Queen Tiria was simply far too confident.
Her confidence came from her noble birth and experiences. Like the radiant sun, it never felt irritating; instead, it seemed only natural.
When she invited Kroya, there was no desire in her eyes, only pure admiration-admiration born of his looks.
To be honest, Kroya was a little partial to good looks himself.
An attractive face always opened more doors. At the very least, it made a favorable first impression, so Kroya wholeheartedly agreed with what she had said.
Unfortunately, though...
He shook his head at Queen Tiria. "The road toward the ultimate mysteries is always a lonely one, and I've long since prepared myself to accept that solitude. If you don't mind, we can be friends."
He held out a hand.
Queen Tiria clasped it without hesitation and gave it a shake. Then she said, "I agree to be your friend, but that won't stop me from pursuing you. Oh, man-you've caught my attention."
She winked at Kroya.
All he could do was smile awkwardly.
If he hadn't been wearing airy sandals, Kroya would have curled his toes hard enough to dig into the ground. It was mortifying, especially since that phrase had originally come from him.
He desperately wished he could travel back in time and stop himself.
Seeing the embarrassment on Kroya's face, Queen Tiria finally took the initiative to change the subject. "If the Radiant Church hears about the gems from Venus Heaven, they'll pay a high price for them."
"But you could also sell them to me."
"I intend to build a palace out of venus gems as a gift for my grandfather."
"The emperor can live in the Creator's Heaven too."
She held the golden gem and watched the ripples it sent bursting through the void, her golden-blue