“Wait, I still don’t know your name.”
“Lilianne Hesperis Marashian.”
“Marashian. So the empress of Sarruma—do you know her?” Kliment’s eyes twinkle in excitement. “Wait, are you she? Your imperial majesty?”
“I do know her,” replies Lilianne. “She is my younger sister. She will make a good empress and I am proud of her.”
Kliment whistles. “So you’re royalty.”
“I must say, I was very surprised that you did not immediately recognize my name. The Sarruman Empire is indisputably the most powerful and influential on the continent.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just, past a certain age, one does get tired of keeping up with politics.”
“No, do not apologize. It was not an unpleasant surprise.” Lilianne pauses for a moment, then turns to face Kliment, blinking her eyes slowly. “You said that Varus the Creator, immortal alchemist born several centuries ago, is your grandfather. How old are you?”
Kliment shrugs nonchalantly, which only serves to make Lilianne think his answer will be something out of the ordinary, something definitely not nonchalant. Her intuition is true.
“Almost four hundred?”
“Almost?”
“It’s my birthday in a few weeks.”
“Ah. An early belated birthday to you.”
“Thanks, friend.”
ns 15.158.61.54da2
