Emberlain.
"It's indeed a quite spacious office. I'm honored by your hospitality," Valdin said.
"I'm glad you like it," Xaviston replied with no particular vigor.
Vivia shared some different sentiments about his office location.
Did they really have to keep the office so close to the Ministry of War? It's like a blatant display of distrust. Talk about not being subtle at all.
And then there is…
From the corner of her eye, the burly figure of General Ivor stood behind them at a distance with a steely and unforgiving gaze, as if Valdin had already committed a crime on their soil.
Can you tone down on that menacing attitude just a little?
Vivia cleared her throat and said, "We should have more flowers."
"My lady?" Xaviston blinked.
"Flowers. The room is well-lit, but it seems so dull and lifeless. Flowers will make a good addition!" She brightened.
"...Offices are usually like this, my lady."
"So time to bring a pleasant change. Working with paperwork is already dull as is. We need to liven up the atmosphere. So…General Ivor!" She clapped her hands once in delight. "Can you bring us some flowers?"
General Ivor frowned at that request and was equally shocked at being dragged in for petty work. "His Majesty's orders are to be on standby."
"For what? Is there danger anywhere?" She tipped her head to the side.
"...Not yet, my lady."
"Wonderful. So you can fetch the flowers."
General Ivor's expression turned far worse. Clearly, a member of the Senate and high ranking military officer wasn't so thrilled about being treated like an errand boy.
He bowed. "As you command, my lady."
Vivia then addressed Xaviston. "Sir Xaviston, don't you think we can give a different paint color to the walls?"
"Yes, my lady?" He looked perplexed once again by her eagerness to decorate the room, which would be occupied by none other than a demon.
"Yes. The white color feels too depressing. We can have some other shade that feels sunnier to look at. How about you discuss these details with the carpenter and let me know?"
"I…"
Two knights were on standby outside, but with General Ivor's absence, Vivia could sense Xaviston's hesitation in leaving her alone with Valdin. After some contemplation and weighing the pros and cons, he agreed.
"I'll talk to the carpenter, my lady."
"Perfect," she chirped.
With Xaviston now also gone, Vivia exhaled a sigh of relief as the tension from the air dissipated with their departure.
Valdin eyed her. "Princess Clairette doesn't have to think so deeply about my office. It's just an office. I'm fine as long as it's in a workable state."
Vivia smiled, then spoke in Xul, "It matters to me. As Emberlain's princess and your host, I must see to it that our guest is not inconvenienced in any way. Where you work and sleep is just as important as work and sleep itself."
"...Once again, the princess doesn't have to speak in Rudaheim's language. I'm fluent in Grakth and Vael."
"I know. But I thought you'd feel more at home if we speak in your language. The environment is already very different as is. We can make some things simpler, can't we?"
His eyes betrayed no emotion as he watched her with scrutiny. With his hands behind his back, he said, "I think I know what's going on."
She blinked once.
"The hostility is blatantly evident, and I don't blame the palace for that. I'm sure the human envoy in Rudaheim would face similar resentment from the demons. So, the princess can drop the kind act."
"I'm not acting."
"You want to make me trust you. Everyone else is keeping their distance from me. But you'll talk to me, only you'll be kind to me so that I lower my guard - at least around you."
"I simply want to be a good host."
"You don't need to be. You can leave me alone. If I wanted to, I could've played along with your act and see where it goes, but I'm not here to play games."
A cold, unfeeling glint passed in his slit eyes. "I'm here to prevent humans from doing anything stupid, and that is to stop you from needlessly venturing into the Realm of Harmony and harm the peace between our realms. You need to understand that the humans are already walking on thin ice as is. Another crack on it will shatter everything for good."
Vivia's brows furrowed.
Thin ice? What does he mean by that?
The unsettling silence lingered for a beat longer. Vivia smiled, soft and graceful. "Then I'll make sure that the thin ice is solidified to the point that no crack will shatter it anymore."
"Can you? With your life already in danger?"
"...Are you talking about the attempts on my life?"
"Indeed."
"I'll be fine."
"Because the culprits are caught and punished?"
She didn't respond to that.
"I thought so. Do you, at the very least, know the identity of the culprits?"
Silence ruled yet again.
Valdin's eyes narrowed. "You don't."
"Father is looking into them."
"Which tells me how truly important this is to him. So can you really make a difference when something as severe as an attempt on your life hasn't been resolved yet?"
Vivia remained quiet. Words alone weren't enough to convince Valdin of her intentions. Only actions would. But she knew she had time for that. Valdin wasn't going anywhere.
She dropped a light bow. "Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything. I'll take my leave."
"One moment."
Valdin took something out from his robe and handed it to her. "These are some letters for you from Rudaheim."
Her eyes widened. "R-Really?"
Though she had sent letters through Leroy, she hadn't expected anything from the demons' side. Not even from Zerath, considering the kind of risk it posed.
She took the letters and read the names - Doloros, Ronove, Vassago, Azarael and Eurus. She didn't find a letter from Zerath, but she had nothing to complain about. It was fine for her to send him a letter in the guise of his hospitality during her stay, but he had no particular reason to write to her without making it look suspicious.
Tears brimmed her eyes, her heart overwhelmed with joy. "They really wrote to me. I truly hadn't expected this…"
She smiled through her tears, sincerely expressing her gratitude. "Thank you so much."
Valdin watched her leave, almost rushing out in excitement to read the letters. He stood in silence for a long time before walking over to the window. The royal palace outside exhibited its grandeur no matter where he looked. He rubbed his chin, slightly tilting his head.
"So they still don't know who attacked the princess…"