Chapter 122

Chapter Ninety-Four I Don’t Like You

He immediately reached for the largest red fruit in the fruit bowl.

It’s you, I’ve tolerated you long enough!

The fruit was plump and round, almost as big as my face. After trying to grab it twice and realizing my hands were too small to hold it, I got anxious. I lifted my little butt from the recliner and stretched out the other hand onto the table. Finally, I managed to scoop it out of the bowl.

I held it joyfully in front of me, sniffed it, then opened my mouth as wide as possible and took a bite.

The sweet juice overflowed, streaming down my chin.

Delicious!

I quickly swallowed the flesh, looked up, and gazed at the blonde woman sitting opposite me with eager eyes.

“What is this called?”

“It’s an Akri fruit, a specialty of Xierjiaya.”

Xierjiaya’s specialty? Why did I miss it!

…Never mind, it’s good to have here too. Once Carlos returns, I’ll tell him and ask him to buy some for me.

Snap.

I bit into another piece of the fruit, savoring the rich juice filling my mouth, the sweetness tinged with a hint of sourness making it irresistible. I just wanted to swallow this bite quickly and take another.

It might also be because I skipped meals; I overslept, and I haven’t had dinner yet.

I started munching on the fruit, the crisp “crunch” echoing distinctly in the quiet pavilion. The blonde woman sipped her wine delicately, her star-like golden eyes occasionally glancing at the two moons hanging in the sky, her expression calm, lost in thought.

I quickly finished the fruit, feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Patting my hands, I glanced at the plate for a moment, then turned to look at the woman again. Seeing that she wasn’t paying attention, I grabbed another one.

Holding it in my palm, I took a big bite and slowly chewed, starting to feel puzzled.

This woman… She has been silently staring at the moon for a while now. Neither does she seem to want to talk to me nor to make friends with her neighbors. It seems she called me over just on a whim. After I sat down, she suddenly lost interest and ignored me, drinking her wine alone, treating me like air.

Really?

Are beautiful and wealthy women in this world equally capricious?

…But she did give me fruit to eat. If I remain silent any longer, it would be embarrassing to continue eating. There are still many fruits left in the bowl.

Say something.

“Who are you?”

She turned her head and gave me a cold glance.

“Victoria.”

“Uh… What I mean is, who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“…Alright.”

Who cares who you are, I just feel awkward! Now I don’t know what else to say. Conversation killer…

I kept biting the fruit for a while, gradually feeling restless.

There was a cold, distant aura about this woman that made it impossible to communicate normally with her.

Thinking carefully, those mysterious people earlier should be guards or something protecting her. They likely never leave her side and are probably hiding nearby.

She clearly isn’t alone, yet she drinks alone at night, singing songs that sound lonely.

Maybe in her eyes, those people aren’t worthy enough to sit at the same table with her… Thinking this, my opinion of her dropped another notch.

Proud and arrogant woman… I really regret coming over.

After finishing the third fruit, I looked longingly at the fruit bowl, hesitated for a moment, and spoke to her.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m going back.”

There’s no point in staying any longer.

Compared to her, Carlos looks much better, even though he often annoys me… He should be coming back soon, right? I wonder what delicious food he brought me…

Hearing my words, the woman finally shifted her gaze, which had been wandering somewhere, back to my face.

“Why did you become a Papal Knight?”

A sudden question.

Her vocabulary doesn’t include “politeness” or “courtesy.” Clearly, this is our first meeting, and we’re in such a… romantic city. Is it really appropriate to probe someone’s privacy so bluntly?

Obviously, she wouldn’t consider these things.

She isn’t the kind of woman who cares about others’ opinions.

“I know you’re the Winter Moon family, the little princess of Santel堡. You could live a life of luxury and comfort. Your father is preparing for rebellion, and he has the support of the Church, giving him a high chance of success. And you are just a girl, why choose the path of a knight?”

…I really don’t like hearing this.

“My father is not rebelling,” I said firmly, looking at her seriously, “You, know nothing.”

“I know more than you think.”

Victoria’s expression remained indifferent, her tone light and airy. Seeing that I didn’t want to answer her questions, she thought for a moment, raised her hand to cover the fruit bowl, blocking my hand reaching out again.

“No more eating.”

“…Fine, I won’t eat!”

I pouted stubbornly, then felt it wasn’t enough and added angrily, “Stingy.”

“Whatever you say, I don’t mind.”

“I won’t allow you to slander my father.”

I stared at her fiercely.

