Gracelle glanced down and smiled shyly, her cheeks still warm. "T... thank you..."
Liana smirked. "Ah~ I remember someone said, āWhat if he felt disgusted when he saw me like this~ā"
" M... Miss Liana!!" Gracelle hissed in a low voice, her face turning even redder.
"Now, letās join them. Weāre heading to Armand now."
"U... umm... okay..."
While Liana pushed the wheelchair, Gracelle glanced up at her and asked in a low voice. "M... Miss Liana?"
"Hmm? What?"
"You said Iāll be part of your circle... but Javier didnāt say anything about it... or... does he even know?"
Liana smiled and shook her head while pushing the wheelchair slowly.
"Young Master is a guy. And guys, especially ones like him, arenāt always good at expressing their feelings directly. But I know something you donāt. Iāve been with him for so long, I know what he feels even when he doesnāt say it. The fact that he personally came to save you, performed the surgery himself, and made sure you recovered... that already says more than words ever could."
"Oh... okay..." Gracelle mumbled softly, feeling reassured.
Javier glanced at Liana pushing the wheelchair, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
I wonder what Liana and her are whispering about?
Once they stopped in front of him, Liana leaned down and whispered to Gracelle. "Now, greet him."
Gracelle looked up, meeting Javierās charming smile.
"Long time no see, Gracelle." Javier said, running a hand through his hair in a smooth, effortless gesture. "Iām glad to see youāve recovered so well."
Gracelle just froze, her mouth slightly open as she stared at him. She swallowed hard before Liana gently shook her shoulder.
"Gracelle~"
"A... ah! Umm... My name is Gracelle. I... itās a pleasure to meet you!" Gracelle said in a high-pitched, nervous tone.
Javierās smile twitched slightly.
Is she... introducing herself to me as if weāve never met before?
Seriously?
Does she really not remember me at all?
Liana exhaled and shook her head. "Did you just... introduce yourself to him as if youāre meeting for the first time?" she whispered sharply, leaning close to Gracelleās face.
Gracelleās eyes widened in panic as she looked at Liana. "I... I donāt know what else to say!" she hissed in a low voice.
"Just greet him normally. Ugh, youāre giving me a headache."
Liana stood gracefully and smiled before giving Javier a polite bow.
"Pardon Young Master. I believe Gracelle is still a bit nervous from everything thatās happened. Please give her a moment to gather herself."
"Oh..." Javier mumbled, glancing at Gracelle, who was still averting his eyes. "Umm... you donāt remember me?"
Gracelle just fell silent, avoiding his gaze entirely.
Ahhh!! Heās so handsome!
I didnāt know Javier could be this handsome!
I want to say something, but no words can come out!
She glanced up again, met his charming smile, and immediately looked away, her cheeks burning.
Kyaaa!! So handsome! Ah... Iām going to die from this!
Come on, Gracelle! Say something!
Javier, sensing her flustered state, clutched his chest dramatically with both hands and dropped to one knee, turning his gaze toward Gloria.
"Oh, Gloria~ My love! It seems my charming face has been forgotten! My smile, my voice, my very existence, erased from her memory!"
Gloria played along, rushing to his side and kneeling gracefully, taking his hand in hers with exaggerated sorrow. "Oh, Young Master! Even if others forget you, believe me, this one will never ever forget your handsome face or your radiant smile! I will carry your memory in my heart forever!"
"Oh, Gloria~ My love~" Javier said, his voice dripping with theatrical passion.
"Oh, my dear prince~" Gloria replied, puckering her lips and leaning closer.
Javier closed his eyes and puckered his lips in return.
Liana pinched her forehead and let out a very long, weary exhale.
Here they go again...
She reached into her maid dress, pulled out her folded fan, and smacked them both on the head in one swift motion.
"Stop doing this already! Itās embarrassing enough without you two making a public spectacle out of it!"
Felicia stifled her laugh behind her hand, while Mimi puffed her cheeks, her eyes twinkling with barely contained laughter. Delya simply continued enjoying her chocolate jar, her dreamy eyes fixed on Javier with a blissful smile.
Gracelle let out a soft laugh, her nervousness finally melting away.
Javier turned and smiled, seeing her laugh. He stood and dusted off his pants, while Gloria helped him with a warm, amused smile.
"Iām glad to see you recovering, Gracelle."
Gracelle smiled, placing both hands on her lap and giving him a soft bow. "Thank you... for saving me. For coming all this way... for giving me a second chance at life. I donāt know how I can ever repay you."
Javier smiled warmly and glanced at everyone. "Letās head back to Armand."
Liana nodded. "Mm~ We can do the introductions once we arrive. Everyone will have a chance to properly meet Gracelle after we settle in at Armand."
Gloria smiled softly, Felicia adjusted her dress, Mimi tilted her head with her tail swaying gently behind her, while Delya moved closer to Javier and gave Gracelle a sweet, welcoming smile.
Meanwhile.
In a certain place.
A massive hall stretched out before them, dominated by an enormous long table with more than thirty seats arranged around it. Flickering enchanted chandeliers cast pale light over the assembled figures, their faces a mixture of impatience, annoyance, and barely concealed hostility.
"Is he not coming yet?"
"Hah! Who knows! Just because heās the strongest among us doesnāt mean he can keep us waiting like this!"
"Heh. He only got stronger because of his blessing and that divine weapon. Without it, Iām sure I could beat him in a fistfight."
One of the men at the table crossed his arms and glared at the speaker. "Youād better stop talking about my leader like that, you weak hero from that lowly goddess Maekaria."
"What did you just say about our goddess?" A woman shot to her feet, her hand reaching for her weapon.
Another man, leaning back lazily in his chair, let out a tired exhale. "Could you all stop bickering and fighting for once? Weāre here today for an important meeting and to finalize our plans. Save your grudges and your energy for the battlefield."
Another guy, who sat next to the man who had glared at the speaker earlier, looked at the man named Angrar with a sneer.
"Hmmph. You talk like you actually have the power to back up your words, Angrar."
Angrar let out a long, weary exhale while still leaning back in his chair.
"I may have been blessed by what you assume is a ālow-class goddess,ā but from what I know, my goddess Rafazelia is the most beautiful among the three. And since weāre prohibited from fighting each other, no one has ever truly tested their real power or their real weapons against one another."
He glanced around lazily, still crossing his arms. "The only reason Julius was acknowledged as the leader of this important mission is because your goddess, the one you call Supreme Goddess Zeyrinda, declared it so."
Vane looked at Angrar with a dissatisfied glare. "Are you implying youāre far stronger than us? Hmm? Even stronger than Julius?"
The hall erupted with murmurs and tense energy, each side bristling with suspicion and hostility.
Angrar just exhaled and ignored the chaos around him. "Who knows?" He glanced around with a lazy, unbothered expression while still leaning back in his chair. "Like I said, weāre prohibited from fighting each other. But..." He stared directly into Vaneās eyes, his tone flat and unreadable.
"If you want to try, go get permission from your Supreme Goddess. And then youāll find out for yourself whether Iām weak or not."
( End Of Chapter )