After hearing Elashia's words, Chris actually calmed down instead.
She stared directly into Elashia's pair of emerald pupils.
She hoped to see some trace of falsehood in them.
However, the sincerity in those emerald eyes made her almost have to turn her head away.
That kind of gaze was even more genuine than that of an innocent child...
Looking at Elashia who was holding her hands, Chris closed her eyes and forcibly commanded herself to pull her hands back.
This was the first time she had ever heard such words.
Seeing me get hurt would pain her heart?
Actually, Chris herself didn't know—whether she hoped Elashia's words were deceiving her or not.
Honestly, no matter what, she was still a perfectly normal person!
She wasn't what people called the "Embodiment of Justice" or the "Guardian of the City-State," and she certainly wasn't some emotioneless perpetual motion machine of governance.
She was just an ordinary woman who had some martial skills but whose heart was so empty that she could only fill it through work!
Never mind women—what human being wouldn't want to hear words like Elashia's?
She had wanted to deceive herself with thoughts like "Elashia is just putting on an act" or "This must be the performance of an old schemer."
But Elashia's gaze and her own years of experience reading people were both telling her—the pink-haired girl before her was not deceiving her.
Why... are your eyes so sincere...
Like this... do you know how painful it would be for me to choose to stay...
Chris felt her eyes becoming moist, and she turned her head away, no longer meeting Elashia's gaze.
Seeing Chris turn her head away, Elashia immediately noticed that her condition wasn't quite right.
Actually, when she had just spoken the words the system required her to say, her own small face had also turned crimson like Chris's.
But—she was certain that although these words came from the system, they were absolutely what she most wanted to say to Chris from her own heart!
Stop being attached to this godforsaken place! Come to Elasia with me and live together!
There are no malicious conspirators trying to harm you there, no unruly citizens who get led astray by a few words!
And there are gentle and reliable colleagues, citizens who trust you, and me—who not only won't give you random orders but will also have your back!
Don't you know how much it pains me to watch those bastards treat you like this!
Looking at Chris who had turned her head away, Elashia gritted her silver teeth and embraced her.
"I won't ask you to leave Yage City with me right now and go to Elasia together. I only ask that you don't ruin your noble soul for this small city-state."
"Your talents and character should bring peaceful lives to more people, not here... Ah!"
Chris forcefully pushed Elashia down to the ground.
Chris's body was trembling.
But the corners of Elashia's mouth secretly revealed a smile of having everything under control.
She understood Chris too well.
When she was angry, she would never resort to violence, especially against a woman.
So her pushing her down to the ground was definitely not because of anger.
But because she didn't want her to continue speaking.
As for why she didn't want her to continue speaking, did the reason even need to be stated?
"Elashia... I..."
Seeing the pink-haired girl she had pushed to the ground, Chris reached out her hand but immediately pulled it back.
She knew—she couldn't continue staying with this pink-haired girl like this anymore.
Her convictions had already started to waver, and if this continued, perhaps she really would abandon the city-state and leave this place together with Elashia?
Chris turned around and ran desperately toward Yage City.
She ran faster and faster, not stopping even for an instant even when she tripped and fell along the way.
After serving as consul for so many years, this was the first time she had ever been so out of composure.
There was nothing else left in Chris's mind.
Right now she only wanted to quickly get away from this pink-haired girl who made her convictions waver.
What fell to the ground—she didn't know if it was sweat or tears...
She just kept running, kept running...
Until she finally had nowhere left to run.
She raised her head.
She discovered she had already rushed into the citizens' assembly square.
On all sides were citizens looking at her...