Hate me, Miss Witch!

Fioran couldn't help but be slightly stunned, but she quickly regained her composure.

Although the Gray-Silver Witch had been very approachable over these past few days, Fioran had not forgotten the moment when she had handed that newspaper to her... The ruins of the Azure Garden Royal Capital had been leveled to the ground under the furious twilight brilliance.

Even from the perspective of the Empire's law, her actions undoubtedly had some semblance of vandalizing ancient relics. However, considering that the instigator might well be the only survivor of the Ancient Dukedom Azure Garden, this matter really couldn't be pursued. Or rather, Fioran didn't dare to pursue it.

Fioran put aside the wild guesses in her heart and spoke respectfully, "Your Excellency Silvia, as the Southern Inspector, although I am within the Royal Family's camp, I have also received an invitation to the Borgia family's banquet."

She hesitated slightly before speaking, "Tower Master, are you really going to attend the banquet disguised as my attendant?"

"With your strength, although you have not received an invitation, you only need to reveal the identity of the White Tower Master, and you will surely receive the highest level of courtesy from the Borgia family."

"No need."

Pale golden lettering emerged in The Void before Fioran's eyes.

"Understood."

Fioran respectfully nodded her head.

Just as she was about to take her leave, she suddenly noticed that the Gray-Silver Witch's gaze had shifted from the wardrobe and fitting mirror.

Then, with those emotionless beautiful eyes, she looked towards the distant night sky outside the window.

"Four."

Four?

Fioran's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly understood.

The only ones qualified to be mentioned by the Master of the White Tower before her were naturally those Legendary powerful pros on the same rank as herself.

If that's the case, four of them... Who could the other two be?

The Family Head of the Scarlet Rose, Guderian Borgia, would certainly be one of them.

And within the Empire's Royal Family, there was also one who had remained in the Empire Capital for an extended period.

To her knowledge, although the Borgia family had invited many forces guarded by Legendary powerful pros for this occasion, most had only sent delegations to attend.

Demigods do not leave their abodes lightly. Legendary powerful pros represent the pinnacle of the entire Western Continent and rarely venture out.

Fioran's heart tightened.

As a seasoned Titled Rank Beastmaster herself, she was well aware of what the arrival of a Legendary powerful pro signified.

If the one from the Royal Family was constrained by the Borgia Family Head, then the full force of two Legendary powerful pros, in just a quarter of an hour, could reduce the entire Empire Capital to ruins.

Moreover, if one were to think even deeper, if both Legendary powerful pros were companions secretly invited by the Borgia Family Head to eliminate the Royal Family...

A sense of foreboding suddenly grew stronger in Fioran's heart.

As a confidant of the Second Princess, she knew that Isadella had also reached the limits of Titled Rank. If not for her pursuit of a perfect breakthrough and the potential after promotion, Isadella could step beyond that threshold at any moment.

But Her Royal Highness, after all, was still young. Even with a sudden breakthrough, she would be in a tight spot facing the full force of two seasoned Legendary powerful pros.

If a mishap led to the fall of anyone from the Empire's Royal Family, it would be an unbearable loss for the Empire.

Fioran moved her lips, about to speak, when pale golden lettering appeared before her once again:

"One is very distant, merely observing here through the Astral Realm, likely to be some kind of Undead Races..."

More pale golden text materialized:

"And then there's..."

The lettering continued:

"Augutina."

Seeing Silvia's answer, Fioran's anxious heart finally relaxed a bit.

She knew that the Borgia family itself had close ties with the theocratic kingdom. Their only daughter had already become a divine favorite and might even have the opportunity to become a Saint in the future.

In such a case, even if the Borgia Family Head were to secretly seek allies, he would certainly not invite the Undead Races, seen by the theocratic kingdom as heretics.

And "Queen of the Night" Augutina and the Dark Shadow Council she represented had always been a neutral power, never taking sides with any party.

So, these two Legendary powerful pros should not be targeting the Royal Family and might simply have come to watch the festivities.

"The Queen of the Night dispatched an incarnation to the Empire Capital?" Fioran wiped the sweat from her brow and spoke. "It seems the Dark Shadow Council is taking this banquet very seriously, worthy of being the largest intelligence organization in the entire Western Continent."

The Empire's relationship with the Dark Shadow Council was fairly harmonious, and they had even cooperated in the past. Therefore, Fioran knew that the authority of the Queen of the Night was related to darkness and concealment. Should she wish, she could let her shadowy incarnation descend at any place in the Western Continent where the Dark Shadow Council's bases existed.

But then, Fioran's expression, which had just eased a bit, froze again with the reemergence of those golden words.

"It's her true self."

...

"Your Excellency Silvia, I must report these matters to Her Royal Highness," Fioran's voice rose urgently, then quickly faded away.

Yet Silvia still stood silently in front of that enormous wardrobe, looking at herself in the full-length silver mirror.

Her clothing was changing continuously, and with each change, the person in the mirror's temperament and style altered as well.

At times she was a demure country girl, other times a valiant Brave Hero, a dignified and pure female knight... and yet at other times, she became the majestic Sovereign.

For someone of Legendary power, changing her temperament and style was all too easy.

But in the end, the reflection in the mirror slowly steadied.

Silvia donned a dark-colored knee-length skirt, its folded hem spread out like overlapping lotus leaves.

Atop her head, she wore a small, white, round hat; on her feet, a pair of red high heels.

It was identical to the outfit she wore five hundred years ago, atop the sea of flowers at Morningstar Hills.

Silvia took out the amethyst hairpin and carefully inserted it between the locks of her silver hair.

That thick, ancient tome once again fell into her hands.

Then, line by line, dainty golden text slowly appeared on its pages.

"Brother Shiayar, you once told me—'It's easy to lose your true self when you reside too long at the heights.'"

"So, I buried myself in the pure white The Tower, severing and forgetting those unnecessary, useless memories along with it."

"Because I'm scared."

"I fear that over time, looking down on all from a Legendary's perspective, I'll become heartless, indifferent to everything... become like so many Legendary powerful pros who only see immortality and deification, the very kind of person I despised."

"And I'm even more afraid that you will grow to detest and reject that strange, new me..."

"If that were the case, even if we were to meet again at the end of time, we would be nothing more than strangers passing by."

Silvia turned to look back at the dressing mirror.

The girl in the mirror, with her silver hair and exquisite, flawless face, smiled gently.

In that instant, time seemed to rewind.

She found herself back in that ducal mansion, back to the night she received a letter from a servant, gleefully choosing her attire for the next day's meeting.

The moonlight that night was just as pristine, its clear luminescence eternally preserved.

Silvia placed her white hand over her heart, feeling a ripple-like throbbing from the depths of her heart, an emotion she hadn't experienced in hundreds of years.

"We're going to meet again tomorrow."

"I hope that when we meet again, I can still be the first, the most beautiful version of myself that you remember."

"And then, you can also tell me... the true feelings you never expressed to me amidst the flowers of Morningstar Hills."

"And—"

Silvia turned slightly. The hope, yearning, and almost timid fear in her pure silver eyes disappeared, replaced by an icy chill. At this moment, she was no longer the lovestruck girl but had reverted to being the Gray-Silver Witch who overlooked all beings.

"Just as well, I too am curious to see..."

"What sort of existence the woman who wishes to form a matrimonial alliance with you will be."