The Handbook for Completing Demi-Human Girls

Chapter 384: A Phone Call

"Whoosh~"

The cold wind from the distant Northern Border finally reached the coastal city of Saint-Nazareth within the first week after the new year. This human metropolis, with its strong industrial atmosphere, had finally seen its first snow of the winter. However, compared to the Northern Border, the fine snow here felt more like a brief attempt. The scattered white snowflakes fell from the branches and disappeared, only occasionally accumulating a touch of winter color on some street corners and lawns.

At this moment, Elizabeth in the Golden Palace was feeling somewhat uneasy.

In the room she usually used for dining in the Golden Palace, there was an extremely long table. Elizabeth, dressed in white casual clothes, sat at the head of the table, while ministers with various expressions sat on both sides below her. Compared to the fireplaces used by the general public, the better option here was heating magic. With the enhancement of magic, the temperature here was fairly warm.

"Your Majesty, the free market rules established by Griff Hughes were determined during the pioneer period and have played a crucial role in stimulating Naris's economic vitality over the past century. We only need to maintain a small portion of the infrastructure, and the market will regulate itself... Griffism has worked quite well for so many years. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to change it now?"

The lunch placed before the ministers below was sumptuous, featuring top-quality steak, olives, and black truffles, paired with the favorite red wine of the Naris people produced by the Black Mamba Palace. It looked incredibly appetizing, but none of them picked up their knives and forks. Instead, they all looked seriously and warily at the Empress sitting at the end of the table, who was cutting her meat with a knife and fork.

The one who had just spoken was Rebuck, the Minister of Finance appointed by Elizabeth, and also a famous cadre of the New Party. After Griff's economic liberalism emerged from classical liberalism, he began to discuss applying Griff's theories to practice, guiding Naris's economic and social development over the past few decades.

Elizabeth didn't even glance at him. She just slowly cut the steak on her plate piece by piece while saying,

"I don't want to shake Griff's emphasis on the market, but it is necessary to increase some intervention and supervision... Also, Rebuck, I am not discussing this with you, but issuing an order. Although it wasn't intentional, by adhering to the concept of non-interventionism, you have already allowed too much avoidable suffering to happen in the past, yet you blame all of this on the normal operating laws of the market... Those 'clean energies' outside Naris, the addictive drugs imported from the Southern Continent, the low wages and dirty living environments of the lower-class citizens... don't tell me you know nothing about these things."

Unlike the other ministers who were focused and silent, although Rebuck came from the Royal Academy, he had always been a capable official. He wouldn't easily give up the ideals he had held onto his whole life, even when the one pressuring him at this moment was the swift and decisive Empress.Hearing Elizabeth's words, he actually snorted coldly, put down his knife and fork, closed his eyes, and said,

"If Your Majesty insists on this, then please forgive me for being unable to comply. If Your Majesty wishes, I will submit my resignation when I go back today."

Unlike others in the New Party, Rebuck was capable and uncorrupted, which was why Elizabeth still used him despite knowing he was at odds with her. But to Elizabeth, public defiance was intolerable...

Hearing this, her movement of cutting the beef paused slightly. Then, she gently put down her knife and fork, raised her hollow golden eyes, and swept a glance over the surrounding ministers. They all lowered their heads one after another. Only Rebuck continued to keep his chest straight, looking at the beef in front of him. He had no intention of enjoying the delicious food. Instead, he simply turned his head to look at Elizabeth and said,

"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave. I still have other matters to handle..."

Elizabeth didn't answer and seemed to be pondering his words. However, one or two ministers who had fallen silent and lowered their heads to look at their own plates saw the golden-armored knights waiting behind them quietly emerge at some unknown time. They gripped the swords at their waists, awaiting the Empress's command, which scared the ministers into lowering their heads even further.

But right at this moment, an urgent sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the room. In the next moment, the door of the room was violently pushed open, revealing an anxious maid standing outside.

