CHAPTER 350: UNFATHOMABLE IMAGE

In the brightly lit reception hall, amid the sound of a roaring orchestra, Astrid’s voice was like a porcelain vase dropped on the floor, shattering into pieces. Every word she uttered was crystal clear.

Was it an illusion? Why did it feel like Astrid was hinting at something?

Upon hearing this, Monica stared silently at those ruby-like eyes. Her slender, dark eyebrows furrowed slightly at some point, only to smooth out again in the next second.

"I believe most people would have such thoughts. It’s nothing more than putting oneself in another’s shoes and seeking common ground while reserving differences. It’s not as marvelous as Your Highness Astrid described."

The pair of cold, red eyes before she seemed to see through her inner thoughts. Monica’s heartbeat quickly slowed down, but after all, she was an experienced and knowledgeable Saintess of Light. A single conversation wouldn’t cause her to lose composure.

"However, it’s a comfortable thing to chat with someone like you."

In just one encounter, Monica felt a more stable aura from the Third Princess than she did from the other two princes.

As expected of the main driving force behind magical devices, she wasn’t that simple.

Astrid smiled slightly at her words and replied softly.

"Me too, Miss Monica."

"It seems we get along quite well."

The clear and pleasant voice reached Monica’s ears. Looking at the flawless face just inches away, the pure black silk dress and the bright silver hair formed two striking contrasting colors. Her rose-red eyes blinked, making the Third Princess’s demeanor even more aloof, like a rose of the starry sky standing amid a bustling dance floor.

Although the person before her was not the one she was looking for, various intuitions reminded Monica that Astrid Calliste might play a crucial role in improving the relationship between the two countries in the future.

After a moment, Monica bowed slightly, placing her left hand on her chest and extending the other hand upwards, performing a standard noble greeting of the Valeria Empire.

"Since we are having such a pleasant conversation, may I ask if Your Highness Astrid would be willing..."

"To dance with me?"

Looking at the Saintess of Light before her, who was bending her knees with her brown hair cascading down her back, faintly revealing smooth, fair skin, Astrid paused for a few seconds before gently taking her hand.

"It is my greatest honor."

.......

"Miss Monica seems to have a deep understanding of the Empire’s etiquette and dance steps?"

Astrid asked slowly, her arm around Monica’s waist, inhaling the jasmine scent emanating from the beauty in her arms as she stepped to the rhythm of the music.

If the noble greeting that invited her to dance earlier could possibly have been learned from a maid in the past few days, then the skillful movements of dancing like an elegant white swan following her rhythm were not definitely something that could be learned in just a day or two.

"Or perhaps, the dances used for divine praise within the Church of Light are similar to the Empire’s ballroom dances?"

Hearing Astrid’s words, Monica’s movements didn’t stop. Her long, slender legs, clad in thin white silk, swayed gently with the dance steps.

"To show my sincerity, and more importantly, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in our interactions, I conducted in-depth research on the various etiquette of interactions among the Empire’s nobles before coming to the Valeria Empire."

"Although we are guests, the host has, after all, fulfilled their duty of hospitality. As invited guests, we should also abide by the rules and customs here."

With an elegant spin, her evening gown fluttered in the wind. Seeing Monica’s slender and soft mature figure displayed in her arms, Astrid spoke softly in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"I don’t think anyone wouldn’t welcome a polite guest like Miss Monica."

In just over ten minutes of conversation, Monica gave Astrid a very good impression. She even felt that if the other party were not the Saintess of Light but a noble from the Valeria Empire, they might become good friends.

Of course, all of this was based on the premise that Monica was not putting on any act. Astrid, now enhanced by the precognitive dream, had a considerable degree of trust in her, but it didn’t mean she would trust Monica unconditionally.

Who knew if the Saintess of Light in the original timeline would have ulterior motives and end up betraying Lyra? These were all unknowns.

As soon as the words fell, Astrid continued to ask.

"Rules and etiquette are easy to learn, but dance steps are not so easy to master quickly."

