Due to the chaos caused by Garde, the guards of the entire Ibut Lord Ameer Residency didn't get any sleep all night.
Some were busy tidying up the Lord Ameer's residence that Garde had wrecked, while others were searching outside the city for the two Lord Ameers Garde had abducted.
There were suspicions about Rhine Lab's involvement, but the building where Rhine Lab was based showed no signs of unusual activity.
The following morning, government officials from Columbia arrived at the gates as usual to lodge their protests, much to the irritation of the soldiers on guard duty.
In the bathroom of Saria's suite, the sound of running water from the shower could be heard, accompanied by playful laughter between the couple.
Eventually, Saria emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white bath towel, carried in Garde's arms.
The white-haired Vouivre woman rested her head on the crocodile man's chest, her usually stern and cold visage now softened with a smile of happiness.
"Garde, I'll write a letter for you later to Kristen, the CEO of Rhine Lab. She's my old friend from university, and we co-founded Rhine Lab together. I'll ask her to appoint you as the Director of Rhine Lab Defense Division."
"No, let's wait until you return first. For me, as long as you're here, it doesn't matter what I do."
Garde didn't believe that Kristen, as a CEO, would hand over such a critical position to an outsider without Saria being present.
Besides, as he said, he wasn't interested in any position at Rhine Lab. If it weren't for Saria, he wouldn't even glance at the Director of Rhine Lab Defense Division role, even if it were offered on a silver platter.
"Is this how you usually sweet-talk Gavial and Laurentina too?"
"Hehe, I'm just being honest."
Garde grinned, revealing sharp teeth. His crocodile-like smile might appear menacing, but to Saria, it was a sign of his gentleness.
"Kristen will accept my arrangement," Saria insisted. She knew Garde didn't care for Rhine Lab, but that only made her more determined to bring him into it.
She once only cared about Rhine Lab and her friend Kristen. Now, her heart had room for a crocodile man as well.
Moreover, unlike the company and her friend, Garde held a much closer place in her heart.
She wanted to protect Kristen, safeguard Rhine Lab, and earn Garde's recognition for both.
Seeing Saria's persistence, Garde didn't argue further. Instead, he teased, "Do you even have the strength to write now?"
His remark earned him an eye-roll from Saria.
"Just put me down," she replied, casting a glance at the bath towel Garde was using as an apron. Beneath it, a conspicuous tent was pitched high, leaving Saria both intimidated and exasperated.
"I need genuine rest after last night, if you are still unsatisfied, just do it with the one next door."
The moment Saria finished her sentence, a loud crash came from the adjacent room, as if something had fallen and shattered.
Saria and Garde exchanged glances.
"Could it be... Kal'tsit's been in the living room this whole time?" Garde said awkwardly.
"I've heard that Feline hearing is excellent," Saria replied calmly. "Or perhaps Dr. Kal'tsit had work to deal with last night and hasn't slept yet."
"She wouldn't have such a peculiar hobby, right?"
Eavesdropping seemed beneath Kal'tsit's dignity.
"Hmph, if you're so partial to her, then let's just leave it at that."
Noticing Saria sulking, Garde looked innocent. He was merely stating the truth.
That older woman was well past her prime—he might tease her, but would he actually dare make a move?
Whether Kal'tsit could handle it physically was one thing.
But if he were to really do it with Kal'tsit, wouldn't it count as damaging a historical relic?
Saria stopped paying attention to Garde. She sat on the couch and picked up a piece of stationery, ready to write a letter.
Draped in a white bath towel, she curled up on the couch, placing a stiff piece of cardboard on her knees.
Fresh from the shower, crystalline droplets still clung to her hair. As she bent over to write, the not-so-large bath towel she wore barely managed to contain the ample curves of her chest, which seemed poised to escape at any moment.
Garde quickly turned his head away, adopting a pose reminiscent of The Thinker by sculptor Auguste Rodin. With one hand supporting his chin, he tried to look deep in thought.
His gaze grew darker as he struggled to ensure his "lower chamber" wouldn't dictate his "upper chamber." For the first time, he felt like he could understand the pain and torment of The Thinker.
Pain!
Too much pain!
However, the thoroughly exhausted Saria, worn out by Garde's relentless "efforts," didn't notice his internal struggle. She was preoccupied with the knowledge that Garde would be leaving soon.
As reluctant as she was, Saria understood he couldn't stay here forever.
Before his departure, she wanted to do everything in her power to help him with the matters ahead.
She needed to write two letters.
The first was a recommendation to her alma mater, Trimounts Institute of Technology.
The second was addressed to Kristen, the CEO of Rhine Lab and her close friend.
The letter to Trimounts Institute of Technology was simple: she just needed to clearly state her reasons for recommending Garde, vouch for his adherence to the school rules in her name, sign it with her signature, and seal it with her personal stamp.
However, the letter to Kristen left her feeling conflicted.
Finally, she began writing:
====
Dear Kristen,
As I write this letter, I am still in the Ibut Lord Ameer Residency. The moment I left the Hotlands, it signified the arrival of a new storm brewing between Rhine Lab, Columbia, and Sargon.
I succeeded. I brought back something from the Hotlands that can suppress Oripathy. Though I hesitate to call it a "medicine," strictly speaking, it's the blood of a living creature.
We cannot extract more of it—the creature is too powerful. So powerful that even Columbia's best warships would be no match for it.
If I had the chance to redo it all, I wouldn't refuse the opportunity to enter the Hotlands again. But I wish I had never encountered it.
I am unsure whether this "medicine" can be replicated. Columbia is watching it closely, and the Lord Ameers of Sargon covet it as well. Although it pains me, I know we cannot keep it.
What we can do, however, is leverage it to secure more resources, more investment, and more funding for experiments. This is why I've chosen to remain in Sargon for the time being.
Kristen, it has been four months since I left Columbia. I don't know how the company is faring, but I trust that with you at the helm, all will be well.
In my absence, the position of the Director of Rhine Lab Defense Division will be vacant. I don't know how long I'll need to stay in Sargon, so I'm recommending someone to you. This person was my companion and comrade in the Hotlands, and it's only thanks to his help that I was able to acquire the "medicine."
===
Saria hesitated for a moment. She wanted to add "lover" as a descriptor, but faced with her friend and confidant, she hesitated.
Her relationship with Garde had progressed too quickly. If she explicitly stated they were a couple, would Kristen think Garde was blackmailing her and deliberately making things difficult for him?
Weighing the possibilities, Saria ultimately decided against writing it.
She believed that even without explicitly stating their relationship, Kristen, understanding her as she did, wouldn't oppose her decision.
===
"His name is Garde, an Adakrys. Both Director Muelsyse and Director Parvis have met him."
"I hope, Kristen, that you'll allow him to temporarily take on the position of Director of Rhine Lab Defense Division. I trust that with his capabilities and approach, he won't let you down."
===
Instead of directly transferring the role to Garde, Saria chose a compromise.
Although she trusted Garde's ability to quickly win over the Defense Division staff at Rhine Lab, sudden personnel changes might bring unnecessary trouble.
It would be better to deal with it once she returned.
After wrapping up with a few pleasantries, Saria sealed the letter and prepared to hand it to Garde.
Turning around, she found Garde sitting on the couch, his fingers intertwined under his chin, staring at the floor as if he were a statue.
"Garde?"
Garde turned his head, his golden eyes tinged with a faint crimson, his breathing slightly uneven.
"Finished?"
"Mm."
Saria nodded somewhat nervously.
The look in Garde's eyes made her instinctively clamp her legs together.
She truly had no strength left now!
<+>
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