“It seems like I... Wha?!” Liana had barely spoken two sentences when Minoga removed her outer coat. “Minoga! What are you doing!”

A gentle light shone on Liana’s arm, causing the arm that had been injured by the vines to begin healing and stop bleeding.

“Princess Liana, you should pay a bit more attention to your own body,” Minoga said.

“Oh~” Liana didn’t feel much pain, just a slightly numb sensation. It was just a simple superficial wound, barely breaking the skin.

After receiving Minoga’s treatment, Liana’s arm returned to its previous fair and delicate appearance.

Minoga reached out and pinched it. Hmm! Pinching the cheeks still feels better!

However, because there were outsiders present, Minoga couldn’t show too much intimacy. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Achoo!

Although the temperature in the Angus Territory was higher than in the Venus Territory, since she had taken off her coat, Liana sneezed.

Minoga quickly took out a new piece of clothing and put it on Liana.

After putting on the clothes, Liana looked back at Sephirena and continued her previous conversation. “So, regarding the rumors about me, what do you think?”

“It has nothing to do with me. I only care about one thing—two years and nine months... calculating from today, it’s exactly the thousandth day. After a thousand days, you will kill me,” Sephirena said.

“You really have nothing but death on your mind,” Liana said irritably, beginning to worry about her future life. If someone was always by her side with death constantly on their lips, Liana would probably go crazy.

So.

“You are now my servant and guard, so you should address me like others do, calling me Princess Liana. Of course, if you prefer, you can also call me Master,” Liana said.

“...I understand, Princess Liana,” Sephirena nodded.

“One more thing, which is also the most important point—you must obey my orders, follow what a maid should do according to the Maid Manual, and don’t keep mentioning death in front of me. It’s too inauspicious. If you mention death in front of me, then our agreement is void, since you haven’t given me the payment I want.

You should know that after the alliance, with your nature power protection, anyone can see that you’re an elf noble. No one would dare take the risk of being retaliated against by both sides.

Now, the only one who can kill you is me,” Liana said.

“Yes, Princess Liana,” Sephirena understood clearly that Liana was right. Once the two countries cooperated, to gain each other’s trust, not even the slightest accident could happen.

If her identity was discovered by others, she would definitely be forcibly sent back to the Elf Forest. She didn’t want to return to that place filled with sad memories.

“But Princess Liana, you’ve met Princess Avira, right?”

“Of course, this bracelet is a gift she gave me,” Liana nodded, taking off the bracelet and handing it to Sephirena. “If you’re not sure, you can check it yourself.”

Sephirena took the bracelet and examined it. Although they hadn’t seen each other for decades, as soon as she touched the bracelet, Sephirena recognized it. This was indeed her eldest sister’s item.

Of course, Sephirena didn’t think Liana would use such a poor lie to deceive her. What Sephirena wanted to confirm was not this. “Don’t tell anyone about my identity. I am just an ordinary elf who was banished from the Elf Forest.”

“Of course, I don’t want the servant I just found to be taken away before I can even use her,” Liana understood clearly that if Sephirena were to return now, it would cause big problems. She might actually die in the Elf Forest before long.

“One last question, why is Princess Liana so certain that I am Sephirena? Have we met before?” Sephirena asked.

In her current state, let alone Liana having seen her before, even if Avira stood in front of her, she might not recognize her.

This was also what had been puzzling Sephirena—why had Liana called out her name when they first met? This was very strange.

Liana wanted to know too!!!

At that time, she had called out the other’s name instinctively. Who knew it would turn out like this?

“What’s wrong, Princess Liana?” Sephirena’s blood-red eyes stared at Liana. “Is there something difficult to explain?”

Liana didn’t know how to explain, but she knew how to gloss over it. Since you’re asking me for help, can’t I just make up an excuse?

“Do you really want to know?” Liana looked at Sephirena. “I have no obligation to answer this question. Of course, if you insist that I answer, I can tell you, but killing you and answering questions—you can only get one from me.”

“...” Sephirena closed her mouth and didn’t ask further.

