Are You Her Mother? (Continued)

She didn't know what Maria ultimately wanted to do, but she knew Maria knew a great deal.

And this understanding might bring about some unexpected changes?

"..."

Maria did not answer immediately this time.

Instead, she fell into an inexplicable silence.

Heratia, noticing her hesitation, asked a question.

Is there anything that bothers you?

"... Would you try to change something that has already been decided?"

Maria did not give a direct answer, but instead gave an extremely vague response.

These words stunned Heratia.

"It's already destined... Does that mean you already know what changes will occur after this operation?"

"..."

"Okay, you probably won't say it."

Heratia's shoulders shrugged. "But, if you really want to ask me, then my answer is... yes, even knowing it will result in a demerit, I will still take action..."

"..."

"Rather than saying that knowing the outcome makes me lose motivation, it's more accurate to say that knowing the outcome actually motivates me more... because I already know that I can't change anything, so everything I do is to satisfy myself."

Heratia smiled.

"If I were to die tomorrow, I might regret it before I die, thinking there are still so many things I haven't tried... But conversely, if I knew I would die tomorrow, then everything I do today is a choice I made before I die."

"In this way, even when death comes, everything I have done will be a testament to my courage and composure in my final moments."

The blonde woman turned her body slightly to the side.

Her words were soft, but her eyes were clear... Her words carried a touch of idealism, but it is undeniable that Maria was also an idealist.

"... If this is your answer, then I'll go take a look."

Maria said this, which was considered an acceptance of the invitation.

This made Heratia laugh.

Just when Maria felt that she had said enough and could leave.

Heratia, however, mischievously pulled out two invitations from her personal belongings.

"Consider it an apology... Whatever the reason, I stood you up at the last dinner party. This time, perhaps we can finally enjoy ourselves..."

Heratia said, winking mischievously.

At that moment, Maria noticed the invitation adorned with patterns in the other person's hand.

After a few moments of silence, she pulled an identical invitation from her pocket... This was from Ulpianus.

Their shapes are largely the same, but there are some subtle differences in the details.

"Oops..."

Heratia was slightly surprised when she saw the invitation, then smiled.

"You seem to have adapted to life in Aegir more than I expected..."

"... Perhaps."

Maria didn't say much, but silently closed her eyes and gently slid the paper across the page...

The Aegir do not have a wide variety of entertainment options.

Perhaps because the general education level is already quite high, most people in Aegir are highly educated intellectuals, and this personality makes them not particularly interested in ordinary recreational activities.

They enjoy art exhibitions, concert halls, skill-based competitive sports, and those technological research and development exhibitions whose very names seem to select the most suitable participants...

And now, a concert is about to take place throughout Jiake Nanle.

Its location is Mandiast.

This is the highest-class hotel in the entire Jiake Nanle. The venue is vast and well-prepared. Various uniquely crafted musical instruments are being moved in, and waiters in black and white uniforms are quickly making preparations.

At the main entrance, well-dressed waiters stood respectfully greeting each distinguished guest. Their uniforms were impeccably tailored, and the specially adjusted lighting made them appear as elegant silhouettes in the darkness. The paving stones were unusual bricks with curling patterns, and each pair of shoes made a unique clattering sound when they stepped on them.

Further away, squads of security personnel were lurking in the darkness, patrolling stealthily.

A maid sat by a flowerbed not far away, her hands supporting her head, her eyes somewhat hazy.

The light reflected in her eyes, making her look somewhat dazed.

Not far away, another manager's maid, after briefly announcing the arrangements to the others, also breathed a sigh of relief.

She noticed her companion, who had been slacking off for a century, and helplessly rubbed her shoulders as she walked over.

"Whose young man are you thinking about?"

She spoke without any politeness towards women.

However, in a relationship between two people, honorifics can actually seem distant.

"It wasn't a young man... it was a woman."

Almost instinctively, the maid sitting by the flowerbed spoke up.

Her words left the supervisor, who had initially been joking, stunned for quite a while.

She then abruptly took several steps back, clutching her chest with both hands.

