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Chapter 277
Chapter 247: Gift, a Hint of "Cooperation"
Leinas quickened her pace, walked out of the corridor, and stepped onto stairs built of pure white marble. She soon arrived before a large door with exquisitely carved patterns.
A sense of worry rose within her.
It made Leinas, who was never one for strictly following rules, want to push the door open. However, after raising her hand halfway, she decided to knock instead.
*Dong! Dong!*
With a *click*, the exquisite door opened.
A pair of pure, sapphire-like eyes was the first thing to enter Leinas's vision, startling her, because the one who opened the door was Renner herself.
"Your Highness." Leinas hurriedly bowed.
"You're here, Leinas."
Renner looked delighted as she took Leinas by the wrist and pulled her into the room.
The palace room was spacious and bright.
However, it seemed somewhat empty. The many maids who usually served here were all gone.
Seeing this scene, Leinas couldn't help but frown, a rare hint of anger on her face.
Renner's position in the court was actually quite special. Her external beauty and reputation for intelligence were indeed widely known to the outside world.
But her position within the royal family was not high. To the royal family, a princess's status was merely a bargaining chip for political marriages or for winning over powerful nobles.
Setting such matters aside for now.
What truly angered Leinas was that regardless of Renner's former status, the moment she joined the princess's faction, Renner's own position should have been elevated.
In Leinas's eyes, those maids neglecting Renner was a slight against her as well.
"Your Highness, where are the maids? Why aren't they here?" Leinas's tone already carried a hint of coldness as she spoke.
Her temper had never been good.
"I sent them away. On a day of celebration like today, the maids also have many noble gatherings to attend."
Renner seemed not to have noticed the change in Leinas's tone, speaking with a smile.
The maids serving in the Royal Palace were different from ordinary maids. Most came from noble families. In particular, serving a member of the royal family was a post that no minor noble could fill.
As she spoke, Renner had already pulled Leinas to the center of the room. She let go of her wrist, trotted over to the tea table, picked up a beautifully wrapped, palm-sized gift box, and handed it over.
Leinas caught it instinctively.
"You know, Leinas, unlike my two older brothers, I have no extra ways of obtaining money. This isn't anything precious, but it's my celebration gift to you."
*Click!*
The door to the palace room closed again.
Leinas walked out holding the gift box, feeling a bit dazed.
*So? Renner called me over just to give me a celebration gift.*
Walking down the corridor, Leinas's expression was complicated. *There are no maids, and the guards outside the corridor seem normal. This means it's not the first time Renner has sent the maids away.*
*"And this gift..."*
She opened the exquisite box.
Inside lay a pair of lace-patterned gloves, as thin as a cicada's wing. They weren't woven from ordinary silk thread, but likely from the spider silk of some kind of monster spider.
They had no magic effect, but possessed incredible tenacity.
As an expert, Leinas could tell at a glance that this pair of lace gloves was a perfect fit for her hands. It was clearly prepared with great care.
*"If I hadn't already sworn a knight's oath to my master, I might have really been caught in this 'thoughtfulness'."* Leinas slowly exhaled.
Inside the empty palace room.
Renner watched Leinas leave as the door closed, the corners of her gentle mouth turning up slightly.
She spun on her heel.
Her white dress fluttered over the exquisite carpet.
*Pat.*
Her translucent high heels landed on the carpet.
Renner leaped lightly, her body landing nimbly on the tea table. Her flawless white feet poked out from under her dress, swinging in the air.
"Hee, this isn't my real gift, you know, Leinas."
Though a smile hung on Renner's face, her eyes were exceptionally calm. In a voice only she could hear, she murmured softly:
"Would summoning Free Will into the Royal Palace count as a real surprise for Miss Leinas? Hmm, that's a bit too blunt, isn't it... The leader of that Free Will is actually more intriguing. How can I get to meet them? Right, Blue Rose and Free Will just had a conflict... After the celebration tomorrow, Lakyus will come here... I can have Lakyus help."
If Leinas were here, she would surely be shocked that Renner, who had always remained in the depths of the Royal Palace, actually knew about the incident that had happened outside the Royal Capital some time ago.
Those seemingly inconspicuous maids were an important channel for obtaining outside information. With Renner's wisdom, she could easily deduce and learn many things through simple speculation.
...
The grand celebration continued late into the night with no signs of stopping.
The bustling, crowded stream of people.
Tang Zheng watched Enri and the Green Leaf Witch walking ahead of him and shook his head gently.
He wasn't really interested in this kind of event. Compared to the activities of his previous life, it held no appeal for Tang Zheng. He would have rather spent the time researching alchemy, but Enri's sense of anticipation had influenced him.