Her attitude toward Liana was actually somewhat indifferent. Even if Liana wanted to harm her, it didn’t matter. After all, Sephirena’s ultimate goal was just to die.

“So? What is your decision? Or should I just tell you now? After all, killing you would have quite troublesome consequences. This would save us some trouble,” Liana said.

“Kill me after a thousand days,” Sephirena said.

Minoga thought that Princess Liana is really good at persuading others. Was it with this silver tongue that she stole Princess Mephilia’s heart?

But in reality, it was Liana’s mouth that had eaten Mephilia.

“Are you sure?” Liana confirmed with Sephirena again and again. “Become my servant and guard. What you need to do is just what a servant and guard should do. Stay by my side for a thousand days, and I will have Minoga grant you a painless death.”

Minoga felt like she had seen this episode before—wasn’t this the same tactic used on Loraviel?

Was she using the same method to deal with Sephirena again?

Liana herself didn’t have this thought; she was purely taking things one step at a time. Staying by her side was much better than being here, being discriminated against by other elves, and accumulating hatred.

Loraviel: No way! That’s my job!

But this wasn’t a concern. Sephirena was different from Loraviel, very different. Liana might regret making this choice.

“I understand. Then I entrust Princess Liana to kill me after a thousand days,” Sephirena said. “I will do my best to complete the guard duty.”

Liana didn’t notice that Sephirena seemed to have omitted one job. Anyway, being able to smoothly bring Sephirena over without paying any price was already a good result.

Not to mention that Liana had also obtained some benefits from Felicia. A win-win situation.

Next was to take Sephirena to Felicia to complete some procedures and sign the slave contract.

“Come, Princess Liana,” Minoga extended her hand. “I’ll take you there.”

“Alright,” but Liana looked toward Sephirena. “What about you? How will you get across?”

“Nature will let me cross,” Sephirena walked toward the riverbank, stepping directly onto the water surface. She didn’t sink, walking across as if on flat ground.

You call this being cursed by nature? Liana looked at Sephirena. This was clearly being loved by nature. However, due to Sephirena’s personal reasons, she had developed this misunderstanding.

“Let’s go too, Princess Liana,” Minoga said.

“Mm.”

Minoga held Liana’s hand and also walked toward the water surface.

“...Minoga, you can do this too?” Liana asked with some confusion.

Minoga shook her head. “Although I don’t have the same magic as Miss Sephirena, but.”

Minoga’s foot stepped on the water surface, and the water instantly froze, allowing Minoga to step on the ice.

“Wow!” Liana’s eyes sparkled, showing her fondness for this skill.

The two didn’t walk very fast because Minoga had something she wanted to tell Liana.

“Princess Liana, although what you said earlier was likely to prevent Miss Sephirena from attacking you, I still want to make things clear to you.

“Although our Lisat Kingdom is a peace-loving nation and doesn’t actively provoke others,

“If there really was a choice like now, between the two, we would unhesitatingly choose Princess Liana.

“If Miss Sephirena had truly intended to kill you just now, I would have stopped her without hesitation, even if it meant killing her.”

“Even though I behave like a beast in public?” Liana asked in return.

“Yes. How can we gain the trust of others if we can’t protect our own citizens? Moreover, you are Princess Liana,” Minoga said.

“Oh? So it’s not just because of the Lisat Kingdom, but also partly because of me?” Liana asked.

“Of course,” Minoga didn’t hide anything, nodding directly. “Princess Liana, you are Princess Mephilia’s lover, and that’s one of the reasons Princess Mephilia asked me to protect you.

“If Princess Liana were to die, Princess Mephilia would truly go mad. I’ve been by Princess Mephilia’s side for a long time, and I can see Princess Mephilia’s thoughts and feelings.

:Five years ago was the happiest time for her. Every day after studying, all she thought about was how to sneak into Venus Manor to play.

“Later, she fell ill, and after that, Princess Liana changed.

“And now, Princess Mephilia’s heart is completely filled with Princess Liana. If something were to happen to Princess Liana, I wouldn’t be surprised if Princess Mephilia did something irrational.”

