Chapter 69: Don’t Misuse Metaphors

Chapter 69: Don’t Misuse Metaphors

Airael noticed it, but chose not to call him out.

Since Axi wanted to keep it a secret, even if she pointed it out, she might not get the truth anyway.

In fact, their relationship might take a hit because of this.

The only way she would get the real answer was if Axi decided to share it himself.

This only fueled Airael’s curiosity about Axi even more.

He definitely had an extraordinary story behind it.

“Oh! Now I get it!”

Airael said, then shifted her attention to the people nearby.

Axi also stayed silent, scanning their surroundings alongside Airael.

The banquet kept rolling on.

Airael and Axi remained in a corner of the gathering.

Although they were no longer invisible, Airael handled it with grace and poise.

Whenever someone approached to greet her, she responded courteously and engaged in pleasant small talk.

Even with her questionable outfit for the evening, her manners made it impossible for the noble humans to find any faults.

In fact, many felt a sense of shame in comparison.

At the same time, plenty of curious eyes were drawn to the beauty hidden beneath Airael’s hood.

What could a lady as elegant and noble possibly look like?

That answer would definitely not be revealed during the banquet.

Since Airael arrived on the continent, only two people had seen her beauty beneath the hood.

One was the previous mercenary group leader, Hank, and the other was Axi.

Even though Axi was at the banquet, he wasn’t keen on engaging with these people too much, let alone revealing how beautiful Airael truly was.

Soon enough, Duke Rayman, another key figure at the banquet, approached them.

“Miss Ailia, it’s a pleasure to see you here.”

Duke Rayman greeted Ailia with a warm smile.

“To meet Your Grace here is my honor.”

Airael smiled back.

“I hear Miss Ailia is Mr. Axi’s companion?”

“Indeed, I am currently Axi’s companion.”

“What a surprising turn of events! Previously, Mr. Axi was notorious for being a lone wolf, turning down countless invitations.”

While saying that, Duke Rayman cast a glance at Axi.

Axi just stared blankly ahead, pretending not to hear a thing.

Airael found the whole scene quite amusing.

To Duke Rayman, she replied, “That might be because those people weren’t suited for Axi. Just like in marriage, if two people are obviously incompatible, forcing them together wouldn’t yield a good result.”

Little did Airael know, this offhand metaphor sent shockwaves equivalent to a magnitude twelve earthquake for the other two.

As it made them consider the deeper implications, the ambiguity became painfully obvious.

Given her and Axi’s current situation, it was hard for anyone sensible not to think about it.

But she, the one who said it, wouldn’t dwell on it too much.

Axi, on the other hand, was already frozen in shock as a listener.

After a brief pause, Duke Rayman chuckled, “Miss Ailia, you are quite refreshing! You’re not like any of the mages I’ve met before.”

Airael asked, “What are the mages you’ve encountered like, Your Grace?”

“They’re all so mysterious, and their words are filled with riddles that are hard to decipher.”

Airael wasn’t surprised by that.

Unlike elves, mages were quite rare in human society.

This shrouded magic in an air of mystery among humans.

Thus, mages earned a reputation for being powerful and enigmatic.

To maintain that esteemed status, human mages worked hard to uphold such an image.

Airael kept that thought to herself and instead asked Duke Rayman, “Which type do you prefer, Your Grace, mine or theirs?”

“Naturally, I prefer you, Miss Ailia. It’s such a pleasure to converse with you, feeling both relaxed and joyful.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Your Grace!”

Duke Rayman smiled, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Airael, and then turned to leave.

He felt he had gathered enough information.

There was no need to intrude further into their little world.

After Duke Rayman departed, the atmosphere around Airael and Axi grew quiet.

They remained together until the banquet concluded.

Once it ended, Airael and Axi set off together from the banquet venue.

They walked toward their residence.

As the evening breeze gently blew, Axi glanced at Airael beside him.

His mind replayed Airael’s earlier comments.

Her words, which might spark misunderstandings, had indeed thrown him into a whirl.

Though he understood Airael had certain intentions behind sticking to him, he hadn’t expected her to express it in such a manner in front of others.

That was just asking for trouble!

At least, Axi felt Duke Rayman must have misunderstood the nature of his relationship with Ailia.

Duke Rayman surely thought he had accepted Ailia, or else he wouldn’t have let her stay by his side.

But the truth was, he had not accepted Ailia.

It was Ailia who persistently clung to him, and in the end, he was “forced” to accept that reality.

As such, he found it impossible to clarify this muddle to anyone.

Ultimately, he had indeed accepted Ailia, letting her stay close by.

Initially, Airael hadn’t noticed Axi’s odd demeanor, but gradually, she sensed something was off.

Turning to Axi, she caught him quickly averting his gaze.

“Is something bothering you?”

Airael asked, gently furrowing her brow.

“N-no… I’m fine.”

Axi stuttered back.

Airael’s frown deepened.

You call this fine? Who would believe that!

But Airael didn’t plan to pry further.

If he didn’t want to talk, then he didn’t want to talk.

After all, it wasn’t her who had things on her mind.

With that mindset, Airael walked on quite casually.

In contrast, Axi, burdened with his thoughts, couldn’t match her ease.

Airael would glance at him occasionally, noticing his silent brooding, but she didn’t push for answers.