Chapter 198: Two People, One Play

"By the way, the Chief of Staff must be very tired after just returning. You should quickly go rest, take a bath, change into comfortable clothes, and then get a good night's sleep," Vanas suddenly said as they reached the door of the previous living room, as if remembering something.

Elaina was indeed very tired and readily agreed, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"The Chief of Staff has made a great contribution this time. I will reward you handsomely when you are well-rested," Vanas said with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Elaina curtsied slightly, then pointed at Silas and said, "Since I brought him here, let him stay at my place for the time being!"

"How can that be!" Vanas immediately said.

The next second, she seemed to sense something was wrong and quickly explained, "Your manor only has you, a single girl, living there. It doesn't seem convenient for a man to suddenly move in. And don't forget Grandpa Mir's warning just now."

Hearing this, Elaina nodded. "Yes, I was inconsiderate."

Vanas leaned over and gently hugged her shoulder. "And you should also consider it from my perspective. Can't the grand imperial palace accommodate a distinguished guest? If I let a distinguished guest stay at your place, wouldn't it make our royal family seem too stingy?"

Elaina laughed upon hearing this, nodded, turned to Silas, and said, "Feel the benevolence and grace of Her Majesty our Queen, and then accept it with gratitude!"

Silas smiled and saluted, "Rest assured, Chief of Staff!"

Afterward, Elaina left with light steps, returning to her own home to rest.

After Elaina left, five people remained in the corridor: Vanas, Silas, and three guards – one male and two female.

The handsome blond man was currently staring at Silas with an unfriendly expression, subtly taking a step forward, closer to Vanas, ready to strike at any moment.

Vanas said with a sincere expression, "Thank you again for saving Elaina. She is not only my Chief of Staff but also my good sister."

Silas smiled elegantly and calmly, bowed, and said, "It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning. However, Your Majesty's reception etiquette today truly makes me deeply grateful. To be personally received and have a serious conversation with the Queen of Guinness, renowned as the Pearl of the North, is my greatest honor in these years."

Looking at Silas's polite and flawless words, standard posture, and elegant and composed smile, Vanas felt as if she were appreciating a work of art, extremely pleasing to the eye.

"Mr. Sotos must be tired from his journey. I will have Maria take you to rest first!"

"Maria, take Mr. Sotos to the East Sunlit Room to rest."

Hearing this, the three guards were immediately astonished, and even Maria was surprised.

The guest rooms in the imperial palace were divided into three levels: Star, Silver Moon, and Sunlit. Among them, Sunlit was the highest level. There were only four such rooms in total – east, west, south, and north – used to accommodate visiting kings or dignitaries from other countries.

And the East Sunlit Room was even closer to the Queen's bedchambers, a place where only the kings of the closest allied nations could reside.

The handsome blond man hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, that place has always been for kings of other countries to live in. How can a merchant like him, reeking of copper, be qualified to live there? In my opinion, he doesn't even qualify to live in a Star room!"

"Jimmy, you seem to be too lacking in composure today," Vanas said calmly without turning her head.

The handsome blond man's breath hitched upon hearing this, and his face turned pale as he lowered his head. "Your subordinate was wrong."

Maria then said very pertinently, "Your Majesty, I know your gratitude and appreciation for Mr. Sotos, but according to royal regulations, commoners are indeed not qualified to enter the Sunlit Room. To live there, one must be at least a Marquis or a bishop of a major church."

Hearing this, Vanas was immediately caught in a dilemma.

A light flashed in Silas's eyes. He gave her a subtle look, indicating that there was no need to hide it anymore.

Seeing this, the intelligent Vanas immediately understood and asked calmly, "Do you really think he is just a merchant?"

The four were stunned upon hearing this.

Then Vanas continued to ask, "Do you really think I am so muddle-headed that I need you to remind me of the importance of the Sunlit Room?"

"Could it be, Your Majesty…" Maria probed with a hesitant expression.

Vanas's tone was somewhat desolate, with a hint of disappointment. "I thought that since you have followed me for so long, you could understand my meaning. It seems my expectations for you might have been too high."

Hearing this, the hearts of the four immediately sank. They felt extremely uncomfortable, like students who had just been scolded by their superiors, feeling that their future was bleak.

"Mr. Sotos, please state your identity and purpose, and present your credentials. Please forgive my servants' loyalty. In these extraordinary times, they may be overly sensitive," Vanas said seriously.

Silas nodded at her with satisfaction, then clasped his hands in front of his chest and said with a peaceful and solemn expression, "Allow me to reintroduce myself."

Seeing the greatly changed temperament of Silas, Maria and Jimmy were immediately surprised and somewhat nervous.

"My name is Silas Sotos, an apprentice bishop of the Holy Blood Church. I have come here this time under the order of the Central Archbishop of the Church, Archbishop Emilia, to negotiate with the Queen of Guinness. We hope our church can assist your esteemed country in dealing with related rebel issues and further discuss the friendly and peaceful development between our two countries in the future."

"Holy Blood Church!?"

"Apprentice Bishop!?"

The four couldn't react to this sudden change.

How did that ordinary merchant just now become a bishop of the world's largest church?

Here, Silas took out his clerical robe, pendant, related tokens, and documents from his backpack and handed them over.

Maria hurriedly stepped forward, took the tokens and documents, and examined them carefully.

A dozen seconds later, Vanas asked calmly, "Well, Mr. Sotos's identity."

Maria, after carefully examining them back and forth several times, replied seriously with a shocked expression, "It's true. Mr. Sotos is indeed an apprentice teaching assistant of the Holy Blood Church."

Jimmy stared at Silas and asked, "What is your Holy Blood Church doing in our Kingdom of Guinness? Weren't the two people you sent before already brought back with their words? We have no interest in accepting your notice."

"Those two did not return; they have disappeared," Silas said calmly.

Hearing this, Jimmy's face darkened; he knew Silas was not lying.

"Therefore, I am here. From an ordinary priest to a bishop, this is the sincerity shown by our Archbishop Emilia," Silas said seriously.

Vanas said calmly at this moment, "Although our country does not like the Holy Blood Church, I indeed feel the Church's sincerity. Not only did you come personally, but you also saved my sister along the way. Therefore, you are qualified to enjoy the highest level of reception in our kingdom."

Silas saluted gratefully. "Thank you for your benevolence and tolerance, Your Majesty. While expressing my sincere greetings and regards to you this time, I also hope to do my meager best to share your worries and solve your difficulties. If you are willing, our Holy Blood Church can help you repel the rebels and rebuild the country. Please rest assured, we will not establish a church here, nor will we interfere with your governance."