The answer she received was both unexpected and not unexpected. Maggie's gaze swept over Harlan's outrageously handsome face, then she lowered her eyes, her fingers curling slightly.
“The Zefnia family is a den of demons. I just want the Duke to die sooner.”
Maggie's eyes sparkled, and a gentle, ladylike smile graced her lips, yet her words were cold and cruel.
"Oh no, I mean I hope my dear father goes to hell soon."
For someone whose soul has made a deal with the devil, death is no longer their final destination; they will be a puppet of the devil for eternity in hell.
As Maggie spoke, a faint resentment emanated from her, as if it came from her very bones, a hatred that had seeped into her very marrow.
However, she herself did not show much emotional fluctuation; she simply stated the facts calmly.
It should be said that these feelings do not belong to her, but to the original owner.
Harlan and Maggie locked eyes, and Harlan's lips curled into a slight smile.
“Your Highness, perhaps I am very similar to you.”
He spoke casually, yet with an indescribable seriousness. Maggie thought about it carefully and realized that Harlan was right.
He was indeed the eldest prince of the Kingdom of Arnold, but he was born from an affair with a maid before the king ascended the throne. Because he was the first child, the king did not mistreat him and treated him fairly well, but rarely took the initiative to see him.
So after the king and queen married, his life became very difficult.
The queen viewed this eldest prince as a thorn in her side. She treated him well on the surface, but in reality, she never thought of killing him.
Thus, Harlan lived each day amidst an endless stream of assassinations.
He realized long ago that the royal palace was a place that devoured people.
Relying on his superior talent, he escaped the royal family and chose to enter the Temple of Light, thus escaping the vortex of power struggles.
Unfortunately, the young boy at the time did not expect that this move would be like going from one tiger's den to another, and that the Temple of Light, though seemingly glamorous, was actually rotten to the core.
From Paladin to Knight Commander, his current status is something he earned through hard work. However, the comic only briefly describes this part of his past because no one cares; readers just want to see the protagonist wreak havoc.
In some ways, they are indeed very similar.
"So what?"
Maggie snapped out of her thoughts and simply dismissed the question indifferently. His suffering was not caused by her, and besides, Harlan's situation was a hundred times better than hers; he was the protagonist and the God of Light.
As cannon fodder, she couldn't empathize at all.
"Her Highness is truly..."
Harlan seemed surprised that Maggie's reaction would be so indifferent; a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes, but it ultimately turned into a sigh.
Maggie rolled her eyes inwardly. Yes, she was completely impervious to reason.
“Just say what your purpose is. Even though you cheated me before, I won’t refuse if you want to cooperate with me.”
Although he was a bit of a jerk, he was still a normal person. At least he was trustworthy and a decent teammate.
Harlan was speechless at Maggie's tone. This was not the first time, nor would it be the last. Maggie was like his nemesis; no matter what card he played, he would always fail.
Maggie looked at Harlan, irritably rubbed her hair, and interrupted him before he could speak.
"Forget it, you always like to beat around the bush, I'm too lazy to listen. I know your goal. Although our goals are not quite the same, the Pope must be dealt with. We can cooperate."
Maggie nodded as she spoke, completely unconcerned about how outrageous and shocking her words were.
The next second, Maggie's pupils dilated instantly.
Harlan knelt down on one knee without hesitation, placed his longsword in front of him, pressed his slender fingers against his heart, and bowed his head to Maggie, like a loyal knight offering his loyalty to the queen.
This is a long-lost, top-level knightly salute; even paladins wouldn't bow to the Pope in this way now.
Legend has it that only a knight who willingly and voluntarily offers up his loyalty would do this.
Harlan raised his head, gazing at Maggie with deep affection and unwavering determination. Sunlight streamed through the greenery, bathing him in a holy glow, perfectly embodying the upright and pure nature of a paladin.
"As you wish."
Yet his tone was like that of a devil bewitching people into hell, the slightly raised ending sound like enchantment or seduction.
"..."
Maggie was taken aback by his action, and countless possibilities flashed through her mind, but she fell into deep silence after her gaze fell on his pure white knight's uniform touching the grass and soil.
My mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts, but I still couldn't figure out Harlen's purpose in doing this.
"Uh, it's cooperation, not..."
Maggie's efforts were successfully thwarted; she was trying to reorganize her thoughts.
She was an outcast of a sinful family, a saintly figure whose life hung by a thread, a useless person with no real power, and a madwoman who would even mortgage her soul.
No normal person would choose to pledge allegiance to her.
I wonder if Harlan has lost her mind.
If Harlan isn't serious, then she's no different from a fool.
But if he's serious, then the nature of the matter changes completely, and you can't just agree to it.
"I'd rather be your knight than a partner."
Harun's tone was gentle and persuasive.
Maggie met Harlan's gaze. His eyes were beautiful, like a deep blue sea in the sunlight. She wanted to see if he was serious.
As it turned out, he really didn't look away at all; his eyes were open and honest, so pure and genuine that they didn't seem fake.
"That's enough, that's enough."
After a while, Maggie finally couldn't hold on any longer and awkwardly turned her head to the side.
"Your Highness, you still haven't given me an answer."
Harlan didn't get up; his pleasant voice drifted on the breeze to Maggie's ears, impossible to escape.
"...We can cooperate."
Maggie closed her eyes, trying to dispel the bitterness in her throat, and forced the words out.
“Your Highness, you are the most special existence in the entire temple. You can be a mascot or a ruler standing at the pinnacle.”
Harlan sighed softly, as if he was somewhat helpless about Maggie's evasive attitude.
"..."
Maggie knew, of course, that if anyone kneeling here today was anyone other than Harlan, she would agree without hesitation and use them without a second thought.
Even her relationship with Harlen was one of mutual exploitation.
The Paladin Commander may seem glamorous, but in reality, he is nothing more than the Pope's sharpest blade, or to put it bluntly, the Paladin Order is just his lackey.
Father Barton may seem upright and kind, but he is actually unsuitable to control the entire temple; otherwise, the person sitting in the papacy now would have been replaced long ago.
The Pope is yet another source of darkness.
Harun wanted to change the temple, or rather, to dispel the temple's intricate darkness, so he had to find another way, but he never expected that he would actually target her.
But she also knew that this guy was the God of Light.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com