Two weeks later.
It was late December.
On a winter morning in the southern Krui Di Empire, Bulida First Station gradually awakened in the morning light.
The station stood at Duke Oseta Plaza, near the central district in the northern part of Bulida City. It had been built 134 years ago and designed by the Half-Demon imperial artisan Ulti Stecchini. Due to renovation and municipal-planning issues at the time, it had taken more than a decade to complete and open for use.
"When I first came to this station, Nikola was the one who received me."
Lanchi walked across the plaza outside the station, telling Ifatia and Mi Gaiya, who were accompanying him.
"That's amazing. The director of the Imperial Special Operations Division personally welcomed you to Bulida."
Ifatia clapped as she spoke.
"As expected of my brother-in-law."
Mi Gaiya praised him just like Ifatia had.
"No, wait. Duchess, what the hell does 'brother-in-law' mean?"
Lanchi had noticed that Mi Gaiya's way of addressing him had been adapting to different situations over the past few days.
When Mi Gaiya was in Hughberlian's presence, she adopted a slightly elder-like attitude and addressed Lanchi by name.
When Sigrid was present, Mi Gaiya would probably treat Lanchi like a colleague, drawing a little closer to him and interacting with him the way Toliado did.
But with only Talia present, Mi Gaiya simply called him her brother-in-law.
Lanchi even suspected that Mi Gaiya was a superb actress deliberately messing with him. While Ifatia was still struggling with how to address him, Mi Gaiya had already developed an adaptive hierarchy system.
"Nikola nearly put silver handcuffs on you back then, and you call that receiving you?"
Talia walked behind them and exposed the truth of what Lanchi had said before Mi Gaiya could even speak.