"Well?" Vaan pressed, inching closer.
Henrietta's heart beat rapidly, and her head spun with dizziness from the blood rushing up to her head. She was caught off guard by Vaan, and her mind was a mess.
She needed time to compose herself.
Poof!
Henrietta suddenly took off, leaving Vaan without saying a single word. She flew into the thickest clouds nearby and disappeared from Vaan's view—or so she thought.
However, nothing within the range of Vaan's Omni-Sense could escape his detection.
That's why he had been aware of Henrietta's presence the moment she appeared in the sky and spied on him.
Nevertheless, Vaan did not chase after Henrietta; he remained in his place patiently.
At first, he ignored her because she showed no malice. But eventually, his curiosity got the better of him.
Based on his observation, Henrietta seemed to have telepathically conversed with someone.
However, the patrolling Rank 5 young dragon elites had confirmed that it was none of them or anyone else nearby.
Thus, Vaan understood Henrietta could only be conversing with someone within her mind, whether it was a type of split personality disorder or another soul residing in her body.
Of the two possibilities, most people would believe in the first one because they wouldn't even think the second possibility was possible.
However, Vaan quickly concluded it was the second possibility.
After all, he had read and heard many things about the Black Rose Transcendent Witch. And based on his personal observation, Henrietta did not appear to show any clear signs of mental illnesses; she was perfectly healthy in both body and mind.
Thus, it couldn't be a split personality disorder. But the probability of another soul residing in Henrietta's body was so low it didn't seem probable due to how rare it was. That's why most people wouldn't even think of it.
However, Vaan followed one straightforward rule for deducing from his previous world: the rule of elimination.
When the impossible is eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth – a wise man once said.
'Let me see what secrets you are hiding,' Vaan narrowed his eyes.
His Omni-Sense expanded to its limits as he focused on Henrietta's figure hiding within the thick white clouds.
…
After Henrietta flew into the thick clouds, she patted her cheeks with both hands and fixed her expression and emotions with steady breaths.
Once she regained her composure and straightened out her thoughts, she flew back out to confront Vaan.
"Yes, you are right. I came to meet you, Vaan Raphna. Or Vahn Cadieux. Whichever you prefer," Henrietta coolly stated before asking, "Do you know why?"
"Oh? Please, pray tell, why do you want to meet me?" Vaan casually smiled.
Henrietta did well to maintain her calm composure. It was as if she had already forgotten the previous matter.
However, the moment Vaan revealed his devilish smile and sharp glint that seemed to pierce through her, Henrietta's heart was shaken once more.
Her calm expression crumbled apart as she turned around and fled back into the thick clouds to hide herself.
Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum!
Henrietta's heart was beating like drums, loud and resonating, within her body. It threw her emotions into turmoil and made her uncomfortable.
She gripped her chest with a tight squeeze like she wanted to calm her heart down with force.
However, it proved futile.
'What's going on with me, Master? Why can't I seem to control my emotions in front of that person? There's also something wrong with his perverse gaze. It seemed like I was stripped naked and had all my secrets lay bare,' Henrietta said with palpitating, uneven breathing.
'…You might be right, Henrietta," Henrietta's master admitted and said, "I think my existence has been exposed, or at the very least, that man has become aware of my possible existence."
'This… Are you sure, Master? But how is that possible? We've only just met briefly,' Henrietta mentioned with a startled look.
'I should have known after seeing his perverse control of space,' Henrietta's master sighed.
'His intelligence, thought processing, and perception are on a whole different level than we can imagine. I really wonder how someone can have these abilities at his level. They have far surpassed the limits of mortals.'
'What should we do, Master?' Henrietta asked, sincerely seeking guidance.
'In any case, we will slowly learn more about him and his perverse abilities the more we interact with him. To do that, we must be upfront and open with him,' Henrietta's master stated.
