Chapter 168: Chatting With The Little Demon From Another Server
Originally, Roger's side was an area with dense party goers, but due to Margaret's arrival, everyone voluntarily made space for her.
The officials behind them watched the two conversing and didn't want to interrupt.
How could the Prime Minister not be the top official? One still has to give face.
Therefore, under the seemingly invisible glances around, a considerable space suddenly opened up around them, making the atmosphere between the two people somewhat tense.
Roger is quite frank. He already tried his best to adjust his relationship with this little devil. He'd get along if he could, or just flip the table if he couldn't. Who's afraid of who?
By then, we'll hang it up mid-air by the tail and blow the Margarita brand mini fan.
Margaret was rather uneasy and felt that the current situation was troublesome.
What am I nervous about, just a smelly little brother?
Margaret sensed someone looking at her tail, and while she knew the queen would punish her without witnesses present, she felt Roger might know something.
With a whooshing sound, she flicked her tail behind her.
She took a deep breath, trying her best to dispel the negative emotions that came from waiting so long in order to prevent herself from losing her temper and further damaging her relationship with Roger.
As seen from Dio's efforts to reconcile his relationship with Angelina, it was evident that Dio cared deeply about Charles and his sister.
He also has a close relationship with Roger, but even with their strong bond, he must be cautious of Roger spreading rumors.
With a beaming smile, Margaret took the initiative to raise her glass and toast Roger, "I just want to offer a toast to Sir Roger. Your contributions to the Empire are irreplaceable. With the new year comes new opportunities for collaboration."
Her voice was sincere, and out of respect for the Eternal Night Queen, Roger truly believed that Margaret deserved credit for the Empire's current development.
By kicking out those bothersome aristocrats, the royal power has grown, granting Margaret greater influence in the military and a comfortable life.
What's more important is that his Majesty is delighted!
As the most loyal knight who protects the queen, she of course shares the joyfulness!
And so, using logic to try to adjust her mindset, Margaret focused on thinking of Roger as the commander of the Night Watch as well as the chief editor of "New Arcana", forcefully overlooking his identity as the younger brother of the Blue Wool Virgin as she sincerely acknowledged him as a qualified minister, raising her glass respectfully.
However flawless the greeting may sound, to Roger's ears it provoked caution.
If the little devil came over to provoke, it would be easy to deal with. But approaching in such an attitude, seemed to incite a suspicion of stealing and robbing like a yellow weasel paying New Year's greetings to the chicken.
Roger raised his glass to her and said lightly, "It is natural for the Night Watch and the military to cooperate closely, and there will certainly be opportunities."
"Then Roger needs to take good care of himself!"
"Madame Margaret is an elder, please take better care of me."
As the two of them conversed, both were proven equally matched in wit, and even their drinking mannerisms were equally bold.
There is a sincere expression, however, that in a magical world, unless intentionally given a debuff like that received by Little Ao, it is generally difficult to get drunk.
Neither of them were those slick officialdom figures. Small talk soon ended, and eventually Margaret couldn't hold back and spoke out her true intentions first:
"It's a new year, I wonder if Dio has set a time to return? He promised to help me, but now he cannot be found!"
Due to not having seen each other for a long time and the bitterness of suspicion of running away, the little demon moved his eyes away with a hint of melancholy in his tone, resembling a child who had lost his beloved toy.
The little demon, who only had one friend, was making every effort to cherish this friendship.
Roger was stunned. The little demon, who always had a domineering presence and the attitude of being second to none under the queen, showed such emotions, which was a rare sight.
He was reminded that Dio was not online and the problem of this girl having nowhere to turn to for friendship.
If it were just for this little demon, he wouldn't mind playing Dio and dealing with all the messes on that side. However, he felt it was too much of a hassle.
He didn't mind lending a hand if it was easy, but helping others at the cost of his own break time was not an acceptable choice.
Therefore, although Roger felt somewhat guilty, he hardened his heart and said, "If you want to know when Dio will come back, you can ask him directly by writing a letter. I have no idea about these things."
"I wrote a letter, but he didn't reply!" Margaret felt even more aggrieved upon hearing this.
"Um... maybe he's currently traveling in some strange place and will probably reply in a few days?"
Roger suddenly felt guilty for no apparent reason.
So, you have already asked.
