MCFATTKM

130

It was Ruth.

"It's been a while."

He seemed to recognize Lelia. Even though he was looking at her with a strange look, he greeted her happily.

Lelia felt her irritation rising sharply.

It's because she often had nightmares of him from the last time she stayed, and then had to flee the Imperial castle. From the time she returned to the estate, until she returned to the capital.

They were all nightmares where Ruth was in them.

In her dreams, he relentlessly harassed Lelia by using his holy relic as an excuse.

For her, the days she spent in the Imperial castle were a series of misfortunes.

Of course, it wasn't too bad when she thought of her friends, but it was terrible when she thought of Ruth.

Perhaps that's why she couldn't greet Ruth happily.

As she bowed her head slightly with a forced smile, Ruth coughed loudly. As if it was embarrassing.

"I won't ask you why you did that to me, but I do have to ask you one thing."

"...."

"Why did you exchange the holy relics?"

[Why would I do that? I switched it because I needed it.]

She was frustrated because the person she hated the most appeared and quarreled about a disturbing situation.

However, Ruth's position was also not incomprehensible.

[You must have thought you were deceived.]

She felt a little sorry. Apart from that, she had no energy left to deal with Ruth now.

"It was because I needed it."

"Then was the friendship you had with me fake?"

"...."

Lelia sighed deeply inside and raised her head.

When she met Ruth's eyes, which were shining brightly with great pressure... Suddenly, she felt suffocated.

What do you mean friendship? She felt like Ruth always talked to her like a subordinate.

"Rather than friendship... I was more of a one-sided errand boy, a messenger."

"What? What do you mean?!"

"I'm sorry, but I have nothing more to say, Sir Ruth. There's nothing I want to say. So, can you get out of my way now?"

She couldn't just pass by because he was blocking a narrow pathway to the garden.

Ruth looked at her with a stunned look, as if he was speechless.

"Move out of the way."

"...."

At Lelia's words full of annoyance, he stepped aside with a hurt look.

Lelia walked past him and moved with purpose.

[Why did I come back here?]

She wanted to settle her relationship with Emperor Perseus as soon as possible and live in peace...

[I never imagined Griffith would do that to me.]

[And then being shameless as if nothing was wrong...]

He seemed to have a different way of thinking than her.

[I was going to ask Griffith for something else...]