"Your Majesty, there is... Ah!"

Before she could finish her sentence, the two knights standing by in the room had already drawn their greatswords and placed them against her neck. They pressed against her shoulders to stop her movement. With a flash of sharp cold light, the maid was so frightened that her entire body went soft, and she collapsed to the ground. A patch of wetness also appeared under her maid's uniform.

"Intruders will die."

Those two tall knights terrified everyone present. Even Rebuck, who was just about to leave, trembled and sat back down in his seat.

"Your Majesty... there's a phone call... The head maid said I must come and notify you..."

Listening to the maid's voice that was on the verge of crying, Elizabeth held her fork, ate a piece of beef, and said,

"A phone call?"

"Yes... It's from the Northern Border... They said... They said it's Fisher Benavides calling..."

Elizabeth's pupils shrank slightly, and the fork in her hand suddenly dropped onto the table, directly shattering the exquisite plate holding the steak. The crisp sound of the tableware colliding didn't dispel her shock. She suddenly stood up, and her voice became somewhat trembling,

"Who... did you say?"

"It's Fisher Benavides..."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. Under the gazes of all the ministers, she quickly bypassed the maid who had collapsed on the floor and trotted out with the two golden-armored knights, leaving the ministers at the dining table looking at each other in blank dismay, but none of them dared to stand up and leave.

"Get lost! Everyone, get out!"

The massive corridors within the Golden Palace twisted and turned. Elizabeth soon arrived at the reception area in the front hall of the Golden Palace. This was the Golden Palace's window to the outside world. Gifts and letters presented by citizens, as well as the Golden Palace's contact number, were all set up here. Specialized outer court officials appointed by the Emperor were responsible for the specific affairs. Usually, very few people would call the Golden Palace directly, so their main duty was to receive feedback letters and gifts from the citizens, which Elizabeth would occasionally read.

At this moment, all the outer court officials inside were standing on both sides. On one of the desks, the receiver was still off the hook, resting on the table next to the phone. Elizabeth panted for a moment and shouted at the waiting outer court officials around her, telling them all to lower their heads and step out.

As the doors here closed, Elizabeth adjusted her breathing, walked to the desk, and brought the phone to her ear.

There was a little "rustling" sound coming from the other end, which seemed like the sound of wind and snow. A unique charm of the Northern Border was perceived by Elizabeth's ears, and it soon masked the faint breathing of the person making the call. After a pause, Elizabeth tentatively spoke,

"Fisher?"

"...Yes, I'm here."

The other end of the phone fell silent for a moment before Fisher's somewhat exhausted voice slowly came through, making Elizabeth's heart beat a beat faster.

She opened her mouth. Knowing Fisher as well as she did, she quickly noticed that his voice sounded a little off right now. All the things she wanted to say and ask before were temporarily suppressed at the bottom of her heart. The first sentence she actually spoke was,

"What's wrong with your voice? Are you sick? Where are you right now?"

"As expected, I can't hide it from you, Elizabeth. The Sardin Woman's Country in the southernmost part of the Northern Border... There is a vassal state called McDowell here. I am currently in the Defiled Church in Hearthome Castle..."

Hearing Fisher give such a precise and real location, Elizabeth realized that he was telling the truth. However, she didn't feel the joy of finding Fisher like before. Instead, the sense of unease and anxiety in her heart grew heavier, because Fisher's voice continued through the phone,

"My current condition is indeed not very good, but I am not sick. I'm dying, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's hollow pupils shrank. Her body suddenly went limp, and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, her hand subconsciously supported herself on the table next to her, which kept her from sitting directly on the ground, but she still made an extremely obvious bumping sound.

"...Elizabeth?"

"Are you kidding me... Are you kidding me! Fisher Benavides, what exactly happened to you in the Northern Border?! Did you even throw your life away just to hide from me? Tell me, what's wrong with you..."

