was the perfect time to put her foot in her mouth.

    "But when I think about it¡­ you really have been hanging out with Emilia a lot recently, and all you two do is cause trouble here and there¡­ no wonder you got influenced!"

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    When Crystal opened her eyes the next morning, for a moment she wondered if she was dreaming.

    After all, even though they had been sleeping together for a while at her home, Crystal had rarely woken up to the sight of her gorgeous lover peacefully snuggling into her arms.

    Usually, by the time she opened her eyes, Emilia would already have her breakfast ready and served in bed. Most of the time, she would even wake her up with a kiss.

    The blonde girl had always felt like that was the best way to start a new day. After all, how many in the world were lucky enough to enjoy such a luxurious treatment? But today, she discovered that perhaps she had been missing out on something even better.

    Looking at the adorable little crimson fox ears twitch on top of the beautiful girl''s head, Crystal wished she could just freeze time and stay like this forever. Obviously, after Emilia had helped her wash up and go to bed, she still hadn''t put away her fox ears and tail.

    Reaching under the nket, Crystal couldn''t help but grope at the fluffy thing, squeezing it gently with delight.

    Recalling how Emilia had used it as a loofah to rub foam over her body while helping her wash before bed, Crystal couldn''t help close her eyes in an attempt to restrain herself, but the heat still coiled at her core all the same.

    How can someone be so cute and sexy at the same time?!

    A gentle knock at the door broke the heroine out of her thoughts, and she almost ended up cursing at whoever it was that dared to disturb her at this time. Fortunately, the person seemed to assume they were still sleeping and left.

    Crystal couldn''t help but sigh as she looked at the time. ''That must have been Michelle or another one of the maids, right? I guess they''ll be back soon. I should just¡­ wake her up.''

    The blonde girl knew that although Emilia was usually amodating, she was actually very easy to get shy, and thus unlikely to let her y around in this kind of ''shameful'' form too often.

    Moreover, since Emilia had been keeping her beauty reduced, it was very likely that this gorgeous form in her arms would also be toned down, and she may not be able to gaze at this goddess again for tens, or even hundreds of thousands of seconds!

    Biting her lip, the blonde girl carefully lifted the nket and set it aside to burn the beautiful scenery into her mind properly.

    Gently caressing the fluffy fox tail, Crystal could only sigh at the fact that all of her hard work fromst night had long since vanished, leaving only wless skin on the bare form of the goddess in her arms. The only constion was that Crystal could always cheer herself up by thinking she could do it all over again.

    The gentle morning sun shining through the window gave Emilia''s silky skin a unique glow, and also allowed Crystal to observe everything in far more detail than the artificial light before.

    The gentle wake-up call came to the heroine''s throat, but she ended up swallowing it. Even if it was only a few minutes until the maid came back again, every moment with her was precious, how could she just give it up?

    Emilia frowned in her sleep as she unconsciously tried to swat the palm that was fondling her tail unceremoniously, but Crystal quickly pulled her into a hug to prevent her from moving around.

    Thankfully, the crimson-haired girl soon dozed off into deeper slumber, allowing the heroine to breathe out a sigh of relief.

    At that moment, there was suddenly another knock at the door.

    "Come in."

    It was only when the words were already out of her throat that Crystal realized their current state, and hurriedly pulled the nket up to cover her lover.

    What a joke! Not to mention anything else, how could she allow anyone else to see Emilia''s fluffy fox tail and ears?! Even if every single servant in the mansion waspletely loyal, that could still lead to a disaster!

    Michelle had just entered the room, her mouth opening to greet them with a gentle smile and a ''good morning'', when she froze in shock at the scene before her.

    "¡­"

    In the tense silence, the heroine finally grit her teeth and smiled tightly. "W-What did Michelle need? Should I wake Emilia up?"

    The older girl fiddled awkwardly with her maid uniform. "W-Well¡­ I-I just wanted to let young miss know that her older sister returnedst night, b-but I was told not to let anyone enter, a-and she''s sulking downstairs¡­ should I let here?"

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 Chapter 289 - Crystalâ€™s Princess Carry

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    There was no way for Crystal to be sure of the exact rtionship between Emilia and her older sister without asking one of them directly. But as someone who was already familiar with Emilia, and had also noticed the greed in Samantha''s eyes, Crystal was well aware that even if they hadn''t reached the tipping point yet, it was only a matter of time.

    In that case, letting someone in that position see their current state would only serve to stimte them negatively, and Crystal had no interest in doing that. The blonde girl didn''t believe that everyone could ept Emilia''s nature as easily as she had, and provoking others was the farthest thought from her mind.

    "Please let her know that we''ll join her at the breakfast table instead, okay?"

    Since Crystal was the ''main wife'' from her perspective, Michelle could only bite her lip and nod.

    It was only after she had left that the short-haired girl dare to breathe a sigh of relief. ''W-Why would she tell me to enter when she was in such a state? Princess picked up a really wild girl for a wife!''

    Meanwhile, Crystal had already slid out of the bed and carefully picked Emilia up in a princess carry. As someone who had always wanted to try it but didn''t dare, she was shocked by how easy it was to carry someone that was the same size as her, but didn''t dwell on it too much, especially since she knew about Emilia being an ''alien''.

    Crystal didn''t know if it was just because they were naked, but she felt like this position was definitely far more intimate than she first thought.

    With one arm under Emilia''s soft thighs and the other wrapped around her shoulders, the girl was safely nuzzled into her body like a baby as she was being carried.

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel like she was being depended on, making her heart all warm and fuzzy.

    Easily carrying the gorgeous girl all the way to the tub, the heroine couldn''t help but sigh. ''She''s so light... I wonder...''

    Had there been a weight scale in Emilia''s bathroom, the heroine would surely have taken this moment to explore her weight. Unfortunately, she found no such thing.

    Although Crystal tried to keep the water temperature just right, and used the tub instead of the shower, Emilia still woke up moments after she started. Thankfully, the crimson-haired girl was more than happy to let her lover service her.

    Now that she knew that Emilia was perpetually in a ''pure'' state, Crystal knew that bathing served no other purpose than to wash away any dust or dirt that could have settled on the surface of her skin, and there was no need for the girl to brush her teeth at all.

    As they had already showered before bed, and there wasn''t that much time left before school, Crystal didn''t spend too much time ''cleaning'' Emilia, and didn''t join her in the tub either, no matter how much she wanted to do so. "Your sister is waiting for you downstairs. I''ll get ready and join you in like half an hour, okay?"

    Emilia just hummed, her eyes closed contently as Crystal patted her body dry with a towel.

    It was only when the girl started ''drying'' her tail that she realized it was still there.

    Crystal could only sigh in regret when the adorable little tail vanished along with Emilia''s fox ears, though she did get to enjoy seeing the tips of her lover''s ears turn red in embarrassment.

    "I-I''ll wait for you downstairs!"

    Looking at the usually bold crimson-haired girl dash away, Crystal couldn''t help but giggle.

    The heroine felt her heart being tickled when the girl peeked back in to let her know that there were spare uniforms in the closet before running away again.

    She couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. "How cute."

    Her smile soon faded away as she moved on to brushing her teeth, her expression turning gloomy in the mirror. ''What can I do to protect her?''

    That was the thought that had been bothering her ever since Emilia told her she was an alien.

    The girl made ''conquering the world'' sound easy, but Crystal wasn''t a fool. Even if Emilia had a few special abilities, there were still only two people in her species, and the other was nowhere to be seen.

    Even if the other person did her best to assist Emilia and was capable enough, that was still only two people against the world. That was true even if the ''conquest'' was only economical, and not militaristic.

    After all, the two weren''tpletely separable at the highest level, and Crystal knew that very well.

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    Meanwhile, Emilia had already dressed up and hopped down the stairs to find her older sister at the breakfast table, greeting Michelle along the way with a smile.

    Anyone could see how good her mood was from the brightness of her smile alone.

    Even though she had already changed back from her real form to the toned-down version she was now using, the effect was already quite lethal, leaving two of the maids clutching at their hearts from the adorableness of their little ''daughter''.

    Of course, her happiness didn''t stem just from spending the night with Crystal, or teaching Amos a lesson, but also from having finallypleted one of her missions.

    And she wasn''t the only one who was in a good mood, as even Cynthia''s voice was bright and cheery this morning. "I can''t believe we already have 47.84% energy now! There''s no need to be so frugal with it, and I don''t have to live in worry day after day, ahhh! I knew my viiness could do it!"

    Emilia grinned mischievously. ''Don''t I deserve a reward if I did a good job?''

    Cynthia paused. "A-A reward? Well¡­ I''m not sure what I can give you?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled in her mind. ''Don''t worry, I won''t ask for much. How about a kiss?''

    Her partner sighed. "Will you never stop being a pervert?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. ''Is that a yes or no?''

    Of course, Cynthia couldn''t bring herself to deny the girl after she worked so hard toplete her mission, and could only reluctantly agree. "Fine then, I''ll kiss you¡­ once."

    Emilia hummed happily, and the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but feel a little strange in her heart when she saw her partner look so happy getting such a strange reward for having aplished something so significant. "This silly little girl¡­"

    After all, shattering the ego of the ''world will'' may seem easy in theory, but Cynthia knew better than anyone how difficult it was.

    No matter how optimistic she had been about Emilia before, there was always a little doubt in her heart when it came to her ability. After all, her partner was smart, but silly. She was easily distracted, and focused too much on mortal things.

    But now that she had proven herself, Cynthia couldn''t help but smile. ''I knew I was right to bet everything on her!''

    As happy as she was, though, the raven-haired girl was also a little regretful. ''If only I hadn''t been sote¡­ she would have been even better. Even with all these distractions, my viiness is so good! Ahhh, just thinking about it makes me mad!''

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 Chapter 290 - Hiring Conditions?

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    Emilia remained unaware of her partner''s regrets, and happily greeted her older sister with a kiss on the cheek.

    Sam had been a little gloomy sincest night after she was denied entry into her little sister''s room, but considering the time and the fact that the girl should already be asleep, she could only reluctantly return to her own room to sleep.

    With one sweet ''good morning'', however, all that gloom was instantly wiped off her face and reced with a smile. "Did you have a good sleep? If you like, it''s alright to skip school today."

    Emilia took her seat next to the taller girl and shook her head in denial. "No need to skip school, I don''t get tired so easily."

    Noticing a new young maid sitting on a chair in the corner, Emilia couldn''t help but raise a brow in surprise, since she hadn''t seen her in the mansion before. "Who is the new little girl?"

    The twenty-two year old who was called a little girl by a highschooler could only look at them with a bunch of question marks on her head. ''Excuse me? I''m neither short nor t-chested? What little girl?''

    Samantha coughed. "Apparently, Noelle''s little rtive. She said the girl was looking for a part-time job, and is very good at household chores, so I let here. The housekeeper told her to observe the other maids for the next week to learn, then she can start her work."

    Emilia nodded, not taking the matter to heart. Anyway, one more cute maid never hurt anyone.

    Sam nodded. "By the way, did Noelle tell you about our new n?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "New n? Oh, wait a minute, maybe she sent me a message? I haven''t checked yet. Ahh¡­! I seem to have left my phone in my room¡ª"

    Michelle, who had been patiently waiting next to her for an opportunity to serve, immediately grasped her chance. "I will fetch it right away, young miss."

    Emilia, who had wanted to reprimand her for not calling her either ''Emilia'' or ''princess'', could only speechlessly watch her dash up the stairs like a bolt of lightning. "¡­"

    Sam giggled. "You know, when she first came here, I thought she would be a useless girl who would drag you down, but she''s pretty hard-working, isn''t she? You know she guards your door at night?"

    Emilia was relieved to hear that Sam wasn''t so prejudiced against her ''servant'' anymore, but why was this at her expense?!

    She could only grumble in dissatisfaction. "Guard my door at night? What is she, a gargoyle? When does she sleep, then?"

    The taller girl coughed. "Well, she wasn''t just standing there. She had a futon and everything."

    Emilia could only purse her lips, feeling stunned. If there hadn''t been a bathroom inside, and Crystal went out during nighttime, wouldn''t she be scared to death by the ghost at the door?!

    Moreover, this was clearly something Michelle did without letting her know! To say Emilia was dissatisfied would be an understatement at this point.

    When Michelle returned with Emilia''s phone, the redhead took it with a satisfied nod. "Come here, kneel down next to me?"

    "E-Eh?" Confused, Michelle could only do as she was told.

    Feeling a warm little hand on top of her head, the short-haired girl blushed.

    Emilia smiled as she ruffled the girl''s hair. "Michelle is a good girl, always thinking about me. Very adorable."

    Just as the little maid''s face was about to let out steam from both happiness and embarrassment, she was stunned when Emilia held her ears firmly¡­ and started squeezing and pulling.

    The redhead''s expression was still all smiles, but anyone could tell that she was a little upset. "I''m happy that you try your best for me, but don''t you know I don''t like disobedient girls? Huh, dare to harm yourself without my permission, who allowed you to touch my people?"

    Michelle could only gape at her dumbly. "E-Eh? I-I¡ª?"

    The younger girl red at her, lips pursed in dissatisfaction. "I heard you put my girl to sleep on the floor? Who gave you this courage?"

    Michelle was struck dumb for almost a minute straight before she pointed at herself nkly. "M-Me?"

    Emilia snorted. "Obviously. How do you n topensate me if my girl got sick because of your carelessness? Just because I let her do as I please doesn''t mean I don''t care. Do you think my Michelle is easy to bully?"

    Michelle, who had always known that her princess had a strange way of thinking, suddenly realized that she had vastly underestimated her entricity. Had she not known better, she would really start to wonder if there existed another Michelle whom she had unknowingly bullied.

    Plus, it looked like even if she got sick, she would still have to apologize for not taking proper care of herself?! Being the servant of her princess was harder than she thought!

    Emilia frowned. "Hmm? Are you thinking something disrespectful?"

    Michelle quickly shook her head in denial. "N-No, princess, I-I''ll try to be more careful in the future?"

    Emilia sneered. "What, is that it? Since there are rewards for doing well, there obviously have to be punishments for being disobedient and naughty?"

    Michelle gulped. "P-Punishment?"

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes at the expectant and excited tone of the girl''s voice, but decided it was beneath her to make ament, and remained silent.

    Unfortunately, Emilia''s next words immediately doused all of Michelle''s expectations. "That''s right, for the next three days, you are not allowed to serve me. Um, you will rest and take good care of yourself, and if you don''t gain half a kilo by the end of the week, it''s another three days off for you!"

    "NO!"

    Emilia frowned. "You don''t want to listen, then¡ª"

    Michelle was immediately terrified of being dismissed from her service. "I''ll listen to the princess! I just hope that you change the punishment, I think it''s not enough¡ª!"

    Meanwhile, the ''new maid'' who was observing all of this in silence, could only wonder what great sins she hadmitted in her past life.

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 Chapter 291 - Black Tigerâ€™s Fury

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    In the end, there was no way for Michelle to resist the will of her ''owner'' and she could only sulk away to her room after being dismissed by Emilia. ''Three days without fawning over ¡ª cough ¡ª taking care of my princess, aahh, how will I survive?!''

    Samantha could see her little sister''splicated look as Michelle walked away, and she couldn''t help but sigh. "You don''t need to ''punish'' her if you''re going to feel bad about it."

    Emilia frowned as she looked away from the short-haired girl with a huff. "This princess always has to be fair to her subordinates! Besides, it''s for her own good."

    Samantha felt like an arrow had shot through her heart. ''C-Cute!''

    As the redhead proceeded to check her phone for messages, the older girl decided to take the opportunity to pet her hair. Anyway, it''s not like she had anything better to do until Emilia''s little friend arrived at the table for breakfast to be served.

    Having gone through all of her unread messages, Emilia put her phone aside with a frown. "Noelle didn''t mention anything like that to me, but she did ask me to call her back when I get the time."

    Sam sighed. "I guess it''s a little risky, so she decided to be more cautious. Just talk to her before the end of the day, alright?"

    Emilia was a little curious about what it could be, but since she was bound to find out soon enough, she decided to put it out of her mind. "Alright."

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    It had almost been a full day since thest time anyone had seen Amos ck, and the situation at the ck Tiger''s side rapidly deteriorated.

    Mr. ck could no longer bring himself to care about Mrs. Brown''s backstabbing, or any of the other minor projects. Aside from the most critical of endeavors, almost all manpower was redirected to look for clues of his son''s whereabouts.

    Not to mention the board, even the employees grumbled in their hearts, but no one dared to really oppose Mr. ck in person, and could only reluctantly follow their orders.

    Despite the huge amount of resources poured into the search operation, however, it was as if the boy had disappeared into thin air.

    The only clue they had was that his car was found near an alley, but that was it. There were no signs of tampering with the vehicle, and for all intents and purposes, it appeared to have been parked there voluntarily, with the upants abandoning it of their own free will.

    The car''s exterior was both bullet-proof and st-proof, so they couldn''t have been threatened out of there by violent means.

    That left only one possibility, as far as the ck Tiger''s investigators were concerned.

    The personnel responsible for protecting Amos were traitors, and were part of the conspiracy. It could be either one of them, or even both.

    Normally, Mr. ck would immediately take custody of the two men''s families and other weaknesses, if he didn''t already have them in hand, but in this case, the bodyguard was without fetters, and the driver was a long term employee who had already lost hisst remaining family member to an incurable disease.

    The buff man couldn''t help but m his fist on the table with a bang, nearly scaring his assistant into pissing his pants. "Who the fuck had the guts toy their hands on my son?!"

    Even if he acted like an idiot, and made mistakes all the time, that was still the only heir to the ck Tiger Corporation!

    Before someone tried toy their hands on him, they should have known what would being for them, right? Was his ck Tiger Corporation some soft persimmon they could squeeze as they pleased?

    At this time, a ck-suited man entered the room after a brief nod, not even bothering to ask for permission to enter.

    Strangely, Mr. ck didn''t seem to mind, and his mood even calmed down a little. "Since you''re back, tell me you finally found something, right?"

    The man in ck nodded. "As we previously determined, there was no working surveince after the young master''s vehicle left the school. However, we did find something from a coffee shop in a nearby street."

    Mr. ck grinned. "So, who is it?"

    The investigator passed his tablet on to Mr. ck, his expression grim. "While we were investigating, the proprietress mentioned that she saw a suspicious man a few days ago who waited at their coffee shop for hours, as if waiting for something, and looked oddly nervous. After matching the details she mentioned with others, we found them all to match this man."

    Mr. ck grimaced as he looked at the photo for almost an entire minute, trying to recall who the man was and what he had done, but to no avail. From start to end, nothing stood out to him at all.

    The ck-suited man seemed to understand what his boss was thinking and coughed awkwardly. "Mr. ck, this man is the father of one of the two boys who were ndered along with the young master."

    Although he didn''t say it clearly, knowing the extreme homophobia of his boss, Mr. ck''s expression immediately turned gloomy. "That garbage? So what, is he looking for fault with my son now?!"

    Even if he privately interrogated Amos about the topic before, and even hit him, Mr. ck subconsciously refused to believe that any of those rumors were true. His disappointment stemmed mostly from his son''s inability to manage these nderous statements properly.

    After all, the one who had to manage the younger generation was still Amos himself, as Mr. ck knew he wouldn''t always be around, and if the boy had to learn, he would rather it be sooner rather thanter.

    The investigator looked awkward as he cleared his throat. "We couldn''t find much more, and this is the only lead we have. From what we know, a man with matching appearance was also seen driving a white van out of highway 13, and the timing lies in the same timeframe in which young master disappeared."

    Mr. ck sneered. "Then go scour every inch ofnd from that point to the next city if needed. And if you find him¡­ save him for me. I''ll show him what happens to those who dare pull a tiger''s hair."

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 Chapter 292 - Crystalâ€™s â€™Abilityâ€™

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    Emilia soon discovered that, in contrast to her expectations, the absence of the hero didn''t cause many waves at school.

    While part of it was due to the hero''s reduced poprity due to all her efforts, most of the credit actually went to the hero himself.

    After all, as someone who was often absent from school and never really interacted with most of his peers, it was no wonder that no one found his unannounced absence strange.

    With the ck Tiger Corporation unlikely to make the matter public, especially during their investigation, Emilia was both d and a little disappointed. She had intended to use this opportunity to further bring down the hero''s image, but it would be a waste of effort if Amos wasn''t already a hot topic of discussion.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Isn''t it a good thing that everything is going better than expected? Are you trying to pursue excitement now?"

    Emilia coughed. ''W-Well, it''s not that¡­ I was thinking, now that I had alreadypleted the mission with Amos and Crystal, wouldn''t it be better to get started on bringing down the ck Tiger Corporation for the other mission?''

    The raven-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Hmm? But what does the image of Amos have to do with that?"

    Emilia smiled. ''See, once the hero''s father copses, won''t everything naturally fall into the hands of Amos? At that time, even if every other heir here doesn''t hate dealing with him¡­ with his mentality, would he be able to look past all the insults in his youth? Especially if they have a better alternative for whatever they need from him, that is.''

    Cynthia hummed in thought, still not quite convinced. "That''s good, but how are you sure that the hero''s father will copse?"

    The redhead smirked in her mind. ''Of course he will, haven''t you seen how bad their rtionship has be? And to make matters worse¡­ Mr. ck clearly cares for his son, despite everything else. Do you understand what it means?''

    The raven-haired girl only knew that the hero''s father was violent, but she had no idea when her viiness had be familiar with their interpersonal rtionship. "Eh? Have you met the hero''s father?"

    Emilia shook her head in denial. ''No, but I''ve looked into his dealings in detail. Anyway, no matter how much more capable he ispared to the hero, because Amos is the child he cares for the most¡­ he''s bound to fall.''

    In this regard, the only question in her mind was whether the man will end up dead or just lose control of the ck Tiger Corporation, but either way it didn''t really matter.

    Cynthia nodded in understanding. "I see what you mean¡­ Though it could go either way, I think, so you shouldn''t be too confident yet. Amos doesn''t seem capable enough of taking down his father on his own, no matter what."

    Emilia just smiled grimly. ''You''ll see.''

    After all, even if the hero was incapable and didn''t manage to make any friends¡­ it didn''t mean that Mr. ck didn''t have any opponents within the corporation itself, right?

    She was sure that, given the chance, they would surely jump at an opportunity to take the man down using his own son.

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    While Emilia was talking to Cynthia in her mind, Crystal was lost in her own thoughts.

    Even as a top student, she couldn''t be med since the discussion in ss was mundane, and they were only repeating their thoughts on a story they had already discussed.

    The heroine was far more concerned about the fact that she was now able to almost directly feel how someone was feeling as long as she put her mind to it. And what she felt¡­ wasn''t always good.

    Moreover, that wasn''t all. She could also vaguely sense something else, something far more unreasonable, and Crystal didn''t even dare think about it without being sure.

    After some introspection, she realized that this wasn''t a very sudden change, but something that had always been there, but only on a very small scale, so she never noticed it.

    But afterst night, it was as if a thin film that had been clouding her senses waspletely shattered, opening her up to a whole new world.

    Crystal didn''t believe that Emilia wouldn''t let her know about it if she knew, which meant that her gorgeous girlfriend probably had no idea this had happened to her.

    Of course, she may be able to help her analyze the reasons why it did ur, and Crystal was currently debating with herself when would be the best time for that discussion.

    Drag her with the excuse of being sick right away? No no, it would make her worry, even if it was only for a short moment.

    After ss? But Emilia would already be surrounded by Dixie, Koko, and others for sure, especially with the uing annual events.

    Crystal couldn''t help but bite her lip as she felt like she was caught in a dilemma. ''I-I guess I can only wait till we''re done with school? I wish I had noticed this sooner.''

    Meanwhile, thenguage teacher who was trying her best to ignore the fact that two of her top students werepletely ignoring her finally couldn''t help it anymore. "Emilia!"

    The redhead instantly broke out of her daze. "Yes?"

    ''Quick, Cynthia, tell me what was going on in the ss before?!''

    Cynthia, who had been fully focused on the conversation with her partner, could only shrug helplessly. "I heard they were discussing some story about step-sisters in an ancient setting?"

    The teacher cleared her throat. "We''ve read through the story of Celeste and her rough childhood, and have also seen how she aspired to free herself from these shackles, and rose to fame. However, the motivations and actions of the other characters aren''t explicitly stated in the story, and we depend on the context to determine them, yes?"

    Emilia nodded like a good little student.

    The teacher smiled. "Then can you tell me what is your understanding of the character of Celeste''s step-sister, Hestia? Why did she bully her step-sister, and also tried to destroy the rtionship between her and the prince?"

    Emilia had a sudden sh of inspiration, and looking at her shining eyes, Crystal suddenly had a strange feeling. ''She''s going to make this teacher cry in regret for asking her the question, isn''t she?''

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 Chapter 293 - You Picked The Wrong Student.

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    Crystal wasn''t just making a wild guess. With her newfound ''ability'', she could clearly sense the ''mischief'' from the redhead by her side. Even if she had no idea exactly what it was that Emilia was nning, how could it be anything good for the teacher?

    The heroine could only sigh in relief that at least Emilia didn''t decide to be naughty in front of Mr. Jefferson, or it would be a real disaster.

    Oblivious to her fate, thenguage teacher smiled. "Then can you borate on your understanding of Celeste''s step-sister, Hestia''s, character? Why did she bully her step-sister, and why did she try to destroy the rtionship between Celeste and the prince, John?"

    Emilia had a sudden sh of inspiration, and looking at her shining eyes, Crystal now knew for sure that her previous feeling was right. Her lover was definitely going to cause some mischief.

    Contrary to the heroine''s thoughts, Emilia ¡ª who considered herself a good little student ¡ª obviously had no such ''malicious'' thoughts. She was simply d that this question was something she could answer, or she would definitely have been a little embarrassed in front of the diligent students of ss A.

    As someone who transferred in not too long ago from ss S, she would definitely have made the wrong impression.

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes. "What wrong impression can you make after getting rank one?"

    Emilia shushed her with a smile. ''Don''t mind the little things. By the way, were you paying attention when I read this storyst week?''

    The raven-haired girl sighed. "Obviously? Just the same old boring fairytale, I''ve read and seen it so many times, I can recount every detail except the name of the characters."

    Emilia understood that her partner had no interest in the fairytale, so she didn''t bother her anymore.

    In this case, she only vaguely recalled the story, and also remembered that the mostmon consensus had been that the step-sister Hestia was jealous and had an inferiorityplex for her more beautiful and more talentedpanion, leading to her persecution.

    Emilia smiled confidently. "Teacher, I believe that the reason Hestia was always pestering her step-sister was because she really liked her¡ª"

    Before she could continue, the teacher had already interrupted her with a disappointed frown. "Nonsense, have you even read the story?"

    She had thought that even if her top student was a little absent-minded, she would at least have read ahead. Now it seemed like she was expecting too much, and it would be better to discipline this girl before she strayed too far and ruined her own future.

    Emilia shrugged helplessly. "Teacher, I know my perspective is a little different from what has been said before, but isn''t it all implicit and open to interpretation? Won''t you listen to my point of view first and see if it makes some sense?"

    The expression on the teacher''s face eased a little, and she decided to give Emilia the benefit of doubt. "Since that''s so, please do borate to the others, including why you came to such conclusions. After all, you can''t just im that Hestia liked Celeste, and proceed to ignore all her malicious actions in the story."

    Emilia nodded seriously. "Of course. Let me exin, then. First, let''s start with Celeste''s character - she''s obviously someone who doesn''t pay much attention to her family members aside from fulfilling her duties, and is an ambitious person who focuses mostly on bing someone who everyone can look up to. I believe everyone agrees?"

    There were a bunch of nods from many students, and even the teacher seemed to agree.

    The redhead smiled. "Great. Then, if Hestia were to like such a person, who only ignores her and treats her as air, of course she would first try to attract her attention in any way she can, no? Despite all that, what you call ''bullying'' is really just acting smug in front of Celeste, and making snide remarks from time to time. From my perspective, it''s both cute and a little pitiful."

    Aside from Crystal, who found it amusing, the whole ss was left dumbfounded.

    The most vicious side character in the story was cute? Pitiful???

    Seeing the dumbfounded look on the teacher''s face, Emilia borated. "Think about it this way - even though she went so far, Celeste still proceeded to simply ignore her, and neither argued nor scolded her. As an elder sister, is that not the greatest scorn she could have shown to Hestia? It''s like saying ''what you think doesn''t matter to me at all''!"

    The teacher looked a little hesitant, but thinking about the fact that the household in the story was without a mother, it made sense for Hestia to treat her only ''rtive'' as an elder in her heart. After all, with both their mothers being dead and the father always ''out on business'', it left only the two of them at home.

    Emilia then proceeded to exin how each of the events could be seen as a furious and passionate pursuit of the little sister for her elder sister to the dumbfounded ss, and even the charming prince became a heinous viin who vilified and tore apart the rtionship between the sisters.

    At the end, the poor little sister was cast aside into the slums, and left to pitifully look up to the glorious elder sister she loved in the arms of the man who only sneered at her.

    Moreover, the ambitions she had always chased after and refused to set aside for her were immediately lost the moment she married the prince, and Celeste became a good wife who had many children, and lived happily ever after.

    As Emilia folded her arms proudly, the whole ss looked like their world-view had been flipped on its head, including the teacher.

    Only Crystal was left trying her best to hide her smile.

    "Shit! How did this happy little fairytale romance turn into a sadistic and tragic forbidden love between two step-sisters?!"

    "The prince was a scum all along?!"

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 Chapter 294 - No More Turnaround

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    Meanwhile, in a basement south of the city''s outer zone, the hero was still going through the worst nightmare of his life.

    He had thought that getting beaten and ridiculed was already excruciating for someone in his position, but the lunatic who had captured him in a moment of weakness seemed to have no bottom line at all!

    Over the course of twenty-four hours, the man had gone from using an iron rod to break the hero''s legs, to a wooden stick, and finally to a leather belt. Amos felt as if there was no part of his body that didn''t hurt, both inside and out.

    And as if the physical abuse wasn''t enough, the bastard even forced him to eat food from a bowl on the ground, with his hands and feet still tied behind his back!

    The hero could only crawl on the ground like a worm, and then plunge his face into the food like a pig. His mind buzzed from the humiliating experience, and had he not been helpless, he wanted nothing more than to fight this man to death.

    At this point, the hatred he had for Braxy''s father was far greater than even that ex-fianc¨¦e of his.

    Once he got out of here, Amos swore that he would never spare even the most distant rtives of this man.

    But no matter how the hero pleaded to be released, threatened, or offered to reward the man using money and power, nothing seemed to have any effect.

    Of course, Braxy''s father already knew Amos wasn''t responsible for his son''s misfortune, for the most part.

    When he had been beating the silver-haired boy, somewhere in his heart, he did feel some pity.

    After all, while he wasn''t a saint by any means, the boy hadn''t really done anything bad to his son. This feeling of pity slowly intensified, but there was nothing he could do.

    He knew he was being monitored by the people who had his family, and any wrong move could end it all forever.

    Since he had already messed up once and almost lost them, how could he possibly take such a chance again?

    No matter how much pity he felt for the boy, the most he could do was not hit him as hard, but everything else would have to be ording to his instructions.

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    When Emilia had first gone after the hero with this n, her primary goal had been to intensify the hatred between Crystal and Amos so she couldplete her mission, and everything else was only secondary.

    Dealing with the hero once and for all was impossible at this point, since if he died, the world will would be able to move to a new host, and neither Emilia nor Cynthia would know who that might be.

    With her initial n sessful and missionpleted, Emilia was already happy enough. And the added bonus of the hero''s capture meant that she would also be able to rx and breathe freely for a while.

    Of course, since the matter of his son clearly took precedence in Mr. ck''s heart, small matters such as teaching Mrs. Brown a lesson werepletely put aside.

    Not only did this save the White Deer Corporation considerable effort, it was also a face-p against those who supported the ck Tiger in the campaign.

    The biggest impact, however, was not on one of the ck Tiger''s allies, but one of White Deer''s own.

    Having freshly sided with them after separating from Mr. ck''s side, Bianca''s father had not been very optimistic about being able to ovee a campaign that was personally being led by his old pal.

    It would be another matter if the White Deer was actually willing to put their own name on the line, just like ck Tiger had, but since they insisted on using only the Brown''s Confectioneries as the front, the shrewd politician didn''t believe they would be able toe out on top.

    Reality proved otherwise, however, as the ck Tiger abruptly abandoned all efforts of besmirching the Brown''s Confectioneries, leaving everyone who was supporting them hanging without a word.

    To make matters worse, those who knew who stood behind the Brown''s now also realized that they had to face such a behemoth with an unreliable backing, and their confidence shattered even further.

    Even a fool could see that Mr. ck must have reached a deal with the White Deer, and chosen topromise. Since in this case his side was the one who would be suffering unterally, it went without saying that Mr. ck had admitted defeat, and backed out while cutting his losses.

    Bianca''s father finally realized how terrifying White Deer had be in recent years, and decided topletely do away with his previous ''backward thinking''.

    At this level, even major projects could go either way, and didn''t really signify a victory or defeat of either side. However, for the past two decades, there had never been a single case of ck Tiger going after someone so aggressively¡­ and losing.

    With this event, many finally realized that the trend of the ck Tiger alwaysing out on top was well and truly over.

    These matters didn''t concern Emilia too much, however, as her focus now was mainly on developing her own strength while chipping away at the hero''s power and reputation in one way or the other.

    Even though it was now weaker than before, Emilia hadn''t forgotten that Amos still had the world will on his side.

    While she had already rubbed his face into the ground and ruined the hero''s reputation at school, Emilia always kept in mind that it would take only a single positive event for Amos to turn everything around.

    The annual events weak was exactly such an opportunity, as it allowed everyone a chance to show off their talents and creativity.

    Had the hero not been captured and managed to pull off something well, it was entirely possible that he would be able to wash his te clean and instantly regain all of his lost poprity.

    After all, as long as someone had the smallest inkling of positive thought for the hero in their hearts, anything could happen. A spark was all that the world will needed, and then it would be able to add as much fuel to the fire as it wanted.

    Of course, Emilia never intended to give the hero and the world will such a chance.

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 Chapter 295 - Noelleâ€™s Date

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    With the ck Tiger Corporation keeping the hero''s kidnapping incident under the wraps themselves, Emilia''s preparations to prevent people from sympathizing with Amos became unnecessary, leaving the redhead feeling both happy and disappointed.

    "Why would they not just expose it?"

    Emilia shrugged at her partner''s question. ''I''m guessing that Mr. ck doesn''t want to risk the kidnappers panicking and harming his son?''

    Whether her guess was true or not, the fact remained that things ended up working out in their favor. The fewer parties that looked into the matter, the better it was for Emilia.

    Cynthia hummed. "How long do you think it will take for them to find Amos?"

    Emilia thought about it for a while before she shook her head. ''I don''t know? I think they should have already found him, but they''re probably being a little more cautious in the search so as not to ''rm'' the kidnapper, I guess?''

    "Hoh, then wouldn''t he still be able to take part in those annual events?"

    ''No. With his physical and mental condition, he''ll need at least a few months to recover fully. The only thing he can do in that state is arouse sympathy, but with the hero''s pride, that is unlikely.''

    Cynthia thought it made sense. The one thing that the hero had an abundance of was pride and arrogance, and it was unlikely that he would ever be willing to make himself look pitiful, even if it brought him abundant benefits.

    Their conversation was interrupted when a sleek silver luxury car arrived at the mansion''s gate, and a gray-haired girl in a ck business suit rolled down the window to give her a nod. "Please get in, the doors are all unlocked."

    Noelle''s attitude towards Emilia had changed considerably from the days when she used to avoid the girl like the gue, and after having dyed her date countless times in the past with various excuses, the gray-haired girl epted it readily this time.

    Of course, they were technically only meeting for a short discussion over dinner, but Emilia fully intended to use the opportunity to strike off one of her to-dos. After all, she was a busy girl, and efficiency was the key to sess.

    Even if Noelle had already warmed up to her and started treating her more as a peer than a petnt girl she had to take care of, Emilia still had to cash in on that bet with Cynthia.

    But seeing the nonchnt reaction of her ''date'', Emilia was still a little disappointed in her heart as she got slid into the backseat. ''Hey Cynthia, don''t I look cool in these clothes?''

    Her partner could only shrug. ''I think you look the most charming in borate dresses, but it cannot be denied that you can wear the officedy suit well. This girl probably has a problem with her eyes.''

    It wasn''t often that Cynthia praised her, so Emilia was understandably a little happy. Whether it had anything to do with her recentlypleted mission or not, she really didn''t care.

    As Noelle was turning the car around, she identally caught a glimpse of Emilia''s bright smile in the rearview mirror, and a faint thought suddenly echoed through her head. ''Fuck¡­!''

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    When Noelle had called her little boss to make some time and discuss a few things in person, she had already been prepared for her cheeky ''let''s go on a date then'' response.

    After all, Emilia wouldn''t be Emilia if she just gave her a time to meet like a regr person.

    Noelle was already familiar with the stubborn and persistent nature of her little boss, no matter how deceptively gentle and docile appearance was, so she knew that sooner orter the girl would get what she wanted.

    Since there was no avoiding this silly ''date'' with the redhead, Noelle decided she might as well get it over with. Anyway, she would only lose some time, and the worst possible result would only be food poisoning. What else could she get from a free dinner?

    Plus, having interacted with the girl on a daily basis, Noelle had thought she was already more or less immune to Emilia''s charm. If the girl thought she could hook her and get her to work overtime withoutpensation, her little boss was bound to be sorely disappointed.

    After all, no matter how good someone looked, one was bound to get used to it after spending some time with them. Emilia was no exception to this rule, or so Noelle thought.

    The problem with her little boss, however, was that the girl was able to drastically change her overall impact with just a few ''minor'' changes to her getup and hairstyle.

    Noelle had first realized this when the girl put on that ''skanky'' dress for her date with Samantha, but considering they were going to a high-end restaurant and not a race track, the gray-haireddy thought it was impossible for Emilia to dress too outrageously.

    Her guess turned out to be correct, in a way, because Emilia really didn''t put on anything too ''outrageous''.

    With her navy bluedies business zer and knee-length skirt, and long red hair in an borate braided donut bun, Noelle almost mistook her little boss for a far too well-dressed new intern.

    The type that was ready to hook their boss on day one.

    Idly, she couldn''t help but wonder if Emilia had made the same outrageous choice of ''undergarments'' as she had for her date with Samantha, or if that was a special privilege only for her older sister.

    Her eyes unconsciously flicked to the rearview mirror, but the redhead was sitting in a very prim and proper manner, with her legs tightly closed. There was no way for her to see it from this angle.

    The gray-haired girl suddenly paused. ''Wait¡­ what the fuck am I doing?!''

    There was a mischievous glint in Emilia''s eyes, and for a moment Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if this was why she took the rear seat in the first ce.

    Shaking away her absurd thoughts, the gray-haired girl tightly pursed her lips and focused on the road. ''Clear mind, clean heart! Beauty is temporary, a fat bank bnce is eternal!''

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 Chapter 296 - The Fawn

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    Noelle was the type of person who preferred getting the difficult things done and over with as soon as possible, and then enjoy her peaceful time afterwards.

    At least, that was the case most of the time. But when it came to dealing with Sam''s little sister, the grey-haireddy found herself wishing to escape more and more.

    Unfortunately for her, Emilia had no intention of letting such a hard-working and diligent subordinate escape, and immediately clung to her arm the moment she got out of the car.

    The crimson-haired girl gave herpanion a charming smile. "We''re almostte, let''s go!"

    Normally, the gray-haired girl would have immediately retorted with an ''I know the time, didn''t I book it for you?'', but the squishy soft feeling against her arm somehow managed topletely block the words in her throat.

    Realizing that the level of ''threat'' was far greater than she imagined, Noelle didn''t dare to look at Emilia at all, and stared straight ahead as they walked into the building.

    ''The Fawn'' was a five-star restaurant under Danielle''s name that was given to her as a birthday gift when she turned ten. Of course, as there had never been a need for her toe to this ce, hardly anyone knew what their ''real boss'' even looked like.

    Although Emilia''s face was already quite famous after having been exposed in that news report, her appearance had changed quite a bit since then. Moreover, with her current getup, it was no wonder that the staff was unable to associate her with the charming and stylish youngdy in the news report.

    Emilia didn''t want to make a big deal out of her visit in the first ce, so she left all these matters in Noelle''s hands. After all, had she used her own name, it was expected that the manager would be unable to sit still throughout their date.

    After a round of courteous greetings, the two of them slowly followed the waiter and walked past the crowd of guests at the regr tables and towards the VIP section, and Noelle tried her best to ignore all the tant stares being thrown their way.

    Even though most people here could be considered ''privileged'' ss, Noelle couldn''t help but scoff in her heart at their behavior. For someone like her, it was easy to see what they were thinking.

    Two youngdies in business suits, both with outstanding appearances, Noelle knew they must look like a pair of junior and senior sisters working in the samepany. For Emilia''s part, no matter how she dressed, it was impossible to disguise her young age.

    Maybe they thought she had brought her little rtive to impress her while splurging some of her hard earned sry, as the younger girl could be no more than an intern or starter employee.

    For a well-payed employee in a goodpany, it really wasn''t difficult toe to this ce to have dinner every weekend, although most would rather not waste the money.

    Of course, since most of these people were capable of employing ''secretaries'' such as the two of them, seeing such a ''high-quality'' intern made their minds turn in another direction.

    Although she had been ''forced'' into this date, Noelle couldn''t help but frown in her heart when she saw all the ''strange'' gazes being thrown towards herpanion. ''I guess I''ll have to deal with a bunch of trouble on the way out, huh?''

    Thankfully, none of them were rude enough toe up and interrupt them before they even got started with their dinner, and once they entered the VIP area, most of them stopped staring.

    She had only picked one of the open tables to make it harder for Emilia to do anything ''crazy'', but now Noelle could only sigh regretfully in her heart. ''If I knew this would happen, I would have picked one of the private rooms.''

    Fortunately, the waiter who came to serve them was professionally trained and didn''t seem affected by their presence at all as he requested for their order, eyes never straying where they shouldn''t.

    Emilia only took a cursory look at the menu before passing it on to Noelle with a smile. "Why don''t you order for the both of us?"

    Noelle didn''t bother with the pleasantries and immediately reported some of her preferred dishes without even looking at the menu, and the waiter quickly noted them down.

    After confirming their order and letting them know it will be served within twenty minutes, the waiter left them alone, and Noelle''s calm expression immediately copsed.

    "What the heck are you doing rubbing my leg under the table?!"

    Seeing the older girl hiss at her so furiously while still trying to keep her voice down, Emilia couldn''t help but smirk mischievously in her mind.

    Of course, on the surface, she ''blushed'' and ducked her head shyly. "I-I''m sorry, maybe my leg touched you by mistake¡­"

    Noelle felt a thousand ducks quacking in her mind. ''What the fuck?!''

    Had she not known better, she really would have believed it!

    Thankfully, the girl at least stopped doing it once she pointed it out, but Noelle made up her mind to remain on guard for any further ''sexual harassment'' from her little boss.

    Emilia didn''t seem to notice her ''guarded'' and ''wary'' appearance. "By the way, what''s the situation with the chocte mission?"

    Noelle''s mind turned nk for almost a full minute before she realized that her little boss was referring to the Brown''s confectioneries. ''Does she want to talk in code words since we''re in a public ce?''

    Of course, Noelle had no issue with that, though she found it a little weird.

    Actually, aside from being a little naughty, the Emilia never really went overboard.

    For a moment, Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if maybe she was the one overthinking it. Maybe they''ll just have a nice dinner, discuss a few business matters by the way, and then go back home in a good mood.

    Unfortunately, a mischievous little toe touched her calf and immediately broke all such fanciful thoughts to pieces. ''T-This girl!!''

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 Chapter 297 - Strange Date

    Noelle had never been one to mince her words, regardless of the identity of the other party. When there was something that needed to be said, she said it, and when there was something that needed to be done, she did it.

    Although there had been no need to do so till now, she always had the determination that if what she did made her ''boss'' mad anyway, then she would simply change the ''boss''.

    This was the confidence Noelle had based on her own capability.

    The only exception to this was when she actually messed up and knew that the fault was her own.

    But simply being diligent and attentive was enough to prevent such a thing from happening most of the time. And the handful of times it did happen, such as with the Bucherer''s incident, Noelle made sure she learned from her folly so it never happened again.

    That being said, there was a level of ''tolerance'' that Noelle had as an employee for her boss, meaning that even if it wasn''t for the best and actually lowered her efficiency, she would be willing to somewhat adjust to the requirements of the upper management.

    For example, if she knew some task needed ten people, but the boss insisted on eight, Noelle preferred trying to figure out how to make it work with eight people than being hardheaded and arguing needlessly.

    Unfortunately, she realized toote that Emilia had grasped the limits of this ''tolerance'' of hers very well, and seemed to know exactly how far she could go and when to stop.

    Just as Noelle was about to blow her top, Emilia immediately stopped being ''naughty'' and smiled ''apologetically''.

    Noelle could only frown and ignore it as she responded to her question. Regardless of the asion, this was still her little boss. "The ''chocte mission'' can be considered alreadyplete, though I guess you should already know that. The only thing we need to pay attention to now is if their attacks will resume once they''ve dealt with whatever urgent matters they''re held up by."

    Of course, both of them knew who they were talking about and what the urgent matters were, but there was no need to say it out loud here.

    Emilia nodded with a smile. "That''s good. Anyway, even if they want to look for faults again, it would be toote by then. This kind of abrupt retreat gave us enough openings topletely cripple their initiative, right?"

    At this point, the waiter had already arrived with their starter dishes - smoked salmon and avocado toast.

    Noelle''s mood visibly improved after her first bite, and once she saw how the younger girl didn''t seem to n on disturbing her, she couldn''t help but drop some of her guard.

    While Noelle enjoyed her meal, Emilia actually thought the quality of smoked salmon here was a little inferior to what she was used to at ''home'', and only finished what was on her te out of courtesy. ''I guesster on I can let Crystal''s mome take a look at the kitchen here? Or will the mansion''s chef be enough?''

    Of course, Crystal''s mom had nothing to do with ''The Fawn'', but since Emilia already treated her as a close rtive, she took it for granted that her request would be honored.

    The two of them didn''t talk much after that until their steak arrived, and it was only halfway through their main course that Emilia finally brought up the topic she actually had in mind for their date.

    "What are your aspirations for the future?"

    Noelle blinked at the unexpected question, and suddenly her expression turned a little weird. "Are you worried that I won''t stay with yourpanyter?"

    Emilia smiled. "Obviously. Not only do I value you as a subordinate, but I also find you quite pleasing to be around. I''d hate it if someone tried to snatch you for me."

    Of course, that was not why she asked such a question, but there was no need for her to put that on the table.

    Noelle didn''t notice at this time that the keyword here was ''tried to'', as in, Emilia never considered that anyone could seed, and just hummed thoughtfully. "I don''t really have any ns to leave at the moment. White Deer treats me very well, and mypensation is more than adequate."

    Suddenly, she had the thought of deting the girl''s ego a little, and smiled deviously in her mind. "That being said, if I were to receive a better offer, I will of course consider it."

    Emilia could tell that the gray-haireddy meant to ''warn'' her that while she was content with herpany for now, that was only if she didn''t try to annoy her further, but she pretended not to notice the subtlety in her words. "How can that be? Even if you get an offer like that, I rmend you don''t try going there."

    Noelle frowned. "Oh? And why not? If it is an objectively better offer, I''d have to be dumb not to take it."

    Emilia''s smile remained warm, as if she wasn''t bothered at all. "I say this for your own good. After all, if someone were to truly dare poach my most capable subordinate, I would never let them be. Would they be able to maintain your work environment while going bankrupt?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Companies don''t go bankrupt just because you want them to, you know? If I were to move away, wouldn''t it be to an equallyrge corporation that can withstand your tantrums? I thought you were smarter than that big sister of yours."

    Emilia just smiled. "I believe in my strength. And my big sister is adorable as she is, so please don''t scold her in front of me. Next time you do, believe it or not, I''ll punish you on the spot."

    Noelle paused, stunned. Why did she have the bad feeling that this girl would actually do it?

    ''No way, right?''

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 Chapter 298 - Donâ€™t Choke!

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    Recalling the difference in their strength, Noelle soon realized that her thoughts were absurd.

    Anyway, Emilia couldn''t possibly overwhelm her physically, and Noelle believed she knew the girl well enough to get a good feel of her character. Her little boss would only use the strength of other people against those she considered as her enemies.

    After a while, the gray-haired girl cleared her throat awkwardly. "T-That''s a lot of confidence for a little girl, huh. But¡­ even if you''re confident, what if it were impossible? What would you do then¡­ cry?"

    Emilia seemed to seriously consider her words, her beautiful brows furrowed in thought. Having expected her to immediately scoff and retort overconfidently, Noelle couldn''t help but find it a little adorable, but soon shook off that thought.

    In the end, the younger girl nodded hesitantly. "W-Well¡­ maybe, yeah. I''ll cry, and thene bother you whenever I have time. If nothing else works¡­ I''ll give you the ultimatum."

    Noelle blinked. "That''s¡­ horrible?"

    Even if she ignored thest part, whatever the ''ultimatum'' was supposed to be, there were still more than a few things wrong with the thought process of her little boss!

    Emilia blinked in confusion. "Isn''t it a privilege to be bothered by me?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but burst into giggles. "How can you be so¡ª Ahaha¡­!"

    Even if it was true, listening to iting from the person herself was more than a little ridiculous.

    Seeing how herpanion found it funny, Emilia fluttered her eyshes, looking exceedingly coquettish. "I''ll have you know, a lot of people would kill to be in your ce right now¡­"

    Noelle tried her best to ignore the twitch in her heart, and once againmented at the fact that some people could be born with such a lethal physique and naughty mind. "W-Well, I''m not a hormonal little schoolgirl, so I''m not really as interested."

    Deciding to deter the girl a little, she sneered. "Did you know I''m old enough to be your mom?"

    Emilia stared at her in ''shock'' before she pretended to count on her fingers. "Six, seven, eight¡­ Uhhh¡­ If you were my mom, you wouldn''t even have breasts to feed me milk at that time, no?"

    Had she not already finished her dinner, Noelle would have surely choked on her steak.

    As it was, she only choked on her own saliva, coughing uncontrobly.

    She thought Emilia used her as her main source of information, but this girl had clearly looked up her profile on her own!

    What infuriated her even more was that the younger girl actually had the audacity toe over and pat her back in ''worry''.

    "Are you alright?"

    Waving the worried waiter away, Noelle immediately blew her top after she recovered. "Breach of privacy!"

    Emilia giggled as she leaned down to kiss the top of Noelle''s head, and then went back to her own seat as if nothing had happened. "I will obviously look into the people I''m interested in a little, you know?"

    She had to admit, Noelle was probably the first girl she had ever met who insisted on appearing and being thought of as older than she actually was.

    Usually, such an attitude could only be found in some very young girls or teenagers at most, and they were bound to lose it once they ''matured''.

    The gray-haired woman grumbled. "I really want to sue you for workce harassment¡­"

    Emilia stuck out her tongue with a smile. "Well, aspensation, how about I serve you in bed?"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes. Look at this little sheep jumping to deliver herself into a wolf''s mouth at every turn! Did she even know what she looked like right now?

    She couldn''t help but scoff. "Did you not learn a lesson after being cleaned up by that perverted big sister of yours?"

    Emilia blinked. "Oh? My big sister is so nice and gentle, why do you make it sound like a horrible experience? If anything, I wish she''d gone further."

    Noelle just stared at her, dumbfounded. Having left hickeys all over the girl''s body, Sam surely hadn''t just gone a ''little too far'', but this girl was still asking for more?!

    She couldn''t help but frown. "One of these days, this attitude of yours is sure to bite you back in your butt."

    Emilia smiled. "Would you like to try?"

    Noelle just pointed a finger at her in exasperation before she gave up. Thankfully, their white chocte and ginger cheesecake arrived just in time to ease the mood, and Emilia''s attention turned from teasing her to enjoying her dessert.

    Compared to Emilia, Noelle took bigger bites and finished first. In her opinion, the bigger the bite, the more intense the taste was in her mouth, at least when it came to desserts and confectioneries.

    After she was done, looking at the younger girl peacefully enjoying the cheesecake, Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. ''I can never tell which side of her is the real her.''

    When dealing with serious matters, the wit and nning ability this girl showed her was nothing to scoff at, and Noelle couldn''t match that image with the somewhat ditzy, innocent, and mischievously charming beauty in front of her at all.

    But when she really thought about it, Noelle realized that Emilia didn''t seem to be pretending in either case, and both sides seemed to reflect a part of her nature.

    The only thing she found somewhat ''fake'' was when the girl tried to appear domineering.

    Clearly, this was a soft and tender little girl both inside and out. Not to mention her physique, Noelle was sure that Emilia''s nature leaned more towards ''kind'' than ''naughty'', no matter how she tried to make it appear otherwise.

    Recalling how the boy they had been dealing with even popped a boner while being ''beaten'', Noelle couldn''t help but frown. ''I should really find a way to convince her to let me deal with those who try to harm her next time. Emilia is really¡­ too softhearted.''

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 Chapter 299 - Guardian Angel

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    Noelle thought that had it not been for her identity, Emilia would definitely have been cleaned up countless times by either her admirers or those who envied her.

    If Amos had heard her thoughts, having almost thought he was going to die while being humiliated ruthlessly by Emilia, he might just have had a heart attack.

    At this time, Emilia had also finished her dessert and set her utensils down. "Hmm? Since you''re looking at me like that¡­ did I seed in charming you?"

    Staring nkly at the girl''s fluttering eyshes and mischievous smile, Noelle''s heart involuntarily skipped a beat. ''I-I did not just think that!''

    Thankfully, she managed to control her expression in time and just shook her head in denial. "Even your older sister is too young for me, you know? How can I be charmed by a little kid?"

    Emilia blinked, wondering if Noelle already forgot she knew her real age. "My older sister¡­ isn''t she only three years younger than you? Don''t tell me¡­ are you into olddies?!"

    This time Noelle really rolled her eyes, refusing to answer such an absurd question.

    Thankfully, Emilia soon moved on to more serious topics, and the gray-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief once her little boss stopped flirting.

    The younger girl probed about the topic she had initially wanted to discuss a few times, but Noelle just shook her head each time.

    The main reason she had asked to meet her was to discuss the matter of leaking the ck Tiger''s gun blueprints to their neighboring country, but the gray-haired girl certainly wouldn''t bring up such a thing in a restaurant, even if it was their own.

    Emilia also seemed to get the hint and stopped, but unfortunately for Noelle, this also made the girl''s attention turn back to more personal matters.

    Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. "Haven''t you already investigated me? Plus, why would you want to know what my life is like outside of work, anyway?"

    Emilia blinked. "I haven''t ''investigated you'' obviously. I just took a look at your profile in thepany because I was curious. And I just want to know, can''t I?"

    Noelle coughed, feeling a little guilty for misunderstanding her before. "E-Even so, there really isn''t much interesting going on with me."

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    Emilia wasn''t surprised to discover that Noelle had been the ''guardian angel'' appointed by her parents to take care of Sam when she was younger.

    An extremely talented and outstanding orphan girl who was screened and picked out at the age of three by the White Deer to nurture alongside their heir.

    After all, she could be closer to the girl than anyone else under the guise of a same-age friend, and thus protect her more thoroughly.

    This protection wasn''t meant to be from physical threats, however, as there were other people around to take care of that. Instead, Noelle''s role had always been to make sure that there were no bad influences around Sam, and also to make sure the girl didn''t stray too far off the path that she shouldn''t, all without ever pressuring her or making her unhappy.

    With such a strict and unfeeling ''upbringing'', Emilia realized that it was no wonder that the girl grew up to be so serious all the time.

    Even though Noelle''s role had been ''dissolved'' once Sam''s parents came into power in the White Deer Corporation after the death of her grandfather, it couldn''t change the personality that had been carved into her bones already by then.

    Thus, Noelle continued to take care of Sam, eventually bing a high-ranking employee in the White Deer for the same purpose, and now serving as Sam''s personal secretary.

    Even her care for Emilia seemed to stem from the girl''s position in Sam''s heart.

    At one point in their conversation, Emilia even had the thought that Noelle loved Sam, but she soon realized that it wasn''t the case at all. What pushed Noelle forward weren''t feelings, but obligation.

    Emilia realized that, if she had been left alone, Noelle would surely have slipped out of her hands one day. Thankfully, she started paying attention early and ended up digging this out, or it might have been toote for regret.

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    As most of the guests at ''The Fawn'' were either business elites or upper ss ''children'', it was no surprise that many focused their gazes upon the two girls who stood out from the crowd.

    Of course, there were some who recognized Noelle as the right hand woman of the White Deer''s heir, and immediately put any strange thoughts away, but many didn''t know her after all.

    It was inevitable that some of their conversations turned to discuss the two of them after their arrival.

    "The older girl looks like a high-ranking employee, right? Both her appearance and temperament are top-notch."

    "Of course, I''m guessing the younger girl is her cousin or something, and she brought her here to ''impress'' her after she joined the samepany."

    "Heh, how two-faced..."

    "Well, not a bad thing for us, right?"

    But although they talked about it, none of them had any intention of going up to offer them a job personally. After all, it was easy to get their faces pped, and hard to recover lost reputation.

    As ''experienced'' individuals, these kinds deals were best carried out by subordinates after looking into the girls'' background.

    But not everyone was so patient.

    In one of the corner tables, a sunny-looking boy with a natural blonde hair and a bright smile was sitting with a man in histe twenties with a sharp and cold expression.

    The blond boy gulped as his eyes stared at the object of his fascination almost unblinkingly. "Alex bro, weren''t you looking for a better secretary recently?"

    The cold and domineering face of hispanion twitched for just a moment before he nodded. "She''s too bothersome, and I''m almost tired of her already. Those two¡­ the older girl looks decent, I will hand her the contract when we''re leaving."

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 Chapter 300 - Woman, Youâ€™ve Caught My Attention!

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    The blond boy knew how much his ''bro'' hated women who tried to push themselves on him when he was already done with them, which was why he changed his secretaries almost every other week.

    Jake himself found it a bit wasteful that so many beauties were discarded by his ''bro'' after sleeping with them for only a few days, but as someone who enjoyed the privilege of tasting them one by one after they were thrown away, he really couldn''tin.

    This time, however, something about the girl stirred his heart, and he was no longer looking for just sloppy seconds.

    Torn between maintaining the status quo with his CEO friend and the throbbing in his heart, Jake could only grit his teeth and hope Alex didn''t care for what he wanted. "B-Bro¡­ What about the younger one? Y-You''re not interested in her?"

    It was only when Jake pointed her out that the dark-haired man ''took a look'' at the younger girl more carefully, his brows furrowing. "Seems like the typical virgin that is easy to obsess over me after I kick her out. Not interested."

    Jake was already familiar with the routine of his friend, and his heart chilled almost instantly. The less Alex ''noticed'' someone, the more it meant he wanted her to belong to him - until he got bored, at least.

    But while he had been sensible enough to back off every other time, Jake pretended to be oblivious to his friend''s real intentions and clutched his palm with a cheerful grin lighting up his face. "Great! Then, big bro, can you send her to me? You know I never ask for much, but this girl''s really caught my attention! Big bro, Alex, you have to help me out!"

    The dark-haired man was stunned as he nodded almost subconsciously, but the moment he realized it, his expression turned into a hideous grimace.

    Obviously, the one he wanted was also the very same girl, but how could anyone be worthy of attracting his gaze first? It was only when she jumped up and down a few times would he turn his sight her way.

    But now that Jake had already imed her as his own, the situation became difficult. Unlike those women he discarded regrly, Alex actually valued his friendship with the blond boy.

    Among all the dogs who licked his feet, this one was the most sensible, after all. Now that he had already identally thrown a bone into his dog''s mouth, he couldn''t just snatch it back, could he?

    Seeing him nod, Jake''s expression turned truly ecstatic. "You''re the best, bro! The best of the best!"

    Of course, Jake''s idolization of Alexander wasn''t without a cause. As a self-made man who created his ownpany, convincing investors and customers alike, the thirty-one-year-old Alexander was already a somewhat famous rising star in the city.

    After all, his ''Cahoun''s'' was quickly trending to be one of the best furniturepanies in the suburbs, and Jake knew it was only a matter of time before they were ying in billions of dors.

    Justst month, theirpany already made more than forty thousand dors thanks to a big order, and it''s only been two years since it had been founded!

    Looking at ''his'' girl smiling and teasing her ''older cousin'', Jake couldn''t help but sigh. "I think I might have fallen in deep this time, big bro. If you didn''t give me dibs, I might really have cried."

    Realizing he could be taken the wrong way, the blond boy quickly waved his hands. "I-I mean it''s not like I wouldn''t agree with your decision or anything, i-it''s just that the girl really caught my attention the moment she walked in. It was like the gentle light from the sun hitting my face in the morning, aahhh!"

    Alex frowned, the words ''caught my attention'' ringing in his head repeatedly. He couldn''t help but wonder if this had been the two women''s strategy all along.

    They looked like a bunch of workingdies, and the younger one was probably an intern. How could theye to a high-end restaurant like this without a purpose?

    The dark-haired man sneered. ''Just two women, heh, did they think no one could figure out their true thoughts?''

    Instantly, he decided that he couldn''t let such a woman be with Jake after all. Even if it was just his dog, how could he not care what kind of scheming bitch it fucked?

    Alex sneered in his mind, though outwardly his expression still remained cold and indifferent.

    He would have to teach her a lesson personally.

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    Noelle had to admit that she ended up enjoying thepany of her little boss far more than she would like to admit. After all, the girl was both charming and cute, and while she did make some trouble, it was always within certain limits.

    As Sam had always been a troublemaker, Noelle felt that she had been busy enough taking care of just her. Her younger sister had always been an existence that she knew was there, but not someone she paid any special attention to.

    It was only recently when she realized that the two sisters were getting more involved in each other''s life that Noelle actually took a proper look at the younger girl.

    And once Emilia met her a few times, she was like a clingy primary schooler who got attached to her teacher, always running to her with problems while being a big problem herself.

    That seemed to have been the end of her ''normal life'', as not only Sam, but Emilia also loved to get into all sorts of trouble, and they seemed to only make each other worse!

    And perhaps the worst part of it all¡­ was that she didn''t find it so annoying. Even the more flirtatious nature of the younger girl wasn''t ''unbearable'', and Noelle was determined to treat it as a strange quirk in her heart.

    Her mood remained a littleplicated even when Emilia signed the cheque and the two of them walked out, arm in arm.

    The younger girl kept chattering about one thousand and one advantages of being her girlfriend, but Noelle''s attention soon turned to the malicious sight on their backs.

    The sound of footsteps wasn''t very light, and though there were two of them, Noelle rxed in her heart once she realized that the threat level of whoever was following them was insignificant.

    "These twodies, please wait! My boss would like to have a word!"

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 Chapter 301 - Seeking Death

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    Noelle paused as they were called out, and Emilia also turned around, frowning in confusion. "Yes? Are you talking to us?"

    Jake''s expression immediately went ck, and something else hardened. ''F-Fuck, even her voice is so sexy!''

    Although they hadn''t been too far from the table that the girls were in before, the distance wasn''t small enough for them to hear anything, especially when they weren''t speaking loudly.

    In fact, let alone hearing her voice, he could barely even see the full details of her face at that time. Had he not noticed the beauty when she entered the restaurant, he really might have overlooked such a wonderful chance!

    But now, the more he looked, the more he liked. Even the beauties he could only admire on the screen didn''t look so good, right?!

    Once she became his girlfriend, he would definitely have to convince his bro to let her audition for some idol dramas! With this face and voice, even if she was a vase, it wouldn''t be an issue to shoot up to be a somewhat famous face in the entertainment circle!

    Just thinking about such a girl calling his name sweetly one day almost caused him to faint, but thankfully he managed to retain his consciousness while eagerly waiting for his boss to bring her to his side.

    As long as she signed the agreement, he would forever be his. And as for refusing¡­ was there even a choice? He knew Alexander well enough.

    Although Emilia couldn''t read his thoughts, she still expressed her dissatisfaction by tugging on Noelle''s arm. "Is this a humanoid robot that ran out of battery? What''s going on?"

    Noelle felt her lips twitch in amusement. "If you have something to say, why don''t you just say it?"

    Jake was embarrassed when he broke out of his reverie, but thankfully Alex stepped forward at this moment.

    He had barely gotten within arm''s reach when Emilia ducked behind Noelle to hide. "Scary! Noelle, the look in his eyes is so scary~"

    Obviously, Emilia wasn''t actually scared. She just wanted to have fun with Noelle as she embraced the girl while trying to ''hide''.

    The cold expression on Alexander''s face immediately froze. When was thest time that a woman tried to avoid him like this? He was tired enough fending off their attention-seeking tactics every day!

    However, he soon realized that this wasn''t anything new. Some women often tried to y hard to get in the beginning, and this one was probably just one of them.

    Sneering, he moved forward domineeringly, but before he realized what had happened, the dark-haired man found himself facing the opposite direction.

    Alexander, who should have had the terrified beauty in his arms as he twisted her chin up to face him, now had his arm twisted behind his back as he knelt on the ground in disbelief.

    Idly, he wondered, ''Eh? Why does it¡­ hurt?'', but his brain failed to process the reason why.

    By the time he returned to reality, the two girls had long since left.

    But looking at Jake''s dumbfounded face, the dark-haired man realized that no, it wasn''t just his hallucination, and he really had been humiliated like that. "T-They dared¡­"

    Jake jolted, also breaking out of his reverie as he quickly rushed to the side of his ''boss'' in an attempt to pacify the man. "B-Bro¡­ c-calm¡ª"

    But his ''sympathy'' only made Alexander crazier as he pped his hand away. "How dare they?! Courting death!"

    The blond boy realized that the situation wasn''t good.

    By now, Jake knew Alexander''s nature better than anyone else, so he also knew the fate of those who went against him.

    Thest time a girl had rejected him was three years ago, and the girl had been run over by a bus just five dayster.

    No matter what, Jake wanted that girl to be his girlfriend, and he couldn''t let Alexander harm her yet!

    Jake''s thoughts turned rapidly, and he suddenly had a sh of inspiration. "Don''t panic, bro! We have to analyze the situation! The older girl was clearly prepared, and she was also trained. I think¡­ she might have led us into a trap!"

    Alexander''s face turned even colder. "You mean¡­"

    "That''s right, bro. They could have even had us photographed! Let''s get out of here first, and we can hire a private detective to investigate before making any hasty decisions, okay?"

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    Although the two men weren''t really a threat, Noelle hadn''t nned to let them go so easily. Emilia, however, didn''t want to ruin their date, and simply dragged the gray-haired girl away while showering her with praises.

    "You were so cool! I knew Noelle would protect me~"

    When Emilia leaned up to press her soft lips against Noelle''s cheek, the older girl felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

    But before she could shout ''sexual harassment!'', Emilia had already resumed praising her. "Chivalrous, strong, and dutiful! Mhm, I''d give you a score of ten out of ten in the knight index. Even my Dixie is only slightly better!"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes. Had she actually cared, wouldn''t a pliment'' like that just piss her off?

    The younger girl clung to her arm all the way to their car, chattering endlessly. Strangely enough, the gray-haired girl felt that it wasn''t so bad to be like this, but quickly shook that thought away.

    When Noelle opened the door and motioned for Emilia to get into the car, however, the younger girl gave her aplicated look. "Ah, I don''t know how to repay you for saving me¡­ If not for you, wouldn''t they have done ''this and that'' to me?"

    The gray-haired girl was about to point out a hundred and one things wrong with that statement ¡ª such as how Emilia wasn''t helpless at all, and how the two men couldn''t have dared to do much in the restaurant''s parking lot ¡ª but before she could, the younger had already embraced her tightly.

    "For this life-saving grace, I have decided to repay you with my body!"

    Emilia''s expression was still mischievous, and her eyes twinkled in delight, but before Noelle had the chance to roll her eyes and push her away, she realized something dreadful.

    Her nose¡­ was bleeding.

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 Chapter 302 - Noelleâ€™s Home

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    If someone had to ask Noelle about the most mortifying moment of her life, her answer would undoubtedly be the time when she called her primary school teacher ''mama''.

    But if someone were to mention the second most mortifying incident - the current moment would probably be it.

    Even though Emilia didn''t really make fun of her and even carefully cleaned her face with wet wipes in the car, the upward curve of her luscious lips made it no secret how pleased she was on getting that ''reaction''.

    No matter how generous she usually was towards this willful little boss, Noelle couldn''t help but gloomily think about getting her revenge.

    She convinced herself that if she really let the younger girl go after all of this, wouldn''t Emilia learn the bad habit of teasing people too much, and suffer worse consequences eventually? It would be better to just ''teach her a lesson'', then.

    Of course, Emilia soon noticed that they weren''t heading back ''home'', and their car was now on apletely unfamiliar road. "Where are we going?"

    Noelle smirked. "Why, are you worried?"

    The younger girl tilted her head with a smile. "No? I''m just curious."

    Looking at her carefree and clean eyes, Noelle couldn''t help but sneer. "Didn''t you just say you''d be repaying me with your body? I''m obviously taking you back to my ce."

    Emilia grinned. "Really? That''s great! I''ve always wondered what Noelle''s home was like, you know?"

    Noelle pursed her lips as she continued driving steadily, wondering how long the younger girl could keep up this ''facade''.

    Meanwhile, Emilia kept chattering with a bright smile on her face. "Some people believe that one''s living area is a reflection of their personality, and while I don''t think that''s necessarily true all the time, I think many people do put their heart and soul into their living space."

    Noelle made the mistake of taking a sideways nce at the girl''s shining expression, and immediately turned back to the road, her heart thumping in irritation. ''One of these days, I''m going to run over some poor soul because of this girl!''

    The younger girl remained oblivious to herpanion''s dark thoughts, however. "Taking me back to your home is like letting me take a look at your heart, then. I didn''t know Noelle would be so romantic on our first date, aaahh! I should have prepared a gift!"

    They soon arrived in a quaint neighborhood with rows of individual, single-story houses, and Noelle parked in the driveway of one of the coziest homes in the area.

    It was an old-style rambler with deep, overhanging eaves, a small garden that was full of carefully maintained lush grass, and a lovely flowerbed on the side - mostly lilies and roses.

    The sun had already set a while ago, and Emilia was just a little surprised to discover that the lights were on, meaning there was likely someone already inside.

    Recalling the ''cousin'' mentioned by her older sister earlier, she already had a faint guess in her heart.

    It was strange for an orphan girl to have rtives, after all. Moreover, Noelle was someone who was picked up by the White Deer very early on, so there wasn''t even an ''adoptive family'' to speak of other than their own. How many rtives could she have?

    Of course, Emilia hadn''t really investigated Noelle yet, so there was no way for her to be sure.

    Noelle didn''t ring the doorbell or anything, and simply twisted the knob to enter after a brief knock to announce their arrival.

    The girl inside obviously didn''t expect a guest to follow her ''cousin'' in, and was lying on the sofa upside down, dressed in elephant pajamas, angrily smashing the buttons of her handheld console.

    "Die you useless piece of garbage! I didn''t feed you all those XP capsules so you can do 13 fucking damage! AHH! Screw this boss!"

    Emilia smiled as she leaned in to whisper in Noelle''s ear. "That''s one thing you have inmon, you both want to screw the boss~"

    The gray-haired girl felt a vein throb in her temple as she grit her teeth in rage. "Nicole!"

    The sloppy girl jumped when she was shouted at, falling down face first on the carpet with a squeak.

    Just as she was about to whine about how she was wronged, however, her expression froze as she turned to look at Noelle''s gloomy face, as well as their ''guest''.

    "E-Eek?!"

    Looking at the girl''s terrified expression as she backed away, Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little strange. Before she could wonder what was going on, though, the girl had already dashed off into what she presumed was her own room, leaving only the sound of a door mming shut.

    Noelle sighed when she felt the tug at her arm, and knew that Emilia must be making a ''pitiful'' expression without even turning her head.

    "Noelle~ A-Am I scary~?"

    She was just about to roll her eyes and reply perfunctorily when Noelle recalled her quest for revenge.

    Instead of responding to her question, Noelle dragged the girl directly to the now-empty sofa, ''domineeringly'' pressing her down as she looked into her eyes. "You''re not scary at all. If anything, you should be the one to be scared!"

    The gray-haired girl tried her best to ignore how soft the nimble body beneath her felt as she pressed her little boss down, or how charming her twinkling eyes looked up close, but all her thoughts were broken the moment she felt a gentle kissnd on her chin.

    Emilia''s smile was now half-teasing and half-sincere. "Why would I be scared with Noelle by my side? I''m sure you''ll protect me just like you did before."

    At this point, Noelle could only sigh in defeat as she let the younger girl go to lean back against the sofa, closing her eyes tiredly. "I really can''t win against you, can I? Had it been anyone else, you would have already been chewed up and spit out!"

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 Chapter 303 - Hopes And Dreams

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    Emilia smiled as she slid onto the older girl''sp, snuggling affectionately. "It''s because I both trust and like Noelle that I''m so intimate. I wouldn''t be like this with those who I don''t consider worth it."

    Resting her chin on the older girl''s shoulder, she grinned. "Anyway, I really don''t mind being chewed up, but it''s forbidden to spit me out!"

    Noelle looked like she had been frozen stiff, though whether it was because her little boss had crawled onto herp like that, or her absurd statement, even she had no idea.

    In the end, she could only sigh in exasperation. "Really, you''re so¡­ oh, whatever! What do you even mean by those you consider ''worth it''? Don''t tell me it''s something stupid like ''cuteness factor of over eight points''?"

    Emilia looked away shyly. "W-Well, there''s more to it than that. But I guess it alles down to how I feel about someone?"

    The older girl gulped as she stared at her delicate earlobe that was barely an inch from her lips. "T-That''s it?"

    Emilia squirmed. "N-No, well, they also have to get along with all of my other friends."

    Noelle btedly realized that letting the girl crawl on herp might not have been the best position to question her on embarrassing topics. "A-And?"

    Emilia seemed to finally get over her embarrassment, making a fist in the air as she looked back into her eyes, full of passion. "The cuteness factor cannot be just eight points! It has to be a full ten out of ten!"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "You''re telling me all the little girlfriends you''ve gathered meet those criteria?"

    The younger girl nodded, the serious look in her eyes making Noelle think that she must really mean it, absurd as it was. "Of course! In my eyes, all of them have their own unique charm, and are the cutest version of themselves, ten out of ten!"

    Noelle frowned. "I don''t get it¡­ what does that even mean?"

    Emilia bit her lip in thought, as if wondering how to exin it properly. "W-Well, I believe that a girl is the cutest only when she believes in herself, and freely chases after her dreams. Well, it''s true for boys too, I guess, but I''m not interested in them."

    These dreams can change, but Emilia believed that as long as one dared to dream, one had the potential to shine.

    Noelle''s eyes were now firmly glued to the soft lips that she could press by leaning just a couple inches forward, and she realized that there was now a desperate need to distract herself. "O-Okay, t-then here''s a little test for you. Do you know the dreams of your little girlfriends? T-Tell me one by one."

    In her mind, Noelle thought that nothing could clear the rapidly developing ambiguous atmosphere around them than an awkward conversation about other girls'' dreams, but she soon realized that she had ended up underestimating Emilia''s bullheadedness.

    The younger girl settled herself into a morefortable position on herp, shuffling till her thighs firmly stuck to either side of Noelle''s waist as she leaned forward to embrace her, her cheek pressed against the gray-haired girl''s as Emilia rested her chin on the older girl''s shoulder.

    Clearly, she was preparing for a long, leisurely conversation, leaving Noellepletely dumbfounded.

    Unaware of the intense regret in Noelle''s mind, Emilia sighed in contentment. "Well, I know some, and I can guess the rest. You know my Dixie? My dearest knight must obviously dream of being the strongest she can be so she can always protect me."

    Noelle could feel the pride in her tone, and she couldn''t help but be a little jealous of the girl who always stuck by the side of her little boss unless she was sent away.

    Emilia smiled as she continued. "And Crystal, my little angel dreams of one day standing by my side with her own ability, and proving to everyone that she''s worthy."

    The younger girl paused. "And¡­ she also has a true heart for justice, so maybe once she has achieved her first dream, she will use it to enforce her ideals wherever she can. Of course, I will support her if possible, but we might have a few conflicts¡­ I hope she will understand me."

    Noelle wasn''t very familiar with Crystal aside from a little superficial knowledge, but that hardly mattered as she hesitantly ced her hands on Emilia''s slim waist, and breathed a silent sigh of relief when the girl didn''t react strangely.

    Anyway, if Emilia could make herselffortable on herp, why couldn''t she do the same? It was just right!

    Emilia smiled. "As for my big sister¡­ well, I''m sure you''ve felt that she''s changed recently. Her dream¡­ I think you should be able to see it for yourself."

    Noelle''s distracted thoughts converged a little as she nodded. In fact, she did feel that Sam had been a little strange recently.

    This girl''s intuition¡­ was sharper than she thought.

    Emilia didn''t say it out loud, but she thought that Samantha''s dream now must be to one day lead the White Deer to a height that no one would dare to threaten her little sister, even in their dreams.

    Although Sam never said so, Emilia knew that the girl was deeply hurt by the fact that they would have been unable to protect Danielle, and even themselves, had it not been for her intervention.

    She had always done what she had to, but now Samantha really worked hard to lead White Deer forward, no matter how sheined about it to Noelle day and night.

    Aside from that one date with Emilia, she hadpletely set her hobbies and leisure activities aside to focus fully on thepany''s development.

    And despite herints whenever Noelle increased her workload, the first one to get mad when someone tried to reduce it was herself, though it was disguised as ''how dare you doubt my ability'' and ''I''ll show you'', Noelle knew her well enough to be able to tell her true feelings by now.

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 Chapter 304 - Willpower Test

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    Listening to her partner''s thoughts on the future aspirations of her ''friends'', Cynthia couldn''t help but be curious. "What about me? What do you think?"

    Emilia saw that Noelle was still lost in thought, so she decided it wouldn''t hurt to talk to Cynthia for a while. ''Cynthia''s dreams huh¡­ well, you probably just dream of always being able to dream andze around, right? Don''t worry, this is one dream I can makee true for you!''

    Cynthia immediately bristled. "Have I been too lenient on you recently?!"

    Emilia grinned mischievously in her mind. ''I was just guessing, don''t be mad, ah. Although I''ll try my best for the missions so you canze around, you can always mention anything else you want, too. I''m always here.''

    The raven-haired girl was silent for a few moments, and Emilia couldn''t tell what she was thinking at all.

    In the end, Cynthia coughed. "W-Well, whatever, i-it''s not like I care! But I''ll have you know I do have a dream, and it''s bigger and better than any of these stupid mortals you seem to idolize so much!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but be a little surprised in her heart. ''Now you''ve got me curious! What is it?!''

    There was a moment of stunned silence between them before Cynthia scoffed. "H-Hmph, a-as if I''d tell you!"

    Emilia could only pout. ''Aww¡­''

    Due to her silence, Noelle soon broke out of her daze, but bing aware of their position only made her feel stranger. At this point, wouldn''t it look even weirder if she hurriedly withdrew her hands or tried to throw Emilia off?

    Helpless, Noelle could only let her palms rest on the younger girl''s slim waist as she coughed awkwardly. "Y-You sure have a wild imagination, huh? Any others you have tried to figure out?"

    Because of her partner''s rejection, Emilia''s voice was a little less cheerful than before as she continued. "Um, let''s see, then¡­ let''s continue with Michelle. I think she dreams of being the best maid in the universe, able to serve her master in every way possible."

    At this point, Noelle couldn''t help but note how all of the ''dreams'' mentioned by Emilia seemed to revolve around herself somehow. ''D-Don''t tell me this little girl is really so¡­ narcissistic?''

    Unaware of her thoughts, Emilia continued hesitantly. "Mhm, then, Penny¡­ well, she dreams of one day screwing her idol into aa?"

    Noelle frowned as she suddenly had a bad feeling. "And who is her ''idol''?"

    Emilia blinked as she rubbed her cheek against Noelle''s with a smile. "Guess?"

    The gray-haired girl sighed. "Don''t tell me it''s you?"

    Well, considering this girl was the most fanatical of her fangirls¡­ Noelle actually believed this one might be true.

    A delighted giggle and the feeling of something incredibly soft pressing against her cheek left Noelle stunned.

    With her heart beating so wildly that it might just jump right out of her chest, the gray-haired girl barely heard Emilia''s ''congrats, you got that right'' as she tried her best to calm herself down. "O-Of course."

    Noelle grit her teeth and used all her willpower to reign in her wandering thoughts. She knew that if she really gave in, scaring the younger girl away would be the least of her worries.

    Thinking about the inevitable mess if she really got directly involved in a rtionship with her little boss, Noelle finally managed to restore her mind to a somewhat normal state and refocus on their conversation.

    She couldn''t let Emilia notice any abnormalities, or this seductive little minx might directly tease her into a social death!

    Of course, while Noelle thought she had covered up pretty well, how could Emilia not feel how painfully tight her grip was around her waist?

    But since Noelle insisted on maintaining her image, Emilia just smiled and pretended not to notice. "Anyway, moving on, Koko probably dreams of one day being the smartest girl in the world, and marrying the most beautiful wife as well! Then she could look down at her mother and say, look, who is the one who looks stupid now?!"

    While Noelle was looking at her doubtfully, Cynthia chuckled. "And her mother would say, oh, it''s me, for giving birth to such a¡ª"

    Emilia giggled. ''Oh you, don''t make fun of her! She''s cute.''

    "Yeah yeah, whatever."

    Emilia smiled. ''Anyway, it doesn''t matter if their dreams are big or small.''

    Everyone who had a light in their eyes that shone with hope for a better tomorrow dreamed of something deep in their hearts, whether they realized it or not.

    And Emilia had always been attracted to that light.

    Noelle had already calmed her heart down by now and made up her mind. Anyway, all she needed to do was maintain her self-control.

    Anyway, as long as she didn''t give in, what could Emilia do? The soft little body in her arms waspletely harmless, and Noelle now understood that the only ''danger'' was the weakness of her willpower!

    As long as she remained firm in her conviction to never give in to the girl''s mischievous seduction, it was fine to enjoy a little bit of cuddling like this.

    Once she made up her mind like that, Noelle''s expression visibly eased as she embraced Emilia more firmly on herp, bing even more aware of how soft the girl''s cheek felt as it squished against the side of her face.

    Thankfully, no one could observe her expression, so Noelle didn''t worry about it much as she smiled. "You''re quite certain of all these ''ideas''? What if you''re wrong? After all, it doesn''t seem like you have directly asked them, right?"

    Emilia shook her head without hesitation. "It''s not like I need to know what they dream of, as long as I know that they dare to dream. And if something blocks their way, I obviously have to get rid of it if I can."

    Noelle frowned as she tightened her hold on the younger girl''s slim waist. "Get rid of?"

    Keenly aware of the reproachful tone in the older girl''s words, Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "I have a feeling you''re thinking something extremely rude!"

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 Chapter 305 - Noelleâ€™s â€™Dreamâ€™

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    Although Emilia felt a little wronged, she still decided to clearly exin herself to avoid any misunderstandings. "It''s true that in cases like Michelle''s there were ''people'' we need to take care of. But that was only because those people were the source of her trauma, and they were the ones responsible for making her sink into depression in the first ce."

    Noelle pursed her lips in thought. "Although I understand your concern, and I''m always there to follow your orders, you should still know that there are better ways to handle such situations."

    Emilia nodded begrudgingly. "I understand. But for those who hurt her, how could I have let them go? Only a clean wound can heal properly, while a dirty one will eventually fester and lead to bigger issuester. Since I nned to give Michelle a fresh start, I naturally had to do it properly!"

    What Emilia didn''t mention was that even if Michelle didn''t have any intentions of taking revenge on those who caused her to almostmit suicide¡­ she never nned on letting them go. After all, how could Emilia let them have a peaceful life after hurting someone she cared about?

    As for the fact that it had happened in the past, when neither of them knew each other¡­ Emilia didn''t care about that at all. What she was exacting vengeance on was not the besmirching of her ego by association, but the damage caused to someone she cared for.

    The only condition in which she could consider giving up such revenge would be if it would have ended up causing further harm to the person she was trying to protect. Thankfully, Emilia hadn''t faced such a dilemma so far.

    Knowing it was impossible to make the younger girl budge any further on this topic, Noelle could only sigh helplessly. ''I guess this is already quite good.''

    Emilia coughed. "Anyway, most of the time the biggest obstacles in the path of one''s dream are not others, but themselves, so to ''get rid of it'' simply means to help them ovee their difficulties and open their eyes. It''s not like I meant anything bad by it!"

    Cynthia nodded approvingly in her mind. "Right. A good viiness must never expose herself as someone with criminal thoughts. Her image must remain clean and pure even as she carries out the most heinous of deeds, pushing her enemies to the edge of despair as they suffer injustice without any way to vent! As expected of my viiness, you have the concept down to a T."

    Emilia, who had only defended herself subconsciously after feeling wronged, happily took the credit that was delivered to her door. ''As expected, Cynthia is so smart!''

    The raven-haired girl smiled, raising her chin smugly. "Hmph, of course!"

    Meanwhile, Noelle also felt a little guilty for ''jumping to the wrong conclusions'', but she didn''t want the girl to get too full of herself. "Well, with your record¡­ you can''t me me for jumping to conclusions, can you?"

    Emilia huffed. "Why not? Obviously I can. I can do whatever I want."

    Feeling the younger girl squirm on herp, Noelle''s face quickly twisted in panic as she hurriedly tried to distract herself. "T-Then¡­! W-What do you think my dream is? S-Since you are attracted to me, and you said so, w-why don''t you¡­ um, ''enlighten'' me?"

    Of course, Noelle knew better than anyone else that she didn''t have any lofty dreams, so how could this silly little boss of hers possibly figure it out?

    As expected, Emilia really stopped squirming as she carefully considered her question for a while. "Hmm¡­ If you asked me this a few weeks ago, I would say ''probably she wants to swim in an ocean of gold coins'', but¡­"

    Although the first line made her a little exasperated, Noelle couldn''t deny that her curiosity was aroused. "But¡­?"

    Emilia paused as she felt the older girl squeeze her waist, smiling as she wondered whether it was an intentional or subconscious action. "I believe now that you have be enlightened of how lovely I am, you must dream of me night and day. Especially at night!"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Really, you won''t tell me what you really think? It can''t be because you can''t guess, right? Then that means¡ª"

    Emilia sighed. "I don''t want to ruin the mood, but you can''t me me if you insist!"

    The gray-haired girl sneered, feeling like she finally had a little edge over Emilia''s cunning little tongue. "Little boss, you''re pretty good with excuses?"

    Thinking about her ''cunning little tongue'', Noelle tried her best to ignore the fact that her mind quickly jumped to wanting to ''fight'' and ''defeat'' it in its own territory, very thoroughly. Unfortunately, to do so required crossing a barrier that she was trying very hard to stay away from¡­ and failing.

    Emilia frowned. "Really, with this attitude, you must be a virgin even now, right?"

    Noelle paused, not knowing whether she should feel offended or not. "You talk as if you have a lot of experience?"

    The only thing she knew was that everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction, and this girl still kept charging forward.

    Emilia squirmed in excitement. "Of course! C''mon, let''s go to bed, I''ll teach you all sorts of things I''ve learned¡ª!"

    Obviously, Noelle knew that the younger girl must have recently ''learned'' a lot from Sam, though there was no way for her to know exactly how much, but if Emilia continued squirming on herp like that, she might just end up ''learning'' far more than she bargained for.

    Noelle knew she had almost reached her limits, and she really couldn''t let this continue.

    Squeezing the younger girl tightly in her embrace, Noelle pursed her lips, for some reason feeling a little dissatisfied in her heart. "Just keep quiet, it''s okay if you can''t guess. I''ll take you back home¡ª"

    Emilia sighed. "You want revenge."

    Noelle abruptly pushed the girl back from her embrace to stare into her eyes, both furious and dumbfounded. "Y-You¡­"

    Emilia blushed as she looked away. "Hey, don''t look at me like you want to eat me¡­ I''ll get shy~"

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 Chapter 306 - Noelleâ€™s Origin

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    For a moment, Noelle really couldn''t figure out whether the younger girl was just making a joke earlier or actually being serious.

    Regardless of which one of the two was true, the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but frown. "I-I don''t want revenge. I don''t even have any enemies of my own, after all. Don''t joke¡ª"

    Noelle didn''t even realize how gloomy her face looked at the moment, but for Emilia, the older girl''s expression only made her conjecture more firm.

    But a conjecture was just that, a conjecture. Since Noelle refused to admit it, Emilia decided to put it aside in her heart and nodded generously. "Well, maybe I''m wrong then, sorry. Aspensation¡­ how about you let me know what your dream actually is, and I''ll help you make ite true?"

    Noelle had always considered Emilia to be incredibly stubborn, but seeing the girl take her statement at face value and apologize so sincerely¡­ she couldn''t help but be a little moved.

    In the end, she knew better than anyone else what was buried in her heart, and ming others had never been Noelle''s style.

    The gray-haired girl sighed. "Okay, I''ll admit it. How did you guess?"

    Even if she had subconsciously denied it at first, the fact remained that Emilia had gotten it right with the first try.

    Of course, although she said it like that, both of them knew she actually meant to ask ''how much do you know'', but Emilia just rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "I don''t really know much at all. It was based purely on intuition alone."

    Noelle felt as if her teeth were a little itchy from both anger and exasperation when she heard Emilia''s response. What exactly does ''intuition'' mean? Clearly, this girl knew everything so well, and she still refused to admit investigating her background!

    Seeing how the gray-haired girl didn''t seem to believe her, Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "You told me yourself that you were an orphan just before, and our family brought you in when you were three."

    Pursing her lips, she sighed. "When I saw Nicole earlier and Sam told me she was your rtive, I didn''t think much about it, just that she does look a little simr. But ording to what you told me earlier, you were alone when you came to Sam, right? So for this little cousin to show up and still look so much like you¡­"

    There was no need to say anymore, and Noelle could only sigh once she realized it. "Unexpectedly, you figured it out like this¡­"

    Unless the simrity in their appearance was just a coincidence, it went without saying that Noelle must have looked into her origins and discovered Nicole by herself.

    For not one, but two orphan girls toe from the same origin, with a difference in their age to boot¡­ something definitely wasn''t right.

    Plus, given that neither of them had any memory of their parents meant that they were abandoned very early on, which also added to the fishiness of the situation.

    From all these cluesbined, it was no wonder that Emilia was able to figure out that there was some resentment in Noelle''s heart.

    Emilia grinned. "I''ve learned some detective skills from Crystal."

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "What detective skills? You make her sound like a pro."

    Emilia nodded. "Of course, in terms of talent, she might even be better than you."

    The gray-haired girl could only sigh. "You really want me to get angry, huh?"

    The younger girl tilted her head innocently. "Not at all?"

    Noelle groaned. "Well, since you already guessed it, I might as well let you know."

    Although it was part of her privacy, for some reason¡­ Noelle really wanted to share it with Emilia.

    It was a little absurd when she thought about it. After all, she hadn''t even told Nicole, and that girl had the right to know this more than anyone else.

    Emilia didn''t interrupt her as Noelle went through all the details of her investigation on her family, only gently embracing her while still on herp, rubbing her back infort.

    With the younger girl''s soft breath against her nape, Noelle felt less like she was digging up old wounds and more like she was recounting an old, strange tale that had nothing to do with herself.

    From her exnation, Emilia soon realized that Noelle came from a marital arts family not too dissimr to Dixie''s, except from its size and location.

    However, unlike Dixie''s family, they were far better organized and militaristic, and also had numerous pedantic rules passed down from generation to generation.

    One of these old rules dictated that the leader of the n must be the closest male rtive of the previous leader, and this was the only way the torch could be passed down unless all male rtives of the leader perished.

    In the rare case that it happened, the session line was then passed on to the strongest branch, effectively making the main branch.

    Since the n was quite old, there hadn''t been just a few times when this had actually happened, making the main line attach great importance to nurturing and protecting the first male heir of their leader to prevent any mishaps.

    As it so happened, the previous leader of the n only had one wife, and the two of them had only been able to conceive a single daughter.

    To make matters worse, the constitution of their family was wasted on this girl, as she was born weak and delicate,pletely unsuitable to be trained forbat.

    As the leader of a n that trained all its men and women alike to be the greatestbatants of thend, this was undoubtedly a huge p to the face.

    Combined with the various elders urging him to quickly produce a male heir, the man became more and more dissatisfied with his wife, and a maidservant took this opportunity to climb onto the leader''s bed.

    As an old-fashioned n that was strictly monogamous, the punishment for adultery was death.

    However, the leader didn''t despair, because there was still one solution to their problem¡­ divorce the old wife and marry the maidservant.

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 Chapter 307 - The Girl Who Lived

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    To be able to divorce his wife required the n leader to have a valid justification, because his wife was the eldest daughter of the strongest side branch, and divorcing her without reason might just cause the dissatisfied elders to change the main line.

    After all, he was without a son anyway, so it was only a matter of time.

    Taking advantage of the leader''s dissatisfaction with his wife, the maidservant was able to quickly worm her way into his heart, and the two of them soon started scheming together on how to achieve their goals.

    The leader wanted a son whose existence could ensure that he didn''t lose his position, and the maidservant wanted to get rid of her lowly status and be the main wife. Both of them had a single solution - the maidservant must give birth to a male child.

    Since their affair could only be kept hidden until the matters were settled, the maidservant was instructed to leave and hide until the day of her child''s delivery, at which point she could return with her son and push their n to the final step.

    Unfortunately, after much secrecy, nning, and anticipation, the child that was born from the woman''s womb turned out to be a girl still.

    The maidservant was ambitious enough to climb onto the leader''s bed knowing that she could end up dead, so she definitely wasn''t stupid enough to put all her hope on an unborn child.

    Having long since expected that such a thing might happen, she''d already made arrangements to have the child be reced by a newborn male. Although the mother of the boy was kept in captivity and the newborn''s body was weak, he still undoubtedly had the strength of the n''s bloodline.

    The n leader never expected that a lowly maidservant could dare to make such a big move, and never doubted the legitimacy of ''his son''. As soon as he got the confirmation, he immediately filed for a divorce with his wife.

    By the old rules of the n, for a couple to divorce, both sides must agree. The n leader was well aware of his wife''s nature, however, and used her prideful and unbending personality to his full advantage.

    The woman couldn''t handle the usations and nder being thrown her way at all, and promptly agreed to the divorce. Anyway, she was still the eldest daughter of the side branch, and didn''t n to let this ''husband'' go so easily.

    The situation exploded once the n leader brought in a new wife immediately after divorcing the old one, and to top it off, there was even a son!

    Not to mention the old wife, even the elders realized what was going on at this point.

    However, the n leader had already made preparations, and the old rules really didn''t ount for any punishments in this case. Affairs before marriage weren''t counted, and punishments for adultery could not be administered to someone who was already divorced.

    Had the old wife known she would lose such a good opportunity to get rid of her husband, she would never have agreed. Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.

    Unfortunately, the n leader''s dreams couldn''te true, as although he now had a son, he hadpletely offended the strongest side branch, as well as most of the elders, who believed they had been made into fools by him.

    With his own main branch weakened to the state it was, enduring pressure from all sides, the man soon couldn''t take it anymore and voluntarily gave up his position.

    The strongest side branch became the main branch, and as the eldestdy, the ex-wife of the n leader got what she wanted.

    The old n leader soon realized, however, that his new life wasn''t so bad. His new wife was content being the maindy of a side branch, and the son was also cute and lively. To top it off, he no longer had to endure the pressure of being a leader.

    Compared to the previous married life, both of them felt that they were now better off.

    Unfortunately, the biggest victim of this whole situation turned out to be the frail little girl whose birth had led to the deterioration of the couple''s rtionship.

    When they were divorced, the n leader''s wife got custody of her daughter as per the old n rules, and although she was initially satisfied to be able to snatch something from her husband, she soon realized he didn''t want that girl at all.

    Hating the man she had been married to, and hating the daughter who caused her to suffer such humiliation, the woman finally couldn''t be bothered taking care of her anymore.

    Unfortunately for her, killing a direct descendant of the n was still forbidden, nor could she be thrown away. Thankfully, as she was now in power, there were some rules that could be bent slightly.

    Going out one day, she conveniently ''lost'' her one-year-old daughter, and when she returned ''distraught'', no one dared to question what happened.

    Since the little girl''s body was weak and prone to getting sick, the ''mother'' assumed that she would soon die without proper care, and never bothered to check.

    As per her expectations, the child really did fall ill, and didn''t even have the energy to cry or struggle as she was abandoned in a back alley.

    The ''lost'' child was quite fortunate, however, and didn''tnd in an even more miserable situation. Although the people who found her didn''t want to take care of an unknown child that was so sick, they still handed her over to the authorities.

    By the time she reached the hands of the doctor, however, her situation wasn''t optimistic. Although the standard process was followed, no one expected the baby to survive the night.

    The morning sun proved them wrong, however, as not only did the baby survive, she also seemed to havepletely gotten rid of her sickly constitution after grappling with death.

    And two yearster, she was picked up by the scouts of the White Deer Corporation, to be raised alongside their newborn heir with all the resources that money could buy.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "And Nicole is¡­?"

    Noelle smiled grimly. "She''s the baby that my biological father''s second wife threw away."

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 Chapter 308 - The Forgotten Link

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    Emilia was keenly aware of the fact that Noelle was only telling her everything as a way to ''vent'', and had neither the expectation nor the desire for her confessions to produce any results.

    However, how could Emilia allow someone to wrong a girl she favored so much and get away with it?

    She had long since realized Noelle''s potential when it came to managing and organizing both resources and people alike, and now that she also had a firm grasp of her personality, Emilia had long since fancied taking her in as a subordinate.

    Whether Noelle chose to develop their rtionship further than that would be up to the girl herself, however.

    Thus, Emilia believed she had both the right and the obligation to avenge this slight. However, the problem remained that Noelle had never mentioned the name of the family, or where they were from.

    Emilia knew it was definitely intentional, but so what? While she would generally give the people she liked however much privacy they wanted, that was limited to when she didn''t believe they would wrong themselves.

    Since Noelle wanted revenge in her heart but didn''t dare to act on it herself, Emilia wouldn''t let her keep hiding.

    She knew it wouldn''t be so easy, however. Since Noelle refused to mention it, simply asking the quest straight would get her either a denial or a lie. So Emilia decided to approach the topic from another perspective.

    Many of the things that Noelle mentioned were impossible for anyone but the involved parties to know, but since Noelle believed in them so firmly, Emilia soon realized there had to be more to the situation than she thought.

    "Do you trust the person who told you all of this?"

    Noelle''s smile was grim as she nodded. "I checked everything myself after she told me."

    Emilia blinked. "This ''she'' you speak of is¡­?"

    The gray-haired girl was already starting to regret letting Emilia know all of this, since now that her curiosity was aroused, it would be almost impossible to prevent her from knowing what she wanted to know.

    Noelle could only sigh. "Four years ago, when I got to work at the regr time, a haggard-looking woman approached me. ording to her¡ª"

    This time, Noelle didn''t hide as many details from Emilia as she previously had, perhaps in an effort to make her stop digging further into the subject.

    Emilia soon discovered that the name of Noelle''s biological mother was Narcissa, and the maidservant was named Dolores.

    And as expected, the person who first let Noelle know of her origins turned out to be the very woman who gave birth to the boy who reced Nicole, Abey.

    This woman wasn''t some nobody, since the baby she gave birth to still had to have the bloodline of the n, or it would be easily discovered. After all, while no one would doubt the leader''s wife, the child born from a maidservant always had to withstand some scrutiny.

    Therefore, although Abey''s status wasn''t high, she was still one of the cousins of Noelle''s biological mother, Narcissa, and had been serving her in the mansion for decades.

    With ess to the n leader''s seal, it was easy for Nicole''s biological mother, Dolores, to forge an order to send her to a ce where she could be easily taken captive, and the woman never doubted that her coworker would be so daring and insidious, and fell into the worst nightmare of her life.

    Knowing that the mistress she had served for years didn''t care for her sudden disappearance at all dealt a huge blow to Abey''s psyche. Naturally, her pregnancy was also a tragedy that befell her after being taken away.

    After she suffered for months under captivity, and even had her newborn son taken away, Abey inevitably stopped speaking as her eyes lost their light and her body moved like a puppet without a soul.

    Even Dolores believed that the woman had beenpletely broken, and stopped taunting and goading her further.

    Abey''s disappearance wasn''t without any repercussions, however, and the old n did dispatch some people to look for her. Thus, eventually, she was rescued by the branch family before she could die in a dark, locked basement from starvation. But as far as Abey was concerned, they came to her toote.

    Dolores was meticulous and had left no clues of her presence where Abey was locked up to starve to death, and with the victim herself refusing to speak, no one had any idea who kidnapped her.

    Seeing her state, they assumed it must be some pervert who kept her for his pleasure. The n''s search for this mysterious man was destined to be futile, and they abandoned it shortly after due to theck of progress and direction.

    Once Abey was brought back to the n, Noelle''s biological mother, Narcissa, was naturally informed, and perhaps out of guilt, she started paying her regr visits. Of course, she too failed to get a word out of Abey, just like everyone else, but that was no surprise.

    Everyone thought that this unfortunate woman had be an empty shell, waiting to die, but her mind was very much still there.

    The reason Abey remained silent was simple. At this point in her life, the only thing left in her heart was the desire to rip the woman who caused all this to shreds.

    But Dolores was now the main wife of one of the leading branches, having married the old n leader, she knew that speaking up against her would only shorten her remaining life and give her no result.

    Abey could ept death, but she couldn''t let that woman go.

    Even with her silence, however, Abey knew it was only a matter of time before she ''died''. Perhaps the only reason she wasn''t already dead was because Dolores was cautious and didn''t have many ways to kill her in Narcissa''s home.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "You know, at this point, you might as well tell me the name of your n. I will find out eventually anyway, after all. You''ve given me enough clues."

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 Chapter 309 - The Clan Of Nightingale

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    Staring at Emilia''s stubborn expression, Noelle knew that arguing with her would be useless, and trying to convince her would also just be a waste of energy.

    In the end, she could only sigh. "Even if I tell you, there are some things that even you cannot do. After all¡­ the White Deer may have a lot of influence, but it''s not the number one in the world. Even if it was, there are certain restrictions that everyone faces when doing things, and you cannot be so willful all the time."

    From Noelle ''scolding'', Emilia already had a pretty good idea who her opponent was, Evelyn gave her a smug look. "Let me guess, it must be the ''Dionysus'' corporation from the country of Carmen, right?"

    Noelle could only stare at her in silence. "¡­How did you know?"

    Emilia flicked her hair with a smile. "Since you seemed worried, I assumed it had to be them. As the strongest opponent I''m going to eventually crush under my heel, obviously I know enough about them."

    Seeing Noelle''s disbelieving expression, the younger girl couldn''t help but pout. "What''s with that look?"

    The gray-haired girl shook her head in exasperation. "Little boss, even if you can guess randomly, don''t just into doing something reckless without knowing what we¡ª"

    Emilia silenced her by pressing a finger against her lips as she smiled. "I know. I also know that the biggestckeys and henchmen of Dionysus are the so-called ''n of Nightingale''. After all¡­ didn''t you give me that report before?"

    Recalling the time when Emilia had asked her to investigate the background of the bodyguard hired by Mr. ck for his son, Noelle could only sigh in regret. Even though he was only a wayward descendant of the n, he still ended up causing her trouble!

    Thinking about the fact that the man was currently in their custody, Noelle soon made up her mind to teach him a lesson.

    Emilia seemed unaware of her thoughts as she smiled. "Anyway, you don''t have to worry so much. So what if they''re currently stronger than us? Eventually, I will pull ahead of them, and when I do¡­ I''ll get your revenge."

    Although Noelle knew that these were just the wishful thoughts of a little girl, and the harsh reality would sooner orter shatter these dreams, she still couldn''t help but feel a little touched in her heart.

    Of course, Noelle would never let it show on her face. "Delusional."

    Emilia could only pout as she threw herself back into the older girl''s embrace, snuggling against her nape with a whine. "Noelle is always so mean to me, even though I''m supposed to be your boss! Is it because I''m so soft?"

    Her words involuntarily made Noelle focus on the feeling under her palms as she squeezed Emilia''s slim waist, and she couldn''t help but gulp.

    As heat pooled on both her face and somewhere else, Noelle could only hurriedly try to distract herself before her thoughts wandered to ces they really shouldn''t. "A-Anyway, l-let me finish telling you what happened!"

    Emilia didn''t interrupt her as she continued her story from the point where Abey was taken back to the n.

    Narcissa''s frequent visits to her old servant continued as usual. She sometimes confided her feelings to Abey as a means to vent, and once, feeling emotional, she let her guard down and confided even the matter that she kept hidden the deepest - abandoning her daughter, Noelle.

    Abey hated Dolores, the woman who ruined her life, but she couldn''t hate the child that the woman had already thrown away.

    As for her the unfeeling heart of her old mistress, how could she be surprised at this point?

    The only thing she found strangely funny was how the children of the two most powerful people in the n were thrown away like trash.

    Knowing that she would eventually end up dead, the ''insane'' woman escaped the n after stealing some cash, and hid herself after bribing some people to smuggle her into another country.

    Abey was not a helpless woman who could only depend on others, and was able to make a living for herself by bing a seamstress shortly after.

    Perhaps it was fate that the country she ended up in was the same one as Narcissa''s daughter, Noelle.

    When Abey saw the girl on TV with the same little mole under her left eye as that baby,bined with her appearance that was half simr to Narcissa, she knew there was no mistaking it.

    The mes of vengeance that had slowly started sputtering out instantly started burning once more. Abey knew that she had no way to avenge herself, but this girl did.

    So eventually, sparing no effort, she squatted in front of the white deer''s headquarters for a few days before she was able to deliver a letter to Noelle''s hands, and everything that might have never been known became known.

    When she had started telling the story, her emotions had been quite turbulent, but by the time she finished, Noelle realized that the matter really didn''t weigh as heavily on her as it previously had.

    Maybe it was because a certain girl was being a little too distracting on herp, constantly snuggling and patting her back forfort, as if Noelle was a little baby who hadn''t been treasured enough.

    Of course, the older girl found it a little ridiculous, but knowing how willful and petnt her little boss was, she could only smile wryly and bear with it.

    "So what kind of revenge would you like?"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes at the ''devilish temptation'' whispered against her ears.

    She knew that straight-up denying the girl would be counterproductive, so Noelle quickly came up with a good idea. "I believe that sess is the best form of revenge. So as long as you can one day make the White Deer grow to exceed Dionysus, I''ll be happy."

    Emilia didn''t suspect that Noelle was trying to trick her into giving up the whole revenge thing, and nodded sagely. "Of course. I will show them all how brightly you can shine, so they can only regret not grasping the chance to have you when they could have!"

    This time, Noelle really rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I''m neither an idol nor a light bulb, how bright can I even shine?"

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 Chapter 310 - Noelleâ€™s First Kiss

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    Emilia knew Noelle didn''t take her words seriously, but the smile on her face remained undisturbed. "When we start expanding in Carmen''s market, I will let you be the face of our corporation, so you can shine as brightly as you like."

    Noelle blinked, doubting her ears. "Even if your parents spoil you silly, do you even realize how big of a risk that would be?"

    Emilia leaned back to stare straight into Noelle''s eyes to convey her sincerity. "Of course, entering a market that has already been upied by a biggerpany is almost guaranteed to be a loss-making strategy."

    Of course, from Noelle''s perspective, the girl on herp was simply giving her bedroom eyes, and she couldn''t help but groan at the tant seduction. "Little boss, since you know that, then can you not talk nonsense? Also, if you don''t stop doing this¡­ even I have my limits, you know?"

    Emilia blinked innocently. "Who said I was talking nonsense? I obviously mean every word I say. Without defeating Dionysus in its own turf, how can our White Deer ever truly be number one?"

    Noelle sneered. "Saying ''I always mean what I say'', and then teasing people like this¡­ what would you do if I really took it seriously?"

    Emilia just tilted her head with a smile. "Why, is there even a need to ask? I would wee you with open arms."

    Looking at the gorgeous girl''s carefree expression, Noelle really felt like she''d had enough of being pushed around. Emilia had gone far enough, and needed to be taught a lesson to not mess with older girls!

    Within moments, she had already picked the younger girl up, taken her to the bedroom, and thrown her on the bed. Of course, with her strength, it really wasn''t much of an aplishment, and Emilia really weighed almost nothingpared to what she was used to lifting.

    But instead of hearing the terrified squeak or regretful begging that Noelle had been looking forward to, Emilia only giggled as she was thrown on the bed.

    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty on her bed biting her lip and curling her finger in invitation, Noelle couldn''t help but jump on her in ''righteous indignation''.

    Tightly grasping the younger girl''s palms with her left hand to pin them above her head, Noelle clutched the girl''s slim waist. Although she didn''t let it show on her face, she couldn''t help but marvel at how soft and pliable this girl''s body was.

    Noelle couldn''t help but think that maybe if Emilia hadn''t been born into such a rich family, she could still have made a career in something like gymnastics.

    It''s just a pity that she had such a naughty personality, or it would have been a joy to be around her every day.

    Emilia giggled as she was pressed down onto the bed by the older girl. "What''s with that look? Staring at me so ferociously, like I owe you millions of dors¡­ don''t tell me this month''s paycheck didn''t get credited to your ount?"

    Noelle sneered. "You don''t owe me money, but you do owe me a lot ofpensation for mental damage!"

    Emilia blinked. "Oh."

    Seeing her nonchnt response, as if she knew that Noelle wouldn''t dare do anything, the older girl felt like the vein on her forehead was about to pop from anger. "What''s with the ''oh''? You still don''t know fear and regret? Believe it or not, had it been anyone else, you would already be crying by now!"

    The crimson-haired beauty just smiled. "Why would I cry?"

    Noelle felt her brow twitch in annoyance. "Do you really want me to say it?"

    Emilia nodded, though she was already smiling in her heart. "How else would I understand?"

    Noelle groaned as she let the younger girl''s arms loose and copsed in defeat, but feeling her face being buried in two soft little bunnies, she immediately realized what a huge mistake that was.

    And much to her mortification, Emilia actually embraced her head in her bosom.

    Listening to the younger girl chuckle, Noelle''s whole face burned in shame. She could only grieve in her heart about her IQ being lowered by her little boss seducing her the whole evening, or there was no way she would do such a thing!

    Emilia could more or less feel the conflicting emotions that Noelle was going through. "You don''t need to think about everything so much when dealing with me. You can save that for when you deal with the less savory types, okay?"

    Of course, as she was still breathing in the faint fragrance of Emilia''s shower gel from between her breasts, Noelle''s brain was unable to process much.

    Seeing the girl nod absently, Emilia smiled. "It''s nice to just hold you like this. Do you feel soothed?"

    Noelle was just about to hum without much thought before her mind finally rebooted.

    Jolting back up in shock, the gray-haired girl immediately tried to separate from Emilia, but the younger girl''s grip was surprisingly firm, and since Noelle didn''t want to risk hurting her, she could only give Emilia an incredibly annoyed look. "W-Who feels soothed?! I almost suffocated there!"

    Of course, Emilia could clearly see how heavily the older girl was breathing, and the desire in her eyes was all but masked.

    Noelle couldn''t help but be shocked at how easily Emilia tugged her up till their lips were only an inch apart, unaware of how she had unconsciously cooperated, but her mind soon turned nk when she felt something incredibly soft press against her lips.

    It took her almost a minute to realize what the strangely pleasant feeling was, and by then, the jelly like, fragrant kiss had already gone on for far too long for her to be able to back off anymore, and Noelle could only reluctantly ept it whilementing in her heart.

    Having always believed that she would remain single forever, Noelle couldn''t believe that her first kiss ended up being with a younger girl. And her little boss, to boot!

    No matter how cute or gorgeous Emilia was, how could she have let this happen?!©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 311 - [NSFW] No Stopping Now

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    Noelle had never believed in doing things half-heartedly, so now that things had alreadye to this point¡­ she obviously had no choice but to give it her all.

    She couldn''t deny that she had sometimes stared at the beautiful lips of her little boss, but Noelle knew that her thoughts had always been pure curiosity.

    Noelle often wondered, ''How nice would it be to shut this annoying little girl up with a kiss?'', and now that she was actually doing it, there was an inexplicable sense of fulfillment in her heart that she had never felt before.

    Emilia had already been enjoying the feeling of Noelle''s slightly rougher lips rubbing against hers, but when the girl started kissing her back, she couldn''t help but be delighted. ''Has she finally given in? It''s really about time!''

    Of course, despite Emilia''s temptations, Noelle had always thought that kissing was nothing special, and she had never felt like she was missing out on anything on a physical level.

    But shockingly enough, it felt far, far better than she ever expected. Everything from the soft, delicate lips that pressed against her own, the nimble, curvaceous body beneath her, to the stunning, watery eyes of the gorgeous girl, all served to paint a beautiful picture in her mind that left herpletely stunned.

    How could she have been stupid enough to try to keep away from such a thing?

    All thoughts of restraint had already long since fled Noelle''s mind as she started unbuttoning the buttons that hid the soft little bunnies she had previously used as a pillow, never breaking the kiss.

    A few buttons popped off, but neither of them noticed.

    Emilia had initially intended to let Noelle decide for herself what she wanted, but once the older girl took the first step, she fully intended to turn things around and teach her who was the boss. Now, however, she could intuitively feel that Noelle wished to lead despite her inexperience, leaving her in a dilemma.

    Feeling the passion in the older girl''s kiss as she suckled on her tongue, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Forget it, since it is her first time, I''ll just let her y as she wants.''

    Unaware of the ''danger'' she had just avoided, Noelle''s slender fingers easily slid beneath the bra as she cupped Emilia''s breast in her palm, and her brain couldn''t help but buzz at how good the soft little thing felt to knead.

    It felt like she could do this forever and never get bored. Of course, she had to be careful not to squeeze too hard, but Noelle had always been confident in her control.

    Obviously, Emilia couldn''t be satisfied with this for long, and realized that even if she was to take the lead, Noelle clearly needed some guidance. Otherwise, what was she supposed to do if the girl just decided to kiss and fondle her breasts for hours?

    Noelle was surprised when their positions were suddenly flipped and the younger girl pried her lips open to push that glib tongue that always managed to drive her up the wall right into her mouth.

    She could only let Emilia y around at first, instinctively entangling the nimble little thing that had inexplicablye to hug her tongue uninvited, but that didn''tst long. Always a fast learner, Noelle soon learned Emilia''s tricks. Not only did she start fighting back, she was soon able to bully the little tongue back into its own home, and evenunch her own conquest!

    Before long, whatever piece of clothing that they hadn''t been able to take off in the heat of the moment alsoy torn by the slightly ajar bedroom door, but neither of them cared as they groaned into each other''s mouth.

    Emilia''s current form was already quite close to her original, and once her clothing was removed and hair undone, the temptation she possessed really wasn''t something that Noelle''s mind could handle.

    She had never intended to go so far with her little boss, but Noelle was no longer thinking straight.

    The only thought in her mind was topletely conquer this little goddess in her arms, no matter the consequences.

    As she licked and sucked on every inch of skin from Emilia''s slender neck to her slim waist, almostpletely covering her gorgeous body in hickeys, the younger girl could only gasp and groan as she clutched at the bedsheets while feeling the pleasure build up in her core.

    Before long, Noelle was already tugging at thest piece of clothing on Emilia''s body, and with the girl''s cooperation, she easily slid them down and threw them away before diving in without a word.

    Noelle''s tongue was slightly rough, and her technique was rusty at best, but Emilia still enjoyed the feeling of her desperately trying to get the whole thing into her tight core.

    The excited little grunts and the strong palms clutching her butt also served to heighten her pleasure, and Emilia happily guided the older girl into her depths.

    Noelle''s frenzied mind soon calmed down thanks to Emilia''s soft whispers telling her there was no need to rush or panic, and her haphazard rampage slowly turned into an eager exploration.

    Emilia couldn''t help but gasp when the older girl flicked her flexible tongue up as her hot breath hit her clit. "Y-Yes! T-That''s it, keep going¡­"

    Feeling the younger girl start shivering under her ministrations, Noelle''s excitement grew to a point where she couldn''t help but want to dominate her further.

    Pulling her tongue out of the tight confines of Emilia''s core, she soon found the sensitive little clit hiding beneath its hood and pressed it down between her lips as tight as she could, delighting in the girl''s whimper.

    Prying the tight core open with her index and middle fingers, Noelle couldn''t help but be delighted that she had kept up herbat practice throughout the years. Had she not always kept her nails trimmed neatly to prevent them from breaking or getting in the way, wouldn''t she have let this chance slip?

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 Chapter 312 - [NSFW] Taking Responsibility

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    Since Emilia was already incredibly wet, Noelle didn''t think twice before roughly shoving her fingers as deep into her core as she could in one go, all the while flicking her tongue over the little clit as she savored the younger girl''s whimpers under her ministration.

    It was only when the gray-haired girl realized that she had torn through something on her way in that Noelle''s mind turned nk.

    Much to Emilia''s dissatisfaction, Noelle actually dared to pull back right as she was closing in on her peak. "N-No! You can''t stop now!"

    Noelle gulped as she stared at Emilia''s beautifully foggy eyes full of desire and frustration, but she couldn''t help but hesitate. "E-Emilia¡­ are you okay?"

    Knowing that she might have misunderstood how far Emilia had let her older sister go, and that she was the one who took the girl''s first time¡­ Noelle realized that, terrifyingly enough, she felt more excitement than regret, deep down in her heart.

    On the other hand, Emilia was already too far gone to care about anything else, and could only groan in frustration. "Why would I not be okay? Even if you''re rougher, I will heal. Keep going! Just keep going if you don''t want to cryter!"

    Noelle sneered, clearly not believing her words, but she knew that she had no grounds to refute the younger girl.

    Did she really not know what could and couldn''t heal? Or did she just not care? But at this point¡­ wasn''t it already toote to regret?

    "P-Please¡­!" The crimson-haired girl whimpered again, and Noelle really couldn''t bear the girl''s eyes full of grievances as she ''reluctantly'' dove back in.

    Looking at the bright red blood at the root of Emilia''s thighs, even as Noelle shoved her fingers back in, she still couldn''t calm down her rapidly beating heart.

    With her rough training throughout the years, Noelle was no stranger to blood. She liked to believe that although she was from the Nightingale family, her strength was the result of her perseverance rather than inheritance.

    When she had first started off, even when she had ended up biting through or straight-up busting her lip due to pain, Noelle never gave up. But even after all the times she had tasted it, she never realized that this crimson liquid could also be delicious.

    Compared to the metallic and undesirable taste of her own, Emilia''s lifeblood was like sweet nectar that had been squeezed out of the most exquisite of flowers and refined into the finest honey, and the more Noelle licked it up, the more she felt like she couldn''t get enough.

    The heat in her body that had previously been a zing fire quickly turned into a raging inferno of passion, and the only thing Noelle knew from that point on was that she had to make this goddess moan underneath her in pleasure.

    Through the haze of her lust, Noelle was only vaguely aware of the fact that she had already climbed back up the younger girl''s body to bite at her nape while fucking her roughly with her fingers, and it was only through Emilia''s moans and whimpers that she knew whether she must go harder or softer.

    Even as the younger girl shuddered underneath her in a clear climax, however, Noelle''s excitement only grew, and the only thought left in her mind was topletely merge with this beautiful girl.

    Of course, Emilia was intimately aware of each of her actions. From the moment the older girl''s fingers pulled out to when she shifted her position to start grinding their cores together, she could only watch in fascination how Noelle''s usually serious face turnedpletely twisted from pleasure.

    As the older girl reached her peak, she finally had an inexplicable moment of rity, even as the pleasure flooded both her mind and body.

    Emilia looked like she was going through the same, and Noelle couldn''t help but give everything up to tightly pull her into an embrace, sinking her teeth into the soft flesh on the girl''s nape.

    A series of whimpers echoed across the walls as the two of them shuddered against each other in ecstasy, and while her consciousness faded away in Emilia''s soft embrace, Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if, when she woke up, she would realize it was all but a beautiful dream.

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    When Noelle woke up, she felt like she had just been through a nightmare.

    Although she had passed out before the younger girl, Emilia clearly followed her to sleep shortly after, cuddling into her embrace like a little lover.

    The girl''s gorgeous face was still as breathtaking as ever, but Noelle could hardly bear to stare at it long enough as her eyes kept wandering down the girl''s bare body.

    Every single inch of the beauty''s soft, delicate skin was covered in evidence of their lovemaking, as if mocking Noelle for trying to deny what had happened in her heart.

    There was no mistaking it. Not only did she just fuck her little boss into submission, thatst deep, dark mark she had left on the girl''s neck looked like it might take weeks to fade away, if not months.

    Just thinking about the sheer pandemonium it was going to cause, Noelle couldn''t help but wonder what kind of justification she could give for her actions.

    While it was true that Emilia was always teasing her, that could hardly be used as an excuse to screw her into the bed as she had. After all, not only was she much older, Noelle was also the one responsible for protecting the girl in the first ce.

    Emilia murmured something in her sleep, snuggling closer, and Noelle unconsciously tightened her grip on the younger girl''s slim waist, her breath hitching in anticipation. Was she having a sweet dream? A nightmare?

    "Mhm¡­ no¡­ not full¡­ two more slices¡­ okay¡­"

    Realizing that the girl was probably dreaming about food, Noelle couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile, both amused and disappointed. But at the same time, the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had done something bad slowly faded away.

    Noelle nodded to herself after thinking it through. ''That''s right, no matter what, I must discuss this matter carefully once she wakes up. I can''t shirk responsibility for my actions!''

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 Chapter 313 - Fate Has Its Ways

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    As a firm believer in the concept of ''fate'', Nicole had always been a whimsical girl. This was so when she had been a poor orphan with no one to rely on, and it remained so after she came under the care of her ''cousin'', Noelle.

    So far in her life, the girl considered herself to be quite lucky, not counting the fact that her parents were probably dead.

    After all, how many people would have such an excellent older cousin who would not only look for them, but also take care of them like this?

    But it was precisely because she was grateful that Nicole had always been burdened by the fact that she had no way to repay this older cousin of hers at all.

    No matter if it was money orpanionship, Noelle firmly rejected everything, and required her only to perform well for herself. Eventually, Nicole also realized that it was better to just ept it, or instead of helping, she would just start being a bother.

    And thus, right after she finished college, Nicole officially began her life as a shut-in. Although she did have a ''job'' as a newbie food streamer, it really didn''t make her much money, and was more of a whim than anything else.

    Her days started with movies and snacks, and ended with games and junk food, with plenty of entertainment and unhealthy consumables in between.

    At first, Noelle really didn''t seem to care too much, but as their once cozy home started looking more and more like a pigsty, the older girl finally decided something must be done.

    Since she wasn''t interested in hiring a maid or any kind of dedicated cleaning staff, Noelle decided it was about time for her little cousin to start putting in some work. Anyway, as long as Nicole stopped making a mess, there was no need to hire anyone anyway.

    Of course, finally getting the chance to do something for the older girl, Nicole passionately embarked onto the path of bing the best maid that she could be.

    It was onlyter that Noelle realized a problem. Although Nicole tried to do as she was told and even took care of most of the household tasks¡­ she wasn''t good at any of it, at all.

    Noelle was more than capable of affording the recement of all the crockery, tes, windows, and even flooring if needed, but how could she let it be after her kitchen was set on fire? Had she not been at home then, who knows what would have happened?

    But seeing how passionate the girl was, as if she had finally found her purpose in life, Noelle really didn''t want to just ask her to give it all up and go back to her previous, unmotivated self.

    That was when Noelle recalled how Nicole had pestered her with questions back when Emilia was first interviewed on TV, knowing that she was a ''higher-up'' in the girl''spany, and a brilliant n formed in her mind.

    As someone who often dealt with the housekeeper of the White Deer mansion, getting the girl in as a ''trainee'' maid wasn''t difficult at all. All she had to do was make sure that they were aware of the girl''s disaster-level ''skills'', and both of them would get what they want.

    And with this new job settled, Noelle also imposed the rule of the girl not being a ''maid'' in her home under the cover of ''work-life bnce''.

    Before she actually went there, Nicole had been full of zeal for her new position. After all, she would get to meet the little beauty who had struck her heart across the screen, get to learn how to be a better maid, and still be able to y games all the time at home. Could it even get any better?

    Nicole''s enthusiasm for getting to work at the White Deer mansion didn''tst too long, however, as she realized that not only did it require a lot of hard work, but the opportunities of interacting with the little beauty were also few and far between.

    The closest she hade to Emilia, in fact, had been to stare at her from a distance while she had breakfast, and the experience could be described asplicated at best.

    Having seen Emilia''s interaction with Michelle then, the newly appointed trainee maid couldn''t help but wonder if continuing to stay there would cause her mind to be strange as well. After all, what kind of person would actively ask for more punishment? Nicole couldn''tprehend it at all.

    Thankfully, the little beauty had a weird way of punishing people, so Nicole was still willing to try adapting first, and only talk to Noelle about it if she really couldn''t bear it.

    Anyway, even if her luck wasn''t good when the time came for her punishment, and it ended up being something like a p to the face, how much could that fairy''s soft little palm hurt?

    Thankfully, the rest of her training didn''te with too many surprises, and Nicole soon reaffirmed her decision to do well. It was fine to bear a little hardship to be able to gaze at a beauty like that from time to time. Maybe one day, she would even be able to see her up close!

    Those had been her thoughts until her older ''cousin'' returned from her ''date'' and brought back the very same little beauty that she had been fantasizing about.

    Moreover, they entered without knocking, and Nicole couldn''t believe that she ended up exposing such disgraceful, sloppy behavior!

    Although the two of them hadn''t talked yet, Nicole was sure that Emilia must have a horrible impression of her by now.

    Thinking about how good the rtionship between her older ''cousin'' and Emilia seemed to be, Nicole couldn''t help but give birth to the idea of asking Noelle for help.

    Anyway, since it was somewhat the older girl''s fault for entering without knocking, she definitely had to help rify her image in front of her boss!

    But as she had been too mortified to go out and face them again right away, Nicole decided she would hole herself up in her room first, plug in some earphones to drown out the embarrassment with music, and talk about it to Noelle after waking up tomorrow.

    What she never expected, however, was for her next morning to start with a piece of sexy ck lingerie lying in front of her door.

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 Chapter 314 - Wet Dream

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    Once she was able to calm herself down, Noelle soon realized that things weren''t really as bad as she felt like they were when she first woke up.

    As long as Emilia herself didn''t regret doing it with her, even if she had to face some punishment from her family, Noelle would be more than willing to do so.

    Anyway, she was a better partner for Emilia than Sam, who would have doomed her into a rtionship that could never be made public, and would also ruin their family.

    In hindsight, Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if things between the two sisters wouldn''t even have developed in the way that they had if she had been more epting of Emilia''s date proposal when she first made it.

    But things being as they were, there was no use in regretting and thinking about what-ifs.

    Looking at the peacefully sleeping beauty in her arms, it would be wrong to say that Noelle''s heart wasn''t moved. Before she realized it, her palm that had been resting on the girl''s smooth back slowly slid lower, gently but firmly grasping the soft bun below.

    A soft murmur from the sleeping girl broke Noelle out of her daze, and her eyes turned dark when she realized what she was doing. Instead of withdrawing, however, Noelle felt like a fire had been lit in her heart.

    Clenching her palm, Noelle couldn''t help but pull the younger girl into a tight embrace, burying her nose in Emilia''s beautiful crimson hair.

    Just as she was about to sigh in contentment, however, a sudden thump startled Noelle out of her thoughts, and she finally realized something dreadful.

    She¡­ never locked the door.

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    Noelle''s expression was grim as she stared at the unconscious girl on the floor.

    Going by how she had fainted right in front of her bedroom''s slightly ajar door, and was still clutching a piece of ck lingerie in her palm, Noelle would have to be an idiot to not realize what had happened.

    She couldn''t help but purse her lips in thought. ''From this position, Nicole shouldn''t have been able to see much, right?''

    For now, she could only pick the girl up and set her down back in Nicole''s own room.

    Just as Noelle was wondering how to deal with it, however, she heard a few soft taps of bare feet on the floor.

    Noelle subconsciously hid the lingerie behind her back, but thinking about it now, how exactly was she going to exin this situation anyway?

    Although she already knew who it was, when she turned her head towards the door, the gray-haired girl was still leftpletely stunned.

    With her bare body covered with nothing but a white shirt with most of its buttons already popped off, Emilia almost looked even more erotic than when she had beenpletely naked.

    It felt like as long as Emilia moved a little, that thinyer of fabric would surely reveal the tempting scenery beneath, instantly shattering the remnants of Noelle''s sanity.

    Although she wanted to keep her sight in control, Noelle unknowingly ended up taking a closer look below Emilia''s ''dress'', and felt like she had been struck by lightning. "W-Why aren''t you wearing anything below?!"

    Emilia blushed, looking a little embarrassed. "I-I couldn''t find it¡­"

    Of course, since they had thrown everything around so recklessly before, Emilia was only shy, but not suspicious.

    Noelle, however, suddenly realized something. Wasn''t she just clutching it in her palm? No wonder Emilia wasn''t wearing anything down below!

    Gulping, the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but wonder if Emilia was really trying to seduce her back onto the bed, or if it was herself who kept losing control.

    Seeing the younger girl''s slightly confused gaze, however, Noelle quickly put that thought out of her mind.

    Feeling both thrilled and guilty, Noelle could only cough. "F-Fine then."

    Of course, since the first thing she saw upon waking up was Noelle standing grimly in her sister''s room, Emilia couldn''t help but worry. "What happened? Is she sick?"

    The situation didn''t look optimistic. The first thing she did after spending a passionate night with Emilia was to stand naked in front of her little sister''s bed? It would be a wonder if Emilia didn''t presume her to be a pervert!

    Thankfully, the younger girl didn''t seem too intent on making her answer, and simply moved forward to ce her palm on Nicole''s forehead to check her temperature. "She doesn''t seem to have a fever?"

    Realizing that the more she dyed, the worse the situation would be, Noelle decided to act decisively as she pulled Emilia into a hug.

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    After sending Emilia to shower while shrugging off all her questions, Noelle finally breathed a sigh of relief. ''It''s good that she''s not so naughty and mischievous just after waking up, or it would have been a lot more awkward¡­ or did she be more docile afterst night?''

    Her expression turned dark as Noelle licked her lips. Just thinking about how naturally Emilia had leaned up to kiss her with those soft lips after being pulled into an embrace, the gray-haired girl had barely been able to resist the urge to give in to her carnal desires right then and there.

    But unfortunately, the night was already over, and Noelle knew that they couldn''t always keep indulging as they hadst night. After all, there was still a lot of work to be done.

    Thinking about it this way, maybe it wasn''t a bad thing that she had been disturbed by Nicole. Otherwise, it was impossible for Noelle to not do anything while being naked with Emilia on the bed.

    When the colorful scenery popped into her head again, Noelle could only groan in frustration as she headed for the guest bathroom. ''I guess I really need a cold shower, too.''

    As for the lingerie that was still clutched in her palm¡­ well, there was no way she could just give it back to Emilia now, right?

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 Chapter 315 - Not Married Yet

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    While Noelle treated bathing and showering as a hygienic necessity, for Emilia, they were more of a source of rxation. Therefore, by the time Emilia stepped out, a vague hint of hot steam still rising from her delicate skin, the older girl had already gotten ready and prepared breakfast.

    Emilia was only slightly surprised to discover that Noelle could cook, but soon epted it with a smile. "Alright. Do you have anything for me to wear?"

    Meanwhile, the first thought that came to Noelle''s mind when she saw the freshly showered Emilia was¡­ did someone fill her water tank with holy water?

    It wasn''t that the crimson-haired girl looked like an angel, though that was up for debate, but all the bruises and marks on her skin were gone!

    Given how thoroughly she had burned the image in her mind, there was no way Noelle would believe she was mistaken about the younger girl''s thoroughly ravaged appearance in the morning, but the more she thought about it, the stranger she felt.

    "Noelle?"

    The gray-haired girl coughed in embarrassment as she realized that, in her daze, she had ended uppletely ignoring Emilia''s question. "S-Sorry, I was a little distracted. Take whatever you like from the wardrobe, um, as long as it fits."

    Of course, Emilia didn''t seem to mind at all, and even seemed pleased as she hopped off to the wardrobe, making Noelle wonder if the holy water also had an IQ reducing agent added in.

    But seeing how the younger girl had already thrown a couple of outfits on the bed and was about to take off her towel, Noelle could only hurriedly exit the room in shame.

    It was only when she heard a giggle through the door that the gray-haired girl realized she had been teased intentionally, and her mood turnedplicated as she stared at the gleamingdies watch on her wrist.

    If not for this hateful concept of time, she would surely have taught that smug little girl a lesson!

    Unfortunately, even if Noelle was willing to put a stain on her impable attendance at work for the sake of a quickie in the morning, she wasn''t quite as willing to ept making Emiliate, so she could only put this little grudge down forter.

    Noelle couldn''t help but sigh in her heart. ''If only I had the forethought of having someone bring her uniform here so we wouldn''t have to make another trip to her mansionter, there would still be enough time.''

    But thinking about it again, Noelle realized that she had never imagined even in her wildest dreams that Emilia would be staying over, let alone sleeping with her. So there was no way she could have expected such a thing and prepared in advance, right?

    The gray-haired girl paused, suddenly having a strange thought. ''Wait¡­ Emilia didn''t return homest night, but I haven''t received anymunication or inquiry? How strange¡­''

    Knowing Sam, shouldn''t the whole city be turned inside out by now if she couldn''t confirm Emilia''s safety?

    Could it be that¡­ Emilia already told her she would be staying over?

    Thinking about how eagerly this little rabbit had sent herself to a tiger''s mouth, Noelle could only shake her head with a rueful smile.

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    When Nicole blinked her eyes open, her mind was still a little confused. ''Where am I? Who am I?''

    There was a faint ache in her body, as if she had fallen down, and Nicole couldn''t make sense of the situation at all. She didn''t have a bad sleeping posture, and even when she woke up just now, everything looked orderly. So what was going on?

    Trying her best to recall what happened, she slowly started recounting what she remembered. ''So Noelle brought her date back home, and it turned out to be Emilia¡­ and then?''

    She recalled going to sleep while listening to music, but her earphones were already neatly ced by the bedside table, as if she had already set them aside after waking up¡­ but wasn''t she just waking up now?

    Suddenly, there was a sh of sexy lingerie in her mind, leaving Nicole dumbfounded. "No¡­ what was I dreaming of again?"

    Reaching into her pajamas with some doubt, Nicole''s face immediately turned red. There was no mistaking it¡­ she must have had a wet dream!

    Strangely enough, she couldn''t even remember who she dreamed of, but recalling that Noelle had brought her little goddess homest night, Nicole already had an answer in her heart.

    A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts at this moment.

    "Nicole, breakfast is ready!"

    Although the one knocking on the door was definitely her cousin, but Nicole could also hear another sweet voice from further away, which definitely couldn''t belong to Noelle.

    Realizing that Emilia must have stayed the night, and she might have to face the object of her wet dream if she went out, Nicole immediately lost all her courage. "I-I''ll have mer, you go!"

    "Alright."

    Usually, Noelle would scold her for being tardy, but Nicole didn''t find it strange that her cousin agreed so easily. After all, there was still a beautiful guest at the table, and even her older sister must care about maintaining a good image.

    Vaguely, Nicole felt like she was forgetting something important, but she didn''t dwell on that thought.

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    It didn''t take long before Emilia was done getting ready and joined Noelle to start the breakfast, and Noelle could only try her best to contain a grin as she watched the younger girl dressed in her own clothes.

    Since their sizes weren''t simr at all, Emilia had simply picked out a loose white t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts.

    Although Emilia''s current appearance could be considered sloppy, Noelle felt like she had an indescribable charm that made the crimson-haired girl appear even more beautiful than when she was properly dressed up.

    There was a subtle feeling of satisfaction in her heart, as if she was looking at her own little wife who was kept at home,pletely dependent on her lover, but Noelle quickly shook off that thought. ''What the hell am I thinking? We''re not married yet!''

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 Chapter 316 - Rescued

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    Emilia found it a little strange that Noelle''s ''cousin'' didn''t join them for breakfast, but she soon shrugged it off as the girl being toozy to get up early in the morning.

    She had been quite curious about Noelle''s cooking skills, but since they were in a hurry, the older girl only prepared a rtively simple breakfast. Given that the seasonings and vor were all in ce, however, Emilia believed that Noelle must be at least decent.

    Neither of them spoke much, though Noelle was happy to see that Emilia wasn''t dissatisfied with what she had prepared. Knowing what the girl must be used to, she had also wanted to do better, but there simply wasn''t enough time, and Noelle wasn''t so confident in her skill either, so she decided it was better not to overdo things.

    Of course, Emilia could feel the older girl''s scorching gaze on her face, but since she had no idea what Noelle was thinking, she could only return a smile before turning back to the breakfast.

    After finishing the half-fried eggs and french toast, Emilia quickly followed Noelle to the car, and the two of them set off for the White Deer mansion.

    On the way, Noelle finally couldn''t hold herself back anymore, and bit her lip as she stared at Emilia from the corner of her eyes. "Y-You don''t regret it, right?"

    Emilia, who had beenzily leaning back on her seat, turned to give her an incredulous look. "Why would I?"

    Noelle breathed a sigh of relief before shaking her head. "No, I just heard that younger girls are usually not very, um,mitted?"

    The crimson-haired girl frowned. "nder! Don''t I always give it my all to take care of all my friends? Also¡­ who says I''m younger than you?"

    Noelle felt her lips twitch in amusement. "Yes yes, Emilia is a very diligent little girl, I''ll admit it. But in terms of age¡ª"

    Emilia suddenly smirked, feeling like the atmosphere was too good to not tease this generally serious girl. There was no way she could hold back. "Hush. Forget about everything before. Now, we''re starting over, and you have to believe all the nonsense I say. I said I''m not younger, so I''m not."

    Noelle coughed. "It says on your birth certificate¡ª"

    Emilia pretended to be irritable while trying to contain her smile. "Even if I''m physically younger, I''m still older than you in terms of mental age!"

    Although she was just teasing Noelle, Emilia didn''t feel guilty since what she said was technically true.

    The gray-haired girl groaned. "You''re just bullying me, aren''t you?"

    Emilia huffed. "Even if I''m physically younger, I''m still older than you in terms of mental age! Are you going to believe a stupid piece of paper over me?"

    Anyway, if she were to consider ''how long this body has existed'' as a measure of her age, wouldn''t she have to call five-year-old girls ''big sister''?

    Noelle''s words were immediately blocked. ''Howe this girl got so much more unreasonable? Wasn''t she supposed to get more docile after being screwed into the bed like that?''

    When her thoughts got to that point, however, Noelle''s exasperation was quickly blown away by the colorful scenery popping into her mind.

    Looking at Emilia''s smug face, she couldn''t help but recall how charming she looked while moaning under her ''care''. Noelle pursed her lips as she felt a jolt of anticipation run up her spine, and she could only stiffly focus on the road while shutting her mouth.

    Looking at the gray-haired girl''s blushing face, Emilia smirked. "What, are you thinking about something naughty? I haven''t done it in the car yet."

    Noelle almost ended up mming the brakes in shock, and turned to re at the younger girl threateningly. "Do you want us to crash and die?!"

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    Meanwhile, Amos was startled awake by the ringing of loud bangs and booms in his ears, and instinctively started screeching the moment he regained consciousness. "NO! Don''t hit me anymore! I had nothing to do with your son! Please!"

    Of course, he knew that the bastard would continue to him anyway, but the hero could only grit his teeth and endure the humiliation.

    Just thinking of everything he had been through so far, his heart almost burst from his chest in both rage and shame.

    It was all the fault of that bitch!

    If she hadn''t left him abandoned in that alley, would he have been found by this delirious pervert and tortured like this? When had a proud son of heaven like him ever had to endure such humiliation?!

    And Crystal, that ungrateful swine! He had to teach her a lesson!

    But thinking about how he couldn''t even see any hopes of getting out of here, the hero felt a feeling of both despair and rage cloud his mind.

    One day, he would destroy everything that was rted to this man, no matter what.

    But he was still aware of his situation, and the hero kept the gloom in his eyes hidden as he begged with his head down. Amos knew that if he didn''t beg, he would only be beaten more ruthlessly.

    Strangely enough, though, the pain that he had been expecting never came, and the silver-haired boy fearfully opened his eyes only to be leftpletely stunned.

    Looking at the sturdy figure of the man in front of him, Amos suddenly felt a strange emotion bubble in his chest. "D-Dad?"

    The silver-haired boy never realized it, but how could Mr. ck miss the fact that his son called him ''Dad'' instead of ''Father'' for the first time since his wife passed away?

    But thinking about the reason why it happened, the buff man couldn''t find a single shred of joy in his heart, and his dark expression also petrified Amos in fear.

    Motioning his people to untie the boy and take care of his injuries, Mr. ck walked out of the crowded basement without a word, leaving the hero reeling in shock.

    ''T-This bastard¡­ does he not even care?!''

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 Chapter 317 - Skipping Too Many Steps

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    Since Noelle had already prepared thoroughly, what the ck Tiger''s investigators could find when searching for Amos had naturally been just the clues that were left there intentionally.

    From the surveince footage, they were soon able to determine the suspicious man''s identity, and digging a little deeper, they also found out his motive for the crime.

    With the man''s only son going missing shortly after his ''scandal'' with Amos came to light, there was little doubt that he must bear a great grudge in his heart against the ck Tiger''s heir.

    Of course, whether it was the identity of Braxy''s father or his trail, Noelle''s team could naturally have hidden it much better, but then they would run the risk of exposing their own scheme.

    After all, the deeper the investigators were forced to look, the more likely they were to find out the truth.

    An operation of this scale, no matter how well prepared they were, could never be truly wless. Hence, it was better to have them dig just deep enough to find out a fake truth first.

    Before they had discovered clues about Braxy''s father, the investigators still suspected ck Tiger''s rival organizations, such as the White Deer, along with a handful of criminals that had a grudge against Mr. ck.

    Mr. ck, however, never suspected the White Deer or his other, smaller rivals, though the criminals couldn''t be ruled out.

    After all, he knew the people he dealt with well enough by now to know that Mr. White had neither the guts nor the will to pull off something like this.

    Compared to the care he showed for Amos, his rival treasured his daughters very much. And if the children were to start getting involved in their fights¡­ Mr. White must believe the losing party would always be him.

    The only reason Mr. ck hadn''t excluded them from the start was for the sake of not interfering with the investigators'' work, but once the culprit was locked in, the man immediately had them focus their resources on just discovering the boy''s whereabouts.

    Mr. ck believed that even if there was someone responsible for instigating Braxy''s father¡­ they could always pry out the truth from the bastard''s own mouth.

    Mr. ck lit up a cigarette after decades of abstinence, and looked up at the bright, cheerful morning sky with indescribable gloom in his eyes. "Say it."

    The man who had been standing by his side silently, and had been leading the investigation, could only bow his head meekly. "H-He seems to have already escaped."

    Mr. ck already knew from the man''s face, and simply nodded indifferently. "Continue looking, no matter which corner of the world he hides in, he must be dug out."

    Even if it hadn''t been for seeking revenge, they couldn''t let the man remain on the loose. Right now, he was like an invisible knife in the darkness, and the longer he stayed alive, the worse.

    Obviously, Noelle would never take the chance of allowing Braxy''s father to contact Mr. ck.

    If the man saw an opportunity to confess everything in hopes of getting his family rescued, wouldn''t all their ns backfire instantly? Thus, long before the ck Tiger''s men arrived, Braxy''s father was already ''gone''.

    Of course, Mr. ck''s team wasn''tpletely without results. In addition to discovering Amos, they had also managed to get hold of Braxy''s mother, and they nned to use her as bait to lure the man out.

    Unfortunately, they made the assumption that Braxy''s father would be able to get hold of the ''bait'' they were disseminating, so their n was doomed to fail from the start.

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    In sharp contrast to the doom and gloom at the hero''s side, the atmosphere in Noelle''s car was full of lilies and roses¡­ literally.

    Of course, although the gray-haired girl had picked a few flowers out from the flowerbed while waiting for Emilia to get ready, she had been too embarrassed to actually hand them over.

    ''Unfortunately'', although they had been ''discarded'' in the backseat, the fragrance was enough to attract Emilia''s attention soon enough, and Noelle could only endure the ''humiliation''.

    Of course, Noelle would never admit that, in her opinion, the delighted expression on Emilia''s smile looked better than the blooming of even the most beautiful of roses.

    How could she ever have found this girl annoying?

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t believe that this strange feeling that she had only discovered yesterday took root so fast in her heart. And worst of all¡­ she couldn''t find the will to resist at all.

    Of course, having seen how carefully the flowerbed had been maintained, Emilia knew that Noelle must like them very much. How could she not be touched that the girl was willing to share some with her?

    Emilia smirked as she pressed her lips against one of the fresh roses. "I never knew Noelle could be so romantic and cute, ahh! I have to tell Sam when we get back!"

    Noelle''s happy mood immediately turned dark. If that brat of a girl knew about such a thing, what would happen to all the prestige she had built over the years?!

    Knowing that she couldn''t take Emilia back home like this, Noelle took a quick look at the time before parking the car by the side of the road.

    The gray-haired girl frowned as she turned to look at the younger girl''s surprised expression. "Emilia, you must know that some things that happen between lovers have to stay between just the two of them. No one else must know!"

    Emilia blinked, and then her smile turned even more teasing. "Lovers, ah~ You said it yourself. Now you can''t back out!"

    Noelle gulped nervously. "O-Of course, I always intended to take responsibility for my actions. I''ll definitely talk to your p-parents, a-and we can get married in the future."

    Suddenly her heart skipped a beat as the gray-haired girl realized how many steps she had skipped¡­ and how she had never asked for Emilia''s opinion. "O-Obviously, only if you agree!"

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 Chapter 318 - Relationships Change

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    The surprised expression on Emilia''s face soon turned into a blooming smile. "You want to take responsibility for me?"

    Noelle nodded furiously. "Of course, I''m not the type to eat and run!"

    Emilia bit her lip as she tried her best not tough at the gray-haired girl''s serious expression. "Well, no need to talk to my parents, or anyone else. I''m responsible for myself, and if you wish to marry me¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl leaned forward to press a soft kiss on Noelle''s lips before smiling. "We can always do itter. As for a wedding gift, hm, I already have something in mind."

    Emilia frowned as she suddenly had another thought. "But if I''m going to marry, it won''t be right to leave Crystal, Dixie, and Sam out of it¡­ Would you mind a big grand wedding? Or should we do them all separately?"

    Noelle''s ecstatic expression immediately froze. "What does that mean?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

    The gray-haired girl took a deep breath before letting it out to calm herself down. "I think there''s been a little misunderstanding. Emilia¡­ do you understand what marriage is?"

    Emilia nodded. "The meaning depends on the people themselves, but for me, it can be considered a celebration of love."

    Noelle opened and closed her mouth a few times before nodding. "W-Well¡­ I guess that works. Anyway, only two people can marry each other! TWO! Not twenty! Understand?"

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t seem to take her words seriously at all as she flicked her hair haughtily. "Says who?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but groan. "Thew, Emilia! It''s against thew!"

    Emilia frowned. "Don''t worry about those little things, I''ll take care of it when the timees, one way or the other."

    She should have known this girl had a ''special'' brain when she let that older sister of hers put hickeys all over her body!

    No, not to mention Sam, the biggest problem was what happened between the two of them, instead.

    Noelle just realized that not only had Emilia given up her virginity on their first date, but she had also agreed to get married!

    The gray-haired girl felt like she was going to have a seizure at this rate, but she somehow managed to hold it in. "Little boss, Emilia, can you think like a normal human being for one second and try to see where I''ming from? I really don''t want to throw you on the backseat and teach you a lesson, you know?"

    Emilia furrowed her brows, as if deep in thought, and Noelle felt her heart skip a beat.

    Was this girl¡­ seriously trying to ''think like a normal human being''? How could someone be so incredibly adorable and infuriatingly annoying at the same time?!

    Unfortunately, Emilia''s ''attempt'' seemed to have failed, if her frustrated pout was any indication. "I-I don''t understand what you want. Just tell me in simple words, and I''ll try my best to make you happy!"

    Before Noelle could speak, however, Emilia frowned. "A-Also! You can''t ask for anything that will make my other friends sad!"

    Noelle''s face turned nk as she stared at the crimson-haired beauty for almost a minute before she reached out to pinch both her cheeks. "You little brat of a boss, do you think this world is your personal fantasynd? You still haven''t learned what can and cannot be done? Are you not scared that I''ll take you away and lock you up in some basement?"

    Emilia felt like she hadn''t exined herself properly to Noelle, so she obediently let the older girl knead her cheeks as she pleased. Anyway, although it hurt a little, it could also be considered as making up.

    Only after Noelle felt like the soft little cheeks had suffered enough did she let go and allow Emilia to speak.

    Emilia grinned, though the deep red marks on her cheeks made her look more funny than beautiful. "I know you wouldn''t do that. If you were that type of person¡­ I would never have sought you out, right?"

    Noelle could only sigh in her heart. "I should have known that the world is fair."

    Emilia blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

    Of course, Noelle couldn''t just say her thoughts out loud. If Emilia knew that she wasmenting about the fact that the poor girl had lost her brain cells in exchange for her beauty, she would definitely throw a tantrum.

    Although it would undoubtedly be cute, Noelle felt like she had enough of a headache as it was, and she still had to drive!

    Seeing how the gray-haired girl started the car without exining anything to her, Emilia could only sulk in her seat with a pout. "Howe you start talking so cryptically now? I remember you always used to be so clear and concise with your words!"

    Noelle sneered as she kept her eyes on the road, suddenly feeling like taking some ''revenge'' on the girl. "Do you think I''ve changed?"

    Emilia quickly shook her head in denial. "No, how could that be? It''s just the way you treat me has changed a little, right? Of course, it makes sense, since our rtionship has changed¡­"

    Looking at her confused appearance from the corner of her eye, Noelle couldn''t help but smile. "So you don''t have any problem with it, right?"

    Emilia frowned as she seemed to hesitate. "I-I won''t control how you behave too much, but if I don''t understand something, make sure you say it clearly, okay?"

    Noelle couldn''t help be feel a little touched in her heart, but the feeling only made her want to tease the crimson-haired beauty more. "Want to know why I''ve changed?"

    Emilia blinked. "Mhm?"

    The gray-haired girl smiled, knowing that the little beauty didn''t suspect her words at all. "It''s because¡­ now that I''ve already fucked you, I can no longer see you as a ''superior'', and it''s impossible for us to keep the work dynamic like before. Understand?"

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 Chapter 319 - Youâ€™re Not The Only One Who Can Tease!

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    Surprisingly enough, Emilia didn''t seem to mind it at all. "I don''t need you to see me as a ''superior'' anyway. For those I like, I always allow the privilege of treating me as an equal."

    With her attempt at teasing the little beauty failing so miserably, the older girl felt like she had just punched cotton.

    Of course, Noelle hadn''t known Emilia so long in vain, and knew exactly what to do to make her pout. "Since that is so, you can forget about ordering me to get things done in the future. I''ll do as I please, and will only help you when I feel like it."

    And as expected, Emilia''s previously serene expression immediately turned a little dark. "No! I don''t allow it!"

    Noelle felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the distress in the younger girl''s eyes, but steeled her expression just in time. "So? Are you going to force me?"

    This was something she was curious about anyway, so might as well take the chance to ask.

    Emilia could tell that the older girl was teasing her, but this was not a topic she was willing topromise on anyway. "Please, Noelle, I really need your help, okay? You can y around with everything else, but when I tell you to do something, you must get to it seriously!"

    Noelle grinned. "Well, little boss, isn''t it you who is ying around? You pretended to listen to me before, but as soon as I put my will forward, you immediately rejected it so forcibly?"

    The gray-haired girl could tell that Emilia was displeased the moment she uttered those words, but she quickly stifled the regret in her heart the moment it came up. After all, the one who seduced her was Emilia, and she also refused to let her take full responsibility!

    If she was going to y around like this, wouldn''t it have been better to never take their rtionship forward? But now that she''d had a taste of this sweet poison, Noelle knew that there was no way she could extricate herself from this whimsical beauty''s snare.

    Noelle believed that since she was willing to surrender herself for a lifetime even then, wasn''t it only fair that she enjoy seeing Emilia sulk for a few minutes?

    But looking at the crimson-haired girl pout all the way till they arrived at the White Deer mansion, Noelle finally couldn''t endure it anymore.

    Parking the car in front of the mansion''s gate, the older girl coughed. "Y-You know I was just joking, right? I just wanted to tease you a little, so¡ª"

    Her heart thumped in inexplicable panic when Emilia opened the door without a word and walked out, Noelle couldn''t help but get out of the car and chase after the beauty in a hurry.

    Before she could catch up to the younger girl, however, Emilia unexpectedly turned around and made her crash right into her soft embrace.

    Noelle''s mind turned nk when a soft and wet feeling enveloped her lips, and she realized that Emilia was kissing her. The girl''s fresh breath was still as fragrant as she remembered, and the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but recall the scenes fromst night.

    She didn''t even realize that a few of the servants and maids who saw them hurried off while blushing, and as their kiss got more and more intense, Noelle couldn''t even keep her hands from wandering.

    Just as she was about to clutch at her girlfriend''s hips, however, Emilia abruptly released the plump lip she had been suckling on, and stepped back with a grin. "Are you the only one who can tease?"

    And under Noelle''s half-enlightened and half-disbelieving gaze, the crimson-haired beauty entered the mansion without looking back.

    Noelle knew right away that not only was Emilia not fooled by her joke, she was also taking revenge! And worst of all, this little minx was so vengeful and unforgiving!

    Feeling the stickiness down below, Noelle could only walk away awkwardly while trying to avoid all the strange stares from the maids and servants. ''Looks like I have to take another bath before heading to work.''

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    Emilia wasn''t too bothered by the blushing maids, as she was already quite used to it. Anyway, they blushed even when she didn''t do anything, so it would instead be strange if she didn''t get used to it.

    She briefly spotted a patch of brown hair from atop the stairs, but like a scared little squirrel, Michelle scurried away before she could even squint.

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "Don''t tell me she''s been working?"

    The blonde maid with waist-length hair who hade to attend to her hesitated for a while before shaking her head. "N-No, young miss, but¡­"

    "But?"

    The poor girl tugged at her skirt in distress. "B-But she alwayses to stare at us working with such envy¡­ it''s hard not to feel bad¡­"

    Emilia felt her lips twitch in amusement. "Well, if you feel sorry for her, feed her a little more. The poor baby suffered a lot in the hospital, and she''s malnourished. If we can''t stop her from overworking, we should at least make sure she''s healthy enough, no?"

    The young maid nodded seriously, as if receiving a great mission. "Don''t worry, young miss! I''ll make sure to convey the orders to everyone."

    Emilia nodded, satisfied. "What about my friends, have they left? Is breakfast over?"

    The blonde maid shook her head quickly. "Miss Dixie just returned from the dojo and is taking a bath. Everyone else was waiting for you to return first."

    Emilia hummed. "Should I join her in the shower?"

    She considered that thought for a while, but soon realized that there really wasn''t enough time left before school, and she would just end up making her poor knight miss breakfast.

    In such a situation, Emilia knew that she couldn''t expect Dixie to be able to control herself, and she wasn''t quite so sure of her own ''willpower'' either. It had been a while since the two of them did it, after all.

    Emilia could only sigh in regret as she waved the blushing maid away. "Some other time, then."

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 Chapter 320 - Disappointment

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    As she expected, Emilia found Crystal going over her ss notes in her room, and the girl quickly volunteered to help her shower and change when she arrived.

    Emilia had no reason to object, and happily enjoyed Crystal''s meticulous care as the girlthered hair long, crimson hair and massaged her dutifully from head to toe.

    Crystal was already shy and demure by nature, and Emilia knew that the girl didn''t have the courage to ''escte'' the situation unless she was teased to the point where she really couldn''t control herself.

    Of course, she also knew that her little heroine was a closet pervert, but Emilia didn''t mind her sneakily ''taking advantage'' while helping her wash. Anyway, as long as Crystal was happy and they didn''t miss school, wasn''t it fine?

    Whether it was due to her being shy or conscious of the time, Crystal really didn''t go too far. Though they still ended up in a wet, steamy kiss right after exiting the shower, the girl still helped her quickly change into the uniform as they joined Dixie, Sam, and Michelle for breakfast.

    Emilia didn''t mind that Michelle looked a little awkward being seated at the breakfast table instead of standing by her side, as she knew the girl would get used to it by tomorrow, probably.

    Since they were a littlete, none of them talked much at the breakfast table, except for Sam inquiring how her date had been. Although the others at the table tried their best to appear normal, Emilia could pretty much sense that their ears had been erected.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile in amusement. "She''s unexpectedly naughty."

    "Hm?"

    "What does that mean?"

    "Noelle? Naughty? Are you really talking about that ever-serious ice block?"

    Emilia giggled. "It''s only ayer of ice on top, and the inside is all sweet, sticky, soft mush."

    There was a round of coughing and choking from around the table, and even the maid who wasn''t eating anything seemed to choke on her own saliva.

    After a while, Sam cleared her throat in embarrassment. "L-Let''s not talk about this stuff while eating in the future."

    Emilia grinned mischievously. "What are you girls thinking? I was talking about her personality! Hmph."

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    Meanwhile, the hero had already been taken to a secure location to receive treatment. And after a brief examination, the medical team couldn''t help but be shocked.

    After hearing their report, Mr. ck couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "So you mean there is no permanent damage, right?"

    Compared to his boss, the doctor obviously found the situation more unbelievable. Although he wasn''t aware of the whole situation, he still knew that the boy had been held captive and tortured for quite a while.

    For such a person, even if they were rescued within hours, there were bound to be multiple injuries that simply couldn''t be solved using their current medical technology, depending on the method of torture.

    And in this case¡­ he knew for sure that the boy had been out for more than just a few hours. After all, he couldn''t have been called to stand by before the boy was even taken away, right?

    But the facts were in his hand, and his disbelief didn''t stop him from reporting the truth. "We believe that within three months of recovery and six months of rehabilitation, the young master should be able to get back to his peak state."

    Of course, the doctor didn''t mention any psychological damage, as he knew that the ck Tiger would surely hire experts to take care of that, as well.

    Mr. ck looked relieved as he waved the doctor and his team away. "Leave us be for a minute."

    Amos couldn''t even be bothered to retort on the man''s hypocritical ''care'', and just sneered. "What happened to that man?"

    Mr. ck sighed as he looked at the temporary bandages all over his son''s body. He knew that many of them would be changed for sters soon, and the boy would look even more miserable. "We''re still looking for him. You just rest and recover. Other things¡­ just forget about it for now."

    His father''s words immediately lit a fire in the hero''s heart as he mmed his fist on the bad, grimacing in both pain and fury. "Forget?! How can you say that? Fucking¡ª! AHH!"

    Mr. ck frowned. If it hadn''t been for the boy''s pitiful state, he really wanted to teach his son some discipline. "Don''t lose your mind over one loss. Which one of the people at the top wouldn''t go through a little suffering before getting where they are now? Don''t tell me a single setback is all it takes to destroy your mentality?"

    Although he knew his words were harsh, Mr. ck truly believed that if he let his son go on like this, he would really lose sight of the real objectives, and obsess over finding some insignificant man.

    If that guy went and died in a ditch, never to be found, was the heir of his ck Tiger supposed to live the rest of his life in vain? Impossible!

    Amos couldn''t believe his father''s words at all, and looking at the man''s disappointed face, he couldn''t help but burst into hystericalughter.

    Theplicated feeling of gratitude and resentment when his father rescued him had already dissipated like smoke when Amos saw how gloomy the man had looked when he first saw him.

    There was no happiness or joy at finally finding the son he was looking for, only anger and disappointment, and itpletely chilled his heart.

    How could he have forgotten that this was the man who dared to express disappointment at his mother for dying? As if it was her fault!

    This bastard of a father didn''t even say a single word after seeing him such a state!

    The humiliation he felt in his heart magnified, and despite his hystericalughter, Amos couldn''t help but curse the man in his heart. ''Had you not been sote, would I ever be in such a state? What right do you have to look at me with disappointment?! Bastard! Bastard!''

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 Chapter 321 - Come Back

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    The car ride on the way to school was usually Emilia''s time to rx on Crystal''sp while having Dixie give her a foot massage, but today her position was reversed. And given that she already had the privacy screen up, Dixie couldn''t help but be a little nervous as she ran her fingers through Emilia''s hair.

    The crimson-haired girl closed her eyes as she hummed. "How are things on your mom''s side, Dixie?"

    The dark-haired girl cleared her throat awkwardly. "W-Well, mostly fine. No one tried to kill her yet, at least."

    Taking a sideways nce at Crystal, who was busy teasing Emilia''s pearly little toes with a smile, Dixie silently breathed a sigh of relief. ''If she knew that my mom was making weird, harassing calls to her mom¡­''

    Although she had never seen the blonde girl get mad, Dixie always believed that the calmer someone was normally, the worse they would be when they really lost it. And not only was Crystal even more docile than her princess, but she also treasured her mother a lot.

    Emilia knew neither the twists and turns in Dixie''s head, nor theplex rtionship between Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Miller, so she just nodded absently. "¡­That''s good."

    As far as she was concerned, the most dangerous period for Mrs. Brown was the time between Amos going missing and being found. That was when the ck Tiger was most likely tosh out against potential culprits, and Emilia believed that Mrs. Brown must definitely be on that list.

    After all, even though herpany was ''tiny'', she was already one of the few who dared to directly p the ck Tiger Corporation''s face. And the mark was still fresh on Mr. ck''s face when Amos went missing.

    Of course, things went much better than she expected, as the matter really did sessfully divert ck Tiger away from Mrs. Brown, andnded them a ''sleeping victory'' on both fronts. Mrs. Brown was able to get over her crisis and greatly expand herpany, and Emilia was able to not onlyplete her mission but also deal a considerable amount of damage to the hero''s side.

    And now that Amos was already found, it was much less likely for the ck Tiger to rush into biting the heads off of ''potential'' culprits with their eyes set on finding the real perpetrator. But unless they could identify ashes that had already been scattered in the wind, that was a lost cause.

    Of course, whether they had any idea that they were being led by the nose or not, Emilia had no way to know. All she could do was have Noelle carefully observe their movements without arousing suspicion, and hope for the best.

    Pressing her face against Dixie''s warm palm, Emilia smiled. "Since that is so, it should be fine for you to leave your mother''s side and return to me."

    Dixie blinked, pleasantly surprised. "Really?!"

    She''d thought that Emilia wouldn''t let her do anything more than escort her back and forth from school for at least the next few weeks, but happiness came sooner than she expected!

    It wasn''t that she really hated being with her mother ¡ª although that was true ¡ª but between spending time with Emilia and being annoyed by her mom¡­ was there any need to ask which one she would choose?

    Emilia just smiled. "Yes. I missed you."

    A grin lit up Dixie''s face in obvious delight, and Emilia couldn''t help but lean up to kiss her chin lovingly. "Cute."

    Dixie blushed as she turned her head away, not daring to look her princess in the eye. She could only be exceedingly grateful that she was a girl, or Emilia would definitely beining about something poking the back of her head by now.

    Unaware of her knight''s strange thoughts, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh. "By the way, are either of you interested in learning how to drive?"

    Although she believed that the driver that Noelle assigned to her was sure to be trustworthy, there was also a certain risk, and Emilia also often traveled in Dixie''s car. She believed that having one of her friends drive would be the perfect long-term solution for the future.

    Dixie and Crystal turned to look at each other in surprise before the dark-haired girl nodded. "I''ll sign up for driving lessons from tomorrow, then."

    The age at which one could start driving legally in their country was fourteen, so that had never been an issue for years. But Crystal''s family never had a car of their own, and Dixie never felt the need to learn how to drive.

    After all, even if she learned how to do it, Mrs. Brown was unlikely to ept removing the bodyguard and driver from duty.

    But now that she thought about it, Dixie realized that she wouldn''t be a very qualified knight if she couldn''t even take her princess from one ce to another without anyone else assisting her, so she agreed without hesitation.

    As for Emilia¡­ if a car engine could neigh like a horse, she might be able to delude herself into thinking she could drive.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Good. If we are to go on a road trip with just the few of us, one of us needs to know how to drive, right?"

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    The absence of Amos had never caused much of a ssh in the Imperial Academy, so Emilia was a little shocked when she heard his name from Koko when the girl made her routine ''report'' on the school''s gossip after ss. And Penny also nodded while snuggling on Emilia''sp, confirming the ''rumors''.

    "There''s such a thing?"

    "Yes!"

    Of course, none of them were very clear on why Amos would need nine months of leave like this, and would only be taking the end-of-term examination under ''special supervision''.

    Given the ck Tiger''s status, as long as Amos was able to provide a valid reason, this kind of situation wasn''tpletely impossible, but Emilia still found it a little strange.

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 Chapter 322 - Nouveau Riche

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    Emilia thought it would make much more sense for the hero to transfer schools if his condition was so bad. With the ck Tiger''s ability, it would be entirely possible to have some pretty well-known onespletely forge report cards for the boy, but it was impossible to do so in the Imperial Academy.

    Had he stuck with ss S, it would still be fine, but the hero had already switched away from the ''sponsored'' stream before. As such, even if Amos took the end-of-term exams and performed well, he would still end up being at the bottom of the barrel in ss C.

    Of course, he could always switch back to ss S, but had he done so, there would have been a new student promoted up from ss B into Emilia''s ss due to an additional vacancy. Since that hadn''t happened, the hero had obviously refused the transfer.

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Why are you even trying to understand how his mind works?"

    Emilia blinked as she realized that, shockingly enough, her partner''s words made sense. ''You''re right?! Well¡­ the good thing is this can only hurt him more.''

    Cynthia thought there was something strange about the way Emilia said it, but she couldn''t quite figure out what was wrong, and could only let Emilia move on from that thought.

    There had never been a student who took such a long ''leave'' from the Imperial Academy, and whether it was the students from the sponsored stream or the schrs, neither would look kindly on such a person unless their case was confirmed to be genuinely due to medical conditions.

    As for Amos¡­ well, his credibility among the students wasn''t high enough for them to believe such a thing.

    Emilia expected that the ss S students would be jealous that he was able to ck off and mess around for months while they were forced to attend school like good little babies, and as for the ''studious'' students¡­ it was good enough if they just sneered at him in their hearts.

    After knowing of his repeated scandals, tant disregard for other students, and frequent absence, to say that the hero''s reputation was at the rock bottom among the non-sponsored students wouldn''t be an exaggeration at all.

    Obviously, the news of the hero''s rescue wasn''t really much of a surprise for Emilia, as she had never nned to keep him for long. Her goal this time had only been to cause as much damage to him as possible without taking any on her side.

    And going by the responses she had received, it worked out far better than she expected.

    With Mr. ck panicking as he had, not only was the White Deer able to take a lead in a number of ventures, even some of the other, smallerpetitors that usually struggled to breathe under the ck Tiger''s ws were able to snatch a piece of meat from its mouth.

    Noelle and Sam could ept it quite calmly, as they more or less knew all the ins and outs of the situation, but Mr. and Mrs. White were so panicked that they even inquired about it from both Sam and Emilia.

    Of course, Emilia had already instructed Sam not to reveal anything to her parents, as she didn''t believe they would be so calm after hearing about their daughter having the ck Tiger''s heir kidnapped.

    Although they also held a grudge against him for snubbing and trying to defame their daughter, Emilia believed that the old couple was a bit toow-abiding to be let in on such things.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. "How lucky! Had the hero''s father been calmer and tried to capitalize on his son''s kidnapping by looking into the matter carefully, this could have easily backfired on you, you know?"

    Emilia just shook her head with a smile. ''Even if he had been more careful, the results would still be in our favor, just not as good.''

    The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes, thinking her partner was a little too smug. But considering how she had managed to do what she set out for this time, she decided to let her enjoy her victory.

    Of course, Emilia had long since stopped caring about it as she moved on to other things.

    With her first missionpleted, the amount of energy in her body was no longer so abysmal that she couldn''t even feel it, and Emilia was finally able to start understanding how to use it on her own.

    The void form was already directly imprinted in her soul, and Emilia was able to interact with the so-called ''chaos energy'' at the same level as Cynthia, but to her surprise, its response to her was far more ''positive''.

    Ifpared to Cynthia, it was the difference between forcing someone to do something and them doing it enthusiastically on their own. Not to mention the energy consumption, Emilia knew for sure that even the efficiency and effectiveness of her moves would far exceed those of her partner.

    Of course, although she had already noticed this, Cynthia had not. And Emilia nned to keep it that way until she was ready to give her partner a ''surprise''.

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    Emilia''s days passed leisurely as she focused on her private ''mission'', although everyone, including Cynthia, believed that she was getting ready for a grand performance in the annual events week.

    Unfortunately, her peaceful progress was rudely interrupted by Noelle.

    Emilia frowned in confusion as she looked at the folder in her hand. "Is this for real?"

    Noelle coughed awkwardly. "W-Would I joke around with you like this?"

    The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head with a wry smile. "Sorry, I just couldn''t believe someone I was considering as a stepping-stone¡ªahem¡ªI-I mean, ''future rival'', would turn out to be like... this!"

    Noelle just rubbed her nose in embarrassment. ''Should I pretend I didn''t hear that?''

    The report in her hand belonged to none other than Alexander ''Steele'', though his real name was Alexander Gray.

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 Chapter 323 - Gray Wolfe

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    With her second mission alreadypleted, Emilia''s next focus was obviously on her first task ¡ª getting the White Deer to be the number one in the world, and making the ck Tiger go bankrupt.

    Although it seemed to be incredibly difficult, Emilia believed it was much easier toplete than her third mission, which required her to be a ''winner'' in love, career, and even public perception!

    The White Deer Corporation''s current rank in the world, in terms of total assets owned by a private entity, was third. And for the ck Tiger, it was now down to fifth.

    Naturally, getting the White Deer Corporation to be the number one in the world wasn''t easy, and making the ck Tiger go bankrupt was even harder. Emilia never had any doubts about that.

    But of the two, the first one was somewhat ''easier'' to do, and getting stronger would allow her to destroy ck Tiger more thoroughly as well, so that was where Emilia had set her sights next.

    With the hero more or less incapacitated, and Mr. ck being upied trying to recoup his recent losses, and being in no way prepared to face her next schemes, Emilia considered the next few years to be critical for her sess.

    Naturally, it was impossible for her to be unaware of the ''rival'' that upied the current number one spot, since there was no way she could defeat an opponent she didn''t even know.

    The ''Gray Wolfe'' wasn''t very simr to the White Deer and the ck Tiger, since it was partially owned by the Carmen country''s government, but most of their decisions were still made by the Gray family.

    Emilia was aware that the current chairman of the corporation was a man named Roderick Gray, who was also considered the head of the family for the Grays. He had three children in total, two from his deceased wife and one from his current one.

    Of the three, Alexander Gray was the youngest, and also the only son of the ''current couple''.

    As all of this information had been looked up by herself whenever she was free, however, Emilia''s research hadn''t been very detailed, and she had yet to see what these ''children'' looked like.

    To say that Emilia was shocked to discover that the hooligan who had hounded the two of them outside the restaurant that day was one of the heirs to thergest corporation in the world would be an understatement.

    After all, everything from his attitude and demeanor to the aura he exuded just screamed ''mediocre'', and Emilia had never suspected that the guy was anything but a nouveau riche, if that.

    Noelle couldn''t help but turn stiff when the crimson-haired beauty climbed onto herp and pressed an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

    The soft, jelly-like feeling against her facebined with the fragrance of the beauty on herp, and the gray-haired girl almost forgot what they were talking about.

    "I thought you decided to ignore me when I told you to look into who those hooligans are to teach them a lesson, but it''s good that you''re secretly so obedient!"

    But while Emilia was still trying to snuggle into her embrace, the report long forgotten on the sofa, the older girl interrupted her with an embarrassed cough. "W-Well¡­ I really didn''t mean to, but these guys actually tried to ''investigate'' you, so¡­ it ended up catching my attention."

    Emilia blinked. "What? You didn''t listen¡ª! No, wait¡­ he tried to investigate me?"

    But although she was surprised, Emilia soon realized that it made sense. With how domineering and unreconciled that Alexander guy had looked, it wasn''t much of a shock that he would try to seek them out even after kicking the iron te once.

    She wouldn''t have thought he was an idiot if he looked sensible enough to learn his lesson in just one try, after all.

    The only thing she didn''t understand was how the Gray Wolfe''s people could be so ipetent. Had it been Noelle, even if she couldn''t find out what she wanted, at the very least she would never expose her own tail to the enemy, right?

    Noelle could more or less see her thoughts on Emilia''s face, so she once again handed her the report with a sigh. "Maybe if you read the whole thing first before harassing me, you wouldn''t be so confused now, little boss."

    The crimson-haired beauty red at her with a pout, and Noelle was barely able to resist biting the gorgeous girl''s lips. ''Fuck, why do they look so juicy and soft up close?''

    Secretly, she debated installing a ss barrier in the office so whenever Emilia came here she would be able to safely stay on the other side. But Noelle soon shrugged that idea off.

    It would be a waste of money, after all. As a dutiful employee, she could only bear with this harassment.

    Unaware of herpanion''s thoughts, Emilia soon finished going through the report and realized what she had been missing.

    Apparently, both Alexander''s father and mother favored him over the other two siblings, since he was ''their'' only son. But neither of the old wife''s children was a soft persimmon, and they already had considerable sway in the corporation.

    If they were ''discarded'' just like that, the consequences would be unimaginable, and it was highly unlikely that Alexander would be able to win any favors within the corporation, either.

    Therefore, in order to hand over thepany without causing too much trouble, they had organized a petition''. This was a well-known fact within the top echelons of the corporation, but everyone else was kept in the dark.

    Emilia couldn''t help but be impressed that Noelle had managed to dig it out, andpletely forgave the gray-haired girl for teasing her before as she pressed another soft kiss on the girl''s cheek. "You did so well, baby."

    The older girl scoffed, though the blush on her face ended up betraying her thoughts, and Emilia couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile as she continued going through the report.

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 Chapter 324 - Internal Strife

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    The details of this internalpetition were clearlyid out to everyone involved, and the winner would indisputably be the one who would lead the Gray Wolfe forward in the future.

    All three siblings would be sent to different parts of the world under simr conditions, with minuscule starting funds, and at the end of a ten year time period, whoever managed to reach the greatest height would then be able to lead the Gray Wolfe forward.

    Naturally, if Emilia could tell Alexander was mediocre in just one cursory meeting, how could Mr. and Mrs. Gray not know their own son''s ''virtues''? Although they favored him over the deceased wife''s daughter and son didn''t mean they were blind.

    Had thispetition truly been fair, it was highly unlikely for Alexander to be able to exceed his overachieving step-sister and step-brother.

    And this was especially so considering he had been sent to the most ''unfavorable'' starting location - Oriana country, where both the third and fifth biggest corporations in the worldpeted fiercely.

    In contrast, although the other two siblings were also ced in ''simrly developed'' countries, they were both emerging markets with plenty of opportunities for growth, and a distinctck of monopolistic giants.

    Emilia knew without even looking at the next page that had thepetition been fair, Alexander had no chance to win, at all.

    However, it was precisely because of this ''tremendous disadvantage'' that, if he coulde out on top in the end, no one would be able to point a finger at his session and doubt his capability, even if he made ''a few bad decisions'' while starting off.

    Naturally, to ensure that their favored son came out on top, the Gray family''s heads had made appropriate arrangements long before thepetition even started.

    Emilia couldn''t help but hum thoughtfully. "So all these investors who were ''convinced'' by Alexander are actually sent by his parents, right?"

    Noelle nodded. "Not only that, but I''m also looking into some smallpanies that might be posing as fake customers, in case his products fail to sell anyway."

    The crimson-haired girl blinked. "Why would you do that?"

    Noelle gave her a ''please, don''t I know you enough by now?'' look, and Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles. "Alright, alright, you got me. Then, can you guess what I will do next?"

    The gray-haired girl shrugged. "I dare not imagine what goes on in that¡­ ahem, ''brilliant''¡­ head of yours, but I assumed you''d want some form of revenge on him anyway."

    Emilia didn''t seem to notice her sarcasm as she kissed the older girl''s lips gently. "Good. Then keep a tab on him for now, and I''ll let you know what to doter."

    Noelle hesitated for a while before nodding, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but raise a brow.

    "I didn''t know Noelle was so shy that she wouldn''t dare to speak in front of me, how cu¡ª! Ouch!" Emilia''s mischievous smirk turned into a pout as she rubbed the spot on her waist where Noelle had pinched her. "Cruel!"

    The gray-haired girl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Be serious. I just wanted to tell you not to bite off more than you can chew. Gray Wolfe isn''t ck Tiger, and even if this is our home turf, don''t forget that we''re still in a deadlock against our other enemies as well. In case something goes wrong¡­"

    Emilia smiled as she snuggled into Noelle''s neck. "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely be careful, and nothing will go wrong. After all, aren''t you still there to remind me if I start to overstep my limits?"

    Of course, even without Noelle''s warning, Emilia had never intended to take the Gray Wolfe on so soon. She hadn''t evenpletely dealt with the ck Tiger yet, after all.

    Even if the two of them didn''t band together, it was likely that her White Deer might be crushed in a frontal confrontation.

    But who was Alexander Gray? Not to mention being the face of the Gray Wolfe, he wasn''t even their nominal heir! All he was right now was one of the three who were vying for that position, and the least qualified one at that.

    Emilia knew very well that a kingdom was the most vulnerable when thepetition for the throne was at its fiercest, and the situation of the Gray Wolfe was at exactly that point.

    If she didn''t take advantage of it now, wouldn''t she just end up making things harder for herself once these ''heirs'' eventually consolidated their strength?

    Cynthia couldn''t help but grin. "So what''s your n, kill these idiots while they''re still alone and vulnerable?"

    Emilia barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ''Be serious, Cynthia. What would we even get by killing all three of them? Mr. and Mrs. Gray will still be able to lead the Gray Wolfe Corporation. Am I supposed to wait till they die for the next opportunity?''

    The raven-haired girl blinked. "Then? What do you n to do?"

    Emilia smiled. ''Obviously, since our dear Alexander has paid us a visit, we should humbly entertain our guests, no?''

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    Back in his office, Alexander couldn''t help but shiver as he sneezed, feeling like something wasn''t quite right.

    But he soon shrugged the strange feeling off as he nodded towards his friend. "Well, Jake, have you taken care of it?"

    Naturally, he wasn''t inquiring about some business matter, but about those two beauties he had failed to pocket while leaving ''The Fawn''.

    Even though he no longer had the same level of resources avable at his disposal as before until this stupid petition'' was over, Alexander couldn''t believe some low-level sluts dared to challenge his authority like that.

    If he didn''t teach them a lesson, how could he swallow this breath?

    Jake coughed nervously as he ced a folder on the mahogany table, pushing it off towards his boss and friend. "Alex, bro¡­ I''ve looked through the two of them, and¡­ we might need to give up this time."

    Alexander frowned as he picked up the folder and flipped it open. "Don''t be such a coward, Jake, isn''t there still¡ª!"

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 Chapter 325 - Treading The Dark Road

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    Alexander Gray hadn''t always had what he would consider a ''good'' life. At thirty-one years old, he had already been through many difficulties and hurdles to have learned most of his life lessons, and the greatest one was that he could never let anyone trample on his pride, no matter what.

    Before the old wife of his father had passed away, neither Alexander nor his mother had dared to show their faces in public, let alone admit his true identity. It was only when he turned twenty and his own mother became the official ''Mrs. Gray'' that Alexander was able to wield real power in his hand.

    Gone were the days of not being able to even name his own father, and barely being able to afford a car with his monthly allowance. He could finally be the young master of the Gray Wolfe, and enjoy the glory he deserved!

    But only a few yearster, even after everything he had been through, there were still some vermin who dared to eye his rightful inheritance. Of course, Alexander had no doubt that he would be able to crush both of these so-called ''siblings'', even if they stuck together to oppose him.

    However, it didn''t change the fact that they dared to look down on him, thinking they could take away his position as the true heir of the Gray Wolfe. The thing he hated the most in the world was when people looked down on him.

    Such people¡­ he would crush with his own hands.

    Whether it was those ignorant fools who dared to try grabbing his position, or this foolish little bitch who dared to ignore his invitation¡­ he would teach them all the cost of looking down on Alexander Gray.

    Unaware of the dark thoughts of his ''bro'', the blonde boy breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his friend didn''t continue insisting on ''acquiring'' the girl he wanted. ''Well, no matter how prideful big bro usually is, he''s not an idiot, after all.''

    In the beginning, Jake really hadn''t expected to have much trouble when he first hired a private detective to look into the crimson-haired beauty''s origins.

    After all, the restaurant they had been dining in required registration to get a table, and the little beauty didn''t seem like someone people would easily be able to forget. Therefore, as long as they had her name, it should have been easy as pie to get all the details they needed to know.

    Unfortunately, within minutes of sending a request forward, the private detective he had hired not only gave him a ''detailed report'', but also informed him that looking into the matter further would be impossible.

    Of course, Jake had no idea that he had been sold out even before he received this so-called detailed report.

    While he was bbergasted at first, Jake soon realized the reason why this happened. Who could have expected that the little beauty they had stumbled into by chance would turn out to be the most favored young princess of the White Deer Corporation?!

    Although Jake didn''t often follow the news, he had still ended up seeing her face in one of the interviews. He hadn''t paid her much attention at that time, only thinking that the little girl was really quite beautiful, but it had nothing to do with him.

    However, he now realized that the girl''s appearance on TV at that time didn''t do her any justice at all.

    Maybe the schoolgirl look really suppressed her beauty, and it was only when she dressed in professional clothes that her true charm was disyed. Or maybe it was only in person that one could observe the true beauty of this little pearl.

    Whatever the reason was, Jake couldn''t deny that the thought of one day possessing the beauty for himself had deeply taken root in his heart, and turned into obsession long before he had even left the restaurant that day.

    Regretfully, however, Jake realized that the gem he had discovered was forever bound to be out of his reach. After all, not to mention himself, the blonde boy knew that even his big bro Alex stood no chance at all when it came to courting Emilia White.

    Compared to their Cahoun''s¡­ no, could their littlepany even bepared to the White Deer Corporation? It was likeparing a children''s squirt gun to an intercontinental ballistic missile!

    Who knows, maybe even their annual turnover wouldn''t be enough to pay for some of the higher ranking employees at White Deer.

    Thankfully, the little beauty had been quite meek and shy, and didn''t seem like the prideful type who would hold a grudge and exact vengeance, or the two of them would really be doomed.

    Seeing his ever stubborn friend''s continued silence as he went through the ''report'', which was basically just the general information everyone knew about Emilia White, Jake couldn''t help but go over to pat his shoulder in constion. "It''s okay, big bro. There''s plenty of fish in the sea, after all. I''m sure the next beauty we catch will be even prettier."

    Alexander finally snapped out of his thoughts, but the sneer on his cold face only deepened. "What, you think I''m not good enough?"

    Jake immediately waved his hands in panic. "No no, big bro, how can I think like that?! If anything, you''re way too good for anyone! Without good starting capital, which man your age is able to rise so quickly in today''s market? It''s already too much for me to not admire you for a moment, how could I dare look down on you?!"

    Obviously, Jake was more or less able to feel that ''looking down on him'' was a great taboo in his friend''s heart, and that he had to avoid it like a gue. But he also had no idea that Alexander was the ''heir'' to the Gray Wolfe Corporation, or that most of the investors he had ''attracted'' were actually sent by the man''s father.

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 Chapter 326 - Undermining

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    Instead of cating him, Jake''s words only made the dark-haired man''s mood worse. But he couldn''t kick his own dog for licking his boots, even if its saliva was dirty, and could only sneer disapprovingly.

    Jake thought that Alexander didn''t believe his words, so he could only hesitantly continue. "B-Big bro, although that little beauty was pretty, I know some fresh actresses with a simr, no, even better look! Let''s not waste our time on this rich missy, and¡ª!"

    Alexander interrupted him with a cold snort. "Heh, so what if it''s the White Deer''s little princess? Not to mention the Gray Wolfe, can they evenpare to the Golden Eagle?"

    The blonde boy''s face immediately turned pale from fear. "B-Big bro, don''t joke around! Even if the White Deer isn''t the number one in the world, for the likes of us, they might as well be! We can''t afford to provoke them!"

    The dark-haired man sneered derisively. "It is them who cannot afford to provoke me, not the other way around. Heh¡­ just a little baby dares jump around in front of me? Within one month, I''ll have her right under this table, sucking on my cock, one way or the other!"

    His words were like a bomb that caused fear to explode in Jake''s heart.

    But while the blonde boy was on the verge of fainting from terror as he imagined the dark road his friend insisted on treading, Alexander only tapped his finger on the table with a daring grin. ''If I don''t trim her wings and rub her into the ground, my name isn''t Alexander Gray!''

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    Meanwhile, back in the White Deer Corporation''s office, Emilia was still snuggling into Noelle''sp as she waited for her older sister to return from a meeting.

    Of course, she could always have called to let her know she was here, and the older girl would rush to her without thinking, but Emilia wouldn''t do that.

    Knowing Noelle, the girl''s pride was so high that she definitely wouldn''t ept such ''public disy of affection'' in front of anyone else¡­ especially not Sam. So it was only until her big sister came back that Emilia could have fun with this gray-haired beauty.

    Noelle wasn''t aware of Emilia''s ''true intentions'', and while she was slightly distracted by the ''affectionate gestures'' of her little boss, she couldn''t help but frown when she heard the crimson-haired beauty''s words. "I''m sorry, I think I misheard you?"

    Of course, she couldn''t be med, considering how Emilia had been whispering against her ears while biting her earlobe every few seconds, Noelle''s attention had understandably been ''somewhere else''.

    Emilia just smiled as she leaned back to look into the older girl''s eyes. "Were you distracted? Tsk tsk, not listening to your boss, what were you thinking? Something naughty?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation as she lightly swatted the girl''s butt. "Be serious, who''s the one being naughty?"

    Emilia pretended to be hurt as she yelped, but seeing how it didn''t seem to have any impact on the gray-haired girl at all, she could only pout in defeat. "Alright, I''ll say it again then. You arrange for those two morons to have a private dinner with me¡ª"

    Seeing how Noelle''s face turned dark in anger, the crimson-haired girl hurriedly nted a kiss on her lips before continuing. "O-Of course, you''ll also be there to protect me at that time! So, don''t worry."

    Noelle sighed as she leaned forward to press their foreheads together. "What the hell are you thinking, Emilia? Even if that guy is going to be the future leader of the Gray Wolfe, there is no need for us to bow down and try to reconcile with him, right?"

    In her mind, not only was it unlikely for someone in that kind of position to keep such a small personal grudge in his heart for long, but it was also equally unlikely for him to be able to do anything about it even if he did.

    After all, while the Gray Wolfe and White Deer hardly had any dealings together, and even the areas they operated in were different.

    And with their strength, Noelle didn''t believe there was any need to worry about the Gray Wolfe trying to make things harder, since there was no way to tell who would be the one to really suffer at that time.

    Even if that man turned out to be an idiot in the end, surely, just as Noelle often did with Sam, there would be people by his side who would dissuade him from doing such a self-destructive thing, right?

    But who knew that Emilia''s thoughts were in an entirely different direction? Even Noelle only realized so after looking at the girl''s mischievous smirk, and she suddenly had a bad feelign in her heart.

    Of course, knowing her little boss for so long, her thought process wasn''tpletely alien to Noelle. Emilia already knew that Alexander hade to their Oriana country about three years ago, and his currentpany, Cahoun''s, had been established around two years ago.

    As for what he was doing for the first year¡­ well, to put it simply, he fucked around with any girl he found pretty, almost blowing through half the capital he had been given to start hispany. Naturally, such a person wouldn''t be ''pleasing'' to the eyes of her little boss at all.

    As far as thepetition was concerned, had it been even remotely fair, it would be impossible for Alexander to catch up with his two siblings with half his capital and a year of time gone just like that. Of course, with his parents'' secret support, it hardly mattered.

    But maybe his parents didn''t want his rise to be too suspicious and drastic, and wanted his growth to be slow at the start to make it look more genuine. Even now, his ''Cahoun''s'' was only starting to show the potential for growth.

    Of course, Alexander had to be med for entering a market that had very little chance of explosive growth in the first ce, so if his parents really decided to do so, it would be extremely strange.

    But going by how Alexander seemed obsessed with small actresses and had ruined a few already, it was only a matter of time before he delved into the entertainment industry.

    And once he did, it would be incredibly easy for his parents to arrange a ''down on his luck excellent director'', which would lead to an ''unexpected'' mega-hit on the box office, leading to Alexander''s investment multiplying shortly.

    But now that Emilia knew about this¡­ would she stand by and let her opponent consolidate their strength? Of course not!

    The gray-haired girl could only groan in exasperation as shemented the fact that her report had been a little too thorough. "What the hell are you thinking?"

    Emilia stuck her tongue out with a smile. "Guess~?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes as she barely resisted the urge to bite the pink tongue peeking out from those sexy little lips. "Just say it!"

    The crimson-haired girl could only pout aggrievedly. "Meanie!"

    "¡­"

    Emilia knew when not to go too far, so her previous expression that had been full of grievances quickly changed into a smug, self-satisfied smile, almost giving Noelle whish. "Ehehehe¡­ wouldn''t you like to know~?"

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 Chapter 327 - A Villainess Can Be Unreasonable

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    Noelle knew that although Emilia could sometimes be quite mischievous, she was still extremely clever when it came to dealing with her ''enemies'', like an adorable little fox with very sharp teeth.

    And for better or for worse, the girl had clearly put the future heir of the number one corporation in the world in that very same category.

    Thankfully, the crimson-haired girl didn''t tease her too much, and frankly confessed some of her ns. But the more she heard, the more Noelle felt worried for her future. ''Does Emilia have some delusions about world conquest? She actually wants to do something like this?! No, more importantly¡­''

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but frown. "Are you being serious right now?"

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "Of course. Don''t worry, Noelle, all you have to do is stand by my side, and stare at them menacingly. That''s all."

    Noelle sighed. "Although I can''t fault you for being ambitious, is there any need to put yourself at risk like this?"

    "I''m not taking any risk at all, though?"

    "Acting weak in front of people with ill intent can never be truly safe, Emilia. Even if I''m going to stick by your side, there might be instances where you will have to either give up your ''n'' or put yourself at risk."

    Before the crimson-haired girl could refute, the door was opened without a knock, and a tall shadow came rushing towards the younger girl before picking her up off of Noelle''sp with a squeal.

    Of course, only Sam would be daring enough to enter this office unannounced.

    "Why didn''t my little darling tell me she wasing, huh?!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle as she was spun around by her older sister. "I knew you were busy these days, so I didn''t want to disturb you."

    "Huh? Which moron told you that? I''m never too busy for my little baby¡ª!"

    Feeling a dark gaze on her back, Sam turned around, and felt a chill run up her spine when she saw Noelle''s re. "R-Right, did I tell you girls how I learned a new abbreviation today? A-Ahem, s-so, when I say m-moron, I actually mean ''Magnificently Outstanding and Radiantly Outperforming Nice-person'', you know?"

    Noelle''s dark look didn''t fade at all, but Emilia took pity on her older sister and decided to ''diffuse the situation''. "By the way, big sis, are you familiar with the Gray Wolfe Corporation?"

    Sam couldn''t help but be confused as she set the younger girl back on her feet. "Huh? Those guys? Why, what''s wrong?"

    Emilia smiled. "Nothing''s wrong. It''s just that their ''future heir'' is in our city right now, and I thought we could use this to our advantage."

    Samantha scratched her head with a frown. "I don''t really get it?"

    The crimson-haired girl knew that her older sister couldn''t be med for being confused. After all, even if the future heir of the Gray Wolfe was in their city, from Sam''s perspective, it had nothing to do with them at all.

    But once Emilia let her in on some of her ns, Sam finally understood what was going on, and also why Noelle looked so mad.

    The taller girl couldn''t help but furrow her brow in anger. "I can''t let you do that!"

    Of course, Emilia already expected her response, and her smile didn''t fade at all as she kissed the older girl''s cheek in reassurance. "Don''t worry, big sis. I''ll keep Noelle by my side every time we meet, and even if she''s not avable in an unlikely scenario, there''s always Dixie."

    Although Sam would usually give in to her little sister''s demands with little to no resistance, that was only the case when Emilia was just being willful. If the matter came down to the girl''s own safety, however, how could she agree so easily?

    And to make matters worse, Noelle also supported Sam on the matter, making Emilia have a massive headache as she tried to reason with the two.

    After a few minutes of futile arguments, Emilia had finally had enough as she bit her lip in annoyance. ''I-I think my head is going to explode at this rate!''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but chuckle. "Want me to help you out?"

    Emilia blinked in surprise. ''Can you?''

    The raven-haired girl chuckled smugly. "Of course, who do you think I am?"

    Emilia quickly nodded in her mind. ''Then yes, obviously? Tell me how to convince them, what are you waiting for?!''

    Seeing her partner''s enthusiasm, Cynthia couldn''t help but have the thought of teasing her. It would be nice to see the girl get a taste of her own medicine, after all. "Fufu¡­ why don''t you beg me a little?"

    Contrary to her expectations, however, Emilia''s voice was filled with delight. ''Pretty please, Cynthia! You''re the most beautiful and charmingdy I have ever met, ah! Your eyes like the dark sky are so fascinating, and your beautiful hair is like the most exquisite silk in the universe! Like the cool embrace of the night after a hard day at work, when I look at you, I¡ª''

    Cynthia felt like her head was going to explode from shame. "S-Stop! T-That''s enough, I-I''ll tell you."

    Why hadn''t she realized her viiness had such a great ''talent'' for ttering people?

    After telling the crimson-haired girl her idea, before Emilia could get another word in, Cynthia quickly rushed away into istion with a click, leaving her partner blinking in amusement.

    Of course, Cynthia''s idea was more absurd than ''genius'', and also needed her to be shameless enough, but Emilia realized that it was quite effective all the same.

    And so, Noelle and Sam, who had been fiercely trying to dissuade Emilia, could only be stunned on the spot as the younger girl''s eyes suddenly pooled with unshed tears.

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    Emilia could only sigh contently in Sam''s embrace after Noelle left to bring her a cup of coffee. ''Cynthia was right. I don''t have to be reasonable all the time, ehehe¡­''

    Of course, she still preferred to reason with people and convince them logically, but if emotions were getting in the way of their understanding, there''s no other way but to be unreasonable, right?

    Feeling the older girl run her long fingers through her crimson locks, Emilia couldn''t help but smile. "Thank you, big sis. I knew you would agree!"

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    Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the ck Tiger''s side was cold and gloomy as Mr. ck stared at the boy on the bed coldly. "What did you just say?"

    Despite being covered in heavy ster and bandages, Amos still decided to p his thigh angrily. "I said this was all the fault of that bitch whore from the White family!"

    Of course, he immediately regretted his decision as pain exploded from both his arm and leg.

    The expression on the buff man''s face turned solemn as he sat down on the chair next to the bed. "Speak slowly and clearly, what happened?"

    Unfortunately, the mood of the hero had gone from bad to worse, causing him to re at his father hatefully. "Why were you so fuckingte anyway?! That house was clearly only a few kilometers from the city border, it should have taken you barely a few minutes to get there, right?!"

    Mr. ck''s face turned dark. "Is it not good enough that I found you?"

    How could it be so simple to find someone in a city like theirs without any proper lead to go on? His son made it sound like he already knew exactly where to go! He already felt that they were quite lucky to discover him as quickly as they had, and in one piece.

    Of course, to Amos, his words had apletely different meaning. ''T-This bastard! Does he mean to say that he wouldn''t evene to save me if he didn''t feel like it?! Bastard! How dare he?! Everything he has should belong to me, anyway! Mom left it to me, not him!''

    Mr. ck didn''t know the twists and turns in the hero''s heart, and only frowned dismissively. "Forget about those things, exin to me clearly what you meant earlier!"

    Amos felt like his heart was going to explode from rage. "Minor things? Ahahaha¡­ so for me to go through excruciating torture and humiliation is just some minor thing, is it? You bastard... I knew it, I knew it!"

    Mr. ck wasn''t a very patient man to begin with, and he had long since been used to being treated with respect, reverence, and fear. How long had it been since someone dared to call him a bastard to his face?

    The fact that it was his own son, who he had raised to inherit everything he worked so hard for, only made the matter worse.

    Despite the poor state the boy was in, the buff man couldn''t control himself at all, and Amos was stunned when a heavy smacknded on his face, almost sending him flying off the bed as dark spots spun in his vision.

    It took the hero almost a full minute to realize that he had been pped by his father.

    Although this wasn''t the first time that his father had humiliated him so, and Amos had long since harbored hatred in his heart, for a moment, the hero still couldn''t believe that the man truly didn''t care what he had been through at all.

    But the fact that the man dared to do so when he had already gone through so much finally made the hero realize something in his heart, and he couldn''t help butugh crazily. "You bastard, are you finally showing your true colors?!"

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 Chapter 328 - Embarrassed?

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    Although the name of the Gray Wolfe Corporation carried a lot of weight in both Sam and Noelle''s hearts, that wasn''t so for Emilia at all.

    She knew that even if this corporation had a mighty momentum now, in the previous timeline, the ck Tiger Corporation had ended up recing their top position without much effort. And this wasn''t because of ck Tiger''s excellence, but Gray Wolfe''s faults instead.

    The exact detail of what exactly led to their downfall wasn''t something that Cynthia had been able to look into while reviewing the timeline, but one thing they could be sure of was that shortly after the ck Tiger made their White Deer go bankrupt, they rose to be the number one in the world.

    While Emilia could also take a simr path and simply focus on ck Tiger first, she preferred not to let a chance that presented itself pass just like that.

    After all, not grabbing the meat presented in front of her was the same as leaving it up for her futurepetitors, and there was no way to be sure that things would really go the same way as the previous timeline.

    As far as she was concerned, the fall of the Gray Wolfe''s momentum must have had something to do with the discord between the ''siblings'', and might also have involved the number two corporation in the world - the Golden Eagle.

    To be a good fisherman and take full advantage of their future conflict, Emilia knew that she had to first get herself involved with one of the parties, or she would be too far from the pond to even send her fishing line in.

    This way, even if she wasn''t able to make the White Deer stand at the spot of number one in the world after she was done dealing with the ck Tiger, she probably wouldn''t be too far off from her goal.

    Of course, she couldn''t stick herself to a crumbling pir like Alexander. But he didn''t know that.

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    Although Mr. and Mrs. White were still leading the White Deer Corporation in major projects, they had already made their intent to pass everything on to Sam more than clear. This much was clear even to outsiders, which was why no matter how ''favored'' Emilia seemed to be, most people knew that the real power was all in her older sister''s hands.

    Of course, as long as Sam also continued showering this little sister in her favor, it wouldn''t matter, but who is to say what would happen in the future? It only took one man to split two sisters apart, changing them from lovingpanions to mortal enemies.

    This kind of plot had yed out in front of people''s eyes more than once, and most were sure that if that kind of thing happened ¡ª unlikely as it was ¡ª Emilia was bound to lose everything. And even if such a scene never yed out, would the two sisters remain so close after they got married and separated? There was no way that would be the case.

    This was what most people in the Oriana country''s high society thought, and the same went for those few outsiders who bothered to and were capable of looking into such matters.

    Alexander Gray was no exception.

    Although he no longer had the manpower and resources of the Gray Wolfe at his disposal as before, he still kept an eye on people of the same level as himself whenever he could.

    Naturally, Samantha was included in that list, and Emilia was not.

    Had it been before, he wouldn''t even take a second look at such a girl. After all, no matter how pretty she was, it would get boring after a few weeks of sleeping with her, and Alexander had already been through that process more times than he could count to put in too much effort.

    But after being ''rejected'' like that in front of one of hispdogs, Alexander couldn''t calm the anger in his heart until he had this girl begging for his love as he kicked her away, her expression full of regret and longing.

    Just imagining that scene made him feel a little drunk.

    That was why, despite his ''friend'' insisting not to meddle with such ''bigshots'', Alexander still went forward with the n to ruin this little girl who dared to hide from his sight.

    As for the older woman who dared toy a hand on him? Heh, wouldn''t her face be the most hrious when she was persecuted by the very person she was protecting?

    Alexander was already thirty-one, and had been through more ups and downs in his life than the little girl could imagine, and was fully confident in being able to win her over the next time they met.

    Of course, such a meeting could not be left to chance.

    If he let this anger simmer in his heart for too long and let it dy the progress of Cahoun''s, even those bumbling fools who were delusional enough to think they couldpete with him might start seeing some hope. Even if he was stuck with the worst starting point, Alexander would never let those bastards look down on him.

    This was why, shortly after Jake gave him that report, Alexander pushed his meetings back and decided to take care of this disobedient little doll first.

    Anyway, if those investors knew the best ce to put their money, he knew they wouldn''t be going anywhere. And if they did not¡­ it was their own loss.

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    At first, Jake had been terrified when he saw his friend had no intention of heeding his warnings.

    Seducing the young princess of the White Deer Corporation in the city where their influence was the strongest¡­ wasn''t that the same as seeking death?!

    Unfortunately, Jake understood his friend''s nature well after spending three years together, and once he made up his mind, nothing could stop him from doing what he wanted.

    Jake had liked Emilia the moment he saw her, and just thinking about the little beauty he dreamed of cherishing for the rest of his life being ruined in his friend''s hands made him grit his teeth in regret.

    Why was this man so bullheaded?!

    But then again, had he not been like that, would he have been able to make Cahoun''s rise up so fast? Jake didn''t think so, and he could only sigh that everything good also had its bad points.

    He made the right bet in investing all of his inheritance money in Alexander''s business, and seeing the Cahoun''s growth made him so happy that he could evenugh in his dreams.

    But at the same time, betting that Alexander would let the girl he liked ''be with him'' had been the worst idea in the history of all his ideas so far.

    Alexander didn''t care about the gloomy and terrified expression on his friend''s face as the two of them waited not far from the Imperial Academy''s gates.

    It was already past the time when the students started leaving, and the dark-haired man leaning back on the blue sedan drew more than a few curious looks, but no one dared to approach him.

    After all, not to mention that he seemed to be more than a decade older than most students, who would knowingly seek trouble from the mafia-looking guy smoking cigarettes outside school?

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    Emilia already knew about Alexander waiting outside her school, probably to make a ''deep impression'' on her this time, but she didn''t go out in advance, and waited for her regr time first.

    Of course, she had to take a few precautions and instruct both Penny and Dixie to not break the man''s legs when he acted pretentious in front of her, or her n would fail before it even started.

    Although they were confused at first, Emilia assured them that no matter how much of a scumbag he was, there was no way he couldy even a single finger on her with Noelle by her side.

    However, when they actually got to the school gate, Emilia discovered that although she had reigned in her passionate little knights, Alexander''s ability to seek trouble clearly exceeded her expectations.

    Mrs. Macmin''s face was red from rage as she pointed a finger at the dark-haired man''s nose. "Smoking in front of the school gates, how daring! What kind of influence do you n to have on our students, huh?!"

    Alexander could only stare dumbfounded at the lecturing female teacher in front of him, the already burnt out cigarette butt ck in his mouth. ''T-This woman... how dare she... how dare she talk to me like this?!''

    Of course, hisck of response only made Mrs. Macmin more furious. "You look like you''re already old enough to have kids on your own, yet you do these kinds of things?! Have you no shame? What are you even here for, even?!"

    After looking at the man up and down suspiciously, Mrs. Macmin couldn''t help but take a step back, her eyes wide in realization. "D-Don''t tell me you''re a kidnapper or something? Security! Security!!"

    Some of the guards at the gate quickly rushed to their location when they heard Mrs. Macmin''s shout. "What''s going on?!"

    Before Mrs. Macmin could speak, however, Jake finally couldn''t bear anymore as he rushed forward to exin the situation. "This¡­ miss, security bros, this is a misunderstanding! Misunderstanding, I say! My big bro is only here to apologize for causing a misunderstanding with one of your students before, we didn''t expect to cause another. Really, we don''t mean any harm!"

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 Chapter 329 - Oblivious Prey

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    Of course, neither Mrs. Macmin nor the security staff found Jake''s argument very convincing, especially with the person who supposedly came to apologize having such a dark look on his face.

    Did that man''s face look like he was here to apologize? Even a fool wouldn''t believe that.

    Jake knew that urging his friend to speak up to exin himself was a lost cause. Not only would he consider these people ''beneath him'', but he probably also harbored resentment against them for daring him like this.

    It was already good enough that he hadn''t started sting them with insults.

    The blond boy could onlyment in his heart that, despite his outstanding business talent, his friend reallycked certain social skills. Fortunately, Alexander was born with outstanding looks and temperament, which allowed him to get away with it for the most part.

    However, Jake also knew that if Alexander remained silent, the situation would only continue to deteriorate further, and it was only a matter of time before the staff started calling for the police.

    The blonde boy could only grit his teeth and hope that if he begged hard enough, his big bro Alex would have some mercy on him and exin their ''situation clearly''.

    Before he could do so, however, Emilia had already arrived at their location. "Mrs. Macmin, are you okay? What''s going on?"

    "E-Emilia?!" Mrs. Macmin couldn''t help but turn stiff when she heard the charming voice of the student she usually wanted to face the least in the entire school.

    Of course, no matter how embarrassed she was to face the girl, she knew it was impossible to avoid her while at school.

    Emilia was such a cute and obedient girl, too. Mrs. Macmin could onlyment in her heart that she had such a dark past. If only the little girl didn''t know about her ''history'', how great would it be?

    Jake''s eyes lit up the moment he saw the crimson-haired girl, and he flew to her side with the desperation of a drowning man clutching at thest straw.

    If not for the death res that made him freeze before he could get too close, the sunny blonde boy would likely already have thrown himself on the girl''s thighs.

    Although the girl ring at him the hardest seemed to be a primary schooler or something, he had the feeling that the little brat might try to strangle him with that absurdly long ponytail of hers.

    Moreover, he also spotted the fierce gray-haired woman who had almost torn his friend''s hand off that day. Since she was here today as well, did that mean she was the little beauty''s personal chauffeur or bodyguard?

    Jake didn''t have too much time to ponder, so he could only bow humbly, still an arm''s length away from the crimson-haired beauty who had captured his heart, and make his plea. "Miss, do you remember us? We had a misunderstanding in ''The Fawn'' before, and came to apologize. But I didn''t expect that we would be misunderstood again! Please help us rify, okay?"

    Emilia sneered in her heart, wondering where there would be so many ''misunderstandings'' if not for their ill intentions. But she could only nod while looking slightly confused. "Oh? Y-Yeah, I think I remember it? I-It''s no big deal, though, really!"

    Had she not been so flustered, Mrs. Macmin would still have insisted on lecturing them on the bad influence of smoking, and also the proper ''etiquette'' while approaching someone to apologize. But with the arrival of her ''nemesis'', the poor teacher''s thoughts were already focused on making her escape. And once she confirmed that she had really ''misunderstood'', her embarrassment got even worse as she fled without looking back.

    Emilia could only apologize to her in her heart, thinking that Mrs. Macmin really seemed to get caught in the crossfire all the time whenever she was around.

    The security staff could only shrug and return to their posts after the situation was ''rified'', leaving only Emilia, her friends, and the two ''dudes'' who came to pick a girl up only to be embarrassed.

    Of course, this was only from the perspective of bystanders, and Alexander himself seemed to feel no embarrassment at all as he got off the car with a ''charming'' grin.

    Sauntering over to the little girl who had previously hidden from him shyly at the restaurant, he slicked his hair back with one hand and smiled. "My apologies for scaring you that day. Allow me to introduce myself¡ª"

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    Jake couldn''t help but sigh in admiration as he stared at his friend talking to the blushing girl in the coffee shop. Of course, the fierce woman was also seated right next to her, and her chilling re never left Alexander''s face from the moment she arrived.

    Even though Emilia assured her that she would be fine with just Dixie if Noelle was busy, there was no way the gray-haired girl could leave her alone with the Gray Wolfe''s heir just like that.

    Dixie may be unbeatable among her peers, but Noelle knew the strength of the Nightingale fighters.

    Even though no one came to defend Alexander that day, it was always possible that a few of the masters from her ''family'' were secretly following the dark-haired man. And as long as such people made a move, Noelle couldn''t trust anyone other than herself to protect Emilia.

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl was more than happy to have Noelle apany her when all was said and done. Compared to the intensity of the gray-haired girl''s sharp re, Dixie would have appeared more aggrieved than anything.

    Emilia could only sigh at the fact that her knight looked so cute despite her deceptively high firepower, reducing her ability to ''intimidate'' anyone who hadn''t already had a taste of her strength.

    On the other hand, Alexander had already been confident in his charisma, and the fact that he was dealing with a girl only slightly above half his age only made him morecent. ''As expected... she''s dumb and na?ve. There was no need to treat her so carefully. Stupid Jake got me worked up over nothing.''

    As for the re from the wild woman who dared to touch him before¡­ it made him even happier to infuriate her. ''Watch, woman, this is just the beginning. Soon, this dumb littledy your protect so fiercely will hand you over to me herself!''

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 Chapter 330 - Hook, Line, And Sinker

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    The coffee shop they were in had been quite deserted before their arrival, but quickly became crowded as more and more people spotted the beauty from the other side of the ss and inexplicably got the urge to pump a lot of overpriced caffeine into their bodies.

    Many recognized the little princess of the White Deer Corporation at a nce, and those who didn''t were soon able to learn about it from the others. At this time, most people were on their lunch break, so there was no loss in spending a few minutes to take this rare opportunity to admire this famous little beauty.

    After all, Emilia hardly ever went out to eat in a ce that wasn''t her own, and usually, only the people who could enter the Miller''s restaurant or the Imperial Academy''s cafeteria had the opportunity to see her in person.

    Before today, most of these people had only seen a few sneak shots taken at either of these two ces that had been shared by overenthusiastic folk on the inte.

    Emilia''s image as a ''little sister'' had already be quite famous thanks to Sam, and most of her fans consisted of officedies, with the second biggest bunch being unruly schoolgirls, though there also various other kinds of people in the mix. There even existed an ''Emilia''s Grandpas'' Association'', which was rumored to be led by a particrly powerful man.

    There was no way to ignore the heated gazes on their table, and while Emilia was already quite used to it, the two men found the experience quite novel.

    Of course, Alexander preened as he thought that all these people were flocking to admire his handsome face. He only thought that the people in this area were more enlightened and had good taste.

    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he was their target of hate. It was expected that if he went out of this coffee shop and entered an alley right now, he wouldn''t be leaving without getting his face repainted ck and blue.

    Although Noelle couldn''t tell what kind of thoughts were going through Alexander''s head at the moment, the creepy smile on his face made it more than clear that they couldn''t be any good.

    Moreover, with his previous performance, she was already certain that he harbored malicious intent towards both herself and Emilia, making it impossible for her to see him in any sort of positive light.

    Even though she knew that Emilia was just acting and would never get involved with this man, Noelle still found herself gritting her teeth hatefully. She didn''t have to act to y her part at all.

    The gray-haired girl wished she could just tear him apart limb from limb without a care in the world. But unfortunately, Alexander''s identity made it impossible for her to do so unless there was no other choice.

    The dark-haired man had already thrown caution to the wind, and none of his previous ''pretend humility'' was in sight as he continued boasting about himself to Emilia. "Despite my warnings, thedy continued pestering me day after day, but since she was always purchasing some small item whenever she came, I couldn''t well drive a customer away."

    Of course, Alexander''s purpose in telling her such stories was to make this little girl have a sense of crisis. He knew that most of these skanks liked to think too highly of themselves, and thought that he should be the one to chase them at first.

    But once they realized that he was in high demand and would be taken away by some other bitch, they quickly put away their fake dignity toe chase him obediently. Of course, if they wanted to attract his attention, they would have to pay the price.

    Emilia''s eyes were bright as she leaned forward, as ifpletely indulged in his ''tale''. "Ohh¡­ then how did you deal with her?"

    Looking at Emilia''s ''excited'' expression, Noelle couldn''t help but admire the girl''s ability to act. Although she could see that the crimson-haired girl wasn''t beingpletely genuine, it was only because she had already been briefed on Emilia''s n. For most people, she would appear to be genuinely impressed and excited.

    The dark-haired man snorted. "Of course, who do you think I am? Would I be unable to solve such a simple thing?"

    Emilia blinked curiously. "Ah¡­ but how did you do it?"

    Alexander knew that having a sense of mystery was important when hooking ignorant youngdies like this girl, so he just smirked nonchntly. "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    The crimson-haired girl could only pout. "Aw¡­"

    Looking at her disappointed expression, he grinned. "Heh¡­ if you''re really interested, I can always tell you over dinner."

    Jake felt his heart thump wildly in protest the moment his friend''s words fell into his ears. ''No, please don''t agree!''

    But looking at the girl''s unsuspecting and clear blue eyes, he knew that it was over.

    At this moment, he deeply regretted not trying harder to dissuade his friend. There had never been a girl who had dinner with Alexander, and didn''t spend the night with him, one way or the other.

    He''d never liked a girl so much in his life.

    After knowing that she was the little princess of the White Deer family, Jake thought that he would be fine just watching her from afar. After all, even if the moon was far above his head, he could still admire its beauty and keep it in his heart.

    But thinking about the one he didn''t even feel like he had the chance to cherish being trampled under his friend''s foot, ruined and discarded without thought once he was done, Jake couldn''t be reconciled at all.

    Aside from deep regret, he couldn''t help but feel a touch of resentment for this friend that he had admired for a long time, leaving him feeling inexplicablyplicated in his heart. ''N-No¡­ how can I think like that? I would only be just another twenty-year-old dropout mooching off of my inheritance if not for big bro Alex. I can''t be so ungrateful!''

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 Chapter 331 - Not Qualified

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    Just like his friend, Alexander was also sure that he already had this little girl hooked, and that she would happily agree to his invitation. Of course,pared to a coffee shop, many things could happen after a romantic dinner, and he never was one to dally.

    Didn''t Jake say that the White Deer''s little princess was impossible for him to conquer just like this? Look, it only took a few sweet words, and this little beauty was sure to be moaning under him after tomorrow''s dinner.

    Unfortunately, his dreams were interrupted by the vicious woman by the little girl''s side, as before Emilia could voice her agreement, the gray-haired woman had already mmed her fist on the table in rage. "Impossible! I won''t allow it!"

    Before Alexander could recover from the shock of the sudden turn of events, Emilia pretended to be dissatisfied as she jutted her lower lip out in a childish pout. "What do you mean, Noelle? I can do whatever I want, and I¡ª"

    The older girl sneered. "Young miss, if you really insist, I can always tell your older sister about this matter, and let her handle things her usual way."

    To both Jake and Alexander, it appeared as if Emilia was immediately cowed at the mention of this ''older sister'', her sulking expression making her look like someone had just snatched her candy.

    Of course, as they had already discussed everything with Sam, this was obviously all just a premeditated y to fool the two men, who had no opportunity to get a single word in during their ''argument''.

    Although those in the know would be aware that it was impossible for Sam to act against her little sister based on Noelle''sints based on her usual behavior, it was impossible for either of these two to be able to think of such things.

    Alexander had only heard a few vague rumors about the little girl''s older sister being a siscon who dealt with her suitors severely, so he didn''t doubt what he heard.

    Moreover, as the one who would be inheriting most of the White Deer Corporation''s power directly, this girl''s older sister was bound to be both domineering and upromising. Even if her orders were unreasonable, Emilia would probably have no choice but to obey them.

    Of course, Alexander couldn''t just let this little fish that had already entered his escape. At the same time, he thought this was a good opportunity to lower the gray-haired girl''s image in the mind of this na?ve little princess. "Are you her assistant, or bodyguard? Either way, is this any way to talk to your boss?"

    Noelle scoffed. "Who are you? Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?"

    Alexander''s expression immediately turned ugly. "Y-You¡­! Unprofessional!"

    "D-Don''t be mean to her! Noelle is like my big sister, okay?"

    The dark-haired man barely resisted the urge to smack Emilia across the face. ''This dumb bitch! We''re not even together yet, and you already dare to speak up against me? Plus, how can you let your own servants boss you around? But then again¡­ it''s good that she''s dumb.''

    Alexander believed that had Emilia been even slightly less dumb, it would have been a little more difficult to make her fall for him without exposing his identity. Of course, she would still belong to him once he did so, but that would risk making some of those unruly bastards point fingers at him once he won thepetition against his step-siblings.

    Knowing that he couldn''t afford to lose his temper now, Alexander took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I-I see¡­ But shouldn''t you still be able to make your own decisions? You''re not a little baby who can''t think for herself, are you?"

    Emilia hurriedly shook her head in denial. "O-Of course not! I can think for myself!"

    ''Not very well, though, right?'' Alexander thought sarcastically, but didn''t let it show on his face. "Then you should do what you want. Tell me, do you want to go to a dinner with me?"

    Emilia''s expression turned conflicted as her eyes flitted between the ''handsome man'' sitting across the table and the dark expression on Noelle''s face. "I-I wanted to before, b-but¡­"

    Alexander grit his teeth while hating the sheer stupidity of this girl. He had seen a lot of stupid ''love brain'' girls before who would go crazy for him, but never knew that it would be even more annoying to find one that was actually so cowardly that she didn''t even dare to go crazy.

    He knew that if he didn''t give this indecisive little girl a wake up call that she would miss the opportunity in front of her, she might just delude herself into thinking that he would do all the work for her.

    Alexander sneered. "Are you sure that''s your final answer?"

    Noelle shuddered internally from disgust as she frowned. "This gentleman, I don''t know what kind of intentions you have for my little boss, but I suggest you keep those disgusting thoughts from showing up on your face."

    The dark-haired man pointed a finger at her in shock, unable to believe someone could dare to insult him so directly. "Y-You¡ª!"

    Noelle sneered. "Forget about lunch or dinner, you will never be meeting her in private, ever."

    While Alexander was speechless from both rage and disbelief, Emilia tugged at the gray-haired girl''s sleeves with a pleading look. "N-Noelle¡­"

    Noelle almost faltered and gave in before realizing that Emilia was only ying. ''F-Fuck! Is there any need to be so realistic?!''

    Trying her best to restrain her twitching lips, the gray-haired girl snorted coldly. "You want me to tell on Sam?"

    Emilia immediately shrank back in ''terror'' as she turned to the dark-haired man. "S-So what if we can''t meet in private? W-Why don''t youe to madam Green''s party next Saturday? I¡ª"

    Alexander''s expression had just started to ease when he heard the vicious woman chuckle darkly.

    "Emilia, are you seriously going to attend a party now, just for him? I recall you skipped everything before?"

    The crimson-haired beauty immediately waved her hands in a panic. "I-It''s not like that, I-I was just focusing on my studies, so¡ª"

    Noelle nodded. "Then you do that. I remember there is a big eventing up in your schoolter, so be a good girl and focus on your performance. Don''t get involved with messy people like this guy."

    The younger girl could only reluctantly bite her lip as she looked at Alexander, inwardly wondering why Noelle''s acting skills seemed to get better and better in such a short time. Is it true that serious people are more talented? Or is Noelle just especially diligent?

    Alexander''s face had already turned green from rage when he heard the gray-haired woman mock him over and over, but he knew that he couldn''t lose his cool now. In front of so many admirers and in a public ce, if he really did so, the image he had built up after so much effort might be lost overnight.

    Normally, Jake would have long since tried to speak up for his friend, but today he remained strangely silent. Unfortunately, Alexander was too angry to notice such minor details.

    But while the dark-haired man was still trying to regain his bearings and suppress his rage, Noelle had already asked for the bill without consulting her boss. "I believe your excuse for inviting us out was to apologize for that day, right? I haven''t heard a sincere word from your mouth yet, and I''m about done with you. If you have nothing more to say, we''ll be taking our leave!"

    Alexander''s face was dark. "You think you can keep her from me forever?" Going by her reactions, he already considered Emilia as his, so the only obstacle in his way was this annoying woman.

    Noelle seemed to see through his thoughts at a nce, and sneered derisively. "My little boss doesn''t have the time to deal with people like you. I''m not keeping her confined, just preventing her from going to dirty ces where she should never have to step foot in the first ce."

    Alexander knew that this woman was much smarter than the little girl by her side, and he couldn''t deceive her at all. "Y-You! Good¡­ Good! Then it shouldn''t be an issue if I were toe to a ce she''s already in, right?"

    Noelle chuckled. "If you disturb her at school, I''ll have to report you to the police for stalking and harassment."

    The dark-haired man felt like he was going to suffocate from his own rage if he kept talking to this ''unreasonable bitch'', but that meek little girl kept silent by the side, leaving him with no choice but to butt heads against this bullheaded woman. "Heh¡­ don''t tell me you intend to keep this little bird locked in her home and school all the time? Which girl in the high society is raised like this?"

    Emilia also seemed to regain her spirits at this moment. "T-That''s right, Noelle! I remember that I should also start attending some important events. I-I should also share some burden for big sis."

    Her voice was soft and milky, and anyone who paid attention could hear the guilt. Clearly, she intended to use it as a means to meet up with him, Alexander thought. ''Good, although she''s dumb, at least she''s not stupid enough to not fight at all, or she really wouldn''t deserve me favor, even for a single night.''

    His smug smile immediately copsed when Noelle sneered. "Of course, little boss. But do you think this ruffian has the qualifications to enter the same venue as you?"

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 Chapter 332 - Choose Your Path Yourself

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    Emilia''s intention had never been to humiliate Alexander in public. After all, even if she wouldn''t feel guilty about doing it, it would serve her no purpose. Instead, it might even prove detrimental when it came to luring him out into a bigger trap.

    Why would she be satisfied with snatching just a lump of meat from a pig if she could ughter it whole?

    Of course, Alexander was always conscious of his image as well, and would never allow anyone to hurt his pride.

    But although they had been ''arguing'' for quite some time and none of them had raised their voice too much yet, Noelle knew from Alexander''s expression that he was going to ''explode'' now.

    Therefore, before he could really lose hisposure, she cleared her throat and continued in a promising'' tone. "I honestly think you should stop having delusions about my little boss, since you''re not qualified. But consider your persistence¡­ if you can attend the same events as her without our interference, I''ll consider myself proven wrong. Of course, I don''t believe you have that kind of ability."

    Alexander chuckled darkly. "You seem to think you know me quite well? I assure you, if you knew, you wouldn''t even dare squeak, let alone jump around. Wherever she can go, I can go as well."

    Just thinking about how he could have had this woman ughtered on the street had this been the Carmen country, the dark-haired man felt some of his mood lift. Maybe one day he could invite them over.

    Noelle couldn''t hear his thoughts, but the man''s twisted expression still made her sneer. "Great, that''s great! Of course, I won''t let her go to small ces where some rats could sneak in. How about this¡­ If you can meet us at the Golden Crown this year¡­ I''ll consider you qualified."

    Of course, this qualification was only to ''get screwed over'', and nothing good for Alexander, but he didn''t know that.

    The dark-haired man frowned as he tried to recall where he had heard the name of that event, and his expression soon turnedcent. "This is what you said¡­ So don''t try to get in our way at that time."

    Golden Crown? Hah! Did this bitch think it was some ce where only the most elite could enter? She really hadn''t seen the world.

    As expected of a low-ss servant. This vicious woman was both uncultured and uneducated.

    Noelle didn''t care for his condescending re as she gave him a derisive smile of her own, instantly wiping out his good mood. "Heh, today I saw pigs dream of flying. Do you think you can even get an invite?"

    Alexander felt a vein burst in his temple. When had he ever been treated with such contempt? With his status, as long as he was willing to reveal his identity, no one would be able to turn him down even if he went without invitation.

    Of course, it was impossible to say such a thing here. He knew he would be able to get what he wanted soon enough, so it wouldn''t do to lose his temper now.

    Noelle knew that their objective was aplished from the look in his eyes. ''Good! I don''t wanna stay in front of this bastard for even a moment more!''

    Emilia seemed just as startled as Jake and Alex when Noelle started dragging her out, and was only able to hurriedly bid farewell to the duo as she gave Alexander a reluctant look.

    As she was dragged away, she passed by Jake, and the blonde boy''s expression changed slightly when he felt something soft touch his palm.

    He felt like he was back at school, and his heart beat wildly when his first crush brushed past him. No, it was even more exciting!

    Clenching his fist tightly to hide the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, Jake tried his best to control his expression.

    Alexander''s mood could already be described as a dark storm, and he couldn''t be bothered to observe hispdog''s mental activities at all. Naturally, he never noticed Jake''s odd behavior.

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    Neither Jake nor Alexander noticed that the crowd of ''admirers'' that had presumablye to observe the handsome man didn''t quite have the right expressions when the two of them left.

    This was a group of six officedies who were a part of the ''Overworked Office Ladies Association for Admiring Lovely Angels'', affectionately called OO LA LA among the Emilia admirers'' circles.

    The shortest woman among the bunch had long been dissatisfied with the look that the dark-haired man gave her ''angel''. "Big sister, shouldn''t we teach them a lesson? I couldn''t hear it too well from here, but that guy was clearly acting condescending towards our baby!"

    Her coworkers also echoed her sentiments. "That''s right! How can we let someone act so rude to our treasure!"

    The ssesdy among the bunch gulped nervously. "B-But what are we supposed to do, beat him up? I-I don''t want to get arrested¡­"

    Staring at each other, the few of them realized that none of them knew how to fight, and had even less desire to trade punches with a man twice their weight, if not more. "H-He doesn''t look like the type who would learn a lesson from being scolded either¡­ What do we do?"

    Just as they were caught in a dilemma, however, the one with the bob-cut coughed. "Just because he deserves a beating doesn''t mean we have to do it ourselves, right?"

    The ssesdy immediately pped her hands in delight. "OHH! Why didn''t I think of that?"

    Her coworkers also saw that the deal was ''doable''. "Right! Let''s pool some money together and hire a hitman!"

    Anyway, if they couldn''t even fork over some money for their little angel, how could they call themselves her fans?

    At this moment, the ''big sister'' of the bunch, the tallestdy with a deep tan, couldn''t help but cough awkwardly. "Uh¡­ how much does it cost? I bought a bunch of really expensive lingerie this week, so¡ª You know what, forget it, I''ll eat cup noodles for this month! Tell thisdy how much you need!"

    The ssesdy gave her a skeptical look. "B-Big sister... aren''t you single? What are you even gonna do with that?"

    Her coworker looked at her as if hating iron for not bing steel. "Stupid! It''s exactly when you''re single that you need the best lingerie to attract the birds and the bees!"

    The ssesdy immediately seemed to be ''enlightened''. "¡­You''re kinda right?"

    At this moment, the long-haired girl who had been silent from the start finally cleared her throat with pride. "Ahem, no need to sacrifice so much. As a homebody who lost interest in everything for the past two years, I''ll happily fork over my lifesavings for the sake of my one true obsession! Darlings, I have over two million over here, tell me where this hitman guy''s shop is!"

    Of course, as she came from a well-off family, even if the two million wasn''t enough, she could always go cry to her mommy.

    All eyes turned to the bob-cutdy who had first spoken up about ''not needing to do it ourselves'', only to see her holding her head as if in pain.

    The ssesdy was immediately shocked. "What?! Did they strike first and cut off our path ahead of time?!"

    Her coworker also had a horrified thought. "I-I should have known that man was insidious! Quick, he couldn''t have gone far! Let''s catch up and teach him the fear of high heels!"

    The bob-cutdy quickly waved her hands to calm them down, fearing that if she waited any more, they would really run off and try to beat the guy up themselves.

    Although there were six of them¡­ they were all thin as twigs, and that man didn''t look like a gentleman at all. Even if they could overwhelm him with numbers, they were sure to get hurt.

    The bob-cutdy coughed. "Calm down! We''re not hiring a hitman. I don''t even know where such a person could be found."

    "Aw¡­"

    "I got excited for nothing¡­"

    The bob-cutdy couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Haven''t you girls heard of the ''Grandpas Association''?"

    The ssesdy pushed up her sses, making them glint as she nodded intellectually. "Oh¡­ I heard of them. Compared to our ''Overworked Office Ladies Association for Admiring Lovely Angels'', they''re just a bunch of ckers, aren''t they?"

    Her coworker sneered as well. "They don''t even seem interested in our darling, from what I heard. Compared to our OO LA LA, they''re just a bunch of fakers, I say!"

    The meek, long haired ''homebody'' who had too much money also nodded. "I-I also heard the same thing. They''re not actually into Emilia, but are only discussed among our circles because they raise a lot of money among their members for female only impregnation research, so¡­"

    The bob-cutdy coughed. "Ladies, let''s not throw shade around on people we don''t know. I heard that the guy who leads them is called ''Grandpa Brown'', and he is actually a great martial artist who personally favors our little princess. I''m sure he''ll be able to help us out with this ''issue'' if we y our cards right."

    At this moment, the ''big sister'' suddenly had a horrifying thought. "U-Uh¡­ I-I somehow don''t think it''s safe for us to walk into a ce like that, right? L-Let''s just look for a hitman instead!"

    The five of them turned to her in unison. "Big sis... have you been watching too much strange stuff again?"

    "N-No?!"

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    Not to mention Jake and Alexander, even Emilia had no idea that she had made the man the target of one of her usually more docile group of admirers, and it was only a matter of time before he got his ''retribution''.

    Of course, given Alexander''s open ''contempt'' of her in their presence, he had pretty much brought it on himself. Even if she knew, she wouldn''t care much.

    At most, he''d get beaten up a little, right? It had nothing to do with her at all.

    After getting back home, it didn''t take long for her to receive a new ''friend request'' on her chat application, and Emilia immediately approved it with a smirk.

    ''Hi Emilia, it''s me, Jake! Thank you for giving me your number! If you ever need anything from me, any kind of help, I''m always here!''

    Looking at the first message sent from Jake, she could practically feel the nervous excitement of the boy from across the screen.

    Of course, her impression of Jake wasn''t particrly bad, especially whenpared to Alexander. Unfortunately, since he had made such a friend, Emilia could only pull him into this trap.

    The crimson-haired beauty could only sigh in her heart as she sent him a few ''expected'' responses. ''Your future depends on yourself, Jake. Whether you can gain from this trap or lose alongside your so-called friend¡­ I''ll leave it up to you.''

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 Chapter 333 Exposure

    <h4>Chapter 333 Exposure</h4>

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    The blonde boy continued to happily ''console'' her not to be upset about Alexander''s behavior, telling her that he was just being himself, and she shouldn''t mind too much.

    Even Jake didn''t notice that he was ndering his friend in hopes of preventing Emilia from getting together with him, too lost in the excitement of chatting with the girl he liked.

    Emilia had no issue continuing to y the ''dumb, innocent rich miss'', hinting that she wanted to talk to Alexander instead of Jake, but every time she did, Jake seemed to panic and hurriedly shifted the topic elsewhere.

    It didn''t take long for Emilia to determine that Jake truly knew nothing about Alexander''s true identity, and even some of the internal secrets of the Cahoun''s became known to her.

    Of course, considering her identity, he never guarded against her in the first ce. Not to mention that it was unlikely he could see anything through the rose-tinted sses of his extreme crush right now.

    In his mind, if Emilia wanted to crush a small bug like theirpany, all it would take her would be to tug at her daddy''s sleeves with a pitiful expression, and the next day would be theirst.

    Had he known that his friend was the likely heir of the number one corporation in the world, and that the ''Cahoun''s'' was his main chip in thepetition to get that position, maybe he really would have been more careful. But how could Alexander put so much faith in apdog?

    Emilia didn''t continue chatting with him for too long, and Jake could only bid her a reluctant goodbye.

    Of course, he never gave her Alexander''s number, with the excuse being that he never shared such details with his short-term girlfriends, as he was too busy to chat with them anyway.

    Emilia couldn''t help but shake her head ruefully at how na?ve he was. Even if she had actually been a stupid rich miss who didn''t know the world, at this point, she would have been able to tell he was trying to create a rift between the two of them.

    But since she never had any intention of actually getting closer to Alexander anyway, she was happy to y along and ''remain oblivious'' as she closed the chat interface.

    Since the opponent had already taken the bait, now all she had to do was set the trap.

    Although there was still quite some time till the event, and Emilia definitely couldn''t go in person yet, she knew an ex-policdy who would be perfect for the job.

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    Since Crystal had already moved into the White Deer Mansion on Emilia''s request, Dixie had also started staying overnight more often. Of course, Emilia was happy to see this development, even though she was a little disappointed that they decided to move into their own independent rooms and not directly to her own.

    When she tried to point out that her bed was both big andfortable, and also came with its very own ''luxury massage service'' when needed, Crystal had ''rudely'' shattered her dreams by reminding her of Dixie''s nightmarish sleeping habits.

    Emilia couldn''t refute her after recalling how thest few times of her sleeping with Dixie went. When Crystal had also been unfortunate enough to be on the same bed, the poor girl always woke up on the floor.

    Although the crimson-haired girl vowed to ''fix'' Dixie''s sleeping habit for the ''brighter future'', for now she could only pout and make do with whoever decided to cuddle with her that night.

    More often than not, it was her older sister who ended up in her bed, though Emilia had no idea it was because the girl simply walked into her room by instinct while she was half asleep.

    Of course, with how tired Sam was after work these days, they often just ended up sleeping together without any ''extra'' activities. But at least the nights with Dixie and Crystal were always exciting, though Emilia had to remember not to let them stay up toote.

    Emilia didn''t need to bother herself too much about Alexander''s matter, since it was already dealt with for now, and the next step would only have to wait till a few monthster. Therefore, the crimson-haired girl was freely able to focus on mastering her energy and helping her friends prepare for the annual events.

    Of course, although Emilia''s body already contained this energy from the start, the amount had been too minuscule for her to be able to feel it, let alone try to use it.

    Therefore, it was only through Cynthia and the system that she had set up that Emilia was able to do anything. Obviously, this was no longer the case once she was able toplete one of the missions, and now she had an abundance of energy to y around with.

    Naturally, the reason Emilia would delve into such things was because she was confident that she would be able to utilize this energy better than Cynthia.

    With her understanding of the void form, Emilia already had a few theories of her own, and she didn''t believe that there should be as many restrictions on the usage of energy as Cynthia had imposed on herself.

    Moreover, even if that hadn''t been the case, only she knew what she wanted to do best. Even if she turned out to be wrong and there was nothing new she could do, for the sake of efficiency, she at least had to know what this energy was capable of doing.

    Of course, when it came to mastering energy usage, while it could be kept from Cynthia for now, it wouldn''t stay that way forever. Sooner orter, the raven-haired girl was bound to find out that her partner could do things that she shouldn''t be able to.

    Since that was the case, Emilia decided she might as well give her the pleasant surprise herself once she was ready, and tonight just happened to be the night when she felt like she had reached that threshold.

    But before she could do so, someone else decided to surprise her first.

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    After her first time with Emilia, Crystal had spent many sleepless nights pondering on her ''ability''.

    Of course, given that the crimson-haired beauty was the most likely source of this ''awakening'', the blonde girl had long since decided to discuss it with her, but not before she felt that she was ''ready''.

    After all, Crystal knew very well that Emilia had no idea that she had awakened an ability like this, or there was no way she wouldn''t give her any hints at all. So, before approaching her for such a discussion, the blonde girl knew that she at least had to determine a few facts by herself.

    First, Crystal determined that her ability only allowed her to ''feel'' out a few basic facts about a person. Although it wasn''t very reliable, the blonde girl was able to generally feel out a person''s ''intention'', and sometimes their ''current thoughts''.

    In a way, she believed it could be used to expose one''s heart, and feel out their intentions, though Crystal still wasn''tpletely sure if that is what it was.

    She also learned to never use it on Penny.

    Later on, she discovered that her ability only worked within a certain range, and she could also use it on certain objects, though she was unable to determine the specific requirements.

    Strangely enough, it seemed to work better on people and things that she knew little about, but Crystal soon realized that it made sense. Most likely, if she was already familiar with a certain person or thing, she would already know what this ability could tell her.

    Of course, when used on people she was familiar with, it was also possible to discover a few additional details, but the only one she could look so deeply into so far had been Emilia.

    Once she had these few facts sorted out, Crystal decided it was time to discuss the matter with her lover.

    Naturally, the best ce to discuss such a thing would be on the bed when it was just the two of them. But unfortunately, she forgot all about it after looking into Emilia''s amorous eyes.

    It was only after she woke up from another steamy night of passion that Crystal groaned in exasperation. ''How could I forget such an important thing?!''

    But looking at the gorgeous crimson-haired girl by her side, the heroine could only sigh and wait for her to wake up. ''Well, I can''t me myself¡­ she''s too cute.''

    The beauty had already been overwhelming in the dim light, and now that she could observe it under the bright morning sun¡­ it was even more stunning. Every time she saw this scene, Crystal felt like she must be in some masterpiece of a painting.

    But looking at the girl she considered to be the goddess of her heart, Crystal couldn''t help but worry. If her conjectures were right¡­ there were some unpleasantpromises she would have to force Emilia to make before things turned worse.

    If the fact that she could ''bestow'' abilities to her lovers became known¡­ the blonde girl didn''t dare think about the consequences.

    Not to mention anything else, Crystal was sure that just being Emilia''s lover was something that few would be able to turn down based on her beauty alone. And to top it off, she was so gentle with her lovers, and always put their thoughts first.

    Aside from being a little silly and possessive, which she found cute anyway, there was simply no downside at all.

    Moreover, under such circumstances, if it became known that sleeping with her would also grant ''immortality''¡­ how could she be sure which of her lovers were sincere, and which ones were there just for the benefits alone?

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 Chapter 334 Am I Blind?

    <h4>Chapter 334 Am I Blind?</h4>

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    Immortality¡­ a supernatural ability¡­ a gorgeous and considerate lover¡­ any one of these prospects had an irresistible allure for most people.

    The problem wasn''t that there would be more people she would need to share Emilia with, but who these people would be.

    Maybe Dixie had been a bad influence on her, or maybe it was because she felt like she had almost lost the chance of being together with Emilia, but Crystal didn''t really mind Emilia taking the girls she liked for herself.

    However, that was based on the premise that these girls weren''t just taking advantage of her. If someone was able to sleep with her lover just for the benefits it would bring¡­ the mere thought made her infuriated.

    It was like someone trampling on the most precious flower that she had carefully raised and cherished with all her heart. Even if Crystal had been as tolerant and kind as Emilia believed, she still wouldn''t be able to forgive such a thing.

    So these ''unqualified'' people definitely couldn''t be allowed close to Emilia, no matter what.

    Taking advantage of her darling was already a sin worthy of eternal suffering, but what if they hurt her? No amount of repentance could undo the damage from their misdeeds!

    But controlling Emilia was also impossible.

    Crystal didn''t know Emilia''s past too clearly, and she didn''t want to dig into her old wounds too deep, so she hadn''t dared to ask either.

    Even without her ability, Crystal had long since been able to tell that Emilia''s need for ''love'' was a little abnormal, and it didn''t take a genius to see that she was somewhat desperate in her heart.

    She may never have voiced it, but the crimson-haired beauty had never hidden her heart from them, and anyone who was willing to take a look could see this for themselves.

    This desperation had already been soothed through their efforts now, but Crystal knew that the wound that it stemmed from still remained in Emilia''s heart.

    Maybe they could mend this wound over time, or maybe they would be able to discover its source and take care of it all at once. But either way, Crystal believed that until this was taken care of, there remained a possibility of someone taking advantage of her darling, and making her injury worse wasn''t a risk they could afford to take.

    In the end, Crystal could only sigh in defeat. ''It seems like there is no other choice¡­ I''ll have to talk to Dixie and figure it out, after all.''

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    When Emilia woke up, she was only slightly surprised to find Crystal staring at herself unblinkingly, her eyes hazy, presumably from sleepiness.

    There were still a few marks left on her chest and neck from their night of passion, andbined with the look in her eyes, Emilia almost made up her mind to go another round before breakfast.

    But thinking about how she had been dying her ''talk'' with Cynthia, and there were still too many things to do, in the end Emilia decided to put it off forter.

    Tucking one of the blonde girl''s shoulder-length golden strands behind her ear, Emilia couldn''t help but smile. "You''re up early, huh¡­ Any special requests for breakfast?"

    Crystal gulped, but decided not to mention that she hadn''t slept throughout the night. "N-No, but there''s something I wish to tell you."

    Thankfully, Emilia''s ''fountain of youth'' made it impossible for her to have dark circles or fatigue despite the insomnia, or she would have long since been discovered.

    The crimson-haired goddess blinked at her curiously, and Crystal ignored the throbbing at her core as she steeled her expression. "I-I discovered something change within myself after our first time together. Emilia¡­ do you know anything about it?"

    Emilia didn''t seem to be too surprised as she leaned forward to press her soft lips and against the blonde girl''s while circling her waist affectionately. "Didn''t I already tell you? Every time you consume my blood, saliva, or sexual fluids, you''ll be able to gain some of my energy. It will boost your lifespan, so it''s natural to feel a little different."

    Crystal sighed. "That''s not it."

    The crimson-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Then? I-Is there something wrong?"

    The heroine didn''t want Emilia to start feeling guilty or be distressed for her for no reason, she quickly waved her hands in denial. "Nothing bad, but¡­ I''m sure it will sound like nonsense, but you have to believe me, I¡­ might have awakened an ability."

    Emilia blinked at her in surprise. "An ability?"

    Crystal nodded. "Actually, at some level, I''ve always been able to ''feel'' a few things about people, and I always knew I was a little different from others."

    The blonde girl rubbed her nose in embarrassment. ''T-That sounds so delusional! W-Why did I have to say that?!''

    But looking at the crimson-haired beauty''s gentle eyes, Crystal was quickly able to suppress her embarrassment as she coughed. "A-Anyway, a-after we had sex, this ability isn''t so vague and random anymore, and I can now use it very consistently. Of course, the results aren''t very reliable, so¡­"

    Crystal went on to describe all the little details she had discovered about her ability so far, and Emilia continued to listen attentively, her eyes twinkling with both curiosity and delight.

    After she was done, the blonde girl couldn''t help but purse her lips in thought. "You don''t seem surprised?"

    Emilia grinned. "I''ve always believed you were special, Crystal. After all, you''re the heroine of justice in my heart, and also the heroine of this world."

    Crystal couldn''t help but swat the crimson-haired beauty''s shoulder in embarrassment. "D-Don''t boast so much! My head will get big! If someone else heard this, they''ll think I''m a weirdo."

    Emilia giggled. "No, really, it''s not that strange to have an ability of your own. Even if you don''t believe that you''re the heroine of this world, aren''t there plenty of other people with special abilities as well? What''s so strange about you having one?"

    She tapped the dumbfounded blonde girl''s soft lips yfully. "This is your own ability, so be proud. My blood may just have made it a little stronger than before, or awakened it fully a little earlier, but that''s all."

    Crystal could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "People in this world are quite normal, you know. Only you are special. I''m happy to have a special ability of my own, but you don''t have to downy your part to make me happy."

    Pursing her lips in thought, she nodded to herself before Emilia could interrupt her. "Without you, it should have remained at the level of ''sharp intuition''. A good thing to have, but nothing that special."

    Emilia could only blink at her innocently. "For someone who has this kind of ability¡­ Crystal is surprisingly oblivious."

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but furrow her brows in displeasure. "What do you mean? I feel like I''m being made fun of?"

    Emilia giggled. "No, I just think it''s adorable. Haven''t you discovered¡­ No, let me just give you an example. Isn''t Dixie strange?"

    She had already guessed that this world had some physique variations, such as Dixie.

    Compared to a normal person in this world, the girl''s strength already exceeded what a dozen people could havebined.

    There was no way there could be such great variation without any special attributes, especially in a girl who hadn''t trained that much until herte teens.

    Even if the Brown family could be ignored as an exception, wasn''t there still the existence of the Nightingale n?

    And Emilia didn''t believe that these were the only ''special'' things in this world at all. Of course, most of these ''enhancements'' were quite mundane. There was no such thing as people being able to bend the elements to their will, or fly in the sky. At least, not yet.

    This world seemed to be right on the verge of breaking out of the mold of a basic world with only regr humans to a semi-advanced world with enhanced humans. After that, it could have had the chance to slowly develop further.

    Although the world will''s growth could have facilitated this change, it would also have thrown a lot of lives into disarray and turmoil. But of course, now that Emilia was here, their lives were bound to be thrown into disarray for entirely different reasons.

    Emilia believed that with Crystal''s ability, the only way she couldn''t notice such a thing was because she refused to believe it herself, and was bound by mon sense''.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but squeeze the blonde girl''s cheek in amusement. Considering that she had epted her as an ''alien'', and had no issue epting any of her strange abilities, how could this girl be so adorably airheaded? And her special ability even made her inclined to be a ''detective''!

    Emilia had often heard that love made people blind, but she felt like she would need to use it to pry this oblivious heroine''s eyes open by force.

    Emilia smiled. "You know, if Dixie wanted to, she could start punching the pirs in my mansion and make it copse on itself. Do you really think that''s normal?"

    The blonde girl seemed dumbfounded at first, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was actually possible.

    Dixie¡­ really didn''t seem to be a normal person?! How could she be so ridiculously strong? No, even those athletes that sat at the top of the world rankings couldn''tpare, right?

    Howe she never noticed before?!

    Crystal couldn''t help but gape at her in disbelief. "W-Why is this the first time I''m hearing about this?!"

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 Chapter 335 Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 335 Awakening</h4>

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    Just like how she had dismissed her own ''ability'' before it was strengthened by Emilia''s blood as something ''normal'', Crystal''s oversight wasn''t actually that strange.

    After all, this world had thousands of years of well-recorded history that was publicly avable, and there had been no mention of any ''special'' abilities manifesting in people with irrefutable evidence.

    The blonde girl''s already adorable button nose looked even more adorable when she scrunched her face up in confusion, and Emilia couldn''t help but ''boop'' it yfully. "Well, you get it now?"

    Crystal bit her lip in thought before she shook her head in denial. "N-No, wait, isn''t it possible that both Dixie and I received their abilities from you? After all, we''ve both¡ª"

    The heroine blushed deeply, too embarrassed to say it out loud, and Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "You weren''t so shyst night~"

    Crystal''s face turned deep red from shame. "E-Emilia!"

    The crimson-haired girl coughed as she hid her smile behind her hand. "Well, okay, we canter discuss with the others to see if they''ve found something too, how about it?"

    Once it was mentioned by Crystal, Emilia was also curious to see if Sam and Noelle had awakened some strange abilities of their own.

    Unfortunately, her ''enthusiasm'' waspletely doused by her partner before she could think about it too much.

    "This is why I told you not to do these things! See what happened now?!"

    Emilia could only sigh. ''Hi, Cynthia¡­ Good morning.''

    "Good¡ª! Fuck, don''t think you can distract me so easily?! Anyway, see, now the heroine has awakened some strange ability after consuming our¡ª"

    Emilia coughed. ''Calm down, Cynthia. You came a littlete, so you might have missed Crystal telling me she already had that ability before, just weaker, so¡ª''

    The raven-haired girl frowned momentarily before shaking her head in denial. "So what?! It would never have awakened without our energy! Not unless she managed to get rid of the hero on her own, but with how stupid this girl is¡ª!"

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but frown. ''Cynthia! First of all, don''t me Crystal for my decisions. If you really want to, you cane out and bully me. Second¡­ why, exactly, is this a bad thing for us?''

    The raven-haired girl was momentarily dumbfounded, but when she really thought about it, Emilia''s argument wasn''t justplete nonsense, after all.

    These monkey-brains that her partner seemed to be gathering around herself seemed to be far too obsessed with her to try anything detrimental for them, so any boost in their ability could only be good for them, not bad.

    However, Cynthia still believed that the whole thing was stupid. They didn''t need such help to seed, and Emilia alone was enough. A little bit more energy was worth more than hundreds of these mortals.

    Of course, if she said this out loud, Cynthia knew she would have no good results, and she didn''t want to get bullied by her partner again.

    In the end, she could only sigh in defeat. "¡­Okay, fine. Whatever, I won''t care about it."

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile. ''Do you know anything more about this? You mentioned that she only awakened the ability because of me?''

    Cynthia shrugged. "¡­ Not much. But I think what likely happened was that our energy stimted and strengthened the bloodline of these mortals. Obviously, this kind of stupid thing never happened before, so I can only guess."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed in thought. ''So technically, these abilities should exist in their bloodline first for them to be awakened, right?''

    Cynthia had already lost interest in the topic once she realized that getting angry wouldn''t make Emilia change her mind anyway, so she just agreed and moved on. "Yeah¡­ By the way, I''m really surprised that for once you aren''t doing something shameless when Ie to check! Is this the sign of a productive day ahead?!"

    Emilia grinned. ''It''s never toote to start, we''re already naked, after all.''

    She couldn''t help but roll her eyes at the angry ''click'' of her partner returning to istion. ''Just you wait, baby, I''ll teach you a good lesson soon. Let''s see where else you can run off to, then.''

    As for Cynthia''s statement about bloodlines, Emilia was a little disappointed, but not too much.

    After all, Noelle was already from a somewhat distinct bloodline, and Dixie had already shown herself to be getting stronger by the day.

    So the only person whose status remained unknown was her dearest big sister. But whether Sam had any special abilities or not, Emilia''s only worry was whether the girl would feel insecure about it.

    If she did, Emilia would have to figure out some way to assure her that she had her own capabilities, and didn''t really need to be ''special'' to prove her capability. Of course, if she did awaken something, that was always good.

    Unaware of their internal ''discussion'', the blonde girl nodded with excitement. "Okay, then let''s¡ª!"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "No rush, angel. In case they do discover something new about themselves due to our discussion, it wouldn''t be good if it disturbed Noelle or big sister''s day. Unlike the three of us, they''re already dealing with enough."

    Crystal also realized that she had been too enthusiastic, and hadn''t considered this point, so she nodded thoughtfully. "Then¡­ I''ll talk to Dixie, and you talk to Sam when you visit her after school? Or should we wait till the evening for your sister to be free and we can all discuss it over dinner?"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed in thought for a while before nodding her head in agreement. "Let''s discuss it over tonight''s dinner?"

    Crystal couldn''t help but frown. "Okay, b-but Emilia, if it really is like this, howe no one else noticed it?"

    With how many people there were in the world, how could it be possible for no one to be able to notice something like this? In fact, Crystal believed that, given a few more years, she would surely have realized it on her own!

    Emilia shrugged. "I''m not sure. It''s possible that many dismissed it just like you did, and it''s also possible that some people wanted it to remain a secret as long as possible. After all, the fewer people know about it, the greater their advantage."

    The blonde girl blinked in thought. ''R-Right¡­ Just taking Dixie''s family as an example, it''s one thing to have ''exceptional fighting talent'', but if it became known that her bloodline is special, it won''t necessarily be a good thing for them.''

    Moreover, even for those who weren''t directly involved, knowing a few more secrets would always have its advantages. Unless things reached a particr tipping point in terms of how difficult it was to hide these things, this was likely to remain the same.

    For example, the Gray Wolfe and the government of the Carmen country were able to take the maximum advantage of the Nightingale n''s abilities only when they werepletely in the dark.

    Had they been exposed and be well known, their effectiveness would have also been greatly reduced. Realizing this, the heroine was quickly able to settle the matter down in her heart with ease.

    But once the matter of abilities was put aside, Crystal couldn''t help but recall how Emilia had nonchntly mentioned Noelle before.

    The blonde smirked mischievously. "By the way¡­ Noelle, huh? You''re really efficient."

    Of course, they already knew their princess was going after the silver-haired woman for a long time, and it was only a matter of time before things became as they were. Emilia''s pursuit was impossible to resist for most, after all.

    Emilia blushed. "Oh¡­ well¡­ you know I went on a date with her, and¡­"

    The blonde girl could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "I know your charm, and Noelle is good, but does she know about us?"

    The crimson-haired girl coughed. "More or less. I''ve¡­ told her about everyone. But¡­ she doesn''t seem to understand it fully. Maybe I should sit her down and exin it thoroughly."

    Crystal could only sigh. "And¡­ is she happy?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "Crystal~ She bullies me all the time!"

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    The heroine didn''t take Emilia''s ''grievances'' too seriously. After all, even without her ability, the mischievous smile on Emilia''s lips was far too obvious of a giveaway, and so were her wandering hands.

    But because of the time restraints, the two of them could only cuddle and kiss for a while before they had to get up and prepare for school.

    Maybe it was because of what they discussed in bed, but after knowing about it, Crystal couldn''t help but take a few more nces at Dixie.

    It was only natural to pay more attention to something she was curious about.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t care about it too much, and Dixie''s nervous clutching at her thigh wasn''t too bothersome either since the girl had learned to control her strength well.

    But to Dixie, Crystal''s ''curious'' staring was the same as being red at threateningly for the whole way to school.

    She couldn''t help but gulp nervously. ''W-What''s going on, d-did I do something wrong?''

    Had this been at the start of the school year, the dark-haired girl would still have understood something like this as Crystal being jealous of her rtionship with Emilia. With theplexity of their rtionship, such a thing wouldn''t have been surprising at all. If anything, it would be expected, and Dixie had been fully prepared to ''school'' anyone who dared to point fingers at her princess.

    But now, after all that they had been through, Dixie couldn''t make sense of Crystal''s ''re'' at all.

    The dark-haired girl even thought that the two of them got along pretty well, and could be considered friends! How could Crystal suddenly turn hostile?

    Dixie bit her lip nervously. ''It can''t be that she suddenly turned dissatisfied with how things are now, Crystal isn''t like that! But then... d-don''t tell me... has she peered deep into my heart and discovered some dark secret that even I know nothing about?!''

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 Chapter 336 Horses?

    <h4>Chapter 336 Horses?</h4>

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    The more Dixie thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Crystal had either misunderstood or realized something about herself that even she wasn''t aware of.

    After all, she was already familiar with the blonde girl, and she fully agreed with her princess that Crystal was a gentle soul, harmless to humans and animals alike.

    But she also knew that her princess was the reverse scale of this gentle beast that made her instantly turn ferocious, and with their rtionship, it was probably the only thing that could turn her hostile. She had already seen it happen once with her own eyes, after all.

    Dixie gulped. ''S-So¡­ does this mean she believes I harbor ill-will against my princess? No! How could it be?! I-I have to clear this up, as soon as possible!''

    Of course, as Crystal had been observing her so closely, it was impossible for her to miss Dixie''s ''ups and downs'', especially not with her ability awakened.

    Since she couldn''t exactly read her mind, all Crystal really got from Dixie was a mix of ''Love Emilia'', ''Confusion'', ''Sadness'', ''Crystal Scary'', but this was already enough for her to guess some of Dixie''s mental gymnastics.

    The blonde girl tried her hardest not to let her ''scary look'' change to an amused smile, and only dared to giggle once the despondent dark-haired girl separated from them to head to ss S.

    Emilia gave her a curious look as they passed through the gate of ss A, but the blonde girl only shook her head while pointing at the clock.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t dare to question her after she noticed there were only twenty seconds left till Mr. Jefferson arrived, as he was never early norte. She didn''t wish to discover what other names the man coulde up with if she stood out from the crowd, after all.

    Realizing that the little beauty was still traumatized from the ''Empoleon'' incident, Crystal couldn''t help but pat Emilia''s shoulder in constion. ''Mr. Jefferson is really too much! How can he not remember the name of the most gorgeous girl in the world?!''

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    Although most of the students in ss A tended to focus solely on improving their scores, the annual events week was a rare exception.

    Since the activities they would be performing could be decided by the individual clubs andmittees, the smart students would be able to use this opportunity to showcase their talents to their future employers.

    After all, the ''audience'' that woulde to watch the events included not just themon folk of the city, but also the rich parents of ss S students, as well as influential people that invested in the school.

    Even if there were also many students who really didn''t have any hobbies because of their heavy emphasis on studies, they could always go for quiz contests and the like, as there would definitely be at least one club ormittee that would go for such events to cater to the ss A students.

    Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Emilia, since she had already showcased her academic excellence by getting the topmost position in the semester exams, and nned to continue performing well.

    Most of her attention had been focused on observing the changes brought by the incident with the hero so that she can adjust ordingly, but the continued absence of Amos failed to stir up any waves, leaving Emilia with the freedom to do as she pleased.

    Emilia had no way of perfectly predicting what the ck Tiger would do under these circumstances, and Noelle wasn''t able to dig anything up, either.

    But she wasn''t too worried. The longer her opponents waited to take action, the better it was for her. Anyway, with their current grasp of the ck Tiger''s movements, Noelle was very likely to catch something as soon as they started making preparations.

    After some consideration, the crimson-haired girl decided that she might as well use this opportunity to consolidate her ''fan base'', and entertain her friends.

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    After setting an appointment for the next day with an overexcited Penny, Emilia was finally done for the day as she leaned tiredly into Crystal''s arms in the car. "Detour to big sister''s office, please."

    It wasn''t rare for Emilia to visit Sam''s office after school, though she did often head home directly as well, so the driver wasn''t too surprised. "Yes, young miss."

    He quickly pulled up the privacy screen, already used to the sight of the three girls being in ''questionable'' state in the backseat. ''Young girls these days sure know how to y around¡­''

    Of course, he would have loved to see more of such adorable scenery, but he had already been traumatized by the dark re from the short-haired girl before, and didn''t dare try to ''forget'' about the privacy screen ever again.

    Had it been before awakening her ability, the heroine might have misunderstood the little beauty''s sigh as her exhaustion from dealing with Penny and Koko, which would be understandable.

    After all, those girls had way too much energy, and just looking at them made her tired. How Emilia normally dealt with them was already a mystery.

    But now, she could more or less feel that what made Emilia worry wasn''t what happened before, but what wasing next. ''Could it be the discussion about abilities we''re supposed to have tonight? Aw... Only she would think any of us would be upset about such a thing, really!''

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but chuckle. "Not looking forward to our ''talk'' during dinner?"

    Emilia sighed in contentment when Dixie removed her shoes and started kneading her calf. "Thank you, Dixie, please press a little more firmly today¡­ and, um, no¡­ that''s not it."

    Dixie was still upset about the blonde girl ring at her from before, and just continued kneading the soft flesh on the legs of her princess with a hum of acknowledgment, while Crystal blinked in surprise. "Then?"

    Emilia sighed. "I just feel like Noelle is going to annoy me today."

    Crystal couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously as she tucked one of Emilia''s stray locks behind her adorable little ear. "How do you know? It could be that you worry for nothing, right?"

    The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips reluctantly, not wanting to say that Noelle had been a little irritable ever since the day she rejected her offer to take ''full responsibility''.

    "It could be¡­"

    Emilia could only regret that she had moved too fast, and hadn''t prepared Noelle enough, leading to this kind of ''dissatisfaction'' in her heart. But it was impossible for her to shift the me to Noelle.

    Anyway, it was her responsibility to console the gray-haired beauty and soothe her heart, and Emilia nned to do so after dealing with the urgent matters today.

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    Dixie and Crystal went back to Emilia''s home directly after dropping Emilia off, as was their routine on such days, since they didn''t want to cause too much of a disturbance in the office.

    Of course, everyone was ''very'' familiar with who Emilia was by now, and the girl simply returned their enthusiastic greetings with a smile as she headed directly for her big sister''s office.

    Not surprisingly, Noelle was already there, sorting out some documents that the taller girl painstakingly went through one by one.

    Emilia knew that Sam''s workload had increased drastically recently, and she could only sigh in pity. ''Big sister is working so hard¡­''

    Of course, as soon as the two of them noticed her, their eyes brightened a little subconsciously, and Emilia grinned as she rushed ahead, dropping a kiss on Noelle''s cheek before copsing into Sam''s arms before she could get up from the executive chair.

    Sam couldn''t help but chuckle in amusement as she buried her face in the beauty''s nape, breathing in that faint, soothing fragrance that she found oh so addicting. "Did my little baby miss me a lot?"

    Emilia just snuggled into the older girl''s embrace as she hummed contently. "Mhm¡­ Big sister, are you too tired recently?"

    The older girl didn''t want her sister to worry about her too much, so she quickly shook her head in denial, but she didn''t want to lie to the girl either, putting her in a dilemma. "N-Not much¡­? W-Well... a little. But my little baby doesn''t need to worry too much. I have Noelle here to help me, after all."

    Noelle rolled her eyes in exasperation, both from the ''affectionate'' scene and their words. "Yeah, don''t worry, she makes me work like a horse."

    Emilia smiled absently. "I love horses."

    The gray-haired girl almost choked. "Is that¡­ apliment?!"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked before rubbing her nose in embarrassment, only thening back to her senses as she pulled back from Sam''s embrace, her face red from shame. "Well¡­ no, i-it''s because I''ve been nning for an event, and¡ª"

    The more she spoke, the worse it seemed to get, Emilia finally squeezed her eyes tight and decided to forcefully change the topic. "A-Anyway! I-I wanted to discuss something important with you two today!"

    Sam and Noelle looked at each other in surprise.

    "What does my baby want to talk about?"

    "Something important?"

    Emilia shifted a little ufortably on Sam''sp. "Y-You''ll knowter. Anyway, the both of you must be there for dinner on time tonight, okay?"

    Sam nodded without much thought. She would have to go home a little earlier than usual today and would have to work harder tomorrow, but how could she deny such a simple request from her little angel?

    Noelle, however, frowned. "Is this rted to work, or... personal?"

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 Chapter 337 Resisting Temptation

    <h4>Chapter 337 Resisting Temptation</h4>

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    Emilia didn''t think too much about Noelle''s question before answering her honestly. "There''s no work involved, I just have a few things to discuss with everyone."

    Considering the naughty personality of her little boss, the gray-haired girl didn''t think anything good coulde out of her wanting all her ''girlfriends'' to get together.

    From what she knew of Emilia, although she was smart, the girl was both incredibly curious and naughty.

    Moreover, this little beauty was incredibly na?ve and easy to be misled by those close to her, and the people who were close to her didn''t seem to mind taking advantage of her at all, the worst example being the girl''s very own older sister.

    The bad premonition in her heart got stronger, and Noelle denied the younger girl''s request without another thought. "Since it has nothing to do with my job, I would like to politely decline your offer, thank you."

    The crimson-haired beauty seemed to have been stunned silly. "Y-You won''te? Why? A-Are you busy?"

    Noelle''s lips twitched as she couldn''t help but admire the wide-eyed look of the little beauty. ''This little girl¡­ how can anyone be so damn charming? No wonder I couldn''t resist that night.''

    But she knew that she couldn''t step back after taking this step, or she would be no different from Sam. "I''m not busy."

    Emilia blinked. "Then?"

    Noelle sighed. "Since I''m not obligated to go, and I don''t feel like going, why should I bother?"

    Sam couldn''t see her little sister''s expression from the back, but she could still feel that the girl''s enthusiasm had all but been quenched from Noelle''s words.

    Unfortunately, her imploring gaze was pointedly ignored by Noelle, no matter how hard she tried, so she could only hug the little beauty tighter in a vain attempt to lift her mood.

    The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips, her smile much fainter than before. "I¡­ Noelle, what''s there to lose ining to have some good food, discuss a few things with us, and if you want you can leave within an hour or two?"

    The fact that Emilia considered ''leaving'' as optional pretty much confirmed Noelle''s thoughts. Of course, she wasn''t confident in being able to resist Emilia''s temptation if the girl really tried, which was all the more reason for her to not dare go in the first ce.

    Ignoring the painful twitch in her heart from the little beauty''s pleading gaze, Noelle stood up straighter before shaking her head. "My answer remains the same. If you wish to meet me in private for matters unrted to work, you should make the visit yourself, shouldn''t you?"

    Emilia had no way to refute the older girl''s words. But although she seemed to make sense, it was hard for her to believe that this came from Noelle''s heart. "I''ll cook the dinner myself, how about it?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but be a little annoyed by the wavering of her heart when she heard the younger girl''s words. ''Why am I so fickle when ites to this girl?!''

    Even if Emilia''s cooking couldn''t be too good, considering she was just a pampered little princess, it really wasn''t easy to reject such an offer.

    But thinking that even the food she prepared would be shared with others anyway, the gray-haired girl quickly controlled her wavering emotions before shaking her head in denial. "N-No means no. If I''m not busy with work, I would rather have a peaceful dinner in my own home. Of course, you can visit any time. But¡­ no uninvited guests."

    Seeing how even Sam seemed so upset with her response, Noelle didn''t give them any further chance to argue as she turned her heel and left.

    As for what kind of expression Emilia made after hearing her words¡­ the gray-haired girl hadn''t dared to look, or she might have ended up taking everything back and given in to her demands on the spot.

    For any normal employee, this would already be egregious behavior, but the two siblings could only turn to stare at each other helplessly.

    Seeing her little darling''s distressed and confused expression, Sam couldn''t help but pull her tighter into her embrace with a sigh. "Don''t mind that meanie. She must be in a bad mood due to some rumor she heard in the office or something, who knows? I-I''ll have to discipline the staffter so this doesn''t happen again!"

    Of course, both of them knew this was impossible. Considering Noelle''s personality, she would never let strange rumors disturb her heart. But Emilia naturally wouldn''t argue with her older sister for her attempt at constion.

    Emilia couldn''t help but peck the taller girl''s cheek with a smile. "Thank you, big sis."

    Sam grinned as she ruffled the girl''s beautiful crimson hair yfully, barely resisting the urge to bite her plump, juicy lips. "Forget about that, is my little darling''s offer of making tonight''s dinner still valid?"

    Emilia nodded. "Of course. What would you like to eat?"

    Sam thought about it for a moment, but considering that she didn''t know her little sister''s expertise in the kitchen, and answering ''you'' might not work, she could only shrug helplessly. "Just cook whatever you like? I''ll naturally love anything that my little baby makes."

    Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles as the older girl started nibbling and snorting against her nape, muttering how she looked forward to it. "H-Hey! S-Stop that! Ahn~! A-And d-don''t expect too much, w-what if you don''t like it?"

    Sam suckled on the soft flesh on Emilia''s neck, pulling back and watching the supple, beautiful skin snap back with a pop, reddened from her abuse. "If it''s even half as delicious as the one making it, it would already be ambrosia."

    Emilia turned her head away, shy.

    Sam couldn''t help but grin as she bit on the younger girl''s reddened ear. "So cute."

    "I-I''ll go get started with the preparations, um, it takes time, after all!"

    Despite her embarrassed appearance, the crimson-haired beauty still nted a brief kiss on the older girl''s lips before dashing off, leaving Samantha smiling like a silly goof.

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 Chapter 338 Gossip Girls

    <h4>Chapter 338 Gossip Girls</h4>

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    As it was still lunchtime at the office, many employees were either lounging aroundzily to recover their energy for thetter half of the day or busy with gossip to refresh their minds.

    Naturally, the freshest topics were the hottest, and thetest one happened to be the fact that miss Noelle had left the office of the boss with a ''decidedly unpleasant'' expression. The credibility of the gossip source was quite good, instantly making the topic popr among the staff.

    Of course, considering Noelle''s face always looked displeased and cold, it wasn''t really what could be considered ''sensational'' news. However, what made it interesting was that the ''little boss'' was also in the office at that time!

    It must be noted that, ording to theirtest research, miss Noelle''s grimace was around fifteen to thirty percent less prominent within three hours of interacting with their ''little boss''.

    After all,pared to tiny people like them who feared attracting the wrath of the legendary sis-con if they were caught interacting with the little beauty, miss Noelle didn''t have any such ''insecurities'' as an irreceable core member of the White Deer Corporation.

    For the phenomenon to reverse could only mean that something strange must have happened!

    When Emilia left with clear hickeys on her nape and a furious blush on her cheeks, the office grapevine almost exploded, and some very familiar officedies couldn''t help but turn excited.

    Of course, who else could they be but the legendary six of ''OO LAA LA'', the Overworked Office Ladies Association for Admiring Lovely Angels?

    As always, the shortestdy was the first to jump up in excitement. "My god! Don''t tell me what happened in the office is exactly what I think?!"

    Normally, they wouldn''t even dare to gossip about their little angel in such a dangerous ce, let alone the big boss. After all, they couldn''t afford to lose their job.

    Although they were overworked, they were still quite wellpensated. And most importantly, no other job came with the added benefit of getting to gaze upon the beauty in their hearts every so often.

    The ssesdy couldn''t help but gulp as she looked around nervously. "K-Keep it down, will you? D-Don''t forget we''re still in the office!"

    Of course, the shortestdy was way too hyped up to be able to calm down, though she did make an attempt to lower her voice as she rubbed her thighs together in excitement and glee. "I think there''s some plot here! Did the boss really molest our little fairy in the office?! My god! I would pay all three of my kidneys to see the sight!"

    Her coworker couldn''t help but remind her kindly. "You only have two of them, shorty."

    Of course, nothing could get in the way of a fanatic. "I''ll borrow one from big sis!"

    The tallest, tanneddy almost threw up blood as she pointed a finger at the shorty indignantly. "My kidneys are only for myself to sell! Do you even know how much lingerie I could buy for just one?! Besides¡­ what are you getting so excited about anyway? Knowing big boss¡­ isn''t that kind of thing only expected?"

    Seeing how the shortdy became dispirited, the sses girl coughed. "Don''t me her so much. The thing is, it happened right in front of miss Noelle, and she left in such a bad mood! Isn''t it out of the norm?"

    The coworker who usually partnered with the shortestdy also nodded. "Miss Noelle is usually so strict, even with our boss. Daring to do this kind of thing in front of her¡­ boss is the boss after all. But we should be careful not to make any mistakes for the next few days, or it might really be the end for OO LAA LA."

    Both the ''big sister'' and the shortestdy nodded.

    The sses girl coughed. "Anyway, am I the only one thinking that there might be more to the situation? Like, couldn''t miss Noelle be upset because she has a crush on our little fairy too, or even¡­ our boss?!"

    The shortestdy''s recently quenched excitement immediately shot through the roof again. "T-That''s right! H-Hey, couldn''t it be¡­! B-Both?!"

    The sses girl pped her thigh in shock. "Damn! That''s two green hats at once! Buy one and get one free? No wonder she was upset!"

    The tanneddy finally couldn''t take it anymore as she forcefully covered the mouth of the sses girl. "Hush! Do you know we''ll all be fired if this got out?! How am I supposed to buy my lingerie if I''m fired and broke?! And you bunch¡­ think about all those candid photos you pay for, can you do it without a job and money?!"

    The area immediately turned silent as the gossiping bunch furtively checked the surroundings, only daring to sigh in relief once they confirmed Noelle wasn''t around.

    "You almost gave me a heart attack."

    "Bad-hearted person! Did you wish to clear the way for your next promotion?!"

    Of course, with that scare, they dared not continue the previous discussion. If Noelle really overheard them, getting fired may not even be the biggest concern.

    "Wait a minute¡­ what''s normal about this absurd situation?!"

    "Oh¡­ you''re new, so you may not know. That''s OO LAA LA, they are¡­ ah, how do I exin this¡­?"

    The officedy suddenly had a bright idea as she took out her phone. "Here, take a look, this is our little boss. This bunch¡­ and our boss, they''re obsessed with this girl."

    The new employee stared at the image of the gorgeous crimson-haired girl on the phone, and silently lit a candle for all the people with the tendency to simp for beauties.

    "Makes sense now."

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    The smile on Samantha''s face slowly faded away shortly after Emilia left, reced with a slightly impatient expression as she tapped her finger on the table.

    A few minutester, the person she had been expecting finally arrived, her expression still set in the same schooled indifference as always.

    Seeing how Noelle simply ced the folders she came with on the table and intended to leave, Samantha couldn''t help but frown. "Wait!"

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 Chapter 339 â€™Sisterlyâ€™ Argument

    <h4>Chapter 339 ''Sisterly'' Argument</h4>

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    Although Sam and Noelle were often in ''disharmony'', it was more due to their contrasting personalities than any actual conflict or misunderstanding. After all, the two of them knew each other quite well, better than many actual pairs of siblings.

    Whether it was due to their mutual understanding or Noelle''s generally flexible attitude, Sam hadn''t actually had many opportunities to actually face off against the older girl''s stubborn side. But looking at her current ''upromising'' stance, the taller girl couldn''t help but wish she hadn''t had such a rare opportunity at all.

    The two of them stared at each other in tense silence before Sam sighed and motioned for the older girl to take a seat.

    Noelle''s expression didn''t change at all as she did as she was told. "Is there anything you need from me?"

    Sam frowned as she saw her still indifferent expression. "What''s up with you today?"

    The gray-haired girl raised a brow curiously. "What do you mean? Speak clearly."

    Sam couldn''t help but run a hand through her shoulder length hair in exasperation. "Oh,e on¡­ Do I really need to say it? How can you treat my little baby like that?!"

    Hearing the whining tone of her ''boss'', Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. ''These two sisters¡­ why are they both so childish?''

    Of course, although she knew both of them would be pacified with a few sweet words, Noelle decided some bitter medicine would suit them better. Even if it made her their ''enemy'', it was for their own good.

    The gray-haired girl nodded to herself before fixing Samantha with a meaningful stare. "How old are you, Sam?"

    The taller girl blinked. "Huh? What does that have anything to do with¡ª"

    Noelle smiled. "You''ll be thirty in a few more years, you know?"

    "¡­!"

    The older girl gave her a ''disappointed'' look. "When are you going to grow up?"

    Sam grit her teeth in rage as she red at the gray-haired girl. "Miss Noelle, just because you colored your hair like that doesn''t make you an ''elder'', okay? Even you haven''t hit thirty yet, and I''m way younger than you!"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "I''ll be thirty before you know it, and three years after that, so will you! As for that little sister of yours¡­ well, she''ll be twenty soon, and your parents will start considering her marriage. Are the two of you going to stay as ''children'' forever?"

    Sam coughed. "W-Well, y-you don''t have to worry about Emilia''s marriage, our parents won''t interfere."

    "¡­?"

    Seeing her ''doubtful'' expression, Sam could only clear her throat awkwardly. "A-Anyway, let''s just say that my little baby can grow at her leisure. I, as her big sister, will be the mighty tree that shields her from the scorching sun all the way!"

    Noelle sighed. "See, that attitude right there, that''s the problem. If you want your ''little baby'' to grow up, you can''t keep coddling her forever. Or could it be¡­ are you afraid of being unable to take advantage of her if she gains some maturity?"

    Sam''s expression twisted immediately. "What nonsense¡ª?!"

    She couldn''t believe that Noelle still thought she would harm her little sister in any way. After all, whether it was Danielle or Emilia, they were both extremely precious to her, in different ways.

    Noelle chuckled, not minding her enraged expression at all. "Can you really say with clear conscience that you''ve never taken advantage of her? Be honest."

    The taller girl couldn''t help but be stunned.

    Naturally, before they ''got together'', there had been numerous asions where she had tried to go as far as she believed she could with their ''sisterly'' rtionship.

    Just because Emilia never considered it as ''taking advantage'', Sam couldn''t say she had never done so with a clear conscience.

    Seeing the guilty look on her face, Noelle sighed. "See what I mean?"

    Sam couldn''t help but bite her lip as she turned her head away from the older girl. "B-But you can''t say I don''t love her!"

    Noelle nodded. "Yes you do, you love her too much, but isn''t that a problem in itself?"

    The taller girl could only pout helplessly. "I-I don''t care about that, and neither does Emilia, so who cares?! A-Anyway, you didn''t mind it so much either, r-right? Why are you being like this now?"

    Noelle sighed. "I don''t know how you misunderstood me, but I''ve supported neither your perverted pursuit nor Emilia''s overindulgence. I just couldn''t find a way to stop you. As for what changed¡­ Well, I wasn''t directly involved before, but unfortunately, now that is no longer the case."

    Sam sneered. "Oh? Then shouldn''t you have just kept out of it if you were so unwilling?"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes. ''Is it so easy to resist that kind of temptation? I would have if I could!''

    Of course, she believed Sam knew that better than anyone else, so neither of them needed to say it out loud.

    In the end, Sam could only roll her eyes angrily. "Really, thest person I expected to see throwing a tantrum was you, but the day really came!"

    Noelle sighed. "Am I throwing a tantrum?"

    Sam frowned at the older girl disapprovingly. "What else are you doing, then?"

    Noelle pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head in defeat.

    Seeing her act this way, Sam sneered. "I have no idea what''s going on in your head right now, but if you want Emilia to give everything up for you¡­ let me just say this, you''re dreaming. All you''ll manage to do is hurt her, but that''s all. Is that what you want?"

    Silence reigned between the two of them for the next few minutes, but although Sam regretted it a little, she refused to take her words back.

    In the end, Noelle just gave her a somewhat bleak smile. "Well, boss, looks like you''ve really grown a lot in the past few years, haven''t you? You really think I''ll hurt you or your sister?"

    Sam hurriedly shook her head in denial. "No! I never said that. Don''t you know it better than anyone else how much trust we ce in you?"

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 Chapter 340 Ambrosia

    <h4>Chapter 340 Ambrosia</h4>

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    The distressed crease that had been forming between Noelle''s brows eased slightly, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief before continuing. "You know, if you really wanted to, what could you not do at this point? We trust you like family, because¡­ to us, you already are our family... Do you not believe the same?"

    The older girl refused to answer Sam''s question as she turned her head away indifferently, but Sam had already mastered all her tells, and could clearly see the slightly reddened tips of her ears. ''My, the big ice-blockdy is getting shy, is she? But why is she still so stubborn, ah?! I must melt some of her ice so she doesn''t unknowingly hurt both herself and my little baby!''

    The taller girl couldn''t help but smile as she thought about it. "I know you''re only worried about us, which is why I''m trying to convince you. Don''t overthink so much, just be with us, be happy. And if there is something bothering you, can''t we just talk it out?"

    Noelle threw her hands up in defeat. "Alright, you''ve gotten so eloquent! Did Emilia teach you?"

    Sam stuck out her tongue yfully. "Passive influence, maybe?"

    Noelle groaned as she held her head in pain. "Alright¡­ convince me, then. What exactly is the ''future'' for a rtionship like this? Emilia, that little baby, is clinging to like five or six girls at the same time, and letting them y around with her as they please, including her blood rted sister! It''s all bound to lead to a disaster eventually, and the only question is how much damage it will cause to everyone involved¡­ especially the one at the center of it."

    Sam coughed awkwardly. "Listen, Noelle¡­ I understand what you''re trying to say¡ª"

    The gray-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Do you, really?"

    The taller girl couldn''t help but p the table fiercely. "Will you let me finish?!"

    Noelle resisted the urge to call her ''childish'' again as she sighed. "¡­Alright, sorry, go ahead."

    Sam took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to say ''who''s the one really acting childish here'', but thankfully she managed to calm herself before nodding. "Okay, so what you said isn''t ''wrong'', but I don''t think it''s true for our situation. First of all, Emilia isn''t just ''someone'', is she? Otherwise, would my ice-block Noelle melt like this?"

    Although she rationally knew that Sam''s argument was absurd, as one of the parties involved, Noelle couldn''t deny that, absurdly enough, it rang true. Had it been anyone else, she really wouldn''t bother so much. "¡­ I get it."

    The taller girl grinned in satisfaction. "It''s good that you do. Moving on, what''s going on isn''t a ''secret'' to any of us. Even if there are a few misunderstandings here and there, it''s not like we can''t talk about it. Think of it like this¡­ Emilia is our treasure, and we''re her guardians. Makes sense?"

    The gray-haired girl chuckled as she gave Sam a ''judgmental'' stare. "Oh¡­ I didn''t know that treasure guardians nowadays were so perverted?"

    Sam couldn''t find any way to refute the older girl, as she was still a little self-aware, so she could only point a finger at her indignantly. "N-Noelle!"

    The gray-haired girl chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. You go on."

    Sam could only move on begrudgingly. Anyway, if she considered beingbeled as a pervert as the price to be together with her darling, it didn''t seem like such an unpleasant thing after all. "Whatever, anyway, uh¡­ although we enjoy caressing our treasure, the main goal is always to protect her from those who are envious and want to break her. There is no ''conflict'' that will lead to a disaster or anything like you said."

    Although she had already ''made peace'' with the matter in her heart by now, Noelle still shook her head in denial. "Absurd¡­ Maybe you can think of it like this because you''re her blood rted sister, and dare not get too greedy. After all, your rtionship won''t be epted normally anyway. But what about Dixie and Crystal?"

    Sam cleared her throat awkwardly. "W-What about them? Dixie is loyal, and Crystal is a good girl, so¡ª"

    Noelle sighed. "Let''s not talk about Crystal, have you ever seen how Dixie looks at your little sister? I have never in all my life seen someone look so absurdly obsessed¡­ and I''ve seen some of those crazy fans of boy bands who would do insane things for their ''idols''. Do you get it?"

    Sam coughed. "I-It just means she loves her princess a lot, alright? Nothing wrong with it."

    Noelle couldn''t help but groan. "You''re too far gone to understand, I see."

    The taller girl gave her a pointed look. "Doesn''t the same go for you?"

    Noelle shook her head in denial, refusing to admit it.

    Sam nodded. "Alright. Then, tell me, are you going to leave us?"

    The gray-haired girl was stunned for a moment before she decisively shook her head. "¡­ No. Never."

    Sam nodded, a victorious grin on lighting up her previously sullen expression. "You''re too far gone as well, then."

    "¡­ I''m done talking to you."

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    Emilia had already returned from Sam''s office while the sun was still up high in the sky, but she still ended up spending almost the entirety of her evening nning and preparing everything for dinner.

    Although she allowed Michelle to assist her on the girl''s insistence, it was only for the most basic tasks, such as washing and fetching various ingredients. Everything from cutting, chopping, boiling, baking, and roasting, to serving, was all done by her own hands, leaving the worried chef and maids stunned.

    They''d already heard rumors that their young miss was staying with a restaurant owner''s daughter for a while now, but what kind of magical tonic did the girl feed their pampered little princess for her to be so proficient in the kitchen in such a short time?!

    Even though they hadn''t sampled the dishes themselves, none of the seasoning proportions or other steps stood out as overly out of the norm even in the chef''s expert eyes, so the taste naturally couldn''t be too bad.

    Moreover, since the dishes turned out so beautifully once served, the chef believed that even if they tasted just slightly above average, the person eating them was bound to have a very high opinion, and that wasn''t even taking into ount their bias for the cook.

    Of course, this was actually Emilia''s first time cooking so much food at once, so she had been a little overcautious. Before, although she had some practice with Mrs. Miller, the number of servings she made at a time did not exceed three, and she usually prepared only one or two things at a time.

    Naturally, since Noelle was upset, Emilia went all out and prepared a big feast to clear the gloom in the girl''s heart. Even if it was a little tiring, she believed it would be worth it to see everyone''s smile.

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    Having received her beloved little sister''s invitation, it was naturally impossible for Sam to bete for dinner, regardless of her workload. The tall brte arrived well in advance, and delightedly took a seat while her little sister and her ''maid'' finished bringing the food from the kitchen.

    Emilia obviously noticed the absence of Noelle by Sam''s side, but other than a momentary pause in her step, no one could tell whether she was surprised or upset.

    Sam, on the other hand, had already been both famished and exhausted by the time she arrived home. It had probably been a bad idea to try cleansing her bad mood after the argument with Noelle by imagining all the things that could and couldn''t happen tonight, after all.

    But all her ''hard work'' of the day seemed to be worth it in the end, as she was able to happily enjoy the taste of food that had been lovingly prepared by her darling.

    Whether it was the simply baked sweet potato or the delicately prepared beef fillet steak that had been skillfully coated in pat¨¦ and mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry, and then baked¡­ it all tasted like ambrosia on Sam''s tongue.

    Seeing her sniff deeply each time before taking oversized bites, had Mrs. White been able to see her ''well raised'' daughter at the moment, she would surely have had a seizure from shock.

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 Chapter 341 Grievances and Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 341 Grievances and Gratitude</h4>

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    The long dining table at the White Deer mansion was quite grand, with seven chairs on each side, and two on either end. Even with all five of them, it looked a little lonely.

    But since Emilia had neither the confidence nor the will to make enough for dozens of additional servings, it was naturally impossible for all the maids and servants to join them for dinner.

    Not only would it make them feel awkward, it would also defeat the purpose of tonight''s get-together, since Emilia couldn''t in her right mind discuss such things in their presence.

    Even if they were generally considered ''trustworthy'', the crimson-haired girl hadn''t yet had the time to verify their hearts on an individual basis.

    As Emilia and Michelle had taken up the task of serving the food, and Sam had arrivedter, the seats had mostly been arranged by Dixie and Crystal. And whether it was intentional or not, both the ''head'' seat and the ones on its left and right were left empty.

    Of course, the heroine''s intention had been to leave the ce for Sam and Noelle, as they would be the main topics of discussion, but the gray-haired girl''s absence left one of them empty, so the crimson-haired girl simply had Michelle take up that spot.

    Naturally, the ''discussion'' could wait until after they were done with their food, as Emilia hoped that they enjoyed what she had worked on so hard.

    Although it wasn''t really a big deal, Emilia still couldn''t help but feel slightly apprehensive. After all, while she considered her cooking level to already be ''decent'' by now, the crimson-haired girl didn''t believe she had reached the peak of the craft.

    When she thought about how Sam had probably been to more five-star restaurants than she could count, Dixie was the heiress of the fastest growing confectionery in the country, and Crystal was practically raised in a restaurant... their standards were bound to be sky-high.

    If they found her cooking to be disappointing, Emilia knew that she would be a little sad in her heart. It was already bad enough that Noelle didn''t even bother showing up, but what was the point of spending hours toiling away in the kitchen if the rest of them didn''t like it either?

    Of course, it was impossible to ask them directly. Not only would it serve no purpose, it might also make them feelpelled topliment her, which was the farthest thought from Emilia''s mind.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "You just want to be praised, right? Here, I''ll do it."

    Feeling a little embarrassed in her heart, the crimson-haired girl was quick to reject her partner''s ''sincere'' offer. ''N-No, it''s not like that! Um, anyway, even if you praise me, it won''t matter since you haven''t even tasted it, right?''

    The raven-haired girl scoffed. "I''m not going to praise you for serving food to mortals, obviously. But you really did do a great job ruining both the hero''s mentality and reputation, so he seems to bepletely set on a downward spiral to doom. I realized I never praised you for it properly, but as expected of my viiness, really amazing!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little warm in her heart. Despite her thorny words, sometimes, her partner was really too cute. ''Thank you, Cynthia.''

    Aside from some incoherent grumbling, her partner offered her no further response, but Emilia didn''t mind.

    Of course, this kind of thing wouldn''t dissuade her from what she nned to do, though she did lower Cynthia''s punishment score by three points.

    Thankfully, the ''distraction'' from Cynthia allowed her to avoid the anxiety of watching everyone sample her dishes one by one, and Emilia breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that none of them seemed to have any issues with what she had made.

    Of course, although one of Emilia''s main goals this time had been to soothe the gloom in Noelle''s heart, she had still taken into ount what the others didn''t like.

    Whether it was Sam''s hatred of turnips, Dixie''s phobia of beetroots, or Crystal''s archenemy - the artichokes, Emilia had carefully avoided all their taboos while nning the meal.

    Of course, there was no need to mention Michelle''s distaste for bitter gourds, since Emilia didn''t like them either, so they would never be on the menu.

    Maybe Crystal had been able to sense some of Emilia''s emotions earlier, so she tapped the soup bowl with a spoon and gave the girl a big grin and a thumbs up. "Everything you made is so delicious, just like you!"

    Aside from Sam, who was lost in the joy of fantasizing about Emilia being her dutiful wife waiting at home while enjoying her little sister''s delicious cooking after a tiring day at work, Michelle and Dixie almost ended up choking as they coughed after hearing Crystal''s words.

    The ''maid'' in particr almost cried. ''Even if you''re the wife of the princess, do you have to show off at every turn?!''

    Of course, even if she was a little aggrieved, it was already great fortune to be able to enjoy the food prepared so lovingly by her princess. In the future, she definitely had to be diligent in her service, and not let her princess suffer!

    As for Dixie, well, after facing the ''threatening'' re from Crystal all day, she had already given up trying to figure out what was going on in this girl''s mind.

    Emilia hummed happily as epted Crystal''spliment, not paying much attention to the ''vulgarity'' of it. From the rosy blush on her cheeks, it was clear that the little beauty was pleased, leaving Michelle feeling mncholic for the na?vet¨¦ of her princess.

    Naturally, Crystal''s intention hadn''t been to boast, and thepliment came from her heart.

    The blend of mellow, slowly cooked, caramelized onions in a brothced with white wine and cognac served perfectly to both induce hunger yetfort the famished at the same time, and had just a faint fragrance of some essence that Crystal couldn''t quite tell, just like the little beauty who prepared it.

    Not only were all the dishes crafted masterfully, but even theirbination left her with nothing toin about. Whether it was the savory risotto infused with mushrooms that went well with the main dish, or the ride wine and shallot sauce with a hint of rosemary, the blending of both texture and aroma was all in ce.

    Compared to when she had only been able to make shortcakes every day for breakfast, Emilia had clearlye a long way, and Crystal was sure that her mother would be proud.

    Emilia was happy to see that they all seemed to enjoy what she had prepared, and all the hard work seemed to have been more than worth it.

    Listening to theirpliments one by one, the crimson-haired girl was already blushing and grinning from ear to ear by the time the desserts were to be served, and the sweetness of the ice-cream sundaes seemed to have made theirpliments turn even sweeter.

    The ''worst'' of them was Sam, who seemed to have been fully re-energized after gorging herself silly. "My little baby''s hands are simply magic! Everything you made is so delicious and fragrant, I almost swallowed my tongue!"

    While Dixie and Crystal weren''t so exaggerated with theirpliments, they still agreed with everything Sam said.

    Of course, the variety of dishes was still iparable to what the professional chefs in the mansion could prepare, but how could itpete with the taste of their sweetheart''s love?

    Only Michelle remained silent, but nodded along with their words, just hoping that her red nose and wet eyes weren''t too obvious and didn''t disturb their meal, no matter how moved she was.

    Shortly after they were done with their ice-cream sundaes, however, Michelle finally couldn''t hold it anymore as she spontaneously burst into tears, leaving everyone else dumbfounded.

    The short-haired girl knew that the fate of her princess and herself had been like two parallel lines.

    Amoner like her who had never seen anything but a life of mediocrity had nothing to do with the beloved daughter lovingly raised by one of the most powerful families in the country, after all, not even taking into ount her other identity.

    These parallel lines had intersected only because the princess used her own strength to forcefully save her from her doomed fate, and Michelle had already been grateful enough to dedicate her worthless life to her savior.

    But the more she stayed by her side, the more Michelle realized that Emilia not only cared for the wife she had been chasing, but also put thought and consideration into insignificant people like herself.

    Not only did Emilia care for her enough to make sure she didn''t overwork, she even paid attention to her weight, giving her vacations and having the chef give her a special diet to quickly fix her malnourished body.

    And now, her princess had even cooked her a meal with her own hands, and let her be by her side even though she had done nothing to deserve it.

    For a talentless girl like her who had nothing to boast about, this kind of favor made her feel like she had wronged her princess instead of helping her. How could she not cry?

    Feeling herself enter the soft, fragrant embrace of her princess, Michelle''s sobs came to an abrupt halt. Naturally, with her being seated by Emilia''s side, the crimson-haired girl had stood up to console her, not caring much about anything else.

    But for Michelle, having her face buried in the breasts of her princess ¡ª right in front of her ''wife'', at that ¡ª was like a sh of thunder from the sky, leaving her both thrilled and terrified. ''I-I won''t get killed, right? N-No! How can I continue serving my princess if I''m dead?!''

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 Chapter 342 A Small Animalâ€™s Instinct

    <h4>Chapter 342 A Small Animal''s Instinct</h4>

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    There was once a time when Michelle didn''t fear death, because she believed that there was no point in continuing to live a life like that.

    After all, she had no goals, no hopes, and no dreams. Even if she continued to hang on by a thread, all that would ever await her was pain and misery as she endured humiliation after humiliation from those who hated her.

    Even if she tried to resist, she would only be repeatedly trampled under their heel, and the greatest ''rebellion'' she could imagine would be to escape from their clutches the only way she could imagine - death.

    But now that she had been saved by Emilia and already had her own dreams, how could Michelle still not fear death? If she still died, wouldn''t all the effort her princess spent in saving her be in vain?

    No! She would live as long as she could, and spend every waking moment serving her princess to the best of her ability! This was not only out of gratitude, but also because it had already be Michelle''s goal in life.

    She had long since regarded her princess, Emilia, as someone who was inherently kind and caring, and thus couldn''t perceive her as a ''threat'' no matter how much stronger she could be whenpared to regr humans.

    Crystal, on the other hand, was supposedly a regr human, but had beenbeled as ''dangerous'' from the very moment Michelle became aware of her position in Emilia''s heart.

    At first, her fear stemmed from the worry of ruining the pursuit of her princess if she wasn''t careful, but over time, she realized that there was something about her that just rang all the rm bells in her heart. It was as if the girl could see right through her and find out the deepest, darkest secrets from the depths of her soul.

    If it was ever discovered that her obsession with her princess wasn''t limited to just gratitude, Michelle didn''t dare imagine the consequences. If she really ended up ruining things for her princess, her sins would be unforgivable!

    Moreover, Crystal may appear kind on the surface, but Michelle didn''t believe that she was truly so harmless.

    If the world was a forest, and she was a small rodent, then Crystal was like the smiling tiger that could chew her up without even spitting out the bones. Of course, her princess was the majestic mythical creature that lived at the heart of the forest, untainted by the rest of the world.

    The instincts of a small animal were always very sharp. While Dixie was like a huge elephant that could easily crush both her and the tiger, she was inherently averse to attacking others for no reason, and would not bring them harm unless provoked.

    "What''s wrong, Michelle?"

    "Are you okay?"

    Michelle knew that she was bound to cause a misunderstanding, and maybe even make Emilia sad, if she didn''t exin herself. "I-I''m okay¡­ j-just too overwhelmed by the favor shown by the princess! O-Of course, I-I don''t mean anything strange!"

    She didn''t dare to raise her head to take a look at anyone''s expression, and simply closed her eyes in the embrace of her princess.

    As she repeated her words in her mind to see if they could cause any misunderstandings, Michelle could only reel in despair even as she basked in the soft and fragrant embrace of her princess. No matter how she thought about it, what she had done was just equivalent to shoving her foot in her mouth. ''I-It''s over! W-Won''t they think I''m just trying to seek sympathy while showing off?!''

    Seeing how the short-haired girl continued to sob in her embrace while turning her face from side to side, Emilia couldn''t help but rub the top of her head in distress. "Michelle¡­"

    But like a floodgate that had been broken, the girl seemed to be overwhelmed as she continued to cry incoherently, and Emilia could only turn her helpless eyes to herpanions.

    Sam and Dixie seemed to be just as dumbfounded as herself, but Crystal smiled. "I think she''s been holding everything in her heart for too long. Just let her vent for a while, don''t worry."

    Emilia didn''t doubt the blonde girl''s words and just held the older girl in her arms as she sobbed and sniffled, trying to bury herself deeper into her embrace as if she wished she could just disappear from in front of their eyes.

    By the time her hups had faded away, Michelle had already slid down from the chair and onto the ground with her head on Emilia''sp, who now upied her former position, and her eyes were woozy from both relief and exhaustion.

    Emilia could only run her fingers through the girl''s short hair with a rueful smile. "Done?"

    Michelle seemed to jolt in shock as her eyes turned wide. "I-I''m sorry¡ª!"

    The crimson-haired girl tapped the girl''s forehead yfully, making her freeze as she stopped trying to get up. "Silly, just stay there if you like. Anyway, you look like you''re about to fall asleep, but there are things I need to discuss before you do, so listen carefully, okay?"

    Michelle nodded seriously as she tried to fight off her drowsiness, and Emilia turned her sight to Crystal as she sighed. "To be honest, I wouldn''t have thought about discussing things like this if not for Crystal, but this is a good opportunity to clear any misunderstandings¡­ too bad Noelle isn''t here, though."

    Seeing her little sister''s disappointment, Sam couldn''t help but frown. "I tried to convince her toe, but¡ª"

    Emilia shook her head in denial. "No, it''s not big sister''s fault, and neither is it Noelle''s. I should have handled her matters better. Clearly, there was some misunderstanding between us, and I rushed things out of excitement."

    Pursing her lips in thought, she nodded. "But don''t worry, I''ll take care of it soon."

    The cheerful atmosphere at the table had already turned a little down after Michelle''s emotional outburst, and seeing how it seemed to be doused even further, Emilia grinned. "Forget that for now. Crystal, why don''t you tell them everything we talked about earlier?"

    The blonde-haired girl blinked in surprise as she pointed at herself, and seeing Emilia''s encouraging smile, she could only clear her throat awkwardly. "H-Hello, everyone, I-I''m Crystal¡­"

    Dixie and Sam stared at her with giant question marks on their faces, and the heroine''s face almost exploded from embarrassment. ''O-Oh¡­ what the hell am I doing?!''

    Clearly, Emilia hadn''t told her in advance she would be doing this, as she didn''t think there was any need to go through a rehearsal or whatever. Everyone here could already be considered as ''family'' in her heart, after all.

    The blonde girl could only cough awkwardly. "S-Sorry¡­ I-I''ll start over."

    Thankfully, Sam and Dixie were too confused to evenugh, so if not for Emilia''s mischievous smirk, Crystal could almost delude herself into thinking she hadn''t just re-introduced herself in front of her closest friends for no reason.

    Clearing her throat, the heroine straightened up her spine before nodding. "S-So, for the past few days, I''ve been closely observing myself, and noticed something strange¡­"

    The more she talked about it, the smoother her words became, and Crystal soon forgot all about her previous embarrassment as she started pointing out the details of her abilities.

    Of course, Emilia trusted them in her heart, and so did Crystal. She didn''t hide anything when retelling her story, even though she knew that being able to ''observe'' people like this could be considered both unsettling and creepy.

    For some people, it would make her a freak. For others, she would be a monster, or a devil. In Crystal''s usually cynical heart, the best result she could expect from others when facing this kind of situation would be wondering how to make use of her, but that wasn''t necessarily any better.

    Of course, things were no longer the same after being with Emilia for so long, and Crystal also had a much deeper understanding of Dixie and Sam. But even though she knew that they wouldn''t be like that, somewhere deep inside, the blonde girl couldn''t help but be nervous as she finished. "A-Anyway, that is all I''ve managed to observe so far."

    In Michelle''s drowsy state, it was already good enough that she was listening, but thinking about it too much was impossible, so she just nodded, even though no one noticed. Of course, Emilia already knew about it all, so there was no reaction from her either.

    That only left the other two, and Crystal could only grit her teeth and wait for their reactions, not even daring to use her ability to peer into their thoughts. She felt like one of those students who was too nervous to enter their roll number on the exam website to check their results, even though they knew it wouldn''t change anything.

    Sam and Dixie remained silent for a while before the younger girl breathed a sigh of relief, finally figuring out why Crystal seemed intent to burn a hole through her head these days, while the older one started bombarding the heroine with questions.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but be relieved in her heart as she answered all her curiosities one by one. ''I-I knew I was worried for nothing. How could they be like that?''

    Given that they could ept an existence like Emilia, Crystal''s ability really was nothing too strange to look at. At most, she was like a psychic, and Sam''s questions probed more at the extent of her abilities than anything else.

    Of course, Crystal''s fear hadn''t beenpletely unfounded. While some people did face what they considered ''abnormal'' with fascination and curiosity, for the majority, their first reaction would always be either fear or hostility.

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 Chapter 343 Delving Within Oneself

    <h4>Chapter 343 Delving Within Oneself</h4>

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    Sam tapped her chin in thought as she stared at Crystal skeptically. "So... can you guess what I''m thinking right now?"

    The blonde girl could only rub her nose in embarrassment. "Um, like I said, I cannot exactly read minds. Just peek a little into your thoughts and intentions, and... it''s not that urate."

    The older girl grinned. "Still¡­ why don''t you give it a try?"

    Given that all she was getting from her ability was ''doubt'', ''funny'', and ''stuuupid'' when she focused on Sam, Crystal had no idea whether she was trying to make herugh or really testing whether she could hear her thoughts.

    Thankfully, Emilia interrupted their conversation with a cough, saving the heroine from her dilemma. "You girls continue that discussionter, but Michelle seems to be about to doze off, and I''d really like to clear up some misunderstandings first."

    Michelle blinked in surprise as she looked up, her eyes still a little foggy from confusion as she tried to digest the fact that Crystal could, to some extent, peer into her thoughts. ''I-It''s not like I have a-anything to worry about, r-right!''

    Emilia patted the girl''s head with a smile. "Actually, Michelle, this one is more for you than the others. Remember what I told you before about me being a vampire?"

    Seeing the girl nod absently, the crimson-haired girl chuckled. "It was just something I made up to convince you at the time that I can get things done."

    Michelle blinked at her, dumbfounded. "B-But what about the fangs and stuff? I-I¡­"

    Emilia ruffled the girl''s short hair affectionately. "Well, although I''m not a vampire, I am someone from another world, and I also have a few abilities of my own."

    Michelle gulped. "O-Oh¡­ t-then¡­ you don''t need blood to survive¡­?"

    Emilia chuckled in amusement. "That''s right."

    With her current state, Michelle found it a little difficult to ept how everything she had been assuming before was false, but considering it came from her princess directly, there was nothing she could do but force herself to believe it.

    Of course, regardless of the origin of her abilities, the fact that Emilia saved her remained the same, so the turmoil in her heart wasn''t actually that great.

    But the emotional ups and downs still took their toll on her, and the short-haired girl soon drifted off to sleep with her head still on Emilia''sp as the discussion on the table continued.

    Other than Michelle, the other three were already aware of Emilia''s true origin, though they all had their own ''version'' of beliefs in their mind.

    "So the source of Crystal''s ability¡­ is your¡­ blood?"

    Emilia coughed. "N-No, I believe this is her own ability. If anything, my blood must have strengthened it a little, but that''s it."

    Sam could only nod thoughtfully. "But then, where does it reallye from?"

    The crimson-haired girl shrugged. "She must have already had it from the start."

    Not to mention Sam, even Dixie couldn''t help but gasp in shock. "Y-You mean to say that Crystal was a superwoman all along?!"

    Their shock wasn''t unjustified considering that they considered Crystal to be the same as themselves before, and only thought her abilities must havee from Emilia somehow, so the crimson-haired girl could only smile helplessly. "Well, it wouldn''t be wrong to call her a heroine, but it''s not like she''s the only person in the world to have abilities."

    Sam and Dixie turned to stare at each other before the older girl coughed. "W-What do you mean?"

    Emilia could only shrug and proceed to give them the same lecture as she had given Crystal, but surprisingly, neither Sam nor Dixie seemed to be as ''surprised'' as she had expected.

    Samantha sighed. "Although it makes some sense, I honestly haven''t seen anything quite like what Crystal seems to have in my life."

    Dixie nodded. "Mhm¡­ I did think it was a bit strange when grandfather told me to never participate in apetition that would be able to quantify my strength too urately, but I always passed it off as being cautious and never revealing our true strength."

    The older girl tapped her chin in thought. "Aside from the Brown family in our country and the fabled Nightingale n in the Carmen country, I really haven''t heard of any ''exceptional'' stuff like this¡­ O-Of course, not to say I doubt it!"

    Given that it wasing from their beloved little princess, and Crystal had already shown them some proof, it was already enough for both Dixie and Sam to believe that what they were being told was true. The only thing they didn''t understand was why it would be hidden so well.

    Unfortunately, Emilia didn''t have any concrete answers for them either.

    When the topic moved on to Dixie''s ability, the girl could only cough in embarrassment. "I-I did get a lot stronger after we d-did it, b-but I haven''t noticed anything new that I can do now that I couldn''t before¡­"

    In the end, Sam just sighed in defeat. "Alright¡­ I guess it really is so. Then¡­ there''s no chance that I would be able to awaken some ability just because I had some of your magic juice before, right, Emilia?"

    "M-Magic juice?!" Although she had already been prepared for this discussion, Emilia still couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment when facing all of their heated gazes. "W-Well, t-that¡­ I-I believe that there is a possibility that everyone has some talent within themselves that they can awaken, b-but¡­ it''s not always so easy to notice what you have¡­"

    Listening to her little sister''s exnation, Sam more or less knew that it was somewhat unlikely for her to obtain any ability, and even if she did, it was even more unlikely that she would be able to discover it.

    After all, if she had some strange ability that only worked under very specific circumstances, the only way she would ever be able to discover it was through sheer luck.

    Emilia couldn''t bear to see her sister''s disheartened look, so she gave her a reassuring smile. "Don''t worry. In the future, if I discover any way to check these things, I''ll naturally help you. Of course, even if we never find out, big sister should still be proud of your current talents."

    Sam sighed. "What talents? Being able to inherit properly?"

    Emilia shook her head in denial. "No, how can you sell yourself so short? I know big sister not only works hard, but also has a lot of talent when ites to managing the corporation properly. Even Noelle can''t help but boast about you to me from time to time, you know?"

    "What? Noelle¡­ boasted about¡­ me?!"

    Sam''s shock wasn''t unwarranted, since from their usual interactions, it was already good enough if Noelle didn''tment about her boss being a moron all the time.

    Emilia chuckled. "Well, she did say it was impossible to admit it in front of you¡­"

    "Why?!"

    The crimson-haired girl shrugged helplessly. "¡­ because you''ll react like this?"

    Sam could only cough in embarrassment. "W-Well..."

    Emilia chuckled. "And she said that you have a lot of potential for growth, so it was better not to say such things and give you a big head, ruining your potential from conceit."

    The older girl blushed as she looked away. "O-Oh¡­ w-why did you tell me, then?"

    Emilia smiled, her gentle gaze almost directly melting Sam''s heart into a puddle. "Of course, I want big sister to be confident. As for Noelle¡­ well, I''ll take care of her matterter."

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    Given that Sam had started to nod off, and Michelle had long since fallen asleep, their discussion was naturally unable to continue much longer.

    Dixie and Crystal looked like they had things to talk about, so after bidding them goodnight, Emilia simply carried Michelle back to the girl''s bed before taking Sam to her own room. As for what the two of them were going to discuss... Emilia assumed it must be about Crystal''s ability, so she wasn''t very curious.

    After assisting Sam in rinsing her mouth and changing intofortable sleepwear, it didn''t take long for the older girl to snuggle into her embrace and drift off to sleep as well, making it much harder for Emilia to change into her own nightie.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t really mind all that much, as her mind was already elsewhere. The older girl seemed satisfied once she was able to bury her face in the now-docile girl''s soft little pillows, drifting off to sleep.

    The crimson-haired girl simply held her older sister close as she focused within herself, delving deep into her own mind while channeling her energy internally. Had Cynthia not gone into istion long ago, at this moment... she would have been dumbfounded in shock.

    After all, the ease with which Emilia was manipting energy didn''t just exceed the level she should have, but approached the realm of what she considered to be impossible.

    Of course, to Emilia, her rapid improvement seemed to be a matter of course. After all, ever since she gained the plentiful energy frompleting her mission, she had been practicing diligently in her free time.

    Shortly after she started channeling her energy, a gentle glow appeared around Emilia''s body as Sam''s grip unconsciously tightened, but neither of them noticed.

    Emilia''s ''soul form'' had already entered what she thought of as her own inner realm.

    It was a vast emptiness not much different from the endless void she had initially met Cynthia in, except there were a few things floating around here and there, ranging from figures of people to some curious little objects.

    Emilia fully intended to explore everythingter, but for now, the two biggest objects not far from her floating form were what she had to focus on first.

    The first was a huge crimson orb, dozens of timesrger than the floating crimson-haired girl in the white dress.

    Had it not been for the familiarity of the energy it contained, Emilia would have thought of it as something sinister. But of course, the intimate connection between them prevented her from seeing it as anything but an adorable little child that followed all hermands.

    Approaching the crimson orb, the floating form of Emilia smiled as she ced her palm on its surface, and a few tendrils of energy automatically extended out to caress her as if in adoration. "I finally see you for myself, huh¡­ what a naughty little baby¡­"

    Emilia knew that not only was this the source of all her abilities, it was also the very same energy that she had to harvest from the ''world will''. Of course, it no longer contained any of the thoughts or ambitions of the ''world will'', or Emilia wouldn''t treat it like this.

    That is not to say it had no thoughts of its own, however. And the reason Emilia treated it like this also stemmed from the source of these thoughts.

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 Chapter 344 Cynthiaâ€™s Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 344 Cynthia''s Surprise</h4>

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    The tendrils of crimson energy danced around Emilia''s fingers like yful little children, and obediently went back to their home with just a thought. "Oh¡­ you''re more obedient than your ''mother'', aren''t you?"

    The orb seemed to vibrate a little in protest, but Emilia didn''t worry about its rebellion at all as she turned her sight to the cubical structure floating below the orb. "So this is where she holes up, huh¡­"

    A few clingy little tendrils of the crimson energy tried to stick themselves to Emilia''s hair as she floated away from the orb, but could only part from her under the invisible attraction force of the core.

    Emilia seemed unperturbed by everything as she passed right through the metallic-looking walls of the dark cube and floated down till her toes touched the ground.

    Carpeted and luxurious, the room she entered seemed to be muchrger than the size of the cube had seemed to indicate. It was evenrger than thergest pce hall in her previous world, with ominous, dark marbled floor and ck pirs lined with gold.

    At the center of the hally a cozy little nest of soft cushions and velvety nkets on a giant red carpet, on top of which a petite girl in ck gauze seemed to be dozing off without a care in the world.

    Her peaceful sleep seemed to have been disturbed by Emilia''s sharp gaze as the girl scrunched her brows in displeasure and scratched her exposed belly before continuing to sleep.

    Looking around, Emilia noticed a few curious little gadgets lying around on the carpet, including a giant candy dispenser, a big screen, and a few rm clocks that were carefullybeled ''low energy'', ''emergency'', and ''mission''.

    She pointedly ignored the crimson-haired doll thaty next to the girl on the giant cushion. Knowing Cynthia, it was far more likely for it to be her punching bag when she was angry with her than a cuddle buddy.

    Emilia chuckled as she poked the raven-haired girl''s soft cheeks yfully. "Wakey wakey~"

    "Mhm???"

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but giggle when the annoyed little cker tried to p her hand away, only to keep missing.

    It took Cynthia a few moments to realize that she wasn''t in her own inner world now, but inside Emilia''s, which hadn''t even started germinating. So¡­ how could there be any insects?

    Forcing herself awake, the gem-like emerald eyes squinted at the ''intruder'' nkly. "Huh¡­?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile as she looked at the petite girl''s dumb expression. "Hi, cutie. Missed me?"

    The fogginess instantly evaporated from Cynthia''s pupils as she jolted back in shock. "E-Emilia?!"

    The crimson-haired girl giggled as she pulled her dumbfounded partner onto herp. "My, I thought you would be delighted to know that I''ve learned such a cool trick by myself, but why do you look so terrified?"

    Cynthia hurriedly shook her head in denial. "W-Who''s scared? N-Not me, no!"

    Looking at her partner''s teasing smile, the raven-haired girl coughed in shame. "I-I just didn''t expect you would¡­ No, why were you trying to do such a thing in the first ce, why not tell me?!"

    Unfortunately, her efforts to move out of her partner''sp and back to herfy pillow were swiftly rendered ineffective by Emilia''s gentle but firm embrace around her waist.

    Cynthia could only grit her teeth angrily.

    Emilia chuckled as she rested her chin on the petite girl''s fair shoulder. "I wanted to give you a pleasant surprise, obviously. And¡­"

    The raven-haired girl gulped. "A-And¡­?"

    Emilia sighed sadly. "And¡­ haven''t you been ignoring me a bit too muchtely?"

    Cynthia''s head rattled from side to side in panic. "I-Ignoring you? W-Why, no! I-I haven''t¡ª!"

    The crimson-haired girl pecked her partner''s cheek yfully, instantly striking her dumb. "While I understand everyone needs their alone time once in a while¡­ some of these days you barely spend a few minutes with me, and I don''t think you''re just silently observing, either?"

    Cynthia, who was still trying to process what was happening, could only wonder if she was still asleep. "Uh, I-I¡­ um¡­"

    Emilia tapped her partner''s forehead, smiling gently. "Don''t be so nervous. Do you think I''m going to eat you? This is your home, so befortable. Anyway¡­ what do you usually do here?"

    Now that she was slightly less panicked, Cynthia couldn''t help but look away in shame. "I-I¡­ n-nothing, really¡­."

    Emilia grinned yfully as she pointed at the big wooden box with a screen on the left. "Does that TV have any entertainment channels?"

    Her ''trick'' of distracting her seemed to work as Cynthia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Do you think any cable providers provide connections to ''Emilia''s Inner World''?"

    Emilia made an ''ohh'' sound as she nodded, as if enlightened.

    Before Cynthia could be smug, however, she was immediately dumbfounded by her partner''s next question. "Then don''t tell me, you just¡­ sleep?"

    In the end, she could only grit her teeth and confess hatefully. "That''s right! But so what?!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but be stunned for a few moments before she shook her head ruefully. "What''s the TV for, then?"

    Cynthia coughed. "¡­ After the first few days, I felt really strange sharing all your senses, so I just cut it off and share only the vision on TV when we''re connected."

    "Oh¡­"

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but gulp when her partner turned silent, only rubbing their cheeks together intermittently.

    Since the clothes on her body had the same appearance here as the ones right before her ''death'', even barefoot, Emilia''s form unconsciously exuded a sense of regal majesty,pletely different from her usually mischievous and seductive self.

    The only thing missing was the crystal crown on her head, or she would have looked like a queen.

    In contrast, Cynthia knew that she must look like a child on herp, wearing only a casual ck gauze on her petite frame.

    The picture was a bit too shameful for her to imagine, renewing her determination to struggle out of her partner''sp. "I-I feel ufortable, c-can you let me go?"

    Surprisingly, Emilia really let her spring out of her embrace just like that, and copsed right next to her on the big pillow with a sigh. "I don''t me you for holing up here, honestly, it''s reallyfy."

    Had it not been for the fact that the girl had been holding her tightly throughout her previous struggles, Cynthia would really have been fooled into thinking she just didn''t notice!

    ''W-What is this little viiness of mine ying at now¡­?''

    Seeing how the crimson-haired beauty seemed content to just lie there and stare at her, eyes glinting mysteriously, Cynthia could only nervously bite the bullet and ask. "W-Why do you keep staring at me like that? I-Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

    Emilia grinned. "Actually¡­ yes. Since you''ve been avoiding me for so long, there are too many things we need to talk about, you know? As for why I stare at you¡­ obviously, isn''t it your own fault for being so cute?"

    Cynthia coughed. "W-What is it, then?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled as she snaked her fair hand around the petite girl''s waist again. "Why don''t I just show you?"

    And to Cynthia''s surprise, the two of them started floating right out of the hall they had been in, and passed right through the ceiling to emerge in front of the crimson orb of energy.

    Her surprise didn''t stem from the fact that such things could be done, but that Emilia was capable of doing them.

    How could it be possible for a girl who was less than a century old to be able to do things like this? It made no sense at all!

    "N-No¡­ this¡­ how can you do this?! This body was formed by me for you, but I am also its master in essence¡­ even if you can do some things on your own, it''s impossible for your control over it to be greater than mine already!"

    Cynthia didn''t even realize she had mentioned such an absurd thing out loud.

    In her mind, it should have taken Emilia at least a few transitions and breakthroughs in her cultivation to even start realizing that her ''inner world'' could be entered, and even then, her ''ess'' would only be what she decided was appropriate.

    At that point, Cynthia nned to create a small garden for her partner to y around in, and directly send her there when she entered her inner world.

    As for the rest of the space¡­ well, she would keep some for herself to y around in, and let the girl slowly increase her jurisdiction along with her abilities.

    Now, however, her expectations had beenpletely subverted, and Emilia seemed to already have full control over her inner world. At least, it wasn''t any less than what she herself had.

    With their equal levels of authority in this inner world, it was truly an inconceivable thought. Comparing their age, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that Emilia was like a broken grain of sand in front of her endless desert.

    Had she not fiddled with the very core of Emilia''s soul not long ago, Cynthia would even wonder if this girl wasn''t some old monster who had been staring at her for a long time without her knowledge, and had managed to fool her somehow.

    But no matter how strange she found it, the facts were presented in front of her eyes, and Cynthia could only set her disbelief aside.

    Emilia had obviously heard what her partner had unconsciously blurted out, but at this point, how could she be shocked?

    With Cynthia''s loose mouth and careless expressions, she already had most of her ''ins and outs'' figured out by now, after all.

    "Look carefully, okay?"

    Cynthia''s already ck expression turned even more dumbfounded when tendrils of crimson energy started dancing around them as Emilia approached the giant orb. ''N-No, h-how is this possible?!''

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 Chapter 345 Obedient Child

    <h4>Chapter 345 Obedient Child</h4>

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    When Emilia had first learned the void form, all she required of it was to regain her body, and perhaps be a little stronger than she used to be. Of course, there had always been a faint expectation for more, but the crimson-haired girl wasn''t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    With time, however, herprehension of the void form increased, and so did her understanding of what could and could not be done using chaos energy. Once her first mission waspleted and she had this ''fuel'' in hand, Emilia''s first priority was naturally to try and see if all the ideas she had before would work or not.

    As Cynthia watched in disbelief, the tendrils of crimson energy continued swirling around Emilia''s arm and condensed into a small seed in her palm that slowly grew in size.

    Once the tiny seed had grown to almost the size of a tennis ball, the crimson-haired girl closed her palm gently, and the excess energy instantly stopped pouring into the ball.

    After trying to cling to her hands and legs, like a petnt child refusing to let go of their mother, the remnants of the crimson energy finally flew back to the giant orb in front of them.

    Cynthia watched nkly as her partner swirled a finger around the big orb in her palm, and instantlypressed it to a small bead no bigger than a grape.

    Emilia smiled as she pressed the crimson grape into Cynthia''s palm. "Can you guess what this is?"

    The raven-haired girl already had a thousand and one questions swirling in her head, but she could only frown and sink consciousness into the bead.

    It only took her a moment to figure out its purpose. ''I-It''s... using the shapeshift skill...? No... i-it''s different?!''

    Emilia giggled as she watched her partner''s head swivel back to her in shock as soon as she realized what the bead in her hand was. "So, am I good or what?"

    Cynthia pointed a finger at her in disbelief. "Y-You¡­!"

    The crimson-haired girl raised a brow with a smile. "Mhm?"

    Although she was shocked, looking at the girl''s teasing and proud smile, Cynthia almost made up her mind to ignore the whole thing and never ask.

    In the end, however, there''s no way she could live without knowing what was going on, so the raven-haired girl could only grit her teeth in anger. "What the hell is going on? Where did you learn how to do these things?!"

    Emilia flicked back her long crimson locks haughtily. "Why, I came up with this by myself, obviously?"

    The smug face of her gorgeous partner really made Cynthia wish to conjure a brick and smash it in, but there was no way she could actually do so, which only made her more angry. "Don''t joke around! Do you know how long it took me to learn how to manipte chaos energy into usable techniques by myself?!"

    Emilia blinked at her innocently. "Um¡­ no? How long did it take?"

    Cynthia was immediately dumbfounded. "I-I¡­ "

    It had been so long, how could she be bothered to remember such trivial things? But it was also impossible to admit it now¡­

    "I-It doesn''t matter! A-Anyway, i-it should definitely be impossible for you to learn it by yourself so quickly!"

    Emilia frowned as she scratched her cheek in confusion. "Why not?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh, trying her best to calm herself down. Her partner wasn''t doing it on purpose... probably. But the way the energy flowed before made no sense, and the raven-haired girl knew she wasn''t without enemies. This was why she absolutely had to verify the source of this technique, for both their sake. "Emilia¡­ don''t mess around, okay? Tell me where you learned it from!"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed as she ced her palms on her angry partner''s cheeks before squeezing. "Why do you not believe me? Have I ever lied to you?"

    Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Cynthia couldn''t help but feel a prick in her heart, and her previously upromising stare wavered. "¡­W-Well, i-if you really came up with it¡­ t-then¡­ exin it to me?"

    Emilia grinned. "Sure!"

    Ever since she had first started using the shapeshift ability, for her, the restriction of having to wait for eight hours to use it again had always been its most fatal w.

    Not only did it prevent her from using it more flexibly, such as switching between different types of forms ording to the need, but it also made using the abilitypletely impossible at other times.

    For example, if Emilia knew that she needed to use the ability at a particr point in time, she could absolutely not afford to use it for eight hours leading up to that point.

    As someone who liked to be prepared for emergencies, this naturally prevented her from making full use of the shapeshift skill at all, which made Emilia extremely annoyed.

    She had been a little helpless about it before, when she hadn''t yet had any chaos energy to use for herself, and had no understanding of it. Once Emilia went through the absorption phase afterpleting her mission, however, things were no longer the same.

    While she was still absorbing energy, her body was in a state where she could even use the shapeshift ability continuously if she wanted to, making the cooldownpletely irrelevant for the duration.

    Knowing that the cooldown wasn''t just some arbitrary restriction that Cynthia ced on her for fun, Emilia was interested in both figuring out how why it wasn''t such a problem during those few hours, and more importantly¡­ how she could make it work for herself.

    Cynthia could only gape at her partner in disbelief as she listened to the girl proudly exin how she had figured out how to modify the original energy channeling patterns of her shapeshift skill to create what she had, what restrictions it currently had, as well as what she nned to do in the future.

    The raven-haired girl quickly shook her head in denial. "N-No, wait! How you figure out what should be done isn''t important! But how did you actually managed to do it?!"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Isn''t that the same thing?"

    Cynthia almost blew her top on the spot. "No it''s not! Just because you know that you must change the energy flow in a certain way doesn''t mean you can just do it?!"

    The crimson-haired girl gave her a confused look. "Um¡­ I''m not sure I understand¡­?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but grit her teeth in frustration. "Are you trying to piss me off on purpose? To make the chaos energy flow in a certain way, what we need to do is force it through prepared pathways first!"

    Emilia blinked. "Don''t you just have to express what you want it to do, and then it just works?"

    "No?! Look!"

    With a wave of her hand, some of the crimson energy from the orb was forcibly plucked out and flew to Cynthia''s palm, who calmly made it change into various shapes before handing it over to her partner. "Try doing what I just did."

    Emilia didn''t understand what Cynthia was trying to do, but did as she was told anyway.

    The raven-haired girl''s serious expression quickly turned ugly as she watched Emilia imitate what she had done with seemingly no effort.

    In fact, not only did the tiny bubble of energy rapidly sift through all the shapes that Cynthia had made, it even bubbled afterwards as if eagerly anticipating Emilia''s next ''y''.

    "H-How¡­?!"

    Not only were the transitions smoother, but Cynthia could even feel that the normally omnipresent vibration in chaos energy whenever it was being actively manipted was no longer there once it was in Emilia''s palm.

    The raven-haired girl could no longer deny that Emilia''s maniption of chaos energy wasn''t just ''good'', butpletely different from her own!

    The difference between how the two of them did it was like night and day. If Cynthia was someone dragging a dog by its leash against its will, then Emilia was like someone who simply had to give an order and the little puppy would dash off to get it done on its own. They couldn''t bepared at all!

    "How did you make chaos energy work for you like that? Isn''t it inherently vtile and impossible to control?!"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about? It''s like an obedient, lovely little child. As long as you treat it gently and carefully, it will do everything on its own."

    Had there been any actual blood in her current form, Cynthia was sure that she would have already coughed some out from the continuous blows to her pride.

    But there was no way that Emilia wasn''t telling her the truth either. After all, everything that happened was clear for her to see, and no matter how Cynthia wanted to deny it, there was no way she could do so.

    Begrudgingly, she could only try to imitate what Emilia had told her, and gently coaxed the chaos energy like a little child, instructing it toe into her palm without forcing her will.

    And to her shock, joy, and disbelief, a tiny drop of chaos energy actually separated from the giant orb. Even if it was small, it proved that what Emilia said would actually work!

    But before she could celebrate, the tiny drop smacked her on the face before floating back into the orb, which proceeded to vibrate as ifughing before going back to serenity.

    Cynthia felt like she had been spat on and mocked, and almost directly fainted from rage. "Emilia?!"

    The crimson-haired girl coughed, doing her best to hide her amused smile as she patted her petite partner''s head in constion. "W-Well¡­ d-don''t worry, I''ll help you figure it out?"

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 Chapter 346 Common Origin

    <h4>Chapter 346 Common Origin</h4>

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    Although the energy contained within the crimson orb belonged to Emilia, Cynthia knew very well that chaos energy never had any real ''owner''. After all, had it not been so¡­ she would never be in the state she was in.

    Like water, one could store it in different types of containers, make it change certain states, and even change its appearance, but fundamentally¡­ it would always remain the same.

    Of course, the plus side of it was that she, too, was able to y the same game, and snatch the chaos energy that had gone out of the world will''s control for ''herself''.

    Emilia may not know, but she was well aware that the so-called ''personality'' was nothing but the base nature of the chaos energy itself, and it had no ability to actually ''think'', no matter how it appeared to be the case.

    This was why when Emilia told her that chaos energy was ''like an obedient child'', Cynthia couldn''t help but scoff. At the same time, she also had the sudden urge to imitate her partner, and show it for herself.

    "Okay, good, now think about what you need it to do, but don''t force it!"

    Emilia guided her gently and patiently on how to manifest her emotions and soothe the ''child'', conveying her meaning across instead of forcing her will onto it.

    For her, it was the difference between trying to bend down to pick something up by the child''s feet. If it understood what she was doing and had goodwill, it would do what she needed to get done without her saying anything.

    On the other hand, if she told the child ''pick it up'', it was more likely to trigger a rebellious response.

    Of course, Emilia had no need to do things in such a roundabout way, since she could directly forward her intent to the chaos energy. The child was already obedient to her. But that wouldn''t work for Cynthia, and she knew it very well.

    The feeling she got from chaos energy was far too simr to her partner for it to be a coincidence.

    Emilia would have to be a real airhead to not realize something wasn''t right when even the ''unfiltered'' chaos energy that had poured in from the outer world had Cynthia''s aura.

    It didn''t necessarily mean that the energy originally belonged to Cynthia, or was a part of her. There was no way Emilia could conclude that with certainty.

    However, at the very least, the two of them must share a closemon origin.

    The more Emilia interacted with the chaos energy, the stronger this belief became.

    The way Cynthia and the chaos energy ''reacted'' was almost the same, and even if it couldn''t really ''talk'' to her, Emilia had already learned how her partner''s mind worked, which made it much easier for her to realize her ''approach'' to the chaos energy.

    Naturally, it was also possible for her to follow Cynthia''s path and force the chaos energy to do her bidding, which was what she suspected was considered ''normal'', but why would Emilia take that route when it was far less productive and required a lot more effort?

    It was the same as putting numerous restrictions on a subordinate that was already an expert at the job. Aside from being counterproductive, it served little purpose.

    Sometimes, however, even if the proof were put in someone''s face, they would still refuse to ept the facts.

    Just like two people with highly dominant and stubborn personalities who wanted to lead the cause of the same goal, they would end up shing heads no matter how hard they tried not to.

    Both Cynthia and the chaos energy had a stubborn, prideful, and disobedient nature. Moreover, both of them had an extreme ''superiorityplex'' which, while somewhat adorable to Emilia, could not coexist with one another.

    Like two extremely stubborn and rude sisters who alwayspeted with each other for the most trivial nonsense, it would be stranger if they got along instead.

    After all, how could two people who both loved to dish out insults but could never take any possibly get along? Even if one had a higher level of thinking while the other had only a base ''nature'', this fact wouldn''t change.

    But even if Emilia knew that it was impossible for her to be able to ''teach'' Cynthia how to use chaos energy in the same way as she did, she still had to give it a try.

    The raven-haired girl persisted in her efforts for longer than Emilia anticipated, which was just a few minutes, but in the end threw her hands up in exasperation just the same. "I''m done!"

    Emilia chuckled as she patted her head in constion. "Don''t worry, I''m sure you''ll get it eventually. It''s fine if it doesn''t work right away¡ª"

    Cynthia scoffed. "Nope. I''m really done with this thing. I don''t know how it seems to work for you, but I''ve already confirmed that the way chaos energy works hasn''t changed."

    After thinking about it some more, Cynthia realized that it was really impossible for Emilia to have been manipted by someone else. She had been watching her for too long, after all.

    Even if she was so powerless, how could it be possible for someone unknown to enter a small world right under her watch without her ever realizing it?

    Not to mention, all her traces had been lost for so long, and even the worst of her ''enemies'' should have long since forgotten that she existed.

    As such, it wasn''t very likely for her ''ability'' to be something that would bring them harm, especially since Emilia didn''t seem to have obtained the ''method'' from dubious origins. It was just her strange mind at work.

    Since the chaos energy itself wasn''t something that would work for or against anyone in particr, being apletely neutral force, and the method that Emilia used didn''t seem to have any malicious intent or a way to hurt either of them either, there was really no need for her to worry too much.

    Of course, how it seemed to follow Emilia''s will was strange, and the raven-haired girl was curious about how and why this was so, but that could only be figured out slowly over time.

    Emilia didn''t know how to convince her otherwise, and while she believed it would be a good thing on the off chance that Cynthia managed to ''improve'', she already expected such an ending, and didn''t insist on it too much.

    Cynthia floated back into her ''nest''zily under Emilia''s defeated gaze, and the two of them quickly moved on from the matter of chaos energy to the ''ability'' that Emilia had managed to craft.

    The raven-haired girl wasn''t surprised that Emilia had tried to get rid of the restrictions on her abilities, though she had never expected her to actually be able to do so.

    Of course, while she had managed to greatly improve on what Cynthia had previously created, it still wasn''tpletely perfect. But when she finished listening to Emilia''s exnation on all the changes she had managed to make, she still couldn''t help but be shocked.

    "Isn''t that the same as having ''stacks'' on the skill?! No, wait, since the bead stores a ''particr form''... couldn''t you just¡ª?!"

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    Meanwhile, on the other side of the town, a group of old men were looking strangely at a ''letter'' that had arrived just an hour ago.

    Of course, normally they would already be in their own beds at this hour, but who would have expected them to receive a ''distress message'' right when they were discussing how to deal with an emergency?

    "What do you think, Lord Brown? Shall we... take care of it?"

    "Nonsense! Even if we can get it done, is there any need to actually do such illegal things? You want to spend thest of your days in jail or what?!"

    "There''s no need to get involved directly, but wouldn''t it be a done deal as long as Lord Brown mentions it to one of his ''brats''?"

    "Oh... makes sense!"

    Of course, the old man who was being mentioned was Dixie''s grandfather, the short-statured old man with unfathomable strength.

    The letter being mentioned wasn''t as much a ''distress message'' as it was a request for a ''hit''. Normally, it would already have been thrown into the trash without a second look... if not for the sender and the person it mentioned.

    Tugging on his beard, grandpa brown couldn''t help but frown. "If that child is really being troubled... it wouldn''t be right to just sit idly by."

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 Chapter 347 Snake Soup

    <h4>Chapter 347 Snake Soup</h4>

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    The ''Grandpa''s Association'' wasn''t actually an organization that was formed on a whim to ''admire Emilia'' as the other fans of the girl believed. In fact, it wasn''t a group that was too concerned with the girl at all, except for their leader.

    The real name of their group was ''Oriana Country''s Martial Arts Alliance'', and the alias of ''Grandpa''s Association'' was only used by the leader when dealing with ''personal matters'' as ofte.

    Of course, none of them would object to helping him out from time to time, but only if their own interests weren''t vited.

    Established by grandpa Brown in his early teens, their group was originally meant topete with the fabled Nightingale n of the Carmen country forrge-scale influence, but over time, their ambitions had been all but snuffed out by the giant.

    As for the reason¡­ simply put, after their generation, they had no ''worthy'' sessors who couldpete with the Nightingale n''s younger generations.

    Even if some of them weren''t weaker than the Nightingales in individual strength, it didn''t take them long to realize the difference between their ''bloodlines''.

    Even grandpa Brown, the strongest in their group, only had a single granddaughter whocked interest in fighting, while his only son was actually a waste who couldn''t fight even if he wanted to. And for the others¡­ the situation wasn''t much better.

    Naturally, aside from this ''old enemy'', few things could make these old men fly to gather up thiste at night in a panic. And just when they had barely started calming down, this kind of ''absurd'' request arrives at their table, making them wonder if they shouldugh or cry.

    Grandpa Brown frowned. "You said the ones who sent this letter were those little girls¡­ uh, what''s the name again?"

    The elderly man who had first opened the letter nodded. "Ooh L or something, wasn''t it? Oh, it''s signed right here. OO LAA LA. That''s it."

    If he recalled correctly, that bunch consisted of less than a dozen officedies, all from the White Deer''s office. Unless they were being misled, the information they provided was very likely to be true.

    Although any man who dared to do the things they had mentioned was probably not worth their time and would be cleaned up by the White Deer''s people sooner orter, the old man couldn''t bring himself to ignore his granddaughter''s ''friend'' be bullied, after all. "¡­ Let''s take care of it, then."

    The other members of the Martial Arts Alliance couldn''t help but look at him in shock.

    "You mean we''re going to do it ourselves?"

    "Why not just mention it to one of your ''brats''? I''m sure teaching a lesson to such a little upstart shouldn''t be an issue for them at all. There''s no need to get our hands dirty."

    "That''s right. Even if the boy was bothering or trying to take advantage of your granddaughter''s friend, we still shouldn''t involve ourselves in a children''s dispute unless necessary!"

    Grandpa Brown knew that they were only thinking about his own granddaughter''s growth since she had started to show a lot of potential recently, so he didn''t get mad at their rebuttal. "¡­ Don''t you realize it by now? The one for whom that old snake came for?"

    The atmosphere in the room chilled instantly.

    "You mean¡­ his arrival here has something to do with that little girl?!"

    "So she''s the one he''s targeting?!"

    ''Old snake'' was the nickname of a top-tier powerhouse of the nightingale n. Although he wasn''t as strong as some of them, and nowhere close to grandpa Brown, none of the people here could im they would be able to catch him or find out where he was if he decided to hide. Simply put, he was one of the best spies in the Nightingale n, and also a superb assassin.

    The moment someone caught wind of his arrival in the country, their entire ''Martial Arts Alliance'' instantly lost any notion of sleep.

    What a joke! If the old snake really came to kill one of them, were they supposed to peacefully wait for him toe and reap their life? No way!

    Even if some of them had one foot in their graves, none of them were eager to actually jump in!

    They had to figure out a way to smoke him out and crush him to paste! Now that he had dared to enter Oriana country¡­ he can forget about leaving.

    As for the matter of the boy who was harassing the White Deer Corporation''s little princess¡­ what did that have to do with them? With the White Deer Corporation''s ability, their assistance was unlikely to be of much use.

    Plus, if their conjectures were wrong and the old snake''s target wasn''t Emilia White but one of them instead, wouldn''t their actions be self-defeating? They believed that even if grandpa Brown liked to y around, it still shouldn''t be with their lives!

    If the old snake was really here to kill Emilia White, however, things wouldn''t look so bad.

    After all, even if he was sneaky and clever, it wasn''t like the man had any supernatural abilities.

    With the background of the White Deer Corporation''s little princess, as long as they alerted her family about the ''surprise'', wouldn''t the old snake just be a wet rat running towards a trap?!

    Just thinking about achieving such a ''sleeping victory'' against the Nightingale n was enough to put them in a good mood.

    Grandpa Brown smiled as he tapped the table with the back of his wrinkly hand. "Don''t dream too much. I know you all are usuallyzy andcent, but now that we have this chance¡­ why not show those conceited fools of the Nightingale n that we''re not dead yet? Or are you satisfied living the rest of your life with your head down?"

    Thecent and content expressions around the table instantly copsed into a mixture of rage and shame, but none of them dared to refute grandpa Brown''s words.

    After all, not only was he the strongest among them, but his words also rang with a truth they had subconsciously wanted to deny.

    Whether the old snake was really here for Emilia or for some other purpose, the fact that he was here at all was already like spitting in their face.

    Since both the ck Tiger and White Deer''s heirs lived in this Green Leaf city, not to mention all the other industry leaders that resided here, even if it was not the capital city, it could still be considered the lifeblood of the Oriana country.

    Sending someone like the old snake who specialized in spying and assassination was the same as dering that the Nightingale n, or the Gray Wolfe, didn''t take anyone in their country seriously at all. This included not just the major corporations and the government, but also the residents themselves.

    But for grandpa Brown, all of this was secondary. What he cared about most was that this man''s arrival here not only endangered his precious granddaughter who had just started to shine, but one of his possible targets could possibly include his future granddaughter-inw!

    The other people here may only think it was one of the possibilities, and the old snake could be aiming for anyone in reality, but grandpa Brown had a strange hunch that the reason this bastard arrived here had something to do with Emilia.

    His instinct had never been wrong before, so grandpa Brown very much believed in this hunch. Thus, even if he had no clue about the reason why the Nightingale n would target her, that didn''t stop the old man from specting.

    Could it be that the money he had invested in those unreliable science mumbo-jumbo guys actually showed signs of bearing fruit, scaring the pigeons and startling the snake?!

    If so, grandpa Brown was confident he could convince Dixie to start courting her friend, and the great-grandchild with the apex talent in the world was only a matter of time!

    The more he thought about it this way, the more it seemed to make sense. If his granddaughter and Emilia could really have a child together, the talent it had would surpass not only anyone in the Oriana country, but also the whole world!

    If such a thing happened, who would be the biggest loser? Naturally, it must be the Nightingale n!

    With their thousands of years of pride as the strongest in the world at stake, it was understandable if they were a little restless right now, and even had ideas about a child that had yet to be conceived.

    At first, he still had some doubts that perhaps the Nightingale n was only working on the orders of the Gray Wolfe, but now he waspletely sure they must be working on their own here.

    After all, although they worked for the Gray Wolfe and were sometimes mocked as their loyal dogs, the Nightingale n officially only had a ''business'' rtionship with them, and still retained a lot of independence.

    Thinking about the fact that someone might have dared to set their sights on not just his future granddaughter-inw, but also his great-grandchild, grandpa Brown couldn''t calm down at all!

    "I''m going to skin that old snake alive and make some snake soup!"

    The other members of the Martial Arts Alliance looked at each other in dismay. If their leader served snake soup to them, would any of them be able to refuse giving him face? Just thinking about the wrinkly and stinky meat on the ''old snake'', their expressions immediately twisted in disgust and panic.

    "Don''t! Lord Brown, old snake''s meat is probably way past its expiration date, you''ll get sick!"

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 Chapter 348 Crimson Rose Sisters

    <h4>Chapter 348 Crimson Rose Sisters</h4>

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    Cynthia continued to sulk in her ''nest'' of pillows after watching Emilia''s ''demonstration'', and no matter how the crimson-haired girl tried to coax her, it didn''t seem to have much of an effect at all.

    The raven-haired girl still found it a little hard to believe that Emilia had managed to not only ''store'' one of her abilities as she had, effectively bypassing the so-called ''cool down'', but had also managed to do modify it to such an extent that they could hardly be categorized the same way again.

    Although Emilia was only able to create and keep only two of the beads she had previously made at a time, each of them could hold a particr ''form'' that could be ''applied'' to herself at any time.

    Whenever Emilia''s eight-hour cooldown was up, she could now either change the form stored inside one of these beads, or shapeshift her physical form.

    Once she was done, she could then either wait for the ''cool down'' to be up before shapeshifting again, as she had before, or simply use one of the forms stored in the beads.

    Although technically she could still only ''get a new form'' once every eight hours, with some preparation, she would always have two additional forms she could shift into at any time!

    Whether it was in terms of flexibility, function, or convenience, it was clearly on apletely new level whenpared to the skill that Cynthia hade up with.

    Of course, Cynthia''s shapeshift skill only channeled energy and didn''t consume any, while Emilia''s ''beads'' took almost half a percent of chaos energy to form.

    But considering that this was a one-time cost that she would only have to bear whenever she needed to store a new form in the beads, even Cynthia thought that it was well worth the price.

    Naturally, she was happy to see her viiness get stronger. Their fates were already tied together, after all. Even if she felt a littleplicated at the thought that she managed to do something better than her while being so much younger, it wasn''t something Cynthia would be too bothered about.

    The reason she was sulking was actually the fact that her partner could nowe and go in her private space as she pleased!

    Knowing Emilia''s nature, she knew that her sweet days of mming the proverbial door in the girl''s face were over. Even if she could still run into istion, this little viiness could easily chase after her if she wanted to.

    Even though she wasn''t certain about the reason the emerald-eyed girl was sulking, Emilia still continued to hold her close and pat her head. "Are you still upset?"

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but pout. "Don''t treat me like a child! And how long are you going to stay here, anyway?"

    Emilia smirked as she snuggled closer to the sulking little girl. "Hmm? Chasing me away like this¡­ don''t tell me you''re shy?"

    Feeling the crimson-haired girl''s teasing breath hit the side of her face while being held like this, Cynthia couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment. ''T-This hooligan!''

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    While Cynthia was desperately fending off against Emilia in her previously safe inner world, Dixie and Crystal wereying down the foundation of what woulde to be known as ''Oath of the Crimson Rose''.

    Emilia''s whimsical and carefree nature wasn''t something that hampered her ability to think or remain cautious when it actually mattered, but both Crystal and Dixie were aware of a certain ''exception'' to this rule.

    When it came to those she favored, the crimson-haired beauty was indulgent to the point where it would be extremely easy for one to take advantage, and while such a thing hadn''t happened so far, the possibility in the future couldn''t be ruled out.

    Crystal had long since wanted to take some precautionary steps to protect the goddess in her heart, and Noelle''s matter had been the final ''wake-up call'' that she needed to get started.

    After confirming that Crystal wasn''t really upset with her in particr and only worried about Emilia''s safety, Dixie finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I really thought I must have done something wrong without knowing it, you know?"

    Naturally, when the blonde girl proposed to ''have a talk'' with her after dinner, Dixie''s first reaction had been fear.

    After all, she had just managed to convince herself that the girl must have been ring at her so intently during the day because she was curious about her ''enhancement'', but in that case, there wouldn''t be any need to take her aside for a discussion, right?

    The blonde girl rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "Sorry if I made you feel awkward¡­ I was mostly just trying to observe your changes and testing my ability at the same time."

    Dixie could only sigh in defeat. "Instead of making me feel awkward, it would be more urate to say that you scared the wits out of me for nearly the whole day."

    Although she had already known about it thanks to her ability, Crystal still blinked innocently. "Scared¡­ you? I thought Dixie was a strong and fearless knight who would always protect her princess?"

    The dark-haired girl coughed awkwardly. "O-Of course! B-But being a good knight isn''t about being fearless, i-it''s about oveing that fear!"

    Crystal felt her lips twitch in amusement, but she nodded in ''understanding''. "I see¡­ makes sense."

    Dixie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her excuse had ''worked''. "Anyway¡­ I understand your concerns about Emily getting hurt by one of us¡­ everyone can make mistakes, after all, but¡­ do we really have a solution?"

    Not to mention anyone else, Dixie knew that even she couldn''t guarantee that she would never hurt her princess. None of them were ''perfect'', and if they were going to be together for the rest of their lives, it was impossible to be cautious with every word and action to that effect.

    As someone who often cooperated with Noelle to ensure Emilia''s safety, Dixie knew very well that the girl was far from being ''uncaring'' of her feelings, and would never intentionally bring the princess any harm.

    What happened today was likely caused by either a series of misunderstandings, or ack ofmunication.

    Crystal didn''t argue with her on this point either, but instead decided to directly propose her solution. "Since we agree thatck ofmunication can lead to such situations, isn''t what must be done already clear enough?"

    "I-Is it?"

    "Mhm¡­ I''ve already thought about it. What we need to do boils down to just two things. First, make a few base facts very clear to everyone who is close enough to Emilia. And second¡­ check your phone."

    Dixie blinked in surprise when she turned around to fetch her phone from the table, and opened the notifications panel under the heroine''s imploring gaze.

    The notification of ''You have been invited to join ''Crimson Rose Sisters'' chat group!'' instantly attracted her attention, and the dark-haired girl couldn''t help but pause. "A-A chat group?"

    Crystal nodded. "Yes."

    "How is this going to help? It''s always better tomunicate in person, and we can already call or send each other messages if needed, can''t we?"

    The blonde girl smiled. "Yes, but¡­ isn''t it awkward to talk about such things?"

    Dixie blinked in surprise, but then realized that Crystal was actually right.

    Not to mention others, if not for Noelle''s matter today, even the two of them were unlikely to have this conversation.

    After all, Dixie felt that talking to Crystal about ''how to treat Emilia right'' would be extremely condescending, and might have the same effect as sowing discord.

    Dixie already felt that she had gone a bit too overboard a few times whenever they discussed matters rted to Emilia, so ever since then, she had subconsciously avoided discussing matters that could be easily misunderstood.

    But thinking about it again, wasn''t this likely to lead to misunderstandings in the future?

    And this was Crystal, the most understanding and gentle girl amongst them.

    Crystal smiled. "See what I mean?"

    Dixie could only rub her nose in embarrassment. "I-I see¡­"

    Just when the heroine was smiling with a sense of achievement, she caught Dixie''s hesitant expression. "What is it?"

    Dixie sighed. "W-Well, ''Crimson Rose Sisters'' is¡­ uhm¡­ is this name really okay?"

    Crystal frowned. "Why? What''s wrong with it?"

    The dark-haired girl coughed as she looked away. "N-Nothing wrong. I understand everything else, but¡­ why ''Rose''?"

    Crystal blushed as she looked away in embarrassment. "O-Oh¡­ t-that¡­ i-isn''t that Emilia''s¡­ um¡­"

    It took Dixie a few moments to realize what the shy heroine was trying to imply, and her expression immediately turned dissatisfied. "What? How can youpare a normal flower to the enchanting and noble fragrance of the princess?!"

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 Chapter 349 Taste Test Pending

    <h4>Chapter 349 Taste Test Pending</h4>

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    Crystal and Dixie''s argument on Emilia''s vor and fragrance continued almost throughout the night.

    The heroine wasn''t one to make baseless assertions, obviously, and was easily able to list out why she was so confident about Emilia''s vor and scent being close to that of an exquisite rose.

    When her father had still been alive, he often brought home either a bouquet of roses or carnations.

    Her mother was never one to let anything go to waste, and most of her ''use'' naturally ended up in the kitchen.

    Rose petals were a somewhat rare ingredient in deserts, and while it had been a long time since then, the heroine still remembered the taste of her mother''s cooking from her childhood.

    In contrast to their enchanting fragrance, the taste was actually quite mild and only slightly sweet. If made correctly, whatever cake or cookie they were used in would have an entirely new dimension of vor, texture, and fragrance.

    Naturally, it also varied greatly by the type of rose being used, as some of them weren''t sweet at all, and could also have a fragrance that was too overpowering to be ptable.

    Of course, with the dark-haired going on and on about how nothing in the world couldpare to the otherworldly and heavenly feeling of intimate contact with her princess, all logical arguments fell t.

    By the time they met Emilia at the breakfast table, both of them were sporting prominent dark circles. And while there were no ''sparks flying'', the ''agree to disagree'' air between them was clear for anyone to see.

    Emilia didn''t bring it up in front of Sam, as her big sister already seemed to be in a hurry. It was no surprise considering she had put off a lot her work toe to dinner early yesterday night, and there was probably a lot to be taken care of.

    After the older girl had left, Emilia observed the two ''arguing'' girls from the corner of her eye as she conveyed a few instructions to Michelle.

    The short-haired girl nodded dutifully. "I''ll make sure to keep her busy tillte into the evening!"

    Emilia ruffled the hair of her ''personal maid'' yfully. "No need to do anything unreasonable, okay? Just tell the housekeeper and he should be able to take care of it."

    Michelle blushed. "I-I wouldn''t do anything unreasonable."

    Emilia nodded with a smile, and noticing how her princess seemed to be slightly distracted by the blonde girl on the other side, Michelle couldn''t help but sigh in her heart.

    Ever since she discovered that her princess wasn''t actually a vampire, but someone out of this world, Michelle could clearly feel that something wasn''t right with herself.

    Previously, she had beenpletely convinced that as her ''singer'', or whatever the ''best blood'' type of person was for a vampire, only she was truly deserving of her princess.

    But now that she knew that wasn''t the case, Michelle was keenly aware that her own ''affection'' for her princess was out of bounds, and it was even affecting her ability to serve.

    Recalling how she had been bold enough to rest her head on thep of her princess and doze off¡­ Michelle couldn''t help feel a rush of heat everywhere.

    Naturally, this couldn''t be allowed to go on, and the short-haired girl vowed in her heart to practice discipline so she wouldn''t let the beauty and charm of her princess sway her from serving her faithfully.

    After all, as the only personal maid of her precious princess, even if everyone else could ck off, she could not!

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    Crystal and Dixie''s strange actions continued even when the three of them got into the car to head to school.

    In stark contrast to her usualzy and ''service me'' attitude on her way back from school, Emilia usually spent the morning ride to school quite productively.

    If there was nothing to chat about with Crystal and Dixie, then she would either be discussing her ns for the day with Cynthia, or just looking up recent news to see if there was anything worth noticing.

    Today, however, she had been pulled into Crystal''sp almost as soon as the door was closed. Before Emilia could even blink in surprise, the girl had already buried her head in her flowing crimson locks and started sniffing.

    And while the crimson-haired girl was still wondering if her angel was starving for affection, Dixie also lunged into herp and started sniffing against her skirt, leaving herpletely dumbfounded.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but scoff in her heart. "No sense of self-control at all¡­ at least you''re not that bad. Don''t they have any sense of time and asion?"

    Once she had recovered, Emilia could only shake her head in amusement. ''Well¡­ there''s nothing wrong with being a little affectionate¡­ right?''

    The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "At least close the privacy windows¡­ the driver looks like he''s about to have a heart attack."

    Emilia blushed as she pushed Dixie away to do just that, ignoring the girl''s aggrieved expression.

    Of course, when the crimson-haired girl pressed the button to have the privacy screen slide shut, the two of them finally came back to their senses.

    Feeling their embarrassment, Emilia couldn''t but feel a little amused. "The two of you were so bold before, so why so shy now?"

    Crystal buried her face back in Emilia''s hair out of shame, while Dixie just looked away in embarrassment.

    Emilia smiled. "Well¡­ I can''t say I mind, really. But the two of you realize that we have sses soon, right? We can always do this kind of thing at home."

    Dixie nodded demurely and while Emilia felt Crystal do the same, she couldn''t help but find their reactions a little strange. "Did the two of you fight or something? Why do I feel like you''re avoiding talking to each other?"

    Crystal and Dixie turned to stare at each other in dismay, as neither of them wanted to bring up such an embarrassing topic in front of Emilia. After all, if they admitted that they argued about the crimson-haired girl''s vor for hours, it would be more than just a little shameful. Even if they didn''t look like perverts, at the very least they would appear incredibly childish, right?

    But now that Emilia had already realized their abnormality, there was no going back, and they could only regret their impulsive behavior earlier. Had they known things would turn out like this, wouldn''t confirming Emilia''s vor be just as fine to doter in a more ''suitable situation''?

    Seeing them remain silent, Emilia sighed. "I''m sure my adorable babies must be like this for a reason, right? Can''t I help?"

    Ruffling Dixie''s dark hair yfully, Emilia turned around to press a kiss against Crystal''s soft cheek. "I know that both my knight and my angel are cute little babies who won''t fight without a reason."

    No matter how embarrassed they were, however, they couldn''t deny Emilia''s eyes that were sparkling with both curiosity andpassion.

    Believing herself to be more ''level-headed'', Crystal decided to bite the bullet first. "L-Last night, w-we did have an argument, b-but it wasn''t anything major."

    Unfortunately, before Crystal could ''ease the topic in'', Dixie had already panicked when she thought that her princess might think she was ''hiding something''. "D-Don''t misunderstand, Emily! W-We were just fighting over what you taste likest night! She kept saying you taste like rose petals, but I know it''s not like that at all!"

    Dixie''s voice got smaller the more she exined, and in the end she turned her head away, mumbling with a furious blush on her face. "I-I¡­ I-I know it''s childish and shameful¡­ I-I''m sorry¡­"

    While Crystal was stunned, Emilia only blinked in surprise. "That''s it?"

    Dixie nodded in embarrassment, and when she felt Crystal do the same, Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles.

    The two of them stared at each other in shame, but looking at the gorgeous beauty giggling in delight, they couldn''t help feeling vaguely satisfied in their hearts, thinking that if they could see her so happy, wasn''t it worth it in the end anyway?

    After a while, Emilia finally calmed down and squeezed both their cheeks one by one. "Really, how can it be possible to be so cute?!"

    Seeing them look away again, she grinned. "Are the two of you reconciled now, or shall we have a taste test tonight?"

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 Chapter 350 Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 350 Invitation</h4>

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    As someone who considered herself a generally level-headed person, Noelle wasn''t one to make decisions lightly, only to regret themter. At least, that had been the case before she started mingling with a certain crimson-haired little devil.

    Now, she found herself breaking more and more of her taboos, and it made her wonder¡­ how far was ''too far''?

    Although she had already made up her mind to never give an inch when it came to certain ''principles'' that she considered important, regardless of what had already happened between them, the grey-haired girl still found herself wondering if she had perhaps gone a bit too far by turning down Emilia''s invitation.

    The little beauty''s disheartened expression continued to haunt her not only through the rest of that day, but also throughout the night, and the argument she had with Sam didn''t help either.

    Needless to say, her expression wasn''t exactly bright when she arrived at the office after being crushed by guilt all night.

    The only plus point was that the dark circles on her already stern face terrified the staff into peak efficiency the moment she appeared, boosting their total productivity considerably.

    Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. "How could I let myself get caught up in a little girl''s games? It''s only going to hurt the both of uster¡­"

    But no matter how she thought about it, they were already past the point where she could just ''back out'', and her actions so far only seemed to make everything worse.

    At this point, if she tried to ''break up'' with Emilia or maybe draw a line between them¡­ Based on the crimson-haired beauty''s nature, Noelle was absolutely certain that it was sure to hurt the girl deeply.

    On the other hand, if she continued to ''indulge'' herself as she did¡­ wasn''t hurting Emilia an eventuality?

    Certain wounds hurt when they were dealt with, but not dealing with them was not only far from being merciful, but also a far more cruel thing to do.

    Even if she could be absolved of personal guilt by indulging Emilia, Noelle wasn''t willing to do so because she believed that this kind of ''rtionship'' wasn''t meant tost, and it was better to hurt her a little now than hurt her a lot more in the future.

    But although all of this made sense as she repeated it over and over in her mind while being crushed by guiltst night¡­ what was this tight feeling in her chest?

    Variouspromises that she could have made without causing any ''loss'' continued toe to her mind.

    Even if she epted Emilia''s invitation, wouldn''t it have been better to be there to control and monitor the situation? And if things really turned out to be ''unsalvageable'' even for her, wouldn''t it have been fine for her to leave at that time?

    While the crimson-haired beauty was willful and impulsive, Noelle knew that she would never detain her forcefully. Of course, she wouldn''t be able to do so even if she tried, but that was beside the point.

    Plus, there always remained the possibility that things weren''t as she thought they were at all, and it really was just a normal dinner.

    The fact that Emilia hadn''t contacted her at all since then weighed heavily on her mind, as itpletely subverted the expectations she had of her pouting, throwing tantrums, and even crying into her arms.

    Having desperately prepared to resist such temptations, Noelle couldn''t help but panic when none of it actually happened. It made her wonder if she was wrong all along, and what Emilia was actually doing.

    Her fingers shook as they hovered over Emilia''s name on her phone, but she didn''t have the courage to call her.

    "S-She''s probably busy¡­ thepulsory sses must be just finished by now, right? N-No, there''s also that event, so she must be preupied. I-I shouldn''t disturb her¡ª!"

    The sound of a notification almost made her jump in shock and drop her phone, but thankfully she managed to control herself in time.

    Looking at the ''You have been invited to join the Group [Crimson Rose Sisters]'' message, her mind momentarily turned nk.

    Had this not been her private number that was kept strictly confidential except for a select few individuals including important coworkers, Noelle''s first thought would have been that it was some sort of spam.

    After hesitating for a while, Noelle still clicked in on the notification to check who invited her, and to her surprise, it wasn''t some coworker, but Dixie!

    The gray-haired girl rarely used the messenger app on her phone, aside from sending batch instructions to her subordinates and the asional ''minor'' requests from Emilia. After all, calling people directly was not only easier, but also more efficient.

    Knowing that the invite came from Dixie, Noelle didn''t think too much about it before epting it, opening the group chat interface immediately.

    [Noelle has joined the Crimson Rose Sisters (4 Members)]

    To her surprise, the chat interface was almostpletely nk when she arrived, but a couple of ''typing'' messages appeared almost the moment she joined.

    [Knight Lady]: Wee, Noelle!

    [Sugar Roll]: Hello~

    Noelle already knew that ''Knight Lady'' was the alias that Dixie used on messenger, and a quick lookup of the other member''s number revealed that the ''Sugar Roll'' was actually Emilia''s little ssmate, Crystal.

    The mysterious third member who hadn''t weed her turned out to be Sam, who had the alias of ''SisterLove'', but Noelle wasn''t surprised considering her phone had been set aside and turned off till she was done with some important documents today.

    Looking at their ''titles'', Noelle couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. ''They really are like little children, aren''t they?''

    As for her own alias, it was naturally her first name, Noelle.

    The thing that surprised her the most was that Emilia wasn''t a part of their group, but it didn''t stop Noelle from calmly returning their greeting and also subtly inquiring about their purpose for inviting her.

    The instant ''typing'' response gave Noelle a bad feeling, as if she had taken a step that she shouldn''t have by simply clicking on ''ept'' earlier, but unfortunately, it was already toote for her to regret.

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    In the Downtown area of Green Leaf city, Jake and Alexander were heading for the airport to receive some ''important guest'' in vastly different moods.

    Jake''s depression was obvious to anyone who bothered to look in his direction, and the reason for his poor mood was actually a certain crimson-haired girl.

    After their previous conversation, she hadn''t taken the initiative to send him a message at all ¡ª not even a good morning or anything ¡ª and the sunny blond boy couldn''t help but wonder if she had only contacted him on a whim.

    Naturally, Jake didn''t dare to start one on his own. To him, Emilia''s identity was far more intimidating than her presence was attractive, after all, and he could only console himself by staring at her previous messages from time to time.

    Alexander, meanwhile, was in apletely different mood, with a rxed smile and cool gaze, as if nothing could get in his way.

    This was only natural considering that his mother had finally given in to his demands after almost an hour-long argument, and agreed to not only arrange the matter of the ''Golden Crown'', but also send him a ''helping hand'' to take care of misceneous matters.

    The way that gray-haired bitch had dared to manhandle him like that left him with a huge shadow in his heart, but with this ''helping hand'', he knew that he could finally rx and also get ''certain things'' done more easily.

    Knowing his friend''s nature and looking at his rxed posture, Jake couldn''t help but wonder if something had happened to make him certain that his ''conquest'' was an eventuality, as he had been quite furious after leaving the coffee shop that day.

    He had also looked up the ''Golden Crown'' eventter, and discovered that it was a grand event with a very limited number of people being invited every year.

    To receive an invitation, the minimum qualification one must have was to be either one of the top corporate or social influences in the world, and the number of people attending never exceeded three to four hundred!

    How could it be possible for his friend to receive an invitation to such a ce? Even if Jake believed in his ability, it wasn''t to such an absurd level! Not to mention the world, the Green Leaf city alone had thousands of people who were better off.

    Of course, Jake believed that Alexander had the potential to exceed them in the future, but that wasn''t something that others would take into ount.

    But Jake didn''t dare to directly question his friend for fear of angering him needlessly, and could only go about in a roundabout manner. "Alex, bro¡­ did something good happen recently? Could it be... did really manage to get that invite?!"

    The dark-haired man barely gave him a nce before nodding, but didn''t bother mentioning what it was that made him happy, making Jake''s face sink in depression. ''A-Alex wouldn''t lie to me... would he? No, I''ve supported him so much, I''ve definitely earned his trust. But then, if he''s not lying... what the hell is going on?!''

    The only two possibilities he could think of would be either his ''big bro'' had some big secret that he waspletely kept in dark about, or he''d made some underhanded deal without consulting or even informing him.

    To be able to get an invitation to such a big event that he wasn''t even qualified to serve drinks in, whatever deal his ''big bro'' had made, Jake knew that the risk must definitely be huge. ''How could he risk everything like that?! I''ve bet everything I have on him!''

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 Chapter 351 Betrayal of the Snake

    <h4>Chapter 351 Betrayal of the Snake</h4>

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    In the end, Jake really couldn''t stop himself from confirming if Alexander had really managed to get an invitation to the ''Golden Crown'', and how he managed to do so.

    But while Jake had convinced himself that he was only doing it to prevent a misunderstanding between them, and he had the right to know anyway, Alexander clearly didn''t think so.

    The dark-haired man gave his ''friend'' a cold look. "Jake¡­ don''t be an idiot and go asking questions that shouldn''t be asked, alright?"

    Not to mention that he would gain nothing by exposing his ''rule breaking'' by contacting his mother, but even if that hadn''t been a concern, he had no intention to let anyone know he had to beg his mother for the invite.

    Even if he knew that this was only a tiny drop in the bucketpared to what he was owed by his parents, Alexander knew that others would look down on him if such a thing was exposed.

    Especially that pair of insidious twins who had been eyeing his property for years, and would take any material to mock him or just knock him down a notch.

    The blond boy''s expression copsedpletely after hearing Alexander''s words, as not only did they as good as confirmed his ''conjectures'', but his friend''s attitude also chilled his heart to the core.

    Even if he had always taken the initiative to take a step back whenever his ''big bro'' wanted something, and even took special care of the man''s ego in respect of his talent, being pped in the face like this really felt like a wake-up call.

    Obviously, Alexander would never pay too much attention to his ''licking dog'', so he never noticed Jake''s abnormality at all.

    Jake remained silent all the way to the airport, and only took a few more nces at the wrinkled old man who greeted Alexander with a small bow as soon as he arrived.

    But although he didn''t say anything out loud, the blond boy still couldn''t help but frown in his mind. ''Why is this old man''s attitude towards Alexander so respectful?''

    Even if the old man admired Alexander''s talents, was there any need for someone in the older generation to act like this? Simply treating him as an equal would already be ttering enough, right?

    Jake didn''t even notice that he had already stopped referring to his friend as ''big bro Alex'' and started calling him ''Alexander'' in his mind.

    Of course, Alexander himself neither noticed nor cared about either of their attitudes.

    In fact, had it not been for his curiosity about the person his mother had sent over to help him out, Alexander wouldn''t have even bothered to personally receive this old man from the airport.

    Alexander knew that the old man was one of the ''best'' of the Nightingale n, but that didn''t provide him with much of a reference. After all, the Nightingale n usually only took orders directly from the ''leader'' of the Gray Wolfe, and that position was still in his father''s hands.

    This was the first time he would be getting a ''top-tier'' subordinate from the Nightingale n for himself, and Alexander had long since decided to ''test him out'' to see if he really was as good as his mother imed.

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    Grandpa Brown''s influence in the ''Martial Arts Alliance'' was naturally quite high, considering he was their leader, but even if he managed to get them all to agree to teach the ''Old Snake'' an unforgettable lesson, none of them felt very confident in actually getting it done.

    After all, the ''Old Snake'' was known for not only being slippery, but was also extremely hard to find. As long as they dared to blink, he was likely to disappear from right under their eyelids.

    Thankfully, the photo from Emilia''s fan girls had given them enough clues of the old man''s next destination.

    "Damn! Lord Brown, it seems like your hunch was right all along? Could that conceited-looking man really be some high-level executive of the Gray Wolfe?!"

    "Quiet! Do you want to startle the snake?!"

    Previously, most of the other members only half-believed grandpa Brown''s conjectures that the old snake was here to target Emilia, and fewer still believed that it had anything to do with the man who was pestering the girl.

    They couldn''t be med too much since none of them were particrly familiar with the internal details of the Gray Wolfe, and Alexander''s existence had yet to bepletely made public.

    Naturally, they didn''t care too much about who Alexander really was, as he had already served his purpose by luring the old snake out.

    Grandpa Brown and his ''friends'' followed the three of them as stealthily as they could, intending to ambush their enemy as soon as they arrived at an appropriate location to do so.

    Unfortunately, the old snake had already been on high alert since he knew that the time after leaving the airport would be when he was most likely to be discovered.

    "We''re being trailed."

    Alexander frowned as he wondered if the old man was just trying to make himself look more capable than he was by scaring him, or if someone was really following them.

    But suddenly, he had a brilliant idea. "Jake, take the side route, let''s enter a secluded alley."

    Looking at the strange expression on the old man''s face, Alexander smiled. "Why don''t you deal with the people following us and show me what you''re capable of?"

    The blond boy didn''t know what was going on, but despite the dissatisfaction in his heart, did as he was told.

    Naturally, the old snake could tell that Alexander wanted to ''test him out'', but there was nothing he could do about it other thanin in his heart.

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    To say that grandpa Brown and his friends were shocked when their targets actually took the initiative to find a suitable ce for them to start would be an understatement, but even if it was a trap, it wasn''t one they could resist jumping into!

    Grandpa Brown grinned. "Stay on the lookout and cover his escape routes. I''ll go deal with him myself!"

    The other members of the alliance looked at each other hesitantly.

    "Is that really alright, Lord Brown? This is the old snake we''re talking about, after all!"

    "Wouldn''t it be better for us all to go together?"

    Dixie''s grandfather gave them an impatient look. "Do you really think I''m too weak?"

    The reason the old snake was feared was because of his sneaky tactics and clever skills. In frontalbat, he was far from being what grandpa Brown would consider a ''fearsome opponent''.

    No one could object to him after such a statement, and they could only do their best to cover the old snake''s escape routes.

    Naturally, while the old snake had no choice but to confront whoever was following them under themands of his ''boss'', he still insisted that Alexander must stay in the car a safe distance away while he sorted everything out.

    The dark-haired man didn''t have any objection to his proposal, as long as he could still watch the show from the window, which shouldn''t be a problem considering the alley was long and straight and the sun was bright in the sky.

    When an old man in a white obi dropped down in front of the Old Snake, both Jake and Alexander almost jumped from their seats.

    While the dark-haired man only gaped, dumbfounded, Jake couldn''t help but curse. "What the fuck? Scared the living shit out of me! Did that old guy just fall from the roof or something?!"

    But before they could regain their bearings, the two old men surprisingly started¡­ fighting?!

