I was raised in the simulator, and I’m really not a bad woman in Ark!

—Are you thinking about Theresa?

Ikaros was unable to understand his current situation, and could not see clearly what his true thoughts were.

She was somewhat suspicious whether she was too deeply influenced by the Grand Duke's dream, and might even have subconsciously regarded herself as the Grand Duke, although she knew that the possibility was very small. After all, the Grand Duke was ultimately an extension of herself, and himself a possible "Ekaros".

In the final analysis, nature and Ikaros are the same existence. How can there be such a strange statement that he subconsciously regards himself as the Grand Duke?

In the final analysis, it was just an excuse for Ikaros to escape from the unnecessary emotions that arose in his heart.

It’s like playing a dating game that left a deep impression on you, and every night you’re dragged into selecting scenes from the dating game to reenact in VR.

As long as you are not a person with a heart as hard as a rock and completely indifferent to this, then as long as you are slightly moved, no matter what these feelings are, they will gradually deepen with the constant repetition.

To put it bluntly, the development of feelings is a process of sedimentation and accumulation.

Forgetfulness and indifference are the most terrifying things on the road of emotional development.

With the continuous sedimentation and accumulation of emotions, even those who think they have no emotions will gradually get used to it as they get along day by day, and feel uncomfortable on the day of loss, thus understanding what sadness is in essence.

If those beings are like this, what about Ikaros who is already emotional?

In the final analysis, it was just that Ikaros gradually became like the Grand Duke and could not let go of Theresa, rather than the Grand Duke replacing Ikaros and wanting to continue pursuing Theresa.

Ikaros is still himself, but if you have to say it, Ikaros is moving closer to himself as the "Grand Duke" and gradually regards Theresa as someone close to him.

In addition, Icarus himself has a little bit of possessiveness, which makes him uneasy and it is understandable that he would think about Theresa when Arturo is around him.

If the situation were to be different, and Arturo and Theresa's identities were swapped, Ikaros would still be the same.

He cared about Arturo so much, but at the same time, he couldn't help but care about Theresa.

Although it is awkward, this is also Ikaros's truest psychological state now.

There was a long silence, and finally Ekalos looked at Arturo, and after hesitating for a moment, under the urging of his feelings for Arturo and the faint guilt in his heart, he slowly answered:

"Hmm... sort of. I am a little concerned about Her Highness Theresa."

"Actually, you also want to meet that prince, right?"

"..."

Should I say that she is indeed my childhood sweetheart? She can see through my thoughts and ideas directly.

Looking at Arturo who was looking at him, Icarus didn't want to escape anything, but looking at the pair of eyes as bright and deep as obsidian, he saw the trust and worry about him.

Ekalos felt even more guilty, and even wanted to kill himself for thinking about another woman to apologize to Arturo.

She felt like a jerk who had let down her loyal girlfriend.

Although she and Arturo are just friends and family.

However, Icarus is not the kind of person who is unwilling to admit his own little thoughts. If Arturo does not see through his thoughts, it will be fine. However, since Icarus does not want to influence Arturo's thoughts, he will probably just continue to think about Theresa instead of taking the initiative to tell Arturo what he thinks.

But now that things have come to this, since his childhood sweetheart has already noticed his abnormality and is almost certain of what he was thinking, Ekalos will naturally not continue to hide it.

After all, if that happened, the relationship between him and Arturo would be affected.

If you can't even have the most basic trust and openness of heart, then what kind of friends are you!

"Well, I kind of want to meet that prince, but I don't want to. Anyway, I'm very conflicted now. Arturo, you should understand me, right? It's like standing at a crossroads and making a choice. Maybe my choice will affect the future fate of countless people on this land, or maybe it won't, so..."

"So you're hesitant?"

Before Ikaros could finish his words, Arturo, who had a worried look on his face, interrupted Ikaros expressionlessly.

"..."

"Yes, I have nothing to hide from you, Arturo. I just don't know how to make a choice now."

There was a moment of silence before Ikaros nodded in acknowledgement of what Arturo had said.

Just as he said, Ikaros felt himself hesitant, confused, and troubled about whether he should try to change Theresa's future destiny.

She thought she didn't have the answer in her heart.

"But I don't think you are hesitating, my Ikaros."

However, Arturo clearly has a different opinion on Icarus' current situation.

In other words, as the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while those who are not involved can see things clearly. In Arturo's eyes, Ekalos had never hesitated from beginning to end, she was just confused.

She understood Ikaros, her childhood sweetheart, and to some extent, she understood Ikaros better than Ikaros knew herself.

Arturo knows exactly what kind of person his childhood sweetheart is.

Ikaros never hesitated. Even when standing at a crossroads, she would be the first to find the right direction and hold her hand without hesitation. She was always the one who could lead her to a quiet hill among the endless stream of people and look at the stars.

She would plan everything in her life in advance, handling all the troubles, difficulties, trivial matters and interpersonal relationships in an orderly manner. Sometimes she was like a perfect housemaid, sometimes like a young mother, and sometimes like a simple and lovely girl.

But no matter what Ekalos looks like, in Arturo's eyes he is always so reliable and trustworthy, as if he will never be affected by the influence of his surroundings.

That heart as calm as a mirror and still water seems to be the essence of Ikaros.

He is a person who cannot even influence his own music.

How could such a person feel confused and hesitant about his future and current situation?

That is impossible. No matter now, in the past or in the future, Icarus will never feel confused about his own path. This is what Arturo has always been firm and determined about.

So when Ikaros admitted his confusion...

No, it should be that the moment when Ikaros began to feel confused and hesitant about Theresa's affairs, Arturo realized that Ikaros had actually made his choice in silence.

