With black short hair cascading down, dangerous gaze framed by smoky makeup;

the rest of her features concealed by a metallic mask, hiding them from view.

Clad in a tight-fitting armor that covers only the chest and lower abdomen, with unique earrings that showcase her personality. Whenever her hand curls slightly inward, her nail-polished slender fingers would arch up.

Rebellious, the young girl standing here exudes a rebellious aura;

in a different sense, she could be seen as a teenage "socialite."

In front of the girl not far away, a group of riders sit on horses, forming a cavalry regiment, all members without exception being female.

"Young ones, your recent performance hasn't embarrassed me (self-proclaimed) as an elder;

as a necessary reward, I allow you to rest here for three days, so go and enjoy the hot springs!"

After admonishing in a tone reminiscent of a mafia elder, the rebellious girl puts her index finger and thumb into her mouth and lets out a very long whistle.

In response to her call, a large group of uniquely dressed kill-matte females, standing several meters ahead, brandish their batons and shout in unison:

"Oolooloo!"

To the uninformed, hearing that beastly shout would likely make them think they were in a primitive forest;

but unfortunately, this is not a place where people can indulge in natural scenery;

this is just a temporary camping ground for the imperial princess knights and their affiliated knight order troops.

The rebellious girl emitting a rebellious vibe is none other than Inran Empire's younger sister of the Empress, the second princess Yoru Hatsuyuki…

The titles above can be ignored; for now, she is just an average rebel who came to the hot springs to relax after defeating the armies of two small countries.

Even rebels have friends, although there are only two in total, having few friends also has its advantages;

such as now, Hatsuyuki has brought half of her friends (one) to this place, ready to enjoy the comfortable hot springs together.

The same-sex friend she dragged to the edge of the hot spring, with a somewhat translucent figure, had made an appearance before today as well.

If Freya or Lucia were present, they would likely recognize Hatsuyuki's friend, who is none other than the ghostly girl Flora.

Flora was originally a wandering soul in the mortal world, but after meeting someone and becoming friends, she decided to do something in return.

Just like a certain fat orange cat had in mind; to introduce potential partners to their friends;

hence, the cat brought Bai Meow here some time ago.

And not long ago, Flora left Dibiles to search for a suitable girl overseas.

However, an accident occurred during her search, Flora inadvertently scared the coachman driving the carriage unconscious, leaving her wandering in the borderlands between two countries;

at a loss for where to go, feeling troubled.

"Aren't you going anywhere?"

At that moment, a voice rang in Flora's ears.

Glancing over, she spotted Hatsuyuki;

the reason the latter was roaming around alone late at night near the border was due to the current special circumstances.

During the time these two got to know each other, the Inran Empire was mobilizing its forces, and to ensure the smooth progress of the war, Hatsuyuki, too, had to be on standby at the border.

The reality of preparing for battle brought these two closer than ever at that time;

Hatsuyuki staying up all night was just a habit. Since a few years ago, she had developed a habit of raising small animals.

She didn't deliberately buy expensive purebred cats and dogs, but every night, she would search near her residence to see if there were any lost animals.

Due to spending a long time at the border, Hatsuyuki's harvest in recent years, in various senses, had been quite significant;

every month, she could find one or two small animals abandoned or lost during their owners' relocation in the border areas.

Even though every animal she took in ended up being scrawny and malnourished, eventually needing to find new owners, it didn't matter;

what mattered was the intention, as the heart was the most important;

the above statement was Hatsuyuki's inner voice used to escape reality each time.

Flora was indeed lucky to be picked up by Hatsuyuki that night, and as a ghost, she was relatively easier to care for than the small cats and dogs.

Nevertheless, the primary reason Flora was taken in by Hatsuyuki wasn't just that she looked pitiful.

More importantly:

Flora was a female ghost, commonly known as a "female spirit," and the key wasn't the "spirit" part but the preceding "female."

Because of their same gender, Flora had the prerequisite to become a "personal maid";

Furthermore, Hatsuyuki had seen the noble emblem Flora carried with her and knew she was a noble in her country before her passing;

thus, in terms of status, Flora indeed qualified as a "personal maid."

