"Don't misunderstand, Snake Princess. I found a stranded member of the Kuja Tribe while sailing. I'm just bringing her back."
Sephiroth offered no further explanation. If there were any questions, it would be better to let them sort things out among themselves.
"Lady Snake Princess! I'm Kikyo's student, Marguerite-"
The blonde girl, Marguerite, stood beside Sephiroth and waved to the Snake Princess.
Her behavior startled Sephiroth. Given his impression of the Empress's volatile temper, was that really all right...?
Sephiroth had considered having his subordinates bring Marguerite back, but he didn't have many female warriors under his command, and sending them out alone wasn't very practical.
Besides, Hancock wasn't exactly mentally stable. He was also worried that something might happen if he sent his subordinates over.
Sephiroth liked Hancock's looks a great deal, but her personality... on a screen, he could still call it distinctive.
Faced with that sort of personality in real life, however, he really didn't want to deal with her unless she happened to fall for him.
"Is that so..."
The unexpected answer left Hancock momentarily taken aback. But seeing Sephiroth's utterly unruffled expression stirred another wave of displeasure within her.
Sephiroth's concerns stemmed from his impressions from his previous life. Marguerite's enthusiasm came from the fact that the Snake Princess was her idol.
In truth, Hancock had a fairly good reputation in her own country. At worst, she was considered willful; she didn't casually hurt her subordinates just because her moods were unpredictable.
Judging by the original story, the country's citizens could even be said to live in peace and prosperity.
That was mainly due to the properties of the Love-Love Fruit, along with her own charm and strength. No one in Amazon Lily would defy her, so things never escalated to the point where she