"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly is the nature of your relationship?"
Even though she was following a script, one had to admit Eden was a consummate actress.
The look of surprise on her face was perfect—a ten out of ten performance—as if she were truly learning the news for the first time.
In reality, thanks to Connie's relentless snooping, Eden had known about the two of them even before the parties involved, Durandal and Elysia, had fully realized it themselves (mostly).
According to the script, this was the moment where Elysia was supposed to take the lead and reveal their relationship, while Durandal maintained her usual "cool and collected" facade.
However, Durandal suddenly drifted off-script.
She reached out, cupping Elysia's face as the latter leaned against her shoulder, and allowed the first expression other than a deadpan mask to grace her features during the entire interview.
In that moment, the tenderness and deep affection Durandal radiated were so potent that even her stage makeup couldn't suppress them.
"You said you joined Schicksal because you were captivated by me," Durandal said softly. "But wasn't I also captivated by you? That's why I invited you to join in the first place."
With those words, Durandal unhesitatingly pulled Elysia into a firm embrace. She then turned to Eden, her expression earnest. "As you can see, we are partners."
A great host, of course, needs lightning-fast reflexes and the ability to save a scene.
Almost instantly, Eden understood why Durandal had abandoned the script.
To be honest, the original script had been something she and Elysia worked out while Durandal was away on an assignment.
Perhaps they had leaned too hard into "character archetypes" during the planning phase—trying to mold Durandal into a serious, almost stiff "old-school officer" figure—and had completely overlooked the woman's actual feelings.
In truth, the segment Eden and Elysia had prepared was a bit of a callback to the day they entered Chiba Academy, when Elysia had unilaterally announced to everyone that she liked Durandal.
That would have painted Elysia as the one pining away, a bit of a lovestruck fan.
Back then, Durandal hadn't reacted because she hadn't even sensed the romantic tension between them. She had simply interpreted Elysia's behavior as a prank designed to cause trouble.
Naturally, she hadn't given it a second thought.
But things were different now.
Elysia was the person Durandal held closest to her heart.
Durandal couldn't bear the thought of others seeing their relationship as one-sided on Elysia's part. She refused to let Elysia suffer that kind of slight, even if it wasn't true.
"It seems Miss Durandal truly treasures Miss Elysia," Eden remarked, her commentary perfectly smoothing over Durandal's deviation from the script.
"Alright then. Our previous topics were a bit heavy, save for the last one. The next few questions will be a bit lighter. They might get a little personal, so please feel free to say so if you'd rather not answer."
Eden glanced at her cue card and asked, "How do you two usually spend your free time? Do you have any hobbies?"
"Aside from my work with Schicksal, I spend most of my time training," Durandal replied.
"Though I suppose I should add another to the list now: spending time with Elysia. As for hobbies, I like cats, but unfortunately, I don't have the time to raise one at the moment."
"For me, it's pretty much the same as Durandal!" Elysia chirped.
"Besides training and keeping Durandal company, I love going shopping. I also enjoy getting everyone from Schicksal together for little activities. And just so you know, I'm a cat person too! ♪"
"It sounds like you two are perfectly compatible!"
Eden maintained a poised smile, though internally she was biting her tongue.
Why did it feel like this interview was turning into 'One Hundred Questions on the Marital Compatibility of Durandal and Elysia'?
Still, Eden had to admit that from a viewer's perspective, people would be fascinated by the private lives of these two.
It was just a bit hard on her, the single host, who was being blinded by their radiant affection without even being able to put on sunglasses.
And so, the interview concluded amidst an endless atmosphere of Durandal and Elysia flaunting their love.
Once it was over, Eden immediately went to check the raw footage.
It hadn't felt like much during the recording, but watching it back as a spectator, she realized Durandal's ad-lib was actually a stroke of genius.
While the "serious officer" image made her seem reliable, the gentle affection Durandal showed toward Elysia gave that reliability a tangible, human touch.
Durandal's persona was no longer a cold, distant castle in the sky; through the "bridge" that was Elysia, she had become grounded and real.
At least visually, Durandal's image felt like a natural progression rather than a sudden, jarring shift.
Similarly, the playful charm Elysia displayed at the start, when paired with Durandal's doting nature, revealed a sweet and devoted side of her that made her character even more likable.
This interview taught Eden a profound lesson: building a public persona isn't always about carving out a single trait to make it believable. People are multifaceted, even contradictory.
Sometimes, expressing the unity within those contradictions creates a far more compelling result.
Eden was already naturally gifted in these matters.
Having connected the dots, she was already brainstorming how to launch the next pair of brand ambassadors—Kevyn and Mei—once Mei joined Schicksal.
"How was it? Do we need to re-record?" Durandal asked, walking over to Eden.
To be honest, Durandal didn't want to change what she'd said. But if Eden, the professional, insisted the script was better, she would respect that opinion.
"No need. Your performance was magnificent, Commander. The impact of this interview will likely far exceed my expectations."
Eden's exposure plan for the Schicksal ambassadors wasn't limited to just photo shoots and interviews. A whole series of promotional projects was lined up, the most important being the promotional videos.
Eden planned to split the videos into two parts.
One would be a public service announcement style promo, suitable for television and video websites.
The other would be a semi-documentary variety show, using a "follow-cam" style to capture Durandal and Elysia as they eliminated Zombies and Honkai Beasts.
Along the way, it would introduce other members of Schicksal, laying the groundwork for Eden to introduce the next pair of ambassadors.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.