    "We have no grudges or grievances, Lord Brown! Don''t go too far, or do you think the Nightingale n is so easy to bully?!"

    "Hah! Don''t think you can escape alive today!"

    Naturally, they couldn''t hear if the two of them got into an argument from all the way over here, or if the old man who fell down identally stubbed the other''s toe or something, but they really looked like they wanted to kill each other!

    Looking at the two ''elderly'' people with blurred hands and fists fluttering around the alley, Jake almost fainted from shock. "Shit! Are the old bastards these days so fierce?!"

    Not to mention anything else, Jake didn''t believe that even the ''fighters'' on TV would be able to move like that, but what he saw clearly wasn''t an illusion, was it?

    Alexander frowned as he soon got over his shock of the old man falling from the roof, and shook his head in disappointment. ''As expected, an old man is an old man. Mother must have been blinded by the reputation he managed to gain during his youth, but look, he can''t even beat someone his own age!''

    He could only dismiss the idea of getting revenge on the gray-haireddy in advance now. That woman was both young and strong, and was even stronger than regr able-bodied men!

    With this useless, elderly ''helping hand'', if he really tried to do anything¡­ it would just be adding additional medical bills on his side, and maybe even the opportunity at the ''Golden Crown'' would be lost.

    If the Old Snake knew that his boss had already deemed him ''useless'' just because he couldn''t beat the strongest fighter in Oriana country, he would probably cough out a mouthful of old blood.

    But although he didn''t know what Alexander was thinking, when the car he had arrived in actually reversed to leave, the Old Snake was still dumbfounded. "What''s going on, did someone manage to get to the young master without me noticing?!"

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 Chapter 352 Daring

    <h4>Chapter 352 Daring</h4>

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    Meanwhile, in the Gray Wolfe''s headquarters in the Carmen country, a middle-aged couple was deep into a furious ''argument''.

    A man with scraggly ck beard and crooked nose mmed his fist down on the table as he red at the woman in front of him. "All of this happened because you made a promise without asking me first!"

    In sharp contrast to the man in front of her, the woman was not only graceful, but also unperturbed by his rage. "Calm down, Sanders. No one knows your son better than me. After all, I raised him for so long by myself."

    The man''s expression turned down with guilt, and some of his earlier fury was immediately quenched. "Allie¡­ when will you forgive me? You know I never loved that woman, but my family¡­" He sighed helplessly. "Forget it, what''s done is done. Let''s just hope that the old snake will be able to take care of everything."

    To the man, Alexander wasn''t just their son, but also the proof of his love for his wife. Even his name was formed bybining ''Allie'' and ''Sanders'', and it was the most he could do while he was forced to keep their rtionship hidden before taking over as the leader of the Gray Wolfe.

    Allie was the winner of their national beauty pageant back in the day, and Sanders had always felt guilty for forcing her to live the life of a ''kept woman'' who had to be hidden from the public, but he just couldn''t let her go either.

    They had to be so secretive that Sanders didn''t even dare to show up in front of his own son too often, for fear of being recognized, and most people assumed that whoever Allie''s ''boyfriend'' was, he must have run away after getting her pregnant¡­ that is, if Alexander wasn''t the result of a one night stand.

    Although things were no longer the same and he had already proudly proimed Allie as his wife and Alexander as his son, the past wasn''t so easy to forget or erase. He still had to tread carefully around his wife''s old wounds, making his son all the more precious in his eyes.

    He could never imagine the mockery and humiliation the two of them must have faced for so many years, and could only do his best to make up for it now.

    Allie smiled as she went around the table to take a seat on the man''sp. "Have you finally calmed down?"

    Sanders leaned back into his chair with a sigh. "I''m sorry¡­ I was just worried for Alexander''s safety¡­ When I received that call from Oriana country¡­"

    The graceful woman snorted. "Would any of this have happened if you hadn''t panicked?"

    Sanders couldn''t help but feel a little guilty in his heart.

    Although the Old Snake''s skillset leaned more towards espionage and assassination, his primary purpose for arriving in the Oriana country had always been to protect Alexander, and Sanders realized it wouldn''t be so bad to use his ''fame'' to rify the importance he ced on his son.

    Though Sanders couldn''t deny that he had made the order in a somewhat panicked state after hearing about the ''situation'' from his wife, Sanders was easily able to realize that the old snake would actually be quite good at handling sabotage and other underhanded tactics being used by the twins against his son.

    He knew his own children quite well, no matter how he hated them. While they could barely ept a fairpetition, things would definitely not be as peaceful if they became aware of the ''fixing'' of the results.

    This was why Alexander had been given such ''unfavorable'' conditions from the start, and the redirection of funds and investors had all been done in a meticulous manner to ensure that the twins would never be able to find anything strange until it was toote.

    It was what he had been nning for decades, but now¡­ it would be far moreplex to continue with this n without major modifications. Had it been anyone but his beloved wife who ''ruined his ns'' like this¡­ Sanders would never be able to tolerate it.

    After all, if his son really showed up at the Golden Crown, it would be impossible for the twins to remain so oblivious to what was going on.

    Sanders could only hate the iron for not bing steel, but it didn''t change the choice he''d already made in his heart. Only when he made Allie''s son the sole heir to his corporation would he feel like he had done her justice!

    As for the twins¡­ heh.

    While there was no way to be sure what they would do once they discovered the ''set up'', neither Sanders nor Allie believed they would remain ''obedient'' and focus onpeting fairly when they knew they were bound to lose. As for how far a pair of children who could poison their own father and stepmother with infertility drugs could go¡­ who knows?

    Although there was no proof that those two did it, they were the ones who would benefit the most from such a thing, and the leaders of the Gray Wolfe weren''t stupid enough to not realize such a thing.

    With their ability and ruthlessness, it was very likely for them to hire people to either poison or attempt to murder their son, as that would leave the couple with no choice but to pick the next heir from one of them.

    And who would be a better option to counter such things than the Old Snake?

    Sanders nodded after convincing himself so. "Don''t worry, Allie¡­ Although I sent him over in a panic, in hindsight, it was actually the best decision!"

    Although there was some regret in his heart for not allowing the old snake enough time to ''sneak in'' instead of forcing his identity to be exposed like that, he didn''t believe anyone would be brave enough toy a hand on the Gray Wolfe''s men.

    Of course, his wife believed that everything would have been much better if he just hadn''t interfered, but Sanders could only insist on what he believed to be true.

    Allie smiled. "I sure hope it''s like this. If my son really suffers because of this¡­ I''ll be moving out of your mansion."

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    Meanwhile, the old snake was going through the biggest crisis of his life.

    As his top priority, more than half his attention had been focused on ensuring Alexander''s safety, and when his car moved away suddenly, he had been caught so off guard that it was impossible for him not to slip up.

    Normally, it would only lead to a slight injury and he could still retreat to chase after Alexander and see what was going on, but this wasn''t a normal opponent, after all.

    The moment the opponent was able tond a full-strength kick on his knee, the old snake knew it was over.

    Having just arrived from the airport, he hadn''t yet had the time to make any preparations, and didn''t even have the hidden weapons he was used to. Those were still waiting for him at the pre-arranged location¡­ and would probably wait for him forever, as it was impossible to escape from here with a shattered knee.

    The other members of the ''Martial Arts Alliance'' had been naturally paying close attention to the ''duel'' of the two ''powerhouses'' as well, and they couldn''t help but be dumbfounded when the fight that had seemed like it was just getting started ended so abruptly.

    "Old snake lost just like that?!"

    "Lord Brown is too amazing!"

    Grandpa Brown chuckled as he easily shattered the man''s other knee as well, and with his impaired mobility, the old snake was naturally powerless to resist. "Tell me, what did youe here for? Or should I take you back and dig the truth out slowly?"

    The old snake grimaced as he tried his best not to groan out loud in pain. "Humiliate me if you will, but there are things that you cannot afford to touch, and people you cannot afford to offend. I suggest you release the people you took away immediately, before cmity befalls you!"

    Grandpa Brown couldn''t help butugh. "Are you joking, Old Snake? People I can''t afford to offend? We all know you''re from the Nightingale n, thepdogs of the Gray Wolfe. But¡­ so what?"

    The old snake naturally knew that someone who ambushed him wouldn''t be unaware of his identity, not to mention that this old man Brown wasn''t an unfamiliar face in the first ce.

    But even still, their Nightingale n couldn''t afford it if something went wrong with Alexander while he was supposed to be here to protect him, and he could only take a gamble. "Old Brown, do you even know who is it that you''re messing with? That''s the heir to the Gray Wolfe Corporation!"

    The shocked expression on Lord Brown''s face confirmed that he hadn''t been truly aware of Alexander''s identity, and the old snake breathed a sigh of relief.

    As long as he could deter them from harming Alexander, everything else was secondary.

    Of course, although grandpa Brown had only thought the young man who pestered Emilia must be rted to the Nightingale n, but not their heir, his expression quickly returned to normal. "So what? This isn''t the Carmen country. Even if I break his arms and legs¡­ what can anyone do to me?"

    The old snake''s expression turned ashen as he stared at his opponent with both fear and hate. "Y-You wouldn''t dare?!"

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 Chapter 353 Wronged Old Snake

    <h4>Chapter 353 Wronged Old Snake</h4>

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    Although the Old Snake didn''t believe that anyone really had the courage to take the life of the Gray Wolfe''s future heir just like that, it wasn''t a matter he could leave up to chance. After all, no matter how unlikely it was, if Alexander really died, their Nightingale n wouldn''t be able to afford the repercussions.

    They may proudly im themselves to be the number one fighting family in the world, but the fact remained that their total poption didn''t even reach a thousand, and even if they were mostly elites, wiping them out of existence wasn''t too much of a big deal for the Gray Wolfe Corporation at all.

    The government of the Carmen country had always been willing to bend thews for their highest earning child, after all, and even the strongest fighters of the Nightingale n would be helpless in front of an organized military''s offensive.

    This was why they had been trying so desperately to find a way to get out of the clutches of the Gray Wolfe, but that was easier said than done. Their rtionship was already too deep for the Nightingale n to be able to just get up and leave without taking the me for treachery, and if that happened, their ending could be imagined.

    But although the progress had been slow, they had still been trying to take some steps in the right direction. If it all went down the drain because of his actions¡­ Old Snake knew he wouldn''t be able to rest in peace even if he died.

    While he was still despairing, some of the other members of the ''Martial Arts Alliance'' who had been watching the show had already arrived at their spot after noticing that the fight was over.

    Their surprised and delighted voices rang in the old snake''s ears like thunderous gongs, each one bringing him both shame and despair.

    "I can''t believe that our Lord Brown turned out to be so strong that even that renowned Old Snake is like a helpless worm in front of him!"

    "Heh, maybe everyone has been fooled. Look at the old snake lying there like a dead dog with broken legs, why do I think his reputation is fake?"

    "No no, isn''t it just that our Lord Brown is too amazing!"

    "Right?!"

    "Ahh! I''m all fired up! I feel like I can break through my limits once again!"

    "Congrattions, Lord Brown! Once this matter gets out, your name will definitely be more prominent among the top experts of the world."

    Of course, although most of them were happy that their leader was able to beat an opponent they had previously never dared to look down upon, and even made him look so pathetic now, a few of them were also worried.

    "Wouldn''t it be wiser to silence the old snake and conceal this matter, instead? If the Nightingale n really focuses on making things difficult for Lord Brown¡­"

    "Don''t look down on our leader! Do you think a foreign power can so easily suppress us on our own turf? With Lord Brown''s strength, even if a few more worms get past us, he''ll have no trouble dealing with them."

    Naturally, most of them weren''t very worried about their leader, considering he was the strongest among them. But many still believed he had a lot to lose.

    After all, among the few of them, Lord Brown''s granddaughter was the most promising seedling they''d had in decades, and in a few more years, she even had the possibility of surpassing some of them!

    As their ''Martial Arts Alliance'' consisted of mostly upright gentlemen who didn''t bother with intrigue and scheming, most of them were used to speaking their minds, and one of them couldn''t help but frown. "I understand that, but what if they go after those he cares about instead¡ª!"

    The man shut up immediately once he noticed the re from his leader, his legs shaking in fright.

    Even if it was something that could easily be discovered by anyone bothering to look it up, wouldn''t mentioning the old man''s granddaughter right now be like giving suggestions to the enemy?!

    Looking at their apologetic expressions, Grandpa Brown chuckled. "Since I dared to break his legs, I naturally don''t care about what the Nightingale n thinks or decides to do. Don''t you remember what I said before we came here?"

    "Right! It''s time for us to show that it''s not just the Nightingales who can fight!"

    The old snake could only ignore their mockery as he gritted his teeth in desperation. "As long as you''re willing to let the young master off the hook, I''m willing to do anything!"

    The members of the martial arts association whispered to each other in shock. "Hey, am I the only one who thinks how he worded that was strange?"

    "Right? Isn''t this the standard sentence of a captive to their captor before they have all kinds of perverted things done to them?"

    "Come to think of it, most of the time it''s a spy that is captured, and the old snake is into that line of work, right? Could this be standard protocol for them?"

    "But isn''t it usually a hot girl who is captured? What''s the point of capturing an old man?"

    "Disgusting¡­ did you watch too many strange shows?"

    Although they were already quite old, it was impossible for them to not hear anything from such a close distance, and both Grandpa Brown and the old snake had their expressions twist in disgust.

    Grandpa Brown frowned. "Do you have too much free time on hand? Why not chase after the ones who escaped?"

    "Ah, that¡­ old three and four went after the car."

    Naturally, since they considered the people who escaped as small fry subordinates of the Old Snake, most of their attention had been focused on observing the main threat and making sure he didn''t escape.

    It definitely had nothing to do with it being more entertaining to watch Grandpa Brown''s fight than to chase after some small fries.

    Grandpa Brown frowned as he waved his hand before turning to stare down at the old snake. "To be honest, I''m quite disappointed with your skills. I''m not sure what you can even do for me? I don''t have any strange hobbies, just so you know."

    Obviously, now that he knew that the people who tried to escape included the Gray Wolfe''s heir, and connecting the dots together, it made some sense why the old snake had such apse. However, Grandpa Brown wasn''t the type to not mock his opponent while he was down, especially when given such a golden opportunity.

    The old snake looked nk for a few moments before he realized what was being implied, and although his eyes turned red in rage, he still managed to keep his temper in check. "I can share the secret techniques of our Nightingale n with you!"

    Grandpa Brown smiled. "Oh? I would have been tempted before, but considering one of their peak experts is so weak¡­ I don''t think they''re such a big deal anymore, right?"

    The other members of the Martial Arts Alliance also echoed his sentiments out loud, though they couldn''t deny that the greed in their hearts had been stimted by the old snake''s words.

    After all, the Nightingale n had an extremely deep background and could be traced back for thousands of generations. Who knew what kind of secrets they had amassed over the years? It was impossible for them not to be tempted!

    At this point, how could the old snake not know that grandpa Brown was mocking him intentionally? But even if he knew, he had no choice but to make his case humbly. "You know I''m not specialized inbat!"

    Grandpa Brown chuckled. "So?"

    The old snake could only twitch in range on the ground, just wishing to poison everyone here to death. And the fact that he still had to beg them made him feel more and more wronged.

    Unfortunately, there was no one here who would pity him, and the old snake knew it very well. "I can teach you everything I know! Even the things I learned on my own!"

    Grandpa Brown didn''t deny him immediately this time, and the old snake was almost about to breathe a sigh of relief when he froze at his next words. "Can you really be of much use in this condition?"

    Feeling the pain from his shattered knees, the old man could only close his eyes to conceal the hatred within. "As long as I''m not dead, what I know will never bepletely useless."

    Unfortunately, even if he managed to conceal it perfectly, how could Grandpa Brown not know what kind of opponent he was dealing with?

    "Why should I leave a snake in my sleeve? Isn''t that just asking to be poisoned to death?"

    The old snake knew that begging for trust was useless, but he also had no idea what to do at this point. Had the situation not been like this, he truly would have preferred to just break the lethal tooth in his mouth and be done with it. "¡­ I''m convinced by your strength, and you can keep me under strict watch if you want."

    Grandpa Brown chuckled. "Heh¡­ I''ll keep you alive for now, but let''s talk about thatter. First¡­ let me show you something good."

    With a wave of his hand, the other members of the Martial Arts Alliance nodded as two of them picked the crippled old snake by the shoulders while the others led the way towards where the ''small fries'' had escaped.

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 Chapter 354 Old Snakeâ€™s Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 354 Old Snake''s Revenge</h4>

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    When Alexander had instructed him to turn the car around and leave, Jake naturally hadn''t dared to stay a moment longer. After all, the way those two old men fought made it clear enough that they weren''t ordinary people, and any normal person''s first subconscious response would be to run away.

    Of course, after pulling some distance from the fight, his mind finally calmed down as the blond boy came back to his senses, only to be left stunned.

    "W-Wait, what about the old man? S-Should we call the police?!"

    Alexander snorted. "No need. If he''s not even capable of dealing with an old man, I have no need for him anyway."

    The face of his ''friend'' in the rearview mirror didn''t look worried or disturbed at all, and there was only a faint hint of disdain in his eyes.

    Jake didn''t really know who the old man they had met really was, nor did he know the rtionship between them, but he still found it hard to believe how uncaring his friend was to someone he had personally picked up from the airport just now.

    Even if it was only an acquaintance, how can one treat them so coldly, not even caring for their life and death?

    Thinking about how he used to call him ''big bro'' almost made him feel sick. Would he also be abandoned just like that once he stopped being useful? No, wasn''t he no better than only a half-decent tool person now?

    His firm belief in Alexander seemed to have been shaken more and more recently, and the thought of untying himself from this ''sinking ship'' that he had so firmly believed in before kept bing stronger and stronger. But then, what can someone like him even do?

    Regardless of the turmoil in his heart, Jake could only grimly stare ahead and keep driving, his speed subconsciously slowing down.

    Unfortunately, while Alexander was still wondering how he shouldin to his mother about the ''ipetence'' of the man she sent over to help him and Jake was still thinking of a way out for himself, the car suddenly seemed to go out of control as they heard a thunderous boom from its rear end.

    "FUCK!"

    "What the hell is going on?!"

    Swiveling from side to side in a panic, Jake barely managed to avoid hitting a parked van in the street beforeing to a halt not even an inch away from a solid brick wall.

    Jake stumbled out of the car in a daze, his forehead covered in a cold sweat as he turned around to inspect why he had almost lost his life, and a furious Alexander followed him out as well.

    "Did you not fucking check the air pressure in the tires, Jake? How can you be such an¡ª!"

    Although he had been subconsciously ignoring theints of his ''friend'' as he looked at the blown-out tire, he still couldn''t help but turn back when Alexander stopped mid-sentence, and a strange thudding sound of a heavy object falling to the ground came from behind him.

    Unfortunately, before he could really see what was going on, pain exploded from the back of his neck, and the world turned dark.

    The two middle-aged men from the Martial Arts Alliance stared at the fainted men on the ground, turned back to each other, and then stared at the fallen men again.

    "I didn''t expect that they would almost kill themselves when I blew out one of their tires."

    "Well¡­ if we don''t tell anyone, no one will know."

    Thinking about it again, even if the Gray Wolfe or the Nightingale n was going to look for revenge, they would still be pretty far down the list. Since Lord Brown didn''t fear them, why should they?

    Dragging the two fainted men by their shoulders, they threw them into a dark alley and waited for the others to appear.

    Not longter, Lord Brown as well as the other members of the Martial Arts Alliance finally arrived with the Old Snake in tow.

    Looking at the person he was responsible for protecting being caught like that, the injured man''s expression turned even uglier than before.

    He had already had some time to think about what had happened before, and realized that he had been ''abandoned'' by the ''young master''.

    If Alexander hadn''t known who he was or what he was capable of, maybe his behavior could still be excused, but that clearly hadn''t been the case, and the Old Snake couldn''t make himself believe it no matter how he tried to convince himself so.

    Thinking about he would at least be able to retreat safely had it not been for this man''s stupidity made him grit his teeth with his hatred, and the fact that he still had no choice but to ''protect'' him made his fists itch with the urge to beat the man to death.

    Grandpa Brown chuckled when he looked at his reaction. "You know what? I don''t really care about this guy here, to be honest. Maybe if you amuse me by beating him up, I''ll let him go?"

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    Naturally, grandpa Brown wasn''t actually stupid enough to kill the heir of the Gray Wolfe just like that. If there was even the slightest bit of truth in the Old Snake''s words, neither he nor his granddaughter would be able to bear the consequences of the man''s death.

    Even if his granddaughter-inw assisted them, it might still lead to some serious repercussions. Compared to Old Snake, who was just an ''extremely useful disposable pawn'' to the Gray Wolfe, Alexander''s identity was at an entirely different level, after all.

    Of course, he still couldn''t let them go unscathed. Not only did this man dare to set his sight on his granddaughter-inw, but he had obviously been nning something nefarious by calling the old snake over to this country!

    Without knowing his identity, grandpa Brown had previously ced the me on the Nightingale n for plotting against the girl, but now that he knew this man could be the heir of the Gray Wolfe, wasn''t it clear enough that it must be his dirty mind at work?

    The Old Snake had already suffered a lot because of Alexander, and his heart had been itching from both hatred and frustration after being humiliated over and over again.

    Although the old man Brown was also a target of his hatred, there was currently nothing he could do about him at all in this condition, after all.

    After negotiating and pretending to beg for mercy for his ''young master'', the old snake quickly dragged his crippled self over to the fainted boy in the dark corner before starting to rain down punches on his face with hatred.

    The pain immediately awakened the dark-haired man, but before he could even squawk a single word of indignation, another fist to his mouth left himpletely stunned.

    "Y-You¡ªAAHH!"

    Alexander''s shock and disbelief when he looked at the Old Snake''s hideous face in front of him quickly turned to horror as he realized that he might just get beaten to death today.

    Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to run away, he couldn''t move his arms and legs at all, and could only stare ahead helplessly as his face was pummelled over and over again.

    Naturally, the old snake wouldn''t let Alexander run around, or else how was he supposed to catch up with his now crippled legs? Those old bastards would only take the opportunity to mock him further if that happened!

    A few precise strikes to certain nerves was all it took to render a regr man like Alexanderpletely helpless, and the Old Snake happily vented all his frustrations on the ''young master'', who was, in his heart, the culprit responsible for everything that happened today.

    Even though he hadn''t always lived as the true heir of the Gray Wolfe, when had Alexander ever had to endure such humiliation? Not even his mother and father had dared to touch a hair on his head since the day he was born!

    It didn''t take long for him to faint from the overwhelming fear, rage, and humiliation, but that didn''t stop the fists from raining down on his face.

    "Forgive me, young master, but I must do this to ensure your safety! These bastards are just too ruthless!"

    Of course, the old snake still controlled his strength very well, and aside from making Alexander''s previously handsome face turn into a fat purple pig''s, there was no other ''damage''.

    The other members of the Martial Arts Alliance stared at each other, dumbfounded.

    Although it had been Lord Brown who captured him and ordered the old snake to beat the heir of the Gray Wolfe, why did it look like this bastard was only using them as an excuse?!

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 Chapter 355 Definitely Not a Pervert?

    <h4>Chapter 355 Definitely Not a Pervert?</h4>

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    Contrary to what Noelle expected, the members of the ''Crimson Rose Sisters'' didn''t actually mock or harass her for hurting Emilia. In fact, both Dixie and Crystal seemed to either be unaware of what happened, or didn''t seem to care for it much.

    It didn''t bring Noelle any relief, however. The fact that they didn''t know about it now didn''t mean that they wouldn''t discover everythingter, given Sam was also a part of their group, and she knew everything very well.

    It was also possible that they knew everything but pretended not to know about it, but the gray-haired girl had no way of making sure anyway without asking, and that¡­ Noelle didn''t dare to do at all.

    She didn''t even feelfortable talking in the group chat except for responding to their initial queries and greetings, and only silently observed their conversations from time to time.

    The two younger girls seemed to take the group chat as a ce where they could archive all the adorable moments they had together with Emilia, from the cuteness of the muffins she baked three days ago to the adorable shield hairpin she carved out from wood, they gushed about anything and everything in great detail.

    They didn''t even hesitate to share the crimson-haired beauty''s candid photos!

    Even though she knew Emilia probably wouldn''t mind being photographed by them and maybe even knew all about it, Noelle still couldn''t help but feel a little angry. After typing out a long and serious admonishment letter, however, she still couldn''t press that send button.

    The guilt in her heart kept her from saying what she wanted, and Noelle could only sigh and put her phone away for the rest of the day.

    Thankfully, she was able to get busy with some crucial matters soon enough, so the time till she got off work passed smoothly.

    As the gray-haired girl drove back home and was able to gather her thoughts again, however, the strange feeling in her heart came rushing back.

    Noelle couldn''t help but frown. "This has got to be the longest I''ve gone without receiving even a single message from Emilia since the day we started talking¡­"

    Although most of their conversations at the beginning had been about things that the crimson-haired beauty wanted her to do, sometimes mixed with teasing and mischief, Emilia''s intimate tone never allowed her to consider it ''work'' in her heart, making dissociation impossible.

    No matter how she tried to convince herself that Emilia was probably busy with preparations for the annual events week, or something else, Noelle couldn''t really make herself believe it. The fact that such a strange thing happened right after she snubbed the girl''s invitation couldn''t be a coincidence, right?

    It hadn''t been just a day or two since she knew Emilia, and Noelle felt like she had a pretty good grasp of her nature.

    Noelle knew that although she was mischievous and naughty on the outside, the little beauty was actually quite warm and soft on the inside.

    She kept those she didn''t like at arm''s length, protecting herself with a tough, thick wall filled with spikes of caution and wariness, but for those she liked¡­ her soft, fragile heart was left fully exposed.

    Noelle''s knuckles kept turning whiter and whiter as her grip on the steering wheel tightened on her way home, but the girl herself remainedpletely unaware of her abnormality. It was only when she heard a ''crack'' that she snapped out of her thoughts, startled.

    Thankfully, the steering wheel hadn''tpletely shattered, and she could still drive home safely.

    Noelle couldn''t only sigh as she pulled into her driveway, her expression cloudy and dark. ''I¡­ I''ll tell her I''m sorry¡­ tomorrow¡­''

    The gray-haired girl made her way over to the door in a daze, but just as she was about to knock, she couldn''t help but pause in shock.

    The giggles she heard from inside¡­ why were they so familiar?!

    Nicole''s tone was already quite familiar to her, having lived with her for quite a while, but the other voice she heard¡­ there was no mistaking it.

    For a moment, Noelle couldn''t help but panic. ''W-Why did she not tell me she wasing over?!''

    The thought of turning around to escape crossed her mind, but Noelle quickly shook it off. Even if she could make appropriate excuses to escape this time¡­ wouldn''t it make things worse?

    Since she wanted to apologize to begin with, this was as good an opportunity as any!

    Noelle steeled her heart and boldly knocked on the door, her ears twitching as she paid close attention to the sounds inside.

    There was a round of squealing shortly followed by the rapid pitter-patter of footstepsing her way, and Noelle couldn''t help but gulp as she wondered which one of them would open the door.

    To both her relief and disappointment, it turned out to be her ''little sister''.

    The previously excited expression on Nicole''s face almost copsed when she looked at the gloomy and obviously disappointed appearance of her ''big sister'', but she quickly regained her spirit when she thought about the previous events again. "Noelle! You won''t believe it, but¡ª!"

    Noelle rushed past her without listening to or responding to her words at all, making the younger girl''s mind turn nk for a moment before she stomped her feet angrily and followed after her unreasonable ''older sibling''.

    Unfortunately, even though she had clearly not dallied at all, by the time Nicole got back to the living room, what awaited her was only the sight of Noelle''s bedroom door mming shut, with her ''idol'' nowhere to be seen.

    Thinking about how she had beenughing and joking with the crimson-haired beauty just moments before, she almost exploded from rage on the spot. "I shouldn''t have opened that door at all!"

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    Noelle didn''t know what happened to her the moment she saw Emilia, but before she realized it, she had already firmly grasped the girl''s soft hand and dragged her all the way to the bedroom before mming the door shut.

    There was a hint of inexplicable panic in her heart after having analyzed her previous behavior, and the gray-haired girl realized that she had subconsciously wanted to drag Emilia to a more intimate location so that she couldn''t alienate herself further.

    But once she had really done so, Noelle didn''t even have the courage to turn around and look into Emilia''s eyes.

    Noelle couldn''t help but bite her lip nervously. ''Doing things like this¡­ it would be a wonder if she didn''t think I was a pervert!''

    The soft giggle of the younger girl made Noelle stiffen unconsciously, and her mind momentarily turned nk when she saw Emilia walk past her and towards the bed.

    She couldn''t help but have an absurd thought in her mind. ''Even if she thinks I''m a pervert¡­ since she can be okay with Sam, wouldn''t she be fine with me as well?''

    The excitement she felt when the crimson-haired beauty leaned into her bed made Noelle feel both guilty and ashamed, but she still couldn''t deny what she wanted to do next. ''M-Maybe it would be less awkward if we reconciled physically first¡­ r-right!''

    Just as she had taken a few steps forward to embrace Emilia from behind, however, the girl turned around with a teasing grin on her face, a pair of very familiar purple lingerie hanging from her right index finger.

    "I knew I ''forgot'' them here, but what were they doing on your bed, I wonder?"

    The glinting eyes and teasing smile from the younger girl made Noelle want to subconsciously deny any involvement with what had happened, and she quickly shook her head in denial. "I-It''s not what you think!"

    Emilia tilted her head with a mischievous smile. "Oh? What is it, then?"

    The adorable appearance of the younger girl made Noelle''s heart skip a beat, and she almost admitted the truth before denying it before it could escape her mouth in a panic. "I-I definitely wasn''t using them for anything perverted!"

    The gray-haired girl felt her mind turn nk the moment the words escaped her lips, and she almost couldn''t believe that she had put her foot into her mouth once again. ''Even if she wasn''t sure I was a pervert before¡­ there''s no way she thinks otherwise now!''

    Noelle knew that not only had it been far too long since Emilia left for that kind of excuse to fly, even the bedsheets had been changed! The only exnation for Emilia''s lingerie to be on her bed was for someone to have put them there on purpose.

    When she first confiscated them from the unconscious Nicole, the gray-haired girl really hadn''t intended to use them like that, although she couldn''t deny that she might have wanted to keep them as a souvenir.

    But after what happened between them before, Noelle had subconsciously taken them out of her closet and decided to takefort in their soft fabric as a proxy for Emilia''s presence, which allowed her to rx just enough for her to fall asleep.

    Naturally, no one woulde barging into her bedroom without her permission, and even if they did, who would recognize that this particr set wasn''t her own?

    As for Emilia¡­ the gray-haired girl had assumed that she would be lucky if it took her a few weeks to make it up to the younger girl for what she did before, and for the little beauty toe to her bed before then would just be wishful thinking.

    Noelle couldn''t help but regret being so careless now. ''If I knew things were going to turn out like this¡­ No, I definitely should have kept them in the locker anyway!''

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 Chapter 356 Reconciliation

    <h4>Chapter 356 Reconciliation</h4>

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    Knowing that there was no way to exin herself to preserve whatever was left of her image in Emilia''s heart, Noelle could only wish to find a hole to crawl into and hide. Unfortunately, there was no such convenient ce nearby, and the gray-haired girl could only stand there in front of the bed, mortified.

    Even with her expression frozen as it was, Noelle would still look quite indifferent if not for her entire face being red from shame, making Emilia smile in amusement as she beckoned the girl over. "Come here."

    Looking at the younger girl curl her finger like that to call her over while still on her bed, Noelle couldn''t help but feel a sinful expectation in her heart. The fact that Emilia was still in her uniform didn''t help at all, and the gray-haired girl wondered for a moment if she had done it intentionally.

    Walking to the edge of the bed in shame, Noelle barely had the time to react when she was pulled down into a soft, warm, and fragrant embrace that could have easily lulled her into a peaceful sleep had it not been for her heart pounding like a drum in a carnival.

    Having never expected that she would one day seekfort in the soft breasts of a younger girl, Noelle couldn''t help but be shocked at how ''at home'' she felt lying side by side with Emilia like this. It was as if nothing else mattered anymore, and she would be both safe and happy as long as she stayed here.

    The older girl knew that this was Emilia''s way of assuring her that she didn''t mind what happened just now, and she didn''t even mind what happened before. But even if she was willing to forgive her just like that¡­ there was no way Noelle could ept it.

    Biting her lip nervously, the gray-haired girl didn''t dare to look Emilia in the eyes. "I-I''m sorry¡­ for rejecting you."

    A soft hum of acknowledgment was followed by nimble, dexterous, and caring fingersbing through her hair helped reduce some of the anxiety in her heart, but Noelle still couldn''t help but be nervous. "Y-You won''t¡ª"

    As she could already guess what it was that she wanted to ask, Emilia interrupted her with a soft kiss on the forehead. "Don''t be silly, Noelle. Do you think I don''t know you well enough by now? Even if you grumble and groan about some things, for our sake¡­ you always do everything you have to, and everything you don''t."

    Noelle felt tears well up in her eyes as she buried her face deeper into the soft embrace. "Thank you¡­ a-and I''m sorry for hurting you."

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile ruefully. "I can''t deny that it didn''t hurt a little, but it''s just a minor matter. What''s important now is for us to resolve the misunderstanding."

    Noelle nodded.

    The crimson-haired girl pulled back a little to look her in the eyes. "Then tell me¡­ what do you want in the future? Do you still want to stay with me?"

    Noelle didn''t even pause to think about it. "O-Of course I do!"

    Emilia sighed, as if not quite believing her instant response. "Be honest. Regardless of what you say now, I''ll still deal with the Nightingale n, as they are going to be in my path anyway. And your rtionship with both myself and Sam will be as it was before, I''ll make sure of that."

    Since Noelle wasn''t an idiot, there was no way for her to not realize what Emilia was implying.

    Had it been the Noelle from about a year ago, when presented with this kind of choice, there was no need to think what she would choose.

    After all, on one hand was an unfettered life of both freedom and dignity, and on the other was a young, silly little girl who wouldn''t even fullymit to herself. What was there to think?

    But would the Noelle of the past ever let herself get into this situation in the first ce?

    The gray-haired girl knew that she had slowly changed from the moment she started getting attached to this willful, silly little girl, and there was no way to go back to who she used to be anymore.

    As long as she thought about the possibility of never being able to look Emilia in the eyes and see that affectionate look again, never being able to kiss her soft, delicate lips, and never being able to hold her in her arms¡­

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel like her heart was about to burst from inexplicable panic. "N-NO! You can''t cut me off now!"

    Feeling the younger girl breathe out a sigh of relief, it was only then that Noelle realized that Emilia must have been just as nervous as herself, if not more.

    The fact that she had caused all this just because she couldn''t sort out her own feelings and decided to vent them out on the younger girl only made Noelle feel like an even bigger idiot.

    Burying her face in the older girl''s soft hair, Emilia couldn''t help butin, her voice full of grievances. "I''ll forget about what happened before, but since you''ve decided to stay with me, you''re definitely never allowed to treat me like that in the future!"

    It was only then that Noelle recalled that the crimson-haired was not only younger and not as mature, but she was also a willful little princess who had never been wronged like this in her life.

    Just thinking about how Emilia still had to take the initiative toe to her and resolve the misunderstanding that wasn''t her fault in the first ce made the gray-haired girl feel like aplete moron.

    Not only was it herself who took the initiative to push Emilia onto the bed, she had also clearly known about the younger girl''s indulgent nature towards Sam and her closest friends, so what exactly did she n to aplish by throwing a tantrumter?

    Wasn''t doing this the same as finding an excuse to wash her hands and leave after toying with the younger girl''s heart? No wonder she was aggrieved! It was already a wonder that she had decided to give her another chance.

    Noelle couldn''t help but squeeze the crimson-haired beauty in a panic. "E-Emilia! I-I''m really sorry! I''ll never do it again, and you can punish me however you like if you want!"

    Emilia pushed the older girl back with a giggle, leaving them lying side by side. "It''s okay to speak your mind, I just have a very fragile ego. If you shatter it, you definitely have to stay and pick the pieces to put them together. If you run away like this again¡­ I can''t promise what I''ll do."

    Noelle quickly shook her head in denial. "It will never happen, promise!"

    Even if she could shoot herself in the foot once, Noelle didn''t believe she could do it twice!

    Emilia hummed. "And about that punishment... are you serious?"

    "Of course! I already knew everything before making a move on you, and still acted like that¡ª"

    Emilia pressed a finger against the older girl''s lips with a smile. "Actually, there are some things you don''t know yet. That''s one of the reasons why I invited you to dinner in the first ce, but I guess it''s fine to tell you now as well."

    "Eh?"

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t beat around the bush, and exined the basic ins and outs of the situation to the dumbfounded Noelle.

    Even minutes after the younger girl had stopped speaking, Noelle''s expression was still nk. "Y-You¡­ came from another world?"

    Emilia nodded. "That''s right."

    The gray-haired girl pursed her lips in thought. "How old were you when you arrived?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked. "Well¡­ I came here around the time when I started school. As for how old I was¡­ hmm¡­ I was over twenty when I died, but¡­"

    Noelle interrupted her in shock. "What?! You died?!"

    The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips before nodding. "Oh¡­ yeah. I guess I did."

    Noelle tried her best to calm herself down, but as long as she thought about such a possibility, she couldn''t help the panic in her heart at all. "Why didn''t you say so earlier?!"

    "It''s not that important, is it? And I don''t really like recalling it."

    Emilia shuddered in disgust, and for a moment Noelle even felt like the girl felt averse to herself, making her head go nk.

    The gray-haired girl quickly rejected that possibility as she patted Emilia''s back tofort the younger girl. "D-Don''t think about it if you don''t like it, then. It''s all in the past, and I''m here to help you do whatever you want in the future!"

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 Chapter 357 Noelleâ€™s Wild Conjectures

    <h4>Chapter 357 Noelle''s Wild Conjectures</h4>

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    Although Noelle didn''t know what Emilia must have gone through for her to react like that, given the fact that she had died, it couldn''t possibly have been anything pleasant to recall. So even if she was curious about it, the gray-haired girl decided to put the matter aside for now.

    The crimson-haired girl''s exnation of how she ended up here to save Danielle, and how she now wanted to conquer the world also brought up a lot of questions in her mind, but Noelle decided to put those off for another time as well.

    Instead, what she focused on now was taking a long, careful look at the younger girl she was embracing.

    No matter how she looked, there was no sign of ''disguise'' or any form of illusion that she was able to notice.

    Knowing Emilia''s mischievous nature, for a moment Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if the girl had just been joking about the whole thing. But recalling the girl''s expression from before¡­ it didn''t seem like she was joking at all.

    Although she didn''t want to believe it, the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but wonder if Emilia had some mental illness that made her believe everything she said before.

    Noelle couldn''t help but frown when she considered that possibility. "Emilia¡­ have you ever talked about this to anyone else?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Of course. Big sister knows all about it, oh, and Dixie and Crystal do as well."

    There was also Michelle, but Emilia didn''t mention her since the girl had fallen asleep halfway through her exnation, and even she wasn''t sure how much the girl had been able to listen to and remember.

    Noelle felt a little upset when she learned that she wasn''t the first person to know about it, but thinking about how this might have been what the crimson-haired beauty wanted to talk to her about when she invited her over, the gray-haired girl could only me herself for being too callous.

    But that wasn''t what was important right now.

    Suppressing the reluctance in her heart, Noelle shifted upwards from the crimson-haired girl''s soft embrace till she was able to look her in the eye while lying side by side. "Emilia¡­ did you know that some people are able to dream about their past lives?"

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but pout. "You don''t believe me?"

    Noelle coughed. "I-I''m not saying you''re lying or anything! I-It''s just¡­ you said that you used to live in another world, died, and reced Danielle to ''save her'' and ''conquer the world'', but¡­" The gray-haired girl gulped. "¡­ Um, i-isn''t it possible that you just ''recalled'' your past life in another world? How can you be sure that you''re not really ''Danielle''?"

    Emilia blinked, feeling a little dumbfounded. "Because I didn''t live as ''Danielle'' for the entirety of her childhood?"

    Noelle bit her lip in thought. "It''s possible that those memories could have been ''sealed'' in your mind after you remembered your dreams, right? W-Why don''t we go to a psychiatrist, and¡ª!"

    Looking at the younger girl burst into a fit of giggles, Noelle pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. "Hey! I''m being serious here. There''s no harm in just talking to a professional. A lot of people suffer from mental health issues without knowing about it, and there''s no shame to¡ª?!"

    Being interrupted with a soft kiss on her lips, Noelle didn''t know whether she should be delighted or furious at all.

    Emilia sighed. "I guess I can only do this for you to believe me."

    Thankfully, with her newly developed ability, she was able to save up to two images to shift into at any time, and she had naturally used them to save her original form as well as the slightly modified ''Danielle'' version.

    ¡ª Restoring the preserved appearance ''Emilia''!

    ¡ª Skill [Shapeshift] remains avable.

    Although Noelle could tell that something had changed, the effect was obviously nowhere near as magical as when Emilia had shifted in front of Dixie for the first time. This was only to be expected, however, since the crimson-haired girl had slowly been modifying her appearance to be closer and closer to her original one.

    Noelle hadn''t been expecting any change in her at all, though. Did this mean that Emilia really came from another world as she imed? She really wasn''t Danielle? Noelle couldn''t be sure.

    What was undeniable, however, was that the girl must have some sort of supernatural ability. Whether it was really being able to change forms or just something that increased her charm, the gray-haired girl couldn''t really tell either.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust Emilia, but rather, Noelle had been more inclined to believe that the crimson-haired beauty truly believed everything she told her, but just didn''t know any ''better''.

    After all, with how perfect the girl seemed otherwise, except for her personality, it would make sense if there was such a ''w'' that she didn''t know about.

    But since she really had some strange ability that increased her charm, Noelle couldn''t help but wonder if everything she said really was true, and Emilia actually came from another world in the most literal sense.

    Seeing the older girl furrow her brows in thought, Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. "What are you thinking now? Don''t tell me it''s another silly ''conjecture'' where I also have some physical ''mutation'' that allows me to change?"

    Noelle coughed in embarrassment as she shook away all her previous thoughts. "S-Sorry, I-I just¡­ No, I''m sorry I didn''t believe you before. Please forgive me."

    Seeing the older girl turn her head down so sincerely, Emilia''s heart instantly softened. "Hey, I don''t me you for not being able to ept something so oundish right away. Don''t feel too bad, alright?"

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but hum, a little moved in her heart. ''Even after everything that happened, she''s still so considerate. No wonder Sam was willing to turn into aplete pervert to get her hands on¡ª! No, wait¡­''

    "E-Emilia¡­ since you''re not really Danielle, around what time did you ''arrive'' in this world?"

    Emilia tilted her head curiously. "Didn''t I tell you earlier? It was a little before school started."

    "AHH!"

    Samantha''s shocking evolution into a siscon suddenly made a shocking amount of sense!

    Even though it didn''t absolve her from being aplete pervert who preyed on her little sister unless she knew everything from the start, the behavioral changes she had previously ignored now seemed all too obvious.

    Although Sam had always been a little rebellious, the biggest changes in her personality seemed to coincide with the time that her ''little sister'' went from being homeschooled to joining the Imperial Academy!

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel a little enlightened.

    Meanwhile, Emilia was left staring at her in confusion. "What''s going on?"

    The gray-haired girl shook off her distracting thoughts with a cough as she pulled the younger girl closer. "N-Nothing!"

    The crimson-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You''re really a bit too much, you know?"

    Although she had already ''forgotten'' about the matter of being rejected for dinner, and had also decided not to hold a grudge over Noelle not believing in her right away, now she wasn''t even going to tell her what she was screaming about in such excitement?

    Wasn''t this bullying her too much?

    Noelle also realized she was being a bit too unreasonable, and she couldn''t help but be embarrassed. "S-Sorry! I-I''ll do anything to make up for it!"

    Emilia smirked. "Anything?"

    The mischievous glint in the younger girl''s eyes wasn''t concealed at all, and Noelle''s heart couldn''t help but thump in excitement. "Y-Yes!"

    And to the gray-haired girl''s delight, her ''fanciful thoughts'' really seemed to turn out to be true when the younger girl jumped off the bed and started stripping down.

    The short skirt dropped down to the floor, and the buttons on her white shirt were undone one by one, exposing both hervender lingerie as well as the tantalizingly soft and smooth skin underneath.

    It was only then that Noelle realized that Emilia''s ''charm'' seemed to have exponentially ''upgraded'' how irresistible she was, and she almost couldn''t wait to jump off and drag the girl back to the bed.

    But after every other ''transgression'' she''d already made before, the gray-haired girl really didn''t dare to go overboard at this moment.

    Anyway, there was no way that the delectable meal that was about to be delivered right into her mouth possibly fly away at this point.

    Emilia''s eyes glinted mischievously as she unhooked her bra and let it drop onto the carpet as well. "Since you''re willing to do anything¡­ then you''re not allowed to touch me tonight."

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 Chapter 358 [NSFW] Noelleâ€™s â€™Punishmentâ€™

    <h4>Chapter 358 [NSFW] Noelle''s ''Punishment''</h4>

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    It took Noelle a few moments to process Emilia''s words, but when she did, her previously delighted expression immediately copsed into confusion. "Eh? W-Why are you taking your clothes off, then?"

    The crimson-haired beauty gave her a teasing look as she clicked her tongue. "Just because you can''t touch me doesn''t mean I can''t do the same to you, right?"

    "Oh¡­" Noelle couldn''t help but blink in surprise. ''Wait¡­ so is this her idea of ''punishment''?!''

    Looking at the almost bare tantalizing beauty tapping her chin in thought, as if she wondering whether to take herst remaining garment off or to leave it be, the gray-haired girl could only shake her head with a rueful smile. ''Isn''t this more like a reward than anything else?''

    Of course, although she nned to make up for her ''mistreatment'', Noelle had no ns of pointing out the actual level of ''effectiveness'' that Emilia''s so-called punishment had.

    After all, even if her will had been much stronger, there was no way she could turn away from this kind of temptation.

    Noelle didn''t know what kind of ''decision'' the younger girl had made, but in the end she didn''t take off her panties before climbing onto the bed. Unfortunately, perhaps her ''expectations'' were too obvious, making the younger girl give her a wary look.

    Emilia naturally wouldn''t believe that the practically vibrating older girl on the bed who appeared as if she couldn''t wait to pounce on her and swallow her whole would be able to restrain herself for too long like this.

    The crimson-haired girl paused as she narrowed her eyes. "Why do I feel like you''re not gonna keep your promise?"

    Although Noelle felt the same, there was no way she could admit it after being called out. Of course, herck of denial was as good as dering herself guilty as charged.

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "So you really n to break it?!"

    The older girl coughed in embarrassment. "I-It''s not that I don''t want to keep my promise, i-it''s just¡­ I may not be able to control my body, you know?"

    Normally, Emilia wouldn''t mind ack of self-control from her lover in bed, since that only meant they really found her attractive. It was more ttering than anything else.

    However, since her intention this time was to punish Noelle, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but be caught in a dilemma. She wanted to punish the older girl to ''teach her a lesson'', but things definitely couldn''t go on like this!

    The easiest way to proceed would naturally be to shift into a form that allowed her to physically restrain Noelle from being disobedient, but Emilia felt like doing things so forcefully would be a bit too crude.

    ''No wait, I don''t really need to personally restrain her physically! As long as she has some form of physical resistance that allows her to realize she can''t do anything without breaking her promise, it should be good enough!''

    Under Noelle''s curious eyes, Emilia bent down to pick up something up from the carpet. But before the older girl could fully admire the sight of the adorable little butt, she had already gotten back up.

    There was a bright smile on the younger girl''s face as she climbed onto the bed with her right hand sping the familiar blue ribbon of her uniform. And Noelle couldn''t help but gulp, wondering what she nned to do next. "E-Emilia?"

    "Hush."

    Noelle blinked in a daze when the almost fully naked girl straddled her waist with a smile beforezily leaning over herself.

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but gulp. ''As long as I push my head up a little, I''ll be able to bite these soft little bunnies! B-But she''ll definitely get mad at me if I tried, r-right?''

    It was only when she felt a soft yet firm grip lift her wrists above her head that she realized something wasn''t quite right.

    Unfortunately, by the time she discovered it, her hands were already tied together with a silky blue ribbon, and Emilia leaned back to her straddling position with a victorious smirk. "If that my ribbon breaks¡­ I''ll consider it as you having broken your promise. And if you do that¡­ w-well¡­ y-you will have to serve me as my personal maid for the next two weeks!"

    With the gray-haired girl''s diligent nature, even if she wanted to take a vacation, she would only do so after delegating all her tasks appropriately and ensuring that everything was on track.

    On such short notice and during a crucial time when many matters had to be dealt with, such a thing would naturally be impossible, leaving Noelle with no choice but to bear with her punishment.

    Although it was a bit too domineering and unreasonable, Emilia believed that Noelle would understand that this was part of her ''just desserts'' for everything she did before.

    The crimson-haired girl paused for a while before nodding to herself. ''Right! With this, it should definitely work.''

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel a little amused in her heart. ''Emilia is really¡­ too cute!''

    Had this adorable little beauty not already been her girlfriend, Noelle wondered if she might really have failed to keep herself in check in an attempt to im her.

    The crimson-haired girl obviously had no idea that her image in the older girl''s mind had only gotten ''cuter'', and wasn''t domineering at all.

    Emilia had initially nned to remove all her clothes and then just cuddle with Noelle to sleep. After all, with how enthusiastic the older girl had been before, it would surely be quite a punishment to make her force herself to remain still and abstain from tasting the forbidden fruit when it was practically being rubbed against her mouth.

    But once she had really tied the girl down, Emilia felt that she was a bit too pitiful, and it wouldn''t be right to leave her hanging throughout the night, so she decided to change her ns.

    ''With her dominant and strict personality, surely it would be enough punishment if I don''t let her take the lead, right?''

    Convincing herself so, Emilia quickly started undoing the buttons of Noelle''s formal shirt before she pulled it apart to reveal the white bra underneath, which the crimson-haired girl was able to easily unsp while Noelle thanked herself for choosing a front-closure piece today.

    With the rosy skin and stiffened red nubs exposed, Emilia couldn''t help but lean down to have a taste.

    The younger girl''s excited shifting around while straddling herp gave Noelle all kinds of strange ''stimtions'' she had been looking forward to and dreading at the same time, and she barely managed to stop herself from flipping her over when she felt some of her most sensitive bits being captured by Emilia''s overenthusiastic lips and tongue.

    Thankfully, the younger girl either didn''t notice or decided to overlook the unconscious bucking of her hips, and by the time Emilia let go of her breasts with a gasp, the gray-haired girl was already able to somewhat restrain herself while thinking about how making Emilia happy mattered more than some short-term relief, no matter how good it felt.

    After all, even if that silky blue ribbon was no better than a wet paper when it came to its effectiveness in restraining her physically, it did make her realize that it symbolized Emilia''s ''trust'', and she definitely couldn''t afford to break it again.

    Even if she had to endure sleeping with her panties absolutely drenched and body shivering with excitement and lust, Noelle knew that this was her trial by fire, and she definitely had to pass it with flying colors!

    Feeling the younger girl stop ying with her breasts and start fluttering kisses up her neck and onto her chin, the gray-haired girl almost bit her tongue in an effort to restrain herself.

    Unfortunately, the ''victim'' of her bite ended up being the innocent little intruder who had just entered her after bravely parting the older girl''s lips.

    Noelle''s mind couldn''t help but turn nk. Even if she wanted to delude herself into thinking that the soft and delectable little tongue that she had just bitten was her own, there was no way she could do so after hearing the younger girl''s whimper.

    Just as she was wondering how to apologize when Emilia would inevitably pull back angrily, Noelle couldn''t help but be stunned silly when she felt the younger girl furiously start nibbling on her lower lip.

    Even though the younger girl wasn''t being rough enough to break the skin or make it really painful, Noelle could still tell that Emilia must have felt very ''wronged'', and fully intended to take her anger out on her.

    Emilia didn''t let her go at all as she alternated between chewing on the older girl''s upper and lower lip, only pausing to gently caress her with her soft lips to soothe the pain before continuing with her ''punishment''.

    Of course, to Noelle, the younger girl''s ''domineering kiss'' was just rough enough to be pleasurable without being painful, and she couldn''t help but lose herself in a world of pleasure and expectations as she bucked her hips against the gorgeous girl straddling her.

    Emilia thought she was perhaps being too much, causing Noelle to ''struggle'' like that. And with her being restrained as well, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but feel some pity in her heart as she stopped ''punishing'' her and pressed their soft lips firmly together before pushing her tongue in once again.

    This time, there was no unexpected biting, and Emilia carefully caressed the older girl''s tongue in an attempt to soothe her after ''ravaging'' her mouth for so long.

    Of course, Noelle, who was almost on the verge of reaching the peak before, could no longer continue to ''struggle'' now. Only then did she realize that this could also be considered ''punishment''.

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 Chapter 359 [NSFW] The Way To Go

    <h4>Chapter 359 [NSFW] The Way To Go</h4>

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    Being able to taste Emilia''s soft, pliable lips over the next few minutes was far from being the worst of punishments.

    In fact, Noelle believed that she would normally be able to indulge herself by suckling on the crimson-haired beauty''s lips for an eternity without ever being tired.

    But as it was right now, there was no way for Noelle to deny that this was an extreme test of both her patience and self-control.

    Having almost reached the point of no return, the subtle delight from being able to kiss the younger girl''s delectable lips was like a sprinkle of water in a raging inferno.

    It didn''t reduce the intensity of the fire at all. If anything, it only made the fire burn stronger, and the only way to quench it was with a lot more ''water'' that would satiate her ''thirst''.

    Fortunately for her, Emilia wasn''t feeling particrly patient either, and soon ended their kiss with a gasp as she started fluttering kisses down her chin and neck, wantonly nibbling on the soft flesh.

    Noelle could only helplessly moan as she felt the sensitive flesh of her nape being suckled by her mischievous lover. "D-Don''t t-tease me¡ª?!"

    The gray-haired girl''s thoughts came to a screeching halt and her pupils dted when she felt Emilia''s nimble little fingers fiddling with the button on her trousers.

    The moment it was released, the younger girl immediately went down and tugged the obstruction away, leaving Noelle''s crotchpletely defenseless except for her already drenched white panties. Naturally, those followed the gray-haired girl''s trousers shortly as well, down her legs and then over the poor carpet that was destined to be stained with love juices today.

    Noelle wanted to clench her thighs shut to hide her shameful state from the gorgeous girl, but unfortunately, there was no way for her to do so with the younger girl still being between her thighs.

    Just thinking about how herpletely drenched crotch was being stared at so intently by the girl she liked made Noelle mortified. At the same time, however, she couldn''t deny the excited throbbing in her core, sending another dribble of love juices down her crotch.

    Emilia paused only momentarily when she saw how heavily slicked the older girl was from her own arousal. ''Wow¡­ she''spletely drenched! S-So hot!''

    The sight of all that glistening fluid all over Noelle''s sexy thighs was so arousing that even if she had really only intended to tease the older girl, she wouldn''t be able to keep such convictions now at all.

    Thankfully, Emilia had never intended to do so in the first ce.

    With her face so close to Noelle''s core, the heavy, heady musk had already made it hard for the crimson-haired beauty to think about too much as she dove straight in and started licking up all the slick, transparent fluids covering the girl''s inner thighs,pping as much as she could with her nimble tongue before gulping it down.

    Noelle''s pupils dted instantly as a raw, guttural moan tore through her throat. "E-Emilia!"

    Unfortunately, the younger girl seemed too lost in her own world to hear the warning in her voice.

    The slightly salty transparent fluid that had seemed so plentiful just moments ago quickly became in short supply after Emilia ran her tongue all over Noelle''s inner thighs and crotch. Naturally, this left the crimson-haired beauty with no choice but to raid the source to continue with her ''expedition''.

    The feeling of the nimble tongue slipping into her tight core made Noelle jolt in shock, but the little beauty gave her no time to adjust at all as she clutched her soft butt firmly to keep her in ce.

    Much to Emilia''s delight, the source of the salty treasure she was plundering seemed to be quite ''rich'', and the constant trickles almost made it seem like a continuous stream that she could indulge herself in almost endlessly.

    With how aroused she had already been, Noelle knew that she could have probably had an orgasm even if she continued to just kiss Emilia, but now¡­

    "F-Fuck!"

    The younger girl had barely started flicking her tongue around to explore her core before a pair of thick thighs enclosed her from both sides and the previously docile girl started to wildly buck her hips.

    "E-Emilia, I-I''m gonna¡ª!"

    The gray-haired girl didn''t even have the time to finish her sentence as her waist arched and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

    Both the volume and vor intensified abruptly on Emilia''s tongue as the gentle stream seemed to spontaneously turn into a broken dam, and she could only hurriedly gulp down over and over again to keep herself from being overwhelmed.

    A few quick, desperate thrusts of her hipster, the older girl panted helplessly on the bed as she stared nkly at the ceiling above.

    There were white spots floating around her vision, and a hazy feeling of satisfaction clouded her thoughts as Noelle justy there with a silly grin on her face.

    Emilia had been a little dumbfounded at first, but looking at the older girl''s happy expression, she couldn''t bring herself to care about it too much.

    The fact that her breasts, neck, and face were all covered in Noelle''s sexual fluids wasn''t too much of an issue, but the fact that even her hair had be drenched made Emilia feel both incredibly amused and aroused.

    The crimson-haired girl had never imagined that one day she would literally be showered in a girl''s cum, but Emilia felt that she mighte to like the feeling.

    Seeing how uncontrobly aroused Noelle had been, she couldn''t help but wonder if she should always be more ''intense'' from now on, or if it would be too much. ''For a usually disciplined person like Noelle, being unwound like this must mean it felt incredible, right?''

    Given how happy the older girl looked, Emilia nodded to herself in satisfaction. ''More intense is the way to go, then. In that case¡­ I might as well try ''that'' out!''

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 Chapter 360 [NSFW] Tentacles?

    <h4>Chapter 360 [NSFW] Tentacles?</h4>

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    Noelle was still in a contented daze when Emilia crawled up from between her legs and shocked her with a firm, searing kiss, wantonly exploring her mouth.

    "Mmph?!"

    The older girl was momentarily confused by the salty vor on her tongue before she realized where the little beauty''s lips and tongue had been before. Having pumped the girl full like that just before, it would be a wonder if she tasted like anything else, right?

    But surprisingly, the vor faded away just momentster, leaving only a heavy musky scent as the proof of her ''tributes'' to Emilia before, aside from the sticky, glistening residue all over the girl''s gorgeous body.

    There wasn''t even a hint of the usual rose fragrance of Emilia''s shower gel, and Noelle couldn''t help but be a little giddy when she thought of having ''marked'' Emilia as her own, no matter how temporary it was.

    In her excitement, the gray-haired girl didn''t even realize at all that she had unconsciously snapped the ribbon holding her wrists as if it was wet paper, unable to keep herself from trying to bring the little beauty closer.

    It was only momentster, when she felt Emilia moan deeper into her mouth, that she froze in realization. With her hands still firmly clutching the younger girl''s butt, there was no way she could deny it even if she''d wanted to.

    Unfortunately, it was toote for her to regret as Emilia pulled back from their kiss with a mischievous smile on her lips. "I told you not to touch me, didn''t I? But since it seems like you couldn''t keep your promise¡­ so how should I punish you now?"

    Noelle wanted to cry out loud at how unfair it was that Emilia could touch her all she wanted, but she couldn''t do the same. But recalling how this was her ''retribution'' for mistreating the younger girl, she didn''t dare to voice that thought out loud at all.

    She wouldn''t be able toin about it even if Emilia didn''t talk to her for weeks, heartbreaking as it would be, so wasn''t the current situation already quite good?

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but be a little embarrassed. "S-Sorry, Emilia¡­ I didn''t mean to do it, i-it just¡­ happened."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Although your attitude is good, I still believe your ''punishment'' needs to be intensified for not obediently serving your sentence. Don''t you think so too?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel an excited throbbing in her core as she unconsciously recalled the previous ''punishment''. She never knew that the sweet release would be so much better after being forced to hold back like that!

    Before she realized it, Noelle was already nodding her head in agreement. "Yes!"

    The older girl''s face turned red almost immediately, but Emilia didn''t give her the time to retract her statement at all.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned as she leaned back, breaking their embrace. "Alright. Since your hands are free now, take everything off for me so I can ''teach you a lesson'' properly."

    Looking at the mischievous glint in the younger girl''s eyes, Noelle momentarily had the illusion that Emilia must have deliberately provoked her to get what she wanted. But the gray-haired girl quickly shook off such an absurd thought as she reluctantly sat up and started taking off the rest of her clothes obediently.

    There wasn''t much to get rid of, given that only her already opened shirt and bra were left, Noelle barely took a few seconds to ''get ready'', but when she turned her gaze back to Emilia, the girl had alreadypletely ''changed''.

    Much to Noelle''s shock, the long, slightly wavy crimson hair of the younger girl seemed to have almost tripled in volume, and was even floating around as Emilia could fully control each and every strand individually.

    Blinking in astonishment, the older girl only then noticed that there were several crimson ''tentacles'' floating around as well, and there was a strange glow in the younger girl''s eyes as she intently familiarized herself with how they worked.

    The appendages twitched and waved around in the air, and with Emilia''s gorgeous face looking shockingly simr to a curious child, the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but think that the sight was adorable.

    The fact that the little beauty could do something like this was only a little surprising, but considering Emilia''s origins, Noelle was quickly able toe to terms with it without being too shocked.

    When she thought of what Emilia must want to do with her newfound appendages, however, Noelle could no longer be so calm.

    Her heart beating like a drum in her chest, the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but cough in embarrassment. "W-What are those for?"

    Emilia smirked as she used one of the longer tentacles to lift the older girl''s chin. "These¡­? To fuck you, of course."

    The slight huskiness in her voicebined with her words almost caused Noelle to copse back on the bed in both anticipation and ''fear''.

    Obviously, Noelle wasn''t a stranger to the concept, but that was only because she had clicked on the wrong ad while ''researching'' something a long time ago. Definitely no other reason.

    But how could Emilia know about such an indecent thing? Noelle couldn''tprehend it at all. "W-Where did you even learn about tentacle rape?!"

    Not to mention that she was from another world, even most girls in this world wouldn''t be very familiar with such ''exotic'' concepts such as tentacle y before they even hit twenty, right?

    Emilia''s teasing smirk froze on her face, reced by a confused look. "¡­ huh? There''s a term for it?"

    Noelle blinked. "¡­ you¡­ really don''t know?"

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "Well, I know now."

    The idea hade to her when she thought of restraining Noelle physically for punishment, and although she hadn''t ended up using it for that purpose, she still had the epiphany - wouldn''t it be something she could y around with?

    Thinking about it again, it was quite silly of her to consider this her ''original idea'', given that there was nock of perverts in the world. Even if they couldn''t manifest actual tentacles like her, they could still imagine being able to do it, couldn''t they?

    Emilia pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. "Anyway, don''t try to distract me! Turn around and get on your hands and knees. It''s time for your real punishment to start!"

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 Chapter 361 [NSFW] Top 3 Uses of Tentacles

    <h4>Chapter 361 [NSFW] Top 3 Uses of Tentacles</h4>

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    Noelle couldn''t deny the thrill she felt run down her spine and into her core when she was told to assume such a shameful position by Emilia.

    That was why, even though she found it incredibly embarrassing, the gray-haired girl still turned around to get on her hands and knees, her face red with both shame and excitement and eyes tightly squeezed shut.

    Emilia couldn''t help but hum in admiration as she stared at the sight in front of her eyes. ''I never felt that Noelle had a particrly big butt, but I stand corrected, I guess.''

    Reaching out to grab the two fair, smooth butt cheeks with her hands, the crimson-haired girl gave them a firm squeeze, making the older girl let out a wanton, guttural groan.

    Emilia grinned as she climbed over the gray-haired beauty before biting the back of her left ear. "Why do you sound so excited while being punished, huh?"

    Feeling the little beauty mount her and having her soft breasts press into her back, Noelle couldn''t even formte any words of denial at that moment, let alone say them out loud.

    Of course, even if the gray-haired girl had wanted to protest, Emilia didn''t give her the chance at all as she embraced her firmly while nibbling on the older girl''s ear. "Since you really want to get fucked so much, don''t me me for being too rough, okay?"

    The tingling pleasure from having her ears gently nibbled by the crimson-haired beauty''s almost threateningly sharp teeth almost made Noelle''s mind go nk, but she still realized that there was something hot pressing against her entrance.

    Before the gray-haired girl couldprehend what it could be, numerous tentacles assaulted her all at once, almostpletely overwhelming her senses as she instinctively tried to escape, only to realize how deceptively strong the little beauty on top of her was.

    Two slender yet firm ''tentacles'' that had climbed down her legs, coiled around her meaty thighs, tickled down the back of her knees, and were gently sliding around her slender calves were like steel clutches that wouldn''t let her legs budge even an inch.

    Another two went up and around her soft breasts, squeezing them together before resting right next to her painfully stiff nipples, frustratingly close, yet just not quite there.

    One went around her neck before climbing up and brushing past Noelle''s lips, and the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but subconsciously try to lick it, only to be avoided by the shockingly nimble thing.

    And what must have been the thickest one seemed to go around her waist, easily squeezing between her back and Emilia''s t belly as it held her firmly with its tip tapered tip pressed against her belly button, as if threatening to pierce her at any moment.

    With the frustration from almost all of her erogenous zonesbined, Noelle almost couldn''t help but turn around to push Emilia back and fuck the living daylights out of her.

    But unfortunately, the restraints around her body were too tight, and she could only futilely push her butt back against the warm appendage pressing against her core, whimpering desperately.

    Just when she felt that she was about to go crazy, however, the previously evasive tentacle in front of her face suddenly thrust straight into her mouth, almost going down her throat unimpeded.

    At the same time, something thick and hot tore through her core, instantly evaporating her desperate frustration with a white hot burst of both pain and pleasure, making the older girl bite down on the intruder in her mouth.

    She couldn''t be med, since Emilia had mmed into her so hard that the older girl was directly pushed into the bed in a prone position, with the crimson-haired girl keeping her pressed down firmly from head to toe.

    The sharpened exhale from the younger girl against her ear reminded her that she could perhaps very intimately feel every sensation from these strange appendages, and Noelle quickly released her bite, feeling guilty while hoping she hadn''t hurt the younger girl too much.

    How could she know that Emilia could freely control the sensitivity of her appendages? Not only did the one that Noelle bit not hurt much, but the crimson-haired girl was too busy being overwhelmed with pleasure from Noelle''s tight core constricting around her most sensitive appendage.

    With her pupils dted, Emilia endured the thrilling waves rushing up and down her spine while shey firmly on top of the older girl.

    It didn''t take long for Noelle to recover, and the sweet, sharp tingling from her painfully throbbing core made her desperate for more, yet the younger girl on top of her remained frustratingly still.

    With almost her entire body being held so firmly by her lover, from their intertwined fingers to the insides of her stretched core, there was no way Noelle could endure for long before she started trying to thrust her ass back on her own.

    The amused chuckle in her ear made the older girl freeze, but before her face could flush in shame, she felt Emilia move back a little, taking the tentacle that was buried deep inside her almost all the way out before firmly thrusting back in again, stretching the older girl to the depths of her core, their hips mming together just as she couldn''t endure anymore.

    Noelle couldn''t help but let out a muffled, exhrated groan as Emilia kissed her earlobe tenderly before doing it again.

    Noelle shuddered when she realized that the appendage down below seems to be just the right girth and length to stretch her wonderfully without hurting her much, and even seemed to hit all the right ces.

    Combined with the stimtion she felt all over her body, the hot, ticklish tingling in her lower abdomen felt so good that Noelle couldn''t even hear the embarrassing wet squelch every time the younger girl mmed into her drenched core.

    With each wet thwack came another burst of pleasure, and Noelle couldn''t help butpletely lose her focus as shey there like a dead fish, simply epting the overwhelming amounts of pleasure from Emilia''s numerous appendages.

    The tentacle in her throat seemed to be intent on meeting its counterpart just a little bit more each time the younger girl thrust into her again, though it always reluctantly retreated to let her breathe.

    The tips of the ones squeezing her breasts also flicked against her painfully stiff nipples like little tongues, and the tapered one at her belly button also pressed into her firmly, only separated from her spine by the imprable wall of tightly squeezed flesh.

    Noelle moaned and groaned like a wanton whore as she squeezed Emilia''s intertwined fingers almost painfully tight while desperately meeting her thrusts even with her prone position.

    Emilia had no way of maintaining her rhythm in her state, making their movements devolve into a frenzied mess of mindless lust, not that either of them cared even the tiniest bit about it at that point.

    It was only when she felt that she was about to reach a point of no return that Emilia firmed her hold on the older girl using all of her appendages, forcefully holding her in ce as she started using faster, more rhythmic movements to prolong her pleasure as the gray-haired girl shuddered beneath her.

    With onest, powerful thrust, Emilia whimpered as she copsed on top of Noelle when she felt the strong, almost overwhelming jolts of current run up her spine as her entire body shuddered with pleasure.

    The hot breath against her ear, the soft, shivering body of the gorgeous girl on top of her, and the twitching hot appendage deep inside her core allbined to send Noelle over a peak she had never even imagined could exist, giving her the mother of all orgasms.

    Noelle didn''t even realize or care that the throbbing appendage was filling her womb to the point where it looked like it was about to burst.

    With her impable speed of recovery, it didn''t take Emilia long to get back to her senses, ready to go another round as she sighed happily while kissing Noelle''s cheek. "Did you enjoy your ''punishment'', baby?"

    Not getting any response, Emilia finally realized that the older girl''s eyes had already rolled back as she fainted.

    She couldn''t help but be a little dumbfounded. "Hey, this is your punishment, not mine! How can you sleep so happily while I''m still horny?!"

    Of course, the older girl only smiled in her sleep, making her feel like she had punched cotton.

    Emilia could only pout and copse next to Noelle while using her ''saved state'' to revert back to her original form, making all her extra appendages disappear. "I''ll definitely make you regret it the next time!"

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 Chapter 362 Books Are Better Than Movies

    <h4>Chapter 362 Books Are Better Than Movies</h4>

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    Noelle rarely slept as well as she didst night, but unfortunately, the pleasant mood from her beauty sleep was quickly reced with a throbbing headache.

    Although they could already be considered ''reconciled'', the gray-haired girl had wanted to make it up to Emilia for not treating her well the past few days, and even making the younger girl take the initiative to clear the ''misunderstandings'' when what happened was mostly her own fault.

    But not only did Emilia leave with just a note on the table informing her of today''s schedule, but her ''younger cousin'' also seemed to have caught a hint of what they were doing¡­ again.

    Nicole stomped her foot on the floor without a pout. "You don''t have to lie to me, aahh! What kind of ''business'' do you talk about after dragging a girl to your bedroom like that?!"

    Thinking about how she had finally had the chance to chat with the little beautyst night after just being able to watch her from afar, her irritation was understandable.

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Am I not a girl as well? Why are you so suspicious? Can we not just talk in a more private setting?"

    Nicole thought about it a little before quickly shaking her head in denial. "Hey, although the soundproofing of your room is good, I can still hear it if someone moans so loudly, can''t I? Don''t try to fool me!"

    The only reason she hadn''t tried to m the door down was because she didn''t hear any cries for help¡­ and she probably couldn''t break the door even if she wanted to.

    Noelle blinked innocently. "Moaning? Are you sure you aren''t getting carried away by your delusions?"

    The younger girl couldn''t help but be stunned. "E-Eh¡­? No way, so you really didn''t¡­?"

    Looking at her older cousin''s serious face¡­ she really didn''t seem capable of doing such things, right?

    When she thought about it again, the younger girl couldn''t help but wonder if all the stress from work was really getting to her head.

    After all, the maids in the White Deer mansion really were a bit overzealous. Although Nicole didn''t feel like she was overdoing it yet, wasn''t it possible that their attitude had subtly influenced her subconscious?

    Nicole couldn''t help but be shocked.

    Although she did idolize and admire Emilia, it didn''t mean she wanted to turn into a fanatic like that Michelle girl!

    "Ahhh! I have to take a leave today and go see a psychiatrist!"

    Without another word, the younger girl immediately rushed off, not even bothering to close the door on her way out.

    Noelle couldn''t help but blink. "Hopefully she doesn''t just run all the way¡­ did she even take her purse?"

    But having fended her off, the gray-haired girl couldn''t deny that her mood was now significantly better than before.

    Noelle decided to message one of her subordinates to keep an eye on her ''younger cousin'' today just in case she got into trouble.

    She couldn''t help but sigh when she noticed the unexpectedlyrge number of notifications from the ''Crimson Rose Sisters''. "Do these girls never shut up or sleep?"

    Most of the messages were from her ''boss'', who seemed intent on making up for her absence during the day.

    The younger girls were still fine, but could Noelle couldn''t help but worry for Sam''s health. Not to mention keeping up with her work without proper sleep, wasn''t this just a recipe for getting sick?

    Noelle sighed. "I guess I''ll scare them by saying their skin will turn dry and unattractive if they don''t get proper sleep."

    Looking at her own glowing, youthful skin, her belief in that saying turned even deeper. Thebination of being happy and sleeping well was really like an immortal medicine for the body!

    Just as she opened the chat box to send her ''warning'', Noelle noticed that her previously unsent ''essay'' admonishing Dixie and Crystal for sharing their ''sneak shots'' of Emilia was still sitting there since she had just closed the app without deleting it.

    Although she hadn''t dared to send it before, now that she had reconciled with Emilia, Noelle was no longer so hesitant when it came to interacting with this bunch of ''babies''.

    Seeing how they seemed to be overdoing it, the gray-haired girl thought it would probably be a bad idea to let them continue like this. It was fine to y around, but not without limits!

    Editing her previous message a little, Noelle sent it along with her ''warning'' without hesitation.

    Of course, although Noelle thought her message was already quite ''tame''pared to the original, it still scolded Sam for being apletely hopeless pervert and a bad example for everyone else.

    As for Dixie and Crystal, they were also scolded for being childish and immature.

    Noelle believed she was doing the right thing. Teaching them how to be proper, responsible adults was her ''responsibility'' as the oldest person in their group.

    Sister #1: "Me, a pervert¡­? And what were you doingst night?"

    Hard Candy: "That''s right! Miss Noelle, Emilia told us she would spend the night with you, did you¡­ have fun?"

    Sister #1: "Ahhh! My baby returned covered in hickeys and bruises, how can you be so rough?! I''ll teach you a lesson when youe to the office today!"

    Not only did they not respond to what she said before, they even turned the topic into gossip about what happened between her and Emiliast night?

    Noelle couldn''t help but be furious. "What the hell? Don''t make things up! How can I leave her covered in hickeys and bruises when I was tied up the whole time?!"

    She knew she made a mistake the moment the message was sent.

    Hands shivering nervously, she quickly did what any reasonable, responsible adult would after making a mistake.

    [Sorry, you don''t have the permission to delete messages in this channel!]

    "FUCK!"

    Sister #1: "Heh."

    Knight Lady: "Ohhh¡­ miss Noelle sure has some weird fetishes, huh? I''ve been enlightened."

    Hard Candy: "Teaching us about decency right after an S&M session with a girl over ten years younger than you, and you were even the ''M''¡­ tsk tsk."

    Noelle immediately deleted the app.

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    Back at the White Deer mansion, Sam and Dixie couldn''t help but stare at Crystal.

    The older girl scratched her head in confusion. "Didn''t Emilia say you were the most innocent, purest angel in the world?"

    Dixie also nodded. "I also thought you were so innocent! Just where did you learn these things?"

    Had Emilia not been absent from the table because she insisted on preparing their breakfast, she would have been the first one to face their ''inquiries''. After all, she was the most likely suspect of ''corrupting'' the girl she proimed as an angel by herself, being the equivalent of a goddess of seduction as she was.

    But knowing how Emilia treated her like a baby, no matter how they thought about it, it was quite unlikely for her to try anything ''extreme'' with the blond girl if she hadn''t even done that with them, right?

    So how did she know?

    With her ''angelic'' image thanks to Emilia, they couldn''t imagine Crystal looking up indecent stuff by herself at all.

    The blonde girl blushed as she looked away in embarrassment. "D-Don''t stare at me like that! I-I just learned it from.. b-books?"

    Sam couldn''t help but be stunned. "Just how much did the curriculum change after I left?!"

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 Chapter 363 Double Crossing

    <h4>Chapter 363 Double Crossing</h4>

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    The Old Snake was widely considered one of the most slippery and hardest to deal with opponents in both the Nightingale n and the martial artsmunity alike, and it was not without reason.

    Although a part of it was due to his skills in espionage, sabotage, and assassination, what really yed the biggest part in his reputation was his ruthlessness and wit.

    He was someone who could even use his own nsmen as disposable bait when needed, and had even ''sacrificed'' his wife and children to further his goals at critical junctures in his career.

    Naturally, since he had already betrayed the Gray Wolfe and beaten up Alexander in person, he couldn''t do things half-heartedly anymore.

    He decided to temporarily ''team up'' with his ''assants'' and agree to all their demands, and even agreed to be ced under strict monitoring while he performed sabotage on his previous ''allies''.

    Although the Nightingale n and the Gray Wolfe used to have a symbiotic rtionship in the past, it had long since started changing to that of a master and their servant.

    If the situation continued, it wouldn''t be long till they stopped being just ''dependent'' and became actual ves. Thinking about it this way, perhaps this was more of an opportunity than a setback.

    Of course, the old snake wouldn''t leave these people without a poisonous bite. He would bide his time, wait for them to let down their guard¡­ and the strike.

    But first¡­ it was time to call his ''boss'' and give him a ''report'' before there could be any ''inspection''.

    Fortunately, his ''captors'' were quite cooperative when it came to sabotaging people they didn''t like.

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    "What?! Who dared to attack my son?!"

    Had his secretary not left moments before to get him a cup of coffee, the extreme reaction from the leader of the Gray Wolfe would surely have set off storms in the office.

    Fortunately, the old snake quickly confirmed that Alexander was alright and hadn''t been injured at all, though the old man himself suffered a little.

    Sanders couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "That''s good."

    Had anything happened to his son¡­ how would he exin things to his wife? It was his ownck of capability that forced his son to take this stupid test as a means to convince everyone, after all.

    But after a short moment of relief, the man''s mind was immediately clouded with rage. Who was so restless to get butchered these days that they even dared toy a hand on his precious son?!

    "Did you find out who it was that dared to do it?"

    His gaze darkened. ''If it really is the doing of the twins, then¡­ even if you have some of my blood in your veins, don''t me me for being ruthless!''

    The old man on the other side seemed to hesitate for a while without giving him a clear answer, and it only served to irritate Sanders further. "Even if you''re ipetent, it can''t be to this level, right? Should I reduce the funding to the Nightingale n, since it doesn''t seem to be working well anyway?"

    "N-No, boss, I-I just didn''t know if I should share my conjectures, since they only left a few clues, and it''s mostly based on my own feelings, but¡ª"

    Alexander''s father couldn''t help but m his fist on the table. "Just spit it out, you useless dog!"

    Although the Old Snake was already grinning from ear to ear, he still managed to make his voice sound fearful. "I-I suspect it was the ck Tiger''s doing!"

    Naturally, the old man would rather frame the White Deer, since his assants seemed to be on friendlier terms with them. But unfortunately, he was still being monitored right now, and this was the best he could do.

    Hearing the expected response, Sanders couldn''t help butugh angrily. "I should have known! Who else would be so daring in this world other than that man?!"

    He had long since known that the ck Tiger had both the ambition and the unrealistic dream of one day taking the top spot in this world, but he didn''t expect that man to be so delusional!

    "Heh, does he think that I''m like that idiot from White Deer, and that he can walk all over me? I heard he''s been suffering a few setbacks even from his local rival, so does he think he can set his sights my way and take off a few chunks of meat by threatening me with Alex?"

    He couldn''t help but chuckle. "Unfortunately¡­ all he''s managed to do¡­ is invite a cmity his way!"

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    When Alexander woke up to the sight of a white, hospital ceiling instead of the one in his room, his first thought was¡­ who the hell did he sleep withst night?

    At first, all he could recall was the wrinkly old face of the man who had been sent over to assist him. But after a few minutes of trying his best to wrack his brains, the dark-haired man finally managed to remember what had happened.

    His mind was immediately clouded with rage as he mmed his fist against the saline drip stand, not only ripping the IV needle right off his arm, but also rming the hospital staff.

    "T-The patient is awake but unstable, quickly, get the doctor!"

    "Hold him down!"

    "FUCK! Get your grubby paws off me, you pieces of¡ª!"

    No matter how he protested, Alexander was still strapped down to the bed by a few able-bodied nurses. Fortunately, Jake arrived soon enough and managed to calm him down.

    After the doctor arrived and fixed his IV drip, Jake quickly made a few excuses to have them remove Alexander''s restraints and leave them alone.

    Of course, although he was no longer throwing a tantrum, the dark-haired man was still incensed. "Where the fuck were you?!"

    Jake dipped his head in ''shame'', hiding the annoyance in his eyes. "I-I just went to grab something to eat¡ª"

    ''This dipshit!'' Alexander couldn''t help but curse in his heart. ''Is he just pretending, or does he really not understand I meant to ask him where the fuck he was when I was being assaulted?!''

    But with his pride, it was naturally impossible for Alexander to just say it out loud, or it would seem like he was expecting help. "Are you still in a mood to eat?!"

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 Chapter 364 The Sinking Ship

    <h4>Chapter 364 The Sinking Ship</h4>

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    After hearing the scathing remarks of his ''big bro'', Jake initially wanted toin that at least he was more sincere than the man that Alexander had received from the airport, who was nowhere to be found, but in the end he couldn''t bring himself to do so.

    With his extraordinary moves, the old man was likely to be someone with a great background, and the blond boy didn''t think it was too strange for him to not pay attention to ''small folk'' like them. Perhaps he was busy dealing with some more important matters.

    And as for Alexander¡­ although Jake could feel that their friendship was no longer what it used to be, as his friend seemed to treat him worse and worse with every passing day, Jake had already firmly tied himself to this ship.

    Even if it was going to sink, jumping overboard right now would only get him drowned sooner.

    Therefore, the blond boy could only grit his teeth and bear with it, no matter how he was treated. "S-Sorry, big bro¡­ I-I didn''t eat or drink much while waiting for you to wake up for so long that I¡ª"

    Alexander took one look at the food box in the blond boy''s hands before realizing that he was actually quite famished. Feeling a little less annoyed, he quickly snatched over and used the stic spoon in the box to dig in.

    Jake couldn''t help but feel a little dumbfounded when the food he had lined for was all taken away, but before he could even finishmenting, Alexander had already started spitting it out on his feet.

    "Hyak! Gross, disgusting! What the fuck is this trash?!"

    Jake stared at the disgusting mess on the floor as he frowned. "D-Does it taste so bad?"

    Alexander threw the rest of the packaged food to the floor in disgust, and the opened packet created an even bigger mess. "It''s shit!"

    Jake hadn''t even gotten to taste it for himself, so he couldn''t confirm whether the taste was really that bad, but he knew that he would still have to line up again.

    Alexander sneered when he saw the regretful expression on Jake''s face. "Throw the trash where it belongs. I''m still hungry, but don''t bring me the garbage from the hospital cafeteria. Go get some from a nearby hotel, you hear me? I''ll let you decide what to bring, but it better be good."

    The blond boy couldn''t help but grit his teeth. "I-I''ll go, but¡­"

    Alexander frowned impatiently. "But what? Don''t waste my time!"

    Looking at the unfriendly expression on the face of his ''big bro'', Jake knew that if he didn''t ask now, he would never be able to do soter. "U-Uh¡­ s-sorry big bro, b-but¡­ can you tell me what happened to you after we got out of the car? I can''t seem to remember it at all."

    All Jake could recall was that he was examining the blown-out tire when he suddenly lost consciousness, but when he woke up, they were already in a different ce.

    Moreover, his ''big bro'' already had his face beaten to the point of looking like a hideous purple pig!

    It had been bothering him since he woke up without any signs of injuries at all.

    What happened? Who or what could do such things? Was the old man who was fighting earlier taken away, decided to hide on his own¡­ or dead?

    And most importantly¡­ was the target of those attackers that old man¡­ or his ''big bro''? If it was thetter, weren''t the two of them in a lot of trouble?

    Alexander gave him a gloomy look. "Do you really not remember?"

    Seeing him nervously shake his head in denial, the dark-haired man could tell that the younger male didn''t dare to lie to him at all, and some of his earlier frustration was finally alleviated.

    Although what he went through was undoubtedly still humiliating on its own, its impact was somewhat softened if he could perhaps keep the matter somewhat of a secret.

    As long as the people responsible were dealt with properly, suffice to say, no one but himself would know what had really happened in that back alley.

    Now that Alexander knew that Jake didn''t know about what happened, he was no longer someone who needed to be disposed of, so the dark-haired man would naturally no longer treat him as harshly as before. "Alright, I''ll exin what happenedter, but first¡­ where''s my phone?"

    Jake quickly took out the second phone he had been carrying around before handing it over. "The staff kept it in the drawer, but I took it away since it could contain details about our deals and stuff, so¡ª"

    Alexander waved his hand in dismissal. "Alright alright, whatever, I don''t really care. We can chat moreter, but first, go do what I told you and get me some food! Oh, and make sure what you bring is actually fit for consumption, got it?"

    The blond boy grinned helplessly. "Okay, big bro, I got it."

    Although Jake''s expression twisted a little, he quickly stepped out of the room before his true thoughts could be seen through. ''I really can''t keep sticking to him, or I''ll suffer more and more!''

    The blond boy knew that he had to find a ce to jump off of this sinking ship so he could still swim off to safety, or he would just be waiting to die.

    Even if Alexander was talented, he had made enemies that he probably couldn''t afford to offend, and with how he treated him now, Jake was no longer interested in enduring hardships side by side.

    All he wanted to do now was get out safely.

    Thinking about how the dark-haired man even dared to have thoughts about the White Deer''s little princess, and what happened to every other girl he targeted before, it was only a wonder that this hadn''t happened sooner.

    Suddenly, it was like a light bulb had gone off in his head. ''Wait a minute¡­ as long as I can make Emilia realize that Alexander isn''t how he seems, and can ''save'' her, won''t I be able to earn her guardian''s gratitude? With their help, solving all my problems will be a piece of cake!''

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 Chapter 365 Devout

    <h4>Chapter 365 Devout</h4>

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    Ever since the day that Penny had first stuffed her clothes and bag full of treats to take them back to her ''fellow knights'', Emilia had wanted to personally meet this cute little group of girls and boys.

    After all, how could she not meet such adorable little children?

    Given how surprisingly helpful they had been since then only made her more and more curious.

    Unfortunately, one thing or the other kept making her put it off forter, and Emilia had to cancel their meeting not once, but twice. Even if Penny and her friends didn''t mind, it did make Emilia feel a little guilty for ''disappointing'' and giving them false hope.

    Naturally, now that she had some time, fulfilling this pending promise became one of Emilia''s top priorities.

    "YES!"

    Penny''s excitement when Emilia told her she would be visiting them was as infectiously high as ever, even though Emilia had ended up canceling on her twice before.

    Of course, only she knew how ecstatic she was when Emilia actually went with her after thepulsory sses were over instead of canceling it, though she didn''t dare to show it.

    After all, that would be like saying she didn''t believe in the words of her Princess, which was just sphemy!

    Naturally, whenever her princess showed any intentions of visiting their ''base'', Penny had the duty of not only escorting her to the ''premises'', but she also had to make sure that everything was ''presentable''.

    If they couldn''t even show their most beautiful form in front of the princess, there was no saying how much regret some of her club members would drown themselves inter.

    As a leader, instead of dealing with their bouts of depressionter, Penny would prefer to rather spend more time admiring the candid photos of her princess.

    Needless to say, the sheer pandemonium caused by the news of Emilia''s arrival at the headquarters of ''Princess Emilia''s Royal Knights'' could be imagined.

    "What are we going to do?! I feel like we''re not ready!"

    "Don''t panic, didn''t we already do everything we could? Surely¡ª"

    "You don''t get it, do you? The princess is reallying here this time!"

    "What?!"

    Even though they had clearly done everything that they did to prepare for Emilia''s arrival like the previous two times, having done ''the same thing'' before when she didn''t evene made them feel like they hadn''t prepared ''well enough'' for her actual arrival.

    Just like the news of their goddess descending would rm a temple, it was impossible for them to remain calm no matter how well prepared they were.

    But of course, since they had already ''done their best'', it was impossible for them toe up with any ''better ideas'' in such a short amount of time either, leading them to mostly fly around like headless chickens in a panic.

    Under such circumstances, it was natural for the calm appearance of Adele to stand out, making her the target of ''scrutiny''.

    "What is she doing?"

    "Cleaning themander''s personal ''holy'' collection, of course?"

    "I can see that!"

    The ''holy'' collection was obviously the most ''prized'' of pictures that their ''club'' had managed to capture, some of which looked like they were straight of out some tantalizing magazine.

    And among the members of their ''club'', who didn''t know that these particr picture frames were cleaned so many times every day that they had to be installed with special tempered ss to increase their ''endurance''?

    Obviously, cleaning them was just an excuse to gaze upon the forbidden imagery as much as they could, enjoying the exclusive privileges of themander for those few short moments.

    In the end, one of the ''seniors'' finally couldn''t endure it anymore. "Adele! Even if you''re now a captain, it doesn''t mean that you can perv over the princess at such a crucial time! Shouldn''t you instead go ensure that the fireworks are set up properly, the carpets are free of dust, and all the flowers are fresh and fragrant?!"

    Adele turned around with a frown. "Do not specte on my intentions with that filthy mind of yours. I only have the purest of affections for the princess, untainted by the carnal desires, just like themander!"

    While the girl who had called her out was dumbfounded, the nearby members couldn''t help but shake their heads in amusement. No wonder she was called the ''nun''.

    In the mind of the ss B girl, there was no need to ''appear good'' in front of the princess at all, as they only had to serve her faithfully from the background.

    Though not everyone shared her extreme obsession, some were ''extreme'' in their own unique ways.

    Of course, the one who called her out was still a little unwilling to give up, since she believed that she was fighting for the sake of getting the best treatment for her princess. "Althoughmander Penny will probably never be able to do anything to the princess in her life, her intentions are definitely a thousand times more perverted than mine. If you''re just like her, I can bet my left tit that you''re drenched right now!"

    Adele sneered, her gaze full of derision for the ''base'' girl in front of her. "Heh, what would you even know about themander? She discovered the glory of the princess before any of us, so she''s definitely more enlightened and mature than me. How could what you say be true?"

    The girl looked aggrieved at being called a pervert over and over again, so she pointed at one of the more tame frames. "Okay, exin to me what she intended to do with a photo like this, then, if not for being a p-pervert like me?"

    This particr shot consisted of a clear image from high up that ''peeked'' into the soft valley faintly visible through the open cor of their princess.

    Adele took one look at the photo before smiling, not perturbed by her question at all. "Themander''s faith in the princess is far greater than any of us can imagine. Clearly, while what you see is limited to smooth, glowing skin, themander sees through everything to peek directly at the heart, admiring the nobility and courage of the princess."

    Meanwhile, Dorothy, who had been Penny''s only friend for years, observed their argument with a worried smile. ''If they knew that Penny kept even more perverted photos in a private collection¡­ they would probably both team up to dismember her, right?''

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 Chapter 366 A Genius Flower Girl?

    <h4>Chapter 366 A Genius Flower Girl?</h4>

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    Since the ce that Samantha had arranged for their club wasn''t too far from the school, it didn''t take Emilia and her friends long to arrive at their destination.

    The road twisted around the slightly elevated area in a way that made it easy to observe a few buildings peeking past the high walls through the window, allowing them to get their first look at this supposed ''club house''.

    Emilia knew that this ce was intended to be a small munity'' before being ''remodeled'' ording to her sister''s requirements, but she was still a little surprised when she actually saw it with her own eyes. And she wasn''t the only one.

    Dixie, who had been a little dissatisfied that she couldn''t y with Emilia''s cute little toes since her princess refused to be ''sloppy'' when not in private, couldn''t help but smack her lips in shock. "Would a few dozen students even be able to use so many buildings for ''training''?"

    Compared to her family''s dojo, which is already thought was too big, this ce was at least a dozen times bigger. And most of the area there was actually just gardens and trees.

    Penny turned her nose up proudly as she tried her best to stick as close to her princess as she could without appearing too suspicious. "We use different buildings for different departments, such as espionage, sabotage, surveince, and so on."

    Crystal didn''t need to use her ability to see through Penny''s thoughts, consider how she was practically glued to Emilia''s side and looked a little too excited for someone desperately pretending to be ''normal''.

    Emilia chuckled as she squeezed the short girl''s slightly chubby cheek yfully. "If only you put so much effort into your studies, you would be in ss A, right?"

    Although she didn''t have a tail to wag, the intoxicated expression on the ponytailed girl''s face made it more than clear how she was feeling before she ''shyly'' buried her face in Emilia''s bosom.

    Crystal couldn''t help but shake her head speechlessly. If this girl was in their position¡­ their little princess would probably never be able to leave the bed. ''Fortunately, Emilia just thinks of her as an adorable, naughty little kid, and doesn''t see her as a peer at all.''

    That being said, the blonde girl didn''t dare expose Penny''s true thoughts either. After all, there was no way to know how Emilia would handle it if she knew, and she would rather not take the chance.

    Fortunately, she didn''t have to endure it for long.

    The tall, imposing gates of the munity'' were kept wide open to wee them in, with several girls on each side holding baskets full of flowers cheering in glee when they noticed the arrival of their car.

    Although they could have just drove in, Emilia would naturally not waste their good intentions after she noticed Penny''s hopeful gaze and the ''weing party''.

    "Ah! Ah! Princess! It''s the princess! She''s actually visiting us!"

    "Will I get to touch her hand? Will I? Will I?!"

    The guards craned their necks curiously to see who could cause this usually conceited bunch of little girls to act like this.

    After all, Oriana country did not have a royal family, though there was always the possibility that they would see some ind country''s actual princess step through the door.

    Of course, their leisurely attitude evaporated like smoke when they saw the little sister of their boss get out of the car and waved the driver away.

    Joke! If that perverted siscon heard even the slightest wind of them looking at her sister ''wrong'', who would be feeding their orphaned children?!

    Dixie and Crystal felt a little embarrassed when they were showered with flower petals, especially since they recognized a few of the girls as their ''seniors'' at school, but Emilia appearedpletely natural.

    She only waved over one of the enthusiastic girls with a smile when she felt the velvety flower petals brush across her skin. "These flowers are so fresh¡­ did you pluck them by yourself just before?"

    The girl who had been called over by her had somewhat dark, sun-kissed skin, and long, curly ck hair with cold, pale-green eyes, but at this moment they seemed to be shining ecstatically like the sun. "T-That''s right! Princess, w-we plucked them all by hand from the gardens before! Un, i-if you like, w-we have a lot more!"

    Dixie felt like this person was somewhat familiar, so she couldn''t help but nudge Crystal. "This wouldn''t happen to be the genius of the senior year, Hazel, right?"

    The blond girl smiled wryly as she nodded.

    Looking at the girl jumping around in such excitement like a little girl, who would think she was actually two years their senior?

    Emilia looked at the girl''s worn-out fingertips before shaking her head with a smile. "Although I do really like them, this is already enough. It would be a pity if these beautiful fingers scar, right?"

    Looking at their little princess bring Hazel''s ''injured'' hand to her lips before gently pressing her lips against the worn-out fingertips immediately caused amotion.

    Not to mention the dazed and disbelieving Hazel, who believed she must be dreaming, the rest of the flower girls couldn''t help but look a littleplicated.

    Of course, it wasn''t because the scars on the girl''s fingertips vanished instantly aftering in contact with Emilia''s lips. That was only natural in the eyes of these fanatics, as there was no disease or wound that couldn''t be kissed away by their princess.

    "I-I''m an idiot! Why didn''t I prickle my hands while plucking flowers?!"

    Of course, even if Hazel could do it naturally by the virtue of being someone whopletely avoided physical training in favor of more mental pursuits, they couldn''t do the same without intentionally scheming.

    But thinking about it again, doing so would go against their knightly honor, after all.

    "Forget it. The petals I threw with my own hands touched her soft little cheeks. Indirect contact! I-It''s enough!"

    "I''m jealous!"

    Of course, no matter what was said, they didn''t dare to go forward without being called by Emilia. Not only would it be viting the rules set by themander in advance, but it might also lead to making a poor impression on their princess.

    Hazel still stood there in a daze even after Emilia moved forward, and it was only when she felt several ''malicious'' gazes that she came back to her senses.

    Fortunately, she managed to avoid the grasp of one of her fellow flower girls just in time, who only licked her lips in annoyance.

    "Don''t be like that, Hazel, I-I just want to do the same thing that the princess did before!"

    "Me too!"

    Shivers ran down the dark-skinned girl''s spine as she stared at her ''friends'', and only then did she realize that now that they had been kissed by her princess, her hands had now be the ''hottestmodity'' in the club.

    Fortunately, Hazel was a genius, and quickly shoved her fingers into her mouth, slurping loudly in front of their murderous eyes before she let it go with a nervous grin. "L-Look, n-now there''s nothing left!"

    There was a moment of silence before one of the shorter flower girls stepped forward, a resolute expression on her face. "So what if you licked it once? It doesn''t change the fact the princess kissed your fingers before! If I can lick them, it''s still an indirect kiss!"

    "Right?!"

    "Don''t be stingy, Hazel! Even themander shares her stash of candid photos with us!"

    Hazel could only turn around and run away desperately. "N-NO!"

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 Chapter 367 Fits Like a... Glove?

    <h4>Chapter 367 Fits Like a... Glove?</h4>

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    While the ''flower girls'' who had weed Emilia at the gate chased after their escaping ''lucky''panion, Emilia also noticed a bunch of boys not far away who appeared to have been abandoned by the world.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but frown. "What''s wrong with them?"

    Penny finally noticed that the bunch of boys who had painstakingly picked the best fireworks to ''wee their princess'' were ring at the sun resentfully.

    Well, she couldn''t be med, since the ponytailed girl could barely think about much when her princess was in such close proximity, after all.

    But since she didn''t want to make the princess feel ufortable, Penny could only cough awkwardly while trying to ''cover up'' for the ''less privileged'' of their club. "W-Well, princess, as you know, the sun is the main source of the world''s energy, and boys like being strong, so¡­"

    Crystal and Dixie turned to stare at each other, dumbfounded. There''s no way Emilia would believe that, right?

    The crimson-haired girl naturally didn''t believe it, but she could pretty much guess that just like the flower girls before, they must have prepared something, but perhaps it went wrong.

    But since there was nothing wrong with them, there was no need for her to dig into the cause and effect too deeply and embarrass them further.

    "They sure are lively, aren''t they?"

    Penny had been a little worried of her reaction, but seeing how Emilia seemed amused rather than annoyed, she couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Although I''m supposed to be their leader, they''re not very obedient to me. But of course, if an orderes directly from the princess¡­"

    Emilia knew what the ponytailed girl wanted to imply, but instead of affirming or rejecting Penny''s proposal to ''take charge'', she just smiled. "It''s natural for people with a strong personality to be a bit unruly. As long as they don''t make too much of a mess, we shouldn''t be too harsh and stiff with the rules."

    Penny nodded obediently, and if the petite blonde girl was disappointed, she didn''t show it at all.

    Their conversation was interrupted as they noticed a boy rushing in their direction with arge, ornate wooden box in hand.

    He came to a halt in front of Penny and handed it over while panting. "S-Sorry i-it took so long,mander."

    The sweating boy rushed back in the direction of the short red building the moment Penny waved him off. From start to finish, he didn''t dare to look in Emilia''s direction at all.

    Crystal had been a little suspicious at first, she could only be speechless after using her ability. ''What does it mean to fear polluting the air that she is breathing just because you''re sweating a little? This bunch is a lot more crazy than I first thought!''

    Emilia also thought it was a little strange at first, but her attention was quickly attracted by the box in the shorter girl''s hands. Given their previous ''preparations'', it wouldn''t be too conceited of her to think this was something meant for her, right?

    Although she had been in a privileged position for a long time, Emilia hadn''t had many opportunities to receive genuine gifts, so she couldn''t help but be a little excited.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Hey, don''t tell me you didn''t get gifts from people trying to please you left and right before? How can you still not be used to it?"

    The crimson-haired girl grumbled in her heart. ''How can those insincere things count? As far as I''m concerned, such bribes are more an insult than they are a show of favor.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "How sincere can mortals even be?"

    She wanted to add that these ''adorable kids'' in her partner''s eyes most definitely had the dreams of boning her every day, but considering Emilia''s lukewarm response, she could only huff and remain silent.

    Anyway, the crimson-haired girl was no longer as restless as she had been before, and Cynthia knew she would just be shooting herself in the foot if mentioning these things got her interested in more ''monkey business''.

    Emilia didn''t seem to notice anything strange with her partner as she curiously watched Penny put the box on the ground and took out the alcohol wipes inside to clean her hands before opening its innerpartment.

    Inside, three pairs of carefully crafted soft red velvet glovesy side by side in subpartments.

    Penny took one pair out before closing the box and turning to Emilia hesitantly. "Princess, c-can I put them on for you?"

    Emilia just smiled and stretched out her arm, and Penny barely resisted the urge to jump her in excitement. No matter how calm things looked right now, the ponytailed girl knew that even a single misstep right now wouldn''t go unpunished.

    Not to mention the observant Crystal and domineering Dixie right beside her, Penny knew very well that the rest of the royal knights were watching her like hawks.

    And while Penny would dly take a beating for Emilia''s sake, she couldn''t jeopardize her position as the mander'' for short-term benefits. It was what had given her the excuse to approach the princess so frequently, after all!

    Otherwise, forget about being able to directly rub her face against the soft, fragrant embrace of her princess, simply being able to gaze upon her from up close might be a pipe dream!

    Just thinking about such a dreary future filled Penny with abject terror, and she didn''t dare make too many extra movements while putting the gloves on Emilia''s hands.

    At least, that is what Penny thought. To everyone else, the intoxicated look that the ponytailed girl had as she took the maximum possible time to slide the gloves on Emilia''s slender fingers and palm made her thoughts more than clear.

    But since Emilia didn''t seem to notice or care, Penny was able to safely escape with just a few res that she failed to notice.

    As a princess, all of her clothing in thest life had also been custom made, with each knit and stitch on the clothing she wore being made after much deliberation from top seamstresses.

    Considering that velvet wasn''t even an stic material, for it to fit her even better than stretchy gloves¡­ whoever made these was a genius.

    It was like whoever had made them had the entire structure of her hand memorized to the point where they could pinpoint the measurements to the hundredth of a millimeter.

    In the end, Emilia really couldn''t contain her curiosity as she yfully poked Penny''s cheek with her gloved finger. "Did the boy from before make these?"

    Penny''s delighted expression from being teased immediately turned dissatisfied as she huffed. "Huh? No way! Princess, I made these myself, you know!"

    Having always considered Penny as an energetic and yful girl who was as far from someone who could knit and sew as possible, Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise. "You did?"

    The petite blonde puffed her practically non-existent chest out with pride. "Although mom helped me with the process and I had the other girls help with the sewing so it could be prettier, everything else was done by own hands!"

    Dixie knew even less about sewing gloves than a fish would about rock-climbing, so she didn''t find anything strange about Penny''s words, but Crystal couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. ''What did you do then, cut the cloth?''

    Of course, when they arrived at the door of the first building and saw the situation inside, even Crystal had to profusely thank Penny for her thoughtfulness with the gloves.

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 Chapter 368 Eye Opening

    <h4>Chapter 368 Eye Opening</h4>

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    "Princess!"

    "Princess!!!"

    Although the total number of people in the hall was less than thirty, the impact of their collective enthusiastic chanting wasn''t any less than that of a muchrger crowd.

    Had it not been for the fact that they maintained some semnce of decorum and order throughout, it would have been hard for even Crystal to know if they could remain rational despite their enthusiasm.

    Of course, while Dixie and Crystal were admiring how organized and well-behaved Emilia''s ''fan club'' was, the crimson-haired girl found it hard to believe that someone like Penny could lead a group like this.

    After all, the petite girl might be adorable, cute, and full of passion, but she hadn''t exactly shown herself to be someone with a lot of self-control.

    For Emilia, who always believed that a leader must have all the qualities that they want their followers to have, it was an eye-opener, to say the least.

    Fortunately, Penny couldn''t read her thoughts, or her pridefully puffed out chest would have been immediately deted. Even if she was well aware that she didn''t practice what she preached, it wasn''t something she wanted to let her princess know!

    The first one to introduce herself to Emilia was someone she actually recognized.

    "Princess, I don''t know if you remember me¡ª"

    Emilia grinned. "I remember you. Adele, right?"

    The short-haired girl was momentarily stunned before a bright smile lit up her face. "I-It''s my honor to be remembered by you, princess! I-I''ve always kept your teachings in mind, and will continue to forever serve you faithfully!"

    Emilia tapped her forehead with an amused smile. "You''re exaggerating too much, but as long as you have fun doing what you want¡­ keep at it."

    Adele nodded happily, and soon another girl came up to introduce herself.

    Penny let out a breath of relief when she saw that the girl didn''t take the chance to promote herself too much in front of Emilia.

    Given her numerous contributions so far, it wouldn''t actually be unjustified for the girl to do so, but it would still go against the ''rules'' she had established to keep everything orderly.

    The order of introductions wasn''t random either. Aside from those few who had chosen to take the privilege of weing Emilia and setting things up, the rest were all lined up in order of their contributions so far.

    Of course, with Penny in charge, things could never bepletely fair. In order to better suit the tastes of her princess, not only were the most attractive girls moved forward, but the boys were directly put at the back without mercy.

    Emilia didn''t get the time to realize these deliberate arrangements as she was kept busy getting her gloved hand kissed one over and over as she faced one embarrassing confession after another.

    "Princess, I''m your long-time admirer, Natalie Dunbrock! The moment I saw you on TV that day, I have always looked up to you as an idol!"

    "M-My name is Erica Whitsworth, princess, I-I''ve liked you since the moment I was born!"

    Each of their introductions was more exaggerated than thest, and Emilia was already giggling in amusement by the time she was through the first few.

    The ''knights'' didn''t seem to mind at all.

    "Watching you smile is like watching the most beautiful flowers bloom in front of our eyes, princess!"

    "Thank you for the blessing, princess!"

    Even Emilia couldn''t help but be embarrassed at this point. "D-Don''t be like that! Even I will get shy, you know?"

    Seeing their idol blush because of them only made them more excited, however. Theirpliments got even ''worse'', and the atmosphere in the room turned feverish.

    Penny was suddenly very d that she had already trained them as best as she could to make sure they could control themselves in front of their princess, or else they would have surely made an even worse joke of themselves by now.

    By the time thest of them was done kissing her hand after their over-the-top'' introduction'', Emilia was already feeling a little guilty for noting over sooner. How could she have known they were looking forward to meeting her so much?

    The crimson-haired girl could only rub her cheek in embarrassment. "Y-You could have approached me earlier, you know? It''s not like you can''t see me at school."

    The ''knights'' could only avoid her gaze out of guilt. Given that they prevented all kinds of ''disturbances'' from getting in her way, how could they pester her needlessly while at school? Just being able to watch her unobstructed was blessing enough!

    Crystal covered up her amused smile with a cough. "I think they''re only so excited because your arrival here is like an official acknowledgment of their efforts."

    The crimson-haired girl blinked in surprise before nodding. "Oh¡­ I guess that makes some sense."

    When she thought about it, wasn''t it just like a child who can always talk to her parents at home, but still would be excited upon earning their praise after getting a good result at the end of the year?

    In reality, she''d had the thought of looking into some of their future goals and motives today, and see if it would be possible to take a few into consideration for her future endeavors.

    After all, while what she nned to do was quite straightforward, she couldn''t get it all done by herself.

    There was nock of petent'' and ''loyal'' people under Noelle''smand at herpany, but Emilia still believed that there was a special ce for those with real passion.

    Of course, today she realized that there was no need for her to pick and choose any such ''seedlings'' from this bunch at all, since what she had¡­ was an entire ntation.

    Just as she was about to discuss her ''proposal'' with them, however, Emilia saw Crystal''s expression change as she hurriedly handed over the phone she had been entrusted with.

    Seeing the ''Urgent'' message from Noelle, Emilia didn''t need to wonder about the reason at all as she opened it without dy.

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 Chapter 369 Vaulting?

    <h4>Chapter 369 Vaulting?</h4>

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    Crystal hadn''t looked through the message contents before handing the phone over to Emilia in a hurry, so when the girl''s grim expression dissolved into a yful smile, she couldn''t help but be a little puzzled. "Is everything alright?"

    "Mhm¡­ our dear Noelle is a bit too serious, so she got worried after seeing a few clowns jumping around. Don''t worry, I''ll go console herter."

    Emilia continued chatting with Penny and her knights without a care in the world, and Crystal was still trying to figure out what she meant when she was nudged by a dissatisfied Dixie.

    "Why did you look so panicked before? I got worried for no reason!"

    Hearing the grievances in the dark-haired girl''s voice, Crystal could only raise her hands in surrender. "Don''t me me. I just saw Noelle mention ''Urgent'', so¡­ y''know¡­"

    Dixie couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "For a genius, you sure are silly. Wouldn''t Noelle have called directly instead of sending a message if it was really so urgent? Given how little she chats, she probably just doesn''t know how to phrase herself properly in a short text."

    Crystal blinked. "I guess that makes sense."

    Although Noelle was a bit too young for her to already be out of touch with current technology, the way she phrased everything so professionally meant it was possible that there was a greater room for misunderstanding.

    As for getting any hints from Emilia¡­ With her yful nature, figuring the crimson-haired girl''s true thoughts out using her somewhat unreliable ability was basically impossible.

    Crystal knew that all she would usually get would bepliments for either herself or whoever was the closest to Emilia at the time.

    And the best oue would be if the little beauty could be caught while was preening herself, being both shy and proud, but that was a secret Crystal intended to take to her grave.

    Penny''s excited squealing abruptly broke Crystal out of her thoughts.

    "What?! P-Princess¡­ a-are you serious?!"

    Emilia tapped the petite girl''s nose, smiling in amusement. "Why are you so shocked? Isn''t it normal for smaller clubs andmittees to cooperate with bigger ones during the annual events?"

    The ponytailed girl looked stunned for a while, but she quickly shook her head in denial. "N-No way, even if there are only a few people in themittee of our princess, it is still the best and most illustrious bunch in our school!"

    But as if afraid that Emilia would retract her previous offer, the petite girl coughed and continued without giving anyone the chance to respond. "T-That being said, i-it will be our greatest honor to cooperate with you, princess! What would you like us to do?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "That depends on what everyone isfortable with. We don''t want to make a joke of ourselves in public, after all. What did you have nned?"

    Penny seemed to have never expected such a question being thrown her way, and turned to look at her closest friend in dismay, who in turn pretended to be deaf and blind.

    Unfortunately, while the ponytailed leader was hoping someone would find a tactful way of responding to Emilia without making them look like fools, one girl in her group seemed to have no consideration for their ''image'' at all.

    "Princess, allow me! We nned to hold a great exhibit that would showcase your talents and beauty to the world, as well as a power show to dissuade those who might have bad thoughts for you."

    Seeing Emilia look a little confused, Adele cleared her throat to borate,pletely ignorant of theirmander''s horrified look. "The showcase would be held using the best of our high-resolution images, with select members getting to take their pick and borate on how much they love that particr shot and why."

    Penny was extremely grateful at that moment that Adele hadn''t actually seen any of the ''selected images'', otherwise it would have been impossible for even a fanatic like her to say it all in front of Emilia with a straight face.

    Unaware of the ''conspiracy'', the ''pure'' little traitor of ss B continued exining everything to Emilia with a smile. "The power show, on the other hand, would be divided into a specialized talent show, an open tournament, as well as a challenger round."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "Did you get enough time approved to be able to do all this?"

    Adele nodded. "Mrs. Macmin didn''t have any objections."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but wonder if the poor woman wasn''t just left speechless. ''Ah, whatever¡­ I''m sure they will sort it out somehow.''

    Penny coughed awkwardly after pulling Adele back. "T-Those ns aren''t final yet, princess. Please tell us what you need, we''ll definitely be able to work around that instead!"

    Emilia thought about it for a while before nodding. "Actually, since you took the time to get the approval and everything, you should go ahead with the events you nned anyway. I only need four people."

    "Eh? S-Sure!"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Although I''ll be teaching them everything they need, it would be better if they were interested in riding a horse, or maybe already proficient in it."

    The ''knights'' turned to stare at each other in dismay. Although some of them dide from families that raised horses as either a sport or a hobby, none of them had any actual experience riding one.

    But thinking of being able to get ''hands-on'' training from the princess herself, the fire in their hearts quickly overwhelmed reason as they made up their minds.

    Penny could already feel the cold sweat on her back when she imagined the fiercepetition she would have to go through if she wanted to be a part of the select four.

    "D-Does the princess know how to ride a horse?"

    Emilia nodded with a smile. "Mhm. Although it has been a while, I much prefer thepany of a horse to it riding a bike or a car."

    Crystal could only roll her eyes at the excited murmurs from the ''knights''. ''Is it really so exciting to ride on a horse together?''

    The blonde girl tried to imagine being able to hold Emilia in that kind of situation, and she couldn''t help but smack her lips. ''Dang¡­ guess it really is quite tempting.''

    Penny couldn''t help but chuckle nervously. "T-Then¡­ will the princess be organizing a race?"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "No. To be honest, I was a bit confused between Polo and Vaulting before I came here, but after hearing of your ns, I decided there''s nothing wrong with doing both. It''s going to be fun, anyway."

    Seeing her dumbfounded look, the crimson-haired girl could tell that Penny had absolutely no idea what either of those terms meant. "Polo is a simple ''get that object into the goal using sticks'' game, with two teams of four people on horses. And you can think of vaulting as gymnastics, but on a horse."

    Penny could barely imagine herself being able to pull the first one off, but when she tried to picture herself ''vaulting''¡­

    ''Would it be too horrifying for the princess to see a Penny pancake? No wait, more importantly, wouldn''t it be sad if I couldn''t follow her around properly in the future if I got my neck broken or something?!''

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 Chapter 370 Queen of Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 370 Queen of Hearts</h4>

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    In sharp contrast to herck of skill when it came to handling matters rted to love, the way Noelle took care of monitoring and dealing with threats left very little room for ''uncertainties'', especially after the mishap at the Bucherer''s race track.

    Naturally, it was impossible for Alexander to be admitted to the Green Leaf Hospital without the news making its way over to Noelle''s ears.

    Her first reaction was, of course, that Emilia must have done something without letting her know¡­ again.

    After all, what was the likelihood of someone who had just entered Emilia''s crosshairs ending up at the hospital by ''pure chance''?

    But after checking in with the people she had assigned to watch over her, Noelle realized that the girl''s location data did not indicate any abnormality at all, and even now she was at the ''training facility'' of her fan club.

    After discussing the matter with an equally confounded Sam, Noelle decided it was better to rify the matter directly with Emilia, face to face, just in case the girl was being a naughty little troublemaker in secret.

    Unfortunately, Emilia didn''t seem to take the situation seriously at all, and it had already been more than two hours since Noelle sent her that message.

    If not for Crystal''s message letting her know that she should wait, the gray-haired girl would have thought that Emilia hadn''t seen her message at all.

    To say that Noelle was annoyed would be an understatement.

    Sam was already having a headache just watching the usually calm older girl pace around back and forth. "You know, although Emilia is a bit naughty at times, she wouldn''t do anything major without warning us in advance."

    Noelle paused in her steps before turning to give her a stern look. "Even so, she should still take the situation seriously! Not even letting us know right away that it wasn''t her doing¡­ if I don''t scold her when she gets here¡­ can you imagine how unruly she''ll get in the future?"

    Sam wanted to say that ''at least she''ll show up when you ask her'', but in the end, she could only sigh.

    Knowing Noelle, she would just continue to put up a tough front while covering all her wounds, and mentioning such things would only make it worse.

    Fortunately, the front desk informed them of Emilia''s arrival shortly after.

    Noelle frowned as she took a seat in the lounging area and gave Sam a meaningful look. "When shees in, just let me speak, alright?"

    The brte nodded. "Sure."

    Noelle hummed. "No helping her downy things, or divert the topic, got it?"

    Sam smiled. "Okay, as you wish."

    The gray-haired girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And you''re absolutely not allowed to coddle her while we''re talking, understand?"

    Sam saluted the older girl like a soldier. "Yes ma''am."

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes, but she was still satisfied with her response.

    Settling back into the sofa, the gray-haired girl started brewing her emotions to give her little boss a proper lecture today so she can set certain ''ground rules'' when it came to how naughty she was allowed to be.

    Unfortunately, no matter how calm and obedient Sam seemed while Emilia wasn''t there, all logical thought flew right out of the window the moment her eyesnded on her little sister.

    "Emilia!"

    Sam had shot up from her chair the moment the door opened, but before she could take even a single step forward, a crimson shadow whooshed from the door, right past the lounging area, and plunged straight into her embrace.

    The two of them copsed back onto therge office chair in a fit of giggles, with Emilia soon settling down to cuddle with Sam on herp.

    "Did you miss me, big sis?"

    Sam hummed contently as she pulled the younger girl tighter in her embrace. "What took you so long, angel? Noelle kept bullying me while you weren''t here, you know?"

    "Aww¡­" Although she knew that the older girl was joking, Emilia still couldn''t help but peck kiss her adorably pouting lips a few times before snuggling into her neck affectionately. "How could you bully my poor big baby, Noelle?"

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''Can you believe a pervert that is too busy sniffing and molesting their little sister like that be bullied by me in any way? It''s good enough if she doesn''t worry me to death!''

    Looking at the two sisters nuzzling affectionately without a care in the world, Noelle felt more and more sure that Emilia''s presence must directly reduce Sam''s memory and IQ by at least ny percent.

    Noelle shook her head in denial. ''No, that''s not it. Just thinking about her little sister must render Sam into an idiot!''

    The limits of her patience soon wore thin, but a certain idiot continued to remainpletely oblivious.

    Fortunately, unlike her older sister, Emilia was still able to feel the dark aura wafting off of Noelle, and realized that things may not bode well if she continued ying around.

    After cating Sam with another kiss on her cheek, the crimson-haired girl quickly darted back to the lounging area before settling down obediently next to Noelle. "I''m sorry for beingte."

    Looking at the younger girl giving her a ''pitiful'' look with her hands on her knees, Noelle could only sigh in defeat. "I don''t understand¡­ Why is it that I can''t scold you even though I''ve been preparing for so long? No, to be honest, you really deserve a beating, but¡­"

    "Ehehe¡­ Isn''t it because you love me so much?"

    Seeing Emilia flutter her eyshes with a bright smile lighting up her already gorgeous face, Noelle didn''t need to hear her response at all, though it didn''t help her already frantic heart.

    "W-Wait¡­ hold on! We have something important to discuss!"

    Emilia blinked. "Oh¡­ what is it?"

    Noelle breathed a sigh of relief when she sessfully regained some semnce of control over their conversation. "Alexander! T-That''s right, didn''t you read my message?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Oh, that¡­ I did, but it''s not really as important as you believe. Don''t worry, I know he''s been hospitalized, but it''s nothing serious. And most importantly¡­ everything will work out in our favor in the end."

    Listening to her wording, Noelle couldn''t help but purse her lips and give the younger girl a suspicious look. "Are you sure this isn''t your doing?"

    Emilia covered her mouth with an overly shocked look. "Of course not, ahh! Noelle, do you think I''ll do something like this without letting you know?"

    The gray-haired girl looked at her with a deadpan expression. "¡­ wouldn''t you?"

    Emilia turned away, looking shy. "Well¡­ if the situation called for it, I might? But even then, I would still let you know afterwards!"

    Before Noelle could roll her eyes, the crimson-haired girl had already shuffled closer and ced her delicate chin on her shoulder, her expression both teasing yet innocent.

    The long, fluttering eyshes seemed to tickle the side of her face and her heart all at once, and for a moment, Noelle even forgot to breathe when Emilia''s breath brushed past her ear.

    "After all¡­ I depend on you."

    Even if Noelle could deny the blush on her face and the frantically beating heart in her chest, there was no way she could deny the thoughts that rang oh so clearly through her own mind.

    "¡­There''s no arguing with you, is there?"

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 Chapter 371 Poking the Hornetâ€™s Nest?

    <h4>Chapter 371 Poking the Ho''s Nest?</h4>

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    At first, Noelle hadn''t found it too strange when she received the report of someone from the Nightingale ning over to their city.

    It wasn''t too strange for the Gray Wolfe''s heir to get a bodyguard like that even while he was in ''hiding'', after all. But only she knew the shock in her heart when she realized that things weren''t quite as simple as they seemed.

    Unfortunately, things already seemed to have spiraled out of her control by the time she found out, and Noelle wasn''t sure what steps she should take without figuring out Emilia''s intentions, either.

    Noelle knew that taking the wrong medicine was even worse than simply waiting to die. Thus, the gray-haired girl believed it was crucial for her to understand what was going on first, lest she make things worse.

    Did Emilia already start on her ''revenge'' against the Nightingale n? Noelle couldn''t help but feel a little apprehensive when she thought about it.

    Even if there was no way to convince the younger girl otherwise¡­ Noelle truly felt that they weren''t yet ready to tackle this level of threat on their own.

    Heaven forbid if the Gray Wolfe and ck Tiger struck them at the same time¡­ there was no way they could survive unscathed. And if these two enemies decided to truly team up against them¡­ perhaps Emilia''s ''mission'' would be just a distant, unachievable pipe dream.

    Just thinking about the crimson-haired girl''s bright, beautiful blue eyes losing their glow and turning hopeless and despondent made Noelle breathless with despair.

    There was no way she could let that happen, and that was why she had to make sure that Emilia understood the gravity of the situation.

    Looking at Emilia''s yfully glinting eyes, Noelle could only sigh in defeat. "Alright¡­ since that is so, I won''t fuss over it either. Just tell me everything clearly, so I don''t mess up with the ''clean up''¡­" She paused to give the crimson-haired girl a meaningful look. "By the way, I already know about that man from the Nightingale n, so don''t try to gloss over that either."

    Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise. ''No wonder she kept thinking it must have been my doing.''

    It hadn''t been long since they talked about getting revenge on the Nightingale n, after all. If Noelle was told that all of this was just a coincidence or fate, it was understandable that she would be a little doubtful.

    If not for the fact that she hadn''t shared this information with anyone but Cynthia, even Emilia would doubt all of this to be just a ''coincidence''.

    Fortunately, a princess did not need to provide ''evidence'' to support their words.

    Emilia reached out to take Noelle''s palm in her own, and ced it against her ''heart'' before staring into her eyes. "The ones who beat Alexander up were Dixie''s grandpa and his friends, and I definitely didn''t make them do it!"

    Half of Noelle''s rationale was already eroded as it focused on the soft feeling against her palm, and the other half really didn''t want to argue with Emilia, so she just nodded.

    Emilia grinned. "As for the old guy from the Nightingale n¡­ ahem, let''s just say he''s a double-edged sword at our disposal... for now."

    Although Noelle already believed everything the younger girl said, she still couldn''t quite figure out why it happened the way it did.

    She knew that Dixie''s grandpa was quite strong. He could even be considered the leader of the martial artists in their country. But they weren''t really people who should meddle with what was probably the strongest organization in the world for no reason.

    Alexander Grey was not some chicken or pig that they could just ughter at will without consequences! Even if his injury couldn''t be considered severe, who was to say that he or his parents wouldn''t hold a grudge?

    Not to mention the Gray Wolfe, just their pdogs'' alone would be enough topletely ruin this small organization to its core, regardless of whether the country tried to protect them or not.

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but frown. "Doing it like this... isn''t that just stirring up the ho''s nest naked? And keeping that kind of person on our side¡­ that''s the same as keeping a ho in your pocket thinking you could fling them at your enemiester, right?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise. ''What''s up with all the hos?''

    Cynthia coughed. "Childhood trauma, perhaps? She might subconsciously picture her old n as the worst thing she can imagine."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed in thought. ''Interesting¡­ how difficult is it to eradicate hos from existence?''

    "¡­ I should have just kept quiet, huh?"

    ''Cynthia? Hello?''

    A gentle tap on her head broke the crimson-haired girl out of her ''thoughts''.

    "Are you spacing out?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but rub her cheek in embarrassment. "S-Sorry."

    Noelle sighed. "Anyway, even if that man is a traitor, there''s no way the Gray Wolfe won''t find the real culprit eventually. At that time... even if we''re covering up for them, it will be difficult for these people to endure their wrath."

    Although this was their ''home turf'' and the Gray Wolfe was a foreign force, it wasn''t like they hadplete control over everything here. Not to mention that there was still theirpetition, ck Tiger, but there was also the existence of the government.

    For Emilia to ask her to ''cover up'' this incident was easy, but Noelle knew that doing so wlessly would be close to impossible. Maybe she could barely pull it off if she had been informed in advance, but now that things had already happened? There was simply no way.

    Emilia interrupted the older girl''s grim thoughts with a yful peck on her cheek. "Don''t be so glum. It might seem like things can turn out bad for them, but... that is only if they''re the ones who take the me for it!"

    Noelle couldn''t help but be stunned. "W-What do you mean? Are we going to frame someone else?"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned as she leaned in closer to whisper something in Noelle''s ear, and the older girl''s expression slowly turned more and more dumbfounded.

    ''T-This girl doesn''t just go to poke the ho''s nest, she even dares to frame it on the tiger she kicked on the way!''

    As for who will suffer when the two of them fight¡­ was that any of her concern?

    It all sounds good in theory, but Noelle shuddered just thinking of the consequences if something went wrong.

    After all, pitting these two enemies against each other exponentially increased the risks of them discovering that they had amon adversary that was benefiting from their fight a little too much.

    Lost in her thoughts, Noelle never realized how dumbfounded she looked at that moment.

    Emilia''s eyes twinkled as she looked up at her with a smile. "Hey,pared to the usually cool and steady look on your face, this na?ve and dumb expression¡­ it has its own charm! Right, big sister?"

    The faint sound of a camera shutter gave Noelle a rude awakening, and looking at her so-called boss clicking away at the capture button on her phone without stop made her head buzz with disbelief.

    "What are you doing, Sam?!"

    The tall girl almost dropped her phone in fear. "I-I''m not recording a video, j-just taking some photos, y-you know? ¡­ M-My little sister looks cute as usual, ha ha¡­"

    Noelle''s expression immediately turned dark. "Do you think I''m stupid?!"

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 Chapter 372 A snake in a jar... can still bite!

    <h4>Chapter 372 A snake in a jar... can still bite!</h4>

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    Although Sam was both cold and fierce when dealing with outsiders, she was nothing but a paper tiger in front of people she was close to.

    Of course, Emilia could tell at a nce that Noelle wanted to teach her big sister a lesson, but there was no way she could cold-heartedly ignore the girl''s pitiful look and just watch.

    But the crimson-haired girl knew that if she wanted to take Sam out of the hole she had dug herself, she would have to jump into it as well. Otherwise, it was likely that Noelle would school herter in private.

    "I really wanna look at those photos too!"

    Noelle turned her reprimanding gaze to the younger girl, but she couldn''t help but soften her stance unconsciously. "Are your little fangirls being a bad influence on you? It''s not nice to take pictures without someone''s consent!"

    Emilia stuck her tongue out cheekily. "It''s okay if the one doing it is cute! Besides, I promise she won''t share it with strangers. So¡­ can we please keep them?"

    Beingplimented like that, Noelle felt like she really didn''t mind being photographed so much anymore. But given her hard stance before, it was a bit too shameful to change her mind so quickly, right?

    Seeing how the older girl didn''t argue about it anymore, it was clear to the two sisters that she had alreadypromised.

    When Noelle hesitantly nodded to express her agreement, Emilia couldn''t help but lean forward to peck her cheek yfully.

    "You''re so cute when you''re bashful~"

    The older girl pushed Emilia away, feeling like she had lost all face in front of Sam today. "B-Be serious!"

    Emilia giggled. "Alright, alright~ I won''t mess around."

    Noelle couldn''t tell from the younger girl''s attitude just how seriously she actually took her warning, and she couldn''t help but frown. "Even if I do my best, what if something goes wrong and they ally together against us? We can''t¡ª"

    A soft, gentle press of a finger against her lips stopped her words short, and when Noelle looked into Emilia''s eyes again, the previous yful and casual attitude was nowhere to be found.

    The crimson-haired beauty''s smile at this time resembled that of a confident monarch, and Noelle couldn''t help but feel her previous insecurities vanish like a cloud of smoke.

    "Don''t worry, Noelle, I won''t give them the chance to think about it too much. By the time we return from the Golden Crown¡­ you will see what I mean."

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    Since Alexander''s face was beaten into a purple pig''s, there was no way he would leave the hospital and risk being spotted outside by one of his admirers.

    No one must know what happened, and everyone who knew¡­ must die!

    Naturally, there was no way he would tell Jake about the ''truth'', and after making sure that he hadn''t actually seen anything, he waved the blonde boy off with a perfunctory attitude.

    Even if he was unconvinced¡­ so what? As his ever-loyalpdog, it was already a great grace on Alexander''s part to spare his life by not letting him know the truth. What was there to be so dissatisfied about?

    Fortunately, Jake was still a little self-aware and didn''t dare to insist on it too much, regardless of how curious he really was.

    After being left alone, the first thing Alexander did was, of course, to call his father.

    "Dad! I¡­" The dark-haired man paused, unsure how to tell his father that he was beaten up to look like a pig without losing face.

    A somewhat tired sigh came from the other side of the phone. "Alex¡­ how are you feeling now?"

    The dark-haired man''s eyes widened in shock. "Dad¡­ y-you¡­ already know?"

    Another tired sigh came from the other side. "How can I not know? Just rest well these days. Leave this matter to your dad. This matter is moreplicated than you think, but I''ll make sure that the people who dared set their sights your way will regret it till their intestines turn green!"

    Alexander already knew that someone must be pulling the strings from behind the scenes. After all, it made no sense for a man sent by his parents to attack him out of nowhere. If someone didn''t buy him out, was he supposed to believe that the old man spontaneously went senile and hit him regardless of the consequences? Impossible.

    The dark-haired man clenched his fist tight, barely managing to keep his voice from trembling. "W-Who was it?"

    There was a short pause from the other side, as if his father was wondering whether he should tell him or not.

    Just as he was about to speak up, however, his father seemed to have already made up his mind.

    "The ck Tiger."

    Alexander couldn''t help but grit his teeth in hatred as the name rang in his head. ''ck Tiger! For this humiliation¡­ I will make sure that you''re paid back a hundredfold!''

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    The Old Snake finally breathed a sigh of relief after he finished listening to their conversation.

    Although he could already be considered a snake in a jar, there was no way that someone like him would actually resign himself to his fate.

    Unlike the people in the martial arts alliance and the White Deer, he knew the psychology of both the Gray''s father and son quite well, and cleverly guiding their words and opinion was well within his capability.

    Of course, there were still many ws in his n. For example, if Alexander had explicitly mentioned being beaten up by him to either of his parents, the Old Snake would have had no choice but to knock him out and think of something else.

    Fortunately, Alexander was too confident in his father''s ability, and thought that he must already know all the ins and outs of the matter.

    And his father was equally conceited, never suspecting that one of his dogs could ever dare bare their teeth at him.

    "Heh¡­ I guess this can be considered a small part of the interest for making our Nightingale n toss and turn to your whims all the time!"

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 Chapter 373 Tiger vs Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 373 Tiger vs Wolf</h4>

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    Although Alexander''s father had no reason to suspect the words of the Old Snake, when it concerned the safety of his son, he would naturally not consult just a single source.

    But while the Gray Wolfe might be a gargantuan organization, theirwork in the Oriana country could be considered almost non-existent. The few people he had could barely be used as mouthpieces, but asking them to ''investigate'' anything would be too tall an order.

    This had been one of the reasons why he could so confidently ce Alexander there without the fear of some ''traitors'' who favored the twins being able to find out about his arrangements, but at this moment, it became a hurdle instead.

    Fortunately, the people he was cooperating with to help Alexander covertly with ''investments'' were still able to check a few things for him, and the results they gave him turned out to be well within his expectations.

    On the surface, there was no evidence of any kind to prove the identity of the people who assaulted his son, but since he already knew where to look and what to look for thanks to the Old Snake''s ''insight''¡­ the unsolvable puzzle quickly unfolded itself.

    Naturally, what these people found was only bits and pieces of scattered ''evidence'' nted by Noelle on the orders of her little boss.

    As a man who believed in striking while the iron was hot, the leader of the Gray Wolfe was not one to wait for weeks and months just to ''make absolutely sure'' that what he already knew to be true. This brief ''confirmation'' was, in his opinion, more than enough.

    Alexander''s father chuckled while swirling the wine in his ss, a gloomy smile on his face. "It seems like Mr. ck has forgotten who the number one in the world is, and it is time to give him a ''gentle'' reminder."

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    Over the course of the next few days, Emilia had Noelle keep a close eye on the events rted to both the ck Tiger and the Gray Wolfe. Even when everything seemed to go ording to her expectations, she didn''t dare to let go of her vignce.

    After all, there were bound to be countless hapless victims in this fight between tiger and wolf, and she didn''t n to let anyone on her side suffer a dumb loss.

    The Gray Wolfe didn''t have the strength to hurt the ck Tiger in the Oriana country, and the ck Tiger had no operations in Carmen country either.

    But like any other major corporation, the ck Tiger also had a multitude of businesses that operated worldwide. And it was in one of these ces that the Gray Wolfe started their ''attack''.

    Mr. ck paid little attention to it at first. On top of ensuring that his son''s recovery went well, he was also preupied with ''fighting'' with his old rival in the Oriana country.

    A few minor ''skirmishes'' with the Gray Wolfe overseas didn''t appear too far from the norm, so he just let his subordinates handle it.

    Of course, the fact that Amos was finally willing to learn from him with a decent attitude also yed a crucial role in this decision. Mr. ck thought it would be too much of a waste to not make full use of this ''sober'' time to educate him well.

    The silver-haired boy seemed to have undergone a massive change after venting his rage on the day of his rescue. Not only did he no longer throw tantrums in front of his father, but he even learned to bow his head and listen when needed!

    In the absence of his rebellious attitude, his learning speed wasn''t slow either, and his theoretical knowledge of how ck Tiger worked expanded by leaps and bounds, much to his father''s disbelief and pride.

    Of course, Mr. ck could tell that the stubborn hatred in the boy''s heart had never faded even the tiniest bit, but he didn''t think that was too much of a problem.

    Even if the man who hurt him couldn''t be found, which sessful man didn''t have an obsession in his life to keep himself motivated?

    Mr. ck already considered the tragedy that befell his son a blessing in disguise. Not only did it temper his character, but it also got rid of the childish and arrogant attitude that had always caused his son to stumble in front of his opponents.

    He had already thought he was too hard on his son before, but unexpectedly, the way to get him ''straightened up'' was to beat him harder. Had he known so earlier, he would have beaten the boy to a pulp years ago!

    As he was now, Mr. ck didn''t think it would be so easy to make his son suffer a loss, and he was faintly expectant of seeing him perform in the real world.

    Of course, he was still far from being able to inherit his position as the leader, but as long as he kept heading in this direction, it was only a matter of time.

    Even the constant suppression from the White Deer Corporation in his home country couldn''t bring his mood down, not to mention a minor matter in the remote developing nation he could barely remember.

    When one of the water dams hispany had been building for the Blue Dawn Republic copsed, however, it became apparent that something wasn''t quite right.

    Mr. ck didn''t dare to hand over the affairs of the Oriana country over to his son, since he didn''t believe that he was quite ready to contend with his old rival yet, but this ''small matter'' appeared at just the right time for Amos to get some practical experience.

    Amos had already looked through most of the information pertaining to their projects in the Blue Dawn Republic. Although they had reaped a decent amount of profits from the country already, it wasn''t quite proportionate to their investments.

    To put it bluntly, they could earn much more using the same amount of resources in better markets.

    Of course, these investments were made with the expectation that the Blue Dawn Republic, as a developing economy, could grow greatly in the future, giving them a thousandfold return.

    The hero couldn''t help but scowl darkly after looking through the situation. "What do you mean their government is ''looking into it''? Are those dogs so blind that they dare bite the hand that feeds them?!"

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 Chapter 374 Wolves Let Loose

    <h4>Chapter 374 Wolves Let Loose</h4>

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    From the hero''s point of view, even if the government of the Blue Dawn Republic couldn''t see that this whole thing was clearly either sabotage or an ident, they should still be able to tell that the ck Tiger had more to lose in this matter than anyone else.

    After all, their agreement clearly stipted that the ck Tiger would be responsible for all the expenses in the project, other than the cost ofnd, which was to be provided by the government. In exchange, they could charge a favorable rate for the energy produced for the next fifty years.

    In the hero''s mind, it was yet another loss making business with the ''future'' returns in mind.

    The man on the screen in front of him seemed to shiver in fright. "W-We''re trying to negotiate with the officials, b-but they seem to have received ''concrete evidence'' that ourpany cooperated with the neighboring Commonwealth of Red Dusk to ''ruin their reputation''. All remaining surveince and documentation records have been seized and frozen¡ª!"

    The hero couldn''t bear to listen to him anymore, and disconnected the video call with a sneer. "That shithole of a country actually dares to look down on us like this, huh?!"

    His father had already made it clear to him that he could handle the situation as he saw fit, and this could be considered as practicing his muscles first before he was ready to deal with the heavier tasks.

    Naturally, Mr. ck was still there to advise him whenever he sought, but he would not interfere with any of his son''s decisions.

    The silver-haired boy knew that the officials of the Blue Dawn Republic had always tried to curry favor with his father, and it was impossible for them to dare make such a move without reason.

    There definitely had to be someone hiding in the shadows and pulling the strings!

    Amos didn''t need to think twice toe to a decision. At this point, the government had yet to ''prove their guilt'', but their future decision was all but clear. It was better to recover everything they could while there was still time, and reinvest it in a more profitable market.

    This would not only minimize their loss, but also force the Blue Dawn Republic to make its stance clear in public. Either they had to bow down and back off, or¡­ bring the ck hand behind them to light!

    Amos believed it was a genius move on his part, and not to mention thosepetitors watching the ''fun'', even his father must be impressed in his heart!

    He may hate the man, but his acknowledgment was undoubtedly a requirement to establish a firm foothold in the ck Tiger Corporation at first. Once he had what he wanted¡­ it wouldn''t be toote to kick the bastard out.

    The hero''s actions were decisive, and with Mr. ck acting as a proxy, the entirety of ck Tiger Corporation followed his will like a well-oiled machine.

    At first, most people believed the whole thing to be an ident. The government''s moves were thought to be just pointing fingers at a convenient ce in a panic to shirk responsibility as well.

    But when the ck Tiger announcedplete withdrawal from the Blue Dawn Republic, not to mention the people of the country itself, even the heads of other organizations who had been ''watching the fun'' were left stunned.

    Wasn''t this killing the hen when itid one rotten egg? Which one of them hadn''t had a few disputes with unreasonable governments?

    All it took were a few well-ced bribes, and the situation would tide over, right? Who abandons an entire country for one failed project?!

    But as one of the top organizations in the world, the ck Tiger really did have the strength to be so arrogant and willful, and these people could onlyment that they didn''t have the capital to be so unreasonable.

    For some ill-managed countries, the damage their economies would suffer from the withdrawal of such a giant was like pulling out a piece of their backbone. Even if they didn''t die, they still wouldn''t be able to stand up again in a short period of time.

    With hundreds of thousands losing their jobs overnight, and many previously ''household name'' services going abruptly dark, it was as if someone had sshed a bucket of cold water over the entire country.

    Anyone could tell that this was an extreme power move from the ck Tiger, but like a gunshot in the dark, whom it would kill in the end still remained to be seen. Would the government bow down andpromise first, or would they stay stubborn and eat this loss?

    Before the situation could boil over, however, in a move that shocked the world, the leader of the Gray Wolfe signed a public agreement with the Blue Dawn Republic.

    Not only did they n to fill all the holes left behind by the ck Tiger, they even went above and beyond!

    It must be noted that while many top organizations were previously optimistic about the Blue Dawn Republic, that was well in the past.

    As it was now, no one wanted to dive into this muddy water in an attempt to catch a few tiny fish when there was still a boundless ocean out in the world.

    But the Gray Wolfe still did it! What did that mean?

    It was like pping the ck Tiger Corporation''s face in public, but since it was the number one corporation in the world doing it, no one found it that strange, and only had a feeling of schadenfreude.

    It looked like the Gray Wolfe wanted to chew through the ck Tiger, wearing it down before swallowing this ''behemoth'' whole!

    It wasn''t like this kind of thing hadn''t happened in the past, but even the Gray Wolfe had never dared go against an opponent of this scale so openly!

    The people in the know could feel their nerves vibrate in excitement as they got ready to watch the ''show''.

    Whether the beast seeded or failed, they were ready and waiting to grab the stray pieces of meat!

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 Chapter 375 Cannot Escape

    <h4>Chapter 375 Cannot Escape</h4>

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    Cynthia hadn''t been very optimistic about her n at first, but as the events slowly unfolded, the raven-haired girl came to realize that her partner''s gamble might actually pay off even better than she imagined.

    Not only were Emilia''s two most prominent opponents now wearing each other down, but the girl herself was also leftpletely alone, free to y the role of a fisherwoman amidst the chaos.

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t one to startle the fish and lose the bait in a panic, and was still patiently waiting for the right moment to strike while observing the situation.

    In the meantime, she could always pass the time pretending to prepare for the annual events and teaching her adorable littlepanions how to handle horses. After all, aside from having its own little advantages, it was also a lot of fun.

    Of course, none of them would be ready in time to vault, but that was something she nned to do on her own anyway, so it hardly mattered.

    Aside from Crystal, Dixie, and Koko, there were four more girls she had to teach before the annual events to be able to pull off the polo match. Penny would naturally never miss such an opportunity to get close to her princess, and the other three were also somewhat familiar faces.

    The serious ss B spectacled girl, Adele, didn''t surprise her much, since she seemed to have received quite a bit of recognition from the ''knights'', and neither did Hazel, who was one of the top-ranking seniors.

    The third girl turned out to be the rebellious young sister of the boy who had ''saved'' Sam during the race at the Bucherer''s, Thea.

    Although Emilia was slightly surprised to see someone who didn''t even show up for the club meeting before being selected, she didn''t mean to question or interfere with Penny''s decision-making process.

    Learning of their experience, however, it became clear to Emilia that Thea had been chosen solely because she already knew how to ride horses. The crimson-haired girl had no idea how much the girl had to beg to be given a chance to make up for her ''sins'' as a newer member.

    Naturally, it was impossible to teach them everything she knew in just a few weeks. But they could always learn the basics first and practice on their ownter.

    Although all the horses here were supposed to be exceptionally well trained, and their trainers were also watching by the side in case something went wrong, Emilia still lectured her little ducklings for nearly half an hour before they even caught the sight of a horse.

    "Remember, no matter what happens, you shouldn''t panic. Even if you''re clueless, remain calm and wait for me to help you, okay? Your partners can feel your emotions, and when you panic, so will they."

    All seven of them nodded like little chickens, and Emilia couldn''t help but find it a little funny, especially Dixie. With her physique, the horse probably had more to worry about than the girl when it came to idents, but some things shouldn''t be mentioned even if they were true. "Okay then¡­. Each of you can pick the horse you like the most, and then we can start?"

    "Yes!"

    "I''ll go first!"

    Their excitement at being able to choose their own horse was both palpable and infectious, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile as she watched them rush ahead of her into the stable, listening to the trainers introduce each of the horses'' personal quirks.

    Of course, since they would be busy on their own for a while, Emilia wasn''t one to miss the opportunity to tease her partner.

    ''So, dear Cynthia¡­ aren''t you d I didn''t let you dissuade me from pitting ck Tiger against the Gray Wolfe?''

    Cynthia had already started to feelcent, thinking that Emilia either forgot all about it, or didn''t dare to mention it again, so she couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed. "T-They weren''t like this in the original timeline¡­ H-How could I have known?"

    Emilia clicked her tongue with delight. ''You can''t just blindly believe in everything you''ve seen in the original timeline, you know?'' She twirled a strand of crimson around her finger with a smile, eyes twinkling mischievously. ''Although it might be true that the ck Tiger at that time was able toe on top of the Gray Wolfe in each and every conflict they had, don''t you think there is a crucial difference between then and now that you ignored?''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but frown. "And that is¡­?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ''Think, Cynthia. If this conflict were to happen ten years in the future¡­ who would be leading the Gray Wolfe?''

    "¡­!"

    Knowing that her partner had finally realized what was wrong, Emilia grinned. ''That''s right. If things went ording to the Gray parents'' original n, Alexander would be able to take charge of theirpany after the fakepetition, and would be responsible for a majority of their decisions.''

    But of course, Cynthia wouldn''t be herself if she epted her mistakes so quickly. "E-Even if you say that, aren''t both Amos and Alexander bad at... well, everything they do?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Ah¡­ how cute and na?ve¡­''

    The raven-haired girl furrowed her brows in displeasure. "What did you just say?"

    Of course, Emilia only thought she was more adorable when pouting. ''Hm? Is it wrong topliment my adorable partner?''

    When she put it like that, Cynthia couldn''t find a reason to get angry, although she still felt like something was wrong. "W-Well¡­"

    Emilia chuckled. ''Fufu¡­ anyway, Cynthia, you have to realize that just like it is among people with talent, even idiots can be at different ''levels''. And if we are topare Amos and Alexander¡­ one is definitely more of an idiot than the other.''

    "¡­ I honestly can''t tell."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh. ''I can''t me you.''

    Perhaps even she wouldn''t be able to tell which one of them was worse, if not for Crystal''s help.

    Even though the blonde girl had only met Alexander once, her confidence when she told Emilia that he had to be the stupidest man she had ever seen left the crimson-haired girl with a profound impression.

    As someone who''d had many ''opportunities'' to interact with the hero, how could the blonde girl be unfamiliar with his ''talent''?

    Although she thought most of them were very cute and na?ve, just like her partner, Emilia still firmly believed in her little girlfriend''s judgment. And as facts had proven, her trust wasn''t misced at all.

    Of course, there was still one thing that kept bothering Cynthia, and since Emilia had teased her enough already, the raven-haired girl decided that she might as well ask. Anyway, it''s not like she could be embarrassed any further. "I have a question! Won''t doing things this way just be worse for us in the long run?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked. ''Why would you say that?''

    Cynthia tilted her head in confusion. "Because¡­ isn''t it bad to have a morepetent enemy?"

    ''Oh¡­'' Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. ''Do you think I would let those little twins turn against me after I''ve helped them out?''

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 Chapter 376 A Deer In Her Heart

    <h4>Chapter 376 A Deer In Her Heart</h4>

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    Emilia''s words left Cynthia feeling even more confused than before. "¡­ Aren''t they both older than you? Also¡­ where exactly do you get your confidence from?"

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. ''From being your partner, of course. Look at how amazing and adorable you are, ah~ You wouldn''t choose me if I weren''t so good, no?''

    Cynthia knew that her embarrassment andck of response would only make her partner feel more smug, but since she couldn''te up with a retort, she could only grit her teeth bitterly.

    No matter how she wanted to smack this little princess upside down, Cynthia wasn''t quite delusional enough to do that yet. She knew that not only would it be fruitless, it might just also get her an undeserved ass beatingter.

    In that case, wouldn''t it be wiser to just shut up and bear with it? She couldn''t expect her viiness to be kind and forgiving after being poked, after all!

    The fact that she had been so ''sessful'' in turning this good little princess into a vengeful viiness made Cynthia feel both proud and sad.

    If only she could do it in a way that it worked on everyone except her¡­ how wonderful would that be?

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    It didn''t take long for everyone to decide which horse they wanted, and Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle when she noticed how they seemed to have picked them based on appearance alone.

    Whether it was a coincidence or not, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t deny that her little ducklings had good taste.

    The only thing she found strange was that everyone had avoided the most magnificent looking horse - a Friesian with an extremely rich, pure ck coat and a full, regal mane that made it seem like a fashion model amongst horses, especially whenbined with the lofty way it moved.

    ''Wouldn''t it be perfect for Dixie if¡­ ahh! Don''t tell me none of them picked this one because they wanted to leave the best for me?!''

    Whether it was done subconsciously or intentionally, Emilia couldn''t deny that this also made her very happy.

    Although the Friesian didn''t look bothered at all for not being picked, the old man who brought it in looked both disappointed and indignant.

    Of course, his expression quickly returned to pride when he saw Emilia approach him. "Little girl, you have good eyes!"

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "Thank you. Is there anything in particr I should know?"

    Although he had already been told that the crimson-haired girl knew what she was doing, the old man still felt a little awkward when it finally came time to entrust his hot-blooded ''child'' to this frail-looking beauty. "Although Ellen isn''t very temperamental, are you sure you can handle her on your own?"

    He didn''t dare imagine the scene if anything went wrong at all, let alone the ''aftermath'' of having his horse trample over the White Deer''s little princess.

    To say that he was nervous would be an understatement.

    Emilia smiled. "Don''t worry."

    Despite the vast difference in their age, the old man knew that their identities didn''t allow him to say any more beyond this point, so he could only sigh in his heart. ''Well¡­ hopefully she''ll be fine. Too bad I can''t get that photo for my little grandson, but it is what it is.''

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    Although the field that Noelle had arranged for them was in the outskirts of the city, Emilia had to admit that the additional space gave her a lot of freedom toe up with more effective training ns.

    Naturally, her practice sessions were more for rxation and fun than anything else, so it went without saying that Emilia prioritized teaching her friends.

    After they were done somewhat familiarizing themselves with the horses they had picked, the crimson-haired girl decided to split the training sessions into two groups to speed up the process, with one side being handled by the trainers.

    Since she believed in her own ability more than anyone else, the ones with the least experience were naturally kept on her side.

    Penny couldn''t help but be heartbroken when she was told that she had to part with her princess alongside Dixie, Hazel, and Thea, even if it was only for a while.

    The ponytailed girl''s internal drama was clear for all to see on her face, and Emilia could only shake her head with an amused smile. "Don''t be so down. We''ll go have some fun at Crystal''s restaurant after everyone''s done with the day, alright?"

    "A date with the princess?! YES! I''ll work hard!"

    Looking at the instantly peppy little blonde rush away, as if in a hurry to get the day over with so she can have her ''reward'', Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "Alright, who wants to go first?"

    Seeing how they all just stared at her nkly, Emilia decided that she might as well go with Crystal. Anyway, Adele seemed like the type who could learn more by watching, while Koko¡­ well, such a tough nut was best left forst, lest she exhaust herself in advance.

    The blonde heroine nervously led the light brown Haflinger she had picked to Emilia''s side, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh at how well its golden mane matched with Crystal''s hair.

    The haflinger''s trainer seemed oddly nervous as she kept fidgeting in her ce, but Emilia had already made it clear that she wasn''t allowed to do anything unless there was an emergency, so she didn''t dare to move too close.

    After making sure that there was nothing wrong with the reins or the saddle, Emilia turned to Crystal with a smile. "Are you nervous?"

    Crystal nodded hesitantly. "A-A little."

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled. "How about I take you for a ride first?"

    The heroine''s eyes opened wide, but before she could realize what was happening, Emilia had already mounted the horse with ease and extended a graceful hand towards her with a smile. "Come on?"

    The blonde girl subconsciously put her palm in her girlfriend''s, and her heart thumped in her chest like a galloping little deer as she felt the world spin.

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 Chapter 377 A Genius Can Also Be Stupid

    <h4>Chapter 377 A Genius Can Also Be Stupid</h4>

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    By the time her mind was done ''rebooting'', Crystal found herself being held firmly in Emilia''s soft, gentle embrace, although she was still a little too high above the ground to be trulyfortable.

    The blonde heroine had no idea whether it was the tender palm rubbing her arm up and down that made any pain fail to register, or the soft, supple lips pressing against her own, but she could barely bring herself to care about it as she snuggled against her gorgeous girlfriend with a contented sigh.

    Of course, the blonde girl was quickly brought back to reality by the sound of excited squealing and exmations.

    Being stuck with the ''dead-faced'' Adele and the ''fun-killer'' Dixie, Koko seemed to have taken it upon herself to run a one-woman show.

    "Princess is so cool!"

    "Too dashing!"

    "Ahh! I can''t wait for my turn already~ Is there room for another up there?"

    Emilia wasn''t sure if it was her illusion, but she could feel that the horse seemed to be vehemently against the idea of letting Koko join in. ''It shouldn''t be hard for him to carry the three of us because of weight, right? Could it be¡­ because she''s too noisy?''

    Although the idea was somewhat amusing, Emilia could only wave it off with a smile. "Watch and learn first, and I''ll take each of you on a rideter as well, alright?"

    Even Crystal couldn''t suppress her smile after listening to Koko''s cheers when Emilia led the horse forward into a trot. "What a kid."

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled. "It''s good to know how to have fun. Are you less nervous now?"

    Leaning back into the gorgeous girl''s soft embrace, Crystal could only sigh happily, a feeling of contentment in her heart. "Yeah. Though I''m not sure if I can learn much in this state."

    Emilia''s smile turned gentler as she pressed a loving kiss against the blonde girl''s hair, and seeing how the adorable little heroine turned her head away shyly, she couldn''t help but chortle in delight. "Don''t worry, angel, horse riding isn''t soplicated. All you need is the right attitude, some bnce, and a little bit of control, and the rest of it wille naturally."

    Crystal wasn''t sure if it was quite so simple, but listening to the soothing voice in her ear, she could only nod, feeling overwhelmed with both happiness and embarrassment. ''D-Does she not realize everyone must be watching us?!''

    Emilia smiled as she pushed the horse to go faster, and Crystal couldn''t help but tighten her hands on the reins even though she was secured in the crimson-haired girl''s embrace.

    "Don''t be scared. When holding the reins, you must keep your hold both firm yet rxed, and whenever you want to make a turn, you only have to give it a gentle tug, like this."

    Crystal couldn''t help but feel her heart thump in excitement when they turned around. Even though she knew that the maximum speed of horses wasn''t that high, it almost felt like they were moving faster than she could imagine. Of course, she knew it was only her illusion.

    "If you hold them too tight or tug around too hard or randomly, it can make him confused, so be confident and precise with your instructions, and trust that he will understand you. Okay, turn right."

    The blonde girl nodded subconsciously, and it was only when they had already made that turn did she realize that Emilia had already wrapped her hands around her waist, leaving the reins entirely to aplete newbie like her!

    Feeling the cold sweat on her back, Crystal couldn''t help but feel like the world coulde crashing down if she made even the slightest mistake. ''I-I have to remain calm! R-Right now, both of our lives are at stake!''

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl didn''t let her girlfriend''s little heart hang for too long, and before Crystal could fully start panicking, Emilia had already brought the horse to a slower trot as they arrived right back where they started.

    The crimson-haired beauty dismounted effortlessly on her own, leaving the few trainers who had been stepping forward to help feeling both embarrassed and impressed, and then helped Crystal down by picking up the terrified and blushing girl by the waist.

    "Y-You almost scared me to death! What if I lost control?!"

    Emilia booped the indignant heroine''s adorable little nose with a smile. "Wasn''t I right there with you?"

    The blonde girl could only sigh helplessly, but before she could retort, she felt Emilia pat her butt in ''encouragement''.

    "Come on now, it''s time to try it on your own."

    Crystal couldn''t help but be stunned. "E-Eh? A-Already?!"

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "Of course."

    The heroine gulped. "B-But I don''t even know how to mount yet?"

    Although the one she had chosen was the shortest horse among the ones here, being at around 15 hands, or sixty inches, Crystal knew that she couldn''t jump and mount it without any help like the crimson-haired girl even in the wildest of her dreams.

    Emilia smiled as she tapped her shoulder. "You can use my hands to climb up. Don''t worry, I''ll teach you everything as we go."

    Although Crystal felt helpless in front of her girlfriend''s smile, she still refused to step on her hands to mount the horse, so Emilia could only ask one of the trainers to bring a mounting block.

    Once the blonde girl was up on her horse again, this time by herself, she couldn''t help but gulp. "W-Why do I feel like I''m higher up than before? It''s just my illusion, right?"

    Emilia giggled as she adjusted Crystal''s boots till they were firmly inserted in the stirrups. "Wiggle that cute butt of yours to make sure you''re properly bnced before you start, alright?"

    Crystal couldn''t help blush from shame. "I-I''m fine!"

    Recalling how she had even been kissed in front of so many people today, she almost wanted to bury herself into her quilt back at home and squeal in both delight and shame.

    Emilia hummed as she pushed the girl''s thighs and butt slightly before tugging down at her right arm before she nodded in satisfaction. "Now you''re perfectly straight."

    Crystal almost rolled her eyes. ''Every time I see you, I get about as far from that as I can.''

    But of course, there was no way she could dare say that out loud. Fortunately, Emilia couldn''t hear her thoughts.

    The crimson-haired girl patted the blushing girl''s butt with a mischievous grin. "Remember, don''t be too rigid. Of course, if your body hurtster, I can always give you a massage."

    Crystal felt like her face was going to be set on fire if she continued to let Emilia tease her any more. "D-Don''t just tease me, you haven''t even told me how to get started!"

    Emilia giggled. "I know you''re a fast learner, but don''t rush. See how your legs are positioned right now? Make sure you keep them like that, facing inward. When you squeeze your legs a little, he will start walking, and a light kickback will get him to trot¡ª!"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked as she watched the blushing heroine move right past her, quickly making the horse trot away without daring to look back.

    "I wonder when she''ll realize that she doesn''t know how to stop?"

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 Chapter 378 Future Resolution

    <h4>Chapter 378 Future Resolution</h4>

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    By the time Dixie and Penny''s group returned from their ''training session'', everyone had already had their own chance to try riding a horse by themselves under Emilia''s ''care'' as well.

    Of the three ''newbies'', Crystal had the most trouble controlling her movements, though fortunately she didn''t have any mishaps that would require intervention.

    With the first and most dangerous day going over so well, as well as the ''delightful'' updates of her opponent''s situation, Emilia was naturally in a good mood as she took everyone to ''The Fawn'' to celebrate.

    Like a bunch of ants in a hot pan, the staff and the chefs rushed about to make preparations for another impromptu ''audit'' from their boss.

    The lead chef couldn''t help but grumble when his break time was abruptly canceled. "It wouldn''t be likest time when she left without saying anything, right?"

    Having been already ''schooled'' by Noelle for letting ''riff-raff'' like Alexander get reservations, the manager couldn''t help but grind her teeth and look at the chef, hating iron for not bing steel. "Shut up and get to work! This is not the time to whine, it''s the time to shine!"

    Fortunately, since Emilia was considerate enough to arrange a shower and change of clothing for everyone, the staff had more than enough time to ''get ready''.

    By the time they got there, arge part of the VIP area had already been cleared for them, with the manager feeling like she had used up the next ten years of her negotiation skills.

    Those who had never been there before wouldn''t notice, but for Dixie and Thea, it was impossible to mask their surprise.

    "Howe there''s barely anyone here?"

    Although Dixie had never liked Theo, her dislike didn''t extend to his sister. "Since it belongs to the princess, how could they not make some space when she needs it?"

    Of course, although she said so, the dark-haired girl couldn''t help but have some doubts as well. ''Given that ''The Fawn'' is usually quite full, it''s a bit too much to clear so much space just for the few of us, right?''

    Emilia waved one of the nearby staff over with a smile, and after she had them arrange two tables together for their group, the crimson-haired girl gave her a satisfied nod. "Thank you for the help. And please tell the manager toe and meet us whenever they''re free, alright?"

    Thedy couldn''t help but cough awkwardly. "Y-Young miss¡­ i-it''s me¡­ I''m the manager."

    Emilia blinked in surprise as she looked at thedy once again. ''Such shiny, long ck hair and youthful skin... She doesn''t look over twenty-five, right? Are all the youngdies so capable these days?''

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but rub her cheek in embarrassment. "I''m sorry. I just didn''t expect the manager to be so young and capable."

    Seeing the gorgeous girl blush like that ''because of her'', the young manager felt like an arrow had been shot through her heart. ''C-Cute!''

    When the younger girl''s words finally registered in her rapidly bending mind, however, the manager felt her face quickly turn red from embarrassment. "I-It''s not like I''m amazing or anything, I-I just¡­ um¡­"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Oh, don''t be so shy! I could tell you made a lot of ''special'' arrangements for us today, so I just wanted to let you know not to panic too much in the future. I''ll be here quite often, after all."

    Although it was naturally possible for her to take everyone straight to the White Deer Mansion whenever needed, Emilia naturally had her reasons for picking this ce instead.

    The locations Emilia frequented the mostprised the Imperial Academy, her sister''s office, and the White Deer Mansion, but none of these ces were what one would consider ''open to outsiders'', with the most easily essible one being her sister''s office.

    If someone who wasn''t already close to her wanted to catch a glimpse of the crimson-haired girl, it wouldn''t be strange for them to go starving for weeks before being able to spot her near the White Deer''s office... if they weren''t chased off for loitering in advance.

    Since Emilia had no intention of attending any ''useless'' parties that would only waste her time, she naturally couldn''t make it too difficult for people to approach her when needed. After all, with the strength of her opponents, few could be expected to meet her out in the open.

    Emilia had previously considered just using Crystal''s ce before, but now that she was starting to be more high-profile, the crimson-haired girl felt it would be safer to use ''The Fawn'' instead.

    Looking at her little boss smiling so beautifully, the manager couldn''t bring herself to admit that she got the position thanks to her mother''s connections, and could only nod obediently.

    After excusing herself, the manager walked away feeling both ted yet forlorn.

    Although talking with the little beauty was like having a wonderful revtion, she couldn''t help but feel like she had cheated her gorgeous boss. ''I-It''s not like I didn''t do well in college, o-or that I lied in my resume or anything, b-but¡­''

    Shaking her head, the young manager could only swear in her heart that she would work harder to be ''deserving'' of such praise and acknowledgment.

    Of course, Emilia had already put the matter aside as she happily started making suggestions on what they should order.

    Although the subtle changes in the manager''s mood couldn''t escape Crystal''s eyes, that didn''t mean she would ruin her girlfriend''s mood for such little things. As far as she was concerned, Emilia''s optimism was part of her charm, and unless the other party harbored ill-will, there was no need to interfere too much.

    Unfortunately, Crystal realized toote that Penny had managed to squeeze into the seat on Emilia''s left in the brief moment she had been distracted, while Dixie took her right.

    The heroine could only roll her eyes in exasperation as she slid into the next vacant spot. ''Hey¡­ if this little tyke could be thispetitive in her studies, she wouldn''t be at the bottom of ss C!''

    Fortunately, except for Penny, none of them were childish enough to fight over seating positions, and focused more on what they wanted for dinner.

    The one who was the most shocked out of the bunch by the speed and quality of service at ''The Fawn'' was naturally Thea, but once she recalled how Emilia was the little princess of the White Deer Corporation, she realized that it wasn''t so strange, after all.

    The twintailed girl couldn''t help but sigh. "Ahh¡­ how fortunate would it be if that useless sis-con brother of mine was more handsome?"

    Not only would she be able to brag about having a sister-inw who could win beauty pageants around the world, but with how nice Emilia was, it wouldn''t be a dream to live like a little princess herself either!

    Even though it wasn''t quite the same as meeting a knight in shining armor, wasn''t that a dreame true on its own as well?

    While all the ''knights'' stared at the oblivious girl with a dark look, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle at Thea''s dreamy expression. "I''m sure he would be both delighted and devastated to hear you think so."

    Thea blinked, still not realizing that had it not been for Emilia''s presence, she might have been on the receiving end of more than just a few kicks to her butt. "Eh?? Why would he be delighted?"

    The crimson-haired girl gave her a teasing smile. "Because you think of him so much?"

    Had it been anyone else that Emilia was talking about, Thea might have been embarrassed, but considering the ''subject matter'', she could only reel back in horror. "E¡­ no no no! Don''t get me wrong, I don''t like that sis-con pervert at all! I just thought how wonderful it would be to have you as my sister-inw, but he''s way too hopeless to be able to¡ª!"

    Thea''s mouth mped shut. ''Oh fuck¡­ not only am I actively reducing the already abysmally low chances of Emilia ever bing my sister-inw, but isn''t saying stuff like this just asking for a beating?!''

    Naturally, the twintailed girl was well aware that, unlike herself, almost everyone around the crimson-haired beauty could be considered more bent than a mosquito coil.

    Forget about giving an ''assist'', it wouldn''t be strange for one of these girls to chop her up and add another dish to the table instead!

    Fortunately, Emilia didn''t seem to mind her words too much. "Although your brother doesn''t look like the most handsome boy I''ve seen, I wouldn''t call him disgusting. Of course, his attitude isn''t very attractive to most girls, but hey, who knows, he could be someone''s perfect prince, right?"

    Although Thea had one thousand and one retorts in her mind, she wisely decided to keep silent and nodded obediently. "R-Right."

    Once Emilia''s attention shifted to teaching Hazel how to handle the oysters she had ordered, Thea turned to Penny after feeling her nudge.

    "Let''s have a ''talk''ter, alright?"

    Thea gulped, and just as she was about to nod, she couldn''t help but be dumbfounded by the ponytailed girl''s cheerful smile.

    "By the way¡­ Although our benevolent princess is too kind to care, the next time you suggest a boy to her¡­ Well, as themander, I can''t keep everyone in the dark, you know?"

    As for what the ''knights'' would do? How could poor little Penny be able to control that?

    Looking at the petite girl''s cheerful smile, Thea couldn''t help but scream in terror in her heart, though no sound came out of her mouth. ''A-A devil! Commander is a devil!!''

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 Chapter 379 Changing The Bottom Line

    <h4>Chapter 379 Changing The Bottom Line</h4>

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    Over the course of the next few days, Emilia continued having fun training her little ducklings while closely observing the situation between her two opponents like a hawk.

    Although it looked like the Gray Wolfe had managed to catch the ck Tiger off guard and snatch a big piece of meat without incident, the crimson-haired girl didn''t believe that it would be so easy.

    The ck Tiger''s reputation suffered a big blow, as not only did the government of the Blue Dawn Republic publicly issue a condemnation against them, but the other governments who feared getting the same treatment also unterally canceled many of their future projects.

    At least, that had been the official stance of these parties, but people in the know could tell that someone must have negotiated with these governments to abandon ck Tiger for more lucrative opportunities.

    Despite the absence of cooperation announcements between these countries and the Gray Wolfe, most believed that it had to be their doing. After all, who else could be so domineering and strong? Even if everyone wanted to fish in troubled waters, few had the ability to pull this kind of thing off.

    Although he had been the one to pass the order, even Alexander''s father himself was left a little stunned by the effectiveness of his moves. ''Wait a minute... the numbers don''t add up, do they?''

    He couldn''t help but give his secretary a suspicious look. "Howe we only negotiated the deal with thirteen, but the ck Tiger was cklisted by twenty? Don''t tell me Allie decided to jump in as well?"

    The secretary who handed him the report could only shrug helplessly. "T-Thedy hasn''t given us any instructions, and hasn''t contacted the Nightingale n either. M-Maybe the ck Tiger offended too many people in the past?"

    Sanders Gray usually wasn''t one to rely on luck, but being able to achieve twice the results with half the effort, it was impossible for him to not be in a good mood. Since it wasn''t his wife''s doing, there was no need for him to worry too much. "Heh¡­ regardless of whether it''s others fishing in troubled waters or a retribution of their own deeds¡­ let me take this chance to show the world that the one toe out on top will always be my Gray Wolfe!"

    Of course, with his father guiding him, Amos wasn''t just taking a beating lying down.

    The ck Tiger''s reputation had never been what one would consider outstanding, so the wave of negative public opinion all over the world didn''t really bother the father and son much.

    Most of the deals they struck were based purely on either benefits or strength, anyway. But what mattered now was to make sure that anyone who trampled on them suffered.

    Otherwise, if they lost the deterrence effect of their name, not to mention the effect overseas, perhaps even the situation in their home country might not be the same.

    Given that they were already somewhat passive against the White Deer at the moment¡­ they simply couldn''t afford to take the chance.

    Whether it was impromptu fire ''idents'' or leaks in criticalponents of a factory, one disaster after another seemed to follow anyone who had cut off cooperation with the ck Tiger.

    Of course, even if they were furious at the loss of both money and men, neither the governments nor the organizations who had abandoned the ck Tiger would suddenly go back and regret their decisions, as that had already been a part of their negotiations with the Gray Wolfe.

    Alexander''s father didn''t care for these ''minor expenses'' at all, but Emilia''s father couldn''t help but be furious when he finally noticed what his precious daughters were doing.

    He flew right back to the Green Leaf city and mmed Sam''s office door open, pointing his finger at the empty office chair in a rage. "Meddling into this matter¡­ what in the world were the two of you thinking?!"

    Of course, the office wasn''t actually empty, and Noelle calmly walked to the door and left, closing the door on her way out.

    Fortunately, they had the foresight of sending off the assistants to the lower floors after receiving the news of their father''s arrival. After all, the matter was a bit too sensitive to risk leaking.

    Mr. White, who had previously been overwhelmed with helpless fury, could only turn to stare dumbfounded at the two girls he had raised cuddling on the sofa. ''Why is Emilia here? No¡­ don''t tell me¡­''

    Before his mind could take another ''detour'', Emilia sighed and gave him a helpless smile. "Hi, dad, please don''t be mad. Let''s sit down and talk?"

    Although he had been in a bad mood after being repeatedly scolded by his wife, Mr. White could still only helplessly do as he was told when faced with his daughters. "Okay, okay¡­ I''m calm. Now tell me clearly what the heck is going on before your father has a stroke, alright?"

    As for the fact that his younger daughter was on Sam''sp¡­ he decided he had been half-blinded by the sun''s re, and couldn''t see what was in front of him at the moment. Anyway, even if the rice couldn''t be uncooked, no one could force him to eat it!

    Emilia and Sam stared at each other before the older girl gave her father a hesitant smile. "Being able to take advantage of such opportunities is crucial to our growth, but if dad wants me to exin something, please ask clearly."

    Mr. White frowned, feeling a little displeased by their seemingly stubborn behavior. "I''m not against you taking up any opportunities to grow, Sam, but it looks like what you''re doing is a bit too underhanded, is it not?"

    With Sam''s business ability being stronger than his own, and with Noelle''s assistance, the husband and wife had already slowly shifted to just dealing with the ck Tiger and negotiating with politicians on their behalf.

    Anyone could tell that they were preparing to fully hand everything over and retire soon, which was why they wouldn''t overrule any of Sam''s decisions, but ''teach'' her instead. After all, in the future, she would be the one leading the White Deer, and they couldn''t hold her by the hand forever.

    Sam couldn''t help but frown after hearing her father''s words. "What do you mean ''underhanded''? It''s not like we''re killing anyone, not to mention endangering innocent people. All we''re doing is adding some fuel to the fire."

    The crimson-haired girl also nodded, not wanting her older sister to take all the me alone. "Dad, when you want to get to the top, you can''t be too cowardly! Both the ck Tiger and the Gray Wolfe are fighting, and this is the best chance for us to fish with minimal risk!"

    Mr. White felt his temples throb in pain as he looked at the two girls ''supporting each other'' like that. "What is the point of taking the risk of attracting the Gray Wolfe''s attention? We can barely protect you from the ck Tiger, but there''s no way to really defend against the Nightingale n!"

    The middle-aged man frowned when he noticed that their expressions didn''t change at all, and both the girls seemed to treat his words like air. "Emilia is a na?ve child, but you can''t be like this, Sam! We already have more money than we can ever use, so what''s the point of endangering everything for more?!"

    He couldn''t help but smack his thigh angrily. "Back off while there''s still time, Sam! I''m only saying this for your own good!"

    Mr. White became even more furious when he saw Emilia give Sam a strange look. "Don''t flirt in front of me! Be serious, I''m not blind!"

    Although she knew that he was ''their father'', Emilia didn''t want him to continue scolding Sam like that. But since her cold-faced crybaby was a bit too softhearted¡­

    "Big sister, can you go out and let me talk to dad alone?"

    Sam had never been able to deny her little sister''s request, what more when she fluttered her eyshes like that and asked for something so coquettishly. Even if she was reluctant to leave the younger girl alone with their furious father, she could only helplessly push the little beauty off herp and leave.

    After the door had been closed, Emilia smiled at ''her father''. "Dad, are you happy with the White Deer''s state today?"

    "Of course not¡ª"

    Emilia couldn''t help but interrupt him with an exasperated sigh. "Excluding the matter we were discussing before, dad!"

    Mr. White coughed. "Oh¡­ y-yeah, I mean, what is there to be dissatisfied? We''re already ahead of the ck Tiger, and there is no need to fear anyone in the Oriana country anymore. You know you''re our little darling, but you can''t be too greedy!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh after hearing his response. "¡­ You really are a good man."

    "¡­?!"

    Did this cute little baby he had raised for so many years finally just praise him? Daughters are the best, after all!

    But before he could puff his chest out with pride or be too happy, Emilia smiled. "You''re a good man, but¡­ you can''t expect others to be so gentle. The ck Tiger may be suppressed temporarily, but for how long? As long as we''recent¡­ what do you think will happen?"

    While he was still stunned, the young girl turned her head away with a forlorn sigh.

    Even if her expression didn''t make her mood clear enough, there was no way to ignore the tremor in her voice. "Dad¡­ you say we''re provoking the Gray Wolfe, but did you know that their heir came to me? Did you know what he said, and what he intends to do?"

    Mr. White couldn''t help but be stunned. Clearly, he hadn''t heard about this at all, but although Emilia was mischievous, he knew that she wouldn''t joke around like this. His heart burned with pain when he thought about his little daughter suffering alone while thinking about her bleak future.

    No¡­ if this was the end result, what was the point of everything he had worked for all his life?! Even if it was that bastard Sander''s son, who dared to be so arrogant in front of his little princess? He definitely couldn''t let them go!

    Thinking about how he had been so scared of the Gray Wolfe and even scolded his daughters¡­ Mr. White couldn''t help but clench his fists in shame. There was no need to think about what the Gray Wolfe''s heir might have said to make her so sad. Thest thing he wanted to do now was to poke at her wounds.

    But the more he was embarrassed, the more his fury grew against those who always seemed intent on harming his precious little girl. "Why didn''t you tell me about this sooner? Bah! Gray Wolfe or whatever, let''s fight!"

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 Chapter 380 Plotting and Framing

    <h4>Chapter 380 Plotting and Framing</h4>

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    Although Mr. White had always been somewhat cowardly by nature, even a herbivore would bite if its life was threatened, let alone a father who cared deeply for his daughters.

    His youngest had already suffered a lot because of his previous decisions, and Mr. White couldn''t help but feel sad whenever he thought about it. ''Maybe if I hadn''t tried topromise with the ck Tiger at that time, things would never have turned out this way between these two¡­ I can''t let her suffer again because of my cowardice!''

    Emilia grinned happily as she shuffled closer before hugging him from the side. "I knew daddy wouldn''t abandon us!"

    Looking at her partner being so coquettish with ''her father'', Cynthia couldn''t help but feel a shiver run down her spine. ''I don''t know if I should be happy that I managed to raise her to be such a ''good'' viiness¡­''

    Naturally, Mr. White only found his daughter''s behavior adorable, and he couldn''t help but ruffle her beautiful crimson hair with a smile. "I may not be very good at it, but if it''s for protecting you or Sam, I can still fight. Just let me know whenever you need help!"

    Saying so, he couldn''t help but feel a burst of fearless emotion in his heart. It was as if he could even face the end of the world without flinching, nothing could scare him!

    Well, except for his wife. She still didn''t believe what he had told her about the rtionship between Sam and Emilia, but knowing her¡­ even if she could ept it, as the ''instigator'' of it all¡­ he would still be in for a beating.

    Of course, what happened between Sam and Emilia was no longer reversible, and he had already made peace with never having a grandchild to hold. After conditioning his mind for so long, he even felt like the two looked pretty good together!

    Mr. White spent a little longer assuring his daughter that he would always be there if something went wrong, and that she shouldn''t hesitate to let him know whenever she''s having trouble.

    He definitely didn''t do it just to get that admiring look from her, but there was no denying that it got him in a good mood. How pleasant would it be if both his daughters could be so cute all the time?!

    Unfortunately, since he had decided to fight¡­ he really couldn''t stay any longer.

    While patting his youngest daughter''s head with an adoring smile, he couldn''t help but sigh. "You stick close to Sam and Noelle and make sure to stay safe these days, alright? Daddy will go talk to your mom and see what we can do to help."

    Emilia nodded obediently as she watched him leave. Naturally, although they were doing pretty well, getting Mr. and Mrs. White''s help was definitely a big plus. ''Looks like it was worth it acting cute with him, ehehe¡­''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but click her tongue. "¡­ You little devil, you! Are you still the dumb little princess who only knew how to ve away for the ''good of the people''?"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''Isn''t it all thanks to you?''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but puff her humble chest out in pride, her arrogant humph leaving Emiliapletely speechless.

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    Although Mr. White was in a good mood upon exiting the office, he felt his lips twitch with both amusement and exasperation when he noticed Noelle and Sam pacing back and forth outside. "Why do the two of you look so worried?"

    Had he not known for sure that he had never been tough with his precious little girls, seeing their behavior today, even he would start to doubt what kind of a demon father he was. What injustice! Not to mention beating them up, had he ever even scolded either of the two properly?!

    Although Sam looked a little embarrassed, Noelle just gave him a neutral smile. "I''m afraid I don''t understand what you mean? I''m only here exercising. Work-Life bnce is vital for both productivity and health, after all."

    Mr. White just stared at her nkly and decided it was pointless toe up with a retort. Arguing with this bunch would just give him heartburn anyway.

    Compared to his adorable angel Emilia¡­ these two didn''t know how to be cute at all!

    Looking at them rushing into the office without even a goodbye, he could only sigh in defeat and drag his feet to the lift. ''Although she''s not cute¡­ my wife is the best after all. Even if I get scolded or beaten, at least she won''t ignore me!''

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    In sharp contrast to the sweet and fluffy atmosphere in Sam''s office, the aura around Amos was both dark and depressing.

    With his father''s help and the ck Tiger''s experience in the area, all his ns had been almost perfectly executed, and except for a few instances of extreme luck, everything had been done exactly to his requirements.

    But although he had managed to deal one setback after another to his opponent, their totalck of response made him feel like he was punching cotton.

    Amos was more than aware that his father was using this incident to ''test him'', and if he couldn''t get any results at all¡­ the silver-haired hero had no idea what kind of decision his father intended to make.

    With his past experience, it was impossible not to think of the man''s threat to adopt another ''heir''. If that happened¡­ wouldn''t all his ns for revenge be even more distant?

    No matter how patient he was, Amos knew that he couldn''t bear to wait for years and decades. Who knows what can change in that time?

    But everything he had done so far under his father''s guidance had been focused on hurting his enemy, and the reinvestments he had made would naturally not be so quick to give a return, leaving Amos feeling both suffocated and tense.

    He couldn''t help but grit his teeth angrily. "No matter how arrogant you are, I refuse to believe there is no limit to your tolerance!"

    Eyes glinting with a hint of madness, the silver-haired boy sneered. "But since you refuse to bend like this¡­ don''t me me for being ruthless!"

    Amos didn''t hesitate anymore, and directly started looking up the Gray Wolfe''s leader and his rtionships. Not to mention his wife and children, the silver-haired hero even wanted to find out how many dogs the man had and what brand of food they ate!

    Would he still be so calm if he started losing them one by one?

    Of course, his proposal to directly solve the problem at its ''root'' was mercilessly rejected by Mr. ck. "Have you not understood what kind of existence the Gray Wolfe is? With their control over the Nightingale n, no matter what price we''re ready to pay, it''s impossible to harm them within the Carmen country''s borders!"

    Although the hero had been a little hot-blooded before, he had still calmly analyzed everything in his mind. Listening to his father''s rebuke, though, he couldn''t help but frown. "No matter how well protected someone is, how can it be possible for there to be no loopholes at all?"

    Looking at his son''s unwilling expression, the buff man felt like all the time he had spent on the boy over thest few months had been in vain. "Has your brain turned into a donkey''s?! If you continue to talk nonsense, I''ll really have to reconsider giving you this opportunity!"

    The silver-haired hero could feel that his father''s stance was upromising on this matter, and although he knew arguing would be futile, the previous frustrations still made him reluctant to just give up. "How can you say that, father? Wasn''t it you who always told me grass should be cut from its roots? With some luck and enough effort¡ª"

    "Idiot! There is a difference between pulling out grass from its roots and pulling out a lion''s whiskers while it''s still alive and kicking!"

    Seeing his son''s extremely punchable expression, Mr. ck barely reigned in his fury as he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Y-You¡­ forget it! I''ve let you y around enough. Let me give you onest chance to make amends, then."

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    With hisck of serious injuries, Alexander had already long since left the Green Leaf Hospital, and started to focus back on his ''business''. Of course, with the Gray Wolfe''s resources being split, his days were noticeably more frustrating thanks to the unexpectedck of ''investors''ing to his door.

    Naturally, when his pdog'' handed him his phone while iming it was a call from Emilia White, Alexander was more than happy to take the opportunity to get back into a good mood.

    He didn''t even notice the reluctant and hateful expression on Jake''s face.

    Of course, although the girl''s voice was very pleasant, what she told him was very much not so, making his confident smirk immediately freeze on his face. "What do you mean someone is going to target me?"

    The girl''s voice from the other side of the phone was both hesitant and shy. "Um, actually, I-I''m not sure what he intends to do or why he''s targeting you, b-but¡­ do you know Amos ck?"

    "¡­!"

    Although he had been hearing news of the ck Tiger fighting against his father''spany for some time now, he hadn''t thought about it too much. After all, it wasn''t too strange for big corporations to be at odds with each other from time to time.

    But when he thought about his father''s promise to get revenge for him as well as the timing of the whole thing, he couldn''t help but take a sharp breath in realization. ''So it was these bastards who set me up before?!''

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 Chapter 381 Plotting and Framing

    381 Lucky Star?

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    Emilia didn''t seem to know too much about the matter, and no matter how he inquired, aside from making the girl stutter shyly, there was little substance in her response. Although the dark-haired man knew that the matter was still in his father''s hand, he didn''t like the girl hiding anything from him.

    Since he could tell that someone had put her up to it, Alexander obviously had to find out who it was. Of course, since he was determined, it didn''t take him long to make the ''obsessed'' girl ''confess''.

    He couldn''t help but chuckle in his mind. ''Heh¡­ in the end, you''re just a silly little girl. Even if your daddy told you to keep it a secret, what can you hide from me?''

    Naturally, there was no need to hit her pitiful little ego right away. Before the bird was secured in its cage, trying to pull at its feathers was likely to scare it away, after all.

    After the girl reluctantly refused his invitation for dinner, Alexander disconnected the call in a sullen mood, not noticing the increasingly gloomy look from his pdog'' at all.

    Tapping the table with his index finger, he couldn''t help but be a little annoyed. ''Although she looks halfway decent, she really dares to refuse my invitation again, huh?''

    Even though he knew that the meek little bitch simply didn''t dare disobey that ''bodyguard'', it still put him in a bad mood.

    After he was done dealing with that bitch who dared to humiliate him, Alexander didn''t n to pay her any further attention. Even if she came to him crying on her knees, all she''d be getting is a boot to that delicate little face. Who knows, it might even make her look better than all that fancy makeup.

    Regardless of her intentions, she had still watched that grey-haired girl humiliate him, after all. And even now, he had to treat her well for his revenge. Treating her like this would already be letting her go lightly, as far as he was concerned.

    When was thest time that he had to mind his manners in front of someone? Alexander didn''t like the feeling at all. ''Well¡­ she''ll pay for it allter. Who knows, if she''s humble enough, I might even consider forgiving her after dealing with that grey-haired bitch¡­''

    Alexander didn''t brood on it for too long, knowing it was only a matter of time till she fell into the palm of his hands.

    Once he''d had his fun with her, he''d make her ruin and humiliate that gray-haired bitch herself, and then leave her crying and begging. No one humiliated him and got away with it. No one!

    But what he needed to do now was deal with this sudden ''threat'', and after thinking about it some more, he decided to call his father.

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    "She told you this in person?"

    Alexander coughed. "¡­ yes."

    He naturally didn''t want his father to know about his humiliating experience. He was already avenging him for being beaten up now, and if he knew he had even been roughed up by a girl of all things, his father would definitely start to look down on him!

    Sanders had no reason to doubt his son, so after thinking about it for a while, he nodded. "Don''t worry. The ck Tiger wouldn''t dare hurt a hair on your head."

    Alexander was naturally relieved after getting his father''s assurance, and disconnected the call with his confidence renewed.

    Even if Mr. ck was powerful, in front of his father, what was he but a little ant that could be crushed at will? Look, with just a word, the ck Tiger was losing its position all over the world!

    Of course, although Alexander''s thinking was simple, his father didn''t treat the ck Tiger with so much contempt. The reason he didn''t worry so much, however, was because he didn''t believe that they dared do anything to his son.

    Although there was little doubt that the ck Tiger could deal with Alexander if they wanted, if they really dared to do so, would they have ever bothered hiding it was them who hurt him in the first ce?

    Currently, although the two of them were already at each other''s throats, the injuries they were inflicting were still what one could consider ''flesh wounds''. It didn''t yet reach the bone, and wasn''t something that they couldn''t recover from.

    Mr. ck couldn''t know how much importance he ced on his son, but killing or threatening such a close rtive would without a doubt be as good as a deration of full-on war.

    It would be like escting a few small border conflicts directly into a nuclear war. Not only would they both lose a great deal of resources in a short time, there was no way to predict how much damage they would suffer, or what the results would be.

    Although he was ruthless, Alexander''s father knew that this opponent still had a sense of measure.

    Unless he was absolutely sure that he coulde out on top, he wouldn''t fullymit to this fight.

    There was little doubt in his mind that everything that he had done before was meant as a ''test'' to see how he will react, and Mr. ck''s ambition and caution were both reflected in his every move since then.

    This was why he dared to leave his son in the Oriana country, and also why he wasn''t worried about his safety at all.

    As for why that little girl would warn his son?

    With Mr. White''s cowardly personality, there was no doubt that he didn''t want any trouble around him.

    Alexander''s father couldn''t help but chuckle. "Maybe after discovering that his old rival might trouble my son, that little coward pissed his pants on the spot."

    He didn''t even dare approach his son in person, and actually sent his young daughter to talk!

    But thinking about how it had always been the man''s wife who handled negotiations with his people whenever the need came in the past, this was only to be expected.

    He clicked his tongue in derision. "Compared to that coward, though, his daughter isn''t actually that bad."

    But thinking about it again, he couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s a pity that the Nightingale n has been getting a little restlesstely, and the position of Alexander''s wife will need to be used to keep them in line¡­ Forget it. Although it may make the little girl feel a little wronged, she can only be a mistress in this life."

    Of course, being born in one of the richest families in the world, he had no doubts that she would be reluctant to ept such a position, but who was Alexander? He had no doubt that his dragon son would easily be able to tame her arrogance.

    Anyway, how tough can a coward''s daughter be?

    He couldn''t help but chuckle. "It seems like the times are changing¡­ soon, the Nightingale n will truly submit to us fully, the ck Tiger will copse, and the White Deer¡­ heh¡­ with only two daughters, where else can it go?"

    With their current position being boosted by these two ''big feasts'', perhaps before all his hair had finished turning white, the Gray Wolfe would already be able topletely eliminate Carmen country''s reigning government!

    Just thinking about the day he could be a ''true king'' and would no longer have to shake hands with Carmen''s president made Alexander''s father feel like his face was about to split from grinning too much. "Allie¡­ Alexander¡­ you''re really my lucky star!"

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 Chapter 382 Lucky Star?

    Chapter 382 Lucky Star?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia didn¡¯t seem to know too much about the matter, and no matter how he inquired, aside from making the girl stutter shyly, there was little substance in her response.

    Alexander could obviously tell that someone had put her up to it, and it didn¡¯t take him long to find out who it was.

    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in his mind. ¡®Heh¡­ in the end, you¡¯re just a silly little girl. Even if your daddy told you to keep it a secret, what can you hide from me?¡¯

    Of course, there was no need to hit her pitiful little ego right away. Before the bird was secured in its cage, trying to pull at its feathers was likely to scare it away, after all.

    After the girl reluctantly refused his invitation for dinner, Alexander disconnected the call with a sullen look on his face, not noticing the increasingly gloomy look from his pdog¡¯ at all.

    Tapping the table with his index finger, he couldn¡¯t help but be a little annoyed. ¡®Although she looks halfway decent, she really dares to refuse my invitation again, huh?¡¯

    Even though he knew that the meek little bitch simply didn¡¯t dare disobey that ¡®bodyguard¡¯, it still put him in a bad mood.

    After he was done dealing with that bitch who dared to humiliate him, Alexander didn¡¯t n to pay her any further attention. Even if she came to him crying on her knees, all she¡¯d be getting is a boot to that delicate little face. Who knows, it might even make her look better than all that fancy makeup.

    Regardless of her intentions, she had still watched that grey-haired girl humiliate him, after all. And even now, he had to treat her well for his revenge. Treating her like this would already be letting her go lightly, as far as he was concerned.

    When was thest time that he had to mind his manners in front of someone? Alexander didn¡¯t like the feeling at all. ¡®Well¡­ she¡¯ll pay for it allter. Who knows, if she¡¯s humble enough, I might even consider forgiving her after dealing with that grey-haired bitch¡­¡¯

    Alexander didn¡¯t brood on it for too long, knowing it was only a matter of time till she fell into the palm of his hands.

    Once he¡¯d had his fun with her, he¡¯d make her ruin and humiliate that gray-haired bitch herself, and then leave her crying and begging. No one humiliated him and got away with it. No one!

    But what he needed to do now was deal with this sudden ¡®threat¡¯, and after thinking about it some more, he decided to call his father.

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    ¡±She told you this in person?¡±

    Alexander coughed. ¡°¡­ yes.¡±

    He naturally didn¡¯t want his father to know about his humiliating experience. He was already avenging him for being beaten up now, and if he knew he had even been roughed up by a girl of all things, his father would definitely start to look down on him!

    Sanders had no reason to doubt his son, so after thinking about it for a while, he nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The ck Tiger wouldn¡¯t dare hurt a hair on your head.¡±

    Alexander was naturally relieved after getting his father¡¯s assurance, and disconnected the call with his confidence renewed.

    Even if Mr. ck was powerful, in front of his father, what was he but a little ant that could be crushed at will? Look, with just a word, the ck Tiger was losing its position all over the world!

    Of course, although Alexander¡¯s thinking was simple, his father didn¡¯t treat the ck Tiger with so much contempt. The reason he didn¡¯t worry so much, however, was because he didn¡¯t believe that they dared do anything to his son.

    Although there was little doubt that the ck Tiger could deal with Alexander if they wanted, if they really dared to do so, would they have ever bothered hiding it was them who hurt him in the first ce?

    Currently, although the two of them were already at each other¡¯s throats, the injuries they were inflicting were still what one could consider ¡®flesh wounds¡¯. It didn¡¯t yet reach the bone, and wasn¡¯t something that they couldn¡¯t recover from.

    Mr. ck couldn¡¯t know how much importance he ced on his son, but killing or threatening such a close rtive would without a doubt be as good as a deration of full-on war.

    It would be like escting a few small border conflicts directly into a nuclear war. Not only would they both lose a great deal of resources in a short time, there was no way to predict how much damage they would suffer, or what the results would be.

    Although he was ruthless, Alexander¡¯s father knew that this opponent still had a sense of measure.

    Unless he was absolutely sure that he coulde out on top, he wouldn¡¯t fullymit to this fight.

    There was little doubt in his mind that everything that he had done before was meant as a ¡®test¡¯ to see how he will react, and Mr. ck¡¯s ambition and caution were both reflected in his every move since then.

    This was why he dared to leave his son in the Oriana country, and also why he wasn¡¯t worried about his safety at all.

    As for why that little girl would warn his son?

    With Mr. White¡¯s cowardly personality, there was no doubt that he didn¡¯t want any trouble around him.

    Alexander¡¯s father couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Maybe after discovering that his old rival might trouble my son, that little coward pissed his pants on the spot.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even dare approach his son in person, and actually sent his young daughter to talk!

    But thinking about how it had always been the man¡¯s wife who handled negotiations with his people whenever the need came in the past, this was only to be expected.

    He clicked his tongue in derision. ¡°Compared to that coward, though, his daughter isn¡¯t actually that bad.¡±

    But thinking about it again, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Nightingale n has been getting a little restlesstely, and the position of Alexander¡¯s wife will need to be used to keep them in line¡­ Forget it. Although it may make the little girl feel a little wronged, she can only be a mistress in this life.¡±

    Of course, being born in one of the richest families in the world, he had no doubts that she would be reluctant to ept such a position, but who was Alexander? He had no doubt that his dragon son would easily be able to tame her arrogance.

    Anyway, how tough can a coward¡¯s daughter be?

    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°It seems like the times are changing¡­ soon, the Nightingale n will truly submit to us fully, the ck Tiger will copse, and the White Deer¡­ heh¡­ with only two daughters, where else can it go?¡±

    With their current position being boosted by these two ¡®big feasts¡¯, perhaps before all his hair had finished turning white, the Gray Wolfe would already be able topletely eliminate Carmen country¡¯s reigning government!

    Just thinking about the day he could be a ¡®true king¡¯ and would no longer have to shake hands with Carmen¡¯s president made Alexander¡¯s father feel like his face was about to split from grinning too much. ¡°Allie¡­ Alexander¡­ you¡¯re really my lucky star!¡±

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 Chapter 383 Freedom and Desire

    <h4>Chapter 383 Freedom and Desire</h4>

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    What Emiliacked the most in her first life was, without a doubt, freedom.

    Not to mention being able to do whatever she wanted or being able to speak her will, even the ability to think by herself was stripped from her using abination of brainwashing and drugs.

    Thus, it was no surprise that when she finally discovered freedom and happiness, they became what she enjoyed and yearned for the most, even after all these years.

    Although being a princess came with some restrictions of its own, Emilia was extremely grateful for the countless privileges it had allowed her as well, including letting her acquire numerous skills.

    And if one were to ask her the hobby she enjoyed the most in her second life, it would undoubtedly be to ride on a horse aimlessly, letting the wind lead her to a destination unknown.

    Some say that when riding a horse, one could borrow freedom, and perhaps those whock independence the most could feel it most profoundly.

    Naturally, Emilia was well aware that this was no more than a momentary illusion.

    A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength theyck ¨C but those who are wise would remember that it was no more than a loan. But even so, she enjoyedforting herself like this every once in a while.

    Even Crystal was dazzled by the bright smile on Emilia''s face as she galloped with the Friesian, as it reminded her of the moment that she had ''epted'' Emilia''s proposal.

    Maybe at this moment, the little beauty was as happy as she could be, and Crystal couldn''t help but smile and push her own horse to move faster as well. Maybe once she was good enough, they could ride side by side, and she could see that bright smile up close.

    Ever since their proficiency reached what the crimson-haired girl considered to be an ''eptable'' level, Emilia only spent an hour or so instructing them in person before she rode around on her horse without a care in the world.

    Of course, although her personal guidance was effective, Crystal believed that everyone actually learned faster when they hadn''t had their minds turned to mush by Emilia''s teasing. This was especially so for Koko, who was already quitecking in self-control.

    Cynthia didn''t interrupt her partner during the ride either, and it was only after Emilia returned from her ride and dismounted that the raven-haired girl expressed her dissatisfaction. "Do you really like this beast so much?"

    Although Cynthia didn''t disdain animals as much as she did mortals, she still didn''t believe in takingfort from theirpanionship. After all, their lives were too short, and getting attached was, in her opinion, simply bringing harm to oneself.

    Emilia smiled after handing the Friesian''s reins back to the old trainer. ''Well¡­ not as much as the one I had before, but she''s not bad.''

    Cynthia hesitated for a while before sighing in defeat. "Well¡­ even if you like riding beasts, you should wait till we get to a better world. These ones¡­ are too short-lived."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''Cynthia¡­ have you been to a lot of worlds?''

    The raven-haired girl hesitated, but in the end, she knew that unless she was willing to reveal some of the things she had kept hidden, it was impossible to answer her question.

    Emilia didn''t seem to mind the silence, though, and continued with a smile. ''Well, I''ll take your advice.''

    Cynthia coughed, feeling a little guilty in her heart. "I-If you can tell me what you want in a mount, I-I can keep an eye out for you when looking for the next world?"

    Her partner seemed a little surprised at first, but Emilia didn''t refuse her offer as she had expected. ''Oh¡­ I''m not sure, but I can tell you what I like about horses.''

    Feeling Cynthia nod with interest, Emilia smiled. ''They are noble, but not conceited. Their friendshipes without envy, and their beauty is devoid of vanity. We share the same goal, desiring freedom, but are also bound and unable to truly obtain it in the truest sense. Still, we can feel it from time to time, and make the most out of those moments.''

    Of course, she didn''t speak thest point in her heart. Although they were willing to serve those they acknowledged, they would never truly be ''ves'' to another''s whim.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be stunned. ''Howe I never realized that the princess I picked up had so much inmon with a horse? Should I have done a more thorough ''background check'' on her soul?''

    Fortunately, Emilia couldn''t hear her thoughts, and continued speaking her mind. ''Oh, and it''s also crucial that not only must they not mind taking me along for a ride, but they should also enjoy mypany!''

    Cynthia was almost about to roll her eyes, thinking how one wouldn''t even have so many requirements from their heirs as this little princess did from her horse, but unfortunately their conversation was interrupted when Koko came rushing towards her with a delighted squeal. "Emilia~!"

    Surprisingly, the freckled girl actually reached her target without being dragged back by Dixie or scolded by Crystal, who both followed her with a wry, helpless smile.

    Emilia gracefully epted the shorter girl into her arms and patted her back in confusion. "Is everyone already done for the day?"

    Koko rubbed her face into the crimson-haired beauty''s nape with a sigh of contentment. "No, it''s just that Crystal promised me she''ll let me hug you if I didn''t fall off my horse, and I didn''t!"

    Seeing how proud she was, Emilia didn''t want to burst her bubble either, so she just rubbed the freckled girl''s slightly wet hair with an amused smile. "Did you already shower? Not going to practice anymore?"

    Koko grinned brightly. "Ehehe¡­ I didn''t want to risk it, you know! What if you were disgusted that I was sweaty or smelly?"

    Emilia could tell that she was really just scared of being beaten up and dragged back by Dixie, but the brown-haired girl didn''t dare to say it.

    She couldn''t help but squeeze Koko''s slightly chubby, freckled cheek with a smile. "Well, are you happy now?"

    Of course, how could Koko be unhappy? Any day that she managed to take a sip against the gorgeous, tempting nape of her goddess was a good, bountiful day. Moreover, she had even gotten a ''one up'' in front of Dixie, and discovered how useful Crystal could be! To say that her days were looking bright would be an understatement. "I''m very, very happy!"

    Emilia chuckled. "Then continue to work hard, okay? I have something to do today, so I''ll be leaving early, but I''ll test everyone before the annual events, and the excellent performers will get a kiss!"

    Crystal could tell from her mischievous wink that the crimson-haired girl nned to give them an ''extra-special'' reward in case they ''won''.

    The blonde heroine didn''t dare let her mind wander in that direction anymore, lest her blush be too obvious to everyone else. ''Luckily, Dixie can''t just run and jump around without a horse, so I might still stand a chance.''

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 Chapter 384 Sparks Fly

    <h4>Chapter 384 Sparks Fly</h4>

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    As Emilia waved goodbye to Crystal and Dixie, Cynthia couldn''t help but voice some of her doubts. "What is this ''important matter'' that you have to take care of, anyway? I thought you already had everything set for the next few days, did you not?"

    The crimson-haired girl waved away the worried guards and ''knights'' with a smile and continued to wait for Noelle toe pick her up. ''There are a lot of unstable factors in such things, and I can''t just sit back and rx, you know?''

    Cynthia hummed thoughtfully. "Are you talking about that Alexander and Amos thing?"

    Seeing her partner nod in affirmation, the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but snort. "Hey, don''t try to fool me! Aren''t you just eager to enjoy the show?!"

    Emilia rubbed her cheek shyly. ''Don''t I deserve it after working so hard for so long?''

    Cynthia could only roll her eyes and console herself that it was only natural for a viiness to be selfish. Anyway, even if she was somewhat naughty, her partner had still managed toplete one of her missions already, so there was no reason to doubt her efficiency.

    Meanwhile, the ''fan girls'' who had won that day''s roulette and managed to follow Penny for a chance to see the princess up close couldn''t help but sneak a few shots of the gorgeous girl''s blush.

    "T-Too cute!"

    Fortunately, they had already trained their mentality quite a bit using Penny''s collection, so not only did they manage to keep their squealing to a minimum, but they also recovered quite quickly.

    "Is the princess feeling shy and awkward for waiting alone for the first time?"

    "Such a wonderful and exclusive shot! With this, we can even negotiate with themander and get one of those coveted relics in exchange!"

    "Who dared to make her wait, anyway?!"

    "We can always deal with themter, but isn''t it more important to solve her crisis first?"

    "True!"

    "I-I have a bike, b-but she already waved us away, right? I don''t want her to think I''m creepy!"

    "Let''s wait for another fifty-four seconds first, then see if she needs help?"

    "Oh, that is based on my new theory about psychology, you see¡ª"

    The poor fangirls remained unaware that their little princess could easily hear their ridiculous argument with her enhanced hearing, leaving the crimson-haired girl giggling to herself in amusement. ''These kids¡­ they''re so adorable!''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "By adorable, do you mean creepy?"

    Emilia huffed in dissatisfaction. ''How can you say that? Look how cute they are! And it''s not like they''ve done anything to harm me, right?''

    The raven-haired girl could only click her tongue in annoyance. "I really didn''t care at first, but isn''t it an eyesore to see them hanging around almost all the time? Annoying."

    Before Emilia could retort, the arrival of a white Cadic made her pause. ''Well, Noelle is here. Let''s talk about thister.''

    Although the gray-haired girl came to her side and opened the door for her, Emilia could tell that she didn''t seem to be in a particrly good mood.

    Once Noelle had returned to the steering wheel and fastened her seatbelt, Emilia couldn''t help but give her a nudge. "Is everything okay?"

    Noelle pursed her lips as she moved the car back on the road. "Nothing''s wrong, but¡­"

    Since they were heading towards Sam''s office instead of the path she expected, Emilia could already tell that things must not have worked out ording to her requirements, and she couldn''t help but be a little nervous.

    The gray-haired girl sighed as she parked the car by the side of the road before looking into the younger girl''s eyes apologetically. "¡­ I''m sorry, but¡­ it''s impossible to follow Amos now without exposing ourselves. I really wanted to fulfill your wish, but it was too risky, and I didn''t want to ruin your more important ns just for fun."

    Emilia couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ''Fortunately, it was just that. Noelle really scared me right there!''

    Of course, although things were better than she expected, to say that Emilia wasn''t disappointed would also be wrong.

    She couldn''t help but lean forward, cing her palms on the older girl''s knees, staring up at her with a pitiful look in her eyes. "Don''t be sorry, but¡­ is there really no way to do it?"

    Although Noelle didn''t have the strength to say no when faced with the little beauty''s watery blue eyes and adorably pouting lips, her silence spoke for itself.

    Emilia bit her lip in thought and started fiddling with her phone.

    Although Noelle sometimes found the girl''s mischief a little exasperating, she couldn''t help but feel unhappy when she thought of her being disheartened instead.

    She could only sigh helplessly. "Amos is no longer moving about with just a few people, so even if I somehow manage to avoid their entire group¡­ it''s impossible to keep ourselves from being discovered. But if you have any idea, I''ll see what can be done."

    Emilia couldn''t help but turn to look at the older girl with her eyes wide in wonder. "Are you actively asking me to make trouble?"

    Noelle frowned. "¡­ I would be happy if you didn''t phrase it that way¡ª!"

    She couldn''t help but be stunned when the crimson-haired beauty lunged and pressed a firm, affectionate kiss against her cheek.

    Looking at the girl''s delighted grin, Noelle felt like the soft, jelly-like feeling against her face was scraping directly against her heart.

    "Although I was thinking we could watch the show in person, or maybe a live telecast, but there''s no need to be too worried about it if it doesn''t work. Anyway, we can still make do with this!"

    Noelle could only be further dumbfounded when Emilia turned on the speaker on her phone. ''I was an idiot to think she was disheartened! This naughty little minx had a n B all along?!''

    There was no name on the phone''s screen, only a string of numbers, and the microphone from Emilia''s side was muted, making it a one-way call.

    Of course, even if she were to fail to recognize the voices from the other side, the contents of the conversation made everything more than clear.

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    With Mr. ck''swork, although he wasn''t as efficient as Noelle, it was still possible to find Alexander''s existence in the Green Leaf city.

    Naturally, neither the hero nor his father believed it to be a coincidence. But with Emilia and Noelle''s meddling, the facts that they could discover were heavily distorted.

    Not only did they manage to keep the ck Tiger''s people from discovering the true purpose of him staying in the Oriana country, but they even made the hero''s side believe that Alexander could be here for the express purpose of being a ''negotiator'' on his father''s behalf.

    Of course, although both of these lies could be discovered, it would require the ck Tiger to dig into the matter much, much deeper. But with their resources being scattered and divided as they were now, it was unlikely for them to try doing such a thing without solid suspicion.

    Unless Alexander exposed something by himself, it was extremely unlikely for the web that Emilia and Noelle had woven to be exposed. But since it wasn''t impossible, the crimson-haired girl naturally wouldn''t leave it to chance.

    Convincing Jake to let her listen to Alexander''s conversation with the ck Tiger''s heir wasn''t difficult with the previous groundwork she had alreadyid. All she had to do was express her worry for his ''well-being'' and being unable to eat and sleep, and he quickly caved in.

    In Jake''s heart, with the ck Tiger''s fearsome reputation, it was already admirable that this girl was willing to stand by their side and worry so much. It was just a pity that this flower had to be nted on this undeserving ''friend'' of his. Of course, no matter how he gritted his teeth in hate, there was nothing he could do to change the situation at all.

    The best he could hope for was that listening to his ''big bro'' speaking in his natural tone when he wasn''t around Emilia would ''awaken'' her to seeing his real self somehow, but he knew it was unlikely to work. After all, a girl in love was usually blind to trivial things like reason andmon sense.

    The only ''fortunate'' thing today was that Alexander was even more moody than usual, no thanks to the unusual way in which Amos had decided for them to ''meet''.

    Not only did he refuse toe out of his car, but the silver-haired boy didn''t even take off his sunsses out of basic courtesy while talking to them! Although Jake felt that it was only natural for someone of his status to despise ''small fry'' like them, he knew that it was impossible for his egoistic friend to think the same way.

    Of course, neither of them knew that it was already impressive that Amos could pretend to be normal while seated, with his current physical condition being how it was. How could he shame himself by moving around in a wheelchair?

    Until he could walk wlessly again, it was natural for the hero to move around only in his car when extremely necessary.

    This also had the additional benefit of making it extremely easy for his people to protect him, and was also one of the reasons that Noelle had been unable to find a way to snoop in on their conversation without the risk of being exposed.

    Unfortunately for the hero, however, his unintentional behavior directly set him off on the wrong foot in this ''negotiation''.

    After all, not to mention that Alexander had never been one to take being ''insulted'' lightly, he was especially sensitive after being humiliated himself.

    Given his status as the Gray Wolfe''s heir and their previous transgressions, it wouldn''t be strange for this boy toe to him kneeling and begging with a humble attitude, so what was he trying to do now? Did this boy think he was so easy to be bullied just because there didn''t appear to be any security around him?

    With his father''s promise, Alexander knew that even if they couldn''t be seen, not only was hepletely safe, but there were sure to be hundreds of experts just waiting for his signal to tear this piece of trash into pieces!

    Alexander couldn''t help but sneer. "I knew that people in Oriana country were uncultured, but I didn''t know that they were wild like animals. When you request someone toe talk, you should at least have the decency to greet them properly!"

    Amos was only stunned for a moment before his expression turned dark. "An illegitimate son also deserves to be treated courteously by me? Don''t make meugh!"

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 Chapter 385 Hot Oil and Cold Water

    Chapter 385 Hot Oil and Cold Water

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    With the two ''proud sons of heaven'' being in opposite camps, Emilia already expected them to get along about as well as hot oil did with cold water, but even though it was predictable, it was still quite entertaining.

    After their disastrous ''greeting'', neither of the two males was in a mood to cooperate with the other, and since they both believed themselves to be in a ''superior position'', the situation only continued to escte, and Emilia of course enjoyed listening to it like it was some hrious radio broadcast.

    Being poked in a sore spot like that, it was naturally impossible for Alexander to keep his temper in check. "Who are you calling an illegitimate son?! I''m far more legitimate than a motherless scum like you!"

    Just reminding him of his deceased mother was already enough to infuriate Amos on a normal day, and things only got worse when it was done like this by someone he was already disgusted with. "What the fuck did you just say? I dare you to say it again, you overgrown gremlin!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle to herself,pletely unaware of Noelle''s strange look. ''Good, good! Fight more!''

    Before the two of them met, although things were bad, they hadn''t yet reached the point of no return.

    As long as the two sides negotiated and were willing toe to terms with a certain amount of loss to appease each other, this incident could still be slowly deescted for the sake of long-term mutual growth.

    Obviously, this was the exact opposite of what Emilia wanted for the ck Tiger and the Gray Wolfe, which was why she had been adding fuel to the fire at appropriate intervals.

    Since what Alexander expected from the ck Tiger was a sincere apology and eptance of proper ''punishment'', it was naturally impossible for him to keep that attitude after receiving insults instead of apologies.

    However, with the two of them being at each other''s throats for so long, just as Emilia started to wonder when they would actually start strangling each other, things actually took an unexpected turn.

    Surprisingly, it was Amos who first managed to rein his anger in. "Stop!"

    Although they were far from being unable to continue, both Amos and Mr. ck knew that the situation couldn''t be allowed to continue as it was, and since the leader of the Gray Wolfe bullheadedly continued to refuse tomunicate with them, they had no choice but to lower themselves to use this ''mouthpiece'' illegitimate son.

    The hero was well aware that they either needed to make a breakthrough or call for a truce, and while they were waiting for the former, thetter could be easily achieved as long as they were willing topromise.

    With his pride, Amos had naturally wanted to do it in a way that made it seem like they weren''t backing off at all and were doing the Gray Wolfe a favor instead, but unfortunately, the man in front of him was making it extremely difficult.

    Of course, since the matter was still being handled by Amos, and it wouldn''t be very appropriate for Mr. ck to go meet Alexander in person, the silver-haired hero was the one tasked with confronting this ''messenger'' to see what the leader of the Gray Wolfe was cooking.

    Amos knew that the more time they wasted now, the longer their external investments would continue to suffer.

    But of course, with Alexander''s attitude, the silver-haired hero was already sure that it was impossible to get any results in their favor today. The best he could hope for was to get his point across to the man''s father so they could perhapsmunicate directly.

    "You know what? This is getting nowhere. I''m not here to waste my time with you. Just tell me what your father means by all this crap he''s pulling, or better yet, ask him to talk to me directly like a man!"

    Alexander sneered at the derisive tone of the silver-haired boy. "Who the fuck are you to be worth my father''s time? Heh¡­"

    Amos clenched his teeth, but managed to calm himself down after taking a deep breath. "Your brain is probably too small toprehend this, but just tell your father this¡­ if he really thinks we''ll back off first, he''s dreaming. If he''s happy with us hurting each other like this until we''re both just a shadow of our former self¡­ the ck Tiger doesn''t mind showing him the meaning of determination!"

    Alexander was momentarily shocked, but then burst into uncontrobleughter. "That''s got to be the most hrious thing I''ve heard in all my life! You¡­ showing us the meaning of determination? Don''t make meugh! Do you think our Gray Wolfe can be hurt by you? Dreaming!"

    Even when he had been considering ''forgiving'' the ck Tiger for acting against him, that was only because Alexander preferred to get his revenge personallyter when he inherited the Gray Wolfe himself.

    But although letting his father do it just wouldn''t be the same, it looked like the ck Tiger was really too arrogant to be allowed to exist anymore!

    With all thoughts of a ''temporary truce'' being gone, Alexander now only hoped that this bastard didn''t die by the time it was his turn for ''revenge''.

    When the time came, he would definitely push this snotty brat''s face into the ground under his boot, and rub it into a bloody mess!

    Of course, Amos didn''t think very highly of Alexander either, considering him just a ''pawn'' being used by his father. He couldn''t believe that such a ''worm'', an illegitimate son without status, could actually continue acting so arrogantly in front of him!

    The only thing Amos could think of was that the leader of the Gray Wolfe was testing their bottom line, and the thought only made him more furious. "What the fuck are you jumping up and down about? Do you really think our ck Tiger is meek and easy to bully? Then tell that father of yours toe and see how fierce we can be!"

    Alexander chuckled. "You''re just a little boy who still hasn''t weaned off your mother''s tit, and you dare to belittle my father? Oh wait, I forgot, your mother is already dead. Ahahaha!"

    His mother being insulted all over again seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel''s back, and the hero''s voice trembled with barely suppressed fury. "Y-You bastard¡ª! How dare you?!"

    There was a briefmotion from the other side of the line, and after some panicked rustling, the call was abruptly cut off.

    Noelle, who had been enjoying watching Emilia jump up and down in excitement as she listened to the ''monkey show'', could only blink in confusion. "Huh? What happened? Did your ''informant'' get discovered?"

    Although the number Emilia was using now was private and couldn''t be easily traced back, it was still possible to do so if they managed to find someone she had shared it with, so Noelle''s worry was only natural.

    Not to mention, they could also just interrogate Jake and discover their ''correspondence''. Even if Emilia had been smart and only misguided him from time to time, someone smart enough might still be able to connect the dots and discover that her behavior was suspicious.

    The crimson-haired girl hummed thoughtfully before shaking her head in denial. "Unlikely. I''m guessing that Amos finally had enough and directly kicked Alexander out of the car, and Jake might have disconnected either identally or out of panic."

    Noelle nodded, though she still messaged someone to check the situation on the other side when possible, just in case.

    Emilia sighed. "If only all my opponents were as dumb as them¡­"

    Noelle couldn''t help but smile helplessly at the crimson-haired beauty''s ''mncholic'' expression. Had she not been so cute, it might really look like this girl was eager for a beating!

    Looking at the little beauty send ''words of concern'' to her ''messenger'' with a mischievous smile, Noelle could only sigh helplessly. ''Although she''s a bit naughty... these two buffoons leading two of the most powerful organizations in the world really doesn''t bode well for the world''s future, so it can be argued that she''s actually doing a good thing!''

    Thinking about Emilia''s ns though, the gray-haired girl wasn''t quite sure if things would be any more peaceful with this naughty little minx essentially taking over the world. ''Oh well, I''m pretty sure she''s still a hundred, no, a thousand times better than those two idiots!''

    Of course, the fact that she was far more cute was just an added bonus.

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 Chapter 386 Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

    Chapter 386 Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

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    Although she had already been quite certain of her conjectures, Emilia only dared to breathe a sigh of relief after getting confirmation from Noelle''s side. While Alexander had been kicked out of the hero''s car, there were no other unexpected twists and turns that might affect her ns.

    Of course, although the failure of negotiations affected them both negatively, it was not to the same degree.

    In Alexander''s mind, it was the ck Tiger who was suffering and being suppressed by his father all over the world, and they were the ones who failed to please him after doing something they should never have. What was happening now was simply them getting their just desserts.

    In contrast, not only did Amos fail to achieve what he had set out to do, but he also got scolded by his father when he returned.

    "What do you mean by ''it failed, I don''t wanna talk about it''? Just because I''m willing to hand over some responsibility to you does not mean you have the right to fuck it up! Exin clearly!"

    Amos could only grit his teeth hatefully. "That little bastard clearly only wanted to humiliate us, and from start to finish, there were no signs ofpromise at all. Was I supposed to kneel down and beg him, even though there would still be no results? What about our ck Tiger''s face?!"

    Mr. ck wasn''t one to give up his own army to please the enemy in a futile attempt to avoid war, as he knew it would be the height of stupidity, but he still couldn''t help but frown. ''If Sanders never intended to negotiate with us, why would he leave all those hints behind pointing to this son of his that just happens to be here? It''s too much of a coincidence!''

    Of course, the fact that the leader of the Gray Wolfe was refusing tomunicate with them was already strange in itself, but since the man had always been somewhat entric and unreasonable, Mr. ck was barely able to look past it.

    But the more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was missing something very important.

    Looking at his son and recalling his past performance, the buff man couldn''t help but have a bad feeling in his heart. "You didn''t let your ego get the best of you again, did you?"

    Amos goggled at him in disbelief. "Am I so ipetent in your eyes?!"

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    With his previous track record, most of the suspicion Mr. ck had for ''everything seemingly going wrong at the same time'' naturally fell on his ''unreasonable and moody'' son. And the more indignant the silver-haired boy''s response was, the more certain Mr. ck became of his guess.

    All the progress that Amos felt he had made over the past few months seemed to have been nothing but an illusion, vanishing like smoke shortly after his dispute with his father.

    Even if the hero was a thousand times more patient, he still couldn''t help but hate Alexander for giving his father the chance to pick his faults, his father for treating him as someone unworthy, and even this world for never letting anything go his way.

    He couldn''t help butugh at his own stupidity. ''How could I have ever believed that this bastard of a father would ever give me a fair chance?''

    It was like someone was constantly manipting things in the dark to make his life more and more miserable.

    The moment this thought came to him, it was like a ferocious weed that took root, tyrannically growing from a tiny seed to a towering tree in an instant.

    ''It must be that bitch!''

    Although he had no evidence, it made too much sense not to be true. And even with his father cutting off most of his connections, it didn''t take long for him to confirm his guess.

    Amos couldn''t help butugh angrily. "How the hell did I not notice this before? It''s that bitch again! It''s always her! Always!"

    Whether it was the love of his life, his reputation in the upper circle, or even the favor of his ''father''¡­ she was always the one in front, watching it all turn to ash with that hideously beautiful smile.

    It was like she came to this world just to take everything from him, and Amos couldn''t help but hate her to the bone. "If I don''t make you pay for it with everything you have, my name is not Amos ck!"

    Had he realized this just a few days ago¡­

    The silver-haired boy shook his head in denial. "No, even if I can''t do anything about it myself, I can still use that bastard of a father as a puppet! As long as he knows she''s the one scheming against us, even someone as stupid and ipetent as him can''t sit still, right?"

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    "What do you mean you don''t have the time to listen to my delusions?!"

    Looking at his son''s disbelieving expression, the buff man sighed. "You heard me right. ording to you, everything that goes wrong in the world is because of that little girl¡­ is she a deity? A goddess? Heh¡­ if she''s really someone so omnipotent, we might as well just surrender."

    Amos couldn''t help but m his fist on his wheelchair''s handrest in a fury. "Even if you never believe what I say, can you not see that while we''re suffering, the one who benefits the most is that bitch and her father?! If you just check¡ª"

    Mr. ck frowned impatiently. "You see what you want to see, you fool. What you''re saying about the White Deer is also true for the Golden Eagle. I''m neither blind, nor delusional. Unless you have evidence, or can justify why you believe the nonsense you''re spouting¡­ stop wasting my time and get the fuck out!"

    The silver-haired boy knew that no matter what he said, this man wouldn''t believe him anyway. But even as he wheeled himself back to his room while trying his best to remain sane, he couldn''t help but hate his father more and more.

    If someone told him it was a coincidence that the ck Tiger was no longer losing as badly as soon as his father retookplete control, Amos would definitely never believe it.

    "I should have realized there was some trick the moment he handed over so much authority to me!"

    Banging on his wheelchair with his fist, the silver-haired hero fell on his face, grimacing in both pain and rage. "So all this time¡­ you just wanted to show everyone on the board that you''re just a much better leader?"

    Thinking about his previous ''optimistic'' self, the hero couldn''t help but smile coldly. "But even if you can fool everyone else, you can''t fool me. I didn''t reject your advice while I was in control, there''s nothing that you couldn''t have done that you can only do now¡­ I''ll definitely repay you for this ''grace''!"

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    Emilia didn''t know what happened between Amos and his father, but with how closely she was observing the situation, the change in ck Tiger''s momentum was obvious.

    While it was impossible to avoid certain losses under the Gray Wolfe''s offensive, the previously thrilling fight to the death between the tiger and the wolf was already showing signs of turning into a more ''civilized'' duel. Even if the two would still be injured in the end, neither would have any fatal wounds.

    "Do you think they realized it was you? After all, you''re the one benefiting the most."

    Emilia bit her lip in thought, but after thinking about their reactions, she didn''t believe that her partner''s guess was right. ''If they knew, they would definitely reunite against their mon enemy'' right away. There''s no reason to continue like this. Even if they''re only flesh wounds, they can umte and hurt a lot.''

    The raven-haired girl nodded. "True, but shouldn''t you slow down your growth a little to avoid suspicion?"

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. ''Not all rulers who die from sickness are poisoned by their children. But in either case, only a fool would reject the throne to ''avoid suspicion''. That''s just asking to be overtaken and killed by someone else!''

    Cynthia coughed. "Okay, okay. I get it, princess. You didn''t kill your father, I know."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''That''s not what I was trying to say! Anyway, think of it like this¡­ if every time someone with an insurance policy died, it was always considered to be the beneficiary''s fault, wouldn''t it be ridiculous?''

    "So what you''re saying is¡­"

    Emilia smiled. ''Right now, if we try to ''avoid suspicion'' by staying back and not benefiting as much as we can from the dispute between these two, it will only be more suspicious!''

    Cynthia thought about it for a while before nodding in understanding. "I get it! Even if it''s suspicious when the enemy shows you their back and runs away while at an advantage, you still have to take that stab! If you hesitate to think about how it could be a trap, it''s not worth losing the chance!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but be stunned. ''N-No, I¡­ how did you get that from what I said?''

    The raven-haired girl blinked. "E-Eh? Am I wrong?"

    Emilia sighed. ''Forget it¡­ you''re not really wrong anyway.''

    Fortunately, neither the Gray Wolfe nor the ck Tiger seemed to have turned their focus on her White Deer, and their own growth remained unabated as the two continued to fight, albeit with a slightly lower intensity.

    The most crucial factor in revealing her maniptions was Alexander, and he hadn''t shown any signs of unusual activity at all. With Jake and Noelle keeping an eye on him from both inside and outside, Emilia knew she could continue confidently with her ns.

    Cynthia chuckled. "If that guy knew you were using him as a glorified meter to measure the attitudes of the Gray Wolfe and ck Tiger, he''d probably have a stroke, right?"

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 Chapter 387 A Game

    Chapter 387 A Game

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    Although the intensity of the fight between the tiger and the wolf decreased, Noelle''s workload only continued to increase as the time for the Imperial Academy''s annual events week drew closer.

    The gray-haired girl was so busy that she didn''t even notice that her sry had been raised until Emilia came to her looking for praise.

    Of course, it only made the younger girl more distressed, so she decided to be more proactive, even though it was a little too early for her to jump in and reveal herself ording to her initial ns.

    "Why not just let me do it like usual?"

    Seeing Noelle''s suspicious expression, Emilia could only smile cheekily. "It''s not like they will have any other way to go, right? I won''t mess anything up, promise!"

    The gray-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Being the boss, are you not ashamed to behave like this in front of a subordinate?"

    Emilia didn''t seem to care that it was her own n at all, though, and yfully stuck her tongue out at the older girl. "Weren''t you the one who told me I''m always cute, even when I''m being unreasonable?"

    Noelle hurriedly looked away, lest she be unable to resist the strange urge to bite that pink little tongue.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Aw, look at you being so shy~! I can''t let you talk to them like this now, can I? What if they''re charmed? I''d be jealous."

    Noelle could only snort and push her away. "Okay, if you''ve already made your mind, don''t bother me!"

    Although she wanted Emilia to be free, with the way things were heading, the girl had to learn to take personal charge soon anyway, so it might as well be now.

    With her usually casual attitude, Noelle didn''t expect Emilia to take things very seriously at first, but after lecturing her over the next thirty minutes, the gray-haired girl realized that things were a little different from what she expected.

    Not only was it apparent that Emilia had done her homework, but she also took the time to change from her school uniform into something more presentable.

    Emilia twirled around in front of her with a mischievous smile. "Do I look like a super-serious bossdy?"

    Noelle sighed. "Not when you speak like that, no."

    Of course, although she definitely didn''t look very ''convincing'' as a professional thanks to her overly beautiful face, Noelle couldn''t deny that Emilia had her own strengths.

    Even though this suit belonged to Sam and didn''t actually fit Emilia that well, even the way it made her look a little childish made her heart beat strangely.

    Emilia couldn''t help but hop over and boop the older girl''s nose with a yful smile. "Why do you keep sighing like an olddy? If you''re too tired, I can always give you a massage~?"

    Noelle rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Can you be serious for one minute? If there wasn''t too little time left for the meeting, I really wanted to beat you up right now!"

    The crimson-haired beauty leaned up and wrapped her hands around the older girl''s shoulders before pecking her yfully on the lips. "I know you can''t bear to hit me~"

    Noelle sighed. "I really want to, though."

    Regardless of her ''annoyance'', though, Noelle couldn''t deny that all the negative thoughts that had been umting within her for the past few weeks had been more or less pushed away by this yful younger girl.

    Even though they were ying with fire, and it looked like they could burn to death if they made a mistake, strangely¡­ Noelle didn''t find it so unappealing.

    Maybe, even if everything went to ruin while following the games of this little minx, it would still be ''fun''.

    Amused by her own thoughts, Noelle didn''t even realize when the time for the virtual meeting was already there, and it was only when Emilia stopped snuggling into herp and hopped off to Sam''s desk that she seemingly woke up from her dream-like state.

    Noelle couldn''t help but jolt up in shock. ''Oh no! I didn''t even give her the cheat sheet I had nned!''

    Although it was alreadyte, the gray-haired girl still rushed off to fetch the materials as Emilia received the video call.

    There were people on the other side, seemingly in the same room, but separated by a stark difference in their aura.

    Even though their chairs were almost touching each other across the ss table on which the camera was mounted, it was as if they were still worlds apart.

    If not for the simrity in their facial features, people would find it hard to believe that they were ''twins''.

    The female with long ginger hair and cold, downy eyes greeted Emilia with a reserved smile. "Miss Emilia, hello, it''s nice to meet you."

    In contrast, the man''s expression and words were both warm, and he looked like someone much easier to get along with. "You''re even prettier than I imagined from the rumors, it''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

    Emilia grinned. "Hi, I''m surprised that the two of you know me already, ehehe~"

    Of course, Emilia already knew that the man was actually quite cold-hearted, and whoever got fooled by this smiling tiger was bound to die a miserable death.

    The younger girl''s bashful smile seemed to make the duo on the other side relieved, and Emilia didn''t miss the change in their expressions.

    Clearly, although Emilia had made the decision to appear today on a whim, to these two twins, it was conveyed like an official message. After all, when ites to the ''boss'', things naturally needed to be worded differently.

    Neither of them knew at first who was the one ''leading'' the situation they were in, and only thought of Emilia as a pampered little princess. At best, she was here to y around, and at worst, she would be making things much, much more difficult.

    Fortunately, neither of their guesses seemed to be true, and this bolt from the blue looked more and more like a pie from the sky instead.

    Jasper grinned. "Emilia, I''ve heard that you''re interested in the ''Golden Crown'' event? Coincidentally, both of us will also be there, would you mind if I were to be your escort?"

    The more daring of the two took the lead as Emilia expected, ignoring the look of reproach from his more cautious sister.

    Compared to a tough cookie like that Noelle woman, or even that cunning Sam, wasn''t it much easier to lead a dumb little princess like her by the nose?

    Emilia smiled shyly, but broke his thoughts just the same. "I''m sorry, Mr. Jasper, I already asked someone else to escort me."

    Ginny watched her brother''s warm smile freeze for just a moment before he nodded in embarrassment, and couldn''t help but roll her eyes internally. ''Why can''t he stop jumping into every pit in front of him with such enthusiasm?!''

    She gave the younger girl on the opposite side an apologetic smile. "I''m sorry if we embarrassed you. When we discovered that we had been fooled, we were in a desperate situation, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call you our savior. So please forgive my brother for being overenthusiastic."

    Not only was the credit for the entire organization''s efforts ced squarely on Emilia''s shoulders, she even received the title of ''savior'' and became their ''benefactor''.

    Maybe if she really had just been a na?ve, innocent girl, she would have already started treating these two sincerely.

    But Emilia clearly knew that neither of them was aware that she was actually the one guiding the whole process from behind the scenes, and Ginny''s ''sincere'' words were only there to hook her heart.

    Of course, she didn''t really mind. Although they looked much older than her, these two children were also pitiful.

    Emilia nodded to herself with a smile. ''This princess can forgive a beggar child for trying to steal a bread, children, I''ll forgive you this time!''

    Cynthia could only sigh in her heart, but couldn''t find the words to refute her partner.

    The crimson-haired girl epted all their ''praise and gratitude'', blushing shyly all the while, and then quickly started ''bragging'' about the things she had nned.

    "Big brother Jasper and Sister Ginny will help me, right? That guy really tried to bully me before!"

    While Jasper nodded with a dumbfounded smile, Ginny grinned in embarrassment. "I''m sorry for my step-brother''s behavior, Miss Emilia. If I could, I would definitely¡ª"

    Emilia smiled. "Oh, don''t worry, I don''t me you. I just want to teach him a lesson, you know?"

    The more they talked, the more apparent it became that this young girl was not only gentle and mischievous, but also very, very vengeful.

    If someone stole a kiss from her, she wouldn''t forgive them until she stole it back twice, no, three times!

    Although it was stupidly cute, it was still quite scary. Especially when taking into ount the absurd levels of indulgence that the seemingly ''calm and rational'' people on her side seemed to have.

    Clearly, they were all a bunch of lunatics.

    From her words, some of the things they had previously been confused about also became clear.

    The two of them couldn''t help but look at each other in dismay.

    If what she said was true¡­ wasn''t all of this just a game meant to entertain her?

    Even if they hadn''t been favored all their lives, both Jasper and Ginny were still raised in the strongest organization in the world. But even if their guts had been ten thousand times stronger, they still wouldn''t dare y a game like this!

    Of course, in their situation¡­ perhaps taking advantage of her insanity was the key to getting out of their father''s stranglehold.

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 Chapter 388 Looking For a Beating

    Chapter 388 Looking For a Beating

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    The gentle smile on Ginny''s face evaporated like smoke the moment the video call was disconnected, and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. "What an unfortunate girl."

    Her twin brother froze mid-yawn and almost fell off his chair. "S-Sister¡­ are you talking about Emilia?"

    The ginger-haireddy gave him a cold, derisive look. "Who else would I be talking about?"

    Although he was dumbfounded for a moment, Jasper quickly shook his head in denial. "What the hell? I don''t get it at all!"

    From what he could see, not only was the girl in a much more privileged positionpared to them, but was also heavily protected by her parents and older sister alike.

    If she was ''unfortunate'', which hairy ape''s big toe were the two of them supposed to be?!

    Ginny sighed. "In a few more years, we''ll be thirty, but your brain still hasn''t finished growing¡­ and maybe it never will."

    Her twin brother couldn''t help but groan. "Can you please speak like a normal human being?!"

    Seeing his pletely hopeless'' attitude, Ginny shook her head in disappointment.

    Although they had been caught blindsided this time, unlike her impulsive brother, she naturally did everything she could to look into the situation in Oriana country beforemitting to the ''partnership'' that seemed a little too good to be true.

    They had no good people stationed over there, and while there was always the option to hire locals, Ginny was cautious by nature and preferred to do things by herself.

    After spending some time on the inte and befriending the right people, it didn''t take her long to sessfully make a few ''interesting discoveries''.

    And while it remained impossible to find out too much without going over in person, discovering Samantha''s obsession with her little sister wasn''t hard at all.

    Momentarily feeling sympathetic towards her ''stupid'' brother, Ginny decided to exin it to him as clearly as she could. "Idiot. Have you already forgotten what I told you about how morbidly obsessed ''our partner'' is with her little sister?"

    Jasper blinked at her in shock. "Eh? You didn''t make that up just to make me jealous of how much better of a sister she ispared to mine?"

    Ginny smiled, though it was much, much colder than even the reserved smile she had in front of her business partners. "¡­ If I were to ever be obsessed with you, I assure you, it wouldn''t be adorable, and you won''t enjoy it. On the plus side, it''s not like your suffering willst long."

    "¡­ I''m sorry. Please remain normal."

    "Hmph. Although this little girl seems to be having fun now, with how stupid she is¡­ how long do you think it will be before she''s firmly trapped in her older sister''s ws?"

    Jasper nodded along at first, but soon froze in realization. "Oh¡­ wait a minute, is that a bad thing?!"

    Although people could look different in person than they did on the screen, Samantha was still undoubtedly a tall, morous cold beauty.

    He wouldn''t mind being ''trapped'' and spoiled by someone like her at all!

    Ginny ''smiled''. "If you think it''s good, why not let me be in charge?"

    Her twin brother looked at her in horror, and then stumbled back from his chair in denial. "S-Sister, even if I''m impulsive at times, I''m not stupid!"

    Seeing how she didn''t look amused at all, the male twin sighed and sat back down on the chair. "Besides, you don''t dote on me at all! If I really surrender, you''ll probably send me to some remote country with a small allowance and take over everything by yourself. We''re doing this half and half, or not doing it at all!"

    Ginny gave him a look of appreciation. "So you''re notpletely stupid, huh?"

    "At least deny it?!"

    Looking at Jasper''s ''hateful'' expression, she couldn''t help but chuckle in amusement. "But you hate me just as much?"

    Jasper rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "Hey, hate is a strong word. At most¡­ you just annoy the fuck out of me."

    "Same to you."

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    Although she silently stood aside throughout the meeting between Emilia and the twins, Noelle had still been paying careful attention to their conversation.

    There was no denying that Emilia was sometimes silly and sweet, but the way she acted with the twins left herpletely dumbfounded.

    She couldn''t help but knock on the younger girl''s adorable head with her knuckles. "Why would you pretend to be such a silly and sweet little rabbit? Are you not afraid they''ll look down on you?"

    As far as Noelle was concerned, mutual respect was extremely important when it came to forming any form of partnership, and what Emilia did seemed more than a little counterproductive.

    Emilia grinned as she pressed her face against Noelle''s tummy. "Don''t you think this sweet little rabbit is cute?"

    Looking at her adorable expression, Noelle couldn''t help but gulp. "Y-Yes¡­ but wait! Be serious!"

    Emilia hummed, not protesting at all when the older girl flicked her forehead in a futile attempt to ''bully'' her. "I''m just giving them what they want, you know?"

    While some people would definitely prefer smart and clever allies, that was definitely not the case for Jasper and Ginny.

    Perhaps it was because they had been raised by an overly paranoid mother who died young, or because their own father seemed to spite them at every opportunity he got, but neither of them seemed to believe that they could trust or rely on anyone.

    Not even each other.

    Theirck of mutual trust was one of the key reasons why they had been both ced together in the same country.

    Not to mention cooperating with each other for mutual growth, the two had been butting heads andpeting fiercely for the past few years. Had they not been pulling each other down, perhaps they might have noticed something strange about the so-called petition'' from the start.

    After all, since both their father and stepmother clearly favored Alexander¡­ why would the two of them be given a fair chance to rise to the top? It made no sense.

    Of course, once they realized that they were both on the same, destined to lose side, they quickly decided to team up and put their differences aside.

    While everything worked out in Emilia''s favor so far, if she wanted to maximize the efficiency andpatibility of their partnership, she believed that this was one of the most effective methods.

    If the person ''pulling the strings'' was just a silly and sweet little rabbit, even the twins wouldn''t be so cautious. And since Emilia knew just how to do it withoutpromising her side''s ability, she naturally wouldn''t hesitate just to preserve a dignified image.

    "So¡­ you get it now? I''m not just being silly all the time for no reason, you know?"

    Noelle coughed. "That''s debatable, but yeah¡­ I get it."

    Although she understood that Emilia''s behavior was intended to make the twins put down their guard, the gray-haired girl still felt some resistance in her heart to the younger girl showing such a vulnerable side to outsiders.

    They were already going to benefit from their partnership, anyway, and if they looked down on Emilia on top of that, Noelle felt like she wouldn''t be able to swallow that breath without punching someone in the face, at all.

    Emilia could obviously tell that although Noelle''s attitude seemed a little tough as she stood by her chair and looked down on her like that, the older girl was still only worried for her.

    "Ehehe¡­"

    But looking down at the younger girl still leaning forward and snuggling against her with a carefree smile, Noelle could only sigh in defeat. "Well, let me go first. What will people think if they see you like this? You don''t look like a boss at all!"

    Emilia hummed. "Who would dare to barge in? This is big sister''s office."

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "She''s the one I''m worried about the most."

    The crimson-haired girl looked up at her with a smile. "Big sister won''t be mean to me, you know?"

    Noelle nodded. "Not you, no, but what about me? She''ll me her for ''double standards'' for the rest of the week."

    Emilia grinned. "She wouldn''t whine so much if you didn''t bully her so much, you know?"

    The older girl coughed awkwardly as she patted Emilia''s head. "W-When did I bully her?"

    Emilia blinked. "All the time?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but huff and squeeze the younger girl''s soft cheeks. "Tell me, did she bribe you to beg in her ce?"

    Emilia allowed the older girl to knead her face as she pleased, and giggled happily when Noelle let her go with a helpless smile. "Big sister is so pitiful¡­ you would even doubt me if I speak up for her?"

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but look away in embarrassment. "I-In my defense, although you''re adorable, you''re also one of the naughtiest, least trustworthy girls I know."

    Seeing how Emilia seemed to argue for Sam again, Noelle quickly took advantage of her position and smothered her adorable face into her tummy. "Anyway, don''t mention this anymore! It''s already good enough that I''m not beating that little idiot up for annoying me all the time¡­"

    Sam, who had just walked in, couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    Not only was her little sister being ''bullied'' in her absence, but there was no need to think twice about who the ''idiot'' in Noelle''s mouth was!

    Sam couldn''t help but stomp forward furiously. "Who is beating who up?!"

    Noelle sighed. "Look, isn''t she just looking for a beating?"

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 Chapter 389 Broken Springboard

    Chapter 389 Broken Springboard

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    Despite the addition of many ''big stars'' like Emilia and Amos, none of the students expected the annual events week to be too different from the usual.

    After all, even if the ''Royal Knights'' club and Emilia decided to do something outrageous, it wasn''t like the rest of them would be affected in any way. At most, they would be able to enjoy a good show.

    As for Amos¡­ given that he had already been absent for a long time, no one expected him to even show up for the events.

    Of course, everyone was still preparing for their own events diligently.

    Since they were all free to pick what they wanted to do as long as they could get it done right, this was an excellent opportunity for both sporty and studious students alike to show off their talents in front of potential sponsors and employers.

    Even for the usually indifferent ss S students, this was their once-a-year chance to differentiate themselves from their peers.

    And since most of their elders would be watching, even those who had been sidelined in their own families for their more talented rtives could use this chance to make them see the error of their ways.

    But no one expected that a huge announcement would be dropped on their heads just a few weeks before the event schedule was to be finalized.

    "This year''s annual events will be broadcast live?!"

    "Shit! Which channel is it gonna be on? I hope it''s not included in my cable n!"

    "Ugh, it doesn''t say. I hope the same, though."

    Of course, at that point, many still believed it would be telecast on some local channel. It made some nervous, but it wasn''t really a big deal.

    After all, while their Imperial Academy could be considered quite prestigious in their country, it was still just a school. Compared to prominent colleges with international students from all over the world, the interest it could generate in people was limited.

    But just a few dayster, the White Deer Corporation made an announcement that left the studentspletely stunned.

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    To say that Amos was in a bad mood when he was called to his father''s office would be an understatement.

    His physical injuries may have recovered, but the wounds in his mind remained fresh, throbbing with pain and filling him with rage every time he recalled how he was treated.

    Humiliation, mockery, betrayal¡­

    Every waking moment, he would imagine how he would make both that bitch of an ex-fianc¨¦e and his father pay for all they had done, but Amos knew that he still had to bide his time.

    His chance woulde.

    As the secretary knocked on the door of his father''s office, Amos ducked his head to conceal a chilling smile. ''The next time you try to use me to consolidate your position¡­ I''ll make you truly regret it. And if you try to bring in any ''recements''¡­ well, I''ll let that bitch know how it feels to be a scapegoat, ahahaha!''

    His thoughts were interrupted by an awkward cough from the secretary, and Amos schooled his expression before walking in behind the man.

    "Good, you can leave."

    The man fled like he had been released from the gates of hell, but neither Amos nor his father were in the mood to notice.

    After a few minutes of tense silence, Mr. ck sighed. "What have you prepared for the annual events?"

    Amos sneered. Is this man pretending to care about him now? Toote. "I don''t care about that pathetic ce and their little games. I''ll go for the exams at the end of the year, that''s it."

    Mr. ck frowned. "How can you be so irresponsible? Even if you don''t care about their opinions now, those children willter be your business partners!"

    Of course, he wouldn''t really care about it too much before. Anyway, with his previous experience, his son could be excused from skipping this year''s events, but unfortunately¡­

    The buff man sighed. "Listen... The White Deer has announced that they intend to use their new channel to broadcast the Imperial Academy''s annual events live, worldwide. Do you still want to skip them?"

    Amos couldn''t help but be stunned. The White Deer?

    What kind of move was that bitch making now?

    With her disgusting obsession with him, all of this was without a doubt another scheme to either get his attention... or ruin his reputation.

    Of course, no matter how bad his situation got, Amos would never lower himself to thinking of her as a romantic partner, but that bitch probably knew that as well.

    Maybe that was why she had been trying so hard to lower his position so she could one day control him, but unfortunately for her¡­ she vastly underestimated his abilities.

    If she wanted to use this chance to make herself shine in front of the world while throwing more mud at him, she was in for a very, very rude awakening.

    Even if he had to lower his head temporarily, he would show her what he was made of.

    "This matter¡­ I''ve changed my mind. Father, can you help me arrange a few things?"

    Mr. ck''s expression eased once he saw that his son was no longer so stubborn.

    While the White Deer had invested in this heavily, a live broadcast could go either way.

    Although he couldn''t be sure of the specifics, there was no doubt that they intended to use this opportunity to ''market'' their little princess to the world. Perhaps their wings grewrger after their rapid growth these past few months, and they intended to expand using this ''disposable'' branch.

    Of course, his son''s absence would show him in a bad light, but that was unlikely to be their goal. It couldn''t make his image much worse than it already was.

    However, as long as the boy was able to overshadow that little girl and show his own abilities, not only would their n be ruined, but he could also use this as a free springboard topletely transform himself in the future!

    Naturally, such a thing¡­ couldn''t be left to chance.

    Mr. ck nodded. "What do you need?"

    Amos smiled. ''I''ll take your hand for now, but one day¡­ I''ll cut it off for good.''

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 Chapter 390 Proven Wrong

    Chapter 390 Proven Wrong

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    It didn''t take long for the students to also discover that their school event would be broadcast not just to their city, but all over the world. To say that some of them had nervous breakdowns would be an understatement.

    The clubs andmittees that initially nned to organize a series of solo performances were suddenly overwhelmed with many members demanding that they switch to a group performance instead, while the already formed groups panicked and rushed to improve their ''coordination'' to avoid messing up in front of the cameras.

    After all, to slip up in front of thousands of people was embarrassing, but to do so in front of millions or billions was social death.

    Unfortunately, everyone soon discovered that it was already impossible to modify their nned events, and they could only prepare themselves the best they could.

    Just when the students had barely recovered from this shock, the final schedule of events was posted to the Imperial Academy''s notice board, sparking a whole new wave of discussions.

    Naturally, what made them curious wasn''t that there were many events that they hadn''t known about, nor was it the day and time slot for their own events.

    Instead, it was a name that most hadn''t expected would appear amongst the list of participants.

    One of the boys from ss B couldn''t help but rub his eyes in confusion and take another look at the notice, but unfortunately, it still remained the same. "D-Do you think it might be a misprint?"

    The female ssmate by his side sneered in derision. "Idiot! It clearly says Amos ck will lead one of the teams of the Debate Club''s event on day two, how can there be such a big mistake on the final notice?"

    The boy could only rub his nose in embarrassment. "Uh¡­ b-but¡­ I''m in the debate club, and he''s not even a member?"

    Of course, even if most people discussed this matter with the heart of gossip, since none of the ''main characters'' of the debate club came forward toin, it became apparent that this wasn''t an ident at all, but the truth.

    No matter how some of the more casual members tried to inquire about it, though, all their queries were promptly ignored.

    Seeing how the girl didn''t respond, the boy thought she must also not have a clue, and he couldn''t help but express his dissatisfaction. "Those ss A snobs are a bit too arrogant, aren''t they? Even if I didn''t qualify for the event, isn''t it too much to let a non-member participate instead?! And he''s even a team leader!"

    Of course, although his reputation was poor, Amos still had a few stubborn ''fans'' of his own, even though they rarely dared to speak out after being so thoroughly suppressed.

    As it so happened, this girl was also one of them. Even though she was also from the same ss and in the same club,pared to this ''uncultured monkey'', a handsome and rich prince like Amos naturally fit her tastes much better.

    For people like her, no matter what kind of rumor there was against him in the school, it was all just false information being spread by the rabid fans of Emilia White.

    Although most people in ss B had already switched sides and entered Emilia''s camp, she remained one of the few who never changed. Anyway, even if Emilia was objectively better, she wasn''t a boy.

    "Aren''t you just being jealous? He''s not been to school for so long, so how do you know he''s not in our club? Plus, did you forget that he''s also in ss A?"

    The boy could only stare at her dumbfounded. ''Since when did being absent for months at a time be a reasonable excuse to cut the line?''

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    Of course, although she didn''t check the notice board herself, it was impossible for Emilia to remain unaware of such a ''big deal''.

    After their practice session for the day was over and most of the girls were still in the shower, a short, freckled girl came prancing over to her in excitement.

    Emilia smiled as she motioned for Koko to take a seat next to her on the bench. "Howe you''re finished so early today?"

    Koko grinned. "I skipped the shampoo! But more importantly, princess, I managed to dig up some big news today!"

    "Oh?"

    The girl squirmed side to side from excitement. "Yes! One of my friends is in the debate club, and you won''t believe this, but just a few days before Amos became the team leader, many students who were in the debate club seemed to have celebrated for no reason! How can there be such a coincidence?!"

    Naturally, Koko was also surprised when she first discovered such a thing, but she was even more shocked by the fact that she figured it all out ''by herself''. Was this not solid proof that she wasn''t an idiot?!

    The more she thought about it, the prouder the freckled girl became. After getting her reward from Emilia, she definitely had to show it off to her mother and let the woman acknowledge how wrong she had always been!

    Looking at Koko''s ''asking for praise'' expression, Emilia couldn''t help but rub the girl''s short brown hair affectionately. "Forget about him. Are there no discussions about the people behind the channel that will broadcast the event?"

    The freckled girl hummed contently as she rubbed up against the soft palm petting her. "Most people are too busy panicking about their own events, and¡­"

    After swiveling her head around to confirm that there was no one else around them, she leaned up to whisper directly in Emilia''s ear. "Penny asked the knights to ''educate'' those who mentioned this in school, so most people still don''t know."

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. "That girl¡­"

    Of course, with the way things were now, it was probably better this way, so she didn''t n to make Penny stop.

    ''Since Amos is going to be there, though, I might as well add some more fuel to the fire¡­''

    Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a shy, hesitant finger pressing against her palm, and Emilia couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. "Right, how could I forget about Koko''s reward?"

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    To say that Koko''s mother was shocked silly when she arrived home would be an understatement.

    After all, not only was her idiot of a daughter dressed in a tuxedo suit of all things, but her right hand was also wrapped around the waist of a very familiar little beauty.

    The pure white sundress did little to hide the amused glint in Emilia''s striking blue eyes, and Koko''s mother knew that she would have to be as stupid as her daughter to not realize that the girl must have called for a ''favor'' to ''stage'' this kind of situation.

    Of course, regardless of her actual thoughts, she knew that she couldn''t lose her decorum in front of Emilia White.

    Ignoring her daughter''s greeting, Koko''s mother nodded to the crimson-haired girl with a smile. "Hello, dear, you''re as beautiful as ever. Thank you for taking care of my silly daughter." Coughing awkwardly, she continued before either of them could respond. "Koko dear, why don''t youe with me to the kitchen for a moment?"

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 Chapter 391 Will You Come?

    <h4>Chapter 391 Will You Come?</h4>

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    Even if Koko hadn''t been thinking very straight with her arm around Emilia''s slim waist, the freckled girl still had enough survival instinct to realize that being taken to the kitchen by her mother couldn''t possibly bode well.

    After all, Koko had already been forbidden from entering the kitchen for years, and the only ''exceptions'' her mother made were the type that ended in an ass-beating.

    "I''m sorry, mom, but I promised to apany Emilia personally after our date, so I can''t help you in the kitchen."

    Looking at the ''helpless'' look on the freckled girl''s face as she emphasized the words ''our date'', the middle-aged woman barely resisted rolling her eyes as she continued to smile. "It will only take a few moments, dear. I''m sure Emilia won''t mind, right?"

    Naturally, unless she was going for a recipe that required her cooking pots to explode, Koko''s mother wouldn''t be stupid enough to actually ask her ''kitchen disaster'' of a daughter for help.

    As a guest, Emilia naturally wouldn''t object to the host''s wishes too much. But although she nodded obediently, the way her fingertips lingered on Koko''s palm made the crimson-haired girl''s ''real thoughts'' more than clear.

    Of course, there was no way Koko could possibly resist being hooked by Emilia''s reluctant gaze, and she instinctively grasped the little beauty''s soft hand tightly, instantly forgetting about her mother.

    "Koko!"

    "Y-Yesh!"

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    After Koko was dragged away by her mother, Emilia found herself afortable position on the sofa before leaning back with a sigh.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously. "Weren''t you in a good mood just now?"

    Emilia sighed again as she took out her phone to start typing out the message. ''Yeah, but now I have to send Jake some fuel¡­ uh, I mean, a message.''

    She couldn''t help but pout. ''Whenever I think about these idiots, it never fails to annoy me.''

    The raven-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Didn''t you say things were set till the end of the school events, though?"

    Emilia hummed as she looked over what she wrote again before hitting send, then smiled. ''Well, it''s true, but to have more funter, sometimes it''s okay to tire yourself out.''

    Cynthia blinked. "I don''t really get it¡­ but thank you for your hard work?"

    Emilia smiled. ''You''re wee, darling.''

    Cynthia felt her lips twitch, but decided to ignore her partner''s cheeky statement.

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    Meanwhile, in the kitchen, staring at her proud little daughter, Koko''s mother felt her lips twitch in both anger and exasperation. "Why don''t you exin to me clearly what''s going on? You have ten seconds."

    Naturally, it was impossible for the woman to believe that her idiot of a daughter could ever score a real date with that little princess, let alone turn the girl into a clingy little girlfriend.

    But how could Koko, who had already received a promise from Emilia, possibly be scared of her mother''s ''impotent threats''?

    "I didn''t threaten her! This is my reward, reward!"

    The older woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Reward for what?"

    Koko grinned. "Ehehe¡­ that''s between Emilia and me. A secret!"

    Koko''s mom could only sigh helplessly. "Since when do you keep secrets from your mother?"

    Koko rubbed her nose proudly. "T-There are some things that a-adults should keep to themselves, y-you know!"

    Her mother almost had a stroke from anger. ''T-This annoying little tyke!''

    But no matter how she thought about it¡­ she really couldn''t find any reason to scold Koko on this matter. If Emilia and the girl really had some ''adult rtionship'' and this idiot actually managed to ''win'' to the point of having the girl follow her somehow, maybe it really was okay¡­?

    The older woman shook her head quickly in denial. ''What the fuck am I thinking?!''

    While Koko had still been a little ashamed to act too proudly before, but now that it was only her mother and herself here, the freckled girl puffed out her chest even more. "You don''t know, mom, that adorable little thing is so clingy, ah, it''s like she can''t live without me at all!"

    The girl''s mother had already been ashamed from her previous thoughts, and she couldn''t help but squeeze her daughter''s cheek in misced anger. "Idiot! What ''little thing''?! She''s taller than you!"

    Koko looked up at her, aggrieved, but when she wanted to refute, the words got stuck in her throat. With her abysmally low four foot nine stature, she could only pout and look away in denial. "I-I''ll grow!"

    The older woman sneered. "Grow your mother! Hasn''t it already been six, no, seven years since youst grew?!"

    Recalling her pride when she just hit puberty and was taller than all her peers, Koko could only sulk more. ''Why is mom so tall, but I''m so short?!''

    But thinking that there still existed Penny, who was tiny evenpared to herself, Koko soon regained her self-confidence. "Mom, you don''t know, it''s not how high your eyes are, it''s how far up your worldview is that makes you tall!"

    Koko''s mom was so stunned that she even let go of the girl''s cheek. "D-Did you make that up?"

    Only she knew the shock in her heart. ''Could it be that although her height remains the same, but deep down inside, her peanut-sized brain is actually growing?!''

    After considering lying about it for half a nanosecond, Koko still bowed her head meekly. "I-I heard it from Emilia¡­"

    "Figures¡­" Her mother sighed. ''It''s impossible, after all.''

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    In the end, since Koko''s mother failed to make her daughter spit out how she managed to ''ckmail'' Emilia into faking a date with her, she could only return while carrying three sses of orange juice with a defeated sigh.

    "I''m sorry it took so long, dear. My hands aren''t as good as they used to be, you know?" She motioned Koko to ce the tray on the table with a smile. "Here, it''s freshly squeezed."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "I didn''t know people''s hands made motor noises these days."

    Fortunately, only her partner could hear her sarcastic statement, and sent her a giggle in response.

    On the outside, though, Emilia naturally didn''t mind so much, and just smiled. "Thank you, aunty."

    Koko''s mood also improved significantly after she was able to cling to the crimson-haired girl again, and shepletely forgot about her grievances from before. ''If only I could be invisible in Dixie''s eyes, every day would be a good day.''

    Of course, unlike her absentminded daughter, there was no way Koko''s mother could ignore the crimson-haired girl''s hesitant and shy look as she sipped the juice. "What is it, dear? Is there something you would like to tell me? Don''t be shy!"

    She swore in her heart. ''If Koko really bullied her, I don''t mind beating her ass till it''s red like a monkey''s butt!''

    Of course, aside from punishing her daughter, she would also have to apologize to Emilia sincerely and hope she was willing to forgive them.

    After all, although they had some semnce of cooperation now, Koko''s mother knew that she really was nothing but an ant in front of giants like the White Deer and ck Tiger. As long as they wanted to, crushing her would only take a single thought.

    Although Emilia looked like a meek and shy girl, Koko''s mom still remained vignt. ''The softer she is, the tougher her guardians must be to protect her properly! If my little idiot makes her cry, we might not be able to afford the price of those tears!''

    But the younger girl''s next wordspletely dispersed her fears.

    Emilia blushed, as if ashamed of having her thoughts ''discovered''. "A-Aunty¡­ um, a-actually, I came here to invite you to see our event¡­ I-I know you''re probably very busy with our work, but¡­!"

    She turned her head ''discretely'' to the side, startling Koko, but then looked away ''in embarrassment''. "W-We''ve worked really hard on it, and would love it if you coulde take a look."

    Emilia was well aware of the woman''s attitude towards her daughter, and knew that she was unlikely to pay it much attention if it was only Koko who invited her.

    From her perspective, instead of spending time happily with her daughter and only being able to send her to a normal school, she had done much better by doing everything she could to get the girl into ss S of the Imperial Academy.

    Of course, since she believed the girl to be hopeless, she had to spend every minute and second to ''secure her future'' even now.

    While Emilia could appreciate the woman''s dedication to her daughter, she believed that Koko would be happier if the woman just rxed and looked at her without worry.

    Perhaps if she looked carefully, she would realize that Koko was no longer so hopeless, and even had people she could depend on. This event was a chance for her to do just that, so Emilia naturally wouldn''t allow the woman to skip it.

    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty''s shy, pleading smile, Koko''s mom felt an arrow shoot through her heart. Before she even realized it, she ended up nodding dumbly, all her previous doubts vaporizing into smoke.

    Emilia smiled, looking both relieved and ecstatic. "Thank you, aunty!"

    Meanwhile, Koko sat there dumbfounded for almost a full minute before she recovered. "E-Eh? Mom is really gonnae? Awesome! I can finally prove to her once and for all how awesome I am!"

    It was only after the two girls celebrated ''secretly'' right in front of her did Koko''s mother realize what had happened, but at that point¡­ it was already toote.

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 Chapter 392 No Accidents

    <h4>Chapter 392 No idents</h4>

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    No matter how everyone wished that time would stand still, or just move slower, the sand in the hourss remained as slippery as ever, and the first day of the event arrived in the blink of an eye.

    The generally deserted Imperial Stadium became the main venue of the event, and was decorated with more care than a bride-to-be.

    Looking at it like this, some of the sports club members couldn''t help but feel emotional, as if their own daughters were about to be married off. "Mom, I didn''t even nt a cabbage, but I feel like it''s been arched by some pig!"

    Of course, for those who had their events scheduled that day, the arches covered in flowers and ribbons looked more like the gateway of hell than anything else.

    "Yikes, look at all those cameras! I-I don''t think I''m ready to go in¡­"

    "D-Don''t worry, even if you mess up, with your face, you can probably pass it off as a failed attempt atedy!"

    "Why does that sound worse?!"

    Unfortunately, their conversation was rudely interrupted by someone shoving past them, almost causing them to stumble over each other and fall to the ground.

    "Asshole!"

    "Watch where you''re going!"

    But the tall, dark-haired man didn''t even turn around, leaving thempletely infuriated.

    "How can there be someone so rude?!"

    "I hope that got broadcast to the whole world! No, we should go beat him up!"

    "Wait¡­ wouldn''t we also be in trouble if that happened?"

    "Ugh¡­"

    Naturally, the dark-haired man cared as much about these two students as he did about his bberingpdog.

    "Alex, bro, I really don''t think this is a good idea! Since we''re now on bad terms with the ck Tiger''s heir, what are we supposed to do if he sees us and decides to make things difficult?"

    This wasn''t the first time Jake wasining about how ''poorly'' he had handled the meeting with Amos. He''d been at it constantly since that day. But Alexander couldn''t me hispdog too much, since he really didn''t know about his real status, and must be concerned about his well-being, so he was barely willing to look past it.

    Jake obviously thought Alex was just ignoring him again, however, and sneered to himself. ''What are you acting so conceited for? So convinced that Emilia would shield you?''

    Only Jake himself knew how envious he was in his heart.

    The blonde boy couldn''t help but run a hand through his hair in frustration as he continued to follow his ''bro''. "What are we here for, anyway? I doubt Emilia really cares if wee to watch or not, or she would definitely have given us her tickets."

    Of course, with how the event was being covered, it was impossible for Jake to not know that each student only received two tickets to give to their family members, and could get two more at a heavy discount.

    Alexander frowned as he paused for a moment, but quickly shook his head in denial. "That gray-haired bitch is probably watching her all the time, how can that little girl be able to send us any tickets? To be able to send you a message secretly is enough to show her sincerity."

    No way, how could that infatuated little girl not care? She obviously just had no way to get those tickets to him.

    "Anyway, this little cost was barely worth mentioning."

    Jake almost vomited blood. ''Just because you managed to hook Emilia White and butt heads with Amos ck, do you really believe you''re a trillionaire too?!''

    Thinking about how he had been too stingy to attend his favorite singer''s concert two years ago for a ticket that was ten times cheaper than the one for this ''small event'' made Jake''s teeth itch with even more hatred. ''Why did you make me pay if you think you''re so rich, anyway?!''

    Of course, Alexander never imagined that while his pdog'' never dared to voice his rebellious thoughts, his determination to make this ''big bro'' of his regret his life choices became more and more firm.

    Neither of them expected, however, that after the ''little boys'' outside, they would once again bump into someone inadvertently. Unfortunately, the ''victim'' this time was a bit too tough, and sent Alexander reeling, almost causing him to fall on his face.

    "Bastard! Can''t you see where you''re going?!"

    The buff blond man turned around in confusion. "Huh? Oh, I felt like something touched my shoulder before... I-I didn''t hit you, d-did I?"

    Although his expression was sincere, Alexander felt like the boy must be deliberately mocking him by making it seem like he wasn''t even worth noticing. "How dare you¡ª!"

    Before he could explode, however, a couple of girls with ''volunteer'' badges came rushing over to break them apart. But looking at the opponent''s physique, they wisely decided to stay three feet away. "W-What''s going on here?"

    The buff blonde rubbed his hands nervously. "I-I didn''t mean it, but looks like this gentleman crashed into me and got hurt. I-I''ll apologize, I''m not used to being so big and strong!"

    Anyone could tell that although he looked scary, the most terrified person around was also this buff blond boy. Naturally, with Johnny''s two greatest ''weaknesses'' being ''confrontation'' and ''girls'', it would be more mysterious if he wasn''t scared.

    The girls stared at him in confusion before turning to the dark-haired man. "Um, uncle, are you hurt?"

    ''Uncle?!'' Alexander was just about to explode when he felt Jake nudge him in a panic.

    "B-Big bro, there are cameras around! L-Let''s just go!"

    The dark-haired man sneered and stormed off with Jake, leaving the remaining three both confused and perplexed.

    Of course, with his current mindset, it was impossible for Jake to remind him like this for no reason. ''The longer we stay here, the more likely it is that Emilia will happen to run into us when shees in!''

    Since the first event was a theater performance, Jake believed that the sooner they got to their seats, the better. Anyway, he didn''t believe that Emilia would be able to approach Alexander under the eyes of that gray-haired girl unless they ''happened to run into each other''.

    What he didn''t know was that Emilia was already in the broadcast room, and observing their ''activities'' with an amused smile. "Hey, Dixie, isn''t that boy the same one that ran into us in the mall?"

    The nonchnt look on the dark-haired girl''s smoke vanished as she took another look at the corner of the screen Emilia pointed at. "Huh? Isn''t he way more buff? I-I don''t think it''s the same boy."

    Emilia hummed, but didn''t refute her as she turned her head to the team that was filtering the content to be broadcast.

    Although it was marketed as a ''live broadcast'', there was still a thirty-second buffer to avoid any ''mishaps'' and give the team a chance to react.

    Moreover, with so many cameras covering the event, this dy also gave them just enough leeway to select the best shots and moments that should be shown, making the whole experience much better than it would be otherwise.

    As she expected, the footage of the conflict wasn''t included, and she didn''t n to make anyone change that. "Please remember not to show any shots with this dark-haired man, okay?"

    "Y-Yes, boss!"

    Of course, Emilia had no idea what most of the staff was actually thinking. ''So the princess thinks this type of man is ugly, huh!''

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 Chapter 393 The Princess Show

    <h4>Chapter 393 The Princess Show</h4>

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    After making sure that things were set ording to her requirements, Emilia didn''t linger in the control room for too long, and left along with Dixie to go attend the event herself.

    Crystal and Koko were already there, along with their mothers, just like most of the other students. Unfortunately, no one in Emilia''s family was able to clear off a whole week from their schedule, and her parents had only promised to attend the events she was participating in herself.

    Of course, Sam had wanted toe anyway, but there was no way Noelle would allow that given all the work that was still pending, especially since this was a critical juncture for their ns.

    "Are you going to watch the show?"

    Emilia hummed. ''Of course. If Alexander finds out I wasn''t even there after inviting him, it might make him think everything through twice, which is no good.''

    Just when Cynthia was about to nod in agreement, however, the crimson-haired girl smiled. ''Plus, Penny told me there are quite a few of my ''knights'' involved in this one, so I can''t break their hearts by not even showing up, can I?''

    Cynthia could only groan. "I should have known."

    Dixie obviously didn''t have so many concerns over why her princess wanted to attend the event, and thought it was only natural for her to want to see it.

    What she was curious about was only the show itself. "I heard it was titled ''The Princess, The Frog, and The Witch''¡­ I wonder if it''s just going to be the same old princess and frog story."

    If so, Dixie worried that her princess would be bored, but she couldn''t think of anything to entertain her either. Messaging Crystal on their group chat didn''t help either, as the girl only assured her that the show would be fun.

    Emilia just smiled thoughtfully. "I''m sure they''ll make it fun. And if I''m bored, I can always pass my time teasing you."

    Dixie rubbed her nose in embarrassment, but didn''t refute.

    It didn''t take them long to reach the venue and find their seats with the help of two extremely enthusiastic volunteer girls. Of course, Emilia already knew all about it, since she had Noelle change a few things to suit her needs.

    Her seat with the first one on the second row from the front, and Dixie''s position was right next to her, with Crystal, her mother, and the rest of her friends on the other side.

    Since Dixie''s mother was busy consolidating her gains after the fiasco with ck Tiger and couldn''t attend the event either, the dark-haired girl was very happy as well.

    Naturally, Alexander was about as far from them as he possibly could be, and it was likely that it would take him some effort just to be able to spot Emilia.

    At this point, most of the people who nned to attend were already there, with Emilia being one of thest to enter. Since she was in her uniform, not many people turned to look at her carefully.

    It wasn''t long before the spotlights came on and a student walked in front of the red curtains, his hair slicked back and a nervous smile on his slightly chubby face. "Hello everyone, thank you foring to see our show! Today¡ª"

    His introduction was clearly well-practiced, though he still stuttered because of being overly nervous.

    Of course, other than the boy''s own parents, most others were only half listening to him while waiting for the ''real show'' to start, hoping it would be more entertaining than they expected.

    "¡ªso please enjoy, The Princess, the Frog, and the Witch!" Fortunately, the boy didn''t stumble on his way out, and the curtains were lifted to show the scene of an old castle.

    There were a few gasps from the crowd at the beautifully painted background and the ornate costumes of the actors. Clearly, they hadn''t expected the production quality to be so good.

    Of course, the audience watching from home was even more shocked.

    "Did these students blow their lifetime''s allowance for this one show?"

    "Well, given that this is a rich people''s school, they can''t becking in money, right?"

    "Hush! It''s starting!"

    On the elevated stage, a beautiful girl in a gorgeous blue princess dress and a lush red wig with a crystal crown on her head was standing with her hands folded in front of a boy with an artificially erged ''belly'' and a golden crown. "Daddy, I refuse to marry that Prince Whateverdale, he even cried when I hit him!"

    The ''man'' with the golden crown sighed. "That prince was six years younger than you, how could you hit him?"

    "All the more reason for me not to marry him!"

    The king looked helpless at her outburst. "Okay, then don''t marry him. But you can''t just reject everyone forever."

    The princess huffed. "I''ll marry whoever I like. Anyway, there''s no point in marrying someone if they just run away like mom did, right?"

    The king''s lips twitched, though no one could tell if he was annoyed or just exasperated. "S-She didn''t run away. She just¡­ missed her home kingdom."

    The princess rolled her eyes, and the king could only sigh in defeat. "Emily, you cannot just y around with swords and pikes forever, you know? Give me at least one condition I should look for if I want to find you someone suitable."

    Emilia turned to look towards Penny''s seat in surprise, but the girl seemed too absorbed in the y to notice. ''Could that name be a coincidence, or is this princess character based on me? Also, is it just me, or does that girl look like Hazel with a wig on?''

    But she didn''t have the time to think about it too much as the ''princess'' finallypromised with her father. "T-Then¡­ I just want to marry someone whom I cannot beat!"

    "But why?"

    The princess grinned. "Daddy, do I look like a very reasonable person?"

    "¡­"

    The haughty and adorable princess earned quite a few chuckles from the crowd, and even Emilia soon forgot about her previous guesses and decided to simply enjoy the show.

    The kingdom was portrayed as a small, town-like ce with everyone knowing everyone, and the princess also mingled withmoner boys and girls of the same age, though they didn''t dare to offend her.

    Perhaps it was due to the absence of her mother, or due to her overly doting father, but the princess was ferocious and unreasonable with both nobility andmoners alike.

    Fondly called the tomboy princess, she continued to tease and bully all the suitors that were sent her way by her father, often beating them to the ground if they dared to ept her challenge for a ''duel''.

    Of course, unreasonable as she was, the princess soon got bored of making fun of her suitors, and started to find their persistence more and more annoying.

    One day, after rejecting yet another noble son, the princess left the castle in a huff and rode deep into the forest on her trusty horse.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''Was it really necessary to include a rocking horse? I feel sorry for the girl, but she looks like she''s having fun?''

    The curtain fell, and soon reopened to show the princess dismounting in a vastly different scene.

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 Chapter 394 The Unfortunate Frog

    <h4>Chapter 394 The Unfortunate Frog</h4>

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    The ''princess'' appeared to be fascinated, gasping in amazement. "Wow, I''ve never been this deep into the forest before¡­ where is this ce? How could there be such a beautifulke in our kingdom, but no one knows?!"

    The ke'' was actually just a giant, soft mattress, with dozens of white lilies on top, but the princess made it sound like she had stumbled upon some dreand.

    Of course, what attracted the attention of the audience the most was the big hut that was ced right beside the ke'', but the princess seemed to not have noticed it at all.

    "What clean and fragrant water, ahh¡­ it would be a shame not to take a dip!"

    Surprised and shocked exmations rose from the crowd as the ''princess'' spontaneously pulled her dress up and clean off, as if it was a hat she could remove on a whim.

    Fortunately, she was still wearing some tight-fitting clothing underneath, or the rating of the live broadcast would need a change.

    After folding her dress and cing it on top of a prominent, giant stone, the princess jumped into the ke'' without a care in the world.

    Looking at her flopping on the mattress like a fish out of water, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle along with the others. ''Cute.''

    The princess never noticed, but the audience gasped when a giant green monster suddenly jumped on the stage.

    Instead of attacking the princess, however, it awkwardly climbed on top of the stone with the dress, bncing itself on its hands and legs and trying desperately not to slip to the floor.

    Given that there was a silky dress between it and the ''stone'', Emilia imagined it couldn''t be easy, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but feel some pity for the actor. ''Ah wait¡­ didn''t Randy message me saying he was going to y a prince in this y? Don''t tell me¡­''

    Just as the audience was dumbfounded, the princess also seemed to notice something wasn''t right. When her gaze turned to her clothes, she froze. "What is this big gly frog doing on top of my dress?!"

    It was only then that the audience realized that the strange monster was supposed to be a frog, though it looked more like some alien beast from a horror movie with its elongated limbs and slimy skin.

    The ''frog'' jumped. "Oh fair maiden, my name is Prince Vincent, and I have been cursed by an evil witch! Please bestow upon me a kiss to undo this curse, and I shall forever be in your debt!"

    Hearing Randy''s voiceing from the ''frog'' confirmed Emilia''s conjectures, and she couldn''t help but giggle. ''This guy¡­ his luck really is terrible. Even when hends the role of a prince in a school y, it''s like this... But hey, at least he''ll get to kiss a girl in the end, though, right?''

    She couldn''t help but indulge herself in the y with an amused smile.

    The princess stared at the fat, talking green frog on her previously pristine white dress with a grim expression, and then abruptly burst out of theke like a shot from a cannon, startling the fat frog into a terrified jump. "Which stupid witch dared to y a prank on this princess?! I''ll skin her alive!"

    The frog could only stare at the so-called ''princess'' who didn''t even bother putting on her dress before she rushed off in the direction of the previously ''ignored'' hut, seemingly in disbelief. "D-Don''t go there! That''s where the witch lives!"

    "I know, dumb frog!" The princess flipped the frog a finger without looking back, and the audience gasped.

    Smashing open the door with a mighty kick, the princess sneered at the dumbfounded witch. "How dare you y a prank on this princess and dirty my dress with your stupid frog?! I challenge you to a fight!"

    The girl ying the role of the witch was quite tall¡­ ifpared to Penny. In front of the regr-sized princess, however, she looked like a middle-schooler at best, and made the audiencepletely lose the feeling of threat from the word ''witch'' in her role.

    After taking one look at the half-naked girl who had barged in so rudely, the ''middle-schooler witch'' sent her out flying right back into the ke'' with a wave of her hand.

    "How dare you¡ª?!"

    Naturally, the second time the princess rushed into the hut had the same result, and it wasn''t any different the third time around either.

    But as the king had long since discovered, the witch also realized that this princess was stubborn as a mule, and kept at it all the way till the sun went down, albeit at a slower and slower pace.

    Being dunked in the coolke water after rushing off again and again, however, soon proved to be too much even for the sturdy body of the princess, and the witch was stunned when she found that the girl had copsed at her door.

    Antisocial as she was, even the witch realized that she couldn''t just brush this ''idiot'' off anymore. "If I flung her into theke like this, won''t she die?"

    Of course, if the girl was really a princess as she imed¡­ that would be too much trouble.

    Since the witch didn''t want to confront the kingdom she was already on bad terms with, she could only temporarily shelter the princess and give her a potion for speedy recovery.

    Unfortunately, since the princess had already been exhausted, she still slept like a baby after getting the potion, forcing the witch to wait till the next day before she could kick the annoyance out of her home.

    The ''frog'' could only croak while waiting for the ''fair maiden'' to return, but soon realized that witch had kept her. Of course, since he was cursed to never be able to leave the vicinity of theke, he could only jump around helplessly. "Fair maiden! Fair maiden!"

    And then he slipped from his stone, croaking helplessly on the floor.

    Who knew when the next person who had the chance of undoing his curse woulde to this ce?

    The curtain fell as the audience chuckled at the frog menting his fate'', and reopened to show the castle once more.

    The news of the princess never returning soon reached the king''s ears, but he onlyughed. "Ahaha¡­ she''s probably mad at me. Don''t worry, she''ll be back in a day or two¡­ probably. More importantly, how is the training of our kingdom''s noble young men going?"

    The curtain fell once more, and within a few seconds, the scene was back to the forest.

    Dixie couldn''t help but mumble to herself in surprise. "How can they move all this stuff so quickly? It''s not just a few background frames, but also all the props, and the hut!"

    Emilia smiled. "The stage has two sides, and people can work on setting the scene on the other side while the y goes on like normal in front, and the whole thing can be rotated after the curtain falls."

    The dark-haired girl blinked. "Our school had something like that?"

    Emilia giggled. "They do now. Now hush and watch."

    Dixie blushed and turned her head back to the stage, where the princess had already ''woken up''.

    Naturally, anyone who found themselves in just their inner garments in an unfamiliar bed wouldn''t be too pleased, and the princess was no exception. "How dare you¡ª!"

    The witch, who had been fiddling with a few sks on her desk, could only look up at her in surprise. "You''re up? Don''t tell me you''re going to say something ridiculous like ''how dare you sleep with me'' or something? For your information, I¡ª"

    "How dare you not beat this princess fair and square?!"

    The witch couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. "Huh?"

    The princess sneered. "Using magic is cheating! If you''re a real man, fight me with cold weapons, or better yet, your bare hands!"

    "I''m not a man, though? And neither are you, by the way."

    The princess was even more infuriated that the witch ''mocked'' her, and continued to ''whine'' until the witch had had enough and threw her back into theke.

    The dumbfounded princess was only silent for a minute before all the birds and critters in a two-mile radius were scared away by her enraged shriek.

    Emilia couldn''t help but rub her cheek in embarrassment. ''Penny mentioned my fans are involved¡­ so does this mean they think I''m so unreasonable?''

    Cynthia snorted, but didn''t respond. Anyway, if she said yes, it wouldn''t really be true, but she couldn''t say no either, so it was better to just stay silent.

    The princess and the witch continued to ''entangle'' each other for the following few scenes, and the frog prince could only watch their ''interaction'' while croaking helplessly. "Fair maiden, fair maiden, don''t fight the witch!"

    "Shut up, stupid frog!"

    "I-I''m a prince!"

    "Stop croaking!"

    At this point, the ''frog'' would have to be stupid to not realize that the girl had long since stopped caring all about him and his curse, and was only concerned with ''beating the witch''.

    Three dayster, the king finally realized that something wasn''t right, and decided to look for the princess. And it took another two days before some of his men stumbled upon the fat frog by theke.

    The ''prince'' couldn''t help but jump up and down in excitement. "Brave soldiers, are you looking for your princess?! This prince¡ª!"

    The startled soldier almost skewered the fat frog in shock, but fortunately, the ''prince'' was quite agile and managed to avoid the pike by a hair''s breadth.

    "Holy fuck, a talking frog!"

    "Isn''t it going to be worth a fortune if we sell it?!"

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 Chapter 395 â€™Trickingâ€™ Emilia

    <h4>Chapter 395 ''Tricking'' Emilia</h4>

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    Although the situation was quite tragic for the prince, the audience couldn''t help butugh when theicallyrge frog jumped all over the ce as he desperately tried to avoid the sharp pikes of the soldiers.

    Moreover, although they were supposed to be just acting, the ''soldiers'' really seemed to be trying their best to be ''realistic'', and Emilia couldn''t help but worry for Randy. ''Is he going to be okay? Even if they''re blunted, it won''t feel good to be hit by those things, right?''

    Fortunately, the script didn''t really call for the soldiers to skewer the frog, and they soon calmed down and realized that the frog couldn''t just talk, but also had valuable information.

    Perhaps he was too scared for his life, so the prince just honestly confessed everything and didn''tin about almost being killed. "Y-You must let the King know as soon as possible, or I fear it might be toote!"

    The curtains closed, but this time they didn''t reopen immediately, and Penny rushed to her in a hurry instead, looking panicked. "P-Princess, c-can youe with me for a moment?"

    Emilia blinked a little in surprise, but just nodded and decided to follow the petite girl, giving Dixie an assuring nod to let her stay put. "I''ll call if you needed, don''t worry."

    Emilia noticed that the curtains had opened again at this time, and the y seemed to have resumed at the king''s castle, where a knight was informing him of his daughter''s news.

    She couldn''t help but sigh. ''Pity I''ll miss it¡­''

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    Looking at the girl shivering in ''distress'' as she buried her face in her embrace, Emilia couldn''t help but pat Penny''s head in both constion and worry. "Calm down, Penny, tell me what''s wrong? If you cry, it''ll make me sad."

    How could she know that Penny was only taking deep whiffs of her fragrance while enjoying the tender valley of heaven to its fullest?

    ''There really is nothing quite like this¡­ ahh¡­ no matter what punishment awaits me in the future, it''s all worth it!''

    But of course, she couldn''t let her princess worry too much, so Penny quickly resumed from her previous ''state''. "N-Nothing''s wrong with me, princess, b-but there''s trouble with the y!"

    After Emilia nodded and motioned her to continue, the petite blonde turned her head to the room''s entrance. "You all cane in now and exin it to the princess yourself!"

    The door opened, and Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise when the actresses who had been ying the princess and the witch both walked in shyly.

    "H-Hi!"

    "H-Hello¡­"

    Up close, Emilia confirmed that the ''princess'' of the y really had been Hazel, and although the girl seemed to be walking a little strange, the crimson-haired girl just smiled, putting it off as difort with the costume. "The two of you look really good on the stage, and so talented too!"

    Of course, she thought that Hazel would have looked even better in her role without all the makeup and the wig, but Emilia didn''t mention it since it didn''t matter at this point, and would only make them feel bad.

    Seeing the two of them blush and stutter as they tried to be humble, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Speaking of which, Hazel¡­ You really managed to prepare for all of this so well while still going through my training, huh? As expected of a top student, so hardworking!"

    Of course, although Hazel was a top ''senior'', she was still slightly worse than her little genius, Crystal. But Emilia naturally wouldn''t say such a thing out loud to such a sensitive-looking girl.

    Hazel covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "T-Thank you, and a-actually¡­ t-that''s the thing we need your help with, princess. I-I can''t continue the y, a-and we don''t have any substitutes!"

    Emilia frowned. "What''s wrong? Are you hurt?"

    She couldn''t help but be a little confused. ''Howe I never noticed any idents on stage? Was I not paying attention?''

    Hazel rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "I-I sprained my ankle after thest scene, and there are quite a few scenes ahead that need me to move around a lot, a-and I really can''t¡­"

    Seeing Emilia step forward and kneel down to examine her ankle, the dark-skinned girl couldn''t help but panic. "W-Wait, n-no, y-you don''t need to¡ª!"

    Of course, Emilia was having none of it, but even after looking very carefully and feeling the girl''s ankle with her nimble fingers for a while, she couldn''t tell what was wrong at all. "Tell me where it hurts?"

    Fortunately, even Emilia couldn''t see how heavily the dark-skinned girl was blushing through her thick makeup. "I-I''ll go get it checked outter, princess, b-but first we have to do something about the show!"

    ''Princess touched my ankle with her soft little fingertips, ahhh!'' But the more she thought about it, the more Hazelmented having taken the oath of ''always maintaining their hygiene to the best of their abilities''.

    Of course, themander couldn''t be med, since she mentioned it was a request from the princess.

    Seeing how herpanion seemed to have lost her ability to speak after the crimson-haired beauty touched her, the ''little witch'' coughed. "That''s right! Please, Emilia, I''ve worked really hard on this, and you''re the only one who can y this role now!"

    Emilia tilted her head curiously. "Oh?"

    The ''little witch'' gulped. ''Holy fuck¡­ she really is fucking adorable up close! Howme that I can''t see her after graduating, no wait, focus! I''ve prepared for this y for six months, I can''t lose it now!''

    The shorter girl took a deep breath before nodding enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, the character is all based on you, so it won''t be hard, and the others will improvise as needed! Just take a look at the script and try to remember what you can, oh¡ª!"

    Emilia obviously realized that this ''little witch'' was actually a senior, and was also the one ''directing'' this whole show, and she couldn''t help but giggle. "If I didn''t know any better, I''d think you had it all nned out."

    If it were limited to just her name and mannerisms, the crimson-haired girl naturally wouldn''t think about it so much. But why would Hazel need to wear a crimson wig, blue contact lenses, and even have her skin tone changed to a fair color?

    Since the girl was already quite beautiful and wouldn''t look out of ce in the role of a princess, Emilia could only think of it as a deliberate setup, the cause of which was now clear.

    The ''little witch'' froze, and none of the other two dared to refute her either as they alternated between biting their lips and gulping nervously, as if waiting for punishment.

    Emilia couldn''t help but ruffle the dark hair of the ''little witch'' with a smile. "Why do you look like a criminal? I actually don''t mind it so much. It''s just, in the future, you don''t have to be so shy when you just want to y with me, you know?"

    Seeing the three of them breathe a sigh of relief, the crimson-haired girl giggled. "Plus, as it just so happens¡­ I have a few ideas for a fun ''game'' myself, if you''ll let me add a few minor details to your script, wanna hear it?"

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 Chapter 396 Pennyâ€™s â€™Good Fortuneâ€™

    <h4>Chapter 396 Penny''s ''Good Fortune''</h4>

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    Fortunately, although it took some time to make sure all the changes Emilia wanted to make were clear, the audience remained none the wiser as they continued to watch the show.

    Of course, the fact that all her requests were epted right away also helped cut the time short, and Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle to herself. ''So cute and obedient¡­ ah, it''s a pity that I''m too busy these days, or I would have loved to y around with them more.''

    Cynthia could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "They clearly nned to include you from the start, and seemed to even expect that you would do something like this¡­ did you really not notice?"

    Emilia smiled. ''Of course I did, but my point still stands.''

    The raven-haired girl could only sigh to herself, wondering if this was how some mothers felt when their child insisted that the bug they wanted to keep as a pet was not only adorable, but would also help with house chores when it grew up.

    Emilia didn''t continue ''arguing'' with her partner, as it was almost time for her to enter the stage, and the scene with the king entering the forest with his royal guards was already about to end.

    "Does everything look alright?"

    Penny nodded furiously as her eyes roamed up and down Emilia''s blue off-shoulder princess dress that left her delectable corbonepletely exposed, and she barely resisted the urge to take a bite. "Y-You look beautiful as always, princess!"

    Emilia grinned as she pinched Penny''s cheeks. "I wasn''t asking about my looks, but thank you. You look really cute as a little witch too, by the way."

    She had briefly considered switching to her original form using her saved state, but decided it was better to y it safe for now. Although she had mostly changed her current appearance to look quite simr, the ''attractive aura'' of her original form was a bit too abnormal.

    It would just end up shifting people''s attention away from the things she actually needed them to be looking at.

    As for Penny, the petite girl''s long blond hair was hidden cleverly using her dress and silver wig, and with some additional makeup, she didn''t look much different from the previous ''little witch'' if one wasn''t looking too closely.

    With all the impromptu changes to the script, the original ''little witch'' was already busy arranging all the little details in the scenes with the other actors, and Penny had already been ''prepared'' for this role for some reason.

    Stranger still was the fact that the ''original script'' was already quite close to what Emilia had in mind, but the crimson-haired girl was only happy that her ''fan girls'' had such great understanding of her character.

    Although it made Cynthia shudder, in Emilia''s mind, it made them even more adorable.

    The ''director'' of the show finally peeked into the ''changing room'' at this time. "A-Are the two of you ready?"

    Penny nodded. "Yes!"

    Emilia hummed, and after one final check to make sure nothing was wrong with the suspiciously well-fitted costumes, she finally headed out along with Penny.

    The ''director'' couldn''t help but be a little envious of themander, thinking how it should have been her in that role, but looking at the back of her princess, she cheered right back up. "Break a leg, princess!"

    Emilia turned around to wave back at her with a smile. "Thank you!"

    Cynthia scoffed. "Is that really something one should say when you also have a fighting scer? No wait, maybe some of these perverted monkeys will actually enjoy it if you beat them up!"

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. ''You know, the fact that you manage to find faults with even something so ridiculous¡­ it''s kinda cute.''

    "¡­"

    If only she could choose her viiness again¡­ well, she would end up picking this idiot, wouldn''t she? Cynthia could onlyment at her fate and sigh, deciding to ignore Emilia for the rest of the day.

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    When the curtains opened again, the scene was back to the forest, with Emilia and Penny already inside the hut. Of course, the audience couldn''t see them yet since the door was closed.

    As everyone else was waiting for the king to arrive and not paying him much attention, the ''frog'' sighed. "I guess the witch must have already turned the princess into a little bird or something by now. I don''t know how the king will react¡­"

    Naturally, there was no need to talk about a kiss between a bird and a frog. Even a frog prince had some principles, after all.

    When the king finally arrived, he naturally didn''t pay any attention to the talking frog, and rushed to the entrance of the hut instead. "Break it down for me!"

    Two royal guards mmed into the door full force¡­ and went flying into the room before nting their faces right onto the floor.

    "Shit! Was that thing just standing there without hinges?!"

    The frog prince gulped. "I-I guess that princess must have really done a number on it, mming it open over and over again like that."

    But the king naturally didn''t care about the embarrassed royal guards or the frog as he rushed past them to look for his daughter.

    Nothing could have prepared him for the sight in front of him, however.

    Not only was his daughter not in any form of distress, but she was the one putting others in distress instead!

    "Uwaaah! L-Let me go!"

    Although the little witch lying across herp continued to ''cry'' as before, the princess naturally noticed the door being broken in.

    She couldn''t help but blush under her father''s disbelieving expression. "T-This isn''t what it looks like, daddy!"

    The king remained silent, as if hoping for her to exin, but the princess just looked at her palm that was still on the butt of the witch she had been spanking, and couldn''t find the words at all.

    Of course, in order to ''make sure'' that the audience understood what was going on, the princess had already smacked the little witch on the butt a few times even after the king entered the hut, and only then did she pretend to notice their arrival.

    Fortunately, Penny managed to somehow suppress her ecstasy, but deep down inside, she was screaming in glee. ''Who could have imagined I would one day be in such a privileged position?! Look, mom, I''m not just a molester anymore!''

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 Chapter 397 Digging Oneâ€™s Own Grave

    <h4>Chapter 397 Digging One''s Own Grave</h4>

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    Although the audience couldn''t see it, how could Cynthia not tell what kind of expression Penny was making?

    Just thinking about it, the raven-haired girl got so mad that shepletely forgot about her previous resolution to ignore Emilia for the rest of the day. "Why did you hit her so lightly? This creepy little brat definitely deserves a thorough ass beating!"

    Emilia sent her partner a gentle smile. ''It''s important to have a sense of measure while administering punishment. There''s no point to it if the other person only feels pain.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be stunned. "What''s that supposed to mean? Exin it to me!"

    ''Ehehe.''

    "Exin it!"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed in ''defeat''. ''Okay, I really can''t say no to my adorable little partner, can I? Once we''re back home, I''ll give you a demonstration.''

    Cynthia''s indignant expression froze as the words demonstration and punishment echoed in her mind. "W-Wait a minute¡­ I-I¡­ can I change my mind?"

    Emilia giggled, but it only made the raven-haired girl worry more for her future. ''L-Let''s just hope she forgets about it. Y-Yeah!''

    But while the rest of the audience was either blushing or feeling embarrassed for the actor ying the role of the witch, a few couldn''t help but feel like something was different.

    "Did the little witch get even shorter?"

    "No, isn''t it because she''s lying horizontally on thep of the princess?"

    "Hey, if you got spanked by a pretty girl, you would also want to shrink in on yourself!"

    "Speak for yourself."

    Of course, while the parents and rtives were acting quite civilized, there were still a few hooligans in the back rows who whistled and cheered at the princess to ''smack that ass harder''.

    Unfortunately for them, however, this only earned them a stern warning from the volunteers, and they could only pipe down lest they be escorted out and miss the rest of the show. The tickets weren''t cheap, after all.

    Jake couldn''t help but be impressed by Emilia''s acting. "Hey, even shy girls can act quite wild after practice, huh?"

    Alexander sneered. "Weren''t you convinced that the actress wasn''t her, but just another girl in makeup and a red wig?"

    The blonde boy coughed in embarrassment. "T-That¡­ I-I might not have looked so closely before, n-no, they definitely switched the actress in this scene!"

    The dark-haired man gave hispdog a derisive look, but didn''t bother responding. As far as he was concerned, it must be because she was ying a role today that the infatuated little girl insisted on inviting him, and Jake''s ignorance was just another example of his foolishness. There was a reason that the boy would forever remain just anotherpdog, after all.

    By this time, the situation on the stage had already changed a lot.

    Unfortunately for Penny, the ''intimate scene'' she had with the princess didn''tst for long, and Emilia soon had to try convincing the king how she wasn''t, in fact, just bullying children.

    "I-I swear, daddy, she told me she was over twenty-five years old!"

    The king sighed. "No matter how I look at it, it''s just a brat trying to look like her mother. How can you take her words seriously?"

    "Y-You impudent father and daughter! I-I am the Great Witch of the Starlit Lake! F-Fear me!"

    Looking at their half suspicious and half ''apologetic'' expressions, however, only made the little witch feel more wronged.

    Fortunately, after the little witch cried a river of tears, confessing not just all her abilities and ''crimes'' that led to her ''infamy'', but also all the ''injustice'' she had suffered under the hands of the princess, the king finally seemed to somewhat believe her.

    The king took off his crown to scratch his head in confusion. "Wait a minute¡­ if you''re capable of turning people into animals, and can make potions with a variety of effects¡­ weren''t you just being bullied by my daughter of your own free will?"

    Looking at his ''aren''t you just a pervert, don''t just me my daughter'' expression, the little witch burst into another wave of tears. "I really couldn''t do anything to her!"

    Naturally, since the king already somewhat believed in her ''abilities'', he couldn''t help but be proud. After all, while the witch wasn''t omnipotent and invincible, she was definitely much stronger than just a single knight! What other reason could she have to not harm his princess, if not for fearing his reputation?

    "Is it because she''s my daughter? Heh, as expected, this king really is too mighty¡ª!"

    The witch only cried louder, and while it wasn''t in the script, Emilia couldn''t help but pat Penny''s head in constion. "Um, actually, she''s telling the truth, though she didn''t exin it very well. What really happened was¡ª"

    The king could only be dumbfounded as he listened to his daughter list off the ''top ten reasons why princess Emily is now invincible among her peers'', starting with ''Number 10: The stupid little witch used magic on her too many times and allowed her to recover, leading to her body developing natural magic resistance'', followed by ''Number 9: The stupid little witch gave her a potion topletely heal her, not just undoing all her previous ailments, but also imbuing her with her own magic brand'', and so on.

    By the time she got to ''Number 3: Spanking the stupid little witch effectively interrupts her already fruitless spell casts'', the king was already feeling a little numb. "W-Wait a minute, h-hold on¡­ since she couldn''t do anything to you anyway, why didn''t you return to the castle for so many days?!"

    Emilia blushed as she looked away. "How could I just let her go after being bullied? I obviously had to bully her back¡ª!" She coughed. "I mean, I decided to let her teach me magic in exchange."

    The king felt like he was about to have another headache. "So, are you also a witch now?"

    Emilia rubbed her cheek in embarrassment, and the little witch started crying again. "I-I told her my magic can''t be taught to those who aren''t born with it, but she kept bullying me anyway!"

    "Hey, it''s your own fault for bullying me first."

    Emilia wanted to add ''and looking so cute'', but decided to whisper it to Penny instead, making the petite girl blush to the tip of her ears.

    The audience couldn''t help but be confused. "What happened? Why is the witch blushing all of a sudden?"

    "What did the princess whisper to her?"

    "Are you stupid? Going by the rhythm now, it clearly must have been some derogatory words to bully her further, so her face is burning from shame and anger!"

    "¡­ Somehow, I doubt it."

    "Why?"

    "Don''t ask."

    "Just focus on the show." There was no way the man could admit that his own daughter had the exact same expression when her favorite boy band''s lead blew a kiss her way.

    Back on the stage, with the confession from the princess, the king was finally enlightened. "So that''s what happened!"

    The little witch sobbed. "Y-You didn''t believe me, but when she says it, you believe it! I''ll turn you into a frog!"

    Immediately, the royal guards pointed their pikes at her in rm, and if not for the princess and the king raising their hands to halt them, the floor might have already been stained with blood.

    The little witch wailed even louder. "Waaahhh! S-See! Y-You all j-just bully me! Mommy was right! Humans are all a bunch of pigs!"

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 Chapter 398 Unexpected Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 398 Unexpected Proposal</h4>

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    While Penny tried her best to get into the role, Emilia had to admit that the petite girl would probably do the industry a favor if she just stayed away from acting in the future.

    After all, just looking at the sinister re in her eyes as she cried ''pitifully'' was enough to make the boy ying the king gulp in fear. Fortunately, the witch having some resentment for the king was something that could be passed off as ''in character'', so no one found it too strange.

    Of course,pared to the sobbing little witch, the ''king'' who had to pretend to console her was even more miserable. "Okay, okay, don''t cry, little girl. Can you tell this king where this ''mother'' you speak of might be?"

    From the audience, no one could be sure from his tone if the king genuinely wanted to ''consult'' the girl''s mother, or wanted to ''arrest'' a more powerful witch by using her ignorance.

    The little witch sniffled. "S-She ran away with some wild woman!"

    The crowned man sighed in disappointment. "Oh¡­"

    Penny bit her lip as her sight shifted between Emilia and the ''king'' before seeminglying to a decision. "A-As long as you can keep her away from me, I can supply the kingdom with potions and remedies for life!"

    The reluctance in her voice was so genuine and heartfelt that it was hard to believe that she was the same clumsy actress from before.

    Of course, anyone who knew Penny could tell that it wasn''t the ''witch being reluctant to work for the king'', but expressing any form of ''dislike'' for her princess that made the petite girl so reluctant.

    But although the princess had a character matching Emilia almost perfectly, that obviously wasn''t the case for Penny and the little witch, so there was no way she could just be herself without ruining the show.

    If it made her princess happy and provided her a few more ''opportunities'', going against her character wasn''t past Penny''s bottom line. After all, if she cared about her dignity, would she have ever been able to do even half of what she had achieved?

    Fortunately, no one else could hear her thoughts.

    Naturally, the king was tempted by the proposal, and it was evident from both his expression and the fact that he didn''t reject it immediately.

    Although they didn''t often go to war, he had already heard about the miracle medicines made by witches that could cure all sickness and even regrow limbs. If the only price he needed to pay was to shelter the witch, it really was too good of a deal.

    Plus, the older witch, the so-called ''mother'', was also supposedly still alive. If she one day returned to meet this daughter of hers, wouldn''t he have a freebie that was even better than this already great ''deal''?

    Unfortunately, his daughter was having none of that.

    Princess ''Emily'' stomped her feet angrily, almost making the ''dpidated'' hut copse in on itself from the force. "You can''t do that, daddy!"

    The king waved at his men to get out of the hut first, and then coughed. "As a monarch, there are times you can be willful, but there are also times when you must know to put the interests of the kingdom first¡ª"

    The princess naturally knew that this kind of statement couldn''t mean anything good for her, as it was always used before she was being ''denied'' something.

    And as she expected, the king sighed. "Listen, Emily, I''ve already decided on this matter. Although you''re a princess, you cannot unreasonably bully someone like this¡ª"

    "Wait!"

    He paused at the ''unexpected'' exmation from his daughter, and the princess seemed to hesitate for a while before she stood up straight, seemingly making up her mind, and the king immediately had a bad feeling.

    "Daddy, remember how you asked me who I wanted to marry before?"

    The king was momentarily stunned, not having expected her to bring up such an ''unrted'' topic. "Y-Yes?"

    Princess ''Emily'' smiled. "I''ve decided!"

    The king chuckled nervously. "H-Have you now? B-But that''s not something we need to discuss now, dear. Let''s just¡ª!"

    Emilia grinned as she snatched Penny up from the ground and flung her over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "I find this little witch quite adorable, and have decided to hand over my heart to her. From this day forth, she is my wife!"

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    The curtain closed for a short break, and the audience immediately broke into hushed discussions.

    Perhaps due to the unexpected twist, the reaction from the crowd was somewhat mixed.

    Some found it quite refreshingpared to the usual fairy tale dramas like this, while others thought that the students were trying to bite off more than they could chew in a futile effort to be different.

    Of course, most people were concerned with something else entirely.

    "Holy fuck, what kind of props are they using?! I can''t see the wiring and stuff at all from here! How is the princess carrying that little witch around like she''s an empty garbage bag?"

    Unfortunately for the man, Penny''s mother happened to be within earshot, and immediately pinned him with a death re. "The little witch is so cute, how can you call her garbage?!"

    The man looked at the woman''spanion for help, but Penny''s father just shrugged helplessly. ''Fuck only knows what goes on in this woman''s head. Don''t look at me for help!''

    With death shing in front of his eyes, while he was sure it must be an illusion, there was no way that the man would take the chance. It was better to just take back what he said. "T-That''s not what I meant, I-I just wanted to say that the princess is like a gori¡ª!"

    The words had barely left the man''s mouth when he felt dozens of malicious gazes focus on him, and he immediately tried to backpedal in crisis control. "A-Ah, n-no, I-I meant gori stro¡ª!"

    "Fuck! You wanna fight?!"

    "That''s our princess Emilia, how dare youpare her to anything but an angel?!"

    "Hmph, are mere angels worthy of beingpared to our princess?!"

    Fortunately, Emilia had already expected something like this, and had Penny ce many knights in the crowd to control the situation when something went wrong.

    "Oh, it''s normal to be surprised, since she looks so pretty and delicate, but our Emilia has received a lot of training inbat since she was young. Knowing when and how to use her strength makes it easier to do things that look tough at first nce, you know?"

    "So that''s why she''s the head of the disciplinarymittee!"

    With their help, the atmosphere that had been heating up into an argument was quickly dissolved, though it wasn''t quite as easy topletely quench the curiosity of people once it had been aroused.

    Of course, with the previous examples fresh in their minds, everyone was a lot more careful with their choice of words.

    "This ''Emilia'' girl seems to be pretty popr among the students here, huh?"

    "Well, with her looks, it''s not much of a surprise. If she continues to work hard in this field, maybe she can even be a real actress?"

    "The name also seems very familiar¡­ wait¡­!"

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 Chapter 399 Poison

    <h4>Chapter 399 Poison</h4>

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    The live broadcast of this event had already been advertised quite heavily, and it was natural for some people to look the matter up out of curiosity.

    Naturally, with neither Emilia nor the broadcaster making any attempts to keep things hidden, anyone who wanted to look into it would know that this girl was most likely the core reason for the whole thing.

    The general public was already used to rich people doing ridiculous things in an attempt to please others, gifting things ranging from private jets to entirepanies. So aside from causing arguments about the true ''worth'' of this gift, it didn''t really cause many waves.

    Of course, while many people believed that a gift with ''actual mary value'' would be much ''better'' in their eyes, there was no denying that this ''Emilia White'' was doted upon extremely heavily by her family.

    For many, their entire reason foring here had been just to catch a glimpse of her in person.

    "That''s the White Deer''s little princess?"

    "Eh, she looks older than her photos?"

    "Where did you get those?"

    "Heh, I bought them from beeBay at a discount."

    "Huh? Show me!"

    Noelle was observing the situation closely using hidden surveince, and she couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief when she confirmed that, while some were quite creepy, there were no ''negative'' responses from the audience.

    Although a part of the reason why no one was rmed was that Emilia''s face hadn''t been published in any magazines or posters yet, her age also yed a crucial role.

    Relying just on memory and old videos, most people were bound to doubt their own judgment like Emilia expected, instead ofing up with ''crazy theories'' as Noelle had feared.

    After all, no matter how warm and friendly Emilia appeared on the surface, the number of people actually allowed to approach her was quite limited.

    Not to mention that before girls reached their mid-twenties and went through college, even massive ''overhauls'' in appearance weren''t too umon.

    Sometimes, they just found what suited themselves, and everything just clicked, making an ugly mess turn into a beautiful arrangement almost instantly.

    No one seemed to ponder on the topic too much, and after admiring the girl''s ''absurd luck'' for being born both rich and beautiful, they soon moved on.

    "By the way, did you see the delighted expression on the face of the little witch when she was picked up?"

    "Right?! I thought I was the only one who thought she looked like a pervert..."

    Penny''s father couldn''t help but nudge his wife. "Aren''t you going to scold them this time?"

    The blondedy just rolled her eyes. "Why should I?"

    He coughed. "Well, they''re ndering our daughter?"

    "Isn''t it true?"

    Recalling how she had slobbered all over the TV screen when it showed Emilia''s face that day, the man wisely decided to shut up.

    Noelle could only shake her head with a wry smile. "Make sure to filter out any unsightly content from the broadcast, and note down all those who take ''special interest'' in our little boss, understand? Continue monitoring."

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    The curtain was soon raised once more, and the scene this time was that of the royal pce, with the princess teaching the stubborn little witch how to use forks and knives properly, as well as other basic etiquettes.

    Having never been particrly patient, the princess soon found herself slightly frustrated by her ''uncooperative'' partner. "Can''t you pay more attention? I feel like I''m ying piano in front of a cow!"

    The little witch pouted. "But I don''t want to learn all this stupid stuff, so why do I have to?!"

    Emilia had never seen the ''usually docile and obedient'' Penny act so ''petntly'' in front of her, and she couldn''t help but smile, finding the experience quite interesting. "I didn''t want to do it either, but as a princess, there are some things you just can''t avoid."

    The little witch groaned. "I''m not a princess!"

    Princess ''Emily'' giggled. "Well, you''re married to me now, so it''s the same thing."

    Penny gulped as she looked at the gorgeous crimson-haired girl up and down, the word ''married'' echoing through her head along with happy little bells and whistles.

    Fortunately, she still managed to squeeze out her lines somehow. "I-I never agreed to that!"

    Of course, the petite girl regretted it immediately after. ''Mom, I have sinned! Even if it''s an act, how can someone say no to such a beauty?! Ah Ah Ah!''

    Penny''s gaze turned to her mother in the audience involuntarily, but the woman''s gaze was focused intently on her princess. ''As expected of my mother... she also has good taste! I''m proud... no wait!''

    Oblivious to her thoughts, Princess Emily smiled. "If you really don''t want to marry me, just teach me magic?"

    The ''little witch'' vehemently shook her head in denial. "I can''t!"

    Emilia giggled as she nudged the little witch. "See? Aren''t you just too shy to admit that you really like me?"

    Penny blushed, but still tried her best to appear furious. "Y-You¡ª!"

    The little witch rushed off in a huff, and the princess followed behind her with a teasing smile.

    Over the next few scenes, such ''bullying'' of the little witch at the hands of the princess became a routine in the pce.

    As the king had been helpless before his daughter''s stubbornness, the two of them had reluctantly reached apromise. The king would bestow them the ''marriage'' in name, but only if the princess could convince the little witch to agree to it within six months.

    The little witch thought it was a good deal for her as well, since the king promised that no one would bother her after those six months as long as she rejected the princess. And to top it all off, there was no need to help anyone with potions and remedies either!

    Unfortunately, she never expected the stubborn little princess to be so unreasonable.

    Not only did the girl not attempt to tter or woo her, but she also tried to bully her at every opportunity she got! Far from being the leisurely six-month vacation, this was more like a six-month-long torture session!

    "Don''t tell her I''m here!"

    The king felt his lips twitch as the little witch hid behind his throne. "Don''t you have some potion to make you invisible or something¡ª!"

    His words got stuck in his throat when Princess ''Emily'' stormed in, looking furious. "Come out, you! I promise this princess isn''t one to beat her wife!"

    Feeling his throne vibrate in fear, the king didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.

    But seeing their tit-for-tat attitude for each other, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    With how things were, his daughter was bound to get tired of this witch soon enough, and it was impossible for any ''emotional development'' to happen between the two girls.

    Although he generally did whatever he could to let his princess be happy, how would his kingdom be able to survive without an heir? Two women couldn''t have children, after all!

    "Unless there is some potion to make babies?!"

    The princess looked at her father with a frown. "What babies? Is there something you want me to know?"

    The king couldn''t help but gulp. Knowing how proud and possessive his daughter was, wasn''t any woman suspected of bing her ''stepmother'' bound to suffer?

    Moreover, with her recent ''interests'', he couldn''t even be sure if that ''suffering'' wouldn''t involve his crown being reced by a green hat, and the king couldn''t help but shiver at that thought.

    Fortunately, before he coulde up with a flimsy excuse, the stupid little witch jumped up from behind his throne, and attempted to make a run for it right under the eyelids of the ferocious princess.

    "How dare you run away without eating the cookies this princess prepared so painstakingly?!"

    The king was shocked to hear that his little princess, who had never been interested in anything but fighting and ying around, would be willing to enter the kitchen!

    "Could it be¡­ she''s not just ying around?"

    The general coughed. "The princess has never been involved in romance before, your majesty. Since this is her first ''love'', she''s bound to take it seriously."

    Of course, not everyone was in favor of the idea. "The princess was alone with the witch for so long, isn''t it possible that she''s been¡ª"

    The king mmed his fist on the throne, immediately cutting the adviser off. "Enough! Call the chef and tell him to steal some of the cookies made by my daughter."

    Although they were ashamed that their monarch would say such a thing with a straight face, the orders of the king still had to be followed.

    When the stone-like cookies were presented to the court, the king was even ''generous'' enough to share them with some of his most trusted people.

    Their expressions changed immediately after the first bite, but no one dared to say a word.

    After all, even if the princess fed them colored charcoal, there was no way they could cry about it in front of her overly-doting father unless they wanted to be scolded into pigs and dogs.

    The curtain fell, and when it opened again, the warm and funny atmosphere waspletely gone, and in its ce remained only gloomy darkness, with the courtiers and soldiers looking at the king lying on the floor in terror.

    Princess Emily cried in despair and rage next to her father''s lifeless corpse, her yful and mischievous self seemingly dying with the king, and no one dared to step forward to console this enraged tigress.

    Even the little witch only dared to watch on with a reluctant and conflicted expression. Who could have thought that the stubborn and willful little princess would go through such a thing?

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    The audience almost copsed in shock, and a few people couldn''t help but burst into discussions the moment the curtain closed again.

    "What the hell is going on? The king died just like that?"

    "Did he die from eating the cookies from the princess?"

    "No way, right?"

    Unfortunately, they didn''t even get toe up with their own conjectures when the curtain opened once more, this time with the princess sitting in her father''s throne.

    "Did you find out who did it?"

    "P-Princess, all the food and wine that the king took was tested for poison, but¡ª"

    "I don''t want to hear excuses! Since my father was poisoned to death, there must be a source of the poison, and I won''t let them go no matter what!"

    All the courtiers and ministers looked at each other helplessly. Given that princess Emily even refused to change her title until her father''s murderer was found, even they were desperate to resolve the issue, but what could they do without any clues?

    "B-But there was really no poison found in any of the food that came from the royal kitchens, princess, we even had all the old food samples checked again!"

    Princess Emily frowned as she noticed multiple ''trustworthy'' ministers attesting to the man''s ims. "How could it be possible? We must be missing something¡­"

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 Chapter 400 Add Another Nail

    <h4>Chapter 400 Add Another Nail</h4>

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    With the previous events being mostly lighthearted, the sudden dark turn of events with the king''s death was shocking to say the least, and no one could guess who the culprit could be.

    It was at this time that the adviser who had warned the king about the princess and the witch being too close spoke up. "Princess¡­ if I may be bold?"

    Emilia frowned, but nodded. "Speak."

    A few people gave the adviser a warning look, hoping he wasn''t really going to im that the cookies from the princess were what poisoned the king. Even though many of them thought so, wouldn''t saying such a thing out loud be the same asmitting suicide?!

    With her position as the sole sessor to the throne, even if the cookies were the source of the poison, it was impossible for the princess to have known about it herself. After all, there was no need for her to do such a thing.

    Moreover, if someone ended up enraging the princess when she was in such an unstable state after her father''s death, there was no telling what would happen next. Most people just hoped their own heads wouldn''t fly.

    Fortunately, the adviser was still quite ''cunning'', and didn''t seek death as some of them expected.

    "Forgive me for saying something inauspicious at this moment of misfortune, princess, but¡­ I believe we have been overlooking something important."

    The old man paused for a moment, as if to intentionally arouse everyone''s curiosity, then coughed. "I believe everyone is aware that there resides someone in this castle who can do things we cannot even imagine. Such as turning people into animals, and brewing potions with magical effects. If such a person was the one who took action¡­ it''s natural that we are unable to find any clues."

    Princess Emily''s expression froze as she realized that the adviser was trying to hint that it was her little witch who poisoned her father.

    Seeing herck of response, a few more courtiers gathered their courage to step out and agree with the adviser.

    "That woman has always been suspicious. The princess is so benevolent to her, but she never seems to appreciate it. Maybe this is her ''revenge''? How ruthless!"

    "Wasn''t the exiled prince of our neighboring kingdom also cursed by her into a frog? Such a person¡­"

    "The existence of a witch is already unnatural. How can someone who doesn''t even obey nature''sws possibly be a good person?"

    And of course, although their remarks all seemed to be aimed at the little witch, the princess felt as if her heart had been stabbed each time she heard their usations.

    She was the one who brought the little witch here, and she was the one watching over her all this time. Weren''t these people just using her of causing her father''s death?

    Princess Emily stood up, and while her body wasn''t very tall, even the general felt a sense of oppression emanating from her slim, chilly frame. "Silence! I''m not interested in your baseless usations and rumors when you have failed to show me anything of substance! The next time I hear such statements¡­ I can''t promise I won''t use that person to set an example for everyone else."

    With everyone bowing in fear, the princess stormed out without another word.

    The general sighed. "She''s still a bit na?ve¡­ but suddenly such a burden is on her fragile shoulders¡­ I worry for our kingdom."

    The adviser smiled ''sadly''. "Let''s give her some time¡­ If it doesn''t work, we can only convince her to let a regent take her ce until she''s ''ready''."

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    When the curtain fell again, it was already time for lunch, and the audience was informed that the show would only resume thirty minutester.

    Some people decided to stay at the venue and wait while enjoying the food and soft drinks package prepared by the team, but many left to check out the famous cafeteria of the Imperial Academy as well as the stalls that had been temporarily opened for the events.

    "Although it''s been quite funny so far, hasn''t the show taken too much of a sudden dark turn?"

    "Mhm, at this point, I can''t tell what they''re trying to do at all. It''s like a fun kid''s series that took itself too seriously at theter stages. I don''t think I''ll enjoy it at all."

    "Right? I''m thinking we can just go check out the Haunted House instead, or check out what else is there. What do you think?"

    "Well¡­ to be honest, I''ll go watch it even if the story turned into a mess. The actress¡­ is too cute."

    Of course, while the audience was having a fun time, the show team was busy running back and forth to make sure everything was in order for the fast-paced scenes in thetter half.

    Emilia also took this chance to call Crystal and Dixie over to the changing room backstage.

    Dixie was dumbfounded to learn that not only did she have to y the role of a viin, but she also had less than thirty minutes to change and get familiar with her ''subordinates''.

    "M-Me? I-I don''t think I can act¡­ or remember lines¡­?"

    Emilia smiled. "Don''t worry. My knight only needs to show up and fight when the director tells you. Don''t hold back!"

    The dark-haired girl blinked, but since her princess didn''t seem to be joking, she could only nod and leave.

    Meanwhile, Crystal could only pout in silence as she went over the messy script handed over by her girlfriend. "I have literally zero experience with this, and even if I find something wrong and propose a change, isn''t it toote?"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Don''t worry, just go with your instincts, and let me know how you feel. It''s never toote."

    The blonde heroine pursed her lips suspiciously. "You''re not just having fun, are you?"

    Emilia ''shush''ed the girl with a finger against her lips, then whispered against Crystal''s ear with a smile. "Remember what I told you about my big n for the Blue Dawn Republic? Well, since the opportunity presented itself¡­ why not prepare another nail for our enemy''s coffin?"

    Crystal didn''t know if the shudder of excitement that ran up her spine was from her statement, or the little beauty''s hot breath hitting her earlobe, but there was one thing for sure. ''Emilia just loves causing chaos¡­ doesn''t she?''

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 Chapter 401 To Oneâ€™s Own Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 401 To One''s Own Coffin</h4>

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    By the time Crystal got back to her seat, there were only a few minutes left for the lunch break to end and the curtain to be raised again.

    With how people had been expressing their dissatisfaction with the unexpected twists and turns, Crystal half expected some of them to abandon the show and leave.

    But surprisingly, not only did everyone return after lunch, but there were even two extras!

    Of course, it wasn''t that two pregnantdies decided to give birth during the break time, and Crystal couldn''t be any more familiar with the ''unexpected guests''.

    "Noelle?!"

    The gray-haired girl nodded to her with a faint smile. "Hello."

    Sam pouted. "Hey, no greeting for this big sister?"

    Crystal snapped her previously ck jaw shut instantly in embarrassment. "B-Big sister, sorry¡­ I was just surprised."

    Of course, with how Noelle and Sam had almost split into four people in the past few weeks, Crystal''s shock wasn''t unjustified.

    The two older girls didn''t seem to mind her gaffe too much, and made way for the blonde heroine to get back to her seat next to her mother.

    Sam even patted the heroine''s hair. "Crystal is the best when ites to memorizing things, right? Why don''t you describe everything I''ve missed about my baby''s performance in detail?"

    Noelle nudged her with a frown. "The girl''s mother is right next to her, you know? Can you not embarrass her like that?"

    Mrs. Miller quickly waved her hands in embarrassment. "Don''t mind me. I just know how to bake and cook, I don''t understand young people at all."

    "Sorry, auntie."

    "Sorry."

    After apologizing, Sam''s attention immediately switched to the other side. "Huh? Would I need to ask if you had let me know in advance that my little darling was going to be on stage?"

    Thinking about how everyone but her was over here, enjoying watching Emilia put on a show, how could Sam just obediently stay at the office and work?

    Noelle narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "¡­ How did you even find out?"

    Sam, who had been watching the live broadcast instead of working, could only cough in embarrassment. "You know what? Forget it."

    The gray-haired girl was just about to question her further when someone from the broadcast room contacted her for an inquiry on her wireless earpiece, and Sam was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    Crystal could only stare at the two of them in confusion. ''Are they still so free¡­?''

    Not to mention taking proper care and precautions for the horses and other preparations for their own event, as well as the live broadcast, weren''t these two already about to split into four thanks to Emilia''s multiple big and small ns?

    Thinking about how she had consoled the older girl whenever sheined about working like a mule on their group chat, Crystal felt like she was the biggest idiot in the world.

    Unfortunately, her ability didn''t work through the phone.

    Sam sighed dreamily. "I can''t wait to see my little angel in a costume, ahh! Of course, she looks even more delicious without one¡ª"

    If there was a panel for Crystal''s faith in Sam''s ''reliable big sister'' image, there would already be a continuous string of ''-1'' ''-1'' ''-1'' floating over her head.

    Noelle sighed after she disconnected her headset. "Can you please not make things more difficult for my team? Censor your speech a little?"

    Sam just huffed.

    The lifting of the curtains put an end to their argument, and Sam gasped in delight as she saw her little sister in the magnificent princess costume. "Look at that gloomy, dark look on my darling''s adorable face, ahhh! I can''t!"

    "Hush!"

    Of course, the rest of the audience wasn''t immune to the charm that captivated Sam, either, but what surprised them more was the stark contrast between the cheerful and whimsical aura that the little girl had before and the dark, domineering ''Queen'' on the stage now.

    In front of her was the little witch, who looked a lot more weary whenpared to the spirited little girl who hid behind the king''s throne cheekily, though her gaze still remained clear, if not a little conflicted.

    She had already felt the crisis approach her step by step as she heard people whispering and pointing fingers at her all over the pce, and knew that almost everyone believed that she was the mastermind behind the king''s death.

    Of course, they didn''t dare to do anything except sneer and look at her in disgust, though the little witch couldn''t tell if it was because of her status as the ''suitor'' of the princess, or because they feared her powers.

    They looked at her as if they were looking at some monster. And although she knew she shouldn''t care about the opinions of insignificant people, the little witch couldn''t help but feel stuffy in her heart.

    Would the princess also look at her with the same eyes now?

    Looking at the gloomy appearance of the previously naughty little tomboy seemingly confirmed her thoughts, and the little witch couldn''t help but frown. "I''m sorry for your loss, but I didn''t kill your father."

    Thinking about how she could have snuck out and hidden in the depths of the forest where no one could find her, the little witch could onlyment at her foolishness.

    Why did she feelpelled to take a look at this girl''s face before leaving, again?

    The princess smiled. "I know."

    "I obviously¡ª! Eh? Y-You¡­ you believe me?!"

    Princess Emily smiled sadly as she reached out to hold the hands of the shocked little witch. "I know I''ve been unreasonable, and I''ve bothered you a lot already, but¡­ please¡­ help me."

    "W-What?"

    The crimson-haired beauty stepped even closer to the panicking little witch, and stared directly into her eyes. "Help me find the murderer. Please."

    The little witch gulped, wondering if this was her way of saying she would let her off only if she could show her proof of her innocence by discovering who really did it, but Emilia''s following words brought her thoughts to a grinding halt.

    "You''re the only one I can trust with this. Please¡­ help me."

    The dark, gloomy expression of the princess cracked a little, and her eyes pooled with unshed tears. The little witch felt as if she had been struck by lightning as she caught a glimpse of the crying little girl inside her protective armor.

    "I-I¡­"

    Not to mention the little witch, even some of the audience was moring to go. "Princess, I can!"

    Fortunately, the volunteers were able to quickly calm them down.

    The ministers and courtiers on the stage jumped up and down in rage when they learned that their princess had been ''bewitched'', and was now letting the ''murderer'' do as she pleased with the remains of the king.

    "Insolence!"

    "How could such a thing be allowed?!"

    Unfortunately for them, the princess was so stubborn that she couldn''t be pulled back with the strength of ten bulls, and the royal guards listened to her orders like dumb puppets, impervious to any reasoning or arguments.

    Opening an already sealed royal coffin went against their thousands of years of heritage, but despite the old ministers frothing at their mouths in protest, the princess still did it.

    She pursed her lips as she saw her father''s body glow with an ominous purple glow after being soaked in the potion that the little witch had prepared, and then, a small, toxic-looking purple cloud escaped from his mouth.

    "This cloud will lead us to the person who created the poison, as long as they''re within a hundred kilometers¡ª!"

    The little witch had just felt the words get stuck in her throat in horror when the cloud headed straight for her, and then started going around her in circles in the dumbfounded eyes of the crowd.

    "I knew she must have been the one who did it!"

    "No¡­ but¡­ why prove it herself?"

    "How fearless!"

    "So insolent!"

    Even the audience was dumbfounded.

    "What the heck? So the little witch was really the one who killed the king?"

    "But it makes no sense to frame herself like this, right?"

    "Right, look at her expression, I don''t think she did it!"

    "But won''t she be punished now?"

    "Will the princess have her killed?"

    The statement caused a lot of worried murmurs from the audience. After all, most of them had already been won over by the chemistry between the princess and the witch. How could they watch one of them die and be happy?

    Some of them even swore that if these stupid students dared to show them a tragedy, they would definitely leave a bad review!

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 Chapter 402 Reversal

    <h4>Chapter 402 Reversal</h4>

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    Back on the stage, the ministers and courtiers continued to create a fuss, and the expression of the little witch became paler and paler with terror.

    Not to mention poisoning the king, she hadn''t brewed any kind of toxic potion in her life!

    She didn''t even dare to turn her head to look at the face of the princess.

    At this point, even she wouldn''t believe herself, let alone the daughter of the king who perished under ''her'' tricks.

    Princess Emily, however, seemed to bepletely disconnected from what was happening around her, her grim gaze fixated on the king''s corpse.

    The curtain fell, and when it opened again, the little witch was nowhere to be seen, making the audience feel like their hearts were hanging by a thread.

    "Princess, the Kingdom of Krass has already dered that if we don''t hand over the witch to them, then¡ª"

    Princess Emily waved her hand to interrupt the messenger, and turned her imposing stare to the courtiers. "What is the status of our army?"

    The old adviser immediately jolted in shock. "Princess, you can''t be impulsive! Is it really worth it to sacrifice hundreds or thousands of our men for the sake of a witch who even dared to poison our king?!"

    Although none of the other ministers dared to speak up like him, they still dared to express their agreement.

    The princess knew that everyone was extremely dissatisfied with her decision to simply imprison the little witch instead of executing her. After all, at this point, the fact that she was the one who murdered the king was considered irrefutable, and many thought it wouldn''t be too much to even burn her alive.

    Of course, the princess didn''t agree. And as long as she didn''t nod her head, no one would dare to touch a hair on the head of someone under her protection.

    Not unless they had the courage to do the same thing to her.

    "Then do you wish for me to bow down to their orders and surrender my prisoners to them?"

    Princess Emily''s smile waspletely devoid of warmth, and the old adviser couldn''t help but shudder.

    "I-I dare not!"

    Emilia sneered. "General¡­"

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    The young men and women of the kingdom soon faced the gongs and drums of recruitment, and while many were dissatisfied with the decision of their princess, the poption of their small kingdom had a very patriotic culture.

    Not to mention rebelling, most people who were able to do so still signed up for training to prepare for battle.

    Even those who didn''t care knew that being upied by the Kingdom of Krass would have no good ending for them, as they were known to indulge in both ve trade and cannibalism, so there were very few voices of dissent.

    The little witch sighed as she watched their frantic movements from the window of the tower she had been ''confined'' in.

    When everyone was calling for her head, the princess had brought her back here, and she couldn''t tell how the girl was feeling at all.

    ''So that boy wasn''t a fraud, but actually the prince of Krass? B-But¡­''

    A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

    "C-Come in?"

    She didn''t dare to turn around.

    Since only the princess herself was allowed to enter and exit this tower at will, who else could it be?

    "Have you figured it out?"

    The little witch turned around, her eyes wet with grievances. "I-I¡­ I know it''s unbelievable, but I really didn''t do anything to your father!"

    Seeing the big, pearly drops of tears drip down the slightly chubby face of the little witch, Emilia couldn''t help but step forward and flick the girl''s forehead. "Stupid."

    "Huh?"

    Princess Emily sighed. "I already know that, obviously."

    "B-But¡ª!"

    Why would you trust me?

    The question got stuck in her throat, because she really didn''t have the courage to ask such a thing.

    Princess Emily couldn''t help but pity the little witch. "Although you have special talents of your own, I suppose it''s bnced out by yourck of wit."

    "¡­?!"

    The little witch looked offended, but Penny couldn''t help but wonder why even insults were so sweet when they came from the sweet lips of her princess. If she could, she would definitely lick them up!

    Fortunately, most people passed off her perverted expression as one of distress and confusion.

    Princess Emily sighed. "The matter of the exiled prince has nothing to do with you. The only reason the Kingdom of Krass brought it up was to use it as an excuse."

    "B-But why?"

    "Because they''re hoping I''m young and stupid, and would just hand you over to them. Of course, that''s why they killed my father. They knew he would never do such a thing."

    The little witch could only stare at her, dumbfounded. "¡­?"

    Princess Emily sighed. "I don''t have any proof, yet, but it doesn''t matter. The fact that they managed to do what they did means that although they''re hoping I would hand you over to them without a fuss, in reality, they don''t care about it too much."

    "Wait wait wait¡­ so they''ve been after me all along?"

    Looking at the dumbfounded little witch, Emilia shook her head sadly. "¡­ No. What they''re really after... is my entire kingdom. You''re just the cherry on top."

    The petite girl couldn''t help but frown. "B-But if they could kill the king like that¡ª"

    Emilia nodded. "They very likely already have a witch on their side, and some insiders in our castle as well, yes."

    "T-Then¡ª!"

    Thinking about the methods used by the other side, the little witch couldn''t help but be terrified. If they could kill the king right under their noses, and even make it so that she wasn''t able to track them at all, and even ended up stepping into a trap... what else could they not do?

    At best, the princess now was in the same position as her father, so wasn''t it only a matter of time before they...!

    The little witch didn''t dare to finish that thought.

    The princess smiled. "I won''t survive long, I know."

    "How can you say that so calmly?!"

    Looking at the little witch stomping her feet like that, Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little amused. "Because... I have you."

    Penny was left stunned, her heart beating wildly. How could anyone be so charming?!

    Fortunately, it matched the expected reaction of the little witch almost perfectly, so she didn''t make a mess.

    Princess Emily touched the top of the petite girl''s head. "Knowing that I''m bound to lose¡­ will you still help me?"

    The little witch bit her lip, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You¡­ just call me Perry."

    Who could have thought that there would be a day when someone would trust her so wholeheartedly, let alone someone she was willing to believe in turn?

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    It didn''t take long for everyone to know that the chief adviser of the previous king was tried for treason, and sentenced to execution by the princess.

    To say that everyone was shocked would be an understatement.

    "He really betrayed the king?!"

    "N-No, wasn''t the princess just bewitched, and¡ª"

    "Hush, don''t speak nonsense!"

    Fortunately, Princess Emily had had the foresight to already make it public that the little witch had helped her with the investigation, but was framed in turn because of the enemy''s prepared witchcraft, which she never expected.

    Only an insider could have been so thorough, not only dealing with the king so wlessly, but even leaving a trap. And very few people were close enough to the king to pull such a thing off.

    What shocked everyone was that, when his body was inspected by the witchter, the adviser was indeed hiding a few small potion vials, sewn directly beneath his skin!

    With his distinguished status and baggy robes, it was no wonder that no one had noticed.

    The exiled frog prince was also captured and brought back to the princess, and she informed his home kingdom that if they were willing to pay a suitable ransom, it still wasn''t toote to redeem him.

    The Kingdom of Krass was naturally furious when they learned of princess Emily''s ''impudent'' response. How could a tiny kingdom not even half their size dare to p their face?!

    Within barely a day, the mighty, undefeated army of Krass started marching toward their enemy, ready to raze them to the ground.

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 Chapter 403 The Great General Hits The Iron Board

    <h4>Chapter 403 The Great General Hits The Iron Board</h4>

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    Although the princess was swift and decisive with her decisions, the chances of their kingdom being able to ovee this hurdle were still abysmal.

    Not only was the size of their army barely a third of their opponent''s, but their weapons and armors were also of inferior quality.

    It was no wonder, as the Kingdom of Krass thrived on invasion and plunder, while their own kingdom was barely better than the union of a few well-developed viges.

    The only good fortune of the people at this moment was that even after the demise of their king, there was still a fierce princess willing to lead them to battle.

    Dressed in a ted princess-knight dress that left only her face, arms, and thighs exposed, Emilia looked so energetic and dashing that a few of the ''royal knights'' almost couldn''t contain their squeals.

    "The Kingdom of Krass has sent its army our way, thinking we are easy prey that they can enve and devour. This princess won''t ask you for much. Just don''t give up before you see my corpse fall to the ground, understand?"

    What would usually have been a somewhat tragic and demotivating statement instantly made their blood boil instead.

    The poption of their Cornflower Kingdom wasn''t toorge, and almost everyone knew how uncontroble and fierce their princess was. Even if she couldn''t rip apart a thousand foes before her death, she would still tear down a hundred.

    No one wanted to be a helpless ve, or worse, someone''s dinner, and they were also determined to fight to their deaths.

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    The Kingdom of Krass naturally didn''t take them very seriously at first. Their general was very experienced, and had taken down far mightier forces on multiple fronts.

    As far as she was concerned, taking down a single Cornflower kingdom that only really had a single viable point of defense was easier than snatching candy from a kid.

    Unfortunately, things didn''t quite go as she had nned.

    Their army was forced to halt at a chokepoint, and their numerical advantage seemed to have bepletely useless.

    Of course, this was not the first time she had encountered such a situation. So while it frustrated her, the general was far from feeling helpless. "Keep the enemy engaged, and prepare two teams. One will scout a good route for our men to scale the cliffs, and the other will look for an opportunity to sneak past the enemy lines and sabotage their granary."

    Meanwhile, she also ordered her men to take turns resting and attack the enemy in waves. Since only a few hundred people could fight at a time, she didn''t believe that her numerical advantage couldn''t be used this way.

    If one side was always energetic and ready to fight while the other was overdrawn and exhausted, was there any need to guess who would win?

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    The princess remained expressionless as she waved her hand toward themander. "We''ll retreat orderly from the chokepoint, our purpose here has already been achieved. Let''s take the battle to the old castle."

    Although it was only an abandoned old building, her people had been able to repair it to a somewhat defendable state already. Staying to defend here might be tempting for now, but the princess knew that if they really did so, they would be like a turtle in a jar.

    The little witch, Perry, couldn''t help but reach out the gloved palm of the armored princess. "If you want, I can make some more powerful potions."

    Emilia shook her head with a smile. "No, what you''re doing is already enough. Save your energy¡­ I have a feeling we will need it."

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    The general was naturally furious when the enemy retreated right when the troops she had sent to scale the cliffs and nk them from the sides were about to aplish their mission. "How did they know?!"

    Of course, after calming down for a while, she realized that it was probably just a coincidence. She had been pushing the enemy too hard already, and it was normal for them to run away instead of waiting for death.

    It was just the feeling of punching cotton that made her feel suffocated.

    She felt like she was a cat who had been fooled by a mouse ying dead, and allowed it to run away.

    "Charge! Don''t let them escape!"

    The army moved forward through the now unguarded chokepoint under hermand, but some of her subordinates quickly caught up with her horse. "General, the teams who were sent out¡ª"

    The female general sneered. "Let them follow us from the rear. We''re notcking in strength anyway, it''s enough to crush them like this."

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    Emilia thought Dixie looked particrly dashing in her ominous dark armor, although it was considerably less revealing than her own.

    Fortunately, her cute face was covered by a demonic mask, or none of the audience might be able to ''dislike'' this viin character as much.

    The army of Krass chased after them like sharks who smelled blood, but just when they thought they could start ughtering the escaping enemy and make them suffer disastrous losses, thunderous booms resounded from over their heads, making a chill run up the general''s spine.

    The cliff was copsing.

    Fortunately, their army was almost out of the chokepoint, and they were already going at their maximum speed.

    "Press forward! Don''t look back!"

    It was only after they were out of the danger zone that the general dared to breathe a sigh of relief, and also called for her army to halt to assess the situation.

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    "Princess, the troops that the enemy sent to nk us all died in the explosions, and nearly a third of the charging army was also crushed under the falling cliff."

    Although the cost on their side wasn''t small either, none of them had dared to believe they would have such great results. The potions and spells of this ''little witch'' friend of their princess were really too strong!

    Thinking about how she had almost been executed unfairly if not for their princess, they almost broke out in cold sweat.

    Fortunately, their princess was both wise and brave. With her leading them, there was no need to fear even the Kingdom of Krass!

    Princess Emily hummed, quite pleased, but notcent. "Continue strengthening the defenses. Soon, we''ll have a rabid dog at our door."

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    By the time the great general of Krass managed to reorganize and lead her troops to their door, the Cornflower army had already cooped up in the repaired old castle, ring down at her from the top of the wall with a mocking gaze.

    She realized that she had underestimated the enemy, causing her to eat such a dumb loss. But even if she hit an iron board, she only felt rage, not regret.

    The general couldn''t help but grit her teeth in rage. "Come out for me, you treacherous princess! How dare you use these cheap tricks to deal with us?! Come out and fight if you dare!"

    Princess Emily just smiled gently from the top of the castle''s outer wall. "It''s always been the privilege of the defender toy down traps. Are burrs now so shameless that they even dare to me the owner for broken floorboards?"

    The general was left speechless, but her anger soon overwhelmed her again. "Even if you managed to use these cheap tricks to hurt us this time, don''t be arrogant! We still have twice as many men!"

    Princess Emily chuckled. "So proud? As a general, could you still not know that these numbers are far from enough when facing a well-defended castle?"

    Naturally, this old, abandoned keep was far from being good enough for that, but it didn''t stop her from shaking their confidence a little. "Plus, I seem to remember your army was over three times asrge, oh, what happened, I wonder?"

    The general almost burst a vein on the spot. "Can my men bepared to your cats and dogs?! Don''t think I haven''t seen those frail children and women in your camp! Are they even fit to lift weapons, let alone fight? Just say it if you don''t dare toe down, I¡ª!"

    Her words were stuck in her throat when the princess actually jumped down, andnded on the ground gracefully.

    The general''s expression immediately turned serious.

    Although she hadn''t shown her hand so far, to be able to jump down from such a height like that and not even have much of an impact meant that this girl must have incredible control over her body. Moreover, she was even wearing armor!

    Emilia smiled. "What, is the great general of Krass scared of a little girl?"

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 Chapter 404 Admit Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 404 Admit Defeat</h4>

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    Due to the inherent limitations of their method of presentation, it was naturally impossible for them to have the thousands of soldiers mentioned in the story on the actual stage. They could only be proportionately scaled down on each side.

    Dixie''s army had started off with over seventy-five soldiers, while Emilia only had twenty. Now, however, the ''great general of Krass'' only had around forty soldiers left.

    To say that her advantage was gone entirely wouldn''t be true, but at this point, their victory was no longer as assured.

    After all, the opponent was already in an advantageous position, and unless she received reinforcements from Krass, it was likely that she would be left with barely a quarter of her initial force by the time they won.

    Such a pyrrhic victory¡­ the great general couldn''t ept it at all. This was especially so since the opponent was just a little girl who hadn''t evene of age a few years ago.

    Didn''t that make her decades of experience a joke? How was she supposed to go back to face the war council?

    Of course, it was precisely this ego that the princess was banking on. "What? Now that I''m right in front of you, the great general has lost her courage?"

    For maximizing visual impact, the castle wall prop on stage was almost twelve feet high, and while it was far fromparable to the real thing, it was still enough to give most people a fright.

    Luckily, the little girl didn''t seem to be hurt, and the audience wondered if the team used some special props to soften hernding.

    Not to mention the supposed opponent, even they were excited.

    Dixie smiled beneath her mask, though she tried her best to make her voice sound ''derisive'' ording to the required character. "It seems like the Cornflower Princess really wants to be trampled on today, huh? But I admire such fearlessness, even if it means you''re just seeking death, so I''ll give you a chance."

    ording to the initial script, the great general was supposed to mention that she would hand over this flower to be trampled upon by her troops after plucking it herself, but Dixie naturally couldn''t bring herself to say such words in front of her princess, even if the words were just ambiguous and it was a show.

    Had she not known it was Emilia herself who looked through the script and made a few changes, she might even have considered going to the scriptwriter for a ''chat''.

    For some reason, the ''director'' sneezed, an inexplicable chill running up her spine. ''Is someone in the audience badmouthing me for the story being nonsense?''

    But looking at the enraptured expressions of the crowd, she soon put those thoughts away. ''I have to strengthen my mentality, ah, it''s expected people will scold me a lot online after watching this on TV. I have to meet my quota at that time, or themander will skin me alive!''

    Fortunately, no one could hear her thoughts.

    Emilia wasn''t surprised to hear that her knight changed her lines, and she even praised Dixie in her heart for her improvisation skills. ''Maybe if she wasn''t so scared of Crystal, she could even work her way up to ss A.''

    The great general motioned one of her men, who handed her a dark, ominous greatsword.

    Although it looked like it weighed a ton, the armored general just grinned and swung it around with one hand, as if it was made from paper. "Little flower princess, since you''vee down to face me, I''ll give you a chance. As long as you can draw a single drop of blood, I''ll retreat with my men right away. Of course, if you lose¡­ your side surrenders. A win-win situation for you, really. Deal?"

    Emilia smiled as she drew out her longsword from the scabbard on her waist. "Deal."

    The eyes of the Cornflower soldiers turned red in both rage and shame. How could they not know why their princess would take such a risk?

    They might have held out well at the chokepoint before, but in a real confrontation, the fact that most of the women and teenagers in the army were barely trained would be quickly exposed.

    Only a third of the adult men and women among their ranks could actually be consideredparable to the army of Krass, but even then, their weapons were of somewhat inferior quality.

    If they fought, it would already be amazing if they could shave off the Krass army''s numbers by half before their death. Most of the previous results were only possible because the enemy never expected such a magical move from them.

    After all, even if they didn''t kill or surrender the little witch over, how could they have expected the princess to be crazy enough to let her create many potions and spells?

    The atmosphere instantly solidified as the Krass army cheered their general on to crush the ''weakling'' and show the little girl her ce.

    Dixie, however, only circled around the unperturbed beauty leisurely, as if examining which angle she should destroy her from.

    Compared to the greatsword-wielding general in her ominous armor, the princess really looked like a rabbit in the face of a lion, weak and helpless.

    Perry, the little witch, could only stare anxiously as her princess confronted the great general of Krass by herself.

    Could a girl who wasn''t even born when the great general started spilling blood on the battlefield really be able to win such a fight? Even if she had experienced firsthand how stubborn and fierce she could be, it was impossible for her not to worry at this moment.

    Suddenly, the great general broke her stride and shot off towards the princess like a bolt of lightning, her momentum so terrifying that most people didn''t even realize she had made her move before she was almost in the face of the crimson-haired princess, her greatsword aimed right at her neck.

    Even some of the audience couldn''t help but scream. "Fuck!"

    "So fast?!"

    A resounding ''ng!'' rang out at this moment, and the princess seemed to have used her sword to barely change the trajectory of the heavy greatsword while ducking to avoid it at the same time.

    The great general wasn''t perturbed at all, though, and controlled the greatsword just enough to avoid it mming into the ground. Using the remaining momentum, she spun on her heel and struck right back at her opponent again.

    This time, her greatsword could only m onto the empty ground with a boom, however, leaving the audience dumbfounded.

    The princess had already backflipped to open a safe distance between them.

    "No way, is that thing really that heavy?! How is that girl swinging it around like that, then?!"

    "No no, it must be a sound effect added by the team, right?"

    "T-The stage looks damaged¡­"

    "Who cares? Hello, the princess did such a graceful backflip?!"

    "Too bad she''s wearing tights underneath that dress, ah!"

    "¡­ I''m a little concerned?"

    Back on the stage, the princess didn''t give her surprised opponent the chance to recover. Before the general could correct her stance, she had already rushed right up the armored general''s greatsword, the pointed end of her sword aimed right at her neck.

    The general managed to barely avoid the strike, but the princess still smashed her knee right into her mask, sending the armored woman staggering back in shock and horror.

    Her mask was cracked, and Dixie could tell she must be bleeding from her nose. ''E-Emily wasn''t kidding when she said I''d get beaten up if I held back!''

    It was only then that she realized that Emilia was no longer as weak and fragile as she used to be when they first started training together. Maybe, if she really went all out, Dixie wouldn''t even be able to fight back.

    The realization made the dark-haired girl feel relieved. Since this was the case, there was no need for her to disobey her princess to prevent her from getting hurt, was there?

    Dixie stopped holding back, and aside from restraining her strength to an extent, Emilia also went all out.

    Not to mention the crowd, even Penny was struck dumb by the constant booms and ngs resounding through the stage as they fought all over the ce.

    Many couldn''t even see their movements very clearly, and could only stare silently at the flying sparks and blurred shadows.

    Can people really fight like this in real life?

    At some point, Emilia''s sword broke, and the top half went flying. As it stabbed into the ''wall'' on which Penny was standing, the girl couldn''t help but shiver in fright. ''Mom! I-I almost got turned into skewered Penny!''

    The audience had already been scared silly, worried for the safety of the actors, but just when they were about to heave a sigh of relief, Emilia simply threw the broken sword away and continued fighting by hand.

    Of course, the general wouldn''t discard her own greatsword just because her opponent lost their weapon.

    The princess had a faint edge over the general before, but now anyone could tell that she was somewhat suppressed due to having topletely avoid the greatsword with no way to parry or deflect.

    Just when everyone thought her defeat was imminent, however, the princess suddenly shot forward like lightning, far faster than she had been before, and the great general didn''t even realize when an explosive kicknded on her wrist, sending her greatsword flying.

    Dixie found herself pinned face down on the ground, the soft palm of her princess gently grasping the back of her neck.

    Emilia''s expression was firm and indomitable, but those who knew her could feel the gentleness in her voice. "Great General of Krass¡­ admit defeat!"

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 Chapter 405 Legend of The Blue Moon Queen

    Chapter 405 Legend of The Blue Moon Queen©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Princess Emily¡¯s victory over the great general of Krass became widely known as the beginning of her legend, one which slowly but surely overtook all the surrounding kingdoms.

    For decades, the only news they got back from their great general had been of victory and sess, and the fury of the kingdom of Krass at this unexpected ¡®retreat¡¯ became the fire that ended up burning its own master.

    Since even the great general wasn¡¯t enough, they could only use ¡®other means¡¯ to repay this tiny kingdom for their humiliation.

    ¡±We must send in the witch!¡±

    There were a few voices of dissent, but they were quickly silenced. The witch had already exhausted most of her life for research, and the apprentices they had her train had long since failed to learn much.

    Since it was only a matter of time before she ran out of use, why not throw her away first and solve this problem at the same time?

    Unfortunately, this clever idea was bound to fail.

    As it turns out, sending the witch they had been keeping captive for decades to subdue her own daughter wasn¡¯t exactly a very bright idea. Even if she had no way to disobey their orders because of the ve cor, the greatest punishment it could inflict was only death.

    What was it supposed to do to stop her frommitting suicide? Kill her?

    Her mission had been to enter the Kingdom of Cornflower as a ¡®refugee¡¯, and then spread an incurable gue in the region that would leave thempletely crippled and helpless.

    But all she did was catch a glimpse of her daughter from afar before destroying the potion, and then perished from thebination of the cor¡¯s punishment and her own will.

    All the confidence that the kingdom of Krass had in their incurable poison became no more than wishful thinking in front of a woman willing to give up her own life, and even the ¡®unbeatable weapon¡¯ that they had been cultivating for decades was gone without giving them any results.

    If not for the princess personally inspecting the ¡®suspicious corpse¡¯ and discovering her ¡®simrity¡¯ to the little witch, Perry may not even have known that her mother who went missing for so long had finally returned, though not in a way she could ept.

    Before her death, her mother left her an inheritance orb that let her know her experience and will, as well as the details of everything that led up to her demise, and Perry epted it all, making a solemn promise to herself that she would bring everyone who wronged her mother to justice.

    The princess embraced the crying little witch, feeling her heart twitch in pain. ¡°¡­ Perry¡­ I¡¯ll help you punish everyone who wronged aunty.¡±

    The little witch only cried harder, but after listening to the words of her princess, she realized that perhaps death was a relief to her mother, no matter how much it hurt her to lose her even before their reunion.

    After all the mourning and heartbreak, the incident only fueled her desire to support Emily inpletely uprooting the scourge known as Krass.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the opportunity topletely turn the tides presented itself to them.

    ¡±Princess, I¡¯ve received news that the Great General of Krass has been tried for treason, and imprisoned in their Sky Prison for ten years!¡±

    The little witch couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°Treason?¡±

    Princess Emily hummed. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. With her previous undefeated record, losing so many troops and being forced to retreat by us must have made them suspect her faith. Moreover, the great general is a woman who never took on a personal ve, and doesn¡¯t participate in cannibalism.¡±

    To put it simply, if not for her military merits and talent, the great general was nothing but an outcast in the Krass society. Loathed by many, and liked by none but her closestrades in the army.

    The crimson-haired princess wasn¡¯t one to waste an opportunity, and immediately set off with the little witch in the direction of the Sky Prison of Krass.

    A few dayster, the news of the Sky Prison¡¯s copse struck the war council of Krass like thunder, and they immediately panicked.

    No one could tell how many of the prisoners had perished and how many escaped, but the only thing they cared about was that the great general¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be found.

    ¡±We should have killed her immediately instead of giving her the chance to repent!¡±

    ¡±If only the chief adviser hadn¡¯t coveted her so-called ¡®talent¡¯!¡±

    Things only got worse when they learned that the Cornflower Princess had ¡®pardoned¡¯ and knighted their ¡®Great General¡¯ as the ¡®Shadow Warden¡¯, and that woman would now be leading their most elite troops in battle.

    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret, and now they could only prepare to face the sharpest de they used to stab their enemies with themselves.

    With the ¡®Shadow Warden¡¯ on her side, the Cornflower Princess transformed from a ¡®difficult opponent¡¯ to a genuine threat, and no one dared to take her lightly anymore.

    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t reject the five-year ceasefire treaty from the Kingdom of Krass, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Of course, they could only regret itter. After all, five years was more than enough time for the princess to grow tenfold, while their own situation remained the same.

    But as always, there was still no medicine for regret.

    Princess Emily¡¯s charisma and leadership ability seemed to rise higher and higher, and her rtionship with the little witch also changed from friendship to something more subtle, though many in the audience continued to doubt the reality.

    Five years passed much too soon for the nobles in the Kingdom of Krass, and as they feared, the time came for their retribution.

    With Perry¡¯s witchcraft and the Shadow Warden, the Cornflower Princess slowly but surely started upying and reforming territories that had previously been captured and ravaged by Krass troops, and the dominant kingdom could onlyment their fate for provoking this evil star.

    Putting up a desperate struggle proved to be even more fruitless than they expected.

    Their half-assed potions and spells seemed to be no match at all for the witch on the enemy¡¯s side,nding them in a precarious situation in every battle. And both the Cornflower Princess and the Shadow Warden tore through their armies and struck such terror into the troops that most surrendered the first chance they got.

    This way, not only did their resistance not chip away at the enemy¡¯s resistance, but fueled them instead!

    The fall that they never imagined woulde for their great kingdom suddenly became an eventuality, and they could only wait for their turn like a turtle in a jar.

    When the Kingdom of Krass finally fell, the Cornflower Princess finally epted the title of ¡®Queen¡¯, and made a deration from the top of the Krass Royal Pce that left every other kingdom dumbfounded.

    ¡±From this day forth, I, Queen Emily, dere the use of ve cors, or anything that takes away the independent will of an intelligent creature, ouwed!¡±

    She even went to say that while she could only enforce thew in her own territory for now, any kingdom or empire that used such things should ¡®reconsider it soon or face the consequences¡¯.

    Many still didn¡¯t take it seriously, until two monthster, when she dered war on another neighboring Kingdom as soon as she had finished consolidating her power.

    The witch called her ¡®my moonlight¡¯, and Queen Emily soon became known as the Blue Moon Queen. Wherever her light fell, people would be free, one way or the other.

    They could be punished, imprisoned, or executed, but never stripped away from their thoughts and words.

    Before many were done digesting this news, another small kingdom fell at the hands of the Blue Moon Queen, and it finally dawned on the various kings and emperors that this was no longer just a girl who became the queen of a small kingdom through luck, but an empress who might soon take their crowns.

    With their own interests on line, it didn¡¯t take long for many to form an alliance to ¡®resist the tyrant¡¯, and Emily soon found herself facing the same situation she had years ago ¡ª outnumbered and with little hope of victory.

    But in the face of hopeless odds, Emilia only smiled.

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    When the curtain fell at such a scene, the audience couldn¡¯t help but be momentarily dumbfounded.

    Momentster, the curtain opened again, but this time the entire ¡®crew¡¯ faced them with smiles, and bowed.

    The ¡®director¡¯ stepped forward, her eyes slightly teary. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for watching. I hope you enjoyed our performance! We did the best we could, and I¡¯m so, so grateful to everyone who helped us make this dreame true!¡±

    Of course, only she and themander knew what this ¡®dream¡¯ really was, but that wasn¡¯t important.

    The audience finally epted that the y was really over, and started to apud them generously.

    It wouldn¡¯t be right to call it wless, but most of them couldn¡¯t deny that they had been enraptured and captivated by the stars of the show. The reluctance in their hearts when they realized it was over was proof enough.

    Some of the audience couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°To be honest, I feel like this kind of y would have looked a thousand times better with some special effects. When the undefeated army of twenty teenagers marched¡­ I almost fell off my seat.¡±

    There were a few chuckles, but one of them couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in denial. ¡°I mean, if they can get an actress half as pretty as that princess, I¡¯m all for it, but otherwise, I feel like this show would lose its charm, you know?¡±

    Their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected announcement on stage.

    ¡±Everyone, although the show is over, there will be an interview featuring our main characters in thirty minutes, hosted live on this stage by our channel partners. If you would like, please stick around!¡±

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 Chapter 406 Seeds of Revolution

    Chapter 406 Seeds of Revolution©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The interviewer who came to the stage was handpicked by Noelle, and had already been briefed on the questions she needed to raise as well as the points she needed to emphasize ording to Emilia¡¯s requirements.

    Of course, the first person she interviewed was not the lead actor, but the director.

    ¡±Miss, your y was titled ¡®The Princess, The Witch, and The Frog¡¯, was it inspired by the ssic with a simr name?¡±

    The petite ¡®director¡¯ rubbed her nose in embarrassment. ¡°To an extent, yes, but ¡®The Frog¡¯ in the title does not refer to the prince at all, but is part of the idiom ¡®Frog at the bottom of a well¡¯, and the purpose here¡ª¡±

    ¡±¡ªthat¡¯s all I have to say. Actually, I¡¯m not very good with words, so if you want to know more, just ask Emilia. She not only helped me with the story, but also yed the main character.¡±

    The interviewer knew it was her turn to start the act. She quickly agreed and hurriedly shuffled over to Emilia, trying her best to hide her nervousness.

    Although she had already seen their little boss quite a few times by now, and was well aware of her charms, the interviewer had to admit that being so close to the crimson-haired beauty really had apletely different level of impact.

    The purplish-blue eyes that seemed cold as ciers from afar seemed more like rare, delicate gems from up close, and those rose petal lips seemed so soft and fragrant that it was hard to remain professional and avoid staring at them for too long.

    The fact that she hadn¡¯t rushed forward to take a bite should already be worthy of a reward, right?

    When Emilia smiled, the interviewer almost forgot what she was here for, and started introducing herself instead.

    Fortunately, she recovered just in time, feeling cold sweat on her back when she recalled how close she had been to messing everything up. ¡®I-It¡¯s true that beauty is the source of cmity, ah! I almost lost my job!¡¯

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    Everyone knew that the live broadcast of the Imperial Academy¡¯s Annual Events was an extravagant show of the White Deer¡¯s doting on their little princess, but no one managed to guess the program¡¯s true purpose.

    Far from Emilia¡¯s home, in the Blue Dawn Republic, the advertisements and marketing carried out by the show team were hundreds of times more meticulous than anyone could have expected.

    From posters and billboards to online advertisements, and even making promises of freebies and gift vouchers, Noelle¡¯s team did everything they could to make sure that a majority of the Blue Dawn Republic¡¯s poption would end up checking their show out.

    Perhaps it was the result of all these efforts, or the depressing situation of the country, that led most people hoping to find a source of distraction, but on the day of the live broadcast, the viewership was so high that even Noelle didn¡¯t dare to believe that the numbers were right.

    Fortunately, with Emilia personally participating in the show, the first day didn¡¯t turn out to be a disappointment, or their marketing might not have had such a good effect.

    The camera crew and editors Noelle arranged for the show were also some of the best in the world, and knew just which angle each scene should be shot from and what kind of lighting and effect it should have for maximum impact.

    If the people who watched the performance live were entertained, then those who watched the broadcast could be said to be truly impressed.

    As expected of the Imperial Academy, not only was the script original, but all the props and actors were also top-notch. Whether it was their appearance or aura, few could find faults at a nce.

    For people from a developing country on decline, it was impossible not to be envious of others¡¯ good fortune. But at the same time, there was a faint kindling of hope in their hearts as well. If the rumors were to be believed¡­ their situation wasn¡¯t as hopeless as it seemed.

    Everyone had already been watching ¡®Emilia White¡¯ closely before the show started, and their scrutiny of the girl was even more severe once she was on screen. But no matter whether it was her appearance or bearing, it was enough to leave them speechless.

    Moreover, the girl even seemed to be extremely athletic and full of talent, making many stare at her in both envy and admiration.

    Was it really true that money could buy anything?

    The curiosity people had for this little princess of the White Deer Corporation seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.

    The interview on the screen continued regardless of their thoughts, and soon a question came that aroused people¡¯s appetite.

    ¡±While I was watching, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that some of the actors were switched during the performance. Did something happen?¡±

    Emilia nodded generously. ¡°Yes. My friend, Hazel, who was ying the princess before, ended up twisting her leg. And while it wasn¡¯t necessary before, thanks to multiple rehearsals, the changes required the director to stay back and supervise everything herself, so Penny had to step in and act as the witch.¡±

    The interviewer seemed to be momentarily stunned before she regained her senses. ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe that you switched out two of the most crucial characters of the show, and still managed to do so well?!¡±

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ¡°I believe that we should always be prepared to face difficulties, so we already practiced before.¡±

    Those who had been waiting for some spicy gossip couldn¡¯t help but dete in disappointment. With her frank attitude, it seemed unlikely that there was such a conspiracy.

    Of course, many still sneered, thinking that maybe the ¡®rich missy¡¯ didn¡¯t want to take a risk with her image at first, but only jumped in halfway through after she saw the y being well received.

    For most people, however, the way she managed to keep everything going so well despite the unexpected events showed her ability to adapt and prepare for disasters.

    After all, most of the show was focused on her, and while it was easy to overlook other people¡¯s mistakes, hers would be magnified hundreds of times.

    The interviewer coughed. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure if this is an embarrassing question for you, so please feel free not to answer if you wish. But would it be possible to offer some insight into why the princess insisted on marrying the little witch? Was there any special meaning behind it?¡±

    Emilia nodded. ¡°The reason¡­ yes. At first, she was only interested in her because she was ¡®stronger¡¯ than herself. The princess was dazzled by her spells and potions, and admired and respected this ¡®strength¡¯ greatly in her heart. Moreover, the little witch showed her benevolence by rescuing her, remember?¡±

    The interviewer nodded. ¡°Oh, yes. But was there any need to marry her?¡±

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ¡°Maybe it was only a whim at first, her own childish way to avoid her father¡¯s nagging to marry her and bring back and tie down the witch at the same time. But once Perrynded in a crisis¡­ that whim changed to determination.¡±

    The interviewer couldn¡¯t help but scratch her head curiously. ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to distance herself first and then investigate the actual cause of her father¡¯s death?¡±

    Emilia shook her head in denial. ¡°The princess had felt the heart of the witch when she interacted with her for so many days. How could she abandon her at such a moment just to preserve her own reputation? Princess Emily¡¯s marriage to the little witch was proof that not only did she not fear change and public scrutiny, but fearlessly embraced it for the sake of clearing Perry¡¯s name.¡±

    The interviewer tilted her head curiously. ¡°But the princess just ascended the throne, and the people didn¡¯t like the witch, right?¡±

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ¡°No doubt, the people of the Cornflower kingdom didn¡¯t like the little witch at first, but so what? The princess was willing to protect her even when people used her of treason and the murder of the king, so who would dare to look down on herter?¡±

    ¡±What if the princess was wrong?¡±

    Emilia sighed. ¡°Since she truly believed it with all her heart, even if she ended up losing her life in the end, she would naturally have no regrets.¡±

    All her responses were gentle and soft, but they perfectly disyed both her temperament and attitude in a clear-cut way, and even the most critical viewers couldn¡¯t help but be slightly impressed.

    They had to admit, if nothing else, this little princess did know how to speak.

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 Chapter 407 Conveying Sincerity

    <h4>Chapter 407 Conveying Sincerity</h4>

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    In Emilia''s eyes, the Blue Dawn Republic that was being used as a disposable sandbox by the ck Tiger and Gray Wolfe was an opportunity that she would be foolish to let go of.

    The chaotic economy and the distressed masses both desperately needed a way out of the crisis they had been plunged into, but no one seemed to care at all.

    Their own government was too corrupt, the two mega-corporations were too busy fighting each other to care, and no one else seemed willing to dive into these muddy waters.

    Under such circumstances, all she had to do was make them believe that she could be their salvation, and they would follow her of their own free will. And as long as she fulfilled her promise, they would never regret that choice.

    Of course, to really gain their trust and belief, Emilia would have to first show them who she was, and what she could do for them.

    This was why each of her answers revealed another facet of her own nature, without any reservation. Even if not everyone in the Blue Dawn Republic was watching, she believed that they would soon see it for themselvester.

    Emilia believed in herself, and she hoped that, at that time, the people she was trying to convince could also see her sincerity.

    Of course, not all questions were so straightforward and easy to answer. Had that been the case, Emilia believed that the interview would look too scripted and insincere, and that would end uppletely defeating its purpose.

    This was why she only requested for certain questions to be included in the interview, and nothing else. If the interviewer wanted to ask more, she could, and Emilia would answer her to the best of her ability.

    The only restriction she had put forth was to make sure the points she wanted to get across weren''t missed.

    Being a human, the spectacled, brown-haired interviewer naturally wasn''t perfect. With Emilia''s charm, it was already hard enough for her to maintain her rhythm and professional attitude, even if it was only on the surface.

    It didn''t take long for her to finish most of the ''required'' questions, and then start indulging her own curiosity.

    "So basically, everything that Princess Emily did was what you would have done, right?"

    Emilia nodded. "Mhm. When my friends wereing up with the script, they based herpletely off of my personality. Later on, I also took part in refining her character, so we can be considered one and the same."

    The interviewer stared at her with a fascinated smile. "You''re so¡­ Ahh¡ª!"

    Knowing she was close to messing up, the brte quickly came up with a question off the top of her head. "A-Anyway, t-there''s one thing I don''t get. The great general was clearly an enemy, right? The way she was given another chance¡­ wasn''t it too risky?"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully, and just when the other girl was about to turn green from regret, she smiled. "Some people always regret what they have done once they face the consequences of their actions, but some¡­ never ask for redemption. Which one do you think is more worthy of a second chance?"

    The brte breathed a sigh of relief once she realized that her little boss didn''t really mind the question, and then seriously started considering her response. "Uh¡­ it should be the ones who regret, right? It shows that, deep down, they must not be so bad after all."

    Emilia shook her head in denial. "Regretting it only when you face the consequences¡­ what you regret is not that youmitted the crime, but that you were caught, don''t you think?"

    The interviewer was stunned, but when she thought about it, she could only nod. "That¡­ makes sense?"

    The crimson-haired girl nodded. "Although it earned her both glory and fortune, the great general knew what she did had led to too many people losing their freedom and lives. When faced with the consequences, she did not beg for forgiveness, and that was because she believed she deserved it."

    Thinking about the character of the general, she smiled. "When given the chance, she agreed to fight for the princess for the rest of her life, and helped her free more and more people from very. Even then, the great general never believed she was free of all fault. I believe that such a person can be considered truly worthy of redemption."

    Plus, the general had a talent worthy of being cherished, but Emilia didn''t include that in her answer. ''Hmph, even if someone is talented, as long as their attitude isn''t right, I won''t necessarily give them a second chance.''

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Why not add ''unless they were really, really cute'' to that thought?"

    Emilia sent her an innocent smile. ''Eh? I wouldn''t do that.''

    "Wouldn''t you?"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. ''Well¡­ unless they were as cute as you, no.''

    Cynthia decided to shut up and go into istion to avoid being driven up a wall, only to hear her partner''s cheeky ''Bye Bye~'' there as well.

    Recalling how nowhere was ''safe'' for her anymore, the raven-haired girl could only gloomily decide to ignore her partner.

    Unlike Cynthia, however, most of the audience and the interviewer took Emilia''s words at face value, and couldn''t help but be impressed by her ''mature thoughts''.

    Even if she couldn''t do it in a real scenario, the fact that this little girl was able to think about it on her own was enough to prove to many that she was both intelligent and charismatic on a level that waspletely different from her peers.

    The great general might have been ''unforgivable'' for many, having participated in enforcing both very and cannibalism, even if it was only indirectly. But in Emilia''s words, since she was only a tool for their enemy, wasn''t it better to allow her a chance to undo the harm she had caused instead of executing her to vent their anger?

    Since the general grew up in Krass, thinking about it rationally, it made sense that she''d never had such an ''opportunity'' presented to her before.

    Of course, some people would argue that once one had their hands dirtied, the stain could never be washed off, but that wasn''t an argument Emilia was interested in getting into. Even if it was true, the objective of ''Princess Emily'' had not been to make the world perfect, but to abolish the use of ve cors.

    Benevolence, gratitude, forbearance, and redemption.

    Even for the interviewer, it was hard not to be moved, and she couldn''t help but feel a littleplicated in her heart. "Do you¡­ also trust someone like that?"

    The crimson-haired beauty turned away shyly, a charming blush on her cheeks. "Yes."

    The brte gulped, wondering why she felt so restless all of a sudden. "T-That''s great! I-I¡­ uh¡­ Oh! Right, at the end of it all, the princess must have won, right?"

    Emilia remained silent for a while before she tapped her lips, smiling mysteriously. "Who knows? What matters most is that she did everything that she could."

    The interviewer bit her lip in thought. "But wouldn''t it be sad if she ended up losing?"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Sad? Of course, the princess would be heartbroken that she couldn''t realize her ideals, couldn''t fulfill her dreams, and couldn''t show her lover the world that she dreamed of. One where no one could be stripped of their own free will. But¡­ wouldn''t it have been even more unfortunate if she never even tried?"

    The brte interviewer was also just a young girl in herte twenties, but she couldn''t help but feel a little ashamed of how self-centric she waspared to this girl, who was much younger than her. "W-Would you really go so far for what you believed in?"

    Emilia just smiled. "I believe actions speak louder than words. Wait for me. In a few days, I''ll prove to everyone that it''s not just my lips that move for justice, but also my heart!"

    When the interview ended, the image of a blooming cornflower stayed on the screen, and the people of the Blue Dawn Republic couldn''t help but stare at it with a heated gaze.

    This was their national flower, a noble blue that stood out from the masses, and yet, at the same time, it also seemed to gently ept and embrace them.

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 Chapter 408 Mom, is that a clown?

    <h4>Chapter 408 Mom, is that a clown?</h4>

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    After her interview was over, Emilia decided to spend the next few minutes praising and pampering the ''children'' who helped organize the y to express her gratitude, much to the delight of a certain mander''.

    "With this, I don''t need to hand anything out from my personal collection as a reward, perfect!"

    With over a hundred students in line, it was inevitable that Emilia ended up spending more than a few minutes just listening to their gushing introductions and how delighted they were to finally talk to her in person.

    Emilia had no idea that her attempt to impress the people of the Blue Dawn Republic ended up making her existing ''fans'' even more fanatical and star-struck than before, and only thought they were being adorably exaggerated as always.

    Of course, the ones who had been waiting for the opportunity to introduce themselves to Emilia soon realized that they might not stand a chance, and could only leave with their heads hanging in disappointment.

    Even if some recognized Sam in the audience, they didn''t dare approach the cold beauty in person for fear of creating a negative impression instead. After all,pared to her cheerful and charming younger sister, the older girl was like a heartless iceberg.

    As for the ones without ulterior motives, since most of their curiosities had already been answered in the interview, they left in a good mood without worries.

    Naturally, not everyone was in a ''good mood'' after the show. In fact, one of Emilia''s ''special guests'' looked like he had swallowed a fly.

    "See, big bro, I told you that the first actress was different!"

    Jake''s smug tone at the moment couldn''t be masked even if he tried his best, and he wasn''t trying very hard in the first ce.

    Recalling how derisive the dark-haired man had been of his opinion before, the blond boy couldn''t help but feel refreshed from this proverbial p to the face. ''See, you can''t even recognize the girl you''re chasing after, and still have the guts to make fun of others?''

    He knew that if there was one thing Alexander hated more than someone ''looking down'' on him or stealing his spotlight, that would be ''being proven wrong'', especially if he had no way to fight back.

    Not to mention, with the fragile ego of his ''big bro'', it was impossible not to be ''offended'' by Emilia''s performance.

    The blond boy knew that while Alexander might prefer to ''date'' girls who had some limelight, it only needed to be enough to ''catch his attention''. Any more than that, and he would personally step in to snuff that light out.

    There was no way to tell if these actions stemmed from insecurity or possessiveness, but there was nock of small actresses he had ''buried'' in this way.

    Of course, no matter how bad his mood was, Alexander wouldn''t ''lower himself'' to argue with his pdog'', though his dark re was more than enough to make the blond boy shut up.

    Even so, his mood didn''t improve at all. While most people started slowly shuffling out, Alexander leaned back on his seat, his face covered in a cloud of gloom. "What else does she have nned? The ticket was for a week, right?"

    Jake coughed. "Based on the schedule and list of participants, she should be in at least two more events."

    Alexander almost couldn''t wait to jump up and go grab Emilia to teach her a lesson, but managed to restrain himself in time when he saw the silver-haired girl in the front row. "¡­ Let''s go."

    One day, he''ll teach this girl how to behave in front of him, but now was not the time.

    While he was storming out, however, the dark-haired man ended up crashing into someone headfirst. But even if it was his fault, how could Alexander ept that?

    The dark-haired man might just overlook it if he was in a good mood, but it was naturally impossible for him to do in his current state.