"When did Miss Monica start practicing?"

Hearing Astrid’s question, Monica replied softly.

"I started studying after I submitted my request to His Majesty Hibbort, about two months ago."

"As a nun, besides prayer, I also do many other things in my free time."

As long as one put their heart into it, nothing was particularly difficult. To meet Astrid Calliste, Monica had made far more preparations than the former could imagine.

"I see, Miss Monica is very thoughtful."

Astrid’s palm rested on the woman’s slender waist, her warm body temperature transmitting through the silk dress to her palm. Monica’s evening gown hem barely covered her knees.

Now, when she lifted her legs, her knees parted slightly, revealing a small section of her smooth thigh. Due to the dance posture, this view was only privy to the other dancer present.

She thought her sister was indeed a seasoned otaku. The Saintess of Light, who should have been pure, feels more like a succubus from an anime.

Schrödinger’s straight girl, Astrid, completely ignored this and continued to follow the established rhythm for the next dance beat.

"But speaking of which, Miss Monica, you’ve made so many efforts to visit the Empire. I’m truly curious, is there anything particularly attractive to you here?"

Astrid didn’t expect Monica to be so honest that she would reveal the main purpose of her visit just because she was asked. This question was more of a test, just like all her previous statements, which hinted at the Church of Light gradually deviating from its doctrines.

Monica gasped at this, letting Astrid hold her waist. She completely handed over the control of her center of gravity to the other party, with half of her body in a semi-suspended state.

"If I said I came to the Empire for a trip, would Your Highness Astrid believe me?"

With that, the melodious orchestral music entered the next phase. Astrid forcefully straightened Monica’s body, their eyes meeting.

"The Valeria Empire is vast and rich in resources. It’s not strange to want to see its beautiful landscapes."

"But I believe that someone as responsible as Miss Monica wouldn’t easily abandon her duties just for her own enjoyment."

"Don’t you agree, Miss Saintess?"

Astrid’s gentle voice was like the call of a nightingale in the woods. Monica blinked upon this, her orange-gold pupils reflecting hearing the former’s face.

"We’ve only met for half an hour, yet I feel like Your Highness Astrid is like an old acquaintance of mine. You seem to guess everything I do and think."

"Your Highness is indeed correct. I didn’t come here solely to experience foreign customs and traditions, but I have another purpose as well."

Looking into Astrid’s eyes, Monica’s pink, alluring lips parted slightly. Due to the sudden change in her tone and the content of her words, she exuded a hint of charm.

"It’s to see you, Your Highness Astrid."

If it were someone else, with a beauty in their arms and hearing such suggestive remarks, they would likely be excited. However, unfortunately, Astrid remained unmoved and simply replied indifferently.

"Me? Why?"

"Is it because of the nickname ’The Most Dazzling Gem of the Valeria Empire’?"

Regarding how the news of her could spread to the Kingdom of Velys, Astrid could only think of this: being the beautiful woman in the Empire, most personally chosen by Hibbort, due to her outstanding appearance.

However, whether it was Monica’s disguised persona or her inherent personality, she shouldn’t be such a superficial person.

At the same time, a certain girl with a penchant for good sneezed lightly while holding a pastry.

"Of course not," Monica denied softly, her smile undiminished in her orange pupils.

"I’ve heard that Your Highness Astrid is the daughter of that powerful Arcanist mage, and you yourself have inherited her mantle, repeatedly pushing forward the development of magical devices."

"Coincidentally, I am also very interested in magical devices, so I thought it would be good to meet Your Highness Astrid."

The existence of the ’Fearless’ was no longer a secret. To curb the conservative faction, Astrid had used the newspapers to build momentum. News of the construction of a magical behemoth had spread throughout the noble circles of the entire Valeria Empire.

"So, you have met now. How do you feel?"

Astrid pushed her knees forward, sliding them between the warm white silk-clad legs, and continued to change dance steps, her left hand gently resting on Monica’s shoulder blades.

"Your Highness Astrid’s appearance and demeanor are unparalleled in the world. In my humble opinion, it seems no one can reach them."