Fisher on the other end chuckled softly and said,

"It's nothing. It's not because of you. It's just that a small accident happened while I was handling things here. I feel closer to the death rule than ever before. I've already tried my utmost best to escape it, but it's of no avail. I'm also a bit resigned to my fate... I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted to give you a call right now. Maybe it's because of what happened before, or maybe I just purely wanted to hear your voice?"

Veins gradually bulged on the hand Elizabeth used to hold the receiver. She closed her eyes before her eye sockets turned red,

"I... I won't look for you anymore... Without my permission, you can't die... You can't die... I don't want to lose you again, Fisher... I will come to the Sardin Woman's Country to find you right now. Wait for me there."

"...Okay, I'll wait for you here. However, it's a long journey from Naris to here, and I don't know if I can hold on until you arrive. Besides, you are the master of the Golden Palace now, so it's not that easy for you to come to the Northern Border."

"If they dare to stand in my way, I have the final say on where I want to go!"

Fisher on the other end of the phone smiled slightly. The sound of the wind and snow gradually faded, so his voice also became regretful at this moment,

"You are always so bossy. I have no intention of stopping you. I mean, I'm afraid that even if you can come here, I might not be able to wait until then. So, don't hang up the phone first. Once we leave Naris, chances to talk like this will be rare. I don't want to waste it."

"...Okay, I won't hang up. Tell me."

"Erwind has already been dealt with by me. The things I needed to do before leaving Naris were also pretty much completed. According to my original thought, I should have returned to Naris and compensated you for everything I owed you in the past. But looking at it now, the hope is somewhat slim... At that time, my attitude of resolving to be responsible for you for a lifetime wasn't firm enough. I did feel daunted because of your bossiness and possessiveness..."

Fisher's voice was neither fast nor slow as he roughly explained what he had done in the Northern Border, including falling out with the Turan Family and cooperating with Valentiina.

He still remembered that during his battle with Erwind, many of the dreams treasured in his memories were about Elizabeth. So when speaking of this point, his tone slowed down quite a bit, seemingly reminiscing a bit,

"A poor boy who grew up in an orphanage had just buried the nun who raised him and arrived at the Royal Academy completely all alone. To be favored by the world-renowned imperial princess, this was my fortune, but also my misfortune. The misfortune was that, because of the light of your favor and preference, I truly ignored many of the obstacles you faced."

"Only from Isabel did I vaguely guess that in that highly anticipated Golden Palace, your life was shrouded in dense shadows. But at that time, I didn't know what kind of pressure was behind the promise you seemingly made so easily. I didn't know your brother's hatred for you, and I didn't know your father's contempt for our relationship."

"I had the opportunity to pull you out of the hell of Godlin, I had the opportunity to avoid the sins that followed, and I had the opportunity to fulfill my promise to you. I just understood too late and took everything too lightly... such a pity that when I truly grasped the reasoning within it, everything was too late. I'm really sorry, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. Her red eye sockets could no longer suppress her sorrow at this moment. She lowered her head and covered her face. Even though their conversation was being conducted through this small phone, and even though they were separated by an immense distance, it felt like the closest they had been, bringing her back to their sweetest times.

She leaned against the edge of the table, her voice trembling somewhat,

"Fisher, I have never blamed you... I... I know that I brought many things upon myself, but I really just want you to come back... I'm begging you, I don't want you to die..."

The cold wind on the other end picked up again, and the whistling sound accompanied by the tolling of the church bell corroborated Fisher's exact location at the moment. He coughed a few times before finally saying,

"I'll try my best... Alright, saying this much is already enough. The most important thing is being able to hear your voice again. You are the Empress of Naris now, and it's not realistic for you to come to the Northern Border. Let me come find you, while I can still walk. Of course, if I fail to make it back to Naris in the end, don't be sad because of it. You must take good care of yourself and Naris in the days to come. I believe you will definitely be able to do it, and you will definitely become an Empress who goes down in history. You won't repeat the tragedy of the Godlin family. Isabel is at Pirate Harbor, which you should already know. That child has never blamed you either. She knows full well the hardships you've gone through, so don't push her away again this time."