I thought someone like her would never take responsibility for their actions, but unexpectedly, she met my gaze without flinching and nodded generously.

“Sorry, I won’t do it again.”

This made me feel顿时

Surprised, my impression of her improved slightly.

She wasn’t entirely an unreasonable woman after all.

After some thought, I decided to continue talking with her.

It was only curiosity about this woman named Victoria, nothing more, certainly not for any other reason.

“I want to kill monsters,” I said.

Upon hearing this, Victoria moved her hand away from the fruit platter.

“Monsters? You mean those abysses?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and took the opportunity to pull the fruit platter closer to myself.

Since she didn’t eat anyway and I disliked her, there was no need to be polite.

Victoria, having achieved her goal, ignored my small actions and asked another question.

“What do you think of the Gate of Truth?”

“Lying俊哄 paper?”

With fruit in my mouth, my words were muffled, and Victoria clearly didn’t understand what I was saying. Her brows furrowed slightly.

“Do you like eating?”

I shook my head vigorously like a drum, quickly swallowing the food in my mouth.

“No.”

Crunch.

Then I took another big bite.

Such inconsistent behavior and lies spoken so casually obviously couldn’t convince her. Victoria silently stared at me for a while before suddenly speaking.

“If I tell you now that I am a member of the Gate of Truth, what would you do?”

My wide-open mouth froze, unable to take another bite.

I looked at her, eyes wide, recalling what Carlos had said.

Members of the Gate of Truth indeed had infiltrated the royal city, and behind them must have been influential figures providing cover; otherwise, with the strict entry checks of the royal city, how could a group of heretics from the Eastern Continent have easily slipped in?

And this woman named Victoria…

I was given this residence by Queen Elizabeth because of Angel’s recommendation letter. Even though the church paid gold coins, she lived next door. Counting by the normal numbering system, this should be No. 2 Londor Street, which is even closer than mine. Therefore, her identity must be extraordinary.

A young woman living alone… well, sort of alone. With so many people protecting her secretly, she must be a significant figure in the royal city. And from the situation on the roof just now, they were likely guarding something. If it was her… it wasn’t impossible.

Thinking this, I became wary. I placed the half-eaten fruit on the table, lifted my head, and stared at her flawless face. A name suddenly popped into my mind, so I decided to bluff her.

“Are you Elina?”

The person Vallaar couldn’t forget until his last breath—if she were as beautiful as the beauty before me, it would be easy to understand.

Such a rare species in the world, even if I were told that half the men in the city were fighting for her, I wouldn’t find it strange.

“Oh?” Victoria looked at me with interest, “Do you think I am Elina?”

“Aren’t you?”

“My name is Victoria.”

“Just a pseudonym.”

“It’s my real name.”

“…Elina Victoria?”

“Quite imaginative.”

Wait. Wind Order, can fly, female… considering these points…

“You are Elizabeth.”

Victoria curled her lips slightly, “Then you should call me Your Majesty.”

The conversation couldn’t continue.

This was terrible. I felt like she completely saw through me.

This woman was very smart. She was good at observing people, able to judge my thoughts from my every move, even a glance. Talking to her felt like being a mouse caught by a cat, which was really uncomfortable.

“It seems that this is more important than eating… I lied to you, keep eating.” Victoria said calmly.

…Lied to me?

In a daze, I felt relieved, subconsciously thinking: she is not an enemy.

Afterward, the anger of being tricked rose.

“Why did you lie to me?”

“What do you mean? Is it me telling you I’m a member of the Gate of Truth, or that I lied to you?” Victoria picked up a wine glass and took a sip, “How do you know I’m telling the truth now?”

“…”

What’s wrong with this woman?

“Is it that you always subconsciously believe what I say?”

…Mother Li.

Is playing with me fun?!

I really feel like I can’t stay here anymore, even with delicious fruits.

“Are you angry? You barged into my house without notice and disturbed my people. Why are you not the one who’s angry?”

Hearing her indifferent question, I fell silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

Then I stood up and walked towards the front door of the house without hesitation. After taking two steps, I turned back, grabbed the fruit platter on the table, and held it in my arms.

“Regardless of who you are, I don’t like you.”

“We will meet again.”

“Not anymore.”

At the entrance, I turned back once more.

In the round pavilion, under the dim lights and silver moonlight, the woman sitting alone in the large courtyard drinking seemed somewhat frail.

Her smooth blonde hair lazily slid down the back of the chair, almost touching the ground without her noticing.