(This chapter's soundtrack: Tough Love)
As the King of Angel took her seat, the atmosphere in the air grew somewhat heavy. However, Bernadette had not come to ruin the gathering. As she lifted her teacup, a tranquil fragrance spread from around her. Along with the blooming of beautiful little flowers, a calming, relaxing scent filled the entire garden, and for a moment, everyone almost forgot the pressure brought by their ranks.
Seeing Bernadette instantly ease the tense atmosphere, Audrey refused to be outdone and cast a mental soothing spell, helping everyone relax as much as possible. Bernadette took the opportunity to restart the conversation:
"Since we're talking about romance, how about we discuss how we each met that special someone? What do you think, Audrey?"
Although Bernadette's tone was gentle, Audrey sensed a strong hint of provocation. She opened the folding fan Sno had given her. The image of a silver-white giant dragon soaring through the sky concealed her slightly puffed cheeks, while on the side facing her, a line of words appeared—
"Challenge accepted."
Audrey rose slightly, placed one hand over her chest, and spoke in a clear, melodious voice:
"Ever since I was little, I understood one thing: my words and actions had to uphold a noble's dignity."
"As for marriage, love was not important. Family interests were what had to be considered."
"But after I stepped into the extraordinary world, I discovered a problem: every lie and every secret became perfectly clear to me."
"After realizing that, I felt it would be difficult for me to enjoy love, because I still could not appreciate other people's flaws."
"Should I accept reality? Accept some prince?"
"Of course not!"
"I told myself that I needed to learn to wait!"
"I worked hard to advance my Sequence and seize control