Chapter 489: Exposed!

Watching her younger sister prepare to end the conversation, Quinna hurriedly said, "How about I set a limit, then? A thousand times... five hundred times, just five hundred times! I've already compromised by half! If we move quickly, we can wrap it up in three months!"

"Quinna, have you lost your mind!?" Nona scolded, her voice rising. "Can't you just—"

"No," Quinna set down her spoon. "I'm getting a little tired of this cake. I don't want to eat it anymore. To me, most things in this world are like this cake. They are either completely uninteresting, or they get boring as quickly as they catch my attention."

Quinna looked at her sister. "For all these years, only you and Annan have brought me continuous joy. It's rare for someone to actually keep me interested, so naturally I want to enjoy it to the fullest before letting go. Besides, there's another, far more important reason."

Nona froze, the realization dawning instantly. "The future of the family?"

"Since the Gospel seems so fond of pairing Ashe and me together, I'll simply stay with him," the elf leader said, resting her chin on her hand. "If it helps the Senheisers safely navigate through the chaotic era ahead, I don't mind making Annan suffer a little."

Whether through the proper rankings, the Family Rankings, or the absurd Happiness Rankings, the Gospel had tightly bound together the fates of the Senheisers, Quinna, Nona, and Ashe.

With the future shrouded in chaos, Ashe was indeed the officially designated savior the Gospel chose. Nona could not refute her sister's logic. In her own heart, Annan's importance paled slightly in comparison to the Senheisers.

"Wait," Nona suddenly gasped. "I'm also part of the future the Gospel wove!"

"Which is why, when you said you wanted to take Annan and Ashe away, I thought you intended to keep them both for yourself."

Nona's pointed ears flushed bright red. "Get lost! I am nothing like you!"

Despite all her efforts to persuade her sister, Nona had not only failed to sway Quinna, but had ended up convincing herself instead.

"Speaking of which, are you really not planning to experience romance?" Quinna asked. "If events unfold according to those first three rankings, peaceful days will soon be a luxury. I actually want to give you a year off. You've sacrificed so much for the Senheisers. Before the apocalypse arrives, you should go out, see the scenery you missed, and taste the pleasures of intimacy. It might even help you break through into the Sacred Realm faster."

"I am not like you."

"I'm not criticizing your choice to stay single. I'm just asking out of concern, as your sister," Quinna smiled softly. "You've ridden the waves of the Sea of Knowledge and crossed the ends of the Continent of Time, yet you've never truly learned to enjoy life."

Nona lapsed into silence. "Actually, I don't strictly believe in remaining single. I just..."

She paused to consider her words before changing the topic. "Do you remember a story Mother once told us?"

Quinna replied, "She never told me any stories."

Interestingly, their mother was not an elf. They had inherited their bloodline from their father. Growing up as the firstborn, Quinna had never been close to her. Part of it was the awkward distance that came with being the firstborn, with neither knowing how to bridge the gap, but mostly, it was because an ordinary mother simply failed to capture Quinna's interest.

Nona had always been far closer to her. When their mother's white mist threshold reached its limit, sending her to the Mermaid Weed Farm to meet her end inside a beautiful dream, the already adult Nona did something unprecedented. She slept beside her elder sister for several consecutive nights. Throughout it all, Quinna remained entirely composed.

"Mother wasn't from Vanmura. When she met Father, he was still a thief..."

"A thief?"

Nona chose to ignore her sister's question, knowing full well it would only invite a dozen more.

"Back then, Mother was the daughter of a prestigious noble house. She was attending a grand gathering at a rival estate when she caught Father sneaking around to gather intelligence. But Mother was hardly innocent herself. She had been searching for a way to ruin that family for months, so the two of them hit it off instantly and joined forces."

Nona continued, her tone thoughtful. "To ensure Father followed through, and as the price for letting him escape, Mother bound him to a contract. She demanded he do everything in his power to tear the opposing family down, promising her own aid from the shadows. Father accepted without a second thought, stating, 'You only need to do what you can. I'll give it my all.'"

Quinna leaned in, her interest fully piqued. "And then?"

"Then they fell in love," Nona said simply. "Whatever happened to the rival family ceased to matter long ago."

Quinna frowned slightly. "What is the point of this story? Are you saying you long for a romance born of chance?"

"No. I just wish I were the rival family in that story," Nona replied softly. "Besides, it's only love. It's not like I'm going to die without it."

***

When they arrived at the palace gates, the imperial attendants were already waiting for them.

An attendant announced with a polite bow. "Lady Quinna, Lady Nona, your private dressing rooms have been prepared. Inside are various evening gowns tailored specifically for you. Would you like to change and freshen up?"

Both sisters were still wearing their Red Hat uniforms, and neither had any intention of changing. "No need."

"Right this way, then."

They passed through layer after layer of palace halls. Before they could even begin to admire the grand architecture, the attendant ushered them into a magnificent, gilded ballroom. "This is the venue for tonight's banquet. Please make yourselves comfortable. Should you require anything, the nearby attendants will immediately tend to your requests."

Eyes turned toward them the moment they stepped inside. Quinna recognized the familiar figures throughout the room. The Mercurys, the Kessriels, and the Rolands were all present. Every city in the Gospel had dispatched representatives from its ruling class. Quinna stood among them as the voice of Vanmura.

Social gatherings like this were prime breeding grounds for exchanging intelligence. Quinna was already eyeing the heads of several prominent families, planning to initiate discussions regarding the future development of their cities.

Amidst the polite chatter and the elegant clinking of glass, two figures stood completely isolated. One was a blue-haired girl. The other was a red-haired young woman. They were the Belldet sisters.

Everyone now knew the ordeal had been Iger's scheme, yet the fact remained that the Mercurys and the other families had suffered under the Belldet family's tyranny inside their estate. Resentment toward the name was inevitable. Furthermore, any interaction with a Belldet demanded extreme caution. Without a Mind Class sorcerer present to oversee the conversation, no one dared approach either sister in private.

Quinna herself had been one of the victims that night, a leverage point she had used to extract substantial compensation afterward.

Yet, for all her eagerness to cultivate fresh intelligence, her gaze was involuntarily drawn toward the center of the banquet, specifically, to an enormous cake resembling an erupting volcano.

A server wearing a protective mask stood beside it. The mask was likely intended to keep spit from getting on the cake. Unsurprisingly, none of the high-society guests at this kind of gathering had dared touch such a monstrous dessert. It sat entirely pristine.

As Quinna approached, the server visibly hesitated. Only after a brief pause did he carefully carve a slice from the volcano cake and set it onto a plate.

Quinna took a few bites. The sweetness was so divine her eyes narrowed into contented slits.

A moment later, she felt a dab of cream sticking to her cheek. She tried licking it away, only to find her tongue couldn't reach the spot.

She turned her gaze toward the server.

The masked man froze for a long moment before finally grasping her intent. Hurriedly pulling out a clean handkerchief, he nervously dabbed the cream from her cheek.

Quinna didn't flinch. She simply allowed him to clean her face before lowering her head to finish the cake.

When she held out the empty plate, the server accepted it with a visible sigh of relief.

At that exact second, Quinna suddenly poked her tongue out at him.

The server instinctively jerked back. Yet the elf leader wasn't reaching for his face. She was merely licking a stray bit of frosting from her own lips.

Catching the playful mischief gleaming in Quinna's eyes, Ashe realized with a sudden jolt of panic that his cover was completely blown. Damn it! With how carefully I disguised myself, how did she spot me?!