Nolan sat on the bed, feeling the girl's warmth as if it seeped through even his armor, leaving him unsure what to say.
That said, His Highness Miquella was as unconventional as ever.
Under other Golden Lords, any great deed would be rewarded at once with honors and Rune.
Yet here, he had been brought into a young girl's private chamber for casual conversation, and not just any girl at that.
"Do not worry. My knight fought through blood and fire and brought my people back. Your reward will not be lacking. It is simply that what I wish to give you is not here. I ask that you wait patiently."
Trina seemed to see through Nolan's thoughts. She raised a hand to stop him from explaining and spoke softly.
"As for this time, I can give you something else first."
Nolan nodded slightly. Among the demigods, Trina's strength was not particularly outstanding and could only be considered supportive, but as a ruler, she was more than competent.
He had expected as much from her words.
"Before that, I have a question for you."
Just as Nolan waited for what would come next, Trina abruptly changed the subject. Instead of continuing, she drew her legs together and sat cross-legged on the bed.
Supporting her calves with both hands, she leaned a little closer to her knight, her voice carrying a faint, wandering tone.
"How do I look today?"
Like a normal person.
Of course, that was something he could never say out loud. Nolan stared at the girl before him. Compared to usual, her appearance showed no obvious changes. After a moment's thought, he answered,
"There's less of that hazy, unreal feeling. You seem more real."
Without Miquella's enchantment, Nolan could clearly sense it. Trina was simply Trina now, the true Saintess, without a trace of impurity.
Trina continued, pressing the point.
"Then tell me, do you prefer what is real, or what is illusory?"
"Real." Nolan nodded without hesitation. That sense of illusion came from Miquella's enchantment. There was no way he could like that.
A smile appeared on the Saintess's face, only for her brows to knit together a moment later, making it impossible to tell whether she was pleased or displeased.
"So, if you had to choose between me and Miquella, you would choose me?"
Trina suddenly asked a strange question, her train of thought leaping wildly. The smile on her face made it clear she was very interested in the answer.
"Aren't Princess Trina and Prince Miquella the same person?" Nolan did not want to answer directly and instead posed a question of his own.
"And if you absolutely had to choose one?" Trina clearly had no intention of letting the matter go.
She might be enjoying herself, but Nolan felt miserable. Even the air seemed to fall silent for an instant.
"I only mean this: there cannot be two suns in the sky. In my heart, toward Princess Trina, there is only… loyalty!"
Nolan replied with a solemn expression. It was a question with no safe answer, yet the Saintess refused to relent, clearly determined to make him choose.
Fine. He knew Her Highness the Saintess was probably just amusing herself. After all, there was no need to be so grim with those close to her.
"So that's your show of loyalty? You really are a slippery one."
Trina was no fool, and neither was Miquella. Nolan understood that perfectly well. The answer had never been unclear.
"You'll save me, right?"
"Not a chance!"
"Huh!?" Nolan froze. Was it still possible to pledge his loyalty to Miquella now?
After all, the one openly ruling the Haligtree was still her. Sticking close to her was definitely the safer choice.
"Enough teasing. Let's talk about what reward you want."
Trina covered her face and laughed softly, as if she had turned from a Saintess into a mischievous little devil in an instant.
Nolan let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had suspected the two of them might be messing with him again, but who could ever be sure what these mentally unstable demigods were really thinking?
"If it's a reward, I don't need armor or weapons. What I have is enough for now. Just give me some runes."
"How much do you want?" Trina asked with curiosity.
Her knight had never been greedy for wealth. This sudden request genuinely surprised her.
"Of course, the more the better. I don't mind having too much."
"The more the better? Are you trying to empty the Haligtree?"
Trina rolled her eyes and snapped back irritably.
"Do you have any idea how much Rune the Haligtree burns through every day? Managing this whole place costs a fortune. Fine. I'll give you three hundred thousand. Don't waste it."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Nolan did not dwell on it. Three hundred thousand Rune for killing a few Kindred of Rot was already generous. One could even call it a huge profit.
"Then I'll take my leave."
With that, Nolan stood up, preparing to depart.
At that moment, Trina suddenly grabbed his hand. With a light pull, she drew him back toward her.
"Wait."
Nolan looked at her in surprise. "Your Highness, is there something else?"
Trina smiled faintly.
"As part of your reward, I appoint you as my personal guard. Starting tomorrow, you will move to the lower levels of the Haligtree. This is your lord's command. You may not refuse."
Nolan thought for a moment, then dropped to one knee and replied respectfully, "Yes."
"And there is one last reward. You've been tired these past few days, haven't you?"
Trina gazed at her knight with gentle eyes.
She slowly reached out, lightly brushing his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers.
Her other hand pointed to the soft bed beneath them, an unspoken invitation to share its comfort and quiet.
"Lie down. I will grant you a sleep as sweet as honey."
Nolan paused when he heard that.
Trina had tried to charm him before, but that power belonged to Miquella. Trina had only borrowed it.
Her own power was closer to hypnosis.
The greatest reward she bestowed upon the Dryleaf Seekers was precisely this: a deep, honey-sweet slumber.
Some seekers, desperate to experience it again, even brewed poisons to force themselves into sleep. Every one of them failed. No one ever managed to recapture that blissful sensation.
Nolan had experienced that honeyed sleep several times himself. It was impossible to forget.
Familiar faces. Burning souls. Things that could only be seen within dreams.
Without hesitation, Nolan stood up, removed his armor, and lay quietly on the large bed.
It was unbelievably soft. Simply lying there filled him with comfort and ease. Trina knelt beside him, her bright, clear eyes fixed on the man before her.
Nolan was wondering why it had not begun yet when she suddenly reached out and gently stroked his cheek. The gesture caught him completely off guard.
But it did not matter.
He had already caught that familiar floral scent.
A heavy drowsiness washed over him. Nolan slowly closed his eyes and sank into endless darkness.