Chapter 35
"Tell me, my dear, is there a reason for that cheerful expression?"
Kafka, who had been watching him, asked in confusion, her voice tinged with curiosity as she looked Adam directly in the eyes.
Her question caught the attention of the other three, who all turned their heads toward him. Adam simply replied,
"Don't worry. It's nothing."
Despite his answer, he wondered inwardly, almost out of curiosity,
"I… have a cheerful expression?"
It seemed that even he himself had not noticed it. Still, he decided not to dwell on it. After all, if it was true, then perhaps it meant that his humanity had not completely disappeared.
"My apologies. As your host, how could I have forgotten my manners? Please, follow me to another room where we can speak in private."
Adam apologized in his usual polite and warm tone, suggesting that they move somewhere quieter to talk. He looked at the group before him, waiting for their response, even though he already knew they would accept his offer.
"Then I suppose we'll be imposing on you, sir."
Adam had been expecting an answer from Kafka, but the one who spoke was actually Firefly.
She smiled gently, looking like an innocent and dazzling young girl. Yet no one was naive enough to believe that this sweet expression was her true nature.
"Very well. If you're all in agreement, let's go!"
After a brief glance at Firefly, Adam gave her a deeper look. The sudden scrutiny of his golden eyes caught the young girl, who looked barely older than a high school student, off guard.
The sight of the most important man on the planet standing alongside some of the most wanted criminals in the universe was something that anyone would have had trouble believing.
The sounds of the ballroom and the music gradually faded behind them as the group walked away.
Ten minutes later, they found themselves in a room that could only be described as magnificent. From the decorations to the furniture, everything screamed wealth.
"Mr. Philippe is the mayor of the capital. Despite being a devout follower of the Sun God, he doesn't seem to respect the orders of his lord. Yet the Saint is here without doing anything about it."
Kafka sat down on the sofa in a confident and provocative manner, crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees while supporting her chin with one hand.
A provocative smile played across her lips, and her eyes never left Adam's as she spoke about the mayor.
"Hasn't this mayor built his entire empire on shady dealings? Does he really think he's being discreet with all his schemes?"
Silver Wolf sat beside Kafka, console in hand as she continued playing. Her behavior completely contradicted her words, which might have suggested some degree of interest.
In reality, she simply didn't care that much.
The entire group sat in different positions, except for Blade, who remained standing against the wall, his sword in hand and his eyes closed.
Hearing their words, Adam spoke.
"Is that true? I don't really keep up with the Church's external politics, but…"
His tone made it seem as though he genuinely had no idea. He paused thoughtfully, touching his chin.
"The mayor has always seemed like an honest and upright man to me. Alas… who would have thought that someone like him would betray the Lord?"
His words made Silver Wolf raise her head in surprise, pulling her attention away from her console.
"You're actually going to believe me just because I said it?"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she glared at Adam. But when she met his sun-like eyes, she lowered her head and continued playing.
Still, Adam wasn't about to let her off that easily.
"You're not a liar."
Those simple words stunned the room.
Kafka covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes narrowing into crescent shapes as she remained silent, clearly enjoying the situation.
The most shocked, however, was Silver Wolf.
Her eyes widened.
A small, muffled laugh escaped from somewhere nearby.
She clearly didn't appreciate it.
With a quick movement, she turned her head toward the source.
It was none other than Firefly.
"What I meant was that Elara has told me many good things about you, so I'll take my daughter's word for it."
Seeing the situation escalating, Adam explained himself, attempting to defuse the tension.
But his words only seemed to irritate her even more.
Silver Wolf suddenly jumped off the sofa, her forehead furrowed as she spoke in a surprisingly loud voice for someone so small.
"So you're saying that if it weren't for Elara, you wouldn't have believed me? As if I had nothing better to do than lie to you about your own affairs!"
Her sudden reaction caught Adam off guard.
He looked down at Silver Wolf before, without warning, gently patting her on the head.
The gesture surprised not only the other three observers, but Silver Wolf herself.
She slowly raised her head in confusion.
Seeing his calm expression, like that of a loving father looking at a daughter he cherished with all his heart, Silver Wolf froze for a moment, completely unsure of how to react.
Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, where everyone was busy talking and taking advantage of the occasion to carry out their own plans, Elara sat at a table slightly separated from the others with Stephanie.
Elara was eating pastries when she raised her eyes and met Stephanie's gaze. The older woman had been watching her from the beginning.
With a voice filled with curiosity, she asked,
"Steph, where's my father? I haven't seen him since I left."
The girl's question made the older woman furrow her brows slightly as she herself wondered where the Saint had gone and what he was doing.
But when she saw the look in the little girl's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to share her own thoughts.
"His Holiness must be busy with some important matters. That's why he left. But don't worry. I'm sure he'll come back as soon as he's finished."
Stephanie's gentle words seemed to calm Elara, who had been tapping her finger against the table ever since she realized her father was gone.
Seeing the girl's mood improve, Stephanie asked,
"So, did you make any new friends?"
A spark immediately lit up in Elara's eyes.
"Yes! I made lots of friends! For example, there's Theo. He's around my age, but you should have seen his face every time he tried to act like an adult!"
She nodded enthusiastically before continuing.
"And there's also my new best friend. Her name is Annecy. She's really smart and extremely kind!"
Stephanie continued listening as Elara excitedly told her about her new friends.
But behind her gentle expression, there was a trace of pity in her eyes.
"Among all these children… which one of them will truly become your friend?"