"It's fine, go on."
Roy waved a hand casually, unconcerned by Chris's breach of etiquette.
"Mm, thank you, Lord Roy."
Having received Roy's permission, Chris skipped off to find her parents. She had so, so much good news to share with them.
"Tia Clan Chief, let's go inside."
"Alright, let's go."
After entering the palace hall, Roy and Tia each found a seat and sat down. Shelley tactfully made tea for them, then quietly returned to stand behind Roy, awaiting her judgment.
"Elder Roy, this time you came here, is it..."
"Haha, Tia Clan Chief, I think you've noticed as well. My little maid misses her parents terribly."
"I could tell."
Tia nodded. He thought Roy intended to take Chris's parents away, so he immediately waved his hand. "How about this, Elder Roy? I won't place any more restrictions on that girl's parents. Later, they can return with you."
"You misunderstand, Tia Clan Chief."
Roy shook his head. "My maid's parents have lived here for hundreds of millions of years. Their feelings for this place run too deep. How could I bear to make them leave their homeland?"
"Then..."
"It's like this, Tia Clan Chief. My maid is deeply attached to her parents, and I can't bear to tear them apart and separate them from their own flesh and blood."
"So I wanted to ask you, Tia Clan Chief, whether I could exchange her for another maid."
"???"
The moment Roy said this, everyone present was stunned.
And Tia finally understood.
If he remembered correctly, during the previous times Elder Roy had come to the Vermillion Bird Clan with Chris, Elder Roy had still called Chris by her name.
But this time, from the moment he entered, all Roy had mentioned was "maid," "maid."
Recalling the sense of discord he