    Not to mention, this was the second time on the same day that he crashed into this man. How could there be such a coincidence?

    "You again!"

    The buff blond boy, Johnny, was so terrified of this second confrontation that it immediately triggered his fight or flight instinct, and he dashed away in a sh.

    Johnny didn''t even realize that he had thrown a punch at the other man''s face before running away.

    And while Jake was trying his best to suppress hisughter as he followed his ''big bro'' who was storming out in impotent rage, a prepubescent boy pointed at the dark-haired man''s red nose in excitement.

    "Mom, look, there''s a clown!"

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    Emilia had just washed her hands from the unexpected fan meeting when Noelle arrived backstage with the ''unexpected news''. "Really?"

    Seeing her nod, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but shake her head with a rueful smile. "I never thought someone could be worse than Amos¡­ but thepetition is tough, huh?"

    Hearing the name ''Amos'', Crystal immediately jumped up from her mother''s side. "What''s going on? I didn''t see that idiot among the audience before, is he really here?"

    "No, I wasn''t talking about him, justparing him to someone..." Since everyone she personally invited was there, Emilia felt a little ufortable sharing the news she was going to temporarily ''suppress'', but since she slipped up, she could only confess. "Alexander got beaten up by an aunty outside when he tried to hit her son."

    While her friends were all familiar with the name, the ''adults'' couldn''t help but be a little confused.

    "Who is Alexander?"

    The way Penny''s mother stared at her was a little too scary, and Emilia couldn''t help but turn to Noelle for help.

    Before the gray-haired girl could respond, Sam couldn''t take her little sister being so pitiful in front of so many ''aunties'', and decided to help her out. "¡­ He''s a ''prominent'' businessman trying to pursue Emilia, one-sided, of course."

    Penny''s mother immediately because disinterested, knowing how troublesome it was to write about these types of people, but Koko''s mother frowned. "Chasing after miss Emilia? How old is he?"

    Sam shrugged. "I don''t remember, but he should be around forty, maybe?"

    Koko''s mom and Mrs. Miller couldn''t help but curse at the same time. "Shameless!"

    The two of them looked at each other in surprise before nodding.

    "How could someone more than twice her age be so¡ª?"

    "How could he try to pry my daughter''s¡ª!"

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 Chapter 409 The Knightâ€™s â€™Secretâ€™ Nature

    <h4>Chapter 409 The Knight''s ''Secret'' Nature</h4>

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    Although not a ''genius'' like her daughter, Mrs. Miller''s mind was naturally far from slow. She was only halfway through being outraged at someone trying ''pry her daughter''s corner'' when she realized her mistake.

    Even if her daughter had all her little girlfriends wrapped around her fingers, their mothers wouldn''t necessarily support that type of rtionship if they came to know of it, would they?

    After all, it took her a while toe to terms with such an unconventional thing herself, and Mrs. Miller considered herself quite a bit more ''open-minded'' than most.

    Thinking of all the fierce parents interfering with her daughter''s rtionship and cutting her off from the only few ''friends'' she''d managed to connect with after being alone for so long, Mrs. Miller quickly made up her mind.

    Seeing how everyone else was now staring at her in either confusion or curiosity, she coughed in embarrassment. "I-I mean, how could he try to hit on my daughter''s friend? S-She''s clearly out of his league. He looks dumb!"

    Koko''s mom couldn''t help but rub her chin in confusion. "Out of her league? Well, yeah, he doesn''t look very attractive or smart either, but isn''t it worse that he''s more than twice her age? Talk about an old cow trying to chew young grass! Dating should be strictly between peers."

    Sam and Noelle, who were hit by ''stray arrows'' could only pretend not to have heard anything.

    Fortunately, although Emilia was amused by their reactions, she didn''t let them continue ''suffering'', and invited them for refreshments and snacks that had already been arranged in the ''Disciplinary Committee''s Office''.

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    Noelle had already had her study table reced with arger round table to amodate all the food and drinks, which was in turn arranged by the staff at The Fawn''s.

    Naturally, everything had to at least match the standard of a five-star restaurant, and was meticulously prepared by the restaurant''s overenthusiastic manager in person.

    Emilia''s friends were already used to such treatment, but some of their parents couldn''t help but be surprised.

    Fortunately, the crimson-haired beauty was an attentive host, and made sure everyone wasfortable, including Penny''s parents.

    Feeling her husband poking her ribs, Penny''s mother threw a scathing re, making the man subconsciously shrink back as he whispered. "I-I just wanted to say that Penny''s obsession doesn''t look so unreasonable now, right?"

    Of course, he still didn''t approve of his daughter''s somewhat extreme fanaticism. He didn''t even understand where she got it from!

    Penny''s mother paused for only a moment before she snorted softly. "Of course it''s not unreasonable. If I wasn''t already married to you, I''d join her."

    "¡­?!"

    Was his wife always so frank about putting a green hat on his head?

    But not to mention getting angry, he couldn''t even try topete with this ''potential rival''. If he really fought a little girl his daughter''s age, wouldn''t he just die from shame? That is, if Penny, that loony little daughter of his, didn''t kill him first.

    The man decided it was better to speak less. Wasn''t life so good just five minutes ago? Why did he have to go digging into things he didn''t need to?!

    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret, though wine did ''help''. The only regretful thing was that there was only some mild fruit wine on the table, which was far from enough to get him wasted.

    Crystal had obviously never had any before, though, so even with the low alcoholic content, she still got buzzed and started ''teasing'' Emilia, who didn''t seem to mind at all.

    The blonde heroine pouted as she threw her arms around the crimson-haired beauty. "Why do you always bully me?!"

    Emilia blinked innocently as she naturally shifted their chairs closer and wrapped an arm around the girl''s waist to keep her from falling. "Why would I bully such a cute girl?"

    Crystal humphed. "You took Penny and Dixie to y with you on stage, but you didn''t ask me to act."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. "Would you have enjoyed it?"

    The blonde girl was stunned for a moment, but soon shook her head hesitantly. "¡­ N-No, but¡­ I-I''d go if you asked!"

    Emilia smiled. "See, how can I make you do something you wouldn''t like?"

    Crystal could only pout and turn her gaze to Dixie, who was innocently peeling a shrimp on her right. "Did you have fun on the show?"

    "¡­? I-I had fun ying around with Emily, y-yeah¡ª"

    Crystal narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "But you got your face smashed?"

    The dark-haired girl coughed. "T-That doesn''t matter, right¡­?"

    The blonde heroine rolled her eyes as she mumbled ''I knew you were a masochist'', making Dixie almost choke on her own saliva.

    Fortunately, Crystal''s mumble was soft enough that only Emilia and Dixie could hear it, or the dark-haired girl might have suffered from another social death.

    Looking at the curious gaze of her princess, though, Dixie grit her teeth in annoyance. ''I-If Crystal doesn''t apologize to me aftering back to her senses, I will, uh, I-I will make fun of her in our chat group for a whole week! Y-Yeah!''

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    Emilia''s body was naturally tireless, but that clearly wasn''t the case for herpanions.

    Since the events they were participating in next were towards the end of the week, Emilia hadn''t felt any need to stop them from overindulging, though.

    The crimson-haired girl wasn''t sure if they ended up over stuffing themselves, or if the fruit wine wasn''t as mild as it imed, but by the time the sun went down, except for Noelle and Sam, everyone else already appeared exhausted.

    Looking at even Penny''s ''robust'' father nodding his head absentmindedly, Emilia couldn''t help but purse her lips. "I don''t feel safe letting them head home by themselves. Let''s drop them off?"

    Noelle hummed. "Alright, I''ll arrange a limo."

    Sam grinned as she threw her arms around the gray-haired girl. "I never knew you''d give me a day off without even asking!"

    The older girl smiled. "Oh? It''s good that you didn''t expect it, or you''d be disappointed."

    Sam''s ecstatic expression froze. "Huh?!"

    Emilia could only hug her dispirited older sister in constion. "Don''t worry, big sister, I''ll give you a massage to relieve your stress when you return, okay?"

    Sam sniffed. "How can I make you work so hard after such a long day? Just sleep."

    Emilia stood on her tiptoes and smiled as she pressed a kiss up on the older girl''s cheek. "You know I don''t get tired. I''ll wait for you to return."

    Just as Sam was about to cry from being moved, Noelle finished arranging for the limousine, and dragged her away to clear her day''s pending work.

    After Emilia waved them goodbye, she slowly guided everyone to the limo like a shepherd would a flock of sheep, making sure none of them went astray or got lost.

    "Be careful of the wall, aunty!"

    Koko''s mother jolted as she realized how close she had been to painting her face on the wall. "I-I''m awake!"

    Unfortunately, her alertness onlysted for a few moments before her mind became blurry again. Emilia could only sigh and continue being a good little shepherd girl.

    Thankfully, she soon encountered some ''knights'' on the way, who happily helped her escort everyone to the limo.

    "Thank you!"

    "I-It''s our pleasure, princess!"

    "Anything for you!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile happily, and she even kissed all four of the girls who had helped her on their cheeks before waving them goodbye, leaving them standing there in a daze.

    Cynthia shuddered. "G-Get in the car quickly! I feel like those perverts are about to jump you!"

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled as she closed the door leisurely after making sure everyone was inside. ''Don''t be like that, Cynthia. They''re so adorable and helpful, ahh, I feel lucky that they like me so much!''

    "¡­"

    Emilia didn''t pay much attention to her partner''s speechlessness, and quickly told the driver all the locations he needed to stop at before heading home.

    Fortunately, Noelle had arranged a limo that was big enough tofortably amodate up to twenty people, so even if someone was tired, they could just lie down.

    Crystal and Penny''s homes weren''t too far from the school, though they were in opposite directions. Koko''s home was further away, though, and by the time they were done sending the girl off with her mother, both Crystal and Mrs. Miller had already dozed off in the car, and even Dixie was blinking stupidly, as if only half awake.

    Emilia giggled at the dark-haired girl''s desperate attempts at warding off sleep. "It''s okay to close your eyes, you know? Do you think I''ll lock you in the car if you fall asleep?"

    Had she been fully awake, Dixie would surely have vehemently denied that such ''absurd thoughts'' could ever cross her mind, but as it was, she could only dumbly shake her head from side to side.

    Emilia couldn''t help but squeeze the girl''s face with an amused smile. "So cute."

    Despite having both her cheeks pinched, Dixie only continued to stare at her stupidly, wondering why her princess kept multiplying into two.

    Only she knew howplicated she felt about it. Her princess was so perfect, how could there be another? It just made no sense, no matter how hard she thought about it.

    Not that Dixie could think very hard at the moment.

    Fortunately, they managed to reach the White Deer''s mansion before the dark-haired girl fell asleep.

    Since Emilia had decided to let Mrs. Miller sleep in her guest room, Dixie quickly offered to help Emilia carry her up. "I-I''ll carry auntie, she must be heavier."

    Emilia looked at her ''trying my best to help'' expression, and sighed. ''She''s never carried Crystal before, has she?''

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 Chapter 410 Red Plum

    <h4>Chapter 410 Red Plum</h4>

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    Although she didn''t appear particrly heavy, Emilia knew firsthand just how deceptive Crystal''s appearance was. Compared to her mother, it wouldn''t surprise her at all if the blonde girl weighed three, or even four times as much.

    Emilia hadn''t paid it much attention before, but when she really thought about it, she couldn''t help but find it a little strange. ''Could it be because of her ability? But Dixie doesn''t seem to have a higher body density, and she has an ''ability'' as well, right?''

    "Princess?"

    Looking at Dixie''s confused appearance, the crimson-haired girl quickly shook off her strange thoughts. "Alright, you carry aunty, then, but be careful. If you drop her, I can''t promise to protect you from Crystal''s scolding!"

    Dixie pouted as she picked the sleeping older woman in her arms. "I won''t drop her."

    Emilia hummed, but still motioned for Michelle, her ever dutiful ''maid'', to watch over the two of them closely.

    The short-haired girl happily rushed to the knight''s side, clearly delighted at finally receiving a ''task''. "Leave it to me, princess! After all those luxurious meals, I can now act as a qualified cushion if they fall."

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    With Crystal''s mother tucked in a separate guest room, and Dixie dozing off into dreand the moment her head touched the pillow, Emilia decided she might as well tuck Crystal into the same bed as well.

    Although her blood and fluids could grant them both immortality and youth, the crimson-haired girl preferred not to disturb their sleep if she could.

    After all, a good night''s sleep not only helped their bodies remain healthy, but also allowed them to have a better mood the next day.

    Plus, she could always y around and have fun with Sam when she returned.

    Or so she thought.

    Less than an hour after she arrived at home, Emilia received a call from Noelle. "Big sister is flying to the capital? Like¡­ right now?"

    "Yeah. Mr. and Mrs. White need someone trustworthy to manage things there until they''ve dealt with something urgent."

    Emilia frowned. "What happened?"

    "I''m also not sure, all I know is that they were called by the government. My guess is it should be either because they are displeased with the global situation¡­ or something rted to the military. Should we¡­ temporarily stop our ns?"

    From the older girl''s tone, Emilia could already tell it wasn''t anything good.

    The crimson-haired girl hesitated for a moment before shaking her head in denial. "No need for now, let''s keep going. But if the situation changes, let me know right away, alright?"

    Since Oriana''s government has always worked hand in hand with the top corporations for maximum benefits, going so far as to ignore multiplews, it was unlikely that they would take any drastic steps without reason.

    Noelle knew that the younger girl might be worried, so she quickly tried to assure her. "Alright. I''ll continue taking care of things here. And¡­ Sam told me she''ll try her best to return before your event, so don''t worry. I''ll also be there."

    Emilia sighed. "I''m more worried about you working yourself to death. Why not drop by tonight to rx once you''re done with work?"

    The gray-haired girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, but her response was still negative. "I''ll sleep in the office tonight. I don''t feel like riding back and forth again."

    Emilia could tell from her guilty tone that the girl probably just didn''t want her to know she wouldn''t fall asleep till like four in the morning, if at all.

    She frowned. "Okay, I won''t disturb you, but no excuses tomorrow night, okay? Or¡­ I might do something you won''t like?"

    Noelle coughed. "O-Okay, don''t worry. I''ll finish work and sleep on time."

    Emilia rolled her eyes when the older girl hung up in a hurry.

    With her physique, it was naturally impossible for the crimson-haired girl to be physically tired, but she still felt a little mentally exhausted. "The government, huh? I hope everything goes well with my sister and the parents. Any guesses what could be up, Cynthia?"

    With only silence as her response, Emilia guessed that her partner must be sleeping soundly in istion. ''What azy bum!''

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''I thought I could still have some fun, but looks like I''ll be sleeping alone tonight.''

    Emilia had a vague feeling that she was forgetting something, and a few momentster, her eyes snapped open. ''Wait a minute¡­ isn''t this the perfect opportunity to clear all my dues with Cynthia?!''

    Recalling all the past ounts that had yet to be settled, the crimson-haired girl quickly dived into her soul scape, and easily slipped into the now-familiar istion chamber.

    Looking at the petite girl in ck gauze snoring softly on the massive nest of red cushions, though, Emilia quickly lost the will to ''punish'' her.

    "¡­ How can she look so cute?"

    Squeezing her partner''s chubby little cheeks, Emilia sighed. "Forget it. I''ll have my fun with you when you''re not resting."

    The ''sleeping'' raven-haired girl gulped, and then froze, hoping against hope that her movements weren''t noticed by her viiness.

    Emilia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You''re not sleeping at all, are you?"

    "I-I''m asleep!"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Cynthia meekly opened her eyes and shrank back in regret. "¡­ Sorry. P-Please don''t hit me."

    Emilia rolled her eyes in exasperation as she plopped down next to her, pulling the startled girl into herp. "You really like to test my patience, don''t you?"

    Cynthia was just about to open her mouth when she felt the crimson-haired beauty bite her left earlobe yfully, and froze.

    What''s going on? Was the punishment stilling?

    If so, what was the point of abandoning her pride to act like a baby?!

    The raven-haired girl was instantly furious at being ''deceived'', and was just about to shoot herself in the foot when Emilia sighed, the crimson-haired girl''s hot breath brushing against the back of her neck.

    She pulled Cynthia deeper into her embrace and snuggled into her nape affectionately. "Noelle told me that Mr. and Mrs. White have been called by the government to discuss something tonight. What do you think is going on?"

    Cynthia took a few moments to process the fact that she had just narrowly avoided angering her partner when she''d already ''seeded'', and it was only then that Emilia''s words entered her ears.

    "Wait¡­ the government called them sote at night?"

    Emilia hummed, feeling a little amused as she thought about how Cynthia didn''t even realize she was being teased, since her brain was already overloaded with too much information.

    The raven-haired girl frowned, her mind spinning rapidly as she considered the situation. "From what I recall, the government of this country didn''t really interfere much in the matters of the big corporations, as long as they continued making more and more money. I don''t see any reason why things should have changed from the original timeline?"

    Emilia nodded. "Could they be concerned about the ck Tiger''s recent losses? But¡­ didn''t they not do anything when the White Deer suffered much worse in the original timeline?"

    Cynthia sighed. "The ck Tiger then had the hero on their side, and the ''world will'' was also at its full power. Naturally, as long as they have a positive impression of him, the ''world will'' would be able to intensify that feeling, making many things work out in their favor. That will never be the case for us."

    Emilia frowned, but even after she considered things like that, it didn''t make sense. "Wait¡­ could it be because we interfered with political matters before, so they''re more wary of us now?"

    Cynthia blinked. "You mean with Bianca''s father, and that whole fiasco before?"

    The crimson-haired girl nodded, and the two of them sank into silence.

    If things really developed in an unfavorable direction, it was possible that all her ns would have to be put off forter.

    It may not cause her to fail, but Emilia still didn''t like the feeling of the situation spiraling out of her control. "Although they all assured me not to worry¡­ I think it might be best to keep a closer on this matter."

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    Meanwhile, in the capital of Oriana, Mr. and Mrs. White had already been escorted to a private meeting chamber by a robust man in ck.

    "Please enter, Mr. President is waiting."

    The couple nodded as they confidently stepped into the somewhat dimly lit room, and the door was gently closed behind them.

    There was only one man waiting for them in the room, no bodyguards, assistants, or secretaries.

    The capital of the Oriana country was called the Red Plum City, but most people ''affectionately'' called it the ''Bloody Red'' instead. Naturally, such a name wouldn''t be given without a reason.

    Under such circumstances, to say that the president didn''t even go to the toilet without protection would still be an understatement.

    This was because although the Oriana country had managed to grow rapidly in the past few years thanks to its radical policies, the government itself had gathered a lot of negative attention and hate, both domestically and internationally.

    Not a single year went by without a top government official being the target of a high-profile assassination attempt, though very few seeded in the end.

    The man that the couple was facing right now was the one who had survived a majority of those ''attempts'', and also the one who single-handedly controlled most of the high-level decisions of the Oriana country.

    In front of him, although they didn''t have to be nervous, even Mr. and Mrs. White had to tread with caution.

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 Chapter 411 Coercion and Cooperation

    <h4>Chapter 411 Coercion and Cooperation</h4>

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    After greeting each other politely, it didn''t take long for the president to reveal the purpose of his ''summons'' to Mr. and Mrs. White.

    "Recently, I''ve been hearing a lot of talk about how the ck Tiger is suffering at the hands of the Gray Wolfe on the international stage, but I don''t really understand all the ins and outs of the matter. Could the two of you enlighten this old man?"

    Naturally, neither of them believed his nonsense. Although recently he had been losing some ground, the political situation of the country still remained firmly in his control.

    Could such a person remain unaware of major events that even themon folk knew?

    Mrs. White smiled. "Mr. President must be joking. How can we be privy to details that can elude even your eyes? All we really know about the situation is that the two of them suddenly startedpeting fiercely. We''re just an unrted third party."

    The aged man sighed. "Is that so? But I heard your business has been booming all over the world in the past few months. To be able to make such progress at this time while being unclear about the situation¡­ I envy your ''luck''."

    Mr. White seemed embarrassed, but his wife just nodded. "To be honest, we have always had a lot of trouble with the ck Tiger, so now that they''re distracted targeting someone else, it''s only natural for us to do much betterpared to before."

    The president paused, seemingly considering her words.

    Obviously, it was impossible for him to be unaware of the high-profile rivalry between the two top corporations in his country. After all, the few times things had gotten violent, for the police and military to not make a move required him to have instructed them not do so.

    The reason Oriana country changed so much in the past few decades was precisely because he didn''t care about ''small matters'', as long as the overall economy of the country kept improving.

    Law and order were just tools that had to be used the right way at the right time, as far as he was concerned.

    After a few moments of tense silence, the aged man nodded. "I understand. Everyone wants to grow stronger, and no one wants to be weaker than their opponents. This is true for the ck Tiger, and this is true for you as well. However¡­ this country cannot do without either of you. Understand?"

    Mrs. White narrowed her eyes, and her husband frowned. "What does this mean, Mr. President?"

    The aged man smiled ''kindly''. "You''re both smart people. I believe there is no need for me to beat around the bush. Regardless of what happened in the past, the ck Tiger''s roots still belong to this country. And as fellow citizens¡­ should you not stand together in times of need?"

    He didn''t give either of them time to interject, and pushed his chair back with a satisfied nod, clearly expressing his intent to ''end'' their conversation. "If either of you were to fall below a certain point¡­ I might have to seriously start looking into how the monopolyws are enforced in this country."

    Regardless of their dissatisfied expressions, the president smiled. "This is for the greater good."

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    Although she had been quite anxious the night before, when Emilia really heard of the matter between her parents and the president, her heart remained surprisingly still.

    The ''way out'' that the president decided to give to the ck Tiger was to assign them along with the White Deer to several high-profile government projects.

    After hearing the specific details of the situation from her older sister, Emilia couldn''t help but find it a little funny.

    These ''cooperations'' were obviously far from equal, with the responsibility distribution being almost ny percent on the White Deer, while the ck Tiger reaped most of the profits.

    No matter how well they did, the ck Tiger would be able to enjoy ten times the profit while leisurely sitting back and watching a good show.

    It was like asking two kids to do chores together, but forcing only one of them to do everything, while giving most of the rewards to the other.

    Had she not been sure that this ''favor'' would soon be reversed, even Emilia would have felt somewhat suffocated from the injustice of it all. As it was, though, she could only find it amusing.

    After all, the more the president favored the ck Tiger right now, the harder he would feel his face had been pped when the corporation''s ''treacherous deeds'' were exposed.

    Emilia sighed. "It''s notpletely unexpected, but still¡­ to be able to ask us to help ck Tiger, who''s been trying to destroy us for so long¡­ wouldn''t we look like idiots if we really agreed? No one else should know the situation would be reversed in the future, after all."

    Cynthia felt like her head was getting too big. ''That''s what she''s concerned about?!''

    Sam sighed. "I guess we''ve been ying passive for so long that they''re used to it, but don''t worry. Even if we look ''easily bullied'' now, it''s only temporary."

    Emilia hummed. "So we still have to pretend, huh?"

    The older girl also felt a little helpless. "Yeah. It won''t do topletely offend the government, so we still have to pretend to ''help'' them. Although I doubt he''s stupid enough to hit the only other lifeline of the country when one is already in jeopardy."

    Emilia giggled. "Never underestimate how stupid people can be, big sis. Of course, I wonder if they''ll still remain so optimistic about the ck Tiger when they discover certain blueprints in the hands of the enemy country."

    Thinking about how much Amos had helped them this time, even Sam couldn''t help but feel a little ''grateful''. After all, if not for him, how could they manage to get their hands on such ''evidence''? Of course, no matter how much she ''pitied'' her opponent for being stupid, it didn''t lower her disgust for him.

    Emilia smiled. "You know what, big sis? I just had a great idea. I''ll have Noelle change the live broadcast to ''highlight'' Amos and ''help'' him improve his image¡­ temporarily. It won''t be too suspicious if I ''help'' him right now, right?"

    After all, the government asked her parents. Of course, poor little Emilia couldn''t be med if something went wrongter.

    Sam blinked, a little confused. "You don''t have to be wronged, baby! As our little princess, you can be unreasonable!"

    Emilia giggled. "Don''t worry, big sister. You leave this matter to me. I promise, the one to be wronged¡­ definitely won''t be me. You just rx ande back soon, okay?"

    Although still a little confused, Sam hummed in agreement. "Okay, I''ll definitely be there before your event. Take care of yourself till then. Bye bye, baby!"

    As soon as Emilia was done with her older sister, she heard her partner scoff.

    "Hmph. You can''t fool me. How can you feel grateful to the hero? Tell me the truth, ahh!"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ''Well... rubbing the opponent''s face into the ground might be fun from time to time, but it gets boring after a while, you know? Why not let him get up a little first? His reaction... should definitely be more fun this way.''

    Cynthia sighed, feeling both proud and a littleplicated. "I knew it. How could my viiness possibly do anything good?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. ''You just have to pick the worst way to say it, don''t you?''

    The raven-haired girl coughed. "A-Anyway, he''s taking part in some quizpetition, right? I''m guessing you''ll frame him for ''cheating'' or something?"

    Emilia pretended to gasp in shock. ''How could you think so lowly of me, Cynthia? When did I ever frame anyone?''

    "¡­ Don''t be too proud."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. ''Okay, well, but you''re still wrong. I don''t need to ''frame'' him at all this time, you see. As always, he''s been digging his own grave. I just have to push him in.''

    Cynthia blinked. "Wait, what do you know that I don''t? Can you stop being so mysterious?!"

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    On Mr. ck''s side, the dark fog full of doom and gloom seemed to have been finally scattered by the morning sun, and Mr. ck''s almost permanently scrunched brows also finally smoothed out.

    Naturally, the president hadn''t approached the White Deer''s leaders on his own, and he had already been ready with multiple agreements before the couple could even think through things properly.

    Of course, they wouldn''t be stupid enough to sign up for things that wouldn''t benefit them in any way at all, just because of a vague threat. If they really did so, it would be the equivalent of putting their head in the bear''s jaw and trusting it not to bite.

    At the same time, however, it was impossible topletely reject the cooperation without offending the government, so the couple decided to use abination of diversionary and dy tactics.

    Mr. ck didn''t think they would simply give in either, though, and their ''concessions'' were already satisfactory enough, as far as he was concerned.

    Although the ck Tiger was suffering quite a bit now, the situation was far from critical, unlike what he had made the president believe. Even if the White Deer dyed all that they could, these projects would eventuallye to fruition sooner orter.

    White Deer''s resources would be tied up, and the ck Tiger would continue growing on their own while also enjoying the fruits of their opponent''sbor.

    In the end, the trend would be reversed, and the one toe out on top... would be his ck Tiger.

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 Chapter 412 Perplexing Decision

    <h4>Chapter 412 Perplexing Decision</h4>

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    Since most people were of the opinion that the ''live broadcast'' was nothing but another way for the White Deer family to show off their beloved daughter, few expected them to show their rival''s face in a good light.

    After all, with their numerous conflicts so far, anyone who looked into the matter could easily discover that things weren''t quite ''right'' between these two.

    Even if the root cause of this ''conflict'' remained unknown, most could guess that it must be rted to the rivalry of their respective parents.

    Of course, some people insisted that Amos and Emilia had a ''love-hate'' rtionship, but these voices were usually ruthlessly suppressed by the girl''s ''rabid'' fan girls, who all seemed to hate the boy with a passion.

    This was why, when ''Prancing Media'' started the third day with a clear shot of the silver-haired boy''s face, most ''naysayers'' were leftpletely dumbfounded.

    Combined with the recent announcements of the two corporations'' joint ventures in major government-backed projects, it was impossible for people to not ''specte'' on certain possibilities.

    Suddenly, from either Emilia or Samantha getting ''engaged'' to Amos, to Mrs. White and Mr. ck having an affair, all kinds of ridiculous rumors started popping out here and there.

    When she heard the news, Penny couldn''t help but snort. "How can our princess like that type of dumb eggnt?"

    The knights obviously shared theirmander''s opinion as well.

    "It''s still okay if he doesn''t speak, but every time he opens his mouth, I just want to kick his teeth in."

    "It''s better to pull them out."

    "Turn them to dust!"

    Penny felt a little better after their encouragement, but soon became depressed once more. "Don''t do anything to him even if you get the chance. Princess told me we can''t do anything out of the norm until after the event is over."

    Naturally, they understood that their princess must have her own reasons for asking them to refrain from defending her. Fortunately, she didn''t ask them to refrain from ''denying'' the rumors if someone asked.

    Having watched her for so long, they already knew that Emilia wasn''t a white lotus that could be trampled at will, with no means to defend herself. She was a beautiful rose with very, very prickly thorns.

    The kind that shot out right into the eyes of anyone who even looked at her wrong.

    "He''s unworthy for our princess to make a move personally."

    Of course, even if they were dissatisfied, the knights were still obedient to their princess, and continued focusing on maintaining discipline while ignoring all the unpleasant rumors.

    Prancing Media, the channel that was doing the live broadcast of the event, didn''t especially publicize the third day''s debate too much. However, with the massive promotions they already did before, the viewership it had was still impressive.

    However, the fact that it was a debate between some high-schoolers quickly made many switch channels, and some of theirpetitors couldn''t help but gloat.

    "After the first day''s sess, the viewership dropped by over sixty percent on the second day, and now it''s expected to go down by at least another half."

    "Prancing Media made a major mistake by deciding to broadcast this kind of ridiculous program for so long. It''s too damaging to their brand."

    "I guess it doesn''t matter when they''re getting craploads of money from their parentpany, as long as they show off the face of their ''princess'', right?"

    This kind of ridicule was still quite ''mild'', as there were also some serious usations being thrown at their channel.

    "Showing young students cursing and engaging in objectionable behavior is not only irresponsible, but malicious!"

    "How can this kind of thing be allowed to air for the next seven days? With their ''standards'', would it even be a surprise if they decided to show our children something even worse?"

    Emilia had already expected this kind of ''response'', but she didn''t ask Noelle to prepare any ''counter attacks''.

    Although these people seemed to think they were harming her reputation, the crimson-haired girl knew that all they were doing was adding bricks to her ever-growing castle.

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    Emilia didn''t let her team make any ''small moves'' with the camera, and had them broadcast the whole debate ''impartially''.

    Naturally, many people were charmed by the silver-haired boy''s handsome face.

    "Are all the rich children so good looking? It''s really too unfair, right?"

    "Uh, have you never heard of stic surgery?"

    "But¡­ their faces look so natural?"

    "Wouldn''t their money be spent in vain if you could tell?"

    With her ''debut'' on the first day, Emilia''s face had already be ''public'', and it was impossible for people not to recognize who she was anymore.

    In fact, many had been keeping their eyes peeled for her for the past two days, both at the venue and in front of their TVs.

    Under the heated gaze of the audience, the crimson-haired girl arrived only a few minutes before the event, smiling and waving to anyone who greeted as she made her way to the front row seats along with her friends.

    Compared to the cold and arrogant sight of Amos, it was impossible for people not to see her in a better light after aparison.

    Of course, many still believed that Amos was just more ''honest'', and didn''t really care how ''irrelevant people'' felt about him.

    Seeing her object of admiration finally ''vindicated'', one of the silver-haired boy''s fangirls couldn''t help but puff out her chest with pride. "See, that''s the difference between the two. She can be more popr, but he''ll definitely be more efficient and sessful in life."

    The ss B boy from the debate club gulped when he felt several sharp gazes cut their way like knives. "H-Hey, can you not try to get me killed along with you?"

    "Coward. I''m d I rejected you before."

    "¡­ I was never serious about the confession, anyway."

    "¡­"

    Anyway, even if this girl hated him, it was better than being beaten together with her once she ended up offending the princess and her knights.

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 Chapter 413 Worst Deal

    <h4>Chapter 413 Worst Deal</h4>

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    With her conspicuous position, it was impossible for Amos to not notice Emilia from the stage, and he couldn''t help but frown.

    The crimson-haired girl looked as delicate and impable as ever, but whenever he saw her, he couldn''t help but feel disgusted from the bottom of his heart.

    Especially with Crystal clinging to her right hand like a baby that was afraid of being lost in the crowd, even though her mother was right next to her.

    The silver-haired boy almost shattered his teeth in hate, but recalling how much scrutiny he was under today, he still held back, if only barely.

    Of course, his disgusted expression was still caught on camera, and many people couldn''t help but specte on the thoughts of this mysterious rich boy.

    Before long, however, the debate finally started, and the topic immediately caused heated discussions.

    ''The Role of Radical Commercialization in Oriana''s Sessful Transformation'' was often covered by international media, but seldom discussed openly by Oriana''s own citizens.

    This was no coincidence, as many believed doing so would be challenging their government''s bottom line, and everyone knew just how ruthless this ''pushover'' government could be when that happened.

    Like any other debate, the students were divided into two teams, one for and one against.

    Amos ck led his team to speak in favor of the government''s radical policies, while hispetitors argued that the same results could be achieved with more gentle means.

    It may not be clear to the citizens of Oriana, but the international audience couldn''t help but feel that the whole thing was scripted.

    Even though they were opponents, both sides seemed to be praising their government to the high heavens, though one did it more subtly than the other.

    Oriana''s sess wasn''t a secret to anyone in the world, but their actions simply couldn''t be replicated.

    Not to mention being able to nurture local snakes to grow big enough topare to behemoths like the ck Tiger and White Deer, most governments knew they wouldn''t be able to bear the bacsh of taking the same steps.

    For the sake of economic growth, Oriana had ignored its ownws, any semnce of order, and even basic human rights.

    Moreover, which government would befortable handing over so much power to private organizations?

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that if the two top organizations of the country joined hands, the government itself might change hands. How could such a thing be eptable?

    To top it off, the happiness and satisfaction of the poption wasn''t that much higher than some of the more impoverished nations, except for a few major cities such as the Green Leaf.

    What was more hrious was that ''Green Leaf'' was exactly the city with the least government control. And Red Plum, the capital, was the city with the highest crime and civil dissatisfaction, making the situation seem even worse for the government.

    Even if they could replicate Oriana''s sess, no one was foolish enough to do so.

    Amos ck praising such a ''revolutionary government'' that most considered stupid and ipetent, if not outright deplorable, was the equivalent of making himself look like a clown on the international stage.

    Moreover, his overly eloquent and snappy responses, whenbined with his ''I didn''t even have to think about it'' expression, immediately pissed many people off.

    Whenever the camera panned to the audience, people couldn''t help but pay attention to Emilia''s expression.

    After all, not only was she freshly famous, but also the favored princess of the White Deer Corporation. People couldn''t help but wonder how much she agreed with the silver-haired boy.

    "She doesn''t look too happy?"

    "No, but I can''t tell."

    "Compared to her cheerful look yesterday, this is quite a contrast, right? She clearly doesn''t agree!"

    Of course, while many genuinely looked at her for her ''response'', many more just wanted to brush the gorgeous girl''s face with their eyes.

    "I thought she was like a beautifully blooming flower when she smiled, so enchanting and beautiful, but I like this noble and elegant look too!"

    "Right? I also think a beauty of her level should be more aloof. Otherwise, she''ll break just too many hearts."

    "I don''t mind at all if she breaks mine and steps on it over and over."

    "Mom, I can, too!"

    "Hey, isn''t your focus all wrong???"

    Meanwhile, the debate had now entered a ''heated'' stage.

    Amos snorted coldly. "The policies you criticized not only didn''t harm the people, but also managed to improve their living conditions from being utterly impoverished to what they are now."

    The opponent team defended. "Even if the living conditions of our citizens now areparable to most developed countries, people can still be happy when they are poor, and sad when they''re rich. Is there a point in prosperity if it doesn''te with happiness?"

    The silver-haired hero grinned. "People can only be dissatisfied with things when they aren''t trying to desperately survive. Does that not speak for itself?"

    And then he proceeded to cite multiple ''public studies'' that showed off how impable his argument was, with the general standard of living rising by leaps and bounds over the past half century.

    It seemed like no matter what argument the opponent threw his way, Amos didn''t need even half a second to process an impable response.

    Not only that, he was also able to back all his arguments with supporting data, leading many to be both impressed and skeptical.

    Was the ck Tiger''s heir really so smart and capable that he could remember hundreds of studies by heart, and counter his opponent''s arguments almost before they were finished saying it out loud?

    The debate ended without much suspense, with the opponent being so ruthlessly suppressed by Amos ck that it was impossible for the results to go any other way.

    "Sheesh, I think this debatepetition probably had a hundred times more rehearsals than the first day''s theater performance."

    Such statements were echoed by many, both locally and abroad, though the people actually attending in person still remained civil. After all, few could afford offending Amos ck, and fewer still wanted to make a negative impression on Emilia at the same time.

    Of course, there was nothing stopping them from saying whatever they want once they were in a less public setting, without all the cameras around.

    "I was a little stupid to have any expectations of a high-school debatepetition, and even more stupid to think Amos ck would have anything good to say."

    "Hey, you can''t be med. The theater y was good, even if it was a little unreasonable, so it''s not wrong to have high expectations."

    "Well, hopefully, the next few days don''t keep getting consecutively worse."

    The sentiments abroad were much, much worse, and Amos became the target of public criticism overnight.

    Under normal circumstances, there would still be more people admiring his ''intelligence'' and ''eloquence'', but the key to their judgment remained in the nature of the topic itself.

    Most people valued their freedom and safety above everything else, and no one wanted their own government to follow in Oriana''s footsteps.

    With theirw and order copsed and only the richest of the rich seeing any tangible ''benefits'', what exactly was the point if their economy grew by leaps and bounds?

    Moreover, the introduction of these reforms guaranteed all the drawbacks, while the benefits still depended on chance.

    Was there a worse deal in the world?

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 Chapter 414 Mixed

    Chapter 414 Mixed¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Oriana''s poption didn''t unterally hate their government, most of the time, but to call them ''happy'' with their current status would be too much.

    In fact, even if the government had been doing much better than it was, having remained in power for so long, the dissatisfaction was bound to pile up and umte.

    Perhaps it was time for a change.

    Under such circumstances, the response that Amos received for his rigid stance varied from mild disgust to utter loathing, with very few people believing the points he had raised to be ''valid''.

    Of course, regardless of how they disagreed with his stance, they still had to admit that he was both eloquent and sharp, as expected of the ck Tiger''s heir.

    Even the students at the Imperial Academy, most of whom had long since started thinking of the silver-haired boy as a ''delinquent'', felt their perceptions subtly change.

    However, the momentum of this type of thought wasn''t actually as high as Amos expected, as there were many people smearing him for ''cheating'' and ''fixing'' the debate for himself.

    When he caught wind of this, the silver-haired boy almost screamed in rage. "What a joke! Where were these people when that bitch was shown doing absurd crap on TV? Do they really believe she can pull all those stunts for real?"

    Naturally, he hadn''t been there in person that day, but anyone sane could tell that most of what they showed on TV must have been special effects that were added inter, along with the extensive use of props on stage.

    What was the difference between that and being a little more prepared for a debate? How dare these people try to undermine his efforts?!

    Of course, the situation on the international stage was much, much worse.

    People were already cutting clips and making memes of some of his more radical statements, sharing them on social media, and throwing all kinds of ridicule his way.

    The ''mixed'' response that Emilia''s show had received seemed almost overwhelmingly positive inparison.

    What made Emilia grin from ear to ear, however, was the fact that all the ridicule being thrown the hero''s way actually ended up drastically improving her own image.

    After all,pared to Amos, she could practically be considered an ''angel''.

    Of course, the hero''s side wasn''t unaware of this situation either, but as far as they were concerned, their primary goal had still been achieved perfectly.

    Amos was now established as an eloquent and intelligent leader, and the President also made a call personally to show his appreciation on the matter, clearly a lot more emotional than usual.

    Even if the silver-haired boy was considered arrogant by many, that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. After all, the ck Tiger''s image was naturally domineering, and its leader couldn''t possibly be a pushover.

    With both of these matters settled, what else did they have to be dissatisfied with?

    Mr. ck nodded in satisfaction. "Let Amos know that he must now show his face on all major public asions to solidify his image. And he can''t miss the next few days of this event, either."

    For both the ck Tiger and the White Deer, no matter how far their limbs extended overseas, the domestic market remained their lifeline and root.

    Mr. ck knew that there was a certain risk involved, but since the situation was already deteriorating, the longer they waited before taking this risk, the worse their chances would be.

    He couldn''t wait till he was no longer in control of the organization. His opponent''s daughters were both smarter and more patient than his son, and he had to take care of this threat before anything else.

    Thinking about how things could have been so much easier if his son hadn''t messed things up and waited for the official engagement, or better yet, marriage, he couldn''t help but sigh.

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    While Mr. ck was catering to the current government, however, there was something hepletely forgot to take into ount.

    Emilia knew that as long as she used the ck Tiger''s ''stance'' properly, their previous ''close friends'' on the political front who were still ''tentative'' about cooperation would end uppletely siding with them.

    After all, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the ck Tiger and White Deer each controlled half of the country''s economy, and whoever they sided with would automatically end up in an extremely advantageous position.

    It was still alright before, but with the ck Tiger siding with the current government so openly, wouldn''t they lose all hope of ever turning their fate around if they didn''t obtain the White Deer''s support?

    None of these ambitious men and women were willing to submit to this ''tyrant'' who almost believed himself to be a dictator after winning the elections over and over, not even realizing that the margin with which he won kept shrinking more and more each consecutive term.

    At the very front of this group was Bianca''s father, who was extremely popr amongst the public thanks to his kind and caring image, which was inplete contrast to their current president.

    Of course, these people didn''t dare to make their stance clear too early, and only pretended to aim for other ministerial positions instead.

    Emilia decided to make some time on the very next day of the ''debate'' to meet him in person, since she would be busy with her own preparationster, and she didn''t want to miss the events that her ''knights'' were going to participate in either.

    Of course, when she got there, the one to greet her first wasn''t Mr. Fionn, but his daughter, Bianca. Her father could only stand behind her helplessly.

    Bianca seemed to have grown a lot taller than thest time Emilia saw her on the girl''s ninth birthday, but she still only came up to Emilia''s chest, even though her current form was a little shorter than her original.

    Of course, the little girl with her chin tilted up in pride clearly didn''t think so.

    Emilia smiled, deciding to indulge her for a while. "Bianca sure has grown taller, huh?"

    Her eyes brightened immediately. "The tallest in my ss!" Almost immediately, however, her tone changed to aggrieved. "Big sis, daddy wouldn''t let me skip school to go see your event."

    Mr. Fionn sighed. "This kid¡­"

    Emilia gave her a gentle smile. "Don''t you want to study hard and be at the top of your school, just like your big sis?"

    "I-I do!"

    The crimson-haired girl patted her head. "Then don''t skip school too much, okay? You can always watch the recording of the events at hometer."

    The twintailed girl could only pout pitifully. "O-Okay."

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile. "Bianca is such a cute kid."

    The little girl stomped her feet in frustration. "Big sis, I''m an adult now!"

    Emilia blinked.

    Mr. Fionn smiled helplessly. "Don''t listen to her. She keeps insisting that now that she''s no longer a nine-year-old, her age has the same number of digits as most adults."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but pat the little girl''s head in amusement. "Bianca must really like maths, huh?"

    Bianca, who hated anything to do with the subject, nodded enthusiastically. "It''s my favorite?"

    Mr. Fionn was stunned. "I-Is it?"

    The young girl red at her father for dismantling her in front of her ''idol''. "It is now!"

    "O-Oh."

    Bianca continued to express her dissatisfaction with her father for quite a while, but Mr. Fionn soon showed his ''ingenuity'' by weaving a mix of lies and deceit to fool his daughter back to her room.

    Even as she left, the little girl seemed to believe that she was the one who decided to do so on her own initiative to express her dissatisfaction with her father while improving her ''proud and charming'' image in her idol''s eyes.

    Emilia''s soft expression dissolved the moment Bianca left, and she quickly made her intentions clear. Since Mr. Fionn stood to benefit so much from this deal, there was no need for her to beat around the bush. He wouldn''t reject it unless he was stupid.

    Of course, as a politician, how could Mr. Fionn agree to her so easily?

    "Ah, Emilia dear, I don''t quite understand what you mean to say, really? Mr. ck and I might have been friends in the past, but we don''t really talk much these days. After the previous disagreements, we already parted ways, didn''t we? I don''t think you''re unaware."

    He paused, and then smiled. "Not to mention, Mr. President and I don''t really have any irreconcble conflicts."

    Emilia hummed. "Mr. Fionn seems to have be a lot more confident after Mr. Sullivan''s prestige declined?"

    The rotund politician felt his lips twitch, but still maintained his expression. "It''s not like that. I''m very grateful to your parents, and their good intentions are definitely appreciated. But I don''t think there is any need for miss Emilia to worry too much about these things?"

    Emilia smiled. "Ahh¡­ you must think I''m just a child, huh? Well, it''s true that I wouldn''t havee if my parents and big sister were able to make the time, but they''re still dealing with some matters in the capital, as you may know."

    Mr. Fionn couldn''t help but be stunned when he realized he had missed a crucial point. How could Emiliae to him without her parents being aware of it?

    Clearly, they must have sent her here under the guise of meeting Bianca to express their intentions!

    Emilia hummed in satisfaction as she saw the ''realization'' dawn on his face. "I''ll be blunt, Mr. Fionn. Right now, there are two choices in front of you. You ept our support¡­ or we go support someone else."

    "ept, o-of course I ept." Heughed nervously. "But miss Emilia, you must know that although my poprity has greatly improved¡­ the chances of my victory in the next election are still abysmal, right?"

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 Chapter 415 What kind of â€™buffâ€™ is this?

    <h4>Chapter 415 What kind of ''buff'' is this?</h4>

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    Emilia knew that the current president of Oriana used to be extremely popr, and to say that some people would refuse to vote for anyone but him wouldn''t be an understatement.

    After all, to be able to bring an impoverished country to the state it was in today was no small feat, even if there were many things that were far from ideal.

    That being said, the number of these ''fiercely loyal'' voters wasn''t actually that high, and although they voiced their support the loudest, Emilia didn''t feel the need to take them into consideration at all.

    After looking into the situation carefully, the crimson-haired girl felt that it was actually abination of multiple factors that led to the president being able to maintain the status quo for so long.

    With the scale already being at the tipping point, pushing itpletely over wouldn''t be difficult at all.

    "I''m aware that your poprity right now is nowhere close to the president''s, even in the state he''s in now, but that''s fine. As long as you''re willing to side with us, the White Deer will help you with public rtions, in more ways than one."

    Of course, if he refused to cooperate, he was far from being their only option.

    Mr. Fionn had intended to initially prove himself as a minister of finance in this term, and make his real move in the next election. But now that he received such an offer, he couldn''t help but frown.

    Was it worth risking his whole career this time, or should hey in wait longer, and strike at the right time?

    The second option was definitely better, but only if all the other conditions were the same. But with the White Deer''s stance¡­ that clearly wasn''t the case at all.

    Many people in Oriana''s older generation still remembered how desperate their lives used to be before the White Deer and ck Tiger truly rose to prominence, and their biases went without saying.

    The amount of control these two had over the poption couldn''t be underestimated. Almost every second or third household had an employee that worked in one of the two corporations, after all.

    Their tacit support for this government was just enough to offset its decline in poprity before, but things clearly weren''t so simple now.

    With the ck Tiger and White Deer''s rapidly intensifying conflict, and the government''s untimely interference¡­ the pot was clearly about to boil over, and the only thing that remained to be seen was who it would end up burning the most.

    The ck Tiger had already switched to openly supporting the government, but their corporation was already in decline. And there was no way that the White Deer would just allow itself to be suppressed just like this.

    Their intention to support a candidate was already clear from Emilia''s words, and Mr. Fionn realized that this was a golden ticket that he couldn''t afford to miss at all.

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    The disaster of the third day''s broadcast made manypetitors gloat, as Prancing Media''s viewership dropped to almost ten percent of what it was on the first day of the event''s broadcast.

    While it still couldn''t be considered abysmally low, for the fortune they had poured into marketing the whole thing, it was still a joke.

    Some people even tried to use this opportunity to reach out to the White Deer''s headquarters and offer their ''expertise'', ming Prancing Media''s executives for ''not handling marketing properly'' and ''being insensitive to the audience''.

    Even though they never made anyments about Emilia, it was still enough to put Noelle in a bad mood. After all, even if it was all done on Emilia''s orders, on paper, she was the one calling the shots.

    Weren''t these people scolding her while trying to pander to her at the same time?

    She thought that Emilia had to be one of the cheekiest girls in the universe, but these people clearly took shamelessness to a whole another level!

    Gritting her teeth angrily, the gray-haired beauty spent the next ten minutes setting up call diversion rules for all the media executives who had her direct line. "Wasn''t one of those cultists in the external rtions department? I''ll just let her handle these fools from now on."

    Who knows, maybe she could even brainwash the negative bias they had for Emilia because of their jealousy towards Prancing Media''s sess.

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    Fortunately, the activities after the debate were much more suitable for the small screen, and Prancing Media''s viewership slowly climbed back up to almost half of its peak within two days.

    In fact, there was a clear pattern that the channel executives had wanted to exploit, but Noelle didn''t intend to let them do so.

    Every time Emilia showed up, their viewership would climb, and if she was absent from the screen for too long, it would start to drop.

    Noelle wasn''t sure if it was just her appearance or the girl''s charisma that had won so many people over, but she still felt it was better to not overdo things.

    What they needed now was not just hype for Emilia''s beauty, but a well-rounded appreciation of her character. In that case, showing her face too much would actually be counterproductive.

    Noelle had even rmended that Emilia try to use some makeup to change her appearance just a little, so that it wouldn''t overshadow her character and personality in the viewer''s mind, but the girl was simply too prideful.

    "As long as they''re willing to listen to me and let me help them, I''ll be able to prove my character and ability sooner orter. There''s no need toplicate things by masking myself."

    Noelle still believed it a little, at first, until she inadvertently mentioned it in the group chat to see if anyone ''more eloquent'' could help her convince the stubborn little beauty.

    Knight-Lady (Dixie): Wait, why would you want to convince the princess to look less pretty? Isn''t that¡­ impossible?

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but blink after looking at her statement, not sure if this ''impossible'' was referring to ''being able to convince Emilia'' or ''making her look less appealing''.

    With this girl''s brain circuit¡­ it was probably thetter, and Noelle felt more depressed the more she thought about it. ''Does Emilia have some IQ reducing aura around her, or does she just naturally attract idiots?!''

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 Chapter 416 Expectation

    Chapter 416 Expectation¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Of course, the so-called ''idiots'' remainedpletely unaware.

    Hard-Candy (Crystal): She''s so proud of her looks, I''m surprised that she doesn''t preen in front of a mirror every few minutes!

    Knight-Lady (Dixie): Right? Even if there was a way to convince her to look ugly, I wouldn''t want to see it, because I know for sure she would be depressed!

    Noelle couldn''t help but grit her teeth angrily as she added her own reply. "I didn''t say anything about being ugly. Just¡­ less prominent!"

    Knight-Lady (Dixie): Well, if Emilia wasn''t so eye-catching¡­ I feel like it wouldn''t be right. It hurts to even think about her not being the center of attention wherever she goes.

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "Isn''t that just something wrong with your brain?"

    Hard-Candy (Crystal): No no no, she''s right! If someone dared to snub her, even I wouldn''t be able to resist breaking their teeth in at all! I can''t even imagine what Dixie would do.

    Noelle paused, wondering why it sounded so much like a threat. She was probably just imagining things, right?

    Sister-Love (Sam): Don''t worry so much, just trust her and enjoy looking at her being so cute and proud.

    The gray-haired girl didn''t have high hopes for them to convince Emilia, but she didn''t expect that everyone would actually be so resistant to even giving it a try.

    She couldn''t help but sigh in defeat. ''Although I understand that they just wanted Emilia to be happy, do they not realize how heavily invested she is in this situation?''

    If it didn''t go as she nned, Noelle didn''t want to think about how much mental impact it would have on her little boss.

    Hard-Candy (Crystal):Although big sis Sam said it casually, I think you should really follow her advice this time, Noelle.

    It had to be said, if they hadn''t already had a good impression of her, Crystal would surely have pissed both of the older girls off at once.

    Well, she still did so, but at least they didn''t rush all the way to the White Deer mansion to beat her on the spot.

    Hard-Candy (Crystal):I know you might not be convinced, but Emilia is actually very thoughtful. Right, Dixie?

    Knight-Lady (Dixie): Right. You don''t know, the first time I escorted her to an upper circle gathering, I was almost shaking from nervousness. But she was practically able to swim around all the intrigue and tricks of those people with ease. Don''t think she''s stupid just because she''s cute!

    Hard-Candy (Crystal): Right? And she looks soo cute when she gets all smug after everything goes ording to her n. Ahh, I can''t wait to see the picture this time!

    Sister-Love (Sam): Smug Emilia is the cutest!

    Hard-Candy (Crystal): Is she less cute when she''s not smug, then?

    Sister-Love (Sam): Of course she''s the cutest then, too! How could my little sister not be cute?!

    And then, the topic took apletely different turn, with the three of them arguing over how she was more beautiful than cute when calm, and more sexy than pretty when furious.

    Noelle closed the group chat in disgust. ''This whole bunch is hopeless!''

    As for Sam still having the time to chat while she was supposed to be busy taking care of the matters in Red Plum City... the gray-haired girl decided it had indeed been too long since Samst felt her ear being twisted properly. She would have to fix that the next time they met.

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    Unaware of the ''fight'' between her girlfriends, Emilia was actually quite happy with how things turned out with Bianca''s father, and continued nning the events for the next few days carefully.

    Of course, she still had to look out for unexpected situations, which was why she had Noelle keep a closer eye on both Alexander and Amos.

    With numerous cameras all over the ce during the event, such a thing was naturally a piece of cake for the gray-haired girl''s team, and she dutifully reported all of their interactions shortly after they happened.

    The two of them naturally hated each other, though for very different reasons, and just being in the same ce at the same time was enough to create a conflict.

    But although they ended up butting heads more than a few times, things never escted too much, thanks to the tight security. Nothing could stop them from trading unsightly words, though.

    Of course, all of this was caught on camera, but never broadcast.

    Emilia was a little surprised at first, wondering how they could be so careless and give her so much ammunition for the future, but when she thought about it some more, it made some sense... at least, from the perspective of Amos and Alexander.

    Both of them knew that Emilia''s family was the one behind Prancing Media. And as far as Amos was concerned, no matter how much the White Deer family hated his guts, right now they had no choice but to bow down.

    With the status of current events, it went without saying that the White Deer was under heavy pressure from the government, and shouldn''t be rash enough to openly ''harm'' the corporation that the president was actively trying to help get back on its feet. If they did... their chances of getting through this deal without a major setback would be even lower.

    He''d alreadye to this conclusion way back when the White Deer hadn''t dared to suppress him at the debate at all, and even actively helped to promote his image.

    Even if they could keep their faces neutral in public, Amos knew they must be dying of hatred on the inside, and he couldn''t help but almost jump in delight every time he thought about it.

    See, this is how you made me feel for so long! It doesn''t feel so good now, does it?

    Unfortunately, it''s toote to regret!

    At least, that was how Emilia expected the hero would think, which shouldn''t be too far from the truth. After all, his mind wasn''t exactly veryplex.

    As for whether Alexander didn''t believe that the White Deer had the guts to offend the Gray Wolfe, or if he just expected them to help him because of Emilia''s ''affection'', there was no way to tell.

    As long as the two of them didn''t openly dere what they ''knew'' to be the truth in front of each other, Emilia actually didn''t really care that much.

    If it ever looked like such a thing was about to happen, however, she had already set up some ''contingency measures'' in ce.

    At least, such a thing couldn''t be allowed until her ns came to fruition. If they happened to discover itter, however¡­ well, Emilia wouldn''t mind paying to see the funny look on their faces.

    Based on their general behavior, however, the crimson-haired girl didn''t expect such a thing to happen.

    And it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Emilia understood what was going on between them better than the two boys did themselves.

    After all, she was the one who set everything up.

    Just like that, the sixth day of the event arrived without any major mishaps, and it was time for Emilia to put on another show for her audience.

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 Chapter 417 Jealousy can also be adorable (if youâ€™re cute enough)!

    Chapter 417 Jealousy can also be adorable (if you¡¯re cute enough)!¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Because Emilia yed the lead role in thetter half of ''The Princess, The Witch, and The Frog'', most people who hadn''t looked into it were caughtpletely off-guard when Prancing Media started their marketing campaign for ''blood boiling'' polo match between energetic young girls.

    Of course, the apanying album photos from their cheerful practice sessions were enough to make most people realize that it was no joke.

    With her ever-increasing poprity after her ''debut'', Emilia''s name was already enough to attract countless people to turn to Prancing Media''s channel.

    That was only to be expected.

    What most didn''t expect, however, was for even her friends to be so attractive.

    "It really is true that birds of a feather, flock together, right?!"

    "Even when they''re sweating and exhausted from riding in the sun all day, I still feel like they''re so sweet and refreshing?! This grandma also wants to go out and ride a horse today!"

    "Grandma, control your blood pressure!"

    Naturally, many people discovered that Emilia didn''t appear tired or exhausted in any of the images, regardless of the status of her friends, and they couldn''t help but ''wonder'' if the photos were ''modified''. This wave of controversies only served to fuel the trend, however, and even those who ''scolded'' her for being so fake continued to look a few more times through the published albums.

    Of course, this newfound wave of poprity wasn''t a bad thing as far as Emilia was concerned, though she did make sure that none of her friends'' personal information would be made public.

    After all, while she could personally protect a few of them if needed, it was impossible to keep an eye on everyone all the time.

    This was especially so for the girls like Adele and Hazel, who only really got to talk to her once in a while. Even if they weren''t particrly close, Emilia didn''t want anyone to get hurt because of her.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "By anyone, you of course mean ''cute girls'', don''t you?"

    Emilia smiled, unabashed. "Right."

    The raven-haired girl scoffed. "Double standards, much?"

    Feeling her partner''s disdain, Emilia couldn''t help but rub her nose in embarrassment. "Hey, you can''t me me like that!"

    "Why not?"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Because¡­ isn''t it just right for a viiness to be willful and unreasonable?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be stunned. "I-I can''t argue with that. I guess¡­ it''s true?"

    Emilia hummed in satisfaction. "Isn''t it? And it''s not like you need to be so jealous all the time, as if you''re not cute enough? Well, although your jealousy is also adorable."

    "Who''s jealous?!"

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    The venue had been well prepared by the staff, with Emilia and her friends having a luxurious room to rx in right next to the field before and after the match.

    Of course, even with their preparations being over well in advance, most of her friends were still shaking from the nerves before the match, teammates and opponents alike.

    Crystal and Dixie were the calmest of the bunch, while the most nervous one was their ''smallest'' friend, Penny.

    Emilia knew it probably wouldn''t help much, but she still consoled and encouraged them as best as she could before the match. "You girls don''t need to be so nervous. Just make sure you don''t get hurt, and we''ll have lots of fun celebrations afterwards even if you lose, alright?"

    Thea and Adele perked right up after listening to her constion, and Hazel also cheered up after Emilia gave her a hug.

    Koko was a much tougher nut to crack, however.

    With big fat tears pooling in her eyes, she clutched the beauty''s arm in despair. "Emilia, ah, what if the ball hits me on the headter? If I really get any dumber than I am right now, what if my mom disowns me?!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but rub her head, feeling helpless in her heart. "Your mom only teases you, Koko. How could she bear to disown such a cute daughter? Besides, all of you will be wearing a helmet with a face guard."

    "B-But¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl squeezed her cheek angrily. "If you keep being so squeamish, I''ll rece you with someone else, alright?"

    "No no, I''ll y! Who said I won''t?!"

    "Then just rx and have fun. Think about it this way¡­ even if something goes wrong, as the one who invited you all, it''s my responsibility. If your mom disowns you, I''ll adopt you."

    "Really?!"

    Looking at the little beauty''s gentle smile, Koko couldn''t help but jump for joy and run around the whole room twice, her bright grinpletely devoid of any gloom from before.

    It was only when Emilia was already done consoling the hypocritically ''distressed'' Penny that Koko finally came back to her senses. ''Wait a minute¡­ why am I so happy that Emilia agreed to adopt me? Wouldn''t that make her my mom?!''

    Of course, having such a beautiful mother would also be wonderful¡­ no way, what was she thinking?!

    Koko couldn''t help but slump down on the sofa in despair. ''If we be mother and daughter¡­ nonono! No wonder mom calls me stupid!''

    The freckled girl decided that no matter what, she definitely couldn''t let herself be injured on the field!

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    Unfortunately for Penny, she didn''t get to ''molest'' her princess too much. Not only were there too many ''judgmental eyes'' around, and the waiting time was also up before she really got to make a move.

    As they moved to mount their horses, the petite girl couldn''t help but sigh emotionally. ''Fortunately, with her generosity and my height, I can nevere out truly empty-handed.''

    Thinking of how she used to sulk about her mother''s ''bad parenting'' in her early teens, Penny sincere apologized in her heart. ''Thank you for always hitting me over the head. I never realized just how crucial those few inches I lost would be!''

    Luckily, Crystal was far away on the opposite side of the field. Had she used her ability on the girl before, she might just suggest Penny to hire a psychiatrist.

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    While the opposite team''s leader was having perverted fantasies about her, Emilia herself was making sure that Crystal, Koko, and Adele all had their helmets fastened properly.

    After ensuring that there was nothing wrong, the crimson-haired girl smiled. "Okay, it all looks good. Remember, safety first!"

    Although she said that, Emilia was the only one not wearing a helmet or a face guard.

    Technically, it was a vition of the standard rules of the game, but this wasn''t a formal tournament.

    As long as she didn''t change the core mechanics and nothing went wrong, few would have much grounds toin if she preferred a more open field of vision to safety.

    Of course, she wouldn''t let any of her girlfriends do the same. Not to mention that they were yet so proficient, but they also didn''t have the ability to regenerate if something did go wrong.

    Emilia wasn''t sure how much her blood could help them recover based on the level of injury, and she had no intention of ever finding out.

    They had also tried to convince her otherwise at first, but after a few rounds of ''practice'', Emilia was soon able to convince them that there was no way the ball was ever getting anywhere close to her face, unless she wanted it to.

    As they trotted to the center of the field, the crimson-haired girl could feel all the gazes from the audience stabbing into her body like pins and needles, but she didn''t let that bother her.

    Naturally, it was impossible for some people not to be concerned after looking at her being the only one without protective gear, while a few secretly gloated in their hearts.

    "Why is she not wearing a helmet, do they only have seven?!"

    "Wouldn''t it be fine to take one of the others'' for herself? It would be too much of a pity to get that face ruined, ah!"

    "Idiot, do you really think she can''t afford a helmet? She clearly decided not to wear one herself!"

    Of course, no matter how everyone in the stands debated over how ''reckless'' Emilia was to not wear protective gear, they knew that they couldn''t influence the girl''s decision at all.

    Some prayed for her safety, while others hoped that something, anything, would go wrong.

    After all, the stands today contained Emilia''s friends and foes alike, and there were more than just a few people who would be happy to see her humiliated.

    ''Look, the prideful little princess fell on her face and got sent to the hospital because of her own arrogance!''

    Many longed to be able to say that out loud righteously, whether it was from their interests that she had harmed, or some form of jealousy.

    Of course, knowing how ''rabid'' her supporters were, they wouldn''t dare to say it unless they were sure they could get away with it.

    Aside from these two, there was also a third, ''special'' category. Consisting of the likes of Alexander Gray, their attention had been caught by her after the first day''s show, and they hade here today to ''evaluate'' her worth, whether it was for cooperation or marriage.

    Emilia didn''t let their heated gazes bother her at all, though, and gave her friends a gentle smile to calm them down.

    With her long, wavy crimson hair freely floating in the wind, Emilia looked so gorgeously breathtaking that Crystal felt like if this girl told her to ride off and abandon the world right now, she wouldn''t even be able to think about her own mother before saying yes.

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 Chapter 418 Free of Judgment

    Chapter 418 Free of Judgment¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    After watching the ''training clips'' that the Prancing Media had used for marketing purposes, most of the audience was actually quite curious about how the girls would perform on the field.

    Of course, Emilia''s athleticism was already clear from the first day''s show, but a polo match wasn''t really about one''s physical fitness. That was just one of its requirements.

    What really mattered in this type of game was one''s ability tomunicate and work with others. If they couldn''t remain in sync with both their steed and teammates¡­ it would be all too clear in a match of polo.

    Moreover, because there had been quite a few rumors about the White Deer''s little princess being arrogant, willful, and extremely hard to get along with recently, people were eager to start nitpicking on the details now that the opportunity was right in front of them. As for where these rumors came from, who knows?

    If she couldn''t perform well with her teammates here, wouldn''t that show that the training clips were all ''faked''? And if that was true, what else was really true about her? How much of what everyone just ''knew'' was a meticulous lie woven using the power of money?

    For many people, being able to figure this out in real time was much more exciting than watching a movie.

    Emilia''s team was called the ''Crimson Princess'', which included herself, Crystal, Koko, and Adele. Penny''s team, on the other hand, was referred to as the ''Golden Knight'', and included herself, Dixie, Hazel, and Thea.

    Under their heated gaze, the two groups of four girls each reached the center of the field, guiding their horses to stand in neat lines facing each other.

    They had actually been quite nervous in the waiting room before, but now that they were actually in the field, using the same formation that they had every time for practice, it actually felt quite familiar and thrilling instead.

    When the umpire rolled the ball between the two teams, the match officially started with a bang.

    Knowing their nature, Emilia didn''t want her friends to ck off and y ''gentle'' with each other for this match. She wanted them to have fun, but they couldn''t look too fake in front of the audience! So she took the lead to take away the ball and dash straight for the goal.

    Thea couldn''t help but be stunned when she felt Emilia whoosh past her just like that.

    She had never seen a horse react so fast without even needing any signals from the rider.

    Of course, the ''Golden Knights'' didn''t want to lose face in front of their princess by being unable to provide her with fairpetition, so they jolted into almost immediately after.

    With the right of way on her side, however, Emilia was easily able to maintain her lead, and the score started with one point in her lead less than one minute into the game.

    Even some of the veteran yers in the audience couldn''t help but be stunned. Forget about Emilia''s skills, what was that horse being fed to be able to react like that?!

    Of course, Emilia had no idea about their discussions. The two teams returned to their original positions after the goal, with their sides switched, and the umpire threw the ball between them once more.

    This time, the crimson-haired girl naturally wasn''t able to catch her opponents off-guard, and the two teamspeted for the ball fairly.

    Those who had been wondering if all the other girls werepletely clueless, and this would be a one-woman show by Emilia, quickly corrected their thoughts.

    Not only did the opponents fight back, but their momentum and teamwork could also be called both thunderous yet wonderful, as if they all had only a single goal in mind!

    With two consecutive goals in a row by her opponents, Emilia barely managed to outmaneuver both Hazel and Dixie by herself to score one for her team, tying out the score before the first horn blew.

    And just like that, the first y of seven minutes was over, and they could all catch their breath for the next three minutes.

    Emilia quickly approached her team to console them. It was just a game, after all, and what mattered most was that they had fun.

    Unfortunately, things didn''t get any better for the ''Crimson Princess'' in the next y.

    By the end of the first y, the score had still been tied at two-two, with Emilia scoring another goal after her first one, while Dixie scored two.

    At the end of the second y, however, it actually changed to five-six, with Penny''s team all scoring once each after the short break, while Adele, Koko, and Emilia all managed to score once each.

    Not only was the ''Crimson Princess'' not at an advantage, but it was being faintly suppressed instead!

    It was clear at a nce that except for Emilia herself, most of her team wasn''t exactly what one would consider experienced.

    Their opponents, on the other hand, were clearly used to handling horses, and were also more familiar with themon tactics used in the game.

    Crystal and Koko, for example, never seemed to expect it when their mallets were hooked by Thea, Hazel, or Penny, and the frustration of being treated ''unfairly'' was clear on their wronged little faces.

    Of course, while it was cute, those who knew how the game worked could only shake their heads ruefully. Not only was that kind of move allowed, but it was only to be expected. It wasn''t unfair at all.

    The fact that the girls weren''t giving body checks was already quite generous to these novices, but considering they were just young girls in a friendly match, most people thought it was normal.

    After all, they wouldn''t want each other to get hurt. Maybe that was why there didn''t seem to be any signs of fouls, either. Forget about the mallet reaching too high up, had they not seen the strength of their hits, the audience would think they were just too heavy for these girls to lift properly, which clearly wasn''t the case.

    Of course, if things went on like this, the ''Crimson Princess'' was still bound to lose.

    Some of the audience couldn''t help but shake their heads. "Well, looks like the little princess and her team are going to lose for sure."

    "Yeah, probably? It''s not like they''re just bad, though. Their opponents are just¡­ better?"

    In fact, the term that they actually wanted to use was ''freaks''. After all, Dixie''s strikes on the ball were so hard that sometimes the audience wondered how the stic ball hadn''t yet exploded to pieces.

    Maybe if it hit someone''s head, the helmet wouldn''t be able to protect them at all, either. Thankfully, the rest of her team wasn''t so abnormal, or they would really have to start doubting their life.

    Things didn''t change much in thest y before the fifteen minutes break, though the momentum of the match only got more fiery, with nine more goals added to the total.

    Koko managed to get lucky and got two goals for Emilia''s team, while the opponent team continued their shockingly consistent performance of getting one goal per member in their second consecutive y.

    With Emilia adding three goals of her own in thest half before the break, their scores were once again tied, with both teams having ten goals each.

    At this point, only the faintly depressed heroine was left without a single goal to show.

    With three ys over, the mounted umpire signaled for them to take a short break, and Emilia quickly pulled Crystal aside.

    The blonde heroine looked pitiful, covered in a thinyer of perspiration, and her eyes slightly red with distress.

    Emilia couldn''t help but press a kiss against her cheek. "Why do you look so unhappy? Not having fun by my side?"

    Crystal''s face went red from shame as she covered her cheek. "N-No, no, I just¡­ I just don''t want to be the one to pull you down¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed as she pulled the girl into a gentle embrace,pletely ignoring her struggle.

    "D-Don''t! Don''t hug me, I''m sweaty!"

    Emilia just rolled her eyes and pulled her in tighter. "I just tasted it on your cheek, why are you acting like I would be disgusted?"

    Crystal froze for a full minute before she felt her face exploded into a furious blush. "A-AHHH! You shouldn''t have done that!"

    To think that Emilia would be able to see such a disgraceful version of herself today!

    Had it been anyone else, they would think she was a loser who couldn''t y well, and also someone with a weak mentality, who couldn''t even ept that.

    Moreover, with her disgraceful performance today, was it possible for anyone to continue feeling attracted? At the very least, they would think that she was too arrogant to bite off what she couldn''t chew.

    Of course, Crystal knew that none of this was true when it came to the crimson-haired beauty in her embrace.

    At this moment, all she could feel from Emilia... was a gentle warmth from her heart, free of judgment and derision.

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 Chapter 419 Final Round

    Chapter 419 Final Round¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Since Emilia only pulled Crystal to the side of the field, she was naturally aware that pressing her lips against the girl''s cheek might not just be witnessed by hundreds of people in the stands, but also millions of viewers on TV.

    Of course,pared to consoling her little girlfriend, this kind of thing was of little concern to Emilia. After all, she never intended to hide it in the first ce.

    Someone as observant as Crystal would obviously never miss such a detail either, and the heroine couldn''t help but be a little overwhelmed with embarrassment as she reluctantly pushed Emilia away. "S-Stop, e-everyone is watching!"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned yfully and pinched Crystal''s slightly chubby cheek before stepping back. "Okay, but you''re not allowed to brood in the second half, got it? Don''t worry about winning so much and just have fun. After all¡­ with me by your side, is it possible for us to lose?"

    Had someone else heard her words at this moment, they would surely have scoffed. Not to mention that their scores were currently tied evenly, but Dixie''s performance wasn''t really any worse than her own, so how could she still be so arrogant?

    To Crystal, however, Emilia''s confidence and pride were not only extremely pleasing to the eye, but alsopletely warranted.

    With how easily she used to handle them before, the blonde girl fully believed that Emilia could easily steamroll the opponent team as long as she wished to do so.

    The only reason she hadn''t already done that must be either because she wanted to make the match look more exciting, or because she just wanted to have some fun.

    When the two of them walked back to their other two teammates, both Koko and Adele also tried their best to cheer Crystal up in their own way.

    Of course, while the blonde girl definitely appreciated the ss of cold water from Adele, she could only smile helplessly upon being bombarded with all kinds of raunchy gossip that Koko had managed to collect in the past few weeks.

    She really had no interest in knowing who was trying to ''experiment'' with who, alright? She already knew much more than she needed to. Unfortunately, there was no way for the polite heroine to douse Koko''s enthusiasm when the girl was only trying to ''help'' her, and going by Emilia''s teasing smile, she had absolutely no intention of helping her out at all.

    Luckily for Crystal, the break time ran out within minutes, and the four of them had to get back on their horses and return to the center of the field.

    Once the fourth y started, both Emilia and Crystal seemed to havepletely transformed.

    The crimson-haired girl had clearly outssed everyone else in terms of her individual skill level from the start, but her advantage hadn''t really been too overwhelming before.

    With Dixie''s powerful mallet and her teammates coordinating so seamlessly, it hadn''t been easy for Emilia to control the situation much.

    Now, however, it didn''t look like the opponents could stop her at all.

    As long as they allowed the crimson-haired girl to get close to the objective, they could only ''apany'' her helplessly the rest of the way to the goal.

    Crystal, who had seemed hopeless before, also scored two goals for her team in the next two ys,pletely overturning the previous perception of the audience.

    It wasn''t clear which one of them influenced the other more, but no one could deny that Emilia''s ''constion'' was very, very effective.

    The audience couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    "Do you think it''s possible that she rubbed some of her talent off on the other girl in that kiss?"

    "Heh, more like the other girl got too much ''motivation'' to prove herself."

    Of course, while some spected on their possible rtionship, there was no way for anyone toe to a concrete conclusion without asking the relevant parties directly.

    With the crimson-haired girl''s status, that was easier said than done before. Now, however, the audience had some hope of getting their hands on ''gossip'' from the broadcasting team.

    After all, with how much they had invested into this live show, they must be quite eager to make it spicy and exciting as well, right?

    Naturally, most of them didn''t believe there was really anything between the two of them.

    After all, with what they had been able to observe so far, Emilia was quite ''close'' with more than just a few girls. More than likely, it was just her way of getting along with those she considered friends.

    The other girl''s reaction to her kiss might be considered a little too exaggerated for just being a friend, but it was only to be expected if she had a crush on the crimson-haired beauty, which wouldn''t be too much of a surprise.

    After all, with her gorgeous appearance and yful personality, perhaps only those with zero sexual attraction to girls could avoid being ''doomed'' to covet her for themselves.

    But given how Emilia seemed to enjoy teasing girls, perhaps even thedies who believed themselves to be the straightest of steel pipes would be able to discover just how high their flexural strength really was.

    Of course, with most of their eyes focused on her, Emilia didn''t disappoint anyone at all. Not only did she continue scoring goals for her team, she did so with an unspeakable grace and beauty in her moves that left the audience breathless.

    But the more domineering the ''Crimson Princess'' was, the harder the ''Golden Knights'' tried to fight back.

    After all, Emilia''s knights didn''t want to disappoint their princess, and Thea didn''t want to be on the wrong end of Penny and Dixie''s re at the end of the match.

    It was better to squeeze everything she could out of herself and make one more goal, than to wait for ''death''ter.

    While they couldn''t change the final oue, theirbined efforts still ended up making the match a lot more exciting.

    The audience couldn''t help but cheer when the crimson-haired girl broke through the ''siege'' of two opponents and managed to snag the ball from the third before managing to secure thest goal.

    Although it was still the same oue they had been expecting for a long time, they couldn''t deny that they had a lot of fun watching it happen.

    Of course, there were more than a few faces that turned ugly when Emilia didn''t make a fool of herself from the start to finish, but they weren''t stupid enough to jump out at this moment and attract needless ridicule.

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    Compared to the people who were able to watch it all in person, the audience of the live show was actually more interested in the ''personal interview'' promised by the channel after the match.

    A few days ago, most people only knew that Emilia was the precious young daughter of one of the richest families in the country, and more still hadn''t heard about her at all.

    Over thest few days, however, her clips and images had rapidly spread through both social media and private messages, and it would no longer be an exaggeration to call her a ''celebrity''.

    Naturally, with this newfound poprity came a lot of curiosity directed towards the girl, and people weren''t satisfied with just what they got from the first interview at all.

    Compared to the thoughts of the princess in the show, they were more interested in the thoughts of this real ''princess'' instead.

    For those who had the ability to reach out and ''inquire'', this little beauty''s mere mention seemed to spark either intense hate, or overwhelming fanaticism.

    It was as if everyone who knew her was obsessed with her one way or the other.

    Inevitably, this information spread to various parts of themunity, and increased the curiosity about the topic even further.

    What was it about Emilia White that made people so prized? Why must they either love or hate her? Wasn''t it possible to just not care about her?

    Of course, it couldn''t be denied that the girl was gorgeous, but that didn''t exin this phenomena much. No matter how beautiful or handsome someone was, not everyone liked the same thing.

    Under their curious and eager eyes, the crimson-haired beauty on the TV grinned brightly and waved at the camera, and then turned to face the neatly dressed woman on the opposite sofa.

    The interviewer in front of her was still the familiar one from the first day, but this time she appeared much more calm as she smiled. "Miss Emilia, this time we gathered a bunch of questions from our audience for you. We will pick some at random each time, alright?"

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 Chapter 420 Emilias Declaration

    Chapter 420 Emilia''s Deration¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    When faced with the interviewer''s obvious question, Emilia naturally epted it with a smile.

    Of course, although the questions did indeede from the public through various social media and web forms, which ones would be picked at ''random'' was still up to the program team.

    The first few were naturally more innocent questions, such as what her childhood was like, what kind of things she liked, her hobbies, and so on.

    Emilia didn''t bother covering anything up, and honestly confessed everything in front of the camera.

    The melon eaters at home who were happily enjoying getting to know what the private life of this ''princess'' was like almost choked when the crimson-haired girl started counting her ''hobbies''.

    Starting from sewing, knitting, and embroidery, the list went on and on, covering everything from the girliest to the manliest of pass times, including fencing and wrestling.

    Of course, considering how she could fight as she had on the first day, and also ride a horse so proficiently, the audience soon found that it wasn''t really too unreasonable.

    The reactions were still a little mixed though, for entirely different reasons.

    "It''s okay to be so heroic and gant, but do you still have to be good at knitting and sewing too? Can you please let others live without crushing their pride?"

    "Hey, she just said she liked it, not that she was good at it. Who knows, Emilia might be pretty clumsy with the needle."

    One of the fresh new male celebrities couldn''t help but ''rub the heat'' when he saw the chance. "Ohh, somehow this gives me the image of her wholeheartedly knitting a scarf for her boyfriend, only for it to end up way too crooked. Of course, I still wouldn''t mind wearing it to show off."

    Unexpectedly, his usually aloof female cousin responded even before his fans."Dreaming!"

    "Why?!"

    "She clearly prefers us girls!"

    "Auntie, why must you hurt me this way? Both of us stand no chance, anyway. Only the ones closest to the tree get the fruit, after all."

    Thedy who had been ridiculing her cousin on social media was suddenly stunned. "Ugh¡­"

    Of course, once she realized she had been called an ''aunty'' by the annoying bastard, she quickly started fighting back, beating both the little celebrity and his friends ck and blue with her vicious words.

    Those arguing with each other were naturally ignored by the others as they continued on with the topic.

    "Whether it''s for a boyfriend or a girlfriend, it''s unexpectedly cute when I think about it!"

    "I suddenly have the urge to look at her crooked sewing skills, too."

    With this wave of discussions, the topic of ''Emilia''s terrible knitting and sewing skills'' was bound to start trending, though the girl herself remainedpletely unaware.

    Of course, there were a few who had their attention somewhere else entirely.

    "Ah ah ah! I can''t believe she''s into wrestling too! Isn''t some type of elegant martial arts good enough?"

    "No way, I''m almost dying of envy of her ''opponents'' over here."

    Meanwhile, once Emilia was finally done reciting all her hobbies, even the interviewer couldn''t help but be stunned. "Aren''t there too many?"

    The crimson-haired girl looked a little embarrassed. "I-I didn''t have any friends before, so there was a lot of free time on my hands. Actually, I suppose the list isn''t really that long. In reality, my favorite hobby is just one¡­ learning new things."

    It was quite fortunate, too, because Emilia didn''t know how frustrated she would have been had she not enjoyed it so much.

    After all, her time in this world had been a learning experience from day one. Just figuring out all the features of her smartphone took her weeks.

    Looking at the gorgeous girl preaching about how learning new things could bring one so much joy, Crystal couldn''t help but giggle.

    Noticing Dixie give her a curious look, the blonde girl smiled. "It''s nothing. Just recalled a little observation I made a while back."

    Once Crystal told her how Emilia''s ''joy of learning new things'' was limited to only things she could make actual progress in, Dixie couldn''t help but blink in surprise.

    So if something was far too frustrating to get started with, her princess would ignore it in favor of something else?

    The blonde girl giggled. "I remember how gloomy she looked when I tried to teach her some of the more advanced topics in chemistry, at her own request, by the way. She gave up within two days."

    Dixie hummed thoughtfully. "Instead of easily giving up, I think it''s more like she has a lot of things to take care of? While Emily sometimes seems easy to get carried away while having fun, when ites down to it, she always knows her priorities right."

    Crystal turned to the dark-haired girl in surprise, and then nodded hesitantly. "You know what? When I really think about it, what you said makes sense."

    Dixie couldn''t help but be stunned. "Eh? You admit it?"

    Crystal narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Why would you think I wouldn''t?"

    The dark-haired girl gulped and shook her head immediately. "I-It''s not like that. I just thought you prided yourself on your deduction ability. A-Anyway, you''re rarely wrong, so it''s not like I don''t understand."

    Immediately afterward, though, she was stunned once again. ''¡­ wait a minute, why do I get scared of her so easily?!''

    Fortunately, Crystal didn''t seem to mind it at all as she giggled. "I can''t believe you''re still the same girl who used to re at me every time you came to study with Emilia. Am I so perfect and infallible in your eyes now?"

    Dixie coughed in embarrassment. "To deserve being by the side of our princess, we naturally have to work hard and smooth out our ws. Are we not the same?"

    The blonde girl hummed. "I get it, but still. It''s better to admit when you think you''re wrong, just like it''s wiser to retreat when defeat is certain. Only that way can we continue making progress in the future."

    Dixie nodded thoughtfully as she turned her sight back to Emilia.

    At this point, the interviewer was already done with her initial questions, and was just about to move on when she hesitated.

    Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "What is it?"

    "W-Well, there are a few new trending topics rted to you, and I wonder if you''d like to respond to them right now?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked. "Sure, I don''t mind."

    The interviewer coughed, looking embarrassed. "D-Don''t take this the wrong way, b-but¡­ do you really ''wrestle'' with others?"

    Emilia nodded. "Yes? Is it so strange?"

    The interviewer quickly shook her head in denial. "No no, I just¡­ um, who do you usually wrestle with?"

    The people online couldn''t help but praise the woman.

    Give this interviewer a medal! She knows what must be asked!

    Emilia''s eyes glinted mischievously as her gaze flitted over to the side. "It''s no secret, really. Among the ones who''ve shown their faces on the show, there are my friends Dixie and Crystal, my big sister, and her assistant, Noelle."

    She sighed happily. "I''m very blessed to have quite a few angels helping me out whenever I need, and they don''t mind ''wrestling'' with me at all."

    The program team was quite ''helpful'', and showed the images of all the mentioned people on the screen after Emilia''s words, making the audience sigh with emotion.

    Looking at them again, they couldn''t really bring themselves to feel too envious. After all,pared to these girls, few could lift their chin with pride and call themselves better.

    "W-Well, I see. And then, the next question is¡­ are your sewing and knitting skills really bad?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "¡­ No? Where did you get that?"

    The interviewer coughed. "I-It''s on the trending list. I-I didn''t think so at all!"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed suspiciously, but then nodded.

    The interviewer breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly continued. "Although there are a lot more questions on our side, there''s not really enough time, but there''s something I wish to ask personally, may I?"

    Looking at Emilia nod, she almost jumped in excitement. "W-Well, although it was so, so exciting to watch you fight and ride the horse, I can''t help but wonder¡­ why and how did you get into¡­ well, swords and horses?"

    Emilia grinned. "It all boils down to just two words¡­ Freedom, and Justice!"

    "Ahaha¡­ well, being who you are, I doubt youck freedom, and who would dare mistreat you?"

    It was a mocking statement that many thought in their hearts, but didn''t dare to say out loud. After all, the trend right now was overwhelmingly in this girl''s favor, and jumping up now would only get them crushed without results.

    The crimson-haired girl knew it well, but she still smiled. "Every coin has two sides. My life is surely much more privileged than most, but it alsoes with its own responsibilities."

    The interviewer couldn''t help but blink in surprise. "Oh?"

    Emilia hummed. "Today, I''ll use this opportunity to make an announcement to everyone. I have always believed in justice by my sword, and taking my right, but my parents are kind and softhearted. They dislike getting into conflicts. Therefore, today I will use this opportunity to make a deration. It is in my own name, and has nothing to do with my family."

    The atmosphere around her instantly chilled, and even people across the screen felt like the previous soft-looking girl had suddenly turned into a sharp sword.

    "I, Emilia White, cannot stand injustice the most. And since there are some things that no one else is willing to do... I have no choice but to take things into my own hands. Those who are willing to follow me, please trust in mymand!"

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 Chapter 421 For Justice

    Chapter 421 For Justice¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Even if many people thought her statement was a little strange, most didn''t really give it too much thought.

    After all, there was nock of injustice in the world, and many ''celebrities'' would say simr grand standing words from time to time, but there was rarely any follow up effect.

    Most of them participated in a few charities and moved on with their careers, if that.

    Of course, while some really did it only for publicity, it wasn''t as if there was no one in the world with good intentions. But it didn''t take them long to discover the ''futility'' of their actions.

    With her newfound poprity, there was nock of people willing to decipher her every word and action, and while many who already disliked her took the opportunity to ridicule her, most of her new fans were still full of support.

    "Although she seems a bit too na?ve when saying such unrealistic things, I can''t help but be a little convinced that she means it!"

    Of course, when pressed for arguments, Emilia''s side was weak and unresponsive, and could only counter with praising her looks and talent due to theck of any other material.

    "Even if her words are innocent and na?ve, her heart is unarguably sincere, is it not?"

    Naturally, some didn''t bother ''reasoning'' at all, and directly attacked those who dared mock their newfound ''princess''. Just hundreds of these ''knights'' had been enough to overwhelm the situation with sheer passion, but now that the number had increased many fold, puny things like reasoning and logic didn''t bother them at all.

    Surprisingly enough, though, the White Deer''s representatives didn''t seem to respond or try to manage the image of their little princess at all, and some people couldn''t help but specte.

    "Did she fall out of favor after speaking out against her family like that?"

    "Not only is she arrogant, but also ungrateful!"

    The negativity suddenly surged, and Emilia''s newfound fans couldn''t help but fight back furiously.

    "No way, did our little princess offend anyone? She just yed a role in a show and won a polo match. What''s with all this nder all over the ce?"

    "Anyone can see this is all nned marketing by someone who doesn''t want her to look good. Whether it''s attacking her family indirectly or the princess herself, though, I''m not sure."

    Of course, those who sympathized with her were extremely dissatisfied with the White Deer family as well, and they couldn''t help but wonder if the ''super doting older sister and parents'' were really so quick to change their face. If so, how could they deserve the affection of their princess? Thinking of how wronged their little princess must feel, they couldn''t help but be distressed.

    No one knew, however, that the most dissatisfied of them all was actually this ''older sister'' herself.

    It was one thing for her little sister to not allow them to defend her from nder, but when she thought about the girl leaving them soon as well, Sam really couldn''t hold her temper anymore.

    To think she would fly in a hurry all the way from the capital to hear these kinds of words!

    Looking at the tall girl stomping her feet petntly, Emilia could only smile and reach out to hold her hand helplessly. "Why are you so angry, big sis? It''s not like I''ll be gone for long. And didn''t you already agree before?"

    The older girl couldn''t help but pout. "I-I might have agreed before, but now that you''re really about to leave, I realize that I really can''t stand it at all."

    Emilia sighed as she pulled her into an embrace. "It''s only for a while. I''ll be back before you know it, okay?"

    With her soft and cute little sister coaxing her like that, there was no way Sam could stay dissatisfied, so she could only hum in agreement reluctantly.

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    In the Blue Dawn Republic, a storm was surging beneath the gloomy clouds that covered the heart of the country.

    Even before the first day they had seen Emilia on TV, there had been plenty of rumors and pamphlets passed around, but no one dared to believe them.

    After all, even if some rich girl from another country came here, it would not be without reason. And whatever that reason was, what did it have to do with them?

    Whether her arrival was for satisfying her curiosity or to advance some agenda of her parentpany, no one thought it would make their lives any better.

    The ones who plunged them into this chaos were the same type of people after all.

    For those at the bottom, there was no difference between the top-ranking corporations of the world, whether it be Gray Wolfe, ck Tiger, or White Deer.

    They might have different philosophies and methods, but at the end of the day, they only had a single goal - maximum profit.

    How could such people consider what it felt like to be in the position of amoner in the Blue Dawn Republic, let alone really sympathize with them?

    Of course, the efforts of Noelle''s people weren''t in vain, and they were still able to slightly soften their rigid judgment before the first episode aired.

    With her performance and aura in ''The Princess, the Witch, and the Frog'', Emilia tried her best to convince them of her nature and sincerity, causing their judgment to further crack.

    And when her decisive words after her match were broadcast live, their skepticism really almost shattered.

    There was no hint of falsehood in the girl''s eyes, and she seemed ready to give up anything to realize her ideals.

    Maybe, just maybe, it would be fine to entrust their hopes to this girl once.

    After all, they didn''t have much to lose.

    A few dayster, the news of the arrival of the ''princess'' spread throughout the country''s capital, and many people huddled together outside the airport to witness her arrival.

    The private jetnded safely, and the crimson-haired beauty that exited the airport couldn''t be mistaken for anyone else at all.

    She really came!

    Emilia smiled as she waved at the people watching her with fiery eyes from a distance, looking both ragged yet full of energy.

    They didn''t dare to cheer, but the fire in their eyes intensified.

    "Miss Emilia, wee to the Blue Dawn Republic! May I have the pleasure of escorting you today?"

    Her smile didn''t fade away under the re of the government officials and security of the Blue Dawn Republic, and she greeted her ''escort'' with a smile. "Hi. Thank you, please lead the way."

    Looking at his sleazy yet condescending smile, she couldn''t help but miss her little girlfriends more and more.

    Of course, not to mention anyone else, she hadn''t even been able to bring Noelle along.

    It wasn''t that she wouldn''t have any help here, but there just wouldn''t be many familiar faces, and she couldn''t help but feel a little lonely when she thought about it again.

    Obviously, they had already discussed everything with her friends and family in advance. So although there was some disappointment when she left, they weren''t really too shocked, only worried.

    After all, it wouldn''t be long before they reunited again, and they couldn''t break Emilia''s wings just because they didn''t want her to fly away. But what if she was bullied by outsiders?

    Of course, Emilia was still able to temporarily assure them somehow, but she knew it wouldn''t be long before they got worried again. Aside from being a little helpless, she couldn''t deny the surge of warmth in her heart.

    Meanwhile, when the news of Emilia''s arrival in the Blue Dawn Republic became public, it inevitable caused another storm of furious discussions.

    Although some had spected, no one really dared to believe that this little girl would try to meddle in such a matter. When even major corporations and governments tacitly agreed to ignore it, what gave this ''child'' the guts to try pulling off such a stunt?

    Not to mention offending the Gray Wolfe and the ck Tiger, this was directly challenging the authority of the government!

    Even if the Blue Dawn Republic wouldn''t really be too ruthless considering her background andck of ability to really pull anything off, this was still a nonsensical move from a seemingly smart girl.

    After all, how can someone so talented be dumb?

    It was only then that they realized that this girl probably meant each and every word that she spoke in her interview that day.

    Aside from fresh waves of shock and ridicule, many couldn''t help but express their admiration.

    "Although it''s unlikely that anything will happen to her, I can''t help but admire her for being willing to give everything up for her ideals."

    "Does she really n to seek some form of ''justice'' for the people in the Blue Dawn Republic? What is she going to do?"

    "Beg the government, probably? I''d say it''s na?ve, but I think it''s still quite brave of her to do so, especially without her family''s support."

    Naturally, where there was support, there was also an increasinglyrge amount of ridicule.

    "Of course, when you''re rich, young, and beautiful, you really think you can do anything, huh? It''s like the rules of the world don''t even matter, do they?"

    "I wonder when she will regret not listening to her family and rebelling by herself? If they really cut off her pocket money, would she still be able to be so willful and fly around the world like this?"

    Of course, while people fought fiercely all over the ce, there was no one more shocked about it all than one Alexander Gray, who was currently questioning everything in his life.

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 Chapter 422 Alexanders Mental Gymnastics

    Chapter 422 Alexander''s Mental Gymnastics¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although Alexander Gray''s life hadn''t always been bright and glorious, especially when his mother had yet to be the official wife of Mr. Gray, it could still be regarded as more or less smooth sailing.

    Even at the worst points of his life, the most anyone had ever dared to do was to point fingers at his back when they thought he wasn''t looking. Of course, they ended up regretting thatter as well.

    And once his identity became public, Alexander was able to openly enjoy abundant wealth and beauty day in, day out. Until he had to participate in this boring ''test'', that is.

    Since his father repeatedly assured him that it was impossible for him to lose to the twins with his ''talent'', Alexander never expected to suffer too many setbacks on his road to sess.

    And when he first arrived at Oriana, it really had been so. Even with his capital significantly reduced, Alexander was able to quickly start making progress on his ''mission'', and even enjoy a few fresh local ''flowers'' whenever he was in the mood.

    The dark-haired man realized that while his life now wasn''tparable to what he was used to as the Gray Wolfe''s heir, it still wasn''t too bad, especially considering he was able to get to this point with his own effort.

    But this year, it was as if being the Gray Wolfe''s heir wasn''t a blessing, but a curse.

    When people just thought of him as Alexander Steele, the self-made entrepreneur, no one dared to point fingers at him or get in his way at all.

    Even if he ruined a few small actresses regrly, aside from a few clowns he was easily able to suppress, few dared to jump up and down.

    In just a short period of time, however, he had suffered not only under the hands of the ck Tiger, but also that bitch from White Deer!

    The ck Tiger''s move was still somewhat understandable, since they wanted to provoke his father for whatever stupid reason, but what about that gray-haired bitch? He couldn''t swallow that insult at all.

    This was why when Emilia approached himter and started to fall for him, it not only soothed his bruised ego, but also gave him the idea of punishing the gray-haired bitch through her own master''s hands.

    With her infatuated behavior before, Alexander thought that his revenge was only a matter of time, and he could enjoy the feeling of crushing another exotic flower as well, however¡­

    "What does she even mean by all of this?!"

    If she had just left the country for a while, Alexander naturally wouldn''t be too rmed. After all, which rich miss didn''t go on a vacation every once in a while?

    But whenever he thought about the talent she had shown and the way she spoke so confidently in front of the camera¡­ Alexander couldn''t help but feel uneasy.

    "Is that how she really is? Was she pretending in front of me before?"

    The thought of why she would need to do that, and what she hoped to achieve kept circling endlessly in his mind.

    Moreover, the thing he didn''t understand the most was¡­ why was it the Blue Dawn Republic?

    That was the ce that his father''spany was using to get revenge on the ck Tiger for assaulting him!

    Alexander couldn''t figure it out no matter how hard he wracked his brain, so in the end, he decided to do something he never thought he would have to resort to.

    Research it on the inte.

    Shortly after posting a few questions on a popr forum, Alexander''s tense brows eased as he read the first few replies.

    "A girl who is always cute and innocent in front of you is confident and strong in front of others¡­ isn''t it obvious? Girls like to show weakness in front of those they like! Who wouldn''t enjoy being pampered by their lover?"

    "I have something to add to the above reply! Actually, most girls are misled to think that men don''t like strong women, so they fear that their crush won''t be able to ept them being too strong, so they hide it until they trust their boyfriends enough to show it to them. I suggest you just talk to her and figure it out."

    Although there were many more repliester, they were just other people seeking advice for their own love troubles from these ''experts''.

    Of course, Alexander had already closed the browser with a contemtive look on his face.

    Recalling Emilia''s behavior around him, the dark-haired man realized that it fit almost perfectly with the example that the ''experts'' had given him online.

    In front of the boy she liked, of course she would first pretend to be weak, cute, and pitiful to attract his attention!

    Alexander couldn''t help but shake his head ruefully. "For her to show me her other side now¡­ that stupid little girl must think that I''ve already epted her, huh?"

    Moreover, after he stopped suspecting her, Alexander realized that her other moves were all for him as well.

    With the Gray Wolfe''s attacks on the ck Tiger, the Republic of Blue Dawn had really suffered a bit too much, and even the reputation of the two corporations took a major hit all over the world.

    Of course, it didn''t really matter to Alexander or his father what people thought of them, but for a girl in love, how could she hear people badmouth her father-inw and husband like that?

    Naturally, the main reason she went to the Republic of Blue Dawn must be to somehow reduce the impact that the incident had on the Gray Wolfe''s name.

    Plus, after showing her ''real self'', the crimson-haired beauty must have been both embarrassed and terrified of his reaction.

    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

    Alexander couldn''t help but smirk with self-satisfaction. "What a thoughtful little girl. What a pity¡­"

    Even if the thought of reconsidering her for the position of his ''wife'' entered his mind momentarily, Alexander didn''t allow it to overwhelm his reason.

    He sighed. "Emilia may be diligent and beautiful, but unfortunately¡­ she''s too stupid."

    If such an impulsive and passionate girl became his wife, she would definitely attract endless trouble for himter in his life, just like she was doing right now for her parents.

    Of course, since it was all for him, Alexander didn''t mind indulging her a little longer than he had initially intended.

    The dark-haired man grinned. "In fact, since she''s working so hard for my sake¡­ I wonder what kind of expression she''ll make when I decide to give her a surpriseter?"

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    Naturally, those who could rationalize Emilia''s decisions in such a self-righteous way were rarer than desert monkeys in the open seas.

    With the high IQ of the students in the Imperial Academy, they could obviously tell that Emilia''s speech, whenbined with her visit to the Blue Dawn, must mean that she wanted to meddle in their ongoing conflict.

    It was a crazy, absurdly nonsensical concept for them, but considering it was Emilia¡­ it made sense.

    Under such circumstances, her not attending school was actually not a big deal at all.

    Of course, her ever-growing fan club seemed to be overwhelmed with a collective wave of depression and only hoped for her to return quickly, but most others couldn''t help but look forward to what she nned to do.

    "With her brash and open personality, she wouldn''t just storm up to the president and punch him in the face, would she?"

    "What nonsense! Is a president something you can just punch casually?"

    "You and I can''t, but that doesn''t mean she can''t either. Otherwise¡­ you wanna bet?"

    "¡­ Stupid."

    Although it sounds like a joke, no one dared to bet against it when they thought about it.

    With her identity¡­ maybe she really would be able to get out of it alive, as long as her family was willing to pay enough.

    Naturally, they only dared to think so because they were talking about the leader of an ''insignificant'' ce like the Republic of Blue Dawn.

    Of course, arge part of it was also due to the sheer awe that they felt whenever they recalled her dazzling performance in the solo vaulting show after the polo match.

    Being able to dodge arrows and perform gymnastic maneuvers while riding on a horse required not just flexibility and talent, but also an audacious fearlessness that very few had.

    If her performance in the first day''s show had won the hearts of many, and her polo match had convinced them of her teamwork ability, then the vaulting show at the end had thoroughly convinced them of her both her talent and daring.

    But still, there was a difference between bullets and arrows, and the students of the Imperial Academy naturally wouldn''t believe that Emilia could be invincible with her talent. That kind of delusional thinking was reserved for her hard-core fan girls.

    While many couldn''t help but admire her for her courage, most didn''t believe that she could make any significant change in her ''pursuit of justice'' this time.

    The Blue Dawn Republic was not their school, where Emilia could impose her will arbitrarily on the basis of beauty and wealth.

    Poor as it was, it was still a country that could tear her to pieces without much effort at all.

    Whether they gloat over it orment, most of the students agreed that Emilia was bound to return disappointed, if not broken.

    After all, at the end of the day, Emilia was still a human, just like them.

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 Chapter 423 Not So Easy

    Chapter 423 Not So Easy¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    In stark contrast to her pessimistic schoolmates'' expectations, when Emilia met Blue Dawn''s president, their interaction was both cordial and fruitless.

    The white-haired president had initially been quite friendly to the little girl, perhaps thinking she would easy to fool and coax.

    After a while, however, he realized that she was just a stupid idiot filled to the brim with countless ideas of some arbitrary ''justice''. Not only that, she had no idea on how to implement them either.

    She babbled about all these rights and opportunities non-stop, never even realizing how hypocritical those words wereing from the mouth of a privileged little princess.

    But considering that she probably got whatever she wanted just by mentioning it, the president wasn''t actually too surprised that she had no idea how to get things done herself.

    Unfortunately for her¡­ this wasn''t her home, and he was the president of Blue Dawn, not her father.

    When he thought about it again, the president was actually quite relieved. ''Actually, it''s a good thing that she''s just another pretty face with no brain. I don''t need to worry about her so much.''

    Those ipetent fools really paid too much attention to TV and electronic media, getting worried over something that actually had no substance.

    After losing interest, the president made a few perfunctory excuses before having Emilia escorted away.

    "Mr. President¡­ are we really going to leave her alone?"

    "Of course not. No matter how stupid she is, her identity is still there. We have to make sure she is well-protected for the duration of her stay."

    Naturally, the people around him were no fools, and could tell what he really meant without him having to explicitly say it out loud.

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    The task of escorting her back naturally fell into the hands of the same sleazy man who had escorted her out of the airport.

    Emilia wasn''t actually that surprised when she was offered a private vi to stay in for as long as she desired.

    Of course, this request wasn''t one she could just reject. Even though they masked it well under the standard ''it''s for your own safety'' act, Emilia would have to be a fool to not realize that it was to monitor her movements.

    From the moment she entered the ce, not only did she feel the piercing gaze of countless probing eyes, but also the re of hundreds of hidden cameras.

    Emilia couldn''t help but have some doubts in her heart. ''¡­ Don''t tell me¡­ are these people a bunch of perverts?!''

    Cynthia decided to ignore her partner''s exmation with a roll of her eyes. "Shouldn''t you be more worried about how to get out of here without rming them?"

    The crimson-haired girl just hummed thoughtfully. ''Don''t worry, I''ll figure something out.''

    The pervert kept probing her with all types of questions as he gave her a tour of the vi, and Emilia couldn''t help but be surprised at how luxurious it was.

    Even if she were topare it to her own White Deer mansion¡­ although there was some difference, it was only because her family could afford things that couldn''t be bought with just money.

    In terms of extravagance alone, this ce definitely didn''t lose out at all. From a private spa to an indoor gym, it had everything one could need, and more.

    Of course, instead of giving her a good impression, this kind of thing only made Emilia feel disgusted. ''Your people are starving, and you still have the money to maintain an artificial forest in the center of the city just so you can show off some imported peacocks???''

    Her ''escort'' looked extremely smug as he saw her surprised reaction. "This is one of our ten best guest vis in the country, called Blue Lotus. We know that Miss Emilia must be used to luxury since young, so we naturally wouldn''t wrong you."

    Unfortunately, she couldn''t just turn around and smack the man in the face, so he was still able to proudly introduce her to the magnificent lotus pond that was the ''trademark'' of this Blue Lotus Vi.

    Looking at the beautiful scenery¡­ well, Emilia had to admit that it was quite nice.

    Cynthia scoffed. "Fickle."

    Emilia blushed. ''T-The flowers are innocent. I can still admire them.''

    Thest ce he showed her was naturally her own room, and Emilia ''happily'' darted in. "Oh, it''s so nice, I can''t wait to check it out!"

    The man''s expression was clearly not right when he stepped in after her, but Emilia didn''t seem to be paying any attention.

    The security guards following them only stared at each other and stayed outside the room.

    Given how stupid this girl seemed, she wouldn''t really be nted in the intelligence director''s hands on the first day, right?

    Although it was their own ''leader'', they couldn''t help but feel a little pity in their hearts.

    Naturally, it was impossible for Emilia to be unfamiliar with the top brass of the country she was targeting like this, and she was well aware of the man''s identity as well.

    Not to mention the chief of their main intelligence department, the number of people in top official positions she had memorized for her visit was already in triple digits.

    "Is Miss Emilia pleased with¡ª?!" The grin on the man''s face froze abruptly when he saw the little beauty he had been coveting rummage through a few pots around the room, and he couldn''t help but rush forward to stop her.

    Of course, when the crimson-haired girl turned around in surprise at the sound of his hurried footsteps, his outstretched hand froze right before it could touch her fair shoulder.

    Fortunately, the girl was exceptionally stupid and only tilted her head in confusion, not seeming to realize that anything was wrong at all.

    The director cleared his throat awkwardly. "E-Emilia dear, what are you doing with the nts?"

    The gorgeous girl blushed as she hurriedly put the potted nt down in shame. "¡­ Actually, mister, ever since I was recorded sleeping by some pervert a few years ago, I can''t sleep without checking everything in the room thoroughly for cameras and stuff. Y-You don''t mind, right? I won''t break anything."

    Looking at her timid and embarrassed expression, the director momentarily felt his throat turn dry from thirst. When he finallyprehended her words, however, his face turned pale as he shook his head in denial. "No no, o-of course we don''t mind."

    No, even if he managed to distract her now, wasn''t there a chance that she would discover the hidden cameraster anyway?!

    If the White Deer''s leaders learned of them doing such a thing to their daughter¡­

    Compared to this harmless, dumb little milk cub without her parent''s support, that kind of situation would definitely be infinitely worse!

    Having already offended the ck Tiger thoroughly, if they stepped on the White Deer''s toes as well¡­ could the Gray Wolfe who only cared about its own pride and benefits still be trusted to continue supporting them at that time?

    No, they couldn''t afford to take that risk!

    Emilia watched with interest as the pervert''s face changed colors between fearful white, suffocating blue, and regretful green. ''If nothing else, he does have some talent in this field.''

    Although Cynthia was speechless from her rhetoric, she still couldn''t bring herself to disagree.

    "Emilia dear, I just remembered that the chef was a great admirer of your talent, and had prepared a special dish for you before. Why not follow me to have a taste first before you rest?"

    Emilia immediately showed a delighted expression. "Really? Let''s go, then!"

    Finally breathing a sigh of relief, he signaled his men to quickly get to work removing the cameras from the room while they were gone. Of course, the ones in the rest of the vi would remain.

    With the ''emergency'' dealt with, the director''s mind wandered back to how the girl didn''t seem to realize how he changed his term of address, and he couldn''t help but try his luck and attempt to wrap his arm around the girl''s slim waist.

    Anyway, since this stupid girl was making things difficult for him, wasn''t it just right for him to take some ''interest'' from her as well? As long as he didn''t go too far and the girl didn''t realize there was anything wrong, it should be fine, right?

    But the girl subtly stepped aside to avoid him in time while turning to curiously observe a vase in the corridor. "Wow, this is so beautiful!"

    Feeling the subtle gazes from his subordinates, the director could only grit his teeth in anger, forcing an ugly smile on his face. "I-If Emilia dear likes it, she can take it with her when returning home."

    The gorgeous girl turned to look at him in delight. "Really?!"

    He nodded generously, but just when he thought she would rush up and cling to him like the stupid and na?ve bitch that she was, the crimson-haired beauty jumped up and ran ahead happily. "Great! Everyone here is so nice and weing! Ahh, I can''t wait to taste what the chef has prepared?!"

    The ugly smile on the director''s face froze, and even the subordinates around him didn''t dare to breathe too loudly as they followed the two silently.

    ''C-Calm down, calm down. It''s just a stupid bitch who doesn''t understand what she''s doing.''

    Of course, even if it wasn''t intentional, he still couldn''t help but curse the girl for pping his face over and over again.

    If he could, he would definitely take her back to her room and show this stupid little idiot where she belonged in front of him!

    Fortunately, he was still somewhat sober, and remained well aware that he couldn''t afford the consequences of doing something like that. ''Stupid little bitch... you better pray that your parents don''t abandon you in the future, or I''ll make sure you regret that you were ever born!''

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 Chapter 424 The Deceptive and The Disdainful

    Chapter 424 The Deceptive and The Disdainful¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although he only used it as an excuse, it was still a fact that the chef had indeed prepared a dessert for the crimson-haired girl.

    Of course, it was initially intended to be servedter, but the man was more than delighted to get the opportunity to present it in advance in person.

    From the pie crust to the filling, the lemon meringue was clearly prepared quite meticulously. Although it wasn''t quiteparable to what Crystal''s mom would make, it was still very pleasing to the taste buds.

    In fact, Emilia wasn''t really a big fan of bor-intensive'' desserts, usually because she rarely found them worth her time, but she could still appreciate the fruits of the man''s efforts.

    And since she was a generous princess, she naturally wouldn''t fault the servants for the attitude of their masters. "Thank you, it was delicious."

    ttered, the chef quickly took the opportunity to ask for a photograph for his daughter, who was supposedly her ''biggest fan'', and Emilia happily obliged.

    Thinking about how he was supposed to keep all ''unnecessary'' contact between the girl and the people at a minimum, ''intelligence director'' felt his temples throb in pain.

    Since he couldn''t reveal any ws, however, he could only bear it in silence. ''It''s fine, whatever. After this, I''ll keep a closer eye on her to make sure all her actions are under our control whenever she leaves her room.''

    Anyway, with this little girl''s low IQ, even if she was annoying to be around, it was unlikely that she would be able to cause them any issues under his watch.

    The gorgeous girl licked her lips after finishing thest bite of her lemon meringue, making the man momentarily lose his train of thought.

    "Uncle, the chef said his daughter was my fan. Is your daughter my fan, too?"

    His smile copsed instantly.

    Her term of address was clearly more intimate than before, showing that this stupid little girl was deceived so easily, and he should normally have been happy. But that wasn''t the case at all.

    Although he was more than twice her age, the man still didn''t feelfortable being called an ''uncle''.

    Feeling his lips twitch in annoyance, the ''director'' pretended to ruefully shake his head in denial. "I''m not really interested in women my age, I¡ª"

    Before he could ''seduce'' her by hinting that he found younger girls like her more charming, Emilia interrupted him with an enthusiastic p. "Ohh. It''s okay if uncle doesn''t like girls. I don''t like boys either, it''s totally okay!"

    The director almost spewed out a mouthful of blood in anger. ''How did you get that from my words, stupid idiot?!''

    Of course, the girl remainedpletely oblivious to his hint.

    The subordinates watched their leader being humiliated while enjoying the subtle feeling of schadenfreude. Of course, they didn''t dare to show it on their faces.

    It didn''t take Emilia long to achieve her objective of infuriating the intelligence division''s director to the point where the man really couldn''t bother being around her anymore.

    "I-I have something to do, so I will leave now. Of course, miss Emilia must call me right away if you need anything."

    Emilia waved him away with a smile. "Byebye, uncle!"

    The subordinates felt refreshed when they saw their leader''s suffocated expression as he ran away as if being chased by demons, and they couldn''t help but find the girl in front of them more and more charming.

    Maybe the next few days they were supposed to spend watching over her wouldn''t be as boring as they expected, after all.

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    After returning to ''her room'', the first thing Emilia did was naturally to make sure that there were no surveince devices remaining that could observe her movements.

    Fortunately, the intelligence director was quite cautious, and had removed not just the cameras, but also all the bugs and sensors from inside the room.

    Of course, the surveince in the corridor and the rest of the vi remained the same, but Emilia didn''t have a problem with that.

    The crimson-haired beauty knew the value of being patient, and leisurely waited for the perfect time to start her ns while browsing social media on her phone.

    Finding a few topics of interest, she ''righteously'' forwarded them and made a fewments showing her stance.

    At this point, everyone knew that she was already in the Republic of Blue Dawn, and was going to start doing social work to bring ''change''.

    Naturally, the intelligence agencies observing her carefully were somewhat disdainful of her actions.

    If she just wanted to brush her presence online and make empty talk, there was no need toe all the way over here to do so, right?

    But since it made their jobs easier, they really couldn''tin too much.

    It wasn''t long before Emilia was asked what she would like for dinner, and the crimson-haired girl happily expressed her request to have dinner in her own room while tapping away at her phone.

    The disillusioned staff member sighed in disappointment and had everything served on her bed before retreating, and the girl generously waved her away with a smile.

    She waited patiently after finishing everything for the empty dishes to be taken away, and half an hourter, she nodded and started looking around once more.

    Wandering around the vi for a ''short walk'' after dinner, she carefully observed everyone''s state and positions before returning with a rough idea in her mind.

    Once she was sure that everything was fine, Emilia quickly stripped off all her clothes and threw them on the bed, then stepped into the bathroompletely bare.

    Even if someone stepped in to check on her shortly, it shouldn''t immediately cause an rm.

    "Hmm¡­ since all the windows and vents are secured with metal rods¡­ I guess there''s no choice."

    Laying down t on the floor, the crimson-haired beauty ced her ear against the ground and focused. "¡­ It doesn''t seem hollow, right? Even if there is an underground floor, there shouldn''t be anything below this room."

    The crimson-haired girl closed her eyes and hummed in contemtion for a while, and then slowly adjusted her shape to the desired form.

    Her soft and delicate hands changed to hard and tough ws, several strands of her hairbined together at the end to form extremely sharp des, and her pupils changed slightly to allow more light to be captured easily.

    Although they couldn''tpare to some of the industrial equipment she had seen, Emilia knew that this was the best she could do with her current ability.

    Of course, her appearance wasn''t very ''pleasing'' as per her own aesthetics, but with her ability to switch back to any of her ''saved'' forms, Emilia didn''t need to worry about hiding till the cooldown was over anymore.

    She contemted moving the luxurious bathtub so she could better hide the damage, but gave up the idea soon after. Not only was it too firmly secured, she also couldn''t be sure it wouldn''t break in the process.

    So, using the sharp organic des, Emilia carefully started cutting away at the joint of the floor tile.

    It didn''t take her long to make a cut all the way around, but the crimson-haired girl knew that she was just getting started. After all, the joints between tiles were there just to cover the gap, and it wasn''t what held them in ce at all.

    Fortunately, she had made her ''tentacles'' quite flexible and strong, and was easily able to adjust the angle of her des under the ground to start grinding away at the bond of the floor and the tile using the jagged teeth of her hair des.

    Cynthia sighed ruefully as she looked at the usually gorgeous girl''s monstrous form. "If one of your little ''babies'' saw you right now, how do you think they''ll react?"

    Emilia didn''t pause her actions, but her mischievous smile lit up on her face. ''Excited, probably?''

    The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Forget it. I just wanted to remind you that even if you get out of here like that, your saved states aren''t exactly clothed."

    The crimson-haired girl finally paused as she realized how she had overlooked such a crucial detail, and she couldn''t help but thank her partner in embarrassment. "T-Thank you, I''ll keep some clothes ready before transforming back."

    Wouldn''t it have been shameful to appear in front of her ''subordinates''pletely naked? Fortunately, Cynthia reminded her in time.

    Seems like even thiszy little cat could be useful from time to time.

    Of course, she didn''t dare to say that out loud.

    It took Emilia nearly ten minutes of constant grinding and prying to finally get that stubborn tile out of the floorpletely intact, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Setting it aside carefully, the crimson-haired beauty no longer needed to be so reserved with the material below the tile.

    Of course, although the soundproofing of the entire vi was top-notch, Emilia was still quite careful with how much noise she made while digging into the ground using her sharp ws, and also tried to keep the mess to a minimum.

    Before long, she was already six feet below the ground, and there was a huge pile of stones and dirt in the previously pristine bathroom.

    Fortunately, there weren''t any pipes in her way, and the whole process was quite seamless once she started. From that point on, it was only a matter of digging in the right direction to make a tunnel, and it was only a matter of time before Emilia ended up far from the vi.

    Emilia was still quite careful with her exit, though, and only dared to dig up once she encountered the thick roots of a tree, going right through its trunk and emerging into its canopy.

    Looking at the children''s yground in front of her, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh.

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 Chapter 425 Rendezvous

    Chapter 425 Rendezvous¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia was actually quite lucky that no one was looking up at the tree, because while the canopy was quite thick, it was far from being able topletely block one''s view.

    While it would have still been somewhat fine had she been in her original form, her current one was sure to leave the children with quite a bit of trauma.

    Luckily, there were only a handful of them here, and none of them just happened to be climbing up this tree at this time. Sad as it was, they seemed quite busy rummaging through the trashcans for food.

    The crimson-haired girl decided to quickly duck back in and rush back to ''her room'' before the situation changed.

    After reverting back to her normal form, Emilia took a few minutes to pick out a decent outfit from the clothes that were provided in the closet.

    Since the weather in the Blue Dawn Republic was quite a bit colder at this time than in her home country, there were quite a few warm clothes in the selection as well.

    Settling on a pleated ck skirt and a soft-looking cream-colored sweater, she started looking around for something she could hide her face with while still looking quite normal, and quickly settled on afy-looking ck muffler that she could easily wrap around her neck and the bottom half of her face.

    Once done, Emilia quickly made her way back to the tree canopy while being careful not to dirty her fresh clothes.

    "I''ll have to figure out a way to dispose of that mountain of dirt and stones, too."

    Cynthia coughed. "You can just eat them¡ª"

    "No way!"

    Recalling how this little viiness had forced her to chew up paper on the first day they arrived, the raven-haired girl could only pout while feeling aggrieved. "Howe it''s a bad idea when I make that suggestion?!"

    Emilia could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "Baby, do you not realize the difference between a piece of paper and a literal mountain of soil and dirt?"

    Moreover, just thinking about how many organisms could have dposed in there, Emilia couldn''t bring herself to put it in her mouth.

    That being said, Cynthia''s suggestion wasn''t without merit.

    Since anything that waspletely engulfed within her body would vanish, eating it was obviously not the ''only'' way to get that done.

    "Next time, I''ll make a new form that can try this out if I get the chance."

    Looking at her host picturing making a ''bag'' that could make all sorts of ''evidence'' vanish into the void, Cynthia couldn''t help but p her hands in delight. "That''s more like my viiness!"

    Emilia didn''t know if she should feel as proud about that praise as she did, but she quickly put that thought away as she climbed back up the trunk of the tree.

    Looking around, she made sure that no one was paying attention this way before she carefully climbed down to the ground, dusting off any extra leaves and dirt that she hadn''t been able to avoidpletely.

    "Now¡­ I just need to get to the rendezvous location."

    Calcting her rough position based on theyout of the vi and the direction she had been digging in, Emilia felt that she mustn''t be too far from where she needed to be.

    But to actually get there, she would have to depend on either some helpful passerby or andmark she could recognize.

    Of course, she also had to make sure that she wasn''t found out by the government while at it, or there would be way too much trouble.

    Once she started making her way out of the yground, the crimson-haired girl naturally attracted some attention. This wasn''t just because she was well-dressed and looked pretty, but also because her skin looked well-nourished and soft under themplight, which was already a sign of the wealthy in this somewhat impoverished area.

    "Big sister, big sister! Where are you from? Are you rich?!"

    "I''ve never seen a big sister so pretty, can you y with us?"

    "Big sister, do you have candies?"

    The tiny little carrot heads ranging from five to twelve quickly had her in an ''unbreakable siege'' of eagerness and excitement.

    Emilia couldn''t bring herself to be too harsh with these curious yet unfortunate children, but she still had ces to be, so she quickly came up with an idea to distract them.

    Using their own idea of ''ying a game'', she led them to a tree and had them each pluck a ''good leaf''.

    "Look, if you fold it like this, and then ce it against your lips¡­"

    A serene yet soft melody came out of the leaf under the disbelieving eyes of the little carrot heads, and their gazes changed from curious to worshiping in an instant, with the light of themps twinkling like little stars in their watery eyes.

    Of course, Emilia, being who she was, didn''t feel ufortable at all, and even puffed out her chest with pride. "Big sister wille hereter as well, but I have something important to do now. How about you practice until you can y a song using this leaf, and I''ll check up on your progress when we meet again?"

    Although they were still reluctant to let her leave, the children quicklypromised when they thought about ying with their new toy, and also the possibility of making her angry if they insisted on making her stay.

    Emilia couldn''t help but ruffle a few carrot heads before rushing away while making sure her muffler was properly covering her face. ''I''ll have to arrange some food for themter, ahhh, remind me if I forget, okay Cynthia?''

    "¡­"

    Naturally, the crimson-haired beauty didn''t pay any attention to her partner''s ''subtle'' mood.

    Thinking about her destination, she quickly started making her way through the alleys as soon as she spotted one. "Let''s avoid the crowded main streets for now."

    After all, while the public security in the capital of Blue Dawn was far from good with very few security cameras on the streets, Emilia still didn''t want to take any chances.

    Fortunately, even though she was going through the alleys, she didn''t encounter any ''unfortunate'' incidents, and also spotted the still-lit board of a well-known restaurant quite soon.

    "So that''s where I am, huh¡­ not far, then."

    Thinking about how easy this would have been had she been able to use the positioning system on her smartphone, Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "If only it wasn''t so easy for them to track me using my phone, life would be so much easier."

    Unfortunately, the current state of the technology made it incredibly easy for something to go wrong if she ran around while carrying a smart device, so Emilia could only do away with this convenience and work on her own.

    The way from there to her destination wasn''t quite as smooth, and she encountered a bunch of thugs beating up a skinny young man, but the situation was quickly resolved before any of them realized what was happening.

    Of course, it still took her some time to drag the skinny man away from the location to a safer ce, though she didn''t bother taking him all the way to the police station, and put him just close enough.

    Half an hourter, she finally arrived at the ce where Noelle had told her someone would be waiting to ''coordinate'' with her, and saw a gruff-looking man in ''casual clothes'' squatting on the ground in front of an ''inconspicuous'' building.

    Looking at his bulging muscles and sharp eyes, Emilia couldn''t help but feel that his attempt of trying to look like a normal man was incredibly funny. ''Hey Cynthia¡­ is it just me, or is his disguise too bad?''

    The man shot up in excitement the moment he saw the girl approach, and Emilia waved him over with a smile.

    "Hi, how is the weather today?"

    The man stiffened before sighing sadly. "Q-Quite blue, unfortunately."

    Emilia hummed. "Oh, what a pity. Is this house yours?"

    The man quickly shook his head. "Oh no, it belongs to my ancestors, but they removed me from the inheritance."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. "Okay. You pass. Let''s go in and talk, then."

    The man nodded happily as he led his way in, though only he knew how embarrassed and terrified he had been when he almost forgot about the ''authentication method'' that he had almost forgotten when he finally saw his little boss.

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 Chapter 426 The Beginning of Change

    Chapter 426 The Beginning of Change¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The buff man who led her into the dark building quickly introduced Emilia to the rest of his teammates. "This is Josh, Jessy, Morgan¡ª"

    In total, there were twelve women and ten men, for a total of twenty-two members.

    Considering that the team arranged by Noelle to assist her was spread throughout the country, though, this was already quite impressive.

    "Hi everyone! As you may know, I''m Emilia, and I need all of you to help me get things in this ce in order."

    The crimson-haired girl only greeted them briefly before getting to the point. "Since the officials are keeping me under close watch, it won''t be easy for us to meet often. I''ll trust you to follow my instructions to the best of your ability, alright?"

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    By the time Emilia returned to the park, most of the children she had met before were already asleep on the benches, except for two.

    "Big sister is back?!"

    "What''s in that big bag?!"

    Of course, listening to theirpanion''s excited exmations, it didn''t take long for the rest of them to wake up.

    Emilia just ruffled the naughty little girl''s hair with a grin. "I naturally wouldn''t break my promise."

    Under their heated gazes, she leisurely opened up the big canvas bag, revealing a whole bunch of choctes and cookies inside.

    Of course, she closed it before they could start snatching anything.

    Looking at their pitiful eyes, the crimson-haired girl sighed softly. "I know life has been hard for you, and big sister wants to help, but you have to be obedient and believe me, okay?"

    Naturally, she couldn''t just ignore their plight after having seen them dig through the trash, but just giving them a meal once was far from enough.

    If she wanted to bring change, she definitely had to start with what was in front of her first, and then proceed from there.

    For these children, she had specifically arranged food, lodging, and future care in a different town, both to avoid the government''s eyes and their past.

    Of course, whether they coulde back in the future after everything was done and dealt with would be entirely up to them.

    Seeing the little carrot heads nod rapidly, the crimson-haired beauty couldn''t help but smile. "Then, you see that van over there?"

    Following her slender finger, the children quickly spotted a very suspicious-looking ck van parked at the corner of the open park.

    "I want you to take this bag and get into its back door, and my friends will take you to a ce that will help you. You will get clothes, food, and will also be able to go to school soon."

    The ones who were the youngest looked at her with stars in their eyes, but some of the older ones couldn''t help but hesitate.

    Although this ''big sister'' was so kind, beautiful, and generous, they weren''tpletely oblivious to the dark nature of the world they were in.

    Emilia didn''t want to embarrass them or make them think too much about things, so after a brief moment of contemtion, she gently slid down her muffler and gave them a smile.

    "Big sister won''t deceive you. Will you¡­ believe me?"

    Although her beauty was enough to leave some of thempletely stunned, one of the older girls who had looked the most suspicious before immediately jumped in excitement.

    "W-We trust big sister! Don''t worry, we''ll go now, princess!"

    Emilia blinked in surprise as the girl snatched the bag and rushed to the van with all her might. "¡­ my face really is quite useful, isn''t it?"

    Cynthia wanted to scoff at her narcissism, but she had to admit that Emilia''s appearance was really quite on point, even with her level of aesthetics, so the effect it had on mortals went without saying.

    Plus, what kind of viiness would her partner be if she were to be humble?

    ''Wait a minute¡­ I feel like I''m missing something important here?''

    Of course, the children who followed the older girl to the van were even more confused than Cynthia.

    "Susy, why are you suddenly rushing off like this? That big sister didn''t even tell us her name!"

    The girl gave him an impatient look before urging them to get on the opened back of the van. "Get in first if you don''t wanna regret it. I''ll tell you soon."

    The little children didn''t need to be told twice, and the older ones already had some trust in Susy, so they got inside despite their reluctance.

    A suspicious man from the front quickly got off and closed the door shut before the van started, and the woman in the driver''s seat turned around to face them with a kind smile. "Children, wait for a while and don''t snack on what the princess gave you too much, okay? Once we get home, there should be dinner already waiting for you."

    When the man got back in his seat, the woman turned her head back and started the van, no longer giving them another look.

    All the curious little eyes turned back to Susy, who puffed out her chest with pride. "When I was trying to get us some food, a kind old man took me into the cafe and let me have cake, and I saw big sister on the TV there."

    "Eh? Is big sister someone famous?!"

    "Does she work in movies?"

    "I want to watch her movies!"

    Susy hesitated for a while before shaking her head in confusion. "I-I don''t know, but I heard her speak, and¡­ she''s a really good person?"

    Thinking about it again, if what she saw and heard was really just a scene from a film, then she had been a little too rash.

    But then again, would a movie star need to resort to things like trafficking them for money? Susy didn''t think they would need to do that. After all, weren''t they all rich and famous?

    Fortunately, her bet seemed to pay off, as when the van parked in an underground parking lot and the shivering children were led inside through some strange corridors, there really was arge and sumptuous dinner waiting for them!

    Smelling the delectable food that they hadn''t dared to imagine even in their dreams just hours before, even stuffing their bellies full of snacks in the bag seemed to have had no effect on the ravenous hunger that overwhelmed them at the moment.

    Fortunately, none of Emilia''s subordinates cared too much about them following etiquette, and just let them eat right out of the bowls and serving trays as long as they didn''t fight or snatch from each other.

    Of course, since there was plenty to go around and they were all friends in the first ce, none of them would waste their time fighting when they could stuff more food into their bellies.

    As for any suspicions... they had long since flown right out of their little heads as they wholeheartedly praised the angel who had smiled upon them today.

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    In contrast to the cheerful children, Emilia''s mood was actually a little moreplex as she returned to the Blue Lotus vi.

    "Although I was able to help them this time, how many others in the same situation have ended up tragically here already?"

    Given how easy it had been for her, Emilia imagined it couldn''t be too hard for people with bad intentions to get away with taking these children away for all sorts of nefarious schemes, from organ trade to prostitution.

    Just the mere thought of it made her clench her fists in rage, and Emilia couldn''t help but me herself for noting over sooner.

    After all, while it was true that she needed to establish some reputation and precedent for her ns to have the maximum effect in the shortest time possible, it wasn''t something she couldn''t make up with some more time and hard work.

    If it could have saved a few more little angels like the ones before, Emilia felt it would have been well worth the effort.

    Cynthia could feel her partner''splex mood, and feeling curious, she couldn''t help but ask. "What kind of convoluted logic is running in that stupid head of yours now?"

    "¡­"

    Emilia was in too much of a bad mood to get angry or exasperated at her partner, so she just told her what was on her mind.

    Cynthia immediately burst intoughter. "Did you not see the reaction of that little girl who looked so suspicious before? Why do you think she suddenly agreed and led all of those undecided idiots away?"

    "Wasn''t she just charmed by my beauty?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but be shocked. "¡­ How shameless?!" Then she puffed out her chest in pride. "As expected of my viiness! Although I don''t understand why you indulge them so much, it''s naturally to be expected for those monkey brains to be in awe of our immortal beauty."

    This time, it was Emilia''s turn to be speechless.

    Cynthia coughed in embarrassment. "Listen, from what I could see, the little girl recognized you from somewhere. She even called you princess, did she not? Would that have happened if you just came here without any preparations?"

    Looking at the girl''s enlightened expression, the raven-haired girl felt even more proud of herself for being so smart. "Anyway, the point is¡­ don''t second guess yourself! Since my viiness is naturally smart and efficient, there is no need to regret the decisions she''s already made, is there?"

    Plus, just a few more mortal lives¡­ what difference did it make? Naturally, knowing her partner, Cynthia knew it would be stupid to say such a thing out loud, lest she get spanked by the rebellious viiness needlessly.

    Emilia nodded thoughtfully as she took out the stic bags to store the contents of the dug-up tunnel so she could dispose of itter.

    Shocking as it was, there was some wisdom in Cynthia''s words.

    Regretting what had already happened wouldn''t change anything, and what mattered most now was how to make things better in the future.

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 Chapter 427 Midnight Princess

    Chapter 427 Midnight Princess¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    As Emilia continued to ''lounge around'' the Blue Lotus vi during the day, and carried out her ''expeditions'' at night, the government''s vignce of her slowly decreased.

    While they had already ''made sure'' that she was quite stupid and na?ve, when the girl really spent all day justzing around and postingments and ''likes'' on various social media posts to ''support the people'', the select few who had still advocated for the president to remain on-guard against her felt as if they had been pped on the face.

    Thinking about it again, no matter what her background was, what could a little girl without any power or intelligence really do?

    Even if she kept throwing a tantrum online, would it ever trante into any real-world effect?

    As long as they didn''t allow someone else to use her as a puppet for their own agenda, the girl herself was of little consequence.

    Of course, her social media messages weren''tpletely ineffective, but the government knew that it would be unwise to shut her off from this ''escape''.

    If she had some crazier idea in her head because of that, then they would really be shooting themselves in the foot, wouldn''t they?

    Of course, the cameras in the vi were still there, but that hardly mattered anymore. Like a little rabbit, Emilia had already dug three more tunnels to exit at different spots in the city. This little bit of surveince was even more useless than a government that could not govern.

    Emilia could naturally feel when the vignce of the people observing her decreased, and she couldn''t help but smile secretly. ''I wonder when they''ll finally realize it?''

    Cynthia hummed curiously. "Not worried?"

    The crimson-haired girl shook her head in denial. ''Not at all. Blue Dawn''s current government is like a dormant disease. I''m trying to treat it like this to cause minimal harm, but if it bes active, I will just have to use more drastic measures. It will hurt, but it won''t necessarily be a bad thing.''

    Her partner couldn''t help but sigh. "You know, after looking at that sleazy guy from before and that idiot of a president¡­ they really do seem like a disease, don''t they?"

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    Perhaps it was because of Emilia''s schedule, or simply because the timing was more convenient this way, but the entirety of the rebel movement seemed to only make most of their moves at night.

    For the government officials, it was as if the opponent really didn''t want them to get even a single night of sleep.

    These people who had been the most worry-free before could now only stare at the dark circles under their red eyes, dumbfounded.

    Every time they thought they could finally rest peacefully, they woke up to worse and worse news. From stolen stocks of food to suddenly emptied vaults, nothing seemed off-limits to these ruffians.

    And perhaps the worst part of it all was that they couldn''t even find a single hint of how these people got in and out of such heavily monitored and secured locations.

    It may be no military base, but it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that, with their security measures, even hundreds of riotingmoners wouldn''t be able to break into a warehouse at will, let alone get out without leaving any traces.

    Of course, the credit went not just to Emilia, but also to the excellent people arranged to help her by Noelle, who took care of everything from management to technical issues, leaving the crimson-haired girl free to formte and execute her ns.

    Naturally, the first thing she did was to make sure that everyone in the country who needed it received enough food to survive.

    It might seem like a simple thing, but it was actually one of their most critical tasks.

    After all, not only did they have to acquire the resources, but also get them to the ces where they were needed without being caught.

    Although it was possible to get many types of aid using the White Deer''s power, Emilia wasn''t the type to spare her enemy''s resources while digging into her own warehouse. Plus, it was much easier to get things from one point to another within the country than it was to bring something in from the other side of the border.

    Therefore, unless there was a shortage in certain areas, the crimson-haired girl had her people raid the government warehouses that stored food and grains first.

    With the poor state that the country was in, many of the people ''protecting'' these resources were actually already on their side, which helped significantly reduce the risks they were taking. But of course, Emilia wouldn''t sacrifice them as pawns for quick gains, and only had them make a move when she was sure nothing could go wrong.

    And looking at the numbers being sent to her, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh. "There wasn''t really much of a shortage at all, was there?"

    Of course, she realized that a government had many more concerns than just ''do we have enough food for everyone'', as they also had to take into ount what impact it would have on the economy if they just distributed it. Though whether this was of any concern to the current government remained doubtful.

    But since Emilia nned to rebuild it from the scratch anyway, she obviously had no such scruples.

    After food, came shelter, and then came the moment that both sides dreaded the most¡­ violence. Or more precisely, the threat of it.

    It wasn''t Emilia''s side that started first. After all, they had nothing to gain. As long as they waited till the next election, the current ruling party was sure to copse and be reced by the ''rebel'' leaders who intended to run against them.

    But for those who were already in power, they naturally wouldn''t want to give it up if they had the chance to keep it.

    Using the ''turmoil'' as an excuse, the ''emergency'' announcement came as expected when the officials saw things heading south, and any future elections were indefinitely postponed.

    The leaders of the current government didn''t even seem to care about the public outrage at all, nor were they bothered by all the people who were sure to perish in the case of riots.

    If anything, they were more than well-prepared for such an eventuality.

    Both the army and the police were instructed to keep a close, vignt eye on their respective posts, and immediately suppress any ''disturbance'' using whatever means necessary. As for how many of these enforcement officials were already on the enemy''s side? Naturally, the government did not believe there could be many.

    These were the departments that had been kept most wellpensated even through the times of turmoil, and it was precisely for this reason. Even if there were a few defectors, it wouldn''t be enough to cause an issue.

    What they never expected, however, was for the ''rebels'' to remainpletely silent.

    The feeling of pouring hot oil into a snake''s den but realizing it wasn''t in there at all made the officials feel terrified from the bottom of their hearts.

    It was as if they didn''t know when they would be struck from the dark, and it was far worse than fighting against losing odds.

    The orders being sent to the military and the police kept getting more and more strict, and even the regr movement of people started facing some obstruction.

    No more than two people together at once, no gatherings of three or more anywhere in public, no purchase of extra fuel¡­ the list went on and on.

    Even visiting a rtive''s home became subject to certain regtions, and thew enforcement was instructed to question any and every individual on the street for their purpose of being out, and issue a certificate for the same.

    If they exceeded that time limit or their purposes were found to ''fraudulent'' somewhere down the line, they would immediately be arrested for causing unrest and inciting violence.

    The worse it got, the calmer Emilia was as she faced the five ''leaders'' of the rebellion with a smile.

    After nearly a month of this oppressing silence, something happened that shook the government to its core.

    One of their military bases in their northern province - the biggest one out of five - was almostpletely robbed clean.

    Not a single person died in the struggle¡­ because no one seemed to know when exactly everything went missing, and how.

    Like a bunch of ants on a frying pan, all the remaining military bases were ordered to thoroughly tally all their equipment, and check every nook and cranny for any leaks.

    "Mr. President, the report just came in. The arsenal of all the other bases is intact, and there are no signs of disturbance."

    Of course, even though this was a ''good news'', it didn''t bring any relief to either the president or the other high-ranking officials.

    As long as the mystery of the northern base remained unsolved for one day, they were bound to have another night without sleep.

    It was one thing for food granaries to be robbed clean without them being able to catch anyone, but how could the same thing happen to such a well-guarded military base?

    Eventually, even the president couldn''t hold his temper anymore. "What the hell is going on? Do they have a ghost on their side or something?!"

    With their persistent efforts to unearth this ''secret'', the government finally managed to get a few hints of a female leadership figure among the rebels called the ''Midnight Princess'' who was at the very center of this conspiracy.

    Of course, unless they managed to discover who she was, where she lived, and what her weaknesses were, this information was about as useful as a toy gun on a battlefield.

    The president mmed his fist down on the dark mahogany table, his eyes red in rage. "Find out where she is, and get her down for me before she ruins our country!"

    Stealing food first, and then weapons... he would have to be a fool to not realize where things were headed next. And the suffocation of not even knowing what his enemy looked like made the president feel as if he was punching cotton even when he cursed her in his heart.

    He couldn''t help but bite his back mrs in frustration. "What ''Midnight Princess''? To not even dare to show her face in the sun, that bitch must be ugly as fuck!"

    Of course, while it was mostly his rage talking, the image of an elderly, wrinkled and nefarious witch shed through the president''s head at this time. Andbined with the ''strange'' urrences so far, he became more and more certain of his guess.

    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that this ''Midnight Princess'' was the same ''useless'' girl they were keeping in their Blue Lotus vi.

    After all, how could someone who only knew how to repost on social media be the same as the leader of a rebellion that took down one of their military bases with minimal effort?

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 Chapter 428 Getaway

    Chapter 428 Getaway¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The so-called ''rebel forces'' of the Blue Dawn Republic hadn''t really been a cohesive force before Emilia came along. In fact, aside from protesting against the government, they were neither capable of nor desired to do anything else.

    With the crimson-haired girl''s help, however, not only were they all united into a single, cohesive force, but their ambition topletely overthrow their ipetent and exploitative government was alsopletely set aze.

    If this little girl from halfway around the world could risk everything to help them, how could they not even be willing to take the risk for the betterment of their own future?

    Moreover, Emilia did not juste alone, but also brought a lot of resources and manpower with her to help them tip the scales against the government, and the situation was far from being as hopeless as it had been before.

    Currently, the five ''leaders'' of this now organized ''rebel force'' were waiting for their princess to arrive in one of their newly established underground bases right outside the capital.

    These were the carefully selected ''generals'' handpicked by Emilia to lead and take care of everyone in their own province.

    Aside from the five of them on the slightly elevated tform, there were also about five hundred people standing in ten neat rows of twenty-five each on the front left and the front right, looking both anxious and expectant.

    They may be the carefully selected ''top contributors'' in their respective regions, but for many of them, this was going to be the first time they every their eyes on the princess.

    "Is she really going to be here in personter?"

    "T-That''s what everyone says, i-it should be true."

    "Oh¡­"

    His skepticism wasn''t without reason, as while he had heard her speech numerous times through the speakers and also seen numerous videos, he had yet to see the beauty with his own eyes, just like most others in this ''rebellion''.

    Of course, Emilia couldn''t really be med given that her movement radius was restricted by the fact that she had to return to the Blue Lotus vi regrly, though that was soon about to change.

    Meanwhile, the girl they were talking about was in a strange confrontation with the officials at the Blue Lotus vi.

    "I''m tired and sick of wearing these same few dresses and skirts over and over again! I want something new!"

    Looking at the little beauty stomping her feet petntly on the floor, the few officials who were trying to cate her couldn''t help but feel exasperated in their hearts.

    They wanted to madly scream. ''Miss, there are already hundreds of options in your wardrobe, how could you be bored of them already?!''

    Of course, no matter what they thought, no one dared to say such a thing out loud.

    After all, with her status as the White Deer''s little princess, perhaps she really did look down on ''just'' a hundred or so high-end clothing options in her closet.

    "Miss, don''t worry, we''ll let the leader know about this situation, and there will definitely be new clothes in your closet by tomorrow."

    The gorgeous girl huffed, clearly dissatisfied. "No way, with all the poor choices from before, how can I trust someone else to pick clothes for me? Take me to a good store, I''ll pick what I like myself!"

    The officials could only suffocate in their hearts helplessly, but in front of her tantrum, they really had no choice but to try toe to apromise.

    After getting along with the crimson-haired beauty for so long, how could they not be familiar with this little ancestor''s attitude? If she insisted on dancing on the dinner table, it was better to clear it for her speedily instead of trying to up a futile struggle.

    Most of the officials could only feel that spoiled children like this girl might only really be kept in line using force, because they couldn''t control her at all. Unfortunately, this was not their own daughter, but a hot little chilly that, not to mention them, even their director couldn''t afford to touch.

    If anything really happened to her, not to mention what the girl''s parents would do, perhaps their own president would skin them alive first.

    After all, while this little ancestor was always making trouble on social media, her actual impact on the situation wasn''t that great.

    Compared to facing all types of criticism online, the government of Blue Dawn naturally cared a lot more about their country''s actual status, and they were more than happy to maintain this ''peaceful rtionship''.

    The officials stationed at the Blue Lotus vi were a lot more leisurely, however, and often browsed social media themselves.

    Thinking of all the scolding and criticism they were bound to face if this little ancestor cried about how she was ''mistreated'' in their country, they couldn''t help but want to cry as well.

    "I-I think it should be fine to just take her to a good ce and let her pick a few good clothes, right?"

    "W-Wouldn''t the director be mad?"

    "Why not call him to ask?"

    The few of them looked at each other, but didn''t dare to do it in the end.

    They didn''t know if this girl was incredibly lucky or what, but every time their leader came forward to ''try his luck'', the situation always ''coincidentally'' ended up with a p to his face.

    No matter how thick-skinned he was, being humiliated over and over again in front of his subordinates eventually pissed the man off to the point where he really stopped visiting this ''scourge''.

    Of course, the other officials also regretted it very muchter, wondering if their future road would be blocked, but there was nothing they could do to change the past.

    Unless they served this ''little devil'' on the director''s bed wearing nothing but a red bowtie, it was impossible to reduce his disgust. But even if they were to eat a bear''s galldder, who would have the courage to do that kind of thing?

    In the end, they decided it was better to just take her to a high-end clothing store and get things over with.

    The smug little beauty lifted her chin with pride as she sauntered into the high-end store, pointing to one of the flowing blue mermaid-style dresses happily. "I want to try that one first!"

    The officials had initially intended to enjoy the ''show'', substituting her for a little wife they brought out for shopping, but after the two-hundred and thirtieth dress, most of them felt their souls were about to leave their bodies.

    Moreover, those abominable maids she had dragged all the way from the vi kept blocking their view, making the show even more boring! At least let them see the beauty, will you?!

    Fatigued from sitting around for hours, the three officials who had followed the girl in finally couldn''t take it anymore and decided to leave.

    Of course, the didn''t forget to warn the bodyguards seriously. "We''ll be back in a few minutes after a round of drinks. Remember, keep a close eye on everything and make sure nothing goes wrong!"

    The security personnel nodded with confidence, but didn''t really take their warnings to heart.

    After all, they had been watching this little beauty for so long, and she had never given them any trouble. Although she was slightly slow, it''s not like she would get lost inside the store with half a dozen maids by her side, right?

    Of course, how could they have known that all of those ''dependable'' maids had long since switched sides?

    Not only would they not face any more harassment and suffer under minimal wages, but their new boss was also extremely adorable!

    Even if she had only asked for their help to help her escape without offering anything in return, they would probably still have agreed.

    Back inside the store, thedy who was fetching the dresses for Emilia happily before showed an uneasy smile as she entered the changing room with her under the pretext of ''helping''. "P-Princess, although I really wish to help you, I was specially called to open the store to serve you today, and it''s very likely that my family would suffer if you were to suddenly disappear¡ª"

    The crimson-haired beauty hummed thoughtfully before nodding. "Even if I were to knock you out, it doesn''t stop someone from unreasonably venting their anger on you and your family, right?"

    Looking at her pale face, Emilia giggled. "Rx. Do I look like a shortsighted girl to you? At this time, your little sister should already be safe in our base outside the capital."

    Just as thedy''s eyes lit up and she was about to shout excitedly, Emilia pressed her finger against her lips with a smile. "Okay, why don''t we get out of here first before continuing the conversation?"

    It was impossible for them to leave the store from the front with all the security, but since Emilia hade this far, she naturally had a way out.

    Of course, before leaving the changing room, Emilia still had one more thing to do.

    The ''saledy'' felt her eyes bug out in shock when the gorgeous girl in front of her suddenly start undressing. "W-Wha-What a-are y-you doing?!"

    Although she felt like she was screaming in excitement, thedy''s voice was actually like a mouse squeaking pitifully. Given that everything including her throat was stiff as a steel rod, however, she really couldn''t be med.

    Emilia giggled in delight. "Since I''m in the changing room, I''m obviously going to change, right?"

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 Chapter 429 Social Death

    Chapter 429 Social Death¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although this was supposedly a luxury shop, there wasn''t really much space left over in the changing room with two people already inside, making the saledy feel even more shy whenever her fingers ''inadvertently'' brushed against the beautiful crimson-haired girl''s skin.

    Although she would never deny that the girl''s skin was tantalizingly soft and smooth, it definitely, definitely wasn''t intentional. Purely an ident. Unavoidable, really, since she was so ''nervous'' and ''embarrassed''.

    Since Emilia had things to do and ces to be, however, she naturally didn''t care about these little things too much, and even motioned for the saledy to help her with the dress.

    No matter how ''embarrassed'' she was, the saledy felt that it was her responsibility to help the girl out, and quickly helped her as best as she could.

    Unfortunately, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity passed faster than she expected, and she was left staring in regret at the back zipper that she had just pulled up,pletely unaware that Emilia could see her expression clearly in the mirror.

    Of course, aside from being momentarily amused, Emilia wasn''t really bothered, and quickly pulled the dazeddy out of the changing room in ''excitement''.

    "I love this one! Do you have any more just like it?!"

    Naturally, this was the ''trigger'', and the six maids who had already been prepared quickly burst into action, surrounding the two of them instantly.

    The surveince clearly captured the shocked expression of the two girls as their faces were covered with a white cloth, and the two of them ''fainted'' within moments.

    To make sure nothing went wrong, Emilia had already handed the maids some real chloroform instead of having them just act, and didn''t warn the saledy either.

    After all, she could trust that her acting would be at least somewhat real, avoiding suspicion.

    Fortunately, there were no other customers in the store at the moment, and the staff was also absent except for this onedy, preventing any possibility of panic or rm that would alert the security outside too fast.

    The six maids stared at each other in excitement. "Let''s proceed ording to n."

    "I''ve always loved spy movies, ahh! Who knew one day I would get to actually be a ''heroine'' in a real-life scene like this?!"

    "I know, right?! I feel like a special agent!"

    High on energy, two of them quickly went ahead to scout ahead on their escape route through the emergency exit at the back of the store, while one stayed further back to intercept and distract anyone from behind.

    Two of them supported the saledy from each side and lifted her up till her feet weren''t touching the ground, while the strongest of them picked Emilia up in a bridal carry, and the team moved swiftly as a single unit.

    Of course, although the chloroform was real, Emilia was only pretending to have fainted. With the way her body worked, not to mention this little bit of vapor, even if she were to chug the thing like water, it wouldn''t really any effect aside from momentarily numbing her tongue.

    Cynthia hummed. "Are you toozy to walk?"

    ''Hey, I''m just putting a show for the cameras, you know?''

    Emilia couldn''t deny that the maid''s embrace was actually quitefortable, though.

    The raven-haired girl just rolled her eyes as she watched her partner continue pretending as the team reached the building''s back exit, where they knew two people were guarding outside.

    With the rest of the team staying further back to stay out of their sight, the maids at the front took out the tasers from their aprons before they pretended to approach the door while chatting loudly.

    "Why do we have to go fetch these things from the back exit, ahh?!"

    "I don''t get why ''it wouldn''t look good'' either. These people are just strange."

    "In such hot weather, too!"

    "Well, we''re just servants, what can we do?"

    They opened the door with a sigh, and the two security guards only momentarily turned their eyes before recognizing them as their own vi''s maids, and then they turned back to ignore their existence.

    Unfortunately, this negligence was bound to cost them their job, because the moment the two maids were about to pass them by, the men in ck were ''shocked'' to realize that they had been fooled, but it was already toote.

    The two maids were merciless, as they didn''t dare to take the risk, and made absolutely sure that the convulsing guards hadpletely lost consciousness before they withdrew and dragged them back inside the gates.

    "Okay, let''s tie them up here and we can leave."

    Emilia also rxed a little in her heart when she felt that the maids were able to take care of their first major hurdle.

    After taking care of the two fainted men, the team quickly and swiftly made their way out into the back alley and sifted through various unmonitored areas before stopping in front of an abandoned building.

    Having already made sure that no one was following them, the maids still checked once more before quickly entering the building.

    The rusted metal door had an internal lock that could be opened from either side, and the maids quickly locked it back up.

    As soon as she heard the ''click'', Emilia sprang back to life, shocking the maid who had been diligently making sure she didn''t bump her head anywhere.

    "P-Princess, you almost scared me to death! What if I dropped you?!"

    Emilia giggled as she pecked the maid on the cheek. "It would be my fault then, don''t worry. I just don''t want everyone to wait for me too long at the base, you know?"

    Lost in the feeling of the gorgeous girl''s soft lips on her cheek, how could the little maid have the time to do such boring things as listening to words?

    Fortunately, Emilia didn''t really care about her response, and instead had the two maids who were carrying the saledy ce the girl on her back.

    Naturally, they didn''t do so without a fight, but Emilia was luckily able to convince them using her performance on TV as proof of her strength.

    "Trust me, if she wasn''t unconscious and could cling to me on her own, I would definitely be able to carry one of you in my arms at the same time!"

    The maids naturally didn''t believe in her exaggeration this time, but they still couldn''t bring themselves to burst this gorgeous girl''s pride when she was bragging so cutely.

    They could only follow her helplessly, ready to throw themselves down on the ground as cushioning if she really fell.

    Emilia quickly led them to the basement of the abandoned building, where the ''exit'' that had already been prepared was hidden beneath a heavy carpet.

    "Just shift it back a little, there''s a rope we can pull from the other side to shift it back into ce once we''re done."

    The maids did as they were told, and the team quickly made their way down the stairs that had been revealed after opening the hidden door on the floor.

    Emilia had them quickly close the door once their pencil shlights were lit, and a brown rope that seemed to go right through the floor quickly revealed itself.

    The crimson-haired girl nodded at the strongest maid with a smile. "Pull it gently and slowly till it''s almost touching the ground, okay?"

    After doing as they were told, they couldn''t deny that the feeling of slight anxiety that had been following them for a while somewhat faded away.

    Unless the enemy had some amazing luck, it was almost impossible for them to find this ce, right?

    Although thinking of the effort put into all of this, they felt that it was a little too much, considering the usual level of officials in their country.

    It was unlikely that they would ever be able to find this building, let alone the hidden basement. As for the tunnel inside? Almost impossible.

    Naturally, they had no idea that Emilia nned to have this tunnel refilled andpletely ''fixed'' before the day was over, or that there were already multiple diversions set on various different areas to pull the target of the officials away from this location.

    If they did, perhaps they might really feel like bowing down to the crimson-haired beauty in awe. As it was, though, they were too busy trying to keep up with the girl''s swift pace through the somewhat uneven tunnel.

    "B-Be careful not to fall down!"

    "Princess! Please let me go ahead to shine the light at least?!"

    Of course, the girl in front of them only giggled. "Don''t worry, I won''t! You girls don''t rush, though, I can''t guarantee I''ll kiss it better if you stumble and bruise your knee~"

    Exasperated, the maids could only try their best to keep up with their willful ''boss''.

    It wasn''t long before they saw the light at the end of the tunnel, with a clean metal door that had been kept open. On the other side, there were already a few people looking at them with weing smiles.

    Breathing a sigh of relief, the maids finally slowed down as Emilia went ahead to chat with the people weing her, and their thoughts caught up with their feet.

    "Wait a minute¡­ did the princess say she ''wouldn''t necessarily'' kiss it better if we got hurt back there?!"

    "Doesn''t that mean she MIGHT do it? Why didn''t we try?!"

    Filled with regret, they couldn''t help but wonder if it was toote to pretend to fall down on the spot.

    Unfortunately, their voices were a bit too loud, and the ''weing party'' was already giving them weird looks.

    "¡­"

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 Chapter 430 Ray of Light

    Chapter 430 Ray of Light¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although Emilia hadn''t really been a ''top priority'' for the government of Blue Dawn for a while now, especially since the military base incident, the news of her disappearance was still enough topletely shock all the officials from the bottom to the top.

    Even the president himself got involved directly in the investigation, watching over the process like a hungry hawk just waiting to see which unfortunate prey would enter his sight first.

    Naturally, none of the officials dared to ck off at this moment. Emilia might only be the second daughter of the White Deer''s leaders, but no one was unaware of just how much her family doted on her.

    Even when the girl clearly rebelled and abandoned them to run away like this, none of her cards were frozen, and there was no statement of ''denouncing their rtionship''.

    Although there was an announcement stating that ''her actions were her own, and did not represent the organization as a whole'', it probably only meant that they wouldn''t help her make too much trouble, and nothing else.

    Blue Dawn''s president knew that they might be able to reap plentiful benefits between the Gray Wolfe and ck Tiger now, but if the White Deer also got involved, who knows how the broken bnce would affect their interests?

    Such a thing could never be allowed to happen.

    "Is her mobile phone still in the vi? Get someone to fake her identity online for as long as possible, and pretend she''s angry with her family to reject calls¡ª"

    The man in front of him coughed nervously. "M-Mr. President¡­ i-it''s not in the vi."

    A heavy fist mmed on the table as the president''s eyes raged with fire. "Then can you not even track its location?!"

    Had he not been his superior, the intelligence agency''s director would have scoffed in derision. As it was, though, he could only wipe the cold sweat from his forehead as he gulped. "M-Mr. President, w-we tried, but it seems to be eitherpletely broken, or in a ce that no signals can get out from."

    The president almost flipped the table in rage, but unfortunately, the pure mahogany was a bit too heavy, and he almost ended up giving himself a hernia.

    The results of the investigation were quite mixed.

    The good news was that the investigation itself had gone quite smoothly, and the results were mostly conclusive. Unfortunately, the conclusion itself was undoubtedly bad news.

    "Based on the security footage and various other evidence, those six maids that went with the girl that day must have been looking for an opportunity for a long time. Moreover¡­"

    The president''s face turned uglier and uglier with every passing word. "So you''re telling me¡­ all the family members of those maids had already been ''missing'' for weeks¡­ and none of you noticed?"

    The intelligence agency''s director knew he was at fault, and didn''t dare to raise his head at all. "¡­"

    The president could only grit his teeth in barely contained rage. "Get rid of everyone involved in this case, and I mean everyone. Also, I don''t care how you do it, but I want her found within a day. If not¡­ you''re fired."

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    Back at the secret base of the rebel forces, the embarrassed maids had already been led to the crowd waiting to be ''officially'' introduced to Emilia.

    Naturally, since they had already been waiting for a long time, the crimson-haired beauty didn''t dy anymore and immediately took to the stage.

    The knee-length high-coredvender dress that the still sleeping saledy had helped put on for her was slightly dirty from the dust and debris in the tunnel, but it brought down the aura of the beautiful girl just enough for them to find her even more charming.

    Combined with her slightly ruffled, wavy crimson hair, and passionately glinting purplish-blue eyes, it was impossible for them to mistake her for anyone else but the girl they had been hearing about for so long.

    Some of them had already had the chance to meet her, of course, but for most of them, it was their first timeying their eyes upon the beauty in person.

    To say that the camerapletely failed to capture her charm would be an understatement.

    "Hi, everyone! I''m sure you all knew I was with you, but this is the first time I''m giving you a formal introduction. My name is Emilia White, and I''m here to fight by your side to free this country."

    She briefly bowed to them with a smile, but her expression immediately turned serious. "I''ll be honest, although we have managed to get through everything without any casualties so far, what we''re going to do next won''t be without a cost. But if we wish to see things change¡­ we have to be ready to pay the price."

    As she tucked a stray lock of crimson behind her delicate ear and gave them a gentle smile, some in the audience couldn''t help but feel like their hearts had been hit by an arrow.

    "Obviously, I''ll be right by your side through thick and thin, and if there is any danger, we''ll face it together."

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    After Emilia retreated back to discuss things with the five provincial leaders of the rebellion, excited discussions quickly broke out within the crowd.

    "I knew she would be pretty from the videos, but who knew she would be so gorgeous in person?!"

    Of course, her appearance was only secondary, and the reason they found her so charming was mostly because of her identity and stance.

    From her position, this girl could definitely look down on them and remainpletely disdainful of their existence throughout her life without any repercussions whatsoever.

    But not only did she sympathize with them, she even risked everything toe to help them when no one else would!

    For such a talented and beautiful youngdy such as her, to risk ruining her limitless future for a country that everyone was watching turn to ruin without moving a finger, the gratitude of the people who had been stuck in the quagmire couldn''t be expressed with words alone.

    For many, what they needed the most wasn''t resources or strength, but hope for the future. And Emilia''s presence among them gave them just that.

    Like a shining ray of light thatpletely scattered the darkness in their hearts, as long as she was on their side, they felt like it was always possible to turn things for the better.

    Even if the struggle was bitter and the path was riddled with sorrow and pain, as long as there was hope, they could always keep moving forward.

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 Chapter 431 Strike

    Chapter 431 Strike¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although she was usually patient when needed, Emilia wasn''t one to miss striking when the iron was hot.

    While the government was still busy scrambling to reorganize things from the robbery at the northern military base and also investigating her ''disappearance'', she decisively struck at the central military base.

    Unlike the one in the north, which they had managed to empty without a single casualty, this time it naturally wasn''t going to be so easy.

    Not only was the opponent much more vignt, but the ''traitors'' they had within the base itself were nowhere near the number that they had in the northern base.

    Emilia knew that they would need external support to pull this thing off, and the sooner it happened, the better.

    The sound of ring horns and the re of emergency lights overwhelmed the central base before the morning sun ever had the chance to rise, and a violent struggle quickly broke out among the troops who were summoned to defend.

    Thebination of internal turmoil and external invasion immediately caused the man in charge to panic¡­ before he was shot directly in the head by his deputy.

    The two armed men by his side were momentarily shocked, but before they could retaliate, there was a sound of steel hitting skulls before their world went dark.

    The deputy immediately straightened up in a salute. "Princess!"

    Emilia flicked the blood off of the military baton before she gave him a nod. "Continue. We can''t let them regroup and discover that they aren''t really outnumbered. The sooner they feel their situation is hopeless, the more likely they are to surrender."

    "Yes, princess!"

    The deputy didn''t dare to dy anymore, and they immediately proceeded to the next zone.

    "The third zone needs reinforcement!"

    "We''re outnumbered and surrounded here, what do we do sir? Sir, are you there?!"

    Unfortunately, the soldiers seeking instructions were only met with deafening silence, not knowing that themand center had been the first target of the rebel forces.

    Seemingly outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy at all fronts, they felt like they were sinking boats in the middle of the ocean,pletely without hope.

    The sound of gunshots and screams of terror and rage continued almost until the first ray of sunlight finally hit the base, its red light painting a beautifully tragic scene of death and decay.

    Emilia, who had sneaked into the base in advance and was responsible for a vast majority of the sabotage, could only purse her lips and look away from the scene after capturing the base. "How is it?"

    Four of the five provincial leaders had already retreated back to their respective zones to organize and regroup everyone to prepare for their next step, leaving only one by her side.

    "We managed to kill over six thousand, and captured the over thirteen thousand who surrendered."

    Emilia sighed. "That''s not what I was asking¡­"

    "Y-Yes¡­ well, two hundred and thirty of our people have perished, while five hundred and eighty-four are undergoing treatment for their wounds¡­. P-Princess¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl turned her head away without a word, but anyone could tell that she was dissatisfied with the result.

    The gruff man felt distressed in his heart, but didn''t dare to go forward to really console her. ''I wish Ginny was here, ahh. The northern province could have waited a little, our princess is obviously more important!''

    Of course, he knew that if he dared to say such a thing, he would only be scolded by the princess herself.

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    Although the news was being suppressed by the Blue Dawn''s government, it was inevitable for it to leak to the top-level officials of the country.

    Soon enough, it became clear to everyone that Emilia had been ''kidnapped'' by the rebel forces of the Blue Dawn Republic, and no one knew her current whereabouts.

    Fortunately, that is where the ''leak'' stopped¡­ for a while.

    The president naturally didn''t dare to fire the ''ipetent'' intelligence director at this time, no matter how much he wanted to, because there was simply no one petent'' to rece him.

    Feeling as if he had aged over a decade within just hours, the president decided to try his best to milk whatever he could out of the Gray Wolfe while moving forward with his ns of making a getaway to a remote ind country that had agreed to give him refuge.

    He had the feeling that things were about to change soon, and he didn''t want to be stuck here when that happened.

    Unfortunately, the wheel of fate turned faster than he expected, and there was soon some news of Emilia, but not the type he liked.

    "The central base was taken over?! And Emilia was sighted among the rebels?!"

    This was exactly what he never wanted to see! No, it was even worse than his worst nightmares!

    The shivering intelligence director didn''t dare to dy, and quickly handed over the documents in his hands to the president, while the military chief remainedpletely silent. "T-Their numbers and strengthpletely exceeded our expectations, a-and w-we weren''t ready at all. W-We have already confirmed that it is indeed her, and after consulting the experts, we can conclude that she must have been brainwashed by the rebels to take their side."

    To be fair, none of them were really surprised that the girl would choose to join the other side, since her views had aligned more with them from the start, after all. Maybe that was why they kidnapped her in the first ce.

    In his opinion, such a stupid girl could probably be convinced of and trained to do almost anything by someone smart enough to do so. In fact, that was what they should have done when she first got here, but everyone except him believed it was better to leave her alone.

    Had they been smart enough, it made much more sense to brainwash that stupid bitch first and get her on their side when they still had the chance, instead of just keeping her confined and wasting such a valuable resource.

    Not only would she be a good bargaining chip on her own, but who knew what kind of help they could convince her to get from her family if they really tried?

    Much more than Emilia''s news, however, what really shocked them was just how strong the rebels were. How could these little rodents who didn''t even dare to show their face under the sun suddenly be able to strike and take over a military base just like that?!

    Although it was terrifying enough when they had managed to sneak in and steal the resources of a military base before, that had still been when ''they hadn''t been prepared'', and it could still be written off as them getting incredibly lucky somehow.

    This time, however, waspletely different. Although it had been without a warning and there were signs of sabotage... the rebels still won a fight in their own military base!

    Didn''t that mean that the military could no longer be trusted to be able to deal with the rebel forces? If so, who could they depend on to protect them in the future?!

    No, if things were really like this... wasn''t it just a matter of time before they lost in apletely frontal, open conflict?!

    Of course, no one would dare mention such thoughts to the president''s face.

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 Chapter 432 Truth Surfaces

    Chapter 432 Truth Surfaces¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    No matter how the government of Blue Dawn tried to suppress the news, it was only a matter of time before it leaked out.

    After all, not only was it not ''confidential'' to their own departments, the government''s control over their own country was no longer what it used to be just a few months ago.

    With theck of ''concrete evidence'' and any ''official confirmation'', however, the version that was spread outside inevitably ended up being more and more distorted.

    From her being the ''mascot'' of the rebel movement who was doing all she could in her own capacity, to the ''secret leader'' who was spearheading the whole campaign, many different versions started circting all over the world.

    And with Emilia''s social media goingpletely silent, it only added fuel to the fire.

    Of course, the ''fact'' that she had been kidnapped and brainwashed was widely refuted by experts worldwide who scoffed at the Blue Dawn government''s ''ipetent'' attempt at ''hiding the truth''.

    After all, wasn''t Emilia''s current stancepletely consistent with her initial derations and views before she ever even left her home country to help the people of Blue Dawn?

    Fortunately, the top government officials were too busy dealing with the crisis around them to even be bothered by any of these statements.

    In the end, the mostmonly epted version was that Emilia had been ''detained'' by the government of Blue Dawn as soon as she flew into the country, but she managed to escape and join the rebels shortly after, and was now helping them in any way that she could.

    "Even if she''s talented, the girl is still too young to really be able to make much of a difference, especially without her family''s support."

    "Of course, but it''s admirable enough that she''s willing to stand up for what she believes in. Wish there were more people who did that."

    Naturally, with her age andck of experience, the number of people who believed that she was spearheading the movement were few and far between. Not to mention they''d already made far too many ''brain dead fanatic''ments to really be taken seriously by anyone else.

    "To be honest, she was incredibly rash and na?ve, but her luck is just too good. I never expected that the rebels would actually be strong enough to really make any waves, but it doesn''t seem to be the case at all."

    "Yeah, all these people praising her for being brave and strong don''t seem to realize just how stupid she was. You want to help people ovee oppression by yourself, huh? Well, normally you''d just be sending yourself to death!"

    "Is it really just luck that the rebel movement took off the moment she joined them, though?"

    "Are you a braindead fan of hers? Obviously, the only impact someone like her can have on arger scale is through the power of her family."

    "To be fair, we can''t discount the fact that the White Deer is ying the clever fisherman using this little daughter of theirs as a disposable bait, right?"

    "Chilling. To think they im to ''adore'' her too, hah."

    The ''knights'' were naturally furious when such statements came out, and fought back tooth and nail to restore the honor of their princess.

    For a while, this ''war'' was even more intense than the one in the Republic of Blue Dawn. And perhaps the scariest thing was that these ''fanatics'' were crazy enough to set up ''appointments'' to anyone daring enough, especially in Oriana.

    Most people took it as a joke, of course, but when the pictures of a whole bunch of teenagers waiting with baseball bats and crowbars surfaced on the inte, no one dared to even consider going to these ''appointments'' to ''discuss'' the matter at all.

    "Hey, is it just me, or there seem to be a shockinglyrge number of lunatics around every time there is a discussion about Emilia?"

    "It''s like she''s a ma for crazies!"

    "Yeah, I used to love her before, but now I really hate her! How can she put such a cute and adorable girl like herself at risk like this?! If I ever get my hands on her, I''ll definitely lock her up and keep her safe forever!"

    "Hello, I''ve discovered a new breed of crazy upstairs."

    "Heh, that knight army must be so confused right now."

    Of course, these were the more ''innocuous'' arguments that attracted only a fraction of the ''knights''. Most of their focus remained on fighting back against the far more nefarious spections.

    "This girl imed to be this shining light of justice before she went to Blue Dawn, but look at the situation now. The public order there is worse than it has ever been, and there is a smell of death and decay even in the still pictures."

    "Agreed. It''s easy to spout a bunch of fancy words, but her actions paint apletely different picture, don''t they? She only cares about making herself look good. It doesn''t matter how many people die."

    These ''unbiased'' people were naturally muchrger in number than the ''knights'', and had they been brave enough to confront the other party in person, perhaps they would directly be able to drown Emilia''s supporters with just their spittle.

    But even though they tried their best to sweep the opinionpletely against Emilia, they vastly underestimated both the stubbornness and resourcefulness of the knights.

    "Hello? Can you not make it seem like all of this is the fault of our princess?"

    "There are so many parties who were in the wrong, from Gray Wolfe to ck Tiger to the government of Blue Dawn, but somehow these idiots can me it all on our princess, who only wants to help? Hah, I''m speechless."

    "Based on your IP, you''re from the Phoenix country, right? Would you like to join us for a coffee to have a polite discussion?"

    Of course. all of these spections came to a screeching halt with the surfacing of a certain video.

    It was thebination of footage from multiple security cameras, and it clearly captured the shockinglyplete picture of what really happened in the major military base of the Blue Dawn Republic''s central province.

    From the initial storming of the troops to the murder of one of the generals, it was clearly not for the faint of heart. And yet, anyone who started watching couldn''t look away from the morbid scene at all.

    Although the soldiers who defended the base seemed to be oblivious to the fact, the spectators could clearly tell that the number of attackers was vastly inferior. Rushing in blindly like this wasn''t much different frommitting suicide.

    And yet, there was no fear in their eyes, only a sense of urgency and hope.

    In contrast, the defenders were unorganized, panicked, andpletely without a sense of determination. On multiple fronts, they surrendered before the fight had truly even begun!

    But what really caught the attention of the audience were the scenes featuring a certain crimson-haired beauty.

    She didn''t carry a gun like the rest of them, but only a solid metal military baton. In her hands, however, it was far, far more deadly than any gun could ever be.

    After all, it would eventually run out of ammo, and she would need to reload.

    She took down the general, struck and dismantled all the primarymand posts in person, and then plunged into one battle after another with not a moment''s respite.

    From one person to another, it took the girl barely any time to flutter between the opponents like a weightless butterfly, and had the uncensored scenes of death not been so jarringly clear in the previous scenes, many would have even suspected if it was all real.

    After all, with so many bullets flying around, some were bound to hit her if she moved like that regardless of how lucky she was, right?

    But with heryered crimson dress and the distance of the scene from the camera, there was no way to tell just how many bullets had really made their way into her body.

    The crimson-haired beauty didn''t seem to care at all, though, and the metal baton in her hand struck one enemy after another in either their neck or head without mercy.

    It wasn''t clear from the footage just how many of those she struck down were dead, and how many had just been knocked out. But by the time she was done, Emilia''s dress hadpletely changed from crimson to a deep, dark red the color of blood.

    Whether it was her own or the enemy''s, though, no one could tell.

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 Chapter 433 Doctor Emilia?!

    Chapter 433 Doctor Emilia?!¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    It was as if someone had poured cold water over all the discussions that had previously been in full swing.

    Although haters and fans alike realized that Emilia was quite ''athletic'', none of them expected her to actually take part in any type of fight.

    They couldn''t be med, really. Not only did it not fit her pampered princess image in their minds, but it was also highly unlikely to be allowed by the people in charge.

    After all, who would want to bear the responsibility of getting her injured?

    Plus, as far as her fans were concerned, even if a thousand lives were traded for a single drop of blood from their princess, it still wouldn''t be worth it. How could she be put in harm''s way while they were still around?

    Naturally, not all of them were capable of being there in person due to various circumstances, but they felt that there must surely be people just like them who would do a good job of protecting her.

    Unfortunately, no one expected that the entirety of the rebel movement was being led by the girl personally, and her ''subordinates'' could do little more than to beg her futilely when it came to ensuring her personal safety, and sometimes they didn''t have the chance to do even that.

    Of course, while Emilia appreciated their concern, she would never indulge anyone to that extent.

    After all, she herself was the sharpest weapon in the rebel''s arsenal, and was also the single greatest motivator to her subordinates.

    Every battle she got personally involved in would not only go more smoothly, but would also take the momentum of their ''rebellion'' to the next level!

    Moreover, since even most fatal injuries would do little but consume a tiny fraction of her energy to heal, Emilia felt she would be a little too sloppy as the princess if she didn''t personally lead her people.

    Cynthia did still warn her of some uncertainties, but after Emilia assured her that she would be careful of grenades and headshots, she could only trust her and keep quiet.

    Of course, since she found the concern of her subordinates more heartwarming than offensive or annoying, Emilia''s response was still quite soft.

    "Since you''re willing to believe in me to lead you to victory, there''s no need to question whether I can keep myself safe, is there? Do you think this princess is so weak that she''d be injured by those fools?"

    The leader of the rebellion in the central province, who had been ''entrusted'' by everyone else to convince her, could only stand there awkwardly and nod, although he did still madlyin in his heart. ''Princess, do you not realize how badly I''ll be beaten upter by everyone else?!''

    Of course, Emilia didn''t even pause in her steps as she continued moving towards the ''ward'' they had temporarily set up. "I''ll be helping people with the treatment for the rest of the day. Can I leave the matter of making sure that the runways we secured are done with the inspection and repairs to you?"

    The burly man patted his chest enthusiastically as he continued following in her steps. "Yes, princess, of course! Actually, we''ve already made sure everything is working fine. So if you want to go on a vacation for a while after such a wonderful victory and let us handle things here¡ª"

    The rest of the words were stuck in his throat as the crimson-haired beauty actually stopped in ce and gave him a sharp re.

    "Am I the type to indulge and ruin our momentum when we''ve just got the ball rolling? This is when we should press our advantage and crush the enemy in one fell swoop!"

    The burly man nodded like a little puppet, not daring to refute at all.

    Emilia''s tone softened as she smiled. "Well, whatever. Just make sure that the runways are secured and ready to receive international flights. We might be weing some very important guests soon, after all."

    The burly man could only sigh in his heart as the girl waved him away while heading back to her previous destination. ''Hopefully she won''t overdraw herself¡­ I wish I was as eloquent as the others, ahh!''

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    Meanwhile, the forums, boards, and social media all over the world were almost flooded with people concerned about Emilia''s health, wondering if she had sustained injuries and if she was alright, revealing arge group of people who cared, but didn''t dare to speak up before.

    Those who had been vehemently opposing her from the start hurriedly changed tunes from her being a ''useless mascot'' to a ''heartless killer'', but before they could even start gaining some momentum for their agenda, a live broadcast from Blue Dawnpletely shattered their momentum.

    Fans and haters alike flooded into the broadcast channel, almost causing Prancing Media''s servers to crash before more resources were allocated in a hurry to stabilize the situation.

    This one was no longer some low-quality security footage, but the high-definition lens of a handheld camera that was following the crimson-haired beauty around as she walked into the ward of those who had been injured in the conflict, presumably to help them out.

    Of course, since she was far from being a qualified doctor, the best she could do was console and bandage people while leaving everything else to the professionals, or so most people thought.

    Cynthia naturally didn''t think too much about it at first either, but once they really got here, she couldn''t help but be worried. "Emilia¡­ you''re not nning on using your blood or something, right?"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. ''Don''t worry, baby. I know what I should and shouldn''t do.''

    No matter how generous she wanted to be to those on her side, Emilia knew that doing such a thing wouldn''t be a good idea.

    Putting aside the matter of how long she could sustain the consumption of her limited energy before it ran out, there was also the matter of her personal feelings.

    After all, while she generally didn''t mind indulging those she liked, Emilia didn''t feel veryfortable sharing her energy with anyone who wasn''t her lover.

    Plus, while she could indulge them to an extent, Emilia also knew the importance of not going overboard. Otherwise, it won''t be long before some even started expecting her to sleep with them as a reward.

    "¡­ Wasn''t that exactly the kind of thing you kept implying to those little monkeys just a while ago¡­ uh, who was it, Dixie? Or did I remember that wrong?"

    Emilia giggled. ''That''s a reward reserved only for the most adorable, most favored of my friends, okay? Of course, you''re included.''

    "No thank you?"

    Fortunately, not to mention the people watching her through the camera, even those she was bandaging couldn''t tell what kind of silly conversation she was having in her mind.

    Emilia actually hadn''t intended to stream this kind of thing live at first, but when one of Noelle''s subordinates spotted her upon entering the ward, she found the suggestion made by the girl quite logical.

    Her intention ining here was initially only to help those who needed it, but if it helped garner whatever support she could through doing so, wasn''t that just cherry on top?

    After all, while they were currently winning, their advantage was far from overwhelming. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have suffered any losses at all.

    Emilia already had the doctors on her side prioritize the most fatal injuries first, but due to the disparity between the number of people who had been injured versus those who could treat them, it would inevitably take a while for even some of the more seriously injured to get the required attention.

    Since most of the injuries were of the same type, Emilia felt that she was quite ready to help people out after having observed the doctors in the emergency ward for a while.

    After all, even if there was a difference in their skills, she could always more than make up for it with her abilities.

    After putting on a pair of disposable gloves, the crimson-haired girl didn''t waste any time before she took on her first serious victim ¡ª a young girl with a bullet deeply lodged into her thigh.

    The injured girl was already quite delirious due to both the wound and the drugs, and Emilia only patted her palm gently in assurance before she started. This was no longer the same as applying some disinfectant and covering it up with bandages, and even thedy helping her with the broadcast didn''t dare toe forward, as if afraid of disturbing her and causing her to make a mistake.

    While the people watching the broadcast were panicking and questioning what she was trying to do or if she even knew what could go wrong, though, Emilia had already made an incision and leaned down to start extracting the bullet from the wound.

    The camera only showed her from the back, and the people couldn''t really see how she was doing, but they could more or less imagine the gory horror show in their heads.

    While many were pitying the ''victim'', however, five flexible yet incredibly strong tendrils pierced through the glove from the center of Emilia''s palm, and entered the wound cavity to wrap around the bullet before easily pulling it out while supporting the surrounding tissue to minimize damage.

    Of course, as they were quite thin and transparent, and also obscured by Emilia''s hands and the scalpel, no one was able to spot this anomaly, especially with the camera only showing Emilia''s back.

    The sound of a metallic ''clink'' of the bullet falling into a tray plunged the chaotic discussions online intoplete and utter silence.

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 Chapter 434 Ambitions of a Princess

    Chapter 434 Ambitions of a Princess¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Maybe even thedy holding the camera found it a little hard to believe that it was over so quickly, so she ran around to get a good look from the side.

    But instead of the horror show they imagined, what came into view was only a small incision that Emilia was already working on patching up after pretending to disinfect the wound.

    Fortunately, this bullet was only from a handgun, and didn''t end up doing too much damage, perhaps only entering the girl''s thigh after ricocheting off of something else.

    Naturally, there was no better way to ''disinfect'' than to send any contaminated bits into the void by taking them into her tentacles, and there wasn''t much of it to begin with, so Emilia didn''t really feel the need to worry too much.

    The part that she struggled the most with was actually sewing the wound shut, especially because the ''insensitive'' camera girl was now in her face, and she could no longer use her ''cheats''.

    Fortunately, Emilia was quite skilled with needlework. After adjusting to the strange feeling of sewing through flesh instead of cotton or silk, she actually felt that it wasn''t as hard as she imagined it would be.

    Of course, many doctors who watched her do the process by hand were almost frothing at the mouth from how she used neither a needle driver nor tissue forceps.

    She even cut the extra thread at the end with her teeth!

    "Mom, is she stitching clothes?!"

    "She could stitch me up, anytime!"

    "Upstairs, I think you need to go to a psychiatrist first, right?"

    Fortunately, at least the needle and thread she was using came from a suture kit and seemed to be sterilized, or some of them might really go insane.

    Looking at just the finished ''wound'' though¡­ they couldn''t deny that the sutures were done quite beautifully.

    The ''patient'' was still quite pale due to the blood loss and pain, but Emilia felt that she should be able to make aplete recovery after some time.

    Emilia didn''t notice that the girl recognized her and whispered a thank you, and had already moved on to the next patient.

    Although she was wearing a long-sleeved, high-cored dress, many couldn''t help but catch a glimpse of bandages around her arms from time to time, causing furious discussions in the live broadcast''s chat.

    "So she really did get injured!"

    "I knew it. No one could be in the middle of so much gunfire and not get hit a single time, right?"

    "But what is she doing here if she''s hurt? She should just rest!"

    "Ahhh, my princess is always acting strong for others, this baby is so distressed!"

    Of course, while it was true that she had been hit by bullets quite a few times, Emilia''s body naturally didn''t have even a single scratch left now.

    The only reason she bothered to put on bandages at all was to assure others that she had been ''treated'', since it was inevitable for many on her side to have seen her getting injured.

    Although it was slightly more troublesome to convince the doctor, that was easily fixed by strippingpletely. After that, the dazed woman hurriedly agreed to keep it a secret for her before rushing off to ''treat other patients''.

    ''Knowing'' that she was injured, however, made the people watching the broadcast unconsciously put a fragility filter on Emilia''s form, making her fans feel even more distressed.

    Meanwhile, the ones who shunned her could only grind their teeth in vexation, wondering why she could still be so well after evidently getting shot.

    Of course, since this was the Prancing Media''s broadcast room, none of them dared to express too many negative opinions.

    After all, it wouldn''t be funny if their details were leaked to the other party.

    Emilia remainedpletely unaware of their thoughts, however, and continued to treat the patients.

    Most of the wounds she dealt with were either from bullets or daggers, and the crimson-haired girl went from person to person without rest, extracting bullets and sewing gaping wounds shut after doing her best to disinfect them.

    There were many with shattered bones that she tried her best to put together using her ''cheats'', but Emilia still made a note to make sure they were looked at again by professionals to make sure nothing went wrong.

    Fortunately, they managed to take care of most of the explosives and other heavy weapons of the base ahead of time, or the injuries and death toll could have been much, much worse.

    Halfway through, one of the doctors dealing with the other patients came to check on her, but quietly withdrew after observing her work.

    Not to mention giving her advice to improve, he was afraid he would end up making her do worse if he really tried to help.

    Hourster, Emilia finished stitching up the final ''patient'', who happened to be one from the opposing camp.

    This particr area clearly had much tighter security, as although they were injured, these people could still be a ''threat'' to the other patients.

    The woman she was treating was strangely silent until the procedure was done, but after the final stitch, she couldn''t help but clear her throat awkwardly. "T-Thank you..."

    Emilia could tell that she had much more that she wanted to say, but just didn''t know how to get the words out because of their ''affiliation''.

    Although the crimson-haired girl wasn''t familiar with the faces of all the soldiers here, this woman happened to be one of the few she recognized among the ''enemies''.

    As a higher-level officer of this base, this woman was responsible for the area around the most dangerous weapons cache, and was also one of the top targets to watch out for.

    The resistance that her team had put up had been strangely feeble, and while many on her side felt that she must be an ipetent leader, Emilia had the feeling that the woman had wanted to surrender from the start.

    After all, the ones she was facing were her own people, and no one was unaware of just what their government had been doing recently.

    Perhaps if they had gotten to her earlier, she might even have joined their side. But exposing their n in advance wasn''t a risk they could take, and only people who had already rebelled much earlier were made aware of it.

    She hummed thoughtfully. "You''re wee. Although we fought on different sides just now, you''ve already surrendered and be my subject. As a citizen of Blue Dawn, you can also be considered a child of mine."

    The woman who thought she must be at least a decade older than the girl in front of her felt like a thousand alpacas were running through her head. ''Whose child am I again???''

    While the female officer was still having an identity crisis, Emilia smiled. "Of course, if my children are disobedient or naughty, they will get the punishment that they deserve."

    While the female officer was questioning reality, however, Emilia''s words ended up causing a much, much bigger storm all over the world.

    After all, the words she used made it more than clear that she considered herself not only the leader of the rebellion, but also the de facto ''ruler'' of Blue Dawn once they won!

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 Chapter 435 Happily Scammed

    Chapter 435 Happily Scammed¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Before the ''fans'' could gush over how charming she was, some others finally couldn''t contain themselves.

    "Did this girl really take her ''pet name'' of ''princess'' too seriously?!"

    "No, more importantly, are the people of Blue Dawn really okay with having her as the actual leader of their country, or is this just her delusion?!"

    "From corrupt officials ruining their country to a spoiled brat lording over them¡­ would that even be any better? I doubt many people in the rebellion would be happy with it if they knew!"

    Of course, the venom that they spewed out was met with a fierce bacsh from Emilia''s fans, and the battle became so fierce that the passersby didn''t even have the courage to nce.

    Fortunately, now that there was no more blood and gore, the scene on the screen was really fragrant, and they were more than content to just lick the beautiful girl with their eyes as best as they could.

    Emilia naturally had no idea what kind of reactions she was getting from people watching the broadcast. After leaving the still dumbfounded female officer behind, she found a somewhat secluded corner with a bench and decided to rest for a while.

    After all, while her body was inexhaustible, that wasn''t really the case when her mentality was concerned.

    The camerady only hesitated for a moment before finding a good angle ''observe'' her resting. ''I-It''s not like I''m taking the opportunity to stare at her unabashedly. I-I''m just helping her with public rtions, that''s all!''

    Even when she wasn''t being naughty, the gorgeous girl usually had a mischievous or seductive glint in her eyes, making her both incredibly charming and easily approachable for those who were daring enough.

    But with her eyes closed, she almost had a holy aura around her, making it so that even the most courageous and self-confident didn''t dare to approach or disturb her at all.

    The audience in the live broadcast had already ceased arguing at some point, and even some haters couldn''t help but feel pity in their hearts.

    Thinking about it again, they always felt that girl was born with just too many advantages, and had everything that they could never wish for, but still didn''t cherish it properly.

    But seeing a hint of exhaustion in the clearly active and energetic girl was like a wake-up call, and many couldn''t help but change their previous thoughts.

    "Well, she''s just trying her best to do what she believes in."

    "It''s too bad that there can be no change without a war, but that''s just how it is, right?"

    "Unfortunately, people in this world have to pick between either being responsible or remaining innocent. It''s both admirable and regrettable that she decided to pick the first."

    "To be honest, I used to find her very hypocritical before, thinking all she does is preach how we should strive for justice and help the people who are suffering if we can, but now I''ve changed my mind. D-Don''t get me wrong though, I''m not her fan yet!"

    The fans were obviously happy that more people reached ''enlightenment'', and hurriedly deployed the best of their MLM techniques topletely hook the fish that had been lured.

    "Sister, even if you''re not a fan, the fact that you can see the charm of our princess is more than enough to show how good your eyes are!"

    "Come,e! All the new fans are wee to apply to the ranks of our ''Knights'' to obtain unimaginable advantages, just click on this link and follow the process to apply¡ª"

    "Why does this feel like a scam¡­?"

    Watching the trend change from the previous delicate bnce to now swaying in Emilia''s favor, the people who had previously been hanging their hearts at Prancing Media''s office finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    They could have censored the chat, of course, but that was only ast resort. After all, as long as the trend wasn''t overwhelmingly against her, some opposition was actually required to keep Emilia''s fans united.

    Otherwise, the staff worried that they might just start fighting over whether her eyes or her lips were the most charming, or something equally ridiculous.

    Meanwhile, Emilia wasn''t paying attention to the camera at all, and was lost in her own thoughts.

    Losing her subordinates in a battle was an eventuality that she had to face, Emilia already knew that well enough, but she realized that every time someone supporting her lost their life, the prickling in her heart didn''t get any softer at all.

    No, if anything, it got worse.

    Various thoughts of how she could have reduced or evenpletely prevented the casualties kept running through her head, and sometimes Emilia even had the thought of avoiding conflict entirely.

    Of course, she knew that to really put those thoughts to action would just be deluding herself. Not only would it not help her, but it might even make things worse for those on her side.

    Although her thoughts swayed, Emilia''s brows didn''t furrow, but there was still an aura of fragility around her that could be felt even through the lens.

    Some of the newly ''converted'' audience who had been previously uncertain before couldn''t help but arouse the feelings of protecting their weak daughter in their hearts, and quickly applied for the ''knights'' through the links in the chat.

    Within just a minute, the number of new applications reached hundreds of thousands, but that wasn''t really a big deal with the new distributed structure that ''Princess Emilia''s Knights'' had now adopted.

    Fortunately, Emilia guarded the thoughts in her heart pretty well, and not to mention showing her thoughts on her face, she didn''t even allow Cynthia to hear anything.

    Otherwise, maybe the raven-haired girl would make fun of how she seemed to be bing the indecisive and hypocritical ruler that she herself despised.

    ''What a good princess needs is not ack of weakness, but the ability to ovee it!''

    When she opened her eyes once again, her purplish-blue eyes glinted like sharp, beautiful crystals, and there was not even a hint of indecision in her sight.

    The moment her eyes reflected in the camera lens, her aura of fragility shattered, reced by a confident and charming princess who would neither bend nor break, regardless of what she faced.

    Those who had been freshly scammed into joining the knights suddenly felt a sense of aplishment in their hearts. It was really the right decision to help her by signing up!

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 Chapter 436 Takeover

    Chapter 436 Takeover¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    As soon as the news of the attack reached their ears, all the big names of the capital directly fled from their respective homes and offices towards the secure facility underground.

    This was not only to make sure they didn''t fall victim to an unexpected airstrike, but also because they weren''t sure just how deep the rotten roots of the rebellion had dug into the capital.

    With the current capability of the rebel forces, they really didn''t dare bet their lives on just the few soldiers they each had on hand.

    Not to mention, the loyalty of these people was also not something they dared take for granted. With even the employees and guards around them looking suspicious, these politicians and officials hurriedly fled to hide here, where they felt the safest and most assured.

    No matter what someone said about the president, it was without a doubt that he had the most loyal cronies, and the highest level of ess to all the resources.

    As long as they could hug his thigh, they were sure they could pass through this tide unharmed!

    Even in the worst case, if they were unable to wait for the rescue, they could still follow the president to escape. After all, with how cunning the man was, it was impossible for him to not have any way out.

    The president naturally didn''t want to wee them into what was supposed to be his own bunker, though, especially because of the security risk of some of them turning out to be rebels, so they unfortunately found themselves facing a closed, unresponsive door.

    A few of them couldn''t believe it and tried to convince the president using words, but there was no response. Enraged, some couldn''t help but punch and kick at the entrance.

    Of course, they knew it was foolish and would only hurt themselves, since even a missile wouldn''t be able to do much damage to the president''s bunker, let alone their bare fists.

    "Mr. President, you can''t just leave us out here!"

    "Let us in, too!"

    "Bastard! Is this how you repay us for decades of loyalty?!"

    Once they realized that he really had no intention of helping him, the expressions of these ''allies'' twisted even more. "How can you leave us stranded to face all this trouble when it was caused by you in the first ce?"

    "I told you there was no need to dere an emergency, but you did so anyway!"

    "Shouldn''t you have made better preparations to protect the capital in the first ce?"

    "No, if you had just killed that little bitch when she first arrived¡ª!"

    Listening to the voicesing from the speaker, the president''s face turned dark. "What''s the situation now?"

    The intelligence division''s director wiped the cold sweat off his forehead as he smiled reluctantly. "I-It''s looking bad, sir. I would suggest¡­ we persevere and wait here for rescue."

    The president''s jaw made a painful clicking sound as he grit his teeth a bit too hard, almost shattering a few. ''I knew I should have left the moment I received news of the northern base losing their supplies!''

    Unfortunately, he had been too conceited and didn''t believe that the rebels had the ability to confront the military, even with all that stolen weaponry. Never did he imagine that there would be so many rebels even among the soldiers, though, and that mistake may now end up costing him everything.

    Even his staunchest of supporters were now cursing at him from the other side of the entrance as if they had no idea why this door couldn''t be opened immediately after being closed.

    "M-Mr. President, although it''s against the protocol, if you want, w-we can just let them¡ª"

    The president mmed his fist on the table, immediately rejecting the man''s proposal. "Shut up!"

    These people enjoyed all the glory and luxury while following him before, but now that things hade to this point, it suddenly all became his fault? What a joke!

    Even if they survived this disaster and were rescued in time, he didn''t want such allies at all. Anyway, now that the people already considered him a tyrant, there was no need to pretend, was there?

    Seeing his vtile mood, the others in the room didn''t even dare to breathe too loudly anymore.

    The president sneered. "Once this matter is dealt with¡­ I will not only have this rebellion crushed, but also teach that little bitch a lesson!"

    In fact, if he had known earlier that things would turn out like this, he would never have been so lenient against those protesters and activists.

    This scourge didn''t just need to be killed when caught in the act, but preemptively sought out and ughtered! He had really been too softhearted before, but no more!

    Unfortunately for him, though, Emilia was never going to give him another chance.

    Their ns to strike the capital had already been finalized even before they made a move on this military base.

    In fact, that had been their goal from the start.

    The equipment they took from the northern base was used to strengthen their forces and make them ready to take over the central one closest to the capital. And their primary purpose of capturing this site was to make it impossible for anyone to flee using helicopters and jets without the fear of being shot down by the anti-aircraft equipment here.

    From the beginning, their only chance had been to capture and rece the people in power, and not to defeat system as a whole. After all, they didn''t have that kind of strength yet.

    Even if the White Deer Corporation was supporting them in secret, the help they could provide was mostly limited to financial aid. When it came to advanced weaponry¡­ there wasn''t really much they had to send over.

    Therefore, although they managed to secure two major, consecutive victories, Emilia was still well aware of the disparity in strength between her side and the Blue Dawn''s government.

    The loss of two military bases was definitely not negligible, but it wasn''t enough to cripple the government. Not only did they have plenty more, but the equipment here had also already been sabotaged to an extent.

    If it really came down to a fight where both sides had a chance to prepare, Emilia knew that her side would definitely suffer disastrous consequences.

    As soon as her core team was done with their preparations, the crimson-haired girl immediately set off toward the capital.

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    The officials and politicians waiting outside the president''s bunker never expected that things would turn out like this.

    One moment, they were still cursing at everyone they could me for abandoning them at such a crucial moment, and the next¡­ drowsiness the likes of which they had never experienced before overwhelmed their minds.

    They never realized that they had breathed in an almost lethal dose of sarin, a colorless and odorless chemical weapon that the government had been secretly stockpiling in the central military base to use in case of ''emergencies''.

    Fortunately, since possession or production of this substance was heavily criticized and discouraged all over the world, usually only a few people at a time would be aware of exactly what it was and where it was being stored, and Emilia had dealt with these people first and foremost.

    Once thest of them had fallen to the ground with his fate unknown, dozens of people in borate full-body hazmat suits stormed in and started administering both the antidote for Sarin and a different, non-lethal sedative.

    After all, the princess told them that this rabble cannot die yet, lest they be called martyrs by some fools. No, they would be tried and punished openly, and left with no chance to redeem either their reputation or power.

    Of course, it was unlikely that any of them would be able to have their full mental capacity after being exposed to sarin like that, but that was beside the point.

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    The news of the Blue Dawn''s capital falling at the hands of the rebels came almost hand in hand with Emilia''s ''coronation''.

    Of course, with the situation of the country as it was, the crimson-haired girl refused to do it with too much pomp and fanfare no matter how the other ''rebels'' tried to convince her, and only did a simple speech before getting back to restoring order.

    Naturally, the president was still safe in his bunker. But like a dirty rat stuck in a sealed sewer without food and water, Emilia knew that he would have to surface sooner orter. All she had to do was have a few people guard him properly until then.

    Emilia didn''t mind waiting. He would get what he deserved.

    The news of her ''coronation'' soon reached even the remotest corners of the country, but while many willingly surrendered hoping for a new ''dawn'', there were still many who refused to acknowledge it, including the eastern and southern military bases, as well as many departments of the government.

    The northern, central, and western bases were now all fully under her control, along with thousands of other minor sites.

    Emilia leaned back on the president''s chair with a delicate diamond crown on her head and a gentle smile on her face. "They don''t acknowledge their mother, yet expect me to be lenient? These unruly children sure love to dream."

    Luckily, the rebel movement in Blue Dawn had a lot of support, and as their leader, Emilia naturally controlled far more than these stubborn fools expected.

    Not only in terms of military power, but also public support.

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 Chapter 437 Betrayal

    Chapter 437 ''Betrayal''¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    General Green had been in the Blue Dawn army for over thirty-five years. He was the one who presided over all the operations in the eastern military base, and also one of the most widely acknowledged war heroes of the country.

    There had been many times that he wondered when they might face a major crisis in the hands of their neighboring enemies such as Red Dusk, but never did he ever imagine that the real crisis woulde from the heart of the country itself, and not the border.

    "Who the fuck is behind this little brat?! I can''t believe that all but that corrupt idiot in the south surrendered to her willingly!"

    Naturally, he didn''t believe that a little girl less than half his age had the ability to do all that she had on her own.

    If she wasn''t the puppet of a power that didn''t want to show its face, General Green would dly shave away his meticulously maintained beard and mustache with a rusty knife!

    One of his lieutenants couldn''t help but step forward at this time. "General, you may not know, but this girl was actually already quite famous before she took over, she''s actually the daughter of one of the richest men in the world. The public believes that she led the rebellion out of sheer goodwill, and is perfectly deserving of her current position."

    Although he managed to keep his face neutral, none of the men in the room were idiots. Just from the tone of his voice, it was more than clear that it wasn''t just ''people'' who believed she fit in that position, but the lieutenant himself.

    Seeing how the general''s face was getting darker, one of his colleagues couldn''t help but clear his throat awkwardly. "While I''m sure the second lieutenant always sees the good in people, there are some things you may not have paid attention to. For example, although she''s indeed the daughter of the White Deer Corporation''s leaders, she''s not the actual heiress at all. In fact, no one really knows how much of the property she''ll inherit in the end¡­ if she''ll get anything at all, that is."

    A little girl like her selling herself for her vanity fit General Green''s expectations quite well, and he quickly made up his mind on the matter.

    He couldn''t help but sneer. "So it''s like that, is it? Most of the wealth she enjoys willter belong to just her older sibling, so out of greed, she probably agreed to someone''s demands to lead this rebellion, right?"

    Of course, while he didn''t acknowledge her takeover of power, General Green wasn''t willing to shed the blood of his own countrymen to get her off her post.

    "Alright, I''ve decided. We cannot acknowledge this puppet as the one who will lead our country moving forward. If the people are blind enough to follow her¡­ then I have no choice but to lead them back myself."

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    "The eastern military base under the leadership of General Green has dered that they refuse to acknowledge you as their monarch, and have requested a call for a public vote in which every citizen over the age of twenty-one can take part."

    Thedy reading the message paused as her brows furrowed in displeasure. "T-They''ve also said that they want to be the ones in charge of overseeing all aspects of the elections. Also¡­ the southern base has also stated that they intend to follow the arrangements of General Green, whatever they may be."

    Emilia smiled nonchntly, not looking surprised at all. "Oh? Since they''ve said so much, there must be a threat attached to the message, right? Like, ''if you don''t do as I say, I''ll do this and that'', hm?"

    Thedy quickly scrolled through the message again, refreshed the window, and even restarted the app, but the message still remained the same.

    In the end, she could only shake her head awkwardly. "P-Princess, I-I''ve already checked it, but there doesn''t seem to be anything extra?"

    Emilia finally looked a little interested as she curled her finger towards the woman. "Bring it to me?"

    Taking over the tablet from the blushingdy officer, Emilia hummed thoughtfully after going through the whole thing again. "There doesn''t seem to be any hidden message or codenguage, either. How interesting."

    ''Do they believe I''ll be more scared if they just don''t mention what the threat actually is?''

    Cynthia hummed. "It''s possible? After all, humans often say that nothing is scarier than the unknown, do they not?"

    ''Isn''t the unknown more exciting than scary, though?''

    The raven-haired girl chuckled, but she couldn''t deny it. Perhaps this was the difference between people, and Emilia''s taste was simply different from most.

    After all, even though she wasn''t human, Cynthia herself didn''t like the ''unknown'' very much.

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    While General Green was impatiently waiting for Emilia''s ''reply'', a certain authoritarian figure in the Oriana country was also about to have a stroke for simr reasons.

    Both the White Deer and ck Tiger Corporations were already a cornerstone of Oriana''s economy, so it went without saying that not only would he not want them to suffer, but the president would also never ept these golden eggying hens leaving the nest.

    Of course, after they had remained loyal for decades and built so much trust, he also couldn''t bear to just p them in the face. As long as there was no indication of their betrayal, he would not tighten the leash on their cors.

    Although it had never been said out loud, both of these corporation''s leaders understood that they must never leave the country without giving him a ''coteral'' through which he could maintain his ''trust''.

    For example, in case an unavoidable situation came due to which Mr. ck had to go overseas, his son could absolutely never travel together with him, and must stay grounded in Oriana until his father''s return.

    Simrly, either Samantha or one of her parents must always, always be in Oriana. As for Emilia, well, he could be a bit more lenient towards the second daughter, as long as the real heiress was still alive and well.

    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine, however, that this family would dare to just up and leave one day!

    They didn''t dare to do so openly, of course, but did it in an extremely insidious way.

    Samantha had a business meeting scheduled for the Phoenix country months ago, but it kept getting dyed, and the flight was inevitably ''rescheduled'' over and over again.

    Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. White were both ''shocked and rmed'' at the fact that Emilia had been made the ''face'' of the rebellion after being kidnapped and brainwashed, and had immediately taken a private jet to take her back the moment they knew about it.

    This fit with the president''s intentions as well, since while he didn''t care about their estranged daughter being a little rebel, he wasn''t veryfortable with her leading a rebellion in a foreign country.

    Not only did it not look good, but it might also give some people certain ideas that they definitely shouldn''t have.

    But his thoughtless approval on the matter ended up biting him back almost immediately, as he realized far toote that Samantha''s ''rescheduled'' departure just happened to be on the same day.

    Unfortunately, by the time he got the rming news, both nes were already at their destinations, far out of his reach.

    Moreover, his hopes of this being a ''false rm'' were alsopletely dashed after he had his men conduct an investigation ''just in case''.

    A heavy fist mmed into the mahogany table with a dull thud, and the president''s expression twisted hideously. "These ungrateful swines! They''d been preparing for this move for so long while pretending to smile in my face?! Slimy snakes, the whole bunch of them!"

    Not only did they quietly move away whatever assets they could, but even the most valuable employees had been shifted away to ''other branches'' weeks if not months in advance!

    And as if that wasn''t enough, even the friends and family members of everyone who was close to any of them were also silently moved out of Oriana''s borders, as if they thought he would be low enough to threaten innocent people!

    This was just a p to the face, and the worst thing was that there was very little he could do about it.

    Even if he were to seize all of the White Deer Corporation''s assets right now, what they would lose in the end might not even be thirty percent of their total worth.

    Moreover, doing so would not onlypletely cut off their rtionship, but it would also make other corporations far warier when it came to investing and working in Oriana.

    After all, even if he made up a good enough reason, the people at the top weren''t fools who would just believe any nonsense without proof.

    "Fucking ungrateful little snakes! Spineless bastards!"

    As the president of Oriana who had been in power for decades, never had he ever felt as frustrated and powerless as he did at this moment.

    That is, until he received another report at his table from the intelligence department. Not for the White Deer, but the ck Tiger.

    At first, he had the foreboding feeling that the ck Tiger Corporation had also abandoned their country, but fortunately, it wasn''t that.

    Unfortunately¡­ it wasn''t any better at all.

    "Are you absolutely sure that the weapon blueprint you received is identical to the one from the ck Tiger?! I tell you, if there''s even a single percent chance¡ª!"

    The intelligence division''s head bowed. "Mr. President, I dare not joke about such things. The two blueprints¡­ arepletely identical."

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 Chapter 438 Old Cow Trying to Chew Young Grass

    Chapter 438 Old Cow Trying to Chew Young Grass¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Since there was no way to refute that the leaked blueprints from their neighboring enemy and the ck Tiger werepletely identical, that left only two possibilities.

    First, the ck Tiger could have been cooperating with their neighboring enemy from the beginning, and was only pretending to be somewhat loyal to Oriana.

    Or second, and much more likely, was that they got greedy and ended up selling the blueprints thinking that no one would find out. After all, while it was unlikely, it wouldn''t be the first time that two countries developed simr weapons at the same time.

    Perhaps if their intelligence agency hadn''t obtained the leaks due to a series of unexpected idents, even they would have been fooled.

    Just thinking about it made the president feel enraged. Not only the White Deer, but even the ck Tiger dared to treat him like a gullible idiot!

    Even if the blueprints leaked this time only belonged to a somewhat advanced handgun and not something critical to their national security, this was still a naked p to the face!

    He couldn''t help but m his fist on the table again, eyes red in both fury and resentment. "Bastards! If not for the country''s support, would either of these ungrateful bastards be able to grow to this point?!"

    Unfortunately, before he could even decide on how to begin dealing with these ''disobedient dolls'', someone burst in through the door in a panic.

    If not for the intelligence director recognizing the man in time and giving the signal just in time, perhaps he would already have been shot and killed, but the man didn''t seem to care at all.

    "P-President, M-Mr. President! E-Emilia White¡­ s-she took over the Republic of Blue Dawn!"

    Of course, it was now called the Blue Dawn Empire, but neither the president nor the other officials could care about that at all right now.

    Because this time, the president really had a stroke!

    "P-President!"

    "Mr. President!"

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    Emilia naturally didn''t care about the panicked situation in Oriana''s presidential office, because she was busy receiving her friends from the airport.

    "Are you sure it''s safe to have them here already? Don''t forget, although you''ve done quite well so far, it''s not like the situation ispletely under your control. Won''t they be a liability if theye in at this time?"

    Feeling her partner''s dissatisfaction, the crimson-haired girl paused in surprise. "Crystal, Dixie, and Noelle¡­ being a liability? How can that be?"

    Although she agreed that the situation wasn''tpletely under her control yet, as far as Emilia was concerned, their presence couldn''t make things difficult for her at all. If anything, their arrival would greatly help her instead.

    Whether it was Noelle''s management, Dixie''s diligence and strength, or Crystal''s ability to see through people, Emilia felt that each of them would bring invaluable benefits not just to her, but her empire as a whole.

    Not to mention, their presence alone would boost her motivation and make her work harder and with less stress.

    The only pity was that while most of them had been taken out of Oriana, only these three were able to arrive in Blue Dawn at this time.

    Of course, Emilia understood that they couldn''t risk alerting her home country''s authorities before, but she still felt a little sad when she thought about how long it had been since she met Sam.

    Even Michelle, her ever-loyal maid, had been separated from her for the longest time ever since they met!

    Although many of her subordinates here tried their best to get closer to her, Emilia greatly depended on her intuition and innatepatibility with a person to decide how close she would let them get.

    And so far, none of them managed to cross the boundary of ''cute children she had to take care of'' in Emilia''s eyes.

    Of course, it didn''t stop them from continuing to try, and Emilia didn''t really mind as long as they followed some basic etiquette.

    Cynthia didn''t really feel like arguing with her partner too much over the topic, so she just shrugged helplessly. "Well, you can do whatever you want. Just make sure they don''t get caught up in trouble and end up ruining your ns."

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Have you been watching too many dramas recently? And here I thought that the TV in your little nest only really showed what I saw. Maybe you should invite me to binge on some good ones as well, eh?"

    The raven-haired girl pouted. "Obviously I''m only talking about it for your own good, but here you go teasing me again!"

    Besides, even though it was certainly possible for her to capture the signals in the air and decipher them to get ''live TV'' on the screen in her ''nest'', as Emilia called it, it required the girl to be much stronger than she was right now.

    After all, for the weak, even trivial tasks required a tremendous amount of effort, and Cynthia didn''t want to consume too much of their energy just to quench her boredom.

    Emilia giggled. "Okay, okay. Don''t worry, baby, I won''t let any of them get hurt."

    "Who''s worried?!"

    Fortunately, the ne she had been waiting for finally showed up at this moment, saving Emilia from her partner''s ''scolding''.

    As the airport was temporarily closed to the public, and her little girlfriends arrived in a private jet as well, Emilia didn''t have to worry much about sifting through the crowd as she threw herself at Noelle before she had even finished stepping down the airstair.

    The gray-haired girl rolled her eyes as she held the little beauty under the envious and admiring eyes of her subordinates, and made way for the others to exit as well.

    As expected, the minx of a princess quickly disentangled from her within moments, and threw herself at the two younger girls one after another while screaming in delight, though she was noticeably more gentle with Crystal.

    Of course, Noelle knew that the blonde girl naturally couldn''t handle the same level of ''impact'' as Dixie and herself, but it didn''t stop her from rolling her eyes. "Now you know not to crash like a truck into someone the moment you meet them, huh?"

    Emilia immediately turned to her with a pout. "Hey, who''re youparing to a truck?!"

    Crystal giggled. "Alright, don''t bicker, you two. Why don''t we rx a little first, and then talk?"

    Of course, it wasn''t that she was really tired. In fact, meeting her girlfriend after such a long time, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Crystal felt like there were more sexual stimnts running through her veins than actual blood, but with her ability, there were naturally things she could feel that others couldn''t.

    For example, although they seemed normal and respectful at a nce, the subordinates who had followed Emilia were about ready to throw up blood at any moment!

    Having been with her for so long, they had never seen the princess being so intimate with anyone!

    Although it was easy to get her to smile, being able to enter her embrace was only a distant dream, even in their wildest fantasies.

    When had they ever seen the princess being so intimate with someone before?!

    Just being able to get look at them differently for a while was already enough to send many to cloud nine for weeks, but here were not one, not two, but three people who could enjoy apletely different level of privilege!

    When the princess looked at them, it was as if there were little sparks of delight just twinkling in her eyes, and it was obvious even from a distance. Compared to that... the impact they had was really not worth mentioning.

    Even if they knew that she treated some people differently already, seeing it with their own eyes was still enough to cause them to feel a little wronged.

    This was especially so for the woman at the very front, who kept clutching her tablet so hard that Crystal was sure the screen must have shattered to pieces already.

    As Emilia had shared certain details with her for ''consultation'' while chatting before, the blonde heroine recognized the woman as the leader of the northern province''s rebel group before Emilia took her crown, and she couldn''t help but hum in thought.

    ''For a woman past forty¡­ she''s remarkably well maintained.''

    Of course, for this woman to have thoughts about her princess¡­ Crystal still felt like it was just ''old cow trying to chew young grass''.

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 Chapter 439 Coefficient of Cozy

    Chapter 439 Coefficient of Cozy¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    When it came to managing her ''territory'', Emilia very much preferred selecting capable people and letting them do what they were good at to micro-managing every little thing herself.

    After all, as long as she made sure that their views on what needed to be done and how she wants things to be handled were clear enough, it would not only be much more efficient, but also extremely effective.

    Needless to say, the reason she had picked the leader of the ''rebels'' in the northern province as her ''secretary'' wasn''t just because the woman was smart and capable, but because she was able to more or less feel what Emilia wanted without her having to say it out loud.

    And perhaps even more importantly, she also knew when to stop, and just listen.

    "Noelle will drive my car. You lead the way."

    The ''secretary'' paused only for a second before she handed the keys to Emilia''s luxury car to the gray-haired girl, and headed to the SUV with the bodyguards.

    Momentster, they were already on the road, with the ck SUV leading in the front while their car followed behind.

    The instant the three of them were in the backseat, Emilia immediately kicked off her shoes and threw her head into Crystal''sp before shaking her head at the dark-haired girl who was about to touch her feet.

    "No need. How can I make my tired knight give me a massage?"

    Noelle rolled her eyes while shifting the gear. "Hey, miss double standards, did you not think I would be tired too? But here I am, driving!"

    Emilia giggled. "Noelle loves working hard, so it''s fine."

    "¡­ Believe it or not, I''ll beat you if you go too far?"

    Crystal just chuckled whilebing her fingers through her girlfriend''s beautiful crimson hair. "You can let Dixie at least tease you a little, you know? She''s probably missed you more than anyone else, being the most desperate of us and all."

    "¡­?" The dark-haired girl had no idea whether she should be happy or offended.

    Fortunately, once Emilia hummed in consent, Dixie stopped caring about ''unnecessary things'' as she happily peeled off the gorgeous girl''s stockings to tease her smooth calf and pearly toes.

    Being able to cuddle with her girlfriends in the backseat while Noelle drove them ''home'' after such a long time, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle happily. "Hey, it tickles~ Oh, but don''t stop. That feels good, too!"

    Had they not already started moving at a somewhat decent speed, Noelle would have surely rolled her eyes again. ''I thought she might have matured a little by now, but I guess not. Those idiots all must have been charmed silly by her and made fake reports on how immacte she is.''

    Not that she could me them.

    Of course, it wasn''t just for herfort and nostalgia that Emilia asked her ''secretary'' to change cars.

    "By the way, Crystal¡­ what do you think of Alexandria?"

    Before the blonde could respond, Noelle almost choked on her own saliva. "I-Is that really her name?!"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked in surprise. "Why, is there anything wrong?"

    The older girl paused for a while before coughing awkwardly. "N-Not really, no. It''s just¡­ her name is quite simr to that pervert Alexander Gray, isn''t it?"

    Emilia paused before nodding begrudgingly. "I guess so? She''s not simr to him at all, so it never really crossed my mind."

    The gray-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. "You seem to have quite a good impression of her?"

    Emilia nodded. "Mhmm¡­ she''s efficient, and works hard. I think she''ll do well under your guidance."

    Noelle hummed, nomittal. "Is that so?"

    The crimson-haired girl nodded before she turned to look at Crystal with a smile. "Well, you haven''t answered my question. What do you think of her?"

    Crystal ran her fingers through Emilia''s hair thoughtfully. "Well¡­ although she was quite angry before, her thoughts didn''t deviate towards betrayal or maliciousness, at least. She only wanted to work harder and get better. I suppose she can be considered trustworthy."

    Naturally, her ''affection'' for Emilia wasn''t a secret to the blonde girl at all, but she intentionally chose not to mention it.

    Despite that, however, the fact that she didn''t ''hate'' the people who ''stole'' the attention and favor of her princess was already a very good indicator in Crystal''s book.

    After all, people who find it easy to direct unreasonable hatred at others were also more prone to finding excuses to justify other types of self-righteous actions, as far as she was concerned.

    Emilia smiled. "Good. Although I felt she was quite good, I didn''t want to finalize my judgment without consulting you."

    The blonde girl blushed. "W-Well, I-I''m happy I could help."

    Emilia giggled. "Alright. You won''t think I''m working you like a mule if I make you ''screen'' a few hundred more peopleter, right?"

    With the Blue Dawn Empire being newly established, there were still many important positions that needed to be ''filled'' with the right people, as who went where might make a major impact on not just the empire''s current administration, but also its future growth!

    After all, since the empire was like a baby that was just growing up, Emilia had to be careful with the nutrition and growth path if she wanted it to turn out the way she wanted.

    And when it came to seeing through people¡­ who could be better than her darling heroine?

    Naturally, Crystal agreed.

    Emilia smiled. "Thank you! I''ll make sure you get proper ''rest'', too."

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    While many of her subordinates had proposed that a new ''pce'' be built in her honor now that she had be their monarch, Emilia didn''t really want to waste the time and resources on such pointless things right now.

    After all, not only was her rule not ''fully consolidated'' yet, the ''empire'' itself was very much still in its ''infancy'' and needed to be carefully nurtured and cared for with all the resources that she could get her hands on.

    Not to mention squandering Blue Dawn''s current resources, Emilia even nned to bring in whatever she could from the White Deer Corporation to help.

    Under such circumstances, she decided to simply make the Blue Lotus Vi where she had previously stayed in the temporary Imperial Pce where people coulde meet her if needed.

    Of course, until the ''threat'' of General Green was dealt with, her ''subordinates'' still refused to obey her when it came to how much security this ce could have.

    After all, going by herself while hidden and not having anyone to protect her out in the open were twopletely different things.

    Emilia knew that Alexandria and the others may not budge even if they were to be beaten to the death on this matter, so she just acquiesced to it for the time being, even though it made the ce seem a lot more ''unwee'' to her girlfriends at first nce.

    Not feeling very cozy in either the hall or the garden, the crimson-haired girl led her girlfriends directly to her bedroom before waving Alexandria over.

    "Make sure no onees to disturb us for a while, alright?"

    Alexandria nodded obediently, though there were some suspicious crackling noisesing from her tablet.

    Emilia didn''t find it too strange, though. It was only to be expected that one of the busiest women in Blue Dawn would get constant notifications, right? Though her choice of tone was a little¡­ out of the norm.

    After shutting the door close, Emilia happily bounced over to all three of them one by one, hugging them tightly before she jumped onto the bed.

    Seeing her roll over happily while squealing, Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes helplessly. "You''re such a silly goose! As an empress, shouldn''t you have more dignity by now?"

    While Crystal and Dixie frowned in disapproval, but didn''t refute the older girl outright.

    Of course, while their external reactions matched, their internal thoughts werepletely different. After all, while the blonde girl felt that Emilia should be free to be who she wanted regardless of people''s opinions, Dixie''s thoughts were more along the lines of her princess already being perfect.

    Emilia just huffed. "Are you scolding me? Anyway, I''m pretty much still an uncrowned princess, you know?"

    Noelle hummed thoughtfully. "Are you talking about that ''General Green'' idiot?"

    "Yeah!"

    The gray-haired girl smiled coldly. "Don''t worry. Now that I''m here¡­ I''ll naturally help you deal with that moron."

    Emilia giggled. "Okay~ But besides that, there is one more thing!"

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 Chapter 440 Generals Failure

    Chapter 440 General''s Failure¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Noelle knew that while Emilia may wave off the matter of being the newly established empire''s monarch as something that hadn''t truly happened yet, in most people''s perception, that wasn''t the case at all.

    After all, not only was Emilia the leader of the rebellion supported by the majority, but she was also widely epted as Blue Dawn''s ray of hope.

    Not to mention people being unable to ept her as their monarch, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that her position waspletely unshakable.

    Unfortunately, General Green realized it a little toote.

    But even though he didn''t like Emilia at all, the fact that she didn''t immediately send the forces that had surrendered to her to attack the ''resisting regions'' was still something he could appreciate.

    Regardless of their disagreements, spilling the blood of innocents wasn''t something they enjoyed, after all.

    Of course, whether he would still think the same if it had been his side at an advantage in terms of military strength remained unknown, though Emilia''s passive stance quickly sparked a feverish discussion in General Green''s base.

    "Since she''s softhearted and weak right now, isn''t this the best time to strike?"

    Naturally, the lieutenant who spoke out in Emilia''s favor in the previous meeting was nowhere to be seen.

    "No no, no matter how stupid this little girl is, don''t forget that the five rebel leaders are now the ones controlling most of the country''s forces!"

    Moreover, the fact that most of the people in the ''rebellion'' called Emilia ''princess'' was no secret, and her status in their hearts as some sort of holy angel was clear to anyone with functioning eyes.

    The lieutenant who had proposed an attack first hesitated. "If we were to take an elite force and sneak into the capital¡­"

    This time, the general himself shook his head in denial. "The entirety of the central zone is on high alert, and the likelihood of sess is abysmal."

    The rest of the lieutenants quickly agreed. "Right. We might even aggravate them further, endangering the life of the president!"

    As both the cornerstone of their democracy and the greatest hope of restoring order, the president''s life definitely had to be their top priority, so no one refuted that point. After much back and forth, they finally came up with a somewhat eptable solution.

    The first lieutenant smiled grimly. "The only reason that little girl got to that position was because of her reputation and image in the people''s hearts, and as long as we destroy that¡­ she''s as good as done!"

    The third lieutenant nodded. "Right. With the general''s poprity as the ''war hero'', as long as we keep denouncing her using his name, it won''t take long for the people in our region to change their views. And from there, we just have to fan the mes!"

    Chuckling, the first lieutenant couldn''t help but shake his head in amusement. "I''d give it a week at most before she realizes how short-lived her fantasy was, and runs away crying."

    The general considered it carefully before nodding. "Let''s do that, then. Once she''s gone, we can then move on to creating conflicts between the five rebel leaders. Start the preparations now."

    With a n in mind, everyone was in high spirits, and quickly left after saluting the general. It won''t be long before their democratic government was restored¡­ or so they thought.

    Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be theplete opposite of their imaginations.

    "Am I hearing this right? General Green refuses to ept our princess as the ''Empress''?"

    "Why didn''t I hear a word from him when that slimy bastard president was ruining our country before?"

    "Right? Standing up for our ''democracy'' now, has he gone senile and already forgotten how he remained silent when that bastard dered emergency to effectively be our ''ruler''? Hah."

    "If you ask me, he''s probably just worried that he''ll lose his position. Typical stooge."

    It had to be said that trying to arouse the people''s sympathy for the past government to discredit this ''tyrant'' had been their worst move yet.

    Jailing and killing anyone who dared to speak up, hoarding and hiking the prices of essentials to the point where they becamepletely out of reach, and even pushing many to the point of economic despair without a single shred ofpassion¡­ No matter how bad they said Emilia was, how could she be any worse?

    Even if their president were to be reced by a robot vacuum, they would happily agree as long as they got rid of that bastard. Moreover, this ''tyrant'' was still a beautiful girl with a breathtaking smile, and one who had stood up for them when she had no need to.

    In fact, with the memory of the previous government''s tyranny still fresh in their minds, even if Emilia really had been whipping people left and right¡­ maybe they would still think of her as an angel.

    Needless to say, the soldiers who were ordered to ''spread the good word'' returned feeling like their faces had been pped ck and blue. Not only was their worldview refreshed, but for those who had been open-minded enough to listen, their determination to stick with General Green to the end was also wavering.

    As for their mission... forget about ruining the new empress, they might even have shattered whatever goodwill the people might have had for General Green before.

    When he finally got the news, the war hero''s face turned grim.

    If he still didn''t realize that he had vastly underestimated his opponent¡­ he would be aplete fool.

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    While General Green had been, quite futilely, doing his best to muster up some sort of resistance to her rule, Emilia had already started consolidating her strength.

    As Noelle filtered all the candidates and Crystal helped pick out the ones who were ''most suitable'' for the vacant spots in her empire, Emilia happily gobbled on fresh, juicy grapes while resting on Dixie''sp.

    Well, she considered giving the dark-haired girl a job at first, but quickly realized that there was no point in trying to intimidate anyone when she was so cute. Naturally, Dixie herself had noints with her ''job'' at all.

    As for Emilia, while she looked quite leisurely, she still had to interview the ''final candidates'' picked by her adorable little heroine in her throne room, which was just the hall of her vi.

    Naturally, the throne itself was also just a luxurious chaise lounger that was just perfect for her to cuddle with her girlfriends.

    After the man interviewing for one of the major official positions was done with his answer, Emilia nodded. "Okay, good. You''ll hear from Alexandria by tomorrow about your final position."

    Just as he was about to jump up in excitement, a re from Dixie immediately made him pretend to shrink his neck as he bowed. "T-Thank you, empress! I-I''ll definitely work hard and make you proud!"

    Although the crimson-haired beauty only waved him away with an amused smile, the man still left feeling as if he had been injected with enough stimnts to send a horse into shock. ''As expected of the princess, every time I look at her, she gets more and more charming! Ahhh, I can''t believe I really witnessed her being affectionate to one of the apostles from so close!''

    Had Alexandria not looked so cold and unapproachable, he might even have hugged her on the way out.

    Once he was gone, the ''secretary'' came forward and leaned closer to the crimson-haired girl,pletely ignoring Dixie''s watchful eyes. "Princess¡­ that idiot Grimlock Green says he wants to talk to you."

    Emilia hummed. "Took him long enough."

    She couldn''t help but note that the woman''s tablet was once again slightly different from the one she''d had yesterday.

    The crimson-haired girl wondered if she had the habit of changing it so frequently, but soon shook off that thought.

    Alexandria wasn''t the type to let things go to waste without reason, and there was no need to worry about it too much.

    Not to mention that she had probably already given away her old gadgets to people who could continue making use of them, even if she hadn''t, Emilia felt that she shouldn''t be too stingy to people who helped her so much.

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    General Green didn''t know what he had been expecting from his first ''face-to-face'' conversation with the ''empress'', but seeing the young, crimson-haired beauty leaning into another girl''s embrace so leisurely still gave him a pause.

    Since he never really cared about it too much, General Green hadn''t bothered to look up any photos or videos of the little girl.

    Although she didn''t fit his aesthetics, he still had to admit that she was every bit as gorgeous as that idiotic second lieutenant of his imed.

    Of course, the prettier she looked, the less he found her rumored wit and ingenuity to be credible. Most likely, this silly and sweet child simply enjoyed being taken care of by others who pampered her carelessly.

    But even if he could pass her posture and attitude off as ignorance, the fact that she was being fed grapes while talking to him definitely had to be a deliberate insult, right?!

    Unfortunately, he was already in a passive position, and could only pretend to be blind as he tried to ''negotiate'' a deal with the little girl, or whoever it was making the decisions from behind her.

    Emilia hummed and nodded from time to time while listening to the general''s carefully drafted speech.

    Once he was done, the crimson-haired girl smiled as she turned to look at Dixie. "The grapes were so sweet, thank you."

    Seeing her press a kiss against the other girl, General Green almost had a myocardial infarction.

    Fortunately, Emilia interrupted him before the general could really start frothing at the mouth.

    "Um, uncle, if I heard you right¡­ you want me to let go of that man who started all this chaos in the first ce, give up almost half of my empire, and also promise not to interfere with what you do with my people¡­ because I''m a good girl?"

    General Green felt his mind turn nk. ''Wait a minute¡­ how can she make me sound so unreasonable like that? I just told her we each keep the area that we have, and she just needs to release the president so we can reach a truce!''

    He was so confused that he didn''t even notice how the girl called him ''uncle''.

    Emilia smiled, and the general wasn''t sure if it was his illusion, but for a moment, he felt like her aurapletely changed from the silly and sweet little girl to a regal queen that he instinctively didn''t dare to offend.

    "Well, although I won''t deny that I''m a good girl, you can''t ask me to abandon my people. Anyone who epts themselves as a part of my empire can be considered my child, and if I don''t protect them¡­ who will?"

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 Chapter 441 Setting a Trap

    Chapter 441 Setting a Trap¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia didn''t seem to care about the old general''s expression twisting hideously at all as she smiled. "Why do you look so unwilling? It''s as if you don''t even realize that whether it was your first proposal or the second one, nothing would change even if I epted them, do you?"

    General Green''s face on the screen froze for a moment, but he shook his head soon enough. ''I knew she would be childish and resentful, but really, she''s even worse than I could have ever imagined.''

    To think that his country had been handed over to such a brat¡­ the general felt as if his intestines were about to turn green from regret.

    Of course, although he didn''t say anything out loud, Emilia still found the expression on the man''s face very amusing. "If we were to hold a fair election right now, across all five provinces, I dare say that you won''t get more than maybe ten percent of votes at most. To call my victory andslide would be an understatement."

    Had it been before he tried to ''pull her off the throne'', General Green would have surely scoffed at her ''overconfidence'' in derision. After all, even the most favored candidates in democratic countries rarely got that kind ofndslide victory in a fair election, let alone her, a tyrant with literally zero experience.

    But after having his decades of fame shattered within just a few days merely by the rebound of trying to smear her¡­ he had the feeling that her estimate wasn''t far from the truth.

    The realization shook him more than any of the crimson-haired girl''s words, and the general couldn''t help but shake his head in denial. "A tyrant like you can fool people for a while, but not forever! Believe it or not, once they realize how foolish they had been before, the hatred they will have for you will be dozens if not hundreds of times more intense than the affection they shower you with right now. At that time¡­ where will you run?"

    Looking at the surprised crimson-haired girl on the screen, General Green sneered. "It''s already questionable whether you would be able to control and manage just three provinces, so don''t bite off more than you can chew, little girl. This way¡­ maybe you will at least have a chance."

    Much to his chagrin, however, Emilia actually grinned. "Really? Is that what you think? Listen, even if I were to concede almost half of my territory to you¡­ and hand over the president¡­ I don''t believe it will be long before he ruins whatever you hand over to him again."

    Before the general could refute, she interrupted him with a smile. "Don''t say anything. You can''t deny that he lost where I won. Since that is so, I''ll naturally seize my victory spoils before he has the chance to ruin them again, no?"

    General Green was of course incensed when he heard the words ''victory spoils'' being used for his country. "Who do you think you are, girl? Just because you started calling yourself ''Empress'' doesn''t mean you can do whatever you want without repercussions! You don''t dare to do as I say because you know you will lose¡ª!"

    Emilia rolled her eyes dismissively. "What a drag... Why should I follow your rules in the first ce? There is no fun ying with losers, and this princess... does not y boring games!"

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    Having cut off the call after she was done speaking her mind, Emilia cleanly instructed her secretary to reject allmunication from General Green. Of course, although it may seem like she was leaving him with no way out, the crimson-haired girl was well aware that no matter what she did, he wouldn''t dare to start a conflict.

    Even if he felt that his dignity was being challenged, the general should know better than anyone else how much a disadvantage he was at when it came to both the civil and military resources at their disposal. And if an armed conflict could be considered hopeless, then the chances of them being able to snatch away Emilia''s power and poprity were even worse.

    Since that was the case¡­ he was almost certain to aim for his only way out ¡ª rescuing the old president, and having him figure out how to deal with the situation. Hriously pitiful as it was, this was probably the general''s most ''optimistic'' solution.

    This was one of the reasons why Emilia hadn''t even tried getting the old president out of his bunker. After all¡­ she couldn''t set a more perfect bait for this idiotic general hell-bent on resisting her even if she tried.

    But since the old general wasn''t a fool, the key to it all was still to remain patient and not cause unnecessary rm.

    As long as he believed that she was an overconfident idiot¡­ sooner orter, he would take the bait.

    Of course, while she was patiently waiting for the general to fall into her trap, Emilia wouldn''t truly remain idle.

    This was the infancy of her empire, after all, and for her child to grow up sharp and strong... a mother couldn''t be too negligent.

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    If the matter of General Green could be considered a flesh wound that would heal with time as long as she didn''t allow it to fester, then the remnants of the Gray Wolfe and ck Tiger were like malignant tumors that had just fallen into temporary inactivity.

    Whether it was their previous actions that harmed the people of Blue Dawn or their inevitable conflict of interests with Emilia in the future, the crimson-haired girl knew that they were mutually ipatible, to say the least.

    But since the crimson-haired girl knew very well how much damage they could cause if she allowed them to remain, why would she ever let them go?

    Of course, while getting rid of these ''venomous snakes'' was important, Emilia realized that it was just as important to do it in a way that didn''t end up with her being poisoned in the process. After all, even if she wouldn''t die, it would still hurt.

    Fortunately, since most of their higher-level subordinates fled the moment they got wind of the rising rebellion and the old president dering an emergency, Emilia actually had a lot of leeway in how she wanted to get things done.

    Naturally, the first and easiest step was to just take everything that they could from both the ck Tiger and the Gray Wolfe.

    Noelle listened to her instructions carefully before nodding. "I understand. But honestly, the equipment and facilities that we can take are just a small part of their investments in the country, you know?"

    Emilia smiled. "I know. But there''s no way for me to just seize their properties and put them under the Empire''s name, or my own."

    The gray-haired girl blinked in surprise. "Are you afraid of being called a tyrant? They''ll be angry, sure, but what can they do about it?"

    Emilia chuckled. "It''s not that¡­ I just want them to remain unaware of my actual intentions. After all¡­ these two are pigs I''m raising for ughter. I don''t want them to stop eating well, or worse, run away."

    Noelle couldn''t help but feel a chill run up her spine before she quickly shook her head in exasperation. ''Sometimes I wonder why I think of her as adorable... but looking at her again... I guess it makes sense.''

    Emilia looked at the gray-haired girl with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Don''t worry about it too much. Just because we can''t take it doesn''t mean nobody can, you know?"

    Noelle paused, a little stunned. "What... does that mean?"

    The crimson-haired beauty giggled. "I mean¡­ wouldn''t I be helpless if some of the most influential people who helped me take the throne were to seize those properties? Ahh¡­ I''m just a figurehead, you know? A princess, no, um, empress in name, ahh! How can I stand up to them if that happened?"

    Looking at her helpless and pitiful expression, Noelle almost believed it.

    As if!

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    While the ck Tiger and the Gray Wolfe''s hands and feet in the country were being chewed up by Emilia''s subordinates as she watched ''helplessly'', two forces on the other side were watching her like ants on a hot pan.

    One of them was obviously General Green, who felt like he had been left lost in the middle of the ocean without apass, while the other was the old president, who was seemingly trapped on a deserted ind with no way out.

    But the general knew that situation was far from hopeless. After all, as long as he could take his ship to the president, he would have the pass'', so to speak. It would not only be saving the man, but also saving himself!

    Of course, while the general still had some hope, the ''president'' of Blue Dawn felt like he was going through a long nightmare that he just couldn''t awaken from. After all, he had no idea if he was ever going to be ''saved'', and the longer he waited, the less likely it seemed.

    All the money, glory, and power that he had umted all his life seemed to have turned to ashes in the blink of an eye, and he could only stare at the nk walls of the bunker day in and day out.

    Of course, as the emergency shelter meant to house the president, this bunker could house him for years without an issue, but was that any different from living like a rat to someone like him?

    Perhaps the worst part of it all was that they had beenpletely cut off frommunication from the outside world, and the president didn''t even know if there was any light over the horizon, or what was going on at this point.

    That is, until he was awakened from his waking nightmare by a man''s excited voice. "M-Mr. President! General Green! I-It''s General Green at the entrance! He says he came to rescue us¡ª!"

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 Chapter 442 Timely Helper

    Chapter 442 Timely Helper¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Hearing the name of the famed ''war hero'' from the intelligence director''s mouth, the despairing ex-president suddenly felt a spark of hope re-ignite in his heart.

    "T-That''s right! Even if they managed to take over the northern and central provinces along with the capital, there''s no way that my people would surrender so easily to these outside forces!"

    Thinking about how his loyal men must have fought tooth and nail to recapture the capital before they finally managed toe to his rescue, even he couldn''t help but feel a little moved.

    Seeing how the man was still waiting outside, the president frowned. "Wait, what are you waiting for? Let him in already!"

    The ex-director of the intelligence division hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Mr. President, I-I hate to say this, but¡­ what if it''s a trap to get us to unseal the entrance?"

    The president pointed a finger at him in disbelief, but recalling how badly they had been duped before, he couldn''t help but lower his hand begrudgingly.

    If he were to im that there was no way someone as smart as General Green would fall for the low-level tricks of that little bitch, wouldn''t that make him look even more stupid?

    After all, regardless of whether she had been pretending from the start or if she had really been ''brainwashed''ter, it was undeniable that Emilia had managed to catch himpletely off-guard multiple times.

    Recalling how he had only thought of her as a stupid little brat who only knew how to preach about things she could never really achieve, he couldn''t help but want to vomit blood every time.

    Even after all this time, he still had nightmares where people would jeer andugh at him for being a blind dog and keeping the knife that would stab him to death right by his side.

    Moreover, this ''knife'' named Emilia was handed over to the enemy so easily that those hateful people in his nightmares even seemed to wonder if he hadn''t deliberately sabotaged himself from remorse and regret.

    The toxic mixture of their fake sympathy and derisiveughter almost caused him to suffocate multiple times in his sleep.

    Fortunately, he still managed to wake up in the end, though his mentality was always just a little shakier than before.

    If there was really a mastermind pulling her strings in secret¡­ the president shuddered in terror at the mere thought.

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    General Green naturally hadn''t expected things to go anywhere near as smoothly as they had, and while that in itself may not be a bad thing, he couldn''t help but feel a little unsettled in his heart.

    After all, even if the little girl was arrogant and proud, there was a limit to how lucky they could be while sneaking in and out of the capital.

    Moreover, the fact that there was such an obvious fifteen-minute gap between the day and night shifts of the guards just made all sorts of rm bells go off in his head.

    But like a starving little mouse, no matter how well he knew that the piece of cheese was mounted on a trap¡­ he still had to take the bite.

    After all, if he was smart and quick, there was still a slight chance for the mouse to be able to take off with the bait before the trap could even finish fully springing!

    But after waiting in front of the entrance of the president''s bunker for almost a full five minutes, General Green couldn''t help but feel a little numb in his heart. ''What the fuck is going on? Does he not want to leave or something?!''

    His confusion was soon cleared when themunication device by the entrance buzzed to life once more.

    "General Green, first of all, the president wants to thank you for¡ª"

    The general frowned. "We don''t have time for this! Mr. President, if you''re listening, we have to leave quickly, or else¡ª!"

    The voice from the other side changed, this time to one he could definitely recognize as the old president. "I''m listening. But General, you must understand that unsealing this entrance is the same as giving up ourst line of defense, and we can''t just do that without being sure of your affiliation, right? So if you could prove it somehow that you¡ª"

    The general almost fainted from disbelief and rage the moment he realized what was going on, and he couldn''t even bring himself to care that the person on the other side was the president himself. "Fuck! Is that what you morons were dallying for?!"

    How could he have risked his life for such utter buffoons?!

    Unfortunately, they were now firmly tied to the same boat, and he couldn''t just watch it sink.

    General Green sneered. "Only around ten minutes are left before the guards return, and we''ll be dead meat if we''re caught in the middle of the capital. So get out of there right this moment if you want to leave with me, or just stay there forever!"

    After a moment of stunned silence, the president''s face turned hideously ugly. ''How dare he speak to me, and even threaten me like that?!''

    Unfortunately¡­ it was true that he really couldn''t pass up this opportunity, even if it was full of risks. After all, if he turned down even General Green, who else woulde to rescue himter?

    The president frowned. ''Forget it. I''ll cooperate with him for now, but once we''re in a more stable position¡­ I''ll definitely make him pay for this insolence!''

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    Meanwhile, the rest of the world waspletely unaware of the struggles of both the old president and general Green, as most of their focus had long since been attracted to the rapid growth and reformation of the ''Blue Dawn Empire''.

    "Wait a minute¡­ am I hearing this right? I thought the White Deer Corporation would surely take over as the ''giant'' of Blue Dawn now that Emilia is the empress there, but¡­ it doesn''t seem to be the case?!"

    "Right? I also thought Blue Dawn would be just the smaller, weaker version of the Carmen country with the Gray Wolfe, but what exactly is going on now?"

    Their confusion wasn''t unwarranted, as shortly after taking the throne, the empress announced her intention to have the empire''s official presence in almost every field and industry of significance.

    With the amount of control and power she had at the moment, it made no sense for her to do something like this if she really wanted to let the White Deer dominate the countryter. That would just be smashing herself in the foot for no good reason.

    Some people couldn''t help but sneer. "As expected of a narcissistic girl like her, as soon as she found herself in a position of power, she immediately forgot how she got there in the first ce."

    "A white-eyed wolf at its finest, I see. Although I can''t deny that she has slightly above average skin, that is probably all she has. Underneath, however, is just a heartless monster who only knows how to take, take, and take!"

    Of course, the bacsh from her fans was both fierce and immediate.

    "Hello? Does your conscience not hurt when you badmouth our princess like this? Even the fact that she didn''t immediately use her position to benefit her parents''pany can be made into a ''bad thing'' by you?"

    "Our princess is an angel! Whatever she is doing must be for the good of the people. So don''t talk about things you don''t understand!"

    "Slightly above average??? I dare you to look in the mirror,pare your face to her photo, and say that again honestly with a straight face!"

    The reaction of her fans was only to be expected, and the haters had already been prepared with dozens of eloquent and clever counterarguments before they even started.

    Before they could start, however, the news of the White Deer Corporation taking the initiative to send over a tremendous amount of resources and manpower caught thempletely unprepared.

    "What''s going on?! Is this some trendy new way for the rich people to respond to betrayal, or am I too much a peasant to understand?!"

    "Breaking news! The White Deer just issued a statement rifying that all of these are their ''donations'' to congratte their ''little princess'' for being able to achieve what she wanted. It alles with zero strings attached!"

    Before they could even finish digesting that, however¡­

    "Another breaking news! The Empress of Blue Dawn just said that while she''s happy to get some help when she needs it the most, she will still consider it a ''loan'' that the empire will honor once they''re more stable in the future!"

    The people who had been specting on how the venom and insults will fly once Emilia''s parents and elder sister responded to her ''betrayal'' couldn''t help but feel as if their faces had been pped over and over again to the point where even their own mothers wouldn''t recognize them.

    "Hello? If the parents and elder sister of the princess see this, can you please not be so over the top all the time? We realize you just want to dote on her, but this is really too much!"

    Of course, while most of the fans pretended toin, in reality they were just trying their best to p the faces of the haters even harder.

    But not to mention the regr haters, even the few who had been wellpensated by the ck Tiger to stir up trouble found themselves speechless at the situation. ''We really don''t get paid enough for this, do we?!''

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 Chapter 443 Circus Show

    Chapter 443 Circus Show¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    "Princess, since Grimlock Green has already convinced the people inside to open the entrance to the bunker, should we¡ª"

    Emilia waved her hand with a smile. "Not yet, no. Just watch for now."

    The secretary paused in surprise, but after hesitating for a moment, she still decided to just do as she was told.

    Since this was one of the rare few moments when she could be alone with the princess, why spend this precious time arguing with her over pointless things?

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    Meanwhile, the ''pointless things'' had already made their way out of the most dangerous zone that was supposed to be heavily monitored by the empire''s forces, but wasn''t.

    Well, that wasn''t exactly true. Most of themonly used paths were indeed back under surveince soon after they managed to get out, but that wasn''t the case for the secret exit.

    Although the fact that he himself hadn''t been aware of its existence should have beenforting, General Green still found it slightly strange how smoothly everything was going.

    Was it really possible for the rebel forces to not scour this ce inside out after failing to enter the president''s bunker? After all, even if the secret exit was well hidden behind a painting and disguised with wallpaper, it was far from being impossible to find.

    No, the fact that they hadn''t even tried to get in¡­ was it really because they were foolish and na?ve?

    Although he used to look down on the little girl who called herself an ''empress'' now, recalling the sense of oppression he felt at the end of their call, the general couldn''t help but have some doubts.

    ''No, no. I''m just overthinking everything, surely.'' General Green wiped off the sweat from his forehead. "Fortunately, the enemy''s forces aren''t very well coordinated yet, so we managed to make use of this loophole."

    Of course, although the general only said such a thing to ease the difort in his heart, the president stillughed. "That foolish bunch probably never thought there would still be good and loyal people left in this country."

    The director of the intelligence division frowned as he shifted his eyes from side to side. "That''s good and all, but don''t forget that this tunnel will lead us directly to the center of the capital. How are we going to get out from there?"

    General Green smiled. "The same way we got in, of course."

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    Emilia wasn''t sure if it was because of the need for ''variety'' or because the general had strange hobbies, but she still couldn''t help nod in admiration after seeing the ''disguises'' prepared by General Green.

    Just when her secretary was about to start questioning her own fashion sense, however, she saw the crimson-haired beauty shake her head ruefully. "It''s a pity that he wasted his talent of being a great circus director by joining the military, but I guess it''s not toote."

    The spectacled secretary was momentarily dumbfounded before she realized Emilia was joking. Before she could respond, however, she saw the crimson-haired beauty take out her phone.

    The bell had barely started ringing before the call was connected.

    "Hi, Noelle. I just wanted to let you know that the rats are just about to get out of the tunnel. How do things look on your side? Are Crystal and Dixie done preparing?"

    The voice on the other side was a little muffled, and there was a lot of noise from what seemed to be drums and various other musical instruments, but the secretary still managed to hear a faint affirmative response.

    Surprisingly, though, Emilia didn''t seem to have any trouble understanding the girl through the noise at all as she cheered. "Great! Remember, it''s okay if things deviate from the n here and there. Don''t work too hard trying to keep them all alive, your health is more important!"

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    Although the secret tunnel was quite safe all the way from the bunker to its exit, General Green knew that it also had a fatal w.

    Instead of leading them a zone that was guaranteed to be safe, it only had two exits ¡ª one that led to the central province''s military base, and another that would lead them directly to an inconspicuous building near the central square.

    Normally, neither of these would be a particrly poor choice. After all, had the rebels notpletely taken over the country, the heart of the city was both easy to defend and hard for enemies to sneak around at.

    And even if the situation wasn''t optimistic, the people designing the tunnel never expected that anyone would be able topromise the central military base. After all, if they could do that¡­ the president was as good as dead anyway.

    Since picking the second tunnel would be suicide, both the general and the president agreed that taking the exit to the center of the city was the best choice.

    After all,pared to risking a confrontation with the rebel forces if they tried to sneak out normally, this was still a n with a much higher chance of sess.

    The only real problem was that the ''disguises'' prepared by General Green were really tasteless, but few had the heart toin about it right now.

    After all, not to mention some fake-looking beards, hats, and braids, even the manliest of them wouldn''t mind wearing a skirt if it meant they could get out of the capital alive.

    With General Green assuring them that as long as they could remain hidden for a while, his contact would be able to carry them out of the capital safely, the confidence of the team was at the highest point it had been for a long time.

    "Mr. President, you should stay at the center of the group as much as possible, since you''re the easiest person to recognize."

    The president was still a little dissatisfied with the intelligence director''s words at first, but seeing General Green nod, he could only ept it passively. ''Bah, idiots. Why do I have to worry about small crap like this? There''s no way they''re catching me.''

    Not to mention how his face was almostpletely unrecognizable after putting on the fake beard, he was even wearing a double pigtailed red wig! Not to mention some random passerby, maybe even his mother wouldn''t recognize him.

    And with the empire still struggling to restore many of its basic functionalities after having ''changed hands'', the surveince and order couldn''t possibly be anywhere near what it used to be.

    Of course, he only sprayed some insults in his heart, but didn''t refuse the suggestion openly yet. It was more important to get out of here safely first.

    But although they derided the ''empress'' in their hearts, none of them really dared to rx their vignce as they got closer to the exit of the tunnel.

    When they finally got out of the other side and entered the ''secret room'', however, the whole team couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    If the dull thumping of heavy bass, loud music, and scantily dressed teenagers didn''t make it obvious enough, the shing rainbow lights and heavy stench of beer in the air made it very clear that they had just crashed a party.

    Normally, anyone would be rmed if almost forty middle-aged men suddenly started popping out of the wardrobe. Luckily for them, however, the people present were far too delirious from the alcohol to even recognize their own faces in the mirror.

    Expecting them to realize how many people there were in the hall was simply a pipe dream.

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    Emilia giggled in amusement as she watched the president and the general panicking as they tried to make their way out of the ''party''.

    She couldn''t help but praise her secretary for having the forethought to put extra hidden cameras all over the possible ''escape routes'', or she might have really missed out on some of these ''beautiful'' scenes.

    Of course, it wasn''t long before the general decided that they couldn''t create too much of a mess, or risk hiding in such an overpopted house. Regardless of the risks¡­ they had to make their way out and find a better hiding spot, or just escape directly.

    Unfortunately for them, the noise outside even got worse, and it was only then that they realized that there was actually some kind of parade taking ce outside.

    Feeling the president''s hateful eyes, the General frowned. "I-I had no idea there was some parade in the capital today. What''s the asion?!"

    Looking at the people carrying huge banners with blue lotus flowers, however, they could pretty much guess that it must be something rted to celebrating the new empire or the empress.

    The president gritted his teeth in hate, but the general suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Wait a minute, isn''t this just the perfect opportunity for us?! We just need to blend in with the crowd!"

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 Chapter 444 Conspiracy Theories

    Chapter 444 Conspiracy Theories¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although General Green had only brought along his most trustworthy subordinates, when their numbers werebined with the president and the others, they were still over forty of them in total.

    With such arge group, it would obviously be incredibly difficult to remain unnoticed while moving through the city, which was why General Green had opted to hide and wait for the arranged ''escape vehicle'' first.

    Of course, they could always separate and go out in smaller groups, but that would exponentially decrease their chances of being able to fight back in case they did get caught.

    Never in his wildest dreams did General Green expect such a pie to fall from the sky, however.

    With a lively parade like this in front of them, not to mention forty, maybe even a hundred men would be able to hide in their ranks and escape!

    Naturally, General Green was well aware that it was unlikely for the parade to go all the way out of the city, but as long as it could hide them until they were out of the city center, it would have already served its purpose.

    The president and the others obviously didn''t have any other way out either, and could only follow the general to ''mingle'' with the crowd.

    Of course, disguising and hiding within the crowd also meant that they couldn''t continue carrying too many weapons, either, but that was a small sacrifice for a way out.

    With the disorganized nature of this parade, their group was quickly able to make their way to a more crowded zone, bingpletely indistinguishable from afar.

    Although they didn''t really care about the purpose of the parade at first, hearing the people around them scream their undying love for the girl that they had already begun to hate with all their hearts, their faces quickly turned ugly.

    Of course, no matter how they didn''t like Emilia, none of them would be stupid enough to¡ª

    "Shit! What''s so great about that stupid bitch, I fucking¡ª?!"

    ''This motherfucker!'' The general quickly rushed to cover the president''s mouth, hoping against hope that no one else heard them, but unfortunately¡­ it was toote.

    "You did NOT just call our beloved princess what I think you did, right?"

    "Wait, what did he just say?!"

    General Green''s face turned pale, but just as he was debating whether they should attempt diffusing the situation or just run away hoping things wouldn''t escte, someone suddenly pointed at the president in disbelief.

    "I-Isn''t that the bastard president who ruined our country?!"

    "It''s him?!"

    Although he was wearing a thick red beard that didn''t match his previous face at all, the General failed to take into ount that some people still remembered how the president looked like when he kept a beard many years ago when he was a smaller minister.

    Or at least that was the most reasonable exnation that his panicked brain coulde up with, never realizing that there could be a bigger conspiracy at y.

    The general quickly made up his mind to run away from these people to a different part of the crowd, hoping that the numbers alone would be enough to leave them confused and lost.

    The civilians who had been loudly questioning and pointing their fingers obviously were no match for the trained military men, and could only be dumbfounded when they realized they had been so easily shoved aside and left in the dust.

    "Quick, someone notify the princess! That old bastard president is here!"

    "We can''t let him get away! Who knows what kind of trouble he''s trying to stir?!"

    "Catch him!"

    The general''s hopes of losing the pursuers in the crowd were quickly dashed when the surroundingmotion only grewrger. And it didn''t take long at all for people to start blocking them from all sides with poles and sticks.

    Of course, some of them were still carrying guns, but shooting anyone in public would just increase their chances of getting caught, and the General knew it.

    Unfortunately, the crowd didn''t allow him the chance to think of a way out, and directly started jumping on the president, leaving the rest of them with no other choice than to resist.

    "We''ll move away in formation two, towards the north¡ª!"

    The general''s words got stuck in his throat as he was suddenly hit by an intense wave of drowsiness, only then realizing that something was very, very wrong.

    When one of his subordinates copsed right in front of him with a tranquilizer dark stuck on the back of his neck, something finally clicked in General Green''s mind. ''No way¡­''

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    The news of the old president and his cronies sneaking into the parade of people who gathered to congratte the empress on her ''victory'' soon spread throughout the empire.

    "Shit, sneaking in with just a few dozen armed men, what was he trying to do, shoot the empress from within the crowd?!"

    "Ahh! Just thinking about it makes me mad!"

    Even though the chances of his nefarious n seeding were minimal, wouldn''t their empress have a bad impression of her people if their ''first formal greeting'' had someone from the crowd shooting at her?

    As for the worst-case scenario¡­ most didn''t even dare to think about it.

    Of course, there was nock of ''detectives'' in the world, and some soon ''revealed'' what could really have happened.

    "If you think about it carefully, the old president couldn''t have been unaware of just how well-protected the new empress is, and the chances of getting a clear shot at her and seeding¡­ well, he would have to be pretty stupid to go that route, right? If you ask me, what he wanted to do waspletely different."

    "He IS pretty stupid, though, isn''t he?"

    The ''detective'' was naturally not pleased with that response. "Hey, isn''t your focus wrong? You should ask me what he really wanted to do, okay?!"

    And then, regardless of other people''s opinions, he coughed awkwardly and continued. "Anyway, although there hasn''t been any official response from the side of the empress so far, based on the video evidence, I have already uncovered the conspiracy in full!"

    "What conspiracy?!"

    ''That''s more like it!'' The ''detective'' puffed out his chest with pride. "Obviously, many of you noticed that the men who were caught by the soldiers of the empress before were also carrying handguns and knives, right?"

    Before someone stupid could mention things like ''self-defense'', he quickly continued. "Hiding themselves while sneaking in the center of a huge crowd like that¡­ wouldn''t it be incredibly easy for them to start a huge riot with a few well-ced words and shots?"

    The ''detective'' then went on to emphasize how easy it was to sway and rile people up when they were already worked up in that kind of atmosphere, and many who had been skeptical before couldn''t help but be convinced.

    "Of course, the most important point is not this. What''s really amazing is that he risked everything with this move by going in himself, do you know why?!"

    After waiting just the right amount of time for everyone''s curiosity to reach its peak, the ''detective'' finally grinned. "Because if he managed to cause a big enough riot that could lead to civil unrest in the empire''s capital and then sessfully convinced people that it was all the fault of the new empress¡­ guess who might still stand a chance at turning over her throne for himself?!"

    This type of spection naturally caused a lot of uproar, especially among the people of Blue Dawn, who were incensed that anyone would think of them as so fickle as to betray their empress for the old president who made them suffer so much.

    Internationally, however, this ''conspiracy'' was soon epted as one with a very high likelihood of being urate.

    Of course, when it came to the leaders of other nations, they were more concerned about Emilia''s response to the situation than the old president''s intentions.

    This was especially so for her neighboring countries, who still had no idea what kind of changes were in store for them now that she had taken the throne.

    Her attitude in dealing with this situation would not only show them her general stance, but also how flexible or rigid she was when it came to epting things that weren''t very pleasing to her eye.

    Many had already been dreading dealing with a ''child'' who might start throwing tantrums if she didn''t get her way in the future, and this incident was sure to give them a hint of what was in store for them in the future.

    After all, when it came to diplomatic rtions between two countries, which one of them didn''t have to ept somepromises?

    Fortunately, they didn''t have to wait long before the empire''s official announcement.

    "Empress Emilia will be addressing her people in the central za tomorrow morning at nine. Everyone who is able to is wee to attend, though there is no need to crowd the ce too much. Her words will be broadcast live on both the empire''s news channel and our official website!"

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 Chapter 445 Punishment or Reward?

    Chapter 445 Punishment or Reward?¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    While the rest of the world was busy debating over her intentions and ns, Emilia found herself being scolded by Noelle for what felt like the tenth time that day.

    "Irresponsible, careless, and stupid to the extreme¡ª!"

    The crimson-haired beauty looked away in embarrassment as the older girl continued huffing and puffing for almost a full minute before finally taking a deep breath to calm down.

    "Listen¡­ I know you''re probably used to taking some ''risks'' now after going through the whole rebellion thing, but can you please refrain from putting your life at risk when there''s no need to do so?"

    Crystal and Dixie looked at each other helplessly, but in the end, neither of them spoke up for Emilia.

    After all, while they were very much in favor of Emilia''s pursuit of her goals and ambitions most of the time, they also didn''t like seeing her be in harm''s way, especially when it could be avoided.

    Crystal had already used her ability to its fullest to direct the right kind of crowd to the right ces at the right time during the parade, and Dixie had been right by her side to protect her.

    When the president and his group exited their safe passage, their actions and decisions only served the purpose of tipping over the first block of an borate domino setup, and the result was already a foregone conclusion.

    Moreover, under Noelle''s overall management, it was unlikely for a minor mishap to pose much of a problem even if something were to go wrong.

    Just when they thought everything had gone perfectly and were subduing the ''criminals'', however, Noelle received news of Emilia''s arrival near the scene of the incident, almost giving her a heart attack.

    They were definitely prepared to handle whatever the general could throw at them today, but the same couldn''t be said for everyone in the parade!

    After all, Noelle didn''t have many good impressions of tens of thousands of fanatic fans when faced with the ''idols'' they were obsessed with.

    Moreover, the fanaticism that many of these people had for Emilia already made many of the most ''extreme'' fans of celebrities look like innocent little babies.

    True, they would do anything to protect her honor and always support her in every way, but the fact still remained that no one could tell just how they would behave if they ever really got the chance to get ''closer'' to their ''goddess''.

    Many of them may im to think of her as their ''precious daughter'' or a ''goddess'', but as a girlfriend, Noelle definitely didn''t believe anyone could resist her favorite little beauty''s charm. In her opinion, they were all lying, perhaps even to themselves.

    Knowing that the gray-haired girl almost peed herself in fright as she seized thest of the firearms of the general''s cronies and rushed to chase the crimson-haired girl away before anyone could notice her through the white cloak, Crystal naturally didn''t dare aggravate the girl too much. Not to mention, she also wanted her little princess to tread with more caution in the future.

    If Emilia really got hurt, it wouldn''t matter how much they regret itter. No matter how perfect she seemed, how could someone truly be invincible?

    After listening to Noelle''s grievances, Emilia just nodded her head with a helpless smile. "I couldn''t help but be worried, you know? But since I scared you¡­ won''t you allow me to make up for it?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "It''s just like you to be so perverted while in the middle of a serious conversation!"

    Emilia tilted her head curiously, as if wondering when she did anything ''perverted''.

    Of course, it only made the gray-haired girl burst into a furious blush from both anger and shame. "Don''t make me look like the weird one here!"

    The crimson-haired girl swiftly dodged Noelle''s ''ws'' before her tickle attack couldnd on her waist, and slipped away like a nimble little deer whileughing merrily.

    If she could, Noelle would already be breathing fire. "Who was the one who just asked for a chance to ''make up''?! Don''t you run away now!"

    Emilia giggled in delight while dodging the older girl once again. "Victory is only sweet when you''ve earned it, you know~?"

    Although the reason she had moved closer to them before was so she could quickly save them in case anything went wrong, there was no way she would argue over things like that right now. Since everything went well, Emilia didn''t mind taking a little punishment if it gave her girlfriends some peace of mind.

    The furious predator naturally managed to catch the nimble prey within minutes, mostly thanks to the confined space in the room, and threw her on the bed to start the ''punishment''. "If I don''t teach you a lesson, will you really never learn?!"

    Dixie had naturally wanted to jump in and ''protect her princess'', but a few words from Crystal sessfully halted the dark-haired girl in her tracks.

    Looking carefully¡­ Emilia really did seem to be ''enjoying it'', and interfering would be more ''ruining her fun'' than protecting her, wouldn''t it?

    Unfortunately, while she was relishing in her ''long awaited revenge'', Noellepletely forgot that while she was exceptionally good at fighting, Emilia never seemed to have any trouble ''subduing'' her at all.

    Before she even managed to make the crimson-haired beauty cry, Noelle sadly found herself flipped over on the bed, looking up at the ceiling while questioning her life.

    The smile on Emilia''s face was full of teasing and mischief. "If you tease me like that, you can''t me me for fighting back, right?"

    As the indignant yet unconsciously delighted squeals inevitably echoed through the room, Crystal couldn''t help but feel a little grateful that the ''secretary'' had already left earlier to handle the arrangements for the next morning, and there were only the four of them here.

    Otherwise, one can only imagine how her mentality would copse if the poor woman saw this scene.

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    Since Emilia didn''t really want to ''punish'' Noelle for real, her ''tickling'' was more like an erotic massage, with her soft and nimble fingers gliding up and down the older girl''s sides while exerting just the right amount of pressure and strength, often slipping through multipleyers of clothing.

    Of course, to Noelle, being teased like this when she had intended to teach the younger girl a lesson on ''responsibility'' and ''caution'' was even more infuriating and uneptable.

    Naturally, when Emilia leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, Noelle didn''t miss the opportunity to catch the gorgeous girl''s soft and supple lips between her teeth.

    But although the little beauty groaned as expected, it wasn''t a sound full of regret at all, but one of desire and indulgence.

    Although both furious and helpless, Noelle really couldn''t bring herself to bite the little minx harder, and could only let go of her delectable and sulent lips reluctantly as she gasped. "... Can you not even promise me not to put yourself in danger in the future?"

    Emilia smiled as she pressed another kiss to the older girl''s lips. "Since I''m letting you go to a ce where there could be danger, am I not even allowed to watch so I cane to help you if needed?"

    Of course, the gray-haired girl was too lost staring at the bite marks on Emilia''s otherwise wless lips to pay any heed to her words, and the younger girl couldn''t help but shake her head helplessly. ''With this behavior... she still has the guts to call me a pervert?''

    But since Noelle was already in the mood, the crimson-haired beauty naturally wouldn''tin too much, and happily indulged the girl''s passionate kiss.

    Just as she was considering inviting Dixie and Crystal, though, she heard the door click shut, and groaned in her heart. ''How can they be so active yet so prudish at the same time?''

    Of course, under Noelle''s passion, herints were quickly dissolved into delighted sighs, and soonpletely forgotten.

    From how impatient the gray-haired girl''s kisses were, Emilia could feel clearly just how pent up Noelle must be after all these days.

    It was no surprise, really, since it had already been months since they hadst been intimate. Though it was mostly Noelle''s fault.

    Emilia didn''t usually interfere too much in their lives most of the time, as she believed that freedom was an essential part of happiness. Naturally, when everyone told her they wanted their own rooms in the Blue Lotus vi, she didn''t think there was anything wrong.

    After all, it wasn''t much different from the setup they had back at their home before. Or so she thought.

    Emilia never expected that Noelle would use this opportunity to ''wall herself in'' behind a mountain of work and responsibilities. Fortunately, the weight of her rapidly mounting desires seemed to have already made this ''mountain'' crumble, and the crimson-haired girl was never one to miss such a wonderful opportunity.

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 Chapter 446 Being the Lover of a Vengeful Villainess

    Chapter 446 Being the Lover of a Vengeful Viiness¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Usually, Noelle was a very diligent and strict girl, and someone used to brutally suppressing any ''unwanted'' desires... especially ones that would conflict with her usual thought process and end up reducing her work efficiency.

    Having done this all her life, it was more like a second instinct than anything at this point, and Noelle didn''t even need to think about it anymore.

    At least, that had been the case before getting involved with a certain crimson-haired beauty.

    Having been tempted over and over by her gorgeous little boss, Noelle knew the moment she touched the girl that Emilia was, without a doubt, her most lethal poison.

    Of course, this realization came toote, as they had already been entangled then, and there was no way for Noelle to muster enough willpower to resist viting the girl at that point.

    If someone were to ask her if she regretted it¡­ Noelle naturally wouldn''t answer such a ridiculous question.

    In her heart, however, there was no way for her to deny the truth.

    Even if she could do it all over again, Noelle knew that she would still make the same choice.

    The realization made her feel both ted and insecure. After all,pared to everyone else she knew, Noelle was well aware that she probably ''loved'' Emilia the least.

    Although she got lucky somehow¡­ could she really allow herself to continue indulging like that?

    At least, that was what she thought before she decided to refrain from taking advantage of or indulging Emilia as much as possible, and focus more on helping the girl further her real goals.

    Even if it hurt her feelings a little, Noelle was sure that this was the best choice for the long term.

    After all, Emilia''s nature had already mellowed out a lotpared to when they first met, and there were still many others who loved her a lot more to take care of the girl''s feelings.

    Unfortunately, Emilia ended up ruining her ns¡­ again.

    Just thinking about it made Noelle so angry that she couldn''t wait to screw the gorgeous girl senseless into the bed.

    Of course, there was no way the gray-haired girl would allow herself to be as much of a ''beast'' as she had been when she first took the girl to her bed.

    Even if she couldn''t resist taking a bite of Emilia''s soft, sulent lips, Noelle made sure that the force was never enough to make the girl feel too much pain, let alone bleed.

    The gorgeous crimson-haired beauty''s taste was still the same as she remembered, an exotic vor that was almost impossible to notice, yet equally impossible to mistake for anything else.

    Just like liquid ambrosia, Noelle felt like a starving addict who was finally bestowed with the holy grail.

    Her eyes grew hotter and hotter as she relished in the younger girl''s gasping breath, pulling her tighter into herp while closing her eyes in contentment.

    Anyway, now that they were at this step, she might as well go all the way, right? There was no point in stopping now.

    Unconsciously, both her attitude and kiss got more indulgent and careless after the gray-haired girl had this realization, and the only thing she still kept in mind was to make sure Emilia''s experience this time was much better than the previous one.

    But even as she tried her best to control herself, Noelle''s kisses still ended up getting more and more ''needy'', containing a hint of anger that was impossible for Emilia to ignore, and she couldn''t help but feel a little lost as she tried to figure it out.

    Noelle noticed her ssy-eyed look whenever the girl''s eyes momentarily fluttered open as well, but only took it as a natural reaction as she continued sucking on the little beauty''s soft lips.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh in contentment as she felt the older girl''s nimble tongue sneak in and try to wrestle with her own, but half her mind was still on figuring out Noelle''s mood.

    After all, whatever was bothering the older girl must clearly have something to do with her. With her experience, there was no way she would fail to distinguish between anger and passion in a kiss.

    Fortunately, Noelle seemed to still be ''holding back'' quite a bit, or it wouldn''t be quite as easy for Emilia to think clearly.

    Going through all their interactions over the past few months, Emilia quickly noticed a pattern while trying her best not to let the older girl bully her tongue too much.

    ''Ohhh, did she learn that twisting trick from some book?! No wait, that''s not important!'' Emilia blushed as she gently pushed the older girl back a little, only to receive an even more fierce ''counter attack''.

    With her lower lip trapped and being chewed up between Noelle''s teeth as the older girl red at her angrily, Emilia couldn''t help but groan, feeling a little exasperated in her heart. ''Umm, okay, there''s no way I can continue deluding myself. Noelle wasn''t just ''not in the mood'' all those times, she was clearly lying while holding back!''

    Emilia sighed as she wrapped her arms around the older girl''s neck and pulled her closer, and Noelle happily forgot all her previousmitments and unsworn oaths as she shoved her tongue as deep into the younger girl''s throat as she could.

    But even as she gasped and moaned under the older girl, Emilia was still a little unhappy in her heart.

    How could Noelle keep something like that from her for so long?

    Did the gray-haired girl not believe in her ability to satisfy her lovers?

    It really made Emilia angry!

    When it came to dealing with those she loved, Emilia was a girl who could forgive almost everything except the deepest of betrayals.

    Of course, forgiving and forgetting were two very, very different things.

    After being groomed by Cynthia, Emilia had long since learned to hold her grudges and exact vengeance. Even if this ''instinct'' was greatly diluted by her naturally indulgent nature towards her lovers, it wasn''tpletely gone.

    Fortunately, Emilia quickly realized that meting out a symbolic ''punishment'' not only helped dissolve whatever guilt her lovers may have when they ''wronged'' her in any way, but was also great at preventing any knots from forming in her heart, tiny as they may be.

    This was why, while she would dly forgive Noelle for refusing her advances for so long, it definitely wouldn''t be without meting out some punishment!

    ''What do you think, Cynthia? Should I let her taste some frustration herself, or just ''punish'' her physically?''

    Unfortunately, her only response was the usual ''click'' as the raven-haired girl quickly rushed off into istion.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle in amusement. ''Is she embarrassed from being caught watching? How cute.''

    There was no way she could dive into her partner''s room while still being worked up under Noelle''s unrelenting assault, and could only put it off forter.

    Of course, while their furious entanglement continued unabated, but every time Noelle tried to get rid of Emilia''s clothes, the crimson-haired beauty always ended up stopping her while giggling like a little minx!

    Emilia may be getting worked up under her lover''s passionate kisses, but she was confident that the older girl would ''give in'' before her.

    After all, she wasn''t the one who had been frustrating herself for long due to ''voluntarily abstaining'', was she?

    Someone really needed to get their just desserts!

    As expected, soon Noelle really couldn''t take it anymore, and separated from the younger girl with a furious gasp. "E-Emilia¡­ what are you doing?! L-Let me¡ª!"

    Emilia smirked as she leaned up and interrupted her by pecking the girl''s lips. "Strip me? Well, why don''t you show me how to do it first?"

    Noelle''s eyes almost bugged out as she stared at the girl in disbelief. "W-What do you mean?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "What do you think? I obviously just asked you to strip for me, baby."

    The older girl''s heart skipped a beat before she quickly shook her head in denial.

    "Won''t you?"

    Perhaps the disappointment in Emilia''s usually sweet voice was too clear, and Noelle couldn''t help but immediately jump off the bed. "I-I will, of course I will!"

    Emilia smiled as she got up on her hands and knees, as if intending to ''carefully'' watch the show. "Great!"

    It was only then that Noelle realized what she had just done, and she couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. ''Wait a minute... did I just promise her to do a striptease? M-ME?!''

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 Chapter 447 [NSFW] Eruption of Temptation

    Chapter 447 [NSFW] Eruption of Temptation¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Prideful and arrogant as she was, Noelle couldn''t bring herself to really break a promise she''d already made to Emilia.

    Of course, given that she had neither the knowledge nor the experience when it came to such ridiculous activities as ''stripping'', Noelle knew that she was bound to make a fool out of herself.

    While starting to unbutton the top buttons of her white shirt, she couldn''t help but wonder if this was what love did to people. Even knowing what the rational choice should be, they still couldn''t help but head the other way.

    "Don''t be shy, baby, you''re so pretty~"

    Noelle only blushed in shame, and refused to respond to the younger girl''s provocation.

    Of course, Emilia''s words came from her heart. Even though the gray-haired girl wasn''t wearing anything special, her usual no-nonsense business suit had its own charm on the girl''s mature body.

    Plus, the contrast between her current embarrassed appearance and her usual personality also felt incredibly novel and exciting to Emilia. This was a side of Noelle that only she could see and appreciate to its fullest.

    As more and more of her fair, unblemished skin was exposed through the open buttons, Noelle''s face got redder and redder from shame.

    Naturally, her movements were far from graceful, and definitely not what most would consider sexy. If anything, she looked like a girl who had been forced to undress in public by security officials for ''inspection'', giving off an ''I''ve been humiliated'' aura.

    Of course, Emilia found her embarrassed expression very, very cute.

    When the older girl finally threw off her white shirt and started sliding down her pencil skirt, Noelle''s face was so red that it could almost pass for a tomato, and Emilia couldn''t help but sigh happily at how absolutely adorable she looked.

    Even with her clumsy moments, however, the gray-haired girl still managed to change Emilia''s adoration to lust when she started taking off her undergarments.

    She may have learned some self-control, but the crimson-haired beauty still had no means to resist this level of temptation from a girl she liked so much.

    Oblivious to Emilia''s now-hungry eyes, Noelle carefully started sliding down her ck panties with her eyes still closed. Unfortunately for her, she failed to notice that the excitement she had previously tried her best to mask now became extremely obvious, and even made the younger girl''s breath hitch.

    If the heat from Emilia''s burning gaze had been any more real, it might just have directly evaporated the wet patch of ''excitement'' on Noelle''s panties. Of course, when the ''thread'' of sticky fluid finally ''snapped'' as the older girl continued sliding the sinful garment down, so did Emilia''s self-control.

    But since she had already tightly shut her eyes to avoid looking at her girlfriend''s no doubt perverted expression, all Noelle felt was a brief electric shock of soft, silky arms picking her up from around her waist and throwing her on the bed.

    "W-What are you doing?!"

    Emilia stuck out her tongue cheekily. "Sorry, sorry! You were just so cute that I couldn''t resist, you know?"

    Just as Noelle opened her mouth to scold her, however, the younger girl had already pulled her blue frilled crop top over her head and thrown it aside, revealing a shockingly sexy scenery to thepletely unprepared gray-haired girl underneath.

    The little bunnies with cute pink nubs still looked as temptingly delicious as they did the first time she saw them, but somehow, the way she felt about them seemed to havepletely changed.

    Instead of giving off the young and innocent vibe that made her feel sinful for being tempted, strangely enough, now it was a temptation that made her feel like it would be a sin to not be tempted.

    Before she knew it, her palms had already reached out to grasp the gorgeous girl''s breasts, and even squeezed them firmly!

    Noelle couldn''t help but gulp. ''S-Still the same tantalizing sensation, and still the same beautiful body¡­ but why does Emilia seem to be getting more and more gorgeous every day I see her?''

    Obviously, nothing seemed to have changed on the outside, but there was no way to deny that feeling.

    Emilia smirked mischievously. "Someone is finally being a little honest, huh?"

    Noelle''s string of ridiculous thoughts was broken abruptly, and she couldn''t help but blush. "N-No, I¡­ uh¡­."

    Naturally, the fact that Emilia decided to go braless shouldn''t surprise her as much as it did, but the gray-haired girl had no time to even formte a response or justify her ''innocence'' before the younger girl resumed their kiss.

    Lost in the feeling of those soft, juicy lips of her gorgeous girlfriend, as well as the tantalizingly soft little bunnies that she couldn''t help but squeeze in her palms, it took Noelle almost five minutes before her brain rebooted enough to protest while gently ''pushing'' her lover away. "Ahh, ummm¡­ w-wait!"

    Emilia groaned as she felt the older girl squeeze her breasts almost painfully tight, and she couldn''t help but lean back to give her a questioning, confused look.

    Facing her ''me'', Noelle stammered nervously. "I-I, uh, I-I haven''t finished stripping, yet?"

    The moment the words left her lips, the gray-haired girl felt so ashamed that she wanted to just bury her face under sand and never surface again.

    Of course, when she had the thought of hiding her face, the older girl also finally realized that she was still squeezing Emilia''s breasts like a desperate pervert, leaving herpletely speechless.

    Fortunately, Emilia couldn''t hear the thousands of confused mud horses running in the older girl''s head, and only smiled gently. "That''s easy. I''ll help you, don''t worry~!"

    Noelle''s mind turned nk when she saw Emilia''s mischievous smirk as the younger girl slid down with her legs spread on either side of her body, and she knew the girl was about to do something shameful.

    Obviously, there wasn''t really much left for Emilia to ''help'' with, since Noelle had already thrown off all but her panties, but the older girl only realized this ''dangerous'' fact toote.

    If the fluttering kisses down the valley of her breasts, her belly, and her navel were enough to leave Noelle breathless, then watching Emilia gently sp her panties and pull them down directly caused her mind to explode into a haze of lust.

    The feeling of wanting topletely fill this beautiful temptress with the same musky translucent fluid that had ''inadvertently'' stained her lips while pulling her panties down made Noelle''s rationalepletely copse.

    Naturally, Emilia was all too happy to indulge in her girlfriend''s passion, and even helped her rip off the meddling skirt before the girl rudely shoved two fingers into her without pause.

    Hearing her groan of both pain and pleasure, Noelle couldn''t help but push her down onto the bed and mount her from behind. "Y-You¡­ always tempting me like this, I''ll definitely make you pay today!"

    Emilia only giggled happily. "I''ll dly wee my lovely Noelle''s ''extortion'', then."

    Obviously, while her words may have been rough, Noelle''s movements had already turned somewhat careful and gentle after seeing the blood flowing down her girlfriend''s thighs.

    Emilia''s self-healing ability was no ''surprise'' to any of them at this point, but who could bear to really ''hurt'' her? Not to mention, Noelle considered herself far more responsible and mature than anyone else, and definitely couldn''t bear to ''lose control'' if she could help it.

    Of course, Emilia knew the older girl very well, and also knew just how to push all her buttons to get the most excitement out of their time together.

    Noelle might pretend to be gentle and mature, but deep down inside¡­ she was a horny beast.

    "Ahhn! Noelle¡­ baby¡­ t-that feels so good¡­"

    "Mhm¡­"

    "Ohhh~!"

    With her girlfriend''s tantalizing moans sending electric shocks up her spine, and the gorgeous body shivering beneath her fingers, it didn''t take long for Noelle''s teetering restraints topletely copse once again.

    Flipping the beautiful younger girl over, she couldn''t help but climb deeper between her legs with her eyes slightly red from excitement. "You little minx, I''m going to fuck you so good today... you''ll definitely regret tempting me!"

    Emilia''s only response was a goading look, which made Noelle feel the fire in her core burn hotter.

    "Fuck!"

    Grasping the beautiful younger girl''s left leg firmly, Noelle put the girl''s slender ankle over her shoulder and angrily kneaded the milky thigh between her palms before pressing forward.

    The area between Emilia''s legs was already quite wet from the mix of both her virgin blood and the juices from Noelle''s ''hard work'', so the moment their cores touched together, there was a faint, unmistakably sticky wet smacking sound.

    Noelle''s mind momentarily went nk from the sensation before she gasped, almost in sync with the beautiful girl beneath her. "F-Fuck...!"

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 Chapter 448 [NSFW] Grind

    Chapter 448 [NSFW] Grind¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    With her lover''s hot and wet core pressed right up against her own, the tingling sensation that erupted from between Noelle''s legs seemed to turn into pure lightning as it went up her spine, almost overwhelming her mind with jolts of pleasure as her body spasmed involuntarily.

    Noelle had no idea, but the reason she experienced such an intense sensation wasn''t just because she was oversensitive from abstaining for too long¡­ though that certainly yed its role.

    What really enhanced everything to the extreme, however, was the fact that Noelle''s core could also ''absorb'' some of Emilia''s fluids ''directly'' now.

    And what made it even ''worse'' was the fact that she''d made the girl bleed just moments prior, and some of it had yet to dissipate back into Emilia''s body.

    With the crimson-haired girl''s current level of control over energy, it was naturally impossible for this ''loss'' to escape her notice, even in her current extremely aroused state. But since it was well within her eptable range, Emilia just bit her lip while enjoying Noelle''s reaction.

    She realized that she loved getting a rise from her lovers, and especially enjoyed it when theypletely ''lost control''. Whether it was in a submissive or dominant position didn''t really matter.

    There was something about feeling their overwhelming and desperate passion and love for her directly with her body that made Emilia very, very happy.

    As long as she could see the love in the eyes of her lover, Emilia felt like maybe even agony would taste sweet.

    She didn''t even mind that Noelle was clutching her thigh so hard that there were already deep purple bruises forming on the wless milky skin.

    In fact, Emilia even felt that the mixture of pain only made the throbbing pleasure from her core more intense each time the older girl spasmed against her while riding her unexpected orgasm.

    But fortunately or not, Noelle managed to regain her senses soon enough, and the first thought that came to her mind was¡­ if just rubbing up against Emilia''s core felt so good, how amazing would it feel to really grind into her?

    Eyes ssy with pleasure, Noelle couldn''t help but press herself harder into the younger girl, relishing in her delighted whimper as she allowed the little beauty''s delicate core to support more and more of her weight.

    Although she was already prepared, Emilia still couldn''t help but gasp and whimper when she felt Noelle start roughly rubbing their wet cores together, still exerting the same force as before.

    In the back of her mind, Emilia had to admit that Noelle was making ''full use'' of her excessive strength. If not for her extreme resilience, the crimson-haired girl even felt that her pelvis might start creaking.

    But aside from making a note to not be anywhere near as forceful with the others, Emilia didn''t show any resistance or displeasure on her face.

    After all, theirpatibility in terms of both strength and physique was good enough that she could enjoy such ''extreme'' y, and Emilia felt it would be a pity to ''miss out''.

    Noelle obviously was too lost in the haze of pleasure to observe her too closely, and only let Emilia''s pleasured gasps guide her rhythm as she started grinding against the little beauty more and more eagerly.

    Although the gorgeous girl''s form beneath her was already blurred in her eyes, Noelle still couldn''t help but feel her heart throb in both satisfaction and excitement as she felt them ''merging'' tighter with each gyration of her hips.

    "N-Noelle¡­ ahh, Noelle!"

    Listening to Emilia''s melodious and honeyed voice calling out her name in pleasure, Noelle couldn''t help but nibble on the soft, delicate calf on her neck. "Y-You¡­ want me to slow down?"

    Emilia bit her lip, looking adorably confused before she shook her head in denial.

    The older girl wasn''t really sure what she meant, so she grunted in dissatisfaction. "Harder, then?"

    Before the crimson-haired beauty could reply, however, Noelle had already made the decision for her, leaving Emilia breathless from the rapidly intensifying sensations shooting up her spine.

    "S-So hot¡­ so hot!"

    Her voice only seemed to fuel Noelle further into madness, however, and she soon couldn''t help but set aside the little beauty''s abused left leg to lean down and take herpletely into a tight embrace.

    The passionate, hungry kiss that fell on her mouth made Emilia groan involuntarily, though she was slightly frustrated that the ''friction'' in this position had reduced.

    Of course, this disappointment was short-lived, because Noelle broke their loving kiss to start nibbling on her girlfriend''s soft lips while thrusting sharply into her from above.

    Emilia was suddenly grateful that Noelle hadn''te prepared with a dildo or something, or something might really have been torn with how strong she was being.

    Luckily, while her passionate thrusts felt a little rough, they were ''just right'' for Emilia''s close-to-climax self.

    Noelle didn''t stop or even care when she went through her own orgasm, squirting juices all over Emilia''s thighs, abdomen, and core, as she licked Emilia''s lips onest time before diving into her nape to bite at her slender neck.

    The gasps and whimpers that brushed against her ears made her feel even better than the aftershocks of her own pleasure shooting up her spine, and Noelle couldn''t help but start grinding and gyrating harder at the end of each thrust into Emilia''s core.

    With onest whimper, the girl seemed to gopletely boneless in her arms, and Noelle marveled silently at her gorgeous girlfriend''s subtle shudders while holding her tightly, closing her eyes when she felt another orgasm of her own ripple through her body.

    Emilia shivered in satisfaction as she came down from her orgasm, and rubbed the older girl''s back gently while enjoying her gentle breath against her ears.

    Knowing that her lover had been fully satisfied and directly entered sleep made the crimson-haired girl both happy and disappointed.

    After all, she was nning to go another round with the older girl, this time with some ''payback'' included into the mix.

    But feeling the gentle breath from the soft body pressing down on top of her, Emilia shook off her thoughts with a wry smile. "Next time, then."

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    When the morning sun rose up the next day, the whole empire''s eyes seemed to have been gathered at the central za, be it in person or through the cameras.

    After all, they were all wondering what their empress had to say, and most importantly, they wanted to know what she would do with the old president.

    For most of the citizens of Blue Dawn, Emilia''s status as their ''savior'' wasn''t something up to debate. But even if that had been so, no one would argue that the old president was the one who plunged them into hopelessness and despair.

    Even back when their country used to be much more impoverished, they had still been able to live rtively happy and normal lives on their own, after all.

    It was only because of the repeated and irresponsible waves of ''reform'' forced by this man that they kept sinking deeper and deeper into a quagmire of dependence on the ck Tiger Corporation, and never even realized the severity of the situation until it was toote.

    The Gray Wolfe''s actions might have made everything worse, but they were only like themon cold that finally triggered the chronic illness earlier.

    It might not be anything to be grateful about, but most people still realized that the root cause of this illness wasn''t the Gray Wolfe, or even the ck Tiger. No, it was their own ipetent and corrupt government.

    Being the one at the very top of the pyramid that crushed their will, the president naturally attracted most of this intense hatred, and he could feel it since the moment he had been taken into custody.

    After all, while the people responsible for keeping an eye on him were all prohibited from taking any action by themselves, they could still try to stare him to death with their burning, hate-filled eyes.

    The old president couldn''t help but shudder against the pir he had been tied to, unnerved by the creepy stare of the guards responsible for watching over him. "W-What are you looking at?!"

    The male only sneered and didn''t bother to respond, but the female guard directly spit at the president''s feet. "I''m looking at the man who caused hundreds of thousands of people to die for his own ego and greed."

    The president opened his mouth to protest, but soon mped it shut.

    Not to mention that any words of defense would be pointless against someone who clearly hated him, he really didn''t have the courage to argue with these people.

    Having been admired and ttered by everyone for so long, the president had never realized how scathing a scornful look could be.

    Not to mention, now that he was in such a powerless and defenseless state, these peoplepletely had him at their mercy.

    At this point, if he said something to trigger them and really pissed them off, wouldn''t these uncultured savages just beat him to death?!

    Plus, no matter how he argued, they would only think that his sole goal for everything to make the string of numbers in his bank ount a little longer.

    ''I-I''ll just bide my time for a little longer, and wait for rescue. I-I''m sure General Green and the others must have already escaped from wherever they are being kept now, and must be on their way to save me!''

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 Chapter 449 For a Brighter Future

    Chapter 449 For a Brighter Future¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although the Blue Dawn Empire''s new administration seemed well prepared to face the flood of citizens rushing to see what their empress would decide to do with their ''public enemy number one'', there was only so much that ''being prepared'' could do.

    The sheer discrepancy between the number of people who could stand together below the elevated tform Emilia was supposed to appear on without being suffocated to death, and those who eagerly wanted to join, was simply too much.

    Fortunately, the higher-ups had already foreseen such a possibility, and quickly ordered theters to go back and watch the broadcast on either the TV or the inte.

    As it was phrased as a ''request from the empress to her people'', most could only walk away, disappointed in themselves for only rushing over six hours before the announced time.

    Luckily, the empire''s administration had already set up manyrge broadcast screens in various public spots, making it so that most people didn''t have to rush back to their homes immediately.

    A few clever ones couldn''t help but spot the glowing white prancing deer logo on the slim frames of the giant screens, feeling a little uneasy in their hearts.

    Below one of thergest screens not far from the central za, a man who had briefly joined the rebellion before couldn''t help but nudge his wife. "Our empress wouldn''t be bullied by her family, right?"

    The woman frowned in disapproval. "What, are you doubting her?! I''m sure that no matter how they try, no one can force our princess to do things she doesn''t want!"

    Her husband couldn''t help but roll his eyes. "It''s the empress, now!"

    While there was no need to fear that Emilia would punish them for this kind of slight misstep, they didn''t want her to think they didn''t acknowledge her or something.

    After all, if their empress misunderstood them and ran away, it would really be toote for them to cry in regret! Where else would they find someone so capable and cute?

    The woman''s furiously defensive posture immediately copsed as she blushed. "Ah, oops, sorry¡­ I still haven''t gotten used to it. Empress, huh¡­ it''s good and all, but... she''s just¡­ too adorable! Ahh, I can''t picture her as an empress at all!"

    Feeling the mixture of both approving and admonishing res from the people around them, the husband could only wave his hands apologetically. "We''re sorry, folks. My wife is just too much of a fangirl, she doesn''t think before she speaks."

    Most people seemed to understand, and some even came forward to socialize with them while waiting for the empress to go live on the screen.

    Fortunately, the screen flickered to show the prepared tform for their empress before the discussions could get too ''heated'', immediately diverting everyone''s attention.

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    In the past, the central za was sometimes used by the government to organize public shows and performances, so not only was there an elevated tform, but also a very well-equipped preparatory area ''backstage''.

    Earlier in the morning, Emilia had already arrived at this backstage area along with her closest friends and subordinates, and started briefing them over the finer details of what she needed done.

    Of course, after everything was set, the crimson-haired beauty still had to dress up before facing the people waiting outside.

    After all, while she might look good in just about anything, this might be a crucial moment in Blue Dawn''s history, and Emilia didn''t want to appear too casual.

    But since she was too busy with other things, she had handed the matter of getting a suitable dress to Noelle.

    Knowing her, even if the gray-haired girl didn''t prepare a thousand suitable options, there would still be more than enough for Emilia to find one that would be perfect for the asion.

    What she never expected, however, was for Noelle to prepare just one dress for her. Moreover¡­

    "Are you seriously asking me to wear this?!"

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    Whether it was the people waiting in the central za or those in front of their screens, most of them could be broadly ssified into three categories.

    The first and the smallest group consisted of those who just wanted to listen to Emilia, and didn''t really care about anything else.

    The second group was of those who wanted to know what she nned to do with the matter of the old president.

    And finally, the third group consisted of those who simply wanted to observe the matter to see what kind of decisions they could expect out of this upstart empress.

    It didn''t take long after the broadcast started for Emilia to arrive on the stage, and the moment she did¡­ all three of these groups couldn''t help but momentarily unite into one, and gasp in admiration.

    No matter what they thought of her as a person ¡ª silly, cute, stupid, evil, kind, or cunning ¡ª there was no doubt that Empress Emilia had a breathtaking beauty that could dazzle the eyes for a lifetime with just one nce.

    Although Emilia felt that the dress that had been prepared by Noelle for this ''special asion'' was a bit over the top at first, after putting it on, she realized that she quite liked it, and the reaction of everyone who saw her only confirmed her thoughts.

    The full-sleeved backless design, along with theted artwork of blue roses over the dark gauze, was undoubtedly gorgeous. Even if she was asked to embroider them herself, the crimson-haired girl wasn''t sure if she could do any better.

    The only problem was just the excessively long flowing train bottom of the dress. Usually, Emilia simply didn''t like anything that lowered her mobility or restricted her movements in any way.

    But after Noelle showed her how the long train could be easily detached, turning it into a battle dress in less than three seconds, Emilia immediately fell in love.

    Of course, for those who already hated her, even if they acknowledged her as one of the most gorgeous girls they had ever seen, it only made them detest her more.

    After all, the prettier she looked on the outside, the more hideous her heart must be on the inside, or so went their thoughts.

    But as the crowd in the za consisted solely of Emilia''s most hard-core fans in the empire, what she saw and heard were only cheers of overwhelming support and admiration.

    "Princess, you look gorgeous!"

    "Breathtaking!"

    "I love you, princess!"

    "Empress Emilia forever!"

    Fortunately, the crimson-haired beauty had excellent hearing, or she may not be able to listen to such wonderful words after they were drowned out by thousands of overexcited ''Kyaa!''s.

    Emilia grinned happily at the excited cheers from the crowd, and tapped the mic twice with her ornamental scepter. "Do you like how I look in this dress? See, you can''t say I don''t look like an empress now, right? Of course, I don''t mind even if you call me a princess forever."

    The oppressive and detached aura from Emilia''s overwhelming beauty was immediately lifted from the crowd with her words, and they cheered with even more excitement.

    "Princess!"

    "Princess!!"

    Had Noelle not had enough self-control, she could have already started shaking her head in exasperation. ''Why does this feel so much like a concert?''

    Not only were there fanatic fans all around, but even the way that the crimson-haired girl interacted with them resembled an idol more than a head of state.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t care about any of that, and only smiled happily while adjusting her exquisite diamond crown. "I won''t deny how good it feels to hear your praises, but if you do it too much, my head might get big, you know?"

    She enjoyed the peals of joyfulughter and the scattered amused remarks before signaling them to calm down.

    "I wish we could just have fun all day, but unfortunately, there is much to be done before we can get to that point. After all, although I do hold a scepter in my hand today, it sadly doesn''t do magic."

    Her gaze turned serious. "Even before the rebellion, the goal I had while arriving in Blue Dawn had always been to change it from a ce where everyone was suffering, to one where people could truly be happy."

    There was a moment of tense silence in the crowd.

    Although their situation seemed stable right now, the smarter ones in the crowd obviously knew this was just an illusion.

    The government coffers and resources had simply been released too generously by their empress after she took the throne, but this kind of setup obviously couldn''t be made permanent.

    After all, even if she had the support of the White Deer Corporation, their empress couldn''t borrow resources from them endlessly.

    The crimson-haired beauty sighed. "Of course, this happiness wille at a cost. We will have to work hard, and also make some sacrifices, but I believe in my people, just as you believe in me."

    The crowd immediately boiled as fervent oaths and heartfelt pledges started ringing in Emilia''s ears, making her clutch the scepter tightly, feeling a little touched in her heart.

    Regardless of anything else, the fact that her ''children'' were so gracious and grateful was enough to make her previously regal expression melt into a gentle smile. "Then, today, I will let you know all the changes I intend to make so that the future of our Blue Dawn Empire can be brighter."

    The people who were only watching the broadcast to see how she would deal with the old president could only be left scratching their heads in confusion. "Wait a minute, is she going to just ignore what happened yesterday? Was the timing really just a coincidence?"

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 Chapter 450 The First Step

    Chapter 450 The First Step¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia was naturally unaware of the waves of criticism aimed at her from all over the world, and continued her speech while facing the crowd in the za, her gaze solemn. "The two most major changes I intend to bring to our empire include the way our economy functions, as well as the process through which our people seek justice when wronged."

    Not to mention the people in the za, even those who were watching her through their screens felt their hearts beat faster in both excitement and fear.

    After all, the next words of their empress would decide not only the future of the empire, but also their life.

    Even if they were sure that she would do things with the best intentions in mind, those who were smart and had seen the world were well aware that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

    Most of them might love Emilia as a person, but given how desperate many of them had already been before the rebellion, if things really got worse¡­ they didn''t know what they would do.

    Of course, with Dixie right in front of her below the tform, and Crystal in the first row of the crowd, there was no way that Emilia would miss their tension.

    After all, even if she could overlook the shaking pupils of the blonde girl, the creaking of bones as Dixie tensed up after getting a signal from the blonde girl was impossible to miss.

    ''How silly¡­ even if they are scared and excited, my people wouldn''t try to hurt me.''

    Cynthia was just about to roll her eyes and remind Emilia of her second life where she had been publicly denounced, but as she touched upon the gloom in the girl''s heart, the words got stuck in her throat.

    ''If they really went against me¡­ they wouldn''t be my people, after all.''

    With her thoughts confirmed, the raven-haired girl suddenly didn''t know if she should praise Emilia or not.

    After all, with how effective her ''strategy'' had been so far, if she really pushed this ''good little princess'' any further towards the path of a ''viiness'', Cynthia couldn''t help but worry about how it mighte back to bite her in the butt.

    Feelingplicated, the raven-haired girl could only pray in her heart. ''Little monkeys of Blue Dawn, please don''t be stupid, and just follow my viiness like good little babies forever!''

    Despite the tense atmosphere, Emilia''s smiled gently. "Everyone knows that I''m the daughter of one of the most sessful business families in the world. That being said, as the empress of Blue Dawn, there is one bitter truth that I must ept."

    The crimson-haired beauty tapped the ceremonial scepter against her soft cheek, and grinned. "While healthypetition and fair chance form the bedrock of a thriving economy, left unchecked, therger corporations can definitely cause an unfathomable amount of damage to the people they used to climb where they are."

    The crowd felt their emotions soothed after staring at her beautiful smile, and many happily nodded in agreement. They had felt with their flesh and blood just what corporations like ck Tiger and Gray Wolfe could do, after all.

    Emilia sighed. "But stifling the growth of corporations and putting sanctions on what they can and cannot do is not the way I want our Blue Dawn Empire to go. After all, not only is it not fair to those who want to trade and prosper, it is also no better than trying to stop a flooding river with a rickety dam. It may work for a while, but by no means is it a permanent solution."

    Many looked at each other in dismay, but before their thoughts could wander, the sweet voice of their empress quickly pulled their attention back.

    "What I n to do, instead, is to use the empire''s own treasury to establishpetent businesses that can not only serve as a check and bnce as needed, but also provide us with extra resources that can then be used to both fuel their growth and improve the lifestyle of the empire''s people."

    Emilia''s gaze remained firm as she continued. "I''m well aware that this would only be wishful thinking if these state-financed corporations failed to turn up profits, but¡­ as both the Empress of Blue Dawn, and Emilia White¡­ I still have this confidence."

    Of course, with the White Deer Corporation''s most talented people and copious amounts of resources at her beck and call¡­ it would be strange indeed if she were to somehow still fail to make the ''Empire of Blue Dawn'' the number one not-for-profit corporation of the country.

    Facing the somewhat confused crowd, the crimson-haired beauty smiled. "To make a point, the Blue Dawn Empire will only have a t five percent ie tax for all citizens, and thirty percent for all foreign entities, and nothing else."

    She didn''t need to mention that this money would be specifically set aside for emergencies only, and also to subsidize major projects to improve the overall quality of life for the empire''s people.

    This information had already been passed on to the ''higher-ups'' of the empire, and the people would be able to see it for themselves in due time.

    Of course, the crowd was more than ecstatic when they heard that there would be only one tax, and that too of just five percent on their ie.

    Compared to the thirty to sixty percent imposed by the previous government ¡ª not even counting the hundreds of other taxes on various goods and services ¡ª this was already a vast, vast improvement!

    Although this won''t solve the problem of poverty for those who were the most desperate, it will definitely help everyone else improve their life greatly!

    How could they not cheer?

    Emilia waved her scepter in a ''I''ll beat you'' gesture while pretending to be angry. "Hey, if you don''t stop cheering, how am I supposed to speak?!"

    Of course, the crimson-haired beauty didn''t really dare to say ''I''lle beat you if you don''t stop!'', because there was a vague feeling in her heart that a few perverts in the crowd might just be into that.

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 Chapter 451 Crushed

    Chapter 451 Crushed¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Once the crowd quieted down except for a few stray giggles, Emilia pretended to clear her throat seriously. "Of course, if anyone thinks this is unfair for the outsiders¡­ no one is stopping you from being a citizen?"

    She giggled along with the amused reactions from the crowd. "You don''t need to marry a citizen, either, just take an oath, go through a simple process to make sure there''s nothing strange with your motives, and done!"

    Naturally, the process was non-reversible, and could not be repeated, but Emilia didn''t mention that. After all, anyone who abandoned their status as their empire''s citizen probably didn''t want it much in the first ce.

    But even without knowing those ''conditions'', the people watching the broadcast from other countries couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    Hello? Can you be so casual about citizenship?

    Which country didn''t have a thousand different requirements for an outsider to be their citizen? No, many didn''t even allow an outsider to stay in theirnd for too long!

    Not only did one need valid reason and credentials toe over in the first ce, but there were also very, very few provisions under which one could truly obtain permanent citizenship of another country.

    The most easily achievable andmon practice for those wishing to be another country''s citizens was to find an existing one to marry.

    Of course, then they also might have to prove that their marriage was not for the express purpose of obtaining citizenship!

    If there was really a country where they just gave away citizenship like carrots and cucumbers, wouldn''t everyone who was unhappy with their own country and had the means to move out simply go there?

    When they thought about how impoverished Blue Dawn had been, however, and its status as a dictatorship under a little girl prone to throwing tantrums about justice¡­ they quickly realized that it wasn''t such a good offer, after all.

    Joke! Aside from those lunatics who raved about her non-stop, most wouldn''t even dare breathe near an immature girl with such an unreasonable amount of agility and strength even if they were offered a million dors!

    There were even some conspiracy theories going around that she might be an experimental subject created by the rich to test the limits of human evolution.

    Which sane person would want to risk their life to be a part of their experimental data?

    Unaware of the thoughts of the outsiders, the crimson-haired beauty only paused for a moment before she smiled again. "Oh, but this option will only be avable whenever we''re sure our empire can amodate and take care of more people, obviously."

    Just as the crowd was about to cheer again while the outsiders prepared to ridicule her for even imagining that there could be ''too many'' people desiring citizenship in such a ''terrible'' ce, the crimson-haired beauty tapped her ceremonial scepter on the mic.

    Her expression grim, Emilia swept her eyes across the entirety of the crowd in front of her, and nodded. "Now that I''m done telling you how I n to earn money to take care of our household, it''s time for you to know how mother ns to discipline you children when you''re being naughty!"

    In the midst of both amusedughter and suspiciously excited squeals, the crimson-haired girl giggled. "Okay, let''s be serious now."

    Once the crowd calmed down, she continued, this time without a smile. "The previous judicial system mostly served as a means to allow the people in power to get away with whatever they wanted, while giving everyone else an illusion of having a recourse whenever something went wrong. Obviously, we cannot have that."

    Her words rang true in every heart of Blue Dawn, and Emilia knew it.

    "Not only does this empress not need to go through so many hoops to do whatever I want, but since seeking justice for you was the reason I came here in the first ce, I have to make sure it''s done right, don''t I?"

    She paused, and then grinned. "Before we start, though, let me take care of a few maggots first."

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    Having faced only death res and scorn for hours, the first thing the old president felt upon being dragged towards Emilia was not dread, but relief.

    After all, not only would he no longer be facing those hate-filled eyes, the gentle and kind gaze of the beautiful girl in front of him greatly boosted his confidence in both his survival and eventualeback.

    Of course, that feeling evaporated like smoke the moment he felt thousands upon thousands of venomous res from people below the stage, almost scaring his shivering soul right out of his body.

    He almost instinctively clung onto Emilia''s thighs, but unfortunately, the soldier escorting the old president had too firm a grip on his shoulder.

    Being too scared to speak in front of the murderous crowd, he could only watch the crimson-haired beauty imploringly.

    As long as whoever was really in charge left his fate in the hands of this stupid girl, maybe there was still some chance he could escape, right?

    Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed the moment Emilia smiled. Because that smile was not ofpassion, but scorn.

    "I don''t think there is any need for me to tell you who this man is, or what he has done. I''m not very interested in proving his crimes, either. I believe everyone is well aware of most of them. Instead, let him serve as an example of how the justice system in our country will work from now on."

    In the short pause between the words of the girl he once considered stupid and inconsequential, the president became intimately aware of the gloating, hate, and utter loathing from the hideous expressions of every peasant in front of him.

    He had no doubt that if given the chance, they would tear him apart limb from limb, feast on his flesh, and turn his bones into powder before sprinkling it all over the ground as fertilizer, just so they could trample on whatever grew out once more.

    His heart frozen in horror, the president even started hoping that Emilia would imprison him for life. After all, that way he could still be safe while waiting for rescue.

    As if aware of his wishful thinking, Emilia smiled¡­ and directly crushed his hope. "As the Empress of Blue Dawn, I hereby sentence the first criminal of our empire¡­ to death by starvation!"

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 Chapter 452 Backlash

    Chapter 452 Bacsh¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    While the people of Blue Dawn cheered to high heaven as the deliriously screeching president was dragged away, Emilia''s ''judgment'' wasn''t so well-received in the rest of the world.

    In her statements after the ''sentencing'' of the old president, she gave a brief overview of how she nned to form the judicial structure of the empire. And while everyone already expected her to be at the ''top'', no one realized just how radically she nned to change things up.

    The various state heads of the Commonwealth of Red Dusk, as well as the president himself, all issued statements expressing their disappointment with how the ''new leader'' of their neighboring country was taking things ''too casually''.

    Most weren''t too ''obvious'', but only hinted at how they were hoping that the new ''empress'' would turn things around in the future, but that clearly wasn''t going to be the case.

    Some were more direct, however, and directly called Emilia out for being hypocritical and conceited. "She calls herself an Empress, and gives herself the right to do anything without repercussions, yet talks about justice? Hah."

    Of course, the president was the harshest of them all. "The moment I heard she nned to take the title of ''Empress'', I knew that nothing good coulde out of this girl''s head. It''s sad that the people of Blue Dawn have to go through one tragedy after another, and my heart goes out to those who will suffer under her tyranny."

    The rest of the world was still more ''diplomatic'', though, and most either refrained from issuing a statement or put it forward in a way that left them with a ''way out''.

    The Prime Minister of the Phoenix country issued her own statement shortly after Emilia''s speech was aired. "Empress Emilia''s new policies contain the bright outlook and vigor of her youth, but we believe they need a lot of work before they are ready to be put into practice."

    Of course, she refused to borate when some people asked her to suggest some ''improvements'' or ''changes'', which made many specte about her true motives for saying such a thing.

    Unfortunately, with mostly neutral, some negative, and no positive ''responses'' from various leaders, the fact that leaders all over the world were ''mocking'' the ridiculous policies of Blue Dawn''s new empress soon became known as a ''fact''.

    Combined with the widespread doubt caused by Emilia''s ''radical'' speech, those who hated her were suddenly so full of energy that they almost started vibrating in their seats.

    If they were given so much fuel, would it not be a dereliction of duty, no, a sacrilege, to not even attempt to start a fire?

    Not only was her punishment for the old president more than ''inhumane'', but the way she reformed the judicial system was so ridiculous that it would be a disgrace to even refer to it as ''judicial'' system anymore!

    "Is this a joke? She did not just say that since overly detailedws can be exploited and misused anyway, it''s better not to have them, right? I must be hearing things, because surely no one can be THAT stupid."

    "Trusting the ability of the judge? Hello, does this idiot not even realize that human beings all have different standards of ''right'' and ''wrong''? Thew needs to be clear and concise!"

    Naturally, they were unaware that Emilia could use Crystal''s ability to more effectively filter out the best judges from her people. But even if they''d been told as much, most would onlyugh at how ridiculous the empire was being with their propaganda, and how they didn''t couldn''t even be bothered to care if it made sense.

    It wasn''t just the haters, however. Even many ''neutrals'' joined the discussion to denounce Emilia''s radical and unrealistic reforms.

    "Exactly, not only is thew being detailed and extensive important to judge the criminals, but also for normal people to know what they should and shouldn''t do. Otherwise, how are we supposed to keep ourselves from unwittinglymitting a crime?"

    Of course, with Emilia''s fanatical fans now all over the ce, their statements were met with fierce bacsh.

    "Aren''t there more than a few countries with very, very detailed and concisews? Don''t tell me you people don''t even know how thewyers are still able to get criminals out scot-free?"

    "Since that system clearly doesn''t work very well, what''s wrong with our princess trying something new?"

    "True. I believe the princess is right in giving more power to the judge so they can decide for themselves what they should do. Plus, it''s not like there is no recourse if the judge makes the wrong decision."

    Of course, while it was possible for the ''criminals'' to keep going to a higher court to continuously contest the decision, Emilia made it clear that their punishment would keep getting more severe each time the previous decision was upheld.

    Moreover, this recourse simply did not exist when the wrong judgment was passed by the highest authority, the empress herself.

    But unfortunately, whenever the opponents tried to raise these points, Emilia''s rabid fans simply used their faster typing speed and higher cohesion to bully them back by numbers.

    "What higher chances of human errors? Idiot, didn''t you hear the princess make it clear that the judges would be removed, and even punished if they were found to be malicious?"

    "Escaping notice? Can their mistakes really go unnoticed if all trials would be avable for live viewing on the empire''s official website? Hah!"

    "To be honest, knowing that the empress herself would be watching the trials from time to time¡­ I really worry that some people would stage ''crimes'' just for that."

    The statement immediately caused a new wave of heated discussion among the ''fans'' over how effective such a strategy would be, leaving everyone else dumbfounded.

    Fortunately, before they could start questioning their life, one of the more ''prestigious'' knights with an officially recognized identity put an end to the discussion decisively. "True knights won''t deceive our princess for selfish reasons! If we only think of taking advantage of her for our own selfish reasons, what right do we have to call ourselves her defenders?!"

    The original poster of the ''ridiculousment'' immediately apologized. "Ahh, sorry, sorry! If I ever get the chance I will definitely beg the princess for forgiveness!"

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 Chapter 453 Simply Unreasonable

    Chapter 453 Simply Unreasonable¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    No one knew that the one who posted such a ''ridiculous''ment and got reprimanded was actually the mander'' of the royal knights. Well, her thirty-fifth ''shadow'' ount, that is.

    Anyway, as the person in charge of most of the forces promoting and defending Emilia online, Penny felt that it was only right for her to do whatever she could to defend her princess.

    If she only put in one person''s effort, would she even be worthy of being amander who could enjoy the privilege of (secretly) molesting the princess?

    Being Penny, she even added ''while clinging to her thighs'' at the end of her ''apologetic'' statement¡­ in her mind, at least.

    Needless to say, the ponytailed blonde naturally didn''t feel embarrassed or frustrated even after being reprimanded, and only regretted that she couldn''t go to the empire of her princess to try her theory right away.

    Making sure that her mother was not in sight, Penny kicked the coffee table in anger while smashing her phone on the sofa. "Ahh¡­! Everything is so lonely without her! Even my sacred treasury isn''t enough now!"

    The sound of a young girl giggling melodiously quickly broke her thoughts of frustration and despair as Penny hurriedly dived to get the phone she had thrown back.

    Fortunately, while it got stuck between the sofa''s seat and back, it didn''t fall too deep in, and Penny managed to quickly retrieve it with her nimble fingers.

    The only number she had set to make the sound of her princess giggling was that of Emilia herself, and for her to send a message now could only mean one thing¡­

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    Life for Amos hadn''t been so bad ever since Emilia left Oriana country, but not everything was so well.

    After all, while he had managed to restore quite a bit of his lost reputation in certain age groups, the youngsters, and especially his schoolmates, seemed to have started hating him even more.

    Of course, the opinion of these irrelevant people didn''t really bother him, but the fact that they dared to stare at him as they did still put him in a bad mood.

    It wouldn''t matter so much if that bastard father of his just allowed him to rest at home as before, but no, for some reason that idiot insisted that he be on his ''best behavior'' from now on.

    Of course, if this was just another attempt to distract and suppress him, the man had another thinging.

    Ever since thest time he fell into a trap, Amos had already vowed to no longer be caught on the back foot ever again, and discretely started eptingmunication with his father''s rivals within the corporation.

    The silver-haired boy chuckled as he stepped out of his luxury car, trying his best not to stumble on his bad foot. ''The fool doesn''t even realize that while he''s trying to push me into a ditch, I''m already having his grave prepared.''

    Knowing it wouldn''t be too long before he overcame the oppression of his bastard father put him in such a good mood that he didn''t even look around to check if someone dared to re at him as he strode towards the ss, let alone scold them back.

    Plus, just imagining the look on the face of that little bitch Emilia when she finally met him as the leader of the ck Tiger Corporation, while she had spent all her life fucking around as a shithole country''s ''empress'', the joy he felt was enough for Amos to smile for days.

    It was only a few minutester that the hero finally realized that something wasn''t quite right. "Isn''t the academy¡­ kind of empty today?"

    Frowning suspiciously, Amos quickly found the nearest student, a skinny boy in spectacles, and grabbed him by the shoulder to demand an exnation.

    Much to his surprise, the boy didn''t seem scared, no, he looked positively excited to share the ''news'' with him.

    Amos had no idea that this was the boy he had ''reced'' in the debate team for the annual events, or that he had long since been waiting for an opportunity for ''payback''.

    The skinny boy chuckled. "You really don''t know? The academy issued a notice about an ''exchange program'' with the newly established Imperial School of Blue Dawn, and was taking up names to allow students to transfer over there."

    Although it was called an ''exchange'', the fact that only one side was sending students made it obvious that something wasn''t quite right.

    The students couldn''t even imagine what means Emilia must have used to get the academy to agree to such a thing.

    After all, not only were they extremely possessive of their talents, the fact that there was no ''limit'' or requirement to those who wanted to participate waspletely ridiculous!

    Given that their most promising student from Emilia''s batch, Crystal, had already left without even getting a transfer certificate was bad enough, this was just on a whole other level.

    In the worst case, wouldn''t the result of the academy suffer a great blow? How can they ept such a thing?

    Had it been in the past, they could barely ept that the academy ''gave in'' because of the White Deer''s influence and donations, but now?

    Although the White Deer Corporation''s various businesses were still going strong, it was no secret that all their top executives and most talented employees had fled the country.

    Even if the government tried their best, such a big thing couldn''t be hidden from the top elites, after all.

    The spectacled boy gave him a gloating look as he shook the silver-haired boy''s hand off his shoulder. "Did you start to think just because Emilia left, your ck Tiger became the sole ''big yer'' in our country? Heh, I guess it must not feel so good to realize they still have that influence."

    Amos was too dumbfounded to even stop the boy from walking away, and he could only mumble to himself in disbelief. "No way, isn''t ck Tiger now the biggest sponsor of the academy? How can they still favor that bitch so much?!"

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 Chapter 454 Overshooting

    Chapter 454 Overshooting¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Naturally, the only force that could make the academypromise to such an extent was the government of Oriana itself.

    With the White Deer''s ''lifeline'' no longer in his hands, the president couldn''t bring himself to care about ''irrelevant matters'' anymore. Even if he wanted nothing more than to tear these ''traitors'' apart limb from limb, he was well aware of just how important it was for him to not put the cart before the horse at this critical moment.

    With how much of their economy depended on the White Deer, if possible, he must first reach apromise with them to maintain the current ''arrangements'' somehow, or everything mighte crashing down within weeks.

    Once the situation was stabilized¡­ it wouldn''t be toote to make them pay for their treachery.

    Going through the report in his hands, the president couldn''t help but sigh in relief. "Fortunately, while cowards are usually quite clever, they''re also very, very greedy."

    As he expected, once he announced that the taxes levied on major corporations would be greatly reduced for the rest of his term, the White Deer really didn''t dare to retreat and abandon all that ''free money''.

    Moreover, they even seemed to have mistaken his ''benevolent move'' as being oblivious to their ''treachery'', and even dared to make small moves right under his eyes.

    He sneered. "Do they think I don''t know they asked the academy to arrange for a transfer of students rted to their little daughter?"

    If not for him, not to mention doubling their previous year''s donations, even if they multiplied it by ten times, it still wouldn''t be enough for the academy to agree to such a thing.

    The president smiled. "Arrange for independent counseling of all the students who apply for a transfer. Find those most suitable for our needs, and proceed with operation Blue Prion."

    Before the man in front of him could leave, the president coughed. "Also, make sure that operation ck Tide remains on schedule. As they say... fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Got it?"

    The man nodded hurriedly before rushing away, leaving the president with a satisfied and expectant grin on his face. "Heh... they have no idea what''s in store for them."

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    While the dark storms surged under the surface of the seemingly calm Oriana country, the rest of the world was still furiously debating over Emilia''s ''radical'' move.

    Although her ''rabid fans'' remained as loyal as ever, most others were still certain that it was only a matter of time before Emilia had to face reality.

    As far as they were concerned, it was almost a given that not only would the Empire of Blue Dawn start copsing soon, but the overall valuation of the White Deer Corporation would take a nosedive as well.

    After all, it was no secret that the girl''s family was heavily supporting her, both financially and through their specialized resources in various fields. Once the little experiment of their precious princess started showing its disastrous results, wasn''t it only natural for them to share some of its bacsh?

    Even if they could somehow escape the hit to their reputation, how could the resources and wealth they had already squandered be so easy to recover?

    Moreover, with the number of toes that the White Deer had stepped on recently just to spoil their precious little princess, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that their situation might turn dire the moment they started showing signs of bleeding.

    After all, even if those who held grudges against the White Deer wouldn''t dare to throw caution to the wind and pounce on them like sharks smelling blood, they would still be watching them like starving vultures, ready to pluck off any piece of meat that they could.

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    While Emilia usually enjoyed putting on a good show for everyone to marvel at, she was bound to disappoint the ''eagerly waiting'' enemies who wished to see her fail spectacrly this time.

    After all, not only did she have Crystal, Dixie, and Noelle to assist her, but there was even more help already on the way!

    Forget about failing, Emilia was more worried that she would overshoot her target too much, and attract too much envy from neighboring nations as a result.

    Of course, even if such a thing happened, it would only mean she had to push her ns forward a little more. Instead of worrying about such minor matters, what she cared for more now was...

    "Why isn''t big sister''s flight here already?"

    Although this was the fifteenth time that she had been asked the same question, looking at the crimson-haired beauty''s adorably scrunched up brows, Noelle couldn''t muster up any annoyance or anger at all.

    She could only sigh in defeat. "Like I said, it''s not that strange for them to be dyed by a few minutes after going through that kind of turbulence, after all¡ª!"

    Her words were cut short when Emilia suddenly jumped with an excited yelp. "She''s here! She''s here!"

    Knowing that the girl had exceptional hearing and sight, Noelle could only try her best to squint and spot the ne in the distance she knew it must being from.

    Sadly, she still failed to see anything, so Noelle could only cough pretentiously. "See, didn''t I tell you she''ll be here soon?"

    Fortunately, Emilia was too excited to pay attention to minor details, and plunged into the older girl''s embrace with a smile. "Yes, thank you! I know they wouldn''t let here over so soon without your persuasion."

    Noelle obviously didn''t want to admit how proud and satisfied she felt with the younger girl snuggling into her nape, so she tried her best to appear cool and collected. "It''s no big deal. Although I hate to admit it, Sam has really grown a lot as a businesswoman. Having her here during the initial phases of your empire''s business establishment would be of great help."

    Of course, the most important thing was that maybe Sam''s arrival would finally allow Emilia to give up working almost twenty-four hours a day.

    Even if she didn''t ''need'' to sleep, watching their pampered princess work without care for day and night still caused their hearts to ache for her.

    She even split Noelle and Alexandria''s assistance into two shifts for maximum efficiency, and still kept working on her own while they rested.

    At first, they were still relieved that the little beauty could easily be lured to bed using seduction, but it didn''t take them long to realize that Emilia tended to slip away as soon as she had put them to sleep.

    Whether it was Crystal, Dixie, or Noelle, none of them wanted her to continue torturing herself like this.

    Unfortunately, with Emilia''s ever-increasing proficiency in bed, it was simply impossible to resist sleeping if she was intent on satisfying them straight into dreand, even if they took turns to seek her one after another.

    Crystal even went so far as to ask Dixie to ''wake her up'' once she saw Emilia escape, but once she found the other girl simrly asleep the following day, they quickly realized how futile their attempt was.

    Of course, they could always ask Emilia to ''stop'' directly, but knowing how much she cared for the sess of her Blue Dawn Empire, none of them could really muster the courage to do so.

    After all, the crimson-haired girl rarely ever showed so much passion for something, and it just didn''t feel right for them to try to take it away from her.

    Numerous arguments ensued in their group chat, and after much deliberation, Noelle finally made the call to have Sam move to the empire earlier.

    The sis-con was naturally ecstatic that she wouldn''t have to wait for the bunch from Emilia''s school to fly over together, and could meet her sister earlier, so she immediately used some dirty tricks to convince Mr. White.

    While she felt a little guilty when she thought of how she had lied to her father about having the urge to ''cheat'' on her little sister ¡ª who would surely be utterly devastated when she discovered it ¡ª because of being too ''pent up'', Samantha still felt that meeting Emilia sooner was well worth bearing all the shame and guilt.

    As for how conflicted Mr. White must feel making such a decision or what price he paid to convince his wife¡­ Sam naturally didn''t dare to ask.

    The moment her heels touched the tarmac, a soft and nimble figure crashed into her arms, taking her into an intimate embrace while squealing sweetly in excitement.

    "Big sis! I missed you so much!"

    Even though she had already been prepared, Sam still couldn''t help but feel her eyes get slightly wet as she pecked the girl''s soft cheek piously. "M-Me too, baby, me too¡­"

    Emilia giggled in delight as she pointed at the exasperated-looking Noelle. "I''m sure you must be tired after the long flight, so I prepared a special medicated bath~"

    Going by the girl''s flirtatiously fluttering eyshes and the mischievous glint in her eyes, Sam could already tell that the bath must include ''special services'', and she couldn''t help but feel her blood boil in excitement. "L-Let''s go, then!"

    Without waiting for Emilia''s response, she directly lifted the gorgeous girl up in a princess carry, and rushed right past Noelle.

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    Not to mention that Sam didn''t even know which direction she had to head in after exiting the airport, did she really intend to just run all the way to her destination just like that?

    "Has this girl be dumber while I wasn''t there?!"

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 Chapter 455 Comeback

    Chapter 455 Comeback¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    With her older sister by her side, Emilia naturally had nothing to worry about when it came to managing the financial side of things.

    After all, the scale of the Empire''s economy wasn''t very vast to begin with, and using the White Deer Corporation''s top resources would already have been overkill. Adding both Noelle and Sam on top, there was simply no way that their economy wouldn''t ''thrive''.

    Of course, if she wanted to develop the Empire itself into more than just a self-sufficient economy, Emilia still needed to be quite careful.

    Unfortunately, the judicial reforms weren''t quite as smooth sailing.

    While it was true that most citizens had bonded over their collective obsession over their ''princess'', various types of disputes between them were still quite inevitable.

    Under such circumstances, it wasn''t impossible for things to escte and end up in court, and that''s when Emilia''s new system was tested.

    Initially, things were going quite well. The handpicked judges were both wise and witty, and knew how to solve most disputes efficiently.

    Then, the case of a young couple contesting the custody of their only child came along. Of course, things wouldn''t be so troublesome if this were just a normal divorce.

    Unfortunately, this was not the case of both parents wanting to ''take'' the custody of their child, but one in which they were both eager to push to the other party.

    The specifics of the case were enough to write a four-hundred-page dog-blood drama, and it was understandable how the judge almost made a mistake after getting his brain turned to mush.

    Not wanting the innocent child to be abandoned, he thought that would be a good idea to force the two parents to stay together and raise the child till he came of age. After all, not only did it solve the issue of what to do with the child, but also ''punished'' both parents equally.

    Fortunately, Emilia happened to be watching over the case and took over in time.

    After giving the boy the choice between being trained at the Imperial Academy of Martial Arts and pursuing a normal education under government sponsorship, Emilia decisively cut off the parent-child rtionship.

    Since his life would be miserable no matter which parent he went with, why not give him another way out?

    Moreover, if the two parents were really forced to stay together and raise the child, there was no way to be sure what would happen in the future.

    The judge also wiped the cold sweat off his brow after hearing the judgment from the empress, and hurriedly asked for a week''s leave to go re-contemte life.

    While the matter passed without much fuss, it still made Emilia decide to change a few more things.

    Thus, just a few dayster, the empress made another announcement.

    "Crystal Miller will now be the Prime Arbiter of the Empire of Blue Dawn, and will have the same when ites to dealing with judicial matters."

    The statement cause quite a fuss when it was released, both within and outside the empire.

    After all, most people were well aware that Crystal Miller was the blonde girl who was always around Emilia, and was supposedly her good friend.

    Wasn''t it too nepotistic and whimsical for her to just make someone so young and silly-looking the so-called ''Prime Arbiter''?!

    Moreover, to go so far as to give away so much of her power to someone else, was she not afraid of betrayal or tricks at all?

    Emilia was naturally aware of the storm caused by her ''bold yet stupid'' move, but she decided to just ignore it.

    After all, some things couldn''t be exined effectively with just words, but became obvious to all given time.

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    Meanwhile, in the Oriana country, the ''procedures'' for transferring the students of the Imperial Academy were finally almost over, and the president was pleased, to say the least, with the oue.

    They had expected an uphill battle at first, but as soon as they exined what the White Deer did and how much closer to desperation they pushed their country, their eyespletely changed.

    Not only were most of the students very cooperative, but some were positively enthusiastic to help their homnd against these deserters.

    If not for them insisting on everyone keeping a low profile, maybe they would even punch Emilia in the face as soon as they saw her!

    Of course, while this was good news, it was of rtively little importance whenpared with the real issues at hand.

    Looking at the status report of operation ck Tide, things weren''t going quite as smooth as he hoped.

    With the recent attack from Gray Wolfe, the ck Tiger Corporation had been on an understandably high alert against both sabotage and other underhanded tricks, and it was bringing them no little amount of trouble.

    Having already taken a proverbial punch to the gut from White Deer, they naturally couldn''t just let it go and take the risk of really losing it all this time.

    Looking at the status report, the president could only sigh. "Since they''re being like this, then we can only intensify our efforts. Of course, if all else fails, we will have no choice but to seize everything by force, but I hope we won''t have to resort to that."

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    Having been finally freed of the ''torture'' of having to listen to uneducated stooges whining about how their precious princess was the root of all evil, the ''transfer students'' were naturally ecstatic.

    Of course, their excitement reached all new heights when they learned that their flight would be the very next day, and it would lead them straight to the heart of the Empire of Blue Dawn.

    Unfortunately, before they headed out, the ''Royal Knights'' still had to face a dilemma.

    "Commander, what are we going to do with all the precious relics that we have gathered so far?"

    While it was possible to take some items with them, not everything could be taken away, such as the various horses that the princess had touched.

    It was easy for them to ask Penny, but who was she supposed to seek for answers in turn?!

    She couldn''t even tell them that all their ''relics''bined didn''t even equate to a tenth of what she had ''acquired'' through various means.

    After all, doing that would be suicide, even for ''themander''.

    Fortunately, some of the members managed to quicklye up with a solution after research.

    "We can''t let people who don''t deserve them take the things that belonged to the princess, so why not find some ''sessors''?"

    "Why do I feel like I''m about to die?"

    "Yeah, just listening to the terms ''sessor'' makes me feel like I''m getting old¡­"

    Although none of them were very excited about the idea, since they had no other choice, the knights decided to just bite the bullet and do it.

    Fortunately, they maintained an extensive database of every man, woman, child, and animal that showed signs of admiring Emilia, and quickly narrowed down the suitable candidates.

    Of course, with time being so short, they still barely managed to finish the ''hand over procedures'' in time, leaving Penny feeling like her soul had been lost.

    Fortunately, she still had a stolen undergarment from her princess to sustain herself, or the petite girl might really lose all hope in life.

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    The next day, the sad and depressed legion of ''Royal Knights'' assembled together with the ''stray fans'' who had just recently taken the plunge, ready to board the ne destined to take them to nirvana.

    Of course, although they were still glum from losing so many relics, thinking about finally seeing their princess again was more than enough to instill some life in them.

    "What do you think is going to happen to the academy now that so many of us have left?"

    "What else? Our year will probably all be consolidated into one ss, though the teachers will probably be embarrassed to look at the almost empty attendance register."

    Of course, many of their seniors and juniors had opted toe with them as well, but it wasn''t quite as extreme as Emilia''s batch, which was almost entirely ''migrating''.

    One of them couldn''t help but giggle. "I can''t imagine Mr. Jefferson''s face."

    "Meh, I have the feeling that he''ll be more than happy to teach apletely empty ss."

    "Hah. More than him, I worry for Mrs. Macmin. With how obsessed she is with¡ª!"

    The ''knights'' all turned around in unison to see their ''notorious'' teacher enter the boarding area right behind them, and some couldn''t help but rub their eyes in disbelief.

    With their ''training'', it was naturally impossible to not be able to tell when someone or something was right behind them, and they finally couldn''t help but acknowledge that what they saw was true.

    Mrs. Macmin was still out of earshot, and they were relieved to know that she couldn''t have heard their ''gossip'' before.

    Of course, her arrival still caused the students to pat their hearts with lingering fear.

    "Although the charm of the princess does not discriminate between age, gender, and height, but isn''t Mrs. Macmin being here a little, y''know¡­?"

    "S-She could be here just to send us off?"

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 Chapter 456 Miss Macmillan?!

    Chapter 456 ''Miss'' Macmin?!¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Most of the knights were naturally not na?ve enough to believe that Mrs. Macmin''s arrival at the airport was just a coincidence.

    Although they tried to delude themselves into thinking she was there to ''see them off'' at first, looking at the sizeable carry-on bag she was dragging along, they had no choice but to ept it.

    "I-It''s not impossible for her to be carrying farewell gifts in that bag, r-right?"

    The rest of the knights gave the girl a disbelieving look, causing her to cough in embarrassment. "I-I was only joking."

    Of course, in sharp contrast to the rest of the knights, Penny herself was quite ecstatic. She had been trying to ''enlighten'' Mrs. Macmin about the charms of her princess for such a long time, and it looked like all that effort hadn''t gone to waste, after all!

    When she finally got to them, Mrs. Macmin was understandably a little embarrassed under their strange stares. "I-It''s not that strange for me to be here, is it?"

    Penny quickly waved her hand in denial. "Of course it''s not! Since you are someone who has had positive interactions with the princess in the past, how could you not be qualified toe along with us?"

    She patted her chest proudly. "Don''t worry, the knights take care of our own. Since you''ve finally decided to join us¡ª"

    The older woman interrupted her enthusiastic speech with a cough. "Wait a minute, I never said anything about joining your club, did I?"

    Although Penny was too speechless to respond, the expression on her face made it more than clear that ''why are you here, then?'' was probably the only thought ringing through her head.

    Mrs. Macmin was just about to exin how she had a big fight with her husband before she came here, but snapped her mouth shut when she realized how ridiculous it all was in hindsight.

    Ever since Emilia left, she had been having this weird feeling that their country was slowly bing more and more ''hollow'', as if it was about to copse in on itself at any time.

    Of course, this was quite ridiculous considering nothing much had changed in the past decade, so she didn''t pay much attention to it at first.

    When she started watching news of Emilia''s achievements in her new empire, however, Mrs. Macmin couldn''t help but give birth to the idea of moving out.

    After all, even if things were to stop improving over there, as someone who had personally taught the empress at one point in her life, her treatment couldn''t possibly be too bad, right?

    When the whole student exchange thing happened, Mrs. Macmin finally made up her mind that this was the time to make a move.

    As someone who trusted her intuition very much, she didn''t want to keep dying things, and live with regretter.

    Her husband wasn''t quite as keen on the idea, however. ording to him, it was one thing to follow her whims on minor matters, but if she wanted him to abandon his home and country, she was simply dreaming.

    Not only did he not believe in her ''intuition'', he even dared to use her of having a crush on her ex-student!

    Crush? Her?!

    Mrs. Macmin was naturally furious, and immediately stormed off, intent on leaving on her own.

    As the target of countless crushes herself, how could she possibly have a crush on someone else?

    ''Even if Emilia is extremely beautiful, witty, and kind¡ª! Bah! What am I thinking?!''

    Fortunately, Penny managed to break the woman out of her ''outrageous'' thoughts with a confused wave of her hand.

    "Hello? Mrs. Macmin, are you still here?"

    Quickly regaining her bearing, the older woman coughed in embarrassment. "Yes yes, a-anyway, umm¡­ I-I''m not really here for any strange reason. I just had a fight with my husband and decided to separate, and thought I might as well use this chance to move out of the country, you know?"

    Penny blinked in confusion. "Wait¡­ so does that mean we have to call you ''Miss Macmin'' now?"

    Although they hadn''t really divorced, Mrs. Macmin still felt angry when she thought about her husband''s ''mockery'', so she just nodded.

    Had she known what kind of outrageous rumor this ''minor decision'' made in a moment of anger would lead to among the knights, Mrs. Macmin would surely have bashed her head against the wall while calling herself stupid.

    "Breaking news! Mrs. Macmin has divorced her husband to proudly chase after the princess as a free, single woman!"

    "What, is this really true?!"

    "I''ve heard this with my own ears! She told themander to call her ''Miss Macmin'' from now!"

    "Wow¡­ although I know that the charm of the princess is irresistible, but wasn''t she the one to always tell the students who gave her love letters that ''it''s just not right'' and ''teachers and students simply can''t be together''?"

    Fortunately, they were still sensible enough to stop their ''discussion'' as soon as the older woman got within earshot.

    Of course, while they had been gossiping about ''Miss Macmin'' what the knights really feared was that she wouldn''t be the only teacher to follow them to the empire.

    To be more specific, they just didn''t want to continue co-existing with Mr. Jefferson.

    Luckily, there were no more surprises waiting for them before the flight was ready to go, and they finally headed back to their long-awaited ''reunion'' with the princess.

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    Although Emilia had already received news of their arrival, the crimson-haired girl wasn''t able to receive the knights in person, and could only send her ''secretary'' to wee them instead.

    Of course, while she couldn''t take the time to go all the way to the airport, she could still make a few adjustments and meet them in her vi.

    The knights naturally wouldn''t miss the opportunity to see her given the chance, and all of them took the offer to go over when Emilia''s secretary mentioned it. Naturally, ''Miss'' Macmin didn''t want to be the odd one out either, and also agreed.

    She thought it wouldn''t be right to not go greet her ''student'' empress even when asked, but the older woman never realized that her ''readily epting'' was just another nail in the coffin for ''Miss Macmin is chasing after the princess'' as far as the knights were concerned.

    Fortunately, while Emilia was slightly surprised to see one of the teachers following the students, since she knew Mrs. Macmin wouldn''t be a problematic element, the crimson-haired girl didn''t make too much of a fuss and only greeted her with a smile. "I''m sorry for noting to pick all of you up in person, there was just too much work."

    How could the knights hold a grudge against their princess? As far as they were concerned, the fact that she came to greet them right as they entered through the vi''s main gate was already too much.

    Penny couldn''t help but clutch at her moved heart while ''identally'' falling into Emilia''s arms. "Ahhh! Princess, you don''t need to worry about us!"

    The other knights quickly agreed while staring at theirmander enviously.

    "That''s right, you shouldn''t tire yourself working too hard! We can alwayse over to see you some other time, can''t we?"

    "Yeah! Even if our arms and legs were to be chopped off, we would stille crawling over somehow if you called!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle in amusement at their exaggerated response. "You all are still just as silly. Ahh, before I forget, I''ve already had some rooms prepared for everyone, but some might have to share since we don''t have enough. If some of you could decide among yourselves who would be¡ª!"

    Looking at their enthusiastic faces ready to pounce on the first chance to ''volunteer'', she almost sighed. "You know what? No need to tell me now, just rx and discuss it slowly among yourselves during dinnerter, and just report to Pennyter. She will be keeping all the keys until then."

    Penny almost purred happily when she felt the soft hands of her beautiful princess pat her gently on the back, but the envious res from the other knights thankfully managed to keep her frommitting crimes in broad daylight.

    She didn''t fear being punished or suffering ''retribution'', of course, but Penny simply couldn''t ept the idea of not being able to molest the queen of her heart in the future. If all her bones were broken, just how was she supposed to sniff and grope her princess?

    Fortunately, Emilia took her away from the crowd and into her private study soon enough, and Penny breathed a sigh of relief while snuggling into the gorgeous girl''s embrace.

    "Ahhh~ I''ve missed you so much, princess!"

    Emilia ruffled the ''adorable'' girl''s hair with a smile. "It hasn''t been that long, has it?"

    The ponytailed girl couldn''t help but whine. "But every minute I couldn''t see you felt like a year, no, a century!"

    Feeling a little amused by her antics, Emilia squeezed the petite girl''s chubby cheek. "Okay, I get it. I''ll give you some candiester to make up for it, alright?"

    Penny jumped enthusiastically while hugging her princess tighter. "Yes!"

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but squeal crazily in her head when she managed to ''inadvertently'' cop a feel of Emilia''s slim waist.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t think much about it, and only hummed happily at how easy it was to satisfy Penny. Just a few candies made her jump in so much joy?

    Unfortunately, she still had to get back to work soon, or Emilia might have taken the time to tease this ''innocent'' kid some more.

    "I''ll y with youter. But first¡­ wasn''t there something ''extremely important'' that you really wanted to tell me?"

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 Chapter 457 Acknowledgement

    Chapter 457 Acknowledgement¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    While Penny could be considered a hopeless pervert, she wasn''t actually aplete idiot who couldn''t sort her priorities right¡­ most of the time.

    "Those scumbags! Ahh! Just thinking about it makes me mad!"

    Emilia sighed as she pulled the furious girl to the nearby sofa and pulled her into herp. "Calm down and exin everything to me slowly, alright?"

    Penny was naturally happy to be able to enjoy being in such an intimate position with her princess, but when she recalled how their own home country was plotting against them, her mood plummeted once again.

    But since it was the order of her princess, she naturally tried her best to control her temper.

    As one of the first to apply for transferring schools, Penny naturally became one of the first few targets of the government of Oriana to attempt to pull to their side.

    Of course, their approach was extremely subtle, and had it not been for the exceptional circumstances, Penny may not even have realized before she revealed herself to be a ''red g''.

    The ponytailed girl puffed out her chest in pride. "Once I realized something was wrong, I obviously yed along and pretended that I only follow the crowd due to peer pressure, and secretly hate you in my heart. Once they ''realized'' that, they slowly started inciting me for revenge, and then eventually revealed what I had to do to ''bring you down'' while ''helping the country'' at the same time."

    Of course, since Sam had been able to let her know about it, Emilia knew that the first thing Penny must have done after that must have been to tattle about it.

    But while the news of Oriana''s president plotting against her had obviously already been passed along thanks to Penny getting in touch with her older sister, it was only now that Emilia was able to hear the full ount of what happened.

    However, after listening to her exnation, Emilia couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously. "I get that they called you all in one by one using the excuse of some schrship program''s screening, and you were one of the first few to be ''checked'', but how did you notice what they were trying to do?"

    Penny coughed as she looked away in embarrassment. ''T-There''s no way I can tell her that I read one of the fan submissions on the inte in which she was betrayed by everyone but me, right?''

    She hadn''t known about it at first, but after being made aware by one of the knights, Penny naturally had to look through it thoroughly from the start to the end. After all, even if it was poorly written, it was still a love story between ''Emilia and Penny''!

    In addition to the romantic plot, the most prominent thing about this story was that, except for Penny and Emilia, everyone else was aplete scumbag. And the worst of them all was the government of the country they lived in ¡ª Oriana.

    Since the story was still fresh on her mind, Penny naturally ended up looking at certain things in apletely different way whenpared to a normal person, and much to her shock, her ''paranoia'' actually managed to unearth something so insidious!

    Maybe if the president of Oriana knew that his clever n had been revealed in advance because of a poorly written fanfiction... he might just resign on the spot.

    Of course, Penny didn''t care about that, and after being delighted at the discovery of such ''treasure'', she continued looking for simr stories for ''inspiration''.

    Unfortunately, she was sorely disappointed to know that there were very few stories of simr nature.

    And to add insult to injury, the stories that featured Penny with Emilia were seemingly the least popr whenpared to her pairing with the likes of Crystal and some major celebrities.

    Even if she wasn''t the most intelligent or the most beautiful of Emilia''s admirers, she was definitely one of the most dedicated, right?! She couldn''t believe how little people believed in her patibility'' with the princess!

    Had she not known that she would be able to meet her princess soon, Penny might even have entered depression.

    But when she thought about it seriously, it might not be because they were ipatible, but because not many knew who ''Penny'' was!

    Since very few people even knew of her existence, wasn''t it obvious that there would be fewer stories about her being with the princess?

    After all, while Emilia was already quite famous, the names of her friends were still rtively less known, though Crystal was already on her way to bing a prominent figure as well.

    As for Sam¡­ well, except for their innermost circle, who could possibly imagine that she would have any romantic involvement with her little sister?

    Looking at the petite girl''s rapidly changing expressions, Emilia couldn''t help but squeeze her cheek in amusement. "Just what is going on in that silly head of yours? Even if it was just your intuition, it''s fine, you know? No need to rack your brains trying to find a logical exnation."

    Penny opened her mouth in surprise, but then closed it shut just as quick.

    Hey, since the princess misunderstood on her own, no one could me her, right?!

    More than happy at being able to skip the topic, the ponytailed girl then proceeded to proudly exin how she managed to rally all the knights together to collectively fool the government officials into thinking they were just a horde of gullible children.

    "Princess, let me tell you, it wasn''t easy to create this kind narrative where everyone was just following the crowd to admire and praise you, and some of the more bullheaded knights were really difficult to convince!"

    Of course, she didn''t mention how most of the officials were so dumb that they probably didn''t even have two brain cells to rub together. After all, wouldn''t her princess think she was too conceited if she said that?

    Emilia patted the girl''s head with a smile. "Penny has worked hard, hasn''t she?"

    The ponytailed girl beamed in delight. "No matter what difficulties I face, aren''t they all trivial in front of the infinite power of my love for you?!"

    Although she was already used to Penny being over the top, the crimson-haired girl still blushed from her straightforward words. Sometimes, the heartfelt admiration of a child really made her realize just how deep of an impact she had on some lives.

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t the type to balk at such thoughts, and only strove to do better. It wasn''t just her own future she was carrying on her shoulders anymore, after all.

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    After sending Penny off with a bag full of candies and sweets, Emilia got back to work with renewed fury, intent onpletely obliterating all the major and minor obstructions in the way of her empire as soon as possible.

    Of course, she didn''t forget about the issue of Oriana''s conspiracy against her. But she already had a solution in mind for that.

    As long as the government of Oriana continued trying to dig a grave for her, she just had to wait for the right moment, and then bury them alive in the fruits of their ownbor.

    Naturally, such a thing would be impossible if not for the foresight and insider ess provided by the ''spies'' that they had sent her way.

    With the help of her girlfriends and ''knights'' all kind of minor hups in the empire''s economic and judicial system were soon smoothed out in a matter of weeks, and Emilia''s workload also finally started dwindling.

    After all, while she was a perfectionist in many ways, the crimson-haired girl still knew when to trust others to have learned to do their jobs.

    Once all the basics were smoothed out and she was more free, Emilia naturally shifted her focus to improving the quality of life of her people.

    Fortunately, this wasn''t something that required her active involvement, and she only needed to pass instructions on what needed to be done and where, and everything else would be taken care of by others.

    Of course, with Sam already working on their ''economic growth'' project, most of the ring ws that had been left behind by the withdrawal of corporations and neglect of the government were already in the process of being fixed.

    Still, many things such as the construction of roads, welfare projects, and allocating funds to people in urgent need could only be promptly finished thanks to Emilia''s careful observation.

    Moreover, all the public facilities that had been damaged or gone out of service also had to be repaired, and the construction of multiple new railway lines was also in progress.

    After all, good public transport was essential to improve both the people''s quality of life, as well as the country''s economy.

    But while there were still many major projects that would take a lot longer toplete, such as several renewable energy power stations, those waiting to watch the failure of the empire already felt like they had been smacked across the face.

    Even her neighboring country''s leaders had to begrudgingly acknowledge her terrifying ferocity.

    Unfortunately, their acknowledgment didn''t mean anything good for the empire. If they were still waiting to watch their joke and take advantage of the empire''s copse before, now they were seriously reconsidering their previous stance.

    The most panicked of them all had to be the Commonwealth of Red Dusk. After all, if Emilia actually turned out to be apetent empress, it certainly didn''t bode well for their future.

    And as she expected, the news of the representatives of themonwealth requesting to meet her soon arrived, along with a golden letter.

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 Chapter 458 A Hidden Shadow

    Chapter 458 A Hidden Shadow¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Neither the request of the empire''s neighboring diplomats nor the golden letter''s arrival particrly shocked Emilia.

    The Commonwealth of Red Dusk had long since been eying the territory of their empire, and it was no secret to anyone. As far as they were concerned, everything that now belonged to the empire was already theirs, and it was only a matter of when they imed ownership of it that was in question.

    In fact, the only reason they hadn''t already done so was because they wrongly believed that Blue Dawn would continue getting weaker and weaker, meaning they would need even less effort to take over in the future.

    Of course, now that they realized their fatal mistake, trying to swallow this piece of meat that was already supposed to be in their throat seemed to appear more and more difficult with every passing second.

    As for what they nned to achieve by meeting her¡­ even Emilia had no idea.

    The arrival of the golden letter was a matter of course as well. Since this was the traditional way to invite people to the Golden Crown event, the families controlling the top five corporations in the world naturally had more than enough qualifications to attend.

    Of course, had she been keeping their whereabouts secret, the letter would have been sent to her family members instead.

    What did surprise her, however, was the fact that the invitation wasn''t for ''Emilia White'', but ''Empress Emilia''!

    Naturally, she wasn''t shocked by the fact that they acknowledged her as an empress, but that they considered her qualified to participate in the event in her own name, even without her family.

    After all, even if the Empire of Blue Dawn had made tremendous progress in the past few months, its foundations were truly too shaky.

    Of course, this wasn''t really a bad thing for either Emilia or her empire, since this type of acknowledgment of strength would only elevate their status in the eyes of the rest of the world.

    Emilia couldn''t help but tap a finger against her lips thoughtfully. "There''s no way this invitation came as part of the standard process. But the question is¡­ who would interfere on my behalf?"

    Her first ''suspects'' were naturally her family members, but neither Sam nor her parents seemed to know anything about it, so that clearly wasn''t the case.

    Emilia already knew most of what her other girlfriends were up to, and none of them seemed to have gotten involved with themittee overseeing the Golden Crown, so that couldn''t be it either.

    And although her knights were very passionate, they couldn''t possibly have enough strength to pull this off.

    The crimson-haired girl frowned. "Could Justine have done this? No¡­ even if she''s in Phoenix country, I specifically told her to keep a low profile. She wouldn''t do such a stupid thing for no reason¡­"

    After watching her partner rack her brains without result for a while, Cynthia finally couldn''t help but sigh. "Why are you overthinking this so much? It''s just an event."

    Emilia shook her head in denial. "It''s not just any event. If something unexpected happens during or after the Golden Crown, I can''t be sure that it won''t affect my ns. Moreover, the safety of Justine and Dixie''s friends is also not guaranteed!"

    The raven-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. "Is that so¡­ Let me ask you something, then. Since this is such an important event, not many people must have the right to change the list of guests, right?"

    Emilia nodded. "Of course. The prime minister of the Phoenix country approves of the final list herself, and only she has the right to modify the list outside of the standard process."

    Hearing her exnation, her partner couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. "Wait¡­ then isn''t that your answer? Why were you so confused again??"

    Usually, her partner was so astute and witty that Cynthia didn''t even dare to interrupt her thoughts too frequently. After all, she didn''t want to attempt fixing something that wasn''t broken, and then regret itter, right?

    No way, as long as it didn''t concern her so called ''girlfriends'', her partner would never make such a stupid mistake!

    Facing Cynthia''s dumbfounded silence, the crimson-haired girl giggled. "Silly, although the prime minister does add the names, she mostly does that based on ''suggestions'' from highly influential people."

    The raven-haired girl blinked. "She can still do it on her own if she wants, though, can''t she?"

    Emilia frowned. "Yes, but¡­ could it really be her? No no, wait, didn''t Noelle say she put out a negative statement during my debut? That makes no sense¡­"

    Her partner sighed. "Well, I''m out of ideas, then."

    Since she couldn''t figure it out, Emilia decided to simply alert Justine and the others to be more careful while operating in the Phoenix country, and to keep an eye out for anything that didn''t look right.

    Anyway, after she had a few more clues, Emilia felt that it shouldn''t too hard figuring it out with Crystal''s help. Of course, as there was still quite some time before the event, that would be forter.

    Calling in her secretary, Emilia quickly instructed her to ept the request of the diplomats from the Commonwealth of Red Dusk.

    "Oh, and make sure that the location is set as close to the border as possible."

    Alexandria''s stylus froze in shock. "B-But Princess¡­ wouldn''t that be too risky?!"

    Emilia smiled. "That''s exactly it. Even if they''re plotting something, our silly neighbors are a bit too cowardly to make a move without being sure of their chances, so we at least have to set a good bait, don''t we? After all, this kind of opportunity is already hard enough toe by, it''d be a shame to waste it."

    The older woman quickly shook her head in denial. "No way, no way! I can''t let you put yourself in so much danger, no matter what the reason is!"

    Emilia blinked. "But didn''t I fight by myself during the rebellion?"

    "T-That''s different. We had the element of surprise, and the unprepared forces of the previous government arepletely different from assassins of Red Dusk!"

    The crimson-haired girl just smiled and curled her finger in the indignant girl''s direction. "Come here."

    Confused, Alexandria did as she was told, and moved closer to Emilia until they were within arm''s reach.

    Emilia tapped her chin yfully. "Kneel down, will you?"

    The older woman blinked in surprise before following her instructions, only to be shocked when the crimson-haired beauty reached around and grabbed the base of her hair bun.

    Of course, Emilia''s grip wasn''t very rough, and she only gently tilted the woman''s head to force her to look into her eyes.

    "Although you all call me ''princess'' affectionately, and your love makes me incredibly happy¡­ don''t forget that I''m your empress, alright?"

    As Alexandria nodded dumbly, Emilia patted the back of the woman''s head before leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead. "Of course, your concern is touching, but if you can''t trust my decisions, I can''t be a very good empress. Understand?"

    "Yes, princess!"

    Emilia shook her head in amusement before waving her away. "Okay, you can go out and do as you were told now, can''t you?"

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    Red Dusk''s diplomats were far from the only ones who wished to meet her, but since Emilia didn''t want to ''scare'' this sensitive opponent, she could only push them back.

    Of course, even if no one wanted to ept that the schedule of this new empress was already packed and that she could only meet them at the Golden Crown, most of them had little choice.

    Some of the heavyweights did try to ''convince'' her by putting pressure on the White Deer''s industry in their respective territories, but they quickly realized the futility of their actions.

    After all, the White Deer Corporation seemed to be run by a bunch of fools. Their first priority was Emilia, and thest thing they seemed to care about was money.

    When it came to dealing with people who seemed to go against their precious princess, it was as if they were more than happy to lose some money to hurt their opponent as much as possible.

    Not many wanted to kick an iron te just to nurse their bruised egos, so most could only give up and wait for the Golden Crown event to connect with this reclusive empress.

    Of course, a few did take this ''insult'' to heart, and even made attempts to have their governmentspletely cklist both this empress and her empire, but their efforts werergely fruitless.

    After all, even if they cklisted the White Deer Corporation itself, such actions had little to no effect on how the empire functioned.

    The only thing they would achieve was giving more breathing room to other private corporations in their territory, but that could hardly be considered a ''win'' for them.

    Emilia didn''t care much about their bruised ego, however, as she was busy making preparations for dealing with the Commonwealth.

    If the prey fell into her trap, but managed to struggle out of it and get away, wouldn''t it be too embarrassing?

    Her first'' strike'' against an opponent after bing the Empress of Blue Dawn definitely couldn''t be so disgraceful!

    Of course, as the orders of the empress were passed down the chain ofmand, it would be inevitable for her girlfriends to get wind of it. And since Emilia wasn''t fond of giving her girlfriends the bad kind of ''surprise'', she decided she might as well let them know in advance.

    Even if they were against it, Emilia didn''t believe it would be too difficult to convince her adorable babies.

    Right?

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 Chapter 461 A Ray of Hope

    Chapter 461 A Ray of Hope¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Huono''s townsfolk hadn''t really met the empress before, but they''d also heard a little about how beautiful and kind she was.

    Although most of them felt that they didn''t deserve to meet her, they still couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed when all they saw was a sleek, expensive car pass them by instead of their beautiful empress.

    Of course, since they never expected a chance to really see her, most were quickly able to recover and decide to go back.

    That is, until the announcement of the empress calling for anyone interested or free to listen to her at the amusement park.

    After going through a loop of disbelief, skepticism, and insecurity, in the end enough people still poured into the amusement park to almost pack it full.

    Since her older sister''s work was crucial to the economy''s recovery, Emilia had already sent her off, leaving her with just Dixie and a few of her empire''s newly appointed soldiers.

    Of course, their ability and character were all better than most veterans, guaranteed by both Crystal''s ability and Noelle''s assessment.

    Still, Emilia couldn''t help but grumble as she lightly kicked the base of the carousel. "I cannot believe that this is the biggest, ''most suitable'' ce that Noelle could find around the area."

    Dixie nodded while reaching out to adjust Emilia''s locks to cover a slowly fading hickey at the side of her neck. "New venues are being built, but they won''t be ready for quite a while yet, and the location where we will meet the diplomats is¡­ well, not suitable."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. "Alright, whatever works is fine."

    Looking at her princess kick off her sandals and jump up and off the wooden horse to shoot up to the roof, Dixie couldn''t help but shake her head in amusement. "She may have be an empress now, but my Emily still hasn''t changed at all."

    The sound of sweet, amused giggles quickly broke the dark-haired girl off her straying thoughts.

    "I''ll take that as apliment from my dearest knight!"

    Dixie couldn''t help but cover her mouth in shock and embarrassment. ''Oh no, I did not just say that out loud?!''

    Of course, it was a bit toote to regret. Fortunately, her princess didn''t find her thoughts offensive. ''She''s so¡­ cute.''

    Luckily for her, this time she managed to keep the thought within her head.

    Soon enough, the moderately sized amusement park started getting filled to the brim with the townsfolk who rushed over, only to stare in shock at the beautiful little fairy swinging her bare legs while loungingzily on top of the carousel.

    For a moment, many wondered if they restricted their diets too much, and were now having hallucinations again.

    Many soon realized, however, that what they were seeing was indeed what was in front of their eyes.

    "Isn''t that the empress?!"

    "No way?!"

    Even if her image in their hearts was already quite benevolent and kind, they still thought of her as a regal, invible figure that stood high above the masses.

    How could she behave no different from an overly naughty child?!

    No matter how excessively beautiful this child was, their parents would still have to give her a good spanking to teach her not to climb to the top of a carousel, right?

    After all, if it started while she was up there, the consequences would be disastrous.

    Many even wanted to shout ''empress, where are your parents?!'', but didn''t dare to do so.

    Just as many were doing their best to gather their courage to ''get her down'', the ''naughty girl'' jumped up from her spot at the rounding board straight next to the main bearing at the center, waving at the crowd cheerfully.

    Obviously, although she usually didn''t pay much attention to the cameras, not having any around let her be much, much more unbridled.

    "Thank you everyone foring here so quickly! I have to be somewhere else soon, so I had to call everyone on such short notice, but you''ll forgive me, right?"

    Faced with the beautiful girl''s ''pitiful'' look, many couldn''t help but subconsciously nod.

    Emilia couldn''t help but burst into amused giggles. "Great! Since you''re all such adorable little children, this empress will give you a choice! I have both good and bad news for you, which one would you like to hear first?"

    Listening to the cacophony of mostly ''good''s mixed with some meek little ''bad''s, the crimson-haired girl felt more and more like she was dealing with timid, insecure, cute little children. "Ahaha¡­ okay, I won''t tease you anymore."

    She grinned. "The good news is that my big sister, who is super smart and capable by the way, will be focusing fully on developing Huono for the next few weeks, and everyone who wants to should be able to settle into a much more stable lifestyle by the time she''s done. As for the bad news¡­"

    Emilia paused, and then tapped her soft lips with a teasing smile. "The bad news is that for you to truly recover and change this town for the better, the ones who will have to truly work the hardest will still be you, the people of Huono. Of course, good children who work the hardest will also get the sweetest, most delicious fruits~!"

    After a short moment of silence, the crowd couldn''t help but burst into cheers. Between all the disorganized noise, it was hard for even Emilia to make out what was actually being said, though their expressions made their feelings more than clear.

    Even though what she was giving them was far from a utopia in which they would enjoy all the luxuries and extravagance without having to ever lift a finger, at this moment there really was only heartfelt gratitude for the generosity of the empress in their mind.

    After all, even if they were only ''impoverished peasants'', how could they not know how hollow their own situation had been before?

    Knowing the background of Empress Emilia, perhaps the rumors that she was spending her own money and resources to nurture their empire weren''t so unbelievable, after all. No, even if Emilia herself insisted otherwise, they still wouldn''t believe it!

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 Chapter 462 Devious Plan

    Chapter 462 Devious n¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although the Commonwealth of Red Dusk had already reached the conclusion that they couldn''t miss this final opportunity to ''wlessly'' capture their neighboring territory and resources, the way in which they should execute the n still sparked a lot of debate.

    Initially, everyone was very excited toe up with multiple ways to bring Emilia down while leaving no trace, and putting the me on her own people at the same time, but as the discussion progressed¡­ it seemed like everything was full of ws.

    The location where the meeting would take ce, Huono town, might have been close to their border, but it was still almost twenty-five kilometers away from their outermost military post.

    Naturally, it was impossible to just instruct a few snipers to take everyone out, no matter how talented or lucky they were.

    Bombing the ce was another ''sure fire'' way to aplish their mission, but it also carried the risk of other countries being able to spot and log their activity. With such a critical w, themonwealth naturally couldn''t afford to take the risk.

    Sending in a suicide bomber was also very likely to get discovered early. Plus, even if it worked, any kind of scrutiny of the corpses, materials, or the scene of incidence might lead to the premature exposure of their n.

    The chief of the intelligence division sighed. "I guess that leaves us with just one option¡­ let''s have a specially selected group from our army disguise themselves as the ''rebels'', sneak into the Empire of Blue Dawn, and finish the job personally."

    Having had all their ns already rejected none of the others argued against this st resort'', and only turned to look at the frowning president''s face.

    The man hummed solemnly before nodding. "I normally wouldn''t bet everything on just a few men. After all, men make mistakes. But since we can''t afford to miss this opportunity¡­ Let me ask you this, Tom¡­ are you willing to lead the operation for our Red Dusk?"

    It took the intelligence division''s chief almost a full minute before he managed toprehend the president''s words, and when he did, his smiling expression froze. "O-Of course I will look through the whole n, and¡ª"

    The president mmed his fist on the table. "I don''t mean that, Tom! What I need you to do is head in there personally¡­ and see to it that everything goes well. We cannot take chances here, understand?"

    Faced with the president''s powerful gaze, the intelligence division''s chief had no choice but to nod in agreement. "I know. I just didn''t expect that the president would allow me to have such an honor at this age, but thank you."

    Although there was no sarcasm in his words, anyone present could tell that he was far from satisfied with how things yed out. But it wasn''t really much of a surprise.

    After all, while the soldiers sent to the Blue Dawn may not have been instructed tomit suicide, there was still a very high likelihood that some of them would die.

    No matter how careless the empress was with the security around her, she couldn''t bepletely defenseless. Plus, with how fierce she had been in some of the videos that had been leaked so far¡­ if they were even a little sloppy with their ambush, the aftermath might be gruesome.

    Moreover, to ensure that their ''origins'' couldn''t be traced back to themonwealth, every troop being sent waspulsorily required to get imnted with a timed explosive that they had to activate before engaging.

    This ''security measure'' could only be disabled if they managed to escape safely back to their own country, and required the approval of both the president and the military general.

    Needless to say, even if they were extremely lucky, more than half the troops being sent out were expected to perish in one way or the other.

    For the chief of the intelligence division who believed he had served themonwealth more loyally and better than anyone else, this was undoubtedly more of an insult than it was an honor.

    But even if everyone could read between the lines, they all pretended to remain oblivious.

    Tom couldn''t help but scoff. ''Does this bastard finally realize that his poprity is continuously declining, and he''s unlikely to win in the next elections? But if he thinks he''ll get rid of me so easily¡­ he''s got another thinging.''

    Unfortunately, no matter how dissatisfied some people were with the ''inadequacy'' of the method, they all had no choice but to ept it and move on.

    After all, the n was so perfect that even if it failed, all they would lose would be a few ''disposable'' men. If it seeded, however¡­ theirmonwealth of Red Dusk would finally start expanding once more, and not by a small margin, either!

    Plus, if the news of the ore veins in their neighboring regions turned out to be true¡­ perhaps theirmonwealth could finally ride the momentum and turn into a superpower that none could dare look down on!

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    Even though he wasn''t very happy with his direct involvement in the ambushing team, Tom was still quite diligent when it came to the execution of the task.

    After all, while he may be somewhat famous as the ''capable and charming'' chief of themonwealth''s intelligence division, it was far from being enough to really contest for something like the presidential elections.

    Of course, if one were to factor in the achievement of being the hero who brought down the neighboring tyrant and made it possible for themonwealth to finally expand once again, that would naturally no longer be the case.

    Naturally, for people to know of his achievements, the president''s orders of ''taking this secret to their grave'' could definitely not be followed.

    If no one even knew about it, what was the point of achieving anything in the first ce?

    Tom decided that if he was going to risk his life, the greatest winner from this conflict definitely had to be himself. Even if it brought some conflict and resistance against his country, he felt that he was more than capable of handling it all given his experience and skill.

    Of course, all of this would have to wait until he was done getting rid of Emilia, that tyrant. Without her gorgeous little head in his palm, there was no way he could so easily convince everyone and take the helm of themonwealth.

    Imagining the look on the faces of his superiors when he rose far above them in both status and poprity, the man almost started grinning from ear to ear.

    The other soldiers dressed inmoner clothing couldn''t help but shake their heads ruefully as they saw the man standing idly in a corner while they waited for their drilling equipment to cool down a little.

    "What were the superiors thinking, sending in a rookie like that?"

    One of them chuckled. "Hey, don''t insult rookies. At least they are young, strong, and enthusiastic. Look, he can''t even tell we''re talking about him from this distance¡­ what a moron."

    Finally feeling some of the derisive looks being thrown his way, Tom frowned impatiently. "What the hell are you guys looking at? Get back to work!"

    The soldiers were naturally dissatisfied at being reprimanded even though they were doing everything they should. None of them were foot soldiers at the lowest rank, after all, and were all hard-working and respected individuals in their own right.

    When was thest time they had been reprimanded like this?

    It would still be okay if it was from someone like their general, but when a ''desk-lizard'' like this man started pointing fingers at them, it obviously stuck them on a wrong nerve.

    "If you''re so dissatisfied, why note here and help us out?"

    "Yeah, stop being azy idiot, ''captain''. The general told us you would be leading us, not standing aside and shouting like a clown!"

    The disbelieving and indignant reaction from the man finally seemed to alleviate some of the depression in their hearts from being forced to take a ''suicide mission'' like this one.

    After all, even if it was for the good of themonwealth, and they were all loyal soldiers, no one was truly happy to die and leave their family and friends behind.

    Now that they were already halfway through into the empire on this suicide mission, did they still need to suppress their temper and wrong themselves? Obviously, it''s not like this guy could run all the way back to file aint about them, right?

    Not that it would matter at this point.

    Ignoring the indignant squawks of their ''leader'', they couldn''t help but groan amongst themselves.

    "If only we didn''t have to carry this dead weight, sneaking into Blue Dawn and killing that little bitch would be such a piece of cake."

    "We can at least take sce in the fact that he seems to know how to hold a gun and shoot, can''t we?"

    Suddenly, the tallest man among the bunch leaned forward with a devious grin on his face. "I heard that the empress of Blue Dawn is young and hot, isn''t she? What do you say, brothers, wanna capture her alive?"

    Although the tradition of the soldiers getting to keep the ''spoils of war'' had long since be ''archaic and outdated'' in most ces, the Commonwealth of Red Dusk was one of the few that still honored it.

    The other soldiers couldn''t deny that they were somewhat tempted by the idea. "If she looks even half as good as her pictures¡­ the mission only said we have to kill everyone and can''t leave any witnesses, right?"

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 Chapter 465 Done For

    Chapter 465 Done For¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The ''arguments'' between the diplomats of Red Dusk and the Empress of Blue Dawn were going as usual when the door suddenly opened without warning.

    Emilia grinned when she saw the serious look on Noelle''s face. "Are they finally here?"

    The gray-haired girl nodded. "It should take them less than twenty minutes to get to the second chamber."

    Naturally, the confused murmurs of ''what''s going on'' were pointedly ignored by everyone in the know.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed in relief. She almost thought it might never happen. "Proceed as nned, then."

    And then, under the dumbfounded gaze of the two diplomats, Dixie and Noelle knocked out their four bodyguards before they even had the time to realize that something was wrong, and easily flung them into the arms of the waiting Blue Dawn soldiers. "Put two of them in front of the door of the second chamber, and keep the other two¡­ just in case we need spares."

    "¡­???"

    Although they were too shocked to speak, the expressions of the diplomats from Red Dusk made what they were wondering more than clear. ''Since when did our bodyguardse equipped with the additional feature of being a spare tire?''

    Emilia grinned as she tapped her chin yfully. "I''m guessing the two of you are confused, huh? I suggest you remain quiet and peaceful, since my little girlfriend is quite heavy-handed when she gets the chance to hit people¡­ especially ones she doesn''t like."

    The two diplomats took one look at Dixie, recalled how quickly she had knocked out two men more than twice her weight in a second, and nodded obediently. This girl clearly didn''t like either of them, though it was likely due to very different reasons.

    The crimson-haired girl gave them a ''kind'' smile. "Don''t worry, your confusion will be resolved very soon. Just watch."

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    After so many days of grueling overwork, taking in the fresh above-ground air once more instantly filled the already excited soldiers with renewed energy.

    Of course, knowing how crucial and dangerous their mission was, none of them were stupid enough to jump or shout in excitement as they wanted.

    Carefully scouting ahead whilemunicating with hand signals, they quickly made their way through the deserted corridor.

    The sound of fierce discussion could be faintly heard even from such distance, with the sweet voice of the empress being especially distinct in the ears of the soldiers.

    "Huh? You want to help me build schools and colleges in our empire? Do you mean to imply that my people look uneducated? Hmph!"

    Naturally, this was just an old recording, but the soldiers had no way of knowing that.

    Recalling the few videos they had seen of her, the voice perfectly coincided with the gorgeous face of a young girl acting both haughty and petnt, and some of them couldn''t help but grin in excitement.

    If this girl didn''t immediately die in their ambush, they would be having plenty of ''fun'' with herter. Well, even if she died, some of them may not really mind.

    The team didn''t pay much attention to the two unconscious men in front of the closed door, though one of them did swiftly stab through both their necks using a military dagger, just to make sure.

    Jerking mildly while choking on their own blood, the unconscious duo soon turnedpletely dead, never even realizing what had happened.

    Unfortunately, neither the soldiers nor their captain Tom recognized these two as the bodyguards sent alongside their own diplomats, and only thought they must be soldiers of the empire.

    After all, since they were supposed to kill everyone inside the room anyway, there was no need for them to be aware of their ''allied forces'' in the first ce, or so went the reasoning of the government of Red Dusk.

    Without waiting for a signal from their leader, the soldiers quickly readied their weapons and got into position to strike.

    Tom just grit his teeth and hurriedly gave them the ''go'' in a futile attempt at preserving his dignity, but his ''subordinates'' had already burst through the door without giving him another nce.

    Both enraged and helpless, he could only follow after them with his gun zing, barely resisting the urge to gun down his ownpanions.

    Since they already knew of the rough positions of everyone around, and were also aware that there would be certain ''dangerous elements'' inside, the soldiers immediately started raining down bullets the moment they burst in without a second''s dy.

    Thousands of rounds were emptied within a minute, and the ravaging of high-caliber bullets left not a single corner of the room untouched. Even with their in-ear hearing protection, most of them felt like they might have gonepletely deaf.

    Blood and debris flew all around in the chaos as the soldiers raining fire ughtered the upants of the room without mercy, regardless of their affiliation.

    Of course, the intensity of their fire was much lower at the center-most position where Emilia was supposed to be, but it was still quite unlikely for her to survive unscathed.

    Theck of mournful and despairing screams soon made it clear, however, that something was very, very wrong.

    Before they could even see the situation clearly through the dust and smoke, though, the sound of leaking gas passed through their ears like the final whisper of a devil, and their consciousness soon plunged into darkness.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although the two diplomats were shocked to see a bunch of ruffians with big guns burst into a roompletely identical to their own and start raining hell, what terrified them even more was the fact that they could hear the sound of heavy gunfire not far from their location.

    Even if more than half their brains were frozen from fear, it was impossible for them not to realize that the real target of those ''terrorists'' definitely couldn''t be those dummies with blood bags and speakers.

    As for who they were really after¡­ it definitely had to be the empress, right?

    Even if the security at Blue Dawn was much morecklusterpared to what theirmonwealth would have had, it still couldn''t have been easy to sneak into such a location with guns, let alone do it at this kind of scale.

    Considering their identity and the impact of their deaths, they didn''t think anyone else would be ''worth the effort'' in this room other than her.

    But even if they already had a faint guess that the ''childish'' empress had already known something like this would happen from the start, they still found her calm smile to be extremely disorienting in light of the situation.

    "Any guesses on their identity?"

    Linda quickly shook her head in denial. "Believe me, this had nothing to do with us!"

    "Oh?"

    While Emilia tilted her head curiously, Noelle and Dixie gave the woman a derisive smile.

    "Do you think your words still hold any weight after something like this?"

    "Even if you knew, would you tell us?"

    Linda naturally couldn''t care less about her dignity as an older woman at the moment, and quickly bowed in front of her ''idol''. "Y-You must believe me! If I really knew about it in advance, I would never let anyone endanger you for any reason!"

    As if worried no one would believe her anyway, she coughed. "A-Anyway, if something really happened to you with me around, wouldn''t my daughter hound me to deathter?"

    The male diplomat almost coughed out blood in anger, wondering just how fragile the ''admirable'' loyalty of this woman had really been all along. But when he thought about the current situation, he realized that his colleague might just have had a rare moment of genius.

    With the temperament of this kiddy empress, wasn''t appealing to her pride the best way to convince her of the truth?

    Thinking about it that way, he also nodded hurriedly. "Everyone can see that those people shot without a care for who they were going to kill. It must definitely be someone who hates both the Blue Dawn and the Red Dusk! No, maybe it might even be someone who wants to sow discord between us!"