'He isn't someone we can fool with half-witted lies. Do not hide it if he asks about me. But if he doesn't ask, there's no need to tell him either. Just act accordingly, Henrietta. Also, stop running away. It won't help you.'
'He might get the wrong idea,' Henrietta's master added.
'If I don't hide to calm my nerves, am I supposed to continue showing my vulnerable side to him, Master? You told me a woman must remain strong and calm in all situations…' Henrietta mentioned.
'Yes, that is correct,' Henrietta's master acknowledged.
'A strong woman must be calm in all situations. However, it was my mistake to make you stay away from all men up until now. Feeling shy and nervous around someone as charming and handsome as that man is normal, especially when you are inexperienced and have never been in love.'
'That's why you exhibit such strong feelings. You do not know how to deal with attractive men, especially someone of his quality. Still, it's not too late to learn. You just need to keep facing him from now on until you overcome these feelings of weakness.'
'Just don't fall in love with him. Love is a weakness. That's not something you need. You just need his body,' Henrietta's master strictly stated.
'Yes, Master.'
Henrietta couldn't help but smile helplessly and bitterly.
Her master didn't believe in love. And yet, she was still a traditional woman who believed men and women must be married before they could perform any intimate interaction.
Although it was outdated thinking, she still respected her master for it.
Such beliefs were rare in this day and age.
Nevertheless, thanks to her master's explanation, Henrietta finally understood the reason behind her palpitating heart.
Is this what it's like to be a 317-year-old inexperienced, virgin lady? Her body was screaming with excitement for a man's affection?
To think she would experience a setback due to her body's natural hormones…
'Dammit, it's all the fault of this underdeveloped body that has stopped aging! I refuse to succumb to the hormones of a teenager forever!' Henrietta swore defiantly.
Shortly after calming her nerves for the last time, she flew out of the clouds to confront Vaan once again.
At that moment, Vaan was rubbing his chin with an intrigued look as he faced Henrietta's direction.
Although Henrietta didn't speak a single word during her hiding, the internal conflict in her eyes still revealed a lot. In addition to her odd yet interesting behavior, Vaan was able to piece together a rough picture of the situation.
He didn't expect the high and mighty queen of the Black Rose Kingdom to face such a setback.
It was pretty interesting… and also cute.
He almost wanted to keep teasing her.
It didn't matter how old one was; they could still be young at heart. The only accurate measure of one's maturity was the depth of experience.
"Let's talk on the ground," Henrietta suggested.
"Alright," Vaan calmly agreed with a nod.
He could stay in the sky for extended periods without an issue, but he understood that Henrietta couldn't.
It consumed her mana over time.
That said, the consumption was still negligible. Still, Henrietta wanted to maintain a safe level of her mana reserve. It's something a wise person would do the same to be prepared for an unexpected situation or danger that may arise.
"So? Why did you want to meet me?" Vaan casually asked once they descended to the ground.
"I am a very close friend of Astoria. I wanted to see what kind of man she fell for in person," Henrietta coolly stated. She hesitated a bit before adding, "…And I can see why. You are very talented and handsome. There aren't many men as accomplished and capable as you."
"Oh? Is that so?" Vaan casually smiled. He boldly inched closer before slyly asking with vague innuendo, "Is that the only reason you wanted to meet me?"
Naturally, Vaan expected Henrietta to discuss matters related to his control over the kingdom. However, his words seemed to also imply Henrietta was interested in him.
"Well…"
Ba-dum! Ba-dum!
Henrietta had almost defense against Vaan's charms. Thus, her heart started racing and sending her emotions into turmoil again.
She instinctively wanted to flee the situation but remembered she had to face it head-on to overcome her weakness.
"Y-Yeah, there is another matter…" Henrietta replied in a soft, meek, and feminine voice that was unlike her before she suddenly roared, "Arghhh! This is not me! I am not normally like this!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Henrietta found herself a boulder nearby and repeatedly rammed her head against it to vent all her frustration.
Vaan was immediately taken aback by her extreme lengths.
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