My mind fell into a complete state of confusion. Every thought came and went as fast as, or even faster than, when I'm fighting. Honestly, I didn't know how to react. My body gently returned the hug, the same way I would with any friend, and my expression remained as calm as ever.
The problem was the reputation that kept following me. Everyone already knew about my relationships, and no one would believe me if I said there was nothing romantic between Lully and me. She had walked straight up to me and given me a tight hug.
My Personal World showed me nothing but chaos. My mother had both hands over her mouth, my father was shaking his head from side to side, and my grandmother was holding back her laughter. Everyone else either looked shocked or was simply waiting to see my reaction.
My grandmother had already known about this, or at least that's what it seemed. She was enjoying it as if it were the most exciting part of her favorite novel.
The only person with a different reaction was the one standing beside me. Brendu hadn't shown the slightest change in her expression. She still wore that perfect smile she had practiced for years. The problem lay in the subtle emotional fluctuations I could feel through her Imra. I only noticed them because she was standing beside me, and I knew her so well.
She had improved so much at controlling her Imra... I really shouldn't be thinking about something like that right now.
After what felt like an eternity compressed into one or two seconds, I finally heard someone's voice. "Miss Lully... that isn't appropriate in a place like this. We already talked about this in the carriage." Kensein's voice was gentle, quiet enough that only we could hear it.
I only heard Lully let out a small "Oh," before she stepped back gracefully and gave me a formal bow, followed by a deeper one toward Brendu.
"It's a pleasure to see you both again, Kensein and Lully. Welcome to my territory." Thanks to my mental ability, I was able to speak calmly as always. It had saved me in countless situations. All those childhood days spent pushing myself had truly been worth it.
"As you may already know, this is Princess Brendu Qolud of the Kingdom of Juka... and my fiancée." I introduced the princess beside me as quickly as I could.
Brendu performed a flawless royal greeting. There wasn't a single unnecessary movement, and I could even tell she was putting in extra effort to appear even more dignified than usual. Kensein and Lully returned the greeting, introducing themselves and exchanging polite words.
I let our guests walk ahead first; it was part of our customs. Just when I thought everything had gone smoothly, I felt a hand smack my back. I made no attempt to avoid it.
"What happened in that territory?" I never even saw her lips move. She hadn't stopped smiling elegantly, even while speaking.
"I already told you everything. I made a few friends." It took me less than a second to answer again. "Nothing strange happened. It was just a friendship, I can assure you." I had connected my Imra to hers so she could feel my true emotions.
The moment the connection was established, she realized I wasn't lying. I could feel her Imra calming almost immediately.
"I didn't know you'd met Lully. You never mentioned her." She wasn't nearly as upset anymore. I could sense curiosity mixed with lingering annoyance in her words.
"It wasn't anything special. We just talked a bit over a few days. I didn't think it was important enough to mention." My words were true. At first, I had thought it might become a serious problem. But after thinking about it for a long time, I realized it had only been a friendship.
If she had asked me that same question right after I returned... Brendu would have realized I was lying. Now I was convinced it had only been an ordinary friendship that wasn't worth worrying about. In fact, I barely spoke with her near the end. I spent most of my time talking with Mirtha.
"Just a friend..." Brendu looked straight at Lully's back. "I hope you'll still be saying that in the future." Her words pierced my chest like a dagger.
"As for that tracker the girls were planning to put on you, I'm going to reconsider it. You're a magnet for trouble, both for yourself and everyone around you." Because our Imra was connected, I could tell she wasn't joking. She was genuinely considering it.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"I won't accept it if that device has any strange functions." I wasn't too worried. Long-range tracking devices were extremely rare, and the few that worked reasonably well were practically useless against someone as strong as a Diamond Rank.
A Personal World or Jurisdiction naturally interfered with the signal once you got too far away, and those devices were easy to break. In an actual battle, the tracker would probably be one of the first things destroyed.
She simply looked at me. Her eyes made it perfectly clear that she didn't care what I thought. Brendu walked over to where my parents were standing, while I headed toward the person responsible for all of today's problems.
