Silard's pupils contracted slightly. He had not expected Raya to know, much less to react so strongly. Setting down his wineglass, his gaze turned grave. "Raya, don't think that way. The Empire has its own difficulties. Haven't you been ransomed back now?"
"What about Herde and Meng Ke?"
Raya stared at Silard, her eyes carrying intense pressure.
Silard's gaze wavered. Before Raya, it seemed he could not lie. He tried to keep his tone steady. "The Empire is at war now. Gathering these ten billion resources has already drained us completely. The beast tide is about to erupt, and the beasts in the sea are stirring restlessly. The Empire must retain sufficient supplies to deal with it!"
He sighed softly and said:
"The Empire intends to demand their release from the Tianli Sect once reinforcements arrive. This is all for the greater good. You need to understand!"
"I can't understand it!"
Raya's face flushed red as she looked at Silard. "We are soldiers of the Empire. Over these past centuries, you and I have fought across the starry seas for the Empire and wiped out countless civilizations. We've been through life and death together, haven't we? Yet the moment we were captured, they refused to ransom us. How could that not chill people's hearts?"
A flash of anger also crossed Silard's eyes, but he soon said gently:
"Raya, you're back now. Don't say such things anymore. They won't do you any good!"
Raya said coldly:
"I've already died once. I have nothing left to fear. I'm just bitter inside!" She looked at Silard, a faint gleam flickering in her eyes. "This time, you must have done everything you could to ransom me. Otherwise, the Governor would never have agreed, right?"
Silard's heart trembled at Raya's gaze. He said warmly, "Back