"Let's welcome Her Highness, Dorothy!"

Felyn stood at the very back of the crowd, listening to the tsunami-like cheers around him.

Zervanie's appearance just now had already caused a huge uproar, but Felyn hadn't expected Dorothy's popularity to be this high as well.

It made sense. A Dorothy who appeared gentle, kind, and pure on the outside, whose every move fit the image of a princess, was enough to evoke beautiful fantasies in people's hearts.

"Miss Zervanie, this should be the first time you've met Her Highness on stage, right?"

"Yes! I'm also very excited and honored to be on stage with Her Highness for this charity event today. I'm really happy to be with the princess," Zervanie, on stage, walked to Dorothy's side and linked arms with her, appearing very intimate.

"Your Highness, what is your relationship with Miss Zervanie like in private?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Zervanie. Actually, to be honest with everyone, I also have Miss Zervanie's signed poster in my bedroom, so I'm also very happy to participate in charity events like Miss Zervanie." Dorothy didn't pull her hand away from Zervanie's; instead, she waved to the crowd below the stage with her.

Felyn frowned, watching the intimate interaction between Zervanie and Dorothy on stage.

Seriously? Weren't you two just at each other's throats?

Dorothy was literally knocked out by Zervanie's taunts, and now she can put on such a pure smile?

Both of them were pretty terrifying.

Just as Felyn was about to leave, his shoulder was suddenly tapped.

Turning around, he saw a pair of dark green eyes shining brightly in the sunlight.

"Daiyi? What are you doing here?"

Daiyi was dressed very... girlishly today.

Her black hair, usually worn down her back, was now held in place with a red hairpin. Her bangs were pinned to the sides with cornflower blue clips.

Daiyi wore a white floral long dress with a bit of lace trim at the hem. She carried a bronze-colored crossbody bag and wore white lace socks with black platform leather shoes.

"I'm here with a friend. And to see you, by the way."

"A friend?" Felyn had already ignored the part where Daiyi said she came to see him.

"Do you have friends?"

"How hateful. In your mind, what am I, a lonely person with no friends?"

Felyn shrugged and stood side-by-side with Daiyi, looking at the stage.

She carried a faint scent of mint and the unique hormonal smell of a young woman.

"Am I wrong? You didn't just make up a friend, did you?"

Daiyi has a friend? How come I don't know?

She had barely gone out since arriving in Seiwa. How could she have a friend, and at this school no less?

"That's so mean. Do I need to make up a friend? A beautiful girl like me, dressed so cutely today, I could make plenty of young lady friends if I wanted to."

Cringe!

Although he wanted to say that, Felyn couldn't refute it. Because today, Daiyi was exactly as she described: a standard beautiful girl, no less stunning than the two on stage.

"It's Her Highness the Princess. She invited me here today." Daiyi brushed the hair from her shoulder and told Felyn the truth.

As early as Zervanie's concert in the Royal Capital, or even earlier, when Daiyi had proposed the plan involving the Demon King's daughter, Daiyi had mentioned to Felyn that she knew the princess.

But neither of them knew that the other knew Felyn.

"You went to see the princess? Did you notice anything unusual about her today?"

"Unusual?" Daiyi tilted her head slightly. "I don't think so. Same as usual."

Felyn nodded.

So that's how it is. Dorothy only acts like that towards me.

Wait.

Something doesn't seem right.

Dorothy had mentioned she was going to see a friend, a friend from the Church of Truth.

Could it be Daiyi?

Is Daiyi a member of the Church of Truth?!

After Daiyi was kidnapped by that high-level magical beast, the church she belonged to was actually able to speak directly with the Demon King.

Then she must be a member of one of the three major churches, and Daiyi's status must not be low.

The father of Daiyi I met that day, could he be... an Elder?

Felyn steadied his mind, not letting his inner shock show.

An Elder of the Church of Truth held power comparable to a king, responsible for maintaining the operation of a vast diocese.

But the power of the churches was much greater than that of a country.

Generally, a country would choose to join a certain church, and all its territory would become a diocese of that church. The king would only be responsible for maintaining secular order, while all decisions regarding economy and politics were in the hands of the church.

Sivishus was special; it was a permanently neutral country and therefore had not become a diocese of any church.

Roughly a hundred countries believed in the God of Truth, and their territories were all dioceses of the Church of Truth.

And Daiyi, was she the daughter of an Elder at the peak of the pyramid in this vast church organization?

"Why are you staring at me?"

Daiyi, seeing Felyn staring at her, blinked and looked away.

She didn't say something like, "Staring at me for so long, have you fallen in love with me?" as she usually would.

"It's nothing. You just looked so beautiful from that angle just now," Felyn said casually, giving Daiyi a standard smile.

"R-Really?"

Daiyi awkwardly tidied her hair, her dark green eyes peeking at Felyn from under her lowered lashes.

In the midst of this indescribable atmosphere, Felyn's shoulder was tapped once again.

"Felyn, what are you doing here?"

A red and white school uniform, black stockings.

Rose-tea colored long hair was already brushing against Felyn's face.

"Adeline?"

"Hehe, I finished all my work, so I came to see you."

Because Felyn was at the very back, almost no one noticed what was happening here.

Adeline walked over naturally and patted the dust off Felyn's back.

"Where did you get this from? There's still dust on you."

"Is there?" Felyn thought for a moment. It was probably from Zervanie's lounge just now.

"Want me to wash it for you? I have a cleaning sigil I can use on you." Adeline's hand remained on Felyn's back, not letting go.

"No need, I'll wash it myself when I get back."

Adeline then helped Felyn straighten the wrinkles on his clothes, her little finger quietly brushing against his arm.

Perhaps to others, this was an incredibly heartwarming moment. The gentle big sister Adeline helping Felyn with all the little things in life, looking very beautiful.

But...

Daiyi felt something was strange.

Watching Adeline get close to Felyn, watching her take care of him so naturally, the two of them looked like... a long-married couple.

What's going on with these two?

Especially when Adeline's little finger slyly brushed against the back of Felyn's hand, Daiyi didn't even notice her own brow furrowing.

When she came to her senses, she clutched her chest.

What's... what's wrong with me?

(End of Chapter)