Shirley lifted her head slightly, revealing a small, troubled smile.
"I'm fine… just thinking," she said softly, trying to brush it off.
But Igaris narrowed his eyes, not buying the excuse. "You've never been good at hiding your emotions. What's wrong?"
Shirley hesitated, then stopped walking. She looked around briefly, making sure they had a bit of privacy before speaking.
"I just… I keep thinking about earlier. Those people. Dao Child Mu Chen, Fairy Hua… all of them. They acted like we were nobodies. As if we didn't belong here," she said, her voice low. "And I couldn't even say anything back. I felt so useless beside you."
Her voice trembled near the end, but she quickly bit her lip and forced herself to stay composed.
"I know you're not just Igaris anymore. You're the Overlord now, the one building a new empire. But I… I don't want to be someone who always hides behind you."
Igaris listened quietly, and his expression softened.