Even the Green Leaf Witch, who usually acted indifferent, now showed a look of interest at such a grand human event.
*There's been no movement for a while. Are they waiting for something, or do they have other plans?*
Tang Zheng gazed at the lively scene ahead, his mind pondering other matters.
Ever since he arrived in the Royal Capital, he had not initiated any direct contact with Leinas. This wasn't entirely to avoid risk.
Rather, Tang Zheng wanted to see what move Renner would make.
Tang Zheng never believed he could hide the fact that he and Leinas knew each other from Renner. He even suspected that she might have guessed that his relationship with Leinas was somewhat unusual.
Although this speculation was completely baseless.
But when it came to Renner, Tang Zheng believed she was capable of guessing this much.
This could be considered his confidence in the Golden Princess.
Therefore.
Tang Zheng was actually very curious about what kind of move Renner would make in this situation.
The reason Tang Zheng wasn't worried about this backfiring was that, besides having the ability to kill Renner even if she stayed in the depths of the Royal Palace, it was also because even if Renner were to reveal this matter, no one would believe her.
At the same time.
For Renner, this was also an opportunity to escape her "caged canary" status.
In the end.
Tang Zheng sending Leinas to Renner's side was, in fact, a hint of "cooperation."
Leinas might not have realized this, but Renner absolutely would.
In his previous life, Tang Zheng was just an ordinary, mediocre person. He didn't think he was particularly smart, especially when facing a top-tier genius like her.
Thus, only by standing on a higher plane could he achieve a suppressive effect. To put it in simpler terms, he could flip the chessboard.
At this moment.
A slender figure, moving with deft steps, weaved through the crowded stream of people and quickly arrived at Tang Zheng's side.
"I didn't expect you to be interested in something like this. It seems you value those two up ahead more than I initially thought."
A faint voice, sounding as if its owner were owed money, rang out.
"Oh, it seems there's good news," Tang Zheng said with a smile, turning his head to look at the somewhat disguised Imina beside him.
"There isn't."
Imina shoved her hands into the pockets at her waist and walked forward alongside Tang Zheng, following the flow of the crowd.
"Is that so."
Tang Zheng shrugged. "That's a real shame then."
"Hey, you still haven't answered what I said earlier." Imina's amber eyes glared at him.
(end of chapter)
Leinas quickened her pace, walked out of the corridor, and stepped onto stairs built of pure white marble. She soon arrived before a large door with exquisitely carved patterns.
A sense of worry rose within her.
It made Leinas, who was never one for strictly following rules, want to push the door open. However, after raising her hand halfway, she decided to knock instead.
*Dong! Dong!*
With a *click*, the exquisite door opened.
A pair of pure, sapphire-like eyes was the first thing to enter Leinas's vision, startling her, because the one who opened the door was Renner herself.
"Your Highness." Leinas hurriedly bowed.
"You're here, Leinas."
Renner looked delighted as she took Leinas by the wrist and pulled her into the room.
The palace room was spacious and bright.
However, it seemed somewhat empty. The many maids who usually served here were all gone.
Seeing this scene, Leinas couldn't help but frown, a rare hint of anger on her face.
Renner's position in the court was actually quite special. Her external beauty and reputation for intelligence were indeed widely known to the outside world.
But her position within the royal family was not high. To the royal family, a princess's status was merely a bargaining chip for political marriages or for winning over powerful nobles.
Setting such matters aside for now.
What truly angered Leinas was that regardless of Renner's former status, the moment she joined the princess's faction, Renner's own position should have been elevated.
In Leinas's eyes, those maids neglecting Renner was a slight against her as well.
"Your Highness, where are the maids? Why aren't they here?" Leinas's tone already carried a hint of coldness as she spoke.
Her temper had never been good.
"I sent them away. On a day of celebration like today, the maids also have many noble gatherings to attend."
Renner seemed not to have noticed the change in Leinas's tone, speaking with a smile.
The maids serving in the Royal Palace were different from ordinary maids. Most came from noble families. In particular, serving a member of the royal family was a post that no minor noble could fill.
As she spoke, Renner had already pulled Leinas to the center of the room. She let go of her wrist, trotted over to the tea table, picked up a beautifully wrapped, palm-sized gift box, and handed it over.
Leinas caught it instinctively.
"You know, Leinas, unlike my two older brothers, I have no extra ways of obtaining money. This isn't anything precious, but it's my celebration gift to you."
*Click!*
The door to the palace room closed again.
Leinas walked out holding the gift box, feeling a bit dazed.