It seems that indeed that small villa over there is where I haven't been staying for a long time, and I don't even know if anyone has sent mail there.
After all, Maotai Winery is such a large area, and the mansions left by the nobles all have their own styles. He and Xiaoqiao have not fully experienced them yet... Tsk, that's it.
The style of his own room is more than that of all the five-star hotels in the world combined, why even bother arguing?
"I wonder how the interaction between Lady Margaret and the Prince of the Sea Kingdom is going? "
Roger attempted to change the subject, but Margaret was not willing to let him go.
The little demon didn't respond, but rather leaned forward, lifted its small head and deliberately brushed Roger's chin with a curved horn, leaving a tingling sensation.
Her ruby-like eyes stared at him so intensely that his expression became unnatural. She then slowly said, "Mr. Roger, do you know what smell I detected on you?"
"The scent of a handsome man?"
"Maybe there is such a thing... but it mostly smells like lies!"
"It must be something those officials secretly leaked on me just now, you know."
"Haha~"
"If you don't believe me, then I can't do anything about it."
Watching Roger helplessly throw up his hands, Margaret poured another glass of wine and asked anxiously, "Lord Roger, do you think Dio not replying to me is because I did something to upset him recently?"
"How could that be? He always had a very good impression of you -"
"Sure enough, you have been in contact with him all along!"
"Indeed, you have been in contact with him all along!"
The little devil interrupted Roger's words without hesitation. The worried expression on his face disappeared instantly, replaced with confidence akin to 'there is only one truth'. "I speak of recent events and yet you still answer so confidently, tsk..."
"Are you trying to trick me? But even if you are, what of it? Lord Zuo Xiang wouldn't interfere even with my normal socializing, would he?" Roger replied nonchalantly.
"Are you two really just normal friends?" Margaret shot back with the same nonchalance, swaying her glass. "Clearly, you have a mutually beneficial relationship."
Roger's expression immediately changed. "My lord, one must be careful with their words."
Margaret is describing a relationship beyond friendship.
But to Roger, it sounds like "you are in me and I am in you". Isn't this exposing a false identity?
How could he have known that by just opening the door incorrectly, the small fan would become corroded.
Roger vehemently denied it, but to Margaret this made him sound even guiltier. It made her think he still cared about the reputation of the Charles family and didn’t want to make the news public.
"Rest assured, I am the most loyal friend. I will keep all the information in my stomach, otherwise how could the Empire's military intelligence remain confidential?" The little demon chuckled, "Lord Roger, will you have another drink with me?"
This tone is somewhat insinuating and teasing.
Marguerite's words and tone made it obvious that she was certain about her own conclusion. It appeared that she was already very sure about his relationship with Dio.
When did it get exposed?
Roger suddenly remembered the time he got drunk, and the next day the little demon seemed to have come to deliver breakfast again.
At that time, did he become like Dio?
Roger couldn't remember exactly what happened that morning, he just knew that the little demon took away the breakfast and he and the majesty were hungry for a long time.
Could it be that it was really at that time when she was shocked by her identity and left in horror?
However, the good news is that even though she knows the difference between the two identities, she didn't immediately expose herself nor did she completely destroy the relationship. Does this mean she still wants to continue this friendship?
This little devil has matured!
Turning grievances into leverage is a choice that only adults can make.
Or perhaps her top priority was the stability of the empire. Dio's appointment as a commoner had profound significance, if revealed recklessly, it would harm the empire's reputation.
"Hmm...You owe someone a favor." Roger reluctantly clinked his glass with hers and downed the drink, sounding a bit dejected.
It seems like there's no significant loss, but it's quite disheartening to have something delayed because of drinking.
"Then I want to redeem this favor now." Margaret's eyes shone brightly. "You need to make sure Dio comes back soon. He promised to help me."
Roger gave her a peculiar look. "If you need any help, why not just ask me directly? It's all the same."
Margaret felt that this was a tone that Roger could convey on her behalf and said somewhat displeased, "It's not the same, it's very different... some things have to be said in person to be meaningful."
"Is it that particular?" Roger couldn't help but laugh, "This kind of obsession, suddenly I feel like you have a feminine touch."
"Hey, I'm a recognized beauty in the empire, with high charisma, you know?" The little devil said like it had had it’s tail stepped on.