"You knew, didn't you? Why would you do this to me? I'm your favorite grandson." I sat beside my grandmother. She was elegantly observing everyone around her, her blue dress drawing plenty of attention.
"Yes, of course I knew. I did it because this lets us show the Sullan Territory that we have a very close relationship with the Lepak Territory. That way, we can take a firmer stance regarding their requests." She only spared me a brief glance before continuing to survey the room.
"I didn't do it to cause you trouble... well, maybe I did want to see your reaction. But I knew everything would turn out fine." She finally looked me in the eyes. "Boy, do you really think I'd prioritize some minor territory over you? I don't want to create problems between you and the princess, or Sol, Arisa, and Marga. They're far more important to me, both personally and politically. I know they won't stay angry once you explain the situation."
I could only let out a sigh. She was right. Brendu wasn't nearly as angry as I'd expected because she'd been able to read my emotions through the Imra connection we'd established. "I still would've preferred it if you'd warned me. I almost lost control of my expression and ruined my facade." I complained again.
"That wasn't part of my plan. Who could've guessed Lully herself would jump into your arms? I knew the two of you were friends, but even that exceeded my expectations." She finished her glass in one gulp and held it out for me to refill. I quickly obliged.
"Are you absolutely sure nothing else happened? For a moment, I thought I was watching two lovers reuniting after a long separation." I almost got annoyed by that comment, but when I looked at my grandmother's face, I realized she was being completely serious.
"No, nothing strange happened. We just talked and did things friends do... I never did anything that could've been misunderstood." I tried to recall anything unusual, but nothing came to mind.
"You're just like your grandmother—a born charmer." She let out a sigh. "Don't be surprised if Lully ends up developing stronger feelings for you... You certainly bring solutions to this territory, but at the same time, you also bring trouble." The two of us looked down at our glasses, clinked them together, and took a long drink.
"I'm afraid I'll wake up in the middle of the night with a poisoned wooden stake sticking out of my chest." I admitted after we'd talked a little longer.
My grandmother covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. "That won't happen. At worst, you'll just get a couple of splinters coated with a paralytic poison. The girls understand that you weren't the one chasing after her, and deep down, they know something like this could happen sooner or later." I quietly waited for her to continue.
"They'll be angry and jealous, which is perfectly understandable. Just don't be a complete idiot. There isn't a right answer for situations like this. Just face everything head-on." My grandmother tapped the table rhythmically with two fingers. "Who knows... maybe they'll accept her, or maybe Lully will only ever see you as her best friend in the end. No one can predict the future."
She was right. Right now, the only thing I could do was treat Lully as a friend. It would be foolish to start treating her like a mere acquaintance now; that would only make things worse for everyone. I didn't know how she truly felt, and honestly, my mind was already occupied with far too many things.
I stayed there talking with my grandmother about all kinds of different topics. Our guests' clothing, their manners, and so on. Every now and then, the subject returned to Lully's hug. Everyone had reacted differently, and my grandmother had enjoyed watching their expressions far more than I had.
I could never be angry with this woman. In some ways, she understood me even better than my own parents. It was impossible not to love her. Even though she was always complaining about work, I knew that deep down she still wanted to keep helping the territory. That was why I was determined to focus even more on finding my own way to help her reach the next rank.
I had vague memories of our training from years ago. My grandmother would often make indirect comments about just how powerful Diamond Ranks were and the value they could offer. She had always dreamed of reaching that rank, and I was going to make that dream come true.
Kensein and Lully were here in the territory. I'd take this opportunity to discuss my request with them. I also needed to contact Mirtha and let her know directly.
Brendu walked over to the table after spending all this time talking with my mother. The princess looked much calmer now, and she always seemed to relax whenever she was near my grandmother.
"Brendu, that dress looks perfect on you, but I think you'd look even better in a white one, walking toward the altar." My grandmother made the comment.
"I know. I think I should start moving some pieces to bring the date forward. I don't want anything strange to happen... or anyone strange to appear." Her eyes settled on Lully's back. At some point after Brendu left my mother, Lully had taken her place.
"Give me a break..." My voice was quiet. I thought they wouldn't hear me, but they did. The two of them shared a knowing glance before letting out a soft laugh together. Today was going to be a long day.