When Mier finished speaking, the Royal Court instantly plunged into a deathly silence.

Rafael froze, seemingly completely motionless at this moment. Her body felt as stiff as if rusted, barely able to move an inch, with only her breathing indicating she was still alive.

Watching her, Mier, who came to deliver the message, grew even more uneasy, knowing what this news meant for Rafael. Moreover, it seemed that before she arrived, Rafael had already had some disagreements with Moli, and she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to deliver this message right now...

Nonetheless, it was military intelligence; she dared not delay, even if it was improper, she had to comply.

I’m truly sorry, Lord Raphael!

Compared to Rafael, Fisher’s reaction was quite simple; he was completely stunned.

Regarding the matter of marriage, in his memory, there was only one Valentina from the Northern Realm, no one else.

So when Mier mentioned the official wife coming to find him, his first thought was: Has Valentina come?

This was indeed shocking news, particularly at a time when the situation was already dire and unresolved; her arrival was akin to adding fuel to the fire...

Moreover, it seemed logical because earlier, Fisher had speculated about Valentina’s current condition.

Prior to his departure from the Northern Realm, she had fallen into slumber, and although he wasn’t clear on how long the Phoenix Species’ Nirvana and body reshaping took, given that Valentina might be the first in history to undergo such a transformation.

But now, four and a half years had passed since then, and the possibility of Valentina waking up was not small.

If she had awakened, then as the Phoenix Species once embraced by the Six Clans, she would certainly emerge brilliantly in the Northern Realm while inheriting her ancestors’ glory, which requires a process, and that’s why Fisher concluded she might need some time before having the leisure to seek him.

However, there’s no telling; if Valentina decides to find him first, with Slimes that possess both transmission and disguise abilities assisting her side, it’s highly possible that the moment he stepped into the Red Dragon Court, news was already delivered to Valentina by those Slimes.

Remember, Fisher had previously traded a favor to obtain a Seal from the Slimes, and with this favor, the Slimes could possibly achieve some tasks during these four and a half years...

Could it truly be Valentina visiting?

Just as Fisher had this thought, he noticed the flaw.

If it were Valentina, from his departure, it should be four and a half years, yet the so-called "official wife" only mentioned "four years." Fisher privately thought Valentina wouldn’t overlook the precision of time for Fisher at the Red Dragon Court to recognize the identity of the visitor... even if for a scandal. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Moreover, Valentina wouldn’t necessarily choose a Western Continent’s Schwali country for a false identity. Though not as prestigious as Nali, Schwali is part of the southern colonial power; identifying from Northern Realm would be more straightforward than opting for Schwali, offering no unnecessary complication...

"Fisher, what is this? Schwali’s... official wife?"

At that moment, Rafael turned her rigid head towards Fisher, in stark contrast to her earlier struggle and forbearance with Moli; her eyes now flickering with eerie green light made her frightening as a specter, causing one’s skin to crawl and a chill to ascend the spine.

Seems like even premeditated preparation couldn’t curb her present anger.

Fisher had no time to panic nor directly answer Rafael’s question; instead, he looked at Mier, who was still by the gate, even more nervous than he was, and first asked,

"Mier, did you say the person who came is a human?"

"Yes, seemed to be a young lady from that... Schwali human country, as she had plenty of treasures on her ship."

"Confirmed to be a human?"

"Didn’t notice anything extra on her, confirmed as a human."

"..."

Upon hearing Mier say the visitor was indeed a human, Fisher inexplicably breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Yet now, he wasn’t sure if he should appreciate his lady-like preferences often mocked by others, for this trait unexpectedly became a standard to judge the visitor.

After which, Fisher straightened his back slightly, explaining to Rafael,

"Absolutely not the case; I don’t know any woman from Schwali, much less a wife..."

Rafael’s expression eased a bit and she remarked,

"Ah, you only know ladies from other places, don’t you?"

"..."

Wisely, Fisher did not respond, while Rafael had no intention of settling accounts; she merely touched her chin and hesitated,

"Could it possibly be a conspiracy from the Fake Court in the north? Is it that Queen Elizabeth of Nali found Fisher’s whereabouts, or... feels a bit off; would the queen resort to such a tactic? Why does it seem like she’s come especially for you, Fisher?"

"... Elizabeth shouldn’t yet know of my movements; I have come to the South Continent in secret. If she knows, it can only be attributed to her subordinates’ dealings—those demons. Regardless, I intend to meet this so-called... ’wife.’ If she’s sent by demons, then the means she’s concealing may be beyond your imagination..."