"I am very fortunate that His Majesty Hibbort agreed to my request. Seeing is believing."

As the dance ended, Astrid slowly released her arm around Monica’s slender waist, and the latter also withdrew her hand from Astrid’s shoulder, quickly standing upright.

"After tonight’s conversation, I feel that Your Highness Astrid and I will have a lot in common."

Even if she wasn’t the chosen one, Astrid’s existence might help her greatly.

Astrid replied and replied, "Your judgment on the development of things and your tolerance for different cultures are truly impressive."

"I also feel quite at ease when interacting with Miss Monica."

As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid felt gazes projected from all directions. She pursed her lips and continued.

"Please excuse me for a moment. I hope Miss Monica has a wonderful time at the party."

With that, Astrid nodded slightly at her, picked up a goblet from the nearby tray, and gracefully walked away with her long legs.

Watching Astrid’s retreating back, the striking silver gradually disappeared into the crowd. Monica’s gaze deepened, and she took a sip of her wine.

After all, it was a public place with many eyes. Even if she wanted to say something, she couldn’t do so in front of everyone. What was calling whispering in a low voice was no different from loudly plotting in the ears of a certain Crusader.

The harvest tonight was already substantial. Based on their previous conversation, Astrid Calliste was by no means an information-deprived person who was oblivious to the outside world. She also had some understanding of the Kingdom of Velys and the Church of Light.

What concerns Monica the most were those few sentences.

First, Astrid agreed with and praised her idea of seeking common ground while reserving differences. Second, the compliment at the end, which seemed insignificant.

’Your judgment on the development of things and your tolerance for different cultures are truly impressive.’

Judgment on the development of things... Does it refer to the inevitable war?

If she followed this linguistic logic, then the so-called tolerance for different cultures would actually be a religiously motivated holy war, a biased and narrow interpretation of doctrine.

But how could these internal changes within the Church of Light be known by a princess reflecting in the Empire?

The more she thought about it, the more incredible it became, and Astrid’s image in her mind began to seem unfathomable. Monica savored the red wine in her glass, her pink tongue touching the sweet and bitter liquid, gently drawing it into her esophagus.

She turned to look for Iris’s figure. At the intersection of shadow and light, Monica saw the young princess leaning against a stone pillar, sipping her juice in small sips.

Both were in their early twenties, yet why did the gap between Iris and Astrid feel so vast?

Clearly, the former was the child born in adversity, while the latter could live a peaceful life as long as she didn’t court disaster.

After a moment of thought, Monica walked forward to strike up a conversation with Iris.

She will have a good chat with the Third Princess next time.

.......

As night fell, the noisy ball ended. The exchange students from the Kingdom of Velys and the Pan-Human Alliance returned to the Elizabeth Academy of Magic by carriage and entered the rest area provided for guests.

Astrid gently greeted Lucas and returned to the dormitory with Elise.

Although her initial contact with Monica tonight did not yield any significant intelligence, after some probing, they were both intelligent people, and they should have the intention of private contact.

After taking off her evening gown, Astrid went to the washroom to take a bath, washing away the sweat and Monica’s scent on her. Changing into her pajamas, Astrid walked behind Amalia, gently hugged the aloof and cold loli she hadn’t seen all evening, comforted her for a while, and then turned her gaze to Lyra.

Tomorrow was the official start of the exchange competition. As a participant, even though it was so late, Lyra was still studying magic.

Thinking of the Saintess of Light and the plot that was highly likely to occur in the original novel, Astrid got up and walked to Lyra’s desk, speaking softly.

"Get some rest early. The competition is tomorrow."

Rather than looking for herself, Astrid leaned towards the idea that Monica’s target was Lyra Beckett.

After all, Monica had shown a certain degree of interest in the Sword of Light and the Holy Knight who wielded it.

Lyra rubbed her sore eyes upon hearing this and whispered.

"Mhm, I’ll go to sleep soon."

"Astrid, you should also get some rest."