"Fisher... you are not allowed to die..."

Elizabeth sat on the ground and buried her head in her knees. Her mind was extremely restless at the moment, and the emotions in her heart fluctuated repeatedly like surging tides. In fact, she wished she could cry out and vent her emotions loudly, but she didn't dare to. She was afraid of ruining her quiet conversation with Fisher at this moment, and she was afraid that her voice would cover up his weak voice.

In reality, in front of Fisher, Elizabeth had always been cautious. Back then, if that junior female student hadn't threatened Elizabeth with 'reporting to the Golden Palace' to force her to break up with Fisher, she wouldn't have even exposed her possessiveness, and that way she wouldn't have pushed Fisher away.

Such a pity that junior student really hit her sore spot. She wasn't willing to just let the family take away her precious Fisher, so she committed a grave mistake, which unexpectedly became the catalyst for pushing Fisher away. However, it wasn't the Godlin family that she feared, but herself, who pushed him away this time.

Therefore, at this very moment, just hearing Fisher's weak voice made her so sad that she wanted to cry. It was as if she had returned to the days of living in fear, returned to the time when she was blind and lying alone in the military tent, because she feared that after this, Fisher might really leave her forever.

"Then that's all, Elizabeth. Take care of yourself. I'm preparing to set off now."

"Okay, you must be safe... you must be safe..."

Whether it was a plea or an instruction, Fisher on the other end smiled slightly and hung up the phone. However, Elizabeth continued to sit on the ground, without putting down the phone by her ear.

It was only after a long, long time, when the door of this room opened again, that Elizabeth, dressed in casual clothes, walked out with a normal expression. She turned her head and told the outer court official to keep an eye out for any phone calls from Fisher Benavides at all times. She bestowed upon him a token to roam the Golden Palace, allowing him to inform her trusted aides at any time if there was news.

As for herself, she briskly returned to the room where she had dined earlier with the two golden-armored knights. A group of Naris ministers were still there waiting for her.

"Your Majesty."

After she entered the room, the several ministers dining in the room put down their knives and forks one after another and bowed to Elizabeth. She nodded and looked in front of Minister of Finance Rebuck. The plate of steak remained untouched.

Rebuck turned his head and looked at Elizabeth walking over with the two golden-armored knights following behind her. His throat bobbed unnaturally a couple of times, but he still mustered up his courage, preparing to take his leave. But before that, Elizabeth had already waved at the knights behind her, ordering them to step out of the room.

And this was the very first time there were no golden-armored knights present when seeking an audience with the Empress. Rebuck's movement of trying to leave paused slightly, while Elizabeth returned to her seat at this time, looked at him, and said,

"Rebuck, I understand your concerns. You worry that my excessively expanded power will suppress Naris's economic vitality. I have no intention of discussing my original intentions with you here. I will temporarily hold onto the resignation you submitted earlier. I'll give you two weeks. Go to Newt Street and Serpent's Head Street to see the lives of the residents there, and you will know where the 'invisible hand' you believe in is pushing the wealth of society... After that, you are free to stay or leave."

"Also, call the person in charge of the Hidden Affairs Bureau to come see me. I have a task to arrange for him."

Towards the end, Elizabeth's voice seemed somewhat exhausted as well. She gently leaned against her seat and closed her eyes. Then, she waved her hand at all the ministers in front of her, gesturing for them to leave.

Rebuck blankly watched Elizabeth, who was exceptionally quiet today. He glanced at the other ministers next to him, and they all seemed to have faces full of disbelief. They didn't understand why the Empress suddenly became so patient after stepping out to answer a phone call today.

But all in all, this was a good thing for them.

Rebuck thought for a second, then stood up, bowed to Elizabeth, and said,

"I understand. Farewell, Your Majesty."