At first, Guinevere thought Oberon was joking or making things up.
Lancelot? Liking him? Impossible! That woman seemed intent on killing him at every turn! Every time in simulations, she was like a rabid dog chasing him down, absolutely hateful.
Take the last simulation, for example; every move Lancelot made was aimed at taking him out. When she realized she couldn't kill him, she discarded reason and even accepted becoming a great calamity just to get rid of him. It left Guinevere confused, wondering if he had done something to offend her, aside from being too harsh on her in that simulation with the Blood King. Why would she go this far just to kill him?
"No, honestly, to put it bluntly, Lancelot is currently our greatest obstacle. We're mortal enemies, plain and simple, it's either you or me... and now you come telling me Lancelot likes me? Oberon, did you wake up or should I?"
Guinevere stared seriously at Oberon, speaking with annoyance.
"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't believe it. I didn't either when I first heard the news... but Nocknare and the others said it's true." Oberon shrugged.
"I even went to see Lancelot to confirm the info... and for now, it seems genuine. If it's fake, then at least she's convincing. Want to go see her yourself?"
"You said 'maybe faking it,' then it's definitely fake!"
At that moment, Artoria couldn't hold back:
"Guinevere doesn't know what kind of person Lancelot is, but Bavanzi and I do! That stupid dragon is vile, petty, and unscrupulous. She's probably just trying to trick you into meeting her so she can kill you! Don't fall for it!"
"I can vouch for that. Lancelot's definitely that kind of person," Bavanzi added, standing beside Artoria. "Although, Guinevere's charm is out of this world, it's perfectly normal for someone to like him, but Lancelot? Impossible."
"Guinevere? Is that what you call him?" Artoria raised her eyebrows, annoyed, and kicked Bavanzi in the behind. But when Bavanzi retaliated with a kick, Artoria dodged, and they began fighting again, pulling each other's hair and throwing punches.
"They really get along well, don't they?" Oberon commented, watching the two in action.
"Indeed," Guinevere agreed.
"So, what's your reply going to be for Lancelot?" Oberon asked again. "I heard when she couldn't see you, she cried and threw a tantrum in front of everyone. People who saw it were moved to tears. It was tragic."
"Really?" Guinevere raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, why would I lie to you?"
"…Is this another one of her schemes?" Guinevere thought seriously.
Honestly, the thought of a longtime rival going to such lengths to draw him out left Guinevere conflicted. The plan seemed kind of amateur, but considering Lancelot's intelligence, it made sense that she would come up with something so foolish.
It was a shame, though, that he didn't get to see her make a fool of herself.
"Seems like you don't believe any of it… so the answer is 'no,' right?" Oberon asked. "I'll go tell her then."
"…No, hold on," Guinevere shook his head. "Since Lancelot's made her move, I'll take up the challenge. I've avoided meeting her before due to exhaustion, but we're well-rested now. If she's got something up her sleeve, we'll handle it."
Guinevere added seriously:
"Tell Lancelot I'll meet her in a few days in Lentinean."
"Hm? You're really going to meet her?" Oberon raised an eyebrow. "But why wait a few days?"
"Because I'm waiting for Bavanzi's Swift Ring to cool down," Guinevere winked. "We also need to stop by Gloucester to bring Myrien along."
"Lancelot's really taking risks by staying in Lentinean. If that's the case, we could use Myrien's domain to suppress her, then have Nocknare's magic rifle unit trap her... It's rare she makes such a mistake. We should capitalize on it, team up, and eliminate her."
"Wow, that's brutal," Oberon whistled. "What if she really does like you and wants to reconcile?"
"Don't even talk to me about that," Guinevere retorted. "She was just chasing us down a few days ago."
"You're right," Oberon nodded. "Alright, I'll go deliver the message then."
With a puff of air, Oberon turned into a cute, small version of himself, hopped back onto Blanca, and vanished in a flash.
"Safe travels, White Moth Prince."
"I told you not to call me that... never mind, I'm used to it," Guinevere sighed, having given up on trying to stop Oberon from calling him odd names.
...
Chapter 39: How Pitiful, Lancelot
"Even though that Shan is a troublemaker that no one likes, you, Yousser, are a good person. You kindly welcomed her and became her friend."
"Later, that Shan fell for you, and while I wasn't around, she snuck in and became your second lover."
Lancelot glanced at Guinevere's expression as she continued spinning her story:
"I thought someone as amazing as you, Yousser, wouldn't be able to be monopolized by just me, so I accepted her... But I didn't know that Shan was a real troublemaker."
"Because of her, you got involved in her mess, had to travel with her, and become her servant, but in the end, because she had so many enemies, you were killed by them."
"In the end, it's all Shan's fault! If it wasn't for her, you and I could've happily lived together! It's all her fault, but I can't blame her... she's always been a thick-skinned troublemaker."
"Okay, I get it," Guinevere cut her off. "Let's stop talking about Shan... I'm more concerned about something else. If you and I were lovers in the past, why were you trying to kill me?"
"Uh…"
Lancelot's voice faltered. She turned away awkwardly. Her previous passion faded as she hesitated, and after a moment of silence, she spoke in a meek tone:
"Well… it's still Shan's fault. After you died because of her in the past, Shan somehow learned that you'd return to Britain after 2000 years... but she also altered your appearance and presence."
"You don't look like Yousser anymore, and Shan also put a barrier on you to block my future sight. That's why I didn't recognize you at first..."
At this point, Lancelot fell silent, caught in her own words. Guinevere frowned, not believing her story.
"Wait a minute," he asked coldly, "Are you saying that if I wasn't Yousser, you'd be able to kill me without any hesitation? Just because of a potential future possibility?"
"Uh..."
Lancelot's face turned pale. Her hands trembled as she fumbled for an answer.
Guinevere's patience wore thin. "You're full of lies, and I can't trust you."
"Even if you were Yousser's lover, so what? Like you said, if I don't look like him and I have no memory of him, then I'm not the same person."
He stood up and turned toward the door.
"Go back to wherever you came from, I don't want to see you again."
Lancelot scrambled to catch up, grabbing his sleeve.
"Please wait... give me a chance!"
Guinevere shook her off and left without looking back.
"...How pitiful."
He sighed and left the room, not even sparing Lancelot another glance.