"Good evening, Lord Malin."
The young girl getting into the carriage had silver-grey long hair, and her owner of golden pupils smiled at Malin.
"Good evening, Princess."
Malin had to stand up—although as a red-robed Assistant Priest, he did not need to face secular royal power, he had to show sufficient respect for a brave merchandise like her.
This last member of the Farole royal family seemed to be walking in her own home, and even Spotty’s warning growls couldn’t stop her from smiling and squatting down to caress the cub.
Malin didn’t even want to stop Spotty’s attack, but her Attendants seemed to be oblivious to their master’s actions until Malin noticed Spotty gradually relaxing its vigilance.
Hmm, it seems the Princess is not satisfied with just being merchandise; she must possess an animal affinity or Transcendental abilities.
"So adorable, too bad they can’t be kept in the Royal Palace." After she had her fill of caressing Spotty’s cubs, she stood up, holding one of them and looked at Malin, "I’ve heard a lot about you, Lord Malin, from Elder Hemingway and Lord Mario; they’ve all spoken of your strength, but in my eyes, you and I are just children."
"What you hear might be lies, and what you see could be an illusion; the only way to understand a person is through a sincere confrontation. As a princess, I must say this because I do not want to see you underestimate my husband," said Faye, sitting beside Malin, in a cold tone.
The atmosphere became somewhat silent with the two princesses present, until Malin smiled and extended his hand, and the cub in the princess’s hand was lifted by Spiritual Energy into Malin’s hand.
He cradled it on his lap, stroked the cub, and then started to talk to himself, "Frankly, I don’t consider myself a Savior, nor do I intend to save this world. As for the struggles between your royal family and the Nobles, that is even less of a concern for me. Lord Hemingway considers me a panacea, but I do not see myself as such. So, Your Highness, why do you still appear before me?"
"Because everyone in this world can deceive or bully me, but not the old Lady Moriti. If she had ulterior motives, the royal family wouldn’t be where it is today, and the Moriti family would be the masters of this kingdom," the young girl said with a smile, extending her hand as a wooden chair grew slender vines, wobbling towards her back and then she sat down smiling, "The old lady said you are more suitable for me than Lord Mario’s child, so I came to see you, my future husband."
"You must be mad, Your Highness. I have my wives, and any one of them is a treasure I would not abandon, and you, you have never entered my sight, I am a stranger to you, and we are travelers who cannot walk together," Malin said, shaking his head with a smile as he lifted the cub and crossed his legs, "Princess, go back. Our Fate is not meant to intertwine. You are not my wife, and I cannot possibly be your husband."
"Why? Marrying me, you would become the Prince of this duchy. All the people in these lands would be your subjects. You could employ them as you do your workers. You would be able to open more factories and plantations, more workers would become loyal advocates of your theory, and they would obey your orders rather than those of the Nobles. You would be their King, and they would be your most loyal soldiers."
"And they would be yours too, right?" Malin said with a smile.
"Of course, as your wife, bearing your children, he is destined to inherit the kingdom. He will be a powerful Psychic, a mighty Mage, a Transcendent who need not fear the treacherous ministers and thieves, and he will be a good King willing to protect his subjects like his father," the young girl said.
"And what about you?" asked Malin, looking at the young girl in front of him.
"Lord Malin, as merchandise, I naturally have the self-awareness of merchandise. If you agree to all this, I shall be your most loyal Queen," the young girl said, looking hopeful at Malin after speaking as if unburdening herself.
Princess Faye did not speak this time; she just let out a near imperceptible sigh.
My Princess Faye seems unable to keep up with the counterpart’s stakes.
Malin patted Faye’s hand, then looked at the princess in front of him, waiting for an answer, "Princess, you seem not to be aware of my thoughts, so may I ask your Attendants to leave?"
Malin looked at the young girl in front of him and decided to speak frankly.
"Alright," she turned to her attendants, "Step back."
"Your Highness," one female Attendant frowned.
"My lady, please step back. We are right here; why not give me a chance to listen to Lord Malin’s heart?"
Eventually, the Attendants exited the carriage, and Malin promptly cast a Soundproof Barrier, then looked at the princess who was humbly to the extreme: "To be honest, your words have moved me. But I already have my Queen," Malin said with a smile and continued, "And I feel sorry for you. You have lived your life in a cage called ’family’, never seeing all the beauty of life... so now you can speak the truth, Your Highness."