"That's good."
Maggie appeared relaxed; it wasn't exactly politeness, but rather the concern between friends.
Suddenly, as if to confirm something, Xiu took two steps closer to Maggie.
The flowers partially concealed the lower bodies of the two people. Xiu bent down slightly and looked down, just enough to see the top of Maggie's head.
From a distance, the two figures appeared to overlap.
His voice was low, and the wind rustled through the flowers, causing the leaves to brush against each other, creating a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere.
Can I take this as you caring about me?
Xiu's voice carried an indescribable emotion, and his eyes, half-hidden by his lowered gaze, appeared even deeper in their pale purple hue.
Mermaids don't actually have very high body temperatures, but they're not as cold as Perkins. Speaking at such close range, Maggie could feel a breeze sweeping through her hair and scattering her strands.
"Um... I guess so?"
Maggie answered hesitantly.
She was indeed concerned about Xiu, but for some reason, his serious question made her uncertain and she felt a little strange.
I feel that if I agree immediately, something will quietly change.
But she couldn't deny it, which made her seem cold and unapproachable.
She chose a compromise answer.
Unfortunately, Xiu didn't seem satisfied.
"If that's not concern, what is it?"
He continued to ask, his voice slightly hoarse than before, as if the siren's song had reached its end and still could not bewitch the sailor he desired.
"...Why do you have to ask this?"
Maggie was bald and couldn't figure out what Xiu was thinking, so she simply raised her head, looked directly into Xiu's eyes, and said with a hint of speechlessness in her voice.
What's there to confirm, whether it's feigned or genuine?
It's fine to just take it as a polite remark.
What is this mermaid struggling with?
When Xiu met Maggie's overly clear eyes, his expression froze for a moment, and then his eyes showed annoyance.
He took two steps back, widening the distance between them, and turned his head slightly to the side, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"never mind."
Xiu seemed to have just come to his senses, his voice carrying a hint of restraint, yet also a hint of regret.
He was also annoyed by his own inexplicable behavior, as if he had been bewitched, not even knowing why he was so serious about such trivial matters.
"?"
Seeing that Xiu's expression was clearly a bit off, Maggie felt that strange feeling return to her.
The strange atmosphere made her feel uncomfortable all over, and the urge to escape grew stronger and stronger.
How could Xiu, like Harun, give her such an overwhelming sense of collapse?
So Maggie, who initially felt it was impolite, simply made up a lame excuse and slipped away, no longer wanting to stay in the garden.
Even this is completely out of character for her.
Xiu simply watched Maggie's departing figure silently, without saying a word to stop her, or even listening to the excuse Maggie gave when she left.
He simply stood there, feeling his heartbeat gradually calming down in his chest.
But that drum-like vibration seemed to still linger in his body, making his blood and pulse beat along with it.
Only after she left did his somewhat confused mind return to normal.
...
Finally free from that suffocating atmosphere, Maggie, who had been on high alert, finally found a safe haven.
Even if it was a 'greeting letter' from the Duke.
Having something new to do helps Maggie shift her focus and pull herself out of that mood.
It was delivered to her room by the maid and is now placed on the table.
As always, it was exquisite and luxurious, exuding the scent of money. A deep red wax seal was stamped in the center of the letter, along with a quill pen.
It's very thoughtful and makes it easy for her to reply.
"Looks like I can't wait any longer..."
Maggie casually took the pen off her hand, preparing to open the letter and read its contents.
Then they heard a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, Holy Maiden."
Harlan's voice came from outside the door. Maggie paused, holding her pen, then put it down and stood up.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Harlan's handsome face with a perfect smile.
"What's wrong?"
Maggie glanced at the letter on the table unconsciously before asking in a low voice.
"Your father seems to be getting impatient and is trying to contact you again."
Harlan caught a glimpse of Maggie's letter on the table through the crack in the door, and the smile on his lips faded slightly.
"again?"
Maggie frowned slightly; this is a very key word.
"Yes, recently the Pope has been purging large numbers of demon followers in various places, and many slave auction sites have been destroyed as a result."
"The Tu Mi medicine also had problems, and the sales volume decreased significantly."
Harlan explained in a calm tone, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of annoyance in his voice.
There's something else Harlan didn't mention: he's been sabotaging the Duke's infiltration of the kingdom, and secretly he's been arranging for paladins to clean up the poison.
This caused his plans to proceed very poorly.
He was willing to send his youngest daughter to the temple as a sacrifice in order to open up a market for the entire kingdom.
What was originally a sure-win plan was completely ruined by Harlan and Maggie, and it has been unable to succeed.
Under triple pressure, the Duke finally lost his composure.
This wasn't the first time the Duke had tried to contact Maggie, but each time Harlen had ordered the Knights to intercept him.
Maggie already has enough on her plate, and he wants to do his best to share some of the burden.
Unfortunately, there were still some of the Duke's men inside the temple who brought their troubles to Maggie.
"Hmm? Is that so?"
Maggie seemed to be deep in thought, realizing that so much had happened during this time.
The Duke has suffered repeated setbacks, and it seems he has reached the point where he absolutely needs her help.
However, Maggie is still concerned about one thing: why the Duke doesn't have the aura of a demon.
A vague unease enveloped her, preventing her from acting rashly even with evidence and the temple's support.
Looking back at the content of the manga now, was the one who died at the hands of the Silver Wheel Guild Master really the demonized Duke himself?
Or is it possible that it's her useless older brother?
That good-for-nothing brother of her beloved father, whom she insisted on sending to the Saint Na Kingdom's court magicians.
Maggie's guess was not without merit.
Someone like her brother, a good-for-nothing, should be even less useful than her, so why would the Duke value him so much?
He's such a profit-driven person.
The manga only says that the Duke was killed, the main characters besieged the demonized Duke, injured him, and then died at the hands of the Silver Wheel Guild Master.
However, humans who have been transformed into demons cannot be recognized as their original form.
If this is a scheme to switch the prince with a cat and escape unscathed, then the explanation becomes much more reasonable.
Some subtle details, strung together in Maggie's mind, gradually formed a possibility that was neither right nor wrong.
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