A/N: This happened when Maria and Artemia clashed for the 1st after that accident which led to Alex taking her as his woman.
°°°
Suddenly, the hall inside Alex's mansion fell silent as they all stopped talking.
They stopped and they exchanged a look with each other, sensing something was off, they mechanically turned their heads around. They pointed their lips over at a certain corner of the hall, specifically, the left corner of this big room.
Two ravishing ladies stood there while examining each other. They had very elegant smiles on their faces and they both looked like they had a very good upbringing. Compared to the rest of the tent that was making noises like no tomorrow, they looked like two high ladies who entered a supermarket to buy stuff.
Maria Alexia Rosares and Artemia Eretria Von Havens are facing off against each other.
They weren't exchanging words, they just stood there smiling at each other. The others recognized that the weird mood enveloping them was coming from both of them.
"Those two…"
Alex who was playing a joke on Sakuya after their meeting stopped at this moment, although he didn't stop hugging her leg because they're soft. His gleeful expression was gone, replaced with a look belonging to that of one who walked on thin ice.
"Wow! Look at them.''
Sakuya smacked Alex's head with her fan. She wanted this bugger to let go of her leg. She continued.
''Just look at them, these two immediately located each other and they started a staring contest, I believe they haven't exchanged a single word up until now…"
"Hah!''
Alex stood up and scratched his cheek in confusion. He could vaguely sense invisible forces clashing against each other in the air, his body started trembling in response to this invisible pressure.
"Something's not right here, what are they doing?…"
Sakuya gave him a mysterious smile and she shrugged him off.
"Well, I don't know about that…"
After everyone quieted down, they started moving away from the two of them. They also made sure to shut their traps lest they attract unwanted attention and become casualties in what appeared to be an imminent battle of wits. Maria who would jump at any opportunity to get back at Artemia also chose to watch from the sidelines just like the two air-headed bottomless pit combo.
It's like both of them aren't aware that they are currently the focal point of everyone's attention. Everyone's legs started getting tired but these two are still staring at each other.
Alex's lips twitched and he experienced a mix of joy and sadness. He's glad that his prediction somewhat came true with this pseudo-shuraba-esque scene. Now, he's worried that if the two of them fought, he would get dragged in and die as a result. That would be a major pain in the ass.
"I feel like…"
He just laughed awkwardly.
"This won't end well…"
Maria and Artemia finally stopped "longingly gazing" at each other. They both extended a hand to exchange handshakes.
"Nice to meet you, Artemia, I presume?"
Maria greeted her with a perfectly radiant smile, her smile lit up the whole tent.
"I have heard from my man talking about you, what unfortunately happened between and I had always wanted to meet you. I am so blessed to have my little wish come true today, yours truly, I'm very glad to make an acquaintance with you."
"You are the famous Ice Empress…"
Artemia replied with a charming smile as well. Her blue eyes narrowed into crescent-moon-like slits. She looked very mature and womanly, her brilliance was on par with Maria's. She easily raised the temperature in the hall. Her sweet voice also raised the body temperature of the other ladies in here.
"Likewise, I have heard great exploits done by you…"
Artemia tilted her head with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"From my fiance's words, I can tell that he loves you very, very much. After meeting you, I feel inferior in comparison…"
Her words sounded modest, sure, but her tone carried a sarcastic tone of disdain. Also, her words shook the other ladies.
''Fiance?!"
They all gasped.
"Fiance she said.''
Alex's jaw hit the floor.
"Ara ara…"
Sakuya hid her raised lips with her fan.
"Looks like a good show is about to start…"
This girl was enjoying the show.
For the first time since the beginning of this confrontation, Maria's smile froze up for a second there but he quickly recovered. However, all of them could see her aura being mitigated by the 3rd princess's words.
Maria's inner persona turned grim as she raised the alarm inside herself. This girl who is still blushing like a newly-wed wife isn't as simple as she looked.
Maria was going to use her maxed-out elegance skill and her privilege on this foe but she never expected her to play a reverse card on her. Not only that, she decided to change the game from comparing elegance to one charm, asserting her advanced familiarity with Alex by calling him her fiance.
She used a polite tone to express her supportive role behind Alex with eloquence knowing full well that this spot was very coveted in his still-expanding harem so she told everyone she was the one who is closest to her after Luna while Maria is only the side mistress.
She pulled one over Maria with her "modest but firm" words. In this manner, she also showed her grandiosity and adultness. In this battle of words and wits, she is the one with the leading advantage.
She's good.
Maria immediately raised her assessment of this newcomer.
"Oh! You're indeed good as the rumors said."
Maria gave her a smile that was brimming with grace. She retrieved some of her noble air and she exerted more of her Queen's aura.
''Artemia's princess appearance eclipses most any other, no doubt about that…"
Maria's ice-blue eyes brightened up and she transformed into the most regal person here, using her royal aura to outshine worldly matters, including that which involved using fake modesty to increase her charm. She proved that she was too majestic to go that low.
''I'm satisfied with being by our beloved's side just like my other kind sisters. I dare not lust for more love than I have already received even though I'm the only one who opens his eyes on this road."
Maria covered her mouth while giggling especially after saying that last sentence.
"If Lex would spare me a few glances now and then, I will be very satisfied already…"
The audience was all slack-jawed with her enlightened mode of speech. They started flipping tables out of outrage inside their hearts.
Maria, are you even listening to yourself?!
Artemia changed her look.
The Ice Empress used her "taking the high road" to give her a good verbal spanking. She's indirectly calling her basic for using something like charm and sexiness to monopolize her loved one. Instead, she chose to use her moral high ground to throw stones named "Love is to be shared and not monopolized" down on her. Maria was the first one to bring up the subject of love.
Also, her Queen's aura wasn't a fabrication. It's something that she earned for herself after spending a long enough time lording over everyone else. She showed them the difference between a noble and a pleb. She showed her who is the one who had a higher standing here.
With an excellent riposte from Maria Alexia Rosares, Artemia Eretria Von Havens was curbed. It would be weird if she didn't experience a change of facial expression.
She's good.
The 3rd princess of the strongest empire raised her assessment of Maria, the Ice Empress just like the latter did at the start of this debacle.
After exchanging a single round of verbal artillery, Maria and Artemia continued eyeing each other. Although the aura could not be seen, it's unquestionable that the aura is real. It's only natural for nemesis to meet, maybe this is fate's work.
Finally, the two started treating each other like a real foes.
The two ended their preliminary probing. They more or less understood the other and now they are back to staring down at each other. However, their auras are still clashing and colliding intensely.
The other girls finally caught up. Excluding, Gracier the little devil, the other ladies knew what this is all about…
"They…"
Luna laughed.
"I wonder why they started antagonizing each other…"
''I wonder"
Sakuya's lip twitched and she continued.
"I don't know what Maria is thinking about. I think it's going to be the death of us if we try to pry into their minds and understand their thoughts…"
Sakuya and Luna didn't know how far the princess wanted to take this. But, thinking about their sister's personality, they decided to stay clear and just watch the proceedings. These two are so similar in so many ways.
Their glaring similarities probably led to them starting a fight with each other.
The auras they are giving off only pushed the other ladies back a little. But, for Alex, it was like he was staring down at the belly of the beast.
He couldn't help but gulp subconsciously.
They aren't going to start tearing each other's hair out, right?…
Alex couldn't keep calm at all. He would rather see them stay cool with each other despite how non-sensical that would look than the alternative where they try to rip each other's throats out.
Harem's route is sure tough.
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