NOVPUBLanci’s thoughts remained calm, as if he were intently contemplating his next move.
"...You’re quite experienced. Upon closer inspection, that strained expression of yours is quite convincing. Where did you learn that?"
To Talia’s surprise, she involuntarily began to think that Lanci was reliable, but she was also curious why his acting was so versatile.
There’s a limit to what a person can experience; it’s not like he could have encountered and personally experienced everything.
"Loren."
Lanci remembered that every time Dean Loren heard the words "fiancée," his face would contort into that very expression.
"..."
Talia had nothing to say.
The office fell silent for a moment.
Lanci looked at Dex for help, and the latter smiled meaningfully.
"Professor Landry, you’re spirited and quite the ladies’ man. I’ve heard that in the northwest at Nixasende, there are quite a few women who are smitten with you. It seems you have more than one fiancée?"
Director Dex finally asked the question that interested him.
"For me, at present, the only thing that matters is my work. You need not worry about me being distracted by women. Some rumors, once passed around, can take on a life of their own. If I must say so, the only woman I need to take care of right now is my sister."
This was Lanci’s relieving answer.
It seemed he hadn’t guessed wrong; the fiancées Duke Dex referred to were not necessarily the ones Landry was actually betrothed to, but rather many women back home in the northwest who were rumored to be involved with Landry.
Lanci knew that these kinds of rumors must not be allowed to continue to spread. The number of fiancées would only become more and more exaggerated and unbelievable! 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
"..."
Upon hearing this, Dex sighed, apparently thinking Landry hadn’t understood his point,
"Your research has caused quite a stir among the Empire’s highest ranks. There are some things I can’t tell you right now because they are uncertain. What I can let you know is that you have a good chance of joining this project. However, you are not irreplaceable. The Empire’s scrutiny of you in the coming period is especially important. Do you understand?"
Director Dex turned his head and whispered in Lanci’s ear.
"So that’s how it is..."
Lanci’s eyes suddenly brightened, as if he had an epiphany,
"I understand, thank you, Director."
He quickly expressed his gratitude.
And Duke Dex also took a satisfied sip of his coffee; dealing with intelligent people was indeed very relaxing.
The atmosphere in the top office of the Empire’s Special Operations Department became harmonious once again. The business of Duke Dex’s meeting with Landry for the day was largely settled; the rest was just idle chitchat to foster a closer relationship.
"What do you mean, Lanci?"
Talia didn’t understand what Lanci had figured out at all.
All she could be sure of was that what Duke Dex had just said was true; he didn’t intend to deceive Lanci, so it should be harmless.
"The project Duke Dex mentioned is likely related to research on Magical Energy Fission. The Empire has clearly recognized its value."
Lanci explained patiently in his mind to Talia,
"And if this project is launched, the Empire would tend to prefer participants with families. Once the project starts, it’s very likely they will gather all the researchers and their families in one place, both as a form of protection and as hostages."
So Director Dex was implicitly telling him that even if he didn’t have a family, he should strive to bring his fiancée over soon, to become part of his family.
Although it gave Lanci a headache, he clearly couldn’t miss this opportunity.
If he outright denied having a fiancée, Red Falcon Nicola’s suspicion of him would increase, and in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to a self-defeating situation where Nicola would personally travel to the border of Nixasende to investigate Landry’s personal relationships.
Correspondingly, if he had a clever partner, not only could he gain more trust from the Empire’s Special Operations Department and secure a better political assessment, but he could also gain an entry ticket to the Empire’s critical upcoming project.
"So where will you find a fiancée?"
Talia understood the reasoning, but when she heard Lanci mention finding a fiancée, there was an undeniable discomfort in her heart.
"We can only seek help from the Allied Forces, or perhaps from Poson. If those aren’t options, we can look to the Mysterious Organization that Landry was originally part of to see if they can secure a female spy with a household registration on the Nixasende border to help me, or if they can lend me that identity to let you play the role."
Lanci exchanged thoughts with Talia.
After all, having a reputation for being a ladies’ man with many debts could be a good thing; any woman from his hometown could potentially be his fiancée, and with a bit of background alignment, it would be passable.
The advantage of Talia was her absolute trustworthiness; without needing to rehearse, the two of them knew each other well enough to convincingly play the role of his fiancée. The disadvantage was that the energy cost was too high; summoning her continuously every day would significantly increase the strain.
Moreover, with Talia, who normally acted as a guiding spirit, having an actual identity in the Cerryti Empire, there might be doubts when she suddenly returned to Lanci; disappearance had to be more secretive.
"Alright, if possible, the best scenario would be for the Allied Forces to send a reliable female spy to make a guest appearance as your ’fake fiancée.’"
Talia came to terms with it and said to Lanci.
She didn’t understand why she emphasized the last few words.
Anyway, it was just a charade; once inside the house, they would live separately, and it wouldn’t upset her because she knew that what was fake was just fake.