Extremely dissatisfied with his supposedly complimentary but actually damaging sexist remark.
Roger said seriously, "I always thought that you belong to the sunflower spirits; a yet unnamed creature whose brain hasn't fully developed and whose life is complete just by seeing His Majesty."
The little devil squinted his eyes and retorted, "You're just one step away from directly saying 'brain-dead fans.'"
"But the troubles of the Knights have already been resolved, haven't they?" Roger said with a faint smile.
Although most magicians are fans of the Eternal Night Queen, there are differences in their degree of devotion; passionate fans like Margaret are still the minority.
They gather there every day to boost their posts with low nutritional value, occupying everyone's field of vision. Over time, this will inevitably affect some people's interests.
Although it doesn't have any fans from other houses, with the importance of the comment board in the circle of imperial magicians, it has already become one of the three major trendsetter bases for magicians along with "New Arcane" and "Arcane Miscellany".
It is surprising that there is such a high level of interest. Naturally, some people want to take advantage of this. Posting new ideas require the use of message boards to gather initial traffic, attract attention to "New Arcane" and further widen its influence.
However, the Knights of the Round Table are stubbornly sticking together. This makes it difficult for dedicated and excellent writers to stand out, and they end up feeling frustrated and rejected.
Continuously suppressed, the title "brain-dead fans" and the like came out.
In fact, the solution is also very simple, just like the super topic on Weibo, let the knights circle their own land and self-meme. The posts in this area are not included in the total leaderboard ranking.
Margaret also agreed to this disposal plan, after all, they don't want to provoke the Eternal Night Queen.
The entertainment activities of the Knights' Order no longer interfered with the public's view, so the term gradually decreased and it became a joke she could use for self-deprecating humor.
"But regardless, with the knights and the knightly order present, I feel ultimately happy." Margaret whispered softly.
Margaret's reality was a stern internalized cabinet meeting, a military command that held the fate of the nation, and her only friend had vanished from her life.
The only place to express their fandom together was the comment section.
If not for the care and warmth of the knightly order, she may have fallen into the darkness upon discovering Roger and Dio's relationship.
However, she held on and eventually came to open-mindedly and equally view the relationship between these two people. She has now found out that Roger is not as detestable as she once imagined.
After presenting the idea of a proxy war and being commended by the Eternal Night Queen, Margaret also realized that her relationship with the Blue-haired Virgin was not a matter of life and death.
This is not a mere resource-depleted street, but a rising superpower where both prime ministers are able to shine in their respective fields and exhibit their brilliance.
She only needs to do her job well to make the Eternal Night Queen take notice of her!
Although Dio only gave advice once, the profits brought by this advice were enormous, and it successfully helped the little demon discover another perspective for her future career planning.
Even without engaging in warfare, by continuously increasing the actual combat effectiveness of the army and expanding the territory actually controlled by the empire, and doing these two things well, she believed that she could become the little demon most favored by the Eternal Night Queen.
She doesn't need to compare herself with anyone else, she is who she is, the most brilliant firework.
Previously in denial, she now finds that her disgust for the Blue Virgin has faded, as she chats with Roger.
Perhaps because of her excessive kindness her loyalty to the emperor is impure.
What Angelina loves is actually this empire, not just serving this emperor wholeheartedly.
Outside of the hostility, it seemed that she and Roger had no reason to be hostile to each other any longer. The previous unpleasantness was because of her provocation, and he is still the founder of the message board.
Therefore, this person also has a lovely side!
Such "siblings" can also be accepted.
"So, for the empire, another drink?" She half-closed her eyes and looked at Roger with a bit of shyness and expectation.
Roger suddenly understood the hidden meaning in her gaze.
This is a way of apologizing and making amends, as if saying, if you don't mind, we can be friends from now on.
In the past, we may have had misunderstandings, but let's put aside those hostilities and work together to build an empire for our future.
"Cheers, to the empire!"
Roger couldn't help but laugh.
This little devil, so cautious yet offering an olive branch, is still quite adorable.
The biggest gain tonight was not about meeting many young talents, but instead breaking the ice with this little devil and resolving the enemies from within the empire for the Charles family.
In this way, when needed, she could use the ruse of being sent to infiltrate the Gods' midst as a last resort...
Margaret suddenly felt a shiver, and her tail flicked restlessly as though she were about to be sold.
