The afternoon sun, carrying a hint of dryness, lazily draped over the carved dome of Paradiso Mansion, casting gilded patterns between the Baroque columns.
In the back garden of Paradiso Mansion, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and colorful butterflies danced.
Every part of the manor conspicuously displayed the Duke's wealth and the historical depth of the family.
Led by a manor servant, Fafner walked through the front hall along a path paved with mica gravel, his silver-white ponytail swaying gently with each step, the tips of his hair brushing the collar of his knight's uniform embroidered with subtle dragon scale patterns.
As soon as he stepped out of the manor's main building, he could hear the melodious sound of a violin coming from deep within the garden.
A maid from Paradiso Mansion explained:
"This is Miss Lilith's hobby."
The guiding maid gently smoothed her lace cuff, which had been ruffled by the wind. Fafner vaguely caught the scent of cedar incense and peach sweetness floating in the air:
"...It's beautiful."
An expression of surprise and envy appeared on Fafner's face, as he was captivated by the melodious tune.
"Yes... Besides magic, Miss Lilith is also very skilled at the violin, dancing, singing, painting, cooking, and writing poetry and essays."
"This... isn't this too amazing?"
"After all, she is the master's beloved daughter, but she rarely tells others about her talents."
"To be honest, Miss Lilith is the most elegant noble lady I have ever seen."
Fafner couldn't help but sigh, recalling this mysterious “witch,” and felt an indescribable sense of disparity.
Just past the trimmed garden wall, peeking through a hollow stone window, he saw...
Lilith, dressed in a long black-purple gown, stood beneath a white marble pavilion;
Her graceful figure played a beautiful melody.
The hollowed-out long dress was embroidered with black-purple irises, sparkling with light points as the sunlight reflected off them, and her thorny-brown long hair, accompanied by flower petals, swayed with the wind...
The sunlight pierced through the mesh of her black lace gloves, refracting starlight on her diamond-studded fingernails.
Noticing footsteps, Lilith stopped the end of her tune, put down her violin, and said with a serene smile:
"Your Highness Fafner, welcome, please come and sit."
Fafner gracefully bowed, then took a seat in the pavilion. The maid poured tea for them and set out pastries.
"Miss Lilith, is there something you wanted to discuss with me today?"
Lilith picked up a sugar cube with tweezers, stirred her tea, and asked:
"Just a casual chat. I remember there are two princes in Saint Dragon Kingdom, one is you, and the other is..."
"He is my older brother, Aethelred. He is currently studying in the City of Origin—Messiah."
"Studying abroad? Why don't you stay in Saint Dragon Kingdom?"
"This..."
Fafner secretly glanced at the maid, Serena, beside him. Seeing that she didn't nod, he could only say sheepishly:
"Mainly to study and broaden our horizons."
Lilith noticed a hint of guilt in Fafner's eyes, but she didn't press further, instead changing the subject:
"Your Highness Fafner, do you have any hobbies?"
"Uh... Most of my time is spent studying magic, practicing sword fighting, and learning the Saint Dragon Kingdom's scriptures. Unlike Miss Lilith, I don't have a wide range of hobbies or talents."
Fafner lowered his head, sitting stiffly, while Lilith picked up an iron fork and gently tapped the tripod...
Then, a small white cat gracefully leaped into Lilith's arms;
Its white fur had a pearl-like luster, diffracting colorful light in the sunlight.
"I merely... love my life. This is my cat; I've had it for eight years. Its fur is very special; would you like to pet it?"
Saying this, Lilith brought the cat closer. Fafner raised his hand, but it hovered in mid-air...
He secretly glanced at the maid, Serena, and only when she nodded did Fafner confidently place his hand on the white cat's back.
The cat wasn't afraid of people; its fur was as smooth and soft as silk, radiating a warm body temperature;
But as Fafner stroked the cat's fur, he suddenly noticed that the areas he touched gradually turned golden...
He quickly withdrew his hand in fright, but Lilith smiled and said:
"Don't worry, its fur color changes with temperature."
"How magical... Is this also a characteristic of this type of cat?"
"Perhaps?"
However, Lilith felt a bit regretful. The cat's fur had been subtly manipulated with magic—
It would change color when touched by a male.
Could it be that Fafner was indeed male?
Not necessarily. The Mistletoe Arrow Magic Society is not weak and surely has its own methods.
After letting the cat go, Lilith sighed:
"Many people don't believe in fate, but looking back, they realize that the shackles they've worn their entire lives were already predetermined from the moment they were born."
"What exactly are you trying to say, Miss Lilith?"
Fafner's hand trembled slightly, but Lilith merely shrugged her shoulders lightly and smiled serenely:
"Your Highness Fafner is naturally beautiful; many girls are quite envious, aren't they?"
"I just haven't come of age yet. Once I do, I will be as strong as a Dragon warrior!"
"Is that so? I am quite curious, how exactly is the Dragon race's development cycle calculated? Around what age did Your Highness Fafner have her first period?"
"It seems..."
At this moment, Serena, the maid beside Fafner, her expression darkened, and she spoke up proactively:
"Miss Lilith, such jokes are unbecoming."
Lilith's gaze swept over Serena, though she hadn't intended to use this method to uncover the truth:
"Alright, no more jokes. Oh, by the way... I will also be attending the Tian Geng Beyond assessment."
Fafner said with some surprise:
"Ah? I remember Miss Lilith is already a Fourth-Order Magician. Can you... sign up?"
"Hmm... In principle, no, but I can pull some strings, arrange for another girl to sign up, and then I'll take her place."
"This... isn't that too dangerous?"
"I can't help it; after all, it's a request from my fiancé."
In fact, Lilith originally didn't want to help with such a dangerous matter...
But if she refused Mil, and he went to the Demon God's Child and gave her another command, it would be even more troublesome then.
In the evening, Lilith bid farewell to Fafner...
In reality, the magical tools used to test gender at the tea party were not just that little cat;
But unfortunately, none of them succeeded.
On the other side...
Mil officially joined the Tribunal's work. Since he was still studying concurrently, his workload wasn't heavy;
However, it felt very much like a typical office job; on his very first day, a large meeting was held right at quitting time.
Bronze chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling of the meeting hall, and seraphim reliefs gleamed with a cold silver light in the twilight.
The Chief Exorcist, the leaders of the three Paladin branches, and several Adjudicators and White Magicians sat upright at the conference table.
Mil sat at the end of the long table, the last rays of twilight slanting through the stained-glass windows, making one feel drowsy;
Adjudicator Kramer had his secretary distribute documents to everyone and, slapping the table, said:
"Recently, a Hero Goblin has appeared in the southeastern direction of Holy City. Its combat power is extremely strong, not only causing nearby villagers to disappear one after another, but even the mercenaries and adventure teams have suffered relatively serious casualties. The danger rating has been elevated to B-class, but it may be far more than that. Now is the time for the Tribunal to intervene."