When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 811 - 762: Why Are You Still Taller Than Me?

After Horn moved the administrative center to the ry Court Barracks, the first floor of the Holy Arrival Hall still served as the City Hall.

Meanwhile, the second floor had become Horn's office and residence at Joan of Arc Castle.

When Horn was working at Joan of Arc Castle, he mostly stayed in his office.

This time when he came to the office, Jeanne had been waiting for him for a long time.

With a short thick braid hanging down her back, Jeanne, dressed in a challenging hunting outfit, was boringly flipping through the books on the desk.

"Jeanne —"

Horn's words suddenly got stuck in his throat.

As Jeanne turned her head, the candlelight illuminated a face that the sun couldn't tan, giving it a marble-like texture.

This face, under the candlelight, appeared both clear and elusive. Previously, it was a face not fully developed during her girlhood, but now it had grown.

She was dressed in a masculine military uniform, but for some reason, Horn always sensed a girlish softness.

"Jeanne, you... you've grown taller again?" As they approached each other, Horn immediately noticed something was off.

He had grown at the rate of one centimeter per year over the past four years, currently reaching about 1.73 meters.

Yet, when he stood before Jeanne, he felt as if his gaze was the same as four years ago and he still had to slightly look up.

"You're the only one allowed to grow, and not me?" Jeanne's eyes curved like the moon.

"Wasn't it said that after a witch awakens, development and growth slow down or even stop?"

Jeanne proudly straightened her chest, "I asked Selomis, I'm actually at the fastest development period, so I'll grow according to this phase."

Any witch who awakens during adolescence, as long as they get enough nutrition, will be very tall.

"Are you really developing?"

"Of course... What are you looking at?!" Following Horn's gaze downwards, Jeanne suddenly bristled upon seeing her feet.

"I was just sizing you up, and you..."

"No looking."

Horn was speechless at first, then couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't expect such a big change in two years."

"What two years? It's been four years, I'm already 21."

Once at the age of a girl in high school, she was now at the age of a young woman in college.

It was then that he realized that he and Jeanne had long been seeing each other less and less.

Before Thousand River Valley established its nation, Horn and Jeanne often spent time together.

But after the nation was established, everyone had to govern their respective areas.

Horn was always running around, inspecting, giving speeches, hosting frontline affairs, and handling administrative tasks.

Jeanne was busy with suppressing bandits, training soldiers, and juggling agricultural tasks, overseeing Enrico's crop rotation, and often running into the mountains.

Sometimes, it was two or three months before they saw each other, and even when they did, it was usually just for two or three days before one had to leave.

Either Horn had errands, or Jeanne did.

Busy, everyone was busy.

"I've neglected you during this time." Horn couldn't help but lament; he had spent more time with the Wolf Woman than Jeanne over the past two years.

Not to mention the scale over at Moliat's side.

"What are you boasting about? When did I need your attention?" Though she spoke thus, the corners of Jeanne's mouth still couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Horn looked into Jeanne's eyes, "If you're free tomorrow, let's get up early to see the red maple forest."

"You came late at night, and need to hold meetings, don't you need sleep tomorrow morning?"

"I'll nap briefly, it won't delay." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Let's forget it; the maple leaves are there every year. We have plenty of time in the future." Jeanne's face under the candlelight was even more vibrant than sunlight, "Once everything's sorted out, let's build a little cabin by the forest and stay there for two weeks every year, how about that?"

"Sounds good." Horn's heart and tongue simultaneously agreed.

"Is that something you're saying only to me, or to Jia Li, Catherine, Hilov, Moliat, Sister Qianqian, and René as well?"

"Leave Moliat out of it, and what are you talking about with Qianqian and René?" Horn widened his eyes, "Don't slander the innocent."

"So that means aside from Moliat, it's true for Sister Qianqian and René too, right?" Jeanne's mouth crooked.

"I wouldn't dare say." Horn feigned seriousness, coughed guiltily, "I've only taken you to the red maple forest."

Jeanne squinted, then suddenly smiled playfully, "I don't believe it; come on, everyone's here, time for the meeting."

Watching Jeanne's retreating figure, Horn found his body moving on its own.

He darted forward, grabbed Jeanne's wrist, and gave a gentle tug.

Jeanne, practicing the seven-section breathing technique, stumbled slightly at Horn's second-section pull.

Horn's other hand slid to Jeanne's waist, pulling her in closer.

"Hmm?"

Under the candlelight, Horn tiptoed slightly to meet Jeanne's gaze, their noses almost touching.

"What, what are you doing?" Then Jeanne closed her eyes.

The familiar sensation from the Battle of Pavia returned, but this time it wasn't a mere peck.

Unlike last time, her brother's mouth tasted strongly of coffee.

Jeanne secretly bent her knee a bit and hugged her brother under his arms.

She could taste the faint bitterness of coffee from Horn's tongue, while Horn smelled the familiar scent of cornflowers.

This kiss felt as if it lasted just a moment, yet also felt like it went on forever.

Jeanne couldn't even tell if time was passing, perceiving only the friction and movement between their lips and tongues.

"Knock knock."

"Creak—"

"Everyone's here, Your Majesty... Bang!"

"Ouch, my nose, why'd you slam the door...?"

"Shh shh shh, don't talk!"

Listening to the voices of the two clowns, Rudilo and Kolman, outside the door, Horn slowly retracted his neck.

"What was that just now?" Jeanne's cheeks flushed a vivid red, resembling a white jade stone with a red heart.

"Consider it a gift for not being able to take you to the red maple forest these past two years." Horn was straightforward.

Jeanne's face grew even redder: "Shameless, sneaking up while others aren't looking, even using your tongue."

"I used my tongue, but your teeth didn't stop it, and weren't you still sucking away...?"

Jeanne immediately leaped forward to cover Horn's mouth.

Feeling the remarkable force on his cheeks, Horn quickly raised his hand: "Enough, I won't say anything."

Only then did the flames on Jeanne's face subside slightly, though her voice was hard to tell if it was teasing or truly angry: "Don't you say another word."

"I promise not to say anything." Horn quickly raised three fingers, and only then did Jeanne release her hand.

Watching Jeanne with frizzy braids, Horn adjusted his clothes in front of the silver mirror: "Let's go, they must be impatient by now, wondering what they're saying about us."

"I dare them." Jeanne snorted but didn't move, "You go first, I'll rest a bit."

Horn understood, he moved to the door and exposed half of his body inside: "Oh, you're worried they'll see your flushed cheeks..."

Before he finished, Horn dashed outside, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, something soft hit it with a loud "thump."

Horn chuckled quietly, turned around, and saw Rudilo and Kolman's faces bent in a silly grin at the corner.

Frowning, Horn jogged over, kicked each of them in the butt: "What are you laughing at, so vulgar."

Rudilo and Kolman quickly shook their heads, "Not laughing, not laughing, hehe, Your Majesty, everyone's gathered, I'll take you to the meeting room."

"When we arrive, don't speak out of turn, understand?"

"You got it."

"Alright, let's go."