    If not for Emilia''s request to let her film a little bit of their'' live reactions'' to possibly useter, not to mention Dixie, maybe even Noelle would have just knocked the man out and stuffed him in a dark cell by now.

    As it was, though, Dixie still almost failed to resist the urge to beat him to death. "Do you think we''re stupid¡ª!"

    Emilia giggled as she patted the dark-haired girl''s hand to calm the girl down. "No need to argue so much. Why not take a closer look at the screen?"

    The two diplomats could only do as they were told, though the confusion was apparent on their faces at a nce.

    Surprisingly, multiple people in full Hazmat suits had entered the room where the ''terrorists'' were lying unconscious, and started removing the ck masks on their faces.

    The two diplomats were still a little confused at first, but when Tom''s face came into view, they almost couldn''t believe their eyes.

    How could the chief of their intelligence division be among this bunch of terrorists?!

    Of course, their expressions also easily gave away the fact that they recognized the man, but it was already toote by the time they realized it.

    Emilia grinned. "The two of you know him, right?"

    The male diplomat''s face turned pale, but futile as he knew it was, he still tried his best to pretend to be calm. "T-That is, uh, h-he does have a face very simr to someone we know, b-but that only goes to show how well prepared our enemy was in their attempt to sow discord!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 466 Done For

    Chapter 466 Done For¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The ''arguments'' between the diplomats of Red Dusk and the Empress of Blue Dawn were going as usual when the door suddenly opened without warning.

    Emilia grinned when she saw the serious look on Noelle''s face. "Are they finally here?"

    The gray-haired girl nodded. "It should take them less than twenty minutes to get to the second chamber."

    Naturally, the confused murmurs of ''what''s going on'' were pointedly ignored by everyone in the know.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed in relief. She almost thought it might never happen. "Proceed as nned, then."

    And then, under the dumbfounded gaze of the two diplomats, Dixie and Noelle knocked out their four bodyguards before they even had the time to realize that something was wrong, and easily flung them into the arms of the waiting Blue Dawn soldiers. "Put two of them in front of the door of the second chamber, and keep the other two¡­ just in case we need spares."

    "¡­???"

    Although they were too shocked to speak, the expressions of the diplomats from Red Dusk made what they were wondering more than clear. ''Since when did our bodyguardse equipped with the additional feature of being a spare tire?''

    Emilia grinned as she tapped her chin yfully. "I''m guessing the two of you are confused, huh? I suggest you remain quiet and peaceful, since my little girlfriend is quite heavy-handed when she gets the chance to hit people¡­ especially ones she doesn''t like."

    The two diplomats took one look at Dixie, recalled how quickly she had knocked out two men more than twice her weight in a second, and nodded obediently. This girl clearly didn''t like either of them, though it was likely due to very different reasons.

    The crimson-haired girl gave them a ''kind'' smile. "Don''t worry, your confusion will be resolved very soon. Just watch."

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    After so many days of grueling overwork, taking in the fresh above-ground air once more instantly filled the already excited soldiers with renewed energy.

    Of course, knowing how crucial and dangerous their mission was, none of them were stupid enough to jump or shout in excitement as they wanted.

    Carefully scouting ahead whilemunicating with hand signals, they quickly made their way through the deserted corridor.

    The sound of fierce discussion could be faintly heard even from such distance, with the sweet voice of the empress being especially distinct in the ears of the soldiers.

    "Huh? You want to help me build schools and colleges in our empire? Do you mean to imply that my people look uneducated? Hmph!"

    Naturally, this was just an old recording, but the soldiers had no way of knowing that.

    Recalling the few videos they had seen of her, the voice perfectly coincided with the gorgeous face of a young girl acting both haughty and petnt, and some of them couldn''t help but grin in excitement.

    If this girl didn''t immediately die in their ambush, they would be having plenty of ''fun'' with herter. Well, even if she died, some of them may not really mind.

    The team didn''t pay much attention to the two unconscious men in front of the closed door, though one of them did swiftly stab through both their necks using a military dagger, just to make sure.

    Jerking mildly while choking on their own blood, the unconscious duo soon turnedpletely dead, never even realizing what had happened.

    Unfortunately, neither the soldiers nor their captain Tom recognized these two as the bodyguards sent alongside their own diplomats, and only thought they must be soldiers of the empire.

    After all, since they were supposed to kill everyone inside the room anyway, there was no need for them to be aware of their ''allied forces'' in the first ce, or so went the reasoning of the government of Red Dusk.

    Without waiting for a signal from their leader, the soldiers quickly readied their weapons and got into position to strike.

    Tom just grit his teeth and hurriedly gave them the ''go'' in a futile attempt at preserving his dignity, but his ''subordinates'' had already burst through the door without giving him another nce.

    Both enraged and helpless, he could only follow after them with his gun zing, barely resisting the urge to gun down his ownpanions.

    Since they already knew of the rough positions of everyone around, and were also aware that there would be certain ''dangerous elements'' inside, the soldiers immediately started raining down bullets the moment they burst in without a second''s dy.

    Thousands of rounds were emptied within a minute, and the ravaging of high-caliber bullets left not a single corner of the room untouched. Even with their in-ear hearing protection, most of them felt like they might have gonepletely deaf.

    Blood and debris flew all around in the chaos as the soldiers raining fire ughtered the upants of the room without mercy, regardless of their affiliation.

    Of course, the intensity of their fire was much lower at the center-most position where Emilia was supposed to be, but it was still quite unlikely for her to survive unscathed.

    Theck of mournful and despairing screams soon made it clear, however, that something was very, very wrong.

    Before they could even see the situation clearly through the dust and smoke, though, the sound of leaking gas passed through their ears like the final whisper of a devil, and their consciousness soon plunged into darkness.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although the two diplomats were shocked to see a bunch of ruffians with big guns burst into a roompletely identical to their own and start raining hell, what terrified them even more was the fact that they could hear the sound of heavy gunfire not far from their location.

    Even if more than half their brains were frozen from fear, it was impossible for them not to realize that the real target of those ''terrorists'' definitely couldn''t be those dummies with blood bags and speakers.

    As for who they were really after¡­ it definitely had to be the empress, right?

    Even if the security at Blue Dawn was much morecklusterpared to what theirmonwealth would have had, it still couldn''t have been easy to sneak into such a location with guns, let alone do it at this kind of scale.

    Considering their identity and the impact of their deaths, they didn''t think anyone else would be ''worth the effort'' in this room other than her.

    But even if they already had a faint guess that the ''childish'' empress had already known something like this would happen from the start, they still found her calm smile to be extremely disorienting in light of the situation.

    "Any guesses on their identity?"

    Linda quickly shook her head in denial. "Believe me, this had nothing to do with us!"

    "Oh?"

    While Emilia tilted her head curiously, Noelle and Dixie gave the woman a derisive smile.

    "Do you think your words still hold any weight after something like this?"

    "Even if you knew, would you tell us?"

    Linda naturally couldn''t care less about her dignity as an older woman at the moment, and quickly bowed in front of her ''idol''. "Y-You must believe me! If I really knew about it in advance, I would never let anyone endanger you for any reason!"

    As if worried no one would believe her anyway, she coughed. "A-Anyway, if something really happened to you with me around, wouldn''t my daughter hound me to deathter?"

    The male diplomat almost coughed out blood in anger, wondering just how fragile the ''admirable'' loyalty of this woman had really been all along. But when he thought about the current situation, he realized that his colleague might just have had a rare moment of genius.

    With the temperament of this kiddy empress, wasn''t appealing to her pride the best way to convince her of the truth?

    Thinking about it that way, he also nodded hurriedly. "Everyone can see that those people shot without a care for who they were going to kill. It must definitely be someone who hates both the Blue Dawn and the Red Dusk! No, maybe it might even be someone who wants to sow discord between us!"

    If not for Emilia''s request to let her film a little bit of their'' live reactions'' to possibly useter, not to mention Dixie, maybe even Noelle would have just knocked the man out and stuffed him in a dark cell by now.

    As it was, though, Dixie still almost failed to resist the urge to beat him to death. "Do you think we''re stupid¡ª!"

    Emilia giggled as she patted the dark-haired girl''s hand to calm the girl down. "No need to argue so much. Why not take a closer look at the screen?"

    The two diplomats could only do as they were told, though the confusion was apparent on their faces at a nce.

    Surprisingly, multiple people in full Hazmat suits had entered the room where the ''terrorists'' were lying unconscious, and started removing the ck masks on their faces.

    The two diplomats were still a little confused at first, but when Tom''s face came into view, they almost couldn''t believe their eyes.

    How could the chief of their intelligence division be among this bunch of terrorists?!

    Of course, their expressions also easily gave away the fact that they recognized the man, but it was already toote by the time they realized it.

    Emilia grinned. "The two of you know him, right?"

    The male diplomat''s face turned pale, but futile as he knew it was, he still tried his best to pretend to be calm. "T-That is, uh, h-he does have a face very simr to someone we know, b-but that only goes to show how well prepared our enemy was in their attempt to sow discord!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 471 Depths of Despair

    Chapter 471 Depths of Despair¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Instead of answering them directly, Emilia just motioned for Dixie to y the next clip.

    This one wasn''t a high-definition video like the announcement from before, but an audio tape. The contents, however, were no less chilling to the captured soldiers.

    "Mr. President, the thing about the imntation of explosives inside the soldiers going for mission Blue¡­ can I suggest we go with some alternate method?"

    The voice was unmistakably that of their general, and if they hadn''t known just how ruthless that man was, the soldiers would have almost thought he was pleading in their favor.

    The chuckling voice of Red Dusk''s president only confirmed their thoughts. "I know you must think it''s too careless and unsafe, and I agree. But rest assured, I''m not stupid enough to rely on something that can be easily dug out by the soldiers themselves, no. This is just¡­ to fool Tom."

    "Ah, that guy¡­ I still don''t get why you have to send him out, to be honest. My men are more than capable of handling everything by themselves, and he''ll only hinder them, if anything."

    The president sighed. "I know, general, I know. He''s just too much of a thorn by my side, and I thought this was as good an opportunity as any to get rid of him. I''ve already made some preparations so that he will end up taking most of the me for the incident, too. Isn''t that two birds with one stone?"

    The general''s voice seemed hesitant. "The idea is good, Mr. President, but with Tom''s level of shrewdness and control over things here¡­ I''m afraid it''ll be difficult to get rid of him so easily, why don''t we¡ª"

    A disdainful clicking of the tongue from the president interrupted the general. "We''ve known each other for how many years, general? Rx! Do I ever do things I''m not a hundred percent sure of? Look, what is this?"

    It was naturally impossible for anyone to know what was being shown to the general using just the audio, but his gasping reaction seemed to indicate that it must be something quite amazing, at least.

    The president chuckled. "It looks quite fantastical, doesn''t it? Unfortunately, it''s not really some magic liquid, and the fluorescence is just from a few radioactivepounds inside¡ª"

    The general panicked. "M-Mr. President¡ª! If it''s not safe, you should put it away immediately!"

    The president only sighed in exasperation. "Oh rx, will you? It''s not quite dangerous enough to kill us in just a few minutes, or even hours. That is¡­ unless we drink it."

    The general gulped. "Y-You mean?"

    The president''s grin was clear even from his voice. "That''s right. This thing was actually identally created by our nuclear research facility in the north, and can kill anyone who ingests it within fifteen days. But that''s not the most amazing thing about it."

    He chuckled. "What makes it really amazing is that during this ''hibernation'' period, it won''t show any negative side-effects at all, except for making the people who took it a little more hot-tempered than usual."

    The president''s voice turned darker. "And even after death, it will leave behind no signs or symptoms. For all intents and purposes, it will look like the victims died of something akin to an extreme heatstroke!"

    The general gulped. "W-What an amazing thing¡­ can we mass produce it?"

    The president sighed. "Unfortunately not. Just this one bottle cost us nearly ten billion dors, and it''s only good enough for twenty people. On the plus side, however, it can easily be mixed with any drinks or food, being tasteless and odorless, and is alsopletely incurable, so it will never go to waste."

    "Amazing¡ª!"

    The recording cut off here, but the captured soldiers still found themselves reeling from the shock.

    They had thought that they might still have a chance since the explosive devices were dug out by the ''monster'' from earlier, and the empress was just a silly and childish little girl, after all¡­ but that no longer seemed to be the case.

    Their own president, the leader of the country they had spent their entire lives serving¡­ wanted to leave them with no way out!

    What infuriated them the most wasn''t that he wanted to make sure they died in case of capture, no, they already epted that part of the mission readily. What really pissed them off was the fact that it didn''t even matter if they returned back safely afterpleting their mission.

    Since the president made it clear that the ''poison'' was without a cure, they would die regardless of the sess of their mission, and regardless of whether they managed to return to themonwealth or not.

    Moreover, the president''s words in the recording,bined with the prompt actions taken against themselves and their families, made the captured soldiers have an even more terrifying thought.

    If they nned to use their ipetent ''captain'' Tom as a scapegoat from the start¡­ wasn''t that the same for themselves and their families as well?!

    "NO! I served themonwealth for so many years, and this is how they repay me?!"

    "I was fine giving up my life, but why implicate my wife and children!"

    "My son!"

    "I-I¡­ m-my mom¡­ I-I''m sorry¡­ mom¡­"

    Compared to their current despair, their previous desperation while wishing for death was really nothing much. After all, no matter how much physical pain was inflicted on their bodies, they could at least rest assured that their loved ones were safe and sound in their homes.

    Now, however, it was as if someone hadpletely overturned their world, and directly thrown them to the deepest pits of hell.

    Emilia smiled. "Don''t be so sad. Although I cannot save you from the incurable poison¡­ it''s not impossible for me to help your families out."

    Her voice lowered, turning into a seductive whisper that sent the listener''s minds reeling in a daze. "After all¡­ if I ask for the people rted to my ''murderers'' be handed over for ''revenge''¡­I believe your president would be quite willing topromise, don''t you think?"

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 Chapter 474 Blindsided

    Chapter 474 Blindsided¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although he had been unable to refute the girl from the start to the end, the president of Red Dusk was still someone with decades of political experience. One failure, no matter how massive, wouldn''t make himpletely lose his cool.

    "Since the empress is unwilling to be reasonable, we¡ª"

    Emilia sighed. "What a waste of time. Bye."

    Cutting off the call before the opposite side could protest, the crimson-haired girl quickly pulled up Noelle''s number with a smile. "For any furthermunication with Red Dusk, let them know that the empress won''t talk to them until their president is ready to start the talk with ''Sorry'', alright?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but smile wryly. "Alright. Anything else?"

    Emilia grinned. "Mhm¡­ proceed with the next phase."

    The gray-haired girl nodded. "I got it."

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    The president of Red Dusk might have been a bit disturbed by just how badly his ns had failed against the childish empress of Blue Dawn, but that didn''t mean he would believe just anything.

    Even if she had somehow managed to discover the ''terrorist attack'' in advance, that didn''t mean all of his closest aides werepromised. More than likely, someone by her side just managed to get lucky and stumbled across something they shouldn''t have.

    As for having the ''antidote'' to the incurable poison¡­ the little girl was definitely bluffing.

    Not only was the matter kept under extremely tight wraps to prevent their then chief intelligence officer from discovering it, but the so-called ''antidote'' she imed to possess didn''t even exist to begin with!

    From what he understood, his own scientists had barely even scratched the surface of how the ''poison'' they discovered even worked!

    He didn''t believe she really had some way to save Tom from the ''incurable poison'', and knowing how cunning the man was, the president was also well aware that he wouldn''ty all his chips bare to the empress in just a few days, no matter the circumstances.

    That is, unless the empress had some kind of all-curing panacea. But that was obviously impossible.

    If she was truly so lucky, then he might as well just lie down and let her walk all over him, because there was no point in trying to even resist.

    Anyway, as long as that wasn''t the case, Tom should be dead before tomorrow''s sunset without a doubt.

    Then, he could still spin the narrative of the empress misunderstanding everything, and the ''real culprits'' silencing the most crucial ''witness'' to prevent the exposure of truth to the world.

    If the empress still insisted on making things difficult for themonwealth¡­ well, they weren''t necessarily at a disadvantage. As long as he could keep his own people convinced that the fault wasn''t on their side, everything would be more or less fine.

    The only pity was that they failed to get any major ''advantage'' from the whole n, except for getting rid of Tom, which was barely worth it at this point.

    But at least they didn''t suffer too badly thanks to all the precautions he took.

    After all, with the current strength of Blue Dawn, the empress couldn''t possibly have the guts to really dere a war, right? She wouldn''t be talking about pensation'' if that had been her intention, anyway.

    Unfortunately, he not only failed to understand Emilia''s capability, but alsopletely misjudged her intentions.

    From the beginning, what she had been aiming for was not a conquest through war, but¡­ to pull the current president off his chair!

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    In contrast to her enemy''s thoughts, taking care of Tom''s poison was naturally a non-issue for Emilia. The only reason she hadn''t already done so was because she wanted him to feel the despair of death first.

    The crimson-haired girl also wasn''tpletely unaware of the ''misery'' of the ''terrorists'' under the hands of her dear maid. After all, even if Noelle was willing to cooperate with Crystal to ''hide'' certain things from her to keep her mind from being tainted, that wasn''t necessarily the case for Alexandria and the people of Blue Dawn.

    To them, the more it looked like someone was trying to hide something from their empress, the more likely they were to try and get that information to her ears. This wasn''t just to earn her praise, though that definitely helped, but also because most of them couldn''t bear the thought of someone ''betraying'' their empress.

    Regardless of how much freedom and reputation Emilia''s closest friends enjoyed in Blue Dawn, their movements were also under equally great scrutiny by the people around them. This was something that even the empress herself couldn''t change even if she wanted to.

    Waving off her second secretary concern, Emilia smiled. "Let the girls y as they wish, ahh, just a few worthless morons. I don''t mind."

    Alexandria also knew that their empress would never ept those ''prisoners'' as ''citizens'' regardless of how they imed to repent in the future, so she wasn''t too surprised by her decision.

    Even if one were willing to overlook the fact that they tried to kill their empress as something they did as part of their ''duty'' at the time, their characters were far from being fit to integrate with their empire''s people anyway.

    As for how she could possibly guess their character? Well¡­

    She may not have known Michelle for long, but anyone who met her could tell that the only thing that could possibly piss her off so much could only be something rted to Emilia.

    And given her reaction¡­ either these people had some abhorrently heinous thoughts about their empress, or nned to do something extremely disgusting. Otherwise, Michelle''s emotional response would never be so intense.

    Having sent Alexandria away, Emilia leaned back in her chair while groaning. "Ah¡­ it''s so boring to wait. When is that president going to fall off his chair?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh. "You keep leaning so far back¡­ be careful not to fall yourself."

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. ''Oh? Is Cynthia worried I''ll hurt my butt if I fall? Or are you looking forward to rubbing it console me? Tsk tsk, how naughty!''

    As she expected, her partner immediately exploded from embarrassment. "W-Who would want to do something so shameless?!"

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 Chapter 479 Swindled

    Chapter 479 Swindled¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Having already expected his outburst, Emilia wasn''t surprised at all. "Rx¡­ It''s not like I''m asking you to take over the world or anything¡­ Just make sure that the current government of Red Dusk loses their support, and a new onees into power within the next thirty days, that''s it."

    Tom pointed a finger at his own face in disbelief. "I get what you''re saying, but¡­ how am I supposed to get any of that done?!"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked at him innocently. "I was told that you were an ambitious and powerful man, and someone with significant weight in Red Dusk. Did I¡­ make a mistake?"

    Looking at the girl''s slightly sullen expression, Tom suddenly felt his heart thump in terror. ''No no, wait, this isn''t going how I wanted it to at all!''

    Quickly readjusting his mind as best he could, the ex-chief intelligence officer coughed. "I-It''s not that I don''t want to or can''t do it, but it''s just¡­ Right now, I have no way to know how many people on my side are still there, and how many have already been secretly weeded out by the president, you know?"

    He couldn''t help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the gorgeous girl looking convinced by his words. "I-I''ll do what I can, but I can''t promise how effective it will be, or how long it will take to really get the results you expect, so¡ª"

    Emilia snorted haughtily. "Don''t make me regret saving your life, mister. If it was easy, why would I bother keeping you alive?" She grinned. "If you really can''t get it done¡­ no issue. I''ll just have to take what I want by force. It won''t be the first time, anyway."

    Tom almost coughed out a mouthful of blood in anger. ''This overconfident bitch!''

    Did she even know the consequences of dering a war on Red Dusk now? Even if Blue Dawn could miraculously pull off a victory, it would be pyrrhic at best. It would be a wonder if the final victor didn''t get taken over by some other foreign power!

    Unfortunately, no matter how against it he was, Tom was well aware that no matter what he said, the stubborn little girl in front of him would remainpletely unaffected.

    After all, with so many sycophants by her side, it was no surprise that her ego was already hundreds of timesrger than her brain. And in the current position, he was probably no better than an insignificant peasant in Emilia''s eyes.

    The greatest city in the world wasn''t built in a day, and Tom knew the importance of being patient and waiting for the right time. ''If I want things to change¡­ I will have to take things step by step.''

    One day, this trove of treasure would be his, no matter what.

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    After Tom was taken away, Sam couldn''t help but nudge her little sister curiously. "I do get what you''re nning on doing, but is that guy really reliable?"

    Emilia turned to her with a confident grin. "Oh, don''t worry, despite how he looks, he does have enough connections to pull this kind of thing off. Not to mention, didn''t Noelle already arrange¡ª"

    The older girl sighed. "That''s not what I''m worried about, you know? What I was really wondering was¡­ well, uh, his intentions¡­?"

    Emilia blinked. "Ah¡­"

    Turning to look at Crystal, who was guiltily avoiding looking into her eyes, she sighed. "I won''t deny it, but you have to understand that just because some people intend to harm me, doesn''t mean they have the ability to really do so."

    Naturally, with the heroine''s ability, it was impossible for them to not know that Tom had already guessed some of Emilia''s ''talents'', nor were they oblivious to how he coveted her.

    In fact, even without Crystal''s ability, with how hungrily he stared at her body, it would be impossible for them to miss what he really thought of her.

    For a man in his position to not even realize how heated his gaze was, let alone keep it under control¡­ clearly, his greed for their precious princess had already far exceeded any eptable levels.

    Emilia had initially only wanted to cozy up with all her darlings after dealing with ''the pest'', so she couldn''t help but give Noelle a pleading look once she saw that Sam wasn''t quite convinced.

    The gray-haired girl sighed. "Alright, I hate to say it, but Emilia isn''t being unreasonable here, no need to bully her. Before Tom leaves, we''ll definitely be taking enough precautions to make sure he can''t pull anything ''strange'' off once he''s out of Blue Dawn, and Mindy is also going to be by his side just in case."

    Aside from Emilia, the others couldn''t help but be surprised.

    "But didn''t Emilia send Mindy to school? I thought she didn''t want to be involved in this type of matter after her final mission was done?"

    Of course, technically Mindy was already past the age for ''schooling'', being twenty-three, but with the orders of the empress, starting a sped-up curriculum from elementary school was but a breeze.

    Formal education may not work well for its intended purposes, but it did wonders when it came to instilling people with a sense of ''normalcy'', which was exactly what someone taught to be a discardable experiment needed most. Or so they thought.

    Noelle shrugged. "I guess she enjoys excitement?"

    Inwardly, though, she couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''If I tell them that she was too obsessed with Emilia to really be able to stay away from ''helping'' her when possible, wouldn''t she get even more smug?''

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    The poprity of the current president of Red Dusk among both the people and the members of the parliament had already been on the decline ever since the attempted assassination.

    Of course, this was mostly because of his perceived ''mismanagement'' of the issue, and not because they thought of him as malicious. After all, with his image as an overly cautious and even somewhat cowardly leader, no one believed that he would be stupid or daring enough to pull something like this off.

    That is to say, most people of Red Dusk still believed that their president was either being misunderstood or being framed. His greatest fault right now was merely ''ipetence'', which many med him for, but it wasn''t really something they found uneptable in their hearts.

    Until Tom returned to themonwealth, that is.

    The return of the ''captured traitor'' who took part in the assassination of the neighboring empire''s Empress was enough to set off a storm in themonwealth that was almost bigger than the actual event itself, and most people couldn''t even believe it when they first heard it.

    "Is this for real?! How does he have the guts toe back here?"

    "No no, there''s no way he came back on his own. Wasn''t he captured? The empress of Blue Dawn must have sent him back!"

    "But why? Shouldn''t he have punished him herself? Her personality couldn''t be THAT soft, right?"

    "I have a crazy guess here, but¡­ could she be sending him here to see how we deal with him?"

    "You''re probably right?!"

    "I say he be dealt with in the harshest way possible!"

    Naturally, most people didn''t want conflict of toorge a scale. They knew it would only hurt their interests, and hardly ever result in substantial benefits. No one wanted that.

    As one of the main ''culprits'' who almost plunged their lives into chaos, Tom was already hated by most people in the Commonwealth.

    What shocked them, however, was that after he was ''returned'' to be presumably disposed of, the political party opposing their current president actually took the initiative to shelter him.

    "There is a lot more to this than most people think, and we intend to bring the truth to light!"

    Slowly but surely, more and more ''facts'' rted to the assassination were revealed to the people of Red Dusk, and the entirety of themonwealth was shocked to discover that Tom wasn''t a heinous traitor, but a hero!

    That''s right, a hero!

    "Is it true that the president was the one nning to kill the empress from the start?"

    "Oh dear, how miserable must he have been to know that a war was ''inevitable'', he knew about it in advance, but there was nothing he could do to stop it because no one would listen?!"

    "But to think he would go so far as to sacrifice himself¡­ what a man!"

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 Chapter 483 Allowed To Shine

    Chapter 483 Allowed To Shine¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The judge assigned to their case had at first wanted to dismiss it entirely by giving outpensation from the empire''s own funds for the damages at first. But because Cindy insisted on paying it herself, both the judge and the ''victim'' were left feeling quite embarrassed and tangled, feeling like they were bullying an innocent little girl.

    What made it even more awkward was that Cindy also pleaded with them for the favor of ''allowing installments''. Had it not been for the fact that the judge had already talked about his ''pardon'' before, people might even have suspected the girl was just trying to get more ''pity'' points.

    As it was, however, she became quite famous due to the live telecast of all trials, and even ended up catching the attention of the Prime Arbiter, Crystal.

    Mindy wasn''t as na?ve as her sister, so she naturally understood the blonde girl''s intentions in approaching her from the start.

    With the justice system they were trying to develop, it couldn''t have been easy to find people with the right character for critical positions, and Crystal must definitely have seen the potential in her sister.

    Of course, she still needed the right education and guidance first, but those were just minor issues.

    The moment she looked into her eyes, however, Mindy knew she had been discovered.

    The way Crystal''s expression changed from warm and gentle to shocked and wary made it unmistakable that even if she didn''t know everything¡­ she knew enough.

    For a moment, Mindy had even considereding out herself and killing the girl before doing her best to escape, and she was d that she hadn''t decided to do so in the end.

    From that point on, the trajectory of her life changedpletely.

    Of course, whether she would have seeded in even getting to her with Crystal''s tough security wasn''tpletely certain, and the chances of making it out alive after that would definitely have been abysmal.

    Mindy was sure that, regardless of the oue, the Empress would definitely never have looked at her with that appreciative smile even if Crystal herself forgave her.

    It was still a mystery to her how the Prime Arbiter had managed to guess there was something ''wrong'' with Cindy right from the start, or why Empress Emilia believed in her so much. But these were questions she could always ask afterpleting her mission here first.

    Of course, there was no way she would let Tom in on such things. It was enough to dispel some of his suspicions about her at this time to get him to focus on the task more efficiently, but if really tried to go further than that¡­ well, it''s not like he really needed all ten of his fingers to write.

    Tom gave her a half-convinced and half-skeptical look. "So it was only really coincidence through which you got in touch with the empress? And what happened then that made you switch your loyalty, love at first sight?"

    Seeing him chuckle in amusement at his own ''joke'', Mindy almost said yes, but managed to restrain herself just in time.

    Recalling how the empress had chided her for throwing away her bright future ''needlessly'' before agreeing to her request to follow and monitor Tom, she couldn''t help but smile in her heart.

    ''It''s funny¡­ although my sister thinks of Crystal as her angel and Emilia as her goddess, in reality¡­ it is the empress who cares about us more. To her ''angel'', we are but another tool to serve her goddess, and the only thing she feels for us is a little bit of pity.''

    In fact, it was also because of Emilia that she didn''t just end up bing a ''judge trainee'' as Crystal wanted, and instead got to delve into multiple ''career lines''.

    A more traditional schooling and mentoring for Cindy, and something that allowed a little more ''adventure'' for Mindy.

    "Since the two of them have their own talents, why not let them shine brighter?"

    Those words still kept ringing in her mind and heart, every day, every night. For the first time in her life, Mindy felt that she was not just ''useful'' to someone, but¡­ valued. Cherished.

    Of course, the feelings that the empress had for them weren''t particrly deep. She could tell.

    For the Emilia, perhaps she was just another slightly rebellious child.

    There was a hint of adoration and spoiling in her gaze when the gorgeous girl looked her way, but after seeing how the empress interacted with Crystal and the others, Mindy knew just how vast the difference in their ''weight'' was in Emilia''s heart.

    The Empress wanted her to have the path to sess, but if she failed in the end¡­ it would just be a pity. Her heart wouldn''t break. Maybe after some time, the crimson-haired beauty would even forget that someone like Mindy existed.

    In the end, she ended up shaking her head with a sneer. "¡­ I don''t want to waste more time on you, Tom. Call it coincidence or luck, whatever. Anyway, I knew the moment I met her that Emilia was definitely more worthy of my trust than¡­ someone like you?"

    Tom opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut just as quick. ''Hate to admit it¡­ but I can see her point. With a stupid and gullible leader like Emilia, the only thing one really needs to worry about is her getting bamboozled by others.''

    "You know, I still used to be your guardian. At least show me some respect¡­" Tom grumbled, though his mind was already turning in apletely different direction.

    ''If you ignore her face, that little bitch Emilia is about as far from ''perfect'' as one can possibly be, regardless of what all those dumb cunts keep saying. But thinking about it carefully¡­ that''s exactly what makes her better as an ''Empress''!''

    At the very least, no one needed to worry about her doing something like what his own president did before, plotting so maliciously against both his own subordinates and his neighboring country while pretending to be so friendly like a snake.

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 Chapter 485 Forward

    Chapter 485 Forward¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The news of the new president of Red Dusk reaching a promise'' with the Empress of Blue Dawn soon reached the ears of the Commonwealth''s public, and many people couldn''t help but praise the man for his petency''.

    Although most of these early news reports were mostly ''tentative'', most people were already sure of their authenticity based on the trend. "Our new president is definitely much better than thest one, isn''t he? Makes me wonder why more people didn''t vote for him before!"

    "¡­ I mean, he looks like a frog with a wig¡­"

    Of course, there had been nock of memes and jokes all over the world over the ''funny'' appearance of their new president. And while manyughed along, some citizens couldn''t help but be offended by the association.

    "I still think he''s a good guy!"

    "Yeah, don''t judge a book by its cover!"

    What hurt their argument the most wasn''t those ''trolls'' on the inte, however, but their own fellow citizens. "Well, It''s not just about his looks... isn''t the way he speaks also kind of weird? I wouldn''t want someone like that to represent us if I had a choice."

    "Give the man a break. Didn''t he manage to convince that stubborn Empress of Blue Dawn to forget about what happened before?"

    "Right? If you think someone who can make people forgive others for trying to kill them is ''not good at talking'', I really don''t know what to say."

    Unfortunately for these supporters, however, the more they refuted these ''skeptics'', the more resistant they were to epting ''their'' new president. "Huh? Do you really believe the Empress would give up on revenge so easily based on what the media is saying? I''m telling you, either she''s biding her time, or the new president must have promised her a lot of benefits!"

    "Duh! Of course he has topensate her somehow! But isn''t that fine? Although our old president decided most of the bad stuff on his own, it''s a fact that our soldiers tried to kill her. I think this result is already quite good."

    Evidently, most people in Red Dusk were on a simr page, and even when the government released some details on thepromises they had reached with Blue Dawn, there was more appreciation than critique thrown their way.

    "Just a few aircrafts and ships, not even of thetest generation, and a few cooperation agreements¡­ that''s it? This Empress must be really easy to please, huh?"

    "She''s quite cute when I think about it¡­ makes me wonder what kind of monster our old president was to try to get her killed just so he can have an excuse to start a war."

    "Don''t forget that he wanted to get rid of some of our best men while at it too, just because they were in his ''opposite camp''!"

    "Gah! What a bastard!"

    "I hope he gets flogged to death!"

    Of course, the most crucial part of thepromise wasn''t disclosed to the public as it was considered ''critical to national security'', or their reactions might have been a little different.

    Looking at the results from his office, Tom couldn''t help but smile. "What do you think, Cindy, did I do well on the mission?"

    The ash-blonde hesitated for a while before shaking her head. "I-I don''t know¡­ Was there any need for you to fan the mes against your own ally like that?"

    Tom sighed. "You won''t understand, girl. If I let him get too confident andcent, would he really be willing to adjust for our empress when needed, especially in the future?"

    Well, the truth was that he still needed to sow the seeds for the fruits he wanted to reap after dealing with Emilia, and Tom knew that now was the best time to do it.

    The ash-blonde nodded thoughtfully, not noticing the hidden, dark smile in Tom''s eyes. ''Fucking idiot¡­ trusting this simpleton to keep an eye on me, huh? Well, I don''t mind getting a few more glowing reports to earn her trust faster!''

    In his opinion, even if Mindy was ''watching'' him, she was just a more efficient murder tool with even worse social skills than her ''sister''. A threat, yes, but not for those who knew how to handle her efficiently.

    ''Both that little bitch and our dear new president are happy and content right now, and their guards are the lowest they can be against me. Unfortunately, the moves I can make are limited, or this would be the best time for a final, decisive strike.''

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    Despite her initial annoyance with the new president of Red Dusk, by the time their ''meeting'' ended, Emilia was actually quite ecstatic. "I can''t believe he just agreed to everything!"

    Noelle smiled. "Of course he did. He''s a typical short-sighted politician who wants to solidify his ''chair'' as much as possible, and couldn''t give two hoots about any ''future repercussions'' his decisions today will have on the country he''s leading."

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "I suppose it''s a win-win for the both of us, then. He gets to please the public and his supporters with a ''quick and thorough resolution'' of the issue they were most worried about, while we get all the blueprints and tech we need to speed up our progress!"

    White Deer Corporation might have many of the current technologies in the world at the state-of-the-art level, but for certain things that various governments kept under tight wraps, it was nearly impossible for them to have had much of a chance to ''acquire'' them. Until now, that is.

    Noelle shrugged. "Don''t expect any miracles. What the Red Dusk has isn''t really the ''best'' in the world at the moment. It might help our researchers save quite a bit of time in development, but there''s no way to tell how effective the results would be."

    Currently, although they had already started stepping into most of these ''forbidden'' areas after acquiring their own fully-controlled territory, the White Deer Corporation was still multiple generations behind the state of the art.

    Ideally, they would be able to jump up to a level where they were just one or two generations behind the current level of the ''top'', which was where Red Dusk was at, and then work their way up from there.

    If they were lucky, they could not only ''catch up'' to the top yers, but perhaps even make a few lucky diversions and exceed them!

    Of course, this was the best-case scenario.

    In the worst case¡­ well, they would still be multiple generations behind the current state of the art.

    Emilia also knew that while she had managed to nab quite a few hidden talents so far, and Crystal''s ability also helped, none of them could be given the title of ''exceptional''.

    And to achieve results that exceeded expectations in the field of science and technology, what they needed was exactly that kind of ''abnormal'' existence¡­ or a lot of luck.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Ahh, whatever. Did you tell Cindy and Mindy to return, by the way?"

    "I did, but she won''t be leaving for another two days." Noelle pursed her lips in thought. "Emilia¡­ are you really sure about this? Without her, the eyes we have left won''t be enough to observe all the moves at the topmost level of Red Dusk, you know?"

    Emilia grinned. "Don''t worry."

    Seeing Noelle roll her eyes in exasperation, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but pout. "Hey! It''s not like I''m stupid and don''t understand the threat of Tom, but¡­ since we already know what he''s going to do, is there any need to keep letting Mindy and Cindy be at risk?"

    Of course, considering how capable she was, the risk wasn''t actually that big. Things may turn bad, yes, but she should still be able to survive most situations unless caughtpletely off guard, which was unlikely as it was her job to remain vignt.

    And in the worst case, even if she couldn''t escape all the way to Blue Dawn on her own, hiding and waiting for rescue should still be an option.

    After a short pause, Emilia smiled shyly. "Actually, there''s another reason I wanted to call her back¡­ Since we''re going to Phoenix soon, it wouldn''t hurt to have one more person capable of keeping an eye out for Crystal and big sister, right?"

    Noelle frowned, but thinking about how things could get quite unpredictable there, she couldn''t help but nod in agreement. "¡­ Surprisingly, that''s not a bad idea."

    "What do you mean ''surprisingly''?! None of my ideas are bad!"

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 Chapter 486 Phoenix

    Chapter 486 Phoenix¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The country of Phoenix was widely acknowledged as one of the most prosperous in the world. With the world''s reserve currency being issued by them, and their capital also being the most popr spot to host international ''peace talks'' and other matters of worldwide interest, many rightly referred to Phoenix as the ''Heart of the World''.

    This included the Golden Crown, which although more oriented towards the leading business people of the world, also weed many top-tier politicians and influential figures for the purpose of ''facilitating trade''.

    If not for the fact that they werendlocked from all sides andcked the required military prowess, perhaps the title of being the world''s greatest country would undisputedly belong to them.

    As the prime minister of Phoenix, Betrix was naturally both the wielder of enormous influence, and the one who shouldered tremendous responsibility.

    Unlike most other politicians who took pride in their roles, however, she was someone who hated being where she was.

    She hated the fact that she had to weigh each and every word that came out of her mouth like gold.

    She hated that she couldn''t just go wherever she pleased or do what she wanted without considering the ''implications'' of her actions.

    And most importantly, she hated that she couldn''t trust anyone else to take her position and do as good a job.

    There was a brief knock on her door before a short-haired woman opened it swiftly, entering the room with a smile. "Good news, Be! That girl you invited hasn''t canceled on youst minute as you kept worrying, and her private flight is confirmed to have departed from Blue Dawn!"

    Betrix couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Who kept worrying? Don''t make things up. I already knew she was stubborn and fearless, how could such a pathetic assassination attempt possibly deter her froming over?"

    Her friend clicked her tongue derisively. "Oh my, miss prime minister, do you think I''m stupid? Of course, I may not be as smart as you, but I can still tell your words don''t quite match your actions here! Why else would you show your ''support'' to her despite everyone''s advice otherwise?"

    The prime minister frowned, but refused to respond to her ''baseless'' argument.

    Perhaps her friend also knew how stubborn she could be, so she just shrugged before giving her a mischievous smile. "By the way, since she''ll be here quite soon, should I go make arrangements for you to receive her at the airport?"

    Be coughed. "N-No need. As there will be hundreds of VIPsing in over the next few days, I cannot be expected to wee them all personally, can I? Just do things ording to the standard procedure."

    Her ''friend'' sighed helplessly. "As you say, miss prime minister."

    Mumbling how it was no wonder she was almost about to hit forty but still single, the woman swiftly rushed out before the high heel could hit her on the head.

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    Emilia naturally had no idea about the altercation in the office of Phoenix country''s prime minister, and was already quite pleased with the wee she got at the airport upon arrival.

    Not only were the people sent by the government polite and courteous, but more importantly, there were quite a few groups of fans scattered all over the ce who squealed joyful greetings her way whenever she passed them by.

    Unfortunately, she couldn''t interact with them much considering the government officials of Phoenix insisted she take their car to the guest house they had arranged ''for her own safety''.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Well, at least they look sincere?''

    Not wanting to cause a scene on the first day here, she could onlyply and follow them to the limousines that were already ready and waiting for her arrival.

    Fortunately, their group of seven was still small enough tofortably fit into a single vehicle with some space to spare, so Emilia didn''t have to worry that any of them would be ufortable or unsafe.

    Of course, what made her even happier was that she could finally reunite with Sam, though it was a pity that Justine and her friends still had to stay back to not stand out too much, and could only meet up with themter.

    It might be impossible to hide their existence from the likes of the government of Phoenix, but with how strictly information was handled here, it was unlikely that the ones she really needed to be wary of would be able to get hold of such information easily.

    Naturally, having been separated from her for a while once more, Emilia was quite clingy to her big sister, and clung onto her arm like a little ko from the moment they ''reunited''.

    With Dixie, Crystal, and Michelle taking the opposite seat, Noelle reluctantly took the ce to Emilia''s right with a sigh. "You''re already quite popr even here, huh?"

    The door was closed after the meek ash-blonde ''Cindy'' took the ce next to Noelle, keeping her head low to avoid attracting much attention her way.

    Sam couldn''t help but pat her little sister''s head with a smile. "My little baby is so cute, of course everyone likes her!"

    Emilia grinned, looking proud. "Ehehe¡­ although their adoration feels good to see, what makes me happier is when someone I love praises me."

    Crystal giggled. "Do you really need to listen to others praising you when you''re so confident already?"

    The crimson-haired girl pouted in dissatisfaction. "It''s obviously not the appearance, but how you feel about me that makes me happy. You know it and still tease me!"

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but blush and look away. "W-Well, I-I can''t help it."

    Of course, Dixie wasn''t nearly as embarrassed. "No need to be shy, since our princess is so beautiful, it''s only right to both praise and tease her if she likes it."

    Though she didn''t forget to add that if her Emily didn''t like being teased for any reason, the retribution must also be delivered swiftly and decisively.

    Finding the dark-haired girl''s thoughts both hypocritical and logical, Crystal couldn''t help but scratch her head in confusion. ''I guess I still have a long way to go to be a good judge?''

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "By the way, Dixie, aren''t you excited to meet your friends after all this time?"

    Dixie rubbed her nose, looking both embarrassed and awkward. "W-Who misses them? Those three idiots are probably goofing off and fighting among themselves as always."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. "No wonder your mother calls you little miss ''tsun-tsun''~"

    Only Cindy remained meekly silent at the corner of her seat, not daring to interject, but her red ears still eagerly capturing their every word. ''W-Wow¡­ I knew that the Empress was so charming and yful, b-but this is really something else.''

    Even if they were very close sisters, wasn''t it too much for miss Samantha to take a sip from the delicate skin on Emilia''s nape? Of course, even if she had such a thought, Cindy wouldn''t dare to say it.

    Not only was it ''none of her business'', since none of the others seemed to mind it, who was she to call them out?

    Plus, looking at them being so friendly and having a good time, Cindy couldn''t help but feel like she had been overthinking things.

    Since Empress Emilia had always been affectionate and a little childish, to the point where even someone like her would sometimes have audacious dreams, wasn''t this kind of interaction between her friends just natural?

    She couldn''t help but wonder if maybe she was good enough and worked diligently for miss Crystal, one day she too would be able to join them just like this.

    Of course, this fanciful thought onlysted for a moment before she shook it off. Cindy knew she should already be grateful for everything she had been given so far. How could she dare ask, or even dream, for more?

    Once they entered the guest house and confirmed the absence of tapping devices and cameras, however, Cindy realized that the previously yful atmosphere had turned a little more serious.

    Emilia sighed. "See. The attitude of the prime minister is clearly not as friendly as big sister kept thinking."

    Sam just looked at Noelle for help, who shrugged with a ''don''t look at me'' look.

    Crystal couldn''t help but cough awkwardly. "We can''t say for sure. Maybe she was just busy? I have a feeling that she''s definitely one of your fans!"

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 Chapter 487 She Doesnt Get It At All

    Chapter 487 She Doesn''t Get It At All¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia thought that both Crystal and her big sister were being a bit too optimistic, but she also hoped that their hunch was right. After all, if the prime minister of Phoenix had a good impression of her, it would certainly make things much easier in the future.

    Of course, if she turned out to be hostile instead, then some of their ns would need a little ''modification'' to prevent unnecessary risks.

    ''I hope it''s not like that, though.'' She sighed.

    Sam coughed. "By the way, Emilia, do you want to visit mom and dad now that we''re here? The vi they purchased is a little far from the capital, though."

    Of course, given that the White Deer didn''tck money, and Mr. and Mrs. White had arrived long ago, they wouldn''t stay in a rented ce. Not to mention, having their own ce made it much more convenient to arrange business meetings and such.

    Emilia thought about it for a moment before shaking her head in denial. "No need, we can meet up on the day of the Golden Crown. They''re probably busy with business, and we might as well take the rest of the day off to rx."

    Not to mention, since Justine should be visiting her soon, it wouldn''t be wise to miss her at such a crucial moment. After all, while they hadmunicated through secure messages and calls from time to time, some things could only be mentioned in person.

    Sam sighed in regret as she copsed on the sofa. "Oh well, I was hoping we could ask mom and dad more details on what the prime minister said and what her expression was at that time."

    In fact, one of the primary reasons Sam and Crystal believed that the prime minister had a good impression of Emilia was because the woman had supposedly ''praised'' her when she met Mr. and Mrs. White.

    Emilia didn''t think that was worth mentioning though, especiallypared to the public statements. After all, the prime minister of Phoenix definitely wouldn''t be stupid enough to badmouth someone''s daughter to their face, would she?

    With the White Deer Corporation''s continuous growth and seemingly bright future prospects, it only made sense that most people who met Mr. and Mrs. White would try to get closer to them any way they could. And knowing they doted on their daughters, wasn''tplimenting them just a basic strategy?

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    As Emilia expected, Justine arrived at the vi they were assigned to the very next morning, along with her three ''students'' before the clock had even struck six.

    "Yes, she''s my friend. Please allow her in."

    "I see, understood. We will still have to search and disarm them if they''re carrying anything dangerous as per our protocol, please understand." The man in charge of their security closed the image on his tablet beforemunicating the orders to his subordinates after seeing Emilia nod nonchntly.

    Inwardly, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ''Luckily, the guests are much more amicable than I expected.''

    Given Emilia''s reputation and appearance, he had fully expected enduring tantrums and all kinds of willful behavior when he first heard that he would be assigned to her, but fortunately, none of them turned out to be true.

    Naturally, the ex-policewoman wasn''t stupid enough to be caught with weapons at this time, and was easily led through after a quick search.

    Of course, Justine could have tried sneaking in, but given how secure the vi was and how vignt the security of phoenix was at the moment, that would just be unnecessarily risky behavior.

    If she was caught at this time, even if Emilia could save her from any consequences, wouldn''t it make theirter missions much less likely to seed?

    The chief of security nodded after he escorted her to the hall. "I''ll take my leave then, please feel free to call me in case there is any issue."

    Emilia waved him away with a smile. "Sure."

    Of course, the moment she saw the crimson-haired beauty, Justine hadn''t been able to control herself no matter how hard she tried. "Emilia! I missed you so much, ahhh!"

    Emilia smiled as she patted her back. "Me too. Let''s go in and talk, okay?"

    Fortunately, she''d already told Dixie not to ''overreact'' when Justine arrived. After all, the girl worked so hard for her in such an unfamiliar environment, and it would be a bit too sad if she got beat up the moment she met them again.

    With her hair still colored a prominent shade of navy blue and form-fitting field clothing, Justine still looked pretty much the same as she remembered, but Dixie''s friends had already changed to an almost unrecognizable state.

    Not to mention Emilia, even Dixie was shocked. "W-What happened to you three?!"

    Not only was their getup way more muted, with all three wearing the simr field clothing as Justine, but their hairstyles had also all changed from being identical topletely different.

    Just seeing Lara without skimpy clothing was strange enough, but unfortunately, it wasn''t just their appearance that had changed.

    Compared to their previous selves, it was allpletely the opposite. Of course, even if they changed a lot, they were still happy to meet their friend after so long.

    "What do you mean what happened to us? Is that how you greet us after so long?!"

    "We missed you, Dixie!"

    "Dixie, hug!"

    Although she begrudgingly allowed them to embrace her in their ''group hug'', Dixie was still sure that their attitude had changed. She just couldn''t figure out how, though. ''Ahh, why is Crystal still asleep?!''

    It was obviously Emilia''s fault for keeping the girl up for so long, but the dark-haired girl naturally wouldn''t me her princess for anything.

    Fortunately, either Crystal heard Dixie''sints somehow, or themotion woke her up as she groggily entered the hall with a yawn. "G-Good morning~"

    Of course, once her sightnded on Justine and the others, she couldn''t help but jump in embarrassment. "A-Ahhh! H-Hi, you girls, l-long time no see!"

    Justine was already snuggled up against Emilia on one sofa, while Dixie and her friends upied the other two, each having just enough space left for one person.

    "Good morning, Crystal!"

    Emilia grinned as she waved her over, but Crystal seemed to have other ns as she coughed awkwardly. "U-Um, y-you catch up with Justine, I-I have something to discuss with Dixie."

    The crimson-haired girl tilted her head in confusion, but she could only shrug and turn back to the pouting Justine, who continuedining about how hard a life she''d had in this ''unforgiving, foreign''nd.

    Of course, Crystal''s mind was elsewherepletely as she whispered urgently into Dixie''s ears. "Did you already know these three had a thing for each other?!"

    The dark-haired girl turned to her with a nk look on her face. "What?"

    Crystal coughed awkwardly as she faced the strange looks of the three girls she was about to gossip about, though fortunately they hadn''t managed to overhear her. "W-We''ll be right back, just one minute!"

    Before the trio could protest, the blonde girl dragged Dixie away all the way to her room before mming the door shut.

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but blink in confusion. "What''s going on?"

    Crystal took a deep breath to calm herself before slowly breathing it out. "Okay, seems like you didn''t know¡­"

    Feeling a little conflicted over whether she should disclose such a private thing or not, in the end the blonde decided she might as well confide in Dixie. After all, she knew the dark-haired girl might be a bit crass at times, but she was definitely not insensitive when it came to her friends.

    Crystal gulped. "Your three friends, t-they¡ª"

    Dixie tilted her head in confusion. "They what¡­?"

    The blonde girl bit her lip nervously before sighing. "Keep calm, okay, but¡­ Lara, Jenna, and Emma¡­ they seem to love each other!"

    Crystal braced for the dark-haired girl''s reaction, but contrary to her expectations, Dixie didn''t seem to be shocked at all.

    "So¡­? I already knew that."

    The blonde girl blinked, dumbfounded. "You did?!"

    Howe she didn''t get a hint of that at all?!

    Dixie nodded. "Of course, although they often bicker and fight among themselves, the three of them are indeed the best of best friends, and would do anything for each other. What''s so strange about that?"

    Crystal couldn''t help but groan out loud. ''I knew it¡­ she doesn''t get it at all!''

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 Chapter 488 Full Circle

    Chapter 488 Full Circle¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Normally, even if her ability allowed her to do so, Crystal wouldn''t bring other people''s private matters to light unless absolutely necessary. But being already familiar with some of Emilia''s more possessive thoughts, the blonde heroine was naturally a little panicked.

    She was hoping that Dixie would help her figure out a way they could break the news to Emilia in a way that would lead to the least amount of ''damage'', but with the dark-haired girl not even getting what was happening, Crystal realized that she was all on her own.

    Even if she was sure that Emilia wouldn''t do anything extreme to the three of them out of consideration of their rtionship with Dixie, she couldn''t be certain how much the incident would end up hurting her. ''Instead of trying to convince Dixie, I might as well hurry back and make sure nothing goes wrong first!''

    As Crystal rushed back without a word, the dark-haired girl could only follow after her in confusion. ''Is that all she wanted to say? That my three friends like each other? I never knew she was so dense¡­ how strange.''

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    Much to Crystal''s surprise, not only did things not head in a bad direction, but the atmosphere in the hall was even more harmonious now than it had been when she left.

    Without Dixie''s re keeping her in check, Justine had daringly put her head in Emilia''sp, where she inadvertently fell asleep with a huge grin on her face.

    The crimson-haired girl, meanwhile, was busy chatting and giggling at the various gossip about both Justine and the people of Phoenix that Lara and Jenna seemed all too happy to share.

    Emma, being the least outspoken of the bunch, only nodded along with a smile.

    Seeing Crystal return looking a little ufortable, however, Emilia''s smile quickly subsided. "Is everything okay?"

    The blonde girl cleared her throat before looking at Dixie, who thankfully got the hint this time.

    "Uh, Emily, is it okay if I take the three of them away to chat for a while?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Sure? Let me know if you need anything. And wake Noelle and Sam up by seven, too, okay?"

    After it was just the two of them left in the hall, along with the sleeping Justine, Crystal carefully weighed her words before she hugged Emilia from the side. "S-So, w-what do you think of Dixie''s friends?"

    Emilia hummed. "The three of them? Well, Lara is quite outgoing and frank, Jenna is brave, though a little brash, and Emma is surprisingly smart, but a little too shy."

    The blonde girl coughed. "I-I don''t mean that, uh, I-I meant more like, what do you feel for them?"

    Giving Crystal a strange look, the crimson-haired beauty finally seemed to realize something. "Wait a minute¡­ don''t tell me you''re thinking I have feelings for them, and will be hurt by their ''rtionship'', right?"

    The blonde girl gasped in shock. "H-How did you know?!"

    Crystal almost pped herself the moment the words left her mouth, but it was already toote. ''I-I can''t believe I just confirmed it to her!''

    Fortunately, Emilia''s reaction wasn''t as bad as she expected. If anything, she seemed to be barely suppressing her giggles. "Really, my angel is just too cute sometimes."

    Although a little embarrassed, the blonde girl couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "I-I can''t believe you already knew. Anyway, the three of them sure have a strange rtionship, huh? I-I mean, it''s not like they all love each other."

    Emilia blinked at her in surprise. "Oh?"

    Realizing that her girlfriend probably didn''t understand everything as well as she thought, Crystal rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "W-Well, from what I understand, Lara only loves Jenna, not Emma. Jenna only loves Emma, not Lara. And¡ª"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Emma only loves Lara, not Jenna?"

    "Yeah!" Crystal jumped. "W-Wait, you knew this part too?!"

    Emilia grinned. "It was quite obvious. I mean, Lara used to hit on so many boys and hook up all the time, but never really got into anything, not even a single date. Jenna dressed like a boy and behaved so protective of Emma, and that girl¡­ well, she practically had both fire and love practically burning in her eyes when she looked at Lara." She tapped the forehead of the blue-haired girl sleeping on herp yfully. "Even Justine realized all of this within a few days of knowing them."

    Looking at her being so proud of her analysis, Crystal couldn''t help but shake her head in amusement. "I really got worried over nothing, then. You don''t seem to care if they got together at all?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Get together? I''m guessing you only used your ability on them briefly and didn''t get the full picture, huh?"

    Crystal blinked. "Huh?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Well, Justine told me this one. Apparently, the three of them had a heart-to-heart while she was ''definitely not snooping around'', and she discovered that they all confessed and reached an... agreement, of sorts."

    Crystal barely resisted the urge to ask her what the agreement was, thinking it was technically none of her business, but fortunately Emilia didn''t leave her girlfriend hanging.

    Emilia rubbed her cheek, looking a little frustrated, as if wondering ''how can people be so stupid?''. "It sounds a little stupid to me, but if they feel like maintaining the ''status quo'' is what will be the best for the three of them, well¡­ we can''t really do much about it, can we? As long as they don''t let it influence their judgment, it''s a matter between the three of them, after all."

    Crystal couldn''t help but reach out to ce her palm on top of her girlfriend''s. "You''re really not bothered, right?"

    Emilia gave her a strange look. "Aside from thinking they''re being stupid, not really?"

    The blonde girl was too embarrassed to question her further, and even more ashamed when Emilia ruffled her hair affectionately. "Since you''re so worried, why not go counsel them instead? Maybe they''ll listen to you?"

    "O-Okay!"

    As Crystal ran away blushing furiously, Cynthia couldn''t help but cough. "Are you really not angry? You can always tell me, you know?"

    Emilia sighed. "Seriously¡­ why should I be angry?"

    The raven-haired girl shrugged. "Well¡­ I just thought you would be a little more upset, considering how possessive you are. It''s like how the emperor can ignore thousands of concubines, but they''re not allowed to indulge in ''perverse acts'' themselves, you know?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles at the thought. "What a thing to say¡­ but I get it, I guess. The thing is... although I care about Dixie''s friends, they never really showed any romantic interest in me, and I didn''t develop any in them either, right? At most, I found their interactions a little interesting."

    Of course, there were certainly people she couldn''t ept the thought of getting romantically involved with others. Some of them, such as Penny and Justine, weren''t even her lovers. At least, not yet.

    If they were to involve themselves with others, she would certainly be quite a bit more mad. It wasn''t just because she found them ''cute'' either. The most important thing was that they showed signs of affection for her, and she actively indulged them. Their ''change in attitude'' would be a betrayal, as far as Emilia was concerned. And she would never forgive that.

    For people she never indulged in any way, however... Emilia certainly didn''t ''like'' them enough to let it bother her. At most, she would push their names out of her mind, and cut off their rtionship, that was it.

    Thinking about it carefully, she nodded. "I think I understand what you mean, now. But rest assured, I don''t treat everyonepletely the same. There are some people I can ept ''losing'', mostly because I never considered them ''mine'' to begin with. Others¡­ not so much."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but wonder how many were included in the list of people Emilia ''really cared about'', but in the end she decided not to ask the question.

    After all, the answer might only end up making her more upset.

    Fortunately, Justine woke up just in time to cut off their conversation, and Emilia''s attention shifted back to the groggy girl on herp. "Were you tired?"

    "N-No, uh, I-I just felt toofortable, and¡­ dozed off."

    Looking at her blushing face, Emilia couldn''t resist teasing the blue-haired ex-policewoman some more.

    After a while, however, their conversation shifted back to more serious topics.

    "Emilia, uh, about my mission¡­ are you sure we should still go ahead with it?"

    The crimson-haired girl nodded. "Of course, although the attitude of Phoenix is different from what we expected at first, that doesn''t change anything."

    "B-But won''t it end up souring our rtionship in the future? T-They''re quite influential and powerful¡­ have you thought about it carefully?"

    Emilia knew she was only thinking well of her, so she only patted the blue-haired girl''s head with a smile. "Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing. The me for the incident won''t fall on the head of the Phoenix country, so it won''t end up souring our rtionship at all. If anything¡­ maybe it will even work out in their favor, who knows?"

    "Ehh¡­ Eh? Can it? How?!"

    The crimson-haired girl flicked Justine''s forehead yfully. "That depends on the attitude of the prime minister when I meet her. Anyway, you just go ahead ording to our previous n, and leave everything else to me, alright?"

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 Chapter 489 Whose fault is it?

    Chapter 489 Whose fault is it?¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Because her mission was still a top priority, Justine and Dixie''s friends obviously couldn''t stay in the vi for too long. Thus, they left shortly after greeting Sam and Noelle, and introducing themselves to Cindy ''and'' Mindy.

    It wasn''t like the others could enjoy a leisurely vacation either, however. Not only was there little time left before the event started, but Crystal also had the responsibility of the Prime Arbiter, leaving her with no choice but to continue monitoring the proceedings of various disputes in the empire remotely.

    Fortunately, things had slowed down considerably by now, and only a few new cases wereing in asionally. And with the increasing experience of the judges, Crystal only needed to interfere a handful of times per week.

    Emilia naturally didn''t like to see her angel working while the rest of them rxed, so they ended up watching the court proceedings by her side as if it were a TV show or movie.

    Of course, considering the nature of most disputes in the Empire of Blue Dawn these days¡­ that wasn''t really far from the truth.

    A vast majority of the cases they had now were marital disputes, and if not for the asional criminal activity by some unruly elements from time to time, perhaps people would really start seeing the courts as a ''marriage and divorce counseling system''.

    The husband, a middle-aged man with a somewhat scraggly beard pointed a finger at the woman on the other side, his anger so palpable that his whole body could be seen shaking. "I''m telling you, judge, if she wants to divorce me, I at least want to have the custody!"

    The woman immediately snorted in disdain. "No way! What am I supposed to do without my babies?!"

    Since they had already watched the previous proceedings, Crystal and the others already knew that the ''babies'' weren''t actually the couple''s children, but the three puppies that they had just recently adopted.

    The husband immediately mmed his fist on the armrest of his chair. "Then don''t divorce me?!"

    The judge also gave the woman a hopeful look, but she was clearly having none of it. "Don''t criticize me about my fangirling then! It''s not like I''m cheating on you or anything, am I?!"

    Before the man could open his mouth to refute, she continued mumbling. "Well, now that I think about it, it may not be a bad idea¡ª"

    Of course, her words were still clear enough for everyone to hear, and the judge ¡ª a twenty-eight-year-old girl personally handpicked by Crystal ¡ª couldn''t help but cough in embarrassment. "I-If you cheat in marriage, your husband definitely gets the custody of the¡­ uhm, babies."

    The woman immediately straightened her back, grinning sheepishly. "K-Kidding, ahaha, oh, I''m just a silly goose, judge, don''t mind it! I-I can agree with having two babies, and he keeps one. But I get to pick!"

    The aggrieved man couldn''t help but start weeping immediately. "See what I have to go through?! How can you do this to me!"

    To her credit, the wife actually looked a little guilty as she sighed. "Ohe on, don''t be so stuffy! Hey... hey! ... Don''t cry, okay? I''ll let you keep two, and you pick?"

    The man wailed even louder. "That''s not the point!"

    Seeing how her goodwill was so easily rejected, the woman also got defensive. "What do you want, then? It''s not my fault that the ''Furious Five'' have super hot bodies, is it?!"

    The husband couldn''t help but sniffle. "Why couldn''t you be more normal and just crush on the empress... why does it have to be the local band?!"

    Emilia couldn''t believe that she was also dragged into their silly quarrel, and while the others only looked amused, she couldn''t help but look away in embarrassment. "T-This doesn''t happen too often, does it?"

    Crystal knew that the crimson-haired beauty had stopped going through too many of the court proceedings after she became sure that everything was stabilized and well taken care of, focusing on other things instead.

    And she couldn''t resist the urge to tease the girl now that she had the chance. "To be honest, Emilia, you''re involved in more than half the ''marital disputes'' we get."

    Emilia bit her lip in embarrassment, looking a little wronged. "I-It''s not like I''m actively going around seducing people!"

    Looking towards Dixie for help, her loyal knight immediately chimed in her support. "That''s right, how can it be Emily''s fault for looking so beautiful? It''s clearly their own fault for daring to look!"

    Not to mention Crystal and Sam, who burst into giggles, even Noelle couldn''t help but chuckle at how shy Emilia looked.

    The only person who wasn''t teasing her in the room was Cindy, who was left clutching her heart in a corner. ''T-Too adorable, I-I might pass out if I keep watching, but I can''t resist!''

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    "Princess¡­ does it really look okay?"

    Emilia sighed, feeling deeply satisfied as she looked at the pink and ck frilled princess dress on the dark-haired girl''s usually boyishly dressed form. "Don''t worry, Dixie, you look absolutely adorable!"

    Seeing how embarrassed she looked, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but pat her knight''s cheek in constion. "Cheer up, if you wear your usual attire, big sister would definitely beat your butt for making her look bad, you know?"

    "S-She wouldn''t dare!"

    Emilia giggled. "Who knows? She might. Let''s go now, or we''ll bete!"

    Dixie couldn''t help but grumble in her heart as she led Emilia to the car that had been prepared for them in advance. ''I wish they just hadpulsory formal attires.''

    But thinking how beautiful her princess looked in her cobalt-blue evening dress lined with coral lilies, her dissatisfaction was quickly dissipated.

    It was a bit unfortunate that she couldn''t personally escort her since she had to protect Sam instead, but with the older girl''s personality, Dixie wasn''t too busy about not being able to keep an eye on Emilia.

    Knowing that those cockroaches she despised so much would also be attending, however, the dark-haired girl couldn''t help feel her fist itch. ''Calm down, Dixie, calm down! Emily said that those bastards are part of her n, so you can''t just rip out their non-existent spines before they''re done serving their purpose!''

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 Chapter 490 Progress

    Chapter 490 Progress¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Since every guest invited to the Golden Crown was only allowed to bring one person with them as their chosenpanion, normally only two of them could follow Emilia and Sam into the venue.

    After much deliberation, the crimson-haired girl finally settled on taking Crystal and Dixie along, while leaving Mindy and Noelle to assist Justine with her mission instead.

    Taking Crystal with her went without saying, of course. With the heroine''s ability, it would be far easier for her to figure out the inner workings of the top elites in the world, and would also allow her to n ahead in case she caught something unexpected. It may have its ws, but it was still amazingly useful.

    As for Dixie¡­ naturally, Emilia would feel much more assured of being able to keep both Crystal and Sam safe with someone capable by her side.

    Noelle and Mindy might be able to fill this role as well, but Dixie''s perceived threat to others was naturally lower than that of Noelle, and Mindy wasn''t quite as capable as the other two options. At least, not yet.

    Of course, it was definitely possible for them to arrange for the others to be escorted in through other means, such as through Mr. and Mrs. White, but Emilia didn''t want to take any chances with her missions.

    Cynthia may not urge her too frequently, but the crimson-haired girl could obviously feel her partner getting a little more impatient and jittery every passing day.

    Even toning down on her ''energy consumption'' only made things a little better, and Emilia knew that to really get the raven-haired girl to start talking again, she would once again have to show her some ''results''.

    It might upset her to get the cold shoulder from her partner like this, but Emilia knew that she would only be able ''reeducate'' Cynthia once she hadpleted another mission.

    Otherwise, with the raven-haired girl''s bullish thought process, it was unlikely that any of her arguments would get through. Fortunately, this didn''t discourage Emilia much, and only made her more determined to figure out a way to make faster progress.

    Although she had alreadypleted her second mission, both the first and the third mission had extremely harsh requirements.

    Not only did they require her to make the most out of any opportunity she got, but there was also a certain factor of ''luck'' involved in the process. Plus, meticulous care needed to be taken to make sure nothing went wrong in the process.

    In the first mission, for example, she needed to not only bankrupt the ck Tiger, but also make sure that the White Deer Corporation became the ''number one'' in the world.

    Emilia now knew that the ''sess'' of the mission depended on the world will acknowledging it, so she at least had to make sure that Amos ''epted'' that as a fact¡­ which was easier said than done.

    Since this was not a game with a ranking system, being ''number one'' was extremely subjective, and even they became the ''richest'', as long as Amos ¡ª and by extension, the World Will ¡ª continued to consider someone like the ''Gray Wolfe'' as the ''real'' number one, Emilia was almost certain that the mission still wouldn''t bepleted.

    Fortunately, while Amos was dense and stubborn, he wasn''t aplete moron. As long as Emilia could ''defeat'' all the ''top'' corporations in the world, she didn''t think he would be able to deny that her White Deer was the number one.

    Compared to this rather ''simple'' task, what gave Emilia a far worse headache was the third mission, which required her to be a ''winner in life'', at least in the eyes of Amos and the World Will.

    But considering thatpleting the first mission should already take her at least halfway through the third, Emilia decided she might as well not worry about it too much for now, and focus on what was in front of her first.

    It was a pity that they still had to work first after traveling so far, but Emilia had already made ns for an outingter to have fun with everyone before they left Phoenix. It may not be as morous as the Golden Crown, but they would at least be free from prying eyes and various social restrictions that came with such events.

    Compared to that, Emilia was more worried about the status of the ''hero'' and the heir of Gray Wolfe.

    Her people were keeping an eye on them as best as they could, but it was naturally impossible for them to obtain much from a distance without taking the risk to alert the enemy.

    ''Well, I guess it''s already time to find out if my n will work or not. Hopefully, they don''t fail to meet my expectations.''

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    Dixie could naturally tell that her princess was lost in thought while they waited for the others. ''Is Emily worried?''

    She sighed. ''Well, I guess all I can do is not disturb her¡­''

    Fortunately, it didn''t take long for Sam and Crystal to arrive, and their idle chatter soon distracted Emilia from whatever ''worries'' she might have had, much to Dixie''s relief.

    Soon enough, Emilia''s entourage reached the venue of the Golden Crown, where they were greeted by a weing official in red.

    After a few rounds of ttery and ''subtle'' probes to make sure she wasn''t dissatisfied at having to walk the rest of the way, the middle-ageddy finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    There was nock of egotistic assholes that she had to deal with during the Golden Crown, but fortunately, this little Empress was much more docile than she expected.

    Her colleague, on the other hand, was clearly not having nearly as good a time. Not only was ''Miss Samantha'' not answering any of his questions, but she was also actively chatting with Emilia as if to drive that point home.

    Of course, anyone who knew her would know that it was a bad idea to try to catch her attention when she was absorbed in flirting with her little sister in the first ce.

    Unfortunately, the poor official had missed the memo, and only felt like his eighteen generations of ancestors must have offended the woman he was assigned to greet today, somehow.

    Luckily for him, though, since Sam didn''t even realize he existed, it was quite unlikely that she would file aint against him either.

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 Chapter 491 Phoenix Palace

    Chapter 491 Phoenix Pce¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although everyone knew that the real reason for not allowing vehicles to get close was for security, the people from Phoenix still liked to pretend that it wasn''t so.

    Throughout the way, the ''guides'' assigned to each of the guests seemed to take great pride in introducing the surrounding ''heritage'' and the history behind it.

    Of course,pared to those who were unfortunate enough to be listening to their tirade for the thirtieth time, Emilia at least still found it quite interesting.

    "Although it is called the Phoenix Pce now, when it was first built for the third and dearest daughter of thest phoenix empress three hundred years ago, its name was supposed to be ''Sunflower Pce''. Meant as a gift for hering of age, which was fourteen at the time¡ª"

    Although she had already seen quite a few castles and pces so far, Emilia had to admit that this ''Sunflower Pce'' was definitely one of the most beautiful she had everid eyes upon.

    From the smooth and shiny white marble that was intricately carved into both the main building and the various decorative structures around it, to the seemingly crystalline windows and doors, everything seemed so delicate and pretty that Emilia could tell just from the care that went into the design that the empress must have really cherished this daughter of hers.

    Of course, not everyone had a happy ending.

    Thedy went on to exin how ''ill timed'' thepletion of the pce was, being just at the cusp of the revolution that abolished monarchy, and what a tragedy it was.

    Emilia nodded along with a smile. ''I wonder if this is what they say to all the guests, or if they are changing the tone a little because I''m an empress?''

    Thedy coughed. "A-As you can imagine, mobs aren''t very open to reason, and they aren''t known for their patience either. There is no consensus among the historians on what exactly happened to them that day, except that the royal family was never heard from again."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "What an interesting story¡­ You missed the most important part, though?"

    "E-Eh, w-what did I miss?"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Of course, it''s the reason why the people felt the need to rebel! Was it some natural disaster that was mishandled, some conspiracy, or were the royals too tyrannical and unreasonable?"

    Regardless of who it was that was ruling a particr territory and how they got there, their strength in their own territory would usually be at the peak. As such, getting rid of their control and making them lose that position was far from easy, and Emilia didn''t believe it could happen without reason.

    Thedy who had been enthusiastically exining things previously looked a little awkward as her eyes flickered from side to side.

    It is widely believed that the main reason for the rebellion was because many other countries had already gone democratic, and the people felt like they were being left behind.

    People of phoenix hate that. They want to be the best of the best. But could she really tell that to a monarch?

    She coughed awkwardly. "T-This¡­ well, i-it''s aplex topic, and I''m afraid it would take too long to exin. I-If the empress is interested, why not reach out to me once the event is over? I''ll be more than happy to exin everything!"

    Dixie politely epted the personal card offered by her on Emilia''s behalf, and the crimson-haired girl just nodded perfunctorily.

    Fortunately, although the gardens around the Phoenix Pce were quite vast, it only took them a few minutes to walk over from where their car had been stopped to reach the venue.

    With everyone having their own escorts and a team of well-prepared guards at the gate, there was naturally no need for anyone to present an invite or ID of any sort. The moment they had stepped foot here, everything that should have been known about them had already been verified.

    As it was somewhat of a matter of pride, most people usually kept their personalized invitations toter show off to others. But since it was Emilia''s first timeing here and she didn''t want any mishaps, she naturally had Dixie bring along both her and Sam''s invitations.

    After all, if something went wrong, it would either affect their own reputation, or that of the Phoenix country, and neither of those oues would be in Emilia''s favor.

    Fortunately, it seemed like there was nothing to worry about as the staff epted the cards and the ''guides'' bade their farewell.

    As they were led through the grand and ornate crystalline doors, Emilia could already hear someone announcing the names of everyone who entered one by one.

    "Please wee, Kris Bright, leader of the Central Chocte Conglomerate, and founder of the Disabled Children Protection Association¡ª"

    "Please wee, Hunter Dale, president of the country of Roana¡ª"

    As they stepped out of the gallery and into the magnificently decorated hall, Emilia smiled gently as she heard her name being announced as well.

    "Please wee, Emilia White, the Empress of Blue Dawn, and the youngest daughter of the White Deer Corporation''s leaders."

    "Please wee, Samantha White, the Executive Chairman of the White Deer Corporation, and sister of the Empress of Blue Dawn."

    Of course, the honor of this ''introduction'' was not extended to the guests, which Emilia thought was quite reasonable.

    The people who were invited naturally had nothing to worry about, but if someone got introduced with nothing ''noteworthy'' attached to their names, wouldn''t it be the same as humiliating their guests?

    Emilia had already heard the smallmotion in the guests each time someone new entered, but she could tell that it was much more intense when it was her turn.

    "Phoenix is really giving her a lot of face¡­ not only putting that title first for her, but even introducing Samantha as ''her sister''¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl eyed the man who spoke casually, and couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. ''With such a sarcastic smile on his face, why not just say what you''re really thinking?''

    Of course, the people here were all quite clever and well-versed in politics, though sometimes their ego did get the best of them. They would never make such amateurish mistakes that would get them caught badmouthing someone outright, even if it was someone they didn''t like or had a poor rtionship with.

    Emilia could tell that with over a hundred people already in the hall, most of the guests must have already arrived at this point, and only a few select VIPs must be left.

    She also knew that, as per tradition, the prime minister of Phoenix would only show up an hour after the party started, and only then would the main event begin. Until then, the guests were free to mingle and talk.

    What surprised her more was the fact that she couldn''t spot any of the people she was really hoping to keep an eye on, such as Amos and Alexander.

    Of course, given that she wasn''t exactlyte, Emilia didn''t let it bother her too much, and focused on organizing her thoughts instead.

    With the party having already started, the prime minister should arrive in less than an hour, officially kicking the event off. And since her parents were regr attendees, Emilia already knew that every year the Golden Crown would go through the same three phases.

    First, the prime minister would personally congratte and honor certain individuals who had exemry achievements recently. Generally, this was based on the benefits they brought to mankind, but other things could be included if the list was short in a particr event.

    Only three people would be honored like this each time, and it was considered an excellent opportunity both in terms of exposure to investors, as well as earning repute in public.

    Moreover, they would also be allowed to present a speech to the most influential and powerful people in the world, which was priceless.

    The second part was a charity auction, in which everyone who was attending submitted an item, and their auctioned value would go to various charities all over the world. And finally, there would be a dinner party towards the end of the event.

    Since they had to wait for a while anyway, Emilia didn''t want her friends to be too nervous or ufortable, and nudged her big sister while pointing in the direction she saw Mr. and Mrs. White. "Big sister, let''s go meet mom and dad first, okay?"

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 Chapter 492: Unhealthy Obsession

    Chapter 492: Unhealthy Obsession

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    What upset Emilia the most wasn''t the fact that Amos got together with a girl simr to Crystal ¡ª as that wasn''t too shocking considering his obsession with her before ¡ª but the fact that he dared to do something like that at such a heavily publicized event.

    Given how many highly influential people were attending the Golden Crown, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that every single photo and video captured by the press cameras here would be shared hundreds of thousands of timester.

    Every single frame and clip would then be deciphered by ''experts'' who would theorize over what the president of so and so country implied by only talking to the prime minister of this and that country for only three seconds.

    Needless to say, the fact that the panions'' of both Emilia and Amos looked so simr would surely attract a considerable amount of attention, especially given that the two used to be ''ssmates''. Was it a challenge, a coincidence, a provocation... or perhaps a love-hate rtionship?

    Cynthia also couldn''t help but be a little worried. "E-Emilia, so far, you''ve been very sessful with suppressing the hero to the point that most people don''t even look his way, but if he can really associate closely with you¡ª"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. ''It''s not so easy to borrow my fame, don''t worry.''

    Her partner hesitated for a moment before nodding. "If you''re confident, then good. Just remember that although the world will can only exert very little strength in its current state, we still shouldn''t take any chances. If the hero bes popr, the fanatics that will flock to him will definitely make your fangirls look tame and docile inparison."

    Emilia gave the raven-haired girl an affirmative response before she focused her attention on her blonde lover. "Don''t let it get to you, angel."

    Crystal couldn''t help but grin shyly when she felt her girlfriend''s care. "Y-You don''t need to pay attention to such insignificant things, okay?"

    The crimson-haired beauty just shook her head with a smile, and Crystal knew that her conviction to sort this matter out wouldn''t waver so easily. Thinking about it carefully, though, the blonde girl realized that this was probably for the best.

    ''I would call that girl unfortunate¡­ but she brought this upon herself.''

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    The entrance of the silver-haired boy didn''t attract much attention from the higher-level individuals at the event at first, but when they noticed the absence of his father, a few couldn''t help but raise their brows in surprise.

    "Mr. ck really is ''skipping'' this event, I guess."

    "First time in thest twenty-eight years, right?"

    Although they didn''t say it out loud, from the glint in each other''s eyes, many confirmed that the ''rumors'' they had been hearing about Oriana and the ck Tiger''s strange behavior over the past few months were likely to be true.

    The fact that Oriana''s president hadn''t arrived so far either only cemented their conjectures further.

    "No wonder the ''smarter ones'' left the ce early."

    "It shows their vision."

    "Well, it''s easier to get out of a burning building if you''re the one who set it on fire, eh?"

    Their amused chuckles grated on the silver-haired boy''s ears like nails on a board, and he couldn''t help but grit his teeth in annoyance. ''What the fuck are they whispering about? Cowards! Do they only dareugh at me behind my back?!''

    Of course, while it was possible that the few of them were chuckling about somethingpletely irrelevant, Amos refused to believe that his entrance wasn''t the reason behind their discussions.

    The blonde girl in his arms naturally sensed her boyfriend''s bad mood, and she couldn''t help but try tofort him with a smile. "D-Don''t be nervous, darling, w-with how dashing and charming you are, everyone will obviously¡ª"

    "Keep your trap shut, Kristie."

    The girl immediately bowed her head meekly, though there was a dark storm bre

    wing in her eyes.

    She knew his behavior would change when they got here, long before they even set off from Oriana.

    After all, that whore was going to be here as well.

    Sweeping the crowd silently as they moved forward, it didn''t take her long to find the girl she hated to the core, talking andughing with a gorgeously dressed crimson-haired beauty.

    Crystal Miller. Average looks, dumb face, and no personality. Her only talent was probably the ability to memorize things, but if that was really a talent, everyputer and robot would be a ''genius''.

    ''Look at the dress she''s wearing, the fucking whore¡­ ingratiating yourself to a rich girl to wear expensive clothes won''t change that dumb face!''

    Ironically, Kristie failed to realize that her own face resembled Crystal''s quite a bit, especially after all the makeup. All her thoughts were focused on the fact the girl''s clothing was more expensive than both hers and her boyfriend''sbined.

    Of course, Emilia''s cobalt-blue dress studded with thousands of diamonds arranged intricately into flowers was undoubtedly many times more expensive, but Kristie subconsciously ignored her.

    After all, the existence of the crimson-haired girl terrified her to the depths of her soul.

    Someone who could reject the boy she had tried so hard to ''get''¡­ what kind of concept was that? Not to mention, whenever her boyfriend ended up in a confrontation with Emilia¡­ the end result was almost always decidedly unpleasant.

    In her mind, this girl was an existence who lived in apletely different world, and had nothing to do with the likes of them. Someone who could take over a country on her own at this age would surely never pay attention to even her amazing boyfriend.

    That was precisely why Kristie would never have ''unrealistic'' fantasies about hooking up with someone like Emilia, and thought that Crystal''s decision to discard Amos was foolish.

    How long could someone so dazzling look at a normal human being without getting bored?

    Surely, it won''t be long before she got tired of Crystal and threw her away.

    Unfortunately, Kristie knew she was in no position to gloat over the girl''s misfortune when that happened.

    ''T-That cunning whore will definitelye crawling back to Amos when at that time¡­ what happens to me then?!''

    No matter how deeply she loved Amos, Kristie knew very well what the fate of a ''stand-in'' like her would be if the ''original'' returned.

    But no matter how she wracked her brains for a way to ''survive'', the blonde girl could only see endless darkness in her future.

    If Amos had been paying even the slightest bit of attention to his supposed ''girlfriend'', he would have surely noticed that something wasn''t quite right with her.

    As far as he was concerned, however, Kristie only existed to warm his bed in Crystal''s ce, no better than an advanced blow-up doll that could talk. Which, by the way, was a feature he found extremely annoying.

    The only reason he had brought her along was the get a reaction out of Crystal, but the girl seemedpletely focused on that bitch Emilia, and didn''t even bother to look his way!

    He couldn''t help but grit his teeth in rage. ''What kind of brainwashing medicine did that bitch give her to make her so obsessed?!''

    What pissed Amos off even more was the fact that Crystal wasn''t the only one paying more attention to Emilia than to him. Most of the people in the hall seemed to be sneaking nces at the girl ''covertly'' from time to time, their gaze full of either admiration or envy.

    Amos snorted. ''Of course, the whore pretends not to notice all the gazes focused on her slutty body. Just look how she''s dressed like a cheap prostitute¡­ who is she trying to fool with that attitude?''

    Unfortunately, everyone else seemed blind to the ''truth''.

    Regardless of whether there was admiration, envy, or indifference in someone''s eyes, it seemed like they were all looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with

    the crimson-haired bitch.

    In stark contrast, even the few who paid attention to his arrival didn''t seem interested in stepping forward to talk, and even pretended to be busy with another conversation when he passed them by.

    With the main purpose of this event being to work'' with other high-level individuals, this was not only a great setback, but also outright humiliation!

    Amos couldn''t help but clench his fist tightly. ''Just you wait, you whore. It won''t be long before ck Tiger ispletely in my grasp, and at that time¡­ I will be the one to personally strangle both you and your backers to death!''

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 Chapter 493: Crazy Scientists?

    Chapter 493: Crazy Scientists?

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    The venomous gaze of the hero didn''t go unnoticed by any of them, but while Emilia usually might have considered showing Amos his ce, she didn''t want to make Crystal any more ufortable than she already was.

    Although the ''girlfriend'' that the silver-haired boy brought with him failed to look like an exact replica of Crystal despite her apparent efforts, how could the blonde heroine not feel nauseous when faced with her ''doppelg?nger''?

    Even if she could normally just shrug it off thanks to her rather calm and patient personality, Emilia knew that Crystal definitely couldn''t bear seeing her ''mirror image'' in the arms of the boy she despised so much.

    Unfortunately, the crimson-haired girl was well aware that raising a ruckus right now would only make things worse for them by giving both Amos and his ''girlfriend'' more attention.

    The only good thing about the situation was that Amos was probably feeling even worse than any of them, gloomily ignoring the only person in the hall who was paying him attention.

    Clearly, the girl''s existence wasn''t of much value in his heart, which only made Emilia look down on him more.

    To distract her from the unpleasant situation, the crimson-haired girl tactfully led both Dixie and Crystal to the seemingly abandoned dessert table first. And once they had all enjoyed the top-notch sweets served by Phoenix, she happily hopped over to where Sam was with her parents. "Big sister, look, we brought you cake!"

    Looking at the three different vors of sweet delight her little sister and her friends brought along, Sam couldn''t help but grin happily. "Ohh, thank you, baby!"

    Mrs. White sighed in defeat. "Sometimes I don''t know which one of you spoils the other more."

    Both Emilia and Sam turned to her with sheepish smiles, and the older woman couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Whatever, it''s not like you can be cured at this point. Go on, have fun."

    The people who had previously been interacting with the ''serious and cold'' Sam felt like someone had thrown them into an alternate reality. ''Is this still Samantha White, or did she switch with her clone???''

    If not for her parents and little sister interacting so intimately with the girl, they would never be able to ept that the tall girl really was who she imed to be.

    Of course, it only made the ''clone'' theory more usible in their minds, just with the clone being the one who usually dealt with business.

    Thinking about how heavily they all doted on Emilia, everything suddenly started making much more sense!

    The real Sam must always be staying at home and enjoying being pampered, while her poor clone ran around taking care of all the business, right?!

    Tsk tsk, to think that the White Deer Corporation had even perfected human cloning to this point¡­ truly terrifying.

    The moment they had this thought, some of them couldn''t help but gasp in shock. ''Wait a minute, it might not be the only human experiment they seeded in!''

    Thinking about how incredibly flexible and strong Emilia''s body was, whenbined with this ''proof''¡­ their gazes towards Mr. and Mrs. White suddenly changed to incredible fear.

    These aren''t businessmen at all! Chatans! Crazy human-experimenting scientists!!!

    No wonder they wanted their own territory so desperately, going so far as to send out their precious princess to the front lines!

    Emilia didn''t know why Crystal suddenly started giggling, but she couldn''t help but smile in re

    lief as she sent the next spoonful of cake to the blonde girl instead.

    Crystal found it a little regretful that she couldn''t tell Emilia how interesting everyone''s spections were right away, but she decided she might as well do itter and just enjoy being pampered now.

    Mr. White was naturally unaware of their mental gymnastics, and only puffed out his chest with pride as he patted the girl''s head. "Emilia, let me introduce you to someone now that you''re here. This is Mr. Malevich, one of our most trusted partners in the Nevarah Desert region, and a prime supplier of oil¡ª"

    The white-haired man''s gaze seemed to linger on certain regions a bit too long, but it seemed like his self-control was quite good, as he restrained himself just as quick. "An honor to meet you. Your pictures really don''t do your beauty justice, Empress."

    Emilia smiled generously, pretending to be ttered. "Thank you, uncle."

    The man felt like his heart had been struck by an invisible arrow at the word ''uncle'', but considering their age difference¡­ it really wasn''t unjustified.

    Plus, with how murderous Mr. White''s older daughter''s gaze was getting, it was probably for the best that the little empress only seemed to see him as an elder. Adding the girl to his collection was never going to happen anyway.

    The white-haired man coughed awkwardly. "Y-Your father mentioned that the empire is looking to expand certain industries to the next level, do you think¡ª"

    Emilia wasn''t very interested in his ''proposals'', so she let Sam take over the negotiations as before while asionally feeding her a slice of strawberry cake.

    Fortunately, with the recent decline in both the status and strength of the ck Tiger Corporation, not many people were paying attention to Amos. At the very least, none of those who were being introduced by Mr. White bothered mentioning him in front of Emilia.

    What worried her now was if the hero would take the initiative toe their way on his own. She didn''t want Crystal to face ufortable questions from otherster, after all.

    Luckily, the arrival of a few more people quickly distracted everyone else from these ''insignificant'' things.

    "Please wee, Mr. Sanders Gray, chairman of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, and¡ª"

    "Please wee, Mrs. Allie Gray, wife of Mr. Sanders, and CEO of the Gray Wolfe Corporation!"

    "Please wee, Mr. Alexander Gray, son of the Gray Wolfe Corporation''s chairman Mr. Sanders Gray!"

    Many couldn''t help but be surprised at Alexander''s arrival, even though his existence wasn''t exactly a secret. After all, he was a child born long before Sanders married Allie, and most people thought that he would never receive this level of recognition from his father.

    With his ''real father'' being a hotly debated topic among both people of Carmen and ck Tiger''s associates, it came as quite a shock that Sanders Gray would be willing to do something like this.

    Moreover, even more shocking was the fact that his actual children, the twins from his first marriage, had already arrived separately!

    It was impossible for people to not specte on the implications.

    Didn''t this mean that in Sanders'' heart, the twins were the ''outsiders'' who didn''t deserve to be mentioned in with his or his corporation''s name, while Alexander was his ''real heir''?!

    Not many people knew of the petition'', of course, but those who did were only more shocked.

    And the most furious were the twins themselves. Jasper mi

    ght have even stormed up to his ''father'' to ''question'' him if not for Ginny holding him back.

    He regained his senses soon after, but the rage was still palpable in his eyes. "How dare he do something like this?! Fuck! What''s the point of thepetition now?!"

    Of course, what pissed him off the most wasn''t the fact that he would be at a further disadvantage in thepetition, but the fact that with this move, his father had effectivelypletely ''consolidated'' his ''real family''.

    Even if he had long since hated the man, Jasper couldn''t help but curse. "Bastard! Bastard¡­! How could he do this to mom, to us?!"

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 Chapter 494: Free Ammo

    Chapter 494: Free Ammo©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Ginny didn''t know if Alexander finally noticed her brother''s fiery gaze, or if he was intentionally trying to provoke them. But when Jasper''s anger was already at its peak, the bastard turned their way with a smile so smug that even she almost failed to resist the urge to stomp over and cave his teeth in!

    Fortunately, she was immobilized by her own arms clutching at her brother to prevent him from doing just that, giving Ginny just enough time to regain her senses. "Remember, Jasper, we don''t want to make a scene here!"

    Not knowing that his sister was in a much worse state than himself, Jasper snorted angrily. "I was a fucking idiot for thinking we should still leave some ''room'' for our father to maneuver in the end, but he really doesn''t deserve even the chance to repent or regret!"

    His twin sister couldn''t help but nod in agreement. "I always knew a day like this wasing, but¡­"

    They were both rational people, so after a momentary loss of control, they easily managed to more or less regain control over their emotions, at least on the outside.

    Being cast aside by their father wasn''t something they were experiencing for the first time, but he had never done it so publicly and openly before. They might have already been prepared, but that didn''t make it hurt any less.

    Jasper sighed. ''Fortunately, not all hope is lost, and if the deal with Emilia works out, we might evene out on top.''

    Looking over in her direction to soothe his eyes and mind, Jasper couldn''t help but grit his teeth when he saw that bastard ''step brother'' of his as well. "What is that cockroach trying to do to her now?!"

    Ginny grabbed her brother''s arm while gritting her teeth in frustration. "For someone who ims to be the ''cooler and calmer'' version of me, you sure are testing my nerves today, Jasper!"

    Her twin also seemed to realize he was being irrational after calming down a little, and coughed sheepishly. "S-Sorry, Ginny. I just find it annoying when I see that bastard buzzing around her for some reason."

    Ginny couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Don''t tell me you have a crush on her now? Remember, our deal is strictly business. No personal feelings!"

    Even if she had to admit that Emilia looked delicious, especially in her current dress, that didn''t mean she could ept the thought of Jasper getting together with her.

    A salty pig like her brother getting his trotters over Emilia was an image that she never wanted to imagine, even in the worst of her nightmares. Even if Jasper somehow managed to fool her, Ginny would rather beat him up till his face resembled a real pig, so Emilia could see what he truly was like on the inside!

    Imagining the scene involuntarily made her have the illusion that Jasper had really turned into a pig, and she couldn''t help but snort in amusement.

    Jasper frowned. "Hey Ginny, why do I feel like you''re thinking something really, really nasty about me?"

    His twin sister would naturally not be herself if she so easily admitted her fault. "Since when did you awaken your twin telepathy, idiot? I thought your brain was too small for it to work?"

    Jasper was momentarily stunned as the thought of his sister having some strange thought reading ability crossed his mind, but then he realized she was just making fun of him.

    Incensed, he couldn''t help but growl. "Y-You''re the idiot! Your whole family is full of idiots!"

    Ginny smiled as she gave him a thumbs up. "Well said, my closest family member!"

    Looking at the two of them whispering so ''passionately'' to each other in a distant corner away from the rest of the crowd, a few onlookers who were paying attention to the twins after the entry of their father couldn''t help but be curious.

    "T-They seem¡­ a little too close, right?"

    "I-I guess I get why their father was upset with them¡­?"

    "Hmm. If I was in Sanders'' ce, I would have directly disowned them and dered their perversion to the world."

    "Come on now, you can''t be so cruel to your own children, even if they make mistakes. It''s better to discipline them and set them on the right path instead of abandoning them, right?"

    "¡­ Now that you say that, I agree."

    Of course, given the age of the twins, most of them agreed that they were probably beyond salvation.

    Fortunately, Ginny didn''t manage to hear their scandalous discussions, or she might have directly coughed out blood and fainted in horror.

    It was good enough that she refrained from tearing Jasper''s hair off till he waspletely bald, how could anyone even imagine her being together with such an annoying moron?!

    Even a pig of the same species wouldn''t marry her brother, let alone her, who was a human!

    Fortunately for the two of them, they were even more ''transparent'' and insignificant in the eyes of the people here than Amos ck, and people soon stopped paying attention to the duo after the excitement from their parents'' arrival passed.

    Of course, although she was amused by some of the tidbits Crystal managed to catch and whisper in her ears, Emilia wouldn''t attract suspicion her way by talking to the twins in public. Especially not when there was so much at stake on their n remaining a secret.

    Unfortunately, while she was more than happy to let Sam and her parents deal with these businessmen and politicians, the same couldn''t be said the other way around.

    Since her big sister had many people she needed to meet for the purpose of expanding their business, and Emilia wasn''t very interested in taking part, the older girl had already left with Dixie. And with Mr. and Mrs. White also busy with business talks, for a while, Emilia was left with just Crystal to keep herpany.

    The blonde girl was clearly diligent and attentive, but not very effective as a deterrent. In fact, for those who saw Emilia as delicious fruit to be plucked, instead of being a guardian beast, Crystal was more like an appetizer.

    How could people seeking to talk to her miss this ''perfect'' opportunity to approach this ''Empress'' without any guardians by her side?

    Emilia''s attitude towards most of them was polite, but still somewhat distant. With Crystal by her side, she could easily tell that while they appeared warm and cordial, deep down they either coveted her or looked down on her in some way.

    It wasn''t that they didn''t acknowledge ''her'' achievements, though.

    Had that really been the case, none of them would havee forward to talk to her in the first ce. After all, pretty as she was, there was nock of beautiful dolls that these people could buy if they felt the need, in one way or the other.

    Most of them were in fact either somewhat wary or rather impressed by how the situation in Blue Dawn had been handled by ''her'', but their perception of Emilia''s ''actual contribution'' to the events was rather skeptical, to say the least.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t really me them, however.

    Havinge to terms with her almost-inhuman athletic abilities and charisma, it really might be tough for most people to ept that she wasn''t being directed by some ''mastermind'' behind the scenes for all her actions and words, but truly working on her own.

    This suited her just as well for now, though, as it allowed Emilia to not just y dumb and fool more idiots, but also gave her some much-needed peace of mind.

    After all, while she was more than capable of handling sophistry from politically minded people, Emilia had never particrly liked doing so. Especially when it was all just flowery words surrounded by thorns.

    With their biases already in ce, those seeking profits from Blue Dawn''s rapid growth were soon sent Samantha''s way, leaving behind only those who coveted Emilia herself.

    Of course, whenever multiple suitors gathered together, sparks were sure to fly. And with the ego some of the people here had, things only got worse.

    "Oh my, what a pleasant surprise to see you here! I thought you were busy divorcing your third wife, Rudius?"

    "What are you talking about? I didn''t know Mr. Mondel would be one to believe baseless gossip?"

    "Hey now, gentlemen, is this really something we should be discussing here? Why don''t you guys go somece else to argue?"

    "Oh please, Mrs. Valentia, do you think you''re qualified to stand with us here?"

    "With how unfortunate your previous four spouses were, I doubt any parent would feel safe handing over their child to you."

    "I remember your first husband was a wrestling champion, no? If he couldn''t evenst a couple of months¡­ I shudder to imagine the fate of a delicate little girl."

    "Are the two of you assholes ganging up on me for real? Ahh, wait a minute, I see now. I thought the rumor of the two of you colluding together tounder money from Roana was baseless, but now¡ª"

    As smart people who were well aware of their opponent''s cards, these ''suitors'' naturally wouldn''t be stupid enough to let their rivals expose themselves in front of the girl they nned to catch, and only dared to spew venom after pulling some distance from the crimson-haired beauty.

    Of course, this also meant that despite dozens of people arguing over who would get to apany her for a drink, Emilia was still left holding only Crystal while watching their drama with a smile. ''What a truckload of ammunition they''re supplying to me for free. How can they be so generous?''

    Cynthia giggled. "Well, they don''t know you can hear them from here, can they?"

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 Chapter 495 Overthinking

    Chapter 495 Overthinking

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    Emilia was just about to respond to her partner when she felt Crystal nudge her gently.

    "Look."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but frown in displeasure when she saw who it was who caught her girlfriend''s attention. ''I thought he would be dissuaded by the crowd, yet here he is...''

    Naturally, Alexander was too proud to approach her when she was being hounded by a bunch of other ''suitors'', though it did please him to see Emilia being so ''valued'' by many would-be peers.

    After all, the girl these usually proud and arrogant people were only able to covet was someone he could get to readily submit beneath his crotch at any time he pleased.

    Once the suitors started fighting among themselves and left her alone, however, Alexander quickly took the opportunity to swoop with a handsome and calm smile lingering on his face. "Surprised?"

    With his dashing appearance and recently revealed identity as the most desirable bachelor in the world, he could only imagine how drenched this girl must be.

    But with his father being present and the importance of the event, Alexander didn''t dare to just leave the venue with the girl to do what he was really looking forward to after such a long wait.

    Looking at his smug smile, Emilia could pretty much guess how proud he must be right now.

    Unfortunately for him, the crimson-haired girl felt no need to y along too much now that Alexander was already here.

    After all, if Emilia continued to feed the ''prey'' more bait after it was already helpless, she would be a poultry farmer, not a hunter. And while she respected all professions, raising cattle was never one of her hobbies.

    Knowing that being too rude in public without obvious reasons wouldn''t be good for her reputation, however, the crimson-haired girl still gave him a nonchnt nod. "Hello."

    The curious and probing eyes from the onlookers soon faded away as most of them ''realized'' that the newly crowned empress of Blue Dawn wasn''t really particrly close to the Gray Wolfe''s heir after all.

    Feeling her blonde girlfriend subtly rxing, Emilia also knew that she''d made the right choice.

    Of course, Alexander was momentarily dumbfounded by her casual response, but he soon realized that the girl must be either insecure or shy. ''Oh, no wonder¡­ she must be in shock that I turned out to be the future owner of Gray Wolfe, someone who can crush her seemingly invincible parents with barely a thought!''

    Considering how infatuated she was even before she knew of his terrifying background, Alexander couldn''t help but puff his chest out in pride. "To be honest, I didn''t really n to tell you about it until muchter so you don''t feel insecure, but you were too scared of that gray-haired woman, and felt like we could only meet at the Golden Crown."

    His reproachful tone was full of subtle me, and Emilia almost ended up rolling her eyes involuntarily, but managed to control herself just in time. "Noelle is only trying to look out for my safety and happiness, you know?"

    Alexander didn''t notice the difference in her tone, and assumed that she was just making excuses because she felt cornered. "Heh, forget about that, I have a big heart. As long as she apologizes to meter, I can forgive her for your sake."

    Of course, he only said so to make Emilia feel more grateful. Even if he could forgive the people at ck Tiger for trying to kill him, he couldn''t forgive the insolent fool who tried to humiliate him in public!

    It was a pity, though, that the gray-haired bitch that he wanted to humiliate the most wasn''t by Emilia''s side today. ''I guess she''s not really as important as she thinks she is after all. Whatever, I''ll take care of that cheap whoreter.''

    The crimson-haired girl was naturally not very ''grateful'' to Alexander for his mercy, and sneered at the girl in his arms instead. "Say, miss Rhea, right? Didn''t you just have your lucky debut on the big stage?"

    Naturally, this wasn''t something she discovered on her own, but just what her blonde girlfriend whispered in her ear. And looking at the short-haired redhead, Emilia knew that as long as this girl worked hard, her path as an actress would definitely not be short.

    Of course, she was far from the level of the movie queens who could enter and exit even extremelyplex roles at will, but as most movies and TV shows weren''t done in one take, that wasn''t something that couldn''t be ovee with dedication.

    Seeing someone with a bright future tying themselves to a boat she was about to shoot at, Emilia couldn''t help but try to give her a gentle reminder once more. "Throwing away your rising career like this¡­ are you sure you won''t regret itter in your life?"

    Alexander obviously couldn''t even imagine what she was actually implying, and only thought that Emilia must be trying to convince hispanion that ''falling in love'' would end up disrupting her ''rising career''.

    He ''considerately ''stepped back from the two of them with a knowing smile. ''I knew she would be jealous and pick on the girl I bring with me¡­ heh, all girls are the same. Luckily, I brought a disposable bitch. Rising career¡­ ahaha¡­ good one. I guess this little girl isn''t so stupid, after all¡­''

    In contrast to Alexander''s calm self, though, hispanion was naturally shocked when she was addressed by Emilia. After being treated as air by everyone else, she almost forgot that she wasn''t ying the role of a ghost.

    Luckily, though, she wasn''t sipping or chewing on anything, which saved her from choking to death.

    Who could have known that someone at the Golden Crown would actually take the initiative to talk to her? And it wasn''t just a local snake or a pervert, but the girl who had been the hottest trending topic on the web for months!

    For a moment, Rhea was almost on cloud nine, but the moment she recalled what she ''knew'' now, the girl quickly plunged back into the icy depths of hell. ''Oh fuck! Going by how Alex was talking to her¡­ don''t tell me this girl is taking me as her rival?!''

    Although the young actress had only received her first significant role in a major film recently, it had to be said that she didn''t be a ''rising star'' out of nowhere. Having worked countless small roles for the past three years, Rhea was very familiar with how the entertainment industry worked by now.

    For people like her, the biggest taboo wasn''t getting on the nerves of fellow people in the entertainment industry, but offending the ''investors''.

    After all, drama and intrigue with their ''fellows'' could only do so much damage if managed properly, but people high up the ''food chain'' yed apletely different game.

    Caring about neitherw nor reputation, there were no limits to what they could and couldn''t do.

    This was why, when Alexander came to her saying he ''admired her skills'' and ''wouldn''t mind taking her on a date to the Golden Crown'', Rhea didn''t have the slightest intention to refuse.

    Come what may, at least she will have both her hands and legs after all was said and done, right?

    But looking at the dazzling, icy gaze of the crimson-haired beauty in front of her, Rhea only felt darkness clouding her vision.

    She was so terrified that the poor girl didn''t even hear Emilia''s ''concerned'' question, and only a single thought kept ringing through her mind. ''I-It''s over¡­ OVER!''

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 Chapter 496 Better Than Your Mom

    Chapter 496 Better Than Your Mom

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    Emilia could obviously tell that Alexander''s panion'' wasn''t even listening to her anymore, and she couldn''t help but frown while waving her hand in front of the girl in confusion. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

    Fortunately or not, Rhea snapped back to reality just as the crimson-haired girl started to pout at being ignored.

    With chills running up her spine in terror, the girl immediately broke through her maximum acting potential in an instant, and somehow convinced herself that she was just ying a role in a movie. "Hi! Sorry, I was just in shock since I''m such a big fan of yours, and never thought I would actually get to talk to you!"

    Emilia naturally didn''t believe that was the truth, but she just smiled instead of expressing her doubts. "Is that so? In that case, I don''t mind having a chat with you in private after we''re done with dinner."

    Terrified as she was at the thought of reaching a ''bad end'', Rhea didn''t dare to reject the crimson-haired beauty''s offer, and nodded ''happily''. After all, she was ying the role of a fan, and which fan wouldn''t be ecstatic to get such an opportunity?

    Alexander naturally didn''t think an emotional and jealous girl like Emilia would have any good ns in mind for her ''love rival'' when she put forth such a private invitation, but he didn''t seem displeased at all.

    If anything, his grin was even wider.

    Emilia couldn''t guess his thoughts, but going by how Crystal tightened her grip on her palm, it definitely couldn''t be anything good.

    Fortunately, the arrival of the President of Red Dusk prevented her from being pestered by Alexander further, though facing his over-enthusiasm was a type of torture in itself.

    "Empress Emilia! It is so nice to finally meet you in person, ahh, you won''t believe how eager I have been for this fated meeting¡ª"

    The crimson-haired girl normally didn''t mind being showered inpliments. In fact, she usually quite liked it.

    But for some reason, whenever it was this man who was the source of those exaggeratedpliments, it only made her feel annoyed and impatient.

    Perhaps it was the fact that she couldn''t feel any sincerity from him deep down, or maybe she just didn''t like him.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but grin. "I find it very likely that you just don''t like his face."

    Fortunately, the prime minister of Phoenix arrived earlier than most people expected, putting an end to most of the discussions in the hall.

    With her shoulder-length red hair and amber eyes, Emilia had to admit that the woman had a sharp, dangerously attractive aura around her that made it hard to believe that she was almost forty years old.

    And in her glittering ck backless mermaid gown, she looked more like a movie queen at an award show than a prime minister who was already on her second term.

    Many people came forward to greet her, and Emilia noted that while the woman always responded to them with a smile, she continued walking towards the prepared podium at the same steady pace without pause.

    Emilia couldn''t help but approve of the way she handled ''obstacles'' without letting them distract her from the ''goal'', but she didn''t go forward to join the crowd.

    Of course, while most people had their attention shifted to the prime minister, a few were still keeping an eye on the crimson-haired girl, and they couldn''t help but scrutinize her behavior.

    Most thought she was just too proud and haughty, while Amos just scoffed at her expected conceit while ignoring how he hadn''t moved from his ce either.

    Alexander, on the other hand, only felt more satisfied with the girl. Although he had been pushed aside when the Commonwealth''s president came along, Emilia at least knew who was more important to stick by in the end.

    Too bad that she didn''t have the courage to close the distance between them in front of the crowd, but perhaps that was for the best.

    White Deer Corporation might be barely eptable as his bride''s background, but Emilia''s status as the second daughter made her less than ideal for that position. Associating with her in public would only lower people''s perception of the Gray Wolfe''s prestige.

    As for the girl''s status as the Empress of Blue Dawn¡­ Alexander never thought of it as anything to be proud of. That country was like a half-eaten apple that his father snatched from ck Tiger to punish them, and then threw away in disgust.

    The fact that his future concubine picked it up while it was rotting by the roadside¡­ it was good enough that he didn''t feel ashamed, wasn''t it?

    The room darkened twice during his inner monologue, and Alexander was vaguely aware that the ''guests of honor'' were being called on the podium by the prime minister, but it wasn''t something he really cared about.

    Still thinking about Emilia''s recent behavior, he couldn''t help but sigh in disappointment. ''Fortunately, I saw through her stupidity early, and didn''t think of her as wife material from the start. Even for a bed warmer, though, I might need to tone down her jealousy a bit.''

    Looking at the girl listening to the prime minister on the podium attentively, he frowned. ''She used to be more obedient before, right? Or did I remember it wrong?''

    Just as he was about to call her out, however, the lights in the hall dimmed again, and this time the spotlight shone directly on the girl he was looking at, who blushed like a beautifully blooming red rose, and started walking towards the podium shyly.

    It was only then that Alexander came back to his senses and realized something unbelievable. ''Wait, what¡­? Impossible!''

    Looking at the two people already on the stage, one was a renowned scientist who made a major breakthrough at the end ofst year, and the other was a business mogul who donated half of his entire fortune to charity just recently.

    And the third spot¡­ was empty.

    It didn''t take a genius to put two and two together, but Alexander still refused to believe it.

    How can a girl who barely qualified as his concubine receive an honor that even his mother had never got before?!

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 Chapter 497 Step Forward

    Chapter 497 Step Forward

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    Unfortunately, no matter how Alexander refused to ept the truth in his heart, it remained a fact that Emilia was chosen as the third guest of honor by the Prime Minister of Phoenix.

    Betrix smiled as she shook hands with the shy crimson-haired beauty who finally stepped on stage after much encouragement from her blondepanion, and she couldn''t help but tease the girl a little. "After hearing all about your bold and fearless decisions so far, I didn''t think Empress Emilia would turn out to be so shy in person."

    Emilia naturally didn''t expect that the prime minister would actually dare to tease her like this, but she didn''t let it disturb her too much as she responded to her with an innocent smile. "I-I just didn''t expect that I would be here today."

    In reality, she wasn''t actually as embarrassed as she appeared, though her surprise at being chosen was most definitely real.

    Luckily, her attitude pacified many people who had been dissatisfied with her being given an honorable position on the Golden Crown. Even if it was the third one, it was still something that most people couldn''t expect to get in their lifetime!

    After all, not only did one need to be influential enough to be able to receive an invitation to the Golden Crown, but to be an honorable guest, they had to exceed everyone else in the same position when it came to their contributions to the world.

    There was obviously no way to measure such an arbitrary thing, and no one wanted to be the loser who ended up jumping like a fool only to not make any waves in the end.

    With the attitude of the current Prime Minister of Phoenix, it was naturally impossible to ''cheat'' as well, making the whole thing even more troublesome.

    Fortunately, the people here were at least disciplined enough to not make a fuss about things just because they were a little dissatisfied, and the prime minister smiled as she continued addressing the audience.

    "I''m sure many of you were aware of the situation at Blue Dawn at the time its previous government was towards the end of its cycle. Although Emilia''s actions no doubt worked out well for her side, it cannot be denied that what she did ended up saving hundreds of thousands of innocent lives."

    Betrix shifted her gaze over the few ''top dogs'' who looked most dissatisfied, making them feel like they had been doused with a cold bucket of water. "Often times, we who dominate the world in terms of power and money forget the effects our decisions can have on people who depend on us. I think Emilia serves well as a role model in that regard, as despite her monumental sess so far, she has remainedpassionate and caring to her people. Hopefully, that will remain the same in the future as well."

    Emilia nodded with a grin. "I cannot promise that all my ideas will work out well, but I can definitely promise that I will always do what I can to take care of those who depend on me."

    She didn''t take the opportunity that the prime minister gave her to say anything else, and only thanked her with a sincere smile. "I''m really ttered that you think so well of me, by the way."

    Of course, the older woman just waved her off. "Don''t get me wrong. I didn''t pick you because of some personal bias or anything, okay? If you mess up in the future, I will definitely denounce you in public, and if you do well, I will continue tomend you."

    As she was already quite satisfied with what she got, Emilia naturally wouldn''t be offended by a few harsh words. "Won''t the prime minister offer me the chance to dine together soon so I can thank you properly, at least?"

    Betrix hesitated for almost a full minute before she chased her off while mentioning how her secretary would get in touchter ''if she was free''.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but chuckle in mirth as the prime minister wentpletely off schedule and immediately announced that the charity auction would be starting early.

    Of course, even if people were surprised, there were no real hups as all the preparations had been already finished well in advance.

    Soon enough, the guests were led through a long hallway, at the end of which was a circr room with a magnificently decorated stage at its center.

    A handsome man in a pure white suit bowed to the audience as soon as thest guest filed in. "Wee to the 78th Golden Crown Charity Auction, everyone! As you might be aware, everyone here will have a chance to put forth one of their belongings to be auctioned off at random, the proceeds of which will then be forwarded to a charity of the owner''s choice."

    Naturally, this meant that the ''donation'' was considered to be from the person who gave up their belongings for auction, and not the one who made the purchase, but this was already quite well-known to everyone.

    He smiled. "Of course, everything is voluntary here, so no need to feel forced. But please be generous, everyone!"

    Although he said that, it was also ''well-known'' that those who were too stingy with their ''donations'' would be the butt of the jokes at every high-level dinner party for the next few months, and may not even dare to show up in public from fear of being openly mocked.

    Needless to say, with such a fate awaiting those who were too stingy, no one had the courage to skip out on the event entirely.

    A middle-aged woman in a pale-white gown went forward confidently. "Allow me to go first, please."

    With the event being ''open'', there obviously wasn''t any particr ''order'' in which people had to enter their items into the auction, and the host naturally received the ring she presented with a generous smile.

    The woman whispered something in his ear, and the auctioneer nodded.

    Clearing his throat, he addressed the audience once again with a smile. "Madam Dimitrescu has generously contributed her family heirloom, the Ring of Cassandra!"

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 Chapter 498 Auction

    Chapter 498 Auction

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    "Hasn''t the Ring of Cassandra been in the Dimitrescu family for over five hundred years?"

    "After so many failed attempts by various influential factions to either buy or even steal it in the past few centuries, who could have imagined thatdy Dimitrescu would be willing to just give it up?"

    Of course, while many were impressed, a few others couldn''t help but sneer. "Giving away the one thing that made their old aristocratic family unique for temporary clout¡­ no wonder they declined so fast."

    Emilia naturally wasn''t very interested in their gossip, but she still quite liked how the ring looked. With a faceted royal gray gemstone and an intricate tinum band, it might look unremarkable at first nce, but the more one looked, the more exceptional it started to appear.

    Of course, since it had a more muted aesthetic by itself, the beauty it would be able to bring out greatly depended on who was wearing it.

    "A hundred thousand!"

    "Hundred and fifty!"

    One of the elderly males in the crowd coughed. "I''ve always admired the Ring of Cassandra, and it would be an honor to finally have it before my passing. Five hundred thousand!"

    Unfortunately, his trick of trying to win over the audience while deterring them with a big jump didn''t quite work.

    The valuation of the ring quickly reached a million within seconds, and in just a few minutes, it peaked at nine million.

    The auctioneer smiled. "Congrattions to Miss Emilia, the Ring of Cassandra now belongs to you."

    The crimson-haired girl also grinned. ''That will suit Noelle so well.''

    Unfortunately, nothing too interesting came up after the first item, at least in Emilia''s eyes. From various art collections to antiques, the things that were put on disy were certainly valuable, but none of them really sparked any joy in her.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Guess I''ll just have to look for more gifts some other ceter.''

    "Mr. White has, uh, generously contributed¡­ t-the most ancient specimen theorized to be one of the first ever versions of the modern crowbar."

    Trying his best to cover up his initial awkwardness, the auctioneer continued. "First used in a kidnapping incident aboard a royal''s ship, it waster seized after the miscreants failed in their nefarious plots, and confessed that this was the instrument they used to forcibly pry open both nailed boards and doors."

    Feeling Crystal nudge her, Emilia couldn''t help but raise a brow. "What is it?"

    The blonde girl pointed at Sam, whose face was so dark that one could practically hear the storm clouds roaring with lightning. "Uncle stole it while your big sister was away."

    Emilia blinked. "Is he not afraid of being beatenter?"

    Sam may not be able to do it herself, but with Mr. White''s position in their family''s ''food chain'', all it would really take to get him ''taught a lesson'' would be for the girl to go cry about it to her mother.

    Of course, all that being said, the crimson-haired girl didn''t hesitate to start bidding for it to ''get it back''.

    She knew it wasn''t considered ''nice'' to buy things from someone rted in this auction, but her big sister''s happiness obviously took precedence.

    Fortunately, none of the gentlemen anddies present in the auction felt very eager to own a crowbar, and those who did bid for it were only doing so to please Mr. White.

    After all, if the item he put up failed to fetch a good price, it would be the same as pping the man in the face.

    Emilia easily nabbed the crowbar for just a hundred thousand dors, and gave Sam a thumbs up in victory, though the older girl just looked away while looking embarrassed.

    Crystal giggled. "I guess she didn''t want you to find out about her thing for crowbars."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "With it being a part of all her go-to threats, how could I not know?"

    Fortunately, Mrs. White only went with the standard valuable painting approach, and didn''t give her any more surprises.

    Even Mr. Sanders Grey didn''t bring anything interesting to the table, though his antique dagger did fetch the highest price in the auction so far.

    Though Emilia wasn''t sure if it was because someone was trying to earn his favor, or the value of the dagger itself.

    Though aside from it being over-studded with gems and crystals, Emilia didn''t feel anything special about the ornamental weapon. It didn''t even look that good, either.

    Getting a little bored, the crimson-haired girl decided not to wait till near the end of the auction, and decided to make her ''donation'' a little earlier.

    As a ''first timer'' to the auction and a frequent hot topic recently, Emilia could practically feel the hundreds of eyes eagerly crawling over her back, wondering what it was that she would bring.

    Under the auctioneer''s curious gaze, the crimson-haired beauty just smiled and undid the choker on her neck before handing it over.

    The man in white suit waited for her to let him know the item''s name and origin, as while he knew quite a bit about antiques and famous jewelry from around the world, he wasn''t quite familiar with this one.

    It was only natural, considering Sam had had her little sister''s entire outfit from shoes to hair clipspletely custom made not long ago, including the choker on her neck.

    When Emilia stepped back without a word, however, he could only cough awkwardly. "Miss Emilia has presented this gorgeous piece of jewelry for the cause. Please be generous, everyone!"

    He didn''t expect the item to do very well given that even the jewel at its center was unknown, though it couldn''t be cheap considering who its owner was, right?

    Reality soon left him dumbfounded, however, as people jumped in to bid like sharks smelling blood in the ocean.

    "One million!"

    "Three million!"

    "Ten million!"

    "Twenty!!"

    The people who weren''t participating could only gape in shock at the ones who seemed to have gonepletely crazy, increasing each subsequent bet by double if not more, every time!

    Of course, none was more dumbfounded than Alexander Gray, who recognized that all the participants in the current bidding war were the ones who had been ''blocking his way'' to a certain ''infatuated'' girl not long ago.

    The moment he recognized them, Alexander couldn''t help but have a terrifying thought.

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 Chapter 499 Delusional

    Chapter 499 Delusional

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    Had it been before, he might not have thought about it much. After all, regardless of her outer beauty, Emilia was just another dumb girl obsessed with him in the end. She didn''t have the guts to do anything that would displease him at all.

    But after she ''snatched'' the position of a guest of honor and practically humiliated his mother just a while ago, Alexander couldn''t help but have second thoughts.

    ''Don''t tell me¡­ is she actually a slut and seduced all these morons?!''

    As someone who could catch even his attention, Alexander was naturally aware that Emilia had the means to wrap these lesser idiots around her finger, and Alexander couldn''t help but frown as he found this more and more convincing.

    If Emilia really was a slut, though, wouldn''t that mean that he wasted so much time and efforting here for a used shoe?

    The mere thought was so humiliating that Alexander''s gaze at the crimson-haired beauty on stage involuntarily turned into deep, intense hatred. How could someone like him, who had plucked countless fresh flowers as he pleased for so many years, be made a fool of like this by a little girl?!

    If he didn''t teach her a lesson, his name wasn''t Alexander Gray!

    Of course, although his reaction was the most intense, Alexander was far from the only one who was starting to doubt themselves when the ongoing bid for Emilia''s choker reached over a hundred million.

    "What in the world is going on with these people?!"

    Fortunately for the sanity of the onlookers, most of the ''crazy bidders'' were just upstarts who couldn''t afford to keep going after the price reached over four hundred million, and the final bid was made by ady in green whose eyes were practically burning with passion as she stared fixatedly at the choker.

    Some of the men who had lost out in the ''war'' couldn''t help butin. "Way to spoil my chances, Lucy."

    "What are you even going to do with that?"

    "Right? Emilia might get along more with girls, but at the end of the day, they will be just friends. Don''t dy people''s happy events so selfishly!"

    Thedy in green was naturally incensed. "Fuck off! Who do you think you are, trying to get something that used to be wrapped around her neck? Think I can''t see your perverted intentions? You don''t deserve it!"

    The man coughed. "W-We wouldn''t have done anything perverted with it, o-obviously."

    Lucy sneered. "Bullshit. When even I can''t resist the thought of smothering it against my¡ª!"

    It was only then that thedy in green remembered they were still in the middle of Golden Crown''s auction and immediately shut up. Going by the stunned silence around her, though, the realization clearly came toote.

    Not to mention everyone else, even Emilia felt a little embarrassed.

    She never expected this group of people to be so bold and unabashed!

    The auctioneer coughed awkwardly. "F-Four hundred and thirty million going once¡­ Four hundred and thirty million going twice¡­ Four¡ª!"

    "Five hundred million!"

    Hundreds of gazes immediately snapped to the maic female voice in surprise, and a few people couldn''t help but gasp in shock.

    "T-The prime minister is making a five hundred million bid for a piece of jewelry?!"

    "Is there something about this thing that I don''t understand?"

    It had to be said that while the current prime minister of Phoenix was quite rich long before she took over the position, five hundred million was still not a small amount for her to fork out.

    The more shrewd people in the crowd couldn''t help but wonder if this was her way to show support for the Empire of Blue Dawn without ever making any official statements.

    Even Emilia was somewhat shocked. ''I didn''t believe it at first, but maybe she really does want to help me for some reason?''

    Cynthia hummed. "Why, though? It seems a little strange considering you hadn''t ever met her in person before."

    The crimson-haired girl could only shrug helplessly, having no answer to her partner''s question at the moment. ''We can always get a general idea from Crystalter. She should have gathered some clues by now, I think.''

    With the prime minister of Phoenix making such a high bid, even thedy who had been so proud to almost win the choker didn''t dare to continue anymore.

    After all, she was already reaching the limits of what she could fork out, and it didn''t make sense to needlessly offend the prime minister of Phoenix when she stood no chance to ''win'' anyway.

    ''Plus, while I hate the thought of these perverts jerking off to her choker or something, I don''t really mind the thought of miss Be having it.'' Lucy hummed while convincing herself.

    The ''almost got it''dy in green believed that with the dignified bearing of the prime minister of Phoenix, there was no way she would use the precious artifact for ''recreational'' purposes.

    Emilia was naturally pleased with this result as well, and smiled gratefully at the prime minister, who just nodded back politely.

    Their exchange didn''t go unnoticed by either the cameras or the people at the auction, and some couldn''t help but break out in hushed discussions.

    The ''crazy fanatics'' from before exchanged a knowing look when the prime minister had the choker ced in a sealed case and instructed that it be sent to her office.

    Alexander''s gaze full of hate also turned to the prime minister of Phoenix. ''This bitch must have colluded with the slut long ago! No wonder my mother didn''t get the honored guest position, but that whore Emilia did!''

    As both the prime minister of Phoenix and the host of the event, Betrix naturally didn''t want to cause too much of a scene, though. Right after the item she acquired was dealt with, the maturedy immediately waved her assistant over. "Bring it in."

    The sound of heavy wheels rolling over the marbled floor soon attracted everyone''s sight towards a curtained-off gate, which soon parted to reveal something covered with arge velvet cloth being wheeled over on a metal trolley.

    The prime minister''s actions of ''distracting people'' only made Alexander more sure of her ''guilt'', but in contrast, Amos immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "So she just wanted that farce to be over quickly so the event could finally move on to what really matters, huh? I knew it! How could that stupid bitch Emilia be so lucky every time?"

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 Chapter 500 Sincerity

    Chapter 500 Sincerity

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    Amos wasn''t the only one relieved to find a justification for the prime minister''s seemingly unexinable favor for Emilia. Many people in the venue secretly breathed a sigh of relief after discovering her ''real motivation'' for making that outrageous bid. "Miss Betrix really doesn''t care about money anymore, does she?"

    The industry and capital she inherited from her grandfather wasn''t something even the likes of Gray Wolfe could scoff at a few decades ago, but now it wasn''t even able topare with the tenth richest person in her own country.

    If not for her position as the prime minister, perhaps these people wouldn''t even bother to ''waste time'' looking down their nose at Betrix. As it was, though, they could only pretend to be regretful at her ''wasted potential''.

    As someone who was used to dealing with all sorts of snakes and scorpions, Betrix was obviously well aware of their thoughts, but she just smiled indifferently as she motioned for the auctioneer to proceed with unveiling the item she had brought.

    With a swish, the veil covering the trolley was pulled off in one smooth motion, leaving many gasping while a few screamed. "Fire?!"

    Much to their embarrassment, however, it turned out that what entered their eyes was not something on fire, but an extremely well-crafted phoenix figurine made of some semi-translucent red material that gave it the illusion of being lit aze.

    If not for it being so unnaturally still, they might have just fallen into the illusion that the bird would take flight at any moment.

    People didn''t even wait for the auctioneer to make the announcement before they started bidding.

    "Five million!"

    "Ten million!"

    "Fifty!"

    "Hundred, n-no, two hundred million!"

    The auctioneer coughed awkwardly, interrupting their enthusiastic bidding. "I must apologize, dear guests, but there are a few special rules for this item. So¡­"

    Betrix sighed. "Let me exin."

    The man in the white suit nodded in relief, and the female prime minister turned to the audience with a polite smile. "This masterpiece was personally created by my grandfather and his friend a long time ago. He called it the ''Spirit of Rebirth'', and it has been sitting in our family vault collecting dust since his passing, which I believe is an insult to its beauty."

    Of course, she could have donated it to one of her national museums if she truly just wished to expose it to more people, but since Betrix didn''t do so, everyone knew that the real ''condition'' must be something else.

    "It may be selfish of me, but I don''t want to give the Spirit of Rebirth to someone who won''t truly cherish it. So my condition for those who want to bid for it is¡­ just like my grandfather, you must also have a phoenix tattoo covering your entire back."

    Although she didn''t specify it, everyone understood that they couldn''t just let someone else get the tattoo on their behalf.

    Betrix smiled. "Of course, I already have a very good artist ready and waiting, so all you will have to do is just follow me after the auction."

    An assistant brought the image of the tattoo that the winner would be getting, printed on a long format photo paper, and some people in the audience couldn''t help but curse.

    Birds and mes weren''t inherently feminine, so why couldn''t they just go with a more gender-neutral design?!

    "Fuck! That ming end going past the tail bone is practically the same as getting a tramp stamp!"

    Regardless, a few people still couldn''t help but be tempted.

    Ignoring the value of the ''Spirit of Rebirth'', the fact that the prime minister would personally take them away after the auction was a huge deal, after all!

    The fact that they would be ''skipping dinner'' to fulfill her conditions meant that, with the nature of the prime minister, she would definitely invite them for a personal dinner afterward!

    "T-Two million!"

    "Five!"

    "Seven million!"

    "Eight million, please!"

    Emilia grinned. "Ten million!"

    Of course, she could fork out a lot more, but the crimson-haired girl never believed in letting someone else manage welfare projects under her name when she hadn''t even met them. She would much rather do it herself, or pick someone she trusted to get things done.

    A few people couldn''t help but raise their eyebrows in surprise. "Is she being serious, or just joining the fun?"

    "As the little princess of White Deer, does she really need to go so far just to have dinner with the prime minister?"

    "Is she not worried her mother will beat her for getting that tattoo?"

    Of course, a few people who were already acquainted with the couple nudged the girl''s parents as well, and Mr. White couldn''t help but give his wife a pleading look. "W-Wifey, why don''t you go and talk her out of this?"

    Mrs. White tilted her head in confusion. "Why should I?"

    Her husband coughed. "T-This is not a joke, you know? A giant tattoo on her back¡­ what if she regrets itter?!"

    Mrs. White tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It''s not bad. If it looks good, good. And if it doesn''t¡­ our daughter is so pretty, it''ll probably only make her even more adorable if she were to have a w, no?"

    The conceit and pride were practically dripping from her smug smile, and the people who brought the question to them couldn''t help but regret it. ''With parents like this, is it any wonder she grew up so proud and spoiled?''

    Of course, those who liked Emilia were also torn on whether they should be distressed or excited at their ''goddess'' getting a mark like that permanently engraved on her skin.

    "I-I don''t want the wless skin of our princess to be marked!"

    "And it''s going to be a mark of the prime minister!"

    "Isn''t she satisfied having snatched our precious treasure already?!"

    "That woman is so cunning! Insidious!"

    Naturally, these fanatics were not on the same level as people who cared about ''irrelevant'' things such as profits, and even the prime minister of Phoenix could only be an ''eyesore'' if she got in the way of their princess.

    Thedy in green who had almost won Emilia''s choker scoffed. "Short-sighted and narrow-minded fools..."

    Her words immediately enraged the already dissatisfied ''fans''. "What did you just say?!"

    "You can doubt my character, you can think that my personality is trash, but you can''t doubt my sincerity to the princess!"

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 Chapter 501 Too Impulsive

    Chapter 501 Too Impulsive

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    "If you really admire the princess as much as you im you do, why would you care if she decided to get a tattoo or not? Clearly, your devotion is only superficial!"

    The previously incensed ''fans'' of Emilia felt like they had been doused over the head with ice-cold water, and a few couldn''t help but shiver in denial. "N-No way, w-we were just worried because we care about her!"

    "That''s right!"

    Thedy in green, who was now as terrifying as a venomous snake in their eyes, just sneered in derision. "Then are you telling me that you care more about her than those that are closest to her? Take a look, none of them seem worried, right?"

    Naturally, everyone understood that she was referring to Emilia''s older sister and blonde ssmate, Crystal. And true to her words, not only did the two of them not seem worried, but they appeared to be quite amused instead.

    Obviously, unlike the two of them, no one else had any idea that Emilia could get rid of any tattoos or scars within seconds if she wished, so they couldn''t help but lower their heads in shame.

    Thedy in green nodded in satisfaction once she saw that these ''bunch of fools'' finally admitted their mistakes. "Your faith iscking, but it''s okay, I will introduce to themanderter, and we can work on it together."

    The newly ''enlightened'' fans couldn''t help but look at her with hope.

    Maybe this ck of faith'' was the reason why the princess didn''t notice them, and if they could really fix it, wouldn''t it mean they might one day stand the chance to be one of those who were personally favored by her?!

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    Emilia naturally had no idea that another sub-division of ''knights'' had just been established in the world''s elite as she won the ''Spirit of Rebirth'' for just over fifty million, much to many people''s envy.

    One of thedies couldn''t help but pout sourly. "She got it for so little¡­ I knew I should have just gone ahead and done it! Even if I regret itter, can''t I just get aser treatment?!"

    Her words startled many of herpanions, and a few couldn''t help but curse in realization.

    If they just got the tattoo and won the bid for a mere fifty million, even after the bestser treatment, they would still be able to resell the thing for a profit of hundreds of millions, if not more!

    Of course, while many were upset for ''missing the great opportunity'', some were upset for an entirely different reason.

    It stands to reason that the prime minister''s ''Spirit of Rebirth'' should have sold for a much higher price than Emilia''s choker. But with how things turned out now, it still remained the ''most valuable'' item of this auction, which was simply a disgrace in some people''s eyes.

    After all, even if Emilia was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. White, most people attending still considered her as someone from the younger generation.

    She could be allowed to shine on her own, to an extent, but she definitely couldn''t be allowed to outshine them!

    Naturally, for some of them, losing a bit of money to take the little girl off the first spot was hardly worth mentioning. In fact, Alexander''s father had fully nned to do just that once his own son went forward with his item, even if it could be considered ''against the etiquette''.

    Unfortunately, the prime minister''s strange decision made it very difficult to pull something like that off now. After all, to p the face of the one ranked first, they would first have to p the one right behind her.

    Of course, the prime minister wouldn''t be unreasonable enough to find fault with them if something could reasonably be valued at that amount, but something like that greatly depended on luck.

    After all, people rarely ''donated'' things that could be valued at over hundreds of millions.

    Betrix smiled. "Congrattions, Emilia. To be honest... I''m quite pleased that you turned out to be one who will take care of my grandfather''s treasure from now on."

    The crimson-haired girl grinned shyly. "Thank you, I''ll be sure to take good care of it."

    The female prime minister motioned for the trolley carrying the statue to be taken away first, and then gave Emilia another appreciative nod. "Why don''t you follow me so we can take care of the rest of the process?"

    Emilia naturally didn''t have any reason to refuse, and was even a little d that she wouldn''t have to bother hanging out in the same area as Alexander and Amos anymore.

    Plus, being with the prime minister of Phoenix at this time would give her an impable alibi!

    The interaction between the two naturally raised quite a few eyebrows. If they still couldn''t see how the prime minister of Phoenix favored Emilia, they would have to be either blind or deaf.

    But what really made them wonder wasn''t that Betrix favored her, but why she did so.

    "Could it be that the White Deer Corporation has made a deal with Phoenix in secret?"

    "It has to be something really good to win the prime minister over to this extent, right?"

    Even Sanders Gray, Alexander''s father, couldn''t help but ponder over the matter seriously.

    Unfortunately, thisck of attention allowed his son to storm right up to the podium and hand the auctioneer his custom-crafted wristwatch.

    "Uh, Mr. Alexander Gray has generously contributed a custom-made watch, one of a kind. Designed by the leading mechanical watch brand¡ª"

    Even as they were somewhat dumbfounded by the rapid turn of events, people could tell that the auctioneer was sweating bullets under the re of Alexander''s father, though the culprit himself remained entirely unaware with his chest still puffed out in pride.

    Looking at the ''awed'' crowd, Alexander sneered. ''How dare she humiliate me like this? I''ll show her that her so-called ''glory'' is really nothing but a sputtering me in front of my zing sun.''

    He didn''t believe that his most precious watch was worth any less than the cheap jewelry of that slut!

    Knowing that ''the slut'' had also paused in surprise just before leaving the room and was bound to be humiliated shortly, Alexander couldn''t help but feel a little better.

    The auctioneer finished his introduction of the watch, and Alexander couldn''t help but look directly into the crimson-haired girl''s eyes in ''challenge''.

    "Thirty thousand!"

    "Thirty-five!"

    "Fifty thousand here!"

    Knowing that they were bound to keep going, Alexander didn''t care about the low starting bids. Instead, he shook his head in pity.

    To be honest, after having already taken the steps to humiliate her thoroughly, he couldn''t help but feel a little pity. It was possible that the little girl didn''t really whore herself out as he thought, and this was all just a misunderstanding.

    Unfortunately, it was already toote now.

    He sighed. ''Whatever, if I''m right, she deserves it. And if I''m wrong¡­ I''ll just have to send her some flowers or something and console herter. Girls are quick to get emotional and quick to forget anyway, it doesn''t matter.''

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 Chapter 502 A Lesson For Life

    Chapter 502 A Lesson For Life

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    Unfortunately for Alexander, the people bidding for his wristwatch didn''t have anywhere as high an appraisal of it as he expected.

    After all, when it came to used goods, the identity of the previous owner mattered a lot.

    If people could take pride in owning something that previously belonged to a person who was famous or exalted, the value of the product wasn''t limited to just how much it would be worth when new.

    On the other hand, if the previous owner was someone unknown or not worth mentioning, it might have a negative impact on its assessed value instead.

    Naturally, while Alexander''s father was famous, his own fame wasn''t anything worth mentioning yet.

    Perhaps only a few upstarts would find it appealing to brag about owning something that previously belonged to Mr. Gray''s son, but that was it.

    "Eighty thousand going once¡­ Eighty thousand going twice¡ª!"

    Even as the auctioneer finalized it and congratted the ''winner'', Alexander still couldn''t believe it. ''W-Wait¡­ m-my previous watch¡­ sold for just eighty thousand?!''

    That wasn''t even enough to cover the costs!

    He couldn''t help but grit his teeth in rage. ''Fuck! Are these bastards trying to humiliate me? Even some of themoner watches can probably go past that!''

    And what baffled him most was that his father hadn''t helped him at all.

    Alexander didn''t even know what kind of expression he was making as he walked down from the podium looking like his soul had been lost.

    Watching Emilia giggle at the dark and twisted expression of the Gray Wolfe''s heir, the prime minister couldn''t help but raise a brow in surprise. "Are you familiar with him?"

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Not really, no. He just pestered me a lot before I left Oriana, so watching his over-inted ego taking a hit is a bit¡­ amusing?"

    The prime minister hummed in surprise, but once she thought of how most rich second-generation men behaved, she realized it wasn''t really unexpected for the Gray Wolfe''s heir to be like that.

    Thinking about it this way, she couldn''t help but nod to herself. ''Maybe that''s why Emilia stood out to me so much. Even with her parentage allowing her to live a life of leisure and luxury, she went out of her way to go to Blue Dawn and do what needed to be done.''

    Of course, it was true that the White Deer Corporation would reap many long-term benefits from the move as well, but for some reason, Betrix didn''t believe it to be what motivated Emilia to make the move.

    Recalling the words of the beautiful little girl in the video from that year, Betrix could still feel the stirring in her heart. "T-There''s still much we have to do today, so¡­"

    Fortunately, Emilia didn''t seem to have realized her embarrassment as she smiled. "Oh, okay! By the way, you don''t mind if I bring Crystal along, right?"

    The blonde girl who had been silently holding her hand almost rolled her eyes at how easily Emilia could act spoiled with someone she had just met, but looking at the prime minister''s indulgent gaze, she could only keep her silence.

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    The fact that Emilia and the prime minister didn''t stick around to watch the rest of the auction naturally left many people quite disappointed.

    After all, not everyone was guaranteed to receive an invitation to the Golden Crown every year, and this could have been their one opportunity topletely transform their fate.

    Unfortunately for them, however, the prime minister of Phoenix didn''t care about their plight at all, and they could only make do with trying to socialize with some of the other elites at the event. Unlikely as it was that they would be convinced to invest, it was better than returning empty-handed.

    Normally, the sudden increase in his poprity would have made Alexander happier, but after all that had happened, his expression remained dark and gloomy regardless of how people approached him.

    He could tell that most of these idiots didn''t really want to talk to him, and what they really sought was the Gray Wolfe Corporation behind him.

    Alexander wasn''t one to be ashamed of his background, but such tant disregard for his own skills and talent still left him incensed, especially after the humiliation he had just been through.

    Obviously, Rhea didn''t even dare to squeak as she followed after him meekly.

    Unfortunately, it was right at this moment that a certain someone arrived to make Alexander''s day even worse.

    Amos pretended to fix his cuff with a smile as he approached the already gloomy man cheerfully. "Ah, the illustrious heir of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, it''s nice to see you in good health."

    Sneering in disdain, Alexander just grabbed Rhea by the wrist before dragging her away. "Fucking morons everywhere!"

    The silver-haired boy didn''t seem to mind the insult, surprisingly, and stood in ce with a smile. ''Heh, daring to mess with that little puppet without even realizing there are masterminds pulling her strings¡­ he''s just a fool.''

    Of course, foolish as he was, Amos knew that the foe of his foe could very well be his best friend. At the very least, the assistance he could provide at this time was something that he desperately needed, and if he had to deal with the idiot''s ego to get his way¡­ so be it.

    After all, didn''t he deal with the giant ego of his father all the time? Compared to that, Alexander wasn''t really worth mentioning.

    With the auction still ongoing, the strange behavior of Amos and Alexander naturally made many people raise their brows, and even Mr. Gray''s expression turned dark.

    Looking at the two ''disgraces'' from his previous ''wife'' that were also in attendance giving him such smug smiles, Sanders Gray almost lost his bearing. ''How can he continue embarrassing me in public like this?!''

    The likes of ck Tiger and White Deer were one thing, but with the strength of his Gray Wolfe Corporation, it had already been decades since any small fries had the opportunity to point their fingers his way like this!

    Gritting his teeth, Sanders finally came to a conclusion. ''Fine, fine¡­ I understand. Since he''s going to manage the Gray Wolfeter, I think it''s time Alexander learned some things in his life¡­''

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 Chapter 503 Capable Subordinates

    Chapter 503 ''Capable'' Subordinates

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    The prime minister and her team took Emilia and Crystal to a luxurious room with all the required equipment and the ''artist'' already waiting, and Betrix quickly finished the introductions.

    The crimson-haired girl could feel the faint shiver of excitement in the hands of the artist as she shook her hand with a bright grin.

    "It''s great to meet you, Be¡ªugh, I mean, the prime minister wasn''t wrong in her judgment, I see!"

    Feeling the scathing re immediately cut through her head, the ''artist'' immediately went into a coughing fit. "I-I didn''t mean anything strange like how pretty or gorgeous you are, i-it could have been just your aura or something?"

    Betrix resisted the urge to smack her ''friend'' upside down in front of the guests as the woman continued digging a deeper hole for herself.

    Seeing how the prime minister was barely maintaining her polite smile, Emilia giggled. "Crystal, why don''t youe with me to the changing room to help me out of this dress?"

    Although it was somewhat intricate, neither the prime minister nor Crystal believed that the crimson-haired girl actually needed any help ''getting out of it'', though both of them believed they knew her ''true purpose'', and quickly nodded in agreement.

    The assistant who had been following after them quickly showed the ''changing room'', which was just another empty pce chamber temporarily fitted with full-length mirrors.

    "Would you require additional help?"

    Emilia shook her head with a mischievous smile. "Thank you, but we''ll be fine. Crystal here is very, very proficient in removing my clothes."

    Had her naughty smile not made her implications ''clear'', the furious blush on the blonde girl''s face was enough to ''enlighten'' the shocked assistant on its own.

    "I-I''ll leave first, then, p-please take care!"

    Joke! No matter how curious she was, a little assistant like her didn''t dare to listen to anything more dangerous, let alone watch something she shouldn''t.

    Not being an idiot, she naturally understood who this guest was. Had she been careless and what happened here leaked¡­ she didn''t dare to imagine the consequences.

    Perhaps before the girl''s fans had the opportunity to tear her apart, the prime minister would do the honors instead. After all, her attitude was clear enough today, wasn''t it?

    Crystal''s blush had just faded a little after the assistant exited the room hastily when it was reignited by an affectionate peck on her lips.

    "D-Don''t mess around!"

    Emilia giggled as she stepped back to dodge the girl''s yful ''pinch'' on her cheeks, making Crystal pout even more.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Okay, okay, don''t pout, baby. I won''t dy you stripping off my clothes anymore."

    Seeing her girlfriend yfully make a e hither'' motion with her finger, Crystal couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "You know we can''t do anything here while the prime minister is waiting, yet you still tease me!"

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    Naturally, the reason Emilia took Crystal to another room to ''change'' wasn''t because she was too shy to take off her clothes in front of the prime minister, nor because she was being ''considerate'' and leaving Betrix and her friend alone for a while as the woman believed.

    As Crystal had expected, the crimson-haired girl simply wanted to use the opportunity to inform Justine''s team of the uing changes to their ns so they could prepare better.

    Of course, the task of figuring out how to get it all done while getting teased by her girlfriend fell on poor Crystal.

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    A few minutester, while the Golden Crown''s charity auction was still in progress, Justine couldn''t help but scratch her head in confusion when she received a rather weird instruction on her secure receiver. "Changes to our n at this stage???"

    If not for the fact that this device was recently created to work on a closed-offwork only essible using White Deer''s proprietary protocols, she would even suspect that this was some sort of sabotage.

    Luckily, a few more messages from Crystal arrived shortly after, exining all the ins and outs of what needed to be changed in more detail. ''I''m guessing Emilia must be quite busy?''

    The blue-haired ex-policdy''s frown only got deeper as she finished reading all the messages.

    She had to admit that the new n did cover up some of the previous loopholes that could havended them in trouble had they been unlucky, but unfortunately, there were a few trade-offs.

    Justine couldn''t help but bite her lip nervously. ''There''s no way to be sure that the two of them will react as Emilia expects, right? Plus, making changes at this stage means we are much more likely to make mistakes!''

    Looking back at the trio that had been following her for so long eagerly waiting for her instructions, the blue-haired girl finally made up her mind. ''No, I can''t have so little faith in my team! The three of them have worked so hard all this time, and we also have more help than we expected now, don''t we?''

    When Emilia had first set her to the task, she hadn''t been sure if Noelle would be avable to assist her, and Mindy''s existence had beenpletely out of their calctions.

    Unfortunately, Justine knew that it would be impossible to discuss things with Emilia until after the Golden Crown was over. But waiting until then meant abandoning the n she had been working so hard for all this time.

    Moreover, if she ended up failing such a crucial mission because of a little uncertainty, wouldn''t Emilia be incredibly disappointed?

    Plus, if she still hesitated now, didn''t that mean she was so incapable that she would have never stood a chance to seed on her own in the first ce?

    "Screw it, Emilia believes I can do it, so I surely can!"

    Looking at their ''captain'' pumping her fist enthusiastically in a corner, Mindy couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously. "Is she okay?"

    Trying her best to ignore the faint ''Go, Justine, go!'' and ''Just think of the rewards!'', Noelle sighed. "The wiring in her brain short-circuits from time to time, but yeah. She should be fine."

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 Chapter 504 The Oblivious and The Daring

    Chapter 504 The Oblivious and The Daring

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    Unaware of the dark storm brewing outside the pce, Alexander found himself in another confrontation with Amos ck, this time over the boy''spanion Kristie ''identally'' spilling some wine over the pristine boots of the Gray Wolfe''s heir.

    Obviously, even if Kristie were to be ten times more clumsy than she actually was, it would have been an incredible coincidence for things to have yed out the way they had.

    After all, she knew very well just how little Amos actually cared about her, so how could she be so careless?

    But knowing that she could only passively ''take the me'' for doing exactly what Amos told her to do still made the girl feel a little short of breath.

    "Bitch, how dare you dirty my shoes?!"

    "I-I''m sorry, I-I will¡ª"

    Alexander wasn''t very patient or tactful to begin with, and the day''s events had already put him on edge. "You will what?! Even if you were to whore yourself out for the rest of your life, it would still not be enough to buy one of my shoces!"

    In his rage, he remainedpletely unaware of the disapproving stares from the people around him, as well as the clearly mocking chuckles, but the same couldn''t be said about Alexander''s father.

    Having always indulged this son of his for the ''injustice'' he suffered growing up alone with his mother, Sanders Gray felt for the first time in his life that he may have indulged this son a bit too much.

    Not only did he not know how to control his temper, but he was alsopletely oblivious to his surroundings! How could he convince everyone that such a person was fit to lead the Gray Wolfe Corporation in the future?

    Even if he somehow managed to force everyone to ept it, would Alexander be fit enough to be able to lead them properly? In his current state, he no longer believed so.

    Amos chuckled in the face of his opponent''s fury and leisurely pulled his girlfriend back behind him. "Now now, there''s no need to be so angry over some spilled wine, is there? My dear Kristie is a bit clumsy, but she didn''t mean it."

    Seeing the handsome silver-haired boy''s treatment of his ''girlfriend'', Rhea couldn''t help but feel like even Alexander wasn''t as ''bad'' a man inparison.

    After all, someone like her who acted for a living could easily see through the obviously fake expression on the boy''s face. He clearly didn''t care one bit about his girlfriend, and was obviously ''taking a shot from over her shoulder'', but no one else really seemed to care.

    In fact, Rhea felt that Kristie''s situation must perhaps be quite simr to her own, minus the ''being an actress'' part. They were both victims of catching the eye of someone they shouldn''t have, and were powerless to resist their will.

    With her lowly status in this group of elites, though, she was only qualified to stand behind Alexander and watch the y unfold meekly. When she couldn''t even ensure her own safety, how could she have the strength to take care of someone else?

    Unaware and uncaring of the gloomy thoughts of hispanion, the dark-haired man sneered, and was just about to refute the ''annoying'' silver-haired boy when he felt a heavy yet familiar palmnd on his shoulder.

    "That''s enough."

    The voice was low and calm, yet carried an unstoppable momentum honed by decades of unchallenged authority.

    Alexander''s indignant re was immediately snuffed out under his father''s dark expression, and he reluctantly pulled back while ''secretly'' giving Amos the middle finger from an angle his father couldn''t see.

    Of course, the cameras and the people around could still capture it, and a few couldn''t help but shake their heads, but Alexander didn''t really care.

    His father was a busy man, and it was unlikely he would bother checking something like that out, let alone bother caring about it¡­ or so he thought.

    Fortunately for him, Alexander''s father didn''t really want to make too much fuss in public. Completely unaware of just what was in store for them in the future, he decided to save the ''lesson'' that his son needed to learn for ter''.

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    Meanwhile, back in the room with the prime minister, Emilia had already made herselffortable on the cushioned b, lying face down with her eyes closed.

    The crimson-haired beauty''s spotless back waspletely bared to the ''artist'', with the area below her waist covered with a towel.

    Although it was very subtle, there was no way Crystal could miss the way the prime minister''s eyes darted to her girlfriend''s silky skin with both thirst and pity, or the way her throat moved as she tried her best not to gulp.

    Feeling incredibly nervous with the extremely precious ''canvas'' in her hands, the artist friend of the prime minister couldn''t help but clear her throat with a smile. "N-No need to worry, I-I''ve done this a thousand times before. T-There''s no way I can possibly mess this up!"

    Unconsciously, she slid her palm across the gorgeous girl''s spine, inwardly marveling at how good it felt just to touch it. ''Damn, talk about having skin like satin! It''s gonna be so fun inking her!''

    Of course, while Emilia only giggled from the slightly ticklish feeling, two very distinct res quickly woke the poor artist up from her reverie. "I-I''ll get started then!"

    Instead of calming down when she brought her liner to Emilia''s skin, the two res only got more intense, and the artist couldn''t help but pout. ''Whatever, I''ll just ignore these unreasonable meanies then! I don''t believe you can keep bullying me if I refuse to acknowledge your existence!''

    Completely throwing caution to the wind, the ''artist'' soon convinced herself it was just her and Emilia in the room.

    Patting her ''client'' on the butt yfully, she grinned. "Are you ready, darling? I promise it won''t hurt much, so don''t be nervous."

    res? What res? It was just the reflections of lights from the walls being a bit strange. That''s right.

    Her eyes still closed, the crimson-haired beauty giggled. ''Is she a close friend of the prime minister? How daring¡­''

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 Chapter 505 The Real Fool

    Chapter 505 The Real Fool

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    Amos ck was very, very familiar with just how devastating it was for someone to go from being the target of public admiration to being just another loser, especially when such a transformation was brought by someone they previously used to look down upon.

    It was clear to all that Alexander was suffocating with rage, but there was nothing he could do to vent it out under his father''s oppression.

    Of course, knowing just how crushing a blow it must be to his opponent''s psyche only made Amos even more d that he did it. After all, regardless of the ck Tiger''s losses having made his own control stronger in the corporation, they still had to make up for their previous ''sins''.

    Initially, he was hoping to make some good contacts of his own in the Golden Crown, but seeing the level of the people here, Amos no longer felt the need to do so.

    Since they were so easily fooled by that dumb puppet Emilia, and dared to look down on him as well, none of them deserved to stand by his side. Instead, he would rather crush them all one by one after gaining control of the ck Tiger!

    Even that idiot Alexander wasn''t really worth his time, as evidenced by how easily the moron fell for his trap, even with Kristie''s frankly trash act that couldn''t have convinced even a blind toddler.

    Seeing Alexander follow his father around obediently with an ashen and depressed expression, the silver-haired boy didn''t even feel much joy, only boredom. He almost couldn''t believe even for a moment he had once considered him as a ''peer''.

    Compared to him, even that hateful crimson-haired puppet would be more fun to crush, though Amos knew it was mostly because of what she had done to Crystal. He could forgive anything else, but misleading his perfect girl was a sin that was truly unforgivable.

    It deserved retribution far greater than simple death!

    Having spent many nights dreaming of tearing that disgustingly beautiful face of that slut apart, Amos knew exactly what he would do to her once he had her firmly under his boot.

    And he would make Crystal watch every single moment of her torment, so she could realize just how big of a mistake she made by picking that stupid slut over him.

    Of course, while he wouldn''t waste nearly as much on other insignificant people, Amos would never let off those who offended him so easily.

    At the very least, they should live in fear and regret for the rest of their lives¡­ however short they might be.

    Looking at the ''fools'' who werepletely unaware of their bleak future as they rushed forward to tter the ''doomed'' leaders of the Gray Wolfe and White Deer, Amos couldn''t help but sneer. ''Fucking worms¡­ enjoy life while you still can!''

    Regardless of the dark storm in the eyes of the ''hero'', the rest of the attendees of the Golden Crown continued to enjoy socializing with the other elites until it was finally time for the post-auction dinner to end.

    Many of them couldn''t help but sigh in regret when a senior government official of Phoenix took the mic, and the prime minister remained nowhere to be seen.

    "Honored guests, as you might be aware, the prime minister is personally watching over the process of handing over her precious family heirloom, and is thus unable to bid you all farewell in person right now. She has expressed her sincerest apologies to everyone for not being able to return to bid you all farewell after the event, and also invited anyone who doesn''t have other obligations to stay over for a few more days so she could make up for theck of hospitality."

    Naturally, everyone understood that while the prime minister couldn''t possibly be ''genuinely sorry'' for not returning ¡ª as she surely could have if she wished ¡ª that didn''t mean that her attitude for ''making up'' was any less sincere.

    It may not matter much to behemoths like the Gray Wolfe and the White Deer, but most people here would happily trade a few more days of their schedule for a personal meeting with the rather elusive prime minister of Phoenix.

    Had it been before, perhaps Amos would also not have cared about such little things, but that was no longer the case now.

    After all, even if he didn''t know much about the reason why the government of Oriana was seemingly helping him suppress that bastard father of his, that didn''t mean no one else did.

    With the political clout and status of the prime minister of Phoenix, perhaps that woman might really know something worth his time.

    Plus, Amos was quite curious about what her reaction would be if he revealed that slut Emilia''s real self in front of her.

    After all, even if that little puppet could fool most, the silver-haired boy didn''t believe the prime minister of phoenix was someone so stupid that she wouldn''t be able to see the truth even when he enlightened her in private.

    In his momentary distraction, Amos didn''t even notice when someone in front of him suddenly slowed down, and it was only when the two of them crashed and tumbled to the floor that he came back to his senses.

    Of course, the way it ''coincidentally'' happened and with the angle of the scene from the nearest camera, anyone watching would probably think that Amos crashed into the person in front of him intentionally.

    Unfortunately, even if they didn''t get injured by the fall, the silver-haired boy''s expression twisted into a deep grimace at the sharp pain.

    "Oh no¡­! It looks like you twisted it¡­?"

    The person who caused him to fall was an exceptionally tall woman in a pale dress, and Amos distinctly remembered her as the one who ''hit the jackpot'' when that stupid slut overpaid for that dull-looking ring in the auction. ''Dementia or something was her name, wasn''t it?''

    Of course, considering it would all go to charity anyway, she must be quite bitter inside.

    Perhaps it was because he had been in quite a good mood before, or because the woman didn''t turn out to be as boorish as she first appeared to Amos, but the silver-haired boy didn''t immediately explode in rage despite the pain.

    Helping him up apologetically,dy Dimitrescu sighed. "I''m deeply regretful for inadvertently injuring you, lord Amos. Would you allow me the honor of escorting you to your vehicle to make up for it?"

    Despite his subtle increase in status within the ck Tiger Corporation, it had already been a while since he had been treated with ''due respect'', so Amos couldn''t help but be momentarily stunned.

    Seemingly taking his silence as consent, the shockingly well-builtdy immediately picked him up in a ''bridal carry'', and rushed past the other dumbfounded guests within moments.

    Even Amos was so shocked that he didn''t even feel the ''humiliation'' settle in immediately, and remained struck dumb until he had already been ced in the backseat of the car.

    A few people who had been watching them couldn''t help but shake their heads in disbelief.

    "I knew that the ck Tiger was going through some trouble, but for their apparent heir to use this kind of tactic¡­ it''s too much, isn''t it?"

    "Even with his rather attractive face, does Mr. ck really need to use his own son as a honey trap?"

    "And the Dimitrescu family isn''t even that well-off, right? Wouldn''t it have been better to go after someone else instead?"

    "Fortunately, he doesn''t have a daughter, or I might have been in trouble."

    "No, wait, isn''t your focus wrong?!"

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 Chapter 506 Hope Over The Horizon

    Chapter 506 Hope Over The Horizon

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    Not being very familiar with anyone else at the Golden Crown, Kristie hurriedly followed after her ''boyfriend'', only to be stopped by ady in a green suit not far from the car he entered.

    "Please follow me, miss, the first car is full."

    "I-Is everything okay?"

    Thedy smiled. "Don''t worry, miss, ourdy is simply escorting Mr. Amos so he can get proper treatment in time as an apology for injuring him."

    Kristie couldn''t help but sigh in relief. For a moment, she thought she would be left alone in this foreign country with no way out or even the means to house or feed herself. After all, Amos didn''t allow her to keep a purse or phone while she was with him.

    It was only after she unsuspectingly got into the car she was led to and the doors were locked that the blonde girl realized that something was wrong.

    Unfortunately, it was toote.

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    Amos didn''t remain dazed for too long after he was taken away bydy Dimitrescu, but no matter how he screamed or cursed at her to let him out, the woman just apologized ''sincerely'' and kept insisting on ''getting him treated'' as an apology.

    By the time they arrived at their destination, the silver-haired boy''s face was already somewhat purple from screaming in rage for so long.

    Fortunately, his own driver had been following after them on his own, and the boy immediately limped over while givingdy Dimitrescu the middle finger. "I don''t care if you''re dumb or really did this intentionally, I''ll definitely pay you back a hundredfold for today''s humiliation!"

    The pain in his ankle was hardly worth mentioning, but Amos knew for sure that the ck Tiger''s future owner being carried away like a damsel in distress by a woman would make him the butt of all jokes for weeks toe. Moreover, that giant bitch even made it seem like he was the one who made it all happen!

    He knew just by looking at her face that she must have been enamored by his good looks, and wanted to use this method to tie him to her side somehow. Unfortunately, not only did she not win him over, but also made him detest her to the core.

    Feeling his teeth itch in hatred, the silver-haired boy clenched his fists so hard that his nails directly dug into his skin. ''That fucking whore totally ruined my good mood today!''

    Lady Dimitrescu just looked dumbfounded and somewhat heartbroken at his words, and watched his car drive off sadly.

    The talldy sighed forlornly after a while before trudging slowly to her room. As soon as she got in, however, her expression immediately turned cold. "Has the girl been taken away?"

    A somewhat feminine figure immediately exited the shadowy corner of the dimly lit room before kneeling down beside her. "Yes, mother. It is done."

    Lady Dimitrescu smiled. "Good. Make sure everything is carried out ording to the instructions sent by the Empress."

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    With his thoughts clouded by rage, it wasn''t untilte into the night before Amos finally recalled that he''d brought a ''girlfriend'' over to the Golden Crown, and she was no longer with him when he returned.

    Presumably, even if the security around the Phoenix Pce was supposed to be good, a lone girl like Kristie with no money and no contacts should probably be in a pretty desperate situation already. But Amos wasn''t too worried.

    After all, even if something happened to Kristie, he could always find another Christa, Connie, or Kimberly. As long as they could be trained to be obedient and made to resemble Crystal with some make-up, he didn''t really care about anything else.

    Of course, Amos also knew that he couldn''t just abandon Kristie here. As someone who attended the Golden Crown with him, her face was already associated with the name ''Amos ck''.

    Amos sneered as he picked up his phone, and it didn''t take long for the call to connect. "Tell the driver to get back to the Phoenix Pce and bring Kristie over. Oh, and look for someone with simr requirements as before."

    The man on the other side cleared his throat awkwardly. "T-That, s-sir, Kristie is already back, s-she was sent over bydy Dimitrescu. A-And it''s not easy to dispose of people in Phoenix, c-can we¡ª"

    Because of his focus on the ''disposal'', however, the manpletely forgot to inform Amos about the fact that Kristie had only just returned, hours after Amos.

    The silver-haired boy blinked in surprise, but frowned soon after.

    He naturally wasn''t so hasty that he would dispose of Kristie before they even left Phoenix, not to mention that he no longer had any reason to get rid of her if she hadn''t been dirtied as he initially expected.

    But the fact that even an insignificant minion dared to refute him just rubbed Amos the wrong way, especially after all the humiliation he had been through just hours ago. "You dumb fuck, did you forget who pulled you up from the position of a little thug in the covert operations subdivision and made you the head here?!"

    Knowing how temperamental his boss was, and that he might have pressed his wrong button this time, the man immediately panicked. "N-No, I didn''t mean that, sir! I-I just wanted to remind you that it would be less trouble our way if we get rid of her after leaving Phoenix, instead!"

    Amos couldn''t help butugh angrily. "Fuck that! What were you doing when I was being taken away by that giant ugly thing earlier, anyway? If you don''t give me a good exnation, I don''t mind swapping your position with your assistant!"

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    While her ''boyfriend'' was screeching at and scolding his subordinates, however, Kristie found herself staring at the ceiling in a daze.

    It wasn''t the first time she was doing this since she had met her ''boyfriend'', of course. But this time, the feelings in her heart werepletely different from before.

    No longer was she full of doubt, fearful of her future, or full of self-conscious and self-deprecating thoughts, no. Instead, for the first time in a long time, she found herself wishing that the sun would rise over the horizon sooner.

    After all, tomorrow¡­ she would finally be free.

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 Chapter 507 Unfortunate Ending

    Chapter 507 Unfortunate Ending

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    Betrix had to admit that watching her friend''s needlework over Emilia''s spine had a unique, artistic beauty that she didn''t expect. Sick as it was, there was something about the young girl''s pristine skin being pierced and permanently marked with a sign of her choice that made Betrix incredibly excited. And perhaps the most shameful thing of all was that she didn''t even feel guilty about it.

    Fortunately, the girl didn''t seem to be in any pain, though Betrix couldn''t deny that her relief was mixed with a little disappointment.

    After all, there was a reason she took a seat not far from her. But it turned out she didn''t need her hand held forfort in the end.

    On the plus side, she got to hear the girl''s sweet hums and murmurs up close, and the two of them even made small talk for a while before the girl seemingly dozed off.

    Looking at her friend''s confusion, the tattoo artist grinned as she paused. "Don''t worry, she just fell asleep. It''s rare, but some people can actually doze off while getting a tattoo on their back."

    Of course, this was often due to certain deficiencies or low blood sugar, but since it wasn''t impossible for such a thing to happen naturally, there was no need to rm their prime minister.

    Anyway, the girl under her hand was someone who could decimate a whole squad of soldiers, so the artist had no doubts that she would be ''fine'', though her friend''s concern for her was both funny and adorable.

    It was like watching a little girl have her first crush, full of innocence and clumsiness.

    Knowing her lover''s n, Crystal just smiled. "Despite how she looks, Emilia has a surprisingly high pain tolerance."

    Betrix couldn''t help but frown. "Is that so¡­?"

    Looking at her unconcealed concern, the blonde girl giggled. "Don''t worry. We always make sure she doesn''t suffer needlessly for anything. As you can see¡­ there is not a single scar on her body."

    The prime minister''s eyes ''inadvertently'' swept all over Emilia''s body ''because of Crystal''s words'', and she couldn''t help but gulp. "T-That is true¡­"

    She didn''t dare mention the regret she felt at not being able to see certain parts of the little beauty''s body. It was a secret that should forever stay buried in her heart, something that no one must ever know!

    Naturally, Crystal could read her like an open book.

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    Emilia didn''t wake up even after her tattoo was done, and after considering Crystal''s suggestion of letting the girl ''catch up on her sleep'', Betrix decided that there was no harm in just shifting her to the nearby bed.

    Of course as main host of the event the girl was attending and the one who brought her back, she felt it was her responsibility to personally carry her over.

    Betrix couldn''t deny the butterflies in her stomach when her suggestion wasn''t refuted by anyone, and she finally got to pick the barely clothed girl up carefully.

    The crimson-haired beauty was both lighter and softer than she ever expected, and even through the thin fabric, Betrix couldn''t help but imagine how amazing it would feel to directly touch the young girl''s beautiful skin.

    Feeling the blood quickly rushing to her head, the prime minister didn''t dare get too distracted as she settled the little beauty on the bed before doing her best to distract herself by talking to the closest person avable.

    Surprisingly, the blonde friend of Emilia''s was quite pleasant to talk to, and Betrix found herself feeling like she had met a kindred soul.

    Of course, their life experiences were vastly different, but some of their views on both social and moral issues couldn''t be any more simr.

    Although she convinced herself that epting Crystal''s suggestion so Emilia wouldn''t wake up and panic because of being in a vastly different environment than she had been in before was for the best, even the prime minister knew just how flimsy that excuse was.

    Betrix felt like her good mood was momentarily ruined by her friend''s smug smile and ''good luck'' when she left, but after staring at Emilia''s adorable sleeping face for a while, that feeling evaporated before she knew it.

    Fortunately, the girl''s parents and older sister seemed to believe in her ability and left the responsibility of taking good care of their ''treasure'' in her hands with a smile.

    Naturally, Betrix wasn''t quite shameless enough to convince herself that she ''had to'' sleep in the same bed as Emilia, and ended up taking another one nearby regardless of how her heart bled in regret.

    Of course, nothing could stop her from getting up early next morning to prepare and make sure that hers was the first face Emilia saw when she opened her eyes.

    The girl''s blondepanion yawned as she wished her a good morning, and the prime minister tried her best to suppress the excitement in her heart as she calmly smiled back and returned the greeting while waiting for Emilia to wake up.

    Unfortunately, all her excitement and good mood was instantly ruined when her secretary came rushing into the room well before Emilia woke up, her facepletely devoid of the usual mischief.

    Before she even opened her mouth, Betrix knew whatever she told her couldn''t possibly be good news.

    "B-Be, t-there''s something you must know."

    Although it might be a bit offensive to her guest, the prime minister knew that there were some procedures she needed to follow in her position. "I''ll be right back, okay?"

    Inwardly, Betrix breathed a sigh of relief as she left after giving the ''worried'' Crystal a reassuring nod. ''Fortunately, Emilia is still asleep, so things didn''t get too awkward.''

    As it turned out, however, her friend hadn''t taken her away from the younger girls because she was concerned about confidentiality. If anything, the news she received was something that had already be public, and couldn''t be hidden at all.

    Barely resisting the urge to retch, Betrix couldn''t help but clutch at the armrest of the sofa while feeling faint. "H-His face looked like it had been chewed up by something?!"

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 Chapter 508 Bellas Stance

    Chapter 508 Be''s Stance

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    The disgust on Be''s face was apparent, but her friend also knew that this was something she needed to be made aware of so she could make a more informed decision as the prime minister of Phoenix.

    After all, while Phoenix preached that all lives were equal, Alexander Gray''s death would obviously have an impact that was vastly different from that of a regr murder.

    Feeling helpless, thedy could only sigh and continue. "I''m not really sure of the exact circumstances, actually, no one seems to be sure, but¡­"

    "Hold on, let me get this straight¡­ did you not have the scene inspected by any experts?" Betrix pinched the bridge of her nose, still having a little trouble believing that someone was daring enough to kill the Gray Wolfe''s heir right after the Golden Crown.

    The fact that they did it in such a gruesome way could only mean that whoever was behind the whole thing must really hate the man.

    "Of course I did! But¡­" After pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, her friend bit her lip uneasily. "Well, it''s not like they don''t have any clues?"

    The prime minister sighed. "Just say it, I won''t throw up, promise."

    Her friend seemed to weigh her words for a while before she shook her head with a wry smile. "Well, I won''t go into details anyway, if you really want to, just¡­ look at the photoster. Anyway, right now there are two possibilities¡­"

    Pulling up a rough illustration of a weapon with one end shaped like the top part of a canine''s jaw on her tablet, she turned it over to Betrix, her expression grim. "The first is that whoever killed him use some sort of weird instrument to confuse us, which might seem clever at first, but actually serves little purpose here. And the second possibility, which the detectives strongly believe in as well, is that it was a medium-sized beast that chewed up his face and several parts of his body before spitting them out."

    Of course, she didn''t mention their ''suspicion'' that it may not be a beast at all. Going by her friend''s already pale face, it might be a bit too much to take in.

    As the prime minister, Be was obviously smart enough to understand her friend''s implication that someone must have brought this beast along as a tool for their murder, but that only gave rise to more questions in her mind.

    How many people in the world had both the strength and the guts to deal with Alexander Gray, knowing that his father might go ballistic trying to find them?

    Suddenly, it was like a light bulb had gone off in her head as Betrix gasped. "No¡­ could it be that Sanders Gray going ballistic trying to find the culprit for his son''s death was their goal all along?!"

    The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

    If it was some old shark who smelled blood in the ocean when they got wind of Alexander going off on his own and decided to use the opportunity to force this immovable mountain called Gray Wolfe as much as they could, it made some sense.

    Naturally, for people of their level, sneaking in an animal without their knowledge might only be a little tricky, but far from impossible.

    Moreover, since the incident took ce on international waters, they couldn''t be sure where the perpetrators had snuck in from either, or if the ''orders'' were even really from someone at the Golden Crown at all.

    Plus, what Betrix cared about the most now wasn''t to find the murderer, but to clear the name of her own country from this incident.

    After all, if the name of Phoenix got stained with the blood of a guest, it may not bode well for them in the future negotiations with the rest of the world.

    Perhaps Betrix wouldn''t have cared so much about such a thing if it were a few years ago, but that was before the hope for a world that wasn''t as heartless to the unfortunate was reignited in her heart by a certain someone.

    Even if it was but a pipe dream and wishful thinking at best, she still wanted to see if she could help the girl out however she could.

    Thinking of Emilia, Betrix couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s good that you didn''t mention it in front of the little girl. Regardless of their poor rtionship, Alexander was someone she had met and talked with before, after all."

    With Emilia''s pure and kind heart, the prime minister of Phoenix didn''t dare imagine how she would feel to know that such a cruel thing had happened to someone she was familiar with, even if the girl might have found him annoying before.

    Plus, Crystal couldn''t be much better at handling such things, if the few judgments she had observed before ''out of curiosity'' were any indication.

    Her friend also sighed sadly. "Don''t worry about it too much. Her parents and friends can take care of far better than we can, probably. What you need to worry about now is how to handle the situation."

    Although it had technically happened outside their borders, the country that was closest to the incident was still Phoenix, and it was also where Alexander hadst been before he died.

    Morally, the responsibility for protecting such an important guest still fell on their shoulders, and they all knew very well that it was impossible for them to just ignore the incident and refuse to talk about it.

    Of course, as the prime minister of Phoenix, Betrix wouldn''t let her country take the me for something needlessly, regardless of whether they could have done more to prevent it.

    Leaning back on the sofa to close her eyes in contemtion, the prime minister''s lips slowly turned downward. "Let''s see¡­ It happened outside our borders, and Phoenix has neither the responsibility nor the ability to protect someone outside its borders without prior notice."

    She sneered. "Moreover¡­ none of the guests of the Golden Crown were supposed to leave before dawn, am I right?"

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 Chapter 509 Rabid Dog

    Chapter 509 Rabid Dog

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    The news of the gruesome incident soon spread all over the world, and even those who werepletely unaware of Alexander''s existence before his death found themselves being crammed with every little detail that the media had on both the man''s life and the possible cause of his demise.

    For many who only wanted more visually pleasing imagery from the Golden Crown being dug up by the media, hopefully involving a certain young empress, the turn of events was quite displeasing to say the least.

    "Last night, Alexander Gray was found dead, brutally murdered in a yacht sixty nautical miles south of the border of the Phoenix country¡ª"

    "For those of our viewers who may not know of him, Alexander Gray was the illegitimate son of Sanders Gray, who is currently the richest man in the world."

    A few couldn''t help but curse at the media for airing ''irrelevant'' things even after being made aware of Alexander''s identity, but many more couldn''t help but be pulled in by the narrative.

    "Despite hisck of legitimacy, however, sources say that he was expected to inherit his father''s fortune in full¡ª"

    "Key witnesses im that Mr. Alexander had a very vocal dispute with his father right after the Golden Crown event, after which he decided to leave on a private cruise ship separately, which led to¡ª"

    Alexander''s father would naturally have been furious to hear about his dead son being addressed like that¡­ if he''d had the time to watch the news, that is.

    Unfortunately, he was already too preupied with other matters to have the time to pay attention to such things, and no one was daring enough to bring it up to him at such a time either.

    But while a part of it was surely because of Alexander being the son of the richest man in the world, it couldn''t be denied that the mystery behind his murder yed a big role in the extensive coverage and attention that the incident was receiving.

    "Mr. Alexander''s face seemed to have been chewed up and spit out by some sort of vicious beast in the attack that led to his death, and it is suspected that someone snuck a dangerous animal onto the yacht with the intention to use it as a tool for murder¡ª"

    "The authorities of Phoenix are currently investigating any attendees of the Golden Crown as well as locally influential forces to sift out any who could bring such an animal in, including the leaders of Gray Wolfe, White Deer, and¡ª"

    Of course, the fact that numerous high-profile individuals who usually liked to stay away from the limelight could also be associated with the incident to promote excitement and intrigue also didn''t help.

    As the one who had been pestered relentlessly by the ''victim'' the night before his murder, naturally, Emilia was one of the first ones to face the scrutiny of the media.

    "Aside from the dispute with his father, both ims of various witnesses and a review of the event''s footage confirm that Mr. Alexander was quite obsessed with Emilia White, the first Empress of the Empire of Blue Dawn, who was also a guest of honor at the event¡ª"

    Luckily for her, however, she had been sleeping under the watchful eye of the prime minister of Phoenix on the night of the incident, giving her an impable alibi, and the media only mentioned her name to attract the audience who loved to watch her face on their screens.

    They never really took her seriously as a ''suspect'', believing she had neither the intentions nor the motivation to pull something like this, and soon moved on to other big names.

    "Many im that Mr. Alexander also had numerous disputes with Mr. Amos ck, as well as¡ª"

    Naturally, any names mentioned at this point were merely being ''suspected'', and almost everyone was sure that none of them would be caught as the murderer in the end anyway.

    Of course, even if that hadn''t been the case, the media would have absolved her of any suspicion on their own anyway. Not because they feared her army of raging, fanatic followers, of course, but because of the surfacing of clues that soon led them to the murderer.

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    Meanwhile, the situation was far from optimistic for Alexander''s father.

    The moment she had heard the news of her son''s death, his wife had jumped out of her bedroom window in grief, and he had been beside himself watching her struggle to survive in the intensive care unit.

    Fortunately, her bedroom window hadn''t been particrly high up, and while she ended up with multiple broken bones and considerable trauma to her head, Alexander''s mother only entered a temporarya.

    Once sure that his wife was no longer in a critical condition, Alexander''s father finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Soon, however, his expression turned cold as he clutched at the cor of the man in front of him, his eyes red with rage. "Tell me, how the fuck did my son die?! Wasn''t that bastard old snake supposed to be tailing and protecting him?!"

    "Calm down¡ª"

    The previous incident that left his son injured was one thing, but telling Alexander''s father to stay calm after his son''s death was clearly the wrong move to make. "Shut the fuck up! Don''t tell me to calm down, you bastard! Just exin to me how the fuck this happened, understand?!"

    The middle-aged man didn''t seem too panicked on the surface, but only he knew how his back was soaked with nervous sweat at the moment. "W-We are trying our best to figure out what''s going on, but the old snake has also lost contact with us after the incident."

    Of course, he didn''t really believe that the man was dead just because he didn''t receive any response. Not to mention theck of a corpse, could someone like the old snake die without even any hints of a struggle?

    And going by the expression of Alexander''s father, he knew this just as well, and he couldn''t help but sneer. "Tell me¡­ what happens to a rabid dog that tries to bite its own master?"

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 Chapter 510 The Primary Suspect

    Chapter 510 The Primary Suspect

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    Despite their seemingly symbiotic rtionship in the eyes of the rest of the world, neither the Nightingale n nor the leaders of the Gray Wolfe Corporation were actually satisfied with the status quo.

    After all, with their constantly declining independence, the Nightingale n knew very well that if things kept going in the direction they were currently headed in¡­ it was only a matter of time before even their n''s illustrious name would forever vanish from this world.

    What would be left behind would just be a bunch of nameless, loyal dogs, with their only purpose being to further the goals and agenda of their ''masters''.

    Of course, as the leader of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, Alexander''s father also sensed the desire that his ''ves'' had of getting out of his control, and he wasn''t very pleased, to say the least.

    That being said, neither Alexander''s father nor the current n leader of the Nightingales expected things to turn out as they had.

    After all, even if they had the thought of rebelling, the Nightingale n was far from being prepared to pull off such a move at the moment.

    If they really forced it, not only would it undo all the progress they''d made in the past few decades, but it might even directly get them wiped out!

    Regardless of his past contributions, the Nightingale n''s leader couldn''t help but hate the old snake in his heart. ''Just a while more and we could have continued gathering enough strength to break free from the Gray Wolfe''s control, but no! That ungrateful idiot!''

    As for Alexander''s father, well, his disbelief and rage were also only to be expected. After all, the most he expected his ''rebellious ves'' to be able to pull off was for them to attempt to run away to either hide in the shadows or seek shelter with some other master.

    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that one day they would have the courage to actually deal him such a fatal wound.

    And to add insult to injury, they even seemed to believe that such an obvious w wouldn''t be discovered!

    Feeling like his heart might explode from all the umting rage and fury, Alexander''s father finally couldn''t help but lunge forward and grab the throat of the ''rebellious ve'' with a hideous snarl on his face. "Even if you rats wanted to run away, how dare you touch my son?! Did you truly believe, even for a second, that I would let any of you go alive now?!"

    The n leader''splexion alternated between purple and red, though it was more out of shame and anger than due to the constriction at his throat.

    After all, while the current n leader was far from being the most durable of the Nightingales, Alexander''s father was far from being strong enough to be able to strangle him to death.

    Even if it was ''harmless'', however, the humiliation that he felt at the moment was almost enough topletely overwhelm his reason.

    Just as things were about to get worse, however, a young man came rushing in while breaking the door open, both panic and tion almost dripping from his face.

    "Y-Young master''s murderer has been found!"

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    Although the Old Snake was one of the ''key suspects'' behind Alexander''s murder thanks to both his position and ability, this was only what the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n suspected.

    Naturally, they wouldn''t share such a thing with the rest of the world, let alone the detectives investigating Alexander''s case under the control of Phoenix.

    It was due to their belief that they knew more than anyone else, however, that they ended uppletely overlooking other possibilities, and were left utterly dumbfounded when they finally got wind of the news.

    ''Fortunately'' for them, they weren''t alone in their predicament, and Alexander''s father cared more about avenging his son than he did about being the first to discover the truth.

    At first, even the detectives of Phoenix believed that they were in for an excruciatingly long andplex investigation. Never did they expect, however, that the first critical clue would be found almost as soon as they began!

    And the one to unravel the mystery was none other than the person who had been the closest to Alexander before the incident¡­ his ''girlfriend''.

    The girl had been quite traumatized by her boyfriend''s death at first, but the moment she managed to gather enough courage to open her mouth, her words ended up shocking the investigators to their very core.

    "Alexander Gray received a death threat right before his murder?!"

    "It was by none other than Amos ck!"

    Of course, as Betrix was both confident in their innocence and eager to prove it to the rest of the world, most of the details of their investigation were constantly being shared with the international media.

    The shocking news of the ck Tiger Corporation''s heir, Amos ck being the new primary suspect and Alexander''s ''girlfriend'' revealing his chilling threat soon started making rounds, immediately causing a sensation all over the world.

    Naturally, it didn''t take long for many people to dig out and pick apart all the footage that covered the various disputes between the two men from the Golden Crown.

    Although Amos looked remarkably calm and derisive of his opponent in most clips, his animosity for Alexander was still clear at a nce.

    Moreover, in light of the new ''revtions'', these minor disputes were about as good as incriminating evidence in the eyes of most people.

    Unlike the easily swayed masses, however, the official statements from the government of Phoenix remained more ''conservative'' and cautious. "Miss Rhea ims that she had only started dating Mr. Alexander shortly before the incident, and she had been locked inside the bedroom at the time of the incident. The surveince on the ship confirms this."

    Of course, the critical cameras that could have recorded the actual ''incident'' were conveniently out of service at that time.

    Their spokesperson continued. "At the moment, we do not have any reason to believe that Mr. Amos ck was actually involved in the tragedy of that night. However, we would still request him to return as soon as possible and cooperate with the investigation so the actual culprit can be found earlier."

    Obviously, since the prime minister of Phoenix didn''t want to admit that the ''incident'' was in any way their responsibility, none of the guests at the Golden Crown had been prohibited from leaving the country if they wished to do so.

    And just like many other high-profile guests, Amos ck had left for Oriana on the same day as the incident came to light, before he even knew of Alexander''s death.

    Unfortunately for him, this only made everyone much more suspicious, and some even directly took him ''fleeing'' so quickly as confirmation of his guilt.

    Within minutes, every external rtionship manager at the ck Tiger found themselves absolutely swamped with both angry and curious calls from all over the world, many directly demanding to talk to Amos.

    The silver-haired boy was naturally furious when he heard about all the abuse and insults being hurled his way for ''no reason'', especially after learning about the cause. "That fucking moron got killed, and they''re ming me?!"

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 Chapter 511 Stepping On Toes

    Chapter 511 Stepping On Toes

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    Although he looked down on Alexander''s intelligence, Amos knew that with the man''s prominent background, he simply couldn''t afford to take the me for his death. At least, he couldn''t do so yet, when he was still in the process of taking back control from that idiotic father of his.

    Kicking away his chair in anger, the silver-haired boy couldn''t help but curse. "Shit! How the fuck did they arrive at such an absurd conclusion anyway?"

    The man who reported the matter to him obviously knew how unreasonable his boss could be when annoyed, so he quickly reiterated everything he knew about the incident as ''gently'' as he could.

    Leaving out all the negativements, he went straight to the statement of Alexander''s ''girlfriend'', Rhea. Even having downyed everything as best he could, however, the man still felt that his boss was very likely to lose his temper.

    Luckily for him, though, Amos just grinned after he finished listening to Rhea''s statements. "What a fucking whore¡­ that idiot clearly got himself killed by some wild dog, but this bitch wants her thirty minutes of fame and fortune. Latching on to me using her boyfriend''s death as a means, huh¡­"

    He sneered. "Too bad for her, if she thinks I''m going to bend over because of something like this, she''s in for a real tough lesson."

    Regardless of whether it was money she sought or something else, Amos fully intended to make her life much worse than even that treacherous bitch Kristie, who actually managed to somehow escape from his hands before leaving Phoenix. ''I swear, the moment I find her, I''m going to lock that fucking bitch up so she can never see the light of day again!''

    Of course, the silver-haired boy also knew that he couldn''t just passively keep taking a beating like this in the meantime, or his reputation and credibility would bepletely ruined soon.

    "Issue a statement denying all the allegations, and tell that stupid prime minister that since I''m not guilty, I won''t be going to their country to present myself like a criminal. If they have questions, they cane to ask me here in Oriana."

    Although Amos didn''t yet have full control over the ck Tiger''s core, the erosion of his father''s authority under the influence of the government of Oriana naturally led to many high-level executives at thepany ''taking the initiative'' to follow him instead.

    Executing such a simple order barely took any effort.

    Whether it was people from the government of Phoenix, someone from the international media, or an ''unrted'' individual, the ck Tiger Corporation soon started responding to them all with the same message from their boss.

    Naturally, none of the involved parties were very satisfied with such a thing, but with any furthermunication being unequivocally denied by the ck Tiger''s people, they could only curse against what felt like an unresponsive wall.

    Despite the number of people cursing at their boss seemingly increasing, however, the people at the ck Tiger Corporation actually felt that their strategy was working quite well.

    After all, regardless of his ''arrogant'' attitude, their boss had already made it clear that he wasn''t the culprit and would be willing to cooperate to a reasonable extent.

    Many people hade out to speak against all the hate and judgment being directed at the silver-haired boy, andbined with the authorities of Phoenix stating that they were ''still investigating'', more and more started believing that Amos wasn''t actually the one who got Alexander killed.

    Emboldened by the favorable turn of tides, the public rtions team at the ck Tiger Corporation decided to double down on their strategy and ride the wave to victory.

    After all, since there was no way their boss could have killed Alexander Gray, what could possibly go wrong?

    "Hello, this is the Morning Post of Phoenix. We''re calling you to seek some more insight on what happened from the perspective of Mr. ck that night¡ª"

    "Hi, I''m a reporter from Moonlit Truth from Red Dusk. Would it be possible to get an interview with Mr. ck somewhere around this weekend?"

    With a polite yet firm rejection, the public rtions team quickly made their stance clear before hanging up on all these ''hard-to-please customers''.

    Of course, not every caller was as polite, and many ''bold'' individuals called them armed with false identities and an awe-inspiring arsenal of curses.

    "Hey, can I talk to that bitch-pig Amos? I want to know how he developed such thick skin to dare act like a damsel during the Golden Crown¡ª!"

    For such callers, the ck Tiger''s team was naturally not polite, and hung up directly while blocking their numbers. With a simple click, the raging voice was silenced instantly.

    "Get me that bastard Amos ck on the phone right now, my name is Sand¡ª!"

    Another click, another ''insignificant moron'' silenced.

    The chief public rtions officer at the ck Tiger Corporation smiled. "Was he going to say Sand Man? These jokers can''t evene up with something original..."

    Naturally, some idiots were resourceful and persistent enough to continue calling them with a different number.

    "How dare you¡ª!"

    Taking the phone from his subordinate, the chief personally took charge of this call. "Listen, man. I know you have all the time in the world to waste, but we don''t. Don''t call us again with your nonsense if you have nothing valuable to say, which you don''t. We''re pretty good at recognizing people''s voices, alright? Bye."

    A few of the employees around him couldn''t help but praise their boss. Even if it wasn''t for the increased chance in promotions, it was true that these types of calls were the most annoying.

    "You showed him, chief!"

    "Way to go!"

    "Wish I was half as good as you, sir!"

    The chief couldn''t help but puff out his chest in pride. "Heh. This is nothing. With more experience, you''ll realize that while it''s good to be polite to everyone most of the time, some people really need a rude awakening to realize when they are overstepping their bounds."

    Feeling like an enlightened genius, he tapped his head with a smile. "Treating them like they deserve is not only not rude, but bold instead!"

    Unfortunately, in the midst of handling the mess, none of them realized just who it was that they were talking to, and how their small mistake might end upnding their entire corporation in deep, deep trouble.

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 Chapter 512 Forward

    Chapter 512 Forward

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    "That fucking piece of shit! How dare he do this to me?!"

    No matter how his secretaries tried to calm him down, Alexander''s father only continued to get more and more furious as he smashed things around his office.

    He had still been a little uncertain about Amos ck being the one behind his son''s murder before, but with the boy''s tant disregard in ce, there was no denying that he was more than likely to really be the culprit.

    Now, not only was his son dead, but even his precious wife was in aa!

    Kicking down another antique cab and scattering its precious contents across the marbled floor, Alexander''s father couldn''t help but curse. "Even if it ends up costing me everything in the end, I won''t let you go!"

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    Even if it seeded in convincing some, the attitude of the ck Tiger Corporation obviously pissed off more than a few people. But there was one person in particr who couldn''t be any more delighted if she tried.

    Having decided to stay back in the country of Phoenix until the matter of Alexander''s death was dealt with, Emilia was naturally free from many of her duties as she lounged on the luxurious sofa of the prime minister''s residence leisurely.

    As for why she was here, well¡­ Betrix invited her for lunch with all her friends, and made the ''mistake'' of offering to let them all stay over when the crimson-haired beautyplimented the interior and decor.

    Whether she was exasperated or delighted by Emilia''s shamelessness to really stick around, however, wasn''t very clear.

    Seeing the bright smile on her partner''s face, Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Amos is really quite reliable when ites to assisting you, isn''t he? Doesn''t it make you feel like we''re always punching cotton?"

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ''Isn''t it all good for us? With there already being so many uncertain factors, his predictability makes things so much easier.''

    Cynthia groaned in exasperation. "With your posture and attitude, are you really going to im that you''ve been working hard the past few days?"

    Emilia giggled yfully. ''Oh, darling, don''t be like that! Justine and Noelle have been working overtime for me, haven''t they? Plus, isn''t it more suitable for a viiness to plot behind the scenes than to work hard herself?''

    Although she didn''t want to admit it, Cynthia couldn''t help but take a pause as she contemted her partner''s words. ''Well¡­ right now she really does look like an evil Queen, doesn''t she?''

    Unfortunately, her musings were interrupted by Crystal leaning in to whisper something to Emilia, who just smiled mysteriously. "I suppose it''s time, then."

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    With the investigation of Alexander''s death going full force and everyone''s eyes on Phoenix, Betrix naturally couldn''t make much time to talk to Emilia even if she tried.

    After all, even if he had left the Golden Crown safely, the fact that someone died within a day of leaving the event made more than a few ''honored guests'' squeamish and ufortable.

    What made things much worse was the fact that the investigation team also required her permission and assistance to talk to many of the ''suspects'' with higher status.

    Naturally, the suspicion on these people was much lower than that on Amos, but he was far from the only one who refused to cooperate with the investigation.

    Fortunately, most of them were still willing to reluctantly cooperate after being convinced by the prime minister, though some still couldn''t help but grumble and groan throughout the process.

    By the time Betrix returned to her residence, she would naturally be far too exhausted to entertain the ''freeloaders'' she had ended up ''taking in'' inadvertently.

    Today as well, Be was so tired that she didn''t even bother to check if her guests were awake, and directly headed to bed after changing into her night clothes and brushing her teeth.

    Anyway, at two in the ''morning'', which young girl who cared about her beauty sleep would possibly be found awake?

    Betrix couldn''t help but sigh. "With how pretty and gorgeous she looks, Emilia probably goes to bed at ten at most, right?"

    Although she was supposed to be alone in her room, Betrix rmingly heard a soft giggle followed by a remarkably familiar, sweet yful voice. "I''m happy that you think like that about me, but really, that''s not true!"

    Had it not been for being so exhausted by her day, maybe Betrix would have jumped so hard that her head would have smashed directly into the roof. "E-Emilia?!"

    It was only a few momentster that she realized that the girl indeed wasn''t in her room, but on the other side of the closed door.

    There was another giggle, though this one was more apologetic than yful. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop, I was just about to knock¡­ Can Ie in?"

    Still stuck in a somewhat shocked state, Betrix could only nod unconsciously. "S-Sure, it''s not locked."

    The crimson-haired beauty turned the handle and sneaked past the half-opened door before shutting it close in one smooth motion, and then faced her with a smile that was both shy and mischievous. "Hi~"

    Feeling a little nervous at allowing someone other than her childhood friend into her bedroom after so many years, Betrix coughed into her fist in a futile attempt to hide some of her embarrassment. "H-Howe y-you''re awake at this time? I-Is there something wrong?"

    Although she''d already told the staff to take care of all the needs of her guests, Betrix couldn''t help but be a little worried when she thought about it.

    Could it be that Emilia and her friends were ufortable with something here, or was the staff being neglectful?

    ''O-Or could it be that she wants to leave because she''s bored?''

    Thinking about it again, Betrix discovered that no matter how she subconsciously wanted to deny that possibility, it was more than likely to be true.

    After all, Emilia was probably impressed by her in the first meeting, which made her decide to give her this chance despite being forced to get a tattoo. But that didn''t mean that her goodwill wouldst through being ''ignored'' like this, right?

    Fortunately, Emilia ended up scattering all of the older woman''s strange thoughts with a giggle as she reached forward to grasp her hand. "Not at all. We''re all veryfortable here!"

    Betrix didn''t really hear the gorgeous girl''s response, but vaguely felt that it must be positive. After all, Emilia was a good, kind girl, and Be''s mind was already preupied with other thoughts. ''H-Her hands are so damn soft, and how is her skin so smooth and silky?!''

    Now that Emilia took the initiative to hold her hand, it was probably fine to stare at her a little, right?

    Gulping and gathering all her courage, Betrix did her best to pretend that she was only looking the hand that Emilia was grasping to mask her actions.

    It was only at this moment that she noticed that the crimson-haired beauty was only wearing a skimpy, shockinglyfortable looking nightdress which barely covered half of her perky breasts and came down to just her upper thighs, leaving far more milky skin exposed to Be''s eyes than she could handle.

    Emilia grinned. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something, but before that, would you mind checking my tattoo to see if there is any inmmation or something like your friend said?"

    Betrix was vaguely aware of the fact that Emilia''s beautiful lips were moving and she was speaking to her, but all she really knew was that the girl eventually just tilted her head with a smile and climbed onto her bed.

    Naturally, it was impossible for there to be any ''adverse'' reaction in Emilia''s body due to the simple tattoo. In fact, if not for her using her own ability to create an identical tattoo on her back, all Betrix would see at this time would be smooth, wless skin.

    It was unlikely to be perfect given how intricate it had been, but luckily, Emilia had managed to memorize the design of the tattoo quite well, and there shouldn''t be too many mistakes.

    Of course, with how distracted Be was at the moment, she wouldn''t have realized something was wrong even if the phoenix on Emilia''s back turned into a chicken.

    Climbing behind the young girl hurriedly like a puppet with no control over her own body, Betrix btedly came back to her senses as she was tugging down the thin straps of Emilia''s nightgown. ''Wait¡­ what the fuck am I doing?!''

    It took her nearly a minute to process that since Emilia had climbed onto the bed on her own initiative, this couldn''t be considered a crime. ''Plus, I''m the prime minister, so¡ª! Wait, what am I thinking?!''

    "Are you alright?"

    Inwardly screaming at how adorable the crimson-haired beauty looked when she looked back at her like that, Betrix barely managed to keep her outward expression calm. "P-Perfectly fine, dear¡­" She coughed. "W-What were we doing, by the way?"

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 Chapter 513 Unbridled

    Chapter 513 Unbridled

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    Although the older woman desperately wanted to believe that her posed'' expression was wless, how could Emilia be fooled by so easily by someone who was already under her ''spell''?

    Initially, the crimson-haired girl had only really intended to discuss the matter of Alexander''s death and reach a ''mutually beneficial'' deal with Betrix. But with how adorably amusing her reactions were, Emilia really couldn''t resist teasing her to see what she would do next.

    Tilting her head with a curious smile, the crimson-haired girl giggled. "Weren''t you going to check my tattoo?"

    "Oh, o-ohhh¡­ right!" Betrix didn''t know if she was relieved or disappointed that that''d be all they were going to do, and she didn''t have the time to debate over it either.

    After all, in her absent-minded state, she really ended up tugging down the little beauty''s flimsy nightdress, only realizing that she would end uppletely exposing the young girl on her bed when it was already toote.

    Suppressing the fire in her heart with sheer will, the normally confident and decisive prime minister of Phoenix couldn''t help but gulp. ''I-I fucked up¡­!''

    Looking at thepletely unguarded young beauty facing away from her on her bed, with only her slim, sexy waist being covered by the now scrunched-up nightdress, Betrix felt like her sanity was only hanging on by a thread.

    ''C-Calm down, Be. She probably doesn''t even know what she''s doing. Don''t delude yourself into thinking she''s seducing you only for it to be toote for regretter!''

    Unfortunately, no matter how many deep breaths she took to calm herself down, the poor prime minister only felt her blood boiling hotter and hotter.

    Had she not known any better, she''d have thought that Emilia had her drugged. But whether it was the younger girl''s character or status, it simply made no sense for her to do something so ridiculous.

    With her hands still frozen near Emilia''s slim waist from having pulled down the nightdress, Betrix didn''t even dare to move, terrified that she would end up losing control if she so much as ended up brushing the gorgeous girl''s skin.

    Unfortunately, the longer she stayed like that, the ''worse'' things got for the older girl.

    It was as if all the pent-up desires and lust that she barely ever had the time to entertain over the past decade or so were just now bubbling to the surface with vengeance.

    With how smart and charming she was, there was no way Emilia didn''t realize what was going on even now, right?

    Seemingly aware of her thoughts, the crimson-haired beauty really looked back at her with a mischievous smile. "Are you done checking the tattoo already? If so¡­ there''s something really, really important I want you to know."

    Suppressing the unease and excitement in her heart, Be gulped before nodding. "W-What is it¡­?"

    Emilia grinned. "I know you like me."

    It was like a bomb had exploded in Be''s heart.

    What did Emilia mean?

    Was she teasing her, or mocking her?

    Knowing that her Emilia wasn''t so cruel, what did it mean? Could it be that she¡­

    No no! Don''t delude yourself, Be!

    Unfortunately, the bubbling hope in her heart showed no signs of stopping, it was only when Emilia leaned back into her arms, that all her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. ''O-Oh fuck¡­!''

    "You know, regarding the situation with Alexander, I¡ª"

    Emilia didn''t have the opportunity to continue as she was pushed down to the bed abruptly, with Be''s body pinning her downpletely.

    "D-Don''t move, o-or I might not be able to guarantee what happens next!"

    Feeling the mixture of excitement and terror from the older woman, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Don''t worry, it''s okay. I won''t get mad. After all, I was the one who teased you even though I knew you liked me."

    Emilia''s soothing voice brushed against her agitated psyche like iced water over a burnt wound, and Be slowly rxed her grip on the younger girl.

    Once she had calmed down a bit, the older woman cleared her throat in embarrassment. "S-So what did you want to talk about?"

    Emilia grinned as she fluttered her eyshes as if daring the other party to give in to her temptations. "Promise you won''t get mad at me?"

    With Be''s position, her face was barely an inch away from the crimson-haired beauty''s, and she couldn''t help but breathe a little heavier involuntarily. "P-Promise!"

    Emilia giggled in delight, and neither of them mentioned the fact that Be still had her pinned down. "Then, let me start from the beginning. When I came to the Golden Crown and met Alexander, at that time I couldn''t help but notice that his girlfriend''s expression wasn''t quite right¡ª"

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    Although Emilia believed in Betrix and trusted her to an extent, she was still a little cautious when exposing a part of her ns to the older woman. After all, they were still in Phoenix.

    Regardless of the multitude of preparations that Noelle had made ''just in case'', Emilia knew that she would more than likely end up exposing more than she needed to if she wanted to get everyone out unscathed.

    Of course, this would only be the case if their discussion went south. With Be''s current state, however, Emilia had no doubt that the woman would never strike against her violently even in her dreams.

    That being said, what she exposed to the older woman was still only a part of her ns, mostly focusing on the feud between Alexander and Amos, and how ''her team'' ended up taking advantage of it to plot against both.

    Although she was somewhat absentminded and distracted by the beauty beneath her, to her credit, Betrix still managed to understand nearly a third of Emilia''s words.

    If she understood correctly, the little beauty''s team was really quite cunning and resourceful.

    Not only did they take advantage of both Amos and Alexander, they even steered them continuously against each other till things reached an irreversible point and really tipped over.

    Even then, they still kept some cards in their pockets to throw down at the already drowning opponents at the perfect opportunity. And this girl even dared to approach her directly for ''support''!

    Although they did it in a way that allowed Phoenix to deflect the me due to the incident being out of their borders, it couldn''t be denied that Phoenix suffered a small decline in reputation and status because of this event.

    Had it been anyone else, Betrix would definitely have been mad. But for some reason, when the little beauty beneath her confessed all her ''crimes'' like that and even asked her for help, she couldn''t help bute up with excuses for the younger girl on her own.

    ''It''s not like Emilia needed to seek me out or let me know any of this. Right, she could have done so much worse and made us suffer without me ever being the wiser.'' Betrix nodded to herself. ''How kind and pure!''

    Of course, even knowing how smart Emilia was, the prime minister still didn''t believe for a moment that the entirety of this n was something she came up with on her own.

    After all, it was a bit too cruel and cunning for someone as kind and pure as her Emilia. This whole thing definitely involved one of her guardians, though Be wasn''t yet sure if it was the girl''s older sister or someone else.

    Regardless of who it was, however, Betrix couldn''t help but be a little dissatisfied with them in her heart.

    After all, it was one thing to take care of threats cruelly, but another thing entirely to leave Emilia in the tiger''s mouth like this. What if she had been someone with bad intentions?!

    Of course, none of this needed to be told to Emilia. It would only serve to embarrass the poor girl, and Be didn''t want to be the one to do that when the little beauty took the initiative to confess and seek her help.

    Emilia didn''t interrupt her thoughts, and obediently kept still beneath the older woman, asionally blinking her big blue eyes idly.

    For Betrix, however, it was as if the crimson-haired beauty was continuously ''recasting'' her spell of seduction, and the soft and temping half-naked body beneath her clearly didn''t help at all.

    Knowing that she might end up losing all sanity if she continued like this, Betrix quickly gave up thinking everything through as she should have, and ended up making the most reckless decision in her career as the prime minister of Phoenix so far.

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 Chapter 514 Conspiracy

    Chapter 514 Conspiracy

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    With no additional clues being exposed over the next few days even after what seemed like extremely thorough investigation from the detectives of Phoenix, the murder case of Alexander Gray soon began to lose its hype.

    Regardless of his status as one of the world''s most privileged, it remained true that he wasn''t very well-known before his death, and not many people cared much about him except for some passing curiosity.

    Instead, the intense scrutiny of the events at the Golden Crown led them to discover other more interesting details.

    A video clip of the interaction between Amos ck and Lady Dimitrescu was soon reposted on one of the more popr discussion boards, instantly sparking furious debate.

    "Did you see that little bitch Amos bump intody Dimitrescu and then pretend like nothing happened?"

    "That''s nothing. What really pisses me off was how he then acted as if his ankle had been sprained to lean on her¡­ What a scheming little bitch!"

    Although it was possible for the original poster to have cut and edited the video in a way that emphasized the negativity in the boy''s behavior, not many people on the board cared about being ''fair'', and instead relied on their gut feelings to pass judgment.

    "Man, seeing him act like that gave me goosebumps. What a fucking creep."

    "Hey, at least you have to admire his courage. I wouldn''t even have the guts to walk up to her, let alone make such an intricate plot to get her attention. Still a fucking creep, though."

    "Bah, I just feel sorry fordy Dimitrescu for falling for this guy''s petty little schemes. How can someone like this even deserve to receive the invitation to such a prestigious event?"

    "He''s really rich, I guess?"

    "Must be used to getting his way, eh?"

    Some of them couldn''t help but sympathize with the boy''s ''victim''.

    "Hopefully thedy saw through his schemes and didn''t get swindled!"

    "I mean, given how the bastard flew away to his home country the very next day, I don''t think he could have done much."

    "Right? Lady Dimitrescu can probably make his head explode like a rotten watermelon by squeezing it lightly between her thighs."

    "Hey, she can make my head explode, and she won''t even need to squeeze!"

    "Pervert, we have a pervert over here!"

    "I agree with the one above."

    "Thank you."

    "No, I meant the one above you. She can make me explode at any time."

    "A whole bunch of perverts!!!"

    Of course, some people with a certain agenda weren''t very pleased. "Hey, let''s not get distracted by Lady Dimitrescu''s thighs!"

    "You really can''t me us though, right?"

    The man thought about it for a while, and despite the generous payment from the Gray Wolfe, he couldn''t help but agree. "¡­ True."

    Fortunately, the thought of a fat bank bnce quickly restored his sanity as he quickly shook off all his strange thoughts. "A-Anyway, am I the one who noticed how quickly Amos got out of Phoenix? Isn''t that strange? I mean, why would he make such an intricate scheme and then not make the most out of it? I was thinking he must be plotting to assimte her fortune after somehow makingdy Dimitrescu fall in love, but clearly¡­"

    "Could he have panicked after hearing about Alexander''s murder and ran away?"

    The man almost screamed in delight, but continued to pretend being ''confused'' as he steered the topic further down the hole he had dug for the ''enemy'' of his boss. "Why would he panic, though? Did he think he would be the murderer''s next target?"

    "Unless you believe he was the murderer, which is a bit far-fetched if you ask me. I mean, just look at his face. Does he look like someone who can aplish anything?"

    "Hey, that''s harsh!"

    "Well, you can''t deny that his face looks good though."

    "Brainless."

    "At least I have eyes!"

    "Bah, whatever. I don''t care if he looks good in your eyes, but just imagining his scared expression at that time makes me giggle for some reason."

    The man couldn''t help butment how easily distracted some people were as he once against steered them back to where they ''should be''."No no, how is that possible? Didn''t the news say Amos was already in Oriana when the murder came to light?"

    "So what are you saying, that he ran away for some other reason?"

    "Not at all. What I meant was¡­ isn''t it possible for Amos to have known about the murder before anyone else? It would exin why he was the first to flee."

    "Hey, I guess you aren''t so brainless after all. But wouldn''t that mean¡ª?!"

    The direction of the argument suddenly took a ''very strange'' turn, and people quickly started ''noticing'' some very strange inconsistencies in Amos ck''s statements and actions.

    By the time the public rtions team at the ck Tiger Corporation discovered it, the mes of suspicion against Amos were once again burning sky high.

    "W-What do we do, chief?"

    The man paced back and forth in distress for a while before he finally couldn''t help but m his fist on the desk. "Goddammit¡­! I know some motherfucker must be fanning the mes against us!"

    Unfortunately, they simply had no idea who it could be, and thus had no way to strike back.

    "Okay, I''ve decided! Let''s do our best to steer the discussions away from the boss as best as we can! As long as it''s not the hottest topic, with some luck it shouldn''t reach the ears of our boss."

    "W-Wait, so we''re not gonna let him know?!"

    "Of course not! Do you want all of us to get fired?! Now let''s see, where can I find a topic that will easily suppress all this curiosity about our boss¡ª!" The chief suddenly gasped in realization. "Holy fuck! I never thought she would one day be the one to help us out!"

    His juniors couldn''t help but stare at each other in confusion. "Who is he talking about?"

    "No idea."

    The chief chuckled. "Alright, no need to panic or be confused. Remember our biggest opponent in the past? That''s right, it''s that annoying little princess! Let''s use her to wipe the table clean for us this time!"

    Just thinking about how frustrated that girl would be if she discovered how ''helpful'' her existence had been for them, the chief felt like all his previous frustrations against her had been soothed.

    Under his enthusiastic guidance, the rest of the public rtions department quickly consolidated its strength before they started jumping into all the public discussions defaming Amos and steering them ''subtly'' towards Emilia.

    Naturally, a certain subsection of ''observers'' wasn''t very interested in anything unrted to their beloved princess, andpletely ignored all the other intrigue and drama to focus solely on her before they even arrived.

    With their unwitting help, even the disastrously clumsy attempts of the ipetent public rtions department Amos had put together after destroying the one his father usually kept was able to ''aplish'' their goals almost perfectly.

    "Whoa, did anyone else see how beautiful that choker looked on our princess? I can''t believe she just gave it away!"

    "Right? That deep, royal blue sapphire gem matched so perfectly with her gorgeous dress that it has to be criminal to separate them anyhow."

    "Am I the only one who thinks it''s strange for the prime minister of Phoenix to be the one who took it?"

    The fact that Emilia hadn''t left the country of Phoenix even now only added to their worries. After all, while they believed that their princess was strong and wise, they would still rather she never be in a situation where harm might befall her again.

    As far as they were concerned, she''d already done all she needed to do after ''liberating'' the Empire of Blue Dawn, and she should be able to enjoy a safe andfortable life, free of any trouble or danger.

    Unfortunately, no matter how worried they were about their princess, there was simply no way for most of them to even get a glimpse of her from within the prime minister''s private residence.

    Even the lucky few who happened to be close enough to look out for her were routinely chased away!

    Under thebination of their frustratedints and worried inquiries, it was naturally easy to wash out the strange arguments that had previously been focusing on Amos.

    Just as the ck Tiger Corporation''s public rtions department was about to celebrate, however, an official announcement from the office of the prime minister of Phoenixpletely tore their hopes apart.

    "Our investigations have led us to another witness, whose statements lead us to believe that Mr. Amos ck was deeply involved in the case of Mr. Alexander''s unfortunate demise. In order to proceed with the investigation, we are awaiting a response from the government of Oriana. Moreover¡ª"

    The statement went on to exin how they would be proceeding with the official process, but no one was really paying any attention to that.

    After all, what really caught their eye was the ''witness testimony'' released alongside the statement.

    Her face might be blurred, and voice morphed, but the contents of her statements made her identity more than clear.

    In the video, a female investigator was sitting across her table. "You said you knew things that would help us solve the case. Can you please confirm your name and rtionship with the victim?"

    "I''m not rted to the ''victim'', but someone else. My name is Kristie, and I used to be the girlfriend of Amos ck. Well¡­ a stand-in girlfriend, as I''m sure many people have noticed." The girl chuckled.

    The self-deprecation in her tone was obvious, but the investigator simply nodded professionally. "Can you please borate on your previous statement? How is Mr. ck rted to the incident in your knowledge?"

    Kristie sighed. "I haven''t been by his side for very long, but over the past few months, I''ve seen and experienced many, many disturbing things that would make even the strongest of stomachs churn in disgust. Amos¡­ he¡­"

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 Chapter 515 Impeccable Acting

    Chapter 515 Impable Acting

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    Kristie bit her lip in distress as she closed her eyes. "When he first approached me, I had no idea what was in store for my future. I even foolishly believed myself to be lucky to be able to attract such a handsome and rich boy."

    She whimpered. "I-I was so stupid! I couldn''t believe it when he finally started making me change to fit the image of someone else, and as time went on, I finally came to realize just how unhinged and sick he was deep down."

    The investigator frowned as she gently prodded for more details, and Kristie just shook nervously as she continued ''reiterating'' more details about her rtionship with Amos.

    After noting it all down, she nodded. "Miss Kristie, while I assure you that we''ll look into this and get you all the help that you need, could you please borate on what you know about your ex-boyfriend''s involvement in Mr. Alexander''s case."

    Kristie shivered in visible terror, seemingly recalling something terrifying as she nodded. "Y-Yes, yes¡­ h-he¡­ I don''t know who he was, a-an old man I have never seen before, but he came to Amos in the middle of the night¡ª"

    The audience watching the clip listened with rapt attention as the seemingly terrified blonde girl reiterated how she overheard their conversation.

    Apparently, while she was forced to kneel on the ground as punishment for her performance during the Golden Crown being too inadequate and being too ''fake'', an unusually athletic-looking old man dressed in white visited her boyfriend in the middle of the night.

    His face was covered and his gait sneaky as he opened and closed the door without even knocking, making the situation seem even more strange. But even though she was already used to her so-called boyfriend''s unexinable perversions and twisted whims, the young girl still stuck her ear against the door out of morbid curiosity.

    Kristie smiled self-deprecatingly. "M-Maybe they just thought of me as a doormat, so neither of them gave my existence beyond the door much thought."

    The audience couldn''t help but sympathize with her. "Poor girl. She went through such an abusive rtionship at such a young age. How unfortunate."

    If they knew that she was lying through her teeth, maybe the audience would directly rmend her as the next movie queen.

    Even Rhea, who was an actual actress with almost two years of experience and intense training, didn''t do nearly as well as this barely-of-age girl while framing her deceased boyfriend as Emilia''s other ''partner in crime''.

    Kristie shivered as she continued. "A-At first I didn''t hear anything, b-but then I heard himugh. I... I-I... I-It wasn''t the kind of joyfulugh of someone happy, but a sick, twisted one full of glee at the misfortune of someone else. I-I knew it quite well, I-I heard it from him often, a-and it was never good news." She shuddered. "H-He said¡­ i-if you can teach that bastard an eternal lesson, I-I will make sure that you spend the rest of your life in anonymity and luxury."

    The blonde girl gulped. "I-I didn''t realize who he was talking about at that time, a-and I even thought he was just going to get someone beat up, maybe. B-But then, lter¡­" She sobbed. "I-I saw, I-I saw¡ª!"

    The female investigator reached out to hold her palm, and rubbed it in a soothing, encouraging motion. "Rx, just tell me what you saw. You''re safe now, nobody can harm you."

    Kristie almost broke character because of the intense amount of pity overflowing from the investigator''s eyes.

    Fortunately, the thought of a fresh new life in the Empire of Blue Dawn, free from all shackles and full of hope for the future, quickly made the blonde girl reaffirm her determination.

    Her eyes shook as Kristie pretended to flinch back before ''forcefully calming herself down'' before she huped. "Hic¡ª! I-I¡­ I saw t-the photo of a bloody, mutted face!"

    The investigator clenched her pen in excitement, but her face remained calm as she gave the younger girl an encouraging nod.

    Kristie sobbed, and a fresh line of tears started dribbling down her face as she ''did her best'' to wipe them off with her sleeve. "I-I saw it on his phone when he received a message while beating me up. I-I saw that the man in the photo was wearing the same clothes as A-Alexander at the party. I-I¡­ I didn''t want to believe it at first!"

    Ignoring the tissue offered by the investigator, the young girl sniffled. "H-He''s someone who is used to getting his way. T-This wasn''t the first time someone just disappeared when he found them an unpleasant sight, after all. But¡­ I think he forgot that, unlike regr people, it may not be so easy to sweep everything under the rug this time, and panicked."

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    Although Kristie''s testimony couldn''t be taken as definite proof against Amos, in the eyes of everyone in the world, he was already guilty.

    Of course,pared to the general public that only knew the surface details, Alexander''s was even more convinced.

    While normally skeptical by nature, the description of the old man in the girl''s testimony as well as the timing of the whole thing made him certain that his son''s murderer was, without a doubt, Amos ck.

    After all, could a peasant like that girl have ever been exposed to an existence like the Old Snake had it not been for Amos?

    The mere fact that she even knew about him meant that Amos must have interacted with the old snake somehow, and that was already enough to sentence him to death as far as Alexander''s father was concerned.

    Clenching his fist, the man smiled grimly. "Contact the government of Oriana and let them know that the Gray Wolfe is interested in assisting them against the ck Tiger. And as for Amos¡­ I want his reputation to stink, his pride to shatter, and his body to rot as he watches it all helplessly!"

    The leader of the nightingale n hesitated for a while before nodding. ''Fuck it, regardless of what the twins do to the Gray Wolfe, it''s all good for us. Attracting more of Sanders'' ire our way at this time would be idiotic.''

    In fact, a part of him still couldn''t believe that Sanders was willing to overlook one of the Nightingale n''s members being involved in his son''s murder.

    But thinking about it again, perhaps he just failed to notice it in his overly emotional state, or maybe all his anger was being directed at Amos ck instead.

    Regardless of the reasoning behind the strange oversight, he obviously wasn''t stupid enough to question Sanders about it, and just nodded calmly before leaving. ''Let''s just hope that we can get over all this crap safely, and the twins end up taking over the Gray Wolfe before his wrath turns to us.''

    The moment the other man left, Alexander''s father sneered. ''Fucking bastard¡­ you think I''m so easy to fool?''

    Of course he didn''t forget about the Nightingale n. If not for them, how could that scaredy-cat Old Snake have the guts to plot against the Gray Wolfe on his own?

    For making him lose his dearest son and forcing his beloved wife into aa, he would surely make them pay for it all with blood. But not now.

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    Naturally, such a disastrous bombshell of a news couldn''t be concealed from Amos for long, and his subordinates also realized that trying to hide it at the moment would only make things worse for themter.

    When he first heard about his so-called girlfriend''s betrayal, however, the silver-haired boy almost choked on his own spittle in indignation. "S-She did what?! WHAT?! Say it again!"

    Even as the new secretary forced to be the bearer of the ''bad news'' shivered, he couldn''t help but curse his predecessor in his heart. ''Fucking bastard ran away as soon as he got wind of the situation and left me to deal with this crap!''

    Of course, although he said that, it wasn''t really so easy for most to just up and quit their well-paying job at the first sign of danger.

    Not to mention the fear for their future prospects once they left, most would have the fluke mentality that somehow they wouldn''t be unlucky enough to be really hurt in the end, and would always have the chance to escapeter.

    Unfortunately, sometimes reality taught such optimists a harsh lesson.

    "M-Miss Kristie used you of¡ªgwack?!"

    A heavy ornamental ashtray mmed into the unsuspecting man''s head, hisst thoughts full of disbelief as his vision went dark and his twitching body fell to the ground.

    Amos cursed as he stomped forward to kick the fallen man. "Fucking trash! Since that fucking whore dared to say all that shit, do you still have to say her name so respectfully? Moron!"

    Frowning in disgust as he realized that the man had fainted and wouldn''t be able to respond to his rebuke, the silver-haired boy gave him another kick in disgust. "Trash!"

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 Chapter 516 A Tigers Pride, Torn Asunder

    Chapter 516 A Tiger''s Pride, Torn Asunder

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    Naturally, it was impossible for Mr. ck to remain oblivious to such major attacks against his own son. Unfortunately, however, the condition of the ck Tiger Corporation in the Oriana country at the moment simply didn''t allow him to interfere with the matter much.

    After the White Deer Corporation''s withdrawal from the country, the seemingly cordial rtionship between the government of Oriana and the ck Tiger Corporation had rapidly deteriorated to the point where Mr. ck found his hands full simply trying to maintain to the status quo.

    Clearly, it was the government''s own fault for hitting the opponent so hard that they had no other choice than to flee if they wished to survive.

    Had they been a little more conservative in their sanctions, would that cowardly couple ever have dared make such a bold move?

    Having dealt with Mr. and Mrs. White for so long, he knew well enough just how far the two of them could go to delude themselves intocency in an effort to make their lives more ''stable'' and ensure that their daughters had a ''good environment'' to grow up in.

    Unfortunately, the president made a bad judgment, and the government was now fully intent on ming the ck Tiger Corporation for it all.

    Apparently, in order to make sure that the ck Tiger Corporation couldn''t just flee as well, just restricting the movements of the leaders was no longer a ''safe approach'', and the president was hell-bent onpletely taking full control over everything Mr. ck had worked so hard for all his life.

    With the ability to modify and interpret already vaguews at will, Mr. ck had no doubts that once they were done inserting a certain number of ''moles'' in the appropriate positions, it wouldn''t be long before the government made the decisive strike.

    Unfortunately, the firepower that the ck Tiger Corporation had at its disposal wasn''t even a fraction of what the government could casually take out from just one of their military bases.

    Mr. ck knew that even if they managed to cause temporary civil unrest, it would only make the government happier. After all, what was the death of a few pawns if it gave them a good justification to do whatever they wanted?

    The thoughts of expanding into new domains or taking over any opportunities left behind by the withdrawal of the White Deer Corporation remained but distant dreams, and Mr. ck could only watch as all his hard work for the past few decades was being slowly unraveled right in front of his eyes.

    And what really infuriated him was that instead of being someone he could rely on in such a desperate moment, the son he had meticulously raised for so many years chose to stab his own father in the back.

    His son''s implicit eptance of the government interference in the ck Tiger''s internal affairs, and the ruthless sabotage and erosion of his power and authority within the organization infuriated Mr. ck to the point where he simply want to tear all of his son''s hair off, crack open his skull, and see what kind of garbage was fermenting inside that empty hole.

    No matter how he thought about it, Mr. ck simply couldn''tprehend just what his moron of a son could be thinking.

    Couldn''t he see that those insidious leeches only wanted to break them apart from the inside out?

    Of course, no matter how he raged and roared at Amos in his mind, Mr. ck knew that things were no longer as they used to be. He couldn''t just call his son to his office and teach the kid a lesson. That ship had sailed long ago.

    Mr. ck knew that now, even if he somehow managed to confront the boy face to face, it would change very little other than distancing and alienating them even further apart from each other.

    After all, he knew better than anyone else how much Amos thirsted for power and authority, and now that he had gotten a real taste of it, how could he ever just give it up?

    It was this ''understanding'' of his own son that made Mr. ck decide to slowly relinquish more and more of his own authority to the boy. Unlikely as it was, he still had some vain hope that as long as his son got strong enough, he would finally be able to see the truth.

    That was why, while focusing on distracting the government as best he could while Amos continued taking over the rest of the corporation, Mr. ck didn''t even realize what disaster was headed his way when his son went to attend the Golden Crown.

    Unfortunately, when he finally got news of the matter, it was already toote. Not only did he no longer have the resources required to pull his son away from the controversy, Mr. ck wasn''t even sure if he could ensure the boy''s survival.

    Having dealt with them for so long and knowing their past grievances, how could he not see that the Gray Wolfe Corporation was doing its best to fan the mes? Moreover, they weren''t alone!

    Just thebined strength of the forces thirsting for his son''s blood was terrifying enough, but what really chilled Mr. ck''s heart was the attitude of the government of Phoenix.

    With how ''forting'' they were with all the information and evidence against his son, he would have to be an idiot to not be able to see their real intentions.

    Mr. ck couldn''t help but curse. "I can''t believe that bastard Sanders actually managed to pull that stiff bitch to his side!"

    With how obstinate she was, he had no doubt that the idiot must have sacrificed a lot of resources in favor of Phoenix just to convince Betrix to take his side.

    Knowing Sanders, it was impossible to do so unless he truly loved his son, and was fully convinced that his murderer was indeed Amos.

    Mr. ck couldn''t help but clutch at his head in panic. "B-But there''s no way my son could have done that!"

    Even if he had some grudge and motivation to kill him, would someone like his son really be able to make such an intricate n to kill someone, let alone pull it off wlessly and make a getaway in time?

    "No no no, that''s no longer important!" Mr. ck paced back and forth in front of his study table in worry. "With both Betrix and Sanders against him, it is only a matter of time before they take Amos away, regardless of whatever defense he tries to put up."

    With the na?¡¥vete of his son, he had no doubt that the fool still believed that Oriana''s government would be able to keep him safe from all foreign threats, and the worst he would have to bear would be some loss of repute and humiliation.

    Unfortunately, Mr. ck knew better.

    No matter how well Amos cooperated with them so far, the government of Oriana surely wouldn''t be content just leaving the ck Tiger Corporation in his son''s hands. Would they miss such a good opportunity to get rid of the boy after he was already done taking away most of the corporation''s authority?

    "There''s no way they would let him go now, unless...!"

    The moment the thought crossed his mind, Mr. ck felt like all the air had been squeezed right out of his lungs. ''N-No, but the corporation is not only my legacy, but also that of my ancestors!''

    The ck Tiger Corporation might have grown tremendously under his control, and even now, it was superior to what he had inherited. But Mr. ck didn''t believe that it gave him the right to destroy or give it away as he pleased.

    He could ept his son taking it from him, as he was someone who had the blood of his ancestors flowing through his veins.

    But if their bloodline really lost control of this centuries-old legacy during his lifetime, wouldn''t he be the greatest sinner of them all? Mr. ck simply couldn''t ept it in his heart.

    However, when he thought of his son being thrown into the jaws of those wolves and ripped apart till not a shred was left, Mr. ck knew that he had no choice.

    If Amos really died because of his stubbornness, wouldn''t the ck Tiger''s legacye to an end anyway?

    Crashing back on his chair with a defeated sigh, Mr. ck felt like he had aged over a decade in a single day. "So that''s it..."

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 Chapter 517 Swindled?

    Chapter 517 Swindled?

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    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty lying face down on her bed as swung her legs up and down and giggled while staring at the news feed on her phone, Crystal couldn''t help but plop down next to her curiously. "What''s got you giggling so happily?"

    Emilia turned to look at her with a teasing smile. "Wouldn''t you like to know~?"

    Knowing just how well the crimson-haired girl could divert her ability with numerous distracting thoughts, Crystal could only pout. "Ohe on, can''t you tell me? I''ve been working so hard with the others to get Rhea and Kristie to do exactly what you needed, you know?"

    Of course, Kristie''sck of acting skills meant that Emilia, being ever the perfectionist, had no choice but to turn into the girl herself and redo the whole thing again.

    With Noelle''s help, getting a few experts to wlessly merge the videos together was naturally not that big of a deal, so the end result that was released to the public turned out to be every bit as impactful as Emilia wanted.

    Obviously, none of this would have been possible without the help of the prime minister of Phoenix, Betrix, but that didn''t discount the efforts and contribution of the team working for Emilia with all their hearts.

    The crimson-haired girl nimbly leaned forward to peck Crystal affectionately on her soft cheek. "I never thought we would be able to pull it off so well, honestly. You must be tired from working so hard, right? If so, we could always¡­."

    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty''s mischievous and suggestive grin, Crystal could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "Be serious! We''re still in Phoenix, you know?"

    Fortunately, she was able to mask the dryness in her throat quite well. ''W-Why does she seem to be getting better and better at seducing me every passing day?!''

    Emilia just set her phone aside and flipped over to her back with a pout. "Even my adorable Crystal is scolding me now¡­ doesn''t that mean I have been a bad girl?"

    Although the blonde girl was a thousand percent sure that her girlfriend was only teasing her, the heroine still couldn''t help but snuggle up to her side with a sigh. "Who would dare to scold our dearest, most precious princess?"

    Emilia giggled. "Since you''re so adorable, this princess shall forgive you this time. How is everyone else doing, by the way?"

    Crystal thought about it for a moment before shrugging helplessly. "Although you got the prime minister to help you somehow, there are still many things that Noelle and big sister Sam have to take care of, while Justine and her team are still keeping a close eye on the two girls. Speaking of which, just how did you convince her?"

    Naturally, Emilia was well aware that the blonde girl wasn''t wondering what made Betrix change her mind, but rather what price she had to pay.

    After all, regardless of her high favorability and positive attitude towards Emilia, there was no way that the prime minister of Phoenix would take over such an ungrateful task for no reason.

    One way or the other, Emilia must have had to give something up. And Crystal was just worried that her girlfriend might get hurt.

    Despite having multiple lovers, Emilia was a very prideful and picky girl, after all. If she were to really force herself to do something she didn''t want to do, it would definitely hurt her self-esteem quite a bit.

    As if sensing her worry, Emilia gently tugged Crystal and pulled her over till she waspletely on top of her before pecking her on the lips. "Why didn''t you ask me sooner if you were worried?"

    The blonde girl turned her face away quickly, doing her best to hide her blush. "I-I didn''t want to pry, o-or make you feel bad¡­"

    Fortunately, she had already trained her willpower up considerably by now. Had it been in the first year she met Emilia, Crystal couldn''t even imagine being able to talk or think while feeling all of Emilia''s soft and sexy curves right beneath her.

    Unaware of the girl''s already straying thoughts, Emilia couldn''t help but ruffle the heroine''s soft and fluffy hair with an adoring smile. "How can you be such a cute little angel, Crystal?"

    Seeing the girl''s blush deepen, the crimson-haired girl smiled. "Anyway, you don''t need to worry. Although I did seek Be out, she only pinned me down on the bed for like an hour and stayedpletely still."

    The blonde girl couldn''t even imagine what kind of monstrous willpower one must have to be able to resist doing anything to a girl as gorgeous as Emilia when she was docilely pinned down beneath them, and even willing!

    Emilia sighed in regret. "A shame, really. She''s really charming. But I suppose a part of that charm really is how determined and clear-sighted she can sometimes be."

    Trying her best to think through the fog of confusion caused by her girlfriend''s soft and tempting form beneath her, Crystal gulped nervously. "W-What did she ask from you, then?"

    Emilia sighed as she embraced the blonde girl on top of her tighter. "You won''t get mad if I increase your workload, right?"

    As Crystal shook her head in confusion, the crimson-haired girl giggled before leaning upward, her hot breath hitting the heroine''s sensitive ears and sending shivers down the girl''s spine.

    "Alright, I''ll tell you, then. What she wanted me to do was¡ª"

    Despite the numerous willpower tests she was undergoing, Crystal somehow still managed to listen to Emilia''s exnation and nod along.

    Of course, her hands weren''t quite as obedient and ended up straying down to the crimson-haired beauty''s slim waist. Fortunately, though, Emilia didn''t really seem to mind.

    As Emilia''s words slowly got through her head, however, Crystal soon found her previously lustful thoughts grinding to a halt. "W-Wait, wait a minute, did I hear that right? Did you just casually tell me you promised to make a ''few''ws in the Empire of Blue Dawn? Did you forget what you told everyone while establishing the new judicial system?"

    Emilia cleared her throat as she turned her face away in embarrassment. "I-I''ve thought it through, and what she said made a lot of sense. So I¡ª"

    Seeing her girlfriend''s skeptical yet concerned expression, the crimson-haired beauty couldn''t help but pout. "I really didn''t get bullied or swindled into it! This is what I decided after thinking through what she said clearly, you know? You''ll see it makes sense, just hear me out!"

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 Chapter 518 Not So Easy

    Chapter 518 Not So Easy

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    With Cynthia''s guidance as well as having experienced quite a few highs and lows in her past lives, Emilia had clearly learned being selective with what information she shared with whom, regardless of her personal trust in their character.

    It might be unlikely that they would end up betraying her, but not everyone who was ''trustworthy'' had to know all her secrets. After all, it would be meaningless at best, and in the worst case, it might even put them at unnecessary risk.

    That being said, Emilia still liked to share many things with her lovers. This was especially so for Crystal and Noelle, whom she believed were generally the most insightful and astute with their advice.

    Of course, Cynthia just criticized her for having a love filter on, but Emilia insisted it wasn''t like that at all.

    After listening to her exnation, though, the blonde girl couldn''t help but scratch her head in confusion. "Wait, hold on. Emilia¡­ if I understand this correctly, you''re the one who swindled the prime minister¡­?"

    When her girlfriend first exined that she managed to reach an agreement with Be, Crystal really thought that she had ended up ''exposing'' most of their previous actions.

    This was one of the reasons why she had been so worried about the price that her girlfriend might have had to pay in exchange. But clearly, she had been quite mistaken.

    Emilia pouted, clearly dissatisfied with the blonde''s disbelief. "Hey, that''s not nice! I didn''t lie to her or anything, you know? There were just some things I had to omit to make sure nothing went wrong!"

    Given how hard Justine and her team had been working on pulling this all off, it would truly be a tragedy if everything was ruined because of her mistake. Even if they might forgive her for it, Emilia knew that she would still regret it very much.

    Needless to say, she had only told Betrix what she ''knew'' about the rtionships between Rhea, Alexander, Kristie, and Amos. Combined with a few additional details of the past events, the prime minister came to certain conclusions on her own.

    Betrix naturally understood that given their past ''interactions'', people like Alexander and Amos would obviously receive considerable attention from those looking out for Emilia, and the girl knowing more about them than usual was more than expected.

    And with her sense of justice, it only made sense for her to step in and try to help out people in distress. This was especially so for someone like Kristie, who was so simr to one of Emilia''s dearest girlfriends.

    The only thing Be found slightly surprising was how cleverly Emilia managed to guide the two into ''fighting'' each other, and didn''t even flinch when one of them really ended up dead.

    But recalling how the takeover of Blue Dawn had been far from peaceful, the prime minister soon came to ept it.

    Despite how she looked, Emilia could be just as decisive and ruthless when needed as she was kind and caring otherwise.

    Had that not been so, the crimson-haired beauty would never have been able to do what she did, regardless of the price her guardians paid to help her out.

    Of course, epting that the girl she admired had schemed against her enemies and tricked them like that was one thing, but helping her with the resources of the country she led was something else entirely.

    Regardless of how attractive and irresistible she found the girl, there was no way Betrix would make her own country suffer just to help Emilia out. Not without properpensation, at least.

    Fortunately, the ''damage'' that Phoenix would suffer because of this event wasn''t very significant, given how Amos would end up taking most of the me. And Betrix was more than happy to help her out after Emilia even agreed to some of her more ''outrageous'' demands.

    Getting a few favorable trading agreements went without saying, though Be seemed reluctant to take advantage of her, but what really baffled Crystal were the ''additional conditions''.

    Not only did the prime minister want Emilia to change the policy of not having explicitly writtenws in the Empire of Blue Dawn, but she also insisted that the girl do so within a year!

    Although Crystal found it a little hard to believe at first, both her judgment of Be''s character as well as trust in Emilia quickly allowed her toe to terms with it.

    It was true that Emilia would be going ''against her original intent'' in a sense, but as long as it was the will of the empress herself, Crystal knew that few would darein.

    Not to mention, the changes that the prime minister of Phoenix wanted Emilia to make didn''t really seem like things that the girl herself wouldn''t want on her own, which made it much more eptable in Crystal''s mind.

    In the end, she could only sigh. "Fine, I get it. I''ll do my best to integrate our current system with your newws. But when are you nning to introduce them?"

    Sweet, soft lips pressed against Crystal''s lips like a heavenly reward, and she couldn''t help but be happy to have made the right decision. ''As long as Emilia is happy, isn''t everything else of little consequence?''

    If the Crystal from a few years ago heard her thoughts, perhaps she would want to just bash her head against the wall repeatedly.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned happily. "As soon as we''re back home!"

    Crystal smiled. "And when will that be?"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "How long do you think it will take for Be to drag Amos out of his turtle shell?"

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    Unfortunately, what Emilia expected to be an already cracked turtle shell that Be could easily pry open turned out to be something more akin to a spiky rock instead.

    Not only was it incredibly tough and difficult to pry open, but there was also no sign of any meat inside.

    Even when Betrix herself flew over to negotiate directly with the president of Oriana, she was left reeling in disbelief. "What do you mean you don''t have him?!"

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 Chapter 519 Unexpected Completion

    Chapter 519 Unexpected Completion

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    Not to mention Betrix, even Emilia was shocked when she heard about Oriana''s refusal to hand Amos over for ''questioning'', or even acknowledge his presence in their country.

    After all, given their current stance against the ck Tiger Corporation, such a move seemed to make almost no sense. That is, unless something had alreadypletely turned the situation around without their knowledge.

    No matter how the prime minister of Phoenix used the carrot and the stick, neither seemed to have any effect on the leaders of Oriana. And reluctant as she was to ept it, even Betrix was helpless when faced with the firm refusal from a foreign state.

    She could only apologize to Emilia for not being able topletely fulfill her end of the deal, even forgetting that it was three in the morning in Phoenix.

    Of course, although the crimson-haired girl was able to ept that the hero somehow escaped this time and quickly forgave her incessantly apologizing ''ally'', it didn''t stop her from wondering just what went wrong.

    All such thoughts fled her mind, however, when Cynthia''s clearly excited squeal rang through Emilia''s mind, followed by a familiar wave of energy flowing into her body.

    "I don''t know how it happened, Emilia, but we did it again!"

    Fortunately, neither Crystal nor Dixie could hear her voice from within Emilia''s mind, or they would definitely have woken up earlier than usual.

    Just as the crimson-haired girl was blinking in confusion, her doubts were answered by a series of system notifications.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Mission 1 ¡ª To destroy the plot of ''The White Deer corporation of the viiness goes bankrupt, and ck Tiger corporation rises to the top'', the White Deer corporation must be the number one in the world, and ck Tiger must go bankrupt! ¡ª is nowplete!

    Fortunately, her raven-haired partner didn''t use the notifications as a means to brag about her great contributions to their cause this time around, perhaps being finally aware of the fact that she might not get away unscathed every time.

    Or maybe even Cynthia was caught off guard, and hadn''t been able to prepare as well this time.

    Regardless of the reason, Emilia was actually quite disappointed that she wasn''t able to hear her partner smugly brag about her great contributions while subtly asking for praise. After all, she found it quite cute.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''It''s been a while since I got the time to properly tease her, too. In fact, it''s been too long.''

    Unfortunately, no matter how her hands itched to summon Cynthia out and tickle her to submission on the spot, the crimson-haired girl was still well aware of the fact that her partner couldn''t be disturbed much while channeling energy as she was.

    Observing the flow more closely, Emilia couldn''t help but purse her lips in thought. ''There''s quite a bit this time around too, huh?''

    Fortunately, while she couldn''t interrupt Cynthia, her understanding of chaos energy now was iparably more vastpared to when her first mission had beenpleted.

    Helping her partner out with the channeling came to Emilia as naturally as breathing air, and within moments, the absorption rate started skyrocketing.

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 47.32%¡­

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 51.68%¡­

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 63.55%¡­

    From a gentle stream that poured into her sea of consciousness to an unstoppable torrent that just burst in with unstoppable momentum, the channeled energy soon filled the energy reserves in her body to seventy, eighty, and then ny percent!

    Unfortunately, just when Emilia was starting to wonder whether she would be able to hit a hundred without evenpleting the third mission, the flow of energy slowed down to a trickle, seemingly exhausted.

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 91.83%¡­

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 92.44%¡­

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 94.25%¡­

    The crimson-haired girl knew that it was about to end soon, and as she expected, the energy flowing into her slowly came to an end soon enough.

    Current Energy Level ¡ª 96.81%

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''In total, we got a total of just a little bit over fifty-one percent, right? Not bad!''

    Given how she had been using the chaos energy quite generously after havingpleted her first mission, Emilia knew very well just how precious and vast her ''rewards'' were this time, and she couldn''t help but be happy.

    As long as shepleted the third mission, even if she were to set a ''hundred percent'' chaos energy aside for Cynthia, the leftovers should still be enough to keep her lovers young and healthy for a long time.

    "E-Emilia, I don''t know what happened, but I''m feeling really tired right now. The channeling was much more rough than usual, so I''ll go take a quick nap, okay? Congrattions onpleting the mission again!" Cynthia couldn''t help but yawn towards the end of her words, and the crimson-haired girl could practically feel her partner''s consciousness drift away into dreand within moments.

    Of course, although she felt guilty for exhausting the girl even more while trying to help her out, Emilia could only tell her to ''Rest Well'' in embarrassment.

    As soon as Cynthia was gone, the crimson-haired girl''s curiosity was reignited once more, and she couldn''t help but call Noelle right away. "Did something big happen just now?"

    With the Gray Wolfe''s recent setbacks, their businesses worldwide naturally suffered quite a bit, and it wasn''t a surprise for the consistently well-performing White Deer Corporation to overtake them, even if it wasn''t by much.

    But what Emilia couldn''t understand was what happened to Amos and his father to have made the hero and the world will believe that the ck Tiger Corporation was ''lost''pletely.

    After all, the crimson-haired girl was well aware that for the mission to be pleted'', the primary condition wasn''t just for something to happen. That was only the first step. Once it happened, not only did the hero ¡ª and by extension, the world will ¡ª need to be aware of it, but he must also acknowledge it!

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 Chapter 520 Patience Is a Virtue

    Chapter 520 Patience Is a Virtue

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    With the usual arrogance and pride of Amos, Emilia naturally didn''t believe that he woulde to believe that his biggest backing was just ''lost'' so easily. At the very least, something must have happened to make it so he couldn''t deny it even if he wanted to, something so big that it was simply impossible for Amos to continue deluding himself.

    Naturally, while Noelle knew about many of Emilia''s strange abilities as well as her ''origin'', she had no idea how her ''missions'' worked. But the gray-haired girl was only silent for a moment before she sighed. "Your intuition is scary sometimes, Emilia¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl could only chuckle sheepishly. "Thank you?"

    Although she knew that the younger girl couldn''t see it, Noelle still couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. "How smug. Anyway, I was just about to call to tell you about this anyway, so listen. Just a little while ago, Oriana announced that the ck Tiger Corporation is now a state-owned enterprise, with the original founding family no longer having any control over its operations. I''m still looking into how it happened, but¡­"

    Although she''d already had some suspicions along the same vein, as otherwise her mission wouldn''t have beenpleted, Emilia still couldn''t help but be stunned. "Wait, do you know what happened to Amos and his father, then?!"

    If someone told her that this was some clever trick by the ck Tiger in which they infiltrated the government of Oriana or something of that sort, Emilia definitely wouldn''t believe it.

    After all, her mission would definitely not have beenpleted had that been the case, right?

    That being said, Emilia still found it hard to believe that the ck Tiger Corporation was effectively ''gone'' just like that. Not to mention the presence of the hero and his father, a behemoth like that shouldn''t have fallen so quickly no matter how effective their opponents were!

    Plus, while the crimson-haired girl was well aware of just how ruthless the government of Oriana could be, she didn''t believe that even they would be able to take over the ck Tiger Corporation so quickly without either Amos or Mr. ck''s help.

    But why would either of them help their enemy? In Emilia''s mind, it made no sense.

    Unfortunately, Noelle seemed to know just as much about the matter as she did. "No one seems to know where either of them might be, but everyone under mymand is doing their best to figure it out."

    Even with two of her three missions nowpleted, Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little uneasy about the fact that she no longer knew the position and status of the hero.

    After all, while she may not care much about his misery normally, Emilia''s mission would also fail miserably if the hero really died before she was done with thest part.

    But although she was slightly frustrated, the crimson-haired girl would naturally never me Noelle for it when she knew that the older girl must already be doing everything she could.

    In the end, she could only sigh. "It''s fine, Noelle, don''t worry too much about it. Once you''re done dealing with the remaining matters, bring everyone back to the prime minister''s residence. We need to regroup and head back soon."

    In fact, had Emilia not wanted to meet with Betrix when she returned from her impromptu trip to Oriana, they might have already left.

    The gray-haired girl on the other side of the phone was silent for a moment before she coughed awkwardly. "A-Are you sure about letting me bring Justine over there? She''s been, well, quite deliriously happy ever since she ''seeded'' in her task. I''m not sure how she''ll behave around you."

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Don''t make her sound like a wild beast in heat, Noelle. I''m sure Justine is still perfectly capable of being civil in public."

    As for Rhea and Kristie, there was no need to worry about anyone suspecting anything strange with the prime minister openly backing them up. Even if someone could guess Emilia''s involvement in everything, it wouldn''t really hurt her as long as they had no way to prove it.

    Noelle also knew it would be pointless to argue with the crimson-haired beauty once she''d made up her mind, and could only shrug helplessly. "As you wish then, see you soon."

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    Since it was still early in the morning, and neither Crystal nor Dixie were awake, Emiliafortably spent the next few hours doing her own research online.

    Although she already more or less understood the situation with the ck Tiger Corporation, at least on the surface, it still took her a while to truly confirm what must have happened.

    "Huh¡­ so the valuation of the Gray Wolfe Corporation suffered drastically once it was revealed that the murderer of their ''heir'' was Amos, and that the estranged twins who bore a grudge against their own father might be leading the Corporation in the future?"

    With how much they suffered thest time they butted heads with the ck Tiger, even though they managed to dish out a lot more damage in return, Emilia naturally didn''t find people''s reaction too surprising.

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl also knew that such a dip was only temporary, and would naturally recover as long as the Gray Wolfe''s endeavors continued on the right track.

    Who could have imagined, however, that this ''temporary'' dip from the Gray Wolfe Corporation just happened to coincide with a sharp spike in the White Deer''s valuation?

    Not only did it cause a worldwide sensation as the coveted first spot was finally snatched away from the Gray Wolfe after so long, but it must also have been witnessed by the hero somehow!

    Emilia couldn''t help but grin as she thought about it. "Well, at least I know that wherever he is, Amos must be able to receive only select, filtered news."

    After all, almost everyone knew that the White Deer''s takeover of the first spot was only momentary. But had the hero been made aware of it, Emilia knew that there was no way her mission would have beenpleted!

    It wasn''t really much of a clue, but having some direction to her search was still infinitely better than beingpletely aimless.

    Emilia couldn''t help but tap her cheek with a thoughtful smile. "Don''t worry, Amos, I know you must be feeling miserable right now, so¡­ I won''t let you wait too long."

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 Chapter 521: Reunion

    Chapter 521: Reunion©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    As Noelle had expected, the moment she heard that Emilia wanted to take her back ''home'', Justine almost instantly jumped through the roof in excitement.

    Fortunately, the ex-policdy still had enough restraint to only jump up and down on the spot, a delighted grin on her face. "YES! Finally¡­! I knew my efforts would pay off one day!"

    Despite her exasperation, Noelle only faced the blue-haired girl with a polite smile. "I know you''re happy, but I''d still like to remind you to restrain yourself in front of Emilia, alright? If you lunge at her and get your hands and feet broken by Dixie, you will only have yourself to me, alright?"

    Justine briefly shuddered at the mention of the dark-haired girl who had prevented her from being together with Emilia way back then, but then, a feeling of righteous indignation filled her heart.

    Why could Dixie touch Emilia, but she couldn''t?

    "I-It''s not like I would do anything Emilia doesn''t want, okay?! Dixie is not my boss, and neither are you!"

    Watching the ex-policdy huff immaturely, Noelle could only sigh in defeat. "You know, Justine, you''re really quite lucky that you''re not my direct subordinate. Capable as you are at times, you''re way too immature for your age."

    In fact, if she had to roughly quantify it, Noelle would even consider the blue-haired girl''s immaturity to be many times greater than that of her three much, much younger ''trainees''¡­bined.

    Although she was unaware of the full scale of Noelle''s derision, Justine pointed a finger at the gray-haired girl in horror. "A-Are you calling me old?! I''m still in my twenties!"

    She felt like an idiot for thinking of the other girl as a friend after working together for so long. This was clearly a big bully!

    The blue-haired girl even wanted to call Noelle out for being much closer to the age of Emilia''s auntie than herself, but looking at the older girl''s shockingly youthful skin and bright eyes, Justine realized that it would just be like pping her own face.

    Luckily for her, Noelle didn''t really intend to bully her. "Alright, if you''re too busy jumping around, I guess I''ll just arrange for the others to go meet Emilia first, and you can stay back¡ª"

    "W-Wait! I''m going, I''m going!"

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    Despite the situation in Phoenix being quite favorable to them, Noelle still remained cautious with her moves after discovering that Amos had gone missing.

    Both Rhea and Kristie were moved separately to the prime minister''s pce, well-protected and closely monitored by dozens of hidden, armed guardians.

    Whether they had served their purpose or not, since Emilia wasn''t the type to arbitrarily dispose of people once she was done ''using'' them, Noelle knew that she had to do her best to protect them.

    Of course, with Samantha right by her side, the gray-haired girl didn''t skimp out on making sure that their own car was just as well protected, if not more.

    With Justine and two of her ''apprentices'' escorting Rhea and Kristie, while thest one drove for them, however, Noelle found herself alone with Sam after what felt like an eternity.

    Thinking about how they had been nearly inseparable for so many years, yet almost didn''t miss each other much when separated, Noelle couldn''t help but feel a little mncholic.

    Although their age difference wasn''t really that big, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Noelle had raised Sam as her own rebellious little sister.

    With her fierce determination to be the dependable and strong older sister for Emilia, Sam had never been what any reasonable person would consider a ''cute'' girl, but Noelle knew that the girl was actually quite good at heart.

    Well, unless someone decided to step on her toes, that is. Or worse, provoke her little sister.

    But other than a few exceptions, Noelle felt that she actually did a good job raising Sam well.

    Although the situation with the girl''s little sister had upset her quite a bit initially, after discovering some of Emilia''s secrets, Noelle realized that it was actually not that strange for Sam to be unable to resist the crimson-haired beauty.

    If a kid she had raised grabbed the candy that was constantly being dangled in front of them, how much could she really me them, in the end?

    Unfortunately, the gray-haired girl''s mncholic mood waspletely ruined by Samantha leisurely stretching as much as she could in the backseat,pletely disregarding Noelle as she pushed her feet past herp. "Ahhh¡­! That felt good. By the way, how has my cute little sister been without me these days?"

    Knowing that it was useless to get angry at the fool, Noelle only sighed in disappointment. "Don''t you talk to her like three times a day?"

    Samantha couldn''t help but cough in embarrassment. "Yeah, but, while I know she''s been missing me, my little baby doesn''t really tell me anything that would make me worried, you know?"

    She grinned. "Plus, with how closely you spy on her in the name of protection, aren''t you the best person to ask if I''m worried about her?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "Don''t make me sound like a perverted stalker. Emilia knows very well what I do and do not monitor¡ª"

    Sam groaned. "Just because my little angel lets you watch doesn''t mean you''re not a pervert for doing so, okay?"

    The gray-haired girl was momentarily silent, as if stunned by herck of logical thought before she shook her head with a smile. "You know, Sam, it''s really been too long since you took a beating, hasn''t it?"

    Samantha''s false bravado immediately copsed as soon as she spotted the gray-haired girl''s ''gentle'' smile. "A-Ah! W-Would you look at the time! W-We''re almost there, a-aren''t we?!"

    Unfortunately for her, Noelle wasn''t so easily distracted.

    She nimbly caught Samantha''s ear regardless of how the girl tried to avoid it in a panic. "Ah, how nostalgic¡­ how many years has it been since thest time I pulled your ear?"

    "D-Domestic abuse!"

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 Chapter 522: No Regrets?

    Chapter 522: No Regrets?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Justine''s decision of ''helping'' two of her ''students'' escort Rhea and Kristie might seem like her taking ''responsibility'' at first, but in reality, it was quite the opposite.

    "Heh¡­ Since Emma is the one driving Sam''s car today, I''ll definitely get there long before Noelle!" Justine thought smugly.

    Although her training had managed to sharpen the girl''s feminine and soft character considerably, no one was perfect. And as their team leader and trainer, Justine was naturally well aware of her students'' most major ws.

    Even if Noelle and Sam only arrived a few minutes after her, Justine didn''t underestimate just how precious those ''few minutes'' could be.

    After all, had Dixie arrived just a few minutester that evening, wouldn''t she have long since fulfilled all her dreams and fantasies with Emilia?

    Even if someone were to force them apartter, Justine had no doubt that she would have always had an irreceable ce in Emilia''s heart, and it would have only been a matter of time before the little beauty sought her out herself.

    Unfortunately, she had hesitated too much, and by the time she managed to realize that she really was being handed over treasure on a te, the treasure guardian had already descended.

    This time, she was determined to change her fate!

    Watching the blue-haired girl continuously ''motivating herself'' while pumping her fists in the air like a lunatic, Rhea couldn''t help but shift a little further away.

    Unfortunately, the back seat of the armored SUV they were in wasn''t nearly as big she would have liked it to be.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Much to Justine''s delight, their team indeed managed to reach the prime minister''s residence long before Noelle, and if not for the requirement of following the proper protocol, she would have immediately rushed in to jump Emilia.

    Luckily, the security personnel at the prime minister''s mansion had already been briefed on their arrival, and quickly went through their entry process after Justine showed them her shiny new identity card as a ''Special Agent'' of the Empire of Blue Dawn.

    She didn''t even care how the girls she was supposed to be escorting felt as she abandoned them to rush inside first, and not to mention Rhea and Kristie, even the two ''students'' were left dumbfounded.

    All this time, they had been worried if the two ''girlfriends'' of the supposed ''murderer'' and the ''victim'' would turn on each other because of some convoluted sense of guilt from their own betrayal, but they never thought the one making trouble would be their own ''team leader''!

    Luckily, neither Rhea nor Kristie added to their problems, and only awkwardly avoided looking into each other''s eyes as they were led into the prime minister''s residence by the staff.

    Neither of them had made the decision to betray their ''boyfriends'' lightly, as they knew full well that their lives would be in grave danger if they decided to do so.

    But considering the path they could see ahead, they both realized in their hearts that it was better to risk it while they still had the chance.

    Of course, the rtionship that the two of them had with their respective ''boyfriends'' was vastly different, and so was their motivation behind taking up Emilia''s offer.

    Kristie didn''t talk to anyone much other than when she was ''required'' to speak, and no one could guess what was going on in her head.

    As for Rhea, despite being a professional actress, her motivations and feelings were a bit more transparent.

    One didn''t need to guess that the deal she had been offered by ''them'' at that time had simply been too good to reject.

    A fresh and better start in the rising Empire of Blue Dawn, lifetime protection from the invisible sickle that had been hanging above her neck ever since Alexander set his sights upon her, and even a chance to get along with one of the most powerful girls in the world¡­ all of this just to say a few words and ''act'' in front of the camera?

    Suffice to say, it was not a role Rhea would reject even if her head were to be kicked by a donkey.

    But when her supposed ''boyfriend'' really died a gruesome death, the weight of her ''actions'' finally dawned upon the rising actress.

    This was no ''role'' she was ying. Everything was real. And even if Alexander had been aplete and utter asshole to her before, she couldn''t help but think that he didn''t deserve to die.

    Unfortunately, it was already toote for regret. Even if she were to ''reject'' the deal now, and even was miraculously spared by her ''allies'', Rhea knew that Alexander couldn''t juste back to life.

    Now, she just hoped that she could meet the illustrious Empress Emilia once more, and hopefully ask her the real reason why she went through so much trouble getting rid of Alexander.

    As long as the girl had a good enough reason, Rhea believed that she would have a much easier time dealing with the guilt in her heart.

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    Having not expected them to arrive for another thirty minutes ording to the ''schedule'', Emilia was naturally surprised when she saw Justine rushing towards her like a loose cannonball the moment she entered the hall.

    Fortunately, Dixie was no longer as unreasonably overprotective as she used to be, and only frowned slightly in dissatisfaction while stepping between them. "Slow down! Are you trying to run someone over, or crash into a wall and break your nose?"

    After grinding to a halt in a panic, the blue-haired girl couldn''t help but peek over at Emilia anxiously. "I-I was just a little excited!"

    Emilia giggled. "Alright, Dixie, don''t go bullying her now, or I''ll have to up her rewards, you know?"

    Although the dark-haired girl didn''t really like how Justine did things, she still didn''t feel like arguing with her princess over it. "Then I''ll go wake Crystal up?"

    As soon as Dixie moved out of her way after seeing Emilia nod, Justine immediately lunged forward to embrace the younger girl while squealing in excitement. "AHH! You''re still so soft and fragrant, boss! I missed you so much!"

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 Chapter 523: Renewed Resolve

    Chapter 523: Renewed Resolve©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Having already seeded in her mission, Justine was naturally a lot more confident and bolderpared to before. Even though she knew that Kristie and Rhea would be arriving in the hall shortly, she didn''t hesitate to make her move on the beauty in her arms.

    Given that Dixie was gone to wake Crystal up, Justine knew that she had at least some time ''alone'' with Emilia unless Noelle arrived earlier than expected.

    And with how the crimson-haired beauty had rewarded her for dealing with the past bullies of her ''maid'', Justine was very optimistic about her chances of being able to ''score'' this time.

    Cupping the younger girl''s gorgeous face in her hands, the ex-policdy tried her best to suppress her shivers of nervousness and excitement as she moved in to kiss the beauty on the lips.

    "Mhmm!" As soon as their lips touched, the blue-haired girl couldn''t help but groan in delight.

    This was the taste she had been yearning for!

    She worked so hard, made so many sacrifices, and spent countless sleepless nights nning and plotting against enemies who would get her killed with ease if they figured her scheme out, all for this moment!

    Emilia''s delicate and wonderfully soft lips still felt as novel and dewy as freshly fallen snow melting against her lips, and Justine couldn''t help but shove her tongue into the girl''s mouth in excitement.

    Of course, unlike Justine, the crimson-haired girl was still well aware that there were already people watching them with their eyes almost bugging out of their sockets in surprise.

    Emilia smiled while gently pushing the older girl away. "Hold on, let me talk to the two of them first, alright?"

    Although she was reluctant to let go of the prize that had already entered her ws, so to speak, fortunately Justine still retained enough sanity to listen to the words of her ''boss''.

    Of course, the fact that Emilia''s whispered words left her hoping for more after the ''nuisances'' were gone helped suppress any thoughts of forcing the younger girl quite a bit, along with the fact that she knew she was very likely to fail if she tried to do so anyway.

    She might have seeded in taking down the richest heir in the world, but Justine still knew that she couldn''t suppress Emilia so easily.

    Unlike Alexander, her princess was really quite good at defending herself, after all. And this time there would be no Dimitrescu family by her side helping her out, either.

    Emilia grinned as she pulled the clearly reluctant blue-haired girl to the sofa before pushing her down. "Don''t be so grumpy, alright?"

    Facing the crimson-haired girl''s icy-blue eyes that glinted like the most beautiful gems in the world, Justine couldn''t help but subconsciously nod. "O-Okay."

    Emilia patted the seemingly obedient girl''s head with a pleased smile. "Good girl!"

    Justine''s previously rebellious thoughts immediately evaporated under the effects of the beauty''s smile, and she even chided herself internally for being an idiot.

    No matter how desperate she was for Emilia, how could she even bear to think of hurting her in any way? Even if the crimson-haired beauty wanted her to wait by her side for a lifetime, Justine felt that it should have been her honor to entertain her request.

    ''Even if I have to wait for a lifetime, I will never¡ª!''

    Unfortunately, the blue-haired girl''s newly budding determination was immediately tested when Emilia decided that Justine''sp might be morefortable than the sofa.

    The blue-haired girl couldn''t help but immediately wrap her arms around the gorgeous girl''s slim waist. ''I-I have to hold her like this to make sure she doesn''t fall off and get hurt. T-That''s right!''

    Fortunately, Emilia didn''t really seem to be bothered, even covered Justine''s palms with her own as she turned to the dumbfounded duo of ''ex-girlfriends'' in front of her. "Justine hasn''t spent much time with me for a while, so she needs a little more attention. Forgive me for ignoring you, will you?"

    With their lives practically in the other party''s hands, how could either Rhea or Kristie dare to disagree?

    Seeing their frantic nods, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "I can tell the two of you are nervous. But since I''m sure you have plenty of questions for me, why not take a seat and get started?"

    Although her tone was friendly, both Kristie and Rhea immediately felt their hearts skip a beat, fearing that their inability to respond to her properly displeased the crimson-haired beauty.

    Of course, Emilia also knew that no matter how she smiled, with her current status and appearance, it was indeed impossible for people like Rhea and Kristie to truly rx in front of her, so she just shook her head in amusement.

    Fortunately, Rhea and Kristie regained their senses soon enough, and quickly plopped down obediently on the opposite sofa while ducking their heads in shame and fear.

    Emilia sighed. "Alright, let''s start with Kristie first, since you seem to be the more nervous one." Her expression turned serious. "As I''ve already let you know before, your rtionship with Amos is in the past, and you don''t need to worry about it for even a single moment in the future."

    The crimson-haired girl leaned back into Justine''s embrace to be morefortable. "Once I take you to Blue Dawn, you can start your life fresh without worry. As long as I''m still here, Amos will never be able to get to you."

    As for the girl''s fear of herself, Emilia didn''t feel the need to reassure her over and over again. ''Is Crystal still getting ready? I can''t tell whether this girl is afraid I''ll be jealous that she''s the ex-girlfriend of my supposed ex-fianc¨¦ or worried that I''ll silence her¡­''

    The crimson-haired beauty soon shook her head in denial. ''Whatever, since Kristie believed in me enough toe to my side, I think she should be able to learn to trust me more on her own.''

    Of course, if she knew that it was actually her gorgeous appearance that intimated the girl, along with the uncertainty as to why her ''interview footage'' needed to be altered, Emilia would definitely be left just as dumbfounded as Kristie was right now.

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 Chapter 524: Motivation

    Chapter 524: Motivation©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although Emilia''s existence had terrified her long before they had actually met at the Golden Crown, Kristie had still found her boyfriend Amos to be more ''threatening'' of the two.

    Compared to Amos, who had no qualms in taking his anger and frustration out on anyone who was helpless in his hands, Emilia was like a sharp de that only flew in a set direction.

    Kristie had long since known that as long as she didn''t get in the way of this ''de'', she would never get cut.

    She thought it would be easy, as all she had to do was know her ce and not provoke the beauty if they ever met. Given Emilia''s temperament, she was very unlikely to hurt an ''innocent bystander'' like herself.

    Unfortunately, no matter how she tried to think about things this way and convince herself that she could slowly change her status as a ''stand-in'' and be the real girlfriend of Amos ck, reality always ended up pping Kristie in the face.

    Her boyfriend hadn''t just picked her up because of her appearance, but also because he sensed her meek and cowardly nature. He must have thought that she was someone easy to mold to his liking, yet still be kept ''in line'', and he wasn''t exactly wrong.

    For longer than she would like to admit, Kristie had really convinced herself that her life would mysteriously be perfect as long as she could be ''as good as'' the real Crystal Miller.

    Sometimes she even wondered if she could perhaps be even better, and truly reach the ''pinnacle of life''.

    So deep were her delusions that she even started to hate the real Crystal, even though she realized deep down that the girl probably didn''t even know of her existence.

    Luckily, her boyfriend was always there to shatter her fantasies in time, and it didn''t take Kristie long to realize the truth.

    Even if she managed to reach the ''pinnacle of life'' that she was striving so hard for, was it really worth it if what waited for her at the peak was Amos ck?

    The incident of him using her as a tool to anger and humiliate Alexander was perhaps the final wake-up call for Kristie, bringing all her hopes and fantasies crashing down until there was only resentment and fear left in her heart.

    She could tell that Amos didn''t care about her even remotely enough to protect her from the person he had used her to anger, and there was not a single hint of pity in his eyes when he saw her helplessly facing Alexander Gray.

    How long could she survive by staying with someone like that?

    To say that she didn''t feel any guilt for betraying Amos wouldn''t be right. After all, regardless of whether her love was born from some misguided obsession, she truly did admire Amos at that time.

    Still, Kristie didn''t regret her decision. If she didn''t look out for her own fate, who would?

    Listening to Emilia''s assurance that she would be well protected from the people she had offended, and also get a ''fresh start'' in the Empire of Blue Dawn, Kristie couldn''t help but be moved.

    How could someone in a high enough position to be able to call herself an ''Empress'' bother to care about someone so insignificant like her, especially when she was already done ''serving her purpose''?

    At best, she expected to be sent to the Empire and then left to fend for herself. She had alreadye to terms with that, and thought that it was definitely not a bad fatepared to dying as a pawn in the hands of Amos ck, never being treated as anything more than a disposable tool.

    But when Kristie saw someone she had thought to be aloof and uncaring of worldly affairs take the time to bother with her, she couldn''t help but feel ashamed.

    Not for her choices, but for thinking of Crystal as ''stupid'' for picking Emilia over Amos. And even more so for thinking that someone so beautiful and gentle could ever do the same thing as Amos, and discard people after she was done using them.

    Of course, she didn''t dare be jealous of Crystal now. She didn''t deserve it, and she didn''t even want to imagine what Emilia would think if she found out about it.

    Seeing the girl remain silent for so long, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but tilt her head in confusion. "Is there something you don''t understand?"

    Kristie quickly shook her head in denial. "N-No, I understand everything, Empress!"

    Emilia hummed happily as she hopped off of Justine''sp, much to the older girl''s despair. "Great! You can go and rest in one of the guest bedrooms then, and you can go get one too, Justine. I''lle talk to you soon!"

    The blue-haired girl was both disappointed at having to part from Emilia so quickly, and excited when she thought about what might be waiting for her in the ''guest bedroom'' soon.

    Without the slightest bit of dy, she quickly dragged the sluggish Kristie out of the hall, not wanting to leave the slightest chance of causing Emilia any dissatisfaction.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle as she watched the blue-haired girl rush off like a tornado. "Quite energetic, isn''t she?"

    Rhea gulped nervously. "Y-Yeah."

    Now that it was only the two of them in the hall, the budding actress couldn''t help but feel a shiver of terror run up her spine.

    She may not have liked Alexander, but having heard of his death, and facing the most likely ''mastermind'' behind it, to say that she was terrified would be an understatement.

    Unlike Kristie, Rhea knew that she hadn''t really had much of a choice when it came to picking a side. She wasn''t so stupid as to believe that she would have been spared had she not agreed to cooperate fully.

    After all, for people who could so easily get rid of Alexander Gray, someone like her could probably be erased so thoroughly that no one would be able to prove that she''d even existed.

    In her fear, the shadows from the gently swaying curtains file like ethereal ghosts out to get her, and with how huge the hall was, Rhea felt like she wouldn''t be able to escape no matter how she ran.

    Even the soft andfortable sofa beneath her seemed to be something otherworldly, meant to keep her locked in ce by sucking her in.

    The more she thought about it, the more everything seemed to be straight out of a horror movie. And with Emilia''s overly beautiful face, she wouldn''t actually look too out of ce as a supernatural creature in such a setting, would she?

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "Why do I feel like you''re thinking something incredibly offensive about me?"

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 Chapter 531: Introspection

    Chapter 531: Introspection©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    When she first met Cynthia, or at least the first time she became aware of her existence, Emilia''s first impression of the raven-haired girl had been that she was a mysterious and powerful entity who took pity on her.

    And although she was too ashamed to vocally make a vow that she was perhaps powerless to properly honor, Emilia still recited the pledge of eternal gratitude towards her ''savior'' in her heart.

    Of course, it didn''t take long for the crimson-haired girl to get more familiar with Cynthia. But while she was a lot easier to get along with than she expected, and could perhaps even be considered childish, many things about her still remained unknown to Emilia to this day.

    She didn''t know where Cynthia came from, how old she was, or even what she wanted to do.

    It wasn''t as if Emilia never thought of asking these questions, or thought that Cynthia would reject them. After all, even if she did so, how harsh could the raven-haired girl be, really?

    The reason she didn''t do so was because Emilia knew she wasn''t prepared to listen to her partner''s answers.

    After all, now that she understood chaos energy a little more, she also realized just how monumentally horrifying a level one must reach to be able to contain and revive a dead soul, and even give them a new body like Cynthia had done.

    Emilia couldn''t even imagine doing anything simr in the next ten thousand years.

    And what made it all the more terrifying was the fact that the chaos energy Cynthia used had to be constantly channeled and wrestled with, forcibly making it manifest the effects she wanted, which had to be immeasurably more difficult than what Emilia would have had to do.

    This was more than enough to make the crimson-haired girl certain that whatever level Cynthia had reached once upon a time had to be far, far higher than what she could even imagine right now.

    And whoever managed to put her down from there was definitely not an enemy she could contend with. Not right now.

    But while the thought made Emilia a little depressed at the start, it didn''t stop her for long. After all, as long as she continued to grow, would she not be able to ovee any obstacle that might block their path eventually?

    Of course, the thought that Cynthia wouldn''t even need her help never crossed her mind. Since the raven-haired girl went to such great lengths to ''save'' her when she was already so low on energy, and even reformed her body to use as her new ''home'', how could she not have a purpose in mind for it all?

    Emilia wasn''t someone who would feel betrayed by someone''s kindness just because they expected something in return.

    After all, regardless of whether they wanted her gratitude or something else, as long as someone had helped her out in a time of need, Emilia felt that they should probably be entitled to at least something equivalent or greater than the favor they had shown.

    For Cynthia, who allowed her to be who she was today, Emilia didn''t think any favor would be too great.

    This was why, even though she threatened and teased her partner from time to time, the crimson-haired girl never really went through with most of her threats.

    She could be more intimate with Cynthia every passing day, and she could y around and make fun of her as well, but Emilia was acutely aware of the fact that she was still very much in her partner''s debt.

    Until she''d repaid the girl''s debt at least a little and they were on more equal footing, how could she even look Cynthia in the eyes and boss her around?

    Emilia had long since convinced herself that it was only a matter of time.

    Cynthia told her that she would rest within her body, and wait for her to ''evolve'' through various missions in different worlds, and the crimson-haired girl had always assumed that there woulde a day when she was considered ''ready''.

    A day when her partner would finally reveal the real ''mission'', and Emilia was fully prepared to go through with it, regardless of what it was.

    But looking at the strange fluctuations of Cynthia''s slumbering soul in front of her, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but feel a chill in her heart.

    This was a pattern that was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, and Emilia couldn''t help but recall how she felt on the first day she had touched upon the pool of chaos energy inside her.

    ''Could it be that Cynthia is also¡­ evolving¡­?''

    The thought sparked both happiness and despair in Emilia''s soul, and she couldn''t help but reel back a little in shock.

    Cynthia had always made the crimson-haired girl believe that she would only leisurely watch her partner be stronger and keeppleting missions on her behalf, and always whined about how cultivating her own strength was ''too troublesome''.

    Emilia always assumed that it must be either simply because she didn''t want to do it all over ''again'', having been much stronger before, or perhaps because Cynthia finally realized her ''true nature''.

    In either case, the crimson-haired girl had always been a little proud of the fact that her partner believed in her capability enough to put all her hopes on her, and it wouldn''t be wrong to say that it was one of her core motivations.

    It was naturally a good thing that her ''savior'' might be getting stronger, but if Cynthia restored her former strength¡­

    ''¡­Will she ever even need my help?''

    A dark thought momentarily crossed Emilia''s mind, but was immediately squashed out ruthlessly. ''No, it''s not that Cynthia was deceiving me¡­ With how fragile and easily copsible this pattern is, I can easily undo it and cause her evolution to halt.''

    She shook her head in denial. ''Even if she''s an idiot at times, even Cynthia wouldn''t take such a foolish chance if she knew in advance that this would be happening.''

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 Chapter 538: Change of Policy

    Chapter 538: Change of Policy©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Watching such a huge number of heads bobbing up and down in agreement, Emilia barely managed to suppress her amused smile as she pretended to clear her throat. "A-hem, another problem that no one seems to care about is what happens to people who have been forsaken by their own."

    She paused, the amusement in her eyes fading away this time. "More often than not, those who dare to speak out against a corrupt system only manage to spark some small change on therger scale, if that, but end up taking a severe bacsh on a personal level."

    Facing the silent crowd, Emilia knew that at least some of them must have recalled how they had suffered under the suppression of the previous government. And worse, none of them could even flee if they wanted to, impoverished as they already were.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "A few of them do manage to flee in time, but unfortunately, there aren''t many ces for them to go." She frowned. "If they are rich and well connected, it''s still somewhat fine. They can use their own resources to negotiate ande to terms with some ce that might be willing to offer them refuge, but what of the others?"

    This was the most demanding task thrown her way by the prime minister of Phoenix in exchange for helping her out in Alexander''s case, and even Emilia had to consider epting it very carefully.

    After all, not everyone who fled from their own governments did so for pleasant reasons, and filtering the ones that needed to be turned away from those who really needed to be sheltered was an extremely sensitive process with a lot of risk factors.

    To make matters worse, it was also a surefire way to sour rtionships with many, with little to no benefit in return.

    It was clear why even with the vast influence Betrix had in Phoenix, she knew she couldn''t implement this type of policy in her own country. After all, even if she proposed a bill like this, there was no way it would pass the elected assembly.

    But Emilia was different. She was the Empress of Blue Dawn, deeply loved and adored by her people, and she could do whatever she wanted.

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl didn''t agree to it right away, but since Betrix was willing to meet all her conditions even after she made significant changes to her request, Emilia finalized a version of the ''refugee'' policy that she personally felt wouldn''t hurt her empire in the long term as long as she handled things well.

    Turning her eyes from the crowd to the main camera, the crimson-haired beauty smiled. "Today, as the Empress of Blue Dawn, I would like to say this to every such person in this world."

    "Those who are no longer wee anywhere else and can make their way over here, you cane and will be sheltered." She paused. "But beware that you will also face a trial for your crimes in Blue Dawn."

    Emilia smiled. "During your trial, your movements will be a little restricted, but once it''s over, you can be sheltered and protected by the Empire if you''re cleared."

    Her smile faded away. "If you are judged to be someone who is either too much of a risk to be allowed to mingle with our people, or someone who needs to be put to justice first, you will be free to make a choice. Either ept it¡­ or leave."

    Naturally, the implication was that anyone who had nowhere else to go could freelye and try their luck with Blue Dawn without any fear of repercussions.

    After all, if they didn''t like where it was going in the end, they could always leave, couldn''t they?

    Of course, Emilia was well aware that doing it this way will greatly increase the load on her empire''s judicial system, but she''d already consulted with both Noelle and Crystal about it.

    ording to them, after the initial influx of cases that had been pending from the previous government, arge part of their judiciary body was only working an hour or two a day at most, and could easily take double or even triple the load without being stressed.

    Plus, with the empire''s court hearings being so expedited due to not being encumbered by thousands of conflicting rules andws, even the cost of each case was actually quite minimal.

    The asional fines and punishments they handed, while only a fraction of what some of the other countries did, still ended up being many times more than what was needed to make the justice system in Blue Dawn work, even with all the sries of the judges and staff being taken into ount.

    But obviously, all of this was only true to a certain extent. Both Noelle and Crystal agreed that if their current workload were to be increased by more than ten times, the judiciary will slowly but surely start to build a backlog.

    And if each case started taking weeks or even months, the somewhat informal and expedited approach that the empire had might soon be extremely unreliable.

    That was why, after careful consideration, Emilia also added the guideline that domestic cases would always be given priority, and only excess resources of the judiciary would be used when avable to handle the refugee cases.

    The crimson-haired girl was relieved to see that the crowd didn''t seem upset by her admittedly somewhat radical decisions, and was even happily epting it all.

    She couldn''t help but sigh. ''Such good children¡­ I really have to do my best to take care of them as long as I can¡­''

    Fortunately, she''d already prepared something good for everyone, to soothe the pain from what she had expected would be a bitter pill.

    "Lastly, I also wanted to make a few changes to how our clinics and hospitals work." She paused. "I know all the doctors and nurses have already been working diligently and sincerely, but I believe we can have a system where the patients and their families don''t have to suffer so much, without being unfair to those who practice medicine."

    After pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, Emilia smiled. "I don''t think it should cost someone an arm and a leg to fix a broken finger. So from this day forth¡ª"

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 Chapter 539: Indignation... or Impatience?

    Chapter 539: Indignation... or Impatience?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia''s ''shared cost'' model for medical treatment of the empire''s citizens wasn''t something that no one could imagine, but it still caused a sensation amongst the people.

    "You mean that regardless of how we get a disease or injury, we''ll be treated at any hospital in the empire for free?!"

    Although it definitely sounds good, some couldn''t help but be worried.

    Were the doctors and hospitals supposed to be working for free? Obviously not! Even if they were forced to do so and not allowed to leave, it was naturally only a matter of time before something went wrong.

    Most likely, what their princess would end up doing instead was to pay for their treatment by herself. But even if she wanted to do good things for them, wouldn''t this end up costing her too much?

    Fortunately, Noelle already had people draft out a website detailing all the inner workings of the new medical system that went online right after Emilia''s speech. So those who wished to look it up were easily able to find more details.

    "No, no, apparently, the government will pay for the treatment costs of any non-cosmetic procedures?"

    "Right, the hospitals and clinics can keep working as they were before, and each procedure will have a fixedpensation, which can be increased to an extent by the hospital''s ''rating'', not sure how that works."

    "Apparently, higher-quality hospitals get paid more for the same procedures?"

    Of course, without seeing its effectiveness in action, it was impossible for everyone to bepletely assured of the system''s robustness.

    "Yikes. I mean, it makes sense, but if people aren''t paying out of their own pockets, won''t everyone just flock to the best hospitals in the empire?"

    "Maybe, but that will just encourage the other hospitals to increase their quality of service if they want to bepensated more, no?"

    "Ohh¡­ I didn''t think about that. Guess it won''t be too much of an issue, considering most people who need treatment just rush to the nearest good hospital they can find anyway."

    Luckily, Emilia''s poprity among the citizens was so good that even the most skeptical only prayed for her sess, while the rest celebrated having never to worry about medical emergencies again.

    Chants and songs praising ''Princess Emilia'' could often be heard around the empire''s streets as the people believed more and more deeply that their empress, too, must care about them just as much.

    Because of the impact this issue had on them, most people in the empire didn''t even remember the other changes to the judicial structure that Emilia mentioned.

    Of course, outside of Blue Dawn, it was impossible for those who routinely stalked and obsessed over everything Emilia to miss even the tiniest of details.

    "Our princess is so kind and caring for everyone in her empire, ahh!"

    "Themander is so cruel, not letting us take any shortcuts¡­"

    Although theyined about it, they only did it as a joke since most of them understood that Penny just didn''t want them to look bad in front of Emilia.

    Things may be different for the regr people, but for the ''knights'', moving in to Blue Dawn required them toplete an extremely rigorous and tough exam that tested both their psychological qualities and obsession with Emilia.

    Of course, they could always just abandon their status as a knight and do things on their own, but none of them really dared do so.

    After all, knowing how vengeful and petty theirmander could be and her connections with the people around their princess, perhaps meeting Emilia after that would be but a distant dream.

    "Too bad it will take me a few more months to move out of my hellhole, but I''m excited just thinking about being able to finally see her in person!"

    "Hey, you can always take sce in the fact that we both sleep together on the same, that''s what I do!"

    "That''s not a bad idea!"

    Unfortunately, outside of the knights, quite a few people in the rest of the world didn''t quite take so kindly to the ''radical'' moves of Blue Dawn''s empress.

    Many ridiculed her for wasting her government''s resources on idealistic fantasies, while even more criticized her for beingpletely out of touch with how the world worked thanks to her upbringing.

    "Can the little princess of White Deer get down from her pedestal every once in a while and realize that not everyone has a ck tinum card with no limits?"

    "Hah¡­ She''s the perfect example of the type of girl who feels sad at how no one lets her tell the poor and the starving about the restaurants and hotels. If only they knew, right?!"

    Even with the knights continuously putting forth counter points to their statements, this time, the people who spoke out were simply impossible to argue against because many of them had an incredible level of influence.

    On a normal day, every word they said would already spark a thousand responses, and they obviously wouldn''t respond to all, or any of them, really.

    Trying to argue with them was the same as trying to suppress the voice of someone with a powerful megaphone by shouting, doomed to be fruitless.

    "If she really knew how things needed to be managed, there would be no need for such a ''welfare program'', right? Mark my words, she will keep exposing her real nature until everyone discovers the ugly soul beneath that beautifulyer of skin!"

    "The doctors and staff get paid by the government for their work, huh? But isn''t that cost going toe from the taxpayer''s pockets in the end, anyway? It''s just taking all the credit for no reason."

    "Honestly, isn''t what she''s proposing just forcing everyone to get health insurance? Sure, she didn''t mention having to get it separately, but that just means it ispulsorily included in everyone''s taxes."

    Clearly, either someone powerful enough was pulling the strings from behind, or Emilia had really stepped on far too many toes this time.

    Seeing the general trend, the knights knew that it may not be long before the normal people, and maybe even some of the less devoted, would start badmouthing their princess, and they couldn''t help but panic.

    "C-Call themander, quickly! Quickly!"

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 Chapter 541: Trapped?

    Chapter 541: Trapped?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Despite being strictly ordered not to interfere, it didn''t take long for the knights to start ''rebelling'' to join the citizens of Blue Dawn in their fight against those who were ndering Emilia.

    After all, if being a part of the royal knights meant that they could no longer even defend the honor of their princess, what was even the point? Even if they one day were able to stand in front of her, would they even be able to look her in the eye?

    With vicious insults and mockery flying both ways, even Penny felt helpless when she received the news. "Ugh, I knew this would happen soon."

    She couldn''t really me the rebels, though. After all, if she hadn''t known any better, even Penny would have started suspecting the knights of having switched their affiliation. After all, for them to not evene to defend their princess, what other purpose was there for them to continue existing?

    Unfortunately, she could only get in touch with Noelle, and the older girl simply refused to divulge any reasoning behind Emilia''s decisions that could perhaps be used to convince the rest of the knights.

    She knew that the gray-haired girl and Crystal were actually under even more pressure than her, being public figures who actually were duty bound to protect the empress, as far as the people were concerned.

    Every single day, they had to be receiving at least thousands ofints and requests from the citizens that worried about their ''princess'' being upset or depressed after learning something she shouldn''t.

    If they could, Penny had no doubt at all that the citizens would cut off all connections from the outside world, turn off the inte and seal their borders. It was better to keep their princess happy in a bubble than to let her suffer vicious rain outside, after all.

    Fortunately, the power and authority Emilia held in Blue Dawn was absolute.

    The ponytailed girl could only sigh in defeat. "I suppose that in the end, the actions of the knights don''t really matter too much. And considering I''m also using all twenty of my hidden identities to do the same thing, I can''t really me the others for not being obedient."

    In fact, though she would never admit it in front of others, Penny was actually quite proud.

    Didn''t their actions right now show that even if the higher-up positions in their knight order were somehowpromised, the rest of the knights would forever remain loyal to their princess? That was one of the greatest victories she could have ever hoped for as the one who scouted and recruited most of them!

    The only bad news was that the me for their ''failure'' this time was also on her shoulders as themander, and even though she knew Emilia wasn''t taking any visitors, the short girl ''had no choice'' but toe and present herself to express her apologies in person.

    To her surprise, though, instead of Noelle whom she expected would have chased her away, Dixie was the one who greeted her once she was escorted in by the guards, and she didn''t look surprised to see her at all.

    The dark-haired girl shushed her before Penny could even open her mouth, and led the decidedly confused shorter girl through the halls and corridors till they were right in front of Emilia''s study.

    Dixie paused for a moment before knocking on the door gently. "Penny''s here, princess. Are you busy?"

    The ponytailed blonde felt her heart beat anxiously. This would be the first time in a while that she would be hearing Emilia''s words directly, and she was both excited and terrified. ''I-I hope she''s not too sad!''

    If not for Penny''s concern for her princess outweighing her hatred for the heinous criminals who ndered her, she would have long since rushed out of Blue Dawn to personally deal with them all one by one, in whatever way she could.

    "Oh,e on in!"

    The melodious voice she expected to be either depressed or sullen still rang like the joyful tinkling of bells that she remembered. And although Penny was definitely relieved, it also heightened her confusion.

    Could it be that Noelle and the others were really so daring that they managed to keep Emilia isted from the noise outside? Were they not scared that she will hate themter?

    As soon as the door was opened by Dixie, Emilia waved at her with a bright smile. "Bring us some cookies, will you?"

    The dark-haired girl nodded before turning around and giving Penny a strange look, but before the shorter girl could voice her confusion, she''d already walked out with a snort.

    Emilia grinned mischievously. "I was wondering when you woulde."

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    In stark contrast to the warm atmosphere in Emilia''s study, the long dinner table at one of the most prominent mansions in the Nightingale n was both dark and depressed, courtesy of a certain silver-haired boy.

    Looking at his son remaining silent as he chewed on the steak on his te like it was his worst enemy, Mr. ck could only sigh sadly in his heart. ''I suppose it''s my own fault¡­ for letting things get to this point. If I had known earlier¡­''

    Shaking his head, the dark-haired man quickly regained his focus back to the present. Now was not the time to wallow in regret. If he did, then there would really be no hope for the future.

    What he''d done now was already the best that he could do at the moment, regardless of how much Amos hated him, or what happened in the future.

    If they hadn''t fled from Oriana the moment when they did, even with the ck Tiger in the government''s hands, would they have really spared either of them? Mr. ck wasn''t na?ve enough to think so.

    They would be lucky if they were just confined for the rest of their lives under the state''s supervision¡­ if they were allowed to live, that is. As for the worst case scenario¡­ Mr. ck didn''t even dare to image it.

    Naturally, the decision to flee to the Nightingale n wasn''t made on a whim, either.

    Aside from Oriana, Mr. ck knew that the greatest threat to their lives actually came from the Gray Wolfe, or more precisely, Alexander''s father.

    With the man believing his son to be Alexander''s murderer, there was no way he wouldn''t seek revenge. Mr. ck knew the man''s nature very well. Even if ck Tiger had been at its peak, he still couldn''t guarantee being able to protect Amos from this wolf when it wentpletely rabid.

    Fortunately, whoever framed his son also used the Nightingale n as their spear, and the greatest weapon of his enemy ended up bing his greatest shield instead.

    Just like he knew the nature of the Gray Wolfe''s leader, how could those in the Nightingale n not know the fate that awaited them?

    Even if the dog that bit their master wasn''t killed, it would still be neutered and beaten half to death.

    Regardless of how much of their pride had been eroded away by the years they spent serving the Gray Wolfe, there was no way those in the Nightingale n could ept this level of humiliation and surrender.

    The enemy of their enemy was their friend, and Mr. ck sought them out just in time, pressing all the right buttons that would lead to the safest way out for his son.

    Unfortunately, not only was his son not grateful, but the resentment in his heart only seemed to grow at an increasingly rming rate.

    Even if Mr. ck was confident that the Gray Wolfe would never suspect the Nightingale n of hiding the two of them, he couldn''t help but worry. What if Amos ended up doing something that exposed them?

    A chuckle from his son ended up snapping Mr. ck''s attention back to reality, and he couldn''t help but be shocked.

    His son hadn''t wiped that gloomy and dark grimace from his face for so long, what could it be that amused him so?

    "With this kind of loose and strange rule, isn''t she just inviting degenerates to flock over to her country?"

    It didn''t take long for Mr. ck to realize that the reason Amos chuckled must most likely be because of the discussion between the members of the family that was ''hosting'' them.

    Naturally, there was nothing special about them, aside from the fact that they were of a somewhat higher standingpared to others in the Nightingale n. The reason their discussion was even of any interest to his son was because of the ''subject''.

    Emilia White.

    Or more precisely, the Empress of Blue Dawn.

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 Chapter 545: A Gift

    Chapter 545: A ''Gift''©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The situation in Oriana that had been deteriorating ever so slightly every day since White Deer Corporation''s impromptu withdrawal from the country finally stabilized after a few weeks of the government obtaining full control of the ck Tiger''s assets, and the president couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, everything turned out well in the end."

    Just thinking about how much damage those ungrateful and treacherous morons had caused, he couldn''t help but grind his teeth hatefully. He almost couldn''t wait till the thorny seeds he had nted in Blue Dawn finished taking root, and that audacious couple''s whorish daughter finally entered his hands.

    Of course, as punishment for their crimes, simply feeding her to the wolves would be too lenient. Only after he forced them to give up everything they had voluntarily would he allow them to choose an appropriately agonizing death.

    Naturally, the idiot couple would first have to watch their children bear the humiliation and agony that they deserved to properly atone for their sins, but that went without saying.

    But while most of his hatred was directed at the White Deer, the president obviously wasn''t unaware of Mr. ck and his son''s ''departure'' from Oriana. Since he already had the ck Tiger under government control, however, he felt that it was fine to let the two of them leave with their tails between their legs.

    Many people working in the ck Tiger were still the same as they had been under the two of them, and if they somehow learned that their previous leaders had been killed by the government, it simply wouldn''t be worth it to trigger their rebellious spirits and face unexpected losses in any way.

    Not while he still hadn''t dealt with White Deer properly, at least.

    Although his people had failed to track where the two of them had fled to, which was a bit worrying, the president felt confident that it wouldn''t be long before he found out.

    Without their previous financial influence, these so-called bigshots were no better than rats in a jar, anyway, and he had no doubt that they would end up exposing themselves sooner orter. What he needed to focus on now was to continue integrating the huge amount of resources and personnel he had ''acquired'' properly into their existing system.

    It wasn''t easy, by any means, and the president encountered more than a few tough nuts to crack along the way. But with an iron fist and upromising attitude from the top, those idiots down below had no choice but to be flexible.

    One could either bend, or break. The choice was theirs.

    Of course, while both the stock and job market were showing a positive trend, the road toplete recovery was still long and arduous, and the president had no doubt that it would require many, many more sacrifices from the people if he wanted them to get to a satisfactory position anytime soon.

    Anyone who had dared scoff at or written their Oriana off as a country on a downward spiral was already forced to revise their opinion, however, including the ever so arrogant prime minister of Phoenix.

    Even if the attitude she had shown just a while ago had rubbed him the wrong way, as the president of Oriana, he still knew when he had to look at the bigger picture and smile, no matter how reluctant he was.

    At least the woman''s attitude was quite sincere this time around, though. She evenughed along creepily when he criticized the empress of Blue Dawn to her face, which was aplete turnaround from her previous stance.

    From someone who offered shelter to that treacherous couple and gave such special preference to their daughter during the Golden Crown, the prime minister had clearly spent some time facing cold hard facts over the past few weeks.

    How much of it was the influence of the ''enlightening'' campaign he had been backing ever since the girl shot her own foot off publicly, and how much came from the woman''s own instinct, the president wasn''t quite sure.

    But clearly, even if she was stubborn, the woman knew which side was more worthy of siding with in the long run, and the president couldn''t help but be pleased when he finally got the news of her ''apology'' gift''s arrival.

    "Bring it in."

    It didn''t take long before the staff carefully wheeled the ''gift'' in, and although the centerpiece was still covered in red silk, the president couldn''t help but take a deep breath from the sheer majesty and ferociousness he felt from the rest of the ''artwork''.

    The small ss figurines on the pure silver base might be only a fourth the size of a regr human, but the wild aura of terror they made him feel truly made him realize just how skillful and talented the person who created it must be.

    After all, while he didn''t know much about whatever process was used to create this artwork, it definitely had to be much harder than working on and sharpening features on materials like stone or ivory, right?

    Even for someone at his level, having seen countless precious things, he felt like he could proudly disy this piece in front of foreign dignitaries whenever they came for a meeting, and watch their gazes turn green from envy every time.

    The feeling of achievement and power gave him a rush that the president hadn''t quite felt in a couple of years now, and he couldn''t help but feel a little mncholic.

    Maybe the wake-up call he got from that stupid and treacherous couple was a good thing. Even if it ended up costing Oriana quite a bit, it was what made him recall how ambitious and willful he used to be, and also made him realize what needed to be done to really continue leading the country to a better ce.

    Perhaps it wouldn''t be long before those other ignorant fools also bowed their heads and apologized to him for not supporting him when they should have, finally realizing what they had missed out on. After all,pared to offending Blue Dawn and the White Deer, wouldn''t a favor from Oriana be worth far more in the future?

    Although quite pleased already, the president was also quite curious about the centerpiece of the artwork that was still covered. Of course, the whole thing had already been carefully inspected and cleared by the security teams, even if there really wasn''t much to inspect considering most of it was supposedly see-through.

    The longing gaze from some of the staff made it clear that whatever it was, it was far from disappointing.

    It had been a long time since he felt like a child unwrapping his present on his birthday, andbined with his already good mood, the president quickly made up his mind as he waved all the staff and security away.

    He felt like he might want to savor the next moment for the rest of his life.

    Once everyone had reluctantly left and closed the door behind, the president pulled off the red silk covering the centerpiece in one smooth motion.

    As it turned out, the thing in the center of all the ferocious, beastly demons made of ss was a girl. Or a goddess, to be exact.

    Even surrounded on all sides by clearly bloodthirsty enemies, her eyes still conveyed a confidence and majesty that made the president''s heartbeat elerate involuntarily, and he couldn''t help but believe that if the scene in front of him were able to burst into motion, the one to perish would definitely not be this goddess.

    The material of her body was seemingly the same as that of all the beasts that surrounded her, yet, for some reason, he felt as if only her body contained a vitality, a glow that the others didn''t have, which gave the ''goddess'' a unique attraction.

    Even her spear that glinted coldly felt like it coulde alive at any moment, ready to pierce through her enemies at her will. And strangely enough, the president almost felt like he wouldn''t mind if he were to be stabbed by such a beautiful goddess.

    In a way, it would almost be like salvation, wouldn''t it?

    Laughing at himself at the strange thought, he couldn''t help but shake his head in amusement. "It''s been a while since a work of art made me feel like this¡ª?!"

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 Chapter ?547 The Real Killer

    Chapter ?547 The ''Real'' Killer

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    A quick note before you start: If the previous chapter (or any of the ones before that) had repeated text at any point, please do check again and let me know in a para or chapterment so I can fix it if I haven''t already! More info in the author''s note at the end.

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    As much as the now-deceased president of Oriana would have liked to believe otherwise, most of the people in his country didn''t actually like him very much, even during his first term.

    However, with theck of a decent alternative, as well as the way that Oriana''s government was elected, it was truly difficult for anyone to move him out of office.

    After all, even if everyone ''knew'' that the votes didn''t quite tally up with what they expected, what could anyone really do against a system that was corrupted from the bottom up?

    So long as they had a choice, normal people wouldn''t even dare think of going against the police, let alone the much more powerful military.

    And since he had previously kept the most powerful forces in the country satisfied, it was truly no wonder why the president managed to retain his seat and life for so long, despite his rather unreasonable way of governance.

    Unfortunately, being in a position of supreme authority for so long made the man forget what it truly was that allowed him to stay there all this time, and he ended upmitting a fatal mistake.

    By forcing the White Deer to flee, not only did he make Emilia and her family his enemies, but also the entire upper ss of Oriana.

    After all, if even the wealthiest and the most powerful among them could be treated like this, then what about them?

    Naturally, since neither the White Deer nor the ck Tiger had the capital to truly contest against the state, the ''strength'' of those weaker than them was even more insignificant andughable in the eyes of the president.

    It was impossible for him to take their tiny little egos and feelings into consideration, and even more impossible for them to have the guts to openly go against him, or so he thought.

    Obviously, while they may not have the strength to contend against him individually, thebined influence they had was well and truly terrifying, especially with Emilia and her family secretly supporting them from behind.

    With the groundwork already in ce before her family had fled, Emilia was easily able tomunicate with and guide Bianca''s father, the Fionn patriarch, into setting a trap that would not only get rid of his greatest opponent, but also present him and his political allies with the opportunity of a lifetime.

    He didn''t even have to do much. Just carry out a series of small tasks over the course of a few months, and enjoy the results.

    Naturally, he also had no idea which of these small ''tasks'' really led to the president''s death, or what it was that truly killed him.

    He was too busy celebrating being the new president to care, anyway.

    Of course, before he could openly host the big party, the matter of the ''previous'' president still had to be swept cleanly under the rug, but the preparations for that were alreadyplete, so there wasn''t much to worry about.

    Clinking his wine ss with the recently famous ''murderer'' and wife of his deceased predecessor, Mr. Fionn grinned. "I have to say, Mrs. Anderson, it was a pleasure working with you. Within seven days, all your requirements will definitely be fulfilled."

    The dark-haired woman nodded as she swirled the red liquid in her ss, but didn''t dare to take a sip.

    After all, while it might not be easy to justify her poisoning and death at this juncture, she couldn''t put anything past the sleazy and underhanded men in politics. Not after having been so close to them all her life and knowing just how far they could go.

    Regardless of her thoughts, however, her smile remained polite. "Of course you will. I doubt you''d be interested in going through what my husband did."

    The man in front of her almost sneered. ''Did she really start to think she''s so cool and powerful that she can really kill someone at this level?''

    But Mr. Fionn had to admit,pared to her haggard expression while recording the video for their ''propaganda'' before, the dead president''s wife did look quite sexy when she was being so chillingly cold, especially without all those painted on frown lines and exaggerated makeup.

    Fortunately, he knew better than to mix ''business'' with ''feelings''.

    Expertly masking his real thoughts, he gave her a friendly chuckle. "No need to be like that, madam. I''m a gentleman, you see, there''s no need for threats. Fifty million, a new identity, and safe transport to Blue Dawn, all of these will be yours as promised. Just give the matter some time to settle down, will you?"

    Mrs. Anderson smiled. "Of course, I was only giving you a friendly reminder. After all, I''m not stupid enough to put all my eggs in one basket like my husband. My confidants are ready to forward my st words'' to a certain someone who can get rid of you just as easily as my poor husband if you really betray me, after all. As for whether she would believe your words over mine¡­ feel free to take the chance."

    Mr. Fionn''s smile turned stiff on his face as he felt cold sweat start dripping down his back. "H-Haha, n-no need to be like that, now, Mrs. Anderson. We''re both on the same side, aren''t we¡­?"

    Despite what he said, though, his previously casual words were now full of sincerity.

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    While everyone''s curiosity was still piqued, another bombshell of an announcement came from the officials of Oriana, rendering manypletely speechless.

    "Murder mystery of the century solved within a day!"

    "Breaking News! The one who killed Oriana''s ex-president turned out to be--?! Listen to this shocking ''criminal''s'' full confession exclusively on Orion News today at three PM!"

    Of course, even those who didn''t flock to watch the show ended up being bombarded by the news from their peers, and some couldn''t help butment the suffering of their eardrums from their overexcited colleagues and friends.

    They couldn''t really be med, however, since this was indeed the most exciting news story they''d had for quite a while, going from ''possibly war causing international incident'' to ''household troubles'' in a matter of hours.

    That''s right, if the news outlets and the officials of Oriana were to be believed, the murderer of their previous president was none other than the man''s own wife.

    Naturally, many didn''t believe that it was truly the president''s wife who killed him, and thought that she must have been framed or coerced. But with the woman herself confessing on camera, only those crazy conspiracy theorists believed themselves.

    A somewhat tired-looking woman with numerous frown lines on her face sobbed in front of the camera. "I-I didn''t want to do it, I really didn''t¡­ but he left me no choice!"

    When she lifted her head with a jerk, a stream of tears that had been pooling around her reddened eyes started dripping down her haggard face. "T-The people of Oriana were suffering, I could tell. They were losing their livelihood, their confidence, and even... their sense of self! I-I saw everything with my own eyes, and every time I looked into my husband''s remorseless eyes, I wondered¡­ how long will I sit back and allow it to go on?"

    Unlike many other countries that ced limelight on the significant others of their presidents and prime ministers, Oriana''s president liked to keep his domestic affairs out of the public eye. Only those in the upper ss were more aware of his family situation, and this was perhaps the first time many moners'' even saw what his wife looked like.

    Although many felt that her words couldn''t be taken at face value, many more couldn''t help but sympathize with her. After all, the president''s other ''deeds'' weren''t anywhere near as well hidden as his family affairs, which made the woman''s words much more credible than they otherwise would have been.

    Naturally, the fact that the now-deceased president had once chased out and taken over both of his country''s top corporations was no secret, and anyone who understood the slightest bit about business knew that the move was short-sighted at best, and self-harming at worst.

    With this kind of precedent in ce, not to mention foreign investments, would even domestic entrepreneurs feel safe anymore? And without businesses to offer jobs, how was the country''s economy supposed to survive?

    Perhaps if they had been operating under a more localized model focusing on only nurturing small businesses from the start, things wouldn''t have been so bad. But with mega corporations like the White Deer and ck Tiger having already progressed and unified much of the country''s economy, Oriana''s government was simply indulging in self-muttion by getting rid of them like that.

    Even with the White Deer''s mostly passive and slow withdrawal, the effects on the job market had been clear for all to see, especially since the timing happened to coincide with the ck Tiger''s decline.

    Needless to say, the public sentiment in Oriana wasn''t in the president''s favor at all, and anyone notpletely detached from themon folk in the country was able to more or less tell.

    Of course, some people outside Oriana were shocked to discover that the deceased president''s wife was being treated not as a murderer, but hero instead!

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 Chapter ?548 Over The Horizon

    Chapter ?548 Over The Horizon

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    While everyone else was busy watching the mess in Oriana, the Nightingale n''s leader was too busy dealing with his own mess to even care about some random president''s murder or its aftereffects.

    He never imagined that Mr. ck''s son would attack the daughter of the family that was hosting him without reason, let alone do it so viciously.

    Although the injury didn''t seem to have caused any permanent damage to the girl''s brain ording to the doctor, it still knocked her unconscious and scared her parents half to death.

    No matter how careless their attitude towards her usually was, she was still their only daughter! And after so many years without another child, that was unlikely to change in the future.

    At this point, they didn''t even care whether the daughter they previously shook their heads at in disappointment sympathized with people they detested, or even became a part of them herself!

    In the worst case, they could always pretend not to hear some of the things she said, couldn''t they? If they were to really lose their daughter, though, what would either of them look forward to in their old age?

    Fortunately, after the doctor invited by the n leader assured them of her being out of danger a few times, the couple finally calmed down.

    Needless to say, however, after being given such a huge fright, they weren''t keen on continuing to keep the two ''burdens'' around anymore.

    Even the usually subservient father of the girl was furious. "I don''t care if he''s rted to my wife''s father or not, didn''t you see what his moron of a son did to my daughter?! It''s good enough that I haven''t thrown him down from the roof, how can you expect us to continue housing him?"

    His wife nodded to the n leader as well. "Not only do the two of them need to get out of here, but you should also give us an exnation, right?"

    Although they didn''t expect the father and son to be sent to jail ording to Carmen country''sws, asking for them to be punished by the n''s own rules really wasn''t unreasonable.

    Naturally, neither of the parents had any idea about Mr. ck and his son not even being from their n, despite the duo''s less-than-ster acting and disguise.

    Unfortunately for them, however, the n leader wasn''t concerned about their daughter or seeking justice on her behalf at all, and only cared about what could go wrong for him instead. ''Shit! I can''t let anyone discover this!''

    He''d only managed to secure his current position as the Nightingale n''s leader thanks to the change in main branch after that year''s scandal and numerous other factors, and to call it all a series of lucky coincidences wouldn''t be far from the truth.

    With him being far from the most qualified candidate, he knew very well just how the elders would react if they found out he took such a big risk by himself when it could have endangered the whole n.

    All for the purpose of showing himself off as a great leader if things worked out in the end.

    Of course, even if his n with Mr. ck hadn''t worked out, he was already prepared to run away and abandon Carmen country as a whole, but not yet. His preparations were far fromplete!

    Gilli''s parents mistook his furious expression as indignation for what happened, and they couldn''t help but be satisfied.

    "We''ve had the two of them locked in the guest room upstairs."

    The n leader nodded grimly, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Rest assured, I will deal with this matter¡­ most appropriately."

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    The wounded girl''s parents were temporarily satisfied once the n leader took the two ''rtives'' away, and focused back on their own affairs while believing that they would hear news of the ''punishment'' soon.

    Unfortunately, such news never came, and what they got instead was a smack to the face.

    Having not left their own home much due to their daughter''s condition, the couple had beenpletely unaware of the rumors spreading about them throughout the n until it was already toote.

    Not only did everyone think that their daughter was injured because of her own mother, but they also ''knew'' about her apparent rtionship with her friend, Heather.

    In order to cover up her own shameful acts, however, thedy now pinned all me on the ''poor'' cousin she had just taken in.

    And being both helpless and without any other foundation in the n, the poor father and son could only seek shelter in the n leader''s home, who generously took them in.

    Although her standing was quite high, with the already established snobby reputation of the girl''s mother, the rumors were naturally far from unbelievable.

    Even if she went to the elders to seek justice now, it was toote. Gilli''s mother knew that if it was just her word against the n leader''s, all it would result in was inconclusive quibbling, and would only solidify the rumors further.

    "How could he do this to us?!"

    The loss of reputation in front of the whole n was bad enough, but now they also had to worry about what their daughter would think once she found out!

    The girl''s mother almost cried. ''I should have just followed the "no talking at the table" rule and not brought up irrelevant things!''

    Obviously, she thought that her apparent rtive''s generally always silent son was crazy, and must have been triggered by their conversation somehow.

    Although the fault stilly with him and his father, it was impossible not to think about how easily they could have prevented it from happening.

    Unfortunately, now it was already toote for regret, and they could only fret over how to console their daughterter,pletely unaware of the truth.

    Naturally, while Heather visited her friend often, she had alsoe to know of the nder regarding her friend''s family toote.

    Not only did their daughter already know about the rumors, after a heart to heart talk with her friend, she was now also aware of some ''truths'' that neither of her parents could have dared imagine.

    That was why neither of them were really bothered.

    After all, they knew that the Nightingale n was about to change¡­ very soon.

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    Meanwhile, the source of all the chaos had long since returned ''home'', and was leisurely enjoying the show with a smile while nibbling on juicy grapes being pressed against her lips one at a time by her blonde girlfriend, clearly in a good mood.

    Crystal knew it was only to be expected, given how everything went ording to her girlfriend''s n in Oriana, and even the ''aftermath'' seemed to be heading in a favorable direction.

    Although she personally didn''t like the dead president''s wife much, especially given that she hadn''t had the chance to personally ''assess'' her, since Emilia made the decision to make her Oriana''s hero, Crystal could only keep her opinions to herself.

    She knew very well why Emilia couldn''t expose her ''heroic deeds'' to the public. After all, had that not been the case, the president wouldn''t have been assassinated, but executed instead.

    With Emilia''s poprity in both Blue Dawn and Oriana, it was unlikely for her to suffer much bacsh even if she decided to do so, after all. In fact, she could even take over Oriana while at it!

    Unfortunately, the world outside of these two countries wasn''t so easy to handle, and Crystal was well aware of its ugliness.

    ''Obviously, she did such a good thing, but now someone else is taking the credit.'' The blonde girlined in her heart. ''Why are international politics soplicated?''

    Needless to say, despite Emilia''s ims of Crystal having a ''heart of gold'', she didn''t sympathize much with the now-dead president.

    In her opinion, that man was going to drive the country into a crisis sooner orter, and could be considered the root cause of countless tragedies both in the present and the future.

    Instead, she simply felt it was a pity that Emilia had to personally dirty her hands with his blood.

    Even if her princess assured her that she hadn''t really had to touch the bastard at all, the blonde girl still believed that such menial tasks shouldn''t need Emilia to move personally and take risks.

    Of course, Crystal could tell that it wasn''t just the situation in Oriana going as expected that made her girlfriend so happy.

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 Chapter ?550 Reversal

    Chapter ?550 Reversal

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    When the confession of ''Mrs. Anderson'' first became public, most people thought that even if she wasn''t sentenced to death, she would still be spending the rest of her life in prison.

    After all, murdering the president and confessing to it couldn''t possibly go unpunished, could it? Her being the victim''s wife couldn''t possibly lighten her sentence!

    Of course, while the number of people expressing their condolences over the death of Oriana''s president had be much lower after her ''usations'' against the man, most still believed it to be the ''most appropriate'' route.

    Naturally, the smart ones simply kept silent.

    The Empress of Blue Dawn, however, seemed to have taken it upon herself to honor her ''status'' as a troublemaker, and issued a sensational statement through her official channel.

    "Unlike his predecessor, I hope that Mr. Fionn can lead Oriana into an age of prosperity and progress!"

    Although her statement didn''t outright curse at the dead president''s grave, it wasn''t far from it!

    Some people couldn''t help but rebuke her immediately.

    "Regardless of what might have happened before, is disrespecting the dead really something that an ''Empress'' should be indulging in?"

    "How unbing!"

    "Sometimes I forget that miss Emilia is still just a child. I hope everyone can forgive her based on her age!"

    The crimson-haired beauty naturally didn''t respond to these ''influential'' figures directly, but the same couldn''t be said for her knights.

    "Sometimes I forget that in the world of hypocrites, calling scumbags what they are is also considered impolite!"

    "Of course, these people are more than content to close one eye in front of actual wrongdoings, but our princess is not like that!"

    The fierce counterattack left many of Emilia''s critics dumbfounded, and they couldn''t help but stare at their screens nkly for a while.

    ''Who resurrected these maniacs?!''

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    It is often said that when one''s own home is on fire, the storms and typhoons of distantnds are the least of their concern.

    Mr. ck realized just how true this saying was whenever he heard more news of the now-dead president of Oriana.

    This was the man he handed over his life''s legacy to when left with no choice, and by all rights, the bastard should have been a target for his undying grudge.

    However, whether it was the man''s mysterious assassination, or the ''betrayal'' by the people of Oriana when they cheered for his wife who murdered him, none of it made him happy.

    To be more precise, he felt nothing.

    Whether that man was dead or alive, whether his murderer was punished or touted as a hero, whether the girl his son hated so much ended up drowning in spittle or shining in the limelight¡­ what did any of it have to do with him now?

    In their current state, Mr. ck wasn''t even sure how long he and his son could continue to survive!

    After all, with the resources he had at his disposal, the leader of the Gray Wolfe Corporation would discover where the two of them were hiding sooner orter. And while he''d previously made some ns with the Nightingale n''s leader... none of them seemed to be heading anywhere anytime soon.

    Just when he thought things couldn''t possibly get any worse, reality always seemed intent on proving Mr. ck wrong.

    Sometimes, he even wondered if all his achievements over the past few decades had been just him getting lucky, and this was his ''retribution''. But then he realized it couldn''t be so.

    After all, had life been so ''fair'', how could his old rival be doing so well right now?

    Of course, even if luck yed a certain role in their vastly different states today, Mr. ck wasn''t one to bepletely blind to his own faults.

    ''If only I had taught Amos better¡­'' He sighed. ''No, maybe if his mother was still around¡­''

    Unfortunately, there was no wish-granting fairy following him around, or his wife would havee back to life years ago.

    ''No, maybe it''s for the best that she''s not around anymore.'' Mr. ck smiled bitterly. ''At least she can''t see how pathetic I have be.''

    Just a year or so ago, he couldn''t have even imagined a day when he would have to look at the face of an insignificant ''n leader'' from a foreign country and hope, just hope, that the man was still stupid and greedy enough to keep helping him.

    Mr. ck sighed. "Things can''t possibly get any worse now, can they?"

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    With a muffled ''thonk'' of wood meeting flesh and bone, Amos barely managed to prevent the broken chair from falling to the ground and making any more noise.

    After all, while it was important to knock his father out with a single blow, it was equally as important not to cause too much ruckus at the same time.

    Fortunately, whether it was due to stress or something else, Mr. ck was no longer as strong and sturdy as he used to be, and fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

    The silver-haired boy grinned after what felt like an eternity, and stepped over the bleeding head of his father victoriously. "You''re lucky that I still want you to realize how wrong you were, and how you always ruined things for me. Otherwise¡­ you would already be dead."

    Pressing his foot down on the defenseless head of the man who always bossed him around, Amos couldn''t help but gloat. "I want to say I''m surprised that you were stupid enough to think just you would be enough to tie me down, but well¡­ what else can one expect from the man whopletely gave up ck Tiger on the first sign of trouble?"

    Of course, he knew very well that his father couldn''t hear his words in his current state. But unfortunately, he simply had no more time to spare.

    His father would get what wasing to him sooner orter, but he wasn''t important enough for him to waste his time right now.

    Sneering, Amos quickly made his way over to the window and started climbing down carefully. "That bitch better be ready to get me out of here, or I''m gonna fucking skin her alive!"

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 Chapter 553: Wild Ambitions

    Chapter 553: Wild Ambitions©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although she couldn''t follow her gray-haired girlfriend to the country of Carmen, Emilia naturally tried her best to assist Noelle in every other way that she could.

    With her big sister''s support, she not only managed to convince both her parents to go ''all in'' with investments into the new branch, the crimson-haired beauty also didn''t shy away from involving herself personally.

    Of course, her official announcement in support of White Deer''s expansion in Carmen would onlye outter, but as it was recorded in advance, it was impossible to keep it hidden from her girlfriends and family.

    Noelle thought her little boss was being a bit silly, but surprisingly enough, she didn''t try to dissuade the crimson-haired beauty this time. After all, knowing Emilia''s intentions warmed her heart just when she was feeling a little depressed from thinking about her ''old family'', and Noelle felt that with the added motivation, she could finally give it her all.

    The gray-haired girl naturally had no need to worry about resources and capital at this point, and it didn''t take long for her to make sure everything was on track for the initial setup of major local branches in Carmen.

    With the help of Jasper and Ginny, securing manpower and ensuring that their supply routes were functional and efficient was also not much of an issue either, alleviating one of Noelle''s biggest worries.

    After all, even if it was unlikely that the twins of the Gray family would dare to back away from their deal at this point, people''s hearts and minds were never that easy to predict.

    In fact, even now that they had already honored their side of the deal, Noelle didn''t dare topletely let her guard down against the two of them. Not until the White Deer Corporation hadpletely dug its roots deep into the soil of Carmen, at least.

    The announcements of White Deer''s expansion into Carmen didn''t raise many waves until the harsh reviews from critical analysts came out, though, perhaps because most people had still been talking about Oriana''s dead president and Emilia.

    This wasn''t the first time that a major corporation was trying to get a share of the pie known as Carmen, and as far as the analysts were concerned, there was simply no reason for anyone to believe that the White Deer''s ending would be any different.

    Some analysts and experts even took the initiative toe up with the expected dates for the White Deer Corporation''s withdrawal from Carmen in the future.

    It wasn''t that any of them were looking down on the White Deer Corporation, though. Instead, they simply didn''t have any reason to expect the past trend to change.

    The reason everyone else failed to seed in Carmen wasn''t because of the Gray Wolfe Corporation''s capabilities and grasp of the market, but because of the government''s policies.

    In almost every industry they were involved in, the Gray Wolfe Corporation enjoyed the privilege of having to pay only a third of the taxes that anyone else in their position would have had to cough up, and that too was often waived offpletely if the country''s economy was doing well.

    Not only that, foreign corporations in Carmen suffered from extensive inspections and reviews by the government bodies to ensure that they weren''t participating in ''unfair'' or ''cutthroat'' business practices, which not only slowed them down, but also greatly lowered their morale.

    Obviously, as a publicly endorsed corporation of Carmen, the Gray Wolfe had no need to go through such reviews and inspections.

    As far as the analysts were concerned, even if the White Deer Corporation was in its most prosperous phase and a step ahead of Gray Wolfe globally, trying topete in Carmen was still a monumentally stupid decision.

    In a panel of six ''super experts'', one of the older analysts pushed up his sses with a frown. "With the White Deer Corporation''s usual style, I have to say that this is a most unexpected move."

    Thedy by his side nodded. "There is no way to be sure, but I don''t think it would be too farfetched to consider this a part of Mr. and Mrs. White taking a step back and letting their eldest take charge."

    He sighed. "If so, while I think miss Samantha''s move is both ambitious and bold, she is bound to suffer an inevitable loss this time."

    Thedy shook her head in regret. "A shame, really, since they seemed to have been on a roll recently."

    Maybe it was time for her to start selling the shares too. She''d made quite a bit of profit already, and it wasn''t worth it to keep risking it at this point.

    The female analyst wasn''t the only one thinking the same thing, and many others who believed that the White Deer''s valuation had been overinted also came to simr conclusions on their own.

    A younger male analyst smirked. "Actually, it might be precisely their recent sess that made her so overconfident, and she forgot what it was that got the White Deer Corporation to where it is now. What do you think?"

    The two older analysts remained silent and stared at him awkwardly. After all, even if they agreed, they had to be cautious on what must and must not be said.

    The White Deer Corporation now was no longer the docile andwful force it used to be, and just the rabid fans of their ''little princess'' alone could rip their hard-earned reputation apart in seconds if they so much as thought that their princess had been ''dishonored'' in any way.

    That was why they had already made it clear before the show started that they wouldn''t be making any personal remarks, but the young man had seeminglypletely forgotten about it.

    The youngdy next to the ''courageous'' analyst nodded enthusiastically. "Right! Not only were they very stable on the path of ''slow and steady'' growth, the mutually destructive fiercepetition between the Gray Wolfe and ck Tiger also yed no small role in putting White Deer in the number one spot."

    Of course, getting to her position at this age, she wasn''t stupid, and had already discussed it with her colleague in advance. And looking at the speechless seniors in front of her, she knew their bet had paid off.

    Much to the senior''s dismay, the young analysts in front of them only grew more bold with each of their statements.

    "At this point, though, it looks like it won''t be for long before they are knocked off their pedestal, right?"

    "Who knows? Maybe this will give the Gray Wolfe the chance to w back their former position earlier than expected as well!"

    "Three years should be their limit, I think. At that point, it should be pretty clear to even White Deer just how unprofitable it really is to do business in Carmen¡­ unless you''re Gray Wolfe."

    "I don''t think it will take that long, actually. I give it¡­ six months."

    Had the two of them known that the ''inexperienced youngsters'' were doing it all intentionally in an effort to make them shut up and boost up their own prestige, perhaps the senior analysts would have an even more perplexed expression.

    Children these days were really too ambitious for their own good!

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 Chapter 554: Dreaming

    Chapter 554: Dreaming©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The viewers naturally had no idea of the internal thoughts and conspiracies of these experts.

    But after listening to their confident and seemingly logical analysis, quite a few of them couldn''t help but believe it.

    "Ugh, I really don''t want to admit it, but what they said makes sense?"

    "Doesn''t this mean that the White Deer is soon going to be in a lot of trouble, though? Should we be worried?"

    For those who had long since been envious of either Emilia or the White Deer, this was without a doubt ''great news'', and they celebrated. Her fans and well-wishers, on the other hand, couldn''t help but feel a little torn.

    If they tried to cheer for Emilia and the White Deer ended up suffering, it would just make her look stupid. But if they didn''t, wouldn''t their princess wonder if the affection they usually showed for her was fake?

    And what made their dilemma even worse was that even if Emilia was often associated with the White Deer, that wasn''t necessarily the case the other way around. If they kept quiet, wouldn''t that significantly decrease the chances of someone mocking their princesster if the White Deer failed?

    After all, even if most of them had no idea what was going on behind the scenes, they still knew that White Deer''s management was mostly handled by Emilia''s older sister and parents, and most people had long since started considering Emilia as a separate entity from her family after she became an ''empress''. The rtionship between the Empress of Blue Dawn and the White Deer Corporation was undoubtedly very close, but very few people believed that they werepletely free of any conflict of interest.

    Fortunately, they didn''t have to fret over the matter for long.

    Shortly after the ''analysis'' by the panel of experts was aired, an announcement from the Empress of Blue Dawn ended uppletely blindsiding the ''experts'' and Emilia''s well-wishers alike.

    "The right way to be the number one is not by pushing others down, but by rising beyond them using your own strength. I hope the people of Carmen can give White Deer a chance. For a brighter future!"

    Although it was only a short and somewhat vague statement, anyone who wasn''t inplete denial could tell what she meant.

    "Does the White Deer Corporation intend to go all out this time?!"

    "I thought they were only making a small gamble and would suffer a setback at most¡­ but it looks like they might have taken a note out of ck TIger''s book, and are now heading the same way?"

    The ones who dared to criticize Emilia at this time were naturally ''veterans'', and had long since learned to close their eyes and run away before the ''cavalry'' descended on them.

    Even if it meant that their well-thought-out statements wouldn''t receive the traction they deserved, it was better than listening to their fathers and grandfathers being scolded into the next generation!

    Of course, it didn''t take long for the initial few haters to get their voicespletely buried, but the same couldn''t be said for those who were just curious or confused.

    After all, the knights couldn''t be so ruthless to the bystanders, lest they turn away potential futurerades. Their princess deserved all the love in the world, so how could they bear to deprive her of any if they could help it?

    Though this did allow many to scrutinize Emilia''s words and actions more, the knights felt it wasn''t really a bad thing. After all, since they thought their princess was wless, how could admiring her more be considered a bad thing?

    It didn''t take long for people to realize that even before she became the Empress of Blue Dawn, Emilia had rarely evermented on behalf of the White Deer Corporation.

    This led most people to think that even if she had a considerable influence on their decisions, this little princess of White Deer didn''t really ''care'' about it much, if at all.

    Although some people felt it was quite hypocritical and unfilial of her, no one could really throw much shade at Emilia for it since it fit her established image quite well.

    Moreover, with neither her parents nor her elder sister ever having spoken against Emilia, any insinuation they made to make it seem like she was a bad daughter might only end up backfiring instead.

    After all, the number of times that White Deer''s leaders had pulled a nonsensical move just to please their youngest was no secret, and no one dared to gamble that they wouldn''t just do it again.

    Realizing that they had slightly miscalcted Emilia''s stance made the panel of experts a little ufortable at first, but since what had already been said couldn''t just be taken back, they could only hope that things didn''t go ''wrong''.

    With her current poprity and recenteback, though, the impact of her announcement had bepletely unpredictable, and both the younger and older analysts couldn''t help but be uncertain.

    Even if the number of rabid fans she had grew exponentially recently, it shouldn''t be enough to affect the situation in Carmen too much¡­ right?

    There was really no way to be sure.

    But although they felt like their faces had been pped, none of the analysts dared toe out and rebuke Emilia''s statements.

    With her poprity, the risk was simply too great, and relying on past records of those who went against her¡­ the analysts naturally wouldn''t take a losing bet.

    In fact, they weren''t really too depressed, and even if they didn''t dare show it on their face anymore, most of these analysts remained optimistic about their previous predictions.

    After all, when they were eventually proven right in the near future, wouldn''t the fire they were facing now from Emilia''s rabid fans just serve as more fuel to their fame?

    Maybe if it got enough traction, the Empress herself would apologize publicly.

    Just thinking about it was enough to make one giddy!

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    Meanwhile, in a somewhat dpidated apartmentplex of Carmen''s capital, a furious silver-haired boy kicked the wooden chair in front of him while cursing. "It''s her again, it''s always her! Why can''t this stupid fucking world go on for a single day without letting me hear her name?!"

    Of course, although he was incensed, Amos hadn''tpletely lost his mind, and quickly managed to calm himself down as much as he could. "Fortunately, that stupid-looking girl is at least familiar with ''those'' people, and it shouldn''t take long for her to convince them toe talk to me."

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter ?555 Hard or Soft?

    Chapter ?555 Hard or Soft?

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    "Are you sure that''s all we have to do?"

    Squinting in satisfaction as her girlfriend''s nimble fingersbed through her scalp, Emilia hummed. "That''s right. Just keep it going for as long as you can, and make sure he doesn''t die."

    Naturally, the person on the other side of the phone had no idea that their ''extremely serious'' conversation was being handled by Emilia on her girlfriend''sp.

    "Is that so¡­ alright then¡­"

    The reluctance in the somewhat masculine voice was obvious, and Emilia couldn''t help but tilt her head in confusion. "Is there a problem? I was informed that you volunteered¡ª"

    The other party interrupted her in a panic. "A-AHH! Please don''t misunderstand! I was just disappointed that we couldn''t return to Blue Dawn sooner, that''s all!"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. "If you wish, you can alwayse back and take up another task in exchange?"

    Strangely enough, although the other party clearly didn''t like the task, they still vehemently denied any alternatives, and Emilia couldn''t help but frown.

    It was only after being repeatedly assured that the task would still bepleted per her requirements and definitely not abandoned halfway through that she put the matter aside.

    After their conversation ended and she handed over her phone to Crystal, Emilia couldn''t help but give her a curious look. "You told me they were very eager to do ''whatever I needed'', but they don''t sound very eager to me?"

    The heroine bit her lip nervously. "T-To be honest¡­ even I didn''t expect you to give them such a task at that time."

    Normally, Emilia didn''t mind taking either Crystal or Noelle''s advice on important matters before making some crucial decisions, but she had ended up skipping that step this time.

    After all, this was a matter in which she didn''t have much of a choice. If Amos died before her final mission waspleted¡­

    The crimson-haired girl reluctantly got up from her girlfriend''s extremelyfortablep pillow to properly look her in the eye. "Do you think it''s a bad idea, then?"

    The blonde girl quickly waved her hands in denial. "No no, that''s not what I¡ªugh¡­ well, maybe?"

    Realizing that her words might be misunderstood, Crystal quickly gathered her thoughts before coughing awkwardly. "I-I understand that you need Amos to live longer and all, and in that sense I don''t think what you''re doing is a bad idea. B-But whenever I think about you ''protecting'' him in secret¡­"

    Although she didn''t finish her words, Emilia could obviously tell how she felt from Crystal''s twisted expression, and she couldn''t help but sigh.

    In Emilia''s mind, Crystal was the kindest and least ''utilitarian'' girl she knew of, and also someone with an incredible level of empathy. But she also knew that if there was one person Crystal really and truly hated from the depths of her heart, it was Amos.

    Whether it was because she knew that the boy had tried to get her mother''s life involved in his ''conflict'', or because of their previous ''entanglement'', Emilia had no idea.

    However¡­ there was no need to dig into such things anymore.

    The blonde girl was still trying her best to control her unexpectedly turbulent emotions when she felt a soft and warm embrace wrap around her.

    "I have no choice but to let him to live for now, but when I don''t¡­ I promise, his fate will be in your hands."

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    Staring at the new message from Emilia, Dixie couldn''t help but frown. ''Why would Emily change her mind now¡­?''

    Clearly, her princess had told her that she didn''t care about what would happen to Amos once she confirmed that her final task had beenpleted. Unless Emily''s feelings on the matter had changed, it could only be someone else influencing her decision.

    Sam and Noelle were both in Carmen in now, so it couldn''t be them. Emily''s ever-loyal maid Michelle and the taciturn Cindy-Mindy would never dare cross that line, so it couldn''t be them, either.

    Considering that she was in Carmen as well, even if the dark-haired girl was to think with her toes, she could still tell who must have made Emilia change her mind.

    "Is Crystal stupid or what?!"

    Feeling a little furious, she couldn''t help but pull out the chat app on her phone.

    Knight Lady: Didn''t we agree not to bother her with things that might influence her missions?!

    She was slightly surprised when Crystal started typing not long after she sent out her message. ''I thought she would be busy at this time?''

    Seeing the girl''s single word reply of ''sorry'', however, the knight''s confusion immediately turned into smoke as she red at her screen furiously. "What do you mean ''sorry''?! It was your idea to make sure we are always of help to her, and never let her regret her choices!"

    Maybe it was out of guilt, but Crystal didn''t reply to her next few inquiries at all, and only ''reacted'' with various pleading and sad emotes, which only served to frustrate the knight further.

    And to make matters worse, when she tried to call her, Crystal rejected it!

    ''Can''t we at least talk?! Fuck!''

    At this point, even the usually silent Noelle hade out to negotiate between the ''usually friendly'' girls, though without knowing the full situation, her words were also of limited help.

    Dixie''s fist froze right before she touched the table in front of her, though, and after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, she sighed before adding her reply. "¡­ Forget it. I will consider this your birthday gift, then. You won''t get anything from me this year!"

    Maybe feeling moved, Crystal had just typed her ''thank you'' when everyone except for Sam also added a ''me too''.

    Dixie thought that Emilia''s older sister must be feeling soft-hearted because Crystal called her ''big sis'' so adorably, but unexpectedly, she was the most ruthless of them all!

    Sister #1: Aww, Crystal''s birthday gifts are canceled? I guess that secret extra ultra-premium limited-edition Emilia plushie I had custom made can only be given to Dixie instead?

    Needless to say, the ''extra'' could only mean that she would be keeping the original for herself, but that was only to be expected from someone like Sam.

    And as if to rub salt into Crystal''s wounds, she added. "Don''t worry though, darling, there''s always next year!"

    Looking at the blonde girl''s ''flipping the table'' emote, Dixie couldn''t help but giggle in delight. "Deserved it!"

    Of course, her expression froze immediately after. "N-Not that I have forgiven her already!"

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 Chapter 556: Loyal Goons

    Chapter 556: ''Loyal'' Goons©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Amos naturally remainedpletely oblivious to the ongoing fight for the knife above his head, and fully devoted himself to what he considered to be his only hope for making aeback.

    It wasn''t that he had forgotten or forgiven either his father or those who assisted the man in his suppression, though. Those old ounts had already been written down in his heart, and he would one day carefully settle them one by one.

    First, however, he had to regain his strength. After all, if he just waited for his old subordinates at the ck Tiger to figure something out and get in touch with him, the risk of something going wrong in the meantime was simply too high!

    Instead, it was best for him to take his chances in the current economic and social turmoil of the usually stable Carmen country! With is talent¡­ who knows, maybe there would be no need for his people in the ck Tiger to prove their loyalty, even.

    Looking at how few ''goons'' this supposed ''boss'' had managed to put together, however, the silver-haired boy couldn''t help but frown. "Is that all you have?"

    Although he understood that some nobody from that dog family couldn''t have known real big shots anyway, it was still disappointing to see less than ten people in total!

    The masked man in front of him snorted. "No, but this is all you''re going to get if you don''t have anything substantial to offer in return. We wouldn''t even give you this chance if not for¡ª"

    Gritting his teeth hatefully, Amos interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I get it, I get it! So enough with the yapping."

    If not for the current situation being so bad, he would have definitely smacked this man upside down for even daring to suggest his credibility was lower than that nobody bitch who could only wait around to polish his boots.

    Amos took a deep breath to calm himself down. ''Patience is the key¡­ I can''t rush! These fools think I''m down on my luck, but I have to make use of these idiots anyway.''

    He was naturally well aware that getting away from that stumbling block of a father was only the first and smallest step for making a full recovery of his power and reputation, and the road ahead of him would be extremely arduous.

    But when had he ever shied away from a challenge?

    ''If not for the underhanded tricks of that bitch and that bastard father of mine, how could I ever havended in this situation?''

    Amos knew that dwelling on the past wouldn''t do him any good, though. What he needed to do now was quickly turn things around before that idiotic father of his made another dumb move to ruin things for him.

    Fortunately, he already had the perfect n in mind.

    The silver-haired boy sneered. "Tell me, can you guys grab one of the twins from under the Gray Wolfe''s nose?"

    Even Amos knew it was a tall order for these ''fools'', and as expected, the cloaked man chuckled in amusement. "Do you think it''s so easy? Even if we can somehow manage to get close enough to take them by surprise, would it be possible to get away in one piece?"

    The silver-haired boy wasn''t too disappointed. ''That bitch is lucky as always. If only these spineless goons were morepetent, I could have easily made the Gray Wolfe and White Deer fight against each other to the death!''

    Had that happened, even if he couldn''t seize the opportunity to its fullest extent without proper funding, Amos felt confident in being able to grow in Carmen like a malignant tumor.

    Even if the two idiotic beasts managed to regain their senses somehow, the silver-haired boy was sure that they wouldn''t be able to touch him thanks to his army of goons.

    After all, in Carmen,ws only really existed on paper, and the strong could make their own rules as they pleased.

    Compared to ces like Oriana and Phoenix, this was virtually a paradise for the daring!

    Amos nodded. "Let''s not beat around the bush. Since you im to have strength greater than what you''re showing now, tell me¡­ you can at least get close to them, right?"

    "Of course." Although he agreed, the cloaked man couldn''t help but wonder how this guy''s brain worked. ''If not for her instructions¡­ I wouldn''t even waste my breath talking to this moron. Why is he so sure that we''ll just do whatever he says?''

    Unfortunately, he not only had to pretend to follow this idiot''s orders, but also protect him at the same time!

    Although the princess only needed him to remain ''alive'', it wasn''t so easy remaining close to this guy and keeping an eye on his activities, especially considering his personality issues.

    Most disgustingly, this guy could even be heard cursing at their princess from time to time, making it extremely difficult to resist tearing his throat out!

    Forget about being loyal, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that all of the silver-haired boy''s current subordinates were his ''sworn enemies'' already. Including the girl who snuck him out of the Nightingale n, which made the confidence Amos showed look even more like a joke.

    Naturally, he had no idea that the silver-haired boy felt it was only to be expected for them to want to follow him and try to prove their value.

    After all, wasn''t it a once in a lifetime opportunity for these nobodies to be close assistants to someone like him? Had it not been for his streak of bad luck recently, they wouldn''t even be qualified to polish his boots!

    Moreover, given that he was in the worst possible situation already, the only reason they would want to get along with him must be because they were greedy for his potential.

    There was no way they would risk disappointing him.

    A ruthless glint shed in the silver-haired boy''s eyes. "Since you''re able to get close to them, there is no need to worry about taking them away. Just¡­ kill!"

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 Chapter 557: Mascot

    Chapter 557: Mascot©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    When Emilia first proposed her n to expand White Deer''s operations to the country of Carmen, both Mr. and Mrs. White were understandably against it.

    After all, not to mention the government policies that heavily favored the Gray Wolfe Corporation, but their status in the hearts of the people there was also not to be underestimated.

    Even if they managed to provide a slightly better service or product at a slightly cheaper price, a regr citizen of Carmen would still likely prefer to favor the Gray Wolfe over them.

    But Emilia wasn''t just being hot-headed because she wanted revenge for Noelle, though she couldn''t deny that it influenced her decision.

    What made her confident in being able to sink her teeth into this tough prey was the poison she had administered to the Gray Wolfe in advance.

    Ginny and Jasper may not be very loyal to her, but that was precisely why they had to help her grow in Carmen even more. After all, even if their father''s influence over the Gray Wolfe was in continuous decline, he hadn''t lost the battle quite yet.

    If it were to be somehow revealed at this time that the two of them had been colluding with outsiders, perhaps all their efforts so far would be for naught.

    Moreover, even if they were willing to take that chance¡­ the resulting turmoil in both the Gray Wolfe and Carmen might still be enough for Emilia to fulfill her goals.

    And both Ginny and Jasper knew that if such a thing were to be allowed, perhaps they would be even worse off than they had been when they first formed an alliance with Emilia.

    By cooperating with her, however, they could not only monitor the White Deer''s expansion more closely, but also leave enough room for their own survival in the future if things really went south.

    Of course, Emilia was never one to take chances, and had already started secretly arranging her own trip there.

    With her ability to change forms, unless she deliberately let people know, they would never be able to figure out where she was.

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    The arrival of a rather petite crimson-haired girl in one of White Deer''s many ships to the country of Carmen didn''t attract much attention from the authorities.

    Well, aside from weird stares from the people at the port town. Though that was probably due to her now shoulder-length crimson hair arranged in an intricate regal ringlets hairstyle.

    "Is she a child actor or something?"

    "Yeah, she looks like she came right out of some TV show!"

    "I can''t even imagine how long it takes to get all those curls perfect¡­"

    Even if someone let them know that curling her hair into all those delicate rings only took the ''little girl'' a single thought, they would probably never believe it.

    With the media and entertainment industry in Carmen being quite well-developed, it was much more reasonable for them to think she must be yet another meticulously dressed newbie star, or perhaps even a ''wannabe''.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t me them for thinking of her that way. If anything, she was pleased. That was the impression she wanted everyone to have anyway.

    After all, the ''role'' she was going to y her was that of a ''mascot'' sent by the White Deer to win over the hearts of the people of Carmen.

    With Crystal being assisted by Michelle and protected by Cindy-Mindy, the crimson-haired girl feltpletely assured in handing her the empire''s temporary control.

    Initially, Emilia also intended to let Penny stay in Blue Dawn, but Crystal insisted that she would be fine. The crimson-haired girl wasn''t very worried considering the stable position of Blue Dawn, but she still asked Penny to only move to help her in Carmen two weekster, just as a precaution.

    Naturally, neither Sam nor Noelle coulde to receive her without attracting suspicion, as she was supposed to be just a ''freshly scouted'' girl from Blue Dawn. But Emilia wasn''t too bothered as she happily hopped off¡ª!

    "T-There you are!" Thedy responsible for ''managing'' her gasped for breath as she finally caught up with her. "Emi, you can''t just wander off on your own!"

    Emilia easily dodged her hand as she twirled around with a mischievous grin on her now somewhat chubby, adorably childish face. "Ehhh? Why not?"

    Thedy escorting her felt like she had been struck by thunder. ''Who raised this little rebel?!''

    Heavens only knew how happy she was when she learned that the right-hand girl of the empress herself had given her the task of managing their ''future mascot'' in Carmen. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she would be getting handed the leash of a devil incarnate like Emi.

    Although adorable at first nce, the little tyke had made her fret throughout the journey as she probed and explored every nook and cranny of their ship,pletely ignored her advice of staying away from ''strangers'', and even tried to swim with the dolphins in the middle of the ocean!

    When her feet touched the ground, the poor manager even wondered how she had managed to survive the whole journey without a single heart attack.

    And that is when she discovered that in the brief moment she looked up at the sky in wonder, her charge had once again vanished. Luckily, she managed to catch her in time before the girl really ran off into the town by herself.

    This wasn''t Blue Dawn! Even if this particr port town had a somewhat ''respectable'' crime ratepared to the rest of the Carmen country, it was still one of the worst in the world!

    From what she''d heard, not only were kidnapping and trafficking rampant, but even encountering organ traders wouldn''t be out of the norm.

    Just imagining what could have happened to the troublesome little tyke had she really managed to ''escape'', the poor manager almost popped a vein.

    ''This girl will be the death of me!'' She gritted her teeth angrily. ''How can I ever make her give off a simr impression to our princess? This is clearly a lost cause!''

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 Chapter 558: Baited

    Chapter 558: Baited©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Contrary to her manager''s belief, Emilia wasn''t really trying to make her life any harder. If anything, the crimson-haired girl felt that she was already being very considerate by not running off when she easily could have done so.

    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like her manager appreciated it very much, and Emilia even had the feeling that thedy would have tried to twist her ears off had she not been expressly prohibited from ''punishing'' her by Crystal in advance.

    "If you want to win over people''s hearts in Carmen, you cannot always be so willful!" The manager continued to chide her. "Miss Crystal might have faith in your appearance and ability, but let me tell you, just that is not enough for you to seed!"

    Of course, thedy couldn''t deny that whether it was the cute factor or the general charm she radiated, little Emi was definitely top-tier, but she wasn''t lying when she said that wasn''t enough.

    How many people in the world went down this road, and how many ended up seeding in the end?

    As someone with extensive relevant research under her belt, the manager firmly believed that seeding on this path required not just ability and luck, but also a dedicated and persevering personality!

    Of course, with the sheer amount of resources that White Deer nned to invest,bined with the innate charm that the girl had shown, simply making little Emi seed wouldn''t take much effort on her part. But how could that be enough?

    ''Making little Emi learn self-control is a must! Otherwise, how would she ever be able to do justice to the image of our princess?'' Thedy shook her head furiously. ''I would rather disobey miss Crystal than bring dishonor to my angel!''

    By the time that the poor manager realized that ''little Emi'' had run away while she was still motivating herself, it was already toote.

    "..."

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    Although this port town of Carmen could be considered extremely dangerous for someone like ''little Emi'' in the eyes of most people, she wasn''t really a normal child after all.

    Emilia was confident that even if she had to fight multiple powerhouses of the Nightingale n at the same time, she would still be able to handle them with ease.

    The boost to her strength and abilities after havingpleted two of her missions was already enough for her to walk all over this world without fear.

    Not to mention hindering her, the weakened ''world will'' right now wouldn''t even be able to expel them from its own world if it discovered her true identity.

    If not for the fear of it abandoning everything to run away and hide for an egregious amount of time, the crimson-haired girl wouldn''t even feel the need to bother with the cloaks and daggers.

    Of course, just because their victory appeared seemingly assured, Emilia knew that she couldn''t stop being prudent and cautious.

    Even if the odds of sess were close to a hundred percent, if she cked off and ended up failing anyway, whom else would she have to me but herself?

    "Little girl, it''s gettingte now. Shouldn''t you head back home?"

    "I will, uncle!" Emilia grinned brightly as she thanked the local hawker after he handed her the candied apple, and ''carelessly'' wandered the streets while nibbling on it. ''I guess they should be ready to strike any moment now, right?''

    Obviously, she hadn''t sneaked off on her own in such a ''dangerous ce'' without reason.

    She didn''t want to wait around passively for her manager to build ''proper image and momentum'', instead, Emilia preferred to take things into her own hands.

    Before long, she had ''inadvertently'' wandered into a deserted alley, and as expected, it didn''t take long for those greedy eyes in the dark toe out for her.

    The half-nibbled candied apple fell to the ground with a dull thud, and what could have been a precious treasure for the knights was thus forever lost with no one being the wiser.

    Within moments, ''little Emi'' was knocked out with a drugged cloth to her face, and seeing her body turn ck in her arms, the assant breathed a sigh of relief.

    Although she had her eyes closed while pretending to have fainted, the crimson-haired girl could still easily observe her surroundings using chaos energy.

    Naturally, things like chloroform or sedatives had no effect on Emilia, as they barelysted a moment after getting into her body, and then vanished into the void, just like all the food and water she consumed.

    Even if someone were to use a poison or drug strong enough to influence her in that brief moment, the crimson-haired girl could still easily heal from it using a little bit of energy.

    Of course, there was a limit to her ability, but she highly doubted that anyone in this world would have something powerful enough to truly knock her out.

    ''She''s quite good at giving piggyback rides, though, huh? I guess she must have a lot of experience¡­''

    Emilia had to admit, probably no one would doubt that such an honest-looking workingdy was a kidnapper. And as expected, even when people came across them from time to time, they didn''t even blink an eye, believing thedy to be either her rtive or servant.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed in her heart. ''Who knows how many people have tasted despair in their hands by now?''

    Gangs like these weren''t exclusive to Carmen, and even Blue Dawn used to suffer from this issue before Emilia took over. Of course, that was now a thing of the past. With absolute authority and a firm will, getting rid of these minor annoyances didn''t take Noelle and Crystal long at all.

    ''Unfortunately, I can''t cleanse this whole world of such filth yet¡­'' Emilia sighed. ''¡­ I can only take care of what''s in front of me first.''

    The ''honest-looking'' woman cheered when she finally entered the ''safe zone'' of her gang. "Hell yeah! I''ve got some big haul today!"

    An oblivious foreign beauty like this one wasn''t a product that one could usually ask for, and even if someone were to poke her eyes out, the woman could still see money practically raining from the skies the moment sheid eyes upon this girl.

    This time, she was sure to get a heftymission from the boss, right?

    Rich! She''s going to be rich!

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 Chapter 559: Unexpected Guests?

    Chapter 559: Unexpected Guests?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although she was definitely ecstatic, the woman didn''t dawdle long before she started heading toward the building where Emilia assumed her ''boss'' must be located.

    The few goons serving as the ''security'' soon confirmed her thoughts when they intercepted her kidnapper. Aside from expressing their envy over her luck, they didn''t do much else.

    Once she had permission to go ahead, thedy quickly dashed into the ''office'' of the so-called boss, who appeared to be a rather skinny man with more than half his teeth reced with gold.

    The gang leader quickly abandoned his friends and the game of pool as the furious ''debate'' over her supposed ''valuation'' ensued in full force.

    In fact, the first lowball offer from the gang leader was so low that thedy who brought her in almost couldn''t believe it. "No way, just five hundred? That''s only a little more than the usual!"

    The man shrugged. "I''m giving you more than ever before, so what are youining about?"

    "C''mon boss, be real with me here. How can this big pie from the skypare to those potatoes? I know for sure she can fetch around ten million, so can''t you pass me two or three?"

    The boss scoffed in disdain, making the kidnapperdy''s heart turn cold from disappointment.

    Of course, although his disdain was genuine, the reason for it was not because the woman overestimated the kidnapped girl''s value.

    Instead, the boss found it hrious how she tried so hard to negotiate when she didn''t even have any idea just how valuable the thing she was selling really was.

    If she did, she would never ask for just two million.

    Of course, business was business, and the boss was the type to haggle even with vendors giving out deals at a loss. If he readily epted the woman''s ''deal'', wouldn''t it make her even more arrogant and suspicious in the future?

    If someone spotted treasure in a broken stall while on their way home, the smart thing to do would be to just remain calm and buy it out as nonchntly as possible.

    The boss had long since learned that, in their field, there were two simple tricks to make their lives many times easier.

    First, dazzle the eyes of the clients and make them believe that the deal they were being given was not only the first and only of its kind, but that they were blessed by luck to even have the chance toe across it at all. In fact, it could even be called fate!

    So long as they gave up everything that they had, what they would be receiving in return would definitely be worth much more than whatever paltry amount they''d have to cough up.

    And second, when talking with subordinates, never let them know what the clients want, who they are, and what they would be handing out aspensation.

    Otherwise, maybe the people who finished the job would be far more tempted to directly approach the ''employers'' in the future!

    Such a thing may not hurt them in the short term, but no one dared to underestimate its effects a few more months down the line!

    Besides, the lessmission he had to pay, the more money he made.

    Pretending to be cold, the boss snorted. "If you don''t agree with me, you can always take her to someone else."

    The kidnapperdy hurriedly shook her head in denial. "Nonono, boss, you''ve got it wrong! Although I wanted to get a better rate, I didn''t mean anything else¡ª!"

    She repeatedly assured the so-called boss that she was fullymitted to the gang, and the boss inwardly sneered. ''Heh, this is why you don''t deserve a single cent more!''

    "Did you even think about how much she was actually worth? With that t chest andck of training, she won''t even be able to serve as a good-looking and obedient maid!"

    The boss sneered and continued to point out other ''obvious ws'' in the ''new product'', and the woman who kidnapped her became less and less confident with every word.

    "W-Well y-yeah, she doesn''t look well-behaved or talented, um, but even a monkey can be trained in a few years, right?"

    Unfortunately, her negotiation skills were no match for the ''boss'', and it didn''t take long for her kidnapper to start backing down again and again. In the end, she settled for just ten percent more than the initial offer.

    Despite herself, Emilia couldn''t help but be offended.

    The kidnapperdy hurriedly put her down on the sofa and bowed to the boss when he started unlocking the safe for money, and happily started counting the bills as soon as she got her hands on them. "One, two, three¡ª!"

    Once she had confirmed the amount, the woman seemed to havepletely forgotten about her dreams of earning more, and jumped in delight at her ''jackpot''. "With this, I can finally buy that house over at the capital that mom always wanted! Oh, maybe there will even be enough left over for me to go on a scenic trip to the east!"

    Shepletely failed to notice the faint sneer on the face of the boss as she jumped around, though Emilia could see it clearly.

    The man didn''t make any further moves, however, and only waited for her to calm down before nodding. "If that is all, you can¡ª!"

    A loud bang interrupted his words abruptly, and the two of them turned to the door in surprise, where one of the goons responsible for guarding the building had just barged in, panting.

    "B-Boss! Bad news! Our whole area is being surrounded by people from the Nightingale n!"

    The man''s face turned pale. "W-What?!"

    As if afraid that his boss wouldn''t believe it, the reporting goon nodded furiously. "T-There''s over twenty of them, a-and they all seem to be heading over here!"

    Hearing his confirmation, the boss copsed back on his chair with cold sweat covering his back. ''N-No way, when did I provoke them?!''

    Although the Nightingale n recently had some dispute with the Gray Wolfe, a local rodent like him stood no chance to fight against this poisonous snake at all. The scale at which they operated waspletely different!

    ''I have to get out of here fast, and¡ª!''

    Just when he was thinking about escape, a swift chop to the neck made him ck out before he even realized what had happened.

    Emilia rushed to the door to drag the reporting goon in, then knocked him out and closed it swiftly in one smooth motion before turning to thepletely dumbfounded kidnapperdy with a smile. "Now then, I heard you had some opinions about me?"

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 Chapter 560: Redemption?

    Chapter 560: Redemption?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    The mixture of surprise and disbelief slowly faded away from the woman''s face as she circled around the crimson-haired girl carefully.

    She could tell that the little girl was confident, probably because she had been taught some self-defense, but a child was a child after all.

    They were stupid and easy to deceive, and as someone who had been working in this field for nearly three years already, she knew just the right words to say in order to take the wind out of their sails.

    "Listen, girl, since you can speak ournguage, let me teach you something very important today." Her confidence rose with every word out of her mouth, and thedy slowly continued circling around the girl, eying her like a hunter would its prey. "Even if you somehow manage to get out of this room, there are over three hundredbat-capable, armed men waiting for you out there, and each one of them would be more than d to put a few more holes into your body on my behalf."

    She grinned confidently. "Of course, you can still try to run out of that door if you don''t believe me, but wouldn''t it be a pity to die at such a young age? Trust me, as long as you''re obedient ande with me quietly, I can not only spare you the pain, but also make sure that nothing bad happens to youter."

    Even if the Nightingale n hade knocking on the gang''s door, she felt like it shouldn''t be too hard for her to scare this little girl into obedience and escape out of the back door while they were busy dealing with the rest of the gang.

    After all, the gang leader had already been knocked out due to his carelessness, and most likely no one else would even notice that someone insignificant like her had gone missing.

    Once she got out of here, she would wait for the gang leader to finish appeasing the Nightingale n, and only then return to negotiate her prices once more.

    ''Boss will definitely appreciate me more for her now that he''s suffered at her hands!'' Just thinking about it now, she could already feel the increased rates ofmission and a brighter future beckoning her.

    Moreover, the money he had handed over to her earlier was still there, and she could just take it away now andter say that it had been lost while she escaped to get moreter! With how dishonest some of the other gangsters here were, the boss would have no idea which one of them took it for himself, or if the Nightingale n took it away instead.

    With their difference in status, he would never be able to even question them about it! And as for her¡­ the boss probably couldn''t even imagine that she would have the guts to lie to him.

    "What is the name of your boss?"

    The woman was stunned. "What?"

    The crimson-haired girl pointed her finger at the man who had fainted on the ground again. "What''s his name?"

    "Andrew?" After answering instinctively, the woman quickly shook her head in amusement. "What, don''t tell me you''re so stupid you think you can goin about it to your parents now, right? Listen, juste with me obediently, or else¡­"

    Emilia looked at her as if she was observing the biggest idiot in the world. "Although the way you think is interesting in a stupidly disturbing way, I can tell that you must have managed to deceive quite a few children based on your confidence."

    She smiled, but even with her cutely childish face, it was still cold enough to stun the kidnappingdy. "Unfortunately for you, I don''t believe everyone deserves redemption. Not without first being punished for their crimes, at least."

    Before thedy could realize what had happened, the little girl was already barely an arm''s length away from her, and a horrifying burst of pain exploded in her belly.

    She realized in the back of her mind that she had been kicked, somehow. But with her body flying back like a rubber ball, she couldn''t even breathe, let alone curse.

    Even now, she had no idea that her life was about to end in less than a second if the back of her head impacted the wall. Even if her skull didn''t shatter into a million pieces, she would still reincarnate on the spot.

    Emilia didn''t want her to die so quickly, however, and easily got behind the woman before halting her momentum with another kick to her spine.

    The kidnapper only felt the world blur around her before the pain she felt faded away with a dull crack, and then her mind sank into darkness.

    Herst thoughts before she lost consciousness were filled with regret. ''I should have never picked her up!''

    Emilia knew that she didn''t have much time to waste, so she quickly made her way over to the piled-up ''gang leader'' and goon before moving them along with the woman to a more hidden spot behind the table.

    Once done, she quickly made her way to the pool table and tore off the side rail before making her way over to the unconscious trio.

    With her super strength, there was little difference between metal and a soft rope as long as it wasn''t too brittle.

    She simply tied their necks together, and after another thought, ''gently'' knocked on their throats to rupture their vocal cords just enough so they could never scream, then nodded in satisfaction.

    Taking a step back to observe the gang leader, she sighed. "The idiot''s even uglier on a closer look, but oh well¡­"

    The unexpected arrival of a few people from the Nightingale n wasn''t enough to ruin her ns, but it was still enough to put her in a bad mood.

    Emilia quickly slid out of her blue sundress and undergarments and set them down on the sofa, and then suppressed her disgust before activating her shapeshift skill with a frown.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but shudder. "Don''t tell me you''re going to¡ª!"

    -Ding!

    ¡ªUsed Skill: Shapeshift!

    ¡ªShapeshift is now in cooldown: 7 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds left till it is avable again.

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 Chapter 561: The Unexpectedly Dashing

    Chapter 561: The Unexpectedly ''Dashing''©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Looking at her adorable little viiness quickly turn into the ugly boss, clothes and all, the raven-haired girl deeply regretteding out of her istion.

    Cynthia took it as a sign that she''d seen enough of the outer world today, and her cozy home in Emilia''s soul was calling her for a nice, long nap now.

    "I-I''ll go back and rest, g-good luck with your ns!"

    Had Emilia not been so disgusted herself, she would definitely have put it on her agenda to beat Cynthia upter for her ''offense'', but as it was, she really couldn''t me her partner.

    After all, unlike gangster bosses in certain dramas, Andrew was about as pleasing to the eye as a dirty puddle on the footpath.

    It wasn''t like she needed to copy him perfectly, but since her disguise had to be at least good enough to fool the man''s subordinates, the face and stature could definitely not be missed.

    Fortunately, she''d already stored the ''mascot'' form in one of her ability''s stacks, and as soon as she was ''done'' here, she could get rid of this hideous form.

    "Let''s get this over with, then."

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    The panicking goons outside flocked to the disguised Emilia as if they had caught a life-saving straw the moment she came out of the office, but she simply waved them off impatiently. "Get back, I''ll handle these fuckers!"

    Assuming that the two unconscious men with their butts facing the sky were also Andrew''s goons, Emilia could now tell that the Nightingale n had definitely note here to have a nice, friendly chat.

    Normally, this would be a good thing, considering that this was a den of scumbags. But since they''d crashed Emilia''s party and even forced her to change into such an ugly form, the crimson-haired girl found that her stock of ''understanding'' had unfortunately run out.

    The five men and three women from the Nightingale n clearly didn''t take Andrew seriously, and thedy she assumed must be their ''leader'' stepped forward with a condescending smirk. "Are you the rat king of this sewer? Since you''ve been ''in business'' here for over three years, I''m assuming you know the purpose of our visit¡ª"

    Had the circumstances been different, maybe Emilia would have found her a little cute. After all, with her shoulder-length gray hair and spectacles, the only thing ruining her ''Noelle'' vibe was thedy''s haughty personality.

    Feeling increasingly irate every passing moment, Emilia interrupted the woman with a snort. "Let''s go talk in the office."

    Not to mention the arrogant people from the Nightingale n, even the goons hiding behind ''Andrew'' were stunned.

    Did their boss have bear galldder for breakfast today?

    Thedy from the Nightingale n sneered as she just motioned ''Andrew'' to lead, and the rest of her n mates only looked at each other knowingly before following.

    This wasn''t the first time a ''boss'' like this rushed to a more private area before they lost their dignity in front of their subordinates. After all, if they were to be humiliated in front of those they were supposed to control, would they still have the influence in the future to continue?

    Since they weren''t here to really dismantle the gang, it was ''understood'' that as long as these local rats showed proper attitudes through their actions in due time, this kind of behavior could still be ignored.

    The usually fierce gang members who had previously been scared to the point of almost pissing their pants were shocked to see their boss so easily control the situation, and they couldn''t help but admire him a little more in their hearts.

    "W-Was our boss always so handsome and dashing¡­?"

    "Howe I never realized it before either?!"

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    Emilia really didn''t expect the people from the Nightingale n to interrupt her today. Even when the goon who reported it to Andrew mentioned it, she still hoped it would be someone else.

    Her hopes were dashed the moment she saw them with her own eyes, but the crimson-haired girl soon realized that perhaps it wasn''t so bad, after all.

    Contrary to what that panicked goon reported, the team from the Nightingale n actually only had eight people, which made it much easier for Emilia to ''clean things up'' without too much fuss, and also gave her the chance to turn things further in her favor.

    As soon as all eight people from the Nightingale n had filed into the ''office'', Emilia closed the door with a bang, and turned to them with a grim smile. "Now then, can any of you please enlighten me about why you are here?"

    The leader of the team from the Nightingale n clearly didn''t take the ominous expression on "Andrew''s" face to heart.

    Even if a rabbit in the tiger''s paw could dream of struggling, could it really cause any waves in the end?

    Since the n leader had trusted her to make sure that all the smaller gangs sent out ''tribute'' every month from now, how could she ever disappoint him?

    Hers might be one of the smallest teams being sent out, and this might be a small port town of little significance, but so what?

    Her parents had named her ''Hope'', and she felt like it may not be long before she could prove that decision right.

    As a child of the most remote branch of the family, this was her chance to shine!

    Not only would she make these scumbags cough up a good chunk of whatever they extorted out of people, she would also use the chance to teach them a lesson while at it!

    Unfortunately, before Hope could make ''Andrew'' cough anything up, she realized that somethingrge was flying in her direction at a terrifying speed. "FUCK¡ª!"

    Her instinctive kick sent the poor teammate who had already fainted from the unexpectedly destructive kick from ''Andrew'' frothing at the mouth as his ''flight'' changed direction towards the sofa.

    Emilia didn''t care if the sofa broke, but how could she not be furious when she saw that the clothes she had put aside before were now on the ground?

    "How dare you dirty my dress?!"

    Hope, who was still trying toprehend how a local goon could be strong enough to send one of her n mates flying before any of them realized it, had her brain directly turned into mush as she stared at the pretty little blue sundress on the ground, and imagined it on the ''ugly'' man in front of her.

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 Chapter 562: Done and Dusted

    Chapter 562: Done and Dusted©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Although she was too speechless to voice her thoughts, the gray-haired woman''s expression still pissed Emilia off.

    "Since you keep insisting on ruining my things today, let''s see if I can''t rub your face into the ground and make you call me mommy!"

    Of course, she understood that their expressions were only weird because of her current form, and her words would only make their thoughts turn stranger, but that didn''t help her mood at all!

    Seeing the man they now considered ''dangerous'' step forward so confidently, the remaining seven Nightingale n members couldn''t help but take a step back cautiously, only to be surprised by their own instinctual reaction.

    No, even if the man was stronger than expected, so what?

    It was true that theirrade had fainted in one hit, but Hope''s kick was never something one could take lightly, and it wasn''t surpising for him to be knocked out after she reacted like that.

    The man was fast and unexpectedly strong, but there was no way he could fight off all seven of them alone!

    Realizing how ''cowardly'' they must have appeared when they collectively took a step back, they couldn''t help but be both embarrassed and furious.

    It was all this idiot''s fault for acting so arrogant and making them lose theirposure!

    Although none of them were the ''elites'' of the n, it wouldn''t be a lie to say that none of them expected their mission to this port town to be much of a challenge.

    Not many people had the courage to stand up against the name of the Nightingale n, and fewer still had the strength to really do so. How could someone like that just happen to bump into them in such a remote location?

    And once they were shocked by the unexpected situation, how deplorable was it for that disgusting Andrew to take advantage of their surprise to fool them like this?

    It only took most of them a few seconds to realize this ''truth'', but before they could do anything about it, another one of theirrades had been sent flying by Andrew into the wall.

    Not only did it shatter their previous spections into bits and pieces, but also a part of the wall.

    "¡­"

    Emilia grinned. "It''s great to not have to hold back much since you''re all quite sturdy¡­ presumably."

    With her unfortunate appearance at the moment, Emilia''s happy expression only made Hope and her teammates more depressed. If they still doubted Andrew''s ability after seeing their secondrade''s breathing turn shallow and erratic with just one kick, they really wouldn''t have the face to continue calling themselves members of the Nightingale n!

    ''Andrew'' surprisingly didn''t dodge at all when they immediatelyunched a fierce, coordinated counter attack at their team leader''s signal, but none of them held back any strength because of that.

    Considering his offense so far, even if Andrew identally died, it wouldn''t necessarily be a bad thing.

    Of course, Emilia had no intention of letting them beat her up, and the reason she didn''t dodge was simple.

    Although her opponents outnumbered her, they were simply far, far too slow. Even if she stood still and allowed them all to get within striking distance, Emilia was confident that she would still have enough time to knock them all into next week one by one.

    Being the one with the fastest reaction time and observation ability, Hope watched in horror as all her team members flew off and away from her one by one, with the hideous man''s hands and legs being barely noticeable as a blur.

    Despite herbat skills and reaction time being far superior to that of her teammates, Hope''s ending wasn''t any different as she felt a ruthless kick plunge into her belly in session.

    For a moment, she couldn''t help but doubt if she was stuck in a nightmare.

    A man who could move like this¡­ would even the elders of the n be able to deal with him?!

    How could she meet such an unreasonable monster on her first mission?

    Unlike all her teammates who crashed into the room''s walls and failed to get up again, Hope smashed right through the heavy wooden table at the center of the room.

    Perhaps it was this ''cushioning'' of the impact that allowed her to remain conscious enough to notice a pair of feet not far from where shended, followed by some strangely familiar clothing.

    Before her vision could move further up and her muddled brain couldprehend more, however, Hope''s face was smashed into the floor with a dull snort from her opponent.

    Strangely enough, herst thought wasn''t of how she would take revenge if she managed to survive, but how weirdly soft and small that ugly bastard''s foot was.

    Fortunately, Emilia couldn''t hear the girl''s thoughts, or she would have probably made her ''bite the dust'' all over again.

    "Humph, how lucky of you to have fainted! If you really saw it¡­" Shaking her head, the now naked girl walked back to the now destroyed sofa before dusting off her dress with a sigh. "Big sister picked it for me so happily, and now it''s all dirty¡­ it won''t lose its shine on first wash, right?"

    But although the crimson-haired girl was worried, she could only slip the sundress back on her body before ''reorganizing'' the human mountain.

    "The three of them over here¡­ eight here¡­? Ugh, this one doesn''t look right on the top, his butt is too big, and I don''t want it to look funny when the pictures are taken!"

    Emilia decisively made a new pile with the man now at the very bottom, and tossed Hope at its peak at the end. "There... perfect!"

    Now that the gangster''s office was already destroyed, it actually saved her some trouble, and had these troublemakers not been from the Nightingale n, she might even have thanked them for speeding things up¡­ maybe.

    As it was, though, sparing their lives was the best she could do.

    "How do you know they''re all alive?"

    "Aren''t they? I''m not sure, actually¡­ wait a minute¡­" Emilia paused. "¡­weren''t you supposed to be sleeping?"

    Cynthia would obviously never admit that she was watching her partner''s ''saved'' states to ''cleanse her eyes'' after that horrific picture before, and had immediately noticed when the skill was reactivated, so she quickly came up with a passable excuse.

    "I-I just happened to wake up from my nap now?"

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 Chapter ?563 Broken

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    Cynthia wasn''t sure if Emilia believed her excuse, but since her partner only hummed thoughtfully, no one could stop her from convincing herself that it must be so.

    While the raven-haired girl was still nodding to herself, Emilia had already moved on to turning whatever remained intact in the room upside down to see if she could find something of interest.

    Of course, it was impossible for a low-level scumbag like Andrew to possess anything worthy of her attention, and the crimson-haired girl soon trudged back to the broken sofa in disappointment. "Guess I can only wait for Penny''s helpers to get here now. Hopefully the manager won''t burst a vein by then."

    Cynthia coughed. "W-Well, don''t be so sad. You only wanted to clear up one of the dirty dens in this area to get started with your n, and that''s already done, right? Plus, we did find the record of that politician buying a child ve, which isn''t nothing!"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully as she mulled over her partner''s words before shaking her head. ''It''s just something written down by Andrew, and it''s definitely not enough to prove anything on its own.''

    Even if they managed to get concrete evidence against that politician it wasn''t a fish big enough for its death to make any waves in the ocean, so it couldn''t really be considered that much of a loss.

    Of course, even if she wasn''t too disappointed in the end, Emilia was still happy to receive her partner''s care once in a while. After all, haughty and arrogant Cynthia might be cute, but when she showed her caring side, her partner was even more adorable!

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ''But¡­ thank you forforting me.''

    Cynthia almost choked on her words as she hurried to ''defend her dignity''. "W-Who said I was trying tofort you?!"

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    The goons who had been anxiously waiting for their boss to finish negotiating a deal with the Nightingale n had naturally heard themotion inside during their ''fight'', but none of them dared to go in, or even question what was happening.

    After all, even if their boss was more dashing and fierce today than usual, they weren''t stupid enough to believe that he could be the one beating the people from the Nightingale n by himself.

    If he wasn''t getting taught a lesson and humiliated thoroughly, the noise could only be from him kneeling or banging his head on the ground over-enthusiastically. And they couldn''t really afford to ruin the good deeds of their boss at this time, could they?

    Not to mention, if they were really pulled into the meat grinder together with the boss because they stuck their necks in where they shouldn''t, wouldn''t their intestines turn green with regret?

    After a while, though, one of the more impatient goons couldn''t help butin. "I-It''s been a while since west heard a sound¡­ do you think the boss is okay?"

    His ''coworker'' shushed him angrily. "You can shut up if you don''t have anything good to say! With how thick the skull of our boss is, do you think it''s going to break just by banging on the ground a few times?"

    The other goons also quickly voiced their agreement. "That''s right, our boss may not be very smart, but you cannot go doubting the thickness of his skull!"

    Naturally, none of them were particrly concerned about the safety of their boss, though that wasn''t much of a surprise considering their line of work.

    The only reason they cared at all was because right now Andrew was the only thing standing between themselves and the people from the Nightingale n, and none of them wanted to directly face such a terrifying opponent, after all.

    Small goons like them would be chewed up and spit out by that kind of behemoth in just a moment, and no one would even know what happened. How could they even muster up the thought to resist?

    "T-The noises must have stopped because the actions of our boss moved them, and they must now be negotiating¡­ um, something, r-right?"

    Although the man''s words weren''t very convincing at first, the people who were desperate to believe it naturally found them extremely logical.

    "Right! Just you wait, the boss will definitely get us a good deal!"

    "Thinking about it again, being the Nightingale n''s dogs doesn''t sound so bad, right?"

    The expressions of the rest of the goons also lit up as they thought about it.

    Wouldn''t this mean they would no longer be petty criminals who had to sneak around and remain wary of offending those they shouldn''t, and instead start to swagger fearlessly around the town?!

    Unfortunately, their dreams were shattered along with the front door of the building as another group broke in without warning.

    Although they were powerless in front of people from the Nightingale n, simply looking at the non-gray hair on the heads of the new intruders was enough to fill the goons with righteous fury.

    "FUCK! Do you think this is your grandma''s house?!"

    They''d had enough of getting their pride trampled willy-nilly!

    "Brothers, let''s teach these idiots a lesson!"

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    As the ''poor'' goons soon realized, dreams and realities were often two very different things. The people who dared to rush in had obviouslye prepared, and didn''t even pause when they were told they might soon be facing the Nightingale n.

    Theirck of response was the same as mocking them for ''lying'', as if they weren''t even qualified to be the Nightingale n''s dogs!

    Unfortunately, no matter how unjust they felt the situation was, after being tasered into a twitching mess, most of them could only faint obediently.

    A ''lucky'' few managed to avoid the wires and pull out their knives in time, but much to their despair, the opponents they faced were disgustingly good at dodging their strikes, and a second round of tasers got them before they could even think of a way out.

    The leader of the ''intruders'' didn''t pay the slight burning smell on the ground any heed and quickly rushed into the ''office'', only to be stunned by the scene inside.

    When first informed about the White Deer''s new mascot''s ''kidnapping'', they never imagined they would find her in the middle of a ''sea of corpses'', while the girl herself appearedpletely fine.

    ''W-Well, she looks a little bored, but that''s not the point!''

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 Chapter ?564 The Monster Mascot

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    If all Emilia needed to do was ''subdue'' this gang of less than fifty scumbags, she actually didn''t need much help, and calling in ''reinforcements'' would be more of a hassle than anything.

    After all, aside from a slight risk of a few of them escaping her notice, to her they were no different from powerless bugs that she could easily crush in her palms whenever she felt like it.

    Of course, that would be the same as removing the symptom while ignoring the disease, and it wasn''t really Emilia''s style.

    What she was looking for was not the first step in the right direction, but a breakthrough that could usher in a fundamental change!

    And to do that as ''Emi'', she first needed to make the girl unique and unforgettable in the eyes of the public.

    Obliterating a gang of human traffickers on her first day in the country may not convince many people of her innocence and cuteness, but it was precisely what would make them look at her as not just another doll on the screen!

    Confident as she was in her charm, Emilia knew the limitations of every face she created better than anyone else. And while this one may be able to bewitch a select few, it was still far from the level of creating fanatics with just a single look.

    To make changes in Carmen without being involved as ''Emilia'', she could only be ''sacrifice'' these scumbags. Since it was for a good cause, she hoped they wouldn''t mind.

    If they did¡­ well, she didn''t particrly care.

    All that being said, Emilia still knew the meaning of ''moderation'', and had carefully removed anything that would stand out too much before her ''rescuers'' entered the scene, such as the metal ''rope'' she used to tie the three goons.

    As for where and how it was disposed¡­ the princess wasn''t taking anyments.

    The policedy who had barged in finally seemed to snap back to her senses at that moment. "W-What happened here¡­?"

    Emilia knew the time hade to put on her show, and she proudly flicked her hair back with a smile. "These fools dared toy their hands on me, and even admitted that they do bad things to lots of people all the time, so I had no choice but to teach them a little lesson."

    Suddenly, as if realizing something, the ''little girl'' blinked. "¡­ I''m not in trouble, am I?"

    "Uh, no no, not at all¡­ j-just, give me a moment¡­" The police chief pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. ''No matter how nonsensical it seems, it looks like this girl really was the one who beat them all up?!''

    Of course, while the officer was staring at her without blinking, Emilia was also observing the older girl with keen interest.

    Dressed in a uniform with a shiny badge pinned to her chest, the crimson-haired girl didn''t need to be a genius to figure out the identity of this woman. It was clear from the moment she had burst in through that door.

    The woman continued staring at her intently, to a point where almost anyone would start considering it extremely rude, though it seemed like even she wasn''t aware of it.

    Generous as she was, though, the crimson-haired girl naturally didn''t mind her staring, and even smiled. ''She has to be that chief of police that Penny was talking about, right? She looks younger than I expected¡­''

    In the end, the policedy sighed. ''She doesn''t look like she''s been through anything traumatic at all? But¡­''

    Having served as the chief of police here for over two years already, and many more in less prominent roles, thedy was intimately aware of the strength of these goons.

    They may not be particrly skilled inbat, but if there was one thing they had in plenty, it was ruthlessness.

    If someone told her they were kind and considerate of others when they weren''t forced to be, she would be the first tough herself to death.

    Quick as they were to run away when encountering real trouble, they were equally as decisive when it came to crushing those that they could.

    She didn''t believe for a moment that they must have been beaten up because they were ''holding back'' against a young girl.

    However, that could only mean that despite her appearance, this girl at least had the skill and strength necessary to subdue¡ª!

