Chapter 354: Lady, NTR Is Absolutely Unacceptable (3)
At that moment, it was a meeting of queens—one voluptuous and seductive, the other gentle and dignified.
Both mature, yet each radiated a completely different kind of beauty.
Rather than outshining each other, their brilliance only seemed to intensify.
The Queen of the Moon sat down and subtly turned her head toward Sophia, her expression still warm but with deep thought hidden within her eyes.
Her appearance here wasn't simply due to Diana's request—Sophia had personally invited her.
Their relationship went back to before the Queen of the Moon had ascended to Sword Saint.
Back then, Sophia had once helped her by chance.
Thus, the Queen of the Moon's visit this time was to repay that debt.
It was also the first time Sophia had ever asked her for help.
Now, she wasn't the weak swordfighter who once needed aid—she had real power.
What could be so serious that Sophia would travel so far, even invoking old favors?
At first, she thought it was just an invitation to Sophia's birthday celebration.
But when she arrived at the Guen family estate, Sophia herself came to greet her at the teleportation gate.
From that moment, she realized things weren't as simple as she assumed.
Sure enough, after seeing her, Diana had solemnly instructed her.
She had expected a major request.
But in the end, Sophia simply asked her to oversee the birthday banquet.
What kind of birthday banquet needed a Sword Saint to guard it?
The Queen of the Moon sensed something unusual—and Sophia knew she would.
There was no need for too many words; with their statuses, they understood each other well.
When she raised her eyes and saw Sophia gazing at her firmly, she confirmed her suspicions.
This birthday banquet would be anything but ordinary.
But she didn't press for details and simply agreed.
The Queen of the Moon withdrew her gaze and noticed the refined boy sitting across from her.
It was their second meeting.
Seeing Shia here didn't surprise her.
After all, he was the one her disciple had asked her to look after.
Still, she didn't act overly familiar, just gave a slight nod as a greeting—calm and gentle.
It was hard to tell they even knew each other.
Shia returned the nod with a polite smile.
Lilith, however, was much more excited.
Even with her goals so close, she hadn't forgotten to play her part.
Sword Saint! Mentor to the Sword Maiden! Master and disciple!
The appeal was maxed out!
In Lilith's ambitious mind, the Queen of the Moon was also a potential target.
Rumor had it that Sistine and the Queen of the Moon were extremely close—one of the few people Sistine trusted.
If Lilith set her sights on the Queen of the Moon, would that make her and Sistine love rivals?
But none of that mattered.
They could all be her wings.
With great enthusiasm, Lilith stepped forward to greet the Queen of the Moon.
Compared to Fafna's direct and slightly rude challenge, Lilith's sunny and sweet demeanor was far more endearing—the kind that older women adored.
"Sister~! I've long admired your reputation but never had the chance to meet you. Seeing you today, you're even more admirable than the stories!"
Lilith eagerly poured tea for the Sword Saint.
Faced with such an enthusiastic junior, the Queen of the Moon responded with warm but distant gratitude.
Though she seemed kind and gentle, she maintained a careful distance from everyone.
Sophia was the one who shifted the topic.
Her gaze lingered between Shia and the Queen of the Moon, still regal but tinged with deeper thought.
In an instant, she connected everything she had learned.
The new star of Seven Shields Academy, popular and successful, who had crossed paths with the Sword Maiden Sistine during the freshmen trials.
"Queen of the Moon, I forgot to introduce someone."
With a charming smile, Sophia caught the Queen's attention, then waved Shia over.
Shia set down his cup and walked to her side.
Seeing this, Lilith pouted slightly in dissatisfaction.
Even while currying favor, she hadn't forgotten her dog's loyalty.
Seeing Mother openly "stealing" her dog, she felt unhappy.
Sophia's gaze softened as Shia approached, seemingly unaware of her daughter's mood.
Once he reached her, she drew him into her embrace, affectionately introducing him to the Queen.
"This is Shia, the fiancé I personally chose for Lilith. A very fine young man. You haven't met him before, have you?"
The Queen of the Moon's expression remained composed and gentle.
She smiled faintly and nodded.
"He looks outstanding—a fine young man."
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Fafna staring at Shia.
That gaze was strange, not the cold arrogance she showed others.
When the Queen of the Moon arrived, Fafna had been distracted.
But seeing Shia again brought back memories of last night.
Tangled emotions welled up.
Longing built over the years, anger at being violated.
She wavered.
Yet seeing Lilith and Shia so close made her want to claim her own closeness to him.
A messy knot of feelings nearly broke her stoic mask.
The Queen of the Moon, with her sharp instincts, picked up on it all.
Just a brief moment of observation revealed much.
It seemed this disciple's boyfriend was a little too popular.
It appeared that almost every woman of the Guen family—from the elegant lady of the house, to the aloof valkyrie, to the seemingly sunny Lilith—were all orbiting around him.
The Queen's eyes dimmed slightly, feeling uneasy for her disciple.
As her disciple's teacher, she knew Sistine well.
Despite her cold appearance, Sistine was a soft-hearted fool.
Always worried about bothering others, willing to endure wrongs to avoid causing trouble.
If so many excellent girls surrounded Shia, it would not be a good thing for Sistine.
This was a world far harsher than the harem of naive schoolgirls.
The Guen family's women, raised in such an environment, were no easy opponents.
With that thought, the Queen of the Moon's expression grew even dimmer.