48. Heart in Turmoil (Seeking Votes~)

The “dangerous woman” the professor referred to was, of course, Nilu. With her particularly special identity, she did not accompany me to meet the queen this time. However, rather than saying it was my request, it was more accurate to say that Nilu herself was unwilling to come.

No, going further, it should be said that Nilu had her own “issues”: ever since the pure white nun, Urasilu, escaped, and the immediate danger within the church had subsided, Nilu’s behavior had become quite strange.

It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say that Nilu was blaming herself for her revenge against Urasilu that led to Urasilu’s successful escape. In the script I worriedly glanced at regarding Nilu, there was no mention of “self-blame” or anything of the sort; all that appeared were vague terms like “inner turmoil.”

In short, Nilu’s recent behavior has been quite off. Coincidentally, Professor Moriarty mentioned it this time, and with Kephir also pulling the queen on the fifth floor to avoid me, it was a rare opportunity. Of course, I had to go find Nilu to understand what was going on.

After that, I headed to Nilu’s temporary residence within the church. Since the Knights of the Great Yng Empire took over, there are no longer any safety concerns within the church. Those clergy members, along with some staff, have all been shoved into chaotic corners for surveillance, making me sigh at how ruthless the queen can be.

However, while external safety was no longer a worry, Nilu herself seemed to be on guard about something. When I approached, I was greeted by fairies that looked ready to unleash their ultimate move right in my face.

In my line of sight, Nilu was sitting there in a daze, completely different from her usual eagerness to cling to me—ever since the incident with Urasilu, Nilu had been acting like this.

“Nilu?”

I waved my hand to signal the fairies not to cause trouble, but after I cautiously called out to her, Nilu’s reaction left me somewhat puzzled.

She did see me right away, but her hesitant demeanor suggested she was about to say something but swallowed it back, then returned to her original self.

“You’re here?”

“It’s a rare opportunity, so I came to find you alone. How’s the recovery from the injuries you sustained during the Urasilu incident?”

Nilu had been declining to follow us recently, claiming it was due to her injuries. Although I had long known this was an excuse, some things should be taken in stride when it comes to a girl’s feelings; not exposing the truth is a gentlemanly act.

“Thank you for your concern, but it’s just a minor flesh wound. You didn’t need to come all this way.”

She said this, yet at the same time, Nilu’s gaze had already drifted to my back. I didn’t need to think to know: she was checking if Kephir had shown up.

The fact that she could do this indicated that Nilu wasn’t holding back from appearing due to feelings of “guilt” or anything like that. So, I could probably guess that the reason for Nilu’s recent “silence” was something else.

“No, I do need to tell you that the Knights of the Great Yng Empire are gradually taking over here. For the external matters, that fairy, Ikusis, will find an excuse to act as the ‘Holy Maiden’ to maintain stability here. However, we can’t return just yet; we must wait until the Great Yng Empire has fully established control here before we can withdraw as heroes. Additionally, the queen of the Great Yng Empire has also asked me to convey a message to you: if there’s anything you want, as long as it’s not too excessive, she will fulfill it…”

I stepped in front of Nilu. “That’s all just meaningless chatter you wouldn’t care about. So, the reason you’ve been holed up these days… is it because you’ve found the ‘secret’ you mentioned wanting to discover by staying by my side?”

It wasn’t guilt, nor was it any “physical reason.” Therefore, the only “change” that could be attributed to Nilu recently was what I had gleaned from the script: [Nilu has learned the secret.]

I wouldn’t forget that Nilu had suddenly appeared before me and Kephir not because she wanted to pick a fight after a long time, but because she had secretly told me afterward: she wanted to “remember some secrets” with me. And now, with the script indicating this, it was clear that Nilu had become taciturn only after learning this “secret.”

With her thoughts exposed, Nilu this time was quite open and didn’t try to hide it.

“Indeed, no matter what, I can’t hide anything from ‘you.’”

I felt that Nilu’s smile and words today were somewhat strange, but I shook my head and didn’t think too much about it.

“Now that you know the ‘secret’ you mentioned, I don’t intend to ask more, but… what will you do next?”

Nilu’s purpose for appearing was merely to uncover some “secret” from me. Although I was unclear about the content of this secret, the script was also shrouded in ambiguity. However, since Nilu already knew, it wouldn’t be surprising if she chose to return to her Rodmar Empire.

Of course, I would never just follow her or be easily swayed by her. Yet, there was a strange feeling lingering in my heart, which, to put it in a way that suggests I might be sleeping on a washboard tonight: I wasn’t exactly looking forward to Nilu leaving so simply.

So, in the very next moment after Nilu smiled and responded…

“Well, yes, about what comes next.” Her gaze lingered on my face for quite a while before she seemed to snap back to reality and said, “Can I still stay here? Because I have some ‘things’ to finish.”

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of “relief,” as if I didn’t want her to leave after all.

“Do as you wish; we can’t stop you from doing whatever you want.”

However, I certainly didn’t want to voice such a dangerous thought. If it reached Kefir’s ears, tonight would be more than just sleeping on a washboard; it would be like sleeping on bricks.

“Thank you.”

And how should I describe it? I indeed felt that the recent Nilu was not merely “taciturn.” After all, following my response, which was essentially an agreement to her request, Nilu’s every action was accompanied by more of the script concerning her.

Among them, there were indeed some details I couldn’t ignore.

[Nilu has intentions towards Oqilide.]

This thought of Nilu’s was no longer new; when had it not been present since she transformed into the “Big Boss”? Yet, for such a script to suddenly appear again at this moment…

“Mr. Oqilide?”

“Ah, what is it?”

Nilu’s wave interrupted my contemplation, allowing me to temporarily set aside the thoughts brought on by the recent script.

“It’s pointless for me to stay here. Since that queen of the Great Ying Empire is willing to ‘offer some’ benefits to us, then please, accompany me as ‘king’ to negotiate a substantial deal with her~ This would be a great benefit for our Rodmar Empire as well~”

“I’ve told you not to keep treating me as a ‘king’; I never acknowledged that identity.”

As I struggled to explain this fruitless point to Nilu, I followed her out.

As for the recent script, well, it was probably just Nilu’s usual attitude towards me, a familiar refrain.

——

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