    "W-Wait¡­ those are¡ª?!"

    Emilia realized that the woman had only now shifted her eyes away from the center, and finally noticed the mountain of ''trash'' in the corner. "Ohh, those people? I thought they were good guys at first since they were fighting with the baddies when I woke up, but then they started saying some really mean things!"

    The police chief felt like her head was going to explode as she reeled back in horror. ''Wait, forget about beating up three gangsters, this little monster actually demolished a whole squad from the Nightingale n?!''

    No matter how hard she stared, the girl looked quite normal, with no extra limbs or weaponized body parts. In fact, she even looked very cute, though nowhere near the level of her princess. ''Wait, even if she looks cute, what kind of a monster have they sent as their mascot?!''

    Even if she ranked the first in Blue Dawn in terms of cuteness, there had to be someone less lethal than this girl that they could have sent over, right?

    If she were to honestly report everything to her superiors¡ª!

    No, at this point, it was not a question of ''if''. It was impossible to silence everyone herepletely without blowing the matter up, which would make trying hide anything pointless anyway. Just the existence of the Nightingale n members here ensured that.

    But once the higher-ups were to learn about this ''tactical weapon'' sent their way¡­ the police chief didn''t believe their reaction would be anything to look forward to.

    ''No, there has to be something I''m missing, definitely!''

    She was so desperate to convince herself that it only took her a few moments to ''realize'' something. ''R-Right! The goons and the n members must have fought over some dispute, I-I heard they were going around asking for ''interest'', right? That must be it!''

    If the little mascot swooped in while everything was almost over, and she was the most naturally talented fighter in the world, this type of oue could still be justified!

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 Chapter ?565 Adorably Infuriating

    ?565 Adorably Infuriating

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    Watching the expressions of the police chief alternate between disbelief and understanding, Emilia couldn''t help but hum thoughtfully. ''Should I help her justify it, or will she be able to do it on her own?''

    Just as the crimson-haired girl was wondering so, however, the chief of police already seemed to havee to a decision as she nodded. "You did a good job, uh, Emi."

    With the speed at which thedy justified a teenager being able to decimate a whole squad of trained fighters, Emilia had to admit that the chief of police was quite an aplished mental gymnast.

    She grinned. "Thank you! Emi was worried about being scolded Emi doesn''t need to worry that she did something bad anymore now that aunty has said so!"

    ''A-Aunty?! I- I''m only thirty-five!'' The police chief was too stunned by the unexpected ''attack'' to even notice how the girl changed the way she talked deliberately.

    She wasn''t even married yet! How could she be considered old enough to be called anyone''s aunty?!

    Fortunately, a knock on the door by her colleague distracted her just in time.

    "C-Come in!"

    The male officer who walked in breathed a sigh of relief after taking a quick look around.

    Given that they were all male and the situation inside could be quite sensitive for the young girl who had been taken, they understood why the chief of police didn''t want them to follow her in.

    That being said, how could they really rest assured that nothing strange was going on without confirming it themselves?

    If she was taken away and forced to pass on that message, wouldn''t they be foolishly waiting for her to be ughtered along with the victim while being right next to them?

    Even if the police chief had alreadymunicated that the situation was under control after breaking into the office, and didn''t request for any reinforcements, most of them had simr worries, and the arrival of Emi''s manager gave them just the right opportunity to put their thoughts into action.

    Speaking of the manager, the moment she walked into the office, the woman immediately locked her sights on her target, and made a championship-worthy dash towards the girl.

    "They didn''t touch you, did they? Tell me where it hurts and I''ll patch it up! Then we can go to the hospital and¡ª"

    Emilia was only momentarily dumbfounded as she was ''patted down'' by the worried manager before she shook her head in amusement. "I didn''t get hurt at all, but¡­ were you worried about Emi?"

    Her words seemed to immediately turn the worried manager furious. "I told you not to run around! Even if you managed to escape this time, are you not even scared about what could have happened?!"

    Although she didn''t admit it, the manager couldn''t help but curse in her heart. ''Emi you little brat, how could you be so smug after nearly scaring this granny to death?!''

    If not for Crystal''s orders, she would have definitely made this brat''s butt swell in regret!

    Emi, however, seemedpletely unrepentant, and lifted her chin up proudly. "Humph, how could those baddies hurt me, the heroine of justice?!"

    The manager choked. "You''re a mascot, not a heroine! And who gave you that stupid title?! I already decided it would be the Red Rabbit!"

    "What?! But that''s so childish!"

    After being pushed repeatedly, the manager finally couldn''t help but reach out to pinch the girl''s chubby cheeks as hard as she could in fury. "If I don''t teach you a lesson today¡ª!"

    Her ''punishment'', however, was interrupted by an awkward cough from the chief of police. "If it''s alright, please refrain from causing further distress to the baby."

    To be honest, the police chief hadn''t gotten over Emi calling her an aunty, but if she really held a grudge against an already traumatized little girl, wouldn''t she bring shame to all the admirers of her just and kind princess?

    Besides, no matter how satisfying it was to watch the soft cheeks of the adorable little brat being kneaded like that, she couldn''t just stand by and let this ''domestic violence'' take ce right in front of her eyes, could she?

    Having almost forgotten that they weren''t alone after being too relieved that her poor mascot hadn''t been dismembered, the manager was momentarily stunned, but that wasn''t so for the younger girl.

    "Emi is not a baby!"

    Despite her apparent dissatisfaction, however, the crimson-haired girl still rushed to hide behind the police chief to escape the ''evil clutches'' of the woman squeezing her cheeks.

    The poor manager almost had a stroke from sheer anger when her mascot decided to hide behind a stranger, from her! How could this little brat be so infuriating?!

    Of course, if there was anyone angrier than Emilia''s manager, it had to be the woman who had first kidnapped Emilia, who had just woken up from her ''unexpected nap''.

    ''I really can''t feel my lower body anymore!'' She breathed in sharply in despair.

    That crack she felt in her body before the world went dark really turned out to be what she hoped it wasn''t, no matter how she wanted to deny it. She was quite familiar with the sound, after all, having watched many disobedient dolls getting certain features disabled in the past.

    It was all part of her job, she thought. But when it happened to her, instead, the woman finally realized how horrifying it was to suddenly lose control over half of her body.

    Seeing the little monster who did all that pretending and hiding behind some policedy like a weak littlemb, she couldn''t even be bothered to care about herself anymore as she screamed. "Don''t let that little monster fool you!"

    Although she knew that the chances of anyone believing her was low, the woman stillughed in despair. "We might not be good people, but she''s definitely not even human! She''s a threat to humanity, no, the whole world!"

    The more she spoke, the more her voice became filled with conviction. "Trust me, if you let her fool you now, you will regret it! Kill her while you can!"

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 Chapter ?566 Credibility

    ?566 Credibility

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    Furious as she was at her charge, Emilia''s ''manager'' had only been able to force herself to calm down and contain her anger to the best of her ability. But when someone took the initiative to present their face for a good smacking so she could vent her anger, who was she to refuse?

    Under the stunned gaze of both the chief of police and Emilia, thedy stomped over to the delirious kidnapper like a woman on a mission before smacking her right across the face with all her strength. "Stupid bitc¡ª!"

    Recalling that Emi was still there, the manager quickly changed her words with a cough. "¡ªB-Bench! Y-You stupid bench! Uh, Wench!"

    ''I-It''s okay, little Emi is stupid enough to run around and get kidnapped, so she definitely must not be able to tell how embarrassed I am right now. That''s right!'' The manager quickly convinced herself so, and then continued reprimanding the female kidnapper while trying her best to appear calm and confident. "I-I have seen many scumbags in my life, but you really are a notch above them all, aren''t you? Not only did you try to ruin my poor girl''s life by taking her away, you still want to traumatize her with these moronic usations that only a child would believe?!"

    Fortunately, Emilia was quite good at self-control, and only giggled uncontrobly behind the thoroughly confused police chief, just silent enough for the sound to not reach the manager.

    As for the kidnapperdy¡­

    The woman''s usations and thoughts both came to an abrupt halt as her head snapped to the side in shock, and she finally had a horrific realization. ''That''s right¡­ even if I keep repeating the truth to everyone¡­ no one will believe me.''

    This was not only because her words were hard to believe, but also because she simply had no credibility.

    Maybe even if she were to tell these people something they already knew, they would still check it twice to make sure they hadn''t been misinformed before!

    Themotion also woke the fainted gang leader, Andrew, but the man only looked around in confusion, still not able toprehend what happened.

    One of his men came to report that a team from the Nightingale n was here, and then¡­? What happened to his office, why was he in this position, and who the hell were all these people?!

    Looking at the confused and despairing expressions on the faces of the gangsters, the manager finally felt a little cathartic after a long time. It felt like this was the first time she really felt ''de-stressed'' ever since she met little Emi, and she couldn''t help but be a little angry at the thought.

    Who said she couldn''t control Emi? Look, she will definitely establish her majesty in front of that stupid little brat today!

    "S-Stop, stop hitting me!"

    "Eeek!"

    "Ow?!"

    Although the kicks and smacks from the manager weren''t very powerful, both Andrew and the kidnapperdy soon realized that there was such a thing as ''quantity makes up for quality'', and after receiving dozens of heels to the guts, they couldn''t help but start to cry bitterly.

    "I didn''t do this because I wanted to! I-I really didn''t have any other way to survive, you must believe me, really!"

    "I-I will tell you whatever you want to know, j-just stop hitting me already!"

    To make matters worse, the chief of police also didn''t seem very motivated to stop the ongoing crime at this time, and only lightly ''chided'' the furious manager.

    "I understand that you must be furious, but please rest assured that we will do everything under thew to make sure these scumbags are brought to justice. No need to take thew into your own hands!"

    When her lieutenant looked at her to ask if the woman should be stopped, however, the police chief quickly shook her head with a smile. "Check on the other unconscious people first, then secure all the gangsters before taking them back."

    Admiring how clever her move was, the police chief couldn''t help but grin. ''Heh, you can''t me me for not being able to stop the beating, I''m too busy making sure that the victim is safe first.''

    Her team quickly snapped a few photos of the scene before checking on the condition of the pile of bodies in the corner carefully.

    To be honest, none of them really believed that the little crimson-haired girl was the one who beat them up. After all, no matter how well-trained a child was, taking on an entire squad of Nightingale n fighters was out of the question even for the bestbatants of their special forces.

    Most likely, people from the White Deer hade to help to make sure she was rescued in time, and then told her to keep things secret so things don''t get blown out of proportion.

    Anyone could figure out such a simple thing if they thought about it calmly for even a second, and naturally, their chief didn''t want to embarrass the poor little girl further without reason. After all, she must have had a bad enough day as it was, and if pushed further, who knew how long her tough front would hold?

    To think she had to go through such an act after being kidnapped, traumatized, and rescued, they could only wonder what a whirlwind of emotions the poor girl must have gone through.

    Just being able to put up such a convincing and brave facade so far, however, made them admire her a little.

    This acting talent¡­ no wonder she was selected as the main mascot of the White Deer in their country!

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    In the end, the manager''s physical strength didn''t hold up to her spirit of righteous indignation, and she gave up beating the kidnappers to death in favor of ''educating'' little Emi.

    Even if she couldn''t beat the little brat''s ass, she could still make the girl''s ears swell from her scoldings, couldn''t she?

    Meanwhile, the team from the Nightingale n was also taken away by paramedics for an examination since they refused to wake up despite their breathing being normal, though the police didn''t really expect much to go wrong.

    After all, even most children from the Nightingale n could survive falling head-first from a two-story building, if rumors were to be believed. And even if that was an exaggeration, surviving a beat down should still be a given.

    As for the gangsters, although they begged and pleaded for their case while being loaded up in the police vans, their cries failed to arouse any sympathy.

    No one in this port town was oblivious to how many lives these people had ruined, and it was unlikely that this setback would stop them for long, so how could anyone feel sorry for these scumbags?

    It was truly regretful that the people who came to help ''little Emi'' seemed to have some reservations about how ruthless they could act in a foreignnd, and thus didn''t clean this filth up permanently.

    Of course, if they knew what Emilia had in store for them, the policemen wouldn''t feel any regret at all, but only horror.

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 Chapter ?567 Strings Attached

    ?567 Strings Attached

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    In contrast to what most people would expect, Carmen''s administrative systems were actually quite efficient in doing what they were actually designed for, and it only took around an hour from the initial report by the police chief of the port town for the higher-ups to be fully aware of the situation.

    An emergency video conference was called almost immediately, and everyone ''invited'' could only join in a panic.

    "What happened?!"

    "Did the Gray Wolfe go ballistic somewhere again?"

    "There infighting is really getting out of hand these days, isn''t it?"

    It was no secret that emergency meetings like these were only called when something really big happened, and there were only a few forces in Carmen who could cause disturbances like that. WIth the recent internal turmoil of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, their assumptions were actually quite reasonable.

    Of course, they were also subconsciously trying to deny the possibility that the meeting could have been called because one of them really, really fucked something up.

    Much to everyone''s relief, however, themissioner started pping a printed-out report of the recent shutdown of the human traffickers in one of their port towns angrily. "Cress! On whose orders did you make this nonsensical move today? Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused me? Who gave you the authorization to bust this gang down?!"

    Cress was naturally short for Cressida, the chief of police in the small port Emilia arrived in as ''Emi''. Despite her seemingly glorious title, though, it was only really her own port town in which she enjoyed supreme authority, and she remained well aware that themissioner could easily dismiss her for any reason without notice whenever he felt like it.

    After all, since he mentioned she got him in trouble, it definitely meant there was someone even higher up the chain who got annoyed by her actions.

    Even if she could make a valid case against her dismissal, the average time it took for the judiciary in the country of Carmen to provide such resolutions was close to twenty years, which would be more than enough for her to bepletely ruined under the influence of someone with that level of power in Carmen.

    Normally, she would be about as terrified as her clenched fists on the camera would suggest, but in reality, Cress was actually shockingly calm on the inside. ''Luckily, miss Penny has already made a way out for me if things go south, though I wouldn''t mind taking a few more risks for the princess! I hope this screen recording will be worth it.''

    After getting the general gist of the situation from themissioner''s scolding, the others in the meeting didn''t miss the chance to step on her while she was down, either. After all, now that they knew they wouldn''t being under themissioner''s fire, wasn''t this as good a chance as any to earn a few more points in their favor?

    "It has been well-established that only by keeping a close eye on known criminal masterminds can we best create countermeasures and ensure the safety of our citizens."

    "Do you not know that getting rid of criminals we know won''t reduce crime, but only create an unknown void that is much more dangerous?!"

    Of course, officially their argument was that it was better to just know which thieves operated in which area than to arrest them all. This way, they could still track those offenders down if something truly valuable was lost and needed to be recovered, instead of fumbling about in the dark when some unknown new thief got to it instead.

    It may not be very convincing to some, but as long as it was good enough to fool the gullible general public, who cared?

    Even her direct superior was quick to chide her. "I never took you for someone who would let the power get to their head, but I guess I was wrong."

    Cress scolded him in her head for being a sellout who only wanted to earn easy brownie points with themissioner, but fortunately, she managed to retain an apologetic expression despite the thousands of curses almost bouncing off of her tightly sealed lips.

    It was for her princess, after all.

    Of course, everyone only mistook her determination for cowardice, though no one mocked her for it. Knowing just how helpless she was to resist the powers from the top, there was also a certain level of sympathy they had for the woman.

    After all, they would also be in the same situation if they made a stupid decision in the future.

    No matter how depressed she was, they knew that she could only mask her frustrations behind a professional smile and nod along apologetically unless she wanted to be unemployed and homeless before she could blink.

    "I''m truly sorry. I just saw the picture of the little girl who was lost and let my emotions get the best of me. This will definitely never happen again, I promise!"

    These higher-ups may pretend to be decent and reasonable people in front of the public, but everyone here knew very well just how petty and small-minded they really were. If she really ''offended'' them somehow, they would definitely make sure she all her savings would forever remain ''sealed for investigation'' while she starved to death on the streets!

    Themissioner snorted. "It''s good that you realize your mistakes. I will talk to the higher-ups for you, but be prepared for the punishment."

    "Y-Yes!"

    Fortunately, her humble words seemed to have appeased the man to an extent, and everyone breathed a secret sigh of relief.

    Though whether it affected whatever punishment he had in mind for her remained unknown, wasn''t it a good thing to always have someone right in front of them in the line to the guillotine?

    Now that the higher-ups were displeased with Cress, having her around made sure that their dissatisfaction would only be vented on her. But if she was gone so soon, wasn''t it very likely for one of them to be the next target for their frustrations instead?

    While they were still nodding in self-satisfaction, however, none of them realized just how much of a disaster their words were going to bring.

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 Chapter ?568 Mother-Daughter Relationship?! [Thank you Peripharos for the gift! <3]

    ?568 Mother-Daughter Rtionship?! [Thank you Peripharos for the gift! <3]

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    Meanwhile, Emilia and her ''manager'' finally arrived at the freshly acquired hotel about twenty miles away from the port town, and after dragging the ''little girl'' to her assigned room, the older woman could only reluctantly stop trying to hammer the importance of staying within the sights of ''adults'' all the time into her mascot''s astonishingly thick skull.

    ''Speaking of which¡­'' The manager stared at the shorter girl intently for a while, and finally couldn''t help but rap her knuckles against little Emi''s head to check her theory.

    Surprisingly enough, there was no ''you have just hit an empty metal pot'' nking sound, but the fact that her knuckles hurt so much could only mean that she was right about little Emi''s skull thickness, right?!

    Had Emilia not already beenpletely confused by her manager''s unreasonable series of actions, she would have definitely been dumbfounded upon understanding the woman''s thoughts.

    Wouldn''t it be more of a problem if her skull was soft, instead? What was wrong with this woman?

    The manager snorted at little Emi''s ''dumb'' look. "Okay, you can go in and rest now. I''m sure you need it after running around tirelessly the whole day."

    Even Emilia could hear theint in the woman''s voice, and she could only rub her nose in embarrassment. "I didn''t mean to trouble you¡­"

    Naturally, the crimson-haired girl could no longer say ''you could have just left me alone and it would have been fine'' now that she had been kidnapped, even though it was part of her n.

    If she really did that, maybe the manager would finally snap and spank her regardless of whether she would be fired the next day or not.

    ''Although this princess can easily ensure such a minor setback, I can''t let my subject be needlessly wronged, after all.'' Emilia nodded to herself.

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes at her partner''s flimsy justification for preserving her dignity, but there was no way she could say that out loud. If Emilia really changed her mind, wouldn''t that just be shooting herself in the foot?

    At least those other little monkeys who touched her partner had the right attitude of worship!

    As if to affirm Cynthia''s thoughts, the manager humphed. "Forget it, as long as you can reflect on your mistakes even a little, maybe it was a lesson worth learning. Anyway, be ready to work hard from tomorrow. Don''t think I will be as kind while working as I''ve been so far!"

    Emilia obviously had no intention to make things worse by pointing out how the olderdy hadn''t been nice to her at all, and only nodded obediently. "Okay!"

    The manager finally seemed a little appeased by her ''change of attitude'', and nodded with a faint smile. "Goodnight, then. And make sure not to open the door for anyone, including me. Those who should be able to get in already have the codes, after all."

    "I understand! Good night!"

    The manager nodded in satisfaction.

    Of course, no one would be bothering the little girl while she was sleeping, but she simply wanted Emi to develop certain habits early.

    Honestly, if it were to be left up to her, she would definitely never allow little Emi to stay in the presidential suite of the hotel at this point in her career. In fact, the little tyke shouldn''t even have her own room!

    After all, her head was already bloated enough as it was, wouldn''t inting it further just cause it to explode?

    It would be much more conducive to little Emi''s ''growth'' to instead stay in the same room as her, where she could closely monitor and scold her on a regr basis to round out her rough edges over time.

    Unfortunately, the orders from above were quite clear, and even if little Emi was clearly being favored by them to an almost unreasonable degree, the manager could only hold her silence.

    Even when she made today''s report to Crystal, ready to be scolded, the usually stern blonde''s response was shockingly doting, as if ''helpless'' in front of her naughty yet adorable daughter. "Don''t worry about it too much, Penny will be there to assist you from tomorrow, and you only need to look over her schedule for the next few weeks."

    Emi might be a brat, but at that point, the manager realized that she simply didn''t have the guts to badmouth the girl in front of Crystal.

    She wasn''t that familiar with their rtionship, but based on Crystal''s tone, she had the feeling that the annoying little tyke Emi probably also considered the blonde girl her mother, regardless of the rtively small difference in their age.

    Considering how mature and intelligent Crystal was, and how dumb little Emi seemed, the manager thought it made some sense.

    Even if the physical difference was only a couple of years, the mental difference between the two had to be at least a few decades, right? If she thought about it this way, it wasn''t so weird for them to develop a mother-daughter rtionship, after all.

    Once her thoughts reached this point, the manager felt a whole new world open up in front of her. Neither Crystal''s overly doting attitude nor little Emi''s smug behavior seemed so unbearable anymore, and she could finally face forward with the heart of a monk.

    Losing the respect of the one she relied on the most wouldn''t just break the little girl''s arrogance, but might also end up ruining her spirit, which was far from a desirable result.

    As a freshly enlightened monk of a manager, wasn''t it her duty to usher in a new methodology to nurture this rebel of a mascot?

    ''To usher in change, one must first make sure that the ''dough'' remains malleable.'' The manager nodded to herself sagely.

    Besides, she would take a smug and proud little mascot over a depressed and unmotivated one any day of the week.

    While in front of the camera or on stage, the most important thing an idol or mascot must possess was the ability to spark an emotional response from the people who saw her, after all.

    Not to mention, even if her spirit wasn''t broken when something like that happened, Emi definitely wouldn''t be very pleased if she found out her good girl image in front of her had been ruined by someone, and just thinking about being her target made the manager shudder in horror.

    If she was being driven up the wall when the girl wasn''t even trying, what would it be like when the little brat was actually seeking revenge? She would definitely be annoyed to death!

    ''Why is she just standing there after saying goodnight? Shouldn''t she leave?'' Emilia wondered while watching the manager''s expression twist and turn every few seconds in confusion.

    In the end, the crimson-haired girl decided that the manager probably wanted to make sure that she was safely inside her room before leaving, so she ''wisely'' mmed the door shut on the woman''s face.

    Nodding in satisfaction at a job well done, Emilia swiftly made her way to the bed before taking off her backpack.

    There wasn''t much inside, aside from a phone, a tablet, and a few ''souvenirs'' from her loved ones, and the crimson-haired girl carefully set everything aside before picking up the tablet.

    It only took Emilia a few moments to make a secure connection to the White Deer Corporation''s private servers, and she smiled when she saw Noelle''s face pop up on the screen.

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 Chapter ?569 Change of Pace

    ?569 Change of Pace

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    "Hi, baby! Did you miss me?!"

    To her credit, the gray-haired girl was only slightly taken aback by the childish face on the other side of the screen before she shook her head in amusement.

    Fortunately, no one else could snoop in on their conversation, or they would definitelybel her as a pervert who liked to be called baby by girls much younger than herself.

    Just knowing that ''the thought didn''t bother her as much as it should'' bothered Noelle quite a bit, and she couldn''t help but shake her head in exasperation. "Could you not have changed into your normal appearance before talking to us, at least?"

    The crimson-haired girl stuck out her tongue cheekily. "It''s safer this way, just in case I forget to change back early in the morning. Wouldn''t the manager faint from the copse of her faith if she saw me in ce of little Emi?"

    Noelle snorted. "Maybe it would be good to tone down the unhealthy obsessions of certain people."

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "It''s not unhealthy! Besides, you didn''t answer my first question. Didn''t you miss me? If you did, quickly find an excuse to get little Emi by your side without attracting any suspicion!" She paused. "¡­ or should I just sneak over?"

    Noelle snorted. "Stop making trouble! Do you want your own ns to fail because of a moment''s impulse? Besides, with how overworked I''ve been recently, do you think I had the time to think about much else?"

    Telling Emilia the truth would only cause the younger girl to tease her endlessly, and since they couldn''t meet right now anyway, it was far from a desirable oue as far as Noelle was concerned.

    Sadly for the gray-haired girl, a certain ''traitor'' by her side was more than happy to expose her true thoughts.

    "Don''t listen to her nonsense, baby! The number of times she''s spaced out over the past few days while thinking about you has got to be in the dozens, no, thousands!"

    Noelle angrily pushed Sam off her shoulder before she could get toofortable, though fortunately she still retained enough sense to not use too much strength. "Why aren''t you working? And stop blowing things out of proportion!"

    Having been with Sam for so long, Noelle couldn''t help but believe that she could handle even a hundred disobedient and unruly children on her own.

    And as Noelle expected, the taller girl quickly started making excuses the moment she realized she had been caught. "I-I''ve finished it already, and you didn''t deny it!"

    Thinking about how both the girl''s parents and her little boss had given her the right to make all sorts of executive decisions for the White Deer, Noelle couldn''t help but snort coldly. "¡­ I see you''re particrly free and leisurely. Don''t worry, though, I''ll see to it soon."

    Had it not been for this girl cking off so frequently, would she need to work herself so hard every day? Of course not!

    Sam took a deep breath in apparent despair. "B-Bullying! This is bullying!"

    Emilia giggled. "You shouldn''t tease Noelle so much if you don''t want to be punished, big sis."

    Samantha sighed. "But where''s the fun in that?"

    Seeing Noelle''s expression get darker, she coughed. "A-Anyway, forget about that. I heard you wanted us to speed up our ns a bit?"

    Emilia nodded. "Carmen is like a quicksand pit, after all. But if we can''t stay still or make steady progress¡­ why not just blow it up?"

    Of course, both Noelle and Sam understood that what Emilia meant by ''blowing it up'' wasn''t an actual explosion, but the effects of their actions on both the people and the country.

    After all, the less stable things were, the easier it would be for them to bring about change.

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    When the initial report of the incident involving the apparent little mascot of the White Deer Corporation and the subsequent arrests was made to the higher-ups in Carmen, their reaction actually wasn''t that intense.

    After all, while it was annoying that one of their pawns had forgotten the proper way of handling things in their country, it wasn''t like it caused much damage.

    Besides, it wasn''t as if her actions made much of a difference to the overall situation. After all, the damage had already been done when the White Deer Corporation sent people to recklessly beat up everyone in the gangsters'' stronghold to rescue their mascot.

    It was probably just an unfortunate coincidence that the Nightingale n''s people happened to be there as well, and the two had a conflict. Even if acknowledging this fact made them unhappy, they were still willing to look past it for the overall situation.

    Thinking about it this way, aside from the bad influence that the arrest itself might have, the chief of police was actually quite helpless this time.

    With one of their own kidnapped, the White Deer Corporation''s movements were both expected and rming. After all, these foreigners were clearly just unting the fact that they didn''t put the culture andws in their eyes, and that everyone had no choice but to bear with it!

    But as long as that woman heeded their advice and didn''t continue with such foolish actions, maybe they could even twist the story to appease and please people as needed. Of course, they would have to be careful not to mishandle things or overinte their egos, but that was something they were already experts at.

    Compared to trying to y the mediator in the conflict between the old and new generations of Gray Wolfe, this could only be considered a small bump on their way, and nothing more.

    Although there were certain members of the Nightingale n also involved in the matter, as long as the Gray Wolfe wasn''t involved as well, there was no need to be too worried.

    With the phyisque of the Nightingale n''s people, whatever damage the White Deer''s men could have caused them while rescuing their little mascot could only be considered superficial at best.

    Or so they thought.

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 Chapter ?570 Revelation

    570 Revtion

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    When the people of Carmen first heard about the White Deer Corporation spreading its wings over their country, their expectations were actually quite low.

    It wasn''t that they looked down on the White Deer, though. With Emilia''s current level of poprity in Carmen, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that at least one in every ten in a random crowd here would turn out to be one of her fans.

    And even if the corporation was technically being led by her older sister, after publicly announcing her support for their move, the crimson-haired beauty was now undoubtedly inseparable from it.

    What made them pessimistic, however, was the fact that they''d already been through simr motions before, and every single time, their enthusiasm only led to boundless disappointment.

    Whenever some newpany tried to make a ssh against the Gray Wolfe in Carmen, the lucrative schemes and offers they came up with and heavily advertised would either end up beingckluster after all the taxes and duties, or fail before they even got to the consumers.

    This was usually followed by a series of controversies that led to either theplete downfall of whoever dared to invade into the Gray Wolfe''s territory, or the ''intruder'' would end up fleeing the country while paying a heavy price for their mistakes.

    After being ''fooled'' like this dozens of times, the people of Carmen had long since grown numb to the new ''market changers'', and resigned themselves to epting whatever terms and conditions the government and the Gray Wolfe ended up agreeing on.

    Perhaps the only ones still cheering for the White Deer''s arrival were Emilia''s die-hard fans, but their motives could hardly be considered pure or representative of the general public.

    Much to the public''s shock, however, White Deer''s first ''controversy'' arrived even before their first line of products was officially announced.

    ''White Deer''s new ''brand ambassador'', Emi, reveals how she was kidnapped and rescued on her first day in Carmen!''

    Such headlines could be seen flying all around both on screen and on printed media, though thementary that followed it was generally either sarcastic or negative.

    "Quite an ingenious move to gather the public''s sympathy, wouldn''t you say so?"

    "That may be the case, but isn''t it too ruthless? From her expression in the video, I don''t think the poor girl knew about it beforehand. Considering the only one who would stand to gain anything from such a thing¡­ well, I don''t need to say more, do I?"

    Since the media in Carmen had long since lost their credibility among the people by being a glorified mouthpiece for the state, most people didn''t blindly believe their words, but many still couldn''t help but sigh in disappointment.

    The source of the headlines was naturally a video uploaded by Emi, in which she excitedly talked about how she ''fought'' her way out of the kidnapper''s den, and then had the ''baddies'' arrested by the police.

    Naturally, not many believed her words at first, but once she showed the photos of the ce where she had been taken to and the people she beat up, it was hard to deny everything outright.

    With several peopleing forward to confirm the identity of the gangsters, most soon agreed that ''Emi'' must be telling the truth about her kidnapping, but probably exaggerating her own role.

    But thinking of what she had gone through, if this was how she coped with trauma, it was actually quite understandable.

    "I didn''t expect them to be any different from the others who came before them, but¡­ this is not exactly the good kind of different, is it?"

    "Can anyone confirm that Emi is really the White Deer''s brand ambassador, though?"

    "The official ount of the White Deer ''liked'' her post and didn''t make any counter arguments, isn''t that enough of a proof already?"

    "True¡­ but didn''t she say the kidnappers had been arrested? Does that mean the White Deer had to get the police involved to save her?"

    What would be a ''normal'' thing everywhere else was actually quite ''weird'' in Carmen.

    Seeking the police for help? Didn''t this mean they were desperate?

    The Gray Wolfe took great pride in being able to enforce its own rules and ws'' privately using its ''dog'', the Nightingale n, and the people had long since be used to their attitude of looking down on those who went to police to seek help.

    Combined with thew enforcement of the country usually being extremely slow, inefficient, and sometimes even counterproductive, it was no wonder that people started perceiving those who sought them out as ones who were truly ''desperate''.

    "Although they managed to get her out in time, doesn''t this show that they don''t have enough strength to keep their own well-protected?"

    In a ce like Carmen, where the strength of one''s fist ruled above thew most of the time, this was undoubtedly a fatal w. Even if the international pressureter forced Carmen to enforce their rather flimsyws, the time it would take would still be enough for the Gray Wolfe to have long since aplished their goals.

    Aside from their ''like'' on Emi''s post, the official channels of the White Deer Corporations remained silent, making many shake their heads in disappointment.

    Of course, they didn''t find it strange that Emi was kidnapped shortly after arriving in Carmen, or that they assumed she was only rescued due to the White Deer ''begging'' thew enforcement.

    After all, which one of them didn''t know someone who unexpectedly ''disappeared'' for a while, only to limp back to their home with several organs missing?

    It was good enough to not end up dead in a ditch, used and discarded, as was the fate of those more unfortunate.

    Expecting to be rescued? With the normal efficiency of theirw enforcement, it was good enough if they ended up retrieving the dead body and identifying it correctly.

    They had long since grown numb to such things, and even feeling the injustice of it all was now too much of a chore.

    That is, until a certain video conference was ''identally leaked''.

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 Chapter ?571 Opportunity

    ?571 Opportunity

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    Although the quality and source of the video were quite questionable, the audio included remained loud and clear. And with a certain organization fanning the mes, it quickly spread throughout Carmen like an uncontroble wildfire.

    Naturally, while some people were quick to praise the police chief who brought the criminals to justice as the protector of the public and an ideal heroine, most were fully focused on being outraged at the ''shockingly insensitive'' response of themissioner and other higher-ups in the meeting.

    "I can''t believe that the police chief who arrested the gangsters was actually reprimanded by these idiots! How is that any different from endorsing the criminals?!"

    "It''s one thing to not do anything themselves, but even when someone else tries to do it, they can''t let that happen?"

    "They probably don''t even realize how many lives these scumbags ruin every day they continue to roam the streets freely, safe as they are in their own well-protected mansions."

    "True."

    "At this point, I''m starting to wonder what their true purpose is, because it can''t possibly be protecting and serving their people like it is in every other country."

    This wasn''t the first time this kind of outrage happened, and no one expected it to be thest. With the frequency of tragedies and mishandling by thew enforcement and officials in Carmen, such an ''outrage'' was considered ''on schedule'' if it happened every other year, and usually, it had few if anysting effects.

    At most, certain officials or politicians would be ''forced to retire'' to calm the people, which was a small price to pay for their continued control over the popce, especially considering that even these ''friends'' who had been cklisted would only just need to stay away from the limelight in the future.

    But even if the government officials weren''t panicked, they were still annoyed at the fact that someone managed to leak one of their confidential conversations like that.

    If this wasn''t done by some malicious enemy, then it could only be the work of a traitor!

    Leaving such a ''tumor'' alone, wouldn''t they just be seeking death?

    "Investigate! Investigate immediately!"

    Of course, with how heavily scrambled and modified the video was, it soon became clear just how impossibly hard to aplish such a task was. Let alone trace back its original source, Carmen''s experts couldn''t even tell if the video was obtained through the interception of their secured channel, or one of the participants.

    Naturally, in absence of ''real evidence'', the first one toe under scrutiny was the police chief who was now being touted as a heroine and a protector by the public, but her previously docile attitude made many of them hesitant.

    If they shot at one of their own while their real enemy watched from the shadows, wouldn''t that only make them happier? Not to mention, if such a thing was to be revealedter, it would definitely shake the will of many otherwise loyal subordinates, which was thest thing they needed right now.

    Being the one given the responsibility of overlooking this ''crucial task'' by the president, the home minister couldn''t help but curse in his heart after receiving the report from his assistant. "The representative denied our request?"

    The nervous man in front of him immediately stepped back while shaking his head. "N-Not at all, minister! H-He just mentioned that the Gray Wolfe''s resources were all tied up right now, and they can only get back to us about it, uhm¡­ lter?"

    The home minister paced back and forth in front of his table in thought as he frowned. "I see¡­ I see¡­ and how long would that be?"

    ''I knew it wasing!'' The assistant groaned in his heart, but still bowed his head somberly. "H-He said it would be at least three weeks, minister."

    His previous calm demeanor immediately copsed as the home minister looked pointed his finger at the door, his expression twisting hideously. "Out! Get out immediately!"

    The poor assistant didn''t dare to stay a moment longer as he scrambled away in a hurry, inwardly rejoicing that he hadn''t been fired, at least.

    The moment the door closed, the home minister kicked the base of the heavy mahogany table in fury. "Shit! If only those stupid idiots at Gray Wolfe weren''t busy fighting each other, it would be so much easier to smoke the mole out!"

    The pain that shot up his leg only made his mood worse, and he quickly made up his mind. "Ungrateful little swine¡­ would they be where they are now if not for us? I asked them for such a little favor, but they''re too busy quibbling among themselves¡­ Don''t me me for taking the matter into my own hands, then!"

    Inwardly praising himself for having the foresight to get in touch with the leader of the Nightingale n when he had the opportunity, the home minister quickly dialed up the man''s number with secret expectations in his heart.

    He''d long since thought that the Nightingale n, which was docile enough to be controlled by the morons at the Gray Wolfe, yet ferocious enough to act as their dog who bit whoever they pointed their finger to, was much more pleasing to the eye!

    The bell rang within moments, and the home minister smiled. ''Maybe I can even take this opportunity to cut off the Gray Wolfe, which only seems to be going down the path of decline anyway.''

    Just imagining how he might have the credit of being the one who helped the state finally have direct and full control of the most powerful weapon in the Gray Wolfe''s hands, he felt so giddy that all of his previous anger was almost immediately extinguished.

    Thinking like this, wasn''t this annoyance a ''fateful reminder'', instead?

    Of course, he knew that all of this was easier said than done. But now that the Gray Wolfe had such massive internal conflicts, and their rtionship with the Nightingale n was also stressed to its limits¡­ wasn''t this the opportunity of a lifetime?

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 Chapter ?572 Easy Way Out

    ?572 Easy Way Out

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    It didn''t take long for the leader of the Nightingale n to pick up the phone, but in response to the home minister''s enthusiastic greeting, he could only awkwardly maintain his silence.

    Normally, he would have been more than ecstatic to cooperate directly with the home minister, but¡­

    ''Shit, with the elders already breathing down my neck now that both of my recent ns have backfired, am I really in a position to take another risk?!''

    Even if the rtionship between his n and the Gray Wolfe was now teetering on the verge of copse, it still hadn''t been nominally dissolved by either of them. And if he really ''took the initiative'' to do something like this now, it would definitely attract a lot of resentment from both the elders and other n members.

    To make matters worse, even if he wanted to y safe and reject the home minister, it wouldn''t necessarily earn him any favors with either of them. If anything, they might just take the opportunity to use him of ipetence once again.

    The n leader couldn''t help but curse in his heart. ''Couldn''t this motherfucker have called me earlier?! With his help, even if our people got ambushed somehow, it would definitely never make it to the public. And I could then use that favor to ''repay'' him without causing any dissatisfaction from any of those stupid geezers too!''

    Being an astute politician, the home minister could naturally tell that the Nightingale n''s leader was in a vastly different mood than he expected, and he couldn''t help but be confused. ''What the hell¡­ why is he upset? Isn''t it a good thing for him if we''re willing to pick them over the Gray Wolfe¡­?''

    Suddenly, a horrifying idea sparked in his mind, leaving the home minister stunned in shock. ''D-Don''t tell me¡­ could it be that the conflict between the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n was just a front?!''

    If so, the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n were many, many times more terrifying than the officials of Carmen expected, and that was saying something. After all, both Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n could be considered superpowers that could cover the sky in Carmen with one hand.

    Even while negotiating with the government, the leaders of the Gray Wolfe were able to keep their backs straight and propose mutually beneficial terms, like equals.

    Naturally, this had been how the country of Carmen worked for many, many decades, and no one believed that it would change anytime soon. But the rapid esction of the internal turmoil within the Gray Wolfe gave them all a much needed wake-up call.

    For the sake of their country, it was perhaps a good idea to no longer keep all their eggs in a single basket. No, even if they had to do so, that basket shouldn''t be so prone to setting itself on fire.

    If his conjecture was true, however, the reality was that while they were moving their eggs from one basket to another, the snake hiding at the bottom of the basket was coiling up to deliver its deadly venom directly into their veins.

    Although the probability of all the details and intelligence they had gathered so far being wrong wasn''t very high, just thinking about the possible repercussions of overlooking such a deadly trap, the home minister didn''t dare keep it all to himself. ''P-President, I-I have to let the president know!''

    Naturally, the Nightingale n''s leader, who had just managed to gather his thoughts, had no idea about the absurd conjectures of the home minister, and was stunned silly when the man''s previously polite attitude suddenly became perfunctory as he hurriedly cut the call.

    After the momentary confusion came anger, and the Nightingale n''s leader cursed. "Fuck! How dare this fucker call me just to make my mood worse, and then run away without making any deal orpensation?!"

    It had to be mentioned that if the Gray Wolfe discovered it, simply having any contact with the government without their knowledge was worthy of being considered treacherous. And even if they were too busy with their infighting to pay attention, that didn''t mean that the elders wouldn''t use it as an excuse to punish him.

    Just as the thought crossed his mind, however, a light bulb went off in the n leader''s head. "Wait a minute¡­ howe I''m the one always taking the me for everything? Isn''t it just because those stupid geezers think I''m the easiest target when no one else is around?!"

    In that case, wouldn''t it be perfect if he could pin the me on someone else first?

    With their usual attitude of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, if he were to make it seem like the defeat and ambush of the team in the port town was because of a government conspiracy against their n, there was no way those old geezers would dare squeak around about it too much, right?

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    Meanwhile, back at the hotel in which Emilia was temporarily staying at, the crimson-haired girl found herself facing a dilemma. "Do we really have to do it like this?"

    Her manager nodded. "I have already gone through all the possible routes of developing you into a sessful idol, and this one seems like the best bet. Of course, it won''t be easy, and you will need to work hard."

    She paused for a moment, as if something had just crossed her mind. "Of course, we could have taken a much more conservative route if a certain someone wasn''t too enthusiastic to share their heroic deeds with the world."

    Emilia rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "I-It''s not like I lied, and I got the permission from Crystal and everything."

    The manager tried her best to resist the urge of bonking the annoyingly adorable troublemaker as she smiled. "I wonder if this is how the teachers feel when their students make trouble needlessly, and when you scold them, they take out their stupid ''but my mom says I can do it'' card?"

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 Chapter ?573 Brave, or Foolish?

    ?573 Brave, or Foolish?

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    Sam and Noelle''s strategy for ''sess'' in Carmen was actually quite straightforward and uplicated, which was probably a good thing. After all, many of their predecessors withplex and sophisticated ns had failed spectacrly in the past.

    Survive.

    Not taking Jasper and Ginny''s ''alliance'' into ount, the possibility of generating profits from Carmen was really too low, and there was no reason for any of them to expect otherwise.

    Even if someone managed to find a loophole to prevent the government from ''strangling'' their products and services, who could stop them from making newws?

    ying on her enemy''s field and following their rules wasn''t a very bright idea if she was nning on winning the game, as far as Emilia was concerned. After all, if they were honorable and trustworthy, why would they be her enemies to begin with?

    Instead, it was much more reliable to flip the chessboard they had carefully setup from the start, which just so happened to be one of Emilia''s strong points.

    After she was done causing chaos, all they would need to do was take advantage of it properly, and by the time the enemy realized they weren''t paying attention where they really should have, it would be toote.

    What made Carmen so stable despite their oppressive system that encouraged gangsters andwless individuals to extort the general public was exactly the ''strength'' that they could exert without needing to mobilize their forces on the bright side.

    Most protests could be quashed before they even had the time to begin, and with the constant whittling down of people''s will over time, fewer and fewer of such ''troublesome'' issues would crop up.

    It wasn''t that people no longer cared about changing their fate, but that they simply didn''t have any hope of such a thing being possible.

    All Emilia needed to do was give them this ''hope'', and the rest of the cards would fall into ce on their own.

    That was why, despite her many ''protests'', Emilia actually wasn''t too bothered by her manager''s arrangements, and ''reluctantly'' followed her directions while waiting for Penny to arrive.

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    Meanwhile, the decision-making cogs of the Nightingale n hade to a grinding halt after learning the ''shocking truth'' about one of their small teams being beaten up in a remote port town.

    The ''victims'' had yet to wake up and testify themselves, but none of the elders present were stupid enough to believe that they were really beaten up by a little girl of unknown origin.

    Clearly, this was the premeditated n of some force who wished to humiliate them, and it was clear for all to see who it could be.

    White Deer''s ambitious entry into the country of Carmen was no secret, and the elders knew very well that only an outsider who remained oblivious to the terror that they inspired could be so daring within their territory.

    The little girl being the mascot of their new ''guest'' only made them more certain of it all.

    But even if the White Deer wanted to use them as a stepping stone for whatever reason, the elders weren''t really too worried.

    Not to mention that the strength that the White Deer could exert within Carmen was limited, but even if they were to take the fight to Blue Dawn, was their Nightingale n something that weaklings without real strength could challenge?

    If not for the unreasonable lethality of gunpowder and chemicals in the hands of their government, they wouldn''t even need to obey the fools in Carmen.

    They weren''t proud without reason. Just a small team of children from the Nightingale n could easily sneak in and break through the final defense of most smaller state heads, making them little better than fish on the chopping block as far as the elders were concerned.

    But if the n leader was to be believed, this was all the government''s hand! Naturally, in sharp contrast to the man''s expectations, the elders didn''t think any better of him after learning the news, and didn''t even inform him while meeting to discuss the countermeasures for this crisis.

    What a joke! How could they trust the man who only ever brought them bad news to discuss any solutions? That would just be asking for trouble. The only reason they hadn''t already stripped him of his title was because they had more important things to do.

    Despite their usual arrogance, none of them underestimated the graveness of this matter. Evenpared to their potential fallout with the Gray Wolfe, this was much worse.

    Even if they could roam proudly around the world, it was impossible to not care about the threat of Carmen''s weapons against the more vulnerable members of their family, after all.

    What they thought was but a minor p to their face by an opponent of the Gray Wolfe turned out to be a harbinger of an unprecedented disaster.

    "I don''t understand¡­ why does the government want to suppress us now, of all times? Wat the hell are we going to do?!"

    "No, this isn''t unexpected¡­ Without the Gray Wolfe speaking out on our behalf, I''m guessing some people must have thought that we were being too unruly on ''their territory''. In fact¡­ perhaps the Gray Wolfe was the one who brought it up, who knows?"

    The grand elder sighed, though his breath contained more suffocated anger than resignation. "Perhaps this is meant to be a ''lesson'' for us to learn, so we can ''know our ce''? Hah¡­"

    The other elders stared at each other solemnly before nodding in agreement.

    "We can''t give in so easily. The moment we back down¡­ everything we''ve worked so hard for will all go to waste."

    "True. But without the funding from the ''tributaries'', how are we going to continue our upkeep?"

    Naturally, it took a lot of resources to raise their young and maintain their territories. But the proud fighters of the Nightingale n would never lower themselves to peddling for money.

    That would be the same as giving up their roots, and if they did so, what would even be the point of continuing with their training?

    It was only because each and every one of them focused wholeheartedly on the way of the fist that they could be what they are now, and the elders naturally couldn''t except such a thing being ruined right in front of their eyes.

    While the grand elder closed his eyes in contemtion, the rest of them tried their best to figure the best way out of their predicament as well.

    "We have no recourse with Sanders anymore, but Jasper and Ginny have been trying to extend the olive branch our way for quite some time. Should we¡­ consider it, perhaps?"

    "They may not be as capable as their father, but it''s better to ride an obedient donkey than a raging horse, isn''t it?"

    "No no no, we finally have the opportunity to get out of their control and be independent after so many years, we can''t waste it like this!"

    "I agree. Besides, who is to say if the two of them are really sincere, or just pretending? If they are even more insidious than their father, wouldn''t we have suffered twice the pain without reason? It''s not like they pay us much!"

    In fact, the payments made by the Gray Wolfe in the past were quite handsome, but that was exactly the reason why the Nightingale n now found themselves ''starving'' and desperate after their allies reduced their support.

    Now that even the ''side-ie'' was being taken away by the government, the elders couldn''t help but turn red-eyed in rage. "Bullying us like this¡­ do they think just because they can threaten us, we will take their abuse silently?!"

    But although he said so, everyone present knew that maybe that was really all they could do.

    It wasn''t some small faction they could suppress, but the government with almost infinite firepower, after all. Even if they could get rid of certain key figures, the retaliation they would have to face wasn''t something they could handle.

    Not unless they were willing to abandon their roots and flee on their own.

    Just as they were all about toe to terms with it all, however, the grand elder''s eyes snapped open. "Enough is enough¡­ I think it''s time to show everyone what the Nightingale n can really do when pushes to shove!"

    "!"

    The rest of the elders stared at each other apprehensively before one of them gulped. "W-What does the grand elder suggest?"

    The old man snorted. "Isn''t that home minister hopping around so proudly in front of us? Maybe he will learn to sit down if someone breaks his stubby little legs!"

    One of the more cool-headed elders couldn''t help but stand up in shock. "B-But if we really infuriate the higher-ups in the government, the retaliation¡ª!"

    The grand elder mmed his fist on the heavy mahogany meeting table in rage. "Do you really have the blood of the Nightingale n in you?!"

    The protesting elder could only sit down while spluttering. "I-I was only thinking of the vulnerable children, s-so¡ª"

    He was interrupted by another fist mming into the table.

    "Fuck them!"

    As the rest of them were stunned, the grand elder took a deep breath to calm himself down. "If we don''t stand up now, it will be the same as epting the abuseing from both the Gray Wolfe and the government, and maybe even the White Deer will join in. What next, are we going to be the public attraction of Carmen, the most resilient and patient punching bags in the world?! Now¡­ who''s with me?"

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 Chapter 574 Bold Move

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    Under the leadership of their grand elder, the top-level fighters of the Nightingale n were swiftly dispatched to take care of the home minister of Carmen.

    None of them knew, however, that the home minister had already contacted the president by this time, and the two were somberly discussing how to deal with the ''conspiracy'' of the Gray Wolfe.

    "To be honest, I still believe that the internal turmoil within the Gray Wolfe is real." The president frowned. "I have known Sanders for a long time, and it never seemed like the man had any deep ambitions of taking over the country."

    Feeling the other man''s hesitation, the home minister couldn''t help but be a little anxious. "Mr. President, you can''t let your feelings cloud your vision at this time! There''s too much at stake here. Even if the chances of the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n conspiring together to knock down our democracy are less than ten percent, we still can''t take this gamble!"

    "You''re just basing this all off of a single conversation with the Nightingale n''s head, though, but¡­" The president sighed. "Alright, let''s just assume for a moment that your hunch is right, then what? What are we supposed to do? Send the army to wipe them all out and push our country into a state of civil war?"

    The home minister wanted to refute, but found himselfpletely speechless when he really thought about it. ''That''s right¡­ with the Gray Wolfe and Nightingale n''s strengthbined, unless we''re really willing to go all out, it would be impossible to get rid of this tumor easily.''

    Needless to say, doing such a thing would hurt their country''s vitality almost irreversibly, and who is to say they won''t be swallowed up by someone else at that time?

    The president sighed. "I understand that you are uneasy, but we can''t treat this situation lightly. Although it seems like all they can do now is grumble and groan powerlessly, with enough stimtion, the seemingly docile crowds can quickly turn ferocious. At that time, we cannot guarantee that they can be easily controlled or suppressed."

    The home minister nodded in understanding.

    Blue Dawn was a shining example of just how wrong things could go if a government remained ignorant of the repercussions that severe economic turmoil could have on a country. Not only was there a rebellion, but it even lost its status as a democratic country to a foreign girl!

    As true patriots, neither of them could ept the thought of Carmen falling into such a state.

    The people there may be happy for the short-term relief now, but in the history books, it would definitely be an unforgettable, shameful stain.

    After all, true to everyone''s expectations, Emilia really did seem to lead her ''Empire'' as if she was ying a game, and despite her initial sess, there was only so far her luck could go.

    Once her good fortune came to an end, it won''t take long for people to realize just how foolish they had been.

    At that time, it wouldn''t matter how deep White Deer Corporation''s pockets were. The most they would be able to do was try to get their precious princess out of the mutinous crowd without being torn to pieces.

    The older man''s eyes suddenly lit up in enlightenment. "Speaking of which¡­ isn''t this a wonderful opportunity?"

    The home minister blinked. "I don''t understand what Mr. President means?"

    The president chuckled. "It would be a disaster for everyone if we were to get into a frontal conflict with both the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n, but what if we can suppress them without getting involved at all?"

    "I-I''m afraid I still don''t understand¡­?"

    The older man patted the home minister''s shoulder with a grin. "The credit to this idea should actually go to you. If you didn''t bring it up, I wouldn''t be able to think of such a brilliant solution so quickly!"

    Looking at the other man''s confused face, the president grinned. "I''m talking about the White Deer, of course!"<sub> </sub>

    The home minister couldn''t help but be shocked. "Use them to suppress Gray Wolfe? Isn''t that the same as inviting a foreign enemy home to resolve an internal conflict?"

    ? The president shook his head in denial. "Not at all. How can it be the same? Not to mention that the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n can no longer be considered an integral part of our country from the moment they had thoughts of rebellion, but can the White Deer really be considered a foreign enemy?"

    Seeing the home minister''s expression twist, the president quickly borated. "Don''t look at their recent sess, as long as someone takes a closer look, they will discover just how hollow the White Deer Corporation really is. A few years ago, they didn''t even dare to squeak in front of the ck Tiger, which is already a puppet of Oriana now. Can they really be so strong?"

    The home minister felt that his president''s words made sense, but when he tried to think of the White Deer as ''powerless'', his gut feeling was still that something was wrong with that thought.

    Even after chewing on that thought for a while, the home minister still felt hesitant. "I-I don''t think we should be underestimating them so much. Regardless of how it happened, they are at least ahead of Gray Wolfe in rankings, and also managed to take over Blue Dawn, right?"

    The president chuckled confidently, as if he had long since known he would have such ''na?ve'' doubts. "The rankings? They go up and down every day. Do we need to look at such meaningless things? As for the Blue Dawn¡­ do you really know how much of the Empire''s military is directly under White Deer''s control?"

    Seeing the home minister shake his head in confusion, the president grinned. "I''ll tell you, then. Actually, I wasn''t the only one worried about such a thing, but after several big shots tried to look into it, they all discovered something shocking."

    Under the expectant gaze of the home minister, he continued. "In reality, despite their princess being the Empress and all their ims that the people there worship her¡­ the military structure is almost entirelyposed of the natives of Blue Dawn."

    The home minister couldn''t help but exim in shock. "What?! Are the people at White Deer stupid?!"

    The president shook his head with a smile. "It''s more like they''re helpless. That little girl just happened to be in the right position at the right time, and the rebels of Blue Dawn put her on a pedestal because they felt like they needed an icon, that''s all. It''s all luck. Even if the White Deer wants to make more out of it, there''s not much to actually squeeze out without rming the real powerhouses there."

    Of course, these powerhouses were none other than the rebel leaders and militarymanders of Blue Dawn, who were all natives. Their allegiance to White Deer was probably extremely fragile, if notpletely non-existent.

    The president smiled. "Their current worth is actually really overinted because most people can''t see through this truth so easily. At least, not now. And that''s why they are trying their best to capitalize on this spike of wealth and poprity before it runs out."

    The home minister nodded, his eyes bright and full of enlightenment. "I understand now! The White Deer''s arrival in our country at this time is really our great fortune! So long as we can make them agree to cooperate with us on this matter, we can kill two birds with one stone!"

    Not only would they be able to suppress the Gray Wolfe and the Nightingale n''s ambitions, but they would do so by using the resources of the overambitious White Deer!

    With their current desperate situation, how could it be possible for them to resist such a good bait?

    Of course, they might have their own ambitions and agendas, but so what? Their intentions didn''t really matter when they simply had no strength to contend against Carmen.

    So long as they were within Carmen''s borders, if the government allowed them to prosper they would prosper, and if the government told them to pack up they could only tuck their tails between their legs and leave.

    Just as the two of them arrived at the same conclusion and grinned in satisfaction, however, the meeting room''s door that was supposed to remain closed until the president''s signal mmed open without warning, shocking them both.

    "What the hell¡ª?!"

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 Chapter 575 Over Complacent [Thank You Peripharos For The Gifts!]

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    The leader of the Nightingale n team was a buff man with a hideous scar going from his left eye to right chin, famous not only for his explosivebat power, but also decisive and cunning strategies.

    His name was Boris, but whether it was within the Nightingale n or outside, he was better known as the ''Super Tank'' for his ability to tear through any obstacle in the most efficient way possible, as if he never had any doubt on how or if it could be done to begin with.

    Having weathered many storms andpleted countless dangerous missions for the n, even when he received the task of breaking the home minister''s legs, he didn''t blink an eye.

    Maybe this was a sign of the Nightingale n finally ushering in a new age of prosperity. Not only were they slowly getting rid of the shackles of the Gray Wolfe, but also letting the government know that neither their strength nor will could be underestimated!

    Plus, with almost half of the n''s highest grade fighters ced under hismand, even if he was asked to break the president''s legs, it wouldn''t be impossible.

    Most soldiers treated the fighters of the Nightingale n as unofficial officers anyway, and it was pretty much an unwritten rule that they were allowed free pass into restricted zones.

    Presumably, if they were there, it was probably to do some dirty work for either the Gray Wolfe or the government, and none of the soldiers felt the need to risk their livelihood by poking their nose where it didn''t belong.

    The number of people guarding the man''s vi was a bit unexpected when he finally got here, but that didn''t deter him much.

    Although the initial n was to sneak in,plete the task quickly, and leave the chilling reminder to not mess with the Nightingale n, he realized that perhaps the effect would be even better if instead of sneaking, they just barged in.

    The whole point of breaking the home minister''s legs was to intimidate the people thinking their n was a pushover, after all, and sneaking in might make them mistakenly believe they could have been safe if they were just a little bit more careful.

    These government servants might look intimidating with their weapons, but in fact, he knew very well that none of them would dare to really shoot at his team.

    After all, trying to kill them was the same as dering war with the Nightingale n, and he didn''t believe that Carmen would be willing to go into civil war without reason.

    One of the officers even helped him out. "The meeting room is upstairs, second door to the right."

    Boris, the ''Super Tank'', nodded gruffly as he brushed past the officer without breaking his stride.

    ''The president rushed here in such a hurry, and even called such a heavy-hitting team from the Nightingale n¡­ I''m afraid something big is about to go down.'' The officer thought.

    Naturally, although the higher-ups had started second guessing the loyalty of the Nightingale n, they had yet to let the ''grunts'' know about this change of status.

    Boris and his team arrived at the final corridorpletely unimpeded, and before the two agents guarding the door could even blink in surprise, they had already been disarmed and knocked out.

    Even if the risk wasn''t very high, it wouldn''t be pleasant if they were shot through the back the moment they barged in, right?

    After quickly going through their inte to ensure that there was no rm, Boris immediately mmed the door open confidently. "Alright, mister home minister, we''re here to deliver your order for an ass kicking and¡ª?!"

    Not only Boris, but even the teammates who followed behind him were also stunned as soon as they entered the room.

    Were they now supposed to break the home minister''s legs in front of the president, or just pretend they had barged into the wrong room?<sub> </sub>

    Of course, their greatest worry was that their ''Super Tank'' would be too enthusiastic, and break the president''s legs too.

    Boris, meanwhile, was also simrly dumbfounded. ''Last I checked, shouldn''t the president still be around three hundred miles away¡­?''

    The president''s expression sank as he smelled the rancid odor from the trembling home minister, and he stared at the intruders with a genuinely stinky face. "Just what do you think you''re doing, Boris Nightingale?!"

    Given the topic of their previous discussion, the president was naturally none too pleased with the Nightingale n''s men barging into their meeting like this.

    Although Carmen happened to be the stronghold of the once richest corporation in the world, its level of development actually didn''t match that status at all, and the president knew it well.

    Even among developing countries, it could be considered at best mediocre in terms of the quality of life its citizens enjoyed, and at worst it was one of the most egregious examples of crime rate going out of control, despite being widely under reported.

    But despite all that, the president never believed that his security detail was sox that anyone could just barge into his room without permission.

    Otherwise, wasn''t all the investment he made into weapons and technology aplete waste?

    It was only after he clearly saw the faces of the ''intruders'', however, he realized how it could have happened. ''Shit! Those morons still don''t know that these dogs of the Nightingale n and the Gray Wolfe have gone rabid and dare to bite their master!''

    Even if they were to somehow lose their signature gray hair, how could he not know the most lethal ''weapons'' in the hands of the Nightingale n? Having seen them put to use by the Gray Wolfe more than once, he was well aware of both their ability and identity.

    The president knew very well that someone like Boris could tear him to shreds in less than three seconds.

    In fact, if not for the fact that his emergency security buzzer vibrated in an ''affirmative'' response just now, he might have already pissed his pants.

    Now he just had to dy these thugs for a few seconds, and his loyal soldiers would be able to storm in and subdue them at gunpoint, definitely!

    Unfortunately, Boris seemed to have sensed his fear somehow, and much to the terror of both the president and the home minister, the confusion in his eyes cleared.

    Since he was here on the grand elder''s orders, what was the point of thinking so much?

    "All of you guard the door, I''ll go deliver the order of some broken old man legs!"

    The rest of the team didn''t dare to disobey Boris at this point, and swiftly moved out while thoughtfully sliding the two fainted agents into the meeting room.

    And to the horror of both the president and the home minister, Boris appeared right in front of them, moving so fast that they couldn''t even see him move very clearly.

    "S-Stop, y-you¡ª?!"

    The home minister screamed like a pig being butchered even before the heavy boot came crashing down on his thigh, and after the sickeningly clear sound of bones being crushed, the man''s shrill scream almost shattered the president''s eardrums as his mind went numb.

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 Chapter 576 Unforgivable

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    Although Noelle and Sam had already started spreading their wings in Carmen as best as they could, the informationwork they had established was still in its infancy.

    If not for Ginny and Jasper, maybe they wouldn''t have learned about the Nightingale n''s attack on the home minister at all.

    Of course, in addition to utilizing these ''borrowed resources'', Noelle was also able to redirect her ''spies'' more efficiently after bing aware of exactly what to look for and where.

    "So what happened then?"

    The girl on the other side of the screen sighed. "They''re really doing their best to keep everyone in the dark about it, so there''s no way to be sure. But since none of the members of the Nightingale n''s assault team have been spotted since, I think it should be safe to assume that they''ve either been detained or killed."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "I see¡­ I didn''t expect the Nightingale n to make such a bold move against the government, but then again, I underestimated their decisiveness in cutting the Gray Wolfe off as well."

    Although her thought process was somewhat justified given the history of the Nightingale n''s subservience under the Gray Wolfe and the government of Carmen, the crimson-haired girl knew that her opinions on the matter still needed to be reevaluated if she didn''t want to mess up in the future.

    She may not need to be familiar with the rules of movement of certain pieces on the board if she was just going to flip the board, but she still needed to be mindful of the ones that were pointy enough to poke someone in the eye when they went flying.

    Emilia tapped her now somewhat childishly chubby chin in thought. "What about the ones that I beat up?"

    Noelle coughed while resisting the urge to jump through the skin to pinch the crimson-haired girl''s adorable face."Still in aa, as far as I know."

    "¡­ I didn''t even hit them that hard, you know?"

    "Were you holding back?"

    Emilia''s sheepish grin told her all she needed to know. That being said, she had no sympathy for these people, despite theirmon ''origin''.

    After all, if not for certain circumstances, Noelle knew that these people would be fully cooperating with Alexander''s father to draw out Emilia''s blood drop by drop.

    The gray-haired girl shrugged. "I wouldn''t worry too much about it if I were you. The Nightingale n right now must be in a deep conflict with the government and the Gray Wolfe both as they try to get their people out of trouble, which is great news for us, right?"

    Although she had her own ideas, Emilia still nodded with a grin. "Right, I''ll go tell Penny to stop arguing with the manager, then!"

    Noelle rolled her eyes as she waved the ''little girl'' goodbye, but her exasperated expression quickly turned frosty the moment the screen went dark. "Ancient and honorable fighting n my ass¡­ these people are no better than third-rate viins who use their strength to bully people unreasonably."

    Before she came to Carmen, her opinion of the Nightingale n hadn''t been very good either, but that was mostly because of her own personal life experience based bias, and Noelle knew it.

    Now, however, she was able to observe the exploitation and abuse of the weak by the strong firsthand, and the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but feel a surge of rage in her veins.<sub> </sub>

    For better or for worse, she shared blood with these people. And now that they were doing these kinds of things, it was impossible for her to not feel ashamed, especially since it was impossible to hide it from Emilia.

    She knew that although her little boss often appeared carefree and easygoing, the girl was actually very sensitive when it came to certain things.

    This could be seen from how meticulously she had arranged everything for the people in the Empire of Blue Dawn to the best of her ability, just to make sure they remained happy and safe.

    Others may not know, but how could Noelle be unaware of just how popr her little boss was among the people of Blue Dawn?

    It would be no exaggeration to say that if their will could be manifested into a weapon, it wouldn''t take long for the empire to take over the world!

    Plus, having personally enjoyed her loving embrace, Noelle knew just how gentle and kind Emilia''s heart was deep down, no matter how naughty or disobedient the girl usually appeared.

    Despite being abandoned by them, Noelle hadn''t truly hated the Nightingales before. She did not feel the need for revenge against people who didn''t even know she existed, nor did she have any ns to ''reform'' them even if she had the chance.

    After all, she had already convinced herself that their existence in her heart had the same weight as hers did in theirs¡­ which was nonexistent.

    Her so-called ''parents'' who threw her away might as well die the next day and she wouldn''t care.

    Well, that wasn''t true. Maybe she would feel something deep down, even Noelle couldn''t be sure.

    After all, it was impossible not to feel even a little wronged for being treated like this by the people who were supposed to be the ones who loved her the most while growing up.

    But in exchange of the love of those so-called parents, hadn''t she obtained the care of Sam''s family, and even found someone like Emilia?

    If it were to be considered a deal, Noelle believed she had only profited endlessly. If she still had regrets, wouldn''t she be too greedy?

    The only reason she still went along with Emilia''s n was because there was no way to sway the will of her little boss once she made up her mind about something, especially when it came to doing something involving one of her lovers.

    Besides, even if she convinced herself to not care about the Nightingales, the same couldn''t be said for Emilia. It was impossible for her to not feel anything when the gorgeous empress lowered herself to a disguised mascot, just to seek justice on her behalf.

    Now, however¡­

    ''I know Emilia won''t associate their misdeeds with me, but for my image in her heart to be even slightly stained by those unworthy worms¡­ unforgivable!''

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 Chapter 577 Penny The Pervert

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    Although Emilia never really listened to her manager while acting as ''Little Emi'', Penny''s arrival as her ''assistant'' still made many things infinitely more convenient.

    For example, now she could openly visit Noelle and Sam, and even if someone from the Gray Wolfe, the Nightingale n, or the government of Carmen happened to hear about it, it was unlikely to lead to any major mishaps.

    If anything, they would only think that was Penny using her connections to try and promote ''Little Emi'', and not some other grand conspiracy.

    Not to mention, with the knightmander''s physical presence in Carmen, their strength and cohesion could no longer be underestimated.

    Using the newly established secret channels of the White Deer Corporation, they were now able to freelymunicate and coordinate with each other at a higher level, though the newest of ''recruits'' still remained in the dark as a precaution.

    The ease with which Emilia could now incite a rebellion in Carmen left even her stunned silly, but she soon shook off that impulse. After all, haste makes waste.

    Even if she managed to spark a fire now, it wouldn''t take much effort for her opponents to put it out. It was better to dry out this ''forest'' first, and then turn it to ashes in one fell swoop.

    Her end goal wasn''t just to cause chaos, after all, that was only her means.

    Of course, Penny''s assistance wasn''t without its disadvantages either, as the ponytailed girl''s courage seemed to have shot through the roof the moment she discovered that she no longer needed to tilt her head up to look into Emilia''s eyes.

    ? In fact, it was a wonder that she hadn''t already exposed her identity with how enthusiastic she had been ever since her arrival.

    "Emi! Emi! Come here, your big sister''sp is definitely morefortable than those synthetic seats!"

    Naturally, Penny didn''t think she was overreacting at all.

    Who could have thought that one day she would have the chance to not only have a ''pet name'' for her princess, but even ''righteously'' ask her for cuddles like this? It would be stranger if she wasn''t excited!

    Since Emilia wasn''t one to limit herself needlessly, she only thought about it for a moment before shuffling over. While Penny''sp was indeed not very spacious, the girl''s soft body was still superior to the car seat by far.

    Despite Emilia now being in a noticeably less gorgeous form than her original body, just knowing her real identity, Penny couldn''t help but be giddy. ''Every dog has its day, not to mention that I''m not a dog! Though I very much wish I was so I could use my long tongue to slobber all over my princess, ahh!''

    If only that stupid Dixie could see her now¡ª!

    On second thought, that was probably a bad idea.

    She coughed. ''P-Precious memories like this must remain private, after all.''

    It''s not like she was scared of Dixie. She was just afraid she wouldn''t be able to chase after her princess after all her bones were broken.<sub> </sub>

    Besides, since she now knew Emilia could change how she looked, wouldn''t it be impossible for her to find her princess if she lost sight of her for even a second?

    If she could, Penny would definitely permanently glue Emilia to her own body so she could never be lost the moment she was told such a thing.

    But that would probably make her princess unhappy, right? If she refused to switch back to her breathtakingly gorgeous form because of that, wouldn''t it be toote for regret then?

    Penny didn''t think a world without that beauty was worth living in, at all. She would rather take her chances to go to heaven and stare at the angels, instead. Though they would definitely be uglier than her princess, beggars can''t be choosers.

    Of course, such a dark future only existed in the worst of her nightmares, and Penny was determined to never let it turn into reality.

    To bepletely honest, she still didn''t quite understand how her princess being able to transform into a little girl worked. But since she heard it from Emilia herself, there was no need to doubt that it was a fact. That was all she needed to know.

    Even if her princess wasn''t a human, but a fairy instead, Penny didn''t feel like there was too much of an issue. If anything, it would be great if Emilia turned out to secretly have some wings!

    In fact, if she could have a feather or two for her collection, Penny felt like she might just die from overdose of happiness.

    Boldly wrapping her arms around Emi''s waist, the ponytailed blonde couldn''t help but sigh happily. ''Whoever designed this dress that bared her belly, thank you very much!''

    Meanwhile, the crimson-haired girl was too busy chatting with Sam over the phone to notice anything wrong. ''Big sister is such a baby, really.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but nod. "That''s why you shouldn''t indulge her so much, you know? If she gets spoiled, wouldn''t it be even more troublesome?"

    Emilia giggled. ''But when she acts like a baby¡­ it''s adorable, isn''t it?''

    "¡­ I give up."

    As for Penny''s heavy breathing brushing by her partner''s ears, the raven-haired girl naturally didn''t notice either.

    After all, she had long since started viewing the ponytailed girl as a particrly malfunctioning monkey in heat, and since her partner refused to dispose of it, the less she thought about it, the better.

    Of course, the manager could still see through the rear-view mirror that something wasn''t quite right with how Penny held Emi, especially with her strange expression and ssy eyes. ''She wouldn''t¡­? Nah, no way¡­ what nonsense am I thinking?''

    She quickly denied her absurd thoughts and focused back on the road. ''It must be because Emi has been driving me crazy.''

    Although Penny might be short and only neen, she was still much older than Emi. Her behavior was strange sometimes, sure, but there was no way that someone directly associated with her princess could be a pervert!

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 Chapter 578 Ambush

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    The government believes that the Nightingale n and the Gray Wolfe are conspiring together, and the Nightingale n believes the same to be true for the Gray Wolfe and the government.

    Meanwhile, the Gray Wolfe was divided in two, with the half being led by Sanders now only barely holding onto some semnce of control within the organization.

    Of course, unlike their so-called father, both Ginny and Jasper were well aware of the situation. But because of their agreement with the White Deer, they could only sit back and allow the misunderstandings to continue.

    After all, if they came out to rify things and Emilia''s spies discovered it, wouldn''t they just be nominating themselves to be thetest additions to her hit list?

    Given how low even their seemingly invincible father had fallen now after crossing her, they weren''t foolish enough to give it a try.

    It was better to just let Emilia y around and have fun while taking a few losses. The little beauty will sooner orter get bored and leave soon anyway, and it wouldn''t be toote to start expanding their operations at that time¡­ or at least they hoped so.

    Unfortunately, just because they wanted to stay out of trouble and wait quietly didn''t mean that trouble wouldn''te seeking them first.

    The twins were just getting out of their office on Friday evening, with Jasper opening the passenger door of the car for his sister with an exasperated eye roll. "Honestly, Ginny, I don''t see why you have to go so hard on those old bastards right away. Instead of risking making them panic, isn''t it better to slowly grind them to¡ª!"

    A loud bang interrupted his words as Jasper froze in shock, and it took him what felt like an eternity to realize that the sound was indeed that of a gunshot, and the target¡­ was him.

    Fortunately, the shooter seemed to have missed him by quite some distance, and aside from nauseatingly sharp ringing in his eardrums, Jasper waspletely fine.

    mming the door shut on his simrly stunned sister''s face, Jasper quickly ran to the driver''s seat while covering his head with his arms, desperately hoping that the next two shots he heard hadn''t ended up in his body without him realizing it. "Holy fuck! Which piece of shit decided to go crazy today?!"

    By the time he closed the car''s door, he''d already heard another six rounds of fire, though fortunately without any ''impact'' on his body.

    He didn''t know what was crazier, the fact that the two of them were being ''assassinated'' in their own building''s supposedly safe parking lot, or that their ''assassins'' seemed to have received special training on how to miss every single shot.

    ''Shit! I can''t believe not one of those bullets hit me!''

    Of course, he didn''t have time to pay attention to his screeching and panicking twin sister, and simply yelled at her to shut the fuck up as he mmed the elerator to get the fuck out of there as soon as possible.

    The car might be bulletproof, but he wasn''t interested in trying to prove it.

    Jasper''s face turned even paler when two men in ski masks tried to jump in front of his car in an attempt to get him to stop, and several bullets were lodged into both the windshield and the driver window.<sub> </sub>

    Had the ss not been bulletproof, they would have definitely gone right through his skull!

    Now fully convinced of the skill of the attackers, Jasper didn''t dare to slow down at all, and even tried to run over the two men on his way out, though unfortunately they managed to dodge out of the way in time while cursing and firing additional shots his way.

    By this time, Ginny had also forcefully calmed herself down and picked up her phone with her shivering hands. Of course, when she tried to speak, she realized that not only was her throat hoarse from all the screaming, but her tongue also seemed to be stuck. "¡­!"

    This wasn''t the first time she and her brother had been in a desperate situation, but it was their still their first brush with imminent death.

    In fact, it was only after her brother mmed the door shut in her face after that first gunshot that she realized how little all the money and power they had been so desperate for actually mattered.

    Those few short seconds it took Jasper to run around as bullets continued raining and get into the driver seat were the same as soaking her in the coldest parts of a frozenke, and for the first time in her life, Ginny found herself at aplete and total loss.

    It was only after Jasper made it in that she was able to breathe again, but the panic attack still made it impossible for her to make any intelligible sound.

    Ginny almost wanted to tear her disobedient tongue out and stomp it into mush, but luckily, the person who picked up her phone already seemed to know what was going on.

    "Miss, don''t worry, we heard the gunshots and are on our way there, hold on for just a few more seconds!"

    Had she been more clear-headed, Ginny would also have realized that since the gunshots weren''t silenced, their people were probably already aware of the problem before Jasper even got into the car, and help would arrive quite soon.

    As it was, however, even after hearing the man''s assurance, Ginny still couldn''tpletely calm down.

    While Jasper was driving wildly to get them out of the parking lot safely, paranoid thoughts were running wild in Ginny''s head. ''How could these people make it all the way here without anyone noticing? It''s impossible!''

    Clearly, someone on the inside must have helped them out, and since that was so¡­

    Did she have to gamble their lives away just to test the loyalty of these people?

    Her hands seemed to have made the decision before her brain, and Ginny found herself calling a number she''d had for a while, but never dared to dial.

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 Chapter 579 Digging Graves

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    Even before he had set his hired thugs on the task of getting rid of one of the Gray Wolfe''s twins, Amos knew that the chances of seeding were minimal, and the risk of exposing himself was far too high.

    After all, even if they were now betting everything on him, hired thugs could never be as reliable as people brought up and trained by the ck Tiger, and even their performance was far from satisfactory as far as Amos was concerned.

    But how could one stand to win big without taking a great gamble?

    Now that his life was at an all time low, the silver-haired boy felt like he had nothing to lose, so might as well go all out.

    The timing, the location, the preparations¡­ everything had been perfect.

    But the sound of tires screeching and rapid firing of gunshots told him all he needed to know about the oue.

    The spotter confirmed that the parking lot was empty save for his thugs and the twins, so how could there be such amotion if their target was dead?

    Amos couldn''t help but grit his teeth in frustration. "What the fuck happened?!"

    The man on the other side was clearly panicked. "W-We missed, and the two of them are now trying to get away¡ª"

    "Stop yapping and blow it the fuck up, then, moron!"

    The silver-haired boy mmed the transceiver on floor before stomping on it in fury. "Fucking useless garbage! How can you miss such an easy shot?!"

    He had long since dreaded that something would go wrong no matter how well he prepared, but when it really happened, Amos still couldn''t believe it. "Why is it that whenever I''m about to turn things around, some ipetent moron by my side has to fuck it all up?!"

    All these useless thugs were good for was threatening and killing people, but even when he managed to sneak them into such a good spot, they still failed to kill even one of the twins!

    If he failed to take even the first step forward, how was he supposed to seeded with his grand n?

    With his eyes reflecting a steely, firm will, the silver-haired boy quickly made a decision. ''Since it hase to this¡­ I guess I can only do it myself!''

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    A greasy-haired middle-aged man grinned as he listened to the gloomy voice from his phone. "Yes yes, I understand. As long as you can get rid of that scourge, I''ll be more than happy to help."

    Obviously, Ginny''s guess that someone on the inside must have helped the ambushers in the parking lot wasn''t just paranoia.

    This man wasn''t the only one dissatisfied with the rapid shift of power into the hands of the ''inexperienced'' twins. After all, every bit of control that the duo gained was something snatched away from their hands!

    Just because Sanders was too delirious to realize how dire the situation was getting didn''t mean none of them would.

    Instead of letting their wounds fester more, it was better to be ruthless on time and cut off the problem from its roots, regardless of the price they had to pay.<sub> </sub>

    A skinny camel was still taller than a horse, and making arrangements to get the people willing to harm the twins close to the two wasn''t difficult for them at all.

    "You don''t need to worry about those little little things, just make sure you don''t get caught." He paused. "Oh, and don''t mess it up again. This might be yourst chance."

    Of course, even Amos understood that it would be almost impossible to pull off any tricks once the twins decided to really hide within a turtle shell. "Just get it done properly, I''ll take care of it all myself this time."

    The old manughed at the boy''s rather gloomy response. "Rx, don''t worry about today''s failure too much. I''ll get your men out of jail after some time even if they get caught by the police."

    "No need."

    The call was disconnected before the man could respond, and he could only shake his head with an amused smile. "How funny."

    He''d tried to look up more than once just what great grudge the boy had against his ''boss'' and his children, but aside from a few minor conflicts, he still couldn''t find anything.

    Naturally, the real identity of the silver-haired boy wasn''t something he exposed willingly, but it wasn''t something that bothered the man too much.

    Instead, what confused him more was the boy''s attitude.

    Even a clever wife won''t be able to make dinner with just an empty pot, right?

    No matter how high the charisma and intelligence of the ck Tiger''s ''vengeful spirit'' was, could he just manifest people and resources from sheer will?

    Had that been possible, he wouldn''t be in the situation he was in right now at all.

    Did the boy not care about what happened to his subordinates?

    Unless he was hiding extremely deeply, the manpower involved this time had to be all the boy had. Without manpower, not to mention fulfilling his lofty ambitions, it might not even be possible to continue sustaining his current ''fief''!

    It''s easy to recruit people in that line of work, but they definitely won''t join a gang if they knew it had already been hollowed out.

    And if the rumors of the government''s future ns were to be believed, any gang without sufficient strength was going to suffer a disaster soon anyway.

    Not that it was any of his concern.

    After all, as long as the boy killed the twins, the thorn lodged deep into his tiger''s ws would bepletely pulled out. With the twins gone and Sanders declining, who else would be able to take the reigns of the Gray Wolfe Corporation but them?

    At that time, was there any need to be bothered by the infighting between monkeys?

    "Well, I won''t look a gift horse in the mouth. Since he''s willing to do our dirty work for us and take the me, who am I toin?"

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 Chapter 580 Compensation

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    "Where the hell did that little brat go again?!"

    Penny coughed awkwardly under the manager''s death re. "S-She, uh, s-she went out to y?"

    "y what?"

    "¡­ games?"

    The manager almost blew her top. "FUCK! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?! I told you to watch her closely!"

    The ponytailed blonde knew that she couldn''t very well admit that she couldn''t have been watching Emilia any more ''carefully'' even if she tried, right? That would only make her look like a creep.

    She could only rub her nose in embarrassment. "Don''t worry, she promised she''ll be back before you know it."

    The manager could only stare at Penny as if she was looking at the biggest idiot in history. "I already know about it, and I don''t know if I''m going blind, but she''s not here now, is she?"

    The blonde girl chuckled. "Guess not?"

    "I''ll go call the police¡ª!" The manager stared hard at her wrist that had been abruptly clenched by Penny. "What are you doing?"

    The blonde girl smiled. "Sorry, I uh, forgot to tell you before, but Emi took Crystal''s permission before leaving. If you call the police on her now¡­"

    The older woman was only momentarily dumbfounded before she shook her head in disbelief. "No way, even if Crystal coddles the little brat like her own daughter, she wouldn''t allow her to run off on her own after she''d already been kidnapped once¡ª?!"

    "Hi, Crystal, you weren''t busy, were you? I''m sorry for the abrupt call, but can you please ''confirm'' that you allowed little Emi to go out to y on her own today? She doesn''t believe me!"

    Luckily, the heroine was quite good at improvisation.

    "¡­ Ah, yes, yes, I did. Little Emi is both mature and smart, and she will be fine on her own. And even if something goes wrong, I have people watching her in the dark now. So there''s no need to worry."

    "See? What did I tell you?"

    Desperately trying to resist the urge to tear out her hair, the manager could only copse on the couch in disbelief. ''Is this the mother''s filter that makes even the ugliest face lovable? If that little brat Emi is ''mature and smart'', then I''m a fucking sage!''

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    Of course, contrary to her manager''s belief, Emilia wasn''t actually just screwing around and putting herself in danger without reason.<sub> </sub>

    In fact, when she first received Ginny''s call for help, she seriously considered letting someone else handle it.

    After all, she had already integrated into the role of Emi now, and taking the risk of exposure in this case where she stood to gain little just didn''t seem worth it.

    But when she imagined someone she knew crying for help in desperation, believing only she coulde to save her, Emilia''s heart told her that she wouldn''t be happy without going there herself.

    This was especially so since she''d already known about the attack beforehand, and could even be considered one of the key factors in making it possible. After all, if not for her sending the ''thugs'' the silver-haired hero''s way, it was unlikely for him to have been able to make so much trouble at this point.

    So after leaving the exnation part to poor Penny, she quickly begged Noelle to secretly send her over to Ginny''s ce.

    Of course, she couldn''t go there as Emi, so the crimson-haired girl also ''borrowed'' Penny''s appearance temporarily, putting her valuable shapeshift skill on that dreaded eight-hour cooldown.

    Fortunately, both ''Little Emi'' and her original form were ''saved'' and ready to be used at any time, and Emilia knew she would be fine as long as she didn''t need to change to something else.

    With Noelle''s help, it didn''t take long before Emilia was ''delivered'' to the ''secret'' apartment where Ginny and Jasper decided to hide temporarily, fearful of being backstabbed by any other hidden traitors.

    Of course, although Ginny quickly pulled her in, having already been informed by Noelle in advance, her disappointment was clearly written on her face even if her words remained polite. "Come in, take a seat."

    As someone who did her research on both her enemies and allies alike, Ginny was naturally aware of who ''Penny'' was, as well as her position by the side of the gorgeous empress.

    In the view of outsiders like her, Penny was just as close to Emilia as Crystal and Noelle, if not more.

    After all, as the face of the most fanatical organization obsessed with the crimson-haired beauty, the mere fact that she hadn''t been forbidden from getting within ten miles of her residence was enough to prove her weight in Emilia''s heart.

    Luckily, she had already prepared herself not to receive Emilia''s response. After all, even if her weight in Emilia''s heart was a hundred times heavier than what it probably was, the Empress of Blue Dawn couldn''t just rush to another country without reason on such short notice, could she?

    The fact that she went took the effort of arranging someone so close to her toe over and help them was already much, much more than they deserved, as far as Ginny was concerned.

    After all, she knew very well just how ''sincere'' the two of them had really been to Emilia. Whether the girl realized it or not didn''t matter.

    ''Penny'' just nodded as she listened to Ginny''s story about how everything happened earlier that day patiently, not letting her expression give anything away. ''I can''t just tell her that those shooters wouldn''t have been able to shoot her or her brother even if the two of them stood perfectly still for hours on end, can I?''

    Although the crimson-haired girl knew that she shouldn''t feel guilty, considering how Ginny and Jasper had even seemed to consider backing down from their part of the deal a few times if not for the possibility of bacsh from her side, it was impossible not to sympathize with the distressed girl in front of her.

    Emilia frowned. ''Well, I guess aspensation for scaring her, I can always make Amos suffer more, right?''

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 Chapter 581 Pleasant Surprise

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    Since Ginny had no idea that the blonde girl in front of her was actually Emilia in disguise, aside from some basic courtesy at the start, she showed no scruples in scolding her brother while waiting for the doctor''s arrival.

    "Who were you trying to act like a hero for, mming the door shut and running around through the bullets like that?"

    Jasper couldn''t help but roll his eyes. "You can''t me me like that, I got us out of there in one piece, didn''t I?"

    Ginny sneered. "So you say, but who''s the one who got hurt in the end?"

    Her brother groaned. "It''s just a twisted ankle, not a bullet wound!"

    Even if Ginny wanted to discuss some countermeasures against the threat against her and her brother''s life with Emilia''s ''messenger'', she believed that such things were best left for after the doctor had already left.

    After all, she couldn''t make very rational decisions until she''d made sure her brother wasn''t lying and hiding some wounds, right? Even if there was no blood on his clothes, having grown up with Jasper, she knew very well just how skilled he was at pretending to be fine.

    Naturally, Emilia had problem with that either, and just watched them bicker in amusement. ''It''s hard to believe that the two of them have the same father as Alexander.''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Aren''t the hero and his father even worse, though?"

    Her partner''s words made sense, and Emilia couldn''t help but be surprised. ''Somehow I just considered them an exception, since Amos can be considered to be more of a puppet to the world will than he is a son to Mr. ck, right?''

    The raven-haired girl shook her head in denial. "That''s not true. Although the world will can definitely influence its host, it can only intensify or dull certain emotions."

    Emilia didn''t question Cynthia on how she could be so sure of such a thing, and simply hummed thoughtfully. ''I see¡­''

    Unfortunately, their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. And given how no one else was supposed to know this address, until it was the building''s maintenance staff¡­ it could only be the doctor called by Ginny at the door.

    The twins immediately stopped bickering, and the older girl refused Emilia when she offered to take care of the door. "He''ll not recognize you anyway and it might cause confusion, so it''s better if I go."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Why did youe crying and begging for help earlier, then? Do you think Emilia has nothing better to do?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle internally. ''She''s probably calmed down now. Besides, she might not want to expose her weakness in front of Penny, perhaps?''

    The raven-haired girl snorted in disdain. "You shouldn''t have taken pity on her anyway. Like I said, some mortals have the habit of exposing their weakness to arouse pity, and you''re just too softhearted to melt so quickly!"

    While her partner remained silent, Cynthia continued with a hum. "Not everyone who wants to harm or take advantage of you wille cursing and swearing, you know? You can''t be a qualified viiness if you can''t learn to be ruthless!"

    It wasn''t until Emilia sent her an obedient nod inside her mind that the raven-haired girl puff out her chest proudly. "I was thinking you''ve grown mature and don''t need much guidance anymore, but seems like when ites to dealing with cunning monkeys, you still have some things to learn. So just listen to me on these matters in the future, okay?"

    Emilia obviously found her partner''s proud and smug posture too cute to pierce, and could only pretend to be obedient once more.<sub> </sub>

    Meanwhile, Ginny had already opened the door and weed the doctor in, along with a young boy carrying boxes full of medical equipment.

    As ''Penny'' had her back facing the entrance from which the three of them arrived while Jasper sat across from her, no one found anything strange even when they were just a few feet away, aside from the bad feeling Amos had in his heart.

    Of course, the silver-haired boy passed it off as normal anxiety, since he was going to pull off what could be considered a dangerous stunt all by himself this time, after all.

    At least, that was what he thought until the blonde girl on the sofa turned around, supposedly to greet them.

    Despite himself, Amos couldn''t help but drop the medical box on the floor and point to the familiar blonde girl in shock. "Y-You¡ª?!"

    The rest of the words got stuck in his throat as he suddenly came back to his senses. ''S-Shit! I can''t let them discover my identity right now!''

    Even if no one had any idea that he was the one who tried to kill the twins, it was impossible for them to think it was ''normal'' for Amos ck to appear at this ce ''coincidentally''.

    Even if their brains were to be considered no better than donkeys, the silver-haired boy knew better than to underestimate his opponents to that extent.

    He would definitely be detained and investigated, and sneaking an attack in on either of the twins would be all but impossible once they became vignt of him.

    How could he let such a thing happen when his ambitions and vengeance were both still in their infancy?

    The doctor couldn''t help but give a dissatisfied re to his new, very ''highly rmended'' assistant. "Don''t be so careless! How can you drop my equipment like that? If something broke, do you have any idea how much time will be wasted to go back and fetch it again?"

    He snorted angrily when he saw the silver-haired boy''s stinky face. "You think I''m being unreasonable? In medicine, time is the most precious jewel of all, and every moment lost is like a treasure thrown down the drain. You understand?"

    Amos did his best to remain calm and smile, though it only barely managed to cover up his anger and anxiety. "S-Sorry, I was just surprised, so¡­"

    The doctor blinked in surprise, but soon realized that it wasn''t so strange. After all, to be rmended by someone so high up with so much pressure that he had no choice but to take the boy along everywhere he went in the future, his background had to be at least good enough to know of some people by miss Ginny''s side, right?

    He first bent down to open the box and confirmed nothing was broken, then decided to give the boy a ''pass'' this time. "Even if the two of you are friends, you should still be careful with important items!"

    The blonde girl stood stock still and didn''t say a word, so the doctor couldn''t help but look at his ''assistant'' suspiciously. "You''re friends, right?"

    Naturally, he failed to recognize Penny, whose face wasn''t very famous outside of certain ''specialized'' circles. He just thought that if the boy endangered his equipment by being surprised to meet someone who could barely be considered an acquaintance¡­ even if he couldn''t ''fire'' the boy, couldn''t he still make his life difficult?

    Gritting his teeth to restrain the hatred he had for all the ''stooges'' of that deplorable crimson-haired girl, Amos could only forcefully pretend to be ''pleasantly surprised''. "Ah, ah, yes yes. W-We used to be ssmates!"

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 Chapter 582 Too Smart?

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    ''Shit¡­! I fucked up!''

    Amos regretted it the moment the words left his lips.

    He was in such a rush to not let that girl speak that he even forgot he didn''t look at all like he used to back when he attended the Imperial Academy of Oriana. Even if they were to grow an extra pair of eyes, it was almost impossible for his old ssmates to recognize him.

    Not only was his expression much more gloomy and haggard now than ever before, but the impact of the constant setbacks and shocks over the past few years seemed to have aged the previously dashing boy''s glowing skin by almost a decade.

    Although he still looked like he could pass off as the eye-candy member of a boy band, even Amos knew that his charm was ''slightly'' reduced whenpared to before.

    This was evidenced by the fact that girls no longer seemed to swoon whenever he passed by, and a few even flinched away upon seeing him approach.

    With his charm, Amos was still sure he could make them lick his boots if he so wished, but the silver-haired boy knew now was not the time for such frivolous thoughts.

    Once he took back everything that belonged to him, it wouldn''t be toote to indulge himself then.

    Naturally, the silver-haired boy still believed that as long as he was given the opportunity to rise back up, everything he had lost would be his once more. Everything, including Crystal, the ck Tiger, and even his youthful glow.

    And if he could seed today, it would definitely take him one step closer to that goal, and the silver-haired boy''s eyes glinted in excitement at that thought. ''But first, I have to fix this mess!''

    Brilliant as he was, it only took him a moment toe up with a solution for his slip up. "We weren''t in the same ss, so you might not remember me. In fact, it''s only natural since we never talked. Let''s talk moreter, though, we can''t disturb the doctor."

    His confidence grew with every word, and after seeing the look of confusion fade away from the face of the ''dumb blonde'' girl, he becamepletely certain of himself.

    "You''re right, I really don''t recall meeting you before¡­" The ''blonde'' girl tilted her head curiously, and if Amos had been more astute, perhaps he would have noticed the amused glint in her eyes. "Your hair color reminds me of someone though."

    ''As expected, she has no idea who she''s talking to, does she?'' The silver-haired boy almost sneered in disdain, but still barely managed to maintain a smile. "Ah, yes yes, I remember him. Brilliant guy, right? Just a pity what happened."

    With this, it should be done, right?

    As he expected, ''Penny'' really seemed to be satisfied after that, and went back to her seat to observe how the doctor was examining Jasper.

    He was really too clever, wasn''t he?

    Amos couldn''t help but pat himself on his back.

    He had seen this particr blonde midget jumping around Emilia quite often, but perhaps that was more of a coincidence than anything else, and their rtionship wasn''t even as close as he previously thought.

    After all, even if the girl had above average appearance, he didn''t have the habit of torturing himself by constantly looking at someone he hated to the core. In fact, the only reason he was staring at her most of the time was because of Crystal.<sub> </sub>

    Maybe even if she recognized him, it wouldn''t matter?

    Either way, it seemed like either that crimson-haired bitch wasn''t particrly close to this girl, or she wasn''t very forting with everything going on between them. Otherwise, she would definitely be much more vignt around him just based on the fact that he looked simr to ''Amos ck'', right?

    When Amos really thought about it, it was only to be expected, and he couldn''t help but nod to himself. ''That''s right, that small-hearted bitch has some ridiculously high pride and ego for someone so dumb. Just because I wasn''t giving her what she desperately wanted, she pretended to be into girls instead so it would seem like she wasn''t interested in me anyway.''

    He couldn''t me so many people for believing her either, since her act was really so thorough that even he would have been deceived if not for the little bitch always wagging her tail around him for so long before school started.

    Perhaps it was then that she realized how futile it was to try to sway his will, and decided to take a more destructive course of action. And that¡­ was the start of everything that went wrong with his life.

    Amos sometimes wondered what he would do if he had another chance.

    If he could, he would definitely turn back time to go back to the day he rejected that sinister bitch and ept her instead.

    Of course, just when she thought all her dreams would being true, he would shatter them all with his own hands!

    He would take everything she had, andpletely ruin her!

    ''No no, it''s not toote yet! I can still make aeback!'' Amos grinned. ''This bitch seems to be even dumber than that whore Emilia. Look at her sneaking nces at me like that¡­ heh, she has no idea what''s about to happen.''

    The doctor had naturally stopped paying attention to the two of them at this point, and moved on to examining and questioning Jasper, and Ginny''s attention was also fully focused on her brother.

    As for his assistant¡­ well, could he really expect any help from a boy who dropped his precious equipment on the first day at work just because he saw some girl he was ''familiar'' with? No, in fact, perhaps the boy just had a one-sided crush, given how the girl didn''t even seem to recall who he was.

    The doctor shook his head in disappointment. ''The younger generation is getting worse and worse, always focusing on love first!''

    In contrast, Ginny and Jasper were clearly good examples of what one could achieve when they didn''t let flowery feelings like love get in their way. Look, they were so young, and yet already billionaires!

    Of course, the doctor conveniently forgot that Ginny and Jasper had a trillionaire father.

    Emilia almost shuddered in disgust when Amos slicked back his silver hair in a ''dashing'' manner and threw her a flirtatious grin, but she barely managed to control herself.

    Of course, Amos only thought that her somewhat strange reaction could only be the girl desperately trying to suppress her swooning lust, and his sense of assurance rose to another level.

    ''Girls in love are the dumbest. I''m guessing that even if she knew what I was about to do now, she wouldn''t dare to rat me out.'' The silver-haired boy nodded to himself confidently.

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 Chapter 583 Crushed

    a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?

    It didn''t take long for the doctor to finish examining Jasper, and it seemed like aside from the stress-induced headache and the sprain in his ankle, he could more or less be considered fine.

    Of course, there was some bruising and scraping on various parts of his body as he rushed around haphazardly while trying to escape, but those were just surface wounds that were easy to treat and recover from within a few weeks at most.

    The doctor already had the ointments and tablets for these minor issues at hand, and had just started exining the dosage when it happened.

    The silver-haired boy who had been docilely standing by his side as if trying to ''learn'' casually reached into what appeared to be his back pocket, presumably to take out his phone, or perhaps even scratch his butt -- the doctor couldn''t care less -- and the next second he was down on the ground, grunting in pain.

    Given how he was clutching at his crotch with his expression twisted and face red in both fury and agony, one didn''t need to guess where exactly he had been wounded to not even be able to scream in response.

    Of course, given how abruptly it all happened, it still took a few moments for the remaining three to process it all.

    While Jasper could only stare at the scene numbly, Ginny couldn''t help but grit her teeth in rage as she quickly slid her hand into her skirt to clutch the gun she had concealed. ''I knew it wouldn''t be over so easily!''

    By this time, however, Emilia already had her heel pressing down on the silver-haired boy''s chest. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but guns aren''t exactly considered medical equipment, are they?"

    Although she was still trying her best to ovee the shock of the situation, Ginny couldn''t help but marvel at how domineering and majestic "Penny''s" aura was at this moment.

    ''It reminds me of... her.'' She thought. ''I guess birds of a feather really do flock together. No wonder Emilia sent her here.''

    Meanwhile, thick beads of sweat rolled down the hero''s brows as he clutched at his groin in agony and tried to curse, but the only sound that came out was a painful wheeze.

    Amos couldn''t even properly process what happened, though he knew deep down that everything that could go wrong had already gone wrong.

    The pocket pistol in the ''blonde'' girl''s hand was enough to make anyone realize that there was no misunderstanding or joke in the situation at all.

    None of them were stupid enough to not realize what could have happened if not for ''Penny'' intervening, and the thought sent chills of terror down even the doctor''s spine.

    He knew that he wasn''t the primary target of the ''assassination'', or he would have already died on his way to Ginny''s apartment. After all, the boy had more than just a few opportunities to do him in on the way, so why would he wait until now?

    But even if he was only a bystander, would the silver-haired boy really let him leave alive after he''d witnessed everything? Unlikely.

    Moreover, the doctor only now realized he might be the only one who ''knew'' who the boy was, or at least who rmended him to be here.

    Thanks to the sheer influence of the people involved, there was no ''need'' for any paperwork at all.

    ''N-No, maybe the whole incident would be med on me instead!'' The doctor realized in shock.<sub> </sub>

    Just imagining what his family might have to go through after his unjust death had such a thing happened made him so furious that it even overrode his shock, and the doctor couldn''t help but curse at the downed boy. "You piece of shit! How dare you--!"

    Unfortunately, his words were cut off by the feeling of cold metal pressing against his back.

    "I wouldn''t move if I were you."

    Although Ginny''s voice trembled, the doctor could tell that she might really shoot him if he pissed her off at this moment, so he nodded hurriedly inpliance. "M-Miss Ginny, trust me, I really had nothing to do with this!"

    To his surprise, Emilia hummed. "He''s probably right, or he could have just poisoned you and we wouldn''t have known until it was toote."

    Of course, even if he did that, the crimson-haired girl could just use a drop of her blood to cure the poison if really necessary, but that wasn''t something that could be so easily revealed, especially with the hero still conscious.

    ''Well, might as well fix that.'' Emilia nodded to herself after delivering a swift kick to Amos, who was already nauseous from the overwhelming pain between his legs,pletely knocking him out.

    Ginny snorted in satisfaction when she saw the blood spurting out from the now unconscious boy''s mouth. "Good kick! He deserved it!"

    Emilia only coughed in embarrassment. ''I probably shouldn''t tell her I was holding back as much as I could, right?''

    Cynthia chuckled. "If you weren''t, wouldn''t his head just explode like a rotten watermelon sted by a cannonball?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but send her an internal eye roll. ''You''re exaggerating! My strength control isn''t so bad that I would kill the hero while knowing how much harder it would make our life.''

    Not to mention how difficult it would be to find the next ''host'' of the world will if it managed to escape, Emilia also had no idea how she would even go about destroying the world will if she didn''t even know what her missions even were anymore.

    It was much better to keep Amos alive and well for a little longer. She was almost done with herst mission anyway, and Emilia could feel that victory was right around the corner.

    Cynthia hummed. "You say your strength control is good, but I could tell that you turned the most integral parts of a certain monkey''s body to paste from that impact."

    Perhaps even if he received the best treatment in the world, Amos would never be able to live a ''normal'' life again.

    Emilia coughed in embarrassment. ''At least his head is fine, right? That''s what matters the most.''

    Cynthia giggled in amusement. "Right. Even if he''s physically ''disabled'' now, at least he''s mentally fit." She paused. "Well, as fit as he''s always been, I guess."

    a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?

 Chapter 584 Entrusted

    a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?

    As there was no way to make sure he would remain alive long enough for her to finish herst mission if left as he was, Emilia naturally couldn''t leave Amos in the hands of Ginny and Jasper.

    With the grudge that the twins now sported against the boy, it wouldn''t be strange if they drained him dry of every drop of blood in his body, and only a fool would expect them to get Amos the medical attention he needed to survive.

    Of course, Emilia could just give him a drop of her blood or instruct the twins to keep him alive with her ''real identity'', but that would involve revealing her ''involvement'' and ''special interest'' in Amos to outsiders, which would just be troublesome.

    Needless to say, even if they hadn''t yet discovered his real identity, Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to believe they wouldn''t be able to dig it up if she left the boy with them.

    Emilia could feel a headacheing her way just from imagining how much trouble she would have to go through to protect someone she really didn''t want to if that happened.

    After all, her little girlfriends might not try to tear each other''s hair off very often, but when it came to Amos ck, they all seemed to have an especially short fuse.

    They couldn''t tolerate the silver-haired boy''s existence when they were powerless to do anything about it, and now that they had grown up and be so much more capable... Emilia shuddered to imagine the hero''s fate if he fell into their hands.

    If they knew that she ''touched'' him again -- even if it was only a kick to his now crushed balls -- perhaps the silver-haired boy would suffer a misfortune that would make his previous agony seem pleasant instead.

    Of course, her cute little girlfriends weren''t all good at that type of thing, but Emilia was well aware of just how proficient her ''maid'' had be at making someone beg for the sweet embrace of death.

    With Crystal''s ability, was it possible for the rest of her little girlfriends to remain unaware for long?

    Resourceful as they were, they would definitely make good use of such skill when they needed it, and Emilia couldn''t risk Amos biting his tongue off in desperation if his pride was trampled too much.

    Luckily, since the twins had no idea about the real identity of the silver-haired boy, it didn''t take Emilia much effort to convince them.

    Emilia flicked her long crimson locks habitually with a confident smile. "Leave this guy to us. Don''t worry, we can definitely dig out the real puppeteer behind this whole thing within three days at most."

    Unfortunately, since she was in Penny''s form, what she really flicked was the ultra-long ponytail that smacked Ginny''s face like a heavy rope, leaving the girl even more dumbfounded than she already was.

    "..."

    Jasper coughed. "I-I guess we''ll leave it to you, then."

    Although Emilia was a little embarrassed, she decided that since she was currently ''Penny'', there was nothing wrong with being a little shameless. "By the way, the doctor has toe too."

    Seeing his face turn pale, she gave him a ''reassuring'' look. "Don''t worry, nothing will happen... if you''re obedient."

    Maybe it would have worked had Emilia been in her original form, but with Penny''s face, her reassuring smile looked more like a mischievous smirk, which almost scared the poor doctor to pee.<sub> </sub>

    Had he not witnessed the petite blonde disable the silver-haired boy as he had, he would definitely have scolded ''Penny'' for being disobedient and unruly.

    For someone who looked like they should still be in school, was that any way to talk to adults?!

    Unfortunately, after watching the miserable ending of his ''assistant'', the man simply didn''t dare to squeak in front of this little devil. Not to mention, the current situation was a bit too dire for him to dare take any warnings lightly.

    Maybe if he was careless, he might really die without even knowing how.

    Who could have imagined he would get involved in an assassination attempt of such high-profile people?

    ''As long as I can get out of this alive, I swear never to involve myself with the rich again! No, in fact, I''ll definitely donate fifteen percent of my life savings to the poor and needy, and use the rest to live a secluded life on a private ind!'' The man nodded to himself.

    Needless to say, he''d saved up quite a bit over the years.

    Although she couldn''t read the doctor''s stray thoughts, Ginny still gave the man a warning look after deciding not to mind Penny''s actions for now.

    Not to mention that she was sent by Emilia and had protected the two of them from the assassination just now, the mere fact that she could help them discover the ''real mastermind'' so quickly was enough reason for her to acquiesce to all of the girl''s demands.

    After all, even if she were to be temporarily satisfied by tearing the disgusting puppet to shreds, wouldn''t there always be a sword hanging above their heads if they failed to discover the dark hand in the shadows?

    a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?

    It didn''t take Emilia long after getting in touch with Noelle to arrange for Amos and the doctor to be transferred to one of their more trusted safe houses in Carmen, and after reassuring Ginny one final time, she finally headed back to the hotel where Penny and her manager were probably still waiting for her.

    "So what''re you going to do with Amos now?"

    Although Cynthia''s tone was more curious than reprimanding, Emilia still felt a little depressed when she thought about it. ''I was a little overconfident in handling him before. Even if I sent him so many ''goons'', I failed to think that he would still take action himself like this. I won''t be so stupid now.''

    Cynthia coughed awkwardly, not feeling veryfortable with her usually confident viiness being so ''self-deprecating''. "W-Well, I wouldn''t say you were stupid. If anything, you just weren''t able to imagine that he would be able to actually do anything without the ''help'' you sent his way now that he''s lost the support of ck Tiger. Which I believe no one can me you for, given his previous record of ipetency."

    Her partner''s words finally seemed to cheer Emilia up as she giggled. "My adorable little Cynthia trying tofort me? I feel like even if I acted a little stupid before, it might have been worth it just for this moment!"

    The raven-haired girl couldn''t help but pout. "Can you not make fun of me every time you get the chance?!"

    a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?a¡±?

 Chapter 585 Unforgivable

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    Even if the influence that Alexander''s father had over the Gray Wolfe Corporation had declined to only a fraction of what it used to be just a few years ago, it still wasn''t to be underestimated.

    While many had switched sides to favor the twins while others tried to fish in troubled waters, there still remained more than a few staunch loyalists who firmly supported him with all their might.

    And with so many people having heard the unsuppressed gunshots, and many even having witnessed Ginny and Jasper escaping, it was naturally impossible for the twins'' father to remain oblivious to it for long.

    Of course, contrary to what his subordinates expected, the man wasn''t happy to hear about the news at all.

    In fact, the man pretty much exploded in rage the moment he learned of the attempted assassination, and it took quite a bit of effort for even his veteran colleagues to calm him down.

    At first, they thought that it must be because the assassination was secretly ordered by him, and he was furious to hear that it had failed, but it turned out not to be the case at all.

    "Who the fuck has such big balls within Carmen?! Find them, find them immediately!"

    Knowing just how irrational and irritable he had been ever since he lost his son and his wife went into aa, the rest of them could only give up trying to figure out his thoughts and ede to his demands.

    "Yes yes, Mr. Gray, we''ll get to it right away."

    Unfortunately, they never had the opportunity to figure it out on their own as an anonymous message was soon sent to theirpany''s public mailbox with a bombshell of a news.

    The people behind the attempted assassination of Ginny and Jasper were some of the top bosses of their own corporation!

    Naturally, such ''news'' would only be considered baseless nder without proof.

    But to the horror of everyone involved, whoever sent the ''leak'' seemed to have first-person ess to almost every message and instruction that had been sent to the ''assassins'' from the perpetrator''s side, much of which was confidential information that could be easily traced back with a little effort.

    Those who had been only slightly disappointed not to hear the news of the sessful assassination immediately realized that something seemed to have gone horribly wrong.

    "Who was moronic enough to give their own ess code to those fools?!"

    The man who had the most evidence stacked against him had already broken out into a cold sweat. "I-I swear I didn''t do it! L-Look, I even have the messages to show¡ª"

    "Idiot, delete them! Delete them immediately!"

    Of course, after they calmed down a little from the panic, they realized that what happened wasn''t that they slipped up identally, but that they''d been led into a malicious trap by someone.

    The ess codes could be easily leaked and were still justifiable, but all the other proof that had been gathered by the ''leakers'' showed that the assassins they had been in contact with were likelypromised from the start.

    As for the identity of the person stabbing at them from the shadows¡­ unfortunately, there was no time for them to figure it out.

    The moment he learned that people from his own corporation were the ones behind Ginny and Jasper''s attempted assassination, Alexander''s father wentpletely ballistic.<sub> </sub>

    "Shit! Even if they''re technically his children, haven''t they already rebelled by trying to contend for power as they are?"

    "Right?! Are we worth less than those rebels after everything we''ve done to help grow this corporation to what it is today?"

    "Not to mention, his wife is just in aa, not dead. He can easily have more childrenter."

    "Even if she dies, he can still have more children. I think he''s just taking his anger out on us because he thinks we''re easy to bully, and he doesn''t have the strength to punish those he really wants!"

    "We can''t continue following him anymore¡­ Sanders has really gonepletely crazy."

    Of course, no one else knew that the real reason for most of his rage wasn''t that he thought they were stepping on his face by trying to kill his only remaining children, but something else entirely.

    Although Emilia had kept the identity of the hero a secret from Ginny and Jasper when she ''arrested'' him, that was only because it would prevent her from taking him away ''safely'' with as much ease if exposed.

    Now that she already had him, there was no need to worry so much.

    Needless to say, sending a few photos of Amos being involved with the same men who were involved in the assassination to Sanders had the same effect as pouring jet fuel into a fire pit.

    The man could barely suppress his anger when he thought his face had been stomped into the ground, but when the same people were involved with his ''real'' son''s murderer¡­ there was no way he could keep his cool.

    Amos ck was the man Sanders hated the most in the world, and knowing that his own people were involved with him behind his back was like a sobering punch to the gut for him.

    He realized that he couldn''t trust these people anymore, and even the things he had previously depended on them to ''verify'' now seemed questionable.

    Were they involved with Amos before the boy murdered his son? Was it their n from the beginning to destabilize him?

    How far did this conspiracy go?

    Alexander''s father had no idea, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt chilled in his heart.

    To think so many treacherous snakes had been biding their time right by his side for so long¡­

    He mmed his fist on the table in rage. "Unforgivable!"

    No matter how the used people tried to appease him, nothing seemed to work. The man seemed intent on doing everything he could to not onlypletely cut them off from the Gray Wolfe Corporation, but also bring them to ''justice'' in a much more literal way.

    Those who could hire assassins to get rid of Ginny and Jasper were naturally not people who would take such bullying lying down, though, and even if they were previously on the same side, survival took precedence after all.

    And thus, Gray Wolfe''s ''loyalist'' faction that had been sticking with Sanders through thick and thin and had only been weakened by a little more than half despite the relentless efforts of the twins¡­ immediately fragmented into two, and started cannibalizing its own.

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 Chapter 586 All As Planned

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    Emilia was naturally pleased to hear about the infighting within thest remaining loyalists on the side of Alexander''s father, and did her best to fan the mes as much as she could without being discovered.

    On one side were those who had been involved in the assassination attempt, including many of the upper echelon of the faction and their subordinates. And on the other side were the ones who still supported Alexander''s father, as well as those who were against the use of such nefarious means against their own.

    Needless to say, the two sides of the ''scale'' were far from being bnced, and if not for the advantage of his official position, Alexander''s father might not have stood a chance against so many well-fed sharks. If left on their own, perhaps they wouldn''t even spit his bones at the end.

    Luckily for him, Emilia didn''t want the man''s opponents to seed too easily, or at all. After all, while Alexander''s father had ''higher priorities'' in his mind recently, being more focused on seeking vengeance for his dead son, that was obviously not the case with these ''sharks''.

    They would surely start targeting the twins even more ruthlessly if they won this ''battle'', and the White Deer Corporation wouldn''t be out of their calctions either.

    Moreover, even if they weren''t particrly resourceful or smartpared to Emilia''s side, their threat couldn''t be written off so simply.

    After all, even if their individual lethality was low, the fact that there were so many of them made it extremely hard to keep track of their activities and ns.

    In Emilia''s mind, it was better to never let them fly. Otherwise, she would always have to watch the skies in the future.

    ''Luckily, Ginny and Jasper are now much more cooperative and willing to support my ideas.'' Emilia smiled. ''If Noelle is able to take care of everything on her end perfectly, it shouldn''t be difficult to make Alexander''s father slowly whittle these pigs down to their bones while Ginny and Jasper gather the meat for us.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "What''s with that disgusting analogy?"

    Her partner only stuck her tongue out cheekily before continuing to follow the ''training routine'' set by her manager as ''punishment'' for being so disobedient.

    Of course, to Emilia, it was no more than some light rxing exercise she had to do every morning. Not to mention being depressed, she felt that it was actually quite a good way to just open her mind and think through some of her issues in a simpler manner.

    Naturally, her manager wasn''t quite so pleased at the results of her punishment.

    It wasn''t that she was upset that little Emi wasn''t being miserable, though. She wasn''t quite so mean.

    Had that been the case, she would have surely decided on a harsher punishment, though whether it would have worked once Crystal learned of it was another matter.<sub> </sub>

    No, what bothered her was the fact that Penny, her supposedly capable ''assistant'' in this ''mascot-making mission'', insisted on watching little Emi ''train'' with an intensity that she just couldn''t justify in her mind no matter what.

    The fact that the ponytailed blonde kept drooling while watching her mascot stretch and spin didn''t help either.

    ''I didn''t see anything, nope, I definitely didn''t.'' The manager nodded to herself after finishing her self-hypnotization. ''The fact that I won''t be allowing Penny to be alone in little Emi''s room ever is just for professional reasons and respecting the girl''s privacy. That''s right.''

    Luckily, the fact that Penny was actually quite ''professional'' when it came to other aspects of her ''job'' helped her quite a lot in convincing herself, and her little mascot''s fame rose slowly but surely among the people of Carmen, even before she''d shot her first real mercial''.

    A part of it was definitely thanks to the ''scandal'' that the girl had caused when she got kidnapped. Well, to be precise, most of the people who knew her only knew her thanks to the outrage generated by the government''s mishandling of the situation, but that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing.

    The government of Carmen wasn''t going to be very cooperative with them in the first ce, so there was no need to fear tearing their face while doing things. Had that not been the case, they wouldn''t need to jump through so many hoops in the first ce, after all.

    The Gray Wolfe was now a shadow of its former self, and the White Deer was at the highest point of glory it had ever reached. How could the two of them even be considered to be each other''s opponents had the match been fair?

    Of course, the manager didn''t quite understand how making her little mascot famous was going to help the situation, but that wasn''t really part of her job.

    Knowing her princess, since she decided to support the White Deer''s decision and approved of the ns with little Emi, she must already have it all figured out. There was no need for people like her to doubt her wisdom.

    In fact, even if she were to fail, the manager firmly believed it must be because her princess intended things to go that way in the first ce, and it was all part of her n. As for the reason why¡­ who knows?

    The only thing she''d been worried about was if little Emi would end up throwing a wrench in the ns of her princess, willful and disobedient as she was.

    After all, just being cute was far from enough when it came to winning people''s hearts, and the manager knew that work ethic and diligence were a big part of the equation, both of which little Emicked.

    Thinking about the girl''s performance so far, however, the manager couldn''t help but sigh emotionally. ''Luckily, although she''s far from being as perfect as my princess, little Emi still has plenty of talent to leave everyone impressed. I feel like I only need to showcase it well, cover up all the rough edges that don''t resemble our princess, and she''ll be the perfect mascot to win everyone''s heart!''

    Nodding to herself with confidence, she grinned. "Alright, Emi! Come, I think it''s time for you to make your debut!"

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 Chapter 587 Ground Reality

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    Although the higher-ups in the White Deer Corporation were vaguely aware of the true ''intentions'' of those at the top, the steps that had to be taken still couldn''t be skipped, and the hoops they had to jump through, they had to make the effort to jump through anyway, no matter how pointlessly difficult it seemed.

    It was impossible for them to still not understand how Noelle handled ''ckers'' after so many years, after all. If someone so much as tried to make their case of their assigned task being ''pointless'' and how everything would be fine even if they took it easy, that was simply asking for a one-way ticket to overwork hell.

    Since they couldn''t argue with Noelle, and looking for the ''ruling family'' would result in even worse oues, the only other option left for them was to diligently work on whatever they were told to.

    Even if it seemed to be pointless and a waste of their efforts, such as little Emi''s debut, and the introduction of White Deer''s new line of products in Carmen.

    Fortunately, with the more than generous funding from the top, most of the matters at the ground level hardly caused much trouble for the employees of White Deer.

    If it doesn''t work the first time, just throw more money at it.

    Carmen was famous for giving trouble to new corporations when they tried to set up their business, as almost all of them end up fleeing within the first year, while those that are desperate mayst for up to five.

    Naturally, such stubbornness usually only led to a continuous loss of their resources until they had nothing left, but with White Deer''s size and capability, no one felt very worried in that regard.

    Even if they were to bleed a little, it would only be considered a minor loss financially. The loss of face might be more significant, of course, but that also wasn''t something to worry about too much with ''Princess Emilia'' on their side.

    The only ''unfortunate'' part of the equation for White Deer''s staff was that Noelle had expressly issued orders forbidding them from bribing any gangsters or uwful elements to make things easier, and they could only either directly ''deal'' with them, or report them to the top to ''take care of''.

    "That bunch of gangsters from yesterday refused to let us into the venue again. They say that unless we pay them the ''charges'', it''s impossible for them to let us use it ording to the ''rules''."

    "Didn''t we already report it to the police three days ago?"

    "Yeah, but you know how it is. If reporting to the police worked in Carmen, it wouldn''t be in the state it''s currently in, would it?"

    Although it was a bitter pill to swallow, none of the staff present could deny it.

    There was a reason they didn''t feel safe to move with their families here despite the corporation''s more than generous housing, after all.

    It was better to bear loneliness for a few months than to go through eternal separation because of their overconfidence in the White Deer.

    Obviously, the staff wasn''t very optimistic about their own corporation''s ability to take care of its own in Carmen, but it wasn''t without reason.<sub> </sub>

    One of them couldn''t help but groan. "If we were in Blue Dawn, this would never happen. Those gangsters would have already been cleaned up by now, and we would be taking care of our business with peace of mind." He sighed. "I guess we can only report it to the higher-ups."

    His coworker rolled his eyes. "Those gangsters wouldn''t exist in Blue Dawn to begin with! We just gotta work with what we got, man. That sry hike when we transferred was there for a reason."

    The other man coughed in embarrassment. "I''m notining, but¡­ I don''t think this is gonna work out very well. I''m not sure who decided to do it this way, but while it''s a noble idea to not feed the vermin preying on the weak, sometimes it''s better to justpromise and get on with your own life. Why make things harder for ourselves if it''s not going to change anything?"

    Obviously, to make thew enforcement make a move when they didn''t want to would require either political pressure, or enough ''motivation'', which would definitely put a dent in the corporation''s coffers.

    None of the staff believed it would be ''cheaper'' than just paying the goons directly, and it took so much longer to boot, making them feel even more helpless.

    His coworker sighed. "Tell that to the boss. Now we can just wait for them to negotiate with the police or whatever it is that they n to do. We just have to bear with it until they finally realize that this is Carmen, thend of goons, not Blue Dawn."

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    The staff naturally had no idea that what they considered a ''major inconvenience'' was actually a big opportunity in the eyes of their ''boss''.

    In fact, it was no ident that the site where the firstmercial little Emi was supposed to be shooting happened to be in an area heavily controlled by one of the most ferocious gangs in the region.

    From drugs to organ trading, these ''people'' operated in every ''field'' known to the thug-kind, and their annual turnover even exceeded many world-renowned corporations.

    Although they might be a bit meeker when facing the name of the Nightingale n and Gray Wolfe within Carmen due to their long-established reputation, the intimidation factor of the White Deer Corporation was simply too weak. They were just outsiders with some money in their pockets, and simply had no bite to apany their barks as far as the goons were concerned.

    Law enforcement invited by the big corporations? They would be informed long before any raids happened, and would just have to pretend to flee from the area for a while, if that. And they would be getting a good ''cut'' from whatever the big idiots paid to get the whole circus into motion on top. Win-win all around.

    As for the fearing the name of ''Princess Emilia'' and her ''Knights''? That was just a joke to people like them.

    They were just weak little sheltered babies, no, more ''merchandise'' in their hands, even! If anything, those overconfident idiots would just be delivering more business to their door if they came toin, and putting more money in their pockets. Was there any reason toin about such a thing?

    If they had more such enemies, perhaps they would smile even in their sleep!

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 Chapter 588 Clever?

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    It was both the overconfidence of the gangsters as well as the fierce reputation that they had established in the minds of themon folk that made Emiliae up with the idea of using them as a stepping stone.

    After all, it was only by solving problems that the local government had ''failed'' to handle properly that she would be able to win everyone''s hearts. And it was only once she seeded in doing so that she could safely move on to the next step of her n.

    No matter how strong the rulers were, once they''d lost the favor of their own people, there was no way they could sit on the ''throne'' for long. Whether it was their own fault or not simply didn''t matter.

    This was a fact that Emilia was intimately familiar with, and also the one mistake that she never wanted to repeat again.

    The way in which they fell might range from a traitor right by their side to a localized rebellion that grew out of control, but the end results remained the same.

    Fortunately, with people like Cynthia and Crystal with her, Emilia could rest assured that she would no longer be as ''insensitive'' to the real intentions and feelings of those she led, so she didn''t have much to worry about in this regard.

    But her goal in this world wasn''t just Blue Dawn, though it would always remain her ''home'' here. No, what she needed to be was the ''winner'', someone who could make Amos and the world will feel truly helpless and hopeless, or her mission would never bepleted.

    And if she could make the lives of some of her ''knights'' outside of Blue Dawn better while at it¡­ wasn''t that all the better?

    Unfortunately, neither Blue Dawn nor the White Deer could be considered strong enough at the moment to take on any medium-sized countries in a frontal conflict.

    At least, they couldn''t do so and win without suffering significant losses. Unless she was in apletely desperate situation, Emilia would never want to head in that route.

    But just like she had been ''defeated'' in thest world without even getting the chance to raise her sword, there was more than one way to ''win'' a war. This was especially so against a ''ruler'' that had fallen out of favor.

    After her ''experience'' in Blue Dawn, Emilia was now even more confident in her moves.

    Needless to say, not to mention Carmen, even Oriana was within her calctions.

    Of course, the way she was handling things now made it so that there was almost no room for mistakes. Otherwise, even if she managed to defeat her ''opponent'', perhaps someone else would end up reaping most of the benefits instead.

    And to make matters worse, if the root cause of the ''disease'' couldn''t be routed at that time, it would be her name taking the hit.

    Even with the world will teetering on the verge of copse and her reputation as high as it was now, Emilia didn''t dare to take the gamble. After all, if she ended up losing the momentum from such a favorable position, Cynthia would probably be able to make fun of her for decades toe!

    While Emilia usually tried to keep an open mind most of the time, she was still well aware of the fact that she had a ss heart that was both soft and easy to break.

    No matter how cute or adorable her partner might look while acting smug, there probably wasn''t much criticism she could take before she broke down and made things all awkward between them, which was the exact opposite of how Emilia wanted things to go in the future.

    That was why it was imperative to not only seize this chance and strike while the iron was hot, but also do it in a way that left both her allies and enemies without the slightest chance to react!<sub> </sub>

    Naturally, this was easier said than done.

    Her manager, for example, would never allow her to head into a ''danger zone'' if she knew about it in advance, and perhaps even most of the staff working for the White Deer would object to a ''little girl'' being subjected to ''danger''.

    Perhaps had she been ''Emilia'' instead of little Emi, they would have just blindly followed her orders because of the confidence she had long since instilled in everyone with her past ventures, but that wasn''t a luxury that ''little Emi'' had. At least, not yet.

    Unfortunately, revealing her real identity was not an option. Even if she was able to take revenge on the Nightingale n using force, the losses that both Blue Dawn and White Deer would have to suffer in the frontal conflict with Carmen were simply not worth it.

    After all, the people who would fight for her were like her children, and if she could let them keep on living happily, why would she needlessly sacrifice them in a war? Especially so if it was against an enemy that was stupid enough to jump into hotva with enough coaxing.

    Cynthia scoffed. "You coddle them too much. There''s no point in their existence if you can''t even use them properly, is there?"

    In response to her partner''s apparent scorn, Emilia just shook her head with a smile. ''You can''t say that. Don''t I get helped by everyone all the time?''

    ''Most of those troubles are things you are doing for them anyway, aren''t they?'' Of course, Cynthia just snorted after thinking so, but didn''t bother refuting her stupid partner.

    Perhaps this was just how Emilia was, or she would never havended in a situation where she lost her life after obtaining the supreme position in her past kingdom.

    The betrayal might have ironed out some of this w and made the crimson-haired beauty a little more cautious ¡ª and a lot more paranoid ¡ª but the root of the ''problem'' still remained in the depths of her soul.

    ''It''s not that it''s impossible to fix, but¡­'' Cynthia quickly shook her head with a sigh.

    Maybe it was fine to let the crimson-haired girl live with this w for now. After all, despite her many shorings, Emilia''s final performance still far, far exceeded her expectations.

    It had only been a few years, and the hero was already on hisst legs, helpless in the palms of her viiness, and the ''world will'' was teetering on the verge of copse.

    Perhaps the moment the next step of Emilia''s n was finished, the ''world will'' wouldpletely admit defeat and surrender, and they would be done with this world.

    At that time, was there any need to care about little critters and monkeys bothering her viiness?

    Even if she insisted on taking them back, they would only be able to stay back when Emilia headed into the next mission world with her, and only her.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but smile smugly. ''Hmph, even if those monkeys whine and cry about itter, the most time they can spend in a mission world with my viiness is only a few hours, and that too will only be for a limited amount of people.''

    The idea she came up with at the start was really too clever,pletely without ws. As expected of her, she thought. Only a perfect being like herself could havee up with such an infallible n, she thought.

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 Chapter 589 Beyond The Job Description

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    Unaware of her partner''s ''rebellious'' thoughts, the crimson-haired girl remained focused on the current task at hand, and it didn''t take her long toe up with a good solution.

    Her n with the gangsters was actually quite simple.

    With the little credibility her new persona currently had, it was naturally impossible to ''convince'' anyone to let her do whatever she wanted in a situation they considered ''unsafe''.

    In that case, wasn''t it a simple matter of making them believe that the situation had already been ''resolved''?

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. ''With big sister and Noelle''s current level of influence¡­ it shouldn''t be hard to pull this off.''

    Of course, the biggest obstacles weren''t her ''allies'', who could be easily convinced with a strong enough statement from her big sister, but the gangsters themselves.

    If they continued to show hostility to White Deer''s staff before her arrival, there was no telling how things might deviate from her n.

    After all, so long as they believed they were doing the right thing, there were more than a few members in the White Deer''s staff who would ''take matters into their own hands''.

    This was partially Emilia''s own fault, having propagated the idea that blindly following orders wasn''t always the best move, and people would be rewarded for making better decisions themselves, to a certain extent.

    Of course, most of Noelle''s subordinates weren''t included in this policy, and still had to strictly obey allmands without question, but the gray-haired girl also understood the reasoning behind Emilia''s decisions.

    It was true that the people at the top could never bepletely caught up with the situation at the ground level, and it was only when they allowed their subordinates some level of decision-making power that they would be able to produce the best results.

    Not to mention, the feeling of having made their own contributions made the staff of White Deer quite happy, and they also felt that their work was being appreciated by the ''ruling family'' more.

    Naturally, the staff involved with shooting themercial this time hardly had a few of Noelle''s disciplined subordinates, and most of them were just general employees who couldn''t be ''relied upon'' so easily.

    But Emilia had a n.

    "Pay those little bastards to back off??? But baby¡­ didn''t you say you were going to beat their butts offter? You can''t do that if they just leave you alone, could you? I don''t get it."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but giggle at her big sister''s confused reaction. "I didn''t mean you really have to pay them. Just make them believe they''ll be paid so they can back off and make everyone think we''ve reached a deal."

    "But if we don''t pay them, there''s no way they''ll let¡ª"

    Emilia nodded. "Exactly. Confident as they are, they probably won''t doubt us at first, but will definitely explode the moment they realize we''re about to start shooting without ever having fulfilled the promised payment."<sub> </sub>

    She grinned. "Of course, just to make sure nothing goes wrong, make sure youmunicate that the ''deal is off'' the moment everything is set. Okay?"

    After all, if the gangsters decided to wait until they ''finished'' shooting before making trouble, wouldn''t she be the one looking more ''unreasonable''?

    Sam and Noelle had a few more concerns in regards to her ''safety'', but it didn''t take Emilia long to convince them that she would be fine. Part of it might have been that her strength and speed had already grown to a level where Noelle was certain she would never be able to take the crimson-haired beauty down, and part of it was because Sam couldn''t think very well to begin with.

    After all, her ''little sister'' was not only snuggled into herp, but also in such a small and adorable form!

    She could carry the girl around with ease, and even toss her in the air! How cool was that?

    Of course, like every ''bad'' idea Sam usually had, it didn''t take her long to give in to her urges and really do it, leaving both Noelle and Emilia dumbfounded.

    The crimson-haired girl burst into amused giggles soon after as she enjoyed her ''flight'' under Sam''s shining eyes, but Noelle wasn''t nearly as amused.

    "Ow ow ow! My ear is about to be torn off!"

    The taller girl immediately put Emilia down and started whining, her voice full of grievances. "Why did you do that? I didn''t even break my promise! You can''t possibly think that tossing her into the air was pervy, right?!"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion, but Noelle''s dark expression quickly made Sam shut her mouth in terror.

    Of course, now that the cat was out of the bag, the gray-haired girl knew that it was better to rify things. Otherwise, with Sam''s personality, she would definitely continue acting ''pitiful'' for as long as she could take advantage of the situation.

    "I told you not to do anything like that while she was in a smaller form, not because it would be wrong, but because I was worried that you will make a new breakthrough in your level of perversion. Which would be¡­ quite an achievement."

    Looking at her big sister pointing at Noelle in disbelief, Emilia couldn''t help but burst into another bout of giggles. "Although I hate to bully big sister together with you, I can''t deny that it''s true."

    Of course, she didn''t allow the taller girl to pout for long, and pulled her down with a tug to her sleeve before printing a soft kiss against Sam''s cheek. "But I like it."

    The taller girl''s depressed expression immediately dissolved as she grinned victoriously. "Do you? I knew it! Look, Noelle, my baby likes it, and it doesn''t matter what you¡ª Ow ow ow! I-I''m your boss, you know! Y-Your boss! OW!"

    Noelle rolled her eyes with a sneer while twisting the girl''s ear further. "Not to mention that you aren''t, even if you were, aren''t I just doing my job?"

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 Chapter 590 Deception

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    "Eh? They really agreed to pay us???"

    "T-That''s right, boss. The woman from the White Deer''s side said that as long as we agree to not cause trouble for their team for the next two weeks, they''ll pay us the full amount in advance."

    Although they had long since been confident that the White Deer would give in to their demands sooner orter, none of them had expected them to do so this easily. After all, with their previous track record, shouldn''t they have at least first tried to get the police to clean them out?

    The gang leader couldn''t help but be a little disappointed. "Well, it''s a pity, but since they took up our offer, we can only honor our word. Shame, I was really looking forward to smashing their board."

    It might sound silly, but in their ''field'', verbal promises weren''t so easily broken, being the backbone of most of their transactions. Unless they could make sure that the other party would never be able to talk about it, that is.

    Under hismand, the ''patrols'' around the area naturally retreated swiftly, and although the staff wasn''t sure what caused the sudden change, they couldn''t help but sigh out in relief.

    After all, most of them had never even thrown a single punch their entire lives, and just looking at these gangsters hovering around them caused many to have endless nightmares the past few weeks. So long as they were gone, wasn''t it all good?

    Just as many of them were celebrating, however, an announcement from their ''boss'' sent many spiraling into disbelief and despair.

    "The gangsters will be¡­ helping us?"

    "As actors?!"

    The ''boss'', being a direct subordinate of Noelle who had weathered many ''storms'' before, remainedpletely unfazed while facing their pointed fingers. "Calm down, everyone. I know it sounds absurd, and your concerns are valid, but listen to me first."

    She cleared her throat and continued confidently. "The skills of an actore into y whenever they''re trying to portray something that they''re not, but is that skill really necessary when one''s just being themselves? If we''re just asking a boxer to fight in the ring as they naturally would and just filming it as is, they don''t really have to be a particrly good actor, right?"

    Her statement left many of them staring at each other dumbfounded, but they couldn''t find any argument to refute her with.

    Thedy knew she''d shaken off most of their fear, and that was good enough. "No need to think about it too much, this is a decision from the top. The gangsters will only be acting as themselves at the time of shooting, and we''ll all do it in a single take. So make sure to be at the top of your game, understand?"

    The staff grumbled a little at the prospect of having to ''cooperate'' with those hateful thugs, but left to make the preparations as instructed nheless.

    Of course, the moment the door to her temporary ''office'' was closed, the ''boss'' quickly took out the tissue from her drawer to wipe the non-existentyer of sweat from her forehead. ''F-Fuck, I-I''m getting really good at lying, aren''t I?''

    Her mom always told her only bad girls would lie, but Noelle wouldn''t be paying her so well if she was just a good girl, right?

    Plus, not to mention telling a few harmless lies, she would even start calling the gray-haireddy mommy if it meant her sry would be doubled. Hell, she might even do it for an extra fifty ¡ª no, thirty percent!

    The only unfortunate thing was how innocent and easily deceived the staff here were, like little children, which made her feel even more guilty than usual, but luckily the situation would soon change once little Emi and her manager got here.

    Then she could just pretend to have been just as out of the loop as the rest of them when they discovered the truth, and me it all on the ''bosses'' not letting them know to keep it a secret to maintain her trustworthy image.

    Although technically she would only be her ''superior'' in name for the purpose of ''directing'' the event, the ''boss'' could only apologize for buckling this pot on the poor woman''s head in advance. ''It''s either you or me, pal. You or me.''

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    Unlike the staff at the shooting location, the details shared with little Emi''s manager were slightly different. Of course, with Penny by her side, Emilia was confident that no one would be able to ''expose'' her ns inadvertently.

    Of course, the woman could only scratch her head, perplexed, when she first received the news. "The contents were changed by the higher-ups? But¡­ why?"

    Even if she was slightly confused, though, being a professional meant that she had to adjust ording to the circumstances and do as she was told anyway.

    Naturally, she didn''t expect Penny to give her any answers, and little Emi was even less likely to know more about it, so the two of them wisely decided to stay silent while the woman paced back and forth.

    After considering it for a while, she hummed thoughtfully. "Little Emi''s athletic skills are quite good, so it shouldn''t be an issue making her jump around ording to the requirements¡­ but I''m not sure how well her ''beating people up'' skills could be portrayed on camera."

    After all, in her experience, even professionals often had trouble perfectly timing their shots to not make them appear ''dampened'' when sped back up again.

    ''If only the requirements were acting brave or annoying, little Emi would definitely have done very well.'' She sighed.

    Fortunately, Penny''s ability to spew nonsense and convince others of it was top-notch.

    "Actually, our little Emi doesn''t need to worry about such ws at all."

    The manager blinked at her curiously. "Oh?"

    Penny nodded enthusiastically. "Yes yes, after all. Look at her little fists. So soft and adorable! Does she even have to hold back? It''ll probably feel good even if she hits someone full force."

    The manager looked at little Emi''s hands, and absurd as it was, she couldn''t help but agree with her usually idiotic ''assistant'' this time. ''They do look very soft¡­?''

    Penny became even more confident as she puffed out her almost-t chest with a smug grin. "In fact, look, let me give you a demo. Emi, baby,e hit me?"

    Emilia could only indulge Penny reluctantly, even though she was slightly worried about not being able to perfectly control her punch.

    The manager narrowed her eyes as the crimson-haired little girl rushed forward to throw a punch at Penny, eager to catch any signs of unnatural behavior. ''This pervert can''t be trusted, after all.''

    Fortunately, her anxiety seemed to have aided her strength control considerably, and the apparently ''full force'' punch onlynded on Penny''s face with a soft tap, not even leaving much of a dent on the chubby cheek.

    ''Yes! Princess punch, get!'' Penny cheered internally. ''Heh, I bet Dixie''s never felt this before!''

    Meanwhile, Emilia was just relieved that she hadn''t sent Penny flying into the wall, while the manager nodded, half convinced and half resigned. ''She''s a pervert, after all. Look at that satisfied grin¡­ even if that punch hurt, I couldn''t tell if she would be even happier.''

    Unfortunately, until she had solid proof, there was little she could do about it, and the manager could only sigh in defeat and pretend not to notice anything. "The requirements are a bit strict, particrly considering that we have to do it in a single shot. But since they''re all professional actors especially trained for the job, guess we can just do as we''re told and have faith in their ability to adapt, then."

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 Chapter 591 Blue Hydras Greatest Fortune

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    The location of the shoot wasn''t that far from one of Carmen''s more populous cities, and needless to say, the gang that was able to control that area with an iron fist already had a fierce reputation deeply ingrained into the hearts of mostmon folk.

    In its infancy, its members used to refer to themselves as ''Team Hydra'', but over time as their ambitions grew, they changed their gang''s name to ''Blue Hydra''.

    Naturally, this not only reflected their desire to grow to the same level as some of the top corporations in the world by following their naming scheme, but could also be considered a challenge to the authority of the Gray Wolfe!

    Fortunately for them, however, the timing of their rise happened to coincide with the ongoing leadership conflicts in the corporation. And without their ''owners'' giving out any orders, the Nightingale n only sent a team to demand a ''monthly payment'' in exchange for ''authority to operate'', and then left them alone from that point on.

    The leader of the Blue Hydra didn''t consider this a humiliation, but a victory instead, and also took it as a green light from the world to continue growing as much as they could.

    Maybe in a few more years, their fates wouldpletely change, and they would be local overlords who cooperated with the government instead of glorified thugs who hid in the shadows.

    Looking at things now, perhaps that dream wasn''t so far froming true. Even the White Deer Corporation, which was on the same level as the Gray Wolfe, could only bow down and make the payment when they needed to operate in Blue Hydra''s area.

    Or so they thought.

    "Why the fuck have we not received the payment yet?!"

    "M-Maybe the transfer didn''t go through? I-I''ll go ask the bank again¡ª"

    The boss mmed his fist on the table in fury. "Do you think this is a joke?! If those bastards finish doing whatever they want and leave without paying us, are we supposed to go beg in front of their doorter?!"

    Not to mention, the White Deer Corporation in Carmen may not evenst that long, and it was even more unlikely for a behemoth like that to pay their little gang anything if they retreated back to Blue Dawn.

    "No no no, we can''t let them do that! Quickly¡ª"

    A loud ringing of the phone interrupted their conversation, and the boss red daggers at the nervously sweating thug, who could only put the call on speaker.

    "Hey, just letting you know, our previous deal is off. Boss rejected your payment and told everyone not to care about such tiny little rodents who can never even bite through our shoes. Bye!"

    Although the boss hadn''t seen the caller ID very clearly, he naturally understood that thedy speaking must have been a representative of the White Deer Corporation.

    The thug could hardly breathe in the oppressive and tense silence that followed before his boss screamed in rage.

    "Ask everyone to get back here! If we don''t teach those idiots a lesson for life, our name isn''t Blue Hydra, you hear me?!"

    Even though he''d already expected a big move from his boss, the thug couldn''t help but take a step back in shock. "E-Everyone? Even Hydra one through eight¡­?"

    The terror of those eight ''monsters'' was no mystery between the members of their gang, and everyone knew that each of them had the strength of a bull and the might of a tiger.

    Wasn''t it way overkill to call them to deal with those weaponless and powerless losers?

    The boss sneered. "Did I stutter?!"

    Although the thug in front of the boss wanted to argue again, as their own shares would surely suffer if those ''big shots'' joined, he knew better than to bark while his boss was in a rage.

    Perhaps it would serve the White Deer right to learn a ''lesson'', though he hoped that it didn''t affect the final paycheck too much. After all, the eight ''super weapons'' they had were quite hard to control, and almost never retreated from a battlefield without taking some ''spoils of war''.

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    White Deer''s staff at this moment had already weed and led ''little Emi'' and her team to their temporary boss, and Noelle''s subordinate made quick work on bamboozling the little girl''s manager into being the new ''director'' at the scene.

    Of course, no one found it strange, and just followed the woman''s directions to rearrange the cameras and microphones ording to her requirements.

    "When are those idiotic thug actors going to get here, anyway?" Little Emi''s manager grumbled in dissatisfaction.

    Noelle''s subordinate coughed. "They''re being managed by a separate team, so please be patient. Of course, we have to be mindful of the ''special requirements'', yeah?"

    The manager found it a little strange how the woman kept emphasizing that point so much, but didn''t take it to heart.

    Her forte was making things look good on camera, and it was better to focus on that instead of worrying about things she couldn''t do much about anyway.

    As long as that pervert Penny wasn''t left alone for too long with little Emi, that is!

    Meanwhile, now that she had already handed off her ''job'' to someone else, the previous boss found it a much better use of her time to tease the adorable little munchkin in front of her instead.

    It couldn''t be denied that part of her curiosity was fueled by Noelle''s strange confidence in this little girl being able to handle the situation they were about to put her in, but her gray-haired boss had never made a ''mistake'' before, and she didn''t think this time would be any different.

    "Little Emi, what''s your full name?"

    Emilia smiled. "A secret."

    "How old are you this year?"

    "Um¡­ about half your age?"

    The woman stumbled back while clutching her chest dramatically. "T-This aunty has been hurt!"

    Of course, she soon bounced back enthusiastically. "Wait a minute¡­ if I consider you a baby, doesn''t that mean you think I look like a teenager?" She puffed out her chest in pride. "Whew, this sister''s still got it."

    Emilia couldn''t help but burst into giggles, though most of her attention still remained on spreading her energy to scout the surroundings. After all, she didn''t want anyone on her side to get hurt because of her momentary distraction. ''Ah... there they are!''

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 Chapter 592 Sneak Attack

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    Although she''d already discovered them, Emilia didn''t have to go through the trouble of preparing the rest of the ''crew'' for the iing wave of ''actors'', and it wasn''t just because she was confident in her ability to handle them.

    With Penny''s ''helpers'' having ced appropriate equipment along the way, the manager ended up receiving the details of the ''second team'' well in advance, including not only where they would being from and their numbers, but also the general direction of their performance.

    As the person with the heaviest responsibility on the set, the manager naturally had no time to pay attention to the ''ckers'', and frowned while considering the unrealistic demands of the higher-ups.

    Considering how Crystal had been treating the little girl so far, she''d been worrying that little Emi''s real talents would never be truly polished, and that she would be more and more spoiled over time, but it looked it that wasn''t the case at all.

    Perhaps the blonde girl wasn''t the type to spoil the ''children'' she loved, but be even more demanding of their sess instead.

    It might not sound like a bad thing, but the manager knew very well just how destructive thebination of overly high-expectations and ruthlessly harsh reality was, and how effectively it shattered the hopes and dreams of otherwise talented children.

    But knowing was one thing, and preventing it was another. Not to mention that she couldn''t change Crystal''s mind, even if she could, the manager didn''t feel that she had the guts to try.

    After all, Crystal represented not only herself, but also the will of her princess.

    What if little Emi was the daughter her princess wanted to adopt, and this was all a test meant to ''polish'' her to be more deserving of that position?

    In the end, she could only turn to ''little Emi'' with a sigh. "Emi! I know you''re pretty good at pretending not to be tired during practice, but how long can you hold on while fake fighting at your ''full strength''? Be real with me, okay? No jokes!"

    Emilia naturally wasn''t aware of the manager''s ''deep'' thoughts, and only contemted telling her the ''truth'' just to see her reaction for a moment before rejecting that thought.

    It wouldn''t be funny if her ''director'' also joined in during the fight to beat her up, right? And she couldn''t very well just knock the woman out, or there''d be no one left to lead the staff!

    She smiled. "An hour, I think?"

    Although the manager thought that little Emi was probably being overly boastful, it was only to be expected. After all, which little girl didn''t want to blow her own horn with pride when given the chance?

    But since little Emi mentioned she could hold on for an hour, letting her ''fight'' for fifteen minutes should definitely not be a problem.

    The manager decisively shook off any hesitation out of her mind. ''In that case¡­ I might as well do my best to make it all work!''

    Nodding to herself, she patted the little girl on the head, much to the envy of everyone who was itching to do that but desperately resisting the urge. "Then just do as you like when they ''attack'' you. You can go wild, really, as long as you don''t exhaust yourself."

    Obviously, it was impossible for a little girl to really hurt grown men in her eyes. Even if she ended up identally hitting a few in the crotch, it was their own fault as far as the manager was concerned.

    After all, who told the opposing team toe on such short notice, and not even give any of them the chance to n out some movements in advance?

    Even if Crystal might have had something to do with the increased difficulty of little Emi''s first shoot, the manager refused to believe that the ''attacking team'' didn''t make things worse.

    ''Maybe it''s because of me, actually. Since I''m not ''qualified enough'' in the eyes of many to be receiving this type of treatment from the White Deer''s leaders, I know many people must be jealous of me already!''

    The more that the manager thought about it like this, the more it made sense, and she couldn''t help but be furious.

    It had to be said thatpared to skill, the coordination between actors was even more important when it came to making things look good on camera, and this ''impromptu'' approach was sure to reduce the quality of her final work by more than a few degrees!

    Not to mention, with limited footage and only one take, there was only so much that could be cut out and used for a final advertisement, and it would be a miracle if they could get a decent message out of it in the end.

    It was impossible for the manager not to be mad.

    If the beautiful rtionship between a ''parent'' and ''child'' was to be ruined because of the petty jealousy of a bunch of idiots, she would definitely smash their heads in with a chair!

    Unfortunately, her heated head cooled down almost immediately when the ''actors'' finally turned the corner on the street heading their way. Even if none of them were rushing, the sheer aura of danger and fury that palpated off of their bodies invisibly almost made her breath hitch in fear.

    Even the ''well-prepared'' staff was momentarily stunned by the menacing energy rolling off of the gangsters before they managed to stabilize themselves and focus back on their work.

    The spiky bats and knives might look scary, but in the end they were just harmless props, and these people had already been paid by the higher-ups for the shoot.

    Just a bunch of ''extras'', what was there to be scared of?

    Luckily, the gangsters couldn''t hear their thoughts, or some of them might have suffered quite an aneurysm from sheer anger.

    As it was, they were just slightly surprised at the fact that no one was scared into pissing themselves on the spot upon noticing their arrival, and many even dared to point cameras their way, but they soon scoffed in disdain.

    Did these idiots think that the Blue Hydra wouldn''t dare do anything to them under the threat of the camera? Or did they believe that they could seek justiceter even if something happened?

    Whatever the case might be, their thoughts were just incredibly na?ve.

    Not to mention that a recording could be easily destroyed before it ever got anywhere it shouldn''t, even if the whole thing was being live streamed, there wasn''t much that the Blue Hydra needed to fear.

    No matter how unreasonable or unpredictable the Empress of Blue Dawn might be, she couldn''t possibly charge into Carmen with her army just to settle the grievances of a bunch of nobody losers, right?

    "You bunch of losers! Since you idiots don''t know what''s good for you and refuse to pay the price for working here to our Blue Hydra, it''s time to teach you morons a painful lesson!"

    With a nod from the boss, the gang quickly started splitting into three groups, not wanting to allow anyone to escape in the chaos that was sure to follow after their first strike, but Emilia naturally had no intention of allowing them such an opportunity.

    If the gang really split up and started attacking multiple people at the same time, it would definitely make her task multiple times more difficult!

    Not to mention the overly confident gangsters, even the ''eight super weapons'' and the leader himself only saw a blur of crimson, followed by a muffled bang.

    Blue Hydra''s leader found it a little strange that suddenly all he could see was the wide blue sky, and it was only when he felt the tangy, metallic taste of blood rapidly filling his mouth that he realized that something must have hit him. "Y-You cowards, h-how dare you sneak attack me?!"

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 Chapter 593 Tricked

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    Although the boss of the ''Blue Hydra'' gang was caughtpletely off-guard and had his face smashed in by Emilia''s knee, the crimson-haired girl was actually able to control her speed and strength pretty well in front of the cameras. After all, while revealing some of her strength would be great at dazzling and inspiring people, too much of it would just leave them stunned and terrified.

    She ignored the enraged screaming of the now bloody-mouthed gang leader, and turned her eyes to the hulking figures who now surrounded her wide-eyed.

    Obviously, none of them expected that before they''d even started teaching the White Deer Corporation''s staff an unforgettable lesson, a little girl would jump into the fray and down their boss in one shot.

    It wasn''t really as terrifying as it was absurd, and a few of them couldn''t help but look at their purple-faced boss in confusion.

    The man was clearly in no mood to pay any of them any heed, however, and instead jumped at little Emi in fury. ''If I don''t pluck out all of her fucking teeth one by one today, I''ll fucking turn myself into a saint!''

    No one else knew how humiliated he felt to have had four of his front teeth broken by a sneak attack from a glorified toddler, and even if he tore her apart on the spot now, maybe this disgrace would forever leave an unwashable stain on his career.

    Of course, just like everyone else, he also thought that the little girl must only have managed tond that hit because of the element of surprisebined with her luck.

    The boss might have suffered for the moment, but the situation was still very much in their control.

    After all, if the White Deer''s side had any real trump cards, they wouldn''t just be standing there filming this little girl get surrounded by their whole gang, right?

    "None of you move. I''ll destroy this little bitch myself!"

    Unfortunately, while his deration was bold and handsome, the slight slurring of his speech, the whistling sound from between his broken teeth, and the continuous stream of blood flowing down his chinpletely ruined the ''dashing'' image of Blue Hydra''s boss.

    The more he missed, the worse his speech became, almost merging into an incoherent roar of rage soon after.

    Some of the staff felt a little ufortable at the liberal use of such ''harsh''nguage in front of someone like little Emi, who appeared so young, but it wasn''t really that out of the norm in their industry, and everyone had to get exposed to it sooner orter. This was especially so considering the already violent and sensitive subject of theirmercial.

    Plus, given the fact that these were real thugs probably acting for the first time in their lives, if they didn''t identally hurt little Emi, the result could already be considered good enough.

    The crimson-haired girl humphed arrogantly as she dodged another enraged punch from the gang leader of Blue Hydra, and the man finally couldn''t bear it anymore and motioned for his men to throw over his dual butterfly knives.

    "Fuck it, since you refuse to repent, I''ll just turn you into ribbons of meat!"

    Unfortunately, the hand he had raised up high to grab the thrown-over knives remained empty as he was forced to kneel on the ground by a merciless kick to the back of his kneecap.

    To make matters worse, his prized knife set was also snatched from mid air by the annoying little crimson-haired midget, who sneered in disgust.

    "How weak can you not even dare to fight against someone less than half your age without weapons? Pathetic."

    The boss was so furious that he almost burst a vein, but before he could, he was cleanly knocked into the dreand by a ''gentle'' roundhouse kick to the temple.

    As the kneeling man''s already bloodied face smashed into the ground with a painful muffled thump, the people watching couldn''t help but shudder.

    The gangsters especially werepletely dumbfounded, and they couldn''t help but look at the little girl in front of them a little more warily.

    Their boss might be more smart than strong, but not even the eight ''superweapons'' of Blue Hydra felt confident that they would be able to take the man down with such ease.

    Even if she had the initial advantage of the element of surprise, there was no doubt that this little girl wasn''t a threat to be taken lightly.

    Of course, everyone other than the gangsters only thought that the man had a lot of natural acting talent, and made excellent use of advanced props to get such realistic effects.

    But hitting the ground face first like that couldn''t possibly be painless, no matter how good the props were, and some of the staff couldn''t help but sympathize with him.

    The things people did for money¡­

    Meanwhile, watching the wary gangsters circling her, Emilia grinned, her pearly teeth and glinting eyes almost blinding the camera crew. "You call yourselves Blue Hydra, right?" She hummed. "Since it''s only slightly simr to Blue Dawn in name, I guess beating your faces ck and blue should serve as a fair warning."

    Although they''d already been alert, the rest of the gangsters could only be stunned when the girl zigzagged right past them like a crimson bolt of lightning.

    No matter how they tried to catch or trip her on the way, she was able to avoid it all just as easily as she had dodged their boss before, and even the eight ''superweapons'' couldn''t help but have a foreboding feeling.

    They thought they were here to beat some clowns and reap some rewards like usual, but it looked like they might have stepped into some supernatural trap this time!

    "Were you nning on using these toys to hurt others?" Emilia smiled as she stepped on the small pile of guns beneath her feet.

    Obviously, it wasn''t worth the risk to let them keep these weapons and have them shoot someone identally, though Emilia still allowed them to retain things like knives and bats.

    Feeling a chill of terror run up their spines, some of the gangsters couldn''t help but take a step back, though Emilia didn''t allow them the opportunity to flee.

    After all, if they started escaping and she had to chase and beat them up, no matter how it was framedter, it would still ruin the overall effect of the video!

    She sneered. "Weak, weak, so weak! How can grown men like you be so weak?! I bet I can already beat any of you in terms of strength, even though I have so much room to grow in the future!"

    The smugness and disdain in her tone hit the weak points of the usually arrogant gangsters just right, and their indignant fury momentarily clouded their judgment.

    "Don''t be so arrogant, girly! Just because you''re a little fast and managed to catch us off guard at first, do you really think you''re invincible?"

    The man who spoke was one of the strongest, and also the meanest looking of the ''super weapons'' that their boss was so proud of.

    His words,bined with the ''subtle'' shaking of Emilia''s pupils instantly restored much of the gangster''s lost confidence.

    ''Look, it''s just a desperate little girl trying to act like a hero, after all! She might be fast and swift, but in the end she''s alone and vulnerable!'' They thought.

    Of course, this was exactly the effect Emilia was looking for, and she immediately pointed at the weakest-looking of the eight ''tough guys'' who came forward to confront her first.

    "Y-You, if you dare, I challenge you to a fair fight!"

    The heavily muscled man who was ignored by the little girl snorted. ''So she really doesn''t dare fight me¡­ that''s good. I was overestimating her strength just now, fortunately.''

    Well, it was good to use his ''colleague'' to test the waters a little more and exhaust the girl a little. After all, no matter how strong he was, the little girl''s speed really was too troublesome for him to handle unless she was tired out first.

    With their confidence somewhat restored, the rest of the gangsters alsoughed after sensing her apparent fear, many inwardly heaving a sigh of relief upon realizing that her previous act was all just false bravado.

    Clearly, she was avoiding the strongest of their ''super weapons'', but the fool didn''t even realize that even the weakest of the eight was stronger than their ''leader'' in terms of raw strength.

    The man who had been pointed out as the weakest obviously felt insulted at being underestimated by even a little girl, and sneered in fury as he stepped forward. "Let me go forward and teach this little kid a lesson then, brothers."

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 Chapter 594 Hidden Weapon

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    Although the leader of Blue Hydra and hisckeys usually liked to call their eight strongest members ''super weapons'', in Emilia''s opinion, there really wasn''t much ''super'' about them at all.

    Not to mention that none of them had any special abilities, even their strength was not much to look at.

    This was especially so whenpared to the people Emilia usually dealt with. Whether it was Noelle or Dixie, either of them could easily wipe the floor with the entirety of the Blue Hydra gang without breaking a sweat.

    In fact, perhaps even the rookie team from the Nightingale n that Emilia previously beat up could have done the same, though unfortunately they might never be able to try it out now.

    Needless to say, no matter how enthusiastic or furious the man in trying to hit her was, Emilia was able to deal with him without breaking a sweat. And the only ''difficulty'' she really had to face was caused by her own determination to make the fight look ''tough'', so as not to scare away all the other gangsters before they were properly dealt with.

    "Fuck she''s fast!"

    "Brother Mamba really can''t hit her at all!"

    The gangsters couldn''t help but exim every time the little girl looked like she was about to be punched in the face, only for her to deftly avoid the blow by contorting her body in ways no regr grown-up should be able to. Not without some extreme training and talent, at least.

    As a seasoned gangster who''d had his fair share of battles, ''Mamba'' naturally wasn''t any stranger to meeting someone stronger than him. But this was the first time he was facing someone he believed he could defeat with one punch, and yet infuriatingly enough, that one punch seemed almost impossible tond.

    Each time his fists met empty air where there should have been soft flesh, it felt as if not only was his strength being wasted, but that all of his rades'' were also mocking him from behind.

    After all, he''d just proimed so confidently how he would beat this little girl up, and now he couldn''t even touch her hair. How could they not look down on him?

    In the end, ''Mamba'' couldn''t help but scream in frustration as he lunged forward. "Fucking stand still, you bitch!"

    Unfortunately, his impatience ended up costing him dearly soon enough, as not only was his lunge dodged once more, but he also ended up face-first on the ground.

    Before ''Mamba'' could gather his bearings, however, his eyes rolled back and a silent scream escaped his throat as the area between his legs exploded in unbearable, excruciating pain.

    They''d already witnessed her strength when Emilia knocked their leader out before, and some of the gangsters couldn''t help but clutch the area between their legs nervously. Fortunately, though, despite her speed and strength, the girl wasn''t without limits.

    The crimson-haired girl pretended to be calm and collected as she puffed out her chest and lifted her chin proudly. "That wasn''t even enough for me to break a sweat! Why don''t the rest of youe together so I can save some time beating you all up?"

    Despite her confident deration, none of the gangsters really took her threat seriously this time. After all, they''d already seen through her limits this time!

    Some of the ''smarter'' people such as the muscled man who had ''scared'' little Emi into stepping back before were even able to figure out her intentions. ''So she thinks she can scare everyone away like this, does she? Too na?ve!''

    Going by how hard she was panting now, if ''Mamba'' had been a little more patient and cautious, maybe he could have really triumphed over the girl in time. And once the leader woke up, he would surely have awarded the man handsomely for taking down the girl who humiliated him so.

    Thinking so, a glint of greed shed in the eyes of many, and they couldn''t help but take a step forward eagerly.

    Their leader had amassed quite a fortune in the past few weeks, having taken full advantage of the social and political turmoil around, and the reward this time was bound to be rich beyond their expectations.

    Unfortunately, even thewless had certain rules they had to follow, and the gangsters were soon reminded of the pecking order by theirrades.

    "Little girl, not to mention everyone else, you can''t even handle the two of us!"

    The men who stepped forward were both quite a bit more slender than the one Emilia just defeated, but going by their confident demeanors, they definitely considered themselves stronger than the ''Mamba'', though Emilia wasn''t sure whether it was because the two of them often fought together.

    The rest of the gangsters seemed to be of the same opinion, and some couldn''t help but sigh with emotion.

    "It''s over now, it''s the Red Viper and ck Viper striking together, and that little girl is already tired now!"

    Emilia smartly showed just the right amount of nervousness before firming up her determination, and the gangsters became even more sure of themselves.

    She might not bepletely exhausted, but the little girl had clearly lost a significant part of her stamina, and the only way she could escape this situation now was for her to run away. Of course, how far she would be able to get before she was caught and taught an unforgettable lesson was still uncertain.

    The two ''vipers'' didn''t waste any more time before they dashed forward with their daggers gleaming, clearly intent on ending the ''fight'' decisively without giving their opponent a chance to recover her energy, even if she was only a little girl.

    The merciful and hesitant were usually rewarded with death in their profession, after all. And the two vipers were clearly masters of their craft who had long since learned that lesson.

    Emilia only thought about letting the daggers brush past her clothes before she rejected it and cleanly avoided them both ''precariously'' with a twirl and a backflip. ''I can''t those on my side realize those weapons aren''t props too soon, or they might try to interfere!''

    "What the hell! How did she avoid that?!"

    The two ''Vipers'' were clearly not as disturbed by her maneuvers as the rest of the gang, though, and quickly followed up with more deadly strikes, weaving in with great coordination to minimize the number of openings she had between the two of them.

    Emilia had to admit, had her actual speed and strength not beenpletely beyond their reach, she would definitely be in a very bad situation by now if she had to face two of them at the same time unarmed. She''d still be able to handle them, of course, but it wouldn''t be without revealing some of her tricks.

    The crimson-haired girl realized that things would definitely start looking absurd on camera if she continued dodging them like that, and quickly made up her mind to turn the situation around.

    "Die!" The ''Red Viper'' had just lunged forward viciously once again when he found some red thing flying towards his face, and before he could even panic, his world went ck with a bang.

    "Fuck!" Unlike his partner, the ''ck Viper'' clearly saw the girl kick off her heels, somehow making the shoot off like bullets, and fortunately he managed to dodge the other one just in time.

    The whistling wind that brushed past his ear sent chills down his spine, and he couldn''t help but gulp. ''I-If that heel hadn''t been on the other side when that thing hit Reddy, he would definitely have had his head impaled by a fucking shoe, right?!''

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 Chapter 595 Gift

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    Emilia didn''t give the other guy any time to gather his bearings, and swiftly capitalized on his momentary distraction to sink her foot into his belly ''as hard as she could''. Unfortunately, the pain failed to knock him out instantly, and the man only stumbled back while cursing.

    "You bitch¡ª!"

    The rest of them could only watch with bated breath as the little girl entered into a furious skirmish of punches and kicks with the much taller man, and despite her obvious disadvantage of height, quickly started suppressing him through sheer speed.

    The fight was quite messy, and not to mention thebatants, even the ''bystanders'' ended up on the receiving end of quite a few punches and kicks.

    Of course, this was no ident, and Emilia was quite happy to reduce the number of people she had to prevent from escaping by almost half in advance.

    The gangsters were furious and panicking for a while, and many tried to avoid getting hit as best as they could while some tried to catch and hit the girl to no avail.

    The curses and abuses continued getting worse, and for the staff who believed it was all acting, it was an eye-opening experience.

    It was impossible for rookie actors to be so ''natural'' at action scenes, especially when performing at such high intensity, and they would have to be stupid not to realize that something was amiss by now.

    Clearly, even if these thugs had been acting as per whatever ''agreement'' they had reached with the higher-ups, they had long since lost their sense of propriety. If any of those punches and kicksnded on little Emi, the oue would definitely be terrible.

    After all, even if she appeared to be tough and good atbat now, her physique definitely couldn''t take a beating from an adult.

    "S-Should we stop the shooting?"

    "No wait, if we recklessly interfere now, wouldn''t the chances of there being an ident be even higher?"

    They could onlyment at the fact that none of them had any weapons thanks to Carmen''s strictws against foreigners, and the deterrence that their limited strength would have against these rowdy ''actors'' was almost zero.

    Little Emi''s manager had many of the same concerns, but Penny quickly helped alleviate some of her doubts.

    "Don''t worry, even if those idiots asionally fail to control themselves appropriately, our little Emi isn''t some porcin doll unable to defend herself." She smiled. "The training she''s gone through is the same as that of our princess, after all."

    The manager blinked in surprise before nodding in realization. "No wonder¡­ I did feel that her moves were a little familiar¡ª!"

    She''d also obsessively watched many of princess Emilia''s videos from the days of her rebellion against the government of Blue Dawn, and little Emi''s movements had much of the same grace and speed. If little Emi received the same training as the princess had at some point, it all made sense.

    She wasn''t sure if it was because of her connection with Crystal, who was quite close to the princess, or because of little Emi''s talents attracting the right people, but that didn''t really matter.

    After all, regardless of the reasons she first caught sight of the princess, little Emi must now have a lot of weight in Emilia''s heart for her to be able to receive such favorable treatment.

    The manager inexplicably felt that although little Emi was naughty and rebellious, she would definitely not break the trust of her princess.

    With renewed confidence, the manager quickly started redirecting the camera crew to get better shots and angles, and also cleared away many of their doubts.

    Had she known she had been once again swindled by Penny, the manager would definitely have tried to strangle the girl with her own absurdly long ponytail.

    Of course, considering that Emilia and little Emi were one and the same, Penny''s words couldn''t really be considered a lie, and the blonde girl didn''t feel guilty at all.

    Meanwhile, Emilia''s ''fight'' with the leftover viper also ended anti-climatically with the man''s face mming into the ground, unconscious after a ruthless kick to his temple.

    Although she did her best to lookposed, some of the gangsters could clearly see that the girl had consumed most of her strength in the fight, and would definitely not be able to continue showing the same intensity now.

    Of course, this was just what Emilia wanted them to believe. In reality, it was impossible for her to be tired after such light exercise.

    The buff man who had ''scared'' the little girl at the start snorted. "Stand back, y''all. I''ll do it."

    A few of them couldn''t help but secretly curse at him beneath their breath, but none dared to speak out. After all, Cobra was notorious not only for his absurd strength, but also for being absolutely ruthless against friend and foe alike.

    Now that the little girl was somewhat tired and couldn''t disy that initial level of shocking speed, the strongest of their eight ''super weapons'' could easily make up for his greatest weakness.

    With his horrifying level of strength, many of them spected that even children from the Nightingale n wouldn''t be able to beat him in a fair fight without their fancybat moves, and that was without Cobra using any of his drugs.

    It was a pity that such valuable merchandise would be ruined by the man now and lose all her value. Some people would surely have paid handsomely if the girl''s appearance and talents were properly disyed.

    But there was nothing they could do about it now, after all.

    The only one who could restrain him with the threat of money and benefits was their boss, but the man was currently still in the dreand after being knocked out.

    Contrary to the despair that the gangsters thought she must be feeling, however, Emilia was actually in quite a good mood. ''This guy is really quite cooperative, isn''t he?''

    Maybe if not for Cobra''s help, she might have had to jump through quite a few more hoops to convince all the gangsters to not run away after a few of them finished receiving their beat down.

    She grinned. ''As a reward, I''ll give him the strongest kick of the day!''

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 Chapter 596 Turnaround

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    As the strongest of the eight ''super weapons'' of their Blue Hydra gang, the gangster known as ''Cobra'' naturally had the confidence topletely destroy the little girl in front of him, even after she''d taken down some of his ''lesser''rades.

    After all, the only real trouble she posed from the start was her speed, and even then Cobra was sure that he''d be able to take her down given some time, though the results would be far from ideal. Regardless of her ability to defeat the boss and his otherrades, the fact that he ''struggled'' against a little girl would definitely be more of a mark of shame than a badge of honor.

    But that was no longer that big of a concern now that the little girl had already used up a lot of her stamina. Even if she could show a few bursts of speed in desperation, she was still nothing but a fish on the chopping block as far as Cobra was concerned.

    So long as he easily took her down now, not only would it further establish his reputation in the gang, but it would also pave the way for him to take over the position of the leaderter!

    Cobra couldn''t help but grin when he thought about his bright prospects, and he even started to find the annoying girl who caused them so much trouble somewhat pleasing to the eye. ''Hmmm¡­ maybe I''ll let her live after all.''

    Emilia was naturally unaware of the muscled man''s fantasies, and only frowned slightly when she saw him approach her confidently. ''Many of them probably already doubt their chances now, right?''

    Although she''d shown ''weakness'' at every appropriate point to entice them into attacking her, the crimson-haired girl knew that she couldn''t underestimate the vignce of these thugs too much.

    After all, they''d managed to survive so long on the streets before joining Blue Hydra, and there definitely had to be some survival instinct buried deep down beneath all that arrogance nurtured by their gang''s formidable reputation.

    What she wanted to do today wasn''t just to get the perfect video of little Emi taking down one of the biggest gangs in this area. She also wanted to cut all the heads of this ''Blue Hydra'' off so they could never show their faces again!

    Cynthia wondered if Emilia was so against their existence just because their name resembled the ''pet'' mortal nation her partner liked so much, but she didn''t want to disturb the girl.

    After all, if she messed up and spontaneously shattered the skull of that thug, it would definitely not be something that they would be able to use in amercial. And if her partner''s video was ruined because of her interference¡­

    Thinking about all the ''pending'' ounts between them from before, Cynthia couldn''t help but shudder. ''N-No no, no way. Although Emilia has already waived off so many ''grudges'', she''s definitely writing them down in her little notebook somewhere, and I''ll definitely suffer them all together when things turn over!''

    Fortunately, Emilia didn''t know that her partner didn''t take her generosity seriously at all, or Cynthia would definitely have suffered an early retribution.

    She calmly avoided the power-packed punches of the buff man in front of her, all by a hair''s breadth, and jabbed out with several ''light'' punches and kicks at his back and abdomen from time to time.

    Of course, although Cobra was both extremely frustrated at constantly missing her and also in a lot of pain from the girl''s deceptively strong strikes, he still barely managed to maintain his mask of calmness while cursing internally. ''Holy fuck it hurts! I changed my mind, I''m definitely tearing this bitch apart from inside out once I''ve taken her down, and then I''ll feed her to the dogs!''

    The rest of them could only watch with bated breath, with many just praying that nothing went wrong.

    Some had even called the police secretly, even though they knew that it would probably be fruitless and maybe even counterproductive to the goals of the higher-ups. After all, even if they didn''t know how to fight and were powerless in front of the gangsters, they couldn''t just watch and wait for something to go wrong with little Emi, could they?

    In contrast, the gangsters were mostly all eagerly awaiting Cobra''s first punch against the girl''s face.

    Although it was a pity that they weren''t able to teach her a lesson personally after she''d dared challenge them like this, it should still be satisfying enough to watch Cobra turn her into a bloodstain on the ground.

    Unfortunately, they were all bound to be disappointed.

    The little girl kept panting harder and harder as she dodged each of Cobra''s strikes, but the ''gap'' between the two of them never seemed to narrow at all!

    It made no sense to them until a few eximed in shock. "Shit! Cobra is also getting slower!"

    "Damn!"

    "No wonder he can''t beat her!"

    It was clear that the little girl had slowed down quite a bit from when she started after observing carefully, and the only reason that Cobra couldn''t hit her was because he was slowing down and panting rapidly at an even faster rate.

    For the ''strongest'' of their so-called super weapons, having such little stamina was simply too shameful!

    Although they didn''t curse him directly, Cobra still felt like he was about to have a stroke from anger. "You damn morons dare to look down on me? Don''t forget that I''m the strongest of the super eight!"

    Emilia almost rolled her eyes at his excessive pride. ''Geez, he''s acting like he''s some sort of super hero, when really he''s just a slightly stronger gangster in a pathetic little gang. All they''re good at is bullying the helpless and the poor, what''s there to be so proud of?!''

    Of course, Cobra''s burst of rage wasn''tpletely useless, and at least it seemed to have empowered him just enough to make the man ''exceed his limits'' and make the fastest strike of his life.

    Unfortunately for him, though, Emilia''s patience had run out, and her goal of ''bamboozling'' the rest of the ''audience'' had also been achieved.

    A ''lucky'' kicknded on Cobra''s face, and the man barely managed to capture the image of Emilia''s pearly little toes before his vision went ck, just like his ''predecessors''.

    The heavy, muscled man copsed on his knees with a dull thud, and Emilianded somewhat gracefully after jumping off his shoulders behind him.

    If not for the somberness of the scene, the staff would definitely have pped in amazement.

    Even for professional performers, that jumping kick was simply magnificent! For little Emi to be able to do it in one take in the midst of such an intense scene was simply astonishing!

    They couldn''t help but find it fortunate that the cameras were all rolling, and such a great moment had been captured in full detail on the reel. How great was it that they would be able to watch it all again to their heart''s contentter?

    Unfortunately, little Emi was also only human, and the repeated stress on her body seemed to have finally drained her stamina enough to start showing major ws.

    Shortly after her gracefulnding on the ground, the little girl stumbled forward slightly before regaining her bnce, and her expression momentarily changed before her calm appearance was restored.

    To everyone else, it was only a momentarily copse of the actor''s character due to the stressful scene, but to the gangsters, it was proof that the little girl was doing her best to pretend to be strong!

    In reality, she was definitely on the verge of copse!

    The gangsters were only momentarily dumbfounded at the sudden turn of the situation before they burst into action.

    "Get her!"

    "Don''t let her escape!"

    They knew that Cobra might lose from the moment when the man failed to gain an advantage in the fight before, but if the little girl thought she was going to ''win'' just because she defeated Cobra, she was really too na?ve!

    "Little bitch, you think you can fool us?!"

    This wasn''t a movie. Because she managed to defeat the strongest of them, the rest had no choice but to retreat? What a joke!

    Exhausting herself while being surrounded by enemies with such a na?ve n only left to a single ending in the real world.

    Defeat and humiliation.

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 Chapter 597 Just Punishment

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    As the gangsters soon discovered, however, reality was often quite different from what one would expect.

    Not only did the girl seemingly on the verge of copse not fall to theirbined assault instantly, but the st bits of her power'' seemed nearly inexhaustible as theirrades continued falling one after another. If anything, her attacks only got more ruthless over time.

    Of course, some inevitably had the idea of fleeing once they realized this, but terrifyingly enough, the crimson-haired little devil seemed to be able to read their minds and pounce on them almost immediately after.

    Compared to the gangsters who were right in the midst of the whole mess, the staff filming the scene naturally had a clearer view of the situation, and they couldn''t help but be impressed at the little girl''s ability to persevere.

    What kind of willpower must one have to be able tost so long and burst out with so much strength even after hitting their limits again and again?

    Not to mention a little girl like Emi, maybe even veterans with decades of experience would have exhausted themselves at this point.

    The ones who still believed it all to be a badly nned shoot only felt some admiration for the girl''s skills, while the ones who suspected the gangsters to have actual malicious intentions even started looking at her like a star.

    Of course, aside from cheering her on silently and doing their best to capture it all on camera, there was nothing much they could do, regardless of their varied conjectures.

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    It didn''t take long for the numbers in front of her to dwindle down to single digits, and as it did, Emilia''s confidence in keeping them from escaping grew stronger and stronger, and she naturally stopped trying so hard to pretend to be weakened.

    Maybe they finally realized that the little girl they had been unable to defeat for so long was really out of their league, or maybe they felt the sudden ''increase'' in her strength, either way, the remaining gangsters stopped attacking her soon, and started backing off while looking for a way to escape.

    Of course, given that they were surrounded by the filming crew, it looked like all their paths were sealed.

    Had it been before they fought the little girl in front of them, they would have definitely not put these weaklings in their eyes and run right through them. But now that they''d already fallen into such an absurd trap, everything started looking terrifying in their eyes.

    Maybe these weaklings were really special agents all along, and were only waiting on the sidelines for them to try to escape and deliver themselves right into their clutches!

    In that case, wasn''t it better to get two more hits in on this little devil who humiliated them so?

    Of course, it was easy to think about it, but almost impossible to do. They couldn''t even muster the courage to look her in the eyes anymore after witnessing her ''ughter'' so many of their much strongerrades, even when they attacked her together.

    Several more grunts and groans echoed through the suddenly silent field as thest few gangsters failed to avoid Emilia''s ''surprise'' attacks and fell down while clutching their bellies and legs, and thest one shook like a leaf in terror.

    "G-Get away from me, y-you de¡ª!"

    The man''s words terrified curses instantly cut off as a flying kicknded on his temple, and his world went nk just like all his otherrades.

    The manager broke out of her daze just as ''little Emi'' dusted her hands with a satisfied smile. "Cut!"

    "Wow¡ª!"

    The rest of the crew cheered as Penny rushed forward and lifted Emilia into her arms. "You did great, Emi!"

    Of course, she''d never had any doubts, but when else would she get the opportunity to lift her princess up in her arms like this? Why would she not take advantage of the situation when she could?

    Emilia either didn''t seem to notice her thoughts, or indulged Penny as a reward for her hard work as she smiled. "Thank you."

    No one mentioned the fact that the ''actors'' on the ground were still not showing any signs of getting up, and a ''clean up crew'' called in by Noelle''s subordinate soon cleared the mess on the ground.

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    Emilia knew thatpared to the actual shooting, the ''post-processing'' of the video was actually much more important.

    After all, what was captured on film was just a fight between a little girl and some gangsters. At best, it was exciting, and at worst it was absurd and unbelievable. Either way, it wouldn''t have the effects she intended if not handled properly.

    Fortunately, her girlfriends were quite talented at finding the right people for every job, and the finished video that was sent to Emilia for the ''final review'' not only satisfied her, but exceeded all her expectations.

    Perhaps even the crew who filmed it wouldn''t be able to recognize their own shots if they saw it now.

    The video started with several scenes of the gangsters hanging around the area menacingly, threatening and harming the people around, and harassing the crew as well. Of course, the people involved had already been ''taken care'' of now, and there was no issue in exposing them like this.

    A normal person watching this would only feel some resentment for these ''bad guys'', but for the people of Carmen, it would definitely be able to evoke much stronger emotions.

    After all, they suffered like this all the time, and showing things like this on camera was like opening up their wounds with a rusty knife and sprinkling it with salt and pepper.

    These ''oppressive'' scenes lingered on the screen just long enough to let these emotions fester in the viewer''s heart, and then the camera suddenly panned to the bright, glowing face of a young crimson-haired girl.

    Even Emilia failed to recognize ''herself'' for a moment, but the girl''s eyes were so full of hope and confidence that she almost stopped breathing. ''Is that really me?''

    "Technically¡­?"

    She almost rolled her eyes at Cynthia''s sarcastic response, but soon focused back on the scene in front of her.

    Even though she knew it was herself, she still found her heart palpitating for a moment when the scene showed a whole bunch of gangsters standing in front of the little girl.

    She could almost imagine what the ''typical'' ending of such a bright-eyed child would have been had it been anyone else, and she couldn''t help but frown. ''It''s a good thing those morons will never see the light of day again, but just getting rid of them is far from enough.''

    Naturally, the ''clean-up crew'' wasn''t tasked with sending the criminals to a hospital. She''d made it clear to Noelle exactly how she wanted these parasites to be handled, after all.

    As for any investigations or suspicionsing their way because of their disappearance¡­ were they supposed to keep tabs on those miscreants after they fled?

    Emilia might not be able to force the government of Carmen to do anything normally, but she could still defend ''her people'' as the Empress of Blue Dawn, couldn''t she? If they really tried to go too far, she didn''t mind showing the world why she wasn''t so easy to bully.

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 Chapter 598 The Best Decision

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    Since it was good enough to make even Emilia feel some heartache, the effects of the video on the regr people of Carmen went without saying.

    Of course, there was no way such an ''absurd'' advertisement would ever be ''cleared'' by the regtory authorities of the country, but an obstacle that could be solved by money wasn''t really an obstacle at all, as far as the White Deer was concerned.

    This was one of the ''beauties'' of having an extremely corrupt administration, as the top brass of the government were soon to find out.

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    The final version of the clip was cut down to just one and a half minutes by the time it was aired on various mainstream channels, but that didn''t reduce its impact on people.

    The editors were talented enough to know precisely the moments that needed more space and contemtion, as well as the scenes that had the maximum effect when they flitted by fast, creating a stunning effect whenbined with Emilia''s clip.

    In fact, if left on its own, the ''advertisement'' would only have had some inspirational effect at most, and could only have acted as a ''catalyst'' in the future. The real reason it had such impact, however, was because of Emilia.

    Almost at the same time as the video was aired, the crimson-haired girl had a clip of herself denouncing the ''attack'' on her ''mascot'' released to the public, along with a mountain of ''proof'', causing a massive uproar.

    Many couldn''t believe that anyone could be so ''unlucky'', while others criticized the government of Carmen for having such poor public order andw enforcement.

    "How outrageously deplorable must the situation in Carmen be now for a little girl to face this kind of thing not once, but twice! And it hasn''t even been that long since she wasst attacked, right?"

    "Can someone from Carmen confirm if things are really this bad, or was little Emi just unlucky?"

    "Hello, I''m a citizen. I can confirm that not only are things ''that bad'', but even worse. Little Emi was at least able to survive because of her exceptional skill, which I greatly admire. The rest of us who be the targets of these vermin¡­ aren''t really so lucky."

    Naturally, some people were quick toe to Carmen''s defense in a panic.

    "This person is a liar!"

    "Carmen does have some crime, but so does every other country! If you look at the statistics, you''ll see that overall, we''re not really that badpared to everyone else!"

    "These people spouting nonsense are just trying to smear our image out of malicious intentions!"

    Of course, Emilia watched the fierce debates spark off with keen interest, and asionally even added fuel to the fire. "Little Emi is as fierce as she is cute, but I still feel sorry for anyone else who could have been in her ce. Yes, there is crime all over the world, but that''s not an excuse to let your people suffer like this, right?"

    Her eyes turned sharp. "If things like these were stillmon in Blue Dawn, I would never be able to get a good night''s sleep."

    Not to mention the people of Carmen, even the manager who had been somewhat dissatisfied at having her ''image n'' for little Emi ruined by the higher-ups felt moved. ''Our Princess really has a heart of gold, doesn''t she? I was only thinking about making Emi endearing and famous, but she only wants everyone to be happy and safe.''

    Thinking like this, perhaps it was fine if little Emi didn''t reach the ''peak'' that she envisioned, and the manger quickly made up her mind. "Alright, since ''cutie pie'' n won''t work, let''s just make her the ''spirit of justice'' instead!"

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    Almost overnight, it was as if a wave of ''revolution'' swept through the whole country''s heart, and the government officials couldn''t help panic.

    With Emilia''s involvement in the matter, it was impossible not to think of their country following in the steps of Blue Dawn, and bing another stepping stone for the crimson-haired beauty.

    "We can''t let this continue!"

    Of course, with theirbined efforts, it didn''t take long toe up with a solution.

    "Ban themercial immediately, and restrict all movements of the White Deer Corporation while investigate the matter!"

    Naturally, a ban was usually not a good idea when it came to preventing some idea from spreading, since it usually only helped spread it faster because of the subsequent controversy, but they could no longer be bothered to care about such things.

    Looking at things in order, it was impossible to not see everything that yed out around little Emi ever since her arrival in Carmen as a huge conspiracy against them.

    If her image was allowed to grow any further, it wouldn''t take long for her to be the icon of a new revolution in people''s minds, and it would be the start of endless troubles for them no doubt.

    With the resources at the White Deer Corporation''s disposal, such a thing wasn''t just a ''possibility''!

    Unfortunately, even though the speed of their actions was very fast in terms of government bureaucracy, it was already toote.

    One day was more than enough topletely take away any hope of ''suppressing'' the matter, and unless they decisively cut off all forms of munication'' within Carmen''s borders, this was a poison that would continue to ''spread'' uncontrobly!

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    The shocking announcement of the immediate implementation of the nationwide ''Misinformation Prevention Program for the People'' left many dumbfounded, and countless people furious.

    Not to mention that they could no longer ess the inte for the time being, even their phones were only allowing calls to specific numbers in their phone book, and nothing else!

    Moreover, the gangsters all over the country seemed to have been stimted by something unholy, and became even more fierce and violent than usual. It was as if they were afraid that their existence would be threatened if they didn''t act up now, making everyone around them miserable.

    And to make matters even worse, the country''s mainstream media seemed to have bepletely oblivious to what was happening around them, covering only mundane topics while ignoring the veritable elephant in the room.

    Carmen''sw enforcement, as usual, was simrly pretending to be blind and deaf.

    The people were understandably furious.

    Did the government officials think they were no different from disy goldfish, and would forget everything just like that?

    Wrong!

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 Chapter 599 Shameful

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    Had the fire been smaller, the government''s act of stomping on it so ruthlessly in an attempt to put it out might have been more effective, but as it was, it only made things worse.

    Even those who had been previously reluctant to disturb the ''normalcy'' of their lives for the sake of bringing a change that may or may not lead to a better future could no longer pretend to be so indifferent at this point.

    Of course, while there might some power in sheer numbers, things were still far from being out of control. After all, even if most people were furious, they were scattered all over the country, and had no way tomunicate and coordinate with each other.

    At least, they should not have had any such means normally. But what if there was an outside force assisting them from the side?

    Despite the numerous restrictions immediately imposed on White Deer''s staff after their bannedmercial, the government of Carmen couldn''t do anything about the forces they had already scattered in the shadows.

    Naturally, their experience in Blue Dawn yed a key role in making everything go so smoothly. Despite the many differences between the two, Carmen''s leadership was just as disconnected from themon folk as Blue Dawn had been before Emilia came along.

    Even if the people weren''t as destitute and desperate, they had been suffering injustice for a little too long, and maybe the scale would have been tipped this way sooner orter even without Emilia''s interference.

    Of course, her presence as a catalyst made everything change much faster, and the government could only keep tightening the restrictions on both the White Deer and themon folk in an effort to forcibly suppress everything.

    Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully after receiving the news. ''Do they want to wait it out, maybe?''

    Cynthia nodded. "The chances are quite high. After all, mortals are generally very adaptable, but that also means that they get used to things quickly even if they are bad."

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t think that things were so simple, but she also understood her partner''s point.

    As long as the government managed to keep things under control long enough for most people to be more annoyed at the constant ''disruption'' to their lives than they were furious about the injustice they had been suffering, perhaps the fire that Emilia had managed to ignite now would really be doused for a while, even if the embers remained burning beneath the surface.

    Of course, there was no way she would allow that to happen. Otherwise, wouldn''t all their efforts go to waste?

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    The manager could only sigh sadly when she heard that ''Little Emi'' had already ''left'' Carmen under the orders of Crystal. "I guess that''s only to be expected. It''s dangerous for her to stay here, after all."

    It felt strange for her to be so sad about their parting, especially given how ''annoying'' she usually found the little brat.

    She realized that, deep down, perhaps she''d already grown fond of the rebellious, strong, but still very cute little tyke. Maybe... she will really miss Emi, in all her obnoxious, annoying glory.

    The manager couldn''t help but chuckle. ''Although I couldn''t make you into the star you wanted to be this time, I hope that wherever you go in the future, you continue to wreak havoc.''

    Maybe if their paths crossed again, unlikely as it was, she would take a more active role in the girl''s development, and really make her an ''idol''.

    Of course, thedy had no idea that Penny had lied to her once again, as she always did, and the girl she was so sadly bidding farewell to in her mind was actually just around the corner, munching on some strawberry muffins while chatting with Noelle.

    "Hi, Noelle!"

    Although the gray-haired girl waved back at the enthusiastic crimson-haired girl, her frown revealed that her mood was anything but pleasant. "¡­ It''s good to see you so happy despite all the mess."

    Emilia rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "It''s only for a while, okay? Just bear with it."

    Of course, knowing that the crimson-haired beauty was doing it all to seek ''justice'' on her behalf, at least partially, Noelle couldn''t really get mad at her even if she wanted to. But it still made her upset.

    How could those unworthy and unimportant idiots deserve so much attention from Emilia? She should have just taken up this responsibility herself when she had the chance, so the crimson-haired beauty wouldn''t have to go through all this needless trouble for her.

    Unfortunately, Noelle knew very well that not only could she not reverse the time and change that decision, but she also couldn''t even voice these thoughts to Emilia or Sam.

    With their character, it would definitely inte their ego to a ridiculous point, and just imagining their smug little reactions gave the gray-haired girl a migraine.

    Feeling even more irritable than before, Noelle couldn''t help but frown. "¡­ Anyway, why are you still using that little girl form? If you keep this up, maybe Sam really will be irredeemably perverted." She paused. "Well, more than she already is, anyway."

    Emilia naturally had no idea what was going on in the older girl''s head, but she was still smart enough to instinctively know where she should and shouldn''t let their conversations head. "I''m in a bit of a hurry, so how about we talk about thatter?"

    Just as Noelle blinked in surprise, the crimson-haired girl continued without giving her a chance to refute. "Anyway, what''s the situation with the Gray Wolfe now?"

    It had to be said that Emilia was very familiar with how her older girlfriend''s mind worked, because as soon as it came to ''work'', Noelle''s slightly irritated expression quickly turned serious. "Things seem to be going quite well with Ginny and Jasper''s help, and it shouldn''t take us long now."

    The gray-haired girl told Emilia about how the faction siding with Alexander''s father previously had nowpletely split apart and started eating its own, and even if they realized their mistake now, it was already toote.

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Good. And the Nightingale n?"

    Noelle sighed. "¡­ They''re not being very cooperative. Even after several of the biggest gangs sending them ''taxes'' got decimated by us, they just continue to believe it must be the government or the Gray Wolfe''s doing, and we''re just taking advantage of the opportunity to threaten them."

    Quite frankly, she had no idea how anyone could be so delusional. Just thinking about the fact that she shared blood with them and her little boss knew about it made the gray-haired girl feel deeply ashamed.

    "I see¡­" Emilia grinned. "Since that''s the case, then I think it''s time I introduce myself to your parents, right?"

    "¡­"

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 Chapter 600 Fallen

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    After Noelle and Emilia''s call ended, Cynthia couldn''t help but question her partner curiously. "Will they really listen to anything you have to say?"

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled. "Not unless they have no choice, no."

    Emilia had already spent a lot of time studying the workings of the Nightingale n, and was naturally aware of the stubborn and hard-headed nature of its elders. As such, going through their front door for a ''discussion'' was obviously not something she would be stupid enough to do.

    Instead, it was better to first take hold of their lifeline first, and then have a ''discussion'' on whether or not they wanted to continue existing.

    Her partner blinked. "Then¡­?"

    Emilia smiled. "Watch."

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    When Ginny and Jasper went home after another long, exhausting day at work, all they wanted to do was copse on their bed and snore away till the next morning.

    Slowly whittling away more and more of their father''s strength might have gotten a lot easier after his faction started cannibalizing, but that didn''t make it any less taxing. If anything, it was much easier to keep track of their activities when they were all together before.

    Of course, the results of their arduousbor over the past few weeks were obvious and tangible, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they already controlled over 90% of the corporation, but it came at the cost of almost losing a quarter of their weight.

    Exhausting as it was, though, it was definitely worth it. After all, even with their agreement with Emilia in effect, the two of them definitely received far more help from her side than they had to cooperate in return.

    In fact, it was so good that sometimes they even worried when the White Deer might realize that it wasn''t such a good deal to cooperate with them. If they only really needed information and resource routed through Carmen, there were many other options avable, after all.

    This was something Ginny only truly realized after she gave up resistance against the idea of being under Emilia''s heel.

    It was a pity that she hadn''t had the opportunity to talk to Emilia directly for quite a while, and could only keep these worries in her heart.

    She clenched her fist in determination. "Next time I get the chance, I definitely have to ask her if there''s anything more we can do!"

    Of course, the current order of business was still to snooze away till the next morning without a care in the world!

    At least, that had been the n until they opened the door to their living room, and found a certain crimson-haired beauty lounging on the sofa with a mischievous smile.

    "Hi~"

    "Kyaa¡ª?!"

    "Eeek¡ª!"

    Emilia blinked in surprise at the rather girly scream from Jasper before breaking into giggles. "Am I that scary?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Naturally, she was no longer in her ''child'' form, and the twins could easily recognize her as the Empress of Blue Dawn, and the little princess of the White Deer Corporation.

    Under her amused gaze, Ginny and Jasper finally seemed to gather their wits and turn to stare at each other in confusion before they shook their heads in unison.

    "I-It''s not that you''re scary, but¡ª" Jasper gulped. "Well¡­"

    He couldn''t really find the words to describe his feelings, and turned silent. ''It''s true that I wanted to meet her in person soon, but I didn''t think she would show up just like this!''

    Ginny coughed. "I-Is it really okay for you to be here¡­?"

    Emilia flicked her hair back with a grin. "As long as the two of you don''t tell anyone about it, yeah."

    Under the disbelieving gaze of the twins, the crimson-haired beauty winked at them mischievously. "You won''t, right?"

    Jasper rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "O-Of course not, but¡­"

    Ginny quickly regained her wits, and knowing that her brother''s feelings for the girl in front of her were definitely too plicated'' to risk exposure, she firmly made up her mind to not let him speak as she interrupted him with a cough. "P-Please forgive us for being so rude, then. We were just worried for you, that''s all."

    Even if it wasn''t really her ce to think about such things, it didn''t take a genius to realize how much trouble the crimson-haired beauty would be in if she was discovered.

    Not to mention how much criticism she would have to face, it was almost inevitable that the government of Carmen would put the me of everything that had been going wrong in their country recently on her head, and demandpensation.

    In fact, it wasn''t even impossible for them to directly take her hostage or ''deal with her'', if they were desperate enough. Even if they had to suffer dire consequencester, what had been done couldn''t be undone, after all!

    She didn''t want to offend Emilia or make it seem like she was unwee here, but Ginny still felt it was her duty to warn the younger girl anyway. Seeing Emilia continue to smile nonchntly, however, the older girl realized that maybe she was thinking too much.

    There were so many amazing people ready toy down their lives for this little beauty that even if she wanted to join, she would have to stand in a long, long line. Whatever she could think of, they must have already considered carefully already.

    She couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "A-Anyway, if there is anything we can do for you, just let us know!"

    Of course, if Emilia just wanted to chat, they would be more than happy to indulge her. After all, it wasn''t just once that she''d bailed them out of trouble.

    The crimson-haired girl nodded. "Actually, there is. But¡­ um, I wonder if it would be too much¡­"

    Looking at the little beauty''s somewhat shy and embarrassed smile, Jasper would have already jumped out to hug her in ''constion'' if not for his twin sister ''subtly'' stomping on his toes. "¡­"

    Naturally, only Ginny knew that her own feelings weren''t very different from her brother''s and she quickly coughed to cover up her true thoughts. "H-How could it be too much? You''ve done so much for us already, so we''d definitely be more than happy to help, no matter what it is!"

    Emilia smiled victoriously. "Great! In that case¡­"

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 Chapter 601 Not Worth It

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    "Just how long are they gonna take to get here?"

    Being stared at by the group of ''elderly'' people in front of her, the poor ''secretary'' could only smile apologetically. "It shouldn''t take long now, so please be patient."

    She obviously didn''t want to be in the position to have to ''please'' these bunch of idiots from the Nightingale n, but hey, it was still better than having to negotiate with the lunatics from their opposing faction within the Gray Wolfe.

    At least, that was what she''d thought before she really met this bunch. And now it was already toote for regrets.

    The old man in front of her snorted. "If this is her way of showing sincerity¡­"

    Although he didn''t finish his words, the ''threat'' was clear, and the poordy could only hurriedly apologize once again before forwarding the message to her boss. Unfortunately, the only response she got was the same as the one five minutes ago ¡ª wait.

    Of course, although it made the elders feel a little better to see the secretary fidgeting nervously, only the elders themselves knew that their arrogance was only a front.

    In reality, they were already desperate, and if this ''alliance'' with the new faction of Gray Wolfe also fell through today, they had no idea what to do in the future.

    Who could have expected that breaking a few bones on a measly little minister would have such dire consequences?

    It was still somewhat bearable at first, when the government was trying not to make too much of a fuss. But ever since the curfews and bans started, their situation seemed to get worse and worse.

    The officials now didn''t even bother hiding their hostility, and dealt with any ''outrageous'' actions by their nsmen withplete impunity. Not only were many of them arrested and sent to jail, but some were even shot directly on the spot!

    Of course, given the usual nature of Nightingale n''s people, it was impossible for them to have done so without suffering any casualties, but that only made the situation worse.

    Obviously, these ipetent fools couldn''t do much against the White Deer, so they were venting their frustrations on their Nightingale n instead! But even if the elders were furious, there wasn''t much they could do about it.

    It was only now that they realized that the rtionship they had with the Gray Wolfe was perhaps not all ''exploitation'', and there were many things they''d previously taken for granted that were only now bing apparent.

    Even if they realized it now, however, it hardly made any difference. It wasn''t like they could go back in time. And even if that had been possible, it was the Gray Wolfe who cut off their rtionship first!

    Luckily, with the fracture within the Gray Wolfe, the elders realized that there was still some hope of ''reconciling'' with this new faction under Ginny and Jasper. Maybe if they yed their cards right, they could even reach a deal that was much better than what they had before!<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Of course, it was critical not to expose their weakness now. Otherwise, not to mention reaching a deal that would solve all their problems, they might evennd in a much bigger crisis!

    As their aged hearts continued beating rapidly in anticipation, the door to the meeting room finally opened, and in strode three people, two of whom everyone in the room recognized as the twins, Ginny and Jasper.

    The third was a young girl with long, beautiful crimson hair, and icy blue eyes that made anyone staring directly into them deeply ufortable. Her face was covered by a designer face mask, but given that the blue sundress she was wearing stood in stark contrast to thepulsory uniform of the staff of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, the elders could tell that she must be someone close to the twins.

    Of course, even if they found her presence a little strange, none of the elders allowed it to distract them too much. Their ''opponents'' today were these two ''little kids'' of the younger generation, and as long as they could fool them properly, the Nightingale n would once again be back on the track of rapid development.

    There was no room for them to ''mess up'' once again. This was why the n leader wasn''t taken along, and even the much respected ''Grand Elder'' wasn''t here.

    Naturally, the crimson-haired girl with the mask was none other than Emilia.

    The elders of the Nightingale n continued to pretend to be ''high and mighty'', and didn''t even respond to the twins'' greetings other than a few stiff nods of their heads, but Ginny and Jasper didn''t seem to mind.

    After motioning for the rest of the staff to leave, the two of them motioned for the crimson-haired girl apanying them to take a seat first, and only then did they take a ce on either side of her.

    Even the elders who had previously been ignoring her existence couldn''t help but be shocked. ''What the hell¡­ just who is she supposed to be?!''

    It had to be mentioned that even if they''d been through a lot of trouble in their life, Ginny and Jasper were still the children of the richest man in Carmen, and the arrogance deep within their bones would never allow them to treat anyone with such humility without reason!

    Their vignce rose to a new level as the ''masked girl'' chuckled. "I''ve heard a lot about the Nightingale n beforeing here. And honestly, I used to think they must be really amazing."

    Most of the elders stared at each other, perplexed, but some secretly breathed out a sigh of relief. ''Great, she must be some rich daughter who got led here by curiosity, right? It''s not necessarily a bad thing for us, then.''

    In fact, after enduring all the repeated setbacks recently, the words of the crimson-haired girl gave them some much-needed boost to their ego.

    Before they could be too proud, however, Emilia continued with a grin. "But now that I''m here¡­ well, there''s not much worth looking at, is there?"

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 Chapter 602 A Lesson To Be Taught

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    "Junior, you dare?!"

    "You¡ª!"

    The rest of their enraged indignation died in their throat when the elders saw the crimson-haired girl leisurely take off her mask, revealing a very familiar, beautifully smiling face.

    Obviously, they weren''t stunned by how gorgeous she was.

    "E-E-E-E¡­" The old man who had just called her ''junior'' sputtered for almost a full minute before he managed to regain some control of his tongue. "E-Emilia?!"

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled. "I don''t think we''re on a first-name basis, are we?"

    Despite her lighthearted tone, none of the elders of the Nightingale n found the situation amusing.

    After all, the girl in front of them was Emilia White, the Empress of Blue Dawn, and the little princess of the White Deer Corporation. No matter how they thought about it, she¡­ was definitely not supposed to be here.

    Not to mention the fact that the Gray Wolfe and White Deer Corporations were ''adversaries'', but there was also the fact that Carmen as a whole was currently ''off limits'' to high-profile foreigners who weren''t already inside its borders.

    While the talks of deporting potential ''problem factors'' such as Samantha White were still ongoing, was it possible that the government would allow someone like Emilia in? Absolutely not!

    The only way she could have been here now was if she had entered Carmen''s borders before the situation deteriorated, but that also didn''t make any sense. After all, there was no news of the Empress of Blue Dawn arriving in their country previously, right?

    All of this could only mean that this crazy little bitch had somehow smuggled herself in! And that¡­ was definitely not a good thing.

    Just being in the same room as this girl terrified them to the core.

    It wasn''t that they feared her ''strength'', though they had to admit that if the rumors were true, she was at least decently good for an outsider. Be that as it may, however, there was simply no way for any outsider to defeat a trained and prepared Nightingale in a fair fight.

    No, what really scared them wasn''t really Emilia herself, but being ''associated'' with her.

    Their Nightingale n was suffering enough as it was, and just thinking about the government somehow discovering their ''collusion'' and its consequences was enough topletely horrify the elders.

    In the best case, they would be ''exiled'' and be free from the country''s chains, but the elders knew that the likelihood of that being the case was the same as that of the girl in front of them being able to fly and shootsers out of her eyes.

    With their luck right now, maybe they would be directlybeled as traitors and ''neutralized'' using heavy weaponry instead, regardless of the price that the country had to pay.

    Even if some of them managed to escape and get revengeter, it wouldn''t change the fact that most of their legacy would be lost.

    Needless to say, as the ones who had put their Nightingale n in this situation, the intentions of the twins were definitely not good either, and the elders could only fume when they thought about this betrayal.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Unfortunately, now that they were here, it was already toote.

    Looking at their grim ''ready to die for the n'' expressions, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Why are you being so serious? I''m here to help you out, not wipe you out of existence, you know?"

    The elders barely resisted the urge to refute her angrily with ''as if you could!'', and the one leading the group took a deep breath to calm himself before frowning.

    He''d wanted to ask Ginny and Jasper what was going on at first in some vain hope of this being a misunderstanding, but after looking at how they seemed to give way to Emilia so subserviently, he had an ominous premonition that he wouldn''t like their response.

    Maybe¡­ the two of them were already ensnared by this girl, and they''d all been underestimating this ''witch'' all this time. If she already had both the White Deer Corporation and more than half of the Gray Wolfe under her thumb¡­ just what was she nning to do now?

    Terrified by his own thoughts, the elder quickly shook his head in denial before forcibly calming himself down and facing the crimson-haired girl. "Youngdy, let''s not beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it."

    The others also nodded, and Emilia finally put away her smile to lean backzily on her chair.

    "It''s simple, really. Maybe some of you already know, but I''m someone who finds pleasure in punishing the unjust, and Blue Dawn''s stock has long since run out. So, I happened to notice Carmen, which is quite ''rich'' in this aspect."

    The elders almost gaped at her ridiculous words, but they had no idea that the ''worst'' was yet toe.

    Emilia sighed. "Unfortunately, although I can easily wipe the floor with the scumbags, the government here won''t let me help their people at all, and I hate leaving things half-baked, if you know what I mean." She smiled. "So I had this idea¡­ since I can''t make an apple tree bear oranges anyway, why not just uproot it and start over?"

    The elders stared at each other in horror as they realized what she might mean by ''Apples'' and ''Oranges'', and a few even pointed their fingers at Emilia in disbelief.

    The crimson-haired beauty seemed oblivious to their thoughts, however, and continued her ''monologue'' with a smile. "Since I have to ''reuse'' the ''soil'' after uprooting this rotten tree, I didn''t want to cause too much damage while getting rid of it. And surprise, surprise! You know what I found?"

    She grinned. "There were a whole lot of worms already eating away at its trunk! Wouldn''t it be killing two birds with one stone if I just used them to hollow it out first?"

    As if afraid they wouldn''t ''understand'', Emilia even gave them a pointed look while mentioning the so-called worms.

    The elders could no longer sit still, and a few of them immediately jumped up in a rage.

    Even if their Nightingale n had now fallen on hard times, there was no way they could tolerate being ridiculed like this by a junior who was barely old enough to be weaned off her mother''s milk!

    "What audacity!"

    "It looks like you''ve been spoiled too much, and someone needs to teach you a lesson!"

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 Chapter 603 Know Your Place

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    While the rest of hispanions had already lost their cool, the leading elder was a little more hesitant. After all, this girl couldn''t have been so calm and confident in front of them if she had no means to defend herself, right?

    Although he couldn''t feel the presence of any experts nearby either, he still felt that they shouldn''t be too hasty.

    Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, the man could only hold back one of his fellow elders while the rest rushed in to ''teach the girl a lesson''.

    "Since your parents couldn''t teach you proper manners, don''t me us!"

    "Let me show you what it means to respect your elders, you brat!"

    Although Ginny and Jasper had already been told by Emilia to stay calm no matter what happened, they were still inevitably flustered. ''S-She''s going to be fine, right?''

    Fortunately, one look at thepletely calm crimson-haired girl soon restored their confidence, and the twins figured that Emilia must know what she was doing.

    In fact, the attacking elders weren''t beingpletely driven by their fury, either.

    The thought that really made them move was¡­

    ''Once we capture this girl, won''t everything else be much easier going forward?''

    After all, unless their alliance was just a ruse, so long as they had Emilia''s life in their hands, not to mention the White Deer, even the Gray Wolfe would have to reconsider their position when negotiating with their Nightingale n.

    Thinking like this, wasn''t this na?ve and overconfident girl simply the solution to all their problems delivered right into their palms?!

    Unfortunately, their ecstatic thoughts snuffed out before they could even fully form.

    It wasn''t Emilia who moved, though it wasn''t clear whether it was because she wasn''t able to react, or if she simply felt that there was no need for her to make a move personally.

    Whatever it may be, the figure that suddenly shed to intercept the attack on her behalf clearly demonstrated that her confidence wasn''t misced at all.

    The aged ''w'' approaching the crimson-haired girl''s face was easily swatted away, and under the dumbfounded gaze of hispanions, the old man who tried to grab her was directly sent flying like a broken doll.

    The threat level they felt from this figure was on apletely different levelpared to the empress of Blue Dawn, and the elders didn''t even turn to look at their groaningpanion as they focusedpletely on this ''enemy''.

    But the more they looked, the more shocked they became.

    Not only was their enemy a ''youngdy'', but there were also far too many of her features that seemed eerily ''familiar'' to them.

    Although quite a bit of her hair was still covered with traces of a slightly duller shade, the roots near her scalp were the same shiny gray as their Nightingale n, and her facial features also had a striking resemnce to many in their most prominent branches!

    Combined with the ridiculous strength she disyed¡­ there was no way the elders could deny the terrifying conjecture in their hearts.

    "A¡­ traitor¡­?"

    "Who the hell are you?!"

    Noelle and Emilia were both just about to reply when one of the elders eximed in shock.

    "Aha! I know who you are!"<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Of course, even though they rarely ever indulged themselves in ''gossip'', it wasn''t as if the elders werepletely isted from the world.

    "You are¡­ uh¡­" The elder who was so excited at having matched the girl''s face with the one he saw on the news suddenly found himself speechless. ''Wait a minute¡­ what was her name again? Did they ever mention it?''

    Noelle could more or less tell what the man must be thinking, and she couldn''t help but roll her eyes as she jumped down from the table with a snort. "Who I am is not important. The only thing you need to know is that unless you wish to have them removed permanently, you better keep your hands to yourself."

    While the man who was still trying to recall Noelle''s identity was only stunned, the elder who was brushing himself off while groaning in pain almost fainted from the anger and humiliation. ''This bitch, who does she think she is?!''

    Even if she was a ''stray'' from their Nightingale n and caught them by surprise just now, it didn''t mean that they would be afraid of her.

    Emilia chuckled. "Now now, everyone, let''s all calm down, okay? Even if you''re all okay with getting beaten up by my dear Noelle, I don''t want her toter feel guilty for bullying the sick and the elderly."

    Cynthia almost pped in admiration. ''Amazing! It seems like even if she rarely uses it, Emilia does still have the talent to ''instantly infuriate people'', a core skill of a good viiness!''

    Immediately after that thought, the raven-haired girl suddenly frowned. ''Wait a minute¡­ doesn''t she do that with me all the time?!''

    Cynthia immediately became angry. "Emilia, you¡ª!"

    ''Yes?''

    She''d wanted to give her partner a piece of her mind, but as soon as she thought about it, the raven-haired girl suddenly found herself lost for words once again. ''Hold on, isn''t it a good thing that she''s practicing her skills¡­?''

    In that case, although she hated that she was the target for the practice, wouldn''t it be counterproductive to scold her partner for just ''doing her job''? She didn''t want Emilia to think she was a hypocrite!

    Fortunately, Cynthia didn''t have to bother exining herself, as the elders could no longer hold on to their sanity after being repeatedly provoked like that, and immediately lunged at the gray-haired girl in front of them in fury.

    "How dare you stain our n''s name, you stray filth?!"

    "Die!"

    Even if Noelle was more than prepared for their assault, it still was no joke to handle the five elders of the Nightingale n at the same time!

    ''Luckily, Emilia is right by my side¡ª?!''

    Noelle didn''t even have the time to gape at how rxed and unguarded the crimson-haired girl looked, as if the situation had nothing to do with her, as she was forced to defend the both of them from the iing flurry of punches and kicks.

    "Stand still!"

    "Take this!"

    The gray-haired girl felt as if her head was about to split open as she tried her best to dodge and parry as much as she could while blocking the old men from approaching the ''vulnerable'' targets behind her.

    And just when she thought things couldn''t get worse, Emilia started ''cheering her on'' from the side.

    "Look, even with all of you attacking together, you''re no match for my Noelle! Hmph, if you think someone like her is bad, aren''t you just worse than trash?"

    ''¡­!''

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 Chapter 604 Infuriating

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    Emilia''s words seemed to havepletely made the elders of the Nightingale n lose their sanity, and their attacks became even more fierce and full of fury as they squared off with Noelle.

    Naturally, this also meant that there were now far more openings in their defense and ws in their movement as they''d already lost their cool.

    Of course, Noelle was in no mood topliment Emilia for a ''job well done'', as she''d barely been keeping up with her assants as it was, but the situation really turned for the worse when the two who hadn''t attacked her before joined in.

    "Stand still, you!"

    The only elder not attacking her was the one she had knocked aside when he''d tried to attack Emilia. But he also didn''t miss the opportunity to mock her while covering his bruised face.

    "Hah, for all that boasting, all she can do is barely defend!" He sneered. "Looks like the Empress of Blue Dawn is all bark, and so are her dogs."

    While Noelle was usually calm and liked to take care of things rationally, there was a limit to even her tolerance. And after everything that happened before, the elder''s mockery of her girlfriend just made her snap.

    ''Hey, looks like all that love juice isn''t going to waste, after all. There''s that strength she''s been hiding!'' Emilia pped happily as she watched Noelle suddenly burst out with exponentially superior strength and speed than what she had been showing before, ruthlessly pummeling one old man after another into the marbled floor till it cracked over and over again.

    Cynthia could only roll her eyes in exasperation. "What a waste of chaos energy. Powering up mortals to be a little less weak than before¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl chuckled. ''Now now, Cynthia, although you''re adorable while being petnt, you can''t mock my girls like that. They''re not useless at all!''

    Her partner snorted. "Oh really?"

    Emilia nodded. ''Right. Look, would I be able to move around so freely if not for Crystal and everyone else taking care of Blue Dawn, while Noelle and big sister took care of everything I couldn''t in Carmen?''

    Thinking that most of her moves recently were for the sake of these people anyway, Cynthia almost wanted to roll her eyes again, but in the end, she decided topromise. "Fine, fine. As long as you''re making progress to finish the missions, just do whatever makes you happy."

    Emilia giggled. ''Oh, cute little softie, you!''

    Perhaps knowing that her partner was about to explode in shame and anger, the crimson-haired girl didn''t give her the chance to respond, however.

    ''Don''t worry about the mission, by the way. You know I have Dixie watching over Amos, right?'' Emilia smiled. ''Well, let''s just say that he''s getting some well needed enlightenment ever since he''s woken up, and it won''t be long before he realizes how futile everything he''s doing has been.''

    Cynthia blinked in surprise, but before she could question her partner further, the crimson-haired girl''s attention had already shifted to the ''battlefield'', where Noelle was now panting heavily after pummeling half the elders into aa, while the rest groaned in agony on the floor.

    The gray-haired girl shivered when she felt a silky fabric brush her sweat-soaked brow with affection, and her breath hitched when her eyes gazed into the affectionate blue pupils of her girlfriend.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    How was that it every time she saw her little boss, the girl seemed to get prettier and prettier?!

    Emilia grinned. "I''m sorry about the bony and low-quality punching bags today, darling. I''ll make sure to treat you better in the future, so please don''t mind, alright?"

    After almost choking on her own saliva in surprise, Noelle could only shake her head with a wry smile. ''This girl¡­ she won''t ever change, will she?''

    Going by how confident she had been before, Emilia seemed to have long since known her true capabilities even better than Noelle herself, and the gray-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh at that thought.

    Maybe it was her greatest fortune in this life to have met someone like Emilia.

    In the end, Noelle could only sigh. "How were you so sure I could beat them all by myself?"

    With her chin up and a proud smile on her face, the crimson-haired girl gave a careless kick to one of the unconscious elders. "Can my Noelle have much trouble dealing with a bunch of weaklings? I don''t think so."

    The only elder who was still conscious almost coughed out a mouthful of old blood in anger.

    Even if they were no longer in their prime, they were still some of the strongest fighters that the Nightingale n had to offer!

    After all, since their n operated mostly based on merit, only the best could qualify to be elders. And of those, only those who retained a sufficient amount of their strength could stay in that position.

    But considering fact that they''d all been defeated by a single girl even when they attacked her all at once, the old man obviously couldn''t find any words to refute them, no matter how furious he was.

    This was the first time his pride was being trampled like this. And it wasn''t just him, but the name of their entire Nightingale n that had been tarnished because of theirck of strength.

    Just thinking about it caused the old man to almost faint from shame, but the responsibilities he shouldered didn''t allow him to ck out so easily.

    The thought he had of the conspiracy they might have stepped into when he first saw Emilia was still fresh in his mind. That was why he had tried to stop his fellow elders from attacking at first, and only joined in when he realized it was toote, after all.

    "J-Just¡­ w-what do you want¡­ from us?"

    "Wow, it spoke!" Emilia jumped back in surprise, as if shocked by the ''talking corpse'', and Noelle almost rolled her eyes, knowing that her little boss was only acting to piss the old man off further.

    ''She''s so childish, really¡­'' The gray-haired girl thought. ''How¡­ adorable.''

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 Chapter 605 Magical Words

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    To be honest with herself, even Noelle hadn''t been aware that she was capable of defeating so many elders of the Nightingale n all alone. In fact, she was quite certain that she definitely couldn''t have done it just a couple of years back.

    ''My skills haven''t really improved by that much since then, right? In that case¡­ this has got to be her doing¡­'' Noelle sighed. ''It''s good to know that I haven''t ''wasted'' it, but¡­''

    Somehow, it felt really embarrassing to confirm that the ''energy'' of her little boss had ''nourished'' her somehow. Fortunately, no outsider would ever know of the secret between them.

    Of course, even if he''d known, the only conscious elder who was already foaming at the mouth in anger was a little too ''busy'' to care about her embarrassment.

    Luckily for him, Emilia seemed to have finally taken some pity on the ''elderly'', and started actuallyying down her ''conditions'' for the Nightingale n''s survival.

    "If you would recall what I said earlier, I was actually looking for some ''help'' in taking down the big rotten tree that''s leeching off of the people of Carmen. Of course, I don''t cooperate with useless people, and unfortunately¡­ you''ve already failed my test."

    The crimson-haired beauty looked so genuinely disappointed that even Noelle believed her words for a few moments, even when she knew for a fact that her little boss was acting.

    Of course, the elder who remained on the ground in a daze felt a mixture of both anger and panic in his heart at her words.

    After all, it didn''t seem like she was just humiliating them without reason, but that they''d really lost out on perhaps their best opportunity of changing their fate for the better.

    Prejudiced as he was against the girl, he couldn''t deny that partnering up with Emilia almost always led to great harvests for everyone involved. This had been demonstrated clearly time after time, both in Blue Dawn and Phoenix.

    In fact, given how subservient they appeared in front of her, perhaps even the rise of the twins of the Gray Wolfe Corporation could be mostly attributed to this girl''s support!

    With the government already on their case, the elder knew that the Nightingale n''s future was bleak if they failed to get some support soon. But no matter how hard he tried to crack open his skull toe up with an idea to turn the situation around, there simply seemed to be no way out.

    Struggling to stand up, the leading elder wheezed heavily while supporting himself against the table. ''No no, no way¡­ could it be that the legacy of our n will be broken just like this?'' The elder growled. ''I-It''s fine for us to bear with a little humiliation, but I can''t let the name of the Nightingale n vanish from this world as long as I''m alive!''

    Not all was lost for him, though, since Emilia didn''t really intend to drive him to despair. She only wanted to instill in him the fact that it was the Nightingale n that desperately needed her help, not the other way around.

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "Lucky for you, although your Nightingale n doesn''t really meet my expectations, I can still consider cooperating with you for Noelle''s sake. As long as you''re willing to do what''s necessary to make amends with her, that is."

    The leading elder naturally knew that the history of an ''abandoned child'' of the n couldn''t be all flowers and rainbows. And going by her attitude so far, even if she didn''t hate them to her core, the gray-haired girl definitely had no familial affection for the n in her heart.

    To make amends with her¡ªas the crimson-haired girl put it¡ªwould definitely involve dragging many of his nsmen''s faces through the mud, and perhaps even their pride would be trampled upon wantonly.

    But so what?<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Whenpared to the consequences of continuing to let their boat sink in this turbulent sea, the elder felt that it was better to bear with a few more ps to the face.

    Anyway, this could also be considered a ''test'' for their nsmen''s loyalty and endurance, and perhaps they would alle out stronger because of it in the end.

    With that thought in mind, the elder''s determination quickly soared as he ignored the pain all over his body to turn to the gray-haired girl and gave her a deep bow. "I do not know what injustice you have suffered or what grudge you might have, but no matter what it is, I hope that you can keep our blood ties still in mind as you think of the future."

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    If the words moved Noelle''s heart, she definitely didn''t show it on her face. But even so, there was nothing that the leading elder, or any of hispanions for that matter, could do, except forining about it among themselves.

    Of course, the grand elder who hadn''t participated in the meeting was stunned silly when he saw his bruised and battered elders cry like bullied children.

    "I cannot believe that a child can be so unreasonably fast and strong, especially without the special training our n''s children receive!"

    "Well¡­ it''s not impossible for the White Deer to have found her potential early on, and given her some special kind of training."

    "How cunning!"

    "Or maybe her strength is the result of some sort of drug that can burn her potential for the sake of immediate bursts in performance?"

    "Ohhh¡­ I didn''t even think of that!"

    "How insidious can they be?!"

    Of course, aside from ndering the White Deer Corporation secretly, there was little they could do about it now that their ships were pretty much tied together.

    And to make matters worse, they even had to suck it up and ept the interference of these ''insidious and cunning'' people in their internal n matters.

    The elders couldn''t help but be depressed. It hadn''t been that long since they got out of the Gray Wolfe''s control, and now they were back under someone''s heel again. And this time, they even had to ''humbly'' ask for it!

    "This can''t possibly get any worse, can it?" The grand elder sighed.

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 Chapter 606 Proven Wrong

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    Unfortunately for the grand elder, life often proved people wrong, especially when they were already down on their luck.

    When Noelle arrived in their npound, not only did she reject the idea of slowly integrating herself with the n before being introduced as a ''hidden, secret genius'' they''d hidden from the world, but she also insisted on meeting almost all the influential figures of the n in a meeting right away!

    Even if many of them were aware of the suppression that their n was facing from the government at the moment, there was still no way most would take to Noelle''s position in their n kindly.

    After all, even if she had the Nightingale n''s blood in her, the gray-haired girl was neither raised here, nor did she learn their n''s fighting style and culture.

    It showed not only her apathy for their n and her family, but also her unwillingness to work hard and learn! It might be possible to find a fewzy people within their n if someone really looked for it carefully, but it definitely wasn''t possible to find someone who didn''t look down on others for beingzy or unmotivated.

    Of course, Noelle didn''t seem to care about such things at all.

    The gray-haired girl rudely ignored the dissatisfaction of the elders as she sneered. "Get to it immediately, unless you want me to drag them here myself, one by one."

    She didn''t need to mention that both the process and its consequences would be less than desirable for those being called, and the elders were smart enough to realize when to stop beating a dead horse.

    When the elders had all left to gather the other members of the n, the crimson-haired girl next to Noelle grinned. "Do you need any ideas?"

    Of course, because she was back in the form of ''little Emi'' so as not to steal her girlfriend''s thunder while the girl was exacting her revenge, none of the elders paid much attention to her ''meager'' existence.

    Noelle could only sigh in exasperation. "Little boss, do you really have nothing better to do than watch me try to bully these stubborn fools?"

    Although she''ll admit that it felt good to have ''revenge'', the gray-haired girl remained staunch in her belief that these people simply weren''t much of her time or thought.

    Emilia giggled. "I just want to make sure you don''t get bullied."

    The gray-haired girl snorted. "As if that would happen. Watch, I''ll make them cry in regret once I''m through with them!"

    It didn''t take long for the elders to gather all the ''important'' people of their n, including the previous n leader, the family heads of the strongest side branches, and most of their fiercest fighters.

    Combined with the heads of all their ''noble'' families, the meeting hall was almost packed with over eighty people.

    With such a line-up, even Noelle knew that she wouldn''t be able to put up much of a fight against them no matter how hard she tried.

    After all, even if they were no longer in their best form, the elders she''d previously fought were also there, and she would definitely lose within seconds if they really attacked her.

    But with Emilia by her side, her heart was calm as a frozenke, and she even felt a faint smile form on her face as she saw several ''familiar'' faces in the crowd.

    Naturally, she hadn''t really met them before. But it was impossible for her to never have looked into what her ''parents'' looked like. It might have been a long time ago, but their faces were pretty much still the same, so it wasn''t hard to recognize them.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    ''I guess time has been kind to them, huh?'' Noelle thought sarcastically. ''Heh, I wonder if they''ll still be able to enjoy life so much after tonight?''

    The current ''n leader'' was obviously also present, though from his pale expression and trembling lips, it was easy to see that he expected his position to be lost this day.

    ''T-This is all because of those two idiots! If only they hadn''t ruined my image in front of the elders¡­!'' The n leader cursed. ''Had I known this was gonna happen, I would have skinned those idiots alive the moment I got my hands on them!''

    Of course, no matter how heined, there was no medicine for regret. The bastard who caused everything around him toe tumbling down was now nowhere to be found, and Mr. ck had yet to regain consciousness in the hospital.

    ''At least I ruined that moron''s face.'' The n leader thought maliciously. ''Even if he wakes up, I''ll just say that it had to be done to make sure his identity isn''t discovered by the Gray Wolfe.''

    Naturally, he had no need to fear his lies being seen through by the man. After all, even if he managed to recover physically, all Mr. ck was good for were his old connections to certain rich and powerful individuals around the world.

    To people like the leaders of the White Deer and the Gray Wolfe, such things might be insignificant'', but for those like him, it was simply an unimaginable treasure trove!

    Of course, making full use of such connections required not only for Mr. ck to wake up soon, but also for him to not lose the position of the n leader before the time was right. After all, what was he going to use all those connections for if he didn''t even have the ability and strength to make use of the benefits they brought?

    ''Please, please let this meeting me about anything except my dismissal, please!'' He prayed.

    And fortunately for him, his prayers were answered, though not in a way he expected.

    Under the eagle-like gaze of a certain gray-haired girl, the grand elder coughed. "It is good to see everyone in good health. All of us elders have weighed our present situation carefully, and it''s clear now that we need to change a few things going forward."

    It had to be said that even if the Nightingale n hadn''t been doing well recently, the prestige of the elders was still deeply ingrained in the hearts of all the nsmen, and this was doubly so for the grand elder.

    The old man had wanted to take the opportunity to ''introduce'' Noelle as their secret genius so the situation wouldn''t be so embarrassingter, and he was even ready to im she was his missing granddaughter, but the girl''s sharp stare let him know that if he dared to slip up, she would definitely not let it slide.

    Perhaps it was the grand elder''s panicked state, or maybe it was his over-inted sense of self, but either way, he failed to realize that Noelle wasn''t paying attention to him at all, but someone else entirely.

    Begrudgingly, he tried his best to soften the blow to everyone''s heart anyway. "T-There will be many major changes for a while, so everyone, you must remain strong and bear with it!"

    Saying so, he quickly nodded toward Noelle before sitting down, not even daring to look in the girl''s direction.

    For those who didn''t know the whole story, however, it only looked like an elder instructing a junior to give the rest of the speech on his behalf, and no one found it weird when Noelle started speaking.

    That is, until they heard the words from her mouth.

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 Chapter 607 No Need To Be Scared

    "It should be obvious by now that since the Nightingale n has already been deemed as a threat by the government, it won''t be long before things get much worse here." The gray-haired girl sneered. "Of course, everyone is free to continue being in denial if they so please... if you can handle the consequences."

    There were many who wanted to refute her, but in the end, they could only keep their silence. After all, what she said was indeed true. And considering that she was supposedly speaking on the behalf of all the elders, the one who stood out first would definitely be punished severely.

    Noelle''s gaze became indifferent as she continued. "Even if you continue obeying the government''s orders now, what you''ve already done cannot be erased. "

    Naturally, most people present in the hall had given it some thought as well, and understood that although it was hateful to admit, the gray-haired girl was indeed correct.

    Currently, the government was still cautious because there were many things that they had to deal with at once. However, once they managed to curb any signs of rebellion, the way they would deal with the Nightingale n would definitely be extremely ruthless.

    Even if they weren''tpletely annihted, their n would definitely be broken up and separated till there was almost nothing left of their former self, though maybe the ''recycled'' parts would still be put to ''good use'' under the government''s care.

    Noelle could see the struggle and desperation slowly welling up in their eyes, and she couldn''t help but sneer. ''Do they find it unjust that they have to be put into such a position?''

    Clearly, it was impossible for those in the Nightingale n to remain oblivious to how the regr citizens of Carmen were treated. In fact, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that they were partially the source of the problem.

    After all, the Nightingale n had been actively supporting the Gray Wolfe for multiple generations already, and it was only through their influence that the people currently in power managed to get where they were now.

    Even now, when they were going through such extreme internal turmoil, the ''worst'' thing that the government did to the Gray Wolfe Corporation was to restrict the flow of sensitive information being sent their way. And that... was it.

    Of course, although a part of it was because of sentimental reasons and not wanting to tear off previous agreements, those in the know understood the real truth.

    The strict policies of the government gave them a very strong hold over Carmen, but they''d left its economy and supply chain almostpletely dependent on a single corporation. Without the Gray Wolfe, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Carmen would start to crash and burn in a matter of weeks.

    They may not be in as desperate a situation as that of Blue Dawn back when things went south there, but they weren''t in a good enough position to make a move simr to Oriana, who had sessfully converted most of ck Tiger Corporation''s enterprise into government assets.

    ''But maybe taking down the Nightingale n is the ''first step'' to getting into a good position to prepare for taking over Gray Wolfeter, and that''s what they''re going for¡­'' Noelle thought. ''Of course, they have to deal with the public unrest first.''

    Since that was the case¡­

    "It''s toote for the Nightingale n to reconcile with this government, but the situation isn''t unsalvageable yet."<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Seeing the hope flicker in some of their eyes, Noelle smiled. "Go prepare everyone to start taking covert assignments from tonight. From now on¡­ the Nightingale n will be actively assisting the public against the government in secret."

    If she''d mentioned such a thing from the start, maybe some of them really would have protested by now, regardless of the awaiting punishment. But thanks to Noelle guiding their thoughts carefully, not only did no one oppose her idea, but many even felt pumped up and ready to go.

    That''s right. The spirit of the Nightingale n is to fight, so how can they give up so easily just because the opponent had weapons that could suppress them?

    Although the elders were slightly dissatisfied with how off-handedly Noelle did things, they still cooperated ording to their deal with Emilia, and quickly expressed their agreement.

    "It''s not yet certain who will win and who will lose in the end!

    "There is still time!"

    "Right! We cannot sit and wait for death."

    Noelle smiled. "Great. In that case, everyone except for the ones I mention next can leave and start with your preparations as soon as possible."

    Some people lingered for a few moments before noticing that the gray-haired girl was only asking the previous n leader anddy Narcissa to stay back, and they quickly lost interest in any ''gossip''.

    The previous n leader might have had many personal conflicts, but his leadership ability and strength were both top-notch, and everyone acknowledged it. In this time of crisis, it made sense that he was picked out from the crowd once more to help the n.

    As fordy Narcissa, the roles she could y in continuing the survival of their Nightingale were too many to count. After all, she was not only one of the most influential figures in their currently most stable branch, but also the previous n leader''s ex-wife.

    The two of them usually mixed about as well as water and oil, and the elders probably just wanted to make them temporarily give up their mutual grudge for the sake of the n.

    Thinking so, everyone except for the two Noelle pointed out took their leave, leaving only the few of them in therge hall.

    Noelle looked at these two ''parents'' strangely for a few moments before turning to her ''mother'' with a smile. "Why is your face so pale?" She paused before continuing with a smirk. "Could it be because of¡­ guilt?"

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 Chapter 608 The Truth

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    Without the crowd present, everyone could clearly see that Noelle wasn''t just making things up, and the woman really was pale as paper. But what no one seemed to get was¡­ why?

    These two should never have met before in their lives, so why was it that Narcissa seemed so scared of the younger girl?

    But of course, even if no one else had noticed, how could the woman herself not recognize her own daughter''s face?

    It was like she was looking at herself in a mirror thirty years back. Except¡­ whether it was in terms of their aura or vitality, Narcissa realized that her past self couldn''t even hold a candle to the girl in front of her.

    ''N-No wait, I could be wrong. J-Just because she looks like that doesn''t mean this girl has to be HER. After all, t-their ages don''t match, do they?!''

    Of course, her hopes were dashed the moment Noelle grinned her way. "I suppose this was a reunion you were hoping would never happen, right, ''mother'' dear?"

    While everyone else was dumbfounded, Narcissa''s expression turnedpletely ashen.

    It really was her!

    But how could she still be alive?

    She clearly remembered just how weak and sick her daughter had been when she abandoned the girl all those years ago. Even if someone found her before she could freeze to death, there was no way she could have survived so long without proper care, right?

    With how impoverished the area she abandoned the baby in was, there was no way anyone financially stable would be caught wandering in those dead alleys.

    Suddenly, Narcissa realized something even more horrifying. ''N-No no no, isn''t the fact that she''s here now proof of the fact that the elders now know about what happened?!''

    A dark, twisted feeling welled up in her heart as she stared at the girl. ''Why didn''t you just die like you were supposed to?!''

    The man by the woman''s side frowned in confusion. "What the fuck is going on here, Narcissa? Why did she call you mother?!"

    Not connecting the dots between the daughter who died so many years ago and the young girl in front of him, he couldn''t help but think wildly. ''Could it be that she had an affair outside, and gave birth to another child in secret?!''

    Although they had long since stopped being husband and wife, a part of him still felt furious and betrayed.

    Of course, Narcissa was in no mood to pay attention to this ex-husband of hers, and instead pointed at the elders in desperation. "A-After everything that my family has done for the n, how could you plot against me like this?!"

    The elders could only stand there dumbfounded, wondering just why was it that they''d been dragged into the fire between mother and daughter.

    Anyway, it''s not like one of them could have fathered the child, right?

    The few of them looked at each other suspiciously, wondering which one was so ''energetic'' and morally bankrupt, but only received ''don''t look at me, how could I do such a thing?'' expressions in return.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "What nonsense is this, Narcissa?"

    "Even if you are now leading the main branch, you still have to maintain some decorum!"

    Her ''mother'' flinched back after being scolded, and no longer dared to point fingers at the elders, but their words only seemed to have verified her guess. ''S-So it really was them! B-But wait¡ª!''

    The attitude of the elders might have been slightly harsh, but she realized that it didn''t makeplete sense.

    If they were really plotting against her, wouldn''t this be the time to denounce and humiliate her before stripping away all her powers? Why would the elders be taking such a soft approach now?

    Could it be that they didn''t really me her for abandoning such a ''hopeless'' child, and only took the baby in after discovering it?

    It might have been only after the child unexpectedly survived and showed some talent that they started grooming her, but they couldn''t really me her for not being able to predict the future.

    The more Narcissa thought about it, the more it made sense, and some of her fear quickly dissipated.

    In fact, Noelle didn''t me her ''mother'' for her assumptions. Given the circumstances she appeared in and the fact that Narcissa didn''t seem to be aware of her ''real identity'', it was only natural for her to make such guesses.

    But there was no need for her to rify the ''truth'' to this woman. After all,pared to knowing that the daughter she abandoned managed to survive through sheer luck, she would definitely feel more desperate while slowly unraveling the mystery that led to her downfall.

    The gray-haired girl smiled. "I''m not here to exin anything to you, nor do I have any desire to ''reunite'' with you as a parent and child. If anything¡­ it''s just the opposite."

    Her biological father could only stare back at her in confusion, not having any idea that this was his own daughter and not the product of someone else''s affair with his ex-wife.

    Meanwhile, Narcissa''s expression turned grim. ''That''s right, even if the elders don''t me me, this girl now knows I''m her mother, and she might hold a grudge!''

    There had been nock of people who envied her throughout her life, but this was the first time Narcissa didn''t know how to deal with it.

    It wasn''t because she didn''t want to hurt her own daughter, of course. She was just worried that the elders might change their attitude if she retaliated against this girl they had groomed so carefully.

    Noelle chuckled. "No need to be so confused. I have my own life now, and my current focus is on the n as a whole, and not just you. Still, there is a reason I asked you two to stay back."

    Her words seemed to have confirmed the fact that she''d grown up under the secret grooming of the n elders, as far as her parents were concerned, but that was exactly what the gray-haired girl intended.

    Her mother stared back at Noelle warily. "W-What is it that you want us to know?"

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 Chapter 609 Fearless

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    Looking at the wary expression on the face of her ''mother'', Noelle couldn''t help but chuckle. "Well, I assume that both of you are familiar with thedy named Dolores?"

    Narcissa secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while Noelle''s biological father furrowed his brows when his current wife''s name was suddenly mentioned. "Are you talking about my wife?"

    The gray-haired girl nodded. "That''s right. I''m gonna trouble you to go through your memories of the time when she used to serve madam Narcissa here, and see if you can remember who the woman in this picture is."

    She took out an aged photograph and passed it onto her ''father'' as Narcissa gasped almost immediately. "T-That''s Abey, my¡ª!"

    Noelle smiled mysteriously. "Your missing servant, yes."

    Her mother''s face turned even paler. ''N-No way, could it be that this girl found Abey somehow?!''

    Suddenly, her thoughts paused. ''But wait¡­ Abey had clearly lost her mind at that time, hadn''t she? Even if this girl met her, what she knows may not necessarily be much.''

    After all, even if crazy Abey regained her mind, how could she still clearly remember the ramblings of her mistress all those years ago?

    Moreover, in the worst case, she could just attribute all her ''confessions'' to that woman''s insanity.

    "This is a ''story'' about the two of them¡­ and us. Care to listen?" Noelle smiled, but it was so cold that the older woman in front of her almost shivered.

    Based on the girl''s tone alone, it was obvious to the two of them that it wasn''t going to be a ''good'' story, or a story at all, maybe. But under the pressure of the elders, they could only nod.

    Just as she was about to speak, however, Noelle suddenly had a ''bright'' idea, and turned to Emilia with a devious glint in her eye.

    "Emilia, would you mind doing the ''storytelling'' on my behalf?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked. "I don''t really mind, but are you sure?"

    Noelle nodded confidently. "That''s true, but some things are best left to professionals if one wants maximum impact. And when ites to blowing things out of proportion and being dramatic, you''re one of the best, after all."

    "¡­ Thank you?"

    Even with their above-average hearing, no one in the room could hear the hushed whispers of the two girls, and unfortunately, Noelle even covered the movements of her lips with her hand, making it impossible to guess the words through lip movement as well.

    Suddenly seeing the strange ''little girl'' by Noelle''s side step forward with a smile, they couldn''t help but be confused.

    "Since this is a sensitive topic for miss Noelle, I will be doing the ''storytelling'' on her behalf." Emilia grinned. "Rest assured, however, that my memory is very good, and I definitely won''t misremember or forget any of what she has taught me."

    Noelle''s parents were only slightly displeased, while the elders stared at each other in confusion.

    This monster who could beat them up without even learning their n''s techniques was unexpectedly forgetful and... dumb? Could this be the reason why Noelle brought along this little girl with her?

    If so, it really was great news that Emilia hadn''te along!

    Maybe if they just pretended to cooperate with her on the surface while slowly ''pleasing'' her withpliments, this stupid idiot might really get bribed in time! Once that happened, wouldn''t the ''trap'' they had fallen into turn into a great opportunity instead?<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    After all, whether it was Emilia, the White Deer Corporation, or the twins of the Gray Wolfe, they''d all seemingly givenplete control of the matters of the Nightingale n in this girl''s hands.

    The elders who were fantasizing about such a wonderful oue failed to notice that Noelle was observing their expressions from the corners of her eyes while sneering. ''Fools.''

    Emilia gave her a reassuring smile that only the two of them could understand, soothing the irritability in Noelle''s heart before she cleared her throat. "Ahem, let''s start, then."

    She smiled. "Once upon a time, there was a poor girl who really, really envied her mistress. And I mean like, really! If she could chop her up and feed her bits and pieces to the pigs, she would not only do so, but do it in such a way that the poor mistress would have to watch her body being gnawed apart piece by piece."

    While everyone else was dumbfounded by how happily this ''cute'' little girl exined something so grotesque, Emilia continued. "She couldn''t be med, really. That woman, her mistress, was clearly not that different from herself, but she was living a life the poor servant could only dream of! And the worst part of it all was that there was nothing she could do to change her fate. How terrible, ahh, how miserable!"

    She sighed dramatically. "Life simply wasn''t fair. But one day, she saw that the mistress and the master''s rtionship cracked, and in that gap¡­ there seemed to be more than enough room for someone else."

    The expressions of Noelle''s ''parents'' immediately turned ugly. Neither of them was unaware of these things, but who wanted to be reminded of such an ugly past?

    This girl was clearly pping them in the face!

    But their furious thoughts soon stagnated as the ''story'' progressed to the part where Dolores, the then-hidden lover of Noelle''s so-called father, was taken out of the npound.

    "Dolores wasn''t an idiot. She knew that just because she was pregnant didn''t mean that she could sessfully climb to the position she wanted. After all, if the child from her belly turned out to be a weakling, wouldn''t all her dreamse crashing down?"

    Emilia grinned. "Dolores believed that if she had been so lucky, she wouldn''t have been born in such a pathetic household anyway. So just to make sure her ns weren''t ruined, she needed a way out if something went wrong. And that way out¡­ was through Abey, the most obedient servant of her mistress."

    She then went on to describe how Dolores had kidnapped, tortured, and humiliated Abey throughout her pregnancy in great, graphic detail that horrified almost everyone present to the core.

    Even Narcissa couldn''t help but flinch at the thought of someone she knew going through so much.

    She just couldn''t imagine that even Dolores, who she detested so much, would be so needlessly cruel to someone she had worked with for so long.

    After all, if she just wanted to use the woman''s baby, wasn''t it enough to just confine her and wait for the baby to be born?

    The little girl seemed to have seen through their thoughts as she grinned. "Dolores, being a smart woman, definitely had her reasons for doing such a thing."

    In the end, Noelle''s biological father really couldn''t bear it anymore as he rushed forward to m his fist on the table in fury. "Shut up! SHUT UP! I won''t allow you to keep ndering my wife like this anymore, no matter who you are!"

    Not to mention the elders in front of him, even if it was some god-like being, the man seemed ready to fight with them to the death if needed.

    Even Emilia couldn''t help but look up at the man in admiration, as if impressed.

    Of course, knowing her little boss, Noelle knew that this was anything but good for the man.

    And as expected, her girlfriend soon started plimenting'' her biological father with that sweet, nectar-like voice of hers.

    "To be able to face someone like me¡­" Emilia blinked her big blue doe-eyes for maximum impact, and then continued in a single breath. "... and defend the current wife who almost tortured your pregnant servant to death and plotted against your previous wife and daughter so fearlessly¡­ how brave you are, sir!"

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 Chapter 610 Special Talent

    Few people could tolerate being mocked like that to their face, and fewer still could take it when it happened right in front of their significant other.

    Granted, Narcissa was only his ex-wife now, but that did little to quell the sheer humiliation that drowned Noelle''s biological father.

    "Y-You little brat¡ª!"

    Even at the lowest point of his life, when all the elders had been dissatisfied with him for the deception regarding his remarriage, no one had dared to treat him like that!

    Emilia blinked back at him innocently. "Yes?"

    She didn''t look offended at all, as if not even understanding that the person in front of her was scolding her.

    "!"

    The man pointing his finger at her indignantly almost had a stroke.

    The crimson-haired girl smiled catingly, as if dealing with a particrly bothersome type of kid. "Don''t worry, everyone knows that the child cannot be med for the sins of their parent. Since you were oblivious to what was going on around you, it''s not like you could have done much anyway, right?"

    Her ''understanding'' was more of a p to the face than constion, and the man in front of her could almost feel his bones creak from the effort it took to restrain himself from punching this little girl to death.

    Even if she was just an insignificant pawn, one had to look at the owner''s face before kicking the dog. And given that the elders remained silent in the face of so much nder against his wife¡­ he had the feeling that maybe getting a rise out of him had been their expectation from the start.

    The man could bring himself to neither believe nor deny that thought. And the longer he dwelled on it, the more furious he became.

    In the end, he really couldn''t take it anymore and stormed off in a hurry before he lost control and made things worse.

    Narcissa also took the opportunity to follow him out in a hurry, leaving just the helpless elders together with Emilia and Noelle in the hall.

    From the start to the end, neither of the two seemed to have paid attention to the fact that their ''dead'' daughter was unexpectedly standing in front of them, and might have been waiting to meet them for her whole life.

    But Noelle wasn''t disappointed.

    In fact, looking at her mother''s gloomy eyes and her so-called father''s obviously livid and disbelieving expression before he stormed off, she couldn''t help but nod in satisfaction. ''As expected, when ites to ying with people''s feelings, one way or the other, no one does it better than her.''

    She had no doubt that even if those two believed less than half of what was said, they would still be at each other''s throats soon enough.

    After all, they hadn''t stopped tearing each other''s faces off for years, and had only managed to reach a fragile truce after countless efforts from the people around them.

    Now that she had Emilia pour jet fuel into the bonfire, there was no doubt going to be a good show waiting for everyone shortly after.

    It was quite surprising how even without her absurdly gorgeous face, the ''impact'' that Emilia had on people was still so great, but after thinking about it some more, the gray-haired girl realized that it made sense.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    The reaction that people had to someone''s actions depended greatly on ''who'' they were and what they looked like. And with Emilia''s real self being as it was¡­ there was no doubt that many would find it an honor even if they were to be crushed beneath her heels.

    Without those two things, however, if her usual behavior and words remained the same¡­ Emilia could be considered a great talent in pissing people off.

    After all, not everyone in the world loved her, and the fact that Emilia managed to achieve that while looking like she did was a testament to her ''skill'' in Noelle''s book.

    ''Being Sam''s little sister, I guess it''s a given, isn''t it? As expected of that idiot, I guess¡­'' Noelle sighed.

    She conveniently ignored that fact that the two girls weren''t actually rted at all, and Emilia hadn''t really grown up under Samantha''s care.

    Meanwhile, the elders could only stare at each other helplessly as the two girls left without even a farewell.

    "So she was their daughter, huh?"

    The eldest daughter and the one who controlled the new main branch of their n, Narcissa, and the previous n leader, Gildroy, were both top-tier fighters and some of the brightest stars of their generation.

    It was a pity that they turned out the way they had, but after discovering that the girl they had been so dissatisfied with before was their daughter, the elders couldn''t help but change their opinion a little.

    "She must have inherited most of their talent, right? It''s no surprise that she can give us such a hard time then, since we''re no longer in our prime."

    "Right, but it''s a pity that she seems to have no feelings for our n. What a waste of a good seed."

    The grand elder coughed. "That''s not necessarily true. She might hold a grudge for now, but once she''s done expressing her dissatisfaction against her parents, won''t she still be a Nightingale through and through?"

    The ones who had suffered under the girl''s punches and kicks were a little skeptical about Noelle''s scorn for their n fading away any time soon, but thinking about the fact that she at least cared enough toe here now, they also couldn''t help but nod in agreement.

    "If we can properly integrate her into the n, not only will all the previous benefits we imagined would be ours, but the next generation of n leaders birthed from her might lead us to heights that we cannot even imagine!"

    "We cannot let our past judgment hold the n back from a brighter future."

    "I cannot agree more."

    "Right! What''s important now is for us to make sure we wipe off that negative impression in her heart."

    The few of them discussed how to go about it for a while, and soon came to a conclusion.

    "Since this is so, we can only wrong Gildroy and Narcissa for now."

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 Chapter 611 Snakes

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    If someone had asked him a few days ago how he would feel if his missing daughter showed up in front of him, Gildroy would definitely have told them he would be over the moon with happiness.

    Even if he felt nothing for the weak and useless girl born out of that loveless marriage, there was no denying that he felt good every time people talked about it.

    After all, even if most didn''t dare to criticize his ex-wife directly, their words and actions would inevitably still show how they looked down on her ipetence while showing sympathy for his so-called loss.

    Of course, even if she really did show up, Noelle''s father had never imagined he would be particrly upset.

    How could he feel so strongly about someone he never really cared about? At most, he would arrange a few things for her to look like a good father would... as long as his wife was okay with it.

    If she wasn''t... well, he could only put this so-called daughter of his aside. His own family''s happiness came first, after all.

    Obviously, over the past few years of living with an actual loving and caring wife, Noelle''s father had realized that the greatest happiness in life wasn''t power or money, but the blissful days he spent together with the love of his life and their child.

    He''d never realized what he was missing out on until his sweet angel came into his life. Even if he lost some of his power and prestige in return, Gildroy could confidently say that he was content with the results.

    When his so-called daughter really showed up, however, the man realized just how wrong he had been.

    Truly, a venomous snake couldn''t give birth to a swan. The thing born from that whore''s womb was really even more disgusting that its mother!

    Not only did she dare to speak badly of his beloved wife, but she even made up lies to nder her like that!

    "How dare that bitch¡ª!"

    Just thinking about the fact even the legitimacy of his own son had been brought into question made him feel like strangling that little serpent to death.

    But he knew that he couldn''t be impulsive.

    Even if he used to be one of the strongest fighters in the n, it had been too long since he was really active. And the elders supporting that girl couldn''t be underestimated.

    The Nightingale n respected strength above all, and if he really lost after going in for a fight¡­ not only would he lose his face, but even his wife''s honor and dignity would be lost!

    "No no no, I can''t let this slide! B-But... what can I do?" He paced around furiously in his home.

    Watching his father curse under his breath like that, his worried son couldn''t help but step forward. "D-Dad, i-is there something I can do to help?"

    Naturally, his son had no idea what was going on right now, but that only made Gildroy more furious. ''If I don''t do anything now, it won''t be long before those two bitches start spreading all kinds of rumors in the n. How heartbroken will the two of them be at that time?!''

    Fortunately, his wife returned from¡­ wherever it was she usually went to gossip and pass her time with other women. Gildroy couldn''t be bothered to care about such things at this moment.

    "Drake, dear, you go y with your friends outside. Your mother and I have¡­ something private to discuss."

    Most of the boy''s worries had already faded away when he saw his mothere back looking so happy, and when he saw her blush after his father''s words, Drake hurriedly ran away in disgust.

    How could they mention such things in front of him with the sun still high in the sky? His parents were really too shameless for their age!<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Of course, he would rather go take a few more punches to his face from those muscled buffoons who could barely put two sentences together than hear the moans and groans of his parents.

    The first few times were traumatizing enough.

    Dolores cleared her throat shyly under her husband''s ''heated'' gaze after her son left. "W-What made you so¡­ excited today, dear?"

    Naturally, although she pretended to be innocent and oblivious, Dolores was a clever and intelligent woman who never put down her guard.

    She''d known from the moment her husband and that woman had been asked to stay back that something big must be about to happen, and even if she was slightly rmed at first, Dolores soon realized it could only be a good thing.

    Their Nightingale n was currently going through tough times, and their n leader had already made it clear that he wasn''t fit for the job through his actions.

    To get through this crisis, their n not only needed to take out all their hidden trump cards, but also a strong andpetent leader!

    And on such short notice, who else could they turn to but her husband, who had already proven his mettle through the test of time?

    Thinking like that, it was only natural for the elders to ask her husband to stay back so they could ''convince'' him to take up that position again. Maybe they would even apologize for not realizing his true value sooner.

    As for why that woman was asked to stay back as well, Dolores naturally figured it out as well.

    It was because of her that her husband''s branch lost its status, and he also lost his position. Now that the elders desperately needed his help, how could they not even make her apologize to show their sincerity?

    Perhaps she would even be punished!

    Of course, since she could figure this all out, so could many others. And while the elders had their private discussion with her husband, Dolores had already been bombarded with congrattions and ttery from all thedies in her clique.

    Just thinking about it all put her in a good mood, and even if her husband hadn''t taken the initiative to ''call'' her, Dolores nned to reward him well.

    It was good way to both celebrate the good news, and also to reinforce her status in his heart.

    After all, now that he was once again about to rise up, it would definitely be much harder to ''defend'' her position than it was when her husband was still down on his luck.

    Dolores would never allow herself to make the same mistake as that idiot Narcissa. She couldn''t afford it.

    Unfortunately, her coquettish attitude seemed to have had no effect on her husband at all, and even seemed to have annoyed him a little, which immediately chilled her heart.

    Looking at his wife''s shocked face, Gildroy sighed. "Sorry, I¡­ I''m in a bad mood right now. Can you rub my head for me?"

    There was no way he could tell her the truth after seeing her so happy. Maybe it was best for him to figure out a solution while making sure she never found out about those disgusting things, after all.

    As usual, his ''sweet'' wife agreed to his request with a smile, and Gildroy closed his eyes peacefully while contemting what to do next, never realizing how hideously the woman''s face had twisted for a split second before she regained control of her expressions.

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 Chapter 612 What Could Go Wrong?

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    The worst nightmare of Noelle''s father came true way earlier than he expected.

    It was only the second day of his so-called daughter''s ''deration of war'' against him and his family, but her venom had seemingly already spread to every nook and cranny of the n.

    "Making one of our own n''s women go through such an unspeakable nightmare¡­ I shudder to imagine I''ve brushed shoulders with such a monster before."

    "She does seem a bit vain, but she can''t be that inhuman, right?"

    "Did she really do such a thing?"

    "Who knows? All I know is that the time at which Abey went missing, and everything else in the rumors¡­ it all lines up perfectly. If someone is really just ndering her, they were a bit too meticulous in their preparations."

    "What rubbish! Who would wait for so many years just to frame some no-name servant? There is no doubt that she must have done it!"

    The more the ''poison'' spread, the louder the voices asking his beloved wife to be brought to justice got.

    Fortunately, he had been cautious enough to not let his wife or son go out of the house again since that evening, so the two of them were still oblivious to the tragedy outside.

    But Gildroy knew that the stalemate wouldn''tst long.

    The venomous snake-child not only had the backing of her equally poisonous mother, but also most of the n elders. It won''t be long before she started using their power to push him to the depths of despair as well.

    If he really waited any longer, maybe he wouldn''t even be able to struggle to defend his wife''s honor, and his whole family would forever live a life of disgrace and dishonor.

    Clenching his teeth in hatred, the man quickly came to a decision. "Since you''ve left me no choice, don''t me me for being ruthless!"

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    Whenever she got the chance, Emilia always preferred taking a nap on her girlfriend''sp. Of course, she made sure to let them know not be bothered about disturbing her while they went on with their work.

    It wasn''t just that she didn''t want to disturb them, but their gentle movements in fact only helped to improve the crimson-haired girl''s mood.

    In contrast to everyone else, though, Noelle had more than once expressed her ''annoyance'' at Emilia''s ''childish'' behavior, though she never really did anything to stop it.

    "I''m working here, you know?"

    Emilia mumbled something unintelligible in response before rubbing her cute little face into Noelle''s belly.

    Despite her best attempts, Noelle felt her lips twitch from being unable to fully resist the ticklish sensation. ''Luckily, she doesn''t really use any lipstick or makeup, or it would have totally ruined the white fabric.''

    Easily lifting the girl up by the back of her dress cor, Noelle settled her down into a morefortable position with Emilia''s head over her shoulder and the rest of the girl''s body right up against her upper half.

    "Now you better not move while I''m working."

    Although Noelle would never admit it out loud, perhaps there was some merit to Sam''s growing obsession with Emilia''s smaller form. At the very least, it was much more portable and easier to handle.

    Plus, with her little boss looking so young, Noelle felt that there was little chance of giving into certain urges while handling her as well.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Nodding in satisfaction, the gray-haired girl was just about to continue reading on the updates regarding Carmen''s situation from her subordinates when she heard Emilia giggle.

    Before she could brush it off as her little boss being a little weird as usual, though, Emilia pushed away from her snuggling position, and looked at her with a bright grin.

    "Did you know where your ''father'' is headed to right now?"

    Noelle naturally understood that there were many nonsensical things that Emilia could do, one of which was apparently being able to more or less sense what was going on within a certain range around herself.

    The area they were currently residing in was close to the mansion allotted to the current ''main branch'' of their n, and far from where her ''father'' was supposed to be.

    Since Emilia mentioned him now, it could only mean¡­

    Noelle''s eyes widened in surprise. "Already?!"

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. "Looks like he couldn''t wait anymore."

    Perhaps it was only to be expected of people short-sighted enough to not see her precious girlfriend''s potential, Emilia thought.

    "Do you wanna go watch?"

    Noelle stared reluctantly at the work still pending on her tablet, then sighed. "Alright. I guess since we''re here, might as well go see."

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    In sharp contrast to her husband, the impression that Noelle''s mother had of her daughter had actually improved a lot since theirst meeting.

    At first, she was afraid that the girl was here only to cause trouble, and actually wanted to try getting rid of her quickly if possible, but now it no longer seemed necessary.

    After all, this daughter of hers seemed more intent on causing trouble for her ex-husband than anything else, which was not only a relief, but also something she found highly amusing.

    Narcissa didn''t believe herself to be a small-hearted woman. ''If she can really drag that idiot and the little bitch through the mud, I don''t even mind taking her back.''

    Of course, she couldn''t deny that a part of her decision was influenced by her daughter now having the backing of all the elders somehow.

    Although she hated being proven wrong, maybe her worthless daughter''s talent somehow really managed to shine as she grew up.

    ''What a pity¡­ if I''d known she would turn out fine, I could have just kept her.'' She sighed.

    Getting an additional powerful pawn beneath her thumb for just the price of an additional mouth to feed was really a bargain she regretted missing out on.

    Of course, Noelle and her might still stand on the same side as mutual enemies of her ex-husband, but as a smart woman, how could Narcissa not understand the difference between an obedient daughter and a circumstantial ally?

    Fortunately, aside from being slightly sarcastic and gloomy, the girl wasn''t actually so bad, and was still worth putting to good use.

    Even a poisonous fish could be served a delicacy when prepared well enough. So as long as she was careful, what could possibly go wrong?

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 Chapter 613 Mouthpiece

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    Things happening when one least expects them was one of the many beautiful mysteries of life, or maybe it would be more appropriate to call it a great horror in Narcissa''s case.

    In all these years of her ongoing ''feud'' with her husband, not once had he ever dared step foot in her family home. But today, not only did he do exactly that, but he even dared to grab her neck!

    Narcissa couldn''t even curse at her madman of an ex-husband as she struggled for air. Unfortunately, not only did her struggle not arouse any pity in Gildroy''s heart, but it even seemed to make his killing intent stronger.

    Although he had managed to sneak in here without anyone being the wiser, the longer this woman stayed alive, the higher the chance of him being caught.

    Of course, even if he managed to do everything wlessly, it wouldn''t be enough to clear him of suspicions. But being caught red handed and being used of something no one had any proof of were two entirely different circumstances.

    Gildroy was confident that as long as he managed to kill this woman today, the most he and his family would have to suffer would be getting emunicated by the n.

    And at this point, was that even a bad thing?

    Not only would the root of all their troubles be gone, but he and his family would even be able to jump out of this sinking ship with ease!

    "Fucking die already, you bitch! Quickly, die quickly you worthless garbage!"

    He mmed the woman''s head against the wall a few more times while tightening his grip, but it was still far from enough to knock her out.

    Even though she was no longer in her prime, Noelle''s mother was still able to soon mobilize enough of her strength to kick her husband hard enough in the shin to force him to let her go, though most of it could only be attributed to desperation.

    Narcissa quickly choked in a mouthful of air as she clutched at her deeply bruised neck while stumbling away from her cursing ex-husband.

    She didn''t even have the time to scream for help before the infuriated man jumped on her again.

    A muffled bang seemed to echo directly through her head as pain exploded from her ribs, and it was only when her back mmed against the sofa that Narcissa realize that she had been kicked hard enough to shatter almost the entirety of her right ribcage.

    She almost couldn''t believe that she was still alive.

    But unfortunately for her bastard of an ex-husband, with the impact being partially cushioned by the sofa and the distance opened between the after the kick, Naricssa had just enough time to stabilize both her breath and mind.

    And the first thing she did after that was¡­ obviously to scream for help!

    "KYAAAK¡ª!"

    Her screeching was abruptly cut short as her husband lunged directly for her face with a merciless elbow jab, though fortunately she was able to block it with her now stinging palm.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Clearly, she was supposed to be on the same level as the man attacking her¡­ but how could the difference between them have grown sorge?

    Narcissa couldn''t help but regret not being as serious about her everyday training after her divorce, but now it looked like it might already be toote for regret.

    With his surprise attack and her current injuries maybe she really won''t be able tost long enough for the elders to arrive and stop her madman of an ex-husband.

    As for the closest people who might arrive earlier¡­ Narcissa had no hope of them being able to stop Gildroy. She knew for a fact that it would take at least two elders to stop this man as he was now, after all.

    ''I can''t believe I''m going to die in the hands of this scumbag!'' She cried in her head in despair.

    Even in her worst nightmares, Narcissa never imagined her ending would be so pathetic that she would perish under the man she hated the most in her life. She would much rather die under her worthless daughter''s revenge instead!

    And as if summoned by her thoughts, like a sh of moonlight that dispelled the darkness of the night, Noelle appeared between her ''parents'' in the blink of an eye.

    Not to mention Narcissa, who was dumbfounded at being rescued, even Gildroy was shocked silly by his so-called daughter''s unexpected arrival.

    Aside from some slight pain in his shin from his ex-wife''s kick earlier, he was pretty much in his best possible state right now, but¡­ he still failed to see Noelle move!

    What did that mean?

    Gildroy hated to admit it, but unless his eyes were deceiving him¡­ this venomous snake might really be much, much stronger than he expected.

    After all, since she could catch his fist without flinching, she was definitely not a paper tiger. Andbined with that speed¡­ he didn''t dare to think any further.

    Of course, Noelle''s actions of ''rescuing'' her so-called mother only cemented the fact that the two of them must be allies in the man''s heart, but the gray-haired girl clearly didn''t care about that.

    Backing away from the ''mother and daughter'', Gildroy leveled a cold re at the still dumbfounded woman on the ground. "The next time you dare to spread rumors about my wife like that, don''t me me for not being merciful!"

    Some of the elders who had just arrived on the scene happened to hear his words, and their expressions immediately turned grim.

    As expected, letting Noelle do as she pleased really ended up making the ''cold war'' between these two grown-up children turn into something much more violent.

    Now, the question was¡­ should they stop it?

    Their question was answered before they could even think about it much, however, when Noelle''s ''mouthpiece'' made her presence known to everyone with a grin. "And why do you think that you can do as you please and leave just like that?"

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 Chapter 614 An Offer You Cannot Refuse

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    Although he was hoping that his improvisation strategy would work, Noelle''s father naturally knew how unlikely it was to really seed. After all, whether she died or not, just the fact that he attacked the eldest daughter of the main branch''s leader was enough to get him in plenty of trouble.

    But while he was okay with being stopped by one of the elders to ''exin himself'', and was even prepared to be restrained, Gildroy never expected that the one to stop him would be a powerless little girl.

    "I''m really not in a mood to entertain little brats like you right now, so get out of my way before I lose it!"

    Emilia only sneered at his threat as she pointed at the half-dead woman on the ground. "Given that she''s almost at the death''s door thanks to you, your words aren''t helping your case at all. Are you going to put me in the same position as her, or worse, just because I dared to speak up?"

    Gildroy''s expression copsed, but before he could refute her words, the crimson-haired girl was already clinging to his ''daughter'' while pretending to be scared.

    "Noelle, Noelle, is he going to hurt me?! So scary, ahh!"

    Obviously, she knew it was an act, but Noelle couldn''t help but feel her heart soften upon hearing the trembling tone of her little boss.

    With how confident and bold she usually was, it was rare to get this girl to show vulnerability like this.

    The gray-haired girl smiled while patting Emilia''s head consolingly. "Don''t worry. Although the Nightingale n values strength and skill, it does not harbor madmen who cannot even control their own body and mind."

    The look she gave to the elders was obvious, and they didn''t hesitate for long beforeing to a decision.

    "We will investigate this matter thoroughly, and Gildroy¡­ don''t even think about getting out of your just punishment this time¡­ regardless of your reasons."

    "Come with us."

    The man was obviously reluctant, but he knew that there was little choice. Now that so many elders were already here, there was no way he could finish taking his ex-wife''s life right in front of them, or even escape.

    Since this was so, it was better to pretend to cooperate for now before looking for a way outter.

    Noelle sneered as she watched him being taken away. ''Does he think he can still get away? Heh.''

    The gray-haired girl picked up her ''mother'' by pinching the back of her cor before putting her down on the sofa, as if dealing with some dirty rag she didn''t want to touch her own body.

    Emilia giggled. "Should we get her some treatment?"

    Noelle shook her head in denial. "No need. She would be a disgrace to the Nightingale n if she cannot even recover on her own after being beaten up by someone at her own level. Our n doesn''t need such weaklings."

    Being just barely conscious enough to hear the words of her daughter, Narcissa almost had a stroke on the spot.

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    After her so-called father was taken away by the elders, he was confined to a small, dark room where he would be questioned until they ''figured the situation out'' before deciding on a ''proper'' punishment.

    Of course, Gildroy, who already believed that the elders were against him, would never sit there and wait for their decision. After all, even if he had good enough reasons, whatever decision the elders came to would definitely be nothing good for him or his family.

    So the moment the elders left, he had already started cooking up a n to escape. ''The one toe question me is likely to be the grand elder. They only think I''m mad at Narcissa for spreading the rumors, so he definitely won''t be prepared if I strike at that time, right?''

    If he could get a surprise shot in, Gildroy had no doubt that he would be able to at least knock the grand elder out for a while. At that time, he could just sneak out of the npound and take his family members away before they realized what was going on.

    As the previous n leader, he was still familiar with the paths and patrol routes of the n''s enforcers, so with some luck, it shouldn''t be impossible for them to get out unnoticed.

    What he never expected, however, was that the one who came to ''interrogate'' him wasn''t the n''s grand elder, but someone else.

    "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

    Noelle didn''t bother answering him as she took the chair on the other side while patting the one beside her for Emilia. "Mr. Gildroy, I don''t have much time, so I''ll be straight with you here¡ª!"

    She didn''t even get to finish her sentence before the man in front of her lunged forward, with a punch aiming straight for her temple.

    Emilia screamed in ''fright''. "Kyaa¡ª! Scary!"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes at how deeply her girlfriend was immersed in her y, though she knew that if she didn''t block the attack in front of her in time, the crimson-haired girl might very well turn the poor man in front of her into a disgusting pancake the next second.

    Fortunately, she had been prepared from the start, and easily blocked the man''s ''surprise attack'', much to his shock.

    He''d thought that it would definitely be much easier to deal with this girl now that there was no one of his own level around, and maybe he could even kill two birds with one stone before making his escape.

    But when she not only blocked his surprise attack on his own, but did so with apparent ease, he couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. ''H-How can she be so strong?!''

    He''d seen for himself just how fast she was before, so he thought that strength and resilience would definitely be her greatest shorings. After all, no one was perfect. Even the greatest fighters in their n''s history had their own weaknesses.

    But what he felt with his own body couldn''t be a lie¡­ could it?

    Before he could gather his courage to maybe try again, however, the girl in front of him shed from her spot to stand behind him, her palmnding heavily on his shoulders.

    "I suggest you sit down quietly and not scare my little girlfriend anymore, because I''m going to make you an offer you cannot refuse."

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 Chapter 615 Loose Ends

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    Whether it was the threatening tone that sent shivers of terror down his spine, or the heavy pressureing from the palm pressing on his shoulder, Gildroy felt like if he really dared to be impulsive at this moment... the oue would definitely not be in his favor.

    ? While his strength may no longer be what it was back in the day, it was still hard to ept that the child he once disregarded as being worthless trash would one day surpass himself. But as much as he hated to admit it, it was impossible to deny the possibility of this so-called daughter being even stronger than himself.

    Noelle smiled in satisfaction when saw the man helplessly remain seated while gritting his teeth in rage and disgust.

    She never knew until today just how much she enjoyed watching smug, arrogant, and self-important douchebags get a taste of their own medicine, feeling the same helplessness they''d made others go through all their lives. ''Maybe Emilia''s personality is rubbing off on me...?''

    Surprisingly enough... she didn''t really mind.

    Of course, this was far from enough. Since her little boss had gone through so much trouble setting it all up, wouldn''t it be a pity to not even make these two wallow in the depths of despair?

    She gave the man a pointed look. "I know you hate me, and the feeling is mutual, but since there is someone both of us hate more than each other, there is no harm in temporarily joining hands, right?"

    Noelle''s father was naturally not dumb enough to miss who she was talking about. Other than his bitch of an ex-wife, who else could he hate more?

    He snorted. "If you think you can trick me into saying something I shouldn''t, you''re overestimating your wit a bit too much."

    Noelle just gave Emilia a nod, and the crimson-haired girl immediately burst into giggles. "Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is, do you really think you''re important enough to make Noelle waste so much of her time?"

    The man was clearly unphased by the little girl''s ''low-level taunt'', assuming that she was just making a pathetic attempt to rile him up¡­ until he saw the title of the document on the tablet she pushed over.

    ''Noelle Nightingale - Chief Executive Secretary, White Deer Corporation''

    The photo and the details on the file clearly matched the girl beside him to the tee!

    Gildroy''s first thought was that it must be fake.

    After all, anyone could have made this document to throw him off. The official-looking background and terms could easily fool someone who wasn''t familiar with the organization''s conventions.

    But such doubts immediately flew out of the window when he looked up again to sneer at the ''little girl'', only to almost faint from shock.

    "Y-Y-You are¡ª!" He stuttered for almost a minute before he managed to spit out the name on the tip of his tongue. "E-Emilia White?!"

    Even if he didn''t keep up with the news outside too frequently, the girl in front of him had created a bit too muchmotion over the past few years for him to mistake her for anyone else.

    Not to mention, once someone had seen her face, regardless of the type of feeling she invoked in their heart, it was almost impossible topletely erase her image from their mind.

    A hundred and one doubts kept bouncing around in his head.

    Why was she here? How did she appear right in front of him without him even noticing? Was he that lost in thought? And where did that little girl go?

    The crimson-haired beauty was clearly in no mood to satisfy his curiosity, however, and just gave him a cold smile. "Listen to my girlfriend''s offer seriously, alright?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Noelle''s father was so dumbfounded that he subconsciously nodded without even thinking about it, and it was only after the gray-haired girl behind him was halfway through her ''offer'' that he came back to his senses.

    Emilia White called his worthless daughter her... girlfriend? What did THAT mean?!

    Even if the term wasn''t used for lovers, but very close friends, didn''t that still make that little serpent someone who could have all the riches, luxuries, and resources in the world at her fingertips?!

    The more he thought about it, the uglier his expression became.

    After all, this was no filial daughter who would share anything with him.

    He was just about to start cursing uncontrobly when Noelle''s ''offer'' finally registered in his mind, and Gildroy''s thoughts came to a grinding halt.

    "W-Wait¡­ y-you want me to WHAT?!"

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    Although she was technically confined to her home along with her son, Noelle''s so-called ''step-mother'' had still learned of her husband''s ''detention'' within minutes of the event taking ce.

    She was never one to put all her eggs in one basket and then wallow in regret when things went south, after all.

    The moment her husband had started showing signs of changing his mind about their rtionship, as far as she could tell, she''d already started making ns of her getaway.

    But even if she was prepared to abandon it all to stop her losses in time, it still hurt to lose so much in such little time.

    The moment she left the Nightingale n''spound, she would no longer be a dignifieddy respected and admired by hundreds of elites, after all.

    Even if she would still be set for life with the wealth she would be taking with her, it was impossible to not feel bitter about it in her heart.

    It was all her husband''s fault!

    If only he hadn''t been overly greedy and just epted her as his wife instead of going to that frigid whore he had already abandoned back in the day, wouldn''t everything have been fine?

    Clearly, that dumb woman who operated on emotions and grudge would never take him back!

    "That useless piece of shit!" She cursed. "How could he fuck everything up now?!"

    She was so furious that she didn''t even notice that her son was now shivering in terror as he watched his mother behave in a way that was definitely not ''herself''.

    Well, even if she noticed, she would not have cared.

    After all¡­ she did not intend to leave any ''loose ends'' behind.

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 Chapter 616 Misguided

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    It took Emilia a while to get her girlfriend to stop pouting over the crimson-haired girl unexpectedly revealing her real identity to Gildroy, but the effectiveness of her move was undeniable.

    Despite his initial shock and horror to do as he was told, it soon became clear that the man who refused to listen to a single word out of Noelle''s mouth was actually all too eager to cling onto the path of survival offered by Emilia.

    Of course, Noelle wasn''t particrly upset. After all, it wouldn''t take the man long to realize that the beautiful and noble empress of Blue Dawn was really just an impish trickster who had led him further down the path of doom.

    The gray-haired girl grinned coldly. "Let''s go deal with my ''mother'' next, then."

    Emilia changed back to her ''child'' form before taking her girlfriend''s hand, and the two of them headed straight for the room where Narcissa was being treated.

    Noelle smiled as she looked at the slightly confused gaze of the woman in the bed. "It''s good to see that you''re still alive."

    Emilia hummed in agreement. ''Even if she was dying, I wouldn''t allow it. She''s got to properly regret not taking care of my Noelle first!''

    Narcissa sighed. "¡­ Thanks to your help, things didn''t turn out worse."

    The woman was clearly much more ''receptive'' to Noelle after getting her life saved, or perhaps she was still in shock at the fact that she''d almost died in her ex-husband''s hands.

    Of course, the moment she''d realized that the girl could be ''of use'', Narcissa had already changed her attitude on the surface, so Emilia wasn''t too surprised.

    Aside from her pride often blinding her from seeing things through, Noelle''s mother was actually surprisingly cunning.

    But thinking about the n that the two of them came up with, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile. ''Even if she''s a little smarter than expected, there''s no way she can get out of our trap in time.''

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    Since the Nightingale n was now under Noelle''s control, and she would definitely not mistreat her ''little boss'' if she could help it, the gray-haired girl had long since had one of the n''s better mansions cleaned and prepared for the two of them to stay in.

    Of course, they hadn''t moved into it openly yet to avoid giving away their ns too early, but with their skills and status in the n, avoiding the prying eyes and ears here was like child''s y.

    Once the two of them were back in their own room, Noelle rolled her eyes as she watched the crimson-haired girl by her side excitedly rush off to turn on the TV. "Slow down, Emilia. I doubt they have started yet¡ª!"

    Her words were cut off the moment the screen turned on, because not only had the show started, it looked like it was already about to reach the climax!

    The dull gray-haired man on the screen had thevishly dresseddy pinned against the wall by her throat, her feet dangling helplessly off the ground. And on the carpet behind them, a boyy bleeding from his head with a broken ashtray by his side.

    Naturally, they weren''t watching some TV series that just happened to have eerily simr actors to the ones she''d just been dealing with.

    On Emilia''s request, she''d already had hidden, high-tech cameras set up at all the best spots in the Nightingale n''spound, taking special care to cover the areas around the residences of her so-called parents.

    At first Noelle thought Emilia must have done it just for her, but she soon realized that the crimson-haired beauty actually preferred watching things on the screen instead of observing them through whatever supernatural means she had.

    Emilia flinched the moment she saw the boy on the ground. "Yikes! Should I go save him?!"

    Noelle shook her head in denial. "Let him be for now. He''s still breathing and shouldn''t be fatally injured."

    The crimson-haired girl nodded as she focused back on the screen. "Well, it''s probably for the best that he got to see their real face before we took him out of there. Otherwise he would have found it harder to go back to his real home."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although neither of them owed much to Abey, the boy''s real mother, Emilia felt enough pity and goodwill for the woman that she didn''t mind going a little overboard to bring her some happiness if possible.

    Of course, whether the mother and son decided to stay together after meeting each other wasn''t any of her concern.

    What she cared about more now was how Noelle''s biological father was going to deal with the ''love of his life'' trying to murder his ''precious son'' in front of his eyes.

    "Do you think he''s going to strangle her to death on the spot?!"

    Noelle almost rolled her eyes in exasperation at the obvious excitement in her girlfriend''s voice. "You''ll know if you keep watching, won''t you?"

    Of course, the slight tremor in her own voice told Emilia all she needed to know about Noelle''s own state of mind, and she smiled. "Let''s enjoy the show, then."

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    Gildroy had actually been in a surprisingly good mood when he first got home.

    After all, despite everything that happened before, at least he now had Emilia''s promise to get him and his family out of this hellhole safe and sound as long as he did as he was told.

    Obviously, he hated serving a rich snob like her as any other self-respecting man would, but that didn''t change the relief brought by seeing the light at the end of the nightmarishly long, dark tunnel he had been trapped in.

    The man couldn''t help but chuckle as he stepped through his front garden. "It turns out that the little serpent actually hates the big snake that gave birth to it more than anyone else¡­ ahahaha, how ironic!"

    His smile was soon wiped out by the sound of something crashing loudly within the house, and he quickly unlocked the door to rush inside in a panic.

    Given that he''d locked his family in, there shouldn''t be anyone causing trouble inside!

    Could that woman have someone caught wind of his release from confinement and made a desperate move already?

    The more he thought about it, the more he panicked, and the faster he rushed towards the source of the sound.

    ''Please let me get there in time!'' He prayed in his heart.

    Of course, the moment he arrived at the scene, he almost wished he hadn''t arrived so fast.

    Maybe if he''d arrived a littleter, he could have at least tried to deny what happened in front of him in his mind somehow.

    There was no enemy, no assassin, and no burr in sight, but that didn''t bring him any relief. Because in front of him stood his wife, the muscles in her hand still notpletely rxed after the clearly strenuous swing it took to down the young boy on the ground.

    The sound of the freshly shattered ashtray rang in his ears like the mockingughter of his ex-wife.

    Something in the man''s mind snapped, and before he realized it, he already had the ''love of his life'' pinned to the wall by her throat, his eyes red with rage and anguish.

    "What the fuck were you doing?!"

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 Chapter 617 Bad Influence

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    Although neither Emilia nor Noelle had expected things to go this way, they weren''t particrly upset about the turn of events, and just continued watching the ''show'' calmly.

    While the conversation between the people on the screen wasn''t audible, it was possible for them to more or less guess what was being said based on thebination of lip movements and expressions.

    Noelle''s enraged ''father'' continued demanding an exnation from his wife to no avail, and soon started getting more and more violent, mming her head against the wall in frustration.

    Naturally, the woman who managed to rece Noelle''s biological mother despite her ''lowly'' initial position was naturally not someone whocked situational awareness.

    Emilia chuckled. "She probably knows she''ll suffer way more if she just told him the truth, right?"

    Noelle hummed thoughtfully. "I thought she would be able toe up with a lie that could fool him somehow, but I guess that''s overestimating her real ability."

    If Dolores knew that there were people watching her misery and joking about how the sess she had obtained after so much struggle relied more on her being vicious and ruthless than it did on her intelligence and wit, she would probably have a stroke and die on the spot.

    Of course, even without such a blow to her ego, her situation wasn''t looking good.

    The impact of the back of her head repeatedly mming against the wall had already left her with a severe concussion, and she couldn''t even think straight anymore. And to make matters worse, her husband was showing no signs of stopping!

    Dolores knew that now wasn''t the time to confess to her crimes or regret not being more thoughtful about the possibility of her husband''s return. If she wanted to guarantee her survival, she had to be ruthless!

    "K-Kill me then, k-kill me, b-but I''ll never tell you the truth, my love!" She squeaked out painfully.

    The woman did her best to appear even more delirious and out of focus than she actually was, and luckily her words seemed to have had just enough of an impact to fool her idiot husband, whose hold on her neck finally loosened a little more in shock.

    "I-It''s better for us mother and son to be gone if it means you can be safe and happy for the rest of your life. It''s okay if you forget about us, it''s okay¡­" She mumbled as she ''spaced out'' while inwardly crossing her fingers.

    Obviously, it was impossible to deny that she''d tried to kill her son. Her intent and actions were too clear, and GIldroy had witnessed it all with his own eyes.

    But wouldn''t it be all fine if she made him believe that she was going to ''sacrifice'' not only the boy, but also herself, all for his sake?

    Fortunately for her, it somehow seemed to have actually worked.

    "Y-You¡­ you did it all for me?!" Gildroy jumped back in shock,pletely letting go of his wife.

    Although his words seemed to be questioning her, the woman on the ground knew better than to answer him. After all, if she started defending herself knowingly, it would only make her husband more suspicious.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As it was, it was much better to just ''faint'' and leave everything else to her husband''s deeply rooted love and belief in his family.

    Noelle and Emilia watched as the now distraught man clung on to his ''unconscious'' wife and cried. "I-It''s all my fault! If I hadn''t been so powerless, neither of you would have had to suffer like this today¡­"

    Clearly, the thought of his beloved wife, who in his mind cherished their son more than anything else in the world, being driven to the point of making such an extreme decision nearly drove him mad.

    Noelle chuckled. "For him to believe such absurd reasoning so easily¡­ I guess his ego must have been quite stoked to be considered more ''important'' in his wife''s heart than the other twobined."

    Emilia didn''t think it was so simple, but she didn''t refute her girlfriend. After all, she had neither the interest nor the motivation to seek out the ''real truth'', and as far as she was concerned, the ''reality'' here might as well be whatever made Noelle happier.

    Those who agreed could continue to exist within the Nightingale n as before, and those who didn''t were wee to promptly ''take their leave'' at the earliest opportunity.

    Given that they believed in the rule of strength above all, she believed that they shouldn''t be too unhappy about it considering she was far stronger than any of them, right?

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    Although Noelle''s so-called father had clearly had a change of heart after the incident with his wife, he still didn''t hesitate to seek them out to beg Emilia for his son and wife''s treatment.

    Naturally, since they already knew about what happened, it didn''te as much of a surprise, and Emilia readily agreed as long as the man continued to uphold his end of the bargain.

    Gildroy showed no signs of obvious dissent, and repeatedly assured them that he would follow Emilia''s orders to the letter, his expression being the essence of gratefulness for the favor and resignation towards his fate.

    His acting was so convincing that if the two of them hadn''t already analyzed the situation in detail, maybe he could have really fooled them for a while.

    Of course, as it was, he looked no different from a poorly prepared circus clown trying his best to put on a show without any makeup or props.

    Noelle couldn''t help but raise a brow as soon as the man had left. "Think he''s gonna try backstabbing us?"

    Emilia grinned. "Obviously. But I don''t think you''re going to give him the chance, right?"

    The gray-haired girl couldn''t help but chuckle. "Maybe a certain someone has been a bad influence on me, but whenever I see such annoying little bugs... instead of giving them the chance to crawl up my leg, I''ve started to prefer thoroughly crushing them beneath my heel."

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 Chapter 618 Worry Free

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    While both Emilia and Noelle were confident in being able to deal with whatever trouble Gildroy ended up causing by messing up his ''instructions'', they still made sure to keep a close eye on his movements.

    After all, one had to be extra cautious when in enemy territory. And even with her strength and abilities being greatly boosted now, Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to believe herself to be invincible.

    "He''s not doing anything strange yet, is he?"

    Noelle hummed. "Maybe he''s worried that we''ll do something to his wife and son if we discover something wrong with his behavior."

    Of course, the child in question had already been arranged to be sent off to his real mother waiting for him back in Blue Dawn, while Dolores was kept in a medically suspended sleep for now.

    Even if the man never realized it, the fact that Emilia had more or less exposed her secret to his eyes made him no better than a dead man walking as far as Noelle was concerned.

    Whether Emilia considered him a threat or not, the gray-haired girl was never one to take chances when they were so easily avoidable.

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    Over the next few days, the elders of the Nightingale n slowly became aware of something extremely disturbing.

    They''d naturally long since known that Noelle had allowed her ''father'' to leave confinement after some unknown punishment, but they never really thought much about it.

    After all, the only concerning thing about that family drama was the strength and status of everyone involved. And with Noelle being so ridiculously strong while also having the backing of the White Deer, they never thought either of her ''parents'' could make much trouble even if they had their faces rubbed into the ground.

    The elders were confident that as long as they turned a blind eye to everything not brought to their attention by Noelle herself, the girl would soon finish venting her frustrations and calm down, and then they could start leading the Nightingale n together to new heights!

    Unfortunately, they soon realized how very, very wrong they had been.

    Gildroy''s nature seemed to have bepletely unpredictable after he assaulted his ex-wife. Not only did he not try toy low after being ''bailed out'' by his daughter, but the man even dared to try killing both his wife and son that very same day.

    It was as if he was begging everyone tobel him a lunatic!

    Of course, the elders could care less about the man''s reputation. But what made them really furious was the fact that the man started doing everything he could to rally people to his side as the de facto n leader.

    And to make matters worse, the eldest daughter of the current main branch, the man''s ex-wife, also seemed to have copied his idea!

    Even if their reputation had recently started crumbling, the elders knew that the previously established prestige of these two topbatants was not a joke.

    As soon as they noticed things could be going south if they remained silent, the elders immediately rushed to Noelle''s side to ''advise'' her.

    Of course, given how everything was going exactly ording to their n, the gray-haired girl only responded to them with an unconcerned smile. "Let them do as they want. As long as they don''t disobey our instructions directly, there is no rule within the n saying that the n members cannot pick someone to obey on their own, right?"

    Not daring to refute her words, the elders could only stare back at her speechlessly while wondering if she had a screw loose.

    It was true that the people who decided to follow either Gildroy or his ex-wife, Narcissa, were still going to obey the instructions of the elders, and Noelle by extension, but that was only for now!<novelnext></novelnext>

    Once either of those two idiots amassed enough strength and support, how could they be sure things will remain the same?

    Of course, considering the circumstances, the elders could only back down and allow Noelle to do as she pleased, though it didn''t stop them from criticizing her in private.

    "How can she be so stupid as to let mushy feelings cloud her judgment like that?!"

    Though some of the elders were more optimistic. "Well, it''s not necessarily a bad thing. It shows that despite her grudge, the girl cares deeply about her biological parents. At the very least, she can''t be ruthless."

    Of course, what mattered to them was not her filial piety, but the loyalty she would feel towards the Nightingale n by extension.

    "But we can''t really let those two gather any more support. They''ve already recruited nearly a fifth of the n!"

    The grand elder thought about it seriously for a while before nodding hesitantly. "In that case, let''s start taking a few countermeasures¡ª"

    "Wait!"

    Although the grand elder was annoyed by the interruption, he knew that his position was no longer as high in everyone''s hearts as it used to be, so he could only give the interrupting elder an unwilling nod. "What is it?"

    The man coughed. "I-It''s like this¡­ I was thinking, so far we have been allowing Noelle to do whatever she wanted, right?"

    Everyone else nodded, making him more confident. "So think about it for a moment¡­ if something, anything, goes wrong¡­ whose fault would it be?"

    Some people quickly shook their heads in denial.

    "It doesn''t matter whose fault it is if it hurts the n."

    "We can''t just sit by and do nothing."

    "That''s right!"

    The elder who brought up the point coughed. "T-That''s not what I meant! Think about it some more, who was it who sent Noelle here to y around?!"

    Everyone suddenly paused, and when they came back to their senses, a strange glint shone in their eyes.

    "It was Empress Emilia, wasn''t it?"

    "That''s right¡­ since she sent that girl here to y around, and she wants to make use of us in the end¡­ isn''t it a given that she deals with all the aftermath on her own?"

    Although no one liked to admit it, Emilia''s reputation of being able to make even the most unlikely situations turn in her favor was already deeply rooted in their minds.

    "If it''s her taking care of things for us¡­ do we really have to worry?"

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 Chapter 619 Tricked

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    Since they believed that Emilia needed the Nightingale n for her ns in their country, the elders naturally didn''t think that the crimson-haired empress would remain indifferent to their troubles.

    After all, no matter how little she cared for a ''tool'' in her heart, she wouldn''t let it break before it was done serving its purpose, right?

    It might hurt their pride to acknowledge it, but it remained true that the future of their n as it was now really could be molded on a whim by people like Emilia.

    Luckily, there were likely very few forces within the country that could meet Emilia''s requirements, and none of them were on the same scale as their Nightingale n.

    Even if the crimson-haired girl allowed Noelle to do as she pleased in order to vent her anger for being ''abandoned'', the elders didn''t believe that her status in Emilia''s heart could high enough to really make the little princess give up her objectives.

    They''d already done their due research over the past few days now that they realized how their fates depended on the crimson-haired beauty''s whims. And while it was true that Noelle appeared by her side quite often, there were many who appeared to be much more intimate with the Empress of Blue Dawn.

    Of course, there was no way to be really sure about any of their guesses, so the elders still decided to watch the situation carefully. If it really looked like Noelle was losing control of the situation¡­ they would be left with no choice but to send someone to contact Ginny and Jasper.

    After all, the Empress of Blue Dawn hadn''t even left them with a way to contact her directly, and simply gave Noelle full discretion on how to handle things at the Nightingale n.

    The grand elder couldn''t help but scratch his chin in confusion. "I don''t get it¡­ why does the little princess of White Deer favor that girl so much?"

    Naturally, none of the others had any answer to that question, though many had their own guesses that they kept in their hearts.

    Some believed that Noelle must have won the girl''s appreciation early as they grew up together, and was simply banking on that wise investment, while others believed that the younger girl was too cunning to be easily manipted by someone as dumb as Noelle.

    The girl didn''t even know when to put a stop to her ''mother'' and ''father'' gathering more support when things were getting so bad!

    In their opinion, it was much more likely that the Empress of Blue Dawn was much smarter than she appeared, and Noelle was simply another useful tool for her. One she was fond of, perhaps, but a tool nheless.

    Of course, regardless of their varied opinions, they didn''t dare go and directly voice them to Noelle, for the fear of things getting even worse if the girl''s mood became unstable.

    The grand elder sighed as he concluded the meeting. "Let''s just hope that Gildroy and Narcissa will onlypete with each other on a smaller scale, and our n''s core interests won''t be affected by their conflict."

    Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed soon enough. Within days, not only was almost half of their n now in one of the two ''camps'', but the remaining half wasn''tpletely indifferent to the situation either.

    The elders finally couldn''t sit still, and rushed to Noelle''s room in a panic.

    When the grand elder saw the gray-haired girl braiding Emilia''s crimson locks in front of the dressing table without a care in the world, he almost had a stroke. ''How can she be so carefree when their n is in so much trouble?!''

    Not to mention that she was currently the acting leader, just her status as a biological member of the Nightingale n should have been enough for her to be sleepless from worry about their future if things kept getting worse!

    Obviously, they had no idea that the little girl leisurely swinging her legs back and forth in the air was actually Emilia.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Noelle seemed to have finally noticed their presence as she turned to the grand elder with a frown. "Hm¡­? Did you guys need something?"

    Although none of them were particrly happy, they still hadn''t forgotten their previous ''lessons'', and remained well aware that provoking this girl right now would not be the wisest decision.

    "Noelle, we know that you don''t want to fight with your parents, but¡­ I think it''s about time for us to do something about it, or things might really start getting out of hand."

    "They already have almost half of our n''s men and women rallied to their side, and if we wait any longer, it might be toote to make a move even if we wanted to in the future."

    Of course, the elders were aware that Noelle wasn''t the brightest when it came to reasoning, so one of them quickly took out their ''secret weapon''.

    "If more people keep falling in line with either of those two, the control that we, and by extension, you, have over the n will definitely not be enough to properly fulfill whatever requests Emilia might make in the future. At that time, won''t she be disappointed?"

    Noelle''s hand that had been moving theb through the silky crimson locks of her girlfriend froze, and the elders couldn''t help but rejoice.

    As expected, even this girl couldn''t remain indifferent anymore after they brought up such a thing!

    Noelle seemed to hesitate for a while before she shook her head wryly. "Even if I wanted to do something about them¡­ what can I even do? They''ve both already suffered and repented, and I don''t want to make things worse."

    Obviously, these weren''t her true thoughts, but the elders didn''t know that.

    Thinking that Noelle was such a stupidly ''filial'' girl, they couldn''t help but feelplicated.

    How good would it be if Narcissa hadn''t abandoned her, and she''d been raised within their n? With her talent and their guidance, maybe their n would have already had an unbeatably capable, intelligent, and loyal leader by now.

    Of course, there was no use thinking about ''what ifs'', and the elders knew that.

    "Noelle¡­ things will actually be worse for them if you don''t do anything. You know just as well as anyone just how much the two of them hate each other. What do you think they''ll do once they have finished gathering their strength?"

    The grand elder nodded grimly. "The only way to stop them from killing each other is to be stronger than the two of thembined!"

    Noelle was so shocked by his statement that theb in her hand shattered. But even when the young girl she had been pampering yelped and jumped away from the chair in surprise, the gray-haired girl didn''t even seem to notice.

    "C-Can I really do it? I-I don''t think I can, even with my strength¡ª"

    The elders looked at each other happily as they realized that she was atst willing to listen to them, and quickly stepped forward to reassure the gray-haired girl.

    "You don''t need strength for this kind of thing. With our support and some luck, as long as you''re willing to go forward and invite people to your side, the rest will definitely fall into line soon enough!"

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 Chapter 620 Challenge

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    While the elders realized that a lot of their people had already decided to side with either Gildroy or Narcissa, their confidence in being able to reverse the situation wasn''t unfounded.

    The respect that those of the Nightingale n had for people with superior strength and skill was one of the key reasons why Gildroy had been so sessful in his ''recruitment'' despite all his other prospects being so poor.

    In fact, much of his ''sess'' could be attributed to his ex-wife, which was quite ironic. By assaulting the eldest daughter of the new main branch, not only did he not lose anything, but also established his reputation as the stronger of the two!

    After the incident witnessed by many not long ago, no one would believe Narcissa''s personal strength to be of the same ss as her ex-husband, and if not for her status and the influence of various elders from her branch, perhaps she wouldn''t even have the support that she had now.

    Of course, if things continued to progress as they were, it wouldn''t be long before the Nightingale n suffered serious consequences from their conflict.

    At that time, even if Gildroy managed toe out on top, he would only be standing at the deck of a sinking ship. Glorious for a short few moments, but ultimately doomed.

    Not everyone within the Nightingale n was shortsighted and unable to see such a future. This was especially so after the wake-up call from the government, when every day they dreadedrge-scale movements against their n. So it wouldn''t be particrly difficult to start convincing people to join Noelle''s side.

    The elders knew that their direct interference in the ''internal conflict'' won''t have much effect, but what if they were simply supporting someone from the younger generation who stood a chance of bing the next n leader?

    With the White Deer''s backing, Noelle was pretty much able to do as she pleased within the Nightingale n anyway, so the elders weren''t particrly resistant to the thought. If anything, they believed it would make their situation less awkward, and also dispel any negativity in the gray-haired girl''s heart while solidifying her loyalty and gratitude for the Nightingale n.

    Of course, just their words alone were far from enough, and to really ensure sess, Noelle would have to personally prove her strength. Until then, they could only slowly bring some people to her side.

    Luckily, the ''opportunity'' to do so presented itself soon enough.

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    Despite their reputation fluctuating widely over the years, there had been very few times when someone dared to openly bring a challenge to the Nightingale n''s doors.

    After all, their individual strength had already been established as terrifying and almost unbeatable, and unless one was a fool, they would realize that issuing such a challenge was no different from inviting humiliation upon oneself.

    Of course, there was nock of fools in this world, as proven by the masked figure who showed up at the n''s main gate.

    Moreover, the fully masked figure''s words were so ridiculous that people couldn''t help but gawk.

    "I heard that there are a lot of strong men in this n, so I''m here to find a husband! Whoever manages to defeat me gets my hand in marriage!"

    Although she was fully covered in a dark, tight-fitting ck bodysuit, her curves and mannerisms made it clear that this was a very, very charming youngdy, though perhaps not a very bright one.

    Just looking at her shining eyes and graceful brows, many assumed that she must be a beauty, though it was a pity that the rest of her features were fully covered up.

    Perhaps that was why one of the guards of the n, who happened to be a bachelor, decided to ''give it a try'', inviting much teasing and ridicule from hisrades.

    "Maybe this is your only chance to bag a wife, don''t miss!"

    "No wait, maybe if you get beaten up miserably enough, she''ll take pity on you anyway?"

    Of course, none of them believed that their friend could really lose.

    Outside of their Nightingale n, even if there were women who were strong enough to give them a challenge, they were few and far between. And there was no way that they could appear so slender and delicate without some unique constitution, which was unlikely.

    The guard awkwardly approached the masked girl before giving her a bow. "My name is Bud Nightingale, I''ll ept your challenge."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although he really wanted to confirm if she would honor her promise to marry the person who managed to beat her, he was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t really care, as she''d only made up that nonsense on the spot as an excuse to ''attack'' the Nightingale n under a random identity.

    Anyway, her girlfriend needed to show off, and she was more than happy to oblige ying a ''supporting role'' for that.

    "Ready when you are."

    "Go!"

    The man challenging her was intending to go easy on her so as not to be ''abused'' too badly by his wife in the future as revenge, but he never imagined what he was facing was not a delicate little girl, but a monster.

    The smiles on his friends'' faces stiffened instantly, along with all the muscles in Bud''s body as he found himself facing the wide blue skies without knowing what had happened.

    Clearly, he was about to fight his ''future wife'' just now, wasn''t he?

    "Bud¡­ lost to that crazy girl?!"

    "¡­ Damn!"

    Obviously, their friend was far from being the strongest fighter in their n, but what made them depressed was his miserable luck.

    Going by her form and movements, this girl clearly had to be a well-trained genius with a unique constitution to be able to defeat a man from the Nightingale n so easily. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that her existence was rarer than one in a billion!

    Did shee here to just to shatter Bud''s dreams?

    Unfortunately, their nightmare was just beginning, as the girl not only continued to challenge them again, but also defeated everyone who took her up with horrifying ease!

    As it was, things were no longer as simple as having fun with someone foolish enough to challenge them or even ''getting a wife'', not anymore.

    Their n''s reputation was now on the line!

    It didn''t take long for everyone within thepound to learn of an audaciousdy who dared to challenge the entirety of their n in search for a husband, and while some scoffed at first, their expressions soon changed when they heard thirty of their young guards had already been stomped beneath her heels.

    The pride of being a Nightingale made it impossible for them to sit by and watch their n''s name get tarnished, and Emilia was soon led to the main training ground of the n where she faced the n''s true fighters.

    The people she faced included not only single men, but also those who were married, and even women.

    Emilia grinned mischievously. "I didn''t realize my charm was so great. Of course, everyone is wee to try, I swing both ways!"

    Some of the marrieddies couldn''t help but roll their eyes.

    "Who raised this kid?"

    "It seems we''ll have to teach her a lesson on humility and respect!"

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 Chapter 621 Seeking Help

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    There was a reason that everyone was so mad at the girl''s words, and it wasn''t just because she was obviously gloating about the fact that she managed to beat everyone who faced her so far with apparent ease.

    Their n rules strictly prohibited both polygamy and same-sex marriage, and the punishment for any kind of ''shameless behavior'' was always extremely severe once brought to the attention of the elders. In addition to losing most of their wealth, everyone involved was generally also beaten close to death.

    In fact, those who were more well-read on the history of their n understood that the rules against polygamy were only there to prevent other ''undesirable'' behavior. No matter what, the bloodline of the strongest fighters couldn''t be ''lost'', and pairing one male and one female together obviously gave them the best ''results''.

    Of course, there were ''exceptions'' to this, like everything else, whenever the offender was too powerful or influential, and managed to skirt around the punishment using various excuses.

    Regardless, once married, most ''normal'' people in the n weren''t stupid enough to have thoughts of courting a ''mistress'' like this girl without divorcing their current partner. And even if they did, no one would dare express that out loud.

    That was why everyone believed that unless this girl had no idea about how things worked in the Nightingale n, she was not only trying to provoke them, but also making fun of their traditions!

    "Come on,e on, I don''t have all day!"

    Emilia had no idea how many people she pissed off, but she didn''t really care as she easily flipped them over on the ground one by one, much to everyone''s horror.

    With her strength, even the topbatants of the n could barely be considered a challenge, so it was no surprise that she found these ''average'' people so easy to handle.

    It didn''t take long for people to realize that their anger and righteous indignation weren''t really helping when faced with superior speed and strength.

    "What the hell is going on?!"

    It was natural for many in the n to be dumbfounded.

    At first, they''d tried to rationalize the girl''s strength as someone who might have been a lost daughter of their own n. But her partially exposed facial features were too delicate and didn''t match anyone they knew, and the color of her eyebrows was closer to dark crimson than grey.

    Filled with both humiliation and confusion as they watched even some of the stronger fighters of their n get flipped over on the ground over and over again like little children who were being yed around with, the weaker nsmen didn''t even dare to squeak, let alone go up to face the challenge.

    After flipping another poor challenger to make him face the sky in defeat and noticing that the ''pause'' between her opponents was getting longer and longer, Emilia groaned with pretend distress. "Could it be that I have to leave empty-handed here? How lonely and disappointing it is to be so unmatched, ahh, and I thought the Nightingale n would be a little better than this¡­!"

    "She''s definitely here to cause trouble, this girl!"

    "But just who the fuck is she, and how is she so strong?!"

    Even though Emilia had beenzy enough to show up in her original form, because of only exposing her face partially and keeping everything else covered, no one was able to connect the two together.

    Of course, it also helped that the crimson-haired empress was known to heavily favor girls, while this ''intruder'' had shown up screaming about a ''husband'', so most people subconsciously rejected any association between the two.

    After all, even if she was great at fighting, would someone like Emilia ever do something so ridiculous as secretly infiltrating another country anding to challenge people in a desperate attempt to get a husband?

    With her status and appearance, simply making a statement like that would be enough to get thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, to line up outside her pce!

    Even if someone didn''t really like her, how many could resist the temptation of nearly unlimited wealth and power?

    Since there was no way to figure out who this girl was or why she came to pick on their n, the people gathered quickly made a decision.

    "Let''s dy her for a while to keep her quiet, and someone can go inform the elders in the meantime!"

    It might be humiliating, and they might be scolded to have to seek the help of the elders for such a ridiculous matter, but it was better to do it now thanter.

    After all, the girl didn''t look tired at all, and the punishment they would faceter if they allowed her topletely ''defeat'' all ''challengers'' would definitely be much worse.

    Even if she left without causing a scene, where would they put the face of their Nightingale n if just one girl could saunter around and leave, unchallenged and undefeated?

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    "¡­ Are you serious?"

    "Y-Yes, elder, I-I swear I''m not joking! T-This girl has some weird way of moving just a little faster than we expect, and always manages to make our fighters trip in a weird way!"

    "She''s ridiculously strong!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The elders nodded somberly.

    "¡­ Hmm."

    "We understand. You guys go back and keep dying her, we''ll be there shortly."

    As soon as the unrted people were gone, the expressions of the elders immediately changed from somber to happy.

    "Isn''t this the perfect opportunity to show off Noelle''s talent and gather support?"

    "Just when we were wondering how to get it done¡­ the gods are helping us!"

    Naturally, they had no idea that this was all far from being a coincidence.

    Of course, despite the exaggerations from the people who came toin, the elders weren''t at all worried about the gray-haired girl being unable to defeat this unknown husband-seeking challenger.

    After all, her strength and skill were monstrous enough to fend them all off all by herself. If someone could still defeat her, would they still be human?

    "Should we send in some of the top fighters first to make the stage higher for Noelle when she beats the girlter?"

    They discussed it for a while before rejecting this idea.

    "It''s not worth it. If the girl gets defeated, not only would we have no reasonable excuse to show off Noelle''s talent anymore, but we might also be giving those idiots an excuse to break the n''s rules."

    After all, almost all of their top fighters were already married. Even if it was unlikely that things would go that way, the elders felt like there was no need to take such a chance.

    "Let''s go get Noelle."

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    Naturally, Noelle already knew what kind of mischief her crimson-haired girlfriend was up to, and had long since been prepared for the elders toe seeking her, but that didn''t stop her from pretending to be innocent to prod at their sore spots.

    "You mean to tell me that some unknown girl managed to beat up hundreds of your fighters one by one without even resting? Are you sure¡­?"

    The elders were obviously embarrassed when she put it like that.

    "I-It''s not like we''ve made any of our top ones move, given the nature of her challenge."

    They were relieved to see that the gray-haired girl looked enlightened after hearing their excuse, but¡­

    "I see, I see¡­ since she''s here looking for someone to marry, it''s not like old prunes like you guys can have the face to show up in front of her. That would be too shameless." Noelle nodded to herself.

    Some of the elders almost coughed out blood.

    "There are stronger people in our younger generation that have yet to move, you know!"

    "L-Let''s not mind these things for now." The grand elder coughed. "Noelle, this is the perfect opportunity for you to win over everyone by showing off your strength and talent. We can''t afford to miss this chance!"

    Although they could definitely organize a tournament to select the toughest fighter of the n or something like that as they were previously nning, it wouldn''t have the same effect.

    After all, with Gildroy and Narcissa''s interference, maybe the top fighters on their side would simply refrain from participating, and then they could im that Noelle simply won because she had no realpetition.

    This time, however, as the challenger was an outsider, making such a im would be like pping their own face. Since the reputation of the n was on the line, why note out and take the challenge if one was confident in their strength?

    The elders breathed a sigh of relief when Noelle nodded.

    "Let''s go take care of this mischievous little girl who''s been bullying you guys, then."

    "..."

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 Chapter 622 The Hidden Genius

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    "Is there anyone else¡­?"

    With most of the eligible men already eliminated, one of the maturedies gritting her teeth by the side had no choice but to reluctantly step up. "I''lle."

    Emilia blinked. "A bit mature for my taste, and it looks like you''re already married, given how you screamed hubby when I flipped over that guy a few minutes ago? But¡­ fine." She grinned mischievously. "You must be really confident, huh? If you can really defeat me, I don''t mind marrying you as a mistress."

    The woman challenging her almost popped a vein, but thinking about the fate of those who scolded this girl before, she didn''t dare to voice her thoughts. If their miserable groans were anything to go by, even if the ''flipping'' appeared to be the same, the pain they went through waspletely different from the normal challengers.

    It wouldn''t be funny if she got her spine snapped or something because of a moment of impulsiveness, right?

    The woman sneered as she got into a fighting stance. ''Anyway, this girl will definitely be taught a lesson once the elders get here. I refuse to believe she can continue to go on like this in front of our real strength!''

    Of course, just because she didn''t charge ahead didn''t mean it took Emilia any longer to flip her over.

    Even if the woman had already been resigned to such a fate and felt that she''d been prepared enough, she was still left questioning her life as she stared at the wide blue skies. ''What the fuck have I been doing all my life, to be defeated so easily by a younger girl¡­?''

    As someone from the Nightingale n, she had diligently been training day and night for as long as she could remember. The only ones she could ept defeat from were those who were born stronger and more talented than her, and had also received better treatment from the n.

    But what about this girl? She was just an outsider!

    Her sentiment was shared by most others who had been defeated by the mysterious girl who refused to even show her face, and if it could be seen or felt, there was no doubt that Emilia would already be blinded and drowning in their resentment.

    Unfortunately, as it was, the masked girl waspletely unaffected, and even pped cheerfully. "Who''s next, then? Although I haven''t found my other half yet, I have to say, your n sure knows how to entertain guests."

    At this point, most of the people surrounding her on the training ground were those who were certain of their defeat, given that they were weaker than those who were already groaning on the ground face up.

    Obviously, none of them wanted to be beaten and humiliated in public without reason, so no one else took the initiative to step up.

    Emilia tilted her head curiously, and just when a hushed argument was about to break out on who would be her next ''sacrifice'', the crowd caught sight of a glimmer of hope.

    "It''s the elders!"

    "They''re here!"

    Although no one said it out loud, it was clear from their tone just how relieved and overjoyed they were.

    With the elders here, their n''s name would definitely not be allowed to be dragged through the mud, even if it meant calling on the strongest fighters of their n.

    Surprisingly, the elders were quite amicable to the girl in ck. "Miss, I heard from these children that you have issued a challenge in hopes of finding a marriage partner?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Emilia hummed. "That''s right. But that''s only because I heard that the Nightingale n was full of strong fighters, so I had high hopes when I came here. So far, though, it hasn''t really met my expectations."

    While the elder who questioned her was speechless, the grand elderughed. "How energetic! As expected of the younger generation, I suppose. Our Nightingale n definitely wees someone like you, and rest assured, while some of our most talented children are quite reclusive and don''t like going out much, they would be more than happy to entertain you if I am the one making that request."

    Emilia understood that he was just trying to save some ''face'' for their n, but she didn''t really like how he indirectly insinuated that the people she had already defeated were talentless losers.

    Well, he didn''t really say that, but still.

    If she hadn''t known that he would be sending Noelle forward, she would have definitely made up her mind to pummel the next opponent into the ground, along with this arrogant old geezer.

    She smiled. "If someone can really defeat me, I''ll be more than happy. After all, I also don''t want this trip to bepletely fruitless."

    Seeing the grand elder nod and whisper something to the man next to him, some people couldn''t help but be curious about who they would choose.

    "Who do you think they''re going to bring forward, Gildroy?"

    "He''s strong for sure, but will he even listen to any of them anymore?"

    The man''s behavior had left more than a few people dissatisfied, especially now that he hadn''te forward to help defend the n''s name.

    Of course, they had no idea that a certain someone had intentionally prevented the news from reaching either of the gray-haired girl''s parents.

    As the rest of the elders gave way to someone, however, everyone''s doubts were soon cleared.

    "So it''s her!"

    "The hidden genius raised by the elders in secret!"

    "C-Can she really do it, though?"

    They kept their voices hushed so as not to ''leak'' her identity to the outsider, unaware that Emilia could clearly hear them anyway.

    Obviously, they didn''t think that the elders were idiots or ipetent fools, but it was true that they hadn''t witnessed thebat ability of the girl in front of them with their own eyes.

    Moreover, the ''hidden genius'' hadn''t ever shown her ability in a real duel with any of the n''s members, so even if she was probably ''good'', none of them had any idea how good she really might be, so their doubts weren''t unjustified. Most of them wouldn''t even know that this girl existed if not for that one meeting where she suddenly showed up!

    Noelle didn''t really mind theirck of cheering, however, and stepped forward to bow to Emilia with a polite smile. "Noelle Nightingale, please take care of me."

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 Chapter 623 Hardcore M?!

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    Much to everyone''s shock, in response to their n''s hidden genius, the masked girl who would usually only nonchntly nod and then proceed to deliver a ruthless beatdown to her opponents¡­ actually smiled!

    At least, that was what it looked like from what little was exposed of the girl''s face.

    "If I knew someone so pretty was going to be here, I wouldn''t even have put the fighting condition up, you know?"

    Despite her words, the girl still got into her regr fighting stance, making some almost roll their eyes at her hypocrisy.

    Wasn''t this maniac just leaving a way out for herself if she lost?

    For someone who dared to be so unbridled, wasn''t it toote to be getting cold feet now?!

    Of course, some of them were still apprehensive of getting their n''s face rubbed into the ground if even the genius brought forward by the elders got defeated, but their worries soon turned to dust as the two girls sprang into action without warning.

    "Holy shit!"

    "Fuck¡ª! I can''t even see what''s going on!"

    They moved so fast that most of the people present could only see blurs, and aside from the intermittent soft sound of fists, palms, and calves, only the faint marks left behind on the training ground by their movements gave the audience the assurance that they weren''t hallucinating.

    "D-Don''t tell me¡­ was that masked maniac actually holding back before?!"

    "How are they so ridiculously fast¡­? Is that even human speed anymore¡­?"

    Given how attractive her figure was and how good she was atbat, most of them had simply assumed that the masked girl was surely a brainless fighting freak with little capacity for thought. The thought of her preserving or hiding her true strength hadn''t even crossed their minds!

    After all, her existence was already unfair enough, and to think it was only the tip of the iceberg was simply too absurd a thought.

    They suddenly couldn''t help but reevaluate the mean outsider girl they''d been criticizing before. If she''d really been going all out, wouldn''t most of them be crippled already?

    But¡­ what was her purpose for doing all this, then?

    Since she wasn''t as dumb as they thought, surely her reason for taking the risk to challenge their entire n couldn''t be as simple as ''searching for a husband'', right?

    "C-Could she be the descendant of some ancient enemy n lost to time?"

    "I-It''s not impossible¡­!"

    Of course, the more terrified they were of the masked girl, the greater their admiration for their own ''hidden genius''!

    Many of them had seen Gildroy fight over the years, and even if he might have grown slightly stronger, it was still far from reaching the level they saw in front of them right now.

    In front of overwhelming speed, unless one had a ridiculously resilient body to match, both strength and technique were actually quite futile.

    And from what they knew of the elders, it was highly unlikely that the hidden genius they raised would be unaware of their n''s secret techniques.

    Since the outsider girl could contend with someone like that, she would have definitely obliterated Gildroy within minutes, and that would be an entirely different level of shame on their n''s namepared to some regr people getting beaten up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Never thought I''d say this, but it''s a good thing that Gildroy is an ungrateful little whelp, after all."

    "Yep, if he really came and got rubbed into the ground by that monster, wouldn''t that be a p to our n''s face?"

    ? "It wouldn''t be anything new. He''s taken quite a liking to bringing shame to the Nightingale name recently, after all."

    Some of them chuckled, though the resentment in their tone made it clear that they didn''t find the situation nearly as ''funny'' as their words might suggest.

    Of course, most of their attention was still focused on the fight in front of them. What little they could observe of it, anyway. Fortunately, even if they couldn''t really tell who was winning or losing directly, the expressions of the elders gave them a good enough idea anyway.

    "The elders look so confident¡­ it must be going well, right?"

    "Definitely, otherwise their expressions would definitely be more grim."

    Such whispers inadvertently reached a few elders, but they could only pretend to be oblivious while crying in their hearts. ''We really can''t see any better than you!''

    Of course, they couldn''t very well admit that they were just as oblivious to what was going on as everyone else. That would be too embarrassing!

    Fortunately, the ''stalemate'' abruptly came to an end soon enough as the ck-d girl was sent stumbling back haphazardly as she tried to bnce herself.

    "W-Wow! You''re good! L-Let''s continue!"

    Looking at her shining and awed eyes, no one would have been able to guess that the two of them were just ying around, and the masked girl''s words threw more than a few for a loop.

    Of course, they were ecstatic that their own ''hidden genius'' had an edge over the outsider, but¡­

    "What the fuck is wrong with her brain?!"

    "Could it be that she really wanted to marry the one who could beat her up¡­?"

    The light in the strange girl''s eyes was definitely not fake, and anyone could tell just how happy she must be to finally encounter someone who could ''defeat'' her.

    How hardcore of an ''M'' must this girl be for her to be so passionate about it all?

    Unaware of everyone''s strange thoughts, Noelle almost rolled her eyes at Emilia''s teasing words. ''She really is too much sometimes! Not only trying to pinch my butt, but also taunting and teasing me so openly!''

    It was one thing to do it in private or around people they knew or were familiar with, and another thing entirely to do it in a ce filled with strangers!

    The gray-haired girl had been so embarrassed that she instinctually struck back with too much strength in a panic, and her minx of a girlfriend used it to her full advantage to pretend that she''d taken a heavy blow.

    Of course, Noelle wasn''t oblivious to the fact that Emilia''s adaptability was actually good for her. The gray-haired girl knew herck of acting talent better than anyone else, after all.

    But she still couldn''t help but be slightly frustrated. ''How am I supposed to put her in a chokehold if she''s moving so absurdly fast, anyway?''

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 Chapter 624 Theyre A Couple Now...?

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    Fortunately, Noelle was well aware of just how absurdly strong her little boss was, so she decided to simply ce full faith in the crimson-haired beauty''s ability and give it her all. Her struggles only made her movements appear more genuine and credible, after all.

    Emilia dodged and weaved through most of her strikes, but pretended to struggle while blocking those she ''couldn''t avoid'', showing a clear difference in their level of strength, and her previous ''setback'' only made people more certain of their earlier conjectures.

    The previously anxious spectators couldn''t help but cheer as they realized that ''their side'' was winning. "As expected of someone chosen by the elders!"

    "What was her name again, Noelle?"

    Some of them felt that they might have heard that name somewhere before, but since the people of the Nightingale n rarely cared about things that ''didn''t concern them'', it was no surprise that none of them could match Noelle''s name and face with anyone they knew. Maybe only if some really well-known celebrity showed up at their doorstep would some of them be able to recognize the person.

    "Go Noelle, go!"

    The gray-haired girl obviously didn''t pay any attention to their screaming, but no one found it strange. After all, even if she had an edge over the masked girl, she still had to be fully focused so as not to make a fatal mistake.

    Looking at their usually indifferent nsmen cheering so enthusiastically, the grand elder couldn''t help but smile. "It''s good to see them all so full of vigor and passion."

    Of course, they were more pleased to see that their strategy was working than anything else. In their eyes, as long as Noelle managed to win this fight¡­ the issue with Gildroy and Narcissa''s rebellion was as good as resolved.

    As everyone expected, it didn''t take long for the high-intensity fight to take another turn as a resounding bang echoed through the field, and by the time the dust cleared¡­ the result was clear for all to see.

    ? The masked girl was not only pinned beneath their hidden genius on the ground, but her throat was also within the gray-haired girl''s grasp!

    With her apparent superiority of strength, everyone knew that it would only take her a thought to snap the smaller girl''s neck like a twig, and the girl''s hands grasping Noelle''s arm would helplessly would hardly even qualify as resistance.

    "W-We won!"

    As soon as they realized it, most people couldn''t help but burst into cheers, though many managed to retain theirposure. After all, it was too embarrassing to be so happy after they''d almost had their faces rubbed into the ground by a young girl.

    The grand elder grinned happily as he stepped forward. "Littledy, you¡ª"

    Before his words were even finished, Noelle had already got up and pulled her opponent along, and her nce made the old man''s words get stuck in his throat.

    The grand elder couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. Weren''t they on the same side now? What''s with the re?!

    Noelle carefully dusted off all the dirt from Emilia''s clothes while sulking about how easily her little boss had led her along to ''victory'' when she felt like it. To be able to control the rhythm of their match to such an extent, it showed that the difference between them was even greater than she ever expected.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, Emilia couldn''t watch the gray-haired beauty pout so gloomily, and immediately clung to her side with a ttering glint in her smiling eyes. "Don''t be so cold, baby~ Aren''t we going to be married soon? Such small matters can''t be allowed toe between a loving couple!"

    Not to mention him, but almost everyone in the crowd was dumbfounded at this point.

    Didn''t this masked girl just get defeated after being so boastful and proud? How could she turn colors so quickly?!

    No wait¡­ it seemed like the purpose of her challenge was to find a ''husband'' to begin with¡­ then¡­?!

    Immediately, dissatisfied murmurs spread through the crowd as they started grumbling about the rude intruder''s behavior.

    It was one thing to not know about their traditions, but how could she be so brazen with the person who was so clearly ''better'' than her?

    A loser must have a loser''s attitude, and at least pretend to be humble in front of the victor!

    Before they could protest, however, Noelle snorted coldly. "If someone dares to badmouth the girl I love in front of me, don''t me me for being rude!"

    The hushed whispers ceased immediately, and the people could only stare around awkwardly in embarrassment.

    Obviously, they''d failed to realize that they''d also been ''losers'' just moments before, and were only enjoying the feeling of being ''victors'' because of Noelle. With the ''hidden genius'' speaking out for the girl, they couldn''t very well contradict her openly now.

    Emilia also nodded enthusiastically. "It just so happens that we''re a fresh couple who hasn''t had much time to bond, so beating people up together would be just perfect!"

    Not to mention the regr people, even the elders shuddered at the girl''s words. Of course, with the couple''s recent ''show of strength'', they didn''t dare to risk humiliating themselves in front of such a huge crowd, which put them in a very awkward position.

    The grand elder could only step forward again with a pained smile. "I-I''m sure everyone''s running high on emotions after such an intense fight, so why don''t the two of you take a break first, and we''ll take care of things here and have a discussion about other thingster?"

    Emilia and Noelle stared at each other before nodding, and the grand elder couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    Just as he did, however, the cacophony of gasps made him once again swivel his head around, only to be left staring at the morous back of Noelle taking the masked girl away towards her residence in a bridal carry.

    ''I-I''m getting too old to deal with all this crap, aren''t I?!''

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 Chapter 625 It Makes... Sense?

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    Soon after Noelle left, everything that the crowd had been bottling in from either fear or embarrassment immediately burst out without reservation.

    "So they not only move fast while fighting, but even in a rtionship!" Someone sighed in admiration.

    While most people around him rolled their eyes, some couldn''t help but chuckle. "Right? It only took a few minutes for them to go from strangers to a couple. Guess how long it would be before they''re already divorced and fighting over custody of their children?"

    "Non-existing children, you mean?"

    "Ahaha!"

    Of course, many others didn''t find the situation quite as funny.

    "So what the hell is going on now? Are those two really going to get married?"

    "The crazy masked girl is one thing, given that was obviously dropped on her head as a child, but how could someone like Noelle also y around like that?"

    It was like cold water had been poured on their heads, and many couldn''t help but sneak nces at the elders nearby. Unfortunately, however, they seemed to be busy in their own discussion, and didn''t pay attention to the crowd''s feelings at all.

    Left on their own, they could only specte.

    "If the two of them get married, won''t it mean that Noelle''s talent would go to waste?"

    Although most of them hadn''t known the girl for long, since she defended the honor of their n and was someone personally brought up by the elders, her identity was already firmly embedded in everyone''s hearts.

    In fact, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that her performance had made such an impact that even the likes of Gildroy Nightingale ¡ª who had built his reputation for years as a n head ¡ª were of no match to the young girl.

    But of course, the more they recognized her, the higher the expectations. And along with expectations¡­ came scrutiny.

    "They must be just joking around, right?"

    "Anyway, I don''t think the elders will allow this kind of thing."

    Their discussions were interrupted by a loud p from one of the elders, and when everyone finally fell silent, the grand elder cleared his throat, aposed smile on his face.

    "Everyone, I know you''re all excited and in a good mood now, but there is a grave matter concerning the n that we need to discuss."

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    Although the two of them had already left the crowd and the elders behind, with all the spy equipment and Emilia''s senses, few major things could escape Noelle within the Nightingale n, and the discussion at the training ground was not one of them.

    To be honest, despite all the nning and scheming done by her little boss, the gray-haired girl''s expectations of the Nightingale n were quite low.

    She didn''t think they would ever really consider a ''stray'' as one of their own in their hearts, even if they pretended otherwise under external pressure. And even if they did¡­ would she feel touched when recognized by people she didn''t even care about? Noelle really didn''t think so.

    Naturally, when Emilia asked her about what the elders were most likely to do in her opinion, the gray-haired girl''s thoughts were quite pessimistic. "They will likely first pretend to unite everyone under my name, and use it to resolve the issue with the rebellion of my ''parents'', but that is only because they have no other choice. As soon as I lose your support¡­ it won''t take them long to turn their backs on me."

    Her voice was uncaring and maybe even a little derisive, but Emilia only smiled in response. "You know, Crystal once told me about an interesting state that someone people have that she found most intriguing."

    "¡­?"

    Giggling at her older girlfriend''s adorably confused expression, the crimson-haired girl booped her nose yfully. "She told me that it''s most often found in parents who tried to raise their child a certain way, but only managed to cause them rebel. But¡­ the child did well on their own, and they couldn''t help but be proud anyway."

    Noelle pondered over her gorgeous girlfriend''s words for a while, but she still couldn''t help but think that the feeling Emilia was describing had nothing to do with her.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "Of course, the very basis for the seeds of such an ambivalent, love-hate feeling to germinate¡­ is for some kind of love to exist in their hearts first. There is no redeeming those who already hate you, but Noelle¡­ in that open field where everyone was cheering for you wholeheartedly, you don''t honestly believe that I was the only one who found you incredibly charming, right?"

    Usually, the gray-haired girl would have just rolled her eyes at what she now considered Emilia''s usual behavior of teasing her every chance she got, but this time¡­ she couldn''t help but hesitate.

    She might have long since have written off the Nightingale n as something not rted to her at all, but Noelle couldn''t deny that deep down inside she wanted them to do well.

    This wasn''t because she thought well of them, though. She just didn''t want them to bring her shame in front of Emilia and Sam.

    She may not want to admit it, but unless they all vanished into thin air, it was impossible to deny the fact that these people were ''rted'' to herself. And every time they embarrassed themselves in front of Emilia, Noelle inevitably felt some shame as well, despite knowing how unreasonable that was.

    Of course, Noelle knew better than to let her embarrassment cloud her judgment. No matter whether it was the White Deer, someone she cared about, or even herself, she would never let these ungrateful ''rtives'' take advantage of them.

    Emilia seemed to have roughly guessed her girlfriend''s thoughts as she hummed. "Don''t write these idiots off so quickly. So long as they like you and are ready to follow your word, there''s no harm in letting them have the chance to redeem themselves, right?" She grinned. "Anyway, if you''re not happy at the end of it, you can just choose not to forgive them."

    Noelle didn''t know how her little boss could so naturallypliment someone while calling them an idiot at the same time, but absurd as it was, she couldn''t help but find her usually yful girlfriend''s words quite logical. ''Compared to simply forcing the enemy to surrender and doling out punishment¡­ isn''t it more fun to watch the enemy army break apart and start fighting among themselves?''

    Needless to say, constantly staying by Emilia''s side wasn''t very good for Noelle''s mental health.

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 Chapter 626 Changing Stance

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    Contrary to Noelle''s expectations, however, the elders were quite forting with their words in front of the crowd.

    Not only did they praise Noelle for being a once in a lifetime genius that their n was lucky to have, but they also made it very clear what their intentions were when it came to her future.

    "Let''s be frank. With how disappointing her predecessors have been, there is no doubt that Noelle would do excellently inparison. And even if that were not a matter of concern, we believe that she has the potential to lead our n to great heights in the future."

    If the gray-haired girl hadn''t known better, she would have thought that these old geezers somehow found out that she was spying on them with Emilia''s help, and were purposefully trying to lead her on!

    The grand elder coughed. "Although this is a decision we have already made, our hope is for everyone to support her to the best of their ability. So long as you do so, I''m sure that we can ovee this crisis together."

    There was no need for him to borate what this ''crisis'' was, as even the usually reclusive members of the Nightingale n were well aware of it by now.

    Naturally, when a ray of hope burst forth towards people who were being chased by darkness all around, they wouldn''t hesitate to grasp it with both hands, not even stopping for a moment to consider that it could be a mirage, and the Nightingale n was no exception.

    With outside forces chipping away at their strength while the government watched them like a predator waiting for the right moment to pounce, and parasites like their previous n leader and his ex-wife fracturing their n from within at such a moment, Noelle was exactly the kind of pir that these people needed to unite around.

    Under the smiling eyes of the elders, the conviction they saw in their n''s men and women started growing rapidly, and before long, they stepped forward one after another to volunteer themselves to Noelle''s side.

    "I don''t want to the n to break apart into two, and then be ground to dust under the hands of outsiders."

    "Right! We can''t remain neutral and watch these wolves tear us apart!"

    "If Noelle is the one leading, I''m sure we can teach those two a lesson they''ll remember for life!"

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    Even if Emilia had ensured that the news wouldn''t leak to her girlfriend''s parents too quickly, with so many eyes on the training ground, it was impossible to truly prevent it for too long.

    After all, there were quite a few people who joined Narcissa and Gildroy openly, and more still who did it without letting anyone know.

    Unless the two of them were willing to be truly radical and obvious in their actions, it was expected that the news would be leaked to the other side by the end of the day.

    However, once the elders were done recruiting people on Noelle''s behalf, they unexpectedly went one step further to check for anyone who hadn''t yet joined in, and even took them into custody!

    Those who weren''t interested in joining Noelle''s side but thought it would be too conspicuous to leave without listening to what the elders had to say first couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    Detaining them without a good reason¡­ weren''t these people breaking the very rules that they were supposed to protect in the first ce?

    "N-No, wait¡ª!"

    "For what reason are we being taken away?!"

    "Listen to me!"

    "Aren''t you people breaking the very rules you are supposed to be enforcing at this very moment?!"

    The grand elder just scoffed in response. "Disrespecting and undermining the elder council openly¡­ there, that reason is good enough, isn''t it?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "W-What¡­?"

    "That''s not fair!"

    Unfortunately, in front of superior strength, there was little they could do other than cry about it while being dragged away. And to add insult to injury, some of the elders even chuckled as they left.

    If nothing else, Noelle had tomend the elders for being thorough in their execution.

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    Even with many of their supporters being put into confinement, Narcissa and Gildroy naturally learned about the news of the ''intruder'' and their ''daughter'' getting together from others.

    Of course, since it came from people who were mostly already on Noelle''s side, many details inevitably ended up being omitted or altered in her favor.

    At first, they were a little frustrated at having missed the opportunity to drum up more support for themselves using this unruly intruder, but soon their attention was attracted to something else entirely.

    "¡­ Is that supposed to be a joke? There''s no way she''s going to do that!"

    "Uh, well, I''m not quite sure myself, but I don''t think she was joking."

    Narcissa didn''t even care if the girl that the man was referring to was Noelle or the intruder at this point. "You can''t just marry someone you just met!"

    "Tell that to her, not me!"

    Even though the man was supposed to be from her own branch, Narcissa couldn''t help but stare at him as if she was looking at walking garbage. "Are you sure it wasn''t just you hallucinating and making things up ording to your own fantasies?"

    "¡­" The man just gave her a pissed-off smile in return. ''If I hadn''t been entrusted with this task by the elders, do you think I would be wasting my breath on a traitor like you?''

    The situation at Gildroy''s side wasn''t much different, and both of them fell into contemtion after the ''informants'' left.

    Since they didn''t have any affection for this so-called ''daughter'' who suddenly appeared years after she was supposed to have died, usually neither of them would be too concerned about whom she decided to marry.

    However, if her choice of marriage partner ended up affecting their own future, it was impossible for them to remain silent.

    Gildroy couldn''t help but curse. "If Emilia finds out about her infidelity, there''s no way she will keep her side of the deal!"

    Naturally, the possibility of the strange intruder who came looking for a ''husband'' being Emilia herself never crossed his mind. After all, it was too absurd.

    Meanwhile, Narcissa''s expression was even more grim. "Even though she said all that nonsense before, aren''t her actions just going to drag me down now? If she vites our n''s rules like this, how am I supposed to win everyone''s approval?!"

    Regardless of their past, so long as people learned that she was the mother of someone who indulged in openly breaking the n''s traditions, there was no way they could continue trusting her.

    While the ''worries'' they had were vastly different, the conclusion they arrived at was the same.

    "I can''t let this go on!"

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 Chapter 627 Sorry For The Interruption...?

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    Emilia hummed and twirled around the kitchen happily while mixing the fresh cookie dough in the bowl. "Snickerdoodles, snickerdoodles~"

    Noelle, who had been unable to resist checking what her girlfriend was doing in the kitchen, couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Are you baking them just because you think their name sounds funny?"

    The crimson-haired girl''s hands paused as she turned to her girlfriend with a curious tilt of her head. "¡­ But didn''t you like this vor?"

    Noelle couldn''t just say that she didn''t care about the appealing aroma of vani, and she also couldn''t deny that she was looking forward to the soft, chewy snickerdoodles, so she could only rub her nose in embarrassment. "W-Who wouldn''t like it?"

    Emilia just giggled as she went back to getting the dough ready. ''I used to think that Noelle was the only one of them who would be honest if my cooking wasn''t up to par at times, but she''s really too much of a softie inside as well, isn''t she?''

    Even though Cynthia knew that the statement wasn''t directed at her, she couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "You''re just surrounded by idiots."

    Unfortunately, her partner was now almostpletely immune to her sarcasm, and just giggled as if she found it adorable instead, making Cynthia huff as she pretended to go back to sleep.

    It didn''t take long for the dough to be done, and Emilia put the bowl into the fridge before washing her hands. "There it goes for the next thirty minutes." She turned to Noelle with a mischievous smile. "Sorry if you were really looking forward to it, but if you really need something to chew right away¡ª"

    The gray-haired girl hurriedly interrupted her with an awkward cough. "I-I''m not that hungry!"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked innocently before nodding, and then strutted past the slightly regretful Noelle while just barely brushing her lips against the girl''s cheek. "I''ll be in the living room, then~"

    ''Why did I say no so quickly?!'' The gray-haired girl almost stomped her feet in frustration. Luckily, she managed to control herself just in time, and coughed awkwardly as she chased after Emilia instead. "A-Anyway, Emilia¡­ are you really going to stay like this?"

    Obviously, all these issues came up because her girlfriend switched from the annoying brat form to the hot goddess form. Otherwise, she would have definitely been able to focus more on work!

    The crimson-haired beauty put down the remote she had just picked before turning to Noelle, her eyshes fluttering almost in sync with the older girl''s erratic heartbeat. "Why? You... don''t like it?"

    Noelle stared nkly at her for a while before quickly shaking her head. "W-Well, you can''t expect people to not recognize you in your original form¡­"

    Emilia grinned as she stood up from the sofa, seeminglypletely abandoning her previous ns as she stalked towards the older girl, like a mischievous predator who wanted to y around with its prey before devouring it whole. "They didn''t figure out who I was before though, did they?"

    Noelle couldn''t help but groan. "That''s because you werepletely covered from head to toe!"

    Aside from sick perverts like Penny and Sam, who probably knew all of Emilia''s measurements by heart, who else could recognize her like that?!

    The crimson-haired girl hummed thoughtfully as she stopped right in front of Noelle. "Isn''t it just fine, then? I can just cover myself up whenever someonees along."

    Noelle could almost feel her heart beating right through her ears as the younger girl wrapped her arms around her neck. "W-Wouldn''t it be bothersome to have to suit up every time someone shows up?"

    Emilia just smiled as she leaned up and pressed an all-too-short but all-too-soft kiss on Noelle''s lips. "It''s more bothersome when my girlfriend doesn''t let me kiss her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The gray-haired girl barely resisted the urge to press down and give herself away as she tried to cover up her thoughts with a grumble. "¡­T-That''s only because I don''t want to turn into a pervert with ''special interests'', l-like that idiot Sam!"

    Emilia was just about to defend her big sister when they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, and a quick look at the always-on monitoring screen revealed their ''intruders'' to be the elders of the Nightingale n.

    Of course, considering how they''d pretty much prohibited anyone else from approaching this area, it could only have been the elders who came knocking on their door, so it was no surprise to either of them.

    Noelle clenched her teeth hatefully at their impable timing, but still pretended to be nonchnt as she pushed Emilia away. "G-Go suit up then, super girl."

    Emilia tapped the older girl''s lips with her index finger as she huffed, but left to change anyway. She couldn''t be bothered using her shapeshift skill for such a simple and temporary disguise, after all.

    Fortunately, it only took her a few seconds topletely strip bare and don on the set of ck garments that made up her disguise, though only Noelle knew how torturous the faint rustling sound of soft fabric sliding on silky skin was to her ears. She tried her best not to imagine her gorgeous girlfriend stripping... and failed.

    Fortunately, although she couldn''t control some physiological reactions of her body, the gray-haired girl was still able to quickly firm up her resolve. ''N-No, I''m the only sane person Emilia knows, at least I have to be calm andposed!''

    Of course, her expression inevitably ended up looking a little grim as she concentrated on such thoughts.

    When the elders were finally allowed in, they almost forgot what they were about to say when they saw the masked girl from before on Noelle''sp, still wearing that ridiculous full-body thing from before.

    Given how tight-fitting it looked, no matter how flexible and soft it might be, she couldn''t possibly be wearing that all day, right?

    The girl herself didn''t even notice how she looked like a ''tyrant'', indifferently having fun with her ''concubine'' when she pressed the switch on the remote to open the gate,plete with an oppressive, dark expression.

    A cough from Noelle quickly awoke the elders from their ridiculous thoughts, and the ground elder smiled awkwardly as he stepped forward. "I-I see the two of you are getting along¡­ very well?"

    His eyes roamed around the ce a little, and he was slightly disappointed to not see that little tyke who usually followed Noelle around.

    Perhaps she was in some other room, which was a shame. He was hoping to see how she reacted to the new girl around Noelle, as it might give them a hint on how the ''higher-ups'' at White Deer viewed the gray-haired girl''s actions.

    Of course, her absence alone gave them some hint, as the little brat used to stick to Noelle like glue before, but that was fine.

    Noelle obviously didn''t like to see his eyes roaming around, however, and pped her thigh angrily. Or at least, that was her intention.

    With Emilia still on top of her, the sound of her palm hitting soft flesh definitely didn''t sync up with any feedback from her own body, and the gray-haired girl''s expression quickly froze under the dumbfounded gaze of several elders.

    "W-We¡­ uh, didn''t interrupt anything, did we?"

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 Chapter 628 Are You Really A Pervert...?

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    An awkward silence followed the elder''s statement as Noelle just stared back at their group nkly, looking neither embarrassed nor apologetic.

    Had it been any other ''junior'' from their n, they would have definitely been crying and begging on their knees to be forgiven by now, and the elders would have still been unforgiving, but Noelle wasn''t someone who could be measured with the same stick.

    After all, she was the ray of hope who might be able to lead them out of the dark quagmire their n was currently trapped in, and that alone gave her the right to do as she pleased so long as it didn''t cross their bottom line. Not to mention, if they really pissed her off, there was no telling how Emilia would react.

    Compared to jumping off a cliff that they couldn''t even see the bottom of, wasn''t it better to simply continue riding this ship peacefully, even if it was a bit wobbly and unstable?

    The elders shared helpless smiles with each other before urging the grand elder again, and the old man sighed. "I know you haven''t been raised here and may not feel too deep a connection with the n, but as you are a Nightingale still."

    Noelle frowned. "So what are you trying to say, exactly?"

    Her tone wasn''t too abrasive, but it couldn''t be considered polite either. Had it been just a couple of years ago, the grand elder would surely have been left fuming when faced with such insolence.

    But now¡­

    The grand elder smiled. "I might not have believed it at first, but now I know your talent is good enough to call it the best in the n''s history. If we can''t entrust even you with the n''s future¡­ aren''t we already doomed?"

    They might have only realized how true this was after being faced with almost unavoidable doom, whether it was at the hands of their country''s government or someone else.

    "All we want is for you to not be too¡­ overt, with your behavior. Especially about¡­ this girl. You can keep her here, certainly. We don''t have the right to stop you, and neither will we try. However, if you were really serious about taking her your¡­ uh, wife¡­ can''t you put it off until we''re done tiding over this crisis?"

    Of course, the ''crazy'' masked girl on Noelle''sp wasn''t someone born withmon sense anyway, as far as they were concerned. They treated her just as they would a toddler with asional destructive tendencies. Definitely someone who shouldn''t be left on her own, but not someone whose words and actions were to be taken particrly seriously.

    The elders thought they were already being magnanimous enough, and Noelle would definitely be willing topromise if they went this far.

    After all, if she wanted to retain Emilia''s favor, exposing this kind of behavior wasn''t something she would want to be exposed anyway. Wasn''t it a win-win if they kept all this behind closed doors, then?

    As for things like bloodline and all¡­ Noelle was still young, and she was at the age where she could be easily fascinated and carried away by her whims. Anyway, they could always bring up such issues a few yearster if they felt the need.

    Unfortunately, they failed to realize that their ''good advice'' would only piss Noelle off. "Since you''re smart enough to realize that you''re facing a crisis¡­ why don''t you think about it a little bit more before barking about how I should handle my personal rtionships when they''re of no concern to you?"

    She sneered at their dumbfounded reaction. "Oh, don''t be so shocked. Just because I have been polite, did you really start thinking I treat you as my actual elders? Should I remind you again what my fists taste like?"

    It was one thing for them to keep their rtionship to themselves, but another thing entirely when someone else told her it was something that had to be kept behind closed doors.

    After all, keeping things private and being ashamed of something were two very, very different concepts, as far as she was concerned.

    Of course, the somber and gloomy atmosphere waspletely ruined when Emilia grabbed Noelle''s right palm and gave it a kiss.

    Not to mention the elders, even the gray-haired girl herself was perplexed. "¡­?"

    The masked girl grinned. "Since they''ve already tasted it, I got a little jealous."

    Of course, Noelle knew that Emilia must have done it intentionally to embarrass them, but the old men obviously had no idea. Facing this kind of scene twice in one day, they were once again hit in their fragile, lonely souls, and hurriedly left while coughing awkwardly.

    The grand elder, being the leader of the pack, was the first one to shoot out the door, and the rest of them quickly followed.

    It was only once they were back in the n''s council room that some of them breathed out in relief. "Well, that could have gone worse."

    "Should have taken my advice not to try it. All geniuses have their own strange tendencies, and it''s only their just right. Can''t we just ignore that?"

    "Well¡­ looking back on it¡­ makes sense?"

    "Of course it does!"

    The grand elder coughed. "Now now, there''s no need to fight. Since that girl cannot be convinced¡­ how do you propose we deal with any discontent from otherster?"

    The rest of them stared at each other in silence for a while before one elder hesitantly stepped forward.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "H-How about we just tell everyone that the masked girl was actually just a really girly boy?"

    "Will that really work?"

    "People will believe it if the grand elders said so."

    Unexpectedly, however, the usually calm grand elder immediately exploded. "No no, no way. I''m not doing it. Did you see how tight that suit was? No one will believe it if you told them it was a boy! Do you want to ruin my reputation, is that it?!"

    Some of them couldn''t help but do a double take, wondering just where the grand elder had been focusing during the fight, but of course no one dared to ask that question out loud.

    "C-Calm down, grand elder, y-you know I didn''t mean that!"

    The old man raised a brow doubtfully. "Oh really?"

    Although he was also old, this particr elder was the ''youngest'' in their group, so naturally, he believed himself to be the most ''modern'' and open-minded. "Y-Yeah, I-I mean, wouldn''t a boy be able to look like that with some, uh, modifications?"

    The grand elder stared at him as if looking at an idiot. "¡­ What kind of dumb shi¡ª! You know what? I''ll humor you. Suppose I tell everyone that the masked girl was actually a boy with a micropenis tugged in and just happens to have those perfect girly curves¡­ what then? Do you think people will be happy to know that our greatest genius and future n leader is going to marry such a man?"

    Even if there were unlikely to be men moring to go challenge that kind of crazy lunatic upfront, wouldn''t it be an equally bad disaster if they developed strange ''curiosities'' because of such a lie?

    That was definitely not the direction the grand elder envisioned his Nightingale n to take in the future!

    Unaware of his rapidly deteriorating image in the old man''s eyes, however, the ''modern'' elder rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "T-There''s nothing wrong with girly boys, though, is there?"

    "There''s definitely something wrong with your head!"

    Unfortunately, with their ''debate'' going in apletely absurd direction, the elderspletely forgot about certain very important concerns that they had just moments before.

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    With the elders not being able to curb the rumors because of their own internal conflicts, the news of their n''s ''hidden genius'' getting together with a girl soon spread like wildfire within the Nightingale n, and it didn''t take long before it became a widely debated topic amongst the less privileged and the elite members of the n alike.

    Of course, there were many who personally didn''t care or even supported the idea of marrying or getting together with whoever one liked, but the problem was that the elders had never overlooked such tant disregard for their rules before.

    The obvious ''favoritism'' and partiality of treatment apparently didn''t sit well with many, andbined with those who were seemingly just against the thought of Noelle marrying a girl, their voices were no longer small enough to be simply ignored.

    But it didn''t take them long to realize that the louder they raised such questions, the greater the recoil.

    Disregarding all the bells and whistles, respecting strength was the Nightingale n''s deepest core principle, and with Noelle''s public performance still fresh in everyone''s mind, there were already many who fanatically supported her simply because they admired her talent.

    Those elites who hadn''t been present to see it all for themselves were obviously unresigned, however, and some even questioned the authenticity of her strength.

    "So she managed to defeat an outsider who was stronger than much of the rabble here, so what? I can do the same!"

    "Who are you calling rabble?!"

    "Is beating up a bunch of losers supposed to be a great achievement?"

    "Losers?!"

    Unfortunately, the people who issued such statements found themselves hospitalized shortly after, but that only made those who were discontent more furious.

    "If she wants revenge, can she not at least show up herself?"

    "Sending a whole bunch of idiots to gang up on good people¡­ is she really deserving of the trust that the elders put in her?!"

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 Chapter 629 Puppeteers?

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    Naturally, it was impossible for Noelle and Emilia to remain unaware of suchmotion for long, but even though they clearly knew about it all, they still pretended to be oblivious.

    After all, these ''elites'' weren''t jumping up and down so enthusiastically without reason. Hurt egos or not, most people within the Nightingale n simply wouldn''t risk offending the elders unless they had something much more substantial to gain.

    Such as perhaps the favor of someone they believed would be the next n leader.

    Obviously, even with the elders making their intentions more than clear, there were still many who refused to believe that their choice of jumping ship early had been wrong, and would rather close their eyes and keep running towards the cliff.

    Although Noelle understood their reasoning, she didn''t really sympathize with them.

    Courage and stupidity were often separated by a very fine line, and these people clearly had no idea where that thing might be, or if it even existed.

    Instead of continuing as they were and putting everyone they held dear in danger, wasn''t it better to just give up their ambitions and beg for mercy while there was still a chance?

    Of course,pared to the pawns that kept trying to stop a river with a, Noelle was much more interested in the movements of yers directing them into making such futile moves.

    Even if these ''masterminds'' hadn''t already tried to approach Noelle directly, she still would have been able to guess their thoughts with her toes.

    In Noelle''s opinion, the more emotionally invested someone was in something, the more narrow their range of thoughts became.

    And when it came to her so-called parents, their hatred for each other was already at its peak, to the point where they were even willing to seek help from the daughter they clearly disdained associating themselves with.

    Was there any need to guess what they were trying to do?

    Emilia grinned. "Do you want to have more fun?"

    Noelle hummed thoughtfully for a while before shaking her head in denial. "It might be fun for a while, but I don''t want us to stain ourselves with their disgusting hypocrisy any more than we have to."

    The younger girl giggled. "Well, leaving them guessing might be fun on its own. Not a bad idea."

    Needless to say, the urgent requests of her ''parents'' to have even the slightest contact with her were promptly rejected by the Nightingale n''s elders.

    Narcissa couldn''t help but stomp her feet in rage. "Those old fools! How dare they?!"

    Even when she hadn''t been the leading figure in the main branch, no one had dared to reject her request to simply meet someone within the Nightingale n.

    Of course, although her ex-husband appeared much calmer inparison, that was only because they unexpectedly happened to have approached the elders at the same time.

    The moment they parted ways after sharing a mutual hateful re, the man immediately punched his thigh dozens of times in rage before barely calming himself down. ''Shit! I can''t get in touch with that gray-haired bitch, and I can''t contact Emilia either! How the fuck am I supposed to get back in touch with the two of them?''

    Obviously, the two he was worried about didn''t refer to the two girls he mentioned before, but his wife and son. After all, regardless of what had happened before, making sure they were fine and healthy was still his highest priority.

    Although the promise of Blue Dawn''s empress managed to reassure him to some extent, the fact that there had been no ''updates'' from their side inevitably made him worried.

    In the end, he could only sigh in defeat. ''I guess I can only continue doing as I was told for now, and hope that the stupidity of that stupid bitch doesn''t affect the deal between me and Emilia.''

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    With both Gildroy and Narcissa certain that the n''s elders were the ''puppeteers'' exploiting their ''dumb'' daughter, who was now indulging herself in something either ridiculously stupid, perverted, or both, the two of them naturally stopped bothering to make requests for a meeting, and instead focused their in apletely different direction.

    Since it wasn''t possible to force Noelle out or convince the elders, couldn''t they just use the same method as the one that the old geezers used to win over the people of the Nightingale n?

    "Hey, hey, did you hear¡­? Gildroy and Narcissa are about to have a public duel!"

    "What?!"

    "Is that for real?"

    With their established reputation and well-known mutual hatred, no one doubted the authenticity of this news, and when it wasn''t refuted by the concerned parties themselves, people soon confirmed that it really wasn''t just hearsay, after all.

    Such news soon rang through most households in the Nightingale n, and it didn''t take long for even the elders to hear about it.

    "Can we stop it?"

    The grand elder sighed. "¡­ That''s¡­ not against the n rules in any way."

    "Ah¡­ unfortunate."

    Naturally, the reason they wanted to prevent the two from fighting wasn''t because they were concerned about their well-being.

    "Not many could clearly observe Noelle''s movements given how fast she was that day, and if Gildroy and Narcissa fight with all their might¡­"

    "It won''t be impossible to convince people that they might be much stronger, especially if there are those within the crowd from their side encouraging such thoughts."

    The grand elder chuckled. "What''s the worry? So long as we show up and ''analyze'' their fight in front of everyone, wouldn''t it clear up any misunderstandings before they can arise?"

    "¡­!"

    "The grand elder is wise!"

    Unfortunately, before they could celebrateing up with such a perfect countermeasure, their enthusiasm was rudely doused by a certain gray-haired girl''s intrusion into the meeting room.

    "Are those two really going to fight?"

    One of the elders had barely managed to nod, and the gray-haired girl grinned like a devil.

    "Great! My wife was just crying about how she wasn''t able to see how glorious I was when fighting because she was too busy defending herself. What a perfect opportunity!"

    The grand elder was still trying to process the ridiculous statement when Noelle stared at him straight, like a hunter would at its prey.

    "I''m sure you understand what I mean, no? When the timees, just sit back and watch quietly. I would hate to have my wife''s mood ruined when the timees, so don''t do anything unnecessary."

    She left without so much as saying goodbye, leaving the grand elder scratching his head, dumbfounded. "Why is she always like that...?"

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 Chapter 630 Brainwashed?

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    "Ahh¡­ they started earlier than I expected!"

    Noelle hummed as she got up to get ready for the fight, seemingly uncaring, but Emilia could practically feel the older girl''s excitement radiating off of her.

    The crimson-haired girl tilted her head curiously. ''Guess she''s the type to enjoy inflicting punishment with her own two hands more than just watching her enemies suffer?''

    She wasn''t sure if her girlfriend''s ''parents'' were afraid of possibly being sabotaged by the elders or panicking because of theck of action from the side of their supposed ''ally'', but whatever the case may be, she didn''t really mind as long as Noelle was having fun.

    "Are you not going to get ready¡­?"

    "Ah, right!"

    Recalling how she was supposed to be the masked wife whom Noelle was trying to impress in the eyes of the Nightingale n''s elders, the crimson-haired beauty rushed to the wardrobe as well.

    "Ready¡ª whoa?!"

    The word was barely past her lips before Noelle casually picked the younger girl up in a bridal carry before rushing off in the direction of the training grounds.

    Emilia had to admit that despite herck of facial expressions, Noelle was quite diligent when it came to her ''role'', though the older girl wasn''t the type to ck off in most things, so perhaps that was only to be expected.

    It didn''t take them long to catch sight of the high-impact battle, and the loud exmations and cheers made it clear that despite their recently negative impression, people were immensely enjoying the fight between the two ''top'' fighters of the n.

    Emilia was a little worried that Noelle would be disheartened thinking that her efforts had all been in vain, so she quickly tried to reassure her. "It''s normal for them to cheer, since no matter whoes out on top between those two idiots, both of them are getting beaten up, right?"

    Noelle chuckled. "Is that so?"

    Of course, while most people remained oblivious to their arrival due to being focused on the fight, the elders who had been on the lookout were quick to notice and waive them over.

    Much to their embarrassment, however, Noelle seemedpletely unaware of their existence, her full attention focused on the ''beauty'' in her arms.

    Some of them couldn''t help but grumble. "Even if she''s talented, what kind of ecstasy does one have to drink to be so whipped in just a few days?"

    "You know, I''m really curious why she keeps her whole body covered like that. At first I thought she must have an ugly face despite having a hot body, but going by Noelle''s attachment to her¡­ she must be really pretty, right?"

    "Somehow I doubt it. After all, she''s already been around that empress, so maybe she''s so disgusted by beauty that now she likes ugly¡ª"

    The grand elder quickly interrupted them with a cough. "Don''t talk nonsense."

    If their bbering got into the wrong ears, their Nightingale n might not be able to afford the fallout. Not to mention offending the little princess of White Deer, simply getting on Noelle''s bad side was enough for them to lose hope of ever achieving their newfound ambitions.

    The rest of the elders also seemed to havee back to their senses as they lowered their heads in shame.

    If the only hope for a bright future of their n was lost because of their curiosity or pride, wouldn''t they be the biggest sinners in the Nightingale n''s history?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Fortunately, Noelle didn''t seem to be paying any attention to them at all, and instead focused on whispering something to her ''wife'' before walking into the crowd.

    Wearing a purebat suit that made her look incredibly dashing, it didn''t take long for people to start noticing Noelle''s arrival, and their exmation quickly attracted the attention of others.

    "¡ªIt''s her!"

    "The hidden genius!"

    Of course, she was now better known as the future leader, but no one dared to say that out loud in front of Narcissa and Gildroy, lest they needlessly invite trouble onto the young girl in front of them.

    Even if she was strong and incredibly talented, most people still thought that she probably couldn''t reach Narcissa and Gildroy''s level quite yet. And if the two of them attacked her together, the situation would be even more tragic.

    Naturally, such thoughts stemmed from their ownck ofpetence. If they had been able to measure any of the three''s strength reliably, such thoughts would never have crossed their minds.

    Unfortunately, aside from the elders, the few who could either hadn''t been present at the time Emilia and Noelle fought, or weren''t certain enough of their conjectures to share it with others and risk being ridiculed.

    After all, it was one thing to proim Noelle as the most talented girl in history, and another thing entirely to say that she was already in apletely different league evenpared to the top fighters of their n.

    If so, wouldn''t she be able to crush everyone like a bug once she reached her full potential? Even for someone from the Nightingale n, that was impossible.

    Someone who could be so much stronger than the strongest fighters in the world¡­ could such a person even be called a human?

    Of course, themotion soon attracted the gaze of even the two people who were fiercely trading blows in front of the crowd, and unbeknownst to everyone else, they couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    As they expected, the elders might have prevented them from meeting Noelle, but they hadn''t been smart enough to think of the girl herself seeking them out!

    Now, so long as they managed to finish the battle quickly enough¡ª!

    Their blissful thoughts were rudely interrupted when the girl didn''t just stay at the front of the crowd to watch them, but actually stepped directly into theirbat zone, a mysterious smile on her face.

    "I see that the two of you are quite energetic¡­ you wouldn''t mind if I borrowed your strength to show off to my wife for a bit, would you?"

    Noelle didn''t even allow them enough time to process her words before she directly jumped between them, throwing a punch at her mother''s face while sending her elbow straight to her father''s nose.

    Of course, because she intentionally slowed her movements, both of Noelle''s attacks were blocked despite the element of surprise, though it was clearly not something her opponents did with ease.

    Stumbling back in shock under the excited screams of the crowd, both Narcissa and Gildroy felt their thoughts turn into a jumbled mess.

    ''What the fuck is going on¡­? Didn''t she say she wanted me to be the next n leader¡­?''

    ''Shit! Don''t tell me this bitch has really been brainwashed to the extent that she has the thoughts of betraying Emilia?!''

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 Chapter 631 Betrayal, Or Payback?

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    Although they weren''t quite certain what exactly the other party sought by agreeing to and showing up to this fight, and would never outwardly agree to cooperate with each other, both Narcissa and Gildroy knew what a disaster it would be to lose in front of so many people.

    That was why, despite the primary motivation of the fight being to force Noelle out, neither of the two dared to hold back even a fraction of their strength. And while it was a shock to Gildroy, his ex-wife was actually able to go toe-to-toe with him this time.

    He wasn''t sure if she just suddenly improved tremendously after thest time he thrashed her, or if the difference between catching her off-guard and her being prepared was so great, but Gildroy didn''t have time to worry about such things anymore.

    Whether it was his ex-wife or his so-called daughter, he couldn''t afford to lose to them in front of the entire Nightingale n!

    He could always discuss the deal that he''d made with Emiliater, but he couldn''t afford to lose the ability to be the next had of the Nightingale n, or he wouldn''t have any bargaining chips on his side at all.

    Not to mention, the disobedient aura he was feeling from Noelle made him believe that perhaps, deep down in her heart, she''d already had the audacious thought of recing him as the next n head because of those baseless rumors.

    He was willing to admit that she was strong, and fast, but that alone wasn''t what made him one of the best fighters in the Nightingale n. No, he refused to believe that she could defeat him in a frontal fight!

    No matter what he had to do, he couldn''t afford to lose to this girl today!

    Of course,pared to her ex-husband''splex thoughts, all Narcissa felt was betrayal. ''How dare she treat me like this?!''

    And so, the people of the Nightingale n witnessed a scene they''d never have dared imagine.

    Gildroy and Narcissa, two of the best fighters of their Nightingale n, moved in perfect sync for the first time, with only a single goal in their minds¡­ to take down the girl in front of them.

    And Noelle didn''t seem afraid at all.

    Even if she was likely to lose, just her courage alone gave people the chills, and many couldn''t help but cheer for her in excitement.

    "Go, Noelle!"

    A fist flew in from the right side of her face while a kick whooshed right towards the back of her left knee, but the gray-haired girl remained calm as she crouched and blocked them both.

    "You can do it!"

    Of course, the loudest of all her supporters was Emilia, who attracted quite a few weird nces her way, but no one dared to approach her. After all, if what Noelle said earlier was true, it would probably be a bad idea to get too close to this girl and risk making their hidden genius jealous.

    Even if their top fighter duo put her in a tough position, wouldn''t dealing with little folk like them, who couldn''t even follow her movements properly, be a piece of cake for someone like her?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Emilia obviously didn''t mind the crowd''s strange attitude towards her, however, and continued cheering the gray-haired girl on as she ''fought'' with her parents.

    With their intentions and movements being almost in sync, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that their threat level had almost doubled, but Emilia knew that Noelle could beat them both if she really went all out.

    The crimson-haired girl believed that the reason Noelle didn''t do so was perhaps because she also realized that this was the perfect opportunity to punish her ''parents'' for everything they did to her, and everything they didn''t do for her, despite her earlier ims of none of it having any emotional impact on her at all.

    Maybe Cynthia would call it hypocritical, but Emilia thought it was fine as long as it made Noelle feel better. ''But still¡­ would she really be able to do it while restricting her strength and speed both to the same level as them?''

    Her worries weren''t unfounded, as despite her gracefully being able to avoid all of their attacks so far, it was always the gray-haired girl who seemed to be on the back foot in this fight.

    Not even once was she able to throw a meaningful attack their way after the initial bout, and given it was a two on one fight, things could easily get worse.

    Emilia didn''t particrly like seeing the gray-haired girl take a few hits here and there, but she still held back from interfering since this was what Noelle wanted.

    In fact, even if she really lost, Noelle wouldn''t attract any disdain from the Nightingale n''s people. Since they considered only single battles ''honorable'', the ones who actually intended to lose the most in this fight were actually her ''parents''.

    After all, they don''t ''win'' anything even if they seed, and be theughingstock of the entire n if they lose even going two on one against a much younger girl.

    Unfortunately, the heat of the battle made it impossible for Gildroy and Narcissa to carefully analyze the situation, so they could only continue to put in all their energy into beating this ''viin'' in front of them. The hatred they had for Noelle at that moment greatly exceeded even their disgust for each other, and that was no small feat.

    With neither of them having been so frustrated their entire lives, perhaps it was no surprise that Noelle''s ''parents'' soon began to lose what little they had of theirposure.

    "You fucking cockroach, just die!"

    "Stand still, you little bitch!"

    Both of them used all their tricks and techniques that they had honed through decades of experience, but no matter what they tried, the greatest reaction they got in return was a strained grunt from the gray-haired girl.

    If not for a few bruises painting her skin here and there, they would even doubt that the contact they''d seemingly made was an illusion.

    Of course, initially their confidence was greatly boosted after realizing that Noelle''s speed wasn''t actually as scary as they''d ''mistakenly'' believed, but that only fueled their confusion when they the two of them still couldn''t beat her.

    If she wasn''t faster or stronger than either of them, and both of them were attacking her at the same time¡­ just how was she keeping up?!

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 Chapter 632 Wait And Watch

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    Losing in a contest of raw speed or strength would already be disgraceful enough, but to not even be able to match a girl their daughter''s age in terms of technique and sense ofbat was simply not something either of them could ept.

    Even if it was the only reasonable exnation of Noelle being able to fend them both off like this, they would much rather believe that she was taking dangerous, reflex-enhancing drugs instead.

    But even her ''parents'' were able to subconsciously reject the reality around them, the same couldn''t be said for everyone else.

    "Ohhh¡­ It doesn''t really look like she''s following any of our n''s standard movements, but I guess it must be because she was especially trained by the elders."

    "As expected of someone talented enough to be hidden away by them, huh?"

    "But¡­ isn''t our Nightingale n''s first form considered the most perfect martial art to exist?"

    A sudden silence befell the crowd as everyone just watched the three people continue trading fiercer and fiercer blows.

    Even if someone wanted to deny it, there was no way to reject the fact that Noelle''s fighting style was able to cope with the almost perfect forms of both their top fighters at once.

    "M-Maybe it is some secret part of our ancestral art that only the elders know of?"

    Although it only sounded like a flimsy excuse, with the elders themselves remaining silent, the rest of the crowd could only assume it must be true.

    The grand elder nudged the man next to him covertly. "Do you know what that is supposed to be, by any chance¡­?"

    The man hesitated for a while, but after taking a look at Noelle''s dazzling performance again, he sighed. "I''m¡­ notpletely certain, but it does remind me of¡­ certain people."

    ? His answer shocked all the elders to the point where they even stopped paying attention to the fight in front of them.

    It wasn''t that the names he whispered next were too powerful or talented¡­ but rather, they had nothing to do with each other, did they?

    Some specialized in hand-to-handbat, some focused almost entirely on using one''s legs to defend, and some even relied on making one''s movements more unpredictable to gain an edge, which was a type of behavior that would be considered disgraceful by many.

    Of course, given that people like the Old Snake had been able to get to where they were using ''despicable means'', the Nightingale n was obviously much more lenient with these things than outsiders would expect¡­ as long as the person involved was considered talented enough, that is.

    Even if Noelle were to be fully trained by these individuals one at a time, the result should still never be so exaggerated.

    After all, different martial arts often had different principles and techniques, and simply training in multiple ones did not mean that one would be able to perfectly merge the two together. If anything, their individual differences might just end up hurting the talent of the trainee instead.

    But in Noelle''s case, several parts of all thesepletely unrted arts seemed to have perfectly merged together, and the only reasonable conclusion was that she hadn''t trained in them all, but had simply created her own by taking inspiration from various sources.

    "But¡­ to be able to create her own style at such a young age, and then train herself to this level¡­ that''s too exaggerated, isn''t it?"

    Despite the grand elder''s doubt beingpletely justifiable, the rest of them could only stare at each other helplessly.

    "Maybe this is what a real genius is like."

    "The difference is huge."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It would have been such a shame if we really ended up missing out on her because of past mistakes and prejudice¡­"

    "All''s well that ends well, I say."

    Although they''d already made up their minds to support Noelle earlier, the conviction that the elders had for the cause was now even firmer.

    Even with all her personality ws, they didn''t believe there could be a better candidate for leading their n forward. That would be asking for too much.

    With her enhanced hearing, Emilia could naturally hear their discussions despite being focused on Noelle''s fight, and she couldn''t help but feel a little amused in her heart.

    It wasn''t that long ago that these people were cursing at her gray-haired girlfriend so venomously, but looking at them now, it seemed like even if Noelle were to ask the elders for their firstborns, they wouldn''t even feel the need to think twice.

    Obviously, they had no idea just how much effort the White Deer and her adoptive parents had put into training the girl.

    Whether it was creating the custom style perfectly suited for Noelle or managing her initial training, it was all managed very carefully with no expenses spared. But Emilia didn''t think it mattered too much.

    It was true that most of the results were from Noelle''s own efforts, after all. Had it been someone else in her ce, Emilia didn''t think that they would be able to achieve the same results.

    Moreover, these so-called elders were still only looking at the surface of the gem while beingpletely ignorant of what made it truly beautiful.

    Even if her personal rtionships with their family were to be disregarded, Noelle was a core asset of the White Deer Corporation not because of her fighting ability, but for her critical thought!

    Being able to make the right decisions at the right time was an ability that too many wished to have, yet few did, and fewer still were able to think ahead and n things out in advance.

    Even after spending so much time together, the number of times Emilia had managed to make Noelle act on ''impulse'' could be counted on two hands.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but scoff. "That''s not true, is it? Although she tries to be calmer than all the other mortals you associate with, it''s definitely been way more than ten times that became just another primitive monkey operating on instincts."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. ''Who says you can only count to ten on your hands?''

    Her partner frowned. "Okay, even if you count three or four times for each finger, what I said earlier is still true!"

    Emilia smiled. ''Actually, Cynthia dear, there''s this technique I found to count to over a thousand on just ten fingers, you know? You just need a little practice, and think of each finger as a power of two¡ª''

    The raven-haired girl interrupted her with a huff. "Forget it, I don''t need it! Anyway, for all her confidence and boasting, it doesn''t look like Noelle''s gonna get out of that situation without using brute force, is she?"

    Anyone could tell that Noelle must be straining herself a lot when facing two opponents at the same time, and going by how she seemed to be umting both stress and exhaustion, things truly didn''t look good despite her being ''even'' for now.

    It was clear that she was ''better'' than the two people she was facing, but if things kept going as they were, perhaps the oue really wouldn''t be in her favor.

    Emilia''s eyes flickered slightly, but her smile remained unperturbed as she hummed. ''Just wait and watch, darling. Wait and watch.''

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 Chapter 633 Cold Reality

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    "Who''re you calling darling?!" Cynthia rolled her eyes in exasperation, but seeing how her partner just giggled in response, she could only huff and go back to watching Noelle''s fight.

    For most people who weren''t yet familiar with Noelle''s real ability, her chances ofing out on top at the end of the fight weren''t particrly high. After all, she was bound to exhaust her stamina much faster when going against two people at the same time, and even if she had the advantage of youth on her side, everyone had their limits.

    But Emilia knew something about Noelle that very few people realized, and that was just how terrifying her talent at learning how to fight was.

    If not for the fact that the gray-haired girl spent most of her time managing and solving problems for the White Deer Corporation, and had little actual interest inbat, perhaps she would have been able to defeat all the elders of the Nightingale n even without the incredible boost to her physique that she received from Emilia.

    Others may not realize it, but Emilia could clearly see just how keenly Noelle was observing and learning from each and every move of her opponent, and noting down all the advantages and disadvantages of the Nightingale n''s first form in her mind.

    The bruises and scrapes she received were also mostly due to her wanting to observe the entirety of the movement without interruption, though she did do her best to block any ''unnecessary'' or dangerous blows.

    It wasn''t long before Emilia noticed a slight change in Noelle''s movements, and smiled. "¡­ Is she almost done?"

    Right on cue, the jab from Narcissa that the woman was expecting Noelle to block was deflected lightly to the side instead, and pain exploded from her abdomen. And Gildroy wasn''t much better.

    His kick had also been cleanly dodged, and while Noelle wasn''t able to strike back against him right away, the man knew that was only because she''d picked his ex-wife first this time.

    But although they were slightly disturbed, Noelle''s parents still seemed to believe that it was only a fluke, and went back in with even more ferocity.

    Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried now, they couldn''t get a single clean hit in on Noelle from that point, and started umting bruises instead.

    Not to mention the two of them, even most of the audience was shocked.

    It was clear to everyone that Noelle''s situation was improving in real-time, but it wasn''t because she was getting faster, or her opponents were slowing down from exhaustion. Instead, the way she countered them was obviously bing more efficient!

    Didn''t that mean that Noelle was learning from their moves in real time, and evening up with strategies to counter them on the spot? What sort of terrifying talent was that?!

    Narcissa and Gildroy obviously refused to believe such a possibility, however, and kept attacking Noelle with their expressions twisted in rage.

    In contrast, although the young girl''s face had a few bruises, her calm andposed smile practically radiated confidence and certainty of victory.

    Even if the direction the fight was heading in hadn''t been obvious, many might still have chosen to believe in her based on her demeanor alone.

    After all,pared to the two who lost control of their emotions despite having an unfair advantage over their opponent, Noelle just seemed like someone far more suitable to be in the position of their n head, didn''t she?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Narcissa and Gildroy obviously refused to give up, but under the crowd''s loud cheers, it didn''t take long before the man was knocked clean out, while the woman was left staring at the bright blue skies above.

    She couldn''t believe that she''d lost in front of everyone, and had been disgraced like this. Even when her ex-husband assaulted her before, at least she had the excuse of being caught off guard and not being prepared, but how was she supposed to save face now?

    She was even going two against one on a much younger girl!

    Just when Narcissa thought things couldn''t possibly get any worse, however, a sharp voice brushed past her ears like cold venom.

    "How does it feel to lose to the ''worthless'' daughter you threw away all those years ago?"

    Although her words weren''t particrly loud, the reigning silence of her surroundings made it clear that everyone had heard Noelle, and the defeateddy instantly felt her scalp go numb.

    Whether it was due to ignorance or conceit, but never even in her worst nightmares did Narcissa imagine that one day all her deeds would be exposed to everyone like this.

    Up until now, even if the elders and Gildroy knew about it, the other people in the n only thought of Noelle as a hidden genius raised by the elders, her origins unknown.

    It wasn''t a matter that would benefit the image of the n if exposed, and Gildroy would be treated as just as much of a viin as herself, so Narcissa hadn''t believed that this secret would evere to light¡­ unless Noelle exposed it.

    But that girl wouldn''t really go so far to hurt her own mother, would she?

    All her actions so far showed that while she was far from being happy, somewhere deep down in her heart, this estranged daughter of hers must still yearn for her mother''s affection. And while she appeared reluctant on the surface, Narcissa didn''t mind slowly allowing the girl to mend their rtionship.

    It would be the best for both of them, after all.

    But¡­ how could things turn out like¡­ this?

    She''d realized she was ''wrong'' in the past, and perhaps should have allowed her daughter the chance to grow before deciding whether she was worth keeping, but¡­ wasn''t Noelle being too much by trying to ruin her like this?!