"You... you have such a fetish?!"

"No, that's not true!"

The maid only then realized what was happening and muttered something about the woman's exaggerated behavior.

"It's another woman!"

"Really... that's a shame."

The supervisor shook his head, and the words flowed naturally from his lips.

This surprised the maid.

However, a supervisor is still a supervisor; she must have her own special skills to have gotten to this position.

In just a few moments, she moved on from that topic to another.

"How do you know other women?"

"... Rather than knowing them, it's more accurate to say I've only glanced at them a few times?"

The maid muttered something understated.

"Do you remember what I told you about last time? That lady who waited for her companion for seven or eight hours?"

"I know... you said you even tried to persuade her, right? What, are you still worried that she'll remain stubborn?"

"A little... but I'm actually more curious about what her name is again."

The maid spoke, her eyes somewhat misty.

She didn't know how it happened, but even though she had only exchanged a few words with Maria, that mysterious and strong woman suddenly appeared in her mind in a very peculiar way.

These past few days, even if she wanted to forget it, she couldn't quite manage it.

This puzzled her.

Normally, it's understandable that she would remember some special guests for a few days, but... it was because of similar experiences that she realized just how strange her memories of Maria were.

But... ironically, she can no longer remember what Maria looks like at all.

She could only sense a vague memory, as if it were drawing her in.

This made her thoughts increasingly complicated.

What is it?

"Um... I don't know."

The supervisor had no idea what was wrong with her best friend, and could only tilt her head slightly as she pondered.

"Perhaps... it was love at first sight?"

Maybe.

The maid shook her head, her expression somewhat strange.

"Forget it... I shouldn't think about it too much. The event is about to start, and I can't be too obvious about slacking off."

The maid shook her head, stood up, and prepared to leave.

His companions beside him also turned around helplessly, preparing to go back as well.

But it was at this moment, amidst the swirling lights, that familiar figure reappeared once more.

This startled the girl, who had already begun her actions, and she immediately pinched her best friend hard!

"Look! It's that one! That one!"

The maidservant, hiding excitedly in the shadows, guided her companion.

But then she saw another person appear next to the slender woman.

That Platinum figure was known to almost everyone in Jiake Nanle...

They stood side by side, chatting and laughing...

This caused the maid's eyes to dim slightly.

"Who is it? Where are they...?"

Maria's best friend, who was also the supervisor, turned her head in surprise, but in that brief moment, Maria and Heratia had already entered the concert hall, and she could only helplessly miss this opportunity.

When she turned around in confusion, she found that her best friend had already walked away.

"Strangeness..."

She muttered something, her expression somewhat subtle.

"Ulpianus? You ran into him?"

Heratia tilted her head in surprise after Maria explained how she had received the invitation.

"That guy is supposedly the most talented person at the Aegir National Music Academy in the last decade... He actually accepted your evaluation of his music? I thought someone like that would be very stubborn..."

"... I'm not sure if the Ulpianus you're talking about is the same person as the Ulpianus I'm referring to, but I'm certain that I did receive this invitation from someone named Ulpianus."

Maria's words were as confusing as ever.

However, Heratia didn't really care about these things.

She simply took Maria's hand and led her step by step into the brightly lit ballroom. Watching the swaying crowd on the dance floor, she smiled and led Maria inside.

She blended in completely naturally.

The Aegir's dance steps were different from the ones Maria had learned... Their dance was extremely complex, and Maria couldn't quite get used to it for at least the first dozen or so beats.

Each of its movements places a greater strain on the muscles and body.

Even so, many of the people on the dance floor were extremely skilled.

I don't know if this is survivor bias or if Aegir is truly a master dancer.

Maria didn't think much about it; she was simply curious to learn about the culture of this race that lived and thrived in the deep sea.

Heratia was somewhat displeased that her dance partner wasn't paying attention to her while dancing, but instead was looking around.

But she quickly noticed the ring on Maria's hand.

"Speaking of which... you mentioned it before... you married a woman?"

"Yes."

Maria did not hide this from her.