Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The door closed gently.

Lajus and Tina's footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the depths of the corridor. The room fell silent, save for the occasional birdsong from outside the window and the tranquil aroma of tea slowly settling in the sunlight.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on Lana's long, golden hair and making her smooth strands shine.

She tilted her head slightly, a few strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, shimmering with a faint golden light.

Rune sat in his chair, watching Lana quietly.

Lana was looking at him too.

Then that exquisite, angelic face began to distort little by little.

Her lips trembled slightly at first, then tilted to one side, curving into an inappropriate arc. In her deep blue eyes, the gentle light seemed to be torn apart from within, revealing something deeper and darker beneath.

It is a pure, unadulterated pleasure.

"Is this really a good image, Your Highness?"

Rune's voice rang out in the quiet room, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Lana chuckled softly. The laughter was still clear and crisp, but the tone was a little higher than usual, and the last note lingered, like a plucked string that trembled and refused to stop.

"What does it matter, Rune-chan?"

She pronounced the syllables "Rune-chan" with exceptional clarity, as if deliberately savoring every subtle reaction those three words evoked on his face.

The corners of her mouth turned up a little more, and the broken smile was particularly dazzling in the sunlight, yet it strangely matched her face.

"Didn't you already know that?"

She tilted her head, and her long golden hair slipped down her shoulders like a piece of silk being blown away by the wind.

"You could tell from the very first time we met, right?"

Rune did not answer.

In fact, he already knew this before he even met Lana.

Having read the original work, Lana could never have guessed such a thing.

But Lana wasn't entirely wrong. From their first meeting, Rune certainly knew what kind of person she was.

The "Golden Princess" image that she carefully maintained in front of everyone was transparent to him from the very beginning.

Rune, however, never showed it.

Social interactions and engagements among nobles are unavoidable. The Aindora family is a prominent family that can participate in the King's Council, and as the next heir, Rune will inevitably have to attend some of the smaller banquets.

This is an unspoken rule among the nobility. Heirs to titles gather together, get to know each other to build networks, and occasionally discuss slightly more in-depth topics.

The older generation of nobles decided the fate of the kingdom on grander occasions, while these heirs practiced their skills at these smaller banquets, preparing them to do the same in the future.

Rune always tries to avoid Lana.

Even if it's unavoidable, he will end his contact with Lana as soon as possible.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he made an excuse to leave, the whole process swift and decisive, leaving no room for Lana to continue the conversation.

This unusual behavior, however, caught Lana's attention.

In Lana's view, Rune's avoidance was not a pretense, but a genuine desire to keep his distance.

This led Lana to the conclusion that Rune was one of her kind.

A fellow human being who could tolerate those idiots better than himself, and who saw through his disguise at their first meeting.

Later, Lana learned about the series of reforms Rune had implemented in the territory of Aindora.

Unlike the other foolish nobles, Lana greatly approved of Rune's development policies in his territory, which further solidified her view that Rune was one of her kind.

However, Lana still can't understand why Rune insists on providing aid to the Dragon Kingdom every year.

Every year, Rune would lead his cavalry to the land being devoured by orcs to protect those who had no connection to him.

Lana couldn't understand it.

It was precisely because she couldn't understand it that she found it interesting.

Lana believed that Rune was a being more intelligent than herself, one that even she could not see through.

This made her suddenly feel that the world had meaning.

Since she couldn't get to Lana through Rune, Lana deliberately approached Lajus.

Through her relationship with Lajus, she gradually gets closer to Rune. That naive and passionate girl becomes her bridge to Rune.

This is why Rune felt he couldn't prevent Lajus from getting to know Lana.

The room was quiet for a moment, then the sunlight moved a little further, leaving a new trail of light on the floor.

"So, Rune-chan decided to take action against [Eight Fingers] because of Lajus?"

Lana's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with a subtle hint of jealousy.

Rune glanced at her.

Lana was looking at him, her deep blue eyes reflecting his face. The smile on her face was no longer broken; instead, it was a calm expression, as if she were waiting for something.

"Not entirely."

Rune withdrew his gaze and looked again at the paper on the table covered with place names.

"After all, you helped me, so this is my way of repaying you."

Rune wasn't shameless enough to actually accept being touched on the face as payment.

He himself felt it was unreasonable to use it to repay a real favor.

Moreover, by returning the favor in this way, he has repaid both the nominal and the substantive favors.

That way Lana shouldn't make any other demands on him, right?

Lana paused for a moment.

On that broken face, an expression now appeared that was completely different from before.

It's as if something that was hidden deep inside has suddenly been touched.

Lana lowered her head.

Golden strands of hair slipped down her shoulders, obscuring her profile. Her shoulders trembled slightly, so slightly as to be barely perceptible.

Rune didn't understand why his words had elicited that expression from her.

This woman is a monster. Her emotions are perhaps just another form of disguise.

Rune picked up the now-cold cup of black tea in front of him and took a small sip. The tea was icy cold, with a slightly astringent aftertaste that slowly melted on his tongue. He put down the cup and his gaze returned to Lana.

"Speaking of which, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

Lana raised her eyes, her expression returning to its usual composure, with only a faint trace of red remaining at the corner of her eye, as if her earlier loss of composure had never existed.

"How did you get that ring from the kingdom's warrior captain?"

Rune's tone was casual, as if he were asking a question unintentionally.

Lana chuckled softly.

"Rune is really something."

Her voice was soft, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying a hint of playful reproach. His face was reflected in her deep blue eyes, which shone with an almost indulgent light.

"You're so smart, don't you know how you appear in the eyes of the Warrior Captain?"