    With her emotions running wild, Narcissa didn''t even realize what she was saying until the words had already left her mouth.

    "Do you think you would still be alive and in this world if not for me?! I could have easily killed you, no, I really should have!!!"

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 Chapter 634 Exposed

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    Noelle just sneered at the unfocused and hate-filled gaze of her mother. "So just because you gave birth to me, I should be indebted to you all my life regardless of how you treat me after that? Do you even know what you''re saying?"

    Did she really never expect what she did to be exposed to everyone?

    "You¡ª!"

    The gray-haired girl didn''t allow the older woman another opportunity to spew poison, and swiftly knocked her out with a ruthless kick to the head.

    Many in the crowd stared at each other, perplexed, but no one dared to say a word. With the elders being behind her, they''d always just assumed that Noelle must be a child hand-picked by them, and must have been taken away from her parents with the consent of everyone involved.

    As for the reason why the identity of her parents wasn''t exposed, they could only assume that it must be part of Noelle''s training somehow.

    No one ever expected that there would be such a dark and hideous secret behind her unknown origins, and that the elders hadn''t actually taken her from her parents, but rescued her instead!

    The fact that doing something like this would usually incur an unimaginably heavy punishment only made it more difficult for people toprehend, and for a while, they couldn''t make heads or tails of what they were hearing.

    Of course, while the elders weren''t too panicked as they already about it all, they also hadn''t expected Noelle to expose everything in front of the whole n at this time.

    But since it had already happened now, the grand elder decided it was best not to make things worse by being rash.

    Since Noelle was already heading off with her masked ''wife'', their first priority should be to secure Narcissa and Gildroy first using the excuse of making sure they were alright.

    "Let''s take the injured into custody first, and wait for them to recover before deciding on further action."

    While most of their reputation should have already fallen apart by now, it could still be troublesome if they were allowed to recover and regroup with the factions they''d created before.

    His words were ambiguous enough, and even the elders by his side were unable to determine what he really wanted to do with the ''prisoners'' after detaining them.

    It was only after they''d left that the crowd finally burst into furious arguments.

    "So our hidden genius was actually an abandoned child and not someone picked out by the elders personally due to exceptional talent?!"

    One of the olderdies frowned. "Now that I think about it¡­ Noelle has to be the daughter that Narcissa had with Gildroy, right?"

    "How unfortunate. Blessed with such talent, but cursed with such demonic parents!"

    "s, if only she was my daughter instead¡­ Maybe I can still adopt her?"

    A few people rolled their eyes at the olddy. "Give up, granny, she''s already grown up, and has already taken a spouse. You can''t keep thinking of pairing her up with your useless son."

    The olddy coughed indignantly. "I-I was thinking of no such thing! I only felt angry when I thought of a mother treating her daughter like that, you know? That moron Narcissa didn''t even seem to regret it, either!"

    Her words immediately caused many to nod in fury.

    "It''s unbelievable how vicious she can be to even her own daughter. Even if she didn''t want to raise her, that woman had more than enough servants to take care of the girl for her, didn''t she?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You can''t expect the decisions of someone so full of conceit and stupidity to make sense."

    "Right. I cannot fathom just how stupid one has to be to abandon a daughter like that!"

    "As stupid as Narcissa, it seems."

    "The stupid moron didn''t even give her the chance to grow. I wouldn''t even dream of abandoning my daughter even if she was untalented."

    "Heh. I''ve always thought of that woman as someone with all conceit and no conscience, but never realized the full extent of her hubris."

    "Her husband''s no better, in my opinion. Both of them must have decided this together."

    "Man, I feel sorry for Noelle. With such vicious parents, how could she possibly have faith in anyone while growing up? Fortunately, the elders came to her rescue, or we might have lost a great genius."

    The hatred and disdain for Narcissa and Gildroy mounted at an incredible speed as people finally connected all the dots, and many who were still uncertain of their stance before immediately decided to cut ties with the two.

    Naturally, they would have felt some pity for her even if she was just a normal girl, but it couldn''t be denied that it was Noelle''s apparent ''talent'' that really roused most of the emotions in the people of the Nightingale n.

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    Obviously, while the elders were soon bombarded with requests to punish Gildroy and Narcissa ording to the old n rules, they didn''t actually dare do anything without Noelle''s consent.

    After all, the two unconscious idiots were of little use to their n, as their fighting strength couldn''t be used due to their disobedience, and their greatest use was only to cate Noelle somehow.

    The problem was, however, that the gray-haired girl refused tomunicate with them after her fight, and hadpletely shut herself off in her mansion, telling them toe visit her tomorrow.

    Quite understandably, the elders were a little worried.

    "Do you think her old wounds getting opened like that might have made her too emotional? Should we barge in anyway and try to soothe her somehow?"

    "We don''t want her suddenly hating the whole n or something. That would be disastrous for us!"

    "B-But I-I don''t think barging in forcefully is a good idea!"

    The grand elder nodded. "He''s right. Even if things are as you say, we will need someone she actually gets along with for the job."

    "¡­ Should we contact the people in White Deer Corporation?"

    Unfortunately, the results of such actions were as expected, as they received no response, and could only sigh in defeat.

    "I suppose we can only trust that masked girl, then."

    "Hopefully she''s a little more caring and sensitive than she seems."

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 Chapter 635 Understanding

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    Contrary to the expectations of the elders, however, Noelle contacted themter that very evening.

    "Eh¡­ send them over to your ce¡­ like right now? But¡­ they''re not exactly in the best state, are they?"

    Noelle''s voice wasn''t particrly cold, but her tone still made it clear that she was in no mood for negotiations. "I know full well the extent of their injuries. If you''re worried about people discovering their movements and all, don''t bother. It''s something for me to be worried about, understand? I believe my purpose should be quite clear to you by now, and you should know what would be in the n''s best interest."

    Despite the less-than-subtle threat in her words, surprisingly enough, none of the elders felt offended. Had it been before, maybe such a thing would have made them wonder if they''d gone numb to the ''abuse'' after being subjected to so much of it.

    Knowing all they did now, though, their ''understanding'' of Noelle''s character made them subconsciously start thinking of her as a slightly rebellious but ultimately good-of-heart and talented kid of their n who would lead them to a brighter future. And given her past, her rebellious nature was only to be expected.

    Thinking like this, how could they be mad, really?

    Of course, while they were more than happy to agree to her demands of handing over the girl''s ''parents'', they understandably had some concerns.

    After all, if the girl simply mutted and murdered them in a rage, the impact it would have on her psych and the impression she had on the n would definitely not be good.

    Unfortunately, Noelle not only had the full backing of the White Deer Corporation, but was also the girl who could be called their n''s greatest hope for a brighter future. Even if they didn''t agree with her decisions at this point, keeping her appeased was just as important as it was to keep her from indulging in self-harm.

    So aside from being able to offer some advice and warnings, all that the elders could really do was wait and watch.

    Of course, when it came to having their hearts drowned in helplessness and despair, the elders couldn''t even hope topare with the duo tied up in Noelle''s basement.

    In fact, when they first woke up to see a series ofrge screens broadcasting the activities of their entire n, Noelle could tell that her parents almost convinced themselves that it must just be a bad dream.

    But naturally, such illusions were easily shattered by a few kicks to their back, and once they realized it was all real, the shock and horror on their faces was almost cathartic for Noelle.

    She could tell that neither of them found it easy to swallow the fact that everything might have been nned out by their ''stupid'' daughter, and that they were no better than brainless rodents being led along into her trap.

    Perhaps when they were still looking down on her not too long ago, she was even secretlyughing behind their back in disdain, full of scorn for their unfounded confidence and ego.

    Unfortunately, because their mouths were sealed tight with multiple rounds of coarse fabric, neither the man nor the woman could really express their thoughts outside of some muffled grunts and groans.

    Tied up as they were, they couldn''t even turn around to stare at their ''venomous'' daughter with their heated, hate-filled gazes, and could only curse at her in their hearts while watching more and more people within their n denounce and mock them as worthless garbage and scum.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The sound of a door mming shut behind them only brought the two more despair, as they realized that perhaps the girl who plunged them into this nightmare didn''t even care about their response, and their only pany'' in this dark basement was the mockery and scorn of their nsmen¡­ and each other.

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    "So¡­ how do you feel? Aren''t you d you didn''t just let them go?"

    Humming contentedly at the pleasurable tingles brought by the soft fingertips gently gliding over her scalp, Noelle knew that she had no choice but to admit defeat at this point. "¡­ I''ll admit that it felt much better than I expected."

    Emilia giggled in delight as she continued weaving her fingers through the silky silver hair of her girlfriend. ''People who say vengeance is a double edged sword clearly haven''t given it a try.''

    The crimson-haired girl believed that there simply was no better way to quench the fire of hate and indignation in this world than exacting vengeance from those who wronged you, nor was there any sensation more satisfactory than stomping on the face of those who once looked down on you.

    And while it was true that double-edged swords could hurt both sides, that was only when they weren''t used properly.

    This was why Emilia insisted on Noelle doing whatever she could to take revenge on her ''parents'', despite the girl herself being seemingly half-hearted about it at the start.

    She knew that if she could, she would definitely never miss the chance to teach Maeve and her ''people'' a lesson worth remembering, after all.

    Of course, their ''revenge'' wasn''t yet quite done. The woman who started it all was still being ''treated'' in one of their secret medical bases, and it was only after she ''reunited'' with the duo that everything would reallye together. But that was no longer important.

    "Do you really think they''ll be ready to move on to the next step in time?"

    The worry in Noelle''s voice was apparent, but Emilia just grinned. "Will you be able to train everyone within a few months to a level you''re satisfied with? I don''t know, but I believe in your ability."

    The gray-haired girl almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. "At least you didn''t say something silly like ''even if we''re not fully prepared, isn''t it fine if the enemy is even more unprepared'' or something, eh?"

    Her own words caused Noelle to momentarily wonder if maybe, just maybe, the troublesome personality of her little boss was rubbing off on her too much, but such thoughts immediately vanished from her mind the moment Emilia snuggled into her arms while giggling.

    "You''re so silly, really, I would never say that!"

    "Probably."

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 Chapter 636 Rat Trap

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    By the side of a hospital bed surrounded by dozens of high-tech medical machines, a dark-haired man with an unkempt, scraggly ck beard clutched the palm of hisatose wife like a drowning man on hisst straw.

    "Don''t worry, Allie, don''t worry. You have to believe in me, everything others told you was a lie, you know? Just wake up, and I promise to prove it to you."

    The secretary standing by the door clenched his fists tightly as he listened to the words of his clearly deranged boss, just as he had hundreds of times before.

    "Our son''s not dead, you know? In fact, just because some people tried to kill him doesn''t mean anything. He''ll be perfectly fine after some time, you know? He''s my son, after all." The man chuckled. "What treatment can''t I afford in this world, Allie? Tell me, how can my son die? You''re just not waking up because you''re upset with me, eh?"

    The man beside the door grit his teeth before finally making up his mind. "Sir!"

    "¡­ Have you lost your mind? Can''t you see I''m talking to my wife? No matter who wants to talk to me right now, they can¡ª"

    The secretary rushed forward before doing something he never thought he would have the guts to do ¡ª p his boss across the face.

    The smacking sound echoed through the room even louder than the man''s heartbeats did in his ears, but since he''d already made up his mind, the secretary didn''t let any of it distract him.

    "Sir, you can''t keep doing this anymore!"

    Sanders slowly turned his head back to stare at the secretary, his gaze icy cold. "¡­ What do you mean by this? You better speak carefully before I tear your tongue out."

    The man shivered in fear, but still refused to back down. "Sir¡­ w-we have to escape. I-If we continue staying here anymore, t-they will definitely catch us."

    Naturally, the only reason he was able to make such a bold move was because the man realized his boat had long since been tied to that of his boss, and once it sank, no one would be able to save him or his family.

    Unfortunately, however, his move was still a bit toote, as the moment his boss seemed to be on the verge ofing back to his senses, the door to the hospital room mmed open, and something dark and heavy crashed into the machines.

    ss and sparks exploded from the collision under their stunned eyes, and it was only when he felt a drop of something wet and sticky sliding down his palm that Sanders woke up from his daze.

    Blood¡­ there was blood!

    "Allie, No! Allie!"

    Sanders didn''t even pay attention to the fact that his secretary had run towards the window in a panic as he tried to gingerly pluck out the pieces of shattered ss that were now lodged into his wife''s skin, but his actions were rudely interrupted by someone clutching the back of his head and ruthlessly mming his face down on the floor.

    "Finally got you, you dog!"

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    "Looks like some old friends of our dear ''father'' got here before us."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kicking away some of the bloodied debris, Jasper gave his sister a pat on the back before going forward to check the breath of the dead man by the window. "This guy''s still barely alive. Oh well¡­ Emilia did say we could keep him if possible, so it''s not the end of the world if we can''t."

    As he turned to stare at her expression, however, he instantly realized that something wasn''t right.

    "What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you''re feeling some familial love awaken now? After all that he''s done to us¡­?!"

    Jasper swore that if his sister was to go soft on that bastard now, he would definitely remind her of all the suffering and torture they''d been through regardless of how much he hated recalling it himself.

    Ginny sighed. "It''s not that¡­ I was just thinking¡­ they''re really something else, aren''t they?"

    Her brother couldn''t help but frown. "¡­ What do you mean? I don''t understand."

    Patting him on his back in a way that almost mimicked his actions from before, she chuckled. "Why, while we were still busy consolidating power and messing around, someone from Emilia''s side seemed to have snuck a bug right into our dear father''s beloved wife."

    "You mean¡­?!"

    "That''s right. Now they know exactly where the remaining higher-ups of our father''s faction are hiding."

    Of course, with how obsessed the man was with her, he would never allow anyone but himself to ''check'' his woman under normal circumstances¡­ except for the doctors and nurses.

    As the best hospital in the country was the only ce where he would take hisatose wife, the location of the man was obviously no secret, but getting rid of him now actually served little purpose for Ginny and Jasper.

    The ''loyalists'' on their father''s side had already long since decided to support the two of them after they saw that the man had lost his mind, and what remained of the ''resistance'' they had towardsplete control of the Gray Wolfe Corporation now was just the ''rebels'', or their father''s exrades.

    The man was no longer involved in their struggle for power ever since he''d lost his mind, and killing him might just turn away many who had previously chosen to support Ginny and Jasper. But for the ''rebels'', the situation was already desperate.

    From their perspective, it was only a matter of time before Ginny and Jasper killed their ''father'' and really got full control of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, and once they did, wouldn''t any ''rebels'' be just fish on the chopping block?

    As their father''s old partners, they were naturally aware of how much weight his words could carry when used right. Only by using his political weight correctly could they see any hope of maneuvering out of this tumultuous situation¡­ and so they took the bait.

    It was one thing to be unable to find where these rats were hiding on their own, but now that they already had a clear location, Jasper and Ginny felt pumped up like never before.

    In a situation where the stability of the whole country was in question, and they still needed the Gray Wolfe under their thumb to support Emilia, there was no way they could afford to make any mistakes.

    "What are we waiting for then?! Let''s go!"

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 Chapter 637 Restructuring

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    "Big sister!"

    The taller girl grinned happily as she weed her little sister into her embrace before kissing the top of her head. "Feels like it''s been forever since Ist got to hold my baby!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle when she was lifted off her feet, and the older girl started nuzzling and nibbling on her neck and earlobe. "I-It tickles!"

    Of course, even if she knew that Noelle was busy dealing with some other matters, Sam didn''t dare go too far in open view within the Nightingale n''spound, and soon put her little sister down with a sigh.

    "With thatst attack, I think we''re already done with our preparations, and there weren''t many losses on Ginny and Jasper''s side either, but¡­ Emilia¡­ are you sure this is how you want things to go?"

    Compared to her usually carefree tone, the crimson-haired girl could tell that Samantha was actually quite nervous.

    So instead of brushing it off with a smile as she usually would have, Emilia gave her a serious nod. "Using the framework built by the Gray Wolfe Corporation and the old government to take them over from the inside will not only give us the greatest chance of sess, but also allow us to minimize any casualties on our side."

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "In fact, if we''re able to pull it off well enough, we may not even need to fight much."

    Sam frowned. "But this way, you will still be bound by many of the oldws and regtions, and it will take dozens of times the effort to get the same results that we could easily get just by thinking about it in Blue Dawn, and certain things might even be impossible. Moreover¡­ there is no guarantee that it will all work out well for us in the end, right?"

    Naturally, Emilia also understood her older sister''s concerns. She''d already discussed such things multiple times with both Noelle and Cynthia, after all.

    "Big sis¡­ although we havee a long way from where we once were, we still shouldn''t be underestimating the amount of damage that we will take if we decided to attack Carmen head-on." The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Even if no one else takes the opportunity to hit us at the worst possible time, we will lose at least half of our volunteer army, and a huge chunk of our liquid assets as well."

    Smart as she was, Sam also understood the strain it would put on both the White Deer Corporation as well as Blue Dawn to get Emilia the ''perfect victory'' over Carmen. However, as far as she was concerned, all of these were just minor issues if they managed to help Emilia even a little bit.

    But since Emilia herself was against it, Sam could only sigh in defeat. "Alright, since you''ve already made a choice, I guess I can only help my little angel spread her wings, eh?"

    She reached out to pinch the younger girl''s waist yfully, making her giggle.

    "Since you''re already here, wannae check out Noelle''s training session?"

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    It had only been a few weeks since Noelle took up the mantle of ''n leader'', and this obviously wasn''t enough time topletely transform thebat strength of those under her. However, that wasn''t her goal from the start.

    Instead of futilely spending an obscene amount of time and effort trying to turn a stick into an intricate cross-bow that could shoot down her foes from a distance, what she intended to do was just sharpen its tip into a spear.

    As long as it was good enough to skewer her the skulls of her enemies, what more did she need? She didn''t even care if it broke in the process, since she could always just shorten it a little and sharpen it again.

    Noelle understood that this kind of ''use and throw'' attitude towards the Nightingale n''s people would probably not please Emilia much if she knew about it, but since the crimson-haired girl decided to give her full control this time, she had no intention of going soft.

    Unlike her idealistic little boss, she believed that to truly deserve a reward, one had to pay a price.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Since these people were going to indirectly benefit from being under Emilia and the White Deer Corporation''s umbre in the future, Noelle believed it was only right for them to do whatever they could to prove they were worth it now.

    "Your form is too rigid! Spread out your legs and loosen your muscles! There, and you! Stop trying to match your opponent''s pace! Your goal isn''t to prolong the fight and make it fair, but to end it as quickly as possible, understand?!"

    Of course, even if they did their best, it would never be enough to satisfy Noelle. But no one dared to grumble or groan about it.

    Out of the seven hundred people who showed up to the call of their ''youngest and strongest n leader in history'', over two hundred had already been kicked out despite trying their best, and no one wanted to be next.

    Over the past month, it had be increasingly clear that Noelle''s words were the neww of the Nightingale n. And if she really went ahead with her promises¡­ their n would be split into two.

    The ''core'' members would be those who were considered good enough by the n leader, who would get not only everything they used to enjoy in the past, but also a lot more resources and care from the n.

    Meanwhile, the ''rejected'' external members, including those in the family of the core members, would only be part of the Nightingale n in name, and aside from not being kicked out of thepound, they might as well not be a part of the n.

    That is to say, unlike before, they could no longer just depend on the n to maintain their lifestyles, and would either have to seek help from the core members, or find other ways to sustain their livelihood.

    Many thought that their young n leader was a bit too ruthless, but once they learned of the level of ''benefits'' that the ''core'' members would enjoy, all that energy was soon redirected topeting for Noelle''s recognition.

    This wasrgely thanks to not only the ruthlesslypetitive environment that many of them grew up in, but also their fear of the ever-uncertain future.

    Of course, they soon realized that while Noelle was harsh, she wasn''tpletely ruthless.

    As long as they continued to improve and promised to do their best in the ''missions'' they would be assignedter, they were not only allowed to take breaks, but some of them were also able to enjoy the drinks and desserts personally prepared by their leader''s wife!

    Since the delicacies were very limited in quantity, and a big portion was always monopolized by the stingy n leader, only the top performers of the day were able to receive such rare blessings, which only made thepetition more intense, and the crowd more enthusiastic.

    "Oh! Leader''s wife is¡­ here¡ª?!"

    It was no surprise that whenever they caught sight of their n leader''s masked wifeing their way, most would get excited for their ''treats'', but things were no longer the same this time.

    After all, the girl heading their way might have had the same aura and demeanor, but her face¡­ was no longer masked.

    And while many had spected that their leader''s wife must be a great beauty to cause her to fall in love so fast¡­ no one expected the girl to be on the same level as the renowned Empress of Blue Dawn, who was known to be almost fatally attractive.

    In fact, even from a distance, they could tell that the simrity between their n leader''s wife and the little princess of White Deer was at least eighty, no, ny percent!

    Many people couldn''t help but wonder if she could be one of the ultra-rich and ultra-obsessed fans who went through full face and body reconstruction to match their idols. After all, Emilia''s facial features were quite distinct, and it was very unlikely for someonepletely unknown to suddenly be so simr to her without a lot of extremely dubious coincidences.

    Before anyone else could voice out such thoughts, however, one of thedies pointed a shaky finger Emilia''s way as she stepped back in shock. "D-Don''t tell me¡­ are you Empress Emilia''s long lost twin sister?!"

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 Chapter 638 Oversight

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    Although it seemed unlikely and absurd to think that there could be a ''lost'' or ''secret'' child in a family as well known as Emilia''s, learning Noelle''s simrly absurd ''history'' had already changed what used to be ''normal'' in the minds of these people.

    Since their n leader could be the abandoned daughter of their top two fighters who came back after decades to take back her rightful position, wouldn''t it be just right if her ''wife'' was also someone with a simr background?

    Even if they were both girls, wasn''t that kind of couple just a match made in heaven? No wonder the elders hadn''t made any moves to punish them from the start. They must have known!

    "I have to say, isn''t our leader too lucky? Not only is her lover an excellent fighter and a top-tier beauty, but even her background and past resonates well with each other!"

    "I think it''s just right. She''s excellent herself, after all, and has been through enough to deserve this kind of happiness."

    Not everyone shared such thoughts, but those who didn''t agree knew better than to voice their negative opinion. After all, doing so would not only get them denounced by the majority, but might also make them lose any favorable impression in Noelle''s eyes!

    Instead of needlessly causing trouble for themselves, wasn''t it easier to just pretend that their n leader had married a rather feminine man?

    Well, it might be a bit harder now that they''d seen her face, but in that case, they could just start thinking of Noelle herself as a girly boy. There, problem solved.

    Fortunately for them, the gray-haired girl couldn''t hear their thoughts, and waved Emilia and Sam over with a smile. "Took you long enough."

    Since they moved a little further away and talked in hushed voices, the rest of their conversation wasn''t very clear to the eavesdroppers, though they could tell from their expressions that the three of them must get along well.

    Of course, given that their leader''s ''wife'' had brought someone new along, the taller girl was also a target of much curiosity. And it didn''t take long for some people to recognize her.

    "W-Wait¡­! T-That''s Samantha White, isn''t she?!"

    Although the name was vaguely familiar to some, not many people in the Nightingale n kept up with the global news.

    "Who?"

    "Do you live under a rock? That''s Emilia''s older sister and the heiress of the White Deer Corporation! A real big shot!"

    Even if some of them hadn''t heard about her, no one was stupid enough to be oblivious to the weight of White Deer Corporation.

    "W-Wow¡­ b-but¡­ why would someone like her be here¡­?"

    "¡­"

    "W-Wait a minute¡­ I just had an absurd thought¡­"

    Their hushed discussions came to an end when they heard Noelle calling them over to announce something, and a wave of excitement and apprehension ran through the crowd.

    "It must be true!"

    "Will we finally be getting those snacks?"<novelnext></novelnext>

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    Although she was quite harsh during their training, Noelle''s assessment of the fighters who remained on the training grounds was actually high. After all, not to mention improving at an eptable rate, simply keeping up with her training requirements wasn''t something a normal person would be able to do.

    In that sense, the gray-haired girl had to admit that the obsession these people had with strength andbat techniques was truly quite useful.

    Looking at the neatly formed lines, Noelle nodded at Emilia, who stepped forward with a smile. "Hi everyone, some of you might already recognize me, but let me introduce myself anyway. My name is Emilia White, and while I have many responsibilities outside, you can just think of me as your n''s ''sponsor'' for now."

    Many people fidgeted in nervousness or excitement after hearing her words, but under Noelle''s harsh re, no one dared to gossip or squeak.

    "Of course, unlike the snacks I''ve been giving out all this time, support from the White Deer doesn''te for free." She smiled. "But this is also an opportunity for you, and the only reason you''re getting this chance is thanks to Noelle."

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    Although many of them thought of themselves as ''born fighters'', in reality, few people from the Nightingale n actually had the opportunity of exchanging blows with people outside of their own n.

    Not only did their fierce reputation make it unlikely for outsiders to dare challenge them, but usually only the ''top'' fighters would be given assignments that might actually lead to a conflict.

    Of course, while this way the reputation of their n was maintained quite well, the ''average'' fighters of the n were left sorelycking in practical experience.

    After all, dueling with others who also trained in the same style as them was far from enough when it came to being ''ready'' to face the real world.

    Unfortunately, there simply wasn''t enough time for them to bepletely prepared.

    Shortly after they met Emilia White, Noelle finalized their ''ranks'' temporarily, and had them divided into ten squads. None of them knew what each other''s mission was, but they knew that they had to do their best to get their own task done.

    After all, their future was based on the ranking of their squad at the end of this three-month ''trial'' period.

    "Get rid of the gang in the northern part of Heeler town? Should be easy enough."

    "Securing the Mulbury and Horizon hospitals secretly, huh? Leader sure trusts us to give us such a difficult first mission. We can''t disappoint her. Let''s go, boys!"

    Of course, their ''missions'' were only a small part of what Emilia needed to aplish her goals in Carmen, but they were far from insignificant.

    After all, even with the Gray Wolfe Corporation having a lot of rights in the government, and her now having almostplete control of them, removing old leeches that had alreadytched onto a good spot was easier said than done.

    This was especially so given that most of the Gray Wolfe''s rights were rted to the economical aspects, while the military assets remained firmly in the hands of the government officials.

    Luckily, with the civil unrest and the government struggling to prevent a total copse from the inside, their side had just enough leverage to turn the situation around.

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 Chapter 639 The Biggest Threat

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    Just like most other countries, a majority of Carmen''s ''leaders'' lived in the capital region, and as such, the security there could be considered the ''best'' in the country.

    Of course, considering the pathetic state of every other region in Carmen, even having a ''hundred times better security'' wouldn''t be anything impressive.

    Most of the patrols and security protocols were only enforced in a very limited region surrounding the residences of the ''important'' figures, making it so that normal people had little to do with the ''improved'' situation.

    Additionally, the fact that there were ''priority'' targets for them to protect only made it easier for the police and the military to ignore the situation in other areas, which sometimes made things even worse than they were in the non-capital regions.

    Naturally, none of the leaders were ''unaware'' that their system was broken. They simply didn''t care. After all, it had no effect on them anyway, and it wasn''t like making people''s life better would benefit them in any way.

    Never did they think that one day this careless attitude woulde back to bite them in the butt.

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    "How many sites have we captured by now?"

    "We''re done with most of the high priority targets. Almost all the hospitals, premium and luxury shops, and restaurants in capital region are now fully under our control." Noelle paused, and then marked a few spots on the map they had spread on the table with red. "Only these casinos and pubs left on our list."

    Emilia hummed. "We should be good to go with the next step of the n then. Let me call big sister."

    Obviously, as the face of the White Deer Corporation, Samantha was under ''careful observation'' by the government during the civil unrest, and had to at least pretend to stay where she was supposed to be to not cause too much suspicion.

    They''d barely managed to stay together for a day before the older girl had to reluctantly return to the capital region for that purpose. And although it helped them have more reliable contact with their allies in the area, Sam clearly didn''t enjoy being separated from her little sister for so long.

    To no one''s surprise, it only took half a ring for her to pick up Emilia''s call, despite the dy caused by the secure channel they were using.

    "Heyyyy baby! Did you miss me already? Should Ie back?!"

    Noelle rolled her eyes as expected, and Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Of course. But first, just let Ginny and Jasper know what they must do."

    "Ahh, alright. I got it~!"

    Maybe she was in a hurry to just be done with all she needed to do and embrace her ''little baby'', but for once Sam didn''t try to extend their call by flirting with Emilia, but even that didn''t stop Noelle from being skeptical.

    "She hasn''t forgotten about the part where we''re supposed to build a good image in the public''s mind by helping wherever we can, has she? Although she''s usually quite capable, that idiot works really inefficiently if it has been more than a day or two without touching you."

    Emilia had no way to know if the gray-haired girl wasplementing or scolding her older sister, so she could only shrug helplessly. "It doesn''t matter too much, anyway. We can always work on stabilizing ourselves after we''ve taken over, can''t we?"

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    When the civil unrest first started, the president and the other top leaders of the government hadn''t really taken it too seriously.

    After all, while the situation looked a little dire on the surface, what could these helpless crowds do in the face of armed forces? They couldn''t even protect themselves from gangsters and thugs most of the time.

    If not for many being wary of the presence of the White Deer Corporation, insignificant as it was, maybe they wouldn''t even have bothered with enforcing the martialw.

    But when they thought about it carefully, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get rid of one of their greatest weaknesses ¡ª the Gray Wolfe Corporation.

    Of course, it had served its purpose in filling their wallets and ''boosting the economy'' when it was needed, but the recent events proved that it was more of a liability for them than an asset, and keeping it around any longer would be no different from keeping a poisonous snake as a pet.

    The little benefits that it might bring were simply not worth the risk anymore, as far as they were concerned.

    Naturally, since they were going to cut it off anyway, the government officials no longer cared about who won or lost in the Gray Wolfe''s internal conflict, or what happened to their ''pet'', the Nightingale n.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They would all be wiped out in due time, after all, and everything that once belonged to them would be split apart and distributed amongst themselves.

    Unfortunately, before they could really move in to strike, the ''snake'' seemed to have sensed its imminent death, and made the first move instead.

    "You wish to discuss such things¡­ at a time like this?"

    Jasper smiled. "Of course, Mr. Minister. We''re legally obligated to do our best to help the country''s economy, after all. How can we sit back and do nothing to change things when things are getting so bad?"

    Although none of the political leaders were pleased with it, they couldn''t really start disregarding the w'' of their country.

    Ifw and order were to be openly thrown out the window by them, it wouldn''t take long before the military leaders started getting ideas. And if that happened¡­ it would definitely be a disaster.

    Not to mention keeping their positions, they might not even be able to keep their lives!

    They simply had no choice but to agree, and Jasper looked incredibly pleased as he walked into the ''den of wolves'' with his head held high.

    "Ahh, it''s good to see everyone is so serious and determined to change the current situation. Don''t worry, my sister and I havee up with some great ideas to improve our economy, soothe the people, and end this civil unrest!"

    Of course, many of them were aware that the ''root'' of the problem wasn''t really that the people were poor, but that they didn''t feel ''safe'' anywhere. No matter what economical reforms these people proposed, it wouldn''t change a thing.

    What they needed to do was get rid of all the rampant gangsters throughout the country, or at least a majority of them. But that was easier said than done.

    After all, just like cockroaches, it was easy to get them to prosper, but incredibly difficult topletely get rid of them.

    Even so, however, they didn''t stop Jasper from speaking his mind. At least, until he was halfway through his ''proposal''.

    "What nonsense!"

    "How dare you spout such bullshit in front of us?!"

    The security personnel at the site were momentarily rmed, but after they made sure that it was just the politicians being outraged over some words, they quickly calmed down.

    Jasper chuckled. "Don''t be so quick to dismiss it. I assure you, our Gray Wolfe Corporation is very sincere this time, and given the opportunity¡ª!"

    While he could ignore the wide variety of curses being thrown his way, Jasper had no choice but to dodge the ss cup that came flying towards his head from the president''s side.

    While they should have stepped in to mediate at this point, the security personnel only looked at each other before ignoring the incident.

    "Leave. Right now."

    Jasper also knew when to stop testing someone''s patience, and only shrugged before standing up. "Well, I understand this might be sudden. But anyway, just think about it carefully. There are more vultures looking to devour us both than you expect, and I simply don''t want to die."

    His parting words gave everyone in the meeting room chills, and a few couldn''t help but turn to the president ufortably.

    "C-Could he be talking about the White Deer Corporation¡­ are they trying to do the same thing to us as they did with Blue Dawn?"

    "No way, we''re not like that pathetic shit hole. Do you really think our military will copse like that in front of a bunch of foreigners and misguided civilians?"

    The words of the second politician reassured many, but that was when someone said something that was on everyone''s mind, but no one dared to say.

    "H-He couldn''t be talking about our military¡­ right?"

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 Chapter 640 The Worst

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    Although they''d already followed Emilia''s instructions and done their part, Jasper and Ginny obviously had no way of knowing the reaction of the politicians and officials. Even after taking over many of the resources only their ''father'' used to enjoy, they simply didn''t have any spies in a high enough rank to reliably dig out such information.

    Of course, based on the fact that many of the military personnel that had been recently assigned to the capital region were redirected towards the border, they assumed that their n had worked, and happily conveyed the good news to Emilia, who finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    If the government of Carmen had been allowed to keep making full of their military, the next few steps of her n would definitely have gotten exponentially more difficult to pull off.

    Luckily, they were as paranoid as ever, and simply assumed the worst out of everyone. Now she only had one thing to worry about.

    "If things keep going on like this, how likely do you think it is that the military generals will take the initiative to interfere even without orders from above?"

    Noelle flipped through the folder in her hands thoughtfully before stopping at a certain page. "Aside from this guy, most others are quite ''traditional'' and aloof, and shouldn''t make a move as long as it''s not tantly obvious that a foreign enemy is invading and the government intends to do nothing."

    Emilia stared at the image in front of her with a frown. "He looks quite young, and that smug grin just rubs me the wrong way somehow. What do you think, should we get rid of him in advance?"

    The gray-haired girl chuckled. "As expected, that was your first thought, huh? But no, I definitely wouldn''t rmend it. The risk is too great, and the chances of sess are¡­ well, let''s just say they''re not very good."

    Even with the Nightingale n on their side, Carmen''s military bases were no joke. And getting rid of one of the generals was easier said than done.

    Emilia tapped her lower lip with a mischievous smile. "What if I go there myself?"

    The gray-haired girl groaned. "Do you want me to tie you up?"

    Emilia grinned. "I was only joking, though I wouldn''t really mind if you wanted to try it."

    Noelle just rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Okay, don''t mess around. I''m serious. Even if you were to somehow kill that smug bastard, the results would definitely not be as good as you think. In the worst case, we might even alert those old idiots who would have otherwise stayed out of our hair for sure."

    Emilia also understood her girlfriend''s concern, and after thinking about it some more, she nodded. "You''re right. It''s best not to make a rash move now. Then¡­ let''s continue with our previous n. I''ll meet you in the capitalter, alright?"

    Noelle rubbed her nose in embarrassment after the crimson-haired beauty kissed her farewell. "Say hi to Dixie for me."

    "Will do!"

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    Even with Emilia''s ability to disguise herself as she wished when needed, and the vast resources of the Gray Wolfe Corporation now at her disposal, it took her a while to reach Dixie''s hideout.

    But since she wanted to make sure that she didn''t identally leak anything inadvertently, such dys couldn''t be helped.

    Of course, when she finally arrived and dropped down from the hidden trap door onto the floor, she was greeted by a very, very enthusiastic little knight, as expected.

    "Princess! I missed you so much!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle as she was swiveled around by the short-haired girl, though her mood was slightly dampened when she noticed a particrly disgusting re aimed their way. "Ugh¡­ Dixie, didn''t I tell you to just chuck him in a corner and not let him bother you too much?"

    The dark-haired girl hurriedly put Emilia down and she rushed towards the tied-up boy. "Wait, I''ll get rid of the trash right away!"

    Emilia coughed. "Hold on, wait. Now that he''s ruined the mood anyway, let me talk to him first."

    Dixie paused, then gave her princess a nod before stepping forward to take the gag off the captured boy''s mouth, though she didn''t forget to whisper a warning in his ear as she did so. "You better keep your tongue in check in front of my princess, or you know what will happen."

    Of course, while Emilia could vaguely hear it, she pretended not to notice. ''She''s so adorably overprotective, as always.''

    "What do you think she means by ''what will happen'', anyway?"

    Listening to her partner''s curious question, Emilia couldn''t help but blink in surprise. ''Ohh¡­ myzy little fairy is awake?''

    The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Even I don''t sleep all the time."

    Emilia giggled. ''Could have fooled me.''

    Before she could explode, however, the crimson-haired girl continued with a smile. ''Anyway, about your question¡­ I''m guessing she probably shows some not-so-pleasant stuff to the guy, based on all the screens that are around him.''

    Cynthia blinked. "What kind of stuff¡­?"

    ''Who knows? Maybe my sess stories, or maybe the miserable state of some people on his side? She does have ess to¡­ ahhh!''

    "What?"

    Emilia giggled. ''Nothing, I just thought of something she could have shown him that would definitely make him want to rip everyone and everything to shreds. But you wouldn''t understand.''

    "¡­ are you seriously going to leave me at that?"

    The crimson-haired girl seemed to hesitate for a while, but to Cynthia''s relief, she decided that it would indeed be too cruel to stroke her partner''s curiosity like that and leave her hanging.

    ''Well¡­ it''s a bit embarrassing, but you know¡­ That idiot used to love Crystal, right? And while you might not understand, for someone like him, watching the girl he loves ''be happy'' with someone else would definitely be the worst feeling in the world.''

    The raven-haired girl blinked in surprise. "Wait¡­ so you''re saying¡­ But hold on, where would she even get videos like that?!"

    Emilia coughed in embarrassment. ''Well...''

    "¡­ I almost feel sorry for the hero."

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 Chapter 641 The Heros Bet

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    Despite Dixie''s threat, the re that Amos aimed at the crimson-haired girl approaching him was no less murderous than before. After all, the hatred he had in his heart for this girl had long since exceeded the point where he could keep it from showing on his face.

    Not to mention, even if he could have, Amos would never choose to show meekness in front of his enemy. That was thest of his pride.

    But even though the rage in his eyes was palpable, surprisingly enough, the boy didn''t speak a word.

    Emilia smiled thoughtfully as she got closer to him. "How have you been the past few weeks? I trust my dearest knight has been treating you ''well''?"

    Her statement alone was a tant attempt at prodding his open wounds, and since the crimson-haired girl didn''t kneel down to get on his level while Amos was tied to the ground, the feeling of being looked down on was even worse.

    Seemingly disappointed by hisck of response, Emilia sighed. "Anyway, although we''re not exactly on friendly terms, I actually brought you some good news."

    She smiled. "I''m guessing you must be bored and feeling suffocated in such a ce, right? Well, don''t worry! Within a few weeks, we should be able to take you back to Blue Dawn!"

    Her cheerful tone made it seem like such a good thing, but Amos knew only a worse fate awaited him in that ce. But at this point, he didn''t really care about that.

    Ever since he''d been caught by these people, he''d suffered from continuous derision and mockery while being tied down helplessly by that dark-haired bitch, Dixie.

    Of course, while he was infuriated at her daring, he hadn''t thought she''d be able to really hurt his pride¡­ at first. But that was when she started showing him those videos.

    She showed him hisatose ''father'' partially recovering and cursing at him deliriously, calling him ungrateful, worthless, and a disgrace to his bloodline.

    She showed him how everything that he once took pride in was now no more, and how his enemies were doing so much better instead. Especially that bitch he hated the most.

    And worst of all¡­ she showed him just how deeply the love of his life had betrayed him. Not only falling for someone else, but also indulging in depraved and sick pleasures like a disgusting deviant.

    What really pushed him past the brink of despair was when the dark-haired bitch actually made Crystal talk to him on video, and join in on mocking and deriding him while he was still tied and gagged.

    Not only were all his hopespletely shattered, but even the vaguest of delusions that he could ever punish and recover Crystal for himself werepletely turned into smoke.

    All that remained in his heart¡­ was revenge.

    Revenge against his worthless father, this venomous dark-haired bitch, that crimson-haired whore who started it all, and even¡­ the so-called love of his life.

    He would show them all what a grave mistake they''d made by taking him on, and make them regret it for the rest of their pathetic lives!

    Emilia seemed to find his twisted expression extremely funny, however, and even giggled openly, abruptly breaking the hero out of his vengeful fantasies.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m d to see that you''re also just as excited to see me take over Carmen. Don''t worry, I won''t make you wait long. A few weeks at most, promise!"

    Almost immediately, the silver-haired hero startedughing deliriously.

    It was the first time he opened his mouth since she arrived, and Emilia couldn''t help but tilt her head curiously. ''Wanna bet that the first actual word out of his mouth is a curse aimed at me?''

    Cynthia blinked. "What are we betting?"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed. ''I don''t think there is any need for materialistic exchange between us partners. So how about¡­ a kiss?''

    "Huh?"

    Feeling the raven-haired girl''s confusion, Emilia graciously ''exined'' it in detail. ''If you lose, I get to kiss you. And if I lose, you get to kiss me. Deal?''

    Of course, as expected, Cynthia immediately exploded. "That''s the same damn thing! Do you think I''m as stupid as the hero?!"

    Emilia shrugged. ''Well, it was worth a try.''

    "I''m never betting with you, anyway! You clever little cheat!"

    Although her partner had clearly learned not to pliment'' her by now, Emilia could still tell by her tone that she was actually quite proud and satisfied, and she couldn''t help but giggle.

    Of course, Amos took it as her not taking him seriously, and his derisiveughter froze as he sneered. "You think you''re so amazing, huh? Just because all these bitches and morons lick your boots and prop you up like that, has your dumb little head really gotten so big that you think you can take over this country too?"

    Despite being someone who wasn''t very interested in such things, even Amos knew the difference between Carmen and Blue Dawn. Just like a shrew and a whale, they had more that set them apart than they had inmon.

    If this little bitch was really so delusional that she dreamt of taking over Carmen just as she had with Blue Dawn, then perhaps he wouldn''t even have the opportunity to take his own revenge.

    Naturally, Emilia didn''t let his words bother her, and only smiled confidently in response. "Oh? Are you willing to bet on it with me? If you win, not to mention setting you free¡­ I''ll even give you back a part of what you once used to have, you know?"

    The hero''s eyes immediately turned sharp, and his heart started beating erratically in excitement. Obviously, he already knew thanks to Dixie that much of what once was ck Tiger''s had already changed hands multiple times, first going to the government of Oriana, and then to the allies of this hateful bitch.

    If she was really stupid enough to make such a bet with him¡­

    ''This might be my chance to rise back up!''

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 Chapter 642 Curious Hope

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    Amos naturally knew that Emilia wouldn''t make a bet with him if she hadn''t been at least somewhat certain of her own victory, and had he not had any idea of what her bet might be, he obviously wouldn''t pointlessly give her the opportunity to humiliate him any more than she already had.

    But now that the stupid bitch had revealed her delusion of taking over Carmen, things were no longer the same.

    Not to mention her, even if all of her allies and the White Deer Corporation were to go all in on taking down the country of Carmen, Amos was sure that all they would manage to achieve would be sealing their own doom.

    Sure, they might not be annihted immediately, but once they realized just how hopeless a victory was and retreated to nurse their wounds, would all the old enemies watching them like starving hawks let go of such a wonderful opportunity?

    Of course not!

    The silver-haired hero almostughed out loud. ''Heh, how ironic¡­ they managed to somehow get this far, but because they''re going to keep going along with this delusional bitch, all these fools are just going to seal their doom!''

    If, at that time, he also managed to get back some of his birthrights¡­

    ''I know the chances of someone like this bitch honoring her words is slim, I know¡­ and I also know that even if I manage to get back a part of what I once had, there will still be far too many obstacles on the road I wish to tread on, I know¡­ I know¡­ But¡­!''

    But¡­ what really differentiated a champion from a normal soldier was exactly the ability toe out on top against seemingly impossible odds!

    And Amos knew that he was a champion, not a grunt.

    For all this time, he had been struggling and suffering loss after loss, just because that stupid father of his refused to give him even the slightest chance to seed. And after losing everything and getting caught by the grunts of this hateful bitch, the future seemed more and more bleak.

    Betrayal after betrayal, disappointment after disappointment, and misfortune after misfortune.

    It all piled up on his shoulders as if wishing to crush his iron will beneath its weight, but no¡­

    Not even when the demons of his past came to haunt him did he lose his will to fight. Even Crystal¡­ even she¡­!

    But so what?

    His name was Amos ck. The one who would one day be known as the greatest, most powerful man in the world, someone destined for greatness from the day he was born. How could he allow these setbacks to ruin him?

    Not only did he have to show them all what he was capable of¡­ but also pay them back for all they did!

    His father, Emilia, the governments that conspired against him, and everyone else who mocked him¡­ he would ruin them all! Ruin them,pletely!<novelnext></novelnext>

    Such was the heat of the raging inferno within his heart. How could it be so easy to quench? Until he''d had a chance to avenge all the injustice he''d suffered, Amos would never allow anything to break him down.

    And now that he might finally might have a chance, things were bound to change.

    Amos clenched his fists in excitement. ''If this malicious little bitch isn''t just goading me along, and I actually get this one shot, this one opportunity¡­ I''ll definitely never let it go! No, even if she goes back on her word¡­ I''ll still take this chance to take back what should always have been mine!''

    Looking at the ever-increasing brightness in the silver-haired boy''s eyes, Emilia barely managed to suppress the urge to shatter his hopes just to see his reaction, and smiled. "Of course, if I win¡­ you will have to admit in front of Crystal that you are not even worthy of polishing my boots. How about it?"

    Amos almostughed out loud, but knowing just how deranged and psychotic the dark-haired girl by Emilia''s side could be, he managed to keep it down to just a smirk. "If someone like you can be brave enough to bet, how can I not be brave enough to take it?"

    While the crimson-haired girl just smiled in response, Dixie openly snorted in derision.

    Regardless of whatever it was that Emilia proposed, did this moron really think he would ''win''?

    Not to mention that her princess would never make a losing bet, even if that were to happen, as her loyal knight, wouldn''t it be her duty to make sure the vermin around her never bring her any harm?

    Emilia might have prohibited her from killing Amos, but so what? She had plenty of ideas on how to deal with an idiot like him without breaking his neck. Not to mention, she could always seek that slightly strange maid of her princess if she needed any ideas.

    As if suddenly aware of her maliciousness, Amos shuddered, but fortunately for him, Emilia dragged Dixie away to an inner chamber of the hideout before she coulde up with a way to teach him a lesson.

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    "I know this might be sudden, but in addition to everything I told you about before, I will need you to get ready to head back to Blue Dawn in a few weeks or so, just before we finalize our takeover of Carmen, and when you get there¡­"

    Emilia leaned in to whisper something in Dixie''s ear, and the dark-haired girl''s eyes widened in astonishment. ''S-She wants me to kill who?!''

    Not to mention that she''d never been trained as an assassin and was quite... unsure of her ''covert'' skills, to put it gently, Dixie didn''t even think they had any reason to kill the person Emilia was going for¡­ at all.

    A surprise was a surprise, and being unreasonable was being unreasonable¡­ but since it was a request from her princess, Dixie obviously wouldn''t refuse.

    Of course, it was impossible not to be curious.

    "Um, Emily, could it be that¡­ those idiots in Red Dusk did something stupid recently?"

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 Chapter 643 Delusional Defense

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    "Not yet, they haven''t. But that doesn''t mean things will stay that way."

    Dixie didn''t quite understand what Emilia meant by that, but she believed in the judgment of her princess, and since she believed that the morons from Red Dusk would make a move against her soon, the dark-haired girl knew that making sure her preemptive strike didn''t miss was of utmost importance.

    Emilia grinned as she grabbed Dixie''s button nose and squeezed it yfully. "No need to be so grim and serious about it. I won''t be sending you alone. You don''t even have to worry about sneaking in and out of Red Dusk, as Cindy Mindy and their team will be taking care of that. And even if something doesn''t work out, it''s no big deal. Juste back and help me deal with some other stuff sooner if that happens."

    Of course, despite how nonchnt she was about it, the crimson-haired girl knew that Dixie would still give it her all. That''s just how her ever-serious knight was. In fact, that was exactly the reason why she was trying to downy how critical it was to take care of this threat before it even revealed itself.

    While she was all for letting her girlfriends flex their muscles to the greatest extent, Emilia didn''t really want them getting hurt, after all.

    "Forget about that¡­ It''s been a while since I''ve been held by my dear knight like this, let''s forget about boring things now, and have some fun!"

    The dark-haired girl couldn''t help but blush when Emilia started dragging her towards the bed, though the excitement in her eyes clearly gave away how she was really feeling at the turn of events.

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    Obviously, since neither of the two girls cared about what Amos thought of them, they didn''t bother ''keeping it down'' or being particrly mindful of his presence only a few meters away. And while the external walls of the hideout were quite thick, with only a couple of hidden entrances, the inside partitions weren''t even close to being soundproof.

    Needless to say, Amos got an earful of all the exciting events taking ce on a bed not far from him, and his expression kept alternating between green and white.

    Sometimes, he wasn''t even sure whether he should be happy that Crystal wasn''t here.

    Fortunately for him, though, Emilia actually had too many things to do and too little time left in Carmen, so she couldn''t just stay and have fun with Dixie all day and night as she wanted, and had to leave within just a few hours.

    Since the exit was only essible through the roof, and Emilia didn''t really want to show off too much in front of Amos and the world will, she could only climb up the ropedder obediently.

    It may not be as fast and cool as dropping down like a superhero, but oh well.

    Amos sneered as he watched the crimson-haired girl''s butt sway from side to side under her flowery skirt as she climbed up. ''Does this desperate bitch still think she can seduce me? I guess she never really gave up on breaking me down and bringing me to her level, and then tempting me with that overly beautiful body of hers. Unfortunately for her¡­ I can clearly see how ugly she really is inside.''

    For even his pure and beautiful Crystal to be corrupted and tainted by her¡­ not to mention being tempted, how could Amos ever bring himself to forgive someone like that? He might be kind, but he was not a saint.

    His death gaze was fixed upon Emilia''s figure until the moment she left, and the rage in his heart only calmed down once the girl climbed out of the secret passage above and closed the lid.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, the momentary relief in his heart quickly turned to smoke as the hero''s eyes inadvertently turned to the dark smile on Dixie''s face.

    "Now that the princess has left, let''s have a quick chat about how you cockroaches like you should and shouldn''t behave around her, shall we?"

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    "Your n failed again."

    ''Doesn''t matter.'' Emilia smiled confidently. ''Although he looks quite strong-willed now, I can tell he''s not far from the edge. He won''t be able to watch me seed in ns this time as well, and get together with Crystal.''

    The raven-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. "To be honest, it''s possible that the world will inside him is just so desperate that it''spletely blocking his reasoning, but that kind of thing isn''t sustainable. It''s like building a solid defensive wall from bricks of delusion¡­ once he realizes that even one of them was just an illusion¡­ it would alle crashing down."

    Emilia giggled. ''Can''t wait to see it happen.''

    Suddenly, however, the crimson-haired girl paused. ''¡­ Did you hear that?''

    Cynthia tilted her head curiously. "Hear what?"

    ''I think I heard the sound of a pig being butchered¡­ or something like that. But I can''t see anything suspicious¡­'' Emilia narrowed her eyes as she looked around once more, but aside from the already sealed entrance to the hideout, all she saw were trees and foliage.

    ''¡­ There''s no way it came from in there, right? It''s very well insted, after all. And Dixie definitely doesn''t sound like that.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Okay, stop pretending. If you really heard what you im you did, you know full well it must be Amos. That overprotective monkey of yours is probably crushing his dick beneath her heels for fun."

    Emilia snorted. ''No way. Do you think my dear knight would ever do something so disgusting? Even if she really had to turn it to mush, she would use a bat or something. Why ruin a perfectly good pair of heels?''

    The raven-haired girl knew there was no point in arguing with her partner about it, and only rolled her eyes in response. "Forget it. Let''s just go."

    Emilia was slightly disappointed that her partner didn''t want to continue chatting despite the two of them now being alone for a while, but she still smiled brightly before sprinting off towards her destination. ''As you wish!''

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 Chapter 644 Unaware

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    Some people put too much trust in others, while some tended to be overly suspicious instead. And in Emilia''s opinion, one''s own behavior yed a major role in deciding which category that person belonged to.

    ? When dealing with someone who was usually known to be good with their word and kept their promises, Emilia knew that they would generally also have some faith in their subordinates and colleagues. On the other hand, someone who was used to deceiving others would naturally never putplete faith in anyone else keeping their promises either.

    As for the political and administrative leaders of Carmen¡­ Emilia didn''t need to dig around much to know which category they belonged to.

    "Even though we''ve already gone from the border of the capital to the center, not even a single soldier is to be seen anywhere, huh?"

    The crimson-haired girl had already changed her form to that of ''Little Emi'' not long after parting with Dixie, though that wasn''t really necessary considering she''d already covered her face with a mask and was doing her best not to be sighted.

    Normally, her current behavior would stand out, and it would have been preferable to mix in with the crowd on the streets to scout instead. But considering the rather unstable condition of the country, even if someone spotted her at this time, they would only assume that she must be a scout from either the Gray Wolfe or the government, and was just doing her job of making sure there were no secret gatherings in the city.

    In the off chance that she stumbled upon some actual government agent, though, Emilia would have to ''deal with them'' to make sure she didn''t get caught.

    "Well, it all looks good so far. Too good, in fact." Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully as she stared down at the ''civilians'' casually hanging in and around one of the best hospitals in the capital.

    Even with their wigs on and the distinctck of weapons in their possession, the crimson-haired girl could tell that they were from the Nightingale n. And the fact that they weren''t being questioned or chased off by anyone could only mean that, just like many around it, not only was this ce already secretly in their control, but the government officials also had no idea about it at all.

    Of course, even though she hadn''t thought their n would be effective to this extent, since it was all good news to her anyway, Emilia wasn''tining.

    Just to be sure, however, the crimson-haired girl decided to go through several more core locations once again, and even tried peeking at some of the ministers to see what they were up to.

    Even Cynthia started feeling a little exasperated at her partner''s overly cautious behavior. "As long as the military isn''t being allowed into the capital, isn''t that good enough? You really don''t need to be so worried."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully, but didn''t refute her partner''s words.

    It might take them a while to finish taking over the government from the inside, and while that was happening, it would definitely be a huge mess if someone managed to alert the military of something that they shouldn''t.

    After all, while most loyal militarymanders wouldn''t even think about taking over the country by force, their perspectives would be quick to flip once the words ''foreign enemy'' entered their ears.

    That was why Emilia was so adamant in making sure that the government not only lost any remaining public support they might have, but that the change of ''regime'' was also done in a way that could be justified by Carmen''s existingws.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luckily, the Gray Wolfe Corporation was deeply involved with the government of Carmen, and with Jasper and Ginny''s help, the chances of Emilia''s sessful takeover went from ''unlikely'' to ''almost certain''.

    As soon as they received Emilia''s instruction to start the next phase of their n, the twins and Noelle immediately instructed their subordinates to start watching out for the movement of their ''targets'', while the White Deer Corporation''s people started openly viting the orders of the government to help the struggling poption through various relief efforts.

    Of course, since their actions were only slightly worse than what they''d been previously doing anyway, the government officials weren''t immediately rmed when they received such reports. In fact, such things were well within their expectations.

    "Let thew enforcement in the inner regions and sensitive areas use non-lethal force to curb any unrest, and in the outer regions¡­ we can leave that to the military."

    Most political and administrative leaders agreed with the president''s words, and his instructions were quickly conveyed down the line ofmand.

    With most of their military concentrated on remote areas like this, they didn''t need to worry too much about them trying anything strange. And with their way of doing things, as long as they used the press and media well, the military would only continue bing more of a viin in the public eye.

    Of course, their own image wasn''t particrly good either, but the government leaders understood that as long as they weren''t the ''most hated'', the people were quick to forgive and forget.

    At most, they would only be med for being slow and ipetent, just as it had been with the gangsters and crime lords before. Something like that¡­ didn''t matter at all.

    After all, so long as they got to enjoy all the power and wealth that came with their positions, who cared about the opinion of some inconsequential ants who would never even be able to say a word to their face?

    Of course, with both the gangsters and the civilians heavily suppressed through force, dealing with the continuous annoyance of the Gray Wolfe''s twins became the biggest headache of these leaders instead.

    Why couldn''t they just ept that they would never be able to return to their former glory, and kept futilely trying to get included in the government instead?

    The president snorted in derision. "Heh¡­ do they think this is still the era of their father?"

    As he instructed people to go meet on how to deal with the situation, the man remainedpletely unaware of the uneasy nces exchanged by several people around him.

    With their family and friends already promised'', and the threat of a remotely administrable poison within their bodies¡­ they simply had no means to resist, after all.

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 Chapter 645 Unraveled

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

    Ever since Emilia left her in charge of Blue Dawn, Crystal had been trying her best to keep the empire prosperous and happy, waiting for her to return.

    Of course, although this should have been an easy task given the solid foundation they''d already established, the fact that they also had to secretly focus a lot of resources on preparing for an uing war made it much more difficult.

    She understood that it was because of the other side''s hostility that things had to be this way, but that didn''t stop the blonde girl from feeling conflicted.

    Crystal never expected that such a day woulde when she would actually be the one ''in charge'' of such a thing. She''d always hated that kind of source of misery. No one ever seemed happy on either side after a war, after all.

    Or at least that was true for the general public, given that they had little to do with the spoils of war even if their side won.

    Naturally, the actual responsibilities of the preparations were left to those who were better suitable for such things, but the fact that Crystal felt that she could stop it all if she really wanted to weighed a little on her mind.

    Emilia would listen to her if she pleaded. No, she didn''t even have to plead. She knew that much... but Crystal simply couldn''t bring herself to do it.

    "Am I really doing the right thing?"

    She didn''t mind walking through burning embers for Emilia''s sake, but Crystal still felt guilty when she thought of plunging such a happy and peaceful empire into chaos when it could be probably avoided.

    She understood that Emilia wanted to aplish her goals faster, and for that to happen she needed to fulfill certain conditions, but... was it really so bad to just... wait?

    Emilia might be eager to leave their world, but that wasn''t really true for Crystal. After all,pared to the unknown in the future, weren''t the days of bliss she spent with the crimson-haired beauty now much more beautiful?

    Of course, there could be circumstances that she just didn''t understand, and Crystal was keenly aware of certain wounds in Emilia''s psyche that she simply wasn''t ready to open yet. So the blonde girl decided to simply do her best to help her instead.

    Fortunately, knowing that the people of Blue Dawn would be more than eager to jump into a fire pit for Emilia''s sake lightened the burden on Crystal''s mind quite a bit. But she still hoped that things would work out exactly as her lover nned, and that there won''t be many casualties on their side.

    Suddenly, a knock on the door startled Crystal out of her thoughts, and after hearing her assent, a short brown-haired girl wearing a maid uniform entered her ''office'' with a smile.

    Although she tried to appear calm, Crystal couldn''t help but raise a brow at the obvious excitement in her eyes. "I''m assuming it''s something good, Michelle?"

    The short-haired girl nodded enthusiastically. "I just received a message that told me to start preparing for her arrival!"

    Of course, just from the tone of her voice, Crystal didn''t need to second guess who she was referring to with ''her'', though she was surprised at the timing.

    She''d naturally been trying her best to keep up with the news from the other side, but things were kept quite tightly sealed by Carmen''s government, and there was little hope of any outsider being able to figure out what was really going on at this point.

    If not for Dixie and Emilia continuously keeping in touch through their pre-established secure channels, she wouldn''t even know most of what she did now, though those two obviously wouldn''t tell her all the details, especially any that might cause her to worry.

    Still, Crystal could pretty much tell that things were steadily heading in the direction Emilia wanted. Based on Michelle''s report, however, the pacing had clearly exceeded her expectations.

    Were they even ready for the war yet, or could there be a change of ns?<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was impossible for her not to worry.

    After all, while her mother and many of their friends might be safe in the capital of Blue Dawn, the same couldn''t be said for the likes of Noelle, Dixie, and even Emilia.

    Knowing them as she did, Crystal knew that not only would she not be allowed to head into the thick of it herself, but she also couldn''t prevent Emilia and the others from heading into the danger zones.

    She understood that it was the fastest way to end it all, but that didn''t stop her heart from beating erratically in terror from just imagining what could go wrong.

    "... Are you okay? I thought you would be happy."

    Looking at Michelle''s furrowed brows, Crystal didn''t dare to let the girl know too much about her thoughts, and just smiled reluctantly. "Until it''s all over and Emilia is back with us, I can''t just put my heart at ease and celebrate, can I? Anyway, just go and continue with the preparations."

    The girl looked a little hesitant, but she still followed Crystal''s orders. "Then, let me know if you need anything, alright? I won''t be far."

    Crystal just waved as the girl left, and after staring worriedly out of the window at the seemingly calm horizon for a while, the blonde girl bit her lip nervously.

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

    Of course, for such a message to be sent to Blue Dawn, things in Carmen must have already reached a boiling point.

    "Y-You--! H-How could you do such a thing?!" The president pointed his finger in disbelief at his most trusted ministers shakily, but none of them dared to look him in the eye and reply. Instead, they all averted their gaze.

    A young man''s brazenugh shattered the chilling atmosphere, and the president''s ashen face immediately turned red in fury. "How dare youugh after betraying your home to foreigners?! Do you not feel ashamed, you traitor?! Where''s your father?!"

    Jasper smirked, finding it quite funny that the president would mention his father now of all times. "What do you think? Would I be able to do half the things that I have if not for his support?"

    Although the president also realized that it must be true, he still refused to believe it. "I-Impossible!"

    Jasper shrugged. "Believe it or not, I can let just you meet him if you want, and the two of you can talk it out... After you''re done signing that and giving your speech, of course."

    Just as he was about to bark back in rage, however, the president froze when the door opened and another group of people walked into the meeting room confidently.

    How many years had it been since someone actually dared to be so brazen as toe in unannounced in his presence?

    Moreover, this group included not only Ginny Gray, but also someone who clearly should never have been allowed within Carmen''s borders.

    "Y-You--?! I-It''s you!!!" The president''s face turned red and blue in a mixture of fury and fear as he realized how bad the situation must be for things to turn out this way.

    If the empress of Blue Dawn could just waltz right in despite his strict orders of keeping the borders sealed tight, was anything in this country really under his control anymore?!

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

 Chapter 646 Flipped

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    Emilia could tell by the terror in the man''s eyes that he must have misunderstood how she got in, but instead of correcting him, she just smirked. "You don''t look very happy to see me? But rest assured, I''m only here to help."

    The president shook his head in disbelief, causing the crimson-haired girl to chuckle.

    "Whether you ept it or not doesn''t really matter, to be honest. Everyone who really matters else believes in me already, after all. If you do as you are told, things will just be a little easier. Plus¡­ you won''t have to suffer as much."

    The president''s face turned pale. "Y-You¡­ just what are you nning to do? Even if you''ve somehow convinced those idiots at the border, do you think everyone else in the world is an idiot and will just stand by and let you do as you please?!"

    Obviously, his words confirmed that the man had no idea that Carmen''s military was still very much in his control, and hadn''t secretly defected to Emilia''s side.

    Emilia smiled. "That''s not something for you to worry about now, is it?"

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    Three dayster, fireworks and cheers spread throughout the country as people celebrated their ''victory'' by getting the current president to resign, though many still remained cynical about how it would improve their situation.

    "What are you people celebrating? The ex-president''s luxurious retirement to some remote paradise?"

    "Ayyy, don''t be like that, mate. We haven''t heard any good news for months now, and the curfew is finally off. Can''t we be happy for a while?"

    Beneath the seemingly cheerful smiles, fear and depression lurked as always. But the people of Carmen couldn''t be med for having such little hope for the future.

    After all, the president changed every five years anyway, but the state of their country had always remained the same. Themon folk suffered, while the gangsters and those in power did as they pleased.

    Of course, the president had also announced some changes that the parliament had made before his resignation, but no one really paid much attention to such things. The chances of it all being anything but a means to cate the restless masses were almost negligible, after all.

    If anything, the fact that the non-democratically elected part of the government ¡ª which was mostly controlled by the Gray Wolfe Corporation ¡ª would now have a lot more power than before was just another warning sign for worse things toe.

    And as everyone expected, the news of Ginny bing the new president arrived.

    "She''s that man''s daughter, isn''t she?"

    While she wasn''t exactly a celebrity, it was impossible for no one to know about the daughter of one of the most powerful men in their country, whether she''d previously been favored or not.

    Of course, being associated with her much more well-known father had its own significant downsides.

    "Fuck, man¡­ as if we weren''t already paying out of our ass for even the most basic necessities¡­ this bitch is just going to make everything more expensive, isn''t she?"

    "Guess we can say goodbye to all those freebies and relief material from the White Deer, too. Doubt she''ll let them linger around now and be a threat now that she already hasplete control."

    "She might not be as bad as Sanders¡­ oh, who am I kidding?"

    While it might be an exaggeration to say that every business and corporation in the world was greedy and would do anything for more money... as far as these people were concerned, it wasn''t really that far from the truth.

    After all, the likes of the White Deer Corporation were rare exceptions, and even that was only the case because of the strange phnthropist hobby of their little princess. Maybe to her, it was just a small price to pay for some good entertainment, though most people realized it would be unwise to say such a thing in public, especially on the inte.

    "Hush! Don''t speak nonsense¡­ what if someone heard?"

    Ginny''s eptance speech was short and to the point, and only made many more certain of their guesses.

    "I may be good at business, but when ites to running a country, I realize that I might have many shorings. As such, I''ll be taking help and advice from someone who can do it much better than me, so let''s all look forward to a brighter future together."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Coming from her, the ''brighter future'' only meant more money in the Gray Wolfe''s ounts, as far as most people were concerned.

    But no one expected that not even two dayster, a familiar yetpletely unexpected face would show up on their TVs.

    "I know not many of you have a good impression of the Gray Wolfe, and I can''t me you¡­ I didn''t either, but that was in the past. I''ve helped Jasper and Ginny before, and they have also done the same, and believe me when I say that they''re not the same as their father."

    Emilia smiled. "With her as the president and Jasper leading the Gray Wolfe Corporation, I really think that Carmen''s situation will steadily improve. Of course, since I''ve been given the chance to help, I don''t mind putting in the effort to change it all for the better. After all, while the situation here isn''t as bad as it used to be in Blue Dawn, if there are things I can change for the better, why wouldn''t I?"

    The crimson-haired beauty''s speech did soothe much of the agitated poption, but even with her charm, it failed topletely win everyone over.

    While most people already had a good impression of her based on how she hadpletely transformed Blue Dawn, the fact that she was a foreigner, and there was no proper exnation on how much power she would have still made many uneasy.

    Her title of ''special executive'' didn''t seem very powerful, but would someone like Emilia reallye all the way to Carmen if she wasn''t even being given enough power to make any changes?

    But maybe deep down in their hearts they still had some hope for a brighter future, as aside from some criticism online, there were no signs of protests or unrest anywhere.

    Of course, the biggest factor in ensuring such stability was Carmen''s military, which remained silent from the beginning to the end, as if silently acquiescing to everything.

    Only Noelle and the spies from the Gray Wolfe Corporation knew just how tense things had gotten at one point, with many simply waiting for others to make a move to ''join in'' themselves.

    If not for them being already well-prepared in advance and intercepting theirmunications timely, there was no telling what could have happened next.

    Maybe the White Deer Corporation might even have suffered aplete loss, with no way to resist in front of Carmen''s military might within their borders.

    Noelle couldn''t help but sigh in relief. "I have to say¡­ your decision of letting Ginny take over first was really wise. If you directly snatched the ''throne'' this time, things could have turned really bad."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled. "How rare of you to praise me so openly¡­ if only I wasn''t so far away right now, I wouldn''t have been able to resist giving you a kiss."

    Noelle rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Should you really be so carefree right now?"

    Had it not been for the fact that they were already hundreds of miles away from each other and the gray-haired girl couldn''t reach through the screen, Emilia had no doubt that Noelle would be pinching her cheeks to alleviate her anger by now.

    But since she had nothing to fear, the crimson-haired girl just giggled. "Of course, with you and big sister taking care of things there, is it possible for Carmen''s situation not to improve?"

    "That''s not what I¡ª" Noelle paused, and then sighed. "Forget it."

    Maybe if Ginny and Jasper heard her, they would really be heartbroken. After all, there they were working their butts off, but here Emilia didn''t bother mentioning their names.

    "We''ll take care of things here, just make sure you don''t get hurt."

    Emilia grinned. "Don''t worry so much. Just take it as a vacation and y around a little if you like. We''ll be back together before you know it!"

    Slightly uncharacteristically of her usually serious self, Dixie also jumped into the frame with a smile. "You can trust me with protecting the princess until then, Noelle!"

    Of course, the muffled sounds from the background let the gray-haired girl know about the reason for her ''strange'' behavior.

    "See? Amos also agrees¡­ although his opinion doesn''t really matter."

    The boy tied to the seat at the back of the ne raged helplessly, and Noelle couldn''t help but cough to hide her amused smile. "Careful now, don''t give him a heart attack."

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 Chapter 647 Shooting Oneself In The Foot

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    Since her arrival wasn''t announced publicly, and only a select few people were actually aware of her return to Blue Dawn, there was obviously no grand weing ceremony waiting for her uponnding.

    As far as most people were concerned, she''d never left in the first ce, after all. While they hadn''t seen her with their own eyes for a while, they only med their own poor luck.

    Of course, even without a weing ceremony, being back in her own empire still made Emilia feel more at home than before, and she couldn''t help but smile as she let Michelle lead her towards the already-prepared car.

    "What about Amos?"

    Michelle paused. "W-We''ve arranged another way for him to be taken away."

    Clearly, although the hero generally took good care of his own hygiene, that wasn''t really possible when Dixie only allowed him ten minutes of bathroom break every day, and that too with a metal chain wrapped around his neck.

    Even if he was sprayed with a ton of deodorant, Michelle obviously didn''t want such a person to share the same ''room'' as her princess.

    Dixie was a little more aware of Emilia''s intentions when it came to the silver-haired boy, however, and knew that if he was to be sent in a different vehicle, someone she trusted would also have to go along with him to make sure nothing went wrong.

    Not wanting to be separated from the crimson-haired beauty for such a reason, the knight quickly came up with a solution. "There''s no need to waste too much thought on someone like him. Isn''t the trunk still empty?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Alright, that''s fine. Just make sure he doesn''t hit his head on a bump or something."

    Of course, given that the roads in most parts of the empire were already quite well-maintained, the likelihood of such an event wasn''t particrly high. Still, Dixie instructed the soldier who went to fetch Amos from the back of the ne to put a helmet on his head, just in case.

    Since the area had already been cleared of any prying eyes and ears, they didn''t really have to be too vignt. After dragging the freshly awakened and struggling boy out of the ne, the soldier just roughly strapped a helmet on his head, shoved Amos into the trunk, and then mmed it close,pletely ignoring his muffled protests.

    With the ''nuisance'' now out of her sight, Michelle smiled as she opened the door for Emilia, and after she and Dixie had got in, happily went around to go to the driver''s seat.

    Although she knew how to drive even before, Michelle hadn''t really been confident enough in her skills to really take her princess around all the time like Noelle. She would only do it when really needed.

    But now that she''d had plenty of practice with Crystal, the brown-haired girl was quite eager to show off her ''skills''.

    Unfortunately, with almost no obstacles or mishaps along the way, even the usually observant Emilia had no way of noticing such a thing.

    It was only when they''d already arrived at the Blue Lotus Pce and Crystal whispered something in her ear after greeting her with a hug that Emilia turn around to face the slightly disheartened ''maid'' with a smile. "Michelle is really bing more and more talented every day, isn''t she? I''m almost worried that someone else might poach you away."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The brown-haired girl was both ttered and panicked, and quickly waved her hands in denial. "N-No no no, as long as you need me around, I''ll never leave!"

    Emilia''s pupils twinkled in amusement, and she couldn''t help but ruffle the girl''s short hair yfully. "I''ll take your word for it then."

    Crystal chuckled. "Forget about running away, if I hadn''t known any better, I would''ve almost thought that she was gunning to take over Noelle''s position instead."

    The poor maid''s entire face turned red under theirbined teasing as even Dixie started chuckling in amusement, but the atmosphere soon turned somber when the topic turned to their ''mission'' in Red Dusk.

    "Cindy should be returning soon from her advanced scouting mission, so let''s wait for her first before making a more concrete n."

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    Meanwhile, with Carmen''s borders no longer as tightly closed and the information ban also lifted, it didn''t take long for the rest of the world to catch up with the current state of events in the country. Well, somewhat.

    After all, while the people within Carmen were now free to use the inte, journalists who had already fled from the country had yet to return and conduct proper investigations.

    Not many were surprised at the president giving up on his position. After all, while it might seem like a big deal on the surface, the president''s resignation was just an early retirement after he''d already taken most of the benefits from the position anyway.

    Moreover, it was the easiest and most cost-effective way of cating their restless poption, and the only criticism that many experts had on it was that it hadn''t been done sooner.

    In contrast, the fact that Ginny had taken up the newly empty presidential position was much more controversial, and sparked many hot debates throughout the world.

    "With Miss Emilia setting a precedent in Blue Dawn, and now Miss Ginny doing pretty much the same in Carmen, are we looking at the start of a horrifying trend? Are the richest of the rich really going to take over the world this way?"

    Of course, many experts had differing opinions. "I don''t think the two are the same at all, actually. Miss Emilia''s takeover was hostile, and only worked because the people on her side exploited the desperation of Blue Dawn''s poption almost perfectly. On the other hand, Miss Ginny''s position of the president is something that she gotwfully."

    "Agreed. Plus, let''s not forget that miss Ginny was actually a citizen of Carmen from the start, while Miss Emilia had nothing to do with Blue Dawn at all."

    Obviously, these people who had already distanced themselves from Emilia and the White Deer Corporation were desperately trying not to be on the bad side of the Gray Wolfe Corporation as well withoutpromising their ratings too much. After all, it probably wouldn''t bode well for their careers.

    What they failed to realize, however, was that the two were already on the same side, and regardless of which side they tried to criticize, they were just shooting themselves in the foot.

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 Chapter 648 To Hope

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    In fact, misunderstanding the rtionship between the Gray Wolfe and the White Deer wasn''t entirely their fault. After all, thetter did try to destroy the former''s monopoly in Carmen in a decidedly unfriendly way, and even before that, the two never dealt well with each other.

    Even if the corporation itself had now changed hands, the experts believed that as long as the underlying conflict of interests that caused their initial disputes still existed, there wouldn''t be much of a change in either corporation''s overall stance.

    Of course, just as there were many who tried to ''tter'' the new head of the Gray Wolfe Corporation, many more took apletely different stance.

    "You cannotpare Emilia with Ginny, and I think people should stop doing that. Aside from both of them being born in wealthy families, do they even have anything inmon?"

    "Right? Whether we''reparing them in terms of age, character, or appearance, the two are miles apart. And I don''t think I need to rify who belongs in which direction."

    Having had the misfortune of tuning in to this exact channel at the ''perfect'' time, Ginny almost choked on her own spit. ''D-Did they really have to put it that way?! We''re even allies! Allies!!!''

    Looking at his sister''s furious expression, Jasper couldn''t help but chuckle. "Bet you''re regretting not letting some of that info on Emilia leak, huh, ''Miss President''?"

    His sister snorted. "You know that wasn''t up to me."

    Of course, given that the outside world didn''t really have the full picture of the situation in Carmen yet, neither of them took the news too seriously.

    After all,pared to causing a disaster while they weren''t yet prepared, being the target of some criticism was really a small price to pay.

    "By the way, I still think that it''s too risky letting everyone use the inte so soon. Even if we try our best to make sure nothing critical is leaked outside, there''s no way to be really sure."

    Ginny agreed with her brother, but could only shrug helplessly. "Well, can''t do much about it. Emilia listens to certain people more than the others."

    Who could have thought that even after she became the president of Carmen, and her brother the chairman of Gray Wolfe, they would still have to listen to ''orders''?

    The hint of jealousy in her tone was obvious to Jasper, but he pretended not to notice it. After all, Emilia couldn''t be med for trusting Noelle and Crystal over her sister, and her trusting Ginny as much as she had could already be considered a small miracle.

    Fortunately, Emilia''s trust didn''t seem to be too misced. Even if there had been certain incidents where people from Carmen talked about the crimson-haired empress being their new ''special executive'' or something, the rest of the world only treated them as trolls.

    In fact, Emilia''s fans even went so far as to directly ridicule them.

    The fact that the Empress of Blue Dawn didn''t officially respond to such things only proved that these statements werepletely baseless and ridiculous, as far as they were concerned. And since Penny didn''t step forward to rify or stop them from responding, it only made them more sure of their guess.

    That being the case, how could they just stand by and do nothing? Since they dared to call themselves knights, even if they couldn''t directly protect their princess, could they not even defend her name?

    "Do you really think you''re so important that our princess would lower herself to such an insignificant position just to help you out? Sheesh."

    "That''s not the right way to treat someone who stood up for your rights while you were still being oppressed. Oh wait, has that changed already?"

    "Don''t think so."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, the one in the most embarrassing situation of all was Ginny, who had be a target of scrutiny for both her ''allies'' and ''enemies'' alike. But no matter how much they wanted to rify the situation, the twins knew how critical it was for them to remain patient.

    There would be no May flowers without April showers, after all.

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    Just as it was impossible to forge something legendary in the blink of an eye regardless of how talented a smith might be, it was simrly impossible topletely change the fate of millions even with thebined efforts of the new government and the two allied corporations.

    Of course, the fact that the White Deer Corporation couldn''t openly start pouring too much of their resources from the outside also slowed them down considerably, but that was pretty much unavoidable considering what they were trying to do.

    After all, no matter how much they spoiled their so-called princess, some people would definitely start to have doubts if the White Deer Corporation suddenly started going ''all in'' on a deal they''d already apparently lost.

    Not only would it be a dead giveaway of the fact that more was going on than it seemed, but it might also put their enemies on high alert. And once they really started digging into things and disregarding any pretense of being friendly or nonchnt, it wouldn''t take long for the truth to bepletely exposed.

    Fortunately, all the preparations that Sam and Noelle had made in Carmen while waiting for the previous government to fall greatly boosted their progress at this time, and while the situation was still far from ideal, the contrast from what it used to be was still almost unbelievable.

    After all, for most people who''d only ever known to fear the gangsters and hope that the situation doesn''t keep getting worse, watching them all be swiftly taken away was like a dreame true.

    Of course, the organs they had already taken away and sold couldn''t be brought back, nor could the dead be resurrected, but not letting them continue their tyranny was a good step forward in the right direction.

    Not to mention, when was thest time that the cost of basic necessities in Carmen actually went down, and not up?

    Perhaps to those born in more fortunate conditions, these things might not seem like much, but for the people of Carmen, the difference was like night and day.

    All of a sudden, they couldn''t help but rekindle hope for the future.

    Even if it was a corporate woman at the top, and most people still expected her to be selfish and greedy, so long as their own lives turned for the better¡­ did it really matter?

    It was these tiny sparks of hope that slowly spread and seemed to warm up the previously cold and deste Carmen from the inside, and within a short period of time, those who''d been there forever almost couldn''t recognize the ce.

    People were no longer as afraid to wander around, nor did many continuously worry about offending someone they couldn''t afford to every step of the way.

    The schools and offices no longer seemed like jails with the teachers and staff watching the children like hawks, terrified of what might happen if their sight slipped for even a moment, and with the newly formed state guard around, even the pubs and bars no longer seemed as dangerous and unweing as they had been before.

    Of course, things weren''t perfect, many people were still desperately looking for a good job, even with both the Gray Wolfe and the White Deer opening many new positions every day, and many were still in desperate need of external support to pull themselves back up from otherwise irrecoverable situations.

    But as the general sentiment and the outlook of people slowly shifted, none of that seemed to matter much. After all, so long as there was some hope for the future, most people would always look forward to it getting better.

    And that was what really made the difference between stagnation and growth, and changed Carmen from a dark and deste corporate farm tinged with despair to a country full of hope and vitality.

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 Chapter 649 Revealed

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    While many people used Emilia''s example to try and make Ginny''s ''takeover'' look better or worse time and again, those who really took such aparison seriously were few and far between.

    As for the rumors of the crimson-haired girl''s direct involvement in the incident, their credibility was even worse. From the crimson-haired girl''s obsessed ''knights'' to her harshest critics, no one believed they contained even an ounce of truth.

    Aside from a few statements and the White Deer Corporation''s rather futile attempt at wrestling away Gray Wolfe''s dominance in Carmen, she''d remained rtively distant from the whole thing all this time, after all. With her personality, it was naturally a little hard to believe that the crimson-haired beauty could keep silent if she really did something.

    Of course, while no one was expecting any ''miracles'', the number of eagle-like gazes focused on Carmen still remained terrifying.

    Everyone was looking forward to which direction Ginny would steer Carmen in. After all, a skinny Camel was still taller than a horse, and with Gray Wolfe and the government of Carmen''s influencebined, this new president could either turn into a formidable ally or a dreadful enemy.

    For most ''superpowers'' around the world, until they became certain of her stance¡­ it was impossible for them to just sit back and rx.

    Would Ginny use her newfound power to fuel the growth of her declining corporation and try to make it shoot back to its former glory, or would she take a somewhat different path than everyone expected?

    Would she keep maintaining the old rtionships that Sanders had established, both good and bad, or did she intend to start afresh?

    And most importantly¡­ just how did she n to deal with the remnants of the White Deer Corporation in Carmen?

    After all¡­ with Samantha White and Noelle being noticeably ''absent'' everywhere else, it wasn''t hard for people to deduce that they might still be trapped in Carmen, having missed the opportunity to get out in time.

    "Things could get quite interesting¡­ huh?"

    "What do you think, if Samantha White and Noelle are both ''lost'', will the White Deer Corporation be able to keep going?"

    "Doubt it. That old couple would hardly be able to bear their daughter''s loss, and Emilia has shown herself to be someone who purely operates on emotions. If what you said really happens¡­ it will probably be a spectacr show, to say the least."

    Of course, as prominent powersmanding both respect and fear on a global scale, these people were naturally aware of the difference between Blue Dawn and Carmen. They knew that even if Emilia went ballistic at her sister''s loss andunched a frontal assault, it would be no different from trying to smash a rock with an egg.

    But the overall strength of the White Deer Corporation wasn''t something limited to just ''Blue Dawn''. Not to mention, regardless of her character ws, the crimson-haired empress had quite a ''dedicated'' following of people in power, including even the usually taciturn Prime Minister of Phoenix.

    This was one of the reasons why even when she openly started showing her absurd ambitions by interfering in Oriana, and even dared stretch her ws out to Carmen, those who were wary of her still remained silent.

    This wasn''t a snake they could afford to startle. Only if they were certain they would be able to subdue and rub her into the ground would they strike, and until that moment arrived, they would remain patient.

    Good thingse to those who wait, after all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And from the looks of it, their long-awaited moment might not be as far into the future as they expected.

    Except¡­ the way it happened was exactly the opposite of what they were hoping for.

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    Loud bangs and screams of rage and anger echoed through the ''ceiling'' above their head as the ck-d figure with only her shoulder-length ash-blonde hair exposed motioned for her team to stop.

    From their position, they could clearly hear the conversation in the supposedly soundproof room above them.

    "Shit! How could that bitch Ginny just give up her position to someone else like that?! Is she a fucking moron or what?! And why her of all people¡­ why her?!"

    Although they hadn''t been in contact with their ''base'' too frequently after getting so deep into the enemy territory, Dixie could tell that from the words she heard that things in Carmen must have moved on to the next phase already.

    ''So it happened¡­ Emily now has another country under her belt.'' Dixie smiled. ''And from their reaction, it seems like things really stabilized much better than expected.''

    Of course, even if they spent a few months making sure that the military and the people were ''assured'' of their ability and intentions, making a ''foreigner'' like Emilia their ''leader'' still carried a substantial risk.

    But without taking such a step, it would be impossible to force these hidden snakes who thirsted after the blood of her princess to move.

    Thinking of how close she was to one of them now, Dixie almost failed to resist the urge to burst into their midst and start ughtering them all. Fortunately, a tap on the shoulder from her ''team leader'' woke her up in time.

    Giving her concerned Cindy/Mindy a reassuring look, the dark-haired girl sighed. ''No wonder Crystal insisted to let her lead the team until we''re done taking care of these morons.''

    If she''d really given in to her urges and burst through the seemingly unprepared crowd above them, even with the element of surprise, it would be a miracle if half her team managed to return alive.

    After all, unlike how ipetent and stupid he looked, the new president of Red Dusk was actually extremely cunning and insidious.

    Even inside the ''safe'' meeting room with hundreds of guards outside, he still kept over a dozen heavily armed soldiers with him, and even more were on standby in a nearby secret chamber.

    Luckily, the tunnel they were currently using was only known to a few, and all except Cindy had perished in Red Dusk''s attempt at assassinating Emilia a few years ago. Otherwise, even getting so close to the president wouldn''t have been without a cost.

    ''Did he suspect that we would be ambushing him already? No, impossible¡­.'' Dixie frowned. ''But with things like this¡­ even if we manage to kill him quickly enough, just how is Cindy nning for us to get out of here after we''re done?''

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 Chapter 650 Treachery

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    Dixie''s worries weren''t unfounded, and the sweat pouring down the ash-blonde''s forehead as she stared at the ceiling unblinkingly didn''t help at all.

    Fearing that Cindy would let the right moment just pass them by if she continued hesitating, the dark-haired girl couldn''t help but step forward to nudge her gently.

    Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that the moment she got close to the ash-blonde girl, she would be jabbed by a concealed needle in the blink of an eye. The usually formidable knight couldn''t even let out a squeak as the strength in her body instantly faded away.

    Even as her vision went dark, Dixie couldn''t believe that she had been betrayed by Cindy. ''H-How could¡­ Crystal¡­ n-not¡­''

    She didn''t even have the time to wonder why the rest of the team hadn''t moved in to help immediately.

    The ''treacherous'' ash-blonde girl gently caught the falling knight before her body hit the ground, and sighed before signaling the girl next to her to take over.

    The team split in two as one half escorted the unconscious Dixie back the way they came, while the rest of the men and women stood by Cindy''s side, their expressions grim and determined.

    With Dixie no longer with them, their already abysmal chance of sess fell even further, and there was barely any hope of being able to return alive.

    But since they dared to take up this mission, everyone here had obviously been prepared to give up their life.

    Cindy waited as long as she could to give the other team enough time, but once she heard movements above indicating that their targets were about to move, she knew that they couldn''t let the opportunity go, and immediately motioned the rest of her team to get ready.

    Whispering a silent plea to the depths of her heart, Cindy turned her sight upwards. ''Sister¡­ help me¡­''

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    For the people by the side of the president that day, the terror that ripped through their hearts was far worse than any nightmare that they ever dared to imagine.

    Being scolded and berated by their raging president already made them feel like they were having the worst day of their lives, especially considering his usually clever and ttering nature, but who knew that things could get so much worse?

    When the ground burst open with a bang and smoke filled the room, for a moment, many wondered whether something had malfunctioned. And if so, with their president''s current mood, who would be unfortunate enough to lose their job?

    But when the rms kept ring and several shadowy figures jumped out like devils from some nightmare realm, they couldn''t help but wonder if they were dreaming.

    If not for the soldiers giving them cover and rushing forward in time, perhaps the first volley of shots from the intruders would have already downed most of the big shots gathered in the room.

    It was only when they saw theirpanions falling to the ground in disbelief, riddled with bullet holes that just kept on bleeding, that some of them snapped back to their senses.

    Unfortunately, their sobriety didn''t really help the soldiers on their side at all, as aside from panicking and screaming nonsensically, these VIPs were really no good at dealing with such a situation.

    Fortunately for them, the person in charge of the security that day was a retired general who was once considered the greatest military genius of Red Dusk.

    "Alpha team, escort the president away!"

    The soldiers ignored the rain of bullets all around as they obeyed the general''s orders like unfeeling robots, and covered for the president''s escape with their own bodies like a thick coat of bullet-absorbing meat.

    Mindy couldn''t help but curse as she rushed after the escaping group, but even with her team doing its best to provide her cover, the opposing party still managed to intercept her in time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Out of my way¡ª!"

    Even though they were wearing heavy protection equipment, the five soldiers who intercepted her barelysted a second before their heads bloomed like burst watermelons under Mindy''s fire.

    To be able to maintain her line of fire at exactly her opponent''s eye level under such a tense situation, her uracy was scary enough to frighten even the fiercest of soldiers.

    But their lifelong discipline prevented them from abandoning their duties, and the remaining soldiers still continued shooting at and intercepting the frustrated girl.

    While the smoke did give her some cover, no matter how nimble or fast she was, it was impossible for Mindy to not get hit even once.

    But as if she was just a puppet operated by invisible strings, aside from making her scream in rage, the wounds seemed to have no effect on her at all.

    The veteran general frowned as he watched more and more of his men perish under the assault of his enemies, but he soon calmed down. "These terrorists are clearly on a suicide mission¡­ but fortunately, they missed the president''s head."

    Of course, it was shocking enough that they managed to get three clean hits on their heavily protected president even with all the countermeasures in ce, but since the man was wearing bulletproof clothing underneath his suit, the ex-general didn''t take it too seriously.

    What bothered him more was how these terrorists managed to sneak all the way here, and who exactly sent them.

    Fortunately¡­ finding the answers to these riddles should be simple enough.

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    When the president of Red Dusk woke up in a daze, he stared nkly at the white ceiling above his head for almost a full minute, and then immediately sprang up in shock. "FUCK!"

    The nearby caretakers immediately rushed to cate and assure him, but it was only when he spotted the man leading his personal security team enter the room that the president calm down. "L-Louis¡­ care to exin what happened to me?"

    ? The pain all over his torso and the medical equipment around his bed confirmed that what he remembered was no simple nightmare.

    For him to need surgery even though he''d been wearing bullet-proof clothing beneath his suit, the president didn''t dare to imagine what could have happened had he not been so cautious.

    The ex-general obviously knew what the president wanted to hear, and sighed. "Unfortunately, a group of terrorists managed to sneak in and caught us unprepared using a tunnel. We''re still investigating how it was built¡ª"

    "That''s not what I want to hear, Louis!"

    Knowing that there was no way to avoid it, he sighed. "Mr. President¡­ the attackers are almost all dead. We can''t be sure where they came from yet."

    The president sneered. "Almost¡­? Can''t be sure¡­? Do you think I''m a fool?! If you''re so reluctant to talk, I''ll just have to ask someone else."

    The ex-general bowed his head in shame. "Forgive me, Mr. President. The girl who led the team¡­ we haven''t found her body yet. But given that she took almost twenty shots directly, she couldn''t have gotten far. We''ll find her soon."

    Looking at the man''s still stern gaze, he continued with a sigh. "¡­ And although we can''t be sure, these people¡­ were likely from Blue Dawn."

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 Chapter 651 Not The Same

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    The atmosphere on the first floor of Emilia''s pce was so delicate that no one even dared to breathe too loudly, and even the usually peppy and enthusiastic Penny stood in her spot stiffly without making a sound.

    As beautiful as the crimson-haired girl in front of them was, with her cial eyes hidden under those longshes as she held the palm of the unconscious girl on the bed, they couldn''t help but feel a certain sense of terror in their hearts.

    When she first received news of only half of Dixie''s teaming back, their usually calm princess had immediately rushed over to the other end of the tunnel regardless of anyone''s protests.

    It was only because of her blood that Cindy, who was almost on herst breath and had almost no hope of making it back alive, was able to survive. But that clearly wasn''t enough to put their princess in a good mood.

    "I clearly said that if things look too dangerous, everyone must retreat silently. Did I not?"

    No one dared to refute her words, and even Dixie, who had been infuriated at being tricked by Cindy before, only kept her head bowed silently.

    It was true that many of their teammates had perished, and they even failed to kill their target in the end. Moreover, if not for her having already lost any hope of killing the enemy, and also spotting one of her still-breathing teammates who could be rescued, perhaps Cindy wouldn''t even have retreated at all.

    She''d already been wounded fatally, after all, and from the moment she charged in, Cindy had no intentions ofing back alive.

    This was a clear vition of Emilia''s words, and no matter how they all understood it in their hearts, no one could justify Cindy''s actions in front of their princess.

    Their hearts beat frantically in their chests as they waited for their ''sentence'', only for the crimson-haired beauty to sigh in defeat.

    "Alright¡­ everyone except for Crystal, Penny, and Dixie can leave. Since you were just following orders from your superiors and couldn''t be sure if they followed my intentions correctly, I won''t me you. In fact¡­ I''m sorry for ming you just now. I was a little¡­ um, I couldn''t control myself. Forgive me."

    Tears filled their eyes, and the soldiers who had ''run away'' felt so ashamed of themselves that they didn''t even dare to step forward tofort their princess with words.

    After all, even if she gave them a way out, they understood better than anyone else that they''d all ''agreed'' with Cindy to disobey Emilia at that moment.

    They thought that no matter what the results were, so long as they were able to help their princess even a little, it was but a small price to pay. How could they be reluctant?

    But when they really saw the faint mist in her eyes, a feeling of intense regret emerged from their hearts.

    Instead of being med or cursed at, the feeling of having betrayed her expectations was much, much worse.

    They didn''t dare to make eye contact with their princess while leaving, and could only silently implore Crystal on their way out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, while the blonde girl understood how they felt, she was in no mood to pay much attention to these people at the moment.

    The only thing she cared about now was the intense sorrow emanating from her girlfriend.

    Crystal couldn''t help but bite her lower lip nervously. ''How could things have be like this?''

    She''d clearly made sure that everyone''s emotions were in ce before they left. From Dixie and Cindy to the regr soldiers, no one had even a hint of deceptive thoughts against their empress. If anything, their loyalty and passion for her shone like the burning sun in the sky, almost blinding.

    Moreover, their target this time had nothing to do with Cindy''s ''vendetta'', and no one else apanying Dixie had any ''weakness'' associated with the task either.

    The only ''irrational'' factor that the blonde girl had been worried about had been Dixie, who was not only brash and overconfident, but also unreasonably passionate about Emilia''s will.

    She thought that as long as she gave Cindy something that could knock Dixie out if needed, they would have no issues advancing or retreating as they pleased.

    It was only now that Crystal realized that she had been too na?ve.

    With only the few of them around, Dixie was the first to step forward and break the silence.

    "E-Emily¡­ I-I''m sorry¡­"

    The crimson-haired beauty looked up at her, and her lips slowly turned into a gentle smile. "¡­ What are you sorry for? Depending on your answer, I might not be very happy."

    Dixie was stunned for only a moment, but with her blunt and honest nature in front of Emilia, she didn''t even think about hiding her thoughts. "F-For everything. I-I mean, I wasn''t able toplete the task, but more importantly, I¡­ I really might have overestimated myself and charged in if not for Cindy. I-I was mad at that time, but I realize it now."

    In fact, Dixie was infinitely grateful that she only woke up when Cindy was being ''rescued'' by her princess, and hadn''t had time to spout nonsense. Otherwise, wouldn''t she have made Emilia more upset?

    Crystal could also tell that the dark-haired girl was truly regretful. Even if her reasoning was strange, and her regret mostly stemmed from the fact that ''her princess would be really sad if we died, so it''s not worth it'' than any actual value attached to the soldiers or even her own life, since she didn''t voice those twisted thoughts out, it should be enough to please Emilia slightly.

    And as the blonde expected, the gloom in the crimson-haired beauty''s eyes really did fade slightly after listening to Dixie''s words, and her smile turned more genuine. "It''s good that you understand. Then¡­ you also go and wait for me outside, alright?"

    The dark-haired girl was momentarily stunned, but seeing how serious her princess looked, she could only give her onest reluctant look before joining the stunned soldiers outside the door. Of course, none of them dared to squeak in the face of her dark expression.

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 Chapter 652 A Whim

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    Emilia''s gentle smile faded away after Dixie left, and she turned her gaze back to the unconscious girl on the bed with a frown. ''No matter how I check, there doesn''t seem to be anything wrong with her body, so what in the world is going on?''

    Obviously, a drop of blood from Emilia in her current state was more than sufficient for even an elephant to regrow all its limbs, and using it on Cindy had been simply overkill. However, it had already been a while since then, and the girl simply showed no signs of regaining consciousness.

    Cynthia coughed. "Hasn''t the guy she saved already told you everything that happened over there? You don''t need to waste your time waiting for her to wake up."

    Listening to her knowing tone, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but be slightly surprised. ''Does that mean¡­ you know why she''s still not awake?''

    The raven-haired girl hesitated for a while before nodding. "Well¡­ I know, but it''s not something you can help with."

    ''Can''t you at least tell me?''

    Cynthia sighed. "¡­ There''s no helping you, is there? Fine, I''ll tell you. Physically, there''s nothing wrong with her. Not only did you heal herpletely, but her lifespan has also increased by a few years."

    Of course, they knew that the weaker the target, the greater the effect. So this was no surprise to either of them.

    "The reason she''s still sleeping¡­ is because you also ended up ''healing'' what you shouldn''t have, and now her two personalities have merged into one. Her mind will probably be in a state of shock for a while, and when she wakes up¡­ well, I''m not sure what she''ll be like, honestly."

    Although it wasn''t all good news, Emilia was still relieved to have some idea of what was going on, and didn''t hesitate to praise her partner generously. ''Thank you, Cynthia! Even though you''re so cute, you can be surprisingly dependable sometimes, huh?''

    The raven-haired girl was quite proud at first, but when she heard thetter half of the crimson-haired beauty''s praise, she immediately exploded in rage. "What''s that supposed to mean?! The way you said that really makes me mad somehow, ahhh!"

    Emilia got the impression of a door mming shut on her face, and she couldn''t help but giggle. ''Adorable.''

    Of course, since she didn''t bother hiding it at all, Crystal and Penny could also tell that her mood was no longer as bad as it had been just a few minutes ago, and they couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    With their understanding of Emilia, they didn''t worry that she would punish them without cause. Their princess would never wrong those she favored, after all. In fact, had that been the case, perhaps they would have been happier.

    After all, at least they wouldn''t have to worry about their princess being wronged by herself, while all they could do was stand by and watch.

    "Penny¡­ how do things look outside?"

    Obviously, Emilia wasn''t asking her about the weather.

    The ponytailed girl''s eyes flickered as she stepped forward to kneel in front of her princess. "W-We''ve been keeping a close eye on their movements, but now that they''re all on high alert, it''s¡­ not been easy."

    Despite her pessimistic words, however, the information she shared was still quite impressive. Even the intelligenceworks of some of the most feared countries in the world wouldn''t be able to acquire such urate and detailed information concerning their enemy''s movements most of the time.

    Needless to say, Sam and Crystal hadn''t misjudged this seemingly idiotic and silly girl''s ''talent'', and Emilia was very d to have made Penny the one in charge of ''espionage'' for herself.

    It was only thanks to her that they were able to determine how their enemies wanted to use Red Dusk as their warunchpad when they felt it was time to strike, after all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Had they been caught unprepared, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

    Emilia hummed softly as she continued to listen to the shorter girl''s reports, and when she noticed her inching closer, gently let go of Cindy''s palm to pat Penny''s head.

    Even without any extra words of encouragement, the ponytailed girl immediately jerked as if she had been injected with stimnts, and then lunged into Emilia''sp excitedly.

    Penny didn''t dare to go too far, especially in front of Crystal, but being pet by her princess while snuggling like this was still her rightful privilege, she thought.

    Fortunately, she couldn''t see Crystal''s eyes full of both pity and amusement. ''For someone who gets yelled at so much by Dixie for being too daring, she''s shockinglycking in ambition, isn''t she?''

    Although the blonde girl knew that she was definitely a pervert¡­ wasn''t that true for them all?

    Of course, despite her ''childish'' behavior of rubbing her face into Emilia''s body, the content of Penny''s reports made it impossible for either Emilia or Crystal to be too amused.

    "I see¡­"

    The blonde heroine clenched her fists in worry. "Emilia, t-this¡­ will our preparations be enough?"

    The crimson-haired girl could only sigh. "I definitely didn''t expect them to be so decisive and fierce, but since they haven''t yet dered war on us, we might still have a few days. We just have to make sure to use this time as effectively as possible."

    They naturally understood that with their failed ''assassination'', their enemy would definitely be provoked into taking action faster, but that couldn''t be helped.

    After all, they took the risk despite knowing the consequences, and there was no point in crying over spilt milk.

    There were many people in Red Dusk who supported Emilia, but none of them were in a position of power at the moment. This was obviously no ident, and it had been a while since her enemies even bothered masking their intents.

    Even if the slippery and cunning president of Red Dusk continued ttering her previously, Emilia hadn''t been stupid enough to not be able to see the greed and ambition in the depths of his eyes.

    Not to mention her, that man would even chop up his own daughter into tiny little pieces and serve her to his ''friends'' for dinner if it meant furthering his own goals. She had no delusions of being able to scare or convince him to her side without showing proof of her strength. And that... could make things go either way, and was simply not worth the risk.

    Fortunately, his behavior did end up making him many ''enemies'', and had Emilia been sessful in getting rid of him this time, she could have probably used this chance to unite them all together with her supporters in an attempt to take control of this potentialunchpad of war near her home.

    Emilia didn''t want her empire to be singed by the mes of destruction, and if she could shift the conflict elsewhere, she definitely would.

    It was a pity that the n had failed, and she was left with no choice but to start preparing for the war at her doorstep.

    After a brief discussion with Crystal, Emilia nodded while idly patting Penny''s head. "Let Noelle know to expedite the ''shipments'' from her side, and send another reminder to Oriana¡­ just in case."

    Crystal hummed in agreement, then hesitated for a while before clearing her throat. "A-Actually, Emilia¡­ a-although I know that we don''t have much time to spare, c-could you¡­ entertain a whim of mine?"

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 Chapter 653 Treaty [Thank You Peripharos For The Gift!]

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    Emilia''s hand petting Penny''s head paused as she stared at Crystal in surprise. "You want me to talk to Be? But¡­ haven''t you already¡ª"

    The blonde girl gave her a pleading look. "I-It''s not the same thing. Please, can''t you give it a try for me, at least?"

    Crystal obviously knew that Emilia wouldn''t be able to reject her request when she put it like that, and as she expected, the crimson-haired girl soon gave her a helpless smile. "I really don''t think she''ll change her mind on such an important matter based on who she''s talking to, but since you insist, alright. Let''s call her."

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    Twenty minutester, Emilia was left staring nkly at the now disconnected phone, while Crystal and Penny gave each other a knowing look.

    The mutual protection treaty that Crystal had failed to get the prime minister of Phoenix to agree to no matter what had been easily passed within minutes of Emilia''s proposal, as if the other side had only been waiting for her to ask.

    Of course, since the blonde girl had long since suspected Be''s ''attitude'', she wasn''t nearly as exasperated as she should have been. If anything, she was slightly relieved.

    After all,pared to the price they would be paying, this bit of ''selfishness'' from Be''s side was really not worth mentioning.

    Knowing that Blue Dawn would soon be at war, Crystal had no doubt that no one else would be willing to lend them aid like this. Not unless they already had their boats tied together, that is.

    What really amused Crystal, however, was that the usually stoic prime minister of Phoenix had actually spent nearly ten minutes ''exining'' her thought process and giving excuses for her earlier rejection, as if worried that Emilia would ''misunderstand'' her somehow.

    Fortunately, Emilia was sensible enough to not embarrass the woman needlessly, and just went along with her excuses despite her inner skepticism.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile. "With this, we should have a much easier time¡­ right?"

    Crystal nodded. "Although the treaty doesn''t include sending troops to our aid if we''re attacked, just being able to receive tactical, diplomatic, and logistic support from Phoenix openly will help us a lot. Plus¡­ while what we have right now is good enough, it won''t hurt to get some good weapons and artillery from Phoenix."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully before turning her gaze to Penny. "The treaty will be announcedter today, so I won''t have the time, but make sure that the ''effects'' of the news are in our favor, will you?"

    Of course, Penny understood her assignment right away. "This is but a small matter for us royal knights, princess. Don''t worry."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed in satisfaction. "Then¡­ the next thing¡­ Crystal. How do you think I should deal with returnees?"

    Seeing her tense up, Emilia sighed. "I know that you''re soft-hearted, and honestly¡­ I really don''t want to punish any of them either. But¡­ I''m worried. I don''t want them to think I''m okay with them throwing their lives away and disobeying my orders." Her brows furrowed. "Just this time, how many lives were lost needlessly? Had she been a little more unlucky¡­ even Cindy wouldn''t have survived."

    Crystal had no way to refute any of Emilia''s statements, nor did she want to do so, but as the feeling of sorrow intensified, she couldn''t help but step forward to embrace her. "This matter¡­ just leave it to me, okay? I promise no one will be hurt, and it will all work out perfectly."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The warmth of her blonde girlfriend''s embrace around her head seemed to calm Emilia down, and she smiled. "I believe in you."

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    With all the different duties weighing on their shoulders, Crystal and Penny naturally couldn''t stay much longer, and Emilia was soon left with just the unconscious Cindy to apany her in the silent bedroom.

    The atose'' ash-blonde naturally wouldn''t wake up so soon, and aside from the girl''s soft breathing and the faint presence of her partner in the depths of her soul, Emilia knew that she would be left well and truly ''alone'' until the time came for the deration of their treaty with Phoenix.

    After a few minutes of ''solitude'', Emilia''s faint smilepletely faded away. "Cynthia¡­"

    As expected, there was no response.

    Emilia knew that the raven-haired girl must still be pouting over being teased by her earlier, and the only way to get her attention now was to invade her ''territory''. Even though it was her own soul, the crimson-haired girl usually preferred giving her partner the time she needed to calm down ande back herself, but this time, she decided not to wait.

    Putting her head down on the side of the bed, the crimson-haired girl forced herself to rx and delve into the depths of her consciousness, and it didn''t take her long to seed.

    The big ball of chaos energy immediately burst into excitement the moment it ''spotted'' her presence, and thousands of tendrils shot out to ''y'' with her in an instant.

    Of course, while Emilia was exasperated at its overexcitement, she knew that it barely had the mentality of a toddler, and scolding or brushing it off would only be hurtful. Even if it ''learned'' not to bother her next time, it would only be because their rtionship was strained, and not because it learned how to treat her better.

    Even if she was in a thousand times worse mood than now, Emilia would never be stupid enough to shoot herself in the foot like that.

    She helplessly let the ''child'' wrap itself around her soul form, and pet the tendrils of pure energy with a smile. "I see you''ve missed me, huh? Unfortunately, I really can''t y around with you today."

    The tendrils seemed to tighten a little in reluctance, and soon broke apart into a bunch of energy balls to jump around her, as if attempting to convince her that ying with it would be fun.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle as she grabbed one carelessly and rubbed it against her cheek. "Alright, I get it. I''ll go talk to Cynthia now, but I''lle back to y with you in a few days."

    She understood that chaos energy''s consciousness was simple and pure, and as expected, her coaxing easily convinced it to happily part with her this time, and the tendrils even helped push her to Cynthia''s hideout, as if urging her to quickly finish all her ''work'' ande back.

    In contrast, a certain raven-haired girl who had been happily napping wasn''t quite as happy to be receiving guests as she faced her with a pout. "E-Emilia! If you''re here to tease me to amuse yourself, y-you better not think it will work out well for you!"

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 Chapter 654 Futile

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    Cynthia seemed to have no idea that the more defensive she was, the more she stimted Emilia''s desire to tease her. Luckily for the raven-haired girl, however, her partner decided to be merciful this time, and aside from pulling the indignant girl into herp after settling down on her cushion mountain, she actually didn''t do anything too outrageous.

    In fact, the usually willful ''viiness'' even listened to her partner''s ''scolding'' like a meek little girl, and had it not been for a slightlyzy hum that gave away the fact that she was dozing off at the end, Cynthia might have even felt guilty for going ''too far''.

    "Are you even listening?!"

    Emilia giggled as she held the raven-haired girl tighter to prevent her from escaping in anger. "Sorry, sorry, ahh¡­ I couldn''t help it, after all."

    Cynthia huffed, clearly not pleased. "You really dide here just to y around, didn''t you?"

    Feeling her partner''s ''annoyance'', the crimson-haired girl smiled wryly and buried her face in her partner''s neck as she groaned. "Really, I didn''t disturb you without reason, you know? Won''t you help me?"

    Although her ''dishonest'' behavior didn''t earn her viiness any points in terms of credibility, Cynthia still couldn''t help but believe in her for some inexplicable reason. "Alright, then¡­ what is it?"

    Suddenly guessing why Emilia might be seeking her advice, however, Cynthia''s expression changed. "If you want me to help you figure out how to punish those idiots who didn''t obey you, forget it. I know you won''t like my solution. For a viiness, it should be a crime to be so soft-hearted! And¡ª"

    Having heard Cynthia''s ''one thousand reasons why mortals are useless and one thousand and one reasons why you should never care about them'' rant multiple times already, Emilia hurriedly interrupted her in a panic. "W-Wait, Cynthia! It''s not that, I promise!"

    The raven-haired girl paused, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "¡­ What is it, then? I dare you to let me turn around and look you in those blue eyes of yours, I bet they''re shifting around¡ª!"

    Emilia held her tighter in herp as she coughed in embarrassment. "T-They''re definitely not. A-Anyway, uhm, I was just wondering¡­ is there really no other way to deal with the hero and the world will than to keep going like this? It''s gonna sound terrible, but I¡­ I''m not very¡­ optimistic."

    No one could predict the oue of a war, and this was the first time Emilia was actually going to take part in a ''real'' one. Despite her usually confident self in front of everyone else, to say that she was filled with anxiety would be an understatement.

    Even if she ''won'' a war in which she lost the people she cared about¡­ not to mention being worth it¡­ was it really even a victory?

    Perhaps sensing her turbulent emotions, Cynthia frowned. "What do you mean? Don''t tell me¡­ Emilia, are you seriously worried about not being able toplete thest mission? That''s so¡­ not like you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That¡­ is not what I was worried about, actually." Emilia bit her lower lip nervously, but in the end, didn''t dare to directly express her worry for her people. "I-I was just thinking¡­ thest two times, it was when the world acknowledged that it had been ''defeated'' that it really lost all that energy, right?"

    Her partner nodded, prompting the crimson-haired girl to continue with more confidence. "Then¡­ no matter how stupid it is, wouldn''t it be possible for it to realize that so long as it continues to pretend it''s winning no matter what, it won''t actually ''lose''? Even if I were to really do everything we''ve nned, and even more¡­ will it even work?"

    ''So that''s what she was worried about? Honestly, this girl¡­ sometimes I''m not sure if she''s too dumb or too smart.'' Cynthia chuckled. "It''s an interesting thought, but if it was really like that, I wouldn''t have any confidence to take you into any of the stronger worlds. After all, the world will there will definitely be much smarter, and figuring out such a simple thing won''t take it long at all. Wouldn''t we be doomed, then?"

    Sensing her confusion, the raven-haired girl sighed. "Well¡­ it''s probably too early for you to really understand such things, but I''ll tell you anyway. In fact, let me simplify it for you with an example."

    Emilia''s momentary distraction allowed the raven-haired girl to jump right out of herp, and while the crimson-haired girl was still stunned, Cynthia waved her hands to materialize some ''props'' clearly meant for demonstration purposes, making her partner reluctant to move.

    The raven-haired girl grinned. "Think of all the major events that are bound to happen in a world as ''knots'' in a giant ball of yarn made of multiple threads. And each time one of these knots is untangled, the energy that was being used to tie it up can be consumed by the one who solved it."

    "Now¡­ think of the heroes as the chosen string with a lot of knots. Naturally, many of them will be untangled with a little ''assistance'' from the world will, and it will grow stronger as time goes on. Of course, by the very nature of this energy, the one who harvests it also stores it in the same form. Do you understand¡­?"

    Emilia narrowed her eyes in thought. "So what you''re saying is¡­ since the world will would grown based on certain major events¡­ it also has no way to prevent injury from certain other major events¡­ did I get that right?"

    The raven-haired girl nodded in appreciation. "You''re not far from it, actually. Consider your mission to be a ''winner of life'', for example. Watching the person the hero always hated the most being so sessful is an event that can seriously injure the world will, and while it can delude the hero for a while¡­ it cannotst forever."

    A vicious glint shed in her eyes. "It''s desperate now and doesn''t even care if it''s destroying the hero''s psyche with its heavy maniption, but so long as you keep doing things as you are¡­ trust me, its resistance will soon be futile. And once it''s helpless¡­ heh."

    Emilia stared at her partner''s strange expression for a while before nodding. "That''s good. Although I don''t mind spending a little more time on it, the feeling of slowly using up our energy without any ''ie'' is really not that great."

    Cynthia almost rolled her eyes as she snorted. ''Stop wasting it on extending the life of all those idiots, then!''

    Of course, the raven-haired girl didn''t dare to voice her thoughts out loud this time. After all, knowing her viiness, an argument on that particr topic would be about as effective as trying to motivate a sloth to exercise.

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 Chapter 655 Confident, Or Overconfident?

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    Although most people who weren''t directly affected by it only saw the news of other countries as ''entertainment'', Emilia more or less ''taking over'' the country of Carmen still caused an almost unprecedented uproar.

    The fact that both the countries she had ''acquired'' were doing significantly better than anyone ever expectedpletely transformed her image from ''a mysterious rich beauty that too many people obsessed over'' to a living legend that many couldn''t help but be in awe of.

    If her fame was allowed to grow unchecked, maybe it wouldn''t be long before people started actually looking forward to her ''invasion'' of their own homnds.

    Needless to say, most people in power didn''t appreciate such thoughts¡­ at all. They weren''t just being looked down upon and despised anymore, but feeling a real threat from her existence!

    If they didn''t stop her now¡­ wouldn''t it be toote?

    Where there was admiration, there was also hate. And with Emilia''s rising fortune stinging more than a few high-profile figures in the eyes, one didn''t need to guess in which direction they fanned the mes.

    Emilia naturally understood that the reason these people hadn''t already made their intentions clear must be because they first wished to manipte public opinion in their favor.

    They may not care about anyone else''s feelings much, but these usually conceited figures obviously understood the importance of not falling out of favor with their own people, especially when dealing with someone like Emilia.

    If they were careless, wouldn''t they be repeating the mistakes of Carmen? Even if the chances of the opponent being able to take advantage of them to such an extent at this time was small, most of them didn''t get where they were by chance.

    Obviously, powerful as thework on Emilia''s side was, it couldn''t quite keep up with thebined might of her opponents.

    Even with her ''knights'' fiercely defending her around the clock, the general sentiment in both the media and the open inte seemed to be that Emilia was just a puppet being used by the White Deer Corporation, and they in turn were only trying to sink their hooks in as many ces as they could before they started sucking out all their blood.

    There was no way to be sure how many people really believed it, and how many were just working under the influence of these superpowers, but fortunately, Emilia was far from being helpless.

    While her n to have their futureunchpad ruined in advance might have failed, the generous gift she received from the prime minister of Phoenix recently more than made up for that loss.

    Just when her opponents felt it was time to make the final deration and wipe off this ''eyesore'' once and for all, they suddenly received a piece of rming news.

    "What?! Phoenix did what now?!"

    "Impossible!"

    With their mutual distrust of each other, most of the prominent figures who allied against Emilia weren''t present in the ''war hall'' physically, but half the participants being faces on a screen didn''t stop the mood in the room to drop to a chilling degree.

    Their disbelief onlysted for a moment before the reality of the situation dawned on them, and many of the ''superpowers'' plotting against Emilia couldn''t help but curse.

    Given that both Phoenix and Blue Dawn''s leaders had made it public openly, no one would be stupid enough to doubt the authenticity of their treaty. What really baffled them, however, was just how it happened.

    Obviously, the empress of Blue Dawn would try to grasp every straw that she could at this point. This much was clear from her recently failed assassination, which was just a joke in their eyes. That part was no surprise.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But for anyone who wasn''t already tied to her boat to assist her at this point¡­ simply made no sense.

    After all, the only three things she had to offer were money, fame, and beauty. And in front of real ''strength'' that could bring entire nations to their knees¡­ all these things were incredibly cheap.

    Only certain stupid dictators would be tempted by such ''low-level bait'' and end up giving away far more than they should, but having dealt with her more than once, no one expected someone like Be to make such a move.

    "Has the prime minister of Phoenix gone crazy? Can she not read the situation anymore?"

    Of course,pared to her simply losing her mind without reason, they believed it was much more likely that the prime minister of Phoenix must have made another ''deal'' in secret, one big enough for everything to make sense.

    "I wonder¡­ what kind of benefits must the White Deer have promised Phoenix for them to make such a move¡­?"

    "Goddamn! This is not a ''nonaggression pact'', but a mutual defense agreement!"

    Such a thing was never meant to be a ''fair trade'' to begin with, since it favored the more vulnerable of the two, but now that everyone with half a brain could tell that Emilia was about to be in deep trouble¡­ it took an entirely new meaning.

    This was just Phoenix tantly protecting Blue Dawn without reason!

    "Those old idiots of White Deer live there, do they not? Think this has anything to do with them?"

    "Heh¡­ I suppose to get that cunning woman to make such a big move, they must have paid a huge price."

    Sharing a knowing look, some of them couldn''t help but sneer.

    "It looks like a good deal for Phoenix, being able to gobble up most of White Deer''s assets with just a piece of paper. Unfortunately¡­ if she thinks we''ll really back off because of her¡­ she''s vastly overestimating herself."

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    No one on Emilia''s side actually expected their treaty with Phoenix to ''deter'' her enemies for long. After all, these people were so confident in theirbined strength that their only ''concern'' seemed to be that she might ''escape alive'', or that bringing her down might be too expensive.

    Of course, considering the difference between the military might of the two sides, Emilia could understand where they wereing from, though she didn''t think such behavior was very wise.

    After all, even when facing an army a tenth the size of their own, one could end up losing their head just as easily if they were careless. And a headless army was no different from a flock of sheep waiting for ughter.

    But no matter how confident or arrogant they were, such a huge change in Emilia''s lineup inevitably made her enemies pause and reevaluate their strategy. And the time it took them to do that¡­ was exactly what Emilia needed to prepare her side.

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 Chapter 656 United Democratic Federation

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    Although it seemed like the ''obvious'' thing to happen when it came to people in the know, for everyone else, the formation of the ''United Democratic Federation'' and their deration of war against the empire of Blue Dawn camepletely out of the blue.

    But just as it had always been, themon folk had no say in these types of events, and once the people in power made up their minds to ignore their positions, all their cries would only fall on deaf ears.

    Consisting of thirteen powerful states with terrifying military might, everyone felt like the Federation would be able to easily crush Blue Dawn in a matter of days, and the only thing that could save Emilia and her empire was their recently formed treaty with Phoenix.

    After all, the country of Phoenix had great ties with almost every nation, and its negotiation power was one of the best in the world. So long as they mediated, it shouldn''t be impossible to convince almost anyone to put down their weapons in exchange for certain benefits. Or so most people thought.

    In reality, not only was the country of Phoenix unable to ''protect'' Blue Dawn, but they didn''t even seem to try.

    "It''s not really a surprise. Considering they got such a huge ''surprise'' just a few days after signing that mutual defense agreement¡­ the prime minister of Phoenix must be feeling extremely regretful now."

    "But still¡­ surprise or not, since they''ve already made a deal, it''s not like they can back out anymore, right?"

    "So you''d think, but as it always is¡­ it''s not like anyone can force Phoenix to follow its own words¡­ it''spletely up to them. Even if they pretend to have never signed that agreement, at most they''ll only lose some credibility."

    The opinions of such ''experts'' were echoed in most media and forums, but to everyone''s surprise, the official channels of Blue Dawn remained eerily silent on the topic of Phoenix, and only continued denouncing the nations who decided to invade them out of greed and fear.

    Even Emilia herself didn''t hold back against them. "Don''t mask your malicious intentions under this veil of fake righteousness, will you? I''ve only tried to help people wherever I could, and only when it became necessary for me to fight did I take up arms. Calling me a threat to the world''s freedom and people''s rights¡­ do you have not an ounce of shame?"

    Shortly after her speech was broadcast to the public, the official channels of both the empire of Blue Dawn and the White Deer Corporation shared proof of how the countries belonging to the Federation had ransacked and robbed most of their property shortly before their deration of war, providing the victims neither any just cause nor any way out.

    Of course, given that Noelle and Sam had long since known this was gonna happen, what they really suffered was just a fraction of the loss that they could have had they been caught off guard. Anything that they could get out or sell in time within those countries¡­ they already had.

    But even with all their preparations, the White Deer Corporation''s stock fell sharply as anyone who feared losing their money withdrew their investments, and it didn''t take long for people to start specting on their downfall.

    "The war hasn''t even started yet, but the empire''s biggest backing is already on its knees, and their allies are pretending they don''t exist. I don''t think this is looking good for them at all."

    "Looking at the Federation''s lineup¡­ it''s really no surprise, is it? Probably the only way out for the empress at this point is for her to surrender, but with Emilia''s temper¡­ I don''t think that''s gonna happen."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The host of the show and the expert both expressed their pity on how a ce that had transformed itself from an impoverished hellhole to a fully developed utopia in just a couple of years was probably going to turn into ruins once again.

    Although their words seemed kind, those who could read between the lines could tell that their intent seemed to me Emilia for being too stubborn and not recognizing the reality of the situation had changed.

    If she truly cared for her people as she imed, wouldn''t she put their well-being over her own pride?

    Naturally, it didn''t take long for many to start picking on this point, and some even started publicly denouncing Emilia.

    After all, now that there was a war at her doorstep, they could say anything they want without any fear of repercussions, unlike before, when they had to seriously consider whether some fanatical knights woulde knocking if anyone dared ''spheme'' their empress in public.

    "Since the Federation is only asking for her to step down and hold an election in Blue Dawn while giving up all her illegal roles in other countries, can''t Emilia just do as she''s told and stop this war any time she wants?"

    "Do you think she doesn''t know that? But as the little princess of the White Deer Corporation, she''s probably never had to ''give up'' any time in her life, and now that she''s an ''adult'', her temper must have only gotten worse."

    Watching these people shift the me for a war she never asked for, Emilia''s knights could naturally no longer stay silent.

    But with many of them being too busy helping out with the war effort, only those who either had no way to help or were excluded by Penny for whatever reason were able to speak out. And with the public sentiment growing against Emilia thanks to the Federation''s efforts, their voices were swiftly drowned out.

    At this time, the Federation finally announced their leader ¡ª the president of Red Dusk. With the country being the weakest of the thirteen in their ''alliance'', to say that this came as a shock would be an understatement.

    Of course, those in the know understood that the ''face'' of the Federation was actually just a puppet, and probably only the most disposable of them all would be given the ''honor'' of such a spot.

    Still, since it gave him a significant boost to both his reputation and prestige, the president of Red Dusk didn''t hesitate to embrace the opportunity, and didn''t hold back against Emilia in his ''opening speech'' at all.

    "It''s abhorrent how a single girl''s greed for power and authority can put so many lives at risk. This is exactly why we, the people, need to put more restrictions on just how much these parasitic corporations can be allowed to grow. Because as much as we may hate Emilia, she''s really just a product of the culture she was born in."

    The president continued with a sneer. "Of course, had it been a real innocent and kind girl in her ce, I have no doubt that not to mention surrendering her position, she would have even agreed to surrender her dignity if that was what it took to protect her people. Emilia''s current stance only shows what she truly values, and I believe those who were foolish enough to trust in her before should at least be able to open their eyes now."

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 Chapter 657 Final String Of Fate

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    It was a tant attempt at sowing discord in the forces of the empire, but everyone in the Federation believed it would still have some effect.

    Even if they failed to cause any riots or rebellions within Blue Dawn, they should at least be able to rattle the determination of their people, and significantly lower their morale.

    Unfortunately, they greatly underestimated Emilia''s influence on her people.

    Not only did their attempts fail to sow discord, but they also greatly ''motivated'' the people of Blue Dawn by filling them with fury and indignation.

    "How dare these fools spout all that nonsense against our princess? Can they not see everything that she''s actually done?!"

    "They''re just being hypocritical assholes. You''re greedy for everything that she has, but you don''t want to show your true face to the world, is it? Don''t worry, we''ll expose it to everyone when we tear your skin off anyway!"

    At this point, even if the Federation withdrew its deration of war, it almost seemed like the people of Blue Dawn would try to demand one from their empress instead.

    Crystal, who was keeping a close eye on the situation, couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ''Luckily, not many people believe their nonsense¡­ otherwise, Emilia would definitely be sad.''

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    The Blue Lotus Pce had understandably ''busy'' ever since the Federation''s deration of war, and Crystal had seen more than a few people rush around almost as if they''d lost their heads.

    Of course, if there was one ce that was still as deste as ever, it would be the especially prepared room in their basement that housed Amos ck.

    The silver-haired boy sneered when he saw who had opened the lock on his room''s door. "Are you here to gloat again?"

    His tone might have been mocking, but for someone who could read his emotions like an open book, it was impossible to not notice the excitement he was trying his best to hide.

    ''He must be thinking I''ll do my best to ruin his day if I knew¡­ well, not that he''s wrong.'' The blonde girl giggled to herself, ignoring the silver-haired boy''s increasingly twisted expression.

    "What the fuck are youughing at? Does it make you that happy to see me in this state?"

    Obviously, Crystal had already told him more than a few times how little she cared for him, and how much of an ''eyesore'' he really was in her eyes, but even if he''d long since stopped ''loving'' her, the silver-haired boy still believed somewhere deep down that it couldn''t be the ''real truth''.

    Perhaps convincing himself that Crystal must be doing everything she could to not let her regret of ''missing him'' and betraying him overwhelm her was one of the only ways Amos was able to keep himself sane.

    But Crystal knew that simply showing him her distaste was far from enough to really ''break'' Amos, so she didn''t even bother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Instead, she turned on the TV that she knew Amos had only just turned off before she came in, and sneered. "What, are you so happy by dreaming of these clowns defeating my Emilia? Unfortunately, such a thing can only happen in your delusions, and can never be a reality."

    Amos scoffed at her confident words. "Has she really brainwashed you to the point that you think she''s invincible? If only that girl believed in herself just as much, she would not have needed to lock me up here."

    Looking at the headlines on the TV, he couldn''t help but gloat. "Look, that slut is finally going to get what''sing for her. Wars don''t care about your feelings, and when ites to real strength, Carmen is only as good as perhaps one of those thirteen, right? Anyone with half a brain can tell where this is going. Do you think those people are going to let her go?"

    Crystal chuckled in amusement, but she didn''t refute his words. After all, there were many things that she felt that Amos would be better off not knowing right now.

    There was a reason she asked Emilia to ''improve'' the boy''s living conditions slightly, and also had a TV installed in his room.

    ''When smashing something doesn''t break it, you first have to raise it high up before bringing it down, after all!''

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    Crystal''s actions were obviously not hidden from Emilia, but the crimson-haired girl pretended not to have noticed anything unusual. After all, there were too many things that urgently needed her attention at this time, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t possibly split herself and take care of them all at once.

    Every moment that passed by without any sign of fire from the other side brought the mainbat forces from Carmen ever closer to Blue Dawn, but at the same time, it also meant that the enemy she would be facing next was getting stronger.

    As much as many people hoped this ''strained peace'' after the deration of war wouldst longer, or even forever, Emilia knew that it was a candle in the wind, about to go out at any time.

    And as she expected, just a few dayster¡­ Noelle called her with a grim expression on her face. "The border town of Norlean was bombed a few minutes ago. The enemy used stealth bombers that managed to evade our radars for a while, and while we managed to shoot them down, the damage to the structures is still huge, and not much can be recovered from the debris."

    Even if they were to simplypare the cost of the bombers against the buildings and structures they''d managed to damage, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Emilia''s side had paid nearly twice the price this time.

    Considering the already outrageous cost of the bombers¡­ Emilia could imagine why Noelle didn''t look too happy about their sess.

    But even though she knew all that, the crimson-haired girl smiled. "Fortunately, we predicted their move correctly this time, and there were no casualties. Don''t be so glum."

    The gray-haired girl sighed. "I''m just worried that we won''t be so lucky next time."

    Emilia grinned. "Maybe not. But that''s exactly why need to shift the fight to the enemy''s turf instead."

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 Chapter 658 Escaped?

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

    Emilia''s idea was easy to say, but almost impossible to implement. After all, with the enemy already at her door, would they so easily agree to walk back and fight in their own home?

    No matter how confident the crimson-haired girl was in her charm, even she wouldn''t be stupid enough to believe she could convince even her enemies to make such concessions.

    But that didn''t mean she had no way out.

    There was a reason she''d let Noelle and Sam stay in the country of Carmen, after all, and it was definitely not because of her so-called parents and the petty vengeance that the gray-haired girl didn''t even care about.

    White Deer Corporation''s greatest ''asset'' used to be only their wealth, but that was in the past.

    Since they had been focusing heavily on increasing their production of weaponry and cultivating real strength instead of just wealth, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that they''d long since been prepared to fight back and even crush most enemies.

    However, as it had only been a few years since they left Oriana and really started working on Emilia''s ideas, their current level was far from enough when it came to facing foes at the level of the Federation.

    But just because they were sure to lose in a frontal fight... didn''t mean that they were sure to lose.

    With the addition of both the military arsenal and the troops from Carmen, the Empire of Blue Dawn and the White Deer Corporation were easily able to force a stalemate at their border. And with the additional support from Phoenix on its way, things weren''t looking bad for their side at all.

    Of course, the poption of Phoenix wasn''t that high, and most of their support would being in the form of both military and support equipment, but that was already enough to tip the scales in Emilia''s favor.

    After all, there was a reason Phoenix was considered trustworthy enough for so many high-level diplomats to gather there so frequently. And if Blue Dawn received so many unknown resources from them... even if they were all nk boxes, who would dare to cross a certain line when facing them in the future?

    No one wanted to be the first in line when it came to forcing the enemy into mutual mass destruction, after all.

    The situation at Blue Dawn''s border was far from ideal for Emilia''s side, however, and the crimson-haired girl knew it.

    It was impossible topletely transfer all of Carmen''s forces to Blue Dawn in a short period of time, and what they now had was only thanks to being prepared far earlier than they should have been.

    It was even more impossible upgrade their weapons and equipment further, and Emilia felt that it was already a miracle that they were pretty much on equal footing with their opponents.

    But if they continued to just barely scare off the enemy aircraft and prevent their ground troops from moving forward... it wouldn''t be long before the reinforcements from the Federation''s allies started pouring in to forcefully shake off that kind of delicate bnce.

    At that time, wouldn''t they be no better than fish on the chopping block?

    Emilia sighed. ''I guess there is no choice but to use that, then...''

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

    As early as they''d started capturing the rampant criminals in the country of Carmen, the matter of dealing with them had be a topic of much hot debate.

    However, what no one realized, was that their fate had been sealed the moment that Emilia decided to take charge of their country, and it was far from being as peaceful as they imagined.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What the fuck! Did we just crash?!"

    "Fuck yeah! My boys must be here to get me out of here. I knew they woulde through for me soon--"

    Of course, their voices were abruptly cut off when they heard the sounds of some distant gunshots, and some couldn''t help but shiver in fear, feeling a chill down their spines.

    "M-Maybe that''s the reason for the tremor we felt earlier... something must have happened to our escorts."

    Mixed with the fear in his voice was unprecedented excitement, as the man realized that this might just be the ''golden opportunity'' he was looking for.

    Ever since they''d been knocked out by that strange gas in their confinement facility and woken up in a wobbly metal box, none of them had had any idea of what was going on around them.

    Though they could tell that they might have been taken to some higher level facility to contain them better, many couldn''t help but have an ominous premonition, as if even a little carelessness could cost them their lives.

    "W-We may not have much time... why not take this chance?"

    Naturally, none of them dared to be too rxed, and even with the faint gunshots in the background, they only dared to cautiously stick their ears to the metal walls of their ''container'', and listen anxiously for any hints.

    Not to mention any boots or the like, they couldn''t even hear anyone breathing no matter how hard they tried.

    Even if they knew it might be a trap... there was no way for these people to let go of this chance.

    "This is no time to hesitate, boys, let''s do this!"

    With a few harsh bangs, the supposedly sturdy metal lock on the outside of the container broke, and a bunch of men came stumbling out into the light in shock.

    "W-Where the fuck is this...?"

    Of course, despite their curiosity and wonder, none of them dared to dally and risk being ''caught'' once the soldiers escorting them finished dealing with whatever had distracted them so well.

    "Let''s get out of here first!"

    Most of them were quite familiar with each other, so instead of scattering, they decided to stick together to increase the chances of being able to deal with any ''obstructions'', and it proved to be a very wise decision indeed when they stumbled upon what they assumed to be their escorting soldiers'' weapon cache shortly after.

    "I-Is this a full-auto?!"

    "Holy shit! Jackpot!"

    Of course, they didn''t dare celebrate for long, and after grabbing whatever they could in a hurry, the now armed gangsters continued ''escaping'', never even realizing that they were no longer in the same country.

    a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?a"?

 Chapter 659 The Heros Hope

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    When she finally got the confirmation that thest of their ''destruction pods'' had been sessfully deployed in one of the enemy territories, Noelle couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Luckily, we didn''t get intercepted."

    Had any one of their thirteen submarines been discovered and forced to retreat, the effectiveness of this ''counterattack'' would definitely have been lowered by an order of magnitude.

    After all, the lethality of this movey in its element of surprise.

    Emilia was also relieved when she received the confirmation of their n''s sess from Noelle. "Now we just need to wait and see how effective these gangsters can be when they''re fully armed and desperate for their lives. Hopefully¡­ they won''t be too disappointing."

    As she expected, none of the thirteen nations that formed the Federation had much in terms of defense forces deployed to protect their borders, since most of it was in the process of being redirected to take her empire down as fast as possible. And that was what gave Emilia''s side this opportunity.

    The fact that they didn''t have to bother with the ''retreat'' of these people also helped.

    Of course, assemblingrge metal containers around the gangsters before they woke up was something they did just to throw them all off, but Emilia didn''t really care if the enemy discovered they were brought there by submarines.

    After all, even if they found out, it wasn''t like they could do anything about it now.

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    Unlike Dixie, Michelle, and even Penny, Crystal wasn''t someone allowed to wander too close to the front lines without heavy escorts, and the blonde girl was obviously reluctant to put that kind of burden on their already stressed forces.

    Naturally, she understood that the reason for these restrictions wasn''t that Emilia didn''t trust her, but that her ''vulnerability'' was simply much greater than anyone else Emilia cared for.

    Of course, smart as she was, Crystal didn''t allow this fact to bring her down. Instead of wasting time arguing with Emilia or futilely trying to raise her abysmalbat strength, the blonde girl preferred using her skills to help them in her own way.

    In just the past few days, not only had she been on the constant lookout for any spies and the like, but Crystal believed she had also managed to greatly pacify the people of Blue Dawn.

    Although she was happy to see them raging and thirsting for blood for Emilia''s sake, the blonde girl knew that such a frenzied state would only lead to their empire exhausting its potential sooner, and if they didn''t manage to ovee their foe in that time¡­ they might as well be doomed.

    Instead, if the people were able to calm down and continue their daily lives even in the presence of such a war, the vitality of their empire would definitely be boosted greatly, and even if they had to fight for a long time, Crystal believed they would be able to keep going.

    "Emilia said that she won''t let this warst long¡­ but there was still this worry in her heart. Hopefully¡­ she will be able to breathe easier now."

    Though Emilia''s influence on her people was one of the main reasons why Crystal''s moves were so effective in the first ce, the blonde girl obviously wouldn''t mind such a thing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Since I''m pretty much done here, let''s see how that idiot is doing¡­"

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    With all their preparations, the war actually didn''t have much of an impact on non-border areas of the empire, and Crystal was able to easily use the high-speed railway to get back to the capital faster.

    Of course, she knew she would be scolded for doing such an ''unsafe'' thing by some, if not all of her friends, but the blonde girl could only bear with it for the sake of efficiency.

    Unfortunately, the crimson-haired girl wasn''t in the Blue Lotus Pce to wee her.

    "I hope she''s not sneaking off to fight on the front lines without telling anyone else¡­ nah, even she wouldn''t do that. She must know we''ll find out sooner orter."

    Nodding to the guard who opened the door for her, Crystal strode into the ''detention chamber'', and noticed that the silver-haired boy inside was too focused on the TV to even notice her arrival.

    His eyes stared unblinkingly at the headlines that scrolled past the screen as if he wanted to burn them permanently into his head, and for a moment, Crystal couldn''t help but pity him.

    After all, his entire existence seemed to revolve around hating Emilia at this point, and there was no way such a person would ever truly be happy.

    ''Why does he even exist? It would be better if he just¡ª!''

    Crystal quickly shook her head to clear such ''stray thoughts'' as she coughed to attract the silver-haired boy''s attention. "Being so happy while watching the news¡­ I''m guessing you''re quite ''optimistic'' about the results of the war, huh?"

    The silver-haired boy almost jumped in fright before realizing it was Crystal and not one of those other devils, but once he finished listening to her words, he couldn''t help butugh. "Of course, she''s finally going to get what''sing for her now. How can I not be happy? Look, you''repletely surrounded, and everyone says things are going to get worse, what do you think will happen?"

    Instead of sneering as she usually would have at his words, Crystal actually chuckled as if amused. "The thoughts of the ignorant, huh? How funny. I suppose I''ve been a little depressed the past few days, and since it should be out pretty soon, I might as well stick around and watch your reaction."

    Amos didn''t really understand what she meant, but assuming that it must all be a facade to fool him, he scoffed. ''She just doesn''t want to admit that she picked the wrong side. If that stupid bitch hadn''t been so outrageous, how could she have managed to provoke so many people? There is justice in this world, after all!''

    Just a few hourster, however, the smile on his facepletely evaporated, and the silver-haired boy''s expression turned ashen. "N-No way¡ª!"

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 Chapter 660 Underestimating The Wrong Enemy

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    The desperate and armed gangsters were obviously a source of chaos, and when dropped in locations that only had military camps in the vicinity¡­ it was simply a recipe for disaster.

    They might be no match for the soldiers in a fair fight, but since when did people like them care about useless things like fairness and honor?

    From the moment that they realized they''d been stuck in an unfamiliarnd with hostile troops at all sides, sabotage and ambush had be their bread and butter.

    Naturally, these people understood that if they just desperately tried to escape, it won''t be long before they were hunted down like rats. And having already almost faced death after being captured once¡­ how could they willingly let such a thing happen again, especially now that they had all the means to resist?

    Obviously, the ''defenders'' had no idea what kind of threat they were facing, and in the first few ambushes, to say that they ended up suffering heavy losses would be an understatement.

    To make matters worse, the few enemies that they tried to capture didn''t seem to be willing to ''cooperate'' at all, and dared to shoot even when surrounded on all sides. There was something almost unnatural about their behavior, but given their unknown origins, that wasn''t too surprising.

    The only way to neutralize such a threat was topletely erase it, but that was easier said than done.

    The troops left to ''maintain'' these facilities couldn''t help but curse. "Shit! Where did these crazy fuckerse from?!"

    Even if they were to think with their toes, the leaders of the Federation would be able to guess that this move must have something to do with the enemy they were currently attacking, but that didn''t mean they would share such things with the ''small fry'' actually facing them.

    "I never expected her to be so courageous¡­"

    "To try to hit not one, but all of us at the same time¡­ Heh, I guess she''s crazier than all of usbined."

    Obviously, they were more amused than terrified at their opponent''s ''desperate'' actions.

    "But it''s futile, in the end. All those troops she wasted causing chaos in our territories would have been better used to help her at the border. Emilia is too na?ve if she thinks this will make us take a step back."

    Even the president of Red Dusk and the current face of the Federation only worried about how exactly the empire of Blue Dawn had managed to sneak those troops in, and not the actual threat of the invaders. "Even if most of our forces are currently not stationed where they should be, I''m guessing they must have at least two or even three dozen stealth submarines to be able to pull something like this off at such a scale."

    The other leaders couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts. "¡­ Is Phoenix really going to go all in on this kind of losing bet?"

    "¡­ So what do we do now? Try talking to sense to that stubborn bitch again?"

    "Don''t bother. Since they''re rushing to their doom... I say we wee them."

    "Right. They''ve wasted so many troops over to annoy us from behind, isn''t this the perfect time to strengthen our offensive?"

    As for the issue in their own territories¡­ they weren''t too worried. Worst case scenario, they could first overwhelm the empire here, and then send reinforcements to quell whatever unrest those small fries managed to cause.

    Even if it lowered some of their prestige, such a thing would hardly matter much once they won the war.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Unfortunately, they had no idea that aside from lowering her equipment inventory, deploying these ''troops'' actually came at no extra cost to the empire, at all. And with the full support of both Carmen and Phoenix, as well as the White Deer Corporation''s own earlier preparations,bat equipment was something that the empire of Blue Dawncked the least.

    Their strengthened offensive still failed to ovee the empire''s defense, and aside from causing more damage on both sides, it seemed to serve no other purpose. Moreover, the losses on their side were much worse, since the empire had the defender''s advantage.

    And to make matters even worse, the reports they received from their own territories soon made the leaders of the Federation realize that, in their overconfidence, they''d vastly underestimated the troops sent by the empire.

    The situation was still somewhat in control in most areas at first, which was what gave them the illusion that they would only suffer minor losses. But once the gangsters started gaining some confidence¡­ things quickly took a turn for the worse.

    To the leaders of the Federation, it was as if these ''soldiers'' had first deliberately hidden their real ability, and waited until the perfect moment to strike, regardless of the damage they received before.

    Considering what they knew of Emilia''s usual strategy of cherishing every single life under hermand, it was apletely unprecedented move, and understandably caught the leaders of the Federation off guard.

    Unfortunately, it was now toote for them to regret underestimating their enemy''s ruthlessness.

    Each one of the thirteen countries had hundreds of these ''invader'' teams to face, and with most of their military personnel absent from the country, what was left to face these threats was obviously far from enough.

    In fact, the advanced equipment and dirty tactics used by these terrorists would have given them trouble even if they''d been fully prepared. But had they had proper reinforcements, the military would still eventually have suppressed the invaders so long as they were willing to take some damage in return.

    As it was, however, not only were they unable to exterminate many of these threats¡­ but in some ces, the defenders were evenpletely wiped out.

    Naturally, for thewless gangsters who''d had a taste of victory over these seemingly undefeatable foes in the past, it was like a sign from above. And with fresh supplies from their newly upied ''fortresses''¡­ their threat shot through to apletely new level.

    If left unchecked, one could only imagine how much damage they would be able to cause. After all, thew enforcement in the cities was hardly equipped well enough to be able to deal with threats of this level. And with no one to keep them in check... well, one didn''t need to guess what enemy troops would do in another''s territory.

    But even if the leaders of the Federation realized just how much they''d messed up by ignoring this ''minor threat'' in favor of overwhelming Blue Dawn''s defenses as soon as possible, they couldn''t just pull back and send reinforcements as they wished.

    After all, not only would it be like a p to their face, but with their Federation being vastly ''superior'' in terms of both personnel and resources, if they really lost the advantage at the border¡­ their side''s morale wouldpletely copse.

    Unfortunately for them, just because they were willing to gamble with the lives of everyone in their territories¡­ didn''t mean others were happy to let them do so.

    Looking at the most popr headlines... they couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat.

    "Members of the United Democratic Federation ignore terrorists in their own territory in favor of waging war overseas!"

    "Empress Emilia: Not as benevolent as she seems! Hertest genius strategy puts even the most ruthless generals to shame!"

    "Democratic but unanswerable? How long can the leaders of the Federation ignore their own people''s cries while preaching about freedom and democracy?"

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 Chapter 661 Reckless

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    Only spicy news sold well, so the media often tended to exaggerate certain matters to their audience without a care for the impact it might cause. Unfortunately, most people who watched them failed to realize that these too were just people desperately trying to make more money.

    The channel Amos usually watched was one which took the harshest stance against Emilia most of the time, but he didn''t realize that it was only because they relied on traction born from ''controversy'' to generate revenue that they did so.

    Now that there was a bigger target in sight, why wouldn''t they switch their aim?

    "The thirteen allies are in big trouble! mes of rebellion ignite all over their territories while they''re busy waging war overseas!"

    If one were to believe their opening, they would almost believe that there was arge-scale rebellion taking ce in all thirteen of the Federation''s constituents.

    Of course, their ''discussions'' were even more outrageous.

    "It looks like everyone has greatly underestimated just how many of these fanatics exist, and how much control the empress of Blue Dawn has over them."

    "It does seem like that, doesn''t it? Had I not known better, I would have almost thought she must be using some strange drug to brainwash people in secret."

    "Well, with the White Deer Corporation''s resources¡­ it wouldn''t be too much of a surprise if they were able to do so."

    Most would be able to tell that even the people on the screen didn''t fully believe in their own words, but Amos wasn''t one of them.

    "N-No way¡­ h-how can those idiots just let something like this happen?! You''re so much stronger than her! Just crush her, destroy her!!!"

    His hysterical screams made Crystal chuckle in delight. "If that was enough to put you in such a bad mood¡­ now I''m really looking forward to your reaction to what I''m about to tell you."

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    While there was quite a bit of criticism aimed at Emilia for presumably sending these ''terrorists'' in the first ce, with the distinctck of evidence to support the argument, most people ended up focusing on the ''easier'' target¡­ the leaders of the Federation.

    After all, taking care of their own territories was their primary responsibility, was it not?

    Their careless attitude this time not only proved that they didn''t care about their people much, if at all, but it also showed their distinctck of wisdom when it came to judging the severity of certain matters. And with thebined ''badges'' of ''corrupt'' and ''ipetent''¡­ it would''ve been strange if they hadn''t be a target of public criticism instead.

    Normally, this wouldn''t be such a big deal.

    People at their level had long since gotten used to ignoring people''s thoughts and words when needed, after all. But this time, the ''unrest'' also seemed to have ''inspired'' many small pockets of rebellion within their respective territories.

    Most of these ''problems'' could be traced back to Emilia''s fanatic fans, and they hardly posed any real threat to the localw enforcement, but the leaders of the Federation realized that they still had to treat these hot potatoes carefully.

    It wasn''t that they feared any retaliation from Emilia or her well-wishers, though. If they did, they wouldn''t have dared attack the empire of Blue Dawn in the first ce, so those were the least of their concern.

    What really made them tread so cautiously was how eagerly their political opponents were supporting these ''protesters'', and how bad things could get if they were given even more ammunition.

    "I can almost smell the scent of White Deer''s money on these treacherous bastards."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Unfortunately, even if it is obvious, it''s not so easy to trace it all back, especially with their declining stock price."

    "Speaking of which¡­ I''m guessing Phoenix must start regretting their decision pretty soon, huh?"

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    Despite her ''sabotage'' being even more sessful than expected, Emilia actually wasn''t in a particrly good mood.

    After all, how could she be happy while watching more and more of her people die?

    ? Her every day was filled with doubt, wondering if it would have been better if she approached her problems from another angle, and whether she could have avoided this conflict.

    ''Maybe if I didn''t take over Carmen, these people would never have been able to find an excuse to band together¡­ right?'' Emilia bit her lip in thought. ''B-But if I didn''t and they somehow still decided to attack me, wouldn''t things be much worse?''

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl realized that such thoughts were ''useless'', and she should only focus on winning the war in front of her, but that was easier said than done.

    Even with many of the political opponents of her enemies epting their bribes, she had no delusions about being able to repeat the ''miracle'' of Carmen again.

    After all, with her enemies being so cautious now, trying to do so would just be a waste of time and resources. Even in the unlikely event that they did manage to pull it off, the ones who would get in power would be the political opponents of her enemies, and there was no way to ensure their ''loyalty'' at that point.

    ''At least big sis is able to buy back most of our shares at a heavy discount now.'' Emilia smiled bitterly. ''Though it will be meaningless if we lost the war.''

    Her gaze turned sharp as she stared at the outposts built by the ''Federation'' soldiers close to their border, and by her side, Dixie couldn''t help but tense up.

    It was only after Emilia turned her eyes back to her own camp that the dark-haired girl dared to rx, and even Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief.

    Without a doubt, had Emilia been able to see any of the enemy leaders, she would have rushed right in to behead them personally right away.

    Luckily for them, this was a modern battlefield, and themanders didn''t actually need to be anywhere near the actual battle area to send down instructions. In fact, nobody had any idea where the leaders of the Federation were actually located at, though most spected that it must be in Red Dusk.

    Of course, the reason Emilia was able to resist the urge to just rush in right away was mostly because she realized that it wouldn''t be the best approach to punishing her enemies, and might just end up causing more losses for them instead.

    It didn''t mean that she was able to calm herself down.

    Dixie suddenly had a bad premonition as she looked at the dark gaze of her princess, and she couldn''t help but step forward to hold her hand. "E-Emily! Don''t do anything reckless, okay? We''re slowly gaining an advantage."

    The crimson-haired girl turned to her with a smile, as if wondering why she was so worried. "Reckless? Don''t worry, I was only thinking of going out for a stroll tonight. You can¡­ apany me, if you want."

    Dixie obviously knew it was a bad idea, and that she should immediately inform Noelle, Crystal, or Sam so they could try and convince Emilia not to do something she shouldn''t. But facing the smile of her princess¡­ what kind of a knight would she be if she chose not to side with her at this point?

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 Chapter 662 Ambush

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    No matter how upset Emilia was, she was naturally smart enough to realize that simply rushing into the enemy lines without a n would only get her turned into an Emilia-sieve. Even if her healing was able to somehow cope with such a thing, the energy she would end up wasting would definitely make Cynthia cry.

    Not to mention, while her most loyal knight was quite strong, she definitely wasn''t durable enough to survive too many bullet wounds and explosions. So what they needed was a much more subtle approach.

    "Based on their movement patterns over the past two days, it should be possible for us to sneak past this area without having to face more than a few soldiers."

    Of course, even if her princess said so, Dixie didn''t dare to rx as she followed along with her daggers clutched tightly in her hands. Emilia had made it clear that they mustn''t allow themselves to be discovered, after all, and gunshots could hardly be considered stealthy. Though they did carry a couple of guns equipped with suppressors for when they were needed.

    The crimson-haired girl had already changed into her ''Little Emi'' form, which was much morepact, portable, and stealthy aspared to her regr self, and even donned some camouge clothing to match Dixie.

    Emilia motioned for Dixie to stop behind her. "Hush, here theye."

    The dark-haired girl froze as she stared at the small squad of soldiers marching past the thick foliage they were hiding behind, and only dared to breathe a sigh of relief when they were out of sight. ''T-That was close.''

    Had her princess not noticed the enemy soon enough, they might have already been discovered. Though perhaps that wouldn''t be such a bad thing, considering they were still close enough to Blue Dawn''s defense line to rush back safely.

    Emilia frowned. "We need to look out for someone who looks important enough. Preferably that salt and pepper guy who kept sneering at me earlier."

    Of course, Dixie knew exactly who her princess was talking about. The moment Emilia paid attention to him, it was impossible for the dark-haired girl to not take note, after all.

    But aside from being in amanding position and daring to look down on Emilia, Dixie didn''t feel there was anything special about the man. If anything, he was about as nd as a man can be, with his only personality trait being to silently sneer at anyone and everyone.

    But maybe that was exactly what Emilia was looking for.

    "We can''t just wait here¡­ let''s go in deeper."

    Dixie hurriedly followed after her swift and dexterous princess while trying her best to keep her footsteps silent. Fortunately, the ground was quite soft, and aside from a few snapped twigs here and there, the dark-haired girl hardly made any noise.

    Of course, it was only thanks to Emilia carefully keeping track of her surroundings with chaos energy that they were able to move so smoothly in the enemy camp.

    "I think I found him¡­" Emilia frowned. "Unfortunately¡­ he''s with three others. How many can you take down at once?"

    Dixie knew the cost of failure, and didn''t dare to overestimate herself against trained soldiers. "O-One. I can definitely take down one right away, a-and maybe another one after that?"

    The crimson-haired girl could obviously feel her favorite knight''s nervousness, but there was no time to reassure her.

    Emilia could only pat the back of the dark-haired girl''s hand and point to a densely covered tree branch to her top right. "I''ll go hide there first. You wait here till they''re about to pass you by, and only once I''ve struck can you go for the closest one. Don''t give them the chance to make a sound if possible. Understand?"

    Dixie nodded while trying her best to control her rapidly beating heart, and clutched her daggers even more tightly.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t make a sound as she moved to her new hiding spot like a weightless ghost. Covered with fresh green leaves on all sides except the bottom, it would only be possible to see her if someone looked up from right below her position.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It didn''t take long for their targets to wander into their view.

    Fortunately, while they didn''t pass by the exact spot that Emilia expected, they were still close enough.

    The man wasn''t the type to speak much, and the three subordinates by his side obviously didn''t dare to strike a conversation without being prompted, so aside from the dried leaves being crushed by their boots, there was hardly any sound as they moved forward.

    Dixie couldn''t help but gulp nervously. ''W-Wait, if they keep moving forward, they''ll definitely notice me! I-If Emily realizes that the n is too risky now, won''t I be giving ourselves away if I stay here? But I can''t move away, either, or princess would be left alone if she decided to strike!''

    Just as she was getting jittery, however, there was a faint rustling sound followed by a shadow dropping on one of the soldiers, and before he realized what had happened¡­ his world had already gone dark.

    Dixie didn''t dare to dy as she shot off her spot and plunged her dagger into the closest soldier''s neck from behind, the sharp de tearing through flesh and bone alike.

    With him having just turned towards Emilia in panic, the poor man didn''t even get to see his killer before he died.

    The crimson-haired girl had already plunged her de into the heart of thest soldier the moment after she killed the first one, so the only one left alive was the ''salt and pepper man'' Emilia was targeting.

    "Shit¡ª!"

    It all happened in an instant, but even as he was cursing in a panic, the man still instinctively pointed his gun at the threat and immediately pulled the trigger.

    Or at least, he tried.

    Emilia rushed forward to kick the man between his legs, and then bashed his face in with the back of his own subordinate''s rifle when he knelt down in agony, causing his vision to go dark before he could even scream.

    He didn''t even realize that his wrist had been cut off shortly before he could pull the trigger, which was why he failed to shoot.

    Of course, neither Emilia nor her knight dared to rx just yet, and quickly dragged the three dead bodies into a thick bush, while Emilia carried the detached hand into an empty bird nest she spotted nearby.

    Once they were done, Dixie used a lighter to burn the man''s stump before trying her best to cover up any blood on the ground with dirt, then followed Emilia in a different direction.

    Although they''d been rtively quick and silent, there was no telling whether the inevitable noise from their ambush could still have attracted someone, after all.

    It was only five minutester, when they were certain they were in the clear for now, that the two dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

    "W-Whew¡­ t-that was¡­ exhrating!"

    Looking at Dixie wiping the nervous sweat from her forehead, Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. "That was just the first step. Now¡­ we need to make this guy tell us all about himself without making too much noise. Any ideas?"

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 Chapter 663 Infiltration

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    Despite being a little squeamish herself, Dixie obviously didn''t want her princess to dirty her hands when she had a choice. "You can leave it all to me, Emily. Just let me know what you want him to spill, and then make sure you don''t look this way."

    "¡­ Huh?"

    The dark-haired girl coughed awkwardly. "Trust me, you wouldn''t want to see it. Michelle''s ''hobby'' might be useful sometimes, but it''s definitely not a pretty sight."

    "Is that so¡­?" Emilia hummed thoughtfully, but when she sensed a small group of three heading their way, she quickly made up her mind. "Alright. I''ll trust you with this one, then. Just make sure he doesn''t make too much noise, and you can dig up at least the basics of his identity. You should get what I''m trying to do, right?"

    The dark-haired girl nodded confidently. ''Even if I don''t as much practice as Michelle, how hard can it be? Plus, with Emily''s ability, just his name alone would be enough for most people to not suspect much. After all, she''s already observed his behavior from a distance before, and should easily be able to roughly imitate it.''

    Being so close to her princess for so long, there was no way Dixie wouldn''t have any idea what she wanted.

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    Three more dead soldiers and one fatally mutted Rudolphter, the two of them quickly rushed to the outpost that the man had beenmanding. Of course, Emilia had already changed into the ''salt and pepper'' guy they''d taken care of before.

    "Stay at a distance while I move in, and only assist me if I have to escape, alright?"

    The crimson-haired girl''s stern look didn''t allow for Dixie to protest too much, and she could only nod her head obediently. "Make sure you stay safe, then, princess."

    "Mhm!"

    Being in a less than desirable form, Emilia didn''t bother kissing her girlfriend despite feeling the urge to do so, and only gave her a smile and a thumbs up before she started moving towards the target outpost.

    Naturally, since she hadn''t bothered hiding ''herself'' at all, it didn''t take long before the soldiers on the lookout spotted ''their superior'' and stood up straighter in an effort to look more diligent.

    Unfortunately, with how ''his'' expression had morphed into one of fury, and even the way ''he'' walked radiating rage, everyone could tell that the ''man'' was in a terrible mood, though no one dared to ask why.

    It was only when ''he'' had already marched inside the outpost that ''Rudolph'' could seemingly no longer control his rage. With a m of his fist against the wooden beam of the watch tower, the nearby soldiers felt their hearts beating like drums from nervousness.

    "Fucking traitors! Trash!" He fumed as he spat on the ground.

    Having never seen theirmander so full of rage, the subordinates didn''t even dare to squeak.

    "Santiago! Go and fucking drag the bodies of those traitors back. To think they managed to kill three of us while trying to escape¡­ fucking trash!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    A tall yellow-eyed man with his headpletely shaved hurriedly saluted before arranging for a few soldiers to follow him. Obviously, his superior was in no mood to go into the details, and since they had to bring in their fallen anyway, he might as well just drag all the dead bodies together.

    As for where exactly they were or why his superior had survived with only a few bloodstains on his clothes¡­ well, he wasn''t stupid enough to ask such questions.

    If the ''traitors'' were caught trying to get away, they could only have been stupid and unlucky enough to derail from their patrol route near themander''s usual path whenever he wanted to go for a walk.

    ''Rudolph'' didn''t even look back to check if ''his'' orders had been followed, and instead seemed to be still lost in thought. "Fine, then¡­ Fine! Since they want to y dirty, it seems like I will have to¡ª!"

    Suddenly, ''he'' frowned. "Their blood got on my clothes, huh?"

    ''His'' eagle-like gaze turned to one of the nearby soldiers, who almost peed himself in fright. "I-I''ll bring¡ª"

    ''Rudolph'' interrupted him with a snort and simply took off his ''dirty'' jacket. "No need. Although they''re dead, they died fighting traitors. I will let this stain remind me of their honor and loyalty. Take this back and put it with the rest."

    Everyone around couldn''t help but feel a little emotional all of a sudden. ''Themander rarely speaks, and when he does he''s very rough, but he''s a good man inside, after all.''

    Naturally, Emilia didn''t care much for their thoughts, and only pretended to be in deep thought for a more minutes as she stealthily observed the direction in which the discarded jacket was taken. ''Well, obvious enough that he''d live in the best one, but doesn''t hurt to make sure.''

    After Emilia was sure that enough time had passed for her act to appear natural, ''Rudolph'' nodded to himself. "Alright, everyone, get back to what you were doing before... and tell Santiago to report to me as soon as he returns!"

    Finished with his orders, their superior swiftly left.

    Fortunately, no one noticed that instead of soaking into the ground like normal, their superior''s saliva had seemingly evaporated, which was definitely unnatural given the temperature and time.

    Of course, Emilia knew that people would realize something was wrong sooner orter. After all, no matter how perfectly she integrated into the identity of ''salt and pepper'' Rudolph, how long would everyone believe that only one person survived a fight that ended up killing six?

    No matter how they''d been shot as a cover-up after they were already dead, a simple investigation would be enough reveal that they''d all really perished to knife wounds, and everything that Rudolph said was a lie.

    But¡­ that was fine.

    She didn''t need to wait so long, after all. As the Empress of Blue Dawn, Emilia naturally didn''t wish to be ''missing'' from her people''s sight for extended periods now that they were going through such tough times.

    Twisting the neck of her frankly ufortable form, Emilia frowned as she spread her senses to find the ce she was looking for. "Let''s get this over with quickly, then."

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 Chapter 664 Burn It All

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    When the military chef saw themander of the outpost wander into the makeshift kitchen, he couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat. ''Shit! He hasn''t figured out I''ve been secretly munching on our supplies, has he?!''

    Although the ''crime'' would only get him reprimanded at most, when it came to their dead-facedmander, even a supposedly light scolding couldst for hours, and none of the troops in the outpost wanted to go through such an ordeal.

    Moreover, given the incident that happened earlier, the chef was sure that themander wouldn''t be in a particrly pleasant mood, and he naturally wouldn''t want to irk the man at this time.

    "Commander Rudolph! A-Are you here to taste-test today''s dinner? Or would you like to change today''s menu? W-We haven''t started yet, so there''s still time to make any changes you like!"

    The military chef''s words were even more ttering than a those of amercial cook facing a food critic, but while Emilia was pleased with his cooperative behavior, she didn''t let it show on ''Rudolph''s'' face.

    "Everyone else¡­ get out."

    Everyone but the chef rushed to follow the dismissal as if their butts had been set on fire, leaving the sole ''victim'' cursing at their ''cowardice'' for abandoning him so quickly. ''If themander is unhappy about the taste, I''ll be sure to teach these careless morons a lessonter!''

    Fortunately, his worst fears didn''t seem to havee true. Not only did themander not scold him for his ''private business'', but he also didn''t seem upset about the taste of the food he''d been served recently.

    ''I-Is it really just¡­ a routine check?!''

    The military chef almostughed at himself for being too nervous before, but he still maintained an alert and attentive attitude in front of themander.

    It wouldn''t do to mess up now that he had been let off the hook so easily, after all. That would be just shooting himself in the foot for no reason!

    Unfortunately, with most of his attention focused on ttering the mander'', the poor chefpletely failed to notice the ''man'' by his side sprinkling some strange white powder into the food.

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    Taking down an established military outpost that was well-equipped and alert normally required either overwhelming power, or some great tactical advantage. And even then, it was almost never without a cost.

    Even if one had all the cards in their favor, losing one man for every ten they took down would already be considered a miracle.

    Fortunately, Emilia''s unique advantage of being able to change her appearance as she willed whenever her skill was off cooldown allowed her to easily execute schemes that normally would have needed one to nt talented spies for years, if not decades.

    Using merely a few hours of her time, she was able to do what would have otherwise required a very high-ranking and well-established spy to be ''sacrificed''. And not only did it take a fraction of the time, but it was also frighteningly efficient in terms of ''resources'' gained and lost in the ''transaction''.

    The poor soldiers who ate the unusually satisfying and delicious dinner that night¡­ never woke up.

    Even though the ''poison'' Emilia used was far from fatal and would only make the soldiers feel slightly drowsy and put them into a deep sleep for a few hours, it was almost impossible to detect, and also gave her more than enough time to ''take care'' of the defenseless enemies.

    As for those who were fortunate enough to have skipped their meal, they were only rewarded with an earlier trip to the grim reaper courtesy of Emilia''s de.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Dixie was obviously relieved to see her princess back in her ''little Emi'' form. Well, anything was better than the ''ugly'' one she was using earlier.

    Luckily, even if she couldn''t help Emilia much with the infiltration, she could at least share some of her burden during the cleanup.

    But as she finished shing the neck of thest few sleeping soldiers, the dark-haired girl couldn''t help but hesitate. "D-Do we just leave their bodies like this?"

    There was no need to worry about their ''crime'' being discovered, but her princess obviously didn''t look ''satisfied'' quite yet. It would definitely be troublesome if the enemy were to be better prepared for her arrival next time.

    Naturally, the crimson-haired girl was also well aware of this problem.

    "No. We don''t want to leave too many clues for them, after all. If we can do this a few more times¡­ maybe we can deal a significant enough blow to the enemy''s morale." Emilia stared regretfully in the direction of the outpost''s military supplies. "I hate wasting good resources, but¡­ let''s burn it all."

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    The ''loss'' of a single outpost was far from being a big enough matter to cause much rm among the Federation''s leaders. But that was clearly not the case for the military higher-ups in the area.

    Every singlerade lost was one less to share their burden, and another point to their enemy''s advantage, after all.

    By the time Emilia got back to her own territory and started showing her face to appease her people, the investigation team had already started dowsing the mes that consumed the military outpost she had ruined.

    Unfortunately, most of the evidence that could be used to figure out what had happened there was already destroyed, and what little they managed to gather didn''t seem to make any sense at all.

    "I don''t get it. There were no major enemy tracks around the area, and the nearby outposts didn''t spot any airborne threats moving in or out of that zone. Are you telling me that one of our outposts was taken down by a ghost?!"

    "As much as it pains me to say this, but I wish it was all just a tragic ident somehow. But unfortunately¡­ the dead bodies don''t lie."

    "Going by the reports of what the forensics team was able to make out of their charred corpses, I''m guessing they were all killed by a highly skilled team of assassins."

    As for who could have sent them¡­ was there any need to guess?

    Others also agreed with this statement, but figuring out the probable cause of the incident didn''t make them feel any better.

    If anything, it chilled their hearts even more.

    Facing monsters who could sneak in and out of heavily guarded areas like ghosts, and wipe out an entire outpost like that¡­ just what were they supposed to do?!

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 Chapter 665 Fooled

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    Emilia got back just in time for her to be able to join the strategic meeting with almost all the higher-ups of Blue Dawn, including her girlfriends. Luckily, with her physical characteristics, she didn''t have to worry about appearing suspiciously tired or sweaty, and no one would suspect that she''d snuck off for some quick genocide in the enemy territory.

    As for Dixie, she''d just quickly washed her face and hopped on while doing her best to not look guilty.

    It was impossible for her to not feel like trash. After all, she''d clearly betrayed everyone''s trust by allowing Emilia to take ''unnecessary risks'', and even decided to hide it from them.

    Sam and Noelle treated her like their little sister, and her friendship with Crystal was definitely not fake, but the dark-haired girl simply couldn''t bring herself to reject her princess.

    Luckily, with so much trouble already on their tes, no one had the time to pay too much attention to Dixie''s expressions, and even Crystal didn''t find anything amiss.

    Everyone just greeted Emilia cheerfully, and the crimson-haired girl smiled. "I hope everyone has been well, despite the terrible situation right now. As your empress¡­ I''m a little ashamed for not havinge up with a good solution to this trouble yet, but don''t worry, we will definitely get through this together."

    The twinkle in her eyes dissipated much of the agitation that many had been feeling in their hearts, though it did nothing to clear their resentment against the Federation.

    "Empress, these guys are really too much! If you would just allow us to go on the offensive once, I promise to send them running with their tails between their legs!"

    The general who spoke up was one of the fiercest rebel leaders before Emilia became Blue Dawn''s empress, and such words weren''t surprisinging from his mouth.

    But when his statement was supported by even the more ''rational'' military leaders, it left the crimson-haired girl feeling a little tired in her heart. ''They''re all good and passionate children, but unfortunately, being energetic is far from enough when ites to winning this war.''

    Emilia directed a stern gaze at the man who spoke up. "Our people are not disposable resources, and our goal is not to lose less than the enemy."

    She pursed her lips and continued. "We''re here because we can''t let them trample on our dignity. Would we have any left if we didn''t even value our own people?"

    The man lowered his head in shame. "I-I apologize, princess."

    Although he didn''t notice the change in how he addressed Emilia, the others still felt a little embarrassed.

    ''Princess'' wasn''t Emilia''s official title, after all, and was more of a term of endearment used by the people of Blue Dawn, and sometimes those close to her.

    For ''professionals'' like them to slip up like this clearly showed that they were letting their feelings get in the way, and only proved that their decisions may not be very rational.

    Luckily, Emilia didn''t seem to mind, and only smiled in response. "No need to be sorry. So long as anyone has any suggestions that they think might be helpful, I''m here to listen. That''s why we''re holding this meeting, after all."

    Of course, she couldn''t get mad, because she could understand their desperation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even with the reinforcements from Carmen, defending against the Federation required almost a tenth of Blue Dawn''s total poption to stand armed at the borders.

    With the absurd amount of support Emilia had in her empire, there wouldn''t be much trouble even if this requirement was doubled, and there was obviously no shortage of equipment either.

    But the problem with such an arrangement was obvious.

    It was impossible for so many people to be properly trained on such short notice, and even more impossible for them to be able to go toe to toe with the hardened enemy soldiers.

    Fortunately, using modern weapons made up for much of the gap between skilled soldiers and amateurs, but none of Emilia''s army leaders had any delusions about being able to overwhelm the enemy using simr levels of force.

    Although they were holding on for now, and the presence of Phoenix on their side made it impossible for the Federation''s members to resort to weapons of mass destruction, the situation was far from being ideal.

    Since the thirteen of the Federation could get together out of either greed or fear, so long as others realized that there wasn''t much to lose by joining them, it may not take long for the scales to tip in the Federation''s favor.

    To make matters worse, the people on Emilia''s side knew that even if they were toe up with some brilliant strategy, it was unlikely that more than half the ''soldiers'' under theirmand would be able to keep up.

    The best they could do was rush up to the enemy without any regard for their own life, but while such ''strategy'' could be ''useful'' at times, Emilia absolutely refused to even consider using such stupid moves that required losing eight hundred to take down a thousand.

    After all, even if she couldn''t take down entire armies by herself, Emilia was still confident in being able to slowly chip away at the Federation''s strength using her abilities.

    No matter how powerful the enemy was, she refused to believe that they wouldn''t feel any pain when they kept getting assaulted by a foe that they could never hope to catch.

    Of course, while she was confident in her abilities, Emilia wasn''t stupid.

    If her people despaired or the enemy was allowed enough time toe up with effective counterstrategies against her moves, the situation will really take a turn for the worse.

    "Actually, I wanted to save this good news for the end of the meeting, but let me share it now to cheer everyone up a little." Emilia smiled as she saw all of them perk up.

    Crystal and Sam looked surprised, and even Noelle looked a little curious. Clearly, none of them had any idea of what their crimson-haired girlfriend was talking about.

    Only Dixie remained expressionless.

    Emilia grinned. "The Federation might seem strong, but strong foes also have formidable enemies. And the enemy of an enemy¡­ can always be our ally. If what I heard today can be trusted¡­ they will soon start facing a lot of trouble on their side."

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 Chapter 666 Mysterious Helper

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    Although the Federation never disclosed the fact that one of their outposts had been inexplicably wiped out overnight, with the existence of satellite and long-distance imaging, it was impossible topletely conceal it.

    This was especially so given that so many eyes were currently focused on the border of Blue Dawn, and the outpost Emilia targeted was barely a few miles away.

    Of course, with the dead bodies having been moved away and much of the site ''cleared'' already, all that people could really tell was that some sort of uncontroble fire must have broken out there, forcing all the soldiers to flee.

    As for the number of casualties¡­ with the Federation keeping silent, there was no way to be sure.

    Naturally,pared to the continued stalemate at Blue Dawn''s border that had already be ''boring'' for their audience, certain channels found this much more ''spicy'', especially when it was handled the ''right'' way.

    "Not to mention some sort of fire, most soldiers are trained well to be able to handle even explosives going off near them. Even if a few die, it''s impossible for them to panic and fail to control the situation. How could this kind of ''uncontroble'' fire that burned everything to the ground have broken out, then?"

    Even for people who could care less about the conflict between Blue Dawn and the Federation, this was a topic of great interest, and the media didn''t fail to keep hyping it up in order to maximize their own revenue, much to the annoyance of the Federation leaders.

    "I agree that it makes no sense¡­ if you only think about it normally. But what if that outpost was housing some sort of new chemical weapon that can burn easily but is incredibly difficult to put out?"

    "Ohh, scary! In that case, we''ll be seeing a lot of charred corpses in Blue Dawn soon, huh?"

    "That is if the Federation can learn to handle their own new weapon properly, which they clearly haven''t."

    Naturally,pared to a ''routine'' conflict between two forces that held back from using ''real'' weapons, the possibility of one of them using experimental weapons that could doom them all was much more exciting.

    Though certain ''experts'' still preferred to take another route to generate more interest.

    "I think it would be too rash to conclude that a new type of weapon must have caused this based on what little we know."

    "Oh?"

    Obviously, although his words were more reasonable than his colleagues, that was only to make histter ridiculous argument seem more credible.

    "The type of weapon you were thinking of resembles certain banned chemicals too much, and I don''t think the Federation would risk giving Phoenix an excuse to start supplying Blue Dawn with weapons of mass destruction at this point."

    The man pushed up his sses with a faint smile, looking smart enough to make most people fully believe whatever nonsense he might havee up with. "¡­ In fact, there are other exnations for the Federation''s outpost to have been destroyed like that. Such as¡­ betrayal, internal conflict, sabotage!"

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    Naturally, the people on Emilia''s side were able to ''figure out'' what was going on much earlier than the media outlets, and with Emilia''s support, they quickly became certain that this strange ''ally'' might prove to be quite useful in the war.

    Of course, given the scale at which they operated, it was impossible to deal a decisive blow to the Federation, but sometimes, all it took was a single hole to sink a ship. And with this new ally constantly making trouble at the enemy side, wouldn''t it be much easier for their empire to make a breakthrough?

    The main reason no one suspected that this strange ''ally'' was just Emilia being a menace was of course due to Dixie''s constant presence by her side. Those most familiar with her obviously never expected that the dark-haired girl wouldn''t even let them know that Emilia was doing something so absurd.

    As for the rest of the higher-ups¡­ since they weren''t fully familiar with the otherworldly abilities of their empress, and also hadplete trust in her words, they never had any strange doubts from the beginning.

    Noelle and the military higher-ups did their best to put pressure on the enemy side while keeping track of the weakened locations where there was a temporary ''gap'', and significantly reduced their daily casualties.

    Crystal was also d to have more materials for her regr dose of despair to Amos. Though she wasn''t sure exactly how ''helpful'' her actions were, so the blonde girl only paid him a visit when she was free from her other duties.

    But while others were happy and did their best to take advantage of the situation, whether on or off the battlefield, Dixie could only sigh ruefully. "Today as well?"

    "Of course, I have to make them pay ten times for every death on our side." Emilia smiled coldly as she motioned for the exasperated Dixie to follow her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    At this point, she had no doubt that even if they lost the war or were forced into hiding, Emilia would continue ughtering people on the Federation''s side every time she could. Though luckily, it didn''t seem like such a day would evere.

    Over the past few days, all of their ''expeditions'' into the enemy territory had been more or less sessful, after all. And while there were times when Dixie had to join in and open fire, so long as they didn''t allow anyone to escape alive, it wouldn''t have any impact on their future ''missions''.

    Even if the Federation desperately increased the individual strength of each outpost¡­ all it did was give them a better yield per attack.

    In fact, the most trouble Emilia had was when the outpost they were ''clearing'' had a surveince system in ce, but once they figured out it only worked in a ''closed circuit'', the crimson-haired girl quickly let go of her worries.

    Emilia wasn''t sure if the Federation''s leaders were worried about their soldier''s morale, or if they just didn''t want to take additional risks, but it didn''t seem like anyone in their army was aware of the unexinable ''tragedies'' taking ce around them.

    Of course, since it made things easier for her, she wasn''tining.

    This time, too, didn''t give her much trouble. The soldiers were slightly tougher, and she seemed to have misjudged the amount needed to put them all to sleep, so she ended up with a few more wounds than expected, but they were all gone before anyone could notice. Luckily, none of them scored a headshot.

    Aside from Cynthia''s whining, everything was good.

    Emilia happily went about setting everything on fire. ''Don''t worry so much, it was just 0.03%. Once weplete the next mention, we''ll have plenty extra.''

    Cynthia sighed. "I wasn''t worried about the energy¡ª!" She paused. "You know what, forget it. Just be more careful not to waste any in the future."

    Even if she tried her best, the raven-haired girl knew just how stubborn Emilia could be, and how difficult it was to change her mind once she''d decided on something, so she just gave up. It was... too much effort.

    Since the crimson-haired girl was distracted setting the outpost on fire, she failed to catch her partner''s hidden meaning. ''...? Oh, sure...''

    Unlike Emilia, however, Dixie couldn''t help but be worried as they made their way back. "M-Maybe we should stop now, princess. Y-You''ve already taken down six outposts, and we can''t rule out the possibility of walking into a trap next time. Plus¡­ what if our next target has cameras that broadcast outside?"

    Emilia snorted. "Let them figure it out if they can. It''s not like they''ll know it was ''me'' for sure, and they''ll still have to keep up their efforts in preparation for future attacks. We can use that to our advantage, and¡­ there''s a reason why those cameras weren''t hooked up to a biggerwork in the first ce, you know?"

    She might not be as technologically adept as most of her girlfriends, but the crimson-haired girl still understood that it was possible for people to peep into cameras if they were hooked onto awork they could ess.

    Emilia wasn''t sure how it was done, but she didn''t need to know how a cow was milked to drink a cup of coffee, did she?

    Of course, she knew that there were ways to prevent such a thing from happening, but she''d also read that they were far from infallible.

    The crimson-haired girl believed that with Noelle and Crystal''s abilities, it shouldn''t be impossible to find people who could take care of such a thing for them.

    And if they were able to acquire the details of all the activities of the Federation''s soldiers¡­ the tradeoff for not being able to continue her ''expeditions'' would be more than worth it.

    Dixie also seemed to have realized such a possibility after Emilia mentioned it, and she couldn''t help but nod. "I guess that''s true."

    Emilia sneered in disdain. "People fear the unknown, and I refuse the believe that the leaders of the Federation still don''t feel anything about some unknown enemy continuously taking down their men like this. It shouldn''t be long before they do something stupid¡­ we just have to make sure to take full advantage of it."

    Although the dark-haired girl agreed, as they were making their way out of the enemy territory, her princess was still in her ''little Emi'' form, and her expression made her look more like a smug brat than an arrogant empress, making Dixie chuckle.

    "Hmm?"

    "N-Nothing."

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 Chapter 667 Return Gift

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    Wars were inevitably apanied by suffering and loss, and usually, the promise of greater returns kept the one ''attacking'' quite motivated... but that was only if there was some hope of victory in sight.

    Initially, the leaders of the Federation were quite confident in being able to take down the empire of Blue Dawn. After all, even if their enemy could somehow gain full control of Carmen''s forces on such short notice ¡ª which was unlikely ¡ª the difference between their strengths was still too great.

    Unfortunately, they greatly underestimated just how ambitious and well-prepared the White Deer Corporation was, as well as the amount of support Emilia''s name alone could drum up. Though instead of making them hesitate, such an oue only made the leaders of the Federation more determined.

    After all, there had to be a reason the White Deer Corporation was so interested in manufacturing and acquiring military weapons and technology. And whatever it was, it definitely wouldn''t be good news for them.

    Instead of sitting around and waiting for doom, they would rather suffer a little and take down this growing threat while they still could.

    Of course, their victory may not be as swift as they had been expecting initially, but the Federation''s leaders never had a doubt about the final oue of the war.

    Even with the interference of Phoenix, the thirteen of thembined were more than enough to grind the empire of Blue Dawn and its empress to death.

    Unfortunately, just because their own will was firm and unshakeable, it didn''t mean everyone on their side was the same.

    Whether it was the generals or the advisers, they''d all started imploring the leaders to grant them more resources and troops to be able to properly deal with both the ''Scarlet Phantom'' as well as the intensified pushback from the empire.

    Of course, this ''Scarlet Phantom'' was the name that they''d started referring to their mysterious enemy with, based on the way it seemed toe and go like a ghost, and left only scorched corpses and rivers of blood behind.

    Well, initially the ''mysterious team'' was being called the Blue Phantom instead, but the leaders decided to change it to scarlet to dissociate it from the empire in an attempt to minimize its impact on the soldiers'' morale. Though the effectiveness of their move was questionable, at best.

    "Although the loss in terms of manpower and resources isn''t that great, many of the military higher-ups have already started showing uneasiness when talking about the Scarlet Phantom. If this continues¡­ it won''t be long before they start actually being afraid of it."

    To be honest, the generals couldn''t be med. After all, although they had a lot more ''experience'' than a normal person, they were still humans. If a foe seemed too strong for them to even be able to fight back, it was natural for them to experience some fear.

    What was uneptable, however, was if they started getting cold feet in the middle of the war.

    It was unlikely, but not outside of the realm of possibilities.

    Even after the change of names, ''Scarlet Phantom'' was very much considered at least an ''ally'' of the empire of Blue Dawn, after all, and the leaders of the Federation were obviously aware of the growing ''anti-war'' sentiments amidst their soldiers.

    Unlike the thoughts of civilians, this was something they simply couldn''t ignore.

    The president of Red Dusk nodded grimly. "We can''t just keep ignoring the Scarlet Phantom anymore. Regardless of the cost¡­ let''s make their next attack¡­ theirst."

    He might only be a ''figurehead'', but the rest of the leaders generously cooperated with his idea to pool their ''resources'' into his trap.

    After all, if things went south, he would be the one to take the me.

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    Compared to when she first started her ''expeditions'', Emilia''s mood had noticeably improved, and she even hummed happily while making her way to her ''target''.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Obviously, there was no need to fear being discovered by the enemies due to the sound, since her sensing range went quite a bit farther than one could hear her humming from.

    Looking at her good mood, even Dixie couldn''t help but smile. ''Things have been looking better and better recently¡­ maybe it won''t be long before the Federation decides to cut their losses and retreats, right?''

    Unfortunately, her hopeful thoughts were cut short when the crimson-haired girl froze, and the smile on her face vanished.

    "W-What''s wrong?"

    Dixie tried her best to keep her whisper as quiet as possible, but it didn''t seem necessary as Emilia hummed in a natural tone, though her expression was grim.

    "Looks like they''ve set up a trap for me."

    Of course, given that this wouldn''t be the first ''trap'' that they were facing, Dixie could tell that it must be quite something for her princess to react this way.

    "W-We should retreat, then, right?"

    The dark-haired girl was sure that Emilia wouldn''t agree to her suggestion, and she''d been prepared to argue with her if she had to, but surprisingly enough, the crimson-haired girl smiled.

    "Of course I won''t be stupid enough to jump into such a well-prepared trap. But since the enemy has prepared such a big gift for us, wouldn''t it be bad manners to not give them anything in return?"

    Dixie blinked in confusion, and Emilia couldn''t help but giggle.

    "Obviously, they must have determined I''ll arrive here based on some pattern they observed in my ''attacks'', but¡­ if they were so meticulous with their preparations here, it''s impossible to do something like this in too many ces." The crimson-haired girl smirked. "Then¡­ why not just go wreak havoc somewhere else?"

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    Emilia''s luck wasn''t so good, and the next location she picked also had a high level of reinforcement, and taking it down would be dozens of times riskier than her usual ''expeditions''.

    Of course, with her scouting ahead using chaos energy, there was no way she would just walk into that kind of trap. Instead, she simply made her way to the next target, and happily ''took care'' of the unprepared enemy camp before waltzing back to Blue Dawn in a good mood.

    Even if the ''harvest'' wasn''t as good as usual due to the reduced amount of troops, the loss that her enemy suffered in terms of resources wasn''t any less.

    Once was a coincidence, twice was luck, but after their n failed for the fifth time, the president of Red Dusk couldn''t help but smack his own thigh in a rage. "Shit! This is already the fifth time we picked the wrong locations¡­! How can they be so lucky?!"

    Not only had the ''Scarlet Phantom'' not walked into any of their traps, but their attack frequency was still the same as usual, making the leaders of the Federation feel like clowns who were jumping around without an audience.

    It was impossible for them not to be infuriated.

    One of the other leaders frowned. "Luck can''t exin them being able to get away like this each time. Moreover, their attacks always happened in a location not too far away from the one we arranged our traps in¡­ as if mocking us."

    The president of Red Dusk turned to him with a grim expression. "You mean¡­ there is a traitor keeping them informed¡­?"

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 Chapter 668 Inevitable

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    For the leaders of the Federation, having a few traitors among their subordinates was naturally not that big of a deal. After all, if they blindly believed everyone to be loyal and patriotic, they would never have gotten as far as they did.

    However, considering that each one of the outposts that the ''Scarlet Phantom'' attacked waspletely wiped out¡­ they were naturally reluctant to believe in the involvement of an ''insider''.

    After all, the body counts matched their internal tallies, and it was impossible for their enemies to so readily dispose of their hidden spies without reason.

    Of course, the ''Scarlet Phantom'' could always add another dead body from somewhere to make up the count and take their spy away, but that would still not exin how they continued to ''know'' which location was safe to hit next.

    Their expressions turned even grimmer.

    "¡­ If we are to believe that such a traitor exists¡­ they would have to be high enough in rank to know not just one, but ALL our moves¡­"

    Needless to say, the number of people on that list did not exceed two digits, and each one of them had their interests deeply tied to their cause.

    "¡­ Impossible! None of us are stupid enough to do something so stupid and thankless. And for what? It makes no sense!"

    The president of Red Dusk sneered. "It really doesn''t¡­ unless they n to capitalize on the element of surprise and cannibalize one of us with Blue Dawn''s help when we''re forced to retreat!"

    His words sent a chill down the other leaders'' spines, and they couldn''t help but turn to stare at each other warily.

    To be honest, none of them really ''trusted'' each other from the start, but they all had believed in each other''s desire for victory in this war. After all, each one of them wanted to neutralize this growing threat, yet didn''t want to lose half their limbs in the process. Obviously, joining hands was the best way to do so, and would also allow them to reap plentiful rewards in the end.

    But clearly, their understanding of each other wasn''t as thorough as they initially believed. Otherwise, how was one to exin the existence of the ''Scarlet Phantom''?

    As the tension in the meeting room grew, the president of Red Dusk suddenly had an ominous premonition. ''No¡­ maybe turning us against each other was exactly what our enemies wanted!''

    Unfortunately, even if he realized that now¡­ it was toote.

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    The growing distrust between their leaders naturally trickled down to thebined army of the Federation. And given that they had been quite ''fragmented'' to begin with¡­ the delicate bnce that allowed them to work well together was also gone.

    Of course, Noelle and the others who took care Emilia''s military nning were quick to capitalize on this change, though they were still wary of it being a ''trap''.

    Thankfully, Emilia''s constant assurance of all these changes being thanks to the work of their ''ally'' made it so that they didn''t end up missing out on this wonderful opportunity out of hesitation, and two weekster¡­ something no one expected in the war between the Federation and the empire of Blue Dawn happened.

    "The Federation''s soldiers retreated beyond the border?!"

    The experts who had been betting on how long it would take for Emilia''s empire to start begging for mercy were obviously left stunned. "Doesn''t that mean that Blue Dawn has now actually expanded their territory¡­?"

    Given the difference between the size of their armies, and it being safe to assume that Blue Dawn didn''t have any technical superiority¡­ such a thing naturally made no sense.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, while the ''experts'' were shocked, Emilia''s supporters were jumping in delight.

    To them, this was a sign of things once again turning in favor of their princess, and they couldn''t help but celebrate.

    "Don''t underestimate us knights!"

    "We''ll never let anyone harm the princess!"

    Emilia was also quite pleased with the results of her rather rough strategy thus far, but unlike those who simply didn''t know what was actually going on, she knew that this was far from enough.

    The crimson-haired beauty''s expression was grim. "We might have beat them back on one front today, but it should have also jolted them awake a little. Maybe tomorrow¡­ we''ll face their harshest attack yet."

    Noelle and the others naturally had no objection to her words, and quickly made some ns for the defense the next day.

    With all the best fruits of their research for the past few years, as well as the best anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems of Phoenix jam-packed into their temporary ''fortress'', Emilia waited for the enemy with her arms crossed.

    No matter how little the Federation cared for its reputation or the morale of its soldiers, there was no way they wouldn''t try to take this ce back.

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    Emilia hadn''t been particrly worried that the Federation would make a rash move and end up using weapons of mass destruction. After all, doing so would allow Phoenix to do the same, and might also attract some powerful allies to her side, which was thest thing her enemies would want to see.

    Her greatest worry had been that the enemy would have some way to overwhelm or avoid her anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, though it would make little sense as to why they hadn''t used such a thing so far.

    When she only got reports of tanks, light artillery, and infantry marching towards them, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Good, let theme."

    Obviously, with her position on the battlefield today, she might not be able to directly ughter too many of her enemies¡­ but that was fine.

    Today, her role was that of a healer¡­ and a leader.

    Turning her gaze to the neatly lined-up men and women in front of her, she smiled. "Since they dared to set their nasty sight on our empire, let''s show these bullies what we''re made of!"

    "For the princess!"

    "AHHH!"

    "We''ll wee their corpses to Blue Dawn!"

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 Chapter 669 Enemy Sighted

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    The soldiers on Emilia''s side were full of both excitement and passion, as if they couldn''t wait to bathe in the enemy''s blood. And had it been a traditional battle with cold weapons, there was no doubt that they would have overwhelmed almost any enemy.

    Unfortunately, when the battle involved guns, tanks, and explosives¡­ their advantage wasn''t quite so great.

    With her sharp sight, Emilia could clearly see hundreds of those armored metal beasts, surrounded by thousands of troops, and even she couldn''t help but feel a little nervous in her heart. ''Thankfully, we''ve already fixed enough traps around the perimeter to stop the tanks¡­ but the infantry¡­ aren''t there too many?!''

    Even with their more than generous estimates, the total number of soldiers under the Federation''smand shouldn''t be more than ten million, and although she couldn''t reasonably count them all, Emilia felt that there had to be at least a million men in front of her.

    At a distance of almost ten kilometers, they were already clear ''close enough'' for Emilia to be able to view the back of their unreasonably wide line.

    The crimson-haired girl felt her lips twitch. "They''re trying to surround and attack us from all sides, huh?"

    Maybe the Federation was looking for an overwhelming victory, or maybe they were excited to take her down in one go after somehow figuring out that she would be here. But either way, she wondered if they''d forgotten about her empire being at the back of their ''camp''.

    Even if their tanks could fly, there was no way they could surround her from the back, where she would be receiving reinforcements from. Not to mention, the anti-aircraft systems should be able to take them down in that case, right?

    Emilia didn''t have much time for idle thought as the enemy army rapidly advanced, though they abruptly halted in their tracks at the five-kilometer mark.

    It wasn''t that they nned to stop there, but¡­ it''s normal for them to halt after their leading tank explodes.

    The enemy officers ordered a few ''scouting'' units forward and confirmed their suspicions when they exploded to bits and pieces as well.

    Emilia smiled as she watched the enemy''s oppressive momentum copse, and the soldiers on her side cheered and booed at them, though she knew this was only a temporary ''break'' before the grim battle ahead.

    The expected range of the best of the Federation''s tanks was about three thousand meters, but Noelle had suggested that they build a ''barrier'' at almost twice that distance just to be sure.

    Of course, there were plenty more surprises waiting for them at the three-kilometer mark as well.

    As expected, not even thirty minutester, the enemy seemed to have determined the next strategy, and several heavily armored vehicles rushed in a straight line, though there was considerable distance between each of them.

    Given their weight, their speed wasn''t actually that great, and Emilia had plenty of time to ask Dixie for her weapon before shooting down the guy driving the first one¡­. then the second, then the third.

    Of course, a few of her shots did miss, as even with the support of chaos energy, the incredible stability of her physical form, and her sharp eyesight, there were many external factors that determined the trajectory of her shots. But that didn''t stop the soldiers near her from cheering.

    Unfortunately, a few of the enemy vehicles did manage to pass through the line where they''d nted the anti-tank mines, but the traps they expected weren''t triggered.

    The enemymanders couldn''t help but curse. "The difference is only fifty percent, but those mines are calibrated quite disgustingly¡­ if only we had some lighter tanks¡­ their faces would have definitely been worth looking at."

    The man by his side sighed. "It looks like we can only waste a few tanks, huh?"

    "Hmm."<novelnext></novelnext>

    They didn''t seem to be too bothered by the loss of hundreds of theirrades, and simply ordered some soldiers to take back the ''abandoned'' armored vehicles.

    After all, they weren''t particrly damaged, and would definitely be very valuable in the uing battle.

    Emilia shot down a few more before she realized that she was wasting some very valuable rounds on ''grunts'', and instead focused on the head of one of themanders.

    He might not be wearing a different uniform, but he was shouting and cursing quite animatedly. She assumed he must be quite important.

    Since she could kill him¡­ why not?

    Boom!

    ? A head exploded like a watermelon, and the surrounding soldiers couldn''t help but be stunned.

    Unfortunately, the order in the army didn''t copse, and Emilia was sad to see that they soon started pretending that nothing had happened.

    "There must be other idiots hiding nearby instructing them, huh¡­?"

    Too bad even her hearing wasn''t good enough to distinguish everything from such a distance, especially with all themotion everywhere.

    A few minutester, multiple tanks lined up one after another, and orderly progressed towards their ''certain doom'' without a care in the world.

    Emilia sneered. "They n to clear a path through the mines this way, huh?"

    It wasn''t a bad idea. But unfortunately for them¡­ it was bound to fail.

    It wasn''t that they had some magical ''self-renewing'' mines, though that would have been amazing, but a fifty-meter anti-tank trench hidden beneath the hollowed-out ground just beyond the ''mine'' zone.

    When their first tank fell into it, the enemymanders almost fainted.

    "Shit! Where did they learn to dig like that?! There was no trace of the ground being touched there at all!"

    Obviously, they had no idea how ''pro'' Emilia''s subordinates were with digging tunnels. That was pretty much all they did during their rebellion, after all.

    Another thirty-minute break followed, and Emilia tried a few more ''guesses'' at who could be themander, but the exploding heads couldn''t really confirm her sess.

    Dixie couldn''t help but sigh. ''If only I had as good an aim, we could have kept scores. It would have been so fun!''

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 Chapter 670 Beautiful Explosions

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    Although Dixie wasn''t particrly good at extremely long-range weapons, there were many others in the empire''s army who were, and they were more than happy to join in on the fun.

    Being able to participate in a ''sport'' with their empress... it was like a dreame true. Had it not been for the limited long-range weaponry, even the regr soldiers would have jumped to join them atop the wall.

    While they couldn''t really shoot whoever they wanted¡­ even a blind man might hit something when there were so many ''targets'' packed together, and they weren''t particrly picky.

    It might have been a waste of bullets, but they had plenty in stock, and since each life they reaped now could end up saving one of their ownter, Emilia naturally didn''t mind. As for bing a ''prime target'' for the enemy by standing out like that... none of them seemed to care about such a thing.

    Anyway, if the enemy had the ability to shoot them down, they would have definitely ughtered their empress already. Plus, being right by her side... even if they died for her, wouldn''t it be the best way to go?

    If Emilia could hear their thoughts, she would have definitely kicked them in the butt. After all, she always believed in teaching the enemy a lesson, and self-sacrificial thoughts like that were simply not her style.

    Instead of shielding someone you liked from the spearhead with your body, why not kill the enemy first? Anyway, if you died, wouldn''t the one you were protecting be skewered secondster anyway?

    Luckily, she couldn''t read minds, and Crystal was being kept far from the front lines.

    The soldiers of the Federation could only keep their heads down and try their best to remain behind ''cover'', though the continuous ''bangs'' and the disgusting smell of burnt flesh and blood let them know full well just how effective such a strategy was.

    The only ''fortunate'' thing was that with so many rades'' to share their misfortune, their individual probability of doom was quite low, though that was quite miserable on its own.

    Of course, not all of these soldiers were greenhorns, and while many were indeed shaking in their boots while moving forward, there were quite a few who only felt more excited with every step forward.

    After all, the enemy might have the advantage now, but as long as they covered the next few hundred meters¡­ the tables would definitely be flipped.

    Even Emilia couldn''t help but sigh in her heart when she noticed that even with dozens of heads exploding every second¡­ the momentum of the Federation''s army barely seemed to take a hit.

    Of course, their attempt at copying her ''strategy'' had failed spectacrly, though that was no surprise given that she had both the high ground and the initiative. Not to mention, the enemy ''sharpshooters'' weren''t nearly as good¡­ especially after they died.

    In fact, it wasn''t really their fault. After all, not only did Emilia prioritize taking them down, but even the ''inurate'' snipers by her side seemed to suddenly get better when it came to people targeting their princess.

    Obviously, the enemymanders couldn''t let this situation continue.

    The actual loss might be minor and more than eptable, but if they kept getting one-sidedly bullied like that for a long time, it would definitely destroy their army''s morale!

    But of course, even if they knew what needed to be done, no one wanted to be in the position of the scapegoat who would be hated by their own people.

    ''The orders from above wille soon, anyway. They must be even more anxious than us, after all.''

    Their intuition wasn''t wrong, and as they expected, themanders soon received the fateful authorization.

    Even if they already knew it was going to happen, their expressions turned grim.

    This wasn''t a battle in which they would only lose grunts.

    The costs didn''t matter, but if they couldn''t emerge victorious¡­ they could forget about returning alive.

    After all, retreating¡­ was not an option.

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    Although most of her shots kept meeting their mark, Emilia''s brows remained furrowed as she kept randomly taking down enemies that caught her eye. ''Why are their leaders all so cowardly? Can''t they even show their face?!''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, if she could end this fight with a challenge for a ''one versus one'' or even a ''one versus many'' duel, that would be even better, but the crimson-haired girl knew that was only a pipe dream.

    Not to mention that her reputation would have already made any enemy with even a semnce of intelligence wary of epting such a ''bet'', but clever and insidious snakes like the ones who led the Federation would never ept a ''confrontation'' like that even if they''d been certain they would win.

    Putting themselves at even the slightest risk was not their style, after all. And Emilia didn''t need to guess to know that even if they might be using some means to observe it, those people couldn''t be even close to the battlefield today.

    It was quite unfortunate, since she didn''t even have the option to try ending the battle by taking off the enemy leader''s head. Killing the militarymanders and all might be a blow to the enemy''s morale, but Emilia knew it wouldn''t stop the war.

    Her enemy had hundreds of those ''pawns'' they could easily afford to lose, after all. At most, they would only curse at her for having made her waste them, but that was it.

    The more she thought about it, the more infuriated Emilia became. Unconsciously, even the sniper in her hand was imbued with trace amounts of chaos energy, making the ''explosions'' on the battlefield even more ''dazzling''.

    Cynthia hesitated, but after noticing that the chaos energy only seemed to cause the effect through its aura and wasn''t being consumed by her partner''s unconscious actions, she decided not to interrupt her. ''It''s all good as long as she doesn''t put herself in too much danger, anyway.''

    "What an amazing shot!"

    "Ahh! Why can''t I hit them right in the middle of their brows too?!"

    "Hit it! I hit it!"

    But unfortunately, while Emilia''s fireworks did motivate the empire''s soldiers, theypletely failed to have any deterring effect on the enemy.

    After all, not to mention that the visibility from the ground wasn''t as good and no one could see far, they simply had no time to pay much attention to the increased level of brutality with which the heads of theirpanions were exploding.

    "All units, charge forward!"

    "Ignore all obstacles and keep moving!"

    Even though she knew that it was impossible to send them packing without a real ''fight'', Emilia couldn''t help but be shocked at the speed of their advance.

    The enemy army seemed to not even try toe up with new strategies, and just rushed towards them irrespective of any traps on the way.

    Explosions went off one after another, and even the ''fanatic'' soldiers by Emilia''s side shuddered as they watched metal and flesh alike fly into the air mixed with the dust and smoke.

    Some people in the Federation''s army obviously didn''t want to rush to certain death, but there was no avoiding it.

    The moment they paused, they would be dead anyway.

    "Insubordination is treason, and you will face not only death, but disgrace! Keep charging!"

    Obviously, to convey orders on the battlefield, someone had to stand out.

    Emilia hummed. "Looking so imposing, he must be important, right¡­?"

    The cover of the vehicle he was hiding in and the megaphone in his hand did little to help the man, and with a bang, his head exploded ''beautifully''.

    "There¡­ much better."

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 Chapter 671 Indignity

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    Although neither Emilia nor the Federation allowed anyone from the free press to observe them too closely, they naturally had their own ''eyes'' set on the battlefield in a variety of forms.

    On Emilia''s side, the purpose of such facilities was only to keep Noelle, Sam, Crystal, and everyone else ''informed'' so that they didn''t worry too much, but for the Federation, they served a much more critical purpose.

    Naturally, while the leaders of the Federation weren''t foolish enough to step on the battlefield themselves, they didn''t mind being a little closer to facilitatemunication to and from the zone of conflict.

    Obviously, they''d been keeping a close eye on things since the moment theirbined army started marching to take back the lost ''fort'', though calling it that would be an insult to the name.

    With thin walls and barely any means to keep intruders from busting in, the building their soldiers had abandoned and the empire was currently using as a base was about as much of a fort as the slightly elevated ground it was on was a hill.

    Of course, considering that it was constructed under the orders of one of Red Dusk''s old presidents almost a hundred years ago as a tourist attraction, that was no surprise.

    Initially, they''d thought that simply sending in an overwhelming force would make the empire''s men retreat.

    After all, while they might fight desperately at Blue Dawn''s border out of desperation, the White Deer Corporation might not necessarily be able to convince them to die defending a captured territory so easily. Or so they thought.

    And when they spotted the crimson-haired girl on top of the ''castle'' wall, the leaders of the Federation couldn''t help but startughing.

    "Ahaha¡­ what an unexpected harvest!"

    "Guess the Fort of Vanderbilt will be her grave. Fitting, a flimsy and characterless ce for a faker puppet."

    "Even if she''s figurehead being used by the White Deer Corporation, without the face of this vixen, they''d definitely not be as much of a threat anymore. The only thing I don''t understand¡­ is why they would allow her to be there in the first ce?"

    "I''m guessing that all the chaos in the war distracted her puppeteers enough to let her do as she pleases. And given how conceited and arrogant she is¡­ she probably thinks that no matter whates her way, there''s no way her side will lose."

    Of course, although such a way of thinking wasughable for reasonable men like them, they couldn''t me a young girl who hadn''t really seen much of the ''real'' world for being so na?ve. After all, while the White Deer Corporation might be using her face and character to their maximum advantage, they could see that their doting and care for Emilia was far from fake.

    Even an angel would grow a big head after being praised and pampered so much, let alone a human like Emilia.

    "Hm¡­ should we prioritize her capture if possible?"

    The president of Red Dusk could naturally tell that the ''ball'' was once again pushed onto him, so he frowned and thought about it carefully before shaking his head decisively. "¡­ No, it''s not worth the risk. We should shoot her down as soon as she''s within range first, before she realizes the true extent of the danger she''s put herself in and tries to flee."

    Although only time would tell the effectiveness of Emilia''s death on the war, the president of Red Dusk had no doubt that it would be in their favor.

    Figurehead or not, without someone to look up to and rally behind, it was incredibly difficult to control people facing a despairing situation. Not to mention, suddenly losing the main control point, it would be a wonder if the puppeteers were even able to convince even half of ''their'' current supporters to continue heading to their doom.

    "Ahaha¡­ I was thinking going so hard here was way overkill, but now I''m really d we decided tomit to it. Our ''leader'' is quite ''wise'', as expected."

    Although there was some sarcasm in his tone, and the president of Red Dusk could tell that the man wasplimenting his ''luck'' more than his wisdom, he still smiled. "It''s all thanks to everyone''s valuable guidance and support."

    Others didn''t express their opinions too much, and simply enjoyed the view on the screen leisurely.

    It might not be as good as some of the high-budget movies due to theck of special effects and rity, but the sight of hundreds of tanks and hundreds of thousands of soldiers marching orderly towards a ''doomed'' fort was still enough to send chills of excitement down anyone''s spine.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even when one of their tanks exploded, the leaders of the Federation didn''t flinch.

    Given that their enemy had just enough time to prepare, it would really be a surprise if there were no traps on the way instead.

    As expected, themanders on the ground were able to easily work around the situation¡­ or so it should have been, anyway.

    "What the fuck is going on?! How can she shoot like that from such a distance?!"

    The president of Red Dusk sneered. "You''re asking me¡­ and who am I supposed to ask¡­?"

    Obviously, none of them took Emilia''s previous ''achievements'' too seriously. All the things she was said to have done might indeed have happened¡­ but that didn''t mean she was the one who did it.

    After all, as people in power, how could they fail to see through such half-baked propaganda?

    Being able to fight and kill trained and armed soldiers like that when she was barely a teenager, and with no ''real'' training at that¡­ even the ''agents'' they secretly trained from before those little kiddies could even talk properly couldn''t do that.

    Not to mention, those ''clearly forged'' videos even had multiple clips of the girl getting wounded heavily at times, but not once did Emilia show any signs of injury or scarster, and her choice of clothing was far from being good enough to help her ''conceal'' much.

    The only thing ''outstanding'' about Emilia was her face, and perhaps her tongue. After all, the girl at least knew how to talk, they couldn''t deny that.

    In fact, if they had to pick someone to be the ''face'' of any kind of movement or revolution, and she was one of the options they had avable, none of them would even need to think twice before picking her.

    Of course, if what they were now seeing was right¡­ they''d clearly been wrong.

    They might not be able to do it themselves, but most of them had a very clear understanding of just how difficult it was to shoot someone down from that kind of distance. Even the best of the best wouldn''t be able to do it without some ridiculous amount of luck on their side.

    But to admit that they''d been wrong¡­ wasn''t so easy.

    One of them hummed thoughtfully. "¡­ I think the White Deer probably has several ''body doubles'' with exceptional talent in various fields. With this level of quality¡­ it''s no wonder they were able to hype her up so well."

    Although he said that, the hint of doubt in his tone made it clear that even the speaker didn''t quite believe in his own words. After all, finding people who had an appearance simr to Emilia was easier said than done, and talent at that level was hard enough to find on its own.

    But clearly upset by the ''admiration'' in his voice, the man who first questioned the president of Red Dusk couldn''t help but smack his thigh in anger. "Shit¡­ I don''t even care if she can shoot so urately or whatever, but what the fuck are our men doing? Can''t those idiots just kill her first, or go in all at once? Do they think this is supposed to be a turn-based game or what?!"

    "Be patient. Themanders on the battlefield are no fools. They''ll figure it out." The president of Red Dusk frowned as he wiped the raging man''s spittle from his face. ''Next time¡­ let''s put arger round table here.''

    Unfortunately, his words and confidence had the exact opposite effect of calming everyone down after their army seemed to have beenpletely humiliated in all their attempts at breaking past the ''barrier''¡­ and they were still five kilometers away from the ''fort''.

    ? Even the president of Red Dusk couldn''t help but curse. "Shit!"

    For a few tense moments, no one spoke a word, and then... the president of Red Dusk grabbed the inte, his hand shaking visibly, though no one was sure whether it was from nervousness or rage. "Move on to the final phase first, and regardless of the cost... run them over. All of them!"

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 Chapter 672 The Desperate And The Dauntless

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    Despite Emilia obliterating the head of the guy who gave them the order, the Federation''s army didn''t dare to disobey their instructions, and continued charging towards their goal.

    The soldiers continued pouring in through the smoke like an unstoppable tide, and didn''t even seem to care if those around them were shot dead or sted to bits and pieces. They didn''t even pause to take care of any wounded from the mines.

    Of course, given that they would be ughtered by their superiors on retreating anyway, it only made sense.

    Since they were going to die anyway, it was better to take a chance at glory. At the very least, the future of their families back home wouldn''t be in peril. As for camaraderie, sorrow, or trauma¡­ those might only have the chance to set inter.

    Long range rifles continued raining death upon the charging forces, and the mines buried underground kept getting triggered one after the other, sending smoke and flesh high into the sky, but the desperate soldiers kept on marching as if possessed.

    The guns firing from a distance that was far too close and in apletely different direction from their ''enemy'' made it clear that they had no other choice.

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t particrly sad to see her ''enemies'' suffering, but knowing what wasing next, she couldn''t really feel any joy in her heart.

    "Everyone, get ready."

    It wouldn''t be long before the enemy soldiers were close enough to be able to shoot at them. And unlike how it was with non-gunpowder ranged weapons like bows, Emilia knew that having the high ground wouldn''t provide them with much advantage.

    Not to mention, remaining inside this flimsy ''fort'' might be even more dangerous than confronting the enemy head-on.

    After all, the structure was far from strong enough to be able to withstand the enemy''s bombs and grenades, and it wouldn''t be funny if they all ended up buried within their own ''fortifications''.

    Luckily, they''d already considered this in advance, and made preparations to fight a few dozen meters away from the fort.

    Of course, Emilia and the other snipers never stopped shooting as the enemy closed the distance between them. Every life they reaped might end up saving one of their own, after all.

    Dixie frowned as she watched the enemy forces get closer and closer. "Princess¡­ we should get away from the wall too."

    Emilia had already taken down hundreds of their enemies before the fight had even started, and in the dark-haired girl''s opinion, there was no need to take unnecessary risks for a few more.

    With how high-profile her princess had been so far, there was no way that the enemy wouldn''t aim for her first once they got the chance.

    Emilia huffed, but despite her dissatisfied expression, she passed her rifle to themander waiting behind her before hopping off the wall.

    "The ''elixir'' has already been distributed properly, right?"

    "Yes, princess. We''ve already equipped all medics and nonbatants with the bottles. And the rest is ready for distribution as needed."

    Emilia hummed. "Good."

    Two of themanders followed behind the crimson-haired girl along with Dixie and showed her the ''elixir'' that was still waiting for distribution, assuming that she wanted to inspect it.

    Although they weren''t sure how the pink liquid would be able to instantly stabilize even fatal wounds if administered in time, themanders obviously had no reason to believe that they''d been lied to.

    Such medicine must naturally be extremely precious, and it wasn''t strange for their empress to want to make sure nothing had gone wrong with it before their big battle.

    After all, if used right, it could very well prove to be the trump card that turned the war in their favor.

    Obviously, they had no idea that the light pink liquid was just pure water mixed with a tiny amount of Emilia''s blood and some color. In fact, it had really been just water not long ago, and the crimson-haired girl had only ''activated'' it shortly after she received confirmation of the enemy''s arrival.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t that Emilia waszy and didn''t like to prepare well in advance, though. She just didn''t want to take the risk of her energy and blood returning to her before they were done with their purpose during the battle.

    "Alright, the two of you can go. The enemy is just about to strike, so the army will need your guidance."

    The twomanders hurriedly saluted her before rushing off, clearly worried about the situation outside.

    With only the two of them there, Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose it won''t hurt to increase the concentration a little. Right, Dixie?"

    The dark-haired girl was obviously reluctant, but she knew that arguing with Emilia was useless at this point. "¡­ Alright."

    The two of them quickly emptied all the ss bottles into therge vat by the side, and the crimson-haired girl pricked the tip of her finger with a needle to drip blood into the water.

    A few dropster, her fingertip healed, and Emilia hummed in satisfaction. "¡­ There, that should be enough to heal most wounds, though hopefully the soldiers will be able to extract the bullets before drinking this."

    Dixie helped her refill the bottles with the ''elixir'', a dreadful feeling in her heart. ''Please don''t let her say what I think she''s going to say¡­''

    Unfortunately, the more someone dreads something, the more likely it seems toe to true.

    "I''ll go help out in the trenches, alright? You can stay here and help distribute the elixir to the ''healers'', or follow me."

    Dixie hurriedly followed behind her in a panic as the crimson-haired girl rushed ahead without even waiting for her response.

    "Ahh, if you''re gonna follow me, make sure to stay quiet and not stray too far, alright?"

    The dark-haired girl almost lost her footing at her giggle. "Y-Your big sister and Noelle will definitely scold us for being stupid!"

    Emilia could obviously hear the pleading in her voice, but her determination didn''t waver at all. "I know."

    She would much rather face their ''punishment'' after returning without regrets, anyway.

    The arrival of their princess naturally caused quite a bit of confused terror and excitement among the soldiers in the trenches.

    The enemy was almost about to enter their range, after all, and it wouldn''t be wrong to say that this spot was a thousand times more dangerous than the one where Emilia had been shooting from before.

    How could the jewel of their empire be allowed to remain in a ce like this? If something happened to her, wouldn''t all their determination and sacrifice be in vain?

    "P-Princess! Y-You shouldn''t be here!"

    "We''ll take care of those invading vermin on our own, princess, just wait for us to return!"

    Emilia just rolled her eyes as she lightly smacked the soldier closest to her on the back of his head. "I''m happy that you''re all worried about me, but just trust me and focus on the enemy, okay?"

    Normally, the people of Blue Dawn would obey her will without much thought, but this time, they obviously didn''t look very willing. What made her move ording to her will was ''adoration'' rather than ''fear'', after all, and the ''weakness'' of Emilia''s way of ruling them was made distinctly clear at this moment.

    ''Luckily'', however, they had no chance to be ''disobedient'' as themanders started screaming.

    "Enemy in range! Fire! Fire!!!"

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 Chapter 673 The Price Paid In Blood

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    No matter what kind of battle it was, as long as the defenders weren''t too stupid, they would naturally have some advantage in terms of terrain and position. Of course, being ''better off'' than the attackers did little to reduce the chance of a bullet to the head reaping the life of any of them.

    Even Emilia didn''t dare to be too conspicuous in the trenches, and even tied up her hair tightly to cover it with a helmet. After all, her shiny crimson locks would only be an open invitation for a bullet to the head, and she had no intention of testing whether or not she had the ability to heal from it.

    ''The best I can do is make sure that everyone in the trenches stays alive.''

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    The true brutality of war can only be experienced in person. And for those who''d been through it once¡­ few had the courage to ever dare face it again.

    After all, dancing with death might sound exciting, but when it actually happened¡­ the ''dance'' generally only involved despair and desperation.

    Broken limbs, torn flesh, and sttered blood painted the vast battlefield into a picture of despair and death as hundreds of thousands of empty eyes stared into the sky. And yet¡­ the sound of bullets and aftershocks of grenades never stopped.

    Themanders of the Federation''s army kept urging their soldiers to continue pushing even as their numbers continuously declined at a terrifying rate, and they had no choice but to stay as low as they could and rush forward while firing blindly, hoping beyond hope that they could dive into the ''safety'' of the enemy trenches somehow.

    Under their desperation, the distance between the two armies continuously shrank from thousands of meters to five hundred, and from five hundred to one.

    The sun had long since set over the horizon, and no artificial ''lights'' could survive long amidst the rain of bullets and smoke in all directions of the battlefield.

    Although the defenders were armed with plenty of night-vision equipment, the additional cover of the night still helped the attackers a lot.

    And stepping over the sea of their deadrades¡­ the first few ''lucky ones'' finally made it to the empire''s trenches.

    Only to be promptly skewered by the defenders.

    "Kill anyone who enters!"

    Obviously, such a thing didn''t even need to be mentioned. Everyone knew what the consequences would be if a single enemy was allowed to open fire after getting in. But every time one of the soldiers had to turn around to kill someone who dove into the trenches¡­ the number of guns firing at the enemy army was reduces by one, and the chances of someone else making to the end were increased ever so slightly.

    It came to the point where even Emilia and Dixie had to abandon their previous ns and focus on getting rid of the invaders. They''d previously been focusing on just healing the injured, but realized that it would be quite futile if the intruders weren''t stopped first.

    Although their preparation could already be considered extremely meticulous given the rather short amount of time they''d had¡­ Emilia couldn''t help but regret that they hadn''t installed some thick barbed wire to hinder their enemy''s advance at this final level, though it was debatable how much that would have helped.

    Naturally, even if they were outnumbered and at an extreme disadvantage, it was inevitable for a few attackers to get lucky eventually. And whenever they did¡­ the consequences were disastrous for the empire.

    No matter how miraculous Emilia''s blood was¡­ it couldn''t heal the dead.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her daggers slid through one neck after another as Emilia wove through the enemies like a phantom, while Dixie covered her back and crushed anyone who jumped in after her.

    Naturally, with most of the defenders free to shoot in that area, it didn''t take long before the enemies noticed something amiss.

    Of course, due to theck of information, they only assume that there must be a special unit of defenders at Emilia''s position, and themanders started redirecting their men to focus on other areas instead.

    After all, only if they could break through and force the enemy to flee from the trenches could they have a chance to win.

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    The battle onlysted for two days, but for everyone involved¡­ it seemed to have stretched through eternity.

    No one dared to catch even a wink of sleep despite every single minute feeling like hours, and the only rest anyone got was the type that had no end.

    In the end, with their defender''s advantage and tenacious will¡­ the empire won, but it wasn''t without cost.

    Many in the empire celebrated as the leftover ''cowards'' of the Federation finally retreated, but no one dared to cheer, or even speak, in front of the battle''s ''champion'' and their empress.

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    Ever since she''d been ''reborn'' with Cynthia''s help, Emilia had always considered herself to be inexhaustible. At least, that was true as long as she got a few moments of rest every now and then.

    But for the first time since her rebirth, Emilia realized that she was very, very wrong.

    In fact, she could also get tired, and it felt much, much worse than anything she''d previously experienced in her mortal body.

    It was a hundred times worse than when she''d been unable to take a single step forward as the muscles in her thighs and calves burned from being unable to run anymore when she''d decided to race with her horse, and a thousand times worse than how she felt after winning the ''armored marathon'' she''d once been stupid enough to host.

    After all, this exhaustion came from the very depths of her soul. And the feeling of her body being perfectly capable of doing what she wanted it to do, yet her own willpower being insufficient to actually make it move¡­ was definitely not something Emilia imagined she would one day experience.

    "Emily¡­ we should leave¡­"

    Of course, even though the battle had long since ended now, Dixie didn''t dare to stray too far from her side as the crimson-haired girl knelt on the ground. "¡­ Crystal should be waiting for us."

    In front of them¡­ were most of the dead bodies of their empire''s soldiers. Some couldn''t be recovered, unfortunately, but the dark-haired girl just hoped that Emilia wouldn''t notice it.

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 Chapter 674 Unexpected

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    Of course, things would have been far worse if not for the ''elixir'', but the ruthlessness of the Federation still disgusted her to the core.

    Even if the size of theirbined army was muchrger than the empire''s¡­ did they not care how many of them died at all?

    They couldn''t have known about her side having something that could almost instantly heal near-fatal wounds, so Emilia simply couldn''t make sense of their approach.

    Even if it was her, with her incredible influence over the people of Blue Dawn, sacrificing so many troops so ruthlessly in an attempt to invade another''s territory would definitely make her fall out of favor quite quickly.

    Not to mention, unless the situation was really desperate, the crimson-haired girl really couldn''t ever see herself doing such a thing.

    After all, was it really worth it to ''win'' by losing so much?

    Emilia wasn''t so na?ve as to think that there would be no casualties on her side in a battle of this scale, but when she really saw so many of her soldiers dead on the ground, how could she not feel depressed and exhausted?

    After all, they''d died fighting for her. Almost half of the empire''s ''military'' consisted of volunteers who had decided to take up arms to defend the honor of both Blue Dawn and their empress, and Emilia personally knew many amongst the dead who had previously smiled at her in adoration.

    It was like someone had stabbed her heart with a knife.

    Soon, her exhaustion and sadness gave way to rage, and the crimson-haired girl shot up to her feet so quick that Dixie almost stumbled back in shock.

    Unshed tears brimmed in Emilia''s eyes. ''Unforgivable...!''

    For a moment, the dark-haired girl even worried that Emilia might be thinking of rushing to the Federation''s forces, but her worries were soon alleviated when Emilia spoke.

    "Since they haven''t retreated too far, the Federation is definitely nning to strike again." The crimson-haired girl frowned, but just as she was about to continue, a strange feeling surged through her soul, and Cynthia screamed.

    "Emilia¡ª!"

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    Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the meeting room of the Federation''s leaders was somber.

    As long as they''d won and been able to retake the site from Blue Dawn, the ''cost'' wouldn''t have mattered that much. However, since they failed to actually do so¡­ just who was supposed to take the me?

    It was impossible to keep what happened in the battle a secret, and once everyone knew that they''d not only sacrificed so much, but also failed to achieve anything in return¡­ their leadership would definitely be put into question.

    Not to mention, those who opposed them had already been gaining some momentum thanks to the ''unstable elements'' that had recently been causing trouble, and there was no telling just how much more support they could amass using this incident.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Some of them couldn''t help but hesitate. "Perhaps¡­ we should put this war on hold for a while, and take care of our own matters first."

    "Impossible! If we retreat now, isn''t that the same as admitting that we were wrong?"

    "But if you think about it¡­ this was the best opportunity to score a decisive victory over the empire, and¡­ we failed. Even if we manage to take that fort down the next time, Emilia should have already fled at that time, and all we''ll gain in exchange of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and so much infamy¡­ would be just a flimsy little fort."

    The president of Red Dusk could tell that the discussion was heading in a very wrong direction, and he couldn''t help but feel uneasy. "Although we really suffered a bit this time, there''s no need to be so pessimistic. Our army is still keeping an eye on the situation, and it won''t take long for the reinforcements to get there and be ready for another strike. Plus, with how arrogant that girl is¡­ maybe she won''t leave, after all."

    The confidence in his tone made it clear that the man truly believed that this time they''d surely win, but no one was sure how much of it was just a front.

    With how two faced he usually was, it wouldn''t be strange for him to be making preparations to pull back while still insisting on making everyone else rush forward.

    Though even if he was being ''honest''¡­ that hardly mattered.

    "¡­ Even if she''s still there, how can you be confident we can take her down?"

    Obviously, none of them had been expecting that the empire would be able to actually defend the fort this time. To say that their confidence in being able to win against the empire was shaken would be an understatement.

    Even with a force that was almost ten times the size of their opponent''s, they''d still lost!

    The president of Red Dusk was just about to refute when an ominous feeling surged through his heart, and his expression changed. Although he couldn''t be sure, he had a feeling that something big must have happened.

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    Dixie wasn''t quite sure what was going on, but seeing how Emilia insisted on getting back to the capital as soon as possible, she could only drive her to the nearest runway.

    It was only when the two of them were already on their way in the jet that she finally realize that something must have happened on Crystal''s side.

    After all, other than some of their old ssmates, she was the only one currently staying in the capital, though Penny often moved from ce to ce while taking care of the knights''work, so Dixie couldn''t be sure of her location.

    Fortunately, the airspace inside the empire was still quite safe, and thanks to being able to use a jet, they arrived at the Blue Lotus Pce soon enough.

    Crystal seemed to have been expecting them, and was waiting at the gate with a tired yet proud smile on her face.

    Emilia rushed forward to clutch the blonde girl''s shoulders, her expression almost indecipherable. "How¡­ did you do it?"

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 Chapter 675 Unsavory

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    Unbelievable as it was, the moment that strange feeling struck her, Emilia had known what must have happened.

    After all, she''d already gone through it twice. And Cynthia''s screaming voice soon confirmed it.

    Herst mission¡­ had beenpleted!

    Of course,pared to simply making the White Deer Corporation number one, making the ck Tiger go bankrupt, or even making Crystal and Amos hate each other, Emilia had always known that thest mission would be much more unpredictable.

    After all, there was no clear definition of a ''winner in life'', and the crimson-haired girl truly had no idea just how far she would have to go to convince Amos ¡ª or more precisely, the world will inside of him ¡ª that she was no longer someone he could ever reach.

    There is no reasoning with the demented, after all. Or so she thought.

    Naturally, unlike her partner, Cynthia had no scruples celebrating her sess, and even animated the ''mission sessful'' panel in Emilia''s vision to make it more ''formal'', presumably.

    ==========

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The world will has admitted its fundamental loss, and is now in the process of abandoning its host and entering a dormant state to recover. Please proceed to the location of the former hero immediately!

    ? Immediately!

    ===========

    Since it was important, Cynthia had mentioned it twice, and despite her previously despondent state, Emilia at least seemed to know her priorities, reaching the Blue Lotus Pce the same day.

    "Don''t waste time with this blonde monkey now, you two can always talkter! Quickly go grab that brat!"

    The raven-haired girl''s anxious voice made it impossible for Emilia to stay still, and after giving Crystal a ''wait here'' look, she immediately dashed into the basement at full speed.

    ''I clearly felt some chaos energy flow into me before, but it barely upped our reserves by seven percent.'' The crimson-haired girl narrowed her eyes. ''I''m guessing that even that stupid thing must have some way to cut off its ties with the abandoned host and save itself, huh?''

    Afterpleting her first two missions, Emilia''s energy reserve was already over ny-six percent, and despite her making use of it whenever necessary, it had only fallen by 3.97 percent in total, leaving her with 99.84 percent energy currently.

    It was just a little short of a hundred, and even without Cynthia''s help, Emilia felt that she could probably try squeezing out some form of remnant energy from Amos if possible, or seek some out elsewhere to finish her goal. In the worst case, if she had no other choice, she could even try channeling back a little bit of what she had previously given out.

    But the crimson-haired girl had the feeling that while reaching a hundred percent in energy reserves was a ''requirement'', it wasn''t really all that they needed from this world.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Emilia''s thoughts were confirmed when Cynthia gave her a warning not to make any strange moves the moment they stepped in front of Amos.

    "We can''t let it escape, this is our only chance, understand? Just be normal, and wait for me to make a move."

    The crimson-haired girl naturally had no reason to refuse, and schooled her expression as best as she could before stepping in front of the deliriouslyughing boy.

    Surprisingly enough, despite her third mission''s sess and the world will''s abandonment, Amos was quite soberpared to his usual delusional self.

    "Ahahaha¡­ are you here to mock me too? Figures, now that no one in the world can even think of stopping you¡­ ahaha¡­. what are you even keeping me alive? Want to make me your toy or something?" He sneered. "Although I might have fallen this low, don''t underestimate the pride of Amos ck. I would rather be dead than be your toy."

    Although she hadn''t been able to properly question Crystal because of Cynthia''s urging, Emilia could more or less tell what must have happened to put Amos in this state.

    The blonde girl was clever enough to understand her mission with just a few hints, so there was no surprise that she was able to figure out a possible way to help herplete it.

    She must have used her recent ''sess'' on the battlefield to make it seem like even thebined might of thirteen ''strong'' countries stood no chance in front of her, and naturally, with the hero''s understanding of the world, it wasn''t a surprise that his mentality copsed once he could no longer deny that ''truth''.

    Of course, with her current state of mind, Emilia couldn''t really feel any joy from the hero''s despair.

    Amos also seemed to feel something strange, and just his gaze was starting to wander up and down her body, a ck shadow seemingly materialized out of nowhere right behind him, and the hero felt his vision fade as pain exploded from his chest.

    Shockingly enough, there was a wispy, shadowy fist poking out of his torso, grasping something golden, but Amos had no time to ponder on any of it as he lost consciousness.

    "Hah! I finally got it!" Cynthia triumphantly lifted the thing in her palm into the air, a huge grin on her face.

    Her shadowy form had solidified again the moment she lost contact with the hero''s body, and the golden mass in her hand also seemed to have gained form at the same time.

    Emilia frowned. "Is that¡­ the world will?"

    The thing in Cynthia''s palm was shaped like a little pig, except that it had no eyes, and its snout was almost twice the length of what it should be, but thanks to its small form, it didn''t really look too odd.

    Had she been in a good mood, and it had not been what she thought it was, the crimson-haired girl might even have had the urge to pet it.

    Of course, as it was, she felt little regret when Cynthia crushed the squealing ''pig'' with both hands, and kept squeezing the golden ''bubblegum'' until it was the size of an apple.

    "Want a bite?"

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 Chapter 676 Cynthias Power?

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    Emilia vaguely felt the shock and disgust radiating from the golden ''pig'' before it was crushed by Cynthia, though she didn''t pay it much mind. "¡­ I doubt it tastes good."

    The raven-haired girl grinned. "To be honest, it tastes like nothing, really. But the burst of energy you get from it makes you feel¡­ well, you''ll only know it when you experience it yourself. Maybe you''ll even forget about ying around with those little friends of yours."

    Her ''temptation'' would definitely have worked on Emilia had she been in her natural, curious mood. But as it was, the crimson-haired girl only shook her head with a faint smile. "I''m fine."

    "Don''t regret it, then." Cynthia shrugged as she chomped down on the ''apple'' with delight, and the moment she did, the previously stagnating energy level quickly shot past the 100% mark.

    ===========

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Grade 1 Energy Reserve exceeded 100%! Evolution Unlocked!

    Grade 2 Energy Reserve Unlocked!

    Grade 1 Energy Reserve: 109.84%¡­ 113.31%¡­ 124.56%¡­ 135.88%¡­ 149.26%¡­

    ===========

    By the time Cynthia had finished devouring the whole thing, the energy they had was already past the two hundred percent mark, and the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but scream in joy. "Yes! This is more than enough, more than enough!"

    Even if they were getting by fine until now, only Cynthia knew how worried she had been about how expensive it would be in the future to ''raise'' someone like Emilia, who loved to splurge energy left and right on all the little monkeys she liked. Not to mention, she also had to consider the ''travel expenses'' and other needs!

    Oblivious to her partner''s thoughts, Emilia couldn''t help but frown in worry. "W-Wait, Cynthia¡­ although we''vepleted our missions now, can''t we wait a little longer before leaving? I-I¡ª!"

    The raven-haired girl interrupted her with a giggle. "C''mon now, rx¡­ When did I rush you to leave? It''s a pleasant surprise that we managed to finish early, but you''re free to y around to soothe your mind after all that hard work if you want."

    Emilia sighed. "I just want to figure out a way to clean up all this mess, you know? Even if the world will is gone, the empire is still at war with the Federation, and I just can''t imagine what things might look like in the future if I suddenly disappeared at this time."

    Clearly, despite her partner''s ims that she''d be able to take those she wanted with her, Emilia didn''t believe that she could really carry everyone in the empire.

    The fact that Cynthia hadn''t yet rified how exactly she would be ''taking them back'' made her more than a little concerned.

    Not to mention, even if she could do so, they might not necessarily be willing to apany her.

    After all, admiring someone didn''t mean that they''d just be able to abandon their roots without a thought. As far as Emilia was concerned, without some deep-seated love, hatred, or obsession, plunging one''s future into apletely unknown dimension simply didn''t make any sense for most people.

    But just because she couldn''t take them with her didn''t mean that the crimson-haired girl would stop caring about them.

    Their fate would naturally be in their own hands after she left, but at the very least, Emilia wanted to make sure that she didn''t leave any disasters behind for the people she cared for.

    Seeing the dark clouds in her partner''s usually crystal-clear eyes, Cynthia couldn''t help but groan. "You''ll really be the death of me one day¡­ Fine, since you''re so desperate, I''ll help you out, I guess¡­"

    Emilia''s eyes immediately lit up. "Do you have any ideas?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ideas?" Cynthia sneered. "Do you believe I actually need to ''think'' to deal with these little monkeys? Hmph. Just watch."

    She pped her hands together, and the ck-gauze dress on the raven-haired girl''s body fluttered as if she had suddenly been plunged into the eye of a storm.

    Energy Reserve: 219.37% ¡ú 218.37%

    Then, as she slowly parted her palms, a small golden bean of energy could be briefly seen floating inside before it was promptly crushed by another p.

    An omnidirectional wave of golden energy erupted with that shattered bead at its center, and although Emilia couldn''t really tell what was happening, she had a feeling that what Cynthia was now using must be something she could not have done without devouring the world will.

    After all, despite her partner''s usually taciturn personality, the crimson-haired girl knew very well that she would definitely never stand aside and watch her be so sad if she could help it.

    Before Emilia could ask her what she''d done, however, Cynthia once again opened her palms, and this time there was another small bead inside.

    Energy Reserve: 218.37% ¡ú 217.87%

    Although much smaller in sizepared to the golden one before, the ominous feeling Emilia got from the pure emerald made it clear that the two were definitely iparable.

    Maybe¡­ this was Cynthia''s own power.

    Although it was definitely created with chaos energy, despite Emilia''s absurd ''talent'', she had no way to grasp its profundities at all, and even had the feeling that she would suffer greatly under it with just a single thought from her partner.

    Of course, Emilia was just a little curious about what it was, and didn''t really feel any ''fear'' in her heart. After all, if Cynthia really wanted to harm her, there were many easier ways to do so, and there was no need to even waste energy on such a thing.

    ===========

    Skill: Titan''s Will!

    Thirteen Targets Located!

    Energy Reserve: 217.87% ¡ú 217.74%

    ===========

    "There, done." Cynthia dusted off her hands, a satisfied smile on her face.

    "¡­?"

    Although she found her partner''s confused expression unexpectedly adorable, the raven-haired girl obviously wouldn''t admit such a thing. "Okay, since I know you''re smart enough, I''ll let you figure it out yourself while I go recover. Be ready for the evolution when I''m back, got it?"

    Emilia could only blink nkly as Cynthia returned back to her ''domain'', leaving only the empty basement to apany her thoughts¡­ well, if Amos didn''t count, that is.

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 Chapter 677 Tilting Scales

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    When the Federation approached her through neutral channelster that day, Emilia wasn''t too surprised.

    Of course, she epted their request for them to meet face-to-face.

    What caught her off guard, though, was the venue they proposed. After all¡­ Phoenix was her ally now, and if the Federation''s leaders dared to actually step foot there during an ongoing war¡­ they were either too confident, or were trying to prove a point.

    Either way, it showed that they were willing to put their lives on the line this time.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t dare topletely let down her guard, though, and still instructed her forces to remain on full alert.

    Of course, this meant that Noelle and Sam also had to stay in Carmen to oversee the management of resources and troops there, and aside from Dixie, Crystal, and a small crew to apany her, the rest would have to stay to defend the empire.

    Emilia had been hoping that Cynthia would be ready for their ''evolution'' before the meeting, but unfortunately, luck didn''t seem to be on her side, and even trying to enter her ''istion chamber'' didn''t work, thanks to a thick golden barrier around the ce.

    The crimson-haired girl frowned. "Well, it''s not like I can''t take care of them as I am¡­ but it will definitely create a mess for Phoenixter."

    Crystal coughed. "T-There''s no need to be too hasty. Why don''t you listen to what they have to say first?"

    "Of course I will." Emilia sighed. "It''s just¡­ I have a feeling that Cynthia must have just erased whatever effect the old world will had on them, but that doesn''t mean they have changed as a person."

    After all, even if their feelings on certain matters changed, since their interests were already deeply involved, those people would still be quite motivated to continue the war.

    The blonde girl didn''t know how to refute that, so she could only shrug. "It''s just¡­ I have felt a lot more positive and pure feelings for you ever since ''it'' happened, and almost nothing bad seems to be heading your way now."

    Emilia smiled. "Of course, but we''ve only been in Blue Dawn until now, so that''s natural."

    Crystal couldn''t bring herself to rify that even the people of Blue Dawn hadn''t been so ''pure'' in their admiration for her in the past. After all, everyone had a different character, and different ways of loving and admiring those they liked.

    Some were content simply gazing at her from afar and would be happy if she was happy, while others wouldn''t be happy unless they could somehow be a part of her happiness.

    Of course, there were also those with darker desires, the type she didn''t dare to let too close to her princess, lest they take advantage of her.

    Some of them might have gotten past her before she awakened her ability, but Crystal would never allow such a thing to happen again.

    One Penny was enough. At least she knew how far she could and couldn''t go. As for Koko¡­ well, she was still too na?ve to truly enact her desires.

    Of course, Crystal couldn''t feel any disdain for them. After all, to feel that way was just proof that they were human.

    Even Noelle, Sam, and Dixie weren''t free of these dark desires, and Crystal sometimes even felt that she might be the only one good enough to be close to Emilia. But then she realized that it might be only because she couldn''t use her ability on herself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After ''it'' happened though, many of the more ''extreme'' of these dark desires simply seemed to have vanished from her senses, and for a while, Crystal couldn''t help but be rmed.

    Was her ability turning dull? Did she need to ask Emilia for a ''booster''? But looking at her current mood¡­

    Of course, she soon realized another possibility, and immediately felt enlightened. ''Since they called it the world will, and now it''s been ''defeated''¡­ isn''t it possible that whatever subtle influence it had on people is also gone?!''

    Although Crystal herself didn''t feel any kind of change in her heart before and after ''it'' happened, she realized that it be because her proximity to Emilia made her ''special'', or maybe because her feelings were just too strong.

    The blonde girl frowned. ''If it can have an effect even on people who are so strongly obsessed with Emilia¡­ then surely, those who didn''t like her to begin with must have felt much, much worse.''

    In the end, Crystal felt that even if she couldn''t ''disillusion'' Emilia from the people of Blue Dawn, she had to let her know about something so important before she met her enemies.

    With only thirty minutes left before their flightnded, she didn''t have much time to think.

    Sending an apologetic look to the confused Dixie, Crystal whispered ''something'' in Emilia''s ears to support her argument before leaning back and clearing her throat. "S-So surely, you cannot underestimate how much everyone''s ''intentions'' could have changed. And by everyone¡­ I do mean literally everyone."

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    Be was more than happy to receive Emilia in person this time, and didn''t seem to care much about the ''implications'' anymore as she hugged her.

    The crimson-haired beauty was still as stunning as she remembered, thoughmentably, she couldn''t see the phoenix tattoo on her back because of the obstruction of her dress. "Don''t worry, no matter what it is that they have to say, I''ll stand by your side."

    Emilia didn''t seem to mind the taller girl''s extended and overly intimate embrace, and only smiled gently when she was finally released. "Thank you. Just taking care of my parents as you have was already good enough, helping as much as you have was more than I ever expected."

    Of course, it was mostly ttery. She''d offered real benefits in return of their cooperation. And she would have definitely withdrawn them if the other side hadn''t fulfilled the deal. But it didn''t hurt to make her allies a little happier, did it?

    As expected, the smile on Be''s face bloomed like a rose, full of mature charm. "Auntie and Uncle have taken care of me more, to be honest."

    If Mr. and Mrs. White were embarrassed, they didn''t let it show on their face, and only took turns hugging their precious daughter.

    "You''ve been doing amazing, darling."

    "Mom and Dad are proud of you."

    Naturally, they couldn''t shed tears in front of her now, when they believed she really needed to stay strong.

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 Chapter 678 Negotiating Peace

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    With so many ''vtile'' forces gathering up in their capital, Phoenix naturally didn''t dare to take any chances. Not only was the security everywhere at the highest level possible, but absolutely no one was allowed to bring too many ''bodyguards'' or weapons with them regardless of their identity.

    Even Emilia, an Empress allied with their country was no exception, and aside from Dixie and Crystal, no one was allowed to apany her into the meeting hall.

    Naturally, even if everyone had agreed to these ''rules'' before their arrival, none of the thirteen leaders of the Federation felt veryfortable being so vulnerable, though didn''t dare to make any fuss.

    After all, it was their initiative to ask for this meeting, and it was for a good reason.

    When Emilia walked in with the ''host'', the prime minister of Phoenix by her side, even the ''enemy'' leaders had to admit that her charisma had only grown since thest time they''d seen her.

    Compared to the somewhat childish and seductive aura the girl had before, now she felt much more mature and dangerous to face. Perhaps had they met her before making that decision¡­ they would have weighed it more carefully.

    This was no puppet, after all.

    As the host, Be was naturally the one to first introduce everyone and talk about certain ''etiquette'' expected during the meeting, and then she turned to the president of Red Dusk with a professional smile. "All that being said, we''d all be very d to finally know why exactly all the illustrious leaders of the mighty Federation decided to grace us with their presence tonight."

    The twelve other ''leaders'' of the Federation remained stone faced and unperturbed, as if the topic had nothing to do with them, while the president of Red Dusk fidgeted awkwardly.

    "As I''m sure madam Be and Miss Emilia are aware, the war between our Federation and your alliance has already made us both lose a lot of loved ones, and also put a lot of unnecessary pressure on our people''s lives." He coughed. " We feel like going on like this wouldn''t be very wise, so¡ª"

    Emilia interrupted him with a snort. "So what? You want to stop, right? It sure must be great being the mighty Federation. Attack whoever you want whenever you feel like without good reason, then stop whenever it doesn''t suit you."

    Her eyes turned chilly as she leaned forward. "Do you know how many of my children died? Can you bring them back to life now that you''ve changed your mind?!"

    Even as her ally, Be felt some stinging in her heart when she faced the crimson-haired beauty''s eyes. ''M-Maybe my idea of negotiating a good truce here might not work, after all¡­''

    Perhaps no one was unaware of the almost fanatical level of worship that the people of Blue Dawn had for their empress, but it seemed like very few knew just how much Emilia cared about them in return.

    As for the president of Red Dusk, he couldn''t help but shudder in fright. For a moment, he almost felt like a soft yet deadly de had brushed across his neck.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luckily, a few panicked grasps at the part let him know that his head was still attached to his body, but that only made him more aware that he might not be able to get away with his life for long.

    After all, he was only fine now because he was the ''president of Red Dusk'', but would that title still be there to protect him a few weekster? Unlikely.

    This time, one of the other ''leaders'' of the Federation took the initiative to speak with a somewhat calming smile on his face. "Dear¡­ Empress, we totally understand your aggravation and pain. But continuing like this will only bring you more of it in the future, right?"

    Emilia sneered. "Maybe, but if I let youe and go as you please without paying the price in blood, would my empire and my people even have the dignity to continue surviving anymore?"

    There was a promise of bloodshed and death in her gaze, and even the usuallyposed leaders of the Federation found it hard to continue smiling.

    But since they''d already made up their minds beforeing here¡­ they only needed a moment of silentmunication with their eyes toe to a conclusion on what must be done.

    They''d carefully re-evaluated their strategy and possible future oues after the major losses in the battle to retake Fort Wanderbilt, and realized that they really couldn''t afford this ''war'' with the empire anymore.

    The unstable factors in their own territories kept getting worse and worse every passing day, their military''s morale was at an all time low, and any hopes for a quick and easy victory had long since been dashed because of Phoenix unexpectedly siding with their enemy.

    The only possible ''solution'' they could see was to start using weapons of mass destruction, and hope that Phoenix chickens out¡­ but that was not a gamble they dared to take lightly.

    It was better to take a loss this time, and retreat while they still could. After all, as long as they found a suitable scapegoat to me it all on in time, no one would really me them too much, and they could go on with their lives like nothing had happened.

    But first, they had to convince the other side to agree.

    And for a young and vtile empress that seemed hell bent on vengeance¡­ for peace to exist, they would have to be the ones to take a step back first.

    "We believe the war was caused by a series of very unfortunate misunderstandings, all on our side, of course, and we''ll definitely work hard to correct them in time. But in the meantime, topensate the Empress and her people for their suffering¡­ will the Commonwealth of Red Dusk be enough?"

    The president of Red Dusk could only sit there stunned, his heart filled with disbelief. ''They said it would only happen if the situation was really desperate, but now they''re just throwing me under the bus just like that?!''

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 Chapter 679 Compromise

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    Clever and cunning as he was, the president of Red Dusk had always known that there would definitely be a price to pay if their side didn''te out on top. There will always be a loser in a war, after all.

    But now that the time might really havee for him to be a scapegoat¡­ he couldn''t help but feel a little unreconciled.

    Just what had he done wrong to be pushed to the brink like this? Clearly, everyone had decided to band together and get rid of the empire together, and would also have shared the ''harvests'' together, but now that the going had gotten tough, he was the only one being ditched to bear the consequences?!

    Unfortunately, now that he was surrounded by enemies on all sides¡­ the president of Red Dusk could only hold his tongue and wait to turn things aroundter.

    Surprisingly enough, however, Emilia didn''t look too pleased even with such a hugepensation. "Giving away the Commonwealth of Red Dusk? Do you even have the right?"

    Not to mention that it was only the other leaders of the Federation who had one-sidedly agreed to the proposal, even if the president of Red Dusk were to be willing, Emilia wouldn''t believe them.

    There were a few helpless looks and chuckles exchanged between the leaders of the Federation before one of them exined their ''real'' intentions.

    "Naturally, we did not mean our words literally." Seeing her unamused look, he sighed. "Let me rify. Aspensation for inciting everyone into such a miserable war, the Commonwealth of Red Dusk shall pay your empire¡­ suitable reparations. And until they''re done with their payments, it''s only natural for the empire to exercise certain ''victor''s rights''."

    Emilia narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And what of the rest of the Federation''s members?"

    "¡­ Naturally, we will help make sure that the empire is able to obtain the reparations it needs to rebuild from the tragedy. Isn''t that enough?"

    Instead of replying to him, Emilia turned to look at Be, who also gave her a nod. "Since the Federation wants to end the war it started on good terms¡­ why not show a little more sincerity?"

    "¡­"

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    With Be arguing on her behalf, Emilia was naturally free to seek Crystal''s insights on the real intentions and thoughts of her opponents in secret, and realized that while they definitely harbored some ill-intent, their ''proposal'' this time was actually genuine.

    They might have suffered a heavy loss in the battle of Fort Vanderbilt, and it may not seem like they had any chance to win anytime soon, but their actions still made little sense.

    Unless¡­ the ''disease'' spreading through their own territories was already at a level where it couldn''t be ignored anymore.

    ''I don''t understand¡­ the status screen clearly said that Cynthia only used her ability on thirteen targets, so¡ª!'' Suddenly, Emilia''s eyes turned wide in realization. ''Fuck! I almost forgot that it only shows what Cynthia wants!''

    With the raven-haired girl''s nature¡­ it really wouldn''t be strange for her to cause a disaster for millions or even billions without a thought, as long as it had the slightest chance of speeding up their ''departure'' from this world.

    The more Emilia thought about it, the more it made sense, and she couldn''t help but pout. ''She tricked me!''<novelnext></novelnext>

    But thinking about how Cynthia had helped her solve the empire''s crisis, regardless of her means, Emilia couldn''t really bring herself to be too angry. ''Anyway, I was the one who allowed those criminals to be armed and sent to the enemy territories to wreak havoc, too. What right do I have to criticize her?''

    Even if the situation on her side could be considered desperate at the time, it didn''t mean Emilia felt any better about having made such decisions.

    And what she found the most revolting was the fact that¡­ she wasn''t even sure if she wanted these peace talks to seed, even though they were decidedly good for her people.

    She might be able to convince others by saying that she didn''t trust the enemy''s intentions, or that thepensations weren''t enough, but Emilia knew deep down that all she really wanted was an excuse to tear the piles of garbage in front of her into bloody shreds.

    Was someone like her¡­ really fit to lead people?

    She couldn''t help but sigh sadly. ''Maybe even without Maeve¡­ I wouldn''t have been a good Queen, and the people would have been dissatisfied with my rule sooner orter. After all, how could those people be as cute as the children in the empire¡­?''

    Perhaps feeling her gloom, the blonde girl by her side quickly reached out to pat the crimson-haired beauty''s shoulder. "You did very well."

    Dixie also nodded. "Their faces were almost purple by the time you were done, and even miss Be was looking at you with admiration. There''s no need to be sad, Emily, I don''t think anyone could have done any better."

    Crystal grinned. "Right. Let''s go have fun at the prime minister''s dinner party to celebrate!"

    Of course, despite their attempts to cheer her up, they had no idea that Emilia''s sadness didn''t stem from the enemies at all.

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    Whether it was the people in the empire of Blue Dawn or those in the territories of the now disbanding Federation, they all couldn''t help but rejoice when they heard the news of the new treaty.

    After all, themon folk rarely benefited from wars, and usually, it only plunged them into endless uncertainty and suffering. They might fight when they needed to, but when it was over, they really couldn''t be any happier.

    Of course, the citizens of the empire celebrated not only because they no longer had to suffer in a war that they never asked for, but also because their beloved empress could finally face them with a smile blooming like a gorgeous red rose.

    As for the others, they just hoped that maybe their leaders could finally start focusing on the real issues in the future.

    "How long will it take? I can''t wait for us to get rid of that scourge, argh!"

    "Maybe those terrorists who have been rampaging around can finally be put in their ce now that our army is returning!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 680 Treacherous

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    Unfortunately, even without the forces on Emilia''s side providing additional ''support'' to the ''bandits'' they had shipped to the enemy territories¡­ the ''disease'' only continued to spread.

    Even when the leaders of their respective territories finally started to realize the gravity of the situation, it was already toote.

    These ''rats'' that they thought they would be able to easily stomp to death whenever they wanted had already burrowed hundreds of holes to hide in within their houses, and transformed into a gue.

    Every time they sent their mighty army in, it was like mming their heads into a wall.

    To make matters worse, the few instances of ''sess'' they had also didn''t help when the other side retaliated unscrupulously, ughtering officials and the innocent alike whenever they got the chance, creating a public rtions disaster for the respective governments.

    Just when they were starting to tear their hair out in frustration, however, ''help'' came from an unexpected source.

    "¡­ Just who did you mention wanted to talk to me, again¡­? I think I misheard you."

    "¡­I-It''s E-Empress Emilia, f-from Blue Dawn!"

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    Obviously, the reason Emilia proposed to help out her former enemies wasn''t because she was a saint.

    The war between the Federation and her empire might have been over, and they might have ultimatelye out on top, but that must have only increased the resentment of the other side.

    Even if she were to believe that their actions were mostly guided by the world will in the past, just the humiliation and loss they''d suffered under her handter would still be enough for them to harbor thoughts of revenge.

    Of course, since these opponents were cunning enough to retreat once they ''came back to their senses'', Emilia knew that it was entirely possible that they would never act on these ''impulsive'' thoughts. But it wasn''t really a chance she was willing to take when she knew she would be leaving soon.

    The thought of her admirers suffering and being humiliated after she was gone would always gue her if she couldn''t take care of these threats in advance.

    But getting rid of them was easier said than done.

    Luckily, they were currently still dealing with a ''troublesome'' issue that she could use as an excuse to reach into their territories.

    "I appreciate that you''re willing to help us exterminate those vermin, but Empress Emilia¡­ please understand that while I can allow some of your soldiers in, we really cannot afford to risk your life for such trivial matters."

    The man she was speaking to was the ''new'' leader of one of the ex-member states of the now temporarily disbanded Federation.

    Obviously, while three of the leaders who formed the Federation were still in power, not many had been able to stay in their positions and handle the aftermath of their loss, including the president of Red Dusk.

    "¡­ How touching that you would care so much about me." Emilia smiled. "Alright, I shall honor your wish."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though they were all understandably wary of her motives, her ''enemies'' never took the threat of the few hundred soldiers she sent in too seriously.

    After all, Emilia might be terrifying on the battlefield, and her influence over the people might be great, but so long as she wasn''t allowed to step foot into their territories in person, what could she possibly do to them?

    Of course, not everyone was very optimistic about the ''help'' she was providing. "Mr. President¡­ letting the ''experts'' sent by her lead our troops¡­ is that really a good idea?"

    The man who had just been on the call with Emilia chuckled. "Our soldiers will naturally only follow their instructions on the surface, but remain vignt at the same time. As for their effectiveness¡­ that depends on Emilia''s sincerity. After all, the public may not know it, but we all know where this scourge really came from."

    In the worst case, the ''experts'' sent by Emilia would only waste some time, or get a few of their soldiers killed by the vermin intentionally¡­ but they were already prepared for that.

    "If they show any ill intentions¡­ well, bullets don''t have eyes. No one can me us for being ''unable'' to protect them."

    They had no idea she was also hidden among the soldiers of Blue Dawn, or that she''d already escaped from their primitive surveince.

    Of course, the rest of the soldiers really did go about trying to ''exterminate'' the criminals who had taken over certain territories and were terrorizing the people, though given the nature of their ''assignments'', the risks they took were really minimal.

    It helped that many of the ''key figures'' among these ''terrorists'' had a tiny tracker embedded deep within their bodies that the forces of Blue Dawn could activate at any time. All they had to be really wary of was to not expose this fact to the enemy.

    Obviously, if they could get rid of that scourge that managed to survive thanks to the desperate situation at that time, Emilia didn''t mind.

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    Her girlfriends were obviously upset at not being allowed to follow Emilia on the ''secret'' mission, though they understood that much of the crimson-haired beauty''s advantage of using her shapeshift skill would be lost if she had someone apanying her.

    Of course, Noelle and Sam suffered the most, having not even touched their lover for months.

    "¡­ There''s no need to cry, big sister. Although Emilia left before you arrived, it was only because she was in a hurry to finish all the tedious tasks before we can rx and have fun."

    Crystal''s voice was both soothing and confident, but its effectiveness was greatly reduced by Noelle''s snickering.

    Naturally, Sam couldn''t take it. "W-Who''s crying?! N-Not me! Do you see any tears on my cheeks? Do you?!"

    Obviously, her eyes were so red and pooling with unshed tears that no one could deny that she was about to cry, but as long as the taller girl insisted, it was really hard to ''prove'' anything.

    That is¡­ until one of her own eyes betrayed her and a treacherous tear slid down the dashing beauty''s mortified face.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 681 First Time In A Love Hotel

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    Even Noelle knew when not to push Samantha too far, so after just a little bit of teasing, the gray-haired girl tactfully diverted the topic to more important matters. "The first target will be the easiest to handle, but once Emilia has dealt with him, the rest of them might go on high alert if they figure out what''s going on. At that time¡­ we should probably be ready tofort Emilia."

    After all, the warst time might have been inevitable, but they couldn''t really dive into another one just to kill a few annoying pests, could they?

    Crystal frowned. "Didn''t we already agree to do our best not to let anyone discover it?"

    The gray-haired girl sighed. "That''s the n, but I''m not very optimistic about people being unable to figure out that something isn''t right. Sure, no one will normally imagine that Emilia could have killed that idiot and reced him, but there are just too many things that can go wrong."

    Dixie coughed. "You should have more faith in Emily''s ability and judgment. Since she already said she''ll take care of those things, shouldn''t we focus on what we can do for her instead?"

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    Meanwhile, Emilia was actually in a bit of a pickle.

    "Didn''t I tell you to be ready for the evolution?"

    Knowing that her partner was definitely peeved, the crimson-haired girl could only lower her head and respond meekly. "¡­ Y-Yeah¡­?"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but groan. "Then howe you''re in an enemy territory trying to kill some nobody?!"

    Emilia blushed. "I-I just wanted to make sure these guys didn''t create trouble for everyone when I''m no longer here to protect them, y-you know." She paused before sighing. "Sorry... For some reason I just expected you to take longer to prepare for evolution."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but curse. ''Fuck! I should have just made them all suicidal or something!''

    But then again, that would have wasted more energy.

    To be fair, she couldn''t really me her viiness. After all... she did sometimes nap for weeks at a time without reason.

    In the end, the raven-haired girl could only sigh in defeat. "Fine, whatever. Just find a safe ce to hide in quickly!"

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    Based on Cynthia''s instructions, Emilia understood that it would take a few hours for her evolution toplete, and she would be in apletely vulnerable position during that time. Although she would be far from easy to kill, that was onlypared to regr people.

    After all, with all her energy focused on evolving, she wouldn''t even be able to regenerate until she was done!

    Luckily, there won''t be muchmotion during her evolution, and there were no special requirements aside from privacy.

    But the crimson-haired girl still couldn''t help but frown. ''A safe and private ce¡­ where am I gonna find it¡­?''

    All the soldiers who had been sent in with her were obviously being monitored, and while she could go to one of the ''knights'' for help usually¡­ she really didn''t feel very ''safe'' leaving her vulnerable body to them, especially since she would probably have to reveal her identity to seek their help.

    Plus, it wasn''t like their loyalty could be guaranteed.

    "C''mon Emilia, hurry up!"

    Gritting her teeth, the crimson-haired girl could only go with the first viable idea that came to her mind. ''Not everything on the inte is true, but I hope this one is¡­!''<novelnext></novelnext>

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    "I''ll take it for two days, please, thank you."

    The man behind the fogged window was shocked. "¡­T-Two days¡­? Not two hours?"

    Emilia frowned. "¡­ Is it not possible?"

    Although Cynthia told her it will probably only take a few hours, she didn''t want someone toe knocking on her door while she was evolving just to save a little bit of money. Noelle had given her plenty to spend, after all.

    "No, it certainly is! I was just confirming." The receptionist coughed. ''Who would say no to more money? I just don''t want you to regret it and make a fusster.''

    As for what kind of girl would book a love hotel for two days¡­ it would be a lie to say he wasn''t curious. Her voice was very pleasant, after all, and he felt like she must be a beauty.

    Unfortunately, he could hardly see much through the fogged window, and both the angle and the quality of the security footage were bad to put it gently.

    Naturally, Emilia had no idea about these things, but she wasn''t too worried.

    After all, the girl she was currently disguised as was one of the prettier female knights under hermand in her previous world, with short ash-blonde hair and a rather chilling smile. She was fairly confident that no one would be able to recognize her.

    "Shall I proceed with the two-day booking, then? The payment will have to be in advance."

    "Please." Emilia smiled, though it looked more like she wanted to kill someone on her current face.

    Fortunately, the receptionist couldn''t see that either, and quickly processed her transaction. "That will be one thirteen ny-nine, with special discount! Will you pay cash or¡ª"

    "Cash. Here you go."

    Emilia slid the banknote under the fogged-up window, and the receptionist was only momentarily taken aback when he finally realized that there didn''t seem to be anyone with her.

    Anyway, assertive girls booking the room in advance might be rare, but it wasn''t something that concerned him too much.

    ''Maybe if I''m lucky, she''ll be stood up by the stupid lucky asshole she''s waiting for, and be desperate enough to seek me out at the end of my shift¡­?'' He chuckled at the absurdity of his own thoughts. ''As if¡­''

    "Hold on, wait a minute¡­! I forgot to check her ID!" The receptionist hesitated for a while before sighing. "Oh well¡­ she''s probably old enough... and not a criminal."

    The girl had already grabbed the change and rushed to the room number disyed on the key as soon as she got it, and he really didn''t want to go through the trouble of sending someone to check up on her, or worse, do it himself.

    Horny and peeved young girls were often quite unreasonable while they were eagerly waiting for their lover and someone unrted showed up instead.

    Plus, going by how she booked the room for two whole days¡­ this girl probably wasn''t just normal levels of horny.

    "Hopefully, the boss won''t check the footage, or I''ll be in trouble."

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 Chapter 682 Evolution

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    Although Noelle had given her a decent fake ID for emergencies, and the face on the card actually matched the one she had on currently, Emilia was obviously not very familiar with checking into hotels.

    After all, usually she either owned the ce she was staying at, was an honored guest, or was breaking in to kill someone. None of these required her to show an ID, so she naturally didn''t even notice the receptionist''s mistake.

    Closing the door to ''her'' room, the crimson-haired girl took a moment to admire the heart-shaped bed and romantic lighting before hesitating. "T-This should be good enough, right¡­?"

    Cynthia sighed. "It''s fine¡­ I guess. As long as no one else can see or touch you."

    "Mhm¡­"

    Based on what she''d learned, Emilia knew that love hotel staff had a special policy of not disturbing the upants unless called, but she still put the ''Do Not Disturb'' sign out and made sure that the door was locked before blocking it with the rather heavy table.

    The inte wasn''t always urate, after all, and she could only do her best to prevent any mishaps during her evolution.

    She would have used the bed to block the door, too, but¡­ the room had a tiny little corridor past the entrance, and she would have had to snap the ''heart'' in half if she really wanted to make it fit in there. Emilia didn''t think that would be a very good idea.

    ''Maybe I should have been more patient and taken care of the evolution before setting off¡­ but then again, there''s just so much to do, and so little time.'' Emilia sighed.

    Anyway, there was no use regretting it now.

    Making herselffortable on the thankfully clean bed, she adjusted her mentality for a few seconds before nodding. "I''m ready."

    Cynthia didn''t need to be told twice.

    ==========

    [ Emilia : Void Initiate ]

    Ding!

    [ Skills ]

    -Shapeshift (Avable) [ Regr Cooldown: 8 hours ]

    ¡ª Image Stacks Used: 3

    -Follower Summoning¡­

    ¡ªCurrent Followers:

    ¡ª¡ªCynthia: 5 hours 13 minutes 25 seconds left. (Not Summoned)

    ==========

    ¡ªFollower Summoning: Cynthia!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 5 hours 13 minutes 25 seconds

    The charming raven-haired girl in the ck gauze dress appeared right by her side and patted her cheek with a grin. "Don''t worry too much, I''ll watch over you and make sure it won''t hurt much."

    Before she could even respond, the crimson-haired girl felt her body revert to its original form, and a wave of dizziness struck her mind.

    ==========

    Energy Reserve: 217.74%

    [ Energy requirement fulfilled! ]

    [ All missionspleted! ]

    [ All evolution requirements met¡­ ]

    [ Please select an evolution path! ]

    - Evolutionary Route 1: Void Initiate ¡ú Void Disciple

    ¡ªSkills to be lost: None

    ¡ªSkills to be acquired: Unknown<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡ªMaximum energy grade: 2

    ==========

    Emilia wasn''t sure if she was just too dizzy, so she couldn''t help but reach out to hold Cynthia''s hand in confusion, like a little child seeking her mother''s help. "W-What''s going on¡­? You''re telling me there''s a path I have to pick, but there''s only one option¡­?"

    Cynthia nodded solemnly. "Of course, this time there''s only one, but there might be more in the future. Don''t worry, I''ll take care of it for you."

    The raven-haired girl obviously wasn''t stupid enough to tell her viiness that she did it intentionally to see her reaction.

    This was one of the few times Emilia would be able to enter a somewhat delirious state with her void physique despite alcohol and poison usually having no effect on her, after all.

    "Hehe¡­ those little monkeys will never see her like this."

    The crimson-haired girl felt like she heard something and turned to her partner again in confusion, but Cynthia just squeezed her cheek yfully, a mischievous smile on her face. "Close your eyes and focus, will you?"

    Emilia could only nod obediently as she felt another wave of dizziness strike her along with a rather annoying ringing sound in her head.

    Ding!

    [ Evolution to Void Disciple Confirmed! ]

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    Even though her consciousness was very fuzzy and she couldn''t think very clearly, Emilia tried her best to observe the flow and transformation of both the energy flowing through her as well as her body as best as she could.

    Almost as soon as her evolution had been confirmed, Emilia felt like a part of the chaos energy within her body had boiled over and turned into something else, something much more¡­ refined.

    She could even feel that it no longer shared the same ''thought process'' as the ''lower level'' chaos energy, and was even faintly ''rebelling'' against being contained within her.

    Of course, under Cynthia''s control, it was like a three-year-old child trying to break free from her grip. It might be more ''effective'' than an infant, but it was still ultimately futile.

    It could only obediently flow through the ''channels'' that Cynthia had seemingly drawn in an instant over the crimson-haired girl''s body, and everywhere it passed through¡­ melted and reformed.

    Even though she was focusing on it so hard, Emilia felt more shock than pain, though she wasn''t sure how much of it was because of Cynthia ''taking care'' of her.

    The ''new'' muscles and flesh after the reformation were almost twice as strong as what she had before, and even the skin she thought to be wless before seemed to gain an even more ethereal glow.

    Moreover, Emilia felt like these ''changes'' weren''t limited to just her body. Even her mind seemed to clear up a little morepared to before, as if her thoughts could now flow more smoothly somehow.

    ''So this is evolution¡­'' Even if it were to hurt a hundred, no, a thousand times more, Emilia felt like she would dly go through it for such a wonderful transformation!

    At the same time, she couldn''t help but be amazed. ''To think that I''m still only bing a ''disciple''¡­ what would it be like to really be an expert in Cynthia''s eyes?''

    Sometimes, it was really easy to forget that her partner was someone who could mess around with not just people, but also space and time itself.

    The crimson-haired girl''s thoughts turned grim. ''I have to keep getting stronger quickly¡­ or I will never be able to help her much¡­ Thankfully, the chaos energy seems to have some affinity with me, so I at least know which direction to work in.''

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    "Finally¡­ done."

    It took Emilia nearly three hours to finish ''evolving'', and by the time she was done, Cynthia felt like she had almost been exhausted to death from guiding the flow of the evolutionary force through her body.

    ''Of course, I can''t really die that easily.'' Cynthia chuckled. ''Had that been possible... I wouldn''t be here.''

    Unfortunately for her, the crimson-haired beauty had already lost consciousness halfway through, despite her best efforts, so she had no idea that it was already over.

    One doesn''t just remain awake through aplete remodeling of their mind and soul, after all.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but smile as she looked at the sleeping beauty. "I knew my choice couldn''t be wrong¡­ Look at you, so pretty¡­"

    No wonder all those low-level monkeys flocked to her like moths to the me.

    Unfortunately, she hadn''t been able to teach this love-starved girl how to fend them off properly in time, but what was done was done.

    Cynthia knew that she could only take more precautions in the future. "Don''t worry, I will never let anyone hurt you again¡­ This, I swear."

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 Chapter 683 Phantom Sight

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    Emilia was naturally unaware of what happened while she was unconscious, and when she woke up, all her thoughts were focused on observing the changes to her body after the evolution.

    Her physique was obviously much better than before, and based on the strength and energy she could feel coursing through her, Emilia estimated that she should be at least twice as fastpared to her pre-evolution self.

    Of course, her physique wasn''t the only thing that changed.

    On her system panel now, ''Void Initiate'' had already been reced with ''Void Disciple'', and there were also two new entries under her ''Skills'' that hadn''t been there before.

    "Phantom Sight, and¡­ Predator''s Mark?" Emilia frowned.

    Based on their names alone, she couldn''t really tell what the first one was supposed to be, so Emilia could only try them out.

    Luckily, they were both quite ''low consumption'' abilities, and she had a surprisinglyrge amount of energy left over even after her evolution.

    Ding!

    Phantom Sight activated!

    Energy Reserve: 117.74 ¡ú 117.73%

    Emilia felt her vision blur slightly before sharpening again, but aside from that, she couldn''t really notice any changes.

    "What the¡­ Cynthia, can you help me out a bit? What''s this thing supposed to do?"

    The raven-haired girl sighed. "To be honest, I also don''t have any idea. After all, while I did create your body, how you will evolve and what you will be ultimately depends on yourself."

    Emilia could tell that her partner wasn''t just teasing her, so she just maintained the ability for the next few seconds until she felt it was going to consume more of her energy, then canceled it. "I see¡­ I should probably try it out somewhere with other people, maybe the effect will be more obvious then."

    As for ''Predator''s Mark'', she instinctively felt that it needed a ''target'' to lock on to for it to work, so Emilia didn''t bother to try it and waste energy with only herself in the room.

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    There was no point in staying in the love hotel anymore, so Emilia decided to check out so she could mingle with more people and try to figure out her abilities.

    After all, while she had already been prepared to do what she had to, Emilia had the feeling that her new abilities would definitely make things much easier to pull off.

    She once again changed into the ash-blondedy knight''s form she had been using earlier, and made her way down the stairs before letting the receptionist know she was leaving.

    "No refunds."

    "¡­ I know."

    The receptionist obviously remembered this ''special guest'', either due to his mistake or because she booked the room for two days despite the somewhat high hourly cost, and gave her a pitying look. ''Ah, how sad¡­ she got stood up by her partner, I think¡­?''

    Luckily for him, Emilia remainedpletely unaware of his thoughts as she made her way out of the love hotel.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was already dark out, but with the usual hustle and bustle of the big city, she didn''t have much trouble finding a somewhat crowded area.

    Ding!

    Phantom Sight activated!

    Energy Reserve: 117.73 ¡ú 117.72%

    Almost immediately, Emilia was struck with a strong wave of nausea as the number of people in front of her seemed to multiply into a dense sea of indistinguishable figures that wobbled around strangely, and she didn''t even try to make sense of what she was seeing before Cynthia made a clicking sound and helped her ''focus'' the ability.

    "Be more careful next time, okay?"

    Emilia blushed in embarrassment. "¡­Sorry, I wasn''t expecting that."

    With her lesson learnt, she was much more careful as she focused on just one person in front of her, a middle-aged man in a three-piece suit.

    Nothing strange happened whenever he was walking straight with confidence, but whenever he turned around or had to route around other people, his silhouette seemed to multiply, and Emilia could see different phantoms in his image doing various things.

    Some went to the left, some to the right, some cursed, others frowned, and some event stumbled and fell after seemingly being tripped.

    It took Emilia a while before her face lit up in realization. ''It''s showing me all the possible actions he can take next!''

    Of course, based on how it seemed to work, Emilia understood that it was more of a guideline to someone''s future actions than it was an omnipotent ability to predict exactly what they would do next, but she was still ecstatic.

    Emilia couldn''t help but grin happily. ''I might be able to somewhat guess my opponent''s next moves in a fight if I understand them well enough or if they''re obvious, but this is definitely much, much better!''

    Cynthia coughed. "Of course, you don''t have to use it exclusively forbat."

    ''Of course.''

    With none of her old abilities being lost, an enhanced physique, plenty of energy to spare, and even an amazing new ability, Emilia was already quite pleased, but she still wanted to figure out her other ability quickly.

    Emilia pursed her lips thoughtfully. ''Now, let''s see¡­ who would be a good target for the Predator''s Mark¡­?''

    She didn''t want to pick someone randomly as she had with the first ability, since she had no way to be sure if it would be harmful or not.

    Spreading out her awareness and using chaos energy to sense arger area around herself, Emilia slowly made her way through the streets while waiting for a suitable opportunity. ''I don''t believe there won''t be any troublemakers in a city this big at night.''

    As if to prove her point, a fight broke out in a back alley not even a few minutester, and Emilia happily made her way over.

    She guessed that the couple must have made their way there to have a quick ''good time'' in a somewhat secluded space, and ended up being interrupted by a bunch of hoodlums. Although she felt like they should have just gone to a love hotel or something, since it gave her a chance to test her new ability¡­ she wasn''tining.

    Of course, when she really got there and observed their expressions closely, Emilia realized that she had once again underestimated how horrible some people can be.

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 Chapter 684 The Predator In The Dark

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    Having already been aware of simr and even more open ''events'' of human trafficking and organ trade in Carmen, Emilia would have to be in denial to not be able to catch the hint from the disgusting greed in their eyes, as well as the shocked and terrified expression on the cornered man''s face.

    Meanwhile, his supposed girlfriend stood there looking at him confidently, feeling both victorious and smug.

    The man couldn''t help but stutter in disbelief. "P-Pulcelina¡­ w-why?"

    In Emilia''s opinion, although the red-haired ''girlfriend'' of the man actually would normally have looked quite innocent and docile, the arrogant and gloating expression made it clear that she was anything but pure.

    "Juste with us obediently, Justin. Otherwise, don''t me us if you get hurt."

    The scary-looking men had already surrounded him at this point, and ''Justin'' could obviously tell that he had no hopes of escaping.

    He didn''t know yet what was waiting for him once he went with them, but given how his new girlfriend''s behavior abruptly changed, he could tell that it would be nothing good.

    After all, given that he wasn''t stingy at all with his gifts and ''financial support'', whatever stimted her greed must clearly be something that he would never agree to give as long as he was alive.

    Just as despair was about to cloud his mind, however, the atmosphere seemed to abruptly shift as everyone suddenly felt an almost oppressive presence nearby.

    Ding!

    Skill Predator''s Mark has been used!

    Energy Reserve: 117.72 ¡ú 117.71%

    Now targeting ''Pulcelina Degrauss''!

    Predator''s Mark Remaining Duration: 9 minutes 59 seconds.

    Her goal of figuring out what the ability did had already been aplished the moment she realized that she could now track the girl she had marked with ease, but now that she''d already seen what was happening¡­ Emilia was in no mood to just leave.

    Her marked target''s expression had faltered momentarily when Emilia made her presence known, along with that of the ''thugs'', but they soon rxed when they realized it was just one lone girl.

    "I see that rats of your kind are not an infestation unique to Carmen, huh?"

    Since she hadn''t yet changed into her original form and didn''t look like the empress of Blue Dawn at all, the thugs obviously couldn''t be expected to make sense of her words. But that didn''t stop them fromughing.

    A man jeered. "Look, brothers, a big beauty has delivered herself to our door."

    "It would almost be a pity to ruin her body for just a bunch of organs, right?"

    One of them couldn''t help but chuckle. "Well, we can always make proper use of it until we get bored."

    "True. But then again, why not get in touch with that bastard downtown to see what price she''ll fetch intact?"

    Clearly, while Emilia''s current ash-blondedy knight form might not be particrly appealing when she smiled, the grim and disgusted expression on her face suited her very well, and even gave her a hint of a unique charm.

    The man who had been cornered turned pale from fright as he finally realized what kind of horrifying death awaited him next.

    As for the girl who came to rescue him¡­ he had no hope from her at all.

    At best, she could be a half-decent distraction, but while he may not know her, Justin didn''t think he would be able to live with himself if he ran away while the girl who came to save him was ruined.

    Emilia didn''t let their ridicule bother her, though, and just looked at the ''cornered'' man seriously. "When you wake up, forget everything that happened tonight, alright?"

    She didn''t expect any response from him given the man''s confounded state, but her words still made the thugsugh.

    "Do you have some saintly delusions or something?"

    "Poor bitch probably got brainwashed by that propaganda on TV they''ve been showing recently."

    "Well, let us brothers teach you a life lesson today. Probably yourst one. Even if you offer yourself up in exchange for this guy''s life¡­ why should we spare him when we can just catch you both?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Little girl, did you not notice that the nearest crowded street is almost two hundred meters away? Don''t scrape your pretty skin trying to escape now, you can''t outrun your fate!"

    Shockingly enough, however, while the ''big beauty'' did run as expected, the direction she chose was not towards the exit of the alley, but to the center of their encirclement instead.

    "Sleep." With a swift and gentle stroke to the back of his neck, Emilia easily knocked the terrified man in the center out.

    The man might just bber about her deeds to others if he remained awake to watch her fight. And she didn''t want to leave too many clues of her presence, even if the chances of someone piecing together such ''unrted'' clues was slim at best.

    As for any of the gangsters tattling on her¡­ Emilia wasn''t too worried.

    Dead men tell no tales, after all.

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    Pulcelina had grown up in a somewhat privileged household, and had a pretty good life until her early teens. That is, until her father lost his job, got addicted to alcohol, and her mother ran away.

    He may not have abused her himself, but her perfect life had beenpletely ruined from that point on.

    She couldn''t do any of the fun things she had been used to before, couldn''t dress well without her pocket money, and couldn''t even keep her friends once they realized how ''worthless'' she had be.

    Someone else might have broken down, but Pulcelina was strong.

    Since her father couldn''t provide for her anymore, she would just have to do it herself. And since her old friends didn''t want her, she just made new ones.

    Her life definitely improved a little from then on, but Pulcelina soon realized how tiring it was to work at two part-time jobs and hang out to y with her new delinquent friends.

    That was when she met Drake, who quickly became her boyfriend, and also made her realize that she was sitting on a gold mine.

    "Those friends of yours are obviously just a bunch of rebellious and stupid girls who can''t put two brain cells to rub together even if they join forces. Otherwise, why would they brawl around and get roughed up every day when they can obviously enjoy an easy life?"

    There was both jealousy and hatred in his voice, and his words resonated deeply within Pulcelina.

    But at that time, she had also been a little stupid, and couldn''t help but voice her doubts. "B-But they don''t really carry much money with them usually. Even if I can fool them into giving it up a few times, it will only be enough for a few days."

    Drake chuckled. "Stupid! Who told you that what I want is in their pockets? Fresh young high-school girls¡­ they have enough value in themselves."

    A few dayster, Pulcelina led her ''girl gang'' to the location marked by Drake, and made enough money to be set for a luxurious life for at least the next six months.

    And from that point on¡­ there had been no looking back.

    Of course, she couldn''t be bothered to waste her time at school anymore and dropped out. Luckily, no one suspected her or cared much, thinking that she was just going into a downward spiral from ''unexpectedly'' losing all her friends.

    Unfortunately, there had been no such big ''windfall'' since then, but Pulcelina soon learned from Drake how to catch ''fish'' even if they didn''t jump into her themselves, and started making a steady stream of money.

    That is, until today, when it was all ruined by a monster.

    That was the only word that came to her mind when she thought of the ''thing'' that had turned into a blur and ripped apart almost a dozen burly men with ease.

    Pulcelina didn''t even dare to scream as she ran away in terror. ''P-Please, please god, I swear I will be good from now on, just let me live this once!''

    She ran until she was almostpletely exhausted, then came to a stop as she was forced to lean against a dirty dumpster while taking deep breaths, not caring about the disgusting smell at all.

    There was no sound of someone following her, and for a moment, hope bubbled within her heart.

    Until it exploded into pieces.

    Pulcelina only had a few moments to stare dumbfounded at the bloody hand protruding through her chest before she died, btedly realizing that the ''thing'' that had been chasing her never lost track of her at all.

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 Chapter 685 Trap Set [Thank You Peripharos For The Gift!]

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    "Ugh, what a mess." Emilia frowned in disgust as she used the dead girl''s clothes to wipe off her hand as best as she could before making her way out of the alley.

    Usually, she would have been a lot ''cleaner'', but something about this girl ended up rubbing her in a very, very wrong way.

    Emilia didn''t feel like dwelling on it too much though, and instead focused on her skill instead.

    ''Huh, so the mark vanishes the moment the ''target'' dies¡­ neat. I suppose this can be used to confirm if the target is dead already or not.'' She hummed thoughtfully.

    It might not be very useful in this case, given that a regr human couldn''t possibly live when their heart was torn out of their chest, but against more ''sturdy'' opponents she might face in the future, Emilia felt that it might be quite useful.

    Cynthia interrupted her thoughts with a cough. "Just so you know, the mark is ced on the body, not the soul."

    Emilia frowned. ''I see¡­ should I be worried?''

    "Not really, no. Most people die when they''re killed."

    Emilia felt like she was missing a huge opportunity by not teasing her partner on that point, but she still resisted the urge to interrupt her.

    "Only a few can survive long enough with just their souls alone to find another body. There shouldn''t be anyone like that in such a low-level world, at least."

    ''That''s good to know.'' Emilia smiled.

    At the same time, however, she couldn''t help but be a little worried about her future. ''So I might face opponents who don''t just die when they''re killed, huh? That will definitely be annoying. But then again¡­ there has to be a way to destroy someone''s soul, too. No one is truly immortal, after all.''

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    With her two new abilities and a vastly improved physique, Emilia knew it would be much easier now to get rid of all of her targets than she had ever expected.

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl still wouldn''t be stupid enough to carelessly startle the snakes in advance. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have bothered ''remodeling'' the crime scene she left behind to make it appear more normal.

    It was still bad enough to give most people nightmares, but Emilia felt like it should be passable as ''particrly vengeful rival gangster''s revenge'' now, and given the poor condition of that area¡­ maybe no one would bother to even look into it too deeply.

    Plus, given that her target had already lost his former position, Emilia felt that she shouldn''t encounter as much trouble as she could have if he had still been in office.

    Of course, even if that had been the case, with no one being wary of her ability to transform into whoever she wanted, infiltrating almost any ce in the world was a trivial matter, as far as Emilia was concerned.

    "Let''s see now, based on the intel from Noelle, that girl should be staying¡­ there, right?"

    Emilia didn''t break her stride as she made a note of the ce, and it was only a few minutester that she returned with a bouquet of roses, making sure to stay out of sight of the only two cameras in the area.

    It might be unnecessary, but being a little more cautious never hurt.

    Luckily, with her ability to sense things in the area around herself using chaos energy, such annoyances were quite easy to spot and avoid.

    An hour or soter, the owner of the house returned, looking quite despondent and glum as she threw her purse at the sofa while grumbling.

    "Stupid idiot¡­ what does he mean that I can''t have as much fun as before and have to keep a low profile? What about the promise of never letting me be wronged even if I couldn''t be his official wife? Liar! Pig!"

    She kicked the big teddy in the corner of the room as if to vent her fury, and while Emilia found it quite cute, she didn''t let her wandering thoughts distract her from her goals.

    Changing into the form of her ''target'', Emilia waited patiently for about an hour as the woman slowly went about her day, and then decided to nap on her couch.

    Once Emilia was sure that the time was right, she took out the bouquet of roses from the cab she had stuffed them in, made her way to the front door, and stepped outside before gently knocking.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Having just decided to take a nap, the woman was easily startled out of her sleep as she made her way to the door in confusion. "Who could be here at this hour? Don''t tell me the stupid idiot decided to appease me with those stupid roses again? Does he really think such a stupid tactic will work on me¡ª?!"

    She immediately choked on herints the moment she opened the door, and her face instantly flushed with embarrassment. ''H-He didn''t hear what I was saying, did he?!''

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t there to embarrass her, and just gently smiled. "Why, not happy with my surprise?"

    Thedy stuttered for a while in shock and embarrassment before she managed to regain herposure, then quickly invited her ''lover'' in.

    In her flustered state, she didn''t even notice the strange absence of bodyguards with the man. After all, even if they never entered the house itself, two of them usually always stood guard outside whenever her ''lover'' visited her.

    Emilia keenly observed the way the woman spoke to her ''lover'' and her mannerisms as she followed her to the living room. Then, thedy went to brew some green tea.

    ''Quite standard¡­ I shouldn''t have made him suspicious even if I didn''t bother with this step.'' She thought confidently.

    Thedy returned with two cups of green tea, and Emilia mentallypared its quality to the one she usually served to her girlfriends, and found it quitecking, though she didn''t let that show on her face.

    Soon enough, the woman by her side started getting ''coquettish'', and Emilia felt like she''d seen and heard enough.

    Obviously, knocking out a defenselessdy like this one was easier than breathing for Emilia, and the woman fainted without even realizing that something wasn''t right with her ''lover''.

    After tying up her victim and stuffing her mouth with some clean cloth in the closet, Emilia nodded in satisfaction. ''Now¡­ we wait.''

    "You wait, then, I''ll just go sleep."

    Obviously, her partner wasn''t particrly pleased with her ''wasting time'' dealing with what she considered to be people who would soon bepletely irrelevant to them, but Emilia was just grateful that Cynthia didn''t insist on leaving as soon as possible, and allowed her to tie these ''loose ends'' in peace.

    After all, if she did¡­ the crimson-haired girl knew she couldn''t really resist her requests too strongly. Cynthia was her savior, after all.

    Shaking off her straying thoughts, the crimson-haired girl quickly changed into the form of the young woman she had tied up.

    Checking herself out in the mirror, she had to admit, this woman wasn''t the prettiest lover of the most powerful man in this country without reason.

    With her sharp gray eyes, wless skin, rather ''bombastic'' figure, and gorgeously curled brte hair¡­ it was no wonder that she could live a life of luxury without ever needing to lift a finger.

    Of course, it still wouldn''t be worth it to rece one of the images in her ''stacks'', since this form wouldn''t be very useful after she was done with her first target.

    But before that man came around¡­ there was another annoyance bothering her outside.

    Emilia frowned. ''Sneaking around like that¡­ he must either be a stalker of thisdy, or¡­ someone from that man''s side?''

    As expected, even if this was a ''hidden'' affair that very few people knew of, the lover of someone who used to hold so much power would definitely not bepletely unprotected.

    She''d made sure to time her ''entry'' in a way so that he couldn''t see it, but the man seemed to have had some ''bad premonition'', and kept trying to look through the windows.

    The crimson-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. ''I can''t just get rid of him¡­ it might rm the others if they''re regrly checking on his presence.''

    She ''worriedly'' made her way towards one of the windows before looking out suspiciously. "I-I felt like someone was trying to snoop in¡­ I-Is there some creep nearby¡­? N-No way, s-should I call the police¡­ or him?"

    Her words both assured and rmed the man assigned to protect her, and he realized that he''d been too anxious.

    Emilia mmed the window shut like a frightened little girl before giggling. ''Heh, look at him run away. He''ll probably only dare watch from afar for a while.''

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 Chapter 686 No Second Chance

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    Men often sought somefort in the dark when facing criticism and ridicule from all sides, and as thedy Emilia had chosen to use as the ''bait'' happened to be the prettiest of her target''s ''lovers'', she obviously didn''t have to wait long.

    Of course, ideally, Emilia would have preferred if her target had been more diligent and arrived the moment her shapeshift skill''s cooldown was up, but him being a littlete was better than being too early, so she wasn''tining.

    "Okay darling, I''ll wait for you tonight, then~!"

    The way she spoke and even giggled matched the woman she had knocked out, and the man on the other side of the phone never even suspected that he wasn''t talking to his ''lover'', but someone else entirely.

    After cing the phone down, the smile on Emilia''s face turned into a smirk. "Looks like I won''t have to waste another dose of that sleeping drug on her, after all."

    Since the woman was more or less ''innocent'', and the sess of her n also depended on causing the least amount of disturbance and damage, Emilia felt no need to truly ''silence'' the woman she was currently impersonating.

    Anyway, when she woke up, her target''s lover would have no clue what actually happened. And as long as she acted ''as usual''¡­ it would only help Emilia cover up.

    This wasn''t the only man she needed to kill, after all. And the crimson-haired girl knew that she couldn''t let the others figure out what was going on before she was done with all of them.

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    The poor, unsuspecting prey walked right into the hunter''s, and before he realized it, he was already being strangled to death.

    He couldn''t even make a loud enough noise to attract his men waiting outside the door, not knowing that the real threat was already waiting for their employer inside the house.

    As someone who had directly or indirectly caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people, for the first time in his life, the man tasted the despair of death.

    "W-Why¡­ wha¡ª?!" The man''s eyes bulged and almost looked as if they might pop out of his skull as he struggled desperately against the slender woman crushing his neck, but to his horror, he realized that not only could he not break free, but now he couldn''t even get a single word out.

    Howe he never figured out she was so freakishly strong¡­? Was this still the same woman who moaned and cried coquettishly whenever he pounded her from behind?

    No, he really couldn''t believe it. It was like the delicate lover he was familiar with had beenpletely switched with some vicious ghost who wanted him dead, and the more he felt like he was destined to die under this woman''s palm, the more unreconciled the man felt.

    After so much sess in his life¡­ was he really going to die so disgracefully?

    It would have been better to be shot dead at a parade or something instead! At least he would have been immortalized in people''s memories.

    Unfortunately, Emilia wasn''t very interested in fulfilling thest wishes of the man who was part of the decision that made so many of her children miserable. If anything, she felt a little regretful that she hadn''t given him a more painful death.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Oh well, I''ll just have to be more careful next time."

    It was a pity that she couldn''t extract much information out of her target, but being so deep in the enemy territory, Emilia knew that she didn''t have the luxury of being able to ''interrogate'' anyone.

    It was simply too risky, and she simply couldn''t afford being exposed now, lest the rest of her targets burrow deeply underground and be almost impossible to find.

    ? "How wonderful would it be if my ''Predator''s Mark'' worked on anyone in the world without them having to be in my line of sight first?" Emilia sighed.

    Had that been the case, she would have been able to track and kill anyone she wanted around the world, and get rid of all these annoying bugs one by one with ease. But Emilia knew that was just wishful thinking, at least for now.

    Dragging the dead body to the bathroom, the crimson-haired girl quickly changed into the form she had used to once take out the tiles from Blue Lotus Vi''s bathroom. She''d had to get rid of ''little Emi'' to be able to store this form in advance, but it was definitely much more useful now than the little girl.

    Her control over both her body and energy was on an entirely new level now, though, and moving her de-like ''strands'' of hair to her will was definitely much easier for Emilia than it had ever been before.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It made her a little nostalgic thinking about it again, and the crimson-haired beauty couldn''t help but smile as she finished re-tiling the floor after burying the man she had killed.

    "I miss going to school with Dixie and Koko every day. Being able to tease Crystal, and watching Penny annoy Dixie¡­ hehe¡­" Emilia giggled. "It was so fun."

    Unfortunately, they''d all grown up now, and Dixie had even learned to somewhat tolerate Penny¡­ or at least it looked like it.

    Even Koko had changed from her hyperactive self to a somewhat disciplined soldier.

    Of course, she was only allowed to be a support under Penny''s strict surveince due to the risks of the war, but Emilia still felt it was a bit of a pity that they lost their childhood so quickly.

    Emilia knew that part of it was her fault, since she had to do what she had to in order toplete her missions, but she could only take her anger out on these remaining enemies now, and hopefully take out some future threats for her children at the same time.

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    Fooling everyone around her target after ''returning'' was definitely a much more demanding taskpared to fooling just one or two people.

    Even after having done her due research on the man, Emilia felt a little nervous in her heart whenever she interacted with any of them under her new disguise.

    Of course, the fact that she had to ''dress up'' as a man with a big belly also made her a little ufortable, and it would be no exaggeration to say that Emilia wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

    Luckily, even if her acting might not be perfect, no one really expected their boss ¡ª who looked exactly the same as before ¡ª to have suddenly be someone else. The thought was simply too unscientific and ridiculous in this world, and never even crossed their minds.

    A man nervously walked into ''his'' office at this time, and bowed his head in fear before speaking. "S-Sir¡­ unfortunately, your request¡­ i-it has been rejected."

    mming the ufortably thick fist on the table, Emilia pretended to be furious as she waved him out, and then took the document he had left behind curiously.

    ''Ahh¡­ as expected, the ex-president who dered a war that cost so much and had no returns wouldn''t be allowed to have a vacation so easily¡­'' She smiled. ''But that''s even better!''

    Having had ess to everything that the man owned for a while, Emilia already knew what steps she needed to take next.

    Scrolling through the contact list, she easily found the one she was looking for before making a call.

    How wonderful it was that everything was locked with a fingerprint¡­ such an easily replicable thing. She felt like even if she had been able to interrogate her target, it would have just been an unnecessary waste of energy.

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    Two dayster, an urgent report arrived at the president''s office, who couldn''t help but frown as he went through it.

    "Sneaking out at such a sensitive time¡­ does he really not care about our image at all?!"

    Of course, given that the man had already been impeached and had almost no hope of ever getting into a position of power again, and would only continue losing his ''momentum'' the longer he stayed still, the president could more or less understand his rival''s thoughts.

    It was better to take what he could with him and flee now, before it was all snatched away from him by force.

    "Tell that stupid bank that holds all his embellished funds that it is our country''s money, and if they decide to hand it over to him¡­ don''t me us for being rude!" The president frowned. "And also¡­ I want to know where he is now, and what he''s up to. Quickly!"

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 Chapter 687 Wolf In A Sheeps Pen

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    Emilia had to admit, this guy really knew how to enjoy life. Even while ''running way'' like this, there were still multiple hideouts and a vast amount of resources at her fingertips.

    She chuckled. ''Looks like someone''s been using the public funds for their own welfare, huh¡­''

    Not that she wasining. After all, if this guy hadn''t been so ''resourceful'', she would have definitely needed to go through a lot more trouble to gather all her opponents up.

    ''Hopefully they all will show up¡­ It''s a pity that he didn''t keep any records of their conversations and discussions, but... it''s not like I really need it.'' Emilia smiled while idly sipping on some tea.

    Against people in this world who werepletely unguarded against ''unscientific'' things such as her being able to shapeshift, Emilia was simply like an incurable poison.

    The time of their ''meeting'' was two dayster, just to make sure they had enough time to make the arrangements, but not enough to think about it too much.

    Unfortunately, she hadn''t been able to inform Noelle and the others about her current movements, but Emilia felt it was much safer not to use any of her own resources.

    After all, even if she had the ability to observe her surroundings using chaos energy, there were other ways of ''monitoring'' that went beyond her senses, and there was no point in taking needless risks.

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    Two dayster, eleven of her ''targets'' arrived at the designated meeting spot one by one, and Emilia couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    The ex-president of Red Dusk hadn''te, but to be fair, she would have been more shocked if he did, given all that had happened.

    Plus, only five of the Federation''s leaders had been ''impeached'' from their original positions, and most of these people were still very much in power in their respective territories.

    With their ego, even if she mentioned that she had a way to get rid of ''Empress Emilia'' without making anyone suspicious, there was no guarantee that they would take the risk or find it worth their time toe.

    After all, the one calling for the meeting was one of their worse off colleagues, and it wouldn''t be shocking if most of them looked down on Emilia''s current persona in one way or the other.

    Of course, the terms of the treaty in Phoenix forced them to more or less give up all their power, but Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to believe that they''d really do such a thing for real. Most likely, they just gave up their rights on the surface, but were still controlling everything from the shadows.

    Luckily, whether it was those who were still in power or those who had ''fallen'', they all hated one person to their core. And since she knew this full well, Emilia naturally used it to her advantage.

    "Isn''t it too much for you to arrivest despite being the host, Jeffrey?"

    Emilia smiled, though it wasn''t particrly attractive considering her current form. "My apologies. The resources I have at my disposal are no longer what they used to be, and I didn''t want to take any chances of being discovered and putting us all at risk whileing here."

    Her words more or less soothed the disgruntled egos in the group, though there were still mostly unfriendly gazes around.

    "It feels like it''s been so long since all of us got together, even though it''s not been that long since the Federation was forced to disband."

    "Right? It almost feels nostalgic."

    "Let''s not argue about pointless things."

    "True, we''re not here to fight each other. "

    "Let''s not waste time. I understand that some of you have nothing better to do, but I still have a country to run."

    The man''s words instantly infuriated a few people around the table, but none of them dared to speak up.

    "Jeffrey¡­ you better be right about your n being able to get rid of Emilia, otherwise¡­"

    Jeffrey was naturally the name of her current ''persona'', and the smile on Emilia''s face vanished. "Otherwise what?"

    The man who spoke up just chuckled and waved his hand in dismissal. "You don''t need to worry too much about such things. I''m sure a smart man like you wouldn''t be fooling around anyway, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    No one else came to defend ''Jeffrey'', and it could be assumed that they were silently acquiescing to the man''s threats.

    Their enemies and rivals were watching them so closely now, and they still took such a great risk toe here. If Jeffrey really dared to mess around¡­ there was no need for him to leave this ce alive.

    ''Jeffrey'' just rubbed his bulging belly and smiled. "How chilling, but luckily, I have nothing to fear."

    "Oh, looks like you''re quite confident?"

    "Don''t keep us in suspense, then!"

    Just as everyone was getting a little excited and hopeful, however, the next words from ''Jeffrey'' left thempletely dumbfounded.

    "Don''t get me wrong. The reason I have nothing to fear isn''t because I have an impable n to kill Emilia, but because none of you¡­ will be leaving this ce alive."

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    The security that some of the ''guests'' brought had already ''disarmed'' everyone before entering the ''secret'' meeting all, and were keeping each other in ''check'' outside.

    Of course, not only did very few people know about this meeting, but they also had the cepletely surrounded, so they weren''t particrly worried about any intruders.

    Not even a fly could get in without them noticing... or so everyone thought.

    Screams of terror and horrified screeching shattered their confidence like brittle ss, and almost immediately, all of them tried to rush in to check on their respective bosses.

    Unfortunately¡­ it was already toote.

    Emilia hadn''t been able to silently kill them all with some undetectable poison, since trying to set it up in advance would have risked rming her targets, but to her, it was more of an inconvenience than a dilemma.

    Being allowed into a ''secret'' meeting with her enemies being so undefended was like letting a ferocious, bloodthirsty wolf into the sheep''s pen.

    In fact, the disparity between a regr person and herself after her evolution was now so great that if she truly wanted to kill all twelve of them without even letting them squeak, it really wouldn''t take much effort at all. She would just need to shift into a form that had more swift and lethal appendages to make things easier.

    But Emilia wanted them to die looking at her face, so she only shifted back to her original form stored in one of her stacks before starting her ughter.

    Of course, she didn''t bother exining herself much, since they would all be dead soon anyway, and she still needed to take care of them all before the security was able to break the door and rush in.

    Which left her with... less than a minute.

    Her enemies didn''t even have the time to wonder if the familiar obese man in front of them changing into a gorgeous crimson-haired beauty was just them hallucinating on the spot.

    "You¡ª?!"

    Emilia''s hand tore through the throat of the man closest to her, and the calm smile on her face turned excited as blood sshed all over her now baggy clothes.

    The dying man clutched at his torn throat in disbelief and desperation as blood kept flowing out uncontrobly, and his vision faded away.

    "M-Monster!"

    "HELP!"

    Of course, no matter how the sheep panicked, how could they possibly flee from a clever wolf while still being stuck in the same pen?

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 Chapter 688 Nightmare Fuel

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    With all of her targets already dead, it usually wouldn''t be very wise to stick around to fight the security guards in a meaningless battle. But since there was only a single point of entry and exit to the meeting room, avoiding them was easier said than done.

    Of course, for someone like Emilia who could change their form at will¡­ she definitely could do it, but it would be at the cost of putting her ability on an eight-hour cooldown.

    Emilia sighed. "It''s a bit troublesome, but if possible¡­ I really don''t want anyone to figure out what happened."

    Since she was being forced to put her ability on cooldown anyway¡­ might as well make the most out of it.

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    Because of the urgency of the situation and the secrecy required, none of the Federation''s ex-leaders had actually brought in too many bodyguards. The highest count was only sixteen. But that didn''t mean they were easy to handle.

    After all, to be assigned to protect the ''most important'' person in their country, these people were naturally the best of the best.

    If they really all worked together to take Emilia down, even with all her advantages¡­ the crimson-haired girl felt that her best bet would be to simply flee.

    Luckily¡­ they were more of a hindrance to each other than anything, thanks to their suspicion of the ''assassins'' being sent by one of their ''allies''.

    After all, no one else would even know of such a highly secretive meeting in the middle of nowhere, right? It wasn''t like any of their bosses had been careless or dared take any chances. Not with the empire of Blue Dawn and Phoenix watching their movements like starving hawks.

    When they burst in through the door of the meeting hall and hurriedly scanned their surroundings, they couldn''t help but gasp at the horrific bloodstains all over the table that had been flipped over to its side, the floor, and even the walls.

    But what shocked them the most was that¡­ despite the horrific screams earlier¡­ there was no dead body to be seen, and none of the people who were supposed to be there were present.

    "Shit! What the fuck is going on?!"

    Although a few of them were agitated and even turned their guns to the people from other factions, making the situation rather tense for a moment, Emilia was disappointed to see that things were quickly returned to order by someone else.

    "Check behind the table, and look for any hidden exits that we might have missed earlier. We have to rescue the hostages quickly, before it''s toote."

    From her spot on the ceiling, Emilia smiled wryly as she watched them circle around therge table slowly, knowing that a violent confrontation was unavoidable, but she still waited patiently for the rest of them to enter the room first.

    It would be best to deal with as many of them at once as she could while she still had the element of surprise on her side, after all.

    She had no idea that if the people below really saw the ''wry smile'' of the horrifying creature above them, maybe a few would directly faint from sheer terror.

    Emilia had mentally debated just using her ''tunnel digging'' form with flexible and multi-purpose long hair, but soon realized it wouldn''t nearly be ''efficient enough'' for her current situation. Plus, her original form was clearly discernible, and if someone managed to take a picture or something from afar, it posed the risk of people figuring out that she had ughtered all of the Federation''s leaders.

    Unfortunately, even Cynthia couldn''t find a good enough reason to dissuade Emilia, and could only light a candle for the doomed soldiers. ''It''s a pity that you can''t even see the gorgeous face of my viiness before you die, and have to look at this instead.''

    Unaware of the fate that awaited them, just as some of the soldiers were about to see what was behind the table¡­ somethingrge dropped softly in the center of their back line.

    Of course, Emilia knew that they would instinctively shoot the moment they saw her, so she made her move first.

    Dark, sharp organic spikes barely two millimeters in diameter and ten inches in length shot right through the whole room and embedded themselves on the solid wall deeply, with trails of blood and gore following behind them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Only a few managed to survive unscathed, several sustained severe wounds, while the rest¡­ instantly died.

    "W-What the hell is that thing?!"

    It was only then that they got a clear look at the giant crimson spider with hundreds of holes in both its cephalothorax and abdomen¡­ but it was still for only an instant before it started scuttling around all over the ce with a speed that was truly terrifying for a monster of its size.

    "M-Monster!"

    Emilia found it a bit amusing that their reaction was so simr to that of their ''bosses'', even though the form she used before was so pretty, while this one was so ugly.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation. "I doubt they care very much what you look like while you''re ughtering them."

    "Shoot!"

    "Kill it!"

    Unfortunately, even though many of them were aware of the desperate situation and tried to shoot her down¡­ it was futile.

    Most regr people would be too terrified to think rationally when faced with such nightmare fuel, and instinctively fled for their lives.

    Meanwhile, with Emilia-spider''s incredible speed, most of the panicked shots meant to take her down simply ended up hitting other ''allies'' instead.

    Numbers weren''t always an advantage, after all.

    A few lucky shots did manage to get to her, and one evenpletely tore off a leg, but Emilia-spider still had seven left, so it barely slowed her down before she adjusted herself.

    She had to admit, the ease with which she could tear down ''prey'' was really something else when she used this form, even though she didn''t really like using her ''fangs'' so much directly.

    They tasted disgusting, after all, even if she immediately spat them out after tearing them apart.

    Obviously, she targeted the ones who were shooting at her first. The ones fleeing could always be taken downter.

    The few of her opponents who dared to stand against such an unreasonable monstrosity were actually quite clever and brave, and tried their best to spread out and take cover behind the dead bodies and the table¡­ but sadly their efforts were still in vain.

    With the passage of time, many of the organic spikes that had been deeply embedded all over the ce simply vanished and reappeared on the nightmare''s body¡­ and the moment it screeched, they knew it was over.

    With so few of theirrades standing around to act as meat shields this time, most of them ended up being shot right through by the spider spikes, and even the rest realized that they were doomed.

    Their final desperate shots mostly ended up hitting nothing as the spider scuttled around finishing theirpanions off, and aside from cursing at their fate for being dealt such a fucked up hand, they could do little else as the light faded away from their eyes.

    Of course, even after she finished thest of them, Emilia didn''t dare rx for a moment as she scuttled out of the meeting hall.

    ''I can''t let them flee¡­!''

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 Chapter 689 No Escape

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    Although Cynthia wasn''t particrly fond of Emilia''s current form, she also didn''t like leaving things unfinished. "Don''t let any of them get away! We ended up losing almost three percent of our energy reserves because of these idiots, you know?!"

    In fact, Emilia was also a little shocked when she realized it.

    It wasn''t that she never expected some of her spikes to fail to prate through the soldiers. That would have been asking for too much, given that many of them were wearing at least some armor.

    That''s why she made them so long, thin, and pointy.

    Of course, even if a few ended up getting stuck in a different direction than intended, it wouldn''t be too much of a surprise.

    What she never expected, however, was for her ''attacks'' to end uppletely healing her opponents at times. That is, so long as they weren''t already dead and had one of her spider spikespletely stuck inside their body.

    "It''s only because you used a part of your body that waspletely detached for that attack, and allowed it to ''merge'' with someone else long enough." Cynthia sighed. "Your idea of keeping strings attached to each spike was quite good, but unfortunately, they all broke almost instantly."

    Sad as she was that so much of her energy was lost on such ''easy'' opponents, Emilia-spider could only take her anger out on the prey that had managed to flee.

    She even had to use her ''Predator''s Mark'' on so many to make sure they didn''t flee¡­ how hateful of them for making her waste almost another percent of her energy!

    Tearing off another man''s neck, the Emilia-spider couldn''t help but grumble. "Since you guys hate being killed by me so much, why not just ept death peacefully and shoot yourself?"

    Of course, the corpses around her had no response, but Cynthia couldn''t help but shudder. ''This might be too much, even for me. I have to figure out some way to make her prefer a, uhm, prettier attacking form than this one.''

    Even with some of them already getting on vehicles¡­ their speed was no match for the scuttling crimson spider, and the miles of desert all around them was like its personal yground to ughter them at will.

    In their final moments of desperation, they could only curse at their bosses for picking such a crap meeting spot. Not only did it have some kind of ancient evil lurking within, but they couldn''t even flee!

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    Energy Reserve: 113.06%

    Emilia pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well¡­ it could have been worse."

    The three beads that held the ''images'' that she could shapeshift into currently included Emilia''s original form, the ''magic hair tunnel maker form'', and the ash-blondedy knight from her previous world. And since Emilia''s skill had freshly entered an eight-hour cooldown, she could only pick one of them upon getting close to civilization.

    After all, she couldn''t very well board a bus or get on a ship as a giant spider, could she?

    Well, maybe if she really didn''t care about anyone in this world, maybe she could have¡­ just because she was sure many people''s reactions would be amusing.

    "Oh, maybe I can get a big hat and a cigar or something, and pretend to be a particrly ''civilized'' talking spider just out on a leisurely walk?" Emilia giggled. "And if someone attacks me, I can pretend to be really scared and run away while crying for my mommy. Can you imagine the headlines?"

    "¡­ Did one of those escaping vehicles hit you on your head?" Cynthia frowned. "But then again¡­ you should have regenerated already, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The crimson-haired girl rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "I was just joking, obviously."

    In the end, she just picked the ash-blondedy knight form again, since her ''tunnel digger'' was pretty much her original form with very long and weird hair.

    Although Cynthia rolled her eyes, inwardly she was a bit relieved. ''It seems like she''s no longer in such a bad mood after getting rid of all those cockroaches, huh? Guess even those worthless mortals can be useful sometimes.''

    Of course, despite her ted mood, Emilia hadn''t forgotten about thest person on her ''hit list'', the president of Red Dusk.

    Although she wasn''t really afraid of an overly paranoid who couldn''t even trust in the ability of his best subordinates, the crimson-haired girl knew better than to becent.

    "He''s probably not much of a threat at this point, but that guy is a bit too clever for his own good." Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "He might not have been the mastermind behind the Federation''s formation, but leaving him alive means giving him a chance to get back in power, and maybe even letting something much worse loose on the people of Blue Dawn."

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    Although all the ex-leaders of the Federation had made arrangements to not cause much rm when they sneaked away, they''d obviously never considered losing their lives on this trip.

    After all, not to mention that they were supposed to be on the same side, but the person who invited them also had neither the means nor the guts to deal with them.

    But as time passed with nomunication or response from their side, it was inevitable for some people to start realizing that something wasn''t quite right.

    Less than forty-eight hours after Emilia''s ughter of almost the entirety of the Federation''s leaders, the shocking news of so many ''public figures'' going missing finally became known to all, and conspiracy after conspiracy started pouring out from all corners of the globe as people tried to guess what could have happened.

    "Clearly, these people all used to be the leaders of the Federation, and the one who has the greatest animosity towards them is none other than the Empress of Blue Dawn, Emilia. Who else could have killed them?"

    Even those who usually supported Emilia unconditionally were split on this topic, since many believed that their princess had both the ability and the courage to pull off such a ''ridiculous'' move to seek justice on her people''s behalf.

    Not everyone believed it, though, and the ''opposing'' side''s thoughts were also quite reasonable, at least on the surface.

    "Well, they had a lot more inmon, or they would never have been able to unite as one to make the Federation, right? Moreover¡­ if the Empress of Blue Dawn had that kind of ability¡­ wouldn''t she have killed them all long ago? Why wait until now?"

    Of course, despite Emilia''s absence, the Empire of Blue Dawn still received an official statement denying any involvement with the matter, under Noelle''s guidance.

    They all knew Emilia''s intention of making sure the people of Blue Dawn didn''t suffer a disaster after they had to leave, after all. That was the whole point of the crimson-haired girl going out of her way to get rid of these ''hidden dangers''.

    Had Emilia been exposed while trying to kill them, they might have spun it differently and tried to use it as a deterrence instead, though it might not have been very effective after she left. But now that she''d been able to more or less get away with it, it made little sense for them to attract hatred from others when it could all be easily denied.

    Naturally, the crimson-haired girl trusted her girlfriends with these matters, and didn''t let any of the rumors distract her from her final target¡­ the president of Red Dusk.

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 Chapter 690 Elimination

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    It wasn''t until the next day that Emilia was able to arrive at the city closest to the prison in which the ex-president of Red Dusk was being held.

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown as she looked at the heavily guarded ce. ''Do they intend to protect him to protect the reputation of their country, or could it be¡­ that they think he''s worth more alive than dead?''

    But while sneaking in might look difficult¡­ it was only a matter of time for someone like her.

    ''Guess I can only wait for someone with sufficient authority and ''rece'' them to get in.'' She sighed.

    Emilia could of course try some other methods, but each of them had its own risk, and she felt that it wouldn''t be worth it if her actions ended up pouring salt on a wounded tiger''s wounds.

    She''d long since lost any interest in taking over Red Dusk, after all.

    How could people who were thirsting for the blood of her children just a while ago be worthy of being nurtured?

    Emilia knew that not everyone in Red Dusk was like that, and it was mostly the scumbag president of theirs who led them to that position, but¡­ that did little to change her feelings of disgust whenever she heard their country''s name.

    Luckily, the main culprit hadn''t ''identally'' died, and she could finally vent some of her anger.

    The ex-president of Red Dusk didn''t bother turning around to face whoever had opened his cell door. "Didn''t I already say to bring my lunch on time, or don''t bother? Come back in thirty minutes with a fresh one."

    Emilia smiled coldly. "You sure are living quitefortably for someone who caused so many of my children to die."

    Although the cell couldn''t be called luxurious, it still wasn''t cking'' in any of the basic needs.

    With fully enclosed walls, a private bathroom, and air conditioning, it was more like a cheap hotel than a high-security prison.

    Obviously, since she had reced her spider form with the officer she ''reced'', Emilia had fearlessly changed into her original form right after entering the cell.

    "E-Emilia¡ª?!"

    The ex-president''s eyes almost bulged out of his skull as she pointed at the crimson-haired girl in shock.

    For her to appear here¡­ could only mean that themonwealth had truly given up on him.

    ''Is the greatest value of my life now only in quenching her rage?! NO!'' He breathed rapidly in fear beforeing to a decision. ''I-I can''t die like this!''

    "M-Miss Emilia, I-I have been meaning to talk to you in person for so long, f-finally I have the chance!"

    Emilia sneered. "Oh¡­ is that so?"

    Clearly, the fact that she was all alone and was even wearing male clothing toorge for her size didn''t even register in his panicked mind, otherwise maybe he would have realized that there was something not quite right about her being there.

    He tried exining how he was forced to do everything that he''d done under the pressure of the Federation''s leaders, and how he''d never truly wanted to hurt her or her people.

    Of course, his ims weren''t baseless, but Emilia knew that every ''proof of innocence'' he presented to her was more of a coincidence than conspiracy.

    The man even tried to hold her legs while crawling on the ground in an attempt to persuade her, but she stepped back and chuckled derisively.

    "Did you really think I would believe all of that? Just because you pretended to be friendly and full of ttery when we first met?"

    "I-If you give me a chance, I will definitely¡ª"

    Emilia sneered. "You already had your chance... and you blew it. Got anything else up your sleeve?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''She''s just relishing in the growing despair in his eyes, isn''t she?'' Cynthia had to admit, her viiness could be really vengeful when someone pushed her far enough.

    The man on the ground seemed to be at a loss for words for a while before seemingly deting in deep depression. "I-It seems like I really can''t convince you of the truth¡­ but I can''t me you."

    Seemingly steeling his will, he straightened up before nodding. "Alright, then¡­ let my death atone for it all. Just remember, in Red Dusk, I was always your greatest supporter!"

    Emilia''s eyes flickered in amusement as she watched him take off his belt and wrap it around his own neck before tightening it with force.

    She had to admit, he was being quite ruthless with his strength, but¡­ it was easy to see that he didn''t really intend to die.

    If she''d been just a bit more stupid¡­ maybe she could have been fooled.

    "It seems like they haven''t been treating you very well here, huh? Let me help you."

    For just a moment, the muddled mind of the ex-president thought that he''d really seeded in convincing her of his ''innocence'', but that was when he felt the belt he had loosened once again tighten around his neck.

    The face that had only reddened immediately started turning purple, and some parts of his neck even started bleeding as he thrashed on the ground.

    Clearly, with death already knocking on his door, any thoughts of deception had long since fled as he desperately tried to kick the girl off in an attempt to save his own life.

    Emilia smiled as she watched the man''s oxygen-deprived face turn uglier and uglier. "Even if what you''d said was true, I wouldn''t dare leave my children''s neighbor state in the hands of such a cunning and insidious man."

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    "What did you just say?"

    Thedy who had rushed in to report bowed. "H-He''s dead¡­ sir. I-It was a suicide."

    The president was disbelieving for a moment, but soon realized that there was no way to avoid the truth.

    Even if someone could sneak in and out of the high-security prison without rming anyone else, the marks on the dead man''s own hands from pulling the belt around his own neck too hard didn''t lie.

    There were no bruises from someone ''assisting him'' at all.

    It was a bit baffling that someone could have the determination, will, and strength to pull off something like that, but the truth could only be denied for so long.

    But realizing that it was true only made him angrier. ''From the moment I became the president, it''s been one headache after another, all because of this man, and now he has the gall tomit suicide?!''

    The bastard who created all this mess for him really killed himself!

    The only reason he was even kept alive was to make sure they could deliver him in good condition to Blue Dawn in exchange for certain ''rxations'' for at least the next few years while they recovered, but what about now?

    If that Empress thought they disdained her request and were protecting that scumbag¡­ wouldn''t it make things take a turn for the worse?

    Although the Empress of Blue Dawn had agreed to end the war and wasn''t the one to start it in the first ce, he''d heard that she had been quite ''reluctant'' to do so. If she took this opportunity to start one this time... would anyone evene to help their Red Dusk?

    No, even if they managed to avoid ruin, themonwealth would definitely suffer greatly, and he would go down as one of the most ipetent presidents in the country''s history!

    "N-No, I can''t let that happen!"

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 Chapter 691 The Way Out

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    With Sam and Noelle off to assist with the restructuring and reconstruction of some of the locations in Blue Dawn that needed it, the ''diplomatic matters'' were temporarily left in Crystal''s hands. Of course, Emilia''s secretary and Dixie were also by her side for help.

    After ''angrily'' cutting off the call from the president of Red Dusk, she couldn''t help but giggle. "It''s quite amusing that they''re trying so hard to appease us for their ''mistake'', when Emilia was the one who did it."

    Dixie also couldn''t help but giggle, but just then, a familiar charming voice ended up interrupting their ''gossip''.

    "Oh¡­ are you ming me¡­?"

    The blonde girl was shocked for a moment before she turned around to face the ''intruder'' and rushed at her with a grin. "Emilia!"

    "Ehehe¡­ looks like someone missed me a lot?"

    Back in her lover''s embrace after so long, she couldn''t help but hum angrily. "Howe no one let me know when you got here?"

    Obviously, even Dixie could understand how the girl was dissatisfied, having missed receiving the crimson-haired beauty from the airport.

    Emilia chuckled. "I told Noelle to keep it a secret¡­ plus, I wanted to check if I could sneak in or not."

    Obviously, the security at the Blue Lotus Pce wasn''t good enough.

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    With most of her ''worries'' now gone, everyone initially expected Emilia to go back to her cheery and naughty self from before the war, but while the crimson-haired beauty was all smiles, she didn''t really tease any of them much.

    Their sensitivity to Emilia''s emotions soon made them realize that there was still something weighing her down, and her words soon confirmed everyone''s thoughts.

    "I know you''re all curious, but just wait for big sister and Noelle to get back. We''ll¡­ figure it out together."

    Crystal and Dixie looked at each other before nodding.

    Of course, exactly what it was that they needed to figure out¡­ the blonde girl didn''t need to be a genius to know it had to do something with Emilia''s departure from this world.

    It was a discussion that they''d had in their ''chat group'' more than once, after all. And if Emilia just wanted to confirm if any of them would be willing toe with her or not¡­ Crystal felt that it wasn''t really necessary, but she understood the crimson-haired beauty''s worries.

    Everyone had their ''burdens'', after all. She, for example, had her mother who would be left all alone in this world if she couldn''t be brought along, and Emilia wouldn''t just take them with her without even a warning no matter how confident she was in their love.

    Crystal couldn''t help but sigh. ''She cares for us just as much, after all¡­ though I wish she didn''t even have to worry.''

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    -Follower Summoning (Cynthia) has been activated!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 5 hours 13 minutes 25 seconds<novelnext></novelnext>

    Obviously, the raven-haired girl knew what her partner wanted to discuss before she had even been summoned out of her body. But she didn''t take the initiative to reveal it, and just smiled curiously as she plopped down next to the crimson-haired beauty on the sofa.

    "What is it? For you to call me out in a ce so¡­ lively, I guess you must have a good reason?"

    Samantha and Crystal shifted awkwardly, while Dixie and Noelle just frowned.

    Although they''d been aware of Cynthia''s existence for a while now, they didn''t really have much of an understanding of her ''character'', or who she was as a person.

    After all, while Emilia trusted them, they couldn''t just blindly believe in her words. Otherwise, wouldn''t Crystal be the purest, most saintly girl in the world, and Dixie the cutest, most obedient one?

    Of course, being of the same otherworldly species as Emilia, they couldn''t deny that their girlfriend hadn''t exaggerated how pretty the girl was, but that hardly mattered much.

    Noelle didn''t even want to guess her ''image'' in the girl''s mind, so it was only natural to not fully believe that Cynthia could be as benevolent and kind as the crimson-haired beauty imed.

    Obviously, much of their ''bias'' against Cynthia stemmed from Crystal''s ''observations'' from her brief meeting with the raven-haired girl. Though she had been reluctant to share much, the blonde wasn''t particrly good at concealing her thoughts, especially in front of someone as sharp and astute as Noelle.

    As if feeling their ''thoughts'', Cynthia turned her emerald eyes to the ''offenders'', staying on each one for only a moment before moving away.

    She may not have said anything, but they could clearly feel the disdain from her gaze.

    Of course, although Cynthia wasn''t ''afraid'', she still subconsciously concealed it from Emilia.

    "You know why¡­"

    Cynthia smirked. "I won''t if you don''t say it."

    Emilia sighed. "Alright¡­ tell me then, how do I take everyone back with me?"

    The raven-haired girl tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Even if we had an unlimited amount of energy, you can''t just take ''everyone'' back with you. Well, I think so, at least."

    Emilia blinked in surprise. "You¡­ think?"

    Cynthia nodded. "Mhm¡­ it honestly depends on how they feel for you. I can only create the bond and pull, whether they can be dragged along or not depends on their ''resistance'' to the shift."

    The crimson-haired girl mulled over her words for a while, and after a few rifications, it soon became clear to her. "So every person I ''link'' to while we''re leaving will need some energy to ''move'', and if they even subconsciously ''resist'' leaving this world somehow, the link will break, and the energy will be lost?"

    Cynthia chuckled. "That''s not all. If it happens toote in the process¡­ they might even be lost between the two nes. If they''re lucky, they''ll ''return'' to their own world, though probably in a different time and space, and if they''re unlucky¡­ well, I guess they''d be instantly atomized."

    Emilia understood that her partner was warning her out of goodwill this time, so she obviously didn''t get very upset by her words, but the same couldn''t be said for her girlfriends.

    Weren''t the raven-haired girl''s words the same as doubting the sincerity of their feelings for Emilia?!

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 Chapter 692 Preparations For Parting

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    Even if she was of the same species as their lover and also a ''benefactor'', it wasn''t fair to judge them like this, right?

    They weren''t sure just how much Cynthia had really helped Emilia, but even if they couldn''tpare with her, it wasn''t like they hadn''t done their best. It was impossible not to feel wronged.

    But no matter how dissatisfied they were, none of them dared to speak up at this moment.

    If the raven-haired girl held a grudge and her hand ''slipped'' while moving¡­ it really wouldn''t be funny.

    Not to mention that one of them might die, but Emilia would definitely be heartbroken from both the ''betrayal'' and the ''loss'' of those close to her, and with how fragile Crystal felt her heart was, there was no telling how long it would take for her to recover¡­ if that was even possible.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t know the dilemma her girlfriends were going through at that moment. Doubting the four of them never even crossed her mind, after all.

    Not to mention them, she didn''t think that even Penny and Justine would hesitate much when it came to deciding whether to follow her or not. Among her ''old friends'', perhaps only Koko was the one she wasn''t sure of.

    The cheery girl liked her, sure, but Emilia felt that those feelings were probably not that intense. Moreover, she had a mother she was very close to, easily made friends, and thrived on being a social butterfly. Even if someone like her decided to tag along¡­ would she really be happy in Cynthia''s world?

    Emilia wasn''t sure exactly how big the ce really was since she''d only seen the area around the ''hut'', but simply based on the number of people Koko would be limited to interact with once there¡­ the crimson-haired girl felt that she would probably feel suffocated.

    Simrly, for Be, Alexandria, and many other high-ranking knights¡­ there was no way to be sure.

    In the end, Emilia could only sigh. "Alright then, please tell me everything we''ll need to do in detail."

    As for who wille with her and who will stay¡­ they could decide for themselves.

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    Not many people knew of Emilia''s absence from the Blue Lotus Pce over the previous few weeks, so the news of her return was naturally kept a secret. However, those who knew her personally were soon informed of her will to gather ''everyone'' around the Blue Lotus Pce within the next month.

    Emilia felt that staying any more than that would be just testing Cynthia''s patience. Of course, the list of ''invitees'' included not just her friends and family, but also most of her ''high-ranking'' knights.

    Needless to say, aside from a few who had something important to take care of during that time, everyone quickly started moving to the capital of Blue Dawn almost immediately.

    After all, their princess hadn''t made this kind of request even during the war, so it was impossible not to worry.

    "Do you think this has something to do with ''those'' people?"

    The topic of the Federation''s ex-leaders going missing was still quite ''hot'' in most ces, and many even worried that it might lead to a war that was many times worse than the one they''d previously started and lost.

    Luckily, with no ''culprit'' being found and even the ''death'' of these people only being a ''spection'', no one was quite sure how to proceed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmm¡­ I don''t want to believe it, but probably, yeah. Some of the media channels keep insisting they''re dead, but¡­ where''s the proof? Not many believe it."

    Since they were all slowly losing the power they once used to hold, from their perspective, wasn''t it a wise move to just take whatever they could now and run away, before all was lost?

    Refusing to get out of a situation that constantly kept getting worse was no different from waiting for humiliation, after all.

    Of course, given that even the people who used to be under their rule didn''t seem to particrlyment their ''loss'', even Emilia''s knights who hated them all with a passion had to admit that going into hiding like this was a ''smart move'', though these people definitely didn''t deserve the peaceful and luxurious life they were sure to live in the future.

    Unless someone found them, that is. Sadly, themander hadn''t taken the initiative to order a search, and then the request from Emilia ended up taking precedence over everything else.

    "This timing¡­ it''s unlikely to be a coincidence. It looks like they still want to make trouble for our princess, huh..."

    "Deserving death!"

    "I wish I could tear them apart myself."

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    Emilia naturally knew that not everyone could be ready to move at a moment''s notice, and this wasn''t a clear indicator of theirck of love or obedience, so she didn''t particrly mind when only a few thousand people showed up in the capital over the next few days.

    Of course, she was aware of the fact that Penny and Crystal had secretly worked together to ''filter'' many of the iing candidates based on their ''qualifications'', though she didn''t particrly mind.

    Her blonde girlfriend''s ability was really good at this sort of thing, after all.

    Fortunately, her parents did decide toe, and were currently being ''prepared'' for the shock by her older sister, with her assisting from the side.

    After all, Emilia knew they treated her quite sincerely, and even if they knew their ''real daughter'' would be here in her stead, parting from her permanently would probably still be a major shock.

    The fact that Sam would be leaving with her didn''t help either.

    As for the older couple tagging along¡­ Emilia knew that would be a bad idea. They had too many ties to this world, and with Danielle''s return, their transfer was sure to fail.

    It would be fine if there was no risk, but with Cynthia''s warning of the possibility of people being ''lost in transit'', Emilia simply didn''t want them to take the risk.

    Mrs. White frowned. "Wait, wait, hold on¡­ I don''t know if I''m misunderstanding something, so just rify this for me once. Emilia¡­ I want to hear this from you¡­ are you actually being serious when you say you want to leave ''this world''? Or is this some sort of extremely borate joke?"

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 Chapter 693 Being A Parent

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    Mr. and Mrs. White could already be considered extremely ''resilient'' based on the fact that they hadn''t freaked out when they first learned that their ''real daughter'' was actually somewhere else, and Emilia was a different person.

    After all, since Danielle would be back with them soon, and the girl they''d long since treated as their own seemed to have done everything she had for her sake, what right did they really have to scold her?

    It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was true that they had been truly oblivious to the fact that Amos had been deriding their daughter and ruining her reputation before Emilia''s arrival.

    With how powerful and cunning Mr. ck had been, perhaps if not for the crimson-haired girl''s interference, not to mention just their daughter, maybe even their whole family would be doomed.

    But even if they understood that Emilia wasn''t ''really'' their daughter, and that they had little right to stop her from leaving if that was what she really wanted, it was still impossible to ept a ''permanent parting'' like that.

    "Why ''leave''? I-It''s not like we restrict your movements or force you to do things you don''t want, right?"

    No one could refute their words. In fact, if the couple could be med for something, it would be allowing her ''too much'' freedom. They''d supported her through hostile takeovers and wars alike, after all.

    Obviously, Emilia could tell that they didn''t fully believe her and Sam''s ims of them being able to leave the world, or the fact that she didn''t belong to this one in the first ce. ''They think I''m someone who just hid Danielle and swooped in to help, and now just wish to go off their radar, huh? Well, there''s an easy way to fix that.''

    Because she''d gradually changed her usual form to match her original one, it would be difficult to convince anyone with her beauty alone that she wasn''t human.

    After all, people had a frightening ability to get used to things, and after looking at Emilia''s face regrly, Mr. and Mrs. White were already quite ''immune'' to her charms.

    Luckily, even those who partially ''awakened'' theirtent abilities like Dixie didn''t have any external manifestations, so Emilia felt that convincing her parents that she wasn''t a native of this world should still be easy.

    Ding!

    Skill shapeshift has been used!

    Cooldown: 8 hours.

    Since there was unlikely to be an emergency that would require her to change into a form that was not stored in one of her ''stacks'', Emilia had no reservations about going ''all out'' this time.

    Anyway, it had been a while since she saw Crystal, Dixie, and Sam going all starry-eyed. Maybe she would even catch Noelle off-guard this time, who knew?

    Under the effects of her skill, Emilia''s skin gained an ethereal glow, her beautiful crimson locks turned even longer and started moving, seemingly with a will of their own, and four giant, feathered wings sprung forth out of her back.

    She smiled. "If you still have doubts, I can always take you out to fly?"

    ''Wow¡­''

    ''I-Is that her real form?''

    Of course, even if they wanted to deny it further in their hearts, the couple had to ept that Emilia was an ''alien'', though one with very human features.

    Well, there had been something ''inhuman'' about her appearance even before she moved her hair around like that and grew wings, but under their ''prejudice'', they simply hadn''t noticed it until now.

    Naturally, as Mr. and Mrs. White cared for her, they wouldn''t make Emilia expose her ''real form'' to the public like that without good reason.

    Everyone in the empire might like their daughter, but the world wasn''t such a happy ce. As the Federation''s attack had made it clear, so long as there was enough value in the prey, predators were never afraid of getting a little hurt in the process.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Losing their daughter would definitely be far worse than simply having her leave.

    Once they came to terms with the fact that they couldn''t stop her from ''returning home'', Mr. and Mrs. White were both remarkably understanding, though still sad at the fact that they would be losing one of their daughters at the same time as they would be getting one back.

    Emilia was just about to exin to them that Sam would also be leaving with her, but her older sister hurriedly stopped her with a pinch to the back of her palm.

    Seeing her confused expression, the taller girl quickly leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

    The crimson-haired girl obviously didn''t want to dy the matter further, though, but when even Crystal gave her a nudge and shook her head, seemingly supportive of the older girl''s thoughts, Emilia could only give up.

    "I''ll leave ''that'' to the two of you, then."

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    The older couple was naturally reluctant to leave Emilia alone for a while after discovering that she wouldn''t be in this world for long, and their daughters seemed more than happy to apany them on various ''sightseeing'' tours around the capital of Blue Dawn.

    They had to admit, the country had really beenpletely transformed in just a few years, and a ce they would never have even bothered looking down on looked no worse than the most flourishing cities of Phoenix. And it wasn''t just the infrastructure that changed.

    Everyone who saw them greeted them with a smile, and she could even see many people crowding around the periphery of their vision, not even leaving when they were scolded by the security. Some were even daring enough to try to sneak past them.

    What was even more outrageous was how Emilia allowed many toe to her with a smile and even let some ''shake'' her hand, much to the dismay of the people responsible for keeping her safe, unnecessary as it might be.

    ''Wouldn''t it be bad if she just disappeared on them¡­?''

    Of course, they were aware that such worries were probably needless. Emilia had repeatedly shown how clever and sharp she was, and even destroyed foes that used to give them nightmares seemingly with little effort.

    It was better to just enjoy their time together than waste it worrying about things that she must have already figured out anyway.

    Mrs. White suddenly smiled. "You know, while in Phoenix, I heard a rumor of a ''museum'' dedicated to the Empress of Blue Dawn here in this city¡­ is it true?"

    Emilia blinked in surprise. "Is it¡­?"

    Clearly, this was the first time she was hearing about such a thing.

    Dixie seemed just as clueless as herself, but her older sister seemed to know about it.

    "You wanna go see? Though it wasn''t my idea, I actually helped them build it." Sam puffed out her chest with pride,pletely missing her parents rolling their eyes. "I knew Noelle would scold me if I tried to get her help, so I did it behind her back."

    Noelle groaned. "Why are you so proud?"

    Mr. and Mrs. White couldn''t help but sigh. ''This child is hopeless¡­''

    Meanwhile, Crystal could only look away in embarrassment. ''No one has to know that I encouraged Penny to go to Sam with that idea, right?''

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 Chapter 694 Temple Of Temptation

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    Those who had been following Emilia''s entourage around were naturally unable to follow their cars on foot, and could only sigh. But it didn''t take long for an even bigger crowd to form around their group again when they got off at their destination.

    While it was true that most people in Blue Dawn liked Emilia, the concentration of ''die-hard'' admirers in this area was clearly abnormally high.

    But the crimson-haired girl''s attention was on somethingpletely different.

    ''Temple of Temptation¡­? Could they not havee up with a more suitable name?!'' She sulked. ''It''s fine now, but after I leave, won''t those who don''t know me think I must have been just some sort of seductress?''

    Although Emilia didn''t deny that she was a flirt and loved teasing cute girls, it wasn''t like she did it all the time. More importantly, she believed that she had many ''better'' qualities that her knights should have been able to highlight instead!

    But of course, even if she was slightly dissatisfied, Emilia wouldn''t voice such thoughts out loud. ''I-I suppose their heart was in the right ce, so it doesn''t really matter, a-anyway.''

    It was just unfortunate that the goodwill of her ''knights'' only earned her teasing nces from her mother.

    Recalling how even the prime minister of Phoenix had been smitten by her daughter, it was no wonder that most people considered her a seductress.

    "Temple of Temptation, huh¡­? I suppose our little princess did turn into quite a flirt in these few years."

    Naturally, she could only joke about it so easily because Emilia still had a ''good'' reputation, with little to no romantic rumors about involvement with men.

    Her husband couldn''t help but grumble. "No thanks to a certain someone''s bad influence."

    Of course, Mrs. White didn''t pay his thoughts much attention and only sighed while patting her daughter gently, much to her embarrassment. She could feel cameras clicking from the crowd around them, after all.

    Mrs. White knew that she might be considered slightly old fashioned for such thoughts, but she didn''t believe it was very good for a girl to be involved with too many men.

    It may not really hurt her directly, but knowing how most people thought, it would very likely make them treasure her less.

    Mrs. White believed that instead of being with people who didn''t treasure her as much as they should, she would rather her daughter remain single and have fun with her friends.

    Anyway, it''s not like they needed any grandchildren. Raising one pair of kids was enough for her in this lifetime. Repeating it at this age would just break her back and bring tears to her eyes, and not in a good way.

    Sam and Crystal looked at each other, feeling a little grateful that Emilia was able to so easily attract everyone''s attention, and they didn''t have to worry about anyone figuring out the ''source'' of this ''temple'' too much.

    "Have any of you been here before?"

    Emilia naturally shook her head in response to Mrs. White''s curious question, but going by how everyone else seemed to be avoiding her gaze, the older woman could obviously guess their answers. ''I guess they really do like her a lot, huh? But¡­ that''s a given.''

    Emilia was quite good to those close to her, after all, and it was too easy to get attached to someone like that. Especially if they looked good.

    Not that she thought her daughter''s friends were ''superficial'', but¡­ Mrs. White knew that''s just how people''s minds worked.

    Even this so-called ''Temple'' was probably someone''s attempt at grabbing her adorable''s daughter attention and ttering her so they could get closer, though their ''intentions'' weren''t unknown.

    It was surprising that she couldn''t dig into who really made this ce with her connections and resources, but Mrs. White didn''t believe she couldn''t see any clues after seeing it for herself.

    The creator''s intentions were reflected in their creation, after all, and the number of people who could be involved with something like this could easily be narrowed that way.

    Meanwhile, Mr. White had the feeling that this must all be Sam''s doing, one way or the other. Only she could be so unhealthily obsessed with Emilia, after all, and she also had the resources to easily pull it off.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, it was only after their group walked into the building that the older couple realized they''d both been mistaken.

    ''Wow¡­''

    ''This can''t be the effort of just a few people, huh¡­?''

    The building itself wasn''t particrly high, and only had two floors, but the way it was designed made it so that the entrance opened up into a wide and extremely long gallery that extended all the way to the temple''s back, which seemed to house a ''shrine'' of sorts.

    Of course, at the center of this gallery were the actual items on disy, covered with ayer of ss, probably to prevent dust and grime from getting to the ''treasures''.

    "It''s like watching a timeline of almost every little thing you''ve done over the past few years, huh?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but nod as she moved closer to observe the tiny little figurines in action. ''It''s¡­ incredibly detailed?''

    The diorama ced closest to the entrance of the ''temple'' wasn''t one of a battlefield, but of a ssroom, and it vividly depicted a crimson-haired girl stepping on the face of a rather well-built boy.

    The familiar uniform and the scene immediately made Emilia smile as she recalled the two ''bullies'' she had punished at the time, and how they had na?vely sought revenge against herter.

    That was how she got one of the first major victories over the hero, after all. The contribution of this event in giving her the initiative really made it ''worthy'' of being the first disy.

    Of course, if she was the one who had to pick a scene herself, Emilia would have picked her first meeting with Crystal without a doubt.

    The blonde girl had only just been the ''heroine'' in her mind until then, and while Emilia felt that the girl was pitiful, that was all.

    It was only when they really met that Emilia made up her mind to not only defeat the hero, but also make sure that Crystal had a good life.

    Even if she hadn''t decided to get together with her, Emilia would have at least made sure not to let anyone hurt or bother Crystal while she was still in this world.

    Mrs. White chuckled. "That bossy little girl is supposed to be you, huh Emilia?"

    Despite herself, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but blush. "I-I was just a bit peeved by how those two kept scaring, extorting, and hurting my schoolmates. You know I wouldn''t hit someone without reason."

    The older woman booped her nose with a smile. "Of course we know."

    Although it hadn''t been long since they knew that Danielle and Emilia were different people, it wasn''t difficult to grasp her daughter''s ''personality'' after she''d supposedly grown up.

    If others hadn''t taken the initiative to trouble her, she would probably be perfectly content ying around with her friends and big sister all day, every day.

    Meanwhile, Mr. White''s attention was still on the diorama of his daughter stepping on a boy''s face as he hummed thoughtfully. "Is it just me, or is Emilia''s figure the one with the least amount of detail?"

    Well, the figure itself was beautiful, gorgeous, even. But¡­ its face had no eyes, lips, or other features, which made it look way out of ce in such an otherwise ''perfect'' scene.

    Even if ''Emilia'' was looking down and such detail wasn''t clear at first nce, if one was to kneel down and inspect it from a lower angle, it really was quite obvious.

    Emilia also seemed to have noticed it just then, and tilted her head curiously. "Did they¡­ run out of budget?"

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 Chapter 695 The Founders

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    While it might be wrong to say that the Empire of Blue Dawn was filthy rich, with coffers overflowing from an excess of gold, the term ck of funds'' should still have nothing to do with anyone under Emilia''s ''employment'', officially or not.

    After all, by ''borrowing'' everything they needed from the White Deer Corporation, whether it be money or expertise, the efficiency with which they''d developed far exceeded what could be considered normal.

    For those who had seen the days of desperation and poverty in Blue Dawn, which basically included everyone but small children, it wasn''t without reason that Emilia was almost revered as a goddess.

    Not to mention those working under the White Deer Corporation or the government, even regr people received more than enough aid to prosper and grow on their own if they needed.

    Of course, there were a few bad apples who tried to take advantage of their goodwill, but that was inevitable.

    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® Emilia agreed with Crystal''s view on dealing with such people ¡ª as long as they remained in the extreme minority, it was better to leave them be. Changing the system to ''weed out'' such people would only make everyone else struggle more to get help when they really needed it, after all.

    Noelle and Dixie were both opposed to letting anyone take advantage of Emilia''s goodwill, of course, but the dark-haired girl would never speak out against her princess, and Sam naturally supported her little sister without even thinking about it.

    Although Emilia felt bad for the gray-haired girl being ''bullied'' like that even though she was being the sole voice of reason, she only pampered Noelle more for a few days to make up for it.

    Everyone was free to give advice and question her decisions, but at the end of the day, Emilia knew that there was no need for her toe to the most ''logical'' conclusion.

    Instead of always being reasonable and justified, what mattered to her more was the happiness of those she cared about.

    Naturally, with suchx management, it was extremely easy for anyone who ''needed'' it to get support and funding, and this went doubly so for those who had the chance to be in direct contact with Emilia.

    That was why she couldn''tprehend why this ''museum'' had run out of funds.

    Didn''t Penny know about this? Why hadn''t she asked her if she ran out of money? Or could there be a bigger problem that she had overlooked?

    Although it would be a bit embarrassing to fund a project that was basically glorifying herself, Emilia would have definitely helped out her knights if they asked for help.

    No one would have had the time to create something like this during the war, so Penny definitely couldn''t have been too busy.

    With the ponytailed girl''s attitude, the only way she could havepromised was if Emilia herself was unavable, and someone else rejected the knightmander''s request on her behalf.

    Emilia couldn''t help but be worried. ''With Crystal''s ability, there shouldn''t be anyone who could embezzle funds or do any kind of malpractice in our top-level posts¡­ right?''

    Aside from her girlfriends, everyone else who could make decisions like that in the empire had been hand-picked after being screened by Crystal herself, after all.

    But thinking about it again, even her blonde girlfriend wasn''t omnipotent. It was entirely possible for someone clever and lucky enough to not even think about something bad in her presence, thus escaping her judgment.

    Not to mention, she couldn''t possibly be everywhere at once, and some people would rarely ever get to meet her.

    Knowing that Emilia might have misunderstood, Crystal hurriedly interrupted her thoughts with a cough. "I-It''s not because they didn''t have enough funds, but because the artist didn''t feel confident in being able to capture your image perfectly, so, well¡­"

    Seeing how she didn''t know how to continue, as the ''big sister'', Sam naturally stepped forward to help the poor girl out. "B-But the other details are perfect!"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully, and looking closer, it was indeed true that the ''shape'' and even the clothing of the central figure was a lot more detailed than what one could notice at first nce.

    "Wait¡­ how did you know? Crystal¡­ big sis¡­ have you been here before¡­?"

    The blonde girl also seemed to have just realized her slip, and her face flushed in embarrassment. And under her father''s gaze, even Sam didn''t dare to squeak anymore.

    As someone who had beenbeled as a pervert who didn''t even spare her own little sister, it would be really, really bad if she openly confessed that she''d made a ''museum'' for her as well.

    Luckily, Dixie seemed to pity them and came to their rescue. "We''ve all been here one time or the other, Emily. I-It''s calming and nostalgic."

    Seeing how her parents didn''t seem to find it too strange anymore, Sam finally breathed a sigh of relief. "R-Right, w-we''ve even helped them a little from time to time, or these scenes wouldn''t be so urate."

    Although it wasn''t a lie, Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''You don''t say, Miss Founder?''

    Emilia and the older couple hummed in realization.

    "It makes sense."

    "Although it''s a bit over the top, being able to see all your ''adventures'' in person is really interesting."

    Mrs. White''s smile only grew wider as she made her way over to the next disy, which showed Emilia serving dishes in a restaurant, of all things.

    ''It''s no wonder that some people like to monitor their kids all the time. It''s really cute.'' She thought.

    Although she thought so, Mrs. White firmly believed in respecting a basic level of privacy for anyone she held dear, unless the situation really didn''t allow it.

    After all, if she couldn''t even show them this much respect, there was no way her daughters would be able to love her as they did.

    Of course, as they moved forward, the dioramas kept getting more and more impressive and detailed.

    From her school y to her fights during Blue Dawn''s rebellion, everything was covered in such fine detail that if Emilia hadn''t known better, she would have thought that the artists had been through her own memories.

    Towards the end, even her speeches and appearances during various ceremonies were covered, and some were even apanied by a disy that could be used to y the footage of the events.

    Emilia keenly noticed that there were no images of her from before she''d finalized her ''form'', and knew that it must have something to do with either Dixie or Noelle.

    Only those two would be overprotective enough to get rid of any ''inconsistencies'' that could be used to bother her in any way, though she was sure that no matter how thorough they were, it was impossible to erase all of her ''teen'' images.

    ''Anyway, even if someone has any doubts, I was a growing girl, and growing prettier isn''t so strange. Plus, what other exnation is there, anyway? That I''m an alien?'' She giggled.

    Now that she knew that Sam and Crystal were involved in this ''project'', Emilia obviously didn''t doubt their intentions.

    Of course¡­ this incident did remind her to ''filter'' those in power once more, just in case.

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 Chapter 696 Trust And Respect

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    The group of girls apanied Mr. and Mrs. White to all sorts of interesting locations over the next few days, and the older couple was naturally more than happy.

    In fact, the actual ''sights'' didn''t matter much, as while Blue Dawn might have grown a lot, it was impossible for it to have much of an impact on the older couple. They''d seen and been through too much already, after all.

    What made them really treasure these memories, however, was the beautiful smile on their daughter''s gorgeous face as she proudly apanied them.

    Obviously, she expected to be praised by them for doing so well, and the older couple couldn''t bear to disappoint their little doll.

    It reminded them of those childish drawings that Danielle used to draw as a toddler, and how smug she got whenever she was praised for it, too.

    Naturally, Danielle and Emilia were not the same, they understood that now. But it was impossible for them topletely dissociate the two from each other, and since Emilia was also their ''daughter'', such thoughts came quite naturally.

    If they could be willful, they would have definitely stuck by her side all the time until she kicked them away to leave.

    But as ''parents'', they also understood that while children could be spoiled or coddled, they should never be suffocated. It would leave them with feelings of unhappiness, and since they might be separated soon, that was thest thing the couple wanted.

    It was a pity that one of their daughters would be leaving soon, but¡­ they could only ept it.

    Since it was impossible to make her stay, they should at least see her off with a smile, and leave a loving image in her heart to remember them by.

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    When Mr. and Mrs. White decided to stay in one of the nearby luxury vis instead of the Blue Lotus Pce, and told Emilia that they would be ''busy'' for the next few weeks, the crimson-haired girl was naturally bewildered. "Why not just stay here? It''s not like there''s no room."

    Crystal smiled. "Even parents can be selfish sometimes, and they probably just want to leave you with their best memories before you leave."

    Noelle and Dixie nodded, while Sam only rolled her eyes in exasperation and grumbled. ''Maybe mom has such an idea, but knowing dad¡­ he''s probably trying to convince her to have another baby.''

    Of course, at their age¡­ it would be difficult to say the least, but Sam knew that she couldn''t interfere with that decision even if her guess was true.

    ''Well, if he has that kind of idea, it''ll probably be easier to convince them to let me leave, too.'' She thought. ''As for Danielle¡­ I just hope she won''t hate me for it.''

    Although Emilia hadn''t really rified the reasons too much, she''d already been told that they wouldn''t have any time to say ''goodbyes'' or anything once the transfer process started, and she may not even get a proper look at Danielle''s face.

    But maybe that was not a bad thing.

    ''The two of us stopped talking long before Emilia came along, and not protecting her as I should have¡­ no, not even realizing she was in trouble¡­ it''s not wrong if she hates me for it.'' Sam sighed. ''I''m really an ipetent fool, aren''t I? Maybe I wouldn''t even be good at anything at all if not for Noelle¡­ ''

    Looking at the usually bratty taller girl''s heavy and grateful gaze, Noelle couldn''t help but shudder. ''W-Why is she looking at me like that? Don''t tell me this pervert is nning something weird now that we''re all free?!''

    Flustered by the thought, the gray-haired girl could only awkwardly clear her throat. "B-By the way, since Mr. and Mrs. White are no longer going to stay in the pce, should we allow some people to move in here?"

    Her idea was that if there were enough people around, even Sam shouldn''t be shameless enough to do anything too weird.

    Of course, if someone asked, it wasn''t like Noelle didn''t have any justifications.

    There were quite a few vis and hotels in the capital, and it was more than enough for almost any other asion. But with Emilia''s poprity, it was unlikely to be enough to amodate everyone. And that was after multiple rounds of filtering.

    If it was for their princess, they would probably happily sleep by the side of the road if needed, but there was no way Emilia would let that happen if she could help it, right?

    Contrary to Noelle''s expectations, however, the crimson-haired beauty didn''t immediately agree.

    "No need. Aside from the list of people I gave you earlier, I would rather spend the next few days in peace with all of you." Emilia grinned. "Of course, if anyone is dissatisfied and wants to leave¡­ they''re free to do so."

    Crystal could pretty much guess that her girlfriend probably didn''t want to expose her ''secrets'' to those who couldn''t be considered worthy of her trust, but it wasn''t so easy for everyone else.

    With how Emilia usually pampered almost everyone who cared for her, it was really an unexpected move.

    Standing by her side, even the usually obedient Dixie couldn''t help but be a little curious. ''Is she testing their loyalty? Emily has never done this sort of thing before¡­ even during the war.''

    The list of people that the crimson-haired girl mentioned actually had less than two dozen names, and that was including Penny, Michelle, Koko, and Justine.

    This naturally meant that even some of those who could be considered ''close'' to her, such as Dixie''s three ''best friends'' Lara, Jenny, and Emma, didn''t qualify to stay in the Blue Lotus Pce at the moment.

    Of course, the dark-haired girl was more curious than she was actually ''against'' the decisions of her princess. But since Dixie wasn''t the type to question Emilia unless she felt it was really necessary, in the end, she decided to just keep quiet. ''If my princess doesn''t trust them yet, that can only mean that they didn''t do enough to earn her trust.''

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 Chapter 697 In A Pickle

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    While it might seem like Emilia was just rxing and having fun in the Blue Lotus Pce with her girlfriends over the next few days, in reality, she was closely observing the movements and sentiments of her ''knights'' through both Penny and Noelle''swork, as well as her own senses.

    Of course, Crystal also volunteered to do a few rounds around the city, and returned with several reports on those that she felt Emilia shouldn''t take along.

    Most of the people in the list were there due to their strong feelings of responsibility or dependence towards various people other than Emilia herself, as that would make it very likely for something to go wrong during their transfer. Of course, certain others were also disqualified based on their feelings for Emilia being too extreme.

    The crimson-haired beauty may not mind the presence of these people, but Crystal had long since decided not to let anyone she considered too ''irrational'' be too close by her side. After all, while Emilia might find their extreme love for her endearing, knowing just what kind of thoughts crawled through the heads of these maniacs made it impossible for Crystal to think along the same lines.

    Despite how tough she might seem at times, the blonde girl ''knew'' that Emilia was actually extremely sensitive, and cing these kinds of ''risky'' people in a ce where they could easily hurt her was simply not a risk worth taking, as far as she was concerned.

    Luckily, with Noelle, Sam, Dixie, and even Penny convinced by her words, keeping these people out of Emilia''s sight was quite easy.

    "Around three hundred and forty people who had previously qualified have left the capital now. Sixty-four of them had parents whom they needed to take care of, eighty-three had a sibling whom they wouldn''t be able to part with, and a hundred and ny-three had various mental issues that would have made it difficult for them to meet our requirements." Noelle sighed. "It wasn''t easy convincing them to leave, but in the end, we managed to kick them out."

    Sam giggled. "Your name works like a magic spell on these people. As soon as we mentioned that it was your intention, even the stubborn ones quickly packed their bags."

    Crystal''s eyes involuntarily swerved to Dixie, but fortunately, aside from a slight frown, she didn''t make any moves.

    Obviously, a few people had refused to leave without seeing Emilia with their own eyes first. After all, she''d never summoned them to one ce like this before, and it wasn''t weird that some were able to guess that she might be nning to ''leave the public eye'', or something simr.

    For the knights with the most extreme obsession over their princess, how could it be so easy to make them leave when they couldn''t be sure if they would ever see her again?

    If not for Dixie and Noelle physically packing them up and shipping them off, it really wouldn''t be possible to get things done so easily.

    The crimson-haired beauty seemed a little disappointed when some people started leaving, but she soon perked up after listening to their words. "I see, I see¡­ so that''s why they left, huh¡­"

    Clearly, she wasn''t na?ve enough to think that once someone came to her side, that they would be able to discard everything they previously hadpletely. In fact, in most cases, Emilia''s didn''t really require such exclusivity. After all, just because Dixie loved her grandfather didn''t mean that she cared any less about her, right?

    It was only when she was ''threatened'' by someone, or felt that someone she cared about might not really feel the same way as she believed, that Emilia feel a sense of loss and betrayal.

    Of course, she''d noticed Crystal and the others moving around the capital and ''handling'' several situations with her ability, but Emilia didn''t really mind.

    Since they were moving for her sake, the crimson-haired girl trusted them to handle certain situations.

    But¡­ that didn''t mean that she was okay with them hiding it from her.

    "Why are you frowning, Dixie?"

    The dark-haired girl immediately stiffened. "I-I¡­ princess¡ª!"

    With Crystal''s ability, how could she fail to realize how bad things could turn out if they weren''t handled well?

    It was one thing to not inform Emilia about something that would make her sad, but there was no way they could actually lie to and deceive her in any way. Even if it was for the crimson-haired beauty''s own sake, it was not a line any of them felt that they should cross.

    Immediately stepping forward, the blonde girl grasped Emilia''s right palm in both hands, and gazed right into her eyes as she confessed everything. "There were some people among those that we forced to leave who were too obsessed with you, and had very dangerous thoughts. I¡­ couldn''t let them stay."

    Looking at Crystal''s beautiful blue eyes, Emilia smiled. "Be honest with me, when you say ''dangerous'', what exactly do you mean?"

    The blonde girl pursed her lips and stayed silent, and for a moment, the others feared that she might just refuse to speak.

    Knowing Emilia''s temper¡­ not answering her at this point wouldn''t make her angry, but sad, which was infinitely worse as far as they were concerned.

    Even Noelle, who was the most rational of them all, couldn''t help but clench her fists. ''She didn''t tell me in detail what they really wanted, either¡­ but it''s better to disgust Emilia than hurt her now, right?!''

    Fortunately, Crystal also seemed to realize this fact, and took a deep breath to steel herself before nodding. "T-They¡­ they all had different thoughts and ns about you. Some were more innocent, and only wanted to torture and kill everyone else who might be ''stealing'' your affection, while others¡­ l-let me just say that to preserve your beauty and to always have you by their side to love¡­ they didn''t mind turning you into a pickle."

    "¡­"

    Crystal shuddered. "A-And that''s not the worst of it."

    Emilia coughed. "¡­ W-When you mention a pickle¡­ is it like... being preserved as is, or the type where it gets all chopped up¡­?"

    While Crystal nked and the others were simrly stunned, Noelle couldn''t help but step forward to pinch Emilia''s cheek angrily. "Is that really something you should even be wondering?! It''s all equally bad!"

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 Chapter 698 Those Less Fortunate

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    What kind of person would want to kill someone they loved, and not even care about the pain they would go through? That kind of twisted ''affection'' was clearly an illness, as far as Noelle was concerned, and didn''t even deserve to bebeled as love, even the sick kind.

    Emilia didn''t seem to care about it nearly as much as she should, perhaps, but understanding their concerns, she still smiled. "Alright, alright, I get it. You were all trying to protect me, so I won''t care about these things anymore."

    Of course, a big part of the reason she forgave them so quickly stemmed from the fact that the crimson-haired girl didn''t feel that she had been lied to from the start.

    At most, her girlfriends just didn''t want to take the initiative to expose her to such unpleasant things.

    Although she pitied the ones who were being ''excluded'' by them due to being ''too passionate'', of all things, maybe being separated from her once and for all might actually be good for those people, all things considered.

    While Emilia was usually quite open-minded, she felt that it really was quite unlikely that she would be able to return all their affections with equal intensity. And even if they managed to follow her, would that really lead to a happier future?

    Even if they stayed in Cynthia''s world, she would only be able to meet them every once in a while, after all.

    Having been with her for so long, Cynthia could obviously somewhat guess what the crimson-haired beauty was thinking. And although she didn''t make her own opinions known, she couldn''t help but sigh. ''Compared to the insecure little girl who wanted to hog every bit of affection she could find when she first came into this world, she''s really changed a lot. But¡­ is that really a good thing?''

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    After multiple rounds of ''filtering'', Emilia was surprised to learn that there were still over three hundred people left from the thousands who had been initially ''invited'' to meet her.

    Knowing just how absurdly strict the requirements were for people to ''qualify'' at this point, from having zero ''external'' attachments to ''exactly a certain level of affection'' for her, she really couldn''t be med for not expecting it.

    Naturally, even many of those who had been ''disqualified'' seemed to like her quite a lot, and Emilia couldn''t resist asking Noelle and Penny to arrange for some of them to meet her in person.

    She may not be able to take them along, but it wouldn''t hurt to acknowledge their heart, right?

    Crystal naturally had no reason to object now that the most ''dangerous'' elements had already been removed, well, except for one, that is. But while the blonde girl knew that Michelle was technically just as ''unhinged'' as many of those she had ''kicked out'', they''d been with her long enough to understand that she shouldn''t actually be too much of an issue.

    Compared to that, the ''problems'' that got these people rejected were really not even worth mentioning.

    "Since there are quite a few of them, let''s make it so you can meet them ten at a time?"

    Emilia just smiled and kissed her adorable blonde girlfriend on the cheek. "Sounds perfect."

    A few hourster, it started.

    The first group to enter was a giggling group of fangirls, and while they were all very adorable, Emilia could tell why they''d been ''rejected'' by Crystal within just a few moments of talking to them.

    "Wow, you''re even prettier up close than I ever imagined!"

    "I never thought I''d be so close to the princess herself!"

    "I-I must have used up a lifetime of luck¡­"

    Their liking was true, but¡­ with their personality, it was easy for them to grow obsessed with things, and equally easy to get bored after a while.

    When they liked someone, it definitely couldn''t be considered shallow, but once they moved on, what they would feel for those past memories would only be a sense of shame and regret.

    Emilia listened to them for a while, and even rewarded them with a few tips andpliments before calling in the next batch.

    This time, they were all ''intellectuals'' who clearly gave more priority to logic than they did to their own feelings, seven boys and three girls, and Emilia realized at once that one of her girlfriends must have painstakingly sorted through them all to filter out ''simr'' groups of people so she could handle them more easily.

    She couldn''t help but smile gently. ''How thoughtful¡­ I wonder whose idea it was? It might be big sis, or Dixie, or Crystal¡­ no, it might even be Noelle? She looks so strict, but deep down, she''s really just a big softie.''

    Even when given a chance to exact revenge on the Nightingale n, the gray-haired girl only really ''punished'' her ''stepmother'' and parents. And even then, most of their suffering stemmed from their own conflicts, and not Noelle herself.

    The crimson-haired beauty had no idea that she was destroying the ''reasoning'' of many of the intellectuals before her with that smile, and continued interacting with them ''normally'' for a few more minutes.

    ''Crystal must have thought that they were too rational, and would definitely ''fail'' to pass through since they wouldn''t be dedicated enough. I guess that could be true¡­'' Emilia nodded to herself. ''Unless they have really strong feelings for someone, people like them would really not be willing to abandon everything they know and head to apletely different world.''

    She was a bit amused when some of them even questioned her, though she didn''t really hate it. "You want to know why I helped Carmen at that time?"

    The girl who put forth the question nodded awkwardly. "T-Themander told us that you''d already decided, but I''ve always been curious about your reasons behind that decision. The Gray Wolfe had already lost its momentum at that time, and there was little to gain from that ce. Aside from helping the people in need, that is."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "And there were many ces more ''deserving'' of being saved if I really wanted to go that way, isn''t that so?"

    Although the girl was clearly embarrassed to know that her thoughts had been seen through, she still nodded. "N-Not many people from Carmen came forward to speak up for you before that."

    The crimson-haired beauty giggled. "You''re all very smart, and I''m impressed by how clearly you judged everything. Sadly, I can''t tell you everything too clearly, but even if I did¡­ I doubt you''ll be satisfied. I worked mostly on emotions at that time, after all. In terms of being logical and efficient¡­ I suppose I failed."

    The group of ten was clearly flustered by her words, and rushed to fort'' her with a variety of words that quickly turned into a jumbled mess.

    Emilia soon stopped them while shaking her head in amusement, but she couldn''t deny that her heart was a little warmed.

    Maybe to Crystal, these people didn''t deserve being taken along after criticizing her actions and being so ''judgmental'' without knowing all the facts, but she felt that their honesty and clear way of thinking about things was actually quite adorable. It showed that they hadn''t yet been tainted by the inherent unfairness and injustice in the world.

    Of course, not every group that came in afterwards invoked the same feelings in her heart, but Emilia still made sure to give them at least a sincere smile.

    It was her final farewell and thank you to them for their love.

    Unfortunately, Emiliapletely failed to foresee the ''disastrous'' effects of her actions.

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 Chapter 699 The Disobedient Fool

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    "What do you mean there are now almost five hundred people ''in the clear''? Didn''t you tell me there were less than three hundred before?!"

    ording to Cynthia, there was no way to be certain of just how much energy it would take to transfer so many people at once, and that was with the old numbers. How could Emilia not be worried now that things were looking ''worse''?

    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty''s dumbfounded expression, Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. "I''m just as confused as you are, but that''s what Crystal said."

    The two of them stared nkly at each other for a while before turning to the blonde girl in question. Unfortunately, however, Crystal didn''t seem to notice their gazes at all, and madly scribbled away at her notebook.

    Of course, neither of them could tell what she was actually writing, and it wasn''t because of the distance between them. In contrast to her cute face, Crystal''s ''natural'' handwriting was actually ugly to the point where it might as well be an alien script to most people.

    She ''could'' write quite neatly when she really tried, as was evident by her past school notes and the few official documents the blonde girl bothered to draft by hand, but it seemed like she couldn''t care less about it now.

    Despite acting clueless earlier, however, Emilia could more or less guess the reasons behind the sudden change in their ns.

    It might not have been her intention, but the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but be a little happy with the results.

    After all, the current situation proved that not only did her knights care about her words, but also that her girlfriends worked both diligently and honestly once theymitted to something.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh and pat the confused Crystal''s head. ''So adorable...''

    Seeing the leisurely crimson-haired girl disturbing the ''hard-working'' Crystal, Noelle just rolled her eyes in exasperation before ''forcefully'' dragging Emilia away. "She seems to be handling that stuff just fine, so why don''t youe with me to discuss how to get Sam out of the mess she made, huh?"

    Emilia''s expression turned bitter as she allowed Noelle to drag her all the way to a different room and push her down on a sofa. "How am I even supposed to help? Big sister put her foot in her own mouth all by herself."

    The gray-haired girl nodded sadly. "That''s true, and now she''s somehow even convinced Dixie to help her out with something, and is holed up in her office, which definitely can''t be good. If we let this go on¡­ either your parents will be really heartbroken when she disappears without even bothering to let them know, or¡­"

    Emilia quickly cut off her girlfriend''s words with a shake of her head. "Nope, don''t even mention that ''option'', alright? I''m not leaving her here. Danielle can manage White Deer just fine¡­ probably." She coughed. "W-Well, with some help, I''m sure she''ll do okay."

    Noelle hadn''t really interacted with the ''original'' little sister of Sam too much, but somehow, the crimson-haired beauty''s words didn''t boost her confidence.

    In fact, it disturbed her to the point that she even forgot about the pressing matter with Sam. "I-Is that so¡­?"

    Noelle knew that while the White Deer Corporation might seem infallible now, it really only took a few blunders to bring even a giant to the ground. It had been true for ck Tiger earlier, and the same could be true for the legacy of her godparentster.

    Although it might look like Mr. and Mrs. White didn''t care about money too much, especially with how easily they allowed their daughters to do as they pleased, it didn''t mean that they would be fine with losing everything that their ancestors had worked so hard to grow over decades and centuries.

    Emilia looked a little uncertain as she nodded. "I''m pretty sure Danielle learned her lesson after having a look at how things would have turned out if not for me, but¡­ what change it brought within her, I really can''t be sure."

    The gray-haired girl hummed worriedly for a while before she shook her head with a sigh, feeling a little helpless. "Alright, I suppose we can only trust that your parents will be able to guide their daughter just as well, no, um, better than Sam. Yeah."

    Deciding that worrying about things that she couldn''t change wouldn''t do her any good, Noelle coughed. "Anyway, that still leaves us with the elephant in the room, so to speak¡­ what are we going to do about the fact that your parents announced the official handover of the White Deer Corporation to Sam?"

    Before Emilia could think about it more or respond to the gray-haired girl''s question, however, a brisk knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

    Emilia frowned when she realized who it was. "Michelle? Come in!"

    Given how her closest ''maid'' was usually so disciplined and withdrawn, for her to knowingly interrupt her discussion could only mean she had something urgent to report.

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    Although it only took Emilia and the others a few minutes to be aware of Sam''s glorious deeds, by then¡­ it was already toote.

    Samantha White had already be ''famous'' in a very unique way, and was being hailed as the pioneer of all siscons worldwide.

    Who could have expected that the very same week of receiving the ''inheritance'' of the majority shares of one of the richest and most influential corporations in the world, someone would actually rush to offer it all up to her little sister?

    And what was even more outrageous was the fact that this crazy girl had also signed away all of her ''personal wealth'' as well.

    Since the news was already out and there was no way to suppress it, Emilia''s first thought was to quickly check on her parents.

    When she got there with Noelle, Crystal, and Michelle, however, the crimson-haired girl was stunned to see Dixie standing by the door with a guilty look on her face, while Sam obediently bowed her head while being on her knees on the floor in front of her parents.

    Mr. White looked a little awkward, but Mrs. White had a knowing yet sharp smile on her face. "You brat¡­ having raised you for so many years, did you really think I couldn''t guess your thoughts?"

    Her husband coughed, perhaps thinking that there was no way his wife could ever perceive even a fraction of the perversion in Sam''s head, but a sharp re from the woman soon made him sit straight. "T-That''s r-right, Sam. A-Answer your mother, y-you per¡ª ugh, d-disobedient fool!"

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 Chapter 700 Just Some Idiot

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    Mr. White''s scolding came to an abrupt halt after receiving a smack to the back of his head from his wife.

    "If not for a certain someone setting a bad example for her, where would my little angel have learned to be so disobedient?"

    Her husband''s expression made it clear that he felt wronged, but he was still smart enough to know when not to retort.

    Mrs. White turned her gaze back to Sam. "Anyway, although I can''t deny that I''m a little upset, you¡­ don''t need to feel so guilty. Since you''ve already been willful, why not at least be happy?"

    Sam''s lower lip trembled involuntarily, and her eyes quickly welled up with unshed tears. "M-Mom¡­!"

    Her mother rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Don''t go crying just as I told you to be happy, you idiot!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but be a little amused as she watched her older sister immediately ''disobey'' that instruction to envelop Mrs. White in a nearly suffocating hug as she cried.

    "I-I love you so much, m-mom!"

    And perhaps feeling a gloomy gaze nearby, she quickly added. "A-And dad."

    Mrs. White chuckled. "If I don''t spoil my daughter, who will?"

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    Emilia understood that although they seemed to be taking it quite well, parting from another one of their daughters couldn''t have been that easy to ept for the older couple, so she asked Sam to apany them as much as possible until they were ready to leave.

    The crimson-haired girl also apanied them from time to time, and despite both Mr. and Mrs. White insisting otherwise, their joyful eyes ended up betraying their real feelings on the matter.

    Of course, Emilia couldn''t apany them all the time, since most of her time had to be spent ''counseling'' those who had been ''epted'' by Crystal and the others to apany her out of this world.

    Although she was sure that everyone who qualified deserved a chance to be taken along, Emilia still wanted to personally make sure that they wouldn''t regret itter.

    From some of her old schoolmates to the staff that took care of her in the White Deer Mansion, to some of the ''youngest'' knights who were a little too passionate about meeting her, she had a sincere exchange with them all, one by one, even if it was a little exhausting.

    Crystal and the others were obviously a little worried about her, even after she assured them that she really didn''t ''need'' to sleep. But considering how Cynthia behaved and her apparent ''authority'' over both the transfer and Emilia herself, they could only keep their thoughts to themselves.

    "Maybe we should have trimmed the numbers down a little more¡­" Crystal sighed.

    Dixie nodded in agreement. "Since Emily wants to handle it all personally, it really is too much to handle so many people without rest. But¡­ she won''t be happy if she doesn''t see those she expects to see here."

    The blonde heroine also realized that Emilia''s memory was actually quite good, and if she didn''t spot someone she had a favorable impression of in the qualified candidates¡­ needless to say, it would be a disaster, in more ways than one.

    In the best case, they would be med for not sorting through everyone properly and really get a proper scolding, and in the worst case, Emilia might not even check, and just feel heartbroken and betrayed.

    Noelle interrupted their discussion with a cough. "Since the two of you have time to gossip, why not help me a little more with work?"

    Since Emilia and Sam would both be leaving, it went without saying that the entire framework of how the Empire of Blue Dawn worked needed to be changed to fit the needs of the future.

    To say it was a lot of work was an understatement, and the fact that neither Emilia nor Noelle trusted many people to handle it properly only made things worse for them all.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Needless to say, Crystal and Dixie didn''t have much time to worry about other things as they were promptly drowned in reviewing the documents piling on Noelle''s desk.

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    Meanwhile, in one of the shelters on the outskirts of the capital of Blue Dawn, a rather unkempt silver-haired boy stared nkly into space while listening to the idle chatter around him.

    Thest thing he remembered was Emilia''s rather pitying gaze as his vision slowly faded away, and a feeling of loss burst from his heart.

    ''What was that? What happened¡­?''

    That was the question that had been haunting him for almost every waking moment since then.

    Even when the caretakers at the shelter started assuming him to be a strange person who pretended to be deaf and mute despite beingpletely fine physically, and refused to evenmunicate with the psychologists they painstakingly invited to have a look, Amos couldn''t care any less about any of it.

    There were only a few people who weren''t a part of the staff in this ce, but while everyone else around him was working hard to turn their life around, only he remained focused solely on the TV in the dining hall.

    Amos had learned that so long as he kept watching the news, Emilia''s face would definitely appear at least once every day. And whenever he tried to match it with the one in his memories¡­ he couldn''t help but feel strange.

    Why was it¡­ that he could no longer feel that strong hate in his heart whenever he looked at her?

    Even though she''d ruined his life, taken everything that was supposed to belong to him, and trampled his pride into bits and pieces¡­ why?

    Looking down at the clean surface of the table, Amos almost reeled back in shock and horror.

    ''W-Who is that?''

