NOVPUBThis sense of incongruity feels almost as if mom's instructions had been altered by Lanci—so much so that even if lost on the battlefield, they can't be used normally by anyone else.
"Why are you all mimicking the way I call him? Actually, I don't usually call him that way."
Suddenly, Talia's ears twitched, her brows furrowed slightly, and her voice, along with the roasted fish in her hand, paused.
She seemed to have heard a familiar voice.
A voice drifting over from afar—
"Hmm, her appearance is very beautiful, height around 168 cm, age looks roughly between 20 and 25, long gray hair, physique is ideally healthy, hasn't had children, barely speaks, almost never smiles, and surely bought piles of food from nearby shops. Yes, if she bought barbecue from your shop, you'd definitely remember..."
Someone was inquiring among shopkeepers about a certain individual.
The blood vessels on the back of Talia's hand pulsed faintly.
"Lanlan, get over here now!"
She turned and shouted furiously towards the distance.
"Oh? Huh!"
Lanci immediately straightened up upon hearing Talia's angry voice, turned around, and reported back to her.
Just as the shopkeeper raised a finger, looking as though they remembered something but hadn't yet spoken, the girl who had just bought a lot of barbecue appeared.
Indeed, she had purchased food earlier in the very direction the shopkeeper pointed—Talia was correct about her location.
Lanci hurried towards where Talia, Hyperion, and Isatia were, as if he had something urgent to share with them.
"Great, I found you after asking a bit along the way from the Main Hall."
Lanci greeted them with a smile.
"You've come! Would you like to enjoy the fireworks with us?"
Isatia clapped her hands joyfully.
Lanci had finally finished his work; she had been waiting a long time for this.
"..."
Hyperion cast another glance at Isatia.
Everything seemed to make sense, yet something inexplicably felt off.
"Apologies, I still have work later. I need to get ready now as I'm heading to meet Headmaster Violet."
Lanci clasped his hands together to apologize,
"Could I borrow Tata for a moment?"
He then looked at Talia, who had just finished eating her roasted fish and let out a burp, and asked Hyperion and Isatia for their permission.
With Secretary Nyla's help, Violet, the Sixth Army God of Aquamarine, had agreed to give Professor Landry some one-on-one time amidst her busy schedule. The meeting was planned for right after the Ritual Dance during the Moon Festival, which wasn't far off now.
"Of course."
Both Isatia and Hyperion nodded briskly upon hearing this.
They understood why Lanci wanted to borrow Talia before meeting Violet, the Sixth Army God of Aquamarine.
Lanci needed a master of lie detection, and Talia had a unique combination of lie detection and mind-reading abilities.
"Take my sister then."
Isatia offered generously.
Hyperion glanced at Isatia once more.
"Alright, let's be quick about it."
Talia tossed her paper food container into the nearby garbage bin and spoke decisively to Lanci.
"See you at home later. After I meet Headmaster Violet, Secretary Nyla will drive me straight back."
Lanci bade farewell to Hyperion and Isatia.
"Come back early; it's getting colder."
Hyperion advised them.
Lanci's gray coat wasn't warm at all. Hyperion couldn't quite understand why, ever since Lanci returned from the Northern Continent, he was so insistent on wearing such attire during winter.
"Don't worry, Xiu Bao. I've already updated the Sikder-Xiu Bao treaty to the Sikder-Xiu Treaty. Once I'm back, we'll explain everything to you. Also, the three of us need to figure out how to split the rooms for sleeping." 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Talia waved at Hyperion.
A couple of days ago, due to special circumstances, she'd stayed in Hyperion's room to accompany her. Last night, however, Sigrid got to sleep alone.
Now that Hyperion had recovered enough to move freely, Talia figured it was time to return and sleep with Sigrid again. Furthermore, the three of them needed to hold a small meeting to decide where Hyperion would stay. Since all three were playing the role of Lanci's fiancées, they believed they should be treated equally to a real fiancée.
As of now, Talia and Sigrid agreed that even if they compromised by letting Hyperion sleep closer to Lanci, they didn't want to share a room with her; otherwise, they'd both be in trouble.
...
Several minutes later.
The two strolled to the edge of the Main Hall.
The faint starlight danced upon the river's surface—subtle yet warm.
They were bamboo-crafted moon lanterns, adorning this exceptional night.
At first, there were only a scarce few, but gradually, the number of moon lanterns grew.
Clusters of threes and fives, dozens at once, until the final count was far too overwhelming to tally.
Like fireflies, they fluttered in the night sky, ascending gracefully and transforming into a feast of stars.
"Moon lanterns."
Talia murmured softly, her tone laden with reflection.
Veiled in mist, the moon lanterns harmonized with the descending snowfall, creating a mesmerizing interplay.
The orange glow illuminated the ancient streets of Saint Kray Temple, wrapping its stone buildings in a delicate golden shimmer.
Though serene in appearance, the impending final battle destined to bring closure to everything lingered ever closer. Yet in her heart she felt an inexplicable trace of happiness.
"Indeed, it's stunning from this view."
Beside her, Lanci echoed her sentiment, as though the breathtaking scenery was his own creation.
"Your aura—it's surprisingly dominant."
Talia spoke, not critically but rather thoughtfully.
She had noticed it during the impromptu performance at the Brielda Opera House: Lanci possessed an innate flair for the role of an overbearing governor—a talent she unexpectedly found appealing. Now, she even felt a subtle nostalgia for the limited-edition version of Lanci as the tyrannical apprentice governor.