*So? Renner called me over just to give me a celebration gift.*
Walking down the corridor, Leinas's expression was complicated. *There are no maids, and the guards outside the corridor seem normal. This means it's not the first time Renner has sent the maids away.*
*"And this gift..."*
She opened the exquisite box.
Inside lay a pair of lace-patterned gloves, as thin as a cicada's wing. They weren't woven from ordinary silk thread, but likely from the spider silk of some kind of monster spider.
They had no magic effect, but possessed incredible tenacity.
As an expert, Leinas could tell at a glance that this pair of lace gloves was a perfect fit for her hands. It was clearly prepared with great care.
*"If I hadn't already sworn a knight's oath to my master, I might have really been caught in this 'thoughtfulness'."* Leinas slowly exhaled.
Inside the empty palace room.
Renner watched Leinas leave as the door closed, the corners of her gentle mouth turning up slightly.
She spun on her heel.
Her white dress fluttered over the exquisite carpet.
*Pat.*
Her translucent high heels landed on the carpet.
Renner leaped lightly, her body landing nimbly on the tea table. Her flawless white feet poked out from under her dress, swinging in the air.
"Hee, this isn't my real gift, you know, Leinas."
Though a smile hung on Renner's face, her eyes were exceptionally calm. In a voice only she could hear, she murmured softly:
"Would summoning Free Will into the Royal Palace count as a real surprise for Miss Leinas? Hmm, that's a bit too blunt, isn't it... The leader of that Free Will is actually more intriguing. How can I get to meet them? Right, Blue Rose and Free Will just had a conflict... After the celebration tomorrow, Lakyus will come here... I can have Lakyus help."
If Leinas were here, she would surely be shocked that Renner, who had always remained in the depths of the Royal Palace, actually knew about the incident that had happened outside the Royal Capital some time ago.
Those seemingly inconspicuous maids were an important channel for obtaining outside information. With Renner's wisdom, she could easily deduce and learn many things through simple speculation.
...
The grand celebration continued late into the night with no signs of stopping.
The bustling, crowded stream of people.
Tang Zheng watched Enri and the Green Leaf Witch walking ahead of him and shook his head gently.
He wasn't really interested in this kind of event. Compared to the activities of his previous life, it held no appeal for Tang Zheng. He would have rather spent the time researching alchemy, but Enri's sense of anticipation had influenced him.
Even the Green Leaf Witch, who usually acted indifferent, now showed a look of interest at such a grand human event.
*There's been no movement for a while. Are they waiting for something, or do they have other plans?*
Tang Zheng gazed at the lively scene ahead, his mind pondering other matters.
Ever since he arrived in the Royal Capital, he had not initiated any direct contact with Leinas. This wasn't entirely to avoid risk.
Rather, Tang Zheng wanted to see what move Renner would make.
Tang Zheng never believed he could hide the fact that he and Leinas knew each other from Renner. He even suspected that she might have guessed that his relationship with Leinas was somewhat unusual.
Although this speculation was completely baseless.
But when it came to Renner, Tang Zheng believed she was capable of guessing this much.
This could be considered his confidence in the Golden Princess.
Therefore.
Tang Zheng was actually very curious about what kind of move Renner would make in this situation.
The reason Tang Zheng wasn't worried about this backfiring was that, besides having the ability to kill Renner even if she stayed in the depths of the Royal Palace, it was also because even if Renner were to reveal this matter, no one would believe her.
At the same time.
For Renner, this was also an opportunity to escape her "caged canary" status.
In the end.
Tang Zheng sending Leinas to Renner's side was, in fact, a hint of "cooperation."
Leinas might not have realized this, but Renner absolutely would.
In his previous life, Tang Zheng was just an ordinary, mediocre person. He didn't think he was particularly smart, especially when facing a top-tier genius like her.
Thus, only by standing on a higher plane could he achieve a suppressive effect. To put it in simpler terms, he could flip the chessboard.
At this moment.
A slender figure, moving with deft steps, weaved through the crowded stream of people and quickly arrived at Tang Zheng's side.
"I didn't expect you to be interested in something like this. It seems you value those two up ahead more than I initially thought."
A faint voice, sounding as if its owner were owed money, rang out.
"Oh, it seems there's good news," Tang Zheng said with a smile, turning his head to look at the somewhat disguised Imina beside him.
"There isn't."
Imina shoved her hands into the pockets at her waist and walked forward alongside Tang Zheng, following the flow of the crowd.
"Is that so."
Tang Zheng shrugged. "That's a real shame then."
"Hey, you still haven't answered what I said earlier." Imina's amber eyes glared at him.
(end of chapter)