    He, who was in the prime of his life, couldn''t possibly look like that, right? There was no way he aged over twenty years in less than a few weeks!

    With innumerable questions bubbling in his unsettled heart, Amos knew that there was only one person in this world who could answer them all.

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    The shelter obviously didn''t prevent anyone from leaving whenever they wanted to, and Amos had no trouble reaching the vicinity of the Blue Lotus Pce despite the ce currently being surrounded by knights, and his previous infamy as Emilia''s enemy.

    No matter how carefully some of them remembered each enemy for their princess, no one could recognize the unkempt man in front of them as Amos ck.

    Of course, there was only so far he could get as a ''normal person'' before someone stopped him.

    "Hold on, sir! May I know where you''re headed to, and who you wish to meet?"

    What came into the silver-haired boy''s view as he turned towards the sound was a girl with dark, sun-kissed skin and long, curly ck hair. The official emblem of the empire on her chest made her identity as one of the ''knights'' more than obvious, even to Amos.

    The cold, pale-green eyes of thedy knight who stopped him looked clearly suspicious, and she couldn''t be med.

    No citizen of Blue Dawn would be disrespectful enough to march right into the Blue Lotus Pce, where the empress lived. Admiring her was one thing, but disturbing her needlessly while she was either working or resting was definitely not eptable.

    The only reason she didn''t immediately detain him was because of her confidence in her own strength.

    Unless it was a member of that stupidly unreasonable Nightingale n, no one in this world could beat her, an original knight of their princess, in singlebat!

    The silver-haired boy didn''t remember her name, but he clearly recalled seeing this very same girl in one of the senior sses during his stay at the Imperial Academy. He remembered that when he once passed her by, she''d hurriedly lowered her head and rushed away.

    Amos had almost gotten used to being looked down upon, but somehow, being looked down upon by someone who used to ''fear'' him rekindled something in his seemingly cold heart.

    "What business I have here¡­ is that something someone insignificant like you can ask?" He sneered.

    Thedy knight was clearly stunned by his response, and was more confused than angry. "W-What? What is that supposed to mean? If you''re just passing by and not heading into the Pce, then¡ª"

    Amos interrupted her with a scoff. "I''m not just passing by, I''m here to meet Emilia."

    The confusion in the girl''s eyes was quickly reced with anger, but she was interrupted before she could respond.

    "Hi, Hazel! What''s going on here...? Who is that?"

    The curly-haired knight turned to her panion'' with a snort. "Nothing to be rmed about,mander. It''s just some mannerless idiot who wants to meet the princess, apparently."

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 Chapter 701 The Heros Despair

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    Penny scrutinized the rather unkempt man in front of her for a while, but no matter how she looked, she couldn''t recognize who he was. "What''s your name, mister? I''m very familiar with every single person scheduled to meet the princess today, and you¡­ don''t seem to be a part of that group, no?"

    Not being recognized by the ponytailed girl was both relieving and disheartening, a testament to how far he had fallen, but the silver-haired boy knew that there was no point in dwelling on such thoughts now.

    He had many questions that only Emilia could answer, and there was no way he was leaving this ce without meeting her, regardless of the means he had to use.

    "I¡ª"

    Just as he was about to put his rather reckless n into motion, however, he was rudely interrupted once again, this time by a girl he really didn''t want to meet at all.

    "Penny!"

    Crystal Miller.

    The girl he used to love, the one who betrayed him, and worse still¡­ the one who tormented him over and over, even when he was already at the lowest point in his life.

    He didn''t know whether she had been the one to plead with Emilia to spare his life in the end, and let him live in this meaningless way, but that hardly mattered now.

    To say that any good feelings he had for her had long since faded away would be an understatement.

    If he had a choice, Amos felt that he would rather have died at the peak of his life, with both dignity and respect.

    The blonde girl whispered something in Penny''s ear that made the shorter girl stare at him in confusion before nodding.

    "I''ll leave this to you, then."

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    The silver-haired boy followed Crystal and another strange girl he didn''t know silently for a while before he finally couldn''t help but grumble. "How did you know I was here?"

    With her ability, Crystal could obviously tell that what he really wanted to ask was ''how did you know it was me?'', but even at this point, his pride wouldn''t let him admit his inferiority so openly.

    She couldn''t help but chuckle. "You''re the same as ever, aren''t you?"

    Even as his heart was filled with hate for her, he still sought her recognition, and desperately hoped that she had been the one to see through even this deste version of him at a nce, even when no one else could hope to.

    Unfortunately for him, his guess was way off the mark, and Crystal hadn''t been the one to discover him at all, nor had she been the one to beg for him to be left alive.

    "Well, if you have any questions, you can ask her yourself, though do keep your tongue in check¡­ lest you lose it."

    There was no hint of nostalgia or regret in her tone, but surprisingly enough, Amos didn''t react much to her mockery, and only gave her a faint nod.

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    Crystal and the other girl who escorted him left reluctantly after getting a look from Emilia, and in the oppressive silence that followed, the only two people left in the office stared at each other.

    The only difference was that while his heart was about to burst out of his chest in anticipation, Emilia''s gaze remained as calm as the surface of a frozenke.

    In the end, it was the crimson-haired girl who broke the silence with a smile. "I was quite curious about what you had to say now, so I agreed to meet you. But it doesn''t look like you have any particr goals in mind, huh?"

    Of course, she wouldn''t miss out on the chance to observe the changes in the hero after he''d lost the influence of the world will. That was why she had left him alive and alone, after all.

    Amos took a deep breath to calm himself before shaking his head in denial. "I-I¡­ I have several questions for you¡­ I don''t know if you will answer me, but I have to ask¡­ I know only you can answer them."

    Emilia leaned forward, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "Oh¡­?"

    The silver-haired boy nodded solemnly. "When¡­ did you stop liking me?"<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    It was not a question that he ever thought he would ask. After all, he used to detest this girl so much in the past. If she''d just stopped bothering him, that would already have been a cause of celebration in his book. But¡­ things were no longer the same.

    Now, he had nothing, and the girl who used to obsess over him¡­ was at the top of the world, envied and admired by more people than he''d ever thought possible.

    Emilia chuckled, but instead of responding to his question, she put one of her own forward instead. "Who told you I ever did?"

    For a moment, Amos felt his heart freeze as if he had been dumped in the depths of a frozenke, but soon, he shook his head in denial. "I-Impossible. I knew you before, y-you¡ª"

    "That wasn''t me."

    Looking at the silver-haired boy''s stunned face, Emilia grinned. "That¡­ was my little sister Danielle."

    "¡­!"

    Realization dawned on him, and all of a sudden, numerous pieces of the seemingly indecipherable puzzle in his mind started falling into ce.

    Amos couldn''t help but point his finger at Emilia in disbelief. "T-There were three of you?!"

    The crimson-haired girl only giggled in response. "There''s only one of me, but yes. I just hate being in the limelight. It was only because I couldn''t watch you ruin Danielle that I had to make a move."

    Amos copsed back on his seat, his expressionpletely copsed.

    From the beginning, everything he thought he knew was wrong.

    Thinking about it all from the point of view of Danielle''s vengeful sister¡­ all of her actions suddenly made sense.

    ''She left me alive so I could regret everything¡­'' He thought bitterly.

    What else could he ask her?

    Pushing the chair back with whatever was left of his strength, Amos dragged his seemingly numb feet to the door, and left without looking back.

    Up until then, he''d thought that the most shameful moment in his life had been when Crystal loudly proimed her love for another to his face. But¡­ he was wrong. So very, very wrong.

    Some timeter, when the news of Emilia permanently ''retreating'' from the public eye was dered, and the existence of ''Danielle'' was once again brought back to the limelight, he would be one of the very few who couldn''t be surprised or shocked even if he wanted to be, and could only stare at the sky andugh.

    In the end, even that little girl who used to obsess over him all the time only hid in the dark and watched as he was driven to despair step by step, didn''t she?

    He, who thought he had everything in his life once upon a time, truly had nothing and no one of his own at all.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t stop him, and only watched him leave with a neutral expression. ''In a way, he''s also quite pitiful. Well, kind of. Maybe...''

    "You''re gonna let him live?"

    The raven-haired girl obviously didn''t care much about what happened to this world now that they''d already obtained all the harvests that they could have. However, since her partner was spending so much time and effort properly arranging things before she left, Cynthia felt that leaving behind such a thorn was a little strange.

    After all, she''d killed people who hated her far less much more decisively, hadn''t she? Even if the boy didn''t seem to have the energy to hate her anymore, it wasn''t like killing him would do her any harm, right?

    In response to Cynthia''s question, Emilia just sighed. ''Isn''t it obvious that he won''t live for long? It looks like every passing week is taking a year''s toll on his body. Plus, since I won''t be able to assist her anymore, his short life and death will serve as a good reminder for Danielle¡­ if she bothers looking for him.''

    Cynthia grinned. "Ahhh, so it''s like a final test for that girl, huh? That''s cool. Since you''re leaving so much good stuff for her, she has to at least be worthy of it."

    Emilia didn''t refute her partner''s words, and only smiled.

    There was no point in letting Cynthia know that Danielle would only really be getting what she deserved as the daughter of her parents, or that a few of her knights would be watching over them even after she left¡­ just in case.

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 Chapter 702 Sincerity

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    It took Emilia a few more days to finish talking to everyone who wished toe along, and the rest of her girlfriends also took this time to talk things through with their close friends and family.

    Who should and shouldn''t be let in on the ''reality'' of how and where they would be leaving, the crimson-haired girl left up to them. Of course, this privilege was also extended to those she had picked after her ''talk'', though very few chose to exercise it, in the end.

    Loving someone and trusting thempletely were two different things, after all, and even Dixie didn''t dare to let her own mother and grandfather know that her princess was from another world, let alone the fact that she had made the choice to travel through dimensions to follow her.

    It was better to just let them know that Emilia would be goingpletely ''incognito'' soon, and as people closest to her, they wouldn''t be able to contact anyone they knew in the future.

    Quite understandably, not everyone was in favor of their daughters and sonspletely cutting them off so abruptly, but that was unavoidable.

    At some point, everyone had to make a choice in their life that they knew even their loved ones wouldn''t be happy with, for the sake of their own happiness.

    Of course, the only exception where someone chose to not onlypletely confide the truth to those they believed in, but the other party also wished to follow her along, was Crystal.

    When Emilia heard about it, even she couldn''t help but ask the woman in person. "Mrs. Miller¡­ are you really, really sure about this?"

    Crystal''s mother smiled. "Of course, Crystal is all I have, after all. I won''t bind her to myself, but if possible¡­ please allow me to follow and watch over her as long as I can."

    The crimson-haired girl naturally understood how firm a resolve one needed to have to follow someone to a ce that they had absolutely no idea about. ''Plus, with how it usually takes the strength of a thousand horses just to pull her out of the house¡­ there''s no way she''s changing her mind.''

    In the end, Emilia could only sigh and agree. "Alright, I''ll be happy to take you along."

    The only thing that really bothered her was that the people being taken along needed to have very strong feelings for her, ording to Cynthia, or their transfer might fail, and they might even get lost in transit. However, Mrs. Miller had never expressed such feelings to her, despite having taught her how to cook for quite a while when she used to stay over at her house.

    But Emilia knew that she could only trust that Crystal wasn''t being led by her emotions when she imed that her mother truly adored her, or the consequences would definitely be heartbreaking.

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    Noelle had already made the arrangements for the major announcement of Emilia''s withdrawal from the public eye, so as soon as everyone who was to be taken along was sorted through and housed near the Blue Lotus Pce by the crimson-haired girl, all these preparations were applied with immediate effect.

    It had been a while since Emilia made such a grand speech in public, so everyone in the empire was obviously excited to attend the event. And despite the extremely thorough preparations, the seats Noelle had arranged in the rather vast open field outside the capital were all filled up hours before Emilia''s arrival.

    Fortunately, aside from those overenthusiastic folk who rushed to the capital despite knowing how unlikely they were to catch a glimpse of their princess in person, the rest of the empire''s poption was quite understanding. They only waited for the live broadcast in front of their screens, preventing everything frompletely grinding to a halt.

    Dixie frowned as she observed the boiling crowd in front of the stage. "Princess should have just done a fully online event. This¡­ it doesn''t feel very safe, no matter how I look at it."

    Noelle also nodded as she observed the packed crowd in the surveince disy. "With almost eight hundred thousand people here¡­ it will be impossible to keep the situation in control once they get agitated."

    Obviously, keeping Emilia safe wasn''t that hard. But preventing idents and mishaps within the crowd was a whole other can of worms.

    The rest of the world might be okay, but none of them were very optimistic about the empire''s people taking Emilia''s departure lightly. And if things really went south¡­ who knows what kind of impact it might have on the crimson-haired girl?<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    It simply didn''t seem worth the risk.

    Crystal shook her head in denial. "The people of Blue Dawn have been sincere to Emilia, and you know she would always feel guilty if she left without even saying a proper goodbye. It''s better to do things cleanly, and¡­ trust the people we have been helping."

    Of course, the only reason she could be so confident was because her ability allowed her to get a very thorough grasp of the public''s heart in the empire. For the more pragmatic thinkers in their group, even being aware of her ability, it was impossible to be so optimistic.

    Noelle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "It''s exactly because you, Penny, and Sam keep putting the cart before the horse like this that I have so many migraines. You don''t want to hurt Emilia''s feelings, but do you not realize how much it would hurt her if things soured because we didn''t warn her sternly enough when we should have?"

    The blonde heroine avoided her sharp gaze nervously. "I-It''s toote to discuss these things now, a-anyway. A-Aren''t we already here?"

    "You know very well it''s not toote until she steps onto that stage!"

    The gray-haired girl was always stern, but rarely ever used such a harsh tone on anyone, including Sam, so Crystal was noticeably shaken. But she still held her ground. "I-I still think it''s better for us to face this kind of thing head-on. If Emilia doesn''t say it in person in front of a big enough crowd and just goes missing, no matter what kind of ''proof'' is put out there¡­ the people of Blue Dawn will definitely riot."

    And Crystal wouldn''t me them. In their ce, even she would be skeptical. Knowing just how many people coveted Emilia, and how much she cared for her ''children'', how could she just disappear without a single word?

    Videos could be faked, and voices could be synthesized. And even if there was some concrete proof... it was unlikely that many would be rational enough in that situation to believe it.

    After all, even if they were wrong and Emilia ended up being upset at their actions and returned to scold and scorn them... it was better than constantly wondering if she was suffering from a miserable fate, while everyone she believed in did nothing to ''save'' her.

    Unfortunately, not everyone had such a thorough understanding of the empire''s people.

    Crystal looked towards Dixie for help, but the dark-haired girl obviously was too confused to take a side.

    After all, while she may not really care what happened to the people of Blue Dawn once they left, her princess would definitely not want the peaceful empire she worked so hard to build to fall into chaos so easily.

    Luckily, before their argument could really start getting heated, a charming yet exasperated voice came to their rescue. "Can you girls not fight? I would rather not have to spank anyone in front of nearly a million people."

    Given how Michelle was still busy tying a few of the ribbons on her extremely borate purple princess dress, clearly, she had been forced to leave the dressing room early from overhearing their argument.

    Even Sam, who had so solemnly vowed to do nothing but take all the pictures that she could of her little sister dressing up ''for the public good'', took the chance to scold them. "Why make so much fuss when you know my little baby''s mind has already been made up? Just enjoy the ride, I say!"

    Of course, her fingers didn''t pause pressing on the shutter for even a second.

    With Emilia in the frame, every shot was a great shot, and it would be a great shame to miss any of them, as far as she was concerned.

    As drool slipped between the otherwise ''cool'' girl''s rather perverse giggles before she sucked it back in, not to mention Dixie and Crystal, even Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. ''She''s really hopeless, isn''t she?''

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 Chapter 703 Blue Dawns Setting Sun

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    As Emilia exited the backstage area and came into the crowd''s view, she couldn''t help but smile as she was greeted by a cacophony of cheers and whistles. ''They''re as rowdy as ever, huh?''

    Given how much the atmosphere resembled a concert, and the people below acted like crazed fans, it was really no wonder that some of her critics mocked her for being more of an idol than a leader.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t me these ''children'' for their behavior. In fact, knowing how much they liked her, she''d even dressed up in this custom piece designed by her mother''s friend based on Noelle and Crystal''s advice. Most notably, Sam wasn''t allowed to get a single word in.

    Although it didn''t look anywhere as charming as her ''coronation'' dress at first nce, thebination of purple flowers and frills really made the custom princess-line dress appear more regal than it already was on Emilia.

    Compared to her usual carefree style, this was perhaps her most ''conservative'' appearance in public, being almostpletely covered aside from her heels, hands, and face.

    She waved her hands to the cheering crowd, and waited for them to settle down a bit before tapping the mike with a smile. "It''s good to see that everyone is as energetic and cheerful as ever, despite all the trials and tribtions we''ve had to face recently."

    Most people understood that she was talking about the war, and they rushed to assure their princess that not only were they fine, but they would happily fight for her and the empire''s sake whenever the need arose.

    Emilia shook her head solemnly. "Although I''m happy to receive your feelings, I would rather everyone spend the rest of their lives without having to fight again. Of course, if someone tries to trample on your pride, you mustn''t hesitate to take up arms."

    She lectured them a little more on when they should and shouldn''t get violent, and the aura of the crowd noticeably grew solemn as time passed.

    Why was their princess talking like ''their'' and ''her'' decisions were two separate things?

    Their bad premonition came true when, after her lecture, Emilia gave them a somewhat sad smile. "Let''s not talk about war anymore. There is something I need to tell you, but before that¡­ would you be willing to listen to a story from my childhood?"

    Compared to her usual peppy and cheerful self, the way their princess was behaving today was really unusual, and made most of the crowd uneasy. But still, it wasn''t like they could say no to her face, could they?

    "Since I don''t hear any nays, I''ll take that as a yes." Emilia giggled. "Anyway, as some of you might know, my parents are quite overprotective, and just like my sisters, when I was little, they raised me as a very sheltered girl."

    Only a few people were keen enough to notice her use of ''sisters'' instead of the singr ''sister'' that she was supposed to have, but they didn''t have the time to ponder much on that thought as Emilia continued her story.

    She weaved a tale of an extremely sheltered girl who not only didn''t detest her ''imprisonment'', but quite enjoyed it as she watched her older sister finally grow up and head out into the world to make a name for herself while taking care of her more innocent twin sister.

    To the crowd, the news that there were ''two'' of them was like a bombshell. And at first, they really thought that the ''other'' Emilia must be quite simr to their princess, at least enough for her to be indistinguishable to most. Otherwise, there was no way no one would have discovered something amiss until now, right?

    Unfortunately, that theory was dashed as Emilia continued with her tale.

    "Although both of us were equally pampered and spoiled by our family, my sister Danny was far more innocent and gulliblepared to myself, who had taken big sis as my idol and started learning about worldly affairs, despite not really being interested. And unfortunately¡­ some people were quick to take advantage of that." She sighed.

    The crimson-haired girl told them about how Amos supposedly manipted and pretty much ruined Danielle, her ''twin'', and how she had no choice but toe forward and rece her sister to not only protect her, but also to restore her honor and pride.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Emilia frowned. "My Danny has always been protected by us, so she''s not very clever, but her heart is pure. Unfortunately, pure hearts like hers are far easier to stain and break, so as her closest kin, I took it upon myself to step in and destroy those who sought to ruin her." Then, she giggled. "Of course, it looks like I got carried away, and ended up doing much more than I ever thought."

    As the crowd stirred, Emilia smiled. "But¡­ I don''t regret it. Getting to know all of you, my knights, my friends, my girlfriends¡­ it has made my days brighter than I ever thought they would be."

    Just as everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, however, she continued. "But¡­ my innate nature has not changed. As you might have guessed¡­ I¡­ still don''t like being under so much limelight."

    Emilia could tell that some of her ''children'' had already guessed what she wanted to say, based on their anguished and reluctant expressions. "Being your princess, your empress¡­ it really makes me happy. But¡­ sometimes I wonder, will I stop being a princess in your hearts if I''m no longer your empress?"

    Usually, if the crimson-haired beauty was to direct a question at the crowd, people would be moring to answer her first. But this time, no one dared to let out a squeak.

    If they said yes, that would be like pping Emilia in the face. But if they said no¡­ wasn''t that just asking her to leave?

    But the longer Emilia remained silent on the stage, the more restless the crowd grew. And in the end, one little boy finally couldn''t contain himself and shook off his mother''s hand before screaming.

    "I will always love you, princess! I don''t care about anything else!"

    It was a trigger, and soon, many more joined in.

    Emilia could tell that,pared to the innocent children who didn''t understand what the future held, the adults were clearly reluctant to confess their thoughts. But that didn''t mean their words were insincere.

    If anything, it touched her more that they were willing to confess their love even though they knew it might mean losing her, just because they didn''t want her to be hurt.

    Of course, many still stubbornly didn''t want to admit it. Until their princess explicitly told them she would be stepping down, they refused to believe it. But since their silence waspletely drowned out by the confessions of the majority, in the end, their resistance amounted to nothing.

    In the end, those who could show up early enough and fight for a spot in front of their princess were her most loyal admirers, after all. Even the most reluctant soon broke down and admitted their feelings.

    "W-We love you, princess!"

    "Please don''t leave!"

    Even though she knew it was inevitable, and she couldn''t stay in this world forever, the guilt Emilia felt inevitably made tears well up in her eyes. "Thank you, t-thank you¡­ for loving me so much."

    Unfortunately, their sincere wishes this time¡­ were bound to remain unfulfilled.

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 Chapter 704 Farewell Dinner

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Despite Crystal''s assurance, Noelle and Dixie didn''t dare to rx even a little until Emilia had already bid her final, tearful farewells to the people of Blue Dawn, and it was only when they''d safely arrived back at the Blue Lotus Pce that they dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

    Noelle was so exhausted that she didn''t even take a second look at Sam''s perverted behavior of burying her face in Emilia''s midriff, grunting feverishly against the soft fabric.

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl didn''t mind, as long as her older sister didn''t knock her down from the sofa. Not that it would hurt her, she just didn''t want to get out of Crystal''sp pillow, and Dixie''s calf massage also felt too good to be interrupted.

    With only the overly serious Michelle and the drooling Penny by her side on the opposite sofa, Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. "Well, it''s fine to rx once in a while. Being stared at by thousands of red-eyed people¡­ it''s not for the faint of heart, is it?"

    She obviously knew that while Emilia appeared quite stable, the girl''s emotional state was actually fairly easy to disturb. Naturally, this was not something that could be easily ''fixed'', so they had to be particrly careful with anything that could affect their gorgeous girlfriend''s feelings.

    Moreover, while Emilia was fully capable of defending herself and had a lot of influence over them, if a crowd that big started rioting¡­ it would be too big of a mess.

    They may not harm the crimson-haired girl directly, but there was no telling how many of them might have ended up hurt or even dead if things went south.

    Even the usually ''hard-headed'' Dixie nodded in agreement. "Thankfully, nothing went wrong."

    Crystal didn''t bother refuting them, despite her incredible urge to say ''I told you so'', but Emilia wasn''t nearly as tactful.

    "The two of you should have more faith in our angel, you know? Plus, how can my adorable little children make trouble?" She grinned proudly.

    While Crystal and Sam giggled and Dixie smiled, Noelle couldn''t help but sigh. "Many of them are way older than you, aren''t they?"

    Of course, the gray-haired girl soon found herself ''regretting'' her words when Emilia unexpectedly abandoned her extremelyfortable perch, her arms wrapping around Noelle''s head as the crimson-haired girl embraced her with a mischievous smile. "Growing up doesn''t mean you cannot be spoiled. It''s been a while since you were pampered, no? Let''s fix that!"

    The gentle embrace and the fluffy soft feeling on her face made Noelle''s mind gopletely nk, and much to everyone''s amusement, she nodded.

    Emilia grinned. "Looks like even you can be honest sometimes, huh?"

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    Betrix stared at the crimson envelope in her hands unblinkingly, seemingly trying to burn the golden threads that formed the words into her mind. ''What does this mean¡­? Will I never see her again?''

    The invitation to Emilia''s ''farewell dinner'' had been sent to exactly one thousand people around the world, which was the maximum capacity of the banquet hall in Blue Lotus Pce, and she was one of the lucky ones.

    But her status in Phoenix made it so it wasn''t easy for her to travel on such short notice without reason.

    Plus, even if Emilia were to retreat from the public eye, that didn''t mean she could never contact those she was familiar with, right?

    Be''s eyebrows furrowed. ''But even if we''ve cooperated more than a few times¡­ does she really feel that strongly for me?''

    She had been impulsive to carve her own mark on Emilia''s silky skin during that auction, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that she''d deeply regretted it ever since.

    In her mind, her actions were no different from a scumbag who took undue advantage of the situation. She couldn''t me Emilia if the girl felt wronged for being treated like that.

    Betrix barely managed to retrain herself from crushing the beautiful invitation letter as she bit her lip anxiously. "I-I can''t go this time¡­ but she won''tpletely cut me off, right? S-She''ll definitely contact me in the future¡­ definitely."

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    Two dayster, everyone who had been approved of being taken along by Emilia was gathered in the banquet hall of the Blue Lotus Pce, where they enjoyed theirst dinner in this world.

    Of course, there were many additional guests, such as Mrs. Brown, Emilia''s parents, and other close confidants.

    Everyone was allowed to freely mingle and talk to each other, and there were more than a few who took the chance to talk their hearts out. After all¡­ they would never be able to see many of these familiar faces again.

    As Crystal observed them carefully, many of the knights who had already steeled their hearts to follow Emilia seemed to have tears in their eyes, though their judgment didn''t seem to waver.

    The blonde girl breathed a sigh of relief. ''Luckily, their feelings are quite strong¡­ Emilia didn''t need to worry so much.''

    Her eyes shifted to the crimson-haired beauty in the sunset gown, only to see that she was so tightly surrounded by men and women that one couldn''t catch a glimpse of her dress from afar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, with Dixie and Michelle by her side, Crystal knew that there was no need to worry. It was only a bunch of concerned parents, family members, and well-wishers expressing their feelings and concerns.

    ''Luckily, Emilia agreed to not let them know that we''re leaving for another world.'' Crystal sighed. ''Otherwise, we definitely wouldn''t be able to allow ''outsiders'' like this.''

    Aside from those who were leaving with them and a trusted few, everyone else believed that Emilia would be ''leaving the public eye'' forever, and those who decided to follow her would also not be allowed to contact anyone or leave to protect the secret of her location.

    It might seem a bit extreme, but given her poprity, most could only agree that it was only to be expected.

    Of course, not everyone had been so well-intentioned, but Crystal had carefully filtered such people out in advance. She wouldn''t allow them to disturb her girlfriend''s mood needlessly.

    Emilia obviously had no trouble handling all these people gracefully, and the smile on her face never wavered as people were slowly escorted in and out by her knights.

    The dinner came to an end soon after, no matter how much some people wished for it to continue forever.

    There were many familiar faces that Emilia failed to spot in the crowd, including Mr. and Mrs. White, though she didn''t me them for noting.

    After all, they''d already said their goodbyes, and watching two of their daughters leave forever could definitely not be easy. Everyone handled sorrow differently, and she wouldn''t judge her parents for something like that.

    She just made arrangements to have some people escort Danielle over to the older couple after she''d left, and let them know that they didn''t need to worry about anything.

    ''Miss Be also didn''te, huh¡­?'' Emilia sighed. ''I guess even Crystal can be wrong sometimes.''

    Of course, she still had faith in her blonde girlfriend''s ability. Only, knowing how someone felt and knowing what they would do were two very different things.

    For some people, tangible benefits mattered a lot more than feelings.

    Her somewhat gloomy thoughts were rudely interrupted by someone squeezing her cheeks, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but be dumbfounded as she looked up.

    In the midst of so many knights and under the eagle-like gaze of Dixie, not even Penny would be daring enough to tease her like that! Who could be so fearless?

    ''Ah¡­ it''s her mother¡­''

    Mrs. Brown smiled dotingly as she indulged herself in the squishy and incredibly soft feeling of Emilia''s cheeks. "I can''t follow the two of you to wherever it is you n to hide. Dixie''s father is really hopeless without me, after all, and someone needs to take care of Grandpa so he doesn''t go around breaking random people''s bones."

    She sighed wistfully. "Oh, how nice it would be if I could just¡­ ah, never mind. Just¡­ take care of yourself, and don''t let Dixie bully you too much, alright?"

    Emilia noticed that Crystal was snickering for some reason, as if privy to some secret only she knew, but she didn''t have the time to pay much attention, and could only nod. "I will, Mrs. Brown. We''ll both be fine, don''t worry."

    Of course, after she left, someone else took the chance to reach out from behind and squeeze her already-red face with a giggle.

    "Sorry, it just looked too tempting, and I couldn''t resist."

    Turning around to look at her older sister''s somewhat smug face, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Bullying me like this in public¡­ are you trying to anger my knights to death?"

    Sam giggled. "Since your most loyal knight can let her mother bully you, can''t you let your big sister do the same?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "In both cases, why am I the one being bullied, though?"

    The taller girl grinned. "Of course, it''s because you''re the cutest, I''m sure everyone will agree."

    Her sight shifted to the people around them, only for her smile to falter at their rather dangerous gazes.

    "Uh, on second thought¡­ let''s not y around too much." She coughed.

    Of course, while Sam was scared of being beaten up by the knights, especially the freakishly strong Dixie, knowing most of their ''real thoughts'', Crystal couldn''t help but burst into a fresh round of giggles. ''If Emilia knew most of her loyal knights were having such ''sphemous'' thoughts¡­ uh, on second thought, it''s probably a bad idea to let her know.''

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 Chapter 705 Into The Unknown

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    After everyone was done with their goodbyes, and all the guests had been escorted away, Emilia gathered everyone together in the center of the banquet hall before summoning Cynthia.

    ¡ªFollower Summoning: Cynthia!

    ¡ªCynthia''s projection can be sustained for: 4 hours 28 minutes 53 seconds.

    Although they had all already been more or less aware of Emilia''s presumably fantastical abilities, watching her summon a beautiful girl out of thin air still surprised most of the people present. But to their ''credit'', none of them freaked out.

    To be able to believe that someone could take them to a different dimension without ever seeing even a hint of proof, needless to say, their thought processes were far from what could be considered normal.

    There were many faces in the crowd that she never expected to be there, such as her old teacher Mrs. Macmin, that little girl Bianca, and Dixie''s three friends. Emilia was of course a little ttered that they were so adamant about following her, but she''d still been reluctant to approve of their wishes.

    After all, not only did they all have quite a few ties to those they would be leaving behind, but Bianca in particr was only in her early teens. Who was to say that she wouldn''t regret her decisionster?

    With Crystal assuring her otherwise, however, Emilia was soon able to put away the resistance in her heart, allowing them to tag along.

    Of course, most of the people she''d favored personally were present as well, including even some of their loved ones, such as Crystal''s mom and Noelle''s little cousin sister.

    Emilia believed that most of them had already prepared their hearts, and also said their farewells to those they needed to, so she didn''t beat around the bush anymore. "Everyone, my partner Cynthia will now begin the transfer process. Let''s all hold each other''s hands, and no matter what happens next¡­ don''t let go."

    It took a few minutes for them all to settle down and finish forming a long chain, even with Penny guiding them quite efficiently, mostly due to the subtle ''fight'' they had for the closest spots to their princess.

    Of course, Emilia herself had no time to pay attention to their shenanigans, and continued chatting with Cynthia while holding Crystal''s hand. "We have enough energy for the transfer, right?"

    The raven-haired girl nodded. "A hundred and thirteen percent¡­ it should be fine. But you understand how things will go anyway, right?"

    Emilia obviously understood what her partner meant. She''d already been warned that while it might all happen almost instantly, Cynthia would activate the transfer in a way that those closest to her would be moved first, and once their energy reserves reached a certain point, the rest... would be left behind.

    This way, the chances of anyone being left stranded between nes were minimal, and even if it happened, it would at most happen to a single person.

    It still wasn''t perfect, but just the fact that Cynthia came up with this new method out of consideration for her feelings made Emilia feel incredibly touched.

    She knew just howzy her partner was, after all, and how little she cared for anyone else. For her to make such a move¡­ showed that she must have a ce in Cynthia''s heart, right?

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    Crystal could feel Samantha''s hand sweating as they waited nervously for the transfer to begin, and even the usually cool duo of Noelle and Dixie next to the taller girl didn''t look as calm as usual. As for the rest, their condition was no better.

    Of course, none of them dared to disturb Emilia and Cynthia at this point, for fear of something going wrong.

    Suddenly, the petite raven-haired beauty next to their princess opened her eyes, and an overwhelmingly dark, oppressive aura shrouded the sealed banquet hall instantly.

    "Focus on your feelings for Emilia."

    That was all the warning she gave them, and a few momentster, everyone''s world was plunged intoplete and total darkness.

    Emilia suddenly felt the chaos energy being siphoned off of her. She wasn''t sure if it was the process of the transfer itself, or just the extreme loss of energy, but the drain was both heavy and painful. It was as if someone had plunged a metal straw straight into her heart, and was sipping away at her lifeblood without a care in the world.

    Energy Reserve: 113.06% ¡ú 103.06%<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Energy Reserve: 103.06% ¡ú 93.06%

    Energy Reserve: 93.06% ¡ú 83.06%

    .

    .

    .

    Energy Reserve: 43.06% ¡ú 33.06%

    Suddenly, it seemed to stop without warning, and Emilia knew that it was over. And despite the sore throbbing in the depths of her soul, she couldn''t help but smile. ''I-I didn''t run out!''

    No one was lost, and she even had plenty of energy left over!

    Of course, aside from Cynthia, no one else could see her beautiful smile in the boundless darkness. To everyone else, there was only the fear of the unknown and a feeling of emptiness in this vast, dark world.

    Suddenly, there was a shockingly loud crack in the darkness. It seemed to ring not in their ears, but straight from their hearts, almost terrifying everyone to death.

    And then¡­ a vast, clear blue sky opened up over their heads, and the scent of fresh, soft grass beneath their feet greeted them along with the light and warmth of a bright morning sun.

    The darkness was gone in an instant, but for many, it was no different from being plunged into an abyss for eternity. Fortunately, the warmth being transmitted through their hands had kept them sane.

    "Yes! We did it!"

    Penny, Justine, Bianca, and a few of the more easily excitable knights couldn''t help but jump for joy, though they still didn''t dare let go of their hands until they were told to do so. Some didn''t even bother controlling themselves and cried, while many copsed on the grass, dragging theirpanions along, either relieved or overjoyed.

    Emilia chuckled. "It''s okay, everyone, rx. Take your time to adjust. This will be the world we will all live in from now on. Feel free to look around, but don''t wander too far. I''ll be back soon."

    Not to mention the others, even Crystal and Sam were too absorbed in observing this ''new world'' to pay attention to much else, but they were still reluctant to let go of her hand. As for Dixie and Michelle, they also remained steady by her side, so Emilia could only chase them off sternly. "Go help Noelle set everything up first, alright?"

    Of course, the gray-haired girl was already set on having people set up temporary shelters, and was currently considering the problem of procuring food.

    Crystal and the rest could only bitterly follow her instructions and explore.

    Emilia waited for a while and watched as everyone looked around in wonder with a faint smile, though Cynthia remained expressionless by her side.

    This world might not seem too different at first nce, but the trees, the fruits, and even the grass were all from apletely different origin.

    What could and could not be eaten was unknown, and while they''d carried quite a lot of things necessary for survival in the wilderness, it was important to stay on their toes until they''d settled down properly.

    After all, they couldn''t carry any of the heavier equipment along since Emilia didn''t want to risk increasing the energy cost, and there was only so much that these pocket-sized modern gadgets could do.

    Of course, if living a leisurely and luxurious life was their top priority, they wouldn''t have chosen to follow Emilia to the unknown.

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 Chapter 706 The Remnant Knights

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    Only a few people were able to witness the fantastical sight of a wave of darkness swallowing everyone in the banquet hall of the Blue Lotus Pce before they seemingly blinked out of existence. But instead of being awed, they only felt sorrow.

    After all, they would no longer be in the same world as their princess, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    For those who had been allowed to enter the hall to watch Emilia leave, it went without saying that both Crystal and Emilia were absolutely certain of their loyalty. Most of these people couldn''t follow her to the unknown only because of their other responsibilities.

    Maybe if the prime minister of Phoenix had decided to show up, she would also have been included in this privileged crowd.

    Regardless, being allowed to watch Emilia and the others leave was their unique privilege over all the other knights, it was impossible to deny that a part of them was incredibly honored.

    Didn''t this mean that in this world right now, they were the most trusted knights of their princess, the ones who were the closest to her heart?

    Wiping away the tear from the corner of her eye, Dorothy was the first to step forward. "Everyone, now that P-Penny, n-no, t-themander, and the princess, have both left, I wish to continue following her will, to make sure that if she ever returns, the ce she sees is one that wees her with love and warmth. At least, it has to be so in my lifetime."

    The usually introverted girl often teased by Penny as the ''shy ball of sarcastic fluff'' took a deep breath before steeling her gaze and straightening her back, her voice now loud enough to reach even the corners of the grand banquet hall. "I dare not call myself a leaderparable to themander, but those of you who are willing to trust me¡­ please lend me your strength in the future."

    She bowed deeply following her statement, and only straightened up after almost ten seconds. "Things that need to be taken care of, and ces that need to be cleaned up¡­ I intend to take care of it all, in her stead."

    The silence in the hall was soon broken by a few wry chuckles, and one of the boys couldn''t help but step forward to pat Dorothy''s shoulder. "Why so serious?"

    He smiled. "You''re like a brother to us, Dory, always the voice of reason, keeping us in line. Although our princess did say we could do as we wish in the future, didn''t themander mention so many times that you were the one she trusted the most? I''m sure none of us have any issues following you."

    The boy clearly felt that he''d done very well with his words, and his chest involuntarily puffed out in pride. ''Look,pared to the man who couldn''t even talk to a girl properly when I first met the princess, haven''t Ipletely changed into a dashing gentleman? I''m sure she must be proud.''

    It was a pity that he had a little sister to take care of at home, and the girl was more of a boy band maniac than anything. Relying on her bond to travel with Emilia¡­ he might as well throw her into the garbage bin.

    If not for that, it wouldn''t be long before someone who improved as fast as himself turned into Emilia''s right hand man, he thought proudly.

    The muscr boy''s satisfied expression immediately stiffened, however, when instead of the voices of agreement he''d been expecting, what greeted him instead was the sound ofughter.

    "Dorothy is a girl, you know? Are you looking for a beating?"

    "And you still wonder why you can''t get a girlfriend, Johnny?"

    Their teasing soon made the puffed up chest of the boy dete like a balloon, and he desperately tried to find a dark corner to hide in, to no avail.

    Dorothy couldn''t help but chuckle.

    It was impossible to get over parting with their precious princess so easily, but Dorothy was relieved to see the depressed mood in the hall ease. It would be a disaster if the best of the knights started going into depression, after all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The ''newmander'' coughed. "Alright, enough teasing Johnny, let''s take care of the important things first. I''ll¡­ uh, wait, on second thought, u-um, Harley, right? Talk to that girl and exin everything, will you?"

    No one was confused by her statement.

    There was only one girl at the center of the hall, after all. And based on what their princess told them, she must not be in a very good mental state.

    The golden-eyed little beauty had appeared right after their princess and herpanions disappeared, and had been kneeling there with a lost and terrified expression on her face. Clearly, she had no idea what was going on, or even how she got where she was.

    Harley was someone who used to work full-time as a psychiatrist, and as such, would definitely be able to handle the situation much better than others.

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    Danielle was surprisingly easy to convince, much to Dorothy''s relief. None of her fellow knight''s skills were actually needed, in the end, and after calmly listening to their exnation, the girl meekly followed them to the residence of her parents without a fuss.

    The car they were moving in was rather low-key, and Dorothy had made sure that no one caught sight of Danielle as they got in.

    Although no one from the mass media was allowed too close to the Blue Lotus Pce, it didn''t hurt to be too careful. It might be impossible for anyone to figure out just where Emilia and the others were ''hiding'', but the fewer clues they had, the less trouble they were likely to cause.

    The crimson-haired girl might have taken care of most of the major threats before she left, but there were still many who coveted her for various reasons in this world, and the knights were well aware of this fact. Unfortunately, until they had enough strength to easily wipe off these stains, they could only remain low-key and protect what they felt was important for their princess.

    Reaching the new residence of Mr. and Mrs. White, Dorothy greeted the old butler politely, not caring about the tears in his eyes as he looked at young girl behind her.

    "Y-Young miss¡­ i-it''s good to have you back." The aged man stuttered despite his usual bearing, his voice clearly more stuffy and nasaly than what could be considered normal.

    It clearly took a lot of courage to say those words, especially since Danielle had never been as close to him as Sam. But when the young girl only stared back at him nkly, seemingly not knowing how to reply, he couldn''t help but sigh.

    As the one who managed the White Deer Mansion in the past, there were many things he could ept, and many that he couldn''t.

    ''It''s no wonder that young miss Emilia left¡­ and miss Samantha followed.'' He thought sorrowfully.

    He believed that Mr. and Mrs. White must still surely love all their daughters, but whatever it was that they were doing¡­ it clearly wasn''t working very well.

    Regardless, it wasn''t his ce to question Mr. and Mrs. White on why and how they raised their two daughters separately, who took care of Emilia all those years that she never showed up in the mansion, or even what they nned to do next.

    He just hoped that thest remaining daughter that the old couple had by their side now could be happy with them, and he could live out the rest of his days watching them smile.

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 Chapter 707 Danielles New Life

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    Danielle didn''t know how to feel when she was faced with so many sympathetic gazes, as if she was some pitiful creature abandoned by its owner.

    Clearly, everything had been going well for her before. She was engaged to the boy she liked so much, she got admitted to the best high school in the country, and even the prospects of her parents''pany looked brighter than ever, with their increasing ties with the ck Tiger.

    But the moment she saw those visions¡­ she knew it was all fake. The momentary high before the deep, dark chasm of suffering, the instant of numb pleasure before the excruciating pain set in... the calm before the storm.

    In the future, she would lose it all, and would be so thoroughly ruined that even her parents and big sister wouldn''t be spared.

    Danielle understood now that she was stupid to like Amos, who so clearly hated her guts once they grew up. But she wasn''t stupid enough to deny the chance to be saved when it was offered.

    The cost didn''t matter, since she would lose everything if she didn''t take it, anyway.

    The yellow-eyed beauty didn''t believe she had what it took to reverse her fate herself by rejecting that offer. Had that been so, she wouldn''t be in that kind of situation to begin with, would she?

    ''But¡­ I''ve only been gone for a few hours since then, right?'' Danielle thought, confused as she followed the familiar butler deeper into the decidedly unfamiliar ce.

    At first, she''d thought that her ''savior'' must have killed Amos, and whatever else it was that threatened her immediate future. Of course, there must have been something else they needed from this world to offer her this chance, but whatever it was¡­ Danielle didn''t really care.

    She only felt torn and disgusted about her relief at having the boy she imed to have loved... killed.

    He might not have been the person she believed him to be, but didn''t this show just how bad her own character was?

    Her parents would definitely not be proud of such a daughter.

    The fact that she felt only gratitude towards the killer only made it worse. But no matter how she thought about it¡­ how could she hate her savior for doing what was needed to change her fate?

    Based on the words of the strange people who escorted her, it had already been a few years since she left, and there were many things that had changed greatly since then. But Danielle only nodded along with their words vaguely without really understanding them.

    To her, it had only been a few hours since her life was turned upside down, after all. It was hard enough to wrap her head around that, so how could she cope with the fact that even the entire world had changed?

    Now, she only wanted to plunge herself into her mother''s embrace, undeserving as she felt she was, and cry and confess all her sins, begging for their forgiveness.

    Her parents were good people, and didn''t deserve a daughter like her, who could have led to their doom.

    Following the familiar butler through the decidedly unfamiliar corridors, Danielle clenched her fists in determination. ''N-No matter what, since now I am the only daughter they have left, I will dedicate this life to be the girl that they deserve, instead.''

    Having listened to some of the glorious deeds of her savior, ''Emilia'' as she learned the girl was called, the golden-eyed girl had already made up her mind so.

    She may not be able topare to her savior, who seemed to have done so much in a few years that she couldn''t possibly do in a lifetime, but Danielle was determined to at least head in the same direction.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    At the very least, she couldn''t be worse than she already was.

    Her gloomy thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a warm palm on her head, and an embrace so warm and loving, that Danielle knew without a doubt that it could be only be her father and mother.

    All the servants and outsiders had already been dismissed while the golden-eyed girl was lost in thought, but she didn''t even care about that kind of thing anymore.

    The grievances and sorrow in her heart that she had been so determined to keep bottled up for the rest of her life instantly spilled out along with her tears, and Danielle¡­ cried.

    She cried so loudly that even her parents, who had both been practicing to remain ''strong'' in front of their daughter instantly broke down.

    For a while, only incoherent sobbing echoed through the room.

    "O-Our baby has been wronged." Mrs. White sniffled. "B-But don''t worry, with mama here, you don''t need to be scared of anything anymore."

    "We will definitely protect you, Danny." Mr. White nodded while hurriedly wiping away the ''stray moisture'' in his eye. It must have been all the dust, he assured himself.

    The two of them picked their daughter up and ''pampered'' her for a while on the sofa, filling her in on all the little tidbits and funny exploits of their ''other'' daughters with a smile.

    Of course, the only reason they did so was to make her rx, and they definitely wouldn''t have gone on if they saw even a hint of rejection in Danielle''s expression. But thankfully, the golden-eyed girl was more fascinated than anything.

    Coming to terms with losing the older sister she had been looking forward to reconciling with was not easy, but based on the fact that they hadn''t even talked much for so long, Danielle couldn''t me the older girl.

    If she''d been anyone else, she would also unhesitatingly leave someone like herself.

    But for the sake of her parents, Danielle was determined to change into a better person.

    ''As much as scourge like me can, anyway.'' She thought self-deprecatingly.

    Naturally, while she was intent to change, the golden-eyed girl had no intention of following Emilia''s example. She didn''t think someone like her had the same level of ability, after all. She would only make things worse. It was better to just improve slowly, and be better than the mess she currently was.

    But that didn''t mean hearing about Emilia didn''t fascinate her.

    Up until then, even having heard about many of her deeds from the so-called ''knights'', theimage of her savior in Danielle''s mind had been extremely imposing and infallible, like someone from a heroic tale, or a legend.

    It was only after hearing about ''her'' from her own parents that Danielle suddenly found Emilia being so¡­ lifelike. Someone she could believe was possible to talk to, and maybe¡­ befriend?

    Her shoulders shook as she giggled at that thought, surprised by her own audacity. ''As if someone like me can ever resemble her¡­'' She sighed. ''Emilia¡­ I wonder¡­ if I can ever see her again.''

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 Chapter 708 Cynthias Resolution

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    Back in Cynthia''s world, while Noelle was directing everyone to efficiently explore the area around them for the necessary resources, Emilia was nowhere to be seen. Of course, since the crimson-haired beauty had already told them not to follow her while leaving for the hut, they just assumed that she must have something important to do.

    Cynthia herself wasn''t too surprised that her viiness wanted to speak to her, but the urgency with which she was dragged to the ''hut'' still made her a little confused. ''If she only wants to know more about this world, there is no need to be like this, right?''

    When the wooden door mmed shut behind her, the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but gulp. ''T-This can''t be good¡­''

    Not knowing what her partner wanted, Cynthia didn''t dare to speak. She waited, and waited, and waited¡­ but Emilia remained silent, looking away as if to avoid her eyes.

    A few minutester, the raven-haired girl finally couldn''t take it anymore. "If you have something to say, just say it! Being so meek is not like you."

    For an immortal, she clearly wasn''t very patient.

    Cynthia knew that she hadn''t been very ''good'' to the crimson-haired girl for a while, and they''d only barely talked after the girl became the empress of Blue Dawn, if their brief conversations could even be considered ''talking'', that is.

    She was well aware of how vengeful her viiness could be, and while she dreaded whatever ''punishment'' awaited her, it was better to get it over with quickly than to continue dreading it all the time.

    Much to Cynthia''s surprise, however, Emilia didn''t respond to her ''provocation'' as energetically as she expected, and instead just shivered, her face still turned away.

    The raven-haired girl frowned. ''What''s up with her?''

    Realizing that her partner''s grip wasn''t particrly strong, she quickly shook her off before grabbing the crimson-haired beauty by the shoulders and shaking her vigorously. "Why aren''t you saying anything?!"

    Emilia didn''t resist her, but Cynthia still stepped back in shock when she saw the tears welling up in the usually mischievous and lively beauty''s eyes.

    The soft sniffle rang like a deafening gong in her head, and Cynthia quickly found her thoughts turning numb.

    Was Emilia¡­ crying?

    The raven-haired girl refused to believe that her partner would cry because of her, so there must have been another reason. She obviously hadn''t shaken her that hard.

    But what could it be? Was it because of parting with so many of those mortals that she liked?

    She knew Emilia was attached to them, but they really didn''t have enough energy to carry them all here. Plus, didn''t she manage to bring most of her favorites?

    Spoiled as her viiness could sometimes act, Cynthia knew that Emilia was actually quite understanding and considerate when it came down to it, and she wouldn''t me her for things that couldn''t have been avoided.

    Then¡­ what else could it be? It really couldn''t be¡­ her fault, could it?

    Just as Cynthia was about to open her mouth, however, Emilia took the initiative to apologize first.

    "Cynthia¡­ I-I¡­" She paused, as if steeling her resolve, and then took a deep breath before continuing. "I''m¡­"

    "... Sorry, for being so selfish." She sniffled.

    The raven-haired girl was so stupefied by the unexpected apology that she couldn''t even respond for almost a full minute, and it only seemed to have made Emilia''s mood worse.

    "I know¡­ that I shouldn''t have ''wasted'' so much of our energy, a-and¡­ I understand that I''ve not been a very good¡­ partner."

    Cynthia''s felt a strange sensation in her chest, as if something that shouldn''t be there hurt for some reason, and there was even a slight tingling sensation behind her eyes, making her so confused that she even tuned out some of her partner''s words. ''What''s going on? Did I make a mistake in my reconstruction form? But no, that can''t be¡­''

    Emilia smiled bitterly when she saw her partner''s absentminded expression. "At least listen to me¡­ will you?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The raven-haired girl immediately straightened up as she realized her mistake, and coughed awkwardly. "I-I''m listening! Listening!"

    "Mhm¡­"

    Emilia''s gaze on her was strange, gentle, and forgiving, yet apologetic at the same time, and Cynthia couldn''t help but fidget nervously.

    Had she been courageous enough to look directly, maybe she would have discovered the hint of grievances in Emilia''s eyes, but unfortunately, Cynthia was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

    Her partner''s next wordspletely shattered her illusions, however, and the raven-haired girl finally realized what was going on.

    "I will definitely do much better next time, so¡­ please, won''t you treat me like before?"

    ''Oh, fuck¡­!'' Cynthia couldn''t help but curse at herself. ''I should have realized it sooner!''

    In the beginning, she really had stopped talking to Emilia much as a way of making her viiness realize that allowing mortals to get so close to her heart was definitely the wrong move. She believed that Emilia would definitely miss her more, andpromise.

    But when the crimson-haired beauty didn''t bother her too much, and even seemed to have failed to realize the increased distance between them, Cynthia felt¡­ bored. No longer interested in what happened with the world, she decided she might as well nap more.

    Obviously, her reliable little viiness didn''t need her help, and she would know when the missions werepleted, anyway.

    It was only now that it became clear what actually happened. Her move had obviously backfired, and actually made Emilia question her own position in Cynthia''s heart. And¡­ she didn''t dare risk a clear rejection from her savior, so she never questioned it.

    Even now, the crimson-haired beauty only begged and pleaded for another chance, never once grilling her on just ''why'' it was that Cynthia started avoiding her.

    ''I-If she knew that I only did it on a whim, and then gotzy¡­'' The raven-haired girl gulped.

    As considerate and kind as her partner could be, she could definitely be just as scary. Cynthia dreaded the punishment that awaited her if Emilia realized what really happened, and in her hesitation, shepletely missed the timing to confess the truth.

    Emilia reached out to hold the raven-haired girl''s hands piously. "Let me be shameless just this once, okay? I''ll take your silence as a yes."

    Cynthia grinned wryly, making her partner sigh in relief and contentment, but only she knew¡­ that she was cursing herself for being such a coward.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Emilia might behave audaciously from time to time, but it was only an attempt to get closer to Cynthia. In her heart, the raven-haired girl''s position was definitely that of a beloved savior. After she''d apologized and been forgiven, she ruthlessly crushed any and all grievances she felt in her heart for being ignored for so long.

    Cynthia had agreed to treat her the same way as before, so how could she feel wronged?

    Shaking her head to clear any lingering thoughts, Emilia smiled. "Let''s forget that ever happened, then. How about we head to the next world?"

    The raven-haired girl hummed, trying her best to ignore the growing guilt in her heart. ''Obviously, she must have wanted to know more about this world, and let all those mortals know how to live here better¡­ but she''s¡­ too insecure.''

    As the one who pushed the crimson-haired beauty that far, Cynthia didn''t feel that she had any right to be self-righteous enough to bestow that knowledge on her partner now.

    Since Emilia hadn''t lowered herself to beg for it regardless, it must mean that she had some confidence in those mortals. Her partner didn''t need her pity.

    What she needed to do now was not to make Emilia more grateful by doing those meaningless things, but¡­ to treat her right in the future.

    Cynthia took a deep breath to calm herself, and then faced Emilia with a smile. "About that, actually¡­ there was something I needed to talk to you about first."

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 Chapter 709 Settling Down

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    Listening to the report of the returning ''knights'', Noelle sighed. "It really doesn''t look like there are any intelligent species living nearby."

    Of course, they''d only managed to explore a few square kilometers of the forest, so it wasn''t really much of a surprise.

    Thankfully, the bounty of nature around them was more than abundant to sustain a few hundred people off of hunting and gathering alone, so the gray-haired girl was more or less able to rx.

    Most of them were already trained inbat, and since they''d brought along quite a fewpound bows, they would only have to learn how to make good arrows from the avable trees for their hunting to be sustainable.

    Of course, anything they killed and harvested for the first time would have to be tested for poison first. Emilia had made it more than clear that she had no idea about any of that the moment they arrived, after all.

    "Let''s finish setting up the tents for the night, and from tomorrow, we can start building more permanent housing."

    "You really don''t have to be so serious, Noelle. It''s not like we have apany to manage anymore, so why not enjoy this free life in the forest a bit more?" Sam grinned.

    The gray-haired girl only gave the brte sprawled on the ground a disgusted look before turning to Dixie. "Don''t mind this useless sloth over here. Did you bring the sample of water from the nearest source?"

    "Yes, Adele and Hazel each found a pond and a small stream." The dark-haired girl took out a vial from her bag before handing it over to Noelle. "I told them to explore further ahead in case we can find something better, but I''ve brought the sample from the pond with me, and Michelle should be getting back with the one from the stream soon."

    Noelle nodded in satisfaction. "Good. We can get them tested and see if they need to be purified first or not. Crystal?"

    The blonde girl waved at her absentmindedly, her gaze focused on the hut in the distance. "Wait a minute¡­ it looks like Emilia is out."

    Her words inevitably caused a wave of excitement, but as the crimson-haired beauty got closer, they soon realized that although she smiled and waved at them, her aura was far from cheerful.

    "Is everything okay?!"

    "Did something happen?"

    Emilia quickly hugged both Sam and Crystal to assuage their worries, and smiled. "I was just thinking about how to handle my next mission, but don''t let it bother you. Instead, how about you let me know how things are going here?"

    Noelle quickly filled her in on their ''progress'' so far, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh in relief. "Really, if not for you so meticulously taking care of whates along in each backpack, I have no idea how we would have managed everything."

    The gray-haired girl chuckled. "I don''t know about the others, but this little sloth would definitely starve to death without me around."

    Sam cried at Noelle''s yful kick, and happily took the opportunity to glomp onto her little sister. "Look, she''s bullying me again!"

    Emilia giggled while patting the taller girl''s back. "Isn''t it because you always cause her trouble, big sis?"

    The taller girl gave her a pout, but couldn''t refute that point, so she only hugged her tighter. "Even you''re bullying me, ahh! I need constion, constion!"

    One didn''t need to have an ability like Crystal''s to understand what kind of constion a supreme siscon pervert like Sam might be hoping for, but just when Noelle was about to kick the taller girl''s shin again, Emilia sighed.

    "Actually, about that¡­ I might have to leave soon."

    Fortunately, there were only a few of them around, or the cries of disappointment and despair might have directly torn Noelle''s eardrums to shreds.

    But hearing about the crimson-haired beauty leaving so soon after their arrival into her world, even the usually calm Noelle couldn''t help but frown. "Like, right now?!"

    Emilia nodded, her expression grim. "Although I can stay for a few days to apany everyone if really needed, but¡­ I haven''t been very good to Cynthia, and it would really be too bad of me to not properly keep my end of the promise just because she''s given me so much autonomy."

    Not knowing the exact contents of this ''promise'', the rest of them could only guess that it must have something to do with the ''missions'' Emilia needed toplete in their world.

    Obviously, they didn''t want their precious princess to have to bear such guilt on her shoulders when they could just as well wait for her to return, and Emilia seemed to know that too.

    But¡­

    "Will you be alright?"

    Crystal''s worried words also echoed the thoughts of everyone else, and Emilia couldn''t help but smile.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be back in¡­ eight, no¡­ ten hours. Promise."

    It was impossible to not be disappointed, but just as Emilia was kind and indulgent to them, they were also more than willing topromise for her. After all, they''d even left the world they were born and raised in for her sake.

    Emilia sighed. "Actually, there was something else I needed everyone to be here for, too¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

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    Those who had gone out to scout or gather samples or supplies soon returned, and were gathered in therge tent turned into a temporary meeting hall by Noelle.

    Of course, they were excited for the first meeting with their princess in this new world.

    "What do you think, Adele? Do you think one of us might get lucky tonight?!"

    The spectacled girl gave her squealing tannedpanion a disgusted look. "Given how you sound like a pig in heat right now, I doubt you''d be picked. Plus, is it our ce to specte on the holy thoughts of our princess?"

    Hazel was obviously used to her fellow knight''s ''directness'', however, and didn''t let it kill her excitement at all. "Don''t look at my face, Adele! Although I might look stupid,pared to the princess, aren''t we all equally ugly? If you think about it that way, my chances are no worse than any other knight."

    Her proud tone made it clear that she waspletely serious, and Adele could only sigh. ''Even though I''ve told her so many times, she just never learns.''

    In all the years they''d been faithfully serving as the knights of their princess, she''d never really liked those who desired physical affection from Emilia in any way. Unfortunately, even amongst the most faithful ones who''d been picked this time, the number of knights who aligned with her thoughts wasn''t very high.

    Adele had already approached everyone she had even the slightest hopes for ¡ª including Emilia''s secretary Alexandria, Cindy-Mindy, Noelle''s little sister Nicole, that dead-faced maid Michelle, and even that little brat Bianca, and they all turned her down!

    Amongst the only ten who did join her ''Holy Knights'' faction and imed not to lust after their princess, seven were males, with the only other girls being Rhea and Kristie.

    The two of them had only joined the knight order a few months after being ''rescued'' from Alexander and Amos, but quickly adapted to their way of life like fish to water under Penny''s care.

    But unlike her extremely perverted mander'', the two of them firmly believed that Emilia was like a goddess, only to be admired and served, not to be tainted by their touch.

    Knowing that most of her holy knights were just ''coping'' or ''in denial'', Adele felt that the future was quite bleak.

    Even Noelle and Penny seemed intent on corrupting her by always saddling her with this bottle of lust, Hazel.

    Luckily, her gloomy thoughts were soon scattered when Penny and Noelle started instructing everyone to take lotus positions on the grass so they could see Emilia properly without a stage.

    Given that there were so few of them left after the final ''pruning'', and most of them were well-trained already, it didn''t take long.

    Adele didn''t know if it was a coincidence or what, but she was once again arranged right next to the unholy bottle of lust, and to make matters worse, the one to her right was the infamous, always-in-heat... Koko. Her nemesis, not that she would know.

    The poor holy knights, mostly males, were also somehow marginalized into a distant corner, farthest away from where their princess was, all seven of them.

    Even Adele couldn''t help butin. ''Themander is being too tant with her bias, isn''t she?!''

    With their princess waving at them in greeting, however, Adele could only let go of her grudge and listen attentively.

    Once they''d all turned quiet, Emilia nodded with a smile. "It''ll probably be a little tough to cope with theck of modern luxuries for a while, but I hope none of you are having too much trouble?"

    Of course, it wasn''t easy, but they''d already resolved themselves to what they needed to do, so no oneined.

    The crimson-haired girl shook her head with a sigh. "You''re all really too good to me, but¡­ I have another favor to ask of you this time."

    Appearing a little embarrassed, the crimson-haired beauty blushed before continuing. "I... happen to have a skill that I need ''someone'' to help with, but¡­ that person can only be picked by the skill itself. If any of you would be willing to test out for it, I''ll be really happy? It doesn''t matter if someone is picked or not, I just wanted to try."

    The knights barely managed to contain their excited cheers as they raised their hands enthusiastically.

    "Me, me!"

    "Pick me first!"

    "I''ll go!"

    Emilia giggled, slightly amused by their reactions. "Okay, one by one, then. Let''s go randomly based on whoever this petal falls the nearest to, alright?"

    Michelle obediently handed her a jar of freshly picked flower petals, already tested for being both edible and fragrant, and the crimson-haired beauty gently pressed her lips against it before flicking it into the air.

    Amidst the wave of excited cheers, itnded right on Hazel''s head, who shot off to the front like a rocket. "YESSS! It''s me!"

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 Chapter 710 Follower Acquired

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    Hazel barely managed to restrain herself from throwing the crimson-haired beauty to the ground, and came to a halt right in front of her, fidgeting nervously. "I-I''m here, princess!"

    Emilia just gave her a smile and ced her palm on top of her wavy dark locks, and closed her eyes in concentration.

    ¡ªAttempting to bind new follower!

    -Energy Reserve: 33.06% ¡ú 32.81%

    ¡ªDing!

    -Follower binding failed!

    ¡ªTarget''s soul gradation does not meet the minimum requirement.

    -Energy Reserve: 32.81% ¡ú 33.06%

    A few secondster, she opened them again, humming thoughtfully. "There''s some reaction, but I''m not sure¡­ you don''t mind if I continue trying, right?"

    Of course, Hazel did mind! She wanted to be the one picked by the princess, but it was impossible to refute the beauty''s words.

    "I-I don''t mind at all! As long as it helps you, it''s my honor, princess!"

    Even if she were to be asked if she ''didn''t mind being drawn and quartered'', her reaction would probably be the same.

    Emilia giggled, seemingly amused at her adorable response. Then, under the shocked gaze of all the other knights, their princess actually leaned forward to gently peck the sun-kissed girl''s lips.

    She kissed her on the lips!

    Emilia might have been generous to them before, but never had she ever actually bestowed that kind of direct physical honor on any of them, excluding those who were already quite close to her.

    The disbelieving and envious gazes of the rest of the knights didn''t seem to have any effect on Hazel''s ecstatic mood, however. But she still obediently went back to her ce next to Adele, who was darkly ring at the ''excited'' holy knights fidgeting in the corner of the crowd.

    Was their conviction really so weak?! It was okay for the others to look hopeful and envious, but not them!

    Of course, Emilia didn''t manipte the petal at all, and it continued randomly falling on various knights.

    Each one, she rewarded with a kiss. After all, these were the most adorable of her subjects, so wasn''t it just right for her to coddle them a little more before she left?

    Maybe only a few would be able to follow her.

    But as the ''binding'' got rejected without fail, Emilia couldn''t help but be disappointed. ''Looks like Cynthia was right¡­ only Crystal''s soul was of a higher gradation in that world, which was why she got picked by the world will.''

    Justine, Koko, Michelle, Sam, Noelle, Dixie... it didn''t work on any of them.

    She''d already kissed over forty of her knights, and Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Luckily, Cynthia is still in the hut, or she would definitely have been disappointed.''

    Of course, she was assuming that Cynthia would only be aware of her interactions with the system, but there was always a chance that the raven-haired girl was secretly observing her, though she hoped that wasn''t the case.

    As if it was fate, the next petal happened tond on Crystal, who nervously stepped in front of her with a smile. "Ehehe¡­ guess I''ll try my luck, too?"

    Emilia could obviously tell that the blonde girl had some idea of what was going on, but she didn''t expose her thoughts, and only gave her a kiss on the cheek before following the standard process.

    ¡ªAttempting to bind a new follower!

    -Energy Reserve: 33.06% ¡ú 32.81%

    ¡ªDing!

    ¡ªTarget''s soul gradation meets the minimum requirement.

    -Follower binding sess!

    Crystal suddenly felt a wave of pure energy seemingly flow down from the top of her head, slowly seeping into her heart and soul. ''I-I can feel it! T-There''s¡­ a connection with Emilia?!''

    Although it was very faint, she could vaguely tell where exactly Emilia was. Even if she ignored the palm on top of her head and closed her eyes, it was as if she had acquired a new sense exclusively for that purpose.

    Unbeknownst to Crystal, a wave of crimson light had enveloped her body from the moment she felt that stream of energy flow into her, making all the knights exim excitedly.

    "Did it finally work?!"

    "Whew¡­"

    Although they were disappointed at not being the ones who were picked, it was more of a relief that Emilia at least found what she was looking for.

    With forty failed attempts already, they''d already been worried that their princess would be disappointed at being left empty-handed.

    As for Emilia herself, even though she''d already expected that this was how things would go based on Cynthia''s words, she still couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s good that it worked, at least."

    ¡ªNew follower ''Crystal Miller'' acquired sessfully!

    -Calcting follower''s ability cost.

    ¡ªDing!

    -Grade 1 Ability detected, the cost is estimated to be 0.00% per use.

    -Cost per summoning - 0.00%<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Well, that''s good.'' Emilia nodded to herself after seeing the system prompts. ''Cynthia''s being quite thorough, huh? Did she get infected by my sincerity earlier?''

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but chuckle at the thought, but while she was amused, it also strengthened her conviction to do better so as not to disappoint her partner again.

    Meanwhile, Crystal blushed as she listened to everyone''s exaggerated and teasing congrattions under Emilia''s kiss.

    But although she was happy, she was also a little worried.

    Of course, what worried her was not the fact that she''d been ''favored'' by Emilia''s skill, but that the ''effects'' she''d observed on the knights ever since they left their world were getting worse.

    Although she managed to keep it from showing on her face, Crystal''s thoughts were already running wild inside her head. ''I-It''s like¡­ there was something that intensified their emotions back then, but now that we''re here¡­ it''s fading away.''

    The knights still seemed to love and care for Emilia the same way, but the blonde girl wasn''t sure how their attitude would change in the long term.

    She''d initially been worried that Emilia would be sad if they slowly stopped caring about her, but after having observed their feelings directly when confronted by the crimson-haired girl, Crystal realized that she was wrong.

    With the ''intensity'' of their emotions fading away, the change that the knights seemed to experience did not make them distance themselves from Emilia, but actually¡­ brought them closer.

    After all, they revered her so much before that it was almost as if they didn''t even consider themselves to be of the same species, but now¡­ they''d obviously be much more daring.

    Crystal¡­ wasn''t sure if that was a good thing, but since these were still her own spections, she could only keep her thoughts to herself, at least until they''d all settled down.

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    Obviously, Crystal didn''t share her conjectures with Emilia and the others, either.

    After all the knights had happily left to work on the rest of the living arrangements after receiving either a hug or a kiss on the cheek from Emilia as plimentary gifts'', she somberly exined the finer details of her ''follower summoning'' skill to her girlfriends.

    Noelle hummed thoughtfully. "I see¡­ so the moment you leave, Crystal will fall into a a'', and we''ll have to take care of her body?"

    Emilia nodded. "To be precise, her soul will be residing within my body, not her own. So in a way, it will be just an empty shell, and you all will have to make sure to protect and keep her nourished until we''re back."

    Of course, ten hours may not seem like long, but the crimson-haired girl couldn''t be sure of the exact effects this kind of separation might have on her girlfriend''s body, so she had to carefully remind them just in case.

    Even Cynthia''s words were only based on theory, after all, and there could be many external factors that made things different in reality.

    Noelle thought about it for a while before nodding. "It shouldn''t be an issue to protect her from any external threats from ten hours, I think. The most dangerous animal we spotted in the forest was only some type of boar, and we already have food and shelter arranged."

    Dixie also agreed. "Taking care of that boar shouldn''t be hard, even if we were to run out of arrows."

    Their four sharp tusks were definitely a threat, but since they seemed to only prefer charging in straight lines, they were quite easy to avoid.

    In fact, not to mention the freakishly strong dark-haired girl, most of the knights who followed Emilia were more than capable of handling one of the boars by themselves.

    Sam poked Crystal''s cheek idly, making the girl pout. "I''ll take care of keeping her fed and watered, then."

    Despite herself, the blonde girl couldn''t help but protest. "I-I don''t need to be watered like some sort of nt!"

    The taller girl chuckled. "Aren''t vegetables considered nts?"

    Emilia giggled, and it took the others a few moments to recognize Sam''s ''joke'', but she was soon rewarded with a thwack to the back of her head from Noelle.

    "How tactless can you be?"

    Of course, Sam only stuck out her tongue shamelessly.

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    After assuring everyone that she would only be leaving for less than half a day, Emilia once again returned to the hut.

    Much to her relief, Cynthia didn''t me her for taking so long, and only gave her a curious smile. "So, did Crystal agree to be your follower?"

    Emilia sighed. "Yes."

    It was not a conversation she was keen on having, but thankfully, she managed to handle it cleverly, and everyone had been quite understanding.

    The raven-haired girl nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Although you can only call for her help for ten hours in the next world, her ability should still be quite useful at crucial moments, especially since you''re going with the¡­ second option."

    Obviously, the ability had be stronger with her promotion to ''Void Disciple'', but it wasn''t without consequences.

    Apparently, this world was tied to her as its core, and the stronger Emilia became¡­ the faster the time here would flow whenever she ''went out'', so to speak.

    The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips in thought. "It''s just¡­ I''m not sure how I feel about her being in aa while I''m not here."

    Normally, Cynthia would have rolled her eyes at her unnecessary concern, but this time, she was surprisingly considerate. "There are plenty of other mo¡ªcough¡ª p-people here to take care of her body, and this is just how it must be for her consciousness to remain connected to you throughout the mission. It cannot possibly flit between the two nes willy-nilly, can it?"

    Of course, even being able to disconnect the body from its soul required one to be a being of a higher gradation, which was why among all her knights, only Crystal qualified for the follower position as she was now.

    Although she was still a bit worried about any side effects of separating Crystal''s body and soul, Emilia knew that now wasn''t the time to be so meek, so she quickly steeled her heart and nodded. "I understand. When are we leaving?"

    She just hoped that even if something went wrong, she would be able to fix it using her blood.

    Cynthia stared at her for a while, as if making sure she was really okay with leaving right away, then smiled. "How about right now?"

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 Chapter 711 A New World Awaits

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    Emilia didn''t hesitate to agree, despite the fact that there were still many questions lingering in her mind.

    She knew there was no way to know what could have happened in her previous world after they''d left. Her partner had made that more than clear long ago, after all.

    Cynthia seemed to have expected her response, and motioned for her to follow her to the side of the bed. "Rx. Let''s make a few things clear before we leave, then."

    Seeing how her partner''s expression remained serious and solemn even though she was grasping her palm on the bed, the raven-haired girl sighed. ''I shouldn''t have ignored her before. But¡­ what can I do about it now? She''s already made up her mind.''

    But even though she knew what Emilia''s response would be, Cynthia still tried her luck. "Are you really fine with the type of world I mentioned before? It will be dangerous, you know?"

    Emilia nodded. "If it will help you more, of course."

    Cynthia sighed. "It will help, sure¡­ but only if we seed. To be honest¡­ I''m still not sure if it''s worth the risk. Not only will you not have the cover of the viiness''s identity and background, but the level of threat¡­ can we really handle it?"

    Emilia grabbed her palms into her own and squeezed them tight, her eyes full of conviction. "Trust me, Cynthia... I will definitely prove myself to you this time!"

    Cynthia''s expression was a littleplicated, but she knew that refusing now would only hurt her partner''s confidence, so she could only nod. "Alright, if you''re ready, then... let''s start."

    Her partner smiled gratefully, and the raven-haired girl''s heart throbbed with a dull pain. "S-Since you''ve grown up now, I''ll pull you in while browsing the timeline too."

    Emilia''s eyes shone in surprise as she nodded. ''I have to really remain focused this time. Everyone else is smart and talented, and can easily survive without me for a while.''

    Of course, simply letting them survive in this world was far from enough, and what she really wanted was to let them grow and shine in the way that suited them most. But that could only be left forter, when she had the means and the time to handle such a task.

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    The first thing Emilia felt when she slipped into the dark void with Cynthia''s assistance was the familiar yet foreign presence deep within her soul. A ball of gold that radiated was connected to herself with a thread radiating... love?

    ''Is this¡­ Crystal?''

    Of course, the blonde girl remained dormant, and could neither hear her thoughts nor respond.

    As for the only other presence within her, it could only be Cynthia. But she was too busy strongly manipting her chaos energy to satisfy the crimson-haired beauty''s curiosity.

    Turning her focus on herself next, Emilia realized that there was nothing unusual about her from the outside.

    Of course, a mortal body would never be able to survive being in this state in the void unless protected by ayer of chaos energy.

    Emilia''s attention soon turned to the ''structure'' that surrounded her, and she couldn''t help but gasp in awe. ''Wow¡­''

    Howe she didn''t notice it sooner?

    "So this is what it''s like to see the timeline¡­" Emilia sighed, fascinated by the rapidly flickering lights and images around her.

    It was like being at the very center of a big crystal ''ball'' with millions of mirrored facets, each showing a different image.

    Seeing it for herself, she now realized that even the ''half-assed'' information that Cynthia had managed to gather about the previous timeline had actually been extremely impressive.

    The fact that this was all from only one world and still almost overwhelmed her gave Emilia a whole other level of respect for Cynthia''s ability. After all, what they were doing now was picking their ''point of entry'' and gathering information on the world they would be going to.

    The actual task of picking the world had already been handled by her partner.

    ''How strong must she have been in her heyday?'' The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''Whatever it was that managed to bring her down¡­ when will I be ready to face it?''

    Naturally, she refused to believe that Cynthia could havezed her way to this point as she imed. But since the raven-haired girl chose to hide it, Emilia knew better than to ask.

    Instead, she focused on memorizing and analyzing as much of the world as she could observe through the images.

    Given that there were seemingly millions of facets, all showing different people and time, however, made things quite difficult for Emilia.

    Eventually, though, she was able to pick out the one who appeared to be the hero.

    ''He''s¡­ really different from Amos, isn''t he?''

    She couldn''t help but sigh.

    Emilia could only observe the scenes visually and couldn''t really gain a full understanding of what was going on, but it was still obvious that this was a man who knew how to handle himself in any kind of situation.

    Unlike Amos, who had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth, and almost never had to struggle for a day in his life in the previous world''s original timeline, this hero seemed to have struggled desperately all the way until he reached adulthood.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    This world will¡­ was probably a lot better at both picking and raising its host.

    Emilia wanted to figure out who the heroine could be based on the women around the hero, but¡­

    ''This guy isn''t romantic at all!'' Emilia groaned. ''I can''t see any wedding or dating scenes, and he always interacts with everyone with a straight face¡­ how am I supposed to figure it out?!''

    She couldn''t help but sulk for a while before shaking off her stray thoughts. ''Forget it, instead of wasting my time, I might as well focus on things that might be of use.''

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    Five miles south of the Lake Lynx, Mira was leading her small team of hunters back with their bounty of the day when they suddenly spotted something that definitely shouldn''t be there.

    "Is that¡­ a child¡­?"

    Mira frowned as she stopped herpanion from stepping forward. "Stay here, Fifi. Alec, Jones... keep an eye on the surroundings, I''ll go check."

    The young huntress and the two sturdy men nodded at once, clearly having faith in their leader.

    Although she was only in her early thirties, Mira was the best of the best in their small settlement, after all. If not for her, they wouldn''t be able to live such a carefree life so far from any city or town.

    The dark-haireddy approached the fallen figure on the ground without a sound, and it was only when she got closer that she realized it really was a child.

    Even if one were to ignore the long crimson hair, based on the figure, it definitely had to be a girl. Probably one in her early or mid teens, though she could also be older, and just petite.

    ''A city girl? The clothes are torn so badly, and she''s dirty, but probably not injured.'' Mira evaluated calmly. ''Probably lost, or more likely¡­ abandoned by her parents.''

    She sighed. ''Poor kid¡­ but at least she didn''te across any predators.''

    The dark-haired huntress easily turned the abandoned child over and picked her up, only momentarily pausing when she saw her face. "Let''s go."

    None of the other hunters raised any doubts on taking the child along as they followed. After all, they couldn''t very well leave her to die, could they?

    Of course, they had no idea that the ''fainted abandoned child'' was very much awake, and was inwardly celebrating the sess of her n. ''Luckily, I was patient!''

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    With the long, practiced stride of the hunting team, it didn''t take long for them to reach the Lynx Lake, next to which stood a few small houses that they affectionately called their vige, though it wasn''t really recognized by any authorities.

    An elderly grandpa greeted them with an amused smile as they reached the settlement. "You seem to have brought quite the interesting bounty with you this time, huh, Mira?"

    He was one of the oldest hunters in the area, and had taught Mira the way of the forest when she was but a child.

    The dark-haired huntress just rolled her eyes as she handed the kid over to Fifi. "Take her to Mari and see if they need any medicine from the nearby town."

    Of course, the ''nearby'' town took two days to reach on foot, so everyone understood that if the child really needed it, no one would be able to rush back and forth in time, though Mira might futilely try based on her sense of responsibility.

    Emilia continued pretending to be unconscious as she wasid down on a bed, and a warm palm was ced on her face.

    "She doesn''t seem to have a fever¡­ so there''s probably no infection. Maybe¡­ she just needs some food and water."

    The voice was surprisingly simr to Mira''s and the crimson-haired girl assumed this must be the ''doctor'' Mari.

    Emilia felt her lips being pried open as she was given some water to drink, then the ''doctor'' assured everyone that she should eventually wake up on her own.

    The rest of them then moved a little away, but Emilia was easily able to hear their conversations, though they didn''t really talk about her anymore.

    Apparently, Mira and Mari were sisters, though the information didn''t really matter much to Emilia.

    Instead, she focused on the world around her.

    The energy in the air was thick, almost suffocating, though normal people wouldn''t be able to tell.

    Emilia tried using her chaos energy to observe the area around her as she used to, but just as it had before her ''rescue'', itpletely failed to leave her body.

    Cynthia coughed. "Since the world will has flooded the whole ce with a higher grade energy, you can''t do that unless you''re willing to send out enough, and¡­ you can''t expect being able to take it back."

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''That is to say¡­ I can still do it, but only if I''m willing to waste some energy, huh?''

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 Chapter 712 Leaving The Settlement

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    The moment she''d arrived in this world, Emilia knew that the first thing she needed to do was to find a suitable identity.

    After all, it was impossible for her to not stand out in the future, and she couldn''t afford the hero or the world will figuring out that she was actually an ''outsider'' in this world.

    Not to mention being thrown out and losing the energy they''d invested in their arrival, it was even possible that, due to the current disparity in their strengths, they might be eradicated entirely before Cynthia could react and have them withdraw.

    Luckily, Emilia had managed to glean quite a bit of useful insight into how this world worked already, and Cynthia also helped her with some ideas.

    Although it was quite modern and everyone had to have a valid ''ID'' in most countries, the one where the hero and the heroine lived wasn''t too strict, and there were several remotemunities where people livedpletely off the grid.

    Whenever such people, or their children, decide to change their way of life and pursue a life in the city, they could simply go through a simple background check and get their paperwork done before living a rtively normal life.

    Of course, to pass this background check, Emilia knew that she had toy down some groundwork first.

    She''d knowingly made herself a little younger to attract less suspicion, and then pretended to ''faint'' close enough to the settlement that she''d be noticed by the hunters.

    There was still some luck needed for her n to work, as she couldn''t be sure what kind of people woulde across her, but in the worst case she could just get rid of them and try again.

    Fortunately, Mira turned out to be quite a good person.

    Emilia soon pretended to ''wake up'', with just the right amount of confusion and uncertainty in her eyes, and allowed Mira and her sister to ''bring her up to speed'', meekly answering all their questions.

    Mira sighed. "So¡­ you really don''t remember anything at all?"

    The crimson-haired girl hung her head in shame. "I-I know I am Emilia, I-I know what my room looks like¡­ b-but I can''t remember¡­ anything else."

    She sniffled, and Mira''s sister hurriedly stepped forward to hug the girlfortingly. "I-It''s okay! You''ll remember it all sooner orter!"

    Then, she red at the older huntress. "I think she''s had enough. I''ll go give her a bath first."

    Mira rubbed her nose in embarrassment as she watched the crimson-haired girl being dragged away towards theke. "I was only trying to help¡­"

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    Emilia didn''t intend to stay in the small settlement for long, but she understood that it was still important for her to take her time and not appear suspicious.

    She spent the next few weeks getting familiar with everyone in the small settlement, and quickly became quite well-liked among most of its inhabitants.

    Being both pretty and polite, the only ones who didn''t like her were either those who were jealous, or those whose advances she''d rejected. Of course, they didn''t dare to voice such thoughts out loud, lest Mira teach them a lesson.

    Speaking of the woman, Emilia couldn''t help but have a headache. ''What am I gonna do if she doesn''t allow me to leave?''

    Cynthia giggled. "It''s your own fault¡­ I told you not to go overboard."

    "Emilia! Dear, there you are!"

    The crimson-haired girl jumped as she turned around to find Mira running towards her with a big te of roasted pork, and her face turned pale.

    Mira''s cooking¡­ she''d tasted it more than once, and it was aplete antithesis of everything Crystal''s mom ever taught her.

    Sometimes, she even wondered if the woman just dug up charred coal from somewhere and carved it to make it look less suspicious.

    Of course, there was little she could do except let the woman shove it all down her throat as she cried. "I''m full! Full!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But Mira was having none of it. "Look at you, so skinny and weak, ahh! How are you going to survive out in the city looking like this? I don''t want my daughter to be bullied!"

    Emilia couldn''t bring herself to say that she wasn''t her daughter.

    As Cynthia said, it really was her own fault for calling her ''Mama'' and clinging to Mira when the woman had been unnaturally squinting her eyes at her for a while. At that time, she had no idea that it was actually just because of the sun.

    Emilia na?vely thought it would make her less suspicious, and then¡­ this was how things turned out.

    Luckily, the crimson-haired girl had been smart enough toy the groundwork for leaving the settlement well in advance, or she might really have needed to run away, with probably a crazy huntress chasing her down.

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    "Did you pack everything you needed?"

    Mira rolled her eyes at her sister as she patted the big bag strapped to her chest and the ''child carrier'' on her back. "Rx, I can stuff that kid in here and easily carry her to the city. Didn''t you already triple-check everything?"

    Her younger sister hummed. "It''s a pity that she has such a strong desire to seek out her parents, or we could have just taken care of her here¡­ I hope it will be alright."

    Neither of them was na?ve enough to believe that a young girl like Emilia could end up alone in a forest by ident, especially after looking at that face.

    Most likely, she''d ended up attracting someone''s jealousy and hatred, and given how she wasn''t too injured¡­ it was definitely someone she used to trust.

    They already understood the girl''s somewhat na?ve and mischievous personality after living with her, and while she couldn''t be called stupid, Emilia was simply too easy to deceive.

    She''d even been fooled into thinking sewing clothes was a ''game'', and had a lot of ''fun'' with the neighboring seamstress as freebor until Mira found out.

    The huntress sighed. "I just hope that bastard is still working in the police station, or it will be a bit troublesome getting her paperwork done."

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    Emilia was obviously a bit embarrassed at being carried for such a long distance by Mira, and had tried to protest to be allowed to walk on her own, but it only earned her extra swats to her butt, further adding to her shame.

    Mira snorted. "Don''t make trouble and be still, alright? We still have a long way to go."

    Watching her partner sulk, Cynthia giggled. "Princess Emilia getting spanked like a naughty little kid¡­ should I let your ''knights'' know about it when we get back?"

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''I''m not a princess now¡­ just an ordinary little girl.''

    She slightly regretted changing her form to her younger self now, but it was a bit toote.

    Emilia convinced herself that it was worth it to appear less suspicious, though. ''I suppose I can only slowly ''grow up'' to not be treated like this¡­''

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    It took a while for them to arrive at the city Mira was taking her to, and Emilia couldn''t help but sigh at the somewhat familiar sights. ''It''s not much different from those in the previous world, is it¡­?''

    Cynthia nodded. "The base level of both civilizations is quite simr, after all. But the world will here is leading them on apletely different path, so it''s all about to change soon."

    Of course, Emilia knew that.

    This seemingly peaceful modern world¡­ was about to wee the chaos of fantasy.

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 Chapter 713 New Identity

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    After a short trip to the ice-cream stand, which Mira insisted was strictly for Emilia''s sake, the two of them headed directly for the police station.

    Of course, Mira didn''t embarrass the crimson-haired girl further by carrying her through the city, and had already let her down at its first checkpoint.

    Nheless, the duo still attracted quite a few curious gazes from other people on the road, mostly due to Mira''s weapons.

    Thankfully, she was a properly registered citizen who had a license to carry arms, so they didn''t get detained as soon as they entered the station.

    The policemen were obviously familiar with the woman, and the local chief patiently listened to her story before nodding in understanding. "I see¡­"

    He asked her a few more questions to see if she really didn''t remember anything relevant before being ''lost'' in the forest, and Emilia answered as per her previous n.

    The chief motioned for another officer to take Emilia away, then. "You can go have an ice-cream with the nicedy here while we get things done, okay?"

    Of course, Emilia understood that he must have wanted to talk to Mira alone, so she didn''t insist on staying and just did as she was told.

    As soon as she was gone, the chief sighed. "I''ll run her photo and fingerprints through the system, but¡­ it''s unlikely that we''ll find anything."

    Mira naturally understood that even if there were people looking for Emilia, a child normally wouldn''t have their biometric data stored in the public database until muchter.

    The dark-haired huntress hummed thoughtfully. "Well, at least this should verify if that brat was lying when she kept insisting that she must be old enough to be an adult."

    The chief chuckled. "Definitely doesn''t look like she''s sixteen yet, honestly, but who knows? It''ll be better if she is."

    In their country, everyone needed to go through a proper national ID process when they hit sixteen, after all. And if they could match Emilia''s biometric data in the database, there would be no need to go through the hassle of making her a new ID at all.

    Unfortunately, luck didn''t seem to be on their side, and it soon became clear that Emilia''s fingerprints were fresh entries into the public database.

    Mira hummed. "Listen, chief, let''s not beat around the bush anymore. The type of parents who could leave their child to die in a forest are definitely not going to report her missing, right?"

    The chief wanted to argue that they could have simply registered the case somewhere else, but then sighed. "I do get what you mean, and it''s pitiful, but what can I do? Everything has to follow a process."

    Mira snorted. "Since the girl survived, just let her have a new life under my care. Bend a few rules for my sake, won''t you? I did get all those stubborn folk registered at your request back then, didn''t I? Don''t go forgetting old favors so easily."

    After arguing back and forth for a while, the two of them finally settled on letting Emilia''s name enter the missing person registry for a month.

    Of course, Mira was far from happy about it. "Including her photo there¡­ aren''t you just asking for trouble toe her way? I won''t forgive you if she catches the attention of some unsavory folk because of this!"

    The chief coughed awkwardly. "T-This really is the least I have to do to issue a temporary ID, you know? We''ll take it down in the shortest time allowed if no one files a im on her."

    Just as Mira was about to refute, the man stopped her with a wave of his hand. "Rest assured, I know more about the filthy rats of the society than you, and none of them will be allowed to get close to her without first proving that she''s indeed rted to them."

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    Emilia was a bit surprised to learn that she''d already been issued a temporary ID by the time she returned from her ice-cream break. After all, she expected it would at least take a few days.

    But when she learned that she''d been adopted as Mira''s little sister, she couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    The huntress coughed. "Well, don''t let the little details bother you much. Only married folk can adopt children in our country, so there was no choice."

    Emilia was a bit more bothered by the fact that the woman must have clearly forged some signatures to get it all done, but Mira didn''t seem to care about it much.

    "Well, don''t let it bother you much. How about I show you my ce?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Their destination was quite close by, and it only took them a few minutes to get there.

    The old three-story apartment building Mira took her to was apparently where her parents used to live before everyone moved to the settlement near Lake Lynx. And while it was far from luxurious, Emilia felt that it would be a decent ce to live in as long as she cleaned it up a little.

    With the entire top-floor to herself and easy roof-ess, Emilia felt that it was much better than anything she could have arranged herself in a short time.

    "My sister''s health doesn''t allow us to move back to the polluted city, but don''t worry, I''ll visit quite often to take care of you, and I''ve asked the auntie next door to help, too."

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "The one who shouldn''t worry so much is you, Mira. Like I said, I''m not a kid who needs to be taken care of so much."

    The huntress chuckled. "That''s exactly what a kid would say."

    She amused herself with the younger girl''s indignant response before her expression turned serious. "Anyway, although I did my best to get you an ID that would give you all the adult rights within a year, you have to be careful how you handle yourself out there, alright? A professor will visit us tomorrow, and after you''re enrolled in school, I won''t be here to protect you, so don''t go getting into trouble."

    Naturally, Emilia understood that the dangers in a city were very different from those in the woods, and it was entirely justified for Mira to be worried about her ''na?ve'' self, so she just nodded obediently.

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    Luckily, Emilia was easily able to impress the professor thanks to her knowledge of science and maths from the previous world, and he only gave her a few books on literature before leaving.

    "You don''t really need to waste another year going to school. Just register for the final high-school exam that is due in a few months."

    Of course, his advice would have been very different if Emilia had expressed an interest in one of the more in-demand professions, but¡­ education didn''t really matter much in ''that'' field.

    Mira was a bit dumbfounded by the results, but she trusted the judgment of her father''s smartest friend, and headed back to the settlement to take care of her sister.

    If she knew what exactly her ''daughter'' had picked as her future career, however, Mira would definitely have returned to beat the old professor till he started questioning his degrees.

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    Emilia stared at the temporary ID issued in the name of ''Emilia Fox'' and the thick stack of bank notes in her hands nkly for a while before pursing her lips in thought. ''I''ll have to remember to pay her back, somehow¡­''

    She only really intended to use the settlement at Lynx Lake as a means to easily obtain an ID, but Mira had helped her a bit too much.

    It definitely made things a hundred times easier, so Emilia was grateful, but she still felt like she''d taken too much advantage of Mira''s goodwill.

    Cynthia also didn''t want her partner to feel so indebted to a mortal, and hummed thoughtfully. "That''s easy. You can just cure her sister''s ''weak body'' condition with a single cirction of chaos energy. We won''t even lose anything. But of course, you should only do that once we''re done with everything else."

    Feeling that her partner''s idea was quite good, Emilia happily agreed before the two of them started discussing their next move.

    ''It''ll take a while for the hero to release that thing, right? Was it six months?''

    Cynthia hummed thoughtfully. "It should be around eight, I think. He should still be in this city now."

    Emilia nodded. ''Well, we shouldn''t attract his attention for now, and justy low and figure out a way to get into the heroine''s team.''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Shouldn''t you call it the team of the viiness? The heroine hasn''t yet joined, after all."

    The crimson-haired girl paused as she finally realized it. ''Ohhh, wait¡­ doesn''t that mean this is the perfect opportunity for us to get in?!''

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 Chapter 714 Friction

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    Emilia sighed as she exited the ''full-dive pod'', feeling a little nauseous. ''It''s nowhere near perfect, but¡­ the so-called VR gear in thest world can''t evene close toparing to this thing.''

    Cynthia nodded. "And for good reason. Darryl is the ''great genius'' behind most of the advances in the field, after all. And I don''t think I need to tell you the source of it all."

    The crimson-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. ''Darryl Burns, huh¡­ he''ll be an annoying opponent for sure.''

    She hated to admit it, but he was the type of cunning man she hated dealing with the most, the type who always seemed to have some unexpected trick up his sleeve. Moreover, with his already strong starting position... catching up and taking him down will really be a monumental task for someone like her, who was starting from scratch.

    Cynthia giggled. "Would you rather he be like Amos?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''As if! I''ll show you I can handle it perfectly. Anyway, how long will it take for the audition results toe out?''

    Unfortunately, since she couldn''t afford a full-dive pod of her own, and this was a ''station'' where anyone could rent it for a small fee, some people didn''t take kindly to her just standing around after leaving her pod.

    "Hey, you shiny-haired pipsqueak! Yeah, I''m talking to you! If you''re not gonna use that, why not get out of the fucking way?"

    The crimson-haired girl was a bit unhappy with the rude fellow who interrupted her thoughts, but as she turned around to give the rude idiot a piece of her mind, her words suddenly got stuck in her throat.

    ''Ahh¡­ this guy¡­ isn''t he too big to fit into this pod¡­? Is he a giant?!''

    Even though she was standing straight, her head barely managed to be at the same level as his waist. Even if she''d shrunk herself a little, it wasn''t by that much!

    Cynthia giggled. "At this moment, there should be no special species like that in this world, though it might change soon once ''Arcadia'' is released."

    ''Giant or not, I refuse to believe this big boy can fit into that small thing, but¡­ I''m sure it will be funny to see him try.'' Emilia pursed her lips thoughtfully before stepping aside. "Well, sorry¡­ it''s all yours."

    In fact, she vaguely recalled that the hero seemed to have a trustypanion who was of simr stature, but there was no way for her to be sure it was this guy, since that person was wearing a full-face helmet and te armor in almost all the images.

    The rude ''giant'' snorted before shoving past her despite Emilia already having made way, and curled up into a ball with his knees tucked to his chin in the same pod that the crimson-haired girl had been lying quitefortably in with plenty of room to spare.

    Contrary to his previous rude gangster image, he looked like a scared little baby, and Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''There''s no way that lid is going to close, is there?''

    Her thoughts were proven wrong when two staff members came around to push the lid in, roughly stuffing the giant man into the pod with great effort.

    Once they were done, they gave her a nod before dusting their hands and leaving.

    The ringing of her newly purchased phone broke Emilia from her bewildered state soon, however.

    "Let''s see¡­ Congrattions to Miss Emilia for being shortlisted for a final interview¡­? Finally!" She cheered.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but snort. "How conceited of them to think they can still ''interview'' you before making up their mind, even though we both know they''re desperate. Then again, this wouldn''t be the team of the viiness if they were kind and generous."

    Emilia giggled. ''I couldn''t talk to Danielle much before, but I''m quite excited to see what this world''s Danielle is like!''

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    Emilia knew that this seemingly normal world was going to go through a major change once the revolutionary and highly advanced full-dive game, Arcadia, was released by the hero. But it wasn''t really the first of its kind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It had already been a few years since Darryl, the hero, had developed the full-dive pod, and a number of great games hade out since then, with many bing quite mainstream.

    Naturally, Emilia understood that their objective must have been to make sure that the vast majority could be lured into the ''real deal'' from the start to avoid trouble, and that was never going to happen if Arcadia was the first full-dive game in the world.

    Of course, as an unintended side-effect, many of these games had be quite popr, and many ''professional'' gaming teams naturally pursued them as a lucrative career choice.

    It might be tough getting in and bing popr, but once they did, the sponsorships and popritying their way would be well worth it.

    ''The Crimson Witches'' was one such team, led by the viiness in this world, Danielle Lyons. It used to be quite popr, but had recently lost all its momentum once one of its star yersmitted suicide.

    With rumors spreading that it was caused by Danielle''s excessive pressuring and ''bullying'' of the poor girl, Emilia roughly understood why a previously popr team could so suddenly be desperate enough to hire ''newbies'' like herself.

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    Naturally, Emilia had worked hard on honing her skills before applying for a position in the ''Crimson Witches'', and her trial run of the game they were currently pursuing also went well, so she wasn''t too worried about the interview.

    The crimson-haired girl dolled herself up to make a good impression, put a charming smile on her face, and headed straight for the address she''d been given in her shortlisting notice.

    Feeling her cheerful mood, Cynthia couldn''t help but smile. "Not to rain on your parade, but you do realize that the viiness and the heroine are like fire and water, and you''ll have to watch them argue and quarrel every day?"

    Emilia, however, just chuckled in response. ''Let''s see.''

    Since her destination wasn''t that far from ''her'' apartment, it didn''t take long for the crimson-haired girl to arrive even on foot, only to notice that there was some sort ofmotion at the building''s front door.

    Emilia recognized the beautiful girl with a wild mane of curly midnight ck hair and bright yellow eyes as the heroine at a nce, Sylvia Forrest, and the other girl¡­ was Danielle, the viiness.

    "How can you say that my friend wasn''t selected after she''s already received the shortlisting message?!" The heroine pointed a finger against Danielle''s nose angrily, but the other girl remainedpletely calm.

    "Like I said, there was someone who performed better than her for the vanguard role that I only noticed at the end, so I decided to rece her position even after the message had been sent out. She''s still wee, just in a substitute position."

    The blonde girl''s indifferent attitude only seemed to make the heroine more furious, however. "You''re clearly just discriminating against us because we beat you before! You should be grateful we even bothered to apply to your team when it''s in such a desperate situation!"

    Of course, the other girl wasn''t one to back down so easily. "Isn''t it just because you''ve been kicked out and cklisted by the ''Golden Heroes''? Heh."

    Emilia wasn''t sure if the heroine and her friend had just previously defeated the ''Crimson Witches'' in a game, or if they''d actually physically beaten Danielle up, but she guessed it must be the former based on the blonde girl''s ''calm'' reaction.

    With the heroine still jumping up and down angrily, the blonde girl actually ignored her to walk towards Emilia instead. "You look a little older than your picture in the application, but I''m guessing you must be Emilia, right? Let''s not mind the idiot and head to our interview, shall we?"

    Watching the blonde girl''s overly maintained twin drills hairstyle, Emilia couldn''t help but smile and shake her head in amusement. "I don''t really mind, but¡­ I don''t think it''ll be a good idea to make our future teammate misunderstand things more than she already has?"

    Although their names were coincidentally the same, this world''s Danielle was obviously nothing like the meek and na?ve viiness of herst one. Having her authority challenged by both the newbies on the team obviously pissed her off.

    She smiled coldly. "Alright, since both of you refuse to listen to me¡­ let''s forget about your interview, and you two can settle it with a duel instead. The winner gets to stay, and the loser leaves. Of course, since we''ll have an extra vacancy either way, I guess Miss Sylvia''s friend will be more than happy to fill that in."

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 Chapter 715 Not Quite A Friend

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    Although Sylvia, the heroine, clearly didn''t like going along with Danielle''s n, she had no way to refute the blonde girl''s idea without feeling shameless. After all, if she backed out of a direct fight, wasn''t that the same as admitting that she was just being hypocritical?

    Emilia looked like an honest and innocent girl at first nce, but Sylvia didn''t believe that anyone involved with Danielle could be in any way rted to the word ''pure''.

    "Fine then, let''s do it!" She huffed.

    The crimson-haired girl helplessly followed after the heroine and the viiness as they led her to the ''game room'', where most of their full-dive pods were, not minding the sharp re from the short-haired brte by Sylvia''s side.

    "Sylvia¡­ you don''t need to get so angry for my sake. I''m already used to being treated like this."

    "Shut up! You just sit back and watch me win back your spot!"

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "She must know the heroine''s temperament after being her friend for so long, how could she not have realized that saying that was just going to make her more indignant?"

    Emilia chuckled. ''Of course she did¡­ and that''s exactly why she did it.''

    "Ah¡­ I see." Cynthia nodded in realization. "It''s the¡­ uh, what was it that you called them again?"

    ''A white lotus?'' Emilia wondered.

    The raven-haired girl hummed thoughtfully before shaking her head in denial. "No no, I remember it was a little bit more satisfying. Uh, some kind of colored bitch, wasn''t it?"

    ''Oh, yeah, ''Green Tea Bitch'' also fits her perfectly, I guess.'' Emilia nodded.

    Cynthia giggled. "Right. That one! To be honest, if you were the one doing it, I would actually find it more funny than annoying."

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. ''Is it because I''m so adorable, or because you love me so much?''

    Her partner rolled her eyes in exasperation. Even if there was a hint of truth in Emilia''s words, she wouldn''t be Cynthia if she admitted it so easily. "It''s because the way you would do it would usually be so ridiculous that it''s impossible to take things seriously, yet so many of these mortals get swept away by your charm that it''s kind of funny."

    Emilia snorted. ''Are you saying that the only thing separating me from that girl is our level of charm?''

    Cynthia humphed. "Don''t be ridiculous. How could a mortal bepared to one of us?"

    The crimson-haired girl paused for a moment, making the heroine''s friend look at her in derision. "If you were so scared of being humiliated by us, you shouldn''t have cheated to steal my spot in the first ce."

    Sylvia didn''t refute her friend''s statement, and just gave Emilia a cold re.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. "Saying that before you''ve won¡­ aren''t you just setting both yourself and your friend up for humiliation?"

    "Y-You¡ª!"

    Sylvia stopped her indignant friend from lunging at the younger crimson-haired girl. "Control yourself. She might be a brat, but beating up a younger girl will only make our reputation worse, regardless of what she did before."

    Emilia smiled. "What you ''assumed'' what I did before, you mean. Without any proof, too, by the way."

    The heroine''s friend looked about ready to cough up a liter of blood on the spot, and even the viiness paused and turned around, her gaze turning somewhat appreciative. But Emilia only motioned them to continue moving.

    "Let''s get this over with quickly, please. I really don''t like when people who know nothing about me keep judging me. It makes me want to teach them a lesson."

    "¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "¡­"

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    The full-dive equipment of the Crimson Witches was definitely of a higher level than the one Emilia had used before, but thankfully, there was no need for her to adapt. After all, this kind of immersive tech didn''t need anyone to master controls or the like, and relied more on their ''actual'' skill.

    As for the game itself¡­ it was supposedly a typical multiyer online battle arena with two teams of five, each fighting to defend its own base while destroying their opponent''s. Each yer usually took on a different role, be it warrior, mage, ranger, tank, or support, depending on the team''s requirements.

    Emilia wasn''t too familiar with the concept, but thanks to her enhanced physique and mental capacity, it was harder for her to fail at this type of thing than it was to seed.

    With some practice, she was easily able to reach a level that left the heroine''s friend in the dust, despite the fact that she had been ying the game for more than two years, from the moment it was released.

    Of course, it helped that the role that the Crimson Witches needed her to fill this time was that of a warrior, which was rtively easy, and relied mostly on mastering reflexes and improving one''s response time.

    Had it been a moreplex one like a mage or a support, then perhaps Emilia would have had a little more trouble.

    But being confident that she was better than the heroine''s friend and going against the heroine herself were two very different things.

    After all, Sylvia wasn''t called ''Shadow Reaper'' without reason.

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    Emilia didn''t pay any further attention to the heroine or her friend as she entered the full-dive pod, intent on teaching them a lesson.

    After all, the heroine might have been manipted by her friend, but that didn''t change the fact that she picked on her on the first day they met.

    Emilia had a very strong sense of self-respect, especially when it came to people she might be helping in the future.

    Cynthia didn''t dare to express her thoughts clearly, but internally she couldn''t help but cheer. ''That stupid bitch really hit herself in the foot by making a poor first impression, ehehe¡­ my viiness can really hold her grudges!''

    Unaware of her partner''s thoughts, Emilia had already connected to the full-dive interface and entered the virtual world after forcing her mind to enter a defenseless state.

    Even though this wasn''t the first time she was experiencing it, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''This hero is really a genius¡­ being able to develop something like this.''

    Cynthia wanted to correct her partner, but realized that it didn''t actually make a difference.

    Whether it was the hero or the world will that came up with it all, her viiness would have to make sure neither of them lived to see the day it all came to bear fruit.

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    Sylvia''s friend and Danielle both watched the match on the screen in the tense and awkwardly silent room. But ''luckily'', the rest of the Crimson Witches arrived right on time to make the atmosphere more cheerful.

    "Someone told me that our two new rookies are having a demo fight here?"

    "Dear oh dear, how exciting!"

    The two who barged in ''uninvited'' were both girls of different statures, with the shorter one being five foot five, and the taller being almost six foot three.

    "Oh my¡­ isn''t this the youngdy who tried to steal from her previous team but got caught and cklisted? Can our team afford this kind of ''great god''?"

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 Chapter 716 Swift Defeat

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    "Ah, Nico, you can''t be so direct!"

    "Ehehe¡­ sorry."

    Sylvia''s friend red at the neers as if wishing to chew them to death. "It''s all a big misunderstanding! Sylvia would never do something like that, and the team leader made such insulting ims, which forced us to leave. Don''t go spreading baseless rumors when you don''t know anything!"

    The two girls stared at each other in surprise, and even Danielle hummed thoughtfully. ''She so easily wove a tale to make everyone believe that it was Sylvia who actually got caught, and she herself was just being an overly loyal friend¡­''

    The blonde viiness chuckled. ''If I hadn''t heard about it from the guy who kicked them out himself, I would have almost believed it.''

    Of course, even if she knew the ''inside story''¡­ Danielle had no intention of exposing the insidious girl''s lies. After all, Sylvia wasn''t exactly her friend. Quite the opposite, in fact. So there was no point in defending that girl''s reputation.

    Danielle was far more interested in seeing that haughty girl''s ego being destroyed.

    "Oh look, our little warrior is finally moving."

    The other two teammates also ignored Sylvia''s fuming friend to focus on the match.

    "Is that the girl our boss thought had a lot of potential?"

    "She seems a little impatient, ahh."

    Of course, Emilia couldn''t stay still after waiting around for the heroine near her outermost turret for almost ten minutes.

    "It''s obvious that Sylvia is waiting for her to get impatient and enter the jungle, but the newbie still did it¡­ is she stupid?"

    "Nico is right, boss. A good warrior would have just kept pushing or farming to take advantage of the situation instead of looking for the enemy who is hiding in a perfect spot to ambush them. Stupid to the extreme!"

    Normally, Danielle would also have agreed with their statements, but recalling how Emilia moved, she could only shake her head in denial. "No¡­ instead of calling her stupid, we should say that she''s just too confident in her skills."

    Sylvia''s friend snorted. "What skills? Just wait for Sylvia to tear her apart."

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    Meanwhile, the heroine, Sylvia, was patiently waiting for her prey to walk into her zone to deal a single, lethal strike. In one of the best ambush spots on the map.

    Of course, being the best spot, it was quite famous, and even a newbie would rarely cross it blindly unless they had no other choice.

    But that was exactly why Sylvia was confident that her opponent would take this path.

    ''That look in her eyes¡­ she definitely wanted to beat me up.'' The heroine grinned. ''There''s no way she won''te looking for me here.''

    Sylvia quite looked down on people like that, always hiding their real feelings behind fake smiles and pretending to be polite even with those they clearly hated. Why not just be honest?

    Of course, if she''d misjudged the crimson-haired little girl and Emilia actually pushed the towers instead of seeking to defeat her for a more decisive victory, Sylvia was more than willing to sincerely apologize for her rude assumptions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''There she is¡­!'' The yellow-eyed girl smirked. ''Walking into the Shadow Reaper''s territory with nothing but that measly little defense to rely on¡­ if I still struggle to defeat that brutish Moonlit Warrior, I would really be deserving of a beating.''

    Unfortunately, her first ''sure kill'' reaper arrow missed by barely a hair''s breadth¡­ and so did the second, and the third!

    "Shit! What the fuck¡ª?!"

    The yellow-eyed girl could tell that her opponent had clearly not noticed when she fired her shot, and only relied on her reflexes and movement speed to ''luckily'' dodge the first arrow, but how could she do it again and again?!

    Unfortunately, the dumbfounded heroine didn''t have much time to ponder on such thoughts.

    "Thanks for revealing yourself, Sylvia. Or I would never have known where you were hiding like a rat!" Emilia smirked as she dashed past the lightning fast arrows with apparent ease.

    Her body''s movements might be restricted by the game''s ''speed'' stats, but nothing was stopping her from making full use of her inhuman observation and reaction ability.

    The only way Sylvia could pin her down would be if she used an ability that gave Emilia no time to react at all, but how could such a thing exist in a ''fair'' game?

    Even the most powerful spells had a small window to allow the opponent the chance to counter or dodge them.

    The yellow-eyed heroine never considered herself invincible. There was no professional yer in the game who hadn''t lost, after all.

    She would have noints if Emilia won by any other means, but never had she ever faced a situation in which she failed to take down a target even after they walked into her perfectly set ambush.

    Moreover, the way in which she just crudely charged in just seemed to scream ''I don''t need to take you seriously'' to Sylvia, and it was like a p to her face.

    The sword swished right past her neck as Sylvia stood there dumbfounded, and the heroine''s avatar soon dissolved into particles of light.

    The duel was over.

    Emilia sighed as she looked at the victory screen. ''Well, let''s hope that resolves the situation.''

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    Danielle pped happily to wee the two of them, though the source of her joy was no secret to anyone. "Wonderful, wonderful! Although there was not a speck of strategy to be seen, the fluidity with which you two moved your avatars makes it clear that the two of you are more than qualified to join this team!"

    Naturally, both the heroine and Emilia were aware of Danielle''s firm belief in her strategies, and it was indeed true that they were good. But that was in the past.

    As it was now, however, they were already well documented and countered by multiple experts. It was no wonder, really, that the Crimson Witchesnded in such big trouble.

    Unfortunately, the heroine was too embarrassed to face anyone after being beaten so easily, and rushed out of the room without even daring to take a look at her friend''s face.

    If she had, she would have noticed that her face was contorted not in disappointment, but disgust.

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 Chapter 717 First Team Meeting

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    Emilia returned home that day feeling exhausted but satisfied. "I''ve convinced Danielle of my skill, and also secured a spot in the Crimson Witches¡­ that''s a good start!"

    She threw off all her clothes carelessly and jumped on the not-fluffy-enough bed with a groan. "I don''t wanna splurge Mira''s money carelessly, but I really want a better mattress, ahhh!"

    Cynthia chuckled. "Well, the viiness agreed to pay you quite a good sry, didn''t she? Just buy one if you want."

    Her partner''s words sessfully convinced Emilia, though there was a hint of doting in her voice that even the raven-haired girl herself didn''t realize. She immediately jumped off the bed with a smile. "Alright, that''s the first order of business tomorrow, then!"

    Suddenly feeling full of energy, Emilia couldn''t help but put on some underwear again and hop to the table to start scribbling down some ns. ''That game should be out in a few months, right? And the dungeons will be opened only a weekter. So I won''t have long to make sure my team is all caught up, ahh, but both of my ns are equally good!''

    Of course, the reason she had to bother caring about a team so much in the first ce was that Arcadia was not a game that one could solo, no matter how skilled they were.

    This was mostly because of the main mechanic of the game being based on ''dungeons'', which required a party of five or more to enter.

    And given that the changes in the game would slowly bleed into reality thanks to the world will''s plot, if Emilia wanted to clear her missions¡­ Arcadia was where she had to start.

    Cynthia sighed. "I''m sorry about not making any clear missions this time, but, you know¡­"

    Emilia smiled. ''No worries, I understand. I was the one who picked the more difficult option, after all. Since there''s no way to be sure, instead of having misleading missions that might lead us to failure, it''s better to keep an open mind and slowly figure things out.''

    Cynthia nodded. "Well, since you have a good n in mind, I''m sure it will all work out."

    The crimson-haired girl smiled in response to her partner''s words. In her heart, though, she couldn''t help but sigh. ''With Danielle being such a tsundere and the heroine being such a stubborn little mule¡­ I''m a little worried.''

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    The next morning, Emilia happily ran around the neighborhood mattress showrooms to ''demo'' their best goods, but unfortunately, she didn''t find one that fit her needs. They were all clear upgrades to the one she had at the moment, but none of them were good enough to justify coughing up a significant amount of all the money she had.

    Watching the beautiful crimson-haired girl leave, some of the staff at the shops rolled their eyes, thinking that it was they''d guessed, and the little girl was only having fun with no intention or means to make a purchase.

    "Well, at least the stupid little girl had enough sense to take off her shoes."

    "And I got a few photos."

    "Nice! She was quite cute. Do you think we could use these for advertising?"

    "Uh¡­ well, as long as her parents don''t find out, it should be fine?"

    "Just a few pictures around the store merchandise, then. Got it!"

    The two men had no idea that Emilia could clearly hear them even as she''d walked almost twenty meters away.

    She couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''Go ahead and try, idiots! Hmph, calling me a stupid little girl and still daring to use my pictures? I''lle checkter and make sure you pay!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, she had more important things to attend to for now, such as her first day as a member of the Crimson Witches.

    Despite the fact that the heroine had lost the duel, as Emilia expected, she still showed up to the team meeting.

    Neither of them might like it, but Danielle couldn''t really reject such a good yer when their team desperately needed it, or they could end up losing even thest few sponsors that still had some faith in her team. And the heroine was also not in a position to be too willful, given her less-than-ster financial situation.

    The mere fact that the viiness made things so difficult for everyone involved despite how it could have made things worse for herself made it clear to Emilia how she could have ended up so miserable in the original timeline, though.

    "Well, now that everyone is here, let''s start our ''new'' team''s first strategy meeting." Danielle smiled. "Let''s have everyone introduce themselves to begin, shall we?"

    Emilia didn''t pay much attention to each of their self-introductions, as she already knew quite a bit about all four of these girls.

    The twin-tailed brte was called Nico, usually quite a cheerful and peppy girl. She preferred the healer or support roles most of the time.

    The dark-haired tomboy by her side was Robin, who usually preferred assassin-type roles, quite simr to the heroine.

    Of course, Sylvia was more of a ranger assassin yer than Robin''s melee assassin preference. In most games, the pool of heroines they liked to pick usually had very little inmon.

    Danielle herself was a mage, and quite a good one at that. Previously, she''d been somewhat overshadowed by their ''star yer'', but that was only because she was also focusing on leading the team. In terms of pure skill, Emilia was quite optimistic about her future.

    After calmly introducing herself, the heroine was the first one to break the awkward silence. "Danielle¡­ let''s not beat around the bush. I lost yesterday''s fight, and I''ll admit that Emilia is good. But that''s no reason to not even offer Dolly a substitute position anymore, right? Given that you don''t have even a single one, don''t tell me you don''t have any empty slots!"

    Facing the heroine''s sharp amber eyes, however, Danielle only chuckled. "Hey now, arguing with the captain on the first day of the job¡­ you learned nothing from yesterday''s humiliation, did you?"

    Sylvia almost burst a vein as Danielle''s two ''followers'' giggled at her expense, but the viiness didn''t give her a chance to defend herself.

    She flicked one of her overly meticulous hair drills with a smug smile. "Anyway, that Dolly girl clearly told me to fuck off after you ran away in embarrassment. And I really don''t want backstabbing bitches like her on my team, you know? Even if the one they usually backstab is an annoying little idiot like you."

    "Y-You¡ª! How dare you say that about Dolly?!"

    Looking at the two of them arguing endlessly, Emilia almost groaned. ''Hey Cynthia, is this team going to be alright?''

    Her partner shrugged. "You''re the one who wanted to use them as your starting guild members in Arcadia."

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''Yeah, but¡­''

    She had no doubts about their skills, having seen their growth and potential for herself in the visions in the void. But if they couldn''t work with herter, there was really no point in wasting her time, was there?

    ''Alright, since there are still a few months left till Arcadia''s release, I''ll give them until then to see if they have what it takes.'' Emilia nodded to herself with determination. ''Otherwise¡­ I can always go a different way, even if it will be much harder.''

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 Chapter 718 Unexpected Win

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    Emilia didn''t really want to pay much attention to the game that the ''Crimson Witches'' were focusing on at the moment, but that didn''t mean that she was cking off during their practice sessions.

    After all, her experience with video games and the like was so limited that it wasughable, and the crimson-haired girl didn''t want to be disadvantaged in Arcadiater because of such a thing.

    The full-dive technology might help her cover up for most of her shorings thanks to her inherently superior reaction speedpared to humans, but there was a limit to how much it could help.

    Everything within the game had to follow its own rules, and that included the speed at which she could move her virtual body, as well as the strength of her attacks.

    Fortunately, Emilia was a quick learner, and even the four ''veterans'' on her team couldn''tin much about her ''skills''.

    That was not to say that all was well within the ''Crimson Witches'', though.

    "Just who does she think she is? Telling me to not block her sight, as if I could have eyes in the back of my head to know where she was?!" Nico stomped her feet in fury.

    Robin hummed. "Everyone else was honestly reporting their positions, but Miss Dark and Dreary is just too special for that, I guess."

    Danielle just giggled, but didn''t scold the two of them for mocking the heroine.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''I get that they''re upset at Sylvia for not being cooperative enough, but¡­ their behavior really isn''t helping.''

    Needless to say, they''d lost their first match after the reformation, despite the fact that Emilia had scored twelve kills without dying a single time.

    The mockery they faced at the ''newbie'' member being the MVP must have only made the situation more humiliating, but it wasn''t like Emilia could have afforded to hold back.

    If she did, what she would face from her teammates wouldn''t be dissatisfaction, but hatred and me for being the reason they lost.

    And to rub salt to their wound, there had been dozens of tant poaching attempts to get Emilia off of their team since, with a few even daring to directly knock on their front door with a contract.

    Naturally, Danielle rejected them all, but ever since then, the already tense situation between their team members had be worse.

    ''They really look more and more like a hopeless case.'' She sighed.

    In fact, up until a few months ago, this seemingly hopeless team of the viiness actually used to be quite well-known for their amazing teamwork.

    This was no surprise to anyone who knew that almost all their main members used to be childhood friends and ssmates, and had practically grown up together.

    But unfortunately, one of the girls developed a deep yet unrequited love for Danielle''s only male friend, and when she realized it would nevere true, she couldn''t handle it and ended up taking her own life.

    Simply losing their star yer alone would have been a devastating blow on its own, but when the boy who had been the target of that girl''s unrequited love also went abroad, unable to bear the guilt, things started spiralingpletely out of control.

    Rumors of the captain, Danielle, bullying her teammates and forcing them to suicide started spreading like wildfire, and all but two of her closest friends soon ended up quitting her team, further solidifying the rumors.

    ''Her bad personality might have yed a role in making it all more believable, but¡­'' Emilia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ''There''s definitely something fishy about how everything yed out.''

    Unfortunately, she hadn''t been able to notice anything that would help her clear these doubts, and neither had Cynthia.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Emilia! How long are you going to space out for? Do you want us to be disqualified for beingte?!"

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t mind Robin''s displeased re as she nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. "Let''s go."

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    Fortunately, whether it was the heroine or the viiness and her friends, they were all smart girls, and soon figured out a way to ''work'' with each other after eating a few losses in a row.

    It was a stroke of genius from Danielle, when she decided to switch up the ''leader'' for a match out of desperation, seeing as how things couldn''t possibly get worse.

    Much to everyone''s shock, under the undoubtedly novice new leader''s clumsy instructions, they finally secured a victory after nearly ten continuous losses!

    Even Robin, who usually refused to even look at Emilia, couldn''t help but lift her up on her shoulders and run around cheering right on the stage in front of the audience.

    "Ahahaha¡­ we won! We won!"

    Trailing behind, the heroine only blew at her fringe haughtily. "Sure, sure, it was my fault every time we lost, but now that we''ve won, it''s all Emilia."

    If it weren''t for her wordscking a certain edge, and knowing the heroine''s ''mulish'' personality, Emilia would definitely have been offended.

    As it was, though, she just giggled. "You did well, Sylvia!"

    The bright-eyed heroine nched in shock, having never expected anyone to hear her murmurs, then blushed in embarrassment, thanking the heavens for her dark skin hiding it perfectly.

    Of course, in contrast to the cheerful atmosphere on the stage, most of the audience was actually quite glum.

    Clearly, a majority were the fans of the team that had lost. It was only the preliminary round, and their team lost... to the Crimson Witches?!

    "I thought they were a washed-out team of losers, with their most skilled member being a newbie who didn''t even know all the rules of the game...? What the fuck is going on?!"

    "How could the Hungry Tigers lose?"

    Of course, this was a ''verified'' rumor about Emilia, who was now widely considered ''mechanically gifted'', but extremely dumb.

    Most people thought it was a fair price to pay for her face, though.

    But now that they''d seen this ''dumb idiot'' defeat the team they''d bet on, most of the audience felt it was a little unreal.

    "W-Well, dumb people often get lucky, d-don''t they?"

    "Right, it must have been luck!"

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 Chapter 719 The Team And The Dream

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    The celebration of the Crimson Witches was soon interrupted by the staff to make way for the next two teams, which also made them aware of the embarrassing fact that what they''d won was only a preliminary match, not a final.

    Of course, a win was a win, and being a little embarrassed from celebrating too much was nothingpared to making their way down in shame and disappointment after losing a match.

    At least no one booed at them.

    Once they were off the stage, Emilia coughed awkwardly. "Um, Robin¡­ can you please put me down now?"

    It was only then that the tomboy remembered she was still carrying a certain crimson-haired beauty on her shoulders, and she couldn''t help but be stunned. "S-Sorry, y-you were so light, I-I really forgot!"

    She rubbed the easily essible silky thighs and calves as if to make sure that Emilia really was there. ''O-Ohhh, this feels quite nice!''

    Her tant ''harassment'' made Nico roll her eyes in exasperation. "Stop teasing her and put her down already, you doofus!"

    Emilia huffed as her feet finally touched the ground, making a mental note to wear tights whenever going out with a skirt, at least whenever Robin was around. ''Don''t think you can so easily take advantage of me without even treating me right from the start, hmph!''

    Danielle chuckled at the haughty look of their ''young champion'', then turned her eyes to the tall girl watching the scene in amusement. "Well, at least some of us seem to be getting along better than before."

    Despite it being clearly aimed at her, the heroine ignored herpletely, though, and went forward to pat Emilia''s head instead. "Although you''re not very professional, that instinct and reaction speed of yours is really a gift that makes people envious to death. Work hard and don''t waste it, alright?"

    Emilia stared nkly at the usually wild yellow-eyed heroine for almost a full minute before shaking her head in amusement. "Are you praising me? I really can''t tell."

    Sylvia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Why are you so obedient when people are being a bad influence, but so rebellious when I''m telling you something good?"

    Robin and Nico snorted, criticizing Sylvia for being two-faced, but the dark-haired heroinepletely ignored them, as always.

    Emilia huffed as she waved at the two of them to stop making a ruckus, and surprisingly enough, they actually did. "If you want me to listen to you, you should stop talking down to me first and treat me like an equal!"

    Her words made sense, but then again, Sylvia wouldn''t have been on her ''bad side'' in the first ce if she''d been reasonable.

    The dark-haired heroine chuckled as she stepped forward to grab Emilia''s shoulders, her yellow eyes glinting dangerously like an apex predator on the prowl. "What an interesting thing to say for someone who can''t even reach my shoulders, no?"

    As if to prove her point, she pulled the crimson-haired girl into her arms and rested her chin haughtily on the back of the palm over the girl''s head.

    Emilia couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. ''W-Wait¡­ didn''t I increase my height by nearly three inches in thest two weeks?!''

    She thought that her height should already be close to the average, and in a few more months, she could safely raise it to a ''respectable'' level.

    Cynthia coughed. "It''s not that you''re too short, but that the heroine is too freakishly tallpared to everyone else around."

    It hadn''t been very obvious based on the images, and due to being ''mad'' at her, Emilia hadn''t paid much attention to such things, but now she couldn''t help but sigh.

    For her to not even reach the heroine''s shoulders¡­ just how tall was this woman supposed to be?!

    She didn''t even looknky or thin, though perhaps that could be partly because of her wild mane of fluffy and curly hair, being so long and rich in volume.

    Of course, Robin and Nico, who never got along with the heroine, couldn''t stand to watch her bullying Emilia, and quickly jumped to her rescue.

    "Let her go, you wild woman!"

    Nico nodded as she joined Robin in a rather futile attempt at pulling Emilia away from the heroine''s iron grip. "Don''t bully her just because she''s small and cute!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "You''re not really helping¡­"

    Being rebellious by nature, Sylvia only sneered. "Think you weak little brats can grab something from me? Dreaming!"

    "I-Is this thing glued?!"

    "Let her go!"

    Fortunately, even under this world''s suppression, her body was quite strong. If she''d actually been as fragile as she looked, these three idiots might just have dislocated a few of her joints.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully as she looked at this ''warm'' scene with a smile.

    It hadn''t been that long since Robin and Nico came toin to her about how a girl as pretty as Emilia would never be able to stick around in a rtively mediocre profession like theirs, and would soon find herself involved in more ''morous'' pursuits.

    Robin especially insisted that they would only be wasting time by trying to get along with her. But looking at them now, Danielle couldn''t find even the slightest trace of dissatisfaction. If anything, it was the exact opposite.

    Of course, most importantly¡­ that untamable wild beast Sylvia seemed actually willing to listen to her, for now.

    "Maybe¡­ I should let her continue to lead the team¡­?"

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    The blonde viiness might have only made that decision on a whim, but she soon realized how brilliant a move that was.

    The Crimson Witches not only won the quarter and semi-finals of that tournament, but even gave the opposing team a run for their money in the finals!

    In fact, if not for the opponent''s nearly wless execution of drawing away both Robin and Sylvia with a nearly dead teammate while the rest of them overwhelmed Danielle and Nico to capture the base, Emilia might actually have secured them the winner''s trophy!

    For a team that had almost copsed and recently reformed, winning a national-level trophy¡­ it almost made Danielle wonder if she was dreaming.

    She couldn''t help but sigh. ''Our country might not be the best at this game, but still¡­ it almost makes me recall when we almost got into the finals of the international tournament¡­''

    Of course, without their star yer, the Crimson Witches were no longer what they used to be, but that didn''t mean they were helpless.

    Theoretically, their team was still amazing, with each of their members being highly skilled in their respective roles.

    Danielle was reluctant to admit it, but given some time, Emilia wasn''t necessarily worse than their star girl, and Sylvia was definitely an upgradepared to the boy who ran away.

    The only thing holding them back was theirck of ability to work together.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but smile. "I don''t care if I won''t be the leader anymore¡­ that international trophy¡­ I want it!"

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    Unfortunately, Danielle''s dreams of making her team shine as the best yers of the game were shattered the very next week.

    A new game called Arcadia was announced to be released to the public within the next three days, and Emilia seemed hell-bent on making that their next pursuit.

    Danielle couldn''t help but frown. "I get that it''s created by that genius Darryl, but¡­ that doesn''t mean we can abandon everything and just rush into it without a thought."

    Emilia sighed. "I''m not saying this without a thought, Danny. If you could just take the time to go through the materials and demos that are already out there, you''d see it''s the kind of opportunity we can''t afford to miss."

    Danielle took a deep breath to calm herself before tapping the table irritably. "Okay, first of all, didn''t I tell you to stop calling me Danny? And also, did you forget that this is MY team, not yours?"

    ''Ahh, there it is, that uncontrobly poisonous tongue of hers.'' Emilia almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. ''If I hadn''t known better, I would have almost been hurt.''

    Cynthia giggled. "Time to reflect that ''damage'' back as you said, then?"

    ''That''s right!''

    Obviously, Danielle also realized that her words were rude and could be hurtful to the young girl brimming with passion, but she''d never been one to censor herself for the sake of others.

    Nevertheless, when Emilia''s beautiful blue eyes really brimmed with tears and her lower lip trembled as if she was about to cry, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her heart, rendering Danielle almostpletely out of breath.

    Robin and Nico screamed.

    "A-AHHH! C-Captain made our baby cry!"

    "N-Nico, quickly, get the candies, n-no, the choctes, I''ll beat the captain up to stop her tears in the meantime!"

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 Chapter 720 The Fate Of The Villainess

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    Despite having been friends with the two overreacting girls for so long, Danielle discovered for the first time that they could be such goofballs, and she couldn''t help but sigh. ''Although she definitely has real talent¡­ I''m starting to wonder if letting her be our ''leader'' was really a good idea.''

    Of course, what was done was done, and the blonde girl knew better than to let herself be lost in what ifs and if onlys.

    At least their absurd behavior managed to distract her from the strange feeling she''d had when Emilia unexpectedly gave her that shockingly adorable teary-eyed look.

    If they hadn''t, Danielle wasn''t sure if she''d have been able to resist simply agreeing to her risky proposal without a thought.

    ring at the two ''goofballs'' to calm them down, Danielle turned her hopefully cold gaze to Emilia. "Don''t give me that look, it won''t work."

    The crimson-haired girl almost rolled her eyes, thinking how it almost had, then initiated her ''n B'', which was¡­

    "Hold on, I have a better idea!" Cynthia coughed. "Threatening people like Danielle might make them concede for a while, but they''ll resist your instructions even more in the future if you force it like that. Instead, since you''ve already grasped her weakness¡­ why not continue exploiting that?"

    Emilia paused, a little surprised. ''You don''t mean¡­''

    Her partner chuckled. "That''s right."

    It was rare for Cynthia to suggest an idea to her, but whenever she did, Emilia had to admit that it led to good results, and this time should be no different.

    The crimson-haired girl still felt a little reluctant, but considering how it had been her own decision to reduce her age and cause less suspicion, she soon realized that not going this way would only be counterproductive. Since she had the ''resources'', why not use them?

    And so¡­

    "Are you seriously just gonna sulk like that?" Danielle eximed in exasperation as she watched Emilia go crouch down in a corner, seemingly refusing to talk to her anymore.

    Of course, she didn''t really need to, considering how Nico and Robin kept hounding the poor viiness in her stead.

    "You should at least take a look at what she was trying to show you, captain!"

    "Yeah, bullying her like that, you''re being too much!"

    Danielle almost burst a vein. ''Bullying?! I was only telling the truth! It IS my team!!!''

    But exining herself had never been her style, or there wouldn''t be so many rumors and misunderstandings about her in the first ce.

    The viiness turned around to go to her office to check out the videos Emilia had shared with her before without a word.

    Only to be interrupted by a way-too-tall and imposing dark beauty.

    "I think you should seriously consider her idea, Danielle. If you don''t¡­ well, it''s fine. Once I earn a little more, I was nning to make my own team, anyway." Sylvia smirked.

    Danielle''s mind turned nk. ''This bitch did not just threaten to poach my new star yer with MY money, did she?''

    Luckily for them, Emilia seemed to have sensed that things were about to take a turn for the worse once the viiness and the heroine collided, and interrupted their furious brawl before it could begin.

    Forcefully inserting herself between the two in the blink of an eye, the crimson-haired beauty grinned. "Okay, I''m done moping. Let''s watch all the videos together first, and if you still think we don''t need to jump ship, it''s fine!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Sylvia looked a little disappointed at losing the opportunity to righteously pummel the annoying drill-haired girl into the ground, but when she thought about how she would be able to start a new team with Emilia and her best friend in a few more months, she realized that it didn''t really matter.

    The sry here was the fuel to their future, after all. It was better not to lose it in a fit of passion.

    Danielle also nodded. "That''s fine by me. You two,e along."

    The three of them left for the ''strategy room'' to use the big screen there, but Robin and Nico stayed rooted to their spot.

    The short-haired tomboy shuddered. "Did I just¡­ blink and miss it¡­?"

    Nico gulped. "N-No¡­ um, that little red bunny¡­ she can really move fast, huh¡­"

    Naturally, little red bunny was their private nickname for Emilia, to make sure that the girl didn''t realize when they were gushing over her.

    She had surprisingly sharp ears, after all. They would twitch oh so adorably whenever her name was mentioned even from the other side of the room.

    The thought gave them another pause.

    "I never realized how amazing people who are born and raised close to nature can be¡­" Robin sighed.

    Nico couldn''t help but jump to shut her mouth in a panic. "D-Don''t mention that so casually, we don''t want the captain to know we stole and peeked into Emilia''s file!"

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    Danielle was obviously irked by thete arrival of her remaining two teammates, but managed to restrain her temper when she recalled how the ''youngest'' member of their team had been agitated quite a bit already.

    She might be a bit rude, but that didn''t mean she waspletelyckingpassion.

    "Alright, since everyone is here, let''s watch just what is so amazing about this ''Arcadia'' that we can''t even wait for its release day to decide if it will be worth it to jump ship."

    The blonde girl pressed the button on her smartphone to start the stream to therger screen, and instantly, the trailer for the game started ying.

    Emilia smirked, knowing it was a done deal the moment Danielle decided to give her idea a try. The genius hero knew how to pitch his dream project, after all.

    Originally, Danielle''s team missed out on theunch week of Arcadia due to her stubbornness, leaving them far behind the trailzers for a while. And with theirck of synergy, it was really no surprise that they had to separate from Sylvia and her friend soon after.

    The only thing that the Crimson Witches had left at that point was Danielle''s savings, but they too soon ran dry, and their teampletely vanished into obscurity.

    Of course, the blonde viiness herself still managed to make a name in Arcadia. Prominent enough to make the heroine realize that this ''hateful'' person was still around, at least.

    But considering how she was snuffed out by the hero soon after, Emilia thought she was quite pitiful for a viiness, having never really managed to aplish anything.

    ''Since the game''s abilities will bleed into reality¡­ as long as I can convince them to follow me, I should be able to make her shine quite brightly considering her talent.'' Emilia nodded to herself.

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 Chapter 721 Convinced

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    Since Emilia didn''t hide her ''strange'' thoughts from Cynthia, the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but voice her doubts. "What''s with your obsession of making all the mortals around you ''shine'', anyway¡­?"

    Well aware that her partner only had two categories of ''mortals''¡ªuseful and annoying¡ªEmilia coughed. ''I-Isn''t it a good thing if my allies can reach their full potential? This way, um, they will be of more help!''

    The raven-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. "Oh¡­ that makes sense."

    Meanwhile, Danielle and the others had already finished watching the first demo of ''Arcadia'', and moved on to the ''additional materials'' without a word.

    Clearly, the hero knew how to pitch his dream project, or there was no way he would be able to lure most of the world into it. Even Danielle had no choice but to concede that if she''d ended up ignoring it, her team would have missed a wonderful opportunity.

    Of course, it wouldn''t go nearly as well if he hadn''t spent so much time and resources establishing his reputation and building mainstream trust and reliance on the full-dive gear. In fact, Emilia believed that the only reason Arcadia hadn''t been released before must have been not because it wasn''t ready for the world, but because the world wasn''t ready to ept it.

    But now, the hero and the world will must have judged that the time was ripe. And based on the events of the original timeline... they were right.

    Emilia hummed in satisfaction as she observed their convinced and impressed expressions. ''Thanks to Darryl''s thorough preparations, though, convincing them became much easier.''

    Cynthia chuckled. "Being so proud of the hero''s achievements¡­ shouldn''t you be more worried, instead?"

    ''Why should I be worried?'' Emilia huffed. ''He might have a good starting point and some unique advantages, being the genius developer favored by the world will, but Arcadia as a whole seems to work on a very strict and fair set of rules.''

    She grinned. ''As long as I work hard, catching up to and then exceeding him will only be a matter of time.''

    While Cynthia admired her partner''s confidence, a certain someone was obviously displeased by the crimson-haired beauty''s ''smug'' face.

    Of course, Danielle couldn''t deny that Emilia was in the right this time, and she also didn''t want to make the girl sulk again. She had no idea how to deal with that, after all.

    ''T-This brat¡­ she''s even more annoying than my little brother!'' She groaned.

    It was a pity that she couldn''t just reach out to squeeze those adorably chubby cheeks as she often did with her brother. Emilia would probably hate it, after all.

    Danielle could already imagine the ''hateful captain bullies her teammates again'' all over various gaming news outlets if she somehow made the crimson-haired girl leave.

    Even if Emilia herself rushed to rify it afterwards, probably no one would believe it.

    Perhaps feeling her glum mood, Emilia reached out to hold the soft palm of the viiness with a smile. "I think this game has the potential to change the world, Danny. If we can do everything right¡­ maybe we can make all our dreamse true."

    Not knowing how true her words were, Danielle hummed, feeling a little dissatisfied still, for some reason. "It''s true that Darryl is a genius. The full-dive machines are proof enough. But¡­ even if this will be the best game of all time, there is no guarantee that it will be the best game for us as a team."

    Before Emilia could soothe the ruffled feathers of the viiness, Sylvia interrupted them with a snort.

    "Instead of being the top team in a second-rate game, would you not rather be a second-rate team in a top-tier game? Or has your ambitionpletely gone down the drain?"

    The crimson-haired girl jumped at Danielle before the girl could explode in a fury, clinging to her arm coquettishly as she scolded the heroine. "Don''t mind Sylvia being her usual rude self, please! Look at all the forums¡­ everyone else is so hyped and determined to do well in Arcadia¡­"

    She pouted. "If we don''t start preparing for theunch soon, I''m afraid we''ll be left far behind the others."

    The heroine and the viiness red at each other, but under Emilia''s pleading gaze, they could only put their differences aside temporarily and agree.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Alright¡­"

    "If you say so."

    Emilia heaved a sigh of relief. ''These two bickering kids¡­ one day I might really need to teach them a ''good'' lesson.''

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    The time they had for preparing themselves for Arcadia''s release was far too short, but that was only to be expected.

    After all, the world will wished to transform this world to its ideal vision as soon as possible. And with the hero''s reputation and influence, there really was no need to be too cautious.

    The full-dive technology was well-established and adopted by the mainstream already, and giving Arcadia''s marketing team a few days was just enough to maximize its hype. Waiting around any more simply made no sense.

    Watching the clock strike twelve, Emilia sighed. "So it''ll be today, huh¡­ just a few more hours left."

    Cynthia nodded. "You have to be careful of how you behave within the game. The world will''s rules and influence over the game world will be many times stronger than it is in reality. You understand, right?"

    The crimson-haired girl hummed in agreement. ''Of course, I will maintain a consistent character, and leave the management of my physique to you.''

    Although it would be a while before the game world''s abilities started being noticed by themon people, there was no way for them to know if the world will would notice her ''abnormal'' status because of her void physique, after all.

    Cynthia smiled. "Don''t worry too much. With the suppression of the higher-grade energy of the world will, it''s actually quite easy to prevent the properties of your physique from manifesting. It will only need a few little tweaks."

    Of course, Emilia understood that even if she could gain certain abilities from the ''game'' in this world, how much she could take with her depended on her own acquired understanding.

    But that wasn''t something they could test out at the moment, so she could only leave it forter.

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    The ''Crimson Witches'' all met up in their full-dive room two hours before the officialunch of Arcadia, and Danielle spent nearly thirty minutes giving them a final brief of all the information she''d managed to gather about the game.

    Emilia had to admit, when the viiness was serious, she was quite diligent and thorough. She didn''t hide anything even from her ''rival'', Sylvia.

    As for the heroine¡­ well, her attitude still seemed tooid back, but that could only be her way of annoying Danielle. At least, Emilia hoped that she was being serious deep down.

    Once only one hour was left, they all entered their full-dive pods in advance to wait for the game''s ''server'' to go online, and mentally mapped out their individual strategies.

    The initial spawns were expected to be in random locations, after all. If any of them messed up, it might end up dragging the whole team down by dying their first dungeon raid.

    But while everyone else was worried about how they will make rapid progress with their preferred ss, Emilia had somethingpletely different on her mind. ''Cynthia¡­ that thing with Crystal¡­ it will work, right?''

    The raven-haired girl grinned. "There''s only one way to find out."

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 Chapter 722 Character Creation

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    Even though Emilia had already experienced entering a full-dive game before, connecting to ''Arcadia'' was still very much a fresh experience.

    Compared to simply connecting with various sensory centers in the brain to ''trick'' it, this time the full-dive gear seemed to directly try reaching into her soul, where its signal was intercepted by Cynthia.

    Of course, a normal person may not be able to tell the difference outside of it being a ''better connection'' or something along those lines. Though Emilia was sure that the hero must have a pretty good ''exnation'' in mind in case someone discovered it.

    It only took a fraction of a second for Cynthia to carefully split the single signal into two, one heading to the unknown depths of her soul, and the other one linking directly to her ''core'' where the chaos energy ran most rampant.

    ''It... worked?!'' Emilia couldn''t help but cheer.

    Naturally, her partner would never take unnecessary risks, and would definitely have dissolved the connection before the world will detected them if anything was amiss.

    "Hmph, of course it did."

    The crimson-haired girl giggled at her partner''s smug tone, but she didn''t have the time topliment her on a job well done, as her perspective soon changed.

    Emilia looked down in wonder at her perfectly replicated ''original form'', and she couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. "So this is the character creation screen, huh¡­"

    Aside from a somewhat worn-out rag draped over her body, she waspletely naked.

    She''d naturally seen the exaggerated reactions of furious people in the original timeline, but Emilia only found it funny until she experienced it herself.

    ''It''s no wonder that people are going to be outraged... not only are they not going to be able to hide their real identities in the game, but they can also be stripped naked and humiliated if someone so desired.'' She sighed. ''And to top it off, they can''t even log out while engaged inbat.''

    But Emilia soon shook off the mild difort. Since there was nothing she could do about it now, fussing over such things would only be a waste of time, and Emilia would rather focus on what was in front of her instead.

    The floor beneath her was covered inrge glowing white tiles that seemed to extend infinitely, and arge mirror along with a floating screen seemed to be the only things to exist in this ''world''.

    ''Crystal should be in a character creation room as well, huh? It''s a pity that I can''t guide her much. And Cynthia seems to have been cut off as well.'' Emilia hummed thoughtfully.

    Luckily, she had the foresight to summon Crystal and fill her in on the ''game'' in advance, so she shouldn''t be too confused.

    ''Well, she''s a smart girl, I''m sure she''ll do fine. I should just focus on what''s in front of me first.'' Emilia smiled.

    As for her connection with Cynthia... Emilia wasn''t sure if it would be restored after she exited the character creation screen, or if her partner could figure some other way out to interact with her while she was inside the game. She could only leave it forter.

    As she moved forward with a sigh, the words ''Select a Bloodline'' appeared on top of the screen, and Emilia carefully observed the list of choices, even though she already knew what they would be.

    After all, although it was unlikely given that she hadn''t really had much of an international impact or any interaction with the hero yet, it wasn''t impossible for some things to change due to her early arrival into the world.

    "Let''s see¡­ Dwarf, Elf, Human, Orc, Beast, Dragon, Demon, and Goblin¡­ pretty standard." Emilia nodded to herself. ''It''s still the same.''

    A standard ''prototype'' of each option appeared next to their name, and Emilia curiously selected each of them to see the ''changes'' in her own form reflected in the mirror.

    It was all rtively minor, such as a few ''decorative'' scales on her cheeks as a Dragonoid, thicker eyebrows and shorter height as a dwarf, slightly erged eyes as a goblin, etc. For some, there wasn''t even any change that she could notice.

    Emilia didn''t particrly like or dislike any of them, as they all looked pretty good in her opinion. Of course, this was only because the level of bloodline while starting off was ''one'', and the changes it could cause were minimal.

    If she increased the level of her bloodline through various meanster in the game, Emilia knew that it would cause her appearance to further reflect the typical characteristics of her choice.

    It had caused many who picked ''goblin'' because of their seemingly ''moe'' appearance at the start toment in regretter, after all. Though they should have known better after looking at the prototype.

    Of course, aside from their varied appearances, the bloodlines also came with their own unique sets of advantages and disadvantages.

    The dwarves, for example, received bonus strength and hp stats, along with an increased likelihood of acquiring points rted to crafting and rted skills. But their intelligence stat was lowered, and they had a harder time increasing their agility.

    Having already considered it all before starting, Emilia didn''t hesitate much before picking the Elf bloodline. ''Although I have no choice but to take the vanguard role for the team, agility and speed would still help me more.''

    It would be a foolish choice for most people, but Emilia''s soul was different from that of most mortals, after all. The speed at which she could think and process information was much faster, and even without her physical advantages, the crimson-haired girl knew how to make the most of her advantages.

    Her role might need her to stay close to the enemies and keep them upied, but Emilia believed she should be able to do it even with an ''evasion'' based build, although it would be significantly more challenging.

    The crimson-haired beauty nodded in satisfaction as her height increased a little, and her delicate ears turned pointy.

    Based on what she could observe, Emilia verified that, contrary to the rumored belief in the original timeline, the ''Elf'' selection did not, indeed, make one prettier. Unless someone had an obsession with pointy ears, that is.

    Still, turning around to observe herself closely, she couldn''t help but grin as her ears twitched along with her movements. ''Cute¡­ I''ll have to try this look outter with big sis¡­ I''m sure she''ll like it, since she seems to enjoy nibbling on them so much.''

    Her somewhat naughty thoughts were interrupted when the screen changed with her next set of choices, and Emilia quickly shook her head to regain her focus.

    "A ss, huh¡­ or more like, a job." She hummed as she observed the list.

    In Arcadia, no one was really ''forbidden'' from picking up particr types of weapons or skills, aside from the fact that they might need to meet certain minimum requirements, but that didn''t mean that sses were useless.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    In fact, acquiring skills and abilities outside of the ''skill tree'' given by the ss one picked was actually quite difficult, and took more time than it was probably worth.

    Even though it was indeed possible to switchter, or even get a special ss, picking the right one from the start would definitely increase the rate at which she could progress.

    As for the choices, well... unfortunately, they were quite limited at the start.

    ¡ª [ Warrior ] - Melee

    Starter Equipment: Beginner''s Sword or Beginner''s Spear, Beginner''s te Armor

    Starter Skill: Taunt Grade 1 or Fury Grade 1

    ¡ª [ Ranger ] - Ranged

    Starter Equipment: Beginner''s Bow, Beginner''s Leather Armor

    Starter Skill: Focus Shot Grade 1 or Homing Arrow Grade 1

    ¡ª [ Healer ] - Melee / Ranged

    Starter Equipment: Beginner''s Mace or Beginner''s Staff, Beginner''s Chain Mail

    Starter Skill: Mend Wounds Grade 1 or Cure Disease Grade 1

    ¡ª [ Rogue ] - Melee / Ranged

    Starter Equipment: Beginner''s Dagger, Beginner''s Leather Armor

    Starter Skill: Basic Scouting Grade 1 or Weak Trap Grade 1

    ¡ª [ Mage ] - Ranged

    Starter Equipment: Beginner''s Staff or Beginner''s Wand, Beginner''s Cloth Armor

    Starter Skill: Small Fireball Grade 1 or Small Icicle Grade 1

    ''As expected, it''s still the same.'' Emilia nodded to herself as she confirmed her choice. ''Warrior it is.''

    Almost immediately, her new equipment and weapon appeared on her body, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but chuckle. "For being called te armor, it sure doesn''t have much metal. But at least it looks alright."

    In fact, aside from theyered tes acting as her skirt and a rather small breastte, the rest of it was made of a rather flimsy-looking red leather.

    Knowing that the starter armor''s design was ''random'', Emilia felt that her luck was quite average. After all, at least what she was wearing seemed decent.

    Unfortunately, it seemed like instead of letting her pick from either a sword or spear, or even the starter skill, the choice was also randomly made for her. She was hoping that wasn''t the case, but there was nothing she could really do about it.

    It didn''t really matter to Emilia, since she was fine with either of the options, and understood that she could freely switch whenever she wanted to, and acquiring such basic skills was also easy, but... she couldn''t help but be worried for their poor healer.

    Being forced to go solo was bad enough, Emilia just hoped that the poor girl wouldn''t be stuck with ''Cure Disease'' to start with.

    ''Well, I can only try to find and help out earlier in that case.'' She sighed.

    The next choice was for her starting ''Element'', and Emilia picked ''Wind'' without hesitation.

    It might not be as shy, but the crimson-haired girl knew just how much of a difference even a little bit of movement speed could give, especially at the start of the game.

    Not only would it allow her to evade her enemies better, but it would also significantly increase the ease with which she could strike them down before they had the chance to defend themselves.

    ''That should be it...''

    The screen in front of her turned nk for a moment after she made her choice, and a final ''Are you sure you are happy with the character you have created, or would you like to restart the process?'' dialogue appeared before her.

    Emilia smiled as she picked ''Confirm'', and the character creation ''world'' seemingly shattered before her eyes before she found herself standing in a clearing facing a¡­ pig?

    [Wild Boar - Level 2]

    As if offended, it immediately charged at the crimson-haired beauty with a loud squeal, seemingly intent on skewering her with its abnormally long tusks.

    Emilia couldn''t help but grin as she unsheathed her sword. ''Looks like my luck is pretty good!''

    At least she thought so until something shot right through the charging ''pig'' first.

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 Chapter 723 Lucky Drop

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    Emilia could tell at a nce that the ''beam of light'' that shot through the ''pig'' was actually the focus shot skill of the ranger ss, just enhanced with the light element.

    ''Fuck! Am I really unlucky enough to start near the hero and his party?!''

    It was natural for this to be her first thought. After all, aside from her, only Darryl, the ''developer'', and those close to him would have enough knowledge about the game to dare to rush through the character creation process and still be able to so skillfully execute a move like that.

    For everyone else, simply knowing that they couldn''t restart the character creation process once it had been finalized would be enough to make them cautious in each step.

    As soon as her sight reached the spot from which the arrow had to have been shot, though, Emilia couldn''t help but gasp. ''Crystal?!''

    The blonde girl grinned as she watched Emilia slice through the neck of the crippled ''pig'' before rushing over. The crimson-haired girl didn''t even bother collecting the drops that had burst out after the monster''s corpse ''exploded'' into particles of light.

    Both of them received a notification of the experience they''d received from their first kill, but neither of them cared much about it at the moment.

    ''I thought she would prefer the healer ss more, but¡­ well, it''s fine.'' Emilia nodded to herself as she resisted the urge to pull Crystal into a loving embrace, and frowned instead. "D-Did you start even earlier than me?"

    Although it was unlikely that their conversations could be overheard by anyone, within the game world, both of them knew that it was better to be cautious.

    The blonde girl giggled. "How is that possible? I also got here just now. I tried to get through as fast as possible, though, and... looks like it was really worth it."

    The beautiful crimson-haired elf in front of her tilted her head in confusion, and Crystal couldn''t help but grin. "If I had beente, I might have missed the chance to meet such a gorgeous little fairy, after all."

    "Ahhh¡­!" Despite herself, Emilia couldn''t help but blush.

    They were supposed to be strangers, but Crystal was still flirting with her so openly!

    "S-Since meeting here like this can be considered fate. L-Let''s make a party and farm together while heading to the town?"

    Naturally, Crystal readily agreed. "You can even keep all the loot. I feel like I need a vanguard, anyway."

    After sending the party invite, Emilia couldn''t help but smile.

    [ Princess (Level 1) invited you to form a party, ept? ]

    The blonde girl smirked. "Is your name ''princess'', really?"

    Emilia huffed. "Of course not. But unlike our face, we can at least customize our name, so I did."

    Crystal giggled.

    [ Party formed! ]

    [ Leader - Princess - Elf Warrior (Level 1) ]

    [ Member 1 - Crystal - Human Ranger (Level 1) ]

    Emilia wasn''t sure whether it was because of their shared ''source'' or pure luck, but she was d that her blonde girlfriend ended up spawning so close to herself.

    Since she hadn''t been sure if her idea of bringing Crystal into the game would work, the crimson-haired girl had been quite prudent in her usage of the summoning skill, and had only dared to chat with her blonde girlfriend for a few minutes in her apartment before unsummoning her.

    After all, it would be a pity if she wasted all her time exining the features of a game that Crystal may not even be able to take part in herself. And there was no telling when the blonde girl''s help mighte in handy.

    Fortunately, things turned out quite well.

    The two of them quickly collected the mon'' items [Wild Boar''s Meat] and [Wild Boar''s Tusk] from their first kill and headed in the direction of the beginner town nearby, as marked on both their map and main quest menu.

    Of course, a few monsters tried to get in their way from time to time, but they were all just level one or two. The poor beasts couldn''t really do much, aside from contributing more experience and loot to the duo.

    Emilia noticed that she was receiving more experience per kill after forming a party with Crystal, but after she thought about it a little, it made sense.

    ''That first shot of hers used both her skill and elemental infusion. Obviously, her damage must have been much higher than mine.'' The crimson-haired girl nodded to herself.

    This was no surprise, a ranger''s aimed shot dealt the greatest amount of damage among the starter skills in Arcadia, with only the mage skills dealing more. But considering the difference in the mana cost of the two, it wasn''t necessarily ''inferior'' at all.

    With Crystal''s level one mana reserve of ten points, she could use the skill six times before needing to wait. And even without any mana potions, every yer got one mana point refilled every minute.

    Even if they hadn''t formed a party, the crimson-haired girl was sure that Crystal wouldn''t do too poorly on her own.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Emilia grinned. "Hey, these pigs and rabbits seem actually decent¡­ wanna hunt them for a while more?"

    The blonde girl also saw that she was making good progress, and she nodded in surprise. ''Didn''t Emilia say it''s not easy to gain levels in this game? What''s going on?''

    Of course, they continued hunting the ''pests'' relentlessly regardless of her confusion.

    [ Killed Wild Boar - Level 2 ]

    [ Killed Red-Eyed Rabbit - Level 1 ]

    [ Killed Wild Boar - Level 2 ]

    .

    .

    .

    Each of the wild boarsted them twenty experience, ten when divided into two, while the rabbits usually only gave them half of that. But finding them was actually quite easy, and it only took the two of them a few seconds to take a beast down.

    Thankfully, simr items could stack seemingly infinitely in the inventory, so the numerous [Wild Boar Meat], [Red-Eyed Rabbit Meat], [Red-Eyed Rabbit Fur], [Wild Boar Hide], and [Wild Boar Tusk] drops only took up five slots in each of their inventories.

    Since there was no auto-loot or auto-collect system, they both agreed to let the closest person to the drop pick it up first, and transfer any if neededter.

    Arcadia had a pretty convenient trading system, after all. As long as they were in physical contact, transferring items to another person''s inventory only needed them to agree.

    Unsurprisingly, Emilia ended up picking most of the drops, usually being right next to the monsters. But she didn''t feel particrly excited until a gray glow shone amidst the usually dull item drops.

    ''An item drop?!'' She couldn''t help but be excited.

    Although monsters could only drop items of the same grade or lower, most of them were only material drops. The chance of an actual equipable item dropping in the wild was only one in ten thousand, and most of these drops were usually weapons.

    It wasn''t rare for some parties to grind for days without a single decent drop.

    Looking at the pair of leather boots in front of her, Emilia couldn''t help but smile. "I hope they''re good!"

    If the hero party hadn''t started the game before it was even released, maybe this could even have been the game''s first item drop.

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t really check the item''s stats until it was ''appraised'' or ''identified'' by someone with the appropriate skill, which neither of them had, but it was still possible to use it.

    "They look like ranger boots, so why don''t you put them on?"

    Crystal didn''t know just how rare such a drop was, and readily epted her girlfriend''s gift.

    With the exception of the one time during character creation, removing and wearing equipment actually required the yers to physically do it themselves. And for the sake of saving time, Emilia had to assist her girlfriend with theces of her boots.

    Crystal smiled as she watched her girlfriend finish tying up herces, then tossed the ''old'' pair into her inventory.

    Emilia grinned. "How is it, feels good?"

    Crystal hummed thoughtfully. "They fit almost perfectly the moment I put them on."

    She felt somewhat lighter, as if she could run a little bit faster, but the blonde girl wasn''t sure if it was her illusion.

    "Let''s continue hunting, then. Maybe we''ll get something else." Emilia giggled.

    Her words were mostly just a joke, but she didn''t expect another piece of equipment to drop less than ten minutester, leaving her speechless.

    ''T-Two equipment drops in less than a thousand kills?! Crystal sure is my lucky star, ahh¡­!'' Emilia couldn''t help jump in excitement.

    Looking at the metallic skirt that dropped, though, she paused.

    The warrior skirt she was currently wearing was already quite short, barely covering her mid-thigh, but this one wasn''t even half that length.

    Even Crystal couldn''t help but blush. ''W-Why is it so short?! Is the hero a pervert¡­?''

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 Chapter 724 Shameless

    Chapter 724 Shameless

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    Emilia hesitated only for a moment before resolutely taking off her long skirt to change into the short one. "Anyway, no matter how it looks, it should definitely be an upgrade over the beginner skirt."

    Despite it not being the first time Crystal was looking at Emilia''s beautiful bare legs and thighs, the blonde girl still blushed at Emilia''s boldness. ''S-She''s really going to walk around dressed like that¡­?''

    The crimson-haired beauty was already provocative enough even in rtively conservative clothes, so if she dressed like that, Crystal could only imagine what kind of trouble she would end up attracting.

    This kind of thing might not have been a problem before, when Emilia was an empress who could only be looked at and not touched. But now that she had about the same starting point as normal people in this game, the blonde girl was justifiably worried that things might go wrong.

    After all, it didn''t seem like there were any ''limits'' in this game.

    It was at times like this that she really missed the dependable and overprotective Dixie.

    "Crystal¡­?"

    Emilia''s confused voice awakened the blonde girl from her stray thoughts, and she soon shook her head furiously. "I-I''m fine!"

    ''Since Dixie and the others are not here, I just have to do their job for them!'' Crystal firmed up her resolve, nodded to herself, and¡­

    "W-What are you doing¡­?" Emilia blushed, both confused and a little excited by her girlfriend''s sudden hug. ''N-No, focus! I-I can''t lose sight of the big picture¡ª!''

    Her expression froze as she felt Crystal''s hand slide up from the back of her thigh and into her skirt, fondling around like an unbridled hooligan.

    ''S-She''s really testing my patience, isn''t she?!''

    Fortunately, Crystal came back to her senses somehow, and abruptly stepped back with an embarrassed cough. "I-I was only checking if this kind of thing will be allowed in the game, y-you know."

    Emilia just stared at her without blinking for a while, then smiled. "Well, I get it."

    Crystal was very familiar with that tone, and knew that her girlfriend most definitely didn''t ''get it'', as she imed.

    The next time they were in bed, maybe her poor waist would be broken in revenge.

    Crystal would never admit that the thought was more exciting than terrifying, and only grinned in embarrassment. "L-Let''s continue farming, then?"

    Emilia hummed.

    Although the little blonde minx indeed deserved to be punished for provoking her, the time it took for ''regr'' yers to create their characters was really a golden opportunity that they couldn''t squander if they wanted to get ahead.

    The advantage of a single level on the first day might be what separated the elite from the rest, after all.

    The [Wild Boar] and [Red-Eyed Rabbit] monsters in the area around were abundant, and the two of them soon fell into a rhythm of flying arrows and weaving swords, going from one monster to another without a pause.

    Going from level one to level two, they both needed only a thousand points. And with the number of monsters they''d ughtered, it was no surprise to either of them when the ''Level Up'' notification rang.

    Emilia grinned. "Finally!"

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    [Level up!]

    ¡ª Princess ¡ª

    ¡ª Titles ¡ª

    -None

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Bloodline ¡ú Elf

    ss ¡ú Warrior

    [Level 1 ¡ú 2]!

    ¡ª Primary Stats ¡ª

    [Strength] ¡ú 10 +1 = 11

    [Intelligence] ¡ú 10 +1 = 11

    [Agility] ¡ú 100 +1 = 101

    Unallocated Points: 0 +1 = 1

    ¡ª Secondary Stats ¡ª

    Hitpoints ¡ú 100 +10 = 110

    Mana ¡ú 10 +1 = 11

    Speed ¡ú 1 +0.01 = 1.01

    Inventory ¡ú 10 Slots

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    Although it hadn''t been dered explicitly in the information avable to the public yet, Emilia obviously knew that each additional point in strength increased one''s hitpoints by ten, each point in intelligence increased one''s mana by one, and each additional point in agility increased one''s speed by one percent.

    Based on these uneven bonuses to the secondary stats, it was no surprise that most new yers ended up dumping all their points into strength.

    After all, not only did it give them the ''greatest'' boost in stats, but also directly increased their physical damage!

    And for a while, this was indeed true. But such a strategy would show its drawbacks pretty quickly once the ''game'' advanced a little more.

    If someone was able to move significantly faster than their opponent, it simply didn''t matter how strong the other person''s punches were, even if one were to disregard the fact that weapons and magic significantly reduced the importance of one''s innate strength.

    Emilia grinned. ''It''s a pity that my bloodline is at the lowest level just like everyone else, so the inherent boost of agility I should have as an elf isn''t yet in effect.''

    Of course, this low level of bloodline was by design, so that everyone could start at an even ying field with all basic stats at ten.

    ''Except for the hero''s party, obviously.'' The crimson-haired girl sneered. ''I''ll have to make him regret starting only an hour before everyone else.''

    Of course, catching up with the hero just by grinding mindlessly was impossible, but Emilia never nned on doing such a thing.

    There were already other yers spawning around their ''farming zone'', and the efficiency of their ''farming'' would only keep getting worse the longer they stayed.

    "Let''s continue on our way to the town, alright?"

    Getting to level two within thirty minutes, and feeling the satisfaction radiating from her girlfriend, Crystal was also happy. ''I''m d I got to help her get a head start.''

    The two of them had just resumed their ''journey'' when someone jumped onto their path, however. "Hey! Did the two of you also just start? Can I join your party?"

    The dark-haired boy who had cut them off with a grin clearly didn''t have any malicious intentions, but Crystal still couldn''t help but snort.

    Emilia also only took a nce at him before shaking her head. "The two of us were just about to head to the town, so we won''t be farming anymore."

    The two of them then ignored the dejected look on the boy''s face, and continued on their way, causing his puffed out chest to instantly dete.

    His friend nudged him with grin. "See, I told you, you''ll send them running by being too eager. We should have hunted down a few rabbits first to show our skill."

    He didn''t dare to mention the boars, given how he''d seen the ''high-level'' beasts skewer a few newbies already. Instead of risking humiliation, it was better to be a little less impressive.

    The dark-haired boy sneered. "What do you know? If I had been able to customize my avatar a little, those two would have been swooning by now. Tsk. Did you look at the skirt on that slut?"

    His friend chuckled. "True, but you can''t deny that her face was to die for. Damn... if I hadn''t known this game didn''t allow avatar modifications, I would have praised her for being so artistic."

    The other boy''s expression turned even more sour when he recalled the ''missed opportunity'', and he couldn''t help but grit his teeth. "Fuck! There''s no way she looks that good in real life. She must have used some dirty trick or hack to change her looks, right! No, maybe she''s even a boy disguised as a girl?!"

    His friend coughed. "Okay, don''t be so crazy. Look, I spot another cute one over there!"

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    Unaware of the fact that her ''vain'' personality was being harshly criticized behind her back, Emilia happily led Crystal away from the bountiful clearing where the newbies energetically hunted red-eyed rabbits. "How did you feel about that idiot?"

    Crystal frowned. "I think he was a little greedy and conceited. Not the type I would ever want to be associated with, honestly."

    Obviously, she knew that her girlfriend wasn''t really interested in the boy, and was only subtly asking her if her ability still worked within the game.

    Emilia grinned. ''So it does!''

    She hadn''t really expected it to be like that, given that she couldn''t ess her own chaos energy or even talk to Cynthia, but the crimson-haired girl was still happy.

    After all, one more tool in Crystal''s pocket would only make her life morefortable. However, she did make a mental note to ask Cynthiater why it was that only Crystal''s abilities could work within the world of Arcadia.

    The two of them continued to trot forward hand in hand, killing the few monsters they came across on the way. And it didn''t take long for them to reach the ''Beginner''s Town'', which gave off azy and deste feeling at a nce.

    The sleeping guards didn''t even stir as the two of them slipped through the gates.

    Crystal hummed thoughtfully as they passed by what appeared to be a general goods store. "Should we¡­ sell all themon items we gathered on the way first?"

    The shopkeeper who seemed to have heard it instantly perked up, as if eager to receive her first customers in a while, but their next words soon caused her to dete in disappointment.

    "We can always do thatter, since there''s plenty of space left in our inventory." Emilia smiled. "Let''s go to the chief''s house first."

    Of course, Crystal understood her real meaning. Although the items they had might look easy to acquire now, when the area was inevitably flooded with newbies, getting them so easily would naturally be impossible.

    Once the yers needed arge amount of them for certain quests, thesemon items might sell for a sky-high price. That is, until the initial flood of new yers was taken care of, and the market economy stabilized.

    "Ah, there it is! Let''s go in!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Obviously, just like the dark-haired boy who intercepted Emilia, many were dissatisfied with Arcadia''s policy of not only reflecting their real appearance into their ''avatars'', but also not giving people any means to disguise themselves.

    After all, not everyone wanted to y with their own face, and this wasn''t even mentioning the dangers they might be exposing themselves to if someone decided to target them.

    Discovering someone''s identity and location based on their appearance was a trivial matter in the modern era, after all.

    It was no surprise that many people quit directly after the character creation process, and loudly voiced their frustrations online. If not for Arcadia being free from the start, maybe it would already be facing a massive wave of refund requests.

    But these little things couldn''t stop the momentum of the game at all, and when Emilia and Crystal exited the vige chief''s hut after having received their first ''main quest'', they couldn''t help but be a little dumbfounded at the bustling scene.

    Even the ''desperate'' shopkeeper from before now had an impatient look on her face as she shooed away several newbies angrily. "Those who don''t have at least ten copper coins in their pockets, don''t waste my time!"

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 Chapter 725 The Savior with a Small Skirt

    Chapter 725 The Savior with a Small Skirt

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    Arcadia didn''t supply new yers with a starting fund, so for a yer to have ten coppers, they must have killed at least five [Wild Boars], or ten [Red-Eyed Rabbits].

    It might seem trivial at first, but hunting and killing monsters in this ''game'' turned out to be a lot more difficult than most people initially expected.

    Despite all the marketing and hype built by the world-renowned genius Darryl, no one imagined that this game would really be so hyper-realistic, to the point where if not for the interface, they may not even be able to tell that they weren''t in a real world.

    All the other full-dive games with their pixels and distinctck of direct multi-sensory feedback were simply ''trash'' inparison.

    Unfortunately, being so realistic wasn''t all good.

    Most modern people weren''t very good at hunting and killing wild beasts, and their first reaction to such confrontations was naturally to avoid them and flee.

    Even if they understood that it was only a game, and they wouldn''t really die if they were killed¡­ it was hard to try fighting against such ferocious beasts, especially after witnessing those sharp tusks skewer a few newbies to death.

    Without any strong motivation forcing them to ovee this fear, it was even easier for them to sumb to this ''weakness''.

    "Shit, no matter how pretty the game looks, this shit is not fun at all!"

    "I can''t even log out immediately, what''s with this stupid fifteen minute cooldown?!"

    "This has to be illegal, right?"

    "I-It wasn''t there before."

    Unfortunately, the wild beasts around weren''t verypassionate, and neither were the more ''skilled'' yers.

    Lesserpetition and extra loot would only help them get ahead, after all.

    For these unfortunate newbies, losing their life naturally meant that they would spawn at the nearest town after a level-dependent ''timeout'' period, which was luckily ''zero'' at level one.

    Sadly, the death penalty also included dropping at least one piece of random item worn on their body, and half of their ''wealth''.

    That is to say, most people lining up in front of the shops were not only short of equipment¡­ but they also barely had any copper coins in their pockets.

    The crowd that had been scolded by the shopkeeper was clearly unwilling, but when the ''Favorability -1'' messages started raining down, they quickly scattered, afraid of beingpletely debarred from essing the store in the future.

    "Sheesh, how stingy!"

    "I-I only managed to kill twelve rabbits¡­ and then that stupid boar came charging out of nowhere and killed me!" A tanned girl sniffled against the wall of the vige chief''s house. "N-Now I only have six coins left, and no skirt¡­"

    everyone spawned randomly, very few were lucky enough to find a party.

    All things considered, her results were actually quite a bit better than the ''average'' yer.

    None of the sses were particrly good at taking down simr leveled monsters solo, but since everyone spawned randomly, very few were lucky enough to find a party.

    All things considered, her results were actually quite a bit better than the ''average'' yer.

    But while the price of an ''armored skirt'' was only five copper coins¡­ the shopkeeper already made it clear that only those willing to make purchases over ten coins in total could line up. As such, the poor girl could only sulk by the side of the road.

    A few ''good guys'' came by to offer their help, but she resolutely rejected them. "I-I won''t take any charity!"

    "But you''re crying¡­?"

    "I-I''m not! I-I will pay for a skirt, f-five copper, no, s-six!"

    Losing thest coin she had in her pocket might seem stupid, but the tanned girl feared that no one would help her if they didn''t see any benefit in doing so.

    Unfortunately for her, there was no way the crowd of boys would be carrying around skirts in their inventory. At least, not so early in the game, when resources were scarce and most only had their starter equipment on.

    They could only shake their heads helplessly. "Should we ask some girls for help?"

    "I see a few, but¡­ uh, it would be really weird to ask for their skirt, right?"

    The sulking girl also understood that no one would give up their own skirt for her. ''The next few dozen guys in the line of that shop¡­ should I go beg them to buy one for me¡­?''

    In fact, losing one piece of equipment wasn''t really something to be so upset about, and she normally wouldn''t even be bothered with not being able to buy it for a while, being only a ''casual'' gamer. But being exposed to so many people in just her underwear was really too embarrassing.

    Why did she have to lose her skirt, of all things? None of the other girls around seemed to be in the same situation!

    What made her really sad was that she couldn''t even rush into some house to hide, because they were all now stuffed with yers. Squeezing in with only her panties on¡­ the girl shuddered at the thought.

    And what really horrified her was that a few people in the distance even seemed to be ''streaming'', if the red dots blinking over their heads meant what she thought they did. ''I-If one of them walks over here, m-my life is over!''

    If not for the restriction of not being able to log out for at least fifteen minutes after logging in, she would have already quit. As it was, though, she could hide in a corner and hold on. ''I-I''ll definitely sue this stupid gamepany!''

    Of course, even she knew how stupid it would be to try going against the genius Darryl''swyers, so this was only a momentary thought. If she didn''t getpletely destroyed by their retaliation, it would already be a good oue.

    Seeing Crystal stare at the ''spectacle'' thoughtfully, Emilia hummed. "Are you interested in helping her out¡­?"

    The blonde girl jumped, startled. "A-Ah¡­! No, well, I-I mean¡­ yeah, kinda."

    She didn''t know how to clearly exin her ''findings'' without exposing her ability to others, so Crystal could only hope that the crimson-haired beauty understood her meaning.

    Emilia grinned. "Alright then."

    The small crowd of boys that surrounded the girl immediately made way to the two beauties who suddenly approached, whispering in excitement.

    Obviously, their keen eyes would have noticed Emilia from a mile away, not to mention when she was standing so close.

    "I-Is this the legendary bullying we''re going to witness?!"

    "Or maybe they took pity on her and want to give up their own skirts?"

    "Idiot, can''t they just have one extra? Or maybe buy one for her by pooling their funds?"

    "If it''s as short as the one that girl is wearing¡­ I''m all for it."

    "Hehe."

    They only dared to joke around in whispers, but their thoughts were clearly written on their faces, and Crystal couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''Boys¡­ though I can''t say I don''t get it.''

    Emilia''s skirt was really a bit too short, and even she, who had been between those silky thighs more than once, had to admit that she found it hard to resist the temptation. How could she me anyone else?

    Of course, much to everyone''s disappointment, the crimson-haired elf did indeed seem to have a ''spare'' skirt, and it was also of a normal length.

    Emilia grinned as she directly handed it over instead of initiating a trade request. "Here, it''s my old one, but should work for you for a while since you''re also a warrior."

    "T-Thank you¡­ um, six copper coins¡­ it''s enough, right?" The tanned girl blushed and bowed to her ''saviors'' as she happily clutched her newly acquired armored skirt. "I-I''m Esmeralda, by the way, but you can call me Esme."

    ''I-I almost got blinded by that smile...!'' She gulped. ''Can there really be girls so pretty in real life...?''

    For a moment, she even suspected that these two must be some quest characters, but nothing new popped up on her interface.

    Unaware of the girl''s strange thoughts, Emilia responded with a smile. "Princess."

    She assumed that ''Esmeralda'' was probably just the girl''s in-game name, unless she picked one that was the same as her real one.

    Her blonde girlfriend also nodded. "Crystal."

    Emilia then closed the open palm of the tanned girl in front of her, clearly rejecting the offer of six coins. "You can keep those for now, and pay us backter once you level up. Just add us as friends for the moment."

    Obviously, six copper coins were nothing to the two of them, and since Crystal seemed to have taken an interest in that girl, Emilia would much rather trade this meager sum for a favor.

    The ''iing friend request'' stunned the tanned girl to the point where shepletely forgot to insist on paying them, and while she was hurriedly pushing the ept button on the screen that popped up, her ''saviors'' were already walking away.

    She didn''t have the courage to chase after them without wearing her skirt first, so Esmeralda could only reluctantly watch them leave. "I-I guess they wouldn''t want someone clumsy like me in their party, after all."

    Luckily, most of the ''lecherous'' boys who had been surrounding her had left after ''Princess'' and ''Crystal'', so she wasn''t watched by many while putting on her skirt, but she still couldn''t help but grit her teeth hatefully. ''T-This Darryl¡­ he''s definitely a pervert!''

    There were so many full-dive games around, but none were stupid enough to so tantly vite people''s privacy.

    But thinking about the beautiful girls who came to her rescue, Esmeralda soon cheered up. ''N-No, maybe this stupid game is my chance, and I can finally make some good friends!''

    If not for the random spawning process of this perverted game, would someone like Emilia be wandering around and stumble into her like that? Unlikely! She would definitely be surrounded by her own clique, and wouldn''t even bother sparing a nce her way.

    Esmeralda clenched her fists in determination. "Since everyone has the same starting point in this perverted game, I can''t make excuses to hide like I always do!"

    What she needed to do¡­ was to prove that she was worthy of being invited to their party!

    "E-Everyone is rushing to take that stupid quest, right? I-I''ll go do it too, then! How hard can it be?"

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 Chapter 726 The First Quests Trap

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    The ''main quest'' of Arcadia was actually quite simple, or at least that was how it appeared at first nce.

    The first and only part that could bepleted within the beginner area had them look for certain clues about a missing girl in the wilderness, and then report them to the vige chief to be issued the next mission.

    Everyone could decide for themselves what these ''clues'' could be, or if they were ''good enough'' to justify questpletion, and the vige chief would solemnly ept them all the same.

    But Emilia knew that this was just a trap.

    The rewards issued for this quest''spletion were directly dependent on how ''good'' the clues the yer discovered were, and how difficult they were to find. And even the experience reward for the quest varied ordingly.

    It wouldn''t take long for people to start regretting their greed when the game had ''generously'' awarded them just one copper coin and a single point of experience while their friends were showering in thousands. There wasn''t even an option to ''redo'' it, since the next part of the quest would already have been issued.

    ''In the original timeline, everyone agreed that to obtain the highest reward in this quest, one had to defeat the Boar King, and bring back the torn skirt hidden in hisir.'' Emilia chuckled. ''But contrary to popr belief, itter turned out that the stupid pig only found the skirt in the forest and enjoyed sniffing on it.''

    To aplish this task, one would need a decently skilled team of five at the very least, and the drops could hardly be considered worth the effort if not for the quest.

    Obviously, once it was all done, the vige chief would be heartbroken to discover that the girl he was supposed to have been caring for had been lost to a pig. But he would still honor his word and hand out the ''highest'' reward, along with the next quest¡­ informing the girl''s father of his daughter''s death, which would lead the yer to the capital.

    However, a rather sadistic manter discovered that if the ''Boar King'' was tortured enough without allowing its health to fall too much, it would eventually start begging and groveling for mercy. And if the torn skirt was ced against its nose then, it would lead the yer to a certain spot in the forest where they could find ''Tears of the Immortal'' in the loose soil beneath a tree.

    This was the quest item that, once identified, made the vige chief realize that his daughter might have either ''ascended'', or otherwise had some involvement with some immortal.

    Either way, it was unlikely for her to have died.

    Going this route¡­ one could unlock the higher-level branch of the main quest, with a much better selection of rewards, but also a significantly higher level of difficulty.

    Since both branches of the questter ''joined'' anyway, many yers thought it was not worth it to take this path even after it had been discovered, since it would slow their progress significantly.

    But Emilia didn''t even hesitate before making that choice.

    She happily led Crystal directly to the spot in the forest where the tear was supposed to be, and picked it up with a grin. "Wow, I thought it was only a strange stone, but this thing''s so pretty!"

    Emilia pretended to look around for more, but even after her hands were covered in dirt, she could only sigh. "It''s such a pity that there only seems to be one. How do we split it?"

    Crystal chuckled. "Since you found it, and also like it so much, just keep it."

    She naturally had some idea of what her girlfriend was trying to do, but the blonde girl still diligently yed her part.

    The crimson-haired elf stared at her for a while, eyes shining gratefully, and Crystal''s heart almost skipped a beat.

    Then, as if suddenly having a shocking revtion, Emilia jumped. "W-Wait, since this is a game, why don''t we try leaving this area anding back again, to see if it respawns?!"

    Looking at the gorgeous girl''s exaggerated act, Crystal desperately resisted the urge to giggle as she nodded in agreement. ''S-She''s obviously being paranoid and overly careful, but why is it so adorable?! I almost can''t resist giving her a kiss, ahhh!''

    Luckily, her self-control was thousands of times stronger than Sam''s... which was something.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''I-I won''t give in!'' Crystal nodded to herself as she followed after Emilia.

    To their ''surprise'', they really did find the ''Tears of Immortal'' in the same ce again after re-entering the area.

    Obviously, if these items didn''t respawn, it would be impossible for more than one yer per beginner''s town toplete the quest with the highest reward, leaving the rest either envious or demotivated.

    And if everyone were to receive the rewards anyway upon one personpleting the quest, most people would just continue to farm while waiting for others to ''waste their time''.

    In either case, it wouldn''t have a very positive impact on the attitude of most, and would ultimately lead to a worse result for the world will.

    Emilia and Crystal tried to gather a few more ''Tears of Immortal'', but to neither''s surprise, the spot where it was supposed to appear remained vacant.

    Only when someone who hadn''t already imed a tear walked into its vicinity would it appear, and only that person would be able to put it in their inventory.

    Naturally, others could still see, touch, and even steal it, but as long as the ''rightful owner'' of that tear was strong enough, it was impossible to prevent them from taking it back.

    Emilia grinned. "Well, it''s a pity that we only got two, but these should be good to craft a pair of earrings, or rings? What do you think?"

    Crystal pretended to think for a while before nodding in agreement. "Alright. I don''t mind either, honestly. But¡­ where do we go to get something like that done?"

    The crimson-haired elf hummed thoughtfully. "I didn''t notice any essory makers in the town, but aren''t there usually traveling merchants and hidden shops in games? Let''s go look for some!"

    The two girls ''excitedly'' went on a search for the non-existent shop, though Emilia was obviously heading to the [Boar King] in a straight line.

    The moment she spotted its big ugly snout from beyond the tall trees, Emilia screamed in ''terror''. "AHH!"

    Crystal was only startled for a moment before she came back to her senses, and readied her bow. "C-Careful! It seems to have noticed us. W-We''ll have to fight!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but admire her blonde girlfriend''s growing acting skills. ''Ahh, Crystal is so charming when she''s being so smart and clever! But then again, the clumsy and cute Crystal is also adorable!''

    Cynthia chuckled. "You never change, do you?"

    She might sound exasperated, but only the raven-haired girl knew how relieved she was in her heart. ''Thankfully, she''s slowly reverting back to normal. I gotta keep it up!''

    Unaware of her partner''s real thoughts, the crimson-haired girl coughed in embarrassment. ''L-Let''s talkter, I gotta focus on killing that big pig.''

    Her partner smiled. "You do realize that pigs and boars are two different things, right?"

    Emilia blushed as she dashed towards the [Boar King], who was just starting to stand up and take a bat'' stance. ''T-Too busy fighting!''

    Cynthia giggled. "Of course."

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 Chapter 727 The First Elite

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    Although the two of them had killed a few more monsters since leveling up, both Emilia and Crystal were far from reaching level three.

    Normally, it would have been the obvious choice to submit the main quest item to the vige chief first and gain some experience to level up, and maybe even get some decent items, and only then challenge the [Boar King]. But Emilia knew that this was no longer possible for them.

    The moment they submitted the [Tears of Immortal] andpleted the quest with the highest possible reward, the experience they get would instantly push them both past level ten, and the monsters within the beginner''s zone would then no longer drop experience or items.

    Emilia wasn''t sure if this was to discourage yers from staying in this ''friendly'' area for longer than they needed to or something else, but she couldn''t afford the risk of not having killed the [Boar King].

    After all, while its experience and drops might be quite badpared to most other ''Elite'' monsters, it was still the only one of its kind within the beginner zone, and also one of the few that a yer was absolutely required to have ''killed'' to obtain one of the best titles in the game ¡ª ''The Rising Star''.

    In the previous timeline, the hero had obviously been the one to get this title, since no one even knew such a thing was possible until then. But while he did have many unique advantages over her, Emilia thought that she should still have some chance of beating him to it.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t know how the hero and the world willmunicated, or how much he knew, exactly. And while it might be true that the hero probably knew a lot of things she didn''t, wasn''t that true the other way around as well?

    They''d already been lucky enough to obtain two pieces of equipment, so killing this ''Elite'' boss with just the two of them wouldn''t be as difficult, even with their low levels.

    Arcadia didn''t have any stupid ''level penalty'', after all. And while there would always be a difference in stats between yers at different levels, it wasn''t really a chasm of despair that could be considered impossible to cross. There were many ways to make up for that kind of gap.

    The two of them had already identified the boots and the skirt they got from hunting monsters, thanks to an appraiser in the town. And while they weren''t anything special, with Crystal''s [Swift Boots] giving her +5% movement speed, and Emilia''s [Short Skirt] giving her +3% attack speed, they were still much better than expected.

    Crystal may not feel it now, but Emilia definitely knew just how rare it was for monsters to drop any equipment at all. And for it toe with decent stats too... hoping for such a thing to happen was like praying to win the lottery.

    It was much better to focus on other things and simply buy what one needed from other ''lottery winners'' instead.

    But since they were the lucky ones this time, Emilia was quite happy.

    Maybe even at level twenty, there would be no need to find a recement for these items.

    She grinned while easily avoiding the heavy club of the [Boar King], making it roar in frustration. "Since this guy is so stupidly big, he must drop some good stuff too, right?!"

    Standing at nearly twenty feet tall, the somewhat humanoid ''Boar'' stood on two thick, hooved legs, and carried a heavy tree trunk embedded with sharp metal spikes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Emilia didn''t need to see its actual damage to know that it would definitely pulverize her in one hit if she was even a little careless.

    The crimson-haired elf easily weaved around the ''clumsy'' monster, her [Beginner''s Sword] inflicting 27.5 damage each time it shed.

    Crystal smiled in response as she shot an arrow right through the monster''s thick neck. ''Yes! Critical hit!''

    -440!

    The [Boar King] had a rather thick hide to protect itself, so de attacks that failed to dig deep enough only dealt about a fourth of the damage they should have.

    Unfortunately, it wasn''t quite enough to kill the Elite, as its HP bar was still at around 95%, thanks to its enormous health, and disgustingly high regeneration rate.

    ''If not for those mana potions Emilia bought from the town, taking this beast down would be such a chore!'' Crystal sighed, firing off another [Focus Shot], dealing only 220 damage this time.

    The [Boar King] did not have any particr elemental weakness, so imbuing the arrows with [Light] element only served to convert them into magical attacks, which was quite wasteful considering it cost one mana each time, but the blonde girl didn''t regret it.

    Continuously shooting off her full-powered arrows while aiming for the beast''s head and neck, Crystal waited until her mana hit zero before pulling out the tiny blue crystal bottle from her inventory and gulping it down.

    It restored about a third of one''s total ''lost mana'', so with the blonde girl''s measly eleven points at level two... it gave her just three mana per bottle.

    After serving as the ''Prime Arbiter'' of Blue Dawn and witnessing their war with the Alliance, she understood that time was usually worth a lot more than any amount of money.

    The few minutes they saved here might be what pushed them ahead of millions of yerster, after all. Thinking of it like that, ten copper coins per bottle was a cheap price to pay.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t have the luxury of stopping and downing the mana potion like Crystal, being the prime target of his rage. If she dared to pause, the [Boar King] would definitely pulverize her in an instant.

    For the sake of efficiency, her mana points had to be used carefully to score critical hits.

    Emilia continued attacking and taunting the [Boar King] while dodging its attacks, and it didn''t take long for one of Crystal''s light arrows to pierce right through its nose¡­ at the exact moment that it had swung down its ''club''!

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 Chapter 728 The Ignorant

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    The position was just right, and Emilia didn''t hesitate at all in jumping on the thick wooden beam that had been swung down with the intent to turn her into mush, and using it as a tform to hop higher.

    "Eat this, you stupid pig!" She sneered, imbuing [Wind] into her de before piercing right through the rapidly closing wound.

    Had this not been a game, the poor monster would have instantly perished as its brain turned into mush.

    The [Boar King] still seemed to feel the pain, though, and roared in agony and rage as it dropped its club and tried to swat the crimson-haired elf off of his body, but to no avail.

    Emilia used its big bby ears and thick strands of ''boar beard'' to barely dodge the monster''s panicked wing of his own face.

    At this close a distance, she could clearly see that each one of its nails was bigger than her head, and just as deadly to someone her size as that grotesque club.

    Luckily, however, in trying to kill her while she was dancing around his face, the [Boar King] ended up shaving a good chunk of its own flesh off his nowpletely disfigured and bloody face, along with nearly a third of its HP.

    Combined with the ten additional full-powered opportunistic slices to its face by a certain crimson-haired elf, it went from a little less than half to almost no HP within a few seconds.

    Facing this unexpected windfall, Emilia still didn''t take the risk to go ''all in'', and chose not to overstay her wee on the giant boar''s body.

    Despite her flexibility and excellent response time, it was a bit too unstable and unfamiliar a tform for her to be too overconfident, after all.

    Luckily, Crystal''s continuous light arrows already spelled doom for the [Boar King], who stupidly remained focused on the crimson-haired elf despite being unable to hit her even once.

    Its enraged roars didn''t faze Emilia at all, though, and she easily wove through his attacks while shing at his legs until Crystal was done shaving off the remaining five percent of its HP.

    With onest roar full of rage and grief, the poor [Boar King] fell to its knees without being able to score a single hit on a level two newbie.

    "Good job, Crystal!" Emilia giggled in satisfaction. ''Being disgraced like that on its first day at ''work''... If it had the option to do so, it would probably resign from the post.''

    Crystal happily trotted over to hug Emilia in glee. "You looked so gorgeous while brutalizing its ugly face, I almost forgot to shoot!"

    The crimson-haired elf giggled. "How silly. Thankfully, you didn''t actually forget, or I may not look so pretty as a bloodstain on the ground."

    The two of them both received ten thousand experience points each, shooting them straight from level two to halfway through level four.

    With just four thousand more XP, they would hit level five when most yers hadn''t even reached level two.

    Of course, this was only possible since it was only a single party of two that took down the ''Elite'' on its own. Such a situation was simply impossible most of the time in this beginner area, so the rewards would generally appear much worse once divided.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Emilia grinned. ''Thankfully, it''s still too early for anyone else to know of this guy.''

    Maybe someone could do the same muchter in the game, when there weren''t many new yers rushing to join, but by then, they would have already missed out on too much.

    The [Boar King]''s body suddenly started to shine, and then burst into particles of light, and while Emilia hadn''t expected it to drop anything good, the green glow from within the huge pile of copper coins instantly made her drop her jaw. ''T-There''s no way we can be that lucky!''

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    Meanwhile, outside the game in a very different part of the world, a man with a thick ck handlebar mustache mmed his fist on the table in frustration. "Shit! Didn''t I tell you to ask Darryl''s team to have him call me immediately?! It''s already been nearly an hour!"

    To him, it was unbelievable that someone could be so daring as to ignore his request. Even if that guy was a genius, wasn''t even he still always polite when speaking to his superiors?

    Now that the guy had created such a big mess that he had multiple government officials from around the world grilling him with questions, how could this ''genius'' suddenly change his colors without reason?

    ''I don''t get it¡­ he gave up all his stake in the game, so there''s no way he got conceited thinking that it would be a huge sess or something, right?'' The man frowned. ''It''s impossible for that genius to be so stupid.''

    Not warning them that there would be so many ''rule breaking'' elements within ''Arcadia'' might be suspicious, but the man was willing to give Darryl the benefit of the doubt.

    Maybe geniuses just had a different thought process, and such ''little'' things just happened to slip that guy''s mind?

    Of course, he quickly changed his thoughts on the subject when someone finally brought him the news of what the ''genius'' was currently doing.

    "He''s¡­ ying¡­? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

    The mustached man kicked away the coffee table in front of him in a rage, making everyone else around jump away in fright.

    "Calm down, Mr. Dingleberry! I-I''m sure Darryl has a good reason!"

    "Y-Yeah, he''s probably only testing out the new project himself to make sure nothing goes wrong¡ª!"

    Unfortunately, their words only enraged the mustached man further. "Everything is already going wrong!"

    The investors may be very forgiving towards the ''genius'', but Mr. Dingleberry knew for sure that they would never extend the same courtesy to the likes of him. If this project failed, maybe Darryl would be fine, but what about him?!

    "Go pull that fucking ''genius'' out of that stupid full-dive trashcan, fast, before we lose billions of dors on a game that is banned by every fucking government in the world!"

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 Chapter 729 The Vision Of The Genius

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    With the amount of trust and loyalty that the people closest to the hero had for him, it was naturally impossible to allow anyone to just wrench him out of the full-dive pod. At least, it couldn''t be done without a certain level of strength.

    Even when Mr. Dingleberry arrived at the vi in person and started making threats, all he got in exchange were empty promises that Darryl would definitely clear his ''doubts'' as soon as he returned, which would be ''soon''.

    Unfortunately, the hero''s ''assistants'' failed to understand just how severe the situation was in normal people''s eyes, and when Mr. Dingleberry rushed up the stairs with a team of trained professionals, they realized all toote that they simply had no means to resist.

    "Shit! Barging in like that, you''re breaking thew!"

    "Don''t you dare press that button!"

    "Get away!"

    Their cries fell on deaf ears as Mr. Dingleberry motioned one of his men to press the hazard button on the full-dive pod.

    In case of emergencies, such as when a fire broke out, this method could be used to forcibly disconnect a yer''s consciousness from the system.

    Of course, it was also possible to simply break open the pod''s door, and pull the person out, but that was too risky. If something happened to the ''genius'' because of him, Mr. Dingleberry knew that he would not be able to bear the consequences.

    The pod''s lid popped open within seconds of the hazard button being pressed, and the rather disoriented dark-haired man inside groaned in difort.

    When the hero still had his eyes closed, Mr. Dingleberry was full of righteous indignation, but the moment they snapped open, the furious man''s thoughts turned stagnant.

    "Although I can''t say I didn''t expect it, how awfully rude of you to break into my home and assault me like this." The hero''s murky green eyes seemed to be seeped with poison, making the people surrounding him involuntarily take a step back.

    The seemingly average-looking man in front of them now looked so dazzling and unapproachable that none of the people present dared to be rude to his face, subconsciously feeling their own inferiority.

    Maybe this was the ''presence'' of a true genius, or so many around the hero had often theorized.

    "I''m sorry, Darryl, we couldn''t stop these people."

    The hero chuckled as he waved off the apologies from his helpers. "It''s alright. I could have left Rocky out to deal with this sort of trouble, but then he would fall too far behind the others. I¡­ will be fine even if I have to take a break."

    His confident and soothing voice immediately reassured and made his supporters sigh in admiration, though their dissatisfaction with the actions of these ''intruders'' only got worse.

    "So, I''m guessing you''re here to tell me to ''fix'' all the issues with Arcadia immediately, right?"

    Mr. Dingleberry immediately broke out of his daze, and groaned. "So you knew? Why did you wait till we got into so much trouble first, then?!"

    Before the hero could answer, the man shook his head furiously. "No, wait, don''t tell me that. First, you go arrange for all the extreme elements from the game to be removed. I have aplete list here¡ª"

    The dark-haired boy interrupted him with a chuckle. "I will do no such thing. No, to be more precise¡­ I can''t. Arcadia¡­ is not something anyone can interfere with anymore."

    Mr. Dingleberry was so stunned that he failed to respond to the ridiculous statement from the genius for almost a full minute, only to then burst into uncontrobleughter. "Is this a joke? You''re funny, Mr. Darryl, real funny!"

    He suddenly paused, then sneered. "What isn''t funny, however, is how much you''re going to hurt our interests with your attitude."

    Looking at the amused eyes of the ''genius'', he felt a little unnerved, but Mr. Dingleberry soon shook off such irrelevant thoughts as he frowned. "Mr. Darryl, since you''re a smart man, I won''t beat around the bush. There are already hundreds of articles and reports of how ''dangerous'' Arcadia is for the people. If not for some people being considerate of the reputation we''ve built over the years, this beloved game of yours would already be down."

    Darryl smiled. "Oh? Dangerous? Did anyone get hurt, or die?"

    Of course, his question was purely sarcastic. How could he not know that such a thing was impossible at this point?

    Mr. Dingleberry''s expression soured at his unrepentant attitude. "Just because a game doesn''t cause physical injuries doesn''t mean it will be allowed to stay on the market!"

    He didn''t say it, but Darryl could obviously tell that the man considered him extremely foolish to not take such things into consideration.

    "Although many people praised it for being so realistic, there is a limit to how far you can go, and you''ve crossed it long, long ago." Mr. Dingleberry sighed. "Maybe even if we do everything we can now, most countries will still ban our game within a few days."

    Thinking of how the nned ''mization model'' hadn''t even been implemented, and the billions of dors that were now destined to go down the drain, the mustached man almost cried.

    Recalling how ecstatic and proud he had been when he told the investors of the genius being too obsessed with the new project to even demand fairpensation, he felt even more ashamed. ''T-This guy... was he scheming to bring us down from the start?!''

    Although he was only an executive and not a major investor, he almost couldn''t believe how stupid he had been to trust this man, and that they were going to take such a huge loss.

    His parents had given him such a name so that he would always remember to be careful and cautious of ''frauds'', unlike his father, and Mr. Dingleberry could onlyment that he''d grown so x'' over time despite their good intentions.

    To Mr. Dingleberry''s disgust, the ''genius'' in front of him seemedpletely unrepentant, and just smiled. "Ahh, this was my negligence. I forgot to tell you¡­ that the game we ''created'' has already evolved into something beyond our control."

    Mr. Dingleberry''s eyes were full of rage at the boy''s mocking tone, unable to understand how a genius could be so ignorant of how the world worked. ''What kind of hatred does he have with us, to not even care for the repercussions he would be facing himself just to hurt us like this?!''

    Looking at the man''s dark expression, Darryl chuckled. "If those ''higher-authorities'' of yours could do something about it¡­ tell them I would actually be very ''happy'' to see it happen."

    He wasn''t just being conceited or overconfident, of course. Now that Arcadia was online... Darryl knew that no one could stop its momentum.

    He knew very well that Arcadia''s ''server'' was the world itself, and it didn''t rely on any work'' to connect with people as these fools stupidly believed. The only way to really ''ban'' it now was to forbid people from ying it, but how effective could that really be?

    Even if someone was stupid enough to start seizing and destroying full-dive pods... once they realized that Arcadia could give them what they could never have imagined was possible, how many could resist that temptation?

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    Emilia naturally had no idea that while she was immersed in the joy of getting a rare drop after killing her first ''elite'', the hero and his team were going through an ''unexpected'' crisis.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After all, while it was possible for Cynthia and her to know a lot of things about the possible future based on the previous timeline''s events, what they could realistically observe was far from theplete version.

    The crimson-haired girl first allocated all the points she got from leveling up to ''Agility'', then looked at her status panel with satisfaction.

    ===========

    ¡ª Princess ¡ª

    ¡ª Titles ¡ª

    -None

    Type ¡ú Elf

    ss ¡ú Warrior

    [Level 4]

    Experience Points ¡ú [3,411 / 8,000]

    ¡ª Primary Stats ¡ª

    [Strength] ¡ú 14

    [Intelligence] ¡ú 14

    [Agility] ¡ú 107

    Unallocated Points: 0

    ¡ª Secondary Stats ¡ª

    Hitpoints ¡ú 140

    Mana ¡ú 14

    Speed ¡ú 1.07

    Inventory ¡ú 10 Slots

    ===================

    "The boots and skirt didn''t have such a colorful glow¡­ does that mean these are of a higher quality or something?" Crystal tilted her head in confusion.

    Looking at the glowing sword, earrings, and boots, Emilia nodded with a smile. "I think so. Let''s quickly get back to town to see what we got."

    She evenly split the nearly two thousand copper coins and fifty pieces of [Wild Boar Meat], then put the rest of it all into her own inventory.

    The fact that they got three pieces of ''Green'' equipment so early was really a giant stroke of luck, and Emilia didn''t want anyone to discover it if possible. Thankfully, the glow from the dropped items was instantly removed after they were first picked up, so determining the actual quality of equipment by just looking was quite difficult.

    As for how to distribute their loot, that could always wait until they at least knew all the stats of each item, though the sword was obviously hers.

    It was a little inconvenient that neither of them had the ''identify'' skill, but there wasn''t really an option to get it at this stage of the game, as far as Emilia knew.

    Of course, the crimson-haired elf''s behavior of simply ''snatching'' all the loot would definitely look extremely dishonest and greedy to a stranger, but Crystal only chuckled in amusement as she followed her back to the beginner''s town.

    Had she not known that they might be separated upon leaving the beginner''s town, Crystal would even think of splitting the coins as unnecessary, let alone the loot.

    "It''s a good thing that pig dropped so many coins. We didn''t really have many left after buying those mana potions." Emilia giggled. "It''s almost funny how this one guy was worth so much more than those hundreds of monsters."

    Crystal smiled. "If you think about how so much effort could have gone to waste if we failed to kill it, though, I think the reward makes sense."

    The two of them killed a few more boars and rabbits that they encountered on their way back to the beginner''s town, almost shocking several newbies silly with the ease with which they did so.

    "What the fuck...?"

    Manypletely failed to respond to the two girls dashing past them so beautifully, but some couldn''t help but be furious.

    "Don''t steal our kills!"

    "Hey,e back here!"

    They''d already ''set the rule'' that those closest to where a monster appeared would have the ''right'' to take that kill, but those two hadpletely ignored that. How could they not be angry?

    Of course, Emilia didn''t pay much attention to such a thing, busy as she was inmenting that the copper coins above a certain limit were automatically converted to gold and silver denominations after being put into the inventory. ''So the only way to look at big numbers is to have a lot of gold coins¡­ huh.''

    The crimson-haired girl sighed in disappointment, though she was now looking forward to killing ''better'' elites even more. ''Hearing all thoseints about this guy giving trash drops, I almost got duped!''

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 Chapter 730 Unflattering

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    After reaching the beginner''s town, Emilia and Crystal headed straight to the magic shop that sold mana potions so that they could check their new item''s stats.

    The ce was already bustling with all kinds of people now, but that was only to be expected, given the rapidly expanding ''poption'' of the ce.

    Fortunately, since the cheapest item in the store was a mana potion that cost ten copper coins, the actual counter itself waspletely deserted, so Emilia didn''t have to wait in line.

    The shopkeeper looked a little impatient, presumably already annoyed by all the ''cheap'' people who came to pester him so much but didn''t buy anything. But the moment he saw Emilia''s face, his expression immediately eased. "How can I help you?"

    A menu containing the shop''s various services and goods popped up in front of Emilia, and she happily selected the ''identify equipment'' option.

    Looking at the ''fresh'' behavior of the ''NPC'', some of the spectators couldn''t help but exim in surprise, and even some of the streamers turned their attention that way.

    "Huh?! Isn''t that too different from how he talked to us before?"

    "Tsk tsk, when I heard that the game was realistic, I didn''t expect that it included even this."

    "Is there a charm stat in this game?"

    "You better hope not. Otherwise, based on your looks¡­ hehe¡­"

    "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

    Crystal giggled as she waited for Emilia while listening to their discussions. ''Thankfully, there are no real scumbags nearby.''

    Obviously, the reason the shopkeeper treated the crimson-haired elf differently was only that she''d previously purchased twenty mana potions from him.

    Since this was their first time in Arcadia, very few yers had managed to discover that they could already infuse their element into their attacks at the cost of mana. And even among those, not many were tempted to splurge on potions.

    After all, without any way to buy anything directly with real money, and Arcadia''s expected poprity, the game''s currency could be considered quite precious.

    Unfortunately, since equipment had to be taken out of the inventory to be identified, everyone''s attention soon turned to the sword Emilia had taken out of her inventory.

    Of course, since it just suddenly appeared on the table, most people assumed that she must have purchased it from the shop. The fact that Emilia didn''t have one strapped to her beginner''s belt as she should have also didn''t help.

    "Huh? Did this shop sell weapons?"

    "Only some overpriced ''Beginner''s'' series at twenty copper pieces each¡­ I can''t imagine someone being stupid enough to buy those when we get them for free."

    "Then how do you exin that?"

    "Eh, she probably dropped and lost hers somewhere, maybe?" A certain ''orc'' girl chuckled as she yed with her strangely curled and downward-pointing ears.

    After trying to hunt a few beasts outside the town, like many others, she too found it quite boring and decided to ''explore'' what else the game had to offer first.

    The boy who had voiced his doubts couldn''t help but tilt his head, even more confused than before. "¡­ No way? If she were so clumsy, she wouldn''t have the coins to buy a new one, would she?"

    "You have no idea how the world works, do you?" The orc girl chuckled. "Not to mention that stupid bimbo, even I can get some stupid idiot to work for me like a horse to get that measly amount."

    Their hushed arguments didn''t reach Emilia''s ears, but Crystal couldn''t help but frown.

    Sometimes, her ability was quite inconvenient, making it impossible to ignore certain things.

    Crystal knew that she shouldn''t act too defensive, considering that Emilia was supposed to be a ''stranger'' to her until just recently, but...

    How could she just listen to people badmouthing her girlfriend and not do anything about it?

    "What did you just call her?"

    The orc girl stared at the blonde ranger who suddenly appeared in front of her, feeling a little confused. "Um, are you talking to me¡­?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Wasn''t this the girl following that crimson-haired elf beauty? Why bother her, then?

    Could this be the legendary king of the sea, who collected beauties left and right?

    Although the orc girl considered herself to be quite cute, she couldn''t help but be a little ttered. ''Hey, if I can be considered on the same level as that elf, even with my definitely negative charm buff because of picking orc race, I must have underestimated how pretty I was!''

    Of course, Crystal''s next words immediately shattered her illusion.

    "Was it not you who called her a stupid bimbo?"

    The orc girl was obviously a little embarrassed, and couldn''t help but cough awkwardly. "Uh, you heard that? Sorry, I tend to be a little sassy when the stream is running."

    Fortunately, she hadn''t given in to the urge to pretend to pick something up from the ground, or she would have been doubly embarrassed at this moment.

    The guy next to her snickered, only to be rewarded by an elbow to his ribs.

    The orc girl''s sharp re immediately made him realize that if he didn''t keep his mouth shut, everyone would know exactly where he was looking just moments before.

    It was only then that Crystal noticed the existence of a blinking red dot over the orc girl''s head, and frowned. ''It will probably be bad for Emilia if the matter blows up the wrong way, right?''

    She wasn''t sure what her girlfriend''s missions were this time around, but if they were anything like the onesst time, bad publicity would definitely not help.

    Crystal thought about it for a while before nodding. "I understand. It might have been a little hypocritical of me, but I also assumed she was dumb and annoying based on her beautiful looks when we first met, so your words must have rubbed me the wrong way." She smiled apologetically. "Sorry if I overreacted."

    Because the other party had already taken a step back and apologized, the blonde girl felt that this was the best way to make sure no one would use this matter to smear Emilia.

    "Did you make a new friend?"

    The honeyed voice brushing past her ear almost made Crystal jump in surprise as she blushed. "N-No, w-we were just making small talk. Are you done? L-Let''s go then!"

    Emilia just tilted her head with a smile as she waved at the strangely embarrassed orc girl in front of Crystal. "Well, goodbye, Crystal''s new friend!"

    Listening to the screams and sighs behind her, Crystal almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. ''Why did I even bother arguing for her? I should have just asked her toe forward and smile! It''s so much more effective¡­''

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    As they had nned on their way to the town, Crystal and Emilia headed for the closest inn to the vige chief''s house first, where they booked a room to ''rest'' in.

    The moment the door was closed, Emilia excitedly took out the three new items from her inventory to check their stats.

    Obviously, they could have done this kind of thing in public, too. But that would be an easy way to attract all kinds of annoyances their way.

    At this stage of the game, Emilia felt like remaining a little inconspicuous would be for the best.

    Crystal could more or less guess her girlfriend''s thoughts from her expression, and she resisted the urge to sigh. ''Since we can''t hide our faces... why does she even bother?''

    With the existence of streamers and the like, even if Emilia did absolutely nothing special, it may not take long for people to start taking notice. Not to mention, how could it be possible for her girlfriend to not stand out at all while striving for sess?

    "Green items cost ten copper each to identify, so they better be good!" She grumbled before touching the emerald earrings.

    essories in Arcadia came in a variety of forms, ranging from bracelets and rings to anklets and even lingerie. The only restriction was that one yer could only benefit from at most ten essories, though they could still wear as many as they liked.

    Naturally, for the first few months, all kinds of essories were a hotmodity in Arcadia, even if they had ''trash'' stats. So Emilia was looking forward to checking out the earrings the most.

    But after looking at their name, she couldn''t help but be stunned.

    "Goblin''s Tears¡­? What kind of stupidly unttering name is that?!"

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 Chapter 731 Goblins Tears

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    Normally, Emilia wouldn''t particrly care about the name of an essory, but the word ''Goblin'' was enough to make her a little displeased.

    Although most of the ''bloodlines'' that the yers could pick in Arcadia might look very simr to humans at the moment, that was only because of their low starting level.

    If and when someone managed to upgrade them, the ''Goblin'' bloodline, with its bulging belly, sickly green skin covered with warts, and protruding yellow eyes, was without a doubt one of the most unttering of them all. But if it was just their appearance that was repulsive, Emilia wouldn''t mind so much.

    It was the influence that this bloodline had on one''s subconscious tendencies that really made ''Goblins'' so distasteful. Every other bloodline might also have its own negative tendencies, but none of them were nearly as vile.

    Of course, it had its own advantages as well, such as the incredibly useful ''Treasure Hunter''s Instinct'' that could be unlocked once the bloodline level was upgraded. But the crimson-haired elf still didn''t like it.

    Cynthia chuckled. "So, are you going to toss it?"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''Of course not! I''m not that stupid¡­'' She grumbled. ''Even if I feel disgusted or displeased instinctively, I can still see things clearly in the end.''

    She wouldn''t deny that the description of the item contributed a little to her decision, but even if the essory had been ''bad'', Emilia would still use it until she had something better.

    The raven-haired girl smiled. "That''s good."

    Emilia blinked. ''By the way, have you figured it out already?''

    "Ahh, that¡­" Cynthia sighed. "Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible."

    After her partner had managed to figure out a way to connect to Emilia''s consciousness within the ''game'' earlier right around the time she encountered the ''Boar King'', the crimson-haired girl had wondered if it would be possible for her to be a ''yer'' like Crystal as well.

    Cynthia was obviously a little reluctant, mostly because she felt it would be too much of a hassle, but she agreed to give it a try after some thought.

    Unfortunately, however, despite Crystal being able to connect using the same interface with Emilia, it turned out that she couldn''t quite do the same.

    "Although our souls are different, the way this ''game'' uniquely identifies each person makes it so that while it can easily distinguish between you and Crystal, the two of us are considered the ''same'' person." Cynthia sighed. "Of course, we can fix this by reconstructing your body with a slightly modified void form, but¡­"

    Emilia frowned. ''I understand¡­ I''ll lose my current progress, won''t I?''

    Cynthia nodded. "Losing all your advantage right from the start¡­ I don''t think it''s worth it. Plus¡­ you know."

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl understood her partner''s thoughts. How could she not?

    Emilia couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. "Alright, don''t worry, I''ll handle it."

    With her partner''s nature, just being able to hear her voice from time to time was already a blessing. Asking Cynthia to actually ''work'' alongside her¡­ Emilia suddenly realized how ridiculous her thoughts had been.

    Crystal waited patiently until her girlfriend broke out of her ''daze'', then smiled. "Increased chance of obtaining bonus rewards¡­ huh? Isn''t that good?"

    Emilia nodded. "I think it should increase how many coins we get from killing monsters, at the very least. So, not bad. And if it can do anything else¡­ you can say we hit the jackpot."

    Of course, it was a little disappointing that the exact percentage of the reward bonus wasn''t shown, which would make it very difficult for the item to fetch a good price in the market. But since Emilia wasn''t nning to sell it for now anyway, it didn''t really matter.

    "Do you like it?"

    Crystal shook her head in denial. "Green suits you better."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    For some reason, Emilia felt a little strange, but soon shook off that weird feeling. "Help me put them on, then?"

    The blonde girl grinned as she stepped forward and happily started fondling Emilia''s elf ears.

    Once she got her hands on them, she couldn''t help but squeal. "It feels even better than I thought it would, ahhh!"

    Having wanted to try it from the moment she saw them, Crystal couldn''t help but be pleased. ''Thank you for the wonderful opportunity, Mr. Boar King. I shall remember your sacrifice.''

    Of course, since the crimson-haired elf felt good, she didn''t mind, and just assumed that her girlfriend was ying around while guessing the perfect spot to pierce.

    "It shouldn''t sting much, so don''t worry."

    Emilia obviously knew that Arcadia limited the intensity of pain one could experience in the first few weeks, though she had the hunch that it was probably because the ''sync'' it had with their souls was still in progress.

    Crystal yed around with her girlfriend''s ''fancy'' ears for a few more minutes beforeing back to her senses.

    She coughed, a little embarrassed. "I-I''ll do it now, okay?"

    Emilia hummed.

    The post of the earring was pointy enough, and easily pierced through the elf''s soft flesh, making Crystal flinch a little. But seeing how her girlfriend didn''t respond, she sighed in relief before doing the same with the other one.

    Wiping off the few drops of blood that then turned into sparkles of light before vanishing, the blonde girl smiled while admiring how pretty her girlfriend looked.

    She couldn''t help but grab Emilia''s shoulders and turn her to face the mirror. "Look, they look good on you, don''t they?"

    Emilia had to admit, the small emerald gems hanging from tiny bits of silver on the elf''s delicate ears really did enhance her charm.

    She couldn''t help but nod with a smile. "They do! And if they can increase the drop rate of rare items¡­ hehe¡­"

    Crystal giggled. "Don''t get your hopes up too high before you''re sure."

    "I know." Emilia nodded as she picked up the boots next. "Ahh¡­ these are for you."

    Grinning, the crimson-haired elf didn''t give her girlfriend a chance to protest before pushing her onto the bed. "My turn!"

    Watching Emilia untie her leather boots and help her put on the new ones, Crystal''s face turned a little red in embarrassment. "I-I took thest ones too, y-you''re still using the beginner ones!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes at her blonde girlfriend. "You didn''t look, did you? These are Focus Boots, and give a bonus to attack power if you stand still for a while. Do you think I can use them?"

    Crystal coughed awkwardly. "I-I¡­ might have been too busy admiring how pretty you looked with the new earrings. Of course, you looked just as beautiful without them!"

    It was the crimson-haired elf''s turn to blush this time, and looking at even her ears turn red, Crystal was almost unable to contain herself from rushing forward to kiss her.

    The illusory privacy of the inn''s walls didn''t make Crystal forget that they were still in a world controlled by someone else, though, and she soon restrained herself. ''Ahhh¡­ how frustrating! I know the two of us aren''t supposed to be too familiar yet, but¡­ that won''t be the case for long! I have to be patient!''

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 Chapter 732 Poison Fang

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    Crystal believed that, so long as she kept flirting with Emilia regrly, it shouldn''t take long for other things to be eptable, even if someone were to analyze their behavior.

    Emilia giggled. "You flirt¡­ now I''ll feel a little shy wearing your hand-me-downs."

    Of course, despite what she said, the crimson-haired elf happily put on Crystal''s ''Swift Boots''.

    Unlike the passive of ''Focus Boots'', which was only really useful for ''backliners'' who could afford to stay still, the lower quality Swift Boots with the 5% movement speed would actually help her a lot.

    After all, faster movement would not only allow her to evade attacks more easily, but would also make it easier tounch more of her own.

    "Last is¡­ the sword."

    Emilia tried her best to keep her expectations low this time.

    After all, weapons were the most mon'' drops in Arcadia, and they''d already been very lucky so far. Even if the sword turned out to be the worst type despite its quality, she wouldn''t be particrly dissatisfied.

    But when she really looked at its stats, Emilia couldn''t help but gasp in shock. "Fuck! Is this really just green equipment?!"

    Surprised by her reaction, even Crystal became curious and focused on the description panel that popped open above the sword.

    ===========

    ''Poison Fang''

    Grade: Green

    Type: Longsword

    Attack Bonus: None

    Description: Poisons Enemies. Each fresh wound is equal to one stack.

    Movement Speed and Attack (Physical and Magical) reduced by 1% per stack.

    Enemies lose 10 HP per second per stack.

    Stacks reset if not refreshed for five seconds.

    ===========

    Normally, a sword without an attack bonus would be considered trash.

    After all, unlike every other beginner item, even the most basic weapon everyone got at the start of the game had a tiny little attack bonus, so why would anyone even switch?

    But not to mention zero, even if poison fang had a negative attack bonus, Emilia would still have been happy, because¡­ that passive was just too good!

    "If the stacks can keep going up¡­ how crazy would that be?" Emilia couldn''t help but squeal in excitement. ''This is considered just green grade? Maybe even blue, or purple grade items won''t be a match for this thing!''

    If she hadn''t known about more ''normal'' items from having seen them in the previous timeline, she could only imagine how disappointing her next higher-quality item would have made her feel.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Well, with how lucky you have been so far, who is to say that you won''t get better and better stuffter?"

    If she hadn''t known better, the raven-haired girl would have wondered if the world will wasn''t just tantly favoring her partner.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''I''m happy for the stroke of luck, but such things naturallye and go, and can''t be relied on. Moreover¡­ haven''t you seen what the hero was like?''

    The so-called ''genius'' of this world was definitely quite ''lucky'' in Arcadia too, but that wasn''t what really made him terrifying. Even if she was able to somehow curse the man in a way that he would never obtain a single good item in his life, Emilia still wouldn''t dare underestimate him.

    Being both ruthless and smart¡­ he was the worst kind of opponent anyone wanted to deal with.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Still¡­ this thing should give me some boost to start with¡­ at least, it won''t be impossible to catch up with him if I y my cards right.''

    In fact, the reason she could be so happy and think of herself as lucky was only that her style happened to suit the rather mismatched properties of the sword almost perfectly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    If the ''Poison Fang'' had been a dagger, it would have at least been of purple grade based on just its passive. But since the professions that used swords were expected to tank hits and increase their strength, it was no wonder that it wasn''t considered as precious, at least ording to Arcadia''s internal logic.

    Aside from Emilia, most people would really consider a ''tank weapon'' that scaled with attack speed and focused on dealing damage over time rather underwhelming, especially with its distinctck of stats.

    Looking at her girlfriend''s smug expression, Crystal couldn''t help but giggle. "This thing is quite suitable for a ''rogue'', huh¡­? Ah, and you, of course."

    Of course, not many ''rogues'' and ''thieves'' would be able to use a longsword properly. Even if Arcadia didn''t restrict them from using it, there was no way for them to easily acquire the relevant skills.

    Emilia fluttered her eyshes yfully. "Are you calling me a rogue, miss? I don''t recall taking advantage of you quite yet."

    Crystal grinned. "You wanna try?"

    Although she seemed daring and unafraid, only the blonde girl herself knew how rapidly her heart was beating in excitement at the moment.

    Unfortunately, the gorgeous elf in front of her only tickled her for a while after pouncing on her in ''revenge'', which only made Crystal''s ''symptoms'' worse.

    "Alright, enough ying around. Let''s go submit that quest before ande back to rest here before we get logged out!"

    Watching the crimson-haired beauty happily bounce away towards the door, Crystal couldn''t help but sigh. ''Even though this is supposed to be a game, I can''t believe I have to walk around feeling like this¡­''

    On the plus side, thanks to the thick leather skirt that the game generously provided for free, at least she won''t need to worry about a wet patch showing through.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Since the inn was quite close to the vige chief''s home, it didn''t take long for the two of them to get there. Of course, to submit the quest, they still had to wait in line at his gate.

    Unlike earlier, when everyone had been able to freely enter and leave as they pleased, the vige chief was now only entertaining one guest inside at a time.

    Emilia obviously knew that this meant people who could plete'' the man''s quest requirements were around, and she couldn''t help but sigh. ''I was hoping that there won''t be many¡­ what a waste of time.''

    She had no doubt that, of the seven people waiting in front of her and several dozen waiting around, none must have bothered even trying to finish the quest properly. Otherwise, without knowing all tricks and secrets, how could they finish it on the first day?

    As soon as they heard someone somewhere mention that they could find random things and clues to plete'' the first quest and get the reward, these people probably rushed over without thinking.

    Of course, Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to lecture them about their mistakes or attract hate by breaking the line. Instead, she just patiently waited her turn.

    Just a few more minutes¡­ she could afford it. Now was not the time to stand out.

    Fortunately, the vige chief didn''t talk much with those who barely even triedpleting his quest, and just thanked them for their ''efforts'' with a sigh before sending them out with the nominal ''rewards''.

    Of course, some people couldn''t help but curiously question those who ''happily'' exited the hut.

    "Hey, hey, what did you get?"

    "Are the rumors about the ''recycling center'' true?"

    "Hey, don''t call it that! What if the NPCs hear it and get mad?"

    "Oh hush, don''t take it so seriously. They probably won''t understand, and even if they do, who cares? Hey, where are you going?!"

    Most people didn''t answer, but surprisingly enough, one of them didn''t mind, and proudly thumped his chest with a smile. "Some experience, a better weapon, and the next quest. I''m already level two."

    Looking at the stinky face of everyone else who''d left dissatisfied, he could obviously guess that they must not have received rewards as plentiful as himself, so it was obvious why he was so happy.

    Who knew that a random broken twig he stumbled across deep inside the woods would give him so many benefits? He''d just randomly tried his luck after hearing about how the vige chief was taking all kinds of trash!

    Even the most skilled yers farming diligently outside may not yet have hit level two, and yet, here he was!

    Thinking of how popr a game with such revolutionary high quality might be, and how he was so far ahead of them, the boy couldn''t help but grin with pride. ''Is this the rise of I, Oozy Mcre, to fame...?''

    Being the ''top'' yer of the first game released by that world-renowned genius... wouldn''t all those people who used to look down on him just die from envy when they found out?!

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 Chapter 733 The Hidden Quest

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    To only be able to reach level two, Emilia realized that the proud boy in front of her must have just received one of the lowest level rewards, being only slightly better than those who really screwed it up intentionally.

    But while the crimson-haired elf was feeling pity, those who didn''t know better couldn''t help but be envious.

    "Is it really so easy to get items and experience in this game?"

    "Damn! I really regret wasting almost six hours farming, and I''m still only halfway through leveling up!" A man in front of her cursed.

    Compared to the proud boy who left after iming his rewards, Emilia found him even more pitiful. ''Poor guy¡­ if only he didn''t get lured away by the rumors, he might have stood a chance to be a top powerhouse.''

    For a regr person, it was definitely impossible to beat the [Boar King] at such a low level. Not to mention, all of the hidden ''endings'' of the first quest were still ''unknown'', so it was impossible for anyone to take that shortcut as well.

    Therefore, at least for the first week or so, the most reliable way to be a top yer in Arcadia was to grind, grind, and grind relentlessly!

    Without the help of mana potions and Emilia''s inhuman reaction speed and fighting style, it would still be possible to kill the [Boar King] with a decent party of level five yers.

    At that time, if they could find the torn skirt of the ''missing girl'' and return to the vige chief¡­ their rewards would include a hundred thousand experience points!

    For a level one yer, that would be more than enough to reach level seven. Of course, higher levels required more experience, so it might not seem as absurd, but the time it ended up saving wasn''t any less.

    While Emilia was still sighing in pity, the man in front of her rushed into the vige chief''s hut as his turn finally arrived¡­ and returned momentster with a furious expression.

    "Where did that little bastard go?! I''ll kill that fucking liar!"

    While others rushed to question him about what happened, Emilia didn''t bother wasting her time as it was finally her turn to enter the hut.

    Obviously, that man must have obtained the actual minimum reward of one experience point after giving the vige chief some actual trash.

    ''If he''s so angry now, I can''t imagine how furious he will be when he realizes that what he ''lost'' wasn''t just a thousand points of experience¡­ but a hundred thousand!'' Emilia giggled.

    The rewards from the main quests were always generous in Arcadia, andpleting them was also not particrly difficult. But they were few and far between, as most yers would soon realize.

    Rushing toplete them only to mess up was one of the worst mistakes one could make in Arcadia.

    But aside from those she could absolutely trust, Emilia wouldn''t be foolish enough to try and ''help'' them discover these things and attract unnecessary trouble her way.

    After all, given that even the hero didn''t understand everything about Arcadia at this point, as someone who seemingly could, it was obvious how rming her existence would be to him and the world will.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but chuckle. ''Didn''t she find his situation quite pitiful earlier?''

    Of course, the raven-haired girl didn''t voice her thoughts out loud. Even if she believed that most mortals would never be able to betray her partner anyway, Emilia wouldn''t be a very good viiness if she actually took her words seriously and went around helping everyone, would she?

    Not to mention, there were always a few ''outliers'' even among the simplest of mortals, and even Cynthia didn''t dare guarantee anything, so Emilia''s cautious behavior was more or less justified.

    A few momentster, the vige chief finally got to the point. "Since you have returned, brave traveler, I''m assuming you must have found some clues, right?"

    Emilia hummed in agreement, and pretended to fumble around with her inventory as if deciding what was the most ''useless'' item in her possession, before submitting the ''Tears of the Immortal'' by ''mistake''.

    Just as she was ''about to panic'', however, she was ''stunned''.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but giggle in amusement at her partner''s act, only to stiffen a momentter. Surprisingly enough, however, Emilia didn''t bother scolding her.

    Instead, she remained focused on the task.

    For some reason, it made the raven-haired girl a little sad, but she soon shook off that thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    On the other hand, after receiving the quest item, the expression on the vige chief''s face becamepletely distorted.

    He looked at the teardrop-shaped transparent pearl in his hand in both disbelief and awe. "N-No way, i-it cannot be¡­!"

    After pacing around the hut for almost a full minute, mumbling crazily like an insane old fool, the vige chief finally snapped back to his senses.

    He rushed forward and clutched Emilia''s shoulders, his old eyes red and almost bursting with blood vessels in excitement. "Little girl, tell me, where did you find this?!"

    The crimson-haired girl obviously knew that no matter what she said next, the results of the quest won''t change, so she just reported the location of the item ''truthfully''.

    After listening to her story, the vige chief sighed and slumped back on his chair, staring up at the dpidated roof for another few minutes before once againing back to his senses. "It seems like her fate has led her to that ce in the end, after all¡­"

    Seemingly making up his mind, the old man quickly strode to his desk with a determined expression. "No, even if it is fate, I cannot just sit idly by!"

    Watching his quill fly across the parchment so deftly, Emilia waited patiently and received her ''Letter of Introduction'' with a smile.

    She didn''t question the man, as that would only make the dialog longer. But he went on to exin everything that was necessary anyway.

    "Take this letter to Mr. Longhorn in Vermillion City, and¡­ let him know that his daughter has been taken to the Ice Lotus Pce. He will know what it means." The vige chief''s expression made it clear that the matter was both urgent and a top secret, so Emilia nodded somberly.

    The moment she epted the letter, the notifications for her rewards finally started chiming.

    Ding!

    Main Quest [The Duke''s Lost Daughter [Clues Found 0/3]] has been upgraded to the Hidden Quest [The Immortal''s Journey (Part 1)].

    Quest Updated!

    [Immortal''s Journey (Part 1): Discover the Immortal''s Tears [1/1] and bring them to the Vige Chief in the Beginner''s Town] ¡ª Completed!

    Rewards Issued!

    Experience Reward: 250,000 points!

    Additional Attribute Rewards: 10 Free Unallocated Stat Points

    Item Rewards:

    1 x Random Blue Equipment Box

    3 x Random Green Equipment Box

    10 x Mana Potions

    10 x Gold Coins

    All items have been added to the free space in the inventory.

    Bonus Quest [The Rising Star] has been added to the [Quest] menu!

    Emilia immediately felt a burst of energy exploding within her body as she listened to the continuous chime of level up notifications, and she couldn''t help but grin. ''First step to catching up with the hero¡­ done!''

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 Chapter 734 Fair Compensation

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    The experience reward from the quest caused Emilia''s status to gopletely out of control as it continuously updated, but the keen eyes of the crimson-haired elf didn''t miss a single detail.

    [Level up!]

    [Level 4 ¡ú 253,578 / 10,000] ¡ú [Level 5 ¡ú 243,578 / 15,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    Milestone Level 5 Reached!

    Unallocated Attribute Points Per Level Increased from +1 to +2.

    +2 Unallocated Attribute Points

    [Level up!]

    [Level 5 ¡ú 243,578 / 15,000] ¡ú [Level 6 ¡ú 228,578 / 20,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    +2 Unallocated Attribute Points

    [Level up!]

    [Level 6 ¡ú 228,578 / 20,000] ¡ú [Level 7 ¡ú 208,578 / 40,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    +2 Unallocated Attribute Points

    [Level up!]

    [Level 7 ¡ú 208,578 / 40,000] ¡ú [Level 8 ¡ú 168,578 / 60,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    +2 Unallocated Attribute Points

    [Level up!]

    [Level 8 ¡ú 168,578 / 60,000] ¡ú [Level 9 ¡ú 108,578 / 100,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    +2 Unallocated Attribute Points

    Whether it was because of the drastic hike in experience requirement or the limited number of beasts avable around the Beginner''s Vige, a hundred thousand experience was no joke.

    Looking at the notification, though, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''The ninth level, which everyone finds nightmarishly difficult to grind through¡­ I passed it just like that.''

    Of course, she didn''t feel it was a pity. Rather, she was d.

    If Emilia had to grind for weeks just to hit level ten, she would never stand a chance to snatch that first title from the hero even in her dreams.

    [Level up!]

    [Level 9 ¡ú 108,578 / 100,000] ¡ú [Level 10 ¡ú 8,578 / 110,000]

    [All attributes +1]

    Breakthrough Level 10 Reached!

    Of course, the absurd hike in experience requirement every ten levels also meant that those who finally crossed it would be rewarded generously.

    Inventory size increased from 10 to 20!

    Unallocated Attribute Points Per Level Increased from +2 to +5!

    +5 Unallocated Attribute Points

    The world will might have given the hero some unique advantages, but aside from that, Emilia thought that it was quite fair and generous with Arcadia''s design.

    Having sessfully reached level ten within the first ''day'' of the game''s release, which was her first goal, Emilia couldn''t help but smile in contentment. ''Hey Cynthia¡­ right now, isn''t there a good chance that my status is even better than that of the hero?''

    Her partner chuckled. "Maybe? But there''s no way to be sure. Those unique skills of his are quite absurd, after all."

    Whether it was the ''Hero''s Instinct'' or the ''Hero''s Might'', the advantage they gave to their user was so absurd that it would be consideredpletely ''game breaking'' almost anywhere else.

    Not to mention a genius like Darryl, maybe even a moron like Amos would have been able to excel in this world with such powerful advantages.

    Of course, only the ''hero'', the chosen one of the world will, had the privilege of starting the game with unique skills. It wasn''t something that a moner'' like Emilia could covet.

    But even so, Emilia believed that so long as she kept pressing her advantage to the best of her ability, she could still make up for the ''gap'' created by those unique skills.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ==========

    ¡ª Princess ¡ª

    ¡ª Titles ¡ª

    -None

    Type ¡ú Elf

    ss ¡ú Warrior

    [Level 10]

    Experience Points ¡ú [8,578 / 110,000]

    ¡ª Primary Stats ¡ª

    [Strength] ¡ú 20

    [Intelligence] ¡ú 20

    [Agility] ¡ú 113

    Unallocated Points: 25

    ¡ª Secondary Stats ¡ª

    Hitpoints ¡ú 200

    Mana ¡ú 20

    Speed ¡ú 1.13

    Inventory ¡ú 20 Slots

    ==========

    Emilia didn''t hesitate in spending all of her newly acquired ''free points'' to upgrade her agility, boosting it straight to a hundred and thirty-eight.

    ''Hehe¡­ with this, I''m now able to move and attack almost forty percent faster than a level one yer!'' She giggled. ''And that''s not even counting the bonus from my skirt!''

    Of course, the bonus from her equipment only worked on ''attack'' speed, as its description stated. It didn''t count towards movement and chant speed, unlike the universal boost from upgrading agility.

    Feeling her body almost bursting with energy, Emilia smiled. ''I finally don''t feel so shackled anymore.''

    Although this ''body'' was still far inferior to the one she had in the real world, the crimson-haired elf knew that it wouldn''t be long before things changed.

    In fact, if things worked out as nned¡­ even her original body might receive an upgrade!

    Just thinking about it made her giddy.

    Cynthia wanted to remind her partner to not get too excited, but looking at Emilia''s happy expression, she simply couldn''t bring herself to do it. ''¡­ Forget it, then. So what if she spends a few more minutes to rx?''

    The vige chief was also very patient with those whopleted higher-level missions, and didn''t chase her out even though the crimson-haired elf had clearly long overstayed her wee.

    Thankfully, though, Emilia soon came back to her senses, and hurried out of the hut after schooling her expression.

    Crystal had been waiting right behind her in the line, and was supposed to enter next, but the crimson-haired elf quickly stopped her by grabbing her arm.

    "Hey, why do you think that girl took so long?"

    "Could it be that, like that angry guy before, she also didn''t get much, and wanted to argue with the NPC?"

    A few of themughed, but some were still doubtful.

    Since the appearance of avatars in Arcadia was very simr to their real self, it wasn''t hard to believe that someone like Emilia could throw a tantrum at an NPC. After all, she must be used to getting her way without much effort in the real world.

    But her extended stay inside the hut did make them question why everyone before her had entered and exited the vige chief''s hut so quickly.

    "Could it be that the vige chief chases everyone out quickly¡­ unless they have a certain charm stat?"

    "You¡­ don''t really believe that there''s a charm stat, right?"

    "Just because we can''t see it doesn''t mean it''s not there!"

    Their discussion soon attracted everyone''s attention, leaving Emilia free to fill Crystal in on the ''secret'' of the quest.

    Of course, the blonde girl didn''t need to be told twice, but Emilia still didn''t want to take any chances.

    Two hundred and fifty thousand experience on Arcadia''sunch day¡­ it wasn''t something they could afford to miss!

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 Chapter 735 Opening Lootboxes

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    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® Even though a lot of people were lost in their own personal arguments, a few were still paying attention to Crystal. After all, with her appearance, it was difficult to not attract attention in such a crowded ce. And with Emilia by her side, the problem only became exponentially worse.

    Luckily, with their real faces being reflected by their avatars, it was impossible to hide behind an avatar''s anonymity, so most of them were quite hesitant to approach either of the beauties.

    If they ended up offending some people that they shouldn''t, it really wouldn''t be worth it.

    But it didn''t stop people from gossiping.

    "What the hell is that elf slut whispering in the blondie''s ear for so long? Could it be that she discovered some secret?" A young man with a somewhat receded hairline muttered in a daze.

    Of course, others only thought of it as a joke.

    "Tsk tsk, looking at their faces, do you really think they''re actually interested enough in the game to care about stats and stuff?"

    "If you''re still confused, just look at what she''s wearing and you''ll know the answer."

    Obviously, Emilia''s short skirt had made quite an impression on many already, but most of them misunderstood her purpose for wearing it.

    Most of the items that could be bought in the shops in their current situation were quite lousy, after all. The cheapest ones even came with negative status effects, such as reduced movement or attack speed!

    As for the item being a ''drop'', no one even thought about it. After all, many had spotted Emilia and Crystal in the town at the ''start'', too. Even if they briefly ventured into the forest, could theypare to those crazy grinders?

    How could these casual girls obtain an item before those people?

    Assuming that the crimson-haired elf bought a very ''attractive'' skirt that reduced her stats for cheap made much more sense.

    "Maybe even that money was borrowed using her looks." Some ndered.

    Of course, Crystal couldn''t help ring their way when she felt the ''salty'', ''jealous'', and ''hateful'' feelings being directed at her girlfriend, only to earn a dissatisfied swat to her arm.

    "Are you listening?"

    The blonde girl coughed in embarrassment before leaning over to whisper in the crimson-haired elf''s ear. "I-I really know I have to submit that item already, it''s not that hard!"

    Emilia finally breathed a sigh of relief, and when Crystal suggested that she return to the inn first, she just nodded. "Alright, let''s meet up there, then."

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    Crystal returned to the inn looking so proud and satisfied that Emilia couldn''t help but blink in confusion.

    Of course, the blonde girl didn''t see the need to hide what happened now that it was already done.

    "There were a few idiots ndering us around that area, so I just taught them a little lesson. Nothing to worry about." She giggled.

    "Oh¡­ is that so? Good job!" Emilia praised her generously.

    Although she was a little curious about what methods her girlfriend used, the crimson-haired elf was too excited about opening their newly acquired loot boxes to mind it too much. Since her girlfriend didn''t take the initiative to exin, she also didn''t pay it any more mind.

    Of course, Crystal was more than happy with the turn of events, and took out her own share of one blue and three green boxes to put on the bed with a smile.

    Maybe even if Emilia knew that she scolded those people silly using some of their own deepest insecurities, she would only be more proud.

    That group of idiots was probably still standing there in a daze, having never expected such a pretty girl to have such a vicious tongue, much less use it to protect another.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They briefly debated on who would be the one opening the boxes, or if they should just take turns, but Emilia decided in the end that it had to be Crystal.

    "I''ve never been so lucky, so it must have been your charm that has been rubbing off on the both of us all this time!" She giggled.

    Crystal could only sigh and do as she was told. Fortunately, she already knew that her girlfriend wouldn''t me her even if the results were bad, or the pressure would have been too great.

    Emilia barely managed to restrain her excitement. ''AHH! If there''s some good stuff that can be usefulter when taken out, wouldn''t that be great?!''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but chuckle. "Don''t get your hopes up too high. Only a few item effects work outside the game, and you were already lucky enough to get that Poison Fang."

    Of course, in Arcadia''s current state, no item could be manifested into reality anyway. But once it really started affecting the world outside, items with ''realistic'' effects would be highly coveted. Even if they were greatly ''nerfed'' when taken out, some of the effects could still be disastrous to the unprepared.

    Under Emilia''s expectant gaze, Crystal gingerly pressed the ''open'' button on a green box first, which immediately burst into light effects.

    With a distinct ''ding'' sound, a description dialogue popped open in front of them before they even saw the item.

    ==========

    ¡ªRing of Might¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Ring)

    Effect ¡ú When facing a stronger opponent, greatly increased chance to resist stagger and crush effects one time every 60 seconds. Does not work if the target is in direct contact.

    ==========

    Emilia didn''t look very disappointed, but Crystal wasn''t particrly happy with the item, and immediately opened another green box impatiently.

    ==========

    ¡ªRing of Fury¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Ring)

    Effect ¡ú +5% Attack Speed

    ==========

    Although the description was much shorter, the blonde girl couldn''t help but jump for joy. ''Thankfully, it''s not useless!''

    She happily grabbed both of the rings and put them on her girlfriend''s left and right ring fingers with a grin. "These are both for you, obviously."

    Emilia just smiled. "Thank you, they''re both good."

    Noticing her girlfriend''s nervousness, though, she couldn''t help but giggle. "Not everything will be a jackpot, you know? But you can just open them all at once if you''re so nervous."

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 Chapter 736 Jackpot

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ?

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    Immediately after she epted both the rings, however, Emilia grabbed Crystal''s left hand and slid the ''Ring of Fury'' on her ring finger.

    The blonde girl was stunned. "W-Why, didn''t you ept it?! This is the better one, too!"

    Emilia grinned. "Although five percent attack speed is useful to me too, it will definitely y a bigger role in your hand than mine."

    Moreover, unlike her blond girlfriend, Emilia actually quite liked the ''Ring of Might''.

    There were certain situations where, while she could still avoid an enemy''s blow, being able to block it would give her greater maneuverability. This was especially so when the enemy was muchrger than herself, or when there was an ally nearby who might be in danger.

    Seeing Crystal struggle, the crimson-haired elf frowned. "Are you going to reject it?"

    The other girl bowed her head awkwardly. "W-Well, I-I wouldn''t have gotten such good loot if not for your help, right?"

    Of course, this was only the reason she felt was ''safe'' to express inside Arcadia. The real reason was just that she felt it was better for her to help Emilia strengthen herself as much as possible, while she could just make do with the rest.

    She was here to help her girlfriend with her mission, after all.

    Reaching out to pinch the other girl''s cheek, Emilia sneered. "We''re splitting ourbined loot fairly just to increase our chances of each getting better-fitting items, you know? If you make it a habit to give away things that are your own, you might soon lose the strength to protect yourself."

    How could Crystal not understand the meaning hidden in her girlfriend''s seemingly harsh words?

    Between the two of them, the distribution of a few items may not matter, but Emilia still wanted Crystal to try her best to be as strong as possible.

    After all, if Arcadia was able to strengthen one''s soul itself, then this was Crystal''s unique chance to acquire strength in a way that she previously never could have imagined. If she failed to make the most of it, maybe she would regret it forever.

    Crystal may not really care about her ''strength'', but since her girlfriend was going so far, she couldn''t just let her sincerity go to waste.

    The blonde girl could only sigh in defeat. "I understand. I''ll open the rest, then, and we each take what suits us best?"

    Emilia nodded and patted the back of the other girl''s palm proudly. "Good."

    Cynthia almost sneered. ''Weren''t they supposed to pretend to be strangers at first?''

    Of course, out of consideration for her partner''s mood, the raven-haired girl didn''t voice her thoughts out loud, so Emilia and Crystal moved on to opening the remaining four palm-sized green boxes without a hitch.

    ==========

    ¡ªRing of Light¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Ring)

    Effect ¡ú Light element damage enhanced by 5%

    ==========

    ¡ªAdventurer''s Best Friend¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Belt)

    Effect ¡ú Inventory Slots +10

    ==========

    ¡ªSylvan Strike¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú Weapon (Bow)

    Effect 1 ¡ú +10% Attack

    Effect 2 ¡ú Inflicts 10% poison damage to the target over the next ten seconds. Cannot stack.

    ==========

    ¡ªFearless Maiden''s Dignified Companion¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Undergarment)

    Effect 1 ¡ú When within the striking range of a stronger enemy, increases the damage dealt and taken by up to 100%. The closer, the better.

    Effect 2 ¡ú Enables the use of utility skill ''Cleanse'' [Water/Air].

    [Cleanse] (Utility) ¡ª Water Element, Air Element

    Mana Cost ¡ú 5 points.

    Cleans and purifies a certain area over a period of two seconds. Cannot remove poison. Cannot cure disease.

    ==========

    The ring, the bow, and the belt were all good, but thest green item left both Emilia and Crystal stunned.

    Clearly, neither of them expected a pair of panties to pop out of the item box, let alone one with such a weird name and description.

    "I-I think you should keep this one, d-definitely." Crystal coughed, a little embarrassed.

    With her girlfriend''s short skirt, the default ''free'' white silk undergarments were definitely more ''appropriate'' to wear whenpared to these sexy greence ones, as they covered a lot more sensitive ''area''. But the effect of the item fit a bit too well with her girlfriend''s fighting style to ignore.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but wonder. ''Are these drops really random¡­?''

    "Okay, thank you." Emilia nodded. "Then you keep the ''Ring of Light'' and the bow, obviously? As for the belt, let''s decide on thatter."

    Crystal hummed, a little disappointed that her girlfriend didn''t blush¡­ and didn''t immediately ''try it on'' right away, either.

    With only the two ''Blue'' boxes left, the blonde girl made a silent prayer in her mind before pressing the first one, and to both their shock, what popped out was¡­ another bow!

    ==========

    ¡ªStarlit Bow¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Blue<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Type ¡ú Weapon (Bow)

    Effect 1 ¡ú +25% Attack

    Effect 2 ¡ú Each strike to the enemy increases the chance of them taking critical damage by 1%, maximum fifty stacks,sts 60 seconds.

    ==========

    "AHH! We already got one just before, what a waste!" Crystal cried.

    Of course, ''Starlit Bow'' was definitely much better than the ''Sylvan Strike'' from the green box, so she didn''t regret getting it, but that was still a wasted item!

    Based on Emilia''s reactions, it definitely wasn''tmon to get equipment of higher quality, and they may not even be able to upgrade any items they got now for a long, long time.

    Contrary to her expectations, however, Emilia only ran her hand over the crystalline bow with a delighted sigh. "It''s so pretty, and definitely suits you in more than one way."

    Although she couldn''t say it right now, Emilia knew that a lot of ''Light'' based skills were actually multiple or fragmented shots, making the passive of the ''Starlit Bow'' extremely useful.

    ''After Crystal bes stronger, and we upgrade this bow''s quality¡­ maybe she can even out damage that crazy guy from the hero''s team!'' Emilia almost shuddered in excitement.

    Looking at her girlfriend''s reaction, Crystal''s mood also improved a lot. "Oh¡­ I suppose it''s all good, then." She coughed. "The other bow can always be ''sold'' to others."

    The crimson-haired elf nodded with a smile. ''If Sylvia has picked the ranger ss as she should have, then this thing will suit her quite well, too.''

    "Thest one¡­ you open it."

    Emilia didn''t object, and opened thest blue box steadily.

    With their harvests so far, even if thisst item wasn''t so good, she wouldn''t be too disappointed.

    ==========

    ¡ªWisdom of the Forest¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Blue

    Type ¡ú essory (Headgear)

    Effect 1 ¡ú Enables the use of special skill ''Vignce'' when worn.

    Effect 2 ¡ú Cannot be upgraded using traditional means.

    [Vignce] (Special) ¡ª No Element

    Mana Cost ¡ú 10 points.

    Allows the user to gain awareness of a certain area around them when the skill is active.

    Only costs mana on activation, can remain active persistently without additional cost.

    Area of Vignce scales with the skill''s level.

    The level of the skill can only be increased by killing the required number of unique monsters. Elites, Bosses, and certain special monsters only count as one, even if they split. Certain variations of monsters may not count.

    Current Level ¡ú 1

    Area of Vignce ¡ú 10 square meters around the user.

    Unique monsters to be killed within the skill''s zone for the next upgrade ¡ú 0 / 10

    ==========

    The two of them stared at each other silently for a while before Crystal suddenly burst into giggles. "And you said I was lucky, do you regret not opening it all yourself now?"

    "Of course not!" Emilia coughed. "A-Anyway, I suddenly feel like hunting a few monsters again. Wanna join?"

    Even as she asked that question, the crimson-haired elf was sliding off her ''default'' silk panties to put on the green,ced ''Fearless Maiden''s Dignified Companion'', making it impossible for Crystal to think of anything good, let alone respond.

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    Naturally, with not much time left before Arcadia''s day ended, Emilia didn''t actually want to pointlessly grind a few low-level mobs.

    The measly amount of experience they would get would not be worth the trouble of rushing back and forth in a hurry, and risking being separated if they failed to return to the inn in time.

    "If I understand it correctly, each ''unique'' monster that I need to kill should include the little bunnies and pigs we killed earlier, but it just didn''t count because I didn''t have the item at that time."

    Even though Emilia exined it so clearly, Crystal barely heard half of it, busy as she was admiring the ''scenery'' in front of her.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but sigh. ''Luckily, that thing didn''te with an effect suitable for me.''

    The two of them had attracted quite a bit of attention after leaving the inn, with their shiny new equipment. But with Emilia''s speed and somewhat aloof and cold expression, by the time people had the thought of approaching her, she would long be gone.

    Crystal did feel a bit weird being dragged along at that speed, but thankfully, there was no pain from her arm, and Emilia allowed her to move on her own once they left the crowded areas.

    ''Thebination of this skirt and that thing is really lethal¡­'' She sighed. ''I hope I managed to prevent any perverts from peeking.''

    Of course, as the beautiful crimson-haired elf ughtered the ''Red-Eyed Rabbit'' that was unlucky enough toe across them, she jumped in joy at confirming her conjecture, andpletely failed to notice her girlfriend''s absurd thoughts.

    Since they had both hit level ten, the monsters around the beginner''s vige unfortunately no longer gave them any experience or loot.

    "It''s true! Let''s go quickly, maybe we can still catch that big pig¡­" She giggled. ''There''s no way we can kill it in time before the day ends, but as long as it''s there and I get a hit in, it''s possible that it will count!''

    Crystal was more than happy to follow her and help Emilia get rid of a few wild boars along the way, but when they finally got to the location of the ''Boar King'', there was not a soul in sight.

    Just like the ''Tears of the Immortal'', the special boss [Boar King] only spawned when a yer who hadn''t ever killed it was close enough. After it appeared, though, anyone could participate in taking it down.

    With one ''qualified'' person around, a good team could even ''farm'' the [Boar King] repeatedly, so long as that person didn''t join their party, or get a hit in. That being said, it wouldn''t be a very efficient or safe way of farming.

    With the threat level of the [Boar King] to yers below level ten, it wouldn''t be a surprise if such a team ended up losing more than they gained.

    Emilia sighed in disappointment. ''It''s a pity that nobody else discovered it yet.''

    If she really wanted to, Emilia obviously could have easily let others know, or even dragged someone else along to force the boss to ''spawn'', but she didn''t feel it was worth it.

    "Alright, since the big pig is not here, and I''m a little tired, let''s get back to the inn and log out?"

    Looking at her girlfriend''s grincking any disappointment, Crystal breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. "Okay."

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 Chapter 737 Weal And Woe Alike

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    Being a diligent team of ''pro'' yers, Danielle and the others didn''t leave the game until they were forced to log out along with everyone else.

    When the four full-dive pods in the ''Crimson Witches'' game room popped open at the same time, everyone was a little exhausted from their endless ughter of ''pigs'' and ''rabbits''.

    "Ugh, didn''t the marketing say Arcadia will only remain online four hours at a time, and the servers will go ''down'' for eight hours after every session?" Nico groaned. "It felt like I was hitting those stupid pigs all day!"

    Robin also nodded. "It seems like the time inside the game passed at a much slower rate, somehow¡­ as expected of the genius, huh?"

    Looking at the clock on the game room''s wall, the two of them couldn''t help but sigh.

    Unlike Robin and Nico, however, Danielle and Sylvia didn''t miss the fact that Emilia had already been waiting for them when they exited the pods.

    The viiness frowned. "Since you were the one to suggest that we invest in this game, shouldn''t you take it a little more seriously?"

    Sylvia was also a little curious at first, but listening to Danielle''s tone, she couldn''t help but sneer. "Are you the type of boss who is bothered by an employee clocking out early, regardless of how productive they have actually been throughout the day?"

    Nico and Robin stared at each other helplessly, guessing that another long and pointless argument was about to start between the two ipatible girls.

    Of course, they knew better than to mediate at this point, but a certain crimson-haired girl clearly wasn''t on the same wavelength.

    "Actually, I only came out a few minutes before the rest, mostly because there was no point in staying inside anymore." Emilia giggled. "After all, I couldn''t make any further progress inside the beginner''s vige, and was too exhausted to try venturing out."

    The four other members of the crimson witches were obviously stunned.

    What did it mean to not be able to make further progress within the beginner''s vige? Just what level did Emilia hit, and how?!

    Could it be that she discovered some amazing new way to gain experience?

    While the rest of the team was excited, Sylvia frowned. "Emilia¡­ don''t tell me you used an exploit to your advantage?"

    Danielle felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head as she also realized the same thing, and she couldn''t help but groan. "N-No way, right? Please tell me you didn''t."

    Although it might be fine for some regr yers to take advantage of day-one bugs and exploits, ''pro'' yers like them definitely couldn''t afford to take that risk.

    In a game where the time invested and experience gained mattered a lot, even a single member getting banned and losing progress would definitely be a disaster for the entire team!

    Not to mention, such a thing could also be used for negative PR by their rivals.

    Emilia found the furious look quite funny on the usually confident and condescending face of the ''viiness'', and she couldn''t help but giggle. "Do you think I''m so stupid as to risk using exploits in a game where anyone else could peep at me while streaming?"

    Listening to her confident tone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

    The crimson-haired girl grinned. "I hit level ten fair and square, obviously. If you''re curious how I did it¡­ hehe, I might tell you if I''m in a good mood, you know?"

    Looking at their teammate''s smug little face turned up so proudly, Robin couldn''t help but go over to squeeze her cheeks angrily. "We were just worried about you, and you dare tease us like this!"

    Obviously, Emilia could have easily dodged the tomboy''s molesting hands, but considering how the heroine''s expression turned so interesting every time Robin did it, she just let it happen.

    Anyway, it didn''t really hurt, so it wasn''t like she cared too much.

    Before Sylvia''s dark gaze could kill her teammate, however, Danielle interrupted them with a cough. "Alright, enough ying around. Let''s head to the hall to have a proper discussion, shall we?"

    Emilia also understood that the viiness wasn''t in the mood to y around anymore, so she smiled and weaved out of Robin''s ''ws'' before following her.

    "Aww, how does she do that every time?!" The tomboy groaned.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Nico giggled. "Maybe because she''s tiny and soft, it''s easy for her to slip out of your gangly arms."

    Emilia almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. ''If I''m considered short, aren''t you no better?''

    But thinking about the alreadycking harmony in their team, she decided to let it be.

    ''Anyway, it looks like Sylvia is warming up to them a little.'' Emilia smiled.

    Cynthia had her doubts, considering the murderous gaze of the yellow-eyed heroine being directed at a certain tomboy, but she didn''t burst her partner''s bubble.

    After the five of them started sharing their respective experiences within the game, it soon became clear that none of them had spawned in the same beginner''s zone.

    It may not be as much of a problem for everyone else, but Nico had picked the ''Healer'' ss, and barely managed to hit level two after desperately grinding all day.

    Based on Emilia''s words, they all guessed that level ten must be some sort of requirement to leave the beginner''s zone, given how she stopped gaining experience.

    But if they couldn''t find a way to get together, who knew how long it would take for a lone healer to get to that point on her own?

    Even if she started with the same base stats as everyone else, beating up [Wild Boars] with a staff was definitely not a very efficient way of farming.

    "A-A few people did offer to team up with me, s-so maybe I can try taking someone up on the offer next time?" Nico coughed awkwardly.

    Danielle frowned and shook her head in denial. "Unless we have no better option, we can''t rely on strangers."

    Emilia nodded. "Right."

    Cynthia couldn''t help but chuckle in amusement. "Are you forgetting about the wonderful ''new'' friend you made ''online'' just now? I can almost imagine how funny this girl''s expression would be if she knew about it."

    The crimson-haired girl coughed. ''I-It''s not the right time to tell them that, yet.''

    Cynthia wondered how long her partner''s ''secret'' could actually be kept, considering how many obsessed gazes she''d seen being directed her way in the beginner''s town. ''Maybe she got used to it in thest world, but¡­ I''m not sure if that''s a good thing.''

    Of course, even if her partner didn''t pay attention to such things, she was still aware that they might have been recorded by some ''streamers'' while in the ''town'' area. But with so much going on, she didn''t believe her actions would be ''exposed'' to her team in a short period of time.

    ''Anyway, even if they do somehow figure it out, it''s not like Danielle can really beat me up.'' The crimson-haired girl nodded to herself confidently.

    Fortunately, Emilia was able to keep her expression in control, so no one discovered her abnormality, and continued focusing on finding a way to unite their team within Arcadia''s world.

    Looking it up online, they realized that this was a problem encountered by many, as friends and family alike got separated.

    Of course, it also exposed them to some of Arcadia''s serious issues.

    Danielle couldn''t help but furrow her brows in worry. "I was too busy grinding to notice, but¡­ just how are they going to handle this kind of outrage?"

    They hadn''t even actively tried to look it up, but the negative press about the ''game'' was already all over the inte, and they couldn''t avoid it even if they wanted to.

    Sylvia just leaned back on the sofa without a care in the world, but Nico and Robin couldn''t help but turn to Emilia.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Don''t worry, although our boss is a worrywart, since she agreed to your idea, she definitely won''t go back on her word, or me you for things you have no control over!"

    "Right, we''re in it as a team now, and share weal and woe alike!"

    Knowing that they were trying to help her, Emilia giggled, not caring about Danielle''s increasingly gloomy expression. "Okay, let''s not care about things we can''t do anything about, shall we? Wasn''t everyone curious about how I hit level ten so soon? Well, let me tell you."

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 Chapter 738 Downtime

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    After having personally experienced the hardship of gathering experience bit by bit in Arcadia, learning that there was such an easy and quick way to hit level ten directly was obviously a little hard to believe.

    But Danielle didn''t think Emilia had any reason to deceive them, so she could only sigh helplessly after thinking about it. "Your luck is really incredible."

    Even after they looked it up on the inte, no one else seemed to have discovered the secret topleting the first part of the main quest with the highest level of rewards, but that was no surprise.

    Since they had no ns of sharing this information to the public now, it was just as likely that others would also conceal such a thing even if they discovered it.

    Emilia was obviously happy to be praised, and also a little relieved that they were so easily convinced.

    But although their team now had a ''cheat'' to shoot so far ahead, getting together became even more of a priority.

    The longer they waited, the more their initial advantage would be squandered. After all, that kind of experience might take weeks to grind through at the moment, but what about a few monthster?

    In the middle orte stages of the game, maybe this kind of ''advantage'' would only be worth a single boss, if that.

    Danielle knew that only by making the most use of their current advantage could her team shoot to fame.

    She grinned. "I think this is fate. Let''s go all in."

    Now that Emilia had brought them such a wonderful opportunity, how could they let it go to waste?

    Not to mention Nico and Robin, even Sylvia seemed surprised. ''Wasn''t this she so reluctant to invest in a new game, and only agreed after Emilia kept insisting on it?''

    The yellow-eyed heroine couldn''t help but sneer. ''It''s only been a day, and she''s already changed her colors!''

    Although there hadn''t been much friction between the two of them recently, Sylvia obviously still didn''t like working with Danielle. She still remembered how she humiliated and rejected her friend, Dolly, after all.

    But since she was being paid her fair share, the dark-haired girl was still honest with her job.

    The five of them seriously discussed their current progress and future ns in the game, and Emilia patiently made note of each of their sses and bloodlines.

    ''They all picked ording to Danielle instructions when ites to their ss, but¡­ unfortunately I couldn''t tell them about the bloodlines in advance.'' Emilia sighed. ''Well, it''s not like they made particrly bad choices.''

    In fact, the biggest problem wasn''t the ''advantages'' that they would be missing out on by picking the wrong bloodline. Those could always be made up for in other ways. What worried Emilia was how these girls will be affected when Arcadia started influencing reality.

    Based on their bloodline, not only would their mentality be affected, but even their physique might undergo earth shattering changes.

    ''I hope they''ll take it well when the timees.'' Emilia pursed her lips thoughtfully. ''If possible, I''ll try to praise them a little more in the game, so they''re not so resistant to the changester.''

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    Arcadia followed a very ''strange'' server uptime schedule, with eight hours of ''downtime'' between each session of four hours each. This meant that, in a day, one could only y for eight hours at most, no matter how dedicated they were.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Even if the time inside the game seemed to pass at a strange pace, with a day going by in a single session, most yers still found this ''restriction'' quite annoying. And whenbined with the ''cannot log out or log back in within fifteen minutes'' rule, it was even more infuriating.

    Why couldn''t they be allowed to just log in and y whenever they wanted, and log out when they were done, like every other ''simr'' game?

    Of course, when people thought about just how far ahead the game waspared to anything else in the market, and how seamless the experience was when online, this kind of ''maintenance cooldown'' was barely eptable.

    Danielle allowed her teammates to go home during this ''free'' period to take care of their own affairs, but only after sternly letting them know not to spread the secret Emilia had shared with them.

    Naturally, everyone understood that this warning was mostly targeted at Sylvia, who had many ''friends'' ying the game, with a majority being in directpetition with the ''Crimson Witches'' team.

    The heroine just replied with a roll of her eyes. "This is not a secret belonging to the team, so you have no right to tell me what to do."

    Before Danielle could explode, however, Sylvia interrupted her with a sneer. "Emilia shared what she discovered with us, including myself, because she wanted the team to seed. I naturally won''t go spreading it around. It has nothing to do with you."

    The team parted on a rather unpleasant note, but Emilia wasn''t particrly depressed as she headed back to ''her'' apartment. Compared to the original timeline, it was already pretty good.

    At this time, everyone who wanted to ''invest'' in the game was still worried about its future, and how the various governments around the world would handle it, but Emilia didn''t care.

    The crimson-haired girl already knew the results fromst time, after all.

    Instead, she was far more concerned about another issue. ''No matter how hard I try, I can''t feel it¡­ it''s like there''s no change.''

    Emilia knew that people at this point hadn''t noticed any ''changes'', but that was only natural. No one expected it, and their progress within Arcadia was also quite insignificant at the start.

    But as someone who was used to feeling even minute changes in her body, the crimson-haired girl felt it was a bit unreasonable for her to not be able to notice anything.

    She thought that if she could start studying it earlier, maybe it would be possible to ''boost'' her ''synchronization'' rate early, which would give her another edge over the hero. But now it seemed like things weren''t so simple.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Of course you can''t feel it yet. Only after the first pir falls will Arcadia''s influence over the world reach a point of causing ''noticeable'' changes. Before that, even if you get a hundred times stronger¡­ it won''t really trante to much in reality."

    Emilia felt that it was a little weird, but her partner''s exnation made sense, so she could only nod. ''I see. Since I can''t feel or discover it yet, I might as well fill Crystal in on a few things about the game.''

    Cynthia hummed. "Don''t summon her out yet, okay? The concentration of the world will''s energy in the air is way too much right now, and it will definitely notice. Wait for the first pir to fall."

    Watching her partner''s expression turn dark in depression, the raven-haired girl sighed. "Don''t be so sad. Since she''s here, I can establish a channel for you to let the two of you talk without summoning her out, you know?"

    Emilia blinked, a little stunned. ''You can¡­? Why didn''t you say so earlier, then?!''

    Cynthia giggled. "You never asked."

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 Chapter 739 Change

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    The world had clearly undergone a subtle change after ''Arcadia'' was released, and the concentration of energy in the air was even higher than before. So Emilia didn''t question Cynthia on why she couldn''t summon Crystal out anymore when she''d obviously already done so earlier, before the game was released.

    The two of them could always meet inside Arcadia, and it didn''t even cost any ''summoning time'', but what bothered her was not being able to talk to her blonde girlfriend about anything that she ''shouldn''t'' know.

    Unlikely as it was, there was no way to be sure when they might be under scrutiny while within the game, and Emilia knew that they couldn''t afford to take that risk.

    With the world will''s current strength, not to mention kicking her out, even exterminating her might not be impossible. And even if they were somehow able to escape, it definitely wouldn''t be without paying a price.

    Fortunately, Cynthia was able to figure out a way to let hermunicate with Crystal without summoning her out. It did consume some of her summoning time, though, so Emilia tried to be quite brief and to the point.

    There were quite a few secrets, features, and events in Arcadia that Emilia knew of, but not all of them were of use to Crystal, and most of them didn''t need to be discussed in advance since she would be apanying her anyway.

    She told Crystal to continue investing in agility first, at least until she got to the point of diminishing return, and focus only on enhancing her light skills whenever she got the chance.

    ''Although it is possible to learn skills of other elements, the affinity you get in the real world depends a lot on how ''pure'' your skill set is.''

    Crystal hummed in understanding. ''So this is one of those things that are fine while inside the game, but end up costing a lotter, huh? It''s a pity we can''t let anyone else know.''

    From what she understood, the hero was not only formidable himself, but he also had a terrifyingly strong team by his side. Competing with such a foe, even if the two of them did their best, it may not be enough.

    ''Don''t worry, if they are willing to listen to me, I have my ways of making sure they don''t diverge too much.'' Emilia smiled. ''As for the hero''s unique skills¡­ well, there''s nothing we can do about that.''

    Of course, Emilia had already told Crystal about all three of the hero''s ''unique'' skills that she knew of, and she found each one more disgusting than the other.

    With all of thembined¡­ the blonde girl couldn''t help but be worried.

    Not to mention anything else, just the ''Hero''s Instinct'' alone allowed one to ''feel'' the maximum extent of rewards one could get, which meant that the hero would always be able to tell when a certain character had some ''hidden'' quests.

    Moreover, this ability was not limited to ''people'', meaning that no treasure or secret could ever escape his sight.

    Of course, it had its limitations, and didn''t actually tell the user ''how'' to obtain those ''hidden'' rewards. But in the hands of someone like Darryl, it was already terrifying enough.

    Emilia hummed. ''If things go ording to the previous timeline, he should also be able to find andplete that quest within three days¡­ but that''s fine.''

    In fact, if not for all the trouble being thrown the hero''s way by certain people ''worried'' about Arcadia''s future, it may not even have taken him that long.

    But Emilia knew that even if things changed a little this time around, no one could stop the momentum of Arcadia, or even the hero.

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. ''But even if I can''t stop you from growing taller¡­ can''t I make you short by boosting my own growth?''

    Cynthia found it a bit funny, considering how short and cute Emilia had been while starting off in this world.

    Even if she''d boosted her height as much as she could ''realistically'' in a short period of time, she was still practically a midget whenpared to the rtively tall hero.

    ''If the two of them crossed paths, maybe he wouldn''t even notice she was there?'' Fortunately, the raven-haired girl managed to contain her giggles in time, or her partner''s mood would definitely have been ruined.

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    Since she''d already taken care of her affairs, Emilia returned to the ''office'' of the Crimson Witches a little earlier than the scheduled time. And to her surprise, she found that Danielle was busy arguing with a few neatly-dressed middle-aged men.

    Noticing her presence, they briefly paused, but after Danielle greeted her and they realized she wasn''t ''anyone of concern'', the argument resumed.

    "What do you mean by ''it''s too early to decide'', Miss Danielle?"

    "The game has already been cleared by the governments now, so there is no reason for you to not continue with our sponsorships, is there?"

    "Don''t forget, we supported you when no one else was willing to continue with your brand."

    Even though Emilia had already walked out of the lobby area, the door wasn''t closed, and she could clearly listen to their discussion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The team ''Crimson Witches'' was initially founded by Danielle with her own personal funds, and with most of the members being her close friends, their ''upkeep'' wasn''t particrly high.

    Of course, as they grew older, their sry expectations grew, and just the prize money from some tournaments was no longer enough to continue supporting her dream.

    The viiness wasn''t too rich, and she knew that her inheritance couldn''t support them forever, so she soon found a few sponsors.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Fortunately, she was smart enough to not just sell her team, and only signed with them on individual games.''

    Danielle''s reason for doing such a thing was mostly to retain her ''authority'', even if it meant that they wouldn''t have a reliable and stable source of funds, she was content as long as she could pay everyone their fair sry.

    After all the scandals, most of the brands she had a deal with immediately broke their ties, though, and the situation became dire.

    If not for Danielle depleting most of her own savings in a desperate attempt to continue her dream, perhaps the ''Crimson Witches'' would already be a thing of the past.

    Of course, there was one ''sponsor'' that had stuck with them through thick and thin, making many wonder just how ''benevolent'' they must be, but that was only how it seemed.

    Most of the payments they were supposed to make were always ''dyed'' indefinitely, and relying on the fact that no one would have the guts to abandon their st'' sponsor, they took advantage of the ''free advertising'' from this ''notorious'' team every chance they got.

    Now that this ''pushover'' suddenly had the guts to not call them when starting a new game, however, they''d sent people to ''negotiate''.

    Unfortunately, they vastly underestimated how ''stubborn'' this pushover could be, and could only leave after threatening her a few more times.

    "We''re willing to make you this offer only out of consideration of our past rtionship. Think carefully before making a decision, our goodwill is not endless!"

    Danielle sneered as she watched the swagger out of her office arrogantly. "Do you really think it''s enough to finally clear your past payments? Tsk."

    It was obviously their contractual obligation in the first ce, but they made it seem like they were doing her some personal favor.

    Emilia grinned as she watched the viiness click her tongue in disdain, and couldn''t help but trot over to ask the girl what she nned to do next.

    "Obviously, if we want to continue paying our rent and bills in the future, we need a sponsor. But that doesn''t mean we have to rely on them." She snorted. "I''ll find someone better soon, don''t worry."

    The nature of ''Arcadia'' made it a bit difficult to convince traditional corporations, but Danielle felt that it shouldn''t be impossible as long as she made a good enough pitch.

    Even ifrge-scale tournaments were out of the question, they could always stream or direct advertising clips. If Arcadia''s poprity continued to grow, it definitely would be worth sponsoring its top yers.

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "Well, don''t rush. I''m sure they''ll be more ''receptive'' to your offer once we''re more famous."

    Although they''d partially ''redeemed'' their reputation of a ''washed out'' team shortly before Arcadia was released, the stigma associated with their name was very much still there.

    Under such circumstances, they were sure to face a lot of skepticism and ridicule while ''courting'' various brands and sponsors.

    Instead, it would be better to wait and focus on the game first, and only think about such things after they''d already made some achievements.

    Danielle paused after listening to her words, then her furrowed brows loosened as she smiled. "¡­ You''re right. I was too anxious just now."

    With just the two of them, the viiness didn''t shy away from admitting her mistakes, and Emilia couldn''t help but grin. ''She''s a lot more understanding than the heroine, isn''t she?''

    Of course, much of Sylvia''s ''stubbornness'' stemmed from that ''rotten girl'' Dolly, whom she still considered her friend, so the crimson-haired girl knew that it wouldn''tst long.

    ''Maybe it''s not impossible for them to get along in the future, after all.'' Emilia nodded in satisfaction.

    Watching her ''smug'' smile, Danielle couldn''t help but roll her eyes in exasperation and wave her away. "Alright, shoo, I need to do some thinking. Go y in the hall or something."

    After the crimson-haired girl left, though, Danielle''s annoyed expression soon turned back into a smile. ''I never thought I''d once again be able to think about our future with such confidence¡­ maybe Nico is right, and she really is our lucky star.''

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 Chapter 740 Unimpeded

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    As Emilia expected, the reaction of the governments to Arcadia''s problems remained the same as it had been in the previous timeline.

    In most regions, the ''harassment''ws were amended to include ''full-dive'' simtions, and a parental advisory was issued to not let children y the game without supervision.

    Of course, while many were happy with the ''prompt'' response, this kind of action left many baffled and dissatisfied, not knowing why the ''developers'' couldn''t just be forced to remove said problematic features.

    Theirints were mostly ignored, and the few official responses only left them more confused.

    Some stated that since thews had to adapt ording to the new technology, and the ''sensations'' within the ''game'' were so real, that kind of crime had almost the same impact as it would in the real world. Therefore, the punishment also had to be at the same level.

    As for the specific situation of ''Arcadia'' itself and the countermeasures that needed to be taken¡­ it was supposedly still under investigation.

    Naturally, Emilia knew that this ''investigation'' was nothing more than stalling for time until they could figure out a way to actually block the game.

    With the ''home'' country of the game''s developers sheltering them unconditionally, most outsiders remained unaware of the fact that Arcadia didn''t really need any ''servers'' to run, or that physically interfering with the ''game'' was all but impossible.

    They just assumed that there must be some ''advanced'' technology that they hadn''t yet grasped at y, and as long as their brightest minds kept working on it, it wouldn''t be long before they figured a way out.

    Compared to a measly little ''game'', the prospect of such advanced and ''unstoppable'' technology being used by their enemies for more nefarious purposes in the future was far more terrifying, after all.

    Of course, a few more impulsive governments still forcefully ''banned'' the game without much thought. But since they didn''t have any means to actually stop people from logging in, such actions were bound to only make them look more ipetentter.

    The crimson-haired girl sighed. ''It''s a pity that none of the four major countries are taking this issue seriously yet, or maybe even Darryl would have had a lot of trouble.''

    Cynthia chuckled. "There''s no way to know the situation on his side for sure. Who knows, maybe he won''t be able to ''y'' much for a while?"

    Emilia knew that it was only wishful thinking, but she still couldn''t help but smile. ''In that case, I have to really seize this time to get ahead, huh?''

    Of course, while the other members of her team may not have had the same level of motivation, they were also quite excited to log in and shoot straight to level ten using Emilia''s secret.

    Before entering their full-dive pods, Danielle once again gave everyone a stern warning. "Remember, you have to be careful and discrete while heading to the item''s location, and don''t attract too much attention while submitting the quest!"

    Even Sylvia, who usually never missed an opportunity to go against her ''boss'', nodded seriously.

    After a few more minutes of waiting inside the pod, the countdown on Arcadia''s ''wee screen'' finally came to an end, and they were all pulled into the game world.

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    Resting at the inn allowed Emilia and Crystal to stay together in the same vige as they had spawned in, conveniently avoiding the confused chaos outside.

    Naturally, while most people were happy to spawn in a town instead of the forest like thest time, they soon realized that things weren''t as they seemed.

    "What the fuck¡­? Didn''t ude and I log out and log in at the same time at the same spot, where the hell did he go?!"

    "Rumia! Rumia!"

    "Ahhh!!! This¡­! T-This is not the same town I was in before?!"

    Not many in the confused crowd were able to pay much attention to a pair of girls making their way out of the inn and heading towards the town''s central za, despite their outstanding appearance and equipment.

    Crystal was already aware of the teleportation formation after their talk earlier, so she just followed her girlfriend silently.

    Emilia knew that the chances of one of her teammates randomly spawning in the same beginner''s town as herself were negligible, and she didn''t wish to dally around for a chance to kill the [Boar King] either.

    Instead, it was better to head to the ''maind'' first, and meet up in the capital city when possible.

    <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Halt! If you wish to use the ''Divine Step Formation'', you must pay the fee."

    The yers around the area were naturally shocked when the guard spoke so loudly, and were even more dumbfounded at what happened next.

    Emilia paid the fee of two gold coins without a word and rushed into the formation unimpeded, followed by a white sh of light.

    Then¡­ both the girls vanished.

    "What the hell happened?"

    "Is that some secret quest?"

    "Looking at the armor and weapons of those two, they must have definitely figured out some secret!"

    A few yers couldn''t help but excitedly try to replicate the process, trying to stuff two copper coins into the guard''s palm, but were cruelly rejected, and some even received a kick.

    "Stay back!"

    "The fee for using the formation is one gold coin per person. If you don''t have it, don''t waste our time. Only the deserving can head to the maind."

    The condescending words of the leading guard shocked the surrounding yers silly, as they finally realized why the yellow coins that the crimson-haired elf handed over appeared shinier than expected.

    "G-Gold coins?!"

    "But where do we get those¡­? I only have copper and silver!"

    Naturally, they could guess that the process of obtaining gold coins must be simr to that of obtaining silver ones, but what they couldn''t figure out was how someone could have already made that kind of money so quickly.

    "A-A hidden quest! T-There has to be a hidden quest!"

    Based on the guard''s words, many people quickly ''figured out'' that the two girls must have received some hidden quest that told them to head to the ''maind'', and also gave them supplies and coins needed to do so.

    Their assumptions were quite reasonable, considering that it was quite unlikely for someone to have the time to look around for a hidden quest, and also farm enough to be able to buy many ''rare'' items at the same time.

    "Where do we get it, though¡­?"

    "Someone must know!"

    As it soon became clear that everyone was equally clueless, they couldn''t help but regret not stopping the duo in time.

    "AHH, if only those two hadn''t left so quickly, we could have just asked them!"

    "Does anyone know who they were?"

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    Emilia naturally knew that it was unlikely for their actions to gopletely unnoticed, but there was no way to avoid the crowded central za if they wanted to go to the maind, after all.

    Instead of wasting time in the beginner''s town while futilely waiting for the crowd to disperse, she felt it was better to just take the chance and hope there weren''t many famous streamers around.

    ''Anyway, even if we got recorded, in such a vast sea of videos being posted about Arcadia every day, there''s still some hope of going unnoticed, right?''

    Listening to her partner''s thoughts and then ''looking'' at her face, Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh. "¡­With how it usually is with you¡­ I highly doubt it."

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 Chapter 741 Human Nature

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    Without any convenient way tomunicate globally, as Emilia expected, most of the yers around the world had no idea that someone had already ''found a way'' to leave the beginner zone.

    But unfortunately, she greatly underestimated the impact of the videos captured by the ''onlookers'' at the time.

    With the built-in ''streaming'' functionality of the full-dive pods, it was possible to directly link the visual and audio ''input'' to social media tforms, and having encountered such a ''wonderful'' thing, some influencers didn''t even hesitate to directly log out to edit and polish the images and videos.

    Minutester, the thumbnail of a gorgeous crimson-haired elf and a golden-haired human girl started creating waves, even with most of the yers still being inside the game.

    Not everyone wanted to ''grind'' mindlessly just because the game was back online, and the number of people who chose to either directly ''quit'' after trying it out once was also not small.

    Of course, even among those who hadn''t yet tried to ''y'', the hype of ''Arcadia'' was still enough to get their attention, especially whenbined with a pretty enough face.

    "Didn''t someone say that Arcadia didn''t allow modifications to one''s appearance? Did people already find ways to cheat?"

    "Impossible! Me and my buddies already tried every possible option and quit! Do you think we''re stupid?!"

    "Otherwise? Are you seriously trying to convince me there is a girl this beautiful, with elf ears? Wake up!"

    Of course, the fierce debates between these people soon pulled over more of the more ''knowledgeable'' crowd, who quickly ''educated'' them.

    "It''s impossible to modify your face or body, but based on the bloodline you pick, you can get certain ''features''."

    "They can just be some young, rtively new models. Add a few filters to the pictures, and you get a lot of hype. Easy."

    "But there are so many different photos and videos floating around¡­ are you telling me that all of them have filters applied?"

    "If the source of all the pictures is the same, is it really that surprising?"

    No one seemed to care about the original posters iming about the ''hidden quest'' that rewarded lots of items and gold, leaving the few logged-out yers dumbfounded.

    Even if most people didn''t bother to check out the full videos, the gemstone chain and emerald earrings on the elf girl should still have made them curious, right?!

    Unfortunately, without the knowledge of how ''rare'' those items were, normal people simply didn''t care about such things, and continued obsessing over Emilia''s face, leaving those who had posted the photos and videos wondering if they shouldugh or cry.

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    Emilia and Crystal naturally had no idea about what was going on outside, and continued their adventures happily.

    Based on how well-guarded the teleportation formation at the beginner''s town was, one would expect that the ''other side'' would also be simr, but the reality wasn''t the same at all.

    Although the ''destination'' of the teleportation formation of all beginner towns was set to the maind, the exact position where the yers would be sent varied depending on the ''source''. Some beginner towns had their destination formations set in the depths of extremely dangerous forests, some had them set up in tiny ''viges'', and a few even had them ced directly inside prominent towns and cities.

    Of course, the maind itself was divided into four parts, and depending on a yer''s real locations, they would only be sent to beginner viges connecting to ''their'' part of the maind.

    Seconds after they''d arrived, Emilia and Crystal both received a notification.

    ==========

    You have left the beginner area!

    Entered a new zone¡­

    [World Map] Unlocked!

    [Leaderboard] Unlocked!

    [Skill Tree] Unlocked!

    ==========

    Opening their yer panel with a thought, the two of them quickly discovered the new options.

    The [Leaderboard] waspletely nk, while the [Skill Tree] showed them their currently acquired skills, as well as their future evolutions. For the most part, it only appeared to be a ''guide'', with no mention of skill points or the like.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, Emilia knew that while rare, skill points did exist in Arcadia, though it wouldn''t be ''discovered'' until muchter.

    As for the [World Map], it waspletely dark except for the spot they were currently in, and it wasn''t hard to guess that it would only be filled up based on what they ''explore'' in the future. Still, it wasn''tpletely void of new information.

    At least the name of the ''kingdom'' they were currently in, and the location of its major cities, were clearly marked.

    Emilia wasn''t too bothered by the fact that she hadn''t been lucky enough to directly spawn in a major city, and quickly started scouting the area with Crystal. "Be careful of sneak attacks while following me, alright?"

    "Yeah."

    The two of them didn''t dare to be careless without knowing the general level of monsters in the area, and carefully started moving towards the nearest marked city with Emilia leading the way.

    Emilia had already consumed ten mana points to activate the [Vignce] skill from her [Wisdom of the Forest], making the blue gemstones iid in the chain wrapped around her head glow.

    The crimson-haired girl was slightly shocked when her ''sight'' first split into two, with the ''new'' one being an omnidirectional view ten meters around herself.

    ''I somehow don''t think normal people would be able to keep this up for long¡­'' She mused. ''But¡­ I think I can adjust.''

    Cynthia chuckled. "With the strength of your soul, if there was something here that you couldn''t adjust to, it would have directly made those mortals copse."

    Crystal didn''t notice at first, but the glow of the gems and Emilia''s difort soon caught her attention. "Are you okay?"

    "Mhm, don''t worry."

    Of course, it was impossible to keep this state up perpetually without a headache, even for Emilia, but the crimson-haired elf knew it would get a lot easier as she got more used to it.

    Fortunately, the forest they were in waspletely void of other yers and traps, making exploration a breeze, at least until they encountered their first enemy. Unfortunately¡­ it wasn''t a monster.

    [Crazed Adventurer]

    Making use of the dense foliage to conceal himself, the man was presumably waiting for unsuspecting ''prey''. Although Emilia paused as soon as she spotted him in her ten-meter range¡­ it was already toote to retreat.

    The cautious step back of the ''prey'' made the man immediately lunge at them with a ferocious roar, and Emilia had no choice but to intercept his dagger with her sword in a hurry.

    Ding!

    [Ring of Might] allowed you to resist the stagger effect. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

    Crystal was only stunned for a moment before she jumped back to distance herself further.

    Even though she had already been warned by her girlfriend, after easily hunting down the rtively ''easy'' beasts in the beginner zone, she hadn''t really been too cautious or afraid, and the blonde girl only now realized how dangerous the forest around them was.

    They might have pulled ahead of most yers, but those who got to the maind were all supposed to be level ten or above, after all. In front of the beasts here, they really were at the bottom of the food chain.

    And it looked like the ''enemies'' in Arcadia weren''t just limited to beasts.

    ''Since there are residents and friendly ''people'', I really should have expected humanoid enemies, too.'' The blonde girl sighed.

    Emilia hadn''t mentioned it, presumably because she didn''t think it was that important, but Crystal really had to admire the guts of the game''s ''designer'' in her heart.

    Making yers face human enemies in such a realistic game¡­ it really was just asking for outrage.

    Just imagining the death of such a realistic person, she felt a little squeamish. Even though she''d seen the aftermath of a war, Crystal never really got over how wrong it felt to see a ''person'' die.

    But she didn''t let her thoughts distract her for long, and had already nocked her first arrow when she felt the air around her shift a little, leaving Crystal stunned.

    The small cut on her cheek and the drop in HP made it clear that if not for Emilia forcing the beast''s ws slightly, the wind des that severed the branches just now might just have taken off her head.

    Fortunately, Emilia''s reaction had been quick. But Crystal knew that they would be in trouble if she didn''t get her wits back together in time.

    Pulling on the string of the [Starlit Bow], her expression turned ferocious. ''This stupid idiot, making me look like a fool in front of Emilia¡­ I''ll definitely teach him a lesson!''

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 Chapter 742 Only One Way Ahead

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    In sharp contrast to how the situation had been with the [Boar King], getting a clear shot at an enemy when they were furiously entangled with an ally was far from easy, especially for a novice like Crystal. And with her girlfriend fighting an evenly matched enemy, she really couldn''t afford to be careless.

    Attacks in Arcadia didn''t differentiate between friend and foe, after all. If she missed and hit Emilia by ident, it definitely wouldn''t be funny.

    Fortunately, the ranger skill ''Focus Shot'' not only gave her slightly enhanced vision, but it also helped Crystal''s aim to be far steadier than usual.

    The first light arrow hit the ''Crazed Adventurer'' on the shoulder, making him roar in pain and lunge at Emilia even more furiously, only to take the next arrow straight through his knee.

    Critical hit!

    -767!

    Critical hit!

    -767!

    ''I''ve already managed to shave off a good chunk of his health with only a few shots?!'' Crystal couldn''t help but be overjoyed.

    For all his quick and skillful movements and high level of threat, the ''Crazed Adventurer'' had a surprisingly low amount of HP. Of course, her boots, ring, and bow all contributed a lot to how quickly she managed to deal so much damage.

    Emilia didn''t waste the golden opportunity while the opponent was momentarily disabled and kneeling on the ground, and swiftly lopped off his head in one go.

    Well, at least she tried to do so. Her ''Poison Fang'' and base attack were clearly not enough tond a fatal enough hit, and only made a fountain of blood erupt from the man''s deeply-cut throat.

    Critical hit!

    -760!

    The insane amount of damage could only be attributed to the ridiculous boost provided by the ''Fearless Maiden''s Dignified Companion'', though it did make Emilia wonder if she''d directly die upon taking a hit. ''I... better not find out.''

    Luckily, the immobile opponent made for an easy target, and Crystal had already pelted him with dozens of arrows within seconds.

    Emilia clicked her tongue in annoyance before giving him another sh, this timepletely finishing him off.

    The severed head rolled several times on the ground beforeing to a stop, and the headless corpse copsed in front of Emilia''s boots in defeat.

    -Killed [Crazed Adventurer]!

    -Experience +1000

    Looking at the scene in front of her, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile. "How strange¡­ didn''t all the monsters disappear after being killed? Howe his body is still there? And he didn''t drop any loot, either¡­"

    In Arcadia, there were only two situations in which the ''corpse'' of a defeated opponent wouldn''t burst into particles of light shortly after their defeat.

    First, they may not bepletely dead. And second¡­ their corpse might be rted to a quest.

    Naturally, Crystal understood her girlfriend''s hint, and generously cooperated. "M-Maybe this encounter was part of a quest or something¡­?"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully as she stepped forward to search the corpse for any clues, and soon discovered a pouch full of beautiful red gems.

    Ding!

    Discovered the quest item [Corrupted Blood Essence], hidden quest triggered!

    Quest Level - Unknown

    Continue investigating, and find the source of the [Corrupted Blood Essence] to continue quest. Possible rewards may include permanent boost to certain stats.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was no convenient marker on the map showing them where they should go, or even a hint on the next possible action.

    ''Based on how difficult it would have been for a regr yer to survive an ambush like that, I''m guessing that this must be a fairly high-level hidden quest.'' Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''But even if the rewards are sure to be good, it won''t be worth it to waste too much time figuring it out right now.''

    Despite having carefully observed the previous timeline, it was impossible for her to know of all the possible quests in the game, especially the hidden ones.

    In fact, it was entirely possible that no one had evenpleted the quest rted to the corpse of the [Crazed Adventurer] in the previous timeline.

    Most yers wouldn''t be able to deal with a humanoid opponent, and then calmly go through the belongings of the dead, after all. And the newbies could only be more squeamish.

    The fact that they had such a strange encounter at just level ten could only mean that they were incredibly ''unlucky''. Had they been careless and allowed the enemy''s ambush to seed, maybe they would have already died and been separated from both each other and lost some of their prized equipment.

    But since they were able to defeat the [Crazed Adventurer], the bad fortune turned good, and if they really managed to solve the mystery¡­ it would definitely be a windfall.

    Without any clues, though, such a thing could only rely on fate.

    ''I don''t want to waste time searching around right now¡­ I''ll just mark this location on the map and look back on itter.'' Emilia quickly made up her mind, and turned to Crystal with a smile. "Let''s continue heading to the nearest town."

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    Meanwhile, Danielle, Sylvia, Robin, and Nico found themselves in a dilemma.

    When the four of them had first ''spawned'' in random parts of their respective beginner''s town, they''d naturally all rushed to get the ''Tears of the Immortal'', and discovered to their shock that they''d all somehow ended up in the same zone this time.

    Not to mention Nico, the helpless healer who''d been forced to beat her enemies with a stick, even the usually ''moody'' Sylvia was ecstatic.

    But after they quickly formed a party under Danielle''s leadership and collected their spoils from the vige chief''s hut, they realized that the quarter million experience reward still left them needing three to four thousand experience points to hit level ten.

    The group of level-nine yers hurriedly left the town to make up for the rest, but that''s when the argument started.

    "Like I said, the highest amount of experience we need is less than forty-five hundred. Instead of risking it all by confronting the [Boar King], we should treasure this opportunity properly and remain steady!"

    Sylvia sneered. "Did you see the crowd that''s hunting for monsters in all the regr areas? Even if we can one-hit the monsters, how fast can we really farm?"

    Danielle frowned, but frustratingly enough, she realized that the annoying girl was right. But¡­

    "While that might be true, Emilia clearly mentioned that the [Boar King] can squash even level ten yers if they''re careless, and if we die¡­"

    Many people in the first session had already discovered and publicized the fact that ''death'' led to not only a ''detention'' for some time, but also a ten percent loss of experience.

    And based on the few level-two deaths¡­ the ten percent loss was from the total experience umted till then.

    Just thinking about losing twenty-five thousand experience sent chills down their spines. If they were wiped out by the [Boar King]¡­ wouldn''t they have to kill him multiple times to make up?

    And the worst part was that they couldn''t even make him respawn without bringing outsiders in, which would definitelyplicate the situation.

    Danielle''s words seemed to have doused Sylvia''s rousing spirit with cold water in an instant, but just as she was about to give up¡­

    "Let''s go kill that fat pig."

    The other three girls stared at their ''team leader'' in shock.

    Danielle grinned. "I just realized¡­ since we''re already about as strong as we can be within this zone, and are also together, if we still can''t defeat a beast that Emilia took down by herself¡­ there''s no point in catching up anymore."

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 Chapter 743 The Capital

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    Unaware of the determination of the rest of her ''team'', Emilia continued heading towards the closest city marked on the map while taking care of the stray monsters in their path, mostly just small packs of wind wolves.

    A bit troublesome to deal with at the start due to their group attack tactics, but not that big of a deal for the two of them.

    Emilia wasn''t quite sure whether to be happy or not that there were no further ''unique'' encounters to follow up the ''Crazed Adventurer'', though.

    "Halt! You don''t seem to be from around here. Present your permit, or pay a fee of one gold coin to enter the city!"

    Looking at the sneering guards, Emilia sighed. ''Oh great, it''s one of those¡­''

    Most of the ''important'' characters in Arcadia followed their ''scripts'', but for the rest¡­ it was like they had a will of their own.

    Of course, ''intelligent'' beings came in lots of ''vors'', and not all of them were good.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Well, given that the world will uses the minds of the ''non-participants'' in the game as ''fuel'' for all these characters, it''s only to be expected."

    Emilia frowned. "One gold coin¡­ isn''t that too much for the entry fee?"

    Crystal also folded her arms, nodding. "It''s too much."

    The two guards just grinned in response. "If you can''t pay up, feel free to turn around."

    "Our city doesn''t need more beggars."

    Neither of them felt happy being treated so rudely, but Emilia still restrained her temper. "I see¡­ I didn''t realize that the city didn''t wee traders. I spent most of what I was carrying purchasing goods from hunters on the way, ahh¡­ what a pity. Daddy will definitely scold us when we get back."

    Just as she pretended to turn around and head back, one of the guards quickly stepped forward to stop her. "Hold on!"

    "Yes¡­?"

    Looking at the confused look on her face, the man wasn''t quite sure if she was pretending, and sighed. "Alright, we can''t just kick two girls back to the forest thiste. You''ll definitely be eaten by wolves, even if you''re an elf. Your vige is a few miles off to the south, is it not?"

    The other guard also nodded. "True. How about you hand over what you have now, and give us the restter? Since you have items to trade, it shouldn''t be difficult to earn what you need."

    Naturally, with theck of luggage on the two of them, the guards assumed that they must be carrying some ''valuable'' goods that could fit in their pockets.

    Unfortunately, keeping such a thing might attract troubleter if they were discovered, so it wasn''t worth it.

    The crimson-haired elf blinked. "Will three silver coins be enough?"

    The two guards stared at each other covertly before nodding. "The amount doesn''t matter, just remember to return with the restter."

    Anyway, even if the two girls ran away, the extra silver they made from this ''private transaction'' would still be enough for a few nights worth of drinks.

    Emilia grinned, looking ecstatic. "Really?! Thank you so much! I''ll definitely return!"

    As soon as the two of them were through the gates, the chiming of bells alerted them to multiple new notifications.

    ==========

    You have entered a city!<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Trading Hub] Unlocked!

    [Crafting] Unlocked!

    ==========

    Crystal quickly forgot about the guards as she checked out the new options while following Emilia.

    The [Trading Hub] seemed to be a market interface that allowed yers to buy and sell from each other. It included separate tabs for different types of items, be it materials or equipment.

    The [Crafting] menu, on the other hand, seemed to bepletely nk, with the only option being to add a recipe.

    Crystal fiddled around with the market for a few more minutes, checking out the different options. And before she noticed it, they''d already arrived at their destination.

    "As expected, the center of the town does have a teleportation formation!" Emilia eximed in joy.

    Her ''surprise'' was clearly fake, but Crystal still couldn''t help but smile. "Are you curious where it will lead us?"

    Emilia nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

    "Shouldn''t we check out the rest of this city first, though?"

    The crimson-haired elf seemed to hesitate for a moment, then quickly shook her head in denial. "No no, we spent so long moving around, it will be the end of the day soon. If we''re toote in checking it out, wouldn''t I die of curiosity while waiting for the next chance?"

    Naturally, Crystal understood that her girlfriend must have her own reasons, and only nodded in understanding. "Let''s check it out, then."

    Had it been any other yer in their ce, they would definitely not waste a gold coin so easily at this point of the game even if they could.

    After all, without even exploring the city they were in, heading for some other ce at such a high price seemed like such a waste.

    But Emilia already had a n in mind, so she didn''t hesitate at all.

    "One gold coin for the transfer¡ª"

    "Here you go!"

    Luckily, there was no crowd of gawkers to witness or record them this time around.

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    With the exception of the beginner towns, the teleportation formations in Arcadia were generally only used to speed up travel between different major cities. Moreover, while the ''residents'' could move around freely to any part of their own ''Kingdom'', the yers faced some restrictions.

    To be able to ''teleport'' to a destination of their choice, they must have visited it at least once before.

    Luckily, the ''capital'' was one ''destination'' that was always unlocked from the start, and Emilia knew it would be more than worth it to spend one gold heading there in advance.

    Not only could she get started on the ''main quest'' early, but she could also ''discover'' the way to unite the ''Crimson Witches'' as well!

    Emilia grinned as she stared at the bustling and prosperous square. "So this is the capital of the ''Fire Kingdom'', Vermillion City, huh? Not bad!"

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 Chapter 744 Forward, Together

    ?

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    Although their main quest required them to visit a certain ''Mr. Longhorn'' in Vermillion City, Emilia knew that to really meet him would need her to build a certain level of ''reputation'', or the guards at the castle wouldn''t even let her in.

    Without even a valid ''citizenship'' in her hand, chances were, even if she didn''t get arrested immediately, she would at least get her face rubbed thoroughly into the ground.

    A level ten yer''s strength was simply not worth mentioning in front of the guards at the castle, after all.

    Fortunately, since she knew about it in advance, Emilia was easily able to avoid getting her face pped in front of her girlfriend.

    "Let''s go check out the market and shops first."

    The capital city was neatly divided into military, noble, residential, andmercial zones, and Emilia was easily able to find her way over to the area using the freshly unlocked map.

    Fragrant food stalls and shiny disys lined the streets, and both the rich and the poor could be spotted wandering around.

    ''That reminds me¡­ didn''t the first batch of yers who entered the capital in the previous timeline try to get away with stealing some precious artifacts on disy here?''

    Cynthia giggled. "You could always give it a try."

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''And get my butt kicked into jail? No thanks.''

    Not to mention the lowered reputation with the ''Fire Kingdom'', getting arrested also meant losing all her hard-earned gold!

    Just thinking of it was enough to make her heart ache.

    Crystal tugged her wrist with a smile. "That shop looks interesting¡­ wanna go take a look?"

    Emilia followed her line of sight, and realized that the blonde girl was pointing at precisely the shop she was thinking about.

    [Childe''s y]

    It was a strange name for a shop that sold weapons, armor, and other ''adventurer'' items that were in rather high demand with the yers, especially during the first few months.

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Ahh¡­ what a coincidence.''

    "Since you want to check it out, let''s go."

    The shiny rings and bracelets lining the external disys were just the tip of the iceberg, and as soon as they walked in, Crystal couldn''t help but marvel at the rows upon rows of weapons and armor, all polished to perfection, and dozens of ''guides'' greeting the customers with a professional smile.

    "Wee to ''Childe''s y'', madams, may I ask what you''re looking for today?"

    The young man who greeted them was extremely polite, and didn''t even look twice at either of them, despite Emilia''s extremely short skirt.

    Crystal couldn''t help but be a little impressed. "Do you have any rmendations for beginner adventurers?"

    The salesman hummed. "We do have quite a few items that will help you greatly in your adventures, but it really depends on your budget. Would you mind sharing with me how much you''d befortable spending today?"

    Crystal thought that with theirbined wealth of almost twenty gold coins, even if they couldn''t be considered rich, they could easily afford to splurge a little on themselves.

    But since she wasn''t exactly sure how much they would need forter, or how fast they could ''earn'' in the ''maind'', she couldn''t help but hesitate.

    Seeing her dilemma, Emilia stepped forward with a smile. "We''re just looking around today, but if something really catches our eye, I think it would be fine to spend a few dozen pieces of gold."

    Her tone was very casual, and had she not known better, Crystal would definitely have believed that they must have hundreds, if not thousands of gold coins lining their pockets.

    The polite smile on the salesman''s face didn''t fluctuate at all, however, and he only nodded. "In that case, let''s head to our essory section."

    Obviously, what the two of them really needed was ''armor'', but Emilia knew that it would be too expensive for them right now. The ''cheapest'' breastte sold in ''Childe''s y'' would still cost at least a thousand or so pieces of gold.

    The salesman enthusiastically showed them various belts, bracelets, rings, tiaras, and anklets, with all of them providing some boost to one''s offensive or defensive ability, and a few having other auxiliary functions.

    Unfortunately, even though the ones that they were being shown were clearly all ''cheaper'' items, most of them were still far out of their range.

    "In our earring section, this piece is the most popr with noble girls recently. Ites with the movement skill ''Flutter'', which lets the user leap and float once every day, doesn''t cost any mana, and it''s even on sale right now, at an unbelievable price of just fifty gold coins!"

    The clear ss beads on the gold chain were both simple yet attractive, and Emilia couldn''t help but think that they would fit her girlfriend perfectly.

    Crystal was also a bit tempted, given that they were much cheaper than anything else so far, but soon controlled herself after realizing that it was still out of their budget.

    The salesman seemed to sense their hesitation, however, and smiled. "By the way, I almost forgot to let the esteemed customers know¡­ elves get a seventy-five percent discount on every unique earring they buy!"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Fiddling with the [Butterfly Earrings] dangling from her ears, Crystal couldn''t help but feel a little strange. "We didn''t get scammed, did we?"

    The item description of their newly purchased essory clearly mentioned that it was only a ''Grey'' quality item, which was the lowest grade possible. But at the same time, the ability that the salesman mentioned was indeed there.

    Emilia giggled. "Based on the fact that they cost us only twelve gold coins and alsoe with a unique ability, I don''t think so. Besides, they look quite good on you."

    What she didn''t mention was that as a lower-quality item with an imbued skill, the [Butterfly Earrings] were sure to break apart within just a few uses if not ''repaired'' or ''upgraded'' in time, since she could just handle itter.

    Obviously, while the description of items was sure to be urate, it didn''t necessarily have to beplete. Certain mon sense'' around such things that yers only learn through experience was bound to cause the ''g bearers'' a lot of grief.

    With Emilia around, though, Crystal and the ''Crimson Witches'' might still be able to avoid many such pitfalls.

    The blonde girl rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "T-Thanks."

    She felt it was a bit strange that the salesman didn''t object at all when the ''elf'' who was supposed to get the discount was clearly buying the item for someone else, which made her a little suspicious. After all, back in Oriana, some shops didn''t even allow adults to buy from the kids menu, even if they had children with them.

    But since Emilia said so and she didn''t feel that the man was really ''deceiving'' them through her ability, she could put her doubts aside.

    The crimson-haired elf grinned. "With [Flutter], you can easily jump away from ufortable situations once every fight, you know? If it can save you even once, it''s well worth the price."

    Crystal''s mood also cleared up after thinking it through, and she smiled. "I got it. Wanna go to that ice cream shop next, then?"

    Emilia would usually consider it a waste of time, but looking at her girlfriend''s smile, she unhesitatingly agreed, her eyes full of doting. "Let''s go."

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    "Wee to Inari''s Inn! A room for two, or two? That will be twenty copper coins per day for the regr, two silver for special, and twenty silver for the VIP!"

    The chubbydy at the counter spread three pairs of keys in front of them with a smile, teasingly pushing the golden keychain forward. "The VIP roomes with its own luxurious bath,plimentary meals, and on-demand ''entertainment'', if you know what I mean."

    Her eyes ''covertly'' flitted towards the ''employee'' photos posted on the board behind her, lined with dozens of handsome men.

    Crystal was a bit afraid that Emilia would ''waste'' money again, so she hurriedly grabbed the copper key. "O-One normal room, please. That would be all."

    The receptionist sadly picked up the copper coins on the table along with the remaining keys, then sighed. "Their massage service is to die for, you know? And that room is really small for two girls."

    Before either of them could speak, though, she grinned. "Oh well, you can always upgradeter after listening to some ''reviews'' by our other customers. Don''t worry, I won''t judge!"

    Crystal couldn''t help but roll her eyes as she dragged Emilia up the stairs. "Whoever is responsible for her character surely has a few screws loose."

    Of course, knowing that the ''personalities'' of most ''non-yers'' were based on the actual ''non-yers'' in the real world, she could only me some randomdy for being too perverted.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Since the day was almost over by the time they checked into the inn, Emilia once again logged out and exited her full-dive pod before everyone else, and happily brewed a few cups of coffee while waiting.

    When her listless teammates finally came out after hours of ''abuse'' and got a whiff of its fragrance, they almost burst into tears.

    "AHH! I felt like I was gonna copse and die even if that stinking pig couldn''t hit me!" Nico cried. "I''m just a poor healer! Was there any need to chase me around?!"

    Danielle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "That''s why I told you not to hit it with your staff, did I not?"

    Nico pretended to be deaf as she rushed forward to grab the cup Emilia had just filled with hot coffee, much to the exasperation of the rest of the team.

    The crimson-haired girl smiled. "So¡­ what happened?"

    Sylvia had just stepped forward to take her cup and was about to exin, only to be swatted away by a certain viiness.

    "Only some minor trouble. Anyway, we took care of the [Boar King] and have all hit level ten."

    The tall girl''s eyelids twitched when she noticed that her coffee was almost spilled, but considering the fact that Danielle had saved her once before when she was almost killed by the [Boar King], she refrained from humiliating her in front of Emilia.

    Although she still thought that Danielle was incredibly rude, arrogant, and foul-mouthed, her impression of the girl had already subtly changed from being irredeemably bad to just unbearably annoying.

    Listening to their ''report'', Emilia couldn''t help but jump in delight. "That''s amazing, ahhh!"

    Had they not been so dazzled by her bright smile, maybe they would have noticed that what made Emilia really happy was not their sess in the game, but their ''progress'' as a team.

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 Chapter 745 Harmony

    ?

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    Although it had only been a day since the game''s release, it had already be apparent to everyone on the team that it was going to be a sensation far greater than any of them had imagined.

    Even if a lot of yers decided to quit due to either moral, ethical, or personal reasons, it couldn''t stop Arcadia''s momentum at all.

    In the eyes of the public, the fact that even the most powerful countries had simply modified theirws instead of banning the game was enough to prove just how much weight its creator, the so-called genius, really had.

    "You know, I hate to say it, but I''m really d you were so stubborn about dragging us into this game, ah." Danielle sighed.

    Emilia didn''t really care about it too much, but her expression was inherently a little ''proud'', and Danielle couldn''t help but reach forward to squeeze her cheek.

    "Look at how smug you are, huh? Don''t get too cocky at such a young age!"

    Danielle would never admit that she''d always wanted to do it, and simply couldn''t resist the temptation.

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t need to defend herself, since someone came to her ''rescue'' soon enough.

    "Even if you''re the ''boss'', don''t tease her like that!"

    Danielle rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She doesn''t seem to mind so much, though?"

    Although she didn''t say it, her tone made it clear that she didn''t think Sylvia had any right to interfere between the two of them.

    Just as the two were about to get into another argument, however¡­

    "I can''t me the boss, it really feels good, after all!"

    "Right?!"

    Looking at Emilia''s ''pitiful'' face being squeezed from both sides, the two of them unexpectedly came to the same conclusion.

    "Ow!"

    "That hurts!"

    Sylvia watched ''coldly'' as Nico and Robin were ''punished'', inwardly wondering how she''d ever thought of these ''idiots'' as ''malicious'', not even realizing that there was a faint smile on her face.

    Fortunately for Nico and Robin, Emilia didn''t really mind their ''harassment'' too much, and interrupted Danielle before she could really give them a beating.

    Her ''goal'' this time had already been achieved, and she wanted to take this opportunity to ''deepen'' the team''s bonds further if possible.

    She told them about her ''discovery'' of how the teleportation formation worked, and how they could probably meet up and reunite at the ''capital'' in the next session.

    Everyone was naturally ecstatic to hear about it, but their mood inadvertently soured a few momentster.

    "Once everyone gets there, I can introduce you to my new friend, Crystal!"

    Emilia looked so happy about it that no one had the courage to really question her, but inwardly, their thoughts were running wild.

    Did their star yer get abducted already? Will she run away in the future?

    In the end, Danielle couldn''t help but frown. "This Crystal¡­ is it a boy, or a girl?"

    Emilia tilted her head curiously. "She''s a girl, but why?"

    While their ''boss'' was coughing awkwardly, Robin sighed. "Obviously, she''s worried that some bad guy might have snatched you away."

    Danielle was instantly furious at having her thoughts exposed, but the tomboy easily avoided her ws.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I''m prepared this time!"

    "Let me hit, or I''ll deduct it from your sry!"

    "You big bad boss!"

    Emilia just watched them ''brawl'' with a smile. "Now that you mention it, did the four of you have any trouble with that pig king?"

    Sylvia coughed. "It''s [Boar King], Emilia. And¡­ uh, well, I-I think we did fine. We managed to beat it in the end without losing anyone, after all."

    Recalling how she''d almost died if not for Danielle''s save, she really didn''t have the courage to boast about it too much. Fortunately, everyone else was also in the same boat.

    If any of them had really been ''killed'' and they were forced to grind a few more days just to make up for it, she could only imagine how awkward that situation would be.

    Moreover, the fact that Emilia and her ''new friend'' were now together in the capital could only mean that the two of them had beat the [Boar King] with just the two of them.

    If they, as a team, couldn''t do the same, wouldn''t it make Emilia feel that they were ''unworthy'' of being her teammates?

    Danielle coughed. "Sylvia is right. We defeated it as a team without any loss, and also learned how to coordinate well in Arcadia."

    "He was quite a tough guy, wasn''t he? But beating him was also kind of fulfilling." Emilia nodded with a smile. ''Luckily, they don''t know that Crystal and I beat the pig king before submitting our quest, not after.''

    Robin nodded furiously. "The feeling of downing that boss¡­ how do I put it? It was so fulfilling, like I''d really exterminated some huge monster!"

    Compared to all other ''full-dive'' games, the immersive experience of Arcadia was simply on another level.

    Emilia just smiled. "Right? Based on just the details and experience, it''s really impossible to tell that everything inside isn''t real."

    This was no surprise to her, though, since while every other game relied on transmittingputer-generated visuals and sound, ''Arcadia'' linked one''s soul to its '' directly.

    With even Danielle and Sylvia being in a good mood, she was easily able to convince everyone to ''celebrate'' their first ''big'' victory, and the ''Crimson Witches'' soon upied a table at a nearby restaurant.

    "Wow¡­ I can''t believe our big stingy boss is treating us to a good meal¡­"

    "Hehe, I also thought we''d just be getting a pizza or something."

    Danielle just rolled her eyes and refused to respond to the two ''idiots'', instead passing the menu on to her ''star'' yer. "This time, the credit is all yours, so order whatever you like."

    Emilia didn''t shy away, and swiftly ordered a few good starters. ''Anyway, once the game starts leaking into reality, people will soon start spending ridiculous amounts of money on the game, and it''ll be easy for all of us to get rich.''

    Of course, Arcadia didn''t really have an in-game shop, and people could only ''buy'' goods and services within the game by ''convincing'' others to ''trade'' with them in the real world. But that only gave them more leverage.

    After she was done, she passed the menu to Sylvia. "Your turn."

    Emilia could obviously tell that the dark-haired girl was feeling awkward, sticking close to her on one side of the table, and not daring to speak.

    Being so ''meek'' was a bit strangeing from the usually outspoken and daring Sylvia, but when she thought about how the rtionship between her and the rest of the team had been so bad before, it was natural for her to be a bit embarrassed now.

    ''As long as it can all be passed off as a misunderstanding, there''s no need to let old feelings hinder our progress.'' Emilia smiled. "What''s wrong?"

    Danielle snorted. "It''s just a meal, don''t bother thinking about it too much."

    Although she was usually blunt and rude, since Sylvia had already demonstrated her talent and value within the team, and was no longer as annoying, Danielle felt it was only right for her as the boss to treat the girl the same as the rest of her teammates.

    The yellow-eyed heroine was a bit hesitant at first, but soon gave in under her stare. "I''ll take a look, then."

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 Chapter 746 The Heros Move

    ?

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    Emilia was naturally pleased to see that Danielle and Sylvia were no longer as tit for tat against each other as before, and were even starting to show signs of getting along.

    Of course, it was impossible to call them ''friends'', but no great empire was built overnight.

    As long as she kept pushing them in the right direction, Emilia could already see a future where they could be a great team, one that could help her directly confront the hero when needed.

    When she got back to the ''game room'' the next day, however, the ''cheerful'' atmosphere that she expected waspletely gone.

    Not to mention Danielle or Sylvia, even Nico and Robin were slumped dispiritedly on the sofa, as if someone had kicked their pet puppies to death.

    Emilia couldn''t help but be a little dumbfounded. "What happened?"

    "Some idiot seems to have leaked how toplete the first main quest properly." Danielle sighed. "So now everyone''s rushing to team up and fight the [Boar King]."

    The crimson-haired girl frowned as she checked the forum post on Danielle''s phone, only to burst into giggles shortly after.

    "What are you all so sad for? This method only gives fifty thousand experience, and it''s not like they can do it over and over to catch up with you." She grinned. "Not to mention, the additional rewards are also iparable."

    ''For a moment, I''d really been scared into thinking that the world will might have alerted the hero about it, and he decided to make it public as a countermeasure.'' Emilia giggled.

    Cynthia hummed thoughtfully. "As it is now, you only appear to be a rtively skilled and extremely lucky girl, so even if the world will takes note of you somehow, it shouldn''t be too rmed."

    Emilia nodded. ''You''re right. Plus, with how it handled thingsst time¡­ even if it discovers me, I''ll only be treated as a whetting stone to sharpen its champion''s sword.''

    Despite her relief, however, the crimson-haired girl still made a mental note to be more cautious. Unlike thest time, the hero in this world was both cunning and insidious, and she didn''t dare to take him lightly.

    That was why she was sticking with the ''Crimson Witches'' despite all the troubles in the beginning, after all.

    Relying on just random strangers that wouldn''t necessarily listen to her, she had no confidence in being able to exceed the hero''s dungeon-clearing speed.

    Looking at the crimson-haired beauty nodding to herself in satisfaction, Sylvia couldn''t help but sigh. "I have the feeling that she doesn''t get our feelings at all."

    For once, Danielle couldn''t disagree. "A really uniquebination of stupid and smart, isn''t she?"

    Robin and Nico also giggled in agreement.

    "I heard that!"

    "Oops."

    "Sorry!"

    Once they realized that Emilia couldn''t really understand theirplicated feelings, it didn''t take long for them to get out of their gloomy mood, a little embarrassed at their previous childish thoughts.

    The monster they''d spent hours fighting desperately just before was now going to be swarmed by a huge crowd not even a dayter, true, but didn''t they already reap so many benefits thanks to Emilia?

    There was no need to be so sad when nothing of theirs was being taken away.

    Danielle coughed. "We weren''t badmouthing you, darling."

    Emilia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Sure. Anyway, instead of sulking, I think you should all focus on how to get to the capital as quickly as possible, right?"

    Danielle flicked one of her intricate blonde drills with a smug smile. "Who do you think I am? Obviously, we''ve already discussed and made ns, and were just waiting for you to get here."

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but blink curiously. "Oh¡­?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Danielle hummed. "There''s a lot more information about the game out there now that yers have had two ''days'' of experience, and some conclusions have already been verified."

    Emilia wasn''t surprised to hear about the fact that the mechanic of being able to prevent random teleportation through resting at an inn was discovered, though she didn''t expect that some people had already managed to pry a few ''secrets'' out of the game characters.

    Although technically there was no way for the characters in the beginner towns to move to the maind, they somehow still possessed all the ''base'' knowledge as a ''native'' of that world.

    "The ''dungeons'' and ''pirs'' that the NPCs talked about are sure to be critical mechanics of Arcadia, and based on that, many big guilds and teams have already started nning their teamyouts." Danielle''s expression was grim. "Even though we''re far ahead of them now, don''t forget, in the endgame, even a single monster might be worth more than a quarter million experience!"

    Emilia nodded. "I understand. Although we might be the number one team in the world right now, we''ll have to work hard to keep that spot."

    While the rest of her teammates were nodding in her support, Sylvia frowned.

    Although she''d already put away most of her prejudice against the ''Crimson Witches'', associating their name with the top rank in anything was really too strange for her.

    After all, she only recalled them ever being mediocre at best, and that was with their ''star yer'' still alive.

    ''With Emilia on their side, however, it doesn''t really seempletely impossible¡­''

    The thought brought even more difort to Sylvia''s mind, though.

    It was a fact that Emilia seemed to have an inherent natural ''talent'' that was far beyond anything she''d witnessed before.

    Even when she managed topletely outsmart the girl in their ''demo'' match and got an almost perfect shot in on the back of her head, Emilia had been able to react the moment the arrow left her bow''s string.

    To call it terrifying would still be an understatement.

    At the same time, however, the girl was both young and na?ve, and incredibly easy to take advantage of.

    Otherwise, there was no way she would have stayed with the ''Crimson Witches'' after getting all those offers.

    Danielle and the others might be grateful, but the dark-haired heroine didn''t feel it was right for them to continue taking advantage of someone like that.

    Sylvia couldn''t help but sigh. ''But¡­ I''m not really any better than them. Maybe¡­ I can only talk to her about it, and let her decide for herself.''

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    Meanwhile, far from the base of the Crimson Witches, the hero was also having a simr discussion with his teammates.

    "There is no need to be rmed by the small moves of certain impatient fellows." Darryl smiled. "We must remain focused on our own goals, and continue improving!"

    The five boys and six girls in the room nodded furiously, their eyes full of trust and admiration for the man in front of them.

    None of them were real ''gamers'', and no matter how realistic Arcadia was, it didn''t really appeal to them that much.

    In any other circumstance, they would just scoff at the thought of ''escaping'' from reality using such inferior means, but when Darryl asked them to apany him to ''y'', they didn''t even think twice about it.

    To be able to assist the genius in any way at all was their greatest honor, after all.

    Of course, theirck of enthusiasm for the actual ''game'' no longer mattered. For the sake of Darryl, the energy they put into even something they hated could not be any less than a hundred percent.

    After observing their expressions carefully, Darryl smiled. "To reward you for your patience, let me share with you¡­ mytest invention."

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 Chapter 747 The Adorable Monster

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    Halfway through the second day of Arcadia going online, and the third one within the ''game'' itself, the ''Crimson Witches'' were finally able to reunite.

    When they finally saw the crimson-haired elf in person, their first reaction was¡­

    "What the hell are you wearing?!"

    "That skirt doesn''t even fully cover your butt, and it''s not even that big!"

    Although it was only Robin screaming hysterically by herself, from the expressions on the rest of their faces, Emilia could tell that they very much agreed.

    Before she could respond, however, they finally noticed a certain blonde ranger by her side.

    Although she''d already known that the girl ''apanying'' Emilia within Arcadia had the same ''profession'' as herself, Sylvia still couldn''t help but suddenly feel a sense of crisis.

    She wasn''t sure if it was the sharp look in the girl''s eyes or her unexpectedly beautiful face, but for the first time in a long time, Sylvia found someone even more annoying than Danielle.

    And as if aware of her thoughts, the blonde girl chuckled. "Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Crystal, let''s get along well."

    Although not as rmed as Sylvia, Danielle and the others were a bit wary of this ''stranger'' at first, but after they learned that the girl was a casual ''solo'' yer and wouldn''t ''poach'' Emilia away, they didn''t mind her presence so much.

    Unfortunately, once their attention shifted away from Crystal, it once again returned to Emilia''s skirt.

    The crimson-haired elf couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "It gives me a three percent attack speed bonus, and I don''t think I look bad in it, so why not?"

    She twirled around yfully on the spot, and Robin almost shot back with a nosebleed.

    "T-That''s a crime, a crime!"

    Nico also coughed. "Are you really not afraid that someone will take a photo and post it all over the inte?"

    Emilia smirked. "So? As long as they don''t edit it to make me look bad, I don''t mind."

    When Robin immediately used the full-dive pod''s recording function to snap a few dozen photos, Danielle couldn''t help but let out a tired sigh. "You better delete those, Robin."

    Looking at the taller girl''s reluctant expression, Emilia giggled. "Anyway, forget about that. Everyone should have got those random boxes from the quest, right? Why are you all in beginner attire, then?"

    Based on her understanding, the item obtained from the boxes couldn''t be lower in quality than the color of the box itself. No matter how bad their luck was, their rewards couldn''t be worse than the starter items.

    "Isn''t it because you were too high profile before?" Danielle sighed. "A lot of yers in most beginner towns are already guarding the teleportation formation."

    Obviously, their intentions weren''t hard to guess.

    Many people went around grilling different NPCs in search for clues, and since the ''unknown'' crimson-haired elf had discovered it on day one, they didn''t believe it would be long before someone else did the same.

    To prevent the lucky ones from slipping by without revealing the secret, of course the teleportation formations had to be guarded at all times.

    Danielle and the others had only managed to slip by thanks to their quick thinking, and the fact that they rushed out almost the moment the game went online. But even so, they were almost certain that some of their faces must have been photographed.

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "Well, don''t worry about it too much. Pretty soon, people will start getting to level ten themselves, and they won''t care about our ''secret'' too much at the time."

    Of course, unlike the rest of her team, this ''news'' bothered her for a different reason.

    ''If everyone is making such a fuss¡­ probably the hero must have also discovered it, right?'' Emilia frowned.

    yers from Welkin would naturally spawn in the neighboring ''Water Kingdom'', but the crimson-haired girl wasn''t sure if her ''news'' would be enough for the hero to make a move.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    And even if he did¡­ she had no idea what it could be.

    "Don''t worry so much about things you can''t control." Cynthia chuckled. "Anyway, even if he knows¡­ you can only keep getting stronger, right?"

    Emilia''s thoughts soon cleared up, and she nodded with a smile. ''You''re right.''

    No matter what Darryl was nning, it wouldn''t hurt to get stronger before she had to face it.

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    Under Emilia''s guidance, the ''Crimson Witches'', plus Crystal, soon formed a team and started hunting for monsters outside the capital.

    "Behind you!"

    "Careful¡ª!"

    Danielle cursed. "Fuck¡­ it almost got me!"

    The tentacled nt beasts in the area were definitely not easy to deal with, especially with their ability to burrow and hide their ''appendages'' into the ground, but the team soon learned how to deal with them.

    "Nico focus on buffing and healing me whenever you can, and the rest of you just protect her!" Emilia furrowed her brows as she felt another slimy tentacle wrap around her thigh, only to be swiftly severed by her sword. "Danielle¡­ keep the fireballs raining!"

    The [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] had hundreds of ''appendages'', but not all of them were dangerous. Emilia could naturally tell which ones were only meant to ''distract'' her, and swiftly ignored them to focus on what mattered, but not everyone could do the same.

    Although the difference between her casual clothes and the ones she currently had on was significant, thebination of Emilia''s face and the realistic environment naturally made it difficult for everyone to ignore her ''distress''.

    Fortunately, the situation wasn''t too dire, and the team was soon able to ''adapt'' and assist Emilia properly. Of course, the fact that they were only dealing with a single monster helped a lot as well.

    Its immunity to poison and the ability to regenerate would have made it quite a tricky opponent had Emilia been dealing with it alone, but fortunately, she wasn''t.

    The damage output of a mage like Danielle, who''d invested every point she had into intelligence, wasn''t to be underestimated. And the fact that the tentacled nt was weak to the fire element only made things worse.

    Its regeneration could obviously not keep up with being continuously set on fire, and the ''mighty'' beast soon fell under thebined assault of the level ten team.

    If it could, it would definitely have cried in itsst moments, wondering what it did wrong to be humiliated to death by beginner fireball spells and basic arrows.

    Everyone couldn''t help but cheer.

    "YES!!!"

    "We did it!"

    Sylvia was a bit worried that the crimson-haired elf would be traumatized by the slimy tentacles harassing her for so long, but she soon realized that Emilia didn''t seem to care at all.

    Everyone received two thousand experience points and two silver coins, and Emilia pocketed the ''Earthen Demonic Core'' that dropped with a grin. "It was annoying, but the rewards are good. I''m sure there must be more¡­ or even better monsters deeper into the forest. Let''s go!"

    Crystal smiled and followed after her helplessly, and the rest could only hurriedly follow.

    "She''s not scared at all, is she?" Danielle sighed. "What a monster."

    Of course, even if she didn''t realize the doting and pride in her tone, everyone else could still hear it.

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 Chapter 748 One Of Us

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    Although the experience and silver rewarded for each [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] was quite high, thanks to its high level and ability to regenerate, it took their team a long time to take it down.

    But Emilia obviously knew that the forest surrounding the capital of Fire Kingdom wasn''t an ideal ce for newbies to farm experience, and even if they ventured deeper and searched for some other ''prey'', their experience wouldn''t be any better.

    After forming a party, they could obviously pick any one of the remote cities that they''d originallye from and have a much easier time.

    The reason Emilia led them here, though, was simple.

    Grinding small mobs might be easy and efficient, but only taking on more challenging foes would prepare her team for tougher fights.

    Of course, the fact that the drops from these monsters would help increase their reputation in the capital when sold to the right ce also helped.

    "Crystal, use your light arrow!"

    "On it!"

    Shortly into their second fight with the ''beast'', Sylvia had discovered that arrows infused with the light element dealt a lot more damage to the [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] once set on fire, much to Emilia''s delight.

    The fact that elements could bebined like that, and the weakness of demonic beasts against ''holy fire'', was only supposed to be discovered muchter, after all.

    Although Sylvia wasn''t very happy with her discovery, and was furious that her ''darkness'' infused arrows dealt even less damage than they usually should, she didn''t hesitate to share it.

    Compared to Crystal''s calm response, Danielle was a lot more surprised at the fact that Sylvia was willing to ''contribute'' like this to the team.

    Just a few days ago, she wouldn''t have dared to even dream of such a thing. And yet, now it was happening right in front of her eyes.

    "Wow! To be able to notice such a minor detail¡­ Sylvia is really amazing!"

    Looking at the beaming crimson-haired elf praising Sylvia, though, Danielle realized that it really wasn''t that much of a surprise. ''I have the feeling that if she''d been born in ancient times, Emilia would have been the perfect ''demonic'' concubine, brainwashing the emperor and the courtiers alike.''

    She giggled. ''Luckily, she''s just a silly little goofball.''

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    Finding and killing the level twenty elite [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] took them quite a while, and by the time the ''Crimson Witches'' had fulfilled their goal for the day based on Emilia''s demands, the sun was almost already down.

    "The guards warned us not to stay out after sunset, so let''s go back for now." The crimson-haired elf sighed. "Anyway, I''m sure everyone is tired, right?"

    Danielle immediately groaned. "Don''t remind me, I barely just managed to tune in out."

    Nico also agreed with a pained grunt, making the rest of the team giggle.

    Although it hadn''t been obvious before, Nico and Danielle had discovered that using too much mana in a short time somehow seemed to give them some form of mental stress. And using mana potions to recover and repeat the process quickly led them to have a migraine that simply couldn''t be fixed with ''Mend Wounds''.

    Slyvia wasn''t using her elemental infusion anymore, since it would only lower her efficiency because of the enemy''s higher resistance to darkness, so she obviously didn''t go through the same. And a [Rogue] like Robin naturally wouldn''t waste mana potions needlessly either.

    It wasn''t all bad news, though. Being forced to use mana sparingly meant that they slowly learned better coordination and timing, and were also able to watch Emilia being entangled with a lot more ''vines'' as she flipped and weaved around.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was a pity that she seemed to have an item that allowed her to clean off the slime sticking to her silky skin after every fight, but even Robin wasn''t stupid enough toin about it out loud, lest Danielle burn off all the hair off her scalp.

    As the only one privy to many of their secret thoughts, Crystal obviously couldn''t contain her amused giggles all the time, but the res she immediately attracted quickly made her raise her hands in surrender. "Oops."

    Fortunately, no one else knew about her ability, and Emilia quickly came to her rescue with an excuse. "Don''t mind her. It''s not that much of a surprise that she didn''t get a headache like everyone else. I didn''t start calling her my lucky star without reason, after all."

    Danielle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "I get that the two of you might have got a lot of good stuff earlier because she was lucky, but this and that are two very different things. You don''t need to endure pain and pretend like that."

    Although her tone was rude, Crystal could obviously feel that Danielle meant well deep down, so she didn''t hesitate to use a more humble tone. "Thank you for your care. I''ll¡­ be more honest from now."

    Having her true thoughts exposed, Danielle immediately exploded. "Who cares about you?!"

    "Ohhh¡­ I can''t believe someone discovered that our captain was a big softie so quickly!"

    "Like a cute little hedgehog!"

    Danielle''s eyes immediately turned red. "You two really want a beating?!"

    "Eek!"

    "Kyaaa!"

    While Nico and Robin were ''teasing'' their captain, Sylvia couldn''t help but rub her chin in thought. ''So that''s how it was¡­ huh.''

    Meanwhile, Crystal could only rub her nose in embarrassment.

    Obviously, she would only be deceiving them by pretending to suffer so she can appear more normal, which was embarrassing enough for a straightforward girl like her. And Emilia''s teasing gaze didn''t help at all.

    Unable to endure after a while, the blonde girl quickly took the lead in rushing back to the capital. "L-Let''s get back quickly, I-I''ll show you around the market!"

    "Hey!"

    "She ran away?!"

    "Oops."

    Only Emilia was able to keep up with the fleeing girl, making the rest of them sigh.

    "That full agility build¡­ it''s really something else, huh? No wonder Emilia kept boasting about it."

    "But I don''t think it''s suitable for everyone. Maybe only freaks like them can pull it off properly."

    "Mhm."

    Unknowingly, somehow, they''d already started treating Crystal as one of their own.

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 Chapter 749 Team Spirit [Thank You Peripharos For The Gift!]

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    After their rather fruitful session in the forest, there were only a few hours left before the day came to an end.

    At first, Emilia intended to use this time to show her team around the city, and subtly guide them on what they should sell and what they should keep in order to maximize their reputation gain. But she soon realized that those things could only be put off forter.

    "Wow, so this is what the market of a capital city looks like in Arcadia!"

    "Which shop should we visit first?!"

    With each of them having received the gold reward from the quest while the rest of the yer base was counting their coppers, the Crimson Witches naturally considered themselves ''richdies'', and they weren''t really wrong.

    Even in the Vermillion City, the capital of Fire Kingdom, a single gold coin was enough to rent a VIP room in their best inn for five days straight. And with ten, they really could live like nobility for almost a month.

    But luckily, aside from wasting a few copper coins on some fragrant street food, even Nico and Robin knew to restrain themselves.

    "The capital really is quite grand, isn''t it?!" The tomboy sighed. "The vige we were in previously made me think the game must have a medieval setting, but this is clearly an industrial city."

    In fact, each ''kingdom'' within Arcadia had a different ''theme'', and only the Fire Kingdom they were currently in was a manufacturing and forging hub. But even though she knew it, Emilia could only keep it to herself.

    Once some other teams started getting to the major cities of other kingdoms, everyone will know about it anyway.

    "That''s the shop you mentioned gave you the elf ear discount, right?"

    Emilia hummed. "Yeah, but everything there is really expensive, and not really that good for the price. I''d say we should wait a bit more and see what weck after getting better drops."

    Although Danielle understood what the crimson-haired elf was trying to say, she had her own ns. "It won''t hurt to look around."

    Emilia thought about it for a while, then realized that maybe she really was a bit too anxious.

    Instead of burning everyone else out by being too forceful, it was better to take things a little easier and reap sweeter long-term rewards.

    Cynthia coughed. "Since they''re making you follow along anyway, why not just use them as discount coupons?"

    The crimson-haired girl blinked, then quickly realized what her partner meant. ''Whoa¡­! How could I forget about that?!''

    Obviously, since elves could get a unique discount on buying earrings, certain other bloodlines would also have their own ''perks'' in ''Childe''s y''. With the ''diversity'' in her team, it would be a shame not to use it.

    Emilia nodded. "Alright, since everyone is so excited¡­ we might as well try out an idea I had before."

    Not to mention Danielle, Nico, and Robin, even Sylvia couldn''t resist leaning forward curiously as the crimson-haired elf shared her n.

    "Will that¡­ really work?"

    Emilia giggled. "We won''t know unless we try, will we?"

    "Right!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Crystal could only sigh and follow the rest of the team. ''I almost feel sorry for that scammer.''

    In fact, aside from Crystal and Emilia, the rest of the Crimson Witches had been really unlucky with the random items they got from the main quest, to the point where even Cynthia started feeling pity for them.

    Not only were all twenty of their ''random'' boxes full of nothing but rings, but most of them weren''t even suitable for their respective owners.

    If not for Nico exchanging her three ''Brawler''s Rings'' with others, maybe she would have just be a boxing healer out of frustration. Of course, three rings that increased fifty health points each weren''t anything to write home about, either, but at least they weren''tpletely useless.

    Among the four of them, Danielle''s luck was the best, as she got to keep two rings that increased intelligence by 5 points, and one that increased her mana capacity by 10. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Robin got to keep the two belts that gave them ten additional inventory slots, and two rings each for twenty points of increased physical damage.

    Of course, the ''Blue'' rings were at least decent.

    Danielle''s ''Song of Fire'' enhanced all her fire skills, greatly increasing her chance to set enemies aze, and boosting the damage they take by ten percent.

    Sylvia''s ''Ring of Purity'' increased the damage dealt by the same ''type'' of attack on every enemy by one percent, meaning that her hundredth shot on a boss would deal an additional hundred percent damage, so long as she didn''t chance her weapon or element mid-fight.

    As for Nico and Robin, they were ''lucky'' enough to receive the Demonic Fury and Holy Light rings respectively, which they swiftly exchanged.

    The ''Demonic Fury'' increased all damage dealt by five percent unconditionally, while the Holy Light decreased the mana cost of all skills that ''deal no damage'' by fifty percent.

    Recalling their gobsmacked expressions when they looked at all her ''shiny'' gear, Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''Well, hopefully they''ll find something cheap and decent soon.''

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    Half an hourter, the girls gathered in front of the weapons and armor shop once again.

    Danielle sighed. "He told me I''d get forty percent off for all unique bracelet purchases as a Dragonkin. Not bad, but¡­"

    Compared to Emilia''s seventy-five percent offer, it was obviously quite disappointing.

    Robin lifted her chin with pride. "I was told that all the anklets were avable at half price for demons."

    Looking at her smug face, Danielle couldn''t help but burst her bubble with a sneer. "None of the anklets were worth less than a hundred gold coins, though, right?"

    The tomboy quickly deted, making Crystal giggle. "I somehow managed to dig out that humans also get a discount, though it''s only twenty-five percent off on rings.

    Of course, the fact remained that humans made for the majority of their pre-existing customers, and rings were also their most frequently sold product, so it was obvious that the shop wouldn''t offer much. Not to mention, none of them even wanted to hear the term ''rings'' anytime soon.

    Crystal smiled. "Nico, on the other hand¡­"

    The moment everyone''s gaze turned to her, Nico, the healer, quickly lifted her chin with pride. "Rejoice,dies! For I, Nico, have received a sixty percent discount on all cors, chokers, and nes!"

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 Chapter 750 Sincere Heart [Thank You Peripharos For The Gift!]

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    Nico''s tone made it impossible for the rest of them to contain their giggles, though Emilia quickly realized that all the discounts were only on essories, after all.

    ''Well, I suppose it makes sense. essories are the cheapest and easiest to obtain, and one can only use ten of them at a time.'' She sighed. ''Not to mention, that''s not their only restriction!''

    Despite her thoughts, though, Emilia didn''t stop her team from pooling their resources together.

    "So¡­ keeping some silver and copper aside for lodging and stuff, we have forty-five gold coins in total. And if we factor in the discount¡­" Danielle grinned. "We can really get that thing!"

    The crimson-haired girl obviously didn''t mind lending them her leftover seven gold coins, as she was sure that Crystal wouldn''t care. But Danielle and the others tly refused to take it.

    "We already have what we need, so it''s fine."

    Emilia could tell that Danielle had already made up her mind, and knowing how stubborn the girl could be, she wisely decided to just give up. Anyway, although she knew plenty of ways to make gold in Arcadia, having a little bit extra in her pocket wouldn''t hurt.

    Danielle was obviously very satisfied with her attitude, and nodded with a smile. ''For once, this smug little brat didn''t do the exact opposite of what I want her to.''

    Sometimes, she really wondered how she managed to hold back from hitting Emilia, but then Danielle realized that the girl was a bit too nimble for her to easily catch.

    Shaking the strangely frustrating thoughts off her mind, the drill-haired girl coughed. "Alright, since the funds are ready, let''s go!"

    "Wait!"

    Emilia watched curiously as all the girls in her team except for herself and Crystal huddled together to argue in hushed voices. Vaguely, she could hear her own name being mentioned from time to time.

    "They''re not really criticizing me, are they?"

    Crystal giggled. "What do you think?"

    Emilia obviously didn''t feel that anyone would dare to do something like that right in front of her, but then again¡­ she didn''t dare to get closer to the group to make sure.

    Anyway, since she had indeed been intentionally annoying from time to time, she could only pretend not to see it this time.

    ''Now that I''ve already achieved the goal of bringing them closer together, the next time they dare to nder me¡­'' Emilia narrowed her eyes in thought. ''I''ll definitely have to teach them that this princess is not so easy to bully!''

    Crystal found the whole situation quite funny, but unaware of the ''danger'' that they''d unintentionally attracted, Danielle and the rest of the team happily continued arguing.

    "Red suits her the best, obviously!"

    "But her earrings are green, and they look good on her!"

    "So? Her belt is silver, and her boots are white, what does it matter? That''s just how those items were, and she will probably rece themter. How can we base our gift off of those disposable things!"

    "I hate to say it, but Sylvia is right."

    Sylvia almost rolled her eyes, but considering that Robin was currently supporting her side, she quickly swallowed her protest.

    Danielle coughed. "Alright, alright¡­ since we''re evenly split on the issue, how about letting the captain decide?"

    Sylvia scoffed. "Because you''re the captain?"

    The drill-haired girl smiled. "You know what? I''ll look past that attitude, and we can just let the one who''s going to buy it make the final decision."

    Before the situation could escte, Nico coughed. "A-Alright, captain, I''ve changed my mind. Emilia''s hair is definitely way more gorgeous than any of her essories, so let''s just go with that."

    Now outnumbered three against one, Danielle could only give up with a sad sigh. "Fine, then, you go get that thing, and ruin her perfect color theme."

    Sylvia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''This stingy girl!''

    When Nico quickly rushed back into the store, Emilia became certain that it must be a ne that the team was after.

    She hummed thoughtfully. "Everyone is already loaded with essories, but¡­ well, it''s fine to gear up a little more at the start, I suppose."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, saving up to buy good weapons and armor would have been a ''better'' choice, but since most of the ''best'' weapons and armor couldn''t be bought from the shops anyway, Emilia didn''t really mind it too much.

    Anyway, since they were so far ahead of everyone else, there was no need to be too stingy with their gold.

    ''It''s a good thing that we can all just share a single room at the inn as long as we can fit on a bed, but¡­'' Emilia hummed. ''I wonder what it was that made them so decisively empty all their pockets¡­''

    Looking at her girlfriend''s curious expression, Crystal secretly grinned. ''Does she really not realize how strange it is that none of them were even a little reluctant to part with their gold?''

    Although it might seem obvious for everyone on the same team to share all their resources freely, the fact that Danielle and the others only ''exchanged'' items was enough to prove that they still valued what they considered their own.

    The blonde girl smiled confidently. ''They''re definitely buying something for her.''

    When their giddy little healer, Nico, finally returned and handed Emilia a silver choker with a smile, her guess was finally confirmed.

    The crimson-haired elf blinked, obviously stunned. "¡­?"

    Nico grinned. "It''s¡­ our gift!"

    Sylvia, Danielle, and Robin also nodded with a smile.

    "For you."

    "For being our lucky star."

    "And so cute!"

    Danielle and Sylvia immediately stopped smiling.

    "Moron."

    "Idiot."

    Obviously, although she could roughly understand what they meant, Emilia was still stunned.

    The four of them had been whispering and arguing about it for so long, so how could the item that they finally agreed on be so¡­ strange?

    ==========

    ¡ªHibiscus Heart¡ª

    Quality ¡ú Green

    Type ¡ú essory (Choker)

    Effect ¡ú Has a mild calming effect on the wearer''s mind, which is slightly boosted under abnormal stress.

    ==========

    No matter how she thought about it, none of her teammates would benefit much from this kind of effect.

    She couldn''t help but purse her lips in thought. "How much did this cost, again?"

    Before they could respond, however, Emilia quickly shook her head in denial. "Wait, don''t answer me! Since it was a gift, I''ll treat it as your heart."

    Thinking about it this way, although the item''s effect wasn''t particrly amazing, its name was actually quite fitting.

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile, and face the ''Crimson Witches'', her eyes brimming not with her usual yfulness and mischief, butplete sincerity.

    "Thank you."

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 Chapter 751 Lamb Or Wolf

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    By the time they were done with their ''shopping trip'' and ''sightseeing tour'' around the city of Vermillion, there hadn''t been much time left before they were forcefully logged out. But fortunately, everyone had been careful enough, andfortably managed to squeeze into Emilia''s room in ''Inari''s Inn'' before then.

    Initially, Emilia intended to just rest well andy out their ''game n'' a few hours before the next session, but unfortunately, that n couldn''t keep up with the changes.

    The controversies that surrounded Arcadia since itsunch might have made many quit, but they also made a lot of people curious enough to give it a try. And despite its rather ''uninteresting'' gamey, the unbelievably realistic ''graphics'' and its extreme dedication to ''realism'' were enough to make many stay.

    Of course, its inherent ''ws'' were still there, and as many feared, it didn''t take long for the ''bad apples'' in the society to start doing in the game what they did everywhere else.

    Normally, people turned a blind eye to harassment and bullying unless it was happening to someone they cared about, but Arcadia was already a hot topic in both forums and media, and everyone had a soul for gossip.

    "There''s already been over forty cases of sexual harassment filed by people who imed that it happened within Arcadia, and seven have been arrested thanks to the videos recorded by the victims."

    "It would be so easy to avoid this kind of thing. The developers should just make it so every female yer can instantly shock anyone making unwanted contact with them. Or even better, just make it automatic. We only need to kill monsters in the game, so there''s no need for a mechanic that allows two people to touch each other."

    "Right? I used to think Darryl was a genius, but turns out even he can be so short-sighted."

    Of course, many people opposed this type of opinion, and came out to defend against it.

    "If you ask me, Darryl''s move was truly the mark of a genius. Only those who already have that kind of uncontroble tendency wouldmit such a crime. Instead of waiting for them to do it in real life and possibly get away with it, isn''t it a good thing for them to do it in a game and get caught for sure?"

    People naturally realized that the victim could always record and share the incident in Arcadia, and might even be able to escape by logging out in time, unlike reality. Moreover, it was impossible for the criminals to silence a victim or witness within the game, unless they also targeted them in real life before their dirty deeds could be exposed.

    From that point of view, Arcadia was indeed helping ''flush out'' such criminals, and this kind of argument was echoed by many. But a lot more scoffed at such thoughts.

    "Calling this kind of heinous crime a ''good thing''¡­ did your head get kicked by a donkey?"

    "This game is really a cesspool. I hate it."

    Despite all the controversy, however, a lot of people had already be ''dedicated'' yers, logging in and grinding diligently every time that the server was online.

    The fact that even office workers could game just as much as anyone else simply by adjusting their schedule slightly made them very eager to give it their all.

    Two sessions of four hours every day was really not much, especially considering that their bodies would be ''well rested'' once they were done gaming.

    Of course, everyone was very curious about how the ''developers'' nned to mize the game, and many were already eagerly anticipating theunch of the in-game shop.

    Meanwhile, with future opportunities in mind, a multitude of enthusiastic yermunities and guides also started surfacing one after another.

    From the most efficient way to farm copper coins to aplete guide on how to survive the [Boar King] raid, many ''experts'' keenly analyzed and exined every little detail, and those who were eager to learn more about Arcadia eagerly gobbled it up.

    Under such circumstances, when Danielle and the others escaped from the beginner''s town, it was obviously impossible to gopletely unnoticed.

    And once someone realized who they were, it didn''t take long for Emilia''s name to catch on fire.

    "Fuck! Do these people have nothing better to do than to snoop around?!" Danielle paced back and forth furiously in the strategy room as she groaned. "I can''t believe someone found your name on the official government site!"

    She couldn''t help but curse the person who first came up with the idea of issuing a public notice whenever new ''identity'' documents were issued to someone.

    Emilia could only smile helplessly. "Well¡­ it''s not really that surprising. Even if they didn''t go actively looking for it, maybe I would have been exposed by a simple reverse image search."

    She actually didn''t mind her identity being exposed so much, since with her real face exposed to all, she never expected it to remain a secret for long anyway. If anything, she was surprised that they hadn''t figured it out way earlier.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After all, even if they''d only been rtively minor events, her face had already been exposed to hundreds of people as a member of the Crimson Witches.

    But Danielle clearly wasn''t of the same mind. "Do you even have any idea what kind of harassment you''re going to face?!"

    Sylvia and the other two girls in the team also nodded grimly.

    "Don''t take this matter lightly, Emilia."

    Danielle sighed. "Since no one can find and question you within Arcadia, at least for now, it will definitely make them extremely eager to find out exactly how you managed to get out of the beginner vige so quickly."

    Of course, their enthusiasm might quickly die down once everyone else started hitting level ten, but the question was¡­ how do they keep Emilia safe until then?

    Sensing an opportunity, Robin coughed. "I can escort you back to your home from now on to make sure nothing happens. How about it?"

    Before Emilia could respond, however, Danielle shook her head in denial. "I don''t think it''s safe for her to take public transport anymore. In fact¡­ how about you just stay here for the next few days, until the situation cools down?"

    Sylvia also nodded in agreement. "I hate to admit it, but Danielle is right. Going out at this time would just be asking to run into perverts."

    The crimson-haired girl barely managed to resist the urge to roll her eyes in exasperation. ''For supposedly hating each other so much, these two sure have been on the same page way too often.''

    But while she didn''t really care about running into ''perverts'', Emilia didn''t want to upset her teammates by appearing too nonchnt, so she obediently scrunched up her face while pretending to be worried. "I-I''ll just stay in the office, then?"

    With no other better idea, everyone soon agreed to just stay in the ''office'' for the next few days as much as possible. But just as Danielle feared, someone soon came knocking on their door.

    "Go check."

    Nico nervously nodded and left to check who it was, only toe rushing back in panic. "T-There''s like dozens of people with cameras trying to break in!"

    Fortunately, Robin and Sylvia had followed her out of both caution and curiosity. But even with the three of them together, they''d barely managed to block the crowd and m the door shut in time.

    Danielle''s face immediately turned gloomy. "I see¡­ let me call the police to get rid of them, then."

    Their office was supposed to be rtively private, with only a few past sponsors knowing its exact location, so the drill-haired girl wasn''t sure how everyone managed to discover it. ''Anyway, it doesn''t matter! Since they''re technically trespassing, I just have to get them kicked out!''

    Just as she was about to leave, however¡­

    "Wait!"

    The drill-haired girl paused, not expecting Emilia to interrupt her, and she couldn''t help but be a little confused. "What?"

    Suddenly having a strange thought, she frowned. "Don''t tell me you actually n to throw yourselves to the wolves!"

    Obviously, everyone just wanted to know about the secret that the crimson-haired elf had discovered, but she was under no obligation to share it.

    Even if she magnanimously decided to let everyone know, Danielle knew that Emilia would only attract more jealousy instead of gratitude. And the more she gave in, the worse everyone''s attitude will be.

    But the crimson-haired girl just smiled. "Throwing myself to the wolves? Please, whether I am amb waiting for ughter or a wolf myself¡­ I''m sure they''ll soon find out."

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 Chapter 752 Unexpected Interest

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    Although Danielle agreed to Emilia''s request on the surface, she was still worried that something might go wrong, and decided to call a private securitypany just in case.

    Of course, with their tight finances andck of connections, neither the response time nor the quality of personnel could be expected to be very good.

    Despite their promise to be there within ten minutes, Danielle knew that her luck would be considered quite good even if it took them only twice as long. And in case of an emergency, she could only call the police.

    Being led to the rtively small ''press room'' by Robin, many in the crowd didn''t shy away from openly expressing their dissatisfaction.

    "Hmph, making us wait for so long. Who do these people think they are?"

    "They don''t even have a proper ce for receiving media personnel, is it any wonder that they have no idea how to deal with this bit of unexpected fame?"

    Fortunately, Robin had already been schooled not to cause a mess in front of the cameras, so she barely managed to restrain her temper. "Please wait here, everyone, our leader will be here to talk with you shortly."

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    Danielle hadn''t expected that there would be people from actual news stations in the crowd, and she couldn''t help but be a little flustered. "I get that there might be some unruly and overexcited yers, or a few magazines that want to capitalize on the hype, but¡­ isn''t this too much?"

    Even when they had managed to win a few tournaments, none of the big news stations bothered to give them any screen time. Hot topic or not, how could this kind of event be worth so much fuss?

    "Maybe they''re here to intentionally make trouble." Emilia sneered. ''Could it be that someone sent them here?''

    The same thought struck Danielle as well, but she quickly shook her head in denial. "Although I''ve offended a few people before, none of them would make this kind of move."

    "No need to be so upset. Just wait¡­ maybe I can turn this into a good thing, after all." Emilia smirked. ''And maybe even dispel some of the ''mastermind''s'' thoughts.''

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    "They agreed to an interview?"

    "Yes."

    Darryl hummed thoughtfully, then smiled. "Alright. Show me the live feed, and I''ll decide how to proceed next."

    The thin, spectacled man who made the report quickly arranged things ording to his requirements.

    "So that''s her¡­"

    In the video, Emilia''s charming voice deftly fended all sorts of questions from the crowd, showing a proud and slightly smug demeanor.

    She refused to reveal her ''secret'' to the public,pletely ignored any questions about ''cheating'', and even made a call for recruitment of new talents for their team.

    "This kind of strategic advantage can only be shared with our teammates, after all. I hope everyone will understand."

    Despite her cheeky tone, it was hard for people to get mad in front of that charming smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The spectacled man coughed. "Darryl, to be honest¡­ although she looks good, I don''t think she''s worthy of you."

    Obviously, for their excellent friend to pay so much attention to a girl based on just a ''video'' on the inte, their first thought was that he must have been deceived by her face.

    It was a pity that the girl that their friend finally showed an interest in was just a smug brat, andpletely unworthy of standing by the side of a genius like Darryl.

    As for him being interested in her because of some secret¡­ such a ridiculous thought never even crossed their minds.

    The dark-haired man''s eyes were deep, and not even his closest ''friends'' could guess what he was thinking.

    After a few minutes of tense silence, however, he finally smiled. "Interesting¡­ looks like I really underestimated some people."

    Immediately, some of his friends jumped in rm.

    Could it be that even someone like Darryl could be hooked so easily by such a pompous vixen?!

    Just as they were about to try and reason with him again, however, an unexpected ''intruder'' ended uppletely disrupting their rhythm.

    "What''s that guy doing here, again?"

    "Didn''t Darryl make it clear that he won''t do as they say?"

    The dark-haired man quickly waved off his dissatisfied ''friends'' with a smile. "Please let him in, and give us some time to talk. I''m sure there must be a reason he''s here again."

    At least this time, he wasn''t stupid enough to interrupt him while he was ying, Darryl thought, a cold glint in his eyes.

    A few minutester, a tall and dignified man with a handlebar mustache took the seat in front of him, his smile both calm and chilling. "Tell me¡­ how did you do it?"

    Darryl leaned back in his chair, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "I''ve done many things that people find hard to understand, so it would be great if you could be more specific, Mr. Dingleberry."

    The older man''s anger red, but he quickly calmed down after thinking about the consequences if he failed to negotiate with the genius again. "Listen, Darryl, I know you''re smart, so you can''t be oblivious to what''s going on. That technology that you''re using to prevent everyone from shutting down your game¡­ the military wants it."

    He smiled. "They think it can be used for¡­ various purposes. And the higher-ups have already approved of their request¡­ regardless of the costs."

    Contrary to his expectations, however, Darryl''s smile didn''t even fluctuate. "Using it for military purposes¡­ oh, they have no idea just how much they''re underestimating it."

    Before Mr. Dingleberry could respond, Darryl took out a folder from his desk drawer and threw it over carelessly.

    The mustached man caught it in surprise, and opened it while wondering what Darryl meant. But when he saw that they were just physical health reports of several boys and girls, he couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    What did any of this have to do with their discussion?

    Darryl smirked. "Show this to the professor that our president trusts so much more than myself. I''m sure he''ll know what it means."

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 Chapter 753 Obstacle

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    "So you think that the hero had something to do with that crowd?"

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''Well, I''m not really sure, but¡­ weren''t some of those ''random'' people a bit too malicious? Other than the hero and the two of us, probably no one else knows just how much one''s progress within Arcadia really matters at this point, so how can they care so much?''

    Of course, it was entirely possible for some people to be just overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill, but Emilia would rather be more cautious and overestimate her enemy than the other way around.

    No matter how intelligent or cunning the hero might be, there was no way for him to really know who she was and what she was really capable of. He might not even know how exactly she managed to get ahead of him, which could actually be the real reason behind his ''provocation''.

    That was why Emilia did her best to make herself appear both smug and somewhat ignorant. As if she was just a girl who''d already been blinded by her overflowing pride in her ''talent'', not even realizing that the opportunity she''d stumbled across was mostly just her being really lucky.

    It might not fool him for long, especially since Emilia had no intention to ''hold back'' and foolishly sabotage herself, but the longer the hero remained at least somewhat cent'', the more time she would have to pull ahead.

    Cynthia considered her partner''s words for a while before nodding. "Although mortals sometimes behave really erratically, you''re right. It''s better not to be careless."

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    Emilia''s ''interview'' didn''t have much of an impact on those who didn''t y the game, but for those who did, it was like dropping a bomb in a stillke.

    "What?! She didn''t just get an event mission to go out, but actually advanced to level ten?!"

    "How is that even possible? I''m still only level four, and I''ve been grinding non-stop since day one!"

    "Not everyone is a noob like you. Most yers who properlypleted their main quest instead of botching it up, and have been grinding in a decent spot with a good team are already past level seven, you know?"

    "Even if that''s true, didn''t level seven need like forty thousand experience points to level up? Since that number will only go upter, how can someone have hit level ten? She''s definitely lying!"

    Obviously, not many people believed Emilia''s ims at this point, but that was only natural.

    Even the ''best'' pro yers have only just managed to progress past level eight at this point in the game, and some of their live streams made people both gasp and admire their incredible efficiency in farming the [Boar King].

    Some of them even had loyal ''fans'' who would help them spawn the boss, and then leave the team and area in an attempt to increase the share obtained by their ''star''.

    Of course, as it was right now, there was no proof that this strategy really worked, and the streamers who indulged in it were mostly only those who didn''t really care about their audience.

    After all, in hopes of giving them just a slight boost, their ''fans'' were actually sacrificing both their experience points and time. And some even died while confronting the boss, losing far more than they expected.

    Fortunately, her adorable face and childish arrogance quickly earned Emilia a lot of ''parents'', who all jumped to defend her against the ''trolls'' who tried to ''bully'' their newfound daughter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Nobody knew that there was a way to earn a lot of experience from the main quest just a few days ago, right? Before calling Emilia names, shouldn''t you consider the fact that she might have discovered an even better way toplete it instead?"

    Of course, these arguments only made those who were already furious more angry.

    "If she knows a better way toplete it, why not let everyone know? Hoarding a good thing like that, she''s just being petty!"

    "Yeah, it''s not like us doing better would make her ount worse!"

    Luckily for Emilia, very few of the people defending her actually cared about their ''lost'' experience, with a majority being ''non-yers'', even, so they naturally didn''t get very jealous.

    "I don''t really understand or care about the game, but looking at that darling face, how can you bear to bully her?!"

    "You all are just greedy and jealous of a little girl''s luck, don''t you feel ashamed?!"

    Although the opinions were still mixed on the topic of her actual ''progress'', Emilia was actually quite satisfied. After all, while many might nder or despise her at the moment, none of them seemed to suspect that she might really ''know'' any insider information about Arcadia, and that was the only thing she really needed to conceal from the hero and the rest of the world.

    As for being disgustingly lucky and arrogant¡­ those rumors would only work out in her favor.

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    "Chief Secretary¡­ how surprising of you to make a personal visit to my humble abode."

    Despite the gentle smile on Darryl''s face, the middle-ageddy in front of him only sneered. "We''ve always been very patient with you, Darryl. But let me tell you clearly this time¡­ if you''re really ying around, you might not be able to shoulder the consequences."

    That dark-haired hero didn''t take her threat seriously at all, however, and his smile only turned gentler. "Why, madam Secretary¡­ if I didn''t know any better, I would think you were threatening me."

    The middle-ageddy smiled, but it didn''t quite reach her eyes. "Professor Eina fainted after looking through your reports, you know? And when she woke up, she started acting like a crazy woman, as if she''d been possessed."

    Nobody knew better than herself how much of a scare that had been, and even the president almost had a stroke when he learned that their most reliable scientist might have gone crazy.

    Compared to her, even Darryl wasn''t considered as ''valuable''¡­ at least until now.

    "If you say that I''m ying around¡­ that''s actually true." Darryl smiled, but before the middle-ageddy in front of him could fly into a rage, his expression turned serious. "However, I''m only ying because that is what I need to do in order to lead the world into a new era. The only question is¡­ will you help me make this country a true leader of this new era, or be the greatest obstacle in its way?"

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 Chapter 754 Marketing Strategy

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    While Danielle was a bit uncertain about Emilia''s ''strategy'' at first, once they discussed and agreed upon it, she decisively agreed to ''streaming'' most of their ''gamey'' on all major tforms.

    Even if they spent all their time grinding the [Boar King], most people wouldn''t be able to hit level ten for a while. After all, the experience earned was greatly reduced because of the size of the crowd assaulting him.

    This gave Emilia''s team a golden opportunity to explode in poprity, and Danielle knew that it would be stupid to just let it go to waste, even if it ended up attracting a lot of hate and envy their way.

    Before logging in, they''d already set up their ''ounts'' on all popr streaming tforms, and decided to go live simultaneously.

    Of course, Sylvia and Danielle weren''t particrly ''social'' creatures, and didn''t like the feeling of the red dot blinking above their heads, constantly reminding them that they were being watched, but they were still sensible enough to not say anything stupid in front of the ''camera''.

    After all, having rejected all the ''sponsors'' before, their team really was strapped for cash. And since they could keep more than half the revenue of their ''individual'' streams, enduring a little bit of shame was but a cheap price to pay.

    "I''ve already paid for a few advertisements to get started, and also shared our links everywhere, so we should start getting some traffic soon." Danielle reminded them seriously. "Be mindful of your words and actions, and remember to signal clearly if there is a need for privacy, alright?"

    "Don''t worry, we understand." Emilia grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, and the rest of the team also nodded.

    Danielle hummed. "Then¡­ let''s continue venturing deeper into the forest today."

    Soon enough, a steady stream of viewers started trickling in, and it didn''t take long for the message to spread.

    "Ohhh, so that ad that looked like a scam was actually true?!"

    "Isn''t that Emilia?!"

    Danielle''s ads were only meant to get things started, and the real ''allure'' of their streams was naturally the ''future content'' that no one else had ess to.

    Once the message started to spread, the poprity of their streams immediately exploded, and Danielle couldn''t help but start smiling.

    The number of people who flocked to either ''confirm the rumors'' or see what the maind actually looked like for themselves was enough to clog even some of the more robust streaming tforms, and far exceeded Danielle''s most optimistic estimates.

    Not to mention Emilia''s stream, which already had almost ten million viewers, even their rtively less popr channels would be able to fund the ''Crimson Witches'' for a while with just one day''s revenue.

    Of course, Danielle knew that this kind of ''poprity'' was just a sh in the pan, and would be lost just as quickly as it had been gained, but she didn''t mind.

    Even if only one person out of a thousand stayed, it would still be enough for them to start building a foundation for their future,pletely independent of those ''sponsors'' who only knew to exploit them.

    The stream ''ran'' at almost four times the speed at which most people watched, so it didn''t take long for a lot of content to build up, even with many ''fast forwarding'' it often. And with all their links shared on each stream, people were easily able to ''browse'' and find their favorite host and angle of view.

    It didn''t take long for a lot of people from Emilia''s stream to start spilling over to others, but that was no surprise.

    With her movement speed andbat style, people were very likely to get dizzy and nauseous after a while, and not many enjoyed feeling so up close and personal with tentacle monsters to begin with.

    But if they could watch the ''action'' from a little further away, it was an entirely different thing.

    Obviously, after dealing with the slimy tentacles for so long, Emilia''s skill in ''handling'' them had already reached its pinnacle, and now she could move in and out of their entanglement like a fluttering butterfly, easily avoiding all damage.

    "Whoa¡­ look at that¡­ the moves in this game are really something else!"

    "Didn''t someone say that Arcadia doesn''t have movement support? I call bullshit. Human beings can''t move like that naturally."

    "Have you never seen a gymnast?"

    "Although I''ve never seen this girl in any of thepetitions, I can confirm that none of her moves are as unrealistic for humans as that guy seems to think."

    "But didn''t Karamine have like¡­ zero gymnasts who qualified for the world tournament this year? If they had someone who could move like that, they should have definitely sent her in."

    "There''s a lot more to being a gymnast than being flexible and looking like a slut."

    Naturally, it was impossible for everyone to be ''harmonious'', and many people mocked and hated Emilia while watching her stream.

    With her previous behavior during the interview and attention-grabbing face, even if she''d established a somewhat na?ve and childish image, this was no surprise.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    In fact, more people were ''outraged'' by the fact that they could easily see under Emilia''s skirt thanks to her agile moves than there were those who were ''concerned'' about her talent possibly going to waste, which sparked another small war in theirment section.

    Fortunately, Danielle had been insightful enough to preemptivelybel all their streams as ''adult only'', which prevented them from any moderation troubles.

    But while everyone was just ''observing'' various ''interesting'' things on the screen at first, after they''d had their ''fill'', their attention soon shifted to something that many had previously missed.

    "Hey¡­ is it just me, or do some of them have like, really strange weapons and stuff?"

    Some wondered if Emilia and her team had obtained these items through dumb luck as well, while the rest guessed that they might have been purchased from some shop on the maind, which might be far more reasonable in pricing than those in the beginner town.

    Of course, most of the yers who might turn green with envy at the thought of a higher-level weapon were still diligently farming inside the game, and had no time to waste watching Emilia''s stream.

    As for the ''skills'' disyed by the ''Crimson Witches'', not many in the audience were very impressed. Without any way to know just how powerful the [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] actually was, the only thing that really stood out was Emilia''s ability to stay close and ''tank'' its hits without actually taking much damage.

    In a game without inbuilt ''evasion'' mechanics, even the most unreasonable people had to admit that Emilia''s skill was a little impressive, though most dismissed it as useless inte game.

    After all, once the bosses and monsters got bigger, wouldn''t their attacks be bigger and faster? They believed that Emilia''s ''strategy'' would onlye back to bite her in the ass at that time.

    "Now, Danielle!"

    "Fireball!"

    With all of Crystal''s shots being infused with the light element, there was no way for people topare its damage with her regr shots, so none of them were worried about their ''discovery'' being leaked, but they still did their best to be shy so that people didn''t have much time to pay attention to things they shouldn''t.

    Obviously, with their ''captain'' too busy with directing her fireworks show, the task of monitoring all the stream statistics fell on Nico, who was considered the most ''leisurely'' as their healer, since Emilia was an extremely reliable ''tank'', and she quickly noticed an interesting trend.

    Ever since she changed her position to stay a little closer to Emilia, the number of viewers in her stream had skyrocketed.

    While staying alert and ready to cast ''Mend Wounds'' to her teammates whenever needed, Nico soon came to a realization. ''Right! Everyone''s stream is set to the first-person mode by default, and Emilia must not have changed it yet! If they pick my point of view¡­!''

    For the casuals and non-gamers, watching a skimpily dressed, gorgeous crimson-haired elf girl weave around and ''fight'' was far more ''appealing'' than getting a better view of the monsters, after all.

    "Whoa! Did you see that giant tree monster?!"

    "Oh, that thing is also there, huh."

    "What the fuck¡­"

    And after watching them fight for a while, the few yers in the crowd of viewers really had no way to continue denying the truth, and some begrudginglymunicated with their friends within the game.

    Obviously, since streams could be managed from within the game, the same method could be used to send messages if necessary. Though it could hardly be considered efficient, given that the yer may never even notice the ''message'', at least it didn''t require waiting for the other person to log out first.

    Some of the top-grade teams around the world who''d started taking notice of Arcadia were finally rmed, and realized that the ''amateurs'' that they didn''t take seriously before might actually be a threat.

    Not only had this small and previously unknown team of girls somehow managed to reach level ten while everyone else was still struggling to hit level eight, but based on how they could ''easily'' take down a monster in that area, they might have already started making that ''gap'' wider.

    Some even directly exited the game and called for an emergency meeting to discuss a ''solution''.

    "What level do you think they are, already?"

    "Based on the requirement of experience getting higher for each level? I think they would already be considered excellent if they''d hit level eleven."

    "Right. It hasn''t been that long, after all."

    Meanwhile, after a whole day of ''grinding'', the ''Crimson Witches'' finally copsed in their room in ''Inari''s Inn'', and logged out before reviewing some of their streams.

    After seeing so many people foaming at her in both hate and jealousy, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Fortunately, they have no idea that we''re level twelve already, or they might just die from envy."

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 Chapter 755 Countermeasure

    ?

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    With their ''financial'' crisispletely averted thanks to the revenue from their ''unexpectedly'' popr streams, Emilia thought that she would be able to spend at least a few more weeks ''farming'' in peace with her team.

    Unlike the beginner town, the maind was vast, almost boundless, and the monsters were also not so easy to kill. So even if other yers started flooding in a few dayster, Emilia wasn''t too concerned about their efficiency being reduced.

    In fact, without the extra reward of ten gold coins from the higher-level main quest, even if someone else discovered that they could teleport to the capital, not many would be able to afford it.

    Much to her surprise, however, the ''secret'' of Arcadia was leaked almost a month earlier this time.

    "Is this true?"

    "It''s a little unbelievable, but¡­ it''s all over the news, and everyone is scrambling to verify it."

    The country of Welkin announced its ''Super Soldier'' program with great fanfare, and loudly proimed that all its allies would soon share the secret of strengthening the human body far beyond what was previously thought possible,pletely without side effects.

    Some were quickly able to deduce that Welkin must believe that effect of this ''Super Soldier'' would be better used for some propaganda, implying that it wasn''t actually that much of a game changer, which is why they decided to publicize it like that. But that was only to be expected.

    After all, no matter how the strength of an individual is boosted, how could it possiblypare with weapons of mass destruction?

    Emilia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she listened to Danielle and Sylvia''s argument, along with the seemingly excited anchors on the TV, and she couldn''t help but shake her head in bewilderment. ''I don''t get it¡­ the energy concentration around us hasn''t changed, and the first dungeon hasn''t been conquered. So how did the hero convince everyone that the ''game'' could make people stronger in reality?''

    Cynthia thought about it carefully for a while, then sighed. "I don''t really know for sure, but¡­ he''s probably just fooling everyone. That thing would never risk its grand n for the sake of a few people, even if it''s the hero begging for it."

    Emilia hummed. ''Right? Without the first ''pir'', the changes anyone can realistically observe in the body of a ''yer'', even with the most sensitive equipment, should be unnoticeable¡ª!''

    Suddenly, it was as if a light bulb had gone off in her head, and the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but groan in realization. ''Why didn''t I think of that earlier?! Just because Arcadia would strengthen peopleter, and the hero imed to have done it now, it doesn''t necessarily mean he''s telling the truth!''

    After all, the hero was a genius, and the only one in the world who knew and understood a new source of energy with fantastical properties.

    If he wanted to make a few ''changes'' to the human body, or even make people believe in miracles, it wouldn''t be much of an issue at all.

    ''Now that I think of it¡­ since the full-dive pods can make use of chaos energy to some extent, simply enhancing that function of theirs might have some wonderful ''effects'' on the human body, right?''

    Unknowingly, Emilia had actually hit the nail on its head, and figured out exactly what Darryl had done. Of course, there was no way for her to actually verify such a thing.

    Cynthia blinked. "If what you said is true¡­ then this hero is really daring."

    The ''world will'' might asionallymunicate with Darryl, but he was still just a ''disposable mortal'', after all. Unlike Amos in the previous world, he was just a ''tool'' that could and would be reced when needed.

    As a genius, how could the hero not figure it out?

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown. ''Since this didn''t happen in the previous timeline, and there haven''t been any other major events¡­ I think it''s safe to assume that Darryl''s ''motivation'' for this crazy move somehow came from me?''

    Although she''d done her best to dispel his ''suspicions'' through that ''interview'' earlier, the fact that someone managed to get ahead of him must still have rmed the hero.

    If someone could ''beat'' him once, even if it was just through ''dumb luck'', how could he rest assured of his ''dominance'' in the future?

    By convincing everyone of the game''s ''importance'' and also elevating his image to another level, the hero clearly nned to not only clear multiple ''obstacles'' that might be blocking his progress, but also to curb Emilia''s momentum.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After all, if her poprity was allowed to grow at its current pace, the one with the most sought-after ''guild'' in Arcadia wasn''t hard to guess, and the hero obviously couldn''t ept that.

    Cynthia hummed. "So, how are you nning to deal with it?"

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    As Emilia expected, with the explosive news in the morning, not many people had the ''leisure'' to tune into her stream in the next session.

    Even if not manypletely believed in the ''rumors'', their curiosity was sessfully stoked, and the game''s image also became extremely mysterious in the heart of most people.

    After all, if one of the most powerful governments in the world could be ''convinced'', there had to be some substance to those rumors, right?

    Of course, there were still a few who simply didn''t care, or werepletely ''dedicated'' to watching Emilia and her team ughter tentacle monsters, though most of them remained in Nico''s channel.

    "Last night, I had a dream¡­"

    "Me too."

    "Ahh, this is the view!"

    "The holy priestess always gives us the best angles."

    A few of them discussed the ''popr'' rumors outside, of course, but one could tell at a nce that their interest was only cursory.

    Even if it were all to be true, instead of working hard to ''be stronger'' for no clear reason, wouldn''t it be far more fun to just watch beautiful girls give it their best go?

    Anyway, if Emilia could continue to be the ''number one'' in the world as she currently probably was, they could also im to be a part of her legend. Watching a beautiful young girl like her grow from ''nothing'' to a ''star'' was really a wonderful feeling, after all.

    Of course, their ''idol'' wasn''t nearly as carefree as the audience, and after killing their fifteenth [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] of the day, she called for the team to stop.

    "Everyone has leveled up now, right?"

    With the ''chimes'' of the sessful ''level up'' still ringing fresh in their ears, everyone nodded, and uncharacteristically enough, Danielle even smiled. "Should we go back to the inn to celebrate?"

    Although most people were ''rushing'' to catch up with them at this moment, Danielle had obviously learned from Emilia that it was far better to put in steady and continuous work, and not burn themselves out.

    Even if she couldpletely me the ''love affair'' that broke her team apart, the drill-haired girl had to admit that her somewhat extreme work ethic might also have been a catalyst in making things turn out so bad.

    Now that she''d been lucky enough to chance upon a ''gem'' like Emilia, instead of repeating that mistake, Danielle wanted to do things right this time.

    ''Wasting'' an hour or two having fun wouldn''t hurt their progress at all.

    Emilia grinned. "How about apanying me to the ''Challenger''s Arena''? I discovered earlier with Crystal on the first day we got here, and I''ve wanted to give it a try ever since." She giggled, then casually dropped a ''bomb'' that left everyone listening dumbfounded. "If I can really win ten thousand gold coins, wouldn''t we be rich?"

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 Chapter 756 Challengers Arena

    ?

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    The [Challenger''s Arena] was a ''game zone'' located deep within themercial zone of the Vermillion City, and while it might seem hard to discover at first, Emilia knew that everyone would learn about it sooner orter through various quests.

    All they needed to do was go to the underground floor of the casino, and look for a staircase that led them further down. Sharing this ''secret'' now would not only earn her plenty of goodwill, but would also enable her to ''boost'' her reputation and poprity, as well as prove her ''skill''!

    The moment they stepped into the new floor, a charming yet petite youngdy with her hair styled into two big buns greeted them with a smile."Wee, challengers! Since this is your first time here, allow me to introduce you to the rules of the Challenger''s Arena!"

