"Her Majesty the queen is really..." Catherine watched Flare's swaying figure disappear around the corridor's corner with a complex gaze and, long after the queen had vanished, she sighed softly, smiled wryly, and shook her head. She then turned her gaze toward Pannis, who wore an equally odd expression, and asked quietly, "I didn't expect her to leave so resolutely. What on earth is she thinking?"
"Just like you thought," Pannis sighed helplessly and said, "Don't worry about her anymore. Despite her usual gentle demeanor, her will is stronger than that of most intelligent beings. Once she has made up her mind, unless she wishes otherwise, nothing anyone does can change her decision."
"Truly worthy of being a race's queen," Catherine seemed to avoid mentioning what had just happened, not directly referring to it even once. Instead, she maintained an apparently natural demeanor and said calmly, "Without a strong will, she probably wouldn't qualify to rule such a powerful race."