And in Arturo's view, the reason why Ikaros hesitated was just the final waiting and preparation before taking the next step forward.

Ikaros had already made her decision in her heart, she just hadn't taken the first step yet.

"You just haven't taken that step yet. In fact, when you feel yourself getting hesitant, you already have the answer deep in your heart, right?"

Arturo spoke as he looked at the girl in front of him who had never changed or hesitated.

Although at this moment she can rely on her position and feelings in Ikaros' heart to influence Ikaros' final judgment and actions.

But Arturo never bothered to do such a thing.

She believed that the bond between her and Ikaros was stronger than gold, far beyond what the so-called Demon King could compare to.

Although Arturo didn't know why a demon king who had never met Ikaros could make his own Ikaros feel hesitant and confused.

But no matter what, they have been together for several years and have never met each other, so the advantage is in the team.

So Arturo was not worried about anything at all. The only thing she didn't want to see was that Ekalos felt that she was hesitating.

She didn't like Ikaros like that, so she decided to push Ikaros.

Let my own Qingmei return to the perfect state she used to be where everything was under control and everything could be managed in an orderly manner.

After all, only that kind of Ikaros is the real Ikaros.

Only an Ikaros like him can accompany me to the highest stage and compose together the music that will reach the end of Terra, right?

As for the demon king, it is just an insignificant episode on their way forward.

Don't worry about it at all.

Well, at least that's what Arturo still thinks now.

After his childhood sweetheart pointed out his true inner thoughts, Ekalos, who realized all this, fell into silent contemplation.

Yes...I already have the answer in my heart.

Why think like this?

If you really don't want to care about Theresa's affairs, why should you worry about it?

If I really had no intention of changing Theresa's fate, why would I hesitate about whether to meet Her Highness Theresa?

Although simulation is simulation, reality is reality.

There is no intersection or overlap between the two different worlds.

In reality, he was not the Grand Duke of Manchester, and Theresa was not the empress who eventually established the Second Empire of Kazdel in his dream.

They don't have a twisted and intimate relationship like a family or fruitless lovers.

After all, they are just strangers.

But after all, Ekalos also received rewards and gifts from the simulator, from Theresa's simulation, right?

Although all these rewards can be attributed to System Ena.

But how could Ikaros, who was somewhat influenced by the Grand Duke, ignore Theresa, who was destined to be lost and even resurrected as a puppet after the meeting?

For both public and private reasons, Ikaros wanted to help Theresa.

Moreover, as a time traveler, having finally arrived at this land called Terra, wouldn’t it be a failure if I didn’t do something to change this terrible land?

Although this was just an excuse from Ikaros.

In fact, Ikaros feels that as long as he can spend his life with Arturo and the family he cares about, it is enough. As for Terra and others, to be honest, they are not important to Ikaros.

But...if Theresa's position in Ikaros' heart is not just that of a simple stranger.

Then the answer to all this is obvious.

"Yes... I do have an answer now. Thank you, Arturo. Otherwise, I would have hesitated for a long time."

So there is no need to hesitate or be confused anymore.

After recognizing his own heart, Ikaros decided to interfere in Theresa's fate. Without saying too much, he just regarded it as a thank you for the simulation reward, and also as an explanation to the "Grand Duke" himself.

Ikaros at least didn't want Theresa to die, or at least not to die so early, and try not to die with too many regrets.

This was the limit of what Ikaros could do for Theresa.

It was impossible for her to spend her entire life accompanying Theresa in rebuilding the so-called Kazdel Empire.

However, due to the simulation and the Grand Duke's memory, it is impossible to completely ignore Theresa.

So Ekaros made his own choice, his own decision, and his own resolution.

"That's right, this is the Ekalos I know." Arturo smiled when he saw this, although he didn't know why he felt an inexplicable heaviness on his head.

But isn’t it good to see Ekaros’s determined gaze?

Anyway, she didn't think Theresa could do anything to Ikaros or have any impact on Ikaros, who was so sentimental.

Instead, he took this opportunity to increase Ekaros' favorability.

This time, the evaluation is that I won.

Win, win, win, how can Arturo lose? Who in this world can defeat such a powerful, domineering, strong, and presumptuous Arturo? !

Arturo! This civilization is already invincible!!!

Quack! Arturo will win everything and defeat everything! ! ! !

Chapter 157: The Doctor - An Alien Enemy

But... does Arturo really no longer have any enemies?

"Huha... Ah, Amiya, walk slower, don't run so fast, I can't... I can't keep up."

"Haha, Doctor, hurry up~, Sister Theresa is going to receive guests today, we should go there quickly."

Just as Icarus and Arturo finished their conversation and were about to leave the corridor.

In the corridor where there were originally only two Sakota girls, two voices suddenly appeared. One was childish and cute, and the other was hoarse and weak, which instantly attracted the attention of Ekalos and Arturo.

Arturo subconsciously shifted his gaze from Ekalos to the direction where the sound came from.

She saw a young and thin girl from the Caster tribe at the place where the sound came from. She was running and looking at the strange hooded man wrapped tightly in a black windbreaker behind her with a smile.

The combination of the big and the small really aroused Arturo's curiosity.

Especially after seeing the employee ID hanging on the chest of the Caster girl, Arturo was even more unable to understand.

Does the organization Babel recruit child laborers?

I couldn't help but think about it in my heart, but Arturo didn't say anything more. After all, this was a private matter within the Tower of Babel, and Arturo had no right to ask about it, not to mention in Kazdel...

Arturo could only say that the values ​​and common sense he developed in Lateran did not apply in this place.