    Even with her strange statement, no one could guess that this was Emilia''s first time here as well, and everyone simply assumed that the behavior of the NPC must have been based on the existence of her teammates.

    After all, if she''d never been there before, how could she know of its existence?

    "We have three different challenges that you can choose from, namely the [Warrior''s Challenge], the [Ranger''s Challenge], and the [Adventurer''s Challenge]. You can only pick one challenge every thirty days, based on which you will be given a score."

    The ''guidedy'' smiled. "Everyone has to ''invest'' one gold coin or more to attempt the challenge, which will be added to the [Loot Box] of the arena. And at the end of each month, the top rankers will get a part of the [Loot Box] as their rewards, after which their scores will be reset to zero."

    Looking at their somewhat strange expressions, she coughed. "Of course, that is not to say that you won''t get anything now if you manage to do well. As long as someone manages to score within the top one thousand ranks, they''ll get a full refund of their ''investment''. And if they manage to get within the top hundred, it will be another ten gold coins added on top!"

    Usually, ''newbies'' should already be incredibly excited at this point, not knowing that these ranks were ''global'', and not easy to achieve at all. But after Emilia mentioned ''ten thousand'' gold, the guidedy''s words didn''t make any waves in their hearts at all.

    Some of Emilia''s viewers even scoffed in disdain. "These NPCs are really annoying! bbering on and on about little things¡­"

    "Bragging about just ten gold coins like that, just what does she think of our Crimson Witches? Mention the top prize already!"

    "The ''people'' in this game are really stupid and short-sighted. If there was any way to donate directly in-game currency, I''d send over a hundred thousand just to give her a good p."

    Of course, this statement quickly made a few people mock the guy for being a chicken and a liar, having never even donated a single penny to the stream before.

    Feeling both enraged and humiliated, the poor man could only swipe his credit card to show the bunch of ''nobodies'' who they were messing with.

    [Mr. Dingleberry has donated 1,000,000 bits!]

    The disdain was immediately reced with praise and awe. Every ''hundred bits'' was worth one dor, after all. Even if there was a discount onrge purchases, someone who could casually throw such an amount was definitely a ''whale''!

    "Wowowow, this is a true fan of our Emilia!"

    "It''s a pity that she never checks the stream, or she''d definitely take a request!"

    "Who knows, maybe she can do thatter?"

    Mr. Dingleberry couldn''t help but puff out his chest in pride.

    Although he couldn''t be considered filthy rich, ten thousand dors was really nothing worth mentioning in his eyes. How could these peasants possiblypare?

    Of course, despite now being one of Emilia''s ''Top Fans'' on this particr streaming tform, he actually didn''t care for the girl much.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She was a bit more pleasing to the eye than most, but the reason he was really watching her stream was not to admire her figure, but to observe the game itself.

    Even if he was skeptical about Darryl''s ims, he had to admit that the bait thrown by the guy was really worthy of a genius. Of course, if it really turned out to be a lie¡­ Mr. Dingleberry would personally ensure that this ''genius'' would never get off scot-free.

    Meanwhile, the ''guidedy'' within the game had already informed everyone of the rest of the rewards, unlikely as she believed it was for anyone to be able to obtain them.

    The top ten prize was an additional five hundred gold coins, while the reward for being ranked ''first'' was ten thousand gold, as Emilia had previously imed.

    Unfortunately, unlike what everyone assumed at first, the first ''yer'' to attempt the ''challenge'' wouldn''t automatically be ranked first.

    "Ehh??? There are already thousands of people on the ranking list?!"

    "Who the hell is [Lord of Thunder] supposed to be, anyway...?"

    Of course, some of the smarter people had already figured out the situation while everyone was still fussing in confusion.

    Although Emilia and the rest of her teammates were usually very careful not to open their inventories and status panels while ''streaming'', they didn''t care so much about exposing their ''maps''. And with the sharp-eyed viewers having seen the thing multiple times, they obviously knew that the ''region'' the ''Crimson Witches'' were currently in belonged to the [Fire Kingdom].

    It might be a bit of a stretch, but with such a ''setting'', it was easy to assume that there would also be a [Water Kingdom], an [Earth Kingdom], and so on. And obviously, each of them must also have some kings or lords.

    This [Lord of Thunder] probably belonged to the [Thunder Kingdom], and was most likely its leading figure.

    Of course, since they could deduce this much, it didn''t take long for everyone to realize that the numerous names in the list must be from other ''locals'' within the game.

    "Sheesh, I was almost scared silly, thinking that there were thousands of ''crouching tigers and hidden dragons'' who got ahead of the ''Crimson Witches'', and just didn''t let anyone know!"

    "Ahaha¡­ if there was really anyone who managed to achieve such a thing, how could they not brag about it?"

    "Not everyone is an attention whore like Emilia, you know?"

    "Hey, take that back!"

    Of course, while her ''audience'' was busy trying to drown each other in spit, Emilia herself was happily exining her ''game n'' to the rest of her teammates.

    Thirty days within the game tranted to a little over two weeks in the real world, after all. Although they could always ''learn by themselves'' and ''try again'', Emilia knew very well what the value of time was.

    A few hundred gold coins wouldn''t mean much to them a few monthster, after all, but at this moment when they werecking both equipment and resources, every single coin could be considered incredibly useful.

    "Based on the guidedy''s description, I think Sylvia, Danielle, and Crystal should all go for the [Ranger''s Challenge], while Nico and Robin can try the [Adventurer''s Challenge]. Meanwhile, I''ll go give the [Warrior''s Challenge] a try." Emilia grinned. "What do you think?"

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 Chapter 757 Motivation

    ?

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    Since the description of the three modes wasn''t very detailed, and Emilia''s suggestions so far had only led to good results, everyone quickly agreed.

    The guidedy smiled. "Well then, which one of you would like to go first?"

    "I''ll go!" Robin grinned in excitement as she handed over one gold coin. "Adventure sounds like fun!"

    The poor girlpletely failed to spot the amusement in the guidedy''s smile as she was led to what appeared to be the entrance of a cave.

    "Your score in the [Adventurer''s Challenge] will depend on how many treasures you can find inside, as well as how many traps you can avoid. Of course, if you die or take too much damage, the challenge will fail immediately." The guidedy giggled, and before Robin could respond, she was directly pushed in.

    Nico couldn''t help but be a little worried. "Uh¡­ will she be okay?"

    The entrance of the cave was too dark and mysterious, and it seemed like no light or sound could make its way through it. Of course, only Emilia knew that this was actually a simted dungeon.

    Every ''instance'' inside waspletely isted, and only the ''team'' that entered could know what happened inside. Even the streaming function wouldn''t work anymore, though people could still ''record'' videos if they so wished, and share themter, after exiting the dungeon.

    But what made the ''dungeons'' really amazing was the fact that people could spend days or even months inside, and realize that only a few minutes might have passed after they leave.

    Not everyone could cope with it, and Emilia knew that some might evenpletely lose their minds if they spent too much time inside a dungeon. But by the time such things started happening, people''s greed for power had already been stoked, and such ''minor details'' simply didn''t matter anymore.

    Compared to the [Ranger''s Challenge] and the [Warrior''s Challenge], the [Adventurer''s Challenge] was definitely much more difficult, but there was a reason Emilia picked it for Robin and Nico.

    As their dedicated ''Scout'', the experience of discovering traps and treasures that Robin would be able to gain from this simted dungeon would definitely help them a lot, after all. As for Nico¡­ well, she simply wasn''t suitable for either of the other challenges, so Emilia thought sending her to this one would at least help fortify her mind.

    The guidedy coughed. "It might take a few minutes for her toe out. Are you all sure you would like to wait?"

    Of course, Danielle and the others were a bit skeptical of her words.

    Although Robin was a bit reckless sometimes, there was no way she would be stupid enough to just rush in and get destroyed even after she''d been told there might be traps inside.

    But all their doubts were cleared when the big disy above the entrance of the mysterious cave suddenly lit up.

    ==========

    [New Adventurer ''Robin'' has scored 411 points!]

    ¡ªScore Breakdown:

    -Treasures Found: 3 [300 Points]

    -Traps Disarmed: 0 [0 Points]

    -Traps Avoided: 12 [120 Points]

    -Damage Taken: 97 [-9 Points]

    [Adventurer ''Robin'' (Rogue, Demon) has been ranked 84,512th based on her results!]

    ==========

    Of course, since she failed to get to the rank required to get a ''refund'' or a prize, the one gold admission fee was lost, and Robin couldn''t help but be a little down.

    "The treasure chests I got inside were empty too¡­ what a loss." She sighed. "Sorry."

    Emilia patted her shoulder with aforting smile. "Don''t worry. Didn''t each of us gain almost two gold coins from farming those tentacle demons? Just think of it as a necessary learning expense."

    Despite her encouraging words, though, the morale of the party had clearly taken a hit, and Nico even refused to waste any gold attempting the same challenge.

    "Since Robin can only get that kind of rank right now, I''ll definitely do worse." She coughed. "Anyway, I, Nico, am a healer. Not a fighter. Going in alone doesn''t suit me."

    Crystal knew that Emilia only wanted them to learn, and didn''t mean to discourage the team at all, so she quickly stepped forward to help out. "Let me give that [Ranger Challenge] a try, then. Maybe it''ll be easier?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, the guidedy was more than happy to take her fee and lead them to the ''Shooting Range''. Unlike the [Adventurer''s Challenge], it was obvious that everyone could see the ''progress'' of the challengers here, which made both the Crimson Witches and the audience watching them very happy.

    "The rules are simple. Just shoot down as many elemental birds in front of you as you can. And if you fail to down one for ten seconds straight, the challenge ends."

    Crystal quickly took out her [Starlit Bow], her expression determined.

    She wasn''t quite sure how far she could go, but in order to restore the team''s confidence, the blonde girl knew that she had to at least get within the top thousand.

    The first few ''birds'' that appeared in front of her wererge and easy to shoot, and they couldn''t even fly. Waddling around at just a few meters of distance, Crystal felt like she could shoot them down with her eyes closed.

    [Earthen Target Bird (Large)] Killed, +1 point

    [Earthen Target Bird (Large)] Killed, +1 point

    .

    .

    .

    [Earthen Target Bird (Medium)] Killed, +2 points

    [Earthen Target Bird (Small)] Killed, +3 points

    Crystal didn''t have much trouble shooting the birds down even when they grew wings and started to fly around, but the rest of the team couldn''t help but be nervous.

    "They seem to be getting smaller and smaller, and faster too¡­" Danielle frowned. "And the increasing difficulty doesn''t feel linear at all."

    What worried them the most was the fact that all of these birds seemed to have some secret ''hitpoint'' value that Crystal needed to empty before they could be considered killed, and the amount of damage taken varied based on where they were hit, too.

    Although her aim had improved a lot through practice, and Crystal was definitely talented, she still had to take multiple shots whenever she missed, and there was rarely enough time for her to use her ranger skill ''Focus Shot''.

    To make matters worse, the earth element birds were incredibly resistant to Crystal''s ''Light'' element, so infusing it into her arrows also didn''t help.

    Emilia could only cheer her on from the side. "You''re doing well, Crystal! Keep it up!"

    "Yeah!"

    "You can do it!"

    Unfortunately, despite all their cheering, Crystal''s final rank was even worse than Robin''s, but that was no surprise.

    After all, since the amount of damage dealt mattered in this challenge, taking it at only level thirteen inherently meant that Crystal wouldn''t be able to get too far.

    The blonde girl was obviously disappointed and sad, but Emilia was able to easily cheer her up with a hug.

    "You did amazing! If your arrows had been dealing more damage, getting into the top ranks would have been easy." She grinned.

    Of course, the whispered thank you in Crystal''s ears made her happier than all her praise, which she knew was meant mostly for the rest of the team to hear.

    Crystal''s actions were clearly far from fruitless.

    "I''ll go next, then." Sylvia nodded, her expression determined.

    She knew that getting into the top thousand or the like was impossible, but that wasn''t really her goal.

    All Sylvia wanted to know at the moment was how shepared with Crystal, after all.

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 Chapter 758 Rival

    ?

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    [Earthen Target Bird (Medium)] Killed, +2 points

    [Earthen Target Bird (Small)] Killed, +3 points

    .

    .

    [Aquan Target Bird (Large)] Killed, +4 points

    Each swish of Sylvia''s arrows and the twang of her bow seemed to signal the demise of her targets, and it was only then that Danielle and the others realized just how much more impactful her shots were whenpared to Crystal''s.

    Although they were both of the same ''ss'' at the moment, Sylvia''s experience in handling a bow was definitely multiple times greater than that of Crystal. The only reason it hadn''t been obvious until now was because the [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] monsters that they''d been dealing with her much weaker against the [Light] element, and also presented arge and easy-to-hit target.

    And with Emilia''s existence at the front, the only ''skill'' that differentiated the rangers in her team became their ''damage output''.

    "She seems to really hate those birds¡­"

    "There goes another one!"

    Crystal could obviously tell that Sylvia had been frustrated by her ''suppression'' over thest few days, but it was only now that the blonde girl realized the true extent of her feelings.

    Not only was her ''pride'' in her skills hurt by everyone seemingly believing Crystal to be a ''better'' ranger, but her ''value'' in the team also seemed to be more ''questionable'' over time, and Sylvia obviously couldn''t tolerate it anymore.

    At least, that is what the yellow-eyed beauty seemed to believe.

    ''What a sad girl¡­'' Crystal sighed. ''She doesn''t even realize the real reason she feels so frustrated, does she?''

    Of course, although she found Sylvia''s situation ''pitiful'', the blonde girl had no intention of ''enlightening'' her.

    It was best for her to figure that kind of thing out on her own, after all. And as long as it didn''t drag in or hurt anyone ''innocent'', Crystal was never the type to meddle in other people''s affairs.

    Sylvia''s score soon reached and exceeded Robin''s, and she couldn''t help but flick her gaze towards Crystal, only to be shocked by her calm and even ''encouraging'' smile.

    The yellow-eyed girl was momentarily stunned, and unfortunately¡­ that was enough for her to bepletely thrown off her rhythm.

    Since taking down an [Aquan Target Bird (Large)] already took Sylvia multiple shots thanks to her rather low damage, it wasn''t long before she timed out, and the challenge came to an end.

    ==========

    Ding!

    Challenge Over!

    [Challenger ''Sylvia'' has scored 484 points!]

    ¡ªScore Breakdown:

    -[Earthen Target Bird (Large)] x 50 = 50 Points

    -[Earthen Target Bird (Medium)] x 50 = 100 Points

    -[Earthen Target Bird (Small)] x 50 = 150 Points

    -[Aquan Target Bird (Large)] x 46 = 184 Points

    ¡ªFinal Score: 484 Points

    [Challenger ''Sylvia'' (Ranger, Elf) has been ranked 72,615th based on her results!]

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    "Aw¡­"

    ''What a pity, she was only four kills away from another wave upgrade.'' Danielle sighed, but the rest of the team still congratted Sylvia excitedly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After all, the speed and uracy that Sylvia disyed just then was enough to leave them stunned. They felt that those games in which she was mostly hiding and taking shots from the dark really failed to make people realize the true extent of her talent!

    Maybe if she practiced more in the real world, it wouldn''t be impossible for her to start appearing in some national and even international levelpetitions.

    Even if most of them may not make too much money,pared to an eSports ''star'', that was still an entirely different level of existence. In the public eye, the respect theymanded was immense.

    Of course, if the ims about Arcadia were true, things may change a lot in the future, but no one could be sure about that.

    Even Crystal didn''t shy away from congratting the yellow-eyed ranger, despite the girl''s vague ''hostility'' earlier.

    Facing their ''unexpected'' adoration, Sylvia could only cough awkwardly. "T-Thanks¡­"

    Their attitudepletely washed away her vague sense of shame at the unexpected ''failure'' of the challenge, and even made Sylvia feel like she was being aplete idiot by being so jealous of Crystal.

    ''I¡­ probably misunderstood her, right?'' Sylvia mused. ''If she had that kind of thoughts¡­ there''s no way she wouldn''t be jealous.''

    Of course, for a prideful girl like her, it was impossible to easily bow her head or apologize.

    ''I-I''ll just give her a much better item in exchange of Sylvan Strike.'' Sylvia nodded to herself.

    As for when she would be able to obtain a good enough item topensate for the green quality bow¡­ even she wasn''t sure.

    After all, the fact that Crystal had refused to ept anything she already had in exchange could only mean she was waiting for Sylvia to obtain something more ''suitable'' for herself, but that kind of thingpletely depended on luck.

    And when it came to ''fortune''¡­ Sylvia had always known hers was one of the worst.

    The yellow-eyed girl was shaken out of her distracting thoughts, however, when she heard Emilia''s name being discussed by her teammates.

    "Are you sure you wanna give it a try?"

    "Based on the scores so far, it doesn''t really seem worth it."

    Naturally, Danielle and Nico had both rejected taking the challenge, but the crimson-haired elf didn''t change her mind.

    "Even if I can''t score too well, it won''t hurt to at least know what the ''Warrior''s Challenge'' is like, right?"

    Since she seemed to have already made up her mind, Danielle and the others obviously wouldn''t argue about it too much.

    After all, not to mention that it was just one gold coin, even if it had been more, they felt that Emilia''s ''contribution'' to their team so far was enough to happily write off that kind of expense.

    Of course, the audience watching their streams didn''t think so.

    "Man¡­ I thought that Sylvia girl was already a little stupid for going in to waste gold at that point, but here she goes."

    "Not a surprise, really. The prettier a girl is, the less likely it is for her mind to work properly."

    "Ehehe¡­ looking at Emilia''s face, then¡­ I''m surprised that she almost fooled us into thinking she was only a little stupid."

    "You guys are too na?ve. Instead of calling her ''stupid'' and thinking she''s just an innocent girl who doesn''t know better, can''t you see that she''s just being spoiled?"

    This person clearly had something against Emilia, and went on to exin in detail just how conceited, selfish, and full of herself she was for not only picking the most ''unique'' challenge for herself from the start, but also not caring about the ''expense'' of the team for her own sake.

    But although there were only a few hundred people watching the ''stream'', this person''s logical argument was soon drowned by their collective saliva.

    "Honestly, I don''t care what''s inside her head as long as I can look at that face."

    "Ahhh! Look, the warrior''s challenge is in an open arena! And it looks like she''ll actually be fighting!"

    "Fuck! Did the guide just mention that she''ll be attacked non-stop?!"

    "Wowowow, poor little Emilia being assaulted by dozens of enemies when the rest of her team can only watch¡­ all of a sudden, I''m really excited!"

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 Chapter 759 Envious

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    In an upscale apartment in the city of Vulkan, not far from the office of the ''Crimson Witches'', a young short-haired girl was pacing back and forth in her room, her face twisted into a hideous and hateful expression.

    "I can''t believe they disregarded everything I said, just like that!" Dolly cursed. "Horny morons¡­ I really shouldn''t have expected them to be able to see past her face."

    She''d hated Emilia from the moment sheid eyes on the girl, even more than her pretentious ''friend'' Sylvia and that obnoxious and rude Danielle. The girl was simply everything she wanted to be, and had everything that she never dared even dream of.

    Dolly had spent so many years sticking close to Sylvia, just to make more people pay attention to her cute and cheerful personality.

    The yellow-eyed girl''s somewhat exotic and dark beauty was quick to attract people''s eyes, and her caustic attitude was simrly great at making them shift their gaze away, leaving it all for Dolly to enjoy. That was why she barely tolerated Sylvia, despite hating her pretentious and proud nature so much.

    Of course,pared to a rude and tactless idiot like Danielle, Sylvia was still somewhat ''okay''.

    "That moron! I was willing to apany her for so long, and yet that ungrateful idiot decided to stick with Danielle, that slut!" Dolly couldn''t help but grit her teeth in hate. "And that Emilia girl¡­ she''s even worse!"

    What made her really hate them all to the core was the fact that none of them had, even once, tried to reach out to her to join their team, despite the fact that she''d also been there with Sylvia that day, and her performance was definitely beyond what they could ask for.

    In fact, if not for her momentary pse of judgment'' earlier, because of which she got caught and kicked out of her team so disgracefully, a team like Danielle''s wouldn''t even have the qualifications to ask for someone like her.

    Dolly didn''t regret doing what she did, though, and only regretted that she hadn''t been more careful and ruthless while getting it done.

    After all, if she hadn''t hesitated in pinning all of the me on Sylvia''s head, the two of them wouldn''t have been kicked out ''together'', and she wouldn''t be out on the ''streets'', looking for a new ''job'' while relying on her big brother''s money.

    In fact, it wasn''t difficult for her to get a job. Her reputation was much better than Sylvia''s, after all. There were quite a few eSports teams willing to ept her, but she rejected them all.

    If they weren''t taking her to y the same game as Sylvia, Dolly didn''t want to y.

    But it looked like the same sentiment didn''t apply to her ''friend'', after all.

    "I should have known¡­ that slut Sylvia never thought of me as a friend. Look at her now, how happy she is!" Dolly''s eyes turned red in hate as she looked at the girl on the screen. "I''ll definitely show them!"

    The graceful elf girl on the screen only made her feel worse, but Dolly somehow managed to endure it. "Since they won''te to me¡­ I guess I have no other choice but to go to them instead."

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    By now, Emilia''s challenge had already started, and the open arena was instantly flooded with a blinding light, what was left in front of the crimson-haired elf was¡­ another yer?

    Or to be more precise, it was the image of another challenger.

    [Grade 1 Challenger, Level 13, Human Warrior]

    vs<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    [Emilia, Level 13, Elf Warrior]

    With a sharp ''ding'' of the starting bell, the human warrior shot off his feet in a deadly lunge, as if aiming to take Emilia down with a single blow, but unfortunately for him, things didn''t work out as ''he'' nned.

    Not only did the crimson-haired elf easily side-step his assault, but she was also able to stab her [Poison Fang] right down his throat at the same time.

    The poor man died before he could even scream, and Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little relieved. ''Fortunately, the enemies don''t seem to have much HP, or he wouldn''t have gone down so easily.''

    Of course, the fact that she couldn''t see any of their stats or hitpoints meant that Emilia could only roughly guess their abilities based on the short prompt at the start of a match, but she didn''t mind it too much.

    After all, her goal this time wasn''t really to beat the number one in the world. She knew that would be impossible in her current state. But to be able to gain the reputation she needed, and also to pave her path for the title of the ''Rising Star'', she needed to beat at least ten opponents in a row in the [Warrior''s Challenge].

    [Grade 2 Challenger, Level 16, Goblin Warrior]

    vs

    [Emilia, Level 13, Elf Warrior]

    Emilia knew it wouldn''t be easy, especially with her level being so low, but she wasn''t willing to wait a full month to give it another try. The threat of the hero made it impossible for her to be so leisurely.

    "Kraaaa!"

    The green-skinned goblin was much smaller and faster than the human warrior who died before it, and Emilia didn''t dare to take it lightly. Even with her swift reflexes and high agility, dodging its dashes was not easy.

    The girls watching from outside the arena almost screamed in fright when the goblin''s curved dagger brushed past Emilia''s thigh, drawing a thin red line, but the crimson-haired girl swiftly followed it up with a kick to the little beast''s face.

    It flew back and mmed into the invisible barrier with a grunt, and before it could bounce back or regain its bearings, Emilia''s sword had already mmed into its throat.

    It choked on its own blood for a while before sumbing to the fatal wound, but before the audience could celebrate, Emilia was already dashing towards the rapidly dissipating ''corpse''.

    However, before she managed to get to her weapon, a huge wooden club crashed down from above, and Crystal and the others couldn''t help but scream.

    "Kyaaa!"

    "Emilia!"

    "Watch out!"

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 Chapter 760 The Poor Elf Ranger

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    [Grade 3 Challenger, Level 19, Orc Warrior]

    Although a few levels didn''t drastically change one''s stats too much, and this enemy was only level neen, Emilia didn''t dare to underestimate its strength at all.

    Based on its giant frame and protruding fangs, this orc warrior''s bloodline level was definitely iparable to that of a simrly leveled yer, and the strength of a real orc was definitely far beyond that of a regr human.

    Fortunately, Emilia somehow managed to avoid its crushing blow, and quickly retrieved her ''Poison Fang'' as well.

    In fact, if she really wanted to, she could have easily taken down the goblin without needing to throw her sword away, and avoided the orc''s ''surprise attack'' from happening as well, but there was a reason she didn''t do so.

    Unlike the ranger and adventurer challenges, the warrior''s challenge wasn''t quite so straightforward, after all, and the way in which the opponents were killed mattered just as much as how many of them she managed to take down in the end.

    If she yed too cautiously and took down each enemy with a clean strike, not only would the number of points she could reap on average be lowered, but Emilia would also have to face increasingly tougher opponents as well.

    The orc warrior roared in rage when its heavy club was once again avoided by Emilia by a hair''s breadth. "Stay still and let me hit you, brat!"

    The crimson-haired girl was actually shocked by the spittle that came flying to her face, and barely managed to sidestep it before delivering a few more shes to the orc''s abdomen in revenge.

    She didn''t put in too much force, so the orc only felt that his thick skin had been tickled and teased, making him even more disdainful of this ''enemy''.

    He didn''t pay much attention to the few trails of dark green blood from these shallow ''wounds'', not knowing that he''d already been poisoned.

    Of course, her ''audience'' had no way to know her true intentions, and only thought that she must have been caught off guard, and was actually struggling against the orc warrior.

    From their perspective, it really looked like the crimson-haired elf would be taken down by a single blow from that giant club, while Emilia''s own attacks weren''t doing much against the orc.

    But the ''beast'' soon realized that something was wrong based on the slight numbness spreading through his limbs, and tried to grab onto Emilia in a panic.

    The behavior of each ''image'' in the arena was based on the ''person'' they''d been ''stolen from'', after all. And even if it had somehow known it couldn''tst long as an ''image'', the fear of death was still deeply ingrained into its soul.

    The ''audience'' almost screamed again when they saw the beast abandon its heavy club to try and clutch Emilia''s neck, clearly much faster than before.

    Fortunately, the crimson-haired elf ducked in time and slid under his hulking frame, delivering another two shallow wounds to the orc''s thighs before emerging behind him.

    "Ohh¡­ she managed to dodge it!" Danielle breathed out a sigh of relief.

    Sylvia frowned. "It''s only the third enemy, and it''s already so dangerous¡­"

    Just as she thought so, Emilia kicked the back of the orc''s knees, and under everyone''s shocked eyes, the giant ''beast'' actually copsed to the ground.

    Danielle and the others who knew of her weapon''s properties soon realized that it must be because of her ''poison'', but the viewers of the stream were leftpletely dumbfounded as they watched the situation suddenly reverse.

    Emilia even made a show of executing the defeated warrior, her swordpletely severing the orc''s head from his neck in one go.

    "What the hell? Wasn''t she getting bullied just a moment ago?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That sword couldn''t even pierce its skin properly, but now it can suddenly sever its head¡­?"

    Obviously, it was impossible to guess that the crimson-haired elf was doing it all for ''style points''. And unfortunately for them, Emilia had no intention or leisure to ''exin herself'', as the next opponent had already started to materialize.

    This time, the opponent was actually another elf girl, who quickly opened up the distance between them before her form was even fully revealed.

    [Grade 4 Challenger, Level 21, Elf Ranger]

    Emilia could obviously tell that this enemy''s agility was also ridiculously high, far higher than the goblin in round two. She didn''t dare underestimate it.

    The blonde elf ranger quickly drew her bow''s string back while taking aim, and Crystal, Danielle, Sylvia and the others didn''t dare to make a sound, lest they distract Emilia at a crucial moment.

    The first arrow flew straight to the crimson-haired elf''s throat, but she easily stepped aside to avoid it, only for another one to almost pin down her leg if not for her deflecting it with her sword.

    The elf ranger''s arrows seemed to materialize out of thin air every time she pulled back her bow''s string, and the continuous volley soon put Emilia in a precarious situation.

    Although she was swatting most of them aside and dodging those that she couldn''t, each of her actions appeared more hurried than thest, and everyone felt like it would only be a matter of time before she couldn''t keep up.

    But having already been ''fooled'' before, Crystal was obviously watching the fight much more intently, and soon noticed that Emilia was slowly closing the distance between herself and the elf ranger despite her seemingly ''panicked'' dodges.

    Crystal couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. ''She''s just having fun, isn''t she?''

    In fact, Emilia didn''t really have it easy, given the opponent''s high level and the disparity in their stats, and understood that she may not be able to clear as many rounds as she previously expected.

    But that was all the more reason to squeeze as many points out of this elf ranger as she could.

    The blonde girl seemed to have grown quitecent after observing Emilia just passively enduring her volley of arrows, and Emilia could tell that she was channeling some of her ''mana'' for what she expected must be a ''finisher'' soon.

    The moment it was done, Emilia ''made a desperate move'' and threw her sword while leaping away from the volley of arrows, and the elf ranger''s pupils constricted in shock as she barely managed to avoid the flying de from impaling her chest.

    ''I-I almost died!'' She thought. "Lightning Smite!"

    Luckily, she not only avoided the fatal blow, but her finisher was also ready, taking care of the trouble in one go.

    Or so she thought.

    The lightning that crashed down from the sky momentarily blinded everyone around the arena, and when they opened their eyes again, they were shocked to see the ''poor'' elf ranger struggling on the ground, with her head and neck firmly strangled between Emilia''s thighs.

    Even though her sword was already within arm''s reach, the crimson-haired elf didn''t retrieve it, and only tightened her hold with a smile. "Not a bad way to go, is it?"

    Watching from the sidelines, the rest of her teammates couldn''t help but fee a little dumbfounded. Although Emilia''s words were clearly unreasonable, howe they couldn''t find it in themselves to disagree?

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 Chapter 761 The Tenth Challenger

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    Under everyone''splex gazes, Emilia calmly strangled the poor elf ranger to death, then flipped back over to grab her sword before her body could fully dissipate.

    Her decision turned out to be quite wise, as not even a secondter, two des of light almost cornered her from a point not far from her back, and she barely managed to avoid one while blocking the other.

    Her opponent wasn''t surprised by her movements, however, and even seemed to appreciate her a little. "As expected of an elf, you''re fast¡­ but weak."

    [Grade 5 Challenger, Level 23, Beast Warrior]

    Looking at the wolf and human hybrid swinging its two scimitars around arrogantly as it advanced towards her, Emilia just smiled.

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    Crystal and the others had already gotten used to the crimson-haired girl''s somewhat risky way of fighting after the first few rounds, and no longer got so scared or excited whenever things started to look a little dire.

    Of course, being able to more calmly observe her battle, Danielle and the others soon spotted a problem.

    "Now that I think about it, Emilia is our team''s only proper frontliner, isn''t she?"

    Even if Nico could keep her healed, and Robin could assist her to an extent, the fact that they had three people who could only shoot from afar really didn''t make it seem very bnced.

    Crystal coughed and interrupted Danielle''s somewhat pessimistic thoughts. "Actually, if we think about the opponents we''ve encountered so far¡­ isn''t this already a good setup?"

    The smaller monsters were not an issue, and the most annoying point of therger ones was their big pool of HP. With three of them being dedicated damage dealers, their farming efficiency would definitely be improved.

    Moreover, despite Emilia''s profession being a ''warrior'', one could never underestimate the damage she dealt over time thanks to thebination of her sword, the ''Poison Fang'', and her high agility.

    Of course, having an additional ''tanker'' would definitely not hurt their team in terms ofbat power or adaptability, but that was only if they weren''t taking farming efficiency into ount.

    The higher the number of teammates, the lower the experience each of them will get from every kill, and the slower their overall growth would be.

    In Crystal''s opinion, now that they''d managed to pull ahead of the ''crowd'', bringing in someone ''new'' would only slow them down.

    Danielle frowned, a little confused, but she soon shook the distracting thoughts off to concentrate on Emilia''s fight.

    By now, the crimson-haired elf had already downed eight opponents, and was struggling against her ninth, a level twenty-nine demonic mage.

    The reason she was having so much trouble stemmed mainly from the fact that her enemy could fly, and even when Emilia managed to perfectly get past his spells, it was hard to find a tform to jump high enough to catch the leather-winged mage.

    Fortunately, the level of the demonic mage wasn''t too high, and once he started running out of mana, he was too tired to be able to continuously maintain flight, and since the arena''s barrier didn''t allow him to leave, he could only wait to be ughtered obediently.

    Well, he cursed and cried, but it didn''t stop Emilia''s de from separating his head from his body.

    Emilia couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "What an annoying bug¡­"

    Her skin was already covered with dust and soot, as well as multiple shallow cuts all over her thighs, legs, and arms, making her look quite pitiful. And her teammates had already started calling for her to quit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    In fact, if she hadn''t known about the requirement for that title, Emilia really would have decided to withdraw at the moment. After all, she was quite tired, and it didn''t seem worth it to risk ''dying'' and losing much of her hard-earned experience for the sake of a few more points in this challenge.

    As it was, though, Emilia could only smile helplessly. "Just one more round, please!"

    Danielle and the others tried to persuade her otherwise, but soon realized that their voices were falling on deaf ears. And when a heavy sense of oppression erupted from the center of the arena, they couldn''t help but shut up and take an involuntary step back in fear.

    [Grade 10 Challenger, Level 30, Draconic Knight]

    Unlike every other ''enemy'' who arrived before it, this one took its time to fully materialize, but Emilia didn''t dare to close in and take advantage of this ''vulnerability'' at all.

    Under the cover of the light, if it really managed to make a fatal sneak attack on her, wouldn''t all her previous efforts be in vain?

    When the light finally vanished, what stood in front of Emilia was a fully armored lizard man¡­ or woman, she really couldn''t tell. Either way, both its golden scales and green eyes were exotic and beautiful, and radiated an aura of both danger and charm that made Emilia a little wary.

    The draconic knight rested its wed hand on the handle of its longsword, then bowed as ifpleting some ceremony. "Greetings, elven child. My name is Kaira, although I suppose this existence is just an illusion. But since the rules of this ce demand that we fight, please forgive me for the disrespect."

    Emilia wasn''t quite sure how to respond to the draconic knight''s ''taunt'', so she just returned its ''greeting'' with her name and gripped the handle of her sword tightly in preparation for the uing sh.

    She could tell that the strength of this opponent far exceeded that of the previous ones, though she wasn''t sure if it was because of their bloodline, level, or something else.

    It wasn''tpletely unexpected, considering that the level of enemies in the warrior''s challenge rose at a much faster pace during one''s first challenge to quickly get them to their ''deserved'' ranking.

    But still, she didn''t think that her tenth opponent would already be so strong.

    "Prepare yourself, youngling! Maybe you will learn a thing or two today." Kaira smiled ''gently'' and drew out the longsword before pointing it at Emilia, though the rows of sharp fangs really didn''t help much in carrying forward the draconic knight''s original intentions.

    Emilia''s pupils constricted as she saw the golden figure dash towards her in a blur, its speed far exceeding her expectations. But thanks to her being prepared in advance, she was still able to parry the sharp longsword, though the force behind it almost numbed her armspletely.

    Luckily, she hadn''t decided to block it, or it would have been over. But the crimson-haired elf didn''t have much time to dwell on such thoughts, because the draconic knight easily swerved the longsword around again, as if her parry didn''t break its flow at all, and Emilia was forced to deal with it again and again.

    Each consecutive blow felt harder than the one before, and Emilia almost felt like she was back in her old world, facing her sword instructor at the age of eight.

    The weakness in her arms made it impossible to really deal with her opponent as she pleased, and the dozen different ways she could formte to deal with her opponent all instantly seemed so useless in front of that reality.

    Even though Emilia knew that it was because of this world not allowing her real strength to shine through into the game, she couldn''t help but feel a little frustrated.

    And the draconic knight''s ''encouragement'' didn''t help at all. "For such a young elf, you''re actually much faster and stronger than I expected¡­ How about forming a union with this young dragonling in the future,dy elf? If I defeat you today, and we manage to really meet in the future, just treat it as fate. Destiny, if you will. I shall take care of you, and you shall belong to me."

    Not to mention Crystal and the others, even the audience watching their livestream was stunned by the dialogue of this ''NPC''. Did Arcadia have such a ''unique'' system, too?

    Fortunately, Emilia was able to control herself in time, and turned her frustration into determination instead of rage. "You seem like someone who''s been taught well, but I''ve never seen someone so shameless as to court someone they called a child less than a minute ago. If I don''t teach you a lesson today, I''ll feel really sorry for your teacher!"

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 Chapter 762 Defeating The Draconic Knight

    ?

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    Emilia had trained extensively in multiple types of weapons in her previous life as a princess, but her mastery in many of them was only considered ''worthy of praise'' by her instructors mostly because of her status as a princess.

    After all, even if she wasn''t particrly sickly, Emilia''s body still looked quite delicate and weak whenpared to the sturdy and buff men, and being able to contend with an actual knight in anything at all could already be considered astonishing.

    Of course, after she grew up and ''worked hard'' for a few more years, she was eventually able to defeat even the strongest knights in her kingdom at the time, though most people assumed that they must have been going easy on her.

    Although this ''virtual'' body wasn''t as strong as the one Cynthia gave her, it was still slightly superior to the one she had in her life as a princess. And with a sword in her hand, Emilia felt that if she really failed to defeat this draconic knight, she would be letting down everyone who ever believed in her.

    "One must not let their emotions rule themselves when holding a sword, young one." Kaira chided gently, as if unbothered by the crimson-haired elf''s persistence.

    But Emilia could tell that the draconic knight wasn''t having nearly as easy a time as it might first seem, which greatly boosted her confidence.

    She ignored the pain in her arms from the violent shes of their des, and continued to ferociously hack and sh in a seemingly insane manner, without any form or beauty.

    However, to the draconic knight''s shock, it was still impossible to find any openings in her movements. It was as if every move she made was decided upon only after looking at her opponent''s reactions, and even adjusted in real-time as needed.

    Kaira almost couldn''t believe it. ''Not to mention an elf child, even an ancient elf shouldn''t have this kind of ability¡­ I must be mistaken.''

    It was much more realistic to assume that the young elf girl had some incredible fighting talent or instinct, after all.

    In fact, before the fight started, although Kaira appeared courteous and respectful on the surface, it wasn''t really from the heart.

    After all, the main reason that the dragons and their descendants treated elves so well stemmed from the fact they''d had a mutually beneficial rtionship for a long time, and the elves also made for good wives. The children they birthed wereparable in strength to pureblooded dragonlings, and were also far easier to conceive.

    But deep down, most dragonlings believed that the only beings that had the qualifications to stand on equal footing with them were the demons.

    However, Kaira wasn''t stupid. After realizing Emilia''s unexpected potential, it was impossible to continue underestimating her simply because she was an elf.

    Once the draconic knight started to take the fight more seriously, the sound that the swords made on each collision became even more jarring on the ears, and it was hard to believe that neither of them showed any signs of chipping or breaking.

    In fact, it wasn''t that the weapons were unbreakable, but most of the force behind Kaira''s blows was actually being deflected by Emilia using tricky angles and parries. However, the difference in their speed and strength obviously made it impossible for the crimson-haired elf to pull it off every time.

    Once every few hits, the force she had to handle sent pain and shock ringing through her flesh and bones, but Emilia didn''t let it show on her face.

    When fighting a clearly stronger opponent, it was all the more important to not show any weakness.

    The fight seemed to get more and more ferocious, with the de light and the sparks from their shes being the only thing most could watch in a daze between their tightly tangled figures. And just when it seemed like one of them might inexplicably lose their head in the chaotic fight, a thick, scaled lizard tail swept Emilia''s legs off the ground.

    Some of the girls watching couldn''t help but scream in shock, but the most dumbfounded of them all was Kaira, the draconic knight.

    The purpose of the tail sweep was to break Emilia''s rhythm and corner her wlessly, but how could the girl who was able to react to all those movements in a fraction of a second suddenly be unable to see thising?

    Not only was she swept off her feet, but Emilia didn''t even defend herself properly while rolling over, leading to heavy bruising on most of her exposed skin. Even her face wasn''t spared.

    The burning pain from the draconic knight''s inner thigh soon cleared these doubts, and Kaira''s scaled face twisted ufortably upon realizing that it was all the little elf''s trick. The obviously ecstatic grin on the face that beautiful face that had been bruised heavily made it obvious.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Somehow, in that small chaotic moment when she was swept off and rolled on the ground to ''avoid'' the next attack, the crimson-haired elf''s sword had managed to discover and slice through a vulnerable point on the draconic knight''s body.

    "Although all your scales look tough, it''s only the ones on your forearm that can perfectly defend against my sword." Emilia giggled as she swung her sword around. "Not as tough as you look, are you?"

    Of course, the wound she managed to inflict wasn''t particrly deep, but Emilia didn''t care about that. Even if her sword only left shallow scratches on the enemy''s scaly skin at best, the poison would still slowly seep through and umte, and victory would be hers.

    Kaira also seemed to realize her strategy, and sneered. "It seems you have chosen your path, young one. But be mindful, being reckless and daring might bring you short-term sess, but eventually¡­ it will lead to your downfall."

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    "¡­ I was unable to teach you anything today, but one day, I shall." Kaira smiled, though the blood seeping through the sharp fangs made the image incredibly terrifying. "Until we meet again¡­ Emilia."

    The crimson-haired elf only dared to breathe a sigh of relief when the draconic knight finally copsed under the effects of her sword''s poison, and quickly withdrew from the challenge before the next one could start to materialize.

    Not only was shepletely exhausted, but there also wasn''t that much time left in the day. If the day ended before she could finish her fight, it would be considered a loss anyway, so there was no point in trying.

    "You really know how to fight like a maniac, huh?!" Crystal hugged her tightly the moment she exited the arena.

    Most of Emilia''s equipment had already been heavily damaged, with even her skirt being torn, so the blonde girl''s hands rested directly on the elf''s smooth skin. One could even see how ''emotional'' she was, given her deeply embedded fingers.

    For a while, numerous burning and envious gazes settled on Crystal''s fingers, but the blonde girl remainedpletely oblivious.

    Many couldn''t help but wonder if they would be able to see some ''fingerprints'' if not for the fact that most of Emilia''s skin had already been bruised from the fight.

    But while certain people were very dissatisfied with Crystal taking advantage of the situation to feel Emilia up, or at least that was how it appeared, they couldn''t really disagree with her words.

    Nico also nodded while casting a ''Mend Wounds'' on the crimson-haired elf. "Scared this grandma to death! If I hadn''t kept reminding myself that this was a game, I might have already passed out from fright, you know?!"

    Emilia sighed happily as she felt the soreness and pain slowly fade away from her body. "But wasn''t it worth it? I managed to beat him, err¡­ or her? Anyway, I did it!"

    Sylvia coughed. "Although it''s good to focus on what you want, you should also take care of yourself more."

    Knowing that they were just caring about herself, Emilia didn''t bother to refute her, and just nodded with a smile.

    Meanwhile, Danielle just hummed thoughtfully while waiting for the results, which was unexpectedly taking quite a while.

    Obviously, this was no surprise to Emilia. It wasn''t that ''Arcadia'' couldn''t process the results of the ''Warrior''s Challenge'' fast enough. With the power of an entire world''s ''minds'' behind it, that was hardly a task worth mentioning.

    The reason it took a while, in fact, was to allow the ''original owners'' of all the images that ''lost'' in the challenge to prehend'' their experience, as the impact that the fight had on them was also a part of the score.

    Of course, even Emilia wasn''t sure if the defeated NPCs would be able to remember their experienceter, or if it would never bemitted to their ''memory'' at all.

    Either way, she really hoped to never meet that draconic knight again.

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 Chapter 763 Challenge Results

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    Although it took a little longer than they expected, when the results of Emilia''s challenge were finally disyed on the big screen at the arena''s entrance, most people had to wonder if there had still been some error in ''calction'' somewhere.

    After all, while Emilia''s performance had no doubt been incredibly exciting, the scores that Sylvia and Crystal received were only enough to ce them in the seventy to eighty thousandth rank range. Even if they couldn''tpare with Emilia, the disparity between them couldn''t be that great.

    But even after holding their breath for a while, the scores on the screen didn''t fluctuate, and people finally had to believe that what they were seeing was indeed final.

    ==========

    [Emilia, Elf Ranger, Level 13], has withdrawn from the [Warrior''s Challenge]!

    ¡ªDeath Penalty: 0

    ¡ªSurrender Penalty: -100 Points

    ¡ªInjuries Sustained: 58 [-580 Points]

    Grading Difficulty: Max. Each consecutive opponent was at least 25% to ???% stronger than the previous one.

    -Grade 1 Score: 10 Points

    Max Buff

    -Grade 2 Score: 50 Points

    100% Buff

    -Grade 3 Score: 100 Points

    100% Buff

    -Grade 4 Score: 200 Points

    50% Buff

    -Grade 5 Score: 300 Points

    33% Buff

    -Grade 6 Score: 400 Points

    25% Buff

    -Grade 7 Score: 500 Points

    40% Buff

    -Grade 8 Score: 700 Points

    50% Buff

    -Grade 9 Score: 1,000 Points

    Max Buff

    -Grade 10 Score: 5,000 Points

    Dancing with Death Bonus: 270 Points

    Butterfly''s Wings: 280 Points

    Thirst of Blood: 390 Points<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Brilliance: 420 Points

    Final Bonus Score: 1,360 Points

    Dominance Bonus: 2,480 Points

    [Final Score: 11,420 Points]

    Elf Warrior Emilia, Level 13, is now ranked [969] based on her score in the [Warrior''s Challenge].

    ==========

    While everyone else was still gawking in shock, Emilia was already smiling happily at the reward notifications that only she could see. ''Nice! Not only did I get my gold coin back, but my reputation in all the kingdoms is now automatically boosted by twenty points!''

    While it might not sound like much, it wouldn''t take long for people to realize just how difficult it was to raise their reputation from zero in certain regions, and a universal boost to the reputation was no joke.

    Of course, Emilia was fully aware of the fact that she would lose this ''boost'' the moment she was kicked out of the top thousand by other yers, so she didn''t dare to be toocent just yet.

    What she needed to do now was make the most out of her advantages before others started catching up, and that''s exactly what Emilia nned to do.

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    After the hero''s ''leaks'' of Arcadia''s incredible effects on the human body, it had naturally attracted a lot of ''high level'' attention from all over the world, and even the most skeptical of them all didn''t dare to take it lightly anymore.

    While the actual impact of these ''effects'' may not be enough to shake the foundation of the societal system that they thrived upon, that didn''t mean it could be ignored.

    The world had been at peace for a long time already, and many vtile elements had been waiting at the edge of their seats, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. And if the effects of Arcadia could disturb the sense of belonging in enough people¡­ that spark would be enough to set off a raging inferno that could engulf them all.

    Of course, while the weak may perish in agony from such changes, the strong would only use that fire to mold themselves into an even stronger version of themselves, and that was exactly what many were looking forward to.

    That being said, the top-level people would naturally never personally involve themselves with something so uncertain and nonsensical. That''s what their underlings were for, after all.

    They only needed to keep an eye on all the major changes, and decide on their next course of action based on that.

    Obviously, although most of their attention was focused on controlling their people and the like, it was impossible for them to not learn of Emilia''s challenge results.

    Of the hundreds of people remaining in her live stream, there were quite a few ''spies'' after all.

    "Based on the analysis of multiple experts, the two girls Sylvia and Crystal both performed ''very well'', andparing their scores with ''Emilia'', it bes obvious that her performance was not only outstanding, but rming." A middle-aged man presented the data to his leaders, his serious tone making it almost impossible for people to realize that he was talking about events that happened in a game. "No matter how skilled or lucky she might be, thirteen out of seventeen of them are certain that she must know some ''trick'' or ''secret'' about the game to be able to so consistently perform so well."

    The men and women around the round table went through the documents and data presented to them one by one, and many of them couldn''t help but frown.

    Although Emilia''s name had be moderately ''famous'' in certain circles, mostly because of her face, it had clearly not been enough to catch the eye of these people in power. And for most of them, it was their first time looking at her face carefully.

    One of the older males with a long white beard coughed. "Has anyone considered that she might have only gotten lucky once, and then things naturally snowballed for her from there? There''s no need to take an insignificant little girl so seriously."

    Several of them discussed it calmly, and many agreed that it was possible.

    After all, they''d all experienced at least one instance where a tiny initial difference led to overwhelmingly different resultster down the road.

    In fact, many of them had already concluded in their hearts that the reason this ''presenter'' was so intent on getting his hands on ''Emilia'' must be because he wanted a new ''toy''.

    The white-bearded man smiled. "Instead¡­ should we not focus our efforts on acquiring the ''equipment'' that produced those so-called ''superhumans'' first? Even if this ''game'' really has the ability to change people, and those things are nothing special, it won''t hurt to get our hands on them anyway."

    In the end, the elderly man''s words won the approval of a majority of the decision-makers, and ady in a blue cheongsam motioned for the middle-aged man who made the presentation to sit down.

    "Our World Welfare Directive Council does not need to fear a single girl, and should focus on more important things first."

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 Chapter 764 The Well-Known

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    "Wait a minute¡­ so you''re telling me that even after being ranked so high, all you got was just twenty points of reputation?!"

    Looking at Robin''s unbelievable expression, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "I did only just ''enter'' the rankings, after all. And we can''t underestimate the value of these twenty points."

    The reputation value of yers and non-yers alike was measured from zero to a hundred, with zero beingpletely ''unremarkable'' or ''unknown'' to most people to a hundred being someone who was practically worshipped and followed blindly.

    Of course, the reputation score of an individual varied from region to region, but that went without saying. Until one hit ten points, their reputation simply showed ''The Unknown'', and changed to ''The Beginner'' at ten, and ''The Well-Known'' at twenty.

    Although being a ''ranker'' only gave her these ''measly'' twenty points of reputation, it was a ''universal'' increment to her reputation given that the ''ranking'' was followed by all the major kingdoms. She became ''well-known'' in almost every region of Arcadia in an instant!

    Not to mention, getting to the required ''fifty'' points for the main quest would also be a lot easier with this boost.

    It was a pity that the kills within the arena didn''t count towards the ''Unique Monsters'' required for upgrading her [Wisdom of the Forest], or she could have already gotten its [Vignce] to level two. But as it was, the count was still stuck on five out of ten.

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully. "If it is as you expect, and this increment of twenty points is actually good, doesn''t that mean that we were just wasting time collecting all those demonic cores for the Traders Guild?"

    Emilia grinned. "I don''t think so at all. Being able to establish a rtionship with the Traders Guild should prove to be of good useter, and didn''t they promise us some good rewards anyway?"

    The rest of her team also recalled the rewards for the material-gathering quest, and couldn''t help but nod.

    "Compared to theplete set of [Grey] quality gear promised by the adventurer''s guild, that thing''s really much more useful." Crystal smiled.

    Of course, everyone knew that she must be talking about the free attribute potions, but didn''t mention it to prevent their ''secret'' from leaking to the masses.

    Emilia just smiled. "Right? The day''s almost over, so let''s get to the inn and log out first. Then we can submit the materials we gathered tomorrow."

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    Although the number of people watching Emilia and her team''s livestreams wasn''t as high as it had been before the ''secret'' of Arcadia was leaked, the topic of ''new features and content'' in the game world was naturally very popr, and it didn''t take long for hundreds of articles and numerous news stories to spread their ''exploits'' all around.

    Of course, as the one most concerned about this ''unexpected rival'', the hero was no exception. The moment he exited from the game, one of his friends who had been tasked with keeping tabs on all the ''remarkable'' opponents he recognized filled him in on what happened.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "So she''s not only good at discovering secrets, but is also an excellent fighter¡­ huh." Darryl hummed thoughtfully. "My home country seemed to have really given birth to a ''gem'' again."

    When he realized that things weren''t exactly going ording to his n after the release of Arcadia, Darryl had obviously been extremely disturbed and rattled, and made some hasty decisions.

    As the only one who knew of its secret, he was supposed to be the ''first'' and ''best'' in everything from that point on, he thought. That was how it should have been!

    But Darryl didn''t be the world-renowned genius by being a conceited fool who couldn''t control his own emotions, and quickly came back to his senses, and started fixing his mistakes.

    To get the cooperation of Welkin and its authorities, misleading them with some ''secrets'' was just right, anyway, and it would also elerate the growth of his supporterster on.

    Moreover, the road to the top could never be easy, and Darryl was sure that he would have to crush quite a few stepping stones on the way there.

    ording to that thing, Arcadia would usher in the age of heroes, so how could things be so easy? If he really wanted to be the very best, he would have to be not only diligent, but also smart.

    Since it was certain that he would be facing countless obstacles on his way to sess, having just the few ''followers'' he currently had was far from enough.

    It was a pity that fate didn''t allow him to keep the secret of Arcadia to himself for long enough, or he would have definitely tried to pull Emilia over to his side.

    Having someone like Emilia, who was both lucky and skilled, would definitely make his job a lot easier. Of course, he would have to tame her first, but Darryl had never had much trouble with that sort of thing. Even if she was much smarter than she looked, there was no infallible human in this world.

    Most people were too weak to sweet words, after all. And if they came from someone they already admired, the effect those words had on them would be even greater. For a young girl like Emilia, he just needed to figure out her one point of weakness, and all her defenses woulde crumbling down.

    As it was, though, Karamine would never allow one of their ''best'' yers to leave the country now. Not until they were sure that the impact of Arcadia on the human body was ''greatly exaggerated'', at least.

    But just because he couldn''t pull her over to his side yet didn''t mean that Emilia was of no ''use'' to Darryl at the moment. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

    While his own country was being so uncooperative, a tool like Emilia, who was mostly unrted to him and could easily be discarded, was exactly what Darryl needed.

    He couldn''t help but grin. "Tell Colman toe and meet me right away¡­ I have a new task for him."

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 Chapter 765 The Pack Mule

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    Obtaining the ''free attribute potions'' as a reward only required Emilia and her team to submit a hundred [Earthen Demonic Cores] to the ''Traders Guild'', which still left them with almost eighty to spare.

    Unfortunately, being a team task, just as they didn''t have to fulfill the requirements individually, the rewards were also only issued once, but Emilia didn''t really mind.

    As good as they might sound, the ''free attributes'' added by these potions weren''t really permanent, and onlysted until the day''s end. And aside from offering a slight boost to one''s abilities in the early game, they really didn''t serve much of a purpose.

    Naturally, Danielle and the others also discovered this fact after they finally got their hands on their precious prize, leaving thempletely stunned.

    After a while, Nico and Robin couldn''t help but cry. "The effect onlysts twenty-four hours?"

    "Is that in-game hours? That''s not what it said in the quest!"

    Sylvia frowned. "Now that I think about it¡­ aside from the item name, there really wasn''t much of a description, right?"

    Danielle sighed. "So we were scammed¡­ as expected of the ''Traders Guild'', I suppose, how cunning."

    Looking at the embarrassed and awkward ''receptionist'' of the guild, Crystal coughed. "I''m sure this was just a misunderstanding, right?"

    The receptionist nodded, then turned her gaze to Emilia. "If you''re unhappy with the rewards, I can talk to the guild master about it and what we can do?"

    Emilia grinned and shook her head in denial. "No no, how can we be dissatisfied? What we got was exactly what was promised, and good traders always keep their word, do they not?"

    In fact, in addition to the free attribute potions, they''d also received ten gold coins. Compared to the market price of the cores they''d traded in, it was far too high, though it may not be obvious yet to the rest of her teammates.

    The receptionist heaved a sigh of relief, and patted her chest with a smile. "Great, then, I hope you will continue our cooperation in the future."

    Emilia smiled. "Of course."

    The only reason her team was given even this much ''courtesy'' was because of her ''high'' reputation thanks to the ''Warrior''s Challenge'', so how could Emilia dare to push her luck?

    Obviously, it was impossible for the guild to go out of its way to scam ''little'' people like them, and it was even more impossible for them to receive any furtherpensation just because they felt deceived.

    So Emilia understood that there was no point in ruining their rtionship with the guild pointlessly, and it was best to just smooth things over and move on.

    Of course, knowing that the wealthy yers would be throwing ridiculous amounts of money at these things once the first dungeon came out, the greatest value of these potions could only be extracted at that ''right'' moment.

    Although Emilia couldn''t exin these things to the rest of her team, she was happy to see Danielle and the others arrive at a rather favorable conclusion after just a little guidance from both herself and Crystal.

    "I guess we should keep these potions for now, then." The drill-haired girl nodded to herself. "You wanna keep them, Emilia?"

    The crimson-haired elf hummed. "You keep ''em. I have too much stuff in my inventory, anyway."

    Although it was her way of showing some trust and dependence on her teammates, it only caused Danielle to roll her eyes in exasperation. "Don''t you have like, ten extra slots?"

    Emilia huffed. "But I pick up all the trash, don''t I?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Obviously, it was mostly because she was always the closest to the ''loot'' when it dropped, being the team''s primary frontliner.

    Watching their argument, Sylvia couldn''t help but chuckle. ''Had this been before, I would definitely have thought that Danielle was being overly petty and controlling, not even treating her best yer right, but now¡­ all I can think is that she''s an idiot.''

    In fact, she felt it was a bit silly of herself to take the drill-haired girl so seriously. After all, being rude and confrontational came naturally to someone like Danielle, and it made no sense to butt heads with her without reason.

    ''Now that I think about it again¡­ wasn''t it because of Dolly that I started paying attention to her?'' Sylvia frowned. ''I might have to talk to her about thister¡­''

    It wasn''t just that she didn''t want her ''friend'' to hate someone without reason, but Sylvia also felt a little ufortable when she imagined how Dolly would feel if she ever saw her ''getting along'' with the likes of Danielle, given how much she hated the girl before.

    Being detested by one of the few friends she''d ever made was definitely not a feeling Sylvia wanted to go through.

    Sylvia sighed. ''It''s a pity that I can''t seem to get through her phone these days, though¡­ wait¡­''

    Unfortunately, just as she was about to have a ''realization'', Crystal interrupted her thoughts with a cough. "Don''t Robin and Sylvia also have that inventory boosting belt? Let''s keep the team''s ''shared'' items with them until they each have used half their avable space?"

    Looking at the fresh new notifications flooding her vision, Sylvia could only stand there dumbfounded,pletely forgetting her previous thoughts.

    ¡ªYou have received [Boar Meat] x 133 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    ¡ªYou have received [Boar Tusk] x 166 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    ¡ªYou have received [Giant Boar Tusk] x 1 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    ¡ªYou have received [Corrupted Blood Essence] x 20 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    ¡ªYou have received [Wind Wolf Pelt] x 28 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    ¡ªYou have received [Wind Wolf Fang] x 56 from Emilia (Elf Warrior, Level 13)

    .

    .

    .

    The notifications just kept going, and as if to add insult to injury, Emilia wasn''t the only one doing it, either.

    ¡ªYou have received [Beginner''s Boots] x 2 from Crystal (Human Ranger, Level 13)

    "Y-You¡ª!" Sylvia had just wanted to curse, but looking at Crystal''s face, she couldn''t help but recall that she still owed the girl for the bow she was using, making herpletely unable to scold the blonde because of the favor. ''S-She''s s-so¡­ so¡­ so annoying¡­!''

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 Chapter 766 Undiscovered

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    Since the main quest required them to have a reputation of fifty or above, and aside from Emilia, most of her team was still stuck at zero, they could only resort topleting more ''side quests'' over the next few sessions.

    Of course, Emilia had their ''live streams'' temporarily suspended due to ''poor traffic'', somehow convincing Danielle and the others that it would be much better to let the people''s interest build up first before resuming it again. But aside from her, only Crystal knew the real reason behind her decision.

    Discovering side quests was not an easy task, and while Emilia might be able to ''fool'' the rest of her team with ease, the same couldn''t be said for random people watching their stream. Even if they cut out certain parts of the broadcast, the smart ones might be able to piece it all together and still figure out that the crimson-haired elf knew a lot more than she should.

    Moreover, Emilia had the feeling that the people watching her ''stream'' didn''t just include her admirers and random people interested in watching them y.

    After all, with the ''secret'' of Arcadia leaked, she''d already be the target of certain troublesome characters the moment she got ahead of everyone else. And Emilia knew that she had to be more cautious when doing certain things, lest she ''motivate'' some of them to take drastic measures.

    The crimson-haired elf couldn''t help but sigh. ''Why is everyone so slow? If they could just level up faster and the first dungeon coulde out, I wouldn''t have to go through so much trouble, ahh!''

    Cynthia giggled. "Good thing that only the first dungeon has this type of mechanic, right?"

    Of course, while she wasining about the ''unfair'' system to her partner, the rest of Emilia''s team was desperately pulling giant radishes out of the ''farm'' for their side quest.

    "Ahhh! Another dud!"

    "Here too!"

    "Damn¡­"

    Contrary to how it might appear, their task wasn''t to harvest radishes, but to find a ring. Apparently, thedy who managed the farm had lost it a few weeks ago while on a routine inspection, and had been looking for it ever since.

    There hadn''t been any clues mentioned in the quest, but Emilia knew that this particr quest''s objective was hidden inside one of the radishes on thedy''s farm, though its location was always ''random'', and even she had no idea where exactly it could be.

    In the first ''round'' of this quest in the original timeline, the yers hadpletely failed to find it, after all, and it was only after the radishes were harvested and the quest failed that they figured out its ''secret''.

    Of course, once thedy happily lost her ring again and the quest was reissued, the ''smart'' yers were easily able to scour the farm and discover the ring.

    Although this was a ''repeating'' side quest, only one team of a maximum of ten yers couldplete it every forty or so in-game days, and its rewards were more than generous.

    Not only would all of them get five reputation points each, but they would also receive a gold coin from thedy as a sign of her gratitude. And to top it all off,pleting this side quest gave them a few ''hints'' to higher-level side quests in the capital, saving Emilia a lot of trouble ''discovering'' them.

    Fortunately, it didn''t take too long for one of her teammates to pull out the ''lucky'' radish, and surprisingly enough, it was Sylvia who finally found it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "AHH! You got it?!" Nico screamed.

    Robin, the ''rogue'' who had been the most confident in the team just moments before, could only sigh in disappointment. "What luck¡­"

    It hadn''t been that long since they started digging, after all, and less than ten percent of the entire field had been ''covered'' before Sylvia found the ''jackpot''.

    The dark-haired girl was a bit dumbfounded, considering that she''d never considered herself particrly lucky, but she soon came back to her senses, a little embarrassed. "A-Ahem, l-let''s go."

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''To be honest, she looks so much better like this than when she''s being all frowny and tough.''

    Of course, she knew better than to say such a thing out loud. Even if Sylvia had opened up a lot and might even consider them ''friends'', Emilia knew that the girl was still like a hedgehog, ready to roll into a prickly ball at any time.

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    Those who had been tuning in to Emilia and her team''s streams were naturally quite dissatisfied by their unexpected ''denial of service'', but they soon figured out that there wasn''t really much that they could do.

    Aside from a few people ''refunding'' their donations in a fit of rage, the rest could only leave messages expressing their ''interest'', though many still cursed at the team''s ''greed'' for being dissatisfied with hundreds of viewers.

    Of course, those who had only been watching the streams for the purpose of monitoring Emilia were even more dissatisfied, as most of their ''bosses'' soon issued orders to follow her into the game to continue, giving them a massive headache.

    Not only was ying games far from being their forte, but there was also no telling if their bosses would be patient enough to be able to wait until they''d caught up with Emilia. More than likely, they''d soon find someone ''more suited'' for the job before relieving the unlucky ones from their position.

    Instead of waiting for ''death'', most of them quickly figured it out and started applying for other jobs in a hurry.

    Meanwhile, Emilia and her team didn''t pay the situation much mind. Even if certain unscrupulous people decided to show up at their office, Danielle had already hired some security personnel to take care of it for them.

    But how could someone trusted by Darryl be so easy to block?

    Not only was he able to break into the office of the ''Crimson Witches'' undetected, but he was also able to follow Emilia back from there without ever being discovered.

    Or so he thought.

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 Chapter 767 The Bait

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    The game room of the ''Crimson Witches'' recently had a surveince camera installed, just in case someone decided to do some ''sabotage'' while no one was present. But unknown to the team inside the game, it was coincidentally ''malfunctioning'' while an intruder stood in front of Emilia''s pod.

    Except for the tiny tuft of orangish-red hair, dull green eyes, and the dark skin of his temple peeking out from under his hooded jacket, it was almost impossible to guess what the man looked like, with even his height being uncertain thanks to his hunched figure.

    ''So here lies the girl that boss is oh-so-curious about, huh¡­'' The masked man''s fingers hovered over the ''full-dive pod'', as if caressing it through the air, then he smiled. ''Could it be that he likes her?''

    Although Darryl had sent him on quite a lot of errands before, this was the first time that Colman simply couldn''t make sense of his ''task''.

    With the most brilliant and talented people already by his side, and himself being the best of the best, would someone like Darryl need to recruit apanion like Emilia, let alone go through so much to pull her to his side?

    Aside from being a little lucky, the girl''s only ''exceptional'' quality was her face, though her figure was quitecking, but maybe that was just how his boss liked it. Colman was quite certain that Darryl must have taken a fancy to the girl.

    Of course, although it was his best guess, Colman would never go against Darryl''s orders.

    What if he ended up disrupting the ns of the genius?

    ''He must have his own ideas in mind, and I can''t even begin to guess them¡­'' Colman sighed. ''All I can do is observe her more, take a few more pictures, and let things y out ording to his n.''

    His thoughts were incredibly humble, and full of respect for his genius boss, but this hadn''t always been the case.

    In fact, when Colman first met the so-called genius ''Darryl'', his impression hadn''t been particrly good.

    After all, not only had the boy rashly requested for the ''best'' agent of their pany'' when his ''request'' simply didn''t require someone of his skill level, but he had also been stupid enough to approach them without ever bothering to hide his identity.

    Was that not an open demonstration of stupidity?

    Even the so-called ''genius'' wasn''t free of stains, and hired spies to keep an eye on his ''friends''¡­ an organization that thrived on selling information to whoever was willing to pay the right price would definitely never keep such juicy gossip a secret.

    If Darryl couldn''t even see through something like that, he simply didn''t deserve the reputation he had.

    But Colman was soon forced to revise his opinion on the genius when he realized that the ''request'' he''d made to the information agency was just an excuse to dig him out, and the boy knew a lot more than he could ever have expected.

    If not for Darryl, maybe Colman would never have discovered that he wasn''t an orphan adopted and raised by them at all, and his real parents had actually been their sworn enemies before they were ruthlessly tricked and ughtered.

    After Darryl helped him deal with the blood feud, Colman had given his full loyalty to him, but the genius never took undue advantage of it. And aside from running a few ''errands'' for his boss, Colman was even able to enjoy a rtively luxurious lifestyle.

    Naturally, Colman didn''t think the ''job'' this time would pose much of a challenge either, though he still cautiously retreated and hid himself a few minutes before his target started to regain consciousness.

    Checking the situation from their own surveince camera, it was as he expected. None of the girls seemed particrly vignt, and Emilia chatted with them for a while before making her way out of the building.

    In fact, the poor ''spy'' could never have expected that his target would have a bug like Cynthia by her side, and he''d long since exposed himself by getting close to the girl while she was still unconscious.

    Otherwise, with Emilia''s sensing abilities heavily restricted by the world''s dense energy, maybe he really could have followed her undetected.

    Unfortunately, Cynthia''s own senses couldn''t spread too far, and she also couldn''t tell the man''s exact position on their way to Emilia''s ''home''.

    When Emilia took a brief break at a food stall on her way, Cynthia briefly found him staring at them covertly from a dark alley, but he didn''t follow the crimson-haired girl after that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Emilia sighed. ''I''m guessing he must be using some other means to keep track of my location, and doesn''t really need to keep up with me physically, so don''t worry about it too much. We''ll know what we need to soon, anyway.''

    Obviously, with his ''unique'' style of dressing, the man could only keep to dark alleys and shadowy areas without being noticed, so the fact that he wasn''t following her openly was actually quite expected.

    When she finally reached her apartment and closed the door, however, he finally exposed himself.

    Surprisingly enough, the man even removed his mask and hood, and even smiled at Emilia when she walked into her own living room.

    In fact, he was just curious to see how the beautiful girl would react.

    Would she scream and go ''kyaa!'' upon spotting a strange man just chilling on her sofa, or just faint directly?

    He was quite looking forward to it.

    She looked quite a bit prettier than the pictures he''d seen before, with her wavy crimson hair especially seeming so vivid and beautiful that he almost couldn''t contain the urge to run his fingers through it, and her light pink lips looking so soft that they were just begging to be nibbled.

    It was a pity that her charming face still had an element of childishness, and her figure wasn''t quite as curvy and bumpy as expected, making it hard for most men to justifiably move their hearts. But that would probably change in just a few years, even if the girl was ate bloomer.

    The vision of his boss was impable, as expected.

    Unfortunately, Colman was sorely disappointed to see that the gorgeous girl remained irrationally calm despite the strange circumstances, and even gave him an amicable smile. "Being able to break into my home without causing a fuss¡­ do you want a reward?"

    For a moment, Colman wondered if she was serious, but then he couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat. ''E-Even if she''s just joking, I can''t let the boss know about this!''

    After all, no matter how generous Darryl usually might be, few men could tolerate their prospective wives flirting with others.

    No longer daring to treat the dy'' casually, Colman immediately shot off his seat with a cough. "P-Please, excuse my rudeness and allow me to introduce myself, young miss. My name is Colman Federrin, one of the trusted subordinates of Mr. Darryl Burns. And I''m here today to convey a message from him to you."

    The crimson-haired girl didn''t seem surprised by his words at all, and even smiled gently in response. "Go on, then."

    ''As expected of the girl picked by the boss, she''s not just all looks!'' Colman''s impression of her rose even higher, and he happily handed over the letter from Darryl instead of reading it out as usual. "Please, have a look."

    Emilia went through the letter calmly, as if she was just confirming that it indeed contained what she thought it did, then stuffed it into her bosom with a smile. "Well, tell him I agreed."

    "¡­" Colman stared at her ''still budding'' chest hesitantly for a while, then came back to his senses in shock.

    No way, even if he couldn''t return with the letter as normal, wouldn''t it be much worse if the future wife of his boss thought he was a pervert staring at things he shouldn''t?!

    "I-I''ll let him know, then, miss. It''s great to have you on board!"

    The man jumped out of the third-story window, leaving as abruptly as he''d arrived, and Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle in amusement. ''What a weirdo¡­''

    Cynthia also giggled. "Poor guy''s intestines are gonna turn green in regret in the future. But¡­ acting so mysterious and confident, um, aren''t you afraid that the hero will be more wary of you?"

    Emilia took out the ''letter'' from her dress, then smiled. ''Don''t worry, I have my own n¡­''

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 Chapter 768 The Illegitimate Fan

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    Emilia obviously wasn''t na?ve enough to believe that the hero would be impressed enough by her ''skills'' to actually pull her into his team open-heartedly, nor did she think it would do her any good to join him.

    After all, what she''d ''shown'' so far only made her appear luckier than most, and exceptionally ''athletic'', which was far from being ''enough'' to join the team of the world''s greatest genius.

    Most likely, what Darryl really wanted to do by inviting her was just ''make sure'' that her ''luck'' so far was really just that, and that she wasn''t actually privy to any secrets that were allowing her to get ahead.

    If she were to reveal something like that¡­ Emilia had no doubt that the hero would happily dig her heart out and eat it raw the moment he got the chance.

    That was why his ''invitation'' only included herself, and even warned her against letting her current team or anyone else know of his offer. He even ''graciously'' allowed her to ''think about it'' for a while even if she didn''t want to quit the ''Crimson Witches'' immediately.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''Unfortunately, even the great genius Darryl couldn''t possibly have guessed that bringing him down was my ''goal'' from the start, and all he''s doing is giving me a better chance.''

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    The next few days passed peacefully, with Emilia and her team alternating between taking missions to earn either gold and experience or reputation points.

    Of course, digging deeper into the forest surrounding the Vermillion City would usually be suicidal for low-level yers, and the ''Crimson Witches'' only epted the missions that could bepleted without doing so, whether it be hunting the [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] or something else.

    But as more and more people started hitting level ten, their peaceful days finally came to an end. Even if most of them were scattered all over the map due to ack of funds to use the teleportation function, a few of them still somehow managed to get it done.

    While they were far from making Emilia regret ''streaming'', dealing with them was still quite annoying.

    "Hey! Hey you, stop!"

    "Can''t you hear us?!"

    Obviously, even if they no longer streamed their activities live, and not many had been watching them in thest few days they did so, almost everyone ''knew'' about ''Emilia''s team'' hunting monsters near the capital region.

    The drill-haired ''leader'' of their team finally called for them to stop as she turned around with a sigh. "¡­ Yes? Do we know each other?"

    The man leading the ''crowd'' that was chasing after them grinned. "Danielle, right?"

    Although she was the one he mentioned, Danielle wasn''t blind enough to not notice how the man''s greedy gaze kept swiveling in Emilia''s direction constantly.

    She couldn''t help but sneer. ''Trying to poach my star yer from right under my nose, huh? Shameless!''

    Not knowing that his ''secret'' ns had already been exposed, the man continued with a smile. "My name is Billot, from the [Ultimate Cavaliers] guild, and I¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unfortunately, his pitch was interrupted by someone''s scoff. "Don''t talk as if you''re some big shot. Danielle girl, look, you girls need a good tanker, and I''m the best there is. Let''s not beat around the bush and get together, shall we?"

    Many in the crowd inwardly ridiculed the buff middle-aged man for being so overconfident, and Billot, who was still fuming from being interrupted, didn''t shy away from directlyughing in the man''s face. "Just one level ten warrior still thinks he can carry a team of level thirteen girls as their solo tank? Don''t daydream with your eyes open, you senile old man!"

    "The fuck did you just call me, punk?!"

    Their fight inevitably attracted most of the crowd''s attention, and only a few noticed the ''Crimson Witches'' slip away, presumably running out of patience. Of course, they wouldn''t alert their ''ipetentpetitors'', and only followed them secretly.

    Unfortunately, they greatly underestimated the speed of their ''opponent'', and before they realized it, they''d already lost track of Emilia''s team.

    "Shit, aren''t they only three levels above us? How can they be so fast?!"

    "Maybe it''s some special movement-boosting skill or something? I saw a few items that had that effect in the market earlier."

    "But weren''t their prices, like, ridiculously high? How can level thirteen yers afford that?!"

    Even if hundreds of yers were to pool all their resources at this stage of the game, they wouldn''t be able to crowdfund the purchase of a single one of those ''treasures''. After all, the ''heavy discounts'' mentioned by certain sales personnel were only for the ''cheaper'' essories.

    Unfortunately, no matter how they wanted to grab and interrogate the members of Emilia''s team, all they could do was squat outside the forest and wait.

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    Meanwhile, just when Danielle thought they could ''enjoy themselves'' andplete their mission of the day, another ''annoyance'' decided to ruin her mood, and this one didn''t even try to mask his ''real'' intentions.

    "Miss Emilia, name''s Colman, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The ''suave'' young man bowed handsomely at a ny-degree angle as he introduced himself with an overly-confident smirk. "I''ve been watching your stream, and¡­ ahem, I''ve long since admired your skills. Would you mind adding me as a friend?"

    Who else could it be but the hero''s trusted ''spy''? Of course, Emilia wouldn''t rashly expose his identity in front of her teammates, lest she expose her ''animosity'' towards Darryl too early.

    Aside from the crimson-haired girl who knew his real identity and purpose for approaching her, though, none of the others were amused by the man''s ''shameless'' behavior.

    But before anyone could criticize him, Colman coughed as if just realizing how ''direct'' he was being. "I hope you don''t mind my rudeness, miss. Although I''m a fan, I won''t bother you or do anything inappropriate, rest assured."

    Obviously, since his intentions were more than obvious, Emilia could only show her initiative to mediate with a smile. "Sure, I''ll add you as a friend. It''s my first time meeting an actual ''fan'' of mine!"

    Sylvia and Danielle were immediately rmed, and uncharacteristically had the same thought for once ¡ª Emilia was even more of an ''idiot'' than expected!

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 Chapter 769 Player One

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    Obviously, none of her teammates knew about the fact that Emilia had made a secret ''deal'' with Darryl. Or the fact that Colman was just trying to establish a reliablemunication channel between them.

    After all, while people could chat with each other within the game regardless of the distance between them, they had to be mutually added as ''friends'' first. And the only way two people could do so was for them to have some form of ''physical contact'', then ''ept'' each other''s request.

    While there was no limit to the number of friends one was allowed to have, the fact that there was no ''search'' function, and Arcadia didn''t enforce a unique naming policy either, made it difficult for people to keep track of too many friends.

    The moment they shook hands, Colman couldn''t help but grin. "Miss Emilia''s palm is even softer and smaller than it looks."

    Of course, in sharp contrast to his words and expression, his real feelings at that moment were incrediblyplex.

    Every yer in Arcadia had a unique ID number assigned to them when they first logged in, and¡­ Emilia''s ID number was fifteen zeros, followed by a one.

    That is to say, she was the fastest yer to finish her character creation when the gameunched¡­ even faster than his boss!

    Darryl had specifically asked him to pay attention to this detail, and it wasn''t without reason.

    Being a close friend of the genius who ''created'' the game, aside from knowing that the ''spawn'' location could be changed based on where someone physically was, Colman was naturally privy to many other secrets as well.

    Although the game had technically opened its gates for everyone at the same time, the amount of time it took for a person''s soul to sync with the game world actually varied a lot when they did it for the first time.

    It might only take around five minutes or so, but that was more than enough time for someone who got there first to rush through the character creation process.

    What Emilia''s ID showed, therefore, wasn''t just the fact that her soul was incredibly ''strong'' andpatible with Arcadia, but also that she was incredibly reckless and uncaring of how her character creation impacted herter.

    ''Will such a girl really be a good wife for the boss?'' Colman frowned. ''Even if she''s gorgeous, if all boss wanted was a pretty and dumb girl, there are already thousands waiting for him to choose one.''

    Unfortunately, his sharp-eyed stare was interpreted as a look of perversion by Emilia''s teammates, and before Colman even realized it, he''d been scolded bloody and left in the dust.

    Shaking his head with a helpless smile, Colman could only log out first. ''I''ll just leave these things for the boss to decide.''

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    Darryl didn''t show much of a reaction to the fact that his ''friend'' had managed to convince Emilia to join his side, and added her as a friend within the game for easymunication.

    However, when he learned her yer number, the genius couldn''t help but frown. ''Am I thinking too much, or is this girl¡­ really unusual¡­?''

    Obviously, he''d had her investigated to the best of his ability, and she seemed to be someone born in a remotemunity near his hometown who''d just recently moved to the city.

    Her being a little silly and na?ve seemed to be quite natural, and the only two things that stood out about her were her beauty and her luck.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Having already pulled her to his side, Darryl should have had no reason to worry anymore. But for some reason, he couldn''t help but feel a little uneasy.

    ''It seems like¡­ I have to meet her in person, just to be sure.'' He sighed.

    Unfortunately, he wasn''t really as free to travel around the world as some of his friends, and he couldn''t just rush to the Fire Kingdom in Arcadia either. It was too troublesome and time-consuming, after all.

    But thinking about the fact that he could feel a changeing to the ''world'' soon, Darryl''s expression soon eased into a smile. ''Forget it, when the timees¡­ I''ll definitely know what this feeling is.''

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    Emilia naturally had no idea of the hero''s internal struggles, and continued to lead her team to make rapid progress while pretending to obediently listen to their lectures on how not to deal with her ''fans''.

    Obviously, she also understood that most of the people iming to admire her only did so out of some form of greed, and very few might actually like her genuinely. But since Danielle exining it all so seriously looked unexpectedly cute, Emilia didn''t bother to interrupt her.

    The [Minor Tentacled nt Demons] that were usually avoided by other yers could only feel wronged while being ughtered by this uncaring team again.

    As proud monsters near the capital region, did they not deserve even a little bit of dignity?

    Unfortunately, the Crimson Witches had long since gotten used to dealing with them, and now they couldn''t even leave a single trail of slime on Emilia''s thigh despite her being the team''s sole vanguard.

    Of course, their mission this time wasn''t to deal with these monsters on the outskirts, they just happened to be in the way.

    "How much further do you think we have to go to encounter these so-called [Ravenous Rabbits]?" Robin frowned.

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully as she checked the mission details again, then shrugged. "Since it mentions that the rabbits are also in the outer regions of the forest, I don''t think it should be too much further in."

    In fact, if not for Emilia leading them and pointing out the fact that they''d never encountered such beasts despite hunting the tentacled nts for so long, Danielle and the others might even have spent some time going through the outskirts first.

    They couldn''t be med, since the forest really was far more vast than it appeared on the map, and even dashing straight towards the center for nearly an hour would barely get them through the outskirts.

    Just when they were worried that the mission might have to be put off for the next day, however, Robin abruptly paused, and the rest of the team quickly turned their attention to what had caused her to freeze.

    A few meters ahead of them, peeking out from a particrly lush bush, was an incredibly fluffy rabbit butt adorned with a colorful pink scut.

    ''We found it¡­!''

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 Chapter 770 Too Fateful

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    Sylvia and Crystal both shot their sharp arrows at the fluffy rabbit butt without hesitation, and in sharp contrast to what most might expect, they just bounced off of it with a ding as if the skin underneath the fluffy white fur was made of metal.

    Their attack wasn''tpletely ineffective, however, as it did sessfully manage to enrage the [Ravenous Rabbit] enough to make ite out of its ''hiding spot'' without a second thought.

    "Shit! It was eating¡­ what the hell is that?!" Robin couldn''t help but curse while pointing her shaking finger at the seemingly human corpse that was partially exposed after the rabbit exited the bush, with its ''partially consumed'' organs and entrails exposed to the air.

    Unfortunately, the monster they''d provoked was in no mood to humor her questions, and immediately lunged at Crystal in an attempt to tear her throat off with its shockingly massive maw.

    The moment it turned around and exposed its hideous mouth that extended almost all the way back to its hind legs on both sides, it didn''t look cute at all.

    If the jagged and sharp teeth that seemed to run halfway through its entire body weren''t enough to terrify anyone, the absolutely revolting stench that it exuded surely would.

    Fortunately, Emilia managed to m it down mid-flight, or there was no telling if Crystal would be able to survive even a single attack of that level.

    A fireball mmed into the downed rabbit almost the instant it hit the ground, and Sylvia also took the opportunity to shoot it to death. But neither of their attacks seemed particrly effective.

    [-230]

    [-1]

    Clearly, although the back of its head wasn''t as tough as its butt, it was still too tough for their arrows. And while the fireballs were a lot more effective, it could only be considered to have dealt a ''shallow wound'' thanks to the rabbit''s five thousand HP.

    Fortunately, Danielle was quite a skilled ''gamer'', and quickly identified its key weak point without Emilia needing to ''help''. "Its skin seems to be really tough, so try to shoot inside its mouth!"

    "Got it!"

    Of course, Emilia was more than happy to keep the agile little monstrosity ''engaged'', and even if her teammates were to ''fail'', her poison damage would eventually umte enough to take it down.

    For the ''poor'' beast, the oue had already been sealed.

    ¡ªKilled [Ravenous Rabbit] (Level 25)

    In addition to twenty-five hundred experience and three silver coins each, they also received [Ravenous Rabbit Fur], which was a rare material that could be used to make warm,fortable, yet tough armor, and could also be sold at a decent price.

    But while everyone else was quite happy, Emilia couldn''t help but frown. "The corpse is... still there¡­?"

    Her words quickly brought everyone back to their senses.

    "¡­Huh?"

    "Wait, Emilia, let me go check¡ª"

    Unfortunately, the crimson-haired girl didn''t give them any chance to ''protect her eyes'', and directly dragged the ''corpse'' out of the bush.

    As she''d told Crystal before, corpses in Arcadia almost always ''disappeared'' into particles of light, regardless of it being a ''local'' or a ''yer'', with only a few exceptions. And the mostmon exnation of such an event was for it to be a ''key'' to some quest.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But no matter how she looked, aside from the unidentifiable corpse and its torn clothing, there was really nothing of significance around.

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown. ''What''s going on¡­?''

    Cynthia hummed. "Maybe try bringing it to the city?"

    Just as the crimson-haired elf was about to agree, however, something at the very edge of her ''awareness'' caught her attention. "What''s that¡­?"

    As they were in quite a dangerous area, and Emilia didn''t want to risk them being ambushed, she''d obviously been keeping the ''Vignce'' skill of her headgear [Wisdom of the Forest] active. With the strength of her soul and the help of her gifted ne [Hibiscus Heart]''s calming effect, it was just stressful enough for it to be considered ''training'' by Emilia.

    Robin quickly fetched the item she was staring at after making sure there were no traps around, and they quickly discovered that it was just a torn sack filled with beads.

    ¡ªDiscovered [Corrupted Blood Essence] x 20

    ¡ªProgress added to the already discovered hidden quest.

    -Current progress: 60%

    "So it really was rted to that!" Emilia eximed, both happy and worried.

    After all, while it was an incredibly lucky event for them to discover a hidden quest so early, it was one that seemed to be quite close to the capital, meaning its level couldn''t be low.

    Higher-level quests definitely came with greater rewards, but how could they be so easy toplete?

    No matter how overconfident Emilia might appear at times, she was well aware that there were limits to what she could do, even with all her advantages.

    If they got distracted trying topletely uncover the mystery behind this hidden quest, and then failed to achieve anything in an eptable period of time, all their efforts to get ahead of the crowd so far wouldpletely go to waste.

    Moreover, the release of the first dungeon was also quite close.

    Crystal frowned. "Both the right hand and finger of the corpse pointed strangely towards the west, but that could either be a coincidence or a trap."

    Previously, only Emilia and Crystal had the hidden quest added to their menu, but now the rest of the team could also see it, though there wasn''t much to speak of.

    "A hidden quest should be quite rewarding, right?" Nico grinned.

    Obviously, Danielle and the rest of the team, who were unaware of the ''future'' didn''t think there was any reason to ''give up'' such a juicy opportunity. And after considering it for a while, Emilia also decided not to stop them.

    It wasn''t that she was afraid of them bing suspicious if she tried to dissuade them, but that the crimson-haired elf felt that stumbling into two clues consecutively like that was really too ''fateful'', and it would be too much of a ''shame'' to give up on such a gift.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but frown. ''Be careful, Emilia¡­ I feel like there''s something not quite right about this whole thing.''

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 Chapter 771 Corrupted Blood Essence

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    Emilia wasn''t surprised or taken aback by her partner''s warning, and even dared to smile. ''Of course something is ''wrong''. If I recall correctly, it should be around this time that the ''heroine'' encountered her first hidden quest in the original timeline, right?''

    Cynthia hummed. "Right."

    It was unlikely for Sylvia to be able to keep something like that hidden from her team when they were together all the time, so it was safe to assume that she simply hadn''t received such a quest this time.

    Obviously, although this ''world will'' was quite indifferent to the hero and the heroine, it wouldn''tpletely ignore their existence.

    After all, calling them the ''son of fortune'' and ''daughter of destiny'' wouldn''t be an exaggeration, and not taking advantage of such ''good tools'' would just be stupid, no matter how confident the world will was in its grand n.

    What rmed Cynthia, however, wasn''t the fact that Sylvia had received a different hidden quest this time around, but that the one who first received the ''clues'' was actually Emilia.

    "It should be impossible for the world will to distinguish you from a generic girl on this! At least, it shouldn''t be able to perceive the energy inside you¡­" Cynthia furrowed her brows in worry.

    Knowing that her partner''s heart was disturbed, Emilia sighed. ''Don''t worry about it so much. Isn''t Sylvia a part of our team now? The world will could just be taking a more ''discrete'' approach to ''groom'' her, and everything could also just be a coincidence.''

    Of course, only Emilia herself knew how little she believed in her own words.

    ''What matters now is for us to make the best out of every opportunity we get.'' The crimson-haired elf smiled. ''Regardless of everything else, as long as weplete this quest, it should be possible to reach level fifteen before attempting the first dungeon.''

    [Level 15] was not just a small milestone, but also the point at which yers could pick a profession and acquire its first skill!

    Depending on the professions they choose, a team of level fifteen yers could definitely have a significant advantage over the others.

    "Based on what we know so far, this hidden quest should be about discovering the source of whatever made this ''Blood Essence'' corrupt." Danielle tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And since forty of these beads gave us sixty percent discovery points, it''s not necessarily required to find a lot of these first."

    After discussing it for a while, Emilia finally chimed in with an idea. "When I first discovered it, twenty of those only gave me twenty points of discovery, which means something else must have given us another twenty this time."

    They chewed over her words for a while, then Sylvia suddenly had an epiphany.

    "It''s the rabbit!"

    Danielle frowned. "But we''ve already killed a few more, and the hidden quest is still only sixty percent discovered."

    Sylvia nodded. "Of course, what made it progress wasn''t the fact that we killed it, but that we saw it after it had eaten that corpse!"

    It took Emilia a while, but she also soon realized what Sylvia meant, and the dark-haired heroine calmly exined it in detail to the rest of them.

    The mechanic of some ''corrupted'' item influencing those who carried it around was quitemon. And since that rabbit appeared a lot crazier than the others, it could only be because the corpse that it ate had been ''corrupted''.

    Nico suddenly shuddered. "Since it counts as a ''clue'' and gives us discovery points¡­ doesn''t that mean we also have to eat a corpse or something?!"

    Robin and Danielle couldn''t help but roll their eyes in unison. ''Of course that''s her first thought.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Despite being the shortest in their group, their twin-tailed teammate was actually a huge glutton, and especially loved meat.

    Thinking about how she didn''t even shy away from such ''cannibalistic'' thoughts, the two of them couldn''t help but shudder.

    Emilia giggled. "Unfortunately, that corpse is long gone, so we can only make use of the beads that we got."

    Although there was no ''Use'' option when interacting with the [Corrupted Blood Essence], nothing was stopping them from popping it into their mouth.

    "Ahh!" The priestess eximed in realization, then blushed. "T-That''s good!"

    Looking at Danielle and Robin''s disgusted expressions, though, she couldn''t help but feel wronged.

    She obviously didn''t want to do it, so why were they still ming her?!

    Fortunately, Emilia soon shifted the topic with a smile. "Robin has ''Basic Scouting'', so why don''t you give it a try first?"

    The tomboy coughed, but could only steel her will under the beautiful girl''s expectant gaze. ''H-Hopefully this ''Blood Essence'' or whatever doesn''te from humans. Even if it''s just a game, it''s too real.''

    Taking the ''pill'' from Sylvia, she resolutely popped one into her mouth¡­ and chewed.

    "It feels like¡­ gum¡­?" Suddenly, Robin''s expression changed, and her eyes turned red. "W-What¡ª!"

    Emilia hurriedly reached forward to hold the taller girl who''d stumbled back in shock. "What''s wrong? Are you okay?!"

    Although the soft and fluffy feeling on her back was wonderful, Robin''s face soon twisted as she grit her teeth. "I-I''m fine, you can let me go!"

    Naturally, the crimson-haired elf didn''t insist, and stepped back to observe her curiously.

    Robin took a deep breath to ''calm herself'', stared at Emilia carefully for a while¡­ then did it again without a word of exnation to her teammates.

    Danielle frowned. "What are you being so mysterious for? Quickly exin what''s going on!"

    The taller girl coughed, not sure whether she should ''expose'' her secret, but then realized that there were quite a few more beads in Sylvia''s inventory, and everyone would find out sooner orter.

    Letting her gaze wander around onest time, she finally nodded in ''resignation'' and smiled. "It actually feels quite pleasant and invigorating, as if I could run a thousand miles without feeling tired, and while my vision is clouded red, I can also see through a lot of things!"

    The first part was easy to understand, but the second half of Robin''s exnation left the rest of her team wondering.

    Danielle frowned. "See through¡­ what do you mean?"

    Robin coughed, just about to ''divert'' the topic to how she could see through the trees and stuff, Sylvia screamed in shock. "So that''s why you kept staring at Emilia?!"

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 Chapter 772 Submit Or Subdue

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    With multiple vulture-like gazes pinning her down, Robin could only gulp nervously while exining herself. "U-Uh, I-I¡­ I was just making sure I wasn''t dreaming¡­?"

    Unfortunately, that turned out to be not the ''right answer'', and even with Emilia petitioning for her to be ''pardoned'', the poor ''rogue'' ended up getting her ears stretched till she almost wondered if her ''bloodline'' would be automatically converted to an elf.

    After being so thoroughly ''warned'' not to be a ''pervert'', Robin could only ''sneak a peek'' asionally while using the strange ability of the corrupted blood essence to lead them towards their presumed goal.

    "This is already the third bead, and we''re heading almost in a straight line¡­" Danielle frowned thoughtfully. "Given how useful this ability seems, it should be fine to save a few, right?"

    As their team had been quite strapped for all kinds of resources since their ''fall from grace'', the drill-haired girl had gotten quite used to being thrifty.

    Of course, after she thought about it, Emilia agreed with her suggestion readily. "Although it onlysts for sixty seconds, not only can it be used to scout for enemies and traps, but it can also act as a status booster. It would be great if we can save as many as possible!"

    The team thus decided unanimously to only let Robin use the next bead after they''d covered a significant distance. After all, even if their ''target'' location wasn''t easy to spot, they could always turn back if needed.

    "It would be great if we can get more of these ''Corrupted Blood Essence'' thingies¡­ or better yet, learn to make them." Robin sighed. "It''s just so much better than the crappy ''Basic Scouting'' skill!"

    "That would be wonderful." Emilia nodded in agreement.

    But the rest of her teammates, who ''understood'' Robin''s ''sentiments'' better, only rolled their eyes in exasperation.

    Obviously, what Robin really ''liked'' was the bead''s ability to allow her to ''perv'' on a certain someone as she wished. Fortunately, the ''stash'' was safely stored in Sylvia''s inventory.

    Regardless of their opinion on her attitude, even Danielle had to admit that Sylvia was a girl of character and integrity, and would never stoop so low as to ''perv'' on someone secretly.

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    It had only been a few hours into the ''day'' when Emilia and the rest of her team started chasing after the clues for the ''hidden quest'', but by the time they reached the glowing ''cavern'' in Robin''s vision, it was already quitete.

    Sylvia couldn''t help but frown. "Should we retreat for today ande backter?"

    Ever since they first discovered the ''spend the night at an inn'' mechanic to keep the team together, they''d regrly kept track of the time even while grinding mindlessly, and never taken the risk of being scattered all over the continent.

    After all, not only would they end up wasting gold coins teleporting back to the capital, but they''d also end up wasting a lot of time.

    But with the distance they''d covered so far, even at full speed, they may not necessarily reach the capital in time¡­ even if they could ''finish'' the quest they''d yet to properly discover within just four or five hours.

    Danielle frowned, a little conflicted. "If we head back now and get back here tomorrow, we can probably save an hour or two, but¡­ is it really worth it?"

    Although they''d hunted a few more [Ravenous Rabbits] on the way toplete another quest, they''d mostly avoided every other ''encounter'', and quickly escaped from those that they couldn''t.

    This meant that most of their ''day'' had already been ''invested'' in this ''hidden quest'', and Danielle really didn''t want to spend another day on it.

    After all, the lead they had over everyone else wasn''t an uncrossable chasm, and if they kept ''wasting time'', it may not be long before everyone else caught up.

    Gritting her teeth, the drill-haired girl furiously shook her head in denial. "No, we go on, and finish this thing today!"

    The ''Crimson Witches'' finally got a ''break'' thanks to Emilia''s incredible luck and skill, how could she let it all go to waste just because she was hesitant and cowardly?!

    As it turned out, that was the right decision, and Emilia couldn''t help but smile as the quest objective was finally ''discovered'' upon stepping into the mysterious cave.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''So Cynthia''s hunch was right, after all¡­'' She sighed. ''Even if there''s a mask on its face, there''s no mistaking that aura¡­''

    ¡ªHidden Cave Discovered!

    ¡ªDiscovery of the hidden quest ''Blood Monarch''s Remains''pleted 100%!

    ¡ªNew quest, [Blood Monarch''s Remains] has been added to the quest menu.

    Everyone quickly looked it up, and the details of the quest almost left them stunned.

    [Blood Monarch''s Remains]

    ¡ªPrimary Objective: Subdue or submit to the ghost of the Blood Monarch to appease his fury.

    ¡ªSecondary Objective: Resolve the Blood Monarch''s obsession to obtain his gratitude.

    -Primary Reward: 20 x [Corrupted Blood Essence] (Submit) or 1 x [Heart of the Corrupted] (Subdue), 250k Experience Points, and 5 Gold Coins.

    -Secondary Reward: New Skill Tree [Path of Blood] (Unique)

    Even from the entrance of the cave, the bloodied corpse of an armored man lying in its own pool of glowing red blood could be seen clearly. And in this ''pool'', numerous ''pearls'' of blood floated around freely.

    What scared the ''Crimson Witches'' though wasn''t the fact that they had to deal with a ''ghost'', but the level clearly disyed above its head.

    [100]!

    They''d struggled so hard against monsters that hadn''t even reached level thirty, and this monster was far, far higher than that! How were they supposed to subdue it?

    As for ''submitting'' to it¡­ how could they ept that so easily?

    Even foregoing their ''ego'', it was easy to guess that submitting to the Blood Monarch wasn''t such a good thing, otherwise they wouldn''t have discovered those corpses with the clues.

    Moreover, the ''obsession'' statement also hinted at the fact they might be led on a pulsory'' quest of some sort, probably one that they couldn''t handle at their level.

    Danielle once again found herself wondering if she''d made the right choice, or if it was toote to head back now. But for Emilia, it was a no-brainer.

    After all, while Cynthia couldn''t directly interfere much with the game, she was still easily able to tell that the ''Blood Monarch''s Ghost'' they''d found was an actual soul fragment that the world will directly harvested, and its obsession was very much real.

    Fighting and winning against a level hundred enemy was definitely impossible, and this fact wouldn''t change even months down the line, as it only got harder to level up as they moved forward.

    Emilia could tell at a nce that the choice they were given was in fact just an illusion, and the real goal of this quest from the start was to willingly ept submitting to this ''ghost''.

    So long as they did as they were told, even if they couldn''t be called ''ves'' to the original owner of the ''fragment'' in front of them, they would still be instinctively obedient and submissive in his presence.

    Cynthia sneered. "Although I''m not sure how effective its bond would be if properly enforced, I can still shield your soul from it here, don''t worry."

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 Chapter 773 Solving The Fragment

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    The will of this world seemed to be a lot more ''uncaring'' when it came to making the hero take the initiative to ''court'' the heroine, but that didn''t mean it considered Sylvia worthless.

    After all, if Cynthia''s words were to be believed, it wouldn''t have grown so strong without having sessfully consumed a series of ''children of fortune''.

    It was just that the overall priority of ''another meal'' wasn''t as high aspared to its ''lifetime goal'', so both the hero and the world will had been mostly ''ignoring'' Sylvia.

    This had also been the case in the original timeline, at least until Sylvia encountered a ''hidden quest'' rted to the elven forest, which led her on a long journey deep into the hero''s kingdom, where she eventually ''fell for him'' naturally.

    Unlike then, however, this time Sylvia happened to be in a team, and it wasn''t strange for the will to take a roundabout route to rope them all in instead of specifically focusing on the heroine alone.

    Of course, Emilia couldn''tpletely rule out the possibility of having been ''noticed'' by the world will. But at least it wasn''t able to fully realize what she truly was, or its reaction would have been much more hostile.

    Emilia smiled. "I will go give it a try first, okay?"

    Regardless of its intentions, she could only deal with this move first.

    Danielle and the rest of her teammates frowned, but seeing how the enemy was at such a high level and didn''t ''seem hostile'', they also realized that ganging up on him might not be the best idea.

    Once Emilia was close enough to the bleeding corpse and the floating ghost, his previously unfocused eyes immediately pinned her down, and a ferocious smile formed on his pale face. "Another human¡­ will you submit, or die?"

    He didn''t even bother introducing himself as the ''Blood Monarch'', though the aura around the ''ghost'' made it impossible for people to not know that he must have been someone extraordinary.

    Emilia, however, just smiled. "Although your excellency''s aura is formidable, would you really appreciate a subordinate who submits as soon as they encounter someone stronger?"

    It wasn''t clear whether she was cleanly rejecting his ''offer'' or just offering that she be ''tested'' first to prove her worth, but either way, the ghost wasn''t very pleased.

    "You are the first human in the past thousand years to dare to oppose the will of the Blood Monarch¡­" He sneered. "I had thousands of sluts who were both stronger and prettier than you waiting for me in my pce every night. Just because I can no longer use my physical form now¡­ you think the likes of you can challenge me?"

    The phantom''s aura surged, but Emilia wasn''t afraid.

    If anything, she was desperately trying not to giggle. ''Thousands of years? The hero''s soul fragment sure has a rich imagination.''

    Of course, it was possible for the world will to have ''imnted'' this background in the fragment''s psyche.

    Suddenly, her expression froze as the phantom floating above the corpse of the ''Blood Monarch'' suddenly shot straight into her body, and a strong sense of crisis enveloped her soul.

    Cynthia''s previous words of reassurance still echoed in her heart, but Emilia didn''t dare to becent, and quickly focused deep within herself to see what was wrong.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But no matter how she tried¡­ the interference of the game made it impossible for her to check the situation properly. And she couldn''t just log out, either, as that short period of vulnerability might be exactly what the soul fragment needs to ''tame'' her.

    "Don''t worry, I got it!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ''Alright¡­''

    "Luckily, the fragment was quite unprepared, and once it delivered itself to the door, I was easily able to hijack its consciousness." Cynthia sneered. "But it won''t be wise to get rid of it now, or the world will might realize that something is wrong."

    Although it was impossible for it to observe everything in either the virtual or the real world at once, Emilia also felt that it was unlikely for the world will to not discover that the fragment it had harvested from the soul of its ''chosen'' was suddenly ''lost'' just like that.

    The raven-haired girl frowned. "I should be able to create a ''dummy'' to rece this thing, but¡­ there''s no way to be sure that it won''t rm the world will."

    Everything outside of Emilia''s body was its domain, after all, and the only reason Cynthia had seeded in trapping the fragment of the hero''s soul was because it took the initiative to enter her partner''s ''body'' on its own,pletely abandoning its home advantage.

    After the two of them discussed it for a while, Cynthia quickly came up with a solution.

    "It''s just a fragment of a soul, so there''s very little ''identity'' inside it. I can let you enter its ''memories'' so it can ''sync'' with you a little, then it should be possible to ''modify'' the instructions it carries without rming the world will."

    Of course, these ''memories'' couldn''t be ''remembered'' by the fragment itself, but were just the ''building blocks'' that were extracted from the hero.

    Emilia hummed. ''So we''ll be putting it back where it was after changing it, so to speak?''

    Cynthia smirked. "More like we''ll leave the castle and the troops as is, but change the casten inside. We just need to make sure that you also have the memories that make it work."

    Shortly after, the crimson-haired elf felt a pull deep inside her soul, and when she followed her, her vision warped and her sense of bnce shifted till she found herself in a ''dream-like'' state.

    Emilia looked around and realized that she was in some sort of school, and all around her were children who appeared to be primary schoolers.

    Nobody seemed to notice or care about her existence, and the boy she was following unconsciously also appeared to be quite unremarkable, except for his sharp green eyes. Emilia quickly inferred that he must be the ''hero'', Darryl.

    "Why do you like that girl?" Another unremarkable boy who had been following after Darryl snorted, clearly dissatisfied, but the hero just smiled in response.

    Soon, Emilia realized that not far from them was a group of girls and boys surrounding two young kids, with one just lowering her head silently while the other one argued loudly against everyone else.

    "Even if you want to bully my friend, you have to go through me first!"

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 Chapter 774 Unraveled Memories

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    There was no mistaking who the dark-haired and yellow-eyed little girl was. But Emilia had to admit, her slightly chubby friend was far more likable in her childhood than she was now.

    But aside from being slightly taken aback, Emilia didn''t feel much else for Dolly. After all, it was natural for people to change as they grew up, and she didn''t believe that Sylvia''s friend would treat either her or the heroine particrly well as she was now.

    In fact, she was far more interested in knowing what Darryl would do, as it was a rare chance to peek into his psyche.

    Of course, being just a ''memory'', Darryl waspletely unaffected by the beautiful girl''s sharp and expectant gaze, and just continued to wait silently as the situation got worse.

    "This has nothing to do with you, Dolly!"

    "Yeah, get out of the way!"

    "Sylvia knew we didn''tplete the homework, so why did she mention it to the teacher?!"

    As the saying goes, ''snitches get stitches'', and the dark-haired little girl seemed to have already epted her ''just punishment''. And the ''children'' around her seemed to be in no mood to listen to anyone''s exnation or persuasion anymore, either.

    In fact, they probably hadn''t been particrly polite even before things reached an ''irreversible'' point, as Sylvia''s usually healthy and silky brown skin was already covered in small scratches, presumably from a previous scuffle.

    Emilia couldn''t help but frown. ''Maybe we should have started viewing the timeline from an earlier point¡­''

    Although she couldn''t be sure, the crimson-haired girl had the feeling that Sylvia''s ''submission'' to the hero in the original timeline might have had a lot to do with their ''past'', though the ''impact'' of the hidden quest''s maniption on her decisions also couldn''t be ruled out, either.

    "Don''t you dare touch her! I''ll fight you!"

    But although Dolly appeared fierce, everyone around seemed to already know that she was all bark and no bite. Two girls easily swept past her to grab Sylvia''s hair, and started pulling her away angrily.

    "If we don''t teach her a lesson today, she''ll never learn!"

    In fact, it was impossible for a single ''snitching'' incident to devolve into such a nightmare for the heroine, but Emilia had no way to probe into it further.

    Under her narrowed gaze, the ''hero'' waited patiently without revealing himself to the crowd, even as Sylvia was bullied and scratched by four different girls while the rest of her ''ssmates'' watched.

    Of course, Dolly kept screaming unwillingly from time to time, but she was ultimately helpless and easily held down by a couple of boys.

    Just as Emilia was starting to wonder when the hero would finally make a move, the dark-haired boy stepped forward and yelled ''Stop!'', immediately frightening all his ssmates.

    The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sneer. "Even at this age, he knew how to time his ''rescue'' perfectly to maximize the gratitude he reaped, huh¡­"

    "I-It''s Darryl!"

    Emilia wasn''t sure how fierce the hero''s reputation must have been, but based on everyone''s uneasy expressions, she could only wonder how he got it. Not only did some of the children immediately back off, many of them even fled directly.

    And the most nervous of them all were the four girls who had been ''handling'' Sylvia just moments before.

    Unfortunately, Darryl seemed to not care about their exnations at all, and directly knelt in front of the ''injured'' girl to check on her wounds. "Are you alright?"

    Dolly took this opportunity to break free from the crowd, and immediately started crying. "W-We, our Sylvia obviously is a good girl, so why does everyone have to bully her like this?"

    The hero frowned and shook his head slowly, then extended his hand to help the still-dazed yellow-eyed girl off the ground. "Come, I''ll take you to the infirmary."

    Emilia watched coldly as Darryl neither reprimanded nor responded to any of the words directed his way. ''To the one being saved, maybe it''s really charming, as if he''d already sentenced them as guilty and taken her side without question. But in fact, he''s just cleverly avoiding making enemies and ruining possible rtionships.''

    Of course, even she wouldn''t be able to think so ''badly'' of a young child''s actions, and might even have passed it all off as just herself thinking too deeply, had she not witnessed the hero nning it all out beforehand.

    She couldn''t help but sigh. ''He''s definitely not an opponent to be underestimated, for sure.''

    Following after the ''retreating'' hero, as Emilia watched their interactions, her understanding of their characters slowly grew.

    Dolly was both selfish and immature, with a very weak sense of responsibility, while the heroine was quite insecure and shy, quite unlike her older self in the future. The hero, meanwhile, remained as enigmatic as always, never really exposing his true thoughts to others.

    Emilia smiled. ''He''s really careful and thoughtful with his actions as I thought... maybe I can continue to use that to my advantage.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, as the ''memory'' progressed, seeing Dolly''s eyes get brighter and brighter whenever she stared at the hero, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but sneer.

    Theining little girl had long since forgotten that the grievances she was expressing were mostly borne by her friend, and had beenpletely carried away by the knight in shining armor who had ''rescued'' her.

    Maybe Dolly at this time didn''t understand yet what her true feelings were, but in the future she certainly must have, and that must have been the start of her ''friendship'' with Sylvia turning fake.

    Otherwise, there was no way she could have betrayed the heroine in the way that she did.

    Emilia turned her gaze to young Sylvia, who was being ignored by both her ''best friend'' and the supposed ''knight in shining armor'', and couldn''t help but feel sad.

    The beautiful little girl covered in scratches looked even more like an abandoned puppy when her eyes got teary, and if not for being unable to interfere with the ''memory'', Emilia would have already rushed forward to give her a hug.

    She couldn''t but curse. "Ahh! Being forced to just watch this¡­ it''s really torture!"

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    The ''dream'' went on for what felt like a very long time for Emilia, but for the rest of her teammates, it was only a few moments.

    Before they''d really even started to worry, the crimson-haired elf had already broken out of her ''daze'', and the phantom of the level hundred ''enemy'' also returned.

    Danielle couldn''t help but frown. "Emilia¡­ what''s going on? Did youplete the quest?"

    She hadn''t been very happy when Emilia chose to challenge a non-hostile, high-level ''NPC'' without even consulting her first, but thinking about how ''lucky'' the crimson-haired elf had been so far, it was impossible for her to get too angry.

    After all, the concept of ''no risk, no reward'' was still very clear to the drill-haired girl, and she knew that putting a leash on Emilia''s willfulness might be a bad idea.

    But all that being said, she was still a little upset.

    Emilia stayed silent, and the ghost didn''t move, but that didn''t mean no one in the cave had any idea what was going on.

    After all, Crystal could always deduce a few things with her ability.

    The blonde girl smiled. "It looks like the two of them must have entered into some ''mini quest'' mental battle or the like, given how she challenged the ghost earlier."

    It was impossible for others to resist their curiosity for long, and after realizing that there was no ''danger'', they quickly surrounded Emilia and the ''corpse'' of the Blood Monarch.

    Fortunately, Emilia soon regained her senses, and at the same time, the ''Blood Monarch'' also moved.

    "Although you have failed my trial and lost to me in the world of dreams, I admire your tenacity and talent, and shall allow you to be my Blood Servant. Do you ept?"

    His gaze was even more proud than before, but knowing that their ''star yer'' had been defeated, Emilia''s teammates could only remain silent.

    Danielle couldn''t help but sigh. ''She must have lost because of the level difference.''

    Sylvia''s thoughts were also along the same lines, while Robin and Nico felt wronged on Emilia''s behalf as well.

    "If they''d been at the same level, Emilia would definitely have crushed that guy!"

    "Right!"

    The moment they voiced such thoughts, the ghost''s eerie gaze immediately focused on them, making them involuntarily jump in fright.

    "So, do you wish to submit, or not?"

    "E-Eek!"

    "Kyaaa!"

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 Chapter 775 Denied

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    Danielle obviously considered it foolish to challenge a level hundred enemy with their current strength, especially considering that they couldplete the hidden quest so easily by just submitting.

    No matter how realistic Arcadia was, it was still just a game, after all. The drill-haired girl didn''t believe swearing allegiance to an NPC would have much of an impact on them long-term, and was just looking at the resources that could be obtained through that choice.

    Of course, even knowing the possible consequences, Emilia didn''t stop her teammates.

    She''d already reced the core logic of the puppet ghost, after all, though she didn''t just position herself in Darryl''s ce.

    Although it would have quickly allowed her to increase her ''control'' over the rest of the team, Emilia just didn''t like that way of doing things, so she opted to just ''disarm'' that function of the ghost entirely, changing the target of ''loyalty'' to the one being targeted.

    As it was, submitting to the ghost only served to boost everyone''s self-confidence slightly, though it might not be so beneficial to a narcissist, and might even make their ''problems'' worse. Fortunately, Emilia didn''t believe there was anyone like that on her team.

    Unfortunately, since she couldn''t afford to let the world will know of her origins, Emilia''s rewards for defeating the ''Blood Monarch'' could only be abandoned.

    Once they were done ''swearing their allegiance'' as required, they promptly received their rewards.

    ==========

    [Blood Monarch''s Remains]

    ¡ªPrimary Objective: Subdue or submit to the ghost of the Blood Monarch to appease his fury. [Completed]

    ¡ªSecondary Objective: Resolve the Blood Monarch''s obsession to obtain his gratitude. [Pending]

    -Received 20 x [Corrupted Blood Essence],

    Experience +250,000

    +5 Gold Coins.

    ==========

    Then, the ghost of the Blood Monarch quickly revealed the next part of their quest.

    "In the depths of the forest, there is an area protected by elves with mastery over swords instead of bows. It''s called the ''Valley of Dancing Swords''. I want you to destroy it, destroy! I don''t care how it''s done!"

    The furious ghost went on to rage about he had been caught off guard by the defenders of the elven vige while unknowingly trespassing into the area, and he''d bled to death in this cave after barely having made his escape.

    As someone who called himself ''Blood Monarch'', having bled to death was undoubtedly the greatest shame of his life, and the most disgraceful death he could have imagined.

    Emilia couldn''t help but chuckle. ''No wonder he''s so furious¡­ This world will is really bad foring up with such a background for the fragment of its hero''s soul.''

    Cynthia hummed. "Actually, it probably wouldn''t bother individually creating any of the missions, and just ''outsourced'' this task to the imagination of someone random."

    After all, with so many things to do, no matter how capable it was, it couldn''t be too meticulous.

    After having received the next part of the quest, Danielle quickly led her team out of the cave, then sighed. "Luckily, the quest didn''t take long, and there''s still plenty of time left to return to the capital."

    With the ''Valley of Dancing des'' already marked on their map, and the second part of the [Blood Monarch''s Remains] in their quest menu, they could always return to do itter as needed.

    As they were rushing back, the ''Crimson Witches'' discussed their ns for the future.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Danielle sighed. "Although the Blood Monarch told us to destroy the elven vige, I don''t think we will be able to do it."

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Since they can destroy a level hundred opponent like that, it probably won''t be a good idea."

    Seeing how her crimson-haired girlfriend didn''t seem to have much of an idea herself, Crystal didn''t hesitate to offer her insights. "In fact, the quest only states that we must resolve the ghost''s grievances."

    Her words seemed to enlighten the others within moments, and they couldn''t help but exim in shock.

    "Right! We can just explore first and see how his situation can be resolved. There''s no need to jump to conclusions."

    Of course, the ''Blood Monarch'' still remained inside, and probably anyone who stumbled upon him in this deep and dark forest would be able to receive the hidden quest.

    At this point of the game, being able to obtain so much experience and gold ''without any effort'' was simply unimaginable, and Danielle knew for sure that if she sold this information to the right person, they could probably earn a decent amount of real-world money.

    But she had no intentions to reveal such a ''juicy fruit'' to the public, especially since most of their urgent needs had already been met by the revenue from their previously popr live streams.

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    After getting back to the capital and logging out, the ''Crimson Witches'' dispersed after a short round of discussion as usual.

    Emilia also wanted to quickly get to her apartment to confirm if there were any ''unexpected surprises'' after the soul fragment''s ''attack'', but she soon realized that, surprisingly enough, the usually aloof heroine of this world seemed to be following her.

    Of course, considering that she wasn''t sneaking around, the crimson-haired girl could only guess that Sylvia just wanted to talk, but wasn''t sure how to approach her about whatever it was that bothered her.

    Usually, she would be quite patient, and maybe even find it fun, but since Emilia had a lot on her mind, she decided to just be direct with the heroine this time.

    Obviously, the dark-haired girl was a little embarrassed when Emilia suddenly turned around and questioned her like that, but she soon steeled her resolve and straightened up.

    "That Crystal girl¡­ can you tell me more about her?"

    Emilia tilted her head in confusion. "Crystal? Why, did she say something to you?"

    She was well aware that the two of them had some sort of rivalry, with both being ''rangers'' and all, but Emilia didn''t think that their feelings were particrly deep.

    Knowing her blonde girlfriend, she could only guess that Crystal must have intentionally hit Sylvia with words that poked her in a spot that they shouldn''t, though it was probably for her own good.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but chuckle. "So she''s just being meddlesome as always."

    Emilia hummed. ''Let''s hear what Sylvia has to say first.''

    Surprisingly enough, Emilia''s guess turned out to be wrong.

    Sylvia coughed, twisting one of her wild locks around her finger awkwardly. "Um, I''m not sure how to say this, but¡­ whenever I look at her, it''s like¡­ I want to punch her in the face."

    Realizing that her words might be taken the wrong way, she quickly waved her hands in denial. "O-Of course, I would never do such a thing. But¡­ it''s strange for me to feel like this for someone without reason. I-I don''t want to waste much time or distract other teammates in the game, so¡­ could you maybe give me her number?"

    As much as she hated to admit it, based on how close the two of them appeared, Sylvia was sure that Emilia and Crystal must have at least exchanged contacts before their team got together.

    Much to her surprise, however, Emilia just blinked back at her innocently. "Crystal''s phone number? Sorry, I don''t have it."

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 Chapter 776 The Grand Vision

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    Sylvia had obviously not been expecting that answer, and was leftpletely dumbfounded.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "Is it really so shocking? Anyway, if you really need to know, I can always ask her for you."

    Sylvia obviously had no way to know whether Emilia really didn''t have Crystal''s contact information, or if she was just unwilling to share it without consulting the other girl first, but either way, she couldn''t help but feel inexplicably upset.

    "N-No thanks, actually¡­ now that I think about it, I''ll ask her myself."

    The dark-haired girl''s smile was a little strained, and Emilia could only shake her head in amusement as she watched her run away to avoid being further questioned. ''Why is she so embarrassed over such a little thing?''

    Emilia continued on her way to the apartment, but her thoughts remained stuck on the heroine''s behavior. ''For Sylvia to feel like this about Crystal¡­ does it have something to do with the fact that they''re both the ''heroines'' of their respective world?''

    Her partner''s question wasn''t so easy to answer, and Cynthia hesitated for quite a while before deciding to share some of her ''insights'' into the matter. "I can''t tell you much, but it''s true that they''re somewhat rted to each other through a ''distant fate''."

    Finally back in her apartment, Emilia pondered over her partner''s statement carefully.

    Given how long Cynthia had taken to respond, it was impossible for her answer to be casual, and Emilia wondered if there was some profound meaning hidden in her words that she just failed to grasp.

    But no matter how hard she tried, Emilia simply couldn''t figure it out.

    In the end, she could only admit her defeat with a helpless smile. "What does being rted by a distant fate even mean?"

    Cynthia sighed. "Well, let me tell you a story to make it easy for you to understand¡­"

    Emilia listened intently as her raven-haired partner told her a tale about a powerful entity in ancient times, one that existed far before her era. Born far superior to even cosmic entities that could rule the space they existed in from birth, it held both unimaginable power and unrivaled fortune.

    But nothing couldst forever, and eventually the time of its inevitable fall arrived.

    Cynthia didn''t ''know'' how it ended, but the entity was finally torn apart into an unknown number of tiny little pieces, with no possibility of ever making aeback.

    Of course, although each of these pieces could only hold an infinitely small amount of the great entity''s ''fortune'', it was still far from being useless.

    "This is only my guess, but just as the world wills are able to consume their ''fate'' through an artificial child of luck in the form of the hero, it should also be possible for the ''children of fortune'' to consume each other and strengthen themselves." Cynthia smiled. "Of course, given how far apart they usually are, it''s very rare for them to ever have this opportunity."

    Given that most of the heroines were inpletely different worlds and timelines, that was an understatement. Unless they could learn how to travel through both time and space, it was almost impossible for them to ever meet another one of their kind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Emilia frowned. ''Wait, so you''re telling me that Sylvia has that urge to ''hit'' Crystal because she subconsciously wants to ''consume'' her?''

    If so, maybe it was a really bad idea to have Crystal join her in Arcadia, or even bring her along to this world in the first ce. After all, even though she might have struggled a lot more on her own, Emilia would much rather crawl on the ground until her skin was scraped to shreds than risk stepping on the heads of those she loved.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Well, you don''t have to be so rmed. After all, not to mention that Sylvia doesn''t know what she really ''longs'' for from Crystal, but even if she did, she has no way to pull it off."

    Emilia thought about it for a while, then nodded in relief.

    Aside from being slightly awkward, Sylvia was actually quite a normal girl, and didn''t seem like the type to do anything crazy like trying to ''eat'' her teammate. Plus, with Emilia around to watch the situation, it was impossible for her to allow the dark-haired heroine''s thoughts to stray too much.

    "You''re right. I just need to make sure to guide them well, and not to mention eating each other, they might even be friends." Emilia smiled.

    Although Sylvia''s attitude towards her wasn''t particrly good in the beginning, she was still a very valuable teammate, and the crimson-haired girl believed it would only be a good thing to get along with everyone more.

    Cynthia watched her partner happily n a ''team building'' activity to carry out parallely with the next day''s mission, and she couldn''t help but sigh. ''It''s for your own good to not know what you shouldn''t.''

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    Meanwhile, far from Emilia''s apartment, Darryl leaned back in his chair while listening to Colman''s report on Emilia.

    Knowing that the girl had agreed to follow his instructions obviously made him pleased, and even if Emilia wanted to be a bit willful in a few things, the hero didn''t really mind.

    After all, having never met her in person, he never had the chance to properly convince her, and it was good enough to have this type of impact with just his name and image.

    Darryl already had a lot of pawns all over the world, but he still knew a potential stock when he saw one.

    Had Arcadia only been a normal game, Emilia would just be a slightly above average girl in terms of ability, with only her outstanding appearance being worthy of note. But with Arcadia''s ability to transform gaming and athletic ability into real strength, it was inevitable for this girl to be a future powerhouse.

    Being able to recruit her now, while she was still just a little bug, Darryl couldn''t help but smile. ''Another brick toy down the foundation of the new world¡­''

    Nothing, and no one, could be allowed to stop him from achieving his goal.

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 Chapter 777 The Dungeon Descends

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    With the 250,000 experience points from the hidden quest, most of Emilia''s team had already leveled up past level fourteen, and she was quite optimistic about them hitting the milestone level fifteen before the first dungeon came out.

    If they could get their first ''profession'' at level fifteen before anyone else even knew what it was, Emilia was sure that conquering the first dungeon before anyone else would be a breeze.

    The very next day, however, an unexpected announcement made her realize that she was being a bit too optimistic.

    [Attention all yers! An Eternal Pir has descended upon Arcadia, and you must now fulfill the duty of the << Champion >> and conquer it! Failure to do so within thirty days will result in a catastrophe being unleashed upon the world.]

    As the server had just ''opened'', it took a moment for most yers to realize that several massive white pirs now extended from the ground into the sky, with their end nowhere in sight.

    It didn''t take a genius to guess that these might be rted to the ''Eternal Pir'', though the yers were momentarily confused by there being so many of them.

    "Did they shoot out of the ground, or descend from the sky?"

    "Who knows? It''s just a game, so it could be either."

    "Damn it, the game designer is so hateful for not even letting us see it!"

    Given how ''realistic'' everything in Arcadia was, they were sure that the ''cinematic'' of hundreds of giant marble pirs shooting out from the ground, or massive ''spears'' descending from the sky, would have been amazing, to say the least. After all, even just looking at the ''end result'', many of them couldn''t help but feel that all those real ''modern marvels'' paled inparison.

    But the sight alone wasn''t enough to leave the yers stunned for too long, and they soon came back to their senses.

    "Wait a minute¡­ isn''t this simr to one of those ''special events'' in the other games?"

    "Does that mean we''ll get lots of rewards?"

    "Finally! This has to be the stingiest game I''ve ever yed!"

    Had this kind of thing happened in the real world, probably very few would dare take the first step towards this unknown danger. But as Arcadia was a ''game'', it was impossible for any sort of ''fear'' to overwhelm the curiosity of the yers.

    "Let''s go quickly!"

    "We can''t let the other teams get to it first!"

    Some rushed directly to the closest ''pir'', but not everyone was quite as na?ve.

    Everyone had already figured out that the monsters in the maind weren''t quite as easy as the ones in the beginner vige, and were actually incredibly dangerous to hunt solo.

    A ''danger map'' of several areas of Arcadia had already been created by crowdsourcing information from ''unfortunate'' yers, and quite a few ''safe zones'' had clearly been marked out by themunity.

    ''Smarter ''yers never ventured out of these safe zones, and naturally, the pir they headed towards also had to be in that area.

    Even if death didn''t mean the ''end'' in Arcadia, losing both level and resources was not a good feeling, and no one wanted to be left behind by everyone else.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unfortunately, however, this confidence in their own assumptions and the ''map'' soon sealed the fate of these yers.

    "AHHH!"

    "What the hell is that?!"

    "Help¡ª!"

    As it turned out, the pirs in these ''safe zones'' with rtively ''easier'' foes were now surrounded by incredibly deadly monsters, and most of the yers could barelyst a second against their ''ambush''.

    Of course, even if Emilia felt like her team should be able to handle them, she would never be so stupid as to knowingly lead them there.

    "Since there are so many of them¡­ probably not many people can enter using one, right?"

    Emilia''s words caused Danielle to frown, but she soon nodded hesitantly. "That''s true, but¡­ while the ones in more dangerous areas are sure to have fewer yers, they might also be too much for us right now."

    Just because they were a couple levels higher than the ''known'' highest-leveled yers at the moment didn''t mean that they could be conceited. Danielle had clearly realized this from the fact that their team struggled severely just to escape from monsters deeper in the outskirts of the forest around the capital.

    And the closest pir not in one of the ''safe zones'' was definitely far deeper than they''d ever dared go so far.

    Both their ''arguments'' were sound, but none of their teammates dared to speak in either''s favor.

    After all, although they favored the crimson-haired girl quite a bit, Nico and Robin didn''t dare to ''oppose'' Danielle outright when it came to decisions rted to their team''s growth.

    And Crystal chose to remain silent after feeling Sylvia''s extremely high resistance against her. ''She would normally support Emilia¡­ what''s going on with this girl, anyway? It''s not like I''ve done anything.''

    Sylvia''s strange thoughts aside, this meant that only Danielle, the ''leader'', was left to be convinced.

    Emilia grinned. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is the first global announcement, so I''m sure this will be a ''big event''! If we don''t make the most out of it, won''t it be a big loss?"

    Having encountered a level hundred enemy when they recklessly pursued a hidden quest, Danielle thought that she should make sure they were a bit more cautious and steady in their decisions.

    After all, while things turned out more than well this time, it could all have gone very wrong as well, with them losing a lot of experience points and resources attempting a quest they had no hopes ofpleting. Clearly, not having a ''level requirement'' might seem like a nice feature, but it also meant that the game didn''t protect lower-level yers from seeking their own death.

    But when Emilia tempted her like that, Danielle realized that her resolve wasn''t quite as strong as she first thought.

    ''If we can grab this opportunity to pull even further ahead, it may not be impossible topletely solidify our position as the world''s ''number one'' team in Arcadia!'' Danielle''s heart beat like a drum at such a previously inconceivable thought.

    Could she really live with missing such a huge opportunity? Of course not!

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 Chapter 778 Monsters Around

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    After being convinced, Danielle obviously wanted them to rush to the nearest ''pir'' which was located a little further than the deepest part of the forest they''d explored so far, and Emilia naturally agreed.

    "We have to be careful on the way. Keep your ability up, Emilia! And Nico¡­ Be ready to heal her at any time!"

    Robin was naturally using her skill to scout around as much as possible, but the lower-level ''scouting'' skill was really only useful when moving slowly and cautiously.

    Fortunately, Emilia''s ''vignce'' skill covered a fixed area around her regardless of the pace she was moving at, and she''d long since gotten used to the ''slight'' mental strain it put on her.

    To get to level fifteen would take their team at least another day under ''normal'' circumstances, and while she could probably convince them to upgrade first, Emilia didn''t want to go down that route.

    At present, nobody knew of the fact that the yers would unlock their first profession at level fifteen, and Emilia had no way to let her teammates ''discover'' it in advance, either.

    Instead of convincing them not to head to one of the safer ''pirs'' or to ignore them altogether while focusing on leveling up, the crimson-haired girl realized that it would be much more efficient to just lead them to a ce with plenty of ''experience'' and hopefully level up before entering the dungeon.

    Other than the expectedly dangerous monsters infesting that area, Emilia knew that there was another kind of danger around all the pirs.

    As entrances to the dungeon, the pirs naturally served as a gateway for both monsters and yers alike. And a portal that anyone can use to enter and leave naturally meant that some of the ''weaker'' dungeon monsters would choose to escape.

    If too many of them were to leave, however, not only would they disrupt the bnce of the world, but they would also leave the dungeon itself significantly weakened.

    To prevent this, every pir was therefore assigned some ''guardians'' by the elites of the dungeon.

    These so-called guardians were naturally just cronies of the true elites in the dungeon, but they were more than enough to deal with most ''rabble'' around the pirs.

    But just because they were supposed to prevent monsters from leaving didn''t mean that these ''guardians'' wouldn''t attack yers as well.

    After all, in the world of Arcadia, monsters could get stronger by consuming others. And anything that they could eat¡­ they would.

    ''It''s best to ignore the more annoying monsters in this area, and head directly for the danger zone.'' The crimson-haired elf hummed thoughtfully. ''With the monsters already fighting each other, it should be possible to kill them much faster than we normally could.''

    Fortunately, their luck was quite good, and she was able to lead her team all the way to the vicinity of the pir before they had to stop.

    When they finally witnessed the sight in the clearing, Danielle and the others couldn''t help but be shocked.

    "The monsters¡­ are fighting each other?!"

    "That giant monkey just ate that bear!"

    The monsters they''d encountered so far were mostly ''solitary'' creatures, and they''d always assumed that the monsters in Arcadia too just attacked the yers while ignoring each other, as it was in most other games.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, as they would soon realize, monsters had their own judgment as well, and could differentiate between monsters on ''their side'' and others. When facing the threat of a stronger and hostile monster, they wouldn''t chase after an ''insignificant'' yer together, only to end up as an easier bite of food for someone else.

    Except for the fact that they would never surrender or flee, the ''wisdom'' of these monsters in a fight wasn''t much inferior to that of certain cunning animals, though it varied depending on their level and type.

    Unlike Nico, Robin, and Danielle, Sylvia was able to recover from the surprise quite quickly. "It''s a good thing they''re focusing on each other, though. Otherwise, we''d never be able to handle these many beasts on our own."

    Crystal and Emilia also agreed with her statement, and the rest of the team also realized the same.

    Not including the six of them, there were at least a dozen ''fights'' they could see from their vantage point, and at least one that could be faintly heard in the distance.

    Even the weakest of these monsters appeared to be above level thirty, which was a full five levels higher than the ''strongest'' wild monster they''d faced so far.

    But instead of being scared, Emilia was smiling in delight. "That [Monstrous Monkey Elite] seems quite injured after fighting and eating that bear, let''s go kill it quickly!"

    Danielle frowned as she pondered over her words. "It still seems quite strong, being level thirty-four¡­ and won''t we attract everyone''s aggro if we charge in right now?"

    Emilia hummed. "It''s possible, but given that they all seem so engrossed in their own battles, it shouldn''t be impossible for us to pick off a few of the ''stragglers'' on the side, and we can always flee if things get bad¡­"

    Of course, what she didn''t mention was that more than half these monsters didn''t dare to leave the ''clearing'', as the ''guardians'' would undoubtedly gang up to ughter them if they did.

    Their ''goal'' now was just to survive. Survive and consume others, until they could be strong enough to contend against the guardians all at once and win. Though that was easier said than done.

    As far as Emilia knew, only a few monsters would seed in doing such a thing. And even then, they would bebeled as a ''Roaming Boss Monster'', the kind that could drop plenty of loot. Once the yers were strong enough, there was no way for them to survive.

    Of course, while Emilia found them quite ''pitiful'', it wouldn''t stop her from ughtering them to level up herself and her teammates.

    The crimson-haired elf grinned. "Don''t worry, I''ll cover our retreat properly if things go wrong."

    Danielle thought about it for a while before quickly shaking her head in exasperation.

    The drill-haired girl had always considered herself a ''daredevil'', and she couldn''t believe that she had to be convinced by her star yer to be ''bolder'' again and again.

    Since when did she be such a ''coward''?

    "Let''s go kill that thing!"

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 Chapter 779 The Unlucky Beasts

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    Although the [Monstrous Monkey Elite] they were facing now was heavily injured, with only slightly more than two thousand points of health remaining, Emilia and her team didn''t dare to underestimate its threat.

    Sylvia, Crystal, and Danielle had prepared a ''lethal''bo to strike it dead at once before it could put up a fight, but unfortunately, their initial ''sneak attack'' was narrowly dodged by the agile beast.

    Clearly, while it might not have considered them a ''worthy threat'' before, it still hadn''tpletely ignored their existence, and now was well aware of the fact that they were much more dangerous than they appeared.

    It roared in rage and charged straight at the one who''d made the shiest attack. But Danielle remained calm and prepared to fire another fireball, trusting Emilia to protect her.

    The giant beast''s charge abruptly came to a halt with a resounding boom as it was intercepted by a crimson blur, and for a moment, even the [Monstrous Monkey Elite] seemed to have been leftpletely dumbfounded.

    After all, with the strength and momentum of its charge, even the giant bear that managed to injure it so much would have been sent flying back at the very least. How could a tiny little thing the size of his palm possibly hold it back?

    ¡ªYour [Ring of Might]''s ''Stagger Resist'' effect has been triggered.

    Cooldown: 60 seconds

    Despite its obvious confusion, Emilia naturally wouldn''t be stupid enough to exin herself to an opponent, let alone a monkey. Instead, she just took the opportunity to weave around the giant beast with her sword.

    The pain of the [Poison Fang]''s continuously stacking effect almost instantly awakened the [Monstrous Monkey Elite] from its stupor, and it was terrified to realize that it had lost nearly half of its pitifully low health.

    And to make matters worse, it was then bombarded by the attacks from the rest of Emilia''s teammates, instantly shaving off its remaining health.

    The [Monstrous Monkey Elite] groaned pitifully while copsing on its knees as its health points hit zero, almost unable to believe that the end of its glorious life would be at the hands of such tiny and insignificant little things.

    Had it known things would be like this, it would have just stayed away from this cursed ce. But unfortunately, regardless of the intensity of one''s regret, it could never turn back time.

    ¡ªKilled [Monstrous Monkey Elite], Level 32

    Despite the fact that they''d ambushed it while it was already on the verge of death, the ''Crimson Witches'' still found it a little hard to believe that they could take down an ''Elite Monster'' that was eighteen entire levels above their own so easily.

    But that didn''t stop them from rejoicing once they saw the rewards!

    In addition to the ten times experience points from it being an elite, for a total of thirty thousand experience per teammate, the [Monstrous Monkey Elite] actually dropped a glowing green item for them.

    Except for Emilia and Crystal, this was their first ''wild drop'', and they couldn''t help but be excited.

    "It''s a weapon!"

    "A staff?!"

    Of course, although it looked more like a ''fighter''s staff'' than one meant for magic, with its distinctck of a gem and identical ends, both Danielle and Nico couldn''t help but be excited.

    Unfortunately, there was no one with the skill to ''identify'' the item, and they didn''t have the leisure to dally around with so many monsters nearby, either.

    After all, the moment they''d taken down the [Monstrous Monkey Elite], almost a dozen murderous eyes had been fixed on Emilia''s form.

    The crimson-haired elf was the closest to the rapidly dissipating corpse, and was easily identified as the ''culprit'', but aside from frowning a little, she seemedpletely unaffected by the pressure.

    The rest of her teammates, however, couldn''t help but sweat a little nervously.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Fortunately, just because the other beasts were now paying more attention to Emilia and her team didn''t mean that they were free from their own battles. Aside from being more cautious of this ''hidden threat'' that could strike them down the moment they win against their opponent, there was little they could do.

    Of course, while this was a ''perfect'' opportunity to escape after reaping plentiful rewards with little effort, Danielle was no longer in the mood to be so ''unambitious'', and decisively pointed a nearby scuffle.

    ¡¤?¦Èm "Both of them seem to have taken a lot of damage. Emilia¡­ get closer and decide which one will be a better target, and we''ll focus it down first."

    Danielle''s trust in the instincts of her ''star yer'' was obvious, but no one present could dispute that their feelings on the matter were pretty much the same.

    No matter how random or nonsensical Emilia''s choices were at times, things somehow or the other always worked out perfectly for her.

    Danielle couldn''t help but sigh. ''Sometimes I wonder if the whole world just bends over backward to please her. But then again¡­ it''s not a bad thing.''

    Without such absurd luck, thatbination of silly and pretty would definitely have ended in tragedy, after all. And Danielle knew for sure that it wasn''t just her who had that opinion.

    If they could once again share some of Emilia''s luck and take down a few more beasts at a simr level to the [Monstrous Monkey Elite], it was entirely possible that they could level up before even reaching their ''goal'' of getting close to the pir or triggering some hidden quest.

    Of course, Emilia was happy to lead the way forward, and wasn''t scared in the slightest when the glowing and murderous gazes of the giant python and the roon-like beast turned to her at the same time.

    ''Compared to a [Demon Boa], the [Earthly Roon Elite] is definitely much more tricky and troublesome to take down¡­'' Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''But unless that little snake is stupid, it should also realize that it''s doomed if it doesn''t take this opportunity to kill its opponent.''

    After all, left on their own, the [Demon Boa] would shortly enter its grave with no hopes of ever posing a ''real threat'' to its opponent.

    As for whether it could survive after the roon monster was killed or not... that would hardly matter if it died first.

    The crimson-haired elf nimbly ''avoided'' the snake tail that smashed down at the ground she''d been previously standing on, and before anyone else realized it, she was already hacking away at the giant roon''s furry legs.

    It stomped around in panic, clearly not expecting the tiny opponent to disy a level of speedpletely different from when she''d been ''fighting'' the [Monstrous Monkey Elite] before.

    Of course, with a hundred and sixty-two points of agilitybined with her inhuman reaction speed,nding a clean hit on Emilia was just a pipe dream for a beast like the [Earthly Roon Elite].

    After all, it was sturdy and tough, but not particrly fast, and the entanglement of the [Demon Boa] only made moving around harder for the poor roon.

    Failing over and over again, it was finally enraged enough topletely ignore Emilia to w at whatever it could, making the [Demon Boa] hiss in pain at its fresh wounds.

    Before long, it also realized that it wouldn''t be able to bear the roon''s ferocious attacks before its death, and decisively let go.

    To the roon''s despair, however, theck of the [Demon Boa]''s entanglement didn''t make it any easier for it to hit the crimson shadow flittering around its paws, and only seemed to have made the situation worse.

    Desperate, the roon could only turn to the [Demon Boa] once again and pounce on it in hopes of consuming it and evolving before its body sumbed to the poison, unlikely as it was.

    Firing her ''Fireball'' along with Crystal and Sylvia''s arrows, Danielle couldn''t help but feel a little bad for the monsters that encountered their team, and Nico soon voiced her thoughts out aloud.

    "You know, although she seems adorable¡­ I just realized how incredibly annoying and maddening Emilia must be to fight."

    She was clearly not ''stronger'', and her attacks were also pitiful and ''weak'', but each time they were ''scratched'', one could feel their life slipping away from the poison. Moreover, like a particrly fast and annoying mosquito, she was almost impossible to get rid of.

    Although her hand never stopped drawing the string of her bow, Crystal could clearly feel the team''s ''conflicting'' emotions. ''I hate to admit it, but it''s true.'' She couldn''t help but giggle. ''Maybe in the future when she fights people in this world, she can directly knock them out from sheer frustration.''

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 Chapter 780 Lucky or Not

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    The white marble pirs that extended beyond one''s sight were certainly not limited to the Fire Kingdom Emilia was in, and although Arcadia''s poprity hadn''t yet reached its ''peak'', there was no shortage of excellent teams from around the world who had rushed to check out this new ''event''.

    Of course, some of them were both fortunate and skilled enough to be located near an ''easier'' pir, and then be able to skip past the surrounding monsters. And Darryl''s team was one of them.

    A giant of a man smiled and swung his broadsword around as if it weighed nothing. "I didn''t expect such a vast forest on the other side of the pir¡­ there must be a lot of interesting monsters to fight inside, huh, leader?"

    Not far behind him were seven teammates, with each of them being attractive enough to have been considered the center of attention had they been anywhere else.

    Surprisingly, though, their ''leader'' was the man who could be considered the most ''ordinary'' of them all.

    "It''s really vast, beautiful, and full of bounty." Darryl smiled. "But I feel like it''s more of a distraction than anything else."

    Even with his ''Hero''s Instinct'', he''d been momentarily confused by the mixed signals from the forest, meaning that there were far too many ''good opportunities'' waiting to be explored. Had he not been so prudent, Darryl felt like he would have definitely missed the faint signal from a rtively obscure location in the outskirts.

    ''That must be the entrance to the real dungeon¡­''

    The moment he realized it, Darryl easily figured out that while the forest was bountiful, it was also a trap.

    No matter how rewarding the monsters might be, they could never match up to the rewards waiting for the ''Champion'', after all.

    "Let''s go, follow me."

    Darryl knew that this was the first ''real step'' he needed to take to begin his quest for the ''New World'' that he dreamed of, and it wasn''t something he could take lightly.

    ''It''s a pity that my first step as a champion will be missing one of mypanions, but oh well¡­ fate is not a kind mistress, and we can only make do with what we have.''

    Obviously, he was thinking of Emilia, and hoped that the little girl didn''t mind being the ''only exclusion'' from such an important event in the future.

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    Meanwhile, the ''unfortunate'' girl was too busy jumping for joy to realize that the hero wasmenting about her miserable ''fate''.

    She''d initially been a little worried, but luckily, thest couple of injured monsters in the area had been just enough to push their experience points past the requirement.

    In fact, Emilia knew that there were still the ''guardians'' of the dungeon hiding nearby, though Robin wasn''t able to notice them. But she didn''t wish to provoke them needlessly at this point.

    Fortunately, theck of a male yer on her team allowed them to celebrate in peace, with the ''guardians'' not daring to attack lest they scare the ''precious prey'' away.

    -[Level 14 ¡ú 198,578 / 200,000] ¡ú [Level 15 ¡ú 28,578 / 220,000]

    -[Level up!]

    ¡ª[All attributes +1]

    ¡ª[+5 Unallocated Attribute Points]

    Emilia couldn''t help but sigh. ''The experience reward of ''Elite'' monsters is really too good.''

    Luckily, none of the yers in the surroundings had been smart or confident enough to head to this particr zone, or it would have been impossible for her team to eat such a delicious meal by themselves.

    ==========

    ¡ª Princess ¡ª

    ¡ª No Titles ¡ª

    Bloodline ¡ú Elf

    ss ¡ú Warrior

    [Level 15]

    Experience Points ¡ú [28,578 / 220,000]

    ¡ª Primary Stats ¡ª

    [Strength] ¡ú 25

    [Intelligence] ¡ú 25

    [Agility] ¡ú 163

    Unallocated Points: 5

    ¡ª Secondary Stats ¡ª

    Hitpoints ¡ú 250

    Mana ¡ú 25

    Speed ¡ú 1.63

    Inventory ¡ú 20 Slots [+10]

    ==========

    Naturally, she once again chose to spend all her unallocated points to increase her agility, boosting it up to a hundred and sixty-eight.

    Unlike other ''milestone'' levels, hitting level fifteen didn''t increase the number of unallocated attribute points or increase the size of a yer''s inventory, but the ''abrupt'' increase in the required experience points to level up from a hundred and sixty thousand to two hundred thousand was actuallypletely justified.

    After all, not only did it allow the yers to pick a ''suitable'' profession of their choice, but it was also the point at which they got their first ''strong'' ss skill.

    Just thinking about it made Emilia once again jump for joy. "Yes! Level fifteen, finally!"

    In fact, Danielle and Sylvia were a little annoyed by the fact that she ''needlessly'' kept looking for fights when they could have easily made their way to the ''pir'' a few times, but after seeing the crimson-haired elf so happy, it was hard for them to really hold a grudge.

    ''It really is a cheat to be so pretty¡­ I can''t even get mad.''

    Luckily, neither Danielle nor Sylvia could read each other''s thoughts, or they would definitely have been pissed off by how often they''d begun to ''align'' under Emilia''s influence.

    Of course, as the only one who could know of these things, Crystal would never ruin her source of private amusement, either.

    "Everyone leveled up, right?"

    Danielle couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Yes yes, we all did¡­ so can we finally head to the pir and stop ying around, princess?"

    Emilia grinned and pretended to think about it under everyone''s amused and exasperated eyes. Inwardly, though, she was screaming. ''Just how long is it going to take for the profession choice thing to pop up?! I''m afraid they''ll start to pick on me soon!''

    Cynthia coughed. "It takes a while for it to ''figure out'' a list of ''suitable'' professions for every yer, but it shouldn''t be too long. Don''t worry, though, they won''t dare pick on you, lest they embarrass themselves. After all, with your current speed, can''t you easily escape?"

    Although she knew it was partially true, the crimson-haired girl could only pout in her mind.

    If it was her ''fault'', it was obviously impossible for her to avoid the punishment. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be a very good princess, right?

    Luckily, the notification from Arcadia came before the patience of her teammates ran out.

    -[All requirements met, ''Primary Profession'' unlocked!]

    -[Please choose from one of the below options to continue¡­]

    Emilia once again jumped happily, ecstatic at having skipped her due punishment, though everyone else only thought she was surprised and ted by the ''unexpected'' reward.

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 Chapter 781 Hard Hearted

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    Knowing that the choices were mostly generated ''randomly'' based on unknown factors, Emilia''s expectations for her primary profession hadn''t been particrly high. But when she really saw what she got, the crimson-haired girl had to admit that her luck was pretty good.

    Choice 1: [Princess Knight]

    Choice 2: [Avenger]

    Choice 3: [Mercenary]

    Normally, yers would only receive two choices, and one or both of them might be ''ordinary'' ones. But Emilia not only got to pick from three, but two of them were ''rare'' professions that were offered to only a select few.

    Of course, just because they were rare didn''t necessarily mean that these professions were superior. If anything, the mostmon ''Mercenary'' profession might prove to be the most stable and powerful of them all.

    After all, it allowed the yer to greatly increase theirpatibility with the mercenary guild, and also unlocked numerous hidden quests down the line. Not to mention, the skill it unlocked was ''Greed'', which was considered one of the most usefulte-game skills for solo yers.

    ''But since I already have the ''Crimson Witches'', bing a mercenary wouldn''t really be a very good choice¡­'' Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''Plus, it''s boring.''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "I already know which one you''re gonna pick."

    The crimson-haired elf giggled. ''It''s not hard to guess, is it?''

    The ''Avenger'' was a good choice, but Emilia naturally wouldn''t favor it much since it was also picked by one of the hero''s cronies, andter on gave him the ''Lone Hero'' passive skill, which ended up actually decreasing his overall stats when operating in a group.

    Of course, this ''loss'' could be considered insignificantpared to the boost it provided when one was operating alone, but Emilia was still quite a bit more interested in the first option.

    If she recalled correctly, this profession was one of the ''highest rated'' ones whenever there had been polls simr to ''the choice people regret making the most'' or ''the worst traps in Arcadia''.

    ''Challenger''s Charm'' was the first skill one obtained after bing a ''Princess Knight'', and it basically ''hypnotized'' the enemy into focusing solely on the yer until one of them was defeated.

    It was a wonderful skill for a ''tank'', but as it was offered mostly to girls, and also seemed to exclude those who invested in ''Strength'', it unfortunately turned out to be a nightmare for most and wentpletely unappreciated.

    ''Maybe this time around, I can give the ''Princess Knight'' the reputation it deserves¡­'' Emilia grinned.

    She didn''t hesitate much in making her choice, and the brief glow around her body from the ''status update'' naturally startled her teammates.

    "What the hell¡­ did you make your choice already?!" Nico and Robin eximed almost simultaneously, while Danielle groaned. "Emilia¡­ did you even think about it¡­ or read what it said¡­?"

    They''d still been pondering over their choices, and thinking about discussing it with everyone else before making such an important decision when they realized what Emilia had done.

    Fortunately for them, Crystal and Sylvia had already gained a ''deeper understanding'' of the crimson-haired beauty, and weren''t nearly as surprised by her ''recklessness'', though neither of them could stop Danielle from scolding the girl silly.

    "Just how many times have I told you, even if you think you''re super lucky and super skilled, you should at least talk to me first when you encounter this type of thing?!" The drill-haired girl held Emilia''s delicate face in her hands, and squeezed her soft cheeks without mercy.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Danielle would never admit it, but she wasn''t really as upset as she appeared. In fact, she''d just been wanting to pinch Emilia''s face for a long time, and this just happened to be the perfect opportunity.

    The soft and silky texture, and the springy feeling beneath her fingers were definitely worth the guilt of deceiving ''children''.

    Danielle hummed in satisfaction. "Okay, answer me honestly, what did you pick?"

    Luckily for her, Emilia didn''t really mind her ''abuse'' too much, and just answered honestly.

    "P-Pwinshessh Knouight¡ª?!"

    For a moment, not to mention everyone else, but even Crystal was left stunned.

    Although she''d seen Emilia ''act like a baby'' plenty of times, with Dixie around, rarely had anyone had the courage to put Emilia in this type of position where she was forced to speak while ''enduring humiliation''.

    The blonde girl couldn''t help but shake her head. ''How¡­ shockingly adorable.''

    Unfortunately, the ''forced mispronunciation'' finally embarrassed Emilia enough for her to struggle out of Danielle''s ''ws'', making her secretly sigh in disappointment.

    Of course, Danielle couldn''t escape from everyone''s harsh criticisms for being such a ''bully'', but to everyone''s surprise, she graciously admitted her fault before they could even get started.

    "Sorry, I got a little carried away." She coughed, cleverly not admitting that what she''d done was wrong. "Anyway, Princess Knight seems like a good choice. What happened after you picked it?"

    Based on the glow that enveloped the crimson-haired girl, they could only assume that she received a status update simr to a level up, and Emilia''s words soon confirmed the same.

    "I got a new skill, um, ''Challenger''s Charm'', was it? Oh, and then it said that since I''ve unlocked my primary profession, my second ss skill will also be unlocked." Emilia paused, then ''red'' at Danielle. "But you started bullying me before I could check it out. I don''t even know what it does¡­"

    The drill-haired girl could only cough awkwardly once more. "I-Is that so? That seems very important, so¡­ can you check it out now and tell us more?"

    Of course, that had been Emilia''s goal from the start, and she didn''t shy away from exining ''what she saw'' at all.

    The ''Challenger''s Charm'' was naturally a great skill for a tank to have, and Danielle and the others could only sigh at Emilia''s incredible luck.

    At this point, they really had to wonder if the ''developer'' of this game actually had a crush on Emilia, and was secretly stalking her to make sure she was always happy andfortable.

    Of course, when Danielle recalled what Darryl¡ªthe one who ''created'' Arcadia¡ªwas like, she quickly shook off that absurd thought.

    Not to mention Emilia, who just looked like an angel, maybe even if an actual goddess descended from the heavens, that guy''s stone heart wouldn''t be moved.

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 Chapter 782 Choices

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    The fact that they would also be able to unlock a new ''ss skill'' after picking their professions was an unexpected surprise for everyone, and they couldn''t help but grill Emilia for more details.

    Of course, when they heard that the skill''s name was ''Fury'', they couldn''t help but be a little disappointed.

    Cute as Emilia was, they''d already realized that her memory was unreliable at best. Sometimes, she could remember the most obscure little things, and sometimes her forgetfulness could give even a small fish a good run for its money.

    Danielle couldn''t help but sigh. "Emilia, dear¡­ you do realize that ''Fury'' is one of the two default skills that you can get as a ''warrior'', right?"

    For ''professional'' yers like them, it was only to be expected that they research all the publicly avable information in their free time. And the ''starter'' skills and sses were some of the most widely discussed topics online.

    The crimson-haired elf blinked. "Eh¡­? Is that so? But I still think it''s quite good, being able to let me burn some of those useless hitpoints for more speed and all."

    In fact, Emilia knew very well that the ''selection'' of the second skill was based on the ''usage pattern'' of a yer, and ''Fury'' as a second skill was only given to those who rarely ever got ''low HP'' status.

    For most people, this would mean that their health was so high that most enemies were barely able to lower it to a dangerous level, and it would be rtively ''safe'' to burn some of that ''excess'' HP for other purposes.

    Though Emilia only got it because she rarely ever let enemies get a clean hit on her, and even when they managed to bruise her somehow, Nico was always waiting to cast her ''Mend Wounds'' to restore her health back to full.

    Simrly, each of her teammates would also most likely get a skill ''most suitable'' for them from their current ss. But instead of just stating it as a fact and then convincing everyone that she was right, Emilia felt it would be better to just let them arrive at that conclusion on their own. This way, everyone can be more thoughtful in the future.

    Sylvia also nodded after thinking about it a little. "It''s true, actually. Emilia is already like, what... sixty percent faster than everyone else? If that twenty percent boost to her speed really works as I think it should, fifty points of health is really not much of a cost."

    Although Danielle also acknowledged this, she didn''t want to agree with the dark-haired ranger, and just snorted. "Don''t forget that the ''penalty'' scales with her maximum health." Before Sylvia could argue, though, she continued with a cough. "But anyway, since our silly little star has already made her choice, there''s no point in fussing over it too much."

    Then she moved on to discussing which ''profession'' they should pick, though there was only so much they could infer based on just the name alone.

    Robin chuckled. "I really can''t picture Emilia as an ''Avenger'' no matter how I think about it, though."

    Skilled as she was, it was a bit difficult for them to imagine the crimson-haired elf as ''angry'' or ''gloomy''. Besides, if she really went to her ''enemy'' with those big blue eyes filled with pitiful tears, most likely they would be so confused that they''d just agree to give up.

    Just thinking about it was enough to make Robin giggle uncontrobly.

    While Emilia pouted, Danielle also nodded her head in agreement. "True, I feel like all of us got one decent and one really absurd choice. It looks like it''s not that hard to choose, but¡­ that could also be a trap."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    In fact, Danielle and Robin were the only ones with that problem, but they just didn''t want to admit it.

    Sylvia coughed. "I don''t think there''s much point in having two ''Assassins'' in the same team, so¡­ I think I''m fine with picking ''Spy'', alright?"

    Obviously, she knew that Robin wasn''t going to pick her other choice, which was ''Swindler'', and the yellow-eyed girl really, really, really didn''t want to be the second assassin on the team. After all, being the second ranger already made her wonder sometimes if she was a little redundant.

    But naturally, unlike a certain crimson-haired beauty, they didn''t have the privilege of picking their own professions without consulting the rest of the team. And Sylvia still depended on the other girl to convince Danielle to make the final decision in her favor, lest the drill-haired devil make her pick a ''duplicate'' just to spite her.

    Oblivious to the fact that she was being ''manipted'', Robin nodded furiously. "Right. Captain, what do you think? Sylvia wants to be a ''Spy'', and I can be the ''Assassin''."

    Danielle pursed her lips thoughtfully, then realized that she also had to pick from ''Pyromancer'' and ''Maniac'', and immediately agreed. "Alright. I don''t think professions with unreliable names can be very good, anyway, so it''s best to go with Spy and Assassin."

    Just thinking about the empty leaderboard one day showing their names with words like ''Swindler'' and ''Maniac'' next to it made them shudder.

    Luckily for them, Crystal and Nico didn''t have to struggle through a simr dilemma.

    "Between ''Herbalist'' and ''Shaman'', I think Shaman should be a better option, since it probably doesn''t need as many resources." Danielle paused, feeling a little awkward. "Although we''ve somehow managed to stay ahead of the curve so far, we can''t forget that we''re not arge guild, after all."

    Naturally, Nico didn''t disagree with her captain, and quickly finalized her choice, leaving just Crystal to make her decision.

    The blonde girl smiled. "I think I''m not a particrly good singer, so instead of Minstrel, I''d like to pick ''Sage'', is that okay?"

    "Huh? I think your voice is quite sweet. You can go with either."

    Sylvia frowned, then quickly shook her head to clear the strange thoughts in her mind. Whether Emilia and Crystal had a few ''private'' moments in the game before she joined her on the journey or not, it was already in the past.

    Of course, none of the others had heard Crystal sing, and didn''t have an opinion either way.

    Surprisingly enough, once everyone on the team had finished making their choices, they all received some unexpected notifications.

    ¡ª[All team members have obtained their primary professions and reached level fifteen. Your team meets all the requirements to upgrade to a ''Guild'', would you like to proceed?]

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 Chapter 783 The First Guild

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    "Doesn''t it cost a lot of gold to make a guild in most games? It doesn''t seem to say anything like that¡­" Danielle frowned.

    Obviously, she wasn''t as worried about not being able to afford the cost as she was about ''missing'' the opportunity to create a guild because of being too hasty and trying it before she should have.

    After all, while it might seem unlikely, it wasn''t impossible for the creation of the guild to fail due to insufficient funds, and then for them to need to acquire some ''special item'' for the same.

    Listening to the drill-haired girl''s strange thoughts, Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. "I don''t think it should be thatplicated¡­ why don''t you just give it a try?"

    Crystal also nodded to show her support, making Sylvia roll her eyes in exasperation.

    ''It''s one thing for Emilia to be worry-free, but by indulging her along like that, this blondie is definitely going to be a bad influence on her!'' She thought.

    Fortunately, Danielle was in no mood to start an argument, and quickly grit her teeth to make a decision. "Screw it! If it''s a trap, we can at least hurry up and rush to do the event."

    Emilia grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

    Just as Danielle ''pressed'' confirm and entered the ''name'' for their guild as ''Crimson Witches'', though, the whole team immediately received a notification.

    ==========

    New Guild [Crimson Witches] has been created! Please acquire a [Guild Office] to unlock more functions in the ''Guild'' menu.

    Currently Rank ¡ª 1st out of [1] guilds, with 1308 points.

    ==========

    Danielle suddenly had a foreboding feeling. "Wait¡­ that rank thing¡­ don''t tell me we''re already on the leaderboards?!"

    Emilia hummed and opened the menu, and soon confirmed her thoughts.

    Arcadia''s leaderboard obviously had a minimum threshold for listing, and none of the categories had been popted till that day. But now, the previously empty guild rankings had one entry, with their guild name and points clearly stated for everyone to see.

    In fact, although they hadn''t yet figured it out, ''1308'' was just the sum of all their base attributes, and it wasn''t hard to guess that they''d soon have to concede this number one position torger guilds.

    But even if she already knew this, Emilia wouldn''t let her teammates know. After all, there was more to guild points than just these numbers. Instead of discouraging them now, it was better to help them earn more points in the dungeon.

    Looking at Danielle''s expression, though, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but tilt her head in confusion. "Aren''t you happy?"

    Danielle turned to her in surprise, remaining silent for a while, then sighed. "Happy? Of course I am. I just find it a little hard to believe that it happened like this."

    After all, they might have been ''far ahead'' of everyone else in the world, but no one really seemed to acknowledge it, including the game. It was as if everyone universally agreed that it was a fluke, and her team would soon return to mediocrity once things advanced a little more.

    Having a real position on the official leaderboardpletely changed that, and it was impossible to say that Danielle wasn''t happy.

    But while she''d been looking forward to and dreaming of being the ''number one'' for a long time, Danielle didn''t want targets to be painted on their backs so soon, so she couldn''t help but be worried as well.

    Regardless of what she thought, though, the drill-haired girl knew better than to regret her decisions. After all, even if it got them into a lot of trouble, she felt like she would have regretted it more if they''d missed the opportunity.

    Emilia giggled, and she was just about to respond when she spotted one of the supposedly ''hidden'' guardians of the dungeon peeking out from behind a giant tree to re at them impatiently. ''Uh¡­ we should probably hurry up, huh?''

    Unfortunately, most of her team was already distracted by one of the only functions not locked until they acquired the ''Guild Office''¡­ the log.

    "Hey look, we can now view all sorts of notifications from each other in the guild log!"

    "Ahhh, I can hide mine if I want, too!"

    "Emilia''s notification is the first one as expected, huh¡­"

    "She''s the most impatient, after all."

    Emilia couldn''t help but pout. "Hey!"

    While Nico and Robin were teasing the crimson-haired beauty, however, Danielle and Sylvia were busy checking out the newly discovered guild log, leaving only Crystal to sympathize with her.

    ==========

    ¡ªGuild Log¡ª

    <<Member 1>>

    [Princess (Elf Warrior, Wind Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Princess Knight], and unlocked the skill [Challenger''s Charm] (Grade 1)<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    [Challenger''s Charm ¡ú Makes the opponent unable to focus on others with the Princess Knight around.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Fury] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Fury ¡ú Depletes 20% of the yer''s max health to boost their speed by 20%.]

    <<Member 2>>

    [Crystal (Human Ranger, Light Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Sage], and unlocked the skill [Wisdom] (Grade 1)

    [Wisdom ¡ú Increases the user''s intelligence by 100 points.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Homing Arrow] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Homing Arrow ¡ú In exchange for slightly lower attack power and speed, the arrow gains the ability to change directions based on the opponent''s movements, making it harder to avoid.]

    <<Member 3>>

    [Danielle (Draconic Mage, Fire Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Pyromancer], and unlocked the skill [Ignite] (Grade 1)

    [Ignite ¡ú Sets the target on fire. Mana consumption depends on target size and distance from the user.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Fire Resistance] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Fire Resistance ¡ú As a proficient user of Fire Element magic, its effect on self is lowered by 10%.]

    <<Member 4>>

    [Nico (Beastkin Healer, Water Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Shaman], and unlocked the skill [Minor Heal] (Grade 1)

    [Minor Heal ¡ú Heals everyone in a small area, individual healing is reduced when there are more people in the zone. Distant targets consume more mana.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Reverse Healing] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Reverse Healing ¡ú Instead of draining the user''s mana and restoring the target''s health, it does the exact opposite. The amount of restored mana depends on the opponent''s lost HP. Needs direct contact with the target.]

    <<Member 5>>

    [Robin (Demon Rogue, Earth Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Assassin], and unlocked the skill [Assassin''s Instinct] (Grade 1)

    [Assassin''s Instinct ¡ú Can point the user to points of interest nearby (active), and also alert them of imminent danger (passive). Can be used every 60 seconds.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Shadow Siphon] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Shadow Siphon ¡ú Continuously drains mana to lock a target to its own shadow, greatly slowing their movements and draining their health. A small amount of the drained health can heal the user if they are injured.]

    <<Member 6>>

    [Sylvia (Elf Ranger, Dark Element, Level 15)]

    ¡ªYou have picked the primary profession [Spy], and unlocked the skill [Conceal] (Grade 1)

    [Conceal ¡ú Once cast, makes the target much harder to spot. Mana cost depends on the target size. Can be cast on self.]

    ¡ªSecond ss Skill [Poison Dart] (Grade 1) unlocked.

    [Poison Dart ¡ú A shot infused with lethal poison full of dark elements. Continuously drains opponent''s HP unless treated with light element infused healing spells or potions. Cannot stack.]

    ==========

    While everyone else was ''busy'', Emilia could only sigh in defeat. ''Forget it, if the guardians really can''t bear it anymore, I can just think of it as more experience and practice for the dungeon.''

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 Chapter 784 The Anchor

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    In the previous timeline, it wasn''t rare for yers to have to either defeat or get past the defense of the guardians to actually enter a dungeon. But without the ''ten times'' drop rate boost from the dungeon they should have been in, the rewards for defeating these monsters were far from being proportional to the effort required.

    Any sensible team, including the hero''s, would usually choose to just skip past them if possible, especially if the monsters themselves didn''t take the initiative to attack them.

    But Emilia also knew that having a clear understanding of their own abilities was also important for their team to be able to work together, so she didn''t interrupt them.

    Fortunately, even if the beasts in the area had already been cleaned up by them, and the guardians remained hidden, Danielle and the others still didn''t dare to dally for too long.

    After all, almost everyone in the world was probably rushing toplete the ''pir'' event, and they hadn''t even gotten started yet.

    What was the use of all these newly acquired skills and levels if they still ended up falling behind someone else?

    "Let''s go, Emilia, lead the way!"

    Of course, the crimson-haired girl didn''t need to be told twice, and rushed straight towards the marble pir at her top speed.

    "W-Wait, you''re too fast!"

    "Stop!"

    "Baby, you''ll crash into it face first!"

    Unfortunately, their warnings came ''toote'', and they could only watch in horror as theirpanion''s pretty little face made intimate contact with hard marble. Or at least, it should have.

    The max-strength ''Minor Heal'' and words offort and constion immediately died in their throats as Emilia''s figure vanished in front of their eyes, and a mixture of relief and realization flooded the rest of the team.

    "Fortunately, it was a portal."

    "Let''s go!"

    Of course, the first thing they did after entering this ''new area'' wasn''t to admire the vast and endless greenery around them.

    "What the hell were you thinking, rushing straight ahead like that?!" Sylvia scolded.

    Danielle also couldn''t help but nod. "Even if your reaction speed is great, I don''t think you could have stopped in time if that pir turned out to be solid."

    Robin sensed the opportunity to score, and immediately pounced on it with an ''indignant'' expression.

    "Do you know how worried we were? If you continue being so reckless and smush that precious face for real, wouldn''t it be a great tragedy?" The tomboy squeezed Emilia''s cheeks ''angrily'', inwardly marveling at both the sticity and softness. "I was almost scared to death!"

    "I-I didn''t do it without thinking! I guessed that this thing must have been a portal!" The crimson-haired elf couldn''t help but pout. "Anyway, it''s so shiny and round, and there''s no gate, but the monsters must havee from somewhere else for the ''native'' beasts to fight like that. So I guessed this must have been it!"

    If Emilia knew that she would be ''bullied'' like this just because she wanted to save some time, she''d never have been so hasty.

    Unfortunately, aside from Crystal, no one believed her ''sophistry'', and Danielle even rolled her eyes in exasperation.

    With how reckless and impulsive Emilia usually was, who would believe that she made all those ''deductions''? It was obvious that she just rushed in without thinking, relying on that incredible luck as always.

    But since she was so ''cute'', no one could bear watching her ''cry'', and Nico smacked the one bullying the ''little girl'' with her new staff. "Okay, that''s enough!"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "OWW! What the hell?! It hurts so much!!!"

    Robin rolled on the ground with an unbearable expression on her face, but everyone just snickered.

    "Still dare to bully others?"

    "Look at the poor girl''s red cheeks, you deserve it."

    Only Crystal appeared a little surprised. ''She''s not pretending¡­?''

    Even Emilia, who''d been busy pretending to be pitiful, noticed her abnormality. "What''s wrong¡­?"

    "Nothing, it''s that she really seems to be in pain. Guess Robin is more sensitive than I expected?"

    Robin, who''d overheard it, could only jump, feeling offended. "I''m not sensitive!"

    Fortunately, their ''argument'' was interrupted by a system notification, and the team quickly came back to their senses.

    ¡ª[The ''Pir of Greed'' wees you. Protected by creatures who covet both wealth and beauty endlessly, a part of the champion''s gear waits for the worthy''s ''rescue''.]

    Surprisingly enough, there was no new ''quest'' added to their menu, nor was there any clear mention of their objectives or rewards.

    Momentster, another notification came through.

    ¡ªYou have received an ''Anchor Crystal''. Please check your inventory.

    Emilia opened her inventory, and curiously took out the transparent cube. It hadn''t been clear in the timeline, but now she could see that it actually contained a tiny image of her elf form lying in a fetal position with her eyes closed.

    It wasn''t ''equipped'' with any of her gear, though, and Emilia was sure that not many would dare to ''share'' this little thing with others out of sheer embarrassment.

    "Hey, it''s really pretty!"

    It was only then that Emilia realized that everyone else had been staring at her anchor crystal ''secretly'', though Sylvia and Danielle turned away so fast that she almost wondered if it was just her illusion.

    Of course, there was no excuse for Robin''s drooling face.

    "Shameless!" Nico raised her staff again, making the rogue girl shudder and distance herself from the ''healer'' in terror.

    Meanwhile, Danielle was too embarrassed to get involved in their antics again, and focused on her own anchor crystal instead.

    The item''s description was simple and easy to understand ¡ª it was like a portable ''save location'' point that they could carry around with them. If they logged out and logged back in, instead of spawning randomly, they would reappear at the location of their respective ''anchor crystal''.

    Looking at the vast and endless forest around them, though, Danielle could only pull at one of her drill-styled braids in annoyance. "Exactly where are we supposed to find this champion''s gear, and what the hell even is it?!"

    Emilia grinned. "Why worry so much? Don''t we still have those ''Corrupted Blood Essence''?"

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 Chapter 785 Third Position

    ?

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    No matter how reluctant Danielle was to ''waste'' such incredibly useful consumables, she also realized that Emilia was right. If they didn''t use the Corrupted Blood Essence when they were the most aimless, its potential tactical advantage would only be meaningless.

    Fortunately, she didn''t know that Emilia was already aware of where exactly they needed to go, or she would have definitely spanked her on the spot, ''star yer'' or not.

    "I can see a lot of super ''shiny'' monsters scattered all over the forest, and¡­ it seems like there are other yers around as well." Robin frowned. "To the east, there''s a strange cave-like structure that''s also glowing¡­ but I can''t be too sure. It''s too far."

    They''d already figured out that the ''glow'' observed after chewing on the ''Corrupted Blood Essence'' was directly rted to the ''level'' of the entity being viewed, with usually the strongest monsters shining the brightest.

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully. "How many monsters are there in total? And if you can see any yers fighting them¡­ how is it going?"

    Robin squinted her eyes and looked around, then shook her head with a sigh. "I can''t count exactly¡­ but there should be at least a few hundred in my viewing range¡­ and more past that." She coughed. "As for the fights¡­ well, most of them are doing okay."

    The drill-haired girl snorted. "Alright, I see¡­ in that case, there are two possibilities. First, those aren''t ''yers'', but some other humanoids around the same level, or second¡­ those monsters are much weaker than the ones we fought outside."

    Emilia also nodded. ''Of course, the exceptional teams such as the hero''s party should have already figured out that the real objective of this ''quest'' must be somewhere else, and went looking for the entrance to the dungeon.''

    With their thoughts aligned, Danielle ordered Robin to lead them to the strange cave''s entrance without hesitation. And upon arriving, it soon became clear that they''d been right.

    ¡ª[Congrattions! You have discovered the entrance to the dungeon ''Goblin''s Den'' and unlocked the rted quests!]

    ¡ªAs the third party to discover the entrance, you are rewarded with ten silver coins per yer.

    Robin and Nico couldn''t help but curse.

    "We''re¡­ third?"

    "Damn it! Even though we used the ''Corrupted Blood Essence''?!"

    Even Sylvia frowned, and Danielle couldn''t help but sigh.

    Clearly, they somewhat regretted letting their dear crimson-haired beauty be so willful back then, though none of them were stupid enough to say it out loud.

    After all, even if their cute little puppy were to bite them, how could they be willing to hit it back?

    In contrast to her other teammates, though, Emilia was only momentarily surprised by the announcement. And she didn''t think it was much of a ''pity'' at all.

    If they really rushed into the pir world without grabbing the ''free experience'' outside, they wouldn''t have been even remotely as strong or prepared as they were now. And there was no telling if even that would have been enough to get them ahead of the other two teams.

    After all, the hero had the ''Hero''s Instinct'' to guide him, and it wasn''t strange for one of the others to ''luck out'' if the ''spawn positions'' were random in the pir world.

    ''The discovery reward doesn''t matter, but¡­ I''m a little worried if we''ll be able to clear it before the hero.'' Emilia sighed.

    Obviously, the first clear reward wasn''t something she could afford to miss. But¡­ no matter how she thought about it, the crimson-haired girl didn''t feel very confident in her chances.

    Cynthia hummed thoughtfully. "It shouldn''t be impossible. Didn''t his team have a lot of trouble on the second floor in the original timeline?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Of course, Emilia knew that among the three floors of ''Goblin''s Den'', the second wasn''t the trickiest, but it served as a wakeup call for the hero, who had gotten used to relying heavily on the ''Hero''s Instinct''.

    But even though she knew all about the dungeon, Emilia wasn''t so confident in being able to smoothly guide her team through the ''Goblin''s Den'' at a steady pace.

    ''You''re right, but¡­ maybe I should have convinced Danielle to recruit a good male yer, just to make things a little easier.'' Emilia frowned.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh. "With the current status of your team¡­ it would have been nearly impossible to recruit someone reliable, though."

    The crimson-haired girl blinked, and soon realized that her partner was right.

    With her current poprity, many acknowledged Emilia''s ''mechanical skills'' and luck, but few were convinced of her ''real skill''. This was not only due to the fact that she was a new face, but also because she was a part of the ''Crimson Witches''.

    After all, if she''d been really good, she would already have been poached by one of the top teams.

    Obviously, no one would leave their reliable employer toe join Danielle, whose bank bnce and reputation were both questionable at best. Not to mention, they hadn''t managed to win a single championship at any level in the past few years.

    The only ones who would be ''willing'' to join them at the moment would be those who were attracted by a certain someone''s face, but taking in that kind of person wasn''t really worth the risk of destroying their team''s already precarious bnce.

    Crystal reached forward to squeeze Emilia''s palm, giving her aforting smile. "Are you ready?"

    Emilia smiled, her eyes glinting with hidden gratitude. "Yeah. Let''s go forward and do our best."

    ''I obviously did all the heavy lifting, but here this blonde monkey goes taking all the credit.'' Cynthia snorted, but didn''t share her thoughts with her partner this time.

    Meanwhile, Danielle had already finished going through their newly issued quest and making a n.

    "Alright, team!" The drill-haired girl pped her hands to get everyone''s attention. "There are two squads ahead of us, and our goal is to clear this dungeon before anyone else, but don''t be discouraged!"

    Danielle took a deep breath to calm herself down, then grinned. "This is not a race, and the things inside must be tricky, so don''t think we''re any less likely to win than anyone else. But the same goes for others who will enter after us."

    Her sharp gaze turned to Emilia.

    "Everyone, especially you, Emilia, must listen to my words while we''re inside. But that is not to say you cannot speak or make suggestions." She smiled. "Although we sometimes make mistakes, I believe the right way to go forward is bybining all our strengths, understand?"

    Obviously, although she sometimes wanted to ''beat'' a certain crimson-haired beauty, Danielle would never deny her countless contributions to their team''s sess.

    Thinking about it more carefully, she also realized that it might not necessarily be a bad thing for them to be te'', and this might just be another one of Emilia''s ''lucky'' charms for their team.

    After all, maybe the leading teams would clear the way for them, or maybe they would be able to handle the dangers inside much more efficiently now that they were stronger. With Emilia''s ''luck'', anything was possible.

    Everyone nodded in agreement, and Danielle grinned. "If there are no questions, Emilia, Robin¡­ lead the way!"

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 Chapter 786 Ambush

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    Although Emilia had already known about it, descending through the dark cave entrance still made her a little uneasy, so she wasn''t surprised by the fact that everyone else was getting goosebumps.

    [You have entered the dungeon ''Goblin''s Den''!]

    Danielle frowned. "What was that disgusting feeling just now?"

    "It just felt like I passed through some slimy curtain¡­" Nico couldn''t help but shudder.

    Robin, Sylvia, and Crystal looked around warily, while Emilia continued to lead the way with her ''Vignce'' skill active.

    ''That must be the ''observation zone'' of the dungeon boss¡­'' Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''Hopefully, the other parties can keep it distracted enough to not hinder us too much till we get to the third level.''

    After being upgraded to level two, her ''Area of Vignce'' had doubled from ten meters around her to twenty, but it was clearly nothingpared to the [Great Goblin King] in the dungeon, who could watch and manipte a vast dungeon like this.

    ''Although it should be possible to protect thempletely through the first floor, I should let them practice and get a sense of danger in the first level while I can¡­'' Emilia thought.

    Of course, they were much ''better'' equipped to deal with dangers than any other team, but Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to believe that it would make the dungeon trivial.

    After all, the average level of monsters in this cave was much higher than the majority of the yers. And unlike the ''trap'' world outside the cave, which was filled withrge but isted monsters, it wouldn''t be so easy to gang up on the enemies here. In fact, it would be just the opposite.

    In the previous timeline, only the hero''s party had managed to clear it on their first try, and even that could be considered a fluke.

    For a team of average yers, getting to level twenty and forming a party of ten could be considered the minimum requirement to safely clear the ''Goblin''s Den''.

    "Careful! I sense danger ahead!" Robin warned.

    Danielle frowned. "Emilia?"

    The crimson-haired blinked, appearing a little confused. "There''s nothing within twenty meters, at least."

    "Then continue leading, but be extra careful!" Danielle motioned for the rest of them to be ready as well, then took out a ''torch'' from her inventory. "Ignite!"

    Compared to the ''small fireball'' that she had initially nned on using to light it in emergencies, ''Ignite'' was clearly superior in terms of utility, allowing Danielle to light the torch using such a tiny fraction of mana that it almost instantly regenerated.

    With some more light to scatter the cave''s slimy feeling, Danielle was able to relieve much of the team''s difort, though they still followed Emilia vigntly, ready for action.

    The further they went, the wider and taller the cave seemed to get. Before long, Emilia had to make a decision to either stick to one of the walls, orpletely lose her sense of direction.

    ''The goblins watch and ambush people from their hidden settlements within and above these walls, right?'' Emilia frowned. ''The center should be the safest, but¡­''

    The crimson-haired girl only hesitated for a moment before making her choice, and the rest of the team wasn''t surprised by the fact that she chose to cling to the right wall.

    After all, even with the torch lit, they could only see a few meters around them at best, and it would be a disaster to get lost and wander around in circles while there were two teams already ahead of them.

    Only a minuteter, however, something fell from the ''sky'' straight onto Emilia¡­ or her sword, to be more precise.

    "Graahk!"I think you should take a look at

    Looking at the now skewered green creature, Danielle and the others couldn''t help but be stunned.

    ¡ªKilled [Inferior Goblin], +2000 Experience, +2 Silver Coins

    <h6></h6>

    Even Sylvia couldn''t help but shake her head in wonder. ''Is her luck so good that monsters are now falling on her sword from the sky, just to give her free loot?''

    Soon, however, they realized that they were quite wrong, and it was only because of Emilia''s inhuman reactions that she was able to make the situation look so lucky.

    "Kyaa!"

    "I-It''s on me, h-help!"

    "O!"

    The subsequent dozens of goblins that dropped from above made the unprepared girls scream in terror, as neither their bows nor staves could fend off the monsters'' scimitars very well, though their crisis onlysted for a moment.

    A faint pinkish-purple aura burst through the area, and the expression of all attacking monsters turned ck for a moment before they collectively rushed towards Emilia while ignoring everyone else.

    "T-That must be the [Challenger''s Charm]!" Danielle breathed a sigh of relief, then tensed again. "Quickly, don''t let them gang up on her!"

    Their star yer was clearly fast, but it wasn''t to the point where she could be invulnerable to attacks from multiple angles.

    With little room to maneuver amidst so many foes, even Emilia had topromise and ept a few hits, no matter how much faster she was than her opponents. Or at least, that is how it appeared to the rest of her teammates.

    In fact, even if the goblins were much faster than yers andrger monsters of the same level, Emilia could have easily led them around by the nose if she so wished. After all, there were less than twenty of them, and most of them had been concentrated in one direction.

    But since she thought this was a good opportunity to let her teammates gain some valuable experience, Emilia decided she might as well sacrifice some of her health.

    It was the first time any of them had seen Emilia get ''really'' injured, and as they saw some blood flow down her legs and arms from the wounds of the goblins'' scimitars, it was impossible for any of them to remain calm.

    "Shadow Siphon!"

    "Light Arrow!"

    "Minor Heal!"

    "Ignite!"

    "Dark Arrow!"

    Their coordination waspletely thrown to the wind as everyone panicked, and aside from all their skills being aimed at the enemy, nothing else seemed to be on their mind.

    Even Crystal, who should have known better, was no different, and Emilia couldn''t help but groan as she continued to ''barely'' fend off her assants. ''At least aiming correctly. Otherwise, with her new hundred-point boost to intelligence, even I might be obliterated in one hit...''

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 Chapter 787 Conviction

    Chapter 787 Conviction

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    In fact, Emilia''s expectations of her team''s performance hadn''t been particrly high. After all, even if everyone except Crystal already had some ''experience'' with full-dive games, they were nowhere near as realistic as Arcadia. Not to mention, most of their fights so far had been quite straightforward.

    Even if Emilia were to train them to the best of her ability, she knew that it would be impossible for them topare to the real seasoned veterans. But that was exactly the reason why she insisted on leveling up and making sure they all got their primary professions unlocked.

    With a little bit of polish and the inherent advantage of the new skills, Emilia believed that it shouldn''t be impossible for them to outperform the hero''s team, regardless of the initial ''lead''.

    "Don''t panic! Make sure your attacks only hit the goblins!"

    Emilia couldn''t help but smile happily as she saw the agile little goblins around her drop like flies, with Crystal''s arrows skewering right through them in a straight line.

    Combined with Nico''s healing, her already insignificant injuries were gone long before her team managed to finish them all off, though that didn''t stop them from grumbling in discontent.

    The plentiful loot from killing over a dozen goblins in a row didn''t make them happy at all.

    But they couldn''t me Emilia for taking all the ''aggro'' using her skill. None of them could deny that they''d panicked, and it was only because of the crimson-haired elf''s timely move that they managed to gather some of their wits in time.

    Had she not done that, it was entirely possible for them to get ''team wiped'' from that ambush.

    "Emilia¡­" Danielle frowned, hesitated for a few moments, then finally made up her mind and gritted her teeth. "Sorry. This time, I failed to keep a cool head."

    The drill-haired girl now realized just how difficult it must be for a ''vanguard'' to handle such realistic danger. When she''d barely managed to block a goblin from chopping off her head with the wooden staff, her heart had almost popped out of her chest in fright.

    In fact, she wasn''t the only one feeling that way, and the whole team was full of varying degrees of guilt.

    It was fine for them to bully and tease Emilia from time to time, and they were fine with her ''sparring'' with monsters gantly as she usually did, but watching her being harassed by the little beasts was another thing entirely, and none of them liked the helpless feeling they''d had at the time.

    "I can''t believe we got caught off guard like that." Sylvia sighed.

    Feeling the team''s low spirits, Crystal frowned, then tried to ease the atmosphere with a light-hearted chuckle. "Well, to be honest¡­ that came out of nowhere."

    Robin also nodded hurriedly. "Who could have expected that it would start raining goblins?"

    Of course, Emilia''s intention this time was only to make them more ''cautious'', not depressed.

    "Don''t worry about it so much. Didn''t we handle all those annoying little bugs perfectly?" She grinned. "Look, not a scratch!"

    Although all the skin that she bared was indeed silky and clean, without a single blemish as she imed, it didn''t stop Danielle from rolling her eyes.

    "I cannot believe you just wasted five mana points. We still have a dungeon to clear, you know?"

    Emilia giggled. "Don''t worry, I have plenty."

    Despite her unrepentant attitude, Danielle''s ''scolding'' at least managed to set the team''s mind back on track.

    But as Emilia''s team continued to move forward after a short round of bickering, theypletely failed to discover the malicious eyes watching each and every movement of theirs with insatiable greed.

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    Emilia knew that every dungeon in Arcadia was vast and nearly endless, with thousands of pathways and twists and turns that were almost impossible to memorize.

    The initially linear pathway not only got wider and wider as they went deeper, but it also started diverging into multiple routes, from three, to five, to seven. Andter on, they would even emerge into vast chambers filled with vicious goblins, with circr walls littered with dozens of pathways.

    Even having gone through the previous timeline, she only knew the path that the hero''s team took when they cleared the dungeon on their first try. And even then, there was no way to be sure that she wouldn''t be mistaken when making a choice.

    The only reason yers didn''t getpletely lost in such an absurd maze was because the boss would carefully guide them along the way. Of course, its goal wasn''t to give them free loot, but to toy with their minds and bodies alike.

    Human morals and the restrictions of the society were of little significance in the eyes of the world will, and Emilia knew very well just what sort of damage the boss in this dungeon could do if given the chance.

    ''Although they need to be trained and sharpened, I won''t let them go through too much.'' She pursed her lips in determination while diving into another horde of goblins, with the explosion of her [Challenger''s Charm] sending them into aplete frenzy as they swarmed her.

    Fortunately, Robin''s [Shadow Siphon] slowed them down a lot, and the rest of her team''s attacks made quick work of the horde. Nico didn''t even need to heal anyone this time.

    After quite a few battles, their mana loss was finally negative, and the few bottles of mana potion that dropped were evenly distributed to Nico and Danielle, then Sylvia and Crystal in a two-to-one ratio.

    Obviously, this distribution was based on need, not contribution. And since Emilia''s main skill barely used any mana, she refrained from taking any.

    But no matter how fast or efficient they got, it was impossible to clear the ''Goblin''s Den'' on their first day. And once Emilia realized that the day was about to end, she decided it was time to talk about something her team had failed to realize till then.

    "Alright, it looks like the day is about to end. What are we going to do with our anchor crystals?"

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 Chapter 788 The Pillars Effects

    Chapter 788 The Pir''s Effects

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    Although the ''Anchor Crystals'' were harmless by themselves, in reality, a lot of yers in the previous timeline had ended up suffering miserably before everyone realized the ''proper'' way to use them.

    Since the Crystals only needed to be out of the inventory to function, it might seem extremely convenient to just drop them at thest explored point before logging out, and then continue from there the next day, but that would only be possible if no one ''misced'' them in the owner''s absence.

    Contrary to what most believed at the moment, the world of Arcadia didn''t actually ''pause'' while the yers weren''t allowed to log in, which meant that their ''Anchor Crystals'' would actually be ''abandoned'' for quite a while as they progressed through the dungeon.

    This meant that even if someone didn''t have any malicious teammates, they might still find themselves spawning surrounded by a horde of goblins all alone. At that time, losing some experience points and equipment or going down a level would be the least of their worries.

    Of course, while the boss kept an eye on everything within the dungeon, it wasn''t without limits. Once a certain number of teams were inside, it was impossible to keep track of all of their actions, and there would be an element of luck to encountering misfortune.

    Most of the time, it would only instruct its ''minions'' to search for the Crystals by themselves, and y around as they wished. Which meant that if they were hidden well enough, there shouldn''t be an issue.

    But Emilia wanted her team to at least realize the ''threat'', and try toe up with countermeasures on their own. That way, they would at least be more prepared when some things happenedter.

    Fortunately, while Danielle failed to realize the key points, she still arrived at a good ''conclusion'' soon.

    "Well, it''s not impossible for us to run into some trouble or emergency, dying us for a few minutes. It does seem like a good idea not to leave them in in sight."

    Not to mention what would happen if some malicious yer stumbled upon them while they had yet to log in, giving them an opportunity for a ''prank'', Danielle and the others were actually the most worried about what the goblins would do.

    "If those disgusting little things ate our Crystals, wouldn''t we spawn in surrounded by goblin gore? Ugh¡­" Robin gagged.

    "Just thinking about it makes me sick."

    Obviously, Emilia knew that goblins weren''t as dumb as the girls seemed to believe. At least, they wouldn''t be sopletely unaware of how the anchor crystals worked with the boss around.

    The crimson-haired elf couldn''t help but giggle. "I wonder if we''ll get any loot in that case."

    Of course, since time was tight, Sylvia and Robin were looking for a good ce to hide the crystals even as they continued to chat. Luckily, with her new skills, the yellow-eyed heroine had been keeping note of potential ''hiding spots'' along the way.

    Although it was supposed to be for herself, it would serve their purpose just the same.

    "There are better spots further back, but I don''t think it would be worth it to fight through those camps again, in case they respawn."

    The small crack in the wall was actually deep enough for someone topletely crawl in, though they couldn''t stand up or even crouch. But the tight space did give the team some worries.

    "Wouldn''t we be all squished to death if we spawn in there?"

    Nico''s concern was valid, but since there wasn''t much time left, Danielle could only frown and make a decision on the spot. "I guess we can try logging in one by one next time and see. Throw them in."

    Back in the ''real world'', everyone had been expecting the news of the new ''event'' and the dungeon to explode, but while those discussions were ''hot topics'' for a while, things soon took a strange turn.

    Emilia knew that each time the ''pirs'' descended, it signified the world will taking a step forward with the integration of Arcadia with this world. And while the step would only be pleted'' when someone conquered the dungeon once, just raising the first step was enough for people to notice some shocking changes.

    "Today, at the gym, the weights felt as light as a feather, and I couldn''t believe that I got so much stronger than I''d been yesterday! Is this the beginning of my legend?"

    "I''ve always been physically weak, but today I performed the best in ss, even though it was the long jump I hated so much before!"

    At first, people were only ecstatic to ''confirm'' that the ims and rumors about the game boosting people''s physique were true, but soon, the trend took a turn for the worse.

    Since even ''regr'' yers could benefit so much from only about five percent of their in-game stats, what the ''exceptional'' gained would naturally be on another level.

    And among those who were ''gifted'', not everyone knew how to keep it under wraps.

    Looking at the news on her phone, Emilia could only lean back on her chair with a sigh. "It happened again, after all."

    Unfortunately, she knew that even if she took action to ''eliminate'' one or two such hidden dangers, it wouldn''t matter much in the end.

    Several ''high-profile'' bank robberies on the same day were already enough to rm those in power, and when a certain video broke out of an impoverished country, they finally realized why some things weren''t making sense till then.

    "Did I see it right? That guy just conjured a fireball exactly like I would do in the game!"

    Of course, although it was all captured on video, some people still found it a little absurd.

    "How is that possible? It must be some special effect."

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    But no matter how it was denied, the news of the arson incident was officially confirmed by the authorities of the area. And when the captured man was finally forced to demonstrate his abilities for all to see, even the most stubborn had to ept it as a fact.

    The world had changed, and it was all because of ''Arcadia''.

    Almost immediately, a huge wave of resistance against the game was ignited, and people called for its ban and boycott all over the world. After all, with one ''anarchist'' as an example, it was clear to see that the world might descend into chaos if things were left to ferment.

    Of course, many yearned to get stronger and ''change their fate'' themselves, but they didn''t dare to speak out against the overwhelmingly negative public wave, and simply kept silent.

    Maybe the society struggling so hard to resist the change wouldn''tst long, after all.

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 Chapter 789 Our Own Legend

    Chapter 789 Our Own Legend

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    Despite the extremely strong reaction of the public, Emilia knew that such a situation wouldn''tst long.

    After all, even if certain countries were to start forcibly seizing full-dive pods from their citizens now, it was already toote. Some would definitely be able to hide them, and very few world leaders had a hundred percent control over their territory.

    Over time, these ''rebels'' would continue getting stronger, while the rest of them stayed the same. Needless to say, the scales would tip to the other side sooner orter.

    Not to mention, the changes Arcadia brought to the world were definitely not limited to just strengthening the ''people''. It was just that their direct link with the game through the full-dive pod made their transformation much more efficient. But as the world changed further, all living beings would slowly transform.

    Once stronger and smarter ''beasts'' started spreading all over the world, it would be much easier for the ''rebels'' to turn the tides their way. After all, firearms weren''t cheap, and no country could afford to wage a never-ending war using modern weaponry against beasts.

    Even if some with deep coffers could keep it going for a long time, though, there was a limit to what modern weaponry could do without resorting to weapons of mass destruction. And when the targets were located in areas with a lot of their own citizens, the problem became obvious.

    Of course, not every world leader was against the changes brought forth by Arcadia. Welkin, for example, was firmly in its favor, though whether it was due to the hero''s influence or something else remained unknown.

    ''If things go the same as they did in the original timeline, only twelve countries will ouw the use of full-dive pods over the next few hours.'' Emilia frowned. ''It''s a pity that the chaos that the public disorder will bring cannot be avoided.''

    Twelve countries might sound like a lot, but since none of them had much influence on a global level, their actions mostly only affected their own citizens. Inparison, if just Welkin alone had taken the same action against Arcadia, it might have caused an unstoppable chain reaction.

    Since the leaders of the more powerful countries were generally both smart and well-advised, however, instead of trying to stop something that they knew couldn''t be stopped, they would much rather go with the flow and change their own strategies ordingly.

    Arcadia already favored those with ''real talents'', and the world leaders naturallymanded most of them. Even if they started a littleter, the skilled and organized forces could never bepared to regr bands of civilians, after all.

    As Emilia expected, before the servers of the game were even up again, numerous advertisements and recruitment posters with extremely lucrative rewards had already started flooding both private forums and public channels.

    From some rich kid wanting his own ''booster team'' willing to offer a sryparable to highly-skilled professionals, to major corporations seeking particr items at rates that made people doubt their mathematical skills, it almost appeared as if ''veteran'' yers of Arcadia had suddenly won some lottery.

    As long as they were willing to sacrifice some of their progress and time, wouldn''t they be able to make millions? For people who couldn''t have dreamed of earning that amount in years, there was no need to think twice.

    It wasn''t enough to stop the momentum of the protests in certain parts of the world, but in most countries with a ''free market'', no one would be unhappy with the prospect of being able to live a luxurious life simply by ying a game a few hours a day.

    Even the ''Crimson Witches'' weren''t immune to this trend. If anything, they became one of the prime targets of the ''vultures'' looking for some meat.

    "I-I just received another offer for boosting a team¡­" Danielle shivered in excitement. "Guess how much they offered?"

    Nico and Robin tried to guess an amount, but they both ''failed'', making Sylvia roll her eyes in exasperation.

    Just as she expected, after exposing the offer, Danielle revealed that she''d already rejected it, because their time was now worth much more.

    Obviously, she could tell that the drill-haired girl was only exposing this information to everyone in order to make sure none of them ''defected'', especially her. After all, the ''poaching'' offers they received over the past few hours were so good that they almost had to doubt their eyes and ears.

    Even Sylvia couldn''t believe that someone would offer a mansion and lifetime sryparable to the CEO of a mid-level corporation to someone like Nico, who could only be considered ''mediocre'' at best by most professional gamers, and her own offer was even more ridiculous.

    Lifetime sry also meant ''lifetime servitude'', after all, and none of them were stupid enough to abandon everything they had now just to get rich.

    Of course,pared to Nico and Robin, Sylvia''s loyalty to the team wasn''t as strong, which was the reason why Danielle was putting on such a show.

    Her initial goal in joining the ''Crimson Witches'' had been to make a living, after all. And had she not met Emilia, Sylvia really might have been tempted and already left as long as they were willing to change a few terms for her. As it was, however, she couldn''t even be bothered to negotiate.

    Emilia''s great contribution to their sess was undeniable, and Sylvia wasn''t ungrateful to the point where she would just take it all and leave at the first chance of making bank without a care in the world.

    Not only would it break Emilia''s heart, but it would also shatter the bit of pride that Sylvia had stubbornly protected all her life.

    Moreover, they all knew that the ''real target'' of these poachers was definitely a certain crimson-haired girl. Even if most of her sess was to be attributed to luck, that was also a prospect that many seemed more than willing to invest in.

    Not to mention, now that the world was changing, getting their hands on ''high-quality stock'' like Emilia seemed to be the top priority of many who wished to write their legends in this ''new era''.

    Fortunately, although Emilia seemed a bit ditzy and na?ve most of the time, she was surprisingly clear-headed when it came to making such major decisions.

    "I don''t like how they''re trying to ''buy'' me, as if I''m somemodity."

    Robin wanted to make a joke about how she was surprised that the crimson-haired beauty even knew such a plex'' word, but looking at everyone''s serious expression, even she knew that would be just asking for a beating.

    She didn''t mind getting hit by Emilia''s little fists. In fact, Robin thought they must feel quite good. But recalling just how painful Nico''s staff had feltst time, she didn''t dare to take a gamble.

    Who knew that the girl she''d known for so many years had such a hidden talent for beating people?

    "I can''t trust them." Emilia continued, unaware of Robin''s wandering thoughts.

    The crimson-haired beauty''s usually mischievous eyes were shockingly firm. "But I think it should be clear now that we''re going in the right direction, and there''s no need to look back."

    Danielle grinned, with a rare hint of sincerity on her face. "Right? As our little star said, let''s forge our own legend!"

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 Chapter 790 Halted Momentum

    Chapter 790 Halted Momentum

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    Whether it was the fear brought forth by those against the ''changes'' brought by Arcadia, or the excitement from all the offers from certain organizations, most yers who logged into the next session simply no longer cared so much about the newly released ''event''.

    After all, since it would supposedlyst for thirty ''days'', instead of rushing to finish it now, there seemed to be nothing wrong with taking some time. Not to mention that they probably couldn''t get too far ahead of the top teams anyway, but the opportunity to make so much money may also nevere to their door again.

    Hundreds of thousands just for a few days of ''boosting'' certain teams? That was simply no different from gold raining from the sky while they were just farming as usual.

    Of course, such ''short-sighted'' behavior was rarely observed in the top teams, and whether it was Emilia''s ''Crimson Witches'' or the hero''s ''Radiant Light'', they remained fully focused on making their way to the dungeon''s second floor.

    That being said, it didn''t stop Danielle from making some quick bank on the side.

    "It''s a pity to let go of so much money that was being thrown our way for boosting teams and all, but I don''t regret it." Danielle smirked. "We''re still making a fortune just by selling our useless junk."

    Although the ''Trading Hub'' had been unlocked for the yers quite a while ago, not many had been able to use it because of the scarcity of resources. After all, even if it was cheaper to ''forge'' some beginner gear instead of buying it outright from the shops, it was still terribly expensive for most yers.

    Just for sponsoring a partially equipped yer, a team would probably have to sacrifice weeks'' worth of their farming time. How could it be considered worth it?

    But even with the absence of an in-game ''mall'' in Arcadia, with enough money being thrown around, such matters soon became trivial.

    Need 1000 pieces of [Boar Tusks] for something? 500 Silver? 10,000 [Rabbit Fur]?

    Simply pay ten professional teams to gather the resources full-time with a handsome sry, and suddenly the matter bes trivial. No need to grind for weeks or months. As long as the ''tasks'' could be distributed properly, there was no limit to what could be achieved with properpensation.

    Even in-game currency could be purchased from others, as most would happily jump at the opportunity to exchange their ''useless'' copper and silver coins in the game for cold hard cash.

    And once their coffers were inted enough, the ''rich'' obviously didn''t care so much about how much they were spending to acquire ''rare'' goods from the ''Trading Hub''.

    "I''m really d that I didn''t agree to sell our stock privately." Danielle sighed happily. "If I had¡­ we wouldn''t be making dozens of times more money now."

    Disregarding all their other offerings, just the ''Earthen Demonic Cores'' were going for nearly three gold coins per piece! Although it was true that most teams wouldn''t be able to take the [Minor Tentacled nt Demon] down for a while, that was still a ridiculously inted price.

    With the rate at which they could then sell their ''copper and silver'', to say that they would be winning a lottery every day would be an understatement.

    But their good fortune outside, unfortunately, didn''t carry over to their dungeon run, and it only continued to get more gritty as they progressed further.

    The gangs of goblins that they had to face didn''t seem to get any stronger, but their numbers were slowly reaching a point where they were starting to overwhelm Emilia even when she was trying her best.

    After another gruesome battle with a ''horde'' that left Emilia badly bruised and scratched, Danielle finally couldn''t help but call for a temporary halt to their exploration.

    "I think we''ve hit a major roadblock here, and if we just keep brute forcing our way in further, the ratio of our gains and losses will probably be reversed."

    Emilia frowned. "I can still go on. Just focus on keeping them a little scattered with your attacks if possible. It''s not like they can lose their aggro with me around."

    Unfortunately, even if her team wanted to believe in her words, not many could do so. After all, even Emilia''s short skirt had been partially torn by the goblins in the previous attack, lowering its attack speed bonus from three percent to just one.

    They hadn''t even known that was possible.

    The crimson-haired elf was the most exposed and vulnerable to the goblin''s assault in their team thanks to both her role and skills, and by then, they all understood very well just how ''perverted'' things in this game could get.

    Even that tentacle monster from before had tried to ''molest'' the poor girl when it got the chance, and these goblins made no ''secret'' of their disgusting goals. Now that Emilia was even ''weaker'' than before, how could they continue to gamble with her dignity?

    The drill-haired girl sighed. "Why don''t we take a break? Let''s just go out and upgrade our gear a little, then we can return and kick these monsters'' butts, how about it?"

    Since everyone else agreed with Danielle, even Emilia had no choice but to concede. "¡­ Alright."

    In fact, if she really tried, she could have probably convinced them to follow her idea anyway. But Emilia also realized that something wasn''t right when she started being overwhelmed by the goblin hordes.

    The ''boss'' of this dungeon was clearly not only paying ''special attention'' to them, but was also toying with her personally.

    It couldn''t be just because of her exceptional performance, since even Darryl was quite ''terrifying'', and a lot more shy thanks to the ''Hero''s Might'', even at his current level.

    "Considering this is the boss of the ''Pir of Greed'', it''s actually not that hard to figure it out." Cynthia chuckled. "You just don''t want to admit it, do you?"

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 Chapter 791 Confrontation

    Chapter 791 Confrontation

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    "Great, you''re finally here! We''ve been waiting forever!" A dark-skinned youth rushed forward to shake hands with a somewhat rugged yet handsome middle-aged man who exited the ''portal'' in front of them.

    Behind him, a group of twenty young men and women neatly followed one by one, clearly well-trained and disciplined.

    To be able to afford the teleportation fee of such arge group when none of them were above level ten, their background was naturally not simple.

    "I believe you''re already clear on our agenda for today"

    The dark-skinned youth grinned. "Of course, of course! My team here will make sure to guide you through the process of killing that annoying little bugger!"

    While the two of them were talking, a certain ''warrior'' girl by the side couldn''t help but frown.

    She had only just joined this team temporarily because she heard them boast about being able to take down a [Minor Tentacled nt Demon] with ''ease'', and apparently they''d even contracted some wealthy ''novice'' team that needed ''boosting''. But since they''d ''split'' into two teams to make more money, there was ''luckily'' a requirement for some skilled yers who would bepensated handsomely.

    Dolly''s level and equipment were far from being the best, but her skills were quite good. She''d been a ''pro'' vanguard for a decent team for years, after all, and had also practiced mixed martial arts for years. She had no trouble passing the dark-skinned youth''s trivial test, which only made her look down on him more.

    Including her, there were already five ''warriors'' in this small team, and they definitely wouldn''t be able to take the [Minor Tentacled nt Demon] down in a short amount of time.

    ''My skills have clearly gotten so much smoother since yesterday.'' She thought. ''I shouldn''t be wasting my time with the likes of them¡­''

    Obviously, while the pir''s descent changed the world only a ''little'', it didn''t have a uniform effect on everyone. Since their ''synchronization'' at the moment was quite low, most yers only received a small part of their ''stats'', while some lucky few might be able to directly obtain a passive or skill. And Dolly was one of them.

    She''d murdered one of the natives of this world out of sheer frustration, and somehow ended up triggering a quest that awarded her with a ''sneak'' passive skill for disposing of the body wlessly. At first, she didn''t think it was very useful, being only able to lower the sound of her footsteps and stuff. But who knew it would so greatly improve her martial arts skills after passing on to reality?

    With such luck, Dolly was no longer so envious of Sylvia, and even saw the faint hope of one day surpassing her so far that the other girl would only be able to endlessly regret slighting her before.

    Just as she was about to leave, something suddenly caught her eye. "That is¡­ no way¡ª!"

    Despite no longer streaming to the public, Emilia''s appearance was absolutely unmistakable for anyone else. And as one of the girls she hated so much, Dolly obviously wouldn''t fail to recognize her, even from such a distance.

    Since her voice was so loud, her other teammates also ended up discovering the party of six girls heading their way.

    Or, more precisely, they were heading for the city gate.

    "Ahh, isn''t that the Emilia girl¡­?"

    "Then¡­ that must be the ''Crimson Witches'' team?!"

    Even the previously ''disciplined'' team seemed to bubble with excitement, and their ''hushed'' discussions fell into Dolly''s ears like annoying little croaks of an ugly frog, making her frown in disgust.

    Aside from her skin and face, what was so good about a girl like Emilia?

    Na?ve, stupid, and far too arrogant for her own good, she was the type of girl who could onlyst long in this world by leeching off of someone else. Inparison, even if she sometimes shared Sylvia''s limelight, Dolly had never lowered herself to fully ''rely'' on the other girl for anything.

    Even if she had to steal something, she had to do it with her own hands.

    Of course, she didn''t mind if others took the me for it, as Sylvia unknowingly had. To Dolly, being so ipetent that one was not even able to avoid being med for something they didn''t even do just meant that they either deserved it, or were actively asking for it. In that case, why should she be the one to feel bad?

    Dolly''s disgusted expression wasn''t hidden from anyone else, and as Sylvia got closer, she couldn''t help but frown.

    The differences brought forth by the ''bloodlines'' were negligible at this stage of the game, and everyone''s real face was clearly exposed in Arcadia. The only way to hide their identity was to cover their face with something, so there was no way the yellow-eyed girl wouldn''t recognize her ''best friend''.

    All her enthusiasm for greeting the girl was gone, however, when she looked at the way Dolly was looking at Emilia.

    "Dolly!"

    Even if she was a hundred times more apologetic for not being able to make Dolly join her team, Sylvia couldn''t stand someone giving Emilia such a venomous look without reason. But facing her ''best friend'', she still didn''t know what to say.

    Dolly just sneered. "What, Sylvia, do you still recognize me? I thought you already forgot we used to be best friends."

    Sylvia obviously didn''t expect such a harsheback from the other girl, and almost took a step back in shock.

    Danielle and the others frowned, having never liked Dolly, but Emilia didn''t want them to create a scene in front of the city gate. "Why don''t we head somece quieter to talk¡­?"

    Luckily, Dolly wasn''t interested in airing their ''dirtyundry'' in front of everyone, either, so she also begrudgingly agreed. "Fine."

    As they walked away, however, the ''teammates'' that Dolly had left behind could only stare at each other in surprise.

    "Who knew that the seemingly unassuming girl actually knew the Crimson Witches?"

    "Their rtionship doesn''t seem to be particrly good, though."

    "Hey, who knows...?"

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 Chapter 792 Ill Intentions

    792 Ill Intentions

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    "Are we going to leave without that girl, or wait?"

    "I don''t care about that arrogant bitch, but I wanted to talk to one of her ''friends'', hehe¡­"

    Even though their sess was mostly attributed to ''luck'', the crimson witches, and Emilia in particr, were without a doubt the greatest targets of envy for those who wished to excel in Arcadia.

    In a way, they could be considered ''celebrities'', though initially most of their reputation had been built on Emilia''s face.

    "Honestly, I wasn''t expecting much of an impact, but seeing that elf-girl up close, I almost couldn''t control myself."

    "Right? It''s totally different from looking at her face through the screen. It''s like there''s some aura around her that just makes her look better."

    "I don''t care about you guys, but I''ll wait here for them to return. Maybe I can ''get to know'' her better."

    "Don''t kid around, they''ll probably be getting a new ''owner'' soon, and small people like us can''t afford to offend those big guys, you know¡­"

    The man who''d made the daring proposal frowned, but couldn''t refute hispanion''s point.

    It might be unlikely for the ''Crimson Witches'' to continue being on top now that everyone was taking Arcadia seriously, and they couldn''t be so lucky all the time. But people also realized that this was the perfect opportunity to pick this ripe fruit.

    Under proper ''guidance'', even if the ''Crimson Witches'' couldn''t remain ''world-ss'' for long, they could at least boost better and more skilled teams to that spot using their current position, after all.

    The fact that they were just a bunch of ''brats'' with neither money nor power made the minds of some people move with the intention of ''recruiting'' them, and it was unknown how long the ''Crimson Witches'' would be able to resist the ''temptation''. At least so far, there hadn''t been any news of them getting a new owner, though most people expected that it was only a matter of time.

    "What a shame."

    "Yeah."

    The image of ''rich capitalists'' or ''people in power'' was definitely not good in most people''s eyes, and they didn''t believe the life of those under their thumb could be very good. And for a girl who was pretty enough, things could only be worse.

    Many people felt it was a bit of a pity, too. Despite Emilia''s haughty attitude, she already had a lot of ''fans''. But this matter was beyond their ability, anyway, and it was better to bend than to break.

    The leader of the group gave his ''clients'' an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it looks like one of my teammates had something urgent to do. But don''t worry, we''re still perfectly capable of fulfilling our promise." He grinned. "Don''t mind their nonsense, by the way. They just like to talk a lot. We''re ready to leave now."

    The middle-aged man in front of him, however, just shook his head indifferently. "We''re not in a hurry. Let''s wait for yourpanion to return."

    The dark-haired youth couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. ''Didn''t he mention repeatedly how every second and every minute of his time is precious, and we''re not allowed to dilly-dally around? Wait, could it be¡­!''

    Obviously, it was impossible for such a disciplined-looking man to change his mind randomly, and he also couldn''t have been swayed by Emilia''s beauty, like some of his hormonal teammates. At least, there had been no reaction from his side to support that.

    Which could only mean¡­ the organization behind him must want to recruit the ''Crimson Witches'' too?!

    With the way they moved around and behaved, they were clearly ipatible with the whimsical and casual attitude of the ''Crimson Witches'', so he hadn''t even considered such an absurd thought before. But now, with the way they were behaving, this absurd conjecture suddenly seemed quite likely to be true.

    The dark-haired youth couldn''t help but feel a littleplicated. ''I worked so hard to market my team, but they were only interested in temporary cooperation. But for those girls, it''s fine to waste time like this even if they''re rejected?''

    He stared at the ''troops'' neatly lined up behind his client, but couldn''t see any hint of unwillingness or curiosity from them.

    The leader could only grit his teeth unwillingly.

    His ''vice-captain'', clever as she was, immediately saw through his dilemma, and coughed, pretending to fort'' some of her rowdy teammates. "I heard that several foreign agencies and organizations have been spotted wandering around the area their team usually stays in, you know? If you have any interest in those girls, you should definitely take the chance to talk to them before they leave."

    She then pretended to sigh wistfully. "Who knows, if you shy away now, you could miss the opportunity of a lifetime."

    Her teammates couldn''t help but be shocked.

    "Is that true?! Then¡­ aren''t they going to be poached away?!"

    Obviously, it was just nonsense she came up with on the spot, but it was so believable that no one had any doubts.

    The air immediately seemed to get a little gloomy, and one didn''t need to turn around to know that the middle-aged client of theirs must have a terrifying expression on his face.

    The ''spawn location'' of a yer being determined by their real location naturally meant that most people in the area were from the same country, and carried simr nationalistic sentiments. But based on the behavior of their ''client'', it wasn''t hard to guess who their ''backer'' must be.

    Suddenly full of righteous fury, a few people couldn''t help but make a few daring suggestions.

    "Some other countries have already passed their super-soldier programs, what is Karamine doing?"

    "I''d rather the government just capture them in that case. Anyway, when young girls can''t decide what''s best for them, it''s the duty of ''adults'' to take care of them."

    "Right!"

    The middle-aged man remained silent regardless of their goading, however, and no one could tell what he was really thinking.

 Chapter 793 Future Value

    Chapter 793 Future Value

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    Meanwhile, Emilia led her team down a rather familiar road, with Sylvia and her ''best friend'' following along silently.

    She wasn''t oblivious to all the ''attention'' that her team had been getting recently. However, the crimson-haired girl didn''t believe it was necessary to pay too much attention to such things.

    Regardless of their ''choice'', all the ''top teams'' in their region would have to submit to the country''s new ''rules'' once they came out. And while submitting to the rich and powerful might let them avoid that fate for some time, that would only be a curse disguised as a blessing, instead.

    After all, the national leaders might be able to ignore a few ''high profile'' individual teams for some time, but once certain organizations started gathering so much ''firepower'' in broad daylight, ignoring them would be no different from simply handing over their country without a fight.

    This was one of the core reasons why Emilia hadn''t bothered correcting the misconceptions about her ''stupid and na?ve'' behavior, and also why she didn''t mind ''taking the me'' for things she may or may not have done.

    Of course, while she didn''t care about being ''bullied'' by people who she knew cared about her, the crimson-haired girl wasn''t so kind as to let ''strangers'' like Dolly do the same.

    "You know, at first I thought all of you must also have returned to the capital to make some money like the rest of them, but¡­ looking teammates from getting injured and taking damage in their stead, haven''t I done pretty well for a vanguard?"

    at your clothes, tsk tsk¡­ things must have been tough, huh?"

    Emilia frowned, but didn''t stop or turn around. "By preventing my teammates from getting injured and taking damage in their stead, haven''t I done pretty well for a vanguard?"

    Danielle nodded. "Of course, you did perfectly well."

    Robin and Nico also chimed in.

    "Some people are just jealous and can''t handle the fact that someone else could be better than them."

    "True."

    Several of her teammates had been consciously helping Emilia by surrounding her while they moved as a group, so not many were able to get a clear glimpse of her for long, and it was difficult for any of them to ascertain the degree of damage that her clothes sustained. But how could it be the same for Dolly now that they were moving as a ''group''?

    Not only was the crimson-haired elf''s skirt in tatters, with even her silk undergarments slightly exposed, but the rest of her clothing and armor were also heavily damaged.

    Dolly couldn''t help but sneer. "It''s clear to me now that your team values your face more than your skills. Maybe I was lucky that day, avoiding the disaster of joining your group of idiots."

    Despite getting a somewhat ''better'' perspective of what she used to be like in her childhood, Emilia''s impression of Dolly fortunately hadn''t really changed much, so she wasn''t too disappointed, and just smiled. "Maybe we were lucky, too. Avoiding a disaster."

    After all, regardless of what happened before, it remained true that Dolly allowed her ''best friend'' to take the me for something that was her own fault. Not to mention, Emilia found it a little hard to believe that it was a coincidence that Sylvia''s reputation was hit a lot harder than Dolly''s.

    Normally, Emilia would confront this kind of person head-on, and expose all their lies and deceit to the public. But this matter didn''t really involve her directly, and Sylvia wasn''t yet close enough for her to make such decisions on her behalf.

    Sylvia seemed like she wanted to interrupt their ''conversation'' several times, but either she couldn''t find the opportunity to speak, or just didn''t know what to say.

    On one side was her ''best friend'', but the girl was so different from what she remembered that Sylvia almost couldn''t match the face in front of her with the memory from the past. And on the other side was the girl she''d hated at first, but grown to like more and more the longer they were ''stuck'' together.

    Naturally, Emilia knew that Sylvia definitely wasn''t as cunning or deep thinking as her ''best friend''. Looking at how things had turned out previously, allowing the two to talk in public would probably only make things worse for the yellow-eyed girl.

    "Okay, we''re almost there. Let''s not argue on the road and be the target of public ridiculeter."

    Although Dolly was reluctant, she also knew how much trouble an ''identally captured'' and carefully edited video could cause, so she could only keep silent.

    Her future was too bright to risk for the likes of these upstarts, after all.

    Of course, Emilia didn''t care about the reasoning behind Dolly''s attitude.

    Whatever happened previously still hadn''t caused any ''irreversible'' damage, as not many really knew who Sylvia was. But things were different now, with their ''Crimson Witches'' team bing a lot more famous. Emilia knew that the two definitely couldn''t be allowed to talk in front of a crowd.

    If Sylvia ''admitted'' to something wrong or carelessly jumped into a pit that was meticulously dug by her ''best friend'', even Emilia wasn''t sure if the situation would be recoverable.

    That being said, there were actually very few ''private'' ces for yers to have a short discussion within the capital, unless one wanted to either rent or buy out somece for at least a day. At least, that was so in themercial and residential zones.

    And even though her reputation was now quite good, Emilia still couldn''t take people along to the noble or military zones, either.

    Luckily, with the recent frenzy of people pouring money into the game, most new and veteran yers alike were too busy trying to earn as much money as they could, leaving the inns and restaurants mostly filled with the ''natives'' of Arcadia, including the one where Emilia and her team often stayed at.

    "Wee to Inari''s Inn!" The proprietress greeted her ''regr customers'' happily, then quickly led them to arge round table. "What would you like to order?"

    Obviously, while the food and drinks avable on the ground floor of the inn couldn''t bepared to dedicated restaurants, they were good enough for Emilia to indulge in from time to time.

    "Just a cup of green tea for everyone, please." Danielle ordered without missing a beat.

    "Alright, just a moment!"

    Once thedy had left, the drill-haired girl''s gaze turned sharp as she focused on the sneering face of Sylvia''s ''best friend''. "Okay, now you can bark."

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 Chapter 794 Irreconciled

    Chapter 794 Irreconciled

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    If the words hadn''t made it clear enough, the contempt in Danielle''s tone made her attitude towards Dolly quite obvious. And even if Dolly didn''t care much about the other girl, it was impossible for her to face such ridicule and not be incensed.

    "How dare you!" She mmed her fist on the table furiously, then turned to Sylvia. "How can you stay silent after listening to her talk to me like that?!"

    Usually, Sylvia would have already jumped out to defend her friend when she saw her being ''bullied'' without even caring about what could have led to that situation, but this time, she remained silent even after the less-than-gentle reminder.

    The way Dolly had mocked Emilia just moments before made her realize that maybe the girl she''d been thinking of as a friend had long since stopped being who she used to be. Or maybe¡­ she never existed in the first ce.

    ''I always thought that nobody could be a saint, and if Dolly was mocking someone, she must have had her reasons.'' Sylvia frowned.

    Maybe they deserved it, or maybe they provoked her first. Either way, the yellow-eyed heroine always considered it her duty to stand by her friend''s side, just as the other girl had for so many years.

    But¡­ she couldn''t ignore how Dolly mocked and tried to ridicule Emilia.

    If she recalled correctly, the two of them had only met for the first time during the ''trial'' for the vanguard position in the ''Crimson Witches'', and had never seen each other since.

    Sylvia suddenly shook her head in denial. ''No, although I''ve been paying close attention to Emilia, I can''t be sure about Dolly. She could have been watching Emilia''s news and thinking that it could have been her all this time¡­''

    With the veil of friendship now no longer clouding her vision, the yellow-eyed girl quickly started bing more and more suspicious of Dolly''s behavior. ''In fact, now that I think about it, she seemed to hate Emilia from the start. But¡­ why?''

    "What are you frowning and shaking your head for, Sylvia? Say something!" Dolly fumed.

    She thought that even if Sylvia wasn''t drowning in guilt, she must at least be remorseful for ''abandoning'' her. But watching the usually ''valiant'' girl remain silent even as she was openly mocked by Danielle made her feel that something was wrong.

    captain?!"

    "Robin¡­ you use your ears to listen, not your eyes." Nico corrected Dolly didn''t want to ''keep'' this best friend, but that didn''t mean she was okay with being the one who was ''abandoned'', not again. Only she could kick Sylvia away, and decide if and when the girl must be forgiven for her transgressions.

    Unfortunately, the response she got from her ex-''best friend'' wasn''t one she was expecting.

    "Dolly¡­ you''re the one who provoked Emilia first, so don''t try to bend the truth." Sylvia sighed. "Danielle''s words may be harsh, but she doesn''t lie."

    Dolly was shocked, but so were the rest of Sylvia''s teammates.

    "My eyes must be deceiving me¡­ did Sylvia just defend our captain?!"

    "Robin¡­ you use your ears to listen, not your eyes." Nico corrected her absentmindedly.

    The waitress arrived at this moment to serve everyone tea, but Dolly just looked down at her cup silently, her aura radiating gloom.

    ''Arguing against all these idiots will be pointless¡­ I never should havee here.'' She thought wistfully. ''My time is precious, I will be a rising star in the future! A remnant of the past like Sylvia really isn''t worth it¡­''

    At first, she''d just wanted to mock and ridicule Emilia and bring her down a notch, and even Dolly couldn''t deny that there was a bit of envy that clouded her feelings.

    Just because that slut''s face was a little better, howe all the good things that were supposed to belong to her could so easily be taken away?

    She wanted to see Sylvia pick her over the crimson-haired bimbo, and watch them argue and fight each other. Though she had no intention of ''forgiving'' Sylvia for her betrayal, Dolly would have at least never sought revenge against her if she made the right choice.

    Now, however¡­

    "One day, you will regret it."

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    While everyone else had been arguing, mostly with Emilia as the main subject, the crimson-haired beauty herself had been lost in thought for quite a while.

    "Well, this is pointless."

    "Hmm."

    Dolly left after flipping them off, but Emilia just sipped on her tea absentmindedly.

    Sylvia and the others thought she must be a little sad after hearing Dolly''s ''harsh words'', so they could only rush tofort her.

    "That¡­ I didn''t realize she was like that. I''m sorry for what she said." Sylvia frowned guiltily.

    Danielle hummed. "She''s not a part of our team, and we know how good you are better than anyone else. Don''t let the opinion of irrelevant people bother you."

    Nico also nodded. "She''s just jealous."

    "Yeah, don''t listen to her, baby! You''re the cutest and the most adorable creature in existence!" Robin gushed, inwardlymenting the fact that her seat wasn''t right next to the crimson-haired beauty. Such a perfect opportunity to fort'' her was missed!

    Crystal also pretended to console her, not having the heart to reveal the ''truth'' to everyone else. But Emilia just hummed and continued thinking about their ''failure''.

    ''The hero''s team must be making good progress right now.'' She sighed. ''But the boss is making things difficult for us, and we can''t just keep bashing our heads against a wall.''

    Cynthia hummed in agreement. "So? What do you n to do next? Follow Danielle''s n?"

    Emilia didn''t expect the hero''s team to fail or face unexpected misfortune, and knew that they might be able to ''conquer'' the dungeon well within the time limits. If they really waited too long, all their advantages so far would have been for nothing.

    However, with the dungeon boss himself obstructing their path, she just couldn''t figure out how to proceed.

    It wasn''t hard to guess the motivation behind his actions. As an embodiment of wealth and beauty alike, even Emilia had to admit that Cynthia was right.

    Because their team was full of pretty girls, the boss must have taken a ''liking'' to toying with them and watching them struggle. Once he was satisfied, he would clear their path and ''gobble them up'' as he liked.

    Obviously, that thing never even considered the possibility of losing, and while the likes of the hero''s party weren''t ignored, they weren''t taken very seriously as threats.

    For the dungeon boss, maybe the other teams were just appetizers before enjoying the main course, which was unfortunately Emilia''s team.

    The moment she had this thought, the crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but be stunned. ''That''s it!''

 Chapter 795 The Strange Solution

    Chapter 795 The Strange Solution

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    "Have you figured it out?"

    Emilia grinned. ''Mhmm! I did!''

    Since the dungeon boss was making trouble for them because he thought they were ''good toys'', there was actually a very simple way for them to stop him from ''dying'' them, and even actively work to ''help'' them reach the boss room faster.

    The trick was to make him long for the ''toys'' enough to no longer have any patience to wait, and Emilia knew just the way to do it.

    ''The thing that attracts him the most is probably our beauty.'' Emilia analyzed carefully. ''After all, the amount of gold we have might not be much in the end game, but it''s definitely a lot more than any other yer¡­ right?''

    Cynthia hummed. "It''s very likely. Even if some of the ''big yers'' have started buying out coins from others, the speed at which they can amass funds at this stage of the game can''t be that high."

    It wasn''t that people weren''t willing to sell what they had, and the raven-haired girl would never underestimate the greed of mortals, either. The reason she was so certain, however, was simple.

    Only a few teams were able to deal with ''high'' level monsters like the [Minor Tentacle nt Demon] and the [Ravenous Rabbit], and most of them wouldn''t be shortsighted enough to leave the chance to conquer the dungeon first.

    Of course, unless there was some drastic change from the previous timeline, the number of goblins they must have faced at this point couldn''t even be close to what Emilia and her team went through, thanks to the ''special care'' from the boss.

    "It''s possible that it might work."

    With Cynthia''s ''confirmation'', Emilia''s smile got even brighter.

    Now all she had to do was doll herself and her team up so that the dungeon boss couldn''t resist his greed.

    Although her team couldn''t figure out which one of their ''tricks'' had worked, they were more than happy to see their precious ''vanguard'' finally cheering up.

    "That ''Princess Knight'' thing really does suit her." Danielle whispered in exasperation. "Sometimes, she''s so valiant like a knight, and then she goes acting like a spoiled little princess¡­ so hard to please!"

    Of course, she didn''t dare say it loud enough for Emilia to hear.

    Luckily for her, the crimson-haired girl''s hearing ability within the game was the same as everyone else. Otherwise, Danielle would have quicklye to realize that Emilia had never really thrown a ''temper tantrum'' at them before, and was at most just being a little more willful than her usual self.

    Regardless of the drill-haired girl''s ''dissatisfied'' words, however, Crystal could tell that the team as a whole was happy to see Emilia in a good mood again.

    Maybe they also realized that despite her usually ''carefree'' attitude, perhaps Emilia was the one who cared for the ''progress'' of their team the most. This included even Danielle, who was the ''owner'' of the team, and the one who stood to gain the most if it could ''solidify'' its spot as a real top squad in the world of Arcadia.

    "Didn''t you want to take me shopping? Well, let''s go!"

    Danielle wanted to scold and correct her words, but after Robin and Nico not-so-subtly signaled her to be more tactful with their unexpectedly painful elbow nudges, she could only give in.

    "Fine, fine, let''s go¡­ shopping."

    In fact, despite her words, none of them thought Emilia would take much interest in looking around for good ''gear''. After all, thest time they''d been in themercial district for that purpose, the little beauty appeared to have been quite bored.

    Even if she was in an unexpectedly good mood and hyping herself up for it, Emilia would probably lose interest in it sooner orter. Or so they thought.

    "Does this look good on me?"

    "Does this?"

    "How about this one?"

    Usually, a beauty like Emilia modeling around for them would be a happy event. But when the items she was spending so much money on didn''t evene with their own special effects, her poor teammates could only feel their hearts and wallets bleeding without daring to make a sound.

    Obviously, she was just picking whatever made her look good. But since the effects were so stunning, none of them could find the will to stop Emilia.

    As someone who could make even the boyish Maeve look like a delicate princess, Emilia''s ability to ''beautify'' herself could only be considered terrifying, and even the ''non-yers'' seemed to have been affected.

    But since they looked so good on her, even Danielle couldn''t bring herself to say ''no'' when the crimson-haired elf bought them.

    The drill-haired girl couldn''t help but sigh. "You know, Emilia¡­ that top you purchased to rece your breastte¡­ it doesn''t have any stats or defense abilities, right?"

    In fact, the default breastte wasn''t so bad, and most yers usually couldn''t find a decent recement for it until they''d hit level thirty or so.

    This was because of the fact that random item boxes were only rarely given as quest rewards, and progressing in the main quest also wasn''t so easy.

    "Yep, I know. But doesn''t it make me look good?"

    The crimson dress she''d picked wasn''t glittering, but Emilia''s smile definitely made it look like it was. It didn''t seem to expose any of her ''important'' parts, and yet, it barely seemed to cover enough.

    Going down from the little beauty''s neck to the middle of her thighs, whether it was the alluring valley up top or the tantalizing t belly below, far too much was left for others to feast their eyes on.

    Knowing her own advantages the best, Emilia twirled on the spot with a smile, and Danielle only realized she''d nodded in agreement when it was toote.

    "I knew you''d agree." The elf girl grinned.

    While Danielle was stunned, the rest of the team couldn''t help but snicker.

    Well, except for Sylvia, that is. She was too busy trying to swallow her own saliva to care. ''That thing¡­ it really looks like she''s not wearing anything down below?!''

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 Chapter 796 Makeover

    Chapter 796 Makeover

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    Since they''d already spent the gold, and Emilia also looked so happy, Danielle could only sigh in defeat and ept that raising their ''little star'' wasn''t cheap. "Okay, okay. You look very cute. Now, can we move on to looking for things that will help us in the dungeon?"

    Emilia shook her head quickly in denial. "Not yet!"

    Rushing to the still-dazed Sylvia, she clung to the girl''s arm coquettishly. "All those people were looking down on me earlier for wearing torn clothes and being so poor."

    Her teammates wanted to refute that they were obviously just staring at her because it was hard to resist looking at such a pretty girl in torn clothes, but Emilia didn''t give them the chance.

    "So I want all of us to look pretty and dazzle their eyes till they''re blind!"

    Unlike the rest of the team, Crystal could tell that Emilia''s decisions were far from being as na?ve and willful as they appeared. Though even if that had been the case, it wouldn''t make much of a difference in her choice.

    She was obviously aware of the fact that Sylvia had been in a veryplex mood since meeting Dolly again, and honestly, she couldn''t me the yellow-eyed girl. After all, if one of the crimson-haired girl''s friends were to treat the ''little princess'' like that, they''d be lucky if Emilia didn''t climb onto their neck to pry Sylvia, Emilia still considered her a good friend now, and also an integral part of her team. So she thought cheering the other girl up their skull open to check what was wrong inside.

    Inparison, the yellow-eyed heroine was taking it too well.

    Plus, although she might not have many romantic feelings for Sylvia, Emilia still considered her a good friend now, and also an integral part of her team. So she thought cheering the other girl up was just right.

    Everyone vaguely heard her exim ''Sylvia is next!'' while dragging the taller girl into the boutique.

    Crystal only shook her head with a smile as she followed after them. "Let''s go quickly, or our princess will be mad."

    Danielle and the other two, however, remained stuck on the spot.

    Obviously, they were still trying toprehend the fact that they''d be bing Emilia''s dress-up dolls next, and they didn''t even know whether to be excited or scared.

    After all, while Emilia seemed to love trying on different clothes and twirling around to show them off, that wasn''t really the case for any of them. If anything, it was quite the opposite.

    Except for Danielle, who loved taking care of her hairstyle too much, none of the other members of the ''Crimson Witches'' had much interest in fashion. They were perfectly happy wearing whatever looked good to them at a casual nce. Their real interest was in ying games, after all.

    But having known Emilia for so long, the three ''old friends'' could only look at each other helplessly.

    Crystal was probably right.

    "Well, she''s as stubborn as she''s pretty, so there''s no point in fighting it." Danielle sighed.

    Nico shuddered. "Hope she makes up her mind quick."

    Robin also pretended to agree, but internally, she was trying to decide how likely it was that she would be able to drag Emilia into the changing room under the pretext of not being able to figure out how her clothes worked.

    Given how closely everyone guarded her usually, this might be one of the few times the two of them could be ''alone'', after all. Even if she couldn''t make anything special happen, Robin was still fairly confident in being able to make ''some'' progress with Emilia.

    Much to Danielle''s surprise, it didn''t actually take as ''nightmarishly long'' as she first expected while surrendering to being Emilia''s ''dress-up doll''. If anything, it was just the opposite.

    While the crimson-haired beauty took care of their opinions and tried different things to see what they liked more, it seemed like she had some special talent for being able to figure out exactly what would suit each of them best.

    She even took care not to ''rece'' any of their good gear, and was able to ''transform'' them just by making use of the avable slots.

    Of course, it helped that most of the outer clothing without stats and abilities could be ''used'' as an essory if every other slot was full. And none of them had reached even close to hitting the ten essory limit.

    By the time she was done, the ''Crimson Witches'' hadpletely transformed from just an attractive team of girls to what looked like a heartthrob idol group. Even the ''NPCs'' seemed to find it hard to resist looking twice from time to time.

    Emilia, in particr, had gone ''all out'', not even caring about how shameful her outfit might be. Though luckily she had been more considerate of the rest of her team.

    Danielle could only sigh in relief at the fact that Emilia had picked the somewhat medieval noble girl look for her. ''In fact¡­ it''s not so bad to get a makeover. Our mindset was really disturbed before, and it''s good to change things a little and cheer up.''

    After looking around a little, she also realized that her idea of ''gear upgrade'' before had been too optimistic.

    It was true that their team had made a fortune by ughtering the hordes of goblins, however, what was avable in the market was actually quite limited.

    Things that could be directly purchased usually came with some fancy effects depending on their price, but they all had their own drawbacks. Not to mention, unless they were highlypatible with some niche skill a yer just happened to have, most of them were just for show.

    As for things that were being sold on the yer marketce¡­ well, the situation was even worse.

    Not to mention that most of the gear was almost immediately grabbed by others at some ridiculous price, whatever was being sold was alsoughably weaker than what they already had.

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    Instead of spending most of their gold on some ''trash'' item, even Danielle would much rather spend some of it to cheer Emilia up.

    ''The only problem is¡­ it''s a little too distracting. That stupid Sylvia can''t even keep her hands to herself¡­'' Danielle frowned, then shook her head in denial.

    She''d also had simr thoughts when Emilia first joined their team, but weren''t they able to treat her normally now? Even Robin was no longer caught trying to molest the crimson-haired beauty as often.

    ''We''ll probably get used to it soon. At most, I''ll have to scold them a few times.'' She thought.

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 Chapter 797 Testing

    Chapter 797 Testing

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    ''I think they all look pretty good now, so this should be enough¡­ right, Cynthia?''

    The raven-haired girl hummed. "Well, I''ll admit they''re not as much of an eyesore as they used to be. No, to be honest¡­ with you around, was this really necessary?"

    As far as Cynthia was concerned, Emilia''s appearance was the type to invoke extremely strong feelings almost instantly, whether it be lust or envy. And as long as she was willing to put in a little effort, only the most resolute of mortals might be able to resist her temptation.

    Emilia couldn''t help but giggle. ''Although I''m confident in my own charm, it doesn''t hurt to increase our overall ''attack'' power, does it?''

    "They''re just mortals, anyway¡­" Cynthia grumbled, but couldn''t find a good enough reason to refute.

    She had to admit, her partner''s talent in figuring out what would look the best on someone was actually quite terrifying. Not to mention Sylvia and Crystal, who already had an excellent ''base'', even the rest of the team was brought up to roughly the same level with just a few tweaks.

    Whether it was the dashing and handsome Robin, the kind and pure beauty Nico, the arrogant and proud Danielle, the innocent and holy Crystal, or the dark and mysterious Sylvia¡­ each one of their unique charms was turned to the max, and Cynthia wouldn''t be surprised if the ''dungeon boss'' of the [Pir of Greed] couldn''t control himself and decided to just break out of his own zone to chase after them.

    Emilia grinned. ''Besides, with all my teammates looking so good, my efficiency is also sure to be boosted, right?''

    Cynthia couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''There is it, her ''the knights are only as motivated as their princess is pretty'' reasoning¡­''

    Even after suffering such a disaster in her ''original'' world, how could Emilia still believe in this kind of nonsense?

    No matter how she turned that boyish and rough Maeve into a delicate princess, no one even came close to reaching Emilia''s level of ''stunning'' in that world. And yet, was she not ughtered mercilessly in front of so many?

    Beauty could be a great weapon when used right, but it had its limits.

    But although she thought so, the raven-haired girl couldn''t bring herself to point it out and make her partner sad.

    Anyway, with her around, Cynthia didn''t believe anyone could trick her partner like that again.

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    "You want to ''test'' it out¡­?" Danielle blinked, not quiteprehending what the crimson-haired beauty might mean.

    Emilia nodded, looking quite proud. "Although I think I''ve done a good job, since everyone was already so cute, there''s no way to be sure it actually made a difference without testing it on someone reliable."

    The rest of her teammates stared at each other in nk dismay. Every time they thought that they''d gotten used to the whims and demands of their ''precious princess'', she came up with something they never expect.

    Unfortunately, since they''d already dedicated themselves to ''voluntarily'' raise a princess, they could only bear it all with a smile.

    Anyway, the goal of the day was to cheer Emilia up, and it could be considered a great sess as long as she was no longer depressed about their ''failure'' in the dungeon.

    Danielle nodded after finishing her ''mental reinforcement''. "And how exactly do you n to test it?"

    "The best way to test one''s charm is, of course, to try it on someone it would be the least effective against!" Emilia grinned.

    Her words gave everyone a bad feeling, and as expected, the crimson-haired girl''s idea was as ''stupid'' as they imagined.

    "You want to test your ''attractiveness'' on someone who ''hates you for sure''¡­? And who could that be?" Danielle blinked, partially disbelieving, and partially amused.

    When Emilia confidently uttered the name in her mind, Robin and Nico couldn''t help but groan.

    "You want Dolly to praise us?!"

    "That''s impossible!"

    Even Sylvia, who used to be the girl''s ''best friend'' would never believe that Dolly would praise any of them after their previous conversation. If anything, she would already be ''extremely polite'' to not insult them in public again.

    Danielle remained neutral, and only Crystal spoke up in her support. "Well, although it''s unlikely for her to praise you¡­ I don''t think it will be difficult to judge whether your appearance has an ''impact'' on her."

    After all, even if Dolly could remain perfectly stone-faced, the blonde girl would still be able to figure out her real thoughts using her ability.

    The rest of the team only thought she was talking about observing Dolly''s expression carefully, though, but they were still convinced.

    They''d only watched the crimson-haired beauty get more and more impossible to resist step by step, and yet were still almost led astray. For most people, it shouldn''t be possible topletely resist having some strange thoughts.

    Even for those who had no ''interest'' in someone of her type, it was easy for their little princess to invoke their desire to conquer and keep a ''treasure'' for themselves, even if it wasn''t very ''useful''.

    Knowing that their silence meant agreement, Emilia couldn''t help but grin happily. "I can''t remember what it was that they were going for, but their team should be returning to the city soon, right?"

    "Well, whatever you wish, princess."

    "Let''s go."

    Of course, she was betting on them heading back to an ''inn'', and not having left behind their anchor crystals in the dungeon. After all, the temptation of money wasn''t so easy to resist for most people, especially when no one even knew what rewards the ''event mission'' would hand out.

    Instead of ''wasting time'', it seemed like the obvious choice to make the most money that they could during this ''golden opportunity'', and then live as they like for the next few years.

    What they didn''t know, however, was that Dolly''s team hadn''t left the gates of the capital at all, and were eagerly waiting for their arrival instead.

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 Chapter 798 Targeted

    Chapter 798 Targeted

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    Dolly wasn''t particrly pleased with how her ''discussion'' with Sylvia''s team went. After all, not only did she not get any apology from Sylvia, but she was also mocked and ridiculed by her ''new friends'' as if she deserved it.

    But considering her own bright future, Dolly knew that it was only a matter of time before they started regretting not getting into her good graces while they still could have.

    Just thinking about Sylvia being full of regret and self-condemnation for ''missing out'' on being a true friend of hers made Dolly feel like such small ''bumps'' didn''t matter too much.

    People like that Emilia girl might have been able to get ahead of her in the game, but in the real world, they probably would nevere even close toparing to her skills.

    Since the main reason everyone was now so eager to join and make progress in Arcadia was to get stronger in reality, Dolly knew that sooner orter everyone would realize the value of ''gifted'' people like herself.

    All she needed to do now was wait patiently and make progress at her own pace, and everything else would eventually fall into ce on its own.

    But while she may not have cared if she were to get scolded or kicked out of her new ''team'' because of leaving without warning, Dolly was still shocked that they waited so long for her to return.

    She couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. ''Could it be that my secret potential was somehow revealed¡­? But how?!''

    Soon, however, she realized that things weren''t quite as she first believed.

    Neither the team leader nor the rest of the team paid any special heed to her, and the ''clients'' they had been serving were also busy with some sort of internal discussion. Of course, the same could be said for ''her'' team.

    "I don''t get it¡­ weren''t we supposed to help them level up? Why are we just waiting here doing nothing?"

    "Dunno¡­ but apparently, we''re getting paid regardless."

    Dolly''splicated gaze turned to the man who''d recruited her, and she realized that,pared to his mostly confused team, the leader''s mood was much more sullen.

    Naturally, while he didn''t have any problem with getting paid for doing nothing, he wasn''t shortsighted enough to be happy about such an event. If anything, the fact that any long-term cooperation might now be impossible made him extremely anxious.

    If they couldn''t help their first big client at all, who would trust them with their time and money ever again? Anything he put forth at that point would just look like excuses.

    Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to convince them, the ''client'' just refused to listen.

    And sometimeter, he wasn''t even allowed to get close to the man who led the client team, since they were supposedly having a ''confidential meeting''.

    "Are you sure they''re heading over here?" The middle-aged ''leader'' frowned.

    "Positive, sir. I just received a direct message from our sentry."

    "Hm¡­ then we wait."

    Recruiting the ''top'' team in the world was much more important than a single day''s ''experience'', as far as he was concerned. After all, while he may not understand ''games'' very well, the lead that those girls supposedly had over others was supposed to be quite considerable.

    ''If we wait for the official channels to finish preparing, it will probably be toote.'' He sighed. ''I can only take the initiative myself.''

    Being a father of two ''adults'' and three children, the man understood very well how easy to tempt and quick to act young people could be. And without even a single ''stabilizing figure'' in that team, he was absolutely certain that they would be ''poached'' by some foreign power quite easily.

    After all, no matter how strict they were with who was allowed to approach the zone in which the ''Crimson Witches'' operated, and were even constantly monitoring them, their authority didn''t really extend into ''Arcadia''.

    If not for fearing that chasing after them would scare the ''little girls'' and make them more resistant to joining the right side, the middle-aged man might not even have been willing to wait for them. Every second he spent ''dilly-dallying'' was another second that could be used by their ''enemies'' to court this ''potential weapon'', after all.

    Fortunately, his patience seemed to have paid off, as the silhouette of six feminine figures could be seen approaching the city gates on the capital''s main exit. Combined with the news he received from his ''spies'' earlier, the middle-aged man was certain that it must be the Crimson Witches.

    ''Should I go with the tough but honest approach, or the gentle and kind one?'' He wondered. ''It''s usually better to fake some kindness in front of young girls, but both that Emilia girl and Danielle seem to be quite rebellious, and may not respond well to that¡­ I''ll just have to be tough.''

    Just as he''d made up his mind, Emilia and her team finally got close enough for the middle-aged man to get a clear look at them. And almost immediately, all the ''distracting thoughts'' he''d been having earlier fled from his mind.

    He''d clearly seen them well enough just a while ago, but with just a few small changes, it was like the whole team hadpletely transformed.

    The gangly and boyish girl of the group had turned dashingly beautiful when donned with a tight-fitting dark suit that hugged her curves just right, and maximized her feminine charm without dulling her edge.

    The dull and boring ''healer'' had been turned into a priestess in pure white, with numerous golden essories that surprisingly didn''t take away from her gentle aura at all. And the girl next to her was the exact opposite, with dark and imposing robes that hugged her curves and a distinctly proud demeanor, she perfectly portrayed the image of a nobledy and a witchbined.

    As for the remaining three¡­ well, he wasn''t surprised that even his well-trained subordinates seemed to have lost their minds.

    The middle-aged man couldn''t help but sigh. ''Fortunately, I''m already old enough to be their father. Otherwise, I''d have been in some real trouble.''

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 Chapter 799 The Heart Doesnt Lie*

    ?

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    "It''s kinda embarrassing, isn''t it?" Nico blushed under the eagle-like gazes of the crowd.

    Even the usually daring Robin couldn''t help but agree. "I''m fine with being red at, but the way they''re staring just kinda creeps me out."

    The taller girl was used to being ridiculed by others for her looks and dressing choice, being a tomboy and usually acting quite udylike, and such a drastic shift in how people looked at her obviously caught her off-guard. And while Nico was sometimesplimented for being ''cute'', she also never expected Emilia''s ''makeover'' to be so effective.

    It would have been fine if it were just a few more people thinking they were ''pretty'', but with the kind of attention they were now getting, it was impossible for them not to worry.

    After all, while some in the crowd really were just honestly appreciating what they saw, there were more than a few jealous and hateful res mixed in.

    If they really ended up attracting trouble for a reason as stupid as them looking ''too good'', probably only someone like Emilia would be happy.

    Danielle couldn''t help but frown. ''If I''d known she was so ''good'' at it earlier, I wouldn''t have let her mess around so much.''

    In fact, deep down inside, the drill-haired girl was well aware of the fact that she was just making excuses for herself.

    Given how attractive Emilia usually appeared, and how straightforward she was, Danielle didn''t need to be a genius to figure out that the girl must know her stuff. After all, Emilia''s visual ''impact'' was just too strong, stunning even those who usually would never be attracted to a girl like her, and not all of it could be ''natural''. Though it was probably true that Emilia''s silly and easygoing personality contributed a lot to her ''charm'', especially when it came to certain ''caring'' girls.

    Sensing the strange atmosphere around them, even Sylvia frowned. "Let''s just go back."

    Arcadia didn''t have any special ''protection'' features for yers, whether they were in the city or not. And when surrounded by so many ''malicious'' gazes, it was impossible for them to predict how the situation would pan out if things headed south.

    Even though Sylvia believed that every member of their team should be much stronger than anyone else around, there was no way for her to bepletely sure. And with Arcadia''s restrictions on ''logging out'', the yellow-eyed girl simply didn''t think it would be wise for them to stick around and try their luck.

    After all, they had little to gain from such a confrontation, and everything to lose.

    The crimson-haired girl who was being ''carefully hidden'' by the group couldn''t help but pout. "No no, no way! How can we go back without checking Dolly''s reaction?!"

    Sylvia sneered. "Is what she thinks really that important?"

    Based on their conversation, it was a little hard to believe that Dolly used to be Sylvia''s ''best friend'', and not the other way around.

    Crystal coughed. "Hey now, don''t fight. Since things are already like this, there should be no harm in just letting her look at Dolly."

    Of course, the blonde girl only said so to support Emilia.

    Danielle sighed. "Alright, fine¡­ but we''re going back as soon as we''re done. Got it?"

    Emilia squealed in delight, and the hushed whispers of the crowd got even more intense.

    Clearly, they hadn''t forgotten about the ''prettiest'' girl in their group, though unfortunately it was hard to see her clearly since she was huddled up between the remaining five.

    Since the rest of the group had undergone such a massive ''transformation'', it was impossible to say that they weren''t looking forward to what thest one looked like. Of course, most of them were already prepared for disappointment.

    After all, when there isn''t much room to improve something, it''s likely only to get worse with change.

    Under everyone''s intense scrutiny, the group continued heading towards Dolly, who just stared at their arrival with a dark expression on her face.

    Although they were surrounding Emilia in a tight five-pointed star formation, and Sylvia was at the rear left position, she was still the most ''noticeable'' one in Dolly''s eyes. "What, are you here to mock me again?"

    It was hard to believe that the girl who''d usually only acted as her ''support'' would one daye to ''attack'' her in such a high-profile manner. And even if Dolly had already made up her mind not to care about Sylvia, her teeth still itched with inexplicable rage.

    Her words immediately sparked a discussion in the crowd.

    "So those two were friends, and had a falling out?"

    "I don''t think she''s very approachable, but Dolly doesn''t seem like a hateful girl. I wonder what could have happened¡­?"

    The words were clearly ''uncertain'', but the tone of the speaker subtly suggested that the fault must lie with Sylvia.

    "Well, even if you stop getting along with a friend, it''s strange to attack each other unless something extreme happened."

    "Dang¡­ now I really wanna know."

    Dolly also realized she''d made a mistake, but it was toote to take back her words. ''If they make up rumors and nder me when I get more famous in the future, I''ll never forgive her!''

    Maybe her ''best friend'' had already reached the peak of her potential fame, and was content with being a part of the ''top team'' in the initial stage of such a revolutionary game. But her own future was limitless, and might even be a part of the world''s history.

    Such an incident might be insignificant in the long run, but Dolly found it hard to believe that her image could even be slightly tarnished by Sylvia.

    She couldn''t help but grit her teeth angrily. "You¡­ did that on purpose, didn''t you?!"

    The yellow-eyed girl frowned and shook her head, but didn''t respond to her so-called friend''s words.

    It was hard to believe that they''d onceughed joyfully on swings and slides, side by side. Dolly used to be her only sce, and someone Sylvia thought she would protect and side with no matter what, but¡­ not anymore.

    She didn''t know when, or how, but a certain someone had already ''reced'' Dolly''s position in her heart.

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 Chapter 800 Effective

    800 Effective

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    The tense atmosphere between Sylvia and her ex-friend was broken by Danielle''s cough. "Actually, we didn''te here to fight or argue. It''s just¡­ Emilia really wanted to apologize for being absentminded earlier."

    Dolly obviously remembered that the crimson-haired elf hadn''t really spoken a word or tried to join others in ''mocking'' her after leading them to the inn before, but that didn''t mean her impression of Emilia was any good.

    After all, not to mention that the girl had grabbed ''her'' spot in Sylvia''s team, but she had also at least ''listened'' to others mocking her without saying a word. In Dolly''s mind, that was already more than enough to write Emilia off as ''undeserving'' of her kindness.

    Moreover, there was no telling if this was just another ploy of Danielle''s to mock and ridicule her, and maybe she was merely being more ''roundabout'' with her words because of the public setting.

    Just as Dolly was about to sneer and retort, however¡­

    "Hi~!"

    The smile of the crimson-haired girl who had been ''hiding'' behind Sylvia all this time was so stunning that, for a moment, even Dolly forgot to breathe.

    It was as if the whole world had fallen silent, and her thoughts hade grinding to a halt in this girl''s presence. For just a moment, Dolly even had a ridiculously impulsive thought of taking the initiative to ''befriend'' the crimson-haired beauty.

    After all,pared to her, someone like Sylvia probably wasn''t even worth being called a forgotten shadow of the past.

    Of course, she soon woke up from her daze, and connected the stunning beauty in front of her to ''Emilia'', and all her good feelings instantly turned to dust.

    Recalling how she''d ''just'' been cheerfully greeted by the ''beauty'' in front of her, Dolly couldn''t help but sneer. "Just how hypocritical can you be, trying to mock me in front of everyone in the name of ''making amends''? Please, don''t think everyone is so stupid." She chuckled. "The fact that you tried so hard to make yourself look good to make me look bad inparison, and yet this was all you coulde up with¡­ it''s a little pathetic, isn''t it?"

    Her surroundings still remained dead silent, making Dolly quite proud of her ''wless'' argument, but she didn''t realize that most people hadn''t even heard what she said.

    They were too busy staring at Emilia, after all.

    As for the crimson-haired elf herself, she was quite satisfied with the results.

    Dolly might have reacted with disgustter, but the astonishment and attraction in the brief moment before she realized who Emilia was couldn''t have been more obvious. And to the crimson-haired girl, that was enough.

    Since even her ''enemy'' couldn''t resist being momentarily tempted, there was no way that the boss of the ''Pir of Greed'' would stand a chance. After all, even if he was ''intelligent'', his core characteristics of greed and lust naturally made him quite irrational.

    But although her objective had been achieved, Emilia didn''t forget that they were in public. Before leaving, she at least had to rify the situation a little, or the reputation of their team might end up being irreversibly damaged.

    "I-I''m sorry for not paying attention earlier, Dolly." She sniffed. "I just¡­ w-wanted to be friends with Sylvia''s friend, too. W-We''ll leave now!"

    The crimson-haired beauty tugged pitifully at Sylvia''s sleeve, as if begging her, but everyone around felt as if she was pulling directly at their heartstrings.

    Due to her ''poor'' decisions while entering this world, Emilia''s height was a little shorter than her real one, and standing next to the tall and imposing Sylvia, she looked even more petite, invoking everyone''s innate desire to protect the ''pitiful'' creature.

    ''How could someone bear to bully such a beautiful little thing?'' was the thought that echoed through most of their minds.

    Dolly just sneered, not realizing how everyone''s dissatisfaction with her was growing, but before the situation could deteriorate further, someone decided to ''tactlessly'' barge in.

    "Excuse me, Miss Danielle¡­" The middle-aged man coughed. "There was actually an urgent matter I needed to talk to you about. I wonder if you have a moment?"

    The imposing and authoritative aura around the man made it impossible for people to just ''disobey'' his instructions casually, and even Danielle couldn''t help but hesitate.

    "We don''t have long, but fine."

    The middle-aged man was quite satisfied. "Great, my name is Norman." He signaled his subordinates to clear the area, then continued with a smile. "Actually, I don''t think you''re unaware of the fact that the world is changing. And while this change might seem like it will bring you a lot of opportunities¡­ ites with a lot of danger, as well."

    Norman knew that his argument was a bit blunt, but when dealing with younger and impulsive folk, he''d learned that it was better to be direct and to the point. If he didn''t drive the reality through their head in time, it was possible that Danielle wouldn''t realize the ''need'' to join them.

    He couldn''t just watch the opportunity to recruit them go out of his hands again, so even though he knew this wasn''t the best time, he decided to take his chances. Fortunately, he managed to stop them before they could leave, and it looked like Danielle wasn''t quite as hopeless mentally as a certain crimson-haired elf. At least, Norman thought so.

    Of course, he would never admit the fact that Emilia''s appearance had left himpletely stunned for a while, making him unable to respond. Now that he''de back to his senses, Normanpletely ignored the crimson-haired elf''s existence, though he wasn''t unaware of her curiously shining eyes being focused on himself.

    ''Just a thoughtless and stupid girl who looks a little better than the others... the real decision maker in their group is Danielle, I just have to convince her and we''ll be done.'' Norman thought, and continued his ''pitch'' with a smile. "We believe your team has a lot of potential. But the more potential you have, the more danger you''ll attract."

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 Chapter 801 Reversal

    801 Reversal

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    The insinuation of the middle-aged man''s words was obvious.

    If their team didn''t pick a reliable ''backer'' in time, no matter how ''well'' they performed in the game, it wouldn''t take long for certain forces in the real world to capture the ''Crimson Witches'' for themselves.

    After all, while it was possible that they might be able to get strong enough to defend themselves from most ''threats'' in due time, no one who coveted them would be stupid enough to wait for that moment to arrive.

    Sensing Danielle''s hesitation, Norman smiled confidently. "In fact, if you didn''t realize, we''ve already been protecting you in secret for quite a while. Otherwise, most of the offers you received so far wouldn''t have been so polite."

    Of course, while his words were true, they weren''t theplete truth. Aside from ''protecting'' the Crimson Witches, his team''s presence around the area in which the Crimson Witches operated also served the purpose of ''monitoring'' them.

    After all, the higher-ups had never put much faith in anyone''s ability to convince a bunch of ''brats'' who somehow obtained powers they didn''t deserve. And in case they were really ''rebellious'' enough to reject all their good offers, they had to be prepared to use ''other means'' to subdue them.

    It wasn''t clear if Danielle realized which ''force'' the middle-aged man really represented, or if she just ''appreciated'' his thoughtful ''protection'' so far, but her attitude also turned a lot more polite. "Mr. Norman, I''m happy that you thought highly enough of us to make such an offer, but¡­ to be honest, we''re just a few girls having fun in a game, and don''t really know much about other things."

    Obviously, it was a polite rejection, but Norman didn''t look upset at all, and even smiled.

    "Does Miss Danielle realize how dangerous things are going to be in the future? It won''t be very ''fun'' at that time, so I suggest you think it over carefully."

    His sharp gaze turned to Emilia, who was still blinking at him curiously. "There are certain people in your team more ''vulnerable'' to temptation than the others, and there''s no telling how much they''ll suffer when things turn bad, after all."

    In Norman''s mind, he was doing them a favor by making such an ''early'' and ''good'' offer for ''cooperation'' while everyone else in his department was in favor of much ''stronger'' measures to control the bunch of immature girls well, but his good intentions were rejected without a thought.

    It was impossible for him not to be angry.

    Danielle frowned. ''I didn''t want to offend him or the forces behind him since it seems like they''re influential enough to really hurt us if they want, but¡­ he seems really against Emilia for some reason?''

    Contrary to her thoughts, however, the crimson-haired elf didn''t get upset at being ''pointed out and ridiculed'', and even grinned happily at the middle-aged man.

    "Is Uncle worried about Emilia getting hurt? Don''t worry, Uncle, Emilia is actually very strong, and very careful when ying!" She giggled. "But Emilia is happy that uncle wants to protect me like a knight, ehehe¡­" The crimson-haired elf turned to pull at Danielle''s sleeves shyly, though her eyes glinted mischievously. "Danny, Danny, can''t we join Uncle''s team? He looks super strong!"

    Not to mention Danielle, even Sylvia and the others werepletely stunned.

    Although Emilia sometimes acted a bit ''childish'', they couldn''t recall her talking like that to anyone else all this time they''d been together.

    Could it be that this guy really had some ''mature charm'' thatpletely ensnared their ''innocent and na?ve'' Emilia?

    Their impression of Norman immediately plummeted to the bottom. Well, except for Crystal. She could tell Emilia''s real intentions, and was trying her best to not let her amusement show on her face.

    After all, the other side contained plenty of professionals who might be able to guess that something was wrong from their expressions alone, or so the blonde girl thought.

    Meanwhile, Norman''s impression of Emilia was also reversedpletely.

    Previously, he thought she was just a spoiled and arrogant brat who did as she pleased and didn''t listen to anyone. But now that she was so ''obedient'' to himself and also seemed to admire him a lot, the little beauty immediately turned into a daughter-like figure in his mind.

    He couldn''t help but smile. "Little Emilia is really wise for her age. Miss Danielle, won''t you listen to her?"

    Norman realized that while the crimson-haired girl was younger than Danielle and the others, it was only by three to five years, at least on paper. But since Emilia was from a ''backwardmunity'' living in istion, it was possible that she was actually much younger than her registration details indicated.

    Thinking about it this way, their observed behavior made much more sense.

    He knew that Danielle and the others seemed to spoil Emilia a lot, and followed her whims to an almost nonsensical degree. In fact, this was one of the reasons his impression of Emilia had been so ''poor'', as he believed that this naughty ''little girl'' would probably lead everyone else in the ''wrong direction'', and make things difficult for himself.

    But now that he thought about it, maybe they just realized the ''truth'' earlier, and took care of the little girl more out of some sort of motherly instinct.

    Of course, now that things turned out to be the opposite of his expectations, Emilia''s image in his mind immediately changed from ''annoying'' to ''adorable''. He even hoped that Danielle and the others would continue to listen to their ''little sister'' or ''daughter'' or whatever they thought of her as devoutly as always.

    Instead of holding a grudge against a little baby, he might as well take care of her more. Young children were quite easy to teach and mold, after all. And with the little girl''s attitude, it didn''t seem like things would be particrly difficult going forward.

    Norman didn''t realize that the more he thought about it, the younger Emilia seemed to get in his mind, and the more ''fond'' of her he became.

    As he expected, Danielle''s previous ''perfunctory'' attitude was easily changed once the crimson-haired beauty expressed her stance.

    "Give us a day, um¡­ we''ll think about it."

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    Really sorry about the missed uploads thest couple days, ahhh! I was super sick. T.T

    The medicine seems to be working now, though, so it should be possible for me to update regrly. Who knows, if my mind works, I might even be able to write more than usual, being stuck in bed... >///<

 Chapter 802 Allegiance

    Chapter 802 Allegiance

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    Although Norman was obviously pleased by the turn of events, his expression didn''t change much as he nodded. "That''s alright, think it over carefully. Once you''re ready, just let us know."

    He extended his hand to pat the head of a certain ''little girl'', only for some obstacles to get in his way, making him chuckle.

    "I see that you''re a very well-taken-care-of kid, huh?" Norman teased.

    Emilia blushed shyly to avoid embarrassing the poor old guy. After all, he might be their direct superior in the future, even if it may not be for too long. There was no point in antagonizing him needlessly.

    Unfortunately, her reaction only made the rest of her team more displeased with the middle-aged man.

    They''d long since stopped caring about what Dolly or the crowd around them might think, and only wanted to escape from this ''pervert'' before things got worse.

    Even Danielle, who had some idea of what the middle-aged man in front of her might represent, was no different. "Our Emilia is a little delirious from being too tired, so let''s talkter."

    Norman nodded generously. "That''s fine. Take good care of the little girl, don''t make her cry."

    Obviously, they''d already been doing it before ever meeting him, so all his words just sounded like those of an extreme hypocrite to Emilia''s teammates.

    The middle-aged man turned his warm gaze to Emilia. "Let uncle know if anyone bullies you, alright?"

    In his opinion, it was only a matter of time before the ''Crimson Witches'' joined them, and there was no need to rush them now. After all, while Danielle was much more ''mature'' than Emilia, she was still a ''child'' barely older than his own daughter. He knew very well that urging them repeatedly would only have negative effects.

    Danielle added the middle-aged man as a ''friend'' and led her team away under the greedy and envious gazes of the crowd, though no one dared to say a word.

    Even if some of them weren''t sure who exactly Norman was or what power he represented, it wasn''t hard for them to guess that messing with someone he was ''protecting'' right under the man''s nose would have terrible consequences in reality.

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    Emilia naturally had her reasons for siding with Norman, and while she couldn''t share them directly with Danielle and the others, she didn''t believe it would be particrly difficult for her to make them arrive at the right conclusions by themselves.

    Unfortunately, that was only if they were willing to listen to her.

    "How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers you don''t know?"

    The crimson-haired elf tilted her head in confusion. ''Did she, really?''

    Cynthia coughed. "No, but¡­ mortals don''t have a particrly good memory. They sometimes mistake what they''d wanted to say with what they''d already said, especially as they get older."

    Obviously, her partner''s words didn''t help Emilia much. The drill-haired girl in front of her was in her twenties, and normally shouldn''t have such problems¡­ right?

    Danielle frowned. "Even if you forgot about it before, be more careful in the future!"

    "Then¡ª"

    "No!" The drill-haired girl interrupted her sternly. "That Norman guy is nothing good, and you''re not allowed to talk to him ever again!"

    "But I¡ª!"

    "We usually indulge you, Emilia, but not this time! I don''t want to hear a word about him from you, understand?" Danielle snorted coldly.

    And to make matters worse, Nico, Robin, and even Sylvia nodded in agreement.

    "That guy looks like a pervert, for sure."

    "Right? He''s probably a weirdo."

    "He also gave me bad vibes."

    Danielle gave Sylvia an ''appreciative'' look for the first time, then patted Emilia''s head with a caring and ''kind'' smile. "This is for your own good."

    The poor crimson-haired elf could only turn to stare at Crystal, who just shrugged helplessly.

    "¡­?"

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    Fortunately, despite her unwillingness to listen to Emilia''s ''arguments'', Danielle''s decision on the matter was quite in line with Emilia''s intentions.

    ''It seems like Danielle also realized how the situation is turning bad for ''rising stars'' all over the world.'' She sighed. ''It would have been great if we could''ve just remained ''neutral'' and independent. But unfortunately, we would just end up bing a juicy piece of meat surrounded by dozens of predators.''

    Cynthia snorted. "She probably didn''t think about it so carefully, and just got scared of that ''power show'' earlier."

    The middle-aged man they talked to had clearly made some changes in certain arrangements, and shortly after Emilia and her team exited the game, it became obvious that their ''office'' was now under someone''s ''care'', whether they liked it or not.

    In fact, Emilia could tell that the actual degree of monitoring and control hadn''t really changed much. The same people who were watching over them before had now changed into a uniform and stopped ''pretending'', though she wasn''t sure of the purpose of such deliberate change.

    Emilia sneered. ''It''s not necessarily a bad thing. Our team is now popr enough to be one of the main ''seeded'' squads of the government, which is much better than joining some random corporation.''

    All the benefits and support aside, just the fact that they would no longer be bothered by ''recruiters'' as much in the future was quite good. Not to mention, governments were usually quite ''inefficient'' whenpared to private entities in terms of exploiting their employees, which was good enough. Aside from those who were firmly on ''her'' side, Emilia never expected anyone to help her achieve anything.

    Without any worry about external matters, they could fully focus on conquering the dungeon from the next day onwards.

    The only problem now was how the hero would take this news.

    Emilia hummed thoughtfully. ''Well, he shouldn''t mind too much. After all, I''m only supposed to be a part of his team in secret for now. Not to mention, I can''t control how my team thinks or what Danielle decides to do.''

    She''d even been scolded so badly because of that Norman guy. Too bad there wasn''t any easy or obvious way for Emilia to prove her innocence. Or at least there wasn''t one that wouldn''t make the situation worse.

    Cynthia chuckled. "Don''t worry, that guy is probably too busy thinking about clearing the dungeon to pay attention to much else."

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 Chapter 803 Warped Intentions

    Chapter 803 Warped Intentions

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    Appearing in the ''cave'' where they''d hidden their anchor crystals, Emilia quickly activated her headgear''s ''Vignce'' skill, and sighed in relief when she realized that there really wasn''t an ambush waiting for them.

    Maybe the boss didn''t yet ''know'' the function of these things properly, or maybe he just hadn''t been paying attention when they hid it. Either way, the crimson-haired girl felt they''d been quite lucky.

    Her teammates had only briefly argued against her logging in first to take the anchor crystals out, but agreed once they realized she was indeed the smallest and fastest of them all. Of course, that was only because they didn''t yet know the full horror of goblins.

    ''But as long as we can get through the first level today, that kind of thing won''t matter.'' Emilia smiled as she ced the anchor crystals on the ground carefully.

    Shortly after, the rest of her teammates appeared, and almost immediately started fussing over her.

    "We didn''te toote, right?"

    "You didn''t wait for long, right? I forgot to factor in the time difference, ahh."

    Once Danielle and the others were assured that she was fine, however, they quickly got serious.

    "Let''s go. Robin, Emilia¡­ lead the way!"

    Danielle had asked all her teammates to stay the night at the office previously, and it wasn''t without reason.

    The four of them, including Sylvia, had discussed the matter for a long time before agreeing to a n of action for their future.

    They realized that the world was changing, and if they couldn''t get strong enough to ''resist'' that change in time, they would only be prey to those that did, no matter how they didn''t want to admit it.

    Otherwise, not to mention protecting Emilia from ''malicious'' people like Norman, they may not even be able to protect themselves.

    They would no longer hesitate or run away when encountering difficulties. Nor would they seek an easier way out when faced with challenges.

    Only Emilia and Crystal were excluded from this ''vow'', though it was for vastly different reasons.

    Their sess in the game was no longer just about bing famous or being acknowledged by the public. It might be what decided if they would able to survive with their dignity intact in the future.

    After all, if they weren''t strong enough, there was no telling if the ''respectful'' attitude of Norman and his buddies would change for the worse. It was fine to be ''soldiers'', but they definitely couldn''t tolerate the thought of one of them bing someone''s ything.

    With Emilia''s charm, the only way to make sure such a thing never happened was to be strong enough to protect her.

    As for Crystal¡­ well, not to mention that she was an outsider, Danielle and the others didn''t think she needed their protection. After all, no one seemed to know who she was, so her background definitely couldn''t be simple.

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    ¡ªKilled [Inferior Goblin], +2000 Experience, +2 Silver Coins

    ¡ªKilled [Inferior Goblin], +2000 Experience, +2 Silver Coins

    "Whew¡­" Robin wiped the sweat off her temple as she took out her dagger from the goblin''s corpse. "I thought that would never end."

    Danielle frowned. "Don''t let down your guard. You''re our scout, after all."

    The taller girl nodded frantically. ''Right! I can''t keep relying on Emilia just because she has that item.''

    Of course, despite admonishing her, Danielle was inwardly a little surprised. ''I''m not sure if this is just my illusion, but¡­ isn''t this much easier than it should be?''

    Thest time they were trying to get through, the hordes of goblins that attacked them were so overwhelming that they almost despaired. But now¡­ although they were a lot more ''frantic'', there was no denying that their numbers had been reduced.

    "Could it be that we got through the worst of it already, and retreated just as things were getting easier?" The drill-haired girl frowned, inwardly regretting her choice.

    Had she known it would be like this, she would have just followed Emilia''s whims and continued. That way, not only would they have been much further ahead, but might also have been able to avoid meeting Norman!

    Danielle quickly shook her head in denial. ''No, there''s no point in regretting it now. I just have to make sure to think about things more clearly from now on!''

    Sylvia frowned. "Actually¡­ I''ve noticed that the goblins earlier acted quite strangely. Didn''t they?"

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully. "You might be right¡­ it''s like they want to chase us somewhere¡­ could it be a trap?"

    Obviously, after her open conflict with Dolly, the already diminishing ''rift'' between Sylvia and the rest of the team had been resolved further.

    ''Actually, with the way their eyes glowed with intensified greed, I suspect¡­ no, it doesn''t matter.'' The yellow-eyed girl frowned, then nodded. "It''s possible, but¡­ we can only keep moving forward."

    Danielle sighed. "Alright, Robin, Emilia¡­ be careful."

    Naturally, she had no idea that the boss was being more ''lenient'' with them.

    The goblins they faced were slightly weaker, the path they took made them progress much faster, and even the ''random'' resources they encountered on the way were plentiful.

    Emilia was sure that the boss must be quite ''eager'' to meet them now, and she couldn''t help but grin. ''Ehehe¡­ looks like my n was a sess!''

    There was no doubt in her mind that the direction that the goblins were trying to force them to move in even as they died was exactly ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Meanwhile, the hero''s team was celebrating yet another victory where they needed to head.

    After all, only bypleting the first two levels could they meet the boss.

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    Meanwhile, the hero''s team was celebrating yet another victory over a now-decimated goblin horde.

    "Take that!"

    "Ahaha¡­"

    "We did it!"

    Darryl, however, remained quite indifferent. ''Although it''s not enough to give us trouble, the strength of the hordes we encounter has definitely changed.''

    The numbers they faced may not matter much with his teamposition, but Darryl wasn''t one to be conceited.

    He could tell at a nce that the attacks in this session were definitely much more organized than before, and also seemed to havepletely different intentions.

    Darryl frowned. ''I was sure that the thing controlling these monsters was quite eager to meet us, but now its intentions seem to have changed¡­ Why¡­?''

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 Chapter 804 Vermins Domain

    Chapter 804 Vermin''s Domain

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    The further they progressed, the easier things seemed to get for Emilia and her team.

    Not to mention the naturally skeptical Danielle, even the usually absent-minded Nico felt it was too strange.

    "Are we going the wrong way? Shouldn''t the difficulty be going up?"

    Usually, she wouldn''t have bothered asking such a thing. After all, despite Danielle being their ''leader'' in name, the one who actually set their direction was Emilia, and Nico didn''t want to hurt the girl''s feelings.

    But considering how eager the crimson-haired beauty seemed to conquer this dungeon, the healer believed it was better for her to voice such problems now than to wait and wipe the little girl''s tearster.

    Danielle coughed. "Just be prepared and cautious as we move forward. Emilia¡­ keep up your focus, don''t worry."

    With Emilia''s usual luck, the drill-haired girl believed that anything ''strange'' or ''unexpected'' could only be good. Who knows, maybe they were on the way to some hidden treasure chamber within the dungeon?

    Crystal almost giggled when she realized what type of thoughts Danielle was having, but fortunately managed to school her expression in time.

    Of course, in contrast to everyone around her, Emilia knew exactly what was going on.

    ''It probably can''t control itself now, and might even have tried leaving the boss room if it could.'' She chuckled. ''Even if there are others ahead of us now¡­ there''s no need to be worried.''

    There were only a few absolute rules enforced by the world will in Arcadia, and one of them was that the bosses couldn''t leave their assigned rooms.

    Although there was no way for her to be sure, Emilia had the feeling that even if the boss couldn''tpletely eliminate herpetitors, it would definitely dy them greatly.

    ''It'' wouldn''t want them to be ''interrupted'', after all.

    The number of goblins under itsmand may not be endless, nor could they be considered particrly strong, but the fact that Emilia and her team had been forced to retreat before was proof enough that they were far from being ineffective.

    ''The first level is still fine. Someone with good enough judgment and luck can probably force their way through. But the second level¡­'' Emilia frowned.

    If she recalled correctly, most people had ended up wasting many days in the first level of the dungeon in the original timeline. It was easy to kill goblins, the rewards obtained were amazingpared to those outside, and there was no way to tell which direction one should head in.

    Aside from the hero''s party, it was no surprise that no one was ''lucky'' enough to figure out a way to the second level.

    Once they got there, however, the path was more ''straightforward''. And yet, nine of out of ten teams who got there would end up being eliminated.

    After all, the boss was already able to give them so much trouble using just ''Inferior Goblins'' on the first level. There was no telling how terrifying it could make the ''Goblin Elites'' under itsmand if it really wanted.

    Even the hero''s party had a tough time eliminating that thing, so Emilia definitely didn''t dare take it lightly.

    Although she was sure that the boss must have been ''tempted'', Emilia wasn''t stupid enough to believe that it would have them ''safely escorted'' all the way.

    Emilia knew they had to seize the chance quickly while they still had it. Who knows if it would calm down a little and get in the mood to watch them sufferter?

    Just as she thought so¡­

    [Team ''Radiant Light'' has discovered the way out of the first floor of the Goblin''s Den, and has be the first team to enter the ''Dungeon Clearing Rankings''.]

    Everyone quickly opened their ranking list in a panic, though Emilia remained calm.

    ''Radian Light'' was obviously Darryl''s team, and with the hero''s ''insight'' and theirbined strength, this achievement came as no surprise to the crimson-haired elf, and was far from making her admit defeat.

    She knew that the rankings would start being ''popted'' long before the first dungeon was cleared. And getting through the first floor earlier didn''t necessarily mean the hero''s team had left them in the dust.

    They might be a few steps ahead, but with the boss itself pulling her forward, Emilia didn''t believe she couldn''t contend with the hero.

    Her team''s words soon confirmed her thoughts.

    "Oh, it''s just ten percentpletion¡­ we haven''t lost yet." Robin sighed.

    Nico also shook her head with a smile. "I got worried for nothing."

    Meanwhile, Sylvia and Danielle both had grim expressions, though it was for very different reasons. Even Crystal didn''t want to probe too deeply into their ever-conflicting thoughts.

    The only thing they had inmon was that they all wanted to ''win''.

    "While we''re still wondering if things are too easy, someone''s already entered floor two¡­"

    "Let''s go, quickly!"

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    ''Is the boss ''overdoing it''¡­ or have they just gotten really good, now?'' Emilia wondered.

    Fire and arrows rained down mercilessly, decimating all the goblins who had the audacity of getting in her way.

    "It''s both¡­ I think." Cynthia chuckled.

    Clearly, when the threat level of the goblins wasn''t high enough for her team to constantly have to worry about Emilia, their efficiency of destroying the enemy was greatly increased. And when the enemy itself also got ''weaker'', the effect was even more obvious.

    ¡ªKilled [Inferior Goblin], +2000 Experience, +2 Silver Coins

    ¡ªKilled [Inferior Goblin], +2000 Experience, +2 Silver Coins

    It didn''t take long for Emilia and her team to arrive at a strange tunnel that spiraled downwards.

    "No way¡­ is this it¡­?!"

    The term ''found their way out'' in the announcement had already given the team some hint on what they needed to do. So when they saw something that looked quite different from all the other caves they''d found so far, they couldn''t help but be overjoyed.

    Of course, Danielle still warned them to be prudent. "Be careful, though, it could be a trap. Robin¡­?"

    "I''ll check¡­"

    It was only once the rogue had made sure as best as she could that there was no sign of traps that she could detect that Danielle gave Emilia the signal to lead the way, though her expression remained grim.

    "Be careful. Even if this leads to the second floor, we don''t know what kind of monsters there might be inside!"

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 Chapter 805 Worse Than Monsters

    Chapter 805 Worse Than Monsters

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    The first ''floor'' of the dungeon gave yers just ten percentpletion, while the second gave them thirty, and it wasn''t without reason.

    Not only were the monsters on this floor much stronger than the previous one, but the terrain was also very much in their favor.

    The cavern passages that everyone was forced to go through weren''t even big enough for the taller yers to stand straight, and not to mention fighting at their full efficiency, rangers were almostpletely unable to use their bows for the fear of hurting their allies.

    Only mages who could use targeted skills were slightly better off, but even their situation wasn''t too optimistic.

    After all, while they could redirect their skills, it was still possible for monsters to evade them if they were fast enough.

    "I missed again?!"

    "Fuck! Why are these things so annoyingly fast?!"

    Just as the agitated mage was about to cast another spell, however, the sturdy tank in front of their group cursed, and a green blur shed by her side at such a terrifying speed that, for a moment, she couldn''t help but wonder if it was just her imagination.

    "¡­!"

    The four deep and painfulcerations from her waist to chest made Risa almost instantly pass out on the spot, but the mockingughter of the monster in front of her enraged her just enough to remain sane.

    Arge patch of her top had been ripped off, and the hideous green humanoid in front of her seemed to be having the time of its life waving the fabric in its hand while pointing at her exposed skin.

    "You son of a bitch¡­! I''ll kill you!"

    As a national-level athlete and proud daughter of a general, no one had ever dared to even think about humiliating her like this before.

    Even Darryl was a little more polite while speaking to her.

    Unfortunately, her nned ''revenge'' was bound to remain unfulfilled, as the offending monster was impaled to death by a glowing spear the very next second.

    "Focus, Risa!" Darryl reminded her patiently. "It''s just a game. Take a potion and heal your wounds."

    It was only then that the blue-haired mage came back to her senses and realized that they were still surrounded by multiple [Goblin Elites].

    "I got it¡­" She admitted her mistakes with a pout, then took out the healing potion from her inventory before focusing on the fight again.

    Of course, had it been anyone other than Darryl who dared to scold her like that, Risa would definitely have flipped them off.

    The dark-haired hero turned his focus back to the front.

    After he''d figured out a way to the second floor, nothing seemed to be going his way. But Darryl wasn''t particrly upset.

    The announcement before confirmed that his team was in the lead, after all. And he didn''t mind them getting a ''wake-up call'' through these monsters.

    Risa and the others never took Arcadia seriously before, and even after realizing its ''importance'', that stance hadn''t changed much.

    Darryl knew that without tasting failure at least once, it was impossible for certain people to let go of their pride.

    "Oak, focus on advancing to the center of the enemy group and ignore the others! Take down the one with the feathered crown!"

    The giant of a man at the very front of their formation grunted in acknowledgment, though it wasn''t easy for him to follow Darryl''s orders, even with the giant hammer in his hands being able to easily pulverize any monster in front of him.

    After all, the annoying little beasts were extremely agile, and he hadn''t been able tond a single clean hit so far even after using all his buffs and skills.

    Not to mention, the more aggressive he tried to be, the higher the chances of one of the goblins slipping past him and into the vulnerable backline.

    The rogues might be able to stop a few, but as their team''s only tank, Oak felt personally ashamed every time it happened.

    The [Goblin Elites] seemed to focus almost exclusively on certain females in their group, and their attacks also seemed more intent to humiliate than to kill, but that didn''t make him feel any better.

    With all his wless records and boasting before, even if no one spoke out against him at the moment, Oak felt like he''d been pped across the face.

    Fortunately, there were some very suitable targets in front of him to vent his anger.

    "You bastards, let me turn you into a stain on the ground!"

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    While the hero and his team were struggling desperately, the Crimson Witches were leisurely walking through the long and dark caverns of the second floor.

    "This second floor¡­ it''s a little boring, isn''t it?" Nico mumbled.

    Robin couldn''t help but agree. "That [Goblin Elite] seemed a little tough at first, but it died way too quick under all our arrows and spells. In fact, I almost feel like we wasted too much mana."

    To be fair, taking the [Goblin Elite] down really wasn''t as easy as she made it sound. But after all their preparations and anticipation, the fight just became far more anticlimactic than it should have been.

    Danielle coughed. "Don''t get toocent just yet, we''re probably still in the third ce. If you have the time to talk, you might as well help Emilia out by scouting further."

    Of course, Robin didn''t dare to refute the drill-haired girl''s orders.

    Despite everything, they were still trying their best to remain vignt. After all, the first floor had given them enough trouble to make even Danielle almost give up. How could the second floor be so simple?

    And as if to prove their thoughts, vague echoes of what seemed like an extremely fierce battle rang through the passage shortly after, making them all pause momentarily.

    "Could it be the monsters fighting among themselves¡­?" Robin wondered, being mindful of keeping her voice hushed.

    Danielle frowned. "That¡­ or something much worse."

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 Chapter 806 Competitors

    Chapter 806 Competitors

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    ''It can''t be that we''ll cross paths with the hero''s team like this, right?'' Emilia thought with a frown. ''If we do¡­ I can''t tell how things will go.''

    Cynthia just hummed in agreement, though she didn''t believe her partner''s fears woulde true.

    After all, Emilia''s soul was far too attractive for most mortals to be able to resist, and its effect could almost be considered hypnotic when she was deliberately trying to seduce someone. Combined with her already attractive appearance, very few could look her in the eyes and not be mesmerized.

    Moreover, when inside Arcadia, the ''exposure'' of most mortals to this effect would only be further amplified, and even the dungeon''s ''boss'' was no exception. After all, no matter what kind of shell the ''world will'' armed it with, its thought process still ran based off of a mortal somewhere deep down inside, though its ''source'' may only think of it as a dream.

    With so many ''debuffs'' stacked on top of its attributes of greed and lust, Cynthia didn''t believe that the dungeon boss would be able to resist trying to obtain Emilia as soon as possible. And unless there was no way to avoid it, he would never allow them to cross paths with another team.

    After all, even if they didn''t have any conflicts, every team inside the dungeon could be considered petitors''. Though it was possible for them to reach an agreement to cooperate in the short term, how could the dungeon boss of the ''Goblin''s Den'' have such optimistic thoughts?

    Not to mention, no matter how confident he was in his own strength, the boss probably wouldn''t want two teams toe at him together.

    And just as Cynthia expected, after cautiously advancing for a while, the Crimson Witches soon discovered that they were separated from the ''other side'' by a thick dungeon wall.

    The sounds of conflict were still going strong, but Danielle didn''t hesitate for a moment before signaling for her team to keep moving forward silently.

    Emilia wasn''t sure if the other party was unable to hear them or detect their presence through the wall, or if they just mistook her team for more monster reinforcementsing their way, but thebat on the other side didn''t seem to break its rhythm, and there were no calls for them to help or stop.

    After they were far enough away that they could no longer hear the sounds of the conflict, Danielle couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, we didn''t run into the other party."

    Robin blinked in confusion. "Would it be bad if we met them?"

    The drill-haired girl hummed. "Of course. Didn''t you listen to the announcement before? The other party was probably ''Radiant Light''!"

    Everyone but Crystal seemed to instantly realize what she meant, and while most of them were convinced, Sylvia was not.

    "There''s no need for us to be so scared or avoid them on purpose though, is there?"

    Her attitude was clearly much ''softer'' on Danielle than it had been, which was apparent by the fact that she listened to her ''orders'' without making a fuss earlier. However, the conflict in their ''ideology'' still remained the same.

    Danielle snorted. "Even if you don''t keep up with their news, you should know just how strong their team is. Each and every member is either a renowned or respected expert, or exceptionally skilled in their respective field."

    Seeing Sylvia furrow her brows in displeasure, the drill-haired girl sighed. "I know our level is higher than theirs, and you might want to ''prove yourself'' because of¡­ that. But¡­ what do you think is more important now? Proving yourself to Darryl, or¡­"

    She didn''tplete her words, but the yellow-eyed heroine obviously understood, and most of the unwillingness in her mind was immediately cleared.

    Although it was unlikely that she would ''lose'', if she really ended up making Emilia sad by being the one to ''ruin'' their dungeon conquest, Sylvia didn''t think it would be worth it at all.

    She''d waited so many years for the chance to prove herself, so what did a few more months or years matter? As long as she believed in herself and kept working hard, Sylvia didn''t believe that she would lose.

    Their conversation should have left at least Crystal and Emilia confused, but much to both Danielle and Sylvia''s relief, the two didn''t seem to pay the matter much attention.

    Emilia only tilted her head with a smile. "That Darryl guy must be really impressive for even Sylvia to want to prove herself to him, right? I can''t wait to meet him one day!"

    rm bells immediately went off in both Sylvia and Danielle''s minds, and they couldn''t help but shake their heads in unison.

    "No way!"

    "Absolutely not!"

    The crimson-haired elf blinked in surprise, making the two of them finally realize that they probably shouldn''t have mentioned the matter in front of Emilia at all.

    With how curious she usually was, it would be no surprise if the girl paid special attention to Darryl because of that matter. And with his usual ability to easily charm girls, it may not be impossible for him to convince Emilia to leave them for him.

    After all, while the crimson-haired elf had already be an indispensable and irreceable existence in their hearts, they didn''t know if that was the case the other way around.

    Maybe if someone coaxed her well enough, Emilia wouldn''t even miss them much after leaving.

    Although they didn''t believe Darryl would bother lowering himself to that level, they didn''t want to leave this kind of thing to chance.

    Unfortunately, what shouldn''t have been mentioned had already been said, and they didn''t think badmouthing the guy in front of Emilia would have much effect. It might even make her distrust them, or worse, make the little beauty even more curious about Darryl.

    The only thing they could do now¡­ was distract her.

    "Ahhh, look at the time! We''ve been chatting so long when we could have been making progress!" Sylvia eximed uncharacteristically.

    Danielle also nodded. "Right! We''ve only just managed to get a little ahead of the other party by luck, we can''t miss this chance!"

    As they expected, Emilia really ''forgot'' about the other topic almost instantly, and started focusing on leading them forward happily again. Or at least, that was how it seemed to them.

    When Danielle and Sylvia looked at each other, they nodded with the same thought in their mind, without exchanging a single word.

    ''She should never be allowed to talk to Darryl alone¡­ no, at all!''

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 Chapter 807 The Third Floor

    Chapter 807 The Third Floor

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    After another intense fight with a horde of [Goblin Elites], the hero''s team was just about to start moving ahead again when they were hit by an unexpected announcement.

    [Team ''Crimson Witches'' have entered the final floor of the ''Goblin''s Den''!]

    For a moment, most of them couldn''t help but doubt their eyes and ears.

    "Did someone just¡­ overtake us?"

    "Impossible!"

    Their disbelief wasn''t unwarranted. After all, even if certain other teams had been able to ''outshine'' them before, the members of ''Radiant Light'' were still the first team to make it to floor two. As widely acknowledged talents, most of them refused to believe that they could ''lose'' to others so easily.

    "Just what kind of shortcut did that stupid team luck into?" Risa couldn''t help but curse.

    It hadn''t been that long since they started treating this ''game'' seriously, and not just as something they did because Darryl found it interesting. But that didn''t mean she was okay with being ''stepped on'' by others.

    Most of her teammates also shared the same thoughts, and even their usually ''slow'' tank was quick to nod in agreement.

    "I''ve looked into that team before, they''re fairly decent. Above average, even. However,pared to us, they''re nothing special." Oak sneered. "But with their luck so far¡­ it''s really not impossible for them to just stumble across some lucky shortcut to bypass all the fights."

    While the rest of his team was arguing, Darryl frowned impatiently. "There''s no point in specting about these things and wasting time. Follow me!"

    The mere fact that he took the lead again instead of letting his team ''independently practice'' as he had before, however, showed how disturbed he really was.

    At this point, he didn''t care anymore about his team''s path being far more difficult than he initially expected.

    Darryl knew better than anyone else the importance of conquering this dungeon. And just the thought of someone else doing it before him put him in a bad mood.

    After all, while Emilia might be one of his underlings, she hadn''t yet joined the ''Radiant Light'' officially. Moreover, the ''progress announcement'' before would also soon be public knowledge. At that time, even if most people were wise enough to realize it must have been because of luck, some fools would undoubtedly wonder if the ''Crimson Witches'' were somehow better than his ''Radiant Light''.

    If such a thing really happened¡­ Darryl knew he would be forced to do things he usually would prefer not to, including things that would harm his own underlings.

    The hero frowned impatiently. ''Let''s just hope that Emilia is smart enough to figure out the hidden meaning behind my message earlier. Otherwise¡­''

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    Meanwhile, Emilia and her team were staring at the giant ck door in front of them while silently preparing their hearts.

    After all, even if they''d had almost no difficulty getting through the second floor, this would be their first real ''boss fight'' in Arcadia, and they didn''t dare underestimate it.

    This was especially true for Emilia, who knew very well just how ''excited'' the boss must be to see them. Even if she''d done her best to prepare the rest of her team for the encounter, she didn''t dare to be overconfident.

    Cynthia coughed. "Rx. Compared to the devastated state that they should have been in under normal circumstances, your team''s excellent condition should allow them to perform just as well as the hero''s."

    Although there was some truth in her partner''s words, the crimson-haired elf only hummed lightly. ''They might be better in terms of level and in-game skills, but it''s a fact that the hero''s party suffered a lot in this fight, and all of them are excellent in their own way.''

    The raven-haired girl sighed. "That''s true, but don''t forget, most of their loss in that fight came from the fact that they expected being able to rest after fighting with the two ''mini-boss'' enemies, and didn''t imagine that the boss chamber in front of them would open on its own."

    In fact, with the boss being able to observe almost any event in the dungeon that he wanted, it was only to be expected that he would be watching the fight taking ce right outside his door. And while he was restricted from entering the second or first floors, nothing prevented him from taking a walk in other rooms on the same floor.

    To be able to take down the boss even after facing such an ''ambush'' showed just how capable the hero''s team could be when they were all serious, but Cynthia didn''t believe Emilia would do any worse.

    ''Well, thank you for the encouragement, anyway.'' The crimson-haired girl couldn''t help but smile. "Let''s go!"

    Danielle and the others obviously didn''t have any objections, and followed Emilia cautiously.

    "The big doors probably mean there are ''boss'' monsters on this floor, so we have to be careful." Robin warned.

    Danielle nodded. "Going by how those ''Goblin Elites'' fought, there probably won''t be many enemies, but they should be pretty tough."

    The drill-haired girl motioned for Robin to push open the door. And as its burdened hinges creaked open, everyone tightly gripped their weapons anxiously.

    "Here ites."

    "Be ready!"

    The giant door seemed to gain some momentum on its own as it continued opening all the way, and even mmed into the thick dungeon walls with a bang. Then, the dark chamber in front of them was slowly lit up with torches.

    What faced them was not the charge of some giant boss monster, but a giant horde of goblins with jagged yet sharp dagger-like teeth exposed in their hideous grins, and saliva dripping from their maws.

    It looked as if the monsters had been waiting for and looking forward to the arrival of some delicious buffet, and although none of them made a sound, even Danielle felt her heart shudder momentarily in terror.

    They might have been able to ''easily'' handle a few goblins, but what was facing them were hundreds of [Goblin Elites]¡­ could they really do it? Was it toote to retreat or log out?

    In fact, they could still do it since thebat hadn''t yet ''started''.

    Unfortunately, just as the thought crossed Danielle''s mind, one of the two ''extrarge'' goblins in the horde mmed its staff on the ground, and a giant fiery barrier instantly sprang up to surround them.

    And then, unexpectedly, the other ''giant'' goblin spoke, though his words filled Danielle with both apprehension and disgust.

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 Chapter 808 Only Way Out

    Chapter 808 Only Way Out

    "Our lord has been eagerly looking forward to tasting you, and yet, here you are trying to leave?"

    The giant goblin''s lecherous and greedy thoughts were obvious even from across the room, and although he didn''t seem to be addressing anyone in particr, his disgusting gaze never left Emilia''s body for even a second.

    While everyone in Emilia''s team was stunned and furious, the otherrge goblin also took a step forward.

    Unlike hispanion, who seemed to be a magician of some sort, this one carried a menacingly spiked il, and his grin was also equally wicked. "It wasn''t easy getting you here in the first ce, so¡­ why don''t you make it worth our while first?"

    "Hehe¡­ that''s right. Although I usually wouldn''t mind ying around, it''s not like weak little things like you can pose much of a challenge, anyway. Why not just skip the beating and give in?" The ''magician'' goblin hummed.

    The ''warrior'' goblin also chuckled in response. "Who knows, it might turn out to be a pleasant experience for you too."

    Danielle and the remaining members of the ''Crimson Witches'' might have been initially surprised by the fact that certain monsters in the dungeon could speak, but now they just wished such a thing hadn''t been possible.

    Emilia didn''t bother gracing their crude thoughts with a response, and just turned to her ''team leader'' with a smile. "Don''t worry. Although we''re outnumbered, the only thing it should change is how long it will take to get rid of them all."

    Her words instantly woke everyone up from their daze, and Danielle couldn''t help but frown. ''It''s true that none of us will be in any danger as long as she activates that ability of hers, but¡­ does she really think she''s invincible¡­?''

    After all, the horde of ''Goblin Elites'' in front of them was far more powerful than anything else that they''d encountered so far, and that was without taking the strength of their two ''leaders'' into consideration.

    Being ignored like that, however, the giant goblins obviously weren''t very pleased.

    "Seems like no one has taught this little one to be respectful to her superiors, huh?"

    This time, Emilia didn''t ignore the ''mage'' goblin, and snorted in disdain. "Superior? Please, if you really believed that, you would fight me fair and square, and not hide behind others like a coward."

    Her words made the giant goblin with the spiked staff frown heavily. It was possible that the girl was taunting him knowingly to seek out a ''chance'' for her team to survive, but she was just a toy who''d only made her way so far because their boss was interested in her.

    The ''magician'' had seen for himself just how terrifying some of the humans in the other teams had been. Inparison, the crimson-haired elf in front of them was just a weak little child they could y around with as they pleased.

    Things like dignity may not matter much to the likes of them, but the ''mage'' still thought it would be quite interesting to break the little elf''s tough attitude and shatter her pride thoroughly with his own hands.

    Dark and thick ''magical energy'' started circting around his staff as he grinned. Before he could put his thoughts into action, however, the other giant goblin patted his shoulder heavily.

    "Don''t forget, if we break the toy the boss is looking forward to, our punishment won''t be light. That one is reserved for the boss to taste first."

    The ''magician'' quickly came back to his senses and nodded, then turned his sinister gaze towards the rest of Emilia''s team. "Luckily for us, she''s not alone."

    The ''warrior'' beside him also chuckled, then waved his hand tomand the goblin horde in front of him. "Those little ones on the first floor really seemed to enjoy devouring outsiders¡­ I can''t wait to find out if it really feels so much better than those useless things in the forests."

    Danielle couldn''t help but feel a little chilled after hearing their conversation.

    ''I knew something wasn''t right with the look on those goblin''s faces, but I didn''t expect their thoughts really were so dirty¡­'' The drill-haired girl sighed. ''Hopefully, things aren''t actually as bad as they seem, and these two are just trying to disturb us.''

    She was quite happy to realize, however, that while everyone in her team was indeed quite furious, they were still able to retain enough rationality to not just rush in to attack without thought.

    ''With how overprotective they usually get when ites to Emilia¡­ wait¡­ could it be that these goblins were taunting us on purpose?!'' Danielle was momentarily stunned by her own realization, but then she quickly shook her head in denial.

    Whether her opponents were smart enough to scheme so deeply or not wasn''t important at this point.

    The [Goblin Elites] were both fast and strong, and didn''t need any special strategy or instructions.

    From the moment their eyes had collectively locked on to the girls in front of them, their threat had almost be palpable, and no one in Emilia''s team would dare to take them lightly.

    They were already surrounded and outnumbered, and the only way to survive with their dignity intact was¡­ to fight their way out.

    "Everyone, just focus on killing them as fast as you can¡­ I will protect you!"

    Emilia instantly activated her [Challenger''s Charm] as she rushed into the horde in front of her, forcing even the most cunning and sinister of goblins to see and focus on no one else but her.

    The two giant goblins were no exception, though they didn''t move in to attack her like the rest of the horde.

    Fortunately, although there were hundreds of enemies surrounding her, only a few could have the chance to attack the crimson-haired elf at a time. That being said, with their speed and agility, it was difficult for even Emilia to perfectly dodge everything.

    Her pupils flickered slightly as she received the first few nicks and cuts, easily tearing through some of her ''decorative'' clothing. But Emilia didn''t worry too much, since she could already see the rest of her team furiously attacking the goblin horde from behind.

    "Leave her alone, you bastards!"

    "Die already!"

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 Chapter 809 Not So Weak

    Chapter 809 Not So Weak

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    The two ''leader'' goblins obviously understood that Emilia must be using some sort of ability to make everyone focus only on her, but they didn''t worry about it too much.

    After all,pared to [Inferior Goblins], saying that each one of the [Goblin Elites] was at least ten times stronger would still be an understatement. They didn''t believe that the ''little girl'' in front of them could handle so many for long.

    However, they soon realized just how greatly they''d underestimated the firepower of Emilia''s team.

    "Focus Shot!"

    "Fireball!"

    They might not have been as ''skilled'' as some of the yers in the hero''s party, but none of Emilia''s teammates could be considered weak.

    Even when dealing with a powerful group of enemies such as the one in front of them, their damage was far from falling short. Danielle''s fireball boosted by her being a ''Pyromancer'' could easily deal almost four times the damage of a ''regr'' mage of the same element, and there was no second ranger in Arcadia who could deal even a fraction of the damage that Crystal could with her focus shot.

    The hundred points of ''Intelligence'' from [Wisdom] might not matter much a few years down the line, but at this stage, to call it ''game changing'' wouldn''t be an exaggeration.

    What was supposed to be thin needles of light that would at most shave off a tenth of a goblin elite''s HP became a searing spear that obliterated almost half a dozen of them in one go.

    In fact, if not for most of the [Goblin Elites] being fast enough, a single shot from Crystal might already have cleared at least a tenth of the horde.

    Even the healer in their team was smacking the heads of [Goblin Elites] with her staff, making the usual sturdy and vicious warriors cry out in pain.

    The fact that they couldn''t even turn around to fight back because of Emilia''s [Challenger''s Charm] leaving thempletely ''captivated'' only made it worse.

    The two giant goblins couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.

    "What the fuck?!"

    They were clearly the most basic of skills, but the damage they inflicted on the elite goblinspletely overturned everything that the two giant goblins understood from watching other teams fight.

    "That¡­ focus shot¡­ doesn''t it only leave a skin-deep wound on the elites?"

    "I-It should¡­"

    "And that fireball, too¡­ it''s clearly too strong!"

    As for the healer girl making the goblins cry with her staff¡­ the goblin mage found it too ridiculous to even mention. Presumably, the girl''s weapon must have some sort of pain amplification ability, though he had no idea why a supposed healer would ever carry around something like that.

    "¡­" The warrior goblin didn''t speak this time, but even with his ''ugly'' face, his deadpan expression made no secret of his thoughts.

    "I don''t get it¡­ weren''t they supposed to be so weak that the boss had to have them ''escorted''¡­?"

    "¡­" The warrior goblin didn''t speak this time, but even with his ''ugly'' face, his deadpan expression made no secret of his thoughts.

    Between the two of them, shouldn''t the ''mage'' be telling him more about these things instead of being so confused? And no matter what, it wasn''t their turn to question the decision of the boss, or even try to guess his thoughts.

    If the boss was watching them, which he always was, he would definitely think they were both ipetent fools. As for the consequences of disappointing the King of Goblins¡­ he shuddered just thinking about it.

    "That''s enough, we can''t y around anymore! Let''s quickly capture that red-haired elf and crush those little ants!"

    The goblin mage also came back to his senses, and nodded furiously. "You charge ahead, I''ll start channeling."

    No matter how engrossed Emilia was in her own fight, it was impossible for her to not notice the giant goblin''s roar and charge. But unfortunately, while she could weave in and out of the most lethal of the attacks around her, there was no way for her topletely avoid this one.

    Whether it was the giant spiked il or the massive body of her charging opponent, there was just not enough space for her to maneuver out of their way.

    Her allies also saw her situation, and their hearts constricted with fear.

    "Emilia!"

    "Watch out!"

    Although it was only a ''game'', the pain they would experience made it impossible to truly treat it like that. And watching the girl they cherished so much getting crushed was definitely not something they could bear.

    Even Sylvia and Robin almost canceled their skills to try ande to the crimson-haired elf''s rescue. But fortunately, Emilia managed to react in time and give them a reassuring smile.

    She didn''t have the time to speak before the charging giant mmed into her, but it was obvious from her expression what she meant.

    "Trust me."

    The resounding bang shocked Emilia''s teammates and the goblins alike, and they almost couldn''t believe it when they saw the tiny little elf steadily holding back the giant goblin with just the t end of her sword.

    It was only then that Danielle was able to remember the ability of Emilia''s [Ring of Might].

    When facing a stronger opponent, it greatly increased the chance for her to resist stagger and crush effects. Though it only worked at most once every sixty seconds, when it did, the effect looked almost miraculous.

    The magician goblin''s chant hade to a halt along with his thoughts, and even the giant warrior goblin and the other elites around him didn''te back to their senses until Emilia had already stabbed him almost five in quick session with her [Poison Fang].

    "¡­"

    The crimson-haired girl giggled as she dodged the jagged swords of the goblin elites who finally came back to their senses. "¡­ Ehehe¡­"

    Even if they were able to make her bleed quite frequently despite her speed and reflexes, with Nico''s healing always focused on her, it wasn''t something she was overly worried about.

    The giant goblin warrior in front of her sneered. "Little girl¡­ it seems we really underestimated you. But¡­ all you''ve managed to do now is to piss me off, and doom yourself to a fate far more painful than it would otherwise have been."

    The expression of the other giant goblin was also grim, and he not only resumed channeling his spell, but the flow of the dark energy around him also increased substantially.

    In response, however, Emilia just grinned. "Which one of us is doomed¡­ I''m sure you''ll soon find out."

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 Chapter 810 Ambush

    Chapter 810 Ambush

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    Given that Emilia was already unable topletely resist the onught of the elite goblins, the addition of the two giant goblins would definitely have put her in a tough spot.

    Fortunately, the primary attribute of the monsters in this dungeon was ''greed'', and not only were they greedy for wealth and beauty, but also their own lives.

    If not for the threat of the ''Goblin King'' being able to kill them with barely a thought, most of them wouldn''t even engage in a head-on fight with their enemies, and instead only strike when their opponents werepletely unprepared.

    The giant goblins, while far more powerful and conceited whenpared to their regrrades, were no exception.

    After realizing that Emilia''s team was far from being an ''easy picking'', the giant warrior goblin didn''t dare to bet on his life to check if Emilia was just bluffing or not, and his movements inevitably became far more cautious and hesitant.

    That was all Emilia needed to ''hold on'' for a little longer, though the wounds on her body still increased.

    Her opponents could naturally see that their strength was being continuously whittled down, and if the present situation continued, it may not be long before their defeat waspletely sealed.

    With Danielle''s continuously increasing area damage and Crystal''s devastating arrows, it was impossible to expect their opponent to ''run out of juice'' before they all ended up dead.

    However, the giant warrior goblin still thought that there was no point in taking ''unnecessary risk'' when he could just wait for hispanion''s spell before making a decisive strike to capture their target. The death of a few more goblin elites simply didn''t matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.

    Both the giant goblins knew just how effective the ''Weakening Curse'' was on lower-level opponents, and since the inherent trait of their bloodline made the spell twice as effective on their ''desired targets'', the little elf in front of them would be no different from a fish on the chopping block once hit.

    As for dodging the spell¡­ how could they be so confident if such a thing was possible? It might take a long time to cast and only have ''mild'' effects in terms of direct damage, but the ''Weakening Curse'' was not a spell that one could avoid, no matter how fast they moved.

    Certain special skills might be able to ''cleanse'' the curse before it expired, of course, but neither of the giant goblins had seen such a thing before. Not to mention, even if the ''healer'' girl was lucky enough to have such a skill, without the crimson-haired elf''s interference, it would only take them a moment topletely crush her.

    Once they were defeated¡­ the giant warrior goblin couldn''t help but grin viciously. ''They''re a lot more energetic than expected, but now that I think about it, it''s not a bad thing. The elf has to be handed over to the boss, but it''ll be fun to y with the rest of them.''

    Compared to the scarce and ''low quality'' prey that sometimes wandered in from the forests surrounding their den, these ''invaders'' could really be considered a gift from the heavens as far as they were concerned. Some of them might be a little ''troublesome'', but what was a good hunt without some struggle?

    Emilia, however, didn''t seem worried about the ''dire consequences'' awaiting her at all.

    ''Sylvia has already used her skill to conceal herself, and Robin also must be hiding somewhere¡­ I can''t tell where they are. And while the two big guys seem to be cautious, I don''t think they''ve discovered where those two are yet, either.'' She smirked.

    Her [Vignce] skill from the [Wisdom of the Forest] had already been upgraded to level two, since she''d killed more than ten ''unique'' monsters, and was now on twelve.

    Without her chaos energy to serve as a ''second sight'', it was only thanks to this skill that Emilia was able to perform so well even when besieged by so many enemies. After all, no matter how good her reflexes were, she couldn''t dodge an attack she couldn''t even see or feel.

    Once Sylvia activated her concealment, however, it becamepletely impossible for even Emilia to detect her even with her [Vignce] skill.

    The crimson-haired girl wasn''t sure if Danielle''s n aligned with her thoughts or not, but she didn''t believe that her team would allow the mage to finish casting his spell.

    Just as Emilia expected, the giant magician goblin was interrupted just as the umted dark energy had reached the maximum "Let the darkness seep from the shadows, bind my enemy and curse the blood¡ªGhwack!"

    Just as Emilia expected, the giant magician goblin was interrupted just as the umted dark energy had reached the maximum concentration in his spiked staff. Unexpectedly, though, it wasn''t Sylvia, but Robin who ambushed him.

    Her dagger wasn''t anything special, and despite being an assassin, she didn''t yet have any special skills to critically strike the opponent she wanted to kill. The [Demonic Fury] ring she was wearing was still a blue-grade gear, however, and when its damage amplification was doubled thanks to Robin''s demon bloodline and her base attack was also raised by her two [Brawler''s Rings], the effect was still quite ''good''.

    The disgusting green blood from the giant goblin''s back sshed on her face, but the short-haired tomboy just grinned in delight and stepped back before the spiked staff swung around to almost take off her head.

    "AAARGGGHHH! It fucking hurts!" Suffering from both the dagger wound and the magical bacsh of his own spell, the giant goblin couldn''t help but charge at Robin in a rage. "You bitch¡ª! I''ll fuck you to death!!!"

    Unfortunately for him, he wasn''t as good a melee fighter as he wished, and not only was Robin able to easily avoid his attacks, but she was also able to deal a few more sh wounds in return.

    However, with them being so far out of Emilia''s range, the [Challenger''s Charm] was no longer effective, and the [Goblin Elites] around them made it impossible for Robin to overstay her wee without suffering heavy losses.

    A jagged and rusty sword tore through her belly from the back before Robin had a chance to retreat, and despite being mentally prepared, Nico couldn''t help but scream.

    "Robin!!!"

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 Chapter 811 Turnaround

    Chapter 811 Turnaround

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    The pain instantly awakened Robin to the fact that she''d overstayed her wee, but she also knew that her team couldn''t worry about losing her at this point. "I-I''m fine, don''t worry!"

    ''Neither of us invested in the ''Strength'' stat, so Emilia also has the same base HP as myself¡­ and more than half of it is gone with just that one stab¡­?'' The tomboy couldn''t help but be bbergasted. ''Just how does she handle tanking for us like this?!''

    "Die, bitch!"

    Robin hurriedly dodged the spiked staff of the giant goblin mage, as well as the follow-up stab from the goblin elite, but she knew that she couldn''t afford to stay where she was.

    ''I either have to make my way out on my own through their attacks, or¡­ move closer and rely on Emilia to pull their aggro.''

    Robin didn''t have much time to think it through, and in just a split second, she subconsciously made the decision before she even realized it.

    The [Challenger''s Charm] once again spread through the area, and even as Robin stepped into the attack range of multiple elite goblins, none of them bothered turning around to kill her.

    Even the furious giant goblin mage now had his eyes locked on to the crimson-haired elf, and no longer seemed to remember how much he''d suffered from her ambush.

    Robin couldn''t help but smile wryly. ''Looking at this effect¡­ her skill is really amazing, huh?''

    Of course, what really amazed her more was the fact that she subconsciously decided to put Emilia in ''more danger'' even if she could have avoided it. But Robin knew that it wasn''t because she cared more about herself. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

    Maybe, deep down, she already trusted more in Emilia''s ability than she did her own, which was a possibility that Robin would never have thought possible just a few months ago.

    The first time she met the girl, all Robin had felt was that she''d be an endless source of unnecessary trouble. From being that indifferent to liking and admiring her, to now trusting her at this level¡­

    The tomboy couldn''t help but sigh. ''I''m in a lot of trouble, huh?''

    "Focus, Robin!"

    A clear and sweet voice pierced through everything, and finally awakened Robin from her momentary daze. ''Fuck! What the hell am I doing?!''

    She''d already missed several opportunities to kill the giant goblin mage. But luckily, it wasn''t toote.

    ''Die, you idiot!'' Robin cursed the stupid goblin in her heart as she stabbed him several times over, but the other party didn''t even turn his frenzied gaze away from Emilia.

    Had it not been ''just a game'', and had the source of the skill not been Emilia, such a strong hypnotic effect would definitely have left her feeling quite creeped out.

    As it was, though, Robin only felt a sense of admiration in her heart. ''She can get such a strong skill from that almost random ''profession'' thing¡­ Emilia''s luck is even better than that Crystal girl.''

    Of course, it could be argued that Crystal''s luck wasn''t really cking'' in any way, since she''d scored herself Emilia as apanion in the game from day one despite being a ''total stranger'', but Robin knew she would just drive herself crazy from jealousy if she continued thinking in that direction.

    How much closer could they have been if she''d been the only one around Emilia for those first few days?

    Without Danielle and Sylvia around, Robin knew that there were more ''things that she couldn''t think of'' than there were ''things that she wasn''t allowed to do''.

    At the very least, Emilia herself didn''t seem to be very aware of what should and shouldn''t be ''okay'' for friends.

    With no other way to get rid of her frustrations, Robin put all her strength into stabbing the giant goblin mage to death, and received the ''job well done notification'' not long after.

    ¡ªThe ''Crimson Witches'' have killed the [Elite Goblin Shaman]. All members are rewarded with 10 Gold Coins and 100,000 Experience Points.

    ¡ªReceived [Damaged Cursed Staff] x 1

    ¡ªReceived [Random Evolution Stone] x 1

    ¡ªThe physical and magic resistances of all enemies in the area have been reduced back to normal.

    ¡ªThe warding of the zone has expired, and high movement skills can now be used again without restriction.

    Although the giant warrior goblin still couldn''t turn away from Emilia, he roared in rage after realizing hispanion had fallen.

    Even if the two didn''t care about each other, there was no denying that if they couldn''t take their opponent down together, it was impossible for him to do so on his own.

    Maybe he regretted not taking them seriously from the start. But unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in the world, nor was there any way for him to turn back time.

    Emilia no longer struggled as much defending herself after the number of elite goblins around her was shaved off significantly, and the giant goblin warrior soon became the one who was forced to just passively defend.

    ''The boss did say we won''t really die if we lose, but¡­ I can''t believe it! How can I lose like this?!''

    Although he followed themands of his king, for everything else within the dungeon, he was a superior being. Losing to those he''d always considered ''prey'' was simply far too humiliating.

    Just as the umting poison damage and the hopelessly deteriorating situation were about to drive him to a despairing death, however¡­

    "Emilia, watch out!"

    The warning from Crystal came just in time for Emilia to barely dodge out of the way of a giant ck mass. And it was only when it mmed into the distant wall with a resounding BOOM that she was able to tell what exactly it was.

    ''The giant gate to the boss room?!''

    The crimson-haired girl frowned, and as she turned around, Emilia realized that her guess was right. ''That thing really showed up before its time, huh¡­''

    The flying ''door'' had killed a few goblin elites when it flew over, and the rest had also stopped attacking her as if they''d been paralyzed with fear.

    "You¡­ have made me wait long enough¡­!" The giant ''goblin'' that lumbered over chuckled. "But no more, no more!"

    Thick, slimy globs of saliva dripped down from his mouth as the giant exposed his dagger-like teeth with a grin, and extended his forked tongue like a snake.

    Crystal and the others couldn''t help but shudder in disgust.

    Despite being the ''Goblin King'', the boss looked more like an ogre, with his squished nose and somewhat pale skin, though it was still green. His eyes, however, were just as greedy and vicious as the others of his kind.

    The only remaining ''mini boss'' goblin bowed as he stepped back in retreat, not daring to speak a word or even greet his ''king''.

    Although he wasn''t ''frozen'' like the other goblins, he wasn''t stupid enough to get in between his boss and his ''meal''. As his ''second inmand'', the warrior knew very well the consequences of those who disturbed his king while he was hunting prey.

    "Come,e¡­ let me taste your soft flesh!"

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 Chapter 812 The Goblin King

    <h4>Chapter 812 The Goblin King</h4>

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    Being almost three times the height of the tallest girl in their group, the ''boss monster'' was considerablyrger than even the two ''goblin giants'' they''d been facing earlier. Unlike them, however, he wasn''t carrying any weapons.

    For a moment, the girls in Emilia''s team couldn''t help but wonder if the boss was a ''brawler'' of some sort. Of course, since there was no way for them to be sure, they could only wait for him to make a move to find out if that was indeed the case.

    "Hehehe¡­ are you scared?" The pale-green-skilled giant chuckled.

    Danielle motioned for the rest of her team to remain calm and prepared, and not let the ''taunts'' from the boss disturb them.

    The boss monster flicked his forked tongue with a smile. "Don''t be afraid, little elf¡­ this Lord shall treat you very ''well''¡­" He paused, then exposed his dagger-like teeth with a threatening grin full of excitement. "Of course, I can''t promise the same for your friends if you resist."

    The ''Goblin King'' was obviously full of confidence, and didn''t doubt his ability to suppress Emilia''s team even after their rather ''shocking'' performance, and it wasn''t without reason.

    As the one who''d been controlling most of every team''s ''random'' encounters with the inferior and elite goblin hordes, he''d always been very clear about their rtive ''strength''. And while this team wasn''t the ''strongest'' of the bunch, it definitely wasn''t as ''easy'' to take care of as it might first seem from their appearance.

    However, although his purpose for doing so might have been ''impure'', peeking at all the ''challengers''ing to his dungeon gave him an undisputable advantage. Thebat effectiveness and usual strategy of all his opponents was already very clear to him, and dismantling it at this point was simply far too easy as far as he was concerned.

    The primary reason why Emilia''s team could put up such a strong resistance against his most skilled subordinates was obviously because of the crimson-haired elf''s rather bizarre ability topletely hypnotize her opponents within a certain distance to focus only on her. But if he so wished, the Goblin King knew that he could simply order a few of his elites to circle around and assault Emilia''s teammates from a distance, and they would be finished.

    Even if they somehow managed to huddle together and survive for a while, he didn''t believe any of them had the ability to hold out for long against any of his more powerful moves.

    Much to his amusement, however, a certain crimson-haired beauty didn''t seem aware of her own inevitable doom at all, and strode towards him with both confidence and pride.

    "I won''t lose to the likes of you."

    The giant monster chuckled. "Heh¡­ that''s fine. I don''t mind ying around and having some fun."

    The four girls behind Emilia followed her anxiously, but the ''Goblin King'' only gave them a casual nce, not even taking them as a threat.

    After all, even if the fire attacks of the mage had managed to kill a lot of his minions, and the rogue was also able to deal a lethal blow to one of his elites, they stood no chance against him. The only one he needed to be a little mindful of was the golden-haired ranger.

    When he first saw that light arrow tear through multiple ''Goblin Elites'', even the Goblin King had shuddered in fear. But since he had already been prepared for her attacks even before he barged out of his own chamber, there was no longer any need for him to be too worried.

    He would y around for a bit and have some fun, and then finally taste this tantalizing fruit that had almost driven him to desperation. Maybe if not for the restrictions imposed on him by the ''Overlord'', he wouldn''t even care about keeping the control of the Goblin''s Den, and rush out to devour her even if she was on the first or second floor.

    "Be careful!"

    Emilia obviously didn''t dare to disregard Crystal''s warning. It was what had ''saved'' her multiple times, after all.

    If not for the blonde girl sensing the extremely strong ''feelings'' of the ''Goblin King'' from the other end of the door and alerting her in time, their team might just have suffered a disastrous defeat then and there.

    After all, while the flying door had appeared to have been deliberately ''aimed'' to avoid her partially so that she didn''t die, Emilia had no doubt that getting hit would have invited a rapid ''follow-up'' attack from the boss, and she would have been renderedpletely helpless then.

    Fortunately, she tensed her muscles even before the boss started to lunge her way, and was able to react and jump out of the way in just a fraction of a second.

    The giant w ended up grabbing the empty air where she used to be, and Emilia couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ''I knew he was fast, but dang¡­ for a thing his size, it''s a little crazy. And he''s just a mage, too.''

    Despite her seemingly ''invincible'' appearance most of the time, the crimson-haired elf knew very well just how easily the stronger monsters could vaporize her measly two-hundred and fifty points of HP if she wasn''t careful.

    Luckily, her speed and skill were good enough for her to hold out most of the time, and the added reluctance of her ''enemies'' to kill her only made Emilia''s odds better.

    This time, however, she was facing the boss who had been making every other enemy ''hold back'' himself. And Emilia didn''t dare to take him lightly. Even if the Goblin King''s physical attack was sure to be much ''weaker'' than his magic, to her, it was just as deadly.

    After dodging his attack, however, Emilia didn''t choose to widen the distance between them as her teammates hoped, and continued moving closer instead.

    Unlike them, she knew very well just how much more dangerous it would be for both herself and her friends if she was too far from the Goblin King.

    "It seems you''re quite eager, aren''t you?"

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 Chapter 813 Lacking Patience

    <h4>Chapter 813 Lacking Patience</h4>

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    Since the whole purpose of ''Arcadia'' was to make the world ''evolve'' into a stronger version of itself, it wasn''t hard for Emilia to realize that the ''dungeons'' within each of the ''pirs'' must also serve a simr purpose somehow.

    The energy that the world will was investing in this ''promotion'' might be substantial, but not everyone would end up sharing it equally.

    It was only when the most excellent seeds were given the most ''light'' that they would be able to sprout into the tallest and sturdiest of trees. As for the weeds¡­ not only would it not be a pity to leave them out to dry, but it was also essential to pull them out as quickly as possible.

    ''In the original timeline, the first run of this dungeon was the toughest. Most yers didn''t expect the goblins to be so vicious and depraved, and the humiliation drove so many to despair.'' Emilia smirked, a little amused. ''It''s hard to believe that I''m here in front of that boss without witnessing a single such scene.''

    The rewards dropped by the monsters in this dungeon were obviously much better than they should have been, which was enough to make many yers deviate from their ''real goal'' and waste time. And once they lost both their vignce and ''sight'', they became very likely to suffer tragically on the second floor under the hands of the Goblin Elites.

    However, this had only been the case before the dungeon''s first conquest. And with Emilia ''ruining'' it like this, it was very likely that the overall impact of the entire pir might be dulled.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but sigh. "You really broke a lot of ''rules'' this time, so we''ll have to be a lot more careful in the future."

    Even if it was the ''boss'' making the final decision himself, the raven-haired girl knew very well just how ''unreasonable'' a ''world will'' could be.

    Emilia smiled. ''I know, don''t worry.''

    Unfortunately, the crimson-haired elf''s smile was mistaken by both the boss and her teammates alike as her being ''overconfident'' and provocative.

    Their warnings fell on ''deaf ears'', however, and the eager boss finally couldn''t control himself as he stomped the floor heavily, his hooves cracking it in a spiderweb pattern that soon spread to cover not only Emilia, but also her team.

    [The ''King''s Domain'' is now in effect. Certain movement skills have been restricted or disabled¡­]

    Every ''individual'' in Arcadia, including monsters, usually had some ''memory'' that they themselves ''fabricated'' in ordance to their circumstances within the ''game world'', though it was still loosely based on their own real-life experiences. And the ''Goblin King'' facing Emilia at the moment was no different.

    Based on his ''experience'', there was no way for the girls in front of him to know that he wasn''t a brawler of some sort, and getting closer to him like this could only mean that Emilia wanted to engage in a ''fair battle'' with him.

    Of course, the Goblin King himself was somewhat aware of the disadvantage he would be facing if he allowed a tricky opponent like Emilia to get ''too close'', especially considering her strange ability to make those close to herself ''forget'' about every other opponent. But when she approached him on her own, his desire to conquer and suppress the elf in front of him brutally was aroused to its limits,pletely suppressing any previous thoughts of caution.

    Facing the little beauty he had been looking forward to tasting for so long like this, it was impossible for the Goblin King to not be a little impulsive.

    "Hehehe¡­ little girl,e. Come, let''s have some fun!"

    Green mes seemed to spontaneously ignite in his eyes as the Goblin King grinned, and even the saliva dripping down his exposed fangs seemed to have been contaminated by his overly concentrated magic.

    The dozen or so remaining ''Goblin Elites'' watched in excitement as their boss moved in to teach a lesson to the opponent they''d been almost ''helpless'' against. Of course, although he ruled and controlled them through fear and magic, the Goblin King''s strength was indisputable.

    Their faith and confidence in their ''king'' was unwavering, and they didn''t consider even for a moment that he could lose.

    [Inside the ''King''s Domain'', the status of all allies will be enhanced, and some attributes of all enemies will be suppressed!]

    [If defeated inside the ''King''s Domain'', the allegiance of the loser will be changed.]

    Hearing the first few notifications only made Emilia''s teammates a little anxious, but thest one was what really disturbed them.

    If they really lost to the hideous thing in front of them, could it be that they''d be forced to join the ''Goblin'' faction in the future? In that case, they might as well quit the game.

    Just as their will wavered slightly, the Goblin King made his move.

    "Rain of Torment!"

    He raised his giant arms to the sky whilepletely disregarding Emilia''s dash, and a great magic circle formed above his head, raining down green balls of fire rapidly.

    Emilia''s teammates had no choice but to focus on dodging them, and couldn''t provide her any support, but the crimson-haired girl easily weaved around it all to reach the boss.

    Unfortunately, the moment she was close enough to strike with her poison fang, the giant nimbly stepped aside and lunged to grab her.

    Emilia was able to barely avoid its wed hands as the boss tried to hug her, but it wasn''t without paying a price.

    Not only did she lose almost fifty points of health, but her top garment was also left half torn.

    The boss grinned as he brought the piece of crimson cloth to his face. "So eager to get close? It seems you''re just as excited for this lord''s love. Kekekeke¡­!"

    Taking a deep whiff of the soft fabric in his ws, the Goblin King''s excitement reached its peak, and it couldn''t even be hidden under his rather thick loincloth anymore.

    At this point, he no longer cared about ''ying around'', and just wanted to gobble Emilia up immediately.

    "Do it!"

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 Chapter 814 Overconfidence

    <h4>Chapter 814 Overconfidence</h4>

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    As soon as they heard their King''smand, all the ''Goblin Elites'' immediately rushed to attack Emilia''s team in excitement. Clearly, their courage had reached its peak thanks to their boss joining the battle, and they already believed that the oue of the battle could only be in their favor.

    Facing the dual assault, Emilia couldn''t help but frown. "Move closer to me, everyone!"

    Danielle and the rest of her team clearly didn''t feel very safe with the green mes raining down continuously, but they also knew that there was little choice. If they weren''t close enough to Emilia, it wouldn''t be so easy for her to protect them all. And if any one of them were to be caught off-guard by some ''stray'' attack, it was very likely that their team wouldn''t be able to recover from the loss, inevitably losing this crucial fight.

    "Kill the elites first! Once it''s just the boss left, we can handle it!"

    The Goblin Kingughed at Emilia''s rather na?ve words, but her teammates obviously believed in her and followed it. He found it quite amusing.

    Unfortunately for them, even if they did everything perfectly, the ''Area of Effect'' of the Rain of Torment was simply too great. Emilia''s [Challenger''s Charm] might have made it impossible for the boss to ''focus'' on anyone but herself, but he seemed to have figured out a way to attack the others anyway.

    ''It looks like I was overestimating them too much. After disrupting their rhythm a little, they''re just a bunch of little girls without a proper leader.'' The boss chuckled.

    No longer reserving his energy for the other countermeasures, he pumped even more into the [Rain of Torment], increasing its intensity nearly twofold.

    Danielle and Robin could only grit their teeth and bear the pain, not wanting to express their pain, but Nico and Crystal weren''t quite as sessful.

    "Ahh!"

    "Ouch!"

    Of course, even if they were to only grunt, the [Vignce] skill from Emilia''s ''crown'' made it impossible for her to ignore their plight.

    ''They''ve already lost nearly a third of their HP even though they avoided the brunt of the attack¡­'' Emilia frowned. ''Can they really hold on¡­?''

    No matter how worried she was, however, Emilia didn''t have the ability to help Crystal and the others any further.

    She was barely able to avoid most of the des of all the Goblin Elites that had poured in moments before, after all, and the ''Rain of Torment'' wasn''t helping either. Not only was most of her carefully picked clothing now either scorched or gone, but even some of the exposed silky skin underneath was now frighteningly red.

    Watching everyone''s HP go down, Nico had no choice but to stop casting [Mend Wounds] on Emilia, and use the area healing [Minor Heal] instead.

    Of course, while it saved everyone else from dying, not being able to use [Mend Wounds] as frequently on Emilia meant that she was no longer able to hit her ''max HP'' as frequently, and her situation obviously became a lot more dangerous.

    The Goblin King grinned. "Hoho¡­ looking at you move like that, I''m getting more and more excited!"

    In fact, only he knew that if he so wished, the wounds that Emilia suffered wouldn''t be so ''superficial'', and maybe she would have fallen long ago. But he had to be careful not to burn his own meal, after all. If he just wanted to screw a burnt corpse, why would he go through so much trouble?

    The giant goblin motioned to his strongest remaining elite, and then swung his staff around before mming it down with a resounding ''Bang!''.

    The shockwave that erupted from the base of his staff as well as the area of the ground that had been pierced by his subordinate''s sword sent Emilia stumbling back despite doing her best to resist. And to make matters worse, the momentarypse also made her unable to dodge the subsequent lunge from a nearby goblin, who easily pierced her thigh with his jagged sword.

    Emilia''s HP was lowered from being between two hundred and two fifty to just around a hundred, and if not for Nico''s timely [Mend Wounds], it might just have disappearedpletely.

    The pain from the deep woundbined with everything else finally made the crimson-haired elf moan in pain, greatly increasing the anxiety of her teammates, as well as the excitement of her enemies.

    They knew that as long as stopped doing her job as their only ''Tank'', the backliners of her team would be easy pickings.

    "Graah!" The goblin who managed to stab her so well screamed in excitement, only for its head to be swiftly turned to ash by a green fireball from his own king.

    "Don''t ruin it! Your strikes have to be shallow enough to heal without leaving a scar!" The ''Goblin King'' snorted angrily. ''After going through so much trouble, I have to get at least a few rounds of use out of this little elf!''

    Her teammates were obviously furious, and the attacks on the remaining [Goblin Elites] intensified, but the boss didn''t care.

    The exhaustion within their eyes couldn''t be hidden, and their supply of mana potions also couldn''t be endless. Since it was impossible for them to take him down now, why should he be worried?

    As he predicted, when there were just three [Goblin Elites] left, the ''healer'' finally stopped chugging down mana potions carelessly, and obviously looked anxious while holding her staff.

    Even if she had a few more left¡­ it was already over.

    The Goblin King stepped back with a grunt. "This lord is impressed. Go on, finish them off, then I shall subdue you personally and make you mine."

    Emilia gave him an obviously disgusted look, but in her current state, it only made her look more ''inviting'' to the boss.

    "Heh¡­ as I thought,pared to those red strings around your thighs, real blood really does look so much better."

    An arrow of light from Crysta''s bow obliterated another two of his subordinates, but the Goblin King only felt his excitement mounting further as he watched.

    "My lord, s-save, save me!"

    Even when hisst remaining elite, the giant swordsman, begged on his knees, he only grinned. "Well¡­ as you wished, everyone else is gone, and it''s just me in front of you."

    The beautiful crimson-haired elf in front of him was obviously exhausted, and looked about ready to copse at any time. She didn''t even seem to have the energy to retort.

    He chuckled. "You have two choices now, little elf. Get down on your knees and serve me well so I''m in a good enough mood to spare your friends, or¡­ watch them die before I take you anyway."

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 Chapter 815 The Hidden Ace

    <h4>Chapter 815 The Hidden Ace</h4>

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    ¡ªThe ''Crimson Witches'' have killed the [Elite Goblin Knight]. All members are rewarded with 10 Gold Coins and 100,000 Experience Points.

    ¡ªReceived [Cursed Broadsword] x 1

    ¡ªReceived [Random Evolution Stone] x 1

    The Goblin King didn''t react much when the giant goblin swordsman finally fell helplessly to one of Crystal''s light arrows, and just waited ''patiently'' for Emilia''s response.

    Based on what he''d seen so far, he didn''t believe that she could remain calm for long when faced with the ''well-being'' of her ''friends''. It was such an obvious weakness, to the point where the Goblin King felt it would be a mistake to not make use of it.

    As he expected, the na?ve little elf in front of him really wavered once she realized that the fate of her teammates was also on her shoulders, and slumped her shoulders in defeat. "I-I¡­ If I do as you say, will you really let them go¡­?"

    The Goblin King grinned. "Of course."

    Watching her trudge over to the boss, Danielle, Nico, and Robin couldn''t help but panic.

    "Emilia?!"

    "No! Don''t listen to him!"

    Although this was only a ''game'', and they wouldn''t really suffer ''physically'' no matter what they went through in this ''world'', the sensations and feelings that they experienced within Arcadia were no different from the real world.

    If Emilia was really ''humiliated'' by the monster in front of them, it would definitely leave some deep scars in her mind. And knowing that it would all be because of them only made them feel a hundred times worse.

    "That perverted monster is trying to trick you!"

    "Y-You¡­ idiot!!!"

    Of course, Crystal was a lot more calm, though perhaps the intensity of her next shot betrayed her real feelings.

    Infused with almost double the amount of mana that a yer of the same level should have, the gleaming arrow tore through the air like a missile as it made its way to the Goblin King''s face in the blink of an eye.

    Unfortunately, the Goblin King''s confidence when facing them wasn''t unfounded.

    The moment Crystal''s arrow was about to reach him, it seemed to crash into an invisible barrier that absorbed it with barely a ripple, as if such an intense attack was no different from a drop in ake.

    Going by their gob-smacked expressions, it was obvious that none of Emilia''s teammates had expected such a thing to happen.

    And as if to rub salt to her injury, the Goblin King evenughed.

    "Kekeke¡­ it looks like your friends also value you very much. Really worthy of you offering yourself up for them, wouldn''t you say?"

    The invisible barrier was in fact nothing special. It was just a spell that greatly boosted his [Light] element resistance and reduced the effectiveness of ''harmful'' spells aimed at him as they passed through it. Of course, as he had an endless supply of mana from the ''dungeon'', unlike his subordinates, this meant that he was pretty much ''invulnerable'' to the otherwise terrifying attacks of the blonde archer.

    "¡­ If you keep hesitating, I don''t mind going back on our deal, you know?"

    Emilia shivered, then quickly picked up her pace. "N-No, I-I''ll do it!"

    Danielle and the others could no longer help but try to stop Emilia physically, but unfortunately, they were also stopped by a thin film of strange energy that made them bounce back.

    In desperation, the drill-haired girl tried to see if it was possible for them to log out, but the grayed-out button soon confirmed her worst nightmares. Since the option wasn''t avable to her, it was impossible for Emilia, who was much closer to the boss, to have it either.

    The boss relished in their desperation, andughed hysterically as his sought-after ''prize'' finally came to his arms on her own initiative.

    This crimson-haired elven beauty that he''d been so desperate to taste was now finally his, and she even surrendered to him on her own initiative!

    At this moment, all the ''trouble'' that he had to go through before seemed very well worth it.

    The Goblin King grinned. "Good¡ª?!!!"

    Suddenly, there was a dull ''thud!'', and the Goblin King''s eyes widened in fear and horror as intense, unbearable pain exploded from the back of his head.

    He instinctively tried to jump back in shock, though it obviously only made everything ''worse''.

    ''What happened?!''

    His desperate thought was soon answered by a system prompt, but it didn''t bring the boss any relief. If anything, it left him even more dumbfounded.

    ¡ªThe [Goblin King] received 6360 points of [Dark] damage.

    ¡ªThe [Goblin King] has been afflicted by [Lethal Poison], and will receive 1% of his own max health as damage every second until cured or dead.

    "!!!"

    "Nice one, Sylvia!"

    "Good job!"

    Whether it was the massive amount of damage that shaved off a good chunk of his health, or the fatal ''curse'' that had now seeped into his blood, neither of them seemed to make any sense to the Goblin King.

    It was true that he had forgotten about the dark-haired girl who attacked him, but how could she deal such a ridiculous amount of damage to him with just one hit? Even the much stronger enemies from other ''invading'' teams could only deal a thousand or so damage at a time, and that was after using some skills, at least.

    Obviously, he had no idea that Sylvia''s high conceal, whenbined with her own skills and sense, allowed her to look for the perfect opportunity to deal the most critical strike that she possibly could. And whenbined with the bonus attack and poison damage from her bow, [Sylvan Strike], the effect was even more astonishing.

    Moreover, Sylvia had also done her best to sneak in a few shots on the distant goblins at the start of the fight whenever they''d been ''distracted'' by Emilia, so she also had almost a hundred stacks on her [Ring of Purity], increasing her [Dark] element damage by nearly a hundred percent.

    The most ''tragic'' of it all, however, was the fact that the Goblin King himself had given Sylvia her greatest ''damage boost''. After all, greatly amplifying his [Light Resistance] wasn''t without its trade-offs, one of which included reducing his [Darkness Resistance] to negative.

    It was only now that he realized that the price he paid for being able to stand confidently in the face of those arrows was really too steep. But unfortunately, it was toote.

    Emilia was too close to him now, and easily took advantage of the opportunity, her previously ''delicate'' mood nowhere in sight. And even the dark-haired girl who ambushed him dealt another strike while he was too stunned to move.

    This time, the damage was much more ''sensible'', but when the effects of Emilia''s [Poison Fang]bined with the two ''poisons'' already on the Goblin King, he really panicked.

    The ''death'' of his subordinates had always felt like a trivial matter to him. After all, they should all ''revive'' soon after, anyway. But when he faced the ''reaper'' himself, even the King of Goblins couldn''t maintain hisposure.

    "You annoying little fly, how dare you?!" He screamed hysterically, swiping wildly with his ws whilepressing a huge amount of magical energy within himself.

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 Chapter 816 Cleared

    <h4>Chapter 816 Cleared</h4>

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    Although Sylvia was forced to stop attacking the Goblin King to avoid falling to his ws, she didn''t move too far away, and used her [Conceal] skill again to strike once she got another opportunity.

    Despite her skill being quite ''effective'', it only made her very difficult to notice. But with Emilia''s ability to keep the Goblin King''s eyeballs firmly glued to herself, Sylvia knew that it wouldn''t be difficult to once again vanishpletely from her opponent''s senses.

    The Goblin King obviously wasn''t very pleased by the fact that his attack failed, and growled impatiently, his moves getting even wilder.

    Emilia remained focused on dodging his wildly swinging ws, but Danielle and the others couldn''t help but feel that something wasn''t right.

    While it was impossible for him to get away from their princess with her ''taunt skill'' active and attack them instead, after suffering under the Goblin King''s ''Rain of Torment'', Danielle and the others didn''t dare to let down their guard.

    "Strange¡­ why isn''t he using his magic anymore?" The drill-haired girl frowned.

    They might not have realized it at first, but by now it was more than clear to everyone that the [Goblin King] was more of a magician than a warrior. For him to rely on just physical attacks alone was clearly abnormal.

    Robin nodded. "Could it be¡­ he''s preparing a big move?"

    Nico shuddered in fright as she listened to their thoughts, and anxiously braced herself to heal Emilia with her full strength as soon as things turned south.

    Crystal, however, only frowned slightly and focused on firing her light arrows, rapidly draining the Goblin King''s health pool.

    Unlike most other monsters, they didn''t have a convenient panel with the health information of the boss, but the depleting red bar that floated above his head made it obvious that he couldn''t hold on for long.

    She could tell that he was really desperate already, and knew he wouldn''tst long. Her damage potential against an enemy weak so vulnerable to the light attribute was simply too great.

    "Be careful, Emilia¡­ he''s trying to blow up!"

    Her warning came just in time, and the crimson-haired elf quickly turned around to dash away from the Goblin King, though she was still caught up in the ''st radius''.

    With a resounding bang and a sh of light that shaved off more than half of her health even when she ''sessfully'' avoided it, a giant crater was formed with the panting Goblin King kneeling at its center.

    The explosion of energy was supposed topletely ''cleanse'' him of the previously applied dark attribute, and also ''purify'' much of the poison causing his health to decline, but the results of his own ''spell'' werepletely contrary to his expectations.

    Not only were none of the negative status effects removed, but he even lost arge chunk of his remaining health pool.

    The Goblin King coughed out a mouthful of green blood, his expression extremely unwilling. ''It¡­ failed¡­ but how¡­?''

    Despite being out of her ''taunt'' range, the Goblin King''s furious eyes locked onto Emilia once again. "Y-You¡­ Do you know even know what you have done?!"

    The crimson-haired elf just grinned cheekily in response. "What? Was I supposed to die so easily?"

    The giant goblin growled as he smashed his fist to the ground and bared his teeth, uncaring of the dark-green blood now freely flowing from his nose and ears. "Fool! Do you think you could have survived if I really wanted to kill you?! I was trying to save you by taking you with me, out of this nightmare¡ª!!!"

    Crystal''s arrow suddenly tore through his chest, dealing a critical strike far more effective than her previous attacks, and before the Goblin King could recover, the chilling voice of a girl he''d previously deemedpletely insignificant rang in his ears.

    "Ignite!!!"

    It was Danielle''s best fire-type skill. When used at a point-nk range with every point of mana that she had, its damage would already be devastating. Butbined with Crystal''s [Light] attack, it turned into a [Sacred Fire] that could sear [Dark] type monsters even from a distance.

    His remaining HP was vaporized in an instant, and the [Goblin King] dissolved into particles of light, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

    Emilia smiled in relief, while Danielle and the others couldn''t help but cheer. "We won!"

    "W-We did it?!"

    "We did it!!!"

    A resounding notification rang through everyone''s ears, as if celebrating their sess.

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    While Emilia and her team indulged in celebrating their hard-won victory, the notifications of their sess didn''t bring nearly as much joy to everyone else.

    ¡ªThe [Crimson Witches] have sessfully cleared the [Goblin''s Den] by defeating the boss.

    ¡ªDungeon clearing rewards have been distributed to all participating yers.

    ¡ªSince none of the other teams participated in the final battle on the boss floor, their contribution and rewards have been greatly reduced!

    The continuous notifications left nearly everyone inside the [Goblin''s Den] stunned, but none more so than the hero himself.

    He didn''t even pay attention to the fact that his team was ranked ''second'' in the contribution board of the dungeon''s first clear, or that their ''rewards'' were also quite decent.

    To him, none of it mattered as much as the fact that he''d lost.

    "They¡­ already cleared it¡­?" He muttered in disbelief.

    Although Darryl already knew it might happen after all the warning signs, it still felt a little unreal.

    He ''acknowledged'' some of Emilia''s skill, but didn''t believe she was ''that'' good deep down. Otherwise, he would definitely have done everything he could to get her into his team earlier, regardless of the cost, and not taken such a id back'' approach.

    Now, however, he couldn''t help but sigh in regret. ''If only I knew earlier¡­ unfortunately, it''s toote... toote.''

    Obviously, while the rest of his ''party'' didn''t know just how much it all mattered to him, they still knew he ''cared'' about the game a lot, and were worried that the news would make their ''leader'' sad.

    "Darryl¡­ are you okay¡­?"

    His gaze turned dark for a moment, then, he turned around to face his team with a smile, as warm and confident as ever. "I''m perfectly fine, Risa. Perfectly¡­ fine."

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 Chapter 817 Fermenting Opinion

    <h4>Chapter 817 Fermenting Opinion</h4>

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    Not long after Emilia and her team''s ''conquest'' of the [Goblin''s Den], the day within the game came to an end, and most yers rushed to various social media and forums to ''share'' their excitement and anger.

    Sylvia''s ''friend'', Dolly, was also one of them.

    Unlike everyone else, though, she cared more about who it was that ended up conquering the dungeon than any of its effects.

    She almost smashed her keyboard in a rage when she thought about it again. ''How could that stupid little bitch be so lucky?!''

    It was hard to believe that it had only been a few days since she''dst seen Sylvia and her moronic bunch of ''new friends'', and they''d already be the ''talk of the town''. Even the stupid client that her ''employer'' had been dealing with seemed to be unable to stop gushing over just how ''amazing'' they were.

    "Just because they somehow managed toplete that stupid dungeon doesn''t mean they''re the best!"

    With no other way to vent, Dolly had ''logged out'' before the servers even went down, and made one of the first few ''posts'' discussing the event.

    Although the [Arcadian Times] was a new forum, it was one of the most popr channels dedicated to discussions rted to the game. And Dolly believed that as long as she could make everyone see what she did, the ''Crimson Witches'' would soon realize that not all fame was good.

    [A certain team of yerspleted the dungeon before everyone else and is now touting themselves as ''the best''. Am I the only one who thinks it''s disgraceful how they just hogged all the rewards as fast as they could, not even caring how everyone else would suffer?]

    As everyone had been kicked out of the dungeon shortly after the announcement of its conquest, it was natural for many to be upset about it, and it wasn''t hard for Dolly to get them to support her argument.

    Since this was the first ''dungeon conquest'', and the ''champions'' themselves hadn''t shared any details, most people couldn''t help but wonder if the ''Crimson Witches'' might have ''deliberately'' caused everyone to be kicked out of the dungeon prematurely.

    "What kind of selfish behavior is this? If this is true, they''re really malicious!"

    "I understand wanting to trip yourpetition, but ruining the hard work of so many people is just going too far."

    By the time most yers were forced out of the game and joined the discussion, the spections had already be ''facts'', and it was easy for their frustrations to turn to rage.

    "My team was almost done clearing the first floor, now all our progress is lost!"

    Of course, such a statement was a joke to those who managed to get to the second floor, but it was a sentiment shared by a vast majority of the yerbase nheless.

    Much to Dolly''s delight, not only was everyone agreeing with her, but some even brought ''additional ammo'' with them.

    "It seems like after the reset, we can''t even form a temporary alliance with other teams to help each other clear the dungeon. Every ''instance'' is now separated."

    "Can confirm."

    "It''s true!"

    The lost progress and added restrictions were maddening enough, but what really pissed everyone off even more was the fact that the drops within the ''new'' dungeon were also greatly nerfed.

    The same [Inferior Goblin] that used to give them 2000 points of experience now only gave twenty, and also only dropped a measly four copper coins.

    Aside from wondering if it was even ''worth it'' to kill such ''cheap'' monsters, most yers could only regret that they hadn''t been able to kill more while the droprate was still high. And when they were told that someone might have ruined it for them intentionally, that regret quickly turned to rage.

    Even those who had previously favored Emilia or some of her teammates didn''t hesitate to criticize them.

    "It''s okay to want to get ahead, but it''s not okay to do so while tripping others!"

    "I used to be Emilia''s fan and always thought she was adorable, but this is a bit too greedy, isn''t it? Not cute at all."

    "It''s not surprising. She always seemed extremely entitled and selfish to me, but some others couldn''t look past her pretty face to see the truth."

    Emilia''s poprity wasn''t low, and it became apparent just how effective her ''beauty filter'' was when some people quickly came to defend her, despite themon opinion beingpletely against her team.

    "How is everyone so sure that our Emilia caused everyone to be kicked out? This is just pure spection, isn''t it?"

    "I will only believe it when she says it herself. Don''t worry, darling, mama believes you!"

    "Emilia, baby,e out and rify it for Daddy!"

    Watching their ''brain-dead'' chatter, some ''regr people'' couldn''t help but ridicule them.

    "So no matter what she does, you will only believe it if she confesses it herself?"

    "Well, don''t be so quick to me her. I''ve never liked her, but with how stupid Emilia is, I won''t be surprised if her teammates don''t even consult her before making the decision."

    "Even her ''fans'' call her an airhead, so I can only wonder how stupid she must be."

    Dolly didn''t like how the conversation was being led on aplete tangent. ''If I don''t do anything, these idiots will soon just start arguing about whether or not Emilia is cute, won''t they?''

    Regardless of the results of their discussion, won''t all her hard work go to waste then?

    However, Dolly soon realized that this was actually also a ''great opportunity'' for her. Since the firepower of Emilia''s fanbase was so strong, if she could use their strength for herself, this ''battle'' was as good as won.

    "That''s true, I don''t think Emilia would, or could, do something like this."

    ''First, bring them all on the same side, and then¡­'' Dolly sneered.

    "Compared to an airhead like her, I think it''s much more likely that someone more malicious like that tall and dark girl instigated the rest of her team to make that decision."

    As the author of the post, both her name and statements were highlighted, and easily caught everyone''s attention.

    With the poprity of Emilia''s team, they quickly figured out that the girl in question must be ''Sylvia'', as that description fit her best. Although she''d been able to stay rtively hidden until then thanks to a certain crimson-haired girl catching most of the limelight, it didn''t take long before people to dig out some of her images from their previous streams.

    On her own, Sylvia would definitely be considered an exotic and stunning beauty. But with the people actively looking for a ''bad girl'', all her charm points seemed to be negative.

    "Yikes. With those malicious yellow eyes and weed-like hair framing her dark face, she looks pretty much like a viin. Howe I never noticed her before?"

    "Now that I saw them all again, suddenly, it seems like only two or three of them can be considered likable."

    "That could also be an illusion, though, right?"

    "Maybe they''re all bad, after all."

    "Emilia is still young, and it''s easy to be misled by bad examples. We shouldn''t let them get away with this!"

    Dolly sneered while watching everyone rage against the ''Crimson Witches'', and Sylvia in particr.

    Their opinions were still quite mixed, but most of them seemed to agree that Emilia''s team must be punished and taught a lesson. After all, Arcadia had stopped being ''just a game'', and most people were starting to believe that ''bad behavior'' within the game should also be considered a crime.

    Dolly chuckled. ''So what if they managed to get a little ahead and make themselves famous? Even if everyone knows who they are, it''s not necessarily a good thing.''

    Sometimes, when not punished byw, the ''criminals'' only had everything to lose in the hands of a mob intent on carrying out their own ''justice''.

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 Chapter 818 Hidden Perpetrator

    <h4>Chapter 818 Hidden Perpetrator</h4>

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    Emilia didn''t usually check forums or the like for news rted to herself, but with the mainstream media soon picking up on it, neither she nor her team could remain oblivious to what was happening for long.

    "Wasn''t ''Arcadian Times'' supposed to be a ce for people to discuss strategies and stuff? Howe it has been such a toxic cesspool¡­" Robin grumbled.

    Therge screen in front of them was already muted to make sure it didn''t ruin their mood any further than it already had, but the self-righteous expressions of the ''anchor'' as well as the highly caustic ments'' on disy were enough for them to know that none of it was in their favor.

    Danielle hummed thoughtfully. "To be honest, although it wasn''t our fault that everyone was kicked out of the dungeon, as the only ones whopleted it, we might have really stepped on a lot of toes this time."

    Robin and Nico still whined about how unfair it was that they were being med for something they couldn''t control, and were being punished for just trying their best, but Sylvia and Emilia remained silent.

    Obviously, while their perspective was far from being the same, they both understood that the world was rarely ever ''fair''.

    "This is the oldest post on the topic, right?"

    Noticing how Emilia had opened the [Arcadian Times] on her phone and was now scrolling through the highly toxic topic, Danielle couldn''t help but frown. "Didn''t I already tell you not to look at it? It''ll just pollute your brain."

    Emilia blinked innocently, but before she could respond, someone had already snatched her phone away from behind the sofa.

    Turning back to look at the tall, dark-haired girl staring down at her with a gloomy expression on her face, Emilia could only pout.

    "Good job, Sylvia."

    Despite how rare it was for Danielle to praise her, Sylvia only snorted disdainfully in response, causing a certain crimson-haired girl to roll her eyes in exasperation. ''If you really want to pretend not to get along, couldn''t you have spared my phone?''

    Of course, Emilia understood their ''concern'' that she might see some words that disturbed her, so she gave up protesting against it after some thought.

    They were only trying to protect her ''innocence'', and she''d already seen what she needed to see, anyway.

    ''The person who started it all was definitely trying to target us maliciously, and wasn''t just motivated by jealousy, right?''

    It wasn''t hard for Emilia to notice that someone was intentionally trying to take advantage of their ''misfortune'', though she wasn''t exactly sure who it could be.

    Cynthia chuckled. "There''s no way to be sure, but based on how little they focused on the great injustice that they themselves suffered, it''s very likely."

    Emilia also understood that there was a certain chance that her guess might be wrong, but the feeling she got from the words of the post''s author was quite strong.

    Her first suspect was naturally the ''hero'', but she didn''t think Darryl would make such a ''small'' move. Moreover, there was a certain trait of the malicious poster that made Emilia certain that it couldn''t be him.

    Not only did the person seem to hate her team quite a bit, but based on hertter posts, they also had a special vendetta against Sylvia in particr.

    From what she understood based on the past she''d ''seen'', while the hero''s feelings for Sylvia were quiteplicated, he wouldn''t try to arouse public hatred against her without reason.

    ''¡­ That just leaves Dolly as the main suspect, right?''

    Based on her past ''experience'', Emilia knew that the girl not only had the motivation to bring harm to Sylvia, but also the ''skill'' for simr malicious stunts. Otherwise, the dark-haired girl wouldn''t have been so ''notorious'' despite herck of poprity at that time.

    Cynthia agreed. "Mhmm¡­ Unless that girl has more enemies that we don''t know about. Anyway, it doesn''t matter much at this point, does it?"

    Emilia looked at the rest of her team discussing the matter seriously, and couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. ''Although it''s true that everyone''s attention will turn to the ''Pir'' once it bes public, that doesn''t change the fact that someone tried to hurt us.''

    Cynthia thought about it for a while as well, then frowned.

    Although the tip of the spear this time was definitely aimed at Sylvia, it didn''t change the fact that Emilia would also have been severely hurt by its edge if not for the timing of certain events.

    Naturally, the crimson-haired girl had intentionally phrased it that way. The raven-haired girl may not care much about mortals, but she wouldn''t be so indifferent when dealing with her own matters.

    Emilia sighed. ''Unfortunately, even if I know it''s likely Dolly behind this matter, there''s not much I can do about it.''

    Listening to her partner''s defeated tone, Cynthia finally couldn''t endure it anymore. "That''s not true."

    The crimson-haired girl blinked in ''surprise''.

    Cynthia flicked back her hair haughtily. "Although you haven''t been able to use your own skills within Arcadia, things might change now that the ''real'' pir has appeared in this world. And even if it doesn''t happen¡­ don''t you still have me to channel it through to the target using the game as a medium?"

    Feeling her partner''s shock and awe, the raven-haired girl couldn''t help but grin. "With your ''Predator''s Mark'', tracking that Dolly girl down would be a piece of cake."

    Emilia was delighted to finally have a solution for a while, but then she recalled something and frowned. ''Wait a minute¡­ didn''t that skill have a limit of ten minutes?''

    Cynthia coughed. "T-That''s¡­ it''s only used up when the distance between you and your target changes."

    Obviously, her implication was that since both their physical bodies would be ''stationary'' rtive to each other until they ''logged out'' of the game, a mark applied from the ''inside'' would work for at least ten minutes in the outer world.

    Emilia couldn''t help but be shocked. ''Ehh¡­?! Why didn''t you tell me about such a great ''feature'' earlier?!''

    "Ehehehe¡­"

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 Chapter 819 No Other Choice

    <h4>Chapter 819 No Other Choice</h4>

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    While the rest of her team was still upset over all the negative news spreading about them, Emilia''s mood had already settled down after figuring out a ''counterattack'' strategy with Cynthia.

    ''So long as I can figure out someone''s actual location by marking them within the game, it shouldn''t be hard to know where the real root of all this trouble is.'' Emilia thought as she twirled a strand of her crimson hair around leisurely.

    The only problem then would be how she would get there without rming all her ''watchers''. After all, not to mention her teammates, but the government officials ''scouting'' for them also wouldn''t appreciate her actions very much if exposed.

    Once her cover of stupidity and innocence was lost, it wouldn''t take long for some of the more cautious amongst them to realize just how terrifyingly dangerous Emilia could be. And no matter how things progressed from there, the crimson-haired girl knew that it definitely wouldn''t be in her favor.

    Just as she thought so, a certain uninvited guest decided to pay them a visit, though even Danielle didn''t have the courage to turn him down at this time.

    After all, looking at the dozens of armed men behind him, Norman didn''t seem to be in the mood to hear any noes. Following him was another middle-aged man, and going by the frown on his face, he wasn''t very pleased about being where he was either.

    "Uncle Norman!" Emilia greeted cheerfully upon ''finally noticing'' him, her previously confused expression instantly evaporating as she stood up to hug him.

    Of course, as she expected, the middle-aged man stopped her to ''avoid suspicion'', though his fond smile as he ruffled her hair made it clear that her behavior had pleased him.

    "Have a seat, everyone, we''re only here to talk."

    Walking into their meeting hall as if they owned the ce, the leaders of the group took the sofa that Danielle had vacated, while the ''Crimson Witches'' had no choice but to do the same on the other side.

    The fact that Norman took advantage of Emilia''s ''trust'' to ce her next to him obviously didn''t sit right with them, but the ''adults'' in the room all seemed oblivious to their dissatisfied res.

    The man sitting on the other side of the general cleared his throat to get their attention. "As Norman should have already told you, we''re here on behalf of the government. It has been decided that you girls will now be a part of the national ''Arcadian Defense Force'', so pack up only your most important personal belongings immediately."

    Patting Emilia''s shoulder, Norman sighed. "To be honest, I was hoping to give you all a lot more time to think things through and figure it all out on your own. But¡­ things have changed, and be far too dangerous for us to leave you alone."

    Danielle and the others obviously hadn''t expected such an obvious turn of events, but before they could protest, the middle-aged general stopped them.

    "I know you must have a lot of questions and grievances, but the situation is far worse than you know right now. There isn''t much choice on my part either, so do as you''re told first."

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    Although Emilia knew that her team had gotten a lot stronger after conquering the dungeon, she still sent Danielle a pleading gaze to signal her to just follow Norman''s words.

    The blonde girl was far from happy about it, but she also knew better than to openly fight against so many soldiers. Not to mention how dangerous it would be, even if they somehow pulled a wless victory, the forces behind these men would never let them go so easily.

    The four girls followed uneasily behind Norman, who held Emilia''s hand ''affectionately'' all the way to his armored truck, while the girl herself remainedpletely oblivious to the fact that she might be a hostage.

    After they were led to a separate vehicle, Danielle couldn''t help but curse silently. ''Even though I told her to not trust him, how can she be so stupid?!''

    Of course, the reason why Norman separated Emilia from her group wasn''t just to ''catch up'' with her. After pretending to care about her for a while, he immediately started probing her about their adventure in the dungeon.

    "That''s right! Danielle and Sylvia are so awesome, we totally blew those baddies away, and the rewards were also super cool!"

    Emilia pretended to be delighted to finally have the chance to brag about it all, and Norman couldn''t help but smile dotingly. ''She really is just like my little niece.''

    He''d known that this ''stupid little girl'' would be the perfect breakthrough point for them to figure out everything that they needed to, and there was no need to needlessly ''bully'' these children. But some of his more stubborn colleagues simply refused to believe him.

    If they''d had their way, the six members of the team would all be captured, separated, and then ''interrogated'' thoroughly. Only then could they be ''sure'' that nothing would go wrong.

    Fortunately, his name still held enough weight to make them listen no matter how unwilling they were, or things might just have be needlesslyplicated. Of course, the fact that they couldn''t even find the sixth teammate also helped.

    "¡ªand we also got a lot of gold and experience, of course. Ohh, I almost forgot! There were some super cool weapons too, uhm, cursed broadsword or something, I think¡­?"

    "Hoh? That''s really amazing." Norman praised her with a smile.

    "Ehehe¡­" Emilia giggled. ''Idiot. Did you really think I would tell you so easily?''

    Although it was impossible to hide everything, the crimson-haired girl knew just how much she could safely expose. So long as her teammates didn''t spill the beans, there was no way anyone could figure out how much she was hiding.

    ''So they were right, after all¡­'' Norman sighed. ''At this point, we can''t leave these little girls alone. They''re in way over their heads.''

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 Chapter 820 Deceptive Shell

    <h4>Chapter 820 Deceptive Shell</h4>

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    Emilia was well aware of the fact that Norman regarded her as an ''ignorant'' child. He was neither the first, nor the only one around to ''underestimate'' her like that, after all.

    Far too many people believed what they saw and heard too seriously. And once they''d categorized someone as a certain type of person in their hearts, it was easier to selectively ignore some hints instead of changing their already established thoughts.

    Of course, since she''d worked so hard to act like that, the crimson-haired girl would never fail to make the most of the opportunity.

    Her glittering-blue eyes and smug yet charming smile made it so that, not to mention Norman, even those scrutinizing her far more carefully never once doubted the authenticity of her words.

    Even the most skeptical of them only worried about her bragging too much, with their perception of Emilia already solidified as a somewhat arrogant but easily deceived little girl.

    After a while, Norman led her to an isted bedroom after he had already extracted everything he felt he needed from the young girl, then bade her goodbye with a smile.

    "Take a nap, or go y that game again if you like. There''s one of those game capsule things here, too."

    He even ruffled Emilia''s hair fondly on his way out, just as he often did to his own little niece,pletely unaware of the cold edge hidden beneath the beautiful girl''s outwardly twinkling eyes.

    Her expression didn''t change even after the door closed and she was ''alone''. Despite the cozy little room carpeted in pink being inplete contrast with the otherwise cold militaryplex, Emilia knew there must be hidden cameras and other ''bugs'' around, after all.

    Norman might act like a ''good elder'' in front of her, and maybe it was possible that he really started thinking of her as a ''good kid'' in his heart, but Emilia felt no pity in ''deceiving'' him. If he really knew the truth, she had no doubt that the middle-aged man wouldn''t think twice before ordering his subordinates to subdue her team.

    Not to mention, even if Norman treated her like that, Emilia understood very well just how much certain people in power obsessed over having eyes and ears everywhere. Moreover, while he might really believe her, even the middle-aged man who looked at her so warmly just moments before wasn''t above using certain underhanded tactics on her if really needed.

    After all, since she was so easy to use, wouldn''t it be a pity to not exploit her to ''convert'' some of her more rebellious teammates more thoroughly? To make the most out of a tool, one must first fully understand how it works. And what better way to do that than through observation?

    Maybe he would even justify it in his heart as it all being for Emilia''s own good, and wouldn''t even feel an ounce of guilt regardless of what the crimson-haired girl actually ended up going through.

    ''Hopefully, Sylvia and Danielle would respond as I expect them to¡­ otherwise things might get a little tricky.'' Emilia sighed.

    With their current level of strength, her team simply had no way to resist even the localw enforcement agencies in their area, let alone the military. And once their level of threat became known to certain higher-ups, it was even less likely that they would be allowed to grow strong enough to be able to do so in the future.

    Of course, things were about to change soon.

    Emilia''s eyes turned to the full-dive pod in the corner of the deceptively cozy little room, and she smiled. ''The first pir must have already descended after we conquered that dungeon¡­ I wonder how the hero is doing.''

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    In a rtively modest meeting hall, several middle-aged men mulled over the report presented to them, their expressions ranging from calm and unpredictable to confused and disappointed.

    Not many of them doubted the authenticity of Norman''s findings. Some of them may have disagreements with the stubborn and hard-headed general, but the man had already dealt with so many tricky situations throughout his career, after all. How could a little girl who could barely be considered an adult on paper possibly hide anything from him?

    "Based on what we know so far, the value of all these itemsbined¡­ it''s definitely very good, isn''t it?"

    With their own people now thoroughly investigating everything rted to Arcadia, even if they didn''t yet have an intuitive grasp of how it all worked, it wasn''t hard for them to roughly judge an item''s value. And every bit of loot that the ''Crimson Witches'' had obtained from the first dungeon boss seemed to justpletely outss everything else that their ''professional'' teams had managed to congregate so far,bined.

    And yet¡­ it was still a little disappointing.

    One of them couldn''t help but sigh. "I thought there would be something in there that wouldpletely turn the situation around, but sadly¡­"

    "It looks like we overestimated how lucky these little things were."

    "It wasn''t all in vain, though. We can still redistribute these items to morepetent teams. And with some effort, it may not take long before we can catch up with ''those'' guys."

    Several eyes turned to him skeptically, and one of them even openly scoffed.

    "They''ve already monopolized the area around the so-called ''Tower of Heaven'', which we have already determined greatly boosts the unnatural powers. These items may be good, but¡­ it''ll just be a drop in the bucket."

    His words rang true in many ears. Compared to a steady stream of power, such a one-time boost was really too insignificant.

    They argued over it furiously over and over, and in the end, the idea most of them had at some point, yet refused to acknowledge, finally remained the only one they had left.

    The unnatural powers that gave them such a headache seemed to ultimately all stem from ''Arcadia'', and while the strength of those yers who actually ''awakened'' seemed to bepletely random at first, the descent of the ''Tower of Heaven'' made them wonder if that was really the case.

    There was no way to figure out how it all worked, but since Arcadia was the source of it all, and the Crimson Witches were currently one of the ''best'' teams in the game¡­

    "How about we let them continue growing¡­?"

    Despite many of them having the same thought, they instinctively rejected it.

    "They''re much weaker than the awakened near the tower at the moment, aren''t they?"

    "Hmm. Not to mention, even if they could somehow be nurtured and grow to be stronger, it won''t be easy to discipline such vtile threats."

    Another fierce argument ensued, but despite their ''fierce resistance'' to the idea, a sense of helplessness slowly grew as the realization started dawning on them.

    Would the fate of their country really need to rest on some undisciplined brats?

    No matter how they thought about it, with such unreliable tools being their ''ace weapon'', their prospects in the uing and unavoidable war seemed¡­ extremely bleak.

    Even if they were still young enough to be brainwashed and trained, it was almost impossible for them to reach a satisfactory level before it was toote.

    Several of them couldn''t help but have the same pessimistic thought.

    ''We''re doomed¡­ aren''t we?''

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 Chapter 821: The New Trainer

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    Emilia and her team were obviously never informed of the decisions made that day to decide their ''ultimate fate''. In the eyes of those in control, not only would it be utterly unnecessary and pointless, but it might even be considered counterproductive.

    One of the primary reasons they''d been so reluctant to invest in the growth of the ''Crimson Witches'' had been precisely their age. Younger people were often considered more rebellious and stubborn, especially when not trained properly.

    Unfortunately, although they could be considered ''bad stock'', the decision makers concerned knew that only their unlikely meteoric rise could give them a chance to contend against the momentum of their rivals.

    "From today onwards, Miss Evans will teach you girls how to fight and defend yourself properly." Norman smiled. "She''s one of the best at what she does, so it would be great if each of you could learn some of her skills."

    Miss Evans was a brte in her early thirties with her hair in a tight bun and faintughing lines on her naturally gentle tanned face. With just one look, most people would think of her as a good person worthy of trust.

    What few knew, however, was that she was less of a soldier and more of a spy.

    Even Emilia wouldn''t have known, if not for the fact that she''d recalled one of the fragmented scenes from the original timeline.

    Needless to say, for her to remain relevant enough to stand next to the hero in the future despite being a government agent in an enemy''s territory¡­ Emilia knew she wasn''t to be treated lightly.\\

    ''What an annoying type of person¡­ if they just wanted to control and keep an eye on a few young girls, couldn''t they have found someone easier to trick?'' Emilia sighed.

    Cynthia couldn''t help but giggle. "You say that, but you''d be the first one scoffing in disdain if they really sent someone ipetent."

    Emilia knew that her partner was right, so she could only huff in embarrassment. ''Well, whatever, I''ll just take it as a challenge. There''s not much she can do against us openly, anyway.''

    "Hello, Miss Evans¡­" The crimson-haired girl greeted her politely, her eyes twinkling with curiosity, and the woman nodded kindly in return.

    To the onlookers, it might seem like she had a good impression of the girl in front of her, but Emilia felt that the woman probably wouldn''t hesitate to wipe her neck with a knife without remorse the very next moment if needed.

    Seeing their ''heartwarming'' interaction, Norman sighed. "It''s a pity that I won''t be able to stay and train little Emilia and her friends myself, but I''ll be entrusting you with these precious children, alright?"

    Miss Evans smiled. "I''ll take good care of them, general. You can leave with confidence."

    To be able to talk to a general of Norman''s level like that, it was already obvious that ''Miss Evans'' couldn''t possibly be just a regr trainer. And it was unlikely for it to be an ident that she exposed such a fact so tantly.

    ''What, is she trying to impress or scare us¡­?'' Emilia resisted the urge to click her tongue in annoyance, then turned to the middle-aged general with a slightly disappointed look. "Uncle Norman is leaving¡­? But¡­"

    Her words were interrupted by a rough palm on her head.

    "There are some things that I can''t protect you from if I don''t leave, little one." The middle-aged man sighed, his tone full of helplessness. "You''ll be a good girl and wait for me¡­ won''t you?"

    In just a few words, he not only made it clear that he had no choice, but also that he was doing it all for her.

    If Emilia had been as naive as Norman believed, maybe she would have been moved to tears already.

    Of course, she knew the importance of moderation, and Emilia would never fullymit to a side that she couldn''t be certain of, so she only looked a little conflicted and depressed before nodding sadly. "O-Okay, uncle¡­ I''ll be good."

    Her teammates weren''t very pleased with the way she was acting, but Emilia didn''t seem to be paying attention to their hints.

    In the end, Danielle had no choice but to take the initiative to physically pull the crimson-haired girl away.

    "It''s okay, don''t be sad. Don''t you still have us?"

    Although the one she wasforting was the crimson-haired girl in her arms, there was no doubt that Danielle''s words were more of a deration meant for Norman. Robin and Nico red at the man in agreement with their team leader''s words, while Sylvia openly scoffed.

    Not one of them asked him to stay, which was no surprise to the middle-aged man. He knew that all of Emilia''s teammates considered him a ''thorn'', but that was fine.

    The more they cared about her, the better.

    So long as Emilia was a good girl and did as she was told, the personal thoughts and opinions of the other four¡­ simply didn''t matter.

    Norman pretended not to hear the quiet sniffle after the young girl in front of him lowered her head, though the satisfied smile on his face as he left made it clear that he was extremely pleased.

    Looking at this ''sincere'' expression of joy on their otherwise stoic general''s face, a few people by his side couldn''t help but be moved.

    "General¡­ is it really a good idea to leave them to Evans?"

    "Should we arrange for someone to keep an eye on the situation?"

    The general''s smile faded away, and he frowned after ncing sharply at the tightly closed door not far from them. "Have you already forgotten what I told you in thest briefing?"

    His words weren''t loud, but the edge hidden in them still made the two men who acted so caring just moments ago shudder in fear.

    Only then did they recall how they''d been told to be extremely mindful of their words and actions around the newly coined ''Team One'' of the ''Arcadian Defense Force''. With their weird and unpredictable abilities, there was no way to be sure how far their senses really stretched.

    Otherwise, the higher-ups wouldn''t send someone like ''Miss Evans'' to train some newbies.

    The two of them immediately apologized, and even felt grateful for their general''s reprimand.

    Fortunately, they didn''t seem to have caused any idental damage to the mission this time. Otherwise, given the severity grade of their mission this time, the consequences wouldn''t be something simple soldiers like them could handle.

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