Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The Francia Palace can be roughly divided into three buildings, the largest of which is the residence of the royal family.

Lajus was standing at the end of a corridor on one side of the building.

The pale red dress accentuated her slender waistline, and her long golden hair was carefully gathered to one side, falling over her shoulder and revealing a section of her fair neck.

Judging by appearance alone, you would never guess that this is the captain of a steel-level adventurer squad.

She looked exactly like a noble lady.

But at this moment, a smile graced that delicate face.

The curve of her lips was perfect, and her eyes even held a hint of gentleness. But as Rune looked at that smile, cold sweat soaked through his inner shirt.

Although it wasn't true, Rune felt that he looked a bit like a brother who was secretly dating his sister's best friend.

"Lahagi, no... it's not what you think."

Rune spoke, his voice drier than he had expected.

"That's not how it works."

Lana's voice rang out first.

Rune turned to look at her.

Lana's lower lip trembled slightly, but she quickly pursed it. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the floor in front of her, looking utterly endearing.

"It's because..." her voice trailed off, "...because I helped out...that's why I did it..."

She raised her eyes, her deep blue eyes filled with a hint of grievance, as if she had been misunderstood, yet dared not speak out in defense.

Yes, that's it... no, that's not right.

Rune stared at Lana in shock.

Is that how you explain it?

Although it was indeed the truth, this kind of euphemistic writing, coupled with Lana's timid and aggrieved expression, made the situation seem very different.

Doesn't that make him sound even more like a scumbag threatening his sister's best friend?

Before Rune could even defend himself, Lajus had already made her move.

Her steps were slow, even elegant, with her skirt drawing a smooth arc in the air.

Then, a seemingly powerful and heavy iron fist of justice landed precisely on Rune.

Hey.

It doesn't seem to hurt.

The thought flashed through Rune's mind.

But in just a moment, his body reacted correctly.

He bent over, clutching the spot where he had been hit, his face contorted into a mask of pain.

"She was my brother's darling when we were little, is this how you treat him now?"

He silently condemned it in his heart.

Lajus didn't look at him again. She reached out and naturally took Lana's arm, her smile returning to its gentle and graceful state, as if the punch had never happened.

"Your Highness, let's go inside."

"Um."

Lana responded softly, letting Lajus take her arm, and turned to walk towards the tea room, but before turning around, she gave Rune a meaningful smile.

Rune, bent over and still in that badly injured position, watched the two girls' figures disappear behind the door of the room.

A pale red skirt and long golden hair flashed by the door.

He straightened up.

Lajus's elegant voice drifted faintly from the room, responding with the same gentle tone as Lana. The atmosphere was as if nothing had happened.

Rune stood still for a moment.

Then he started walking towards the room.

Rune pushed open the door.

The moment the door opened, the entire scene inside the tea room was revealed to him.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting large, bright patches of light on the terrazzo floor.

Two blonde women sat at a round table by the window; Lahoz wore a pale red dress, and Lana wore a light blue gown. The aroma of tea wafted through the air, the sunlight was perfect, and the scene was as elegant as an oil painting.

But the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Lana sat opposite Lajus, her face bearing that standard innocent smile. Lajus also smiled, but the fingers holding her teacup tightened slightly, her knuckles turning a barely perceptible white.

Clearly, the conversation between the two before Rune came in wasn't as harmonious as Rune had overheard from outside.

Upon seeing Rune enter,

Lana's voice was just the right amount of gentleness, and her deep blue eyes curved into a beautiful arc.

She pointed to the chair to her right. "Rune, please sit here."

Rune's gaze fell on the chair.

There are five chairs around the round table.

There is a teacup in front of Lana, there is a teacup in front of Lajus, and there is also an empty teacup in front of the seat to Lana's right.

But besides that, there was also a teacup on the seat next to Lajus.

There are four in total.

There is one more person.

Rune's senses had already detected it the moment the door opened.

In the shadows of the corner of the room, there was a faint presence, deliberately suppressed, like a lurking cat.

"This must be Tina."

Why is it that my senses fail me when I'm with my own younger sister?

Rune was somewhat frustrated.

"Since that's the case, let's pretend we didn't notice. Besides, I didn't want to sit next to Lana anyway."

Rune bowed slightly and sat down in the chair next to Lajus.

The moment he sat down, he wondered if it was just his imagination.

Rune sensed that Lajus was in a better mood, and her smile had become warmer.

She probably confirmed that her brother hadn't betrayed her with her best friend.

Seriously, even in another world, do girls here still worry about their best friend becoming their sister-in-law?

Rune almost laughed.

Just then, Rune felt another gaze fall upon him.

It was neither Lana nor Lajus.

It's the person hiding in the shadows.

He turned his head, his gaze calmly fixed on the corner of the room. There, a woman dressed in close-fitting black clothes was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees.

She was tall and slender, her black clothes clinging tightly to her body, outlining her smooth lines. The color of her hair was indistinguishable in the darkness, but her eyes were staring straight at her.

"really."

Tina. A member of the Blue Rose, a ninja thief, who usually acts with her twin sister Tia. Rune quickly reviewed her information in his mind.

"what!"

Rune deliberately let out a soft gasp, leaned back slightly, and showed surprise on his face.

He looked at Tina, then at Lajus, his expression asking, "What's going on?"

Lahoz sighed.

"It's all because of your pose that you scared your elder brother."

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, but there was no real blame.

"Understood, Boss Gui."

Tina sprang to her feet from the corner, moving as nimbly as a cat. She approached the table without a sound, her eyes fixed on Rune.

Rune felt a little uneasy under her gaze.

The gaze was so direct, it was a scrutinizing look filled with intense interest, as if he were looking at some interesting collectible.

Rune had already taken the seat next to Lajus.

Tina could only choose the chair next to Lana, but her gaze kept lingering on Rune.