“Stop, stop! Don’t talk about this anymore!” Liana felt her face turning red. What was Minoga saying!

Although it was the truth, actually hearing it made her very embarrassed!

“What’s wrong, Princess Liana?” Minoga didn’t feel there was anything inappropriate or embarrassing about this.

After all, she was now also the guardian of the two, naturally able to see their intimate moments.

She didn’t quite understand why Princess Liana was so shy.

“Nothing!” Liana quickly changed the subject. “Don’t talk about Mephilia. What about you? What do you think of me? Would you be sad if I died?”

“Yes,” Minoga nodded without any hesitation. “Princess Liana is a very impressive person. From any perspective, Princess Liana’s death would be a huge loss for the Lisat Kingdom.”

“...Why are we talking about the Lisat Kingdom again? I’m asking about you, Minoga, not about the royal knight,” Liana said irritably.

“Of course I would be sad. Because of Princess Mephilia, I can say I’ve watched Princess Liana grow up. To say I wouldn’t be sad would definitely be a lie. And,” Minoga paused mysteriously for a moment.

“And what?” Liana looked up at Minoga beside her.

Minoga reached out and pinched Liana’s little cheek. “And Princess Liana’s cheeks feel really nice to pinch.”

“...” Liana rubbed her cheek. “What about Mephilia’s? Hers should feel much better to pinch than mine, right?”

“Of course... I’ve never pinched hers,” Minoga said. She had only pinched Liana’s and her own cheeks.

For some reason, from the moment she saw Liana, Minoga had always had this thought. It wasn’t until three months ago that she finally acted on it. Since then, Minoga had become unstoppable, wanting to pinch Liana whenever she saw her.

And the reason for pinching her own cheeks was simply to see if there was any difference. The result proved one thing: Princess Liana’s cheeks really felt nice to pinch.

“Why?” Liana asked.

Minoga had been by Mephilia’s side for so long, and their relationship was so close. Liana had thought Minoga had pinched her long ago.

Minoga reached out and flicked Liana’s forehead. “Because we have a master-servant relationship. We must maintain boundaries.”

“Then why aren’t you at all polite with me?” Liana asked, puzzled.

“This... I’m not quite sure. Maybe it’s because Princess Liana looks [N O V E L I G H T] too cute? I just can’t help wanting to pinch?” Minoga said.

What a strange answer.

But Liana didn’t care much about this. If Liana truly disliked it, she would speak up.

“But Mephilia has never treated you as a servant, right?” Liana said.

“That may be true, but... Princess Mephilia is the future monarch. I must show her at least basic respect. But Princess Liana is different,” Minoga hesitated before saying this. Such a statement was quite dangerous; only absolute trust would allow her to say such things.

“That’s true,” Liana nodded.

Liana really couldn’t imagine a monarch having her cheeks pinched. If such a scene existed, how intimate would their relationship be?

Oh no, Liana kind of wanted to try it now.

“Don’t worry, I’ll try it for you and secretly tell you how Mephilia’s cheeks feel,” Liana said.

“That won’t be necessary,” Minoga had a feeling that Liana would be the one getting pinched.

The two reached the other side of the river, and Tari hurried over at this moment. “Princess Liana, how did it go?”

“Where’s Felicia? She should prepare the paperwork now,” Liana said.

Tari used the crystal ball to call Felicia.

“By the way,” Liana looked at Sephirena. “Now, you should call me Jacaranda... forget it, just call me master for now.”

Sephirena’s gaze wavered. “I understand, Lady Jacaranda.”

What’s wrong with calling me Master! Looking so reluctant!

Soon, Felicia arrived before Liana, holding a box which she opened in front of Liana. “Lady Jacaranda, this is the ring engraved with high-level mana recovery runes that you mentioned earlier.”

Liana picked up the ring, which had a hole in the middle, apparently for setting a gemstone.

“Due to the enchantment, the size of the ring will change to fit the owner’s finger, and the gemstone setting works the same way. Just place the gemstone on it, and it will automatically adjust to the size of the gemstone,” Felicia explained.

