The Unrefusable Invitation

Refusal?

Gazing at the small hand covered in white, Yueyin swallowed hard. She desperately wanted to swat it away and ask its owner, “Do you take me for a beggar?”

However, her body felt as though it had frozen solid. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t refuse.

“What do you think?” The girl had already taken Yueyin’s hand. “Well then, I’ll take that as your silent agreement.”

No, I absolutely don’t want to!

Yueyin tried to pull away, but she found herself utterly powerless. The moment the girl’s hand touched hers, all strength had drained from her body. She had no right to refuse, not at all. Or rather, no one could refuse this girl’s invitation.

Watching the two teenage girls walk hand-in-hand into the distance, the little maid’s hand, holding the umbrella, began to tremble.

Her Excellency… was truly terrifying. Especially in this form.

If I had been in the other girl’s position just now, could I have refused Her Excellency? No.

That oppressive feeling, even standing nearby, had nearly choked the little maid. If she had faced it directly… she might have simply knelt down.

“Snap out of it,” Ziyao said, squinting, noticing the little maid hadn’t seemed to follow.

“Yes.” The little maid lowered her head and quickly caught up to the two.

Her Excellency’s gaze just now was so terrifying… Those blood-red eyes had narrowed slightly, seeming to shimmer with a scarlet glow under the sunlight. This was the demeanor a true noble should possess.

Smiling on the surface, yet no one knew when she might stab you in the back. Thankfully, Her Excellency was merely acting. But… could acting alone truly be this convincing?

Naturally, Ziyao was unaware of the little maid’s inner thoughts. If she had known what the little maid was thinking, she would likely have burst into laughter. She had never been a noble for even a single day. In her previous life, there were no nobles, and in this life, she had mostly stayed at home. Where would she have learned such noble bearing?

She was simply following her body’s instincts, supplemented by a few things she‘d seen on television, which made her portrayal quite convincing.

“You must have been here before, haven’t you?”

While the Imperial Capital was divided into noble and commoner districts, these areas were not strictly separated. Nobles could visit commoner districts, and commoners could enter noble districts if they wished. Moreover, the Imperial Capital’s largest commercial district was located within the noble area. Commoners frequently entered the noble district to purchase various goods.

The nobles, for their part, had no objections. Those who did object had long since been dragged out and executed by the Emperor.

That was a matter from when the Emperor first ascended the throne. At that time, Roland was no different from other nations on the continent. Nobles often treated commoners with disdain, routinely insulting and beating them. Was this normal? At least, it was the norm across the continent at the time.

But the Emperor did not see it that way.

“Whether noble or commoner, they are all my subjects. Beneath their titles, they are all humans, all children of the Gods,” the Emperor had declared during his first court assembly after ascending the throne. “I do not wish to see nobles arbitrarily oppressing commoners in Roland any longer.”

Although the Emperor had spoken, the nobles of the time did not take the young Emperor seriously.

“Roland is our Roland. Without us, what is that little brat?” That was the exact sentiment expressed by a certain duke back then.

As a result, the Emperor grew furious. He had tried to reason with them, but no one listened. There was no alternative but to use coercive measures. Days later, the first law of equal treatment in human history was enacted.

And the arrogant duke who had spoken out became the first target of punishment under this new law. His noble status was revoked, and he was forbidden from leaving his own mansion for the rest of his life.

The Emperor had still shown leniency, considering the duke’s extensive list of misdeeds. Had it been anyone else, the Emperor would have ordered an immediate execution. Yet, he was a duke, after all. His ancestors had fought and died for Roland, so executing him would have been excessively harsh.

However, the duke remained defiant. Who was he? A duke of Roland! For decades, every emperor had treated him with respect, only for this new one to depose him immediately upon taking the throne. Who could tolerate such an affront?

Thus, he courted disaster. He secretly gathered nobles discontent with the Emperor, intending to depose him. He knew that a complete change of dynasty was unrealistic, but replacing the Emperor was certainly achievable.

Yet, Roland had a significant difference from other empires: the Royal Family always held supreme military authority. Furthermore, the current Emperor’s wife was a Shadow Assassin…

The matter finally concluded with the Emperor’s furious decree, ordering the execution of all the main conspirators. After that, the stubbornly unyielding nobles were swept away, and the remaining nobles understood the Emperor’s resolve. Besides, it wasn’t as if they would lose a limb by simply avoiding commoners.

In this way, thirty years later, relations between nobles and commoners within the Roland Imperial Capital had become remarkably good. Noble children could play with commoner children—a concept unimaginable in other countries.

“Look, this is the Flower of Roland.” Pulling Yueyin to the beverage shop she frequently visited, Ziyao introduced, “Your sister works part-time here.”

“Eh? My sister?” Yueyin looked up, surprised. Was her sister really working part-time in such a luxurious place?

“However, she should be attending classes today.”

Speaking of which, don’t I have another lecture tomorrow? Ziyao thought. Never mind, I’ll focus on this for now.

Leading Yueyin into the Flower of Roland, Ziyao immediately spotted the adorable cat-girl.

“Ningning, the usual.” Ziyao raised her hand, handing paper money to the flustered cat-girl.

Oh my, what is Her Excellency Tranquil Water doing? Ningning took the money with trembling hands. Her Excellency has such an elegant demeanor today.

“This is Ningning, she’s from the Feline-kin.” Ziyao began introducing the cat-girl to Yueyin.

“Feline-kin?” Yueyin was somewhat astonished. This was her first time seeing such a beautiful beast-person. While many beast-folk mingled in the commoner district, most had animal heads and human bodies. Those like Ningning, who were nearly indistinguishable from humans, were exceedingly rare.

“Speaking of which, this young lady looks familiar.” Ningning scratched her ear. “Is she Miss Mi Yin’s sister?”

“Mm.” Ziyao nodded. “Very similar, aren’t they?”

“Am I very similar to my sister?” Yueyin’s interest was piqued. The greatest compliment she could receive was hearing others praise her sister. To her, being like her sister was the highest praise.

“Very much so, meow.” Ningning nodded.

“Alright, let’s head upstairs first.” Interrupting their conversation, Ziyao took Yueyin’s hand once more. “Our usual spot.”

“Understood, meow.”

Watching the two girls disappear up the stairs, Ningning’s gaze turned to the bewildered little maid. “What is Her Excellency doing, meow?”

The little maid shrugged. “Her Excellency’s thoughts are not for me to fathom.”

“I think she’s bored out of her mind, meow.”