Lastly, there was the familial relationship between these two girls.

Flora's family had once been a branch of the royal family;

according to the royal family tree analysis, her great-great-aunt's cousin's aunt's grandmother had a cousin relationship with one of Hatsuyuki's ancestors.

For Hatsuyuki, picking up a distant relative was something worth treasuring.

What's even more incredible is that this was a ghost relative!

Unlike those timid girls who feared ghosts, and much to Flora's surprise, Hatsuyuki had an extreme interest in all supernatural phenomena.

All these factors combined were the reasons why Hatsuyuki welcomed Flora into her circle.

Although the two girls hadn't known each other for long, they hit it off instantly, establishing a certain emotional bond with each other.

Hatsuyuki saw Flora as a friend, and the latter not only viewed the former as a friend but also as a perfect matchmaker.

With exceptional looks, extraordinary strength, noble status, and a unique temperament;

in Flora's eyes, Hatsuyuki had become the ideal candidate for a potential marriage introduction.

Such devious thoughts were natural; spending so long within the army of her homeland, Flora wasn't suddenly overcome with homesickness;

however, she had no intentions of betraying her friend as anyone approved by her couldn't be so ordinary; they must have some admirable qualities.

In Flora's mind at that moment, successfully pairing them up would be akin to playing matchmaker for a perfect couple.

As she immersed herself in the pool, Flora couldn't help but let out a moan of enjoyment;

before she got carried away, she tentatively asked:

"Do you have a crush, Yuki?"

"I don't need one."

Does that mean there is none?

Deciphering the hidden meaning behind her words, Flora subtly inquired:

"Yuki, you're a remarkable young lady, old enough to find a boyfriend. What type of person do you fancy?"

Flora was thinking:

Whatever type Yuki mentions, she would immediately recommend Wang Xiaole, even if it meant lying to bring the two together.

"I can't think of any preferences now, and I won't in the future. Instead of wasting time on nonsense, it's better to improve your skills at pet care."

Sitting in the hot spring, Yuki propped up a long white leg, showing her sincerity through this posture.

"Do you like girls, Yuki?"

"Why would Xiaofu think that… but it doesn't matter; I don't want to continue this topic, let's end it here."

Observing her friend scooping water to cleanse her skin, Flora increasingly felt the impenetrable depth of her mind.

When it came to matters concerning her, Flora was prone to giving up at the first sign of difficulty.

But when it involved matchmaking for a friend, she couldn't afford to lose spirit; instead, she needed to find a breakthrough.

Later on, an idea struck Flora:

It was pointless to exhaust herself here alone; she needed to facilitate a meeting between the two parties to pave the way for some matchmaking!

But how to orchestrate a meeting?

In a sense, Yuki was representing the invading party aimed at attacking Dibiles, not voyaging to foreign lands.

After some contemplation, Flora could only think of one possibility:

Her friend resided in Dibiles and had a meddlesome personality;

during such critical times, friendships tend to seek trouble, and it was conceivable that her friend might have crossed paths with the Inran Empire's army out of personal or territorial protection reasons.

Naturally, Inran's forces were divided into two, with the Southern Marshal leading one group;

Flora pondered:

If her friend happened to be with the Southern Marshal, then there was nothing she could do to assist.

In order to nip this possibility in the bud, Flora asked Hatsuyuki for a favor:

"Can I send a letter to Dibiles? I have an acquaintance there, and I don't want the war to affect them. I plan on bringing them here."

Though a rebel, Hatsuyuki still had some trust in her friends;

without much ado, she didn't question the contents of the letter, agreeing promptly:

"Sure, Xiaofu, go ahead and send the letter, we'll select someone from my subordinates to deliver it."

That cooperative attitude was immensely helpful!

So, during her continued bath, Flora carefully considered the contents of the letter.

Casual talk was out of the question, but revealing the true intention in writing ran the risk of being intercepted and compromising the secrecy.

How to express her thoughts effectively?

After much thought, Flora finally put pen to paper and composed a three-sentence letter.