'The scars on her arms have disappeared, and she seems less wild than before. Her hair is still the same though.'

'He is a bit taller, and his features aren't as soft as before. Even his aura is different, but his gaze still radiates the same coldness. What's with his hair though? Did he always like it long?'

Noah and June had those thoughts while they stared at each other.

Twenty years had pa.s.sed, but they could still see the wild girl and the aloof boy behind their powerful status.

June tried her best to keep an expressionless face, but Noah noticed the slight tremor of her eyelids.

Also, he sensed that their prolonged exchange of stares was attracting the attention of the other two cultivators in the area.

'She might be an enemy now. I don't know how the Elbas family has treated her due to her relations.h.i.+p with me, so I should just avoid revealing anything. I guess I would like to catch up.'

Noah diverted his gaze and turned when he thought that.

His last words to June had been a threat, and she had been under the rule of the Royals for twenty years.

He didn't know how she felt about him or what the Royals and her family had done to her in those years.

He didn't even know how she had described their relations.h.i.+p to the Elbas family, the Royals might even believe that he was her worst enemy.

'Friends.h.i.+p and love are complex matters. Instead, fighting and killing are quite straightforward.'

Noah thought when his gaze went back on Andrew.

He felt somewhat irritated to see his actions being restricted once again by the politics of the forces behind the envoys.

He couldn't have an honest chat with an old friend since he didn't know what restrictions had been placed on her.

He couldn't even ask if she still considered him a friend since he would risk breaking her pretense inside the Utra nation.

That irritation was something that Noah was becoming familiar with, the reminder that he couldn't ignore rules that he didn't care about annoyed him to no end.

Luckily for him, he had already found someone that could help him venting that feeling.

Andrew could clearly understand that Noah wanted to return to the previous situation, and he didn't hesitate to unleash his aura again.

'He is protecting me.'

June thought when she saw Noah turning without saying a word.

She could somewhat understand what Noah was thinking at that moment.

'He doesn't know if he can trust me, but he still chose the approach that won't cause me any problem.'

That realization annoyed her too, but part of her felt glad that Noah hadn't changed into someone that she couldn't recognize.

'It's up to me then.'

June thought before flying toward Noah.

She didn't even mind Andrew, she knew that Noah wouldn't face him if he weren't confident of winning.

Yet, there was something that she had to tell him, and she had to make sure that the other two cultivators wouldn't understand the meaning behind her action.

The battle was interrupted once again by June since she quickly arrived next to Noah.

Noah showed a curious expression when he turned, but June's words made his eyebrows arc in surprise.

"Demon Prince, I'm ashamed that a fellow student of the academy has betrayed my nation and committed uncountable crimes. Yet, I must admit that your achievements deserve my respect."

Then, June stretched her right arm toward him.

"I respect you. Take my hand if you feel the same about my achievements."

Noah felt that the corners of his mouth were curving into a smile when he heard those words.

However, he suppressed that instinctive gesture and focused on June's eyes.

He could see her determination reflected by the orange halo in her irises, but he also noticed a trace of fear.

'She has actually used my words from twenty years ago…'

Noah thought while he maintained an expressionless face.

He had already decided to take her hand, but he still waited to do it.

June had gone to such lengths to express her feelings, he couldn't ruin her effort because he was eager to do the same.

Noah noticed how the fear radiated by her eyes became stronger, but he continued to wait.

Yet, when he saw the first trace of sorrow appearing on her gaze, he raised his arm to grasp her hand.

The sorrow and fear that had acc.u.mulated inside June in those instants were dispersed as soon as she felt Noah's warm hand touching her palm.

What only appeared as a normal handshake to Andrew and Faith hid deep meanings that only Noah and June could understand.

Noah felt glad too that his relations.h.i.+p with June hadn't changed through the years, but he soon sensed something strange.

June's body emanated a strange scent that gave birth to a wave of primordial anger inside his body, it was as if he instinctively hated that aroma.

June let go of Noah's hand and neared the other two envoys to greet them.

Noah noticed the relief and happiness hidden behind her expression, but he was too focused on that scent to appreciate her emotions.

'This smells like a Heaven Tribulation! Don't tell me… That Eccentric Thunder was really a madman.'

Noah thought when he recognized her scent.

He could easily make a connection inside his mind between June's centers of power and the Heaven Tribulation.

After all, he had given her the inheritance, and the Heaven Tribulation consisted of lightning bolts, it wasn't hard to link the two to the aroma so hated by his instincts.

'Now, I want to ask her more about the technique, method, or whatever she used to obtain such an interesting feature. It might be beneficial to my individuality!'

Noah's gaze unconsciously went on June's back as he tried to understand which of her centers of power carried Heaven's scent.

June was simply greetings the envoys when he sensed the reptilian pupils trying to a.n.a.lyze her.

Noah's mind was stronger than her, she had basically just become a rank 4 mage after all.

There wasn't much that she could hide to his probing, and she didn't really mind that Noah was staring at her.

Yet, Noah's mental waves carried his interest, which June could clearly feel when they landed on her body.

Of course, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Noah was so interested in her technique that he didn't take into consideration the misunderstandings that his gaze could create.

At that point, June turned and moved to the side to symbolize that the exchange meeting could begin.

Noah saw June shooting an admonis.h.i.+ng glance toward him, but he also noticed that her cheeks had reddened since their handshake.

Noah's eyes widened when he understood that she was blus.h.i.+ng, and he quickly retracted his mental waves.

'I'll explain this when we find a moment to talk.'

Noah thought as he turned and imitated June's actions, moving to the side to show that he was ready to negotiate.