A world with magic is wonderful; there’s no need to worry about rings not fitting or being impossible to remove.

However, Liana didn’t understand these things. She had never seen what high-level runes looked like. She handed the ring to Minoga. “Check it.”

Magical power emanated from Minoga’s hand, and the enchantments on the ring emitted a golden light. “Lady Jacaranda, there’s nothing wrong with the ring, and the engraved runes are indeed high-level.”

After Minoga’s confirmation, Liana confidently accepted the ring. “You’ve done well enough.”

“Thank you for your forgiveness, Lady Jacaranda,” Felicia then looked at Sephirena beside Liana. “To be able to bring Number 314 from across the river, it seems Lady Jacaranda is truly no ordinary person.”

“In your merchant terms, it’s simply that you didn’t offer enough, or rather, you didn’t have what she wanted, while I happened to have it,” Liana said.

“Lady Jacaranda truly understands us merchants. I almost want to invite you to join our Angus Commerce Guild,” Felicia said.

“Would I become a diamond member if I joined?” Liana asked.

Felicia really wanted to slap herself. Why was her mouth so loose? She should have just completed this transaction without saying anything unnecessary.

“Does this mean Lady Jacaranda is ready to purchase Number 314?” Felicia simply changed the topic.

After all, she needed something from Liana now. If she did anything to make Liana unhappy, she would be the only one in trouble.

Liana had already gained quite a lot this time. Although she wouldn’t mind getting more, Felicia now seemed to have no more value to extract. There was no point in pressuring her further. It was better to take Sephirena away sooner.

“Yes,” Liana nodded. “I remember her situation is special, and no gold coins are needed for the purchase, right?”

“That’s right,” Felicia nodded. “However, to ensure the client’s safety, every slave needs to sign a slave contract.”

Liana had indeed heard about this, but Sephirena was obviously different from other slaves. After all, she had no chains on her hands, feet, or neck. It was as if she had come here to live.

“Slaves who have signed slave contracts cannot disobey their master’s orders. This is to ensure that when slaves rebel, clients have the ability to resist and deliver a fatal blow,” Felicia explained. This was also meant for Sephirena to hear.

“Number 314, do you understand? Once sold, your entire life will be controlled by Lady Jacaranda. You can only obey her orders,” Felicia said.

“I understand, but the power of nature doesn’t allow me to do this,” Sephirena said.

“What do you mean?” Felicia was confused; she had never said this before.

“Nature protects me and doesn’t allow me to become anyone’s slave. So, my request has always been only one—kill me,” Sephirena said.

Felicia didn’t believe what Sephirena said. She raised her hand, but in the next second, the power of nature attacked her.

Although Minoga sensed this, she didn’t intervene. The attack from nature’s power wouldn’t cause her fatal harm, at most just a little suffering.

Sure enough, Felicia was knocked to the ground by vines.

“This is beyond my control. I am cursed to be unable to die.”

“The Angus Commerce Guild will never sell a slave who cannot sign a slave contract. We must ensure our clients’ safety,” Felicia said.

This wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t because they were so dedicated to their profession, but simply because they didn’t want to damage the Angus Commerce Guild’s reputation.

“Not necessary,” Liana interrupted. “I don’t need a slave contract.”

“This is a necessity to ensure the client’s safety. Without this procedure, the slave cannot be sold,” Felicia said.

“I’ve already told you not to act so pure around me. I understand you merchants very well. Bring out the agreement, I’ll sign it. Number 314 has a slave contract, and after the sale, anything that happens has nothing to do with the guild. All consequences will be borne by me,” Liana said.

Felicia didn’t waste any more words and took out an agreement. “Here, sign your name.”

“Good, Jacaranda, right?”

“Yes.”

The Angus Commerce Guild didn’t care what your real name was. They would prefer if everyone used fake names, so they wouldn’t have to be responsible for any subsequent issues.

After Liana signed her name, the contract immediately took effect. “Congratulations, you have become the master of Number 314.”