“Good evening, Prince Otto. May the Lord God bless you and may glory accompany you.”
“Good evening, Miss Lilith. The same blessings to you. It’s been a long time, Mil, congratulations to you both!”
The man’s voice was deep, yet powerful and full of vigor. Mil paused for a moment before nodding and saying,
“Hello, Prince Otto…”
The man in front of him was in his early 30s, nearly two meters tall, with a well-trimmed beard and short gray hair symbolizing his royal lineage.
The three met in the corridor on the side of the palace. First Prince Otto, seeing Mil’s confusion, couldn’t help but laugh:
“Haha, after a few years, do you not remember me? Back when you lived in Jellahe Palace, you and Diana were so mischievous, giving me headaches every day.”
“Really? I was ignorant as a child and caused you trouble.”
Seeing Mil’s reaction, Otto frowned in alert and asked again,
“Do you still remember the hunt in ’07?”
“I don’t remember…”
Mil shook his head, but Lilith crossed her arms and recalled,
“In the Holy Calendar year 1007, the Royal Hunt was held in Far North Gelah, but midway through, the largest magic tide in nearly a century erupted.”
Otto nodded, his expression becoming a little heavy:
“You two were only seven then, running around, and a heavy rain separated you from us. Diana also accidentally ate a poisonous fruit, and Mil carried her alone, traversing the entire magic tide, miraculously returning to Jellahe Palace.”
Heavy rain, carrying someone, long journey—these key details vaguely outlined a memory in Mil’s mind.
That strong and fierce girl seemed to cry for the first time, sobbing and pleading…
Saying she didn’t want to die in a monster’s mouth, asking to be buried in a place with a nice view.
He, at the time, comforted her: “Goblins will dig you up and use you as a wife!”
Then came the ear-piercing screams.
“It seems… I have a slight impression?”
“How can you forget something like that? You two were originally with me; I was scared stiff at the time.”
Memories surfaced little by little. Mil thought about it, but then felt something was off:
“No… when did she eat poisonous fruit? Wasn’t she bitten by a poisonous snake then?”
“Hahahaha! Yes, eating poisonous fruit was another time; I got them mixed up. It seems you still have an impression; I really thought you didn’t remember anything!”
Otto teased, while Lilith beside him was dumbfounded:
“In heavy rain, a seven-year-old child carrying someone, traversing that magic tide? Heh… I didn’t realize it, but your past with Princess Diana is quite romantic?”
“What’s it to you?”
Mil rolled his eyes at Lilith. It was just an act; did she really think of herself as his fiancée?
On the other hand, this Otto, after just two mismatched sentences, started probing others. It seemed he was not to be underestimated either.
Otto beside him was a little embarrassed and mediated:
“Miss Lilith, please don’t mind. It’s Diana who doesn’t have this fortune; you two are truly a good match. Mil is an excellent gentleman.”
Lilith smiled indifferently, giving Mil a disdainful look, but in her heart, she pondered…
If this was true, Mil’s relationship with the Abyss and the Demon God's Child was definitely not that simple.
The ball was about to begin. The three exchanged a few pleasantries and returned to the main hall.
As the melodious string music began, young nobles joined the dance floor one after another;
Occasionally appearing Elf Clan and beast-eared girls always stood out particularly…
When the train of a pearl-embroidered gown swept across the obsidian tiles, it cast star-shaped rune light and shadow on the ground.
Those single nobles, like in the animal kingdom, tried every trick to attract the attention of the opposite sex.
Young ladies without dance partners sat on chairs in the lounge area by the dance floor, their faces flushed, shy and nervous.
But still, many young men bravely walked towards Diana, who was not in the lounge area, and extended invitations;
Unfortunately, without exception, they were all politely declined.
Diana gazed at Mil and Lilith on the dance floor, her eyes vacant. Her maid beside her, seeing this, quietly advised:
“Your Highness, Mil is also getting engaged; shouldn’t you consider yourself?”
“Let’s see…”
Her personality had been independent and strong since childhood; people said she was a born queen, but she believed she would become a brave warrior…
The Holy Sword also recognized her.
As for her only moment of weakness, it was only shown to that young man.
But the person who carried her out of the surging magic tide back then was now pacing on the dance floor with another woman.
She had clearly chosen her own path, yet for some reason, she felt stifled, taking deep breaths again and again, sighing out mouthfuls of turbid air.
Mil danced very perfunctorily with Lilith on the dance floor, but when Mil’s hand wrapped around Lilith’s exposed back, he found the sensation unexpectedly familiar.
Today, Lilith had long, thorny brown hair and purplish-red eyes, hazy and alluring, like a playful witch.
“How exactly did you get through that magic tide?”
“When I saw a monster, I just walked around it.”
“You mean they were all blind and couldn’t smell… right?”
“I really can’t remember; it was a long time ago. Anyway, I just walked around them.”
Mil’s answer was casual, but Lilith kept pressing with questions:
“You experienced a fake magic tide, didn’t you? Magic tides erupt because dark magic power goes out of control, and monsters collectively rampage. Ordinary people are like fat meat thrown into a wolf pack; there’s no place to even stand. How did you traverse it?”
“It wasn’t as outrageous as you say. There were indeed more monsters at the time, but I didn’t feel they were that dense.”
“In a magic tide of that level, even with the Lord God’s blessing, one wouldn’t survive, unless they received the Demon God's blessing… What is your relationship with the Abyss?”
“The Abyss? Isn’t the Abyss right below me when I look down?”
Mil sneered, glancing downwards. Lilith followed his gaze and suddenly her face flushed:
“Heh… I really thought you weren’t interested in the opposite sex.”
“Alright, when will that 5 million Thalers be credited?”
“Are people who obtain power from the Abyss so short on money?”
After the music ended, Mil was called to the VIP room. After waiting for a moment, Madam Charles briefly instructed him and then had someone lead him onto the stage.
At this time, Grand Duke Paradise was at the front of the stage. After a speech, he passionately announced the news of Lilith and Mil’s impending engagement.
Amidst applause and cheers, Mil walked to the front of the stage with a stiff smile…
Saint Alice also walked onto the stage with him.
The Duke, in a loud and resonant voice, said to everyone:
“Today, in the presence of you all, I have another gift to present to the Lyata Family.”
But no sooner had he finished speaking than a guard knight quickly walked behind him and whispered:
“Your Grace! It’s bad… the item is missing! It was just in the VIP room.”
“Idiot! Notify the Knight Order to surround this area. No one is to be let go until the item is found.”