Serena felt like a sword piercing through her body, an ethereal sharpness that was almost tangible in its pain. Her delicate body trembled uncontrollably.
"Your Highness Anjolina!"
Stepping forward, her silver-inlaid ebony cane struck the ground heavily. Chille faced the fierce and sharp aura of the princess, furrowing his brow as he spoke in a low voice.
"I...I am Serena Hamovi from Roseham County."
In the next moment, Serena gently pushed away his hand and, staring directly into Anjolina's dazzling golden eyes, she said with utmost seriousness,
"I am the fiancée of Count Chille Lorraine."
"Heh, just you?"
Anjolina sneered, looking at the timid girl who had come forward. Her words dripped with contempt and disdain.
"Are you worthy?"
Drawing her ice-cold and sharp sword, the Steel Princess pointed it directly at Serena, her killing intent chilling to the bone.
"Do you know the significance of House Lorraine?"
Gulping down her saliva nervously, Serena shook her head in confusion under the terrifying presence of the princess.
"I don't know."
Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly, her voice trembling.
"But I know the significance of Chille."
Delfina Delettrez Fendi turned her head and looked at the seemingly timid and fearful girl who now showed bravery. She couldn't help shaking her head - another foolish girl. But for some reason, her intuition told her that something was not quite right. It was too smooth. Just the second day. Could it really be achieved by a naive and gentle girl alone? Clearly, she came from a family that gained power through plots and killings. Could a pure little white flower really grow beneath the emblem of blood and roses?
"Your Highness Steel Princess."
Chille coughed lightly, grasping Serena's pale face with his hand and pulling her behind him. Unaware of the girl's bright and radiant smiling eyes behind him, he gazed deeply into them, tenderly and calmly.
"You called me here just to inquire about these matters?"
"Hmph."
Snorting disdainfully, Anjolina arrogantly looked down on the young count.
"Don't think I don't know the purpose of your actions, Chille. These ridiculous little gestures are meaningless."
Setting her sword aside with a resounding clang, the Steel Princess's clear and bright voice reverberated in the silent room as she declared from her lofty position,
"The fate of House Lorraine and you is already determined."
"Perhaps not, Your Highness."
Chille calmly and steadily spoke, his voice serene and sharp.
"Even if it were so, your sister Princess Penelope, the Holy Maiden, would not be a bad choice."
The Steel Princess fell silent, her golden pupils locked onto the assertive young count. There was a hint of resentment and frustration in her eyes as she bit her lip slightly.
"Then you can go find that pretentious woman!"
As she spoke, she glanced at Serena who had just stepped forward, narrowing her eyes slightly as her gaze pierced through her like knives.
"Maybe your little fiancée is actually compatible with her."
"Hmm?"
Chille furrowed his brow slightly. Despite not liking Anjolina's domineering arrogance, he still believed in her keen insight. If it wasn't just out of spite, he looked back at Serena, who still seemed lost and timid, like a delicate bird clinging to his clothes, with her pure and clear emerald eyes.
In a moment of daze, he did catch a glimpse of the shadow of the pure and flawless Holy Maiden, who played with everyone's fate and held all power in her hands.
"Heh, you know it in your heart."
Brushing it off, not bothering to explain.
Anjolina sneered, opened a drawer, and forcefully threw its contents out while silently eying the young count before her.Returning to the topic at hand,
"Do you know that someone is secretly selling this kind of thing here?"
Looking at the solemn and stern expression of the princess, the young count was momentarily stunned. His gaze then turned to the ordinary white porcelain bottle on the table.
He waved his hand, opened the bottle cap, revealing a colorless and transparent liquid, just like water with nothing peculiar about it.
"Your Highness, if you don't explain clearly, I really can't see what the problem is."
"You don't know?"
Anjolina stared intently at the peculiar-looking young count in front of her. Seeing his seemingly genuine expression, she didn't show any displeasure. Instead, she heaved a long sigh of relief.
"It's best that you have no connection to this matter, otherwise—"
She didn't continue speaking, but the implicit meaning in her words was clear, emanating a chilling aura.
"Please stop playing dumb here."
Chille's gloomy face showed his discomfort towards the situation of being unaware.
"They call this thing 'Grace Dew,' claiming that as long as you drink it, you can continuously extend your life, even indefinitely."
The princess carefully sealed the bottle in front of her again, her expression solemn as she slowly spoke each word,
"Furthermore, it is said to be able to treat severe injuries and ailments. Even if one is on the verge of death, as long as they drink it, it can delay or even heal them."
"From the tone of the princess, it seems that these things are not just fictitious."
Chille raised an eyebrow and stroked his chin, the halo in his crimson eyes swirling.
"If it's just some trickery from swindlers, at most, they'll deceive some nobles. The French Court and the Royal Capital won't bother with it."
Anjolina nodded, and then added one word at a time,
"But after conducting experiments on the prisoners we apprehended, we found that its effects are real."
"Equivale,balanced."
Upon hearing the other party's confession, the young count murmured the words that Delfina had said to her before, turning to look at the maid,
Those deeply furrowed brows and undisguised disgust clearly told him that this so-called 'Grace Dew' wasn't something good.
"Do you know something? Don't hide it."
Leaning in closer, Hill asked in a low voice,
"This time, I really have no idea." Delfina shook her head gently, and her beautiful purple eyes didn't show the usual mystery. She calmly said,
"Things created by humans' despicable and malicious nature often amaze us demons."
"Now, all I know is."
Pointing with her slender and fair finger, Delfina Delettrez Fendi pointed at that ordinary little porcelain bottle, her tone was calm and indifferent.
"It's alive."
