When Maggie woke up, she just stared blankly at the roof of the treehouse, her mind a complete mess, making it very difficult for her to even think.
She seemed to be dreaming again. In the dream, she vaguely felt that she had done something very important, but if she thought about it carefully, it would be shrouded in a thin veil, and even she herself in the dream could not see clearly.
The only lingering feeling was... she seemed to have just come out of the water after swimming, but she's a complete landlubber and can't swim at all. Could she have had a dream about drowning?
Maggie sat up, questioning her existence. When she looked out the window, she realized it was already dark. Although the battle had ended early, she hadn't expected to be so tired. She fell into a deep sleep as soon as she lay down on the bed and didn't wake up until evening.
Now she was the only one left in the treehouse. Little Ghost, Roy, and Little Jellyfish had probably gone off to play somewhere because they were bored.
Maggie rubbed her head. This time, the aftereffects of the dream weren't too severe, unlike the previous two times when her head felt like it was going to explode.
She got up to go out, but suddenly remembered that Nesser was the god of the forest. For a moment, she put her hand on the door and hesitated whether she should push it open, because she was afraid of seeing Nesser's pitiful expression when she opened the door.
However, thinking about her previous conversation with Nesser, she felt a little more at ease. Now that she had cleared up the misunderstanding with Nesser and made things clear, it should be okay if they met.
As Maggie pondered this, she reached out and pushed open the treehouse door, only to find Harun standing before her instead of Nesser.
The Green Forest at night was not dark. Tiny fireflies flew around in the forest. At this moment, the Paladin Commander stood not far away with his eyes downcast, as if he was thinking. The fireflies shone on his angular, deep and exquisite profile, like the most proud oil painting by a painter.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Harlan slightly raised his eyes, his turquoise eyes looking at Maggie with focused and affectionate eyes, giving the illusion that he was her whole world.
"Your Highness, when do you plan to leave this place?"
Harlan's voice, tinged with the night, carried a slight chill, but not a real coldness; it was like a misty breeze, as if one could smell the dampness in the air.
"Um?"
Maggie thought that, given Harlan's personality, he would first be polite and indirect, but she was a little surprised that he would speak frankly.
Perhaps out of surprise, Maggie did not answer Harlan's question immediately. Where Maggie could not see, Harlan's eyes darkened noticeably, and he asked again after a long while.
"Or perhaps, does Her Highness like this place very much?"
His seemingly unintentional probing brought Maggie back from her reverie, and she realized the meaning behind his words, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"Of course not. This place is indeed very nice, but we still have to leave, just not now. What's wrong? Does Commander Knight have some important business to attend to at the temple?"
"If the Knight Commander is in a hurry, he may leave first."
Maggie thought about it and figured that the only reason Harlan asked her this question was because he was impatient, so she came up with a reasonably reasonable solution.
To everyone's surprise, Harlan simply shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.
"Of course not, I'm just concerned about Her Highness's itinerary. If you'd like, you can stay a few more days."
"If the temple holds us accountable, I will help Your Highness explain."
His words were so incredibly considerate that Maggie immediately became wary. Could this man be up to something again?
However, upon closer inspection of Harlan's expression, she only saw a faint sense of pleasure, without even a trace of gloom, which made her scalp tingle with a strange feeling.
Surely it can't be that he really cares about her?
That seems even more terrifying.
Maggie shuddered inwardly, but showed nothing on the surface. Instead, she nodded slightly to Harlan, acknowledging his kindness.
"Then thank you very much for your kindness, Commander Knight."
Their conversation ended there. Logically, Harlan should have left since there was nothing else important, but he stood there, showing no intention of leaving, and looked at Maggie with a smile.
The atmosphere became somewhat strange, and Maggie's mood also became complicated.
"Is there... anything else?"
Maggie asked uncertainly.
"I think Her Highness has never called me by my name. As your knight, I seem to be quite unqualified and unable to gain Her Highness's approval."
Harlan paused slightly, then strode over to Maggie's side to within about a meter. Perhaps because it was late at night, his voice carried not only laughter but also a hint of languor, making it sound incredibly alluring.
Maggie certainly had a similar feeling; under the moonlight, the atmosphere seemed to be getting stranger and stranger.
She felt a little uncomfortable, but she couldn't just turn around and run away.
Otherwise it would seem like she chickened out.
"Sir Knight, you are overthinking it. It's just that the temple has a strict hierarchy, and it would be rather impolite to address you by your first name."
Whether it was because of the moonlight or because of Harlen, Maggie felt her thoughts freeze, but fortunately she didn't really lose her mind. She could still communicate normally on the surface, and there was no sign of anything unusual about her.
Maggie thought this statement was formal enough and would be acceptable to Harlan, but she didn't expect that he didn't intend to leave just like that and wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal.
"And...what about in private?"
He lowered his body slightly, and although he was still at a safe distance from Maggie, he was closer than before, maintaining a very ambiguous distance. One step forward would be intimate, and one step back would be distant. He had it just right.
Harlan's questions nearly drove Maggie's brain to a standstill; she was internally screaming with frustration.
Why ask such a misleading question!
You'd think there was some kind of shady relationship between them. Who would call a colleague by their first name in private?
She desperately wanted to refuse, but as she looked up to speak, she met Harlan's gleaming blue eyes in the night, eyes that were clear and sincere, seemingly able to see right through her, filled with expectation.
For a moment, the words that were on the tip of her tongue suddenly became hard to say.
Thinking about it carefully, Harlan had helped her a lot during this time, carried out her orders very well, never caused trouble at crucial moments, and basically never played any tricks on her, except for... the thing about insisting on following her.
However, he didn't do anything unnecessary to disrupt her plans.
Looking at it this way, he seems pretty good?
Maggie thought uncertainly.
In comparison, Harlan's request was just a small one to get closer to her, and it wasn't particularly unreasonable.
Maggie was caught in a deep dilemma.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com