Chapter 84: Airael’s Unusual Dilemma

Chapter 84: Airael’s Unusual Dilemma

After a fierce combat, Crown emerged victorious at last!

As the referee announced the results, Airael only then realized that the battle had ended.

She glanced down and caught sight of the scruffy-looking Crown locked in a gaze with Arthur.

Despite his disheveled appearance, Crown radiated intense fighting spirit, his eyes seeming to burn with flames of determination.

In contrast, Arthur remained quite composed.

However, Airael, known to Arthur, sensed some helplessness behind his calm facade.

Her intuition suggested that there must be a story behind their standoff.

But honestly, Airael wasn’t in the mood to delve into it; she had her own matters to sort out and no time to spare for others.

After pondering for a lengthy period, Airael still found herself empty-handed in her thoughts.

Continuing with her original plan would be the best course of action.

But that would mean she’d have to brush off Arthur yet again.

This time, Arthur had easily forgiven her, but would he do so again next time?

Besides, she hadn’t come out of this without any cost.

Though they had previously shared intimate moments, the significance differed.

Back at Avalon Royal Palace, Airael couldn’t shake off the lingering thoughts.

So much so that she found herself neglecting her official duties.

Staring at a document, she became distracted.

Celia watched on from the side.

This wasn’t the first time Her Majesty had zoned out, after all.

Thinking it over, she finally spoke up, “Your Majesty, if there’s something troubling you, it’s perfectly fine to set aside your duties for a while.”

Airael snapped back to reality and shook her head, “No need!”

And she promptly resumed her reading.

But soon enough, she had zoned out again.

Celia could only sigh internally.

Your Majesty, your efficiency is really lacking like this!

In her mind, she grumbled silently.

Eventually, Airael did realize she couldn’t carry on in this way.

She set the document aside and took a deep breath.

Then, she turned to Celia and asked, “Celia, do you think I really must adhere to the contract I made with the humans?”

Celia was taken aback by this question.

She hadn’t expected Her Majesty to be contemplating such a matter.

From Airael’s expression, she thought she wanted to break the contract, but that wasn’t necessary!

“Your Majesty, I feel that if Axi wins in the end, you really don’t have to go through with it. You and Axi clearly have feelings for each other, and there’s also Princess Anna. Just remember, breaking the contract could tarnish your image.”

As she spoke toward the end, worry etched Celia’s face.

For her personal sake, she didn’t want Airael’s image to suffer.

And she felt that not just her, but many elves likely shared her sentiment.

Airael remained silent afterward.

While Celia hadn’t thought this through deeply, what she said held significant weight.

Certainly, people pursue personal gain, but they also hold high aspirations for a reputable image.

Otherwise, why would they go through such lengths to polish their own images?

Airael certainly didn’t want any embarrassing history sticking to her.

Watching Airael lost in thought, Celia decided to keep quiet, silently standing guard at her side.

After quite some time, Airael emerged from her deep contemplation.

Without saying anything, she picked up the nearby document and resumed processing the neglected paperwork.

This time, she was focused, her efficiency returning to normal standards.

By the afternoon, with her duties completed, Airael went to spend time with her daughter.

Although Airael appeared perfectly normal, Hela sensed that something was off.

She knew Her Majesty had something on her mind.

Hela’s gaze shifted towards Celia.

Celia, noticing Hela’s watchful eyes, winked, signaling her not to worry too much.

Receiving Celia’s hint, Hela tried to push aside her concerns about Airael’s unusual behavior.

Still, some unease lingered in her heart.

At night, Hela found herself standing outside Celia’s room.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Hela rapped on Celia’s door.

Inside, Celia, now out of her armor and dressed in a gown, approached the door and opened it.

“Lady Hela!”

Seeing Hela outside, Celia exclaimed in surprise.

“My apologies for the interruption, Celia.”

Hela replied with a look of regret.

“It’s no problem, Lady Hela. Please, come in.”

Celia stepped aside to let her in.

The two settled onto a sofa in the room, and Celia leaned forward, asking, “Lady Hela, why did you come to see me so late?”

Hela replied, “Celia, I think it’s best that I understand this afternoon’s events in detail.”

“This afternoon’s events?”

Confusion washed over Celia.

“It concerns Her Majesty.”

Hela pointed out.

Celia suddenly enlightened, “Oh!”

Hela continued, “Celia, I have a feeling that the situation Her Majesty is facing is quite tricky; I don’t want you to conceal anything from me regarding this.

Only with full clarity can we assist Her Majesty better. Do you understand?”

“Of course I do,” Celia replied, smiling to mask her anxiety.

Hela’s gaze was too intense; she felt there was no way to hide anything from her.

“So, can you tell me what’s happening now?”

Celia suddenly felt stuck.

There were some secrets she wasn’t sure whether to share.

Although Hela’s request was reasonable, this was no trivial matter; she had to keep secrets for Her Majesty.

Unless Her Majesty decided she no longer wanted her to keep them.

“Celia!”

Hela frowned, calling out sharply.

Celia’s hesitation only heightened Hela’s suspicions about the matter’s complexity.

Under Hela’s persistent gaze, Celia spoke up, “Well, Lady Hela, the situation really isn’t as complicated as you think. Plus, I believe Her Majesty has already figured out her next steps, so we shouldn’t interfere.”

“Really?”

Hela asked skeptically.

“Absolutely! I can assure you of this,” Celia replied with an earnest tone.

Hela nodded but continued, “But you haven’t told me exactly what it is.”

“Lady Hela, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just that I don’t know how to explain it properly. And honestly, the fewer people who know this right now, the better.”

Celia wore a troubled expression.